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Coffee Talk #199: My Summer Slam Weekend

Man that was an awesome weekend — great WWE action, fantastic friends, good food, and mingling with WWE Superstars! Here are some random highlights.

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, Scott Pilgrim needing your support, Dustin Johnson being the victim of a stupid golf rule, or the latest threats to net neutrality, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Man that was an awesome weekend — great WWE action, fantastic friends, good food, and mingling with WWE Superstars! Here are some random highlights.

– It’s always great to see the crew from Yuke’s Yokohama. I make lots of jokes about my tiny involvement in their game, but these cats work really hard to pump out a strong WWE game on a yearly schedule. They’re awesome.

– Melina is much prettier in person than on TV. I learned this when I met her a few years ago. I was reminded of it on Saturday. She’s also unnervingly sweet.

– The Sheraton bar was great on Saturday and Sunday. Among the people hanging out were WWE Champion Sheamus, Edge, Christian, Michael Hayes, Mark Henry, Kaval, R-Truth, Finlay, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, Percy Watson, and Jack Swagger. I’m definitely forgetting a bunch of people.

– The only time I got nervous around WWE talent was when I bumped into Arn Anderson. The dude’s a legend and one of my all-time favorites. His spinebuster still rules!

– I marked out massively when Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan) was announced for the Summer Slam main event. I enjoyed most of the card, but that had me out of my seat, screaming, and pumping my fist. (Keep in mind that I was in a luxury suite and not on the floor, where it would have been more appropriate.) Total mizzark moment.

– Hanging out with my boy Jose from Electric Playground is always excellent. However, two days of screaming “Ask him!!!”, “Excuse me!!!”, and “What’s up?!?” (like R-Truth’s) has completely screwed my voice for the week. And with that, I shall leave you with a song and a question: People on my site, what’s up?!?

My WWE Summer Slam 2010 Wish

As many of you know, I’m hitting up Summer Slam 2010 this Sunday. I’m really looking forward to the card, particularly the Raw vs. Nexus main event. It’s been one of the hottest angles all year and I’m hoping for a nice payoff that highlights some new talent. That said, there’s one thing missing…

…Bryan Danielson. I was super psyched that Danielson was part of NXT season one. He’s been one of my favorite Ring of Honor wrestlers for the last few years. Since Shawn Michaels retired, WWE hasn’t been the same for me and I was counting on Danielson to fill the void. Then he got fired for a seemingly ridiculous reason.

How awesome would it be for Danielson to be Raw’s seventh man (currently they have six to Nexus’ seven)?!? The Nexus would be trouncing the Raw Superstars when Danielson rushes to the ring. The Nexus would sport devious grins, thinking that they have an even greater advantage…when Danielson nails Wade Barrett with a punch, revealing his allegiance to Raw! It would be great for Danielson and extend the Nexus angle.

It’s probably not going to happen since Danielson’s schedule looks full, but who knows?!? He appears to have an opening on Sunday.

NPD Console Hardware Sales Figures for July 2010

July’s NPD numbers are the most interesting console sales figures in a long, long time. For the first time in three years (I think), a Nintendo console is not on top of the list! The quote Brian Fellow from Brian Fellow’s Safari Planet, “That’s crazy!!!” Let’s check out the numbers:

Xbox 360: 443,500
Nintendo DS: 398,400
Nintendo Wii: 253,900
PlayStation 3: 214,500
PlayStation Portable 84,000

Even though Nintendo sold a lot of hardware in July, it just feels weird that the company didn’t top the charts. It’s like when Hulk Hogan turned heel or seeing Joe Torre in a Dodgers’ uniform — it’s just doesn’t feel right.

Is this the start of Nintendo’s decline (until the 3DS takes over the world)? Can Microsoft sustain the momentum it generated with the Xbox 360 Slim SeXbox 360? Look at those lowly PSP numbers? Is there anything Sony can do to kickstart its handheld system? Or should Sony focus its portable efforts on the PSP2? Answer and discuss (please)!

Coffee Talk #198: What’s Your Favorite “Hard” Game?

There’s a fine line between a satisfyingly difficult game and a game that’s so annoying that you want to hurl your controller through your television. Some titles have tough sections that adequately reward your Herculean efforts. Others are just difficult for the sake of being difficult. In my mind it’s the difference between something like Ninja Gaiden and Mega Man 9. It’s so tough to do it right.

