The Weekly Geek

After 6 years and 300 episodes, it's about time to put a ribbon on this podcast and call it good. The decision wasn't an easy one. Recording the podcast every week is just as much a ritual integral to our lives as it is to those who listen. And seriously, thanks for listening.

Here's the episode. Thanks and farewells follow.

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For the past 6 years (or 10 years if you count all the episodes aired back at KCWU (88.1 The 'Burg!) back in college) I've had this wonderful outlet to yammer on to friends about whatever was on my mind that week, or whatever I've been playing or reading. I've been to three E3 conventions, six PAX conventions (it's held in the same town I live in, but it still counts!), three or four Emerald City Comic Cons (same) and met amazing friends. But the thing that has struck me the most is how good it feels when you introduce someone to something you know they'll love.

I love knowing that stuff we've talked about has caused positive change in people's lives. Whether that means you've started cooking for yourself because of listening to the show, or that an album we recommended blew your mind and helped shape your musical tastes, or even just that you stopped to consider something maybe you'd never thought to consider before. Thanks for taking risks based on our recommendations, and I hope we've never really let you down.

Thank you for telling your friends about the show. Thanks for everyone who's ever written in to the show. Your questions and thoughts and commentary have been awesome over the years. We've never really attempted curating a "community" beyond having a bulletin board a few years ago, but there's definitely a Weekly Geek Community. We've had the pleasure of meeting you at conventions and meetups. We've even become close friends with many people who listened to the show before they met us in person.

Thanks also to everyone who's been vital to the success of the show over the years. Not only the people who have been co-hosts with me on the podcast, but also to everyone who helped make the blog portion of the website great. Thanks to Grant and Amy for sticking with it and letting me boss them around while we figured out a voice. Thanks to John Forster for Dr. Helmig. Thanks to Max Brooks for The Mind Boggleth. Thanks to Sparky for Practical Alchemy. Thanks to Nevery and Laurel and Mack and Steve. Thanks to Mike for his music reviews and our music podcasts. Thanks to Tettix for our theme song. Thanks to Colette, Rikki and everyone else who has ever co-hosted with me. Thanks to Niero and Flynn and Ron and everyone who first helped the community find us. And most of all thanks to Ryan, Qais, Ross and Jinny for putting up with me misusing the word "penultimate" all these years.

This is an "indefinite" hiatus, which means that I completely reserve the right to magically post something on this RSS feed sometime in the future. Could be a bonus, one-off podcast down the line, it could be a note about new projects we're working on. It's not really an "end".

If you'd like to keep up with us, here's how.

Chris - twitter | tumblr/art blog | Gamertag: chrisfurniss
Jinny - twitter | Gamertag: jinnyjuice
Qais - twitter | Gamertag: qnonymous
Ryan - twitter | Gamertag: ryangbiv
Ross - twitter | Gamertag: ironrinn

And now, messages from Ryan and Ross. Jinny and Qais will post their thoughts later.

Ryan - My assimilation in to The Weekly Geek was an organic process that proved the merit of the medium, a sharing of ideals, interests, and ultimately personalities fueled by nothing more than the desire to lean across a table to a friend and exclaim "Taste this!" as one would to a friend. The fact that we do not rehearse, Chris does not edit, and people are still entertained proves all of this to be true.

It's been touching to read correspondence over the years, people telling of how they felt to be part of a community and not just passive listeners. I can only echo that sentiment as I look back on my own progression deeper in to the fold of what was exactly that - a naturally occurring, evolving, and absolutely self sustaining community.

The real world takes effort and compromise, nothing I did for The Weekly Geek ever did. It was a meeting of minds, whether the voices were across from me Monday night or sent in via email, and will absolutely continue on as any naturally occurring community would even stripped of its beloved ring master's weekly cohesion.

It has been a pure, unadulterated pleasure.

Ross - I like my goodbyes short and sweet, something I can hopefully achieve here (without being particularly maudlin). When I came on a few years ago I didn't think much would come of it. I figured, I was the new guy, they would have me on to say, "Hey, here's the new guy,", I would say something terrible, and that would be the end of that. However many episodes later and here we are. Apparently I didn't say anything too terrible.

I want to thank the rest of my cohorts, Chris, Jinny, Ryan, and Qais, for being particularly great people, people who I am glad to be able to call my friends. And thanks, of course, to you, the listeners. I've loved reading your emails, and hearing your thoughts -- debating and conversing with you via electronic proxy. I appreciate you tuning in every week to the show, despite my particular brand of half-baked nonsense. I hope you have had as much fun listening to it, as
I have had helping to make it.

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Podcast for 12.19.11 | The Penultimate Podcast

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:37:40 -0800

Please join me, Ross, Jinny, Qais and Ryan in episode 299 of The Weekly Geek. In it we discuss this week's gaming news (or at least, some of it) and then delve straight into what we're playing this week and mailbag. It's a sentimental one this week, as we start to read some of the awesome letters you all have been sending in. Keep 'em coming! We read every single one of them.

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Podcast for 12.05.11 | Top Games of 2011

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:30:58 -0800

It's our annual games of the year podcast! Tune in to hear about games you've probably heard of, and games you've probably not heard of. Also we discuss our biggest disappointments and games that are on our list to play.

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Podcast for 11.28.11 | Inside Voice

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:10:06 -0800

Episode 297 is in the can. Please join me, Qais, Jinny and Ryan (no Ross this week - technical troubles. Miss U Ross.) this week to discuss Thanksgiving, Black Friday/Cyber Monday, misc video game news and Skyrim stories.

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Podcast for 11.21.11 | Not Even Joking.

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:56:58 -0800

Just a Skyrim podcast now. But there's also some mailbag in there as well! And we talk about TV shows we're watching. And Zelda. Ok, so it's not just a Skyrim podcast but it's close.

4 more episodes left!

No spoilers.

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Podcast for 11.14.11 | This is a Skyrim podcast now.

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:05:29 -0800

Dragons.

No spoilers

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Podcast for 10.31.11 | I Am The Bat

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:03:08 -0800

Only seven episodes left! Join me, Jinny, Qais, Ross and Ryan in our discussion about the new Google Reader redesign, and how we consume our RSS feeds in the most optimal fashion, as well as the Takashi Miike helmed Phoenix Wright movie, the GameCity 6 Zelda Zine, Voxeltron, dissolving fruit labels, Batman Arkham City, and the normal assortment of randomness you've come to know and love from our show.

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Podcast for 10.25.11 | Witchcraft

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:57:24 -0800

Join me, Ross, Jinny and Ryan this week as we discuss the new World of Warcraft updates (even though none of us play anymore!) including the Pandaren! PANDA PEOPLE, people. We also discuss the new Professor Layton, Pixeljunk Sidescroller and Monsters (the only Facebook game worth your time) and the Google Reader updates. We also crack open the mailbag. Enjoy.

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Podcast for 10.17.11 | Video Games

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:03:45 -0800

Join me, Jinny, Qais, Ross and Ryan in this week's podcast where we talk about upcoming games like Batman Arkham City, Skyrim, Pixeljunk Sidescroller, Professor Layton, the Deus Ex DLC and more. Then we discuss more Breaking Bad (spoiler free!) and the Walking Dead premiere.

Of course we're also reading mailbag letters. Send us mailbag! We'll read it on air.

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The End of The Weekly Geek is Nigh

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:11:06 -0800

We've mentioned it a few times on the podcast, but I'd like to officially state it here to answer questions and clarify some things and maybe give a few shout outs and reminisce and cry a little bit. The Weekly Geek is going on indefinite hiatus after episode 300. Which will be sometime in January.

The reason: Jinny and I are having a kid in February and we're not exactly sure how much time or energy we're going to have to produce a weekly podcast. I'm guessing the answer will be none, but you never know. To be safe, we're giving ample time to wrap up the show. We're closing in on 300 mp3 files in the RSS feed, so I figured episode 300 was a good stopping place.

This post is going to be a bit rambly, but bear with me.

