My "Final" Fantasy?

There are moments in life when people make bad decisions; decisions where every ounce of our being screams “STOP” and yet we continue. Like ordering the Double Down from KFC or having the hiccups while practicing sword swallowing. Sure, I know it is bad for me and that there is little reward waiting for me at the end of the challenge, but I have to persevere. So I went through with playing Final Fantasy 13 and came out wondering what Square Enix was thinking.

Podcast 10

We are back! Due to some technical difficulties, last weeks Podcast has been sent to oblivion. Now the usual suspects return, with a guest, Mr. Blake Meyer! We will talk about the games we’ve been playing, news and our topic this week: Price Points. Then to finish it off, a 30 minute Starcraft 2 explosion! Podcast is GO!

Download it here or on iTunes.

And if you are really dedicated, listen to it right now!

warning this podcast is explicit

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A Walk in the Woods

What starts as an overdue vacation for Alan Wake and his wife Alice, quickly evolves into a psychological thriller from the mind of Mr. Wake himself. The town of Bright Falls, located in a sleepy part of the Pacific Northwest, is anything but tired. Within their first night, in a cabin on Cauldron Lake, Alice is abducted by a dark presence. It is up to Alan to get her back. Certainly not the most original of plots, the universe that Remedy begins to develop around the characters is fascinating. This makes Alan Wake one of the most original games I have played in the past few years.

Alan Wake in your City

Alan Wake, one of the best new IPs to come out in the past couple of years, has been met with underwhelming sales. Enthusiasts are quick to blame Microsoft and their marketing campaign, but there are doubts if that is the underlying issue. Two campaigns which have captured the Internet’s attention are the billboard ads and the “machinima-esque” webisodes called ‘Bright Falls’.

Now, the billboards were very clever, but region locked. The only reported sightings were in the Toronto area and although the Internet can share, it isn’t the same as seeing one on the street. I would like to think that if these were spread to 5 major U.S. cities, it would have helped to bring in a little more buzz. Especially the giant night light, which was strange enough to draw ones attention during the day and had an awesome visual effect at night. It is a shame that for whatever reason these billboards were not brought stateside. Maybe they didn’t test well, but if that was the case, then there should have been some sort of marquee ads used (billboards, buses, train stations, etc.).

Next you have the mini-series ‘Bright Falls’, a prequel to Alan Wake, which does a good job creating the eerie atmosphere for the town in-game. Not machinima in the traditional sense, as the episodes are all live-action. The set pieces and characters do reprise their role in- game, including Mr. Alan Wake himself. At first, it had a very erratic story arc, revolving around a reporter who arrived in Bright Falls to interview someone and instead experiences a series of haunting events. I watched the series a second time after playing the game, and this allowed me to utilize my knowledge about the fictional universe that is Alan Wake. I almost immediately new what the protagonist was experiencing.

*SPOILERS* The protagonist is being consumed by the darkness over the course of the series and essentially he becomes one of the “Taken”. It is more than just a marketing campaign. The content is actually cannon to the story arc and provides an interesting perspective on what it must be like for the people of Bright Falls.

Combined with some major banner time on numerous gaming sites, it appears that Alan Wake will be achieve acceptable returns. It has combined worldwide sales of over 600,000 at this point, and should reach 1 million by the holiday season. If Microsoft is smart, they will try to bundle it with new 360’s in 2011 and make a cut off the episodic DLC Remedy is releasing. And if they are even smarter, Microsoft will release this on Xbox Live using the Fable 2 model. Play the first episode for free and then $10 for each additional episode. With 5 more disc episodes and 2 DLC, that $70! If you have yet to play Alan Wake, I highly recommend it and my impressions are forth coming. I only hope that the game sales long-term reflect the praise it deserved.

Note: All videos and images are courtesy of Super Punch and YouTube

Watch the episodes of Bright Falls yourself, after the jump!

Podcast

No Podcast this week due to some technical difficulties. i.e. I didn't hit the record button apparently!

Sorry....

Blog Report

Just playing Some Alan Wake, when all this news happened. Enjoy!

Is It Legal to Jailbreak and Unlock Your Cellphone? Copyright Office Officially Says, "Yes" [IPhone]
Take A Visual Tour Of Tron: Legacy's New 'Flynn's Arcade' [Comic-Con 2010]
Darth Vader and Boba Fett class up the joint [Cosplay]
Street Fighter X Tekken, Tekken X Street Fighter Revealed At Comic-Con [Comic-Con 2010]
Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition Announced At Comic-Con [Comic-Con 2010]
LittleBigPlanet 2 Takes November With Adorable Collectors Edition [Release Date]
About The Time Darth Vader Robbed A Bank [Screengrab]
Konami Launching Retail Shop [Japan]
Meet The Guys Who Make Gaming's Fancy Editions [Packaging]
Kevin Butler and New Zealand
What Is Daigo's Day Job? [The Beast]
Rumor: Microsoft Killed Plans For "PC vs Xbox 360" Online Play [Microsoft]
PlayStation 3's 3D Games Could Get 3DS-Style Slider [3D]
Blizzard Does 180 on Real Names
Google Invests $100+ Million In FarmVille Company, Prepares Google Games [Rumor]
Dead Space 2's Miner Upgrades, Including A Solution To A Lack Of Bullets [Preview]
Six New Games Unveiled By EA Today [Electronic Arts]
Fight Night Champion Announced for 2011
Microsoft's Take On The Cost of Motion Gaming [Kinect]

