Category: Videogames

Square Enix Announces Final Fantasy XIII Sweepstakes

FFXIII_Key Ring_Lightning

To prepare for the March 2010 arrival of Final Fantasy XIII in America, Square Enix has announced a contest that will award FFXIII accessories to 13 lucky winners. While they’re not as cool as an RPad.tv refrigerator magnet, they’re definitely more expensive. Here’s a list of the prizes:

  • Lightning pendant
  • L’Cie pendant
  • Snow pendant
  • Serah pendant
  • Lightning keychain
  • L’Cie business card holder

Head on over to the Square Enix members site on December 23 to enter.

Hit the break for six more pictures of these accessories. The business card holder is totally cool.

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Sony Launches Sodium One “Freemium” MMO for PlayStation Home

Sony has announced the launch of Sodium One, a free-to-play MMO for PlayStation Home with premium features. Here are some deets from the press release:

With the launch of Sodium, PlayStation Home’s first MMO, PlayStation Home further evolves into a true social gaming platform, complete with both snack-size mini games and extended gaming experiences to share with both existing friends and new friends met within PlayStation Home.

Starting on December 17, PlayStation Home users can step into the Sodium “Teleporter” located in the PlayStation Home Central Plaza and be transported to a futuristic, action-packed social gaming environment. In Sodium, a new technological era has dawned bringing with it interstellar travel, rapid colonization of the galaxy, inexhaustible energy, advanced Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and the power to travel between quantum realities. This new age has also brought a host of new challenges where players must battle for harmony with their environment — and sometime survival.

I’m completely uninterested in Sodium One. However, there are millions of people that love Home and I’m sure they’ll give this a spin too. How about you? Are you going to play around in PlayStation Home’s new MMO?

New Super Street Fighter IV Stages Revealed

Super Street Fighter IVa

Capcom community ace and the scourge of North American fighting-game tournaments Seth Killian showed off some new screens of Super Street Fighter IV’s new stages. Here’s some of what Seth had to say on Capcom Unity:

In the new Metro City background, you can spot Hugo, as well as a gigantic, shirtless Mike Haggar statue, constructed by your Metro City mayor, Mike Haggar (Mayors are always doing this kind of thing).

The new African stage is one of my visual favorites, not only because of all the crisp lighting, but for the background action as well, where you fight during an eclipse and can knock over hippos and be taunted by meercats.

The Korean stage is a riot of colors, with young and old turning out to check out the fight, and includes my favorite new spazzy background character of all time!

I’m totally amped for this game. Sexy Korean girls rule!!! Hit the break for more screens!

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Square Enix Accepting Applications for FFXIV Beta Test

FFXIV

While Final Fantasy XIII is hitting Japan like a tsunami, Square Enix has announced that it is accepting applications for Final Fantasy XIV. If you want an early glimpse at this MMO, head on over to the official site and sign up.

Any of you going to give this game a shot?

Coffee Talk #49: Favorite Games of 2009 #2 Civilization Revolution

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, Danica Patrick making her NASCAR debut in California, Kelly Pavlik finally returning to boxing, or Bret “The Hitman” Hart signing a short-term deal with WWE, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As I mentioned last week, I’ll be counting down my five favorite games of 2009 in this week’s Coffee Talk columns and I’d love for you to join me! Let me know what your favorite games of the year were in the comments section. Remember, this isn’t about what games you thought were “best”. I want to know what you had the most fun with in 2009.

Civ iPhone

#2 Civilization Revolution — I picked up this iPhone game as an impulse purchase when it was on sale for $2.99. It quickly became one of the best gaming values I’ve had in years. There’s nothing fancy or complex about Civilization Revolution — it offers classic Civ gameplay on your iPhone…which is more than enough for hundreds of hours of entertainment.

Whether I’m flying across the Pacific Ocean, dealing with jet lag in Yokohama, or simply can’t sleep at home, it’s so easy to pass the time with this game. The only problem is that it’s so addictive that it’s easy to lose track of time and miss important things. Ha! That said, I’m amazed that I’ve gotten hundreds of hours of gameplay for only three bucks! Civilization Revolution rules!!!

Read Final Fantasy XIII Zero Promise in English

FFXIII Zero Promise 2

While American gamers are jealous of the fact that Final Fantasy XIII is available in Japan, round eyes will have to make do with this translated version of FFXIII: Zero Promise. This prologue should offer lots of great information for American FF fans as they wait for the game’s March release. I’m actually annoyed that I haven’t gotten around to buying a printer. I want to read this now!

If any of you do read it, please let me know if it’s any good.]

Source

Coffee Talk #48: Favorite Games of 2009 #3 SmackDown vs. Raw 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 Seattle Mariners making out like bandits in the big MLB trade, Boeing finally getting the 787 Dreamliner off the ground, or Freddie Roach calling out Roger Mayweather, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As I mentioned last week, I’ll be counting down my five favorite games of 2009 in this week’s Coffee Talk columns and I’d love for you to join me! Let me know what your favorite games of the year were in the comments section. Remember, this isn’t about what games you thought were “best”. I want to know what you had the most fun with in 2009.

Smackdown vs Raw 2010 c

#3 WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 — I love videogames and I love WWE, so it’s no surprise that I love THQ’s WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 series. This year’s game was very special to me since it contained my first pieces of writing on that side of the business. The award-winning scripts of the Shawn Michaels and Mickie James storylines aside, it’s just a great game. In addition to the variety of matches and careers it offers, 2010 ups the ante on the creative side. WWE fans have been able to create wrestlers and moves in the past, but this year storylines can be created and content can be shared online. It’s cool stuff.

Sure, I joke about the game being nominated for the best videogame writing in the history of man, but I love playing it. Getting to beat up Randy Orton with dozens of WWE Superstars — whether they’re real or imagined or downloaded — never gets old.

Media Molecule Details Pirates of the Caribbean LBP Level Pack

LBP Pirates of the Carribean

Media Molecule has revealed details on the Pirates of the Caribbean level pack for LittleBigPlanet. The pack will be available on December 22, 2009 for $5.99. It includes:

  • New Gameplay features for Create: Water — Global Water Object, Scuba Gear, Bubble Machine, Water Switch
  • 5 Brand new Pirates of the Caribbean themed Levels
  • 1 New costume: The Cannibal: Leg Bands, Teeth, Nose Decoration, Hair, Loincloth, Skin
  • 4 new music tracks
  • A new level background
  • 8 Materials
  • 14 Decorations
  • 27 Objects
  • 133 Stickers
  • 11 brand new PlayStation® Trophies

Hit the break for an excellent video of the level pack in action.

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