I am still undecided as to what kind of special show to do for episode 300. One thing that's always been important to us over the years has been how the community has grown with us. We have multiple listeners who write in who started listening to the show as teenagers, and are now adults. It blows my mind, and really makes me feel proud of what we've accomplished. You've written in with stories of learning how to cook because of us, of trying a game you'd never have thought of trying because of us, of getting newfound courage to stand up to bullies because of us, of discovering your new favorite band because of us. The fact that around 3,000 people tune in every week just to hang out with us is astounding to me. I deeply realize the importance of having that familiarity, and when I think about the show ending and not being that for you anymore, it makes me sad. This has been an incredibly difficult decision.

I'd love it if you wrote in with your stories about how the show has impacted you. We love reading mailbag, and this is a good opportunity for a retrospective. Maybe you're a listener who has never written in, we'd love to hear from you.

Maybe you're one of those people who download and listen to old shows from years past. Write in with your favorite moments from the show, maybe even with a sound clip. We'll play it on air and reminisce with you.

The website will still exist. I'll keep the lights on so you can still download all the past episodes going back to around 2005. And we may even come back every once in a while for a random blog post or a music podcast. We've been kicking around the idea of doing a video podcast cooking show, as well. You never know. Maybe after we have the kid we'll feel compelled to share stories and tips on parenting. If one thing's for sure it's that we're restless and deeply enjoy being a part of this community.

I'll save the kudos and credits for a later time. For now, what would you like the final episode of The Weekly Geek to be?

Podcast for 10.10.11 | The Chicken Brothers

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:08:11 -0800

Do you enjoy podcasts that include protracted conversations about Law and Order? Well then you're in luck! Join me, Ross, Jinny, Qais and Ryan this week as we discuss tv shows like Breaking Bad (no spoilers!), the death of Steve Jobs, new games such as Rage and the Portal 2 DLC, expensive board games, Netflix backing out on their dvd/streaming split and more. There's always more.

Note: Apologies, but Ross' audio is borked in this podcast.

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Podcast for 10.03.11 | Uprezzed Corruption

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 19:10:41 -0800

Join me, Jinny, Ross and Ryan this week as we discuss the Kindle Fire, Gears of War 3, Professor Layton's London Life, the ICO/Shadow of the Colossus collection, Dark Souls, Wizorb and more. So many video games to catch up on!

Hey! Want to ask us a question that will be read on-air? Send us mail!

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Podcast for 09.19.11 | Netqwix

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 19:06:34 -0800

We're talking media consumption this week with the announcement Netflix made about diverging their DVD business from their streaming business, the Gears of War 3 launch, Sony's new ToS for the PSN and more. Join me, Jinny, Ross, Qais and Ryan as we discuss largely first world problems.

Hey! Want to ask us a question that will be read on-air? Send us mail!

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Podcast for 09.12.11 | Bad Ideas

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 19:07:47 -0800

We're all about the bad ideas this week. Join me, Jinny, Ross, Qais and Ryan as we discuss the Nintendo 3DS controller add-on, changing the name of your game to avoid copyright concerns, Gamestop's new tablet as well as some good ideas like Brandon Boyer's new video game culture blog Venus Patrol, emotionally-charged games, interactive fiction on the iPad, Deus Ex, Breaking Bad and Mad Men. We're all over the place this week, like usual.

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No podcast this week

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 13:41:28 -0800

Happy labor day! We're taking this week off. See you next Monday.

Podcast for 08.29.11 | PAX 2011 Rundown

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 20:43:01 -0800

The Weekly Geek went to PAX Prime 2011 in Seattle and we'll run down all the games and gaming-related things we experienced at this esteemed convention. Join me, Jinny, Ross, Ryan, Qais and special Guest Samit from Destructoid as we talk about the fantastic indie games, hidden gems and cosplay at PAX 2011. We also answer mailbag and talk about what we've been playing this week, as per usual. Enjoy!

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Reminder: No Podcast This Week

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:14:19 -0800

Just a reminder that we're not recording the podcast this week! Next podcast is slated for the Monday after PAX. See you then!

Podcast for 08.15.11 | Origin Stories

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:51:10 -0800

This week please to be joining me, Jinny, Qais and Ryan in divulging our friendship origin stories. We also discuss the general philosophy behind internet cat videos and Maru the box-loving cat's new coffee table book. Then we talk about Nintendo's inability to understand their customer base, the Starbucks card experiment, Mad Men and a whole lot more. Remember to send us mail! We read that shizz, yo. On air.

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Weekly Geek Meetup at PAX!

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:18:09 -0800

Meet these fools at PAX 2011!

Hey everybody! PAX is fast approaching, and we're doing a Weekly Geek meetup again! This time it's in a secret location so if you're interested in attending a Weekly Geek meetup on Friday August 26th at 6PM, please email me with the subject line WEEKLY GEEK MEETUP for directions/details!

It'll be fun times.

Podcast for 08.08.11 | Samus Has Cheaper Car Insurance Now

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 20:28:03 -0800

Join me, Ross and Ryan this week as we chat about Metroid's 25th anniversary and everyone takes turns saying what the Ice Beam meant to them as kids. Then we gush a bit about the Borderlands 2 announcement and talk Borderlands loadouts. Ross gives us his opinion on Alice: Madness Returns, and I delve into Fallout: New Vegas' Old World Blues DLC. Also included is mailbag and the song of the week is back! YAYUH.

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Podcast for 08.01.11 | Doot Doot Doo

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 18:49:11 -0800

We're back after a brief hiatus with the same podcast you know and hopefully love! Join me, Jinny, Qais, Ross and Ryan as we discuss the Nintendo 3ds price drop, San Diego Comic Con, Fallout: New Vegas DLC, Bastion, the 31 Days of Zero Suit Samus, From Dust and much much more.

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Podcast for 07.11.11 | Weekly Geek Plus

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 18:23:13 -0800

Hey kids! Join me, Jinny, Ross, Qais and Ryan this week as we discuss Google+, the Zero Suit Samus project, PAX Prime preparation, Nintendo downloads (and the lack thereof) and more.

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Podcast for 06.27.11 | Fire Kills Everything

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:56:25 -0800

HI. In this week's podcast we're talking the recent California video-games-are-free-speech verdict, as well as a slew of other things. We're talking the XBLA Summer of Games! Defrosting meat! Ginger beer! Home fermentation! Sriracha! Shirts that show off your love of sriracha! So many things!

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Header image blatently stolen from Zac Gorman

Podcast for 06.20.11 | Hey! Listen!

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:48:08 -0800

This week Ross, Qais, Jinny, Ryan and I discuss Duke Nukem Forever, a kid who got Pokémon cards unbanned at his school, Zelda Ocarina of Time for the 3DS, Child of Eden, a Disneyland game announced for Kinect, LA Noire, the Gamesave project, and more. It's an extended podcast this week. So if you're into that, there you go.

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Podcast for 06.13.11 | Honeymoon's Over

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 18:31:40 -0800

Back after a two week haitus, talkin' about E3 and junk. Ross, Qais, Jinny, Ryan and I are all there. We're talking about the new Nintendo console, the Playstation Vita, and a bunch of other games announced/showcased at E3 such as Dance Central 2, et cetera et cetera et cetera. So many things to catch up on! Enjoy!

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Podcast for 05.23.11 | Hungarian Shelves

Mon, 23 May 2011 18:28:21 -0800

It's our last podcast for the next few weeks, so be sure to listen to it REALLY LOUD to get the most out of it before it's too late! Join me, Jinny, Qais and Ross as we discuss L.A. Noire (spoiler free), Bioshock Infinite news, an iPad app for cats, atheist books for kids, and more. Enjoy, and see you in a few weeks!

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Podcast for 05.16.11 | Normalized

Mon, 16 May 2011 17:43:47 -0800

We're back to talking about normal things this week, like video games that aren't Portal 2. Join me, Jinny, Ross, Ryan and Qais as we discuss a few new releases including L.A. Noire, Chrono Trigger for the Wii Virtual Console, a 2d Minecraft-inspired platform game, Sony's "welcome back" package and more.

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Podcast for 05.09.11 | Legally Art

Mon, 09 May 2011 19:00:13 -0800

Back to normal this week with Ross, Jinny and Ryan (Qais was abducted by aliens) talking about this past week's news in the gamespace. That's right, I just made that up. "Gamespace". That's what we're calling it now.

