First I need to point out that Tom (original RGR Plugin developer) has decided to give the RGR Plugin updates another shot. I'm not sure when he'll have something for us to test out but he has been working on it.

In the mean time, I've been making some updates to the HTML5 emulators on Vizzed.


RetroArch Fixes
I've fixed a few issues that affected some of the games. I also did a few cosmetic updates.

All games that had an apostrophe in their name (and probably other various special characters) didn't load at all. This issue has been fixed. I honestly didn't know of this until earlier today.

The other issue that has been fixed is the 'Play Game' button. Only half of it was clickable and in some cases, it wasn't clickable at all. This has also been fixed.


RetroArch Updates
I added the 'GearBoy' core for Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. It's nice having more cores available to choose from since different cores run better for different devices.

I also added the option to 'Play with Slow Device Settings' and to 'Play with Fast Device Settings'. Great for those who have a computer that's less powerful or more powerful than average.


EmulatorJS has replaced NeptunJS
EmulatorJS has less ads (these are both hosted on external websites, not my own) and seems to play better on more devices (nes games work on Xbox One, more on that later).


Added 'Genesis Plus GX Wide' Core
I added a new core for Sega Genesis games that allow you to play the games in true wide screen. It plays the games 20% wider without stretching the screen by simply showing more of the game. It doesn't work very good with some games but for the ones that it does work with, they play great. I put together a video showcasing the new RetroArch core and how to use it on Vizzed:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZiWkY23BPA


If you have any questions or feedback, let me know in this thread:
https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103614

Today's the last day to donate toward the RGR Plugin Fundraiser for the listed perks here:
https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103588

A Huge Thanks!
We did it! We hit the RGR Plugin Fundraiser goal within a week! I was blown away by the amount of support we got and was so honored that so many users selflessly donated toward this.

There's a little more than 1 week left to help fund the RGR Plugin for the perks mentioned in this thread:
https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103588
There's still 1 Custom username Color and 1 Completely Customized Username and Style perk available.


RGR Plugin Updates
I'm a little late on giving an update via an announcement. Up until now, I've been posting updates every few days in this thread. Here's some details on what's going on with the RGR Plugin.

The original RGR Plugin developer no longer has the ambition and/or knowledge to update the RGR Plugin so I'll be searching online to hire a new developer to fulfill my requirements. If anyone on this site is qualified or knows of anyone that is qualified, I posted the job offer on Freelancer here:
https://www.freelancer.com/projects/javascript/Make-Windows-Application-Compatible-Web/details

I'll more than likely hire someone on Monday (2/22/2021) and I'm hoping we can have something ready before this month ends (or at very least, a beta of some sort). Keep this in mind, the person I hire could potentially drop out of the project, resulting into me having to go through the hiring process again. Those types of things happen often when dealing with freelance developers online. They go into a job super ambitious, only to find out that they're not qualified or lack the motivation.


Let's All Thank Those Who Donated!
Here's a list of all those who donated during this fundraiser:
pokemon x: $250
blackvelvety: $100
nakina: $100
supercool22: $50
Deacon DeMan: $50
Ridley12: $50
LilKilla0803: $50
zanderlex: $25
NoxHardigan: $25
PalRec01: $25
The Mother of Mother 3: $25
Lavencia: $25
game_Addict11: $10


If you have any questions or wanted to thank those who supported, respond to this thread:
https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103605

After hours of investigating, it should be possible to get the RGR Plugin updated with just a budget of US $500. I no longer have the money to invest into the RGR Plugin and this is why I need the help of the Vizzed community. I got in contact with the guy who developed the RGR Plugin and with $500, he can update it so that the RGR Plugin no longer needs Adobe Flash or NPAPI to render in the web browser.

The RGR Plugin launched in 2010 and I've invested nearly $15,000 into the RGR Plugin. It'd be very depressing to see the plugin which revolutionized browser emulation come to an end. The RGR Plugin has been used by 100,000 of people worldwide, possibly even a million.

