Trauma Team Walkthrough: The Magic of Endoscopy

The latest video walkthrough of Atlus’ Trauma Team for Wii goes over the endoscopy gameplay. Find out how the Wii’s motion controls are used to perform this arcane and mysterious medicinal art. Okay, it’s not really arcane and mysterious, but most sciences seem that way to me, which is why I was fascinated by this video. Check it out!

Coffee Talk #70: What Influences Your Game Purchasing?

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 democrats totally blowing it in Massachusetts, Apple giving Google the boot for Bing, or your pick for the WWE Royal Rumble, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

There are very few videogames that surprise me. I’ve been playing games for decades and writing about them for almost 15 years. For the most part, I know what games will interest me. I know what I like and I know what I will enjoy. I don’t need to read game reviews to help me make a purchasing decision. Having said all that, Darksiders threw me for a loop. I was mildly interested in the game because of Joe Mad’s involvement (remember, I’m a comic-book geek too!), but I was pretty sure it wasn’t a “must have” for me. A friend’s opinion changed all of that.

One of my industry friends is super hardcore into games and I respect his opinion. Lately he was raving about Darksiders on Twitter. He’s a fairly enthusiastic fellow, so his praise wasn’t surprising. He did surprise me with several well-reasoned tweets that equated Darksiders with classic Zelda games. Whoa. A game with unique and modern graphics that has the gameplay sensibilities of old-school Zelda?!? In the immortal words of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, “Gimme a hell yeah!!!” My friend’s opinion and insight totally sold me on the game, kicking it up to the “must have” category.

I wanted to see what influences your purchasing decisions. Do you rely on reviews from outlets and writers you like? Do you do your own research? Or are friends your biggest influence? What’s the one factor that can change your mind on a game that you’re borderline on?

Pocket God is the First iPhone App to Sell Two-Million Copies

Showing the legitimacy of the iPhone and iPod Touch as a gaming platform, Bolt Creative revealed that Pocket God has sold more than two-million copies in about a year. With comparatively low development costs and a huge installed base, the iPhone platform has been attracting tons of developers. For dubious reasons, a lot of enthusiast gamers foolishly dismiss it as a “fad” (then again, a lot of them called the Wii a fad). Gamasutra has reported:

Bolt Creative has announced its popular and frequently updated iPhone game Pocket God has sold more than two million units since its launch on January 9th, 2009. Pocket God is the first paid application in the App Store to reach the sales milestone, according to Bolt.

I’m loving my (sim-less) iPhone more and more as a gaming platform. With titles like Civilization, Bird Strike, and Skee Ball (my latest addiction), I can keep myself entertained for minutes or hours.

Here are two questions for you. Have your feeling on the iPhone as a gaming platform changed? I’m always looking for game recommendations. Any iPhone games dazzle you?

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Fat Princess Gets Patch and Brownie Town Map

Sony Computer Entertainment of America has announced that Fat Princess will be getting patch 1.04 on Thursday, January 21. In addition to the usual fixes, this patch includes a new map call Brownie Town (as in, “Won’t you take me to?”). A free map and overall improvements? I’m down!

Last time this game was patched, I threw around the idea of getting together and playing it online with a bunch of you. I totally dropped the ball on that one. Let’s make it happen this time! Are any of you still up for playing in RPad’s Army?

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Coffee Talk #69: Sony’s Sex Toy of Doom 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, Bret Favre doing “Pants on the Ground”, what late night show you’ll be hosting in five years, or the excellent Boxing After Dark (B.A.D.) show on HBO this Saturday, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Sony’s sex toy of doom (or motion controller, if you will) for PlayStation 3 has been getting a lot of press lately. Yesterday there were a strong rumor that its official name will be PlayStation Arc. Today Sony has announced that the product will be delayed until Fall 2010. I think the delay is actually a good thing — a very good thing. My sources have raved about the hardware, but few of them have told me about software that would compelling for enthusiast gamers.

A few of you have brought up games you’d like to see on the PlayStation Arc (of the Covenant?). Boom Blox was an interesting pick, but I don’t think that’s enough. Sony needs something new and original for its motion controller to succeed. Today I wanted to ask you — as an enthusiast gamer — what kind of games would make you buy one.

