Videogames Archives - Page 36 of 178

Satoru Iwata Talking Nintendo Wii U at 3PM PDT Today

Yesterday, Nintendo announced that company global president Satoru Iwata will be revealing new information on the upcoming Wii U at 3PM PDT today. You can watch the announcement here. The timing is very curious. The company has a major press conference scheduled for Tuesday, a large number of E3 attendees are traveling on Sunday, and most attendees in town already have plans for Sunday. It’s cool for fans to watch and all, but announcing a pre-press-conference announcement with a day’s notice sounds like poor planning.

My initial reaction was that Nintendo wanted to get a brief word in before the Microsoft and Sony pressers, kind of like the Internet equivalent of posting, “First!!!” in the comments section of a blog post. What do you think?

While the Nintendo event is happening, I’ll be imbibing beverages at a lovely industry party, catching up with old friends and making new ones. I’m sure we’ll be talking about the Wii U there, but I sure as hell won’t be formally covering it. That party will be immediately followed by a shindig from the fine folks at Polygon and Qualcomm, so I don’t expect to be writing about it all. If you happen to watch the event, I’d love to hear your thoughts on Iwata’s Wii U announcement. Please let me know!

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I shouldn’t play any videogames this weekend. I should save my eyes for the visual assault they’ll be receiving next week during E3 2012. However, the secret game I’m playing is so much fun! It’s very unusual for a modern console game — heady, thoughtful, and cerebral with a very deliberate pace. It definitely feels more like a mid-’90s PC game than a current console title. Very cool.

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

Coffee Talk #485: Whataya Want From Sony at E3 2012?

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, why Dwyane Wade is allowed to kung-fu kick defenders, Keira Knightley getting engaged (*sniff*), or Chris Jericho’s recent WWE suspension, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Continuing yesterday’s chat about Microsoft at E3 2012, let’s spend today talking about your wants, expectations, and dreams for Sony at this year’s show. The company is in an interesting position after leading the console wars for two generations. It arguably has the best hardware, but has lost out to Xbox 360. The PlayStation Vita is a wonderful bit of kit, but standalone portable gaming devices seem to be giving way to highly capable smartphones and tablets. PlayStation Move has some impressive tech, but it doesn’t seem to be getting the same kind of support Microsoft is throwing behind Kinect. PlayStation Home…is still there.

What are you hoping Sony will do at E3 2012? Are you most interested in PlayStation 3 exclusives? Are you psyched for the next salvo of PlayStation Vita titles? Maybe you want a wider variety of t-shirts for your PlayStation Home avatar? Please leave your wants, predictions, and expectations for Sony’s E3 2012 in the comments section (as you listen to Adam Lambert).

Coffee Talk #484: Whataya Want From Microsoft at E3 2012?

With E3 2012 right around the corner, I wanted get your take on the big three console companies. Today, let’s talk about Microsoft and the Xbox 360. Obviously Halo 4 is going to be a huge part of the show and Microsoft appears keen on making the Xbox 360 much more than a videogame console. What do you expect from…

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 fantastic execution of the San Antonio Spurs, Serena Williams’ first round-one loss at a grand slam, or getting pastrami with a Korean chick, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

With E3 2012 right around the corner, I wanted get your take on the big three console companies. Today, let’s talk about Microsoft and the Xbox 360. Obviously Halo 4 is going to be a huge part of the show and Microsoft appears keen on making the Xbox 360 much more than a videogame console. What do you expect from Microsoft at this year’s show? What are you hoping for? Is there anything you don’t want the company to do? Click the Adam Lambert song below, give it some thought, and leave your Microsoft E3 2012 wishes/predictions/dreams in the comments section (please!).

Qualcomm Snapdragon Game Command Video Interview

Qualcomm director of advanced gaming Dave Durnil chatted with your excellent friend Justin Leeper to talk about the company’s gaming efforts on Google Android. In addition to developer outreach, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Game Pack and Snapdragon Game Command are two of the ways the company is reaching out to gamers. Learn more about these products and future plans for them in this video interview.