Please help us keep the memories of these 40,000+ games in the RGR alive. Help us to continue preserving these games by donating any amount that you can. All we need is around $500 and then we could get the RGR Plugin updated within 1-2 weeks. If we hit a goal of $900, then we can add a whole new emulator to the Plugin giving us access to more games and systems.


Donation Perks
$25+ = Your Own Rented Forum
$50+ = 2 Hours of My Time
$50+ = Permanently promoted to Vizzed Elite
$100+ = 1 announcement promoting whatever you want
$100+ = Custom Username Color (first 3 users can claim this)
$250 = Completely Customized Username and Style (first 2 users can claim this)
$250 = External HDD w/All Vizzed Games (USB powered 2 TB)
Additionally, all donations will be worth Triple Viz! In other words, every $10 = 30,000. I've never increased it this high.

The perks all expire on March 1st, 2021.


Click Here to Donate
Supports PayPal and Credit Cards


If you have any questions or feedback, let me know in this thread:
https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103588

Applications to be part of the site staff and mod teams are now open!

Anybody can apply for a spot managing the forums, contributing content of any kind to the site or even both at the same time. It’s a great opportunity to showcase and develop your skills, as well as earning yourself a name in the community, and more importantly dedicating time to this site to keep it alive.

The staff apps, hosted by yours truly, can be found in this thread, along with all the available roles and their functions: https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103549

The mod apps, hosted by SonicOlmstead, can be found in this thread: https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103555

Additionally, here you have two more threads that can help you clear your doubts and where you can also ask any doubts you may have about the apps or the positions.

Why should I be Staff (also somewhat valid for mod): https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103551

Staff FAQ: https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103550

You can still use the RGR Plugin by using an older internet browser which supports it. Firefox 42 supports it so here's a link to download a Portable version of Firefox that doesn't have to be installed:
Download Firefox Portable 42
When you Play a Game, Be sure to click the 'Allow' button at the top and reload the page afterward! Also be sure not to update the browser. I also recommend you only use it for Vizzed and no other site.


The RGR Plugin use to rely on NPAPI to play in the web browser but eventually NPAPI was discontinued by all internet browsers so that's why we started using Flash technology with the RGR Plugin. The Plugin still supports NPAPI though and if someone were to use an older outdated internet browser, they could still use the RGR Plugin. This is the only work around that I have until a better solution is found. More information on NPAPI and the browser versions that support it here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NPAPI#Support/deprecation



If you have any questions, feedback or other solutions, please let me know in this thread:
https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103558

As of January 12, 2021, Adobe Flash has been discontinued in all web browsers. Since the RGR Plugin relies on Flash, the RGR Plugin no longer works.

Over the past few months, I've been upgrading and optimizing the RetroArch HTML5 emulator on Vizzed to be a good replacement. It works in the browser and requires nothing to be installed, works on mobile devices, supports controller and supports a lot of systems.

If you have save files from the RGR Plugin that you'd like to preserve or use with a standalone emulator, you can find all of your save files in this location of your computer:
C:ProgramDataVizzedVizzedRgrPlugin
Go into the folder that says 'User-' followed by your user id. In there, you'll see folders for each emulator and inside of those folders you'll find your save files.

The RGR Plugin could get updated to work without Flash but I haven't been able to find a solution nor do I currently have time to develop the skills and do this myself. This would require me to hire a developer and that is something I don't currently have the budget for. If I'm able to get people to help fund it, the RGR Plugin could make a return but for the time being, the RGR Plugin is sadly dead

If you have any questions, feedback or solutions, please let me know in this thread:
https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103558

Today is National Posting Day hosted by zanderlex for more info including the prizes check out this thread
https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103482

The Winter Tour de Vizzed discussion thread can be found here:
https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103437


Each day there will be 4 Jerseys you can compete for:
Yellow Jersey: Most words in a day
Blue Jersey: Most posts in a day
Red Jersey: Most CP in a day
Green Jersey: Most CP actions in a day


The Hall of Fame page has been upgraded and can be found here:
https://www.vizzed.com/stats/tdv-hof.php

You can find the current Tour de Vizzed results page here:
https://www.vizzed.com/w/tdv.php

Let's welcome SonicOlmstead as the new Admin for the first half of 2021. The other 2 Globals decided not to run for Admin position so SonicOlmstead will be doing this alone for the next 6 months.

