Archive - 2019

EVGA Unveils the NU Audio Card

January 8th, 2019 – For nearly 20 years, EVGA has built the most powerful graphics cards to play your games at the highest settings, powerful motherboards to run your system at optimal settings, and reliably efficient power supplies to power your system. Now, EVGA extends its enthusiast tradition by partnering with Audio Note (UK), Ltd. to provide the most immersive audio and lifelike gaming experienced on a PC with EVGA NU Audio Card.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSed03IzMAw[/embedyt]

Engineered by Audio Note

Audio Note (UK), Ltd. has been in the high-end audio business for over 30 years, making a name for itself by producing a wide variety of analog and digital devices. A core component of Audio Note’s philosophy is to research, design, and build its own components – often custom-made for the specific application – without financial limitations to create the finest audio products available. With this in mind, EVGA partnered with Audio Note (UK), Ltd. to select audiophile-grade digital and analog components and carefully craft the NU Audio card.

With the EVGA NU Audio Card you can experience:

  • True Audio – Hear audio as it is
  • Lifelike Gaming – Improved and precise enemy detection, and increased immersion.
  • Studio and Audiophile Grade – Hear all the subtle sounds, emotional dialog, and powerful explosions to keep you on the edge of your seat.
  • Ambient RGB Lighting – Set the RGB lighting to match your mood, or use Audio Reactive Lighting options to let your audio control the effect.

A Completely Different Gaming and Multimedia Experience

High-quality audio is built on a simple premise: everything must be solid from start to finish. One weak link in the chain can turn a symphony into a cacophony. The NU Audio Card is designed to maximize the performance in every major component section:

  • Analog – Detail. Clarity. Reality.
    • The analog section is responsible for returning audio without distortion and fine-tuning the sound to ensure it remains as faithful to the source as possible.
  • Digital – From Source to Playback
    • The digital side of the EVGA NU Audio Card is responsible for processing your source audio at the preferred format or converting the audio to and from analog, without affecting the internal makeup of the source audio.
  • Power – Good Clean Power
    • Powered by Specialized Audio Note (UK), Ltd. audio-grade capacitors and audio-grade resistors, your audio remains noise- and distortion-free as it passes through to your choice of speakers or headphones.

NU Audio Software

From simple volume controls with a sliding headphone amplifier, to creating quick custom EQ profiles, the Nu Audio software avoids the clutter of features that you never use. Customizable audio reactive RBG lighting lets your music choose how your card looks from moment-to-moment.

Available January 16, 2019

Learn more about the EVGA NU Audio Card: 

https://www.evga.com/articles/01281/evga-nu-audio/

Resident Evil 2 Limited Time Demo Announced

January 9, 2018 – Horror fans around the world will get an intense sneak peek at Capcom’s hotly anticipated title Resident Evil 2 before its launch with a special demo event starting this week for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC players via Steam. Available to download for a limited time from Jan. 11 to Jan. 31, this will be the first opportunity for fans to experience the completely reimagined horror classic from home.

Aptly named the “1-Shot Demo,” players must take on the challenge of surviving the horrors of Raccoon City in just 30 minutes. If players complete the mission objective under 30 minutes, they can restart the mission until they use up their full time. If players succumb to the zombies during their 30 minutes, they can continue any number of times until the full 30 minutes have been reached.

The end of the demo reveals a brand new cinematic trailer exclusive to demo participants. While players cannot restart the playable demo after their time is up, there are no limitations on how many times the trailer can be viewed.

In the “1-Shot demo,” players step into the boots of rookie police officer Leon S. Kennedy as he arrives at Raccoon City Police Station in the ultimate worst first day on the job. Leon must survive vicious zombies and solve puzzles to find safe passage out of the station. With an entire building of flesh-eating nightmares lurking between Leon and his escape while the clock ticks down, players need to be sure they’re killing more than just time.

The full Resident Evil 2 game will be available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC on January 25, 2019.

Stern Unveils The Munsters Pinball Machines

CHICAGO, IL – January 8, 2019 – Stern Pinball, Inc., a global lifestyle brand based on the iconic and outrageously fun modern American game of pinball, proudly announced today the availability of a new line of pinball machines celebrating the iconic American TV hit sitcom, The Munsters.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mSURMrFb2I[/embedyt]

Players will be transported to 1313 Mockingbird Lane, joining the entire Munsters family on this haunted pinball adventure.  Featuring Herman, Raven, Lily, Spot and Grandpa, players will work their way towards Munster Madness in this frightfully funny and action-packed pinball world under glass. The Munsters pinball machines will be available in Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition models.

