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Coffee Talk #319: Do You Still Make Calls With Your Phone?

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, Big Blak’s birthday, Cappie Pondexter’s idiotic tweets about God punishing Japan, or your March Madness brackets, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Unlike most of my friends, I actually use my mobile phone to make a lot of phone calls. That’s not too surprising considering that most of my friends are gamer geeks and/or tech nerds. I used to think that their phone usage was weird, but it’s becoming more and more common — people are spending much more time using their phones for data rather than voice. Hell, at this rate we probably should stop calling them phones. They’re portable computers that also happen to make phone calls. (For the record, I think the term “connected devices” is one of the worst marketing concoctions I’ve heard in the last five years. I refuse to use it.)

I wanted to see how you guys and dolls use your mobile phones. Are you primarily data hogs? Do you burn through your monthly minutes? Do you use a ton of voice and data? Or is it usually much more of one? Over the course of a month, what percentage of your phone use is voice and what percentage is data? I’m really curious to see your comments for today’s Coffee Talk. There should be lots of interesting data points.

Coffee Talk #318: Random Thoughts on Dragon Age II

My Dragon Age II review has been submitted to Machinima, but I wanted to take some space to discuss the game with all of you. I also wanted to post random (and sometimes stupid) observations that…

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, Sony possibly getting GeoHotz’s PayPal records, the Verizon Thunderbolt going on sale today, or the Chicago Bulls chances of winning a championship, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

My Dragon Age II review has been submitted to Machinima, but I wanted to take some space to discuss the game with all of you. I also wanted to post random (and sometimes stupid) observations that were not appropriate for a proper review. So let’s get to it! Here are a bunch of scattered thoughts on Dragon Age II. Spoilers ahead!!!

– I fought the temptation to name my character Ethan. This would have made him Ethan Hawke. In my head, people in Thedas would constantly ask him, “What was it like boning Uma Thurman?” Instead, my rogue was named RPad Hawke and my warrior was named Raymond Hawke. I’m planning to play as a female mage for my third run. I’ll most likely name her Ether Hawke, which plays on Ethan Hawk and is a tribute to dear friend.

– A lot fanboys have complained about the game’s story, saying that it’s too small. I think those people are idiots. Certainly this chapter of Dragon Age is more focused and centers on Hawke’s adventure in Kirkwall. Taking away some of the freedom of the original allowed for tighter storytelling. Furthermore, this focused tale has expanded the world of Dragon Age. It’s obvious that something bigger is in the works. Flemeth is on the loose. The conflict between mages and templars is worse than ever. The chantry is searching for the Hero of Ferelden (Dragon Age: Origins) and the Champion of Kirkwall (Dragon Age II). I’m expecting something grand when it all comes together. Hopefully there’s room for the Scourge of Antiva, the Vixen of Orlais, and That Guy from Seheron.

– There are a lot of English, Irish, and Scottish accents in Kirkwall. In my head, I kept hearing WWE Sheamus. He hangs around The Hanged Man pub and threatens people by screaming, “Buy me a drink or I’ll kick you in the Kirkwalls, fella!”

– The game’s characterization is topnotch and the banter between companions is brilliant. The writers did a wonderful job at making you lust for the pirate wench (Isabela), shake your head at the innocent mage that plays with blood magic (Merrill), want to slap the ex-slave (Fenris) for being a dick, and more. The most impressive characterization was the 180 the writers did with Anders. He was fun, foppish wise-cracking sidekick in Dragon Age: Origins Awakening. Although he still spouts a sharp joke every now and then, circumstances have made him darker and brooding. His actions in the game’s third act were shocking. You wouldn’t have thought that the guy you met in Awakening would be capable of doing what he did in Dragon Age II, but the writers did a fine job and making it believable.

– There are a lot of bisexual characters in Dragon Age II. Most of the companions with romance trees can be courted by male or female “Hawke” characters. I applaud BioWare for allowing numerous heterosexual and homosexual romances for different kinds of gamers. It’s modern and progressive. That said, I’m a bit surprised that the company didn’t keep pushing the envelope to allow for an incest angle between the Champion and his sibling. Hell, Marvel did it in Ultimates.

