Author - Jerry Paxton

Wizard World Announces CON RADIO

2015/07/01
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News

con-radio-header-image

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., July 1, 2015 – Wizard World, Inc. (OTCBB: WIZD) today announced the launch of CON RADIO, featuring an array of online audio programs allowing fans to stay current on everything happening in the convention and pop culture universe. CON RADIO has something for everyone: lifestyle, horror, Q&As with favorite celebrities, video games, and even sports entertainment. All free, all on-demand.

Fans can listen to CON RADIO anytime at: http://www.wizardworld.com .

“CON RADIO is a pop culture force to be reckoned with,” said horror expert Keenan McClelland. “It’s about time we obtained the best podcasts on the net and housed them under one geeky roof at Wizard! Thrill me!”

“What a time to be a geek! Never before has the storage, weird, creative, nerdy, and geeky have been embraced like it is today,” said Tony Kim, Crazy 4 Comic Con host. “While the pop culture universe expands, our con culture comes closer together. Thanks to this new initiative by Wizard World called CON Radio. We will be like the Avengers of radio!… except more flabby and not as good looking- but you won’t know that by our voices. Check us out, the world is depending on you!”

CON RADIO will feature nine unique programs at launch, including:

  • Common Room – A female-take on the geek culture and nerd lifestyle, with no topic off-limits. Recorded weekly.
  • Con Smash – Con Radio’s flagship program, featuring pop culture news & rumors, debates, celebrity interviews, contests & more. Hosted by Wizard World’s Mo Lightning & Billy Patterson. Recorded weekly.
  • Crazy 4 Comic Con – The most comic book-leaning podcast on Con Radio. Join host Tony Kim and special guests as he talks comic books, art, writing, and of course, the joy of comic cons all across the world. Recorded monthly.
  • Every Day is Halloween -Celebrating all things scary, Horror Guy Keenan creates a podcast experience unlike any other. Clips from classic movies, forgotten TV commercials, movie reviews, and industry analysis are just the proverbial tip of the knife. Recorded monthly.
  • The Game Fix Podcast – No pop culture hub would be complete without a spotlight on video games. Gamers can get their fix from a gang of radio personalities who’ve spent their entire lives gaming, from the NES to the latest and greatest consoles. Recorded weekly.
  • The Modern Geek Show – Fashion, flirting, fitness… How does today’s geek find time to balance all of this, work, and his or her pop culture interests? Recorded weekly.
  • Talking TV WITH Liz and Lindi – Team Supernatural Drama isn’t just a title, it’s a lifestyle! Regulars on the con scene for a while, hosts Liz Pochop & Lindi Smith have recently expanded their reviews to Entertainment Weekly’s website (ew.com) and now this exclusive-to-Con Radio podcast. Recorded weekly.
  • Wizard World Classics – Missed a favorite celebrity on his or her panel? That’s OK – Listen to it here! Wizard World presents brand new, and classic, clips from various celebrities in short segments that keeps the show flowing! Recorded weekly.
  • WrestlingAudio Presents… – Simulcast sports entertainment (pro wrestling) programming from the 10-year podcast veterans of WrestlingAudio.com. Includes news & rumors, celebrity interviews, contesting, more. Recorded 1-3 times per week.
  • In addition, CON RADIO plans to develop additional shows expected to launch this summer as well as live streaming from Wizard World Comic Con shows nationally.

Fans can interact with CON RADIO on Twitter: @radioforgeeks.

ScareLA 2015 Schedule Revealed

2015/07/01
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Halloween, News

scare-la-235 copy

July 1, 2015 — It’s “big reveal week” here at ScareLA! You can skip ahead and see the lineup on our website here, or keep reading for compelling details.

For starters, we’re excited to return to one of our favorite topics, The Haunted Mansion, with a discussion about the ride’s legendary character, The Hatbox Ghost. On Saturday, August 8, join Tony Baxter (Former Vice President of Creative Development of Walt Disney Imagineering), fan favorite artists Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily, and moderator Doug Barnes from the Season Pass podcast as the discuss the origin of the legend, and why it took over 40 years for him to make it to the attic of Disneyland’s most famous house. For more spooky details read Theme Park Adventure’s announcement of the presentation here.

