Category: PC Gaming

EA Vice President Rips Activision CEO Bobby Kotick

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick recently took a jab at rival Electronic Arts, accusing the company of killing the unique cultures of the development studios it acquires. EA has responded with some awesomely catty comments. VP of corporate communications Jeff Brown told Gamasutra:

Kotick’s relationship with studio talent is well documented in litigation. His company is based on three game franchises –one is a fantastic persistent world he had nothing to do with; one is in steep decline; and the third is in the process of being destroyed by Kotick’s own hubris.

Man, this is getting good. I’m hoping that the trash talking between Activision and EA will result in a dance competition or an MMA fight between company execs. The event could be held at The ESA’s Nite to Unite charity dinner. It would be the most entertaining event of the year!

What do you think of all the mud slinging between EA and Activision?

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Coffee Talk #220: Classic Gaming Conventions That Don’t Fly in 2010

As some of you know, I’ve been playing Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light to review for another site. I’m mostly enjoying the game. It’s an old-school RPG with a job system — I love both of those things. Having said that, there are several aspects of the game that are acceptable to me as a longtime RPG player, but would probably irk the hell out of newer gamers.

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 wonderful meats at M-Grill, the excellent Lodi Vineyards Rapture Cabernet P Andy shared with me, or if you’re going to see The Social Network, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As some of you know, I’ve been playing Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light to review for another site. I’m mostly enjoying the game. It’s an old-school RPG with a job system — I love both of those things. Having said that, there are several aspects of the game that are acceptable to me as a longtime RPG player, but would probably irk the hell out of newer gamers.

For example, there are several dungeons that are a cakewalk until the boss fight. If you don’t have the right armor and/or weapons equipped then the boss fights are super challenging at best and irritatingly impossible at worst. You can teleport back to the nearest village to get the right gear, but then you have to slog through the entire dungeon again. With all the hand holding and linearity in today’s games, I think a lot of players will find this unacceptable. Stuff like this was fine in 1993, but I don’t think it works in 2010.

Have you had any similar experiences recently? Are there any games you’ve played in the last year that use mechanics that should have been left in the ’90s? Have you played anything that’s crossed the line between classic and antiquated? Now’s the time to whine about old-school videogame conventions!

Coffee Talk #219: Will Games Get Cheaper (with Expensive DLC)?

THQ CEO Brian Farrell told CVG that games will likely be cheaper in the future, but with more downloadable content. He believes that the initial version of the game will cost between $29 to $39, but more and more features will be downloadable add-ons. He told CVG:

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 heading to the slammer (again), United Nations delegates walking out on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, or Katy Perry’s boobs being too saucy for Sesame Street, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

THQ CEO Brian Farrell told CVG that games will likely be cheaper in the future, but with more downloadable content. He believes that the initial version of the game will cost between $29 to $39, but more and more features will be downloadable add-ons. He told CVG:

I’m a big believer in monetising under the curve, so we capture that $29 to $39 user no matter what, and a person that wants to spend $100 on the product can do so as well. I think that’s the future of gaming — whether it’s this model or a take on the free-to-play model. It’s where our industry is going.

I’m not sure if this is where the industry is going, but I can see publishers experimenting with it in certain genres. I also see enthusiast gamers getting extremely angry about this practice…and doing nothing about it.

What do you think of this business model? Would you mind getting a stripped down version of a game for less money? Do you care that more features would have to be purchased online? Is this smart business? Or is it Kotickian?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I’ve beaten the main game in Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light, but I haven’t saved it yet. I want to go back and beat the four optional towers. In addition to 100 floors of randomness, they’re filled with excellent treasure and new jobs. Two of the towers are down — giving me the ninja and sage jobs — and I hope to beat one more this weekend.

How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg is Worth More Than Apple’s Steve Jobs

What kind of world do we live in that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has a higher net worth than Apple CEO Steve Jobs?!? That’s the word from Forbes, which lists Zuckerberg’s net worth as $6.9-billion and pegs Jobs at $6.1-billion. (If either of you happen to be reading this and want to throw a few hundred thousand my way to fund my site’s video efforts for the next two years, I’d love you forever.) I guess that’s why Jobs’ movie (Pirates of Silicon Valley) was made for cable and Zuckerberg’s (The Social Network) is a major theatrical release.

*sigh* This is the first of three things that will make me move to Thailand. Next, Epic Games Mike “Busta” Capps will become President of the United States of America and Bolivia Bunn will be the biggest star in the country. (I’m seriously concerned about the latter happening.)

