Happy Birthday to our favorite Brony!Send Marty a birthday note over on Twitter: @martyestes

It is a very odd sort of patriot that would destroy the First Amendment to protect the Second.—- Jerry Holkins

I have written on, and discussed at length, the matter of video game violence and the effect it has on society. In our weekly podcast and on editorials written for this site, I’ve stated my position on the ESRB and the task parents have before them in choosing what content is streamed into their households for children to consume. This digital age we find ourselves writhing in does make it more difficult to assess what kids are viewing, but it is not an impossible task. This is all to be digested again on another day however, because there is something else I wish to attend to today.

Censorship.

The connection it has to dirty words is strange to me mostly for the fact I feel it is the ultimate dirty word. For as long as man has created things I suppose, one group or another has tried to silence it. Religious reasoning, economic reasoning, or for whatever agenda was popular at the time, censorship has often been the weapon forged and used by the many to silence those who would challenge, sway, or express. The early writings of Greek Philosophers, the musings of Karl Marx, the eroticism of Howl, and the blood soaked halls of Doom 3.

Whoa what was that last part?

Video Games are truly the beholden form of expression of my generation. Those of us sired from the late seventies to early eighties are about as old as the medium of video games. The blood in our veins flows to an electronic beat, our nimble fingers carrying us from world to world, adventure to adventure. It has proven itself time and time again as a valid form of story-telling and art, despite those who would toss it away as nothing but the musings of children and fools. While video games may have began simple, they have evolved into something far more important. A truly interactive art medium that allows a story to be not just told and heard, but experienced and believed. Technology as the beating heart has given rise to a medium that can like never before connect to an audience practically ravished for more of the kind. It is frightening to those on the outside how much we on the inside love this medium. News outlets would have you believe murder simulators are raping the minds of our poor children, but we hopefully know to discard their sensationalist reports as they would discard our rebuttals. There are those in positions of authority and power I fear that turn an open ear to such outrageous claims. Members of Congress, following the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, were very quick to turn their attention to video games and their supposed role in the hellish turmoil.

Never mind the tenuous connection the perpetrator had to the medium, never mind the mental illness he was clearly afflicted, never mind the readily available tools of death he accessed, the problem must surely be games they declare! Video games could not be more of a scape goat if they were holding up signs that read “We are Scape-Goats”. While I believe that no media with an established rating system should EVER be censored, I will admit the embarrassment some games bring upon us as a whole. We can all face it, some games are violent simply for the sake of being violent. Shooters of every flavor, hack and slashers stringing entrails like Christmas lights, and profanity professed like it’s gospel truth. Some of the more, ahem, upstanding members of Congress would love nothing more than to legislate a veritable ball and chain to the video game industry, and shut down creativity at any level. What you could never convince them of is the honest emotion that games can express. How we all feel when a treasured character dies, how we leap for joy during a combined raid in our favorite MMO, the shared pain when a treasured story comes to an end.

Video games have moved into the same realm of story telling as all other valid forms of media. Games can stand now with books, movies, music, and all forms of art as a true medium. Like all other forms of art though, video games will have to fight their own battle against censorship and those that would shut it all down. As a gamer, an enthusiast of the electronic form, you have a duty in this. Write your congressman, even if he has never publicly made a statement on the issue, and let him know how you feel about censorship. Be civil, be honest, and let him know why it is important to you as a voter (or soon to be voter if your under 18). If we want to truly continue to enjoy this medium and the stories it can reveal to us, we must fight to keep it free from the powers that be. So put down the controller for a second if you can and let your voice be heard. The quote I wrote above from Penny Arcade writer Jerry Holkins rings very true these days, and doubt not that there are many preparing to shackle games to censorship. Be heard my dear friends, and protect your rights.

“Jazz to Moonbase 2! It’s Transformers Tuesday!”

It’s that time again, folks!  Time for Marty to swoop in and drop some Transformers knowledge and leave you in a smokescreen of news! (see what I did there?) Not only will we see the return of our favorite beast hunting bots to television this week, but we’ve got a ton of product pics and news to go through, so let’s get started!

Transformers Prime Beast Hunters “Project Predacon” airs this Friday!

After a too long hiatus from new episodes (more than a week is too long!), Autobots and Decepticons will clash again this Friday on The Hub at 7:30 p.m. CST/8:30 p.m. EST.  Check out the synopsis to the episode:

As the Autobots adjust to new group dynamics within their expanded lineup, the Decepticons launch a new scheme to clone an army of beasts.

Also, here’s an extended preview of the episode (with new Smokescreen deco!) via a promo that aired on The Hub:

N

In yet another attempt to take over the building toy market, Hasbro’s Constructabots subline marches on with all new molds!  They look……….interesting. Check out some pics here:

Generations Dreadwing prototype flies in:

After being picked out in a crowd of Decepticons in a recent issue of IDW’s ongoing Transformers series, we now have official confirmation that we will be getting a Generations Dreadwing toy, modeled off the stealth bomber vehicle mode of Megatron, who will release first.  Fear not, if you don’t like these colors, because they are simply a test shot for the final production figure, using leftover plastics and colors from other molds.  The final toy will probably share the dark blue and red of the original G2 release, if IDW’s comic is to be believed.  Yay for Dreadwing!

Generations Sandstorm, a remold of Generations Springer, on it’s way:

To go along with other upcoming Generations releases, we are also going to be getting another triple changer, this time in the form of late 80′s line figure Sandstorm, the helicopter/dunebuggy/robot!  An extensive retoolof the Springer mold, Sandstorm gets a new head, no rotors, large back tires, and VTOL engines.  For sure, this will be one to pick up!

Lastly, we’re getting a COMBINER!

If you didn’t know already, those little Cyberverse legion Predacons are supposed to combine.  Sneaky, sneaky, Hasbro, because you aren’t including that detail in their instructions!  Two of the 5 components have already been released, Twinstrike and Hun-gurrr, who form the left arm and torso respectively.  However, if you’ve missed them, or just want to wait to get all five, your local Target store will have this giftset in stock later on this year!  You can see the combined mode, all 5 figures, and the box below.  Target’s special edition figures come with translucent purple weapons and translucent parts on the figures themselves.

That just about wraps up this week’s news!  Check back next week for more photos, more news, and of course, more Transformers!

]]> http://justusgeeks.com/transformers-tuesday-51413-beast-hunters-returns-abominus-giftset-revealed-generations-sandstorm-and-more/feed/ 0 http://justusgeeks.com/my-little-pony-equestria-girls-set-to-hit-theaters-nationwide-on-june-16/ http://justusgeeks.com/my-little-pony-equestria-girls-set-to-hit-theaters-nationwide-on-june-16/#comments Mon, 13 May 2013 18:03:43 +0000 Marty http://justusgeeks.com/?p=5141 Ponies on the Big Screen? Check here for de’tails’! (Get it, tails? Tails. Nevermind.)

To help fill the gap between Season 3 and 4 of our favorite show about comedically friendly ponies, the wizards at Hasbro have a little something for you: an MLP movie featuring humanized versions of your favorite pony friends! Buh-what?  Yes, you read it right.  This summer, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and all the ponies take on their biggest challenge yet, as Twilight Sparkle journeys through a magical mirror in order to regain her stolen crown and ends up in….high school.  You can check out the trailer below and CLICK HERE to see a list of participating theaters and their show dates, so you can plan a trip to the movies for a little bit of pony fun.  Can’t see it in the theaters?  The movie is set to go to DVD this fall and premier on The Hub around that time as well, so don’t despair.  Enjoy, bronies!

We are Iron Men, and this is our review (NO SPOILERS!) of Iron Man 3.

The Geeks discuss all things Iron Man this week, including what’s next for Phase 2 of the Avengers Initiative. Also discussed is the fantastic news of WiiU games coming to Redbox! Plus our Apps of the Week, That’s My Jam!, and YOUR questions.

A note from JUG: Your 90′s tunes will go into Episode 60, so you still have time to submit them!

Don’t forget to Like Us On Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and give us a call any day or night on the JustUs Geeks Hotline!

Want to know more about WiiU coming to Redbox? Check out Brandon’s article!

Here are a few ways to find us:

Click here to download on iTunes!

or

Click here to download directly

Looking to try out some Wii U titles without signing your soul to Gamefly or dropping 60 bucks? Redbox is finally flying to your rescue. Beginning on May 28th, at hopefully a large number Kiosks, titles such as ZombiU and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 will be available for rental for the Wii U from Redbox. Games are $2 a night (though plenty of promo codes exist) and allow a much cheaper and easier way to try out a variety of titles. Hopefully this will drum up the somewhat dismal Wii U sales numbers and get people excited about the console.

The Pop Tart Guy is in the house to celebrate a tribute to geeky Moms!

Nat Thomas the Pop Tart Guy sits in for Jared this week as The Geeks get ready to celebrate Mother’s Day. Also on tap this week is Games and Gadgetry! As always there’s Apps of the Week, That Is My Jam!, and YOUR questions!

Check out Nat on Twitter: @ThePoPTartGuy

A reminder from the show: Next week YOU pick our show music! Give us a call on the JUG Hotline or let us know on Twitter what YOU want to hear on Episode 59!

Don’t forget to Like Us On Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and give us a call any day or night on the JustUs Geeks Hotline!

Here are a few ways to find us:

Click here to download on iTunes!

or

Click here to download directly

And you thought Brandon was bad…

Check out our interview with Pat the NES Punk here!

Thanks to Brandon, we had the opportunity to talk with Pat the NES Punk recently about his MASSIVE collection of games and his love for Nintendo. Pat knows his Nintendo, but The Punk Effect is a lot more than that. Make sure you listen to our interview with Pat, and then check out his great content and videos.

By the way….have you heard Episode 57 yet? Because you should.

There are several ways you can follow Pat the NES Punk online, beside his Contact page:

Check out The Punk Effect on Twitter, buy some merch (including DVDs!), and the Facebooks!

Is there someone you’d like to hear us interview? Let us know over on Twitter: @JustUs_Geeks – LET US KNOW!

Check out our interview with Pat the NES Punk here!

McNutt joins in this week for some discussion about old shows and new movies. Seriously.

Jared, Brandon, & Josh welcome Visions of Beyond host, Ronnie McNutt to talk about cult followings and box office smashes! The Geeks discuss the course of action for a newly canceled (again…) series, as well as the upcoming box office smashes of the summer. Want to know about the new Xbox? Stick around after DT:HS and find out!  Of course there’s Apps of the Week, That Is My Jam!, and YOUR questions!

Ever play Magic: The Gathering? Even know what I’m talking about? Go check out Visions of Beyond!

Don’t forget to Like Us On Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and give us a call any day or night on the JustUs Geeks Hotline!

Here are a few ways to find us:

Click here to download on iTunes!

or

Click here to download directly

The Geeks get social.

This week the Geeks focus in on the power of social media, talking about how it can be effectively used (or not) in the wake of tragedy, and look ahead to it’s future. Nintendo releases some news you’ll want to hear as well. Of course there’s Apps of the Week, our brand new That Is My Jam! segment, and YOUR questions!

You won’t want to miss Jared’s article on life, Superman, and real life superheroes!

Don’t forget to Like Us On Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and give us a call any day or night on the JustUs Geeks Hotline!

Here are a few ways to find us:

Click here to download on iTunes!

or

Click here to download directly

What a week we are having in the United States.

First, the bombings in Boston. Then, the ricin-laced letters being mailed to the President and others from a guy who lives in my hometown of Corinth, MS.  Then, the fertilizer plant explosion in Texas yesterday that has leveled an entire town.

These are dark times for America. Even in the dark times though, we’ve been given stories of true heroism amidst the chaos though… stories like the “Cowboy” who rushed in to help one of the Boston bombing victims who lost his legs in the blast. Stories about Police officers, Firefighters, Nurses and ordinary bystanders who rushed in to the smoke and confusion to help as many people as they could. Honest to God, real life heroes. These people are an inspiration to me.

At some point Monday, as I was reading my Twitter feed for Boston coverage, someone had retweeted someone else saying “Days like today make me wish Captain America and Superman were real. ”

That tweet really struck a chord with me.

I’ve always had a very overactive imagination. Immediately upon reading that tweet, I started imagining being there on the street in Boston, surround by such horror and being confused and angry and unsure of what to do, but then looking up and seeing Superman fly overhead and knowing, just at the sight of him, that it was going to be OK. That whoever did this was about to have a world of hurt come down on them.

If only things worked like that in the real world.

Later, after all the coverage of Boston, I finally got around to watching the newest trailer for “Man of Steel”, the new Superman movie. As a Geek, I’ve been very wary of this film. After being burned by “Superman Returns” years ago, I haven’t been very confident that we could ever have a good, faithful Superman adaptation. So I’ve kept my expectations in check with “Man of Steel” and hadn’t allowed myself to be very excited about it.

Until I saw this trailer.

Wow. Much has been said about Warner Bros. attempting to “Dark Knight” this movie. Make it dark, gritty, have a more “real world” feel to it. I’ve had mixed feelings about this approach. Shouldn’t Superman be as far from “real world” as possible? Shouldn’t it be a bright, fantastical movie with as many aliens and earth shattering fist fights as possible? Shouldn’t it set a tone for a DC Comics universe that has people like The Flash and Wonder Woman and Aquaman? Those aren’t real world!

But then this week happened.

And in this trailer I see what they are going for.

This Superman is like many of us. He feels alone. Like an outsider. Not sure of his place or purpose in the universe. He’s different.

His loving parents have taught him the difference between right and wrong. But they’ve also taught him to look after himself. In previous trailers, a young Clark Kent saves a bus full of kids just to have his father warn him about using his powers and being discovered. Clark asks “What was I supposed to do? Let them die?” To which his father replies… “Maybe.”

So that apparently sets Clark on a path of wandering through adulthood… never setting down roots, never making friends, moving from one job to another.

But here is the thing… it’s not in Clark’s nature to stand by and NOT do what he can to help people.

Eventually this gets Lois Lane on his trail. She follows stories of a mysterious man who appears and saves people when disaster strikes, such as the oil rig explosion in this video.

See, despite what his Father tried to ingrain in him… that sometimes you have to put yourself above the needs of others… Clark can’t quite stick to that. When he sees people hurting, he rushes to help. No matter the cost.

Sound familiar?

Maybe like some of those people in Boston I mentioned earlier?

Superman has endured for decades now in American culture because of what he represents: unwavering goodness and decency standing against evil.

Superman may be the most powerful super hero ever created. But it isn’t his strength, x ray vision, heat vision, or flight that makes him super.

It’s his heart. And his example.

An example carried out by the good people of Boston that day, and by good people all around this country. When evil strikes, good people respond.

America is full of Super people.

I leave you with his line, spoken in the trailer by Superman’s birth father Jor-El.

“You will give the people an ideal to strive towards.

They will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall.

But in time, they will join you in the sun. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders.”
-Jor-El (Russell Crowe)

Let’s work to have those words apply to us as well, my fellow Americans.

-Jared

@JaredWallin

Where are our flying cars and hooverboards? The Geeks want to know!

This week the Geeks talk about the technology of tomorrow, and where all the cool stuff is we thought as kids we would have by now! Also on the show, the Geeks talk about the likelyhood of an always-on Xbox. Of course there’s Apps of the Week, our brand new That Is My Jam! segment, and YOUR questions!

Don’t forget to Like Us On Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and give us a call any day or night on the JustUs Geeks Hotline!

Here are a few ways to find us:

Click here to download on iTunes!

or

Click here to download directly!

Walking Dead finale, Wii U update, and more?!

The Geeks return to the studio this week with some great discussion on the season finale of The Walking Dead, which is a conversation you don’t want to miss. We give you our update on the Wii U, as well as thoughts on “new” movies and long-awaited sequels.

Apps of the Week, our brand new That Is My Jam! segment, and YOUR questions!

Don’t forget to Like Us On Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and give us a call any day or night on the JustUs Geeks Hotline!

Here are a few ways to find us:

Click here to download on iTunes!

or

Click here to download directly!

