Coffee Talk Archives - Page 6 of 68

Coffee Talk #628: What You Want From E3 2014

E3 2014 is just around the corner. Honestly, I’ve been avoiding thinking much about it. My June is pretty nuts — E3, The Vape Summit, hosting a pair of store grand openings, family visits, and more. Obviously E3 shows are something that I always look forward to; they’re wondrous events that are unlike any other trade show I’ve attended (and I’ve attended a ton of ’em). It’s always awesome seeing new games, seeing how other games are coming along, watching the press conference spectacles, watching the publisher pissing contests, and (most of all) catching up with longtime colleagues in the gaming business. Still, I’m so detached from the industry at the moment that I don’t…continued

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, 50 Cent’s new album, the rumor that Marvel will cancel the Fantastic Four comics to spite Fox’s FF movie, or weeping that AJ Lee is off the market, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

That’s not to say that I won’t be busy. I’ll be spending the bulk of my E3 2014 days working for EGM and a couple of minutes each day doing daily video recaps for a foreign outlet (they love me in Singapore). While I won’t have much “free” time, I’ll be using it to check out a few indie games that I’m high on and checking out stuff for you guys.

So how about it? What are you looking forward to at E3 2014? Are there any games that you’d like me to check out on your behalf? Is there an aspect of the console war that you’d like me to keep tabs on? Is there an executive you’d like me to throw a drink at? Share your E3 2014 hopes, wishes, dreams, and requests in the comments section (please!).

Coffee Talk #627: Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates, and Cat Stevens in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

I thoroughly enjoyed the 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on HBO. It was a wonderful celebration of some fantastic and entertaining musical artists. Bands like Kiss, Nirvana, and The E Street Band absolutely deserve to be enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Game for their legendary careers. As much as I enjoyed the show, the incongruity of the ceremony was striking. Personally, I loved seeing Cat Stevens and Hall & Oates perform, but some of my friends had a problem with those artists being part of the show. What do you think of talents like Peter Gabriel, Linda Ronstadt, and Cat Stevens being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame…continued

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, David Villa being the first NYC FC signing, remembering Alice from The Brady Bunch, or what you’re hoping to see at Apple WWDC 2014, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Some of my friends feel that only rock and roll artists should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They view Peter Gabriel as a pop act, Cat Stevens as pop/folk, Linda Ronstadt as country, and Hall & Oates as pop. My pals agreed that all of the aforementioned acts had legendary careers, but disagreed with their enshrinement in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. To their point, there’s nothing really “rock and roll” about Art Garfunkel giving a speech about Cat Stevens.

My stance is much more flexible. Rock and roll doesn’t have a static definition and it doesn’t want one. What was considered rock and roll in the ’50s is very different from what it was in the ’80s, and both are quite different from what rock and roll is today. The genre is constantly changing and evolving. While some of the acts might not be considered “pure” rock and roll, at the very least they’ve influenced numerous rock and roll artists, including some bands that are already in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Take an act like Hall & Oates, for example. Many consider the dynamic duo to be a pop band, while others classify them as rock or new wave. Those with a little more musical education can pick up the R&B and soul hooks found in many of the band’s songs. Is it fair for anyone to judge Hall & Oates as not being rock and roll? In my book, Hall & Oates deserves to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and every other Hall of Fame solely for the joy of “Rich Girl.”

What do you guys and dolls think? Are you cool with Lind Ronstadt, Peter Gabriel, Cat Stevens, Public Enemy (inducted last year), etc. being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Or do you have an issue with those artists being in it?

Coffee Talk #626: Movies You’ve Erased From Your Memory

While discussing X-Men: Days of Future Past in the lovely RPadTV Google+ Hangout, RPadholic smartguy mentioned that he erased X-Men: Last Stand from his memory. This is a common — and often completely necessary — self-defense mechanism for moviegoers. Sometimes a film is just so traumatic that you have no choice but to deactivate the part of your brain where the movie lives. Under several layers of psychic defenses, you know that the movie exists, but for ~~all intensive purposes~~ all intents and purposes, it never happened. My question for you on this fine day is this: Which movies were so bad that you’ve…continued

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, rocking a V. Stiviano visor, super-hot Emma Watson graduating from Brown, or Roy Hibbert’s donut, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As some of you have probably guessed, Green Lantern is one of my “never happened” movies. As a huge fan of the comics, I was really excited for the movie…and incredibly disappointed by the piece of crap that was served up. Most of the casting choices were bad, a lot of the writing sucked, and the movie did a horrendous job of showing why Hal Jordan is such a compelling superhero. For general comics fanboys, the movie was awful. For Green Lantern fans, it was a soul-crushing experience.

