If you’re a Persona fan, Bandai’s D-Arts series probably just made your day: take a look at this stellar figure of Thanatos from Persona 3. They did a great job replicating him in plastic, especially the coffins and chains above him. There’s not a whole lot of extra features listed for it, but when the figure looks this good, I’m sure I need them. If you’re looking to pre-order him, be sure to do so soon. Read more…
Some of you may be excited for the upcoming February re-release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace in 3D. I don’t really fall into that camp, but I’m still interested in the process behind it and the fan reaction to it. I like observing pop culture and fanbases. I also enjoy a solid poster, and with movie releases come movie posters. So what have we got to promote Episode I 3D? 2 cool posters and 3 over-Photoshopped posters. Read more…
Now this is really neat: a Mario Question Mark Block lamp! This stylish lamp was made by Pete Betcher in his TheBackPackShoppe on Etsy and is probably the coolest thing I’ve seen today. This lamp looks like an official product, and is probably the best thing to put on your end table since… well, anything! You can pick it up for $60 on their Etsy page. I’d recommend checking out their other neat products, like Pokeball coasters or a Tetris-themed drinking glass. Fantastic stuff! Read more…
Some things never change. The internet will always create parody videos of pop culture, and some of them end up being funny, too! And in this video, Skyrim is still the same in the year 2012. Sure, technology has advanced, but pickpocketing and placing baskets on people’s heads are still the preferred way of doing business, apparently. I’ll let the the Gro Pro Bros explain. Read more…
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jan 12, 2012 in Tech, Videogames
This is kind of cool news for those of you like me who can’t stand heavy handhelds. Nintendo’s Masahiro Sakurai recently revealed that the upcoming 3DS title Kid Icarus Uprising will come packed with a special stand to help keep the system steady while you play. Truth is, I love the concept behind Nintendo’s 3DS, even if I don’t really own too many games for it, but unfortunately, the system is a bit hefty, especially when I want to play for any extended period of time. Although I wasn’t looking forward to Kid Icarus Uprising so much, having played a demo at last year’s San Diego Comic Con International, this little addition might just change my mind. Keeping the system balanced could potentially improve the gameplay, and I’m sure I’ll be making use of the stand for future titles.
I’ve never been big on owning box sets while a franchise is still on-going, but in this instance, I might make an exception. It’s true that James Bond has always remained a controversial character, and while he’s often described as misogynistic, sexist, and even a tad juvenile, he remains one of the most iconic heroes to ever grace the silver screen. For the first time ever, all twenty two 007 films will be made available for Blu-ray, nine of which have never been released in high definition — that is, until now.
As many of you are already aware, Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Next Level is set for release later this month. The Blu-ray sampler includes three recently remastered HD episodes from the series, including the full feature length version of the series premiere “Encounter at Farpoint.” If you’re wondering what to expect, check out this sweet side-by-side comparison of the original and remastered version. The colors really pop, and you can tell they spent some time polishing those special effects. I’d like to believe the changes could make that entire first season bearable, but short of inventing a time machine and rewriting the scripts, its not likely. Nevertheless, they’ll also be including “Sins of the Father,” as well as the critically acclaimed “The Inner Light,” both of which are exponentially better both in terms of writing and pacing. The disc goes on sale January 31st, and will retail for just $21.99.
Recently, over 60,000 free ebooks were removed from the Nook’s digital bookstore, and fewer titles are appearing every day. Why, might you ask? It’s not Barnes & Noble’s fault, but Amazon could have something to do with it. It should come as no surprise, especially considering their history of aggressive marketing and bully-boy tactics, but Amazon recently negotiated a deal with authors, offering to instantly add their novels to the Kindle’s lending library in exchange for their exclusivity. Read more…
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jan 10, 2012 in Videogames
To be fair, I’m not sure what to think of Cyanide Studio’s upcoming Game of Thrones RPG. Seeing as A Song of Fire and Ice is a bit of a hot commodity right now, we would expect the license to land in the hands of an experienced developer. However, that didn’t happen. Instead, in what I can only imagine was a stroke of luck on their part, Cynaide Studios will be delivering several games based on the popular series, the first of which will be a third-person roleplaying adventure. Entitled simply Game of Thrones, the plot follows two survivors of Robert’s Rebellion as their decisions lead them on separate paths throughout the land, only to once again unite them against common enemies in an attempt to save the kingdom. Read more…
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jan 10, 2012 in Dr. Who, Fandom
Every once in awhile, I come across a TeeFury design that I just can’t pass up. More often than not, they relate to Doctor Who, due to the lack of awesome Doctor Who merchandise we get here in the States. For example, today’s design features an beautiful ad for the Sonic Screwdriver Mark VI, which you might recognize as the model used by Tennant and Eccleston throughout the 2005-2009 seasons. While I love how classy it looks, especially against that background, I’m not so sure I’d look good in it — cream really isn’t my color. Girls, on the other hand, will luck out with a white alternative. Why only two colors? Great question. All I know is that the shirt will only be on sale for the next 24 hours, so if you really want one, don’t wait.
Like many of you, I had my reservations about Spielberg and Moffat’s The Adventures of Tintin. Based on Georges Remi’s classic comics, the film served as an attempt to revive the series with state-of-the-art 3D animation. After having the pleasure of seeing the film in theaters, those reservations were laid to rest. While the 3D animation may initially appeal to kids, the films plot, littered with a healthy dose of violence and alcoholism, befits a more mature audience — especially those of us who grew up with the comics. Back in November, Weta released a hardcover coffee table art book giving fans a glimpse at the creative process behind the film. Now they’re taking it a step further with its digital release.
