Raymond Padilla

Are You Ready for the South Park RPG?

Obsidian Entertainment is developing South Park: The Game, an RPG featuring those lovable (and foul-mouthed) kids on Comedy Central. From what I understand, the game is kind of like an M-Rated version of Paper Mario. On paper, this sounds frickin’ brilliant! I like Obsidian a lot. I love South Park and Paper Mario. Put them all together and, in theory, you should end up with an awesome game.

For more info on South Park: The Game, I highly recommend watching Game Informer’s interview with Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart.

Right now I’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. Are you excited for it? Do you dig the idea of the South Park gang in an RPG crafted by a company known for making very good RPGs? What other television characters would like to see in an RPG?

Rumor: Microsoft Developing Original TV Shows for Xbox Live

Microsoft is rumored to be hiring a television-programming executive to ramp up the video content on Xbox Live. Sources indicate that the company is seeking original programs, similar to the strategies being pursued by Hulu and YouTube. Here’s the story according to Bloomberg:

Microsoft Corp. is seeking to hire a television executive to develop original shows as part of a drive to expand its Xbox Live game and video service, according to people with knowledge of the company’s plans.

Microsoft has hired Tom Schneider, a partner at Stratis LLC, to conduct the search, said the people, who weren’t authorized to speak publicly. Two former NBC executives, Marc Graboff and Jeff Gaspin, have been approached, they said.

I don’t watch a ton of video on my Xbox 360. Every now and again, I’ll download or stream some one-off content. I believe the last time I watched any kind of video on my Xbox 360, it was a bunch of panels from DICE 2011. I’m curious, though not terribly excited, to see where this goes.

How about you guys and dolls? Are you interested in watching original shows on your Xbox 360? What kind of TV programs would you like to see on Xbox Live?

Source

Game of Thrones Season 2 Teaser

HBO recently posted a teaser video for Game of Thrones: Season 2. As a mark for the show and the books, of course I think it’s awesome. I so can’t wait for the next season! Check out the teaser and let me know what you think (please!). Are you ready for the new season of Game of Thrones and more nude scenes featuring Daenerys?

RPad.TV Blackbox Bamboo iPad 2 Case: Best in the World

Check out this picture of my customized Blackbox Case for iPad 2. It’s completely awesome. It’s made from bamboo, one of the most sustainable materials in the world. It’s handcrafted in the USA by an American company. Best of all, it has my face and web site on it! This is pretty much one of the three best iPad 2 cases ever made.

I’ll be writing more about the case over at Padvance. For now, let me know what you think.

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I finally have a weekend where I’m not flying anywhere! Unfortunately (for my gaming needs), I have a pair of videogame-award shows and related parties to attend. *sigh* I really want to have a whole weekend to start Skyrim…perhaps next weekend. For now, I think I’m going to spend Sunday playing Bastion for Chrome OS. It’s a great game and I want to see how it translated to a browser-based world.

How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?

Today’s Poll: How Should Toilet Paper Roll?

Super important poll today! How should toilet paper roll? Some folks say over is the way to go. Others are more comfortable with it rolling under. It’s an important lifestyle choice and I’d love to hear how you roll. Kindly vote in today’s poll and explain your decision in the comments section.

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Shigeru Miyamoto Retiring, Shigeru Miyamoto Not Retiring

Yesterday, my excellent friend Wired Chris Kohler reported that Nintendo game designer Shigeru Miyamoto was planning to “retire” or “step down” in order to work on smaller projects. For the last decade or so, Miyamoto has been more manager than creator. On the handful of occasions I’ve gotten to chat with him, he always mentioned that he missed working on smaller teams and having a more creative role.

Nintendo promptly denied the story, chalking it up to a misunderstanding. Some are speculating that the denial had something (everything?) to do with the company’s stock dipping two percent after Kohler’s story spread throughout the Internet.

In my heart, I believe that Miyamoto has been tired of being in upper management for a long time. I believe that he’d love to “step down” and work on a smaller team with a more creative role. What do you think is really going on? Is Nintendo covering its ass due to the stock dip? Or was this really all a misunderstanding? Post your theory in the comments section (please!).

Coffee Talk #429: Giving Your Kids Videogame Names

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, where Chris Paul will be playing, why the hell its below 50 in Los Angeles, or your toothpaste of choice, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Would you name your child after a videogame character? Maybe a game designer? How about someone from a comic book? Or just straight up naming him Casper Van Dien? I’m totally down with this. Should I be blessed with a daughter, I plan to name her Tifa, after the strong-but-gentle woman from Final Fantasy VII. If I have a son, I’d like to name him Shigeru, after legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Twin boys? That’s easy! They’d be Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent.

Now it’s your turn! Would you name your kids after videogame characters, comic-book heroes, or game designers? If so, what would you name your son, daughter, or twins?

Manny Pacquiao: Pound for Pound (iOS) Free Today

The Manny Pacquiao game for iOS is free today. Head on over and download Manny Pacquiao: Pound for Pound if you’re a fan of the Filipino boxer or if you’re looking for some unintentional comedy. The game looks…meh and the videogame version of Pacquiao looks like he was rejected from the Street Fighter and Tekken tournaments, but you can’t really complain about a free game. Ha!

Coffee Talk #428: The Xbox 360 2011 Dashboard Update and You

Microsoft recently launched a major Xbox 360 dashboard update and I’m dying to hear your thoughts on it. Do you like the overall look and feel? What features are you digging? What features are you hating? Share your thoughts like a Care Bear…

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, awesome holiday gift guides, the steady decline of Firefox, or sports drinks reminding you of Aquaman, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As for me, I can’t look at it as a standalone update. The design is fresher and I’m sure there are some usability enhancements, but that’s not what really interests me here. I love that Microsoft is taking a unified approach and spreading its Metro UI across different platforms. Even though I’m not a big fan of Windows Phone or Windows for PC, I love that Windows Phone 7, Xbox 360, and Windows 8 share a lot of the same design philosophy. It’s smart. It keeps things familiar. It helps create a broader ecosystem (and also makes it harder for customers to leave to competitors). It’s strange to say this, but it’s very Apple of Microsoft.

I don’t know if I’m a fan of the new dashboard, but I’m definitely a fan of the company’s unified approach. Fair play to Microsoft!

Now it’s your turn. Please let me know how you feel about the Xbox 360 Fall 2011 dashboard update.