If you have any questions or feedback for him, let him know in this thread:
https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103432

I finally "mostly" finished the LEGO Home Alone house that I started building 3 years ago in LEGO Worlds. It became an annual tradition for me to invest 40+ hours into it every Christmas season. The Home Alone house is very complex (both the inside and out) and since the house has been greatly changed in the past 30 years, I couldn't rely on modern pictures or tours as a reference so I had to thoroughly analyze every scene from the movie.

This might be one of the most accurate replicas of the Home Alone house, or at least I couldn't find any on the internet more accurate. I recreated a few scenes from the movie to showcase the exterior and interior. Enjoy


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMHYZtQ3WA8

If you have any questions or feedback, let me know in this thread:
https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103419

I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas

It's been a rough year so we all need a little cheer.



7 Days of Vizzed Christmas
You'll all be rewarded a nice Christmas gift when you come to the site on Christmas (server time). Additionally, you'll be rewarded a random amount of Viz for each day that you come to Vizzed from the 25th until the end of the year, the '7 Days of Vizzed Christmas'. Be sure to visit the site each day to claim your random Viz gift!



Christmas Games in the Retro Game Room
The Retro Game Room has 40+ Christmas games. You can find them all here:
//www.vizzed.com/playonlinegames/index.php?sort=best&search=Christmas&searchBy=theme



Christmas Video Game Music Stream
I'll be streaming Christmas / Wintery themed video game music 24 hours a day from tonight until Christmas is over. You can find the stream here:
https://www.twitch.tv/videogamemusicradio


Christmas Video Game Music
I put together a big playlist of Christmas themed and Winter themed video game music:
https://www.vizzed.com/videogamemusic/playlist.php?id=4



Retro Christmas Game Montage
A few years ago I put together a video highlighting 12 Christmas games (non hacked):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcbh8UIMMj8



Any questions, comments or feedback? Or do you simply want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas? Do so in this thread:
https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103397

I’m a day late at posting this. Yesterday was the 16 year anniversary of Vizzed Board but I wasn’t able to get to this due to a combination of being stuck at work all day (I do 12 hour shifts on the weekend) and then getting home and being dead tired.

2020 has been a crazy year for every single person in the world. It’s also been one of the worst years in recent history for the world. However, for Vizzed, it was not a bad year. Traffic stayed consistent compared to last year (with 2019 having a significant boost compared to 2018), I got a lot of site issues fixed and also added many must needed features. I was also able to find ways to cut server costs by almost half without sacrificing anything, which resulted into many of the games downloading so much faster.

I should point out that Vizzed had a rough start to 2020 though. At the beginning of the year back in early March, most of the site’s database data was accidentally deleted. Thankfully I had a backup from 6 months prior, but it took me weeks and 100s of hours to restore as much of that data as I could. So, it was about a month long project and many site features were down for most of that time. It also took place the same month Minuano revived the classic VCS competition. After that incident was resolved, I continued to focus on fixing the site and adding those much-needed features, and there were a lot. And Minuano was able to successfully revive the VCS the following month instead.

