The standard Pip-Boy 2000 Mark VI model kit has been sold out for some time, but Bethesda is finally giving Fallout fans a new chance to own a replica of the iconic wrist-worn gadget. The newly announced limited edition Pip-Boyswill come in three different themes, and the new variants come with a few upgrades the original lacked:
Each will feature a light-up display screen with a Malfunction Function™ and authentic Tap-to-Fix action™, as well as illuminated vacuum tubes.
It’s unclear if these are pre-assembled or arrive as a model kit, but what we know is that each model is $180 and will be very limited in availability:
Vault-Tec variant: 2,200 units
Sugar Bombs variant: 1,300 units
Enclave variant: 1,500 units
Expect these Pip-Boy 2000 Mark VIs to arrive in March.
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If these Pip-Boys are the same as the original, then you’ll be able to upgrade specific components … if Bethesda ever restocks those times like the FM Radio Module. However, even if the additional parts never become available, modding the Pip-Boy is relatively easy, and there are plenty of tutorials on YouTube to show you how to do it.
From the original Pip-Boy model’s product page:
Illuminate the display panel showing the Pip-Boy home screen by pressing the control unit button, and marvel as it realistically glows and flickers into life. Occasionally, however, it will falter and flicker off. When this occurs you’ll have to tap the display housing two or three times, in the most authentically vintage way, to coax the display panel back into life.
Constructed from a range of high quality engineering materials: ABS, aluminium, steel, and rubber, the Pip-Boy feels right on the arm and fits comfortably due to its robotically stitched fabric cuff. The pre-built Pip-Boy is also ready to be further enhanced with the Pip-Boy’s own special FM Radio and Sensor upgrade modules (where available) and is supplied with the tools needed for the upgrade procedure.
If these variants are similar to the original, you can expect a replica to arrive made of ABS, aluminum, steel, rubber, and fabric. In addition, the Pip-Boy comes with a removable holotape, a rotating radio dial, and a light-up screen.
I ask this question because our first-hand experience with Arcade1Up has been shaky at best. A few weeks ago, we discovered that the company was hiding important info about the censorship of NFL Blitz behind an FAQ, and retailers didn’t list this information on the product’s page. In addition, the $600 cabinet listed online scoreboards and multiplayer that was unavailable when the product launched, and as of today, we’ve not been able to start an online multiplayer game. Now the manufacture of retro video game arcade machines is asking for almost $1k for what seems like very minor upgrades.
So, when a “Pro” version of Killer Instinct was announced, I thought it had to feature a healthy array of improvements to warrant such a jump in price. However, the added features don’t appear to match the increased cost. One of the noticeable upgrades is the size. Where a typical cabinet is measured 22.5″ D x 18.75″ W x 60.75″ H, the “Pro” is now 23″ D x22.4″ W x 67.5″ H, without a riser.
Right now, theoriginal Killer Instinct cabinet is discounted to $399 (which is the fair price for most of these machines in reality). So, what does the extra $600 get you if you buy the “Pro Series” cab? Check out the list below:
Wifi Online Multiplayer
Flush Cabinet Design stands at 67.5″ Tall!
19″ LCD BOE Screen
HDMI video out for external monitor and streaming
Light-Up Marquee
Suzohapp Joysticks and Buttons
Twin Yamaha Speakers
Molded coin door with light-up coin slots for 1-2 player start.
Faux Metal Chrome Trim
Faux Metal Arcade1up Badge
Licensed Swivel Stool with Back Rest
Licensed Anti-fatigue mat included
Licensed Tin Sign 18″ x 24″
Aside from the sign, stool, and mat, most of these things should have been standard on these cabinets for a while now, considering Arcade1Up expects you to pay $500-$600 for basic models. Remember when they put coin slot stickers on the front of the machines and still asked you to spend half a grand?
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There’s a reason we’re seeing steep discounts on these arcade cabinets now. They’re not worth the MSRP, and consumers have caught on. I’ve purchased and modified a few machines from Arcade1Up, and $100-$200 worth of upgrades fixes most of the built-in flaws, but the average consumer isn’t going to do that. These “Pro” features need to become standard on all products in the future, or we’ll continue to see 40%-50% discounts way more often.
