Following last weekend’s retro jaunt with Taipan, I’ve decided to continue revisiting my early PC gaming days with Tales of the Unknown Volume 1: The Bard’s Tale. While I don’t remember the friend that gave me the game, I do remember playing it for dozens of hours on my Commodore 64. One of the most unique features of The Bard’s Tale was that it allowed you to import characters from Ultima and Wizardry. That was a huge deal at the time. It’s a common feature in 2013, but being able to import characters you’ve already built up felt groundbreaking back then.
The three original Bard’s Tale games were added as a bonus to the digital version of the console port. If you happen to have a copy for Android, iOS, OS X, etc. then you’ll be able to play the three classic games. While several aspects of the game feel rough, there’s lots of monster fighting, treasure hoarding, dungeon crawling, and leveling up to enjoy. If you’ve never played the originals, I recommend giving them a whirl. These games are a nice history lesson in the roots of RPGs.
Now it’s your turn. What’s on your weekend playlist?
The Pokemon Company and Nintendo have released the first trailer for Pokemon X and Y for Nintendo 3DS. These will be the first fully 3D portable games in the insanely popular and awesome series. In addition to the new graphics, Pokemon X and Y will feature over 700 Pokemon. The trailer shows the three new starters (Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie), as well as two new legendary types (Xerneas and Yveltal).
When I first saw the game’s name, I mistook it for Pokemon X/Y and feared that it was a Pokemon/Coldplay crossover. Thankfully, that’s not the case. As an ardent Pokemon fan, I can’t wait to play this game when it’s released in October 2013. I’m sure it will be another excellent installment of the Pokemon series with new twists on the deep battle system.
For the record, I choose Chespin. I’ve always been partial to grass Pokemon…though Fennekin looks pretty cool too. Any of you excited for the game? Which starter looks best to you?
At CES 2013, Valve CEO Gabe Newell unveiled details on the company’s “Steam Box” console. In an exclusive interview with The Verge (great read), Newell said that the Steam Box will run a Linux-based OS, come in various configurations (good, better, best), and have biometric features. Unlike traditional gaming consoles, the Steam Box will act as a server that allows a household to play games on a number of screens. Steam Box owners will be able to play games on whatever television screens and PC monitors are in wireless range.
The Linux rumors have been circulating since last year, so that wasn’t a surprise. The server-based gaming is potentially cool, especially for households with multiple gamers or settings like a dorm room. The configuration options are interesting and could help the company reach a wide variety of gamers. Here’s a clip from the interview that expands on the topic:
Good are like these very low-cost streaming solutions that you’re going to see that are using Miracast or Grid. I think we’re talking about in-home solutions where you’ve got low latency. “Better” is to have a dedicated CPU and GPU and that’s the one that’s going to be controlled. Not because our goal is to control it; it’s been surprisingly difficult when we say to people “don’t put an optical media drive in there” and they put an optical media drive in there and you’re like “that makes it hotter, that makes it more expensive, and it makes the box bigger.” Go ahead. You can always sell the Best box, and those are just whatever those guys want to manufacture. [Valve’s position is]: let’s build a thing that’s quiet and focuses on high performance and quiet and appropriate form factors.
The biometric functionality comes from a result of Valve not seeing a way to expand on motion-based gaming. Instead of trying to one-up the Wii, PlayStation Move, and Xbox Kinect, the company will go with biometrics. While I have no idea if gamers will be interested in these features, it’s nice to see a company taking an original approach instead of using a “me too” tactic.
Biometrics on the other hand is essentially adding more communication bandwidth between the game and the person playing it, especially in ways the player isn’t necessarily conscious of. Biometrics gives us more visibility. Also, gaze tracking. we think gaze tracking is gonna turn out to be super important.
While new gaming initiatives like Nvidia’s Project Shield and Valve’s Steam Box are fun topics for me to play with as a verbal entertainer, I’m exponentially more interested in the latter as a consumer. Part of it is that a large part of what gaming — and all of consumer electronics, for that matter — has become boils down to software and services. While Nvidia’s hardware prowess is undeniable, I have more faith in Valve to deliver software and services. While there’s so much that will change before these products are released (and some are questioning if they’ll even be released), as of this writing I’m far more interested in a Steam Box than Project Shield.