Get ready, folks, because tonight, the Predacon attacks!  Given the scent of Wheeljack’s energon during last week’s episode, Predaking hunts the damaged Autobot and finds him…but also encounters a fellow Wrecker.  Meanwhile, Ultra Magnus is on the move and Smokescreen tends to a fading Optimus Prime….trust us, you gotta watch this episode!  Transformers Prime Beast Hunters is spiraling toward a killer series finale and you don’t want to miss a single minute of it!  You can see the episode tonight at 6:30 p.m. CST/7:30 p.m. EST only on The Hub!

Among the features that Home boasts are Cover Feed, which  replaces the lock screen of your phone with an ever-updating series of Facebook posts, notifications, pictures, and more.  Users can double tap from the lock screen to “like” a post, and dragging the circle near the bottom with their profile picture in it will bring up a list of apps. Notifications come from people, not apps, and notifications can be stacked and swiped away with the flick of a finger.  Another feature, called “Chat Heads” will allow you to continue the conversation on Facebook Messenger on any app, without exiting that app.  Just tap on the head that pops up, and boom, you’re in the conversation.  This is one feature that really shines.

Will Facebook Home ever come to iOS?  Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg is open to the idea, but according to an article on 9to5mac which you can read here, Facebook would have to partner with Apple to do it.

“We have a great relationship with Apple. Anything that happens with Apple is going to happen with partnership. Google’s Android is open so we don’t have to work with them.”

If you’re an Android user and you love the idea of Home, you can download it when it comes to the Google Play store on April 12th for FREE, however, only a handful of phones will be supported, including the HTC One X, One X+, Samsung’s Galaxy SIII, and Note 2.  Eventually, HTC One and Galaxy S4 will be supported as well.  Or, you can just go buy the new HTC First, which opens for preorders this week and ships on the 12th with a new contract price of $99.

Sure, sure, avoid MTV like the plague like most of us do, but at least set your DVR to record the show on April 14th so you can be among those who caught the first preview of the newest movie in the Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire.  You can check out the commercial below, but you just know it’s going to be at the end of the show after a bunch of awkward jokes and hollow perfermances.  Or, do what we’ll do, and just wait to Youtube it the next day.  Anyway, here’s the video:

Word has blasted from hyperspace today to reveal that Disney, fresh from buying LucasFilm and LucasArts back in the fall, has closed LucasArts Studios effectively lightsabering any current and future projects. Remember that really cool trailer for the gritty crime shooter Star Wars 1313? Now it’s just a Force vision ghost thing like Obi-Wan and Yoda were at the end of Return of the Jedi. Kotaku reports that some 150 people were sent to the unemployment line over the closing but that Disney may still continue to use the LucasArts name to produce games. I do feel the need to remind readers that the last time a LucasArts produced Star Wars game had any kind of success was back with Force: Unleashed. Games like KOTOR and Battlefront were produced by outside developers. Now that mega-corp disney owns everything Star Wars though, I do admit I doubt seeing any kind of new Battlefront game in the future. I’m thinking it is more likely we will see a new Star Wars IP, perhaps a game involving a cartoony Luke Skywalker carrying a magic paintbrush instead of a lightsaber to battle Darth Pluto.

Fight the living, and fear postmortem phone designs. What?!?

Reports have come out of meetings between San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón and many mobile device makers over large numbers of phone thefts. However, the most interesting report comes from a conversation between Gascón and Apple’s government liaison, Michael Foulkes. While the goal of meetings was to convince manufacturers to develop a uniform system for disabling stolen cell phones, with iPhone being at the center of the conversation, it appears Gascón might have been let in on some interesting information, quite accidentally.

Gascón described his conversation with Foulkes as “underwhelming”. “He did most of the talking. It was incredible. He would just go on and on, one subject to the next. It was hard to follow. It was almost like someone who’s been trained in the art of doing a lot of talking and saying nothing.”

Foulkes reportedly stated to Gascón that doing any form of research into a uniform system for all manufacturers would be “long and laborious”, and touted the “Find My iPhone” app as a way to help track down stolen iDevices.

But why the gory theme and what could possibly tie this “trivial” conversation to The Great Beyond?

Foulkes “hinted” to Gascón that Apple had already completed work on the next TWO (right, not one but two) generations of iPhone, and that their development “preceded Tim Cook”.

While we aren’t sure exactly which models of iPhone we are getting in the coming months, you can be sure that they are extensions of the late Steve Jobs. No, there isn’t a special lab hidden away for Jobs to tinker and design from his great reward, but it’s proof that Jobs work was constant. And as we’ve stated many times before, his overall effect on the company he built will be felt for many many years to come.

This is no joke, but it sure is funny!

The Geeks take a much needed break this week after celebrating our One Year of Geekdom, but still have a great episode for you this week!

This episode features several interviews from the Lexington Comic & Toy Convention, as well as a hidden gem: a special interview with voice actor Maurice LaMarche, whose voice you’ll easily recognize. Included with these amazing interviews is the first “best of” of sorts for the Geeks with the best opening skits of Season 1 of the JustUs Geeks Podcast.

Enjoy this episode, and stay tuned, JUGheads!

Here are a few ways to find us:

Click here to download on iTunes!

or

Click here to download directly!

Don’t forget to tune in to The Hub TONIGHT at 7:30 EST/6:30 CST for an all new episode of Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters! This is an episode you don’t want to miss! Plus, you might catch a glimpse of that guy right up there!

Official Hashtag for the show is #beasthunters so let us and The Hub know you are watching!

The JustUs Geeks go LIVE again for their one year anniversary, with the help of great crowd at KC’s Espresso!

You won’t want to miss the Geeks in the zombie apocalypse,  a great audience discussion about geeks in community, as well as a brand new featured section: “That’s My Jam!”. As always, Apps of the Week and LIVE questions from our studio audience.

Thanks for a great year in geek! Stay tuned, JUGheads: next year will be even better!

Here are a few ways to find us:

Click here to download on iTunes!

or

Click here to download directly!

With Transformers Prime Beast Hunters returning our favorite robots to our living rooms this evening, it’s only fitting that we get to share with you a recent Q&A that we got to do with Megatron himself, the legendary Frank Welker, about cartoons, Transformers, working with Peter Cullen, how he approaches the character, and more.  Don’t forget to check out the premier of season 3 of Transformers Prime tonight on The Hub at 6:30 p.m. CST/7:30 p.m. EST.  Enjoy!

What exactly is Soundwave doing?

Want an exclusive insider review of the season premiere of Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters? Look no further.

Let me start out by saying a HUGE thanks to our friends at The Hub for getting us an exclusive preview of the season premiere of Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters. This article will not contain spoilers, so feel free to read ahead!

At the end of Season 2 we find our Autobot friends in a very tight spot, as Megatron destroys the Autobot base. That’s right where we pick up with Season 3.

This episode is all about the Decepticons, and focuses on how far Megatron will go to locate the Autobots and extinguish the spark of Optimus Prime.

Unfortunately for Megs, (kind of a spoiler?) Prime had dispatched the Autobot team via groundbridge just before the fatal blow to the Autobot base. BUT! Does that mean that all of our heroes escaped without harm?

While there is a small look at Team Prime in this episode, and a good explanation of why Shadowstrike Bumblebee has plagued the toy aisle at your local big box stores, this episode really is about the Decepticons.

This is a two part episode, so go ahead and be prepared for that. By the end of the episode Megatron realizes that it’s going to take a look of creativity to locate the scattered remains of Team Prime, so what does he do? He sends a team to Cybertron to look for some relics that could help locate, and exterminate, the Autobots once and for all. However, what Megatron finds on Cybertron proves to be much much much much (notice that?) more valuable that any relic, or current Decepticon, that he has on-hand.

And Starscream; there is lots and lots of Starscream in this episode.

Overall, this was one of my favorite episodes in the entire series; this episode has everything you love about Transformers.

So make sure you are glued to your flatscreens tonight at 7:30 PM EST/6:30 PM CST for the Season Premiere of Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters!

AND remember how I said this was a two-part episode? Make sure you check back next week for our EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW of Episode 2!

The Geeks & The Gov would like to say a tremendous thank you to all of our Facebook fans, Tweeters, and thousands of weekly listeners for making this last year possible.

If you are in the Corinth, MS area this evening come check out our birthday celebration and LIVE recording at KC’s Espresso tonight at 7:30. Here’s the info!

Stay tuned, JUGheads: we can tell you that the next year is going to be even bigger and better!

Check out our latest episode!

And why not check out our interview with Transformers Prime Executive Producer, Jeff Kline!

Not long ago, thanks to our friends at The Hub, Marty and myself had the opportunity to talk with Jeff Kline, the Executive Producer of Transformers Prime, in celebration of the upcoming season premiere of Beast Hunters.

Check out our interview with Jeff Kline here!

Here’s more about Jeff:

For the past 15 years, Jeff Kline has worked across numerous mediums and platforms as both writer and executive producer, and has been involved in over 40 animated and live-action series and pilots.   Currently, Kline is the executive producer and co-developer of the fully-CG series Transformers: Prime (along with partners Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci) and the animated G.I. Joe: Renegades. Both series are produced for The Hub, a television network for kids and their families, owned by Hasbro.  Hasbro recently signed Kline to a development and production deal, and he is set to premiere the new animated series , TRANSFORMERS RESCUE BOTS, in December 2011.

Previously, Kline has been involved in such hits as Jackie Chan Adventures (Kids WB), Men in Black: The Animated Series (Kids WB), Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles (Syndicated), the Emmy nominated Dragon Tales (PBS), and That Was Then (ABC). 

Kline began his television career as a Development Executive with tenures at NBC Entertainment, and nearly six years at Columbia Pictures Television before transitioning into writing and producing.

A graduate of Boston University, Kline also helped to start the ‘BU in LA’ industry exchange program, when he was a student at the University.  He guest lectures for the program and has also received their Distinguished Alumnae award.  In the spring of 2009, Kline taught at BU’s College of Communications

Kline currently splits his time between Los Angeles and Maine, where he resides with his family.

The FINAL season of Transformers Prime begins THIS Friday night, at 7:30PM EST/ 6:30 PM CST only on The Hub! Check back tomorrow for an EXCLUSIVE sneak peek of the season premiere!

Check out our interview with Jeff Kline here!

As some naysayers will be quick to point out, Twilight Sparkle is indeed an Alicorn Princess and looks to remain that way in fiction for future.  Stayed tuned to JustUs Geeks for more info, interviews, and inside looks into the world of Equestria!

Check out our closing video from LexCon 2013!

Make sure you keep checking us out – FULL INTERVIEWS will be posted this week!

Also, go check out our friends from the end of the video, Beaucoup Pop! Check out their podcast and find them on Twitter.

Greetings, JUGheads! To get things going this week, the JustUs Geeks talk about their geeky choices for Pope, followed by Kickstarter-funded resurrections, as well as Quickfire Topics, Apps of the Week, and YOUR questions!

Make sure you also check out the coverage from the Lexington Comic and Toy Convention as well!

We hope you enjoy the show!

Here are a few ways to find us:

Click here to download on iTunes!

or

Click here to download directly!

Check back for even more footage!

Check out our preview of Day 1 from Lexington Comic Con! We’ll post our Day 1 Rundown right here at justusgeeks.com!

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Marty, Josh and The Guv are live at the Lexington Comic and Toy Convention! Stay tuned this weekend for more video and coverage!

If you’ve been in any fandom long enough, you’ve been there: the moment that the something crashes and burns.

As a Transformers fan, it happened to the fandom back in 2004 when the OTFCC (Official Transformers Collector’s Convention) imploded and 3H Productions lost the license because of shoddy production and promises that fell through.  That hurt the fandom, scarring it in ways that are still felt today as people loyal to 3H or screwed over by 3H still argued about those couple of years that Botcon became OTFCC.  Fast forward to 2013, and it seems that it’s happened again, although this time to the Brony community.  Let us explain.

According to an article over at The Daily Dot, tells the horror story of LasPegasus Unicon, a very promising first year convention held in Las Vegas February 22-24, a convention that not only managed to ruin a weekend for many fans of My Little Pony, but also hurt relations with MLP talent due to the flagrant mishandling of their time and money.  Well, make that no money.  You can read the article for yourself, but for all you “TL;DR’s”, let us sample some of the chaos for you:

• A number of 2,000 attendees was quoted to be there, though the number that actually showed up was far, far less, which began the problems
• some attendees were kicked out of rooms and ended up having to pay the full cost of rooms, or pay for totally comped rooms, as directed by the organizer of the convention as problems began to arise
• some comped attendees were double and triple charged by a hotel eager to recoup their losses
• agents for some of the talent taking money from the registration till in order to pay their talent what they were due to receive (though almost all checks to talent have bounced since then)
• talent not picked up at the airport or given directions about where to be in the hotel for panels, meet and greets, etc.
• Vendors were forced to use “Vendor Bits” a fake currency that would be turned in later for real money….guess what they didn’t get?
• Even though vendors, talent, and the hotel ended up shafted, allegedly around $40,000 remains in the hands of the organizer, who has since deleted the website for the con as of March 5
• a first year convention tried to host 23 (!) talent guests, which was a huge mistake for a fledgling convention

There is so much more to this story than those bullet points can tell.  On the last day of the convention, the Brony news media at the convention (represented by Equestria Daily, Everfree Network, DerpyHoovesNews, and lots more) led a massive assistance campaign to try and make sure the convention broke even, or at least got close.  In just a few hours, the community managed to raise a little over $12,000, which was released to the agents so talent could be paid SOMETHING.  The original coordinator of the event then WENT INTO HIDING as the final pieces of the convention collapsed around her.  Sandi Haas, the convention organizer, has not been seen or heard of since the Sunday of the convention, leading many to believe that the con was really a scam in the making and that it did exactly what it was supposed to: make Haas some money.

Our hearts go out to the voice actors, show staff, musicians, vendors, and bronies who got sucked up into this huge drama just because they wanted to attend a convention, have fun, and celebrate a fandom, that up until now, has been a great fandom to be a part of.  Will Bronydom recover?  Absolutely!  With Season 4 pretty much confirmed via Hasbro insiders and Meghan McCarthy on Twitter, the future looks bright. But, the future for first year cons may not be as bright now that LPU has ruined things for the rest of us.  If you want to read more about the con and the events surrounding it, here’s some necessary reading to understand all of it:

• The Daily Dot’s article which collects several sources
• Another take on the disaster from DerpyHoovesNews
• A literal timeline of events from the convention, seeing how the madness began and ended over February 22-24
• An extensive Google Doc of research done from a financial standpoint that shows just how big a mess it really was

The JustUs Geeks are back with Episode 50 as we quickly approach a year of geekiness!  Join us as we discuss geeky food, whether reboots are good or not, the rise and fall of huge, special effects driven movies, why Tomb Raider is an amazing game, our Quickfire topics, Apps of the Week, and more!  Plus, the return of the classic JustUs Geeks theme!  This is one episode you don’t want to miss!

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Tired of all those “promoted” posts popping up on your Facebook news feed and sidebars?  Want to get rid of “Sponsored” posts?  Pretty soon, you might have the ability to do that, if an article published this morning at Mashable is to be believed.  As users of Facebook’s “Pages” service already know, Zuckerberg and Co. love money.  That’s why you can’t see all the posts from your favorite Pages anymore!  The love of money typically breeds love for MORE money, though, and it seems that soon you’ll be able to spend money to remove ads from your News Feed and Profile and replace those with more desirable bits of information.

In a 2011 patent filed by Mark Zuckerberg himself, called the “Paid Profile Personalization” patent, wording indicates that Facebook could offer the option to user to get rid of ads on their Profile by paying a fee.  It’s not known if the fee is upfront or monthly, but either way, the service is moving toward having you spend money.  Just read the some of the language used in the patent application and see what you think:

“The user may select one or more social networking objects to replace advertisements or other elements that are normally displayed to visitors of the user’s profile page that are otherwise controlled by the social networking system.”

