Tag: Videogames

Coffee Talk #513: Cheating and eSports

Melky Cabrera, Bartolo Colon, and Lance Armstrong recently reminded us that cheating (or alleged cheating) is an unfortunate part of competitive sports. With so much money and prestige on the line, people are always looking for an edge and they sometimes cross the line from being a competitor to being a cheater. The same holds true for competitive gaming and eSports.

The recent scandal at the MLG Summer Championship has brought attention to cheating and unsportsmanlike conduct in eSports. MLG has accused Team Curse and Team Dignitas of collusion in the League of Legends finals, stripping both teams of…

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, being sad about canceled trips to Japan, getting excited for Sergio Martinez vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., or Lindsay Lohan’s career as a master thief, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Melky Cabrera, Bartolo Colon, and Lance Armstrong recently reminded us that cheating (or alleged cheating) is an unfortunate part of competitive sports. With so much money and prestige on the line, people are always looking for an edge and they sometimes cross the line from being a competitor to being a cheater. The same holds true for competitive gaming and eSports.

The recent scandal at the MLG Summer Championship has brought attention to cheating and unsportsmanlike conduct in eSports. MLG has accused Team Curse and Team Dignitas of collusion in the League of Legends finals, stripping both teams of ranking and prize money earned at the event. (There’s some debate on whether the two teams were actually cheating or just not being true to the spirit of MLG, but let’s shelf that for a moment.) Some people were surprised that cheating and gamesmanship happens in eSports. I was surprised that they were surprised. If there’s money, pride, and prestige at stake then you can count on people going too far to win. Some people are simply wired that way. It’s human nature.

Anyway, I wanted to get your take on cheating in eSports. Are you surprised that it happens? What do you think of the situation at the MLG Summer Championship? Would you call it cheating or two teams being wankers? Why can’t all competitors exemplify the purity of sports the way that Derek Jeter does?

PlayStation Vita System Software 1.80 Available Today

PlayStation Vita owners will be treated to a hefty system update (1.80) today. The new system software includes numerous UI enhancements, as well as improvements to the web browser and maps software. As for games, PSone Classics will now be playable on the Vita. These titles will go out on a rolling basis that differs from territory to territory. The PlayStation Blog lists the following PSone Classics as playable on Vita in North America today:

  • Arc the Lad
  • Cool Boarders 2
  • Final Fantasy VII
  • Hot Shots Golf 2
  • Jet Moto
  • Syphon Filter
  • Tomb Raider
  • Twisted Metal 2
  • Wild Arms

MonkeyPaw games sent out its own list of PSone Classics playable on Vita, but did not specify regional availability:

  • Alundra
  • Vanguard Bandits
  • Arc the Lad
  • Arc the Lad II
  • Tomba!

As a JRPG mark, I’m psyched to see these games available for Vita. It makes me want to take a trans-Pacific flight to play them (so that I can claim that the games aren’t taking me away from work that I can get paid for).

Anyway, check out the video below to see all the improvements in Vita system software update 1.80. If you haven’t already picked up a Vita, do any of these additions make you more likely to buy one?

This Week’s Videogame Releases

Are you ready for some football?!? Madden NFL 13 comes out this week, which is always a huge deal in North America. If you’d rather fight it out in the unfriendly skies then Damage Inc. Pacific Squadron WWII might be your game. It’s a particularly sweet week for PlayStation 3 owners, with God of War Saga, inFamous Collection, and Journey: Collector’s Edition to choose from.

Any of you picking up new games this week?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

After spending most of the week working on a secret magazine project, I don’t want to see any games that involve shooting or the military (or transcribing). I think I’m going to stick to Dyad and Outernauts. The former’s soothing sounds and trippy visuals should pull my mind away from realistic warfare. The latter…I’m just enjoying the hell out of. If you start playing Outernauts, then you can count on me supplying you with premium materials.

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

Read My WWE ’13 Preview at EGM (Please!)

Kindly check out my preview of WWE ’13 over at EGM. The game combines the infamous “Attitude Era” of WWF with current WWE Superstars and Divas. The story mode uses clips and angles from the Attitude Era, which makes total sense. I mean, how do you top the award-winning writing from SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 and SmackDown vs. Raw 2011?!? One way to do it is by going back to the most popular era of WWE history.