What do you think of Arcade1Up? Let us know below.
Netflix has just announced that there will be a fourth season of their hit show ‘The Witcher.’ However Henry Cavill is no longer playing the main character Geralt of Rivia. Instead Liam Hemsworth is stepping into the role.
With the announcement Cavill offered this statement:
“My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4. In my stead, the fantastic Mr. Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf. As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam’s take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men. Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find.”
To continue the niceties Hemsworth offered this statement about his casting as Geralt:
“As a Witcher fan I’m over the moon about the opportunity to play Geralt of Rivia. Henry Cavill has been an incredible Geralt, and I’m honoured that he’s handing me the reins and allowing me to take up the White Wolf’s blades for the next chapter of his adventure. Henry, I’ve been a fan of yours for years and was inspired by what you brought to this beloved character. I may have some big boots to fill, but I’m truly excited to be stepping into The Witcher world.”
There has been no word as to why Henry Cavill is leaving the show. One has to wonder what the impact on viewership will be as many fans liked Henry Cavill as Geralt. They also appreciated that he was fan of the books and games himself, knowing and appreciating the lore.
However, since Hemsworth is saying that he too is a fan, perhaps that will also be evident in his portrayal of Geralt.
Season Three hasn’t been released yet, but Netflix must be confident enough in the project to announce Season Four with this change. Fans will still have opportunity to see more of Henry Cavill’s Geralt when the third installment airs summer 2023.
Will this change impact your desire for more Witcher past Season 3? Comment and let us know!
Claudio Biern Boyd, co-founder of animation studio BRB Internacional, as well as a writer, animator, distributor, and producer, has recently died at the age of 81 on Sunday October 16th. Biern is best known for creating animated shows such as Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds and The World of David the Ghome.
Biern was born in Palma de Malorca, Spain on November 21st, 1940. After earning his law degree and working in advertising, he founded BRB Internacional in 1972, starting it out as a sales distributor that licensed the Spanish rights to properties like The Pink Panther, Tom and Jerry, Pippi Longstocking, Maya and the Bee, and Vicky the Viking. In 1980, Boyd produced his first animated series called Ruy, the Little Cid. This would mark the first of many original animated series throughout his time at BRB Internacional. Thanks to his efforts to bring as much animation to the region as possible, he became considered as one of the fathers of Spanish and European animation, and eventually became known as the Spanish Walt Disney.
Ruy, the Little Cid, Episode 11 in English subtitles:
In 2021, Biern described what his childhood was like and what inspired him to create his own animated works later on: “I grew up in Spain, with no TV in my house. For Christmas and birthdays, my family would give me action adventure books by classic authors such as Emilio Salgari, Jules Verne and Alexandre Dumas. When I was 16, I fell in love with the film Around the World in 80 Days with David Niven and Shirley MacLaine. I was fascinated how they had brought the book to life within the constraints of the film.”
He revealed that once they set out to make their own cartoons, they teamed up with an established Japanese animation studio, non other than Nippon Animation. To prepare himself for this new venture, he went back to the books he grew up with as a child and thought about how to turn them into cartoons.
You can watch all 26 episodes of the original Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds series on BRB Internacional’s official Youtube Channel in their created Playlist here, in English language:
Biern went on to explain what led up to the creation of his widely beloved animated series Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds: “Our first project was Ruy, the Little Cid – based on the 11th-century Spanish hero. It was very successful, so I turned to Dumas’ Three Musketeers for my next inspiration. There was a lot of sword-fighting in the original story that we needed to soften for children, so we decided it would be more fun to use animals as the characters. I was living at the time with an American cocker spaniel called Sam, who was always wagging his tail. I thought: what could be better than a dog? So D’Artagnan, the fourth musteketeer, became Dogtanian. I bought two dog encyclopedias, placed them next to the Dumas book, and wrote the script. The main characters all became dogs, such as Dogtanian’s girlfriend Juliette, and the “Muskehounds” Arthos, Aramis and Porthos, and King Louis XIII, who was based on my dog Sam. The prime minister Cardinal Richelieu became an old fox, and we added some characters such as D’Artagnan’s sidekick Pip – a mouse. Milady, the devious spy, was a cat. I’ve never been fond of cats.”
