Archive - 2015

Descent: Underground Pre-Alpha Released To Backers

2015/08/14

Austin, TX – August 14, 2015 – Descendent Studios, the Austin, Texas-based game developer, today announced the first public release of its reboot of the classic 1990s FPS, Descent. The pre-alpha version of Descent: Underground is now available to some backers of the successful Kickstarter project. The release comes one week after the game had a successful public debut at the Rooster Teeth Expo (RTX) in Austin.

An officially-licensed prequel to the enormously successful Descent series of games,Descent: Underground combines first-person shooter action with six degrees of freedom vehicular movement. Players take on the role of pilots commanding space-combat drones in high-stakes battles for control of warren-like asteroid mines.

Descent: Underground successfully completed a Kickstarter crowd funding campaign on April 10, 2015. In less than four months, Descendent Studios was able to deliver its first playable version at RTX. With its AAA graphics and unique gameplay, Descent: Underground attracted long lines at the expo as backers and fans waited anxiously to play the game on screens and in virtual reality using Oculus Rift headsets.

“Many people kept coming back, bringing their friends and in many cases, their parents,” said Descendent Studios CEO Eric ’Wingman’ Peterson. “We had about a thousand play-throughs last weekend and not one person gave the game a thumbs-down.”

Today, Descendent Studios is releasing a playable version of the game to a group of especially-dedicated backers known as the “Advisory Board.” Members of the Board have already assisted the developers with a number of important tasks, among them, verifying the flight model for the game’s spacecraft matched that of the original Descentgame.

In the next few weeks, the Descent: Underground pre-alpha will be made available to backers who pledged for “Proving Grounds” pre-alpha access and members of “The Underground,” a club that gets insider access to learn more about the studio’s game development process. More information is available on the company’s website at www.descendentstudios.com.

Descent: Underground is scheduled for release in March of 2016 on PC, Mac, and Linux.

Descendent Studios, Inc. is an independent game development studio based in Austin, TX. The studio’s team includes several industry veterans who worked on titles such as Wing Commander, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Starlancer, Star Citizen, and Ultima Online.

The Official Star Trek 2015 Convention Las Vegas Round-Up

2015/08/14

Ripper71

Geek News, News, Screenshots / Photos

Star Trek has been around for almost 50 years. Take a moment to let that fact sink in, 50 years! If it wasn’t for the dedication of cast, crew, and fans of this show we would be talking about it as simply the anniversary of a show that had three seasons and then went into the annals of TV history. Instead, it is still alive and when the studios aren’t working on shows or movies, the fans and cast still are with fan made movies and video games that try to keep the spirit kicking. And then, there are the conventions… Like The Official Star Trek 2015 Convention Las Vegas, which I recently attended!

Some people might just see the conventions as a chance to milk the fans and there are plenty who try to do just that – but not at The Official Star Trek 2015 Convention Las Vegas. Creation Entertainment, the company producing the convention, does a great job at working towards making attendees happy and providing them a ton of quality entertainment. There are people, both involved with the convention or simply attending it, that are there for the comradery, the common geekdom of a show they love and even try to live their lives by the lofty goals of. For these people, the convention is a family reunion of sorts. People know each other by name and hugs a plenty are exchanged while donning various costumes from the Star Trek universe.

The fan meet and greet sessions with everyone from show regulars to guest stars who only appeared once draw in the fans looking for a quick, but meaningful, word and maybe a handshake or hug. The real life blood of the experience, though, is in the panels. That’s when cast members are brought together, sometimes for the first time in years, and fall into step as if no time has passed. There is a certain magic in that that flows out into the audience and reinforces their love for the shows and movies. Having Walter Koenig (Chekov TOS) up on stage telling his experiences over the years was special but seeing the reunion of Voyager on their 20th anniversary where they had not been on a stage together since the show ended and yet it was just like another day chatting for them. It was the same with the cast of Enterprise who you could tell had been a merry band of misfits driving their director nuts and yet grew a bit sad and quiet as they spoke of the unexpected ending of their series. As they put it, they gelled as a family just before the fourth season but by then it was already too late.

