Tag: Videogames

Coffee Talk #587: Excessive Nerd Rage and You

Nerd rage is a funny and often ridiculous thing. The world has many problems — damage to the environment, malnourishment, and homelessness, for example. Yet dorky debates often escalate the point where you’d think people were more interested in solving the “Han shot first” dilemma than making sure kids have enough to eat. Sure, it’s sometimes hard to maintain perspective and it can be fun engaging in geeky arguments, but this week was out of hand. Look at the nerd rage that dominated the Internet this week: the “controversy” over Alice Eve’s half-naked scene in Star Trek, the pronunciation of GIF, and anger over the Xbox One…more

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 Phil Jackson watch, Olivia Munn’s disgusting Esquire interview, or Yahoo! possibly buying Hulu, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Nerd rage is a funny and often ridiculous thing. The world has many problems — damage to the environment, malnourishment, and homelessness, for example. Yet dorky debates often escalate the point where you’d think people were more interested in solving the “Han shot first” dilemma than making sure kids have enough to eat. Sure, it’s sometimes hard to maintain perspective and it can be fun engaging in geeky arguments, but this week was out of hand. Look at the nerd rage that dominated the Internet this week:

  • Star Trek: People were passionately railing on JJ Abrams, Damon Lindelof, and company for having a needless scene featuring half-naked Alice Eve. Never mind that James Tiberius Kirk is a total dog that also appears shirtless and that many men don’t need a narratively-sound reason to see Alice Eve half-naked. People were demonizing the scene as if it were comparable to slashing acres of rainforest for kicks.
  • GIFs: People were arguing over the pronunciation of GIF (Graphics Interchange Format). The creator says it like the mediocre peanut butter, while most of the world pronounces it like the word “gift” without the last letter. I’m struggling to understand why anyone cares enough to participate in this argument. You say JIF and I say GIF, let’s call the whole thing off, no?
  • Xbox One: Unsurprisingly, people are harshly passing judgement and hating on Xbox One. Yes, there’s a lot to criticize, but there’s also a lot that Microsoft hasn’t revealed yet. The full story will be revealed in a few weeks at E3 2013. Enthusiast gamers know this, but that hasn’t stopped them from raging against the machine (*snicker*) and bombarding the Internet with palpable anger. There are fair points to be made, as seen in several excellent comments by RPadholics, but I don’t understand some of the vitriolic criticism being hurled at Microsoft.

How do you feel about this week’s nerd rage. Was it just a typical week on the Internet? Or were netizens particularly angry this week?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

My consoles are all packed up, waiting for the (three-block) journey to their new home. That means it’ll be an iOS gaming weekend for me. First up is Wizard Ops Tactics. A pal at Autodesk brought this game to my attention and I’m super happy that she did. The game is a tactical RPG with combat that’s similar to Final Fantasy Tactics (my all-time favorite) and Ogre Battle. Nerd combat on isometric grids is totally my thing. As I mentioned earlier in the week, my friend Scott Foe has a new game called Douche Defender. I’m going to give his naughtily-named creation a spin this weekend as well.

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

Douche Defender Hits iOS

Scott Foe has always been one of my favorite people in the gaming business. Known for his work on the Sega Dreamcast, the Nokia N-Gage, and the award winning Pocket Kingdom, Foe has had some unique experiences in gaming. Plus, he’s just excellent company for libation-fueled conversations. Adding to Foe’s coolness is his latest game, Douche Defender. This free-to-play game is full of cheesy lines and familiar faces. Here’s what Foe said about his latest creation in the Douche Defender press release:

I’m always trying to bring something new, something that people have never seen before, something from the way-way out-there machine, and we have definitely achieved that uniqueness with Douche Defender. There is a huge subculture of seduction lurking out there on the internet and this is both the first game that I have designed with female players as the targets and the first game that I have designed with real-world implications outside of the game, and so I am very excited to see how Douche Defender is received.

I’m going to download the game today and give it a whirl. I hope you do the same. It looks like a fun, simple, and unique game with an awesome title. Well played, Mr. Foe.


What Are You Playing This Weekend?

