Today’s Coffee Talk is a suggestion from RPadholic N8R. What’s your favorite videogame cliche? To stick with N8R’s examples, are you a fan of doors that lead to nowhere? Do you love how waterfalls are used to hide important objects?
As for me, I’m a huge fan of barrels, boxes, and crates in role-playing games. Who puts treasure in barrels? Why do adventurers think it’s okay to break and plunder every crate they come across? It’s not like I’ve ever read townspeople in an R.A. Salvatore book say, “Oh crap. It’s that Drizz’t guy again. Better hide the crates before he and Bruenor wreck everything!” Yet for some reason, it’s totally acceptable in 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, Siobhan Magnus slaying it on American Idol, Bryan Danielson’s losing streak on NXT, or Jeff Hardy’s latest day in court, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Today’s Coffee Talk is a suggestion from RPadholic N8R. What’s your favorite videogame cliche? To stick with N8R’s examples, are you a fan of doors that lead to nowhere? Do you love how waterfalls are used to hide important objects?
As for me, I’m a huge fan of barrels, boxes, and crates in role-playing games. Who puts treasure in barrels? Why do adventurers think it’s okay to break and plunder every crate they come across? It’s not like I’ve ever read townspeople in an R.A. Salvatore book say, “Oh crap. It’s that Drizz’t guy again. Better hide the crates before he and Bruenor wreck everything!” Yet for some reason, it’s totally acceptable in games.
[Tangent: Computers are a modern-day equivalent of crates. My friend and I love playing as Wolverine in X-Men Legends and Marvel Ultimate Alliance, just so we can shred every computer we come across. In our heads, Logan is frustrated that he never learned how to “work a computer” and goes into a berserker rage every time he sees a PC. This is a lot funnier is you’re actually playing the game with me.]
So tell your fellow readers and me about your favorite videogame cliches! This should be a fun one. I can’t wait to read your comments!
Despite what some outlets have reported, I didn’t spend my “entire” time at GDC 2010 snooping for Nintendo information. One of the coolest things I saw at the show was stereoscopic 3D gaming on the PlayStation 3. This was a big deal at CES 2010, but I didn’t attend that show so I couldn’t experience it for myself. After seeing a few PlayStation 3 games in 3D, I must say that the tech is really cool and adds a new kind of fun.
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, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin on Monday Night Raw, Tiger Woods returning to golf at The Masters, or Agassi vs. Sampras, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Despite what some outlets have reported, I didn’t spend my “entire” time at GDC 2010 snooping for Nintendo information. One of the coolest things I saw at the show was stereoscopic 3D gaming on the PlayStation 3. This was a big deal at CES 2010, but I didn’t attend that show so I couldn’t experience it for myself. After seeing a few PlayStation 3 games in 3D, I must say that the tech is really cool and adds a new kind of fun.
That said, I still have a lot of concerns about stereoscopic 3D gaming. RPadholic Smartguy pointed out that gamers that wear glasses might find it uncomfortable. I’m concerned about the additional weight on my head and a different type of eye strain limiting my playing sessions. It was totally fine for a few minutes MLB: The Show, but will I be able to pull off FFXIII or Dragon Age sessions with the 3D glasses?
Sony is going full-on with its stereoscopic 3D blitz (interesting story about that…later), but I wanted to see how you felt about this trend. Are you down with 3D gaming? Do you think 3D is the real deal? Or is it a fad that will get buried in a few years?
Warning: this is going to be one of those “selfish” editions of Coffee Talk. You see, I had a pretty amazing time at GDC. The networking was fantastic — I bumped into hundreds of fantastic developers and great friends. I really enjoyed spending time in my old home city, San Francisco. It was just a wonderful blend of people, places, and circumstances…that was tarnished by two people from VGChartz. Before I get to that, let’s take a trip back to 2005.
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, Manny Pacquiao dominating Joshua Clottey, America screwing over Alex Lambert, or David Beckham missing the World Cup, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
VGChartz PR manager Brian Zucker says I have no credibility.
Warning: this is going to be one of those “selfish” editions of Coffee Talk. You see, I had a pretty amazing time at GDC. The networking was fantastic — I bumped into hundreds of fantastic developers and great friends. I really enjoyed spending time in my old home city, San Francisco. It was just a wonderful blend of people, places, and circumstances…that was tarnished by two people from VGChartz. Before I get to that, let’s take a trip back to 2005.
Right around GDC 2005, I posted the biggest story of my career. It was a three-part series on the console that would become the Xbox 360. I was either one of the first people or the first person to reveal features like achievements, gamercards, gamerscores, and gamertags. I worked hard on the story and was very proud of it.
