Coffee Talk Archives - Page 26 of 67

Coffee Talk #417: Developers Setting Their Own Game Pricing

Epic Games president Mike “Busta” Capps is wise, handsome, and charming. In a recent interview with Develop, he proposed the idea of game developers setting their own prices for games and downloadable content. Capps said…

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, Steve Jobs creating the iPad out of spite, Lindsay Lohan in Playboy, or your favorite streaming television app, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Epic Games president Mike “Busta” Capps is wise, handsome, and charming. In a recent interview with Develop, he proposed the idea of game developers setting their own prices for games and downloadable content. Capps said, “Right now we’re not even allowed to change the prices of virtual content. We’re not even allowed to set the prices. I just don’t think this protectionist approach is going to be successful in a world where the price of virtual items changes on a day-to-day basis. Double-A games will never come back unless we get rid of this notion of a game being $60 or not released. The console manufacturers need to let this happen.”

It’s an excellent idea that could be fantastic…or terrible. Certainly it’s ridiculous that some crap motion game has the same price as Gears of War 3. One argument is that price should reflect a game’s budget and/or quality. The counter to that argument is the movie business. A ticket to a small-budget indie-film costs the same as one to a mega-million Michael Bay monstrosity.

Then there’s the fact that some developers would find a way to screw up game pricing. Certainly larger companies with a lot of experience or smaller companies with savvy executives would find a way to get the most out of flexible game pricing. However, I expect there would be just as many cases of developers setting unreasonable or unrealistic prices because they’re too attached to their creations. Gaming is still a relatively young business and I think that its immaturity would show up if developers could price their on wares. Publishers are often viewed (sometimes unfairly) as an evil force in the gaming business, but the suits have their uses.

What do you think of Capps’ idea? Can you envision a world where game developers price their own software? Would you prefer flexible game pricing over a rigid system? What benefits and perils do you see with having developers price their own games?

Coffee Talk #416: Video Games vs. Videogames

Do you prefer the term “video game” or “videogame”? Game journalists, writers, developers, publishers, and verbal entertainers argue about this issue all the time. It seems like a silly semantics war — and it mostly is — but I’ve heard people debate…

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, awesome infographics, switching to a new mobile carrier, or waiting until 11AM hits so you can download new comics, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Some people feel that it should be “video game” similar to how the term “PC game” is used. Others feel that “videogame” has grown into its own unique term and champion its use as a single world. Most dictionaries and search engines favor “video game”. What say you?

As for me, I like the word “videogame”, but I don’t defend it with the fervor that some of my colleagues do. To me it just reflects what the medium has become. I’m sure part of it has to do with my hate of search engine optimization (SEO has tarnished Internet writing for an entire generation…at least), but it’s mostly just a nebulous personal preference. I just like one term better than the other.

And you? Do you prefer “video game” or “videogame”?

Coffee Talk #415: Song Covers You Hate (Under Pressure)

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,Verve’s Guatemala El Pintado, Zooey Deschanel’s performance of the American national anthem, or Manchester City thrashing Manchester United, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

“Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie is one of my favorite songs of all time. Freddie Mercury’s vocals are brilliant. Brian May’s guitar playing is awesome. Mercury’s subtle playing on the piano and Hammond organ fill out the song perfectly. And lastly, there’s John Deacon’s unforgettable bass line…which sadly some people recognize from “Ice Ice Baby“.

It actually pains me that there’s a generation of people that know Deacon’s bass line from “Ice Ice Baby” instead of “Under Pressure”. Vanilla Ice was a crap artist and his song sucked compared to “Under Pressure”. It’s sad that the hook from his only popular song was ripped from another, superior one. I’m offended that he took an integral part of a great song and turned it into a pile of garbage. Next time I’m a hiring manager, I’m going to play Deacon’s bass line and ask the job candidate what song it’s from. Anyone that says “Ice Ice Baby” will be shown the door.

As if Vanilla Ice sampling “Under Pressure” for nefarious purposes wasn’t bad enough, there’s this crap cover version by My Chemical Romance and The Used. It…just sucks. The vocals are so weak that’s it’s like comparing a little league hitter’s power to Albert Pujol’s. (Granted there are only a handful of rock-and-roll singers with Mercury’s power and range.) The arrangement is just awful. There was absolutely no reason for this cover to be released. It’s embarrassing to Queen, David Bowie, My Chemical Romance, and The Used. Ugh.

Anyway, I wanted to hear about any song samples and covers that offend you. Kindly talk about song covers and samples you hate in today’s comments section!

Coffee Talk #414: Skylanders — Brilliant, Evil, or Both?

