Archive - 2015

Alien: Isolation Sells Over 1 Million Units

2015/01/21
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 3 News, PlayStation 4 News, Windows PC News, Xbox 360 News, Xbox One News

alien-071179 copy

SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON – January 21, 2015 – SEGA® of America, Inc., SEGA® Europe, Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products today announced that Alien: Isolation™, the multi-award-winning survival horror game from Creative Assembly, has sold through in excess of one million units worldwide.

“It has been fantastic to watch the reviews come in and read of the reactions of players, hidden in the bowels of Sevastopol Station, terrified to make the next move,” said Creative Lead, Alistair Hope. “We set out to make the Alien game we had always wanted to play, and from these figures it seems we also succeeded in making the Alien game another million wanted to play. We hope many more gamers enjoy Alien: Isolation in 2015.”

Critically acclaimed by both media and players alike, Alien: Isolation is a multi-award-winning first-person survival horror game with end of year awards from PC Gamer, Official Xbox Magazine (UK), Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, IGN, Destructoid, Official PlayStation Magazine (UK), Time Magazine, New Statesman, The Guardian, Game Reactor(Germany, Sweden, Finland), Games Radar, Edge Magazine and many more. With over 50 Game of the Year accolades, the press and public have commended the return to form of Ridley Scott’s terrifying creature.

“Fox is enormously pleased with how both SEGA and Creative Assembly have realized their homage to Ridley Scott’s iconic film Alien,” said Michael Doyle, vice president of interactive games for Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products. “The project represents a paradigm shift in what is possible in the arena of licensed games.”

Alien: Isolation is a first-person survival horror game set on board a decommissioned trading station in the fringes of space. Players find themselves in an atmosphere of constant dread and mortal danger as an unpredictable, ruthless Xenomorph is stalking and killing deep in the shadows. Underpowered and underprepared, you must scavenge resources, improvise solutions and use your wits, not just to succeed in your mission, but to simply stay alive.

Alien: Isolation is available now for Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Windows PC, Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.

For more information and to keep ahead with the latest news, find us at alienisolation.com, follow us onfacebook.com/alienisolation and join the conversation on twitter.com/alienisolation.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited Console Release Date and Trailer

2015/01/21
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Xbox One News

377157_theelderscrollsonline_screenshot_daedroth_1_medium

January 21, 2015 (Rockville, MD) – Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax® Media company, today announced that its long awaited, award-winning multiplayer roleplaying game, The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited, will release worldwide on June 9, 2015 for the PlayStation®4 system and Xbox One®, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft. For the first time in history, players will explore the legendary world of Tamriel with their friends on console. In the latest and biggest Elder Scrolls game ever made, players will be able to adventure alone, quest with friends, or join an army of hundreds in epic player vs. player battles as they explore and discover the secrets of a persistent Tamriel.

We are also pleased to announce that The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited players will no longer be required to pay a monthly game subscription for extended play. Players will make a one-time purchase of the game and can then enjoy hundreds of hours of content without the requirement of a monthly game subscription fee when The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited becomes available on console in June and beginning March 17 for PC/Mac players.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited includes all the great gameplay from the original PC/Mac game, plus all the updates and content additions, including the exciting new Justice and Champion systems.  All existing PC/Mac game accounts, open or closed, will be updated to the Tamriel Unlimitededition in March and former players will be invited back to the game at that time to experience all that is new in the world. New players will make a one-time purchase of the game and play, without restrictions, for as long as they like – without game subscription fees. Tamriel Unlimited will be supported with special, optional downloadable content available for purchase and an in-game Crown Store for convenience and customization items. Regular updates and new gameplay will be offered to all players to enjoy free of additional charges.

In addition, Bethesda will offer ESO Plus™ to players who wish to pay a single monthly charge for  a premium membership service, providing exclusive in-game bonuses, a monthly allotment of crowns to use in the store and access to all DLC game packs while a member. PC/Mac players with active subscriptions on March 17 will be automatically enrolled into ESO Plus and begin enjoying its membership privileges.

