Coffee Talk Archives - Page 6 of 67

Coffee Talk #618: Nerd Subscriptions and You

As you know, we are living in a digital world (~~and I am a digital girl…err, scratch that~~). One of the byproducts of the digital age, particularly for people with nerdy hobbies, is that we’re spending more money on subscription services. For nerd subscriptions, Microsoft’s Xbox Live was the first monthly subscription for many geek chic. Since then, the nerd subscriptions have multiplied like Gremlins. For an endless supply of geeky media, people are dropping money every month on Xbox Live, PlayStation Plus, Netflix, Hulu, WWE Network, Marvel Unlimited, and more. I’d love to hear about your nerd subscriptions. It’ll be fun to see the services we all subscribe to…continued

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, Captain Kirk drunk driving in New Zealand, your favorite sandwich getting snubbed by this list of the best sandwiches in America, or NBA excitement building up as the playoffs approach, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As for me, I’m a current subscriber to Xbox Live, PlayStation Plus, Netflix (though to be fair, it’s a comped press account), and WWE Network. While I need those services for work purposes, I think they all provide good to great value and would happily pay for them even if they weren’t tax deductible expenses. The videogame service subscriptions are necessary; I don’t really have a choice there. I’m committed to WWE Network for six months, but that would be the first one to go; I love watching classic Ric Flair matches, but from a value standpoint I want to see how live pay-per-view events perform. Netflix has so much great content, with a growing library of exclusives (Pokemon, Star War: The Clone Wars) that makes it a must-have nerd subscription.

Now it’s your turn! Kindly list your current, cancelled, and prospective nerd subscriptions in the comments section.

Coffee Talk #617: The Evolution of Facebook Comments on ESPN.com

Last year, ESPN.com caused quite a stir when the powers that be decided to switch from a proprietary commenting system to Facebook comments. As expected, the switch was met with a lots of anger and resistance. Also expected was huge drop-off in comments. Now that people have gotten acclimated to the new system, discussion on ESPN.com is arguably as vibrant as ever. However, Facebook comments have introduced an interesting element to the banter…continued

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, Ke$sha rebranding herself as Kesha, giggling as you review a vaping e-liquid made with horehound, or meeting excellent pro-wrestlers that vape, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

One of the reasons websites switch to Facebook comments is to make sure real people are commenting. (Of course someone can set up a dummy account specifically for outlets that use Facebook comments, but that’s too much effort for most people.) The idea is that people are less likely to leave spam and less likely to post viciously antagonizing comments if they’re posting as themselves. For the most part, this has worked over at ESPN.com. There’s certainly less spam (though you can always count on one of those “I make $xxxx a month working from home” posts) and the discussion is generally more civilized, but when things get nasty…damn.

Since ESPN.com posters can easily access Facebook accounts of other commenters, some of the replies can get nasty. The insults are more personal now that real information about posters is easily accessible. Facebook comments have led to insults about appearance, education, jobs, ethnicity, and more. While the trolling and hating has decreased, the insults have become way more personal.

As a frequent ESPN.com reader, I appreciate that spam has decreased through the use of Facebook comments. However, it makes me wince when I see bitingly personal insults over sports teams and sports stars. You can thank Facebook comments for that as well. It kind of makes me sad.

I know that many of you are also ESPN.com readers. Now that the site has used Facebook comments for several months, what do you think of the switch? Have you noticed any changes to the discussion? Leave a comment and let me know (please!).

Coffee Talk #616: Heroes With Limited Vocabularies

The Guardians of the Galaxy trailer has me totally geeked out. One of the reasons I’m excited for the movie is Groot. He is the coolest talking tree in sci-fi and fantasy. Groot is way cooler than those lamers in The Lord of the Rings. As I mentioned in my story on the trailer, I was anxiously awaiting Groot to say his trademark phase, “I am Groot.” Since he didn’t, my anticipation for the next trailer has increased exponentially. The trailer also got me thinking about other heroes with limited vocabularies. There are so many great ones to choose from. I’m going to use today’s column to talk about some of my favorites and I’d love to hear about yours. Let’s start with…continued

