The "Steam Box" Rumor

I honestly don't know what to make of this:

Exclusive: Valve said to be working on 'Steam Box' gaming console with partners, could announce at GDC (by Joshua Topolsky at theverge.com)

Here's the gist:

Recently there's been chatter that Valve — the company behind the massively popular gaming service Steam — has been considering getting into the hardware business. Specifically, there have been rumors that the company has been toying with the idea of creating a proper set-top console which could potentially pose a threat to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Valve co-founder Gabe Newell even recently told Penny Arcade: "Well, if we have to sell hardware we will." 

At a glance that would simply be interesting fodder for a gaming forum debate, but we've uncovered information that suggests that not only has Valve been secretly working on gaming hardware for the living room, but that the company is actively pursuing a strategy which would place Steam at the center of an open gaming universe that mirrors what Google has done with Android. 

On the hardware:

Apparently meetings were held during CES to demo a hand-built version of the device to potential partners. We're told that the basic specs of the Steam Box include a Core i7 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GPU. The devices will be able to run any standard PC titles, and will also allow for rival gaming services (like EA's Origin) to be loaded up. 

Part of the goal of establishing a baseline for hardware, we're told, is that it will give developers a clear lifecycle for their products, with changes possibly coming every three to four years. Additionally, there won't be a required devkit, and there will be no licensing fees to create software for the platform.

What it might mean:

Gaming consoles -- and the forthcoming Apple TV product line -- are closed platforms. The GabeCube would be something else entirely: a PC-grade, upgradable hardware layout with a console form factor, designed for the living room. Only an internet connection and a (free) Steam account required to play PC games. A PC-grade OS (wouldn't Windows be required for DirectX?), with PC-grade media and internet functionality. Most importantly: a baseline hardware and driver standard for the development of PC games. 

What it doesn't mean:

That any of this is real. I am enormously skeptical that even Valve has the money to subsidize the production costs of such a system. And seriously, how the hell would you get OEM Windows on the thing?

Operation Explosion Canonz

How to almost play Skyrim without killing anything. Total kills? Two. One undead, one dragon. Expert difficulty, and a lot of near-naked townsfolk.

My First Skyrim Mod

That's where I've been the past two nights is conjuring up my Mage's tower. I still have some interior decorating I want to do yet, and I haven't figured out how to make a working bookshelf yet. Otherwise it's good to go.

This mod will provide CyberMage's Tower just east and across the river from WhiteRun. It will add a fast-travel location to your map. Since I'm a fan of fast travel, from inside the tower (except the basement) you can fast-travel to other map locations despite being indoors.

Inside the tower is a forge, workbench, grinder, tanner, enchanter, alchemy workbench and shrine. Mostly for convenience. Also are 9 weapon racks, three mannequins and several chests and sacks. All containers (except two upstairs, see the journal on the upstairs table) are flagged to NOT respawn items, so it's safe to store items in them.

There are two "game-changer" things about it you should know. If you don't want to "cheat" then don't use them. In the upstairs bedroom are two respawning sacks filled with ingredients for a restore+fortify health. Also upstairs is a drastically overpowered dagger on the weapon rack.

Download it here:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17380416/MagesTower.esp

From the empty wine bottles in the basement you can tell that Messiah has been there. And Stinky really shouldn't go in the basement. It's dangerous for him. ;-) And Blake gets three large noble style bookcases for his book collection.

Natural Selection 2 Releases "Onos"

The "Onos" is the giant rhino-like alien. And by Giant I do mean Giant... there's a lot of map locations it doesn't fit. And talk about armor! You get a good glimpse of a pissed-off Onos doing a stomp move at 1:48. The stomp causes infantry on the ground to stumble and freeze.

That was the patch I downloaded last night. I haven't played it yet, though.

Keep in mind this is not like any other FPS you've played. This is essentially Command and Conquer with real people instead of bots, so each team gets a strategic commander who sees a top-down view of the gameplay and delves out resources. If it has one flaw, it's that it is too ambitious.

Skyrim Creation Kit Out This Tuesday

https://twitter.com/#!/DCDeacon/status/165536529895272449

"For our Skyrim PC fans, the Creation Kit is on track for release on Tuesday. And, we also have a special surprise with it. "

Scum and Villainy

From Kotaku: Hackers Brag That They’re Banning Innocent Battlefield 3 Users

The people at the game-hacking site Artificial Aiming can't stand the anti-cheat service Punkbuster. One of their members is going on the offensive today—aggressively. 

One junior member says he and his anonymous hacking team are banning innocent Battlefield 3 users—"framing" them, as they put it—to show their disdain for Punkbuster, a service that PC players of the popular first-person shooter are compelled to install when they start the game. 

The hackers have narrowed their target to Battlefield 3 users who are playing on servers that are tied into the cheat-detecting service GGC-Stream. 

"We are bringing back the unerring of punkbuster back for a 3rd season," Artificial Aiming user anonpbspoofer boasted in a forum post yesterday. 

"We have selected ggc-stream as the target since they have the most streaming bf3 servers and makes it very easy to add fake bans. In 2011 we hit them with a mass ban wave and now were are banning real players from battlelog while ggc-stream is totally unaware. We have framed 150+ bf3 players alone."

I hate people.

Posted by Stinky in TS

I'm a bit worried about Stinky after what he put in Teamspeak chat tonight:

<19:43:32>
"Stinky Sack": I'm f*ing POSSIBLE hard on, I'm horny giant Viagron, Coz my precious adviser Is a boner pill by Pfizer!

Skyrim in Real Life

The Adventures of Joe the Mammoth - Chapter 1

Joe the Mammoth is the true Dragonborn. No one saw that coming.

Here begin the chronicles of his journey through Skyrim...

Part 1:  Joe arrives in Skyrim