Okay. My heel pain has been downgraded to heel soreness. That nasty surprise attack from food poisoning has been vanquished. I still have some remnants of a cold, but it’s not as bad as it was earlier in the week. That means it’s time to play Packing II! Yeah, moving a few weeks before E3 2013…isn’t the best, but it’s time to leave lovely Wilshire Vermont Station and the silly rent hikes. Despite my weakened condition, I’ve managed to get a lot done. Most of my games and CDs have been packed. I’m going to trade in a bunch of DVDs, simply so they won’t take up space in my new apartment. I’m going to move my consoles, coffee gear, and vaping gear myself (priorities). Packing clothes and swag is going to be this weekend’s challenge. The kitchen stuff…I’ll leave that to the movers. Doesn’t this sound like a fun game?

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

Sanctum 2 Interview With Executive Producer Ted Lange

Here’s an interview with Reverb Publishing executive producer Ted Lange on Sanctum 2. The game was developed by Coffee Stain Studios for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. It combines tower-defense strategy and first-person shooter action. Lange talks about improvements made over the original Steam-only game, the different types of levels, the various characters and classes, and more. Check out the interview and let me know if Sanctum 2 is something that interests you!

On a side note, I think this is the first videogame interview I’ve done that incorporates vaping. I’ve known Ted for a few years (I think we first met when he was working on the first Guitar Hero games) and I’m thrilled that he has made the switch from smoking to vaping.

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

This weekend, I’ll be playing two games that are incompatible with each other. First up is one of the worst games of all time — The Packing Game. As some of you know, I’m moving at the end of the month. In order to save some cash, I’m going to try to pack as many boxes as possible. (I’ll let the professionals handle the kitchen and furniture though.) My apartment currently looks like one of the ugliest games of fort ever played…or maybe part of a level in a stealth-action game.

Interfering with The Packing Game is the Heel Injury game. Yeah, I hurt myself last night and my heel is swollen. I’m alternating hobbling around and icing it. Hopefully it calms down enough so that I can get some packing done this weekend.

So yeah, my weekend playlist sucks. Hopefully yours doesn’t! What games are you playing this weekend?

Coffee Talk #582: EA + LucasArts = ???

In case you’ve been living under a rock (a common occurrence in the Dagobah System), The Walt Disney Company and EA have entered into a multi-year licensing agreement that allows the latter to publish Star Wars games. BioWare, DICE, and Visceral will be the EA studios handling the upcoming games. It’s been lots of fun reading and listening to reactions on the deal. Some of them are just…crazy. Some people are acting like Disney handed over the rights to Star Wars to a legion of baby seal killers that hunt whales and burn down rain forests on the side…more

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 unsuccessful Kickstarter pitch for crowd-funding a Deathstar, Olivia Munn’s recent nipple slip, or the glory of black sesame vanilla frozen yogurt, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

In case you’ve been living under a rock (a common occurrence in the Dagobah System), The Walt Disney Company and EA have entered into a multi-year licensing agreement that allows the latter to publish Star Wars games. BioWare, DICE, and Visceral will be the EA studios handling the upcoming games. It’s been lots of fun reading and listening to reactions on the deal. Some of them are just…crazy. Some people are acting like Disney handed over the rights to Star Wars to a legion of baby seal killers that hunt whales and burn down rain forests on the side.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised by the harsh reactions of some gamers, a few journalists, and a couple of developers. EA has a bad reputation that has been exaggerated to the point of the company being selected as the worst in America by readers of The Consumerist. That distinction is preposterous; there are dozens (hundreds?) of companies in the banking, pharmaceutical, oil, and tobacco industries that are way worse for Americans. Perhaps I was being naive in thinking that all gamers should be happy that Star Wars will live on in the gaming universe. I’m just having a hard time understanding all the negativity.

I wonder what alternatives haters of this deal would have preferred. Not many publishers are in a position to pay “Disney money.” As far as American publishers go, Activision and Microsoft could afford it and after that…I can’t think of anyone else. While Star Wars has certainly become a global phenomenon, its identity is very much rooted in America. It would have been strange if Disney licensed the rights to a European or Japanese developer. Even thinking about a Star Wars game from Konami or Ubisoft feels weird.