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 2014 Oscar winners (and losers), hosting vape shop openings with charming models, or the Oklahoma City Thunder getting bitten by the injury bug, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Timmy From South Park: Timmy Burch made his debut in South Park season 4 and the world has been a better place ever since. Wheelchair-bound and mentally disabled, Timmy’s vocabulary is limited to his name. He has shown, time and time again, a broad range of emotions simply by saying, “Timmy!” Hell, he even fronted a kick-ass band called Timmy and the Lords of the Underworld. One of my favorite Timmy clips was when he was being chased by a dinosaur in prehistoric times. The palpable sense of fear he conveyed while limited to saying, “Timmy!” stopped me in my tracks and made me think, “Acting.”

Pikachu: The most popular Pokemon in the world has spent years entertaining millions of television watchers, moviegoers, and gamers while limited to saying three syllables. Purists of heroes with limited vocabulary argue that Pikachu has an unfair advantage over his contemporaries since he uses numerous permutations of pi, ka, and chu. Personally, I give him a pass on that technicality since he has saved the world on multiple occasions.

Groot: Of course I need to spend some time talking about Groot. At a glance, it’s easy to dismiss him as a large talking tree that’s merely a heavy hitter on the Guardians of the Galaxy’s roster. Yes, he can deal some heavy damage, but he’s more than just a bruiser. He’s Rocket Raccoon’s confidant and anchor. When Gamora wants to lower her guard and shed the burden of being the most dangerous woman in the universe, Groot is there for when she wants to be a girly girl. (That has never been shown in the comics, but I know it in my heart to be true.) In Guardians of the Galaxy #17, he hatched a plan with Maximus of the Inhumans, showing a deep knowledge of “quasi-dimensional superpositional engineering.” While there are numerous heroes with limited vocabularies, Groot is arguably the smartest and most educated.

Your Picks: Now it’s your turn to talk about heroes with limited vocabularies. Kindly use the comments section to talk about heroes from comic books, television, and movies that are limited to a handful of words. Can you think of one more heroic and legendary than Groot?!?

Coffee Talk #615: What’s Your Dungeons and Dragons Alignment?

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, getting ready for the glorious 2014 Derek Jeter retirement tour, Kate Upton showing how zero gravity can be, or Posh Spice getting her fake boobs removed, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Severely important questions today: Which Dungeons and Dragons alignment do you consider yourself to be and which one would you like to be? In case you need a refresher, check out the alignment chart above, the nerdy alignment charts below, and the Wikipedia page of Dungeons and Dragons alignments. Hopefully none of you RPadholics are evil (but if you are, this would be useful information for all of us to know). I’m curious to learn if you’re more neutral or good, as well as more chaotic or lawful. So give it some thought (please) and let’s have a go! As for me….

I’m probably more chaotic good than anything else. I try to be a good person in general. Occasionally I do something mildly evil, like throwing away soda cans instead of remembering to put them in the recycling bin. However, I do have a problem with authority — government, bosses, teachers, parents, etc. I’ve always had this issue. Sometimes it has served me well and other times…it wasn’t the smartest attitude to have.

What I’d like to be is neutral good. My authority issues can be immature. It would behoove me (professionally, not personally) to question authority less. I blame my constant questioning on being a philosophy major; I was trained to respond to everything with, “Why?” While this has often lead to superior and well-examined results at work, it has almost always driven my bosses crazy. “Because I said so,” isn’t a good enough reason for me, but I would to better in the workplace if I would just shut up and do my job. Ha!

In a perfect world, I’d be chaotic neutral, but I’m not cool enough or rich enough to pull that off. Damn that George Clooney and that Leonardo DiCaprio for being able to live the dream.

Now it’s your turn! Kindly use all the information in this post and let me know which Dungeons and Dragons alignment you are and which one you’d like to be.

Coffee Talk #614: Who’s the Best Mortal Kombat Sonya?

