It’s a pretty dim week for videogame releases. Thankfully, Square Enix’s Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is here to brighten things up! I’ve been high on this game since it was first announced in Japan and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. Aside from that, Test Drive: Ferrari Legends brings back one of the oldest series in racing games. Spelunky for XBLA is also getting a lot of buzz from game critics.
Any of you picking up new games this week?
Sony Computer Entertainment has announced that it has entered into a “definitive agreement” to purchase videogame-streaming service Gaikai for approximately $380-million. This acquisition should erase any doubts that streaming will be a big part of the future of gaming. The deal gives Sony all sorts of flexibility and potential to change the way it delivers games to customers. Mobile devices like the Apple iPhone and iPad have changed gaming forever; streaming technology like Gaikai gives Sony the potential to compete with devices like the iPad and future home consoles from its current competitors.
In today’s press release, SCE president and group CEO Andrew House said, “SCE will deliver a world-class cloud-streaming service that allows users to instantly enjoy a broad array of content ranging from immersive core games with rich graphics to casual content anytime, anywhere on a variety of internet-connected devices.” The last bit is the most fascinating detail. When I wrote about Gaikai in April, I mentioned that the service was running on Facebook. At last week’s Google I/O 2012 conference, the company showed the service running on Google Chrome. Imagine being able to play “PlayStation” games through a Sony phone, tablet, or television? In theory, the flexibility of streaming gives Sony some crazy reach. Its customers would no longer be limited to people that buy a box that goes under the television. That’s a tremendous game-changer.
Naturally, there’s some debate on how quickly SCE will implement Gaikai. Large companies generally implement new tech at a glacial pace. A respected colleague of mine believes that Gaikai will be used for nothing more than demos over the next few years. He could be right, but it’s not just due to utilizing new tech. The broadband market in many countries (hello America!) is too restrictive for enthusiast gamers to rely on streaming for the majority of their gaming. Broadband services will hopefully evolve to make streaming (and digital downloads) more feasible. Personally, I view this acquisition as prep for the next generation of PlayStation software and beyond.
Then there’s competitor OnLive. The company has been getting attention longer than Gaikai, but it lacked a dynamic and popular leader like Gaikai CEO David Perry. The obvious speculation is that a competitor (i.e. Microsoft) will buy OnLive in order to compete with Sony’s acquisition and/or engage in a patent war. It will be interesting to see how quickly the Gaikai acquisition changes OnLive’s fortunes. Obviously OnLive can’t compete with a consumer electronics giant like Sony, but the move could also cause a big fish to overpay for the company.
For the last year and a half, a good friend of mine at Sony has been screaming and shouting about how the days of standalone boxes for gaming are coming to a close. While I’m positive Sony’s acquisition of Gaikai had nothing to do with his rantings, it reflects his opinion. Now I’d like to hear yours! What do you think of Sony’s acquisition of Gaikai? How do you think it will change gaming as we know it today?
Inspired by a comment from RPadholic RROD, I’m curious to learn where you put your mobile phone. Are you left pocket? Right pocket? Perhaps you live life dangerously and opt for the back pocket? Ladies and metrosexuals have the options of using a purse or a man purse, respectively. Kindly vote in today’s poll and let me know!
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I’d love to get your opinion on The Super Dimensional Quantum Learning’s Problems and Solutions Gametime Spectacular!! featuring Kevin Pereira. There’s no way I can be objective about the show. I really want the Quantum Conundrum to succeed. One of the guys at iam8bit (the cats that produced the video) is an old friend of mine. I adore Kevin. And, as most of you know, I’m kind of a mark for Square Enix products. That’s where you and your superior objectivity come in! Please check out the show and let me know what you think.
It’s time for the annual RPad.TV halftime report (which is actually written by you guys)! The first half of the year is over and I want to hear all about your favorite games from 2012. Has much changed since you picked your favorite games of Q1 2012? To paraphrase Warner Wolf, let’s go to the comments section!
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, German sausage with dear friends, the deliciousness of Woodford Reserve, or Drow wisdom, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
It’s time for the annual RPad.TV halftime report (which is actually written by you guys)! The first half of the year is over and I want to hear all about your favorite games from 2012. Has much changed since you picked your favorite games of Q1 2012? To paraphrase Warner Wolf, let’s go to the comments section! Before I get to that, I’ll throw in my two cents.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 is still my favorite game of the year. It’s a Japanese RPG with a Pokemon-like monster-element (and Serah in a bikini!). Of course I enjoyed it. The other game that stood out to me was Quarrel Deluxe for Xbox Live Arcade. The iPad version gave me dozens of hours of entertainment in 2011. I love being able to play the game online through XBLA in 2012.
