Archive - 2015

Keen Software House Announces Medieval Engineers

2015/01/13

Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

Prague, Czech Republic, January 13th, 2015 – Independent developer Keen Software House, today announced Medieval Engineers, the company’s second “engineering” game. The first, Space Engineers, was released in October 2013 and sold over 1 million copies in its first year, and is still keeping its bestseller position. Medieval Engineers is currently in its alpha stage of development and will be soon available on Steam Early Access. More details will be announced at a later date.

Medieval Engineers is a sandbox game about engineering, construction and the maintenance of architectural works and mechanical equipment using medieval technology. Players build cities, castles and fortifications; construct mechanical devices and engines; perform landscaping and underground mining.

Medieval Engineers is inspired by real medieval technology and the way people built architectural and mechanical works in medieval times. Medieval Engineers strives to follow the laws of physics and real history and doesn’t use technologies that were not available in 5th to 15th century.

“We are very curious to see how the Space Engineers community will react to Medieval Engineers and if other communities will also get interested in our new title” said Marek Rosa, CEO and Founder of Keen Software House. “We didn’t want to only keep creating space games. Instead we wanted to have a game where players can interact with life and nature. By creating a second engineering game, we are also leveraging our existing technology and experience.”

An in-game alpha video showing gameplay action and key features (creative mode, castle building, trebuchet construction, realistic destruction and physics) can be watched here:

For more information about Medieval Engineers, please visit our website: www.MedievalEngineers.com

More details about the decisions that led to this project and its development can be found on Marek’s blog: http://blog.marekrosa.org/2015/01/medieval-engineers_22.html

For the latest news, follow Medieval Engineers on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MedievalEngineers) or on Twitter (https://twitter.com/MedievalEng).

Elite Force IWI Tavor TAR-21 Elite Airsoft AEG Rifle Review

2015/01/13

Jerry Paxton

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

Recently, I got the chance to evaluate an airsoft rifle that I had been interested in for a long time: the Elite Force IWI Tavor 21 Elite AEG. My interest came primarily from wanting to field a Bullpup style airsoft rifle and the advantages therein. Advantages such as having a longer inner barrel in a smaller overall package and using an airsoft rifle where the weight was put closer to the players’s body. In the world of airsoft Bullpup rifles, there are really only three viable styles: The IWI Tavor 21, FN2000, and Steyr AUG. Being that it is produced by Umarex/Elite Force, I chose the IWI licensed Tavor 21 for its one year factory warranty and overall reputation.

Official Features

Fully Licensed IWI Trademarks
High Strength Nylon Reinforced Polymer Construction
Integrated Optics Rail
45 Degree Rail on Front Right of Handguard
Hidden Battery Compartment for Streamlined Operation
Working Bolt Catch for Easy Hopup Adjustment
Solid, Heavyweight Build Quality
Flip-up Front and Rear Sights
Quick-Change Gearbox Spring Design
Full Metal Gearbox

Design/Build Quality

In terms of overall design, Umarex and Elite Force have captured perfectly the design of the Israeli IWI Tavor 21. The “Elite” model is made from a rugged nylon fiber body that feels incredibly solid. I sometimes pick it up one-handed and just revel in how well-constructed this AEG is. The non-Elite edition is made from a lesser expensive plastic material and does not feel nearly this solid or durable (nor should it for its lesser expensive price point). Another of the many bonuses that come with selecting the Elite edition over the standard model is that in addition to the top rail, the Elite edition comes with a side accessory rail. Both are made of metal, so they will stand up to any accessories you attach to them.

Internally, the IWI Tavor 21 Elite features a reinforced, full-metal gearbox of a proprietary design. Thankfully, while the gearbox is proprietary, it is compatible with a lot of the standard, Version 2 gearbox components. If you remove the butt plate of the Tavor 21, you will be able to make use of the gun’s quick change spring feature, which makes altering your FPS a fairly simple process. The Umarex/Elite Force Tavor 21 Elite also features a functioning bolt catch which, when exposed, reveals the gun’s hop-up unit.

A quick note on the hop-up: I can’t recall how many times I have opened a brand-new airsoft gun and found that the hop-up bucking wasn’t aligned with the opening of the inner barrel or the hop-up nib was not seated correctly, leading to the hop-up simply not functioning properly. With this airsoft gun, I encountered no such issue – the hop-up worked correctly right out of the box. If anything, the hop-up was almost too sensitive, so take your time to “zero” the airsoft rifle with whatever optic you use as well as the hop-up to find the right balance prior to playing in a public game or big op. This preparation will make your IWI Tavor 21 Elite a force to be reckoned with on the field.

