The week before E3 is usually a dull one in terms of videogame releases. Still, there are few games that you should keep an eye on. Capcom’s Remember Me has been getting some buzz. This stealth-action game takes place in a futuristic version of Paris and uses some interesting sci-fi concepts. If you’ve missed out on Skyrim then you should consider picking up The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Legendary Edition, which has all the bells and whistles. Lastly, Marvel Heroes launches this week. As a comic-book nerd, I’m intrigued by this superhero MMO and wondering if any of you are interested in a spandex adventure (in the game, not in real life).
Double Fine is going to the Kickstarter well once again for a turn-based strategy game called Massive Chalice. The game uses tactical-RPG gameplay in a sword-and-sorcery setting. The Kickstarter rewards include a t-shirt, a poster, your very own in-game house name, participation in a brainstorming session at Double Fine HQ, and more. As of this writing, the Double Fine is on the cusp of reaching its $725,000 goal with 24 days to go. Check out an excerpt from the official description, as well as the pitch video below Continue reading “Double Fine’s Massive Chalice on Kickstarter”
As most of you know, I’ve been spending the last few weeks playing The Moving Game, which is something you need to play every now and then, but also utter crap. Thankfully, I’m done with that…experience. Now I’m playing the slightly better Unpacking Game. To keep myself somewhat sane, I’ve shoved all the non-essential boxes into the closet of my home office/filming space. Of course there will be a lovely surprise when I discover that an important box is tucked away in the corner and I have to dig through 18 boxes in order to find it. Yeah, this game isn’t the best.
Hopefully you can regale with your exponentially more entertaining exploits (E3?). What’s on your weekend playlist?
Hello there ladies and gents. As some of you know, I’m moving into a new apartment with my very own filming area (for reviews, not bondage videos). The light stuff starts today and the heavy stuff happens tomorrow. My Internet connectivity will be all over the place, especially since my U-Verse installation is being delayed because the frickin’ apartment manager can’t be bothered to pick up the phone (wow, headaches before I’ve even moved in?). I’ll be checking in as much as I can, though mostly through my phones. Please wish me a safe and speedy move (especially the latter, since the movers charge by the hour).
Here’s an interview I conducted with Five Pawns president and founder Rodney Jerabek. I first came across Five Pawns e-liquids at Vaping Ape LA and was immediately impressed. The company makes some really delicious juices that are unusually rich and complex. It was great spending time at Five Pawns HQ and learning more about the company. In the video above, Rodney talks about the company’s origins, what goes into a Five Pawns e-liquid, why the juice costs what it does, the wood-barrel steeped “Reserve” line, and more.
There are a few things that make Five Pawns’ offerings unique. Let’s start with the e-liquids themselves. They’re made with natural ingredients, including some that are sourced locally. Many e-liquids use one, two, or three flavors in addition to the standard ingredients of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerol, and nicotine. Five Pawns juices contain up to 11 ingredients. This makes for some of the most distinct, complex, and flavorful juices I’ve tried.
Most e-liquid vendors have dozens of flavors available and it’s extremely rare for an e-liquid company to do many different types of flavors well. Off the top of my head, the only juice maker that excels in so many different areas is Ahlusion. Jerabek compared Five Pawns’ approach to In-N-Out Burger, a (glorious) fast food chain that offers a simple menu with everything on the menu done really well. To kick things off, he wanted the company to offer five juices that are all done really well.
Similar to fine wines and scotches, Five Pawns e-liquids are made in small batches. Typically, each batch results in 160 30ml bottles of juice. The bottles have the mixing date, lot number, and bottle number printed on them. The juices are pre-steeped so they’re good to go when you buy them in a store or receive them in the mail.
Jerabek’s background is in design, which is obvious from the company’s packaging. Five Pawns e-liquids come in clear glass bottles with some of the best labels I’ve seen. The bottles are placed in handsome cardboard tubes that remind me of liquor or perfume boxes. It makes for a high-end experience, similar to how Apple packaging enhances the experience of a great product.
Some vaping enthusiasts had sticker shock when they saw that Five Pawns’ online prices were $27.50 for a 30ml bottle. Jerabek was very honest about the pricing. First, he noted that he doesn’t want to compete with his retail partners; the prices available on the Five Pawns web site are the same that you’ll find in stores. He’s also positioning Five Pawns as a high-end e-liquid company, which is completely understandable considering the top-notch ingredients and packaging. With all of that in mind, $27.50 is a reasonable price for these great juices. I’ve seen mediocre and less-than-mediocre e-liquids sell for $25 for 30ml at retail — stuff that wasn’t 1/10 as good as Five Pawns juices.