My friend Justin and I have had several arguments about the hottest Mortal Kombat Sonya. In the red corner, there’s Bridgette Wilson from the first Mortal Kombat movie. In the blue corner, there’s Sandra Hess from Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. To me, the answer is a no-brainer, but I accept that not everyone has the same opinion. So let’s break it down and examine which actress makes the sexier Mortal Kombat Sonya. After you’ve made up your mind, please vote in the poll below…continued

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, Chris Paul’s triumphant return to the Los Angeles Clippers, the start of the Sochi Olympics, or Marcus Smart’s war on fans, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

My friend Justin and I have had several arguments about the hotter Mortal Kombat Sonya. In the red corner, there’s Bridgette Wilson from the first Mortal Kombat movie. In the blue corner, there’s Sandra Hess from Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. To me, the answer is a no-brainer, but I accept that not everyone has the same opinion. So let’s break it down and examine which actress makes the sexier Mortal Kombat Sonya. After you’ve made up your mind, please vote in the poll below.

Bridgette Wilson: This lady gets mad bonus points for starring as Miss Veronica Vaughn in the legendary Billy Madison. She also gets additional points for her roles in Saved by the Bell and Last Action Hero. A former Miss Teen USA, Wilson did an adequate job in the Sonya Blade fighting scenes in Mortal Kombat. Objectively, Second Sonya kicked more ass. Subjectively, her body of work made her my pick. Going against her is the fact that she married tennis legend Pete Sampras. Sampras’ uncanny resemblance to Eugene Levy means Bridgette Wilson finds Eugene Levy sexy on some level. Yeah, that’s kind of weird.

Sandra Hess: This Swiss beauty dropped out of the University of Zurich’s law school, so she’s smart and beautiful. Her fight scenes in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation were more impressive than Wilson’s, showing a sexy flexibility and the willingness to fight in mud (for no apparent reason). While her body of work isn’t as impressive, she does get some nerd points for starring in Beastmaster III and playing Viper in Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. On the plus side, she did not marry Pete Sampras. While she’s objectively more beautiful and had a better run as Mortal Kombat Sonya, it’s tough to compete with Veronica Vaughn.

Your Turn: Kindly give this hugely important matter some thought, vote in the poll below, and explain your choice in the comments section when you have a chance.

[poll id=”191″]

Coffee Talk #613: Best Super Bowl XLVIII Nerd Movie Trailer

Confession: I totally missed most of Super Bowl XLVIII. Part of it was because I was bummed about the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman and part of it was because jet lag was totally kicking my ass. The thorough thrashing of the Denver Broncos performed by the Seattle Seahawks didn’t help keep me awake. That said, I did manage to catch the three Super Bowl XLVIII nerd movie trailers: The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Transformers: Age of Extinction. The trailers are embedded below for your viewing pleasure, followed by some commentary and a poll. I’d love to hear your thoughts on these Super Bowl XLVIII nerd movie trailers. Kindly comment and vote when you have a moment…continued

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, adjusting (sadly) to life back in America, IHOP vs. Denny’s, or remembering your favorite Philip Seymour Hoffman movie, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Confession: I totally missed most of Super Bowl XLVIII. Part of it was because I was bummed about the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman and part of it was because jet lag was totally kicking my ass. The thorough thrashing of the Denver Broncos performed by the Seattle Seahawks didn’t help keep me awake. That said, I did manage to catch the three Super Bowl XLVIII nerd movie trailers: The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Transformers: Age of Extinction. The trailers are embedded below for your viewing pleasure, followed by some commentary and a poll. I’d love to hear your thoughts on these Super Bowl XLVIII nerd movie trailers. Kindly comment and vote when you have a moment.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2: This lengthy spot was full of fun bits and full of elements that have me worried. The CGI effects for Spider-Man and Electro were sweet. Andrew Garfield seems to be doing better with the role (liked him as Spider-Man, but thought he was too cool as Peter Parker). Having too many villains (Electro, Rhino, Green Goblin) worries me. Will the movie be too unfocused?

Then there’s the “spurned lover” aspect of Electro, seen in such movies as Batman Forever (Riddler), The Incredibles (Syndrome), and most recent Iron Man 3 (Aldrich Killian). That’s been done do death. Lastly, as a comic-book fanboy, I don’t really like Harry Osborn as the Green Goblin. That role will always be Norman Osborn to me.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier: This was easily my favorite Super Bowl XLVIII nerd movie trailer. I’ve been high on this movie for months and this extended trailer just cements my fandom. The Winter Soldier is a great character and the trailer makes him look like a total bad ass. It was cool seeing more of 8-Mile’s Papa Doc as Falcon and seeing Scarlett Johansson is always an excellent thing.

