Bridge Constructor puts you in command of building bridges as a bridge architect and engineer (note: no certification required). The goal here is to wrestle with physics and put together structurally sound bridges that can support automobiles. It is part design and part puzzle solving. Four years after the release of Bridge Constructor, Headup Games has released a new DLC containing 18 new levels and featuring trains, rather than automobiles, as the vehicle of choice. Welcome to the Choonited Kingdom!

Gameplay

As an expansion, the Bridge Constructor Trains DLC retains the same gameplay mechanics as the base game. Bridges are constructed using various materials that each have their own pros and cons. For example, wood is a cheap and light material, but is not very strong. Conversely, steel is very sturdy, but expensive and heavy. Tension wires and concrete structures are also available. Each bridge has a set budget that cannot be exceeded and, for some bridges, only certain materials are allowed to solve the puzzle.

Once the bridge is built, it must be strong enough for vehicles to cross from one end to the other. Weak-points and areas of stress can be seen when testing out the bridge and will be shown when running the vehicles across it. In the case of Trains, there is the light commuter-rail train and the heavier freight train. Points are awarded for completing the bridge, doing so under budget, and bonus points for completing the level with the heavier freight train successfully crossing the bridge.

The mechanic of using trains differs from using cars in the other levels because it is a longer, continuous vehicle. In the base game, the cars and/or trucks are sent across in a pair with a car length in between them. This gap can allow for extra leniency as stress is momentarily relieved as the cars go past. This is not the case for the trains as they are longer. In the case of the freight train, the cars are not all the same weight which adds to the difficulty. As a result, the Trains DLC is a little bit trickier with this in mind – a bit of fresh air to a rather unchanged game mechanic.

Pros

+ More of the puzzles and challenges that the game is known for

+ A slight adjustment of the normal formula makes things fresh without going overboard

Cons

– No major cons were found in the DLC when compared to the base game

Overall

Bridge Constructor – Trains is a welcome addition to the original game. Considering its similarities to the base game and addition of a few levels and minor differences, its refreshing to see this as simply an expansion back rather than a stretched-out shallow title. Fans of Bridge Constructor will feel right at home with this DLC – that is, if they are still interested in DLC for the original game, 4 years  and  3 separate sequels later.

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Anna, Paul O.

The Geek Generation – #212 – Lightsaber Keyblade

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
• Geek Outs:
  • Star Wars
  • Ryan Reynolds returning as Deadpool
  • New Dragon Ball Z movie
  • Chris Hardwick called out The Rock on @midnight
  • Flash/Arrow crossover episodes
  • Cards Against Humanity hates Black Friday
  • PlayStation 4
  • LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
  • Kingdom Hearts 3 might include Marvel and Star Wars
  • Day of the Tentacle: Special Edition announced
• Freak Outs:
  • Christmas
  • Buying an Xbox One
  • Destiny DLC
• Game: Smash-Up
  • Rejected LEGO sets
• News/discussion
  • Suicide Squad cast announced
  • James Bond 24 officially titled Spectre
  • Benedict Cumberbatch officially cast as Doctor Strange
  • Krysten Ritter cast as Marvel’s Jessica Jones
  • Street Fighter V announced
  • The Walking Dead companion series casting
  • Deadpool set to begin production in March
  • Next Dragon Ball Z movie will revive Frieza
  • Starz greenlights Ash vs. Evil Dead starring Bruce Campbell
  • FOX reveals Fantastic Four synopsis

Saints Row: Gat out of Hell is coming to PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, and PS4 on January 27, 2015.

