Microsoft Partners with ARM, Portable Xbox on the Way?

Microsoft recently entered into a partnership with ARM Holdings, the dominant name in mobile processing. While there are all sorts of products that would benefit from ARM chips (Zune media players, Windows Phone 7 handsets), one (remote?) possibility is a portable gaming device. GigaOm’s Kevin Tofel wrote:

Another possibility arose a few hours ago in our weekly live mobile technology podcast. Folks in the chat room suggested a viable option for portable gaming — Microsoft has a large Xbox Live community but hasn’t leveraged it in the mobile space. While the upcoming Microsoft Windows Phone 7 phones will have some type of Xbox Live integration, they won’t be poised as true handheld gaming machines. Even with the Xbox Live effort generating $1 billion a year, Microsoft currently has no portable gaming initiative to compete with Apple, Nintendo and Sony.

What do you guys and dolls think? Will Microsoft compete with Nintendo and Sony on the portable front? Will it be able to nab a bigger slice of the mobile gaming pie than Sony? Would you be interested in a portable Xbox system with Xbox Live functionality?

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Tommy Dreamer Asks TNA to Give ECW One More Night

TNA is using several ECW originals for a “one more night” angle. One one hand, WWE did a terrible job with the ECW brand and ended up pissing on what made the original show so unique. On the other hand, going with this angle is another example of using old talent instead of creating new stars. While Tommy Dreamer delivered a passionate promo, if you hit the mute button you see a bunch of wrestlers that are way past their primes…and also Rhino.

What do you think of this angle? Is it just a bunch of old guys taking the spotlight away from younger talent? Or is it one more chance for the “real” ECW to shine after being tarnished by WWE?

The 3rd Birthday Official Site Launches…in Japan

Square Enix Japan has launched the official site for The 3rd Birthday. A not-a-sequel (but totally a sequel) to Parasite Eve, the game continues the story of super-powered babe Aya Brea. Last month designer Tetsuya Nomura dropped details on the game that shall not be called Parasite Eve 3. I have really high hopes for The 3rd Birthday and hope that some of you are psyched for it too. Check out the official site when you have a chance and let me know what you think (please).

Man, between The 3rd Birthday and Tactics Ogre, I’m going to be all about my PSP! I’m pretty sure Square Enix doesn’t want me to leave my bed.

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Coffee Talk #185: Your Favorite News From Comic-Con 2010

I’ve been doing a piss poor job of keeping up with Comic-Con 2010 news. Part of it is because I’ve been busy with another project and part of it is because I’m jealous of all my friends at the show, causing me to ignore its existence. I’m digging that Joss Whedon will be directing The Avengers movie, but I’m dying to hear more details about Green Lantern (even though I’m convinced that his costume was inspired by a rotten piece of salmon nigiri). A bunch of my friends have been raving about the Tron Legacy trailer, while others are hyped on DC Universe Online (videos of both are below)!

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, Microsoft posting extremely impressive quarterlies, A-Rod reaching 600 home runs, or where CP3 will end up, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I’ve been doing a piss poor job of keeping up with Comic-Con 2010 news. Part of it is because I’ve been busy with another project and part of it is because I’m jealous of all my friends at the show, causing me to ignore its existence. I’m digging that Joss Whedon will be directing The Avengers movie, but I’m dying to hear more details about Green Lantern (even though I’m convinced that his costume was inspired by a rotten piece of salmon nigiri). A bunch of my friends have been raving about the Tron Legacy trailer, while others are hyped on DC Universe Online (videos of both are below)!

What Comic-Con 2010 news has you excited? I’m going to live through you guys today and get hyped about the show through transitive properties. Ha!

White iPhone 4 Delayed…Again…Until “Later This Year”

Originally delayed until the end of July, the white iPhone 4 has been delayed again — this time until the ultra-specific date of “later this year”. In a statement that’s pretty much the same as the last one, Apple addressed the white iPhone delay:

White models of Apple’s new iPhone 4 have continued to be more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected, and as a result they will not be available until later this year. The availability of the more popular iPhone 4 black models is not affected.

Like an idiot, I want the white one even more now. It’s rare…and precious…my precioussssss!!! I’m sure the delay is a manufacturing deal, but that hasn’t stopped some people from speculating that the white iPhone 4 will arrive later this year — on another carrier. You think there’s any chance of that happening? When do you think the white iPhone 4 will finally arrive?

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What Are You Playing This Weekend?