Sony’s motion controller is a potentially huge product that could greatly broaden the appeal of the PlayStation 3. The big conditional is that without compelling software, it could be a monumental flop. Game developers are going to determine the fate of this thing, no doubt.

What would make the best hero software for Sony’s motion controller? Do you want the standard sports package, like Wii Sports, but with more fidelity? Do you want something more hardcore, like a first-person shooter? Would a motion-controlled Resistance work for you? Maybe you want something totally fresh and original? Or will you be unimpressed no matter what Sony does with this product?

Game Developers Choice Awards Nominees Announced

Think Services has announced the nominees for the tenth annual Game Developers Choice Awards. The awards show takes place during the annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. This year’s ceremony will take place on March 11, 2009. As expected, Uncharted 2 is up for several awards. Once again, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 was completely snubbed (what the hell is wrong with you awards people?!?).

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this year’s selections. And the nominees are….

Best Game Design
Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady)
Assassin’s Creed 2 (Ubisoft Montreal)
Flower (Thatgamecompany)
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
Plants Vs. Zombies (PopCap)

Best Visual Art
Borderlands (Gearbox Software)
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
Assassin’s Creed II (Ubisoft Montreal)
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Infinity Ward)
Flower (Thatgamecompany)

Best Technology
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Infinity Ward)
Red Faction: Guerrilla (Volition)
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
Killzone 2 (Guerrilla Games)
Assassin’s Creed II (Ubisoft Montreal)

Best Writing
Brutal Legend (Double Fine)
Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady Studios)
Dragon Age: Origins (BioWare)
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
Halo 3: ODST (Bungie)

Best Audio
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
Dragon Age: Origins (BioWare)
Rock Band: The Beatles (Harmonix)
Flower (Thatgamecompany)
Brutal Legend (Double Fine Productions)

Innovation
Scribblenauts (5th Cell)
Flower (Thatgamecompany)
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
Plants Vs. Zombies (PopCap)
Demon’s Souls (From Software)

Best Debut
The Maw (Twisted Pixel)
League Of Legends (Riot Games)
Spider: The Secret Of Bryce Manor (Tiger Style)
Torchlight (Runic Games)
Zeno Clash (ACE Team)

Best Downloadable Game
Plants Vs. Zombies (PopCap)
Trials HD (RedLynx)
PixelJunk Shooter (Q Games)
Shadow Complex (Chair Entertainment)
Flower (Thatgamecompany)

Best New Social/Online Game
Restaurant City (Playfish)
Farmville (Zynga)
Dungeon Fighter Online (Neople/Nexon)
Free Realms (Sony Online Entertainment San Diego)
Bejeweled Blitz (PopCap)

Best Handheld Game
Scribblenauts (5th Cell)
Flight Control (Firemint)
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (Rockstar Leeds/Rockstar North)
Spider: The Secret Of Bryce Manor (Tiger Style)
Legend Of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (Nintendo EAD)

Game Of The Year
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog)
Dragon Age: Origins (BioWare)
Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady Studios)
Demon’s Souls (From Software)
Assassin’s Creed II (Ubisoft Montreal)

Reminder: Vandal Hearts Coming to PSN and Xbox Live

I usually hate using an entire blog post to talk about one game being released, but I wanted to make sure everyone knew that Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgement will be available tomorrow through PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. A prequel to the original game (for PlayStation and Saturn), this delightful tactical RPG will appeal to fans of Final Fantasy Tactics and Disgaea. I absolutely love this genre, so I’m thrilled whenever a new release is available.

Anyone else hyped for this game? Or is it just me?

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Coffee Talk #68: What Kind of Television Do You Play Games On (DLP vs LCD TVs)?

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, WWE doing a brilliant job hyping The Royal Rumble, the “I’m with Coco” campaign, or the Haiti tragedy possibly leading to Floyd Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Televisions play a vital role in gaming (duh). Pressing buttons on a controller isn’t that much fun unless dazzling graphics and thrilling sounds accompany the input. The advent of high-definition gaming has made TVs more important than ever. Getting the most out of your $60 games and $500 consoles requires a quality television. Today I wanted to see what kind of TV you use for games.

