Tag: Videogames

Coffee Talk #564: What Will Win the Next Console War?

The next generation of console wars is nearly here! Nintendo’s Wii U is already available. Sony is expected to announce the next PlayStation later this month. And Microsoft is expected to announce the next Xbox by E3 2013. In the past, hardware and exclusive games shaped the outcome of console wars. More recently, online serves like PlayStation Network and Xbox Live helped determined the outcome. With many people believing that the upcoming batch of hardware will be the end of traditional consoles as we know them, what do you think will…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, last night’s return of Linsanity, PETA going after Beyonce for her Super Bowl outfit, or missing Las Vegas during DICE time, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

The next generation of console wars is nearly here! Nintendo’s Wii U is already available. Sony is expected to announce the next PlayStation later this month. And Microsoft is expected to announce the next Xbox by E3 2013. In the past, hardware and exclusive games shaped the outcome of console wars. More recently, online services like PlayStation Network and Xbox Live helped determined the outcome. With many people believing that the upcoming batch of hardware will be the end of traditional consoles as we know them, what do you think will determine the next skirmish. More importantly, what features are most important to you?

Some people believe that games will be an afterthought, or at least exclusive games. They believe that all three platforms will have great games, so it’ll be a wash. I somewhat disagree with this stance. While exclusives aren’t as powerful as they used to be, I believe they still shape a console’s identity.

Most pundits agree that pure horsepower isn’t as relevant as it used to be. This is a trend that extends beyond consoles. Generally speaking, consumer electronics have become more about software and services than powerful hardware. One of the reasons that Xbox 360 was more successful than PlayStation 3 was that Xbox Live was much better than PlayStation Network for years. While Sony’s service has improved greatly, some feel that the improvements didn’t come fast enough.

Continuing on the services tip, the social, non-gaming, and premium features of consoles have become hugely important. Many gamers prefer Xbox 360 because that’s the system most of their friends use online. Playing games with friends is almost always more fun than playing with strangers. Some people spend more time using the non-gaming features of consoles more than playing games. Features like streaming video services and video chat are quite popular. Then there are the premium services. Some people feel that PlayStation Plus trounces Xbox Live Gold.

Some journalists are shouting about developer ease-of-use being paramount. That’s certainly an important issue, but some of the writers that are taking this stance have little idea what goes into making a game. Honestly, I’m not sure where this is coming from. It’s one thing for developers to say or write things like this, but journalists that don’t understand game production? Then again, there are a lot of journalists that write long diatribes about what Company X needs to do to turn things around while having no clue about running a business. Personally, I’m going to leave this issue on the table and let smarter people discuss it. Besides, I’m not sure that most gamers care.

So games, hardware power, and online services…. What else is there? What concerns you the most? What features and factors do you think will be most important in the next generation of console wars? Please shout it out in the comments section!

Coffee Talk #563: Apple as Console King?

Last week, Polygon posted a fantastic article full of juicy quotes from Valve co-founder Gabe Newell. Here are a few choice lines:

I think Apple rolls the console guys really easily.

The biggest challenge is that Apple moves on the living room before the PC industry sort of gets its act together.

The quotes got a ton of play on the Internetz, but I didn’t spend too much time thinking or talking about them…because Newell’s stance didn’t seem debatable to me. I think he’s right and his (greatly respected) opinions are obvious. However, RPadholic N8R suggested…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 Los Angeles Clippers floundering without Chris Paul, Verve’s Ethiopia Birhanu, or overdosing on Kevin Smith commentaries (and loving it), Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Last week, Polygon posted a fantastic article full of juicy quotes from Valve co-founder Gabe Newell. Here are a few choice lines:

I think Apple rolls the console guys really easily.

The biggest challenge is that Apple moves on the living room before the PC industry sort of gets its act together.

The quotes got a ton of play on the Internetz, but I didn’t spend too much time thinking or talking about them…because Newell’s stance didn’t seem debatable to me. I think he’s right and his (greatly respected) opinions are obvious. However, RPadholic N8R suggested that the topic would generate some fun discussion, so I’ll defer to him. Let’s do this!

Apple has done a phenomenal job selling iPhones, iPads, and Apple TVs. Those products have become more than phones, tablets, and streaming-video players. They’re multifaceted devices that are “lifestyle” products. So Newell is absolutely right about Apple being in millions of living rooms. He’s also right about Apple having a huge opportunity to displace traditional console gaming. The question is whether Apple will try to shake up and dominate that business the way it did with smartphones and tablets.

