Coffee Talk #70: What Influences Your Game Purchasing?

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 democrats totally blowing it in Massachusetts, Apple giving Google the boot for Bing, or your pick for the WWE Royal Rumble, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

There are very few videogames that surprise me. I’ve been playing games for decades and writing about them for almost 15 years. For the most part, I know what games will interest me. I know what I like and I know what I will enjoy. I don’t need to read game reviews to help me make a purchasing decision. Having said all that, Darksiders threw me for a loop. I was mildly interested in the game because of Joe Mad’s involvement (remember, I’m a comic-book geek too!), but I was pretty sure it wasn’t a “must have” for me. A friend’s opinion changed all of that.

One of my industry friends is super hardcore into games and I respect his opinion. Lately he was raving about Darksiders on Twitter. He’s a fairly enthusiastic fellow, so his praise wasn’t surprising. He did surprise me with several well-reasoned tweets that equated Darksiders with classic Zelda games. Whoa. A game with unique and modern graphics that has the gameplay sensibilities of old-school Zelda?!? In the immortal words of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, “Gimme a hell yeah!!!” My friend’s opinion and insight totally sold me on the game, kicking it up to the “must have” category.

I wanted to see what influences your purchasing decisions. Do you rely on reviews from outlets and writers you like? Do you do your own research? Or are friends your biggest influence? What’s the one factor that can change your mind on a game that you’re borderline on?

NBA and NFL Jerseys Coming to PlayStation Home

Sony Computer Entertainment of America has announced that the PS3’s PlayStation Home is getting generic NBA jerseys and NFL player jerseys tomorrow, January 21. Online community specialist Locust_Star (not his or her Christian name, I gather) wrote the following on the PlayStation Blog:

Continuing to come strong with the sports content, EA is bringing a boatload of football and basketball items to the PlayStation Home community this Thursday, January 21. From NFL jerseys that sport (pun intended) the names of some of the league’s best players — from Romo to Manning to Bush — to NBA jerseys emblazoned with the logos of your favorite teams, we have something for every sports fanatic this week (that is, unless you are a fan of curling or solo synchronized swimming.) Head to the EA Sports Complex or the PlayStation Home Mall come this Thursday and stock up on these hot items before Super Bowl fever lays you out or you get benched for throwing elbows on the court.

If only I could get my avatar to wear a Favre jersey and sing “Pants on the Ground” constantly. That would rule!

A lot of you are against virtual goods, but I also know a lot of you love (American) football. Will your PS Home avatar be sporting a new jersey soon?

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Pocket God is the First iPhone App to Sell Two-Million Copies

Showing the legitimacy of the iPhone and iPod Touch as a gaming platform, Bolt Creative revealed that Pocket God has sold more than two-million copies in about a year. With comparatively low development costs and a huge installed base, the iPhone platform has been attracting tons of developers. For dubious reasons, a lot of enthusiast gamers foolishly dismiss it as a “fad” (then again, a lot of them called the Wii a fad). Gamasutra has reported:

Bolt Creative has announced its popular and frequently updated iPhone game Pocket God has sold more than two million units since its launch on January 9th, 2009. Pocket God is the first paid application in the App Store to reach the sales milestone, according to Bolt.

I’m loving my (sim-less) iPhone more and more as a gaming platform. With titles like Civilization, Bird Strike, and Skee Ball (my latest addiction), I can keep myself entertained for minutes or hours.

Here are two questions for you. Have your feeling on the iPhone as a gaming platform changed? I’m always looking for game recommendations. Any iPhone games dazzle you?

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Happy Birthday N8R!!!

As some of you already know, today is N8R’s birthday! Please join me in wishing him an excellent day, month, and year. He’s one of two people that convinced me to start this site, so everything here is pretty much his fault! Ha!!! Seriously though, thanks for everything man! Happy birthday!!!

On a side note, before I got to know him better, I always thought N8R was a member of the Green Party, as in Ralph N8R.

Today’s Poll: Which Motion Controller Will You Buy in 2010?

It’s going to a potentially big year for motion controls on consoles. The Wii has done filthy numbers, largely thanks to the unique experience it offers through motion. Microsoft is getting in the game with Project Natal, while Sony plans to do the same with PlayStation Arc. It might be too soon to tell, but I wanted to see if any of you were planning on picking up any or all of these motion controllers. Let the polling begin!

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Fat Princess Gets Patch and Brownie Town Map

Sony Computer Entertainment of America has announced that Fat Princess will be getting patch 1.04 on Thursday, January 21. In addition to the usual fixes, this patch includes a new map call Brownie Town (as in, “Won’t you take me to?”). A free map and overall improvements? I’m down!

Last time this game was patched, I threw around the idea of getting together and playing it online with a bunch of you. I totally dropped the ball on that one. Let’s make it happen this time! Are any of you still up for playing in RPad’s Army?

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Apple Replacing Google Search with Microsoft Bing on iPhone?

[Update: 11:11AM PST] Apple’s iPhone is the most popular consumer smartphone on the market, while Google’s search engine is the leader in that space. They’re two great tastes that go great together, right? Wrong! Since Apple and Google are competing in more and more areas, the war between the two is getting ugly. The latest rumor is that Apple is in talks with Microsoft to use Bing as the default search engine on the iPhone. According to BusinessWeek:

Apple is in talks with Microsoft to replace Google as the default search engine on its iPhone, according to two people familiar with the matter. The talks have been under way for weeks, say the people, who asked not to be named because the details have not been made public.

