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Must See HDTV (June 17th - 23rd)
Yes, Game of Thrones is over, but there are still a few other interesting shows on TV. While Futurama begins its farewell tour, Wilfred and Copper return for the summer and Discovery kicks off a new reality show that drops contestants off in the jungle with nothing -- and by nothing we mean no clothes. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames. Futurama Yes, sadly, Futurama has been canceled again. The 13-episode final final season starts Wednesday on Comedy Central and will feature the show's entire original voice cast. Special guests this season include Larry Bird, Emilia Clark, George Takei and more, check out a clip from the new season embedded after the break. (June 19th, Comedy Central, 10PM) Whodunnit? It's a reality show -- wait, wait, this one might be different! This time ABC is taking on the murder mystery genre, as 13 players compete to solve a different mystery each week. Solve it and survive to proceed to the next episode or else face elimination. (June 23rd, ABC, 9PM) NBA / NHL Finals And then there were two. The NBA finals are almost over as the Spurs have pushed the Heat to the brink of elimination, while on the NHL side the Blackhawks and Bruins are tied 1-1 after two overtime contests, with Game 3 tonight. Enjoy your sport of choice while you still can, before the long offseason begins.
Source Filmmaker strikes again with fan-created Futurama fun times
Stop us if you've seen this one before. YouTuber MisterMulluc took the song from "Hell is Other Robots," the ninth episode ever of Futurama, and gave it a Source Filmmaker twist. Mr. MisterMulluc has some serious skills, even one week after the video was posted.
Futurama gets canceled a second time, finale to air on September 4th
Bad news, everyone. Five years into Futurama's revived presence on Comedy Central, the animated sci-fi series is getting the boot for the second time in its long and tumultuous history. Long-time fans will remember the first series finale ("The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings") on Fox in 2003, the show's brief rerun stint on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, the foray into four direct-to-DVD movies (which were separated into sixteen episodes for its inaugural season on Comedy Central) and its eventual deal with the cable network that brought us South Park and The Daily Show. But even after stunts like playing on our gadget obsessions and coming up with a brand new mathematical theorem, it seems the fine folks over at Planet Express just couldn't slake Viacom's thirst for viewers. So, with a heavy heart, we await the series finale (dubbed "Meanwhile") to air on September 4th. But hey, maybe someone can convince Netflix to give life to yet another brilliant-but-canceled series? Update: To check out a preview of the show's final season -- to debut on June 19th -- take a peek at the second video after the break.
Must See HDTV (June 18th - 24th)
NBA Finals The NBA Finals rolls into week two with two more games in Miami, and Game six sunday night in Oklahoma, assuming the Thunder can score a win or two to keep the series going. So far both sides have lived up to our expectations in creating a competitive series, with any luck we'll see it extended to all seven games before it closes out next week. (Tuesday / Thursday / Sunday, ABC) Futurama After being cancelled and brought back on the air, Futurama is ready to kick off its seventh season on Comedy Central. The Planet Express crew is up to its usual misadventures, and a quick preview of the premiere episode (embedded after the break) shows Bender playing with his kid, hopefully this turns out better than the last time his mini-me's nearly destroyed the world. (June 20th, 10PM, Comedy Central) The Newsroom Aaron Sorkin is back with a new TV show as The Newsroom premieres Sunday night, taking a peek at the behind the scenes lives of employees at a fictional cable news channel. Jeff Daniels is the lead, an anchor forced to contend with a new team after his co-anchor starts a rival program and takes much of the existing staff with him. Hmm, sounds kind of ridiculous if you ask us. Check out a video trailer after the break, although we're pretty sure Sports Night, The West Wing and Studio 60 fans have already circled their calendars. (June 24th, HBO, 10PM)
Japan builds a better robot bender, still doesn't run on beer
Futurama may have set an unreasonably high bar for the next-generation bending unit, but Opton's T-WIN20 KDM inches slightly closer to the perfect drinking buddy of tomorrow. Unlike traditional robot benders, the T-WIN20 KDM can process and bend objects without the need for human assistance. It won't run off (or brew) Beer like MomCorp's premier bending unit, but forgoing meatbag assistance is a start. Check out the ¥15,500,000 ($194,000) pipe mangler after the break.
The Daily Grind: What do you want from Cyber-Santa this year?