When Steve Jobs ran Apple, I would have bet against it. Under Jobs, Apple had a strange relationship with gaming. At times it seemed like the company didn’t understand it. At other times, it almost seemed like the company was afraid of it. It will be interesting to see how Apple approaches gaming under Tim Cook. He seems more flexible than his predecessor and more willing to venture into territory that has been historically foreign to the company.

I have no doubt that gaming will become a bigger part of Apple’s future, but I have no idea how the company will approach the field. It could continue to make iOS gaming bigger and bigger, enhancing the experience through AirPlay. Handheld consoles are already hurting because of the rapidly improving iOS gaming market. It’s conceivable that Apple will continue to foster iOS gaming growth so that it cuts into home consoles.

Or the company could be more aggressive on the hardware front with Apple TV or the mythical Apple television set. Imagine a more powerful Apple TV with visually-impressive games that are controlled with iPhones and iPads. In the immortal words of John Lennon, “It’s easy if you try.”

Ultimately, I don’t think Apple will take on Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony head-on. That’s not what the company does. It successfully played its own game with smartphones and tablets, and I see it doing the same with gaming. Will that be enough to make it console king?

What do you think of Newell’s statements about Apple possibly rolling the big console companies? Can you imagine a world where Apple rules living-room gaming?

This Week’s Videogame Releases

There are a bunch of videogame goodies available for your consumption this week. Sly Cooper makes his long-awaited return in Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time. As a mark for the series and the character, I’m really looking forward to that one. Dead Space 3 has some fans excited, though others are concerned about the latest installment being more about action than survival-horror. 3DS fans looking for a good RPG should be pleased as punch with Fire Emblem Awakening. Last, but not least, is a game that’s perfect for fans of fighting and manga: Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage 2.

Any of you picking up new games this week?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

After a fun week at NAMM 2013, it’s good to be home and settled. Unfortunately, I’m way behind on my vaping e-liquid reviews. The juices have been vaped, but I need to film and edit a bunch of reviews. More hardware and juices are on the way, so I need clear out my backlog. So I’ll be spending a large chunk of the weekend doing that. Of course I’ll be gaming, but it’ll mostly be tablet stuff like Civilization Revolution on my iPad and Tai Pan on my Nexus 7.

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

Noobz Available Now

The videogame movie Noobz is now available through iTunes and Google Play. If you want to check out the movie and support this site then kindly pick up the digital or physical version through Amazon (using the links in this sentence). Directed by and starring Blake Freeman, Noobz is a road-trip movie about a group of friends competing in a Gears of War tournament. The movie also stars the excellent Jason Mewes and the sexy Zelda Williams, with cameos by Adam Sessler and the legendary Casper Van Dien.

I’m a fan of Freeman and a total mark for Mewes. From my time on the set and chatting with Freeman, I appreciate that he treated gaming in a respectful and realistic way in Noobz. There are too many movies that have faked gaming and/or looked down on it. For several reasons, I hope this movie does well.

I’ll be watching the movie later this week. For now, check out the Noobz interviews below.

Red Riding Hood Fights Japanese Demons in Akaneiro

From American McGee’s Spicy Horse Studios comes Akaneiro: Demon Hunters, an action-RPG that pits a dark version of Little Red Riding Hood against demons in a Japanese-inspired setting. While the game is free-to-play, the developers are looking for funding through Kickstarter. The target platforms for the game are Windows, Mac OS X, Android/iOS Tablet, and Linux. Check out the pitch video below for more information on the game and its campaign.

Akaneiro looks like it’s totally in my wheelhouse. I love action-RPGs like this and have a special place in my heart reserved for ones made by indie developers (the outstanding Bastion currently occupies that particular space). The art style is slick and the tone is typical American McGee — a twisted version of a popular fairytale. Hopefully the “freemium” features won’t be obnoxious; there are several free-to-play games that are great on paper, but are absolutely killed by money-grab content.

Any of you interested in playing or backing Akaneiro?

