Raymond Padilla

Today’s Poll: Batman vs. Captain America

Today’s poll features another mythical match-up: Batman vs. Captain America! Both men possess tactical minds and are extremely driven. Batman has a vast array of gadgets and unparalleled detective skills to give him an edge. Captain America has the super soldier serum coursing through his veins. Obviously, this fight will be the most important thing you think about all day. So I want to know who wins this bout in your mind and why. Kindly take the poll and elaborate in the comments section!

[poll id=”39″]

Up For an RPad.tv Invitational? What Do You Want to Play?

Anyone up for some online gaming later today? Wednesday is the usual day for RPad.tv invitational tournaments, but I have to go to an Iron Man 2 screening. Hopefully some of you have time today. I super enjoyed Scrabble last week and hope some of you want to play again. That said, I understand that Uno is more accessible. I would love to have a Super Street Fighter IV tournament, but I don’t know how many of you have picked up the game.

Anyway, let me know if you have time to play today and what game you’d like to play.

Coffee Talk #137: What Do You Hate About Modern Games?

Yesterday I asked you about classic gaming features you miss. Today I want to know what modern gaming features you loathe. Games aren’t automatically more fun just because technology is more advanced and development techinques have improved. Sometimes there are trends that decrease the fun level. So get into your bitter barn and think about the things you hate in today’s games.

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, Bryan Danielson winning a match before E3, the lost Lost script, or your favorite Poison song, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As for me, I hate that consoles have to be online for some content to be accessed. It absolutely sucks that certain bits of DLC need to be verified through the Internet. If you’re Internet service is out or your playing your console on the road without a connection, there’s a good chance that you can’t play everything you’ve purchased. I understand why the online check happens, but there has to be a better way, no?

Now it’s your turn! What are the trends in gaming that irk you? Tacked on cooperative play? Day one DLC? I want to know!

Joey Ansah’s Street Fighter Legacy Short Film Looks Kind of Sweet

Actor and martial artist Joey Ansah is a longtime Street Fighter fan that has been disappointed by the various Street Fighter movies. Taking matters into his own hands (with Capcom’s blessing), Ansah is working on a short film that aims to honor the source material. He released two teaser clips and they look pretty cool. I’m hoping this project pans out and makes me forget about Jean Claude Van Damme and Kristin Kreuk movies.

Check out the two clips and let me know what you think (please)! Special thanks to JC for sending this in!

Source

Monday Night Wars Over: TNA Impact Moving Back to Thursday

Well…that didn’t take very long. After a couple of months competing head-to-head with WWE, TNA Wrestling has decided to pack it up and go home. Continually getting trounced in the ratings by WWE Monday Night Raw, TNA Impact is heading back to Thursday nights starting May 13, 2010. In a press release, TNA president Dixie Carter said:

Our fans made it clear that they preferred the Thursday night time period. By moving to Thursdays, this is a win/win opportunity for both TNA and the fans. We are looking forward to delivering what the fans are asking for!

Perhaps it’s just me, but perhaps wrestling fans “asked” for TNA to put on a better product and the company ignored them. Instead of emphasizing the young and unique talent in the company, TNA gives way too much air time to old wrestlers that lose relevance each day. Sorry Dixie, but moving back to Thursdays isn’t a “win/win”. It’s your company waving the white flag.

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Black Nintendo Wii Coming to America on May 9, 2010

As expected, Nintendo will be releasing a black version of its ridiculously popular Nintendo Wii console on May 9, 2010. The bundle includes Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort, and Wii MotionPlus. The ebony Wii was released in other regions of the world, but Americans have been deprived of the dark side of the (Wii) force…until now. Here’s a snippet from the press release:

Previously unavailable throughout the Americas, the black version of the Wii console will offer all the groundbreaking features and functions of its white counterpart in a stylish new color scheme. Whether they aim to color-coordinate with other devices or simply love the way it looks, consumers throughout the Americas can add a black Wii console with matching black Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers to their home entertainment lineup. Additional black controllers and accessories can be purchased separately.