Because of the huge success around the world, the next cartoon series became Around the World With Willy Fog, which also became a worldwide beloved series. This was followed by several other much loved animated series, including David the Gnome, The Untouchables of Elliot Mouse, and Fantaghiró.
You can watch all 26 episodes in English language through this playlist from BRB Internacional, of Around the World With Willy Fog:
Biern received more than 40 awards throughout his career, some of which includes the Cartoon Forum’s Tribute of Honor Award (2007), the President Macià Work Medal from the Generalitat de Catalunya (2011), the Biznaga de Oro at the Malaga Film Festival (2012), the Extraordinary Talent Award from the Spanish Television Academy (2017), and the Bronze Medal at the New York Int. Film and TV Festival for creating Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds.
You can watch the entire 26 episode series of the original David, the Gnome, The Untouchables of Elliot Mouse, and Fantaghiró in English language on BRB Internacional’s Youtube channel’s playlists here:
He was once asked in a 2021 youtube interview what he believed makes a hero. Using Dogtanian as an example, he replied with, “It depends on the story. Dogtanian is a hero who doesn’t know he is a hero.”
As a producer of cartoons, nobody knows my face, unlike if I was a big Hollywood producer. But when I give my name to make a restaurant reservation, or buy an airline ticket, or even when I was talking to the distributors in England for the new animated Dogtanian film – everyone starts singing the Dogtanian theme song at me. The same happens in Portugal, in France, in Italy. It’s unbelievable.
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Did you ever watch any of the cartoons created under Claudio Biern Boyd? Will you be checking out some of the shows? If you are curious to see the other playlists of shows from BRB Internacional, click here.
Do you know what I think of when someone talks about Dungeons and Dragons? Transformers! OK, this line we’re looking at today isn’t officially connected to the Takara Tomy toys in any way, but it’s hard not to make the comparison. These are literally twenty-sided dice that transform into various D&D creatures! So how and why did this idea even come to pass?!
OK, I know why. The 2023 Honor Among Thieves movie needs merchandise; these toys are affordable filler figures. At $13.99 a pop, you can bring home transforming versions of the White Owlbear, a Beholder, a Black Dragon, and a Red Dragon. These figures are due to ship out in March. Oh, and Hasbro is again taking away your ability to display the actual product on yourself without opening the package. Yup, more windowless boxes.
Out of the lot, the Beholder is the only one that looks like it belongs in the world of D&D. If it were not for the branding, I’d have mistaken all the others for generic gimmick toys you’d find on the endcap at a Target. I get why they transform into d20s in a general sense, but as a play feature, it feels awkward. What is funny is that Hasbro specifically tells you not to use the toys as d20s in your game:
PLAY OR DISPLAY IN EITHER FORM: Just don’t use this d20 for your tabletop game!
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With Dicelings, now you can collect a whole new type D&D action figure: one that you can change from a giant d20 to a monster and back again!
What do you think of the new Dungeons and Dragons toys? Will you be buying up the entire collection of Dicelings? Let us know below.
Possibly the greatest character in Star Trek: Enterprise was Andorian commander Thy’lek Shran. The pink-skin-hating alien showed up multiple times during the show’s short run. Sometimes as a foe, sometimes as an unwilling ally. Several years after Enterprise ended, the tough-talking and brutal Andorian is finally getting an action figure worthy of his ego.
EXO-6 has just announced Shran will be getting the 1:6 scale Museum Grade action figure treatment. Like other Star Trek characters who’ve come before him, Shran will feature several accessories, soft goods garments, and a portrait that captures his grimace perfectly. Shran’s price hovers at just around $250 after shipping. Like the other figures in the line, this is a premium collectible, and one of the few times one of Jeffrey Combs’s characters has gotten this sort of treatment. Pre-orders for Thy’lek Shran will be open until November 17th. The estimated ship date is in March 2023.