Weird fact: Did you know that today is St. Nicholas Day? 'Tis true! Nicholas, the Greek bishop who's been the inspiration for Santa Claus due to his penchant for gift-giving, got his very own holiday that nobody really celebrates. Except us! Because what is the internet for, if not to get all giddy over long-forgotten trivia and then demand more gifts from your Amazon.com wishlist? So in honor of good ol' Nick, why don't you hop up on our lap and tell Massively what you want for the holidays this year from the land of MMOs. Is there a game that you've just been too poor -- or too stingy -- to buy, even though you dream about it every night? Do you wish that you could get into an exclusive beta? Is there an item in the cash shop that you've been coveting? Or would you love it if a friend helped you accomplish a tricky achievement in game? Make a list -- and check it twice for factual and grammatical errors -- and let us know what you'd like from Cyber-Santa this year! Who knows... he might even be reading this post right now! Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Robots podcast interviews Futurama head writer David X. Cohen
The kids at the Robots podcast have released a pretty enjoyable interview with Futurama executive producer and head writer David X. Cohen, and we'd be remiss if we didn't make sure you had a chance to check it out. Are you ready for some frank discussion of the role of robots on television, Cohen's vision of the future, and any other number of geeky and / or hilarious subjects? Hit up the source link.
LotRO's radiance to be run over by a train and other future tidbits revealed
"We took Radiance outside, tied it up to some railroad tracks, and...well...I think you saw the end of this in Red Dead Redemption. Look for this in the future -‐ we will be removing Radiance from LotRO." Thus sayeth Turbine's Jen "Jalessa" Gordy, who confirmed that the controversial gear gating system is headed for a messy death. In the same WarCry developer chat, the team fielded a number of questions about where LotRO is headed after this week's mega-update. Some of the features in the works for Tolkien's digital offspring include a new raid, class changes for monster play, a barter item wallet, PvMP skirmishes, Isengard, additional minigames and -- yes -- vanity pets for all. The devs also admitted to slipping in a few pop culture mentions into the game, such as Firefly and Futurama references. And will there ever be any other hobbies than fishing in LotRO? Kate Paiz mused: "All of us devs really want to make golf next, but it's a tricky undertaking, so we don't have a timeline yet, but feel free to start practicing your backswings!" You can read the full transcript at A Casual Stroll to Mordor.
Futurama writer devises (and proves) math theorem to save The Professor's and Amy's mind
Sure, you could prove as-of-yet-unsolved mathematical problems (why hello there, P≠NP), but where's the entertainment value for the rest of us? Cue Futurama staff writer Ken Keeler, who used his PhD in "Math Blasters (in N Dimensions)" to create and verify a theorem that served as the crux of the plot for the recent Prisoner of Benda episode, wherein minds and bodies can only be switched in one direction and order must eventually be restored. Thus we are at a crossroads, dear reader: you can either brush up on your Group Theory and related permutations and expressions... or alternatively, just take a chill and enjoy a hilarious moment in science fiction. Next up, let's explore the ramifications of Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle being disproven when a peanut butter sandwich fell into the large hadron collider, and by some stroke of luck scientists were able to simultaneously determine its momentum, position, and crunchiness.
EyePhone reference mysteriously disappears from online clips of Futurama
Remember how awesome and clever Futurama was the other night? Well, if you missed it, your chances to see it in its original form might be slowly dwindling. It seems that Comedy Central has wiped out the reference in the dialogue to the "EyePhone 2.0." So, while we don't have any conspiracy theories brewing about what happened, it's a pretty odd thing to scrub, and we figure there are two possibilities: either Comedy Central is trying to cover their <censored> on this one, or they got a late night email from... someone. Thankfully, nothing disappears on the internet, so you can check out both clips and see for yourself after the break. [Thanks, Henry L.]
Comedy Central mutes "eyePhone" Futurama parody
If you saw Thursday night's new episode of Matt Groening's Futurama on Comedy Central (and let's take a moment to relish those beautiful words, 'new episode of Futurama' -- mmm, yes), you got an earful of biting satire focused on the enthusiasm of a certain company's customers and their appetite for new, shiny things. As Engadget reported, the episode was unsparing in its portrayal of a world where underpaid laborers dealt with the toxic leavings of other planets' consumerist tendencies. Ouch. Apparently, not everyone found it amusing. As Mac|Life's Roberto Baldwin noted, one of the clips from the show on the Comedy Central website has been selectively muted; when the Mom character says "Introducing the all-new eyePhone 2.0" in the original episode, now there is silence. Wouldn't you have liked to have been an eavesdropper on that phone call. Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
Futurama critiques modern gadget and social media obsession using 1950s technology (video)
Like gadgets? Ever stand in line for one or over-consume just to slake your obsession? Yeah, us too. Then prepare for a humorous yet brutal look at yourselves, and the impact of your lifestyle, in the newest Futurama episode that aired tonight on Comedy Central television. We suggest curling up into a protective fetal position before clicking through for the video scraps. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