Many fans probably came to see William Shatner whose panel in the convention guide was described simply as “The Man” but those who missed the merry mayhem of Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton and Brent Spiner as they took the stage in a flurry of chaos that leaked out to the signing session of Patrick Stewart and drew him in briefly missed one of the best moments of the con. My photographer was not a Trekkie when this weekend began but, by the end, I think that might have changed.

Of course the great Leonard Nimoy was felt through the whole weekend and all of the panels, no ill word spoken for a man who took the power he gained in Hollywood to help his fellow man live long and prosper in any way he could.

I’m already looking forward to next year’s 50th Anniversary Star Trek Las Vegas Convention and excited to see what new great moments are just over the horizon. Will William Shatner and George Takei finally bury the hatchet and appear on stage together? Will schedules be cleared so that Voyager’s FULL cast can finally appear together? Will we be in wonderment of all the full surviving casts of each series appearing on stages together? I don’t suppose it matters because there will still be that magic in the air and fans from all over the world meet up with out of this world casts. Until then, Live Long and Prosper!

Image Gallery

This is the End 3D Maze Announced for Horror Nights

2015/08/13

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Halloween, News

Universal City, California, August 12, 2015 – In a bold, new approach to bringing iconic horror films to life during “Halloween Horror Nights,” Universal Studios Hollywood will break new ground with the introduction of its first ever 3D horror-comedy maze, “This is the End 3D,” based on 2013’s hit movie starring James Franco, Seth Rogen Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride and Craig Robinson. “Halloween Horror Nights” begins on Friday, September 18, 2015.

The hilarity of this genre-defying blockbuster movie, This is the End, will take a dark turn in this all-new maze experience that will come to life in hypnotic 3D. The end of the world will begin as guests head to the ultimate A-list party at James Franco’s new Hollywood Hills home, before the Apocalypse strikes and they find themselves trapped in a life-and-death struggle against the demons of the underworld. With the fate of humanity at the crossroads of heaven and hell, “This is the End 3D” will offer defining moments for those guests brave enough to tempt the devil as their destiny hangs in the balance to be damned for eternity or raptured to heaven engulfed in a sea of blue light.

“This is the End brings a new dimension of fear to ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ by fusing the best of two extreme worlds—horror and comedy— to create a literal and figurative three-dimensional experiential version of the film,” said John Murdy, Creative Director at Universal Studios Hollywood and Executive Producer of “Halloween Horror Nights.” “Our collaboration with James Franco, Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill to transform this outrageous movie into a terrifying maze underscores the impact of ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ as one the most influential Halloween events around.”

“Halloween Horror Nights” 2015 at Universal Studios Hollywood kicks off on Friday, September 18 and continues on select nights through November 1. The popular event brings together the sickest minds in horror to immerse guests in a living, breathing, three-dimensional world of terror. Featuring an all-new slate of unrivaled film production quality mazes, frightful scare zones and a fully re-imagined “Terror Tram” experience uniquely themed to today’s most definitive horror properties, “Halloween Horror Nights” will taunt, terrorize and torment guests with spine-chilling haunted attractions during Southern California’s most extreme Halloween experience.

Recent maze announcements include “Guillermo del Toro Presents Crimson Peak: Maze of Madness,” based on Legendary and Universal Pictures’ much-anticipated Crimson Peak film directed, co-written and produced by celebrated filmmaker Guillermo del Toro; “The Walking Dead: Wolves Not Far,” based on season 5 of the critically-acclaimed, Emmy Award®-winning television series, “Insidious: Return to the Further,” based on the bone-chilling Insidious film trilogy, and “Halloween: Michael Myers Comes Home,” based on director John Carpenter’s cult-classic horror film. This year’s event will also feature the global phenomenon and multi-talented dance crew, Jabbawockeez, direct from Las Vegas in an all-new original show, performing multiple times per night throughout the run of “Halloween Horror Nights.”

