Category: Videogames

Coffee Talk #219: Will Games Get Cheaper (with Expensive DLC)?

THQ CEO Brian Farrell told CVG that games will likely be cheaper in the future, but with more downloadable content. He believes that the initial version of the game will cost between $29 to $39, but more and more features will be downloadable add-ons. He told CVG:

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, Lindsay Lohan heading to the slammer (again), United Nations delegates walking out on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, or Katy Perry’s boobs being too saucy for Sesame Street, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

THQ CEO Brian Farrell told CVG that games will likely be cheaper in the future, but with more downloadable content. He believes that the initial version of the game will cost between $29 to $39, but more and more features will be downloadable add-ons. He told CVG:

I’m a big believer in monetising under the curve, so we capture that $29 to $39 user no matter what, and a person that wants to spend $100 on the product can do so as well. I think that’s the future of gaming — whether it’s this model or a take on the free-to-play model. It’s where our industry is going.

I’m not sure if this is where the industry is going, but I can see publishers experimenting with it in certain genres. I also see enthusiast gamers getting extremely angry about this practice…and doing nothing about it.

What do you think of this business model? Would you mind getting a stripped down version of a game for less money? Do you care that more features would have to be purchased online? Is this smart business? Or is it Kotickian?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I’ve beaten the main game in Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light, but I haven’t saved it yet. I want to go back and beat the four optional towers. In addition to 100 floors of randomness, they’re filled with excellent treasure and new jobs. Two of the towers are down — giving me the ninja and sage jobs — and I hope to beat one more this weekend.

How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?

Milo & Kate for Xbox 360 Kinect Cancelled?

Gamers that want to have their very own white slave boy indentured servant for Xbox 360 Kinect will be disappointed in the rumor that Lionhead’s Milo & Kate has been cancelled. In late June, Microsoft Game Studios creative director Peter Molyneux assured that world that Milo was coming. Kotaku‘s sources said otherwise:

Fable developer Lionhead Studios’ ambitious Milo project for Xbox 360’s Kinect add-on may have finally been put to bed. Sources claiming to have knowledge of the tech demo’s development tell Kotaku that Project Milo has been effectively shut down.

That same source indicates that the technology that powered Project Milo — which has also been referred to as Milo & Kate — will live on in another form, a Kinect-enabled game based on the Fable franchise.

Although some of the tech in Milo & Kate is truly fascinating, the early versions of the game (if you can even call it that) didn’t really look like something that could provide hours of entertainment. Perhaps that’s what Lionhead discovered too. If the game has been cancelled then it will just add to Molyneux’s controversial reputation of over promising and under delivering. Whether that’s fair or not is another matter entirely.

What do you think of the latest Milo & Kate rumor? Are any of you disappointed? Or did you expect this to happen? Is Molyneux’s over-promising-and-under-delivering rep justified or undeserved?

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Pokemon Black/White Sells 2.6-Million in Two Days

Enterbrain, courtesy of Andriasang, has reported that Pokemon Black and Pokemon White have sold more than 2.6-million units in its first two days of availability. This is a new record for the series. I’m posting this information for all those people that say things like, “Pokemon is so dead!” and, “People still play Pokemon?” Take that! Muahahahahaha!!! Like the season two theme song says, “We all live in a Pokemon world!”

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Coffee Talk #217: Who’s Your Favorite Videogame Voice Actor?

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 El Salvador El Ausol Honeyed Pacamara, Golden Boy Promotions suing Top Rank Promotions, or how the lawsuit is horrible for (the already messed up) sport of boxing, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Today’s column was inspired by RPadholic bsukenyan’s wish for more Judi Dench in videogames. While I was terribly amused by his wish, I also wondered about your favorite videogame voice actors and actresses. At the very least, strong performances can cover up some weak scriptwriting. At best, great voice acting can truly bring a game’s story to life. As for my favorite, it’s definitely the legendary Cam Clarke.

I became a Cam Clarke fan from his work as Maximillian Sterling and (especially) Lance “Lancer” Belmont in the Robotech cartoons. As I started paying attention to acting in videogames, I noticed that his name popped up…a lot. The man has performed in more than 100 games! From Metal Gear Solid to Baldur’s Gate to God of War to World of Warcraft to Assassin’s Creed, chances are you’ve played dozens of games Clarke has acted in.

Now it’s your turn! Who are some of your favorite videogame voice actors and actresses?

Vote For an October Xbox Live Deal of the Week

Microsoft is letting Xbox Live Gold members select an upcoming Xbox Live Deal of the Week. It’s a smart move that keeps the community involved and engaged. The choices include:

  • Deathspank for 33% off
  • Perfect Dark for 50% off
  • Assorted Dragon Age: Origins DLC discounts
  • Assorted Trials HD DLC discounts
  • Assorted Battlefield: Bad Company 2 discounts

I’m going to log in and vote for Dragon Age so that I can support the boys and girls at BioWare. What’s your vote going to be?

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Cammie Dunaway Leaving Nintendo on October 1

Nintendo of America has announced that executive vice president of sales & marketing Cammie Dunaway will be leaving the company on October 1, 2010. Here’s a press release quote from NOA CEO Reggie Fils-Aime:

We appreciate Cammie’s contributions to Nintendo and the role she played in bringing the Wii and Nintendo DS experiences to millions of people.

Dunaway is a smart executive that got a lot of heat (deservedly so) for trying way too hard at her first Nintendo E3 press conference. While that had very little to do with her actual job, hardcore gamers never forgave that “performance”. Gamers never warmed up to her the same way they embraced Nintendo executives like Fils-Aime and Satoru Iwata.

What do you think of Dunaway leaving Nintendo? Is it related to the Wii’s declining sales? Is it a warning sign? Are you happy she’s gone? Or do you not give a damn about executives at console companies?

Hideo Kojima Wants to Reveal Next Game at TGS 2011

Konami’s Hideo Kojima has been busy overlording the upcoming Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, but he’s working on his own stuff too. According to Andriasang, the Metal Gear Solid developer wants to reveal his next game at Tokyo Game Show 2011. Here’s his translated tweet:

I think it would be nice if next year I can do not just editing, but introduce my own new game (game design, script and direction).

What do you think Kojima is up to? Another MGS title? Something new or exciting? Or perhaps it’s the return of Policenauts! Kindly post your theories in the comments section.

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