Raymond Padilla

Random Thoughts on NBA Finals Game Five

After missing the last two games of the 2013 NBA Finals because of that E3 thingie, basketball has my full attention once more. Game five was a fantastic game to come back to. It was full of exciting runs, improbable performances, and Manu Ginobili’s glorious bald spot/receding hairline. Here are some random thoughts on last night’s game between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs. As always, I’d love hear what you thought about the game.

Manu Rises: After sucking for the first four games of the series, Ginobili errupted for 24 points, 10 assists, two rebounds, and a steal with a +/- of +19. He kicked things off with a three-pointer and it was all classic Manu from there. At times he was out of control and at other times he was glorious. He had several drives and shot attempts that had fans going, “No! No!! No!!!” just before the shot and, “Yes!!!” when it went in. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker had strong games too, but it was reemergence of Manu that made the difference. Well, that’s not entirely true. Danny Green had a monster night too.

Danny Green’s Night in Pictures: Green continued his torrid three-point shooting, going 6-for-10 from downtown. In the process, he broke Ray Allen’s record for three-pointers made in an NBA Finals series. It went something like this:

Next, Ray Allen’s face went like this (GIF by @cjzero):

Spurs fans around the world felt like this:

It was glorious.

Tony Parker’s Quiet Excellence: Aside from some bursts in the third quarter, I didn’t notice Tony Parker doing anything too noteworthy. His hamstring is obviously bothering him and he isn’t his usual 48-minute jitterbug self. Ginobili starting helped alleviate some of his ball-distribution responsibilities, allowing him to pick his spots to put the pedal to the metal. Still, I was shocked to see that he finished with 26 points on 10-for-14 shooting. It sure didn’t seem like it. It’s impressive when someone has a great game and you barely notice it. If Ginobili doesn’t start game six, I wonder if the added ball-handling pressure (*giggle*) will lower his efficiency, given his ailing wheel.

Duke James: 25 points, eight assists, and six rebounds would be a stellar playoff game for 99 percent of the league. For LeBron James, it’s not enough. After being monstrously efficient for most of the year, his 8-for-22 shooting was poor. He seemed too deferential. His first rebound came in the third quarter. His team needed him to go into eff-you mode, but he was determined to play unselfishly. We’ve seen him take over several playoff games this year and James needed to be in best-player-in-the-league form in Q4, but it just wasn’t there. Most all-time greats seem to have an on-off switch when it comes to raising their level of play. Was LeBron’s broken last night?

Chris Bosh: Dude had two strong playoff games in a row. Let’s go crazy!

Favorite Stat of the Night: Udonis Haslem played for nine minutes and had a +/- -20 for those nine minutes. That’s so bad it’s impressive…and also makes you wonder why Chris Andersen was glued to the bench.

Your Take: Now it’s your turn! Please let me know what you thought of last night’s game. Any predictions on game six? (And no, copying Mr. T’s prediction of, “Pain….” doesn’t count.) Will the Spurs wrap it up? Or is this series going to a game seven?

Vaping Diaries #70: Five Pawns Tasting Room Tour

Last month I paid a visit to Five Pawns HQ in Irvine. In my interview with company president Rodney Jerabek, I learned about the company’s history and the story behind its fantastic e-liquids. In this video feature, Rodney and I talk about the Five Pawns tasting room. Blending high comfort and high style, this is one of coolest and classiest vaping lounges I’ve ever been to. The tasting room has super-cushy bar stools, a comfortable couch, art by Shepard Fairey, and some rare mechanical mods. Naturally, customers can sample and purchase Five Pawns e-liquid — including the barrel-aged Reserve Line — but they’ll also be able to try flavors that are in development. The company will use the tasting room for focus groups, allowing customers to try new flavors as they’re being fine tuned before they hit store shelves.

Check out the video above to see and hear more about the Five Pawns tasting room.

E3 2013: Nyko Booth Tour

I stopped by the Nyko’s E3 2013 booth to check out a bunch of accessories for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nvidia Shield, and Android. The new PlayPad controllers for Android were particularly impressive. The PlayPad Pro 2 is great for Android users that are heavy gamers. It has a rubberized grip for a solid feel and Alps analog sticks for precision control. It’s definitely one of the best Android gamepads I’ve ever tried. For Android users that are more into multimedia, there’s the PlayPad Media, which features a row of media-specific controls along the top of the gamepad. The PlayPad Media is no slouch in the gaming department either, using the same body as the original PlayPad for Android.

