Archive - 2014

Razer Junglecat Announced

2014/06/03
Jerry Paxton
News, Peripherals News, Tech News

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CARLSBAD, Calif. — Razer™, the world leader in entertainment devices and software, today announced its much-anticipated Razer Junglecat™ gamepad for iOS devices. Leveraging its significant experience developing high-performance gaming controllers for console and PC, Razer’s entrée into mobile phone hardware offers consumers a combination of gaming-grade control and customizability with unimpeded phone access.

The Razer Junglecat’s engineering team shaved every millimeter possible in the controller’s design to ensure it molds seamlessly with the sleek profile of the iPhone. The result is an ultra-durable slider that reveals or hides the gamepad as desired. With a full set of gaming functions resident in the Razer Junglecat’s AXBY pressure-sensitive buttons, D-pad and bumpers, on screen controls are eliminated, leaving valuable screen real estate free.

Users can leave the Razer Junglecat attached, as all buttons and ports remain available in its pocket-ready compact form. At only 20 mm thin, the controller feels like a standard protective case.

The Razer Junglecat comes with a downloadable iOS app that lets users remap and define all of its button functions, as well as adjust pressure sensitivity according to preference.  Up to 20 personalized profiles can be stored on the app, allowing users to select a corresponding profile for their favorite games.  Whether it is custom sensitivity for an adrenaline-pumping racing game or an array of programmed keybinds for an intense adventure game, the Razer Junglecat iOS companion app will allow users to tailor their gaming experiences.

As an MFi product, the Razer Junglecat is enabled for the latest features of Apple devices recently announced at WWDC. Game Controller Forwarding, for instance, will allow the Razer Junglecat and iPhone 5/5s to act as a wireless controller for larger-screen Apple products.

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The chore of finding games for iOS controllers is made easy with the Razer Junglecat iOS companion app, as well. The software keeps gamers up-to-date on the latest titles optimized for controller play, scouring the entire App Store for titles that are perfect for a player and his or her iOS controller—whether it is a Razer Junglecat or another brand’s iOS compatible controller.

“Game development is cascading into mobile with incredible production values and at a record pace, and the crossover of console gamers playing on their iOS and other mobile devices is growing in stride,” says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder, CEO and creative director. “The opportunity to design a sleek, high-performance gamepad controller for the iPhone was an exciting proposition that we can’t wait to share with our community and the world.”

Interested persons may find a list of controller-compatible games and learn more about the Razer Junglecat and its iOS companion at http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-controllers/razer-junglecat and http://www.razerzone.com/razer-junglecat-ios-companion-app, respectively.

The Razer Junglecat is the latest console-style controller from Razer and is the Company’s first interface for mobile phones. Its other controllers include the Razer Sabertooth and Razer Atrox, as well as the Razer Gamepad Controller for the Razer Edge gaming tablet, the CNET 2013 Consumer Electronics Show “Best of Show,” “People’s Voice” and “Best Gaming” award winner.

The Razer Junglecat companion app is the latest software in a long line of developments from Razer, building upon its Razer Synapse cloud configurator and following the recent release of Razer Comms VoIP for mobile devices. Razer currently has more than 8 million user accounts registered across its software platform.

Razer Junglecat Features

  • iOS7 fully supported gamepad
  • Precision D-pad
  • Highly sensitive ABXY action buttons and bumpers
  • Highly durable, collapsible sliding mechanism for portability
  • Pocket-able for access anytime, anywhere
  • Downloadable companion iOS app
  • Designed for the Apple iPhone 5/5s
  • Open access to all of the phone’s portals and buttons
  • Approximate size: 150 mm (5.9 in.) long; 65 mm (2.5 in.) wide; 18 mm (0.7 in.) tall

Price:

USD99.99 / €99.99

Availability:

  • RazerStore: Register your interest. Ships in 4 to 6 weeks
  • Worldwide: July 2014

Samurai Warriors 4 Announced

2014/06/03
Jerry Paxton
News, PlayStation 3 News, PlayStation 4 News, PS Vita News

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BURLINGAME, Calif. – June 3, 2014 – TECMO KOEI America today announced that SAMURAI WARRIORS 4 is in development for PlayStation®3 and PlayStation®4 computer entertainment systems and PS®Vita system, and is scheduled for release on October 21, 2014. SAMURAI WARRIORS 4 is celebrating 10 years of the tactical action WARRIORS brand that has sold over 34 million units worldwide, in addition to the franchise’s first-ever appearance on new generation systems with its launch on PlayStation 4. SAMURAI WARRIORS 4 will be on display at the E3 2014, within the Sony Computer Entertainment America booth located in the West Hall, #4522.

