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Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 17, 2012 in Design, Tech 
Those memorable moving panels from Portal 2 always seemed really clever to me. Reshaping and repairing the room as needed, all while looking cool! Now, as part of a promotion for Hyundai, a Korean artist called JônPaSang has created an art exhibit that reminds me a lot of those panels. It’s a complex matrix of styofoam cubes coordinated by machinery behind them moving them in and out as needed, like a gigantic piece of pixel art. The end result is Hyundai mindshare, but it’s a really cool exhibit nonetheless. Check out a video of the matrix below! Read more…
Tags: Exhibits
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 16, 2012 in Television 
Need some way to let your anger out in between Game of Thrones seasons? Joffrey Baratheon has the wonderful honor of being one of the most disliked characters in the series, and possibly TV right now. 604Republic, as a result, has put up a humorous print of Joffrey, that you can use as target practice. This was floating around for a while as a joke online, but now you can finally own it for yourself! 604Republic also has a Direwolf Winter Lager poster which is also neat, but not quite as well- made as the Joffrey design. Check them out! Read more…
Tags: A Song of Ice and Fire, Game of Thrones
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 16, 2012 in Television 
Are you getting hyped for the upcoming third season of The Walking Dead? My optimism is wrapped in a bundle of gross rags called ‘caution.’ I’m sure somehow that metaphor makes sense to someone. Maybe. Either way, this new trailer for season 3 of the zombie-filled TV series is short, but gives a few new glimpses at characters, as well as the prison where Rick and the gang hole up. Will our buddies over at AMC be able to make a more compelling show this time around? We’ll find out October 14th, less than a month away. Read more…
Tags: The Walking Dead
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 15, 2012 in Cinema 
How many of you like period dramas? How about ones that feature Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln? And directed by Steven Spielberg? Granted, this film might not have vampires in it, and Lincoln may not hunt them (who knows, though!), but it still looks to be an interesting film. However, I think I’m at the point where (brace for impact, fanboys!) I’m over John Williams. His score really didn’t help the trailer, and if anything made it feel a bit more cheesy. Still, I’m curious to see how everything pans out. Lincoln opens in a limited release November 9th, then nationwide on November 16th. Read more…
Tags: Steven Spielberg
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 15, 2012 in Anime 
There’s anime of nearly everything. World leaders in high school? Check. Ancient Japanese warriors as teenage girls? Check. Demon fighters powered by breast milk? Also check. Now we’re getting an anime adaption of the old-school Nintendo/Sega console wars. Based on an existing manga called Aoi Sekai no Chushin de, it features two warring states, Segua and Ninterudo, fighting over the land of Consume. Marcse (Mario) is the powerful overlord of Ninterudo, but the main character is Gear (Sonic), who rises up to take him on. Seems ridiculous? Yes. But also hilarious. Read more…
Tags: Nintendo, Sega
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 14, 2012 in Cinema, Videogames 
A new trailer for Wreck-It Ralph! I know you all loved the cameos in the last trailer, so I had to mention the latest one, which includes Sonic and Dig Dug! Granted, we’re starting to see more of the “kid movie” trappings of the film, with a few poor jokes and the presence of the annoying “little kid” character, but I’ll do my best to keep my judgement until I get a chance to see it. Wreck-It Ralph will be hopping into theaters November 2nd. Watch the trailer after the break! Read more…
Tags: Wreck-It Ralph
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 14, 2012 in Videogames 
Yesterday Nintendo announced that their upcoming system, the Wii U, will release on November 18th this year, in two SKUs. One will contain the Wii U system in white, along with the new controller, for $299, while the deluxe version will feature a black Wii U with additional accessories and Nintendoland packed in. While I think that perhaps they should’ve run just a bit cheaper, I think that Nintendo might be on to something. Their advertising and presentation of the Wii U is still horribly muddled – many people still seem to think its an add-on for the existing Wii system – but word of mouth helped sell the original Wii, and I think there’s a possibility it’ll work here. Read more…
Tags: Nintendo, Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 13, 2012 in Anime 
Distributor Section23 is wasting no time taking some recent anime licenses from Sentai Filmworks and turning them into releases. The biggest title is the rerelease of the classic 1993 anime film Ninja Scroll, the story of the ninja Jubei in feudal Japan. For many, this is one of the most notable anime out there from an era when the medium was still underground in the United States. Ninja Scroll is available on Blu-ray and DVD on December 4, but that’s not all!
Also on December 4 is a DVD release of Mashiroiro Symphony, while December 11 sees the DVD release of Letter Bee Collection 1 and complete DVD collections of Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi and Kobato. On December 18, the complete collection of The Legend of Heroes, an adaptation of the videogame series by Nihon Falcom, is available on both Blu-ray and DVD.
