Archive - 2014

Planets3 Announced

2014/01/14

News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

Cannes, France – January the 14th 2014 – Cubical Drift, an independent video game studio, is pleased to present the first look at gameplay elements and assets of its debut title Planets3, whose development will be supported by a Kickstarter campaign in the coming months.

A perfect blend of adventure, RPG and construction elements, Planets3 will ship players through a spatial epic in an all in cubes universe. Alone or with friends, they will raise their character’s levels, solve the different storyline quests, build tools, houses and vehicles to explore the many available planets and defeat monsters and bosses in the dungeons.

Planets3 playground: an infinite universe

The Planets3 world is constructed entirely from blocks of different shapes and sizes. With the right tools, players will be able to pick up these blocks to use them at will by using blocks as-is or by breaking them down into materials to create new objects. Planets3 truly allows players to unleash their imagination.

Planets3 is a massive universe, comprised of several solar systems that players can freely visit. Each solar system is replete with planets and their moons, full of resources waiting to be captured.

In Planets3, planets are cubes, their trajectories are square and relatively close to each other. Because of this unique trajectory, the severity of gravity can be different on each planet’s side!

The history of Planets3

Aliens in human form crashed on Earth a few decades ago.and never left.

As the story progresses, players will discover why these aliens stayed on the planet and will have to rescue these visitors, and even help build a ship so they can go back home.

Planets3 also offers side quests that will allow players to unlock the secrets of the Planets3 universe and find objects only available in these optional storylines.

“We started the Planetsł adventure because we believe that there is still plenty of exploration left to be done in the world building genre. Imagine: a world of cubes that has nearly endless possibilities, while also providing a unique look.” explains Michel Thomazeau, Cubical Drift’s founder. “We wanted to bring in the third dimension that is often lacking in the genre.”

Fights

Equipping different pieces of weapons and armor, the player will be able to customize their fighting style: stealthy approach, ranged or close fighting…

This flexible system will allow players to quickly change their style in combat: starting a fight with ranged abilities and finishing their foe off with hand-to-hand attacks.

Craft

Master crafters, scattered throughout the world, are true masters of art, and can teach players to create many of the weapons and objects that will allow them to evolve and explore the entire universe.

Planets3 Is Scheduled to Release in the Summer of 2015

The Kickstarter campaign to support the development of Planets3 will start within the next 2 months.

Griffin and Square Begin Shipping Merchant Case + Square Reader

2014/01/14

Jerry Paxton

CES, Mobile News, News, Peripherals News

Nashville, Tenn. – January 14, 2014 – After a successful announcement at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show, Griffin Technology’s Merchant Case + Square Reader is now shipping. The Merchant case is the first protective solution optimized for the new Square Reader.

“We’re extremely excited about the enthusiastic response to the Merchant case. Our case, combined with a Square Reader, is a perfect solution for business on-the-go,” said J. Curtis, Director of B2B Product Development at Griffin.

The Merchant case is custom-molded to secure the Square Reader in place and eliminate excess strain on the iPhone’s headphone jack when connected. A groove along the bottom aligns with the Square Reader and allows credit cards to slide through easily and consistently. Made from a durable silicone, the case protects the phone from bumps and drops and the case’s non-slip material makes it easy to hand over for customers’ signatures. Additionally, an integrated slot located on the back of the case conveniently stores the Square Reader when it’s not in use.

Merchant Case + Square Reader works with Square Register, the free point of sale app that lets anyone, anywhere, accept credit card payments and run their business. With a customizable checkout flow, smart business analytics, and digital receipts, Square Register serves the needs of businesses of all sizes and types, from a locksmith to a retail store.

Griffin’s Merchant case includes the new Square Reader and is now available for $19.99 at store.griffintechnology.com/merchant-square-case-for-iphone-5.

To see the Merchant Case + Square Reader in action visit: http://bit.ly/1dqfdTY.

