Check Out Sphero’s New Battle-Worn BB-8
It would have been hard to imagine a way to make Sphero's remote-controlled BB-8 toy any cooler, and yet, here we are.
The new Battle-Worn BB-8 is the same smartphone-app controlled robotic toy, but it now sports a variant look. Gone is the shiny, smooth exterior of a freshly maintained BB unit astromech droid. Instead, BB-8 looks like it's seen some things. Some terrible things.
And yet, it's still an adorable toy. Check it out.
The original Sphero BB-8 is getting a new controller, one that will work with the Battle-Worn version, as well. The new wrist mounted BB-8 "Force Band" allows you to control the toy without needing a smartphone. In fact, the band uses gestures to have BB-8 do your tiny, adorable bidding, where ever that may be.
The Official Story of the Stormtrooper Fans Call TR-8R
The official Star Wars website has put a name to the Star Wars: The Force Awakens Stormtrooper-turned-meme known to most as TR-8R.
"His name is FN-2199," says a post on the site. "But his friends call him 'Nines.'”
Fans who have seen the film will recognize the character as the seemingly well-trained Stormtrooper who entered into melee combat with Finn after shouting the "Traitor!" to his former comrade (hence his nickname TR-8R). His combat skills and one spoken line have helped turn Nines into a minor online sensation, though until now he was only known by his fan-given moniker.
Gotham: Bruce to Find Out Who Killed His Parents Next Month
A lot of unanswered questions will finally be addressed when Gotham's second season returns in February, including the pivotal one of who killed Bruce Wayne's parents.
Some spoilers from Gotham Season 2 below.
TVGuide.com posted a preview that promises that David Mazouz's character will discover the identity of the person who murdered his parents. Additionally, fans can expect to see Penguin's ascension in Gotham to be challenged by Butch Gilzean and newcomer Dr. Hugo Strange (played by B.D.Wong).
Dragon’s Dogma 2 Could Still Happen
A sequel to Dragon's Dogma hasn't been ruled out by Capcom.
Speaking to PC Gamer, producer Minae Matsukawa stated that Dragon's Dogma 2 could still happen. "The Dragon’s Dogma development team members often talk about the possibility of a sequel," said Matsukawa. She added that a continuation really depends on fan feedback for the upcoming PC port of Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen, as that "will increase the chances that we can look into the possibility of continuing the series."
The original Dragon's Dogma released on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in May 2012. An expanded version of the RPG was released a year later, titled Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen and is currently being ported to PC, which releases on January 15. Early last year, Dragon's Dogma Online, a free-to-play MMO was announced, but only for Eastern territories.
FUNimation to Debut New Anime Streaming Service
North American anime distributor FUNimation has partnered with Sony to produce their very own subscription-based streaming service.
Called FUNimationNow, the service will utilize Sony's Ven.ue platform to offer ad-free HD streaming of many different anime series, including Dragon Ball Z, Attack on Titan, FairyTail, and One Piece, among others.Visit the official website to learn more.
The service is expected to roll out beginning in February 2016, alongside a redesign for the apps available on iOS, Kindle, and Android, and completely new apps for Apple TV and Amazon Fire. The apps will feature airplay and cast functionality.
CES 2016: Oculus Creator Shares His Vision of Virtual Reality
The Oculus booth is situated in the middle of the CES show floor. It’s a gigantic black monolith with two levels, and a crowd of people gathered to try the finalized version of the Rift VR headset. With its $599 price just announced, everyone was curious about whether or not the Rift was worth it.
I met with Palmer Luckey, the creator of the Oculus, in a small room at the Oculus booth. Wearing a bright yellow Hawaiian shirt and his iconic flip-flops, Luckey gave me a warm greeting as he plugged his phone into a battery pack. We sat down and dove into what makes him tick and about the future of virtual reality.
This Video Game Controller Is a Real Car
At CES this week, we had a chance to sit behind the wheel of a very powerful sub-lime Dodge Challenger SRT and simulate taking it around the track.
Substituting a handheld controller for a real car is one way an object from the real world can work to compliment the advancements in video game technology. Sure, we didn't get to experience the raw power present under the hood of the modern muscle car, but the whole experience was made even more immersive by the inclusion of an actual car as a controller.
Netflix Releases First Fuller House Photos
Ahead of its debut next month, Netflix has released the first batch of photos of Fuller House.
For an early glimpse at the Full House revival, including a look at Kimmy’s daughter and D.J.'s sons, check out the gallery below.
Fuller House is being produced by Uncle Jesse himself, John Stamos and marks the return of Candace Cameron-Bure's D.J. Tanner, Andrea Barber's Kimmy Gibbler and Jodie Sweetin's Stephanie Tanner. While Stamos reached out to the Olsen twins, as well as their sister Elizabeth, Michelle Tanner won't be back.
Terry Brooks on How to Adapt Fantasy Right
It's been 34 years since Terry Brooks released his fantasy novel The Elfstones of Shannara, the second book in his first Shannara trilogy. In the decades since Elfstones' 1982 debut, Brooks has released numerous sequels and prequels to those initial novels, blowing out the world of the Four Lands and telling stories that spanned centuries to make one of the most recognizable fantasy brands in the business.
The world of Shannara is finally being brought to life on MTV in the new series The Shannara Chronicles, which premiered January 5th. It's been an adaptation that's long in coming for Brooks, who I spoke with the day of the show's debut. His enthusiasm for the production was contagious, and he says he's proud of the adaptation that's finally been done.
We Played the World’s Smallest Arcade Cabinet
We got our hands on the world's tiniest arcade cabinet this week at CES. But more accurately, we got our fingers on it. It's such a tiny, adorable device that it only requires the most nimble digits to play.
In fact, it's so tiny it could almost fit into the palm of your hand, but thanks to the continuous decrease in size of electronics, everything an arcade cabinet needs is still there. A tiny joystick, back-lit A and B buttons, and start, reset and volume buttons are present, and everything is displayed on an adorable screen.
