Archive - 2013

Razer Comms Adds New Features

2013/07/25

CARLSBAD, Calif. – Razer™, the world leader in high-performance gaming hardware, software and systems, announced today the first update to Razer Comms, its all-in-one communications solution for gamers, based on a public user poll.

Following a large crowdsourcing initiative that drew feedback from more than 10,000 users, Razer is introducing a new file transfer feature for Comms’ burgeoning user base. At the same time, the company expanded the program’s infrastructure with high-speed servers in eight different locations across the globe to reduce latency and improved the overall audio quality for the software, upgrading noise suppression, echo cancellation and voice volume normalization.

“We started working on Razer Comms in 2011 as a 10 percent side project of sorts, mostly during lunch breaks, for our own personal gaming use,” said Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder, CEO and creative director. “Razer Comms now has a dedicated team of experienced software engineers at its helm. The number of patches and feature additions that we’ve implemented according to gamer feedback speak to this software’s relevance. It is definitely here to stay… and evolve.”

With more than 250,000 downloads, Razer Comms has quickly become a choice VoIP software for gamers thanks to its crystal-clear voice audio and its gaming-optimized, non-intrusive overlay.

Razer’s software engineers have worked at a breakneck pace, receiving more than 20,000 feedback tickets in four months for Comms and delivering more than 60 requested features and functionalities across six patches.

Crowdsourcing new features is still ongoing with Razer Comms. For information on how to submit feedback on improvements to Razer’s VoIP software, go here: www.razerzone.com/comms/.

For more information on Razer Comms and the growth of Razer’s software offerings, check out the infographic here: www.razerzone.com/comms/infochart/.

ROCCAT Kone Pure Optical and Sense Meteor Blue Now Available

2013/07/25

Jerry Paxton

News, Peripherals News

Hamburg – July 25, 2013 – ROCCAT Studios, the Hamburg-based manufacturer of competition gaming peripherals, today announces immediate availability of the optical version of its award-winning Kone Pure gaming mouse. This release ensures that there is now a Kone for both breeds of gamer: those preferring the maxed out DPI of a laser mouse, and those yearning for the unique feel of an optical sensor gliding over their mousepad.

The Kone Pure Optical combines the design innovations and ergonomic shape of original Kone Pure – 91% the size of the Kone – with an ultra-accurate, cutting-edge Pro-Optic (R3) optical sensor. Equipped with high-quality Omron® switches, ROCCAT innovations such as Easy-Shift[+]™, Easy-Aim, and ROCCAT Talk™, and a top-end sensor with DPI adjustable up to true 4,000 DPI, the Kone Pure Optical is designed for discerning gamers who want the best from their peripherals.

ROCCAT founder and CEO René Korte comments: “The new sensor featured in the Kone Pure Optical is the successor to the sensor featured in the famous Savu mouse. The Savu drew praise from gamers and reviewers alike, who complimented the mouse for its accurate and reliable tracking. Building on this success, the Kone Pure Optical has a new and more powerful MCU, which features more memory, and two new native DPI steps.”

By popular demand, the optical mouse arms gamers with a powerful weapon in their fight for point streaks, lanes and bases. A hat tip to the community feedback that shapes the success story of the Kone series, the Kone Pure Optical celebrates the five year anniversary since the Kone was born.

Ultra-thin Sense mousepad now available in Meteor Blue design

The critically-acclaimed Sense mousepad, which entered the market in 2008, has been reissued by ROCCAT, and is now available in a slick Meteor Blue design. The extremely thin textile pad, 2 mm thick, provides precise cursor control – allowing for absolute accuracy. The special micro-crystalline coating minimizes frictional resistance efficiently, and therefore provides a noticeable improvement in the gliding capability of accompanying mice.

The large surface area, 400x280mm, ensures the pad is of a size optimized for low- and high-sensitivity gamers alike. The Sense mousepad also remains available in Chrome Blue.

Ultimate team: the Kone Pure Optical gaming mouse and Sense Meteor Blue mousepad complement each other perfectly, and are the ideal combination of weapons to fight any opponent.