So how about you? What are some of your favorite games from the first half of 2012?
If you’re interested in picking up a Google Nexus 7 Android tablet then you should consider buying one from Gamestop. The company is offering a 30-percent trade-in bonus towards Nexus 7 pre-orders. Here are the specifics from the press release…
If you’re interested in picking up a Google Nexus 7 Android tablet then you should consider buying one from Gamestop. The company is offering a 30-percent trade-in bonus towards Nexus 7 pre-orders. Here are the specifics from the press release:
GameStop customers can also take advantage of a 30% trade bonus on all items traded towards the pre-order of the Nexus 7. This includes trades of video game hardware, software and accessories as well as iDevices and eligible Android tablets.
Similar to purchasing directly from Google, customers that buy the Nexus 7 from GameStop get $25 in Google Play credit. Depending on the goods you have to trade in, this could be the best way to buy a Nexus 7. The 30-percent kicker gives this deal some sweet potential.
Any of you interested in picking up a Google Nexus 7 from GameStop?
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, Bill Simmons’ awesome NBA draft diary, the accuracy of Digitimes rumors, or your favorite steak sauce, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Communications has changed a ton in the last 15 years. At E3 2012, a PR veteran and I were talking about the days of sending/receiving press releases via fax and delivering screenshots on giant pieces of film. Staying with the dynamic between PR people and game writers provides a good roadmap for the evolution of modern communications. It’s pretty neat and I’d love to see if the same applies to “real” people like you.
I recall many flaks complaining about being unable to get journalists on the phone, but being able to get an email response in minutes. When email became more common, programs like AOL Instant Messenger became the easiest way to get in touch with game journalists. Even IM programs became too big; these days it’s pretty common for business to be done over Facebook messenger or Twitter direct messages.
Personally, I love Twitter DM exchanges; because of the nature of Twitter messages, the conversations are concise and stay on point. That said, I enjoy talking on the phone with people and strengthening connections that way. Email, AIM, Facebook, and Twitter are great, but the connections made actually speaking with people are irreplaceable.
How has communications evolved in your world? Do you do most of your business on the phone? Is email your primary method? Or are you more about IM, Facebook, and Twitter?
Jet lag has dominated my week, so I’m going to use this weekend to try and fix things. This means staying in bed with my iPad and lots of iPad games (I believe John Lennon and Yoko Ono did this for months). Civilization Revolution still gets a ton of play from me; it’s like chicken soup for the soul of the gamer. Chillingo’s The Act caught my eye at GDC 2012 and I’m looking forward to giving this interactive comedy a spin. Quarrel Deluxe is always good for an hour or two. Hopefully these three games and careful caffeine dosages will help me triumph over jet lag!
How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?
Like Hulkamania before it, tablet-mania is running wild. Apple is selling millions of iPads. Amazon is selling millions of Kindle Fires. Millions of Android fans were thrilled by yesterday’s announcement of the Google Nexus 7. Yet for some reason, many of you RPadholics aren’t down with tablet computing. Why is 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, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, the $1,500 price tag for Google Glass, or peach jelly vs. strawberry jelly, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Like Hulkamania before it, tablet-mania is running wild. Apple is selling millions of iPads. Amazon is selling millions of Kindle Fires. Millions of Android fans were thrilled by yesterday’s announcement of the Google Nexus 7. Yet for some reason, many of you RPadholics aren’t down with tablet computing. Why is that?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — the iPad is the most life-changing piece of consumer electronics I’ve purchased since TiVo. The versatility, power, and convenience is brilliant! There’s so much I can do on the iPad, for pleasure and business. I can play games, listen to music, bust out long emails, browse the Internetz, write long articles, read comic books, watch videos, watch Brazzers, edit images, update this very web site, and so much more. Tablet computing blends the power of desktop/laptop computers and the portability of smartphones in a delightfully amazing way.
Off the top of my head, only a few of you are down with tablet computing. RPadholics smartguy and tokz come to mind. A few of you, like Big Blak and Nightshade, are borderline anti-tablet. Whether you love tablets, hate them, or suffer from tablet-computing ennui, I’d leave to hear your thoughts on tablet computing. Fire away in the comments section (please)!
Long, long ago (about two years) in a galaxy far, far away (Los Angeles) several WWE Superstars and a WWE Diva (and my pal Jose) posed with the infamous RPad.TV refrigerator magnet. In the tradition of WWE’s From the Vault series, enjoy these classic photos of WWE Sheamus, Bret “The Hitman” Hart, Santino Marella, Kofi Kingston, Melina Perez, and more. After you’ve perused the photos, please let me know which WWE Superstar rocks the RPad.TV chick magnet the best.
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