Join the “Halloween Horror Nights” conversation using #UniversalHHN on Facebook at Halloween Horror Nights – Hollywood, Instagram, Twitter and Periscope@HorrorNights. Add username HorrorNights on Snapchat, for nightly live content and watch the terror come to life on Halloween Horror Nights YouTube.

To learn more about the all new “This is the End 3D” maze at “Halloween Horror Nights,” click here.

Civilization: Beyond Earth Free to Play Weekend Announced

2015/08/13

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Windows PC News

New York, NY – August 13, 2015 – 2K and Firaxis Games today announced pre-purchase details for Sid Meier’s Civilization®: Beyond Earth™ – Rising Tide, the expansion pack for 2014’s turn-based strategy title, Civilization: Beyond Earth. Players who pre-purchase the game will receive a 10% discount on their purchases. Rising Tide is currently in development for Windows PC, as well as Mac and Linux through Aspyr Media, and scheduled for worldwide release on all platforms on October 9, 2015.

Complementing the Rising Tide pre-purchase news, players can also take advantage of the following Beyond Earth offers:

The award-winning** Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth is free-to-play on Steam beginning today at 1:00 p.m. EDT and concluding Monday, August 17, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. EDT;
Civilization: Beyond Earth – The Collection, which includes Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth, the Exoplanets Map Pack and the upcoming expansion pack, Rising Tide, will be available for purchase during the free-to-play period with an additional discount from participating digital retailers.

The Exoplanets Map Pack features six custom maps inspired by real exoplanets, including:

Kepler 186f: This lush forest planet is one of the oldest known Earth-like planets;
Rigil Khantoris Bb: Orbiting the closest star to our solar system, the historical records of this arid continental planet’s settlement are well-preserved;
Tau Ceti d: This planet of seas and archipelagos features a booming biodiversity and wealth of resources;
Mu Arae f: Tidally locked in orbit around a weak star, the southern hemisphere of this planet is a blistering desert where the sun never sets, while the northern hemisphere is perpetually in frozen darkness;
82 Eridani e: An alien world of scarce water and wracked by tectonic forces;
Eta Vulpeculae b: A mysterious new discovery with unknown terrain.

New players who participate in the free-to-play weekend on Steam will have until 1:00 p.m. EDT on Monday, August 17, 2015 to purchase Civilization: Beyond Earth or the Civilization Beyond Earth: The Collection for more than 10% off, and retain their in-game progress.

About Rising Tide

Rising Tide will expand Beyond Earth to new frontiers on the planet’s surface and across its seas, adding more choices and diplomatic options as players build “one more turn” toward a new vision for humanity’s future. New aquatic gameplay will explore the oceans for colonization by dramatically extending the play space, while an overhauled diplomacy system will provide players with additional layers of dynamic choices and options to shape the diplomatic landscape while engaging with the AI and one another.

Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth and Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide are rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) by the ESRB. Rising Tide will be available globally for Windows PC on October 9, 2015. The title will also launch for Mac and Linux this fall through Aspyr Media.

For more information on Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth, please visit www.civilization.com, become a fan on Facebook, follow Civilization on Twitter and subscribe to Civilization on YouTube.

For more information on the Mac and Linux version, please visit www.aspyr.com or follow Aspyr Media on Facebook and Twitter.

*Sid Meier’s Civilization®: Beyond Earth is required to play Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth Rising Tide

**Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth took home more than 15 awards at E3 2014, including Destructoid’s “Best of E3: Best PC” and “Best of E3: Best Strategy Game,” Game Critics Awards’ “Best Strategy Game,” Game Informer’s “Best PC Exclusive” and “Best Strategy Game,” IGN’s “Best of E3 Best Strategy Game,” Nerdist’s “Editor’s Choice E3 2014,” Polygon’s “Editors’ Choice,” The Escapist’s “Best of E3 2014” and more.

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

Lucasfilm Partners With Seven Global Brands Promoting The Force Awakens

2015/08/13

boothby

Geek News, Movie News, News

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. (August 13, 2015)—Lucasfilm announced today that they are collaborating with seven of the world’s most well-known brands— COVERGIRL® & Max Factor, Duracell, FCA US, General Mills, HP, Subway® and Verizon—for the launch of an expansive, historic promotional campaign in support of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” opening on December 18.

