Category: PC Gaming

Blast From the Past: Reset Episode 2

The second episode of Reset is full of anime goodness…with a little bit of western thrown in. Kat Hunter and I checked out cosplayers and games at Anime Expo 2005. Back on the home front, I caught up with Neversoft to talk about Gun.

Part 1 — Ah, cosplaying. I still think most American cosplayers are hacks compared to their Japanese counterparts, but there were some pretty cool costumes at Anime Expo. You’ll recognize characters from Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Katamai Damacy, Metal Gear Solid, and more in this clip.

Part 2 — Neversoft made it big with its Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games, so I was surprised when the company went all western with Gun. I interviewed two peeps from Neversoft in front of two hanging people (they weren’t really people) to learn more about the game. They answered the question that was on everyone’s mind at the time: how is horseback riding in Gun different from Zelda and Shadow of the Colossus?

Part 3 — Kat and I checked out a bunch of anime-based games from Bandai. Learn more about Inuyasha, One Piece, Zatch Bell, and more!

Blast From the Past: Reset Episode 1

The Reset reruns continue! Here’s the first “official” episode of Reset. Joining Zoe Flower and me is the excellent Kat Hunter. At the time, I knew Kat for a few years and found her to be totally charming. She went on to become a great friend that bailed me out of a few drunken situations. Ha! The only hitch was the one time she brought me home, but didn’t know that I had moved. My old roomies were not pleased to have a drunk Raymond thrown upon them. Uh…let’s get to the show!

Part 1 — I interviewed some of my favorite journalists at an EA Sports press event to talk about NBA Live 2006, Madden NFL 06, and SSX: On Tour. Check out what Game Informer’s Andy McNamara, Electronic Gaming Monthly’s Bryan Intihar, and freelance writer Chris Kohler had to say about these games.

Part 2 — I went to New Orleans to attend an excellent launch party for Conker: Live and Reloaded. I had a blast and was a little tipsy by the end of the shoot. Watch me lick a Conker ice sculpture and convince two girls to do the same. Ha! I also talked to several of the developers from Rare as they played their game and partied in N’awlins.

Part 3 — Zoe met up with fashion giant Marc Ecko to talk about his game Gettin’ Up: Contents Under Pressure. In addition to being her always-charming self, she learned some new slang from Ecko. It’s bombin’!

Blast From the Past: Reset’s Pilot Episode

As I mentioned earlier, I’ll be posting episodes of Reset (my old show for Yahoo! Games) while I’m in Asia. Think of it as rerun season. Ha! Seriously though, this was one of the best times of my life. I got to work closely with one of my dearest friends, the amazing Zoe Flower. I adored working with the gang at Yahoo! Studios. Producing video was fresh and new and exciting for me. It was truly the best work experience I’ve ever had. Now here’s the pilot!

(If you only want to watch one of these segmemts, I highly suggest part two.)

Part 1 — Zoe and I hit the show floor at E3 2005. She totally carried me here. At this point, I only hosted a dozen or so videos for GameSpy, while Zoe had a ton of experience hosting The Electric Playground (on real television). I did way too many fae things with my hands. The Scarface gag still cracks me up. You can also see mock-ups of the PS3 and a forgotten handheld known as the Game Boy Micro (did any of you have one?).

Part 2 — This was one of the best times I’ve ever had at work — I got made up as a zombie by a professional makeup artist!!! I’ll never ever forget this experience. It was totally fun walking around E3 as a zombie and goofing off with Zoe. Really…just watch this one. It’s fun.

Part 3 — I love doing man-on-the-street pieces. Those were my best videos at GameSpy. Here I asked a bunch of people (some friends, some randoms) about their E3 2005 experience. One person in this video ended up being my roommate, while another ended up being a coworker. Ha! You can also watch Zoe and I fight with inflatable swords. For the record, I let her win.

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I’m totally into Final Fantasy XIII. I just started chapter eight and I really don’t understand why some people have bashed the game. The music is great; Masashi Hamauzu knocked it out of the park with a ton of pressure on him (mainly for not being Nobuo Uematsu). I started digging the gameplay after five hours and really enjoyed it after nine — I don’t understand the criticism that the game takes 25 hours to get going. The story is confusing at first, but a lot of the people that criticize the story go nuts over Final Fantasy VII’s, as if that story made a whole lot of sense. Plot aside, I’m really loving the characters. They’re different and interesting, dealing with a ridiculous situation in ways I can identify with.

So yeah! I’m completely satisfied with FFXIII so far and I’m excited to play more of it over the weekend. How about you? What are you playing this weekend?

Mafia II Developer Diary: Story and Characters

Here’s a cool developer diary for the upcoming Mafia II. The game is kind of flying under the radar, but I suggest keeping an eye on it. I saw it last spring and was very intrigued by its potential. The video features 2K’s director of creative production Jack Scalici, senior producer Denby Grace, cinematics director Thomas Hrebicek, and associate producer Alex Cox.

Jack is awesome because he likes to drink at my San Francisco dive bar.

Coffee Talk #116: Don’t Believe the Hype!

No, today’s Coffee Talk is not about Public Enemy. It’s about videogame hype and disappointment. You see, over the weekend I played a lot of Final Fantasy XIII. Obviously, it was one of the most anticipated games in years. Surprisingly, the reactions to the game — from critics and gamers — have been all over the place. Some love it, while others find it incredibly disappointing. I don’t remember the last time a game this big received so many negative reactions.

