Tag: Videogames

Coffee Talk #500: EA vs. the Westboro Baptist Church

I love that EA, Microsoft and Zynga are supporting gay marriage by taking a stand against the Defense of Marriage Act. It’s a decision that will make many of their employees happy, but it’s also one that could cost each company business. While many people believe that marriage is an institution that everyone should be…

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 disgusting Colorado shooting at The Dark Knight Rises premiere, Verve’s Ethiopia Haile, or Google purchasing the excellent creators of the excellent Sparrow Mail, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I love that EA, Microsoft and Zynga are supporting gay marriage by taking a stand against the Defense of Marriage Act. It’s a decision that will make many of their employees happy, but it’s also one that could cost each company business. While many people believe that marriage is an institution that everyone should be allowed to suffer enjoy, there are those that believe it should only be between a man and a woman.

The Westboro Baptist Church immediately popped into my head as I was reading EA’s blog post stating the company’s opposition to DoMA. That church hates gay people and loves protests. Its members took the time to protest Kevin Smith’s Red State, a movie that was seen in theaters by like 12 people. Imagine what they would do to companies that serve millions with their products?!?

I can see those nuts trying to organize a boycott of EA games, Microsoft consoles, Zynga titles, etc. I can see these idiots holding up signs that say, “Need For Speed…Speeding Up the Death of Fags!!!”, “God Hates Xbox, Loves PS3!!!”, and, “Words With Straight Friends Only!!!”.  These people are horrible and stupid, but they’re also loud and active. I’m certain that a group like the Westboro Baptist Church will try to hurt videogame companies that are anti-DoMA.

What do you think of EA, Microsoft, and Zynga supporting gay marriage? Do you think it will cost them business?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

It’ll be a double digital download weekend for me. Dyad has captivated several of my game-industry friends. I’ve been high on the game since last week and I plan to play more this weekend. My review code for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD just arrived; it’s going to be loads of fun revisiting classic THPS levels in glorious HD. I can’t wait!

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

See the Panned Mass Effect: Paragon Lost Trailer

One of the biggest surprises at Comic-Con 2012 was the reaction to the Mass Effect: Paragon Lost trailer. For the most part, people hated it. On paper, it seems like a “can’t miss” animated series. FUNimation has a strong track record. Mass Effect is a fantastic property. How could that go wrong? Check out the trailer above and see what caused the mass consumption of Haterade. Here’s the show’s official description:

Mass Effect: Paragon Lost is the prequel to the highly-anticipated Mass Effect 3 and follows the early career of Alliance Marine, James Vega. Vega leads an elite Special Forces squad into battle against a mysterious alien threat known as The Collectors. Stationed at a colony in a remote star system, Vega and his soldiers must protect the civilians from a ruthless invasion determined to capture the population for unknown purposes. Learn more about the Mass Effect universe with an unprecedented glimpse into the haunted past of Mass Effect’s newest hero!

When you have a chance, please share your feelings (like a Care Bear) on Mass Effect: Paragon Lost in the comments section.

Coffee Talk #499: The Ouya Backlash

Last week, the Ouya console made a huge splash in the gaming world. The company behind Ouya has raised more than $5,000,000 on Kickstarter in nine days. That’s simply remarkable. The initial reactions were overly positive. I’ve read so many articles on how this machine is going to “save” console gaming, patch the ozone…

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 end of Linsanity in New York, Rex Ryan losing 106 pounds, or Rafael Nadal skipping the Olympics due to injuries (ha ha!!!), Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Last week, the Ouya console made a huge splash in the gaming world. The company behind Ouya has raised more than $5,000,000 on Kickstarter in nine days. That’s simply remarkable. The initial reactions were overly positive. I’ve read so many articles on how this machine is going to “save” console gaming, free creative developers from the shackles of money-grubbing publishers, patch the ozone layer, and provide San Francisco residents with strong AT&T mobile signal.

Those exuberant articles were followed up by overly negative opinions. I’ve read so many articles on how Ouya will be an utter failure, fragment Android to the point of irrelevance, do absolutely nothing for game developers and publishers, kick America’s unemployment rate back up to double digits, and further damage Mariano Rivera’s knee. Several people have cancelled their Kickstarter pledges, possibly due to the influence of these negative articles.

The 180 on Ouya reflects the binary thinking of many Internet writers: something is awesome or it sucks. Reality is seldom that black and white though; it’s almost always somewhere in between. Does Ouya have a chance to change console gaming and give developers more creative freedom? Sure it does. However, it also has a chance to be the latest in a long line of console pretenders that failed to do much of anything (N-Gage, Phantom, Indrema, etc.). There are so many variables and changes that have yet to happen. It’s too soon to judge Ouya, but many people have already made up their minds…which isn’t that much of a problem because they’ll flip-flop a few times before the console is released anyway. Oh the Internetz.