2K and Turtle Rock Studios Announce Evolve

2014/01/14

Jerry Paxton

News, PlayStation 4 News, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

New York, NY – January 14, 2014 – 2K and Turtle Rock Studios, creators of the cooperative shooter classic Left 4 Dead, today officially announced Evolve™, an all-new multiplayer shooter experience. First revealed exclusively on the cover of Game Informer magazine’s current February issue, Evolve will be available this fall for Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, and Windows PC.

Evolve expertly blends cooperative and competitive multiplayer experiences as a team of four hunters face off against a single, player-controlled monster. Set on an alien planet in the distant future, gamers hunt their prey in adrenaline-pumping 4V1 matches. Players experience Evolve as a first-person shooter when playing cooperatively as the four hunters, while they control the monster in the third-person perspective, providing a gameplay experience unique toEvolve. In addition to revealing Evolve, Game Informer details Goliath, the first monster included in the game, and the first squad of four hunters, each with their own unique classes and abilities.

“Our philosophy is to build incredibly fun game experiences that we can’t find anywhere else,” said Chris Ashton, co-founder and design director at Turtle Rock Studios. “Evolve’s co-op vs. lone wolf formula has created some of the most intense multiplayer matches we’ve ever experienced.”

“Evolve will be a generation-defining multiplayer experience,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “As our first new IP for next-gen systems, 2K is working with Turtle Rock Studios to deliver a game that’s instantly entertaining and impossible to put down.”

Evolve is available for pre-order beginning today at participating retailers. Those who pre-order the game from participating retailers will be rewarded with the Monster Expansion Pack, which includes the Savage Goliath skin at launch and a new monster character as soon as it becomes available after Evolve is released. To see a list of retailers that you can pre-order Evolve from now, please visit www.evolvegame.com/preorder.

To learn more about Evolve, gamers can pick up the latest issue of Game Informer magazine or visit www.gameinformer.com/evolve throughout the month of January for an exclusive look at the game.

Evolve will be available in fall 2014 for Xbox One, PlayStation®4 system and PC. Evolve is not yet rated by the ESRB. For more information on Evolve, follow us on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, subscribe on YouTube and visitwww.evolvegame.com.

Cetacea Concealed Pistol Lanyard Review (Airsoft)

2014/01/12

Jerry Paxton

Action Sports, Airsoft News, Airsoft Reviews, Articles, News, Reviews

While running and gunning in an airsoft game, sometimes players need to swap over from their primary airsoft guns to their backup pieces quickly. Sometimes, players will lose the grip on their sidearms, causing a sometimes expensive piece of airsoft kit to go skittering across the arena floor. This could cost you the game and, more importantly, damage the gun which will cost you money! The solution for most players is to have some sort of lanyard attached to the airsoft pistol so that, in case it gets loose from your grip, it is still attached to your body and wont hit the ground.

Cetacea has been making pistol and gear lanyards for quite some time and, thanks to the folks at AirsoftExtreme, we got to review the concealed carry model. The big difference between the concealed carry model (model #TA-PCO) and others in the product line is that its coiled cable is a lot thinner and meant for plain clothes officers or light usage. I was able to use the pistol lanyard for a few weeks and, during the games I played in that time, found it to be adequate in keeping my sidearm tethered to my person when I used a light, CYMA airsoft pistol . My KWA M226 airsoft pistol, however, still hit the ground (thankfully soft carpet) of my office when dropped using the tether. The problem is that heavier airsoft guns are going to overpower the thin retention coil. Unless you have a very light or inexpensive airsoft pistol, I would probably recommend that you opt for the pistol lanyard

Overall, the Cetacea concealed carry pistol lanyard is an inexpensive way to retain your airsoft sidearm in case you lose your grip of it. Be warned, however, that if your gun is too heavy it could still hit the ground before the retention cable kicks into gear and springs it back to you. The Cetacea Concealed Carry pistol lanyard retails for $11.99 at Airsoft Extreme’s official website.

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Knott’s Berry Farm Signs Krazy Kirk And The Hillbillies

2014/01/11

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News

If you have gone to Disneyland within the last 20 or so years, you have probably seen the bluegrass / country group “Billy Hill and the Hillbillies” play during one of your adventures. The group brought a cool, fun and live show to the park. Disneyland has canceled its contract with the group, and now you can see them play at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, CA. Knott’s has announced that the group will play on the weekends at the park’s “Wilderness Dance Hall” located in its Calico Ghost Town area starting January 18, 2013.

