Whether I’ve “known” you for a few weeks or few years, one thing we have in common is that we love to play games. You’re probably thinking, “Duh!”, but stay with me for a sec. One thing I don’t know about you is where you play games. Do you have your living room decked out with a crazy surround-sound system? Perhaps you prefer playing in bed while leaning on your favorite pillow. Maybe you’ve constructed an elaborate man/woman cave for gaming. Today I want to hear all about your gaming setup. So please take this poll and tell me about your rig!
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, Andy Pettitte rocking it at 37, WWE finally making Bryan Danielson interesting, or who should replace Simon Cowell on American Idol, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Whether I’ve “known” you for a few weeks or few years, one thing we have in common is that we love to play games. You’re probably thinking, “Duh!”, but stay with me for a sec. One thing I don’t know about you is where you play games. Do you have your living room decked out with a crazy surround-sound system? Perhaps you prefer playing in bed while leaning on your favorite pillow. Maybe you’ve constructed an elaborate man/woman cave for gaming. Today I want to hear all about your gaming setup. So please take this poll and tell me about your rig!
Remember that YouTube video that featured an indie game store owner ranting about EA’s Online Pass? I found it so fascinating that I tracked down the store owner and interviewed him. He’s a very cool guy and has an interesting perspective. It’s easy to think about Online Pass in terms of EA vs. GameStop. This PadCast gives you a different perspective on the issue. Here’s the official description:
Independent game store owner Chet Muzzalupo (Level 1 Games) recently delivered an inspired rant against EA’s Online Pass. The scheme is designed to discourage consumers from buying used games and encourage them to buy new. While this potentially helps developers earn more royalties, it also limits customer choice and hurts retailers. While nobody is going to shed a tear for GameStop losing out on money, the Online Pass can kill small game stores like Level 1. Muzzalupo shares his perspective as an independent game store owner, addresses the issue of used-game sales hurting the business, and talks about the future of the buy-sell-trade business.
I enjoyed chatting with Chett and I think you’ll dig this video. Check it out (please)!
After three full days (going on four) with the Evo 4G, here are more thoughts on this excellent HTC phone. This time around I’m covering battery life, the kickstand, more thoughts on the screen, streaming video using Qik, and how the phone works as a WiFi hotspot. If you haven’t read my initial impressions yet, please do so. Now let’s get to it!
Battery Life: Let’s get the negative part out of the way first. After three full days of what I’ll dub “moderate nerd use”, battery life has been merely okay. I’ve been using the phone mostly for web activities — browsing, Twitter updates, checking Facebook, etc. Every now and then I’ll use the GPS functions in Google Maps and Foursquare. I’ve snapped a few pictures and videos too. Keeping in mind that batteries need to be conditioned, the battery results (from completely charged to totally drained) of my first three days were 12, 12, and 14 hours. [Update: After 10 days of use, I’ve been getting approximately 12 hours a day from the standard battery.]
The results aren’t surprising considering the phone’s speedy processor and huge screen, but I can easily see myself in situations — E3 2010, for example — where a single battery isn’t going to cut it. The good news is that unlike the iPhone, you can simply buy a second battery and carry that in your bag. There’s a rumor that HTC will release a 2,500mAh battery for the Evo 4G next month (the stock battery is 1,500mAh), which would be a brilliant accessory. Either way, I will get another battery for this phone should I choose to keep it.
Kickstand: This little addition has been incredibly useful…and I didn’t think it would be. Obviously having a kickstand is nice for watching videos, but I like leaving the phone out and just propping it up on my desk, coffee table, kitchen, etc. while I’m doing…whatever it is I happen to be doing. Part of it that I’m still afraid to damage the phone — particularly the completely uncovered camera that I’m not about the place on a hard surface — and part of it is that there aren’t any good cases available for it yet.
Screen: I didn’t mention it in my initial impressions, but as wonderful as the Evo 4G’s 4.3-inch screen is, it still uses old technology. While a lot of new phones use newer OLED screens, the Evo 4G uses older TFT LCD technology. OLED offers better battery life, wider viewing angles, deeper blacks, and higher contrast ratios. However, some people do not like the color reproduction of OLED screens and feel that they over-pronounce reds (I’ve never had this issue. I think OLED rocks.). The big disadvantage is that the current generation of OLED screens are extremely difficult to see in daylight. This is one area where TFT LCD is clearly better. The bottom line is that even though the screen uses older tech, I’m totally loving its size and output.
