Coffee Talk Archives - Page 53 of 68

Coffee Talk #158: If You Could Go to One E3 2010 Presser….

Every year, E3 kicks off with major press conference by the “big three” — Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony. These press conferences set the tone of the show and shape how things on the show floor are perceived. If you could attend one of these press conferences next week, which one would it be and why?

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 Celtics being totally lame at home, Russell Brand’s genius starting to be recognized, or the Harry Potter theme park, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Would you pick Microsoft? MS was the first company to realize that modern press conferences have a theatrical aspect to them and put on the first E3 pressers that were cool enough to be televised. Sony usually has the most technically impressive press conference, but its executives aren’t the best public speakers (hell, Kaz Hirai looked like he was boring himself last year). Nintendo’s recent pressers have been way more about the mainstream, but the company has the best “character” execs. Reggie Fils-Aime is the best speaker from any of the big three, Satoru Iwata’s English is totally charming, and seeing Shigeru Miyamoto in person is always thrilling.

So which presser would you pick and why? Tell me, tell me, tell me (please)!!!

Coffee Talk #157: E3 Games That Excite You

E3 is next week! There are going to be oodles and oodles of fantastic games at E3 2010 — some of them you know about already and others are sure to surprise. I want to know what games you’re looking forward to learning more about at this year’s show. Shoot off one game you know about and one game you’re hoping for.

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 NXT invasion, Elton John singing at Rush Limbaugh’s wedding, or your prediction for the NBA finals, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

E3 is next week! There are going to be oodles and oodles of fantastic games at E3 2010 — some of them you already know about and others are sure to surprise you. I want to know what games you’re looking forward to learning more about at this year’s show. Shoot off one game you know about and one game you’re hoping for.

As for me, I can’t wait to see more of The Last Guardian for PlayStation 3. I loved Ico and really liked Shadow of the Colossus. I can’t wait to see what Team Ico does next! As for surprise titles…I can’t really say right now. The one I’m looking forward to the most is something that was told to me off the record. *tease*

So let me know what E3 2010 games you’re looking forward to (please)!

Coffee Talk #156: What Would Make You Enjoy Motion Controls?

Perhaps this is a lost cause, but I’m going to go ahead and do it anyway. I mean, I know most of you guys hate motion controls. A lot of you dismiss them as gimmicky and limited. I maintain that they can be lots of fun in the rights hands (I’m talking about developer’s hands, not your hands or Reona Rewis’ hands).

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, Ray Allen lighting up the Lakers last night, tonight’s three-hour episode of WWE Monday Night Raw, or what the hell happened to Mark Teixeira, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Do you see a way for you to enjoy motion-control games? Perhaps a particular developer or genre would work better for you? Maybe you have a great motion-control experience in your head and haven’t seen a game that executes it properly. Share your thoughts on motion (please)! Do you see a way that Wii, Natal, or Wave can be fun for you personally?

Coffee Talk #155: Worst Addition to Gaming in the Last Five Years?

Yesterday we had a fun discussion about the best thing to happen to gaming in the last five years. Today I want to talk about the worst thing. While EA’s Online Pass has been making the news lately, I’m sure there are worse things we can think of, right?

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, Drogba missing the World Cup with a broken arm, Miley Cyrus getting in touch with her lesbian side, or Rasheed Wallace being the only Celtic thay played last night, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I’m actually having a hard time thinking about the “worst” thing. Perhaps I’m a generally positive person (at least, when it comes to this business). Some people think Bobby Kotick is gaming’s anti-Christ, but I love him simply for giving me so many things to write about. A lot of people hate DRM, but I’m not much of a PC gamer anymore so the problem doesn’t bother me. I guess the thing that bugs me the most is that game creators still aren’t recognized for their awesome works. Things have gotten a little better, but this business is still more about the publisher than it is the developer, sadly.

Now it’s your turn! What’s the worst thing about the last five years of gaming?

Coffee Talk #154: Best Addition to Gaming in the Last Five Years?

Gaming evolves at a ridiculous pace. Thinking about the videogames I played as a kid and what I play now…it’s just crazy! The improvements made in the last couple of years — just a few years! — are also impressive. Today I’d like to know what your favorite gaming innovation is from the last five years.