While Chris Evans is a way better Captain America than I ever expected him to be, this movie is all about the villain. And really, aren’t the best superhero movies defined by their awesome villains? The trailer is full of acrobatic action, collateral damage (loved seeing the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier crash into that building), and tense moments. I’m totally psyched for this movie.

Transformers: Age of Extinction: Ah, another Michael Bay disasterpiece. On the plus side, it has ~~Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch~~ Mark Wahlberg. Unfortunately, it has Optimus Prime riding around on Grimlock as if he were a trusted steed rather than a fierce Dinobot. Yeah…no.

Your Turn: Now it’s your turn to vote. Kindly pick your favorite Super Bowl XLVIII nerd movie trailer in the poll below and explain your choice in the comments section.

[poll id=”190″]

Coffee Talk #612: Random Thoughts on Alex Rodriguez + Poll

You’ve got to hand it to Alex Rodriguez. Just when you think he couldn’t possibly look more ridiculous, he manages to find new ways to top himself. After getting slapped with a 162-game suspension by an independent arbitrator in a process that was agreed upon by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association (the union), A-Fraud decides to sue MLB and the MLBPA. A man that has admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs in the past has adamantly denied that he was recently using performance-enhancing drugs despite damning evidence to the contrary. He loses an arbitration hearing that both MLB and the MLBPA have publicly stated is a final decision, in accordance to the collective bargaining agreement. Since A-Fraud didn’t get the results he wanted to, he’s going to sue everyone. It’s amazing that…continued

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 Golden Globe Awards, the amazingly overrated Lena Dunham, or the NFL playoffs, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

There are so many takeaways from this. Where to begin?

– Several web sites have consulted with legal experts on the chances of A-Fraud getting his case heard by a federal court. All of them have said that it’s extremely unlikely. The reasoning behind these opinions is that federal courts are extremely wary of interfering with arbitration processes that were collectively bargained.

– A-Fraud has some of the dumbest fans in the world. Despite the notes from his presumed PED supplier and several coded BlackBerry messages, they believe their hero is clean. They also believe that a federal court will overturn the ruling, despite what most legal experts are saying. So many of them are trying to apply basic court logic (probably learned from Law and Order reruns) to an arbitration hearing. I’m not a smart man, but I know ~~what love is~~ that comparison is dumb. It doesn’t work that way. My favorite are the ones that say he’s being singled out because he’s Latino. No, he’s being singled out because he’s the only player that disputed the initial Biogenesis suspensions.

– Let’s ignore the fact that A-Fraud was dumb enough to use his personal phone instead of a burner to discuss PED usage. Why the hell was he still using a BlackBerry?!?

– I love that “gummies” was one of the codewords for the PEDs A-Fraud was using. I don’t understand how A-Fraud defenders can dismiss this. Do they think that he was sending messages to a know PED pedaler about when to consume chewable German candy?

– No, MLB isn’t clean in this matter either. Some of the tactics it used to build a case against A-Fraud were sleazy. Many A-Fraud supporters point out that some of MLB’s evidence wouldn’t be admissible in a court of law due to the manner it was procured. However, this was an arbitration and not a court case, so….

For the record, I was never happy that the Yankees signed Alex Rodriguez. I don’t care about his strong performance in the 2009 playoffs that helped win the Yankees a World Series. I’ve loathed him ever since he threw his former best friend Derek Jeter under the bus in a 2001 Esquire article. He has embarrassed the team time and time again and, like I said in the intro, always manages to find new ways to top himself.

All that aside, the evidence against A-Fraud is difficult to dispute. I don’t believe his claim that he’s been clean for the last several years. I do believe that he looks like a crybaby for suing MLB and the MLBPA.

