Madden NFL 10 Picks Saints Over Colts 35-31 + A Super Bowl Poll

EA Sports did its annual Madden NFL Super Bowl simulation and had the New Orleans Saints beating the Indianapolis Colts 35 to 31. Here’s a snippet from the official press release:

The first three quarters display the offensive fireworks that both teams have become known for, with the Colts leading 24-21. A nail biting fourth quarter begins with a big play, courtesy of the Saints’ special teams, when Reggie Bush returns a punt for a 42-yard touchdown. However, with minutes left in the game the duo of Joseph Addai and Peyton Manning put the Colts back on top with a go-ahead touchdown pass. With the game hanging in the balance, Drew Brees hits David Thomas for an 11-yard touchdown and the game winning score. Drew Brees takes home MVP honors as the Saints earn their first Super Bowl Championship title in the franchise’s 46 year history.

What do you think of Madden NFL 10’s prediction? While I’m at it, what’s your Super Bowl XLIV prediction? It’s poll time!

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ESRB Says Dead or Alive Paradise Has Jiggling Breasts

The ESRB’s description of Dead or Alive: Paradise for Sony PlayStation Portable is full of win for using the phrases “jiggle their breasts”,  “creepy voyeurism”, and “misguided notions of what women really want”. Check it out:

This is a video game in which users watch grown women dressed in G-string bikinis jiggle their breasts while on a two-week vacation. Women’s breasts and butts will sway while playing volleyball, while hopping across cushions, while pole dancing, while posing on the ground, by the pool, on the beach, in front of the camera. There are other activities: Users can gamble inside a casino to win credits for shopping; they can purchase bathing suits, sunglasses, hats, clothing at an island shop; they can “gift” these items to eight other women in hopes of winning their friendship, in hopes of playing more volleyball. And as relationships blossom from the gift-giving and volleyball, users may get closer to the women, having earned their trust and confidence: users will then be prompted to zoom-in on their friends’ nearly-naked bodies, snap dozens of photos, and view them in the hotel later that night. Parents and consumers should know that the game contains a fair amount of “cheesy,” and at times, creepy voyeurism–especially when users have complete rotate-pan-zoom control; but the game also contains bizarre, misguided notions of what women really want (if given two weeks, paid vacation, island resort)–Paradise cannot mean straddling felled tree trunks in dental-floss thongs.

The author of this description sounds a little bit angry, but as an immature male his/her words make me want to buy the game. *snicker*

Source via Siliconera

Akira Yamaoka Joins Suda51’s Grasshopper Manufacture

Former Konami music composer and game producer Akira Yamaoka — best known for his work on the Silent Hill series — has joined Goichi Suda’s (aka Suda51) Grasshopper Manufacture. The extremely tall Kevin Gifford reported the news at 1Up and provided some fine translation from a recent Famitsu article. Here are Suda51’s thoughts on Yamaoka:

I really love Yamaoka. Ever since I saw a video of Silent Hill 2 at the Tokyo Game Show nine years ago, I’ve always dreamed of working alongside him. That’s why I thought I’d invite him over when I started hearing rumors that he left [Konami].

Yamaoka’s first project will be composing music for game being designed by Suda51 and former Capcom ace Shinji Mikami. That’s one hell of a dream team! The unannounced title will be published by Electronic Arts and is sure to make millions of otaku wet themselves.

Seriously though, this is fantastic news. I’m a huge fan of Yamaoka as an artist and as a person. It’s brilliant that he’s teaming up with other powerhouse creators.

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Next Legend of Zelda Game to be Motion Plus Exclusive

While a lot of you are down on Nintendo for going all mainstream, some of you have been holding out hope for the next Zelda, Mario, and Metroid games. With all of that in mind, I can’t wait to hear your reactions to producer Eiji Aonuma saying that the next Legend of Zelda title will be Wii Motion Plus Exclusive. Andriasang translated a recent Famitsu article and posted:

Aonuma told Famitsu that it will be Wii Motion Plus exclusive. This was actually an area that was under debate at the outset of development. “After actually making it compatible,” said Aonuma, “it just feels so natural. Link’s sword and the controller that you’re holding become one.”

