Some of you will be shocked by the news that I’ll be spending a good chunk of the weekend playing Dragon Age II. I’ve already beaten the game as a rogue and I’m nearly there as a warrior. I have a mage run planned before running through Kirkwall as a rogue once again. Some people are drinking the Haterade on this one, but I think it’s a great game.
How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?
The New York Times is one of the most popular and respected newspapers in the world, but it has its head up its ass when it comes to digital subscriptions. The company unveiled the pricing for its digital offerings. Users can read 20 articles each calendar month on NYTimes.com for free. After that the costs for unlimited reading are:
- $15 every four weeks for NYTimes.com + smartphone app
- $20 every four weeks for NYTimes.com + tablet app
- $35 every four weeks for NYTimes.com + smartphone app + tablet app
That’s frickin’ hilarious! Considering all the free (i.e. ad supported) and excellent news sources available online — for PCs, smartphones, and tablets — I can’t imagine anyone paying these prices. This business model is so ’90s. I can’t see it being anything other than a complete flop.
Then again, I could be underestimating the power, reach, and demand for The NY Times. What do you think? Will this subscription model be successful? Or is it just ridiculously outdated?
Motorola has announced that the WiFi-only version of its Xoom tablet (Google Android) will be available on March 27, 2011 for $599. Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, Radio Shack, Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart, and others will carry the tablet. Unlike the iPad 2, retailers have some flexibility with the Xoom’s pricing. Considering that the iPad 2 is tough to find (and should be for weeks), do you think the Xoom has an opportunity?
I believe that there are some consumers that will see the Xoom and think, “It’s like the iPad 2, except I can buy one now!” I also think that there are some consumers that are pissed off that they can’t buy an iPad 2 and will opt for a WiFi Xoom instead. Having said all that, I’m not sure these kinds of consumers will add up to significant sales.
On paper, a WiFi Xoom for $599 matches up nicely with a comparable iPad 2 model. In some cases, it offers hardware and software (OS) capabilities that the iPad 2 doesn’t have. However, it gets slaughtered in the apps department. It will be interesting to see if people are willing to bet on Android 3.0’s (Honeycomb) great potential with a Xoom purchase.
Most importantly, I want to know what you think! Does Motorola have a brief window of opportunity to sell a ton of Xoom tablets while the iPad 2 is scarce? Or will the iPad continue to be the only tablet computer that matters?
My Dragon Age II review has been submitted to Machinima, but I wanted to take some space to discuss the game with all of you. I also wanted to post random (and sometimes stupid) observations 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, Sony possibly getting GeoHotz’s PayPal records, the Verizon Thunderbolt going on sale today, or the Chicago Bulls chances of winning a championship, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
My Dragon Age II review has been submitted to Machinima, but I wanted to take some space to discuss the game with all of you. I also wanted to post random (and sometimes stupid) observations that were not appropriate for a proper review. So let’s get to it! Here are a bunch of scattered thoughts on Dragon Age II. Spoilers ahead!!!
– I fought the temptation to name my character Ethan. This would have made him Ethan Hawke. In my head, people in Thedas would constantly ask him, “What was it like boning Uma Thurman?” Instead, my rogue was named RPad Hawke and my warrior was named Raymond Hawke. I’m planning to play as a female mage for my third run. I’ll most likely name her Ether Hawke, which plays on Ethan Hawk and is a tribute to dear friend.
– A lot fanboys have complained about the game’s story, saying that it’s too small. I think those people are idiots. Certainly this chapter of Dragon Age is more focused and centers on Hawke’s adventure in Kirkwall. Taking away some of the freedom of the original allowed for tighter storytelling. Furthermore, this focused tale has expanded the world of Dragon Age. It’s obvious that something bigger is in the works. Flemeth is on the loose. The conflict between mages and templars is worse than ever. The chantry is searching for the Hero of Ferelden (Dragon Age: Origins) and the Champion of Kirkwall (Dragon Age II). I’m expecting something grand when it all comes together. Hopefully there’s room for the Scourge of Antiva, the Vixen of Orlais, and That Guy from Seheron.
– There are a lot of English, Irish, and Scottish accents in Kirkwall. In my head, I kept hearing WWE Sheamus. He hangs around The Hanged Man pub and threatens people by screaming, “Buy me a drink or I’ll kick you in the Kirkwalls, fella!”
– The game’s characterization is topnotch and the banter between companions is brilliant. The writers did a wonderful job at making you lust for the pirate wench (Isabela), shake your head at the innocent mage that plays with blood magic (Merrill), want to slap the ex-slave (Fenris) for being a dick, and more. The most impressive characterization was the 180 the writers did with Anders. He was fun, foppish wise-cracking sidekick in Dragon Age: Origins Awakening. Although he still spouts a sharp joke every now and then, circumstances have made him darker and brooding. His actions in the game’s third act were shocking. You wouldn’t have thought that the guy you met in Awakening would be capable of doing what he did in Dragon Age II, but the writers did a fine job and making it believable.
