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 Million-Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase finally being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, where Johnny Damon will end up, or the next great Android device, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
What game would you show your parents (or parent-like figures) to show off how far gaming has come? It’s easy for older people to dismiss games as “greasy kid stuff”, simply because they don’t know any better. A lot of parents haven’t seen incredible interactive adventures like Uncharted 2 or the thrilling action like Left 4 Dead 2. They simply don’t know how awesome games are, even compared to last generation.
I remember this one time (not at band camp) when my Dad visited me in San Francisco. We saw my uncle and his family in the East Bay and they had all sorts of questions about games. When they brought me home, I showed them a cutscene from Final Fantasy X and they were amazed by the graphics, music, and storytelling. I think they were expecting a modern-day Pac-Man and were blown away by the evolution of games.
Today (or later this month, really) I think I’d show them Heavy Rain
What game would you show your parents to illustrate the awesomeness of gaming?
My mom is a 62 year old gamer. She plays all the Guitar Hero games and anxiously awaits each new FF game. She has been this way since we first got an NES when I was in second grade.
My dad passed in 2006. The only game I ever saw him play was Duck Hunt (and that was only one time). He had no interest in things like graphics, storylines, gameplay, nothing of the sort. He was a professional musician my entire life and I believe he'd be mixed about Guitar Hero. On one hand, none of the music in those games is the music he enthused over. He played blues, jazz, gospel, bluegrass, and folk guitar (he was a finger picker if anyone knows what that means) and had alot of students he taught. I think he'd see less people turning to guitars when they could play a game that gives you the same feelings of doing the damn thing without having to carry a 300 lb amplifier up 9 flights of stairs or fret over who owns the PA.
On the other hand, there are lots of kids who would have no idea who Thin Lizzy is if it weren't for Guitar Hero. There is potential.
Other than that, I think he'd have zero interest.
My grandfather thought Metal Gear Solid 4 was amazing in its visuals, storytelling, voice, etc. He thought they were real people.
@ Smartguy
Of course their real people! Revolver Ocelot just sent me an invite to his nephew's bris.
And don't act so surprised that Revolver Ocelot is Jewish either.
He shortened his name from Ocelotenstein.
My father-in-law watched me play Uncharted 2 when he visited for Thanksgiving, and he played some Madden with my roommate when the rest of us had gone to sleep. My Roommate said he was a bit of a Madden Shark… lol.
@N8R
Damnit it fits now. Especially the line from Sons of Liberty "You don't have anything we didn't give you"
Decendants*
Not sure, but it would be between Wii Sports (yes, I know) or the most advanced MLB licensed game… maybe MLB The Show? They like sports, but they still think video games are for kids. What better way to introduce them to it by playing Wii Tennis or Wii Bowling with their grandson?
-M
I need to buy The Show for this year. Need a good time killing game.
My mom and uncle were impressed with Uncharted 2 when they saw it.
As far as my mom is concerned, I'd like to show her 'Flower' sometime. I think she'd be impressed by that.
Watching my Step-Father try to figure out the duel analog sticks while playing CoD2 was comedy of the highest variety.
my parents have bought me a nintendo, SNES and N64 with Zelda and Mario games. Everytime i plugged it in and started to play they were always amazed on the colors and especially noticed when the n64 showed mario and link in 3-d.
My aunt has been more amazed with how far games have come because she is not always around them. He bought them for me and my brother and sisters, but until the wii she had never really seen a lot.
My parents have seen a lot of game commercials and seen my games, my dad even played N64 a lot while I was in high school. He still owns more games on that console than I have. I would probably show him madden 10 because football games have been around for so long, and I think it could be a good comparison.
Hey rpad!
Have you gotten a chance to check out the straight to DVD release of justice league: crisis on two earths? I'm hoping they didn't butcher this series. It's one of my favorite dc storylines.
I agree with Raymond, I think Heavy Rain and Uncharted 2 will impress the parents. Uncharted 2 made my wife sit down and watch and she's NEVER done that before. Uncharted 2 is the best game of all time IN MY OPINION.
@N8R
Your mom rocks.
Back a couple years ago I played ncaa 07 in front of my grandfather who was 89 at the time and he thought it was a real game. Later that day my cousin came by and my grandfather asked him if he had seen the game and my cousin gave him the strangest look. Probably my favorite story about my grandfather.
Just got back from my free Grand Slam Breakfast at Denny's! Line was only 15 minutes. Free food is awesome.
No thanks, I'd rather they stay away from my games.
