Category: Videogames
Coffee Talk #587: Excessive Nerd Rage and You
Nerd rage is a funny and often ridiculous thing. The world has many problems — damage to the environment, malnourishment, and homelessness, for example. Yet dorky debates often escalate the point where you’d think people were more interested in solving the “Han shot first” dilemma than making sure kids have enough to eat. Sure, it’s sometimes hard to maintain perspective and it can be fun engaging in geeky arguments, but this week was out of hand. Look at the nerd rage that dominated the Internet this week: the “controversy” over Alice Eve’s half-naked scene in Star Trek, the pronunciation of GIF, and anger over the Xbox One…more
What Are You Playing This Weekend?
My consoles are all packed up, waiting for the (three-block) journey to their new home. That means it’ll be an iOS gaming weekend for me. First up is Wizard Ops Tactics. A pal at Autodesk brought this game to my attention and I’m super happy that she did. The game is a tactical RPG with combat that’s similar to Final Fantasy Tactics (my all-time favorite) and Ogre Battle. Nerd combat on isometric grids is totally my thing. As I mentioned earlier in the week, my friend Scott Foe … more
Douche Defender Hits iOS
Scott Foe has always been one of my favorite people in the gaming business. Known for his work on the Sega Dreamcast, the Nokia N-Gage, and the award winning Pocket Kingdom, Foe has had some unique experiences in gaming. Plus, he’s just excellent company for libation-fueled conversations. Adding to Foe’s coolness is his latest game, Douche Defender. This free-to-play game is full of cheesy lines and familiar faces. Here’s what Foe said about his latest creation in the Douche Defender press release:
I’m always trying to bring something
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What Are You Playing This Weekend?
Okay. My heel pain has been downgraded to heel soreness. That nasty surprise attack from food poisoning has been vanquished. I still have some remnants of a cold, but it’s not as bad as it was earlier in the week. That means it’s time to play Packing II! Yeah, moving a few weeks before E3 2013…isn’t the best, but it’s time to leave lovely Wilshire Vermont Station and the silly rent hikes. Despite my weakened condition, I’ve managed to get a lot done. Most of my games and CDs … more
Sanctum 2 Interview With Executive Producer Ted Lange
Here’s an interview with Reverb Publishing executive producer Ted Lange on Sanctum 2. The game was developed by Coffee Stain Studios for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. It combines tower-defense strategy and first-person shooter action. Lange talks about improvements made over the original Steam-only game, the different types of levels, the various characters and classes, and more. Check out the interview and let me know if Sanctum 2 is something that interests you!
On a side note, I think this is the first videogame interview I’ve done that … more
What Are You Playing This Weekend?
This weekend, I’ll be playing two games that are incompatible with each other. First up is one of the worst games of all time – The Packing Game. As some of you know, I’m moving at the end of the month. In order to save some cash, I’m going to try to pack as many boxes as possible. (I’ll let the professionals handle the kitchen and furniture though.) My apartment currently looks like one of the ugliest games of fort ever played…or maybe part of a level in a … more
Coffee Talk #582: EA + LucasArts = ???
In case you’ve been living under a rock (a common occurrence in the Dagobah System), The Walt Disney Company and EA have entered into a multi-year licensing agreement that allows the latter to publish Star Wars games. BioWare, DICE, and Visceral will be the EA studios handling the upcoming games. It’s been lots of fun reading and listening to reactions on the deal. Some of them are just…crazy. Some people are acting like Disney handed over the rights to Star Wars to a legion of baby seal killers that hunt whales and burn down rain forests on the side…more
What Are You Playing This Weekend?
I just realized that I have an unredeemed game code for Guacamelee! I’m shocked that I’ve been putting it off for so long. As a fan of old-school platformers, luchadores, and puns, this game seems right up my alley. (And to be completely honest, Nacho Libre is one of my guilty pleasures.) I’m also keen on supporting indie developers like Drinkbox Studios. The game is also a result of Sony’s Pub Fund, which a few of my friends work on. With so many things going in its favor, it seems … more
Noah Falstein Appointed Google Chief Game Designer
Between Android and Chrome OS, gaming has been a small but growing part of Google’s business. With Noah Falstein’s recent appointment as chief game designer, it looks like Google’s gaming ambitions are growing. However, there’s a lot of speculation as to what exactly those plans are and which products they’ll cover. Many have surmised that the company will up its Android gaming efforts, while others believe that Google Glass will be getting games.
For some background info on Falstein, here’s a clip from TechCrunch:
According to his bio Falstein’s
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Coffee Talk #580: The Appeal of Videogame Live Streaming?
My friend Paul and I were talking about the popularity of videogame live streaming…and how we don’t get it. Since both of us are out of the target demographic (he’s Statler, I’m Waldorf), there’s a very real chance that it’s simply a generational thing that’s beyond our understanding. Hopefully, you guys and gals can help me understand why millions of people enjoy watching someone playing a single-player game, because I don’t see the appeal. Right now, I’m all Edwin Starr when it comes to live streaming: “What is it good for? Absolutely nothing.”
Where’s the fun in…more