My excellent friend Raina Lee and I checked out three e-liquids from Heather’s Heavenly Vapes. We vaped a trio of juices named after The Lord of the Rings characters: Gandalf, Gollum, and Shadowfax. While we were impressed by the quality of all three, we each had a favorite. Watch the video review to hear details on the flavor of all three products. They’re even tastier than Hobbit leaf!
Steeping Notes
Shadowfax
60/40 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: October 20, 2012 5:20PM
Recapped: October 22, 2012 5:34PM
Opened: November 6, 2012 1:35PM
Gollum
60/40 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: October 20, 2012 5:20PM
Recapped: October 22, 2012 5:34PM
Opened: November 6, 2012 1:35PM
Gandalf
60/40 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: October 20, 2012 5:20PM
Recapped: October 22, 2012 5:34PM
Opened: November 6, 2012 1:35PM
Star Wars: The Old Republic will be a free-to-play game starting November 15, 2012. While the game, developed by BioWare and published by EA, was generally well reviewed, it hasn’t reached nearly as many customers as the publisher had hoped for. Many pundits believed that EA expected the game to be its World of Warcraft. The Old Republic has had some success, but not that kind of success.
According to the developer, players will be able to reach level 50 without paying a cent. It will be interesting to see if using a free-to-play model gives the game a significant boost in subscribers.
Let’s forget about the dilemmas of mega-publishers for a second and focus on you. Will you give Star Wars: The Old Republic a shot when it becomes free-to-play? Please leave a comment and let me know!
My morning started off with the depressing news that Yasumi Matsuno is leaving Level-5 and taking a long break from game development. Matsuno is one of my favorite game directors/developers of all time. He dazzled RPG fans with his excellent Final Fantasy Tactics and Tactics Ogre games before being handed the keys to the big car — Final Fantasy XII. As many of you know, FFXII’s development cycle was disastrous and took a huge toll on Matsuno’s health. I had high hopes that Matsuno would revive his career at Level-5, but his return to glory has taken a detour. Here’s the (translated) word from Gematsu:
I’m sorry to report, but due to personal reasons, next month I’ll be retiring from Level-5. Having finished production of 3DSWare domestically and in North America and Europe, it’s at a good point time-wise for me to retire.
Even though it was for a short period of time, I was able to work hard without any gross mistakes. I am extremely grateful for the gift of genial teaching I received from everyone. Over and over again, thank you so much. I plan on taking a break for a while. I’m very thankful to have your support from now on.
Well…that just sucks. While I hope Matsuno can find some peace and happiness, I selfishly want him to dazzle me once more with an epic RPG. I’m just going to sit here and vape while I patiently wait for another Matsuno classic. *pout*
Here’s an interesting rumor with some crazy energon potential: Mark Wahlberg is being considered for a role in Transformers 4. There are several reasons why this is awesome news. Before I get to that, here’s what director Michael Bay recently blogged:
I squashed a rumor that was on the internet last week. It was about Mark Walhberg. Mark was rumored to be staring in Transformers 4. We are working on another movie together, not T4. I had such a great time working with Mark on Pain and Gain, and he gave such a great performance — well let’s say that very internet chatter gave me some ideas. We are at the inception of our story process right now on T4. Let’s say some ideas are gaining traction with me and my writer — so I’m here to say thanks internet chatter.
There are three reasons why I’d love Wahlberg as the new lead in Transformers:
I can’t stand Sean LeBeef Shia LaBeouf. It would be a double-bonus if Wahlberg was the new leading man opposite Optimus Prime. The nightmare, of course, is that LeBeouf will be back and Wahlberg’s character will die in the opening credits.
Wahlberg is cool. Between Boogie Nights, Entourage, and The Other Guys, I’m a big fan of Marky Mark’s second career. Also, it would completely rule if Dirk Diggler defeated Megatron.
Speaking of Marky Mark (and the Funky Bunch), if Wahlberg is in the movie then “Good Vibrations” must be in the soundtrack. That would be awesome. Feel the vibrations!!!
What do you think of the possibility of Mark Wahlberg being in Transformers 4?