'Life in Hell' trademark points to game adaptation
Those of you familiar with Matt Groening outside of his Simpsons and Futurama endeavors likely raised an eyebrow after reading the title to this post. It's okay, we did the same thing when looking at the trademark. If you're unaware, Groening has had a strip called Life in Hell (renamed to Life is Swell in 2007) going since 1977. Life in Hell (we're staying O.G. with it) revolves around rabbits in hell, and is very different than his more popular works. Now it would seem to be at least in the planning stages of a video game adaptation, as it is one item on a long list at the US Patent and Trademark Office site. Given how many things are listed on the trademark, it would seem there's going to be an all-out merchandising blitz for the property. That, or absolutely nothing will happen. It's usually how these things go. [Via Kotaku]
Futurama's next flick will be the first on Blu-ray
As if the wait for Futurama's return wasn't bad enough, the wait for its Blu-ray debut has been almost unbearable. The good news out of Comic-Con is that the next movie, Bender's Game is coming day and date on Blu-ray November 4. /Film's early peek at the trailer brings word of jabs at high energy prices and Lord of the Rings parodies, no official release from Fox yet -- or hints about the previously released movies coming to HD -- but in the meantime check out the full ad and mark down 11/4 on your calendar.[Via TheHDRoom]
Venturesome DIY'er building Futurama's Bender
Futurama fans (and Bender freaks in particular) may need to be sitting down when viewing this one, as we're fairly certain you'll be at least somewhat blown away by what lies ahead. On a whimsical request from a friend, a pioneering lad set out to not only create a lifelike rendition of Bender, but to "give it a brain" and make it brew beer (saywha?). Judging by his other endeavors, this won't go down as the first alcohol-related project he's undertaken, but he's well on his way to creating what's sure to be a fanboy's dream. The creature is being constructed with an assortment of MDF, glue, polystyrene balls, fiberglass, paint, and all sorts of electronic internals, and while it's not quite complete as of this writing, feel free to bookmark the read link and tag along as the process unfolds.
Wii Finglonger invented
Good news, everyone! The Nintendo Wii has made 30th century technology available-- today! This attachment for the Wiimote approximates Professor Hubert Farnsworth's brilliant hypothetical invention, the Finglonger. The Finglonger allows you to operate equipment over great distances.Hey ... it also looks kind of similar to a pool cue, now that we look at it! We wonder if it could also be used for that?
How to make a Zoidberg Mii. Hooray!
Who doesn't want Dr. Zoidberg (of Futurama fame, of course!) in their Mii Channel? For one beautiful night he knew what it was to be a Mii. Subjugated, yet honored. This video shows us how to make our most well-loved squid with a PhD. We know creating Mii characters may be old news at this point, but Futurama is coming back next year and we don't get enough chances to quote him.Once again, the conservative, sandwich-heavy portfolio pays off for the hungry investor. Video embedded after the break.[Via Game Stooge]
Stranglehold cover system is a lot like Space Invaders
The latest post in the development blog for John Woo's Stranglehold explains the action game's cover system with a rather ingenious analogy: Space Invaders.More specifically, Senior designer Patrick Curry is describing medium-sized objects (e.g. couches, concrete columns) that you can use for cover and are destructible. "As your cover shrinks Tequila will automatically crouch down to use whatever cover's left," he said, "but in Stranglehold no cover lasts forever." It was lead designer Neill Glancy who came up with the analogy, which explains how gunfire will slowly whittle down cover that either you or your opponents may be using.We know what you're thinking: will you have the cojones to blast through your own cover, just like in Space Invaders? Real-world application of retro gaming skills embedded after the break.
Save penguins, fight aliens & change fonts in new 2.80 homebrew
We've been reporting on new homebrew on a nearly daily basis ever since the libtiff exploit was discovered. There are two more games to report about today. First is Penguin Scramble, which has you saving penguins Al Gore style. As with all of these TIFF games, it should be fairly simple to play. Another addition to the ever-growing collection of TIFF games is Space Invaders. This classic arcade game has you fighting off an incoming alien invasion, and as an episode of Futurama has shown us: the skills you learn from this game can be life-saving. Finally, we have an application to present to you: Font Hack Installer, which lets you change the fonts used on the XMB screen [screenshot]. While not revolutionary, it's nice to see more inventive ideas coming for users with 2.80 firmware. As always, save the appropriate files to your PSP's PHOTO folder to launch these applications. See also:TetrisPongSnake [Thanks steve!]
The Leela case mod
We don't cover that many case mods 'round here, but once in a while one comes along that's just impossible for us to ignore. After completing his Bender case last year, would-be Zapp Brannigan here decided to tackle a member of the Futurama crew a little closer to his heart for his next project, crafting this likeness of Leela out of nothing more than a store mannequin and pressure foam. Like the best case mods, it also incorporates some added functionality with Leela's eye serving as a webcam, LCD displays fitted into her arm bands, and a removable thumb that doubles as a literal thumb drive (we must have missed that episode). Alright, now who's gonna be the first to put Richard Nixon's head on their desk?
