Category: Videogames

OnLive Cloud Gaming Service Shown Running on iPhone

OnLive on iPhone

OnLive CEO Steve Perlman showed of a version of the company’s cloud gaming service running on an iPhone at a Wedbush financial conference last week. Perlman blogged:

I showed OnLive running simultaneously on 2 iPhones, a TV, and a computer. What is really cool is that all 4 devices had access to the full OnLive Game Service, so they could play the same games, spectate on each other’s (and Beta users’) game play, watch Brag Clips, check out Gamer Profiles, etc.

For now, OnLive on a cell phone is only a technology demo. But, for those of you who have been asking about OnLive on cell phones, the answer is yes, it is coming. And, it is REALLY cool.

This is a huge development for the cloud-gaming startup, as well as a potentially cool one for the iPhone platform. While all sorts of approvals and permissions have to be set for OnLive to be an approved app, it would be tremendous if the company could take advantage of huge installed base of the iPhone and iPod Touch. Not only would it be big for OnLive, but it would also further the iPhone’s position as the fastest growing segment of the gaming market.

It will be interesting to see how OnLive progresses and whether it can overcome the hurdles facing cloud gaming. For now I’ll ask you if you think the service would be more appealing with an iPhone/Android/WebOS/S60 app. How about it?

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Coffee Talk #26: How Many Games Will You End Up Buying in 2009?

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, Manny Pacquiao’s amazing victory over Miguel Cotto, if you can throw more interceptions than Jay Cutler, or helping me find a new coffee company, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

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Ted DiBiase boxGaming is more expensive than ever. Consoles cost more. Games cost more. The addition of downloadable content adds to a game’s total cost of ownership. With a languishing economy, it’s no wonder that software sales are down.

As someone that has been writing about games for more than a decade, it’s sometimes hard for me to maintain a “real person’s” perspective on gaming economics. While I no longer receive most game releases automatically, it’s usually not a problem for me to call a publisher to get a game that I want to play.

With all that in mind, I wanted to see what your game purchasing was like in 2009. Be sure to add your choice in today’s poll and give an estimate of how many titles you’ll end up buying this year. Did you buy less than usual due to economic conditions? Are you renting more than buying? Or is your gaming budget immune to an economic downturn?

Matt Hazard: Blood, Bath, & Beyond Video + Questions Wanted

Here’s a fun video of the upcoming Matt Hazard: Blood, Bath, & Beyond. This game blends old-school, 2D shooting with an irreverent, satirical tone. I loved the writing and style of the first game and am looking forward to this sequel (coming to PSN and Xbox Live). I have an opportunity to interview the developers of the game, so if you have any questions, please leave ’em in the comments section!

Final Fantasy XIII Release Date and Developer Announcement Video

As many of you expected, Square Enix has announced the North American release date for Final Fantasy XIII: March 9, 2010!!! To bolster the announcement, the company released a video featuring Producer Yoshinori Kitase, director Motomu Toriyama, art director Isamu Kamikokuryo, and battle director Yuji Abe. Check it out!

Aside from being hosted by a total tool, the video is pretty slick. I love that it features the game and its creators. March 9, 2010 is just around the corner. I’m pretty sure I’ll have Dragon Age out of my system by the time FFXIII is released. I can’t wait!

Are you psyched for FFXIII? Is it a day one purchase for you? What did you think of the developer video?

Square Enix Taps Leona Lewis for Final Fantasy XIII

In addition to working with Bon Jovi for Crystal Chronicles, Square Enix has enlisted the aid of Leona Lewis for Final Fantasy XIII. Today’s press release (as part of Final Fantasy Friday the 13th!) stated:

Multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Leona Lewis has come on board with Square Enix to provide the theme song for Final Fantasy XIII. The song is entitled “My Hands,” and is featured on her highly-anticipated second album ECHO (J Records/Syco Music) set for release on November 17th. Leona Lewis took the music world by storm with her 2008 6x platinum debut album Spirit which features her chart topping, biggest selling single of 2008 “Bleeding Love,” and mega-hit “Better In Time.”

Leona Lewis ECHO cover

I like “Better in Time”. It’s a cute and catchy song. More importantly, Leona is totally hot. I’m all for her promoting FFXIII.

What do you ladies and gents make of the news?

NPD Console Sales Figures Top 10 Games of October 2009

NPD Group has released its console software sales information for October 2009. The month pretty much went as expected with Sony’s Uncharted 2 and Nintendo’s Wii Fit Plus leading the way. There was one very pleasant surprise in October. Check out the list and see for yourself.