Since its original announcement in 2013, fans have been clamoring for information about SAMURAI WARRIORS 4. Now a new chapter of the saga unfolds with more than 50 playable warriors to choose from, devastating new attacks and exciting new modes creating an entirely new SAMURAI WARRIORS experience in stunning HD resolutions. Today, the company also revealed an early look at the opening trailer and a special Anime trailer, along with screenshots highlighting the game on PlayStation 4.

Features

  • 55 New and Updated Characters— Nobuyuki Sanada and Yoshitsugu Otani join the fray, along with Takatora Todo, Naotora Ii and Munenori Yagyu previously only available in Japanese releases of SAMURAI WARRIORS along with major overhauls of appearance and rearrangements in battle moves for fan-favorite characters such as Yukimura Sanada and Nobunaga Oda adding to the diverse range of more than 50 playable characters
  • Disseminate the Enemy Ranks— Battles are more thrilling than ever with new maneuvers including Hyper Attacks which allow for rapid moment on the battlefield combined with high powered attacks, a powerful Rage Attack which can be reached when the Spirit Gauge is full, deadly finishing moves with Mighty Strikes and the ability to mount and dismount horses seamlessly, additionally existing moves have all been powered up from their previous iterations
  • New Battle Modes— Enhancements and newly implemented gameplay systems create a deeper and more satisfying combat experience, including the all-new ability to switch between two characters in real-time, adjustments to morale, Officer development and the return of the popular portable item system found in SAMURAI WARRIORS 3 are just some of the features players will find to gain the advantage in combat
  • Unfold the rich tapestry of the Warring States era— The Story Mode portrays the tales surrounding the battles by faction, deepening the relationships between characters and is separated into two parts, regional stories, which tell the tales of the officers of various regions around the land such as Kyūshū and Shikoku, and the story of unification, which details events up to the end of the Warring States era
  • Leave a mark on history— In the new “Chronicle Mode”, while completing various quests, meeting new officers and collecting items, players discover the world of SAMURAI WARRIORS through their own design with more ways to customize than ever before including a vastly upgraded Create Character system
  • Living World— PlayStation 4 players will experience an even more engaging saga with highly detailed landscapes and breathtaking skies that reflect true to life lighting and shadow effects and battlegrounds packed with significantly more enemies on screen
  • Cooperative Play and Cross Save functionality— All modes can be played cooperatively via Network Play across the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PS Vita system, additionally save data can be shared across all three systems

SAMURAI WARRIORS 4 is developed by Omega Force and published in North America by TECMO KOEI America.  The PlayStation 3 and PS Vita versions will be available exclusively through the PlayStation® Store for $49.99 (PS3) and $39.99 (PS Vita) respectively and the PlayStation 4 will be available for $59.99. This title has not yet been rated by the ESRB.

SanDisk Unveils Extreme PRO SSD for Gamers

2014/06/03
Jerry Paxton
Hardware News, News

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TAIPEI, Taiwan–(BUSINESS WIRE)–COMPUTEX 2014 — SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), a global leader in flash storage solutions, today announced the availability of its new SanDisk Extreme PRO® SSD—a drive designed for gamers, PC enthusiasts and media professionals who demand the highest possible consistent, real-world performance1. With sequential read speeds of 550 megabytes/second (MB/S) and write speeds of up to 520 MB/s, the SanDisk Extreme PRO loads and runs graphics-intensive applications and game levels in a heartbeat. Additionally, by offering up to 1TB-Class of capacity, the SanDisk Extreme PRO SSD provides the space needed to store even the biggest programs, games or files, and load them blazingly fast—transforming any PC or console into a serious gaming machine.

