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Barely Related: Science's Bob Dylan, Twin Peaks tease
May your weekends be filled with liveliness and joy. Welcome to Barely Related, a conversational Friday column that presents the non-gaming news stories that we, the Joystiq staff, have been talking about over the past week. And no, we're not stopping our focus on industry and gaming news. Think of this as your casual weekly recap of interesting (and mostly geeky) news, presented just in time to fill your brain with things to discuss at all of those weekend shindigs. Grab a fresh drink, lean back in your armchair, and get ready to talk nerdy with us.
Netflix starts streaming Disney movies in Ireland and the UK
Netflix scored a big coup with its semi-exclusive Disney deal late last year, but the newly expanded content didn't reach everybody in one shot -- just ask the British and Irish, who've been left high and dry so far. To viewers' relief, the companies have mended that gap with immediate availability of Disney and Disney-Pixar movies in Ireland and the UK. The initial mix includes not-quite-recent movies like Wall-E as well as back-catalog classics like The Aristocats; the months ahead will see Netflix' selection catch up slightly by introducing the most recent Pirates of the Caribbean movie, among other titles. Combined with the upcoming additions of some DreamWorks and Marvel movies, the Disney pact should hopefully keep the kids (and, we'll admit, ourselves) entertained just as the summer is about to start.
Mozilla launches Open Badges 1.0, delivers virtual kudos for real skills
We've long missed the stickers and badges we could wear to show achievements in our childhood, whether it was an A+ in History or our campfire-making chops. Mozilla must miss those too, as it's launching Open Badges 1.0, a spec for proving skills on the web. The approach provides verifiable credentials that are stowed away in a virtual Mozilla backpack and shareable through a number of online avenues, starting with WordPress blogs and Twitter updates. You won't necessarily need to be a web scripting wizard to earn badges, either -- they're available or coming from 600-plus companies and educational institutions that include Disney-Pixar, NASA and the Smithsonian. We're a long way from only having to flash our Open Badges to land a job, but those symbols may be enough to let teachers and coworkers know we're up to snuff for key tasks.
THQ adaptation of Pixar's 'Brave' pops up in Australian ratings
THQ suffered a rocky patch in the universe of potentially fake things this week, with rumors suggesting its entire 2014 game lineup was canceled and that it was in serious financial trouble -- THQ refuted all of these, and there is now some more credence to its denial. One of the games rumored to be canceled was an unannounced Disney IP, which most believed to be THQ's tie-in with Pixar's Brave.Brave the video game today has a rating on the Australian classification database, published by THQ, developed by Behaviour Interactive and rated PG for mild violence. A senior source at Disney also told Develop that there was no reason to believe Brave was canceled, although THQ has yet to officially announce the existence of the project, Develop says.
World of Cars takes off with a full tank of gas
It's not every day that you're invited to make an anthropomorphized vehicle that you're expected to both race and comfort its feelings. Leave it to Disney Pixar, then, to make the first move in that department, which is why they've launched World of Cars for the hot-rodding set. Based on the 2006 hit animated film, World of Cars invites drivers of all ages to create their own personable car and go head-to-head with friends and strangers. There are even cameos from the movie, as Cheech Marin and Jennifer Lewis return to reprise their roles in the game. Players can explore the open world, upgrade their cars, and enter races for fame and money as they like. Right now, World of Cars is free-to-play with optional microtransactions and subscriptions, and features a full set of parental controls so your mommy or daddy can tell you when you need to stop playing and go into work. Or school. It's okay, we won't tell anyone you're actually having fun with cartoon cars if you won't tell on us too.
World of Cars Online enters open beta
Remember Cars? Lightning McQueen, Radiator Springs, and Tow Mater -- the movie spawned a million licensed bedsheets, toys, and tennis shoes. Cars was released in 2006 and the franchise is still going strong today: Disney is taking it into the MMO market now. World of Cars Online, an MMO for the younger set, has entered open beta. It's free-to-play, with the option to subscribe for access to higher levels in minigames and better items here and there. The game allows you to design your own car, have a house (garage), participate in races, and more. The monthly sub fee -- referred to as a sponsorship -- is $5.95 USD, and as with many games, if you show some support via your wallet by subscribing during beta, you'll get some goodies at launch in addition to the normal sponsorship perks, such as a special paint job and license plate.) Check out the official site for all the details.
We're falling for Wall-E, the GameCube mod
Have you ever seen a GameCube as cute as this? Before you say "yes" and provide a million and ten links of cuter mods, just look into Wall-E's eyes. You'll make him cry! And we all know what happens when water gets on a GameCube -- it goes to console heaven. So, for Wall-E's sake, just let it be.Based on the character in the upcoming Disney Pixar film, this adorable mod was made with children's toys, Plexiglas, tubes, rods, plastic, metal, and acrylic paint. Oh, and let's not forget the GameCube. We're not sure if it can actually move (we suspect not), but even so, we're extremely impressed. Consider our hearts melted.%Gallery-16644%[Via Techeblog]