– There are a lot of bisexual characters in Dragon Age II. Most of the companions with romance trees can be courted by male or female “Hawke” characters. I applaud BioWare for allowing numerous heterosexual and homosexual romances for different kinds of gamers. It’s modern and progressive. That said, I’m a bit surprised that the company didn’t keep pushing the envelope to allow for an incest angle between the Champion and his sibling. Hell, Marvel did it in Ultimates.
– It was great seeing so many characters from the first game and Awakening. Alistair, Zevran, Leliana, Flemeth, Bodahn, Sandal, Nathaniel, and several others appearances. Some other characters are mentioned by name in the dialogue. One of my favorite lines was the bartender talking about the dwindling pigeon population in Ferelden, which was obviously the work of pigeon-stomping golem Shale from Origins. It was cool that Alistair could be a king or a drunk depending on the choices you made in the first game. It was fantastic learning about Flemeth’s contingency plan. DA2 had a lot of great nods to gamers that played the original.
– Speaking of Sandal, I think I’m going to join the growing number of Sandal conspiracy theorists. There’s something about this enchantment-inducing dwarf with a (supposed) mental disability that’s…not quite right. It’s funny how he was in the middle of the madness at Ferelden and Kirkwall. It’s funnier that when nobody is around, he can dispatch a horde of darkspawn through a method he describes as “not enchantment”. He’s off to Orlais next, so perhaps the third game takes place there…or perhaps he’s the maker, come back to the world to reshape it through a series of drastic events. Yeah. That makes the most sense.
– I honestly think all the people bitching about this game are doing it just to bitch. It’s a great RPG. I’m going to play it at least four times. I don’t do that with bad games. Yet if you believed everything you read on the Internet, this is the biggest affront to Western RPGs in the last decade. It’s not a perfect game, but I think it’s getting unfairly knocked because it’s more accessible than the original and some hardcore gamers can’t stand change. I also think it’s getting knocked because it’s from BioWare; if the same game came out and it was made by a different developer then fans and critics alike would be heaping praise on it.
Anyway, those are some random thoughts on the Dragon Age II. I’ll post my “real” review when it runs on Machinima. For now, let’s chat it up (please)!
I’ve been spending time with the LG VL600 — one of Verizon’s 4G LTE modems. I’ve been very, very impressed with its performance, but there are a few factors to keep in mind. Before I get to those, let’s take a look at some speed results. I tested out the VL600 at four major American airports using SpeedTest.net. The modem was used on a Dell XPS 1330 running Windows 7. Check out the numbers:
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Ping: 57ms
Download: 13.46 Mbps
Upload: 8.17 MbpsSan Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Ping: 43ms
Download: 9.19 Mbps
Upload 10.6 MbpsChicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
Ping: 84ms
Download: 11.17 Mbps
Upload: 3.76 MbpsOrlando International Airport (MCO)
Ping: 242ms
Download: 8.54 Mbps
Upload: 1.33 Mbps
Those are outstanding data rates for a mobile modem. In some cases — notably upload speed — they’re way better than what I get with my Time Warner Cable service at home. That’s extremely impressive.
The modem itself is relatively inexpensive. The full retail price is $249.99. With a two-year contract it’s $149.99. Verizon is currently running an online special that gets you the VL600 for $69.99.
My big issue with the VL600 is that Verizon is offering a 4G product but playing under 3G rules. There are currently two data packages available with the VL600: a 5GB plan for $50 per month and a 10GB for $80 per month (not including taxes and regulatory fees). Additional data costs $10 for every GB. With the speed I was getting, it would be easy to blow through the monthly allowance in a matter of days. Putting old restrictions on new technology is a bit silly and kind of defeats the point.
Another factor to keep in mind is that there are currently only two data devices available on Verizon’s LTE network. As 2011 rolls on, there will be several phones that use Verizon LTE. As more devices pull from the network, performance will likely degrade. I’m positive that if I ran the same speed tests in December 2011, the results wouldn’t be as good. Having said that, I’d still expect the speeds to be better than Sprint’s WiMax network and T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network (those results will be posted in another article).
From a hardware and network standpoint, the LG VL600 is just all kinds of awesome. It’s easy to use and the speed results are incredible. I’m disappointed with Verizon’s service pricing for this product. It’s too restrictive and discourages users from taking advantage of the awesome LTE speeds. If you want great speeds in limited doses then this is the perfect product for you. Just watch your data usage. It’s way too easy to hit the data cap with the VL600’s mercurial speeds.