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, whether Shawn Michaels is really retiring, the idiocy of Arthur Abraham, or Big Ben not reporting to the Steelers’ voluntary conditioning camp, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

No, today’s Coffee Talk is not about Public Enemy. It’s about videogame hype and disappointment. You see, over the weekend I played a lot of Final Fantasy XIII. Obviously, it was one of the most anticipated games in years. Surprisingly, the reactions to the game — from critics and gamers — have been all over the place. Some love it, while others find it incredibly disappointing. I don’t remember the last time a game this big received so many negative reactions.

Personally, I don’t understand what all the uproar is about. I’m 13 hours in and I’ve really enjoyed the game. It’s not the best or my favorite Final Fantasy game, but to me FFXIII lives up to the hype. And Reona Rewis completely rules.

Today I wanted to see which “big” games have disappointed you. Do you recall any games with monstrous hype that left you wondering what the hell the big deal was? (In case you were wondering, my choice would be Fable, but this is way more about what you guys and gals think.) Use today’s column as your Monday therapy and rant about over-hyped games that left you flat…or worse.

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I’m going to finish up my second run of Dragon Age: Origins Awakening this weekend. After that, I’m going to put it away for a while. As much as I love the expansion pack and want to give it a third shot, I just can’t do it — not until it’s patched. There are too many bugs that bother me. Hopefully a fix will come soon because I really dig the story, characters, and gameplay.

The good news is that I can dive back into Final Fantasy XIII. I’m only six or so hours into the game and I’ve enjoyed it so far. It’s kind of crazy how polarizing FFXIII is — some people absolutely love it and others totally hate it. I’m pretty sure I’m going to end up in the former camp. I already know that it’s not going to be my favorite game in the series, but I’m certain that I’ll be satisfied when the dust settles. I’m also pretty sure I’ll like it better than FFVII (you see what I did there?!?).

As always, I want to know what’s on your weekend playlist.

Coffee Talk #114: Your Dream Videogame Team-Up

In the spirit of the old Marvel Team-Up comics, I want to ask you about the videogame team-up of your dreams. There are so many wonderfully talented developers in Asia, Europe, and North America. Maybe you’d like them to collaborate? Or maybe there are characters from different publishers that you’d like to see in the same game? Whatever the case, I want to know what you’re thinking (pure energy).

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 getting it right last night, why the hell Roy Jones, Jr. is still boxing, or everyone swooning over the HTC Evo 4G even though it won’t be out until the end of the summer, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

In the spirit of the old Marvel Team-Up comics, I want to ask you about the videogame team-up of your dreams. There are so many wonderfully talented developers in Asia, Europe, and North America. Maybe you’d like them to collaborate? Or maybe there are characters from different publishers that you’d like to see in the same game? Whatever the case, I want to know what you’re thinking (pure energy).

As for me, I’d love to see BioWare and Square Enix get together. (It’s not going to happen, but it’s my silly dream so I’m just going to go with it.) I would love a game that combined the gameplay mechanics of Baldur’s Gate or Dragon Age with the art of Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts. A game like that would totally own me.

Now let me know about your videogame team-ups! Perhaps you want a cooperative game with Kratos and Mario? Or maybe Warren Spector designing a game with Tetsuya Nomura directing the art? Dream big people (please)!

GameCrush is Still Broken, Here’s a Video While You’re Waiting

The pimps at GameCrush still haven’t figured out their server situation, leaving their service dead in the water. As I mentioned on Tuesday, GameCrush is a social networking service that allows guys to pay money to play games with girls and girls to make money playing games with guys. It’s either going to be one of the most colossal failures in gaming…or so brilliant that it will take over the industry.

The fact that the company hasn’t obtained more server bandwidth in the last 24 hours is telling. Do you think these guys are for real? Or are they a chop shop running out of some basement? As you debate the merits of this social networking service, be sure to check out the awesome GameCrush promo video posted above.

Coffee Talk #113: Do Games Impact Your Real-World Thinking?

Have you ever found yourself thinking in videogame terms in the real world? I have to admit that I’ve done just that way more than I ought to. For example, if I come across a building with cool architecture, I think about how it would work as a Quake level. I look for the best places to camp, spawning points, etc.

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, Google leaving China, when the hell Bryan Danielson is going to win a match in the WWE, or Jose Canseco being subpoenaed in Roger Clemens’ trial, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Have you ever found yourself thinking in videogame terms in the real world? I have to admit that I’ve done just that way more than I ought to. For example, if I come across a building with cool architecture, I think about how it would work as a Quake level. I look for the best places to camp, spawning points, etc.

After I play a Splinter Cell game (anyone try the demo for Conviction?), it’s really, really hard for me to look at lights. I want to shoot them and create shadows. Thankfully, I don’t have a gun.

One running gag among game writers is to shout, “Achievement unlocked!” whenever a mundane task is completed. Finding the restroom, tracking down a wandering waitress, and discovering new beverages like Pepsi Max Cease Fire are all worthy achievements in real life.

Hopefully I’m not insane and you have thoughts like this too. Let your fellow RPadholics and me know what videogame thoughts you have in everyday life.