I’m almost done with my second round of Dragon Age: Origins
Aside from that, I told my friend at Sony that I’d play some Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2
As always, I want to know what you’re playing this weekend!
Category: Videogames
Coffee Talk #30: Will You Ever Be a PC Gamer (Again)?
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, California laying the smack down on electricity-guzzling televisions, sports venues fighting it out for Pacquiao/Mayweather (which hasn’t even been negotiated yet), or Mick Foley’s appearance on The Daily Show, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
In the mid to late ’90s, I played games on every platform I could. It didn’t matter if it was on a console or on a PC — I played. Somewhere along the line, I totally dropped PC gaming. I’m not even sure when it happened, but I definitely know why it happened. I used to play PC games because they offered a wide variety of experiences that was better than most things on a console. That’s just not the case anymore.
Console have gotten better and better. The original PlayStation started a tremendous wave of mainstream popularity for home systems. As more and more people started gaming in their living rooms, more and more developers followed them. Meanwhile, PC gaming has stagnated and high-end PCs still carry a premium price tag. Sure, there are a handful of games that offer an experience you can’t get on a console, but to me it’s not worth the cost of admission.
I still remember playing all sorts of cool games on a Commodore 64 with my brother. Much later, I graduated to Civilization II, Baldur’s Gate, Doom, Total Annihilation, Age of Empires, and more. Those were fun times and they’ll be remembered fondly, but I just don’t see myself being a hardcore PC gamer ever again.
How about you? If you’re a lapsed PC gamer, can you see yourself getting back into the scene? If you’ve always been a console player, do you see yourself ever getting serious about PC games?
Supreme Commander 2 Walkthrough with Chris Taylor
Gas Powered Games founder and lead designer Chris Taylor — the funniest man in game development — gives an excellent walkthrough of his upcoming game, Supreme Commander 2
I’ve been chatting with Chris lately and I will have a full interview with this handsome man soon. In the meantime, let me know what you think of this walkthrough video.
3D Dot Game Heroes Launch Trailer
Atlus has released the launch trailer for 3D Dot Game Heroes
Dragon Age: Origins DLC Announced for Holiday 2009
BioWare and Electronic Arts have announced the “Return to Ostagar” DLC for the excellent Dragon Age: Origins
Return to Ostagar, BioWare’s next thread in the Dragon Age: Origins tapestry, 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.
I’m hoping that I’ll be able to snag Cailan’s armor from his rotting corpse — dude had some pretty slick armor! I’m also curious the learn what his political agenda entailed. Did he want universal health care for every citizen of Ferelden? Was he planning to institute equal opportunity programs for dwarves and elves? Maybe has was going to let the Dalish open up casinos.
This is a day-one download for me. How about you, my fellow DA players?
Coffee Talk #29: How Many Gaming Consoles Have Died on 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, the continuation of Showtime’s “Super Six” super-middleweight tournament, bisexual elf assassins, or the rise of Kofi Kingston, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
On Tuesday, I wrote about a recent CNet UK poll that showed some nasty numbers on the Xbox 360’s failure rate. I found your comments on the article interesting. My experience with console failures is limited to my Xbox 360 Elite. Every other console I’ve had has worked fine until it was retired for a next-gen system. Sure, I’ve had to blow on my fair share of cartridges (did that really do anything?), but I haven’t had a gaming system die on me until my Elite.
[poll id=”10″]
I was surprise by how many of you had multiple console failures. Nightshade386’s comment was particularly alarming — dude had seven consoles die on him! Either he’s one of the unluckiest gamers in America or he’s really Magneto. While my experience of one dead console might be unusual, his situation is on the other end of the spectrum…or so I think.
Today I’d like to know how many consoles have died on you. Leave the number in today’s poll and elaborate in the comments section. I’m curious to learn which systems failed you. While today’s consoles are more advanced than ever, they also seem to be far more fragile. Maybe it’s because the parts they’re using are so complex and delicate. Or maybe they don’t make ’em like they used to. Either way, I can’t wait to see your comments today!
Nintendo to Go on a Holiday Shopping Mall Tour
Taking a page from Tiffany’s book, Nintendo is set to embark on a nationwide tour of shopping malls across America. Its Nintendo Holiday Mall Experience hopes to entice shoppers with the latest DS and Wii goods from November 23 to December 20. The official press release stated:
The Nintendo Holiday Mall Experience will touch down in 35 shopping malls from coast to coast, offering free hands-on demos of some of Nintendo’s hottest games. Whether they’re seeking gifts for friends and family members or simply taking a break from the season’s hustle and bustle, attendees can enjoy an interactive glimpse into the rich variety of entertainment offered by Nintendo.
Yeah…because Nintendo needs help selling more hardware. Ha! I’m going to try to check out the one in Culver City, but if the tour is hitting a mall near you, I’d love to see your pictures. You can see the entire list of malls and cities below the fold.
Continue reading “Nintendo to Go on a Holiday Shopping Mall Tour”
Final Fantasy XIII Prologue Getting the Novelization Treatment
Final Fantasy XIII fever is set to run wild on Japan next month( Hulk Hogan says things run wild “on” and not “in”). Along with the game, its special edition soundtrack, and limited edition Suntory beverage, FFXIII will have a book based on its prologue. Andriasang has reported:
Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero Promise serves as a prologue to the events of the main FFXIII game. For the past month, Square Enix has been gradually releasing chapters from the novel at the FFXIII official site. The official site is currently up to the fourth chapter of the third volume. Just three more chapters remain.
The print version of the book is hardcover and sells for ¥1,470 at Amazon. Pre-orders are now being accepted at the retailer.
I’m often jealous of all the excellent goodies available to Japanese gamers. This is another instance of my jealousy.
Spike TV 2009 Video Game Awards Nominees Revealed!
Spike TV has revealed the nominees for its 2009 Video Game Awards (VGAs). The list is pretty solid, but there are some notable omissions. MLB 09: The Show and Dragon Age: Origins got the shaft. I don’t see how you can leave Final Fantasy XIII off of the “most anticipated” games list.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the list! Are there any games that you think were overlooked by Spike TV? Anything overrated? What do you think of the VGAs having 25 categories? Too much?
And the nominees are…
Game of the Year
Assassin’s Creed 2
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Left 4 Dead 2
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Studio of the Year
Infinity Ward
Naughty Dog
Rocksteady Studios
Valve
Continue reading “Spike TV 2009 Video Game Awards Nominees Revealed!”
Coffee Talk #28: What Would You Do in a 24-Hour Blackout?
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, Brock Lesnar’s strange and severe sickness, preparing for the impending (awful) Twilight madness, or the DC Universe’s Blackest Night, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Blackouts scare me. The thought of not being able to play on my consoles or use my PC for an extended and unknown period of time is just…chilling. Sure, it’s more than a bit ridiculous, but I totally admit it. Technology — powered by electricity, of course — is a huge part of how I keep myself entertained. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself during an extended power outage.
Fortunately, that’s not really a problem, since I live in a major city in a first-world country. That said, I started thinking about what I would do if such a catastrophe struck (yes, I’m exaggerating). Would I bust out a board game? Would I enjoy an extended round of bedroom activities? Or would I geek it up in another way?
If a blackout struck today, I think I’d read some nerd books. I haven’t really started R.A. Salvatore’s The Ghost King
How about you? What would you do if you couldn’t touch your consoles, play on the Internet, or “chat” with your fellow RPadholics for 24 hours? How would you spend your time if you didn’t have electricity for 24 hours? (And for the sake of the game, please don’t list playing on your fully charged PSP, Nintendo DS, or iPhone. Ha!)