I’ve started playing Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventures for a Machinima.com review. I’m completely fascinated by the Skylanders business model. For those of you not familiar with the deal, Skylanders is an action-RPG available for most…

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, Lindsay Lohan’s latest mugshot, the outstanding customer service at Verve Coffee Roasters, or Bernard Hopkins getting suplexed in a boxing match, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I’ve started playing Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventures for a Machinima.com review. I’m completely fascinated by the Skylanders business model. For those of you not familiar with the deal, Skylanders is an action-RPG available for most videogame systems. What makes it unique is that it uses toys to enhance and unlock gameplay. The $69.99 starter kit comes with the game, the “Portal of Power” accessory that plugs into your console, and three action figures. Additional action figures can be purchased for $7.99 and up.

Now here’s the kicker: from what I’ve seen, you have to buy more toys to get everything out of the game. That’s brilliant…and possibly a little evil. So far, the game is surprisingly fun; I had low expectations for it and they have been greatly exceeded. The toys look cool. On their own, I’m not sure they’re worth $8 each or $20 for a three-pack, but considering that they unlock in-game features, they’re pragmatic as well as decorative. There are more than 30 toys, with more action figures and DLC on the way, so it’s entirely possible to spend hundreds of dollars on Skylanders…and I’m sure some kids will do just that.

Fascinating, hey? I’m not really sure what kids and tweens like these days, but I imagine Skylanders is going to be hugely popular this holiday season. While most of the videogame business has been focusing on DLC and $10 online solutions to make more money of off each title, Activision is probably going to strike gold with ~~dollies~~ action figures. If this game does well, can you imagine a Transformers, Pokemon, or Disney game using a similar business model? This dolly thing could be huge…and more than a little exploitative.

Anyway, I wanted to see what you thought about Skylanders and its business model. Is Skylanders brilliant, evil, or both?!?

Coffee Talk #413: Your Favorite Videogame Crossovers

With the rumor of Assassin’s Creed’s Ezio Auditore da Firenze set for an appearance in Soulcalibur V, I was thinking about videogame crossovers and cameos. There have been so many great ones over the years! Bill Clinton in NBA Jam…

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, Hulk Hogan taking back bumps after eight back surgeries, RIM’s BlackBerry BBX OS, or the Red Sox ordering Popeye’s fried chicken during games, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

With the rumor of Assassin’s Creed’s Ezio Auditore da Firenze set for an appearance in Soulcalibur V, I was thinking about videogame crossovers and cameos. There have been so many great ones over the years! Bill Clinton in NBA Jam, Mega Man in Dead Rising, Michael Jackson in Space Channel 5, Solid Snake in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Spider-Man in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 immediately come to mind. Last year I had a blast playing as a Helghast from Killzone in Hot Shots Tennis. Crossovers are cool.

The Soulcalibur series has my favorite videogame crossovers of all time. Soulcalibur II had Link from The Legend of Zelda and Todd McFarlane’s Spawn! Soulcalibur IV had Darth Vader and Yoda from Star Wars! Those inclusions caused me to mark out as a Zelda, comic book, and Star Wars fanboy. It was almost nerd overload, but I thoroughly enjoyed playing as those characters. So cool.

Now it’s your turn! What are some of your favorite videogame cameos and crossovers?

Coffee Talk #412: Predict Nintendo’s Future with 3DS and Wii U

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, Kurt Angle’s fiber solution, Apple and Samsung being best frenemies, or why people were scared of mummies back in the day, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Today I’d like you guys and gals to put on your analyst caps and predict Nintendo’s future. In the past, people have questioned Nintendo’s DS and Wii consoles, which went on to become two of the best-selling systems in videogame history. A lot of analysts and journalists have doubts about the 3DS and Wii U systems, but will they proven wrong by Ninntendo once again? Or will the “experts” be right this time?

As for me, I don’t see how Nintendo can go anywhere but down. This really has nothing to do with the 3DS and Wii U, but rather the remarkable sales of the DS and Wii. Those systems sold like crazy and I’m not sure when the business will see something like that again. The 3DS will surely sell well, but it faces stiff competition from smartphones and tablets. The Wii U’s tablet-as-a-controller strategy is odd, but it could work. There are lots of idiots out there that are saying “Nintendo is teh doomed!!!” but the company will always sell millions of Mario, Metroid, Pokemon, and Zelda games. I guess what I’m saying is that Nintendo won’t be able to duplicate the ridiculous success it enjoyed this generation, but it will be fine during the next.

How about you? How do you think things will play out for Nintendo? Will the 3DS recover from its rough start? Will mainstream consumers flock to the Wii U and its tablet controller? Will Nintendo rock next generation? Or is it “teh doomed”? Channel your inner Jesse Divnich and analyze Nintendo’s future (please)!

Coffee Talk #411: What’s Your Favorite Nerd Movie?