Performance

Using the Umarex/Elite Force IWI Tavor 21 Elite is a lot of fun. The gun has a very cool, futuristic style that will make any airsoft player feel like a super-soldier from a science fiction first-person shooter video game. The airsoft rifle features an electric blowback system that doesn’t produce much recoil but provides some nice feedback for the shooter. A word of warning, however, is that this blowback system does make the gun a bit louder than non-blowback guns, which may or may not work for your style of play. The blowback feature is actually more noticeable than most I have used (save for newer systems from Tokyo Marui and Bo Dynamics) because the blowback “bolt” is closer to the shooter’s shoulder. This is another one of the benefits of the Bullpup layout.

One issue I encountered when setting the IWI Tavor 21 Elite up for the day’s gaming was that, when I mounted a longer length optic on the rifle, there wasn’t a whole lot of top-rail space left for an external lens protector (something I recommend all players use). This leads into my biggest desire for the Umarex/Elite Force IWI Tavor 21 – that they release the “flat-top” style top rail that the real steel weapon can be ordered with.

I tested the gun out at SC Village in Norco, CA and their on-field chronograph showed velocity readings of around 375 FPS using Elite Force .28G BBs. I expect this to drop somewhat after the break-in period as the gun was brand-new when we got it. While playing, I had a generic 9.6V 1600mAh nun-chuck battery installed into the gun’s front handguard. Opening the battery compartment is very easy and changing out batteries in long tournaments or ops should not be too difficult. This is because opening the handguard relies on a simple push-button system. While not the biggest compartment in the world, it can handle a nunchuck or smaller Lipo style battery with ease. It sure beats having to fiddle with a D-Ring or screw system to get to your battery. Just be sure not to crimp any wires when you slide the handguard cover back into place.

Product Video

Some players have claimed that their IWI Tavor 21 Elite AEGs have been locking up when being used in semi-automatic fire modes over long periods. I didn’t notice any gearbox issues – even after several days of play. Mechanically, my biggest pet peeve with the airsoft rifle is the longer than normal initial slack in its trigger. In the fully-automatic fire mode, this did not prove to be an issue. But, if you do a lot of semi-automatic shooting, it is noticeable. Thankfully, while the initial slack is more than I prefer, the trigger assembly is one of the newer micro-switch designs. This means that you will be able to get some pretty fast follow-up shots if you keep your trigger control tight throughout shooting (i.e. Don’t release the trigger all the way after the break). Also, it means that the trigger should prove longer-lasting than older designs that rely on electrical contacts.

Conclusion

Overall, the Umarex/Elite Force IWI Tavor 21 Elite AEG rifle is a terrific airsoft gun that, while pricey, provides one of the best Bullpup style airsoft experiences a player can have. It retails between $300 and $350 dollars at retailers like Evike and Elite Force’s own online storefront.

[easyreview title=”Elite Force IWI Tavor TAR-21 Elite Airsoft AEG Rifle Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″ ]

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Foo Fighters and Avenged Sevenfold Coming to Rock Band

2015/01/12

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, PlayStation 3 News, Xbox 360 News

Cambridge, Mass. – January 12^th, 2015 – Harmonix today announced that new tracks from Arctic Monkeys, Avenged Sevenfold, and Foo Fighters are headed to the Rock Band™ Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360^® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation^®3 computer entertainment system.

Rock Band provides the deepest and best selection of artists, songs and albums through the Rock Band music platform, which features more than 1,400 artists and more than 3,500* tracks via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/songs). Rock Band’s gigantic music library dwarfs that of any other rhythm video game on the market. More than 100 million songs have been sold through the Rock Band Music Store since its launch on Nov. 20, 2007.

Tracks downloaded from the Rock Band Music Store are compatible with the award-winning full-band Rock Band 3 experience, as well as the controller-based rhythm-action title, Rock Band Blitz, available now on PlayStation^®Network and Xbox LIVE^® Arcade!

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360 and PlayStation®3 system

On Tuesday, January 13^th, new music from Arctic Monkeys, Avenged Sevenfold, and Foo Fighters will hit the Rock Band Music Store!

