New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA – May 20, 2013 – Spike TV and GameTrailers teamed up to give fans unprecedented access to the Microsoft New Generation Xbox reveal with a LIVE, one hour commercial free event, “Xbox: A New Generation Revealed.” The highly-anticipated event will be broadcast from the Microsoft Corporate Headquarters and will give fans a first glimpse of a new generation of games, entertainment and TV.
“Microsoft is set to redefine the home entertainment experience this Tuesday,” said Jon Slusser, Senior Vice President, Sports and Multi-platform Programming, Spike TV. “We are thrilled that Spike is the network to give fans the exclusive access to this ground breaking event.”
The coverage of the highly-anticipated reveal kicks off on Tuesday, May 21 (Noon-2:30pm ET/ 9:00am-11:30am PT), with a preshow followed by Spike TV’s one hour commercial free “Xbox: A New Generation Revealed,” featuring LIVE coast-to-coast coverage from Microsoft Corp Headquarters in Redmond, Washington. The network will cap off the coverage with a live post show interview with Don Mattrick, the President of the Interactive Entertainment Business and will be book-ended by exclusive Spike TV and GameTrailers content giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at the new Xbox.
VANCOUVER, Canada – May 20, 2012 – Blackbird Interactive, a videogame developer specializing in sci-fi real-time strategy games, has released a new trailer for the sci-fi online real-time strategy game HARDWARE: Shipbreakers. The footage introduces the Baserunner, a workhorse armored transport vehicle, the backbone of the prospector’s ground fleet. Versatile, tough and infinitely customizable, the Baserunner’s size and power make it the ultimate vehicle for tearing across the rugged terrain of LM-27.
In the same spirit of visual excellence that has defined previously released assets forHARDWARE, this new trailer begins to explore the immense depth of the game universe’s lore, which also demonstrates the same epic art style that made Homeworlda cult classic years ago. The closed beta is scheduled to launch in Q4 2013 and is now open to applicants. Players can support the game’s development through the purchase of limited edition pre-sale packages at www.blackbirdinteractive.com/store/.
Today, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment revealed that Deathstroke will be a fully playable character in the challenge mode for Batman: Arkham Origins. Fans who pre-order the game for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation 3 system, or Windows PC will receive exclusive early access to the Deathstroke pack. Batman: Arkham Origins will be available for the Xbox 360, PS3, the Wii U system, and Windows PC platforms. The game will be released on Oct. 25, 2013.
Looks like Sony’s E3 2013 press conference will take place in Los Angeles on June 10 at 6 p.m. PT. The company will be streaming the presser live via http://us.playstation.com. There was also a teaser trailer for the event released today, showing off blurry bits of what appears to be a cube-like object (presumably, the console). Hopefully the cube shape is the console as seen from above as a big cube will be difficult to fit in with my home entertainment setup, lol. Check it out below:
May 20th, 2013 — Super genre mashup CastleStorm will release on Xbox LIVE® Arcade on May 29th, 2013 for 800 MSP. Built on the fond childhood memory of building and destroying Lego castles, CastleStorm mixes things up with 2D physics destruction mashed with tower defense brawler and comical story, allowing players to control their offences and defenses in real time over a 12 level single player campaign, and multiple co-op and multiplayer modes. CastleStorm also features a dynamic castle editor allowing players to construct their own castles which can be used during gameplay, including multiplayer battles!
Today marked AirSplat’s 2013 Fan Appreciation Day, which took place at the indoor airsoft arena, TacCity, in Fullerton, CA. The event began early this morning and went until 5:00pm. There were raffles, hammer tosses, product demos, vendor booths, a food truck, and all-day airsoft inside the venue. At 2:00pm, AirSplat hosted an airsoft game with customers facing off against employees and sponsors (including the poor sap from GamingShogun.com). So, the battle would be against the 20 or so of us vs about 50 customers. 300 much?!? Being an indoor arena, I had to make use of my lower-FPS airsoft gun, a KWA M226 PTP. Having only four magazines, I was severely out-gunned by throngs of folks armed with sub-machine guns and lower-FPS M4 airsoft guns. How did I do? Well, in the two games I played (leaving because I was all out of BBs), I managed to hit four people. Victory! Well, not really, as our team lost both games against the massive OPFOR. However, for a first-time pistol-only player, I hung in there longer than I expected.