With Sony snatching up the rights to the Steve Jobs movie, I’ve been thinking about other nerd movies. I’m not talking about stuff like Revenge of the Nerds, but rather films that celebrate or honor renowned nerds or nerd culture. Obviously all the movies…

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, Verve’s Panama Elida Natural: Lot B, dying to go on a flight longer than 5,000 miles, or Charles Oakley blasting everyone, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

With Sony snatching up the rights to the Steve Jobs movie, I’ve been thinking about other nerd movies. I’m not talking about stuff like Revenge of the Nerds, but rather films that celebrate or honor renowned nerds or nerd culture. Obviously all the movies we discuss today are just placeholders until Watching the Gears Go Round: The Cliff Bleszinski Story comes out, but we’re still a few years away from that masterpiece. For now, let’s look at some geeky contenders.

The Social Network is the most successful nerd movie to date and was lauded by non-nerds too. Comic Book: The Movie and Trekkies examine two of the most passionate nerd communities in the universe. Macheads and Welcome to Macintosh are two fine documentaries for Apple nerds.

As for me, I’m going with Pirates of Silicon Valley. It’s an interesting look at the rise of Apple and Microsoft, examining the curious relationship between the two companies. It’s interesting, fun, and funny (sometimes unintentionally) all at the same time. Anthony Michael Hall as Bill Gates was just brilliant — a perfect nerd to play one of history’s ultimate nerds. It’s also awesome that the guy that played Steve Ballmer also voiced Bender, The Joker and Marcus Fenix. Ha!

Now it’s your turn! Please leave some of your favorite nerd movies in the comments section.

Coffee Talk #410: Who’s Your Favorite Comic-Book Artist?

Today’s Coffee Talk was inspired by a post from RPadholic Thundercracker and seconded by N8R. The former asked me about my favorite comic-book artist and the latter suggested that the topic should get its own Coffee Talk. Well here it…

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, waiting for a shipment from a certain fruit company, Bill Simmons’ theory of Tom Hanks’ two careers mirroring Michael Jordan’s, or where the hell Dennis Miller is these days, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Today’s Coffee Talk was inspired by a post from RPadholic Thundercracker and seconded by N8R. The former asked me about my favorite comic-book artist and the latter suggested that the topic should get its own Coffee Talk. Well here it is! Unfortunately, I don’t have much to contribute. I enjoy looking at comic-book art and appreciate it, but I’m so awful at drawing that a lot of it is beyond me. I like to write and reading is one of the best ways to improve writing. For example, my blogging style is influenced by the writing of Mark Waid, Peter David, and Brian Michael Bendis (love my parenthesis!).

As far as artists go, I dig the technical proficiency of guys like Jim Lee and Todd McFarlane. That said, I enjoy Frank Miller’s stuff too; his pencils aren’t the sharpest, but his style is so distinct. I like artists that use exaggerated styles like Ed McGuiness and Humberto Ramos. Mark Waid’s comedic writing in Impulse was perfectly complemented by Ramos’ playful art style. Of course I love Alex Ross’ paintings. Should I win the lottery, I would pay Ross to paint one of my walls.

Now it’s your turn! Who are some of your favorite comic-book artists?

Coffee Talk #409: New Game Plus 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, how to react when being told you’re overqualified, the future of standalone compact cameras, or walk-off grand-slams, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I love “new game+” modes. To me, they’re a nice reward for beating the game. I love being able to replay an RPG with all the equipment and powers I’ve earned. There’s something gratifying about going through a 40-hour RPG in 1/4 the time thanks to the use of ridiculous weapons and crazy powers. If it were up to me, every game would have a “new game+” mode.

To my amazement, some of my friends don’t enjoy these modes. To them, there’s nothing fun about plowing through a game unchallenged. They think it’s boring and unsatisfying. Beating a game that way feels cheap and hollow to them.

What’s your stance on “new game+”? Do you enjoy it? Do you think it’s cheap? Perhaps it’s cheap and enjoyable? Leave a comment and let me know (please!).

Coffee Talk #408: Double Dipping on Xbox Live

I’ve always hated that Netflix on Xbox 360 is a “Gold” feature. You’re already paying for Netflix service. You’re already paying for the Internet bandwidth. Why should the cost be built into your Xbox Live subscription? That’s crap…yet more and more services on…

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, dreaming of Yu Darvish in a Yankees uniform, famous atheists fighting cancer, or when NBA basketball will be back, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Last week RPadholic smartguy pointed out that the next update for AT&T U-Verse on Xbox 360 will require Gold membership. Again, you’re already paying for U-Verse service, so why should you have to pay more for using your Xbox 360 to access it? Even AT&T realizes the charge is stupid and in a preemptive measure stated that it will credit the cost of a one-year subscription to Xbox Live Gold to its customers.

Charging for Netflix, U-Verse, etc. just seems like an artificial way for Microsoft to create “premium” features for Xbox Live Gold. It’s coattail riding or double dipping instead of actually creating compelling services that justify the cost of Xbox Live Gold. For some reason, I expected gamers to be angrier about these charges and practices. Gamers are typically loud complainers, but the typical outrage just isn’t there. What’s the deal?!?

Anyway, let me know how you feel about double dipping on Xbox Live. Is it a fair practice? Is it bogus? Does it make you angry like Mr. McGee does?