Another movie that had to be erased from my brain is Rocky V. The series started off as a surprisingly strong boxing drama. The second movie was a little cheesier, but still true to the spirit of the original. The third and fourth films were ridiculous, but entertainingly so. Adding Survivor songs to the mix, featuring larger-than-life actors like Hulk Hogan and Mr. T, playing on Cold War fear, and making the fights insanely unrealistic totally worked — especially for teenage moviegoers and younger. My first reaction to Rocky V was, “What the *&%^ was that?!?” It ignored everything that was great about the first four films and amplified all of the weaknesses. It was the cinematic equivalent of a boxer hanging on for one fight too many. You’ll always remember the greatness, but the end was so bad that you try to forget that it ever happened (see Muhammad Ali vs. Trevor Berbick).

Now it’s your turn! Kindly name some movies that were so bad that you erased them from your memory.

Coffee Talk #625: Videogame Journalists Done Good

StarWars.com recently announced that Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) and Gary Whitta will be working on the first Star Wars standalone spinoff movie. The second name took me by surprise (gleefully). You see, Whitta is a former videogame journalist. He was the editor of several gaming magazines for Future US and was quite popular within the business. Since (mostly) leaving the business, Whitta has written the screenplays for The Book of Eli and After Earth. Working on a Star Wars movie will undoubtedly take his success to new heights.

Hearing about Whitta’s Star Wars news reminded me of Kieron Gillen. Another…continued

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, speculating on which player the Cleveland Cavaliers will take with the number-one pick in the 2014 NBA draft, your favorite Memorial Day barbecue food, or pregnant Mila Kunis, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Hearing about Whitta’s Star Wars news reminded me of Kieron Gillen. Another former videogame journalist, Gillen has written some of the best comics published in the last five years. His work on AvX: Consequences was great enough to redeem the sometimes banal Avengers vs. X-Men event. Gillen made me a Kid Loki fan for life with his thoroughly entertaining run on Journey Into Mystery. His work on Young Avengers is, in my opinion, one of the most criminally underrated books released in the last few years.

Guys like Whitta and Gillen make me happy. In Whitta’s case, it’s always awesome to see a colleague succeed. In the case of both gentlemen (I’ve never met Gillen in real life), it’s particularly satisfying to see them have fantastic success beyond the videogame world. Don’t get me wrong — I love the videogame business and will always be grateful for how it has enriched my life, but I have mixed feelings about being labeled a videogame journalist (even though I’m technically a verbal entertainer).

Within the business, videogame journalists aren’t thought of highly. There are exceptions, of course, but many journalists are only well regarded by PR people (and even that’s arguable). A lot of executives and developers look at journalists as pretty low on the industry’s totem pole. One famous developer once half-jokingly told me, “You know, you guys are just one step above GameStop clerks as far as being important to the business.”

Personally, I don’t disagree with what my designer buddy told me. I never cared about “being important to the business.” I love writing about games for people that love reading about games. The problem is that there are many videogame journalists that think they’re way more important than they actually are. Some of them genuinely think that they’re movers and shakers in the industry. Those kinds of videogame journalists always bothered me; they’re more concerned about promoting their own brand and meeting the right people in game publishing in order to get a better job than serving their audience with their words.

Self-important critics (from any industry) always bring me back to the words of Anton Ego from Ratatouille:

In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so.

While I would love to work at a videogame outlet that’s primarily concerned about making fun content and staffed by a team that loves serving an audience, I can’t help but be inspired by people like Whitta and Gillen. It’s awesome that they’re enjoying tremendous success outside of the videogame realm. It’s nice to see that the boys done good.

Coffee Talk #624: Relegation and American Sports (Cleveland Cavaliers)

A few weeks ago, my friend Josh and I were having a conversation about how awesome American sports would be if they copied the relegation system used in Premiere League. For those of you not familiar with relegation, the bottom three teams in Premiere League are demoted to First League. In American sports, this would help the integrity of MLB, NFL, NBA, etc., protecting the leagues against cheapness and incompetence by front office executives.

Speaking of incompetence, the Cleveland Cavaliers…continued

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, Lindsay Lohan topless in Cannes, Andy Dick being kicked out of the Dancing With the Stars finale, or the end of Masahiro Tanaka’s glorious winning streak, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Speaking of incompetence, the Cleveland Cavaliers recently won the number-one pick for the 2014 NBA draft. For those of you not keeping track of this woeful franchise, the Cleveland Cavaliers have had three number-one picks in the last four years. While the team has shown some signs of improvement in the 2013-2014 season, many agree that it’s underperforming due to a mix of poor draft choices (Anthony Bennett), foolish signings (Andrew Bynum), and poor chemistry (loads of rumors about the backcourt starters hating each other).

