Category: Coffee Talk

Coffee Talk #507: The Google Fiber Dream

I would kill for Google Fiber. Maybe not kill…but I’d punch someone really hard to get it. Part of it is the 1Gb/second Internet speeds, not having to worry about data caps, the 1TB of Google Drive storage, and the included Nexus 7 that serves as a remote control. The thought of downloading a 1080p movie in five minutes or less sounds…amazing. Google Fiber is the stuff nerd dreams are made of.

Another reason I dream about Google Fiber is the lovely thought of being able to give cable and telephone companies a big FU. I’m tired of…

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, NBC getting heat for its coverage of the 2012 Olympics, Amish people giving it a go in Manhattan, or overdosing at a churrascaria, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I would kill for Google Fiber. Maybe not kill…but I’d punch someone really hard to get it. Part of it is the 1Gb/second Internet speeds, not having to worry about data caps, the 1TB of Google Drive storage, and the included Nexus 7 that serves as a remote control. The thought of downloading a 1080p movie in five minutes or less sounds…amazing. Google Fiber is the stuff nerd dreams are made of.

Another reason I dream about Google Fiber is the lovely thought of being able to give cable and telephone companies a big FU. I’m tired of the Internet duopoly held by AT&T and Time Warner Cable in my part of Los Angeles. I hate that my two choices for Internet service are “mediocre” and “worse”. I hate that my apartment building only has one (woefully overpriced) choice for television. There are times when I wish that Time Warner Cable were a person so that I could him in the face.

Right now, Google Fiber is only available in Kansas City, KS and Kansas City, MO (I have no idea which one has the baseball team). I can’t imagine living in either city and I sincerely doubt that Google Fiber is coming to Los Angeles (or any large city) in the immediate future. It’s great the Google is showing people what Internet service could be like, but I don’t see this happening in big cities any time soon. I’m sure I’ll spend several nights over the next year or two dreaming that I’m wrong.

What do you think of Google Fiber? Is it the kind of Internet and television service you dream of? What would you do with that godly amount of bandwidth? Would Google Fiber significantly change your gaming habits? Share your Google Fiber dreams in the comments section (please)!

Coffee Talk #506: Have FFIII and OnLive Changed Your Opinion on Ouya?

Kickstarted-funded console-company Ouya recently announced two major partners: OnLive and Square Enix. The former announced that its streaming games service will be available for the upcoming console, while Ouya revealed that Square Enix’s Final Fantasy III will be a system launch title.  Those are two great partners to have. My question for you today is this: Have these collaborations changed your opinion of Ouya?

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, Microsoft’s shockingly good Outlook.com email service, Michael Phelps’ resemblance to Gheorge Muresan, or season-changing MLB trades made this week, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Kickstarted-funded console-company Ouya recently announced two major partners: OnLive and Square Enix. The former announced that its streaming games service will be available for the upcoming console, while Ouya revealed that Square Enix’s Final Fantasy III will be a system launch title.  Those are two great partners to have. My question for you today is this: Have these collaborations changed your opinion of Ouya?

On the plus side, OnLive brings a large number of games and several top publishers to the mix. Detractors will point to this partnership looking like a desperate and weak reaction to Sony’s recent purchase of Gaikai. Cynics will say that this is a case of a sinking company (OnLive) teaming up with one that will never make it out of the gates (Ouya).

Seeing the glass half-full, Square Enix is a marvelous partner to have. It’s possible that the relationship will lead to several classic games from Square Enix’s extensive library being available on Ouya. Seeing the glass half-empty, Final Fantasy III has been out for iOS since March 2011 and available for Android since June 2012. While the Final Fantasy name is nice to have, it’s not all that impressive that FFIII will be a launch title for an Android-based console arriving in 2013.

What do you make of Ouya’s partnerships with OnLive and Square Enix? Does having an established streaming games service and Final Fantasy III as a launch title change your opinion of Ouya?

Coffee Talk #505: My Problem With Christopher Nolan’s Batman

Now that Chrisopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy has wrapped up with The Dark Knight Rises, let’s take a look at his movies through the old retroscope. Nolan’s Batman flicks have been critically lauded and there are lots of reasons why the praise is totally deserved. However, it seems like the director gets a lot of passes, partially because he’s Christopher Nolan and partially because he’s not Joel Schumacher.

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, Kristen Stewart’s cheating heart, Michael Phelps disappointing Olympic 2012 start, or super cute Jordyn Wieber failing to qualify for the all-around gymnastics competition, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Now that Chrisopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy has wrapped up with The Dark Knight Rises, let’s take a look at his movies through the old retroscope. Nolan’s Batman flicks have been critically lauded and there are lots of reasons why the praise is totally deserved. However, it seems like the director gets a lot of passes, partially because he’s Christopher Nolan and partially because he’s not Joel Schumacher.

