Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has announced that their upcoming fighter, Injustice: Gods Among Us, will be released in April of 2013. Additionally, the company released a trailer of the game for the Tokyo Game Show.
Archive - 2012
CARLSBAD, Calif. – Sept. 20, 2012 –Razer™, the world leader in high-performance gaming hardware, today announced the beta release of Razer Game Booster, software that optimizes a user’s system settings, improving game performance and providing the ability to share favorite moments with friends. This software enhances in-game experiences that players of all skill levels—from professional to casual—will appreciate. With the click of a button, gameplay becomes faster, smoother and easier to launch. The program is the latest evolution of the CNET Editor five-star-rated IObit Game Booster software, an immensely popular precursor that has been downloaded over 100 million times.
Razer Game Booster includes the following features:
Game Mode
Focus in on your game by temporarily shutting down unnecessary functions and applications, concentrating all of your resources purely on gaming. Applications shut down prior to gaming are restored when user exits the game.
Calibrate Mode
Simplify the process of setting up your PC’s performance by conveniently providing you with the option to tweak, defrag, or update any outdated drivers.
Share Mode
A bonus feature where you can show off your skills, create tutorials, and more, with the ability to record real-time audio/video and capture screenshots.
Razer did extensive research and testing in partnership with IObit during the development of Razer Game Booster, improving and updating features to bring about the most intuitive and powerful application possible. The software conveniently stores all games under one hub, and provides a unique boosting feature that enhances the functions of a PC for maximum game performance.
“Razer Game Booster takes what Razer is all about and supercharges it,” said Robert “RazerGuy” Krakoff, president of Razer USA. “We are huge fans of IObit’s Game Booster software and we are dedicated to providing gamers with the absolute best experience possible. To that end, we are committed to everything that adds performance and fun to gaming, which includes software and the systems they run on.”
Razer Game Booster is in internal closed beta, but fans have the opportunity to be part of an exclusive team of testers. Sign-up atwww.razerzone.com/gamebooster.
Bohemia Interactive CEO Marek Spanel has written a letter to the gaming community regarding the detainment of two of the company’s developers while on a trip to Greece.
From Marek Spanel:
My colleagues and I were shocked when we found out about the detention of our co-workers and friends, Martin Pezlar and Ivan Buchta, on the Greek island of Lemnos. Everybody who knows them realizes that they’re not spies and certainly never intended to threaten Greek national security.
The guys visited the island as tourists. Their trip to Lemnos was personal, organized via travel agent, with the single goal of experiencing the place that had inspired the virtual environments of Arma 3, a computer game that they’ve been working on over the past two years.
Our company has never gathered or collected any restricted information, such as photos or blueprints of military installations of any nation, nor have we ever tasked anybody else to do it on our behalf. We always respect the law and we develop all of our products using publicly available materials only – Arma 3 is no exception.
According to media sources, the Greek ministry of National Defence actually examined our game, after local authorities raised this topic. They assured that the game is fine. Originally planned for release in autumn of this year, it is based upon a fictional future, set in 2035.
The whole incident is a terrible personal tragedy for Ivan, Martin and their families; I believe it to be no more than a deep misunderstanding, one which will be swiftly explained. I’m ready to support the guys and their families in these difficult times as much as I can.
Marek Španěl
Bohemia Interactive a.s.
CEO
Square Enix has released a TGS trailer for their Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn – enjoy!
Trailer
LOS ANGELES – September 19, 2012 – Due to conflicting promotional obligations from added markets for Kevin Pereira’s new Warner Bros. show, “Let’s Ask America,” the inaugural leetUP “Awesomesauce.Live” tour has been postponed. The interactive comedy variety show, which Complex Magazine dubbed “Kevin Pereira’s Coachella for Nerds” was set to descend upon and ravage pop culture fanatics in 10 cities this fall, beginning September 20 in Seattle, with stops in Portland, Austin, Dallas, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Minneapolis, Madison, and Chicago. Pereira, who was to be joined on tour by a series of geeky celebs and interweb stars including Epic Meal Time, VJ Mike Relm and YouTube darling, Grace Helbig, assures fans efforts will be made to bring leetUP to a city near them as scheduling permits.
Said Pereira, “It was not an easy decision to postpone, but it’s the right one. We know our fans deserve nothing short of an over-the-top spectacle and we will deliver when the time is right. We are sorry for any temporarily broken hearts. Email us at iamsad@leetup.com and we will get back to you with digital hugs and gratitude.”
Promoters of the tour remain enthusiastic about leetUP “Awesomesauce.Live!” and are looking at dates to reschedule. “With the great success of the first leetUP in Los Angeles, we fully support and are looking forward to promoting dates in the future,” said Lesley Olenik, Talent Buyer for Goldenvoice.