*Image from the band’s Facebook page

IOGEAR Unveils Keymander at CES

2014/01/10

Jerry Paxton

CES, News, Peripherals News

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. – Jan. 7, 2014 – Gamers, get ready for combat. The new KeyMander from IOGEAR arms console gamers with the competitive advantage of a keyboard and mouse for PlayStation^®3 and Xbox 360^® by converting signals to replace the joystick controller. The KeyMander (GE1337P; MSRP: $99.95) provides precision accuracy to any game by mapping controller commands to keys on a USB keyboard and mouse. Gamers will be able to leverage this technology with next generation gaming systems early 2014 through a free firmware update.

This new weapon tilts the scales to the advantage of PS3 and Xbox players by improving speed, simplifying access to game features, and managing detailed movements in first-person shooter, role-playing games, real-time strategy games and other massive multiplayer online games. Players can take their tactics and skills to the next level with the KeyMander’s PC software, which adds an arsenal of tools and options.

Key attributes include custom key mapping, macro programming, mouse ballistics editing and speed adjustments for rapid, pinpoint accuracy. Macros allow a gamer to design a custom series of button sequences (up to 16) into one keyboard key. For example, if two separate selections on the controller cause an avatar to crouch then shoot, the KeyMander could be programmed to use a single key to achieve both actions. A turbo function mimics up to 10 consecutive button presses in a single press of a button. The addition of the mouse while gaming supports smooth and responsive aim toward any enemy in the combat zone.

Additionally, the KeyMander can save up to eight different customized profiles within a group. With up to 31 different groups, users can easily store different characters’ settings for a library of games. The instant hotkey switching between profiles during a live game, such as switching among medic, demolitions and sniper profiles, provides an immediate customized control advantage. These custom decisions can be stored for multiple gamers in each household, so that eight individual profiles can have key controls to support each person’s battle preferences.

“Every split second counts in the competitive world of gaming, making the KeyMander a vital tool for the serious player and a marketplace disrupter,” said Jack Wang, IOGEAR CEO. “With the KeyMander, IOGEAR brings our expertise in digital home entertainment to new audiences who will appreciate easy-to-use features along with the new dominance and edge in their gaming experiences.”

In recognition of its contribution to gaming, the KeyMander has been named a 2014 CES Innovations Design and Engineering Awards honoree in the Gaming Hardware and Accessories product category. It supports simple switching between control emulator mode and keyboard mode for chat, web surfing and other typing functions. By playing on the console using the KeyMander, gamers also take advantage of upgradable firmware that will adapt with the system. The KeyMander is available now online at www.iogear.com with pre-installed firmware for PS3 and is easily upgradeable with free firmware downloads due out in early 2014 for use with Xbox 360, Xbox One^® and PS4^®. Availability through major distribution channels will come later this month.

For more information on IOGEAR, please visit www.iogear.com. Follow IOGEAR on Twitter, the company blog and become a fan on Facebook for additional industry, company, and product details.

Blackguards Now in Steam Early Access for Mac PCs

2014/01/10

Jerry Paxton

Mac PC News, News, Windows PC News

Hamburg, January 10, 2014: Blackguards, Daedalic Entertainment’s turn-based RPG is now also available on Steam’s Early Access program for Mac. This way, all Mac users can enjoy the first four chapters of the game even before the official release on January 24th.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/249650

Early Access allows players to play the first chapters of Blackguards months before the official release and to have a chance to influence the development process through their feedback based on pre-release builds.

Blackguards will be published chapter by chapter while in Early Access. As of now, the first three parts of the game are available. All five chapters will be made available in the upcoming weeks.

Daedalic Entertainment offers several packages for interested Early Access participants. In all cases, players will secure access to the final version of Blackguards by paying a lower price compared to purchasing the game after its official release.