Payment would allow users to rid their profiles of ads on the right side and replace them with moments from their timeline, photo galleries, videos, or more.  The patent goes on to claim that the feature would “improve the overall user experience while maximizing revenue to the social network system.”  Let’s just get right down to it.  Facebook knows we hate the ads.  It knows that we hate the promoted and sponsored posts.  That’s whats so particularly odious about this idea: it knows you hate them, and it knows that it can make people pay to get rid of something they hate.  And, if they charge you to get rid of ads on your Profile, it won’t be long until they charge you to get rid of other stuff, too. Whether we see this come to pass or not, only time will tell.  Until then, go check us out over at our page on Facebook, like us, and keeping checking back here for more news!

This week the Geeks tackle TV AND movies, with their main topic focusing on geeks in television and film. Marty gets you caught up on Transformers comics, and Jared previews the biggest month in video games in quite some time. As always, there’s the Game of the Week, Quickfire Topics, Apps of the Week, and YOUR questions!

The Geeks want to hear from you! Let them know how you liked the JustUs Geeks Short at the beginning of the episode, and your favorite geeky characters from TV and film!

Here are a few ways to find us:

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I’m not aware of anyone who doesn’t like pirates.  Thanks to Johnny Depp and his portrayal of Jack Sparrow, almost everyone claims to love pirates.  Ubisoft must’ve picked up on this too, because after visiting Colonial times during the last installment of the series, now Assassin’s Creed will hit the high seas with a completely new protagonist and new setting.  While it’s unclear if your character will be an actual pirate or not, it seems as if pirates will play a large part in the game, if this early art is to be believed.  Ubisoft has announced that they will officially unveil the game Monday, March 4, at 9:00 a.m. PST.  What’s in store?  Keep an eye out (the one not covered by an eyepatch) for news right here.

According to internal documents leaked from The Hub last night, we now have a date for the return of Transformers Prime, March 22. Following a 4 hour marathon of select episodes from Season 2, the premier of Season 3, which ushers in the Beast Hunters surname, will air at 6:30 p.m. CST/7:30 p.m. EST with an episode titled “Darkmouth, NV.” What does Megatron have in store for the Autobots? Did Prime survive the blast that destroyed the Autobot base? With Team Prime scattered, how will they reunite? Be sure to tune in to The Hub on March 22 and find out!

Hey, did you hear? Sony’s got a new gamebox they’re calling the Playstation 4, and it’s going to be totally rad!  Well, maybe.  This week the Geeks tackle the news of the PS4 and move on to discuss the bloody past in the Console Wars.  Top it off with Game of the Week, Quickfire topics, and Apps of the Week and this week’s show is nothing short of fantastic.  Thanks for listening!

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According to the video, Ubisoft heard the cries of all those outraged by the delay, including a few fans who picketed out in front of the studio’s offices, and have decided to release a challenge mode for free to Wii U owners as a way of saying sorry.  Challenges will update weekly with the ability to track how you’re doing, see all the trophies you’ve earned, and even send challenges to specific friends.  That’s not bad for the golden cost of FREE, but part of me still wonders if Xbox 360 and PS3 owners won’t end up getting the same thing early, or if they’ll have to wait until the game’s retail release.

It’s not Huey Lewis and the News, it’s the JustUs Geeks crew, complete with wives (I know, we actually tricked some women into marrying us!) coming through a relationship themed episode all about geekery and marriage and togetherness and all that candy coated goodness you can get for 50% off on February 15.  Recording on Valentine’s Day straight from KC’s Espresso in Corinth, MS, tune in to hear the Geeks and Geekettes discuss living with a geeky spouse, favorite romcoms of all time, geeky hobbies in a marriage, and more!  Also, find out why ALL the wives love Brandon! 8 people, 1 podcast…we guarantee you’ve never heard anything like this before!

Here are a few ways to find us:

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Check out the ALL NEW episode of “Dan vs.” this Saturday, featuring the incredibly talented Maurice LaMarche!

From the beginning, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has been about friendship.  It was for that very reason that Twilight Sparkle was sent to Ponyville by her mentor Princess Celestia.

Over the last 65 episodes of the series, Twilight has tackled almost everything thrown her way with grace, patience, and a little bit of luck.

(HEAVY, MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD!  YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!)

And that’s where we find her at the beginning of this episode…but we’ll get back to that in a minute.

Before you tune in to The Hub tomorrow, just a few things: MLP fans were disappointed when Season 3 was announced to only contain 13 episodes.  Now, there’s never been an official reason given, but after watching the season finale, I think I have an answer: what I just watched may have quite possibly been the end of MLP:FIM.  As a stand alone episode, it is one of the best of the series, and M.A. Larson’s writing shines.  Daniel Ingram is in full force as well, as the episode plays more like a musical than a typical children’s cartoon, as several moments throughout the episode find characters breaking out into song.  However, if we look at the episode as a bookend to the series, it could just be the best episode yet, where a student fulfills her destiny, her quest comes to an end, and all is right with the world.

But I don’t think it will end there.  And I can speculate about that later, but for now, let’s talk about this episode.  It opens with a music number, with Twilight Sparkle bursting out of her library into Ponyville singing about how “everything is just fine”.  And everything does seem just fine, with ponies smiling and dancing until she is suddenly doused with water.  Blaming Rainbow Dash, it is instead Rarity’s voice that viewers hear, along with an accompanying shot of Rarity, who now has Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark.  Cue the title sequence and lots of questions!

As the episode returns, Rarity and Rainbow Dash deal with a crowd of ponies angry over the weather, which Rarity just doesn’t seem to have control over, despite having Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark.  Trying to figure out what is going on, Twilight and Spike travel to Fluttershy’s home, where Rainbow Dash supposedly is.  Upon arrival, the sound of chaos inside alerts them to the fact that Rainbow Dash might be in trouble, and the door opens to reveal a host of animals rioting under Dash’s “control.”  Of course, Rainbow Dash has Fluttershy’s cutie mark, which means that Rarity isn’t the only one  who has been affected. What happens next?  Well, you’ll just have to tune in to tomorrow’s episode at 9:30 a.m. CST/10:30 a.m. EST, only on The Hub!

JuG gives “Magical Mystery Cure” 5/5

Tune in to The Hub tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m. CST/10:30 a.m. EST for the Season 3 finale to catch it for yourself!  I promise you and your pony loving friends and family won’t be disappointed!

*special thanks to The Hub and all involved with the show for letting us have a sneak peak before it aired!*

Have you ever watched My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and then caught yourself singing along to a song you heard on the show sometime later?

 A lot of us have, and there’s a reason for that: among the animated shows you can find on television today, MLP has the best songs, (granted, a lot of animated shows don’t have songs, other than their title theme) ranging in a variety of styles from pop rock, ballads, giant choruses, and more!  The man behind all these catchy tunes is Daniel Ingram, a Canadian born musician with a long trail of accomplishments including My Little Pony along with Littlest Pet Shop, Martha Speaks, Pound Puppies, and more.  We got a chance to talk with Daniel this past Monday afternoon, and in this brief interview, I believe you can hear the care for his craft and the love for his position that many can’t boast about in their line of work.  Whether you are a brony/pegasister or you are just interested in how music is done in animation, this interview is for you!

Click here to hear the interview with Daniel Ingram!

Also, don’t forget to check out this weekend’s Season 3 finale of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic over on The Hub Saturday at 10:30 a.m. EST/9:30 a.m.CST to watch Twilight Sparkle tackle her biggest challenge yet….becoming a Princess!

 Previously, only fleeting glimpses of Predaking were shown but this time we get to see the full animation model and boy, does it look impressive.  Spring can’t get here soon enough!  Check out the video below!

However, Dan Marsh is here to fill in and drop some knowledge about TED talks, Harrison Ford, and much more more!  Stick with the geeks as we discuss toys, cartoons, and more that our friends just didn’t “get”, Star Wars stand alone movies, Brandon’s Game of the Week, and much more more!

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Disappointing news, Wii U fans.  For those of us looking forward to something new to play this month with the impending release of Rayman Legends, which by all accounts looks to be a stellar game, we will have to wait a bit longer.  Ubisoft Montpelier announced today that the game was going to be pushed back until “early September” with no firm date given, and that the game would also no longer be a Wii U exclusive.  What we know now is that the game will release across all three home console platforms.  For those of us who have played the Legends demo, you have to wonder how they will take the touch screen controls and translate that to the 360 and PS3.  Stayed tuned for more information on Rayman, Wii U, and all upcoming games right here at JustUs Geeks.

I hate cats.

There, the truth is out there.

 I enjoy their videos, their flying pop-tart antics, and anything that involves them falling off things, but I hate the animal.  They are a pox on our species.  So, what better way to commemorate the downfall of mankind by changing the beloved game of Monopoly’s token line up?  When this was first announced at the start of 2013, I knew that this would only end one way.  The internet loves cats, and in an overwhelming choice, choose the metallic feline you see above to be it’s new Monopoly overlord, beating out a robot, a diamond ring, a helicopter, and a guitar.  The race to last place was tight between the wheelbarrow, shoe, and iron, but in the end, I guess people just hate ironing clothes.  Look for the new game, Monopoly: Cat Edition soon, where I WILL NOT be fighting to choose my piece first, and will still end up getting stuck with the cat, I’m sure.

Website TFg2.com has posted a picture of an upcoming Target exclusive….a five pack of Cyberverse Commanders that combine into the mighty Abominus!  When Twinstrike appeared in photos and listings, a lot of fans noticed that he looked an awfully lot like G1 Decepticon Sinnertwin, and fellow Terrorcon Hun-Grrr was recently listed for Japan, it should’ve signaled that it was only a matter of time before we saw the others.  What I did not expect, however, is that we could get a combiner team out of this.  While the Cyberverse figures will most likely be wide release, it seems that Target will get an exclusive 5 pack of the team in Fall of 2013. Check out the photo above and let the anticipation begin!

Well the Big Game is over, but the Big Guys Talking Geeky Stuff (aka JustUs Geeks!) Podcast is fresh and new for you with episode 45!

Listen to the return of the “Touchdown Celtics” segment, plenty of geeky chat and info for your infotainment including: Best Series Finales of all time? What are the Holy Grails of Geekdom? Midseason TV Premieres! Game of the Week!, Listener Questions along with Quickfire topics, apps of the week, and more!

Here are a few ways to find us:

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All new “Dan Vs.” this Saturday at 4:30 PM Eastern/3:30 PM Central from our friends at The Hub! In “Dan Vs. The Ski Trip”  a sudden blizzard strands Dan inside an isolated cabin with Elise, while Chris kicks back and sips hot cocoa with newfound friends.

Check out a clip of the the show below, and go let our friends over at The Hub know how much you enjoy the show over at Hub World!

image credit: EW.com and The Hub

As Season 3 of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic rounds out towards its conclusion, something special is about to happen: Twilight Sparkle, the centerpiece of the Mane 6, will become a princess, just like her mentor Celestia.  It’s all set to happen in the finale of the show’s third season, according to an exclusive look by ew.com.  Says head writer Meghan McCarthy, (who we interviewed, here and here)

 “She was set up from the very beginning to be on an important journey. It’s really about her earning this new status by combining all the things that we’ve seen her learn over the course of the series.”

But, we shouldn’t worry, McCarthy explains.  Just because Twilight becomes a princess, it doesn’t mean that she will change.

“What we didn’t want to do was change who she is as a character, because she’s certainly someone that everyone’s proud to know and love,” McCarthy says. “I don’t think becoming a princess really changes her; I think it’s going to introduce some new challenges for her.”

Being a princess isn’t just about being pretty, having nice gowns, and getting to stay in a castle, though.  There’s lots more to being a princess, and if seasons 1-3 have shown us anything, Twilight is up to the job.

“Being a princess is about being a good pony who shares the gifts that they have been given with others,” according to McCarthy. “We’re building a very unique mythology around being a princess,” she continues. “Every little girl wants to be a princess, and not everybody can get to be a princess — but you can live up to the ideals that should come along with being a princess.”

Fair enough.  We’re on board with the “not every girl can be a princess” but you can act like one.  But, how does this change the series and the toys?  Time will tell.  Look for a MLP marathon on February 16th, followed by the Coronation episode finale at 10:30 a.m. EST.  Many fans were worried by the short order of episodes for this season, but if news of the impending princess-themed toy line is any indication, the MLP juggernaut isn’t stopping anytime soon.  Huzzah!  Check out exclusive pics of some the new toys below, thanks to our friends at ew.com

In one of the quietest announcements in recent company history, the internet woke this morning to the announcement of an update to the current line of iPads from Apple, bringing the internal storage space to 128gb.  This announcement is bizarre, due to it’s lack of fanfare and strange timing.  While the device was rumored yesterday, today Apple has decided to make it concrete fact, along with the price for both WiFi only and 4G LTE models.  Images of the new back plate have already leaked as well, and yes, they are inspired by the current design of the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini with both black slate and silver aluminum being available…

big thanks to 9to5mac for the image

The new, bigger iPad owes a lot to the Mini when it comes to design, and it will be interesting to see if the front is changed in any way at all, but don’t expect it.  The 128gb iPad launches on February 5 with a price tag of $799 for the WiFi only model and $929 for the LTE enabled one.  This makes it just as expensive as the new Microsoft Surface Pro.  Do you think it’s worth it?  Let us know in the comments section, or over on our page at Facebook.

UPDATE: According to rumors and sources, the back plate shown above is NOT for the new 128gb iPad, but instead for a forthcoming revision sometime down the road.  Rage on, friends, rage on.

The Geeks are back from their first ever Comic Kon together, the Murfreesboro Anime and Comic Kon (MACK), with all the funny and heartwarming stories you can imagine about adult Pony cosplayers, getting strangled by Batman, and buying old Nintendo games from “The Zombie What Ate Dale” from “The Walking Dead”!  Backed up with Quickfire topics, Apps of the Week, and Listener Questions, this is the Podcast for YOU, our fellow Geeks!

Here are a few ways to find us:

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Just to give you a taste on what’s to come on Episode 44, we decided to record a quick session LIVE from M.A.C.K. last weekend – the first comic/anime convention for the JustUs Geeks!

Our friend James Lee sat in with us as we talked about some of our first observations from M.A.C.K., so make sure you give this a listen before Episode 44 on Monday.

Click here to check out our LIVE (kinda?) minisode from M.A.C.K.!

According to IGN, THQ has been liquidated and it’s IPs and publishing houses sold off to various bidders as the company folds.  In a letter to all THQ employees, CEO Brian Farrell listed the fates of several IPs and warned of the demise of others. Here’s the full letters:

To All THQ Employees:

We now have the answers we’ve been seeking through our financial restructuring and Chapter 11 case. While much will be written, here are the facts of the bids and auction that occurred t:

Yesterday morning, we received a competing bid for the operating business,along with Clearlake’s offer, and numerous offers for separate assets. During an auction process that lasted over 22 hours, the final conclusion was that the separate-asset bids would net more than a single buyer for the majority of the company.

Shortly, we will, present the results to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, which mustconcur with our assessment.

The proposed sales of multiple assets is as follows :

• Sega agreed to purchase Relic
• Koch Media agreed to purchase Volition and Metro
• Crytek agreed to purchase Homefront
• Take 2 agreed purchase Evolve and
• Ubisoft agreed to purchase Montreal and South Park

We expect these sales to close this week.

Some assets, including our publishing businesses and Vigil, along with some other intellectual properties are not included in the sale agreements. They will remain part of the Chapter 11 case. We will make every effort to find appropriate buyers, if possible.

What this means for employees

We expect that most employees of the entities included in the sale will be offered employment by the new owners. However, we cannot say what these owners may intend, and there will likely be some positions that will not be needed under the new ownership. You should receive notice this week or early next week if the new owners intend to extend employment to you. Please note that the terms of your new employment, including pay and benefits, may be different from the current terms of your employment with THQ.

If you are an employee of an entity that is not included in the sale, we regret thatyour position will end. A small number of our headquarters staff will continue to be employed by THQ beyond January 25 to assist with the transition. THQ has sufficient resources to pay these employees for work going forward, and we will be contacting these employees immediately to ensure their continued employment during this transition period. We are requesting the ability to offer certain severance pay to minimize disruption for employees of non-included entities as they determine the next steps in their careers.

