If you don’t think this Iron Man 2 trailer is awesome then we probably wouldn’t get along in real life. Ha! Seriously, give it a watch and let’s talk it up! I love Don Cheadle, but I so wish Terrence Howard was still playing Rhodey. Aside from that, this trailer totally rules!!!
Author: RPadTV
https://rpad.tv
Apple iPad Advertisement Hits the Oscars
I didn’t watch the Academy Awards last night, but a bunch of friends sent me texts and Twitter messages when a new iPad commercial aired during the show. I’ve posted it as a conversation piece and would love to hear your thoughts on it. It definitely has the usual Apple slickness, but does it make any of you want the product more? The iPad is launching on April 3, so expect the media blitz to continue!
Final Fantasy XIII Mega-Post!!!
With Final Fantasy XIII being released this week, I thought it would be nice to collect all the videos and stories on the game in one mega-post. For your convenience and entertainment, here they are!
Final Fantasy XIII Announcement Video (the one with the massive tool)
Final Fantasy XIII trailer with English voice actors
Leona Lewis (aka Reona Rewis) plays Final Fantasy XIII
Wired.com’s Chris Kohler Talks Final Fantasy XIII
Blog Posts
Poll: Which version of FFXIII are you buying?
Coffee Talk: What’s your favorite Final Fantasy game?
FFXIII Xbox 360 limited edition bundle details
FFXIII special edition details
Read FFXIII Zero Promise in English
FFXIII Japanese television commercial
Yoshitaka Amano’s take on FFXIII
Coffee Talk: Create your own videogame beverage
FFXIII Suntory beverage commercial
Mega 64 makes fun of the FFXIII launch date announcement
FFXIII North American box art revealed
How weapons level up in FFXIII
Nokia 5230 Nuron for T-Mobile: A Compelling Cheapie Alternative
If you’re looking for a capable phone, but don’t want to shell out big ducks on a Google Nexus One or pay premium service for an Apple iPhone or Motorola Droid then you should consider Nokia 5230 Nuron for T-Mobile. I’m rarely interested in budget phones, but the Nuron offers consumers great value and great capabilities (in addition to a remarkably stupid name). The handset costs $69.99 with a two-year contract or $179.99 unsubsidized. Where it gets really interesting is that it will not require a premium data plan; the $10 a month Web2go option is all you’ll need.
In addition to the a low handset price and inexpensive service, the phone comes with free turn-by-turn GPS navigation and access to Nokia’s Ovi Store. The phone uses a Webkit-based browser, though it’s not as good as the ones found on the iPhone, Android phones, and Palm WebOS phones. The good news is that you can find a browser that’s more to your liking in the Ovi store, as well as a slew of other apps.
The downers include the lack of WiFi, a low-resolution camera, and the…not-quite-so-smooth experience of Symbian. Still, for the price you’re getting a ton of capabilities. Heck, I’m even thinking about going with this phone and spending the money I’d save on a monthly iPad service plan.
Let me know what you think of the Nokia Nuron for T-Mobile and if it interests you!
This Week’s Videogame Releases
Final Fantasy XIII is obviously the big deal this week, but there are actually quite a few interesting games that you should keep your eye on. Also coming out for PlayStation and Xbox 360 is Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition
The handheld systems have some cool things going on too. The DS has Foto Showdown
As always, let your fellow RPadholics and me know if you’re picking up any new games this week!
Coffee Talk #101: Giacchino’s Incredible Career Started in Games
Last night at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards, Michael Giacchino snagged an Oscar for best original score for Up, adding another accolade to his phenomenal career. While he’s gained fame for his work on Lost, The Incredibles, Ratataouille, and more, Giacchino got his start in games. From The Lost World: Jurassic park to numerous Medal of Honor titles to several Call of Duty games, he has composed some of the best soundtracks in gaming.
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 Oscar Awards, the outstanding HBO documentary on Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Larry Bird, or wrestling’s Monday night wars, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
New Coffee: Totally forgot about this, but I opened a bag of Colombia La Piramide Reserva from Stumptown last week.
Last night at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards, Michael Giacchino snagged an Oscar for best original score for Up, adding another accolade to his phenomenal career. While he’s gained fame for his work on Lost, The Incredibles, Ratataouille, and more, Giacchino got his start in games. From The Lost World: Jurassic park to numerous Medal of Honor titles to several Call of Duty games, he has composed some of the best soundtracks in gaming.
