Archive - 2018

Ubisoft Unveils Sam Personal Gaming Assistant

2018/01/24

SAN FRANCISCO — January 24, 2018 — Today, Ubisoft^® announced Sam, the company’s first personal gaming assistant to enhance players’ gaming experience. Sam leverages players’ profile information, game library, friends, community and Ubisoft services to deliver tailored tips and information. Sam is in open beta and can be accessed now through the free Ubisoft Club mobile app. Currently, Sam is available in English only in Canada, with plans to extend the open beta to more markets in the coming months.

Sam is part of Ubisoft’s efforts to continue innovating the Ubisoft Club and delivering new benefits to members. When gamers want to know about a release date, see a trailer, discover Easter Eggs in a game or chat with Sam about the best Assassin in the series, Sam will direct them to the appropriate page on the Ubisoft website or elsewhere on the web. By chatting through voice or text input, players can ask Sam anything about Ubisoft games and services through Sam’s chatbot Q&A feature. Sam is directly linked to a player’s Ubisoft account, which allows it to analyze their latest matches and provide tailored hints and tips through the Daily Login feature which is introduced with Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Siege. Sam will analyze why a player is struggling during matches and will proactively send a video tip from the community. As Sam is in beta, additional features are planned in the coming months to enrich the service offered to the Ubisoft players.

Sam leverages Google Cloud’s Dialogflow Enterprise Edition, an end-to-end development suite that uses natural language processing to build conversational interfaces. This technology will continue to help the dev team interpret and answer questions from users, as well as highlight the frequently asked questions for faster addition to Sam’s database.

“With Sam, our ambition is to create an innovative and helpful service for players, one that knows them and helps push them get more out of their gaming experience. Sam provides a more personalized experience for our fans and delivers them what they need faster, so they can spend less time searching and more time playing,” said Stephanie Perotti, vice president of online services at Ubisoft. “Incorporating Google Cloud’s Dialogflow Enterprise Edition has helped us work dynamically and iterate faster so we can better service our fans.”

For more information on the Ubisoft Club, please visit https://club.ubisoft.com.

The Ubisoft Club mobile app can be downloaded on Google Play and App Store.

Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 Reveal Trailer

2018/01/24

Jennifer Paxton

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

January 24, 2018 – Focus Home Interactive and Tindalos Interactive are pleased to officially announce the development for PC of the sequel to Battlefleet Gothic: Armada, the real-time strategy game that portrays the epic space battles from the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Get a first sneak peek at the game in the official Reveal Trailer!

Largely expanding on the groundwork laid out by the first game, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 is a full-blown sequel – bigger, richer, more impressive and more ambitious than the original game. It will include, at launch, all 12 factions from the original tabletop game and its expansion Armada it is based on: the Imperial Navy, Space Marines, Adeptus Mechanicus, Necrons, Chaos, Aeldari Corsairs, Aeldari Craftworld, Drukhari, the T’au Merchant and Protector Fleets, Orks, and finally, the Tyranids.

The latest dramatic story development in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, the Gathering Storm and the 13th Black Crusade, will serve as the canvas for several, extensive and dynamic campaigns.

With bigger battles, refined gameplay, improved multiplayer modes and features for a better and more balanced online experience, improvements across the board and even more customisation options for fleets and ships, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 promises to be the ultimate Warhammer 40,000 space battle experience.

The game is planned for release on PC in 2018, and will be first presented to the press during Focus’s yearly event in Paris, le What’s Next de Focus, on February 7-8.

Pacific Rim Uprising – Official Trailer 2

2018/01/24

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Movie News, News, Trailers / Videos

Pacific Rim Uprising – In Theaters, RealD 3D and IMAX March 23 – The globe-spanning conflict between otherworldly monsters of mass destruction and the human-piloted super-machines built to vanquish them was only a prelude to the all-out assault on humanity in Pacific Rim Uprising.

John Boyega (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) stars as the rebellious Jake Pentecost, a once-promising Jaeger pilot whose legendary father gave his life to secure humanity’s victory against the monstrous “Kaiju.” Jake has since abandoned his training only to become caught up in a criminal underworld. But when an even more unstoppable threat is unleashed to tear through our cities and bring the world to its knees, he is given one last chance to live up to his father’s legacy by his estranged sister, Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi)—who is leading a brave new generation of pilots that have grown up in the shadow of war. As they seek justice for the fallen, their only hope is to unite together in a global uprising against the forces of extinction.

Jake is joined by gifted rival pilot Lambert (The Fate of the Furious’ Scott Eastwood) and 15-year-old Jaeger hacker Amara (newcomer Cailee Spaeny), as the heroes of the PPDC become the only family he has left. Rising up to become the most powerful defense force to ever walk the earth, they will set course for a spectacular all-new adventure on a towering scale.