We know you will have many questions about this news. We’ll be meeting tomorrow when we return to talk through this announcement and to answer any questions you have. You will receive a benefits fact sheet and FAQs with answers to some questions that may be on your mind. Please review these materials closely.

A personal note

The work that you all have done as part of the THQ family is imaginative, creative,artistic and highly valued by our loyal gamers. We are proud of what we haveaccomplished despite today’s outcome.

It has been our privilege to work alongside the entire THQ team. While the company will cease to exist, we are heartened that the majority of our studios and games will continue under new ownership. We were hoping that the entire company would remain intact, but we expect to hear good news from each of the separate entities that will be operating as part of new organizations.

For those THQ employees who are part of entities that are not included in the sale, we are confident that the talent you have displayed as part of THQ will be recognized as you take the next steps in your career.

Thank you all for your dedication and for sharing your talent with the THQ team. We wish you the best of luck and hope you will keep in touch.

Sincerely,

Brian Farrell Chief Executive Officer

Jason Rubin President

Basically, if you are an employee of one of the games or publishing groups that were bought, take a deep breath, you might just be safe.  If you don’t see your name on this list….sorry, buddy.  While THQ has seen some success with games in the past, including the WWE franchise (which is notoriously missing from this list), it doesn’t seem that it’s financial situation has improved.  THQ filed Chapter 11 last week, and now the company is in the process of being dissolved as other developers and studios divide up what’s left?  Don’t see your favorite series here?  Wondering what might happen next?  Stay tuned to JustUs Geeks for up to the minute news!

Regardless, Pakistan has banned games before like Assassin’s Creed. The government stated at that time that the Muslim population found the content of the game sacrilegious and offensive to Muslim ideals. Obviously they never leaped from a giant tower into a bale of hay and discovered the awesomeness of wrist blades. At least Fox News took a negative position on Pakistan banning these games, as typically Fox News Network is out to blame videogames for everything from mass shootings to democrats being elected.

Miiverse

Iwata began by talking about Miiverse, stating the community was thriving, and then showed some examples of people getting help through the service on ZombiU, including spoiler posts.  He also highlighted the “customer to customer” relationships that Miiverse provided, sharing experiences together with people whether far away or close.  Iwata mentioned Nintendo TVii and then showed the comments posted during the Notre Dame vs. Alabama game, again showing the Miiverse community and how it works.

Back to Miiverse, Iwata says that Nintendo was surprised by the response to Miiverse with drawings, and showed some of the best ones.  He seemed genuinely thrilled, and said not to lose track of time browsing!

Some special characters are beginning to appear in Miiverse.  If you see a green checkmark, it is an authentic, verified account, almost like Twitter.  This is for celebrities, corporations, game developers, and such. These users can attach links to their posts, or embed YouTube videos. Mr. Takemoto, who developed New Super Mario Bros. U, is one such account.

Consumer Requests

There will be two system updates, one in spring and summer, in response to requests about software loading times and the time it takes to return to the Wii U menu screen.  This is big news, but even bigger news is that Iwata announced that the Wii U Virtual Console will launch right after the Spring Update!  He went on to say that since the Wii Virtual Console took years to release, don’t expect all the titles to be available right off the bat.  In other words, be patient and wait!  At the start, Nintendo will have prepared a selection of NES and SNES games.  The Wii U versions are being newly developed, and will have simliar features to the 3DS virtual console games, like saving a back up of game progress, playing the games on the Wii U game pad alone (woot!), and all games will have Miiverse communities. Also, Gameboy Advance titles will finally become available on the Wii U, which I believe marks the first time of them becoming available outside the early adopter incentives for 3DS.

But, what if you have Wii Virtual Console games that you’ve transferred to the Wii U?  Do they have the special features Iwata mentioned?  Of course not.  If you already own these titles, you will be eligible to upgrade them for $1 for NES games, and $1.50 for SNES games.  However, prices will remain the same from the Wii Virtual Console for games you do not have.  The eShop will display the discounted prices automatically for people who already own the re-released titles.

30th Anniversary of the Famicom

2013 is the 30th Anniversary of the Famicom!  To celebrate, Nintendo will release a Virtual Console title each month from now until July, the official release date of the Famicom.  These will also be available before and during the release of the Wii U Virtual Console.  The best part?  Each title will cost only 30 cents!  That price will remain in effect for 30 days from the release of the title.  What titles will be released?

January – Balloon Fight

February – F-zero

March – Punch Out! Featuring Mr. Dream

April – Kirby’s Adventure

May – Super Metroid

June – Yoshi

July – Donkey Kong

The first title, Balloon Fight, is available TODAY on the Wii U eShop!

Back to Miiverse

Iwata again mentions Miiverse and the interacts it brings, and mentions a feature for highly anticipated upcoming title Pikmin 3 that lets you use the Wii U Gamepad as a camera to capture close up photos of the world to post in Miiverse.

For WiiFit U, you will be able to create closed communities, to include only people you want, so you can work together as a group to complete fitness goals without including people you don’t want to see your posts.

Iwata explained that they are planning to expand the Miiverse service, making users able to create user communities, adding the ability to have more than one official community per title, as well as making the service easier to use and including a filtering function, so posts don’t get buried. Granted, all of this should’ve been in there when we got it, but still, nice improvements.

They are also working on allowing users to view Miiverse from smartphones, first on a web based browser, then eventually on an official app.  You will need to use your Nintendo ID to sign in.

New Games!

Iwata mentions that Nintendo will not release any new first party titles in January or February, due to the software being perfected, firmly believing that they need to offer quality experiences when they release new titles.  They concluded they should spend more time to make sure games were up to their standards.  He apologized about the lack of games, and said that new titles will be available from March onward.  What new titles are those?

The Wonderful 101

In game footage is shown of the game, and boy, does it look good.  I really hope this game lives up to the hype.  It looks almost like Pikmin meets Viewtiful Joe meets giant anime robobattles.  Gameplay is shown in vehicle, on foot, and in battle.

Bayonetta 2

Platinum Games is continuing to develop the game, and though it’s not time for details, Iwata showed a video from the developers, showcasing them building the world of Bayonetta 2, paying special detail to texture, locations and how they fit into the world.  They want to make a game that maximizes the potential of the Wii U, they say.  Not much in game footage is shown, unfortunately. However, the next edition of Iwata Asks will be dedicated to Platinum Games and talking about Bayonetta 2.

Smash Bros. Wii U

Not much to be said here other than Iwata asked fans to be patient and wait, as game development is on track. It is a huge development undertaking, and Mr. Sakurai will reveal the first screens and video at this year’s E3!

New 3D Mario and Mario Kart Wii U!

Again, not much information given here other than that they would be shown in PLAYABLE form at E3, but, hopes are high as the team that worked on Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2, plus Super Mario 3D Land is working on the 3D title.

New Party Game

Footage was shown, including using the Gamepad to roll dice by shaking, then using the Gamepad and 3 Wiimotes in a twister/fingerbender exercise.  One game uses the Gamepad with two people using it at the same time, playing foosball, with one player holding the button end, and one holding the control pad end.  Characters are Miis, so it seems to follow the Wii Party vein of games.

Yoshi’s Yarn (not actual title)

Remember Kirby’s Epic Yarn?  Looks like people liked it, because now Yoshi is getting similar treatment, as Mr. Tezuka returns to create another fabric based world!  Gameplay was shown, and the visuals look really amazing in HD.  Yoshi has not starred in a game since 1998, Iwata said.

Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem

A teaser trailer was shown, but it is unknown what type of game it will be. (Though I’d bet strategy) Iwata stated that since game development is so much different than it used to be, they cannot take the same type of approach over and over.  This collaboration between Nintendo and Atlus is one example of the new approach, and may or may not be the last one.

Legend of Zelda

The executive producer of Zelda was shown, and wasted no time in beginning to talk about plans for the NEW Wii U Zelda game they are currently working on. In typical Nintendo fashion, the game was simply teased and not shown, as they stated they cannot talk about it until visuals are actual ready to be shown. He then shared that the vision for Wii U Zelda was to “rethink the conventions of Zelda.”   They want to set aside these conventions, like completing dungeons in a certain order, and playing by yourself, and get back to what he called the basics of the franchise.

Skyward Sword was actually intended to be developed this way, but they could not break the linear mold.  He went on to show some images, and…..

Wind Waker HD!!!

He said that after the team showed the Zelda HD demo at E3 2011, they continued to experiment with different styles of Zelda art in HD, and Wind Waker’s gave birth to something new.  Due to the development time needed for the new Zelda, the team will release The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker on Wii U, in gloriously redone HD. The visuals looked breathtakingly beautiful, with comparison shots from Windfall Island being shown from the Gamecube version and the new HD version. Iwata came back to explain that graphics will be updated, along with tuning up the whole game experience, and all game elements will be available off television on the GamePad.  A Miiverse community will also appear.

Mystery Wii U RPG

Monolithsoft, which released Xenoblade Chronicles to the Wii last year, is set to release a brand new, totally expansive RPG to the Wii U in the coming months.  Footage is shown and the world, as well as the enemies, look immense, with battles occuring in real time with both ranged and close weaponry.  Characters execute beautiful special attacks and even drove vehicles which transformed from motorcycle to Gundam style suit to take on the huge enemies.

Iwata wrapped up, stating that 3DS would have a separate Direct in the future.  So, are you excited about the future prospects of the Wii U?  If you don’t own one, was this enough to warrant a purchase?  Let us know in the comments below or call in at (707) OK-GEEKS and share your thoughts on this week’s podcast!

It’s that time again, folks!  Time for us to lift the lid on all the tasty Transformer news that you can handle in our weekly edition of Transformer Tuesday! Ready? Well then, transform and roll out!

Transformers Contruct-Bots:

Yesterday afternoon, Hasbro tipped it’s Toy Fair hand with a well timed preview of a new line of construction toys coming out this fall called Contruct-Bots.  Taking a cue from Bionicle and other building figure sets, these figures will transform from robot to vehicle using exchangeable pieces and ball joints.  There’s no word on whether or not this will be replacing Kre-o or not, but I would guess that it is. Check out a few pics below:

Shockwave confirmed for Transformers Prime? Indeed!:

Following news of Shockwave being listed in Takara’s Arms Micron line, Hasbro has listed him in wave 2 of the Beast Hunters line, included in a case with wavemates from wave 1 Optimus Prime and Predaking.  No pictures yet, but Toy Fair is coming…..

New Beast Hunters figures get official pictures:

First we saw some blurry pics, then in package shots, and thanks to Hasbro’s official Transformers page over on Facebook, we now know some upcoming figures past the first wave of Beast Hunters deluxes.  Check out the shots below to see deluxe Starscream, Bulkhead, and Smokescreen, along with Cyberverse Commander Trailcutter, who looks to be an extensive remold of Cyberverse Commander Ironhide.

That’s all for this week, but be sure to keep it locked right here at JustUs Geeks for up to the minute news on all things geek!

If you Geek out over anything in particular, whether that be Star Wars, Transformers, Gadgets, a certain TV show or anything else, you’ve probably got a great collection of memorabilia to show for it.  This week the JustUs Geeks discuss the dark side of collecting… how they can get out of control, affect your life, etc.  It’s a heavy topic but approached with the typical JustUs Geeks style with lots of laughs mixed in with the serious discussion.  Plus quickfire topics and our Apps of the Week, don’t miss episode 43!

Here are a few ways to find us:

Click here to download on iTunes!

or

Click here to download directly!

JustUs Geeks, Comic Con, Walking Dead, AMC, Transformers, Prime, Autobot, Decepticon, Iron Man, Avengers, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Spider Man, Doc Ock, DC Comics, Superman, Batman, Justice League, Wonder Woman, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, CW, My Little Ponys, Bronies, Nintendo, Xbox, PS3, Microsoft, Wii U, Sony, blu-ray, 3D, Buffalo Wild Wings, Google, Apple, Android, iOS, iPhone, iPad, iPod, Nexus, Galaxy, Xanga, Blogging

Our last interview this week is Curtis Armstrong, voice of ‘Dan’ from Hub Network’s Dan Vs. Armstrong is no stranger to voice acting; he currently lends his voice to several shows and is co-host on TBS’s King Of The Nerds. Although Armstrong found fame for his iconic role in the Revenge of the Nerds movies, Armstrong has come a long, long way. I had the opportunity to talk with Armstrong briefly (please excuse the first 30 seconds of the interview: unedited phone calls FTW!) not long ago and was able to talk about his new show and some of his past successes.

Check out the interview with Curtis Armstrong here!

Learn more about Dan Vs., and other great shows from our friends at  The Hub Network!

Paul Thorn is easily one of my favorite musicians. He’s a gritty singer/songwriter from just down the road in Tupelo, Mississippi, that gained national fame for rising the ranks of professional boxing, and for getting knocked out by Roberto Duran.  Thorn is more than just a former boxer; he’s a storyteller. A few months ago I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Paul about his newest album, his background in music, and a couple of other geeky things.

Click here to listen to my interview with Paul Thorn!

Check out Paul’s website…and buy his tunes!

If you know anything about PC Gaming, you know Wing Commander. We had the opportunity not long ago to have an extended chat with Chris Roberts, creator of Wing Commander, and the upcoming Kickstarter-funded Star Citizen.

Check out our exclusive interview with Chris Roberts here!

To learn more about Star Citizen, check out the website here.

Our second interview this week comes from Brian Mazzaferri from I Fight Dragons! Brandon and I were fortunate enough to get to hang out with Brian for a few minutes before IFD performed at the Hi-Tone Cafe in Memphis, TN. Brian talks about his love of video games, the music industry, and more.

Check out the interview with Brian Mazzaferri HERE!

To learn more about our friends I Fight Dragons, and to download their latest album, “KABOOM!”, for free, click HERE!

This week it’s the SECRET ORIGIN OF THE JUSTUS GEEKS!  That’s right, whether you’ve been with us for 41 episodes or if this is your first, this week Josh, Marty, Brandon and Jared sit down with a new, more conversational format and tell you a little more about themselves and how the JustUs Geeks were formed. Did you know that 3 of the 4 Geeks were once Youth Ministers? That Marty met Josh at Jared’s wedding? That Brandon used to stalk Jared on Xanga, the pre-Facebook, before they ever met? All of these secrets and more are revealed this week, with some good ole laughs and chuckles along the way.

Here are a few ways to find us:

Click here to download on iTunes!

or

Click here to download directly!

JustUs Geeks, Comic Con, Walking Dead, AMC, Transformers, Prime, Autobot, Decepticon, Iron Man, Avengers, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Spider Man, Doc Ock, DC Comics, Superman, Batman, Justice League, Wonder Woman, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, CW, My Little Ponys, Bronies, Nintendo, Xbox, PS3, Microsoft, Wii U, Sony, blu-ray, 3D, Buffalo Wild Wings, Google, Apple, Android, iOS, iPhone, iPad, iPod, Nexus, Galaxy, Xanga, Blogging

This week is Interview Week here at justusgeeks.com, and we are kicking it off with one our old favorites: Rex Velvet!

Check out Episode 10 and the Rex Velvet interview here!

Featured this week:

• Curtis Armstrong, from Hub Network’s “Dan Vs.”
• Chris Roberts, creator of Wing Commander
• Paul Thorn, musician
• I Fight Dragons very own Brian Mazzaferri

Stay tuned for Episode #42 later today!

If that’s not enough, then be our guest and check out the last two podcasts we’ve released:

Episode 40 – JustUs Geeks Live 2: Electric Boogaloo

Episode 41 – Geeks Alive!

See you Monday!

(In all seriousness, the members of the JustUs Geeks podcast want to say thank you to all of you who have found us, liked us, listened, and a stuck with us for 41 episodes.  We’re making some changes to make the podcast better and we hope you’ll stick around and enjoy the ride with us.  Here’s to another 41 episodes!)