On Sunday, August 9, ScareLA has collected a lineup straight out of Springfield, as the writers behind The Simpson’s annual Halloween episodes, known as theTreehouse of Horrors, take the stage. Among those joining us are Jay Kogen (“Hungry Are the Damned” and “King Homer”) and Mike Scully (“The HΩmega Man”). More denizens to be announced soon, but Comic Book Guy is already proclaiming, “best panel ever!”

And on Saturday or Sunday (we’re still deciding!), the amazing makeup team that put the Horror in American Horror Story will pay a visit to ScareLA, discussing their favorite character creations over the past four seasons, and offering their own tips on how you can use their techniques for your own Halloween makeup and costumes.

All these, plus 91 Reasons Live!, a look at L.A.’s creepiest cemeteries, and more on the schedule.

Warner Bros. and TV Guide Team Up for Comic-Con Themed Special Issues

2015/06/30
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, SDCC
Warner Bros. Comic-Con TV Guide Cover - Arrow

Warner Bros. Comic-Con TV Guide Cover - Supergirl

BURBANK, Calif. (June 30, 2015) — The Super Hero partnership continues as Warner Bros. Television (WBTV) and TV Guide Magazine join forces for the sixth year in a row, teaming up on a special Warner Bros.–themed Comic-Con special edition of the magazine. The four collectible covers feature WBTV/DC Entertainment series: Arrow star Stephen Amell; The Flash star Grant Gustin; Gotham stars Ben McKenzie and Donal Logue; and Supergirl’s Melissa Benoist.

For a sneak peek at the four covers and to download all cover designs, click here:

  • Get the issues at the Warner Bros. booth at Comic-Con: Warner Bros. will distribute the TV Guide Magazine special issue to fans for free at the Warner Bros. booth — #4545 on the convention floor — throughout Comic-Con, beginning on Preview Night, Wednesday, July 8, and continuing through Sunday, July 12.
  • Newsstand and Digital Platforms: For those unable to attend Comic-Con in person, all four collectible covers will be on sale from July 7 at retailers nationwide, as well as online at http://www.tvguidemagazine.com/comiccon beginning July 6. The special issue will also be available for exclusive digital download on Nook by Barnes and Noble tablets.

Fans combing through the 88-page special issue will find features and photos dedicated to the following programs:

  • An “a-maze-ing” look at Warner Bros. Animation’s hit series The Tom and Jerry Show, Teen Titans Go! and Mike Tyson Mysteries, as well as a sneak peek at the Mystery Inc. gang’s new look in the upcoming series Be Cool Scooby-Doo! and Bugs Bunny’s squirrelly new BFF in Wabbit – A Looney Tunes Production

And that’s not all that’s up, Doc. There’s more, including:

  • An exclusive DC Entertainment Supergirl comic, “Sister Act,” written by Supergirl executive producers Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg and Ali Adler
  • A sneak peek inside the upcoming DC Universe Original Animated Movie Justice League: Gods and Monsters from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment
  • A look at the DC All Access web series, in addition to a DC Comics preview of Victor Stone’s (aka Cyborg) high-tech upgrade
  • Behind-the-scenes photos from the TV Guide Magazine yacht and photo booth at Comic-Con 2014
  • All the scoop on the stories behind Bruce Wayne’s underground discovery and a super villain lineup on Gotham; a two-on-two interview with The Big Bang Theory’s Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting; set deconstructions on The Flash’s S.T.A.R. Labs and The Originals’ New Orleans vampire-hood; and more
  • Burning questions answered about fans’ favorite shows, including The 100, Arrow, The Flash, Gotham, iZOMBIE, The Originals, Person of Interest, Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries
  • And so much more…!

For additional information about Warner Bros. Television’s activities at Comic-Con, please follow @warnerbrostv on Twitter and join in the conversation by using hashtag #WBSDCC, or visit http://comiccon.thewb.com. Follow TV Guide Magazine on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TVGuideMagazine and on Twitter at @TVGuideMagazine, hashtag #TVGMYacht.