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When Captain Archer was bumbling around the Alpha Quadrant without shields, a reliable transporter or the Prime Directive, one of his most frequently encountered frenemies was the Andorian Commander Shran. The Andorians had a beef with the Vulcans and Shran educated Archer that they might not be the best allies, but Shran and Archer’s alliance helped pave the way for the birth of the Federation. After playing many different roles on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Jeffrey Combs embodied the feisty little Andorian perfectly – giving him a sense of conniving intelligence that was balanced with a profound sense of honor.
Shran will come with the following parts and accessories:
Andorian Imperial Guard jumpsuit: Meticulously researched, this Imperial Guard uniform matches the pattern, and colors of the original costume recreated in 1:6 scale. A holster and two utility packs attach to the belt.
Boots: Plastic boots sculpted to match Andorian footwear.
Display Base: A hexagonal display base featuring the transporter pad will provide additional support for the figure.
Hands: Six hands to display the various accessories.
Andorian Plasma Rifle: The larger ground firearm used by the Imperial Guard.
Andorian Plasma Rifle: The larger ground firearm used by the Imperial Guard.
Andorian Plasma Pistol: A single-handed firearm that fits in a holster on the thigh.
Ushaan-tor (2): Andoria is an icy planet where miners use these deadly looking icepicks. They are also used in the Ushaan, a duel of honor.
Ushaan gauntlets (2): Worn in the Ushaan, these armored gauntlets bind the dueling opponents together through the connected hand and wrist armor.
Andorian communicator
During an interview a few years ago, I briefly talked with Jeffrey Combs about his time on various Star Trek shows.
While Elon Musk is busy cleaning house at Twitter, Tesla is dealing with a recall issue involving a product aimed at children. It would appear that the company’s child-size Cyberquad ATV is currently undergoing a major recall, according to PC Mag. The US Government claims the product does not meet specific safety standards regarding maximum tire pressure and the suspension system.
The Cyberquad fails to comply with the federal mandatory safety standard requirements for youth ATVs, including mechanical suspension and maximum tire pressure. Additionally, the Cyberquad lacks a CPSC-approved ATV action plan, which is required to manufacture, import, sell, or distribute ATVs. ATV action plans contain numerous safety requirements, such as rider training, dissemination of safety information, age recommendations, and other safety measures. These ATV safety standards are in place to reduce crash and injury hazards, preventing serious injury or death.
While the Cyberquad is designed to look like a Tesla machine, the ATV was made in connection with Radio Flyer. The company did power information about the recall on its official website. However, within the FAQ, it is revealed that Tesla’s role in creating the product only went so far as the company consulting “on the overall appearance of the product.” Thankfully, Radio Flyer offers a complete refund of the ATV’s $1,900 price tag.
Customers must remove the vehicle’s motor controller to get a refund and send it back to Radio Flyer. Unfortunately, this will leave Cyberquad owners with a disabled ATV frame and a lithium-ion battery that they will have to dispose of on their own.
According to an archived page for the product on Tesla’s website, the ATV had adjustable suspension, read disk brakes, and could reach up to 10 mph. The battery would allow up to 15 miles worth of travel and was aimed at kids eight years old and up. It looked like a cool little toy. But, considering our questionable safety standards back in the 1980s, was the ATV that dangerous? A couple of injuries were reported but was that due to user error or a flaw in the vehicle’s design?
The next Venom sequel officially has a director, and it’s someone quite familiar with the first two movies. Depending on how you felt about Let There Be Carnage, you’ll either be thrilled or disappointed to hear that Kelly Marcel will be directing Venom 3. Marcel previously had a screenplay credit on the first two films, and the upcoming sequel will mark her directorial debut next to Ferryman, also in pre-production. According to Deadline, Marcel will again work alongside Tom Hardy to craft the new script.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage had several issues. Woody Harrelson, who was the perfect choice for Cletus Kasady, felt stale, even though you can tell the actor was trying his best with the material he was given. Michelle Williams was there, but her character had nothing to do. Maybe she was contractually obligated to appear in the sequel, but her character of Anne Weying added nothing to the overall plot. Tom Hardy still brought his A-game, giving his version of Eddie Brock an air of strangeness that matches the situation he finds himself in.
