Tag: Nateal Erickson

ZombieU Brings M-Content to WiiU

Sep. 15 Editor's Pick, Gaming, News, Press Release, Video Games no comments

Throughout the last few years as the Wii gained insane popularity and subsequently began to fall off the marketplace for hardcore games, we recognized that Nintendo had tapped an entirely new market. This market was a huge group of casual gamers looking for family-friendly entertainment, and the Wii was able to deliver that.

But the WiiU is looking to change the face of Nintendo home consoles as we knew them.

Ubisoft revealed ZombieU at this year’s E3 convention. The gory, zombie-fest is set to hit shelves in November, right around the launch of the WiiU console itself. The zombie apocalypse is set in 2012 London and is described as a survival-horror game.

A recent Ubisoft press release described the game as follows:

In the game, an outbreak has infected the population turning them into mindless monsters preying on the flesh of the few remaining survivors. This fear-fueled first-person shooter takes all the best elements of the horror genre and adds original interactive elements including a unique death mechanic that puts players in the body of a different survivor each time they die, allowing them to take down their old, infected characters and recover their life-saving equipment.

This implies a substantial change in the way we’ve seen zombie games work before. Your character can become infected by a zombie, and when you start up a new character, you can literally hunt down your former (now infected) zombie self in order to regain all the equipment you had been carrying.

The official ZombieU website describes the game as thus:

For the second time in history, a great plague has enveloped London in a fog of death. Big Ben tolls as hundreds upon thousands of the unprepared die or are infected by a sickness worse than death…

You are still breathing for now; but how long will you survive in the labyrinth of London streets and underground? The horrifying remains of humanity ravaged by the foul disease shuffle through the streets waiting to prey on your living flesh at every turn!

ZombiU is built from the ground up to take full advantage of the Wii U™ and its revolutionary controller that will test your will to survive in a fear-fueled zombie Survival Horror First Person Shooter. So grab hold of the Swiss Knife of survival kits – your Nintendo Wii U controller and make every second count; you only get one chance.

Stay human, we are a dying breed.

This game is definitely a Mature game, as is noted in the ESRB rating the game has received. Beyond that, the game seems to be creating some definite horror – a type of game the original Wii was sorely lacking. Ubisoft has a new trailer up on their Youtube Channel as well. The trailer can be found here (youtube login required)

Also, check out these awesome screenshots! (Click for full-sized images!)

    

So, what do you think? Is the WiiU doing enough to bring mature content to gamers who need more than just Kirby and Mario? Do you feel the zombie apocalypse game is simply too played out at this point to have the impact that Ubisoft wants it to have? Do you like what you’re seeing with the WiiU tablet-controller functionality? Let us know in the comments below!

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Pokemon Trailer Gets Awesome Dub

Aug. 13 Gaming, Video Games no comments

A couple of months ago, Pokemon fans rejoiced when one of the most awesome pieces of Pokemon animation since Mewtwo Strikes Back surfaced. Many older fans agree that the anime has either stagnated or even declined in quality from the first seasons, but this trailer for the upcoming Pokemon DS titles blew away even the most cynical Pokemon fans.

Unfortunately, when it first dropped, finding even a subtitled version of the video was near impossible. But fear not, Pokefans, because the trailer has been professionally dubbed and we are now able to not only drool over its animated awesomeness, but we can also understand what’s going on as well! Check it out below!

Pokemon Black and White 2 are set to release in the US on October 7th.

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“Steins; Gate” Dub World Premiere at Otakon

Jul. 19 Anime, News, Press Release no comments

What began as a visual novel for the Xbox 360 has now spiraled into drama cds, an internet radio show, manga, anime, and even a board game.

And with microwave time machines and a mad scientist, I have to imagine this sort of spiral was all part of some sort of time-traveling test-tube plan.

Funimation licensed Steins;Gate for English-speaking audiences, and the company is now ready to show fans the very first look at what is looking to be a promising English dub. With big names like J. Michael Tatum and Trina Nishimura doing major voice work for the show, fans of English dubs and of Steins;Gate alike are excited for this world premiere. If you are one of the thousands of lucky anime fans planning to attend Otakon later this month, you can check out dub on Saturday, July 28th! (And afterwards, there will be a Q&A session with the dub cast!) On top of that, Funimation has finally given us a full look at the English cast!

 

Character Actor
OKABE J. Michael Tatum
MAKISE Trina Nishimura
MAYURI Jackie Ross
DARU Tyson Rinehart
SUZUHA Cherami Leigh
JOHN TITOR Patrick Seitz
BRAUN Christopher R. Sabat
NAE Brina Palencia
RUKA Lindsay Seidel
MOEKA Jessica Cavanagh
- -
ADR Director Colleen Clinkenbeard
Line Producer Colleen Clinkenbeard
Head Writer John Burgmeier
ADR Engineer Stephen Hoff

Unfamiliar with Steins;Gate? Check out Funimation’s synopsis of this trippy show.

The microwave is a time machine. Okarin proved it. The self-anointed mad scientist nuked bananas into some gelatinous version of the future. Or maybe it was the past. Doesn’t matter. No one thought he could do it, but he did it anyway. He sent text messages through time to people he knew. To his friends. Some of them female. Pretty. He should have been more careful. He should have stopped. Tampering with the time-space continuum attracts unwelcome attention. Clandestine organizations of nefarious origins take notice. SERN. Always watching. Okarin knows; he can feel their eyes. That’s why he started the top secret Future Gadget Lab. To stop them. You should join. We get to wear lab coats, and it’s dangerous. Danger is exciting because it’s deadly. The microwave is a time machine.

And if you just want a little taste, here’s the dub’s trailer! Did you enjoy Steins;Gate? Are you looking forward to the dub? Will you be checking out the dub premiers at Otakon? Let us know in the comments! (Source: Funimation)

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Sony E3 Press Conference Overview

Jun. 06 Gaming, News, Press Release, Video Games no comments

Alright, let’s take a broad look at everything Sony had to offer us at this year’s E3 conference!

 

“Ode to the Gamer”

Sony opened their conference with something that came off a bit like pandering. After thanking their consumers very loudly and with a lot of fancy words, they promised a ton of big announcements. Let’s see how they stacked up.

 

Beyond: Two Souls

From the makers of the genre-defying Heavy Rain came the announcement of a brand new IP: Beyond: Two Souls. This story is going to fall into the same psuedo-genre as Heavy Rain and will follow a full fifteen years of the life of the main character. Jodi Holmes, our main protagonist played by Ellen Page, is a girl with a dark secret. There is something caught between our world and the world beyond, and it is constantly with her. And from what we’ve seen in the trailer shown at the conference, it is extremely dangerous.

 

Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale

This is basically Super Smash Brothers for the Playstation. You’ve got characters like Fat Princess battling it out with strange powers on stages representative of major Playstation IPs. It offers cross-play between the PS3 and the Vita to help you continue your game on the go.

 

Sony Loves the Indie

Sony was proud to announce they will be working even harder to bring quality indie games to the Play Station Network. Over 200 new titles are in the pipes, including some that are Playstation exclusive!

 

Push for Playstation+

This program is equivalent to an Xbox Live Gold membership, and Sony wants more people signing up. Everyone at the conference got a free year, and there are apparently a ton of perks to the program – including free games to be downloaded.

 

Playstation 1 Classics Coming to Vita

Much like the 3DS and DS have offered classic handheld games to be downloaded to be played on this new generation, the Vita is going to be getting a ton of original Playstation titles. No word on exactly what those titles are yet, but keep your eyes open, the announcements are on the way.

 

Entertainment Partners for Vita

Hulu+, Youtube, and Crackle are all going to be coming to Vita so you can get your television and movie fixes on the go.