As a Southern California resident, I’m jazzed that Irvine-based Five Pawns is off to a great start. The company makes some fantastic juices and the people I’ve met from there are super-cool. I also love the company’s artisanal approach to making e-liquids. I’m a fan of companies that excel while being different and I believe that Five Pawns fits that description. Stay tuned for a Five Pawns juice review and a video feature on the company’s awesome tasting room.
(Also, please excuse my horrible voice in the video. I’m even more nasally than usual. Ha! I was horribly congested that day. Actually, I still am…. Hmmmm, I need to fix this before E3 2013. Oy.)
There are two games that you should keep your eyes on this week. The (far) more interesting one is Fuse by Insomniac. This four-player cooperative action game is being published by EA and will be available on multiple platforms. I don’t remember the last time an Insomniac game was published by a company other than Sony (I think it was 1996, but don’t quote me on that) and it’s weird seeing a game from this stellar developer on a non-Sony console. Dogs and cats, living together! Mass hysteria! The other release is GRID 2.
This week’s pairing reminds me of when Ricky Gervais introduced Tom Hanks and Tim Allen at the Golden Globes:
What can I say about our next two presenters? The first is an actor, producer, writer and director whose movies have grossed over $3.5-billion at the box office. He’s won two Academy Awards and three Golden Globes for his powerful and varied performances starring in such films as Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Castaway, Apollo 13, and Saving Private Ryan. The other is Tim Allen.
As an indie-wrestling fan, I’ve watched a bunch of El Generico matches at Ring of Honor and Pro Wrestling Guerilla events. As many of you know, I was a big mark for Claudio Castagnoli’s indie work. With those factors in mind, it was cool watching Claudio and Generico duke it out as Antonio Cesaro and Sami Zayn on the last episode of NXT (highlight clip below). While Claudio has shown that he can be a WWE star, I’m not quite sure about Generico’s future. Part of it is that I’m used to seeing him wrestle in a mask as The Generic Luchador and it’s just weird seeing him without it. While he has strong in-ring skills and good charisma, I’m not sure if his talents mesh with WWE creative. Like Claudio, CM Punk, and Bryan Danielson, I’ll be rooting for him.
Check out the highlights of Antonio Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn below and let me know what you think of the new El Generico. Can you see him as a full fledged WWE Superstar?
Here’s a fun sketch from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon that blends Game of Thrones with the “late shift” hosting politics. As many of you know, Fallon is taking over The Tonight Show from Jay Leno in 2014. While I’m excited for the change and hopeful that Fallon’s crew continues to nerd it up (love the tech and gaming content), there are some that aren’t thrilled with the latest late shift. Some are Conan O’Brien fans that are still angry over the last hosting debacle with Jay Leno. Some are Seth Meyers fans that want him manning The Tonight Show desk. This sketch touches on those issues…and also brilliantly casts The Roots as a pastiche of the Night’s Watch. Check it out and let me know what you think (please!).
During my road trip with Envision Vapor Rob, I hit up a new vape shop called Planet Vape. The store has been opened for a few weeks and had its grand opening this past weekend. In addition to a very cool “parlor” (or parlour, if you’re British) feel, I was impressed by Planet Vape’s hardware selection. Check out the photo gallery below and read on for more details on this excellent store.
The lounge area is comfortable and classy. The tasting area uses cushy bar stools, there’s a corner section with three comfortable couches, and center section with a high table adorned with a chess board. If chess isn’t your thing, there are a pair of televisions for you to enjoy. The TVs were playing ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption while I was there, making it tough to leave (Tony Kornheiser rules!). The shop has a water cooler and teas for your to rehydrate with. Most vape shops I’ve been to offer water. It’s very classy of Planet Vape to go beyond plain old H2O.
Like most vape shops, Planet Vape has standard eGo-style e-cigs for people to buy. Generally speaking, these are the most profitable products for stores and the easiest to sell to new vapers. What floored me was the excellent selection of high-end mechanical mods available — very unusual for a new vape shop. The store has mods from the Philippines (Sentinel, Nzonic, TItan), Finland (Electric Angel), Thailand (Siam Mods Cube), and more. Also unusual for a new shop is the rebuildable atomizer selection; the Los Angeles shops that have opened in 2013 are still getting ready for the wick-and-wire crowd, while Planet Vape has had RBAs and RBA supplies from the get go.
E-liquid choices include juices from Black Label, Uncle Junk’s, Naughty by Vapor, Villain Vapor, and more. The overall selection is strong, but as a fan of NET (naturally extracted tobacco) e-liquids, the tobacco choices are thin.
For a vape shop that just opened, I was very impressed by Planet Vape. The staff is friendly, the vibe is comfortable and fun, the hardware selection is killer, and the juice choices are solid. It’s definitely a place that I want to hit up again. Hmmmm, I’m going to give Rob a call to see if we can find an excuse to head to Planet Vape. Ha!