This Week’s Videogame Releases

There’s a trio of interesting games coming out this week. First up is Resistance: Burning Skies, which brings one of Sony’s most popular PS3 franchises to the PlayStation Vita. One of the best games of 2011 gets repackaged with loads of great DLC in Batman: Arkham City Game of the Year Edition. Lastly, a long-running and unusual JRPG franchise gets another release in Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland.

Any of you picking up new games this week? Also, be sure to check out Amazon’s all-day Gold Box videogame deals (please)!

Coffee Talk #483: Your Most-Wanted Games of E3 2012

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 late Johnny Tapia, Paul Williams getting paralyzed in a motorcycle accident, or getting visas for foreign travel, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

A lot of the talk going into E3 2012 is about what’s not going to be there. The word on the street is that Microsoft and Sony won’t be showing off next-gen consoles. Irrational Games has said that BioShock Infinite will not be at this year’s show. It’s looking like the next game from Bungie and the first game from Respawn will not be at this E3 either. Final Fantasy Versus XIII and Half-Life 3 are reported to be missing in action. Let’s forget about all of that and focus on the glass half-full.

What E3 2012 games or products are you looking forward to? Are you intrigued by the (supposedly) vastly improved Wii U? Are there several sequels you’re looking forward to? Perhaps you’re jazzed about the second round of PlayStation Vita games? Maybe you’re interested in trends like the proliferation of mobile gaming or Skype integration with Kinect? Whatever has you jazzed, please leave a comment below and talk about your most-wanted games/products of E3 2012.

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

This will be my last weekend before E3 stuff starts and my last weekend with secret game. It’s been fun, but it’s time to move on. Thankfully, I’ve had to review Minecraft for Xbox 360 for another site. It’s just as addictive as the PC and mobile versions of the game — just a little tougher to navigate the menus. Of course Diablo III is on my to-do list this weekend. The question of course is demon hunter or monk?!?

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

GameStop Expo Open to General Public

GameStop is inviting gamers to register for the “first-ever” GameStop Expo. Part of the company’s yearly conference, the expo day takes place on August 29, 2012 in San Antonio, TX. The date is just before the hugely popular PAX Prime, which kicks off on August 31, 2012 in Seattle. Here’s more from the GameStop Expo site:

For the first time ever, PowerUp Rewards members are invited to attend the annual GameStop conference for a one-day sneak peek at upcoming new video games before they’re ever available to the general public. Get your ticket now for this fantastic opportunity to see more than 200,000 square feet of this year’s hottest video games from the industry’s top publishers, such as Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, Activision, EA and dozens more!

In this five-hour EXPO, you’ll experience the hottest new video games months before they’re released, check out and play your favorite games, enter for chances to win great prizes in drawings from your favorite video game publishers, and enjoy special celebrity appearances and autograph signings.

I’m looking for some enterprising nerds to put together an awesome road trip that combines GameStop Expo and PAX Prime. That would be cool. Aside from that uber-geek road-trip, the timing of the event is curious. PAX Prime is established and popular; will many gamers be interested in attending a smaller and newer show that only lasts for five hours? Any of you interested in attending GameStop Expo?

Source

Coffee Talk #481: Your Favorite Run and Gun Shooters

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, your Spurs vs. Thunder prediction, United Airlines CFO John Rainey calling customers over-entitled, or RFID shielding wallets, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I really enjoyed you guys and gals talking about your favorite beat-’em-up games yesterday. Today I’d love to hear about your favorite run-and-gun shooters. Another staple of 8-bit, 16-bit, and arcade gaming, these shooters all had the same concept: run and shoot. Differences in level design, character design, and weapons made the best run-and-gun shooters distinct. From Ikari Warriors to Commando to Rambo to Rush’n Attack, these games sucked up countless quarters in arcades and consumed millions of hours on home consoles. Which games in this genre did you like best?

As for me, I have to go with Contra on the NES. The Konami code. The spread gun. The awesome multiplayer. Jumping so high that your partner perishes. Contra is just an amazing classic. I have so many fond memories of this game and I’m sure many of you feel similarly. Playing this game with my brother and my friend Alex Morgan…ah, the good old days.

Now it’s your turn! What are some of your favorite run-and-gun shooters?