Tag: PC Gaming

Coffee Talk #500: EA vs. the Westboro Baptist Church

I love that EA, Microsoft and Zynga are supporting gay marriage by taking a stand against the Defense of Marriage Act. It’s a decision that will make many of their employees happy, but it’s also one that could cost each company business. While many people believe that marriage is an institution that everyone should be…

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 disgusting Colorado shooting at The Dark Knight Rises premiere, Verve’s Ethiopia Haile, or Google purchasing the excellent creators of the excellent Sparrow Mail, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I love that EA, Microsoft and Zynga are supporting gay marriage by taking a stand against the Defense of Marriage Act. It’s a decision that will make many of their employees happy, but it’s also one that could cost each company business. While many people believe that marriage is an institution that everyone should be allowed to suffer enjoy, there are those that believe it should only be between a man and a woman.

The Westboro Baptist Church immediately popped into my head as I was reading EA’s blog post stating the company’s opposition to DoMA. That church hates gay people and loves protests. Its members took the time to protest Kevin Smith’s Red State, a movie that was seen in theaters by like 12 people. Imagine what they would do to companies that serve millions with their products?!?

I can see those nuts trying to organize a boycott of EA games, Microsoft consoles, Zynga titles, etc. I can see these idiots holding up signs that say, “Need For Speed…Speeding Up the Death of Fags!!!”, “God Hates Xbox, Loves PS3!!!”, and, “Words With Straight Friends Only!!!”.  These people are horrible and stupid, but they’re also loud and active. I’m certain that a group like the Westboro Baptist Church will try to hurt videogame companies that are anti-DoMA.

What do you think of EA, Microsoft, and Zynga supporting gay marriage? Do you think it will cost them business?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

It’ll be a double digital download weekend for me. Dyad has captivated several of my game-industry friends. I’ve been high on the game since last week and I plan to play more this weekend. My review code for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD just arrived; it’s going to be loads of fun revisiting classic THPS levels in glorious HD. I can’t wait!

How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?

Coffee Talk #497: Your Comic-Con 2012 Favorites

There was so much to go gaga over at Comic-Con 2012. The movie trailers and announcements were brilliant. The videogame showings were boss. What were your favorite Comic-Con 2012 happenings? Let’s start with the games. Epic had a great show with Gears of War: Judgement and Fortnite…

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, Danny Garcia’s stunning upset victory over Amir Khan, the rapidly declining prices of SSDs, or the Jeremy Lin saga, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

There was so much to go gaga over at Comic-Con 2012. The movie trailers and announcements were brilliant. The videogame showings were boss. What were your favorite Comic-Con 2012 happenings? Let’s start with the games. Epic had a great show with Gears of War: Judgement and Fortnite. While I’m thrilled for the company’s success on a personal level, the videogame announcement that won me over was Deadpool. Marvel’s merc with a mouth is one of my favorite characters of all time. I’m thrilled that he’s getting very own adventure and I can’t wait to enjoy the game’s writing. Duct tape!!!

The movie trailers, panels, and announcement were killer too. I’m sure all of you were pleased to learn that Arnold Schwarzenegger confirmed a sequel to Twins. Most people seemed excited by the latest Iron Man and Superman footage. Fans of minor characters were happy to see The Guardians of the Galaxy getting a movie (Gamora is hot, btw). Obviously Captain America was always going to have a sequel, but I marked out when Captain America: The Winter Soldier was revealed. I love the Winter Soldier character. The revamped Bucky Barnes is cool and modern. He also fits into that tweener category of superheroes that I enjoy. I’m totally amped to see Winter Soldier on the big screen.

Now it’s your turn! What were your favorite movie and videogame happenings of Comic-Con 2012?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

Last night I started playing Dyad for PlayStation 3. It’s a cool puzzle-racer that features soothing sounds and trippy visuals. I’m really digging it so far and looking forward to playing more this weekend. The audio-visual aspects of the game are so intense that Dyad seems like an excellent game to play while drinking. You shouldn’t drink and drive, but drinking and driving your way through a puzzle-racer is completely fine.

How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?

Ultima Forever Coming for PC and iPad

At Comic Con 2012, Electronic Arts announced that the Ultima franchise will be returning to PC and debuting on iPad thanks to BioWare. Ultima Forever is a free-to-play game set to arrive in late 2012. The warrior and mage have been revealed as playable classes, while the bard was teased on the Ultima Forever Twitter page. Here’s more from the official site:

The first great Western RPG has been lovingly restored in Ultima Forever — return to the Ultima series in BioWare’s new cross-platform action RPG. Accept the challenge from Lady British and save the land of Britannia. Play as the Fighter or the Mage and travel alone or with friends, restore virtue and become the Avatar!