– It was great seeing so many characters from the first game and Awakening. Alistair, Zevran, Leliana, Flemeth, Bodahn, Sandal, Nathaniel, and several others appearances. Some other characters are mentioned by name in the dialogue. One of my favorite lines was the bartender talking about the dwindling pigeon population in Ferelden, which was obviously the work of pigeon-stomping golem Shale from Origins. It was cool that Alistair could be a king or a drunk depending on the choices you made in the first game. It was fantastic learning about Flemeth’s contingency plan. DA2 had a lot of great nods to gamers that played the original.

– Speaking of Sandal, I think I’m going to join the growing number of Sandal conspiracy theorists. There’s something about this enchantment-inducing dwarf with a (supposed) mental disability that’s…not quite right. It’s funny how he was in the middle of the madness at Ferelden and Kirkwall. It’s funnier that when nobody is around, he can dispatch a horde of darkspawn through a method he describes as “not enchantment”. He’s off to Orlais next, so perhaps the third game takes place there…or perhaps he’s the maker, come back to the world to reshape it through a series of drastic events. Yeah. That makes the most sense.

– I honestly think all the people bitching about this game are doing it just to bitch. It’s a great RPG. I’m going to play it at least four times. I don’t do that with bad games. Yet if you believed everything you read on the Internet, this is the biggest affront to Western RPGs in the last decade. It’s not a perfect game, but I think it’s getting unfairly knocked because it’s more accessible than the original and some hardcore gamers can’t stand change. I also think it’s getting knocked because it’s from BioWare; if the same game came out and it was made by a different developer then fans and critics alike would be heaping praise on it.

Anyway, those are some random thoughts on the Dragon Age II. I’ll post my “real” review when it runs on Machinima. For now, let’s chat it up (please)!

LG VL600 Review: Verizon LTE Modem is Blazing Fast

I’ve been spending time with the LG VL600 — one of Verizon’s 4G LTE modems. I’ve been very, very impressed with its performance, but there are a few factors to keep in mind. Before I get to those, let’s take a look at some speed results. I tested out the VL600 at four major American airports using SpeedTest.net. The modem was used on a Dell XPS 1330 running Windows 7. Check out the numbers:

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Ping: 57ms
Download: 13.46 Mbps
Upload: 8.17 Mbps

San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Ping: 43ms
Download: 9.19 Mbps
Upload 10.6 Mbps

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
Ping: 84ms
Download: 11.17 Mbps
Upload: 3.76 Mbps

Orlando International Airport (MCO)
Ping: 242ms
Download: 8.54 Mbps
Upload: 1.33 Mbps

Those are outstanding data rates for a mobile modem. In some cases — notably upload speed — they’re way better than what I get with my Time Warner Cable service at home. That’s extremely impressive.

The modem itself is relatively inexpensive. The full retail price is $249.99. With a two-year contract it’s $149.99. Verizon is currently running an online special that gets you the VL600 for $69.99.

My big issue with the VL600 is that Verizon is offering a 4G product but playing under 3G rules. There are currently two data packages available with the VL600: a 5GB plan for $50 per month and a 10GB for $80 per month (not including taxes and regulatory fees). Additional data costs $10 for every GB. With the speed I was getting, it would be easy to blow through the monthly allowance in a matter of days. Putting old restrictions on new technology is a bit silly and kind of defeats the point.

Another factor to keep in mind is that there are currently only two data devices available on Verizon’s LTE network. As 2011 rolls on, there will be several phones that use Verizon LTE. As more devices pull from the network, performance will likely degrade. I’m positive that if I ran the same speed tests in December 2011, the results wouldn’t be as good. Having said that, I’d still expect the speeds to be better than Sprint’s WiMax network and T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network (those results will be posted in another article).

From a hardware and network standpoint, the LG VL600 is just all kinds of awesome. It’s easy to use and the speed results are incredible. I’m disappointed with Verizon’s service pricing for this product. It’s too restrictive and discourages users from taking advantage of the awesome LTE speeds. If you want great speeds in limited doses then this is the perfect product for you. Just watch your data usage. It’s way too easy to hit the data cap with the VL600’s mercurial speeds.

