Project Cafe: Open discussion and theories

There are many questions that come to mind when addressing the promise of new hardware from Nintendo. Rumors have already circulated the promise of horsepower that surpasses the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, along with fully integrated touchscreens within the controller, a fully established online platform capable of seamless social interaction, and multiplayer experiences without the use of cumbersome friend codes. However, beyond all of the pledges of incredible grandeur, Project Cafe may be Nintendo's first full embrace on the concept of next generation technology, which can meet more than halfway with their drive to innovate.

With leaked concept art being flooded throughout the month of April, it wasn't long before information needed to be divided between probable facts and pure speculation. Following an additional price drop on the Wii and a budget price drop on select first-party releases, Nintendo played coy to all of the gossip until April 25. Project Cafe was not only confirmed, but was also promised to have playable demo units at the 2011 E3 conference in June, as well a planned launch in 2012. Hardware specifications were first revealed to IGN, as they chronicled Intel regarding an AMD R700 GPU Architecture, 1080p HD visuals and stereoscopic 3D capabilities; these were among the greatest highlights reported on Project Cafe's technical details. The most interesting aspect regarding Project Café would be the controller, reminiscent of what the Wiimote did for the Wii. A controller boasting a six-inch touchscreen interface has opened up deluded comparisons to a Dreamcast controller, but really the first comparison that comes to mind would be functionality that Nintendo has already soaked their hands with in the past.

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Bits and Pieces: NES Cover Art

Remember when game covers weren't as uniform as they are today? There was once a time when every developer had their own design theme, and when cover art was somewhere between the literal definitions of "art" and "garbage." With over 700 titles to choose from in its hit-and-miss library, the NES was notorious for harboring many of these unique design themes, quite possibly containing more variations than any other system. In the years to follow, game companies began transitioning to a more conventional form of cover presentation, usually making sure every single game box (excluding "greatest hits" editions) looked almost exactly alike.

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PPR 40

Let it be known that Press Pause Radio is very two-dimensional, and because of that we are discussing 2D gaming on this week's episode. Nice segue, I know. 2D gaming has been a mainstay on every console since the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System and shows no signs of slowing down. We will delve into this topic as well as discuss new releases such as Bangai-O HD Missle Fury, Portal 2, Hot Springs Story and complain about the PSN downtime.

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One of 77 Million...

The ‘external intrusion’ that caused Sony to yank the Playstation Network and resulted in the data theft of over 77 million customers is a major inconvenience to say the least. Precautionary steps such as canceling credit cards, changing passwords, and monitoring reports have become a priority with those fearful of identity theft. Online gamers have either moved on to other game networks or are stuck in a waiting rut. In the worst cases YouTube videos have been posted where children sulk and throw their Playstation 3 in the garbage.

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PPR 39

We return to our normal broadcasting schedule this week with Episode 39 of Press Pause Radio. On this episode we announce that we have a new member to the team, the lovely and talented Catie a.k.a Squid_inator. She apparently really loves squids and camaros (that's a car, right?) and will now be a regular contributor to the site and podcast. We discuss recent news with Nintendo's next console, and painfully remember embarassing moments in gaming. The crew then weighs in on the evolution and future of narrative in video games. With so much interactive storytelling in games today, are linear stories no longer a worthwhile experience? Or can both forms co-exist in gaming harmony? That question and many more will be answered in this lengthy episode. Thanks for listening and be sure to rate and review us on iTunes and Zune, so you can be as cool as this guy.

PPR Episode 39

Sony and the Future of Digital Distribution

Members of the gaming community are well aware of the recent events surrounding Sony's PlayStation Network (PSN) and its failure to protect consumer data. Because of this, the public might become a little more wary of digital transactions.

In the past decade, more companies have shifted towards digital distribution. It makes your favorite games easier to buy, while offering opportunities for smaller developers to also publish games. Services like Steam -- possibly the best example of "correct" digital distribution to date -- also allow online shoppers to receive great discounts on many popular titles. Unfortunately, in other cases, it's also giving some publishers and developers more control than most consumers want them to have. Some of the personal requirements are also ridiculous, making it mandatory for users to input vital information if they wish to obtain and download software. 

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New Shirt to help Japan is available for Pre-order!

With the natural disasters that have occurred recently within Japan, it's not just a matter of assisting a nation that has had such an impact on the industry we cherish, but to come together and help our fellow man. 

Press Pause Radio has taken the initiative to create a new shirt within it's store line-up that was created for that very sole purpose of gathering any money that we can to assist our friends in the east. The shirt as you can see, carries a bold statement, but it is a statement that speaks volumes towards a sentiment of proving that our culture is much more than an oblivious bunch too concerned withing the scope of their own "first-world problems."

Pre-orders are available now by visiting our store at presspauseradio.com or you can click here. The shirts with shipping included are $20 total and will shipped out no later than May 19th, 2011. We encourage all of our fans to join up in arms and pledge any help we can towards the land of the rising sun with a bitchin' shirt to spread the message!

Fire Fall Multiplayer Impressions: Three Reasons to Get Involved

Whether you're a hardcore gamer or casual player, it's not hard to spot that the gaming medium has an abundance of military shooters, new and old alike. Same weapons most of the time, same options and always the exact same desert like scenery, always meant to reflect the stages of modern warfare (no reference intended) we find ourselves involved with as a planet. These repeated combat scenarios -- though still highly entertaining to most -- still leave many of us to ask, where has the classic futuristic shooter gone?

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