Category: Videogames

Coffee Talk #538: What Is a Triple-A Game?

Gamers, writers, publishers, and developers frequently use the term “triple-A game,” but what does that really mean? It’s such a nebulous classification that means different things to different people, but it’s used so frequently that an outsider would think that is has a standardized definition. How do you define triple-A games? What factor or factors do you consider when labeling a game…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, the D’Antoni effect, sexy triplets, or roast pork vs. BBQ pork, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Gamers, writers, publishers, and developers frequently use the term “triple-A game,” but what does that really mean? It’s such a nebulous classification that means different things to different people, but it’s used so frequently that an outsider would think that is has a standardized definition. How do you define triple-A games? What factor or factors do you consider when labeling a game “triple-A?”

Do triple-A games require a certain budget? If so, what is the minimum amount of money? Do triple-A games need to be of a certain quality? If that’s the case, at what point would you know if a game is triple-A or not and who judges the quality? With all of that in mind, a game like Medal of Honor: Warfighter is terribly interesting. It was relatively expensive to make. The publisher thought it was a high-quality game prior to release. Critics and fans thought it was crap. I’m guessing that most people wouldn’t consider Warfighter a triple-A game, but I also imagine people supporting that choice with flimsy logic.

You guys and gals are better than most people (duh!), so I want to hear how you define triple-A games and what factors go into your definition of the term. Fire away in the comments section (please!).

Adam Sessler Joins Revision 3 Games (Rev3Games)

Congrats to the excellent Adam Sessler on his new gig at Revision 3! Videogame-television’s leading man will serve as executive producer and editor-in-chief of Rev3Games. Check out the intro video above to learn about Adam’s new job and be sure to hit the break for a naked photo of Sessler. Continue reading “Adam Sessler Joins Revision 3 Games (Rev3Games)”

This Week’s Video Game Releases

It’s a huge week for the gaming business with the release of the Wii U and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. In addition to Activision’s monster release and all the Wii U launch titles, a number of notable games hit store shelves this week. Disney’s Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two continues Warren Spector’s awesome take on the world’s most famous mouse. LEGO Lord of the Rings brings a tried-and-true gameplay formula to Middle-earth. Scribblenauts Unlimited takes one of the most inventive games released in the last decade to a new level. Lastly, if you’re looking for classic arcade action then Midway Arcade Origins will do you good.

Any of you picking up new games this week?

Coffee Talk #537: Create Your Own Angry Birds!

Angry Birds Star Wars was released last week and gamers are loving it. Many critics and fans feel that it’s the best Angry Birds game ever. This has people speculating that there will be future Angry Birds games based on popular movies, TV shows, and comic books, similar to how there are several LEGO titles that use the same core game mechanics and embellish them based on licenses. What mashups would you like to see in the future? Let’s play create your own Angry Birds!

Personally, I’d love to see classic movies used in absurd ways. I’m thinking…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, root beer vs. cream soda, how cool Phil Jackson is for sleeping with her, or Mikey Garcia’s burgeoning boxing career, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Angry Birds Star Wars was released last week and gamers are loving it. Many critics and fans feel that it’s the best Angry Birds game ever. This has people speculating that there will be future Angry Birds games based on popular movies, TV shows, and comic books, similar to how there are several LEGO titles that use the same core game mechanics and embellish them based on licenses. What mashups would you like to see in the future? Let’s play create your own Angry Birds!

Personally, I’d love to see classic movies used in absurd ways. I’m thinking Angry Birds Casablanca, Angry Birds Gone With the Wind, and Angry Birds Singin’ in the Rain. That probably won’t happen. If anything, future crossovers will be similar to the LEGO games — popular licenses of movies and comic books. Am cry.

What’s the Angry Birds game swimming around in your head? Do you want to see Angry Birds DC Comics? Maybe you’re up for Angry Birds Lord of the Rings? Leave a comment below with your Angry Birds concoction (please!).

Scribblenauts Unlimited at Carl’s Jr.

I was surprised to see Scribblenauts Unlimited toys at Carl’s Jr. today. I had no idea that items based on the game and the lead character, Maxwell, are the current Carl’s Cool Kids promotion. While it’s never a good idea to eat at Carl’s (except when you’re poor and the $1.29 Big Burger fits your budget), I’m happy that this excellent game by the excellent people at 5th Cell is getting mainstream exposure. Continue reading “Scribblenauts Unlimited at Carl’s Jr.”

Medal of Honor: Warfighter Security Leak

Seven members of the renowned Navy SEAL Team Six — including one member that was on the mission that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden — have been disciplined for revealing classified information while consulting with EA on Medal of Honor: Warfighter. The heroes got in trouble for “disclosing classified information and misusing command gear while working with the gamemakers.” Here are more details from Interaksyon:

The seven each received a punitive letter of reprimand and were docked half pay for two months, a Navy official said. A defense official said all Pentagon employees are required to follow Defense Department guidance on outside employment, a measure put into place to ensure “the highest ethical behavior.”