Anyway, this week's podcast! Games have been officially validated as art by The Smithsonian, Portal recreated in Minecraft, an iPhone app that identifies plants by photos of their leaves, Diablo III news and more! Hooray! Listen to it with your earholes.

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Podcast for 05.02.11 | Ok, It's a Portal 2 Podcast

Mon, 02 May 2011 18:11:20 -0800

Go no further if you haven't played Portal 2! This week we throw caution to the wind and just talk about whatever we want to in regards to Portal 2. We talk about our favorite moments, how we liked (or disliked!) the ending, potatoes, the three C's, and we talk about your favorite moments sent in via mailbag. Enjoy!

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Podcast for 04.25.11 | Not A Portal Podcast

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 18:26:55 -0800

No, that's next week. This week we avoid the Portal 2 spoilers in favor of a general discussion of the game. Next week? All bets are off. This week Jinny, me, Ross, Ryan and Qais talk Portals, Sworcery on iPhone, pixel art, Nintendo's next console, Minecraft, mailbag and a billion other things. Enjoy. Next week? Portal 2 spoilers abound. You've been warned.

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Podcast for 04.18.11 | This Could Have Been A Triumph

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:06:13 -0800

We're hotly anticipating Portal 2 in this week's podcast, so if you hate to hear people gushing about a game they haven't played yet... well you're in the wrong place. This week Jinny, Ross, Qais, Ryan and I discuss the Portal 2 ARG and its slightly anti-climactic outcome. We also chat about Nintendo's rumored next foray into consoles, the 3DS remake of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Clash of Heroes. We also discuss Game of Thrones and other book things. Also lots of interesting mailbag. Ever wonder what Ross dreams about? Yeah, WONDER NO MORE.

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Multiple Sources Confirm New Nintendo HD Console - GameInformer
Reggie: 400,000 3DS Units Sold Week One - GameInformer
Deep Inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly Lies Appeal of 3DS Zelda - Wired Game|Life
Buy Portal 2 at Amazon.com
Song of the week - Panda Bear - Afterburner - Tomboy
"Like" The Weekly Geek on Facebook
Weekly Geek t-shirts
Music, as always, by Tettix

Podcast for 04.11.11 | Alternate Realities

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:55:17 -0800

This week's podcast we discuss Minecraft. But you knew that already. We also talk of other things! Such as 3DS stuff, Rock Band's price drop, Mitch Hedberg, the Portal 2 ARG and more. You love it. You know you do.

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Podcast for 04.04.11 | News From The Sworce

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 19:00:37 -0800

Join Ryan, Jinny, Ross and me in discussing more 3DS impressions, the Sword and Sworcery LP, augmented reality apps, new Drop7 and Super Meat Boy content and more. Lots of mailbag as well! Hooray.

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New augmented reality app unleashes your inner artist - New Scientist
Amazon launches 'cloud locker' music service - TUAW
Heart Containers for Japan
Buy the Sword and Sworcery LP
Super Meat World now orbiting Steam - Joystiq
Song of the week - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong - Belong
"Like" The Weekly Geek on Facebook
Weekly Geek t-shirts
Music, as always, by Tettix

Header image by Cory Schmitz from the Sword and Sworcery LP

Podcast for 03.28.11 | An Added Dimension

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:04:12 -0800

This week, please join me, Jinny, Ross and Ryan in discussing the 3DS launch and how bizarre glasses-free 3D is. We give you the rundown if you're on the fence about a purchase at all. We also discuss the Sword and Sworcery EP (spoiler alert: it's amazing), Bioware's response to one homophobic-ish gamer and more.

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Podcast for 03.21.11 | Chain World

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:26:12 -0800

This week please to be joining me, Ross, Jinny, Qais and Ryan as we discuss this past week's events. We start off talking about Chain World, an existential experiment in Minecraft form. We also discuss the Achewood hiatus, DC closing the comments on their blog, the awfulness that is Homefront, new Mass Effect 2 DLC and more.

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Header image taken from the Official Minecraft Soundtrack cover art

Podcast for 03.14.11 | Pi Day

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:16:54 -0800

This week Qais, Jinny, Ross and I discuss the recent disaster(s) in Japan and how you can help as well as a number of other topics that aren't half as important as you stopping what you're doing right now and helping if you haven't already. Here's a good place to start.

Done? Cool. So we also talk about a new indie mech shooter game set in a living city, a few bits and pieces about PAX East including a date for Child of Eden, a Fez preview and... the Civilization board game? We also discuss some food-related stuff like how to make home made pop rocks and the miracle of miracle fruit.

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Header image from rsteven's awesome Cherry Pi t-shirt design.

Podcast for 03.07.11 | Emerald City Comicon 2011 and more

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:45:58 -0800

Join us this week as we discuss Emerald City Comicon 2011, Axe Cop, the mythology of Duckburg, GDC, the 3DS launch, Infinity Blade's new update, the new game coming from the creators of Minecraft, PAX East panels you can't miss and more. It's an extra-long episode this week!

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Podcast for 02.28.11 | Relevance

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:48:34 -0800

Hey! It's a podcast! Join me, Jinny, Ryan, Qais and Ross in discussing this week's events. We talk about The Oscars (sort of) and the decline of the movie industry, Minecraft (as always), Child of Eden for Kinect, Bulletstorm, more Double Fine Sesame Street game news and Emerald City Comic Con. Download and enjoy.

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Podcast for 02.21.11 | Pig Punching

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:14:53 -0800

Join me, Ross, Jinny and Qais this week as we discuss the existential nature of Minecraft, Telltale Games' new lineup (including the King's Quest reboot!), Stacking (the game, not the verb), the Dead Island trailer, zombies in general and much more. We also answer like a billion mailbag questions, so if your question hasn't been answered for a while, tune in!

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Music, as always, by Tettix

Podcast for 02.07.11 | Juvenalia

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 18:44:10 -0800

This podcast rated M for not-so-mature. This week, join me, Jinny, Ross and Qais in discussing the Bulletstorm Demo and its purposefully awful dialog (OR IS IT?!). We also discuss the recent layoffs hitting Harmonix, Dance Central character designs, the Sony NGP, Metroid 1.5, Minecraft and how Qais thinks the God King in Infinity Blade sits on a throne evoking female genitalia. Yeah, we're super mature.

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Why Sony's PSP2 (NGP) will fail - Destructoid
Metroid 1.5 - NeoGAF
Staff Cuts Hit Harmonix - Gamasutra
Dance Central character sketchbook: Mo and Emilia - Destructoid
Buy one of Chris' video game prints on his Etsy store
Song of the week - Jamie xx and Gil Scott-Heron - Running - We're New Here
"Like" The Weekly Geek on Facebook
Weekly Geek t-shirts

Music, as always, by Tettix

Want some cool art for your walls? Buy a print!

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 12:25:19 -0800

I've been doing a ton of video game inspired drawings recently on panoramic watercolor paper (6"x18" to be exact) and by popular demand I am now offering them all as high quality gicleé prints! We've got prints inspired by Super Mario Bros 3, Earthbound, Metroid and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. Each print is archival quality on heavy Rives stock and they all came out gorgeous if I do say myself. These are all editions of 10 and are selling fast, so be sure to grab yours while you still can! Click the images to go to their respective pages on Etsy where you can zoom in and get more information if that's the kind of thing you like to do.

Super Mario Bros 3 - World 2 - $30

Metroids - $30

Link Washed Up on the Shore - $30

Nemesis - $30

Podcast for 01.31.11 | Desert World

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 18:42:29 -0800

This week, Ross, Jinny and I discuss the Sony NGP, the 3DS's pedometer and how it will work with 3DS games, molecular gastronomy, a new Pac-Man arcade game, the Heavy Rain movie being helmed by David Milch and much much more. We've also got prints for sale! Check 'em out.

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Podcast for 01.24.11 | The Duality of Tetris

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:32:46 -0800

This episode really doesn't have a lot to do with Tetris. It does feature me, Jinny, Ross, Ryan and Qais talking about LA Noire, Dead Space 2 and the new Dead Space iOS game, PAX East's "Antiques Roadshow of retro games" panel, and we even get around to recommending games to a 12 year old. Qais also recommends some British television. Does this paragraph that I write about the podcast really help anyone understand what each podcast is about? I mean, we're pretty much all over the place on the show, I don't know if a rote listing of topics really helps anything. What do you guys think? Anyway...

