Category: PC 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, 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?

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)!

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?

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)!