“The Munsters are iconic and timeless, and it was time to create a pinball experience around this freaky-fun family.  With beautiful artwork inspired by the supernatural family, this theme is perfect for a pinball machine,” said Gary Stern, Chairman and CEO of Stern Pinball, Inc.

Stern’s The Munsters Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition models feature stunning and distinctive hand-drawn art.  Each game features a custom sculpted Herman bash toy with magnetized ball catch, highlighting Herman multiball.  In addition, all models include a pop-up Spot bash toy hidden under the left ramp, a custom sculpted Drag-U-La toy car featured near a left shooter lane kicker, as well as a metal turn-around, flip-up ramp.

The Premium and Limited Edition models both feature Grandpa’s laboratory, a lower playfield that features 2 mini flippers, 2 ramps, a Grandpa bash target, a digital number display, and a multiball feature.  The Premium model features an exclusive black and white custom art package in homage to classic black and white TV.

The Limited Edition – only 500 units globally – includes additional unique features such as an exclusive mirrored backglass, anti-reflection pinball glass, shaker motor, exclusive custom art blades, a custom autographed bottom arch, a sequentially numbered plaque, and exclusive custom casket-themed cabinet artwork.

Complementing the immersive theme and exciting gameplay experience, Stern Pinball’s powerful SPIKE™ electronics hardware system enables high-definition graphics and innovative animations on the high-definition video display.  SPIKE™ reduces system complexity and energy usage resulting in enhanced reliability and simplified servicing. The state-of-the-art electronic system also powers a high-fidelity 3-channel audio system that is three times more powerful than audio systems of previous generations.

Pricing and Availability:

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price:

MSRP for sales to USA end-users, before any VAT, GST, Sales Tax, Duties, or other taxes.

Pro Model: $US 5,999

Premium Model: $US 7,599

Limited Edition Model: $US 8,999

The Munsters pinball is available through authorized Stern Pinball distributors and dealers around the world.

TPCAST Unveils Second Generation Wireless VR Solution

CES Las Vegas, NV – January 8th, 2019 – TPCAST, the leading provider of wireless solutions for Virtual Reality (VR), introduces TPCAST Air for Enterprise, a unique and creative wireless solution targeting multi-user industrial and enterprise VR applications, and Location Based Entertainment (LBE).  TPCAST Air for Enterprise wirelessly displays PC VR content through Wi-Fi onto standalone VR headsets, like Oculus Go.

TPCAST Air for Enterprise is an integrated wireless VR solution for enterprise applications that support multiple users. The unique solution displays PC VR applications wirelessly on standalone VR headsets by utilizing regular Wi-Fi networks.

TPCAST Air for Enterprise provides the best user experience by preserving the highest quality video display at ultra-low latency. This newly introduced solution is based on TPCAST’s real-time codec technology (RTCodec and RTCIP) implemented on off-the-shelf VR-ready PC and GPU cards. TPCAST Air for Enterprise is suitable for real estate, home decoration/interior design, education, and other industry applications. In the future, it will support the Oculus Quest. This solution can be used for multiple user scenarios where users are free to walk and interact with each other. LBE and VR arcades won’t need backpack computers to achieve mobile VR, thus reducing capital and operational investment. VR distributors and service integrators will be able to integrate the TPCAST Air for Enterprise solution into their systems.

TPCAST Air solution has six benefits and advantages:

1. Reduce the enterprise CAPEX for VR equipment

TPCAST Air for Enterprise is a lower cost wireless solution as it does not require the high-end and high-cost PC VR headset and instead comes with a convenient standalone VR headset. On the other hand, it replaces the high cost and clumsy backpack computer solution.

2. Easy to set up, convenient, lightweight and simple to maintain

TPCAST Air for Enterprise reduces the installation complexity as it is based on a simple software installation process avoiding hardware installation and cable replacement.  The solution also utilizes a simple standalone headset compared to the bulky backpack computer solution with low battery life.

3. Reduce the development cost of VR content

TPCAST Air for Enterprise utilizes the same software infrastructure like Unreal and Unity, so developers do not need to migrate the existing PC VR solution to the standalone headset that utilizes low graphics hardware capabilities.

4. Leverage PC best-in-class graphics quality, more detailed and realistic

TPCAST Air for Enterprise combines the best of both worlds,

  • high-performance PC that includes high-end CPUs and GPUs, with

  • wireless, mobile, and convenient standalone VR headset

5. Simple PC VR content adaptation

TPCAST Air for Enterprise runs SteamVR and supports all SteamVR applications seamlessly.

