Author - Jerry Paxton

Crossout E3 Behind Closed Door Demo

2015/06/21

E3, Geek News, News, Previews, Windows PC News, Windows PC Preview

Gaijin Entertainment's Crossout Screenshot

Russian publisher Gaijin Entertainment certainly has a great stable of games in the online game space. Their War Thunder and Star Conflict games put players against on another in action packed games of combat – both on air, land, and space. At last week’s E3 expo, I got the chance to check out their upcoming vehicular combat title, Crossout, in a behind closed doors preview. Crossout is set in a post-apocalyptic landscape a la Mad Max where players customize and build their vehicles of carnage almost entirely from the ground up.

Building your vehicle is a huge part of Crossout – tweaking it just the way you want it for future battles. You can research new parts and tech in exchange for salvage and old parts and it was really amazing to see the various types of vehicles able to be constructed. You can also take your creations out on a test battlefield to see how they run. In this test area, you will also find an exact clone of the vehicle you are driving so you can shoot at it to see where its weak spots are.

Combat is very fluid and it was extremely satisfying to see the various bits of enemy vehicles explode into pieces. You can literally destroy vehicles piece by piece. After each match, you receive a report of the parts and salvage you received as well as your match statistics. There are a huge number of weapons available in Crossout – all have their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, machine guns have unlimited ammunition but overheat fairly quickly while larger cannons have slower rates of fire and higher damage out put, but limited quantities of ammunition.

Crossout looks like it will be a fun online combat title that will satisfy both players of games like War Thunder and World of Tanks while also appeasing the gear heads out there who like to tweak and customize their rides ad nauseam. Crossout is currently in alpha testing – head on over to Gaijin Entertainment’s official website for more information.

Screenshots

Master of Orion E3 Behind Closed Door Preview #masteroforion

2015/06/20

Jerry Paxton

E3, Geek News, News, Previews, Windows PC News, Windows PC Preview

E3 2015 Wargaming Master of Orion Screenshot

Wargaming.net caught the interest of us classic PC gamers this E3 when they announced a reboot of the Master of Orion space strategy franchise. Master of Orion effectively created a new genre of strategy game knows as a “4X” game (“Xploration”, “Xpansion”, “Xploitation”, and “Xtermination”) back when it was released in 1993. Master of Orion, or “MOO” as it is affectionately known, allowed players to control their own empire as it expanded into the galaxy in search of the mysterious planet Orion. MicroProse and Simtex, creators of the original game, followed it up with Master of Orion 2: Battle at Antares, which continued the series and was met with equal adulation. We shall not speak of Master of Orion 3! For the greater good…. (…the greater good…)

Wargaming has promised to remain true to the original two titles while also bringing it into the modern climate of PC gaming. My concern, of course, is that they would somehow “dumb down” the game to the point where it no longer has any of the charm or core gameplay mechanics that the original games had. While at E3 2015, I got the chance to sit down with the executive producer of the game, Randy King, as well as some other Wargaming staffers, and get a walk through of some of the new Master of Orion’s game mechanics.

The original ten Master of Orion races have returned, and each gets its own cinematic sequence when starting a game. Additionally, Wargaming has taken a cue from the Civilization series and Master of Orion features animated, 3D advisers and leaders for all the races you will encounter in your quest for galactic domination. These characters look amazing and are all fully-voiced. Master of Orion features several paths to galactic victory – from sheer conquest to diplomatic means. The tech tree has a huge number of branches and technologies to research and, in an update from the original games, you can select a technology farther down the tree and your researchers will “fill in the gaps”, auto-selecting and researching the proceeding tech to reach that goal.

Planetary management will be very familiar to Master of Orion players with a similar interface and the ability to move your population around between industrial, agricultural, and mining castes. Planets still come in all shapes and sizes – some will be in the realm of your species’ tolerances and others will need to be terraformed to suit your colonists.

