Category: Videogames

Coffee Talk #130: Games You’ve Enjoyed Thanks to Friends

For the most part, we all know what kind of games we’ll like and won’t like. Every now and then, a surprise comes our way. One of the best ways to receive a gaming surprise is through friends. A great friend of mine recently dropped by for lunch on his way back up to San Francisco. We’ve gone through a lot together, but there’s one game that always reminds me of him: Culdcept. I admit that I would have totally ignored this game if he didn’t put it on my radar. Thanks to him, I’ve gotten dozens of hours of entertainment from a game I wouldn’t have tried on my own.

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, Tim Tebow going so early in the draft, the Yankees’ first triple play in more than 40 years, or whether the world is passing Nokia/RIM by, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

For the most part, we all know what kind of games we’ll like and won’t like. Every now and then, a surprise comes our way. One of the best ways to receive a gaming surprise is through friends. A great friend of mine recently dropped by for lunch on his way back up to San Francisco. We’ve gone through a lot together, but there’s one game that always reminds me of him: Culdcept. I admit that I would have totally ignored this game if he didn’t put it on my radar. Thanks to him, I’ve gotten dozens of hours of entertainment from a game I wouldn’t have tried on my own.

Do you have any gaming surprises like that? Are there any games you like or love thanks to recommendations by friends? Surely there must be a game you would have dismissed but didn’t, thanks to a pal telling you about it. I want to hear your friends-turn-you-onto-game stories today!

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

Jet lag is still kicking my ass (to be fair, I’m not putting up much of a fight), but I’m finally ready to get back to some real gaming! I’m totally jumping back into Final Fantasy XIII. Hopefully my timing with paradigm shifts won’t be too bad after two weeks away from the game. If I remember correctly, I’m in chapter 10. FFXIII has been a really enjoyable experience so far and from what I understand, the best is yet to come. I really don’t understand what some people have been complaining about. Stuff it haters!

As always, let me know what you’re playing this weekend!

Coffee Talk #129: Should Digital Downloads Be Taxed?

RPadholic tokz_21 sent me this interesting article on digital downloads being taxed. The article focused primarily on movies and music, but it could easily apply to games as well. I don’t know what the deals are in the states you live in, but in California downloadable goods aren’t taxed. On one hand, I save some money. On the other hand, I do feel like I’m cheating (just a little bit).

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, Madden’s new cover boy, Tim Urban finally getting the boot from American Idol, or flip phones in 2010, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

RPadholic tokz_21 sent me this interesting article on digital downloads being taxed. The article focused primarily on movies and music, but it could easily apply to games as well. I don’t know what the deals are in the states you live in, but in California downloadable goods aren’t taxed. On one hand, I save some money. On the other hand, I do feel like I’m cheating (just a little bit).

Obviously nobody wants to pay more money, but I wanted to see if you think digital downloads should be taxed. Be honest! Should downloads be treated like other goods you buy? Or should the state be hands-off? Do you feel like you’re depriving your state of funds by purchasing digitally or through online retailers that don’t charge tax? Leave a comment and let me know (please)!

Iron Man 2 Dev Diary: Behind the Music with Lamb of God

The latest Iron Man 2 developer diary tells the story of how Sega and Lamb of God teamed up on the game. Members of the band and the dev team talk about the collaboration between developer/publisher and band. Lamb of God’s single “Hit the Wall” is the game’s official theme song. It’s a cool clip and I hope you check it out!

Coffee Talk #127: What Magazines Do You Read?

To be completely honest, this edition of Coffee Talk is 30% self serving. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, Amazon currently has some great deals on magazines — including some “buy-one-year-get-two-years deals. If there’s anything there that interests you, a subscription would really help out the site. That said, I’m also genuinely curious to learn what kind of magazines you ladies and gents read.