Anyway, I wanted to see where you stand with Ouya today. What do you think of the backlash and the 180s? Has your opinion of the Ouya console changed after nine days?

Justice League: Earth’s Final Defense Coming to iOS

Netmarble has revealed that Justice League: Earth’s Final Defense will be submitted to the App Store and should be available for your enjoyment on the iOS device of your choice around August. The game looks like a classic beat-’em-up featuring DC’s finest heroes and heroines. The trailer shows Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Flash in action. Secondary heroes will be used as “support cards” that augment powers. While the gameplay doesn’t appear to be anything earth shattering, I’m completely down for a Justice League brawler on iOS. As a comic-book nerd, I love the alternate costumes shown in the trailer.

Check out the clip when you have a chance and let me know what you think. Are you excited for Justice League: Earth’s Final Defense?

This Week’s Videogame Releases

It’s a pretty dry week at retail. Thankfully, there are a pair of digital downloads that are worthy of your attention. First up is Dyad for PlayStation 3. This puzzle-racer is full of slick visuals and soothing sounds. I played some over the weekend and love it so far. Next up is Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD. It’s the awesome Tony Hawk gameplay and classic levels, but with Unreal Engine 3 graphics.

Any of you picking up new games this week?

Coffee Talk #497: Your Comic-Con 2012 Favorites

There was so much to go gaga over at Comic-Con 2012. The movie trailers and announcements were brilliant. The videogame showings were boss. What were your favorite Comic-Con 2012 happenings? Let’s start with the games. Epic had a great show with Gears of War: Judgement and Fortnite…

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, Danny Garcia’s stunning upset victory over Amir Khan, the rapidly declining prices of SSDs, or the Jeremy Lin saga, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

There was so much to go gaga over at Comic-Con 2012. The movie trailers and announcements were brilliant. The videogame showings were boss. What were your favorite Comic-Con 2012 happenings? Let’s start with the games. Epic had a great show with Gears of War: Judgement and Fortnite. While I’m thrilled for the company’s success on a personal level, the videogame announcement that won me over was Deadpool. Marvel’s merc with a mouth is one of my favorite characters of all time. I’m thrilled that he’s getting very own adventure and I can’t wait to enjoy the game’s writing. Duct tape!!!

The movie trailers, panels, and announcement were killer too. I’m sure all of you were pleased to learn that Arnold Schwarzenegger confirmed a sequel to Twins. Most people seemed excited by the latest Iron Man and Superman footage. Fans of minor characters were happy to see The Guardians of the Galaxy getting a movie (Gamora is hot, btw). Obviously Captain America was always going to have a sequel, but I marked out when Captain America: The Winter Soldier was revealed. I love the Winter Soldier character. The revamped Bucky Barnes is cool and modern. He also fits into that tweener category of superheroes that I enjoy. I’m totally amped to see Winter Soldier on the big screen.

Now it’s your turn! What were your favorite movie and videogame happenings of Comic-Con 2012?

Deadpool Trailer Says, “Suck It Wolverine!”

At Comic-Con 2012, Activision revealed that it’s set to publish a Deadpool game developed by High Moon Studios. Now the trailer is here! I love the look and tone of the trailer. It absolutely captures the feel of Marvel’s lovable merc with a mouth. The wise cracks, the dueling inner monologue, the love of boobies, etc. are brilliant.

My one wish is that the game has several duct tape jokes…because Deadpool loves duct tape. He loves the way it tapes. He loves the sound it makes. He loves saying it. Duct tape. Duct tape. Duct tape. Duct tape. Duct tape. Duct tape.

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

Last night I started playing Dyad for PlayStation 3. It’s a cool puzzle-racer that features soothing sounds and trippy visuals. I’m really digging it so far and looking forward to playing more this weekend. The audio-visual aspects of the game are so intense that Dyad seems like an excellent game to play while drinking. You shouldn’t drink and drive, but drinking and driving your way through a puzzle-racer is completely fine.

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

Ultima Forever Coming for PC and iPad

At Comic Con 2012, Electronic Arts announced that the Ultima franchise will be returning to PC and debuting on iPad thanks to BioWare. Ultima Forever is a free-to-play game set to arrive in late 2012. The warrior and mage have been revealed as playable classes, while the bard was teased on the Ultima Forever Twitter page. Here’s more from the official site:

The first great Western RPG has been lovingly restored in Ultima Forever — return to the Ultima series in BioWare’s new cross-platform action RPG. Accept the challenge from Lady British and save the land of Britannia. Play as the Fighter or the Mage and travel alone or with friends, restore virtue and become the Avatar!

As an RPG nerd and a BioWare fanboy, I must play this game. Ultima was one of the best and earliest RPG franchises in PC gaming; any RPG fan with a sense of history should revere the series. BioWare is simply awesome (scientific classification), as you know. The difficult part will be deciding whether to play this on PC or iPad. What a wonderful problem to have!

Any of you psyched for Ultima Forever?