“Our fans are our biggest inspiration, and we’ve listened to their feedback on the entertainment experience they want,” said Matt Firor, Game Director of The Elder Scrolls Online. “We know that Elder Scrolls fans want choice when it comes to how they play and how they pay, and that is what they will get. We have made numerous changes to the game over the past year, and are confident this is a game that Elder Scrolls fans will love to play. Players can explore Tamriel with friends, battle creatures, craft, fish, steal, or siege. The choice is theirs. The game offers hundreds of hours of gameplay with unlimited adventures with one single game purchase. We can’t wait for everyone, whether they’ve played before or will be experiencing it for the first time, to begin adventuring in The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited.”

For more information on the different ways players will be able to experience The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited, please watch our livestream on twitch.tv/zenimaxonlinestudios today at 12pm ET or visit: elderscrollsonline.com/faq.

The Elder Scrolls Online, named Best Role Playing Game at E3 2013 by the Game Critics, was released for PC/Mac on April 4, 2014. The previous chapter in this franchise was The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim® which was released in November 2011 and enjoyed worldwide critical and commercial success. As the sequel to the 2002 Role-Playing Game of the Year, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind®,and the 2006 Game of the Year, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion®, Skyrim earned hundreds of ‘Game of the Year’ awards and sold over 20 million copies.

The Elder Scrolls Online has been rated M for Mature by the ESRB. For more information on The Elder Scrolls Online visit http://elderscrollsonline.com.

Neverwinter: Elemental Evil Announced

2015/01/20
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Windows PC News

NW_PaladinScreenshot_010715

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – January 20, 2015 – Today, Perfect World Entertainment Inc., a leading publisher of free-to-play MMORPGs, and Cryptic Studios announced Neverwinter: Elemental Evil – the newest module for the action MMORPG set in the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms universe from Wizards of the Coast. Following the launch of Neverwinter: Elemental Evil, Cryptic Studios will release modules later in 2015 with highly requested additions including Strongholds and well-known characters from Dungeons & Dragons lore.

With the largest update to-date, Neverwinter: Elemental Evil brings a new playable class – the Paladin – that increases the playable classes count to eight. Players looking to create Paladins will be able to choose a focus on healing or tanking builds. The new module will also increase the level cap from 60 to 70, which brings a new set of quests, feats and slottable class feature powers.

Neverwinter: Elemental Evil also continues the partnership with Wizards of the Coast as Cryptic Studios and Perfect World Entertainment maintain a one-to-one release cadence with the official D&D storylines. Neverwinter players will journey through new adventures as they fight the newest threat to Protector’s Enclave – the Cults of Elemental Evil – which are also present in the upcoming tabletop adventure release, Princes of the Apocalypse.

Cryptic studios will be integrating several anticipated features and content updates through future module releases in 2015. Within the calendar year, players will interact with iconic characters from Dungeons & Dragons lore and step foot into their own Strongholds – the Neverwinter version of guild housing. Cryptic will also be launching Neverwinter on Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, planned in early 2015. More details on these game features and the Xbox One release will be shared at a later date.

Neverwinter is a free-to-play action MMORPG that features fast-paced combat and epic dungeons. Players explore the vast city of Neverwinter and its surrounding countryside, learning the vivid history of the iconic city and battling its many enemies. Neverwinter is currently available on PC.

For more information about Neverwinter, and to play now for free, visit http://www.arcgames.com/en/games/neverwinter

nDreams Completes $2.75 Million Investment Round

2015/01/20
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Industry News, Mobile News, News, Windows PC News

Gunner_Preview Screenshot_2

Farnborough, Hampshire, UK – nDreams, the fast-growing UK virtual reality (VR) developer and publisher, today announced that it has received the second tranche of a $2.75 million (£1.75m) investment round from Mercia Technologies PLC, the technology-focused  investment businesses.  These funds will support continued expansion, provide working capital and allow the company to explore publishing and acquisition deals for other VR titles.

nDreams was one of the first game studios in the world to focus on VR software, and has been working on virtual reality since 2013. The company has several VR games and experiences in development including two launch window titles for the Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition (Gunner and Perfect Beach).