For the highly anticipated next episode in the “Star Wars” franchise, each company has developed break-through, custom creative campaigns, and innovative programs and activations for their target audiences.

“We are thrilled to be working with such a stellar roster of promotional partners. The ‘Star Wars’ brand has endured over the years, across generational audiences because it connects with people in a very special way,” said Lynwen Brennan, General Manager of Lucasfilm. “Our partners have all delivered original, stand-out campaigns that capture the familiar fun and excitement of our galaxy far, far away that we hope will delight fans as they get ready to experience ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens.’”

The seven best-in-class global partners were chosen for their creative excellence within their fields as well as their collective diverse global reach. All of the partnerships strategically complement the tempo and tone of the film’s overall marketing campaign.

COVERGIRL & MAX FACTOR

Easy, breezy, beautiful from the start, COVERGIRL now holds an iconic position in the world of beauty and pop culture: the brand that has been empowering women to rock their beautiful for more than 50 years. Throughout its history – and still today – COVERGIRL has been known as a cosmetics category leader and innovator, with first-to-market technologies, famous faces, and on-trend marketing campaigns. Whether how to get the look, or how to get behind-the-scenes access to the hottest celebrity event, COVERGIRL has got it covered. Recently, the brand committed $5MM over five years to enable women and girls to break boundaries at school, at work, and in entrepreneurial endeavors via its #GirlsCan initiative. Visit www.covergirl.com or find @COVERGIRL in social media for more information.

Max Factor is the make-up of make-up artists. The story begins from the founding days of Mr. Max Factor, a true make-up artistry icon and pioneer, who created a world full of glamour. The make-up products and techniques he created for the movie industry and his Hollywood clients, Marilyn Monroe being just one of his many famous clients, earned him an Academy Award, but his guiding philosophy was that any woman could be glamourous given the right tools and make-up artistry skills. From mascara to foundation, eye shadow to lip gloss – Max Factor put the transformative tools for make-up artistry into the hands of every woman, enabling her to create her own personal glamour statement every day. Today, the Max Factor brand continues to empower women to look and feel glamorous via its talented Network of Make-up Artists, headed by the make-up visionary Pat McGrath (Max Factor and COVERGIRL Global Creative Design Director), sophisticated diagnostic tools and artistry, and an ever expanding range of tools and tips. Visit www.maxfactor.com or find @MaxFactor in social media for more information.

DURACELL

Duracell is the world’s leading manufacturer and marketer of high performance alkaline batteries. As the leader in the personal power category, Duracell has a rich history of innovation continuously introducing batteries that are more compact, more powerful and longer lasting than competitor brands. Since 1973, the Duracell Bunny has been at the heart of the brand demonstrating Duracell’s longer lasting power. Today Bunny is one of the most recognised brand icons in the world. Duracell batteries power many devices across the globe, including toys such as the Hasbro Lightsaber. In addition to its alkaline batteries, the company sells primary lithium, zinc air, and rechargeable nickel-metal hydride batteries as well as a line of flashlights.

FCA US

FCA US LLC is a North American automaker with a new name and a long history. Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, FCA US is a member of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) family of companies. FCA US designs, engineers, manufactures and sells vehicles under the Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and FIAT brands as well as the SRT performance vehicle designation. The company also distributes the Alfa Romeo 4C model and Mopar products. FCA US is building upon the historic foundations of Chrysler, the innovative American automaker first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925; and Fiat, founded in Italy in 1899 by pioneering entrepreneurs, including Giovanni Agnelli.

FCA, the seventh-largest automaker in the world based on total annual vehicle sales, is an international automotive group. FCA is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “FCAU” and on the Mercato Telematico Azionario under the symbol “FCA.”

