This Week’s Videogame Releases

After several dry weeks in August, there are finally some great games coming out! Deus Ex: Human Revolution has been getting a ton of hype. I loved the original and can’t wait to dive into this one. Gamers looking to show off their martial prowess online will want to pick up Street Fighter 3: Third Strike Online Edition. A lot of hardcore gamers feel that this game is the pinnacle of 2D fighting. On Sunday, Nintendo will have four great old games rebranded as $19.99 Nintendo Selects for Wii.

Any of you picking up new games this week?

Coffee Talk #387: Games That All Look the Same to You

Are there any game genres that look all the same to you? For example, I have several casual-gamer friends that can’t tell the difference between Battlefield, Call of Duty, and Medal of Honor. They see all World War II…

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 rebellion in Libya, Klatch’s El Salvador Yellow Bourbon, or the brawl between Georgetown and the Bayi Military Rockets baseketball teams leading to World War III, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Are there any game genres that look all the same to you? For example, I have several casual-gamer friends that can’t tell the difference between Battlefield, Call of Duty, and Medal of Honor. They see all World War II first-personshooters as the same. The issue isn’t restricted to casual gamers either. I have friends in the videogame business that think all Japanese RPGs are the same. They see some effeminate male protagonist with impossible hair saving the world against some generic evil guy.

As for me, all the tower defense games in the world have blended together into one unidentifiable mess. I’m sure that there are plenty of differences between tower defense games, but aside from South Park Let’s Go Tower Defense Play! I can’t tell these games apart. Part of it is due to a lack of interest and part of it stems from the overwhelming tower defense choices on Android and iOS. There are just too many of them!

Now it’s your turn! Are there any game genres that all look the same to you?

Monday Housekeeping

The site has been on a new server since 6PM PDT on Friday. Most of you know that I’ve been having terrible problems with my crap web host. This is the second server move in two weeks. I’ve lost count of how many service outages the site has had in the last month. The good news is that things were mostly stable over the weekend, but I’m curious to see if I can go a full week without problems from my crap web host.

If you notice any site slowdown or are getting errors (I’ve seen 502, 504, and 520 errors in the past), please let me know. Either leave a comment here or send me a message through the social network of your choice. Hopefully the ridiculous problems are in the past!

HP Calls it Quits on webOS (Pre, TouchPad)

After acquiring Palm for $1.2-billion with the intent to go big with webOS, HP is calling it quits. The operating system behind the Pre line of mobile phones and the TouchPad tablet, tech enthusiasts loved webOS for its innovative features. Unfortunately, the hardware was never the best (at least on the phone side) and a teeny development scene made for a small app library. Considering those factors and the fact that HP has traditionally been more of a corporate brand than a consumer one, it’s not surprising that HP has given up on webOS, though it is surprising that it happened so suddenly. Here’s a clip from the press release:

HP will discontinue operations for webOS devices, specifically the TouchPad and webOS phones. The devices have not met internal milestones and financial targets. HP will continue to explore options to optimize the value of webOS software going forward.

Keep in mind that HP still has a chance  to make the $1.2-billion purchase worthwhile. It can license webOS to phone and tablet manufacturers. With Google’s recent purchase of Motorola, there are probably some Android phone and tablet manufacturers looking to diversify.

RPadholic smartguy and I were chatting about HP getting into the patent wars. That seems like the “cool” thing to do these days.  HP can either sue other companies that infringe on its Palm patents or it can license the patents for a hefty sum. Other possibilities include leveraging the patents for favorable cross-licensing deals or selling them outright.

It’s a shame that webOS ended up with a company that was ill-equipped to serve the consumer market. It is an impressive piece of software and the TouchPad (with its recent software update) was the best iPad alternative I’ve tried. Despite the enormous potential of webOS, the operating system was unable to thrive due to poor corporate strategy (both Palm and HP). Will it live again through other companies? Probably. Will it be a significant player in the mobile market? Probably not.