Ticketholders can get refunds at original point of purchase.
Fans are encouraged to visit www.leetup.com for more information and future dates.
SAN JOSE, Calif,. – (September 19, 2012) – NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. today announced that the Artorias of the Abyss™ content that debuted in Dark Souls®: Prepare to Die Edition™ is coming to consoles and will be available for purchase via digital download on both the PlayStation®Network and Xbox LIVE® on October 23, 2012 in North America. In Dark Souls® : Artorias of the Abyss™, acclaimed developersFromSoftware take console gamers into the depths of hell through torturous dungeons, unrelenting boss battles, and the most challenging of gameplay experiences in video games today. The Artorias of the Abyss DLC content will also provide console players with an enhanced online PVP (player vs. player) mode allowing players to assemble battles against one another for all-out fights to the death that console fans have been waiting for.
Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss will include sprawling new maps and environments, new boss characters, enemies, non-player characters (NPCs), an arsenal of new weapons and armor and additional challenging content for unrelenting heroes to face as they return to the deadly world of Lordran. Darkness born in the forests of Oolacile is expanding and engulfing the kingdom and all of its people. Only the strongest players will be able to stop the encroaching darkness. Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss will include an online match-making feature allowing console gamers to showcase their skills against other Dark Souls players around the world.
Intense dungeon crawling and epic enemy encounters are all part of the seamlessly intertwined experience awaiting gamers in Dark Souls: Atorias of the Abyss. This new chapter in the Dark Souls lore allows console gamers to experience gruesome battles, diabolical challenges, powerful weaponry and magic, and gives players the flexibility to customize each character to suit their desired play style. The innovative online component allows gamers to draw from the collective experience of the Dark Souls community as they either assist or maliciously sabotage each other on the journey through the world of Lordran to save the land from darkness. Featuring a massive, seamless world design; Dark Souls: Atorias of the Abyss thrusts players into challenges presented to them and demands that players fully immerse themselves into the deep exploration and adaptable gameplay experience that only Dark Souls can provide.
Dark Souls: Atorias of the Abyss for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft is available for DLC purchase on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. For more information on the game please visitwww.facebook.com/DarkSouls, www.PrepareToDie.com.
SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 — In celebration of the 10th anniversary of beloved massively multiplayer game FINAL FANTASY® XI, a special fan-focused concert will be held on September 22, 2012 in Berkeley, CA. This once in a lifetime opportunity will allow fans to hear live performances of their favorite in-game music, meet other players and receive exclusive in-game items.
The FINAL FANTASY XI: 10th Anniversary Concert will feature more than 70 musicians from the area’s leading orchestras to be led by Grammy-winning conductor Arnie Roth, renowned for his previous work with FINAL FANTASY music. Special guests include composers Naoshi Mizuta and Kumi Tanioka who will be on-hand for VIP meet & greet sessions, as well as a few special surprises.
Concert attendees will also receive a special FINAL FANTASY XI in-game item, the “Maestro’s Baton.
• Video of Maestro’s Baton can be found here: http://youtu.be/6-0Njs_ptS0
WHERE: Zellerbach Auditorium in Berkeley, California
WHEN: Saturday, September 22
HOW: Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.ffxiconcerts.com/
Enter the promotional code “VANADIEL” to receive a 15% discount off tickets purchased online.
MORE INFO: http://www.playonline.com/pcd/
http://www.facebook.com/#!/
Focus Home Interactive has released the official launch trailer for their new strategy title, Realms of Ancient War.
Trailer
Everyone loves a good story, right? Especially when playing a video game. Stories gives you sense of purpose, tell you what you’re fighting for, etc. More to the point, stories tell you just what it is you’re doing in a game and put you deeper involved in what’s going on with your character or characters. Unfortunately “Miner Wars Arena” misses this basic game development completely, along with quite a lot else, leaving you, the player, confused and probably insanely frustrated.
MWA is a game that literally throws you into the heart of the battle. The only thing is, there’s no telling what you have to do, other than basically survive. That’s it. It’s mindless blowing AI crafts up and using a “mining vehicle” to do so. However, even the mining is a pain in the ass since your ship has a limited amount of energy which heavily decreases when using your mining skills. If you run out of energy, your ship explodes. On top of that, your energy is depleted simply by moving your ship, taking you away from the battle and making you return to your starting point on a continuous basis.