As mentioned multiple times already, Vizzed had a lot of site fixes and improvements made. I wanted 2020 to be the year that I focused on fixing things (and replacing the RGR Plugin) so one of the first things I started with was the site’s layout. I had greatly improved the site’s layout to make it more responsive by making it so that the site can adapt to almost any browser size and device type. My personal favorite enhancement, which was so big it was practically its own new feature, was the Complete Revamping of the Video Game Music Room. Other fixes and improvements included:
-Vizzed.co Minecraft Server Fixed and Upgraded
-Some Old Post Layouts Getting Fixed
-Old Page Comments Got Restored
-Profile and Page Editing Issues Fixed
-Memberlist Search Updates
-Rebuilt a lot of the site’s logging system, which most of you don’t see but it adds better site security and makes content restoration easier
-Enhanced the load speeds of most pages on the site
-Fixed countless errors and bugs throughout the site
-Too many other things to mention here

There were a lot of features that the site needed or had but were severely outdated. One of the big ones was the new Image Uploader / Photo Album feature. Another new feature I started working on but haven’t finished yet (haven’t even posted about yet but will in the near future once finished) is a “page details” feature which not only shows lots of useful information about every page on the site, but also allows you to rate and bookmark any page on the site. Other new features included:
-Game Queue and Game History
-Video Game Characters Features Rebuilt from Ground Up
-A few site features for the Minecraft server, which are still in development but will soon be finished

2020 is also seeing the end of the RGR Plugin. The RGR Plugin relies on Flash technology but as of December 31st 2020, Flash will be discontinued in almost all web browsers. There’s still a possibility of a new plugin for the site that replaces the RGR Plugin but for the time being, I’ve been putting my focus on enhancing the RetroArch HTML5 emulator on Vizzed. It works on almost all operating systems and plays on almost all devices, including mobile devices, so it’s a great replacement. I’ve been customizing my own build of it for a while now by adding my own custom features, an on-screen touch controller for mobile devices, better playability for all devices, adjustable options, etc.

For the remainder of 2020, one of my goals is to get the remaining site pages that use the old site code/layout upgraded to the new site code and there’s really not many left. My focus in 2021 will be the community (I know that was suppose to be my focus for 2020, sorry ?) and replacing the RGR Plugin.


You can find all of the awards and additional information here
https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103370

There's only 2 days left to vote so be sure to do so if you haven't already:
https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103331

EX Palen will be the new Site/VGR/RGR Admin of Vizzed, replacing tRIUNE. tRIUNE had this title for over a decade and so of course it's sad to see tRIUNE finally step down, because he did a lot for the site and especially during the peak years of Vizzed. Overall I would say that tRIUNE has done more for the site than anyone else in the history of Vizzed (not including me of course).

This decision to promote EX Palen to this role was a decision made between the admins, the global mods and myself. This doesn't make him 2nd in command but it does make him equal to the other admins, who I guess all share the title of being 2nd in command. He'll be overseeing the Retro Game Room, the Video Game Room and will be in charge of the staff who help out with those areas of the site.

If you want to congratulate him on his new title, you can do so here:
https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103346

Vizzed Board turns 16 years old on December 6th so you guys have a little more than 2 weeks to vote for whoever you think deserves any of the awards below. Voting will end on December 5th and the awards will be given out on December 6th. There are 25 awards you can vote on, 20 user awards and 5 thread/post awards.

You can cast your votes here:
https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103331

I fixed and enhanced the RetroArch Web Player emulator on Vizzed (the primary HTML5 emulator in the RGR). It recently stopped working properly on mobile devices including phones and tablets. This has been fixed. It has also always had issues where it randomly doesn't work in the browser and you therefore have to restart the browser to get it to work. This has also been fixed. I also added a few various buttons that popup if the script is detecting that you might be having issues with the emulator. The games should also now load faster and possibly even play better, thanks to a few tweaks.

Most users might not be aware that most of the games in the Retro Game Room are playable on mobile devices. A while back I had created my own touch game pad that appears on your phone/tablet when you choose to play the games on a mobile device but you're also not limited to just using the touch screen for gaming, you can sync a controller to your phone/tablet and use that as well. Of course the games work in almost all internet browsers on a desktop so be sure to check it out if you haven't ever done so:
https://www.vizzed.com/play/sonic-the-hedgehog-gen-online-sega-genesis-3371-playable

I also changed the way games play on Vizzed. For the RGR Plugin games, they popup in a window just like they use to years ago, so no more opening up in a new window. For all the other forms of emulation, they also now open up in a popup window but at a bigger scale.

