Coffee Talk Archives - Page 53 of 67

Coffee Talk #144: Do You Like Mediocre Games/Music/Movies?

I’ve been questioning my taste in movies for the last year or so. I think it started when I saw Semi-Pro on cable. I really enjoy Will Ferrell movies, but this one got panned so I didn’t see it in theaters. I was shocked by how much I enjoyed it on cable. It wasn’t a great movie, but it certainly entertained me. It was the same exact thing with Forgetting Sarah Marshall — totally enjoyed it, despite the poor reviews. Next it was Role Models, I Love You, Man, and Land of the Lost.

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, Ken Griffey, Jr. sleeping in the clubhouse, whether Lebron James should ditch Cleveland, or Howard the Duck, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I’ve been questioning my taste in movies for the last year or so. I think it started when I saw Semi-Pro on cable. I really enjoy Will Ferrell movies, but this one got panned so I didn’t see it in theaters. I was shocked by how much I enjoyed it on cable. It wasn’t a great movie, but it certainly entertained me. It was the same exact thing with Forgetting Sarah Marshall — totally enjoyed it, despite the poor reviews. Next it was Role Models, I Love You, Man, and Land of the Lost.

Initially I was worried that getting older has made me lower my standards, but I don’t think that’s the case. I realize that some of these movies aren’t the best; I just happen to find a lot of the writing and scenes entertaining. Perhaps I’m just drawn to Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, and Jason Segel. I don’t know and really, I don’t care anymore. I accept that I enjoy these movies and I’m comfortable with it.

Today I want to know what movies, games, music, etc. you enjoy, even though you know they’re not the best. Let’s celebrate mediocrity on this fine Thursday!!!

Coffee Talk #143: Do You Have a Dream Job in Gaming?

Yesterday I told you about a recurring BioWare dream that I’ve had for the last ten years. For the last three years or so, I’ve been having this other dream about BioWare. I’m living in southern Thailand — probably Phuket or Koh Phangan — and telecommuting as a BioWare community manager. Life and work are pretty much perfect. It’s such a lovely dream. *sigh*

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, Lost, Lebron James’ ailing elbow, or your favorite island, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Yesterday I told you about a recurring BioWare dream that I’ve had for the last ten years. I’ve been having this other dream about BioWare for the last three years or so. I’m living in southern Thailand — probably Phuket or Koh Phangan — and telecommuting as a BioWare community manager. Life and work are pretty much perfect. It’s such a lovely dream. *sigh*

Don’t get me wrong — I love writing and interacting with an audience. What I’m doing now is absolutely what I want to be doing (though making money would be nice). The only other job that I really want (off the top of my head) is working as a community manager for a developer I love. Hell, I’d work for a developer I midly disliked if I could telecommute from Thailand. Ha!

I was wondering if you have a dream job in the gaming business. Is there a certain company or game designer that you dream of working for? RPadholic bsukenyan has mentioned that he’s interested in becoming a gaming analyst, but I’m not sure about the rest of you. Kindly share your videogame dream job(s) in the comments section!

Coffee Talk #142: Do You Dream About Game Companies?

I’ve told a few of you about this already, but I’ve been having this dream about BioWare for the last decade or so. I’m at this super fancy awards show (think Oscars or Emmys). I’m wearing a tuxedo and I’m at a podium presenting an award. Finally, with complete seriousness I say:

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, why Chase’s customer services sucks, highlights of last night’s Monday Night Raw (missed it), or your feelings on the Thor movie, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

And the award for best white developer goes to — oh my God! — Ray and Greg! BioWare!!!

I’ve actually told BioWare’s Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk about this dream. The reason I’m bringing it up again? Well, I’ve been having another BioWare dream…but I’ll share that with you tomorrow.

For now I’d love to hear about your videogame-company dreams. I’m not talking about dream games. I’m talking about dreams that involve developers, publishers, etc. Perhaps you’ve had a dream where you match wits with Will Wright. Maybe you’ve explored caves and tended gardens with Shigeru Miyamoto. I know at least one of you has had a dream about Cliff Bleszinski in lingerie (bonus points for ornate tales about Cliffy in a thong). Share your dreams in the comments section (please)!

Coffee Talk #141: Who is Nintendo’s Rival?