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, Mosley/Mayweather 24/7, your batting average being higher than Mark Teixeira’s, or losing iPhone prototypes at a bar, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

To be completely honest, this edition of Coffee Talk is 30% self serving. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, Amazon currently has some great deals on magazines — including some “buy-one-year-get-two-years deals. If there’s anything there that interests you, a subscription would really help out the site. That said, I’m also genuinely curious to learn what kind of magazines you ladies and gents read.

I subscribe to a bunch of magazines…but don’t read most of them since the Internet keeps me filled with info. I have ESPN: The Magazine, mainly for “Insider” access. I read Entertainment Weekly to keep up with pop culture. The books I receive, but usually don’t get to include Tennis, Interview, GQ, and The Atlantic. All of those subs are Internet specials that cost a few dollars. The sole gaming magazine I receive is Game Informer; EIC Andy was nice enough to put me on the comp list and I’m friends with a bunch of those guys, so it’s nice to read their work.

Now it’s your turn! What magazines do you read regularly?

Coffee Talk #126: Would You Pass on a Console Due to Child Labor?

The National Labor Committee (NLC) posted an interesting report on a Chinese factory that makes several Microsoft products — including Xbox 360 controllers and remotes. As you can imagine, the factory’s conditions were deemed horrid. Children as young as 16 allegedly work shifts exceeding 15 hours in an extremely small space without air conditioning. The workers allegedly sleep 14 to a room and can only take sponge baths.

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, Sergio Martinez achieving boxing greatness at 35, the disgusting tale of Edwin Valero, or the first round of the NBA playoffs, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

The National Labor Committee (NLC) posted an interesting report on a Chinese factory that makes several Microsoft products — including Xbox 360 controllers and remotes. As you can imagine, the factory’s conditions were deemed horrid. Children as young as 16 allegedly work shifts exceeding 15 hours in an extremely small space without air conditioning. The workers allegedly sleep 14 to a room and can only take sponge baths.

Microsoft corporate vice president Brian Tobey claimed that Microsoft inspects the factory regularly. He recently stated on the company’s corporate blog that, “We take the allegations raised this week quite seriously. Another comprehensive on-site audit of the facility will be conducted next week, with a specific goal of investigating the allegations raised in the NLC report. In addition, we will have monitors on site pending the results of the inspection.”

There are loads of products we buy and use that are manufactured under harsh conditions like the ones pointed out by the NLC. My question for you today is this: If you were aware that a gaming product you want was built in a factory that exploited teenagers and had inhumane working conditions, would you still buy it?

Pokemon Sunday Shows First Pokemon Black/White Gameplay

Here’s a brief gameplay clip of the upcoming Pokemon Black/White from the Pokemon Sunday show in Japan. Zorua and Zoroark are shown after the clip. It gives you an idea of the how the new environments work…but more importantly, it gives me a new dream. I would love to work on a goofy-ass Pokemon show in America. Sadly, I don’t think it would play here. Ha!

Blast From the Past: Reset Episode 7

This was a particularly fun episode of Reset to put together. The first clip features two of my closest friends in the business, the second clip has Zoe and me playing around in Vegas, and the last one is about Ultimate Spider-Man! Check yourself before your wreck yourself (I have no idea where that came from).

Part 1 — Here’s a roundtable discussion from a Konami event. While it wasn’t a drunken adventure like the Midway table of truth, there’s some good stuff here. Journalists Robert Workman, Christian Nutt, and Chris Kohler speak out on Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare.

Part 2 — Zoe and I played in a Las Vegas poker tournament that promoted the game Stacked. She got to hang with poker pros Daniel Negreanu and Evelyn Ng (sexy!), while I hung out with poker…personality Bill Filmaff.

Part 3 — The last clip of this episode is all about Ultimate Spider-Man! I love the comic and enjoyed the game. Let’s take a look back at it before it was released.

This Week’s Videogame Releases

It looks like the only interesting game being released this week is Capcom’s Monster Hunter Tri. The series is ridiculously popular in Japan, particularly on the PSP, and enjoys a nice following in other regions. I know most of you aren’t high on the Wii, but if you pick up this game, do let me know. For that matter, is there anything you plan on buying this week?