As a comic-book nerd, my biggest issue with Nolan’s Batman is based on the director’s penchant for realism. His ultra-realistic take on the Dark Knight made for some distinct movies, but it also took away from one of Batman’s defining characteristics: his desire not to see anyone die. I had a problem with the cavalier way that Batman let Ra’s al Ghul die in Batman Begins. The Bats that I know and love in the comics would have found a way to save Two-Face and Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight. Naturally, villains died in The Dark Knight Rises too. It was real and made sense under the rules of reality, but it wasn’t like comic-book Batman.

Look at the panel on the right from Kingdom Come. For those of you without the benefit of flash photography images, it’s Superman telling Batman, “More than anyone in the world, when you scratch everything else away from Batman, you’re left with someone that doesn’t want to see anybody die.” To me (again, as a comic-book nerd) this sums up Batman perfectly. The traumatic death of his parents has left him with an irrational desire to make sure that everyone lives — even his greatest enemies like The Joker! At times it’s frustrating, because comic-book Batman’s world would be simpler and his life would be easier if he’d let the occasional baddie die (or if Gotham had the death penalty). But comic-book Batman is not about simpler or easier. He’s about life.

So yeah, that’s my big issue with this particular Batman (and I totally admit it’s a nerd nitpick). Now it’s your turn to go on a Bat-rant! What are your problems with Christopher Nolan’s version of Batman?

Coffee Talk #504: Your Favorite Olympic Videogames

The 2012 Olympics begins today! Most of you have been feverishly anticipating the dramatic showdowns in the synchronized swimming and rhythmic gymnastics competitions. Please put those thoughts aside to talk about your favorite Olympic videogames! Whether you’re talking about the summer games vs. winter games or simulation vs. Mario and Sonic, there have been loads of Olympic videogames released over the years. What are some of your favorites?

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, your favorite summer alcoholic beverage, curtains vs. blinds, or if Tebow-mania will be better or worse now that he’s a bench player in NY, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

The 2012 Olympics begins today! Most of you have been feverishly anticipating the dramatic showdowns in the synchronized swimming and rhythmic gymnastics competitions. Please put those thoughts aside to talk about your favorite Olympic videogames! Whether you’re talking about the summer games vs. winter games or simulation vs. Mario and Sonic, there have been loads of Olympic videogames released over the years. What are some of your favorites?

As for me, I’m going to take it back to the Commodore 64 era. I have fond memories of playing Epyx’s Summer Games and Winter Games with my friends. Back then, multiplayer consisted of passing around the joystick or taking turns on the keyboard. Between the multiplayer fun and the wide variety of events, I’ll never forget playing Epyx’s awesome Olympic games.

How about you? What are some of your favorite Olympic games?

Coffee Talk #503: What’s Geeky and Nerdy in 2012???

While talking about fake geek girls in yesterday’s Coffee Talk, RPadholic N8R brought up an excellent point about gaming not being geeky anymore. Videogames are most certainly mainstream. Comic books — or comic-book movies, anyway — are definitely mainstream. Even the rules of fashion have changed. Isn’t it weird that many NBA players wear outfits that Steve Urkel used to rock in Family Matters? What do you think passes for geeky and nerdy in 2012?

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, Cersei Lannister getting a divorce, Safari 6, or your favorite BBQ sauce, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

While talking about fake geek girls in yesterday’s Coffee Talk, RPadholic N8R brought up an excellent point about gaming not being geeky anymore. Videogames are most certainly mainstream. Comic books — or comic-book movies, anyway — are definitely mainstream. Even the rules of fashion have changed. Isn’t it weird that many NBA players wear outfits that Steve Urkel used to rock in Family Matters? What do you think passes for geeky and nerdy in 2012?

About a decade ago, my dear friend Rannie got swept up in the knitting craze that was blowing through San Francisco. I made fun of her for joining a knitting circle, but stopped the jokes after she made me a cool camouflage scarf. A few game writers I know enjoy LARPing (live action role-playing), which was portrayed as a nerd hobby in the movie Role Models. Some of my New York friends have taken their love of sports to a geeky level with their love of advanced stats. I distinctly remember trying to enjoy peanuts and a baseball game while two of my friends were arguing about the value of WAR (wins above replacement).

All that said, I’m not really sure how geeky or nerdy any of those things are. Considering that my life usually revolves around videogames, comic books, and mobile tech, I’m not in any sort of position to label anything as such. How about you? What do you think is geeky and nerdy in 2012?

