atomicpoet

atomicpoet, 2 days ago (edited 1 day ago) to random

I was giving common sense advice about retro gaming.

It was simple things like, “Buy what you can afford”.

This apparently got lots of people upset. One person told me, “How dare you tell people to not buy what they want!”

No, I’m suggesting that people keep a budget and abide by it. Buy what you want when it meets your budget. If you wait for deals, you will find deals. But if you buy things because you must have it now, you will lose your shirt.

Look, I stick to a general game budget of C$40/month ($29/month). This has allowed me to amass a huge library of games. How am I doing it?

Patience.

Take a look at this receipt. I bought Heretic, Hexen, Hexen II – and the Shadow of the Serpent Riders expansion pack – for C$1.09. In American currency, that’s $0.89.

The amount of money I save simply by exercising patience is absurd.

It’s so absurd that a retro collector doesn’t even believe me. They think I’m either lying or “ripped off” an uninformed seller. The notion of paying so little for a “classic” game offended them.

But exercising patience and restraint results in building a gigantic library on the cheap, and more people should be aware that it is possible.

atomicpoet, 4 days ago to random

The problem with talking to game collectors is that they exercise moon logic for why I’m “doing it wrong”.

Apparently, buying from storefronts like Steam and GOG.com means I’m a minimalist who’s afraid of “ownership”.

Also, I’m apparently jealous of the big boys because I can’t afford a $1,000 for a WATA-graded sealed copy of Action 52. 🤣

atomicpoet, 4 days ago to random

What’s just as annoying as the “I only buy physical games I own it and it’s real” folks are the “I pirate all my games for moral reasons and if you pay for them, you’re a fool.”

Well, I’m not just buying games for the games. I’m buying legal protection.

I don’t have time to waste in courts.

atomicpoet, 4 days ago to random

Currently having a really silly discussion with someone who insists that buying a game physically means they own it forever, while buying it digitally means it can be taken away.

Oh, really?

Here’s The Crew. The box and disc are selling on Amazon right now for C$56.85:

https://www.amazon.ca/Ubisoft-The-Crew-Trilingual-PC/dp/B00KVKOF9Q/

I say “box and disc” – not game – because you cannot play the game. If you put the disc in your drive, you cannot play it. Ubisoft shut down the servers and have made it impossible to play – and owning the disc makes no difference.

The issue isn’t “physical vs. digital”. It’s “DRM vs. DRM-free”.

atomicpoet, 4 days ago to random

Video game collectors hate it when you make your own boxes.

atomicpoet, 4 days ago to random

Home has been in my library for eight years. It’s a side-scrolling point-and-click horror adventure that can also be controlled with a gamepad.

At the time, it seemed pretty neat – almost like a silent film. At least on the sound front it’s really good with audio mixing that is superb.

But after 15 years of excellent pixel art graphics, I’m kind of underwhelmed here. I know that the graphics aren’t meant to blow me away, but at the same time, I find them displeasing. The sprites are way too big, and too much of the screen is blank. Perhaps the developer was going for “spookiness” but this didn’t feel spooky to me, just annoying.

The other thing is, after hours of playing this game, I don’t understand the story. I realize that you’re supposed to discover it as the game goes on, but come on, giving me some breadcrumbs – something that reveals more about who I am and what I’m doing. At the very least, give me a sense of story progression.

Thing is, if you’re not buying a game for the visuals then the game better have a good story. And I don’t see much of a story here, so I have a hard time keeping engaged. It takes a lot more than a few jump scares to keep my interest.

Not every indie-made video game is a transcendent experience, and I’m fine with that. This is what it is – a unique approach in adventure gaming with a retro aesthetic that was novel for the time.

I do appreciate that this game was made by solo developer Benjamin Rivers. There was a lot of love put into this game. And I’d rather play this game than Call of Duty.

Steam sells Home for C$6.49. While I appreciate the effort, it’s hard to recommend Home at that price – especially when there’s so many better games that are more affordable.

But perhaps I’m quibbling. At the end of the day, this is an indie game for less than the price of a happy meal.

Home screenshot (RTX 3080 Ti)
Home screenshot (RTX 3080 Ti)
Home screenshot (RTX 3080 Ti)

atomicpoet, 4 days ago (edited 1 day ago) to random

Look, if you want to pay out the nose at used game retailers who keep telling you, “Let me check eBay…” then you do you.