Taking from current 4X games, Master of Orion no longer allows your ships to travel to any system they desire so long as they have the fuel capacity. Now, star systems are all connected by wormholes. The benefit of this is that players can now use special ship types known as space factory ships to build star bases. Building a starbase near a wormhole’s event horizon will effectively blockade that route from foreign space vessels unless that race has negotiated a treaty allowing their passage through your space. This allows players to create a more solid sense of imperial boundaries and borders. Of course, the same restrictions will apply to your vessels if they try to pass through a wormhole guarded by a foreign star base.

Spacecraft will also be able to happen upon random artifacts floating about the cosmos. Sometimes these are credits, sometimes they are technologies and, sometimes, there are even derelict vessels ripe for the capturing! Planets are all randomly generated based upon variables the player sets at the start of the game (when setting up the galaxy) and all feature a cool cinematic when players colonize them. These cinematic sequences are also generated based on the type of planet being colonized so it will all match up.

Continued on Page Two

CryEngine Adds Oculus Support and Two Additional Platforms

2015/06/19

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News

Frankfurt, Germany – June 19, 2015 – Developers can now tap into the game-changing power of CRYENGINE to create virtual reality experiences following the latest update to Crytek’s all-in-one software solution.

The release of CRYENGINE 3.8.1 adds Oculus Rift support to the engine, granting both full licensees and Engine-as-a-Service subscribers equal access to the new VR toolset. The addition of VR development capabilities to CRYENGINE is complimented by initial support for AMD’s LiquidVR™ technology, which is dedicated to making VR as comfortable and realistic as possible. Future updates will bring support for additional VR platforms into the engine.

Crytek’s Frank Vitz, Creative Director CRYENGINE, said: “Since showcasing our own work with VR, we’ve seen an overwhelming response from developers who want to use CRYENGINE for their virtual reality projects as well. Our experience in stereoscopic 3D, combined with the engine’s rendering power and ability to deliver high resolution images at a high frame rate, means CRYENGINE offers a degree of visual fidelity that many people feel is foundational to a compelling VR experience. We can’t wait to see what other CRYENGINE users create now that they have VR capabilities at their fingertips.”

Today’s update also adds OpenGL support to CRYENGINE, allowing developers to more seamlessly port their PC projects to Linux.

Finally, today’s update also empowers full engine licensees to put CRYENGINE to work when developing games for Android TV systems. With Android devices designed for the living room set to become increasingly popular, CRYENGINE ensures users are equipped to bring their vision to life for a whole new audience.

CRYENGINE is available royalty free for as little as 9.90 USD/EUR per month. For more information visit www.cryengine.com.

E3 2016 Dates Announced

2015/06/18

Jerry Paxton

E3, Geek News, News

Los Angeles, CA – June 18, 2015 – More than 52,200 video game professionals, analysts, journalists, and enthusiasts, representing 109 countries attended this week’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced today at the close of E3 2015. On display at the premier global video game event were more than 1,600 products from 300 exhibitors. ESA, which owns and produces E3, also revealed that E3 2016 will take place June 14-16 in Los Angeles at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

“More than any other E3, this year was about the gamer. E3 demonstrated both the remarkable transformation of entertainment taking place on all video game platforms—virtual reality, augmented reality, hardware, mobile and handheld—and awesome games,” said Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of ESA. “As a driving force for technological and entertainment trends across the globe, the video game industry clearly demonstrated how it is revolutionizing the way people consume, engage and interact with media. Congratulations to our incredibly creative exhibitors, members, partners and the millions of video game consumers who celebrated a spectacular E3 event.”

With an astounding 6.3 million posts on Twitter alone, E3 broke records for social media numbers across all channels. Engagement on Instagram topped previous records with over 7.5 million likes on E3-related posts this month. Twitch, E3’s official streaming partner, reported that more than one half million concurrent viewers watched the E3 press conferences. In addition, more than one million E3-related videos were posted to YouTube.