I know we’ve all been biting our nails over this, but fans of NBC’s Community may sleep a little easier knowing the show will definitely return this Spring. NBC’s entertainment chairman Robert Greenblat made the announcement as they kicked off their portion of the Television Critics Association 2012 Winter Press Tour last Friday. As you may recall, NBC pulled Community mid-season to make room for 30 Rock, which premieres later this week. While we had heard that it could possibly return in the spring or even later this summer, there had been no official confirmation until now. That said, Greenblat was quick to point out that the series has yet to be renewed for a fourth season, and that the network will likely wait to make a decision. Again, it’s not exactly what I wanted to hear, but it’s far from “the darkest timeline,” at least for now. Speaking of which, Star Trek 2 officially starts filming this Thursday and should continue through the next four months — about time, don’t you think?
Ever wonder if droids felt things too? In the touchy-feely way? Paperbeatscissors, aka Chris Gerringer, wondered that too and recently made a series of 8 prints featuring iconic Star Wars droids and some thoughtful type. These are pretty unique, and I love the solid bright, saturated colors. Looking for something a little more introspective to hang on your wall? These might be the ticket. Read more…
The back of my mind is screaming out, “No, no, this isn’t real!” But if it’s fake it’s the best fake I’ve seen in a long time. And let’s face it, I don’t think any of us are that surprised here: Sonic is featured in a Progressive Car Insurance commercial. I love the guy, so it’s kind of sad to see this… and yet, amusing. Read more…
What have you been doing for the past 6 months? Working? Saving? Well Sven Junga has been building an enormous replica of the Hyperion battle cruiser from Starcraft II. In my opinion? Totally worth it. It’s incredibly detailed, all the way down to the small windows on the front. Tons of “greebles” (the LEGO builder term for the small technical details all over the surface of the ship) cover the body of the vessel to help make it look authentic. Amazing job, Sven. Read more…
Photographer Dale May is currently having an excellent exhibition at the Samuel Owen Gallery in Connecticut (it runs until Jan 19th), called LEGO WARS. Tons of fantastic pieces are on display and for sale, but the one that caught my eye was the X-Ray Trooper. It’s a really neat setup, it’s even displayed on a lightbox for full authenticity! It makes me strangely happy to know that there is a LEGO Star Wars gallery on display in this world. Read more…
A little bit of pop-art never hurt anyone, especially not these great-looking prints from BiscottoCotto, featuring tons of different systems, from the Dreamcast to the Gameboy. These look like great additions for an arcade room or any place you’re trying to brighten up a bit. They allow for some customization as well, so you can pick your background color if you wish. They’re going for $15 for a single print on BiscottoCotto’s Etsy page. Read more…
Here’s just a quick little video to make you smile: Gary Oldman recently went on Conan (in a rather dapper bowtie, I might add) and was asked about his work in the Call of Duty series. He mentions one of the most time- and voice-intensive parts of video game voice acting, which is recording for all possible player choice. And yelling. A lot. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 5, 2012 in Animation
When I first came across the Bronies my first thought was “this has to be some sort of 4chan scam”. But then I started following them on Google+ and was shocked to see a wealth of amazing humor and a fan culture that in many ways reminded me of shows like Ren and Stimpy in the 90s. Yet I still thought of this as some fringe movement lurking in the dark corners of comic cons — however then I stumbled upon BroNYCon and was blown out of the water! Read more…
Earlier this week Bandai announced that they would cease production of video and manga aimed at Americans: This is huge news as this is the company had amazing A+ titles like Cowboy Bebop which you could hardly say were niche. Is this the end for anime in America? No, but the era of dubbed anime titles and translated printed manga seems to be in very bad shape to say the least. Now you can argue that this is part of a larger transition from physical media to digital — and you can also question how good Bandai was or wasn’t at marketing — however to be fair one has to admit that piracy hasn’t helped the industry: And that’s exactly what Kyle Hebert is talking about in this video: Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 4, 2012 in Star Wars
The French fast food chain Quick is about to introduce a line of Star Wars themed burgers in the first quarter of 2012. For one month three different burgers will be offered: The Dark Burger (red), the Jedi Burger (green) and my favorite the Darth Vader Burger which features a black bun. Read more…
This has to be the third or fourth spoof I’ve seen for The Dark Knight Rises trailer, and it’s probably the best one yet. Editor and director, Brad Hansen, decided to sync the audio from the trailer with clips from Disney’s The Lion King. It’s pretty amazing how it all fit together so well. It’s certainly more entertaining than the original trailer, but that’s not too hard to manage.
Introducing Retrode, a USB adapter for 16-bit retrogaming. I’m not sure if there’s a simple term for what Retrode does, but I certainly dig its purpose, so I’ll try to describe it. The adapter delivers an authentic retrogaming experience by allowing you to use your own cartridges and controllers with the emulators you download. With ports for both the SNES and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive , Retrode gives you driverless emulation, complete with data access and the ability to save to sram, without the need to obtain your roms via the net. Of course, you can still use the controllers with one you’ve downloaded, but its nice to know you’ll have options. Read more…
According to reports, Bandai Entertainment announced that they’re through localizing new anime and manga. While they will continue to sell their current products, Bandai plans to shift its focus to license distribution. Subsequently, all the upcoming anime and manga series they’ve announced have been officially cancelled. If you were looking forward to Turn A Gundam, you’ll just have to hope someone will be able to re-license it once Bandai’s current license expires. This also applies to several upcoming manga titles like Gurren Lagann volume 7, Code Geass, Kannagi 4, 5, 6 and others.
