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Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 27, 2013 in Hobbies and Collections, Television 
We’re seeing plenty of fanboy-related topics show up on LEGO CUUSOO all the time now, and it looks like the latest one to win the support of the community is a Sherlock model. Based off of the popular BBC show, the creator on CUUSOO has included a variety of options for LEGO to consider when making it a set, including different sets of minifigures, different sizes of the model itself, and an optional display stand. Basically, they put a lot of thought into the factors that LEGO themselves considers when making a set. Now that it’s got support, LEGO has to evaluate the model and obtain the rights to make the set. This is usually the biggest hangup, but with a versatile model like this it might just work out. Read more…
Tags: Lego, Sherlock Holmes
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 27, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Remember back when we first heard the title for Avengers: Age of Ultron? Yeah, that was great wasn’t it. But like most fans online you probably weren’t age Comic-con, and you probably weren’t in Hall H, so chances are you didn’t see the video reveal. This kind of stuff usually doesn’t show up online except in blurry handycam format, so seeing this clearly in HD is nice. It was made available through the Iron Man 3 Jarvis app, oddly enough. So here it is, in crystal clear form. It also gives a little look at the prep work for the panel, with Joss Whedon saying “it’s like Christmas.” Read more…
Tags: Avengers: Age of Ultron
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 26, 2013 in Tech, Videogames 
Let’s say you were excited about SteamOS, the living room-focused OS meant to make it easier to play PC games on HDTVs. If you were thinking of buying a new PC to hook up to your HDTV, why not consider a Steam Machine? These boxes running SteamOS are the second of Valve’s three big announcements this week. Valve is working with multiple manufacturers to bring Steam Machines with varying specs to retail in 2014. But before those are released, Valve is testing a high-performance prototype machine, and you could be one of the 300 people to test it for free, if you’re eligible. Read more…
Tags: Steam, Valve
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 26, 2013 in Comic Books, Television 
With the success of Arrow, the upcoming Flash series, and the continuing popularity of the Batman franchise, it was only a matter of time before some sort of Batman TV series was made. The only wrinkle is that like 2002’s Birds of Prey, this series will have no Batman. Yes, Warner Bros. is making Gotham, a police procedural centered on a younger Commissioner Jim Gordon before he meets Batman. And despite WB making it, Fox has won a bidding war for the series, committing to the series without even asking for a pilot. Gotham is being created by Bruno Heller, who has also created The Mentalist for CBS. Read more…
Tags: Batman, DC Comics, Fox, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 25, 2013 in Comic Books, Videogames 
Okay, the costume you see above isn’t literally Adam West. The Batman in Batman: Arkham Origins is still being voiced by Roger Craig Smith, and the costume won’t change that. But it’s definitely Adam West’s Batman outfit from the ’60s live-action TV show. And though this Batman is bigger and more ripped than Adam West was, I think it’s cool how the outfit makes him look slightly pudgy and soft, just like the TV series. But if this alternate costume doesn’t tickle your fancy, how about Azrael’s Batman outfit from the Knightfall storyline? It looks positively demonic, and perhaps almost too badass for my first playthrough of a game that’s supposed to be about Batman’s early days. If you’re liking these outfits, you may want to consider buying Batman: Arkham Origins on PS3, as they’ll be exclusive to that console. You also get five challenge maps, but aside from people with an unhealthy obsession for this game’s combat like me, the main thing I’d be worried about missing out on is these awesome costumes. Read more…
Tags: Batman, Batman: Arkham Origins, PS3, Warner Brothers, Xbox 360
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 25, 2013 in Anime 
Dragon Ball Z has always had some crazy hairstyles. Many anime since have had even more ridiculous hair, but DBZ was a pioneer, with its blonde Super Saiyan transformation primarily marked by a change in hairstyle. So now, 17 years after the show went off the air (yes, there have been sequel series, movies, and rereleases since), you can finally buy official DBZ hair wax for making your own hair stick up. They come in three levels, marked by how Goku’s hair looks: 3 (Goku’s regular hair), 5 (Goku using Kaio-ken), and the strongest hold, 7 (Super Saiyan Goku). Best of all, the hair wax comes in Dragon Balls! This seems to be a Japan-only product, but it would be awesome to see this released in America whenever the movie DBZ: Battle of Gods is released. Read more…
Tags: Dragonball
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 24, 2013 in Videogames 
While we’re all pondering what else Valve has in store for us, let’s look at an indie game series that has been approved for Steam via its Greenlight service. Higurashi: When They Cry (a.k.a. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni) is a visual novel series that has been sold through English publisher MangaGamer’s website. But with a Steam release approved and in the works, the company is considering updating the product. Being on Steam means much more visibility and higher sales, so it may be possible that Higurashi will receive a new translation. A translator says that they still need to look at their schedule to see if it’s doable, but it’s something they’d like to do. Read more…
Tags: Steam, visual novel
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 24, 2013 in Tech, Videogames 
