Tag: Videogames

L1 Games’ Chet Muzzalupo Continues to Fight EA Online Pass

Level One Games’, an independent game store in Ohio, owner Chet Muzzalupo has posted another rant against EA Online Pass. Crusading against what he calls “Nazi-esque extortion” by EA, Muzzalupo gets down and dirty in this video. He questions what the “$10 solution” is paying for and who it’s really going to. He wonders why EA execs are making so much money while making it more difficult for its fans to buy games. At the end of the video he issues at challenge to any EA exec that will take him on.

Check out the video if you have a chance and let me know what you think of Muzzalupo’s opinions (please).

Wipeout, Star Strike, and Mr. Pain Going 3D on PlayStation 3

Wipeout HD, Star Strike HD, and Mr. Pain will be getting downloaded patches on June 10 that allow the games to be experienced in stereoscopic 3D. As of this writing, the download date has only been confirmed for Japan. Andriasang has the skinny:

The three lucky first recipients of 3D support will be Wipeout HD, Star Strike HD and Mr. Pain. Current owners will be able to update Wipeout and Star Strike to 3D support for free. Mr. Pain will require a separate ¥300 purchase to unlock a 3D mode.

Those who haven’t purchased the games yet will of course still be able to buy them, with pricing set at the current ¥1,800 for Wipeout HD and ¥800 for for Star Strike. Mr. Pain will be available for ¥1,000, but even new purchasers will have to spend ¥300 extra to get the 3D mode.

It will be interesting to see how well these downloads perform. It’s a real chicken-and-egg scenario here (Aristotle was right, btw). There aren’t many gamers that can experience 3D on PS3, but until there are enough compelling titles available there’s no incentive to upgrade.

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Pokemon Black and White Confirmed for Spring 2011 in America

Nintendo has confirmed that Pokemon Black and Pokemon White for Nintendo DS will ship in spring 2011. It also confirmed the Western names for the new legendary Pokemon. Gracing the cover of Black will be Reshiram, while Zekrom will be on the cover of White. Here’s a snippet from the press release:

The launch of Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version follows the incredible consumer response to Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version, which have sold more than 8.4 million units combined worldwide to date. The Pokémon video game series has sold more than 200 million units worldwide since it was first introduced 14 years ago.

I’m always down for more Pokemon RPGs. I’ll just have to sing a few lines from the cartoon: “Pokemon! It’s you and me. I know it’s my destiny!”

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I think I’m finally over my Scrabble phase (well…mostly). This weekend I want to jump back into the world of gamers’ games! I have Alan Wake and Split / Second waiting on my Xbox 360. This seems like a fine weekend to tackle both. On the downloadable front, I’m going to give Rocket Knight a shot. It looks like a cool old-school platformer. Lastly, I ordered Glory of Heracles in a pretty awesome Amazon deal. It’ll be arriving today and I’m totally down for some turn-based RPG excitement on my DS.

As always, I want to know what you’re playing this weekend!

Mark Hamill to Retire as The Joker in Batman: Arkham Asylum 2

Actor and nerd icon Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker, Cocknocker) has done a tremendous job voicing The Joker in Batman: The Animated Series and Batman: Arkham Asylum. Sadly, his run as The Joker is coming to an end. He recently told IGN:

This will be my last, there’s no question about that. But it’s the last hurrah.

As a huge mark for Hamill (see what I did there?) and Kevin Conroy, I’m sad that the duo won’t be sharing the screen again. They are absolutely brilliant together. Like most people that grew up on Star Wars, Hamill was pretty much the coolest person on Earth to me as a kid. When I grew up and found out he was a comic-book nerd, my respect for him increased tenfold. I’m sad that he won’t be back as The Joker. On the plus side, I’m looking forward to Arkham Asylum 2 more than ever!

I know a few of you are big fans of Batman: The Animated Series. Are you going to miss Hamill? What are some of your favorite moments of him as The Joker? Did you think he meant he was retiring as The Joker for good or just from the videogame series?

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Coffee Talk #151: Where Do You Play Games?