Streaming Video: I shot a quick test video (embedded above) on the Evo 4G using Qik.com, which allows you to stream live videos from your phone. I signed up for an account on my laptop, logged in on my phone, and shot a video. It’s really that simple. Obviously you can’t stream HD video, but the camera, signal, and service worked like a charm. I’m probably going to try and do some impromptu E3 interviews using the phone and Qik.
WiFi Hotspot: As mentioned in the video, I tested out the phone’s WiFi hotspot feature. For an additional $30 a month, you can use the phone as a hotspot that can support up to eight devices under optimal conditions. The results were pretty good considering that we’re talking about a WiFi signal transmitted from a phone pulling in a 3G CDMA signal. Using my friend’s iPad and iPhone, I was getting upload speeds around 580kbps and download speeds around 245kbps. Web browsing on both devices was snappy, even on complex web sites. If you want to connect a device like an iPad or PSP on the go, the WiFi hotspot option is worth considering. If you’re primarily concerned with connecting a laptop, you’ll get faster speeds connecting the Evo 4G to your PC via USB and using a tethering program like Mobile Stream’s EasyTether.
Call Quality: I still have to do more testing in this area since I’ve only made about 60 minutes worth of calls. So far I’ve been pleased with how the Evo 4G works as a phone. The quality is comparable to my T-Mobile BlackBerry 8900 using UMA (still need to think this one through) and markedly clearer than the 8900 using Edge (the mobile signal, not the WWE wrestler or the guitar player). The Evo 4G beats the crap out of the iPhone 3GS as a phone. Remember, call quality is subjective so I can only share my experience using the Evo 4G on Sprint’s 3G network in Los Angeles with you. It could be better or worse depending on where you live.
That’s it for now. I’m going to focus more on call quality over the next few days. If there are any other aspects of the phone you want me to explore, just let me know. As always, shoot away any questions you have and I’ll do my best to answer them.
I’ve been thinking a lot about how Google TV, the Chrome Store, and HTML5 can change gaming. Seeing a version of LEGO: Star Wars running on HTML5 and delivered through the Chrome Store made a lot of lights go off in my head (What? You don’t have lights in your head?!?). The next day, Google announced Google TV along with its launch partners. “A-ha!” I said to myself, “There’s the final piece of the puzzle!”
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, Lost vs. Sopranos finale, 24 ending tonight, or Cleveland firing Mike Brown, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
I’ve been thinking a lot about how Google TV, the Chrome Store, and HTML5 can change gaming. Seeing a version of LEGO: Star Wars running on HTML5 and delivered through the Chrome Store made a lot of lights go off in my head (What? You don’t have lights in your head?!?). The next day, Google announced Google TV along with its launch partners. “A-ha!” I said to myself, “There’s the final piece of the puzzle!”
Picture this: playing complex HTML5 games on a Sony television with Google TV built in — no console required! Sure, a web game will never be as impressive as one running on a proper console, but for most people LEGO: Star Wars graphics are completely acceptable. You know the millions of people that are fiending on casual and social games? I can easily see them “graduating” to a more involved experience in HTML5 games. If Google want it, the company could become a big player in the home gaming space.
What do you guys and gals think? Do you see a future playing games without a box and with a service like Google TV? Do you think I’m giving Google too much credit here? I know several of you are still weeping over the Lost finale, but give the matter some thought and leave a comment. I’d love to chat about this with you!
I’ve been using the HTC Evo 4G for a little over a day and I want to share my initial impressions with all of you. This is going to be the first entry in a multi-part series that (not) reviews the phone. While some sites would serve up a review of a phone based on a day’s use, I think that’s remarkably stupid. How useful is a review based on 24 hours with a consumer electronics product?!? I’m going to approach this series — as much as I can — from a “normal” user’s perspective and not a “reviewer’s” point of view. Remember, these impressions are all from my first day using the phone and my thoughts will probably change after further use. Let’s get to it!