Host: Rob Logan
Co-host: Mike Volpe

The Geek Generation – #196 – Headlines from SDCC 2014

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
• Game: Smash-Up
  • Rejected Transformers
• News/discussion:
  • Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman costume revealed
  • Marvel Comics’ new Thor is a mystery woman
  • Falcon to become the new Captain America
  • Marvel assembles Avengers: Age of Ultron concept posters
  • Arrow’s Roy Harper to become Arsenal in Season 3
  • J.R. Ramirez cast as Wildcat for Season 3 of Arrow
  • Guardians of the Galaxy 2 set for 2017
  • Columbia Pictures announces release dates for Spider-Man films and Uncharted
  • GameStop offering Red Hood DLC for Batman: Arkham Knight pre-orders
  • Sting announced as pre-order exclusive for WWE 2K15
  • Patrick Wilson exits Marvel’s Ant-Man
  • Kelly Frye to play Plastique on The Flash
  • Test footage for Deadpool movie leaks online
  • Classic Godzilla monsters to appear in upcoming sequels
  • Legendary Pictures announces King Kong origin film Skull Island
  • Pirates of the Caribbean 5 coming in 2017
  • FX renews Louie for a Fifth Season
  • FXX to air marathon of 552 Simpsons episodes and the movie
  • Doctor Who series 8 premiere to screen in theaters worldwide
  • Forrest Gump getting limited IMAX release for 20th Anniversary

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe and Damien Cranshaw

The Geek Generation – #189 – Cookies and Puppies

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Oreo taste test
• Geek Outs:
  • Mario Kart 8 for $7
  • Console Wars
  • Orange is the New Black
  • Witnessing a car hit a girl on a bicycle
  • Witnessing a slip-out
  • America’s Got Talent
  • Squatty Potty
  • John Oliver rallies internet trolls to save Net Neutrality
  • Meeting Michael Jai White and LeeAnna Vamp
  • Vessyl
  • Oreo Creme-filled Chewy Chips Ahoy
• Freak Outs:
  • Mario’s increasingly annoying voice
  • Career indecision
  • Batman: Arkham Knight delayed until 2015
• Game: Smash-Up
  • Restaurants that comic book characters might own
• News/discussion:
  • Amazon introduces Prime Music
  • Vincent D’Onofrio set to play Kingpin in Daredevil series
  • Josh Trank set to direct a stand-alone Star Wars film
  • WWE “future endeavors” 11 Superstars
  • WWE 2K15 set for October 28 release
  • Scott Derrickson set to direct Doctor Strange
  • Eva Green poster for Sin City: A Dame To Kill For rejected by MPAA
  • State of Decay Lifeline DLC now available
  • Next Friday the 13th movie pushed back eight months
  • Jordan Vogt-Roberts to direct Metal Gear Solid movie
  • Live-action Beauty and the Beast movie coming from Disney
  • Halloween: The Complete Collection coming to Blu-ray September 23
  • Jupiter Ascending pushed back to 2015 release

Additional links:

• History of the Console Wars told through commercials
• Console Wars – book review

Host: Rob Logan
Co-host: Mike Volpe

The Geek Generation – #175 – Cat Raptor

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
• Geek Outs:
  • WWE Network
  • South Park: The Stick of Truth
  • Parenthood
  • Howard Stern referenced in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  • Veronica Mars movie
  • Frozen
• Freak Outs:
  • Godzilla trailer
  • Bowling animations for every ball thrown
• Webfinds
  • Joseph Gordon-Levitt recreates David After Dentist
  • Jurassic Park Cat Raptor
  • Epic Meal Time with Arnold Schwarzenegger
  • Babymetal
• News / discussion:
  • Batman: Arkham Knight will conclude the Arkham trilogy in 2014
  • Batman: Arkham Origins “Cold, Cold Heart” DLC announced
  • Jack Tretton steps down as President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment
  • Heroes Reborn coming to NBC in 2015
  • First photo of Grant Gustin as The Flash
  • The Last of Us is heading to the big screen
  • Ben & Jerry’s announces four new “core” flavors
  • Shaq is crowdfunding to make Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn
  • Watch Dogs sets new release date of May 27, 2014
  • Ground Floor renewed for a second season
  • Archer renewed for two more seasons

Additional links:

• The Geek Generation subreddit

Unfolding across iconic Gotham City locations, including Wayne Manor, Cold, Cold Heart equips players with the powerful Batman Extreme Environment (XE) suit and new gadgets including the Thermal Gloves and Thermocharged Batarangs. The game introduces several hours of all-new content in which players will battle through punishing, icy landscapes to witness Mr. Freeze’s heart-pumping first encounter with the Dark Knight.

Cold, Cold Heart will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on April 22.

