It’s a bummer that DC Universe Online has been delayed until 2011, but this trailer should make you feel a wee bit better about things. It’s fast, slick, and full of awesome DCU heroes. Check it out and let me know what you think (please). Super Buddies unite!!!
Tag: Videogames
What Are You Playing This Weekend?
After playing dozens of hours of Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light, I need to take a break from the game. My review is done, but there are still some odds and ends I want to take care of…but that can wait for later. A bunch of my friends that can read Japanese are playing Pokemon Black/White. I’m extremely jealous and I wish I took more than a semester of Japanese in college. Hmph. I suppose playing some Pokemon SoulSilver will make me feel better. Yes, that’s what I’ll do this weekend!
How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?
God of War: Ghost of Sparta Trailer is Hot!
Check out this trailer of God of War: Ghost of Sparta. It is the hotness! I know that many of you aren’t into portable gaming (more on this tomorrow), but this game looks so good that I’m hoping some of you will reconsider. Please let me know what you think of the trailer when you have a moment.
Coffee Talk #224: Problems with Videogame Storytelling
Today’s article is brought to you by RPadholic Iceman. Yesterday he pointed me to this IGN article on Greg Kasavin’s GDC Online talk on game writing. Kasavin, a former GameSpot editor btw, brought up some interesting points on storytelling flaws gaming. Some games are paced poorly, others rely too heavily on cutscenes, some bombard you with too much information at the beginning, and others leave too much for the end.
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 Yankees winning against the Twins (again), whether Derek Jeter is washed up, or A Tribe Called Quest, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Today’s article is brought to you by RPadholic Iceman. Yesterday he pointed me to this IGN article on Greg Kasavin’s GDC Online talk on game writing. Kasavin, a former GameSpot editor btw, brought up some interesting points on storytelling flaws gaming. Some games are paced poorly, others rely too heavily on cutscenes, some bombard you with too much information at the beginning, and others leave too much for the end.
The flawless writing in SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 aside — it’s so unfair to compare that game to others — I’d love hear about your problems with and preferences on storytelling in games. Do you like the Kojima-style cutscene-heavy way? Or do you think that’s too “wannabe movie maker”? Do you want to know as much as you can up front in case something comes along and you don’t finish the game? Or does front loading ruin things for you? Let’s talk it up on behalf Iceman and all the fantastic game writers in the business.
Morrigan to Return in Dragon Age II?
BioWare appeared to set up Dragon Age: Origins’ Morrigan’s final fate in the (incredibly disappointing) “Witch Hunt” DLC, but it looks like the wicked witch will be back in Dragon Age II. Lead designer Mike Laidlaw told NowGamer:
Morrigan’s story’s not over even after the Witch Hunt DLC, and although I can’t go too far into it, I can say that she’s not done with this world by any stretch of the imagination.
I’m hoping for something meaningful for Morrigan in Dragon Age II. I had tremendous expectations for “Witch Hunt” and was so let down by the storytelling. Is that redemption I sense???
Anyway, let me know what you think Morrigan will be up to in Dragon Age II.
Double Fine’s Costume Quest Will Rock Your Halloween
Check out this excellent trailer for Double Fine’s Costume Quest for PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade. It’s a cute and stylish RPG with a Halloween theme and (seemingly) all the things you love about Double Fine. I’m super psyched for the game — I love the art style, I love RPGs, and transforming into a unicorn is just awesome!
Costume Quest will be available for download on October 19, 2010. Anyone else interested in this one?
Coffee Talk #223: Do You Buy Complete Editions?
With Dragon Age: Origins Ultimate Editions and Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete revealed in the last week, I’ve been thinking about “collected” editions of videogames. With DLC being so new, it’s a relatively new practice to offer a disc that contains the full game and all the released online content. It’s a great value, but I don’t think I’ll ever buy one. If I’m interested in a game, I’ll snatch it up before it gets old enough to be collected. Bundling it with a bunch of DLC and other goodies isn’t enough to push me to buy a game I wasn’t sure about, no matter the value.
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 crap-ass Red Sox buying crap-ass Livepool, Intelligentsia’s Kenya Karimikui, or getting excited for an event in February 2011, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
With Dragon Age Origins: Ultimate Edition
Complete editions are a great value, but I don’t think I’ll ever buy one. If I’m interested in a game, I’ll snatch it up before it gets old enough to be collected. Bundling games with a bunch of DLC and other goodies isn’t enough to push me to buy a game I wasn’t sure about, no matter the value. Besides, game prices almost always drop in a matter of months, so it’s not too big a deal to wait things out.
What do you think of these complete editions? Does the value appeal to you? Are there any that you plan on buying? Will this practice make you wait on buying a game?
Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light Review for Machinima
Here’s my Machinima.com review for Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light. Despite its flaws, it’s easily in my personal “Top 5” for 2010. It’s a delightful old-school RPG with an awesome job system (I love job systems!). Here’s a quote:
Aside from the annoying auto-targeting, I really enjoyed The 4 Heroes of Light. It offers an enjoyable adventure that lasts about 35 hours. If you want to tackle the game’s four optional towers, get every job, and level up all your gear then you can easily hit 70 hours of gameplay. A great job system and addictive level-up features make Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light an excellent value that old-school RPG fans will enjoy.
If you have a moment, please head over to Machinima, check out my review, and leave some comments. Thanks muchly!
Panasonic Introduces “The Jungle” Handheld Gaming System
Panasonic is getting back into gaming (remember the 3DO?) with a handheld system called “The Jungle“. Specs on the system have yet to be revealed, but the idea behind The Jungle is novel — software will focus on massively multiplayer experiences. Whether that’s enough to differentiate it from Nintendo’s and Sony’s offerings is another question.
When you have a moment, check out the official videos of The Jungle and let me know what you think. Will the market support a third handheld system (consider the mobile phone gaming is getting huge too)? Or will The Jungle end up next to the N-Gage and Gizmondo in the graveyard of failed portable gaming systems?
Nintendo’s Mario Used in Negative Political Campaign
New York republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino has been using imagery of Nintendo’s iconic Mario character in a negative ad campaign against democratic candidate Andrew Cuomo. Is nothing sacred?!?
I am seriously embarrassed for my home state. I’m disgusted that Paladino is using a beloved videogame character in such a classless way. I hope that Nintendo sues him. (To be honest, I think Paladino is a total dick and I disagree with many of his policies.)
What do you think of the negative Mario ads? Do they make you feel dirty? Or is that just me?