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, having a perfect game ruined by a bad call, Japan’s prime minister resigning and asking people to keep following him on Twitter, or the possibility of foul play in Gary Coleman’s death, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

For me it’s definitely digital downloads. I love that I can download games for $5 to $10. Whether it’s a board game, a new arcade title, or a treasured classic, making impulse purchases from the comfort of my couch is just powerful and awesome (and sometimes financially dangerous). Before digital downloads proliferated, I had to order games or go to a store — often spending at least $40 for a title. The cheapness and immediacy of digital downloads rule!

So how about it? In your opinion, what’s the best thing that’s happened to gaming in the last five years?

Coffee Talk #153: What Social Networking Service Do You Use?

I was wondering what social networking services you fine ladies and gentlemen use. Out of necessity (have to promote the site and all), I used most of what’s out there. Twitter is my favorite. Facebook can be kind of fun. LinkedIn and Plaxo are boring, but necessary for business. I’m late to the party with Foursquare, but totally love it. Not only do you get to see where your friends are hanging out and discover new venues, you also get useless points for going to places and checking in on Foursquare — it’s like Achievement Points, but for living!

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, Guyism’s #7 most overrated woman, LeBron on Larry King Live, or Intelligentsia’s excellent Los Delirios Nicaragua: Finca Las Termopilas, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I was wondering what social networking services you fine ladies and gentlemen use. Out of necessity (have to promote the site and all), I use most of what’s out there. Twitter is my favorite. Facebook can be kind of fun. LinkedIn and Plaxo are boring, but necessary for business. I’m late to the party with Foursquare, but totally love it. Not only do you get to see where your friends are hanging out and discover new venues, you also get useless points for going to places and checking in on Foursquare — it’s like Achievement Points, but for living!

Please let me know what social networking service you use, which ones you love, which ones you hate, and all that good stuff.

Coffee Talk #152: Is Google Mobilizing a Fanboy Army?

At Google I/O 2010, I was fascinated by a number of comments delivered by vice president of engineering Vic Gundotra during the show’s keynote sessions. His not-subtle-at-all jabs against Apple were entertaining and a little curious. Here are two of 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, Celtics vs. Lakers, Bryan Danielson taking it to The Miz and Michael Cole, or walking the bases loaded to pitch to A-Rod, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

On why Google started Android:

If we did not act, we faced a draconian future where one man, one company, one carrier was the future.

On why Android OS will support Flash in contrast to iPhone OS shunning it:

It turns out, on the Internet…people use Flash!

Although Google I/O is a developers conference, the keynotes were being covered by the press and recorded so that millions of people could watch them on YouTube. Enticing developers to create for Google platforms is certainly the primary goal, but in this day and age, keynotes have a performance element to them as well. I was wondering what Gundotra was trying to achieve.

Over the weekend I read this great article by TechCrunch’s excellent MG Siegler about Android fanboys arriving. In the tech world, you won’t find a more passionate bunch of nerds than Apple fanboys. They will rip your heart out (you know, the Internet equivalent of ripping your heart out) if you tell them that the iPhone isn’t a form of sorcery or that Steve Jobs isn’t God’s other son. No group of fanboys comes close to matching their zeal, but they certainly need competition.

With Android 2.0 and the release of the Motorola Droid (late 2009 for both), the iPhone finally had a worthy competitor. Things have just been getting better and better for the platform with the release of the Nexus One, Android 2.1, and Droid Incredible. Soon the Evo 4G and Android 2.2 will be here to add fuel to the fire. Apple and Google are competing on so many fronts these days — advertising, web browsers, mobile operating systems, television, etc. Perhaps Gundotra’s comments were made to bring fanboys into the Google fold. If so, it’s a wise move.

In the end, Google will not be able to get its fanboys to be as passionate or numerous as Apple’s. In the end, it doesn’t matter. It just needs enough numbers to be a strong #2 or #3. As I told RPadholic smartguy recently, Google’s core competency is advertising and it doesn’t need to be #1 as long as it has millions of customers to serve ads to.

Coffee Talk #151: Where Do You Play Games?