 

Assassin’s Creed 3

Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation is coming to the Playstation Vita. This game will feature the first ever female assassin and will offer cross-play between AC3:L and AC3. Not only that, but a special Vita bundle will be available for purchase that will include Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation and a crystal white Vita. (Think the same color as the Assassin’s Creed PSP.) On the Playstation 3 front, we got to see some new footage of the game that involved some epic ship battles. Sony also announced a special Playstation 3 bundle that will include the game and a PS3 system.

 

Farcry 3

We’ve seen a lot of this game throughout the conference. Sony provided us with substantially less nipple-shots and was able to confirm 4-player co-op modes, a dedicated multiplayer island, a map editor, and DLC already in the works.

 

Wonderbook

This is probably the craziest thing Sony announced in their entire conference and will need a full post later on. This Augmented Reality peripheral already has support from J.K. Rowling. Expect a full report from your WotN staff in the coming days.

 

HTC Partnership

Sony has wanted to get into the mobile devices market for ages, and now they’ve announced a partnership with cell phone powerhouse HTC.

 

New God of War

God of War: Ascension is promising to include all the typical gameplay you expect from a GoW title. Ridiculously graphic, this game is already set to release on March 12th, 2013.

 

Was there anything that got you excited during the Sony conference? Did you want an announcement that simply didn’t happen? Discuss it all in the comments below!

 

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Ubisoft E3 Press Conference Overview

Jun. 04 Gaming, News, Press Release, Video Games no comments

We heard from Microsoft. We heard from EA. And now, Ubisoft has made their presence known. There’s some ridiculous stuff to come, so let’s get a rundown.

 

Flo-Rida and His Giant Gold Microphone

Another musical performance to promote the other major player in the dance game industry, we have Ubisoft bringing Flo-Rida and a microphone with a swag factor that I’m not sure I can accurately put into numbers. To be honest, I was extremely unimpressed, though this was a little less weird after the Usher incident earlier today.

 

The Hostess With…

Okay, was I the only one out there with a weird dislike for the two people hosting Ubisoft’s conference? Aiyesha, who seemed like she was trying too hard to be the edgy “gamer girl” with a shirt that HAD to be fabric taped to stay up, and a weird “Youtube sensation” male whose name I honestly can’t remember were a strange choice for Ubisoft. Granted, they were much less “boring” than other hosts, but at the same time, I was turned off by the choice. I try to not be negative about these conferences in general, but I felt like I had to say something there.

 

Far Cry 3

Holy full-frontal-nudity, Batman. This game is promising to come along with extremely graphic violence, tons of swearing, and one chick with her nipples prominently featured no less than three times in the trailer we saw. It’s a very mature game, and I think Ubisoft will do it justice. It was just rather shocking to go from Flo-Rida to a nameless tribal woman’s exposed breasts. We’ve been promised an entire archipelago of explorable worlds, and with plenty of baddies to shoot up, Far Cry 3 is shaping up to be an impressive title.

 

Splinter Cell: Blacklist

Microsoft announced this game earlier today, so I won’t dwell on it here. Keep your eyes peeled, WotN, fans, because we’ve got a Tom Clancy fan preparing to bring a full article on this new title.

 

Avengers: Battle for Earth

Coming to all platforms, including WiiU, this game was presented to us with little preamble and even less gameplay. All that can be certain is that it’s a Marvel title with very impressive graphics. I sincerely doubt this will end up being a fighting game, but we saw some serious super hero action in the trailer and I am hungry for more.

 

Rayman Legends

Ubisoft really seems to be excited about the WiiU, as these next two titles have shown us. Rayman Origins was a critically acclaimed success of a title, and this new addition to the franchise is looking to be just as good. With co-op play incorporating up to five players, we got to see some use of the new WiiU controller that actually seemed pretty intuitive.

 

ZombiU

This title is an M-rated zombie game coming exclusively to the WiiU. You heard me correctly. And with a trailer full of stunning graphic stills of people reacting in violent ways to a zombie apocalypse, I must say I’m getting a little excited for the next generation of Nintendo consoles. If this is an indicator of further support for the hardcore gamer on a Nintendo console, I can definitely get behind that.

 

Assassin’s Creed 3

We’ve known this was coming for some time, but that doesn’t change how exciting it was to see some actual gameplay. It’s very weird to see the traditional silhouette of the AC assassin in colonial America. It was so weird, so intense, and so “colonial”. With horses, black powder, and all the bayonets, there were some pretty intense killing blows to be seen.

 

Minor Game Announcements

Just some minor ones to throw out there. No gameplay and no trailers for these, just a few quick second shots of a logo and maybe some people “playing” the game. We’ve got Rabbids Land and Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2013.

 

Shoot Mania

Ubisoft is promising a new commitment to the e-sports world, bringing with them a new game they call Shoot Mania. After watching an interesting and frenetic 3-on-3 match of some apparently very well decorated eSports players, this FPS game, still in alpha testing, has some interesting potential.

 

Watch_Dogs

I’m just going to give a quick rundown of this brand-new IP for Ubisoft here. Stay tuned for a full article on this new game later tonight or tomorrow. The basic premise is that you are able to connect into the worldwide grid, literally using the city you reside in as a weapon. You’re like some sort of master-hacker-assassin. It was graphically amazing and has apparently been in development for over two years. Somewhere between RPG and first person shooter, slightly reminiscent of Batman: Arkham City and major FPS titles, this game has really caught my attention.

 

And that’s what Ubisoft had for us! Did you get really excited about anything? Did you share some of my opinions or am I way off base? Let us know in the comments!

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EA E3 Press Conference Overview

Jun. 04 Gaming, News, Press Release, Video Games no comments

Back again with more E3 Press Conference overviews! This time we’ll be taking a look at what EA had to show us. There are loads of games on the docket so strap in and see what we’ve got.

 

Sim City

Not only did Maxis announce a new Sim City for PC, which was a long-time coming, but also announced Sim City Social - a Sim City game for Facebook. With the Facebook version of the Sims already so popular, it seems only natural that Sim City would also make the social network jump. And hey, it has to be better than Farmville, right?

 

 

Battlefield 3

The big announcement here was the Battlefield 3 Premium Membership. This giant add-on to Battlefield 3 is going to cost $49.99 USD at the outset, but offers a massive amount of new content, some 100+ hours. In addition to new items, dogtags, and goodness knows what other in-game swag, players will be treated to five expansion packs of content, the first of which is already available to play on PS3. Each new expansion pack offers a different approach to gameplay, and they are all looking pretty freakin’ sweet.

 

The Old Republic

After a huge initial launch and more Star Wars puns than you can shake a stick at, Bioware wants fans to know that The Old Republic is still going strong. After the rapid deflation of the Star Trek MMO, that reassurance is nice to hear. Announcements today included an upcoming new world to explore, a new “Nightmare” difficulty level for veteran players, more PVP warzones, increased level-caps for all classes, as well as new companions and new playable species (currently announced new player-species: the Cathar!!). The Old Republic is going free-to-play up to lvl 15 this July.

 

Medal of Honor: Warfighter

Medal of Honor is promising some real-world parallels with locations and incidents connecting to actual world events. Loads of slowmo and gameplay were shown as well as an announcement of 12 units for multiplayer.

 

The First UFC Fighting Game

While no gameplay was shown for this title and no release date was set, EA was proud to confirm an upcoming UFC game. In fact, the game will be available in 175 countries and 22 languages when it does indeed finally drop.

 

Need for Speed: Most Wanted

What initially seemed a bit more like Burnout than Need for Speed, this new title in the Need for Speed franchise is taking an interesting new direction. More than just trying to outclass your friends by outspeeding them on the course, your goal is to become the “most wanted” of your friends by racking up the Speed Points for doing just about anything and everything in the game. This game is set to launch October 30th.