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Podcast for 01.17.11 | Uncanny

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 16:49:31 -0800

OK, WE'RE BACK. Last week we had some technical difficulties, but this week you'll find me, Ryan and Ross talking about a few things we were SUPPOSED to talk about last week, as well as a bunch of new stuff added to the list. We talk about 3DS power consumption, LA Noire's creepy new facial mocap tech, Torchlight on the XBLA, nerd movies coming to blu-ray and the importance of listening to a game's soundtrack instead of your own. We also catch up on mailbag. ENJOY.

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Tonight's podcast died.

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 18:29:12 -0800

Uggh. Many apologies, we actually recorded a podcast this evening but lost it as I was editing it. The program I use actually crashed and didn't autosave that it usually does and....uggh.

Sorry, guys. New podcast next week. We'll answer the same mailbag questions and such. They were pretty good ones, too!

Podcast for 01.03.11 | Batmask

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 18:57:42 -0800

We're back to kick off 2011 with a brand new Weekly Geek podcast! We talk about catching up with games we missed in 2010, and the things you do when the internet goes on vacation. It's a bunch of random topics just like the podcast you know and tolerate. Enjoy.

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Podcast for 12.20.10 | 2010 in Games

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:16:28 -0800

Last podcast of the year! We talk about our video game favorites from 2010, as well as what disappointed us and what we missed. This isn't your typical top 10 games of the year podcast, so be sure to tune in and catch some stuff you may have passed up in favor of just playing more Minecraft.

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Podcast for 12.13.10 | Sand

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 18:21:12 -0800

This week we discuss the Spike TV VGAs and the announcements therein. We've got Mass Effect 3, Uncharted 3 and Elder Scrolls V news, as well as new information for thatgamecompany's newest game, Journey. We also discuss World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, Infinity Blade and new Kinect hacks. We also answer some mailbag questions and discuss such things as Babylon 5 and North Korean politics. Yeah, it's that kind of show. Enjoy!

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Podcast for 12.06.10 | The Power of Love

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 18:32:00 -0800

It's just us dudes this week, talking about dude things like Back to the Future, Super Meat Boy, XBLA games, Pac-Man and other such things. Ok, I guess that's not entirely all "dude" stuff, but we are dudes and therefore the stuff we discuss is dude stuff. Don't question it. Enjoy.

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Podcast for 11.29.10 | Catchin' Up

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:56:31 -0800

Catch up with the Weekly Geek crew with this week's podcast, as we discuss stuff that happened during the Thanksgiving break. We talk game releases, food, working on projects, art shows, charities, drugging your loved ones, corporate monopolies and end it all with a Kanye West song. I know, I know. Look. Just... download it. And enjoy.

Update: MP3 link fixed.

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No podcast tonight

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 17:36:50 -0800

Taking this week off, see you guys next week!

Podcast for 11.15.10 | Kinetic

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:45:26 -0800

Jinny, Qais and Ross join me this week as we actually get to talk about the Kinect from first hand experience! Amazing, I know. Is this the future of gaming, or is this just an overextended fad? We also discuss Dance Central (and how it could be the Kinect's saving throw), Harmonix's impending sale, Facebook wanting to control your communication, the new Girl Talk album, Game Dev Story, Fallout: New Vegas and more.

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Podcast for 11.08.10 | Das Kontroller

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 18:07:22 -0800

Qais was out sick so we decided to ask two very special guests to be on the podcast this week. Joining Ross, Jinny and I are Maré Odomo and Cory Schmitz, two very awesomely talented illustrators who happen to live quite close to us and were nice enough to stop by. We discuss Cory's new magazine project, The Controller, which features artwork by Cory, Maré, me, Tiff Chow, Ashley Davis and many more. We also talk about the Kinect launch, the new Xbox Dashboard and its marginalization of community games, Rock Band 3's pro mode, Mega Man toys, Goldeneye, and other random stuff. Stuff you wanna listen to. Fer serious.

*Sniffle*

Update: Follow up to the Xbox Community Games dashboard update, looks like Microsoft listened.

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Podcast for 11.01.10 | That Rock Band Time of Year

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 15:33:46 -0800

Your usual eclectic mix of topics awaits you in this week's episode of The Weekly Geek. Jinny, Ross, Qais and I talk about some new releases, most notably Rock Band 3 and Fable 3. Of course we talk more about Fallout: New Vegas, as well as some new Square Enix iPhone offerings (Secret of Mana, anyone?) We laugh at Glen Beck for being a big baby about some webcartoonists ousting his #1 spot on Amazon, and we talk about how hilarious it is to dress small children up as video game characters for Halloween. These topics and more are on offer this week, no refunds. Enjoy.

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Podcast for 10.25.10 | New Vegas, Old Habits

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:41:22 -0800

It's here! It's here! A new Fallout game has arrived, but does it disappoint? Join me, Jinny, Qais and Ross for an in-depth discussion about Fallout: New Vegas. We try to keep the spoilers at a minimum, but you're going to definitely want to listen if you're a fan of Fallout at all. We talk about our first experiences in the Mojave Wasteland, and whether or not Obsidian entertainment was able to fulfill the promise of a new experience on par with Fallout 3. We also discuss a wee bit of game news (Rock Band 3! Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright! Costume Quest! Super Meat Boy!) and touch on Apple's new App Store for the Mac. It's worth about an hour of your time, for sure.

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Podcast for 10.18.10 | Bat Country

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 17:19:27 -0800

It's almost that time! Fallout: New Vegas is upon us and me, Jinny and Ross couldn't be more excited. But are we just getting our hopes up for nothing? In this week's podcast we talk about the imminent release of this new iteration of the Fallout series, as well as the worrisome news that all reviews have been embargoed until release day. We also chat about Super Meat Boy, Kirby's Epic Yarn, President Obama on Mythbusters, Minecraft and Enslaved. Ross also gives some tips on turntable needles, and we geek out a bit about a few TV shows we're watching. Stay tuned for the song of the week at the end of the show. It's pretty darn fantastic.

Now if you'll excuse us, we've got an addiction to feed.

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Podcast for 10.11.10 | I Can Be A Monkey

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 19:07:00 -0800

We're entranced by one certain game this week - Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. Join me, Jinny and Ross in a (relatively spoiler-free) discussion about this sleeper hit. If you're on the fence about picking up what is one of the best games of the year, jump right on over to the other side of that fence. We also discuss old and painfully difficult NES games, the Family Circus live action movie, Tony Bourdain's foray into graphic novels, A&E's Obsessed, Hoarders and Intervention and Professor Layton and the Unwound Future. Yeah, we jump around a lot. We also answer some mailbag! Enjoy.

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Anthony Bourdain Cooks Up A Graphic Novel - Slashfood
Single-Panel Comic Strip 'The Family Circus' To Become Movie Franchise - Slashfilm
Enslaved - Odyssey to the West
Song of the week - Fright Night (Nevermore) - Before Today by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
"Like" The Weekly Geek on Facebook
Weekly Geek t-shirts
Music, as always, by Tettix

Podcast for 10.04.10 | The Siren Call of the Bars

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 21:42:03 -0800

Jinny, Ross, Qais and I are back this week to discuss the Nintendo 3DS, QR Codes, Scott Pilgrim on DVD, Xbox Live Arcade deals, buying a year's worth of food from Costco, Beyond Good and Evil HD, LEGO and Ross' obsession with filling up bars in Halo: Reach. Also, stay tuned to the end of the show for our song of the week from Sufjan Stevens' new album. It's pretty darned good.

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Reminder: no podcast this week

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 09:37:18 -0800

That's right kids, no podcast this week but you can always take a trip down Weekly Geek memory lane by listening to any one of hundreds (!) of our archived podcasts. Browse them here.

See you next week!

Podcast for 09.20.10 | Shadowplasty

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 18:24:46 -0800

This week, Ross, Qais, Jinny and I discuss a few happenings at this year's Tokyo Game Show, including the announcement of the Ico/Shadow of the Colossus collection for PS3. Other topics include Colonel Sanders, plastic surgery in Queens, the new Donkey Kong high score, Terry Prachett's sword forged from a meteorite and other esoteric matters. I do hope you find it to be enjoyable.