Born a slave, Adewale was sold to a plantation owner at a young age. When pirates raided the plantation, Adewale escaped and found freedom as a pirate aboard the Jackdaw, where he became Edward Kenway’s confidant and second-in-command. Now, 15 years since the end of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Adewale has become a trained Assassin and illustrious member of the Brotherhood.

Port-au-Prince in 1735 is home to the most brutal slavery in the West Indies. Two thousand oppressed men, women, and children produce sugar, coffee, cotton, and indigo under the watch of six hundred French citizens, who live in constant apprehension of a violent rebellion.

After getting shipwrecked in what is now known as Haiti and left without weapons or crew, Adewale starts to meet and help locals in an effort to assemble a crew and steal a ship. The more he helps, however, the more he is drawn into the Maroon slave community. Forced to face his past, Adewale sets out to free the slaves and bring death to their captors.

Leave your mark on slavery with over four hours of new single-player missions. Strike down your enemies with powerful new weapons such as the blunderbuss and machete.

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Damien Cranshaw

The Geek Generation – #165 – Make a Wish

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
• Xmas gifts
• PS4 purchase debate
• Geek Outs:
  • School break
  • The Walking Dead mid-season finale
  • Anchorman 2
  • State of Decay DLC
  • Dexter season 4 finale
  • Good News Network
  • Bro Science Life – What is Crossfit?
  • Diora Baird liked Instagram photo
  • Alexandra Daddario
  • Pete Holmes stand-up show
  • graze
  • Rob on FitzDog Radio
  • Arrow mid-season finale
  • Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor
• Freak Outs:
  • Reaction to the Nintendo eShop going down
  • Developed car sickness
  • Classic rock shift
  • Anger issues
  • Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
  • Comcast
  • UPS

Host: Rob Logan
Co-host: Mike Volpe

The Geek Generation – #161 – The Finger Incident

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
• Geek Outs:
  • Last Man Standing
  • Nikita
  • Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX announced
  • Fat Man on Batman #51: Paul Dini: Shadow of the Bat
  • Batman: Arkham Origins
• Freak Outs:
  • Stuttering during interviews
  • Too much traffic
  • GameStop trade-in
  • South Park: The Stick of Truth delayed until 2014
  • Sponsored photos on Instagram
  • Late to Chris Hardwick comedy show
  • Too many opening bands at Eve 6 show
• Game: Fake News
• News / discussion:
  • Star Wars: Episode VII to hit theaters on December 18, 2015
  • Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen confirmed for Avengers: Age of Ultron
  • The Walking Dead renewed for a fifth season
  • The Walking Dead companion series will most likely be a prequel
  • Watch Dogs delayed till Spring 2014
  • Nine long-lost Doctor Who episodes recovered
  • Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. gets full season order
  • Marvel and Netflix team on four series leading up to Defenders mini-series
  • Christian Bale gives the origin of his Batman voice
  • State of Decay DLC arrives November 29
  • ABC announces Lady Gaga & The Muppets’ Holiday Spectacular
  • Announced and revised movie release dates

Additional links:

• Super Power Beat Down: White Ranger vs. Scorpion

The powerful magician known for casting spells by speaking backwards will be available beginning August 13 for $4.99.

The Zatanna DLC pack will also include a Cyborg Superman skin.

Host: Rob Logan
Co-host: Mike Volpe

The Geek Generation – #144 – San Diego Comic Con 2013

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
• News/discussion:
  • The Avengers 2 officially titled Avengers: Age of Ultron
  • Man of Steel sequel will bring Superman and Batman together
  • Batman: Arkham Origins reveals Copperhead
  • Cobie Smulders will appear on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
  • New Terminator trilogy to begin on June 26, 2015
  • Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus announced
  • Summer Glau joins Arrow for Season 2
  • Caity Lotz joins Arrow as Black Canary
  • Saints Row IV reveals Season Pass DLC plans
  • Hulk series put on hold
  • The Simpsons to appear on Family Guy next Fall
  • Potential X-Force movie on the way
  • Assassin’s Creed IV will be a launch title for PS4 & Xbox One
  • DuckTales: Remastered confirmed for August release
  • Liam Neeson set to return for Taken 3
  • Scribblenauts Unmasked confirmed for September release
  • American Dad! moving to TBS in 2014
  • Kelsey Grammer and Martin Lawrence sitcom coming to FX
  • Max Landis no longer writing Chronicle 2
  • HBO reneews True Blood for a seventh season

Additional links:

• Arrow – Season 2 sizzle reel
• X-Men: Days of Future Past – full SDCC panel
• X-Men: Days of Future Past – first posters
• Loki crashes Marvel Studios panel at SDCC 2013

In addition to the Martian fighter, the trailer also reveals a new John Stewart skin for Green Lantern accompanied by the familiar voice of Phil LaMarr.

