Category: Today’s Specials

Final Fantasy XIII-2 Announcement Next Week?

A curious domain name registration and a Square Enix event in Tokyo point to a possible Final Fantasy XIII-2 announcement next week. The Unofficial Final Fantasy Site has done some sleuthing and discovered that the domain name “finalfantasy13-2game.com” has been registered by a company that has filed paperwork for other Square Enix titles.

Superannuation noted that the domain had been registered by “Corporation Service Company” — the same company that has registered domains for other Square Enix titles, including the official website for upcoming third person shooter MindJack, MindJackGame.com.

We’ve done a little extra investigation on top, and the same company has recently been used to register domains for Front Mission Evolved, Nier and Gun Loco, all major recent or upcoming Square Enix releases.

The last direct Final Fantasy sequel, Final Fantasy X-2, was an okay game that didn’t match up to its fantastic forerunner. If this FFXIII-2 rumor pans out, I’m hoping that Square Enix does a better job following up. Hell, with critics polarized by Final Fantasy XIII, there’s a chance that it could score better than the original.

Personally, I’m totally down with more FFXIII graphics and gameplay. A sequel would totally win me over if it featured more Reona Rewis songs and centered on Sazh’s adventures as a single parent. And you? Would you be down with FFXIII-2? What would you want the game to be?

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Rumor: PSP2 as Powerful as PS3, Q4 2011 Release

Following yesterday’s rumor that Sony will announce the PlayStation Portable 2 on January 27, MCV’s sources have told it that Sony’s next portable system will be as powerful as its current home system. The site also discussed release information. Here’s the nitty gritty:

Sony has told licensees the device ‘is as powerful as the PlayStation 3’.

The new PSP is expected to arrive within the Q4 period, perhaps as early as October, and includes a HD screen with twin-stick controls in the familiar ‘brick’ form factor.

The system’s power makes sense, though I’m sure it’s slightly exaggerated. Similar to how the PSP serves up graphics comparable to the PS2’s, I’m sure the PSP2 will serve up visuals that are comparable to what the PS3 offers. I’m also sure that the PSP2’s best graphics will be less impressive than the PS3’s best.

The Q4 2011 release date also makes sense. The holiday season is the most lucrative and Sony doesn’t want to give the Nintendo 3DS too much of a head start.

What do you think of the latest round of PSP2 rumors? Should I color you interested? If so, which of Crayola’s 133 colors should I use? Anyone else thinking something along the lines of, “Crap! Now I need money for two new portable systems this year.”?

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Coffee Talk #284: I Love Q1 Gaming!

Historically, the last three months of the gaming year are more exciting than the first three months. Yet in 2010, that was hardly the case. Q1 2010 gave me more memorable gaming moments than Q4 2010…and there’s a chance that 2011 will end up the same way.

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, LeBron James’ karma tweets, Ted Williams going from homelessness to media sensation to rehab, or whether American politics will use a tragedy to become more reasonable, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Historically, the last three months of the gaming year are more exciting than the first three months. Yet in 2010, that was hardly the case. Q1 2010 gave me more memorable gaming moments than Q4 2010…and there’s a chance that 2011 will end up the same way.

Let’s take a step back and look at some of Q1 2010’s best videogames: Dragon Age: Origins Awakening, Final Fantasy XIII, God of War III, Heavy Rain, Mass Effect 2, and Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver. That’s a ridiculously stacked lineup! For the kinds of games that I love, it was perfection.

While Q1 2011 doesn’t look quite as stacked as Q1 2010, I’m sure that Dragon Age 2, Pokemon Black/White, and the release of the Nintendo 3DS will give me some of the best gaming moments of the year. I’m totally down with a graphically enhanced (and downloadable!) version of Mass Effect 2 for PS3 as well. Deus Ex: Human Revolution, DC Universe Online, LittleBigPlanet 2, Bulletstorm, and Killzone 3 have great potential too. I’m sure there are Q1 2011 games that I’m not interested in that fall right into your wheelhouse.

Personally, I love a front-loaded year of gaming. The end of the year is such a hectic time in the videogame business that it’s hard to find the time to enjoy games (especially for an RPG lover like me). What do you think of the trend of publishers targeting big releases for the first three months of the year? Will Q1 2011 be more fun than Q1 2010 for you?

PSP 2 Being Announced on January 27, 2011?