“Building off the success of our award-winning SanDisk Extreme® II, the new SanDisk Extreme PRO® leverages the latest developments in our innovative nCache™ Pro Technology to enable 24×7, real-world drive performance and responsiveness,” said Kevin Conley, senior vice president and general manager, Client Storage Solutions at SanDisk. “With its ability to deliver consistently fast computing backed by the industry’s first 10-year limited warranty**, the Extreme PRO SSD delivers the performance, trusted reliability and value that enthusiasts and professionals expect from SanDisk.”

SanDisk’s nCache™ Pro technology utilizes a two-tiered caching architecture to optimize speed and endurance for heavy workloads, efficient multi-tasking, and incredibly fast responsiveness from desktops, laptops, and gaming consoles. The technology allows the SanDisk Extreme PRO® to super-charge a PC for power gamers, developers, media professionals and PC enthusiasts who need consistent, real-world, pro-level performance for their most demanding and graphics-intensive applications.

According to DFC Intelligence, PC gaming revenue recently eclipsed console gaming and they forecast that the PC gaming market will exceed $25 billion in 20142. This increasing popularity is being largely driven by the rise of multiplayer online battle arena titles and free-to-play games. With the SanDisk Extreme PRO®, an industry leading, real-world performance SSD, anyone can upgrade their PC to boot up faster, open files more quickly, and load programs, applications, and games in a fraction of the time. The SanDisk Extreme PRO® is also supported by the new SanDisk SSD Dashboard application for Windows®, which provides drive performance monitoring, firmware updates, manual or scheduled TRIM, secure erase, drive health, longevity, and temperature indicators, so that users can increase the operating efficiency of their SSD. The SanDisk SSD Dashboard is available for download immediately at www.sandisk.com/ssddashboard.

The SanDisk Extreme PRO® SSD will be available online and purchasable through SanDisk’s worldwide network of authorized distributors and resellers in June. Offering an industry-leading 10-year limited warranty, the SanDisk Extreme PRO SSD is compatible with any PC, laptop or game console that accepts 2.5’’ SATA storage devices, and is offered in capacities of 240GB (MSRP $189), 480GB (MSRP $369), and 960GB (MSRP $599)**.

See the new SanDisk Extreme PRO® SSD in action and square off against celebrity gamer, Sen Yang “Sen” Chia Cheng, a professional StarCraft II player, atComputex 2014, taking place June 3-7 in Taipei at stand number N0804 in the Nangang Exhibition Hall. The SanDisk Extreme PRO will also be fueling a StarCraft II online gaming competition from June 5-8 that gamers and enthusiasts can watch on Twitch (English broadcast – twitch.tv/totalbiscuit; Korean language broadcast – twitch.tv/crank; Chinese language broadcast – http://live.neotv.cn/live/personal-31/scboy). For more information about the new SanDisk Extreme PRO SSD, please visit: http://www.sandisk.com/products/ssd/sata/extreme-pro/. You can also view a video of the SanDisk Extreme PRO® SSD in action on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBlnDx3pdSQ.

Defense Grid 2 Revealing Co-Op Mode at E3

2014/06/03
Jerry Paxton
Mac PC News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

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WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif – June 3, 2014 – Defense Grid 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the hit 2008 tower defense game, is unveiling its highly anticipated co-op mode at E3. After premiering first-player mode to strong praise at PAX East in April,Defense Grid 2 will give a sneak peek of its co-op mode on next-generation consoles.

Defense Grid 2 features gorgeous landscapes and intuitive gameplay as players fight for the survival of human civilization. In the game’s co-op level being shown at E3, the planet Correl has been ravaged by seismic and volcanic activity, where settlements have all but been destroyed by an alien invasion. Players must work together to route the aliens away from the cores and use the Command Shuttle to adjust the areas available for building towers and protect the cores.

Defense Grid 2 will be released on PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox One and PS4 platforms in Fall 2014. Representatives from developer Hidden Path Entertainment will be available to demo the game’s co-op mode at the 505 Games suite (#505) above the Concourse Level.