There’s a very good reason that the bulk of my games library is now bought on Steam, Epic, itch.io and GOG.com, and that’s because those are the places where the deals happen.

I stopped caring about “physical” 10 years ago when putting a disc in a console prompted me for an “update” that took me two hours of downloading. And the whole retail experience put a bad taste in my mouth when Game Stop started selling boxes that contained no discs – only download codes.

But for me the nail in the coffin is when I see a DRM-free games sold at a pittance online, and the boxed copy sells for 10x more. At a certain point, I realize all we’re paying for is an “official” box. The actual game is a few dollars.

Don’t believe me? Take a look at Thief: The Dark Project.

PriceCharting.com lists the average “complete-in-box” copy for $77.

https://www.pricecharting.com/game/pc-games/thief-the-dark-project

Meanwhile, GOG.com sells it right now for $1.16.

https://www.gog.com/en/game/thief_gold

When you buy the GOG.com copy, you get:

• manual
• wallpaper
• reference card
• soundtrack
• avatars
• concept arts

It would generally be cheaper to just buy the box and assemble all the stuff GOG.com gives me and put it in my own box! Just the box would cost me $30.

Or hell, if I want to make it more personal and save even more money, I can just make my own damn box! Because, you see, after I pay for my copy of Thief on GOG.com, it would still be cheaper to go to my local printers and have them print and assemble a box.

That is, if I want to be fancy. I can always just order a DVD case and print my own glossy paper.

In fact VGBoxArt.com has lots of box art designs for Thief, making it very easy to go that route:

https://vgboxart.com/search/?q=thief

By now, I know that collectors are shaking their fists.

“What if you sell these bootlegs and don’t inform people they’re bootlegs?”

Well, I won’t. They’re for me.

“What about compensating the developers?”

The developers make no money from re-sold copies of a game, but I guarantee that they’re making money from GOG.com, Steam, itch.io, and other storefronts.

“What if you die, and during an estate sale someone buys your bootlegs?”

Then I hope someone enjoys the game and doesn’t attempt to flip it on eBay because games are meant to be played.

I’m done with sketchy used game retailers trying to milk as much money out of me as possible. Other people might enjoy participating in this circus but as for me, unless I find a good deal, I’m going digital.

atomicpoet, 4 days ago to random

Four words a used video game retailer should never say: “Let me check eBay.”

atomicpoet, 5 days ago to random

I can’t believe a 9-year-old girl sang this song so well!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwFloCPXzCs

atomicpoet, 5 days ago to random

If Duke Nukem 3-D is a hidden gem, then what is my entire PC game library?

I can’t be the only one playing these games.

atomicpoet, 5 days ago (edited 2 days ago) to random

YouTube title: “DOS Hidden Gems”

Thumbnail: Duke Nukem 3-D

Okay, if Duke Nukem 3-D is a hidden gem on PC, have you ever actually used DOS ever?

atomicpoet, 5 days ago to random

Savage Messiah is one of the most disturbing films I’ve ever seen.

Keep in mind I’ve seen some truly horrific movies but Savage Messiah takes the cake. It’s truly as unsettling as Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. At least with Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer I can take comfort knowing that it is a work of fiction. However, Savage Messiah is based on a real person Roch Thériault.

Roch Thériault must be one of the worst human beings to have ever lived. That man formed a cult, mostly of women, who were – for all intents and purposes – his “concubines”. Collectively, they were known as the Ant Hill Kids.

He had sex with all of them and fathered 22 children. While all these women were in love with him, he would do unconscionable acts of abuse to them. But he wouldn’t just abuse the women, he would abuse the children as well.

I don’t want to get too descriptive here because it’s truly stomach-churning stuff but it’s all documented on Wikipedia if you’re curious.

Now you might be thinking, “This is a TV movie. How unsettling can this possibly be?”

Don’t let the low production fool you. This whole film has some of the most raw performances I’ve ever seen. And sometimes, it gets gory. Keep children away.

Full credit goes to Luc Picard who manages to showcase both Roch Thériault’s charismatic nature that drew people to him, but also his unhinged rage that made him a monster. Luc Picard made me truly understand just how terrible that asshole was, and it is beyond outrageous that this cult continued on for 12 years without the authorities putting any stop to it.

