Archive - 2015

MAINGEAR Releases First X99 Small Form Factor Gaming PCs

2015/04/10
boothby
Geek News, News, Tech News

maingear-small-formfactor-x99-pcs

Kenilworth, New Jersey – April 10, 2015 – MAINGEAR, an award-winning PC system integrator of custom gaming desktops, notebooks, and workstations, unveils the world’s first lineup of high-performance compact mini ITX based gaming systems with Intel’s X99 chipset Intel Core i7 extreme edition processors.

Designed to deliver unmatched performance in full-sized desktops, Intel’s X99 chipset is now available in Super Stock editions of the compact POTENZA with VRTX cooling, the console-sized and STEAM ready DRIFT, and the fully custom liquid-cooled ultra-compact TORQ.  Each desktop is fully customizable, comes standard with liquid cooling, and is available in MAINGEAR’s true automotive paint finishes.

“Our selection of compact gaming beasts with the X99 and extreme edition processors are roadsters with the power and performance of V8 engines,” states Wallace Santos, CEO and Founder of MAINGEAR.  “Our goal is to provide the best in computer gaming and our selection of world’s first small form factor X99 desktops proves that MAINGEAR is still the leader.”

The X99 chipset delivers massive gaming output in a small form factor by supporting up to the Intel i7 5960X 8 core hyper threaded processor and ultra-fast DDR4 memory.  It is compatible with all Haswell-E Intel Core i7 processors with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, enables overclocking for even faster speeds, and features an array of speed boosting features designed to maximize performance.

MAINGEAR’s compact line of gaming systems with Intel’s X99 platform is now available at www.maingear.com/sffx99.  For more information about MAINGEAR’s lineup of high performance gaming units, visit www.maingear.com.

Order of Battle: Pacific Release Date

2015/04/10
boothby
Geek News, News, Windows PC News

order-of-battle

Epsom, UK – April 10, 2015 — “Our armament must be adequate to the needs, but our faith is not primarily in these machines of defense but in ourselves.” (Chester W. Nimitz – US Fleet Admiral)

The Pacific Ocean: more than 160 million square kilometers of water. December 1941 – On one side theImperial Japanese Navy with more than 400 ships and 1750 planes. On the other, the US Pacific Fleet with more than 200 vessels and hundreds of planes. An intense and merciless hide and seek game is about to start on the world’s largest ocean!

In Order of Battle: Pacific, players will be able to take command of both nations in a dynamic series of campaigns for supremacy in this strategic Theater of Operations. Iconic battles will be featured, but the performance of the players will directly influence the course of each campaign. Only commanders who know how to effectively combine land, air and naval units will have the chance to plant their flag on the multiple Pacific Islands.

Order of Battle: Pacific has now an official release date, as the game will be available on April 30!Developer The Artistocrats are now working on the final details to ensure a safe and successful ceremonial ship launching, later this month.

In the meantime, the official trailer of the game, introducing the Theater of Operations and some of its iconic units has just been released alongside the official Steam page.

Get more information on Order of Battle: Pacific from its official product page.

The Technomancer Announced with Screenshots

2015/04/10
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Screenshots / Photos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

The_Technomancer-01

April 10, 2015 — Spiders are back with The Technomancer, a new post-apocalyptic RPG set in a cyberpunk world for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC set on Mars during the War of Water, where an aspiring Technomancer faces a myriad of questions as his future grows threatened by the secrets of his past. Discover today the first official images from the game!

An RPG, The Technomancer will offer players action-oriented combat gameplay along four different skill trees, focusing on 3 different fighting styles and the destructive electric-focused powers of the Technomancers. But not all situations call for brute strength, with dynamic conversation dialogue playing a deep role in quests, changing the story depending on the decisions you make. Craft equipment, weapons and armor for yourself and for the companions you’ll recruit along your adventure, nurturing relationships with them.

On the run from the Secret Police and confronted by the harsh realities of the Red Planet, you must undertake a quest that takes you through tribal communities, cities lost under the ice, and dystopian shanties sprawled across Mars’ dusty embrace.

Faced with the cruelty of Mars’ iron-fist enforcers and wildlife, can you survive long enough to uncover the truth behind The Technomancer?

