Sunday Housekeeping: Text Ads, Amazon, and Contest Winners

– Some of you have probably noticed that I turned off the Kontera text ads. I gave them a shot for a couple of weeks, but I found them to be annoying and the ads they brought up were mostly irrelevant. Hopefully I can get on another ad network shortly.

– I have some Amazon spots on the site. A few of you have used them already and I thank you for that! Basically how it works if that if you click on the Amazon spots, I get a tiny cut of the sale. The good part is that they’re good for most products you buy on Amazon, not just the product specified in the ad. Please keep this in mind for your future Amazon purchases, whether you’re buying yourself a game or buying someone a holiday gift. Maybe I’ll get lucky and one of you will buy a dozen television through my Amazon links. Ha!

– RPad.tv has its first contest! N8R, Sandrock323, and Iceman have already won prizes. The latest winner is SlickyFats for this comment. I’ll email you shortly to get a mailing address for your prize.

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Matt Hazard: Blood, Bath, & Beyond Video + Questions Wanted

Here’s a fun video of the upcoming Matt Hazard: Blood, Bath, & Beyond. This game blends old-school, 2D shooting with an irreverent, satirical tone. I loved the writing and style of the first game and am looking forward to this sequel (coming to PSN and Xbox Live). I have an opportunity to interview the developers of the game, so if you have any questions, please leave ’em in the comments section!

Five Factors in the Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto Fight

Pacquiao vs Cotto

The most anticipated fight of 2009 is tomorrow: Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto. It’s a compelling matchup between two of the most exciting fighters in the sport. Even though the odds makers are favoring Pacquiao to win the fight — some experts would say unreasonably so — there are several interesting factors that make this bout so interesting. Let’s take a look at some of them.

1) Can Pacquiao Deal with Cotto’s Power? — Manny has never dealt with a fighter as strong as Cotto. A weight drained and old Oscar De La Hoya doesn’t count. Although Cotto is short for a welterweight (147 pounds), he’s thick and strong. Compare that to Manny, who was fighting at 135 in the summer of 2008 and has had most of his success at 130. You have to figure that at some point in the fight, Miguel is going to get leather on Manny. Will he be able to deal with Cotto’s fierce body shots? What about the left hook to the head?

2) Can Cotto Deal with Pacquiao’s Speed? — It’s true that Miguel has taken on some crazy fast fighters in the past, like Zab Judah and Shane Mosley. He was able to neutralize their speed through a strong jab and smart boxing tactics. That said, the mercurial Judah is an idiot with no heart. As fantastic as Mosley is, he’s never used his speed intelligently at 147 and above. While Pacquiao isn’t the smartest fighter in the world, he excels at using his speed to get in, do some damage, and get out. If Cotto can nix Pacquiao’s speed — and that’s a huge “if” — it’s going to take several painful rounds to do it.

3) Will Joe Santiago’s Inexperience Hurt Cotto? — Cotto recently fired his longtime trainer, his uncle Evangelista Cotto. He named his nutritionist, Joe Santiago, head trainer. Pacquiao, on the other hand, has been working with the excellent Freddie Roach for years. Roach has claimed that Santiago’s inexperience is hurting Cotto, since the fighter doesn’t have anyone correcting his bad habits. Some say this is Roach engaging in gamesmanship, but I think it’s a valid point. Perhaps Santiago has been training Cotto poorly, but the bigger issue is whether Santiago can analyze the fight and help Cotto make adjustments. I’m not sure how effective he can be in that capacity.

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Final Fantasy XIII Release Date and Developer Announcement Video

As many of you expected, Square Enix has announced the North American release date for Final Fantasy XIII: March 9, 2010!!! To bolster the announcement, the company released a video featuring Producer Yoshinori Kitase, director Motomu Toriyama, art director Isamu Kamikokuryo, and battle director Yuji Abe. Check it out!

Aside from being hosted by a total tool, the video is pretty slick. I love that it features the game and its creators. March 9, 2010 is just around the corner. I’m pretty sure I’ll have Dragon Age out of my system by the time FFXIII is released. I can’t wait!

Are you psyched for FFXIII? Is it a day one purchase for you? What did you think of the developer video?

Square Enix Taps Leona Lewis for Final Fantasy XIII

In addition to working with Bon Jovi for Crystal Chronicles, Square Enix has enlisted the aid of Leona Lewis for Final Fantasy XIII. Today’s press release (as part of Final Fantasy Friday the 13th!) stated:

Multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Leona Lewis has come on board with Square Enix to provide the theme song for Final Fantasy XIII. The song is entitled “My Hands,” and is featured on her highly-anticipated second album ECHO (J Records/Syco Music) set for release on November 17th. Leona Lewis took the music world by storm with her 2008 6x platinum debut album Spirit which features her chart topping, biggest selling single of 2008 “Bleeding Love,” and mega-hit “Better In Time.”

