Coffee Talk #57: What Will Define Console Gaming in 2010?

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 J-E-T-S, if the Washington Wizards should change their name back to the Washington Bullets, or the most incredible reuben sandwich in the world, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Whether you consider it a fresh start, the beginning of another chapter, or a baby step on the road of life, a new year is always filled with exciting potential. For console gaming, 2010 should be a pivotal year. Developers are starting to master the powerful hardware at their disposal and the hardware companies are set to introduce new twists to their traditional products. Which one do you think will have a bigger impact this year?

It’s easy to say that it will be the games. Titles like Final Fantasy XIII, Heavy Rain, and God of War III should offer polished experiences that truly harness the processing power available this generation. The counter-argument is that Uncharted has already set the bar and nobody else will touch it. Even if that’s the case, there will surely be more quality games than ever in 2010.

Microsoft and Sony are set to emphasize motion controls this year. Hoping to duplicate some of the ridiculous success of the Nintendo Wii and sell consoles to mainstream gamers, both companies will go large with the motion of the ocean. The mainstream press seems particularly enamored with these kinds of controllers; I was (perhaps naively) surprised by how many mainstream outlets reported on Microsoft and Sony going all Wii at E3 2009. I won’t be surprised when the buzz is even bigger in 2010.

What do you think will definite the year in console gaming? Will it be the number of quality games? Motion controllers for all systems? Or something else entirely? I’d love to read your views on consoles in 2010, so leave a comment when you have a moment (please).

Preparing for the Launch of the Google Nexus One

Google is holding a press conference tomorrow where it will unveil the latest in Android OS, including version 2.1 and supposedly the Nexus One phone. There are some rumors of new apps making an appearance at the presser, but the hardware is what everyone is amped about. If you haven’t been keeping up with the Nexus One, here’s the info thus far:

Specs

  • 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU
  • Android OS 2.1
  • 3.7-inch 480×800 OLED screen
  • 512MB ROM
  • 512MB RAM
  • 4GB MicroSD card (expandable to 32GB)
  • 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and mechanical autofocus
  • 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
  • 4.6×2.3×0.45-inches (HWD)

The real highlight here is the Snapdragon processor, which will make the Nexus One the fastest Android phone on the market, beating out Motorola’s Droid for Verizon. Other than that, the specs are great, but not extraordinary — almost all of them are matched or surpassed in other Android products. If you can forgo a physical keyboard, the early reviews indicate that this is the Android phone to get. If virtual keyboards don’t work for you, the Droid is the way to go.

Where the Nexus One gets a little funky is with its pricing. Gizmodo unearthed some alleged sales details:

  • It will cost $530 unsubsidized, directly from Google
  • It will also be available for $180 through T-Mobile, with a two-year contract required
  • If purchased through T-Mobile, only one plan is available — $79.99 for 500 minutes of talk time, unlimited text, and unlimited data
  • Existing T-Mobile customers will have to switch to the aforementioned plan if they want to purchase the phone at the subsidized price
  • Customers can only purchase five phones per Google account
  • The phone is available to Google customers outside the U.S.

It’s interesting that only one plan is (supposedly) available if you want to purchase the phone at a subsidized price. For many consumers, 500 minutes is simply not enough. The latest rumors say that Google plans to unveil tighter Google Voice integration with Android and the Nexus One would use the service for calls when 3G or WiFi is available; the theory is that it will only pull from the 500-minute bucket when the signal drops to Edge. I’m not buying the rumor, simply because T-Mobile’s 3G network — which made huge strides in 2009 — is way behind the other three major American carriers on a national level.

After flirting with the idea of picking up a Nokia N900, I’m seriously considering picking up a Nexus One. The only thing that’s stopping me is my preference for physical keyboards. I’m also curious to see what other surprises (if any) Google has up its sleeve. A lot of tech bloggers have already denounced the product and the initiative, even though information hasn’t been officially revealed. While I didn’t expect Google to shake up the mobile industry, I was hoping for more from Google foray into the consumer electronics space.

Any of you interested in the Nexus One? Would you buy one at $530? How about for the subsidized price?