As for me, I’m a DLP (digital light processing) guy. The market is currently dominated by LCD (liquid crystal display) models, but I prefer DLP for several reasons. To me, most LCDs are too bright. DLPs produce truer color that’s more balanced. After several years, LCDs go bad and have to be ditched. DLPs can last three to four times longer, though they require a bulb change every few years. If you’re in the market for a large TV (60-inches and up), DLP offers a much better value and a picture that’s every bit as good. If you move around every few years then I highly suggest that you go with DLP; the screens are much more durable than LCDs. My biggest pet peeve with LCDs is motion blur, which can ruin fast-paced games, as well as sports and action movies (a lot of newer models are much better at dealing with this, to be fair).

Now don’t take this as me bashing on LCDs. They’re much better for rooms that get a lot of natural light. The viewing angle of LCDs beats the pants off of DLPs. A lot of people love that they’re so thin that they can be wall mounted. Some people prefer the brighter image that LCDs offer.

Like I mentioned earlier, I want to know what kind of TV you use for games. Any chance you’re in the market for a new set in 2010? If so, what televisions and technologies are you looking at?

ESRB Spoilarz the Crap Out of Heavy Rain

One of the most anticipated games for the PlayStation 3, Quantic Dream’s Heavy Rain has been doing a good job of being interesting by being mysterious. If you weren’t sure what the deal was with Heavy Rain then you’ll want to check out the ESRB’s detailed description of the game…which pretty much tells you everything (I’m exaggerating). Check out this 482-word description for more details…or don’t if you want to be surprised:

In this cinema-style action game, players control one of four main characters whose lives are altered by events surrounding the investigation of the Origami Killer, a serial killer who kidnaps children in public places. Gameplay consists of controlling a character in a fully interactive environment; choosing a variety of action-, dialogue-, and decision-paths based on on-screen prompts; and watching as cinematic cutscenes progress the somewhat dark (film noir-style) storyline.

Players may encounter victims at various crime scenes: a woman (fully clothed) in a bathtub tainted with blood; a child under forensic examination (though the scene is largely narrative and clinical, with no depiction of victim’s face or signs of trauma). More direct depictions of violence include the following: a woman squirming and screaming as she catches on fire; a man impaled in the chest with a power drill; a female attacked in her own home by masked male assailants (the scene is prolonged); and a man shot (shown in slow-motion) by police officers. Blood sometimes accompanies the acts of violence—whether triggered or viewed passively.

The most intense instance of violence occurs during a “lizard trial” sequence in which players’ character, Ethan, is forced to cut off a segment of his own finger to save his son’s life: Several instruments (saw, scissors, knife, etc.) can be used to remove the finger; and though the camera pans away from the actual dismemberment—instead the blade, the blood, the scream—the scene’s poring focus on Ethan’s psychological tenor/terror (the dread deliberation before the cut) may be unnerving for some.

The game contains sexual content and nudity. Shower cutscenes may depict a male character’s bare butt; if players control the female character, her breasts and buttocks are also briefly visible. A more prolonged instance of nudity occurs during a female character’s investigation of a seedy club owner: After getting him alone in a room, the player-character is asked to strip; at gunpoint, she dances topless in front of the man. The game also contains a prompt-based love scene (kissing and rubbing) in which players match on-screen cues to angle characters’ mouths, remove shirts and blouses, unhook bras, and lower to the floor; a woman briefly appears topless amidst the dark shadows and heavy breathing—actual sex is never depicted as the camera fades to black.

The camera does not fade on characters addicted to the fictional drug Triptocaine, referred to as “dope” in the game: Players may see a character trembling next to open vials; lines of cut white powder on a table; and a man staggering from the drug’s ill-effects, as the screen turns blurry. Consumers may also wish to know that the game contains strong profanity (e.g., “f**k,” “motherf**ker,” “sh*t,” and “a*shole”). Overall, the game’s highly evolved motion-capture graphics (advanced renderings by 2010 standards) sharpen the sense of realism, increasing the impact of some aspects of pertinent content (the nudity, blood, violence, etc.).

I guess I don’t have to play the game after reading all of that…just kidding.

Thanks to Jubjub for sending this in!

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