The sucktitude of the Cleveland Cavaliers isn’t a recent phenomenon either. Longtime fans of the team had to suffer through the reign of Ted Stepien. Many sports fans view Stepien as the worst owner in the history of American sports. Stepien managed the Cleveland Cavaliers so badly — trading high draft picks for middling players — that the NBA had to institute the “Stepien rule” just to contain him.

With all of that in mind, wouldn’t the Cleveland Cavaliers be a perfect team for relegation? Sure, the team didn’t have the worst record in the league, but it should be punished for historical ineptitude. Sending the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA D-League for a year ought to shake up the front office. In baseball, the Houston Astros should be relegated to triple-A for essentially serving up a minor league team for other MLB franchises to pick on. I’m sure that you creative guys and gals can think of several examples of American professional sports teams that should be relegated. Kindly pick a sports team or three that you’d like to see relegated and explain your picks in the comments section.

Coffee Talk #623: Why I’m Looking Forward to Marvel’s Original Sin

I’m greatly looking forward to Marvel’s “Original Sin” event. Part of it is because the story is topical and reflects recent world events. Part of it is because for the last few years, Marvel’s events have generally been superior to DC’s events. The second part is a little painful to admit, because I’ve usually been (a bit) more of a DC guy than a Marvel guy (though first and foremost, I follow certain writers). Let’s use today’s Coffee Talk to discuss “Original Sin.”

For those of you not familiar with the premise of “Original Sin,” here’s a brief rundown…continued

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, Roy Hibbert suddenly forgetting how to play basketball, being shocked that a 7’2″ professional basketball player can’t get one frickin’ rebound, or Seth Rogen gloriously going off on Justin Bieber, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

For those of you not familiar with the premise of “Original Sin,” here’s a brief rundown. Uatu, the Watcher of Earth’s solar system, has been killed. As a powerful being that observes all kinds of happenings, dude has seen and heard a lot. The person responsible for Uatu’s death is wreaking havoc throughout the Marvel Universe by leaking some of the Watcher’s closely guarded secrets. From Captain America getting his mind wiped by the Illuminati to the mystery of Star Lord from the Guardians of the Galaxy surviving the Cancerverse, these secrets touch every corner of the Marvel Universe.

Going into “Original Sin,” there are two aspects of it that I love. First off, I adore that it’s a (nerdy) dramatization of the WikiLeaks situation. While Edward Snowden and Julian Assange are interesting characters, they’re dullsville compared to the heroes and villains that populate the Marvel Universe. It’s awesome that Marvel is having its own (nerdy) version of the WikiLeaks scandal.

The second aspect of “Original Sin” that I love is that it gives writers freedom without confusing the reader. Any Marvel book can work with a scandalous secret being revealed, but the individual secrets don’t necessarily have to tie into the main “Original Sin” plot. Writers can explore the characters that they’re responsible for and have fun with the leaked secrets, while readers can just follow the main plot and the characters they care about. It’s nice and neat…

…as opposed to what’s going on over at DC. The last two major DC events were a mess. “Trinity War” started out with a promising bang and ended with a swerve that left many readers with a sense of ennui. That event clumsily lead into “Forever Evil,” which has been a totally wreck. The main “Forever Evil” book didn’t stand on its own, requiring readers to check out other titles in order to make sense of it all. The event was plagued by delays, escalating “Forever Evil” from a wreck to a disaster. There are several DC titles that are in the “Forever Evil” epilogue stage and have moved on from the climactic ending…that hasn’t actually happened because the last issue has been delayed to May 21. It’s an excellent example of a major comic-book event being all over the place and running out of control.

Wow. I feel a little better after ranting about “Forever Evil.” Let’s change the record and return the focus to “Original Sin.” On paper, it should be an entertaining comic-book event that should feature tight storytelling. The way it’s set up, it shouldn’t spin out of control like “Forever Evil” did. Unlike that storyline, the leaked secrets from “Original Sin” can work well as self-contained plots in individual books, as opposed to some of the “Forever Evil” subplots that felt forced.

So yeah! I’m really looking forward to “Original Sin.” I have a feeling that it’ll be fun and the storytelling will mostly be tight. How about you? Any of you guys and dolls looking forward to Marvel’s latest universe-shattering event?