Your Friendly Neighborhood JustUS Geeks swing on in with episode 41, full of geeky fun.  This week the Geeks talk about whats up with Comics, upcoming 2013 Movies we are excited about, video games, apps of the week, listener questions, and so much more!

Tune in to get your fix of geeky news with heapin’ helpin’ of laughs along with it!

Here are a few ways to find us:

Click here to download on iTunes!

or

Click here to download directly!

The Geeks are LIVE from KC’s Espresso for the second time with our year ending countdown episode.  We run down the lists of our favorite Movies, TV Shows, Apps, Gadgets, Moments from the Show, Video Games and more!  Come reflect on the year that was 2012 with your favorite quartet of Geeky commentators and enjoy some hearty laughs along with us and the live crew at KC’s.

Here are a few ways to find us:

Click here to download on iTunes!

or

Click here to download directly!

Guide to Magic for the Less Magically Inclined

Magic: the Gathering isn’t for everyone.  There I said it.  I know, it’s crazy that I would say such a thing.  While I may feel that Magic is the greatest game ever created, I must admit that it is a niche hobby.  While, for many years Wizards of the Coast, the makers of Magic, embraced this idea of catering to a narrow demographic, recently Mark Rosewater, Head Designer of R&D for Wizards of the Coast, announced the new design philosophy that he is referring to as New World Order.  In short, New World Order is being implemented in order to broaden the spectrum of people that would be attracted to Magic.  Which means that you, the non-Magic player, are now Wizards of the Coast’s primary marketing target.  So, I am here to prepare you for when you inevitably try Magic, or return to it.

What exactly is Magic?

To put it simply, Magic is a TCG, Tradable Card Game.  Unlike traditional card games, a TCG has hundreds, or thousands, of cards that you get to chose from to build a deck of a certain number of cards (traditionally 60 with Magic).  While Magic is a TCG, you cannot refer to Magic as “just a TCG” in the same way that you cannot say that Dungeons and Dragon’s is “just a RPG.”  Each card in Magic represents a creature, spell or land that you can control and cast.  See, in Magic you are a Planeswalker, a powerful Mage who can travel between worlds.  Just as in D&D you can imagine your characters battling the evil Lich that your DM has set for you to find, in Magic you can imagine you are battling your opponent with the creatures you summon, and the spells you cast.  If you decide to try Magic, I recommend role-playing your games until you get the rules down, because this will decrease your frustration with the complexity of the game.

What does Magic have to offer that other games don’t?

Magic is a very flexible game.  While I might tell you that building the best deck to take to a competitive event is what Magic has to offer, another player might tell you that collecting entire sets is what the game is about.  There are many layers to enjoying Magic, through playing, trading or collecting.  Some people love playing at competitive FNM’s, while others would prefer to play at the kitchen table at home.  Some people spend most of their time trading cards to make money by playing the market, while others are trading to find that last card from the Dark Ascension set.  There are so many facets to the game, that almost anyone can find something in it that they enjoy.

Isn’t Magic Expensive?

This depends on what you want out of the game.  For someone like me that plays Magic competitively, the answer is yes.  But, I know many people that spend less then $100 on the game a year, and enjoy it just as much as I.  It used to be that no matter whether you were casual or competitive, Magic was expensive, and Wizards has had a hard time shaking that stigma since they have fixed the issue.  If you have never tried Magic, you don’t have to go out and spend a large amount of money on cards anymore.  You can get on Steam, X-box or your i-Pad and buy Duels of the Planeswalker 2013.  It’s simple, and it’s cheap.  Plenty of people play and love DOTP 2013, and that is the only form of Magic they play.  If after a while, DOTP 2013 feels too restrictive for you, then you can always try Cockatrice, a third party program that allows you play Magic with every card printed for free.  Magic, while expensive for the most hardcore, doesn’t have to be for new or casual players.

Mark Rosewater has stated many times that the two largest barriers to entry with Magic is expense and complexity.  If either one of these things have kept you from ever trying Magic, I recommend that you reconsider, because Wizards is working to lower both.  Magic may not be for you, but you won’t know until you try.

Welcome to episode 39 of the JustUs Geeks podcast! Our first episode with only 3 Geeks as Brandon takes the week off, the remaining Geeks valiantly pull together to bring you a episode brimming with Geeky Holiday Goodness!

• We name our all time favorite Christmas Movies!
• Instagram wants to steal and sell your photos?? Whaaat?
• Deep Thoughts – Hawking Style!
• Fantasy Football Playoffs!
• Our Eating Crow segment… what geeky things were we totally wrong about? (Android!)
• Christmas Memories
• Game of the Week: Batman Arkham City Armored Edition
• When are more Wii U Games coming?
• Biggest Technology Flops of 2012!
• Quickfire Topics, Apps of the Week and more!

Here are a few ways to find us:

Click here to download on iTunes!

or

Click here to download directly!

Tis the season to be jolly and Capcom is showering fans with more than ample reason to get excited.  Through the love of loyal fans and fortunate timing, the 25^th anniversaries of the Street Fighter and Mega Man franchises collide in the fan created, Capcom endorsed entry that is, Street Fighter X Mega Man.  The mash up of the two worlds join together in a new adventure for the blue bomber as he goes retro once more to battle a hand full of new challengers.

In classic Mega Man style, players are able to choose between 8 bosses each with their own unique stages and themes.  The stage leaders are classic Street Fighter characters that range from iconic characters like Ryu and Chun Li, to lesser known but equally beloved characters like Rolento and Urien.  Side scrolling your way through waves of enemies while blasting away lead you to the inevitable boss fight and, true to form, a new ability to aid Mega Man’s assault on the remaining characters.

The new twist to the classic formula is a welcome addition and the fan creation is smothered with retro love that harkens back to the NES hit Mega Man 2. It is a grand homage to a classic character that has not been feeling a great deal of love and support lately.  Nonetheless, Street Fighter x Mega Man is available now for free so gamers can test their mettle.  Whether looking for a healthy dose of nostalgia or just looking for a way to tide themselves over until the Christmas wave players are able to snag the free download over at www.capcom-unity.com

–

About the Author: JP is a native of Athens, Alabama, though most of his time has been spent in Arkham, Westeros, and other such locations. He can typically be found on Xbox Live under the gamertag, “Sir JayPea”

Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky, Instagram.  In an announcement on Monday, the photo/social sharing service let some new policy fly that turned the internet on it’s ear.  If you’re like us and you missed it because you don’t read EULAs, Terms of Services, and all that jazz, the lowdown is that Instagram is set to start selling your photos on January 16, 2013, meaning that for the first time since it’s inception, Instagram is on track to monetize.

What?!

That’s right.  Pretty soon, photos uploaded to Instagram are no longer your property, and can be bought and sold by Instagram and other companies for promotional purposes without paying you a dime.  Pretty awful, right?  But, the awfulness doesn’t stop right there.  Let’s play out a scenario.  Imagine you a parent of a young child, and you and your wife take a vacation in Hawaii at a resort hotel, taking photos of the child via Instagram during the entire trip.  Once uploaded to the service, the resort in Hawaii could send a check to license those photos and use them for any print advertising campaign they wanted to.  Yep, that’s right. It means that  your child could be used for advertising without you knowing it.  It’s not so innocent anymore right?

So, who’s to blame?  Look no further than Instagram’s new parent company, Facebook, who has managed to ruin the service just three months after purchasing it.  Forget Facebook’s pledge that no changes would be made to the service when they purchased it.  Not only does this new deal change Instagram, but Facebook as well, who could now potentially use your Instagram photos to advertise on the world’s largest social network.  Further language in the change suggests that if you delete Instagram before January 16th, then your pictures will not be opted in to the deal, but any photos on the service or taken after the 16th will become the property of Facebook/Instagram and allow them to use it for whatever they want.

What to do then?  We believe that a large showing of users deleting their accounts would send the right message to Facebook, and it’s already happening.  In fact, it was happening before these changes were announced.  Changes to the service in the last few weeks have already sent people packing, and this is likely to send even more down the road and into the sunset.  For those brave enough to stick around and see what happens, the new policy even lets you know that you’ll be advertised to death, something that was NEVER part of Instagram before the sellout.  Look at the language used in the policy changes:

“you acknowledge that we may not always identify paid services, sponsored content, or commercial communications as such.”

In other words: we’re going to show you some ads, but you might not know it.  Just like “sponsored” posts have become part of the Facebook experience, “sponsored” Instagram accounts may involuntarily show up in your feed.  Cue audible groans here.

Will you be deleting your Instagram account?  Let us know in the comments below, and keep it parked right here at JustUs Geeks for more on this in the days to come!

Don’t you love it when videogame news can totally ruin your day? Development house Slant SiX, creators of Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, were picked up to do Star Wars Battlefront: online back before 2010. The company hit some hard financial rocks and suffered lay-offs, destroying like Alderaan any hopes of us getting to see this game (beyond a few concept art shots) hitting shelves anytime soon. For Star Wars fans, this is terribly sad news indeed. SiliconEra discovered the screenshots so head over to their page to check out the rest.

www.siliconera.com

Welcome to episode 38 of the JustUs Geeks podcast! We have several holiday treats for your listening pleasure this week including:

• We name our favorite Christmas songs of all time
• The Geeks are now 100% ANDROID powered! Gasp! Shock!
• Deep Thoughts – Hawking Style!
• Fantasy Football playoffs!
• A clip of our interview with Brian Mazzaferri of “I FIGHT DRAGONS”
• Transformers Universe, the newest MMO, launches in Beta
• Brandon’s Game of the Week – Far Cry 3
• Golden Globe nominees announced!
• Quickfire topics
• Apps of the Week
• and more!

Here are a few ways to find us:

Click here to download on iTunes!

or

Click here to download directly!

In other news, Transformers Legends was released yesterday for all Android powered devices through the Google Play store.  You can download the app for free, pick your faction, and jump into battle with familiar characters on both sides of the field.  The ability to combine cards if you have both alt mode and robot mode for more power is pretty nifty, and overall the game’s presentation is slick and fun.  Of course, it’s a “freemium” game, which means you can also pay lots of money to have more cards, or you can just bide your time and earn them like the rest of us.  Unfortunately, the game is still not available for iOS devices.  If you didn’t see it last week, here’s some art from the game:

The Botcon 2013 set was announced this past week, along with the theme: Machine Wars!  For those who don’t remember Machine Wars, it was a small sub-line of Transformers that was exclusive to KB Toy Stores in the US, using G2 molds that had only been used in Europe previously.  Optimus Prime was a futuristic rig that had been named Thunderclash in Europe, while Megatron was relagated to a small, basic-sized light blue jet.  Starscream was the star of the line, a giant black SR-71 Blackbird that transformed into an even bigger robot known as Skyquake in the UK, though he was severely limited in articulation.  Botcon’s reveal of the theme can be seen below, with some familiar silhouettes.

That’s it for us this week!  Check back next week for the best in Transformers news from around the ‘net.

The VGA’s didn’t contain much in the way of major surprises for the gaming industry, except maybe for this strange trailer shown from Moby Dick Studios for their new (and first ever) game The Phantom Pain. The trailer, which you can watch below, doesn’t hold much in the way of answers to what this game is and what it is about, but a little research around Moby Dick Studios website reveals this may be a teaser for a new Hideo Kojima Metal Gear Solid.

The website for Moby Dick Studios has only been up since November 19th of this year, and if it were a real company working on a game it would be more plausible for them to have had a website up for much longer. The website itself is bare bones, with only some contact info and a cookie cutter “about us” page. The CEO is listed as Joakim Mogren, his first name being a possible anagram for Kojima. Also puzzling, the main character in The Phantom Pain trailer seems to look an awful lot like Solid Snake/Big Boss from the Metal Gear series. Hideo Kojima has never been one to skip out on cryptic teasers and strange promotions, so my money is on this being a look into the world and plot of the next Metal Gear Solid, and that makes me very happy indeed.

Check out the trailer below and stay tuned for more info and be sure to download this week’s episode of the Just Us Geeks Podcast on stitcher mobile radio and itunes.
Thanks www.joystiq.com for the trailer

The Geeks bring you another heaping helping of Holiday Cheer to you this week with Episode 37!

• We discuss the Wii-U launch and reception… how has Nintendo done?
• The history of the Ninja Gaiden series!
• Fantasy Football!
• Mid-Season Finales!
• Botcon 2013 News!
• Is this the beginning of Microsoft’s end?
• Quickfire topics, Apps of the Week, Deep Thoughts Hawking Style and more!

Here are a few ways to find us:

Click here to download on iTunes!

or

Click here to download directly!

Today, we’ll check out movies, showing you some of the hottest new releases plus some old classics that are sure to please this season.  We’ve also included some handy links so you can go ahead and purchase these if you want.  Check back over the next few days for more gift ideas!

The Dark Knight Rises: Limited Bat Cowl Edition (Blu-ray+DVD+Ultraviolet) - around $180

Limited to just 35,000 copies, this is THE edition of the most anticipated superhero movie of 2012.  Not only do you get the full 3-disc set, but you also get Batman’s broken cowl on a display stand, which stores the discs inside.  You can find these on Amazon right now for around $180, which may seem a bit pricey, but if you have a Batman geek in your life, then this could be just the thing for them!

Transformers: The Complete Series - $89.99

Clocking in at an incredible 15 discs, this is the definitive version of the classic 80′s cartoon that started it all.  For your money, this is one set that can’t be beat.  Forget those old Rhino versions that were released in the early 2000′s, with their dubbed in sounds and bad quality.  Shout Factory has done an amazing job of restoring these toons to their original glory and leaving everything intact.  Not only do you get all 98 episodes of the original series, but you get featurettes, rare PSA’s, archived commercials, art galleries, and more!

Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures (Blu-ray box set) – $64.64 with free shipping

Nazis.  Ancient treasure.  Hearts being ripped out.  Shortround.  Yes, this box set has it all, especially if you take Kingdom of the Crystal Skull out and throw it in the trash as soon as you open the box.  Included are all four of Indy’s adventures, which span three great movies and a fourth that’s still out for debate.  Not a bad price for the thrill seeker in your life, and hey, you get to watch that guy’s face melt off in HD when he opens the Ark of the Covenant.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (blu-ray + DVD) – $11.28 plus free shipping

Imagine a world where everyone has the ability to fight like it’s Street Fighter, you have to drain your Pee Bar, video game graphics integrate into daily life, and to earn love you must fight with outlandish effects and weaponry.  What does all that add up to?  You need to watch Scott Pilgrim vs. the World to find out.  Adapted from Bryan Lee O’Malley’s graphic novels of the same name, this cult classic movie follows slacker Scott Pilgrim into battle against the evil ex’s of Ramona Flowers, who he is currently involved in a relationship with.  The movie has plenty of laugh out loud moments, great music from Beck and other bands, and a style all it’s own.  It’s a sure fire hit for any video game lovers in your family.

Star Wars: The Complete Saga (blu-ray) – $84.99 with free shipping

Obviously, this isn’t the COMPLETE saga anymore, since Disney purchased Lucasfilm and has started on more Star Wars movies, but until the next one is released, we can pretend, right?  This is a very nice set, with lots of great features, including all six movies in HD.  Keep in mind, however, that these are not the original cuts of the movies, which we will never see again this side of a laserdisc.  In all, this nine disc set is great for new and old Star Wars fans alike, if not just for the fact that you can finally hate Jar Jar Binks in high definition.

Star Trek: The Complete Original Series (blu ray) – $200.19 with free shipping

This Christmas, boldly go where no one has gone before with the complete original series of Star Trek!  Encompassing three seasons, this 20 disc set is a great starting point for new fans of the series who don’t remember any other Captain except Jean Luc Picard.  It’s a bit pricey at the Amazon original price, but third party sellers were offering the same set for much less, so do some checking around.

We hope this has given you some ideas to start your shopping.  Check back tomorrow for Geek the Halls: Video Game edition!