Kotaku’s Brian Crecente totally ripped the third part of the feature. To be completely honest, he was absolutely right to do so. My editor…strongly suggested a third part just to get more page views. I hated writing that fluff after two highly informative pieces. All that aside, I was still annoyed that Crecente dismissed the first two parts of the feature as “some new information”. Some new information?!? Bullsh*t. I revealed a ton of facts and features that were only known by Microsoft and its software partners at the time.
Okay, back to the future (1.21 gigawatts!). The site has been getting great traffic since Friday thanks to a story I wrote about the successor to the Nintendo DS. Yes, I traded my “verbal entertainer” outfit for a journalist’s hat and got some pretty cool results. The story capped off a great week at GDC 2010…or so I thought. I was pissed off to learn that two people from VGChartz wrote negative things about my story, my site, and me on N4G.
First up was public relations manager Brian Zucker who wrote:
Im at GDC 2010 right now and this story is completely false. rpad.tv lost all credibility before it had any.
Yes, a guy with “public relations” in his title actually wrote that unsubstantiated and libelous comment backed up by nothing.
Here’s a follow-up comment from his coworker, community manager and senior editor Nick Pantazis:
This is completely fake. I’m also at GDC, the Nintendo reps here are completely uninvolved with the future of the DS and its development. This is 100% made-up on the spot. Do not support this website with hits.
VGChartz senior editor Nick Pantazis says I make stories up and you shouldn't read this site.
I guess Pantazis didn’t bother to read the part of the article where I said that none of the information came from Nintendo. Since he asked some rep at Nintendo’s booth about the article and he/she denied it, Pantazis felt it was okay to accuse me of making up the story and tell people not to go to my site.
VGChartz is a popular site and a great resource. It’s annoying that the company allows its employees to make accusations based on idiocy. It’s completely unprofessional. One of my friends said that I should cut these two a break since they’re college kids and I’ve been writing about games since before they hit puberty. I’m sorry. I can’t. I’m proud of what I’ve done over the years and I’m not going to let two children from a popular web site piss all over it.
When Brian Zucker has entertained and served as many readers as I have, then he can question my credibility. When Nick Pantazis questions all the developers I spoke to about the DS successor, then he can accuse me of making up stories and tell people not to visit my site. Until then, both of them should stop making baseless accusations and shut the hell up.
After GDC 2009, I got in trouble for complaining about the type of coverage provided by the site I worked for at the time. Almost everything was about product — previews written off of demos shown outside the show. I thought there should have been more of an emphasis on the GDC panels, game developers, and what it’s like to attend the show.
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, exotic dancers at videogame parties, one developer you’d love to have dinner with, or TiVo Premiere, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
After GDC 2009, I got in trouble for complaining about the type of coverage provided by the site I worked for at the time. Almost everything was about product — previews written off of demos shown outside the show. I thought there should have been more of an emphasis on the GDC panels, game developers, and what it’s like to attend the show.
The argument against me is that readers are most interested in games. I completely understand that point of view and it’s definitely the way to get the most traffic. Still, as someone that was supposed to be writing about GDC 2009, I wanted to emphasize the “big D” — developers. Publishers can give a game demo whenever, but the opportunity to attend amazing talks given by the top talent in game development is rare, as is the opportunity to give that kind of information to you.
As always, I want to know what you think. Do you like to read GDC stories about developers, trends in game creation, and the wonderful creators in the business? Or are you happy reading game previews that put the focus on products rather than people?
Sony has been getting mixed reactions on its GDC 2010 press conference for PlayStation Move. Some writers and gamers are greatly intrigued by Move’s fidelity and tremendous creative possibilities. Some are dismissing it as “stupid Wii games…in HD”. Developers will determine the immediate future of PlayStation Move, but there’s one product that could shape Sony’s motion-control future for decades — EyePet.
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, tonight’s IGDA awards at GDC 2010, Buddha Bar in San Francisco Chinatown, or Sting’s shoulder injury, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Sony has been getting mixed reactions on its GDC 2010 press conference for PlayStation Move. Some writers and gamers are greatly intrigued by Move’s fidelity and tremendous creative possibilities. Some are dismissing it as “stupid Wii games…in HD”. Developers will determine the immediate future of PlayStation Move, but there’s one product that could shape Sony’s motion-control future for decades — EyePet.
EyePet is already a success in Europe and I think it’ll be huge in North America. During yesterday’s Sony presser I tweeted that EyePet could be Sony’s Pokemon. While I doubt it will have the ridiculous success of Pikachu and friends, I do think it has a chance to be a hugely popular fad in its own right. More importantly, with PlayStation Move integration, there’s a chance that million of kids will use PlayStation Move with EyePet and get used to playing games that way.