  • A unique and thrilling science-fiction RPG experience set on the Red Planet.
  • Bond with numerous unique and interesting companions and reveal secrets about their past.
  • Manage their inventory and level up your companions.
  • Up to five different endings for many quests changing the conclusions and rewards – even the people you’ll meet and journey with!
  • A dynamic crafting system that changes the visual appearance of weapon and armor.
  • Play as a Technomancer – a combat proficient warrior with use of cybernetically enhanced magical abilities.

The Technomancer is slated for a 2016 release on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

Descent: Underground Announced with Trailer and Kickstarter

2015/04/09
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

descent-underground

Austin, Texas – March 10, 2015 – Descendent Studios, Inc. announced today it will reboot the popular Descent® franchise with its upcoming first-person vehicle shooter, Descent: Underground coming to PC. A Kickstarter for the new project can be found at http://descendentstudios.com/ks

The unique six-degrees-of-freedom game play has all but vanished… until now! Descent: Underground will bring the frenetic and pulse-pounding gaming experience back and add upgraded gameplay and features including Voxel technology, customizable ships, team and individual play, changeable maps, special weapons and upgrades, and so much more!

Descent: Underground will offer a distinctive gameplay style that gives players the ability to pit their flying skills against players around the world. Imagine fighting with 10, 20, 30 or more people all battling and acquiring minerals to keep the people on earth alive for one more day!

The game is being spearheaded by Eric “Wingman” Peterson, who is well known by PC gamers for having worked on the Wing Commander franchise, as well as Starlancer, and more recently as the President of Production for Cloud Imperium Games, the company behind the crowdfunding juggernaut, Star Citizen. Peterson is also known for being the host of the hit Internet web series, “Wingman’s Hangar.”

“We are bringing back that sensational feeling of fighting with six degrees of freedom while playing Descent,” said Peterson, CEO of Descendent Studios. “But we aren’t stopping there, we aim to take it up a few notches, by allowing players to dynamically change the map & customize their ships, to play as a part of a team or simply battle it out rogue style all alone. In addition, players will be able to create items and maps for the universe and get their own creations into the game”

Descent: Underground is a six-degrees-of-freedom, first-person-vehicle shooter set in the asteroid fields between Mars and Jupiter around three-hundred years into the future. Giant corporations have replaced national governments and have taken to space in a gold rush of mining operations. The flight and combat skills of their pilots help dominate enemy companies and pilots become heroes as their battles are broadcast back to earth for fans to cheer on their favorites.

About Descendent Studios

Descendent Studios was founded in November 2014 by seasoned game developer, Eric Peterson (Wing Commander, Starlancer, Conquest: Frontier Wars, Star Citizen) to develop fun and engaging PC video games.  Descendent Studios’ makes the gaming community integral to design and development and builds fan investment throughout development cycles with ongoing outreach and engagement through various social media interactoins.  Visit http://descendentstudios.com for more details.

DESCENT® is a registered trademark or trademark of Interplay Entertainment Corp. in the U.S. and other countries and is used under license.  All rights reserved.

EVGA Announces Pro SLI Bridges

2015/04/09
boothby
Geek News, Hardware News, News

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April 9th 2015 – EVGA has amped up the bling with the EVGA PRO SLI BRIDGE V2. These redesigned bridges come with several improvements over the previous generation SLI bridges. Not only do these new bridges light up and look great on select graphics cards, they also have a high quality aluminum shroud and are optimized for the next generation display resolution and refresh rates, with a high pixel clock frequency design that gives best performance for 120Hz+ and 4K+ gaming!

Next Generation Features:

·         Separate models to support 2-Way (Short), 2-Way (Standard), 3-Way SLI or 4-Way SLI.

·         High pixel clock design optimized for 4K+ and 120Hz+ gaming.

·         EVGA logo illuminates on select GeForce GTX graphics cards.

·         Compatible with all SLI enabled graphics cards.

·         Looks super awesome!

Compatibility:

SLI functionality works on all SLI enabled graphics cards. LED functionality works on the following cards:

·         All EVGA GTX TITAN graphics cards.

·         All EVGA GTX 980 graphics cards.

·         Select EVGA GTX 970 graphics cards.

·         All EVGA GTX 960 graphics cards.

·         All EVGA GTX 780/780 Ti graphics cards.

·         Select EVGA GTX 770 graphics cards.

