Raymond Padilla

Coffee Talk #467: Your Favorite Game of Q1 2012

The first quarter of 2012 has ended and I wanted to hear about your favorite games of 2012. While I’ve been loving Final Fantasy Tactics on my iPad, my favorite and most surprising game of the quarter was Final Fantasy XIII-2. I enjoyed the original, flaws and all. The sequel tightens up the gameplay and story, and also adds…

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 hot crowd for Monday Night Raw in Miami, Minka Kelly’s downgrade, or the countdown to MLB opening day, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

The first quarter of 2012 has ended and I wanted to hear about your favorite games of 2012. While I’ve been loving Final Fantasy Tactics on my iPad, my favorite and most surprising game of the quarter was Final Fantasy XIII-2. I enjoyed the original, flaws and all. The sequel tightens up the gameplay and story (though it’s still a bit ridiculous in that FF way), and adds several new twists. I absolutely loved the monster collecting and breeding system in FFXIII-2. In many ways, it’s the same kind of fun as Pokemon catching and training. I knew I’d enjoy XIII-2, but I didn’t expect to enjoy it so much. Plus…Serah in a bikini!!!

Now it’s your turn. What was your favorite game of Q1 2012?

Blizzard and Mega Bloks Reveal Toy Info and Images

World of Warcraft and toys — what more do you need, really?!? Blizzard and Mega Bloks have revealed new information and teased all sorts of images on their upcoming lines of toys. Set for release this summer, the WoW Mega Bloks kick off with a sweet deathwing’s stormwind assault set, faction packs, cool vehicles, collectible mounts, and more. My early favorites include the goblin zeppelin and the lich king set, both pictured below.

When you have a chance, check out the two sites I linked to above. Any of you psyched for World of Warcraft Mega Bloks?

This Week’s Videogame Releases

Kinect Star Wars is out this week. More importantly (for uber-geeks anyway) the Kinect Star Wars bundle with the totally sweet R2D2 Xbox 360 is out! I so want one, but can’t afford it right now. *sniff* In other news, Devil May Cry HD Collection is set to thrill those looking for classic DMC gameplay and updated graphics. Last, but not least, is Xenoblade Chronicles for Wii.

Any of you picking up new games this week? Any of you have rich uncles that want to buy me the R2D2 Xbox 360? It makes R2D2 sounds!!!

Coffee Talk #466: WrestleMania XXVIII Results and Discussion

WWE’s biggest show of the year has come and gone. Now it’s time to break down WrestleMania XXVIII, review our predictions, and discuss the results! RPadholic Iceman was also kind enough to send in some original photos from the event, which I posted below. As a whole, I thought it was a good show that was far from…

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, Ashton Kutcher portraying Steve Jobs, ceramic knives, or Kelly Pavlik on the comeback trail, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

WWE’s biggest show of the year has come and gone. Now it’s time to break down WrestleMania XXVIII, review our predictions, and discuss the results! RPadholic Iceman was also kind enough to send in some original photos from the event. As a whole, I thought it was a good show that was far from great. The second half of the card was much better than the first and there was one match that was severely (and sadly) cut off due to time restrictions. Let’s go down the list!

Sheamus Defeats Daniel Bryan for the World Heavyweight Championship: As I predicted, Sheamus got the win here. What I didn’t predict was the match being cut off for time considerations. I was totally bummed that two young WWE Superstars didn’t get time to shine. Danielson is one of the best pure wrestlers in the world and he rarely gets to show off his skills in WWE. This match — all 20 seconds of it — was completely disappointing.

Kane Beats Randy Orton: I called this one wrong and was surprised that Kane got a clean win. The match was okay, but I don’t get the result. It made Orton look stupid and he needed the push for the rest of 2012.

The Big Show Wins the Intercontinental Championship From Cody Rhodes: This was another match I predicted incorrectly. The result surprised me. Show does not need a minor WWE belt. Rhodes does.

Kelly Kelly & Maria Menounos Beat Eve and Beth Phoenix: The good girl team — with the celebrity — won. Of course they did. I was actually impressed with Menounos, who was working with a legit rib injury. She was a trooper! Unfortunately, the match was total filler. I can’t wait for Awesome Kong to come back. Maybe she’ll get the writers to do something interesting with the Divas division.

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The Undertaker Extended His Streak to 20-0 Over Triple H: Of course ‘Taker won! Selling t-shirts that brag about a 20-0 record is easy. 19-1…not so much. This match actually exceeded my expectations. The psychology and storytelling were fantastic. Of course I was thrilled to see “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels as the guest referee; he added a lot to the matches storytelling, given his history with both wrestlers. While it wasn’t a technical classic, there were some cool and brutal spots in this match. Great stuff.