As always, please let me know if you have any question about the VL600. I’ll answer them as soon as I can.

Coffee Talk #317: Bothersome Review Minutiae and You

What do you guys and gals think of missing small details in reviews? Do they ruin the review for you? Is it irrelevant since it has nothing to do with reviewer’s opinion on the game?

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, Rihanna’s hotness, your favorite chicken wings, or your favorite Little Rascal, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

A couple of weeks ago, RPadholic bsukenyan sent me a link to a Pokemon Black/White review. It contained a small comment that made me dismiss the review, even though it had nothing to do with the review’s quality. Check it out:

Somebody at Game Freak must love bridges because there are numerous huge bridges to cross.

Hardcore Pokemon fans know that Game Freak director Junichi Masuda is a bridge otaku. He completely lit up when I asked him about his fascination with bridges during an interview I did for G4tv.com. I don’t expect most gamers to know about Masuda’s love of bridges, but between a writer and an editor, this stupid line should never have made it to the review.

More recently, I read this review of Tactics Ogre. It also had a line that made me wince:

On the surface Tactics Ogre looks like any other tactical RPG (with an uncanny resemblance to Final Fantasy Tactics), with grid-based, turn-by-turn combat featuring a multitude of classes and weapons.

An uncanny resemblance to Final Fantasy Tactics?!? I don’t see what’s so uncanny about it. Before Yasumi Matsuno’s team made Final Fantasy Tactics, they made the Tactics Ogre and Ogre Battle. He directed, designed, and wrote all of those games. The art and music teams were largely the same. It’s uncanny for a small development team to make games that resemble each other? Really?!?

In both cases, the lines had nothing to do with the reviewer’s opinion on the game. As a huge fan of both series and developers, the lines made me think less of the reviewer and editor. What do you guys and gals think of missing small details in reviews? Do they ruin the review for you? Is it irrelevant since it has nothing to do with the reviewer’s opinion? Kindly share your thoughts in today’s Coffee Talk!

Today’s Poll: Apple iPad 2 Launch vs. Nintendo 3DS Launch

The Apple iPad 2 launched last Friday and some analysts believe that nearly one-million units were sold over the weekend. Later this month, the Nintendo 3DS will launch and demand is expected to be similarly crazy. Which product will have the more impressive launch week? On one hand, the iPad 2 has a broader appeal since it’s a multifaceted device that offers excellent browsing, decent gaming, and fantastic media consumption. The Nintendo 3DS is also multifaceted, but its focus is on gaming. It also has the allure of 3D and a lower price point. Which company will sell more in week one? Take today’s poll and state your case (please)!

[poll id=”106″]

Coffee Talk #316: Your Worst Launch Experience

I got to see the dark side of a big product launch as I was snapping pictures and getting quotes for a magazine article on the iPad 2 launch. At two Los Angeles Apple Stores, I interviewed a bunch of people that…

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, Sergio Martinez gunning for boxing’s pound-for-pound best distinction, Intelligentsia’s Anjilanaka Organic Bolivia, or the global impact of a nuclear reactor meltdown in Japan, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

The launch of a hot consumer electronics device always leaves thousands of people happy…and thousands of people disappointed, angry, or sad. I got to see the dark side of a big product launch as I was snapping pictures and getting quotes for a magazine article on the iPad 2 launch. At two Los Angeles Apple Stores, I interviewed a bunch of people that waited in line for hours and were not able to get the iPad 2 model they wanted. All of them were pissed off about wasting their time.

Even online shoppers were angry. When the iPad 2 launched a tad before 1:00AM on March 11, 2011, it had an estimated ship date of three to five days. After a couple of hours the wait increased to three to four weeks. People that were hoping to avoid lines at retail stores on day one now had the lovely option of waiting until April for an iPad 2. To be fair, I’m pretty sure that the estimated ship dates are being exaggerated so that Apple has some wiggle room. Additionally, new iPad 2 shipments should be arriving daily to Apple Stores, Best Buy, AT&T stores, Verizon stores, etc., so brick-and-mortar supply should be reasonable before April.