Beast Hunters Optimus Prime Powerizer and Cyberverse figures, plus Cyberverse Commander Predaking

While the Beast Hunters line looks like it will be made up of mostly remolds, it seems that Optimus Prime is getting a brand new mold to get him ready for the hunt.  Following the devastating events of the Season 2 finale, a new body doesn’t seem all that farfetched, but we will see what the explanation will be in due time.  Prime comes with a missile launching blaster and a sword, presumably to represent the Star Saber, but the most interesting visual change to note is that Prime is once again a snub nosed truck, witha huge nod to his G1 design.  Obviously, the Cyberverse Commander is a paired down version of the Powerizer, as is the Predaking seen above, which is also a Cyberverse release.  Look for these to release in the early part 2013.

Transformers Generations Blaster and Skywarp

And now for something completely different.  TFSource has put up preorders for Generations Blaster, a remold/repaint of the Fall of Cybertron Soundwave mold, with data disc Steeljaw.  I’m not sure about you, but to me, this mold doesn’t really work as Blaster, mainly due to it’s altmode with the claws and everything in front.  Here in the US, we’ll be seeing Blaster as part of Voyager wave 3, but one that we might not see is Skywarp, who is currently believed to be a Japanese only release.

If you have been around the fandom for any time at all, you know two things: TakaraTomy loves black repaints and people in general love Skywarp.  So, consider this one hard to find and preorder now.  You can find the preorders for Blaster and Skywarp here and here respectively.

That’s all for this week.  Until next time, ’til all are one!

The JuG’s kick off the Holiday Podcast season with one of our funniest episodes to date! Amid all the guffaws and giggles the Geeks find time to talk about

• Our favorite Christmas Television Specials
• Buying Guide for the Geeks in your life this holiday
• Deep Thoughts: Hawking Style
• Fantasy Football Update
• Star Trek Into Darkness plot revealed!
• Big television Mid-Season finales
• Is the WiiU the start of a new Console generation?
• Game of the Week: Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion for 3DS
• Quickfire Topics!
• Apps of the Week!
• Listener Questions!

And so much more!

Here are a few ways to find us:

Click here to download on iTunes!

or

Click here to download directly!

Director Bryan Singer, who directed the first two X-Men films and is returning for the upcoming sequel to X-Men: First Class, has announced on Twitter the return of Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen as “old” Professor X and Magento.  Also returning are the “young” versions that appeared in First Class, played by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender.

The new film, based on the iconic X-Men storyline of the same name (read details here) features X-Men from a hellish future where mutants are hunted by giant Sentinel robots traveling back in time to warn their younger counterparts.

Here’s hoping that Singer will use the time travel angle to re-write the X-Men movie universe and wipe X-Men 3: The Last Stand out of existence!

How long until Hugh Jackman is announced as Wolverine?

Actually, it’s being called the Wii Mini, a new $99 console version of the popular Wii in a sleek red and black.  Here’s the catch: it’s only being sold in Canada, and it cuts Gamecube and Internet functionality in order to make it into that nice, sexy package.  No game is included, either, and while we have the question the need for another version of the Wii, that red Wiimote/Nunchuck combo sure does look nice.  The Wii Mini will be available nationwide to our friends in Canada on December 7.

Some enterprising folks were digging around on Paramount’s website and seem to have uncovered the official Press Release for the film:

“In Summer 2013, pioneering director J.J. Abrams will deliver an explosive action thriller that takes Star Trek Into Darkness,” begins the official blurb. “When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.”

“With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.”

Most people think the “unstoppable force of destruction” is a character from the Original Series named Gary Mitchell.

The first footage from the film will be seen next month with “The Hobbit” with a nine minute preview being paired with the IMAX version and a new trailer with the standard theatrical version.

Check below for the video interview CNN conducted with Reggie Fils-Aime, the president of Nintendo of America and COO. Reggie goes on to talk about graphic capabilities and features of the Wii U and how it stacks up to competitor consoles right now. Reggie joined the Nintendo of America team back in the Gamecube days and is pretty great at giving exciting E3 speeches and doing slick interviews like a used car salesman on crack. Check the video below and stay tuned to the Just Us Geeks podcast on stitcher mobile app and itunes.

We have the greatest Black Friday deal ever for you… a fresh episode of the JustUs Geeks Podcast, yours for free! Marty is back and we are once again joined by Mikey Burgett of the Three and Out Podcast. This week is a special NINTENDO WII-U launch episode as we review the console itself and several of the launch titles. We also find time for Fantasy Football, Listener Questions and Apps of the Week.

Here’s a few ways to find us:

Click here to download on iTunes!

or

Click here to download directly!

The Geeks assemble this week minus a Marty and plus a Ronnie “Elizabeth” McNutt! Join in as we discuss Wii-U, our favorite TV Shows, Magic: The Gathering, Disney Star Wars, Fantasy Football, Doom, Assassin’s Creed 3, shake ups at Microsoft and Windows 8 impressions, Nokia HERE maps, an interview with actress Paget Brewster, listener questions and much more!

Here’s a few ways to find out:

Click here to download on iTunes!

or

Click here to download directly!

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to interview Paget Brewster, formerly of CBS’s Criminal Minds, who is back for a third season as Elise (and a couple other voices) on The Hub Network’s Dan vs.!

Paget was amazing to talk with, and she provided several insights into her character, working in the voice acting genre, and some cool people she’s worked with.

Check out the full interview here!

Never seen Dan vs.? Now’s a great time to catch up before the Season 3 premiere tomorrow, November 17th, at 4PM Eastern/3PM Central on The Hub Network!

Season 3 features the same star-studded cast from the previous seasons, including Paget, Curtis Armstrong (from “Revenge of the Nerds), and Dave Foley (from “Kids In The Hall”). Also back for a third season are the recurring characters of Elise’s parents played by Meredith Baxter and Michael Gross (“Family Ties”). On top of the amazing cast of regular characters, this season boasts an impressive line-up of guest stars such as Jenna Fischer from The Office.

Here’s a scene from the season premiere, “Anger Management”! Check out Jenna Fischer’s character there with the chainsaw!

Make sure you check out this amazing show and give us your feedback! Leave your comments over at 1 (707) OK-GEEKS and we’ll feature you on the next JustUs Geeks podcast!

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Marty: Alright! Do you have a favorite character to write for?

Meghan: I really like to write for all of them, I think the one I relate to this most is probably Twilight, so she’s fun to write for, and it’s easy for me to say “What would Twilight do” ok, well, the same thing I would do in that situation: I would get nervous that I’m going to get in trouble, and I would have a meltdown.

(laughter)

So, she’s the one that’s a little bit easier, but I enjoy writing for all of them, they all have such distinct voices.

Marty: Awesome! So, last season closed with the big Royal Wedding and Queen Chrysalis being defeated….what does Season 3 have in store for our Ponies?

Meghan: Well, we are definitely going to see a little bit of world building and deepening of the mythology of Equestria, with the introduction of the Crystal Empire. We’ve never seen a map of Equestria that has all of its borders, so we’re kinda going to get to see what’s beyond some of the places that we’ve explored in the past. Also, Twilight’s going to be taking some bigger steps on her journey as Princess Celestia’s student, and just lots of great songs coming up.

My 4 year old daughter, Annaliese, and I. Pinkie Pie doesn’t seem to approve.

Marty Great! A couple of last questions: The internet loves the character of Derpy Hooves. And, I was wondering if there is a future for her in the storyline, because that’s actually my daughter’s favorite character. When I told I was going to interview you today, she wanted me to ask you about Derpy Hooves.

Meghan: (laughter) I don’t think we will see her take a role in the foreground, but she, Derpy, she still lives in Ponyville, so that doesn’t mean that we will never see Derpy again. I think it was one of those things where they come up with a story they fit in, and ran with it, and if someday there was another story that felt right then maybe but, right now, I think Derpy will go to be one of the many resident ponies now.

Marty: Last question. What about the bronies?

Meghan: I love me some bronies, I’m not going to lie. I think they are awesome! I think it’s a great fanbase and great community of people and they are supportive of the show which means a lot to us. Anybody that I’ve gotten to interact with that calls himself a brony has just been nothing but sweet and nice and supportive, and, so yeah, I’m a fan..I’m a fan of the fans!

You can check out episode 3 of Season 3 “Too Many Pinkie Pies” this Saturday at 9:30 a.m./10:30 a.m. EST. Overwhelmed with making the difficult decision to choose just one friend to spend time with, Pinkie Pie avoids making the choice by using a magic mirror pond to clone herself. Her plan goes awry when she cannot keep track of all the duplicate Pinkies. Sounds like a potential “Party of One” to me! Keep it locked in right here at JustUs Geeks for more My Little Pony news, and be sure to check out the new episode on the The Hub Saturday!

Check out our podcast on Stitcher Radio! FREE on your iPhone or Android-powered device! Enter the promocode: JUSTUSGEEKS and register today!

As Wii U consoles worm their way to reviewers around the country, more and more details are surfacing about Nintendo’s next big thing. The ability to take a screenshot of whatever is happening on the tablet screen at any time (whether its during app or game usage) is a welcome add-on. This feature could make sharing leaderboard screens or cool moments in a game as easy as pushing a button. Also, this feature isn’t terribly surprising seeing as how most every smart phone and tablet has a screenshot feature. The only piece of information we are lacking currently is whether or not these images can be sent to those on your friends list, or even stored on an SD card. We do know now at this point that downloads can not directly be sent to an SD card (they have to be moved manually later) so hopefully we can also store any pictures taken on an SD card as well. That is possible on all DS models that utilize expandable memory devices and have a camera so it makes sense this feature should exist as well on the Wii U tablet controller.

Stay tuned next week as the Geeks get their hands on the Wii U and give their full run downs of the hardware, the games, and whether or not this puts Nintendo back in the big leagues.

IGN posted the new trailer for one of the gaming world’s most anticipated upcoming games, Grand Theft Auto V. Lookin’ mighty good if I say so myself. What do you guys think? Looking forward to it?

I want to tell you a story.

About one year ago, I sat down on the couch with my daughter to watch some television.  Really, I just wanted her to watch, as I need a few moments of quiet time to myself, y’know….so I could finish the level I was on in Angry Birds.  Or, at least that’s how it goes in my mind.  I flipped channels until we made it to The Hub, where we stopped, captured by images of multi-colored ponies frolicking on screen.  My daughter begged me to stop, so stop I did, and together, we watched our first episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.  As she snuggled in my lap, I put down my iPad and started to watch, and there, for a brief moment, we were quiet together, taking in the story.  I’m not sure which episode we watched that day, but soon, we found ourselves watching together more often.  As luck would have it, this Daddy found himself being drawn into the world of Equestria, at first to be familiar with his daughter’s new favorite thing, but eventually because he started to fall in love with the show, as well.  Now, one year later, I teeter precariously on the edge of full on bronydom, having recently bought a Pinkie Pie and Derpy Hooves shirt from WeLoveFine, and also having downloaded the new My Little Pony iOS app from GameLoft, which my wife and I now can’t stop playing.  The question is, why, oh why, do I love My Little Pony?

The answer is simple: joy.

One thing you notice from watching My Little Pony is that the episodes are full of joy.  It’s hard to find well written cartoons, much less well written cartoons for girls, but this series is a triumph in that area.  In fact, it was on the first things that pulled me in.  The writing was smart, sassy, intelligent, funny, and clever.  It was as if the series transcended the normal reason for it’s existence (which is to sell plastic ponies) and become something much, much more; a living, breathing entity of it’s own.  I credit that in part to the cast and crew of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (MLFFIM from here on).  From developer Lauren Faust down to the voice actors, animators, and other crew, there is a sense of something special here, that more than just making a tv show for kids so they will go buy the Mane Six in all their variations.  I can appreciate that.

Joy came as well from watching my daughter laugh and play as watched the shows, re-enacting them later with her own ponies that we did inevitably have to purchase.  Knowing that she’s learning lessons about being a good friend, finding worth in herself, and helping others is worth the price of admission on this show, especially since they aren’t being shoehorned in to dialogue exiting the mouth of wasp-waisted fashion models or zombie cheerleaders.  No, there’s not pressure to look like a pony coming from this show, just a reminder of the joy of friendship and finding your place in the world.

So, there it is.  I’m out.  I’m a brony, and I’m proud of it.  I love the show, I love the characters, and I love that I get to share it all with my little girl.  So, imagine my excitement when I got the chance last week to sit down for a phone interview with none other than Meghan McCarthy, the head writer of MLPFIM.  I’m sure the SQUEEEEE of happiness was able to be heard for miles. We here at JustUs Geeks had originally planned to share this interview with you in audio form, but technical difficulties prevent us from doing that.  Meghan was a wonderful, gracious interviewee, dealing with my trip ups and audio problems with grace, and so it’s our honor to present to you the first part of my interview with Meghan McCarthy, head writer of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic!

Marty: What made you realize you loved cartoons?

Meghan: Oh gosh, ummm…I loved them as a kid.  I didn’t think of it much in the sense of a medium, it was just part of the collective entertainment and some of the earlier things I was interested in were cartoons.  And then, I wasn’t that into animation as I got older, I became a really big Star Wars fan, and stuff like that.  But then, I ended up marrying someone that is a huge animation fan, huge comic book fan, and kind of reintroduced me to it, and so I fell back in love.

Marty: What was your favorite cartoon as a kid?

Meghan: I was a big Smurfs fan, and I was a big Dungeons and Dragons fan.  I really liked He-man and, I remember they had a contest one time where you could design your own He-man character, and I couldn’t draw at all, (laughter) but I was so excited to win that contest!  I did not win, nor should I have, but that was part of the whole fun of it.

Marty: So, when did you realize that you wanted to write?

Meghan: I loved writing ever since fourth grade. I started writing poetry then, and had a really good English teacher, and that helped.  Actually, when I was in the third grade I started my own newspaper. So, it’s always been something that I was really into, and then, I kinda didn’t think what I could do when I grew up, and I was into science for awhile, and Space Camp, and at one point I was going to be a lawyer, and had all these different things, and I realized that I usually changed my mind about what I wanted to do when I grew up after I saw it in a movie, and then I realized MAYBE that’s what you want to do, you want to be everything, and a good way to do that is to be a writer, where you get to explore lots of different things.

Marty: Next question: What’s the best part about working on My Little Pony, for you?

Meghan: Gosh! I just love that we get to see how really big a kid’s story can be, that they can really mean something. One of the unique things about this show is really that every episode does have sort of a lesson, but they’re not, y’know, “another very special episode” of My Little Pony.  They are within a really funny, fun, sometimes huge adventure story, but they have a genuinely good, nice explanation, and I like that I get to play a part in that.

Marty: Do you have a favorite episode?

Meghan: Let’s see, I have a favorite one that I wrote, just to let you know, Party of One, that I had the most fun writing, but I like the pilot a lot.  I think it’s big and fun and such a great introduction to these characters and you just get it right away, what the show is and where it’s going.

Look for the second part of our interview with Meghan McCarthy later on this week!

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While armchair investigators continue to scour the inter-webs for Xbox 720 details, all that we truly know is that some developer and publishing houses have demo or prototype units in their grubby hands. While no one knows the full specs or capabilities of the machine (mostly because it is still being designed) it is tantalizing to know that some people are getting sneak peeks at hardware and the rest of us are twiddling our thumbs and waiting for the barest of facts to grace us. If any publisher would have access to the Xbox 720, you can bet your joystick that EA does, and while executives at EA say they don’t even know the full specs of the system (and may not for some time) they do know what direction Microsoft is taking with the hardware and what key features must be implemented due to changing market demands. EA executive Kristian Segerstrale, according to a report from GamesIndustry on Friday, revealed this about the xbox 720:

“Almost any device comes with a billing mechanism, a connectivity mechanism, a policy on updates, and all those things that makes it more than just a piece of hardware.

“The consumer can’t be happy if on your specific hardware updates come out slower, or the experience isn’t updated as quickly as on some other platform.

“I think that’s where all of us have work to do; we have work to do to learn as a publisher to deal with that environment better and to be faster and to be better across the board.

“Ecosystems also have an evolution to go through. I think most of the time there’s a fairly deep understanding that this is going to be looked at moving forward, and I’m really pretty optimistic on that,” Segerstrale said.

