Category: Videogames

Square Enix Announces Final Fantasy XIII-2 + Leaked Trailer

Last week’s rumors were true! Square Enix has officially announced Final Fantasy XIII-2 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Coming “next winter”, the game is a direct sequel to the hugely popular Final Fantasy XIII. Here’s a snippet from the press release:

Production on Final Fantasy XIII-2 is underway, and builds upon the best aspects of Final Fantasy XIII. In particular, a brand new story and evolved battle system promise to stand out markedly against the standard for high-quality content established by the previous title.

I was psyched when I first heard rumors about this game. I was super psyched when a few unnamed sources told me that they’ve seen it. Although Square Enix has been getting a ton of buzz from its latest Final Fantasy Versus VIII trailer, I’m actually more interested in this game (for now).

Be sure to check out the leaked trailer above. What do you think?!? Happy? Sad? Meh?

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Coffee Talk #286: What Was the Last Game You Loved?

Confession: I did not love a game in 2010. There were loads of games I enjoyed and really liked. Heavy Rain, Final Fantasy XIII, and Pokemon SoulSilver certainly entertained me…but they didn’t made me feel “the love”. When I say love, I’m…

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 WWE Royal Rumble going from 30 to 40 Superstars, how kinky it is that Miss America is 17, or the odds of Jessica Alba getting divorced (and forming a Super Hottie club with Scarlett Johansson), Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Confession: I did not love a game in 2010. There were loads of games I enjoyed and really liked. Heavy Rain, Final Fantasy XIII, and Pokemon SoulSilver certainly entertained me…but they didn’t made me feel “the love”. When I say love, I’m talking about games that just floor you to the point where you’re just so incredibly grateful that you’re a gamer — games that make you reaffirm your love for this hobby and feel blessed that you can enjoy this remarkable form of entertainment.

I don’t think I’ve “loved” a game since Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. How about you? What was the last game you loved?

Mortal Kombat Getting 10 Web Episodes

Remember that really dark and really awesome Mortal Kombat movie trailer starring Jeri Ryan and Michael Jai White? The bad news is that it won’t be getting the full movie treatment. The good news is that it’ll be getting 10 online episodes. Here’s the scoop from Bloody Disgusting:

Director Kevin Tancharoen — who directed the awesome online short — will return behind the camera for a 10-episode web series dedicated to the popular video game. Penned by Tancharoen, Todd Helbing, and Aaron Helbing, star Michael Jai White leads the cast as “Major Jackson ‘Jax’ Briggs. Shooting will take place in Vancouver this coming February. Contested expected to be cast are: Shang Tsung, Liu Kang, Sub Zero, Durak, Kabal, Kitana/Mileena and of course Scorpion. No release date is planned, and there’s no word on that R-rated remake. The only plot details we could conjure up is that a few Earthlings will fight to save the planet from Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung, two Gods ruling over parallel universes, or something to that effect.

As I mentioned in June 2010, I have some issues with a few of the changes made to the characters. However, I love the overall tone of this Mortal Kombat. It’s dark and gritty…and doesn’t have Christopher Lambert’s stupid accent.

You guys and dolls looking forward to this one? Or would you have preferred a movie over an online show?

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This Week’s Videogame Releases

January 2011 continues to be a surprisingly strong month for videogames. Leading the way is Media Molecule’s LittleBigPlanet 2. The PlayStation 3 gets a graphically boosted version of Mass Effect 2 that’s available on disc or digital download. Last, but not least, is Square Enix’s Mindjack.

Any of you picking up new games this week?

Nintendo 3DS 2011 Lineup

Nintendo of Japan has released a preliminary list of 2011 Nintendo 3DS games. While some of these game are specific to the Japanese market, most of them will see a global release. Check out the list and let me know if there’s anything that that interests you. I see at least 10 games that I might buy.