 

Crysis 3

Closing out EA’s press conference was Crysis 3. We got to see some new gameplay and a look at the Nanosuit, which offers the player a considerable amount of power – missiles were even having a tough time taking the player down! Crysis 3 will introduce seven areas known as “The Seven Wonders”. This game is set to launch in February, 2013.

 

And that’s what we’ve got so far from EA! Did you see anything you liked? Is there something you want more information about? Do you feel like EA really missed out on announcing something? Let us know in the comments!

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Microsoft’s E3 Press Conference Overview

Jun. 04 Gaming, News, Press Release, Video Games no comments

Calling all nerds, E3 has officially begun. And while Nintendo beat the other main companies to the punch with a “Pre-E3 Conference” yesterday, Microsoft was first on the docket this morning. I can’t say that this year’s E3 has started with a bang, but let me lay down all the announcements here for you and you can make your own call.

Halo 4

Of course, Microsoft opened their press conference with one of the biggest, most hotly anticipated titles of the upcoming year – Halo 4. With a look at some gameplay, I have to say the engine is looking very nice graphically. Other than the graphics, it looked pretty standard for FPS games – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There seems to be a new threat in the Halo universe, and it looks like it’s going to be your job to investigate and eliminate that threat.

 

New Entertainment Partners

Microsoft was very excited to announce several new partners in non-video-gaming entertainment that would be teaming up with Xbox360. Announced so far, we have Nickelodeon, Paramount, and Machinima alongside the NHL and NBA. Microsoft seems to be slowly changing the face of television entertainment. With more partners still waiting for their official announcements, could this perhaps be the first step in changing the current cable television model? (This writer, while not convinced, can certainly hope.)

 

Splinter Cell: Blacklist

With a new Tom Clancy game just recently released, Microsoft has announced the upcoming Blacklist. We were treated to some game cinematics as well as what developers have called “killing in motion”. This seamless, action-film styled combat will include Kinect-enhanced gameplay elements.

 

Sports Gaming Gets Kinected

Two of the biggest sports gaming franchises out there include the Madden NFL series and the Fifa series. These two powerhouses in sports video games have always been the mark of excellence (especially where FIFA is concerned), and Microsoft was proud to announce that Madden 13 and Fifa 2013 will bring along new Kinect functionality. This voice-recognition implementation makes calling plays much more intuitive for Madden and could even get you a yellow card in FIFA if you’re not careful to watch your language!

 

Fable: The Journey

I really wanted to be excited by the big RPG announcement from Microsoft’s press conference this year. And here I am, disappointed. After the horrendous atrocity that was Fable 3, I’m really not sure Lionhead studios can pull this particular franchise from the downward spiraling inferno. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see the game come out on top and really make good on its promises (and perhaps some of those never achieved by its predecessors), but I’m going to take this announcement with a grain of salt.

 

Gears of War

To be honest, I was expecting this announcement. It didn’t bring a lot of anything new to the table. A little fancy trailer for the Gears fans to oogle over, which at this point is probably just what they needed.

 

Forza: Horizon

This racing game looks incredibly slick. No word on Kinect functionality yet, but my guess is that there will be some. The trailer we saw for this was extremely short and gave us precious little other than a few glances at shiny cars and open blacktop.

 

Bing Gets Upgrades

Perhaps not the most exciting announcement on Microsoft’s docket, it was still put out there. Microsoft, having partnered with Bing ages ago, has been working on updating the search functionality of this program. New languages and dialects are being added to the search function. Microsoft’s entertainment partners will also be “searchable” now, allowing you to use Kinect’s vocal recognition software to search for, say, a movie, and then see what partners have the film available for you to watch.

 

“Xbox Music”

This possible rebranding of the Zune Network intends to take Microsoft platforms into a new age of music discovery. Precious little information was given to us, but I think it’s safe to assume that Microsoft does have plans to modify the existing Zune Network into this new platform. Their insistence on a new way to “discover” music makes me hope there might be some music suggestion software a-la Pandora included.

 

Biggest Nike Ad Ever

It’s no secret that the Kinect is a wonderful tool for at-home fitness. With the capacity to accurately track minute body movements, Kinect is a natural way for couch potatoes (admittedly like myself) to get moving and back in shape. Today, Microsoft announced a partnership with athletic apparel powerhouse Nike to continue to push Kinect’s fitness potential into new areas. With the ability to compete with others working toward similar goals across the world, there’s a lot of potential here for fitness buffs and couch potatoes alike.

 

Xbox Smartglass

This announcement was the one that really caught me off-guard. With the Nintendo WiiU offering multi-screen functionality on a future home console and Sony already starting to offer that between their existing PS3 and Playstation Vita, I suppose it was only natural that Microsoft would jump on board. The difference between Xbox Smartglass and the options being explored by Nintendo and Sony is that Microsoft’s set-up will not require an additional peripheral. It is designed to work with any smartphone or tablet, be that an iPad or an Android phone.

 

Browsers, Browsers, Everywhere.

One of my biggest personal complaints with the 360 was always that there was no internal browser. Not that I’ve particularly enjoyed web browsers on other platforms, but at least the option was there. In today’s press conference, Microsoft announced Internet Explorer would be coming to the Xbox360 in conjunction with Xbox Smartglass.

 

Windows 8 Tablet

This sort of weirdly off-handed announcement confirms the development of a tablet using the Windows 8 OS.

 

Tomb Raider

Fans of this series have been aware of the more mature look at the iconic female heroine Lara Croft for some time now. But today’s E3 press release allowed fans to get an eye full of new action sequences. Lara was making great use of a bow to ping off some enemies (which was very reminiscent of the bow functionality in Skyrim). The game looks absolutely gorgeous, and the much more appropriately proportioned Lara is looking like an action hero I can get behind. With the game’s first DLC already announced, it’s nice to hear that there will be a lot of support behind the revamp of this franchise.

 

Smaller Game Announcements

Signal Studios announced an upcoming title, Ascend: New Gods that they describe as having “asynchronous gameplay”. The game itself looks sort of like Warhammer 40K come to life with lots of blood spewing forth from strangely unrealistic characters. Twisted Pixel announced Loco Cycle a game which, from everything I can tell, has you playing as a self-aware motorcycle that looks strangely like a light cycle from Tron. Matter, a game coming out for Kinect, looks to be a physics puzzler with some almost pinball-like qualities. And, finally, Wrecketeer for XBLA was announced. This game has a very Angry Birds feel, but is done with Kinect functions instead of a touch screen.

 

Capcom Awkwardly Presents More RE6

Two men from Capcom briefly took the stage to quickly announce a new trailer for Resident Evil 6. After a few seconds of zombie-slaying and tons of slow-motion explosions, this graphically beautiful sequence was over and the conference moved on.

 

Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and The New Kid

Creators of South Park Trey Parker and Matt Stone came out to show off a bit more of the game based on their animated television series. With an obligatory off-color joke, the trailer was off and running, rapidly followed by Trey and Matt, asserting that the game still needed a lot of work, which they were on their way to take care of. The new trailer offered little in the way of a glimpse at gameplay.

 

That Which Shall Forever Be Known As “The Usher Incident”

With all of the Kinect functionality being pushed, the Microsoft conference wouldn’t be over without a Dance Central announcement. Dance Central 3 is officially on its way. While some may shake their heads, I for one am excited about it. I love rhythm games, and as far as dance games are concerned, the Dance Central series is top tier. What I was not excited for, however, was the weirdly forced mini-performance by R&B Artist, Usher. The performance was unnecessary and really could have been used for other announcements, in my opinion.

 

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

Closing out the show was, of course, the other major announcement for Microsoft. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 got its due share of the stage and fans got another enticing look at the upcoming blockbuster FPS.

 

While Microsoft’s press conference may have been a bit lukewarm, the show is just beginning and there will be tons more announcements to report on. Is there anything here you are really excited about? Something that grinds your gears? Let us know in the comments.

