Category: Videogames

Coffee Talk #11: Achievements vs. Trophies — Fight!!!

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, if Lyoto Machida deserved that decision over Shogun Rua, T-Mobile’s new pricing plans, or how awesome it is to have the Yankees in the World Series, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

First off, kindly vote in the Saved by the Bell poll. It’s important…like very. Now getting back to the topic at hand….

RPad TV Achievement

Achievements and trophies. Trophies and achievements. They’re essentially the same thing — a little pat on the back for doing something in a game. In some cases, the reward is for something you would have done anyway. In others, you’re coerced to play more of a game and/or play it in a different way just to get some meaningless points or symbols. Don’t get me wrong, I love these things. I want them. (Even if I don’t know why.) What I find curious is that some gamers greatly prefer one over the other.

Familiarity might have something to do with it. Microsoft wisely incorporated achievements during the early planning stages of the Xbox 360. By introducing the system on day one, it was able to establish achievements as the norm and get gamers hooked on the whole idea. Sony’s trophies came much later and support hasn’t been consistent. This has changed, but there are some early releases that don’t support trophies. All that aside, some people prefer trophies because they rather have a symbol than a number. Personally, I don’t care either way — I want them all!!! (Unfortunately, I’ve played so many games on debug units and/or under shared accounts that my personal scores suck *sniff*)

On this fine Monday Monday (so good to me), I want to know which system you prefer and why. Are trophies your bag? Or do you dig achievements?

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Netflix Streaming Coming to PlayStation 3 in November

PS3 Slim Netflix

Sony Computer Entertainment of America announced that Netflix streaming will be hitting the PlayStation 3 in November. In a recent press release, SCEA president and CEO Jack Tretton said:

The PlayStation 3 system has always been about more than just gaming, and it will soon be the only platform in the industry to offer consumers such a variety of convenient options for enjoying movies and TV shows. Whether you want to watch content on Blu-ray disc and DVD, download it from the PlayStation Network’s video delivery service, or stream videos instantly from Netflix, the PS3 system is the only solution that offers it all.

Although Microsoft’s Xbox 360 has offered this feature for quite some time, it’s an important feature for Sony to have for attracting new customers. Both consoles offer downloadable movies, DVD playback, and Netflix streaming, but only the PS3 offers Blu-ray capabilities. Considering that both consoles are similarly priced (now), Microsoft has lost one of its differentiating features.

This Week’s Videogame Releases

We’re smack dab in the middle of the Q4 release rush. There are lots of interesting games this week, including some excellent platform exclusives. Lots of PS3 gamers are high on Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time, while Xbox 360 gamers will get their motors runnin’ with Forza Motorsport 3. Here are this week’s PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation Portable, and Nintendo DS releases…along with some brief commentary. I’ve taken out most of the garbage and kids games (unless I found them funny).

Let me know what games you plan on picking up this week (please)!

Forza Motorsport 3

Xbox 360
CSI Deadly Intent — You know Jim, sometimes the box exes you. (yooooowwwwww!)
DJ Hero — The reviews are good, but I wonder how many people are going to buy an expensive game in this economic climate.
Fairytale Fights — A lot of you probably haven’t been following this one, but it looks like fun.
Forza Motorsport 3 — Microsoft’s first-party racer makes its highly-anticipated return.
Grand Theft Auto IV: Episodes from Liberty City
Jurassic the Hunted
Tekken 6 — I wonder if Tekken will do as well as or surpass Street Fighter IV.

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Fat Princess Gets Patched and Porked

Fat Princess

Titan Studios has released patch 1.03 for Fat Princess, which includes the new Pork City map. Creative director Craig Leigh said:

Your faithful developers at Titan Studios and team at Sony Santa Monica Studio are extremely happy to announce that after careful thought and great labor, Patch 1.03 is complete and ready for imminent release.

Patch 1.03 contains the awesome New Pork city level, and due to the amazing support we have received from the community, we have decided to release the map for free! Yes you heard us right, for free!

While the new map is the most exciting and obvious feature of the patch, there are several stability enhancements that should improve the game’s overall experience. Full details can be found on Sony’s PlayStation Blog.

Would anyone be up for a Team RPad.tv session of Fat Princess? We could take over the world!!!

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Final Fantasy XIII Special Edition Soundtrack Detailed

FFXIII soundtrack

In addition to a soundtrack coming out in conjunction with Final Fantasy XIII’s December 2009 release, Square Enix will be releasing a super-duper special-edition soundtrack a month later. Andriasang has the details:

On top of the four music discs, the limited edition adds a bonus drama CD featuring a retelling of the Encounter volume of the Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero Promise web novel that’s currently being distributed at the FFXIII official site. The drama CD uses the same voice staff as the game.