Zod will be available for download on July 2, along with a Man of Steel skin for Superman.

While Zod will be available for download in July, another character makes an appearance in the segment. The Flaming C, a character Conan co-created with Bruce Timm, appears as a custom skin for Superman. So far no details have been released as to whether or not the skin will ever be publicly available, but the internet has already begun demanding it. Would you like to see The Flaming C added to Injustice??

The look of this version of Scorpion was designed by Jim Lee, Co-Publisher at DC Entertainment. Scorpion will soon be available to those who purchased the Season Pass, or available separately for 400 Microsoft Points on XBLA or $5 on PSN.

No details currently exist on when she will be made available, but a gameplay trailer will be released next week.

Looks like the bat's out of the bag. Batgirl is a playable DLC character in Injustice. Catch her gameplay next week! pic.twitter.com/Q3qnyw3ck3

— Injustice2 (@InjusticeGame) May 4, 2013

Lobo will become available to players that purchase the game’s season pass, which also includes more alternate skins and an additional three characters that haven’t been revealed yet. The season pass is available for $14.99/1200 Microsoft points.

Lobo will become available to players that purchase the game’s season pass, which also includes more alternate skins and an additional three characters that haven’t been revealed yet. The season pass is available for $14.99/1200 Microsoft points.

The Local Justice Pack will be available during launch week for a discounted price of 480 Microsoft Points (Xbox LIVE) or $5.99 on PSN and PC, after which point it will return to its normal price of 640 Microsoft Points (Xbox LIVE) or $7.99 on PSN and PC. Naturally, Rockstar Pass holders will receive this pack free of charge.

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Bryan

The Geek Generation – #086 – America’s Not Awake

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• Awake finale discussion
• Geek Outs:
  • The Avengers box office success
  • SmartSync app
  • Rob on Nerdist News site
  • Howard Stern on America’s Got Talent
  • LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
  • Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD music
  • Mountain Dew Dark Berry
• Freak Outs:
  • Dan Harmon replaced as Community showrunner
  • Rob slacking on congrats
  • iPhone freezing
  • Overabundance of movie “clips”
  • Dubstep on every trailer for everything
  • Superman vs. The Elite
• Listener Mailbag
• News/discussion:
  • Capcom is re-evaluating on-disc DLC
  • Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Collector’s Set revealed
  • The trailer for CW’s Arrow
  • Batman: The Dark Knight Returns voice cast announced
  • Mark Hamill comes out of Joker retirement
  • Highlander reboot may have found a lead
  • Blade Runner sequel update
  • Two Steve Jobs biopics in the works
  • Director Matthew Vaughn is definitely back for X-Men: First Class sequel
  • Release date set for Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
  • Bond 50 Blu-ray set will arrive September 25
  • Dead or Alive 5 will feature costume-specific breast physics
  • Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse coming to consoles this fall

Additional links:

• ECCC 2012 – World’s best voice actors reenact Star Wars

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Bryan

The Geek Generation – #084 – Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• Freak Outs:
  • Awake canceled
  • Alcatraz canceled
  • Archer
  • Breaking Bad
  • Dish Network
• Geek Outs:
  • Little League
  • Perfect Strangers: Nothing’s Gonna Stop Me Now
  • Netflix
  • The Amazing Spider-Man
  • The Dark Knight Rises trailer
• Blu-ray and Video Game releases
• News/discussion:
  • Benedict Cumberbatch’s role revealed for Star Trek sequel
  • Marion Cotillard says she’s not playing Talia al Ghul in The Dark Knight Rises
  • Kick-Ass 2 moving forward at Universal
  • Arkham City DLC Harley Quinn’s Revenge set for May 29
  • Community gets a fourth season
  • Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth announced
  • Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD set for June release
• Listener Mailbag
• Tweeting in bed

Before I let this topic get to full boil, though, I have a confession: I am a late-in-life console gamer.