Battle Fleet 2 New Alpha Trailer

2014/06/03
Jerry Paxton
News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

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June 3rd 2014 – Capital j Media (http://www.capitaljmedia.com/) is proud to bring the first trailer footage of their upcoming World War 2 Naval Strategy game, Battle Fleet 2 to audiences worldwide. Watch the trailer at http://youtu.be/xd9bzXFANgs.

Battle Fleet 2 is coming to all devices in June of 2014. The game expands the original concept of turn based naval combat where the player controls the angle and power of their guns and the movement of the ship to include a campaign conquest mode in addition to stand alone scenarios. The combat system has been improved for faster and even more exciting battles and it all looks better than the original with the new graphical engine. Find out more at the Steam Greenlight page at http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=262465622.

Additional improvements include better options for outfitting your ships, including the ability to place individual commanders with special abilities, expanded power-up cards to play, better multiplayer options, and an entirely new graphics engine. Battle Fleet 2 looks better, plays better, but is otherwise a true successor to the original best seller.

Battle Fleet 2 is a true naval combat sim set in the WW2 era. Players manually control the weapon loadout of their ships, selecting which guns to bring, setting what the angle and power of their shots are, and determining how the ships move and turn. Additionally carriers bring planes, bombing runs, and interception into battles taking place around island chains, which can help provide cover, blocking line of sight, or forcing enemies to run aground. All of this comes together in a fast paced battle in scenarios, campaign mode, or online against other players. Get all the information at http://www.battlefleetgame.com/bf2.html or find it on Steam at http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=262465622.

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Scream Factory Announces Summer of Fear Online Drive-In Events

2014/06/02
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Halloween, News, Trailers / Videos

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June 2, 2014 — Crocodiles, rats, werewolves, cannibals and more terrors invade SCREAM FACTORY’s “Summer of Fear” DVD & Blu-ray line-up this season and the brand is celebrating their arrivals with a promotion this month that fans will die for!

The party began in May with the releases of Final Exam, Evilspeak, Nosferatu the Vampyre, The House in the Alley and Sleepaway Camp (Collector’s Edition) but the fun was just beginning… Eleven more terrifying films are coming this Summer including Ravenous (6/3), The Monkey’s Paw (6/17), The Final Terror (7/1), Lake Placid (Collector’s Edition) (7/8), Deadly Eyes (7/15), Ginger Snaps (7/22), The Phantom of the Paradise (Collector’s Edition) (8/5),Without Warning (8/5), Motel Hell (Collector’s Edition) (8/12), Leviathan (8/19) and The Legend of Hell House (8/26).

Scream Factory is unleashing two promotional stunts to further excite and engage its base about their slate. Details are as follows:

THE SUMMER OF FEAR “DRIVE-IN” THEATER EXPERENCE: (June 6, 13, 20)

  • For three Fridays in June, viewers will be treated to a special live online screening of select films at www.summeroffear.com   and Scream Factory’s official YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/ScreamFactoryTV).
  • Viewers will be able to interact with Scream Factory and fans during the broadcast. On the www.summeroffear.com site, the audience can socialize using #summeroffear on Twitter.  On YouTube, they can post their comment on the player page.
  • The viewing experience recreates the retro drive-in theater feel (i.e. coming attractions, vintage refreshment ads and so forth) and the webcast will include never-before-seen EXCLUSIVE interstitials from talent associated with the films covering a variety of topics pertaining to the film.

The Webcast Schedule:

  •   Friday, June 6th (7PM PST): Assault on Precinct 13 presented by Director John Carpenter
  •   Friday, June 13th (7PM PST): Night of the Demons presented by Director Kevin Tenney and actress Amelia Kinkade
  •   Friday June 20th (7PM PST): Witchboard presented by Director Kevin Tenney.

THE SUMMER OF FEAR “SIX PACK” SALE: (June 2-29)

  • Throughout the month, weekly deals on six selected Scream Factory releases will be offered, with some films seeing their lowest price points ever.
  • EXCLUSIVE custom-made Scream Factory-branded drink coasters will be offered with the purchase of sale items only while supplies last.
  • The sale items will be communicated to fans on Facebook and Twitter and they will be directed to the following website page within the Shout Factory e-commerce site to place their order: www.summeroffear.com

For the latest updates on the “Summer of Fear,”  fans are encouraged to visit the Scream Factory main website (www.screamfactorydvd.com), follow Scream Factory on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ScreamFactoryDVD) and Twitter(www.Twitter.com/@Scream_Factory) or to view exclusive video content on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/ScreamFactoryTV/Home).