Sony, if you are reading this, please take note and make the ps4 NOT the most complicated interface of all time, and also don’t make updating it about the same level of difficulty as tripping nuclear fission or repairing a flux capacitor.

The Geeks are reunited now that Jared is back from vacation, and boy do they have a great show for you this week! They discuss more of the Disney / Star Wars purchase, Fantasy Football, Halo 4 goodness, iPad Mini hands on review from Marty, Apps of the week, listener questions and much more!

Plus we are now featured on STITCHER RADIO!

Click here to download on iTunes!

or

Click here to download directly!

Here’s what we know so far.  The Crystal Kingdom reappears in Equestria after a curse caused it to disappear for 1,000 years.  Twilight Sparkle, at the behest of Princess Celestia, works to save return the Kingdom to it’s former glory by finding the Crystal Heart, which should restore the Crystal Kingdom to it’s full strength.  Of course, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie will be along for the ride, as well as Spike the Dragon!

My little Pony: Friendship is Magic returns this Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. CST/10:00 a.m. EST with a two part season premier!

Then, if that’s not enough, you can catch some of our favorite Pony voice talent in The Hub’s newest show Littlest Pet Shop, the story of a girl named Blythe Baxter who moves into a Big City apartment about the Littlest Pet Shop.  The Shop is a day camp for pets and the main characters include a dog with a diva complex, a dancing gecko and a panda.  Blythe soon discovers that she can communicate with the pets who come to Littlest Pet Shop, which leads to tons of adventure!  You can check out the clip of Littlest Pet Shop below:

Littlest Pet Shop premiers Saturday morning directly after the two part season premier of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic!  Keep checking back with JustUs Geeks for all your geeky news, videos, updates, and more!

Just a reminder from your friendly neighborhood Geeks to get out and vote today! There’s still time!

Apple has released weekend sales stats that show over 3 million new iPads were sold during last weekends release of the new iPad Mini and the 4th gen iPad. This number is a combination of both WIFI only models, and as CEO Tim Cook notes, is almost double the number sold at the release of the 3rd gen iPad. This number will only increase in the coming weeks as the tech giant releases cellular versions of both devices.  This is good news for Apple, butI would love to see the further breakdown of sales to see which model sold best, because I’m willing to bet that the Mini is more popular than anyone realizes.

I traded in my 3rd gen iPad for an iPad Mini over the weekend so far I have to say that I really enjoy it.  The weight is ridiculous light, it’s perfectly thin, and yes, it doesn’t have retina display but the visuals are nice and it just feels nice to hold for extended periods of time in your hand, which was one major gripe I had with the 3rd gen iPad, as holding it for extended periods of time could get cumbersome.  The Mini is also the perfect device for gaming in the Apple family, as the screen is big enough to see the action, but small enough that your hands don’t feel worlds apart.  Time will tell whether I like the Mini better than the original, but for now, I’m extremely pleased with my decision to trade.

Stick here for more Apple news all week long at JustUs Geeks!

December 4th will be the day many players will be re-entering Skyrim for more head slashing and dragon slaying as new DLC titled “Dragonborn” will be releasing to the masses on xbox live only. Though I suspect many people have given Skyrim a break for all of the other releases hitting us pretty hard this holiday season, I imagine some slayers haven’t put down Skyrim since it came out last year. Regardless, the trailer for Dragonborn below shows plenty of reason to take up the sword once more and the quality of Bethesda’s previous DLC releases speak to the quality we can expect from this one. Check out the trailer below and stay tuned to www.Justusgeeks.com for more info.

Also remember you can download and listen to the just us geeks podcast on sticher mobile app!

For Wreck-It Ralph, life is boring.  He wakes up every morning to the same thing.  He wrecks a building, watches at Fix-It Felix Jr. repairs his damage, and is then tossed off the top of said newly repaired building by the citizens of Niceland, who give Felix pie in return for his repairs.  After a long day of being tossed off buildings, Ralph retires to a nearby garbage dump where all the trash and debris from his rampage is placed, and falls asleep under a pile of bricks.  Sounds pleasant, doesn’t it?  This is how the story of Wreck-It Ralph begins.

In the first few moments of the movie, we are introduced to two of the main characters, Ralph and Felix.  Ralph is dissatisfied with his role as a video game villain, and despite his complaints at a Bad-Anon meeting, he is told that being bad doesn’t make him bad, that’s just who he is programmed to be.  After a series of events, Ralph decides to break his role as villain and go gamehopping in search of a medal to win, thinking it will win him the respect he deserves.  This only serves to send fear throughout Game Central Station, as it’s inhabitants worry that Ralph has gone “turbo” or rogue.  What ensues over the next hour or so is a story of adventure, triumph, and learning to be ok with who you are.

From beginning to end, Wreck-It Ralph is a joy.  This was a movie that I’d been anticipating for a long time, ever since the first trailer was released.  Throughout the movie, the attention that was give to details will make even the coldest of classic video game nerds’ hearts melt.  In wide shots, multiple retro characters can be seen from such games as Dig Dug, Q-bert, and others.  Graffiti on the walls reveals the names Sheng Long and Jenkins in one scene.  In another, Ralph sorts through the lost and found only to find a power up mushroom, the red exclamation point from Metal Gear Solid (along with alert sound), and Zangief’s missing trunks.  For the gamers in the crowd, there’s a lot to notice, and a lot to keep you looking in what will most assuredly become repeated viewings.

Not only does the movie not disappoint with gamer in jokes, visually, it’s a treat. From the dark, bleak apocalypse of Hero’s Duty to the sticky sweet view of Sugar Rush, each game is rendered in crisp, unforgettable way.  The attention to detail here is also apparent as enemies explode with point values over their heads, suits of armor glow and spark, and cars race by with transparent suckers for wheels.  It never feels crowded, and it’s never overloading.  The movie does a great job of keeping each game world to itself but still fitting the main characters in.

The voice cast is, in a word, impeccable.  John C. Reilly does a terrific job as Ralph, the villain turned lovable hero.  Sarah Silverman, who I typically don’t find the least bit amusing, was absolutely PERFECT as Vanellope Von Schweetz, the glitched out would be racer in Sugar Rush.  Of course, I would be remiss to not mention Jane Lynch and Jack McBrayer, who also turn in pretty unforgettable performances as Sergeant Calhoun and Fix-It Felix Jr., respectively.  Overall, most of the charm of the movie is due to the care put into the voice acting, as well as the writing.  The script is fantastic, staying away from the trite and keeping you interested to the end.

In my opinion, you NEED to go see this movie.  In fact, a lot of other reviewers agree with me.  The movie is getting pretty favorable reviews from around the world, and it seems that Disney has another hit on it’s hands.  More importantly, the theme of learning to love yourself no matter what your lot in life is an important one, a lesson I want my own children to learn early and hold onto tightly.  Thankfully, due to the characters that are fleshed out so thoroughly, it shouldn’t be hard to get the point.

So, what are you waiting for?!  Get up, get to the theater right now, and prepare for a great night at the movies.  I give Wreck-It Ralph two hamfist-size thumbs up!

This week Jared’s away in Sin City, so the Geeks get invaded by The KnightWrighters! The group talks about resurrecting old TV shows, have a laugh at Deep Thoughts-Hawking Style, discuss Fantasy Football (including a KnightWrighter-led Sports Chorus!), Disney buying LuscasFilm, the relaunch of Spiderman, and the upcoming WiiU! Check out Brandon’s GOTW and Apps of the Week!

So how do the KnightWrighters fair in their JUG debut? Do they wreck it?

Here’s a few ways to find out:

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Earlier today Marty stumbled upon a demo of the soon-to-be-released WiiU!

Check out the footage and hear Marty talk in detail about how awesome the WiiU is during the Episode 32 podcast!

Slicing, dicing, and blasting with two guns on to it’s way on XBLA and PSN this November is the demo for the new Devil May Cry reboot.  Getting the download a day early, Xbove Live aficionados will get their chance on November 20th, while I’m-sorry-you-own-one PSN gets it 24 hours later. Why? Because the world hates Playstation fans for some reason. The final release date for the game we know to be sometime in the beginning of the next year, and hopefully this demo will provide enough demon blasting action to sate devil hunters until then. You could also use this time to get all the cringing out for the move from totally awesome looking Dante from the past, to the prep school drop out that we have now.

Stay Tuned to Just Us Geeks for all things geeky, and be sure to listen to us on sticher mobile app for the latest episodes of the Just Us Geeks podcast!

While Sony has remained stalwart that no major price drops are occurring for the rest of this year for the Vita in North America, Europe is enjoying a €50-€60 discount on several Vita bundles through the Christmas shopping season. While Sony executives continue to tout the Vita on the strength of the software both currently available on the market and coming to stores soon (Assassin’s Creed Liberation and Little Big Planet) the Vita is still having a hard time moving units in both North American and European markets. While one may cite poor economic conditions in Europe for the reasoning that Sony dropped the price, the similar conditions here in the US coupled with poor Vita sales should be prompting Sony to follow Nintendo’s lead (as they so very often do) and drop the price of their handheld. Nintendo has set the bar for handheld gaming price points in every generation since handheld games were introduced and with new competition from Xbox SmartGlass utilizing tablets and phones, Sony should be realizing that an over expensive handheld is something most gamers are not going to be shelling out hard earned coins for this holiday season.

Stay tuned to Just Us Geeks and be sure to listen to the latest episodes of the podcast on Sticher Radio app on your favorite mobile device!

The Force is VERY strong with this one.  It was just announced this afternoon that Lucasfilm would be acquired by Disney, in a move that will either make most fans of the Star Wars franchise either cheer or groan.  For some, this was the obvious progression, since Disney has opened Star Wars specific attractions at it’s parks and even sold toys of it’s beloved characters in Star Wars costumes.  Not only will Lucasfilm be purchased by Disney, but they also made ANOTHER announcement: Star Wars Episode VII will release in 2015.  No other details were given at the time, but you can read the entire press release right here:

Continuing its strategy of delivering exceptional creative content to audiences around the world, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) has agreed to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd. in a stock and cash transaction. Lucasfilm is 100% owned by Lucasfilm Chairman and Founder, George Lucas.

Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney stock on October 26, 2012, the transaction value is $4.05 billion, with Disney paying approximately half of the consideration in cash and issuing approximately 40 million shares at closing. The final consideration will be subject to customary post-closing balance sheet adjustments.

“Lucasfilm reflects the extraordinary passion, vision, and storytelling of its founder, George Lucas,” said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “This transaction combines a world-class portfolio of content including Star Wars, one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time, with Disney’s unique and unparalleled creativity across multiple platforms, businesses, and markets to generate sustained growth and drive significant long-term value.”

“For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next,” said George Lucas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lucasfilm. “It’s now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I’ve always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime. I’m confident that with Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the Disney organization, Star Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come. Disney’s reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products.”

Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Lucasfilm, a leader in entertainment, innovation and technology, including its massively popular and “evergreen” Star Wars franchise and its operating businesses in live action film production, consumer products, animation, visual effects, and audio post production. Disney will also acquire the substantial portfolio of cutting-edge entertainment technologies that have kept audiences enthralled for many years. Lucasfilm, headquartered in San Francisco, operates under the names Lucasfilm Ltd., LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound, and the present intent is for Lucasfilm employees to remain in their current locations.

Kathleen Kennedy, current Co-Chairman of Lucasfilm, will become President of Lucasfilm, reporting to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. Additionally she will serve as the brand manager for Star Wars, working directly with Disney’s global lines of business to build, further integrate, and maximize the value of this global franchise. Ms. Kennedy will serve as executive producer on new Star Wars feature films, with George Lucas serving as creative consultant. Star Wars Episode 7 is targeted for release in 2015, with more feature films expected to continue the Star Wars saga and grow the franchise well into the future.

The acquisition combines two highly compatible family entertainment brands, and strengthens the long-standing beneficial relationship between them that already includes successful integration of Star Wars content into Disney theme parks in Anaheim, Orlando, Paris and Tokyo.

Driven by a tremendously talented creative team, Lucasfilm’s legendary Star Wars franchise has flourished for more than 35 years, and offers a virtually limitless universe of characters and stories to drive continued feature film releases and franchise growth over the long term. Star Wars resonates with consumers around the world and creates extensive opportunities for Disney to deliver the content across its diverse portfolio of businesses including movies, television, consumer products, games and theme parks. Star Wars feature films have earned a total of $4.4 billion in global box to date, and continued global demand has made Star Wars one of the world’s top product brands, and Lucasfilm a leading product licensor in the United States in 2011. The franchise provides a sustainable source of high quality, branded content with global appeal and is well suited for new business models including digital platforms, putting the acquisition in strong alignment with Disney’s strategic priorities for continued long-term growth.

The Lucasfilm acquisition follows Disney’s very successful acquisitions of Pixar and Marvel, which demonstrated the company’s unique ability to fully develop and expand the financial potential of high quality creative content with compelling characters and storytelling through the application of innovative technology and multiplatform distribution on a truly global basis to create maximum value. Adding Lucasfilm to Disney’s portfolio of world class brands significantly enhances the company’s ability to serve consumers with a broad variety of the world’s highest-quality content and to create additional long-term value for our shareholders.

The Boards of Directors of Disney and Lucasfilm have approved the transaction, which is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, certain non-United States merger control regulations, and other customary closing conditions. The agreement has been approved by the sole shareholder of Lucasfilm.

So, what do you think, geeks?  Good news or bad?  Sound off in our comments section and let us know what you think!

Huge news has come out over the last 24 hours about a MAJOR shakeup in the executive branch at Apple. With announcements being made that Sir Jony Ive taking the leadership post over Human Interface, as well as his continued role in Industrial Design, that leaves one man out: Head of iOS Scott Forstall.

Here’s the info from the Apple Press Release:

This move is quite surprising for the Apple faithful; Forstall followed the same concept of design as the late Steve Jobs, which is often quite different than Ive.

You can, however, see the good in this move. Craig Federighi, who has been in charge of OS X will now be in charge of both OS X and iOS, giving us a sign that those two systems will eventually be one. Federighi is exactly the right person for this job, and should be the right guy to straighten out the problems in future versions of iOS.

There are many things that could be cause for Forstall’s exit, however it has been widely noted that relations between Forstall and Ive have virtually become nonexistent. According to two Apple insiders, “the relationship between Mr. Forstall and Mr. Ive had soured to a point that the two executives would not sit in the same meeting room together.” Forstall’s departure isn’t even mentioned in the Apple Press Release, however he will stick around until 2013 and work directly with Tim Cook. For a guy that has been around since the NeXT days, and basically gave life to iOS, this is a strange move by the company.

Also leaving Apple is John Browett, Head of Retail. With reports of low employee morale, and several missteps, this move also isn’t surprising.

So what does all this mean? We don’t really know right now. The implications aren’t very good considering the swift moves, however the long-term success of the company still looks bright.

The Geeks hosted their first ever episode in front of a live studio audience! Recorded October 25th, 2012 at KC’s Espresso in Corinth, MS. Topics are all over the place in this special episode, ranging from the iPad Mini announcement to Zombie Movies to… Jared’s broken butt bone?! Yep, plus audience questions, Apps of the Week, a “Monster” of an opening song, and much much more! Tune in for the fun and enjoy the show as we DO IT LIVE!

Plus we are now featured on STITCHER RADIO!

Click here to download on iTunes!

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Nintendo, never a stranger to lawsuits since their entry into the business world, has successfully leaped over a legal battle with Impulse Technologies ltd. Nintendo was accused of infringing on patents with their Wii Remote and Wii Fit balance board products that Impulse Technologies stated they came up with first. The propriety technology behind these products all utilize motion controls that send signals to a unit attached separately from the console. Patent lawsuits are not uncommon in the tech world, such as the recent Apple vs Samsung battle, but courtroom officials all over the world must always walk the not so easy line of deciding if a new product is utilizing another company’s owned technology, or is it just living up to a new industry standard? Nintendo came out the clear winner on this one however and had this statement to issue:

Nintendo of America’s deputy general counsel, Richard Medway had this to say about this matter, “We are very pleased with the court’s ruling, which forced Impulse to walk away from this lawsuit. Nintendo vigorously defends patent lawsuits when we firmly believe that we have not infringed another party’s patent. We will continue our tradition of developing unique and innovative products while respecting the intellectual property rights of others.”