6. Enterprise-level solution

TPCAST Air for Enterprise is provided with an enterprise VR management suite that enables system administrators to manage multi-user solution easily, optimize the wireless performance and more.  The system went through rigorous QA and testing and is delivered as a stable and reliable solution.

Michael Liu, CEO of TPCAST, stated “TPCAST Air achieves our vision of TPCAST 2.0 – it provides wireless VR transmission in the short, medium and long-range distances. TPCAST Air for Enterprise combines the best of both worlds, which is the lightweight and low-cost standalone headset with the power of PC graphics. By that, it delivers lightweight mobility and high-performance rendering.”

TPCAST Air for Enterprise will be demonstrated at CES 2019 in Las Vegas from January 8th to 11th.

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries Community Edition Pre-Order Edition Available Now

VANCOUVER – January 8, 2018 – Piranha Games announced today a special, limited-time offer for the upcoming and highly anticipated MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries (https://mw5mercs.com), the first single-player MechWarrior title in more than 20 years launching on PC September 10th, 2019. Fans looking to grab an advanced pre-order will have three different Community Edition tiers to choose from, each offering a variety of perks for the upcoming MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries and massive bonuses for the existing, multiplayer-focused MechWarrior Online (https://mwomercs.com).

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries Community Edition Pre-Order Page: https://mw5mercs.com

Get a glimpse of epic, ‘Mech-smashing, laser-fueled combat here:

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6ZK-zJsUKA[/embedyt]

Community Pre-Order tiers:

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries Standard Community Edition ($49.99)

  • MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries Content:
    • One digital copy of MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries
    • Digital Game Manual
    • ‘Instant Action’ Closed Beta Access with Co-Op support (estimated availability early August 2019)
    • Digital Soundtrack
    • Access to the Official MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries Discord Server
    • Access to Bi-Monthly AMAs
    • Early Access to the MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries Mod Maker Discord Channel
  • Bonus MechWarrior Online Content:
    • Marauder II Assault ‘Mech Standard Edition Pre-Order ($20 USD value)
    • 12,000 MC ($49.99 USD value)
      • Original MechWarrior Online Founder accounts get double the amount of MC
    • 30 days Active Premium Time ($12 USD value)
    • 72,800 GXP & 4.1 Million C-Bills (enough to cover 91 skill points)
    • MW5-themed Title, Badge, Decal, Cockpit standing Item, Warhorn item, Hanging Cockpit Item

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries Collector’s Community Edition ($79.99)

Includes All Standard Community Edition Items (with changes to amounts in currency, etc. below)

  • MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries Content:
    • Exclusive MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries “Chloe’s Cavaliers” Legendary Pattern
    • MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries Desktop Pack
  • Bonus MechWarrior Online Content:
    • Marauder II Assault ‘Mech Collector’s Edition Pre-Order ($40 USD value)
    • 20,000 MC ($79.99 USD value)
      • Original MechWarrior Online Founder accounts get double the amount of MC
    • 60 days Active Premium Time ($24.00 USD value)
    • 145,600 GXP & 8.2 Million C-Bills (enough to convert 182 skill points)
    • 2 MW5-themed Titles, Badges, Decals and 3 Cockpit Standing Items, Warhorn items and Hanging Cockpit Items

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries Collector’s Community Edition ($119.99)

Includes All Standard & Collector’s Community Edition Items (with changes to amounts in currency, etc. below)

  • MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries Content:
    • Exclusive MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries “Interstellar Expeditions” Legendary Pattern
    • Digital Technical BattleMech Manual
  • Bonus MechWarrior Online Content:
    • Marauder II Assault ‘Mech Ultimate Edition Pre-Order ($70 USD value)
    • 30,000 MC ($119.99 USD value)
      • Original MechWarrior Online Founder accounts get double the amount of MC
    • 90 days Active Premium Time ($36 USD value)
    • 291,200 GXP & 16.4 Million C-Bills (enough to convert 364 skill points)
    • 3 MW5-themed Titles, Badges, Decals and 9 Cockpit Standing Items, Warhorn items and Hanging Cockpit Items

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is modeled after the gameplay style from MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries, granting players the freedom to run their campaigns how they choose. In MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, pilots will build, manage, and guide their own mercenary unit through a multi-year campaign during the sprawling Third and Fourth Succession Wars.

Whether braving missions alone, alongside AI-controlled pilots, or with the help of up to three friends via co-op play, pilots will face complicated situations with no perfect solution as they choose which contracts to accept, where in the galaxy to direct their attention, and how to balance repairs or upgrades with maintaining their unit’s precious resources.

