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Showing posts from December, 2018

My 10 best games of my 2018

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As I said last year , I don’t usually do an annual best-of games list because I don’t usually play many games close to their release. Once again this year, though, I did, and what I played felt like it was absolutely worth spotlighting. So here we are again, yes, but I have the same problem I had last time: I want to include games that I missed out on the previous year. Games that would have made my list had I gotten around to them. I’m still not quite sure of the best format to use for something like this, so I’m just going to stick three 2017 highlights in their own list, and then move on to my favorite 10 from 2018. My only real rule is that remakes/remasters don’t qualify…even though this year saw a mountain of truly great ones. Shenmue I & II , Spyro Reignited Trilogy , Lumines Remastered , Katamari Damacy Reroll , and a bunch more. The probably obvious caveat here is that I haven’t played every game this year, including some high-profile ones that, to be hon

Ho ho ho, it’s bed time

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I have to admit, while I didn’t expect to take a break after this year’s Xmas Bash, I’m very glad I did. It feels good to just do…nothing. That obviously won’t (and can’t!) last forever, but for now, I hope you’ll understand if I take the end of December off. I won’t be completely gone. At the very least, I want to post a best-games-of-my-year list like I did for 2017 . I’m still trying to decide on a format, though, since once again I’ll be allowing games I missed from the previous year. And though I say I’ll take the end of December off, I’m actually working on the second draft of my book. The publisher got back to me with feedback that was thorough, useful, and honestly flattering! The rewrite won’t take nearly as much work as the first draft did, but there are a few things I’ll need to really rework, so it’s no small task, either. So…be patient. Enjoy the holidays. Hang out with friends, exchange gifts, consume alcoholic lactose. You’ve got better things to do th

The 6th Annual Xmas Bash is Ho Ho Hover!

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Thank you all for tuning in! The Noiseless Chatter Xmas Bash is over for another year. I hope you all enjoyed. This year, I exposed you to… The 6th Annual Noiseless Chatter Xmas Bash! (2017): Lazy Town – “Lazy Town’s Surprise Santa” Perfect Strangers – “The Gift of the Mypiot” The Christmas Tree The Twilight Zone – “Night of the Meek” What’s Happening!! – “Positive Identification” Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp – “There’s No Business Like Snow Business” Kolchak: The Night Stalker – “The Werewolf” If you haven’t donated to The Trevor Project , please consider doing so. And, hey. Have a merry Christmas.

Happening Now: The 6th Annual Xmas Bash!

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It’s happening right now!  Come join us at the 6th Annual Noiseless Chatter Xmas Bash.  Terrible Xmas specials, live chat, strange music, and two or three other things! To attend, visit gotomeet.me/xmasbash .  It’s GoToMeeting, which is a reputable service so don’t panic if it asks you to start a launcher or something.  GoToMeeting also has a free app if you prefer to watch that way.  You should be able to attend by entering with the meeting ID “xmasbash”. Chat is separate this year.  Join in by visiting discordapp.com/invite/wGXcsKr .  You shouldn’t have to register an email address or anything.  Sorry for the inconvenience of two windows, but if you prefer, you can use your computer for one and a mobile device for the other!  hohoho! And, of course, please consider donating to The Trevor Project . But enough of my yakking.  What do you say?  Let’s boogie.

Xmas Bash! Saturday! Here’s what to expect.

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We are almost there! As of this posting, the Xmas Bash! is just two days away. Surely you’ve marked your calendar by now, but if your calendar was destroyed in a blaze, here’s the information again. The 6th Annual Noiseless Chatter Xmas Bash! Saturday Dec. 8, 7 p.m. Eastern To join in, just come to this very website at the appointed time and click the links. That’s all you’ll have to do! Yes, links, plural this year. Livestream has served us very well as a service for the past few events, but this year its price is exorbitant. We’re moving on to a different (but still great) service, so that’s fine but…well, it doesn’t have a chat solution that actually works for an event like this. As such, we will be streaming through GoToMeeting and hosting the chat through Discord . I know it sucks having to have two browser windows open, but GoToMeeting’s chat functionality wasn’t allowing for more than 10 people to chat openly, which is a huge problem for an event like this. (

GO NOW: One-hour stress test

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At 7 Eastern, I’ll be testing what I hope is this year’s streaming solution for the Xmas Bash! The room is open right now, so pop on in! [EDIT: it’s over] It’s GoToMeeting, which is a legitimate, reputable service so don’t panic if you asks you to install a launcher. It’s not spyware or anything awful. Also, a free app is available, and you can watch that way by entering the meeting ID “xmasbash.” I’m really hoping this works tonight. If I can get a reliable stream going with decent chat functionality, I’m set…and I hopefully will be for the next few years. So if you have time, pop over and help me find out if I’ll be relaxing for the next six days or seeking out alternatives in a desperate scramble. Hohoho! We’ll be watching two specials at the test stream, totaling about an hour. One is Xmas related, but not something I’ve yet found a home for in the Bash! The other is not Xmas related, but I think you will agree it is important viewing for the youth of America.

Xmas Bash in ONE WEEK! Help me test?

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This is your friendly reminder that this year’s Xmas Bash! is one week from today! You won’t want to miss it. You might want to miss it. I have no way of knowing. But! It’s a hell of a lot of fun and you should tune in. All you have to do is visit this very site at the appointed time! The 6th Annual Noiseless Chatter Xmas Bash! Saturday Dec. 8, 7 p.m. Eastern Five hours, seven forgotten Xmas specials, vintage commercials, Xmas music you’ll wish you’ve never heard, and many more surprises. So, yes, mark your calendars, set a reminder, tattoo it on your chest, whatever you usually do to remember things. You can also RSVP on Facebook , which is not mandatory but which will both remind you and handle pesky time zone calculations for you. Anyway, the streaming service that has served us so well for the past couple of years is no longer an option, so this year I’m trying something new. To make sure everything goes smoothly the night of the stream, I’m going to hold a brief