More importantly, I want to get your thoughts on the matter. Do you think his suspension was too harsh? Do you believe that he took PEDs? Do you think a federal court will overturn the arbitration ruling? Kindly vote in the poll below and leave a comment with your thoughts on the latest Alex Rodriguez situation.

[poll id=”189″]

Coffee Talk #611: Five Things I Liked From CES 2014

The 2014 Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2014) is wrapping up and tech nerds are still recovering from being inundated by awesome announcements. Looking through the retroscope, I wish I had gone to this year’s show. It had the expected technology and gaming announcements I expected. What surprised me was the amount of vaping goods on display. Gah! Before I plan for CES 2015, let’s take a look back at five announcements I liked from CES 2014…continued

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 fraudulent NY Knicks giving fans false hope with their fluke win over the Miami Heat, the Broadway musical based on the lyrics of Tupac Shakur, or the unfortunate news of Emma Watson dating some fool rugby player, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

WWE Network: I wrote about the CES 2014 WWE Network announcement yesterday and I’m still jazzed about the news. This streaming-video service is a dream come true for marks, smarts, and smarks. For $10 a month you get all 12 live WWE pay-per-view events, some original programming, and on-demand access to classic pro-wrestling matches. Hell, I’d pay $10 a month just to watch Ric Flair’s vast library of five-star matches.
First-Gen Steam Machines: Valve-powered Steam Machines are potentially disruptive for the entire videogame universe. Steam Machines could dratically change things for gamers, game developers, and game publishers. I was thrilled to see that first-gen Steam Machines will be coming from top hardware vendors at a broad range of prices. Steam Machines are on the way from Alienware, CyberPowerPC, Digital Storm, Falcon NW ,GigaByte, iBuyPower, Origin PC, and others.
T-Mobile Pays For ETFs: T-Mobile USA’s John Legere is easily the most entertaining CEO in technology today. I love his bold moves and juvenile antics. Some of the things he does aren’t exactly professional, but damn they’re funny. It was hilarious that he crashed AT&T’s CES 2014 party…and promptly got kicked out. In a serious move, I dig the latest step in T-Mobile’s “Uncarrier” initiative: paying early-termination fees (ETFs) for customers moving from AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon to T-Mobile. It’s just the latest in a number of aggressive moves from carrier.
Razer Project Christine: Speaking of bold and aggressive, I’m absolutely smitten with Razer’s Project Christine concept design that was unveiled at CES 2014. This modular PC chassis looks amazingly cool and is extremely practical. It makes upgrading and expanding a PC’s capabilities a snap. Even though I’m mostly a Mac guy these days, I’d love to get a Project Christine PC for when I’m working on PC games.
PlayStation Now: The Gaikai streaming-videogame service will be reborn as PlayStation Now. In addition to streaming older PlayStation games to PlayStation consoles, the service will be built into select Bravia televisions. This is a fantastic value-added feature for casual gamers that want to play videogames every now and then, but aren’t into it enough to buy a dedicated machine. It could even serve as a gateway service and create born-again gamers. It’s a very cool and very smart move from Sony.

How about you guys and dolls? What CES 2014 product or service announcements did you enjoy?

Coffee Talk #610: Most Wanted Nerd Movies of 2014

Now that we’ve discussed our favorite 2013 movies and our most wanted videogames of 2014, it’s time to talk about the most wanted nerd movies of 2014. On the plus side, 2013 had all sorts of movies for comics, fantasy, and sci-fi fans. Unfortunately, many of them were merely good and few of them caused true nerdgasms. On paper, 2014 looks promising. There are loads of comics, sci-fi, and fantasy films slated for release, packed with phenomenal casts and crews. Below is a list of nerd movies that I’m looking forward to. After you check it out, please share your most wanted nerd movies of 2014…continued

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 Chicago Bulls’ rebuilding phase, the best complement to peanut butter, or the triumphant return of Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier — The trailer for this movie looks sick and I’m a huge fan of the comic-book version of the antagonist. With some luck, Winter Soldier could surpass Loki as Marvel’s coolest movie bad guy.

