Category: Videogames

Coffee Talk #257: What Was Your “Rubber Soul” Game?

Although my dad played The Beatles’ Rubber Soul for me hundreds of times, it didn’t “click” with me until I got older. I’ve always loved music, but Rubber Soul changed my perception of what music could be. Is there a game you’ve played that did the same thing for you?

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, Verve Roaster’s Guatemala La Maravilla, Taylor Swift dating the Prince of Persia, or Anne Hathaway acting topless, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Although my dad played The Beatles’ Rubber Soul for me hundreds of times, it didn’t “click” with me until I got older. I’ve always loved music, but Rubber Soul changed my perception of what music could be. Is there a game you’ve played that did the same thing for you? Is there a game that changed your perception of what videogames could be?

As for me, there are two that come to mind…and they happen to be in the same series. Similar to music, I’ve always loved games. Final Fantasy VI (FFIII in America) changed my perception of what games could be. Until then, I didn’t realize that games could offer an interactive experience that combined an epic story, outstanding music, and deep gameplay — an experience that rivaled or surpassed what movies and television offered.

As much as I loved FFVI, I didn’t think RPGs could be as popular as action games or sports games. Final Fantasy VII changed all that. The videogame genre I loved the most hit the mainstream! Although I have my problems with FFVII, I appreciate and love what it did for the genre.

Now it’s your turn! What games transformed the way you perceived the medium?

EA CEO Compares Harmonix to Falling Knife

Earlier in the month when I asked you who should buy Harmonix, a few of you pointed to Electronic Arts. It doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. According to Bloomberg (not Goldberg), EA CEO John Riccitiello made an unfavorable analogy regarding Harmonix:

I’m sure some smart investor will buy the business feeling that they can catch a falling knife, but more people have been cut trying to catch falling knives than have benefitted from getting the timing exactly right.

A lot of people in the Twitterverse claim that Riccitiello is being a dick, but I disagree. He has a point — buying a developer that specializes in “plastic instrument” music games is a risky gambit at the moment. I also love his poetic analogy. Falling knives are cool…and I hope Riccitiello uses furry walls in his next analogy.

Source

Final Fantasy Trading Card Game Coming February 2011

Square Enix has launched the official site for the Final Fantasy trading card game (TCG). Set to launch on February 25, 2011, the teaser site reveals Cloud, Sephiroth, and Zidane as playable cards.

Any of you guys into TCGs? Would you be down with a Final Fantasy TCG? Can you name the characters that are currently shadowed in the teaser image? Some of ’em are obvious, while others aren’t so easy. Get your thinking caps on and give it a go (please)!

Source via Andriasang

Coffee Talk #256: Your First Videogames

It was cool watching you guys talk about your first videogame console in yesterday’s Coffee Talk. To follow that up, I’d like to know about your first console games.

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 NFL going light with player fines, President George W. Bush interviewed by Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, or Christina Aguilera finding a new boyfriend (*sniff*), Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

It was cool watching you guys talk about your first videogame console in yesterday’s Coffee Talk. To follow that up, I’d like to know about your first console games. What was the first console game you ever played? What was the first console game you bought with your own money?

I honestly can’t remember the first game I purchased on my own. I do remember playing Videocart-1: Tic Tac Toe, Shooting Gallery, Doodle, Quadradoodle for the Fairchild Channel F. I was completely fascinated that I could play Tic Tac Toe with something other than a crayon or a pencil. In some ways it’s funny looking back at how enamored I was with digital Tic Tac Toe. In other ways it’s amazing how far videogames have come. Going from Tic Tac Toe to Heavy Rain is quite a leap. Ha!

Now it’s your turn! What was the first console game you ever played? What was the first console game you bought with your own money?

This Week’s Videogame Releases

There’s not a whole lot going on this week, but if you want quality over quantity then this is a brilliant week to be a gamer. Disney’s Epic Mickey will be one of the most critically acclaimed games of the year. I’m a huge Warren Spector mark, so I hope you give the game a try. As most of you know, I’m an RPG mark as well, so I’m super psyched for Golden Sun: Dark Dawn.

