Coffee Talk #405: Most Recognizable Videogame Sound Ever?

Today’s Coffee Talk is brought to you by RPadholic N8R. During a Google+ messenger chat he asked, “What is the most recognizable videogame sound ever?” What a fantastic question! Gameplay, graphics, music, and story are…

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 Yankees’ fate resting in the mentally deficient brain of AJ Burnett, Hank Williams, Jr. comparing President Obama to Adolf Hitler, or the awesome nerd buzz before Apple press conference, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Today’s Coffee Talk is brought to you by RPadholic N8R. During a Google+ messenger chat he asked, “What is the most recognizable videogame sound ever?” What a fantastic question! Gameplay, graphics, music, and story are definitely a huge part of games, but its often short sound effects that stay with us forever. Decades after I first heard them, sound effects from Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda are still stuck in my head.

If I mention the sound of Mario getting a coin or getting a power-up or getting an extra life, I’m positive that the vast majority of you know what I’m talking about. The same goes for Zelda sounds. I’m certain that most of you know the sound of Link getting a new item or unlocking a secret. At Nintendo’s E3 2011 presser, the audience totally marked out when the orchestra played Zelda sounds. Hell, the liberal use of Zelda sounds is part of why Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is so charming.

So what say you? Answer N8R’s question and name the most recognizable videogame sounds ever (please)!

What Are Your iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S Predictions?!?

Tomorrow is Apple’s big presser for the next iPhone! Rumors include the company announcing a new iPhone 5 and a cheaper iPhone 4S, the iPhone being available on Sprint in addition to AT&T and Verizon, and Apple finally releasing a phone with a screen larger than 3.5-inches. The image used for the invite hints that voice control, powered by Apple’s purchase of Nuance, will be a big part of the press conference.

What do you think will happen? What are you hoping for? Will there be unicorns, rainbows, and sorcery?!? Please leave your predictions, thoughts, and wishes on the iPhone 5 presser in the comments section!

Rage Launch Party Pictures

Here are a bunch of random pictures from id Software’s launch party for Rage. (You know, that thing I was at when I sent you those drunk messages on Google+) It was a pretty big blowout and way better than most LA videogame parties. Of course there were lots of celebs around. Charlize Theron was the official host of the party. I recall seeing Seth Green, Jaime Pressly, Danny Masterson, Topher Grace, and Chris Pine. I was totally bummed that I missed Stacy Keibler. The Black Keys put on a sweet performance. It was cool briefly seeing my E3 buddy Sarah Carroll. My favorite part was bumping into id CEO Todd Hollenshead. He looked so happy and proud! I was thrilled for him.

Anyway, check out these picks. Highlights include some idiot climbing on top of the Rage kiosks and some woman vomiting into a trash can. Ha!

[nggallery id=76]

Xbox 360 Fall 2011 Dashboard Update Video Leak

Here’s a leaked video of the Fall 2011 Xbox 360 dashboard update. It’s in French, so it’s more pretentious than usual. I kid, I kid. Seriously though, what’s interesting here is that the new interface is heavily inspired by the design elements found in Windows Phone 7 and Windows 8’s Metro UI. I love the idea of Microsoft unifying its UI elements across PCs, tablets, phones, and consoles. It just makes sense to offer a consistent experience across a wide variety of Microsoft products.

Check out the clip when you have a chance and let me know what you think (please!). Do you dig the idea of unified design elements across Microsoft-powered consoles, PCs, tablets, and phones?

This Week’s Videogame Releases

October kicks off with a slew of awesome videogames! If you’re looking for a supremely gorgeous post-apocalyptic shooter then you definitely want to pick up id Software’s Rage. There probably won’t be any NBA basketball played until next year, but that shouldn’t stop you from playing NBA 2K12. Spider-Man — both the current version and the 2099 version — are back for another wall-crawling adventure in Spider-Man: Edge of Time. Want something dark and brutally difficult? If so then Dark Souls, the successor to Demon’s Souls, is right up your alley. Finally, sometimes you just need to dance. If that’s the case then Just Dance 3 will do you good.

Any of you picking up new games this week?

Coffee Talk #404: Have You Ever Quit on a Console?

Last week I was intrigued by this comment left by RPadholic smartguy. He’s fed up with the quirks and annoyances of his PlayStation 3 and is on the verge of quitting it after Uncharted 3. It had me thinking about all 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, A-Rod getting the boo-bird treatment at Yankee Stadium, Stumptown’s Guatemala Antigua Buenavista, or how old you were when you started liking the taste of alcoholic beverages, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Last week I was intrigued by this comment left by RPadholic smartguy. He’s fed up with the quirks and annoyances of his PlayStation 3 and is on the verge of quitting it after Uncharted 3. It had me thinking about all the consoles I’ve owned in the past. I don’t recall any of them pissing me off to the point where I gave up on the system. How about you? Have you ever quit on a console? Or did you have issues, only to lovingly whisper, “I can’t quit you,” to your beloved gaming system?