Batman vs. The Joker, Goku vs. Vegeta, Steve Jobs vs. Bill Gates, Ash Ketchum vs. Gary Oak — these are all examples of classic rivalries that will be waged until the end of time. Should Apple vs. Nintendo be added to that list? According to The Times Nintendo no longer views Microsoft and Sony as its primary competition. Instead, it sees Apple as the biggest threat:

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, Paul Daley’s awesome sucker punch at UFC 113, Paul Williams and Kermit Cintron reenacting the WWE Royal Rumble, or the brilliance of Intelligentsia’s Los Inmortales El Salvador Finca Matalapa Guayabo, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Batman vs. The Joker, Goku vs. Vegeta, Steve Jobs vs. Bill Gates, Ash Ketchum vs. Gary Oak — these are all examples of classic rivalries that will be waged until the end of time. Should Apple vs. Nintendo be added to that list? According to The Times Nintendo no longer views Microsoft and Sony as its primary competition. Instead, it sees Apple as the biggest threat:

Satoru Iwata, the Nintendo president, is understood to have told his senior executives recently to regard the battle with Sony as a victory already won and to treat Apple, and its iPhone and iPad devices, as the “enemy of the future”.

Those comments are a stark contrast from Iwata’s previous statements. In the past he dismissed Apple as competition and brushed off the iPad as just a big iPod. (I wonder why nobody asked, “Then what the hell is the DSi XL?”)

While I think Apple and Nintendo do compete, the overlap isn’t 100 percent. Obviously the Nintendo DS reaches a younger audience than the iPhone, while Apple’s products reach an older audience. (If you’re a parent that has armed your child with a 32GB iPhone then kindly smash your head on a brick wall seven times.) Still, I can’t see Nintendo dismissing Sony like that. Sony has ruled the console world before and all it takes is one great product backed by great marketing to take it back.

What do you think of these provocative comments? Has Nintendo passed Microsoft and Sony by? If so, is Apple really its primary rival? If not, is it foolish to dismiss competitors that could swiftly strike back? I miss having a rival! I’m going to go find bleahy and hit him.

Coffee Talk #140: What Are You Looking Forward to at E3 2010?

E3 2010 is a little over a month away and I wanted to get your thoughts on the show. I’ll probably ask you this question a couple of more times in the next few weeks so I can see how your answers change as information leaks. For now let me know what you’re jazzed about.

Are you looking forward to PlayStation Move vs. Project Natal? Perhaps you’re more interested in the future of streaming gaming and want to see how Gaikai vs. OnLive plays out. Mobile gaming is growing crazy fast and there will tons of great iPad/iPhone games on display. Perhaps you’re not interested in these new battles and trends. Maybe you just want more info on an exciting console or PC 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, your plans for catching Iron Man 2 this weekend, Nutrisystem dumping Lawrence Taylor as a spokesman, or your UFC 113 predictions, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Let me know what you’re looking forward to at this year’s show. It will certainly alter my approach going into it. While I’m not going to write every story you’re interested in — I’m just one guy and have my own angles to play too — you’ll certainly be on my mind as I process story ideas. While I’d love for all of you to attend E3 with me, this is sorta kinda the next best thing, yeah? Use your influence and shape my E3 2010 coverage (please)!

Coffee Talk #139: Do You Break Videogame Controllers?

I love watching my friend James play videogames. He gets angry. He curses out the television. And inevitably, he flings his controller. Sometimes it’s more fun watching his reactions than watching the game itself.

I’m usually pretty calm when I play games. There are a few things that can drive me into a controller-throwing rage. Cheap deaths and cheap boss fights immediately come to mind. Last year I was playing Street Fighter IV while dealing with a malfunctioning Xbox 360 that often made the screen impossible to see. This made beating Seth — one of the cheapest bosses ever — even more irritating. This also made my hand hurt from punching my arcade stick.

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 latest American Idol elimination, Milton Bradley being stressed out by earning millions of dollars playing baseball, or 61* being in the HBO rotation again, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I’m usually pretty calm when I play games, but there are a few things that can drive me into a controller-throwing rage. Cheap deaths and cheap boss fights immediately come to mind. Last year I was playing Street Fighter IV while dealing with a malfunctioning Xbox 360 that often made the screen impossible to see. This made beating Seth — one of the cheapest bosses ever — even more irritating. This also made my hand hurt from punching my arcade stick.

Do any of you throw or break your controllers? What drives you into that zone? Consider today’s Coffee Talk therapy and release your videogame rage!

Coffee Talk #138: Should Sony Have Made a Play for Bungie/Respawn?

Last weekend I hung out with two industry friends that argued (separately) that Sony should have made a big-time play for Bungie or Respawn. (This is what game geeks do over coffee or lunch. It’s like when jocks get together and discuss what GM moves they’d make for their favorite NBA team. In both cases, none of the participants are qualified to steer the ship.) Their arguments were basically the same — although Killzone and Resistance are respectable franchises, it would have been killer for Sony to have its own Call of Duty or Halo, exclusively. Nabbing the creators of those franchises would have been huge.

