Oldbie.org

If you're looking for something to go with your WoW-engraved MacBook Pro, or perhaps a way to lure the kids out of Azeroth for a few precious moments, FigurePrints may be your answer. This Seattle-based startup will sell you a 3D replica of your favorite World of Warcraft toon for $99.

You just give them your server and character name, and they pull the 3D model from Blizzard's Armory service. Pick a pose and click the print button, and your statue is assembled by a 3D printer, 1/250th of an inch at a time. It's touched up by hand, a nameplate is added (not customizable; sorry, HordeKiller434), and the whole thing is mounted inside a glass display case.

Speaking of mounts: that epic Netherdrake you spent hours of your life grinding for? Sorry, but it can't be included. Neither can your pets.

Apparently the high demand for the service and the amount of time necessary to create each statue means that availability is limited. FigurePrints is handing out new models via a randomized lottery, and the average lead time on getting one delivered looks to be around 30-60 days.

Which means you've got plenty of time to grind more epic loot for your figure!

Posted by Michael Harrison at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pretty nifty look at the upcoming Wii Fit game as a viable exercise regimen.

Link, via Penny Arcade

Posted by Michael Harrison at 2:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I removed Kotaku from Google Reader this morning. When I opened up the MacBook to check my feeds, there were 156 items. After reading 'til 99 items, I realized that I had skipped every single Kotaku item present. And of the 57 items read, over half were Kotaku authored.

I'm not a hardcore video gamer anymore. While the only "next gen" console I have is the Wii (and some would argue its classification as "next gen"), I'm still interested in news about new games for other systems. On the other hand, I really don't care about Sales Charts, Australian or otherwise. I'm sure someone does, but it's not me. On that note, while cute, I typically skip right through clever video-game-themed Jack O'Lanterns and the editors' daily Night Notes to one another.

And jubblies? Seriously. Couldn't care less.

I thought a bit about what video game news I actually care about, and I drilled down on the Kotaku site to those categories. And then I tried to add the RSS feed to Google Reader. But that didn't work. So I searched for feeds, and couldn't find anything. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place, but I can't really find a way to only get the posts I care about, and ignore the rest.

So, 'til I can figure that out, I removed the feed. My item count dropped from 99 to 53. Kotaku accounted for almost 50% of my feed reader items.

Which brings me to a point which will require another post later on... there is a happy medium in blogging, between posting a ten page opus once every week, and posting fifty bite-sized snacks every single day.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Anyone want to challenge me at chess?

Posted by Michael Harrison at 5:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Okay, I guess that sounds a little obscene. I've been thinking about my lack of an active exercise regime and I think it boils down to one thing: exercise is boring.

I was in much better shape during college, when I played organized sports with local leagues. Roller hockey and pick-up football and basketball were great ways to stay in shape and have a bit of fun as well. Now, I'm so damned busy, waking up at dawn for the commute and getting home from work well after dark, that I barely have time for a jog, much less the motivation to go punish my body with mindless running.

So then this article from the WSJ surfaces, talking about how "Nintendo's new [Wii] system forces players to move their bodies," and details a few Wii enthusiasts who are getting their workouts from the new gaming console, and waking up sore the next day.

I guess it's probably too good to be true. Nintendo PR's response to the whole thing: "If people are finding themselves sore, they may need to exercise more."

Part of me wonders how much of this is truth and how much is Nintendo walking the PR line. I mean, let's face it: gamers aren't typically the most fit bunch, right? So maybe the last thing that Nintendo wants its target audience to think is that this new Wii thing? It's a hell of a lot of work and if you're looking for a game you can cuddle up with before bed and wind down to, you should maybe look elsewhere.

If I had the money, I'd get one. I'm sure it's not much of a workout, but at this point, anything is an improvement. Either way, it sounds like a whole lot of fun.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 8:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)