Archive - 2016

Madden NFL 16 Predicts Carolina Panthers Win at Super Bowl

2016/02/01
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Xbox One News

REDWOOD CITY, Calif — February 1, 2016 – Today Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA), officially unveiled the Madden NFL 16 Super Bowl prediction, which has tabbed the Carolina Panthers as the next world champions, defeating the Denver Broncos 24 – 20. For the first time ever, fans can get in on the action for themselves by heading over to the Madden NFL 16 Super Bowl Prediction Hub and create their own outcome based on a variety of factors. Fans can then share their dream Super Bowl 50 outcome with the hashtag #MyMaddenPrediction.

Carolina set the tone early in Super Bowl 50, jumping out to a 10 – 0 lead on the strength of a huge kick return by Ted Ginn Jr., which Cam Newton finished off with a touchdown pass to Greg Olsen. The Panthers added a field goal to close the quarter, and then scored again in the 2nd on a Jonathan Stewart rushing touchdown.

Facing a 17-point deficit at halftime, Peyton Manning decided he wasn’t going to let his Super Bowl legacy be defined by two blowout losses and rallied the Denver offense. The consummate playmaker, Manning began dissecting the Carolina defense, capping off a 3rd quarter drive with a touchdown toss to Emanuel Sanders. Denver’s defense also responded, with Aqib Talib picking off Cam Newton and setting up a Broncos field goal. Denver continued their scoring explosion, adding another filed goal and pulling to within 17 – 13.

Denver kept the momentum rolling in the 4th, with Manning finding Demaryius Thomas for another touchdown, putting Denver up 20 – 17. Cam Newton wasn’t done writing his own Super Bowl legend though, putting the team on his back and scoring a game-winning touchdown with a determined goal line scramble. After a wild and emotional game the Panthers stood victorious, claiming Super Bowl 50 by a score of 24 – 20.

After a thrilling contest, Cam Newton claimed the Super Bowl MVP Award, completing 19 of 26 passes for 216 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Jonathan Stewart added a touchdown of his own on 47 rushing yards, with Greg Olsen tallying 79 receiving yards and catching Newton’s only TD pass. On the defensive side, Josh Norman led the Panthers with 6 tackles and one interception.

Across the field, Peyton Manning completed 21 of 37 passes for Denver, tallying 241 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Demaryius Thomas was Manning’s favorite target, hauling in six receptions for 98 yards, and one touchdown. Emanuel Sanders claimed Denver’s other touchdown, alongside 65 yards on five catches. Aqib Talib provided the biggest impact for Denver’s defense, with five tackles and one interception.

The Madden NFL Super Bowl prediction is one of the most accurate and widely-celebrated in the world, correctly calling nine of the last twelve championships. Last year’s prediction not only correctly forecast the final score, but also accurately called that Tom Brady would win the Super Bowl MVP award, that New England would overcome a 10-point 3rd quarter deficit and that Julian Edelman would score the deciding touchdown. The prediction also called for Edelman to finish the game with eight catches for 106 yards, he actually ended up with nine catches for 109.

EA Access* members can get even more football action starting tomorrow, when Madden NFL 16 enters The Vault, a growing collection of great EA games like Battlefield 4™, Dragon Age™: Inquisition and EA SPORTS™ FIFA 15 that members can play as much as they want. Players will have access to the full game, and can enjoy popular features like the new playmaker controls for receivers, defenders and quarterbacks, as well as a whole new way to play Madden NFL with Draft Champions**. EA Access members also receive a 10% discount on all EA digital purchases on Xbox One, including Madden Ultimate Team points, pre-orders, and full games.

* CONDITIONS, LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS APPLY. SEE EA.COM/EAACCESS/TERMS AND EA.COM/EAACCESS FOR DETAILS.

**INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED TO PLAY DRAFT CHAMPIONS.

Madden NFL 16 is developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon and is available now for Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft,  PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® games and entertainment system and PlayStation®3 entertainment system. To learn more about Madden NFL 16, visit http://www.easports.com/madden-nfl.

