Geek and Fandom Events in BC and Washington State
Quantum Mechanix doesn’t just create badass replicas of Battlestar Galactica’s Vipers and Cylon Raiders! These plush versions of the series’ deadliest fighters go for $19.99 and are perfect for kamikaze attacks on annoying roommates. Get yours here!
Source:TDW Geeks
Fate has taken a turn for the cruel for the fans of The Secret Circle. Warner Brothers has announced that they will not be opting for a Season 1 DVD set. The episodes can still be downloaded on iTunes (and *cough* isohunt), but this is an insult even Firefly fans didn’t have to suffer. With the Geek lobby larger, powerful, and more organized, it sounds TV execs have made teenage YA fans the new marginalized group du jour.
Source: Zap2it.
Okay, so there is something interesting coming out of E3. Microsoft’s SmartGlass system is an interface that will allow any tablet or mobile device to connect with Xbox and Window PCs. This will allow for more seamless video streaming and even the possibility of secondary controller system for the Xbox, putting a hole in the WiiU’s sails. For all the frustration that Microsoft has caused in the past, it’s good to see that they’re still willing to step up their game when times get tough.
Source: The Washington Post
Well, there goes the OEM market for Windows. In a one-word e-mail to a fan (the word was “yes”) the Gaben hath confirmed that Linux will be getting a native steam client in 2012. This is surely to greatly reduce the amount of tweaking needed to play games on Linux and might seriously affect the operating system’s market share on PCs. With the playing field levelled like this, are the OS wars about to heat up again?
Source: The Escapist
We can all remember the time when E3 was a superbowl, a prom, and a gala on par with Comicon or Gencon. Video game magazines (remember those?), blogs and websites would light up like Las Vegas, and our summer dreams would be filled with promises of the latest and greatest technology in time for Christmas. Now, things are different. If you look at the headlines leading up to E3, the only significant news is what will not be at E3. The first glimpses of the future cornerstones of video game culture have been replaced with mini-games and social networking. And you know what? That’s okay.
While the investors and retailers of E3 have no stomach for the red ocean of hardcore gaming, Gaming culture itself has gotten a lot bigger and more powerful. There are two Penny Arcade Expos, one for each coast. They are being followed by a plethora of gaming expos across the continent. If you want to sell a hardcore game in today’s economy, why would you waste your time with investors who don’t get the culture and are looking for alternate revenue streams anyway? If you ask me, the conversations coming out of PAX and its ilk are much more value than the unfocused flailing going on at E3. E3 seems to act like it doesn’t need gamers, but the truth is gamers don’t need E3 either.
VanCity Buzz haas posted an interview with the star of Continuum, Jennifer Spence. She talks about some of the challenges shooting the Showcase series and some of her upcoming feature film projects:
Jen: A fun little piece of trivia is we shot outside the CBC building and it doubled as one of the giant corporations in the city. We created a tent ”occupy” city and had a crowd of protestors rioting – it looked like the real deal!
You can check out the rest of the interview here.
Source: Vancity Buzz
Vancouver Film School is now the three-peat Champion of the Computer Graphics Student Association’s “School of the Year” award. The institution won the most awards out of 359 entries including Leonardo Bonisolli’s short Drink Drunk and Woon Park’s modeling reel Oh My Grandma. More VFS student work can be found at the Vancouver Film School Youtube Channel.
Source: Computer Graphics World.
According to the EA Canada Job board, they are hiring a lead game designer for an all new AAA action shooter. Details about the project are scant, but they require that the winning candidate have a “proven track record of designing and balancing combat, player controls, and AI for AAA shooters or action games.” If anything this sounds more like a marketing ploy than an actual job posting. They’d probably have a lot more luck just petitioning those kinds of developers directly instead inviting them to force themselves through the sausage tube of HR.
Source: GameSpot.
The quirky new installment of Penny Arcade‘s RPG series On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3 is due to be released for PC, Mac, and XBLIG on July 10. The game costs $5 dollars on Steam and whatever the equivalent exchange amount is in Xbox live points. Steam’s cross-platform ability will allow you to play the game on your choice of operating system, and details will be forthcoming as to when the game will hit iOS and Android platforms.
Source:Joystiq.
Seattle Costume and Prop Whiz Bill Doran has created some sweet lamps based on the Protoss Power Pylons from Starcraft. Handy for meditation, studying, or powering your kitteh, these babies are welcome addition to any living room ensemble. We need more Pylons! Hit the jump for more Pylons and kittehs.
Source: Punished Props via Facebook
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