Also included with the limited edition is a special box case, a special sleeve, and a 32 page visual book that’s also — you guessed it — special.

Look for the FFXIII soundtrack on January 27. Pricing is set at ¥3,990 for the standard version and ¥5,250 for the limited edition.

It’s expensive, excessive, and a little ridiculous…which means I’m probably going to buy it. *sigh* I love Japanese packaging.

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Sega Console Zippo Lighters Completely Rule!

Sega Genesis Lighter

Are you longing for the days when Sega was a major player in the console world? Do you also happen to need a lighter? Well you’re in luck! Andriasang has reported on two completely awesome Zippo lighters — one with a Sega Genesis (Mega Drive) design and the other shaped like a Sega Saturn!!! The site’s Anoop Gantayat wrote:

The lighters are officially known as the “Sega Memorial Hardware Zippo Lighter No.1 Mega Drive Model” and “Sega Memorial Hardware Zippo Lighter No. 2 Sega Saturn Model.” This seems to suggest that more variations are on the way.

You’re going to have to pay a bit to smoke so stylishly. Banpresto is charging ¥10,500 for each lighter. That’s the price of a later day Genesis, and you won’t get Sonic as a pack-in.

Even though these lighters cost over $100 each, I’m so tempted to pick one up. What’s cooler than lighting a girl’s cigarette and showing her how much you loved the 16-bit era? (Don’t answer that.)

Hit the break for a pic of the Sega Saturn lighter and lemme know what you think (please)!

Continue reading “Sega Console Zippo Lighters Completely Rule!”

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

Although I plan to spend a good portion of my weekend celebrating the NY Yankees reaching another World Series when they beat up the Angels on Saturday, I’m going to make some time for SmackDown vs. Raw 2010. As many of you know, I contributed to the Shawn Michaels and Mickie James storylines. I want to see what was changed and what wasn’t. More importantly, I want to create some content!

Smackdown vs Raw 2010 c

In addition to creating a downloadable version of RPad (obviously a technical wrestler), I’m excited to create my own storylines. It’s going to be me and Claudio Castagnoli (my favorite indie wrestler) taking on the WWE! I’m half-thinking of including some lines that poke fun at my recent misfortunes. I can see it now:

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Coffee Talk #10: What’s Your Favorite Gaming Franchise?

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, Earvin “Magic” Johnson’s Judas-like betrayal of Isiah Thomas, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s latest “oops” moment, or The Rock vs. The Miz, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I love Fridays…except for those following a NY Yankees ALCS loss in a perfectly winnable game. In order to stay positive, I’m going to think about a few of my favorite things. I’m not talking about raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. I’m talking about the games that make up my favorite gaming franchise.

Final Fantasy Tactics

While I’ve enjoyed hundreds (thousands?) of games over the years, no series has entertained me as much as Final Fantasy Tactics. The games just work for me on so many levels. I’m addicted to the strategic gameplay. I love the art style. The world of Ivalice just fascinates me. The music, particularly from the first game, entrances me. And for some reason (that I’m still not sure of), I think Viera are sexy. Whether it was on my PSone, GBA, or PSP, the Final Fantasy Tactics titles works for me on every level.

To help you stay happy this Friday, I want to hear about your favorite gaming franchises. What’s your favorite series of all time? Why?

UMD Games Available for Digital Download on PSN

Marvel Superhero Squad

Sony Computer Entertainment of America’s recent PlayStation Store update includes 18 PSP UMD releases that are available for digital download. Most of them are older titles, but a few are current releases. Here’s the list:

  • Armored Core: Formula Front ($14.99)
  • Capcom Puzzle World ($19.99)
  • Crimson Gem Saga ($29.99)
  • FIFA Soccer 10 ($39.99)
  • Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories ($19.99)
  • Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories ($19.99)
  • Half-Minute Hero ($29.99)
  • Hammerin’ Hero ($19.99)
  • Lemmings ($15.99)
  • Marvel Super Hero Squad ($29.99)
  • Riviera: The Promised Land ($14.99)
  • R-Type Command ($14.99)
  • The Secret Saturdays: Beasts of the 5th Sun ($29.99)
  • Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament ($29.99)
  • Undead Knights ($39.99)
  • Yggdra Union ($14.99)
  • The Warriors ($19.99)
  • WWE Smackdown vs. RAW 2010 ($39.99)

It’s interesting and disappointing to see that the new releases carry the same prices as their retail counterparts. With shipping, retail, and other costs eliminated, you’d think that you might be able to save a buck or two on a game. On a positive note (especially for PSPgo owners), it’s nice to see third-party publishers making PSP games available for digital download the same week they hit stores.

With a new PSP game, would you rather have the UMD (complete with the box and instruction manual) or would you opt for the convenience of a digital download?

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