Gamers like you and me were brought up on gamepads. Sure, there are more buttons these days, analog sticks have been added, and they rumble to match the onscreen action, but the basic concept has been the same for decades. Most gamers are used to playing with a gamepad and are uncomfortable with anything else. With EyePet, a whole generation of gamers will start their gaming lives with PlayStation Move. As they get older, they’ll adapt to future motion-control products. The same way you’re used to a gamepad, they’ll be used to motion devices.
Of course that’s just my theory. Do you agree or disagree with me? Do you think EyePet will help condition young gamers to motion controls? Or do you think it’ll just be an insignificant drop in the bucket?
Last week I went out to lunch with a friend that’s in the gaming business. He mentioned that he only plays scary games during the day and saves the lighthearted stuff for night. For example, his recent gameplay sessions included Dead Space in the afternoon and Band Hero at night (I play my Band Hero at night, so I can so I can?).
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, Pinoy power prevailing on Saturday, your favorite bit of GDC news, or pole dancing, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Last week I went out to lunch with a friend that’s in the gaming business. He mentioned that he only plays scary games during the day and saves the lighthearted stuff for night. For example, his recent gameplay sessions included Dead Space in the afternoon and Band Hero at night (I play my Band Hero at night, so I can so I can?).
I was totally prepared to lean into him and call him a wussy gamer…but then I remembered that I only watch scary movies during the day or with every light in the house on at night. Ha!
Do you have any quirky gaming habits similar to my friend’s? Do you play survival-horror games at night? Or are they something you have to experience during the day? Leave your gaming quirks in the comments section (please)!
Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2010 is kicking off and, as always, it’s interesting to the trends that are dominating the show’s programming. While enthusiast gamers and writers are interesting in things like PlayStation Arc (of the Covenant?) and OnLive, there are more people here that are interesting in emerging markets — mobile gaming and social 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, Sting’s heel turn, Brooke Hogan’s ridiculous push (again), or your favorite color, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2010 is kicking off and, as always, it’s interesting to see the trends that are dominating the show’s programming. While enthusiast gamers and writers are interested in things like PlayStation Arc (of the Covenant?) and OnLive, there are more people here that are interested in newer, burgeoning markets — mobile gaming and social gaming.
Mobile gaming has been a big part of GDC for several years, but it’s bigger than ever in 2010. Obviously the iPhone market is enormous and potentially lucrative, but Google and Palm are at the show, pushing Android and WebOS gaming, respectively.
Social games like FarmVille and Mafia Wars have been immensely popular. At this year’s GDC, the next generation of social games are being discussed and shown off. Developers are working on improving the visual quality and overall experience of social games. In many ways, they’re more attractive to developers — cheaper to make, easier access to consumers, etc.
Gamers like you and me are most interested in the latest console games and technology, but these trends in gaming can’t be ignored. They’re already huge and getting bigger all the time. Today I wanted to see which trends you think are the most important. Do you see social games getting bigger and getting console-level graphics? Do you think mobile games will become bigger and more like PSP titles? Leave a comment and let me know (please)! Or do you prefer to bury your head in the sand and stay safe in the traditional console world?
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.
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!!!
With Game Developers Conference 2010 next week, I wanted to talk to you about…uh…game development. A lot of gamers don’t really understand what goes into making a game. Hell, a lot of journalists and critics don’t really understand the process either. I completely admit that there’s still a lot I don’t know about game development after more than 15 years of game writing, but I’ve tried to learn a fair bit and feel that I know more than most writers.
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, all these crazy earthquakes (end of the world?), whether Tiger Woods can dominate golf again, or the ex-Infinity Ward guys taking legal action against Activision, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
With Game Developers Conference 2010 next week, I wanted to talk to you about…uh…game development. A lot of gamers don’t really understand what goes into making a game. Hell, a lot of journalists and critics don’t really understand the process either. I completely admit that there’s still a lot I don’t know about game development after more than 15 years of game writing, but I’ve tried to learn a fair bit and feel that I know more than most writers.
Do you know the difference between a producer on the publisher side and on the development side? Do you understand how budget and time restrictions can limit creativity and quality? Is there anything about game development you’d like to learn more about? Or do you not care about knowing more about the process? After all, you don’t have to know anything about game development to enjoy great games.
In some ways, I think it’s important for you to try to understand game development. It leads to a deeper appreciation of the games you buy. In other ways, it’s trivial. Do you enjoy a movie more knowing what the key grip and gaffer do?
I’m curious to read your responses today. They’ll shape my mindset going into next week’s show. Perhaps I can get some of the information you want. Learning together is cool. So let’s get to it (please)!