Coffee Talk #622: Seeing Stupid Things While Gaming

As many of you are (or were) hardcore gamers, I’m certain that you’ve had gaming sessions that have left you so mentally drained that you start seeing silly things. This has happened to me a ton while playing Heroes of Dragon Age. I’ve been playing the hell out of the game since October, initially for work, eventually for fun, and currently out of habit. Over the last three months, I’ve spent dozens of hours farming the “Dalish Challenge” node in order to add Merrill to my party — she’s really difficult to obtain (without spending money) and crazy powerful. After thousands of attempts, I finally have Merrill. Along the way, my eyes played tricks on me and I saw some really stupid things…continued

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 glorious return of Grantland’s Derek Jeter Diaries, dreaming about black rhodium plating, or Selena Gomez firing her mom/manager, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Tevinter Laetan Mage: This pesky character goes through a comical transformation after I’ve played too much Heroes of Dragon Age. For whatever reason, my brain transforms her name to Tevinter Lactating Mage…which causes me to giggle. In my head, instead of casting her annoying time-slowing spells, she douses her enemies with breast milk.

Guard Commander Aveline: One of Hawke’s most loyal and capable companions in Dragon Age II, this character has become funny to me through the power of auto-correct. In the Heroes of Dragon Age forums, a poster had the character’s name “corrected” to Guard Commander Vaseline. Now I can’t stop seeing that when I battle her in the game. Instead of an awesome tank character, I see a knight imbued with the power of petroleum jelly.

Bhelen Aeducan: Another character from Dragon Age II, he’s one of the default names for players that can’t be bothered to come up with their own. Thanks to Ali G, I see Bell End Aeducan. Booyakasha.

So yeah, those are some of the silly things I see while I’m playing Heroes of Dragon Age at 3:00AM. Considering that I’ve tackled the “Dalish Challenge” node thousands of times to get a single Merrill and it’ll take thousands of attempts to level her up to tier four, I expect to see these stupid things again in the future.

Now that this confessional post is out of the way, I wanted to see what stupid things you’ve seen after you’ve played a game way too much. Kindly share some stories in the comments section.

Coffee Talk #621: Athletes, Sports Entertainers, and Counting

As many of you know, WWE’s The Undertaker finally lost a WrestleMania match. Going into WrestleMania XXX, the promotional videos and ‘Taker’s in-ring soliloquies were full of things like, “21 men have tried to stop The Undertaker and 21 have been defeated.” The problem is, The Undertaker did not defeat 21 WWE wrestlers at WrestleMania. He beat Triple H thrice (WrestleMania XVII, XXVII, XXVIII), Shawn Michaels twice (WrestleMania XXV, XXVI), and Kane twice (WrestleMania XIV, XX). The wording of those 21-0 Undertaker promos always bugged me, but not as much as…continued

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, Miley Cyrus’ topless Instagram photos, placing bets on Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley II, or Felix Trinidad going broke, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As many of you know, WWE’s The Undertaker finally lost a WrestleMania match earlier this week. Going into WrestleMania XXX, the promotional videos and ‘Taker’s in-ring soliloquies were full of things like, “21 men have tried to stop The Undertaker and 21 have been defeated.” The problem is, The Undertaker did not defeat 21 WWE wrestlers at WrestleMania. He beat Triple H thrice (WrestleMania XVII, XXVII, XXVIII), Shawn Michaels twice (WrestleMania XXV, XXVI), and Kane twice (WrestleMania XIV, XX). While WWE storylines and finishing maneuvers often defy logic, Vince McMahon isn’t powerful enough to defy proper counting. The wording of those 21-0 Undertaker promos always bugged me, but not as much as…

…when boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. brags about his undefeated record. Mayweather has been the most talented pugilist in the sport of boxing for the last decade, but he has also been one of the most obnoxious morons in any sport for the last decade. His boasts about his perfect record make him sound like an even bigger moron. When he was 43-0 he would say, “43 have tried and 43 have failed.” When he was 44-0 he would say, “44 have tried and 44 have failed.” You get the idea. The problem is, he fought Jose Luis Castillo twice. So really, when he was 44-0, 43 boxers tried and failed against him. Mayweather is a known idiot, but I expected super advisor Al Haymon to teach him the finer points of counting.

While I understand that undefeated records are precious things and fantastic marketing tools, you can’t lie about math to embellish undefeated streaks. It’s stupid. It’s annoying. It teaches impressionable youths that counting properly isn’t cool. It’s like The Undertaker and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. were traumatized by Sesame Street and want to negate the counting lessons the show has taught millions. (It’s not really like that, but for some reason I was thinking about the counting segments Sesame Street.)

Perhaps I’m nitpicking, but I’ve always hated when The Undertaker and Mayweather would infuse their promos with improper counting. What do you think? Does it bother me, simply because I think that Mayweather is a complete ass? Or do I have a legitimate point. Leave a comment and let me know (please!).