GENERAL MILLS
General Mills is one of the world’s leading food companies, operating in more than 100 countries around the world. Its brands include Cheerios, Fiber One, Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Yoplait, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., USA, General Mills had fiscal 2015 worldwide sales of US $18.8 billion

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. With the broadest technology portfolio spanning printing, personal systems, software, services and IT infrastructure, HP delivers solutions for customers’ most complex challenges in every region of the world. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

SUBWAY®

Customers in 110 countries have easy access to a fresh line-up of vegetables for their made-to-order sandwiches and salads at any of the more than 44,000 franchised locations. The company, founded 50-years-ago by then-17-year-old Fred DeLuca and family-friend Dr. Peter Buck, is still a family-owned business with thousands of dedicated franchisees/entrepreneurs in neighborhoods around the world, providing easy access to vegetables, detailed nutrition, dietary, and healthy lifestyle information. This has been a priority for the SUBWAY® chain for many years. To learn more information about us, visit www.subway.com, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/subway and follow us on https://twitter.com/subway. SUBWAY® is a registered trademark of Doctor’s Associates Inc

VERIZON

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is one of the largest communication technology companies in the world. Verizon operates America’s largest, most reliable 4G LTE wireless network with 109.5 million retail connections nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America’s most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers worldwide. A Fortune 15 company with more than $127 billion in 2014 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of 178,500. For more information, visit www.verizon.com/news/.

About Lucasfilm Ltd.

Lucasfilm Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is a global leader in film, television and digital entertainment production. In addition to its motion-picture and television production, the company’s activities include visual effects and audio post-production, cutting-edge digital animation, interactive entertainment software, and the management of the global merchandising activities for its entertainment properties including the legendary STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES franchises. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in northern California.

Lucasfilm, the Lucasfilm logo, STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. ©2015 & TM Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

About “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”

Lucasfilm and visionary director J.J. Abrams join forces to take you back again to a galaxy far, far away as “Star Wars” returns to the big screen with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

The film stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Max Von Sydow. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk are producing with Tommy Harper and Jason McGatlin serving as executive producers. The screenplay is by J.J. Abrams & Lawrence Kasdan. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” releases in U.S. theaters on December 18, 2015.

Dying Light: The Following Reveal Trailer

2015/08/13

Jerry Paxton

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

August 13th, 2015 – Wroclaw, Poland/ After a successful showing at Gamescom 2015, Techland has released the reveal trailer for Dying Light: The Following – a story-based expansion set in a massive new area that’s as big as the original maps from Dying Light combined. Dying Light: The Following will see Kyle Crane travel to a hazardous outback ruled by mysterious and fanatical cultists whose beliefs have unnerving connections with the zombie outbreak.

To get close to the cult and unravel their secrets, players will need to earn the trust of the locals. Through various missions and tasks, players will be able to choose their own path for infiltrating the inner circles of the cultists. In order to succeed in this harsh countryside, players will also gain access to fully customizable and upgradable dirt buggies. With its own unique skill tree, players will be able to traverse the vast expanse of the Harran countryside in what is their deadliest weapon yet.

“Gamescom 2015 was our first chance to let people play Dying Light: The Following so I was a bit nervous – admits producer Tymon Smektała. But so many positive reactions really showed me we made the right decision to work on this expansion. With its new map and far-reaching gameplay additions, it feels like we’ve hit the sweet spot for what players are expecting from us.”

While a release date is still to be determined, Techland has confirmed that Dying Light: The Following will be priced at $14.99, while all Season Pass holders will receive the expansion completely free.

Stilo Fine-tip Stylus with Sensitivity Control Released

2015/08/13

boothby

News, Peripherals News

August 13, 2015, Fremont, CA – Stilo Co. is introducing its first ever product to the US market: Stilo. An adjustable fine-tip capacitive styluscompatible with virtually all apps and tablets. It is launched alongside an optional screen protector designed together with Stilo’s tip to emulate the friction of pen on paper. Stilo offers professionals, students, and artists a more complete and organic digital writing experience.

A Durable, Adjustable Fine-Tip Stylus

Stilo’s tip measures at a lithe 1.9mm, placing it among the thinnest. Made from durable plastics, the tip doesn’t require replacing and will never scratch the surface. Stilo’s tip can be rotated to fine-tune sensitivity for different tablets or screen protectors – clockwise, or inward, is less sensitive; counter-clockwise, or outward, is more sensitive. Stilo’s active stylus technology is designed to offset latency from tip to stroke, yielding minimal lag, and providing a responsive, satisfying writing and drawing experience.

