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Coffee Talk #35: Your Black Friday Success Stories

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 effects of tryptophan, the awesome repackaged WWE Festus’ debut tonight on Smackdown, or your latest comic books, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

First off, I actually just brewed a fresh pot of coffee, so I think the Coffee Talk name still applies. Ha! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday yesterday. Now it’s time for the down and dirty part — Black Friday.

Black Friday shopping

Some of you are out shopping today. If that’s the case, I think you’re pretty nuts. I absolutely can’t stand Black Friday — too many people, too many inexperienced sales reps, too few parking spots, ridiculously long lines, etc. The only time I enjoyed it was when I was a poor college kid; I’d just go to the mall, grab an Icee, and watch all the miserable shoppers.

Having said that, there are a ton of great deals to be had, whether you’re at stores or wisely shopping online. Today I want to hear about your Black Friday success stories. What did you pick up? Anything surprise you? If you found any great online deals, please share them with your fellow RPadholics.

Coffee Talk #34: A Blue Lantern Thanksgiving Thank 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, your picks for today’s NFL games, New Moon mania, or the old Fender vs. Gibson debate, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Blue Lantern I wanted to use today’s Coffee Talk to give each and every one of you a big Thanksgiving thank you for visiting RPad.tv. October was a really difficult month for me. I lost my job, a dear friend passed away, I couldn’t get the knee surgery I was planning to have, and there were several days where I struggled to walk around my small apartment. You guys and gals were a huge part of helping me make it through the month. “Seeing” you in the comments section every day helped me stay positive and happy. You’re awesome and I thank you for being part of my everyday online life.

Now I have to geek it up a bit so things aren’t too sappy. You peeps are my Green Lantern Corps to my Blue Lantern. My blue power ring can do a great many things, but only if there are Green Lanterns close by. Hope (Blue Lanterns) needs will (Green Lanterns). Ha! Is that sufficiently nerdy?

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Rock Band Kiosks Invading Old Navy Starting November 26

In an interesting crossover, MTV Games is setting up Rock Band kiosks at hundreds of Old Navy stores starting November 26. Gamers will be able to shop for performance fleece, rock out to the game, and win Rock Band prizes. The official press release stated:

Consumers will be treated to a rockin’ shopping experience when Old Navy unveils Rock Band game play kiosks in close to 700 stores in the United States and Canada. The kiosks will be featured throughout the holiday season, giving families a fun outlet during their busy holiday shopping trips.

In addition, six of the Old Navy flagship stores will install 10 x 10 fully equipped Rock Band entertainment stages providing consumers the chance to perform like rock stars. Families are invited to come down and play on Thanksgiving Thursday as part of the Gobblepalooza weekend. Customers will also get a chance to win a $200 shopping spree, Rock Band song tracks and other great prizes.

I absolutely dread holiday shopping and try to do most of it online to avoid the crowds. Somehow, I always manage to get roped into at least one shopping session, which almost always gives me a migraine. Being able to play Rock Band while my friends shop would be much better than Excedrin.

Coffee Talk #33: Thanksgiving Memories

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 Ben’s concussion saga, trying out for the New Jersey Nets, or walking four blocks when you really shouldn’t, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Thanksgiving is a special time for many of us. Getting together with friends and family, eating lots of turkey and trimmings, and watching football is what the holiday is all about for millions of Americans. For me, Thanksgiving was always a special gaming holiday. You see, I used to rent games at the local video store when I was a kid. The store didn’t charge for the holiday, so it was like getting an extra day for free (actually, it was totally like that)!

Zelda II The Adventure of Link

One of my favorite Thanksgivings of all time was spent (a little bit) with my wonderful family and (a lot) with The Legend of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. I played the hell out of that game from Wedensday through Friday. I’m pretty sure that’s when I developed the habit of playing games until I pass out with the controller. I had several Thanksgiving marathon sessions like that when I was in grade school and I remember them fondly.

Did any of you do the same thing? Was Thanksgiving designated as a national videogame holiday for you? I’d love to hear about your epic Turkey Day gaming sessions.

FFXIII Rips Off Mechagodzilla + More Gran Pulse Details

The fine people at Andriasang have translated Famitsu’s big Final Fantasy XIII feature. There are some great details here, including information on the land known as Gran Pulse. Here’s the skinny:

Pulse is full of giant beasts, some towering like mountains above the characters. The magazine has an interesting note about the Pulse creatures. They’re actually of the same origin as Cocoon’s creatures. The same type of monster looks different between the two worlds, as Cocoon’s monsters evolved differently due to their enclosed environment.

Of course, there’s more to Cocoon’s monsters than just natural evolution. The Cocoon government has been turning monsters into weapons by fusing them with mechanical parts. An example is the Behemoth III Reformed beast from the Advent Children demo. This creature was modified for army use, but it’s still a bit smaller than the King Behemoth monster you’ll encounter in Gran Pulse.

FFXIII combat screen

I’m fascinated by the concept of mechanized eidolons like Behemoth III. It’s a rip-off of Mechagodzilla, but in a totally cool way. At the very least, this concept is more interesting than the wacky gestalt mode and the tool hosting this otherwise enjoyable FFXIII video.

Anyone else down for Mechaleviathan and Mechaifrit?