You know things are getting nasty when Apple is enlisting the aid of Microsoft. *sigh* On a macro level, I wish Apple and Google would knock it off. I like several products from both companies; I don’t want to choose sides. On a micro level, I don’t care for Bing. A few of my friends swear by it, but I’ve been pretty unimpressed so far. Plus, I’m just used to Google’s search results.

What do you think of the news? Would you be irritated by Bing being the default search engine on your iPhone or iPod Touch?

Update: A reader just reminded me that Bing is the only search engine available on several Verizon phones. This might be a stretch, but perhaps iPhone 4.0 software has Bing as the default to make way for a future Verizon product?]

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Coffee Talk #69: Sony’s Sex Toy of Doom and You

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, Bret Favre doing “Pants on the Ground”, what late night show you’ll be hosting in five years, or the excellent Boxing After Dark (B.A.D.) show on HBO this Saturday, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Sony’s sex toy of doom (or motion controller, if you will) for PlayStation 3 has been getting a lot of press lately. Yesterday there were a strong rumor that its official name will be PlayStation Arc. Today Sony has announced that the product will be delayed until Fall 2010. I think the delay is actually a good thing — a very good thing. My sources have raved about the hardware, but few of them have told me about software that would compelling for enthusiast gamers.

A few of you have brought up games you’d like to see on the PlayStation Arc (of the Covenant?). Boom Blox was an interesting pick, but I don’t think that’s enough. Sony needs something new and original for its motion controller to succeed. Today I wanted to ask you — as an enthusiast gamer — what kind of games would make you buy one.

Sony’s motion controller is a potentially huge product that could greatly broaden the appeal of the PlayStation 3. The big conditional is that without compelling software, it could be a monumental flop. Game developers are going to determine the fate of this thing, no doubt.

What would make the best hero software for Sony’s motion controller? Do you want the standard sports package, like Wii Sports, but with more fidelity? Do you want something more hardcore, like a first-person shooter? Would a motion-controlled Resistance work for you? Maybe you want something totally fresh and original? Or will you be unimpressed no matter what Sony does with this product?

A Quick Fix for Google Nexus One 3G Issues?

Some Google Nexus One owners have been complaining about an issue with the phone constantly switching between Edge and 3G signals. The problem drains battery life, impacts call quality, and affects data throughput. One well known tech blog was able to solve the problem by changing a few settings. Here’s the fix from jkontherun:

In “Settings,” I went to “Wireless & networks.” Look for the “Mobile Networks” option at the bottom of this listing. The next screen has a “Network Operators” section — tap it. Your Nexus One will search for compatible GSM networks in the area. Once it’s complete, you’ll see the choices, which will consist of T-Mobile and/or AT&T. You’ll also see a choice to Select Automatically — tap it and your phone should say “Registered on network.” That’s it. That’s all I did and I immediately saw the phone jump from EDGE to T-Mobile’s fast 3G network.

As I mentioned in another story, I was fairly certain that the problem was on the software side. This quick fix indicates that my assessment is correct and I should get a Nobel Prize of some sort. If you happen to have a Nexus One and have been plagued by the frequency switching issue, please let me know if this fix works for you.

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Game Developers Choice Awards Nominees Announced

Think Services has announced the nominees for the tenth annual Game Developers Choice Awards. The awards show takes place during the annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. This year’s ceremony will take place on March 11, 2009. As expected, Uncharted 2 is up for several awards. Once again, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 was completely snubbed (what the hell is wrong with you awards people?!?).

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this year’s selections. And the nominees are….

Best Game Design
Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady)
Assassin’s Creed 2 (Ubisoft Montreal)
Flower (Thatgamecompany)
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
Plants Vs. Zombies (PopCap)

Best Visual Art
Borderlands (Gearbox Software)
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
Assassin’s Creed II (Ubisoft Montreal)
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Infinity Ward)
Flower (Thatgamecompany)

Best Technology
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Infinity Ward)
Red Faction: Guerrilla (Volition)
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
Killzone 2 (Guerrilla Games)
Assassin’s Creed II (Ubisoft Montreal)

Best Writing
Brutal Legend (Double Fine)
Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady Studios)
Dragon Age: Origins (BioWare)
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
Halo 3: ODST (Bungie)

Best Audio
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
Dragon Age: Origins (BioWare)
Rock Band: The Beatles (Harmonix)
Flower (Thatgamecompany)
Brutal Legend (Double Fine Productions)

Innovation
Scribblenauts (5th Cell)
Flower (Thatgamecompany)
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
Plants Vs. Zombies (PopCap)
Demon’s Souls (From Software)

Best Debut
The Maw (Twisted Pixel)
League Of Legends (Riot Games)
Spider: The Secret Of Bryce Manor (Tiger Style)
Torchlight (Runic Games)
Zeno Clash (ACE Team)

Best Downloadable Game
Plants Vs. Zombies (PopCap)
Trials HD (RedLynx)
PixelJunk Shooter (Q Games)
Shadow Complex (Chair Entertainment)
Flower (Thatgamecompany)

Best New Social/Online Game
Restaurant City (Playfish)
Farmville (Zynga)
Dungeon Fighter Online (Neople/Nexon)
Free Realms (Sony Online Entertainment San Diego)
Bejeweled Blitz (PopCap)

Best Handheld Game
Scribblenauts (5th Cell)
Flight Control (Firemint)
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (Rockstar Leeds/Rockstar North)
Spider: The Secret Of Bryce Manor (Tiger Style)
Legend Of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (Nintendo EAD)

Game Of The Year
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
Dragon Age: Origins (BioWare)
Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady Studios)
Demon’s Souls (From Software)
Assassin’s Creed II (Ubisoft Montreal)