Like Pen on Paper

Active styli always feel unnatural on a slippery glass screen. For the best experience, users can opt to use Stilo’s Precision Film. While fingerprint and scratch resistant, it’s no ordinary screen protector. The Precision Film features a soft upper layer designed in tandem with Stilo’s tip to evoke the feel and friction of a pen. “The Precision Film is Stilo’s magic sauce,” states Jordi Sarabia, Stilo Co. co-founder, “We set out to achieve an experience akin to pen and paper on tablets; we’re proud to say that Stilo is the closest ever.”

Unrivaled Compatibility

Stilo is the first truly universal fine-tip stylus . It doesn’t require a Bluetooth connection to be accurate in apps, and works great with most. Stilo also has no specific tablet requirements – go ahead, try to use it on anything you own with a capacitive display

No Charging Required

Stilo uses a single AAA battery for up to ten hours of continuous use and features an automatic shut-off feature after idling for five minutes to conserve power. There’s no frustration of waiting to charge – just twist the bottom, replace the battery, and keep writing.

Price and Availability

Stilo is available on Amazon for $69.99 in white and black colors. The optional Precision Film is available on Stilo’s official website in different sizes – iPad 4th Generation, iPad Air 1 & 2, any iPad Mini, Samsung Galaxy 8.4 & 10.5, Nexus 6 & 9 – for $19.99 each.

About Stilo Co.

Stilo Co. is the US subsidiary and sales office for the Stilo brand. Stilo is the brainchild of a duo of tech entrepreneurs with a vision to bring a pen and paper experience to every touchscreen. Together with over twenty years of experience in consumer electronics, and exhaustive commitment to R&D, they’ve pushed tirelessly to realize their vision. With state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Taiwan and China, the Stilo brand is poised to become the authority on styli. For more information, visit the official website at http://stilopen.com/.

Fallout Shelter Now on Google Play

2015/08/13

boothby

Geek News, Mobile News, News

August 13, 2015 (Rockville, MD) – Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax® Media company, today announced that Fallout Shelter™, the first-ever mobile game set in the celebrated Fallout® universe from Bethesda Game Studios®, is now available worldwide for FREE on Google Play for Android devices.

Praised for its fun, addicting gameplay, and for its player-friendly approach to in-app purchases, Fallout Shelter has received accolades from some of the industry’s leading outlets, earning ‘Game of the Week’ from Touch Arcade and nominations for ‘Biggest Surprise’ from IGN and ‘Best Handled/Mobile Game’ from the official Game Critics Awards.

Today’s launch includes all-new game updates, including the introduction of Mr. Handy – the ultimate robotic companion – as a premium reward. Use him to collect resources inside your Vault, send him into the wasteland to collect caps, or defend your Vault from creatures and disasters, including new Deathclaw invasions and Molerat infestations.

Fallout Shelter is a post-nuclear strategy and simulation experience that puts you in control of a state-of-the-art underground Vault. Build the perfect Vault from a variety of rooms, oversee your very own thriving community of Vault Dwellers, and protect them from the dangers of the Wasteland.

To download Fallout Shelter for Android devices, visit: Google Play.

To learn more about Fallout Shelter, visit the game’s official website: www.FalloutShelter.com.

Android and Google Play are trademarks of Google Inc

Divinity: Original Sin 2 Kickstarter Announced

2015/08/12

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Windows PC News

Coming to Kickstarter on August 26, 2015 is Larian Studios with Divinity: Original Sin 2. Sequel to their 2014 Windows PC title, Divinity: Original Sin, the sequel is said to build upon the original title’s game mechanics and tune them for better play. They are being somewhat tight-lipped on details yet, but here is the official blog post from this morning’s announcement:

Returning to Kickstarter

Posted on August 12, 2015

Hi Everybody!