As someone that’s followed his career for more than a decade, I’m thrilled for Giacchino’s success. Every time he snags an award, he creates an opportunity for people to learn about the gaming world. His success brings attention, prestige, and legitimacy to the relatively young business of videogames. I know he’s busy with movies and television, but I hope he still has time to create music for the medium that helped get him to where he is today.
Out of curiosity, do you have a favorite Michael Giacchino soundtrack? I absolutely love the score for The Incredibles. Giacchino’s music is one of the reasons The Incredibles is high on my list of all-time favorite movies. Let me know some of your Giacchino favorites when you have a chance.
Will Future Sony Demos Degrade Over Time?
Sony has filed an interesting patent for software that will cause game demos to lose functionality over time. Siliconera reported:
Sony appears to be working on a new kind of video game demo. A patent filed by SCEA details a system that gives users a full or nearly complete game to play with, but slowly removes features until you buy it.
The software has customizable triggers that disable features after a set number of plays or lapsed play time. Let’s see some theoretical examples of how this could work.
The good news is that gamers will get try more of a game before they make a purchasing decision. The bad news is that the practice is a little evil. The first thing that I thought was, “Great! Sony is following the crack-cocaine model. The first time is free!” Seriously though, depending on how it’s used, the software could be fantastic or it could piss of millions of gamers. I can’t wait to see it in practice.
What do you think? It this kind of software smart of evil? Clever or devious?
Portal 2 Confirmed for Holiday 2010
Game Informer has revealed that the sequel to Portal — one of the most unique and creative games I’ve played in the last few years — will be released this holiday season! Here’s what you can learn in the latest issue of GI.
Our 12-page cover story gives you the first details on Portal 2’s new gameplay mechanics, storyline, and some surprising new twists.
I’m super-psyched for this game! How about you guys and dolls?
Microsoft Allows Xbox Gamertags to Reflect Sexual Orientation
Gamers that want to express their sexual orientation, religious belief, and race on Xbox Live will be able to do so thanks to a Gamertag update from Microsoft. According to Gamasutra:
Microsoft is making changes to its Xbox Live Code of Conduct to expand the kinds of Gamertags it allows — which means users can now have tags that indicate their sexual orientation, religion or race.
I love this move. It gives gamers more choices in how they can identify themselves to other players.
Are you guys going to reveal more information? Do you like that Microsoft has allowed this? Or are you all “don’t ask, don’t tell” when it comes to race, religion, and sexual orientation?
Coffee Talk #100: I’m Raymond Padilla, Your Verbal Entertainer
In the immortal words of Barry Manilow and Shania Twain, “Looks like we made it.” Yes, it’s Coffee Talk #100!!! Thank you all so much for your support and readership. Today I’m going to be a little selfish and write about me. What I wanted to tell you all on this special day is that I am not a journalist. I am a verbal entertainer.
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, American Idol voters hating Asian people, Apple laying the smack down on HTC, or the iPad going on sale in less than a month, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
In the immortal words of Barry Manilow and Shania Twain, “Looks like we made it.” Yes, it’s Coffee Talk #100!!! Thank you all so much for your support and readership. Today I’m going to be a little selfish and write about me. What I wanted to tell you all on this special day is that I am not a journalist. I am a verbal entertainer.
Most people that write about games for enthusiast outlets are not journalists — not in the sense of reporting. Certainly there are exceptions. Leigh Alexander, Patrick Klepek, and Stepehen Totilo are fine reporters. Most “game journalists” are actually critics. Some are just hacks that vomit thousands of words on a single game just to get multiple page views. I’m not any of those things.
Nobody is going to use it, but I prefer the label “verbal entertainer”. Reporting news isn’t my priority. Most game reviews are crap and and most people/outlets don’t know who they’re reviewing for, so I don’t want to be called a game critic. I use the term “game writer” a lot, but that should probably be saved for people that write scripts for games (like the totally outstanding WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010!).
What I like to do is entertain you. Whether it’s through cool discussion, goofy video interviews, or asking developers your questions on PadCasts, my goal is to make your day a little bit more fun. Whether you read my words or listen to them, my motivation is similar to Robbie Williams’ — “Let Me Entertain You”!
My name is Raymond Padilla…and I approve this message this. That’s not right. I meant, this…is American Idol! That’s not right either… Oh yeah! I’m a verbal entertainer!!!