Additionally, they have the opportunity to buy exclusive extras that will only be available before the official release. For $24.99, players receive the Standard Early Access Edition of Blackguards, including all chapters for PC at their earliest availability, and the full PC & Mac version of the game after the official release. For $34.99, players receive the Blackguards Early Access Deluxe Edition, an approx. 150 page artbook, and access to developer interview videos and six exclusive wallpapers. For $49.99, the Blackguards Early Access Contributor Edition additionally includes an appearance of the buyer’s name within the game’s credits, as well as the first Blackguards DLC and a copy of the The Dark Eye point & click adventure Chains of Satinav for free.
All additional content will be accessible once it has been completed.

The official release of Blackguards is scheduled for January, 24th 2014. The game will be available for PC & Mac, priced US$39.99.

Dog & Bone Unveil Rugged Wireless Charging Case

2014/01/09

Jerry Paxton

CES, Mobile News, News

January 8th, 2014 — On the back of mounting demand for wireless technology, an Australian brand is showcasing the world’s first rugged wireless charging case at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

With an estimated 150,000–plus attending this week’s CES, mobile accessory innovator, Dog & Bone, the brand that released the world’s first topless direct touchscreen waterproof mobile case last year, is now unveiling their new patent pending, rugged Backbone wireless charging case at CES.

The Backbone wireless charging case is merely 12.2 mm slim, enjoys a slightly raised rim around the front edge to help protect the touchscreen, meets military specifications to handle knocks and drops from one metre, is Made for iPhone (MFi) pending, shuts off once device is fully charged, and enjoys direct access to charging port for traditional charging.

The two-piece Backbone case is cleverly designed for interchanging with a Backbone battery (sold separately) for added power.

Dog & Bone Founder, Mr Lee Ranchod, who is in Las Vegas this week for CES, said Backbone is a direct response to a consumer push towards smart wireless technology.

“More and more so consumers demand technology that not only works, but also works with our lifestyle,” Mr Ranchod said.

“Wireless charging has started to take off in the last twelve months because consumers love the convenience of charging without plugging in and plugging out.

“But what consumers say they don’t like is that existing wireless case options are too flimsy, are breaking way too easily, or simply not user friendly.

“What current wireless charging cases miss is that that we look to a case as a way to also protect and style our phones, and we want something that is not an inconvenience to use.

“We don’t want to have to remove our wireless charging case to protect our phones from day to day wear and tear, nor do we want the hassle of removing our case to simply use our car charger as has reported to be the issue on existing case options.

“The Backbone wireless charging case combines all four key features demanded by consumers – wireless charging, protection, usability and style.”

Backbone’s unique over-molded exterior, made from thermoplastic elastomer, provides a soft protective touch, and the hardness is offered from the polycarbonate interior.

Mr Ranchod said Dog & Bone’s Backbone reflects the brand’s mission to innovate and be at the forefront of mobile phone technology.

“Dog & Bone pushes the boundaries of what has been traditionally offered in mobile technology, allowing mobile phones to increasingly become an extension of our day to day lifestyle, without compromise on protection and usability,” Mr Ranchod said.

“This is what we did when we released the world’s first topless mobile case, Wetsuit, with an optimum direct touchscreen, and when we released the first of its kind with touch ID compatibility.

“And this is what we have done with Backbone – produce a slim, user friendly and rugged wireless charging case combining both smart wireless technology and a smart, rugged design.”

The Backbone wireless charging case for iPhone 5s/5 is expected to be released for sale in March/April this year, as well as the interchangeable Backbone battery.

The Backbone wireless charging case is compatible with most existing Qi charge pads as well as the Dog & Bone Backbone charge pad, expected to also be released in March/April.

The Backbone wireless charging case offers three bespoke patterns – Tread, Trilobe and Diamond – across a total of five colour combinations.

Dog & Bone is exhibiting at CES Las Vegas from 7 – 10 January 2014 at North Hall, Booth # 5617.

