PlayStation Vita Launching on February 22 in America

Sony Computer Entertainment America has announced that the PlayStation Vita portable videogame console will launch on February 22, 2012 in North America. The system is already selling well in Japan and is expected to be one of most popular holiday gifts in that country. With the Nintendo 3DS performing below expectations, Sony has a huge opportunity to do some damage in the handheld space.

Here’s a clip from the press release, followed by a poll and some images. Please share your thoughts on the PSP launch date and your plans for getting or not getting one.

Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (SCEA) today announced on stage at the Web 2.0 Summit 2011 that the PlayStation Vita (PS Vita) system will launch in the U.S. on February 22, 2012. Available at major retailers for $249.99 (MSRP) for the Wi-Fi model and $299.99 (MSRP) for the 3G/Wi-Fi model, the PS Vita system will offer unparalleled interactive entertainment anytime and anywhere.

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Samsung Galaxy Nexus & Google Ice Cream Sandwich Live Blog

Kindly join me this evening for a live blog on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Google Android Ice Cream Sandwich launch. The live blog kicks off at 6:45PM and the presser starts at 7:00PM (Pacific Time). Your excellent company, witty comments, and sharp insights will help make the blog fun. Hope to see you then!

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Video Confirms Game is Awesome

The more I see of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, the more I want it. The game is utterly charming! Check out this video featuring scenes, sites, sounds, and characters from various Final Fantasy titles set in a music-rhythm game. If you’re not charmed then you have no soul (or you don’t like Final Fantasy).

Motorola Droid RAZR Coming to Verizon in November

At a press conference earlier today, Motorola and Verizon introduced the Droid RAZR. The Droid RAZR is a Google Android phone featuring a Super AMOLED qHD and an LTE radio. In the official press release, Motorola Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha said, “We set out to design the best smartphone on the planet and delivered Droid RAZR which is thinner, smarter, stronger than any device on the market.”

Here are the bullet points from the press release:

  • Powered by Android™ 2.3.5, Gingerbread
  • 1GB RAM for a fast user interface and multi-tasking
  • 8-megapixel rear camera with 1080p HD video capture and image stabilization technology for crisp and clear videos
  • Front-facing HD camera for video chat over 4G LTE, 3G or Wi-Fi
  • 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot capable so customers can share 4G LTE speed with up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices
  • Water repellent nanocoating protects the phone, and even the inside components, against everyday spills
  • Remote wipe, pin lock and government-grade encryption for email, calendar and contacts as well as voice and video chat conferencing
  • Use Quickoffice® to view, create and edit Microsoft® Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents on your mobile device from anywhere at anytime
  • Bluetooth 4.0 low energy
  • 32 GB memory: 16 GB on board and 16 GB microSD™ card pre-installed (actual formatted capacity is less)
  • Powerful 1780 mAh battery

I’m dying to see the phone in person. While I’m sure it’s super light, I’m betting that the Kevlar and aluminum construction gives it a higher-quality feel than the Samsung Galaxy S II phones (cheap plastic = yuck). I’m also curious about how the phone feels in hand; the product shots make the RAZR look like it has a large bezel for a phone with a 4.3-inch screen. Lastly, I’m worried about the camera, which I understand is the same module found in the Droid Bionic; the Bionic does a lot of things well, but taking pictures isn’t one of them.

Those concerns aside, the Droid RAZR looks great on paper. Verizon LTE is fantastic and nobody else has introduced a phone with a Super AMOLED qHD screen (yet). Of course this could all be old news by tonight, when Samsung and Google unveil the Galaxy Nexus.

The Motorola Droid RAZR is available for pre-order on October 27, 2011. Orders will ship in early November, when the phone becomes available at retail outlets.

Any of you tempted by the Droid RAZR?

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Read My Dead Rising 2: Off the Record Review (Please)

My review of Dead Rising 2: Off the Record is up at Machinima. Kindly check it out when you have a chance. It’s a fun game, but largely the same as DR2. Most of the same art assets and levels are used, with some new dialogue, a sanbox mode, and the photography gimmick thrown in. It’s “only” $40…but it’s kind of a tough sell. Here’s the part where I quote myself:

Dead Rising 2: Off the Record offers hours of visceral zombie mashing and allows gamers to have fun slaughtering the undead with all manner of weapons. The problem is, I’m not really sure who this game is for. Only the most ardent Dead Rising fans should buy this game. Gamers that liked or really liked Dead Rising 2, but didn’t love it, will find that it’s too much of the same. Even though this game retails for a relative bargain of $39.99, gamers that only played the first game will be better off playing Dead Rising 2, which can be found for half the cost or less. As for people that liked Dead Rising’s potential but didn’t like the actual game, there aren’t any significant improvements here to make them believers. Off the Record is a must-buy only for those with an irrational love for the series.

I know that several of you enjoyed Dead Rising 2, but are you going to pick this one up? Or are you going to wait until it hits the bargain bin? When you have a chance, please head on over to Machinima and check out my review. Thanks muchly!

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Paul Dini Talks About Writing Batman: Arkham City

Most of you have been dazzled by Paul Dini’s work in Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League Unlimited, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and more. Although Dini is a relative newcomer in the videogame world, most gamers were thrilled by his writing in Batman: Arkham Asylum. Early reviews indicate that he’s better than ever in Batman: Arkham City. Dini recently discussed the differences between writing for animation and writing for a game. He told  Gamasutra:

It’s like writing the same movie about 12 times, you know? For every variation. You go down and the character has a certain goal to accomplish — like he’s got to get to this room and then there’s a certain boss along the way, and he’s got to go through the other guys. But every loop has to be written, and scripted, and accounted for.