“R U Mine?” marks the first appearance of the Grammy Award winning Arctic Monkeys on the Rock Band platform. From 2013’s critically acclaimed album AM, “R U Mine?” – with its driving riffs, syncopated rock beats, and memorable hook – is perfect for Artic Monkeys’ Rock Band debut.

One of the most fan requested artists, Avenged Sevenfold, makes their return to Rock Band with “Shepherd Of Fire.” The track comes from the band’s sixth studio record, 2013’s Billboard chart-topping Hail to the King.

Foo Fighters’ “Something From Nothing,” from the band’s latest album, 2014’s Sonic Highways, will also be available for download. Heard in the opening sequence of the hit HBO music documentary series Sonic Highways, directed by Foo Fighters’ frontman Dave Grohl, “Something From Nothing” topped the charts when it was released last October.
Available on Xbox 360 and PlayStation®3 system (January 13^th, 2015):

Arctic Monkeys – “R U Mine?”
Avenged Sevenfold – “Shepherd Of Fire”
Foo Fighters – “Something From Nothing”

Price:
$1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU per song

(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation®3 system January 14^th)

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Website Links:
For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website

Activision and Tencent Release Call of Duty Online in China

2015/01/12

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Windows PC News

Santa Monica, CA and SHANGHAI – January 12, 2015 – Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), and Tencent Holdings Limited, a leading Internet services provider in China (SEHK: 00700), announced the launch of the public open beta for Call of Duty Online to hundreds of millions of Chinese gamers. Currently live across China, Call of Duty Online is a new free-to-play version of the blockbuster Call of Duty video game franchise that marks a historic first for the series, as the pop culture phenomenon expands to the world’s largest gaming market.

The development of Call of Duty Online has been led by veteran Call of Duty® studio Raven Software. Inspired by the blockbuster, critically-acclaimed hits Call of Duty: Modern Warfare® and Call of Duty: Black Ops universes, Call of Duty Onlinedraws from these iconic experiences that have captivated millions of gamers around the world in an all-new Call of Duty experience, created exclusively for China.

“Millions of gamers in the West have come to appreciate that white-knuckled, epic thrill-ride that only Call of Duty delivers. And now an entire new audience of gamers will experience this for the first time. We believe Call of Duty Online is going to be a game-changer for Chinese gamers,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. “We’ve worked closely with our partner at Tencent, and we’ve challenged one of our most trusted and talented development teams of Raven Software to create a true Call of Duty experience tailored for the Chinese market. Throughout testing, the community feedback has been tremendous. We couldn’t be more excited and we look forward to winning the hearts and minds of a new community in China.”

The new free-to-play experience for Call of Duty – in which gamers are able to purchase or rent in-game items – delivers an unprecedented, unique offering for Chinese players, including Hero Ops single-player campaign missions, Survival Mode cooperative experiences, best-in-class Call of Duty multiplayer and the newly created Cyborgs (PVE modes exclusive to the Chinese market in Call of Duty Online) – all delivered with the trademark Call of Duty cinematic intensity and fast-paced action, for which the franchise is known the world over.

Steven Ma, Senior Vice President of Tencent, said, “Since announcing Call of Duty Online, we have gone through a series of alpha and closed beta tests, with each test generating incredibly positive results. Call of Duty Online is a top tier game developed by an elite team and we are honored to bring this highly anticipated title to the Chinese players.”

“Over the last few years, we’ve worked closely with Tencent to tailor Call of Duty Online specifically for the Chinese audience, while maintaining an authentic Call of Duty experience,” said Brian Raffel, Studio Head at Raven Software. “We’ve had a unique opportunity to take the best moments from the entire Call of Duty franchise – along with all-new unique experiences – and deliver the ultimate entertainment package for a whole new audience.”

LUCID M7 Microdot Red Dot Sight Review (Airsoft)

2015/01/12

Jerry Paxton

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

Lucid’s M7 Microdot Red Dot Sight promises parallax-free function (something usually only reserved for holo-sights) and tough construction. Does this red dot sight live up to its promises? I was very pleased to find out that it does indeed. Out of the box, the Lucid M7 felt very durable thanks to its cast aluminum frame. The optic has a good bit of heft to it for such a small form factor and I was pleased with its overall look. Designed to be in the same optic category as the venerable T1/H1, the Lucid M7 offers comparable performance at a much less expensive price point. Please keep in mind, I am reviewing this for use in an airsoft setting. The demands for airsoft use are obviously not as high as real steel usage. Even so, an airsoft optic has to be tough as many big airsoft games are played in pretty rough terrain. Additionally, being struck by a BB can cause serious damage to optics, so sight durability is a high priority for players.