According to MCV, Sony will announce the PlayStation Portable 2 at a press event in Tokyo, Japan on January 27, 2011. While Sony has taken some bumps and bruises with the PSP, the company has sold millions of units. It’s not the craze that the Nintendo DS was, but it was certainly a successful system (particularly for a debut).

With the Nintendo 3DS on the way and Apple drastically changing the mobile gaming market, what does Sony have up its sleeve with the PSP2? What features do you want the PSP2 to have (aside from dual analog sticks)? Do you think Sony’s game plan will be different this time around in light of the booming iOS gaming market?

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Coffee Talk #283: What’s in a (Game) Name?

What do you name yourself in videogames? How about characters you collect in your party? Since I’ve restarted Pokemon SoulSilver, Pokemon names have been on my mind. As I mentioned in my old Pokemusings column…

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, Trevor Hoffman retiring, the Pokemon Black/White mall tour, or your favorite Kool-Aid flavor, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

What do you name yourself in videogames? How about characters you collect in your party? Since I’ve restarted Pokemon SoulSilver, Pokemon names have been on my mind. As I mentioned in my old Pokemusings column, I hate sticking with standard names. I love going with puns. Just ask my Wobuffet named Jimmy, my Kabutops named Citizen, and my freshly caught Lugia named Hakka. *snicker*

As for single-player games where I’m the lead, I usually stick to some form of RPad. While the name is passable in sci-fi settings, it seems funny and out of place in fantasy games like Dragon Age: Origins. An elf rogue named R.Pad?!? Yeah…. More recently I’ve been using RPad.tv for branding purposes. You never know when someone will play a game with you online and randomly check out your web site.

And you? What do you usually name yourself in single-player games? What names do you use when you have an entire party?

Coffee Talk #282: Looking Back at Your 2010 Most Wanted

It was fun learning about the 2011 games you’re psyched for. Just for kicks, I went back to Coffee Talk #59, #60, and #61 to check on your most wanted games of 2010. How did your picks work out for you?

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, Owen Wilson becoming a father, the Carmelo Anthony deal-a-thon, or finishing the last remnants of a mediocre bag of beans from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

It was fun learning about the 2011 games you’re psyched for. Just for kicks, I went back to Coffee Talk #59, #60, and #61 to check on your most wanted games of 2010. How did your picks work out for you? Were your expectations met or exceeded? Or did your choices disappoint you? Here are the three games I picked:

  1. 1) Heavy Rain — As a Quantic Dream fan, I was so psyched for this game. It was pretty much what I expected and I was very satisfied with the experience. The graphics, storytelling, and music were fantastic.
  2. 2) Final Fantasy XIII — Yeah, I still haven’t finished this game, but I really enjoyed what I played so far. Sure, there’s a lot of hand holding, but the graphics, music, and gameplay totally work for me. Plus, it has Reona Rewis.
  3. 3) SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 — While my other two picks were pretty much what I expected, this was the one game that surprised me. I knew the writing was going to be excellent, but I was shocked by its quality. If it doesn’t win all kinds of awards in 2011 then there’s no hope for the videogame industry.

Now it’s your turn!  I noticed a bunch of you picked BioShock 2. While it was a good game, I recall a bunch of you being let down. I also noticed that one of you was certain that Diablo III would be released in 2010. Oops…and I’m sorry. Now kindly peer into your retroscope and leave a comment. How did your 2010 most wanted list turn out?

Three Things I Learned From CES 2011

Now that we’ve all had a weekend to digest all the announcements and happenings from the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES), I thought it would be a good time to reflect on what we’ve all learned. Here are my three takeaways from CES 2011:

Now that we’ve all had a weekend to digest all the announcements and happenings from the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES), I thought it would be a good time to reflect on what we’ve all learned. Here are my three takeaways from CES 2011. Check ’em out and let me know what you learned (please)!

1) I Need a Dual-Core Mobile Processor Now! Never mind that the 800MHz Scorpion in my T-Mobile G2 is performing well and I’ve been perfectly happy with the phone for months. I lust for the superior power and efficiency of dual-core processors. Of course I want to see benchmarks and real-world battery tests, but that won’t stop me from glaring at my G2 for not having a dual-core processor.