All player participation has been facilitated by NFL Players Inc., the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA).

EA SPORTS™ is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through videogames, including Madden NFL football, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR® golf, SSX™ and EA SPORTS UFC®.

For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com to connect, share and compete.

Quick Review: The DJI Osmo 4K Camera

2016/02/01
boothby
News, Reviews, Tech News, Tech Review

Recently, DJI loaned us out one of their new Osmo 4K cameras for a brief evaluation period. At first, its $649 dollar price point scared us – especially considering that it depends on a smartphone app to control its recording functions. The Osmo comes with rechargeable battery, charger, a smartphone clip which attaches your iPhone or Android device to the unit, as well as a case and some charge cables.

From a user friendliness angle, the DJI Osmo has a very comfortable grip and a well-designed iOS app for controlling its functions. After using it for a while, I would not have any issue with purchasing one of these for my own usage. Everything worked as it should and I never had any issues controlling the camera.

Official Specifications

  • Fully stabilized 4K, 12MP camera optimized for ground use
  • Slow motion and audio recording
  • Tripod-free long exposures
  • Remote camera control
  • Secure grip
  • 6-hour standby time
  • 1 hour of video shooting

The Osmo is capable not only of steadying the camera to shoot while moving but, also, it allows you to manually move the camera around in a smooth manner. The thumb slider joystick control is smooth and only takes a short while to get the hang of (it is pressure sensitive). The Osmo uses the Zen Muse X3 camera, the same unit designed for use on the Inspire 1 drone aircraft. The camera features a Sony EXMOR 12-million-pixel, 1/2.3 inch sensor and the ability to shoot in up to 4K resolution. If you are still not ready for 4K video recording, and not many are at the moment, the Osmo can easily record in 1080p in up to 120 frames per second mode.

Overall, the DJI Osmo is an expensive, but incredibly useful handheld stabilized camera for your film making needs. Not only is it very light and comfortable to hold for long periods of time, but it also delivers on bring a very good 4K camera in the middle ground between cheap and expensive stabilizing camera units.

Logitech An Official ESL Partner in 2016

2016/02/01
boothby
Geek News, News

February 1, 2016 – ESL and Logitech are set to partner on numerous events throughout 2016: spanning across global ESL One events and multiple ESL National Championships, the partnership marks one of the largest that the leading esports company has ever made with a peripheral company. Logitech will provide all the latest gear for professional gamers and all ESL staff at the following offline events (and will have demo stations and products for purchase at events):

  • ESL Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Pro League
  • ESL One Manila
  • ESL One Frankfurt
  • ESL One Cologne
  • An additional (unannounced) ESL One event!

The ESL Pro League and ESL One tournament series showcase the best in competitive gaming to an ever-growing global audience. ESL Pro League, set to kick off its 2016 season on February 9, has this year seen a prize pool increase of 50%. Continuing to build on over 100 million online viewer sessions and almost 30 million hours watched in 2015, the coming two seasons are expected to herald steady growth. The ESL One series, which caters not just to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, but also to the massively popular Dota 2, experienced record-breaking events at each and every one of its stops last year.

“This is a great day for both Logitech G and ESL: two industry leaders are joining forces to bring esports to the next level. Logitech G is an absolute premium brand and we are happy to welcome them as an important partner of ESL,” said Nik Adams, Senior Vice President Global Sales & Business Development at ESL. “Not only our global tournaments such as ESL One, ESL Pro League and several ESL National Championships will profit from their support but also fans and pro-players. We here at ESL are really looking forward to this cooperation.”

Logitech plans to, with their partnership, bring these events to the next level in 2016. Plans extend also to the following National Championships:

  • ESL Meisterschaft (Germany)
  • ESL Championnat National (France)
  • ESL UK Premiership
  • ESL Nordic Nationals

“This is a great opportunity for Logitech G to be the exclusive gaming gear for ESL, one of the world’s most successful eSports organizations,” said Ujesh Desai, vice president and general manager of gaming, Logitech. “We are looking forward to an exciting year of global eSports events.”