How about you? Do you see a Steam Box in your household in the future? What do you think of Valve’s interest in biometrics? Are you more interest in this or Project Shield? Leave a comment and let me know (please!).
Following the fine tradition of games like of Shaq-Fu and Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City, ShaqDown is now available for Android through Google Play. ShaqDown marks Shaquille O’Neal’s triumphant return to the world of videogames. After conquering basketball and movies (Kazaam), it was only a matter of time until Shaq brought back his dominant style to gaming. *snicker*
ShaqDown borrows from several modern and typical videogame conventions — apocalyptic future, bloodthirsty zombies, etc. However, the gameplay is of the old-school side-scrolling variety. The coolest aspect of the game is its art, which was headed up by comic-book and videogame artist Long Vo.
Check out the game’s trailer below and please let me know if you’re interested in slaughtering zombies as Shaquille O’Neal.
Two days ago at CES 2012, Nvidia announced a new gaming device called Project Shield. It’s a bold initiative that combines elements of console, PC, and portable gaming. As a verbal entertainer and a tech nerd, I love it, simply because it’s a conversation starter. That said, I’m not yet convinced that Project Shield is a game-changer. I’ve thought about the device several times over the last couple of days and it’s still more “interesting” than “must have” for me. Naturally, I want to know what you think about Nvidia’s gambit. Let’s go over the pros and cons…more
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, Intelligentsia’s Sulwesi Toarco Jaya Peaberry, Pau Gasol’s broken face, or Dwight Howard’s torn labrum, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Two days ago at CES 2013, Nvidia announced a new gaming device called Project Shield. It’s a bold initiative that combines elements of console, PC, and portable gaming. As a verbal entertainer and a tech nerd, I love it, simply because it’s a conversation starter. That said, I’m not yet convinced that Project Shield is a game-changer. I’ve thought about the device several times over the last couple of days and it’s still more “interesting” than “must have” for me. Naturally, I want to know what you think about Nvidia’s gambit. Let’s go over the pros and cons.
On the plus side, Nvidia’s graphics processors and mobile processors are some of the best in the business. From the tech-and-specs standpoint, Project Shield should deliver. It also draws from two diverse gaming libraries: Android Market and Steam. Content shouldn’t be an issue with this device.
Original content, on the other hand, is something Nvidia will have to be more aggressive with. The company has great relationships with Android and PC developers, getting exclusive features or versions of games. I believe the company will have to do more than that to make Project Shield thrive. It will need full games — not just features or optimized versions — exclusive to the platform. While some people believe that exclusive no longer matter, I think they’re in important part of defining a platform, which is especially important for a newcomer.
While being able to stream PC games to a mobile device is very cool, you need a GeForce GTX 600 series GPU (or better, when the time comes) to do so. That makes playing high-quality games expensive. Consoles have thrived because of their simplicity and price. You buy a relatively cheap box, pop a disc in, and go. With Project Shield you have the device itself, a relatively expensive PC, and the potential trouble of trying to connect the two. It’s a more expensive and complicated proposition for many “mainstream” gamers.
Then there’s the form factor. It’s portable, but not really. Although mobile gaming systems have been getting larger (like Leon from Airplane!), it’s still easy enough to slip a Nintendo 3DS or PlayStation Vita into your back pocket or jacket pocket. Project Shield looks like an Xbox 360 controller with a screen attached to it. I’m pretty sure that won’t fit into most pockets. Since the shape isn’t uniform, it won’t be as bag friendly as traditional portables. With mobile phones becoming more powerful every few months and the vast improvement in mobile games, I only bring my portable consoles with me for long airplane flights. I don’t see myself toting around Project Shield much, simply due to its form factor.
There are surely many tech enthusiasts that will pick up Project Shield because it’s bold, different, and powerful. I’m not yet convinced that it will sell big or change the business (much). I have too many concerns about content, complexity, and form factor. How do you feel about Project Shield? Kindly take today’s poll and leave your thoughts on Nvidia’s upcoming portable in the comments section (please!).
