Gundam
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Japan's latest life-sized Gundam statue is almost complete
No matter how many times a new Gundam statue goes up in Japan, it’s always a sight to behold.
Netflix will stream the latest animated Gundam movie
Netflix has secured the rights to Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway, the latest entry in the long-running anime mecha franchise.
Netflix is working on a live-action Gundam movie
Kong: Skull Island's Jordan Vogt-Roberts will produce and direct the film.
A life-size Gundam statue will be completed outside of Japan in 2021
A 59-foot-tall Gundam statue will be built outside of Japan in 2021 -- but you'll have to visit Shanghai to see it.
After Math: Anything worth doing is worth overdoing
2020 is shaping up to be the year without conventions. Google I/O, Facebook F8, GDC, OMG, and MWC have already been called off, with exhibitors jumping ship from SXSW by the handful and Computex and E3 likely next on the chopping block. But these are not days for half measures, as this week's headlines illustrate.
Japan's life-size 18m Gundam statue can move (a little)
Besides Fila apparel capsules, the 40th anniversary of Gundam is also being celebrated with a life-size, moving statue. While it won't go on display for the public until later this year in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, a recent media tour visited the Gundam Factory and saw the latest version of the project. There they saw the internal frame of the Gundam under construction and it... moved as if it could make a step. It's pretty far from the real-live mecha action we'd like to see, but still impressive, and only possible by using materials to shave tons from its weight, and replacing hydraulic actuators with electrical ones. It's far more action than the 30th anniversary statue saw before its parts were scattered across an artificial island, or even the impressive 2017 model.
Oppo made a Gundam edition of its fast-charging Reno Ace phone
As teased last month, Oppo's latest flagship phone, the Reno Ace, is unveiled today. We already knew about the device's 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 feature which charges its 4,000mAh battery in just 30 minutes, thus setting an impressive record in the industry. What's surprising is perhaps the Gundam 40th anniversary edition Reno Ace: only 30,000 of these special units will be available, and both the phone and packaging come in matching designs that pay homage to the RX-78-2. I mean, just look at that cute protection case.
'Mobile Suit Gundam' celebrates its 40th Anniversary with... Fila?
While we're just hours away from Neon Genesis Evangelion making its Netflix debut, a different flashback from the 90s is teaming up with an even older representative from the mecha anime genre. For the 40th anniversary of Mobile Suit Gundam, it's teamed up with Fila Korea for some celebratory streetwear.
A life-size, moving Gundam statue is being built in Japan
If you happen to be in Tokyo for the Olympic Games in 2020 and dig giant robots, it might be worth paying a visit to nearby Yokohama. A project called Gundam Factory Yokohama is working with the city to create a life-size, moving Gundam statue to help mark the franchise's 40th anniversary.
'Gundam' is being made into a live-action movie
Gundam is heading to the big screen -- and, yes, we're talking about a live action adaptation, not a movie-length anime movie you can see in theaters. Legendary Entertainment and Gundam's creator, Japanese animation studio Sunrise, have announced that they're teaming up to create a film version of the classic robot saga at the Los Angeles Anime Expo. The franchise was established in 1979 with the animated series Mobile Suit Gundam, which helped popularize the "mecha" genre. It grew over the years to encompass several anime series, manga and video games, remaining relevant and popular even to this day.
Gundam fans can bring home a lifelike Haro next year
Gundam fans will no doubt recognize this adorable Haro robot from the anime, as did I on the CEATEC show floor in Tokyo. As it turns out, Bandai, Bandai Namco, IBM and VAIO have joined forces to bring us a lifelike "Gundam Concierge Haro" aka "Gansheruju Haro" -- including a 19 cm-wide spherical body (pretty much the size featured in the original series), a variety of gentle movements (bobbing and spinning), glowing eyes and mouth, extendable arms and legs plus a pair of subtly flapping ears. Better yet, if you're fluent in Japanese, you'll be able to have Gundam-related conversations with Haro, courtesy of IBM's AI software.
This Japanese VR arcade put me inside 'Mario Kart'
Back when Bandai Namco opened its first VR arcade in Tokyo last April, I was keen to check out its various HTC Vive-powered VR games. My first ride there would have been Gundam VR: Daiba Assault, just so I could get a taste of what it's like hitching a ride on a Gundam's hand. The problem was by the time I got to the city the following month, this pop-up store already had a three-month waiting list, and I never got around to visiting before it closed in October. Luckily, as of last Friday, VR Zone is back in new form. Not only is it now the world's largest VR arcade, but it's also moved to Shinjuku, a more accessible downtown area in Tokyo. And this time, it's staying for two years. More importantly, the arcade has added some widely anticipated games that may sound familiar to you -- namely, Mario Kart Arcade GP VR, Dragon Ball VR: Master the Kamehameha and Evangelion VR: The Soul Seat. As a bonus, Gundam VR has also been brought over from the previous site.