  • Winning Eleven 3DS Soccer – Feb. 26
  • Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition – Feb. 26
  • Samurai Warriors: Chronicle – Feb. 26
  • Tobidasu! Puzzle Bobble 3D – Feb. 26
  • nintendogs + cats – Feb. 26
  • Ridge Racer 3D – Feb. 26
  • Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D – Feb. 26
  • Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle – Feb. 26
  • Asphalt 3D: Nitro Racing – March
  • Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2011 – March
  • BlazBlue Continuum Shift II – March
  • The Sims 3 – March
  • My Garden – March
  • Dead or Alive Dimensions – March
  • Shanghai 3D Cube – March
  • Super Monkey Ball 3D – March
  • Naruto Shippuden: Nin-rittai Emake! Saikyou Ninkai Kessen!! – March
  • Virus Shooter XX – March
  • Steel Diver – March 17
  • Nikori no Puzzle – March
  • Gundam The 3D Battle – March 24
  • Pro Yakyuu Famista 2011 – March 31
  • Tom Clancy Splinter Cell 3D– March
  • Rabbids: Time Travel – March
  • Cubic Ninja – Spring
  • Doctor Lautrec and the Forgotten Knights – Spring
  • Kuukan Ryoku Training – Spring
  • Fish On – Spring
  • Resident Evil The Mercenaries 3D – Spring
  • Super Black Bass Fishing Soul – Spring
  • EST – Spring
  • Fishing – Spring
  • Bikkuriman Kanjyuku Haou – Spring
  • The Legend Of Zelda Ocarina Of Time 3D – Spring
  • Pilot Wings Resort – Spring
  • Sudoku and 3 Puzzles – Spring
  • Deca Sporta 3D Sports – Spring
  • Tales of the Abyss – Spring
  • One Piece: Unlimited Cruise SP – Spring
  • Animal Resort – Spring
  • Tank Beat 3 – Spring
  • Me de Unou o Kitaeru: Sokudoku Jutsu 3 – Spring
  • Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon – Spring
  • Driver Renegade – Spring
  • Runabout for Nintendo 3DS – Spring

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What Are You Playing This Weekend?

After downloading a couple of shiny Raikous at GameStop, I’ve caught the Pokemon bug again. I restarted Pokemon SoulSilver for a fresh start and I’m absolutely loving it (again). I haven’t opened my copy of DC Universe Online yet because I’m still not sure what kind of superhero I want to be. I’ll tackle that this weekend. It will be the historic start of the RPad.tv Super Buddies! Hopefully some of you get the itch to play so that we can save the world together…or just beat the crap out of scrubs and fetch things.

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

Final Fantasy XIII-2 Announcement Next Week?

A curious domain name registration and a Square Enix event in Tokyo point to a possible Final Fantasy XIII-2 announcement next week. The Unofficial Final Fantasy Site has done some sleuthing and discovered that the domain name “finalfantasy13-2game.com” has been registered by a company that has filed paperwork for other Square Enix titles.

Superannuation noted that the domain had been registered by “Corporation Service Company” — the same company that has registered domains for other Square Enix titles, including the official website for upcoming third person shooter MindJack, MindJackGame.com.

We’ve done a little extra investigation on top, and the same company has recently been used to register domains for Front Mission Evolved, Nier and Gun Loco, all major recent or upcoming Square Enix releases.

The last direct Final Fantasy sequel, Final Fantasy X-2, was an okay game that didn’t match up to its fantastic forerunner. If this FFXIII-2 rumor pans out, I’m hoping that Square Enix does a better job following up. Hell, with critics polarized by Final Fantasy XIII, there’s a chance that it could score better than the original.

Personally, I’m totally down with more FFXIII graphics and gameplay. A sequel would totally win me over if it featured more Reona Rewis songs and centered on Sazh’s adventures as a single parent. And you? Would you be down with FFXIII-2? What would you want the game to be?

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Coffee Talk #284: I Love Q1 Gaming!

Historically, the last three months of the gaming year are more exciting than the first three months. Yet in 2010, that was hardly the case. Q1 2010 gave me more memorable gaming moments than Q4 2010…and there’s a chance that 2011 will end up the same way.