Team Laurinaitis Beats Team Long: Johnny Ace is simply a better TV personality than Teddy Long. This was also the match used to bring the crowd down from Hell in a Cell. In other words, this was when you were supposed to go pee or buy beer from the refreshments stand. Woo woo woo. You know it.

CM Punk Retains the WWE Championship Over Chris Jericho: For me, this was the best match of the night from a wrestling standpoint. The ring work was tight and the psychology was awesome. I love the way Jericho taunted punk. Complementing, “Ask him!!!”, were, “How’s your father, Punk?!?”, and, “Punk, how’s your sister?!?” That said, I still think Punk needs to go into chase mode. He’s getting stale as champion.

The Rock Beats John Cena: I’m still shocked by how this went down. These guys put forth a great effort and put together a very good match. The Rock sold Cena’s moves like crazy. He actually made Cena’s lame STF look believable! While I’m personally happy that The Rock won, I question the booking. What happened to Super Cena?!? How does a guy that can beat three WWE Superstars by himself lose to someone that hasn’t wrestled a match in years? I’m curious to see how Cena is booked now that he was made vulnerable. Do you turn him heel? Or does he cut a brush-off promo similar to how Shawn Michaels brushed off his loss to Hulk Hogan? Does Cena build up to a revenge match next year? While he’s not my favorite wrestler (using the term loosely) in WWE, he’s a promo and merch machine that has carried the company for a long time. I’m curious to see how he’s booked for the rest of the year.

Loki vs. Tony Stark: Avengers Head Count Trailer

The “head count” trailer for The Avengers completely owns. I’m cautiously excited for the movie, but trailers like this have me abandoning caution (and logic?). I know that team movies are hard to pull off and it’s way too easy for them to splinter, but the trailers are so good and I’m a fan of Joss Whedon’s comic-book writing. This is all going to work, right?!? Check out the trailer and let me know if you’re more or less excited for The Avengers after seeing it.

Your WrestleMania XXVIII Predictions (Cena Sucks!!!)

Finally…it’s time for WrestleMania XXVIII!!! Big thanks to RPadholic Iceman for his super-generous offer of bringing me to the biggest show in all of entertainment. Sadly, I did the fiscally responsible thing and chose to stay home instead of witnessing pro-wrestling history. Now back to the script — WWE’s biggest show of the year takes place this weekend and there are loads of great matches on the card. Who do you think will win? Let’s go down the list together and when we’re done, please share your WrestleMania predictions in the comments section…if you smell, what The Ray is cooking.

Team Laurinaitis vs. Team Long: This is the let’s-cram-in-as-many-people-that-deserve-a-WrestleMania-payday match. As a fan of actual wrestling, it really bugged me that the battling general managers received more of a buildup rather than actual wrestlers. I’m going to give Laurinaitis’ team the nod here. Long’s character is just boring. The artist formerly known as Johnny Ace can be a great heel in small doses. For the sake a future programming, Team Laurinaitis should win.

Randy Orton vs. Kane: The “angle” explanation for this match still doesn’t make a ton of sense. In reality, it’s like when Eddie Guerrero and ~~Raymond Stereo~~ Rey Mysterio wrestled each other at WrestleMania; the two didn’t have a real program going on, but trusted each other to make a great match. That’s what’s going on with Orton and Kane, but on a lower level. Orton should get the win here so he can reposition himself as a main-event wrestler for the rest of 2012 while Kane goes back to elevating others.

Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos vs. Beth Phoenix and Eve: I’m going with the good girls in this one. It’s a throwaway match, but the mainstream guest should win. Man, the thought of a Beth-and-Eve menage sounds awesome. Wait, did I say that out loud?!?

Cody Rhodes vs. The Big Show: Dusty’s son has come a long way and has really developed as a heel. Show is already established. I think Cody gets the win here and furthers Show’s reputation as a WrestleMania joke, but not without some shenanigans.

CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho: This should be one of the two best matches of the night from a technical perspective. Both of these guys can flat-out go. Jericho has demonstrated that he doesn’t need a belt to get over. However, I think Punk as champion isn’t quite as edgy and entertaining as he once was. This is a tough one to call. I think Punk would be better off chasing a belt for several months. Jericho could be the transitional champion, waiting for Cena and Orton post-WrestleMania. I’ll go with Jericho, but will probably change my mind several times before Sunday.

Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus: I can’t be objective about this match at all. I’m a longtime Bryan Danielson fan and want him to have a long title reign as the “Yes! Yes! Yes!!!” World Heavyweight Champion. Plus, his storyline girlfriend AJ Lee is just about perfect. I hope Danielson gets the win, but I don’t think he will. Sheamus is simply more marketable. The good news is that this match has a ton of potential to be the show-stealer.

The Undertaker vs. Triple H: Unless Hunter gets caught up in narcissistic rage and books himself to win, it makes no sense for ‘Taker’s streak to end. 20-0, with some possible interference from “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels. Damn I miss that guy….