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Pro League Announced

2016/01/29
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News

SAN FRANCISCO — January 29, 2016 — Today Ubisoft®, together with Xbox and ESL, the world’s largest international eSports organization, announced the Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Pro League global competition program starting the first week of March 2016 for Xbox One and Windows PC. The new league marks an unprecedented commitment by Ubisoft and ESL to directly support the growing community of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Siege fans and will provide a platform for casual players and aspiring competitors to enjoy the thrill of competition.

“Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege was built from the ground up with competition in mind,” said Xavier Marquis, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege creative director, Ubisoft Montreal. “We’re excited to partner with ESL, one of the biggest names in eSports, to deliver a league for Rainbow Six Siege fans to compete and enjoy the game they love.”

Season One of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Pro League will premiere at the Intel® Extreme Masters in Katowice, Poland on March 4, 2016. A total of eight matches will kick off the European PC competition, with gameplay both in the North American region and on the Xbox platform to commence in the weeks after.

Season One of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Pro League will feature a prize pool of $100,000 and support competition across Europe and North America on Xbox One and PC. At the end of each season, the top placing teams in Europe and North America will compete head-to-head against one another at a live event with $50,000 in prize money on the line for both the Xbox One and PC Season Finals.

Details on the competition program and the qualifiers are available at www.rainbow6.com/ProLeague.

Players can assemble their team and start practicing right now in weekly cups at http://play.eslgaming.com/rainbowsix.

For more information on Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, please visit rainbow6.com.

Get and Keep Fractured Space for Free this Weekend

2016/01/29
boothby
Geek News, News, Windows PC News

Guildford, 29th January 2016.  Edge Case Games, developers of the tactical space MOBA, Fractured Space, today announced that it is celebrating the game’s progression toward launch with a Free Weekend on Steam. Players who download the game this weekend will keep it forever with no additional cost required. Edge Case also today unveiled a visually dazzling new trailer showcasing Unreal 4 engine capabilities.

This week’s Fractured Space update delivers performance and gameplay enhancements and resets the game’s Tech Tree to its final version—all ships, experience and credits unlocked from this point forward will be reflected in the final game, planned for full release later in 2016. The reset puts all players at level one as they start building a fleet of the game’s gigantic capital ships by successfully engaging in team-based online battles.

“Today’s update brings us one step closer to the full release of Fractured Space and we want to celebrate the game’s progress by giving everyone a chance to play and own the game for free,” said James Brooksby, CEO of Edge Case Games. “Whether you have played in the past or not, this is a great moment to start your adventure with Fractured Space, with a chance to make your mark as a new Captain on equal footing with all players.”

Fractured Space is a team-based space combat game fought in gigantic capital ships with the intensity of a shooter and the big-picture-thinking of a strategy game.

Originally launched on Steam Early Access in November 2014 to critical and commercial success, Fractured Space has attracted over 400,000 users as the game continuously evolves using an open development model where the community is encouraged to talk directly to the development team, highly influencing the development of the final game.

For updates on Fractured Space please follow us on Twitter at @FracturedSpace or on Facebook.

Official Call of Duty: Black Ops III – Awakening Trailer: The Replacer Returns

2016/01/29
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

Don’t let those pesky day-to-day distractions get in the way of your time with the Call of Duty: Black Ops III Awakening DLC Pack. The Replacer is back, and business is booming.

The Awakening DLC Pack includes four new multiplayer maps – Skyjacked, Rise, Splash, and Gauntlet – and Der Eisendrache, Treyarch’s brand new Zombies adventure that picks up where The Giant left off.

Available first on PlayStation 4 on February 2, 2016. Purchase the Call of Duty: Black Ops III Season Pass now: http://bit.ly/BO3Awakening

Follow us for the latest intel:
Web: http://www.callofduty.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CallofDuty and https://www.facebook.com/Treyarch
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Snapchat: callofduty

Warhammer: The End Times – Vermintide Schluesselschloss DLC Screenshots

2016/01/29
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Screenshots / Photos, Windows PC News

STOCKHOLM January 28, 2016. Today Fatshark announced what might be one of the easiest to remember DLC titles around – SCHLUESSELSCHLOSS.