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 Lada Gaga is a fashion genius or a fashion nut job, James Toney’s MMA career, or (the asthmatic and old) Dave Batista’s possible MMA career, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

There’s a fine line between a satisfyingly difficult game and a game that’s so annoying that you want to hurl your controller through your television. Some titles have tough sections that adequately reward your Herculean efforts. Others are just difficult for the sake of being difficult. In my mind it’s the difference between something like Ninja Gaiden and Mega Man 9. It’s so tough to do it right.

Today I’d love to learn about your favorite “hard” games. What are some titles that really challenged you and pushed you to the limits in a satisfying way? While you’re at it, what are some games that were so hard that you had no choice but to quit? Sound off (please)!!!

Coffee Talk #197: Who’s Your Favorite Super Villain?

In yesterday’s Coffee Talk, we had a fun conversation about our favorite superheroes. Let’s take a stroll on the dark side today and talk about our favorite super villains! In comics, games, movies, etc., heroes are only as good as their villains. Threats seem much more epic when they’re executed by a devious mastermind. The fictional world needs great villains!

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, Steven Slater gloriously quitting his Jet Blue job, why the hell Evander Holyfield is still fighting, or if the voices in your head talk to Randy Orton’s, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

In yesterday’s Coffee Talk, we had a fun conversation about our favorite superheroes. Let’s take a stroll on the dark side today and talk about our favorite super villains! In comics, games, movies, etc., heroes are only as good as their villains. Threats seem much more epic when they’re executed by a devious mastermind. The fictional world needs great villains!

I gravitate towards guys like Darkseid and Thanos. They’re ridiculously powerful character with complex powers, yet their goals are so simple — they’re just want to kill everyone. Darkseid is obsessed with the Anti-Life Equation, while Thanos wants to kill millions in order to get Lady Death in bed.

More recently, I’ve enjoyed Prometheus in DC Comics. He’s smart, cool, calculated, and frickin’ funny. I love that he’s a chatterbox that flippantly talks about his plans and he’s dispatching great heroes (dude nearly took out the Justice League by himself!). In a lot of ways, he reminds me of a smarter version of Spider-Man gone evil.

How about you guys and dolls? Who are you some of your favorite villains?

Coffee Talk #196: Who’s Your Favorite Superhero?

My friend and I were talking about comics last week (this is not unusual) and the topic of our favorite heroes came up. Most of my comic-book reading friends are straight up DC/Marvel fans. They’re favorite characters are almost always Batman or Spider-Man. My choice is a little bit different — Nightwing.

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, if Lance Armstrong is a cheater, your thoughts on the Summer Slam 2010 card, or the chances of Brett Favre unretiring (again), Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I like that I got to grow up with Dick Grayson. From his days as the original Robin to hanging out with the Teen Titans to establishing his own identity as Nightwing, his progression has been just a few steps ahead of mine. I like that he’s no longer the sidekick and (until recently) not quite the adult. In a lot of ways it’s why I enjoyed Friends — it’s that terribly interesting stage of life where you’ve left your family but haven’t started your own. It’s just a magical time.

Now it’s your turn! Who’s your favorite superhero?

Coffee Talk #195: What’s the Worst Console You Ever Bought?

RPadholic smartguy brought up a fantastic idea for Coffee Talk, so let’s use it today! What’s the worst console you’ve purchased? Surely some of you have been burned by the likes of Nintendo’s Virtual Boy, Nokia’s N-Gage, or Tiger Telematics’ Gizmondo. Now’s the time to let your frustrations out and totally trash the one gaming system you wish you never spent money on! It’ll be cathartic. Give it a go.

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, Intelligentsia’s Itzamna Guatemala Finca La Maravilla, Tiger Woods’ game going to hell, or Chael Sonnen taking it to Anderson Silva, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

RPadholic smartguy brought up a fantastic idea for Coffee Talk, so let’s use it today! What’s the worst console you’ve purchased? Surely some of you have been burned by the likes of Nintendo’s Virtual Boy, Nokia’s N-Gage, or Tiger Telematics’ Gizmondo. Now’s the time to let your frustrations out and totally trash the one gaming system you wish you never spent money on! It’ll be cathartic. Give it a go.

As for me, I can’t really think of any console that I hated. I didn’t have every system growing up, so I dodged a lot of bullets. I also try to find something good about everything, so it’s hard for me to get angry at inanimate objects. If I try real hard, I think I’d be disappointed in Sega CD. It was expensive and most of the games weren’t that good. Then again it also had Hideo Kojima’s Snatcher, which is pretty damn cool.