What did this teach me? Well, first, it showed me first-hand just how versatile a pistol can be in allowing a player to move quickly around the airsoft arena. Also, I learned that thanks to the pistol’s small frame, it does not stick out as much as a larger gun – meaning I was less of a target. Knowing that I was going to be out-gunned for the event, I had loaded up my magazines with .25g BBs, the max for the venue. This would decrease my FPS slightly, but make each shot a lot more accurate. I apologize for the younger person who I shot in the left shoulder and left a mean welt (even though you were on the other team). My advice: Wear some sort of a vest next time instead of a white t-shirt and please don’t show your Mom or Dad that welt. It looked terrible (Note from legal: GamingShogun.com does not endorse or condone keeping things from your parents or guardians)!
In any event, the AirSplat Fan Appreciation Day was a lot of fun and we met some great people whom we hope to see again on the airsoft field in the future.
A growing trend over recent years has been the further isolation of individuals because of technology. With the widespread use of smartphones, more often people are looking down at their screens instead of paying attention to the world around them. How often have you been talking to someone and they decide to check the time so they pull out there phone, see a text and decide to fire off a quick response – all while you are trying to discuss something? Do you find when you go out to dinner the phone immediately comes out of everyone’s pockets and comes to rest on the tables where they get handled as much as the silverware – if not moreso? It’s become an ingrained part of our culture – a sort of disconnection from the immediate world around you in order to keep up with the world at large. For some people, this is a downright difficult habit to break. Even movie theaters have two or three requests to not use your phone before every screening and the television is laden with PSAs about not texting and driving.
With all that in mind, some companies have tried to make it so that we can remained connected to the world (and our phones) but still be more in the here and now. A perfect example of this would be COOKOO: The Connected Watch.
Description:
COOKOO: The Connected Watch is designed to simplify your life. That is why the COOKOO watch has a beautifully designed analog watch face with easy to read icons to display the information you need anywhere, anytime. The smart, user-friendly interface will easily keep you connected and help manage your phone, apps, and social networks.
The COOKOO App keeps you in control of the alerts and notifications you receive on the COOKOO watch. Customize the setting based on your lifestyle. Select which notifications you want to receive and whether you want to be notified by an icon, beep, or vibration.
With the COOKOO App, you can receives notifications of:
Incoming calls
Missed calls
Facebook messages and posts
Twitter mention
Calendar reminders
Your device is out of range
Low battery on iPhone or iPad
Alarm and Timer alert
By a press of button, you can remote what to do…
One-button Facebook Check-in : Allows you to share where you are in the fastest way
Remote Photos/Videos taking : Perfect for taking group shots!
One-button Music Control : Press the COMMAND button to play or pause the music, or hold the button to skip to the next song
Tag location at any time : Tag your current location on the COOKOO App’s map—later you can add notes, pictures, and even share your map with others.
Fine your phone : If you know your phone is around but you just can’t seem to find it, simply press a button to sound an alert and locate it. …and more as the Connected App develops!
The COOKOO watch uses Bluetooth® 4.0 LE wireless technology and is compatible with the latest Bluetooth SMART READY devices such as iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad mini, iPad (4th & 3rd generation), iPod touch (5th generation).
Hands-On:
It began as a Kickstarter project that quickly took off like wildfire; The COOKOO watch is named after The Black Forest “cookoo” clocks developed back in the 18th century. This is evident at first glance at the watch casing which is designed to look like a cookoo clock and has instructions on how to recycle the case as a bird house or bird feeder.