Rear Admiral Garry Bonelli, the deputy commander of Naval Special Warfare Command, said the Navy treats allegations of misconduct seriously and also enforces nondisclosure agreements signed by sailors who join the special operations forces.

Personally, I think these guys should be allowed to club baby seals, deplete the ozone layer, and burn all the rain forests they want. They’re true heroes. However, I’m not military, so my opinion on the matter doesn’t mean much, and I understand that the Navy has to police itself. It would have been nice if the SEAL Team Six members got off scott free and all the blame was placed on EA. *joke*

Any thoughts on the Medal of Honor: Warfighter security leak?

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What Are You Playing This Weekend?

There are two things that I’m going to play this weekend. First up is Angry Birds Star Wars. The game combines the simplicity and charm of Angry Birds with the pure awesomeness of Star Wars. The charm is similar to the LEGO Star Wars games in that it uses sights, sounds, and nostalgia to captivate you. This is a game that anyone can play and most sci-fi geeks will love. The other thing I’m going to be playing is conk-out-on-Vicodin. I tweaked my back on Tuesday, which — in a completely unintentional Star Wars reference — has me walking around like Yoda for parts of the day. It sucks, but hopefully some rest and Vicodin will heal me soon. I miss going to the gym.

How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?

Yasumi Matsuno Leaving Level-5

My morning started off with the depressing news that Yasumi Matsuno is leaving Level-5 and taking a long break from game development. Matsuno is one of my favorite game directors/developers of all time. He dazzled RPG fans with his excellent Final Fantasy Tactics and Tactics Ogre games before being handed the keys to the big car — Final Fantasy XII. As many of you know, FFXII’s development cycle was disastrous and took a huge toll on Matsuno’s health. I had high hopes that Matsuno would revive his career at Level-5, but his return to glory has taken a detour. Here’s the (translated) word from Gematsu:

I’m sorry to report, but due to personal reasons, next month I’ll be retiring from Level-5. Having finished production of 3DSWare domestically and in North America and Europe, it’s at a good point time-wise for me to retire.

Even though it was for a short period of time, I was able to work hard without any gross mistakes. I am extremely grateful for the gift of genial teaching I received from everyone. Over and over again, thank you so much. I plan on taking a break for a while. I’m very thankful to have your support from now on.

Well…that just sucks. While I hope Matsuno can find some peace and happiness, I selfishly want him to dazzle me once more with an epic RPG. I’m just going to sit here and vape while I patiently wait for another Matsuno classic. *pout*

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Karateka Remake Available on XBLA

Karateka is now available through Xbox Live Arcade. This is an updated version of a classic game made by one of the industry’s true living legends — Jordan Mechner. The game is a boy-rescues-girl tale filled with martial arts combat. I fondly remember playing the original on my Commodore 64 and was struck by its simple, yet effective, storytelling. At the time, I thought videogames were about bouncing balls off of bricks, shooting alien invaders, and gobbling up ghosts. I had no idea games could tell stories!

The remake’s art was headed by Jeff Matsuda, a longtime Marvel Comics penciller known for his runs on Wolverine, X-Men, Generation X, X-Factor, and Avengers. It has a cool, cartoonish look that retains some design elements of the original work.

Karateka costs 800 MS points, which I believe is $10 to normal humans.

I’m psyched to play a modern version of the game. Mechner is awesome and I’m looking forward to his fresh take on one of his classics. Any of you guys and dolls intrigued by Karateka?

Green Throttle Wants Your Phone To Be Your Console

Bay Area company Green Throttle Games aims to combine the portability and power of mobile phones with a full-on console experience. The company was formed by executives with experience at RedOctane, Nokia, Palm, and more. How Green Throttle works is that you connect your phone to your television and connect a Bluetooth controller — dubbed Atlas — to your phone. It will have first-party games that take full advantage of the setup, while also offering tools to help third-party developers make their games compatible  with the controller. There will also be an Android app that will help users find games that are compatible with Green Throttle.

Leading the way is CEO and co-founder Charles Huang. He was COO and co-founder of RedOctane, famous for the Guitar Hero games. Huang is accompanied by president & COO Matt Crowley, who has product experience with Nokia, Palm, and Philips Electronics. Rounding out the team is vice president & CTO Karl Townsend, one of the founders of Handspring with experience at HP and Palm. As you can see, the company has experience in both gaming and mobile. Huang helped create one of the biggest videogame crazes in the last decade, while his COO and CTO understand the mobile space and working with mobile developers.

The early reactions to Green Throttle have been interesting. Some pundits think it has a big advantage over the competing Ouya system in that a separate box isn’t required. Some believe that Green Throttle’s first-party games are the make-or-break feature of the system. Technology and convenience will only get you so far. Systems like Green Throttle and Ouya need great games in order to thrive.

What are your thoughts on Green Throttle. Are you interested in the product? Do you think it will succeed? Please let me know in the comments section!