Any of you picking up new games this week?

Coffee Talk #255: Your First Videogame Console

I hope everyone had a fun, relaxing, and food-filled Thanksgiving. Let’s ease back into things by talking about the first videogame console you owned. My videogame friends span a broad age range; some of them started off with the…

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 RPad.tv Cyber Monday sale, your favorite turkey leftover dish, or Manny Pacquiao’s next opponent, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I hope everyone had a fun, relaxing, and food-filled Thanksgiving. Let’s ease back into things by talking about the first videogame console you owned. My videogame friends span a broad age range; some of them started off with the Atari 2600, while others kicked off their game lives with the Nintendo Entertainment System. How about you?

As for me, I started off with the Fairchild Channel F (and chucked a controller at my friend’s face days after opening the box). My dad brought it back home one day as a surprise. I was so young that I had no concept of videogame consoles. Being able to control what was happening on the family television was pure magic to me — just completely fascinating. For the record, I had nothing to do with my father’s purchase, so it’s really his fault that I love videogames so much. Ha!

Now it’s your turn! What was your first videogame console?

Updated Xbox Live Black Friday Deals

Here’s an updated list of Xbox Live Black Friday deals. They’re good until November 29, 2010. Kindly check out the list and let me know if any of the goods interest you!

Here’s an updated list of Xbox Live Black Friday deals. They’re good until November 29, 2010. Kindly check out the list and let me know if any of the goods interest you!

Games Add-Ons
Splinter Cell Conviction Deniable Ops: Insurgency Regular Price: 800 Discount Price: 400 Savings: 50%
Alan Wake The Signal Regular Price: 560 Discount Price: 320 Savings: 43%
Trials HD The Big Pack Regular Price: 400 Discount Price: 240 Savings: 40%
Rock Band 3 – Lady Gaga Pack 01 Regular Price: 560 Discount Price: 280 Savings: 50%
Rock Band 3 – Nirvana Pack 01 Regular Price: 880 Discount Price: 640 Savings: 27%
Rock Band 3 – Nirvana Pack 02 Regular Price: 440 Discount Price: 240 Savings: 45%

Games
Monkey Island: Special Edition Regular Price: 800 Discount Price: 400 Savings: 50%
Monkey Island 2 Regular Price: 800 Discount Price: 400 Savings: 50%
Puzzle Quest 2 Regular Price: 1200 Discount Price: 800 Savings: 33%
Serious Sam TSE Regular Price: 1200 Discount Price: 600 Savings: 50%
Zombie Apocalypse Regular Price: 800 Discount Price: 400 Savings: 50%
Portal: Still Alive Regular Price: 1200 Discount Price: 400 Savings: 67%
VooDoo Dice Regular Price: 800 Discount Price: 400 Savings: 50%
Mega Man 10 Regular Price: 800 Discount Price: 400 Savings: 50%
Magic the Gathering Regular Price: 800 Discount Price: 400 Savings: 50%
Madden NFL Arcade Regular Price: 800 Discount Price: 400 Savings: 50%

Dolly Avatar Clothes
Secret of Monkey Island – Cotton Swab Regular Price: 160 Discount Price: 80 Savings: 50%
Fantasy Pets – Red Dragon Regular Price: 240 Discount Price: 120 Savings: 50%
Lara Croft – Xolotl Mask Regular Price: 160 Discount Price: 80 Savings: 50%
Modern Warfare 2 – Gas Mask Regular Price: 240 Discount Price: 120 Savings: 50%
Gears 3 – COG ArmorRegular Price: 320 Discount Price: 160 Savings: 50%
Street Fighter – Dudley Outfit Regular Price: 320 Discount Price: 160 Savings: 50%
Street Fighter – Chun Li Outfit Regular Price: 320 Discount Price: 160 Savings: 50%
Diesel Matic 8B3 Jeans Regular Price: 160 Discount Price: 80 Savings: 50%
Diesel Viker 8A7 Jeans Regular Price: 160 Discount Price: 80 Savings: 50%
Quicksilver Fuze Flannel Shirt Regular Price: 160 Discount Price: 80 Savings: 50%
Roxy Enough Said Woven Shirt Regular Price: 160 Discount Price: 80 Savings: 50%