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Podcast for 09.13.10 | Challenging

Mon, 13 Sep 2010 20:03:39 -0800

On this week's podcast we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. Happy anniversary, you fat Italian stereotype, you! Join me, Jinny and Ross in discussing our personal histories with the series, as well as an extended "what we're playing" segment discussing the latest release in another favorite series: Professor Layton. It's all Nintendo (with a little bit of Fallout, as per usual) this week. Buckle up.

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Photo credit: Unreality Mag

Podcast for 09.06.10 | PAX 2010 Recap

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:30:14 -0800

This week is all about PAX Prime 2010, which took place this last weekend in Seattle. We saw a ton of cool games, hung out with a bunch of awesome like-minded nerds and came back with incredibly sore feet and backs. Like old people. Join me, Jinny, Qais and Ross in discussing all the cool stuff we saw this week. Stay tuned for the song of the week, as well.

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Podcast for 08.30.10 | Candling

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:21:44 -0800

Learn some amazing new facts about earwax on this week's podcast! Join me, Jinny, Ross and Ryan for an intense discussion about Pax Prime 2010 and earwax buildup. Oh, sure we talk about other things like the new Xbox Live Gold membership rate hike, and what kind of tech we brought with us on our most recent camping trip, but you really want to stick around for fascinating insights on earwax consistency between the races. It's truly enlightening.

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Podcast for 08.23.10 | Your First Time

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 21:20:26 -0800

This week we have me, a drugged-up Jinny, Ross and Ryan discussing PAX, the surprise Deathspank sequel, Mass Effect's new DLC, more Scott Pilgrim stuff, first-timer games, Rock Band 3 tracklist and more.

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Podcast for 08.16.10 | The Scott Pilgrim Generation

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:57:23 -0800

This week we've got Jinny, Ross and Ryan joining me in a discussion of the new Scott Pilgrim film. We manage to avoid spoilers, I think! We also discuss the Scott Pilgrim game, the announcement of Bioshock: Inifinite, Fallout: New Vegas voice actors, more Borderlands DLC and a few other video game related tidbits. We've even got a track from the Scott Pilgrim soundtrack at the end of the show for you to check out. It's a pretty great soundtrack overall. And don't forget to rsvp for the Weekly Geek community meetup if you're coming to PAX!

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Scott Pilgrim vs. Comic Book Movies

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 08:36:48 -0800

Last night, Jinny and I were able to check out an early screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, which if you pay attention to the podcast at all, you'd know we've been obsessing over for the last year or so. No worries if you haven't seen it yet, I'll try to avoid spoilers as much as possible.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The Hype

It took me a little while to get into the Scott Pilgrim books. I was aware of them, but was turned off by the manga style. Or what I thought was manga style. Eventually my friend Wynn wore me down by explaining that I was Scott Pilgrim. I read the first book and was hooked not only by the video game and music references, but by the interactions between the characters. Brian Lee O'Malley was able to capture how people really talk to each other, and I always appreciate that when it comes to comic books. I enjoyed the world he created, full of magical realism and intense action sequences. It was a world I felt instantly familiar with.

When I heard there was going to be a movie made, I was cautiously optimistic. The cast looked decent (Kieran Culkin as Wallace felt especially apt, Jason Schwartzman as Gideon was spot-on and I have no hate for Michael Cera like most people seem to) and Edgar Wright is a director I trust. More news came out about the movie, including artists attached to the soundtrack. O'Malley listened to a lot of indie rock while creating the books and peppered references to music all throughout, so it made sense that people like Bec, Broken Social Scene and Nigel Godrich were involved.

The final book of the series was released and kind of felt lackluster to me. It felt like O'Malley was tired of the franchise and just wanted it to end, and while I was relatively satisfied it kind of felt hollow.

It's the hype that kills things. It's expectation that will lead to your disappointment in things 90% of the time. That's the problem with geek culture today, we expect everything to be mindblowingly awesome. Which is sometimes ok! You should expect quality from the things you consume, but you should also set your expectations. We have this incredibly robust vetting process for determining what deserves our attention, and hype is a big part of that. But I think the hype surrounding the Scott Pilgrim movie left me a little flat.

Here's the thing: no movie based on a book will ever, ever live up to your expectations. If you're an avid book reader (comic books and otherwise) you know that imagination is an incredibly important part of the reading process. We fill in the blanks between panels (for more on this specific topic, I recommend reading Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics) and have our own ideas of inflection and character voices cemented in our heads. No movie can ever expect to live up to the book you've personalized in your own brain. There are always going to be parts left out, or jokes that you feel should have been done better or emphasized differently. The best a movie based on a book can do is augment your initial book experience in a sensory fashion.

If I were to critique the movie on the merits of living up to the book, I'd say they did a great job. It was a fantastic adaptation. Was it a good movie? Sure. Was it the best movie of all time? Definitely no.

Scott Pilgrim vs. Comedic Timing

One of the main issues I had with the film was the pacing. Edgar Wright did a bangup job on the action sequences, making them kinetic, frantic, and incredibly similar to the atmosphere the comic books created. The fight scenes were a visual treat, like nothing I've ever seen before. The other parts of the film that used comic tropes such as onomatopoeia felt forced. Like they had to incorporate this stuff because, well, it's a comic book movie.

Punchlines and jokes in comic books are processed differently than jokes in movies, as well. Scott Pilgrim the movie was able to replicate a few of the better visual gags, as well as some of the text-based gags (such as the little labels that appear next to characters giving their names, ages and a short sample of their personality) but many of the subtler jokes get bowled over. When you're reading a comic book and you get to a punchline or a visual gag, you're able to soak in the frame. You can sit there and contemplate the joke for an eternity if you'd like. The pacing of the book sets these kinds of jokes up very very well. There is no concept of "blink and you'll miss it" in comics. In the movie, these jokes are not only delivered flatly, they're bowled over by the transition to the next scene. There's literally no way for these jokes to work properly on screen. That said, it was a valiant effort.

The comedic timing of these jokes was off, as well. The comic uses a lot of hyperbolic dialog and reactions to illustrate emotion in an exaggerated fashion. You don't really need to do this in a movie, because you're able to convey emotion a little easier. Scott Pilgrim the movie keeps these hyperbolic reactions, which feels like overacting to me. The entire time I felt like I was watching a high school stage performance of Scott Pilgrim. That's not to say the acting was bad, but the dialog felt stifled at times, and there were strange silent moments that felt forced.

Scott Pilgrim vs. Nostalgia

This is the first real movie meant for people of our generation. We get the references, and they never play coy with them. The references are all right there, down to literally using music and sound effects from Zelda games. It is intimately familiar, and for that it is unique. But for something so lovingly crafted, I felt like I needed more meaning. More emotion. The books were full of emotion. I genuinely related to Scott and felt for him as he pined for Ramona. There was very little of that chemistry in the movie. It was busy being flashy, which is understandable I suppose. The action scenes were set up wonderfully and really felt like a video game. But for all the flash, I miss the emotion.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The Comic Book Ending

The movie was written and filmed before the last book in the series came out. O'Malley was a consultant for the movie and did provide them with some direction on how the story wraps up, but the ending to the movie is completely different than the books. Which was better? It's hard to say. I can honestly say that I didn't feel enthusiastic about either ending. It ended. I am not sure how it could have ended better. The movie also changed a major reveal in the last book which I believe really could have been incorporated, and the movie would have been better for it.

Would I see it again? Probably. Would I recommend it to friends? Not as enthusiastically as I hoped to be able to recommend it. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a completely decent movie with some incredible visuals. As a companion to the book series, it does it justice. As a movie on it's own? It's a strange thing indeed.

Come to the Weekly Geek Community Meet-Up at PAX 2010!

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:12:41 -0800

Dudes! It's almost time for PAX Prime again (what!) and that means we're having a Weekly Geek community meetup that you should totally attend. Last year was pretty big and we kind of took over the bottom half of Six Arms, so this year the plan is to take over the whole upper section of Six Arms. Join us at this awesome McMenamins pub, just a short walk up the hill from the convention center for beers and burgers and various good times. Yes, this is a 21+ event which means that some of you will have to stand outside in the cold, shivering for our amusement (both with feebleness and also because it's been incredibly cold and lame in Seattle this summer.)