Uncharted 2

  1. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3): 537,000
  2. Wii Fit Plus (Wii): 441,000
  3. Borderlands (Xbox 360): 418,000
  4. Wii Sports Resort (Wii): 314,000
  5. NBA 2K10 (Xbox 360): 311,000
  6. Halo 3 ODST (Xbox 360): 271,000
  7. NBA 2K10 (PS3): 213,000
  8. Forza Motorsport 3 (Xbox 360): 175,000
  9. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (DS): 169,000
  10. FIFA Soccer 10 (Xbox 360): 156,000

Borderlands did way better than most people were expecting. Sandwiched between ODST and Modern Warfare 2, most people — including renowned analyst Michael Pachter — thought that the game was going to take a pounding. Instead, it sold very well. This makes me happy on several levels. It’s completely immature, but I love it when Pachter is wrong. More importantly, I’m thrilled for Gearbox’s success. Well done guys!

Anything on October’s NPD software list surprise you?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I know this might come as a shock to you, but I’m going to be playing Dragon Age: Origins most of the weekend. I finally beat the game on Thursday morning. Now it’s time for my next run! My first character was a male Dalish elf rogue that was 99 percent good. This time I’m going with a female human warrior (and yes, it’s mostly so I can engage in a lesbian romance with Leliana). While I’m still going to lean on the good side, I’m going to be snarky whenever I can.

Dragon Age Origins 3

While the game certainly has its flaws, it’s also everything I love about BioWare. I love the combat, the music, and the storytelling. The dialogue is just frickin’ brilliant. The interaction between your different party members is so well done. There are times when it’s hard for me to choose my companions. Do I go with the most effective characters? Or do I go with a mix of people that will have hilarious conversations on the road?

While I should play Borderlands and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 with my friends, I know I’m going to flake out of the proposed online sessions because of DA. Sorry Christian. Sorry Ted. Ha!

Anyway, what are you guys and dolls going to play this weekend?

Coffee Talk #25: Entertainment vs. Principles

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 awesomeness of Oddworld’s Lorne Lanning, Cotto vs. Pacquiao 24/7, or the brilliance of Eddie Izzard, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

A lot of gamers have been bad mouthing Activision for its penchant for churning out sequels and licensed games as fast as a nine-year old churns out Nike’s in China. People have said that Activision is a circle of hell and CEO Bobby Kotick rules it with a pitchfork. Yet a lot of the gamers that denounce the company happily snatched up Modern Warfare 2 on day one.

Dragon Age Shale

It’s an interesting predicament. Do you buy MW2, simply because it will provide you with excellent entertainment? Or do you boycott Activision because you believe the company is bad for the business? Taking a stand, one way or the other, is fine, but too many gamers say one thing and do another. I can picture Chris Jericho telling all the ATVI haters that bought MW2 that they’re “parasites and hypocrites”.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be all holier than thou. I fully admit that I’m part of the problem. For example, I think that releasing paid downloadable content in conjunction with a game’s release is a bad practice. It’s a disturbing trend that’s surely going to become more prevalent in the next year. I don’t want to encourage it, yet I bought the Dragon Age: Origins DLC because I love the company’s games and I knew it would enrich my DA experience. I shouldn’t have bought it…but but but…it’s BioWare!

I wanted to see where you stand on the “entertainment vs. principles” matter. Do you just buy whatever games you want because you’ll enjoy them? Do you pass on titles you’d like to play because you want to take a stand? Or do you make exceptions (and wince on the inside when you do) for your favorite developers or series?

Dante’s Inferno Animated Feature Trailer

Check out this wicked trailer of the animated feature being made to flesh out the world of EA’s Dante’s Inferno. It’s pretty slick. Here’s the official description from EA:

Witness a different take on Dante’s descent into the underworld! From the creative teams behind some of the boldest animated films of all time, including Ghost in the Shell, Samurai Champloo, Blood the Last Vampire and others, experience Dante’s Inferno in an all-new form. In this new trailer, Dante descends into the depths of Hell and encounters many gruesome forms of evil while pursuing the soul of his beloved lost love, Beatrice. This animated feature will release in February 2010, the same month Visceral Games’ Dante’s Inferno is unleashed upon the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and the Sony PSP.

Let me know what you think of it when you get a chance.

How Weapons Level Up in Final Fantasy XIII

Final Fantasy XIII

The excellent Anoop Gantayat at Andriasang has translated a recent Shonen Jump article detailing Final Fantasy XIII’s weapon system. Apparently weapons can be leveled up by using the random crap you find while adventuring.

FFXIII lets you make modifications to your weapons. You do this by combining materials that enemies leave behind and that you find in treasure boxes. You’ll find over 100 such materials in the game. Depending on your combinations, your weapons will rise in experience and become stronger.

Normally, I would think that this method of improving weapons through leftovers is silly and nonsensical, but compared to the completely ridiculous gestalt mode it sounds totally reasonable. Still…this is the 2010 release I want the most. I’m not going to lie about that.

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