The bottom line (which is funny for Coffee Talk 3:16) is that while hundreds of thousands of people are happy with their new iPads, there are thousands of people that are pissed off with the way Apple handled the launch.

Out of curiosity, what was your worst launch experience? Did you wait in line for a PlayStation 2 or an iPhone 3GS? Did you scour online retailers to get a new console when stores were sold out? Or have you never had a launch experience since you were happy to wait until you didn’t have to jump through hoops to get product? Kindly share your worst launch experience in today’s Coffee Talk!

Orapa = Internet TV on Xbox 360?

It looks like Microsoft is getting closer to launching an Internet television service for Xbox 360. ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley received some details on the company’s “Orapa” IPTV service, which will hit Xbox 360, Windows PCs, and Windows Phone 7. Here’s the skinny:

Orapa, in development now, is going to be a combination of Xbox Live and Microsoft’s Mediaroom IPTV, from what I’m hearing. It would give Microsoft a way to turn TV into a service that it could deliver to Xbox customers first, and Windows, Windows Phone and set-top-box customers, later.

Orapa will enable the mash-up of Mediaroom features, Xbox Live social features (like avatars and recommendations), Kinect sensing capabilities, and some of those forthcoming Ventura music/video services. Remember the circa-2007 rumors about Microsoft “Carbon,” an add-on for Xbox that was supposedly going to add IPTV video playback? Orapa seems to be the successor to that initiative, my sources say.

I’m so excited by the prospect of “cutting the cord” from (crap bag) Time Warner Cable. Right now Apple TV is the most interesting option, with its recently announced live HD streaming of NBA and MLB games in addition to a large selection of movies and TV shows. That said, I see a ton of potential with Orapa, simply because I’m confident that Microsoft will throw an obscene amount of money behind it (see Zune, Kinect, etc.).

My dream is for a console that lets me stream live HD of WWE programming, HBO boxing, Yankees games, and American Idol. Is that too much to ask?!?

Source

Coffee Talk #315: Mobile & Social Games Are Like X-Men

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, crazy earthquakes and tsunamis, the iPad 2 launch, or legal issues derailing Floyd Mayweather’s career, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

During my GDC 2011 networking (i.e. drinking and talking with people), I noticed an irrational hatred for mobile and social games. There was a small, but vocal, percentage of people I spoke with that hate this segment of gaming for no good reason. They were spread over a variety of jobs in the business too — developers, publishers, marketers, journalists, etc. After one fellow mentioned that he didn’t know why he hated mobile and social games, I replied, “So they’re like the X-Men? You hate and fear them for no reason?”

Don’t get me wrong, if you don’t like mobile and/or social games, that’s fine. The negative feelings I encountered were much more active than that — as if these kinds of games hurt the business or they weren’t “real” games. I really didn’t understand the sentiment. Why waste energy on actively hating mobile and social games? Isn’t it easier to focus on the games you like instead of expending negative energy? It seems silly to me.

Just to check myself, I wanted to get your thoughts on mobile and social gaming. Do you actively hate them? Do you not like them? Are you excited by the new and exciting things they bring to gaming? Or are they just kind of there and you ignore them? Share your feelings like a Care Bear and explain your stance (please)!

Coffee Talk #314: What’s the Hardest Game You’ve Played?

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, crying with the Miami Heat, Lady Gaga dropping her Target deal because of LGBT issues, or Yemen, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Imagine a verbal entertainer, some game designers, and some marketing guys drunkenly talking about games during GDC 2011. The topic of the most difficult game of all time comes up. Some guys bring up Ninja Gaiden, others mention Battletoads, and a few swear that nothing tops Mega Man 9.

Pretend you were hanging out in the group. What was the most difficult game you’ve every played? Did you enjoy the brutal difficulty? Or was it just pissing you off to the point that you had to win? Any of you ever hurt your hand because of a difficult videogame?

GDC 2011 Notes: Random Thoughts on the RPad.tv Experience

I wanted to write and post this yesterday, but my web host decided to suck. Here are some random thoughts on my GDC 2011 experience. Some of it is personal and some of it is business. All of it is the truth!