[I wanted to post this story yesterday, but my crap web host decided to take the day off. Never use AnHosting.]

Mark Cerny: Traditional Single-Player Games are Over

Mark Cerny is one of the sharpest guys I’ve met in the videogame business, so when he says that traditional single-player games aren’t long for this world, I listen. At a recent Sony Computer Entertainment event during GamesCom 2011, Cerny had a lot of say about how a “connected” world is changing single-player videogames. Here’s a quote from Eurogamer:

I believe the traditional single-player game experience will be gone in three years. Right now you sit in your living room and you’re playing a game by yourself — we call it the sp mission or the single-player campaign. In a world with Facebook I just don’t think that’s going to last.

We’re already seeing the wall starting to crumble a bit. Demon’s Souls, even though on one level it’s a single-player game, as you’re walking through the world you’re seeing the ghosts of everybody who died in that world via the internet. You can leave messages for them. They can leave messages for you. There’s actually a boss you fight in that game which is controlled by another player.

I think he’s right to a large degree. Videogames on consoles and PCs are definitely moving in that direction. Will they become the norm in five years? I’m not sure, but Cerny is exponentially smarter than I am, so why not?!? As for the “traditional” single-player experience, I’ve been using my iPad 2, PlayStation Portable, and Nintendo 3DS for gaming that’s more along the lines of what I grew up with. The portable consoles are becoming more social, but “real” gaming on phones and tablets is in its infancy. While phones and tablets are obviously connected devices, they still offer that solitary experience I’m used to because the development environment isn’t as sophisticated as consoles (yet).

A lot of you know that I’m a Cerny mark and won’t question his word (I’m slightly exaggerating). With that in mind, please let me know what you think about his prognosis. Are traditional single-player games done? Does a world that has become smaller through social networking require single-player videogames that are more connected? Leave a comment and let me know (please)!

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[I wanted to post this story yesterday, but my crap web host decided to take the day off. Never use AnHosting.]

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

My weekend will be all about reading and gaming on my iPad 2. I’m thoroughly enjoying George R.R. Martin’s A Dance with Dragons and hope to knock out several more chapters this weekend. To break things up, I’ll throw in some gaming too. Civilization Revolution is pretty much a daily thing for me. I’m really digging Groove Coaster too. Rage HD is free for a limited time, so I’m going to give that whirl.

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

PlayStation 3 Getting NFL Sunday Ticket for $339.95

Sony Computer Entertainment America and DirecTV have announced that the popular NFL Sunday Ticket subscription package will be available on the PlayStation 3 for $339.95. The subscription will let gamers view every out-of-market NFL game. Considering that NFL football is the most popular sport in America, this is an enormous deal. Here’s more from Sony Computer Entertainment America senior vice president Philip Rosenberg:

At the start of the season, viewers who do not currently have access to DirecTV will be able to subscribe to NFL Sunday Ticket at the season price of $339.95. Existing DirecTV customers can access the service on their PS3 for an additional $50 and use the PS3 as an additional receiver for your home.

NFL Sunday Ticket is a DirecTV-exclusive sports package that offers:

  • Up to 14 NFL games every Sunday
  • Full HD for every football game
  • DirecTV’s Red Zone Channel

Like I said, this is a huge deal for the American market. With this announcement and the recent PlayStation 3 price cut, I wonder if any American consumers will use the PS3 as a way to compensate for DirecTV unavailability. $340 is a lot of money, but if you can’t get DirecTV then this is a reasonable option. Hell, if you can get DirecTV but don’t care about its programming packages then this can save you money in the long run.

Are any of you tempted by this deal? Imagine if the PS3 launched with this partnership? The console wars would have played out so differently in America. Also, where’s my Manchester City subscription package for real football?!? (Half-joke)

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[I wanted to post this story yesterday, but my crap web host decided to take the day off. Never use AnHosting.]

Muppets: The Green Album Totally Rocks!