The shame, the pure shame of it all!

Now this doesn’t mean that I haven’t played my fair share of games in my younger years. To the contrary – I’ve been a gamer to some extent for the majority of my life. I played computer-based point-and-click and “God” games for years, but I never really made the jump to console gaming. That is, until I lived with a gamer guy and learned how much I enjoyed having high-quality, high-resolution gaming at my beck and call.

After I moved out of that living situation it took me about another year and a half before I bought my first console. The reason for this was rooted in a fundamental understanding passed down to me by my parents: gaming is too expensive.

This point was reiterated several times over the years by my middle-class parents. The high cost wasn’t associated with the console itself, mind you – that one-time expense would have been fine if not for the pyramid-scheme of other costs that is inherently associated. From my family’s perspective it was the constant consumerism that surrounded gaming that was considered to be too pricey.

When one owns a game console, there are steady expenses perpetually coming your way. The most obvious expense is naturally the games themselves, with most today starting off at $60 a pop. After that comes buying multiple controllers, accessories, and the never-ending stream of batteries. When all is told you pay a pretty hefty fee to be a gamer, and while the hours of enjoyment from a good game makes that investment very worthwhile, there is still the inescapable truth that this little hobby can come at a significant hit to your wallet.

So in my adult years I finally bit the bullet and purchased my long-coveted X-Box 360. However, while I was still reveling in my late-night Assassin’s Creed sessions, though, the gaming industry was about to give me several slaps to the face that made me, at least briefly, question if I had made myself into a chump.

First, both Microsoft and Sony announced the creation of new consoles, both set to premier before 2013. This meant that my brand-new console instantly had an expiration date put on it, and that even if I don’t get the Red Ring of Death it’s just a matter of time before it becomes an antique.

Now this was clearly just bad purchase timing on my part, but mind you this announcement came after a winter of both Microsoft and Sony heavily pushing their consoles, offering amazing deals on them just in time for Christmas. I’m sure I wasn’t the only person who felt like I had the last blast of a soon-to-be-dated product pushed at me just to feel foolish mere weeks later.

Then there is the persistent buzzing about lackluster downloadable content (DLC) that has been getting louder since the beginning of 2012. In all fairness, I don’t partake in this particular element of owning a console, but I also know that I am by far in the minority. Most gamers will readily purchase additional content to supplement their gaming experience, with a lot of DLC being a means of adding some extra value to an already beloved game. However, I’ve also heard a lot of negative feedback about DLC. Nearly all of my gamer friends have at some point expressed that they have felt cheated by disappointing downloads, over-priced additional characters that are essentially just new skins, and entire new campaigns that fail to live up to the hype and cost.

But what is far more outrageous has been the emergence of Day-One DLC, as recently happened with the release of Mass Effect 3. Amid the outcry caused by this marketing move, gaming executives rushed to point out to fans that DLC can take a significant amount of time to develop and must be worked on in conjunction with the original content. The DLC is set to go before the base-game release date regardless, therefore the date that it is made available for download is irrelevant.

They essentially claimed that this DLC icing on the gaming cake is just as sweet if you put it on day one as if you put it on day thirty. But from the gamers’ perspective, this just leaves me wondering why you didn’t put icing on my cake.

There is an inherent question of, “Why should we have to pay extra for something that is set to go on the release date?” When we buy a $60 game, we assume that we have the final product in hand. To have additional content be released at a cost in conjunction with the original game makes the buyers feel that they are simply an ATM with calloused thumbs to the game development companies, and discourages us from wanting to buy it in the future.

And then there is the hardest hit that we are being forced to take, and boy is it going to leave a mark.

Both Microsoft and Sony are reportedly going to side with the developers in the anti-piracy fight and make their new consoles put the kibosh on used games. In fact, this has already begun for EA games, and is anticipated to become more prevalent sooner rather than later.

Essentially, both companies are implementing anti-used game elements that allow for one-time game play, making it so that only an original game owner may have access to a game through a one-time use code. Not only could this spell the end of game resale companies such as GameStop, but it could also make operations difficult for the direct-to-home gaming companies like GameFly.