– In addition to some great networking and excellent parties, I got to have some quiet time with some of my favorite developers. Cliff Bleszinski treated me to some quiet drinks at the top of the Marriott Marquis. I caught up with Chris Cross over an excellent burger and learned that he’s now with THQ Partners. My darling friend and hottie Melissa Miller from 2K Games joined me for our annual catch-up session while devouring evil meat. Sure, I enjoyed lots of parties and meeting new people at the crazy crowded W Hotel, but these quiet catch-ups were special.

– Meeting Takashi Tokita was all kinds of excellent. The man worked on Final Fantasy IV, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VII, and Parasite Eve. I love so many of his games and it was an honor to interview him. I totally marked out and became a fanboy when he gave me an autographed Cecil Harvey action figure. It got even better at the FFIV anniversary party when he asked me to do tequila shots with him and draw Final Fantasy characters. I’m pretty sure I produced the worst black mage, white mage, and chocobo illustrations in the history of Final Fantasy.

– I was really impressed with all the money Google dropped on GDC. In addition to hosting informative sessions, the company gave away Chrome Cr-48 netbooks, Xoom Android tablets, and limited edition Android Nexus S phones. That’s definitely one way to get developers interested in your platforms. It also threw a big and expensive party, but the vibe was totally douchey.

– I was disappointed in Nintendo’s GDC keynote. There was way too much marketing content. Last time I checked, this was a developers conference. Nintendo’s message to developers wasn’t powerful enough. Iwata’s charming was drowned out by all the sales and marketing. Honestly, the company should have copied Google and gave free 3DS units to developers. That would have taken attention away from Google and the Apple iPad 2 press conference across the street.

– Cliffy’s panel was well attended and well received. I’m so proud of all his success. I’m even prouder that one of us has matured. Hmmm, I suppose that makes me the immature and (financially) unsuccessful one. Crap.

– Battlefield 3 looked ridiculous. I didn’t really have any expectations going into the preview event, but I was floored with what I saw.

– The new Unreal Engine tech demo (That someone snuck me into. Thanks babe!) was even more ridiculous. I swear to you that it looked like CG-quality graphics in gameplay scenarios. I was half expecting to see a wizard behind the curtain after the demo ended. That said, most companies don’t have the art budget and technical skills to make games look that way. I’m sure the bar will be raised, but I’m not going to expect the majority of Unreal Engine games to look like that brilliant tech demo…though I hope I’m wrong.

– I was happy that I saw more GDC panel coverage than ever before. I’m sad that there are so many publisher preview events during the show. It takes away from the “developer” part of the conference. I understand that it makes economic sense since there are so many reporters there. I also understand that outlets get more traffic from previews than writing up developer panels. Still, it goes against the spirit of the show. Writers could be cranking really interesting and insightful articles on panels — articles that would help gamers understand more about development and help them get to know the amazing people behind the games. I remember posting an article about this at G4tv and getting heat for it. There was someone there that thought it was silly to admit that we made a mistake with our approach to coverage. Pfft.

– Absolutely loved the 1Up party. It was a bunch of old friends drinking and making a mess at the 1Up office. It was cool seeing people that I’ve known since the ’90s and hanging out with new friends. I had a blast taking over Sam Kennedy’s office, writing things on his white board, and making long distance calls to China.

– A lot of game writers use a similar rule, but if you grab me for a random demo and give me a USB drive then it better be a good size. Journalists judge PR this way. It’s true. This loud German developer grabbed (and frightened) me for a demo for an okay game that will stick in my head because of the 8GB USB thumb drive with the beta. Okay, I’m half kidding about this.

– Overall it was an excellent show with lots of great networking and a reminder that I should still try to do this. Sometimes it’s hard to see the “value” of what I’m doing and what I’m trying to do, but I’m surprised by the amazing people I’ve gotten to know over the years and even more surprised that some of them are interested in my perspective. DICE 2011 reminded me of how incredible the gaming business is, while GDC 2011 reminded me that I have a small place on the outside of the business. Prior to the show I had fears that this would be my last year covering games and that I would soon be on the management track at Burger King (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Thanks to a visit from Zoe and a great GDC, I’m determined to stay here.