With a new product coming soon to the market, you’ve probably heard of the Nintendo Wii U right?, I’m glad Nintendo can get over this obstacle and focus on sales this holiday season.

On the United EX side, we’ve got the Devastator colored Builder Master, the Black Huffer recolor Assault mMster, and the two pack of Tank Master and Marine Master.  I can’t wait to see who these guys are going to be in their official bios!

Additionally, there is coverage of upcoming Masterpiece releases of Sideswipe and Red Alert, Soundwave and his cassettes, and the reissues of Fortress Maximus and Animation Style Devastator.  Enjoy the pics!

***BREAKING NEWS!!!***

DISH Customers REJOICE! Word has broken that DISH Network and AMC have reached a contractual agreement and WILL AIR “The Walking Dead” tonight!

While full details are not available at this time, DISH customers tune in to TWD on DISH Channel 131 tonight.

We’ll keep you posted on the details as we learn more.

The Geeks are back this week with a plethora of awesomeness for your ears. This week we discuss, among other things: Found Footage Horror Movies, Why is Nintendo scare to release Wii-U specs?, Why can’t Nintendo get online friend systems and voice chat to just work?, premieres for The Walking Dead and American Horror Story, Apple and Google press conference invites, iPad Mini speculation, Dishonored video game review, apps of the week, quick fire, listener questions and more!

Plus we are now featured on STITCHER RADIO!

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First, we’ve got Rumble (who is, indeed, red).  Rumble is a recolor of the Transformers Prime Decepticon Rumble mold, who is called Frenzy in Japan.  We’ll see him later. Rumble comes with a minicon who appears to transform into one of his piledrivers in one mode, and some kind of robo octopus in the other.

Next up, we’ve got another repaint, but this one is of the Thundertron mold, and is being called Leo Prime.  Leo Prime comes with a minicon that transforms into his sword.

You can’t have Rumble without Frenzy!  Frenzy features a few changes from his American counterpart, most noticeably his feet, which are blue.  He comes with the same minicon that his brother does, so you can buy both and one can have a full set of piledrivers.

One of the best repaints is Stunticon Wildrider, who is a redeco of Wheeljack, but not with the Dead End remolded head.  Wildrider comes with a pretty faithful representation of his G1 head, and a warthog minicon who transformers into some form of gatling gun.

Also coming is Ultra Magnus, who is a voyager sized figure with a minicon that transforms into his iconic hammer.  The figure doesn’t seem to be changed much otherwise, though the picture we’ve been provided doesn’t show much.

The Fall of Cybertron Shockwave mold will pull double duty by standing in for Arms Micron Shockwave, coming with a minicon that turns into his gun arm.  Reports are saying that it will have the hose attachment as well, though that can’t be determined by the picture.

Last but not least, TakaraTomy will release a gift pack of 5 Autobot microns and 5 Decepticon microns.  The Autobot microns combine into a weapon and the Decepticon microns combine into some form of flying jet.

All of these releases will be available in the next few months.  Head over to our friends at TFsource.com to preorder, HT to them for providing the pictures!

]]> http://justusgeeks.com/takaratomys-upcoming-transformers-arms-micron-figures-revealed/feed/ 0 http://justusgeeks.com/its-officially-official-apple-sends-out-press-invites-for-ipad-mini-event/ http://justusgeeks.com/its-officially-official-apple-sends-out-press-invites-for-ipad-mini-event/#comments Tue, 16 Oct 2012 20:06:40 +0000 Jared http://justusgeeks.com/?p=4090

On the same day that Microsoft revealed pricing for it’s upcoming “Surface” tablet ($499 for the 32gb model… tempting!) Apple finally sent out press invites to an event that promises to reveal a “little” something… expected to be the “iPad Mini”, almost one of Apple’s worst kept secrets (if you don’t count the iPhone 4… or 5…)

The event will be October 23rd at 12 Central time.  Also rumored to be revealed are a 13″ Retina display MacBook and a new slimmer iMac.

Listen up, Localized JUGheads: Episode #31 will be recorded LIVE, in front of an audience, at KC’s Espresso in Corinth, MS on October 25th! Be a part of history, come hang out with us, and be a part of our FIRST live show!

No cost to get in, but we’d appreciate your support of our friends at KC’s Espresso for giving us a place to record our show every week. Also, you’ll need a question to get in for our Listener Questions, which you’ll get a chance to ask us live and in person.

Doors will open at 6:45 and we’ll go over house rules about 7:25. After the show you’ll have an opportunity to stick around and ask some questions about us, the podcast, and a chance to meet The Governor!

Don’t miss it! We want this place packed!

JUGheads, ASSEMBLE!

Happy Geektober! The Geeks continue to celebrate Halloween month by discussing our favorite creepy TV shows, then move on to other Geeky topics including: The Marvel NOW! relaunch, the new Batman “Death In The Family” crossover featuring faceless Joker, Resident Evil 6 reviews, Fantasy Football updates, the new He-Man iOS game, we pick our favorite Football video game of all time, rapid topics, Apps of the Week, listener questions and much more!

Plus we are now featured on STITCHER RADIO!

Click here to download on iTunes!

or

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We need your questions for the upcoming Episode #29 of the JustUs Geeks podcast!

Call us RIGHT NOW at 1(707) OK-GEEKS and leave your question for us on the JustUs Geeks Hotline! Leave your question and be featured on the podcast.

As always, feel free to also leave your questions and comments on the website, Facebook page, and Twitter.

So don’t call anyone else with your geeky questions or comments, call us! 1 (707) OK-GEEKS!

Looking for a free way to kill a few hours today? Kill some aliens instead by downloading the XCOM Enemy Unknown demo now available on Xbox Live and PSN. The remake of the classic PC series gives a much needed boost to the lacking strategy/rpg lineup of current gen consoles, and the demo provides a surprising amount of depth and re-playability. The game hit store shelves yesterday, but grab the demo and see if the so far high reviews are earned by this turn-based epic.

Also on Xbox Live, the demo for open world racing entry Forza Horizon has you drifting turns and hopefully not bashing up a car more expensive than anything you can afford in real life. The demo showcases different race and rival modes, and the simply stunning graphics the game offers. It’s absolutely worth a try, and the full game releases towards the end of this month.

Stay tuned to the Just Us Geeks podcast for our thoughts on these games and more, and be sure to download us on itunes or Sticher Mobile App!

Looking for a fright this October? Point your browsers to www.cinemassacre.com for Monster Madness all through the month of October for a look back to classic monster and slasher flicks from the 1980′s. Hosted by film maker James Rolfe, also the host of the Angry Video Game Nerd series, this year’s theme is 80′s horror flicks and genres.  While your there, be sure to check out some films that James Rolfe himself directed, and check out all of his outrageously hilarious and informative AVGN videos as well. Stay tuned as well to the Just Us Geeks podcast for our favorite spooky tv shows, movies, and games all through the month of October!

“Fabulous secret powers were revealed to me the day I held aloft my magic iPad and said BY THE POWER OF STEVEJOBS!”

Er, not quite. But developer Chillingo and toy maker Mattel are giving us one heck of a nostalgia present soon… “He-Man, The Most Powerful Game in the Universe” is coming to all iOS devices, and I couldn’t be more stoked!

Looks like it’ll be a side scrolling brawler, with the character designs being a blend of the classic 80′s series and the reboot from 2003.

Unfortunately there isn’t a firm release date, just “Fall 2012″ but hopefully that isn’t too far away. I can’t wait to get my greasy paws on this game and help save Eternia from the evil Skeletor!

Check out more screenshots at IGN.com

Grab a friend and fire up the old Xbox 360 this week to get in the action of the open beta of Medal of Honor: Warfighter. The free open beta allows you and a friend to form up and take on other fire-teams in online multiplayer battles. The game looks to be up and running smoothly thus far and currently has plenty of players joining in. If this open beta doesn’t sate your appetite for realistic military spec ops then perhaps purchasing the full game will help when it explodes on to store shelves October 23rd.

To sweeten that deal even further, purchasing Medal of Honor: Warfighter automatically enters you for the beta for Battlefield 4. You remember Battlefield right? It’s that other shooter than comes out around the time Call of Duty does but not as many people play it.

Stay tuned to www.justusgeeks.com for more info, and be sure to download the sticher mobile app to listen every week to the Just Us Geeks podcast! Woot!

An interesting image appeared on the internets last night… and Rovio, the makers of the monster hit “Angry Birds” tweeted a link to it, seeming to confirm it’s legitimacy.

“Star Wars Angry Birds”? How would something like that even work??

If it turns out to be birds strapped into classic Star Wars ships like the X-Wing and Millennium Falcon… being tossed into Star Destroyers… *drool*

Here we are 28 Episodes Later! It’s good to be a Geek. This week we serve up a heapin’ helpin’ of discussion topics ranging from Video Games (our favorite soundtracks, favorite stealth games, etc), Tech news (Apple versus Samsung, iPad Mini rumors, etc), Fantasy Football (basically Jared sucks this season), Media (some of our favorite shows of the new season, Network versus Cable), Listener Questions and much more!

Plus we are now featured on STITCHER RADIO!

Click here to download on iTunes!

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I grew up on video games and also grew up watching pro wrestling.  And just like any genre of video games, there have been some good pro wrestling video games and some not good ones.  I still remember WWF War Zone, WWF Attitude and the first Smackdown game for the Playstation along with WWF No Mercy on the N64 as the best video games when I was in high school and into college to play.  I would list those as the best wrestling video games that I’ve played.

Fast forward, I have (for the most part) played (and owned) most of the yearly games that THQ has come out with on the PS2 & PS3 (in the Smackdown vs. Raw series) and they in a lot of ways have been comparable to Madden.  How so?  Well, they come out yearly, there are a few tweaks here and there and the graphics are updated with a few leaps in advancement every 4 or 5 years.

The WWE & THQ did do some advancement when they rebranded their video game franchise last year WWE ’12 (see, similar to other sports video games) and some of the design and gameplay.  WWE ’12 was better than some of the previous versions but I wouldn’t say it was a standout game.

Now, we are coming to the release of the newest version, WWE ’13 at the end of the month.   And this game could potentially be that wresting game in a generation.  How is that?  Two words:  Attitude Era.  For those that know pro wrestling, the Attitude Era is the name of a timeframe from about late 1996-2001 when there was a huge rivalry going on between the World Wrestling Federation & World Championship Wrestling (WCW).  Out of this came the Monday Night Wars as both companies had competing shows on Monday nights and were battling it out.  Wrestlers would switch companies and for a time WCW was winning the “war”.  Out of this, the WWF changed their storylines and characters such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Mankind (among others) helped usher in a new “attitude” and with it the Attitude Era, probably (along with the late 1980s) the most popular the company was.

WWE’13 is bringing back the Attitude Era in their story mode.  In previous games, their story mode involved the “Road to Wrestlemania”, where several wrestlers were selected for “new” storylines that led their characters to their “Wrestlemania moment”.  This year THQ has scrapped that for the Attitude Era, in which players can relieve the Attitude Era storylines including Stone Cold Steve Austin, D-Generation X, The Rock, Undertaker & Mankind and more.  In playing this storyline, there are unlockables such as characters, items & videos from the era.  The Attitude Era mode also includes recreated commentary from Jim Ross & Jerry “The King” Lawler, the two commentators from that time period.  Plus if you preorder the game, you get to play as the “Baddest Man on the Planet” Iron Mike Tyson (who played a role in the Attitude Era in early 1998).

For that alone, it could be on par with those games on the original Playstation & N64 but it also has the roster of today, the “Spectacular Moments (such as throwing an opponent off the top of the cell, through a barricade & even having the ring collapse), the ever popular Create a Wrestler & Create an Arena and more.

I have my preorder already in and look forward to October 30^th and the release of the game.  If you’re a fan of wrestling (especially back in the day) and a video game fan, I would recommend the game and getting the chance to “Live the Revolution.”

–

Michael Burgett is a frequent contributor to the JustUs Geeks podcast and has been a guest host. You can find him online on Twitter as @michaelburgett and at his blog, http://www.reflectionsonsports.blogspot.com/

That’s right, the largest Transformer ever made is set to be rereleased in what could be called the biggest news in awhile for fans of Transformers.  Fortress Maximus is an Autobot city and has the distinction of being a double Headmaster, with his head transforming into the robot Cerebros, who’s head transforms into none other than Spike Witwicky.  Fortress Maximus stands at around 2 feet tall, making him the largest single piece ever produced in Transformers history.

Hasbro has tried numerous times to release this mold and has been shot down by the United States’ rigorous standards for toy releases, including that the toy must pass a drop test from a certain height, and not break into pieces that are sharp or could cause a choking hazard.  Despite their attempts, there was no way to release the mold here.  However, because Japan does not have such regulations, this item can be made available as an import piece, albeit for a larger price.

Fortress Maximus is set to be released in April of 2013 with a price tag of $399.  You can also get a $50 discount if you are willing to wait an extra 4 weeks after release due to slower shipping times.  Pre-order before it’s sold out!

Check out our friends at Big Bad Toy Store to go ahead and preorder.  Click here!

Ever wonder how exactly email gets from your phone to your friend? And back? For non-IT Professionals, the translation of data and the transmitting of  of information might get a tab bit confusing.

No worries, everyone’s favorite email provider offers a creative insight as to just how the email process works.

Check it out here: The Story of Send

You know what’s a great idea?  Transforming robots.  Robots that turn into cars, planes, tanks, ships, and maybe even the occasional animal.  You know what’s beyond bizarre?  These guys:

If you’re thinking that those robots might just transform into miniature replicas of ballcaps, you would be right!  Today, Amazon.co.jp put up some new images of the upcoming Transfomers: Cap Bots collection from Takara Tomy, which features an Autobot and Decepticon that transform into headwear.  I’m still trying to decide if these are lame or cool.  Oh, who am I kidding?  If someone said they’d buy those for me, I’d take them in a flash!  Check out the rest of the pics below and let us know if you’ll be picking these up when they are released.

Together again and it feeeeels so good! The Geeks are back together this week, Re-Assembling in honor of the Avengers Blu-Ray release with even more geek news and commentary for you. This weeks the geeks discuss Jared’s switch to Android (hence the awesome featured image courtesy of Josh), all of the problems Apple has been facing with the iPhone 5 launch, discuss whether Mega Man is due for a relaunch, Apps of the Week, Listener Questions, Fantasy Football, Comic Book news and so much more!

Plus we are now featured on STITCHER RADIO!

Click here to download on iTunes!

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Transformers Prime airs on Fridays at 7 p.m. EST/6 p.m. CST on The Hub.

We need your questions for the upcoming Episode #27 of the JustUs Geeks podcast!

Call us RIGHT NOW at 1(707) OK-GEEKS and leave your question for us on the JustUs Geeks Hotline! Leave your question and be featured on the podcast.

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Transformers producers Takara-Tomy have announced via their website that they will be releasing store exclusive versions of Transformers Arms Micron characters in the coming weeks, namely Orion Pax and Thundercracker.  Orion Pax will be the deluxe mold of Optimus Prime that was released in the First Edition line stateside with a slightly altered paint scheme, Decepticon symbols, and a golden chrome version of the R.A. arms micron.  Orion Pax will be a Bic Camera and Joshin exclusive store release.  Thundercracker will be exclusive to Aeon, Yamada, and Yodabashi Camera and will come with a silver chrome version of Baro, Skywarp’s minicon. Similarly, Thundercracker will be based off the Skywarp tooling of the mold.  Both exclusives will surely sell for high prices, so if you want one you should begin saving your extra money now.  Anyone want to buy Thundercracker for me? Stick with JustUs Geeks for all the up to date info on Transformers!