Coffee Talk #620: Dumbing Things Down For Movies and TV

Some purists of A Song of Ice and Fire had an issue with Oberyn Martell’s introduction in Game of Thrones s4e1. In the books, it’s implied that he’s bisexual. In the television show, he forcefully grabs a male prostitute’s junk. There’s a huge difference between subtle implication and ham-fisted delivery, but sometimes it’s necessary for the mainstream audience.

The debate over Oberyn Martell reminded me of another argument fans had about Game of Thrones Season 2. In the books, it’s implied that…continued

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 glory of the Derek Jeter Retirement Tour, Katy Perry’s green hair, or getting amped for the NBA playoffs, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

The debate over Oberyn Martell reminded me of another argument fans had about Game of Thrones Season 2. In the books, it’s implied that Stannis Baratheon is sleeping with priestess of R’hllor Melisandre. In the show, he full-on bangs her on his war table. Again, the information is conveyed in drastically different ways, but it’s arguably necessary.

For some reason, the two instances in Game of Thrones didn’t bother me. I didn’t like that subtlety was eschewed for heavy-handed delivery, but I didn’t hate it either. I get that subtlety is lost on some people and understand that the show’s directors wanted these bits of information made clear.

Having said that, I recall one instance where a change bothered the hell out of me. In the Watchmen comics, there’s a great sequence where Silk Spectre figures out that the Comedian is her father. Various memories come back to her and she pieces it all together. In the Watchmen movie, the same thing happens, but it’s punctuated by Dr. Manhattan saying, “The Comedian…is your father.” For whatever reason, that little addition pissed me off. It seemed so unnecessary. Are moviegoers really that dumb?!?

While I understand that book and comics writers can rely on readers’ imaginations, is it necessary for movie and TV directors to be so obvious? I’m not really sure. That’s where you come in! I’d love to hear your opinion on the matter and read some of your examples in the comments section. Does print have to be dumbed down when it’s translated into a movie or television show?

Coffee Talk #619: When In-App Purchases Go to Heaven

As many of you know, I’ve been playing the hell out of Heroes of Dragon Age. Part of it has been for work, part of it has been for fun, and part of it has been habit. I’ve also been lurking in the Heroes of Dragon Age forums. Reading about the in-app purchase adventures of many players has been a revelation. I’m astounded by how much money some players drop on in-app purchases and how frequently they do it. In the immortal words of Brian Fellow, “That’s crazy!!!”

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, being happy about Chris Brown going to jail, spicy meals you have to sign a waiver for, or the countdown to MLB opening day, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As a longtime Pokemon fan, I totally understand how addictive collectibility in videogames can be. Mobile games exploit that addiction and mask the habit in clever ways. Like several of its competitors, Heroes of Dragon Age doesn’t show in-app purchases in actual currency. It uses a gem system. Gems can be purchased in various increments, with 1,600 gems offering the “best value” at $99.99. Many players lose track of the actual dollar value of gems after they’re purchased. It’s much easier to justify 49 gems for an awesome new character than it is $5 for a virtual dolly.

The developers of Heroes of Dragon Age release new character packs every few weeks. Players can buy a chance to acquire new characters. It’s all about the random-number generator. Sometimes you’ll get lucky on your first pull and sometimes it takes dozens of attempts to get the character you want. When a hot new character or characters get released, some players spend hundreds of dollars on in-app purchases until they get the heroes or villains they want. Perhaps I’m just too used to the cartridge/disc model of gaming, but that seems completely nuts to me.

The free-to-play videogame model is relatively new and still evolving. Even in its infancy, I’m amazed by how successful it can be. It blows my mind that Heroes of Dragon Age players are spending hundreds of dollars on in-app purchases for a videogame that could very well be offline in three years. They’re not even buying new characters. They’re purchasing a lottery ticket for a chance to win the character they want. One poster in the Heroes of Dragon Age forums said they he/she spent a little over $300 until he/she got the latest “hot” character.

I wonder what these in-app purchase whales will feel like when the game goes offline. Will they be satisfied with their in-app purchases and consider it money well spent? Or will they be shocked by how much money they spent on a game that they can’t play anymore? As much as I’ve been enjoying Heroes of Dragon Age, I can’t imagine spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on in-app purchases. I’d feel like a dick when the game goes offline and my in-app purchases have gone to heaven.

Of course this could very well be a generational thing. A lot of younger gamers are being raised on free-to-play games and it’s possible that they think this is simply how the videogame world works. What do you think about gamers spending hundreds of dollars on in-app purchases for games like Heroes of Dragon Age? Can you see yourself dropping that much dough on a mobile game? Kindly share your thoughts in the comments section.