Now Available:

ROCCAT™ Kone Pure Optical – $69.99

ROCCAT™ Sense Meteor – $19.99

APCs Enter Arma 3 Beta Test

2013/07/25

Jerry Paxton

News, Screenshots / Photos, Windows PC News

Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday 25th July 2013 — Calling in the support of two extra vehicles and the BattlEye anti-cheat engine, Bohemia Interactive today released a major new update for the Arma 3 Beta. The ‘APC Package’ adds the BTR-K Kamysh and IFV-6c Panther, while the integration of BattlEye (BE) aims to improve the Beta’s MP experience.

The first vehicle in the APC Package, the OPFOR’s BTR-K Kamysh, serves as a prime example of first-class Russian engineering, The Kamysh is equipped with a CTWS turret fitted with a 30mm cannon, coaxial machinegun and 2 guided AT missiles, making the vehicle significant in the infantry support role.

Its NATO counterpart, the IFV-6c Panther, boasts strong armor to achieve maximal protection for the transported crew. A standard Panther is armed with a RCWS HMG, 40mm grenade machine gun and smoke flares. They can take up to 8 soldiers in the cargo area.

Another highlight in the update is the much-anticipated arrival of BattlEye – the anti-cheat software developed by BattlEye Innovations. Providing a new layer of multiplayer security, this anti-cheat software helps server hosts detect and respond to multiplayer hacks.

Combined with various other improvements and fixes, players will download the new Arma 3 Beta update automatically via Steam. The complete overview of changes is listed in the changelog and/or can be found on the official Arma 3 website.

APC Screenshots

The Walking Dead Coming to Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood and Orlando

2013/07/25

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Halloween, News

UNIVERSAL CITY, Ca, ORLANDO, Fla., (July 25, 2013) — Fans with a voracious appetite for AMC’s “The Walking Dead” will have a chance to walk in the footsteps of human survivors when Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort debut all new terrifying mazes inspired by Season 3 of the critically-acclaimed, award-winning television series at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights events beginning September 20.

The eerily authentic and disturbingly real maze experiences will place “Halloween Horror Nights” guests at the heart of the show’s once impenetrable prison, the West Georgia Correctional Facility, now overrun by hordes of flesh-eating walkers. The mazes at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando will send guests cowering through the walker-infested wilderness that surrounds the prison and into the seemingly utopian town of Woodbury where gruesome secrets are concealed.

Universal Orlando is also dedicating its entire “Halloween Horror Nights” street experience to “The Walking Dead” – making this the first time ever that all of the scare zones throughout the park will be themed after a hit television series. Guests brave enough to walk the streets of Universal Studios Florida will encounter iconic scenes from all three seasons of the hit show – including the perilous city of Atlanta and Hershel’s dismal barn – and fleets of blood-thirsty walkers who are hungry for their next victim…

The Golden Globe®-nominated, Emmy® Award-winning series “The Walking Dead” is based on the graphic novel written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics. The series tells the story of the months and years after a zombie apocalypse. It follows a group of survivors, led by sheriff Rick Grimes, who travel in search of a safe and secure home. “The Walking Dead” is the first original cable series ever to end the broadcast TV season as the number-one show for adults 18-49. AMC’s “The Walking Dead” returns for season 4 on Sunday, October 13 at 9pm ET/PT.

“What’s great about working with a property like ‘The Walking Dead’ is that each season presents new environments and characters for us to draw inspiration,” said John Murdy, Creative Director for Universal Studios Hollywood. “With the prison as the main setting of Season 3, we seized this opportunity to recreate that very environment, down to the last detail, to be as genuine and authentic to the show as possible. Using movie-quality production value, our goal is to make guests feel as if they are mired in the world of blood-thirsty zombies, which is something you can only do at ‘Halloween Horror Nights.’”

“The goal is always to surround guests with authentic and terrifying experiences,” said Michael Aiello, Creative Development Director for Universal Orlando’s Entertainment team. “The combination of ‘The Walking Dead’ themed street experiences and the haunted maze will make it difficult for our guests to escape the hordes of ravenous walkers they’ve seen on their television. The moment you pass through our gate, you become a survivor fighting for your life.”

Universal Studios’ “Halloween Horror Nights” events have a more than 20-year history of creating incredibly entertaining, horrifying Halloween experiences that are consistently rated the nation’s best. The events on each coast feature highly-themed, disturbingly real, haunted mazes based on everything from films to nightmares — and streets filled with hundreds of specially trained “scareactors.”

