First look: Xencelabs Pen Tablet
We had the honor of being invited to a tech reveal... and I had to share the first look at Xencelabs first pen tablet. Shout out to the artists out there.
Xencelabs Technologies Limited is comprised of professionals that have worked in the industry for quite some time, we're talking veterans from Wacom, Autodesk, and other companies.
What I appreciated first and foremost was the fact that they didn't just bring a tablet to market, they wanted to reach out and make sure that they were bringing the right tablet to the market to be competitive. They sought feedback from professional artists in the industry to find out their yays and nays when it comes to pen tablets... and ultimately created the tablet you see here.
The second thing that caught my attention during the presentation... was the battery icon I saw not only for the Xencelabs Quick Keys remote but also for the Xencelabs Pen Tablet. I know it was the duh of the day, but I had to raise my hand and double-check to see if the tablet was wireless... and it is. You can use it while connected to the cord also (second duh), but the ability to move around freely is awesome. YAY!
I could see this being utilized by someone at a meeting to present different concepts, drawing from a distance while using a larger screen, or someone like myself who would move to a different part of the desk or something to get a bit more comfortable (I can even PC hop without unhooking wires. Also, the cords can get in the way at times with hardwired tablets, even if they're in a non-intrusive area of the tablet. If you want to shift those tablets... you can end up with a snag or something, but you can move this tablet around freely and hold it if you desire to do so.
I don't want to put words in their mouth, even if they confirmed questions to a degree but... this is their initial tablet as the company continues to blossom. According to Xencelabs there will be more to come down the road (most likely a screened tablet), but as veterans in the industry... they wanted to come in with a bang (as far as their new company and product is concerned).
That bang comes in the form of the Xencelabs Pen Tablet Medium Bundle:
A second pen (one thin pen, and a 3-button pen for 2D + 3D work)
8192 Pressure Levels + 60 degree (both pens)
A dongle to get your wireless drawing on
A Glove Medium (which I'd just use the one I have if that's too small, but... it's free)
A Tablet Sleeve
A Xencelabs Quick Keys device
I'm not giving praise just to give praise... but just like with bundles for games, this is how you make an impression. It's a new company comprised of veterans going into an industry with plenty of options (some of which they were part of), and they decided to take the extra mile to stand out. I think that curve at the bottom of the tablet is going to feel nice, but I can't say whether it is or not... yet. As soon as we get the opportunity to review one, you will know about it.
Check out the available Xencelab options and... game on!
Booker T versus Activision
Video game’s ‘Prophet’ character draws too heavily from Booker T. creation ‘G.I. Bro’
The 2018 release Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 prequel depicts the pre-cybernetics Prophet which bears striking similarities to G.I. Bro, a special operations soldier created and copyrighted by Mr. Huffman from the Houston suburb of Friendswood.
“When seen side-by-side there can be no question that this character was copied from G.I. Bro. From the hair, body type and clothing, right down to facial expressions, the similarities are too profound to be an accident,” said Micah Dortch of the Dallas office of the Potts Law Firm. Mr. Huffman is represented by Mr. Dortch and Houston attorney Patrick Zummo with the Law Offices of Patrick Zummo.
Since the 2015 release of the G.I. Bro and the Dragon of Death Preview and G.I. Bro and the Dragon of Death comic books, Mr. Huffman has appeared at a number of events dressed as G.I. Bro to promote the titles.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsFsKAMNSDnqnKyWORmwA_HcHNeutQ2zofGqYV9-ZC49JwCYe1oCw6ns6JCsj_GfoQJe8kWtnNNSY67oxjedL47Q93yrEvvwxZS7j79klU-Kr2HpxEKCm7AsVOa8QFwn4Zj1oSVjHYWYy/s640/gi-bro.jpg)
In the first three days of its release by Activision Publishing Inc., Activision Blizzard Inc., and Major League Gaming Corp., Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 sold more than $500 million in physical copies and downloads. Total sales to date are thought to exceed $1 billion.
“Booker T. has devoted a significant amount of time and money creating and organically growing his G.I. Bro character,” said Mr. Dortch. “That entrepreneurial investment should not be erased by such a blatant act of copyright infringement by a gaming juggernaut.”
The case is Booker T. Huffman v. Activision Publishing, Inc., Activision Blizzard, Inc., and Major League Gaming Corp. filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.