My HTC Evo 4G was ready to go minutes after it was opened. Like all Android phones, you simply type in your Google login information and your email, contacts, and calendar are synced to the phone. Keep in mind that I already organize my contacts on my primary Gmail account (I highly recommend this since you can sync to multiple phone platforms). If you don’t store your contacts in the cloud, basic setup will take longer.
If you’re a light social networker then you’ll probably dig HTC’s Friend Stream application. Also part of the initial setup process, this little app aggregates your Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr friend feeds. It’s a clean and handsome program, but it’s too simple for my purposes. I like to use Facebook and Twitter in different ways and prefer having separate apps for each service. I also follow too many people, which can make Friend Stream a bit overwhelming to look at. That said, I think a lot of you would like it for being a simple all-in-one solution.
The Evo 4G’s 4.3-inch screen is awesome, but it can also be problematic. It’s gorgeous to look at. High-resolution movies look fantastic on it. The problems I had (in the first 24 hours) stemmed from its impressive resolution — 800 x 480. I’ll use YouTube as an example. Videos with the “HQ” label looked brilliant and took advantage of the screen’s size and phone’s horsepower. Older videos and ones from low-res sources look terrible. Low-res movies that look good on a iPhone (480 x 320 screen) can look nasty and pixelated on the Evo 4G. This is absolutely not HTC’s fault and don’t think I’m dinging the phone for having a beautiful high-res screen. My point is that for common usage, the high resolution can sometimes be a curse.
As for touching the screen, I had no problems with the Evo 4G. Some people greatly prefer the iPhone’s touch sensitivity. Several tests have shown that the iPhone’s touchscreen is superior to most screens on competing phones in terms of responsiveness. While I fully admit that the Evo 4G’s screen is slightly less responsive than the iPhone 3GS’s, I was able to to do everything I wanted to with it. Typing, navigating, and using pinch-to-zoom were totally fine for me. This is one area where I recommend trying it for yourself. Some of you will have no problems with the touchscreen. Some of you — particularly longtime iPhone users — will have issues with it.
For web browsing, the Evo 4G uses a modified version of Android’s WebKit-based browser. It’s a fantastic browser that will let you enjoy most web sites to their fullest. By default, Flash (you know that Adobe thing Apple hates?) is turned on and JavaScript is turned off. After changing the latter setting, I enjoyed all the sites I visit on a daily basis. Using pinch-to-zoom to enlarge certain areas of a site was a breeze. During my first day with the phone, I did more web browsing than anything else. Having a great browser and beautiful screen made web surfing a pleasure.
While the Evo 4G can do a ton out of the box, I had to raid the Android Market to make it a fully functional Raymondtron 9000 (I’ve dubbed this phone the Raymondtron 9000 Mark IV). Here’s what I’ve downloaded so far: NYTimes, Barcode Scanner, Foursquare, Pandora Radio, Amazon.com, AIM, Advanced Task Killer, Google Voice, Google Goggles, Yelp, and WordPress. Everything works great so far and I can’t say enough about Android’s ability to multitask. While the iPhone App Store has way more applications than the Android Market, I’ve found everything I need to confidently call it a Raymondtron 9000.
So yeah! I hope you’ve enjoyed my initial thoughts. I still have a ton to go over, including battery life, camera quality, gaming, and more. Those aspects of the Evo 4G will be covered in future installments of this “not a review”. For now, fire away any questions you have and I’ll do my best to answer them. Also, if there are any aspects of the phone you want me to examine, please let me know.
People raised their eyebrows at Nintendo when it announced that it was going with a dual-screen handheld for its next portable system. Even more people laughed at the notion of an underpowered console that relied on a “gimmicky” motion-control scheme. In both cases, the company sold millions of units of hardware. With that in mind, do you think the company will sell millions of Wii Vitality Sensor accessories?
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, Lost spoilers (please), Bryan Danielson going off on Michael Cole, or Hanley Ramirez phoning it in, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
People raised their eyebrows at Nintendo when it announced that it was going with a dual-screen handheld for its next portable system. Even more people laughed at the notion of an underpowered console that relied on a “gimmicky” motion-control scheme. In both cases, the company sold millions of units of hardware. With that in mind, do you think the company will sell millions of Wii Vitality Sensor accessories?
