Square Enix has released official Facebook and Twitter pages for Final Fantasy XIII…because that game needs more hype. *snicker* Seriously though, it’s interesting to see how game publishers are using Facebook, Twitter, and blogs to promote their games. I know some of you hate Twitter, but it can be an incredibly useful marketing tool and a fantastic way for fans to keep tabs on their favorite games/athletes/celbrities.
Will any of you be following the game on Facebook or Twitter?
With Tiger Woods’ endorsement deals in a precarious state of flux — Gatorade has already dropped a Tiger-branded beverage, while Pepsi, Gillette, Tag Heuer, and others are considering dropping the star golfer — I think EA Sports ought to be proactive and flat-out humiliate him. It would be the ultimate cash grab that would satisfy analysts and shareholders that are only interested in the company’s short-term future. Since EA has been getting dinged for taking risks and launching new IPs for the last two years, it might as well try cashing in on one of its star’s woes, right?
I can see it now…Tiger Woods’ Sim Adultery 2011!!! The game would obviously star Tiger, but the tone would be similar to a Leisure Suit Larry game. To keep development costs down, it would use The Sims engine and existing art assets (mostly female character models). The goal of the game would be to sleep with as many women as possible (the 18 holes) while avoiding the media, car crashes, and hot Swedish wives. Bold players would be careless with their trysts, texting sweet little nothings to their loved ones without bothering to delete the messages. Advanced players would pay an army of minions to cover their tracks (paying for hotel rooms for afternoon delight, sending text messages on your behalf, whisking you away when your wife attacks you with a nine-iron, etc.)
EA could make this game in months and cash in on all this “Tigergate” nonsense. Maybe then it could get shortsighted analysts and shareholders off its back, allowing its developers to work on original and high-quality games.
Microsoft director of product management Aaron Greenberg is certain that Halo Reach
While I have no doubt that Halo: Reach will be one of the biggest titles of 2010, I’m not sure if it will be the biggest. Globally, I’d guess that Final Fantasy XIII will sell more, especially considering that it will be available for a longer period of time and on multiple platforms. Greenberg completely dismissed Gran Turismo 5 beating out his game, saying, “Is it launching next year? I’ve seen years and years of minigames, but I haven’t seen that the game is done.”
What do you think or Greenberg’s proclamation? Is he on the money? Or do you think another game will beat out Halo:Reach?
A lot of gaming’s best and brightest will be in Los Angeles this weekend for the Spike TV Videogame Awards (VGAs). If my leg can hack it, I’m going to be hopping around town, pestering some of my favorite developers. Even if I’m not, I’ve designated a bunch of time for Scribblenauts
Of course I’m going to have to get some more Dragon Age: Origins
As always, I want to know what you’re playing this weekend. Shout it out! Or maybe don’t shout…the neighbors might complain.
Square Enix Japan has updated the official Final Fantasy XIII web site to include samples of the first ten tracks of the FFXIII soundtrack. The soundtrack is on sale in Japan now, with game coming on December 17th. To listen to the music, hit the “track list” tab on the soundtrack page.
Check out the tracks and let me know what you think (please)! I’m loving the music so far!
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, Tiger Woods’ 18 holes (i.e. his mistresses), the return of Paulie “Little Mac” Malignaggi on Saturday, or Jerishow dropping the tag straps on Sunday, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
The Grand Theft Auto series took sandbox games to new heights. It inspired dozens of copycat games and made “open world” a requirement for several years. While I appreciate the liberating feeling gamers get from sandbox games, they don’t really do much for me. It’s awesome that you get to experiment and play freely, but that’s not what I’m used to and that’s not what I want.
2D platform games and Japanese role-playing games dazzled me in my formative gaming years. I developed an attachment to that old carrot-and-stick formula. I enjoyed linearity. I enjoyed being led around by a level or narrative, getting a reward every so often. NES, SNES, and Genesis games conditioned me to love this simple formula. Even though I enjoy making choices in games like Dragon Age: Origins, ultimately I want to stick with the same carrot-and-stick formula.
I know a lot of you love open-world titles, but I also know that some of you enjoy RPGs. Do you have a preference? Do you like playing in your virtual sandbox? Or do you prefer being lead around by a carrot and stick?
NPD Group has released its console software sales information for Novemer 2009. Activision’s Modern Warfare 2 put up some ridiculous numbers. While nobody should be surprised that MW2 topped the charts, some analysts were surprised by its complete ownage of November (it’s a financial term). All in all, the big titles did what they were expected to do, but there was one oddity in the top 10. Check it out!
(Xbox 360): 4,200,000
(PS3): 1,870,000
(Wii): 1,390,000
(Xbox 360): 794,700
(Xbox 360): 744,000
(Wii): 720,200
(Wii): 679,000
(PS3): 448,400 (Xbox 360): 362,100
(Wii): 315,000As a BioWare mark, I’m disappointed that Dragon Age didn’t do better. Sure, RPGs aren’t as popular as action titles and it’s a new IP, but I expect people to have better taste. Hmph. Nintendo has to be thrilled with its November. It sold a ton of new and old games. With so many new and excellent games released in November, I was surprised to see something as old as Mario Kart hit the top 10. To steal a line from Keanu Reeves or Joey from Blossom, “Whoa.”
Any thoughts on the November software top 10?
Zipper Interactive senior community manager and jiu-jitsu master Jeremy Dunham has revealed some interesting stats on the MAG
Hit the break for the box art. Considering my bias for Japanese box art, I’m surprised that I like MAG’s cover so much.
Continue reading “Sony Unveils MAG Beta Stats and Official Box Art”
CrunchGear has posted an…interesting conspiracy theory regarding EA Sports: MMA
Maybe it knows that there’s no way in hell EA Sports MMA is going to outsell UFC Undisputed
, and it’s cool with that. Why? THQ’s license agreement with UFC runs out next year (I guess it was for two games). EA, which has a tremendous amount of money at its disposal, could then go to UFC and say, “Look, we’re EA. We’re big time. Undisputed did well, but with our muscle at your disposal, we’ll make a UFC game so incredibly huge that you’d be a fool to stick with THQ. Also, here’s several truckloads of money to help sweeten the deal.”
Although some of the points are valid, the theory is pretty shoddy. Yes, EA Sports MMA will probably not be as popular as UFC Undisputed. Yes, EA would love to have the UFC license. However, that doesn’t mean it wants to game to fail. That would be idiotic. It would be far more productive to make a good game that gets strong reviews and bring that to UFC. EA could say, “Look, we made a great game without you, but together we could eclipse your success with THQ.”
The notion that EA would purposely want a game to fail seems monumentally stupid to me. What do you make of this conspiracy theory?
Microsoft marketing tool Major Nelson revealed the upcoming Xbox Live deals of the week for December. They are:
Week of December 14:
Lips: Coldplay Track Pack for 240 Microsoft Points
December 21 through December 27:
Shadow Complex for 800 points
Week of December 28:
The Maw for 400 Microsoft Points
If you haven’t tried Shadow Complex, it’s worth playing if you like old-school 2D shooters like Contra and Metroid. As a karaoke aficionado, I’m always down for more Lips tracks. I haven’t tried The Maw, but a few of my friends are pretty high on it. Most importantly, saving money is always a good thing, so take advantage of these sales if you have the means.