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, LeBron James’ karma tweets, Ted Williams going from homelessness to media sensation to rehab, or whether American politics will use a tragedy to become more reasonable, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Historically, the last three months of the gaming year are more exciting than the first three months. Yet in 2010, that was hardly the case. Q1 2010 gave me more memorable gaming moments than Q4 2010…and there’s a chance that 2011 will end up the same way.

Let’s take a step back and look at some of Q1 2010’s best videogames: Dragon Age: Origins Awakening, Final Fantasy XIII, God of War III, Heavy Rain, Mass Effect 2, and Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver. That’s a ridiculously stacked lineup! For the kinds of games that I love, it was perfection.

While Q1 2011 doesn’t look quite as stacked as Q1 2010, I’m sure that Dragon Age 2, Pokemon Black/White, and the release of the Nintendo 3DS will give me some of the best gaming moments of the year. I’m totally down with a graphically enhanced (and downloadable!) version of Mass Effect 2 for PS3 as well. Deus Ex: Human Revolution, DC Universe Online, LittleBigPlanet 2, Bulletstorm, and Killzone 3 have great potential too. I’m sure there are Q1 2011 games that I’m not interested in that fall right into your wheelhouse.

Personally, I love a front-loaded year of gaming. The end of the year is such a hectic time in the videogame business that it’s hard to find the time to enjoy games (especially for an RPG lover like me). What do you think of the trend of publishers targeting big releases for the first three months of the year? Will Q1 2011 be more fun than Q1 2010 for you?

Game Developers Choice Awards Nominees Announced

Think Services has announced the nominees for the 11th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards. The ceremony takes place during Game Developers Conference 2011. Along with the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences’ Interactive Achievement Awards, the GDCAs are one of the two most important awards shows in the videogame business. They’re also a nice reminder of all the fantastic games in 2010.

Aside from the criminal omissions of SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 for best writing and Final Fantasy XIII for best visual arts, the list is pretty solid. I’m hoping BioWare and Quantic Dream clean up. Check out the nominees and let me know who you’re rooting for. And the nominees are….

Best Game Design
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo)
Mass Effect 2 (BioWare)
Limbo (Playdead)
Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar San Diego)
God of War III (SCE Santa Monica)

Innovation
Heavy Rain (Quantic Dream)
Kirby’s Epic Yarn (Good-Feel & HAL Laboratory)
Minecraft (Mojang)
Limbo (Playdead)
Dance Central (Harmonix)

Best Technology
Starcraft II (Blizzard)
Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar San Diego)
Heavy Rain (Quantic Dream)
Mass Effect 2 (BioWare)
God of War III (SCE Santa Monica)

Best Handheld Game
God of War: Ghost of Sparta (Ready At Dawn/SCE Santa Monica)
Cut the Rope (ZeptoLab)
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (Kojima Productions)
Game Dev Story (Kairosoft)
Dragon Quest IX (Level 5)

Best Audio
Limbo (Playdead)
Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar San Diego)
Halo: Reach (Bungie)
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (DICE)
Mass Effect 2 (BioWare)

Best Downloadable Game
Costume Quest (Double Fine)
Limbo (Playdead)
Super Meat Boy (Team Meat)
Minecraft (Mojang)
Monday Night Combat (Uber Entertainment)

Best Writing
Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar San Diego)
Heavy Rain (Quantic Dream)
Mass Effect 2 (BioWare)
Costume Quest (Double Fine)
Fallout: New Vegas (Obsidian)

Best Debut Game
Limbo (Playdead)
Darksiders (Vigil Games)
Minecraft (Mojang)
Monday Night Combat (Uber Entertainment)
Super Meat Boy (Team Meat)

Best Visual Arts
God of War III (SCE Santa Monica)
Limbo (Playdead)
Call of Duty: Black Ops (Treyarch)
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft Montreal)
Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar San Diego)

Game of the Year
Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar San Diego)
Mass Effect 2 (BioWare)
Call of Duty: Black Ops (Treyarch)
Limbo (Playdead)
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft Montreal)