Video Content (US Only)
Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore Regular Price: 1200 Discount Price: 720 Savings: 40%
Clash of the Titans Regular Price: 1200 Discount Price: 720 Savings: 40%
Cop Out Regular Price: 1200 Discount Price: 720 Savings: 40%
The Losers Regular Price: 1200 Discount Price: 720 Savings: 40%
Sex and the City 2 Regular Price: 1200 Discount Price: 720 Savings: 40%
300 Regular Price: 800 Discount Price: 380 Savings: 53%
Batman: Gotham Knight Regular Price: 800 Discount Price: 380 Savings: 53%
Goodfellas Regular Price: 800 Discount Price: 380 Savings: 53%
Michael Clayton Regular Price: 800 Discount Price: 380 Savings: 53%
P.S. I Love You Regular Price: 800 Discount Price: 380 Savings: 53%
RocknRolla Regular Price: 800 Discount Price: 380 Savings: 53%
Twister Regular Price: 800 Discount Price: 380 Savings: 53%
Unforgiven Regular Price: 800 Discount Price: 380 Savings: 53%

Source

Axl Rose Sues Activision Because He Hates Slash

Guns N’ Roses frontman W. Axl Rose is suing Activision…pretty much because he hates former bandmate Slash. Rose was under the impression that Slash and his new band Velvet Revolver would not be  in Guitar Hero III. He was under the impression that Slash imagery would be used for a tradeshow and not in the actual game. Here’s the skinny from The Hollywood Reporter:

The Guns N’ Roses frontman has just filed a $20 million lawsuit against Guitar Hero maker Activision claiming its use of the GNR song “Welcome to the Jungle” violated a deal not to include any imagery of ex-guitarist Saul Hudson (aka Slash) in the popular game.

In an amusing lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Rose and his Black Frog Music claim that Activision Blizzard fraudulently induced Rose into authorizing “Jungle” for use in Guitar Hero III by telling him during negotiations that it wouldn’t feature any reference to the former GNR member or his subsequent band, Velvet Revolver.

As much as I loved GNR back in the day, I always thought Axl was a dick. This confirms it.

Source

Coffee Talk #254: Your Black Friday Plans and Reports

Today’s Coffee Talk is a double bonus edition…which means you have to treat it like a double rainbow. I expect you to cry with glee and ask, “What does it mean?” Seriously though, today I want to hear about your Black Friday wishes.

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, SAP being fined $1.3-billion for stealing Oracle software, trying out Coava coffee, or the magic of cranberries, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Today’s Coffee Talk is a double bonus edition…which means you have to treat it like a double rainbow. I expect you to cry with glee and ask, “What does it mean?” Seriously though, today I want to hear about your Black Friday wishes. Are you looking for games, computer stuff, new televisions, an iPad, or other goodies?!? Will you brave the crazy crowds or surf the Internet for specials (like this lovely Amazon list!)?

After you’ve grabbed your Black Friday loot, kindly post your purchases here. As for me, my Black Friday plans have been killed by a lack of income. Ha! I’d love to grab an iPad when Apple slashes prices on Friday, but I’m way too poor. Instead, I’ll draw on a piece of cardboard and pretend it’s an iPad. Ha!

Now get with your Black Friday wish list (please)!

What Are You Playing Over Thanksgiving Weekend?

It’s Thanksgiving weekend — a great time to catch up on gaming and/or try out new games! What are you playing this weekend now that you have two extra days? As for me, I have an ambitious lineup of WWE SmackDown vs. Raw, Splatterhouse, Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom (if it arrives in time), Enslaved, and WordFeud for Android.

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