Coffee Talk #502: Fake Geek Girls and Olivia Munn

From booth babes to cosplayers to television hosts, I’ve noticed this strange backlash towards women that are considered faux geek. Considering that many of us have nerdy hobbies that we’ve been ostracized for, it’s a little bit funny to hear about nerds complaining about women pretending to be nerds or not being nerdy enough. GeekOut’s Joe Peacock wrote a lengthy rant about ” pretty girls pretending to be geeks for attention”. My favorite part, naturally, was his take on our beloved Olivia Munn…

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 release of OS X Mountain Lion, Cole Hamels’ enormous contract, or your favorite beach, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

From booth babes to cosplayers to television hosts, I’ve noticed this strange backlash towards women that are considered faux geek. Considering that many of us have nerdy hobbies that we’ve been ostracized for, it’s a little bit funny to hear about nerds complaining about women pretending to be nerds or not being nerdy enough. GeekOut’s Joe Peacock wrote a lengthy rant about ” pretty girls pretending to be geeks for attention”. My favorite part, naturally, was his take on our beloved Olivia Munn:

The growing presence of these Olivia Munn types in the geek community is creating dialog that isn’t helping anyone.

You have these models-cum-geeks like Olivia Munn and practically every FragDoll. These chicks? Not geeks. I think that their rise is due to the fact that corporations are figuring out that geeks have money, and they want it. But they can’t abide putting a typically geeky face on camera, so they hire models to act quirky and sell this marketable geekdom.

That bit about Olivia aside, Peacock’s post is interesting and passionate. There’s a lot I agree with, but there are some parts of his argument and overall sentiment that I can’t back. I also think he’s being tough on the Frag Dolls. I’ve met several of them and they were all gamer geeks. My old Reset co-host Kat Hunter was a Frag Doll and currently works for Blizzard, which makes her a geek godess. She would be insulted if someone accused her of being a faux geek…and then she’d own them in Halo.

For the most part, I’m not too bothered by women pretending to be nerds just to get attention. People pretend to be things they’re not all the time. Finding, forming, and accepting an identity is a difficult and fluid thing. One case where it does bother me is when the posers make things more difficult for the real deals. I’ve met a lot of female gamers that have felt unaccepted by some of their male counterparts. Fake geeks just make things harder for them. That makes me sad. Can’t we all just play with our lightsabers and get along?!?

 

Coffee Talk #501: Your Favorite WWE Raw Moment

Last night was the 1,000th episode of WWE Monday Night Raw. WWE has been cranking out the show since January 1993. There have been so many awesome Raw moments over the last 19 years and I’d love to hear about your favorites. Perhaps you dream about the days when Mr. Perfect put on matches that were…well, perfect. Maybe you long for the “Attitude Era” when “Stone Cold” Steve Austin was king. Some of you probably miss those lovely sing-alongs with The Rock. Please share your favorite WWE moments in the comments section!

As for me, two somber shows were my favorites…

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, exploding DLP bulbs, sexy gymnasts, or Ichiro Suzuki going to the New York Yankees, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Last night was the 1,000th episode of WWE Monday Night Raw. WWE has been cranking out the show since January 1993. There have been so many awesome Raw moments over the last 19 years and I’d love to hear about your favorites. Perhaps you dream about the the days when Mr. Perfect put on matches that were…well, perfect. Maybe you long for the “Attitude Era” when “Stone Cold” Steve Austin was king. Some of you probably miss those lovely sing-alongs with The Rock. Please share your favorite WWE moments in the comments section!

As for me, two somber shows were my favorites. The tributes to Owen Hart and Eddie Guerrero were beautiful. I loved that WWE talent broke character, showed real emotion, and spoke from the heart. The love and admiration the wrestlers had for these two greats…it was just emotional to watch. It made me appreciate all the times they entertained me and appreciate life in general. It was real and raw.

Now it’s your turn! Please share your favorite WWE Monday Night Raw moments.

Coffee Talk #501: Your Favorite WWE Raw Moment

Last night was the 1,000th episode of WWE Monday Night Raw. WWE has been cranking out the show since January 1993. There have been so many awesome Raw moments over the last 19 years and I’d love to hear about your favorites. Perhaps you dream about the days when Mr. Perfect put on matches that were…well, perfect. Maybe you long for the “Attitude Era” when “Stone Cold” Steve Austin was king. Some of you probably miss those lovely sing-alongs with The Rock. Please share your favorite WWE moments in the comments section!