Whether the shortcomings of Carnage were director Andy Serkis’s fault and how much of that burden fell on the script can be debated. Even the first Venom movie wasn’t a clever bit of cinema but delivered on the body horror front, and the dialog between Eddie and Venom was always entertaining. Is this enough to sustain a third film? Maybe if the villain is well executed, I guess.
Perhaps Marcel will bring a fresh take that makes good use of the symbiotic relationship between Eddie and his bloodthirsty passenger. Only time will tell. Who will be the next big bad, though? Scream, Phage, Agony, or Lasher? Or, take a chance and not pit Venom against yet another symbiote. Go all out and use The Jury and Knull in the same movie! They could even use this film to tie Venom further into the MCU with the Necrosword! Take a chance, ya’ll!
After another long stint of silence from Hasbro regarding the full-funded Ghostbusters Plasma Series Proton Pack campaign, the toy company finally threw another bone our way. You’d think Hasbro would be better at delivering updates and products in a timely fashion; then again, those of us who pre-ordered the ALIENS Pulse Rifle a year ago are still waiting, while people who purchased the NERF gun online via GameStop already have them in hand…
For all of Hasbro’s questionable customer service, at least the company gave us a better look at what should be arriving at our doors in Spring 2023. Ghostbusters News reports that Hasbro has uploaded an unboxing video, showing off the supposedly final packaging for the Proton Pack and the replica. The unboxing includes a look at the items that were part of the stretch goals and the actual Proton Pack replica.
The video shows us the two light and sound sequences the pack comes with: 1984 mode and Afterlife mode. I was worried about this because the cyclotron effect in Afterlife is pretty cool, but could a toy pull this off? The answer is “yes.” The rumble, sound, and lighting effects are impressive, but the steps needed to swap modes look tedious. The drawback is where Hasbro decided to stick the switch that activates them. Rather than hiding the toggle switch somewhere on the pack’s exterior, you have to remove the bumper and cyclotron housing to reach the necessary controls. At least the engineers put the volume control in an easily accessible location (the hand crank).
The video isn’t an in-depth look at what all the pack can do, so there may be even more features hidden away, similar to what was found on the particle thrower. The included hose also allows you to control some functions of the pack directly from the thrower. However, the video only shows us that the handheld device can turn the pack on and off. I’d assume the wand will allow you to change the cyclotron’s volume and intensity and hopefully trigger hidden goodies like the various stream types from Ghostbusters: The Video Game.
I noticed that the stickers are already on the pack, but a sheet of new 1984-era stickers is included. Does this mean those who want an original pack will have to put stickers over the Afterlife ones? That sucks. Another question I have is regarding the modifications to the pack. For example, are the extra cables and parts removable? That was one of the original selling points, but we’ve yet to see the HasLab crew show us a stripped-down Proton Pack that matches the original movie. Also absent from the unboxing is the hardware needed to fit the pack to an ALICE frame.
Check out the unboxing video below. Be warned; the fake enthusiasm is a bit cringy to watch.
Even in death, G4TV can’t avoid controversy. The now defunct reimagining of the classic gaming video game network posted one final image on its website that read “We stopped playing.”
This is in reference to its tagline as they were getting ready to relaunch — “We never stopped playing.”
Comcast has made short work of the carcass of G4TV. Within a few days of the shutdown, the cable giant has already put the $25 million, 60,000 sq. ft. Burbank studio up for sublease.
At least one of the spaces marketed for sublease appears to be related to layoffs. Comcast earlier this month shut down its Burbank-based video game TV network G4, according to Deadline. Roughly $25 million had been invested into the livestream and broadcast studio space, according to a marketing flier. Comcast launched the channel in late fall 2021.
Yes, they spent $25 million to create a space that looks like a basement man cave.
With reckless spending like that, is it any wonder they folded as quickly as they did?
This likely isn’t game over just yet for the G4TV story. Once ex-employee NDAs are up, it’s likely that we’ll get a better picture of what actually went down behind the scenes.
G4TV’s $25 million ‘man cave’ studio in Burbank is being subleased by Comcast. (Image: CoStar)