I’m so glad I can finally talk to you about this! It was getting hard to talk about what we’re doing without actually saying what we were doing, so I’m really relieved that it’s finally in the open and that I can share my excitement for this.

In case you missed it, I’m of course referring to our recent announcement that we’ll be returning to Kickstarter with Divinity: Original Sin 2; our biggest and most ambitious RPG to date — one that will either sink us, or go on to be remembered as our best game ever!

We’re saving the announcement of all the features for when the Kickstarter campaign launches on August 26th, so I won’t discuss those just yet. Instead, I thought I’d talk a little bit about why we’re returning to crowdfunding, and what our hopes and aspirations are.

Divinity: Original Sin wouldn’t be the game it was without the input from our Kickstarter backers & Steam Early Access players. There were a lot of them and they pushed us forwards in directions we hadn’t anticipated when we started development. To this day, our entire team is incredibly grateful for this. Our community was a critical factor for the success of the game. Without having that same community on board, I think it’s going to be very hard for us to achieve the goals we have with Divinity: Original Sin 2, and so we’ll do our very best to convince them to back us once again. The result at the end will be so much better if they do.

I’m hopeful that our players will find Divinity: Original Sin 2 a worthy cause to back though; it really goes beyond what’s been done so far in turn-based RPGs and it’s going to be a lot of fun to play. Actually, it already is and we’ll be showing a prototype at Pax Prime where people will be able to get a taste of it.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 builds further on the foundations we’ve been laying with Divinity: Original Sin (D: OS), and Divinity: Original Sin – Enhanced Edition (D: OS EE). For us, this allows for an unprecedented focus on the gameplay. We won’t be “losing time” building the elementary systems that typically take up more than 60% of our development time. Instead, we can start building the world immediately and try out all kinds of things.

That also means we have much more room for fine-tuning. If we can convince our players to help us, then that should allow us to make a real diamond. When we made D: OS, we did a lot of experimentation with systems, constantly improving them and offering them to our players for feedback. I believe it was a shining example of the power of early access, which both provides a developer with feedback as well as the funding to integrate that feedback. It was also the best development process I’d ever seen.

Now that news about D:OS 2 is in the open, I can also talk a bit about the commercial reasoning behind making D:OS EE. By now, the investment we did in D:OS EE is beyond what most would consider reasonable, both financially and in terms of time we’ve been putting in. But, other than allowing us to perfect the game which I think always make commercial sense, the work that is being done on D:OS EE would in any case still have had to be done for D:OS 2. So it’s not as if we haven’t been moving forward. On the contrary, all the money we’re investing in D:OS EE is also investment in the tech that’s powering D:OS 2. And the tech can do a lot.

Put simply, if you were to compare what we’re doing to what Bioware did back in the day with Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate 2, D:OS 2 is to be our Baldur’s Gate 2 — building further on our equivalent of Baldur’s Gate; D:OS.

Of course, returning to Kickstarter isn’t without risk. There’s no guarantee that we’ll have any success. If we were to fail, I guess that will mean we’re on the wrong track, and that we would have to return to the drawing board. It would be a real pity if that happens, but there’s no certainties in life, and perhaps we’re completely wrong about this. But that too would still be valuable feedback.

I’m hopeful though — there’s a small scene in D:OS 2, right at the beginning of the demo that we’ll be showing to press and players at Pax Prime. It’s a small detail, but every time I see it, my heart starts beating faster because of the enormous implications it has for the entire game. It was when I saw this that I felt sure about taking it to Kickstarter. I think other RPG players will recognize what it means for the game and their hearts will start beating faster also.

And I think they’ll want us to put as much of it as we possibly can in the game. We have the budget to do cool stuff already, but what we’ll be doing is something we can really take very far. How far will depend on how our Kickstarter campaign fares. Perhaps we’ll even be able to do very cool stuff – all the money we’ll hopefully raise with Kickstarter will be put on top of what we’re investing already to make the game better. The same scenario essentially as with the original D:OS.

It know it’s all a bit cryptic for the moment, but you’ll see it soon enough — on August 26thto be precise.For now, let me just say that this is getting very close the RPG that will dwarf them all, and I can’t wait to show it to you!