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Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Screens

Here’s a fresh batch of screens and artwork from the upcoming Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. Set for a Fall 2013 release, this RPG brings the FFXIII heroine back in an all-new adventure. Director Motomu Toriyama claims that the game will be, “the most complete and polished in the Final Fantasy series.” While I can’t comment on that lofty claim (yet), what I do know is that Lightning is back in black…and several other costumes. While she’s the star of the show and the only playable character, FFXIII fans will be pleased to know that Hope Estheim and Snow Villiers will apear in supporting roles.

As a mark for the series and someone that enjoyed XIII/XIII-2 more than most, of course I’m going to play this game. How about you guys and gals? Are you interested in jumping back into the world of Final Fantasy XIII? Or are you done with the series?

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This Week’s Videogame Releases

Anime fans in the U.S. have been anxiously awaiting the release of Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch and the game lands this week! Ni no Kuni comes from developer Level-5 and the legendary Studio Ghibli. I’m curious to see if the millions of people that love Studio Ghibli movies will pick up the game. Although I didn’t write the “new releases” post last week, I wanted to mention the new Devil May Cry. This time around, Capcom has entrusted the franchise to the capable hands of Ninja Theory. The developer has its share of fans, thanks to games like Heavenly Sword and Enslaved. The reviews have been great so far and I’m hoping that Ninja Theory gets to play around with more OPP franchises. Perhaps the company can go into the business of resuscitating stale videogame franchises.

Any of you picking up new games this week?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I really wasn’t sure what I wanted to play this weekend. I’ve been caught up in oldies like Taipan and The Bard’s Tale, but I was itching for something newer. Then I watched The Dark Knight Returns Part 2. Inspired by the animated adaptation of Frank Miller’s outstanding graphic novel, I’ve decided to look for a copy of LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes. I’m sure I’m going to play some of the game straight up, but I’m also sure that I’m going to play as Batman and have a dummy second player as Superman. Then I’ll reenact the climactic battle betweens Bats and Supes from TDKR. Then I’ll add my own dialogue. After that, I’ll have Batman making lewd jokes about Superman’s mothers — both Mrs. Kent and Mrs. El — in the vein of Celebrity Jeopardy Sean Connery. This is going to be fun.

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

Autodesk Gets Into the (Mobile) Game

Autodesk is a name that’s familiar to architects and 3D artists. Its popular software includes well-known tools like AutoCAD, Maya, and Softimage. While the company has a strong reputation with content creators, there’s a good chance that Joe and Jen Gamer will think that Autodesk is a Transformer that hangs out at schoolhouses. The reality is that the company has been a part of numerous big-budget games and has recently been making a push to become a larger part of the mobile-games market.

There’s a good chance that most of you have played a game that was partially made with Autodesk tech. The company’s Gameware line of development tools has helped bring popular titles like Borderlands 2 and Mass Effect 3 to life. Numerous developers use Autodesk tools for advanced UI, pathfinding, lighting, animation, etc.

More recently, Autodesk has been aggressively pursuing the burgeoning mobile games market. To illustrate the power of its Scaleform Mobile SDK, Autodesk released Starforce Battlement for iOS as a proof-of-concept in Fall 2012. It’s a fun tower-defense style game with impressive graphics and entertaining gameplay. Check out the free game when you have a chance. I’m certain that most of you will agree that it’s a slick title that’s indicative of where mobile games are going.

Zynga’s immensely popular Farmville 2 features graphics powered by Autodesk’s 3ds Max product. The software helped bring Farmville from an isometric perspective to a more captivating 3D look. (At least with the mainstream audience Farmville enjoys. I love isometric-POV games!)

So where am I going with all this? Well, as I was thinking about Autodesk’s mobile game efforts, I was also thinking about hardcore gamers that dismiss mobile games as not being any good. Over the last few years, mobile games have improved immensely, both in terms of graphics and gameplay. While some of you might not dig mobile games, there’s no denying that the market is booming. When a company with as much stroke as Autodesk is paying special attention to the mobile market, you know it’s a big deal.

The thing that’s interesting to me is whether Autodesk will enjoy the reach of its other products. Every architect I’ve met uses AutoCAD. Every 3D graphic designer I know has 3ds Max, Maya, or Softimage in their virtual toolbox. The mobile-game developers I know use a wide variety of tools and I’m curious to see how much headway Autodesk will make with that crowd.

While I’m sure that most of you don’t care what tools games are made with, the good news is that you’ll get to enjoy better products. Large software companies like Autodesk, with its powerful development tools, will help game creators serve up the best mobile games yet.