Tag: Videogames

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, LeBron James’ karma tweets, Ted Williams going from homelessness to media sensation to rehab, or whether American politics will use a tragedy to become more reasonable, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Historically, the last three months of the gaming year are more exciting than the first three months. Yet in 2010, that was hardly the case. Q1 2010 gave me more memorable gaming moments than Q4 2010…and there’s a chance that 2011 will end up the same way.

Let’s take a step back and look at some of Q1 2010’s best videogames: Dragon Age: Origins Awakening, Final Fantasy XIII, God of War III, Heavy Rain, Mass Effect 2, and Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver. That’s a ridiculously stacked lineup! For the kinds of games that I love, it was perfection.

While Q1 2011 doesn’t look quite as stacked as Q1 2010, I’m sure that Dragon Age 2, Pokemon Black/White, and the release of the Nintendo 3DS will give me some of the best gaming moments of the year. I’m totally down with a graphically enhanced (and downloadable!) version of Mass Effect 2 for PS3 as well. Deus Ex: Human Revolution, DC Universe Online, LittleBigPlanet 2, Bulletstorm, and Killzone 3 have great potential too. I’m sure there are Q1 2011 games that I’m not interested in that fall right into your wheelhouse.

Personally, I love a front-loaded year of gaming. The end of the year is such a hectic time in the videogame business that it’s hard to find the time to enjoy games (especially for an RPG lover like me). What do you think of the trend of publishers targeting big releases for the first three months of the year? Will Q1 2011 be more fun than Q1 2010 for you?

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, Trevor Hoffman retiring, the Pokemon Black/White mall tour, or your favorite Kool-Aid flavor, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

What do you name yourself in videogames? How about characters you collect in your party? Since I’ve restarted Pokemon SoulSilver, Pokemon names have been on my mind. As I mentioned in my old Pokemusings column, I hate sticking with standard names. I love going with puns. Just ask my Wobuffet named Jimmy, my Kabutops named Citizen, and my freshly caught Lugia named Hakka. *snicker*

As for single-player games where I’m the lead, I usually stick to some form of RPad. While the name is passable in sci-fi settings, it seems funny and out of place in fantasy games like Dragon Age: Origins. An elf rogue named R.Pad?!? Yeah…. More recently I’ve been using RPad.tv for branding purposes. You never know when someone will play a game with you online and randomly check out your web site.

And you? What do you usually name yourself in single-player games? What names do you use when you have an entire party?

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, Owen Wilson becoming a father, the Carmelo Anthony deal-a-thon, or finishing the last remnants of a mediocre bag of beans from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

It was fun learning about the 2011 games you’re psyched for. Just for kicks, I went back to Coffee Talk #59, #60, and #61 to check on your most wanted games of 2010. How did your picks work out for you? Were your expectations met or exceeded? Or did your choices disappoint you? Here are the three games I picked:

1. 1) Heavy Rain — As a Quantic Dream fan, I was so psyched for this game. It was pretty much what I expected and I was very satisfied with the experience. The graphics, storytelling, and music were fantastic.
2. 2) Final Fantasy XIII — Yeah, I still haven’t finished this game, but I really enjoyed what I played so far. Sure, there’s a lot of hand holding, but the graphics, music, and gameplay totally work for me. Plus, it has Reona Rewis.
3. 3) SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 — While my other two picks were pretty much what I expected, this was the one game that surprised me. I knew the writing was going to be excellent, but I was shocked by its quality. If it doesn’t win all kinds of awards in 2011 then there’s no hope for the videogame industry.

Now it’s your turn!  I noticed a bunch of you picked BioShock 2. While it was a good game, I recall a bunch of you being let down. I also noticed that one of you was certain that Diablo III would be released in 2010. Oops…and I’m sorry. Now kindly peer into your retroscope and leave a comment. How did your 2010 most wanted list turn out?