Perhaps there wasn’t a perfect partner for Disney. No matter what, some gamers would have bitched and moaned about any publisher that paid for the rights to make Star Wars games. EA certainly has the money and talent to make some great ones. While there’s no guarantee that the company will produce top-quality games, at least the potential is there. Isn’t that better than not having any Star Wars games at all?

Anyway, what’s your take on the deal? How do you feel about EA making Star Wars games?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I just realized that I have an unredeemed game code for Guacamelee! I’m shocked that I’ve been putting it off for so long. As a fan of old-school platformers, luchadores, and puns,  this game seems right up my alley. (And to be completely honest, Nacho Libre is one of my guilty pleasures.) I’m also keen on supporting indie developers like Drinkbox Studios. The game is also a result of Sony’s Pub Fund, which a few of my friends work on. With so many things going in its favor, it seems that I’m destined to enjoy Guacamelee! A few of my friends (with a predilection for indie titles) have been raving about the game, so hopefully it lives up to the hype I’ve built up in my silly head.

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

Noah Falstein Appointed Google Chief Game Designer

Between Android and Chrome OS, gaming has been a small but growing part of Google’s business. With Noah Falstein’s recent appointment as chief game designer, it looks like Google’s gaming ambitions are growing. However, there’s a lot of speculation as to what exactly those plans are and which products they’ll cover. Many have surmised that the company will up its Android gaming efforts, while others believe that Google Glass will be getting games.

For some background info on Falstein, here’s a clip from TechCrunch:

According to his bio Falstein’s been in the computer games industry since 1980, spanning companies such as LucasArts, 3DO, and Dreamworks Interactive, and is the designer behind a number of hit titles. He most recently ran his own consultancy, The Inspiracy, which offered companies help on game design, development and business, as well as being a regular on the lecture and speaking circuit.

A major interest of Falstein is the field of “Serious Games,” which he defines as “Using Games, Game Technology, or Game Industry Techniques for a purpose other than pure entertainment.” The list of Serious Games projects Falstein has been involved in spans anything from using game techniques to improve health and education, to financial projections.

The Google I/O developer conference is a few weeks away, so the company’s plans for gaming and Falstein’s role should be clarified then. For now, let’s play the speculation game! What do you think Google’s gaming plans are for the near future?

Source

Coffee Talk #580: The Appeal of Videogame Live Streaming?

My friend Paul and I were talking about the popularity of videogame live streaming…and how we don’t get it. Since both of us are out of the target demographic (he’s Statler, I’m Waldorf), there’s a very real chance that it’s simply a generational thing that’s beyond our understanding. Hopefully, you guys and gals can help me understand why millions of people enjoy watching someone playing a single-player game, because I don’t see the appeal. Right now, I’m all Edwin Starr when it comes to live streaming: “What is it good for? Absolutely nothing.”

Where’s the fun in…more

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, losing count of the number of injured Lakers, attempting (again) to master rebuildable dripping atomizers, or cheesecloth, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

My friend Paul and I were talking about the popularity of videogame live streaming…and how we don’t get it. Since both of us are out of the target demographic (he’s Statler, I’m Waldorf), there’s a very real chance that it’s simply a generational thing that’s beyond our understanding. Hopefully, you guys and gals can help me understand why millions of people enjoy watching someone playing a single-player game, because I don’t see the appeal. Right now, I’m all Edwin Starr when it comes to live streaming: “What is it good for? Absolutely nothing.”

Where’s the fun in watching a person play through a single-player game? Wouldn’t you rather…oh, I dunno…play the game yourself? Do people use live streams to make purchasing decisions? That’s somewhat understandable. I could almost buy the argument that watching a live stream can give a gamer a more honest view of a game. However, I much rather read a review from a critic that I trust. That seems like a more efficient use of time.

It kind of bugs me that I feel like a crotchety old man that just doesn’t get it. That’s where you come in! Please help me understand the appeal of videogame live streaming in the context of single-player games. If you enjoy them, kindly list the reasons in the comments section. If you don’t, but understand why other people do, then please explain it to me. Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope.