Category: Videogames

Coffee Talk #317: Bothersome Review Minutiae and You

What do you guys and gals think of missing small details in reviews? Do they ruin the review for you? Is it irrelevant since it has nothing to do with reviewer’s opinion on the game?

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, Rihanna’s hotness, your favorite chicken wings, or your favorite Little Rascal, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

A couple of weeks ago, RPadholic bsukenyan sent me a link to a Pokemon Black/White review. It contained a small comment that made me dismiss the review, even though it had nothing to do with the review’s quality. Check it out:

Somebody at Game Freak must love bridges because there are numerous huge bridges to cross.

Hardcore Pokemon fans know that Game Freak director Junichi Masuda is a bridge otaku. He completely lit up when I asked him about his fascination with bridges during an interview I did for G4tv.com. I don’t expect most gamers to know about Masuda’s love of bridges, but between a writer and an editor, this stupid line should never have made it to the review.

More recently, I read this review of Tactics Ogre. It also had a line that made me wince:

On the surface Tactics Ogre looks like any other tactical RPG (with an uncanny resemblance to Final Fantasy Tactics), with grid-based, turn-by-turn combat featuring a multitude of classes and weapons.

An uncanny resemblance to Final Fantasy Tactics?!? I don’t see what’s so uncanny about it. Before Yasumi Matsuno’s team made Final Fantasy Tactics, they made the Tactics Ogre and Ogre Battle. He directed, designed, and wrote all of those games. The art and music teams were largely the same. It’s uncanny for a small development team to make games that resemble each other? Really?!?

In both cases, the lines had nothing to do with the reviewer’s opinion on the game. As a huge fan of both series and developers, the lines made me think less of the reviewer and editor. What do you guys and gals think of missing small details in reviews? Do they ruin the review for you? Is it irrelevant since it has nothing to do with the reviewer’s opinion? Kindly share your thoughts in today’s Coffee Talk!

Okamiden Launch Trailer

I completely forgot to include Okamiden in this week’s videogame releases. That’s just criminal. To make up for it, enjoy this launch trailer. I loved Okami and have been excited about Okamiden for a long time. The art and gameplay seem absolutely charming. Hopefully the little pup will forgive me for forgetting about him.

Any of you picking up Okamiden?

Insomniac’s Click Division Focuses on Mobile and Social

At SXSW 2011, Insomniac Games announced Insomniac Click, a division of the company that will focus on mobile and social games. Chief Creative Officer Brian Hastings called mobile and social gaming “a pragmatic necessity” in a recent blog post. It’s also telling that this announcement was made at SXSW instead of PAX East — a very shrewd move since the former draws a broad audience while announcing at the latter would have been preaching to choir.

Here’s more from Hastings on Insomniac Click:

Insomniac Games is proud to introduce our newest division: Insomniac Click. It is dedicated to creating new games for web and mobile platforms. Insomniac Click is an expansion of the company rather than a shift. With the exception of myself, everyone working in the group has been newly hired specifically for their expertise in this space. All our existing teams are still 100% dedicated to making unforgettable AAA console experiences with our proprietary blend of double rainbows and awesomesauce.

I’m thrilled about the move. I can’t wait to enjoy some Insomniac magic on the iPad 2 or on Facebook. Companies like Epic and id have raised the bar on mobile games, while BioWare is doing some fantastic work on Facebook. It’s fantastic that the companies we love on consoles are extending their reach to mobile and social platforms. They kind of have to…even though some people hate these platforms. Ha!

What do you think of Insomniac’s foray into the land of mobile and social gaming?

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This Week’s Videogame Releases

March continues to come in like a lion with a number of strong videogame releases. THQ has high hopes for Homefront and is dropping a ton of marketing dollars on this action game. Yakuza 4 will appeal to gamers that want to spend some time in the world of Japanese organized crime. Top Spin 4 adds motion controls to 2K’s long running tennis series. Warriors: Legends of Troy is like Samurai Warriors, but with men in leather skirts and sandals. Ar Tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel adds another installment to this quirky Japanese RPG series. Gods Eater Burst is one of my favorite videogame names in a long, long time — it’s just awesomely weird.

I’m still kicking around Kirkwall in Dragon Age 2, so I’m good for a bit. How about you? Any of you picking up new games this week?

Coffee Talk #316: Your Worst Launch Experience

I got to see the dark side of a big product launch as I was snapping pictures and getting quotes for a magazine article on the iPad 2 launch. At two Los Angeles Apple Stores, I interviewed a bunch of people that…

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, Sergio Martinez gunning for boxing’s pound-for-pound best distinction, Intelligentsia’s Anjilanaka Organic Bolivia, or the global impact of a nuclear reactor meltdown in Japan, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

The launch of a hot consumer electronics device always leaves thousands of people happy…and thousands of people disappointed, angry, or sad. I got to see the dark side of a big product launch as I was snapping pictures and getting quotes for a magazine article on the iPad 2 launch. At two Los Angeles Apple Stores, I interviewed a bunch of people that waited in line for hours and were not able to get the iPad 2 model they wanted. All of them were pissed off about wasting their time.