Kindly check out the video above and let me know what you think of Nyko’s E3 2013 lineup.

Special thanks to Rich Brown for his excellent camera work!

Best Games of E3 2013, Random Thoughts, Photos

As expected, E3 2013 was a super-exciting show (new consoles always add extra excitement), but it was even more exciting than I thought it would be. Sony kicked things off with a bang, there were loads of great games to see, and independent developers brought a different (and refreshing) type of energy to the mix. Since everyone else is doing it (and it adds lots of search traffic), I’m listing my top 10 games of E3 2013. Keep in mind that there was a ton of stuff I didn’t see and these silly lists are subjective. After that are some random thoughts and a photo gallery.

Top 10 Games of E3 2013

Titanfall — Giant robots are frickin’ cool, but I was surprised by how much fun it was playing as a pilot. Mixing up the two types of action made for a unique experience. The animation of the mech inserting the pilot still scares me though. That looks painful.
Knack — As a fan of super-cute platformers, clever gameplay, and Mark Cerny, this game worked for me on so many levels. The brief portion I played was crazy good — much headier than most platformers out there, but still very accessible.
Beyond: Two Souls — A few of my friends have soured on this game, but I’m still a Quantic Dream mark and I can’t wait to play the whole thing.
Destiny — I thought I would be dazzled by the graphics and okay with the gameplay. After seeing the demo, I was surprised by how much I want to play this one.
Transistor — From the excellent Supergiant Games comes another sweet action-RPG that combines modern flourishes with old-school sensibilities.
Below — From the excellent Capybara Games comes another visually and aurally distinct game with old-school sensibilities.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons — I’ve been high on this game since I saw it in October and was glad to see several friends of mine digging it too.
inFamous: Second Son — I really enjoyed the first two inFamous games and am a big fan of Sucker Punch. I love where this sequel is going and have high hopes for it.
Disney Infinity — While it has some similarities to the wonderful Skylanders franchise, this game is more ambitious and has several unique features. I love being able to share adventures with characters from Disney movies, Pixar movies, Pirates of the Caribbean, A Nightmare Before Christmas, Wreck It Ralph, etc.
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare — The sights and sounds in this game are utterly charming, but don’t overlook the gameplay. It’s like a goofy version of Team Fortress.

Random Thoughts

– It was fun catching up with Keiichi Yano from iNiS. I knew he studied jazz at USC (before going off to make excellent games like Gitaroo Man, Ouendan, and Elite Beat Agents. I didn’t know that he played saxophone. It was awesome to hear that he’s watched YouTube videos of my brother playing sax. I wish I had one of my brother’s CDs to give him at the show, but I’ll find a way to get him one.

– I’ve had some great times over the years with longtime Konami producer and current Namco Bandai producer Jason Enos. Seeing that he’s literally half the man he used to be was impressive. My man lost 171 pounds! It’s inspiring. I’m so happy for him.

– Of course it was awesome seeing my former sidekick Zoe Flower. I’m so proud of her and the work she’s doing on LEGO Friends. It was also fun meeting and getting to know her “boss” at Hellbent Games, Chris Mair. While she kicked all sorts of ass with her game at E3 2013, it started out as a strange experience for her. She’s spent most of her E3s roaming around the halls and looking at games (sometimes dressed as a zombie). Having to stay in one place for most of the show was a very different experience. On the first day of the show, she was like a freshly caged animal wanting to bust out. Ha!

– Michael Pachter throws the best E3 parties. I want to be his intern.

– I was happy to catch up with Cliff Bleszinski. I always knew he would be huge and I’m delighted for his success. We have a…colorful history and it’s great that we can still hang after all these years. I’m also thrilled that John Vignocchi and Adam Boyes have blown up. Johnny V is the executive producer on Disney Infinity and Adam Boyes is a vice president at Sony Computer Entertainment. I caught up a bit with John at Pachter-palooza and saw Adam on stage at the Sony presser (so weird). And to think, it was like 10 years ago that the three of us were cruising around Vegas in a limousine like idiots.

– While the new consoles were exciting and the games were tremendous, my favorite part of any E3 is catching up with old friends and business colleagues. I believe this was the nineteenth E3 and I’ve attended 18 of them. You kind of forget how long you’ve known people and how long we’ve all been part of this amazing business (though I maintain that game “journalists” are barely a part of the industry). Catching up, reconnecting, and all that good stuff was tremendous. I want to list all the people I was happy to catch up with, but that would take a long time and I’d moronically forget to include someone (and feel horrible about it later).