Here’s a stylish and unique e-cigarette that’s geared towards casual and social smokers: the Emini from Ovale USA. This vaping device comes with two batteries and a cool charging case that strongly resembles an Apple iPhone 4/4S. While it’s not powerful enough for hardcore vapors, it’s a compelling choice for social smokers that don’t want to fuss with charging cables and want a product that looks good. Here’s the rundown.
What’s in the Kit: The Emini comes with two batteries, a charging case, three e-liquid cartridges, two atomizers, two atomizer heads, a USB charger, and a wall adapter. The kit currently lists for $69.99 on the Ovale USA site.
Form Factor: The e-cigs are a little bit shorter than the standard ones offered by competing companies like Safe Cig and V2. They look like “real” cigarettes, which is good for people that want to blend in with smokers and want to vape without drawing attention to themselves. The charging case, which holds one battery at a time, is smaller than an iPhone 4. The setup is very much pocketable.
Performance: As far as the batteries go, the Emini performs inline with other automatic batteries for competing vendors. The draw is decent, while the vapor is good for this type of device. Each 90 mAh battery lasts around 20 to 30 minutes. The case is rated at 1,090 mAh, which is more than enough for the type of vaper this product targets. The charging case should provide enough power to get casual smokers through a day. If that’s not enough, the case can be recharged with a standard micro-USB cable.
Consumables: The batteries use standard Ego-C atomizer heads, which are common and easy to find. The e-juice cartridges are proprietary and costs $5.99 for a five-pack at Ovale USA.
Verdict: This is a really cool e-cig that’s stylish and practical. The charging case is super convenient. Personally, I prefer the Elips-C as far as smaller e-cigs go, but this is good choice for casual vapers that want something that resembles a tobacco cigarette. Remember, this product is not meant for heavy vapers; the battery life, vapor production, and draw won’t satisfy them. If you’re the kind of person that occasionally takes smoke breaks at work or wants to vape over drinks, the Emini’s looks and convenience will keep you happy.
Karateka is now available through Xbox Live Arcade. This is an updated version of a classic game made by one of the industry’s true living legends — Jordan Mechner. The game is a boy-rescues-girl tale filled with martial arts combat. I fondly remember playing the original on my Commodore 64 and was struck by its simple, yet effective, storytelling. At the time, I thought videogames were about bouncing balls off of bricks, shooting alien invaders, and gobbling up ghosts. I had no idea games could tell stories!
The remake’s art was headed by Jeff Matsuda, a longtime Marvel Comics penciller known for his runs on Wolverine, X-Men, Generation X, X-Factor, and Avengers. It has a cool, cartoonish look that retains some design elements of the original work.
Karateka costs 800 MS points, which I believe is $10 to normal humans.
I’m psyched to play a modern version of the game. Mechner is awesome and I’m looking forward to his fresh take on one of his classics. Any of you guys and dolls intrigued by Karateka?
Bay Area company Green Throttle Games aims to combine the portability and power of mobile phones with a full-on console experience. The company was formed by executives with experience at RedOctane, Nokia, Palm, and more. How Green Throttle works is that you connect your phone to your television and connect a Bluetooth controller — dubbed Atlas — to your phone. It will have first-party games that take full advantage of the setup, while also offering tools to help third-party developers make their games compatible with the controller. There will also be an Android app that will help users find games that are compatible with Green Throttle.
Leading the way is CEO and co-founder Charles Huang. He was COO and co-founder of RedOctane, famous for the Guitar Hero games. Huang is accompanied by president & COO Matt Crowley, who has product experience with Nokia, Palm, and Philips Electronics. Rounding out the team is vice president & CTO Karl Townsend, one of the founders of Handspring with experience at HP and Palm. As you can see, the company has experience in both gaming and mobile. Huang helped create one of the biggest videogame crazes in the last decade, while his COO and CTO understand the mobile space and working with mobile developers.
The early reactions to Green Throttle have been interesting. Some pundits think it has a big advantage over the competing Ouya system in that a separate box isn’t required. Some believe that Green Throttle’s first-party games are the make-or-break feature of the system. Technology and convenience will only get you so far. Systems like Green Throttle and Ouya need great games in order to thrive.
What are your thoughts on Green Throttle. Are you interested in the product? Do you think it will succeed? Please let me know in the comments section!