To keep all systems nominal, stay current on all things MechWarrior by visiting the MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries (https://mw5mercs.com) and MechWarrior Online (https://mwomercs.com) websites, follow MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries on Twitter @MW5Mercs (https://twitter.com/MW5Mercs), Piranha Games @PiranhaGames (https://twitter.com/piranhagames), and MechWarrior Online @MechWarriorF2P (https://twitter.com/Mechwarriorf2p).

Mountain High Celebrates National Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month

WRIGHTWOOD, Calif. – Jan. 7, 2019 – January is National Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month and Mountain High is offering special lesson packages for visitors eager to learn to ski and snowboard in 2019.

“The new year is the perfect time to learn,” said John McColly, Mountain High vice president of sales and marketing. “Skiing and snowboarding are fun, healthy ways to enjoy the outdoors and spend time with family and friends.”

Mountain High is where Southern Californians learn to ski and snowboard. Even international snowboarding superstars such as Chloe Kim and Maddie Mastro got their starts on the slopes at Mountain High.

Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month is a designated time each year when venues across the U.S. offer special programs for those who want to learn how to ski or snowboard. The initiative is supported by the ski and snowboard industry including national, regional and state associations, resorts, retailers and more. For additional information on Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month, click here.

Beginning January 7, Mountain High guests receive two midweek, non-holiday, Half-Day First Timer packages for the price of one – just $105. This special is for adults ages 13-and-up and available online only (cannot be purchased at the resort).

Each Half-Day First Timer package comes complete with a beginner lesson, ski or snowboard rentals, and a lower-mountain lift ticket. It is important to remember that learning to ski or snowboard is not a one-time event, but rather a lifestyle. Studies show that people require three lessons to really get the hang of it.

Check the Mountain High calendar for daily hours of operation and the snow report for updated conditions.

For more information on tickets or to purchase Mountain High season passes, click here. Follow Mountain High on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Use #mthigh to get in on the conversation.

About Mountain High

Mountain High is Southern California’s closest winter resort, located just 90 minutes from Los Angeles and Orange County. Mountain High consists of three separate mountains: West Resort, East Resort and North Resort. Mountain High offers a wide variety of lifts and trails, a world-class terrain park, an outstanding winter sports school and the region’s largest tubing areas. Night skiing and snowboarding are available seven nights a week during peak season and snowmaking covers more than 80 percent of the slopes. Visit mthigh.com for more information. Mountain High is an equal opportunity service provider operating under an Angeles National Forest special use permit.

Thermaltake Announces TT RGB PLUS Partnership with Razer and More

Las Vegas, USA-January 8th 2019-Thermaltake, an expert in PC DIY, liquid cooling components, and gaming gear, announces that three new third-party partners, Razer Inc., TEAMGROUP Inc. and ViewSonic Corp, have joined the compatibility list of its well-known, patented RGB lighting technology, TT RGB PLUS software. The TT RGB PLUS ecosystem is expanded with ViewSonic’s latest gaming monitors (ELITE XG240R and XG350R-C) and five members of TEAMGROUP’s T-FORCE family (XCALIBAR RGB DDR4, DELTA RGB DDR4, NIGHT HAWK RGB DDR4, DELTA RGB SSD, and DELTA S RGB SSD) coming aligned with TT RGB PLUS software programs that enable customizable RGB illumination capabilities; meanwhile, the Thermaltake TT RGB PLUS products (chassis, power supply, cooler, gaming gear, and accessories) are in collaboration with Razer Chroma. Users who have installed both the TT RGB PLUS and Razer Synapse 3 can experience synchronized gaming and RGB lighting effects on their TT RGB PLUS liquid cooling system and gaming gear. TT RGB PLUS software, together with its existing partner, Amazon Alexa, and the three new third-party brands, Razer, TEAMGROUP and ViewSonic, will bring countless possibilities to your rig and take gaming experiences to the next level!

WHAT IS TT RGB PLUS ECOSYSTEM?
TT RGB PLUS Ecosystem is the intelligent lighting system for PCs that combines the most advanced addressable LED lighting with Thermaltake’s patented TT RGB PLUS Software. TT RGB PLUS ecosystem provides nearly unlimited possibilities for playing with colors, synchronizing lights to games, music, CPU temperatures or other TT RGB PLUS products, including case fans, CPU/VGA waterblocks, AIO CPU coolers, PSUs, LED strips, gaming keyboards, headsets, mice and mouse pad. The patented software allows users to change the light modes, colors, speeds, brightness, fan speeds, and even supports AI voice control in iOS/Android devices and the Amazon Alexa smart speaker.
For more information: http://ttrgbplus.thermaltake.com/

Thermaltake — “Deliver the Perfect User Experience”
Thermaltake is always looking to “Deliver the Perfect User Experience”. The partnership between Thermaltake and ViewSonic, TEAMGROUP and Razer will definitely give fans a better user experience. Fans can enjoy more options, flexibility, and convenience for gaming and RGB lighting customization and synchronization.