Pacific Rim Uprising is directed by Steven S. DeKnight (Netflix’s Daredevil, STARZ’s Spartacus) and also stars Jing Tian, Burn Gorman, Adria Arjona and Charlie Day.

Two Point Hospital – Developer Vision Trailer

2018/01/24

Jerry Paxton

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

January 24, 2018 – Delve behind the scenes and into the creative vision of Two Point Studios in this brand-new trailer: https://youtu.be/vFfpyyi0qEQ. Find out what makes this new studio (with a heap of pedigree) tick, and what amazing inspirations are pouring from their brains and into Two Point Hospital. Find out more about the game itself, with never-before-seen gameplay to stir the soul.

Learn, too, how the studio come up with hilarious ideas for visual illnesses, and how they are realised and brought to life in the game.

To get closer to the team, sign up to Hospital Pass at www.twopointhospital.com for your all-access badge behind the curtain at the studio. Get access to regular mini updates, and get trailers like this before anyone else! But that’s not all… an exclusive in-game item awaits you for signing up too when the game is released. You can also follow the team on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

For more information about SEGA Europe, log on to www.sega.co.uk. You can also follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

Total War: WARHAMMER 2 – Rise of the Tomb Kings Released

2018/01/24

Jerry Paxton

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

January 23, 2018 – Nehekhara stirs today as legions of skeletal warriors and their vast constructs rise from the sands to reclaim their former glory. The Rise of the Tomb Kings is here.

The Rise of the Tomb Kings Campaign Pack introduces an entirely fresh campaign experience with a raft of rac-specific gameplay mechanics, victory objectives, and lashings of authentic lore. In battle, the Tomb Kings field countless skeletal units, supported by towering stone constructs such as the Tomb Scorpion, Necrosphinx and the colossal Hierotitan.

Playable in both the Eye of the Vortex and Mortal Empires campaigns, the Tomb Kings have their own specific victory conditions that focus on collecting the Nine Books of Nagash. With their own skills, traits, quest-chains, legendary wargear and situational challenges, players may embark on Tomb Kings campaigns as Settra the Imperishable, Khalida, Khatep and Nagash’s former lieutenant, the malignant Arkhan the Black.

Also released today as a free addition is Skaven Legendary Lord Tretch Craventail, who is playable in both the Eye of the Vortex campaign as well as the Mortal Empires campaign. Few Skaven possess the cunning and guile of Tretch, and he empowers his underlings to fight harder as they return from every rout. Tretch begins play in Naggaroth, and is available as a free download via his own Steam page under the WARHAMMER II free content listings.

A closer look at the spectacular constructs found in the Rise of the Tomb Kings can be found in the Tomb Kings trailer here: https://youtu.be/IpWqKme-g_4 and in the FAQ, located here: https://www.totalwar.com/blog/tomb-kings-announcement

Deadly Premonition: The Board Game Announced

2018/01/23

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News

LOS ANGELES, CA – January 23, 2018 – Rising Star Games announced today that Deadly Premonition: The Board Game will launch a limited run via Amazon.com on January 31. Currently available for pre-order, the board game will be made as a new “Deluxe Edition,” featuring premium game-enhancing items such as the custom die, original soundtrack, and themed gaming cloth. Also included is a download key for the original cult hit PC videogame, upon which the board game is based.

Pre-order Deadly Premonition: The Board Game HERE: www.amazon.com/Deadly-Premonition-Deluxe-not-machine-specific/dp/B078WBVY32/

“This new Deluxe edition of the board game is in honor of the campaign that made this project possible,” said Samuel Elphick, co-creator of Deadly Premonition: The Board Game. “It features some of our favorite items which make the board game special and capture that Deadly Premonition spirit. Whack on the soundtrack, lay the cloth upon the table and hold your breath when the Raincoat Killer claims suspects with the bespoke murder die. This is how we want the game to be played!”

About Deadly Premonition: The Board Game Deluxe Edition
Welcome to Greenvale. In this small mysterious town a young woman has been murdered. Anna Graham’s death marks a tragic loss for the community.

The town is home to many strange characters. With no significant leads on the killer, each must be considered a suspect. It’s time to kick-start the investigation and get to work, isn’t that right Zach?

Each agent has been assigned six suspects to investigate. You must protect the innocent, uncover incriminating evidence, apprehend an accomplice and identify the hidden killer among you before it is too late.

