Archive - 2016

Ghostbusters Ultimate Bundle Announced

June 22, 2016 – Activision Publishing, Inc. and Sony Pictures Consumer Products have revealed a new compilation for the upcoming Ghostbusters video game and film. The Ghostbusters Ultimate Bundle will launch on July 12 for SRP $64.99 on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system via the PlayStation®Network in North America, as well as in select regions on Xbox One through the Xbox Games Store. It will include:

  • The new standalone Ghostbusters video game.
  • DLC featuring four classic character suits and a bonus trap based on art from the original film.
  • A code for a digital copy of the new Ghostbusters movie to be delivered at a future date.
  • Two special dashboard themes, one based on the movie and another inspired by the game.

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The in-game DLC featured in the Ghostbusters Ultimate Bundle will also be available to those who pre-order the standalone Ghostbusters game from the Xbox Games Store, PlayStation®Store and Steam.

Ghostbusters is a third-person action role-playing game featuring single-player and local couch co-op multiplayer for up to four players. Taking place after the events of the film, it stars a new cast of rookie recruits who must explore Manhattan’s most haunted locations to rid them of the paranormal pests infesting the city. There are four uniquely powered heroes to choose from, and each character can be upgraded with new gear and abilities throughout the adventure.

Ghostbusters is expected to arrive on the PlayStation®4 system, Xbox One and Windows PC via Steam on July 12 for $49.99. A new mobile game – Ghostbusters: Slime City – is also expected to release that week on select iOS, Android and Kindle smartphones and tablets, just in time for the film’s debut in cinemas on July 15.

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MST3K Reunion Show Debuts on June 28 in Theaters

June 21, 2016 – In just one week, catch the hysterical live broadcast of RiffTrax’s MST3K Reunion Show – set to be shown live in select U.S. movie theaters on June 28 at 8:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. CT and tape-delayed to 7:00 p.m. MT/ 8:00 p.m. PT, followed by a special re-broadcast on Tuesday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m. (local time). Come celebrate 10 years of RiffTrax with the guys who make movies funny (Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett) for an amazing night of riffing and comedy with most of the original Mystery Science Theater 3000 stars.
Joining Mike, Kevin and Bill from the State Theater in Minneapolis will be your favorite MST3K stars: Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff, Mary Jo Pehl, Bridget Nelson and the host of the revived MST3K, Jonah Ray. The cast will riff on a cavalcade of goofy, educational short films and comic interludes before concluding the evening with a grand finale “SUPER RIFF-A-PALOOZA!”
Tickets for MST3K Reunion Show can be purchased online at www.FathomEvents.com or at any participating theater box offices.
For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

More Star Wars Battlefront Cloud City DLC Details

June 21, 2016 – Last week, DICE released a trailer showcasing some of the content Star WarsTM BattlefrontTM Season Pass owners can enjoy in the Cloud City of Bespin. Today, DICE dives deeper into the details, from new playable characters and new powerful weapons to sharing new map locations featured in the Cloud City. It’s hunt or be hunted in this action-packed expansion.

The Star WarsTM BattlefrontTM Bespin digital expansion pack is available today, June 21 to all Battlefront Season Pass owners.

Read the full Bespin blog here for more details.

LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens Kylo Ren Character Trailer

June 21, 2016 – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today released the next video in a series of LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens character vignettes spotlighting Kylo Ren, the dark warrior who commands the First Order. The video showcases Kylo Ren’s LEGO character in full form through key gameplay moments, cinematic cutscenes and authentic audio, all with signature LEGO humor. The vignette also features original dialogue recorded by actor Adam Driver, who plays the role of Kylo Ren in the Star Wars: The Force Awakens film.

LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be released on June 28, 2016 and marks the triumphant return of the No. 1 LEGO videogame franchise, immersing fans in the newStar Wars adventure like never before. Players can relive the epic action from the blockbuster film in a way that only LEGO can offer, featuring storylines from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, retold through the clever and witty LEGO lens. The game will also feature playable content exploring previously untold adventures set in the time leading up to Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Additionally, LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens will showcase original dialogue from key members of the theatrical cast, providing the most authentic Star Wars for experience for players, including: John Boyega (Finn), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Daisy Ridley (Rey), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron) and other top stars from the film.

LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Steam (Windows PC).

Umbrella Corps PS4 and PC Launch Trailer

June 21, 2016 – Fast-paced third person shooter Umbrella Corps arrives today on PS4 and PC for digital download across North America and Europe for MSRP $29.99/ €29.99 / £24.99. The competitive online game will feature quick, intense matches in compact battle zones themed from historic  Resident Evil environments. These maps are based on familiar fan-favorite locales such as the Village from RE4, Raccoon City, RPD Police Station, Umbrella lab, and more.

An Upgrade Pack featuring a collection of iconic Resident Evil character skins (Leon, Chris, Wesker and more), weapons, patches, custom colors, and emotes is available as an add-on for an MSRP of $14.99/ €14.99 / £11.99. The Deluxe Edition includes both the game and the Upgrade Pack contents together at a discounted cost of $39.99/ €39.99 / £32.99.

Capcom will be supporting Umbrella Corps with free post-launch downloadable content in the coming months including maps based on the Mansion from the first RE and Lanshiang from RE6, as well as a free-for-all “4 Survivors” mode.

The Technomancer Survive on Mars Gameplay trailer

June 21, 2016 – The Technomancer, the sci-fi RPG set on Mars, releases on June 28 and will be available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. We previously showed a Gameplay Trailer giving you an overview of the gameplay mechanics of the title, as well as a Companions Trailer Companions Trailer showing all the interactions and relationships you can build with your teammates. Today, we’re unveiling a brand new video that will teach you how to Survive on Mars.

With its terraforming aborted hundreds of years ago, and a murderous sun to boot, the Red Planet isn’t exactly a hospitable place, and every nook and cranny of the forsaken planet holds deadly, lurking threats. Just like these hybrid creatures roaming the canyons of Mars, originally bioengineered by the first settlers from the genetic makeup of animals found on Earth. But the other human survivors can be just as dangerous. Ever since Mars got isolated from Earth, multiple factions have risen, desperate and determined to secure whatever power they may get hold of. You will be able to befriend these factions depending on your actions and your choices throughout the story.

Thankfully, you have all the tools to survive this harsh environment. While a diplomatic or a stealthy approach can be the best choice to escape from a perilous situation, sometimes combat is the only way, and the use of your devastating Technomancer powers will be crucial. Each of your powers can be upgraded by spending points in the skill tree, but they also all have access to two mutually exclusive upgrades, changing the way the power behaves. These upgrades, coupled with your handpicked special talents and choice of equipment and crafting components, will heavily influence your combat strategy, and overall playstyle.

Your technomancy powers compliment your chosen combat stance: fight with the Staff, the signature of a Technomancer; with a blade and gun, the mark of a rogue; or a mace and shield, the weapons favoured by soldiers. Just like with technomancy, each of these three stances has its own skill tree, where you can gain new skills, but also improve them through different upgrade paths.

Upgrading your arsenal is equally important. You will find, loot and buy better weapons and armor. Each has its own bonuses, and some also have crafting slots, allowing you to further improve their stats according to your preferences and playstyle. You’ll be able to improve damage, resistance, as well as add various special effects such as disruption, resistance to specific damage types, energy regeneration, and more. Improving your crafting talent and learning new construction plans will let you craft more powerful gear.

Forge the destiny of Mars when The Technomancer comes out on June 28 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

Harrow County First Issue Offered as Part of Halloween ComicFest

MILWAUKIE, Ore., June 20, 2016 Dark Horse is proud to announce that Harrow County #1 is being offered as part of the fifth Halloween ComicFest celebration. The heart-stopping thriller from the creative minds of Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook is one of 32 titles — 19 full-sized comics and 13 minicomics — available for the October 29, 2016, event. Harrow County #1 will be re-released with a special Halloween ComicFest cover.