Since purchasing Lucasfilm wasn’t enough, here’s a rumor that’s both exciting and terrifying: Disney is in talks to buy Hasbro. In addition to being one of the largest toy companies in the world, Hasbro has the rights to Transformers, G.I. Joe, Dungeons and Dragons, Nerf, Magic: The Gathering, and more. Here’s the story from MTV Geek:
We have it on good authority that serious discussions are happening at the highest levels of both Disney and Hasbro to fold the largest toy and game company on the planet into the Mouse.
From what we’re told, these are still just discussions at this point, but serious enough that something could be announced at any time and create ripples throughout the entertainment industry.
While the crossover potential would be amazing, that’s perhaps too much geek power for any one company to have. Imagine a single entity controlling all the beloved characters from Disney movies, Pixar films, Star Wars, Transformers (not the crap movie, but the awesome toys/cartoon), G.I. Joe, Marvel Comics, D&D, and more?!? On one hand, it would be awesome that an entertainment company with a track record of hands-off reverence would be controlling these properties. On the other hand, it’s a bit terrifying that one company would singlehandedly control almost everything most of us loved as a kid.
What do you think of the Disney-buying-Hasbro rumor?
I’ve been surprised that big tobacco companies have been slow to adopt e-cigarettes. There are a few exceptions, but the majors are moving at a glacial pace, failing to take advantage of a booming market. It seems like such an obvious thing — sell tobacco cigarettes to get people hooked and sell a healthier alternative when people want to quit. Have these companies learned nothing from Monsanto?!? Then again, American tobacco companies are so old and slow that perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised by their failure to adapt. For now, let’s look at two companies that are cashing in on the e-cig craze: Lorillard and Swisher.
Lorillard might sound like an unfamiliar brand, but you’ve surely seen the company’s products. Newport, Kent, True, Satin, and Maverick are the most famous Lorillard tobacco cigarettes. In April 2012, Lorillard bought Blu Cigs. While they’re far from the best in terms of performance and taste, Blu has some of the best marketing of any e-cig company. Lorillard has turned the marketing dial to 11, with an aggressive advertising campaign featuring Stephen Dorff.
In addition to big marketing dollars, Lorillard is using its retail relationships to get Blu on store shelves. For most (quality) vaping products, Internet stores or specialty shops are the only options. Blu Cigs, on the other hand, can be found at drugstores and groceries. In fact, I could go down the street and pick up Blu Cigs at my local Walgreens if I wanted to. That kind of reach is extremely powerful.
I’m sure that many of you are familiar with Swisher Sweets cigars. A lot of young people like to blend them with…other types of herbal remedies. The company has an e-cig line call e-Swisher, consisting of products that look like cigarettes, as well as those that look like Swisher cigars. Like Lorillard, Swisher has extensive retail relationships and is able to reach a lot of eyeballs.
These two traditional tobacco companies are just the beginning. There’s a great chance that the market will boom, with other traditional tobacco companies releasing e-cig products in the near future. Like Blu, I also expect more celebrity endorsers. Katherine Heigl (pictured at the top of this post) has been vaping for years and even busted out an e-cig on The Late Show with David Letterman (clip below). More recently, Robert Pattinson was spotted using an e-cig. Imagine all the Twilight smokers he could convert?!? The future of vaping would be insured if the world’s most desirable vampire endorsed an e-cig. Hmmmm, I’m going to try to get in touch with his agent.
Former Gamestop vice president of corporate communications and public affairs Chris Olivera was a bad boy. For some reason, in addition to being the company’s #1 flack, he also processed invoices from vendors. Olivera has plead guilty to using his paperwork prowess to siphon money — $2-million!!! — to a dummy LLC. Here’s the scoop from the Dallas Observer:
The scheme was simple. According to a federal indictment filed yesterday afternoon, Olivera sent regular payments from Gamestop to Cloud Communications, LLC, a Nevada-based corporation with offices in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Canada. The company, and its supposed representative, Jennifer Miller, existed only on the papers Olivera had filed with the Nevada secretary of state.
This went on for nearly two years, from July 2009 through April 2011.
Wow. This is like Enron / JP Morgan / Bank Melli-type crazy. While executive scumbaggery doesn’t surprise me, I naively thought that the videogame business wouldn’t suffer from a scandal like this for at least another decade. That’s totally me romanticizing the gaming business. I should know better. How about you? Any of you surprised by the Gamestop embezzling scandal?