[Images from Nexus One Blog]

Carnegie Deli: Attack of the Monster Reuben (+ Matzo Ball Soup)

Yes, it’s a Manhattan tourist attraction, but Carnegie Deli is still one of my favorite places to eat in New York City. Their monstrous reuben sandwich is simply glorious — it’s served open face, with the bread on the bottom of the plate, more than a pound of corned beef on top of that, a layer of sauerkraut over it, and the whole thing smothered with cheese. It’s a mountainous sandwich that kind of looks like Pizza the Hut from Spaceballs. Here are a bunch of photos of the reuben, the matzo ball soup, and a roast beef sandwich.

Today’s Poll: What Will You Play the Most in 2010?

Any guesses as to which gaming system you’ll use the most in 2010? Will new PS3 owners going to put major miles on their new consoles? Are Xbox 360 loyalists sticking with their systems? Maybe mobile is the way forward with the PSP, DS, and iPhone. Please vote when you get a chance!

[poll id=”16″]

Hironobu Sakaguchi Working on iPhone Game

Mistwalker’s Hironobu Sakaguchi — you know, the guy who helped create Final Fantasy — revealed that he’s working on an iPhone game that will be out shortly. Wishing all of his fans a happy 2010, Sakaguchi wrote:

“Oh, by the way, We are also working on a project for iPhone. This should be released soon as well.”

An iPhone game by Sakaguchi?!? I’m totally down!

Source

New Year’s Yamcha in Queens

My family went back to the old neighborhood in Queens for New Year’s Day yamcha (yes, I know it’s yum cha, but Yamcha is funnier for Dragon Ball fans). Here are some photos, including one I snapped for my friends Jaime and Lorie — it’s the Wendy’s that served as “McDowell’s” in Coming to America. “Oha!!! Prepare the royal baggage!”

What did you ladies and gents do on New Year’s Day?

Dragon Age: Origins DLC Info — Coming January and March?

Electronic Arts has announced that the Return to Ostagar downloadable content for Dragon Age: Origins will be available on January 5, 2010 for PC and Xbox 360. The PS3 version will be available later in the month. Here’s a snippet from the press release:

Return to Ostagar allows players to exact their revenge and embark on a quest for the mighty arms and armor of the once great King Cailan when they revisit Ostagar, the site of the Grey Wardens’ darkest hour, to reclaim the honor and learn the secrets of Ferelden’s fallen king.

Return to Ostagar summons players to a new quest in which they will return to the fateful battleground in Ostagar where the Grey Wardens were nearly wiped out. Players will discover King Cailan’s top-secret political agenda and go behind enemy lines to revisit a place that many feared had been lost to history.

There was interesting rumor from Big Download, which translated a Eurogamer article. The site claimed that EA and BioWare will be announcing additional DLC that will come out in March 2010. This isn’t a quickie like Return to Ostagar (which should be about an hour of gameplay for $5). The March DLC is rumored to be 15 hours long and come with a raised level cap.

I’m kind of irked that I won’t be home until January 6. I want to be home for the launch of this DLC and the Google Nexus One! I do find it amusing that I’ll be a day late and a dollar short. Ha!

Coffee Talk #56: A New Year’s Gaming Resolution

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 enormous sucktitude of the TSA, snow, or your first morning hangover (*snicker*) of 2010, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Sorry for the lack of updates yesterday. This cold is totally kicking my ass. Between that and all the stairs at my parents’ house, I’m quite uncomfortable at the moment. Having said that, I’m so happy to be with my family and thrilled that it’s 2010! Last year sucked for a lot of people I know and it was pretty wretched for me. I’m glad it’s over and I’m looking forward to shaking things up in a new decade.

So let’s talk new year’s resolutions! A lot of people make them and most people don’t stick to them. I figure a gaming-specific resolution should be a breeze to keep. Ultimately, it’s about entertaining yourself and we all want to do that, right?

For 2010, my new year’s gaming resolution is to buy more games made by small, independent developers. Whether it’s for PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, PC, iPhone, or Android, I want to do more to support the indie scene. With any luck it will lead to some karmic goodwill with someone wanting to donate money to small, independent blogs. Ha!

Do you have any gaming resolutions for 2010? Leave a comment and let me know (please)! And happy new year to you!!!