Let’s say you are in an important meeting, maybe with a business client or your special someone. You have been waiting for an important email or text but you want to show the person you are with that they have your attention. While your phone is tucked away in a pocket, you can casually glance at your watch and it will let you know if a call, text, or email has come in. It can even let you know if you were mentioned or messaged on Facebook. All of this will show up as little discreet icons on the face of your phone. These icons aren’t glowing or distracting, they just look like part of the watch face. With the downloadable phone app, you can simply press the screen button on your phone and you will see a full list of everyone one who has tried to contact you and, in the case of Facebook or text messaging, the first line of the status/message is listed as well, so you can see without pressing a bunch of buttons or taking up a lot of time.
This last October, I lost my phone on a hayride and didn’t realize it immediately. I used a common phone finder app on my wife’s phone and we figured out where the phone was. Thankfully, we recovered it. If I had been wearing COOKOO: The Connected Watch, it would have immediately alerted me when the phone was a certain distance away from my watch and I could have pressed a button on the watch to start the phone making a noise without going through my wife’s app, as if she hadn’t been there, finding the phone would have been much more difficult.
Another example uses the watch’s easy status-sharing capabilities. Say you are caught up in traffic going to meet friends. You can press a single button on the watch and check in on Facebook so that when my friends check, they can see where I am. If I wanted to turn up the music I am playing on my phone through the AUX port in the car stereo, I can adjust that on my watch without touching the stereo knob. You can also find out all the texts and calls you are missing just like in the meeting scenario. COOKOO: The Connected Watch is a safe option or addition to hands-free phone use which is literally lifesaving as well as staying legal in many states.
If you have a family member who is forgetful about pill or appointment times, you can use the app and Facebook to do everything from remind them when to take their pills to when they have an appointment or someone has a birthday. Whether it’s medical memory issues or just being generally scatterbrained, this watch will help keep your life on track. The nice thing is that all the programming can be done on the phone, but the phone doesn’t need to be on the person for the watch alarm to go off.
My only complaint during testing was how easy it is toggle the power. The bluetooth functionality of the watch is supposed to be turned off during flight takeoff, so it is important to be able to do that. However, I found myself bumping the button on accident, which would turn it back on. I think if it required two buttons, one on each side of the watch, to be pressed at the same time to turn it on or off that it would be less accident prone.
Style And Function:
I used to work as a director at a home shopping network and I actually learned a lot about watches during that time. The battery systems along with the type of bluetooth connection are designed to get you through about a year of use before having to worry about changing them out and a jeweler is not required to do so. The design gives decent water resistance, it would probably survive a dip in the pool though not recommended and be sure to take it off during showers or it can steam up underneath the glass. The design of the face and body are simple as well as classic, and the band is a flexible rubber which usually holds up to the elements. If money wasn’t a concern, I would recommend a ceramic strap be used to replace the provided one for maximum durability and style. The mineral crystal glass face is some of the best scratch resistant material for a watch face on the market, but be careful as that does not mean it is bulletproof. I had a similar face survive all kinds of hardships then get permanently scratched while standing in a line at Disneyland.
Last Call:
This watch has all the style and design that anyone from a businessman to active teen would need, but functionality that will improve just about any smartphone user’s life. Other interactive watches on the market usually look over-the-top “techy” and seem to lack a certain of refinement. Not so with COOKOO: The Connected Watch: It clearly has a very elegant design and execution. This is the watch for those who want to stay connected to the world but also pay attention to the world around them.
[easyreview title=”COOKOO: The Connected Watch Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″ ] Our Rating Scores Explained
May 17, 2013 –Today EA SPORTS and Amazon announced the Madden NFL 25 Anniversary Edition. Every copy of this limited-edition game will come packed with Madden NFL 25 plus exclusive offers for DIRECTV and NFL SUNDAY TICKET. Offers include:
Fans who are not currently DIRECTV subscribers but are able to receive DIRECTV service will receive a promo code entitling them to $10 off per month for their first year of service and one year of NFL SUNDAY TICKET MAXat no additional charge.