– The fine people at 47 Communications throw a Sunday party called B4. The show is obviously called E3. A respected videogame producer has dubbed the post-E3 endup at the Figueroa Hotel “F This.” That totally cracked me up.

Random Photos

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E3 2013 Day One Random Photos

Here are some photos from day one of E3 2013. As I mentioned before, it was my light day. The photos of Zoe and me are the only ones from the show floor. My friend Debby from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences started a Hooters lunch tradition last year and happily continued it this year. The rest of the pics are from Michael Pachter’s outstanding Intel/Wedbush party. It was nice having quiet time with my old buddy Cliff Bleszinski and his better half, Lauren. I thought I was taking a photo with Eugene Levy, but it turned out to be Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon. (Just kidding Ed!)

Anyway, check out the photos and let me know what E3 2013 games you’ve been buzzing about.

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Today’s Poll: Do You Want a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One?

After a pair of reveal events, a pair of E3 2013 press conferences, and an evening to think about it all, I’m sure that you have a pretty good idea of what the Microsoft Xbox One and Sony PlayStation 4 have to offer. Which next-gen console do you want more? Kindly vote in today’s poll and, if you have time, explain your pick in the comments section.

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Coffee Talk #588: Scattered Thoughts on E3 2013 Day Zero

Yesterday I went to three E3 2013 press conferences: Microsoft, EA, and Sony. I watched some of Ubisoft’s with a few friends through streaming video, but quickly got bored (to be fair, I was pretty tired at the time). Here are some random thoughts on the day’s pressers…more

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, iOS 7, Ian Ziering working at Chippendales, or Tim Tebow signing with the New England Patriots, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Sony Curb Stomps Microsoft: The biggest talk of the day was Sony giving Microsoft a major beatdown — at least in the eyes of hardcore gamers. Enthusiasts love that Sony isn’t following Microsoft’s strict stance on game licenses, allowing PS4 owners to sell, trade, and gift games as they see fit. Mainstream consumers will see the $100 difference in price points: $499 for Xbox One and $399 for PS4. To be fair, the Xbox One package comes with Kinect, which is required to use the system. The new PlayStation Eye will cost an extra $59, but isn’t required to use the PlayStation 4.

Still, the sentiment right after the Sony presser was one of disbelief. Some people couldn’t believe how thoroughly Sony one-upped Microsoft. Some couldn’t believe the manner in which the company did it, equating it with the beating in American History X, repeated curb stomps, and repeated kicks to the testicles. The words to used to describe Sony’s delivery were fascinating. Some thought it was funny, some thought it was arrogant, and others thought it lacked class. No matter what they thought of the delivery, almost everyone agreed that Sony had a point and shoved it in the competition’s face.

Microsoft hosted a party shortly after the Sony presser was over. Several joked that the party should have been reclassified as a wake.

The Rape Joke: Blogs, forums, and social media services blew up over some trash talk used during the Killer Instinct portion of the Microsoft presser. A guy was trouncing a girl in the game and said, “Just let it happen. It’ll be over soon.” Several people labeled the comment a “rape joke” and lambasted Microsoft for using misogynistic comments in its press conference. I really want to hear your take on the matter.

Rape didn’t come to my mind at all. At first I thought of Muhammad Ali using similar lines against his opponents. Then I thought of an Ultimate Spider-Man arc that had Spidey and Wolverine switching bodies. When Spidey (in Wolverine’s body) got shot in the head, he panicked. Wolverine (as Peter Parker) pulled out the bullet and said, “Relax. Let it happen.” I had no idea that phrase was a rape reference and didn’t think of it as a rape joke. However, I want to check myself. There’s a good chance that I’m ignorant of the connotation because I’m older, a boxing fan, and a comic-book nerd. Did you guys and gals think anything was wrong with comment?

My Indie Darlings: While there were a lot of big-budget games to get excited about, two of the ones I’m amped for are smaller games from independent developers. I was delighted that Capybara Games’ Below was featured at the Xbox One presser and Supergiant Games’ Transistor was featured at the PlayStation 4 presser. I’m a huge fan of these independent developers. Capy is known for the lovely Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, while Supergiant Games created the fantastic Bastion.