Learn more about the EVGA PRO SLI BRIDGES V2: www.evga.com/articles/00919/EVGA-Pro-SLI-Bridges-V2/

World of Warships Pre-Order Packages Available

2015/04/09
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Screenshots / Photos, Windows PC News

WoWS_Screens_Vessels_Pre_Orders_Sims_Image_01

April 9, 2015 — World of Warships is excited to offer players the chance to upgrade their gaming experience with a great selection of pre-order packages in the run-up to the Open Beta. Offered in these exclusive packages are rare warships, Premium Account, and Gold Doubloons.

Included in select pre-order packages are three powerful warships. The Japanese cruiser Yubari combines excellent maneuverability and a devastating anti-aircraft armament, making this ship a crack shot in any situation. When adding her speed into the mix, the Yubari is a vessel able to stalk the seas and turn anything the ocean launches at her into scrap.

The nimble American Sims destroyer is a jack of all trades; its high speed lets players dodge enemy fire and unleash its dual-purpose guns against destroyers and light cruisers. It’s no slouch defensively either; this vessel’s smokescreens and torpedoes can save friendly ships from the most dangerous of situations.

Finally, the sneaky USSR Gremyashchiy, a destroyer capable of approaching battleships undetected, launching deadly torpedo strikes, and then making a swift retreat. Fast, agile, and maneuverable—she has it all—the Gremyashchiy is a watery assassin.

There are several packages available for players that include combinations of exclusive warships, Premium Account, and Gold Doubloons.

Pre-order packages can be purchased by the player for their account. Closed Beta testers will have access to their purchased packages immediately. When the Open Beta commences, the packages will be credited to players once again.

Please note that buying a pre-order package does not grant a player access to the Closed Beta. All the packages are available at the Premium shop:

Screenshots

Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns Stronghold Public Beta Announced

2015/04/09
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Windows PC News

guild-wars-2-red-lord

BELLEVUE, Wash. – April 9, 2015: ArenaNet™, publisher and developer of the acclaimed Guild Warsfranchise, today announced that Stronghold, the new player versus player (PvP) mode coming to Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, will be playable in the live game for all current Guild Wars 2 players in North America and Europe as part of an upcoming public beta test. Starting on Tuesday, April 14 at 12 p.m. PT and running for 24-hours, all players in the West with Guild Wars 2 accounts will have the option to try Stronghold and put their skills to the test in this exciting new competitive mode that blends deep strategy, role-based play and immersive story elements into PvP. Stronghold was unveiled earlier this year as one of the key features coming with Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, ArenaNet’s upcoming expansion to Guild Wars 2.

To invite everyone to join in the excitement, ArenaNet is marking this first public beta test for Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns with a series of livestream specials on Twitch that include fierce matches featuring developers and special guests. The studio is also enticing new players to join by launching a massive sale onGuild Wars 2 with a 75 percent discount on the game.  The sale starts at 10 a.m. PT tomorrow, April 10, and runs until 11:59 p.m. PT on Sunday, April 13. During this time, the game’s Digital Heroic Edition will be $9.99 and the Digital Deluxe edition will be $14.99 when purchased at buy.guildwars2.com.

ArenaNet’s Stronghold Twitch programming starts with a special episode of “Ready Up” featuring a Stronghold boot camp, scheduled for 12 p.m. PT tomorrow, April 10, on the official Guild Wars 2 Twitch channel. Show host Joshua Davis and Stronghold designer Hugh Norfolk will walk viewers through how to play this new PvP mode ahead of the beta going live. Then starting at 1 p.m. PT on April 14, shortly after the Stronghold public beta becomes available in-game, ArenaNet will begin broadcasting and hosting livestreams throughout the day. Tune in and watch ArenaNet developers and popular Twitch streamers as they play in heated Stronghold matches, exploring this new PvP mode and exposing new strategies and tactics. A schedule of ArenaNet’s day-long Twitch programming on April 14 appears at bottom.

Stronghold offers an entirely new way to play and watch competitive PvP in Guild Wars 2. In the inaugural map, the Battle of Champion’s Dusk, players take on the role of pirates or knights as they work with their allies to kill the opposing team’s lord. The mode features NPCs that players can hire for supply to help their team tear down the enemy’s gates and take down their defenses. These heroes provide new tactical and strategic opportunities for players. Whether players are fighting over supply, pushing or defending a lane, getting doorbreakers to the front line, or destroying enemies, every team member will have a key role and players will always be actively engaged.