So I find myself looking for variations of thug dialogue a lot, like “What’s that?” “It’s the Bat!” “The Bat, he’s here!” It’s like, how do you say the same thing over and over again? Because every movement — “We got him!” “He got away!” — has to be done over and over again.

As you’d expect, I’m a total Dini mark. The guy is just frickin’ awesome. He owns in the animation and comic-book worlds. His videogame writing is also super good; perhaps one day he’ll be as captivating as the bloke that wrote SmackDown vs. Raw 2011. *joke*

What did you think of Dini’s writing in Arkham Asylum? I know that some of you are picking up Arkham City tonight. When you have a chance, kindly leave your first impressions of the story.

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Coffee Talk #412: Predict Nintendo’s Future with 3DS and Wii U

Today I’d like you guys and gals to put on your analyst caps and predict Nintendo’s future. In the past, people have questioned Nintendo’s DS and Wii consoles, which went on to become two of the best-selling systems in videogame…

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, Kurt Angle’s fiber solution, Apple and Samsung being best frenemies, or why people were scared of mummies back in the day, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Today I’d like you guys and gals to put on your analyst caps and predict Nintendo’s future. In the past, people have questioned Nintendo’s DS and Wii consoles, which went on to become two of the best-selling systems in videogame history. A lot of analysts and journalists have doubts about the 3DS and Wii U systems, but will they proven wrong by Ninntendo once again? Or will the “experts” be right this time?

As for me, I don’t see how Nintendo can go anywhere but down. This really has nothing to do with the 3DS and Wii U, but rather the remarkable sales of the DS and Wii. Those systems sold like crazy and I’m not sure when the business will see something like that again. The 3DS will surely sell well, but it faces stiff competition from smartphones and tablets. The Wii U’s tablet-as-a-controller strategy is odd, but it could work. There are lots of idiots out there that are saying “Nintendo is teh doomed!!!” but the company will always sell millions of Mario, Metroid, Pokemon, and Zelda games. I guess what I’m saying is that Nintendo won’t be able to duplicate the ridiculous success it enjoyed this generation, but it will be fine during the next.

How about you? How do you think things will play out for Nintendo? Will the 3DS recover from its rough start? Will mainstream consumers flock to the Wii U and its tablet controller? Will Nintendo rock next generation? Or is it “teh doomed”? Channel your inner Jesse Divnich and analyze Nintendo’s future (please)!

Motorola Droid RAZR Image Revealed Early

The people at Droid-Life scoured the Motorola Droid RAZR (codename Spyder) teaser site and found a large image of the phone. It will be officially unveiled tomorrow at a press event being held by Motorola and Verizon. The Droid RAZR is purported to have a kevlar back, 1GB of RAM, a 1.2GHz processor (likely a new TI OMAP), Android 2.3.5, and an LTE radio.

While I’m intrigued by the kevlar construction, I’m disappointed in the industrial design. It’s pretty much the same design language found in the Droid X and Droid X 2. Since this is the reintroduction of one of Motorola’s most successful and well-known brands, I was hoping for a bold, new look.

What do you think of the Droid RAZR’s looks?

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This Week’s Videogame Releases (Batman Arkham City!)

The big game this week is Batman: Arkham City. The sequel to arguably the best comic-book videogame ever release, Arkham City should be another thrilling action game starring The Dark Knight. PlayStation 3 owners looking for some exclusive cooperative action should give Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One a look. Insomniac rules! Rocksmith adds an interesting twist to music games by allowing you to plug any guitar you have into your console. Everybody Dance is the newest franchise on the highly competitive dancing-game scene. It’s getting hard to keep track of them all.

Any of you planning to pick up new games this week?

Coffee Talk #411: What’s Your Favorite Nerd Movie?

With Sony snatching up the rights to the Steve Jobs movie, I’ve been thinking about other nerd movies. I’m not talking about stuff like Revenge of the Nerds, but rather films that celebrate or honor renowned nerds or nerd culture. Obviously all the movies…

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’s Panama Elida Natural: Lot B, dying to go on a flight longer than 5,000 miles, or Charles Oakley blasting everyone, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

With Sony snatching up the rights to the Steve Jobs movie, I’ve been thinking about other nerd movies. I’m not talking about stuff like Revenge of the Nerds, but rather films that celebrate or honor renowned nerds or nerd culture. Obviously all the movies we discuss today are just placeholders until Watching the Gears Go Round: The Cliff Bleszinski Story comes out, but we’re still a few years away from that masterpiece. For now, let’s look at some geeky contenders.

The Social Network is the most successful nerd movie to date and was lauded by non-nerds too. Comic Book: The Movie and Trekkies examine two of the most passionate nerd communities in the universe. Macheads and Welcome to Macintosh are two fine documentaries for Apple nerds.

As for me, I’m going with Pirates of Silicon Valley. It’s an interesting look at the rise of Apple and Microsoft, examining the curious relationship between the two companies. It’s interesting, fun, and funny (sometimes unintentionally) all at the same time. Anthony Michael Hall as Bill Gates was just brilliant — a perfect nerd to play one of history’s ultimate nerds. It’s also awesome that the guy that played Steve Ballmer also voiced Bender, The Joker and Marcus Fenix. Ha!

Now it’s your turn! Please leave some of your favorite nerd movies in the comments section.