Bought the game on GOG when it was on offer some months ago and it couldn't launch. Have tried again now. First by updating to patch 3.1 and 3.2, then uninstalling an re-installing Visual C++ 2005, 2008 and 2010. Still no luck, the same happens again.

When I click on the launcher.exe I get an instant error message about the application having had to close. No error code or anything. When I click on witcher2.exe, something happens in the background, but then it stops processing. When I have the task manager up, I can see gets to 203,000 kB and then just closes down with no message of any type.

The computer is just about on minimum requirements, but I would think it should at least load. I have Win XP with 4GB RAM and Geforce 7900 GS.

This used to work before, but now it doesn't. Every time I put any video from YouTube on fullscreen, the screen is black with sound in the background. They must have changed something on their side, because nothing has been changed on my laptop. Oddly enough, it works on the normal computer.

I've been using Firefox 3.6.28 (don't like the outlay of the new ones, they have WORSE design, wtf). Because of that I couldn't use the latest flash, because it would just crash FF. Trying to solve the fullscreen issue I upgraded both FF and flash to the latest version, but to no avail. Still won't show in fullscreen. Any idea what is wrong? It's doing my head in

To the best of my knowledge I had the same setup on the desktop and it works there, but not on the laptop. The desktop does have XP instead of Win 7, but I wouldn't think that is an issue here (although XP in general is superior to W7).

This deserves its own thread.

GOG have basically the entire catalogue off for 50%, with daily offers that so far seem to be 75% off for most titles. The dailies only last one day of course, while the 50% off lasts until January 3rd, with some exceptions.

So far I've picked up the Witcher 2 yesterday. Minutes ago they launched today's sale, which is 5 indie games 75% off. I just picked up Legend of Grimrock and Torchlight. Skipped Torchlight in the ridiculous 5 for $10 deal they had a few weeks ago, but this was a good second chance. Didn't like the videos I saw, but maybe I'll like it anyway.

You know you should worry when you remember a 16+3 digits debit card number without looking at it!

Day 3 offer: Torchlight, Legend of Grimrock, Inquisitor, Geneforge 1-5, The Real Texas. 75% off.

Before I used to watch some TV series fairly regularly. Used to like watching the Big Bang Theory, although I always disliked the so-called star of the show, Sheldon. If they had an episode where people would do nothing but hit him viciously in the face that would be a good episode. It used to be fairly decent though, but I think it has gone downhill recently.

Not nearly as downhill as How I met your mother though. That show used to be really good, the first couple of seasons or so. I just finished watching one of the first episodes of season 8, and I swear, I was closer to running into the toilet to hurl than to laugh. It's just a mushy sugary soup of 'family' friendly bollocks now, with one predictable "joke" and event following the other. The only person still able to somewhat carry the show is Barney, but even he is going downhill now.

I need something new to watch because both of these are crap now. What is good?

While reading an article that praised the Kickstarter project Sui Generis, I came over this article over at Forbes (probably the last place on Earth I'd expect decent game journalism). It talks about common tropes in RPG games that he'd like to see changed or evolved.

In short,

• Random barrels filled with gold and other treasures
  
• Dungeons not visisted in eons are lit with never-burn-out torches
  
• Fetch-quests
  
• You are special: the super-hero
  
• Tolkien-esque universe
  
• Limitless supply of magic, making its use less special and 'magical'

Games specifically mentioned that deviates from several of these points are The Witcher (2) and Dark Souls, so a feather in the hat for CDPR there.

Thoughts?