Whether I’ve “known” you for a few weeks or few years, one thing we have in common is that we love to play games. You’re probably thinking, “Duh!”, but stay with me for a sec. One thing I don’t know about you is where you play games. Do you have your living room decked out with a crazy surround-sound system? Perhaps you prefer playing in bed while leaning on your favorite pillow. Maybe you’ve constructed an elaborate man/woman cave for gaming. Today I want to hear all about your gaming setup. So please take this poll and tell me about your rig!

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, Andy Pettitte rocking it at 37, WWE finally making Bryan Danielson interesting, or who should replace Simon Cowell on American Idol, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Whether I’ve “known” you for a few weeks or few years, one thing we have in common is that we love to play games. You’re probably thinking, “Duh!”, but stay with me for a sec. One thing I don’t know about you is where you play games. Do you have your living room decked out with a crazy surround-sound system? Perhaps you prefer playing in bed while leaning on your favorite pillow. Maybe you’ve constructed an elaborate man/woman cave for gaming. Today I want to hear all about your gaming setup. So please take this poll and tell me about your rig!

[poll id=”50″]

The Cover Athlete for NBA 2K11 is…Michael Jordan?

ESPN.com’s Jon Robinson just served up this hot rumor: Michael Jordan is going to be the cover athlete for 2K Sports’ NBA 2K11. The man formerly known as Johnny Ballgame reported:

While rumors pegged LeBron James, Derrick Rose and even Tyreke Evans as favorites to appear on the cover of NBA 2K11, multiple sources have told ESPN that the company has gone in a completely different direction, signing basketball legend Michael Jordan as its new spokesman.

Going with Jordan would be an interesting move. Older gamers would love it, but I wonder how relevant Jordan is to younger gamers. Wouldn’t NBA players like the aforementioned James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade be more relevant? Even though I’m a longtime Detroit Pistons fan and despise “Air” Jordan, seeing him on game box in 2010 would be pretty cool.

What do you guys and dolls think of Michael Jordan possibly being the cover athlete for NBA 2K11?

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Front Mission Developer Diary 1: Bringing FM to an Action Setting

Double Helix and Square Enix kick off its Front Mission Evolved developer diary series in this video. The team talks about bringing the Front Mission universe to an action game. The previous installments were strategy games known for their tactical gameplay. This upcoming Front Mission game focuses on shooting action, but with strategic elements that stay true to the series.

Front Mission Evolved is set for a September 14, 2010 release for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows PC (in stereoscopic 3D). I loved the old FM games, but I’m not too interested (yet) in seeing the FM world in an action setting. Are any of you interested in this game?

PadCast: L1 Games’ Chett Muzzalupo Talks EA Online Pass

Remember that YouTube video that featured an indie game store owner ranting about EA’s Online Pass? I found it so fascinating that I tracked down the store owner and interviewed him. He’s a very cool guy and has an interesting perspective. It’s easy to think about Online Pass in terms of EA vs. GameStop. This PadCast gives you a different perspective on the issue. Here’s the official description:

Independent game store owner Chet Muzzalupo (Level 1 Games) recently delivered an inspired rant against EA’s Online Pass. The scheme is designed to discourage consumers from buying used games and encourage them to buy new. While this potentially helps developers earn more royalties, it also limits customer choice and hurts retailers. While nobody is going to shed a tear for GameStop losing out on money, the Online Pass can kill small game stores like Level 1. Muzzalupo shares his perspective as an independent game store owner, addresses the issue of used-game sales hurting the business, and talks about the future of the buy-sell-trade business.

I enjoyed chatting with Chett and I think you’ll dig this video. Check it out (please)!

George St-Pierre Wants You to Buy UFC Undisputed 2010

THQ’s UFC Undisputed 2010 is available in stores now. If you haven’t picked it up, George St-Pierre — arguably the best fighter pound-for-pound in UFC today — is here to sell you on the game. Watch GSP train outside the octagon and kick ass in it. Whether it’s the real GSP or the videogame version, I’m not going to argue with him. I like my limbs.