Game of Thrones Experience The Realm Announced For San Diego Comic-Con

2015/06/30
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, SDCC
Game of Thrones Experience the Realm at San Diego Comic-Con

Game of Thrones Experience the Realm at San Diego Comic-Con

New York, NY, June 30, 2015 – The ultimate fan event is returning to San Diego Comic-Con with Game of Thrones Experience The Realm. Located at the Omni Hotel in the heart of the Gas Lamp District, this years’ experience features even more interactive activations designed to give fans a chance to step into the world of Westeros. Open from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. PT, Thursday, July 9th through Saturday, July 11th and 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PT on Sunday, July 12th, HBO NOW subscribers will have a chance to win early VIP access.

Paying homage to beloved character Arya Stark’s early days of sword training, the experience will feature an installation that is part sword-handling skill and part artistic process, to create a beautiful, graphic Game of Thrones-style self-portrait. Upon arrival, fans will have their portrait taken and step in front of a 10-foot projection screen on stage. There, they will use a replica of Arya’s wooden training sword to strike targets as they appear on screen. Upon completion fans will receive an artistic portrait made entirely of their sword strikes that is immediately shareable on their social networks as well as at #ExperienceTheRealm.

Fans can also create sharable animated GIFs including being incinerated into ash by Danaerys’ iconic dragons and turned into a WhiteWalker.  Additionally there will be photo opportunities with the iconic Iron Throne and the giant sword used by The Mountain.  Select costume displays from Game of Thrones will be featured along with a gallery of select work from the Game of Thrones Compendium Book, featuring original creations from the talented fan-base ranging from art, fashion, food and fans can pick up a limited-edition T-Shirt designed by Beautiful Death artist Robert Ball.

Starting today through July 3rd at noon EST, HBO NOW will offer a select number of current and former subscribers attending 2015 Comic-Con an exclusive chance toExperience the Realm early by skipping the lines with a special daily HBO NOW VIP preview Thursday–Sunday. For more details and to enter for a chance to win, eligible fans can visit ExperienceTheRealmSweeps.com.

HBO NOW is HBO’s new stand-alone premium streaming service that provides instant access to the best of HBO’s Award-winning series, exclusive hit movies, films, groundbreaking documentaries, sports, comedy and music specials. To subscribe to the streaming service, HBO NOW, consumers only need the internet.  With HBO NOW, consumers can stream HBO programming on their iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and computer. HBO NOW is currently available through Apple or Cablevision for $14.99 per month and coming soon on Android.

**Game of Thrones Experience the Realm is open on a first-come-first-serve basis to members of the public with a valid 2015 San Diego Comic-Con badge.

Game of Thrones Jon Snow vs White Walker Swordfight

King’s Quest: A Knight to Remember Release Date Announced

2015/06/30
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 3 News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox 360 News, Xbox One News
King's Quest Screenshot 1

KQ_TCC Screenshot_3

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – June 30, 2015 – Today Sierra™ revealed that the first chapter of the new King’s Quest™ – titled King’s Quest: A Knight to Remember – will launch as a digital download in North America on July 28 for $9.99 on the PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems, as well as Windows PC. It will arrive on July 29 for the same price on Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft. It is rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and Up) by the ESRB.

In addition, Sierra today announced that a bundle* of all five chapters, including a future bonus playable story epilogue, of the new King’s Quest – named King’s Quest: The Complete Collection* – is now available to pre-order on the PlayStation®Network and Steam for $39.99. Xbox One pre-orders on the Xbox Games Store will begin on July 7 for the same price.

Developed by The Odd Gentlemen, King’s Quest rekindles the classic feelings of exploration, wit and wonder that have always defined this family-friendly series since its introduction over 30 years ago. The first entry in a planned five-chapter arc, King’s Quest: A Knight to Remember sets the stage for an unforgettable journey to come with original places, puzzles and personalities to discover. As an aging King Graham reflects on a life of adventure with his granddaughter, Gwendolyn, King’s Quest transports players back to the untold tales of Graham’s youth to experience a story that bridges generations.

For the latest news on King’s Quest and more, please visit www.sierra.com, and follow Sierra on Facebook and Twitter.

*Chapters and epilogue can be downloaded in-game upon individual release throughout 2015 and 2016.