Artist Casey Edwards is selling prints of Super Mario Bros. characters decked out like X-Men. The complete set runs $30 and consists of four prints that feature two characters each. Here’s the lineup:
Artist Casey Edwards is selling prints of Super Mario Bros. characters decked out like X-Men. The complete set runs $30 and consists of four prints that feature two characters each. Here’s the lineup:
Mario as Wolverine
Princess Peach as Phoenix
Luigi as Cyclops
Yoshi as Rogue
Donkey Kong as Colossus
Diddy Kong as Nightcrawler
Blue Toad as Angel
Yellow Toad as Jubilee
The art is adorable and I hope Edwards does well with these. Check out the image below and let me know what you think (please!).
It’s the first weekend of the new year! How are you going spend it? Are you going to play something old, something new, something borrowed, or something blue? As for me, I’m going with something old…like way old. You see, when I was a kid, I used to play a ton of Taipan at my friend Chris’ house on his Apple IIc. I spent so many hours staring at the green graphics on a black background that something burned into my brain and it’s still my favorite way to look at word processor programs. The game thrilled me with its trading, inventory management, and high-seas battles. Recently, I downloaded the Android version of Taipan. It’s every bit as awesome as the original…though sometimes it feels like it’s running on an Apple IIc.
I hope all of you are enjoying a wonderful holiday with your friends and family. As for me, I made it to Hawaii…after being stuck in LAX for eight hours. It was a tiring trip, but I’m happy to be here visiting family. Things are a bit hectic with catching up on rest, hospital visits, and all that, but I should be able to relax soon. I’m pretty tired. Since I’ll be having a very unconventional holiday, I was hoping to hear about your…more
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, Steve Nash exposing the fraudulent NY Knicks, Christmas pork, or being stuck at the airport for eight hours, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
I hope all of you are enjoying a wonderful holiday with your friends and family. As for me, I made it to Hawaii…after being stuck in LAX for eight hours. It was a tiring trip, but I’m happy to be here visiting family. Things are a bit hectic with catching up on rest, hospital visits, and all that, but I should be able to relax soon. I’m pretty tired. Since I’ll be having a very unconventional holiday, I was hoping to hear about some of the sweet Christmas loot you guys and gals enjoyed. Kindly share some of your favorite and most meaningful gifts in the comments section! Also, pictures of snow would be nice too.
If you happen to have any Amazon gift cards or are looking to unload some cash, please check out Amazon’s year-end deals on the lower-left corner.
Thankfully, I didn’t play many bad games in 2012. That’s one of the few benefits of being forgotten by PR people. That said, there was one game that I found tremendously disappointing. You see, I love George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books and I love the HBO show, Game of Thrones, that’s based on them. The former is one of the most entertaining series of fantasy novels I’ve read and the latter is one of the best television shows ever made. With all of that in mind, the Game of Thrones videogame was…more
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, X-Factor USA being won by a WGWG (white guy with guitar), if Steve Nash is truly a difference-maker for the Los Angeles Lakers, or Flipboard for Android tablets finally not sucking, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Thankfully, I didn’t play many bad games in 2012. That’s one of the few benefits of being forgotten by PR people. That said, there was one game that I found tremendously disappointing. You see, I love George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books and I love the HBO show, Game of Thrones, that’s based on them. The former is one of the most entertaining series of fantasy novels I’ve read and the latter is one of the best television shows ever made. With all of that in mind, the Game of Thrones videogame was a terrible letdown.
The game wasn’t on the level of Superman 64 or anything. It was less-than-mediocre rather than wretched. Aside from an interesting story, practically every aspect of the game was bad. The combat was boring and repetitive, the graphics were woefully outdated, the sound design was basic, and it just felt like a sluggish experience. Take away the story, familiar settings, familiar happenings, and familiar characters and you’d have a budget fantasy RPG that isn’t very good. From a pure gaming standpoint, it simply doesn’t stand on its own. Rumor has it that the game caused several fans of the books and TV show to “take the black.”
Now it’s your turn! What was your biggest gaming disappointment of the year?
I hope that all of you have a wonderful holiday with your family and friends. Of course I expect you to be gaming during your time off. What are you planning to play? As for me, my brother has a PlayStation 3 and I’ve been instructed to pack a DualShock 3 to Hawaii. I’m also sorta kinda hoping that Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition for OSX gets approved by Apple next week (not likely). Really though, my Christmas break will be about family, swimming in warm ocean water, and soaking up some sun!
How about you? What’s on your holiday break playlist?
