Category: PC Gaming

Dragon Age: Origins Leliana’s Song DLC Available Now

BioWare has released the “Leliana’s Song” DLC for the outstanding Dragon Age: Origins. This DLC prequel examines Leliana’s past as an Orlesian spy, detailing her relationship with Marjolaine and the circumstances that led her to seek refuge with the chantry. The DLC costs 560 BioWare Points on PC, 560 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live, and $7 on PlayStation Network. Here are some details from the official site:

  • Explore Leliana’s dangerous past and why she joined the Chantry
  • A fully voiced cinematic experience brings the characters to life
  • Unlock a unique reward that transfers into your Awakening and Origins campaign
  • All-new musical compositions instensify the action and intrigue

As many of you know, DA is one of my favorite games this console generation. I’ve already downloaded the DLC and will be playing it later today. Expect a not-a-review in the near future…whether you want it or not, muahahahaha!!!

Anyone planning to download “Leliana’s Song”?

Coffee Talk #172: Counting Down to Digital Distribution

In the last ten days I spent two hours waiting for a PSP game to download and four hours waiting for an Xbox 360 game to download. In both cases I was annoyed and agitated that it took so long to download a relatively small amount of data. Six hours for a little over six GBs?!? That’s a step above cavemen banging two rocks together to start a fire!!! But you know what? It beats the crap out of the alternative.

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 NY Knicks signing Amare Stoudemire, Team Armstrong vs. Team Landis, or the the super pretentious Paris Apple Store, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

In the last ten days I spent two hours waiting for a PSP game to download and four hours waiting for an Xbox 360 game to download. In both cases I was annoyed and agitated that it took so long to download a relatively small amount of data. Six hours for a little over six GBs?!? That’s a step above cavemen banging two rocks together to start a fire!!! But you know what? It beats the crap out of the alternative.

Waiting two hours for a PSP is much better than going to a mall, dealing with crowds, and interacting with funployees. The four hours the Xbox 360 download took is much better than waiting for a package to arrive. I’m so ready for digital distribution to be the norm. I can’t wait for console companies and crap-bag ISPs (like my friends at Time Warner Cable) to get their acts together so that digital distribution can happen now.

I know that some of you still have issues with digital distribution and that a few of you still love boxes (I don’t get it). Are you anxious for digital distribution to hit? Or is waiting okay with you?

Coffee Talk #170: Your 2010 Videogame Backlog

In yesterday’s Coffee Talk, we discussed the games we loved in the first half of 2010. It really is remarkable that so many excellent games have been released already. The problem is that it’s really hard to play all the great ones. Today I want to know what awesome 2010 releases are in your gaming backlog.

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, Mel Gibson’s love of racial slurs, Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man, or Steve Carell leaving The Office, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

In yesterday’s Coffee Talk, we discussed the games we loved in the first half of 2010. It really is remarkable that so many excellent games have been released already. The problem is that it’s really hard to play all the great ones. Today I want to know what awesome 2010 releases are in your gaming backlog.

My backlog is ridiculously high. I started a few of these games, but didn’t get very far. Some of them are still shrink wrapped. Here my list: BioShock 2, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Mass Effect 2, God of War III, and MLB 10 The Show. Sadly, I don’t know when I’ll get to these fine titles. My weekend playlist is full and I promised a friend (and myself) that I’d get around to completing Blue Dragon this year. *sigh* Priorities.

Now it’s your turn! What 2010 game releases are in your backlog?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I have that awesome problem of having too many good games to play this weekend. If you’ve read my (not a) review of Hot Shots Tennis then you know that I’m loving the game. I’m going to play it more than I ought to this weekend. Last night I started LEGO Harry Potter and was totally charmed. I’ll definitely be spending more time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. For more practical reasons, I should play Crackdown 2. I’ll spend some time with the game, but it’s going to lose time to the first two titles I mentioned.

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

Coffee Talk #169: Your Favorite Game of the First Half of 2010

2010 is halfway over! Since it’s halftime, I wanted to see what your favorite game of 2010 was, thus far. It has been a very unusual year for the videogame business with so many outstanding games released in the first half of the year. Which one was your favorite?

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, Twilight: Eclipse taking over the world this week, Tony La Russa supporting the tea party, or Funny People, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

2010 is halfway over! Since it’s halftime, I wanted to see what your favorite game of 2010 was, thus far. It has been a very unusual year for the videogame business with so many outstanding games released in the first half of the year. Which one was your favorite?

As for me, not much has changed from Q1 2010. I’ve enjoyed Dragon Age: Origins Awakening, Heavy Rain, and Final Fantasy XIII the most. If I had to go with one, I’d pick Dragon Age, though I’m surprised by how much I’ve enjoyed FFXIII the more I’ve played it.