An even more difficult learning curve are the controls. Using the mouse and keyboard, there are literally over 35 hot keys you need to memorize in order to successfully and competently maneuver your ship. This makes for a lot of deaths, especially in large firefights. To make matters worse, aiming your weapons takes a lot of practice and hit detection isn’t as well rounded as you’d expect in modern day games. It also seems as if almost every single enemy has a better ship than you do and they are experts at using their weaponry, even in Easy mode.
You have a choice of three ships, your basic well-rounded ship, the more speedy yet weaker ship, and of course the tank style ship that is brutal but slow. Weapon choices range from gattling guns to laser to mines, with a few extras thrown in. Still, every single weapon takes a lot of practice to get used to and all ammunition has its limitations so mastering every option will definitely take more time than you might be willing to dedicate yourself to in this game.
The graphics leave something to be desired. Sure, this is a basic PC title but the lack of shadows in some places really don’t give you the depth you’d expect to see in modern day games, especially one which utilizes the unbelievable graphical abilities that a home computer can produce.
If that hasn’t driven you away, wait til you hear the pilot commentary. Yes, every time your ship eliminates an enemy or finds a power-up, the pilot has some enthusiastic reply. However, since power-ups and enemies are all over the place, kills and power-ups start to rack up and the lack of voice acting used for the pilot means you’ll start to hear the same phrases over… and over… and over.
MWA does have its old-school top down gaming feel to it that has your sci-fi space pilot theme as well. Still, there are plenty of better, and even older games that make the brand new MWA obsolete before it’s even released.
When Mad Catz announced their S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 gaming keyboard, I initially chuckled in shock. The thing was the most over-the-top gaming keyboard I had ever seen in pictures. Thankfully, the keyboard every bit lives up to its over-the-top looks with its over-the-top performance and features. We were thrilled to get playtime with this monster and hope you will also before making a snap judgment based on looks alone.
The S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 is made up of multiple, modular pieces that can be arranged and re-arranged as you wish. There are quite a few configurations possible, depending on your needs. This kind of customization has, to the best of my knowledge, never been seen in a keyboard before. Mad Catz pulled out all the stops with this entry into the gaming keyboard market. It also features 24 programmable keys with three different possible profiles, for lots of key customization, not to mention removable arrow and WASD keys (it comes with various types to put in place).
One of the more interesting things about the S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 is its membrane keyboard which is meant to mimic the performance of a mechanical model without the noise and finger stress. How did they do this? I have no idea, but I am guessing it involved some sort of primitive ritual sacrifice. Whatever dark magics were involved, the results were worth it: The S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 keyboard provides an excellent gaming experience. Not only is it quiet, but it also features one of the quickest double-taps I have ever seen in a keyboard. In terms of comfort, the S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 delivers with two wrist rests – each comfortable and pressure-reducing. Even after many, many hours of gaming, I had no finger or wrist tightness or soreness. Between the special keyboard mechanism and the wrist rest, your comfort is assured.
My one wish that the S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 did not deliver on was having a built-in webcam. The Mad Catz logo area next to the touchscreen would have been a great spot to house a small webcam for video chatting.
Obviously, you can’t review this behemoth of a gaming keyboard without talking up the LCD touchscreen with V.E.N.O.M. interface. Built into the keyboard are a plethora of apps designed to help your gaming be more efficient, more fun, and more fragtastic (I just made that word up).
Some examples of the apps:
- Program-specific volume control
- Custom macro button layout
- Quicklaunch of programs/games/apps
- Journal for making game specific notes
- Teamspeak
- Backlighting Adjustment
- Clock / Timer
- Window Key Locking
- Media Controls
Now, some of these are self-explanatory – program-specific volume and media controls being two examples. However, the journal app is what really made my inner-geek take flight. The journal app allows your to type notes on a per-game basis while you are still IN THE GAME and WITHOUT having to quit it. The keyboard simple switches from game input to journal input at the touch of the screen. In my game playing fun, I took the S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 through many, many sorties in DCS A-10C Warthog, probably the most-realistic home combat flight sim on the market. Being able to jot down target data and other navigational notes without using a knee board or piece of paper was heavenly! This app just makes my day. The Teamspeak app on the touchscreen is also insanely useful, allowing the user to navigate chat rooms and see who is talking currently just by glancing down at the little screen.
Additionally, the S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 features two USB ports on the back of the touchscreen housing that uses the included AC adapter for high speeds and power – great for charging mobile devices or whatever else. The USB ports will work as a HUB without the AC power, but at a lower speed.
Overall, the Mad Catz S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 gaming keyboard is an absolute monster of gaming power. It has so many cool and useful features in it that you will not regretting spending the dough on it. Speaking of which, the S.T.R.I.K.E 7 retails for $299.99 and is available now.