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Fandom Friday – My Little Pony

May. 25 Editorials, Fandom Friday, Television no comments

Hello, everypony! Today just happens to be International Geek Pride Day, which makes me extra excited and proud to be bringing you this week’s Fandom Friday piece. So settle back, because your day is about to get 20% cooler.

The internet-wide craze over My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic isn’t new. In fact, the My Little Pony franchise is anything but new. Back in the 80s, Hasbro began marketing a line of toys that eventually spawned cartoon series, straight-to-dvd movies, and in late 2010, one of the biggest, most loyal fanbases the internet has ever seen. (Rainbow Dash would be proud.)

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is the fourth generation of the cartoon series. Developed by Lauren Faust (of Powerpuff Girls and Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends fame), this series, from its inception was meant to challenge the preconceived notion of a typical “for girls” show. While Hasbro of course wanted to make sure the show would help to market its toy line, Lauren Faust created characters with a surprising amount of depth, adventurous settings and storylines, and content that was informational and educational. Though she stepped down after the first season, the strong foundation Lauren Faust gave the show has undoubtedly forever changed the way consumers look at not only My Little Pony but children’s (especially narrowly focused “for girls”) entertainment forever.

Even with as hard as Lauren Faust tried to pull MLP:FIM away from the stereotypical “for girls” show, the cartoon itself was still being targeted toward an audience of girls between the ages of 5-10. But after the show’s debut on the American cable channel, The Hub, an entirely unpredicted and unprecedented fanbase of boys and men ranging anywhere in age from 13 to 30. These fans, who call themselves Bronies, are some of the most wonderfully loyal fans out there.

MLP:FIM is unique in this respect. The show is unabashedly full of joy, but not in a way that becomes an overly sugared mess of flat characters and shallow storyline. Each of the main characters (commonly referred to as the Mane 6) have strengths and weaknesses. Each pony has traits that everyone can learn from and aspire to incorporate into his or her own life. With relatable characters teaching good lessons, children are able to learn within this simply joyous environment while adults are reminded of those same lessons.

Oh, and did I mention the music? I’m still singing Winter Wrap-Up.

And that’s not even my favorite of the cartoon’s songs. I seem to randomly burst out into Pinkie Pie’s Smile Song at least once a day. It fills me up to the brim with a wonderful, pure joy. And every day could use a little more of that!

Oh forgive my manners! I’ve thrown all this music at you without making proper introductions! So if you are unfamiliar with the ponies, allow me to introduce you to the Mane 6!

 

Twilight Sparkle voiced by Tara Strong

 

First up, we have Twilight Sparkle. She’s a very bookish unicorn who loves learning more than anything else. She is extremely gifted with magic – in fact, it’s her very special talent. She is Princess Celestia’s star pupil, and was sent to Ponyville to learn how to make some friends. She is extremely organized and takes a very analytical approach to problem solving. Her talent makes her a bit insecure as she worries about being able to fit in.

 

 

Rainbow Dash voiced by Ashleigh Ball

 

Next, we have Rainbow Dash. This brave, bold pegasus pony represents loyalty. She can be a bit brash and arrogant, but she would never leave a friend in need. Her special talent is her super speed. She is extremely athletic and competitive and has even broken the sound barrier with her Sonic Rainboom. Rainbow Dash is definitely one of the most rough-and-tumble of the ponies.

 

 

 

Pinkie Pie voiced by Andrea Libman

 

Let’s take a look at Pinkie Pie! (In the interest of full-disclosure, Pinkie Pie is my favorite pony.) Representing laughter, Pinkie Pie is a bouncing earth pony with a penchant for parties. She loves making sweets – but not as much as she loves making people happy. Pinkie Pie, however, can be bad at communicating with other ponies and can come across as overbearing at times. But no matter what, she will do her best at whatever she tries.

 

 

 

Fluttershy voiced by Andrea Libman

 

Next, we have Fluttershy! This demure pegasus pony is painfully shy. She has a special talent that allows her to communicate with animals. Despite her timid nature, she has a heart of gold, and because she represents kindness, she has stopped a rampaging manticore and soothed an angry Cerberus! Despite being a pegasus, Fluttershy prefers to stay close to the ground. While it takes her awhile to open up to other ponies, she is the most caring friend a pony could ask for.

 

 

Applejack voiced by Ashleigh Ball

 

Time to meet Applejack! This earth pony is hardworking and the most honest pony you’ll ever meet – in fact, that’s what she represents – honesty! She is extremely trustworthy and easy-going, unless it’s time to get a job done. She is fearless in the face of danger, but she has a tendency to bite off a bit more than she can chew. But even though she can spread herself a bit thin at times, she’s always ready to get her hooves dirty to get a job done properly.

 

 

Rarity voiced by Tabitha St. Germain

 

And last, but certainly not least, we have Rarity. This stylish unicorn has an absolute passion for fashion. She can seem a bit shallow with her constant focus on fashion and other such things like make-up and her days at the spa. She absolutely will NOT dirty her hooves if she has a choice. Though her special talent is for fashion design, she represents generosity. She is willing to give so selflessly, be that a custom designed gown for the Grand Galloping Gala or a friendly ear to listen.

 

 

Now, to be honest, I came to this fandom a bit late. I didn’t start watching the episodes until season one was already complete and season two was underway. But recently, when the series showed up on Netflix, I sat down and rewatched every episode back to back. And I was once again completely hooked in a matter of minutes. It didn’t take me long to figure out what it was about this show that draws people from all walks of life to become completely diehard fans. I found myself able to relate to all of the characters and got wrapped up in the music and the stories. Not to mention all of the awesome nods to its older audience – including a character who pays homage to Mr. T and a Big Labowski scene in a bowling alley. But these nods don’t take away from the truly joyous nature of the show. Oh! And the puns! All the puns! (I am of the belief that puns are the highest form of humor.)

When I’m watching My Little Pony, I can’t help but smile. And some nights, everyone needs a smile.

And I am far from the only one who feels this way. There are thousands of Bronies (and Pegasisters) out there who share my passion. Even my husband is among them, and he wouldn’t try to deny it. After all, he came into the bedroom a couple nights ago to inform me he should have named his current Skyrim character “Rarity” because of all the gems she’s been finding! Check out some of these tweets of other MLP fans professing their love for the show!

Now, with any fandom you get a lot of fans coming out of the woodwork to make tons of amazing fanart and fanfics and music, but in the MLP fandom, the sheer volume and quality gets turned up to eleven. (I mean after all, what ELSE are we going to do while we anxiously await Season 3?!) I’ve scattered this post with some of my favorite fanart gathered onto my iPad from the amazing fansite Equestria Daily. And a huge part of the MLP fandom is fan music. The sheer amount of it out there is astounding. I’ve only been sifting through it for a few days and I’ve already got a playlight of two hours pumping in my ears nearly constantly. Check out some of my favorites below!

The unfortunate thing about writing an article about something as massive as My Little Pony is that it’s impossible to accurately convey everything I want to say about the fandom in one go. But perhaps the most wonderful thing that I should say is that despite my own personal struggles, I know that this community and this show will always be able to bring a smile to my face. It doesn’t matter who my favorite pony is (Pinkie Pie) or what my favorite song is (The Smile Song) or even what my favorite episode is (Oh don’t make me choose!!) – what does matter is that this show is something special to me. And when I need a boost, I browse my fanart folder, pull up my fan music playlists, or pop on an episode of the show. And in no time, I’m feeling Pinkie Keen.

So what do you think about ponies? Are you a Brony or a Pegasister? Do you get to go to BroNYCon or Everfree West? Have you even given the show a chance? (If you haven’t, give it a shot!! You can’t knock something until you’ve tried it – which is actually a lesson taught in one of the episodes!)