Tropico 6 Pushed to March 2019

Ridgewood, NJ – (January 8, 2019) Kalypso Media is best known as a publisher of strategy and simulation games, with the critically acclaimed Tropico series as the company’s flagship brand. 2019 sees the launch of the latest installment in this beloved series, with the highly-anticipated Tropico 6 scheduled to release on PC and consoles.

After going through rigorous in-house testing and taking on board all the feedback collected from the closed beta and the wider Tropico community, Tropico 6 is shaping up to be a great game. However, great is not enough when it comes to El Presidente. As always, Kalypso is striving to deliver an outstanding gameplay experience to make Tropico 6 the best in the series to date, and as such has taken the difficult decision to move the release of the PC, MAC and Linux versions to March 29, with a retail version to follow on April 2, in order to allow sufficient time to implement as much of the fans’ feedback as possible and work on final balancing and polishing to raise the level of quality expected from this flagship brand to what the Tropico fans and community deserve.

Simon Hellwig, owner and managing director of Kalypso Media, has prepared an open-letter to the Tropico community and shared it through the company’s forums and social channels.

As a thank you to the loyal Tropico fans who have supported us through the development of the game, we will be offering the first major Tropico 6 DLC free of charge to anyone who has pre-ordered the game by 1:00PM EST on January 10. The additional content will automatically be added to qualifying players’ game upon release in Q2 2019.

Tropico 6 is available to pre-order now via the Kalypso Shop and other digital platforms as either the standard version (with instant access to the closed beta) or as a special El Prez Edition, including two tourist outfits for your Presidente, a flamingo pond for your customizable palace, digital soundtrack, digital calendar and instant beta access.

Dead or Alive 6 Release Date Pushed to March 1

Burlingame, Calif. – January 7, 2019 – KOEI TECMO America and Team NINJA announced today that DEAD OR ALIVE 6 will now be released worldwide on March 1, 2019. The change in date – originally scheduled for a February 15, 2019 release – is due to the developer’s desire to further enhance and balance the hotly-anticipated fighting game.

“The title’s development is already near complete; however, we would like to take more time to further polish its balance, gameplay, and expressivity. In return for your patience, we commit to bringing you the best DEAD OR ALIVE gaming experience,” said Yohei Shimbori, the game’s Producer and Director. “I am truly sorry for the inconvenience caused by the release delay of DEAD OR ALIVE 6.”

DEAD OR ALIVE 6 is currently in development for the PlayStation®4 Computer Entertainment System; Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft; and digitally on Windows PC via Steam®. For the latest information on the game, please visit the official website at https://www.teamninja-studio.com/doa6/us/. Also, be sure to Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DeadorAliveGame; and Follow us on Twitter @DOATEC_OFFICIAL.

Audeze Releases iSINE Bluetooth Headphones

SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 7, 2019 – Audeze, a global leader in best-in-class premium audio, is pleased to announce the release of their new Bluetooth iSINE in-ear headphones. The CIPHER Bluetooth Modules will also be available as a detachable, lightweight device that will turn any Audeze existing iSINE headphone into a fully mobile Bluetooth headset. Customers will finally be able to enjoy the peerless audio quality of Audeze’s critically acclaimed in-ear headphones coupled with the utility of next generation Bluetooth technology.

Boasting a Bluetooth 5.0 chipset with support for aptX and aptX HD, Audeze’s CIPHER Bluetooth Module offers 24-bit high resolution audio quality with low latency, custom DSP programming and seamless compatibility with the latest and greatest Bluetooth devices.

The CIPHER Bluetooth Module also comes with a built-in high performance microphone capable of delivering crystal clear call quality. Along with a high-capacity lithium battery allowing for up to 8 hours of continuous play, this product will afford users a high degree of functionality and freedom, making it a perfect companion to Audeze’s iSINE in-ear line.

The iSINE series of in-ear headphones, the choice for artists and audiophiles worldwide, combines innovative technology and avant-garde design to deliver an immersive, dynamic music experience unlike any other in-ear. The CIPHER Bluetooth Module can be purchased as a bundle with the iSINE20, iSINE10, and iSINE LX for $599, $399, and $259 respectively on www.audeze.com/products/isine-series/audeze-cipher-bluetooth-module. Additionally, the CIPHER Bluetooth Module is available for purchase as a stand-alone accessory for $99 USD and will work with all existing iSINE headphones.