Game Length: 30-45 minutes
Recommended age: 18+
Players: 2-4
Contents:

Cloth Gaming Mat
1 Custom Die
Original Soundtrack
60 Profiling Cards
24 Suspect Cards
Token Sheet
4 Line-Up Boards
4 Alignment Cards
5 Agent Bio Cards
4 Guide Cards
10 Weather Cards
Rulebook
Steam key for Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut

Deadly Premonition: The Board Game Deluxe Edition will be available on January 31 on Amazon.com with a suggested retail price of $59.95. For more information please visit www.deadlyprem.com.

Wargaming and VRTech Announce World of Tanks VR

2018/01/23

boothby

Geek News, News, Windows PC News

January 23, 2017 — Wargaming and VRTech announced today the formation of Neurogaming, a global, location-based VR gaming provider with in-house technology and content expansion. The first game under development is World of Tanks VR where Wargaming brings the intense combat from its massively multiplayer online game to a completely new platform.

“With location-based VR, we make the experience more affordable and accessible,” said Slava Makarov, World of Tanks creator and strategic advisor of Neurogaming. “Moreover, unlike any other developer, our biggest aim is to change the experience from one-time involvement to a long-term engaging story with co-op and competitive elements. Working with the Word of Tanks IP and creating an experience for its 180 million community is a massive and exciting opportunity for us.”

Neurogaming will be headquartered in Nicosia, Cyprus, with a development studio in Moscow, Russia, and already features 75 employees. To foster further growth, this year will see the company expand into Europe and the United States with new offices in Amsterdam and New York, opening the first quarter 2018.

Currently, Neurogaming is working on CinemaVR, a scalable, location-based entertainment VR solution focused on session-based multiplayer and co-op games. CinemaVR has already shown great potential in the location-based VR market in the CIS with 36 locations in various shopping malls and cinemas already in operation and more than 180,000 players in 2017. Neurogaming will launch its own Platform-as-a-Service for business users who plan on launching their own VR locations in 2018 to ensure further scaling of the network globally.

PolygonVR, another technology in the pipeline, is a high-end, location-based entertainment solution with a full immersion VR platform for competitive long-play multiplayer and eSports. It was showcased at gamescom 2017 and the Tokyo Game Show, and already supports both in-house and third-party content. PvP gaming content is in closed beta for PolygonVR, starting in late 2017. Together with second screen support and high media capabilities offering direct-to-TV, digital and OTT channel support, it aims at combining location-based entertainment with eSports media platforms.

Both CinemaVR and PolygonVR experiences have been combined in Russia’s largest VR park—VR Park City. The complex covers 850 sq. m and is located in Afimall—one of the largest shopping centers in the heart of Moscow.

THQ Nordic to Distribute Obsidian’s Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

2018/01/23

boothby

Geek News, News, Windows PC News

Vienna/AUSTRIA, Phoenix, ML/USA, January 23, 2018: THQ Nordic today announced signing a global distribution deal (excluding the Korean language version) for Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire with Versus Evil. Currently in development for PC, MAC and Linux by Obsidian Entertainment, the physical edition of the game will be brought to you by THQ Nordic. Further information on the content of the editions, as well as RRP and the release date to be announced soon.

“When we first started working with Obsidian on Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, we knew that we wanted to make sure that we created a great physical product that matched the quality of this RPG”, said Steve Escalante General Manager of Versus Evil. “In partnering with THQ Nordic, not only did we find a team that is passionate about the product, but has the distribution and reach we hope to achieve with a physical edition of Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire.”

“We are all really excited for the game and its different editions. It is always a pleasure working together with such talented, motivated, and dedicated teams like Versus Evil and Obsidian. It also helps that we are huge fans of the genre“, comments Jan Binsmaier Publishing Director of THQ Nordic. “On top of all that, we found a strong and reliable partner with Versus Evil, and it feels great to know that we share our mindset and work ethics. It is a perfect match.”

In Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, players embark on a dangerous voyage of discovery as they hunt down a god to save their own souls. Building on the award-winning gameplay of the first Pillars of Eternity, every aspect of Deadfire has been improved and expanded. Vastly more detailed graphics, deeper game mechanics, increased player choice and reactivity, a new companion relationship system, streamlined combat, and an entirely new, hand-crafted adventure make Deadfire the ultimate cRPG experience. Players travel the far-flung region of the titular Deadfire Archipelago by ship, where they will discover new races, visit exotic islands, defend their ships against pirates, and, most importantly, choose their allies carefully, as there are powerful factions to encounter at nearly every port.

About Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

Pursue a rogue god over land and sea in the sequel to the multi-award-winning RPG Pillars of Eternity. Captain your ship on a dangerous voyage of discovery across the vast unexplored archipelago region of the Deadfire. Bend the world to your will, as you explore the depths of infinite possibilities, including detailed character customization, total freedom of exploration, and more meaningful choices at every turn.