[box type=”info”] Please note that the initial version of this review mentioned the optic being capable of a green dot sight. This is incorrect and has been fixed in this draft of the article.[/box]

Airsoft players will be happy to hear that you can get an optional riser mount for the Lucid M7 which will bring the optic up so be able to co-witness an M4/AR-15 style front post sight in its lower 1/3 field of view. If you don’t have a front post sight on your AR-15/M4 style airsoft rifle, you can still get the riser to better use your airsoft rifle while wearing a thick mask which might not allow for a tight cheek weld – the choice is yours. Please note that some Lucid M7 images in this article show the optic with and without the optional riser.

Additionally, zeroing an airsoft rifle with an optic like this can be tricky business as, unlike real steel weapons, zeroing an airsoft gun has the additional element of a hop-up unit to work into the equation. A hop-up unit, for those of you who don’t know, is a device which puts backspin on an airsoft BB. This creates a lifting effect on the BB while in-flight, allowing it to stay on a more horizontal trajectory longer. So, when zeroing you optic on the airsoft rifle, you need to keep hop-up in mind as well moving the Lucid M7’s windage and elevation dials. Speaking of dials and controls, the Lucid M7 comes with the traditional windage and elevation adjustment knobs, nicely protected under screw-off caps. It also has a nifty control array on the shooter’s left side of the optic. The control array features three buttons: one for power and two brightness adjustments – sneakily, that’s not all they do. This is where a lot of the real magic happens as the Lucid M7 has some great features you don’t normally find on an optic you are going to use for airsoft play.

Turning the optic’s red dot on is as simple as pushing the power button. However, if you press the button once again, it engages the auto-brightness mode. This feature is the optic’s ability to auto-adjust the brightness of its reticle based on ambient lighting. The brighter the conditions, the brighter the reticle becomes. If you press the power button again, you will disable the auto-brightness feature and can manually control it with the two brightness setting buttons. This feature makes moving in and out of dark buildings or structures a breeze as you never have to mess with the brightness once it is enabled. The red laser reticle is very crisp and the unlimited eye relief was welcome – especially on the IWI Tavor 21 style airsoft rifle I was installing it on.

Now for the best part of the Lucid M7 Microdot: Its parallax-free promise. Amazingly, this is pretty much true for use on the airsoft field. I have heard that, in real steel shooting, there can be some small variation depending on how the red dot is initially zeroed in relation to the bore of the rifle. However, this is third-party hearsay, and doesn’t have a bearing on my review of its airsoft usage. Remember, as I previously stated, zeroing an airsoft gun can be tricky (actually a little trickier than zeroing a real rifle thanks to the hop-up). What I care about most is that, once that zeroing process is completed, the airsoft BBs hit where I am aiming as best as they can. No airsoft rifle is 100% accurate and they will not be until they figure out a way to change the BB “round” into a conical shape and rifle the inner barrels. At that point, though, we would be playing with some really dangerous replicas and I would hate to see the injuries that would be inflicted on other players.

Overall, the Lucid M7 Microdot Red Dot Sight is a terrific airsoft game option. By all accounts, it would also seem to be a terrific real steel option, but don’t quote me on that as I did not put it through that kind of testing. At $229, it is on the high end of price points for an optic to use in your airsoft play but you won’t second guess yourself once you experience it on the field. Just be sure to get the optional kill-flash or an external, rail-mounted lens protector. You DO NOT want to get the front lens of this optic shot out by a BB. The extra $30 dollars is worth protecting your Lucid M7 Microdot investment.

The Lucid M7 Microdot Red Dot Sight is available now with an MSRP of $229 dollars. You can find it at various online retailers as well as Lucid’s official website.

[easyreview title=”LUCID M7 Microdot Red Dot Sight Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]
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Knott’s Berry Farm For The Cure Partnership With Susan G. Komen OC Media Event

2015/01/11

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News

This is the 2nd year that Knott’s Berry Farm has partnered up with Susan G. Komen Orange County to help provide support to survivors of breast cancer. To kick-off this continued partnership, Knott’s hosted a media event on the morning of January 10, 2015. Attending were people affected by breast cancer, either by going through it themselves, or their friends and families that support them. Also in attendance were several media outlets as well as park marketing and catering staff.