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It’s Sew Geeky! – Upcycling Shoes

May. 24 Editorials, It's Sew Geeky! no comments

Hello again, Geek Crafters! First allow me to apologize for missing a bi-weekly edition of my It’s Sew Geeky! segment.  But I’m coming back at you this week with perhaps one of my favorite ways to let your geek flag fly AND get your craft on, all in one fell swoop!

Geeky upcycling of shoes!

Geeky shoes have been getting a lot of good press lately. In fact, MSNBC’s The Today Show recently included a bit on geeky glitter shoes with the illustrious geek crafter Amy Ratcliffe. And let me just say that there is a geeky shoe craft out there for just about everyone, regardless of your level of crafting finesse. If you’ve got a little patience and aren’t afraid to get a little messy, that cheap pair of ballet flats you found on the clearance rack could just become your new favorite shoes of all time. Check out the images below for some seriously awesome ideas.

First on the list is glitter shoes. With tutorials abounding for shoes like this, usually involving mixing tons of glitter into mod podge and slathering the shoes with the glittery glue, putting a geeky spin on this apparently hot fashion statement is a bit more time consuming and finicky, but well worth it once you’ve seen the results.

These glittery shoes show off your love for Mario and offer you two extra lives for those long days at work.

Slightly mismatched but completely adorable, show off your appreciation for classic anime with these dual Luna/Artemis shoes!

These shoes offer a strong pop of color and a genuinely electric shock to your plain wardrobe. Pika-cute!

You may not be walking through the Rebel base, but you can certainly show your Rebel pride with these glittery shoes! Show those Imperials what's what!

But hey! Maybe glitter just isn’t your thing. Or maybe you just don’t want to spend the next three weeks vacuuming up bits of sparkly goodness from your carpets or discovering glitter in the dog’s fur tomorrow morning. That’s completely okay! If you’ve got a hand for drawing, all you need are some paint pens or even sharpies to create masterpieces like these!

Pixar movies are always a geeky affair, and these shoes inspired by "Up" are crazy-adorable.

If huge pops of color aren't your thing, take some inspiration from these wonderful black-and-white Totoro shoes!

A pair of plain canvas shoes can be turned into something truly awesome with a set of paint pens - like these classic NES controller shoes!

These Majora's Mask shoes are truly amazing, and if you can pull off art like this, you'd BETTER be putting it on your shoes!

To be honest, I have absolutely no talent for drawing. I don’t have the skills. But that hasn’t stopped me from buying some cheap, comfortable shoes from Payless (my go-to place for shoes to upcycle when the clearance racks fail) to geek up. And my favorite way to do it is with Mod Podge. This crazy tacky glue and sealant all in one makes shoes a legitimate canvas for decoupage!

These shoes have taken bits of Clone Wars paper products and expertly covered a previously bland pair of heels!

Anything can be decoupaged onto a pair of shoes! Grab an old dictionary or a book that you'd otherwise throw out and cover those shoes!

Perhaps my favorite use of the decoupage method - comic books! I'm in the process of creating some Aquaman shoes myself!

Do you have other ideas for ways to geek out your shoes? Have you used any of these techniques yourself? Share pictures and tips in the comments! Remember to geek up your crafts, nerdites! And don’t forget, the best shoes are the geeky shoes!

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Spring 2012 Impressions – Space Brothers

May. 22 Anime, Impressions no comments

When a child is asked what she wants to be when she grows up, there are a number of things that pop up as stereotypical answers. Maybe she wants to be a ballerina. Maybe a superhero. Maybe he wants to be a cowboy.

Or maybe, he wants to be an astronaut.

This anime is a wonderfully woven tale based on the manga Uchuu Kyoudai written by Chuuya Koyama and is currently being serialized in the Weekly Morning magazine. This manga took home the Best General Manga award in the 2011 Shogakukan Manga Awards and the 2011 Kodansha Manga Awards. This amazing (and highly critically acclaimed) work is being given due justice in this anime adaptation (and also recently premiered as a live-action film).

The story follows the tale of two brothers who saw an unidentified flying object in the summer of 2006. At that moment, the brothers made a promise to each other that they would chase their shared dream of becoming astronauts. The younger brother said he would travel to the moon. The elder brother, in a traditional Japanese mindset, wanted to be ahead of his younger sibling, and thus promised he would be the first man on Mars.

The anime fast-forwards to 2025. Hibito, the younger brother, has become an extremely successful astronaut. He is actually set to go to the moon with a NASA expedition. The expedition is being run jointly through NASA and JAXA (the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency). Muuta, the elder brother, has not been as successful in reaching his dream. He has achieved great success in the auto industry, designing some of the most amazing vehicles the world has seen. But he eventually loses his job over his own attitude. And when Hibito finds out, he sets out to help his brother get over his own mental blocks and realize his dream.

We’re about halfway through the series currently, and I was hooked within the first episode. This is definitely a change of pace from the usual series coming out today. There are no candy-colored hair, intense magical powers, speed lines to accentuate amazing martial arts, moe girls with adorably huge eyes, or strange surreal companions. This story is real. Very real. It focuses in on what stops a person from reaching their childhood dreams and shows us the inner workings of an outwardly hard and proper man learning to accept himself and believe in his ability to achieve the goals he left behind out of fear.

The raw emotion in this show gives it a rather slow pacing, at least outwardly. The characters interact in long, drawn-out moments. There are tons of flashbacks. Yet looking back at the first few episodes, a surprising amount happens. We learn about the brothers and their dreams. We’re introduced to the fact that one has achieved their promised goals and one has not. We see Mutta begin the process of passing his JAXA exams. He meets others about his age who are also trying to get into the program to be able to join the expedition to the moon. And all of that occurs in such a way that it feels as though the show has a gentle, almost meandering pace.

Ayumu Watanabe, director for the Doraemon series, is doing a fantastic job with this. Considering he’s a relative newcomer to the anime world, I’m pleasantly surprised with his work. I certainly hope he continues on this path for several years to come.

If you’re looking for a show with emotional impact that is a lot more serious than, say, Precure or Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka?, check out Space Brothers.

It’s streaming on Crunchyroll!

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Elder Scrolls MMO CONFIRMED!

May. 03 News, Video Games 3 comments

You heard me right. Only minutes ago, GameInformer brought us the awesome news that there will indeed be an Elder Scrolls MMO – and it might be closer than you think! And hot off the release of Kinect support for Skyrim, timing could not be better.

The June cover for Game Informer broke the news – and this cover story is going to take us all across Tamriel.

Developed by the team at Zenimax Online Studios, The Elder Scrolls Online merges the unmatched exploration of rich worlds that the franchise is known for with the scale and social aspects of a massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Players will discover an entirely new chapter of Elder Scrolls history in this ambitious world, set a millennium before the events of Skyrim as the daedric prince Molag Bal tries to pull all of Tamriel into his demonic realm.

“It will be extremely rewarding finally to unveil what we have been developing the last several years,” said game director and MMO veteran Matt Firor, whose previous work includes Mythic’s well-received Dark Age of Camelot. “The entire team is committed to creating the best MMO ever made – and one that is worthy of The Elder Scrolls franchise.”

The game is set to come out for PC and Mac in 2013.

Looks like I’m getting a new desktop.

Check out the full cover art for the new GameInformer below and stay tuned because tomorrow, we’ll get our very first teaser trailer.

 

Source: Game Informer

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Spring 2012 Impressions – Hiiro no Kakera

May. 02 Anime no comments

Based on the 2006 visual novel by Idea Factory, Hiiro no Kakera isn’t your typical harem anime. Hiiro no Kakera is a reverse harem, or perhaps slightly more eloquently, otome. This series is produced by Studio DEEN (who has ties with everything from Ai Yori Aoshi to Gurren Lagann to Tiger and Bunny). It has not yet been licensed in the States.

