Tag: Videogames

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)!

Ron Jeremy Says Videogames are Worse Than Porn for Kids

Speaking at “The Great Porn Debate” panel at CES 2010, sponsored by InternetSafety.com, adult actor Ron Jeremy said that videogames are worse for children than porn. The man known as The Hedgehog declared:

We don’t want kids to watch porn. [Studies have] found that violent video games are much bigger a negative influence on kids.

Connoisseurs of adult movies might remember that Jeremy starred in a Super Mario Bros. parody called Super Hornio Brothers. (Would that make this a case of biting the schlong that feeds you?) While it’s annoying that another public figure is denouncing videogames, Jeremy’s comments will be unfairly dismissed simply because of his profession.

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Today’s Poll: Do You Care About 3D Gaming?

3D televisions are getting a ton of coverage at CES 2010 and a lot of companies are using games to demo the new models. The reactions have been all over the place. Mainstream outlets are all over it — it actually weirded me out to see CES coverage on The Rachel Maddow Show — while enthusiast-gamer outlets are downplaying the trend.

A few of you mentioned that you aren’t big on 3D gaming, but I wanted to make it more formal and start a poll/discussion about the topic. As for me, I’m clearly in the “who gives a crap?” category when it comes to 3D gaming.

[poll id=”18″]

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?

Dragon Age: Is Duncan Still Alive? (Plus, a Poll!)

IGN recently conducted a fantastic interview with BioWare online produce Fernando Melo on Dragon Age: Awakenings. Aside from providing outstanding information on the expansion pack, Melo hinted that Duncan, the Grey Warden that recruited your character in Origins, is still alive. Melo said:

We also kind of hinted at it in the trailer — you do run into the actual ogre that killed the king and potentially killed your mentor as well.

Potentially killed, eh? Of course he’s still alive! This is a classic case of “if you didn’t find a corpse, then he’s not dead”. Duncan’s voice actor sounds old and wizened in Origins, but I’ve always thought that he’d make an awesome heel. I can’t wait for his full heel turn where he leads the darkspawn in Dragon Age: Duncan’s Revenge!

Let me know what you think and please leave an answer in this poll.

[poll id=”17″]

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Nippon Ichi’s Three Goals

Nippon Ichi Software, the developer and publisher of the excellent Disgaea series, has three goals for three of its upcoming games. The company is probably my favorite “small” developer/publisher in the business. I love its quirky and addictive games, so I hope the company can meet these three goals:

  1. One is aiming to sell a million copies.
  2. One is aiming to reach number 1 in Gemaga’s reader satisfaction ranking.
  3. One is aiming for a perfect score from the games press.

Prinny 4 life!!!

Source via Andriasang

Five Screens from Dragon Age: Awakening Expansion

Here are five screens from the upcoming Dragon Age: Awakening expansion pack. Highlights include a shot of The Architect and a spectral dragon. The new dragon looks totally cool. Based purely on looks, The Architect looks like a tool. There’s nothing menacing about a grinning undead dude. Hopefully his deeds are more dastardly.

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)!

Dragon Age: The Awakening Spotted on GameStop.com

It’s a total bummer that the Return to Ostagar DLC for Dragon Age: Origins has been delayed, but the silver lining is that details on The Awakening expansion have been revealed. The following is from the expansion’s listing on GameStop:

From the Makers of the Best RPG of 2009, Dragon Age: Origins, comes the first official expansion pack. For centuries, the Grey Wardens — the ancient order of guardians, sworn to unite and defend the lands — have been battling the darkspawn forces. Legend spoke that slaying the Archdemon would have put an end to the darkspawn threat for centuries to come, but somehow they remain. You are the Grey Warden Commander and have been entrusted with the duty of rebuilding the order of Grey Wardens and uncovering the secrets of the darkspawn and how they managed to remain. How you choose to rebuild your order, how you resolve the conflict with “The Architect”, and how you determine the fate of the darkspawn will be but some of the many complex choices that await and shape your journey as you venture to the new land of Amaranthine.

The Awakening is listed for $39.99 for consoles and $29.99 for PC, with a ship date of March 16, 2010. Man…between this and Final Fantasy XIII, March is going to completely rule!!!

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