On paper, it sounds boring…maybe a little stupid. It’s a frickin’ heart rate monitor! While I had my doubts about dual screens and motion controls, I knew they had the potential for fun. There’s nothing fun about a heart rate monitor.
Having said that, I know I’m not smart enough to doubt Nintendo. I’ve done it too many times in the past…but I can’t help questioning the company on this one. Shigeru Miyamoto is undoubtedly a game design genius, but can he make the Wii Vitality Sensor fun? I’m not so sure. Yet Nintendo has proven its doubters wrong so many times that I’m doubting my doubts.
All this second guessing is giving me a migraine. I know that quite a few of you have this anti-Nintendo thing going (rather unreasonably, in my opinion), but forget about whether you’ll like it or not. Do you think the Wii Vitality Sensor will sell? Do you see a way that it can be fun? What do you think a Miyamoto game featuring the Wii Vitality Sensor would be like? Make sure your heart isn’t beating too fast as you answer these question. I am not responsible for what happens to you as you type.
It used to be that you needed a console, a controller, and cartridge/disc to enjoy a game. While the prices of consoles and games haven’t gone up too much over the years, you have to spend more money than ever to play games. On the hardware side you have accessories, on the software side you have DLC, and on the services side you have Xbox Live Gold. All of that stuff adds up!
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, Monday Night Raw rocking Toronto, your American Idol pick, or Nick Johnson lasting an entire month before requiring surgery, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
It used to be that you needed a console, a controller, and cartridge/disc to enjoy a game. While the prices of consoles and games haven’t gone up too much over the years, you have to spend more money than ever to play games. On the hardware side you have accessories, on the software side you have DLC, and on the services side you have Xbox Live Gold. All of that stuff adds up!
While I’m surprised that Sony has taken this long to offer a premium version of PlayStation Network (rumored to be debuting at E3 2010), I’m impressed by EA’s ingenuity when it comes to making games more expensive. The EA Online Pass makes used and rented games more expensive by requiring a code to access all online content and features. I understand that company’s issue with the used-game market, but from a consumer’s perspective the company has pissed on two ways gamers can save money.
What’s left? How can publishers, console manufacturers, etc. get more of our money? It looks like all the bases are covered, but I’m sure someone, somewhere (probably Bobby Kotick *snicker*) will find a new way to part gamers with cash. What do you think it will be? How can gaming get more expensive?
The NBA playoffs are moving on without the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the most interesting NBA story of the year remains with the team — where will Lebron James play in the 2010-2011 season? After the Cavs were eliminated, James’ demeanor and answers seemed to indicate that he was leaning towards leaving his home franchise. Where will the best player in the NBA end up? I want to hear your thoughts on the matter!
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, your favorite vegetable, Google I/O, or the excellent Christian vs. Kofi Kingston match from Friday (Hulu it!), Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
The NBA playoffs are moving on without the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the most interesting NBA story of the year remains with the team — where will Lebron James play in the 2010-2011 season? After the Cavs were eliminated, James’ demeanor and answers seemed to indicate that he was leaning towards leaving his home franchise. Where will the best player in the NBA end up? I want to hear your thoughts on the matter!
Most sports writers favor the Chicago Bulls snagging Lebron, with the Miami Heat, New Jersey Nets, and New York Knicks having a shot too. Writers are drooling at the potential of a Bulls team led by James, with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah as the supporting players. Miami could work its salary cap flexibility into signing Lebron and resigning Dwyane Wade — that would be a killer combo. The Knicks and the Nets are two teams that could sign Lebron and another quality player (most writers are pointing to Chrish Bosh and Carlos Boozer). Playing for the Nets would mean being pampered by an awesome Russian dictator, but winning a championship for the downtrodden Knicks would be a legendary achievement that would elevate James into the Michael/Magic category.
Personally, I’m not sure where he ends up. Part of me hopes he’s eventually paired with Carlos Boozer and wins a championship with him. That would be the most devastating scenario for Cleveland. Remember when Boozer got all shady with his Cavs’ contract negotiations, going back on his word and eventually signing with Utah? That makes him the perfect sidekick for Lebron!