THE DEETS:

Weekly Geek Community Meetup
September 3rd - 6PM to 8PM
Six Arms
300 East Pike Street
Seattle, WA

Click here to rsvp on Facebook, or post stuff on the wall.

Looking forward to seeing old faces and meeting new ones!

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No podcast this week, because we are jerks.

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:08:56 -0800

But here is a picture of a kitten to make up for it.

See you next week!

Podcast for 08.02.10 | Addicted

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:39:44 -0800

It's a full house this week with Qais, Jinny, Ryan, Ross and I as we discuss Starcraft II. Ok, we talk about a few other things but mainly it's Starcraft II and the iPhone jailbreak news. But mainly Starcraft II. We also talk about Limbo and Deathspank. But mainly Starcraft II. Blerf.

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Podcast for 07.26.10 | The Long Con

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:36:07 -0800

Attention, nerds! We have a new podcast for you this week, talking about the various events that happened at Comic-Con! Actually we spend a bit of time telling you why if you missed Comic-Con this year you probably weren't missing much. But we do cover the shizz we feel was important from the event, including some Scott Pilgrim news and other geek culture ephemera. We also discuss Inception (but no spoilers!), StarCraft 2 releasing this week, Limbo, Deathspank and the new Castlevania. We also discuss (in length) the DMCA verdict that Jailbreaking your iPhone is legal. Then we play a song from the new Arcade Fire album. All in all, a good podcast. Check it out.

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Podcast for 07.19.10 | Spank'd

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:55:47 -0800

Tons of stuff to cover this week, from cooking for engineers to Deathspank to Crackdown 2. Join Jinny, Ross, Qais, Ryan and I in discussing this week's big video game and geek culture news MOST NOTABLY the crazy awesomeness that was the Old Spice guy. We'll miss you, nutty Old Spice guy. We also discuss Mega Man Universe, Scott Pilgrim, Plants vs. Zombies, Limbo and death on Facebook. We wrap it all up with a song. As you do. Enjoy!

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No podcast this week, because we are jerks.

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:45:51 -0800

Hi guys! Sorry we are such jerks! Due to a scheduling conflict and various minor acts of god, we won't be recording a podcast this week. Next week, though. Oh what a podcast we will give you next week!

In the meantime, check out this upcoming Child's Play charity event called For The Kids. It's a community curated game marathon taking place this Thursday. Looks pretty neat. And, you know. It's for the kids.

Podcast for 07.05.10 | Bank Holiday

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:13:41 -0800

There is a podcast this week where before there was only a cold, dark void. Join me, Qais, Ross, Jinny and Ryan as we discuss the Hulu Plus pricing announcement and how it may or may not affect our TV viewing habits. We also discuss our rising interest in The Social Network, the new Facebook movie. Then we gush about Deadwood coming out on Blu-ray and answer some mailbag. Enjoy.

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Hulu Plus launching on PS3 in July, Xbox 360 in 'early 2011' - Joystiq
Deadwood: The Complete Series - preorder now on Blu-ray
Trent Reznor Scores Facebook Movie - Pitchfork
Song of the week - Free Translator - The Books from their upcoming album The Way Out
"Like" The Weekly Geek on Facebook
Weekly Geek t-shirts
Music, as always, by Tettix

Podcast for 06.28.10 | Gravid

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:47:18 -0800

Hi guys. Would you like to listen to a new podcast? Good. Here's one. It has me, Jinny, Qais, Ross and Ryan in it. We talk about video games. We also talk about movies. Then at the end we talk a little about food and our new chameleon. It's a typical Weekly Geek episode, and we hope you enjoy it for that fact.

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Podcast for 06.21.10 | The Best of the Rest

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:35:41 -0800

Join us this week for the best of the rest from E3 2010. We're talking Nintendo's big press conference with the 3ds, and all their new iterations of beloved franchises as well as Sony's obsession with glowing colored balls. We run down the list of the stuff we think was the coolest that came out of the convention this year, as well as some advice for novice home cooks in our mailbag segment. Enjoy!

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Podcast for 06.14.10 | Kinect

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:17:38 -0800

It's the start of E3 week, and we've got the first day covered on this episode of The Weekly Geek. Join me, Jinny, Qais and Ross in discussing Microsoft's Natal name change as well as the slew of Kinect launch titles and the brand new slim Xbox 360 console. Is the new information about the Kinect enough to get us to accept its place in the living room of the future?! We also discuss Fable 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Rock Band 3, Child of Eden and more. Stay for mailbag where we talk about what movies are on our "so bad it's good" list, and a song from the new album by The Books.

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"Xbox, Earl Grey, Hot": Microsoft Kinect Should Think Bigger Than Games - Joystiq
These Are The New Xbox 360 Specs - Joystiq
Harmonix debuts Dance Central, its Kinect dance game - Joystiq
Fable 3 launches on October 26 - Joystiq
Your new Rock Band 3 instruments revealed - Joystiq
Fallout: New Vegas gets retailer-specific pre-order items - Joystiq
Fallout: New Vegas vaporizing mutants on Oct 19 in US, Oct 22 in EU - Joystiq
GoldenEye 64 Wii-make revealed, see Craig's Bond in action - Joystiq
Xbox 360 250GB Elite Console
E3 2010: Rez creators Q? announce Child of Eden - BoingBoing
Download Colorbind for iPhone -
Download QRANK for iPhone -
Song of the week - Beautiful People by The Books off of The Way Out
"Like" The Weekly Geek on Facebook
Postcard prints by Chris
Weekly Geek t-shirts
Music, as always, by Tettix

Podcast for 06.07.10 | Consume

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 18:04:55 -0800

It's that time of year again - time to be surprised when Apple announces a new version of the iPhone. Join Jinny, Qais, Ross and I in discussing the iPhone 4 and all of it's magical properties which you will be sure to love/hate. In addition to creaming ourselves over all things Apple, we also discuss the deluge of luddite articles about multitasking and distraction, an easy to use molecular gastronomy kit and Red Dead Redemption's amazingly fun multiplayer. Stay 'till the end, because we have an excellent song of the week for you.

We've also finally fixed comments on the site! So that's good.

Enjoy.

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Hooked on Gadgets, and Paying a Mental Price - New York Times
5 Reasons It's Still Not Cool to Admit You're a Gamer
High-def iPhone 4 announced at Steve Jobs' Keynote: "Stop me if you've already seen this" - Boing Boing
Janelle Monae - Tightrope on David Letterman - YouTube
Song of the week - Tightrope by Janelle Monae off of The ArchAndroid
"Like" The Weekly Geek on Facebook
Postcard prints by Chris
Weekly Geek t-shirts
Music, as always, by Tettix

Podcast for 05.31.10 | Toad In A Hole

Mon, 31 May 2010 18:35:36 -0800

Making things, fixing things and tinkering with things is one of the things that makes geeks like us tick, and this week's podcast is pretty much all about that. Well, besides the stuff about video games. That's inevitable. Join me, Jinny, Ross and Ryan in discussing maker culture, the future of near-field iPhone/hotel interaction, the new Scott Pilgrim Trailer and Super Mario Galaxy 2. Stay tuned to the end of the show for the song of the week.

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New Scott Pilgrim Trailer - Facebook
Smartphones to be used as hotel room keys - The Telegraph
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney on iPhone next week for $5 - Joystiq
Made by Hand: Searching for Meaning in a Throwaway World
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20006057-1.html
'Grand Theft Auto V: Vice' at E3 - Leak - CVG
Song of the week - Bloodbuzz Ohio by The National off of High Violet
Join the Weekly Geek Facebook group
Postcard prints by Chris
Weekly Geek t-shirts
Music, as always, by Tettix
Header image taken by Jinny

Podcast for 05.24.10 | Lost

Mon, 24 May 2010 17:52:12 -0800

We're back this week talking about the biggest cultural event of the year - the Lost finale. Spoilers galore, so watch out! Join Ross, Jinny, Qais, Ryan and me in discussing the end of 6 years of your geeky life. What we liked and what we hated, it's all laid out on the table. In addition to spoiling the crap out of Lost, we also obsess a bit over Red Dead Redemption (buy this game), Mario Galaxy 2, Google's Pac-Man logo, a few new iPad/iPhone apps we're loving and Mark Twain's 100 year secret. It's an action-packed show with a bonus song at the end. It's like a box of cereal with a toy in it. In podcast form.