The event began with a nice breakfast buffet in the Cloud 9/Boardwalk Ballroom located in the Boardwalk area of Knott’s Berry Farm. After about an hour of enjoying the pink yogurt fountain, scrambled eggs and bacon, gluten-free macaroni & cheese, as well as a host of other good eats, the presentation began on the ballroom’s small stage. We heard from the manager of the park, who spoke of the important of the partnership, and we also heard from cancer survivors and their ofttimes emotional stories in dealing with their illness. Seeing the strength in the cancer survivors who are managing to stay positive and live life to the fullest while battling such a menacing illness was overly-inspiring.

After the presentation, we were escorted out to the park’s Jaguar roller coaster – but not before stopping to pledge our allegiance to the US flag as the park officially opened. It is refreshing that Knott’s Berry Farm upholds such important national rituals when so many have forgotten them or, worse yet, are not even being taught it in elementary school! But, I digress…

Our morning concluded after watching the survivors and their loved ones take the first ride on Jaguar of the day. Again, their strength and courage are commendable and we wish them as much good thoughts and continued success as possible in their battles. We would also like to thank Knott’s Berry Farm’s marketing team for having us out to the event.

Knott’s For the Cure Partnership runs from now until March 27th:

January 5 through March 27, guests can purchase a Pink Ticket ($39 adults, $35 Jr./Sr. ages 3-11, 62+), online only at knotts.com.
A portion of the ticket and merchandise proceeds will benefit Susan G. Komen Orange County
The three month long promotion will provide guests with the opportunity to enjoy Knott’s world class entertainment, attractions and specially-themed “pink” décor, while supporting a great cause.
The famous Calico Mine Ride, Knott’s Berry Farm Main Gate and the Camp Snoopy waterfall will all glow pink in honor of the campaign.

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Life is Strange Video Dev Diary and PC Requirements

2015/01/09

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, PlayStation 3 News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox 360 News, Xbox One News

Square Enix has sent our their new video dev diary for the upcoming Life is Strange, as well as revealing its recommended and minimum PC specifications.

Video

MINIMUM:
OS: Windows Vista
Processor: Dual Core 2.0GHz or equivalent
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: ATI or NVidia card w/ 512 MB RAM (not recommended for Intel HD Graphics cards)
DirectX: Version 9.0
Hard Drive: 3 GB available space

RECOMMENDED:
OS: Windows 7
Processor: Dual Core 3.0GHz or equivalent
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: ATI or NVidia card w/ 1024 MB RAM (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 or ATI HD 4890)
DirectX: Version 9.0
Hard Drive: 3 GB available space

Bladestorm: Nightmare Release Date

2015/01/09

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, PlayStation 3 News, PlayStation 4 News, Xbox One News

BURLINGAME, Calif. January 8, 2015 – KOEI TECMO America today announced an updated launch date for the Troop Command Action title, Bladestorm: Nightmare. The Hundred Years’ War epic will commence on March 17, 2015 in North America for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft. The PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system digital only version will also be available at the same time.

Additionally, new images were released offering a first glimpse at the character edit mode and showcasing the Troop Command battle system that makes the game a stand out offering in the strategy genre. More details were also revealed for the new ‘Nightmare’ mode.

In Bladestorm: Nightmare the player is summoned to create a mercenary and accept missions that will advance the English or the French cause in the course of the Hundred Years’ War. The successful completion of these missions depends on a variety of elements that put the player’s fighting abilities, strategy, tactical and leadership skills to the test. The Mercenary does not ride to the field alone, but as the commander of an army unit chosen to fit each individual situation as some missions are better fought with foot soldiers, others with lances, archers, light cavalry, or a combination of melee, ranged and mounted units.

The updated battle system in Bladestorm: Nightmare allows for simultaneous control of up to 4 army units increasing the game’s strategic edge— units can be repositioned at any time and ordered to take certain actions that will aid in a successful mission including attacks from specific angles and holding a position or group within another unit. The player can choose to switch to command any of these units in real time, combine them in a 200 soldier troop for a charged attack, or issue orders to each and any of them using the battle map interface.

More details were also revealed for the ‘Nightmare’ mode, an all-new and original fantasy scenario involving battling and controlling armies of mythical creatures. In the opening sequence of this mode a group of Mercenaries in possession of a sword able to control monsters arrive in war-stricken Gascony only to find the combined forces of England and France under siege by an army of demonic forces. As the leader of the group, the player fights through this army to rescue the defenders and decides to investigate the origins of this new threat.