As always, please let me know if you have any question about the VL600. I’ll answer them as soon as I can.
What do you guys and gals think of missing small details in reviews? Do they ruin the review for you? Is it irrelevant since it has nothing to do with reviewer’s opinion on the game?
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, Rihanna’s hotness, your favorite chicken wings, or your favorite Little Rascal, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
A couple of weeks ago, RPadholic bsukenyan sent me a link to a Pokemon Black/White review. It contained a small comment that made me dismiss the review, even though it had nothing to do with the review’s quality. Check it out:
Somebody at Game Freak must love bridges because there are numerous huge bridges to cross.
Hardcore Pokemon fans know that Game Freak director Junichi Masuda is a bridge otaku. He completely lit up when I asked him about his fascination with bridges during an interview I did for G4tv.com. I don’t expect most gamers to know about Masuda’s love of bridges, but between a writer and an editor, this stupid line should never have made it to the review.
More recently, I read this review of Tactics Ogre. It also had a line that made me wince:
On the surface Tactics Ogre looks like any other tactical RPG (with an uncanny resemblance to Final Fantasy Tactics), with grid-based, turn-by-turn combat featuring a multitude of classes and weapons.
An uncanny resemblance to Final Fantasy Tactics?!? I don’t see what’s so uncanny about it. Before Yasumi Matsuno’s team made Final Fantasy Tactics, they made the Tactics Ogre and Ogre Battle. He directed, designed, and wrote all of those games. The art and music teams were largely the same. It’s uncanny for a small development team to make games that resemble each other? Really?!?
In both cases, the lines had nothing to do with the reviewer’s opinion on the game. As a huge fan of both series and developers, the lines made me think less of the reviewer and editor. What do you guys and gals think of missing small details in reviews? Do they ruin the review for you? Is it irrelevant since it has nothing to do with the reviewer’s opinion? Kindly share your thoughts in today’s Coffee Talk!
With new shipments arriving at select Apple Store locations today, gear heads lined up at New York and San Francisco stores for a second chance at an iPad 2. That’s pretty nuts. In an investor note, Ticonderoga Securities’ Brian White said:
The lines to buy the iPad 2 in New York City and San Francisco were again quite a spectacle this morning, a trend we believe will occur throughout the week. In New York City, three of the four stores already sold out of the iPad 2 in the first couple of hours this morning, and tickets were handed out at the flagship store to help people avoid waiting in line unnecessarily.
Additionally, the flagship San Francisco store opened an hour early and was also handing out tickets to a line of well over 400 people. Those at the end of this line were told the likelihood of getting an iPad 2 this morning were slim.
Launch lines are completely common, but four-days-after-launch lines are pretty remarkable. At this rate, I’m thinking about picking up a few units to flip on eBay. (I know you’re not supposed to do that, but I’m poor. Ha!) With the iPad 2 set to launch globally at the end of the month, it looks like supply issues will continue for a long time.
What do you make of the iPad 2’s initial success? Is it crazier than you thought it would be?
Microsoft has released Internet Explorer 9 for Windows 7. The browser offers numerous performance and features enhancements that make it more competitive with Google Chrome and Firefox. To help promote the browser, the company is running some promos that work with the browser’s pining and jump list features. Free goodies include:
Have any of you downloaded IE9? If so, please let me know what you think. Any chance it’ll become your new default browser?
I completely forgot to include Okamiden in this week’s videogame releases. That’s just criminal. To make up for it, enjoy this launch trailer. I loved Okami and have been excited about Okamiden for a long time. The art and gameplay seem absolutely charming. Hopefully the little pup will forgive me for forgetting about him.
Any of you picking up Okamiden?
Alleged drug trafficker and TNA wrestler Jeff Hardy continues to squander his talent by making stupid decisions. Already due in court for charges of drug trafficking, Hardy’s match with Sting at the Victory Road pay-per-view lasted mere seconds. Apparently Hardy was in no condition to perform. According to ProWrestling.net:
Sting and Hardy locked up. Sting punched Hardy twice, grabbed him by the hair, and then performed the Scorpion Death Drop. Sting covered Hardy and scored the clean pin to end the match. Afterward, Sting appeared to respond to fan calls of “bullshit” by saying “I agree” as he stood on the stage.
It’s kind of sad watching Hardy self destruct. He’s tremendously talented and TNA has given him a lot of rope…but he seems intent on hanging himself with it. Time and time again, he continues to embarrass himself and TNA. Apparently in TNA you’re allowed like eight strikes before you’re out.
Any thoughts on “The Drug Trafficker” (as I like to call him)?