I did a few other things here and there with the way games are played on the site so if you notice any problems that might be the result of this update, or if you like this update and want to offer support or feedback, let me know in this thread:
https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103327

After the server migration from a few months ago, some of the games for the Nintendo NES, Commodore 64 and Atari 2600 stopped working. Nearly 50% of the Nintendo NES games didn't get migrated properly, 30% of the Atari 2600 games didn't get migrated properly, and well over 60% of the Commodore 64 games didn't get migrated properly.

All of the missing games have been restored. If you have any questions or feedback, respond to this thread:
https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103323

The Vizzed Minecraft server was recently upgraded to a new and far better server. This new server is a lot faster and has far less issues. I also invested a good amount of time fixing just about everything that was wrong with the server, including those occasional lag spikes and random server crashes.

Here's the address to use for joining our MC server:
Vizzed.co

You can find all information regarding our server, along with many site to server features, here:
https://www.vizzed.com/minecraft/

I put together a video showcasing the Vizzed Ville world of our server as a way to promote our 3rd Ground Opening

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msB98W2GiaM

And here's a 360 variation which lets you grab the screen and move it around (and you can even use a controller to look around).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJzEf6KZftI

I also plan to put together a video for each of the worlds in our server so if you have a suggestion for something you'd like to see shown in one of my showcase videos, be sure to let me know in this thread:
https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103310

If you have any questions, issues or feedback, be sure to let me know in this thread:
https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103309

The Video Game Music Room has been completely revamped! It was basically rebuilt from the ground up, although I did reuse some of the code to save time. I put about 150 hours into it over the past 2-3 months so there's a lot to talk about.

https://www.vizzed.com/videogamemusic/

The Video Game Music Room has always been one of the biggest overlooked features of the site. Although it makes up about 8% of the site's traffic, that number could be much higher when you consider everything that it offers. I honestly view it as the best place on the internet to listen to video game music (it has nearly 200,000 songs), especially now with this massive upgrade. There's a lot to cover so I'll save some of it for a video at some point showcasing everything but I'll highlight some of the biggest features.

All New Layout
I made it super easy to navigate. Every page shows you the Video Game Room Statistics, because those are the biggest highlights of the feature (nearly 200,000 songs, 10,000+ games, 40 systems...definitely worth showing off). Next to the statistics, you'll also find on every page the song search, loaded with features (more about those below). And since I gave the Video Game Music Room its own directory and broke it up into multiple pages, I made it so that the banner changes depending on what section you're on, so that you don't get lost. And speaking of new banners...


All New Theme
I not only gave it an all new layout, but also an all new look. And also completely changed the banner. I never really liked the old banner much since it was the lowest priority when I originally made the VGMR. In fact, all of the cosmetics were pretty low on the list back then since that's time consuming and wanted to put most of my focus on programming and music adding. Now that I got to dedicate more time into the look and feel of VGMR, I had fun with it and changed up a lot of stuff. Color scheme is a bit different, the background is similar but also different, and it's overall utilizing more visuals since that's what people tend to be drawn to.


New Search Engine
So the song search is complicating at first but if all you want to do is search by song name, game name, artist, then all you have to do is worth about the top row. Now if you really want to narrow down your searching, you can search for songs based on just about anything, and also order the results in various ways, depending on the search parameters. Not only did I add tons of new ways to search, but the overall results are far better and more relevant.


Here are all of the search options (bold are what's new):
Song Name, Game Name, Game ID, Song Artist, Publisher / Developer, User ID, Playlist ID, System, Keyword, Format (console, handheld, etc), Media (cartridge, CD, etc), Generation, Genre, Bits, Duration and Rating.


New Song Player
I purchased a completely new script for the song player and then greatly modified it. It's less buggy and gives you more options and control.


