Toy Fair 2013: If She’s Your Role Model, You Should Read That Fine Print…

Posted on February 23, 2013 by geelw

Now, this isn’t your average mildly to moderately angry feminist posting about how any and everything Barbie or any other supermodel-thin artificial female-shaped toy represents the destruction of the normal female body image and how the whole plastic princess thing represents the ultimate in corporate brainwashing or whatever. I can’t write that well because my sense of humor won’t let me and I’m here to rant about something else. That and the last time I checked (I had to pee before I wrote this post), below the brain I’m not much of a feminist. Anyway, while looking through this latest catalog I got in the mail, a theme appeared that made my eyebrow go up and stay locked in that “Hmmmm…” position too long. I had to force it down (my eyebrow, not the theme) with my backup electric toothbrush. The original rolled off the radiator onto an old glue trap the other day and that sucked, but didn’t because if I tried to get my eyebrow down using a toothbrush stuck to a glue trap, I’d have a bit more to worry about…

Continue reading →

Sometimes The Final Frontier Is a Welcome Sight…

Posted on February 22, 2013 by geelw

OK, so I didn’t PLAN to take a break from posting today, but I actually didn’t sleep much last night and decided that since I was awake around 6am-ish, I’d go get started on that ziggurat made of dirty laundry in the other room that a few days back morphed into a golem and was clomping around (leaving cartoon clouds of dirt like Pigpen in those Peanuts comics). It was fun for a while seeing a confused pile of clothes wrapped in a blanket stumble around and make that weird noise laundry that needs to be done makes, but then the damn thing managed to make it to the kitchen the other night and ate the steak I had in the freezer. That was the last straw (well, there wasn’t a first straw, which was my mistake). Anyway, luring the big dope into the shopping cart wasn’t hard (the mileage you can get from day old donuts, folks… go stock up, I say) and yeah, the big lug though it was going for a ride to the park. That took a while, but I hadn’t realized there were TWO piles to do – the other one was the smart one and was hiding in the closet…

Continue reading →

Toy Fair 2013: A Crowded Coop: Valve’s (Other) Secret Weapon

Posted on February 21, 2013 by geelw

If you’re one of those video game fans who collects assorted goodies related to your favorite games or if you’re just interested in fun finds with a quirky edge, I bet there’s a nice possibility that there’s something from A Crowded Coop on a shelf or hanging on or from something you own. Based out of Monroe, Washington and made up of a couple of professional genius business types with heavy experience in all things toy related as well as being some very talented artistic types with vision to spare, the company creates its own products as well as licenses and distributes other trendy, hip gear the cool kids (and old farts like me) love through a number of retail outlets such as Think Geek and other quality online and brick & mortar emporiums. At this year’s Toy Fair, the company showed off an outstanding line of collectibles from some of Valve’s hit games (Portal 2, DOTA 2 and Team Fortress 2), a new line of beautiful plush toys from artist Justin Hillgrove, another upcoming fun plush line called Whim Whams and more that had me smiling even as I walked up to the booth…

Continue reading →

NEOGEO X Classics Coming In April With Another Cool Bonus

Posted on February 21, 2013 by geelw

And so it begins (or continues, actually). In case you were wondering when and how SNK/Playmore was going to be getting new NEOGEO X games out, well the mystery has been solved. In late April, selected game retailers will stock the upcoming 3-game card NEOGEO X Classics: Volume I, which is the first of five three-game card compilations on the way. This next series of game cards will feature the following arcade hits from the company’s huge library:

ART OF FIGHTING 3
BLAZING STAR
BREAKERS REVENGE
FATAL FURY: MARK OF THE WOLVES
KIZUNA ENCOUNTER
THE KING OF FIGHTERS ’96
THE LAST BLADE 2
METAL SLUG 2
SAMURAI SHODOWN 3
SAVAGE REIGN
SENGOKU
SHOCK TROOPERS
SUPER SIDEKICKS 3 – THE NEXT GLORY
TOP HUNTER
WORLD HEROES JET

In addition, each card will ship with the “ROCKET” High-speed Data Transfer and Charging Travel Cable, at no additional cost. There’s also a system update on the way as well as a travel case for the handheld. More details will drop soon, so stay tuned for more. I’m quite happy with my X, so seeing it get more support is making me a happy camper indeed…

More PS4 News? OK: The Witcher 3 Will Be A System Seller For Some.