The first of Valve’s three big announcements is here: SteamOS, a full operating system based on Linux. SteamOS will be downloadable for free and is intended for use on PCs in the living room. This isn’t Valve’s first attempt at moving from desktop PCs to the living room, having introduced Big Picture Mode that tailors PC games to an HDTV. The OS itself seems tuned to improve game performance, from audio improvements to input latency reductions. Read more…
Tags: Steam, Valve
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 23, 2013 in Television 
Given the middling success of Pacific Rim domestically, and the actual success internationally, I wasn’t expecting to see much kaiju-related media pop up following the trend here in the US. But, here’s X-Men director Bryan Singer working on a kaiju TV series for Syfy! He’s producing it via his Bat Hat Harry production house and will be creating a 90-minute pilot that’ll focus on the aftermath of a kaiju attack on a small town in northern California. It seems there won’t be many giant robots and monsters clashing (because of MONEY), but will instead try to feature the human side of such an attack. It could be a very interesting take on the genre! Hopefully this show will take shape soon. Read more…
Tags: Kaiju, Syfy
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 23, 2013 in Videogames 
Perhaps you’ve already heard it. The echoing cries across the internet. SUPER. HOT. SUPER. HOT. It’s the cry of the recent indie game made for 7dfps that is, unsurprisingly, called SUPERHOT. In it, you play a first person shooter and you must take out everyone in the room. Seems simple, right? But here’s the twist: time moves only when you do. Suddenly, dodging bullets becomes an intricate puzzle and each bullet of your limited ammo is carefully plotted as you plan. The best part? You can play the game right now in your browser with Unity. Right here. Try it! Read more…
Tags: Indie Games
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 22, 2013 in Videogames 
Valve’s mighty leader, Gabe Newell, recently mentioned at Linuxcon that they’d reveal more details about Linux support and the Steambox. And this time Valve time didn’t kick in! Valve has placed a page on Steam teasing three announcements regarding the future of Steam, the Steambox, and presumably, given Gabe’s comments, Linux support. Will the Steambox run Linux? Has Valve figured out a way to convince devs to develop for Linux? Will we see Source 2 at all (or any new games for that matter)? Whatever happens, the first big announcement will hit Monday. Intense! Read more…
Tags: Steam, Valve
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 22, 2013 in Hobbies and Collections 
By “finished” we mean that he put the final brick in it. LEGO had been putting together a large scale model of the UN Headquarters, and wanted to go out with a bang — so else better to ask than the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon? LEGO actually has a smaller version of the UN HQ coming October 1st as part of their Architecture line, so there’s a hint of self-promotion here, but it’s cool that Ban Ki-moon had enough time to check it out. The LEGO Foundation does these kinds of projects, as well as school outreach, to help promote creativity and learning. It’s some pretty neat stuff! Read more…
Tags: Lego
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 21, 2013 in Videogames 
Getting a little desperate, eh? Nintendo announced that they’ll be bringing back Wii Sports, HD-ified for the Wii U. However, this time around it’ll be digital only. On November 7th, Tennis and Bowling will be available via the eShop, with the rest of the sports to follow soon after. You’ll be able to download each sport and try it free for 24 hours, but after that you can either buy a “day pass” that’ll allow another 24 hours for $1.99, or purchase it outright for $9.99 each. This is a bizarrely flexible pricing structure from Nintendo, which surprises me, but I’m glad to see them trying crazy new strategies, even if it just on a HD version of Wii Sports. Read more…
Tags: Wii U
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 21, 2013 in Fandom, Hobbies and Collections 
Talk about cool – Volpin Props, the dude responsible for tons of crazy awesome replicas (which you can see on his site), was commissioned by Tested to make a replica of a Needler from Halo. Of all the guns from Halo, I always found the Needler to be one of the most distinctive weapons, and it looks great in physical form as well. In the video below are roughly 1400 pictures of the process behind making this piece. And if you want to see the in-depth step-by-step blog about it, check out Tested. Now, if only I could make things like this… Read more…
Tags: Halo, volpin props
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 20, 2013 in Anime, Videogames 
In a kind of crazy turn of events, an anime film about Bayonetta has been announced called Bayonetta Bloodyfate (in the tradition of anime spin-off films having bizarre names). The cast is exactly the same from the games, and the film will be animated by Gonzo. If you’re an anime fan, the name Gonzo probably gives you a sense of dread. Granted, it’s a feature length film, so perhaps it’ll have a longer period in the oven, but I’m not too optimistic given Gonzo’s previous output. Still, Bayonetta could work as an anime film, but this trailer isn’t giving me the right vibes. Check it out below. Read more…
Tags: Bayonetta
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 20, 2013 in Videogames 
It’s a great loss for the video game industry: Hiroshi Yamauchi, the former president of Nintendo and the man who transformed it into the gaming giant it is today, has passed away at the age of 85. Taking a traditional card and toy company, Yamauchi spearheaded their efforts into the electronic games market, eventually making Nintendo into the premier force of video gaming and revitalizing the industry after the crash of 1983. His impact on the industry cannot be understated, and video gaming would not be where it is today without him. RIP.