The Rock vs. John Cena: I don’t see why you’d give The Rock a victory here. Yes, he played football in Miami and he’s slated to appear at WrestleMania XXIX, but I don’t think you put him over a full-time wrestler. Although I greatly prefer The Rock over Cena, you have to book the guy that actually wrestles on a weekly basis as the winner. Then again, I’ve been hearing rumors of The Miz interfering, causing Cena to lose (while protecting his stature) and setting up a Miz vs. Cena program…which is kind of weird because six weeks ago I was hearing that management hasn’t been happy with The Miz and was pushing him out. *shrug*

Anyway, the final match of WrestleMania always ends with the face winning so that the crowd can go home happy. The problem here is that both of these guys appeal to different parts of the audience. Do you send the smarks and older fans home happy (Rock)? Or do you make sure the women and children leave with smiles on their faces (Cena)?

Coffee Talk #465: Developers on the Wrong Platforms

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, Verve’s Ethiopia Worka, the prospect of Steve Nash playing for the Miami Heat, or cute desserts with a super-cute girl, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

At GDC 2012, I was pestering several people about thatgamecompany. I love those guys and want to see them do well, but I’m not convinced that PlayStation Network is the optimal platform for TGC. With a little bit of tweaking, TGC’s games would kill on iOS. I have no doubt about this. Flower, in particular, would be brilliant on the iPad, though I can easily see people digging Journey and flOw too. iOS seems perfect for thatgamecompany and I’d love to see millions of iPhone/iPad gamers loving TGC games.

With all of that in mind, at GDC I playfully teased several people at Sony for holding thatgamecompany back. I also bugged TGC’s agent from UTA, asking him, “When the hell are your clients moving to iOS?!?” (And yes, alcohol was ~~probably~~ involved in all of these conversations.) While TGC’s sales figures are closely guarded by Sony, most pundits believe them to be in the six-figure range. I’m certain that the company has a better chance of breaking one-million on iOS than it does on PSN. Hell, I’m positive that an “enhanced” version of Flower for iOS would easily eclipse the game’s sales on PSN. It just seems like TGC is on the wrong platform.

Are there any developers you feel are creating for the wrong platform? Share the companies you think of and the platforms you wish they were making games for in the comments section (please!).

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance Screens

Here are some screenshots and artwork for the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance for Nintendo 3DS. The game is part of the seemingly never-ending march to Kingdom Hearts 3. It’s out in Japan now and will be available this summer in other territories. Sora and Riku are the playable characters in Dream Drop Distance, with the pair visiting the worlds of Tron: Legacy, Pinocchio, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Fantasia (the movie, not the American Idol songstress), and more. Kindly check out the screens and let me know what you think!

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What Are You Playing This Weekend?

In addition to my usual batch of iPad games, I plan on playing some Quarrel for Xbox Live this weekend. Do you know why I’m going to play Quarrel? Because it’s going to be the game for next week’s RPad.TV Invitational tournament! Quarrel Deluxe was one of my favorite iPad games in 2011. The one thing it was missing was a multiplayer mode. The Xbox Live version takes care of that and I’m hoping that several of you will play Quarrel with me next week.

How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist? Also, which day works best for some Quarrel skirmishes next week?

Sony Online Entertainment Rebrands Fan Faire as SOE Live

Sony Online Entertainment has rebranded its annual fan event; gone is the old SOE Fan Faire moniker, to make way for SOE Live! This year’s event will take place from October 18 to October 21 at Bally’s in Las Vegas. Why the name change? Here’s a clip from the press release that explains…

“The ‘SOE Live’ name change represents a deeper meaning behind our annual event,” said Laura Naviaux, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales, Sony Online Entertainment. “As our game portfolio continues to expand, we wanted to better represent our diverse player base and games, including the newest additions to the SOE family, with DC Universe Online, Free Realms, Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures, and the highly anticipated PlanetSide 2. Previous event attendees can rest assured that we are not removing any of our established activities in order to accommodate the new players; rather, they can expect even more to make this the ultimate SOE fan experience.”

SOE Live reflects the belief that all SOE players are part of one extended family and presents an opportunity for fans of all ages to meet the talented people behind some of the online world’s most successful games. In addition to a slew of social events, SOE will host developer panel discussions and game-themed live events, giving attendees a chance to voice their opinions of current and upcoming game content. SOE Live will also feature exclusive access to new announcements and beta programs, tournaments, premium swag and more.

That last paragraph kills me. I’m half-expecting SOE to adopt Black Eyed Peas “One Tribe” as the official song of SOE Live. One people!!!

Seriously though, I’m excited for SOE Live. It’s an event about games in Las Vegas. I’m totally down. Any of you interested in attending SOE Live?