But what strikes me as being even worse than those possibilities, though, is the gaming industry’s blatant disregard to how gamers game. How many times have you taken a game over to a friend’s so you could crack a beer together and play live instead of over the internet? Who hasn’t wanted to play a game, but knew it wasn’t something you needed or wanted to play immediately, so you opted to wait a few months to get it resale at a cheaper price?

The anti-used gaming coding that is being set forth solves the piracy problems that the gaming industry is facing while much more offensively neglecting the interests of the consumers that quite literally nourishes it. As a marketing geek I find this endlessly frustrating since I suspect that there are other possible solutions that aren’t being fully embraced because they might be a bit more complex/difficult to implement, but would minimize the effects felt by the gamers. While this might be frustrating for game development firms and the creators of the consoles, they must ensure that the interest of the gamer is always far more important than their own comfort, lest they alienate the people they are counting on to keep purchasing their products.

Which is essentially what is happening with me: this late-in-life console gamer is already perturbed with the gaming industry to such an extent that she is strongly considering not purchasing another console. While I’m just one person, I am surely not alone, and if the gaming industry keeps going down this path the number of people joining me in this passive ambivalence will become large enough that they will have to take notice. The question now is will they do so before they irrevocably damage their industry?

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Bryan

The Geek Generation – #079 – Axxess

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• Wrestlemania 28 and Axxess discussion
• Blu-ray and Video Game releases
• Obscure Movie Reviews with SuperFan Chris Tong
• Geek Outs:
  • Brock Lesnar
  • The Avengers
  • Amazon Instant Video on PS3
  • Donation
  • Awake
  • Pebble: E-Paper watch
• Freak Outs:
  • Volpe’s done wrestling
  • Old people
  • The Three Stooges movie
  • Facebook timeline
  • Beauty & The Geek UK
  • The Hunger Games
  • PAX East
• News/discussion:
  • Capcom and Cliff Bleszinski defend On-disc DLC
  • Chevy Chase rips Community

Additional Twitter links:

• Kumail Nanjiani: @kumailn @IndoorKids
• Alexis Knapp: @AlexisKnapp
• Ali Cobrin: @AliCobrin
• Mike Volpe’s new Twitter account: @sbv_supps

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Bryan

The Geek Generation – #075 – Tough Love

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• John Carter marketing reactions
• Geek Outs:
  • Prometheus trailer
  • LEGO Batman 2 trailer
  • Wrestlemania
  • Topher Grace’s Star Wars prequel edit
  • Awake
  • The Lorax
• Freak Outs:
  • Alcoholidays
  • Facebook timeline
  • Street Fighter X Tekken DLC
  • Texting to call
• Tough love
• Listener Mailbag
• News:
  • Jason Segel not returning for Muppets sequel
  • Ultimate Marvel Marathon at AMC theaters

Additional links:

• Zpocalypse: An Epic Zombie Survival Board Game
• Michael Uslan – The Boy Who Loved Batman: A Memoir

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Anna Zifcak, G1

The Geek Generation – #067 – January 30, 2012 News

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• Blu-ray and Video Game releases
• News:
  • DC Entertainment reveals new logo
  • Resident Evil 6 announced
  • DC announces ‘We Can Be Heroes’ to fight hunger
  • The Expendables 2 will be rated PG-13
  • Kevin Feige addresses the villains of The Avengers
  • Season 3 of The Walking Dead gets 16 episode order
  • Lily Collins drops out of Evil Dead
  • Green Arrow pilot gets the green light; first details emerge
  • Netflix abandons plans to offer video games
  • The Crow reboot resurfaces with a new writer and director
  • Beavis and Butt-head in real life
  • Street Fighter X Tekken won’t have Xbox exclusive fighters
  • Street Fighter X Tekken gets PS exclusives Mega Man and Pac-Man
  • Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition announced
  • No more Resistance from Insomniac
  • Doctor Strange movie script is complete
  • Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock reveals the game’s monsters
  • The Muppets take LittleBigPlanet 2
  • DC Comics cancels 6 titles and launches 6 new titles

The audience whispers excitedly as the lights dim in Muppet Theatre. Indeed, tonight’s Muppet Show features quite the special guest. It’s none other than Little Big Planet’s very own Sackboy! But beware; the mysterious Phantom has plans to get in the way. With the help of new inventions – Attract-O-Gel and Attract-O-Tweak – it’ll be up to you to help the Muppet cast put on the show of a lifetime. On with the show!