A favorite of critics and fans alike, Harrow County is a must-read comic in the horror genre. Hailed by Bloody Disgusting as a “masterful creation that lingers in the small moments of terror in our daily lives,” Harrow County, a 2016 Will Eisner Award Nominee for Best New Series, is the perfect example of a southern gothic fairy tale.

Halloween ComicFest, sponsored by Diamond Comic Distributors, encourages pop culture fans to visit their local comic shop to receive free comics and enter the Greatest Halloween Costume Contest on Saturday, October 29, 2016.

Additional praise for Harrow County:

“Harrow County is friggin’ scary.  It’s a story that seeps into your very being, bringing the type of fear and tension that movies need jump scares and pumping soundtracks to come close to pulling off.  Here’s the kicker though: It’s only the first issue.  Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook are just getting started and they’ve already made one of the best horror comics of the year.” — Horror Talk

“Harrow County #1 is one of the most haunting comics to come out in a while, and horror fans should not miss it.” — IGN

“Bunn’s ability to turn the horror volume up at precisely the right moments helps this book obtain the desired result of something special that firmly belongs in the must read category.” — Forces of Geek

E3 2016 Photo Gallery

Another Electronic Entertainment Expo has come and gone. E3 2016 was a fun event where I got the chance to see a lot of upcoming titles from a variety of publishers and developers. Still, there was a strange sense of emptiness while on the show floor – and no matter how large booths became, that emptiness hung in the air like a bad smell. Was it the big companies that pulled out of the show that caused this or simply a lack of some “killer apps” on the horizon? I do not know. What I do know is that E3 is still the premiere industry gaming show in the United States and there is so much of the media spotlight to be had, I don’t see where it is going anywhere anytime soon. The big game houses seem to do this mass exodus every so many years – but history has shown that they always come back soon after.

Here is my photo gallery from around the expo, enjoy!

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Knott’s Berry Farm Ghost Town Alive Review

Running now through September 5, 2016 you will find that the newly-refurbished Ghost Town section of Knott’s Berry Farm is bristling with activity. “Ghost Town Alive” populates the Old West town with a cast of characters which interact with guests throughout the day. Furthering this immersion is an over-arching storyline which plays out and allows for guests to be a part of.

Think of it like an in-person MMO. Simply walk up to one of the many characters in Ghost Town and hail them (EverQuest fans, unite!). Strike up that conversation, as you might be sent on an errand for that person that leads you to another person – who also has a quest for you to undertake. Quest rewards? It’s got those too – but I don’t want to spoil them for you. There are the usual Old West town tropes – a doctor, sheriff, outlaw, etc as well as many others.

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What impressed me most was just how, unlike the characters at the “park down the street”, these folks interacted with each other in actual dialog. From what I gleaned, the cast of characters went through five weeks of training to learn all their mannerisms, dialog, etc with a great emphasis on improvisational techniques.

The refurbishment of Ghost Town went very well, and the park’s oldest themed area has never looked better. And, while these enhancements are a welcome thing from a guest perspective, what really sells the area are the previously-mentioned characters. The place simply looks fantastic and is a blast to walk around. We spent most of our time simply going from character to character and being a part of the Ghost Town Alive story.

Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant is open once again – this time, with all-new decor and interior construction. Check out the photos in the gallery below to see it for yourself. The food hasn’t changed much and is still an excellent experience. Dignitaries used to come to the restaurant from far and wide – now the park can be proud of how the restaurant looks. It was getting very dated before, and this breathes an amazing amount of new life into it.

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GhostRider, the park’s wooden roller-coaster, underwent a huge renovation, with the track being completely replaced. The results are exceptional – never before has that coaster felt so smooth to ride on. Riders of the previous incarnation of the coaster all know how jarring it was on one’s back and neck – fun, but jarring. Now, however, you won’t have to worry about that anymore. It still has that wooden coaster feel but with more of a steel coaster ride experience.

Overall, Ghost Town Alive, the new Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant, and the renovated GhostRider are all fantastic experiences and I highly recommend you check them out. Remember, the Ghost Town Alive events only occur until September 5th…. Then things start to get scary at Knott’s.

Link: Knott’s Bery Farm Official Website

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