Hi, I’m Daniel Thurman

Daniel reviews cyberpunk books, games, and more.

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  • Upcoming Software Synth by Cherry Audio Seems Very Blade Runner-Inspired

    Cherry Audio is a music instrument maker known for their soft-synths (software-based synthesizers). Their diverse range of synthesizer plugins are widely used by musicians around the world. The company just announced its new upcoming synthesizer via an ad that has some familiar tropes. Take a look:

    The ad is clearly very inspired by Blade Runner. And so is the synthesizer itself by the sounds of it. If you listen to the music as it comes into focus at the end of the ad, you will hear what sounds like lost tracks from the Blade Runner score composed by Vangelis himself. Only it’s not, of course. And I freaking love it.

    Over a year in the making, Cherry Audio’s flagship synthesizer arrives from off-world on *Tuesday, November 22nd, 2022*, at 10 am Pacific Standard Time.

    YouTube

    Cherry Audio is calling this upcoming synth their flagship product. And according to the above ad, it is going to “replicate the greatest synthesizer of all time.” I find this very interesting. I am not a musican (though I have dabbled over the years) so I don’t know what synthesizer this is referring to. But it sounds like this upcoming synth is going to emulate it. And this makes me tempted to buy it and play around with it myself.

    The genius minds at Cherry Audio clearly know what they’re doing with software synthesizers but we have to give huge props to their marketing department as well. I have to give credit where credit’s due. The “flagship” synth is set to be released on November 22nd if you are interested in getting it.

    [Source: matrixsynth]

  • Someone Made a Pocket-Sized Voight-Kampff Machine

    The Voight-Kampff machines in Blade Runner are bulky and they seem like they would be a huge chore to lug around everywhere. Not to mention there is probably a painstaking process for setting one up to function properly. And we won’t get the fancy handheld Voight-Kampff testing machines until 2049. Wouldn’t it be great if there was an easier way to persecute replicants right now?

    That’s where genius New Zealand-based programmer James Brown and Raspberry Pi come in. Brown has constructed a tiny little Voight-Kampff machine using a Raspberry Pi Pico, 3D-printed parts, and a tiny CRT screen from an old camcorder.

    Brown came up with the idea for a homebrew Voight-Kampff machine while working on a face-tracking feature for an interactive exhibit. A debug tool he was using for the feature would show parts of his face as it detected them. So he decided to pack the unsettling experience into a pocket-sized machine.

    The result is the VK-Pocket, a Voight-Kampff machine that fits in the palm of your hand. This little gadget is the perfect companion to the average blade runner out and about trying to apprehend replicants without the inconvenience of having to lug around a full-sized machine.

    The VK-Pocket seen here is actually a fusion of the two distinct Voight-Kampff models used in the original film. Brown also added servos inside that push the little “bellows” up and down to make it look more accurate to the machines used in the film.

    If you want one—and I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t—you will have to make it yourself. Fortunately Brown has compiled the code for you on Github. You’ll just need to find a 3D printer, a Raspberry Pi Pico, and camcorder viewfinder screen.

    I should also mention that if you are in fact a blade runner and intend to use this cute little Voight-Kampff to actually detect replicants, you’ll likely have to add a little more code. Good luck with that, and happy blade running!

    [Source: The MagPie]

  • Blade Runner: The Roleplaying Game Tabletop RPG Coming to Kickstarter

    Back in September we reported that Blade Runner would be made into a fantastic-looking tabletop RPG. Blade Runner: The Roleplaying Game was announced as a collaborative project between movie/television production company Alcon Entertainment (Blade Runner 2049) and Free League Publishing (Alien: The Roleplaying Game).

    On Thursday, Free League Publishing announced that the game will be funded via Kickstarter, scheduled to launch on May 3rd at 6am US Pacific Time (9am US Eastern, 3pm Central European). According to an email from Free League, backers of Blade Runner: The Roleplaying Game who pledge within the first 24 hours will receive a bonus item, which is yet to be announced.

    In addition to the Kickstarter, Free League has stated that more news and artwork will be posted on the Blade Runner: The Roleplaying Game’s official website. For right now, you can sign up to be notified when the campaign goes live via its Kicksarter page.

    Revealed back in September, the BLADE RUNNER RPG propels players into the neon noir streets of Los Angeles as Blade Runners. Set in the year 2037, the adventures begin shortly after the Wallace Corporation debuts the new Nexus-9 Replicants on Earth, giving players the choice to play as either human or Replicant Blade Runners with different specialties, personalities, and memories.

    PR Email

    Some new artwork from the Blade Runner TTRPG was also revealed in the email. And it’s looking quite lovely. As we previously stated, the artwork for this project nails the mood and aesthetic of Blade Runner perfectly.