The soundtrack for The Muppets, titled Muppets: The Green Album, looks fantastic! It’s a bunch of contemporary artists doing updated versions of classic Muppets songs. The talent includes Weezer, My Morning Jacket, Brandon Saller (Atreyu), and OK Go. I’m completely psyched that Rachael Yamagata is in the mix too! Her 2004 album Happenstance is one of my favorites of the last decade.

The initial trailer for The Muppets had me looking forward to the movie. The soundtrack just sealed the deal!

If you have a chance, head on over to the track listing page and listen to the samples. Let me know if you’re digging any of the songs on Muppets: The Green Album. Mahna mahna!!!

[I wanted to post this story yesterday, but my crap web host decided to take the day off. Never use AnHosting.]

BlackBerry 9900: Has RIM Given Up on the Consumer Market?

RIM and its American carrier partners have announced pricing for the upcoming BlackBerry Bold 9900…and it’s ridiculous. On AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon, the 9900 will cost $249.99 after a rebate and a two-year contract commitment. On T-Mobile, it will cost $299.99 under the same conditions. That’s frickin’ hilarious!

While the BlackBerry Bold 9900 looks like a nice piece of hardware, its internals are outdated and it runs a pathetically archaic operating system. Tech specs include a single-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor, 8GB of internal storage, 768MB of RAM, and a 2.8-inch screen (640 x 480). Those specs look like a joke compared to current high-end Android phones, all of which are priced at $199.99 under the same terms. The only exceptions are some of Verizon’s LTE Android phones, which cost $249.99, but those models offer unmatched Internet speeds. The point being that the Bold 9900 is way too expensive for what it offers.

To me, the pricing can only mean one of two things. Perhaps RIM has given up on the consumer market in 2011. Outside of corporate use — specifically BlackBerry Enterprise Server — I can’t see how a sane person would pay a premium price for such a weak (though certainly handsome) phone. Sure, there are some BlackBerry addicts that will snatch up the 9900, but being a BlackBerry addict in 2011 is akin to insisting that Jenna Jameson is still one of the sexiest women in the world.

My initial feeling is that RIM is waiting for its QNX-based version of BlackBerry OS to hit in 2012 before aggressively attacking the consumer market again. My other feeling is that this is just the latest of a series of idiotic decisions made by RIM executives.

What do you think of the BlackBerry Bold’s pricing? What is RIM thinking here? Do any of you still believe that Jenna Jameson is still ultra-hot?!?

[I wanted to post this story yesterday, but my crap web host decided to take the day off. Never use AnHosting.]

PSP Vita Will Have Facebook, Foursquare, Skype, and Twitter

Sony has confirmed that its upcoming PlayStation Vita will have native Facebook, Foursquare, Skype, and Twitter apps. Do you guys and dolls care that the Vita will have extensive social networking capabilities or…

Sony has confirmed that its upcoming PlayStation Vita will have native Facebook, Foursquare, Skype, and Twitter apps. Each app adds a layer of social networking, communications, and location-based entertainment. Of course what I really want to know is are you going to go my way, do you care?!?

I think it’s fantastic that the Vita will have these apps. As many of you know, I’m a frequent user of all four. I love that Sony is making the Vita social. More importantly, the Vita will be social in a way that fits in with most of the online world, as opposed to an insular method like Street Pass on the Nintendo 3DS. Similar to how how consoles are no longer just about games, these apps will ensure that the Vita is far more than a portable gaming device.

Having said that, I don’t see myself using them (much) on the Vita. I use all four services on my mobile phones (yes, plural). For the most part, I don’t see how using one of these services on the Vita will be better than using them on my phone. Perhaps viewing Facebook pictures or making Skype video calls will be better because of the larger screen, but I can’t think of any other reasons.

How do you feel about Facebook, Foursquare, Skype, and Twitter on the PlayStation Vita? Does it make the device more interesting for you? Can you think of a case where it would be better to use one of these services on a Vita than on a phone?