Directed by Bob Shirohata (whose only real credit thus far has been Gravitation) and scripted by Yoshiko Nakamura (who also did script work for Junjou Romantica), the series is now a full five episodes in.

The main protagonist of the show is Tamaki Kasuga, a girl who has been plucked from her previously modern life and brought to live with her grandmother after her parents have left for some sort of work trip. (A rather overplayed anime trope.) It is revealed that the real reason she’s been brought to this small, rural village is that she must take her place as the Tamayori Princess and seal away the sword, Onikirimaru. Five young boys are bound by blood to protect her as she works to awaken her power to strengthen the seals that protect the Artifacts that in turn seal away the sword that apparently has the power to destroy the world.

It’s a pretty heavy plotline for an anime basked in sunset oranges and midnight blues. And to be honest, a sense of urgency is lacking in this anime. When I started watching the series early in the season, I wanted to like the anime. It’s not often that we’re treated to an anime with a single female protagonist and a whole slew of male suitors. And I have a massive soft-spot for bishie boys. Yet after five episodes, I’ve been severely unimpressed.

The boys are beautiful, and Tamaki’s fox spirit companion is the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen, but the characters are flat and lack any sort of development or depth. I barely know their names or what makes them tick. They have personalities filled in with very broad strokes. There’s the overly hyper boy, a boy lolita type, the strong and silent type, the older, wise type, and a sort of bland type. It’s hard for me to say much more about the characters.

There! Was that so hard?!

The premise itself demands a sort of urgency, but after five of twelve episodes, I feel the pacing of the show is very off. The show moves at an almost snail’s pace, which really doesn’t suit a plot that involves a limited amount of time for the main character to achieve what she must in order to essentially save the world as the characters know it.

And for a romance anime, there is painfully little romance going on, save for the fanservice-y seconds at the end of each episode in which one of the boys lovingly looks at the camera and reminds the viewer that he will be waiting for you. Which would be a much more effective tactic if I had any sort of connection to the male characters.

Oh, and did I mention the “big bad evil guy” is a little blond lolita girl?

Yeah…

This is definitely a show I don’t plan on sticking with to the end. After five episodes, I’m officially pretty fed up.

While I wouldn’t recommend this anime, you can check it out for yourself on Crunchyroll.

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Spring 2012 Impressions – Accel World

May. 01 Anime no comments

Accel World is an anime adaptation of the light novel series by Reki Kawahara. The light novels have been very successful in Japan, having already been adapted into two manga series and two unreleased video games (to be launched on the PS3 and PSP).

The anime, slated for 24 episodes, began airing on April 6th. It’s directed by Masakazu Obara – a relative newcomer to the directing scene, and the adaptation’s writing is done by Hiroyuki Yoshino – who has done some screen writing work for Code Geass and Macross Frontier. The anime is being produced by Studio Sunrise. Sunrise has worked on a number of very impressive and well-known titles including Kekkaishi, Cowboy Bebop, and Mobile Suit Gundam. English rights have been picked up by Viz Media.

The show carries a rather interesting plotline. The year is 2040, and a technology called Nuero-synchronization has become widespread. This technology has become perhaps even more commonplace than the internet in our society. Nuero-synchronization allows people to manipulate their own senses and allows users to access virtual worlds. Schooling takes place in actual buildings, but lessons and homework and such are all done digitally.

Our protagonist is a short, fat high school student named Haruyuki Arita. Haru harbors a lot of self-loathing, and that self-hatred is accentuated by his virtual reality avatar. Where his classmates have beautiful versions of themselves in fantastical costumes decorated with neko ears or gossamer wings, Haru’s avatar is a two-foot tall pig. His two best friends are now dating, and Haru feels extremely alone. Not to mention he’s being bullied every day at school. And Haru’s only escape is a long-forgotten version of virtual squash at which he is completely undefeated.

But Haru’s life changes forever after he meets up with the high school Student Body Vice-President, Kuroyukihime. She not only stops his bullying issue, but also introduces him to a secret program Brain Burst. The Brain Burst program allows those who can use it to accelerate their brainwaves. Thus, in the virtual world, time all but stops for them, allowing users to react smartly to any situation they are presented with. But the program is more than just that. Haru quickly finds himself in the middle of a cut-throat fighting-style MMO game in which all of the individuals with the Brain Burst program are fighting in order to take points from one another. Points are vital to those with the program, as every time a user accelerates, he uses up one of his points. Once the points are gone, the Brain Burst program deletes itself and users are no longer able to accelerate.

Over the first four episodes, Haru is attempting to deal with high school drama on top of adjusting to this new program he has been gifted. He also doesn’t know what to make of Kuroyukihime’s attentions. Episode Four throws a pretty big wrench into the plot of the show, which surprised me considering how long the show has left to run. No spoilers here, though, you’ll have to watch!

To be honest, I’m a little lukewarm on Accel World. The art is very good in every respect except for Haru. I’m not entirely sure why the decision was made to make Haru so… comical in appearance. Short and fat I can understand. And that appearance is important to Haru’s character. But he is so short and rotund in comparison with the other characters of the show who are much more typically anime-styled that it seems to break what could be a moving character. The show moves pretty quickly, and often times feels over-dramatic, even for a high-school anime.

That isn’t to say the show is bad by any stretch of the imagination. The animation is very smooth and the voice acting is lovely. None of the characters have voices that are overly grating, at least thus far. The dialogue is good as well, and the subject matter is interesting. The show just has a few quirks that make it a bit difficult for me to give a fully positive recommendation.

But, if you like science fiction shows or high school dramas (which there are plenty of out there these days), Accel World has a lot to offer. It’s certainly more interesting than a lot of the shows that came out last season. It may not be a ground-breaking show that will challenge your worldview, but it is certainly worth a watch.

Check out Accel World on Hulu.

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Fandom Friday – Harry Potter

Apr. 27 Editorials, Fandom Friday 2 comments

Riding the excitement of the release of Pottermore, Harry Potter fans have felt a resurgence in excitement over this beloved franchise. When I was given the opportunity to do a piece for Word of the Nerd’s Fandom Friday editorial, I couldn’t think of anything more deserving than Harry Potter.

I grew up on Harry Potter. When I was in elementary school, the books made their way across the pond to the States. My mother is a middle school music teacher, and Scholastic routinely came to promote new books. At this point, the series hadn’t really taken off yet. Mom thought I would enjoy the book, so she picked up the paperback for Sorcerer’s Stone and gave it to me on a trip to Fargo. My family made the 3 hour round-trip drive pretty regularly for clothes shopping and grocery shopping.

I took one look at the front cover and flat-out refused to read the book.

My mother was none-too-pleased about this. She’d paid good money for that book, and I was going to give it a shot whether I liked it or not. So, despite my Gameboy calling my name, on that fateful day I cracked the cover to Sorcerer’s Stone.

I finished the entire thing before we pulled back into our driveway to put away the carload of groceries.

At that point, I was officially voracious. I needed the second book. NOW. Imagine my ten-year-old disappointment when I discovered the book was not yet available, and wouldn’t be for some time.

Over the years, I grew extremely close to the characters of the Harry Potter world. With each new book, I devoured the pages within days of getting the new novel. When the movies started getting released, I went opening weekend every time. As I got older, I started experiencing midnight releases and meeting fans as crazy about the series as I was. It was a sense of camaraderie and shared passion I hadn’t experienced in my small-town school life. I went through a lot of extremely difficult things when I was young. I found it difficult to make good friends, I didn’t connect well with most of the kids in my class. I suffered some pretty heavy stuff when I was a preteen, and immersing myself in the continued adventures of Harry, Ron, and Hermione helped me cope. By the time Order of the Phoenix released, I’d read books 1 – 4 well over thirty times. (Today, that number has increased to 50+.)

Some small part of me still watches the sky at night for the owl that will bring my Hogwarts acceptance letter.