Whether I’ve “known” you for a few weeks or few years, one thing we have in common is that we love to play games. You’re probably thinking, “Duh!”, but stay with me for a sec. One thing I don’t know about you is where you play games. Do you have your living room decked out with a crazy surround-sound system? Perhaps you prefer playing in bed while leaning on your favorite pillow. Maybe you’ve constructed an elaborate man/woman cave for gaming. Today I want to hear all about your gaming setup. So please take this poll and tell me about your rig!

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, Andy Pettitte rocking it at 37, WWE finally making Bryan Danielson interesting, or who should replace Simon Cowell on American Idol, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Whether I’ve “known” you for a few weeks or few years, one thing we have in common is that we love to play games. You’re probably thinking, “Duh!”, but stay with me for a sec. One thing I don’t know about you is where you play games. Do you have your living room decked out with a crazy surround-sound system? Perhaps you prefer playing in bed while leaning on your favorite pillow. Maybe you’ve constructed an elaborate man/woman cave for gaming. Today I want to hear all about your gaming setup. So please take this poll and tell me about your rig!

[poll id=”50″]

Coffee Talk #150: Do You Want to Control Games with Your Voice?

Google Android’s voice recognition is pretty outstanding. I’ve been loving it on the Evo 4G and I’m surprised that it works so well. The voice capabilities of the phone got me thinking — if voice recognition can be effective on a mobile phone with a 1GHz processor, then shouldn’t it just completely rock on a console with a multi-core CELL chip? Sure, games like Seaman and Hey You Pikachu were gimmicky, but I think the right developer could use today’s voice recognition and console power in a really fun way.

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, Crystal vs. Lee on American Idol, getting a job for Mike Brown, or American hockey teams, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Google Android’s voice recognition is pretty outstanding. I’ve been loving it on the Evo 4G and I’m surprised that it works so well. The voice capabilities of the phone got me thinking — if voice recognition can be effective on a mobile phone with a 1GHz processor, then shouldn’t it just completely rock on a console with a multi-core CELL chip? Sure, games like Seaman and Hey You Pikachu were gimmicky, but I think the right developer could use today’s voice recognition and console power in a really fun way.

A real-time strategy game created with voice command in mind would be cool. Whether it’s like Pikmin or like StarCraft, voice could totally work for the genre. Personally, I’d love a strategy RPG (Disgaea, Final Fantasy Tactics) that used voice controls. The game I see in my head (I’d show it to you, but it would be messy getting in there) uses customary SRPG gameplay combined with several voice-specific twists.

Do you think voice-controlled games could be fun? Would you even want one? Or is it a matter of a developer creating a cool voice experience and making you want it? Do you see a genre that would work well with voice? Share your thoughts (please)!

Coffee Talk #149: Console Gaming Without Consoles?

I’ve been thinking a lot about how Google TV, the Chrome Store, and HTML5 can change gaming. Seeing a version of LEGO: Star Wars running on HTML5 and delivered through the Chrome Store made a lot of lights go off in my head (What? You don’t have lights in your head?!?). The next day, Google announced Google TV along with its launch partners. “A-ha!” I said to myself, “There’s the final piece of the puzzle!”

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, Lost vs. Sopranos finale, 24 ending tonight, or Cleveland firing Mike Brown, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how Google TV, the Chrome Store, and HTML5 can change gaming. Seeing a version of LEGO: Star Wars running on HTML5 and delivered through the Chrome Store made a lot of lights go off in my head (What? You don’t have lights in your head?!?). The next day, Google announced Google TV along with its launch partners. “A-ha!” I said to myself, “There’s the final piece of the puzzle!”

Picture this: playing complex HTML5 games on a Sony television with Google TV built in — no console required! Sure, a web game will never be as impressive as one running on a proper console, but for most people LEGO: Star Wars graphics are completely acceptable. You know the millions of people that are fiending on casual and social games? I can easily see them “graduating” to a more involved experience in HTML5 games. If Google want it, the company could become a big player in the home gaming space.

What do you guys and gals think? Do you see a future playing games without a box and with a service like Google TV? Do you think I’m giving Google too much credit here? I know several of you are still weeping over the Lost finale, but give the matter some thought and leave a comment. I’d love to chat about this with you!