The Muppets pack is filled with tons of decorations, stickers, objects, music tracks, sound effects, and voices, plus 7 new trophies, 12 new pins AND a bonus costume of Rowlf the Dog.

But that’s not all folks, that new glowing blue Attract-O-Gel material mentioned above allows Sackboy to walk on walls and ceilings, whilst the Attract-O-Tweak gadget can be used to give these sticky properties to any material.

The Muppets Premium Level Kit is available today, January 24th for $5.99 on PSN.

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Bryan Lipsitz, Mike Boyd

The Geek Generation – #065 – January 2, 2012 News

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • Send it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com OR @GeekGeneration on Twitter OR call 508-316-9787
• Blu-ray and Video Game releases
• News:
  • Howard Stern is the newest judge on America’s Got Talent
  • Daniel Craig could become the longest reigning Bond
  • Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor to direct Thor 2
  • South Park: The Game’s mystery class is the ‘Jew’
  • Avengers movie will be released in 2D and 3D versions
  • Brian Michael Bendis to leave all Avengers titles at end of 2012
  • Nolan comments on why Bane was chosen as next villain
  • Batman: Arkham City – Challenge Map Pack DLC and free skin
  • Justice League: Doom release date announced
  • Bunny Ranch owner opening Sci-fi brothel
  • New Twisted Metal includes free download of Twisted Metal: Black
  • Sam Raimi’s original Green Goblin FX test revealed
  • Vin Diesel confirms two more Fast & Furious sequels
  • George Takei is the Broker of Star Peace
  • This year’s Super Bowl will be the first ever to stream online

The Arkham Bundle brings together the Nightwing Bundle Pack, Robin Bundle Pack and the Arkham City Skins Pack for 1,200 Microsoft Points, or $15 on PSN.

Also available for download now is the Challenge Map Pack, which includes The Joker’s Carnival Challenge Map, the Iceberg Lounge Challenge Map, and a brand new invisible predator challenge map, The Batcave. The Challenge Map Pack is available for 240 Microsoft Points, or $3 on PSN.

Fans of the game will also be treated to the new Batman Inc. Batsuit Skin at no cost. This skin can be worn in the story campaign upon completion of the main story and in the challenge maps.

But let’s say you don’t want to wait. You want to wear your new Batman skins now.  Game director Sefton Hill has your solution, as he posted a thank you note on the game’s blog including a code which allows you to use any alternative Batman skin in the main game, without having to complete the full game.

To unlock this, simply press the following combination on the Main Menu screen (after you have selected your save slot):

Left, Left, Down, Down, Left, Left, Right, Up, Up, Down

You will get an audio confirmation and when you continue your game, you will get the option to select your favorite skin.

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Bryan Lipsitz

The Geek Generation – #063 – December 12, 2011 News

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • Send it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com OR @GeekGeneration on Twitter OR call 508-316-9787
• Blu-ray and Video Game releases
• News:
  • South Park: The Game announced, an RPG from Obsidian
  • South Park: The Game – first details
  • Avengers vs. X-Men coming from Marvel Comics
  • R.I.P. Jerry Robinson
  • FOX News says the Muppets are anti-capitalism
  • Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock announced
  • ‘Crossface’ will be a movie about the life of Chris Benoit
  • Star Trek sequel casting news
  • Patty Jenkins leaves Thor 2
  • Batman: Arkham City – Batman skins pack DLC
  • Grown Ups sequel in planning stages
  • Lionsgate will make a film based on an original superhero by Stan Lee
  • Starship Troopers remake in the works
  • Lionsgate developing American Psycho remake
  • Release date set for Evil Dead remake

Available now, the Arkham City Batman Skins Pack contains seven bonus Batman skins: 1970s Batman, Year One Batman, The Dark Knight Returns, Earth One, Batman Beyond, Animated Batman and Sinestro Corps Batman. The seven Batman skins can be used in all challenge maps and upon completion of the main story.