X-Men: Days of Future Past — The source material is awesome and Bryan Singer has shown skill at being respectful to the source while deftly adapting it to the big screen (let’s all pretend his Superman didn’t happen). Awesome mutants, menacing sentinels, and Peter Dinklage should make this a fun flick. That said, I am concerned that time hopping, alternate realities, and time stream alteration could make this one a mess.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 — The first movie was utterly charming and I’m hoping for more of the same in the sequel. Plus, dragons are awesome.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes — I loved the first movie. It was smart, the acting was great, and the special effects were excellent. My concern here is that the director worked on Felicity. That show sucked.

Muppets Most Wanted — After years of being shelved, Jim Henson’s Muppets made a triumphant return in 2011. Accompanied by Tina Fey and Ricky Gervais, I’m hopeful that the Muppets will smash it once again.

The Knights of Badassdom — Peter Dinklage and Steve Zahn awesome. LARPing is hilarious. Put it all together and you should have a sweet nerd movie. As an added bonus, the movie was directed by a former G4tv coworker of mine.

Hercules — No, I’m not talking about the one starring the Twilight guy. I’m talking about Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s movie. As a WWE mark, I need to support The Rock’s quest to become America’s best action hero.

Lucy — Scarlett Johansson as a drug mule turned superhero? I’m down! Actually, I’m down with most things Scarlett Johansson.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For — The first movie was stellar — arguably the best pure comic-book-to-movie adaptation ever made. The second movie brings back the scintillating Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, and Jaime King. I’m curious about recasting Miho with Jamie Chung, as well as Lady Gaga’s cameo. Creator Frank Miller is assisting Robert Rodriguez as director, so it should be another faithful adaptation.

Guardians of the Galaxy — I’m a bit torn about this movie. It’s a difficult book to translate to the silver screen. I mean, two of the main characters are a bad-ass raccoon and a repetitive tree. The source is lots of fun and I want the movie to kick ass…but it also stars WWE Batista. Part of me wants the world to see him as the utter fraud of an entertainer he is — that guy sucks at everything (except, perhaps, writing unintentional funny autobiographies).

Amazing Spider-Man 2 — The first movie was fun for me, but not great. I’m hoping that the cast and crew does a better job the second time around. The acting talent is immense and Spidey special effects are always fun. Will the gang have the stones to kill off Gwen Stacy?!? I’m anxious to find out.

RoboCop — The costume makes the titular character look like a Japanese sex toy. Let’s forget about that and look at the tremendous supporting cast: Michael Keaton, Gary Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson, Jackie Earle Haley, Jay Baruchel, and more. That’s a crazy amount of talent!

Transformers: Age of Extinction — Yeah, these movies are pretty stupid (Michael Bay’s specialty), but the upcoming Transformers flick has two things going for it — Mark Wahlberg and (rumored) Dinobots! Me Grimlock wants to see this one (when it’s available digitally)!

Now it’s your turn. Kindly share your most wanted nerd movies of 2014 in the comments section (please!).

Coffee Talk #609: Your Most Wanted Videogame of 2014

2014 should be an excellent year for videogames. There should be more mature (in terms of development) games for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Wii U. The Steam Box is a potentially industry-changing product that will be out this year. Mobile games keep getting better and better. Put it all together and we should have all kinds of gaming awesomeness. My question for you on this fine day is this: what’s your most wanted videogame of 2014…continued

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 Knicks/Nets giving fans false hope with their fluke 2014 stars, figuring out how to review luggage, or the glory of broccoli, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As for me, the answer couldn’t be easier. I’m all about Dragon Age: Inquisition. I loved the first game and enjoyed the second game way more than most. Hell, I’m even enjoying the mobile game Heroes of Dragon Age, despite its numerous flaws. I’m just heavily invested in the world of Dragon Age (yes, I’ve read some of the books) and as a lifelong fan of BioWare, I can’t wait to see where the story goes from here. In my head, the game will be a near-perfect mix of great storytelling, deep gameplay, and unforgettable characters. Dragon Age: Inquisition is easily my most wanted videogame of 2014 and I suspect that it will end up being my 2014 game of the year.

How about you, dear RPadholics? What games are you looking forward to the most this year? What’s your most wanted videogame of 2014? Please let me know in the comments section.