I read the Harry Potter series in one of the three major ways I’ve heard of people going through the series. There are those of us fans who grew up with the characters, watching them age in about the same timeframe as we ourselves aged. People like Melissa Anelli (author of Harry: A History and host of Pottercast) also experienced the novels as they were being released but were a much older demographic. These fans did a lot more in-depth speculating and are responsible for much of the amazingly deep philosophical and true literary study on the books. Other fans have come to the series in various sundry ways – after having watched the first movie, having become friends with a voracious fan like myself, giving in to the massive media storm surrounding the series, etc.

I went to a midnight release party for The Deathly Hallows novel. I dressed up as Rowena Ravenclaw, and my boyfriend at the time went as Godric Gryffindor. We picked up our novels from the small bookstore in Estes Park, Colorado (we were on vacation, and even my being a thousand miles from home wasn’t going to stop me from getting my hands on this novel) and immediately went home and began reading. He and I stayed up all night reading, slept for about four hours, and then careened through the 759 pages.

When Deathly Hallows Part 2 premiered in the States, I was at my very last midnight release. I wanted to be excited about it, but a huge part of me just wanted to cry. And I did. The week leading up to that movie was one of the more difficult I’ve experienced. The series had been with me for well over a decade, and it had been a huge part of my life. The idea of  no more new content, no midnight releases, and a substantial decrease in fan-related things. I played my playlist of Wrock (Wizard Rock) on repeat endlessly. I listened to a parody about the upcoming movie over and over. I bought a T-shirt to wear to the midnight release that read “This is gonna hurt more than when Snape killed Dumbledore.” I re-read the books yet again. Part of me realized I was probably being a bit over-dramatic about the entire process, but I remembered something Dumbledore said in Deathly Hallows.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”

 

When the credits rolled that night, I wasn’t the only one with tears on my cheeks.

Harry Potter has given me so much. And now, with Pottermore, I feel like I’m experiencing the entire series all over again. I needed that, and I am eternally grateful.

 

Are you a Harry Potter fan? Share some of your favorite experiences with me in the comments! I’d love to hear them.

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It’s Sew Geeky! – Hand Stamped Metal

Apr. 24 Editorials, It's Sew Geeky! no comments

Welcome to another edition of “It’s Sew Geeky!” This week, we’ll be taking a look at a craze sweeping across Etsy – hand stamped metal! From keyrings to necklaces to earrings, what is often used as a personal expression of familial love can become some of the most awesome geeky crafting you’ve ever seen!

Below we have just a small sampling of what’s out there! Let your geek flag fly and customize to your heart’s content!

The meaning of life and the answer to everything can sit conveniently on your ears with this lovely stud earrings.

 

Problems finding your keys? Not to worry with an Accio spell at your disposal!

Show your Browncoat pride with this adorable hand-stamped ring!

Mr. Spock may not understand humor, but you certainly do! Every Trekkie deserves this awesome keyring!

I think this may be one of my favorites of the lot. I WOULD indeed rather take my Nimbus!

Perhaps one of the most elegant of the collected group here, these earrings are absolutely gorgeous.

I didn't dig up many Star Wars hand-stamped crafts, but this one certainly makes up for the lack of quantity in pure quality.

The Hunger Games are still all the rage, and fans are voraciously crafting up a storm! This bangle is just one of many examples out there!

If you hadn't figured it out yet, I love Harry Potter. And if you need a reminder to wipe that Marauder's Map, this bracelet should act as your crafty Remembrall!

I don't see many Tolkien-inspired crafts often, but I absolutely love this one. Simple, elegant, and highly crafty!

Not your usual keyring for a not-so-usual tv show! Key your key to the Tardis close to your heart with this hand-stamped beauty.

A bit of a break from all the silver, this copper-toned bracelet reminds all who see it that Winter is Coming.

And to round it all off, one more Firefly craft. I love the little kanji that completes the look!

Have you ever done any hand-stamping? Do you have tips you can share with those of us who are chomping at the bit to have some awesome geeky earrings? Let us know in the comments!

And remember, if you can geek it, you can craft it!

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Sequel to “Ni no Kuni” Depends on International Sales

Apr. 19 Anime, News, Video Games no comments

Internationally acclaimed Japanese animation studio, Studio Ghibli (Princess Mononoke, Ponyo, The Secret World of Arrietty), paired up with game studio Level-5 (Professor Layton, Inazuma Eleven) to produce a beautiful video game for the Nintendo DS in 2010. Last year, the game was ported to the Playstation3, and sales in Japan have been what can only be described as lackluster.

In a recent interview with Famitsu at Namco-Bandai’s Gamers Day event, Akihiro Hino, Level-5 CEO, said that while he would like to continue with the series (which was a major success with critics in Japan), the reality of a sequel is entirely dependent on international sales of the game.

The game is scheduled to hit the North American and European markets in the first quarter of 2013. Hino stated that the company has been taking it’s time with the localization process to ensure a proper and accurate translation.

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch follows thirteen-year-old Oliver whose mother has suddenly died after saving him from drowning. His sincere tears of sorrow bring to life a doll his mother gave him and reveals itself to be a fairy named Shizuko. Shizuko gives Oliver a book that bestows upon him magical powers that Shizuko says may be able to allow him to see his mother again. The two venture into a strange and magical world as Oliver works to hone his new powers.

I’ve been excited about this game since I heard of its inception. I love everything that’s come out of Studio Ghibli, and Level-5 has never disappointed me either. A pairing between the two is almost magical. While there is no solid release date yet, hearing that a sequel possibility is dependent on international sales makes me a tad nervous. International sales of Japanese games can be a bit hit-or-miss. I just hope that they market the games well so that people actually know it’s coming out!

Check out the game’s PS3 trailer below.

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Playing Cards Have Never Been Geekier

Apr. 19 Nerd Porn, Video Games no comments

Fangamer, maker of awesomely nerdy t-shirts, mugs, messenger bags, and more awesome posters than you can shake a stick at, are now producing a standard deck of 52 playing cards with a truly geeky twist.

Each card pays homage to beloved game series, The Legend of Zelda.

Instead of hearts, clubs, diamonds, and spades, the suits for this deck include heart containers, swords, rupees, and triforces. The face cards feature Zoras, Gorons, Zelda, Ganandorf, and of course, Link. Unlike some nerdy decks of cards I’ve seen, this deck, at first glance, appears a lot like your traditional deck. It’s a very classy homage to the Nintendo franchise, and I have to admit, I really want one.

Retailing for $15 USD, the deck is currently available for preorder on Fangamer. Decks are scheduled to begin shipping in early May. Check out all the awesome images below, and be sure to click them to embiggify!

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Nintendo to Show WiiU Titles at 2012 E3

Apr. 19 News, Video Games no comments

With the 2012 E3 right around the corner, video game fans are getting pumped for all of the announcements that are no-doubt in the pipes. And with Nintendo getting closer and closer to the release of their next-gen console, the WiiU, fans are anxious to see some of the actual titles that will appear on the system.

Like a lot of the current Nintendo systems, first-party games are going to be what shine – especially for the launch window. In a recent announcement, Nintendo has finally confirmed one title that will probably be coming in the same time frame as the WiiU launch.

Pikmin is a Nintendo-confirmed reality, and rumors are still floating around about an as-of-yet-undisclosed Mario title. Full details will be coming with E3. But June 5th is still a long ways out there! So in the meantime, let the speculation commence!

Are you excited about a new Pikmin game? What franchise titles do you feel are an absolute must for the launch of the WiiU? Do you have any interest at all in the WiiU?

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Ubisoft Facing Lawsuit Over Assassin’s Creed

Apr. 19 News, Video Games no comments

Video game powerhouse Ubisoft has come under fire recently when science fiction author John L. Beiswenger filed a lawsuit against the company for copyright infringement.