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Mondo Announces Inaugural MondoCon Event

2014/06/02
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News

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Austin, TX— June 2, 2014 — Mondo is thrilled to officially announce its inaugural MondoCon event, set to coincide with the first weekend of Fantastic Fest on September 20 & 21 at The Marchesa Hall & Theater in Austin, TX. The convention will bring together unique guests from a variety of areas to celebrate film, music, art, and toys with the world’s finest artists, designers, illustrators, painters, toy creators as well as directors, composers and more. The convention will offer new artwork and products as well as panels and special screenings.

A full schedule of events will be unveiled in the coming months, but for now Mondo is excited to present the first round of guests in attendance, including fan favorite artists & legends like celebrated comics artist & Hellboy creator, Mike Mignola, Basil Gogos, Geof Darrow and Bernie Wrightson. To mark the occasion, Mondo is also announcing Mignola’s poster for The Bride of Frankenstein (details on the print below).

FIRST ROUND OF GUESTS IN ATTENDANCE:

Richey Beckett                       Basil Gogos                       Gary Pullin

Anne Benjamin                       JJ Harrison                         Arik Roper

Geof Darrow                          Jock                                    Jay Shaw

Jason Edmiston                     Phantom City Creative       Tiny Kitten Teeth

Francesco Francavilla           Mike Mignola                       Bernie Wrightson

Mondo has expanded in recent years to include a world-renowned gallery, becoming passionate purveyors of art, vinyl, VHS and a brand new area that was cryptically teased with this Iron Giant tweet.  MondoCon will celebrate all of this and more, a chance for fants of film, art, collectibles & music to mix with their creators.

Tickets for MondoCon will go sale Wednesday, June 4 at Mondo-Con.com. Single day tickets will are $35 and full weekend tickets are $70. A full weekend ticket to MondoCon will be included with all VIP badges for Fantastic Fest.

Details for Mike Mignola’s The Bride of Frankenstein print, on sale Thursday, June 5 atMondoTees.com

THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN

by Mike Mignola

Edition size: 325

Dimensions: 21×32

Price: $50

Follow @MondoNews for exact sale time.

Company of Heroes 2: The Western Front Armies Faction Trailers

2014/06/02
Jerry Paxton
News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

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June 2, 2014 — SEGA today revealed brand new trailers showcasing the two factions in the upcoming The Western Front Armie’ for critically acclaimed Company of Heroes™ 2.

Oberkommando West

The Oberkommando West , battle hardened and newly equipped, are a resurgent and very dangerous foe. Despite being challenged by an economy nearly shattered after years of continuous war, the Oberkommando West still manage to field some of the most impressive heavy armor yet seen:  the technical prowess of Germany is on full display as devastating armored force equipped with a new generation of super-heavy tanks repeatedly counterattack the US Forces attempting to drive into the heart of Germany.

US Forces

Under the Command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, US Forces have driven ashore on the bloody beaches of Normandy and fought their way deep into Europe driving back the German war machine.  Now battle fatigued and spread out on enemy soil, an army made of citizen soldiers are pitted against a battle-hardened professional military with over four years’ experience. Facing the best Germany has to offer, the US Forces fight desperately and viciously to expand the frontlines.

Company of Heroes 2: The Western Front Armies brings players back to the Western Front first introduced in the original award-winning Company of Heroes. The Western Front Armies introduces two unique collections of new content – the US Forces and the German Oberkommando West. Each army has distinctive tactical gameplay options, new infantry, team weapons, vehicles, abilities and upgrades on a total of eight seasonal multiplayer maps set on the Western Front. The Western Front Armies also includes a new progression system that introduces other unique content into the game and enables players to dive deeper into the tactical and strategic aspects of the game than ever before.

Company of Heroes 2: The Western Front Armies is launching on June 24, 2014.

For more information on Company of Heroes 2, please see www.companyofheroes.com.

Oberkommando West Trailer

US Forces Trailer