For more information about “Halloween Horror Nights” at either Universal Orlando Resort or Universal Studios Hollywood, visit www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com.

We Visit the Godzilla Encounter at the San Diego Comic-Con

2013/07/24

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, SDCC

During our visit to the San Diego Comic-Con, we got to checkout Legendary Pictures “Godzilla Encounter”, which was located outside the convention center in the Gaslamp District. The warehouse containing the encounter was painted up to look seriously damaged, with cracks and missing section. We were escorted in by an eager press relations person and were instantly impressed with the overturned police car display and full Godzilla suit (not from the upcoming film – but one of the late 1990’s/early 2000’s movies). Walking more, we found ourselves in a recreated Tokyo street, complete with sushi bar. Legendary even hired an actor to play a businessman sitting at the bar. He would respond to Japanese and never broke character no matter what we did (don’t ask what we did). Along the Tokyo “street”, there were several storefronts with Godzilla memorabilia and posters on display – a very cool collection to say the least.

[blockquote]Then, the proverbial s**t hit the proverbial fan.[/blockquote]

Klaxons sounded, red lights rotated, and a group of hired-actor soldiers began clearing us off the street in haste, saying we were under attack. We were ushered into a decon chamber and then into a bunker/command center where Godzilla was being tracked. There was an impressive number of controls, monitors, and other whiz-bang goodies about, blinking and begging to be messed with. There was a cool video from a CNN-like news network showing the headline “America Under Attack” as video of U.S. soldiers and war machines roared about – presumably fighting Godzilla. There was a loud boom and then all the lights in the control room went dark. We were ushered into an “elevator” in order to reach the rooftop where we would be shuttled out via chopper. The ride up got pretty bumpy and we ended up stopping on the 25th floor (obviously, this really wasn’t the 25th floor – but the illusion was really neat).

The elevator doors opened to reveal an office floor with cubicles and a large, bay window with digital projection showing a rainy city skyline. Lighting flashed, thunder roared, and the rain was coming down in sheets as thick as lead! Really shaking the pillars of Heaven kind of stuff. Then, we got a glimpse…. Godzilla walked by the building and we were all told to keep quite and not move so he wouldn’t see us. He did anyway. And proceeded to menacingly look inside our floor and let our a loud roar. We were then hustled out of the room and out of the warehouse, being told thanks for coming and to check the film out next year.

Overall, Legendary should be very proud of what they accomplished with the Godzilla Encounter. Not only did we see a “tech demo” of what Godzilla will look like in the film (a lot of reporters were falsely-claiming it was the final design of the titular monster), but we also had a cool trip down memory lane of Godzilla merchandise.

Images

Demonicon Gets New Release Date and Packshot

2013/07/24

Jerry Paxton

News, Windows PC News

July 24, 2013, Ridgewood, NJ – Kalypso Media today is announcing an updated release schedule for The Dark Eye – Demonicon, its upcoming action-RPG for console and PC. Kalypso will release The Dark Eye – Demonicon for Windows PC in late October, while console versions for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system will arrive in 2014.

The Dark Eye – Demonicon is a thrilling action-RPG set in the extraordinarily popular universe of “The Dark Eye”, a richly crafted fantasy world beloved by fantasy gamers throughout the world.

Demonicon tells the tragic story of a brother and sister who become pawns of sinister forces in a world of cruelty and depravity. In this bleak yet magical world, their affection is both a blessing and a curse. Both are constantly threatened by mortal danger and demonic temptation, and must find a way through their tortured lives by facing serious moral decisions. Their common destiny will determine that of the entire continent, and will be decided by the choices they make. Hordes of fiends block their way to freedom and peace, and only through battle and magic they will truly become free of the darkness.

Features include –
●      A third-person action-RPG featuring brutal melee attack combos and dazzling magic spells
●      Powerful storytelling with an elaborate narrative rich with twists, as well as believable conflicts and ethical decision-making opportunities
●      Action-packed battles, where pin-point timing and clever tactics play important roles
●      Unique magic system: a dark talent grants the player devastating mystical powers
●      Important events in “Demonicon” will be part of “The Dark Eye” universe’s history
●      State-of-the-art 3D visuals using the powerful “Vision” engine

The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot 3 Classes Trailer

2013/07/24

Jerry Paxton

News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

In this new trailer for Ubisoft’s The Might Quest for Epic Loot, we get an overview of the three playable classes.