Beiswenger’s novel, Link, came out in 2003, roughly four years before the first Assassin’s Creed game. The novel is described on Amazon (where Assassin’s Creed fans have already begun grinding the book’s rating into internet dust) as follows:

Contrary to the beliefs of Nobel Laureate Dr. Francis Crick and most modern day scientists, but in alignment with the religious beliefs of billions of human beings on earth, the soul is alive and well and active in our daily lives. Contrary also to the beliefs of most neuroscientists, it is the soul, not the brain, which is designed to remember.

This story principally takes place in the facilities of Search International, Inc., a product research firm near Madison, Wisconsin. They call their work “product research,” because the engineers, medical professionals and scientific staff are specifically focused on the development of new products for client manufacturers.

Commercialization of new technologies was the company’s only objective until an unusual accident occurred; an accident which led management and the biotechnology research staff known as the Biochip Team into a discovery beyond their imaginations, a discovery which could well be considered the most important to mankind for all time.

The truly astonishing hypothesis, developed by Search International, suggests that at the functional center of the nucleus of every cell is an atemporal Particle of zero mass and infinite capacity for memory a biological singularity. The same Particle is a component of every cell in the body. It is the “fabric of the soul.”

The author lets the reader be present right alongside the scientists as they uncover some of the very secrets of Creation, and while test subjects are taken back in time to recall ancestral memories, a process key to proving the existence of the human soul. Intrigue enters the plot as competitors, a foreign government, and a special-interest group learn of Search International’s discoveries.

Beiswenger is seeking damages for each product released in the Assassin’s Creed franchise – including games, guide books, the comic series, and two trailers.  His lawsuit seeks a minimum of $1.05 million and up to $5.25 million if the judge rules that Ubisoft willfully infringed on his copyrighted work.

The legal complaint (which can be viewed in full here) and includes specific excerpts from his novel that bear similarities to the Assassin’s Creed games, including the device used to allow the characters to access their ancestor’s memories as well as ”spiritual and biblical tones” used in both works.

The big question on the minds of Assassin’s Creed fans is, why now? After nearly five years and only just after the announcement of the newest title in the series, why has Beiswenger waited so long to take legal action?

Let us know what you think. Is this a frivolous lawsuit, or does Beiswenger have some standing here? How do you feel about how long he’s waited to file?

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Accio Pottermore!

Apr. 16 Editorials, Literature, Reviews no comments

After the announcement that Pottermore had gone live, my heart literally jumped into my throat. My husband was treated to an evening of me anxiously dancing about the apartment as I awaited the arrival of my verification emails. That experience had been lacking for me since the week or so before Deathly Hallows Part 2, and I was thrilled to have it back.

After filling out the initial questionnaire, I had to remind myself several times that I was indeed magical. That the verification emails were coming.

Yup. Still magical. Now where are those emails...

I didn’t get my emails that night. Morning finally came around, and I stood on the precipice of Pottermore. I got the first email and then immediately began my dance of voraciously excited anxiety as I awaited the second email, the one that would finally fully allow me into the site. After months of waiting, it had come to this. About four hours later, the email arrived.

My excitement literally bubbled over as I purchased the first e-book so I would be able to read along while I played through Pottermore. I think I may have been in a state of perpetual squeeing as I synched up my iPad and moved the e-book over. Then, the digital gates opened wide.

I began, trembling, and started my journey. As of right now, only Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is available to explore, but Chamber of Secrets is on its way. Each book is split up into its chapters, which users get to explore. And each chapter is broken up into important “moments” that happen within the chapter. And for the first time in over a decade, I found myself absolutely enchanted and entranced by the magic of Harry Potter.

It was a new experience, and I stood right there on Privet Drive. The sounds of the quiet suburban street drifted through my speakers as I clicked in and out to explore the layered image in front of me.

That’s how each moment works. Each moment has three layers that you cycle through by double-clicking or using the up and down arrows on your keyboard. There are things to click in every moment that will unlock brand new information never before released by J.K. Rowling about various aspects of the wizarding world. Within the first few chapters, I learned about how clothing fits in to the wizarding world, why wizards still measure wands in inches instead of centimeters, and got a deeper look at the history of Petunia and Vernon Dursley. And that’s just the beginning!

I have to admit, I found the first few chapters tedious. But not because they were un-enjoyable. My heart yearned to get my wand, to learn what it said about me, and get to Hogwarts to be sorted. I needed to know what House I would be in. And when I finally got to Ollivanders, my wand chose me. Sycamore, 10 3/4 inches, Unicorn core, Slightly Springy. I was ecstatic. Sycamore wands typically choose witches and wizards who have problems being bored. After I read the blurb on my wand wood, I immediately showed Ben, who nodded his agreement.

“It suits you,” he said.

Then I plowed through the chapters between me and the sorting. I held my breath and listened to Rowling tell me about the sorting, and then began the test. I contemplated each question for perhaps longer than I should have. (Interestingly enough, the test is different every time it’s taken. One of my friends got none of the same questions I did when he was sorted.) And when the Sorting Hat finally shouted my results, I was ecstatic.

For the rest of yesterday, I worked through the rest of the chapters. I went back and further explored and savored the chapters I’d skimmed through to get to the sorting. I got to try my hand at Potion making and casting spells. I explored the moments and listened to the sounds. I found my very own Wizard’s Chess set.

Potion making is truly and art. It’s difficult, just like Potion making should be. It took me three attempts to get the practice Boil Cure potion right. And after I’d finished that, I got very full of myself. I thought I’d worked out all the kinks in my potion making skills, and I made myself a full-on Boil Cure potion to prove it. Making potions is akin to a sort of Facebook game. You do the first part of the potion, and then it has to brew for a period of time, usually a half hour or more.  Then you have to come back to check on it within a thin window of time so it doesn’t over-brew and finish it up. But the potions are difficult to make as there’s a timer in the background counting down. You can’t be overly cautious when working on them, yet you can’t be too reckless either or you could overheat the potion and explode your cauldron. (I learned that the hard way and lost 5 points for Ravenclaw AND my brass cauldron!) I think I’m getting a bit better at it, though. We’ll find out in about an hour after this Forgetfulness Potion finishes brewing!

Casting spells is sort of a micro-game in which a pattern is set up for the spell that mimics how you would wave your want to cast the spell in question. Each spell has a different pattern. You cast a more potent spell with accuracy in the game. Each spell has an incantation, and several of the letters in the incantation appear within the spell pattern. You tap the letter on your keyboard once to create a small ring that shrinks back down toward the letter, which you press a second time once the circle has gotten close to the letter again. (Sort of akin to Elite Beat Agents if you’ve played that.) After the second tap, the pattern continues on and you continue to tap out the letters of the incantation. I find I like this a bit more than potion-making, I seem to have a knack for it. You can challenge other students to wizard’s duels to earn points for your house, though thus far, I have not gotten past an initial challenge on my part.

Fun as all of this is, there are a few things that I hope start to change soon. Users can’t message each other directly yet, and thus far there seems to be plenty of support for fan-art but not fan-fiction. Also, please be advised that the galleons you get in this first book are a sort of “allowance.”  Other than the precious few you find in the chapters as you explore, you can’t earn more. So spend what you have wisely. (I wish I’d known that before I bought my star chart and things.)

Most of all, have fun. Savor the chapters as you work through them. Starting today, I’ll be going back through every moment, reading along with the first novel and utilizing the fact that it’s an e-book to my greatest advantage. After all, with all this new information, I have to take notes and store it away in my massive log of Harry Potter knowledge. If you hear Hedwig’s Theme breezing over the trees, don’t fret, that’s just me taking a break from the giant Wrock playlist for something a little more classical. And if you’re looking for friends on Pottermore, feel free to add me. I’m CrimsonOwl8579 – a proud Ravenclaw with a ginger cat and a knack for Charms.

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