My new schedule has been pretty tiring — waking up early to write for the site, going off to super secret project for 10 hours, heading home, and trying to write for the site again. With that in mind, I’m going to be horizontal most of Friday night and all day Saturday, which means lots of Hot Shots Tennis: Get a Grip and Dragon Quest IX. When Sunday rolls around, I’m going to try to play some MLB 10 The Show. With Bob Sheppard and George Steinbrenner gone, I want to play a bunch of games as my beloved Yankees to remember “The Voice” and “The Boss”.

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

Halo Reach Limited Edition Xbox 360 is Slim, Silver, and Sexy

Microsoft has unveiled an Xbox 360 250GB Halo: Reach bundle featuring a silver Xbox 360 slim. Available on September 14, the console comes with two silver controllers and Halo: Reach. Here are more details from Captain Marketing Major Nelson:

Designed by Bungie, the Xbox 360 Limited Edition Halo: Reach Bundle includes all the features of the newly designed Xbox 360 console, such as a 250 GB Hard Drive and the fastest built-in Wi-fi. Additionally, you’ll receive two Limited Edition Wireless Controllers and a standard edition copy of Halo:Reach. The bundle will be available for US $399 in limited quantities and only while supplies last.

It looks pretty hot. Any of you tempted to pick it up? Let me know in the comments section, please. If you need more convincing, check out these additional photos.

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Pachter Predicts Kinect Will Sell 2- to 4-Million by March 2011

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter has gazed into his magic eight ball and come to the conclusion that Microsoft will sell up to four-million units of Kinect for Xbox 360. According to Gamasutra:

Wedbush analysts Michael Pachter and Edward Woo expect most existing Xbox 360 owners to wait until Kinect’s price drops before picking one up, but estimate that early adopters could still drive sales of two to four million units by March 2011.

Pachter says all sorts of crazy things between his accurate predictions. What do you think of his prediction for Kinect? Is it on the money? Or should this be filed under bat-sh*t crazy?!? I’m leaning towards the latter.

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Completely Psyched for the Tactics Ogre Remake for PSP

Square Enix has officially announced that Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together is headed for the PlayStation Portable. This strategy RPG is a re-imagining of the classic Super Famicom game. The original team is getting back together for the remake, including designer Yasumi Matsuno, music composers Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata, and character designer Akihiko Yoshida. You’re probably familiar with the team’s more recent games like Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story.

I’m psyched for this game for multiple reasons. I love tactical RPGs. Whether it’s FF Tactics, Disgaea, or Jeanne d’Arc, I can’t get enough grid-tacular gameplay. Secondly, I’m a mark for Matsuno, Sakimoto, and Iwata. As many of you know, FF Tactics is my all-time favorite. Matsuno’s games are awesome and I was totally bummed that things didn’t work out for him in Final Fantasy XII. I hope the kids will give him more love for Tactics Ogre. Iwata and Sakimoto are brilliant composers. The soundtrack for FF Tactics is also my all-time favorite. I completely expect these guys to create more magic with this Tactics Ogre remake.

Anyway, I’m ready for this game to rock the world! Check out some more screen shots and art. Also, let me know if you’re excited for this game. If you’re not, I might stop liking you.

Coffee Talk #184: Games That Aren’t As Good as You Thought

RPadholic Big Blak posted some interesting and uncommon thoughts on Final Fantasy VII. He loves the game, but admits that he overrated it because of nostalgia. My problem with most “FFVII apologists” is that they can’t admit that. Some games are remembered fondly simply because they were played at the right time and at the right place.

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, Amazon selling more digital books than paper books, where Shaq will play next season, or the best soy latte that you ever had, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

RPadholic Big Blak posted some interesting and uncommon thoughts on Final Fantasy VII. He loves the game, but admits that he overrated it because of nostalgia. My problem with most “FFVII apologists” is that they can’t admit that. Some games are remembered fondly simply because they were played at the right time and at the right place.

I remember opening up Joe Montana II on Christmas Eve 1991. I called up my friend Alex and he drove to my house. For one night, it was the perfect game to Alex and me. Looking through the retroscope, that game kind of sucked.

Are there any games that aren’t as good as you thought they were? Maybe there’s a game you thought was incredible, but now realize was merely good. Maybe there’s a title that you really enjoyed five years ago, but today you can’t fathom why you played so much of it. Let’s ruin some of our childhood memories and admit that some of the games we played aren’t nearly as good as we thought they were at the time.