I know that most of you aren’t nearly into indie games as I am and that journalists are often accused of overrating indies (though I’m a verbal entertainer, so I’m not sure that I count), but I’ve noticed that independent games have been catching my eye at these shows. At the last few E3s, I recall being enamored with Journey, Sound Shapes, and The Unfinished Swan. Perhaps it’s because I’ve covered and played so many big-budget games; maybe I find indie games refreshing? I’d like to think that I genuinely love these games, but as a philosophy major, I have to question the pattern.

Do you guys and gals pay any attention to the indies? Or is it all about the major releases for you at E3?

The Big Boys: Respawn Entertainment’s Titanfall got the most buzz according to the incredibly inaccurate survey I took (i.e. chatting with industry friends). A lot of people were high on Bungie’s Destiny. At the EA presser, the teasers for Mirror’s Edge 2 and Star Wars: Battlefront were met with joyous reactions. While I was psyched to see Kyrie Irving during the NBA Live demo, my inner 12-year old keep chucking at the repeated use of the phrase “ball handling.”

Games shown today that excited me include Dragon Age 3, inFamous: Second Son, Knack, UFC, Crimson Dragon, Kingdom Hearts III, and Final Fantasy XV.

While most of my pals are certain that Watch Dogs will be a quality game, they’re starting to lose interest in it. It never clicked with me and I still don’t see what’s so amazing about the game.

Of course all of this stuff played differently to the people that watched the press conferences at home and/or read about them. What games shown at yesterday’s pressers have you jazzed?

Onto Day One: Tomorrow should be a light day and heavy night for me. I have one important meeting (at the Hooters across the street from the convention center) and will use the rest of my time to play stuff that I care about (journalists rarely get to do this, which is another advantage of being a verbal entertainer). The evening will be the outstanding Wedbush party (my favorite E3 party, affectionately called Pachter-palooza) followed by a Bethesda shindig. If there’s anything you want me to check out, please let me know in the comments section.

E3 2013 Press Conference Day Sandbox

I’ll be running around the USC area and downtown Los Angeles for several E3 2013 press conferences. I’ll be in touch through the RPad.TV Google Hangout, but if you have any thoughts on the pressers while they’re happening, kindly use the comments section of this post. It’ll be our E3 2013 press conference day sandbox! I can’t wait to hear what you guys have to say about today’s pressers from Microsoft, EA, Sony, etc. And just for old times sake, fore!!!

Your Thoughts on NBA Finals Game Two

I totally missed the second game of the NBA Finals due to E3 2013 networking activities (i.e. drinking and eating)…in that order, but thankfully RPadholic 1ceman was on the scene! Below are some excellent photos that he snapped. From what I understand, the Spurs shot poorly and Mario Chalmers played out of his ass. Using Bill Simmons’ terms, Chalmers is one of the best “Irrational Confidence Guys” in the NBA, following a tradition established by Vernon Maxwell. For the majority of the year, Irrational Confidence Guys think that they’re the best player on the floor. On a handful of nights each year, it happens to be true. Apparently last night was one of those nights for ‘Rio.

When you have a chance, post your thoughts on game two of the NBA Finals (please!). Prop to 1ceman for his great photos!

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Vaping Diaries #69: Ovale USA eVic Replacement Tubes Review

Ovale USA has released three replacement tubes for the popular eVic vaping device. The tubes are available in black, white, and glossy chrome. The tubes currently cost $11.99 and are a great way to spruce up your eVic.

The replacement tubes are made from the same material as the original tube, so they maintain the eVic’s thin-and-light feel. Some people love how light the eVic is, while others believe that the thin metal tube feels a bit cheap. Yes, there are third-party tubes made from stainless steel and aircraft aluminum, but they’re much more expensive than these tubes. For the price, I think these are a great way to give your eVic a different look.

All three colors look great. Personally, I like the white model best, closely followed by the black one. The black and white tubes have a matte finish that feels good in your hand and resists fingerprints. While the glossy chrome finish looks sweet, it’s a fingerprint magnet (totally expected). Those that are anal with their mods will probably spend a lot of time wiping prints off the glossy chrome tube.

Even though I wish my eVic had more heft (I was particularly envious of my friend Andrew’s stainless steel eVic tubes by Kir Fanis), I’m a fan of these Ovale USA replacement parts. They’re inexpensive and a nice way to change your eVic’s aesthetics. They’re especially nice for people that like accessorize or mix-and-match.