Coffee Talk #228: Game Delays That Break Your Heart

Sony has announced that Gran Turismo 5 has been delayed…again. It’s comical at this point, but I’m trying not to laugh because I have the utmost respect for Polyphony Digital. The delay got me thinking about other delays. Have you ever had your heart broken by a game delay? Was there a game that you wanted so badly that its delay crushed your soul?

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the Chilean miner saga, Gilbert Arenas faking an injury so a teammate could play, or your favorite park, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Sony has announced that Gran Turismo 5 has been delayed…again. It’s comical at this point, but I’m trying not to laugh because I have the utmost respect for Polyphony Digital. The delay got me thinking about other delays. Have you ever had your heart broken by a game delay? Was there a game that you wanted so badly that its delay crushed your soul?

Today’s Coffee Talk is another gamer therapy session. Share your sad stories and let’s try to help each other get past some painful game-delay memories.

Faster Trailer (Starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson)

Here’s the trailer for Faster, starring former WWE Superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. It shows off his natural chops as an action star, but is darker than his other movies. There’s blood, shooting, stabbing, and more. While I think The Rock is a fantastic comedian, most people prefer him as an action star. Faster looks like a great movie for fans of The Rock.

Let me know what you think of the trailer when you have a moment.

SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 DLC Announced: Nexus, NXT, and More!

THQ has announced details for the first two batches of DLC for the upcoming SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 (aka the game with the best writing in the world). I’m going to get all Michael Cole on you now. May I have your attention please? I have a press release from the general manager. It says, and I quote:

The first downloadable content package for Fan Axxess, currently scheduled for release this holiday season, will include WWE Legends British Bulldog and Lex Luger; WWE Superstars Wade Barrett, David Otunga and Justin Gabriel; WWE Diva Layla; alternate ring gear for WWE Superstars Shawn Michaels and Shad; and a playable WWE NXT arena. The downloadable content package will be included as part of the Fan Axxess program, as well as sold separately for the anticipated cost of 560 Microsoft Points on Xbox LIVE or $6.99 on PlayStation Network.

The second downloadable content package for Fan Axxess, currently scheduled for release in early 2011, will include alternate ring gear for WWE Superstars John Cena, Undertaker and CM Punk, as well as a playable WCW arena. The downloadable content package will be included as part of the Fan Axxess program, as well as sold separately for the anticipated cost of 240 Microsoft Points on Xbox LIVE or $2.99 on PlayStation Network.

I’m definitely interested in the first DLC batch. Most of you know that I’m a big Shawn Michaels mark. I also love Justin Gabriel’s 450 splash (which is almost as good as Austin Aries‘). The second one…I think I’ll pass.

Any of you interested in either DLC pack? Do you find it weird that DLC pricing and details are announced before the game is even out? Does it give you the “well why isn’t it in the game?” feeling?

Today’s Poll: Sony 3D TV or Sony Google TV?

Sony has been aggressively pushing its 3D television sets in 2010 and all signs point to an even bigger push in 2011. This week, the company announced a handful of televisions that feature Google TV. Google’s service is something that’s useful now, while 3D might be the future of television. Which would you rather have? Kindly take the poll and expand on your choice in the comments section.

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Apple Announces October 20th 2010 “Back to the Mac” Presser

Apple has sent out invites to an October 20, 2010 press conference called “Back to the Mac”. The teaser image shows a lion behind the Apple logo, which indicates that the focus of the presser will be on the next version of Mac OS X. Tech writers expect that the new MacBook Air will be revealed as well. Some have speculated that the next version of Mac OS X will be the most radical yet, implementing all kinds of touch interface features.

Let’s do some speculating of our own! What do you think will be announced at the Apple presser? With the success of iOS and the recent introduction of the Magic Trackpad, do you think touch will become a large part of Mac OS X? Do you think the new MacBook Air — rumored to have an 11.6-inch screen — will be a convertible notebook that also works as a tablet?

T-Mobile G2 Review: Photos and Videos

In part one and part two of my T-Mobile G2 (HTC) review, I went over most of the phone’s features. This installment focuses on the photo and video capabilities of this excellent Google Android phone. As far as pictures go, it’s very good. The five-megapixel camera produces crisp shots with great color reproduction if there’s ample light. It can do well indoors with decent light. Low-light settings can be problematic, as the camera’s flash often washes things out. This makes it a poor choice for taking photos while drunk (the Evo 4G is a much better choice for drunk photos).