This major update will feature an easy-to-use in-game map editor that will let users design, build and share their own single-player and co-op test chambers with the community, who will be able to view, play and vote on them with a simple click.

Portal 2 was released April 19, and currently holds a Metacritic score of 95%, making it the top-rated multiplatform game of 2011. Its first content update, “Peer Review”, came out two weeks ago.

A hilariously mind-bending adventure that challenges you to use wits over weaponry in a funhouse of diabolical science, Portal 2 features expansive single and cooperative multiplayer game modes. For more information on Portal 2 and its downloadable content, please visit www.thinkwithportals.com.

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Bryan Lipsitz

The Geek Generation – #057 – October 24, 2011 News

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • Send it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com OR @GeekGeneration on Twitter OR call 508-316-9787
• Blu-ray and Video Game releases
• News:
  • Netflix abandons Qwikster separation plans
  • Marvel TV panel confirms and announces several series in development
  • Ezio Auditore joins SoulCalibur V
  • Sony Pictures closes in on Assassin’s Creed film rights
  • Batman: Arkham City – Nightwing revealed
  • The Punisher is being developed for TV
  • Brock Lesnar returns in WWE ’12
  • Portal 2 will get an in-game editor via DLC
• DC Universe Animated panel from NYCC
  • Panelists include Bruce Timm, Andrea Romano, and Kevin Conroy

Heroes and Heralds, available as free DLC post-launch, is a new single player and multiplayer, team-based mode in UMVC3 where you unlock brand-new abilities with upgrade cards, customize your favorite character with new powers and compete in groups as either Heroes defending Earth from Galactus or as one of Galactus’ Heralds.

The Robin Bundle Pack is scheduled for availability on November 22 to all owners of the game.

Both download content bundles will be offered on Xbox LIVE for 560 Microsoft Points and PlayStation Network for $6.99.

Published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and developed by Rocksteady Studios, Batman: Arkham City builds upon the intense, atmospheric foundation of Batman: Arkham Asylum, sending players soaring into Arkham City – five times larger than the game world in Batman: Arkham Asylum – and the new maximum security “home” for all of Gotham City’s thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds. Set inside the heavily fortified walls of a sprawling district in the heart of Gotham City, this highly anticipated sequel introduces a brand-new story that draws together a new, all-star cast of classic characters and murderous villains from the Batman universe, as well as a vast range of new and enhanced gameplay features to deliver the ultimate experience as the Dark Knight.

In Arkham City, you’ll be able to play as Batman, Catwoman, and Robin (Tim Drake). Batman and Catwoman are a part of the main campaign, while Robin will be exclusive to DLC content. However, it looks like the Boy Wonder won’t be the only DLC-exclusive character, as a former Boy Wonder will join him. Nightwing (Dick Grayson) has been revealed as a second DLC-exclusive playable character according to the leaked list of trophies acquired by PS3Trophies.org. Nightwing seems to be playable in “bundle packed campaigns, and ranked maps”.

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Bryan Lipsitz, Mike Volpe

The Geek Generation – #049 – August 22, 2011 News

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • Send it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com OR @GeekGeneration on Twitter OR call 508-316-9787
• Blu-ray and Video Game releases
• News:
  • The new Ultimate Spider-Man unmasked
  • First look at Henry Cavill as Superman in Man of Steel
  • Laurence Fishburne joins Man of Steel
  • First look at Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises
  • PlayStation 3 price drop announced
  • inFAMOUS 2: Festival of Blood DLC announced
  • Valve announces Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO)
  • GameFly adding “Unlimited PC Play” via new Digital Client
  • Mike Myers signs for Austin Powers 4
  • Bradley Cooper flies away from The Crow reboot
  • Kraft launches the Triple Double Oreo
  • Hugh Jackman confirms The Wolverine villain
  • NBA Jam: On Fire Edition – trailer and info
  • Promotional images and premiere details for new Two and a Half Men
  • Warehouse 13 renewed for fourth season
  • Voltron live-action movie in the works
  • Eddie Murphy to voice Hong Kong Phooey
  • Sin City: A Dame to Kill For moving forward
  • Robert Rodriguez takes Heavy Metal
  • Release dates for various movies

The DLC will swarm PSN in October, in time for Halloween.