In 2015 Fatshark gave the world the catchy new title Warhammer: The End Times – Vermintide. Now Fatshark has decided to add something extra to the game and at the same time introduce what may well be the strangest DLC name ever. SCHLUESSELSCHLOSS is a brand new location for the soon to be released – and totally free – new Vermintide game mode Last Stand.

“The Heroes will face unlimited numbers of Skaven with only one objective in mind – and it’s not to buy the players dinner,” says Fatshark CEO Martin Wahlund. “Last Stand is a new game mode that brings all the rats to the yard in one free level. Hordes of Skaven will try to eliminate the heroes one after the other. How many rounds can you handle?”

The Last Stand DLC will include one free level set in Ubersreik. If you want to venture outside the walls of Ubersreik, pick up the SCHLUESSELSCHLOSS DLC and take it to the woods. Anyone that buys SCHLUESSELSCHLOSS will be able to invite other players that don’t own the DLC to join them against the Skaven hordes.

If you have a hard time remembering SCHLUESSELSCHLOSS, then help Fatshark give SCHLUESSELSCHLOSS a nickname via www.vermintide.com/namenick. The 100 best suggestions will get the map for free.

Read more about Warhammer Vermintide at www.vermintide.com, like us on www.fb.com/vermintide, and follow us on www.twitter.com/vermintidegame and www.twitch.tv/fatsharkgames.

To purchase Warhammer: The End Times – Vermintide on Steam visit: store.steampowered.com/app/235540/

Screenshots

Dying Light: The Following – Enhanced Edition Trailer

2016/01/28
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

January 28th, 2016 – Wroclaw, Poland – Techland’s Dying Light: The Following – Enhanced Edition will expand its game world with a brand-new region more than twice the size as the original game. On top of new characters, enemies and quests, the new map — called Countryside — is bringing in new environments, locations and secrets, some of which players can see in the trailer released today.

‘We made sure the new region is full of diverse environments that allow for both driving and free-running. We’ve added lots of little details that tell various apocalyptic stories if you look closely, and placed rewarding secrets for the most inquisitive’ – reveals producer Tymon Smektała. – ‘We’re also proud to confirm that despite the much bigger map and many visual enhancements, the system requirements for PC players remain exactly the same.’

Last week Techland unveiled a map of the new region through its #TweetForSpeed campaign — the interactive map can be viewed here. Furthermore, in the latest stream which can be viewed here, the developers confirmed that select community maps will be coming to console versions of Dying Light: The Following – Enhanced Edition.

Crossout Beta Testing Announcement and Trailer

2016/01/28
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

(MOSCOW, RUSSIAN FEDERATION) – Jan 25th, 2015 — Today, the hotly anticipated PC team-based multiplayer vehicle combat game Crossout, brought to you by the award-winning developer and publisher Gaijin Entertainment and Targem Games development studio, enters its next phase of Battle Testing. For those who have not yet registered there is still an opportunity to join those who previously registered in the next phase in the ongoing Battle Testing program, but players must sign-up by the end of next week on the Crossout website in order to craft, ride and destroy!

Beginning January 27 and running through February 7, Gaijin Entertainment will issue more invites to play, so for interested players who have not registered, please visit http://crossout.net/en/play.

Set in a post-apocalyptic world devastated by an alien invasion and human genetic testing gone awry, Crossout tests players’ creativity in building, upgrading and customizing deadly armored vehicles to destroy enemies in open player vs player combat.

The next exciting phase of testing will included a beefed-up crafting system with advanced parts for vehicles and will also introduce Factions. The first factions will involve Scavengers, Traders, Lunatics and a number of Engineers. Players who join a faction earn reputation through combat and earn experience to access new missions, vehicles parts, blueprints of faction vehicles and various other bonuses.

To find out more about Crossout’s various Factions visit http://crossout.net/en/diary/11

For a chance to join this latest round of Battle testing  on Crossout – Players can  apply for participation, by visiting  Crossouts official website: http://crossout.net/