Even online shoppers were angry. When the iPad 2 launched a tad before 1:00AM on March 11, 2011, it had an estimated ship date of three to five days. After a couple of hours the wait increased to three to four weeks. People that were hoping to avoid lines at retail stores on day one now had the lovely option of waiting until April for an iPad 2. To be fair, I’m pretty sure that the estimated ship dates are being exaggerated so that Apple has some wiggle room. Additionally, new iPad 2 shipments should be arriving daily to Apple Stores, Best Buy, AT&T stores, Verizon stores, etc., so brick-and-mortar supply should be reasonable before April.

The bottom line (which is funny for Coffee Talk 3:16) is that while hundreds of thousands of people are happy with their new iPads, there are thousands of people that are pissed off with the way Apple handled the launch.

Out of curiosity, what was your worst launch experience? Did you wait in line for a PlayStation 2 or an iPhone 3GS? Did you scour online retailers to get a new console when stores were sold out? Or have you never had a launch experience since you were happy to wait until you didn’t have to jump through hoops to get product? Kindly share your worst launch experience in today’s Coffee Talk!

Coffee Talk #315: Mobile & Social Games Are Like X-Men

During my GDC 2011 networking (i.e. drinking and talking with people), I noticed an irrational hatred for mobile and social games. There was a small, but vocal, percentage of people I spoke with that hate…

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, crazy earthquakes and tsunamis, the iPad 2 launch, or legal issues derailing Floyd Mayweather’s career, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

During my GDC 2011 networking (i.e. drinking and talking with people), I noticed an irrational hatred for mobile and social games. There was a small, but vocal, percentage of people I spoke with that hate this segment of gaming for no good reason. They were spread over a variety of jobs in the business too — developers, publishers, marketers, journalists, etc. After one fellow mentioned that he didn’t know why he hated mobile and social games, I replied, “So they’re like the X-Men? You hate and fear them for no reason?”

Don’t get me wrong, if you don’t like mobile and/or social games, that’s fine. The negative feelings I encountered were much more active than that — as if these kinds of games hurt the business or they weren’t “real” games. I really didn’t understand the sentiment. Why waste energy on actively hating mobile and social games? Isn’t it easier to focus on the games you like instead of expending negative energy? It seems silly to me.

Just to check myself, I wanted to get your thoughts on mobile and social gaming. Do you actively hate them? Do you not like them? Are you excited by the new and exciting things they bring to gaming? Or are they just kind of there and you ignore them? Share your feelings like a Care Bear and explain your stance (please)!

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

The Decision has been made! I’m going to hold off on playing Pokemon White. This weekend is all about Dragon Age II for me. I’ve only played a little over five hours and I’m loving it. Yes, I understand that a lot of features have been simplified in order to broaden its appeal, but I think that a lot of reviewers have blown things out of proportion. The gameplay is easier in some ways, simpler in others, but the storytelling and characterization are fantastic thus far. I’m curious to see if I’ll change my tune over the weekend.

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

New Dissidia 012 Video is Full of Lightning (and Yuna!)

My favorite thing about the Dissidia series is marking out when heroes from different Final Fantasy games share the screen. This latest Dissidia 012 [Duodecim] clip features Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII and Yuna from Final Fantasy X (as well as loads of other characters). That’s so awesome! Lightning has a ton of fans, but I’m a pretty big Yuna mark — FFX is my favorite “modern” Final Fantasy game and I thought she was a charming character. Seeing them together gives me warm fuzzies…and also naughty thoughts of watching them make out.

Check out the video and let me know what you think (please!).

Check Out My Review of De Blob 2 (Please)

If you have a moment, please head on over to Machinima.com and check out my review of De Blob 2. The original was cool and full of potential. The sequel made some improvements, but also took several steps back. I’m going to guess that the publisher didn’t give the developer enough time and/or money to make the game great. There are just too many design flaws that detract from the lovely music and sound. Now it’s time to quote myself:

I wanted to love De Blob 2. I’m a huge fan of the game’s art and setting. Sadly, its targeting and save point distribution make it tough to recommend for all gamers. If you’re a highly skilled player that loves a challenge then you might be able to look past the game’s artificial difficulty. If you play like most mere mortals then the moments of joy you experience will be negated by moments of frustration. With a few more months in the oven, this game could have turned out great. Instead, it’s just conditionally good. It’s such a shame because the highs are really good. It’s just that the lows will probably cause most gamers to break things.

If you have time, head on over and leave a comment (please)!

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