Sony Style Store

Sony, like so many other manufacturers, has begun setting up show room floors across the USA. These experience centers are called 'Sony Style' stores. When I was in Japan a few years back, hitting up the Sony showroom in Ginza was a must. Now, Sony has come to my front door, setting up a Sony Style store in the Dallas Galleria. Once I found out, I dragged my fiancée there to try some of the latest Sony tech. With all the new technology emerging, it is actually one of the best ways for Sony to market all their new hardware. Showrooms like these are built around the idea of “try before you buy” and with so many choices this almost seems necessary. Take for example 3D TV’s; they come in all forms of size, shape and technologies. They are something so complex and expensive that I had no intention of buying day one, but here, they can be experienced for free. Better yet, they can be experienced while playing a Playstation 3, which is the first console outside of a PC that can do this. It may not be worth the $2000+, but having played some MLB the Show and Motorstorm I can say in confidence, it works. If you can combine this with “the Move” and a 7.1 sound system in a creative way, it may be the closest thing to Virtual Reality in your living room we have seen yet.

Speaking of “the Move”, this is another technology that I am not probably going to be adopting day one, but was happy to hear Sony will be having an event in the next month. Thereby, Sony is providing me another opportunity to “try before I buy”, in a retail space more comfortable than the local Wal-Mart or Best Buy. There are numerous other products, ranging from laptops to PSP’s, but I wouldn’t recommend actually buying anything there. I was looking through the shelf of games they had for sale and Lair was priced at almost $60!!! You look on Amazon.com and you can buy a new copy for $17, which is still overpriced since the game is shit. Other than that, I think as a marketing vehicle, this could be very profitable for Sony in the long run. Hey, it works for Apple!

Expect to see another post from the Sony Style Store @ the Playstation Move Event in early September.

Podcast 09

We are down one seat, but the Podcast must go on. Tim and Borga share the time they spend with Hothead’s new IP Deathspank, while I chat up Alan Wake. Then we hit some highlights in the news and discuss Blizzard’s recent brain fart with their forums. Ending with a new decree to all you listeners. PRIZES!

warning this podcast is explicit

Download Here, or listen below  

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Blog Report

Here is some news!

The Man Who Will Bring Us To The Fourth Dimension [Feature]
Dragon Age II's New Look, Now In Screen Shots [Bioware]
This Chun-Li Has Tiny Thighs [Gameface]
Which Version Of Deus Ex: Human Revolution Should You Buy? [Deus Ex: Human Revolution]
The Dumb Reasons Publishers Passed On PS3 Hit Joe Danger [PS3]
Large Kinect Kiosk Sets Up Shop In Mall [Xbox 360]
Does The Gears Of Warring Of Harry Potter Go Too Far? [Ea]
Help Defend Gaming: Sign the Gamer Petition
God Of War Movie Trailer Is...Unexpectedly Brilliant [Clips]
Amazon As Market Research (For The Lonely Gamer) [Nsfw]
How to Hack Your Nintendo DS for Easy Backups and Single-Cartridge Playback [Gaming]
Questions And Answers About Blizzard's Real ID Plans [Blizzard]
A Guide To Building The 'Perfect Arcade' From Scratch [D.i.y.]
Kmart's Peer Game Reviews Gives Power To the People [Well Played]
Sony Explores Alternative to Split-Screen Multiplayer [Patent]
Scandal May Have 'Permanently Damaged' Tiger Woods PGA Tour [Golf]
Rumor: Namco vs Capcom, Capcom vs Namco In Development [Rumor]
Sony Commercial Ripped Off [Top]
Infants Found Wandering Streets While Father Plays PC Puzzler [Crime]
Learn The StarCraft Storyline In A Hurry [Blizzard]

Amazon Gold Box Day for Xbox 360

If your reading this and have not already heard, there appears to be a Gold Box sale today for Xbox 360 games at Amazon.com! You can reach it here.

Transformers: War for Cybertron will be on sale for the Gold Box Price: $42.98 all day.

Then every couple of hours another game will drop in, limited stock, at a ridiculous price point. Right now, you can get Singularity for $39.99 (33% off).

