Tag: Coffee Talk

Coffee Talk #64: The Great Box Art Controversy

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, Lane Kiffin jumping from Tennessee to USC, Conan O’Brien vs. Jay Leno, or what Jose Canseco injected into you, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

The box art for Heavy Rain has been getting a lot of criticism from American enthusiast gamers. A lot of of them feel that the European version is vastly superior and Americans are getting the shaft by out-of-touch marketers. Personally, I like both boxes and don’t see what the big deal is, but I’m reminded of a situation where I did care: Ico.

The American box art for Ico sucked and I was jealous that gamers around the world had a prettier version. It’s a bit irrational, for sure. The game wasn’t any better or worse because of the box. Sony certainly didn’t care if the box made its customers happy since they already bought the game. The majority of gamers didn’t care or didn’t know that there was better box art in other lands. All that said, for a small group of people this was a huge deal. In retrospect, I’m not even sure why the whole thing bothered me so much. Capricious youth?

Today I wanted to see how you felt about box art for games. Does your blood boil when cooler art is available in Europe or Japan? Or do you not care at all?

Coffee Talk #63: Third-Party Controllers 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, Mark McGwire finally admitting his use of steroids, Mark McGwire in complete denial that steroids helped him hit home runs, or “Iron” Mike Tyson guest hosting Monday Night Raw, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

At CES 2010, Razer announced that it was getting into the console game with its Onza Professional Gaming Controller for Xbox 360. (I still use an amateur controller to maintain my eligibility for the Olympics.) I was greatly excited that Razer was entering this market because, let’s face it, most third-party peripherals suck.

I almost always stick to first-party controllers. Sure, they cost more, but in most cases they’re much better than third-party offerings. The only exceptions I’ve made were Mad Catz’s Nintendo 64 pad and Xbox 360 Street Fighter IV pad. I don’t even use the latter for Street Fighter IV, but rather its d-pad, which is way better than the garbage on the 360’s stock controller. Anyway, that’s two third-party products in decades of gaming.

Most third-party controller vendors attempt to give gamers a cheaper alternative. For my money, most of the offerings aren’t worth it. Razer is a different beast altogether. The company has been making some of the best and most precise gaming mice for years — super high-quality stuff. I expect the Onza to be a top-notch product. I wish more companies would take this approach, rather than the cheapie route.

I wanted to get your take on third-party controllers for consoles. Have you been happy with any of them? Do you prefer the features and savings they (generally) offer? Or do you stick with first-party gear all the way?

Coffee Talk #62: The Videogame Movie of Your Dreams

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, those amazing Cardinals, Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium, or your favorite CES 2010 gadget, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Videogame movies…so many of them are embarrassing. Whether you’re talking about Uwe Boll’s numerous offenses, Raul Julia going out with a psycho crusher in Street Fighter, or Dead or Alive sucking despite having some truly beautiful women running around half-naked for 90 minutes, movies based on videogames haven’t been the best.

Some gamers don’t see the point. Games are a form of interactive storytelling, so why do they need a linear and traditional way to tell a story? Doesn’t that take away the uniqueness of the medium? I’m all for videogame movies, just like I support videogame books, comics, lunch boxes, etc. If it helps expand the world of a game I enjoy and expand the business in general, that’s a good thing. Unfortunately, the execution if often…off.

Today I wanted to ask you about the videogame movie that’s playing in your head. What gaming franchise to you want to see on the big screen? Do you have any actors or actresses you want to attach to your dream project? Kindly channel your inner director and tell me all about the videogame movie you want (please)!

Coffee Talk #61: Most Wanted Games of 2010 #1 Heavy Rain

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, whether the Palm Pre can make it big in 2010, all these people from Alabama finally leaving LA, or Gilbert Arenas vs. Plaxico Burress in a shooting contest, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

A lot of people would have figured that Final Fantasy XIII would have been my most-wanted game of 2010. That would have been a perfectly reasonable guess and I was definitely tempted to give it the top spot. To be totally honest, I actually want Quantic Dream’s Heavy Rain more than FFXIII.