As for me, two somber shows were my favorites…

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, exploding DLP bulbs, sexy gymnasts, or Ichiro Suzuki going to the New York Yankees, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Last night was the 1,000th episode of WWE Monday Night Raw. WWE has been cranking out the show since January 1993. There have been so many awesome Raw moments over the last 19 years and I’d love to hear about your favorites. Perhaps you dream about the the days when Mr. Perfect put on matches that were…well, perfect. Maybe you long for the “Attitude Era” when “Stone Cold” Steve Austin was king. Some of you probably miss those lovely sing-alongs with The Rock. Please share your favorite WWE moments in the comments section!

As for me, two somber shows were my favorites. The tributes to Owen Hart and Eddie Guerrero were beautiful. I loved that WWE talent broke character, showed real emotion, and spoke from the heart. The love and admiration the wrestlers had for these two greats…it was just emotional to watch. It made me appreciate all the times they entertained me and appreciate life in general. It was real and raw.

Now it’s your turn! Please share your favorite WWE Monday Night Raw moments.

Coffee Talk #500: EA vs. the Westboro Baptist Church

I love that EA, Microsoft and Zynga are supporting gay marriage by taking a stand against the Defense of Marriage Act. It’s a decision that will make many of their employees happy, but it’s also one that could cost each company business. While many people believe that marriage is an institution that everyone should be…

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 disgusting Colorado shooting at The Dark Knight Rises premiere, Verve’s Ethiopia Haile, or Google purchasing the excellent creators of the excellent Sparrow Mail, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I love that EA, Microsoft and Zynga are supporting gay marriage by taking a stand against the Defense of Marriage Act. It’s a decision that will make many of their employees happy, but it’s also one that could cost each company business. While many people believe that marriage is an institution that everyone should be allowed to suffer enjoy, there are those that believe it should only be between a man and a woman.

The Westboro Baptist Church immediately popped into my head as I was reading EA’s blog post stating the company’s opposition to DoMA. That church hates gay people and loves protests. Its members took the time to protest Kevin Smith’s Red State, a movie that was seen in theaters by like 12 people. Imagine what they would do to companies that serve millions with their products?!?

I can see those nuts trying to organize a boycott of EA games, Microsoft consoles, Zynga titles, etc. I can see these idiots holding up signs that say, “Need For Speed…Speeding Up the Death of Fags!!!”, “God Hates Xbox, Loves PS3!!!”, and, “Words With Straight Friends Only!!!”.  These people are horrible and stupid, but they’re also loud and active. I’m certain that a group like the Westboro Baptist Church will try to hurt videogame companies that are anti-DoMA.

What do you think of EA, Microsoft, and Zynga supporting gay marriage? Do you think it will cost them business?

Coffee Talk #499: The Ouya Backlash

Last week, the Ouya console made a huge splash in the gaming world. The company behind Ouya has raised more than $5,000,000 on Kickstarter in nine days. That’s simply remarkable. The initial reactions were overly positive. I’ve read so many articles on how this machine is going to “save” console gaming, patch the ozone…

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 end of Linsanity in New York, Rex Ryan losing 106 pounds, or Rafael Nadal skipping the Olympics due to injuries (ha ha!!!), Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Last week, the Ouya console made a huge splash in the gaming world. The company behind Ouya has raised more than $5,000,000 on Kickstarter in nine days. That’s simply remarkable. The initial reactions were overly positive. I’ve read so many articles on how this machine is going to “save” console gaming, free creative developers from the shackles of money-grubbing publishers, patch the ozone layer, and provide San Francisco residents with strong AT&T mobile signal.

Those exuberant articles were followed up by overly negative opinions. I’ve read so many articles on how Ouya will be an utter failure, fragment Android to the point of irrelevance, do absolutely nothing for game developers and publishers, kick America’s unemployment rate back up to double digits, and further damage Mariano Rivera’s knee. Several people have cancelled their Kickstarter pledges, possibly due to the influence of these negative articles.

The 180 on Ouya reflects the binary thinking of many Internet writers: something is awesome or it sucks. Reality is seldom that black and white though; it’s almost always somewhere in between. Does Ouya have a chance to change console gaming and give developers more creative freedom? Sure it does. However, it also has a chance to be the latest in a long line of console pretenders that failed to do much of anything (N-Gage, Phantom, Indrema, etc.). There are so many variables and changes that have yet to happen. It’s too soon to judge Ouya, but many people have already made up their minds…which isn’t that much of a problem because they’ll flip-flop a few times before the console is released anyway. Oh the Internetz.

Anyway, I wanted to see where you stand with Ouya today. What do you think of the backlash and the 180s? Has your opinion of the Ouya console changed after nine days?