Coffee Talk #6: What’s Your Dream Game?

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 Anaheim Angels forgetting how to play baseball, fun with Google Wave, or how you’re going to utterly conquer this week, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Drizzt 2Is there a movie, comic book, or novel that you think would make a fantastic game? I’m sure there is. All of us have “dream games” that have yet to be made. Some of our visions are outlandish and unrealistic. Others seem so obvious that it’s dumbfounding as to why they haven’t been made.

One of my dream games has been teased, but never fully delivered. I want to play an action-adventure as Drizzt Do’Urden from R.A. Salvatore’s novels. Drizzt has made cameos in Baldur’s Gate, Baldur’s Gate II, and Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone. You could play as him in the Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance series, but he was merely a bonus character set in an adventure that had nothing to do with his storied exploits.

I want the full-on Drizzt treatment. I want an adventure that takes advantage of his history in Menzoberranzan and his adventures with the Companions of the Hall. I want cameos by Jarlaxle and Artemis Entreri. I want dynamic action that’s full of twirling scimitars and impossible acrobatics. Just for the hell of it, I want a “dog button” like the one in Dead to Rights, but instead of some lame-ass canine, Drizzt’s magical panther, Guenhwyvar, appears.

RPad.tv reader Ieyke recently wrote about one of the games he wishes for, saying, “Assassin’s Creed+MGS4-guns-white robes=awesome stealthy ninja.” Let’s use his formula to talk about our dream games. I guess mine would be:

Drizzt Do’Urden + Prince of Persia – Gimmicky Time Shifting = Awesome Drow Ranger Action-Adventure.

Using the Ieyke formula, tell me about your dream game. (Hit the break for some inspirational music that will help you write about your dreams.)

Continue reading “Coffee Talk #6: What’s Your Dream Game?”

Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver Soundtrack Details

Pokemon Heart Gold Soul Silver soundtrack

Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver for Nintendo DS are destined to be enormous hits, but just in case that isn’t enough for Pokefreaks around the world, the games are getting an excellent soundtrack treatment. According to Andrisang:

Announced earlier this week, the Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver Music Super Complete soundtrack contains 3 CDs with 270 tracks totaling around 3 hours of music. Outside of the game’s main music tracks, the soundtrack also includes the Pokemon Gold and Silver music as recreated via the in-game GB Player.

Yeah, I’m definitely going to have to pick this up on my next trip to Japan. It’s too good.

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Boy Genius Report Gets Down and Dirty with Verizon’s Motorola Droid

Motorola Droid BGR

The boys (and presumably no girls) at Boy Genius Report have gotten their hands on Verizon’s Motorola Droid…and it looks awfully impressive. I’ve been waiting for a Google Android phone with a better CPU and the Droid deliver that (and more!). It looks like the best Android phone to date. BGR noted:

  • It’s running Android 2.0. Duh.
  • It’s thin. Just slightly thicker than an iPhone 3GS and the thinnest QWERTY-slider we’ve ever seen.
  • It is the fastest Android device we’ve ever used. (It’s running a TI OMAP3430 processor)
  • Awesome capacitive display. Plus it’s huge. Easily the best screen we’ve ever seen on an Android handset, and an amazing screen overall.
  • Have we mentioned this phone flies? It’s the Android device to beat, and easily the most impressive. From what we’ve been told, Google had a direct hand in the Motorola Droid. Something to the point of almost dictating every move Motorola made when designing and making the phone. Interesting, huh?

All of this sounds awesome on paper. I can’t wait to get my hands on the Droid so I can see for myself!

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Housekeeping Sunday

Ah, it’s Sunday — while most of my pals are watching NFL games, I’m still coming down from last night’s amazing win by the NY Yankees and figuring out ways to increase site traffic. Since Sunday is a fresh start, I wanted to go over some housekeeping items and give you some factoids on RPad.tv’s first week.

– I was genuinely surprised by the traffic and the amount of comments — like really, truly surprised. Big thanks to everyone that visited and supported the site in the last week. It’s not yet something I can make a living with yet, but with your continued support, some steady growth, and a bit of good luck, who knows?!? For now, I wanted to make sure y’all know how grateful I am for your visits.

– Don’t forget to register with Gravatar if you want to use custom icons for the site. Here are more detailed instructions.

– Anyone have any recommendations for an all-in-one printer? My priorities are printing documents and scanning, but I’d like to print photos every now and then too. Right now I’m looking at the Canon MP980 and the Epson NX515, but I haven’t done a ton of research yet.