Trailer

ABC TV Announces D23 Expo Screenings and Panels

2013/07/24

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News

BURBANK, Calif. – July 24, 2013 – Be among the first to watch ABC’s most anticipated new fall series and animated specials and have a chance to learn the secrets behind how they were made. Fans will have those opportunities at the D23 Expo: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, where all the worlds of Disney come together, August 9 – 11, at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Executive Producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz will be featured at a panel titled “ABC’s Once Upon A Time: Behind The Fairytale” on Saturday, August 10 at 1:00 p.m. at Stage 23. Eddy and Adam will talk about exciting developments for season three of their hit series Once Upon A Time as well as their new fall series, Once Upon A Time In Wonderland, which takes place in the Victorian England of Alice and the strange new land that exists on the other side of the rabbit hole. The Q&A with the executive producers will be moderated by D23’s Jeffrey Epstein.

Guests on the D23 Expo show floor are invited to come aboard the Jolly Roger for a swashbuckling good time with some of your favorite fairytale characters from ABC’s hit series Once Upon A Time. Explore the famous pirate ship and feast your eyes on original props from the set. You will also find Snow White, Prince Charming, the Evil Queen, Captain Hook, and Emma Swan (and Emma’s red leather jacket). Every pirate who boards the ship gets to visit the Evil Queen’s vault. And a surprise awaits when you unlock a box from Regina’s wall of hearts. No pirate will leave empty handed! Don’t let this exciting adventure sail by without you!

In addition, as previously announced, guests will be able to get an up-close-and-personal look at some of the elaborate costumes from Once Upon A Time inside the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit located on the second floor of the Convention Center.

Outlast Gets Release Date

2013/07/24

Jerry Paxton

News, Windows PC News

MONTREAL – July 24, 2013 – Red Barrels announced today that its darkest brainchild, survival horror experience Outlast will be available on September 4, 2013 for digital download on Steam for $19.99. Outlast received great accolades and awards this past E3, even earning the honor of “Most Likely to Make you Faint.” White-knuckled attendees playing the game for the first time struggled to maintain composure (and consciousness) when faced with the frightening effects of Outlast’s immersive audio design and the shocking truth of what lies inside Mount Massive Asylum. Outlast will keep hearts pumping and palms sweating as players’ fiercest fears are awakened.

The industry veterans at the ten-person indie studio Red Barrels have created a game that traps players in the uncomfortable space between fear and intrigue. In Outlast, players will take on the role of Miles Upshur, a reporter investigating an anonymous tip that something is amiss at Mount Massive Asylum. Miles ventures blindly into the asylum where a bloody crime scene forebodes a gruesome story to unravel. Players will be in for a true derangement of the senses this September, where fainting may be the only way to escape.

For more information about the studio and Outlast, please visit redbarrelsgames.com.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified Live Action Trailer #4

2013/07/24

Jerry Paxton

News, PlayStation 3 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox 360 News

JULY 24, 2013 — 2K Games and 2K Marin have released “The Decision,” the next installment of the live action series for The Bureau: XCOM Declassified. In the last video, “The Choice,” Agent Ennis Cole, played by Lost and Lord of the Ringsstar Dominic Monaghan, faced a difficult choice in dealing with the aftermath of the Pima incident, so The Bureau fans helped him decide by voting either #grabthebottle or #grabthegun.

With 51% of the votes, fans have decided by an incredibly narrow margin to have Agent Ennis Cole grab the bottle instead of the gun. Watch the complete video to see the consequences of those actions.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified: Agent Ennis Cole – The Decision
Download: https://www.hightail.com/download/bWJxQmtRdWNOMUFpR01UQw
Youtube embed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwAwrDS0EsM

Follow the story of The Bureau agents and the missing boy from the first live action trailer, “The Burn Room,” for a closer look into the mysterious world of The Bureau: XCOM Declassified and be sure to tune in this Friday for the next installment of the live action series starring Dominic Monaghan. Finally, we’re pleased to announce that the The Bureau: XCOM Declassified Steam page has gone live, as has a pre-purchase rewards promotion that some fans may want to check out.