'It' director Andy Muschietti signs on for Sony's 'Robotech' movie
More than 30 years after the original series debuted on television, the classic Mecha anime Robotech will once again grace the silver screen. Sony announced on Monday that it had tapped Andy Muschietti, who just finished directing the reboot of Stephen King's It, to direct the upcoming live-action reboot.
A South Korean robotics company just built a real Gundam
We won't have to wait much longer for our Robotech future. South Korean robotics manufacturer Hankook Mirae Technology debuted its first prototype piloted mech over the weekend. Say hello to the Method-2.
Mobile suits wreak havoc in Dynasty Warriors Gundam: Reborn
For those days when you just need to destroy a few thousand giant robots comes the PlayStation 3 exclusive Dynasty Warriors Gundam: Reborn, the latest "musou" action game to star Japan's beloved bipedal war machines. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn hitting US, Europe this summer on PS3
Tecmo-Koei announced that a new entry in its Dynasty Warriors: Gundam mecha brawler series is coming to North America and Europe this summer for the PlayStation 3. Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn features a variety of playable scenarios inspired by the past 30 years of Gundam anime and manga, including a collection of missions based on the Mobile Suit Gundam SEED series. A trio of games preceded Reborn on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, with Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3 hitting both platforms in 2011. Reborn is the first series entry to premiere exclusively for the PS3. Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn will launch digitally via the PlayStation Network in North America. Players in Europe can choose between a downloadable copy and a region-exclusive retail release. [Image: Tecmo-Koei]
Titanfall beta extended, now ends February 19
Those who've spent the weekend stomping pilots from the comfort of a titan's cockpit will be pleased to hear that the good times won't draw to a close tomorrow morning as originally planned. Instead, developer Respawn Entertainment has extended the Titanfall beta test for an additional day. "The Titanfall Beta will run through February 19th 6 PM PST," tweeted the official Titanfall Twitter account. No explanation is offered for this change of plans, but following Respawn's impromptu decision to kick open the doors of the beta test to the public only two days ago, it seems as if the game's pre-release incarnation has drawn more attention from players than the developer initially expected. Though Titanfall will be released for the Xbox 360, the ongoing beta test is only available to Xbox One owners with current Xbox Live Gold subscriptions and those PC gamers who registered for the beta test. Assuming you meet these criteria, getting into the game is as easy as downloading its client from either the Xbox Live Marketplace or EA's digital distribution service, Origin. [Image: EA]
Report: Next Dynasty Warriors: Gundam announced for PS3, Vita
Shin Gundam Musou, the fourth entry in Namco Bandai's Dynasty Warriors: Gundam series, will make its Japanese debut on December 19, Polygon reports from an issue of Famitsu. While Shin Gundam Musou will retain the series' trademark gameplay involving mobile suits from the Gundam anime mowing down hordes of enemies en masse, the game is said to feature a more realistic aesthetic than Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3. This allows the development team to add features such as spot damage, which may seem minor, but should increase the game's ambiance and help players differentiate its 100-plus playable mobile suits. Shin Gundam Musou will feature both an Official Mode that borrows storylines from several Gundam anime episodes, as well as an Ultimate Mode, which offers an original plot, the site says. Past entries in the Dynasty Warriors: Gundam series have been multiplatform, but this latest game is slated for release exclusively on the PlayStation 3 and Vita. So far there's been no word on an American release of Shin Gundam Musou, but if franchise history (and public affection for Gundam) is any indicator we can expect Namco Bandai to reveal an English-language iteration of the game in due time.
The mighty Kuratas gets assembled on video
It'll cost you $1.35 million to own one, but putting together a Kuratas isn't any easier. The latest video of the monstrous mech shows it being transported and assembled. That means flatbeds, cranes and a whole lot of socket wrenches. Of course, at the end of the day, you've got a 13-foot tall robot you can climb inside. Certainly puts that Ikea bookshelf project into perspective, huh?
Kuratas, the 13-foot mech: unleashes your inner Ripley, costs $1.35 million (video)
Suidobashi Heavy Industries has put the finishing touches to its latest project, the 4.4-ton Kuratas. Mobile suit obsessives around the world can thank artist Kogoro Kurata and robotics expert Wataru Yoshizaki for the robot frame, which has space to house a pilot inside. The mech's touchscreen UI even includes a Kinect-based movement interface and the shudder-inducing "smile-activated" twin BB gatling guns. You can customize your own diesel-powered beast in the dystopian gang colors of your choosing, but be advised: the $1.35 million price tag doesn't include further customization options like a faux leather interior, cup holder or phone cubby. The Kuratas does, however, come with the ability to make phone calls direct from the cockpit, so you can tell your enemies that you're coming for them.