For some reason, Section23 is releasing Hakuoki: Record of the Jade Blood and Idolm@aster Xenoglossia Collection 2 on December 25, Christmas Day, but I’m sure this makes sense to someone in marketing. The month is rounded out on December 31 by the first collection of the intriguing supernatural series Penguin Drum on Blu-ray and DVD. Oh, and also Qwaser no Stigmata Collection 1, but you don’t have to care about that fanservice mess.
I’m particularly looking forward to those Blu-rays of Ninja Scroll and Penguin Drum, but the whole month looks really solid. It’s going to be tricky deciding which things will make the cut for a Christmas wishlist.
Source: Crunchyroll
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 13, 2012 in Comic Books, Television 
While his fans are surely happy that Joss Whedon was simply working on another TV series, the fact that it’s set in the Marvel universe is probably some very heavy icing on the cake. After seeing his handiwork with The Avengers — he even made me somewhat appreciate Thor after a horrible solo movie — I’m sold on his plans to bring the military/spy/secret agent organization S.H.I.E.L.D. to the small screen. Now Whedon is hinting at what form the series may take. Read more…
Tags: Joss Whedon, Marvel
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 12, 2012 in Videogames 
Back before them kids started messing around with their Calamity Triggers and Continuum Shifts, Arc System Works had another fighting game: Guilty Gear, the spiritual successor to BlazBlue. Due to some copyright shenanigans with Sega, Arc System Works lost the rights to make Guilty Gear for a while, which meant no more endless iterations instead of a proper sequel. But recently, the rights returned to their rightful owner! And now we have a new release of an old game, headed to super-powered videogame platforms! Read more…
Tags: Playstation Vita, PS3, Xbox 360
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 12, 2012 in Videogames 
Level-5 generally treats its non-Japanese fans well. Its big titles may not always get localized quickly, but the ones that people care about will eventually get a release. The future of Guild01 is a bit more uncertain. It’s a compilation of games by Suda51 (No More Heroes), Yoshiyuki Hirai (a Japanese comedian), Yoot Saito (Seaman), and Yasumi Matsuno (Final Fantasy Tactics) for 3DS. There’s some indication that the game may be making its way across the pond, but possibly not in the same form. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Level-5
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 11, 2012 in Tech, Videogames 
As a videogame input device, Kinect leaves a lot to be desired. Part of that are the concessions made to produce an affordable device, and part of that is conceptual (though that’s a discussion for another time). But as a piece of tech to be hacked and used in non-videogame applications? Kinect is pretty awesome! Hell, with some creativity, it can even be used to help those with stroke complications to communicate. Read more…
Tags: Hack, Kinect, Microsoft
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 11, 2012 in Videogames 
Namco Bandai has dissolved their Namco Tales Studio as a separate studio, but that doesn’t mean those same people aren’t working on a new Tales game! Tales of Xillia 2 is a direct sequel to the game that the rest of the world is still waiting for a translation of sometime in 2013. Xillia 2 takes place one year after the original and is being released only a year and a few months after the original game in Japan on November 1, 2012. That’s soon, and so Namco Bandai is already advertising the game. Read more…
Tags: Namco Bandai, PS3, RPG
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 10, 2012 in Fandom 
In the interesting video below PBS takes a serious look at all things fanboy: Read more…
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 10, 2012 in Cinema 
It looks like Spike Lee’s version of Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy is getting closer and closer to being real. FilmDistrict picked up the film today, the same company that released Drive (on of my favorite films last year). We also have finally gotten the cast double-triple-super confirmed, so no more rumors here: Josh Brolin will play the main character, Elizabeth Olsen, the young woman he meets, and Sharlto Copley will be the villain. Samuel L. Jackson and Nate Parker have also been confirmed to have roles. Along with all this, the press release included a small synopsis of the film, and it seems to follow the original’s story fairly well, with a few minor changes. I don’t know if I should be interested, excited, or wary. Read more…
Tags: Oldboy, Spike Lee
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 10, 2012 in Cinema 
As part of a new program to get customers on the digital bandwagon, FOX will be starting to release their films early on digital distribution services – before the Blu-ray and DVD hit shelves. The first film as part of this new promotion will be Prometheus, which you’ll be able to download from iTunes, Amazon, Xbox, Playstation, Vudu, and more on September 18th. The physical release arrives October 11th. Granted, it’s not Blu-ray quality, but if you’re looking to get your alien fix early, that’s the way to do it. It’ll run $15 and more films are on the way, including Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Let’s hope FOX begins to work well in the digital space. Read more…