William Shatner to Make a Special Guest Appearance at San Diego Comic-Con 2015

2015/06/29
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, SDCC
William Shatner as Captain Kirk

-kirkShatner

June 29, 2015 — Entertainment Earth and CBS Consumer Products are excited to announce William Shatner (“Star Trek: The Original Series”) will make a special guest appearance at San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday, July 9, 2015.

Mr. Shatner will start by reading excerpts from The Autobiography of James T. Kirk, as James T. Kirk himself in Ballroom 20 from 10:45am to 11:45am. Immediately following, William Shatner will participate in a limited signing at the Entertainment Earth booth #2343. All signings at the Entertainment Earth booth are free, but require a ticket. Details on how to obtain a randomly distributed ticket will be available at the Entertainment Earth booth the first day of the show.

Entertainment Earth is also selling two limited edition and individually numbered Star Trek convention exclusives, a Star Trek Captains Monitor Mate Bobble Heads Set of 5 and a Star Trek IV: Whales with Spock Bobble Head made by Bif Bang Pow!.

Convention Exclusives are available for the first time on July 8, 2015 at the Entertainment Earth booth #2343 at San Diego Comic-Con. Fans will have the first opportunity to grab our individually numbered and limited edition exclusives while supplies last!

Not attending San Diego Comic-Con 2015? *PRE-ORDER at Entertainment Earth now!

(*NOTE: Pre-orders made before San Diego Comic-Con 2015 are not guaranteed to be fulfilled based on limited supplies. Available units will ship after Comic-Con 2015 while supplies last.)

Visit Entertainment Earth and all of our social media networks for the latest Entertainment Earth and San Diego Comic-Con news.

See more of our Star Trek products here!

Codemasters Releases New Tarmac Terrors Update for DiRT Rally

2015/06/29
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News
DiRT Rally Screenshot

DiRT Rally_Screen3

UK – Monday June 29, 2015– Codemasters today announced that the Tarmac Terrors free update has been added to DiRT Rally on Steam Early Access. From today, players will have access to the game’s first all-Tarmac rally at Baumholder, Germany, along with five classic rally-ready cars.

This free update offers DiRT Rally players a completely different style of racing to test their skills to the limit and is the second in a series of free updates that will be regularly added during DiRT Rally’s Steam Early Access phase.

As a full Tarmac rally, Germany feels completely different to the other stages currently available in DiRT Rally and requires a different mindset to Greece, Wales or Monte Carlo. Stages are wider but conquering them is about fast sprints and picking braking point into junctions, with tight turns and chicanes through bails testing players’ concentration and skill.

In addition, the Tarmac Terrors update introduces a selection of cars that were famous for their prowess on Tarmac. The Lancia 037 Evo 2 was the last rear wheel drive car to win an event at World Championship level and the F2 Kit Cars were some of the most iconic cars in the late ‘90s that were especially quick on Tarmac, often giving their four wheel drive counterparts a run for their money. Codemasters has also added a new setup for all cars so players can maximize the available grip.

The full update content is as follows:

  • 12 new rally stages set in Baumholder in Germany
  • 5 new rally cars featuring new Group B RWD & Kit Car Classes
  • Opel Kadett GT/E 16v
  • Opel Manta 400
  • Lancia 037 Evo 2
  • Seat Ibiza Kitcar
  • Peugeot 306 Maxi
  • Owners Club Online Events – A second DiRT Daily Event where players compete in their own car
  • A second online Weekly Event

DiRT Rally is available to purchase here for $37.99. Players can get ahead of the pack and plan their pace notes by checking out the new trailer here:

Darksiders 2 Deathinitive Edition Comparison Screenshots

2015/06/29
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Screenshots / Photos
Darksiders 2 Screenshot

Screenshot04_after

June 29, 2015 — Comparison Screenshots Between “Then” and “Soon” for Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition

Here is what John Pearl, Design Director at Gunfire Games has to say about it:

“When we thought about what we wanted to do for the “Deathinitive” edition of Darksiders II, obviously we wanted to run in native 1080p and increase the resolution of the textures. Additionally, we decided to rewrite the renderer to be physically based like a lot of other current generation game engines. What this means visually is metal, leather, stone and skin look and respond to light as you would expect them to in the real world. This new rendering method meant we revisited every texture and surface in the game, reworking and re-authoring them for the new renderer. To take full advantage of these texture changes, we’ve also gone back and relit the entire game.”