What do you think of the news? Are you more or less interested in the game now that you know it won’t use a traditional control scheme?

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Coffee Talk #78: Your Game Developer Dream Date

I’ve “known” a lot of you long enough that I have a pretty good idea of what games you like and don’t like. However, I’m not so sure about your favorite game designers and developers. So let’s play a game! If you could have dinner with one famous game designer, who would it be and why? What questions would you ask him or her?

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 season premiere of Lost, if Adrien Grenier should change his name to Vincent Chase, or why pinch-to-zoom is a must-have feature, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I’ve “known” a lot of you long enough that I have a pretty good idea of what games you like and don’t like. However, I’m not so sure about your favorite game designers and developers. So let’s play a game! If you could have dinner with one famous game designer, who would it be and why? What questions would you ask him or her?

As for me, it would be Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto. I’ve had one-on-one interviews with him in the past, but that was in the late ’90s. My recent encounters with the legend have been in group settings. I want more! I’d love to hang out with Miyamoto over a slow dinner, followed by dessert and coffee. I’d love to pick his brain, to see how he gets his amazing ideas. I’d even enjoy observing his use of ordinary objects like a fork or a coffee cup. His perspective is just so different. Remember, this is the guy that came up with Nintendogs and Pikmin after getting a pet and taking up gardening, respectively. Maybe he could come up with a marvelously entertaining game base on my morning ritual of grinding beans and making coffee in a French press.

So yeah! Who is your developer dream date? In addition to who it would be and what questions you’d ask, let everyone know what the setting would be. Also, I reserve the right to punch anyone that selects Cliffy B (I’m kidding. He’s awesome!).

Iron Man Apple MacBook Sticker Completely Rules

The latest great product from the wondrous world of Etsy is this completely cool Iron Man sticker for Apple MacBooks. The sticker makes the iconic Apple logo look like it’s one of Iron Man’s repulsor rays. That’s so awesome!!! It makes me want my dream MacBook (you know, the one with an Intel i5 processor) even more.

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Dragon Age: Origins Awakening Character Reveal: Anders

[Updated with video!] BioWare has unveiled new information on a brand new character that will debut in the Dragon Age: Origins Awakening expansion pack (due out in March!). His name is Anders and he’s an apostate (illegal mage). A flippant fellow, Anders seems to heavy a healthy hate for blood mages and the chantry. My initial thought is that he’s Alistair with magic, but I’m sure there’s more to him than that. I can’t wait to learn more about him!

Let me know what you think of Anders when you have a moment.

Google Nexus One Getting Multitouch This Week

One of the big complaints on Google’s Nexus One phone is that it didn’t integrate multitouch functionality. A firmware update — available on a rolling basis this week — fixes that issue. In addition to new features in Google Maps and the addition of Google Goggles, this update adds pinch-to-zoom functionality in Maps, the web browser, and the photo gallery.

*sigh* I’m trying to be patient because I want an Android 2.1 phone with a good keyboard…but the Nexus One is so tempting!

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Fret Nice Combines Platform Gaming with Guitar Controllers

Coming this Thursday on Sony’s PlayStation Network is Fret Nice from Tecmo, a cute platformer that’s played with a guitar controller. The game is so novel that it deserves its own post (complete with video!). Here’s what Tecmo producer Ray Murakawa had to say about the game’s origins:

The game actually started as a degree thesis project and as that aimed at looking into the concept of adding an unorthodox game controller into an ordinary game genre such as the 2D platformer to see what benefits could be drawn from the new way of controlling the game. Although the game has since evolved to being not so much about the academic side of things, the guitar controller and what it can be used for in its new context has always been the essence of Fret Nice’s design.

I’m probably going to download it this week simply because it’s cool and different. Any of you interested?

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