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Turn Your Lenses Upside Down - Flickr Blog
PixelJunk Shooter 2 revealed in July PlayStation: The Official Magazine - Joystiq
Way Down Deep in the Wild, Wild West - New York Times
Metareview: Super Mario Galaxy 2 - Joystiq
'Lost': If you come with me, I'll show you what I mean - Los Angeles Times
Lost was the ultimate long con - io9
Mark Twain's autobiography to be finally published, 100 years after his death - BoingBoing
Warp Gate on
We Rule on
Song of the week - All to All by Broken Social Scene off of Forgiveness Rock Record
Postcard prints by Chris!
Weekly Geek t-shirts! YAY
Music, as always, by Tettix
Header art by nedroid

No Podcast Tonight

Mon, 10 May 2010 17:15:27 -0800

You know when you get back from a trip and you're completely exhausted and all you want to do is sit and watch Star Trek and play with your new iPad? That's where we're at today. Podcast for tonight is postponed until next Monday. Apologies to those of you who need to listen to the podcast like a diabetic needs insulin. Additional apologies to all diabetics who I might have just offended. See you next week!

Podcast for 05.03.10 | Catch and Release

Mon, 03 May 2010 18:49:40 -0800

This week's episode may seem like it's all about the recent Deadliest Catch convention, but it's so much more! Join me, Jinny and Ross as we discuss CatchCon 2010 and the events surrounding this esteemed event. We talk about one boy's wish to be a superhero for a day (and how the Deadliest Catch guys were involved!), Starcraft 2's multiplayer beta, brand new Fallout 3: New Vegas info, free culinary school and a few notable video game releases this week. Be sure to keep your fork, because there's pie (in the form of the song of the week at the end of the podcast). Enjoy this week's barely edited podcast! It's in a near-raw state. It's like hearing how sausage is made. Podcast sausage.

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Podcast for 04.26.10 | Drink the Kool-Aid

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:59:41 -0800

Oh yeahhhh! We're here this week to talk about the continuing saga of Apple's lost iPhone prototype and the recent news of Gizmodo editor Jason Chen's computer confiscation. We also got our hands on an iPad and talk about why you may not find an exact need for it in your life, but you will want one regardless. We give you recommendations for some of our favorite apps, which you can also find links to at the bottom of this post. Download it now and subscribe in iTunes! Listen to it on your iPad! That would be CRAZY!

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iPad Cases Even a Nazi Communist Cartophile Could Love - Gizmodo
Police Seize Jason Chen's Computers - Gizmodo
A Far Cry from Woodward & Bernstein - The Slog
Pre-order Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty and get a beta key
iPad app - Epicurious
iPad app - Plants Vs Zombies
iPad app - Brushes
iPad/iPhone app - Frenzic
iPhone/iPad app - Drop7
iPhone/iPad app - Eliss
iPad app - Tweetdeck
iPad app - Kindle
Song of the week: LCD Soundsystem - I Can Change from This Is Happening | Stream LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
Postcard prints by Chris!
Weekly Geek t-shirts! YAY
Music, as always, by Tettix

Podcast for 04.19.10 | Hey, Did You Drop This?

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:01:01 -0800

We're back from an extended break this week with me, Ross and Qais talking about the recent iPhone 4g leak and how it feels like we peeked at our Christmas gifts early. We also talk Starcraft II and Blizzard selling horse armor to World of Warcraft players. While making ass-tons of money. There's also a bit in there about Super Mario Galaxy 2, some stuff about the iPad, Deadly Premonition, Mass Effect 2 DLC and we answer some mailbag questions. Download it!

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How Apple Lost the Next iPhone - Gizmodo
StarCraft 2 given 'Adults Only' rating in South Korea - Joystiq
Mario Galaxy 2 website details 2P co-op, also cogs - Destructoid
Blizzard selling armored horse in WoW for $25 - Joystiq
Microsoft Kin
Deadly Premonition
This week's featured song - Pascal & Pearce - Disko Biskit
Postcard prints by Chris!
Weekly Geek t-shirts! YAY
Music, as always, by Tettix

Podcast for 04.05.10 | Pointlesser

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:33:40 -0800

This week is catch-up to old news week as Jinny, Ross and I discuss the iPad, PAX East, Goozex trading retro games, the Scott Pilgrim movie trailer and the awfulness that is April Fools' Day. Ross dies halfway through the episode, and Jinny and I somehow manage to pull it together enough to discuss the home made soda maker we got recently and what games we've been playing lately. HEY did you know that t-shirts are 10% off until April 16th? GO BUY ONE and enter "boobees" at checkout. Seriously. It's not an April Fools' joke.

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No podcast for tonight

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 18:48:31 -0800

Sorry friends. Jinny and I have come down with some sort of nasty illness and do not wish to infect anyone. You could probably get the flu by just listening to our nasally plugged-up voices. We'll be back next week! Hopefully.

If we don't die.

Robo Chic

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 00:06:05 -0800

Here we have a stark contrast to the robots I encounter daily which rumble on kicking up dust, flipping through corroded copper wire and Soviet-era munitions. Instead, a blend of Daniel Faraday and GQ, clinical demonstration with minimally exposed innards. This fits everything I want in modern day robotics, an amalgamation of polish and lack of control bottled to order, ID card still unbent and shiny.

[Robots, part III - The Big Picture]

Podcast for 03.22.10 | Anti-Hero

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 18:57:27 -0800

Join us this week for a discussion about the super-violence of God of War 3 and the line between anti-hero and villain, a follow up to the Final Fantasy 13 storytelling conversation, the beauty and innovation of Heavy Rain and Jinny's new photography obsession. We answer a lot of mailbag, as well!

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Karakuri Somersault Doll

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:42:05 -0800

Look in horror as it tumbles. Tumbles for you. You don't know why you bought it. Perhaps the promise of "a centuries old secret artisan technique" combined with the self-satisfying DIY gratification making that one clock brought. Little did you realize that this back-wrenching monster is the stuff of nightmares, a real life ode to Puppetmaster with a conveniently translated instruction manual.

Go back to your LEGOs, man. Go back to your solder and breadboards. This way is madness.

[Karakuri Somersault Doll - MakerSHED]

Podcast for 03.15.10 | Treed

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:43:57 -0800

This week, join Qais, Jinny, Ross and me in discussing GDC 2010, Emerald City Comic Con, Crackdown 2, Puzzle Quest 2, NBA Jam, indie gaming, Pac-Man and iPhone games like Words with Friends. Lots of gaming stuff in this episode, and tons of mailbag! Thanks for sending in your questions, peeps.

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Podcast Participation! This is a thing you can do!

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:36:14 -0800

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Did you know that you can actually interact with our glorious podcast instead of just sitting there passively listening? It's true! Say you hear something on the podcast that really gets your brain juices flowing, or Qais says something horribly racist and you'd like to give him an earful of "what-for". What do you do? You could always try yelling really loud, but it's likely that we won't hear you (note: we will always try to listen in case this happens. We have listening posts all over the world.) There are multiple ways for you to interact with us.

Mailbag - Send us a question and we may read it on air at the end of the podcast. Questions usually range from "hey, what do you think about this video game" to "hey, I have an opinion about something!". Sometimes people email us just to say hi, or that they love us. Those mails are good too, but they usually don't get read on the air. Some people have even recorded audio mailbags! You can send us those, too. We will play them if they aren't horrible.
Delicious - We use Delicious.com to bookmark things we'd like to discuss on-air during the week. If you use Delicious and would like to send us a link to discuss, just tag it with "for:weeklygeek" and it will drop into our inbox.
Twitter - Our twitter names are on the left side of the webpage. We obsessively check replies, because our lives are wholly meaningless without attention.
The Forum! - Tons of geek-minded individuals like yourself are conversing RIGHT NOW at THIS VERY MOMENT in our official forums. Drop in and say hello. They're nice people.

We love hearing from you!