Okay, I suck at this. Why don’t you guys and gals give it a shot? Go off on the worst console you ever bought (please)!

More Apple Rumors: 3″ iPod Touch and 7″ iPad Mini?

Jer at iLounge posted a slew of Apple rumors the other day. Some of them will surely pan out, while others seem like a stretch (he admits this too). The two rumors I found particularly interesting had to do with screen size changes. Here’s the skinny:

There’s also continued chatter about a three-inch touchscreen that could make its way into an iPod, shaving half an inch off the diagonal of the current iPod touch.

A seven-inch-screened version of the iPad is substantially finished and will be ready for announcement either later this year or early in 2011. Apple has been prototyping devices with screens of this size for a long time—quite possibly predating the original iPhone.

It sounds odd for the iPod Touch to be getting a smaller screen. If it used Retina Display, that would be sorta kinda acceptable, but purported prototypes show that the next iPod Touch looks more like last year’s model than the iPhone 4.

A seven-inch iPad has the potential to shake up the market. Apple has sold millions of iPads, but some people — especially those that don’t understand the difference between data-consumption and data-creation devices — are turned off by the price. A cheaper iPad — I’m thinking $249 to $299 — would be killer. It would also take some of the shine off of Amazon’s recently price slashed Kindle. What I really want is an iPad with a camera and Retina Display…but I don’t see that happening until Q2 2011, at the earliest.

Let me know what you think of this batch of Mac rumors (please!). Any of ’em you find particularly juicy?

Source

Coffee Talk #194: Your Favorite Animated Comic Book Movie

After failing to find it at Best Buy last weekend, I finally watched Batman: Under the Red Hood last night. It was frickin’ brilliant! DC’s animated movies have been rocking for years, but Under the Red Hood raises the bar. The art style is fantastic and the voice acting is first rate (I thought I’d miss Kevin Conroy more, but Bruce Greenwood’s fine performance ensured that I didn’t). Most importantly (to me, anyway), the story was fantastic. It took a great plot from the comic books, tightened it up, and got rid of some of the convoluted twists that confused readers.

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, nobody caring about A-Rod’s milestone homer, Shaq to the Celtics, or Prop 8 being overturned, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

After failing to find it at Best Buy last weekend, I finally watched Batman: Under the Red Hood last night. It was frickin’ brilliant! DC’s animated movies have been rocking for years, but Under the Red Hood raises the bar. The art style is fantastic and the voice acting is first rate (I thought I’d miss Kevin Conroy more, but Bruce Greenwood’s fine performance ensured that I didn’t). Most importantly (to me, anyway), the story was fantastic. It took a great plot from the comic books, tightened it up, and got rid of some of the convoluted twists that confused readers.

There’s a chance that I’m still basking in the afterglow of Under the Red Hood, but I’m pretty sure it’s the best animated comic-book movie I’ve ever seen. I’m a big fan of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and think that Under the Red Hood blows it away. I’m struggling to think of an animated comic-book movie I’ve enjoyed more. That’s where you guys and dolls come in! What’s your favorite animated comic-book movie? Hell, go ahead and name several of your favorites, if you will.

Coffee Talk #193: Have Games Desensitized You to Violence?

After E3 2010, I vaguely remember an article by some guy I can’t remember saying that videogames have desensitized people. The premise was that gamers have spent too much time shooting enemy soldiers, decapitating villains, and blowing buildings up that it no longer seems shocking. I started thinking about the issue again after the excellent people at Gamasutra started discussing it.

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 cast of Friends getting old, the Yankees struggling like hacks, or how crappy Sprint is, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

The argument certainly has some merit. I remember being stunned and impressed when I saw a fatality in Mortal Kombat for the first time. That doesn’t cut it today. The violence has to be bigger, badder, and crazier. Having said that, I’m not at all desensitized to real-world violence. I would panic (before acting heroically, of course) if I saw someone get shot in real life. I am shocked when a pedestrian gets hit by a car. I guess what I’m getting at is that I don’t see a correlation between the videogame world and the real world when it comes to this issue.

As always, I want your thoughts on the matter. Have you become desensitized to videogame violence? Does it matter in your IRL existence? Considering the leap from Mortal Kombat to God of War, where do you see videogame violence ten years from now?