Now it’s your turn! Let’s have it ladies and gents. What has been your favorite game of 2010 so far?

Two Excellent Portal 2 Videos

Here are a pair of excellent Portal 2 videos for your drooling pleasure. As I mentioned in Coffee Talk #162, I didn’t have time to see the game at E3 2010, which totally bummed me out. The good news is that I can enjoy these videos with you and disccus ’em here! I know a few of you are Portal fans, so kindly check out these clips and let me know what you think (please)!

Coffee Talk#167: Who’s Your Favorite Boutique Publisher?

Here’s another simple Coffee Talk topic for you: who’s your favorite small publisher? In the gaming industry, it seems like every other story is about Activision or Electronic Arts, but smaller publishers are important to the business as well. I love that Atlus bring quirky Japanese games to America. I love that Nicalis helps small games like Cave Story get attention.

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 season one rookies being renamed “The Nexus”, the stupidity of penalty-kick shootouts, or class action suits against Apple, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Here’s another simple Coffee Talk topic for you: who’s your favorite small publisher? In the gaming industry, it seems like every other story is about Activision or Electronic Arts, but smaller publishers are important to the business as well. I love that Atlus bring quirky Japanese games to America. I love that Nicalis helps small games like Cave Story get attention. Small publishers give gamers access to lesser known games and developers. Publishers like Atlus and Nicalis add variety and character to a cookie-cutter business.

As for my favorite boutique publisher, I’m going to go with NIS America. I love Nippon Ichi Software games, especially Disgaea and its various spin-offs. The company brings over loads of great RPGs that are different, cute, and fun. Plus, prinnies are awesome.

Now it’s your turn! Who’s your favorite small publisher?

Coffee Talk #165: What Game Have You Played the Most?

Today’s Coffee Talk is super simple. I want to know what game you’ve played the most. Easy, hey?

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 four major American mobile carriers having hot phones in July, the Chicago Bulls getting a ton of salary cap space, or holding your phone properly, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Today’s Coffee Talk is super simple. I want to know what game you’ve played the most. Easy, hey?

As for me, it’s definitely Pokemon Pearl. I spent a year writing a Pokemon column for GamesRadar. I also happen to love the series. Put those two things together and you get 600+ hours of Pokemon Pearl. It seems rather insane after typing that number out.

Now it’s your turn! What game have you played the most? Kindly give a guestimate of the hours you’ve put into it. This will be a fun getting-to-know-you exercise. I can’t wait to see your comments!

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

E3 2010 is finally out of my head (i.e. I’m no longer having flashbacks), so it’s time to get gaming again! I recently picked up Turtles in Time: Re-shelled and want to get my t-u-r-t-l-e power on. My ankle is gimped, so I’m going to use that as an excuse to stay in bed and play Glory of Heracles.

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

Coffee Talk #164: Five Things That (Sadly) Weren’t at E3 2010

As brilliant as E3 2010 was, there were a few things I was hoping to see that didn’t make it. In some cases, perhaps they were just rumors. In other cases, the publisher wanted to save the game for another trade show. Whether the product is too early or the development team is in disarray, I was still bummed not to see the following.

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 football (soccer) totally rocking, 10+ hours matches at Wimbledon, or whether sleeping with a Kardashian results in a championship, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As brilliant as E3 2010 was, there were a few things I was hoping to see that didn’t make it. In some cases they were just rumors. In other cases the publisher wanted to save the game for another trade show. Whether the product is too early or the development team is in disarray, I was still bummed not to see the following.

  1. Windows Phone 7 and Xbox Live: Microsoft has a ton of work to do if it wants to successfully compete with Apple iOS, Google Android, and Palm WebOS. Connectivity with Xbox Live  is one way Windows Phone 7 can stand out.
  2. The Last Guardian: This was on my most wanted list going into the show. I was severely bummed it wasn’t there.
  3. Beyond Good & Evil 2: So many writers were sure this game was going to be at the show. It wasn’t. Never trust game writers (verbal entertainers are another story).
  4. PSP2: I was pretty sure this wasn’t going to happen at this year’s show. Going head-to-head with Nintendo’s 3DS outing would have been silly. Still, I really wanted to see what changes Sony planned to make with its second at-bat in portable gaming.
  5. Final Fantasy Tactics (iPhone): Shortly before the show started, I heard that my favorite game of all time was headed for the iPhone. While Square Enix showed a teaser video of the iPhone version of FFT, I really wanted to get my hands on it. Oh well, it’s only a few months away.

Now it’s your turn! Was there anything you were expecting to “see” at E3 2010 that no-showed? Leave a comment and let me know (please)!