Also announced during E3, a blue-ribbon panel of industry professionals and experts selected The DigiPen Institute of Technology as winner of the 2015 E3 College Game Competition with its winning video game,RumbleTV. Finalists for the competition included entries from The Academy of Art University, The University of Utah, Brigham Young University and Savannah College of Art and Design.

E3 is the world’s premier trade show for computer and video games and related products. The show is owned by the ESA, the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of the companies, publishing interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet. For more information, please visit www.E3Expo.com or follow E3 on Twitter: @E3.

Making of Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 Video

2015/06/18

Jerry Paxton

E3, Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

WARSAW, POLAND – June 17, 2015 – CI Games will be presenting and providing hands-on demos of Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 in a private meeting room Tuesday through Thursday at the 2015 E3 Convention in Los Angeles. The Warsaw, Poland based studio has also yesterday unveiled the very first glimpse of gameplay for the next title in the sniper franchise.

“We’re deep into development on the game, our next big production that we’ll provide a more in-depth look at during E3 2015,” said Marek Tyminski, CEO of CI Games. “We’re dedicated to taking this franchise to the next level and look forward to giving gamers a taste of what to expect.”

The Sniper Ghost Warrior franchise is CI Games’ most popular, having sold more than 5.5 million titles to date. The third entry into the series will be its first full-fledged triple-A title, featuring open-ended wartime environments and a non-linear narrative to give snipers the freedom and choice necessary to execute the advanced missions that tactically-minded gamers yearn for.

Hot on the heels of CI Games’ first triple-A production, the successful Lords of the Fallen, SGW3 is the studio’s most ambitious title yet. It is being created from the ground up by an experienced development team led by former Marine and CI Games creative director Paul B. Robinson, who, in addition to serving in combat, has an extensive 20-year career in game development. Veteran game designer and writer Jess Lebow, who has worked on a number of high profile games including League of Legends, Far Cry, and Guild Wars also serves as the Lead Narrative Designer for SGW3, and is available for interviews at E3.

Vampyr RPG Announced with Concept Teaser

2015/06/18

Jerry Paxton

E3, Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

June 18, 2015 — Acclaimed game-development studio Dontnod and publisher Focus Home Interactive are pleased to officially announce their partnership for the development of Vampyr, a new role-playing gamepowered by Unreal Engine 4 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

The studio behind Remember Me and Life is Strange unveils a concept trailer for Vampyr, which sets the mood and universe of this new license, which promises to offer a unique, deeply immersive role-playing experience steeped in vampire mythology.

Vampyr is set in early 20th century Britain as the country is gripped by the lethal Spanish flu and the streets of London are crippled by disease, violence and fear. In a disorganized and ghostly city, those foolish, desperate, or unlucky enough to walk the streets lay prey to Britain’s most elusive predators: the vampires. Emerging from the chaos, a tormented figure awakens. You are Jonathan E. Reid, a high-ranking military surgeon transformed into a vampire upon his return home from the frontline.

Explore the darkly atmospheric streets of early 20th century London, and interact with a multitude of characters with their own identities and importance. Accept and fulfill the missions they give you, but don’t forget: sooner or later, you will have to feed, and make a difficult choice… who will be your prey? Absolutely all characters in the game are potential victims of your vampiric lust. Carefully study the habits of your next victim, his or her relationships with other characters, and set up your strategy to feed, unnoticed: seduce them, change their daily habits, or make sure they end up alone in a dark street…

Be careful who you choose to hunt, as they will be gone forever, and their death will impact in a meaningful way the world that surrounds you. Feeding on human blood will not just keep you “alive”; it will also unlock new vampiric powers to use.

There will be times when exploration and seduction will only get you so far, and you’ll need to resort to engaging in Vampyr’s dynamic real-time combat. It blends hard-hitting melee combat with ranged shooting mechanics and the supernatural vampire powers. You’ll face many types of enemies: different species of vampires and creatures, as well as vampire hunters who want to hunt you down with their weapons, tools and traps. In Vampyr, your health and the “energy” that drives your supernatural powers are one and same! Using powers will drain your own blood, giving you an edge in battle but also leaving you weaker. You will have to find a way to feed during combat to replenish your strength.