Keep in mind that I’m in an unusual situation since the last few generations of consoles have either been free or work expenses for me. I love all of my gaming systems, but they’re all work machines — there’s no such thing as buyer’s remorse in my case. Even before that, I managed to put up with the completely ridiculous Sega Genesis Mega Stack of Doom. If a Voltron-like console couldn’t make me quit then I’m not sure what would.

So how about it? Has a console ever driven you to the point of disowning it? Have you ever quit on a console?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I think I’m going to give Bastion another go. I meant to give it a more thorough run on my personal Xbox Live Account and never got around to it. It’s such a fun and charming game. It’s also cool that someone I like, ex-GameSpot editor Greg Kasavin, worked on it. Yeah, that settles it. This weekend will be about replaying Bastion!

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

September 28, 2011: A Historic Day in Baseball History

Last night was, by far, the most exciting regular-season day in Major League Baseball history. One day later and I still can’t believe what I saw. Three games that determined the last slots in the playoffs ending within 25 minutes of each other. Two dramatic comebacks ending within three minutes of each other. One major collapse (Atlanta Braves) and one epic collapse (Boston Red Sox) culminating in minutes. It was dramatic (for everyone) and fun (depending on your teams), and I’m pretty sure that I’ll never see anything like that again.

One minute I was watching Jonathan Papelbon blow a save against the lowly Orioles. A couple of minutes later I was watching Evan Longoria hit a game-ending homer against the Yankees, clinching the Tampa Bay Rays’ spot in the playoffs and ensuring an entertaining off-season in Boston. It was nuts how quickly it all happened. I was chuckling at Papelbon’s failure and — BAM! — just like that Longoria’s home run had me thinking, “Whoa! Did that just really happen?!?” On one hand, I wasn’t done laughing at the Red Sox. On the other hand, I just witnessed one of the most extraordinary days in baseball history.

As a tech nerd, it was a blast marveling, gloating, and discussing everything that just happened through different social networking services. As I was laughing at the Red Sox’ demise, I whipped out my iPad 2, headed to Facebook, and left some annoying comments on my friend Matt’s wall. He’s from Boston. *snicker* Discussing the games on Twitter, Google+, and Facebook made the events even more fun. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I love what social networking has added to sports.

Anyway, I wanted to see what you thought of last night’s games. Were you watching them live? Did you watch the highlights today? What do you think of it all? Which team was the biggest loser? Which team was the biggest winner? Have Yankee fans ever been happier about a loss? Share your feelings (like a Care Bear) in the comments section (please!).

Today’s Poll: Are You Interested in the Amazon Kindle Fire?

Amazon recently announced the Kindle Fire, an Android-based tablet with a killer $199 price point, DC Comics graphic novel exclusivity, a unique server-assisted web browser called Silk, and more. The killer price should make it an attractive option to first-time tablet-buyers and those looking for a secondary tablet. Its heavy tie-ins with Amazon digital services give it an enormous advantage over competing Android, BlackBerry, and webOS tablets. I’m positive that this is going to be one of the killer products this holiday season.

Today I wanted to see if you guys and dolls were interested in the Kindle Fire. Kindly take today’s poll and let me know what you think about Amazon’s aggressively-priced foray into the tablet computing world.

[poll id=”134″]

Forbes Calls Call of Duty “Rank Up XP” Promotion Unholy

Activision and Pepsi are teaming up for a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 promotion that gives gamers time to earn double experience points when they buy participating products. The “Rank Up Your Game” web site shows Mountain Dew and Doritos as foods that will earn double XP. In a recent article, Forbes called the promotion “nothing short of unholy.” Here’s an excerpt:

The promotion is called “Rank Up XP,” and the long and short of it is that by buying certain Pepsi products, namely Mountain Dew and Doritos, players can redeem codes in the packaging for Double XP time in Modern Warfare 3. A 20 oz gets you 15 minutes, a 12 pack gets you 45, and so on.

Why is this a problem? Because XP is currency in these games, and whoever has more of it first is at a distinct advantage. More XP, especially when the game is new, means more weapons, more perks, more attachments, more killstreaks, and subsequently, usually more wins. Offering Double XP to someone who purchases Pepsi products is selling out about as much as you can, and for a franchise that’s already been accused of pushing the limits with “Elite” monthly membership and overpriced map packs, it goes to show that Activision will exploit its fans in any way they can.

Perhaps I’ve been desensitized by years of marketing, but I don’t see what’s so bad about the promo. I’ve certainly seen worse and it’s not like I expect Activision to offer a deal that rewards gamers for buying organic direct-trade fruit. It’s a marketing deal that combines a popular game with popular junk food. It’s not benefiting mankind, but I wouldn’t go as far as to call it “unholy”.

Actually, let’s take it to another level. Calling it unholy is f*cking stupid. There are people without homes and food. There are people that are being denied their civil rights. There are people without jobs and health insurance. I don’t know Paul Tassi, the author of the Forbes article, but I’m inclined to think that he’s a moron if he truly believes a “Call of Duty + Mountain Dew = double XP” promotion is unholy compared to all the other things going on in the world. If earning double XP in a questionable way is unholy, then how do you describe what’s going on in Myanmar and North Korea?!?

What do you think? Is Activision teaming up with Doritos for double XP unholy? Or is it just another marketing deal?

Source