During this 24-hour public beta, Stronghold will be the only mode available to all players in Unranked Arena, while the game’s traditional Conquest PvP mode will still be available in Ranked Arena. The revenant profession, the new playable class coming with Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, will not be available in this beta test. Players will instead be able to beta test the new mode using any character tied to their account.

ArenaNet’s schedule for Stronghold public beta programming on the official Guild Wars 2 Twitch channel is as follows:

Tuesday, April 14

  • 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time (21:00 UTC) – Blu
  • 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time (22:00 UTC) – ArenaNet Devs vs. Twitch Streamers
  • 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time (23:00 UTC) – ArenaNet Devs “Battle Royale”
  • 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time (24:00 UTC) – Shinryuku
  • 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time (1:00 UTC) – Djtechlive
  • 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time (2:00 UTC) – DocGotGame
  • 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time (3:00 UTC) – TBD
  • 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time (4:00 UTC) – Aurora Peachy
  • 9:00 p.m. Pacific Time (5:00 UTC) – AnthonyAcc
  • 10:00 p.m. Pacific Time (6:00 UTC) – QMGSaint
  • 11:00 p.m. Pacific Time (7:00 UTC) – Mufasaprime

Wednesday, April 15

  • 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time (8:00 UTC) – DonnaBerry
  • 1:00 a.m. Pacific Time (9:00 UTC) –  Sir Koroshi
  • 2:00 a.m. Pacific Time (10:00 UTC) – Sputti
  • 3:00 a.m. Pacific Time (11:00 UTC) – MMOINKS
  • 4:00 a.m. Pacific Time (12:00 UTC) – TBD
  • 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time (13:00 UTC) – Ashuvidz
  • 6:00 a.m. Pacific Time (14:00 UTC) – Helseth
  • 7:00 a.m. Pacific Time (15:00 UTC) – MightyTeapot
  • 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time (16:00 UTC) – Jebro
  • 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time (17:00 UTC) – FariFarinos & Reihn
  • 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time (18:00 UTC) – Matt Visual
  • 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time (19:00 UTC) – Minervae

To follow all of the latest updates on Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns and learn more about Stronghold, please visit www.guildwars2.com.

Act of Aggression US Gameplay Trailer

2015/04/09
boothby
Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

act_of_aggression_05

April 9, 2015 — Set in a near-future setting, Act of Aggression – from Eugen Systems, developers of the million selling Wargame series – draws inspiration in its three unique factions from real life technology and cutting-edge prototypes. In a series of trailers designed to showcase the strengths and weaknesses of each of the three factions, let us introduce the US Army, battle hardened following years of conflict.

Take a look at the video below to find out exactly how the US Army deals with an Act of Aggression:

The US Army are a tough veteran force taking advantage of heavy specialization, with some of the strongest individual units in the game. What it lacks in versatility it more than makes up for in brute force – especially when it comes to the M1A1 Abrams Tusk, an upgradeable battle tank to be reckoned with.

Next time, we’ll be taking a look at the Chimera – a UNO funded taskforce designed for quick, efficient strikes anywhere in the globe. For a reminder of each of the three factions, including the shady Cartel, take a look below.

  • The Cartel, stealthy operatives born out of private military contracts, with the latest prototypes. Fragile and expensive, but stealthy and powerful this secretive faction is difficult to master.
  • The US Army, exhausted by endless fighting across the world, are a brute-force of veterans; they can skill up in specific roles and improve their veterancy, but use current generation technology.
  • The Chimera, a UNO funded task-force designed to have a plan in mind for every situation. You can mould their units through upgrades into specific roles, or leave them as a jack-of-all-trades.

Across large, authentic maps, players will harvest resources, build bases strategically, defend them, and produce all kinds of units to match the wit of their opponent. Extend your base network with off-base refineries for harvesting resources, and protect supply networks ensuring a stable income of cash and minerals. You’ll even fight other players for occupied banks as a supplementary income, and capture crews bailing out from tanks and planes or wounded on the battlefield to take as prisoners of war.

There will be a VIP multiplayer beta for Act of Aggression in the coming months – otherwise, Act of Aggression launches Spring of 2015.