The player itself floats at the bottom or top of the page, letting you navigate the page while still having quick access to the player. In bigger browsers, such as a PC, the player floats at the bottom. On a smaller screen, such as a mobile device, the player floats at the top (and it's at the top because there's an ad that floats at the bottom already). The player also shows an audio wave of the song being played, and that can help visualize the song and know where to skip to if you like to skip around in a song.

The main song player playlist offers basic but clean information and relies on graphics for navigation. The son player has a 2nd playlist navigator right below the main one, which is graphicless but offers a lot more details in a vertical format (keep in mind that you can play the song by clicking the track number to the left). By offering 2 ways to navigate the music on a page, I feel like it's a good way to please users of all preferences.


Daily Song Recommendations
As long as you've rated songs, the index page of the site will show recommended songs based on the songs you've rated. Each day you visit the Video Game Music Room, this list will be updated. If you haven't rated any songs since the previous day, it'll mostly be the same list so be sure to rate songs in the recommended list to not have those same songs recommended and for a more personalized experience.

This is how it recommends music. It takes all of the songs you've rated a 4 or 5, then it finds all users who have also rated those same songs a 4 or 5 and finds all songs that they have all rated and takes the songs that were most commonly rated high among all of those users. It's kind of a strenuous script so that's why it only gets executed once per a day per a user.


Games Page
https://www.vizzed.com/videogamemusic/game.php


The Games Page lets you browse through all of the games that have music available. You can order the music based on Name, most Songs, total Duration, Average Rating, and Score (which is basically like popularity). You can also select a system and browse through games based on system (more about that below).


Systems Page
https://www.vizzed.com/videogamemusic/system.php


The Systems Page lets you see a list of all of the available systems. It provides some really useful information for each system, including total Soundtracks (games), Total Songs, Total Duration, Average Song Duration, Average Song Rating, and Popularity.

If you click a system, then you can browse through the soundtracks based on the select system. The individual game system pages also generates a playlist of the most popular songs for that system.


Playlists Page
https://www.vizzed.com/videogamemusic/playlist.php

The Playlist Page lets you browse through user created playlists and also lets you create your own.

Keep in mind that when you create your own playlist, you then have access to giving your playlist its very own look. You also get lots of fun details which view count, view count today, number of unique users who have viewed your playlist, and info on the last user to view it.


Users Page
https://www.vizzed.com/videogamemusic/user.php

The Users Page lets you see a list of all users who have rated songs. It's in order of who has given out the most ratings by default but you can also order it based on Name, Average Rating, and Last Rating.

If you click a user, you'll be presented with a list of every song that user has rated and also a list of all the playlists they've created.


Song Pages
Last new page type to talk about is the actual song pages. The song page provides details on whatever song you're viewing and its the song pages from where you can add songs to a playlist and is also where you can rate a song.

One of the most exciting new features for the entire VGMR is the similar/recommended songs feature. Every song page will have a list of songs that are similar and recommended. It first grabs around 15 songs that are similar and it figures this out based on song name, game name, artist, system and keywords. The next 10 songs are recommended songs and these are recommended based on songs that users have also rated a 4 or 5. So the recommended songs on a song's page basically returns songs that you might also like if you like that specific song.

here's an example of all this in action:
https://www.vizzed.com/videogamemusic/song.php?id=2315


More Mobile Friendliness
The previous VGMR was mobile friendly but only to a certain extent and that's because it was created back when I was creating the new site code/layout years ago which means that since it was one of the first features to be created with that code, it didn't fully utilize all of the features that eventually would come. The new VGMR adapts to pretty much any browser width and height.


Conclusion
That was a lot to cover and that wasn't even everything. It's best for you guys to all just try it out for yourself and discover everything the Video Game Music Room has to offer. I highly encourage everyone to rate music that they like, this helps organize the music in the VGMR better and also helps the site give you a more personalized experience.

If anyone has questions or feedback, or if anyone is interested in helping out with the VGMR, reply to this thread:
https://www.vizzed.com/boards/thread.php?id=103291