Posted on February 21, 2013 by geelw

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is confirmed as coming to the PS4 (as I figured as soon as I read the initial press release a few weeks back), so FINALLY, Sony fans get to play a CD Projekt RED game and see what they’ve been missing. Hopefully this also means we’ll see The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings or even better, ALL The Witcher games get some love on the new console, as together they make up one of the best written and best looking fantasy/RPG games you’ll play, bar none. I don’t know what’s in the water or food there, but the team at CDPR is made up of some truly talented and smart folks who get it done and get it done right. I can’t wait…

All I need now are some trailers and screens to keep me dreaming of misty woods, crumbling castle and creepy beasties to avoid (or dice up like a sack of carrots if they get too hostile) and I’m good…

New PS4 DUALSHOCK 4 and PlayStation Eye: A Little More Peripheral Vision…

Posted on February 21, 2013 by geelw

Oops. I allllllmost forgot the new PlayStation 4 DUALSHOCK 4 Controller and PlayStation 4 Eye camera. Which means… it’s Speccy time! I hate tech specs, folks – as long as the darn things work like they should and keep me happy and playing while that box is purring away under the TV (well, above and to the left here), I’m good. Boring specs and more exciting beauty pack shots are below the jump. I have a few more controller images (update; POSTED!), a long press release here with console specs (no pics, though) and all the publishers and developers working on new games, but I’ll post those in a few hours, as I’m wiped out. Good Night!

Continue reading →

Watch_Dogs & Watch The Future Arrive on PS4

Posted on February 21, 2013 by geelw

That’s almost it for the PS4,
some cool tech on the way
A new controller, camera too,
and some new games to play.

I’ll post more vids later to-day
I’m just about to drop
Expect more Sony stuff to see
(your eyes, they just may pop!)

Disney Infinity Announce Trailer: Kids… Take Your Toys Outside, But Stay Home!

Posted on February 21, 2013 by geelw

OK, I’m sure Disney won’t be marketing their upcoming (and fun looking) multi-platform game this way and I’m sure those parents who prefer their kids get some actual exercise in a real theme or other park will be rolling their eyeballs as the wallet comes out later this year, but that’s how it goes. New cool tech means old school parental units wondering what the fuss is about. Granted, the game is mixing up the figure collecting fun of Activision’s billion-dollar grossing Skylanders franchise with the ability to create and share game worlds with other players, so there’s more to this than meets the eye. Still, I’m wondering why Disney didn’t ring up Square Enix so both companies could rake in probably half that billion Activision is making furniture out of with a Kingdom Hearts: Infinity game. Hmmmm… I wonder if either company is hiring? I’m an idea guy first and foremost and I’d bet a whole dollar that I’ve got a few good ones rattling around upstairs some folks can make a mint off of…

Diablo III Is PS3, PS4-Bound (Let The Whine Pour Anew!)

Posted on February 20, 2013 by geelw

Video stolen from GameTrailers. I’d have my OWN vid to post, if Sony would have let me in. Grrrr.

Oh, I can see the PC forums blowing up worldwide thanks to this news (I think I heard the explosions on the way home on the subway), but it’ll be good for those who may have wanted to play the game but didn’t have the PCs to run it or were hoping they’d see another Diablo come to consoles after far too long. Anyway, press release below the jump and the TRUE test of if this is all going to work will kick off next month at PAX East in Boston (March 22-24, 2013), so make sure to boogie on out thatway if you can. Press release below the jump – some cheese with your whine, sir or madam? Me, I just want to be able to play the darn game OFFLINE. By myself. No help from “friends” i don’t know and will never, ever meet in real life. You know, OLD SCHOOL gaming. We’ll see, I guess…

Continue reading →

Still More PS4 Games? OK: inFAMOUS: Second Son, Meet DriveClub!

Posted on February 20, 2013 by geelw

So, Sucker Punch has been busy on a new follow-up
to their open-world super-guy game
And what’s this? A “social” racer to play
and grab that online fame?
I’ll definitely play the first game here
As I’m a huge inFAMOUS fan
But unless there’s offline modes to drive
I think I’ll stay away