Gunner is an intense space combat experience with accessible controller-free gameplay and is co-published by Oculus. In contrast to Gunner, Perfect Beach is a unique relaxation experience that allows users to unwind on a glorious tropical beach. nDreams also recently announced The Assembly for Project Morpheus on the PlayStation 4 and Oculus Rift. The Assembly is a dramatic two–character VR adventure where players need to make tough moral choices and unravel the mysteries within a top-secret underground bunker.

nDreams is a pioneer in developing content for unique platforms, and was one of the first studios to create content for PlayStation Home, selling 1.8 million virtual items with more than 18 million visits to their free-to-play Aurora space. nDreams currently has five VR projects in development, and has been carrying out R&D in new, unexplored areas of virtual reality. The company recently announced a memorandum of understanding with UK VR entertainment firm, Virtual View Productions, to explore the crossover between filmed and game content in VR.

Patrick O’Luanaigh, Chief Executive of nDreams, said:

“We’re delighted to be strengthening our relationship with the Mercia team, and their support allows us to continue grow the business more quickly and to finalise our launch titles ready for all major VR headsets. We plan to expand the company significantly and will be actively exploring both publishing and acquisition opportunities in 2015.”

Mike Hayes, Head of Digital of Mercia Technologies PLC and non-executive Director of nDreams said:

“The additional funds will enable nDreams to exploit the innovative software for VR devices which it has developed over 12 months – it is now well positioned for growth in this exciting and very dynamic market.”

nDreams will be holding meetings at GDC and E3 this year, where the company aims to reveal more about their titles and plans for 2015.

About nDreams

nDreams was formed in 2006 by former Codemasters and Eidos Creative Direcor, Patrick O’Luaniagh (Tomb Raider Legend, Hitman Blood Money, Conflict: Desert Storm, Micro Machines V3) and grew to be the leading global publisher on PlayStation Home, Sony’s console-based virtual world, with Xi and Aurora. Since 2013 the company has focused its talents exclusively on virtual reality.

As well as creating exciting new content for VR, nDreams also owns VRFocus, one of the leading global VR gaming websites, and recently announced a partnership with Virtual View Productions to explore the crossover between VR films and VR video games.

About Mercia Technologies PLC

Mercia creates, funds and develops technology businesses nationally in the UK. It brings technology transfer, company formation, incubation, commercialisation and investment, to technology-backed ventures.

Mercia has a well-seeded portfolio and pipeline of investments. The Group has a direct investment in 11 operating companies and access to a portfolio of 38 businesses through its third party funds, managed by its wholly owned subsidiary Mercia Fund Management.

Mercia’s shares started trading on AIM on 18 December 2014.

More Star Wars PC Classics Coming to GoG

2015/01/20
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Windows PC News

x-wing-1993

January 20, 2015 – After teaming up with Disney Interactive and Lucasfilm last fall for the well-received release of six Lucasfilm titles, GOG.com is ready to release more classic   Star Wars™ titles for fans and gamers to play once again.  Starting January 20, GOG.com will release 12 more titles from the “galaxy far, far away….” for the following ten days.

Today’s releases, which complete the much loved Star Wars™: X-Wing series on GOG.com, are:

Star Wars™: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter (digital distribution premiere)

Star Wars™: X-Wing Alliance™ (digital distribution premiere)

Star Wars™ Galactic Battlegrounds (digital distribution premiere)

Star Wars™ Battlefront™ II

Star Wars™: Dark Forces

Star Wars™ Knights of the Old Republic™ II: The Sith Lords™

January’s lineup again will feature numerous titles available digitally for the first time ever, all optimized for modern operating systems. As even more Lucasfilm games remain in GOG.com’s pipeline, scheduled for a DRM-free release in the near future, 2015 shapes up to be an exceptional year for classic gaming on GOG.com.