Leona Lewis ECHO cover

I like “Better in Time”. It’s a cute and catchy song. More importantly, Leona is totally hot. I’m all for her promoting FFXIII.

What do you ladies and gents make of the news?

BlizzCon Moves to Las Vegas in 2010

BlizzCon logo

Attention Blizzard fans: BlizzCon is apparently heading to Las Vegas in 2010. Wow.com has reported:

According to the Las Vegas Convention Center website, Blizzard will be holding BlizzCon 2010 in Las Vegas July 30th and 31st. Upon inquiry, the Convention Center was able to verify the dates and that Blizzard is running the event. However, Blizzard has yet to announce this themselves. We have contacted Blizzard, and we’ll post anything they have to say on the matter.

I’m a huge fan of this move. Las Vegas is a brilliant place to hold a convention. The convention center is big, there are plenty of hotels at a variety of price ranges, the restaurants are fantastic, and it’s easy to get around. Plus, it will totally freak out the “normal” Vegas vacationer. I remember covering an EverQuest event at The Bellagio. The normals were totally shocked by the elves, warriors, and mages walking around the place. It was awesome.

Source

NPD Hardware Sales Figures for October 2009

Console Wars!!!
Console Wars!!!

NPD Group has issued its console hardware sales data for October 2009. Was Nintendo’s Wii price cut put it back on top? Could Sony continue it’s momentum after an excellent September? Let’s take a look at the numbers!

  • Wii: 506,900
  • Nintendo DS: 457,600
  • PlayStation 3: 320,600
  • Xbox 360: 249,700
  • PSP: 174,600
  • PlayStation 2: 117,800

So yeah, Nintendo’s “fad” of a console reclaimed its crown. It will be interesting to see if the Wii can keep the top spot in the crucial months of November and December. Sony has to be disappointed in its drop off, while Microsoft is surely snickering at its rival’s decline. That said, it’s not like MS didn’t slide as well.

What do you make off October’s numbers? Any predictions for November?

NPD Console Sales Figures Top 10 Games of October 2009

NPD Group has released its console software sales information for October 2009. The month pretty much went as expected with Sony’s Uncharted 2 and Nintendo’s Wii Fit Plus leading the way. There was one very pleasant surprise in October. Check out the list and see for yourself.

Uncharted 2

  1. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3): 537,000
  2. Wii Fit Plus (Wii): 441,000
  3. Borderlands (Xbox 360): 418,000
  4. Wii Sports Resort (Wii): 314,000
  5. NBA 2K10 (Xbox 360): 311,000
  6. Halo 3 ODST (Xbox 360): 271,000
  7. NBA 2K10 (PS3): 213,000
  8. Forza Motorsport 3 (Xbox 360): 175,000
  9. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (DS): 169,000
  10. FIFA Soccer 10 (Xbox 360): 156,000

Borderlands did way better than most people were expecting. Sandwiched between ODST and Modern Warfare 2, most people — including renowned analyst Michael Pachter — thought that the game was going to take a pounding. Instead, it sold very well. This makes me happy on several levels. It’s completely immature, but I love it when Pachter is wrong. More importantly, I’m thrilled for Gearbox’s success. Well done guys!

Anything on October’s NPD software list surprise you?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I know this might come as a shock to you, but I’m going to be playing Dragon Age: Origins most of the weekend. I finally beat the game on Thursday morning. Now it’s time for my next run! My first character was a male Dalish elf rogue that was 99 percent good. This time I’m going with a female human warrior (and yes, it’s mostly so I can engage in a lesbian romance with Leliana). While I’m still going to lean on the good side, I’m going to be snarky whenever I can.

Dragon Age Origins 3

While the game certainly has its flaws, it’s also everything I love about BioWare. I love the combat, the music, and the storytelling. The dialogue is just frickin’ brilliant. The interaction between your different party members is so well done. There are times when it’s hard for me to choose my companions. Do I go with the most effective characters? Or do I go with a mix of people that will have hilarious conversations on the road?

While I should play Borderlands and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 with my friends, I know I’m going to flake out of the proposed online sessions because of DA. Sorry Christian. Sorry Ted. Ha!

Anyway, what are you guys and dolls going to play this weekend?