Category: Videogames

EA Pulls the Online Plug for Several ’09 Games

In a curious move, Electronic Arts has announced that it will be cutting the online gaming functionality of several titles starting February 2, 2010. Some of the games are less than two years old. According to Kotaku, the euthanasia victims include:

  • UEFA Champions League 07 PC and x360
  • Facebreaker x360 and PS3
  • Fantasy Football 09 x360 and PS3
  • FIFA 07 PSP, PS2, PC
  • Fight Night Round 3 PS2
  • Madden 08 Wii
  • Madden 08 PC
  • Madden 09 Xbox
  • Madden 09 Wii and PSP
  • March Madness 07 x360
  • NBA 07 PSP, x360
  • NBA 08 PS2, PSP, Wii
  • NBA 09 Wii – Europe only
  • NBA Street (2007) PS3 and x360
  • NCAA Football 08 PS2
  • NCAA Football 09 PS2
  • NASCAR 08 PS2
  • NASCAR 09 PS2
  • NASCAR 09 PS3 and x360 – Europe Only
  • NFL Tour PS3 and x360
  • NHL 07 PSP and x360
  • NHL 08 PC
  • Tiger Woods 07 PC
  • Madden 09 x360 and PS3
  • Madden 07 Xbox 360

The action brings up an interesting debate: when is the right time to kill online support for games? Certainly the amount of current online activity matters, but should a publisher err on the side of gamers that buy its goods or cutting costs to appease shareholders?

I haven’t given it enough thought, but my initial reaction is that EA is pulling the plug way too soon for some of these games. Cutting online support for titles that have been out for a little over a year?!? That’s totally sticking it to the customer.

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Coffee Talk #57: What Will Define Console Gaming in 2010?

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 J-E-T-S, if the Washington Wizards should change their name back to the Washington Bullets, or the most incredible reuben sandwich in the world, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Whether you consider it a fresh start, the beginning of another chapter, or a baby step on the road of life, a new year is always filled with exciting potential. For console gaming, 2010 should be a pivotal year. Developers are starting to master the powerful hardware at their disposal and the hardware companies are set to introduce new twists to their traditional products. Which one do you think will have a bigger impact this year?

It’s easy to say that it will be the games. Titles like Final Fantasy XIII, Heavy Rain, and God of War III should offer polished experiences that truly harness the processing power available this generation. The counter-argument is that Uncharted has already set the bar and nobody else will touch it. Even if that’s the case, there will surely be more quality games than ever in 2010.

Microsoft and Sony are set to emphasize motion controls this year. Hoping to duplicate some of the ridiculous success of the Nintendo Wii and sell consoles to mainstream gamers, both companies will go large with the motion of the ocean. The mainstream press seems particularly enamored with these kinds of controllers; I was (perhaps naively) surprised by how many mainstream outlets reported on Microsoft and Sony going all Wii at E3 2009. I won’t be surprised when the buzz is even bigger in 2010.

What do you think will definite the year in console gaming? Will it be the number of quality games? Motion controllers for all systems? Or something else entirely? I’d love to read your views on consoles in 2010, so leave a comment when you have a moment (please).

Today’s Poll: What Will You Play the Most in 2010?

Any guesses as to which gaming system you’ll use the most in 2010? Will new PS3 owners going to put major miles on their new consoles? Are Xbox 360 loyalists sticking with their systems? Maybe mobile is the way forward with the PSP, DS, and iPhone. Please vote when you get a chance!

[poll id=”16″]

Hironobu Sakaguchi Working on iPhone Game

Mistwalker’s Hironobu Sakaguchi — you know, the guy who helped create Final Fantasy — revealed that he’s working on an iPhone game that will be out shortly. Wishing all of his fans a happy 2010, Sakaguchi wrote:

“Oh, by the way, We are also working on a project for iPhone. This should be released soon as well.”

An iPhone game by Sakaguchi?!? I’m totally down!

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Dragon Age: Origins DLC Info — Coming January and March?

Electronic Arts has announced that the Return to Ostagar downloadable content for Dragon Age: Origins will be available on January 5, 2010 for PC and Xbox 360. The PS3 version will be available later in the month. Here’s a snippet from the press release:

Return to Ostagar allows players to exact their revenge and embark on a quest for the mighty arms and armor of the once great King Cailan when they revisit Ostagar, the site of the Grey Wardens’ darkest hour, to reclaim the honor and learn the secrets of Ferelden’s fallen king.

Return to Ostagar summons players to a new quest in which they will return to the fateful battleground in Ostagar where the Grey Wardens were nearly wiped out. Players will discover King Cailan’s top-secret political agenda and go behind enemy lines to revisit a place that many feared had been lost to history.

There was interesting rumor from Big Download, which translated a Eurogamer article. The site claimed that EA and BioWare will be announcing additional DLC that will come out in March 2010. This isn’t a quickie like Return to Ostagar (which should be about an hour of gameplay for $5). The March DLC is rumored to be 15 hours long and come with a raised level cap.