The problem I have with a lot of “true story” films about psychopaths is they lean on the salaciousness of it all, and almost romanticize the killers. For example, I can’t believe Netflix tried to make Jeffrey Dahmer sexy. Seriously, what the hell?

Savage Messiah is not salacious. There’s no attempt for us to see Roch Thériault’s “good” side. Certainly, we see why so many women fell under his spell. But at no point are we ever invited to sympathize with Roch Thériault and none of his crimes are glorified.

I’m also glad this movie was told from the perspective of social worker Paula Jackson who had, herself, been abused by her ex-husband. I don’t know if that social worker was real or if she is fictionalized. If she’s a real person, I’d like to thank her for all her work in bringing that monster down.

This movie isn’t for everyone, but I’m glad I saw it – if only to understand one of the worst crimes to have ever happened in Canada.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niruHYGNCJg

atomicpoet, 6 days ago (edited 2 days ago) to random

Got quite the haul at the thrift shop today:

• 3 CDs
• 2 cassettes
• 3 comic books
• 1 sci fi novel
• 1 children’s novel
• 1 thesaurus

Total cost: $14.

atomicpoet, 6 days ago to random

Things that should definitely be connected to the Internet:

• hinges
• zippers
• coat hangers
• jars
• spatulas

atomicpoet, 6 days ago to random

This is a bad idea, IKEA!

atomicpoet, 6 days ago to random

The stock market hit an all-time high today. But why?

Because data shows that the American job market is the weakest it’s been since February 2020. Which means there’s likely to be an interest rate cut. And an interest rate cut means cheaper loans for businesses.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/wage-growth-keeps-slowing-for-job-switchers-as-us-labor-market-cools-off-143726183.html

atomicpoet, 6 days ago to random

So Canada pulled the trigger ahead of the USA.

Canadian interest rates are at 4.75%.

Let’s see how this affects currency.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/bank-of-canada-key-interest-rate-june-5-1.7225076

atomicpoet, 7 days ago to random

Today, I discovered Visitors, a Swedish synthpop duo.

My gateway is their song “This Time The Good Guys Gonna Win”.

Imagine if ABBA and Pet Shop Boys had a baby! It would be Visitors!

And even though this song came out in 1990, it sound incredibly 80s. At one time, I thought this particular sound was cheesy. But as we get further and further from the 80s, I find myself realizing that nobody makes this kind of music anymore—there’s only so many songs that sound like this.

Believe me, this is an earworm.

https://youtu.be/FK-SXcQWTME

atomicpoet, 7 days ago to random

You should play My Memory of Us.

For one simple reason: Patrick Stewart narrates a Polish-made puzzle platformer about a boy and girl surviving World War II.

But this version of World War II is set in an alternative steampunk world. The Fascists are robots. And despite the darkness of the circumstances, there’s friendship and hope.

It’s important to know this game is made by Polish developers. You can see echoes of Poland in this game. That country was really devastated by the War – even afterwards too.

In terms of controls, this game is a lot like Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. You can control both the boy and girl independently, or you can control them both simultaneously. They each have their own abilities that complement each other. This creates ample storytelling opportunities as you get to explore the relationship between these two children.

The whole aesthetic of this game is magical. Most of the game is in black and white with some red accents. I love the animation with the environments and character models so well done.

Even more amazing is the sound design. Come on, we got Patrick Stewart as a voice actor! Can you get a voice actor than that? And the soundtrack is full of jazz that has a whole lot of soul.

By the way, the soundtrack is available as DLC. I might just go ahead and buy it because the jazz in this game is impeccable.

I laughed at the whimsy. Sometimes I got outraged by the puzzles that really made me think long and hard. This game had a whole lot of depth.

Juggler Games was the developer behind My Memory Of Us, and it was their first game. For a first game, I don’t think they could have done better. I’m glad they’re still making games, and I look forward to their next title, Tarnished Blood.

I’ve often said that Polish people make great video games. I don’t know how they have so many talented, creative people there, but they must be doing something right. Polish games aren’t just fun to play, they have a lot of soul.