Tags: Hiroshi Yamauchi, Nintendo
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 19, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
The latest issue of SFX magazine has an interview with Alan Taylor, director of several Game of Thrones episodes as well as Thor: The Dark World. He says that when certain scenes just weren’t working in the film, he called in the director of The Avengers, Joss Whedon. Whedon had previously helped fix some of Captain America: The First Avenger, so since he’s in charge of The Avengers: Age of Ultron, the next big team-up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it makes sense that he’d be the one to turn to. Read more…
Tags: Marvel, The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 19, 2013 in Fandom, Videogames 
If there’s an electronic device with a display, someone is going to try to get Doom, the landmark 1993 FPS game, running on it. An everyday piano isn’t even electronic, and yet someone has tried to get Doom running on it — with the help of a monitor, of course. The different sets of keys perform different tasks, as labeled above. It doesn’t look easy to control (I’m not sure that I’d be able to finish the first level), but for novelty sake, it’s amusing. And hey, the cacophonous notes seem almost fitting! Read more…
Tags: Doom, Music
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 18, 2013 in Science 
We’ve known for a while now that antibiotics are being used far too often today. What may seem like a no-brainer is sometimes helping to cultivate strains of super-bacteria that have grown resistant to the drugs meant to kill them. According to a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the situation is worse than we thought. Each year, over 2 million illnesses (which result in 23,000 deaths) are caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria and fungi, costing billions of dollars more in healthcare and societal costs. As Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC, puts it: “If we are not careful, we will soon be in a post-antibiotic era. And for some patients and for some microbes, we are already there.” Read more…
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 18, 2013 in Videogames 
Shinji Mikami is well known for directing Resident Evil and Resident Evil 4, classics of survival horror (or I guess just horror for that second one). He and his studio Tango Gameworks have teamed up with Bethesda to make The Evil Within, a new horror game for most major platforms. It does look pretty spooky, with the enemies looking like a mixture of science gone wrong and forbidden occult magic. The Evil Within is coming out sometime in 2014, but hopefully it will be playable at this year’s Tokyo Game Show and we can get more enticing details. Read more…
Tags: Horror, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 17, 2013 in Videogames 
Even if you don’t follow the franchise, you probably still associate Pokemon with the phrase “Gotta Catch ‘Em All!” It was a marketing concept that was used in the early days to communicate that you’d need to catch more than your favorites to be a Pokemon Master (and encourage you to buy more and more stuff). Now that there are 649 pokemon and more to come in this fall’s Pokemon X & Y, the idea of literally catching them all seems out of reach for all but the most dedicated pokemon players, hence why the famous phrase hasn’t really been used for years now. (The newer games also allow you to “win” by only catching the 150-200 pokemon in that game’s region.) But now “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” is back, and it’s offering prizes. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Pokémon
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 17, 2013 in Dr. Who, Fandom 
In 2011, I began a journey to watch through every episode of Doctor Who, starting with the very first episode in 1963 and even including fan-reconstructions of missing episodes. I still haven’t quite finished it — I just got to the Sixth Doctor! — but I could have saved myself a lot of time by visiting an upcoming show in Sydney, Australia. Comedian Patrick “Doublethreat” Magee has created a show he calls “Every Episode of Doctor Who Ever Live on Stage,” which is pretty self-explanatory. That means he’s condensing 798 episodes into a one-hour show! Read more…
Tags: Doctor Who
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 16, 2013 in Hobbies and Collections 
Japanese LEGO builder Moko has been on a roll recently with some impressive builds — most recently, Gipsy Danger and Kaname Madoka! I love the pose on Madoka, with her bow outstretched, and Gipsy Danger has that distinctive “ready to go” stance. There’s a lot of little details on these models, so I’ve dropped a few more images below. Also check out Moko’s other neat builds, such as the Evangelion Unit 01 we feature a while ago, Mami Tomoe (also from Madoka Magica), and both Gurren Lagann’s head & the core drill! What an impressive library of models! Read more…
Tags: Lego, Madoka Magica, Pacific Rim
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 16, 2013 in Fandom, Television 
The Mortal Kombat web series is a pretty unique success. Rarely do you seem game-based videos that not only look good but also translate the material well. While nothing is perfect, Mortal Kombat: Legacy was one of the most impressive online shows around. And now, they’re back for season 2. Mortal Kombat: Legacy II will continue the story, but you’ll also get to see it all at once! Taking a page from Netflix, Machinima is releasing all the episodes simultaneously so if you’re a binge viewer, you’re in luck. Check out the trailer below, and get ready for the series debut on September 26th. Read more…
Tags: Mortal Kombat
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