I’m kind of irked that I won’t be home until January 6. I want to be home for the launch of this DLC and the Google Nexus One! I do find it amusing that I’ll be a day late and a dollar short. Ha!

Coffee Talk #56: A New Year’s Gaming Resolution

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 enormous sucktitude of the TSA, snow, or your first morning hangover (*snicker*) of 2010, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Sorry for the lack of updates yesterday. This cold is totally kicking my ass. Between that and all the stairs at my parents’ house, I’m quite uncomfortable at the moment. Having said that, I’m so happy to be with my family and thrilled that it’s 2010! Last year sucked for a lot of people I know and it was pretty wretched for me. I’m glad it’s over and I’m looking forward to shaking things up in a new decade.

So let’s talk new year’s resolutions! A lot of people make them and most people don’t stick to them. I figure a gaming-specific resolution should be a breeze to keep. Ultimately, it’s about entertaining yourself and we all want to do that, right?

For 2010, my new year’s gaming resolution is to buy more games made by small, independent developers. Whether it’s for PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, PC, iPhone, or Android, I want to do more to support the indie scene. With any luck it will lead to some karmic goodwill with someone wanting to donate money to small, independent blogs. Ha!

Do you have any gaming resolutions for 2010? Leave a comment and let me know (please)! And happy new year to you!!!

Capcom Will Leave Sequels to the Round Eyes

Citing disappointment with Bionic Commando, Capcom president Haruhiro Tsujimoto said that he has reevaluated the role Western developers will play in the company’s games. At a recent Q&A session he said:

Our experience with Bionic Commando has demonstrated the difficulty of outsourcing the development of new title to overseas companies. We are considering ways to separate the roles of activities in Japan and overseas. We plan to develop new titles primarily in Japan. Overseas companies may be used mostly to develop titles for existing game series with well-established characters and universal themes. Overseas companies will also handle certain parts and/or lineups of such games.

Japan is a pretty xenophobic culture (though that’s changing somewhat with the younger generation) so I’m not at all surprised by these comments. Having said that, there are a number of Eastern-Western partnerships that have worked well. In Capcom’s case, Bionic Commando has become too important if it’s going to affect the company’s future development strategies. While I generally prefer games developed in Japan, I think it would be foolish not to explore true collaborative efforts that combine the best of both regions.

What do you think of Tsujimoto-san’s stance on Western developers?

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Capcom Will Leave Sequels to the Round Eyes

Citing disappointment with Bionic Commando, Capcom president Haruhiro Tsujimoto said that he has reevaluated the role Western developers will play in the company’s games. At a recent Q&A session he said:

Our experience with Bionic Commando has demonstrated the difficulty of outsourcing the development of new title to overseas companies. We are considering ways to separate the roles of activities in Japan and overseas. We plan to develop new titles primarily in Japan. Overseas companies may be used mostly to develop titles for existing game series with well-established characters and universal themes. Overseas companies will also handle certain parts and/or lineups of such games.

Japan is a pretty xenophobic culture (though that’s changing somewhat with the younger generation) so I’m not at all surprised by these comments. Having said that, there are a number of Eastern-Western partnerships that have worked well. In Capcom’s case, Bionic Commando has become too important if it’s going to affect the company’s future development strategies. While I generally prefer games developed in Japan, I think it would be foolish not to explore true collaborative efforts that combine the best of both regions.

What do you think of Tsujimoto-san’s stance on Western developers?

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Coffee Talk #55: Your Favorite Gambling Minigames

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, what the hell happened to the Minnesota Vikings, WWE hyping Bret Hart’s return to Raw, or the best things to do with leftover turkey, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

By the time you read this, I’ll be on my way to Atlantic City with my family. I’m Asian, ergo gambling is in my blood. I actually spent the better part of 2001 earning money in blackjack and video poker. Although I don’t gamble as much as I used to (in casinos, life is another matter), I’ve always loved gambling and card-based minis in videogames.

Out of all the minigame distractions I’ve enjoyed over the years, my favorite would have to be Triple Triad in Final Fantasy VIII. It’s a fun card game that was great for a distraction from the RPG grind and actually had an impact on gameplay. Its simple and addictive nature proved to be so popular that several fans created downloadable versions of the game. While it’s not as exhilarating as going on a hot card-counting run at Binion’s Horseshoe, it doesn’t require a bankroll and you won’t lose money on a bad run.

What are some of your favorite gambling or card-based minigames? Let me know and I’ll try to reply from the road on my BlackBerry!

Photo Blast From the Past: Babbage’s


I fondly remember shopping for Infocom games at Babbage’s and Software Etc. when I was a kid. These days, GameStop is the only major videogame specialty retailer that operates nationally. I wasn’t aware that GameStop still used the Babbage’s name, so I was a little shocked when I saw this old brand in a relatively new mall. Naturally, I had to snap a photo.