Images

Deep Silver Announces NASCAR ’14 Release Date

2014/01/09

Jerry Paxton

News, PlayStation 3 News, Windows PC News, Xbox 360 News

Larkspur, Calif., January 9, 2014 – Deep Silver announced today that the racing game NASCAR ’14, developed by Eutechnyx, will launch in North America on February 18, 2014 on the Xbox 360® games and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC for the suggested retail price of $49.99. Pre-order offers at Walmart, Gamestop, Best Buy, Target and Amazon may include diecast cars, exclusive paint schemes and more.

Fueled by high-octane intensity and the opportunity to relive the best NASCAR moments from both the 2013 season packed into the game plus regular downloadable content updates as the upcoming season progresses, NASCAR ’14 offers fans the most complete NASCAR® experience yet.

Recently NASCAR revealed that more than 700,000 votes were cast worldwide in the “Drive for the Cover” contest as fans voted Tony Stewart, the three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion to appear onto the cover of NASCAR ’14. The injury that kept Stewart off the track didn’t stop fans of the driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops / Mobil 1 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing from beating another fan favorite, four-time champion Jeff Gordon. Stewart plans to return to the track for the Daytona 500 race in February, the same month NASCAR ’14 hits store shelves.

For a first look at the game and Stewart on the cover, watch the trailer here: YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrJPUh8yMzo

“Deep Silver is releasing the best NASCAR racing experience yet to hit video game consoles,” said Deep Silver Inc. COO, Geoff Mulligan. “Fans will soon be able to compete in recent high profile races, experiencing the exact same conditions the real drivers faced. With an aggressive post-release content plan, NASCAR ’14 is a game NASCAR fans can enjoy all year long.”

“With a February launch date, NASCAR ’14 will make a great racing season companion for NASCAR fans,” said Blake Davidson, NASCAR vice president of licensing and consumer products. “If history repeats itself, the new cover recognition for Tony Stewart will serve as a good luck charm as he heads back on the track and Smoke rises again.”

Hands-On with Oculus Rift: Crystal Cove Prototype at CES

2014/01/09

Jerry Paxton

CES, News, Previews, Tech News, Tech Preview

One of my favorite moments from the 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo was getting to try out CCP Games EVE: Valkyrie (then titled “EVE VR”) on the 720p version of the Oculus Rift VR headset. Despite it being somewhat pixelated, the tracking was smooth and the immersion it offered was light years beyond previous attempts at a virtual reality headset. Earlier today, I got the chance to demo the latest prototype of the Oculus Rift, codenamed: “Crystal Cove”. What was so special about this iteration? First thing was it features a 1080p AMOLED screen with much smaller pixels than before – even on the previous 1080p version. It also features some new technology tweaks to smooth out how it presents motion to your eyes, making things much more natural and less blurry. Finally, the Crystal Cove features positional tracking of head as it moves through space – not just from a fixed position. These new degrees of freedom allow the user to lean forward and backwards, side to side, and even to look behind them (almost)!

The first demo we got to look at was one created by the talented folks at EPIC Games and featured us across the table from a giant demon lord as he looked to be playing some type of tower defense game with small orcs, demons, and other assorted creatures. Looking down on the board, it was neat to see just how realistic this “fake” game appeared before my eyes. I could lean over and turn my head almost parallel to the table and see the small creatures move directly towards my face. The effect was incredible.

The second demo we got to try was a new build of CCP Games EVE: Valkyrie! The new headset really upped the feeling of sitting inside the cockpit of a space fighter and my favorite moment was learning forward towards the fighter’s holographic instrument panels. You could actually read the text on them and it took everything I had not to reach my hand out to push the “buttons”.

Overall, the Crystal Cove iteration of the Oculus Rift takes everything we loved about the previous version and injects it with virtual reality steroids. The Oculus reps on-hand assured us that even this was not the level of quality they hoped to achieve by its retail version – whenever that might be released (they are very tight-lipped on dates). As far as release dates go – rumors abound that we will see a retail Oculus by the end of the year. Please keep in mind that this is, again, all rumor mill stuff. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed that the guys over at Cloud Imperium games will have Oculus Rift support built into Star Citizen!