I’m a big fan of Quantic Dream’s previous games. The company excels at interactive storytelling. Its last game, Indigo Prophecy, was brilliant. The game combined deep storytelling, outstanding acting, and fantastic music to create a unique mood. The downer was it was ugly as crap, looking like a game from the previous generation. Judging from the released videos and screens, Heavy Rain will not have this problem. I’m hoping that it will combine all the aspects of Quantic Dream’s previous games with bleeding-edge visuals.

Before I ask for your top pick for 2010, I have to note that there were a bunch of games that were so close to making the cut. God of War III, Pokemon Soul Silver (and Heart Gold), Super Street Fighter IV, Mass Effect 2, BioShock 2, 3D Dot Game Heroes, and The Last Guardian were all considered. This year is going to be so awesome for games!!!

Now, what’s your most wanted game of 2010?

Coffee Talk #60: Most Wanted Games of 2010 #2 FFXIII

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, Gilbert Arenas getting the banhammer from David Stern, your favorite sandwich, or CES 2010, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

The second game of my “most wanted” of 2010 list if Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XIII. This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that knows me or reads my stuff. RPGs — especially Japanese ones — are my favorite kinds of games. Square Enix is one of my favorite developers. With games like Final Fantasy Tactics, Crisis Core, FFIV, FFV, and FFX being among my all-time favorites, of course I can’t wait for FFXIII!

I’m really hoping that this is a return to glory for the series. I loved FFX. FFXI wasn’t my thing. FFXII was disappointing, especially because I’m a big Matsuno fan and wanted him to do well on the “big” series. My friends that aren’t Wired’s Chris Kohler are digging the Japanese version of FFXIII. I’m sure I’ll love it too. The only downside is that BioWare totally screwed my March 2010 by announcing that the Dragon Age: Origins expansion will be released that month.

On a related note, does anyone else consider the Xbox 360 version to be the “fake” version? I don’t have a good or real reason for viewing things that way, but the PS3 version of FFXIII is the only “real” one in my head. *shrug*

Now for the fun part! What’s #2 on your most-wanted list?

Coffee Talk #59: Most Wanted Games of 2010 — #3 SmackDown vs. Raw 2011

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 Mets signing Adrian Beltre, mediating Pacquiao/Mayweather, or awesome steak, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As I mentioned yesterday, the next three editions of Coffee Talk will have us counting down our most-wanted games of 2010. So let’s get to it! Coming in at #3 on my list is SmackDown vs. Raw 2011. Some of you might remember that SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 was one of my favorite games of 2009. So it should be no surprise that I’m greatly looking forward to this year’s version!

Obviously, the award-winning writing was the best feature of last year’s game. I have a pretty good feeling that this year’s game will feature even better writing. Call it conjecture or a guess, but I’m fairly certain that the writing in SvR 2011 will be awesome. And that’s the bottom line, ’cause R.Pad said so!

Now it’s your turn. What’s #3 on your list? List your game and why you want it (please)!

Coffee Talk #58: Annoying Console Quirks

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 return of wrestling’s Monday Night Wars, the new hit single “Gilbert’s Got a Gun”, or Google’s Android/Nexus One press conference, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

A friend of mine was downloading the MAG beta yesterday when the download crapped out on him. This prompted him to write a lengthy Facebook rant on how the download experience on the Xbox 360 is way better than that of the PlayStation 3. While I agree that, in general, the Xbox 360 offers a much smoother online experience, I never had any problems downloading games, demos, movies, etc. on my PS3. I was surprised that a lot of my friend’s friends agreed with him and wrote about their annoyances with downloading on the PS3.

The whole thing had me wondering about annoying console quirks. What “features” of your beloved consoles irk you guys and gals? Personally, I hate the shutdown process of the PlayStation 3. After telling the machine that I want it turn off…it asks me if I want to turn it off. It’s a small thing, but it annoys the hell out of me! I don’t need Windows Vista-style confirmation prompts to shut down my PS3.