Given that we’re returning to Kickstarter, I’m of course very eager to hear your thoughts about what we should and shouldn’t be doing. In the past, the comment section in this blog has been a goldmine of advice for me & Larian, so I’m very curious to read what you all think.

And to be honest, also a bit nervous about it all

Have a great day! (And don’t forget to send us suggestions for the campaign here)

Thonet & Vander Debuts High-End Kugel and Koloss Bluetooth Speakers

2015/08/11

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Tech News

Thonet & Vander Debuts High-End Kugel and Koloss Bluetooth Speakers

Miami –August 11, 2015 — Thonet & Vander, the German audio company that specializes in merging technology and design for state of the art sound, are adding their flagship high-end speakers, Kugel and Koloss, to their product selection now available to U.S. consumers. The top of the line speakers are a result of years of research and artistic development to be able to deliver the ultimate clarity in audio. Built from the best materials available, including HDAA™ (High Density Acoustic Absorber) wood, both the Kugel and Koloss are active bookshelf speakers, featuring Hi-Fi technology sound and Bluetooth capabilities.

Kugel, has an MSRP of $369.99, with a special introductory price of $299.99 on Amazon.com and NewEgg.com. This Bluetooth speaker has a robust power output of 140W (70W per speaker) to deliver crystal clear sound at high volumes. For room-filling sound, Kugel features Rage Bass™, an exclusive development of the Thonet & Vander team, which extends low frequencies to deliver a deep and powerful sound. At the same time, Glow FX™, another T&V’s technological development, provides smooth treble sounds with extreme definition and sharpness.

Koloss also features Rage Bass™ and Glow FX™ technology for powerful audio. A notch above the Kugel, this is the ultimate high-end speaker in the Thonet & Vander line, and will deliver a widespread and deep sound that features extreme power and purity. With an output of 160W (80W per speaker) and two 6.5 inch woofers, this is the most powerful speaker from Thonet & Vander so far.

Both models feature active crossover, where two amplifiers work in each frequency range, as opposed to one. This results in greater precision in the division of treble and bass, improving the quality and sound of the entire system. To avoid distortion, both speakers include DSP and ALC technologies. DSP (Digital Signal Processor) optimizes playback of sound using digital processing, and removes noise and distortion, allowing you to hear crystal clear voices and music. At the same time, ALC (Auto Level Control) maintains a low level of distortion even when set to maximum volume. This is achieved through a circuit that adjusts the amplifier when the input level exceeds a predetermined limit.

Like other Thonet & Vander speakers, the Kugel and Koloss have an Antimagnetic Shield® to isolate sound and eliminate external interferences for a virtual surround sound experience. Both speakers feature a rear bass reflex, with purposeful placement to increase the bass response through the build of the speaker.

Kugel and Koloss are made of natural materials like real wood and 1 inch silk tweeters. The tweeters’ fiber is known for being light and responsive, so that trebles are reproduced purely for clear sound. Even the aramid fiber comprising the woofers is of organic material designed to be resistant to shocks, light and moisture.

The speakers each have volume, treble and bass control on the side with an additional remote control to equalize them however you like. Besides featuring Bluetooth, both systems include an RCA stereo input and optical input. The first allows you to connect to different devices, like computers, tablets, smartphones and more. The second connects the speakers to Blu-Ray devices and Smart TVs. Optical input improves the quality of the signal received, reducing interference and offering a pure sound, a true trademark of this affordable luxury line.

Kugel Specifications

Power Output: 140W (70W + 70W)
Frequency Response: 40Hz-20kHz
14 x 8.5 x 9.5 in
Driver: Woofer 6.5 in.; aramid fiber
Tweeter: 1 inch; silk

Koloss Specifications

Power Output: 160W (80W + 80W)
Frequency Response: 50Hz-20kHz
21.9 x 8.5 x 9.5 in
Driver: Woofer 6.5 in.; aramid fiber
Tweeter: 1 inch; silk

Koloss will be available at NewEgg.com and Amazon.com for $399.99 by the end of September 2015.