2) The Motorola Atrix 4G’s Laptop Dock is Clever. Prior to CES 2011, I found the thought of a dockable mobile phone unappealing — probably because the Palm Foleo made it sound so ridiculous. That said, I have to admit that the netbook-like functionality of the Motorola Atrix has me interested. It appears to be a smart and sharp implementation that would extend the capabilities of the phone and eliminate the need for a secondary laptop. Color me intrigued (which, in my head, is a bright shade of blue).

3) Vizio’s Boldness is Awesome! Vizio isn’t the most well-known brand in America. Some people view it as the “cheapie” brand they see at CostCo and Sam’s Club. That’s a shame because the company offers some really excellent televisions, some of which are tough to beat from a price/performance ratio. I was surprised by the company’s aggressive and diverse moves at CES 2011. It’s entering the mobile computing market with Android and the gaming space with OnLive.

How about you? What were your favorite lessons learned from CES 2011?

This Week’s Videogame Releases

We’re barely into 2011 and there are already some excellent games coming out. There are three very interesting titles shipping this week…and I want them all! First up is DC Universe Online. I still have dreams of forming The Super Buddies, Part Deux with some of you. Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded bundles some KH episodic content that was released in Japan. As a fan of the series, I’m psyched to play more of Sora’s adventures. Last, but not least, is Prinny 2, the sequel to a super-funny and super-challenging platformer based on those lovable demonic Disgaea penguins.

Any of you picking up new games this week?

Coffee Talk #281: When Games Make You Look Insane

Do you do anything as a gamer that seems wacky to non-gamers? There are lots of ways that gaming makes us seem insane to those not familiar with our glorious hobby. I just had a weekend of “insane” gaming…and it seemed perfectly normal to me.

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, Edin Dzeko joining Manchester City, Porsche’s hybrid sports car, or politicizing the Arizona shootings, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Do you do anything as a gamer that seems wacky to non-gamers? Maybe there’s a certain sub-genre of gaming that you enjoy in a way that seems bizarre to your fellow gamers. There are lots of ways that gaming makes us seem insane to those not familiar with our glorious hobby. I just had a weekend of “insane” gaming…and it seemed perfectly normal to me.

I finally got around to picking up my shiny Raikou from GameStop. I forgot that I had a downloadable Jirachi on my Pokemon Pearl cartridge too. Like any self-respecting Pokemon trainer, I spent about 90 minutes getting an acceptable nature and IVs on my Jirachi. For those not familiar with the process, I received my Jirachi, checked its stats, and kept resetting the game until I got one that I was happy with. After that was done, I spent another 60 minutes soft resetting the game until I got a Raikou with strong IVs.

Hardcore Pokemon players understand why I spent two and a half hours getting the right stats. Some non-Pokemon gamers will “get” it too, but I imagine there are many that would find the effort excessive and unusual. Explaining the concept of “soft resetting” to non-gamers? Forget about it. Most people would think that it’s nuts.

Do you do anything as a gamer that the “normals” would find unusual, inexplicable, or insane? Is there an aspect of gaming that you enjoy but couldn’t explain to non-gamers? (And yes, one of the reasons I wrote this story was to justify my zealous Pokemon gaming.)

Coffee Talk #280: Your Most Wanted Games of 2011

2010 was a fantastic year for gaming and 2011 looks even better! What are some of the games you’re looking forward to in 2011? Here’s my personal top five…

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, why America cares about the Kardashians, Floyd Mayweather getting hassled by his HOA, or the miracle of Ted Williams, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

2010 was a fantastic year for gaming and 2011 looks even better! What are some of the games you’re looking forward to in 2011? Here’s my personal top-five list:

  1. Dragon Age II — I love BioWare. I love fantasty RPGs. Of course this is on the top of my list.
  2. Diablo III — I love Blizzard. I love action-RPGs. Oh, you know….
  3. The Last Guardian — As a huge Ico fan, I’m really looking forward to the game’s visuals and emotional storytelling.
  4. Portal 2 — I have no doubt that this one will rock. I’m fairly sure that this will be even better than the original.
  5. Journey — Some day, love will find you. Oops. Wrong Journey. I loved Flower and I can’t wait to see what thatgamecompany has in store with Journey.

Games that just missed the list include The 3rd Birthday, The Legend of Zelda: The Skyward Sword, Batman: Arkham City, and Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

Now it’s your turn! What are your most wanted games of 2011?