I took a variety of test shots under various lighting conditions and blood-alcohol levels. Because I love you guys, I made a cute Chinese girl take me out to dinner and model for some photos. Check ’em out!

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The camera also takes some nice HD videos. Naturally, the files use an aggressive compression scheme, so the quality isn’t as good as what you’d get on a point-and-shoot camera, but I was pleased with the results. Again, ample light is the key. Here are a bunch of samples so that you can see for yourself.

I was mostly pleased with the G2’s photo and video performance. I wish it had a dual-LED flash for better indoor performance (and better drunk shots) and the stock software could use more features (no touch-to-focus?!?),  but other than that I was satisfied with the image quality and color reproduction. If you have any questions about the G2’s camera, please let me know and I’ll answer ’em in the comments section.

Pokemon Trainers Can Catch a Rare Mew in October

From October 15th to 30th, Pokemon HeartGold and Pokemon SoulSilver players will be able to obtain a special Mew. This rare psychic Pokemon is incredibly powerful and its stats are evenly distributed. With proper EV training it can serve pretty much any role you can think of. Furthermore, its move pool is unrestricted, making it even more versatile and tougher to predict. Here are some details from the official press release:

The Mew character you will receive is a Level 5 and comes with one basic Normal-type attack, Pound, giving Pokémon Trainers the ability to raise and train Mew as they see fit. Making this distribution especially exclusive, Mew comes inside a Cherish Ball and has a Premier Ribbon, both indicating that you got it via a special event.

During the limited distribution period, players will need to receive Mew using the Mystery Gift option via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service and their existing wireless broadband Internet access, and will need to acquire the Pokédex in the game. Players must also have fewer than three Wonder Cards in their game.

I have at least a dozen Mews on my Pokemon Pearl cartridge and I don’t like using legendary Pokemon for battles…but I “gotta catch ’em all” so I’ll definitely be downloading a new Mew. I’m sure that there are millions of trainers anxiously awaiting the download period. Are you one of them?

T-Mobile G2 OTA Update Adds WiFi Calling and Tethering?

XDA-Forums user Stryf3 claims to have a received an over-the-air update for his/her T-Mobile G2 that adds WiFi calling, WiFi hotspot, and USB tethering features. This would make an already excellent phone even sweeter, especially if T-Mo sticks to its guns and doesn’t add additional charges for tethering and hotspot functionality.

XDA-Developers forum user Stryf3 claims to have a received an over-the-air update for his/her T-Mobile G2 that adds WiFi calling, WiFi hotspot, and USB tethering features. This would make an already excellent phone even sweeter, especially if T-Mo sticks to its guns and doesn’t add additional charges for tethering and hotspot functionality (I’m probably being naive here).

I’ll be checking my G2 all day and will post an update if the update hits my phone.

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The Best Thing About Windows Phone 7 is…This Commercial

I’m still not as enamored with Windows Phone 7 as many of my analyst and writer friends in the Bay Area are, but I totally love this commercial. It’s cute, clever, funny, and smart…as if AJ Lee were a Windows Phone 7 commercial.

I’m still not as enamored with Windows Phone 7 as many of my analyst and writer friends in the Bay Area are, but I totally love this commercial. It’s cute, clever, funny, and smart…as if AJ Lee were a Windows Phone 7 commercial.

Check out the spot and let me know what you think (please)!

Napoleon Dynamite…the Animated TV Series?!?

It’s been six years since Jon Heder charmed America as the awkwardly lovable geek Napoleon Dynamite. Heder will be putting on the moon boots once again, but this time the liger-loving nerd will be hitting the small screen in an animated series on Fox. According to E!:

Fox has ordered up six episodes of the half-hour sitcom and the original main cast is said to be onboard for voice work. The O.G. players included Efren Ramirez as Pedro, Tina Majorino as Deb, Aaron Ruell as Kip and Jon Gries as Uncle Rico.

Although I think the movie is a bit overrated and hated that people kept quoting it for like 18 months, I’m a fan of the film and Heder. It’s not great, but Napoleon Dynamite was fun and a nice debut for writer/director Jared Hess. I had a good time seeing the movie with this completely hot programmer chick from Double Fine. Hmmm, perhaps I like the movie more than I ought to simply because of Anna. Ha!

Anyway, are any of you psyched for Napoleon Dynamite cartoon?

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