Bladestorm: Nightmare is published by KOEI TECMO America and will be available on March 17, 2015in North America. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions will be available for $59.99 and thePlayStation 3 digital only version will be available for $49.99. This title has been rated T for “Teen” by theESRB.

For more Bladestorm: Nightmare news please follow us on www.facebook.com/koeitecmous or@KoeiTecmoUS and visit koeitecmoamerica.com/bladestormnightmare.

Deceptive Marketing at CES? The Levitating Bag That Wasn’t

2015/01/09

Jerry Paxton

CES, News, Tech News

Leading up to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, we receive a ton of press announcements for a variety of products, big and small. One of the more intriguing of this year’s bunch was STM’s “Levitating” backpack. Here is the CES meeting pitch we got from STM’s marketing firm, Asylum PR:

“…CES is about to be invaded by a magical haunted backpack! No, this is not a stint done by a Las Vegas magician; STM has created a backpack that has levitating powers. You can casually toss your bag onto the counter, the back of a chair, and then when it hits the floor; you can now pay no attention to any damaged goods. Instead of cringing and hoping no damage will be done, ditch the basic purse or laptop bag for one that levitates fragile electronics inside it so they are safe even when the bag is dropped. STM Bags has created the drifter backpack with a floating pocket inside that is lined and padded for electronic devices. If you drop the bag, the pocket will remain safely suspended inches above the ground…”

The marketing firm also sent us at least nine official press releases on behalf of STM, touting the Drifter backpack’s levitating abilities thanks to its “floating pocket”. Between the aforementioned invitation and all of the press releases, we were intrigued and excited. How did they engineer this seemingly-miraculous levitation?

Well, the simple answer is that they didn’t. Our reporter approached the Radtech booth, where STM had setup their meetings and was shocked not to see the backpack anywhere! Oh, here it is (look closely)…

That’s right, it’s hiding under the table, almost out of sight. Our reporter thought something was weird and proceeded to the meeting. Excited about this new tech, he asked them about the levitation and an unnamed booth rep responded with “It doesn’t levitate, it was a typo. It was supposed to say linear.”

A typo? Linear?!? Well, I have nine press releases and a custom-written invitation from Asylum PR touting a magical, levitating backpack! Not to mention that a “Linear” Backpack doesn’t really make sense at all. To top it all off, the marketing rep was nowhere to be found and, according to my reporter, they looked for about a half hour to find them, coming up empty. Something tells me that we are not the first people to cry foul over this matter. Much like showing an “in-game engine demo” of a highly anticipated video game at E3 only to find out that it was not at all the same engine or code as the released product (Gearbox Software, lookin’ at you), it is an absolutely irritating and awfully-deceptive bait and switch practice.

Does the blame fall on the shoulders of STM or Asylum PR? That, I cannot say – but, it does reinforce the axiom, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” Well, I was that sucker, and I wanted to see a backpack that levitates the tech gear inside.

We reached out to Asylum PR for comment and will update this story when we receive it.

**UPDATE Feb 1, 2015 – They didn’t care to respond.

Blizzard and Dark Horse Team Up for WoW Chronicle Books

2015/01/08

Jerry Paxton

Book News, Comics News, Geek News, News

MILWAUKIE, OR – Dark Horse Comics is proud to announce a multi-volume series detailing the history of the Warcraft® universe: World of Warcraft®: Chronicle.

World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 is a journey through an age of myth and legend, a time long before the Horde and the Alliance came to be. This definitive tome of Warcraft history reveals untold stories about the birth of the cosmos, the rise of ancient empires, and the forces that shaped the world of Azeroth and its people.

“We often get questions from players who want to know more about the origins of the Warcraft universe, and the rise and fall of their favorite characters” said Paul Sams, chief operating officer of Blizzard Entertainment. “This new series digs deeply into all of that—we can’t wait for players to read it.”

This beautiful hardcover book features over twenty full-page illustrations by World of Warcraft artist Peter Lee and marks the first in a multipart series exploring the Warcraft universe; from the distant past to the modern era.

“This is an amazing project that will be absolutely irresistible to the legion of Warcraft fans. The people at Blizzard have been great to work with and we are extremely happy and proud to be working with them,” added Dark Horse President Mike Richardson.

World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 is on sale November 4, 2015 in comic shops and November 17 in bookstores! Preorder your copy today!