Moviebeam, the overpriced, low quality video on demand box is ceasing service on December 15th. Hope you didn’t buy one.
Original post by Brian Lam
Starting next year, the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts will have something that’s long overdue for an otaku-rich country: a two-year graduate degree in anime production–the first for a non-private institution in Japan. Courses will be taught by full-time professionals from the anime world including Koji Yamamura, and students will leave with two or three full-fledged works under their belt. We’re jealous, but we think we might hold out for the Ph. D. in Gundam Suit fabrication studies. One day. [Yomiuri Shimbun]
Original post by Daniel Godfrey
Robovie-X is a new robot kit from Japanese DIY maker ATR. Not only can it use its fully-programmable 17 degrees of freedom and optical distance sensors to follow moving targets and fire at them with a surprisingly powerful plastic missile launcher, it can also, apparently, shed its armor and dress up as a jazz-hands-waving Foghorn Leghorn or a white-gloved Michael Jackson archer. You know, if you’re into that kind of thing. Check out more pics and a video of the missiles in action after the jump.
galleryPost(\’robochickengallery\’, 4, \’Robots\’);
Apparently more weapon attachments are on the way. No word on additional costumes. [via Impress]
Original post by Daniel Godfrey
In the battalion of boxes that encases Rock Band’s high quality gear there is but one guitar. Since you can’t buy the instruments separately yet and Guitar Hero III’s guitar won’t work w/ RB on the PS3, your band is effectively bass player-less. Harmonix to the rescue: The upcoming patch for PS3’s RB includes “a number of items related to guitar controller compatibility.” Translated from PR-speak, it looks like they’re adding support for GHIII’s Les Paul geetars. Rock on. [Rock Band Forums via Kotaku]
Original post by Matt Buchanan
This electronic Christmas tree fashioned in the likeness of a Pac-Man map, complete with Pac Man, power pellets and ghosts, shows the Spanish know what they’re doing when it comes to the holidays. Currently in downtown Madrid, the tree not only features all the elements of the game, but Pac-Man and his nemeses are partially animated, shifting back and forth in place.
Sure, it would have been cool for the tree to be fully animated, with characters moving freely around the tree. But for now, we’ll just appreciate the time honored tradition of ghost chomping. Between the tree and his Christmas special that’s on Cartoon Network every year, Pac-Man clearly loves the holidays. [Clipset via Technabob]
Original post by Adrian Covert