Immerse yourself in a deeper single player RPG game experience – enriched with cutting edge technology and features, Deadfire builds on the foundation of classic D&D gameplay with vastly improved graphics, deeper game mechanics and a whole new hand-crafted adventure where choices truly matter.
Discover the new region of the Deadfire – plot your own course by ship and explore the rich and exotic islands of the archipelago region, discovering new places interacting with their inhabitants and engaging in a variety of quests at every port.
Build your party and customize your companions – choose from 7 different companions to join you on your quest and assign multiple classes and deeper abilities for each. Witness their personal relationships and interactions unfold with the addition of the new companion system.
Captain your ship across the seas – as your stronghold on the seas, your ship is much more than simply a vessel for exploring. Upgrade your ship and crew and choose what skills you improve in order to survive dangerous encounters along the way.

To learn more about Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire visit: http://eternity.obsidian.net/

snakebyte Announces GameStore Game Subscription Service

2018/01/23

boothby

Geek News, Mobile News, News, Trailers / Videos

Dortmund, Germany – January 23rd, 2018 – snakebyte® group, industry leaders in marrying gaming hardware with unique software solutions, announced today the launch of GameStore™, a new Android® based, gaming subscription service, designed to modernise the world of mobile gaming.

First announced at E3 2017, GameStore has been engineered in Germany to provide a global gaming service to Android users, with a vast selection of retro and current mobile games accessible for a low monthly payment of 7.99€. To celebrate the launch, gamers who join before the end of January 2018, can enjoy the GameStore service for a special promotional price of just 4.99€ per month!

With GameStore, users have access to an ever-increasing catalogue of gaming titles, including AAA titles like such as Call of Duty™ Black Ops Mobile and Rayman™ Jungle Run. Further titles such as R-Type™ Tomb Raider™ and Worms™4 show that GameStore really does have something for everyone! Curated by snakebyte, with GameStore, discovering forgotten classics and new favourites is effortless, with games catalogued in easy to navigate categories, for easy selection of chosen genres.

Gamers need not be online to play either. As long as players remain subscribed to the GameStore service, they are free to download titles to their smartphone, tablet or Android device, free to play offline, and only needing to go online once every few days to verify subscription*.

With no contracts to worry about, gamers pay as they go, free to cancel at any time. In addition, GameStore delivers entertainment the way games were meant to be played. No adverts, no in-game purchases, no interruptions, and with no malware or viruses guaranteed, titles ask nothing more from the player than to have a good time and gamers can relax in the knowledge that they will never be forced to pay-to-play in order to better their score!

For more on how GameStore works, gamers are encouraged to check out the short introductory video!

“We see that the entertainment world has rapidly adopted a subscription model as their preferred method of consuming content and believe that mobile gamers are crying out to follow suite. Mobile gaming is hampered by too many titles, too little quality and no way of easily ensuring the quality of a game before purchase. GameStore brings mobile gaming into the 21st century, removing risk, and destroying barriers, providing a virtually endless selection of high quality games that gamers can enjoy without worrying about in-game purchases or unwanted malware,” said Mike Steup, President and CEO of snakebyte group. “snakebyte has a long history of engineering our own in-house ecosystems. With GameStore, we are able to work with world-leading software partners to deliver a high quality, seamless experience, which we believe will resonate with gamers everywhere.”

Until the end of January, gamers can enjoy a free 30-day trial of the service completely free of charge and with no strings attached! From Feb 1st, the trial period is capped at 15 days. With access to over 400 titles, there’s never been a better excuse to play more! Simply head to https://www.gamestoreapp.com/ for your free trial. No catch, just free mobile gaming for everyone!

GameStore is available now. For more information, please visit http://www.gamestoreapp.com/. Follow GameStore on Facebook.

Xbox Game Pass to Include Sea of Thieves, State of Decay 2, and More

2018/01/23

boothby

Geek News, News, Xbox One News

Today, Microsoft has announced that they are expanding the Xbox Game Pass to include all new Microsoft Studios games on their release dates.

“Today, we’re excited to announce plans for a major expansion to Xbox Game Pass that underscores our commitment to deliver our fans the ultimate gaming subscription service.

Moving forward, we plan to release all new Xbox One exclusive games from Microsoft Studios into Xbox Game Pass on the same date as their global release. This means that when Sea of Thieves launches on March 20, it will be included in Xbox Game Pass to all members.

This plan to bring new games timed with their global release into Xbox Game Pass not only includes announced titles like Sea of Thieves, State of Decay 2 and Crackdown 3 but future unannounced games from Microsoft Studios including new iterations of our biggest Xbox One exclusive franchises such as Halo, Forza and Gears of War, on the same day they launch.”