@ RROD
Yeah she does. Don't get me wrong, she has her moments. But I miss and love the hell out of that lady.
@ R Pad
Free food is awesome.
12 Patriots = Decedants of the 12 tribes? OMG… it is the NWO (and not Hall, Nash, and Hogan!).
Don't Read this N8R (not until after you watch LOST)
Tonight's episode of LOST was very shitty. I can't stand Kate. It was all about her taking up time doing nothing. Horrible episode.
Playing around with the latest WordPress client for iPhone. Still don't think I could write an entire post on this virtual keyboard.
@ Nightshade;
It can’t be any more side-splittingly hilarious than my wife and I trying to play Halo 2 (her first dual analog stick game).
20 Minutes into the game…
Her: “Wow, I’m pretty good at this!”
Me: “What are you talking about? You’ve been looking up and spinning in circles for the past 15 minutes.”
Her: “What? Isn’t that me on the top screen?”
Me: “No, that’s me. You’re the one on the bottom making me dizzy.”
Her: “Oh my god, I thought that was you. I was wondering why you weren’t doing anything.”
Laughter ensues.
-M
@ Smartguy
You're really trying to set yourself up to have an Evangeline Lilly avatar for a month next year since after Drew Brees gets struck by the Madden curse and they lose tremendously to the Steelers, aren't you?
I'm beginning to think your fixated, like the kids that punch the girls they like on the schoolyard. Sure, the title was "What Kate Does", but I noticed more to do with Claire than anything else.
I won't tell your girl (who sees the look in your eye when Kate pops up on screen and gets jealous about it so she talks alot of logical smack about her that's hard to disagree with), just admit you're hot for her.
@N8R
Say what you will, but her character has to be or is the worst one on the show. Boone and his sister were better than she is.
Madden curse? No way. Saints break curses now. (though a part of me wishes he would bow out of it like LT did).
I also think Saints play the Steelers to open the season. It will be either them or Atlanta.
As far as LOST chicks go that I would jump on…gimme Pen or Boone's sister.
@ Smartguy
I may be in the lower statistics here, but I think her character is needed to make Jack seem less lame. Kind of like the sort of hot chick standing next to her ugly friend… ya know? Her arch is written very well and to be honest, I do believe the actress could play it better… i.e. I don't fault the writers as much as I fault the actress.
I do think it's the supporting characters that makes the show shine though. Sawyer, Hurley, BEN, Walt, Charlie… all hella characters. Even Shannon the snotty rich girl on a desert island… brilliant.
I think the worst character on the show is (or was) Libby. She really didn't fit in. Eko by far is/was my favorite. Then again, I've considered that actor one of the scariest men on the planet since I saw Oz.
@ Smartguy
I'm gonna hold you to that "Saints break curses now" thing.
That might be worthy of it's own independent wager.
@N8R
Eko was cool. I too have liked him since OZ. Minus the rape of the young italian lol.
Her character (Kate) just seems so over the top and irrational. Too cliche really. Like last season when that guy showed up at her doorstep and wanted a DNA sample…and she just ran. Left her house, money, etc. WTF? You are rich…get your own lawyer. It's crap like that. Or when she went back into the sub to get Juliet and Sawyer…for what? I just think she makes the worst decisions ever.
Jack's character is an enigma sometimes. I don't mind it being lame because he is supposed to be the rational one who comes from a good background (relatively speaking). I think Ben Linus is the best character on the show though.
My mom isn't much of a gamer, but every once in a while she'll but out my old Playstation and play Frogger lol. I did show her Flower last year and she thought it was really pretty. I think this year I'll be showing her Heavy Rain for sure. I can easily imagine her saying how real all the characters look.
got in an accident today!
no damage to either car, but it still sucks, cause now i gotta wait to see if she sues me
im so sick of snow, its like fucking hoth outside again…
@thundercracker Are you okay though? That’s the important thing.
@ Thundercracker
Yeah, I hope you're ok first and foremost.
If there's no damage, no visible injuries, and conditions were bad to begin with… you should be safe from the man. They would press their own charges for negligent driving… but if they haven't already, you're probably good. Accidents do happen and even more so in bad weather.
Even if she tries to pull the whole "ahhh, my neck and my back" thing, the adjusters will be all over it and judge here claim by the vehicle damage.
Worst case scenario, your rates will go up or even the insurance company will drop you. If there was no damage and everyone is ok. Those guys are sharks and will bleed out stones as much as they can.