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Charles Martinet (Mario’s Voice) Teases Upcoming Mario Game

Charles MartinetThe fine folks at GamePro did some sleuthing and came across a lovely teaser from Charles Martinet, the voice of Mario; he’s working on a new Mario title that’s not part of the Super Mario Galaxy or Super Mario Bros. series. Martinet sent out a tweet that said:

Awesome new Mario Game! And it’s not NSMB Wii, and it’s not Galaxy 2, but it’s going to be crazy fun!

Any guesses as what it could be? Keep in mind that Martinet has voiced several Nintendo characters, including Wario, Luigi, Waluigi, Baby Mario, Wart, Clawgrip, Triclyde, Mouser, and several Punch-Out!! characters.

Also, remind me to tell you how I randomly bumped into Martinet while looking at gaming magazines at a Tower Records in San Francisco in 2002.

Source via GamePro

Modern Warfare 2 Limited Edition 250GB Xbox 360 Coming 11/10

Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360 250GB

Last month, I wrote about Microsoft and Activision releasing a limited edition 250GB Xbox 360 for the release of Modern Warfare 2. According to Amazon, the console will be released on November 10.

Although the quantities are limited, this should help Microsoft compete with Sony’s upcoming 250GB PlayStation 3 Slim. While the Slim is coming in at $50 less, this Xbox 360 bundle comes with an extra controller and a slick, limited edition paint job.

Hit the break for a picture of the Amazon page.

Continue reading “Modern Warfare 2 Limited Edition 250GB Xbox 360 Coming 11/10”

Verizon Rolls Out “iDon’t, Droid Does” Campaign, Targets iPhone

Verizon is getting ready to position the Motorola Droid (the phone codenamed Sholes) as it’s anti-iPhone. Following up its clever “There’s a Map for That” campaign is the “iDon’t, Droid Does” TV spot. Check it out the commercial below.

As much as I dig Google Android and detest AT&T, I really don’t think the Motorola Droid (coming in November) has a chance in hell against the iPhone. While I really like the OS, the hardware has been lacking — particularly in the CPU department. Unless it happens to be a phone that isn’t Sholes, I’m not expecting anything difference from the Droid.

With the iPhone having years to gain mind and market share — not to mention the luxury of having a $99 option to boost the installed base — going up against it with one model is a difficult quest. While I think a Verizon + Motorola victory is impossible, it’s another solid step for Google Android, which many analysts say will own a significant percentage of the mobile-phone market within two to three years.

Uncharted 2 Sells 300,000 on Day One, Third-Fastest Selling PS3 Game in North America

Naughty Dog’s critically acclaimed Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is selling like hot cakes Beanie Babies whatever sells really fast these days. According to VGChartz, the game sold more than 300,000 copies on day one and is positioned to be the third-fastest selling PlayStation 3 game in North America and fourth-fastest selling worldwide.

We can now reveal that preliminary VGChartz data shows day one sales of over 300,000 units which should rise to 450,000 – 500,000 units by the end of the week, making Uncharted 2 the 3rd fastest-selling PS3 title to date in America behind Grand Theft Auto IV and Metal Gear Solid 4.

Uncharted 2

If the numbers are accurate — VGChartz has an…uneven reputation in the business — this is fantastic news for Sony and Naughty Dog. By all accounts, this is one of the year’s best games, but as we’ve seen so many times in the past, the best games aren’t always the best selling. That aside, it looks like it’s full steam ahead for Uncharted 2. Congrats to Naughty Dog!

Any of you surprised by Uncharted 2 success? Or is this what you expected from a superior developer and a great game.

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Microsoft Warns Against Using Unauthorized Storage in Xbox Live Preview Program

Xbox 360 Twitter

Gamers that got into Microsoft’s Xbox Live preview program (for Facebook, Twitter, and Zune) are being warned not to use unauthorized storage devices (memory cards). Doing so could be bad (it’s a technical term). Microsoft’s Major Nelson warned:

When Preview Program members start receiving the Xbox 360 system update next week, one of the changes is that unauthorized Memory Units will no longer work with the Xbox 360. If you’ve moved your profile or saved games onto one to “back it up,” you’d better move it back onto an authorized Xbox 360 storage device prior to taking the update. If you continue to use an unauthorized Memory Unit after the update, you will not be able to access your stored profile or saved games.

So check yourself before you wreck yourself preview program peeps!

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