As an RPG nerd and a BioWare fanboy, I must play this game. Ultima was one of the best and earliest RPG franchises in PC gaming; any RPG fan with a sense of history should revere the series. BioWare is simply awesome (scientific classification), as you know. The difficult part will be deciding whether to play this on PC or iPad. What a wonderful problem to have!

Any of you psyched for Ultima Forever?

Epic Reveals Fortnite Screens and Details at Comic-Con

As San Diego Comic-Con 2012, Epic Games revealed new screens and details for its upcoming PC game Fortnite. The company stated that this will be the first game to utilize Unreal Engine 4. Similar to the hugely popular Minecraft, Fortnite’s activities change depending on the time of day. In the daytime, players gather resources, explore, and work together to build elaborate forts. At nighttime, players have to defend their prized domiciles against baddies.

Obviously, the game will differ on a visual level. Where Minecraft charmed with its pixel art, Fortnite will aim to dazzle with cutting-edge tech. The art style is also playful and I think Epic is onto something here. There’s just something nostalgic about building a fort. I fondly remember building all sorts of (crappy looking) constructs with my friends when I was a kid. There’s something magical about transforming a refrigerator box into an impregnable fortress. If experiences like that were part of your childhood then there’s a great chance that Fortnite will resonate with you.

Check out the screens below and share your thoughts on Epic’s Fortnite.

[nggallery id=102]

Tomb Raider: The Final Hours #1

Square Enix has posted the first episode of Tomb Raider: The Final Hours. This popular series, originated by longtime videogame journalist Geoff Keighley, takes you behind the scenes during the last stages of the videogame development process. The Tomb Raider episodes are hosted by actor Zachari Levi (Tangled, Thor). The first episode focuses on creating the new Lara Croft and features lots of footage of the sexy Camilla Luddington.

I’m a huge fan of this series and I love that Square Enix chose to do this for Tomb Raider. The first episode kicks things off nicely and I’m looking forward to more. When you have a chance, give it a watch and let me know what you think (please!).

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

Roger Federer’s excellent Wimbledon semifinal win over Novak Djokovic has inspired me…to play tennis videogames. Ha! It looks like a 3DS weekend for me, featuring Mario Tennis Open. I’m hoping that my copy of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy arrives today. That’ll mix things up nicely. I’m so amped by the possibility of another Federer grand-slam victory that I’m thinking about busting out some classic tennis games.

How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?

NiGHTS Into Dreams HD Remake Coming This Fall

Sega has announced that NiGHTS Into Dreams will be getting the HD treatment 16 years after its original release for the Sega Saturn. The game will be available this Fall as a digital download for PlayStation Network, Windows PC, and Xbox Live Arcade. According to Sega’s blog…

Sega has announced that NiGHTS Into Dreams will be getting the HD treatment 16 years after its original release for the Sega Saturn. The game will be available this Fall as a digital download for PlayStation Network, Windows PC, and Xbox Live Arcade. According to Sega’s blog:

This new version will bring Nightopia to vivid life with improved HD graphics and a 16:9 aspect ratio, as well as added support for leaderboards, trophies, and achievements. It will also feature an optional Saturn Mode that will let players experience the game with the original graphics intact.

NiGHTS is a beloved platformer among hardcore gamers and one of the Saturn’s shining moments. I’m thrilled that it’s making a return, but I wonder if the game will resonate with younger gamers.

Any of you psyched for NiGHTS Into Dreams HD?

Source

Final Fantasy VII Coming to PC With Achievements

Square Enix has revealed that Final Fantasy VII will be rereleased for PC “soon” with achievements, character boosters, and cloud saves. Two of the three new features are self-explanatory. Character boosters let you “increase your HP, MP and Gil levels to their maximum, all with the simple click of a button, leaving you to enjoy your adventure”. They will presumably be in-app purchases.

The system requirements for FFVII are relatively modest: Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7 (32/64-bit), 2GHz Processor or faster, 1GB RAM, and a DirectX 9-compatible graphic card. The game will be sold exclusively through the Square Enix store.

While people constantly argue about how “good” Final Fantasy VII is, it’s undoubtedly the most popular and influential game in the series. A PC rerelease is a huge deal. Naturally, I want to know if any of you are excited to play Final Fantasy VII on PC with achievements, character boosters, and cloud saves.

Source