Now here’s the part where I quote myself:

Out of the new features revealed at the preview event, the “spectacular moments” clips were my favorite. These are achieved during particularly brutal moments in a match. For example, spearing someone through the barricade will trigger a spectacular moment that shows the move replayed several times from different angles and at different speeds. It makes the match seem more like a WWE broadcast and highlights the impact of big moves. There are even spectacular moments specific to matches like Hell in a Cell or TLC. I was playing a Hell in a Cell match as Shawn Michaels and superkicked my opponent off the top of the cage. Both of us marked out while the spectacular moment was played over and over again.

Yes, I superkicked Chris Jericho off of the Hell in a Cell cage and completely marked out at the event. It was awesome.

I also love that several WWE Superstars have current and Attitude Era versions of their characters. For example, you can play as Triple H or Hunter Hearst Helmsley!

Anyway, please check out the preview when you have a chance. If you have multiple chances, please leave a comment over there too!

Source

Coffee Talk #510: Originality vs. Polish

Would you rather play a flawed game with lots of originality or a polished game that’s mostly derivative? The question popped into my head after reading several reviews of The Last Story and Darksiders II. Many writers praised the former’s original battle mechanics, but also criticized them for not feeling quite done. Many writers praised the latter for being an incredibly polished experienced, but also criticized it for mimicking numerous gameplay elements from other action-adventure games. It’s almost like you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t with videogame critics, but forget those guys and gals for a second. Do you value originality or polish more?

As for me, I much rather play a game that…

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, being shocked that your back isn’t sore after a week of sleeping on the floor, electric toothbrushes, or what you would do in Japan, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Would you rather play a flawed game with lots of originality or a polished game that’s mostly derivative? The question popped into my head after reading several reviews of The Last Story and Darksiders II. Many writers praised the former’s original battle mechanics, but also criticized them for not feeling quite done. Many writers praised the latter for being an incredibly polished experienced, but also criticized it for mimicking numerous gameplay elements from other action-adventure games. It’s almost like you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t with videogame critics, but forget those guys and gals for a second. Do you value originality or polish more?

As for me, I much rather play a game that attempts to do something different, even it falls short. Keep in mind that I’m in an unusual situation; I’ve played hundreds of games, including many mediocre and bad ones. Most people get to stick to games they enjoy. When they come across the occasional stinker, they can just stop playing. I certainly appreciate and admire games that are highly polished, but considering all the cookie-cutter garbage I’ve had to play for work, originality is always refreshing.

Now it’s your turn! Please tell me which characteristic you value more in a videogame, originality or polish?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

The big fight this weekend is Raymond vs. TV. If I win, my television will finally be fixed and I’ll get to use my glorious consoles. There’s a so much that I want to play! Sleeping Dogs is at the top of my list. Hybrid and The Last Story are up there too. Of course I have to tend to my pets in Outernauts. It’s kind of nuts that I’ve already hit level 37 in Outernauts and haven’t spent a dime (I will, eventually). First thing’s first though — must repair the TV!

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

Fudgie the Whale is a Charmander Rip-Off!

Since I don’t visit the east coast too often, I haven’t been to a Carvel in years. My brother and I went the other day, and I was shocked to see that Carvel has a Fudgie the Whale mascot. The first question that popped into my head is, “Why is he standing upright?!? He’s a whale!” The next thought was, “The Fudgie mascot looks very familiar….”

After I posted the picture above on Facebook, my hot friend Emily asked if it was a photo of a Charmander. A-ha! Fudgie the Whale looks like a brown Charmander sans tail. I wonder what Fudgie’s move-set consists of. Does he spray ice cream and those delicious chocolate crunchies at enemies? Maybe he coats himself with fudge armor for increased defense and special defense. I think I’ll take a bunch of pokeballs, head to Carvel, and try to catch Fudgie this afternoon.

This Week’s Videogame Releases

After several dry weeks, summer 2012 heats up with three big game releases. First up is Square Enix’s Sleeping Dogs. If you dig Grand Theft Auto-style games and Hong Kong action flicks then you’ll love this game. It’s pretty sweet. On the other side of the spectrum is The Last Story. This RPG was directed by the legendary Hironobu Sakaguchi, famous for his work on the Final Fantasy series. Finally, Darksiders II should dazzle gamers with a great blend of action and puzzles.

Any of you picking up new games this week?