The hints for the rest of the day, with my predictions on what the game is, are as follows:

0900 - Go West, young man. = Red Dead Redemption
1100 - Journey to a land of legendary combat. = Deadliest Warrior
1200 - Street Fighter IV button mashing. = Probably some Madcatz Fightpads or Arcade Sticks
1500 - The first modern day spy role-playing game. = Alpha Protocol
1600 - Hone your stealth skills. = Splinter Cell Conviction
1800 - Life 23 years from now. = Metro 2033
2100 - Explore the deadly, shadowed world of an Assassin. = Assassin's Creed 2

So get out there and buy some Xbox games, while they are still on sale.

To Hell and Back with Dante's Inferno

                                     

Somewhere in the depths of Hell, a crusader travels in search of redemption for his lost love. It is only with the help of Death’s Scythe, his lover’s cross, and some magic that he finally finds the redemption he seeks.

Podcast 08

Borga pushes my buttons as we talk about Deathspank, Sin and Punishment, THQ games and Dante's Inferno. After that its more news with fresh NPD numbers and Xbox Live Summer of Arcade. Then just when we were supposed to settle down the podcast explodes over the changes in future RPGs.

*warning: this podcast is explicit

Download it here or listen to it below

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blog report

Trying to burn through Dante's Inferno before the weekend, because then I am going camping!!! In the mean time, here is all the news you have been pining over.

GameStop's One-Hour Red Dead Redemption Sale Falls Flat [Doh]
Zangief Vs. The Universe [Clip]
Dragon Age II Seems Like It Will Be Very Different [UPDATE] [Bioware]
Here's What Inspired Vanquish [Shinji Mikami]
May NPD: Free Is Not Free
Summer of Arcade Titles Dated
Blizzard's Real Name Forum Policy Has Fans In An Uproar [Blizzard]
The 25 Least-Loved Wii Games, Maybe [Wii]
When Arcades Die [Arcade]
Hulu Plus For PS3 Doesn't Require PlayStation Plus After All [Hulu]
Microsoft Takes Third Stab At Showcasing Xbox Live Arcade [Xbox 360]
Bobby Kotick: Frustrated by Xbox Live Biz Model
Street Fighter High Enrolls Some New Students [Humor]
Average Reviews Mean No Second Helping Of Alpha Protocol [Sega]
Report: Here Are Kinect's Technical Specs [Xbox 360]
Square Enix Honcho Calls World Cup Interview "Deplorable" [Yoichi Wada]
Weighing Morality in Gaming [Morality]
When Britney Spears Meets Japanese Hack-And-Slash [From Software]
Hey Ebert, Play This Game [Art]
It's Better To Deathspank With A Friend [Clips]
After Nearly Four Years, The PS3 Finally Turns A Profit [Sony]

Geeking Out in NYC - Part 2

Now for the exciting part: one of the most impressive arcades is waiting for you in the belly of Chinatown.

Site Update

Stand by as the site is being updated, some things may be moving around, disappearing, reappearing, etc. Hopefully the transition will be smooth and everything will be in working order, with a fresh new look!

Geeking Out in NYC - Part 1

Seeing Rockstar advertise Red Dead Redemption on one of the largest billboards in Times Square it became clear how much video games have integrated with modern culture. Most would think that video games would be last on one's mind in New York, surrounded by an incredible mix of culture, food, and spirits. Should that be the case, you might miss a couple of gaming gems hidden throughout the big apple.

I am Engaged!

On July 4th 2010, Lauren and I went with some friends up to the Empire State Building. While we were on top of the world in NYC, I asked Lauren if she would marry me and she said yes! For your viewing pleasure, watch the video of the event unfolding. Cheers!

Josh and Fallon's Wedding

Congratulations Josh and Fallon! Thank You for inviting Lauren and I to share in this wonderful evening with you two. It was a fantastic experience and I am still hurt from the chicken cordon blue poppers and open bar. We wish you the best of luck in your new life together. There is a video bar after the jump of some of the highlights from the wedding.

Nintendo Rewards their Fans

So Nintendo has a service online where you can go register Nintendo Products called, Club Nintendo. This service is pretty common for publishers and even crosses into other industries. By doing so, Nintendo provides its fans the opportunities to earn points, which can be redeemed for unique products which you cannot buy in stores, as well as providing you a sort of "status level" in the program. At the end of June every year those points are reset and you have to start all over. Luckily, I reached the highest level (platinum status) before the reset and have thus earned myself the following trophy

                             

Not too shabby Nintendo! Gold members received a calender, but that really seems like the type of thing I would throw away after 2011. While, this little statue is a keeper. Anyway, the new year has started, so if you have a whole stack of unregistered Nintendo products maybe it is time to join Club Nintendo. Stay tuned later this week as I post my experience from the Nintendo World Store in NYC!

AOM - July

There is something special about Patrick Brown's art. It has a very stylistic interpretation on many of todays video game heroes, but he also has a professional level of quality to each piece. Whatever he does to bring this together, I like it and if you do too, you can visit him here.