About GOG.com

GOG.com is an independent online store that sells games for Windows, Mac and Linux. They are all DRM-free, with no copy protection, on-line checks, or any other annoyances. Formerly known as Good Old Games and famous for their classic catalogue of titles going as far back as 1981, GOG.com also sells brand new titles. With more than 900 games in their catalog from 220+ partners–including EA, Activision, Ubisoft and Square-Enix, and a buzzing community of gamers, GOG.com is the ultimate destination for gamers worldwide.

About Disney Interactive

Disney Interactive, one of the world’s largest creators of high-quality interactive entertainment across all platforms, is the part of The Walt Disney Company responsible for the global creation and delivery of interactive entertainment, multi-platform video games, and family-focused content across all current and emerging digital media platforms.  Disney Interactive produces and distributes a broad portfolio of content including the blockbuster video game platform, Disney Infinity, mobile, social and console games, the #1 virtual world for kids Club Penguin and top digital destinations Disney.com and Babble.com.

Disney Interactive is the interactive entertainment part of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS).

© & ™ Lucasfilm Ltd.  All rights reserved.  STAR WARS and all characters, names, and related properties are trademarks of & © Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates.

Borderlands: The Handsome Collection Next-Gen Launch Date

2015/01/20
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Xbox One News

2K_BTHC_LOGO ON BLACK

New York, NY – January 20, 2015 – 2K and Gearbox Software today announced Borderlands®: The Handsome Collection™, bringing the critically-acclaimed series to next-gen consoles for the first time and offering the complete story of the franchise’s most iconic villain, Handsome Jack. The Handsome Collection includes Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel along with all of the downloadable content for both titles* – over $100 of value on prior-gen consoles, but now with the high performance and graphical fidelity of next-gen consoles for only $59.99. The Handsome Collection will launch in North America on March 24, 2015, and internationally on March 27, 2015, on PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft.

For the first time on a console, players can experience Borderlands 2 and/or Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel in HD – looking better than ever before. With The Handsome Collection, Borderlands fans can also continue their adventure right where they left off by transferring their saved files to the next-gen consoles with new cross-save functionality**. After hours of shooting-n-looting in Borderlands 2 andBorderlands: The Pre-Sequel on prior gen consoles, players can carry their leveled-up characters and Badass Rank over to The Handsome Collection. Additionally, up to four players can play together on a single television with four-player split screen – another first for the franchise.

“The Handsome Collection gives players the opportunity to experience the full arc of Handsome Jack’s rise and fall, from his not-so-humble beginnings on Elpis to becoming the tyrannical Hyperion CEO on Pandora, all in one value-packed bundle,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “This collection marks theBorderlands franchise’s official move to the next-gen platforms, and we’re proud to offer our fans the ability to continue playing with the characters they’ve built as they carry on adventuring in The Handsome Collection.”

2K and Gearbox Software also announced today a very limited collector’s edition, the Borderlands: The Handsome Collection Claptrap-in-a-Box Edition, which will include everything in The Handsome Collection as well as a remote controlled Claptrap steward robot, a collectible steel case, and12 exclusive lithographs. The Claptrap steward robot is controlled through a smartphone app and can move in all directions while balancing on one wheel. The Claptrap can also say lines in character and live stream video to a mobile device through his eye. The Claptrap-in-a-Box Edition is limited to only 5,000 units worldwide and is available to pre-order starting today at participating retailers for $399. For more details on theClaptrap-in-a-Box Edition as well as The Handsome Collection, please visit the official Borderlandsblog here:
http://borderlandsthegame.com/index.php/news/borderlands-2-and-borderlands-the-pre-sequel-come-to-next-gen-in-borderland

Key features in The Handsome Collection include the following:

  • Two critically acclaimed Borderlands games in one package – Borderlands: The Pre-Sequeland Borderlands 2;
  • Over $100 in value and hundreds of hours of gameplay with all downloadable content* forBorderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel;
  • Save transfers** from the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and PlayStation®Vita onto the next-gen consoles through cross-save functionality;
  • Four-player split screen allowing four friends to play together on a single television, a first for theBorderlands franchise.

