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
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.
Continue reading “Five Factors in the Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto Fight”
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
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
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.”
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
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.
NPD Hardware Sales Figures for October 2009
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
- Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3): 537,000
- Wii Fit Plus (Wii): 441,000
- Borderlands (Xbox 360): 418,000
- Wii Sports Resort (Wii): 314,000
- NBA 2K10 (Xbox 360): 311,000
- Halo 3 ODST (Xbox 360): 271,000
- NBA 2K10 (PS3): 213,000
- Forza Motorsport 3 (Xbox 360): 175,000
- Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (DS): 169,000
- FIFA Soccer 10 (Xbox 360): 156,000
Borderlands
Anything on October’s NPD software list surprise you?
Congrats to Iceman!!!
He’s the first winner of the RPad.tv refrigerator magnet giveaway extravaganza. Here’s the comment that snagged you, as N8R puts it, an analog tape eraser. I’ll drop you a line on the email you use to make your comments.
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
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
Anyway, what are you guys and dolls going to play this weekend?
Coffee Talk #25: Entertainment vs. Principles
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 awesomeness of Oddworld’s Lorne Lanning, Cotto vs. Pacquiao 24/7, or the brilliance of Eddie Izzard, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
A lot of gamers have been bad mouthing Activision for its penchant for churning out sequels and licensed games as fast as a nine-year old churns out Nike’s in China. People have said that Activision is a circle of hell and CEO Bobby Kotick rules it with a pitchfork. Yet a lot of the gamers that denounce the company happily snatched up Modern Warfare 2
It’s an interesting predicament. Do you buy MW2, simply because it will provide you with excellent entertainment? Or do you boycott Activision because you believe the company is bad for the business? Taking a stand, one way or the other, is fine, but too many gamers say one thing and do another. I can picture Chris Jericho telling all the ATVI haters that bought MW2 that they’re “parasites and hypocrites”.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be all holier than thou. I fully admit that I’m part of the problem. For example, I think that releasing paid downloadable content in conjunction with a game’s release is a bad practice. It’s a disturbing trend that’s surely going to become more prevalent in the next year. I don’t want to encourage it, yet I bought the Dragon Age: Origins
I wanted to see where you stand on the “entertainment vs. principles” matter. Do you just buy whatever games you want because you’ll enjoy them? Do you pass on titles you’d like to play because you want to take a stand? Or do you make exceptions (and wince on the inside when you do) for your favorite developers or series?