Vampyr also offers a deep crafting system. Find and loot materials and components from the fresh corpses of your victims or during exploration, in order to craft and improve tools, melee and ranged weapons, as well as special ammunitions and coating to exploit the weaknesses of your enemies.

As you cling to what remains of your humanity, your decisions will ultimately shape the fate of your hero while searching for answers in the coughing, foggy aftermath of the Spanish Flu.

Vampyr will release in 2017 on PS4, Xbox One and PC.

SteelSeries Announces Siberia Gaming Headsets for Consoles

2015/06/18

Jerry Paxton

E3, Geek News, News, PlayStation 3 News, PlayStation 4 News, Tech News, Xbox 360 News, Xbox One News

SteelSeries P100 PlayStation 4 Headphones

LOS ANGELES – E3 – June 17, 2015 –SteelSeries, the leading global manufacturer of gaming peripherals, today introduced six new console gaming headsets. Combining more than a decade of global gaming expertise with tournament-tested insights from eSports professionals, SteelSeries Siberia headsets are designed to deliver a new level of comfort that console gamers have never felt before. For Xbox One gamers, SteelSeries is introducing the Siberia X100, Siberia X300, and Siberia X800, each featuring a SteelSeries Xbox One adapter giving gamers fingertip control of volume, chat, and settings. For PlayStation gamers, the Siberia P100, Siberia P300, and Siberia P800 are designed for audio and communication on PS4®.

SteelSeries Siberia X800 ($329.99) and SteelSeries Siberia P800 ($299.99)

SteelSeries’ Siberia X800 and P800 Wireless Universal Headsets deliver professional-quality audio with Dolby® 7.1 virtual surround sound and exceptional comfort for limitless hours of gameplay and audio entertainment. The headset wirelessly connects to your Xbox One or PS4 console and other devices, giving you immersive, low-latency, and lag-free, gaming audio. Ultra-soft memory foam earcups offer gamers amazing comfort, and rotate to lie comfortably around the neck during breaks from marathon gaming.

Adjust the volume, mix, EQ, and more with convenient controls directly on your headset. For chat capabilities on Xbox One, connect the headset via 3.5mm cable directly to the adapter and chat clearly with teammates and friends during gameplay. Unlike competitive headsets, there are no tiny blinking lights to try and decipher; instead the beautiful OLED transmitter displays profiles, audio sources, battery life, volume and more. The large display makes it easy to see and operate from the comfort of your couch.

While the competition waits for interference to be detected before changing channels, we avoid it completely. By continuously hopping between frequencies, the Siberia X800 and P800 bypass all possible interference giving you a perfect connection. Additional features include:

5-band EQ – equalizer settings to fine tune your audio
ChatMix – controls the audio level balance between the action in your game and the communication from your team.
LiveMix – automates the ChatMix feature and automatically turns up chat and turns down the game audio when voice communication is detected.

SteelSeries Siberia X300 ($129.99) and SteelSeries Siberia P300 ($99.99)

The SteelSeries Siberia X300 and P300 are the most comfortable console gaming headsets in the world, bar none. The Siberia headset is 70% preferred when tested against the top competitive headsets brands. The dominating results of the Siberia Challenge are due to the combination of the iconic Siberia suspension headband, offering enduring, lightweight comfort, and exceptional sound quality.

Its powerful, next-gen SteelSeries speaker drivers offers a rich soundscape with the support of Microsoft® 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound on Xbox One. The noise reducing memory foam ear cushions isolate the natural sounds and powerful bass while keeping out outside noise. A retractable, flexible crystal-clear microphone can be muted with the flip of a switch behind the earcup.

SteelSeries Siberia X100 ($69.99) and SteelSeries Siberia P100 ($49.99)

Previously a PC exclusive, the Siberia X100 and P100 bring a remarkable audio experience to console games. These affordable headsets allow gamers to experience how professional gaming headsets should feel and sound. The headsets give gamers breathable, soft-padded earcups on an over-ear design that rests easily on the head. The 3.5mm plug connects to the wireless controller and also works great on mobile devices and other platforms for a new level of audio fidelity no matter where you listen.