Borderlands: The Handsome Collection will be available on March 24, 2015 in North America and on March 27, 2015 internationally, for Xbox One and PlayStation®4 system. Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is rated M for Mature by the ESRB. For more information, please visit the official Borderlands web site, follow @borderlands on twitter, become a fan of Borderlands on Facebook, and subscribe to theBorderlands channel on YouTube.

Sid Meier’s Starships Announced

2015/01/19
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Mac PC News, News, Screenshots / Photos, Windows PC News

Illustration_MissionScreen_FleetAction copy

New York, NY – January 19, 2015 – 2K and Firaxis Games today announced Sid Meier’s Starships™, a new turn-based, adventure-driven interstellar strategy game from Sid Meier, creator of the award-winning Sid Meier’s Civilization® series. Scheduled for release in early 2015 as a digital download for Windows-based PC, Mac and iPad, Sid Meier’s Starships lets players command a fleet of starships as they embark on a series of missions to explore the galaxy, protect planets and their civilizations, and build a federation to ultimately usher in a new age of peace throughout the galaxy.

“When designing Starships, I was intrigued by the idea of exploring the next chapter in the story of Civilization: Beyond Earth. What happens after we colonize our new home and eventually build starships to take to the stars? What has become of our long-lost brothers and sisters from the planet Earth?” said Sid Meier, director of creative development at Firaxis Games. “My goal was to create an experience that focuses on starship design and combat within a universe filled with interstellar adventure, diplomacy, and exploration.”

Sid Meier’s Starships challenges players to build a planetary federation by exploring the galaxy, expanding its influence and domain, researching futuristic technologies and engaging in deep, turn-based tactical space combat with an armada of uniquely customizable starships. Each new campaign will feature its own distinctive galactic strategy map of worlds with dynamically generated tactical combat missions that will enhance the game’s replay value. In addition, Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth fans who purchase Sid Meier’s Starships will uncover cross-connectivity with the two games that will enhance and expand the depth of both game experiences.

“Sid has been a leader in the strategy and PC gaming market for more than 30 years,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “After successfully launching an experience touching upon mankind’s history on Earth, fans will now see how Sid has used the Civilization: Beyond Earth universe to deliver his own unique style of strategic gaming.”

Sid Meier’s Starships is rated E10+ by the ESRB and will be available on Steam for Windows-based PC and Mac, the Mac App Store for Mac, and the App Store for iPad devices in early 2015. For more information on Sid Meier’s Starships, please visit www.2k.com.

Firaxis Games is a 2K studio. 2K is a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO).

All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.

Screenshots / Concept Art

Battlefleet Gothic: Armada Announced with First Screenshots

2015/01/16
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

battlefleet_gothic_armada-03

January 16, 2015 — Focus Home Interactive and Tindalos Interactive are pleased to officially announce the development of Battlefleet Gothic: Armada, a real time strategy adaptation of Games Workshop‘s famous tabletop game for the PC. The game stages the mighty armada of the Imperial Navy’s Battlefleet Gothic against the insidious and galaxy threatening Chaos Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler in dark, deadly and intense space battles.

Developed on Unreal Engine 4, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada is anRTS in which the player takes command of one of these battlefleets composed of the most powerful spaceships from the Imperial, Chaos, Eldar and Ork forces, in a no-quarter given struggle for the control of the Gothic sector of space.

Battlefleet Gothic: Armada offers deep management of every ship composing the player’s fleet, both during and between battles. From the fastest frigates to the gigantic, miles-long battleships, the player will customize all aspects of his ships: weaponry, defense and support sub-systems, etc. each customization affecting the very performances of the ship and the special abilities available during battle. From battle to battle, the admirals and crew of surviving ships will gain experience and promotions, improving the battle-readiness of the ship for future, bigger and more dangerous battles.

We will unveil the game to the gaming press in more detail very soon; discover now the very first screenshots of the game, captured from a very early development version of the game.

Screenshots