There are a couple of interesting games hitting store shelves this week. As a sci-fi nerd, I’m excited to see what Digital Extremes delivers with the new Star Trek game, which is based on JJ Abrams’ Star Trek universe. I loved the first movie and I’m a fan of the developer, so I have high hopes for the game. Survival-horror fans will want to check out Dead Island: Riptide for another dose of tropical frights. If you missed out on Dragon’s Dogma then you ought to consider Dragon’s Dogma: … more

I love Google Fiber…but it’s pissing me off. Last year, I wrote about Google Fiber and the dream of gigabit Internet. Seeing the service spread from Kansas City to Austin to Provo makes my heart soar and crushes it at the same time. While idiot executives at Time Warner Cable (the crap-bag company that currently provides my Internet service) claim that nobody wants gigabit Internet, anyone with common sense can see that these speeds would drastically change the types of Internet services offered and what people can do online. Those kinds of speeds are transformative and…more

Man, I’m having so much fun in Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition (Mac OSX) playing as a Shadowdancer. This thief kit isn’t working properly at the moment; it’s supposed to have a lower backstab multiplier than a standard thief, but right now it doesn’t. So that means that I can (mostly) hide in the shadows, backstab for 4x damage, immediately hide again, backstab again, lather, and repeat as needed. With a poisoned weapon, my Shadowdancer is nearly unstoppable. I actually have the other five cats in my party using projectile weapons, … more

Women in Games International (WIGI) is working with the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles (GSGLA) on a videogame patch. The longterm goal is to get a nationally recognized Girls Scouts badge for videogames, under the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) umbrella. Here’s a clip from the press release:

WIGI’s patch will use Gamestar Mechanic, E-line’s development tool used for the National STEM Video Game Challenge. Their platform and curriculum for game design has already helped more than 350,000 youth. E-line will help WIGI provide a tailored STEM-aligned program

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The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has posted a list of “summer camps focusing on videogame design and development.” (Man, I wish these were around when I was a kid. That would have been awesome.) The organization said that the number of game design summer camps has doubled, with a number of choices available in several states. Here’s a snippet from the press release:

Parents and students interested in video game design summer camp can choose from programs offered at colleges, middle schools, and high schools in 26 states

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It looks like the only noteworthy game shipping this week is Injustice: Gods Among Us. Comic-book fanboys and fighting-game aficionados will definitely want to keep their eyes on this one. One of my videogame writer friends was raving about the game last night, saying that it’s lots of fun and comparable to the most recent Mortal Kombat game. As a mark from DC Comics (Nightwing rules!) and one of the people that actually enjoyed Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe, I’m excited for this…but really, I’m excited for any … more

Unfortunately, that gnarly flu-like thing I had last week returned on Wednesday. Fortunately, I’m going to use that as an excuse to play more Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition (Mac OSX). I’ve finished two games (assassin, fighter-thief) and I think I’ll start two more. This time I’m going to go with a kensai, with the intent to get him to level 13 in Baldur’s Gate 2: Enhance Edition before dual-classing him into a kensai-thief. I think I’ll give the shadowdancer thief kit a shot too. I love playing as a thief … more

As I’ve been rediscovering the joys of Baldur’s Gate, I realized something: I don’t really cheat in videogames anymore. This used to be a big — and fun — thing for me. Of course I’d play a game straight up, but I’d also play in god mode or use cheat consoles. Part of the fun I’m having with Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition is with my one ridiculously overpowered character (Lord Ra Ra, husband and protector of Lady Ga Ga) that gets any item he wants, all the gold he wants, and extra experience points whenever he wants them. Blasting through The Forgotten Realms with this demigod brought back a kind of fun that…more

I’m done playing secret project game, so this weekend I’ll be able to devote all of my time and attention to Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition for Mac OS. As I mentioned in the last Coffee Talk column, playing this game is like reuniting with an old lover. I’m having so much fun rediscovering the joys of Baldur’s Gate – the remake has been exceeding my high expectations. It’s everything I loved about the original, combined with updated graphics and several features from the sequel (class kits rule!). I’ve … more

My friend Paul and I were talking about the large number of 2013 nerd movies that don’t have videogames attached to them (at least, that we could think of). In the past, these games were automatic. If a studio had a superhero, sci-fi, or fantasy movie set for release then there would be a game — usually not a spectacular one — released in conjunction with the movie. The game would help promote the movie and the movie would help drive game sales, at least that’s what the bean counters thought. This year there seems to be lack of videogame-movie symbiosis. Where have all the superhero games gone? Are publishers…more