Fans who are already DIRECTV and NFL SUNDAY TICKET MAX subscribers can access NFL SUNDAY TICKET on computer and mobile devices using their current DIRECTV username and password.
For fans unable to receive DIRECTV service, each Madden NFL 25 Anniversary Edition will include a unique code to access the 2013 regular season (17 weeks) trial of NFL SUNDAY TICKET on computers, tablets, and mobile devices- including access to DIRECTV’s award-winning RED ZONE CHANNEL®.
Owners of the Anniversary Edition will also receive an exclusive Madden Ultimate Team pack each week of the NFL season, starting week 1 through week 17.
“We’re delighted to offer our fans this special edition to celebrate the franchise they helped build over the last 25 years,” said Anthony Stevenson, Sr. Marketing Director for EA SPORTS. “Pairing the ultimate football video game experience with the ultimate viewing experience in DIRECTV NFL SUNDAY TICKET will deliver incredible value and excitement all season long.”
With over $400 in value at an introductory price of only $99.99, the Anniversary Edition is available for pre-order in very limited quantities on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 gaming consoles, exclusive at Amazon starting today.
In Madden NFL 25, unlock the power, precision, and creativity of the NFL ball carrier. Whether you’re a slashing running back, dual-threat QB, or ball-hawking safety, unleash 30 new moves and string together devastating combos with the all-new precision modifier. For more details on all the innovative new features, check out theMadden NFL 25 Playbook.
Embraced by fans and honored by critics for 25 years, Madden NFL is known as the NFL’s “33rd Franchise” due to its authentic gameplay, the development team’s unparalleled access to NFL resources and its prominent place in NFL culture.
Madden NFL 25 is developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon and will be available for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system beginning August 27.To learn more about Madden NFL 25, visit http://www.easports.com/madden-nfl. Fans are also invited to become a Madden Insider for exclusive information on Facebook including the latest news, original content and more for Madden NFL 25, and keep up with franchise news on the Madden NFL 25 Bleacher Report hub.
Only available on DIRECTV, NFL SUNDAY TICKET enables fans to watch every out-of-market game every Sunday in HD. For more information visit: www.directv.com/sports/nfl.
All player participation has been facilitated by National Football League Players Incorporated (NFL PLAYERS), the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA).
EA SPORTS is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through industry-leading sports videogames, includingMadden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, SSX™ and Fight Night boxing.
For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visitwww.easports.com to connect, share and compete.
Larkspur, Calif., – May 17, 2013 – Deep Silver and Rubicon Organization present Rick Quinn in Narco Terror, a sophisticated, action-packed twin-stick shooter that thematically harkens back to classic action movies from the 80’s and offers great diversity with several arcade gameplay sequences.
Ex-special ops Rick Quinn is a one-man-army and faces impossible odds. His beloved daughter was kidnapped by drug cartel leader Delgado, to prevent the use of a new tool that could expose the secret narcotics smuggling ring. Quinn is the deadliest weapon around, and will stop at nothing to get his daughter back.
An arsenal of customizable weapons, different ammo types from explosive rounds to tesla coils, grenades, power-ups, upgrades and character progression allow a rich variety in Quinn’s crusade through hostile territory. Quinn also has a love for heavy machinery, and will be piloting helicopters and aircraft, battling through enemy lines consisting of massive tanks, armed helicopters and fast planes. Add different play modes from 2D side-scrolling to top down vertical sequences, all presented in blazing visuals, Narco Terror offers game play diversification never seen before.
Up to two players can lay a path of destruction in Narco Terror in both local and online co-op, with seamless drop in and drop out at any time.
Dishing out Justice, one grenade at a time!
Narco Terror is planned for release in summer 2013 as a digital download title for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system through PlayStation®Network, as an arcade game through Xbox Live® for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and through Steam and other ESD partners.