I’m pretty sure I’m going to get one of these and sell my white Wii. It’s a completely unnecessary purchase…but it looks so cool! Anyone else tempted by the color or bundle? You know what they say — one you go black, you never go back!

Old T-Shirt + $49 = Laptop Sleeve + Supporting a Good Cause

Hello Rewind lets you use an old t-shirt to create a protective sleeve for your laptop, iPad, Kindle, etc. The cost is $49, which seems steep, but if you buy one of these sleeves you’ll also be supporting a good cause. The company trains and employs women that were brought to New York through sex trafficking. According to a company blog post:

We’re working with the women to train them in the skills that will help right now — English, sewing, and basic business skills. The training programs are free in conjunction with the services Restore NYC already provides them. We do training in the same location we sew the sleeves on the same machines we bought. We tell them about Hello Rewind. We tell them again about Hello Rewind. We show them the sleeves and tell them how much they can make for each sleeve. It’s not as much as they can make working at the brothel, but it’s still more than what minimum wage or welfare could ever hope to provide them, and more than they could earn elsewhere.

I hope some of you consider getting a Hello Rewind laptop sleeve. You’d have an awesome one-of-a-kind product and the satisfaction of aiding someone in a difficult situation.

Source via Engadget

Another RPad.tv Chick Magnet Photo

Thanks to RPadholic tokz_21 for sending in this excellent photo. Since we talk comics a lot, he thought it would be cool to include several comic books and action figures in his photo. He’s right! It’s totally cool!!!

Guys and gals, keep sending your photos! I’m still waiting for pictures of an RPad.tv magnet on an exotic dancer (female, please).

Steve Jobs = Tony Stark and Bill Gates = Justin Hammer?!?

According to Sam Rockwell (via Newsarama), who plays arms dealer Justin Hammer in Iron Man 2, the relationship between Hammer and protagonist Tony Stark is similar to the relationship between Microsoft’s Bill Gates and Apple’s Steve Jobs. The portrayal isn’t subtle according to one moviegoer. TechCrunch reader Laureana Varisco Bonaparte wrote:

I just came from watching IM2, and the whole Stark=Jobs, Hammer=Gates is NOT subtle. The relationship as the public sees it, is right there. Hammer is Bill with better hair. And Tony Stark is………. the movie starts with him giving a keynote speech on a Stark expo. Should I say more? And RDJr’s facial hair makes him resemble Jobs even more (it makes his face look slimmer). It’s pretty cool and almost distractive.

I don’t know about this one. The “evil” of Bill Gates is completely overblown. Hell, it’s not even relevant these days as he spends most of his time — and an incredible amount of money — on philanthropic ventures. Considering the millions Bill and Melinda Gates have spent on charity, comparing Bill to a maniacal arms dealer is just ridiculous.

What do you think of the comparison?

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Sony Selling Extended Warranties for PS3 and PSP Systems

Sony Computer Entertainment America has announced that it will offer extended warranties for its PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable consoles. Retailers like GameStop and Best Buy already offer extended warranties. While the added protection offers gamers peace of mind, warranties have proven to be quite lucrative for retailers.

Sony’s press release lists its warranty pricing as:

PS3 — 1-year extension ($49.99) or 2-year extension ($59.99)
PSP — 1-year extension ($29.99) or 2-year extension ($39.99)
PSP with Accidental Damage — 1-year extension ($39.99) or 2-year extension ($49.99)

It’s a smart move by Sony and I’m sure it will make a lot of money selling warranties. A lot of people don’t take advantage of the warranties they purchase. Some people forget that they even bought them. It’s a safe bet that the money Sony spends on repairing consoles covered by extended warranties will be a drop in the bucket compared to the revenue generated by warranty sales.

Are any of you going to plop down cash for an extended warranty? Or are you confident in the reliability of your PlayStation products?