    Like we said, lovely.

    I have little doubt this Kickstarter is going to be a smash success given the surging popularity of tabletop RPG’s in recent years. And of course of Blade Runner itself. If you are planning on backing Blade Runner: The Roleplaying Game when it goes live on May 3rd, don’t forget to sign up to be notified so that you don’t miss those nice (we assume) bonus items you will get for backing within the first 24 hours.

    If you are not a tabletop RPG player, this project is probably still worth backing for the art associated with it alone. It is also likely going to be considered canon with the rest of the Blade Runner theatrical universe, similar to other Blade Runner media, and something any fan of the franchise is going to want in their collection.

  • A Blade Runner: Black Lotus Comic Has Been Announced

    Titan Comics has announced a Blade Runner: Black Lotus comic book series is currently in production. Simply called Blade Runner: Black Lotus, the comic will be a four-part mini series and will serve as a sequel to the Black Lotus anime series which debuted back toward the end of 2021.

    The series is being written by Nancy Collins (Swamp Thing, Predator) and illustrated by Enid Balam (Hawkeye: Kate Bishop). Alternate cover art for the first issue has also been created by Junggeun Yoon, Creees Lee, Concept Art, and Mico Suayan.

    The Blade Runner: Black Lotus comic will focus on Elle, the katana-weilding main protagonist of the anime series who is also a replicant. The comic is set to expand on the world and plot introduced in the anime which has some unique characteristics that set it apart from other Blade Runner media.

    Elle, aka Black Lotus, hoped she could leave behind her violent past and find a new life. But is that possible in a world where Replicants are still hunted and feared?

    -Titan Comics

    The Blade Runner: Black Lotus anime debuted in November, 2021 on Crunchy Roll who handled worldwide distribution of the series. The English-dubbed release was distributed by Adult Swim and premiered on their Toonami programming block. The CGI-animated series was met with overall critical acclaim, with a few criticizing it for its lack of traditional hand-drawn animation and it’s slight departure from the traditional feel of Blade Runner.

    The Blade Runner: Black Lotus comic is set to debut June 1st of this year and can be pre-ordered now from Titan Comics. This would be the fourth Blade Runner comic series based on the cinematic universe created by Ridley Scott, following Blade Runner Origins, Blade Runner 2019, and Blade Runner 2029.

    Personally speaking, I thought the Black Lotus anime was brilliant and beautiful. Elle is a very interesting character and I’m very much looking forward to seeing her story continue. The Blade Runner comics have all been brilliant so far, so we’ll see if Black Lotus follows suit this June.

    [Source: Anime News Network]

  • A Blade Runner Tabletop RPG is in Development

    Sometime next year, Blade Runner is going to be made into a tabletop RPG game. The game is in development now and is going to be published by Free League Publishing, the same publisher that brought us the excellent Alien tabletop RPG back in 2019.

    In Blade Runner The Roleplaying Game will give players a choice between playing as a human or a replicant blade runner. You are tasked with hunting down replicants in the degraded, neon-soaked streets of Los Angeles in the year 2037. This places the plot somewhere between the original Blade Runner film and Blade Runner 2049.

    Set in the year 2037, the Core Rulebook begins the adventure shortly after the Wallace Corporation debuts the new Nexus-9 Replicants on Earth, giving players the choice to play as either human or Replicant Blade Runners.

    As a member of the LAPD’s Rep-Detect Unit, you’ll face impossible choices and find beauty and humanity in the stubborn resilience to keep fighting. To persevere through pain. To agonize over itches you can’t scratch. To do questionable and extraordinary things, chasing after fleeting moments of love, hope, and redemption to be lost in time like tears in rain.

    Other than that, it’s just a normal day on the force, so get to work and grab some noodles on the way. That stack of cases won’t crack itself. It’s a shame you won’t live long enough to solve them all.

    But then again, who does?

    -Press Release

    They seem to have really nailed the aesthetic of the Blade Runner universe here, not only in the proposed narrative of this game, but also in its gorgeous artwork. It’s absolutely stunning and perfectly represents the environment and mood of the world.

    Images: Free League Publishing

    I will admit that I am not the biggest TTRPG player. In fact I really don’t play them at all. But I can definitely appreciate well made adaptations of some of my favorite franchises (and in this instance, my favorite one). This one might actually get me to dive in and give it a go.

    Whether you’re into table top games or not, it’s great to see all the attention Blade Runner seems to be getting of late. The 2017 sequel film, the upcoming anime, the long lost 90’s PC point and click adventure game getting re-released, and now a beautifully crafted TTRPG, have all contributed to a welcome resurgence of interest in the series.