For good reason, this game has a 92% positive rating on Steam. Few people know about My Memory Of Us – but more should. Not many games explore the horrors of war from a child’s perspective and offer a little bit of sunshine through all those dark clouds.

This, my friends, is why video games is an artform.

My Memory Of Us screenshot (Steam Deck)
My Memory Of Us screenshot (Steam Deck)
My Memory Of Us screenshot (Steam Deck)

atomicpoet, 7 days ago (edited 7 days ago) to random

I’m shocked that Skydance Media is buying Paramount Global for $8B!

Especially since Paramount’s current market cap is $8.9B. Just a few years ago, their market cap was $35B. And just a few years, they merged with Viacom.

This is the company that owns CBS, Showtime, the Star Trek franchise, and more.

I feel that $8B is a pittance for that entire media portfolio.

You know who mostly owns Skydance? Larry Ellison’s son, David.

https://qz.com/paramount-global-skydance-media-merger-deal-1851515827

atomicpoet, 7 days ago to random

The French video game industry has been just as impactful as their Japanese, American, and British counterparts.

Here’s the major reason why: the Thomson 8-bit microcomputer.

It was the 80s microcomputer that took off in France. I’ve never touched one physically but I have emulated it. And I played a lot of great games on it: Sorcery, Mission: Liftoff, Androides.

That machine was home to so many classics. And it looked cool!

atomicpoet, 7 days ago (edited 7 days ago) to random

For the second day in a row, I’ve been enjoying ASCII text graphics.

This time, it’s with Monsterland – a game so obscure that it doesn’t even have an entry on MobyGames.

Monsterland is brilliant. Take the basic idea behind Doom, convert it to a top-down shooter, give it ASCII text graphics. And it actually works extremely well!

The ASCII text gives this game a level of abstraction that makes this so damn fun. You’re represented by the letter “P”. All monsters are “M”. Your guns can be found with numbers. For example, a ranged shotgun is “2” while a chaingun is “4”.

In this game, you wake up from a cryogenic sleep. All of humanity is dead, and monsters have run amok. Your sole purpose is to survive.

One of the unique aspects of playing a game with ASCII text graphics is seeing all the signs in the corridor. For example, when you walk by a corridor, there’s yellow text that says “NO LOOTING”. You wind another corner and you see a shop that sells guns and food. Nobody’s in that shop so, of course, you can loot it.

Controls is pretty easy. You move with WASD keys, and shoot with the arrow keys. To change guns, you just press the number that is associated with one of them. It’s also worth knowing that this game works with gamepads, and it plays well on a Steam Deck.

Now you might be asking, “In this day and age, why play a game with ASCII graphics?”

The better question is, “Why not?”

I grew up playing games with ASCII text graphics. NetHack looks just like this and it was awesome. I also remember visiting lots of BBSes and enjoying lots of homespun ASCII text art. It was good times.

I’ve been playing Monsterland for eight years. I enjoy the colours, and icons, and just the general mood. Recently, the devs did an update to make this work on Steam Deck, and it is a blast.

Even though the graphics are based on ASCII text, this game has more advanced sound design. There’s a soundtrack, sound effects, voice acting, and the general ambience is great. The sound really builds the tension.

Second Variety Games developed Monsterland. So far, this is the only game they’ve made. Looking at the credits, it seems like the devs hail from some place in Eastern Europe. Once again, I’ve been impressed by all the great games that have come from that part of the world.

This is an inexpensive game. It only costs C$2.29. Personally, I think it’s well worth it.

atomicpoet, 8 days ago to random

Let me emphasize this: if an old Windows game doesn’t work well on modern Windows, try Linux with Proton instead.

It is much quicker and easier to just use Linux than try to deal with legacy driver issues with Windows.

atomicpoet, 9 days ago to random

Ayn Rand was unintentionally hilarious.

When she died, her funeral had a floral arrangement in the shape of a dollar sign.

She really loved money but money didn’t love her back.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayn_Rand

atomicpoet, 9 days ago to random

It generally sucks to find out that a game franchise that I love has been hijacked by a racist and transphobic asshole.

Honestly, I’m torn. Video games are collaborative ventures. On one hand, a game is not the creative work of whoever happens to own the IP.

On the other hand, whoever owns the IP ends up with the profits. 🤬