Now it’s your turn. Make your choice in the poll and explain your answer in the comments section (please)!
I just came back from a screening of Iron Man 2 (the movie, not the game) and absolutely loved it. I enjoyed 75 percent of the first movie (I thought the last fight was lame) and had high expectations going in. For me, the sequel was better than the original simply because I enjoyed the whole thing. Here are some random thoughts (not a review!) on Iron Man 2. Spoilers ahead!
– Robert Downey, Jr. owns in this movie. He truly is the perfect Tony Stark. He’s charming, smart, sarcastic, suave, and flawed enough for moviegoers to identify with. As charming as he was in the first movie, he’s even more so in the sequel. His interplay with Gwyneth Paltrow, Jon Favreau, Sam Rockwell, and Scarlett Johannson was so entertaining. The interaction and humor felt organic.
– I missed Terrence Howard as James “Rhodey” Rhodes. Don’t get me wrong, Don Cheadle is a fantastic actor, but I loved the chemistry that Downey and Howard had. Cheadle did a good job in the movie, but there were times that made me feel like he wasn’t really trying. He also didn’t have the same rapport with Downey.
– Mickey Rourke was mildly disappointing as Whiplash/Ivan Vanko. He was kind of threatening, kind of brilliant, and kind of maniacal, but he was mostly just a dirty Russian guy. Dude needed to take a shower but never got around to it. After his awesome performance in The Wrestler, I was hoping for more. I suppose the flat feeling I had was due to the writing and not Rourke’s performance.
– I loved that Iron Man and Tony Stark had separate villains. That was one of my problems with the original movie. Jeff Bridges (or as I call him, Starman) was a great business rival as Obadiah Stane. I thought he absolutely sucked as Iron Monger. I didn’t find him threatening at all. I liked having two villains with different angles in Iron Man 2.
– Scarlett Johansson was surprisingly good as the Black Widow. She’s one of the sexiest women on the planet, so I was expecting her to be around for decorative purposes, but she totally kicked ass in her fight scene. She had enough screen time to shine, but not enough so that it felt like her face and body were being exploited.
– Sam Jackson went a little overboard as Nick Fury. He was too Snakes on a Plane for me. Yeah, Fury can be fiery, but he’s also cool and always in total control. Jackson had the cool part down but did a little too much screaming for me.
– The action is excellent. The last third of the movie has some awesome fighting sequences. You really get the “heavy metal” feeling from the combat.
– I loved that most of the movie took place in Los Angeles and Queens. Considering where I live and where I grew up, it felt comfortable. A movie hasn’t made me feel that way since Coming to America. Ha!
– I heard that the preview prints didn’t have the post-credit teaser…but I saw it and loved it! I already warned you about spoilers in the opening paragraph, so I have no problem telling you that it’s hammer time!
– Update: Totally forgot to write about the cameos. Stan Lee as Larry King was cute. Larry Ellison as Larry Ellison was cool! Tony Stark would totally rub elbows with people like Ellison, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Eric Schmidt, etc.
I’m totally psyched to see Iron Man 2 tonight. While I count down the hours to the screening, I want to go over some of Shellhead’s appearances in videogames. Obviously he’s an integral part of the Marvel vs. Capcom series. Arcade fans will remember him in Captain America and The Avengers. More recently he was one of the best characters in the Marvel Ultimate Alliance games. I’m sure none of you willl pick this one (because it mostly sucked), but Iron Man had a prominent role in Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects. And who could forget the unlockable version of Iron Man in Tony Hawk’s Underground?
As for me, I’m going to go with X-Men Legends II. If you found the scattered pieces of Iron Man’s armor (or used a cheat code) then you could play the game as him. He was ridiculously powerful and I had a blast vaporizing hordes of minions as Shellhead. I’m pretty sure I played the game an extra three or four times just to blast the hell out of things as Iron Man. Good times.
Now it’s your turn! Kindly make your selection in the poll and expand on your answer in the comments section. The best explanation wins a one-hour repulsor-ray massage!