Source

Coffee Talk #32: Great Dogs in 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, the incredibly handsome Chris Taylor, Andre Ward bringing big-time boxing back to The Bay, or the unstoppable WWE Sheamus, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I love my mabari war hound, Cisco, in Dragon Age: Origins. He’s a faithful dog and a fearsome warrior. While he can’t equip all the nifty weapons and armor my other party members can, Cisco is an underrated combatant that’s incredibly useful for taking out opposing mages.

Dragon Age Mabari

As Cisco was dispatching baddie after baddie in DA, I started thinking about other dogs in gaming. Cisco would beat the crap out of that lame-ass dog in Dead to Rights. I don’t care if that dog had its own button to activate his attacks. He sucks compared to Cisco. Having said that (Curb reference!), there are plenty of dogs that would give my Cisco a run for his money.

The dog from Duck Hunt is one of the oldest and best in the business. Dogmeat from Fallout 3 is a menacing force. The dog in Fable II was a bigger part of the game than I thought he’d be. Yamato from Shadow Dancer: The Legend of Shinobi had special ninja-dog training. It’s kind of crazy how many courageous canines have graced videogames.

Who are some of your favorite videogame dogs? (And no, Amaterasu from Okami doesn’t count. She’s a Shinto sun goddess!)

LittleBigPlanet PSP Available for Download

By the time you read this, LittleBigPlanet for PlayStation Portable will be available for download through Sony’s PlayStation Network. This is arguably the biggest digital download debut for the platform (I’m not counting retro titles).

LittleBigPlanet PSP

The original game for PS3 was critically lauded and received tons of awards, though its commercial success didn’t match its accolades. I’m curious to see how the PSP version will perform as a digital download. It will be an interesting barometer of how receptive PSP gamers are to doing digital. Furthermore, I want to see if this style of game can succeed on a handheld platform.

Are any of you going to by LBP for PSP? Do you think it can do well on the platform? I’d love for it to be uber-successful, but I have my doubts.

Gas Powered Games’ Chris Taylor Talks Working with Square Enix, Challenges in the New Economy, Going Digital, and More

From Total Annihilation to Dungeon Siege to Supreme Commander, Chris Taylor has a long and storied history with real-time strategy games. Gas Powered Games’ founder and lead designer on the upcoming Supreme Commander 2 is one of the most important creators in gaming, continually taking the RTS genre to new heights. He also happens to be ridiculously funny (sometimes it hurts hanging out with him, from all the laughing) and super sharp. I recently caught up with Taylor to ask him about working with Square Enix, running a development studio during an economic downturn, downloadable content, and more.

Raymond Padilla: Hey Chris! How is the funniest man in game development doing these days?

Chris Taylor: Keeping the dream alive, as I like to say!

RP: You’re hard at work on Supreme Commander 2. While lots of people are excited about the game, I’m really interested in your experiences working with Square Enix. From your dealings, what are the differences between working with a Western publisher and a Japanese one?

CT: They’ve been really great to work with, and they’ve easily been among the best publishers we’ve ever worked with. Truly a pleasure.

RP: Did you ever get the “token white guy” feeling during business meetings with Square Enix?

CT: LOL… Come here Ray… can I have a hug?

Continue reading “Gas Powered Games’ Chris Taylor Talks Working with Square Enix, Challenges in the New Economy, Going Digital, and More”

Coffee Talk #31: What’s Your Favorite Classic Console?

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, Andre Ward beating the hell out of Mikkel Kessler, Tito Ortiz’s cracked skull, or HBK’s opening superkick on Triple H, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Gamers love arguing about which current-generation console is best. Whether you’re a card carrying member of the Sony Defense Force or a registered Xbot, a lot of you have been drafted into this silly “war”. Sure, it can be fun to argue about the merits of each system, but ultimately, the best console is the one that provides you with the most entertainment.

Sega Dreamcast

With that in mind, I wanted to ask you about your favorite gaming system prior to this generation. Does the SNES hold a special place in your heart? Did the PSone redefine home gaming for you? Or does nothing compare to the days of Space Invaders on the Atari 2600?

As for me, I’m going to with the Sega Dreamcast. The hardware was fantastic and it had one of the best launch lineups ever. The system stands out because it was such an interesting time for me. I was still pretty new to the business when the Dreamcast was released. Console launches were still a novel experience. Sharing that experience with other new writers was incredibly fun and surprisingly bonding. The Dreamcast launch became an “old war story” to my generation of writers and it’s something we still talk about when the drinks are pouring.

So let’s take a trip down memory lane today. What was your favorite console prior to this generation? Why?

Raymond’s Random Rants

– I watched my Star Trek Blu-ray last night. It’s such a great movie. Unfortunately, I missed it when it was still showing in theaters and only saw it in September on my way to Tokyo. I guess it doesn’t matter though, since I enjoyed the characterization and dialogue more than the special effects. It’s definitely one of my favorite movies of 2009, but I have to wonder how it plays to younger people that haven’t seen the old shows and movies.

Dolph Ziggler

– It’s such an interesting time in the WWE right now. Established headliners like Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, and Triple H only have a few years left. This leaves the younger main-event players like Edge and Randy Orton waiting for some new dance partners. The WWE has been pushing The Miz, John Morrison, Dolph Ziggler, and Kofi Kingston successfully. Seamus and Drew McIntyre have been getting decent pushes as well. I’m especially high on Ziggler and Morrison. Do any of these guys stand out to you? Do you see any of them headlining WrestleMania in 2015?

Continue reading “Raymond’s Random Rants”