Tags: Fox, Prometheus
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 9, 2012 in Fandom, Videogames 
Source Filmmaker is one of the best things Valve has released. Already, countless fan films have been made using it, some of them rivaling Valve’s own work. Nailbiter (aka Randall Glass) took SFM and combined it with Maya, the Source SDK, and a helping of Team Fortress 2 and Left 4 Dead, resulting in a fantastic short that I sure hope lands him a job. It features a Team Fortress character, the Scout, meeting up with a few zombies from Left 4 Dead – and maybe it doesn’t go quite how he hoped. Check it out after the break. Read more…
Tags: left 4 dead, Team Fortress
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 9, 2012 in Cinema, Star Trek 
Two bits of movie news popping up this weekend: first off, J.J. Abrams’ second Star Trek film is slowly coming together, and now we’ve got a solid idea of the title. Multiple sources have rumored that the film will be called Star Trek Into Darkness. No colon? What a bold prospect! With a teaser trailer on the horizon, we should find out for sure soon. On the other side of things – The Hobbit! New pictures of all the characters, mainly the dwarves. I’ve got to say, the costume design is outstanding. Read more…
Tags: Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 8, 2012 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Sadly, it’s true: the massive and awesome-looking Phase One boxset featuring all the Marvel films so far (including the Avengers) that was set to come out September 25th is now delayed. Why? Apparently, Rimowa GmbH, a German luggage company is suing Marvel for using a design of theirs. Apparently, while Marvel and Disney licensed the use of suitcase design in the film, they didn’t get rights to making a plastic case for the Phase One boxset. Thus, they’re back to square one, and will redesign the case. So if you had Phase One on pre-order – don’t worry – you’ll get it eventually. Just not September 25th. And not in that sweet packaging. I’m sure we’ll end up with a similar-yet-very-different suitcase in the end, it’s just a shame we have to wait. Read more…
Tags: avengers, Marvel
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 8, 2012 in Comic Books, Television 
Robot Chicken always does some amazing specials, and it looks like their upcoming DC Comics special will be no exception. Seth Green went on Conan to promote the special with a short clip featuring Aquaman. I’m sure you can all figure out where it’s going from here. I’d guess they picked a clip to appeal to more mainstream audiences, but the Robot Chicken guys always deliver solid stuff, so I’m excited to watch it. The special airs this Sunday at midnight, don’t miss it! Read more…
Tags: DC Comics, Robot Chicken
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 7, 2012 in Design, Fandom 
If I’m going to feature art on here, it’s got to be either really clever or just plain stunning. This falls into the ‘really clever’ category: the Avengers done as heroes in Japan’s warring states period. The Sengoku Avengers were drawn by Alex Mitchell (genesischant) who redid the entire cast as if they had sprung from ancient Japanese literature. Iron Man is really bold and colorful, while Nick Fury is a bit more faithful. I particularly like Agent Coulson as Fury’s owl – very cute. Alex needs to make these available as prints pronto! See more after the jump. Read more…
Tags: The Avengers
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 7, 2012 in Videogames 
Gamestop making a tablet, you ask? Yes, it’s true, but not very attractive-looking. Let’s be honest, a weird partnership between Sony, Nvidia, and Gamestop resulting in a large game holster for a probably-too-pricy tablet will not result in a big market splash for the red-and-black company. Still, it’s fascinating to watch them test the waters. After undergoing many changes and a long history, this is an odd spot the Wikipad has landed. It’ll run $499 exclusively at Gamestop on October 31st, pushing a 1.4GHz Nvidia Tegra processor and 1GB of ram with a 1280 x 800 IPS LCD screen. Nice specs, but will consumers take the plunge? I’m not so sure. Read more…
Tags: gamestop
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 6, 2012 in Videogames 
Were you hoping to get into the closed beta for StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, the upcoming sequel/expansion to StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty? Then consider this a PSA, for you might want to check your Battle.Net account. Anyone who wants to participate needs to make sure that they have opted in for the possibility of receiving a beta invite. Read more…
Tags: beta, StarCraft 2
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 6, 2012 in Anime, Cinema 
April 2011 saw the release of Tiger & Bunny, an anime about two superheroes competing to be better than other superheroes on a corporate-sponsored reality TV program. It was a sleeper hit, leading to two compilation movies being produced based on existing animation, with new animation added in to smooth over the cut content. The first of those movies, Gekijo-ban Tiger & Bunny -The Beginning-, is premiering this month, not only in Japan, but also in America. Read more…
Tags: Anime, Superheroes
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