So yeah! I wanted to get that out of the way before starting off three totally positive Coffee Talk columns to close out the week. Ha! What about you? What are some console quirks that bother the hell out of you? And no, the Wii doesn’t count as an annoying console quirk. :P

Coffee Talk #57: What Will Define Console Gaming in 2010?

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 J-E-T-S, if the Washington Wizards should change their name back to the Washington Bullets, or the most incredible reuben sandwich in the world, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Whether you consider it a fresh start, the beginning of another chapter, or a baby step on the road of life, a new year is always filled with exciting potential. For console gaming, 2010 should be a pivotal year. Developers are starting to master the powerful hardware at their disposal and the hardware companies are set to introduce new twists to their traditional products. Which one do you think will have a bigger impact this year?

It’s easy to say that it will be the games. Titles like Final Fantasy XIII, Heavy Rain, and God of War III should offer polished experiences that truly harness the processing power available this generation. The counter-argument is that Uncharted has already set the bar and nobody else will touch it. Even if that’s the case, there will surely be more quality games than ever in 2010.

Microsoft and Sony are set to emphasize motion controls this year. Hoping to duplicate some of the ridiculous success of the Nintendo Wii and sell consoles to mainstream gamers, both companies will go large with the motion of the ocean. The mainstream press seems particularly enamored with these kinds of controllers; I was (perhaps naively) surprised by how many mainstream outlets reported on Microsoft and Sony going all Wii at E3 2009. I won’t be surprised when the buzz is even bigger in 2010.

What do you think will definite the year in console gaming? Will it be the number of quality games? Motion controllers for all systems? Or something else entirely? I’d love to read your views on consoles in 2010, so leave a comment when you have a moment (please).

Coffee Talk #56: A New Year’s Gaming Resolution

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 enormous sucktitude of the TSA, snow, or your first morning hangover (*snicker*) of 2010, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Sorry for the lack of updates yesterday. This cold is totally kicking my ass. Between that and all the stairs at my parents’ house, I’m quite uncomfortable at the moment. Having said that, I’m so happy to be with my family and thrilled that it’s 2010! Last year sucked for a lot of people I know and it was pretty wretched for me. I’m glad it’s over and I’m looking forward to shaking things up in a new decade.

So let’s talk new year’s resolutions! A lot of people make them and most people don’t stick to them. I figure a gaming-specific resolution should be a breeze to keep. Ultimately, it’s about entertaining yourself and we all want to do that, right?

For 2010, my new year’s gaming resolution is to buy more games made by small, independent developers. Whether it’s for PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, PC, iPhone, or Android, I want to do more to support the indie scene. With any luck it will lead to some karmic goodwill with someone wanting to donate money to small, independent blogs. Ha!

Do you have any gaming resolutions for 2010? Leave a comment and let me know (please)! And happy new year to you!!!

Coffee Talk #55: Your Favorite Gambling Minigames

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, what the hell happened to the Minnesota Vikings, WWE hyping Bret Hart’s return to Raw, or the best things to do with leftover turkey, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

By the time you read this, I’ll be on my way to Atlantic City with my family. I’m Asian, ergo gambling is in my blood. I actually spent the better part of 2001 earning money in blackjack and video poker. Although I don’t gamble as much as I used to (in casinos, life is another matter), I’ve always loved gambling and card-based minis in videogames.

Out of all the minigame distractions I’ve enjoyed over the years, my favorite would have to be Triple Triad in Final Fantasy VIII. It’s a fun card game that was great for a distraction from the RPG grind and actually had an impact on gameplay. Its simple and addictive nature proved to be so popular that several fans created downloadable versions of the game. While it’s not as exhilarating as going on a hot card-counting run at Binion’s Horseshoe, it doesn’t require a bankroll and you won’t lose money on a bad run.

What are some of your favorite gambling or card-based minigames? Let me know and I’ll try to reply from the road on my BlackBerry!