Entourage Stars in Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Commercial

Entourage stars Kevin Dillon (Johnny “Drama” Chase) and Jerry Ferrara (Turtle) star as valets in the commercial for EA’s Need for Speed Hot Pursuit. I’m posting this clip because it fits in with today’s Coffee Talk and I’m hoping to grab red carpet interviews with the pair next week. Kindly check out the commercial, let me know what you think of it, and let me know if there’s anything you’d like me to ask either of them.

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Coffee Talk #246: What’s Your Favorite Videogame Commercial?

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 Amazon “Pedophile Guide” controversy, Lacey Von Eric realizing that she can’t wrestle, or Yao Ming getting injured…again, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Videogames have had some brilliant and memorable commercials over the years. While marketing has been getting slicker and smarter, some classic commercials can’t be beat. My favorite videogame commercial of all time is the “Genesis Does!” spot. The song is catchy, the point is clear, and the cameos are awesome. It features Michael Jackson, Joe Montana, Pat Riley, and (an incredibly out-of-shape) James “Buster” Douglas. Check it out:

Man…that brings back some great memories.

Now it’s your turn! What are some of your favorite videogame commercials?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I’m going to pop in Assassin’s Creed 2 to prepare for Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood. I’m excited for ACB and hope that some of you will join me for some multiplayer action. Aside from that, I’m going to play some SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 and Wordfeud for Android.

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

Google Nexus S Heading to T-Mobile?

Engadget Mobile has done a ton of sleuthing on the Google Nexus S and unlike Gizmodo, the outlet didn’t have to buy a stolen phone. I kid, I kid. The Google Nexus S is being made by Samsung and will feature a stock version of Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and, curiously, T-Mobile’s AWS 3G bands. It has a front-facing camera for video chat and a five-megapixel camera for taking pictures/video. Presumably it will feature Samsung’s vaunted Super AMOLED screen technology and an updated Hummingbird processor.

On paper, it sounds frickin’ fantastic. However, we live in the real world and not on paper. From Engadget’s multiple pictures, the Nexus S looks like Samsung’s other Galaxy S phones — heavy use of plastic and an iPhone 3GS-like look. I greatly prefer the metallic feel of phones like the Droid X and T-Mobile G2. As a T-Mobile customer, I’m interested in the Nexus S since it will always be the first Android phone to receive updates. However, I find T-Mobile’s WiFi calling incredibly useful and don’t expect to see it on a stock Android phone (though I’m sure it can be hacked on).

Any of you excited by the Nexus S? It should be an excellent phone, but is it excellent enough for you to drop cash on?

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Mick Foley Plugs Countdown to Lockdown on The Daily Show

Mick Foley

Former WWE Superstar and current TNA wrestler Mick Foley was recently on The Daily Show to plug his book Countdown to Lockdown. Although he’s taken way to many chair shots to the head, Foley is a wonderful writer and a fantastic spokesperson for professional wrestling. In addition to talking about his book, Foley discusses the various charities that he’s involved with. Mick Foley is just an excellent person and I encourage you to watch this clip.

Who Should Buy Harmonix?

In its quarterly report, Viacom revealed that it plans to sell developer Harmonix (Rock Band, Dance Central). My question for you is this: who do you think should buy ’em? A lot of pundits have predicted that EA will pull the trigger, since the move would help the company compete with Activision. Zenimax (Bethesda, id) has been on a shopping spree lately, purchasing MachineGames (ex-Starbreeze) and Shinji Mikami’s Tango Games. What another developer to buy? Activision could purchase the company, which would return Guitar Hero to its progenitors and eliminate its biggest competition in music games.

Is there a company that you have in mind? Who would you like to see Harmonix end up with?

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N8R Shows Off His RPad.tv Merchandise

RPadholic N8R is a handsome man, but his looks hit Brad Pitt-like levels when he’s wearing an RPad.tv t-shirt and holding an RPad.tv travel mug. Its’ true! Check out the photo he sent in and see for yourself.

If you happen to pick up any RPad.tv gear, please send in your photos and I’ll post ’em. I’m still waiting for one of you to send in a picture of  a sexy girl wearing an RPad.tv camisole. Get on it (please)!!!

Coffee Talk #245: Game Review Events Revisited

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, NFL players not liking their boss (*cough* Brad Childress), Gwyneth Paltrow going country, or Sarah Palin’s cookie loving, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Way back in Coffee Talk #4 I wrote about my peeves with the incredibly unnatural process of reviewing games. In addition to the cram-a-thon sessions most game reviewers have to engage in, the occasional “review event” pops up every now and then. I was having a Twitter conversation with two game journalists at Games Radar about the matter. The “payola” factor of review events doesn’t bother me, since most writers can see past that (and in many cases, care more about playings games than enjoying luxurious surroundings). My problem with review events is that it affects the process. I am of the opinion that adding foreign surroundings to an already unnatural process alters perception.

The example that a lot of people are bringing up is GamePro’s Tae Kim’s review of the Call of Duty: Black Ops. Check out his opening paragraph:

The Ojai Valley Inn and Spa sits in the tiny town of Ojai about two hours north of downtown Los Angeles. Built in 1923, it features a full 18-hole golf course, a luxury spa, and 308 deluxe suites situated on a 200 acre plot with picaresque views of the surrounding forest and mountains. It’s hard to top in terms of amenities and creature comforts, and it seemingly offers everything you could ever want in a vacation spot. It’s utterly fitting, then, that this is where Activision chose to hold its review event for Call of Duty: Black Ops; the lavish surroundings were no doubt meant to lend a measure of sex appeal and ‘wow factor’ to the proceedings, but it was also a good metaphor for Black Ops: The game is a veritable playground that, like the plush resort where I and a handful of game journos from various outlets were sequestered for three days, seems to offer everything you could ever want in a console first-person shooter.

Forget the fact that I learned more about the Ojai Valley Inn than Call of Duty: Black Ops from the opening paragraph. Taking a gamer out of his/her natural environment alters perception, whether game journalists want to admit it or not. Playing games in your living room is natural. For staffers at gaming outlets, playing games at a desk or in a game lab is natural. Foreign environments — no matter how luxurious — change perception. Similar to how setting often changes the experience of listening to music, sipping wine, or enjoying coffee, setting changes the experience of playing a videogame.

Anyway, that’s my annual rant on review events. What do you think of them? Does it bother your that game writers are sequestered at luxury spas? Does it bother you that they have to review a game in a short period of time in a foreign environment? Or do you think that it’s not a big deal?