Podcast for 03.08.10 | Valvecast

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:01:22 -0800

This week we're changing formats to an all-Valve podcast, only discussing Half Life, Portal and Left 4 Dead related news. Okay, maybe we'll also throw in a little God of War 3, Final Fantasy 13, Fallout: New Vegas, Rock Band Network and Mass Effect 2 stuff in there as well. Do please join Ross, Jinny, Qais and I for this most excellent of podcasts.

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Podcast for 03.01.10 | Secretary of Calendars

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:42:47 -0800

On this week's episode we discuss the PS3pocalypse, Mass Effect 2, Borderlands DLC, Resident Evil 5 DLC, Portal patches that hint at Portal 2, new Metroid: Other M info, and a few other things I forgot to write down as we said them. ENJOY.

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Gravy Is On Board: New T-shirt Alert!

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:55:55 -0800

Gravy is the center of the universe. It's a bold statement, yes, but it's the way things ought to be. While I will spare you my lengthy manifesto about gravy, I will remind you that we've been talking about a new shirt in The Weekly Geek store for weeks. That's right, we aren't the dirty, filthy liars you thought we were--the shirt is finally available! Huzzah! Oh yeah, we have a shirt for that too.

While I own an older version of this shirt already, I'm making a beeline to buy another one because there is always room for more gravy. Special thanks to Brian from SplitReason for making this girl's gravy dream a reality.

Shirts are $18.95 plus shipping and absolutely worthy of showing off your devotion to gravy in style. Do it.

Podcast for 02.22.10 | Mass Affected

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:41:03 -0800

Please to be joining Jinny, Ross, Qais and myself on this week's podcast, where we discuss the usual assortment of things. This week we talk about Civilization games and the announcement of Civilization 5, the new Borderlands DLC, Mass Effect 2, Bioshock 2, Plants vs. Zombies for the iPhone, the new Venture Bros toys, and privacy concerns raised by the website PleaseRobMe.com.

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Podcast for 02.15.10 | How Am I Going To Get The Lettuce To Support Your Internet Fetish?

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:33:21 -0800

This week's podcast has Ross, Qais and Jinny joining me in a heated discussion about Google's imminent takeover of humanity, and how social networking is the most efficient form of human communication. We also discuss lighter topics such as new games for the iPhone, Mattel's new "Computer Engineer" Barbie, Mass Effect 2, Crackdown 2, Bioshock 2, and the swanky party Jinny and I threw this past weekend, which featured a neat DIY photo booth you can make yourself! The song for this week is "Harmonix" by Surfer Blood. Enjoy!

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Podcast for 02.08.10 | Shocking

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:55:27 -0800

This week's all about game news - big announcements about Fallout: New Vegas and Sonic the Hedgehog 4, World of Warcraft's auction house app for the iPhone, Mass Effect 2, and a little game called Bioshock 2. We also discuss the new (final!) season of LOST (spoiler-free, for your sanity), faulty game consoles, soundtracks on vinyl, and the song of the week! Join me, Jinny and Qais for this week's dose of geekery.

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Podcast for 02.01.10 | Truly Magical

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:22:07 -0800

A new Apple product was released this week, and you all know we can't avoid talking about it on the show. Join me, Jinny, Qais and Ross in discussing Apple's new unfortunately-named product and what it means for YOU, the consumer. We also discuss the eternal blackness of space, Beethoven's skull, videogames new and old and much more. Oh! Don't forget to stay for the unrepentant misogyny. And the single of the week. I am sure you'll find it... truly magical.

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Podcast for 01.25.10 | Physicality

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:18:56 -0800

Welcome to yet another episode of The Weekly Geek! This week we have special guest Charles Vestal joining me, Ross, Jinny and Qais to discuss his project Year of Record. We talk in-depth about the value of vinyl and how we all tend to consume music differently. We also discuss people who make records out of chocolate, and this week's video game news. It's one big crazy hour-long tangent with a song tacked on the end like every week. Only this week, the song is Norway by Beach House off their new album Teen Dream. As always, we hope you enjoy it.

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Podcast for 01.18.09 | The Stony Hiss of Cockatrice

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:22:33 -0800

This week please to be joining Ross, Jinny and I in our discussion about Grand Theft Auto for the iPhone, Google's response to China, America's geek shortage, Netflix on the Wii, Star Wars: Old Republic's release date, how you might not be actually watching IMAX when you go see an IMAX movie, buffalo wings, Friday Night Lights, music piracy, and more! Lots more. Download now, or subscribe using the links on the left hand side of the website. Right over there. No, there. You got it. Yes. Right there. Click that. Okay.

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The Weekly Filmschool: IMAX

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:00:01 -0800

Nearly every major Theater has an IMAX auditorium now, but what is it exactly? Is it just a bigger screen? Bigger sound? Well, the answer isn't as clear-cut as you might think.

What is IMAX?

IMAX isn't a film format like what Academy 35mm film is. It's an entertainment technology company based in Canada. They're the ones who decide what to brand as "IMAX."

Traditional IMAX is a special way of shooting 70mm film. On a regular camera and projector, the film is fed through vertically. On an IMAX camera, the film is fed through horizontally, allowing for twice as much area to be exposed per frame. This creates an image that is much clearer and more detailed at the expense of using up more film.

70mm film is normally run through vertically, but IMAX does it different. Taken from Slashfilm. Note that not only is the 35mm smaller, but the image is distorted to squeeze in the wide aspect ratio. This is what an anamorphic lens does. The image is uncompressed when projected.

The downside is real IMAX films are logistically and financially ungainly. Traditionally films are limited to just 40 minutes, but 2-hour run times are possible with massive 2-meter wide film platters that are so heavy they have to be moved with a small crane. This posed a rather serious money-making problem for theaters and the IMAX company itself since nice, juicy Hollywood films were excluded.

Their solution was to broaden the definition of IMAX. One solution is to shoot certain scenes of a movie in IMAX, but switch to regular film when you have talking heads. They did this with The Dark Night. Action sequences were in IMAX, but the rest of the film was projected digitally in 2K video (which is slightly higher res than 1080p.)

The second solution (and sadly, the most common,) is to project blown-up 35mm film or 2K video and call it IMAX. Which is no more detailed than a cheaper presentation in a regular theater. This is called IMAX DMR (Digital Media Remastering) and is a huge ripoff. Though I see it as a temporary setback until 8K and 16K (IMAX-equivalent resolution) video become more feasible in the next ten years. You see, at the moment there is no editing system on the planet that can handle 16K video, nor do any projectors actually exist that can display it. So for the time being, physical film is vastly superior.

Filmmaking in IMAX.

IMAX cameras tend to be very large and heavy, which makes filming with them very challenging. The Discovery Channel reality show, Storm Chasers, recently featured IMAX filmmaker Sean C. Casey and his armor-plated camera truck, TIV2, as he travels the American Midwest in search of his perfect shot of the inside of a tornado.

The TIV2: A Glorified Camera Mount designed to intercept an F3 tornado.

The Camera itself. 92 pounds and well over $100,000.

Casey's camera is about as portable as they get. Running through all of its film in 3 minutes. Buying the film and developing costs about $2,400 for that one 3-minute roll. So you can understand his frustration when he doesn't get his shot.

IMAX 3D

IMAX 3D is still a confusing title, because it still doesn't tell you what you'll be seeing. Most of the time (like with Avatar) you're just seeing a standard-def format blown up to fit an IMAX screen. Laaaaaaame. However there are real IMAX cameras that can shoot 3D... and they are truly massive.

Warners Bros. and NASA have teamed up to produce a spectacular-looking film that will be shot in "real" IMAX 3D. NASA custom-built a 700-pound (300Kg) camera that would satisfy weight-restrictions and be able to withstand the harsh environment of space. Unlike a regular IMAX 3D camera, this one shoots on only one reel of film. Alternating left and right eye perspectives per 2 frames. The film is then transferred to two separate patters (one for each eye) and projected at the same time through polarized filters to create the illusion of 3D. If you're not excited to see this movie, you are clearly dead.

The lesson you should take away from this article is to be wary when a film is advertised as IMAX. Especially if it is a feature film. Even The Dark Knight, which had brilliant scenes shot in real IMAX... only totaled up to about 8 minutes out of the whole film. Do a small bit of research to make sure that $3 premium is actually worth it. Because usually it isn't.