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, graciously recapping last night’s Lost for me, round two of the NBA playoffs, or Rasheed Wallace remembering how to play basketball for one night, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Last weekend I hung out with two industry friends that argued (separately) that Sony should have made a big-time play for Bungie or Respawn. (This is what game geeks do over coffee or lunch. It’s like when jocks get together and discuss what GM moves they’d make for their favorite NBA team. In both cases, none of the participants are qualified to steer the ship.) Their arguments were basically the same — although Killzone and Resistance are respectable franchises, it would have been killer for Sony to have its own Call of Duty or Halo, exclusively. Nabbing the creators of those franchises would have been huge.

Today I want to invite you into the conversation. Pretend you’re a hotshot Sony executive. Looking through the retroscope, do you think it would have been wise to lay out a ton of money for exclusive deals with Bungie or Respawn? Are Resistance and Killzone big enough bullets for the company? How crazy would it have been if Bungie or Respawn became first-party studios for Sony? If you could only sign one of those companies, which one would it be (poll below)? How would you upstage Kaz Hirai at Sony’s E3 2010 press conference?

I can’t wait for all your answers today! Let’s make it fun!!!

[poll id=”41″]

Coffee Talk #137: What Do You Hate About Modern Games?

Yesterday I asked you about classic gaming features you miss. Today I want to know what modern gaming features you loathe. Games aren’t automatically more fun just because technology is more advanced and development techinques have improved. Sometimes there are trends that decrease the fun level. So get into your bitter barn and think about the things you hate in today’s games.

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, Bryan Danielson winning a match before E3, the lost Lost script, or your favorite Poison song, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As for me, I hate that consoles have to be online for some content to be accessed. It absolutely sucks that certain bits of DLC need to be verified through the Internet. If you’re Internet service is out or your playing your console on the road without a connection, there’s a good chance that you can’t play everything you’ve purchased. I understand why the online check happens, but there has to be a better way, no?

Now it’s your turn! What are the trends in gaming that irk you? Tacked on cooperative play? Day one DLC? I want to know!

Coffee Talk #136: What Classic Gaming Features Do You Miss?

Games get better all the time. Development techniques improve. Gameplay styles evolve. Consoles and PCs become more powerful, which allow them to be potentially more immersive. Despite all of these factors, there are things I miss about the good old days of gaming. Perhaps it’s the primitive charm of classic games or maybe I like how old games required me to imagine or maybe it’s simply nostalgia, but there are many things I miss about the classics.

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, Floyd Mayweather’s annihilation of Shane Mosley, what the hell happened to Rasheed Wallace, or your best wishes for Bret Michaels, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

The dying (perhaps dead?) gameplay convention I miss the most is turn-based combat in RPGs. I totally understand why RPGs have moved towards real-time combat — it’s more appealing to a broader audience. I get it…but I don’t like it. I loved the combat in Japanese RPGs like Final Fantasy IV/V/VI. The epic turn-based battles in titles like Final Fantasy Tactics, Ogre Battle, and Disgaea are some of my fondest gaming memories of all time. Sadly, that gameplay style is on the endangered species list.

Today I wanted to ask you about aspects of classic gaming you miss the most. What conventions and gameplay styles get you teary eyed? Perhaps there’s a storytelling technique you miss. Leave a comment and let me know (please)!

Coffee Talk #135: Do Villains Make the Hero?

My friend and I were having a nerd lunch yesterday, talking about Iron Man’s crappy rogues gallery. It was extra funny because we were eating at a restaurant made famous by Swingers and there were a few minor celebrities around. As Hollywood did its thing, we wondered if Iron Man’s popularity wasn’t as high as it could have been due to his extraordinarily bad villains. Crimson Dynamo?!? The Mandarin?!? Fin Fang Foom?!?

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, being jealous of RPadholic smartguy’s HTC Incredible, the chances of Mark Cuban holding an NBA championship tropy, or why you think Shane Mosley will beat Floyd Mayweather, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

My friend and I were having a nerd lunch yesterday, talking about Iron Man’s crappy rogues gallery. It was extra funny because we were eating at a restaurant made famous by Swingers and there were a few minor celebrities around. As Hollywood did its thing, we wondered if Iron Man’s popularity wasn’t as high as it could have been due to his extraordinarily bad villains. Crimson Dynamo?!? The Mandarin?!? Fin Fang Foom?!?

Every hero needs a good villain to fight. Batman probably has the best assortment of baddies, which is one reason he’s globally popular. The X-Men have to deal with Magneto’s brand of mutant justice and a large portion of the world hating/fearing them. Heroes like The Flash and Daredevil have been elevated in popularity thanks to their villains. Heck, Flash’s adversaries call themselves “The Rogues”, while DD has edgy opponents like Bullseye, Elektra, and Kingpin.

Do you think villains make the hero? Does a comic-book protagonist need top-shelf baddies? Or can the hero win the hearts and minds of the public regardless of who he/she is fighting?