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Final Fantasy XIV Collector’s Edition Details and Pictures

Square Enix has sent out a reminder with details on the Final Fantasy XIV Collector’s Edition. Available now for an MSRP of $74.99, the collector’s edition includes:

  • Eight days early access prior to the release of the Standard Edition
  • The exclusive in-game item Onion Helm item
  • A behind-the-scenes DVD featuring insight from the development team
  • A Final Fantasy XIV branded Security Token
  • A Final Fantasy XIV branded Travel Journal
  • A voucher to receive a personalized right of passage certificate
  • A buddy pass to invite a friend to play free for a limited time

It looks like a great package…but I have no idea how Square Enix expects to compete with the likes of Planet Michael and Hello Kitty Online. *snicker* Seriously, I’m tempted to pick this up. If you’re tempted then why not click on that handy Amazon link in the first sentence of this article (*wink* *wink* *nudge* *nudge*).

Here are some more pictures of the included goodies.

Coffee Talk #217: Who’s Your Favorite Videogame Voice Actor?

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, Intelligentsia’s El Salvador El Ausol Honeyed Pacamara, Golden Boy Promotions suing Top Rank Promotions, or how the lawsuit is horrible for (the already messed up) sport of boxing, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Today’s column was inspired by RPadholic bsukenyan’s wish for more Judi Dench in videogames. While I was terribly amused by his wish, I also wondered about your favorite videogame voice actors and actresses. At the very least, strong performances can cover up some weak scriptwriting. At best, great voice acting can truly bring a game’s story to life. As for my favorite, it’s definitely the legendary Cam Clarke.

I became a Cam Clarke fan from his work as Maximillian Sterling and (especially) Lance “Lancer” Belmont in the Robotech cartoons. As I started paying attention to acting in videogames, I noticed that his name popped up…a lot. The man has performed in more than 100 games! From Metal Gear Solid to Baldur’s Gate to God of War to World of Warcraft to Assassin’s Creed, chances are you’ve played dozens of games Clarke has acted in.

Now it’s your turn! Who are some of your favorite videogame voice actors and actresses?

Planet Michael: An MMO Based on Michael Jackson

I swear I’m not making any of this up — I just received a press release on Planet Michael, an MMO based on Michael Jackson. What does the King of Pop have to do with a massively multiplayer online game? Here’s some press release info to help you (and me) figure it out:

SEE Virtual Worlds, an entertainment company developing a virtual reality universe of connected planets tied to licensed franchises, today announced a collaborative deal with the Michael Jackson Estate to publish Planet Michael, a massively multiplayer online virtual world set to launch in late 2011. Planet Michael will offer fans around the globe an innovative, first-of-its-kind interactive gaming and social experience that truly celebrates Michael Jackson’s extraordinary life as an artist and humanitarian.

The new planet, currently under development and slated for launch next year, will be an immersive virtual space themed after iconic visuals drawn from Michael’s music, his life and the global issues that concerned him. Entire continents will be created that will celebrate Michael’s unique genius in a way that underscores his place as the greatest artist of all time. Michael’s longtime fans will feel at home as they find themselves in places that seem familiar and yet unknown at the same time, and new generations will discover and experience Michael’s life in a way never before imagined. At its core, Planet Michael is a massive social gaming experience that will allow everyone, from the hardcore fan to the novice, to connect and engage in collaborative in-game activities with people worldwide.

Hrm. I thought only Mormons got their own planets in the afterlife. Also, do I get this or a Hello Kitty Online account? Decisions, decisions. Anyway, I’m anxiously awaiting all the jokes you can make about a Michael Jackson MMO. Let the invasion of Planet Michael begin!!!

(Possibly Insane) Intel Piloting CPU Upgrades Via Scratch-Off Cards

Imagine unlocking the full power of your PC’s CPU via scratch-off card. That’s an (incredibly stupid) idea Intel is testing out. My PC industry analyst friend Rick called me yesterday and this is one of the topics we discussed. I was convinced that he was just f*cking with me until he sent the URL for Intel’s Upgrade Service program. I’m still having a hard time believing it. It’s just so….

Basically, you buy a PC. It comes with a gimped CPU. You buy a code to make it normal.

Does anyone else find this to be an amazingly moronic idea from a very smart company?!? There must be an awful lot of glue sniffing going on at Intel.

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