Deathinitive Edition Features:

  • Darksiders 2 with All DLCs* included and integrated into the game, offering a total playtime of more than 30 hours
    *(Maker Armor Set, The Abyssal Forge, The Demon Lord Belial, Death Rides, Angel of Death, Deadly Despair, Shadow of Death, Mortis Pack, Rusanov’s Axe, Van Der Schmash Hammer, Fletcher’s Crow Hammer, Mace Maximus, Argul’s Tomb).
  • Improved Graphic Render Engine for higher visual quality especially in terms of lighting and shadows.
  • Improved and reworked level, character and environment graphics.
  • Running in native 1080p resolution.
  • Reworked and tuned game balancing and loot distribution.

What starts with War, ends in Death.

Awakened by the End of Days, Death, the most feared of the legendary Four Horsemen, embarks upon a quest to restore mankind, and redeem his brother’s name. Along the way, the Horseman discovers that there are far worse things than an earthly Apocalypse, and that an ancient grudge may threaten all of Creation…

  • Play Death: Become the most feared of the legendary Four Horsemen, able to destroy entire worlds and battle forces beyond Heaven and Hell.
  • Epic Universe: Unlike anything the player has seen before, delivered in the unique style of Joe Mad.
  • Heaven/Hell: Explore startling gameworld environments reminiscent of heaven and hell.
  • Player Choice & Customization: Customize your experience with varied armor sets, weapons, and skill trees allowing players to create their own Death.
  • Replay-ability: Explore a vast open world, complete dozens of side quests and customize your Death with a full leveling system, skill trees and endless equipment combinations.
  • Traversal: Death is a nimble and agile character capable of incredible acrobatic feats allowing the player to explore the world like never before.

Screenshots

Chris Avellone Will Join The Bard’s Tale IV Team at 1.9 Million Kickstarter Goal

2015/06/29
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News

bards-tale-sneek-peek

Newport Beach, CA – June 29, 2015 – inXile Entertainment is excited to announce industry veteran Chris Avellone (Planescape: Torment, Fallout: New Vegas) is set to join The Bard’s Tale IV team as a writer and designer if the ongoing Kickstarter reaches $1.9 million, designing an entirely new area called the Cairn of Horrors. This all new dungeon will contain the worst things that live in the imagination of Chris Avellone.

But inXile is putting more of the Planescape: Torment design team back together, as Colin McComb (Planescape: Torment, Torment: Tides of Numenera) will also be joining the team at $1.7 million, designing a new Realm of the Elves area.

Chris Avellone has worked with inXile before on both of their Kickstarted titles, Wasteland 2 and Torment: Tides of Numenera. Wasteland 2 was released to critical and popular acclaim last year.

Kicked off on June 2nd, the Kickstarter for The Bard’s Tale IV has funded its basic goal and already hit the first stretch goals, having passed the $1.35 million mark last Friday.

“I owe my career to seeing Bard’s Tale II on a Commodore 64 at a friend’s house,” says Chris Avellone. “When I saw the streets of Skara Brae up and running (gasp – in simulated 3D! And in color!), I suddenly realized I didn’t have to be the game master all the time in order to get my RPG fix, there was finally someone out there who had done the formidable job of creating a digital dungeon master for RPG aficionados with the same amount of lazy players as I had. So I have Brian Fargo to thank three times – first for the game itself (and all the Interplay RPGs I played to follow, including Bard’s Tale 1, Bard’s Tale 3, and Wasteland), second, for hiring me at Interplay, and third, for asking me to be a part of Bard’s Tale 4 – with your support, I hope we can make it happen!”

“I’m pleased that both Chris and Colin may come aboard Bard’s Tale 4 for extra design,” says Brian Fargo, CEO of inXile. “We are in the final weeks of the campaign and have assembled an all-star cast of writing, design, art and music. Now it’s a matter of how many more people join our campaign to build these glorious RPGs.”

Check out the Kickstarter now!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/inxile/the-bards-tale-iv