The SteelSeries Siberia Gaming Headset line for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 players is available exclusively in North America on Amazon. Follow our team on social media for more new product news coming out of E3 2015 at http://facebook.com/steelseries.

About SteelSeries
SteelSeries is a gaming brand that leads the market in building peripherals with quality, innovation and purpose. The company’s passion has been the driving force behind many first-to-market innovations and technologies that continue to become the industry standard and have-to-have requirements of gamers. The global brand continues to support the growth of competitive gaming tournaments and electronic sports leagues through professional team sponsorships, partnerships and community support. The company surrounds itself with the passion and the commitment to being the best. It is with this mentality that SteelSeries chooses to partner with some of world’s most respected and recognized brands that work together to push the growth and evolution of the gaming industry into an even greater proposition. http://SteelSeries.com.

Arma 3 Tanoa Expansion Announced

2015/06/17

Jerry Paxton

E3, Geek News, News, Screenshots / Photos, Windows PC News

June 17, 2015 — Making its debut during the PC Gaming Show at E3 2015, Bohemia Interactive today deployed a new trailer for Arma 3, revealing the terrain featured in the upcoming expansion.

The video offers a first glimpse of Tanoa – a South Pacific archipelago with a land mass of over 100 km2, and home to lush tropical vegetation, unique landmarks, a rich history, and imposing man-made feats of modern engineering. Besides the new Tanoa terrain, the Arma 3 expansion will include new vehicles, weapons, attachments and gear, characters, playable content, and more. The expansion is scheduled to be released in the first half of 2016 and will be distributed as DLC for the base Arma 3 game.

Situated in the South Pacific, the island province of Tanoa is one of many that, together, compose the Horizon Islands – an independent island nation with historic ties to both East and West. Formerly an outpost belonging to the Empire of Japan, before its liberation by US Marines in 1944, evidence of a long history of conflict and turmoil can still be found dotted across the island – relics from times long-since passed.

Nowadays, Tanoa thrives off rich deposits of rare earth metals exported the world over, but controversy and civil unrest have long surrounded these efforts due to the perceived social, economic and environmental impacts of their exploitation. Tanoa is also believed to be a hub of illicit trafficking in the Pacific, but no formal charges have ever been raised.

In 2035, Tanoa continues to enjoy a prolonged period of apparent peace and prosperity, but the volatile geopolitical situation on the world’s stage threatens to destabilize the region, and plunge it into darkness once more.

Tanoa will be the first South Pacific destination featured in the Arma series. Previous Arma locations included the Mediterranean islands of Altis and Stratis (Arma 3), the Eastern-European country of Chernarus (Arma 2), the Middle-Eastern nation of Takistan (Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead), and various other terrains in the fictional Armaverse.

For more information about Arma 3, please visit www.arma3.com and/or follow Arma 3 on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. To enlist for Arma 3 service, people can purchase the game at a discount throughout the Steam Summer Sale.

Screenshots

Planet Coaster Announced

2015/06/17

Jerry Paxton

E3, Geek News, News, Windows PC News

Cambridge, UK. 17 June 2015. Frontier Developments plc (AIM: FDEV) today revealed Planet Coaster for PC and opened pre-order sales.

Planet Coaster is an all-new game in the spirit of the classic ‘Tycoon’ games, available for PC in 2016. Planet Coaster will be the new destination for everyone who cares about creative gaming, coaster parks and involving management sims.

Planet Coaster will offer the best-ever ways to express your creativity, total freedom to make your park unique, sophisticated park management gameplay, expressive and charming crowds, and a new connected global village where players can share their creations with the Planet Coaster community.

Frontier has a unique background in Tycoon and coaster park games, and is responsible for the award-winning Elite: Dangerous space sim. Ongoing development on Elite: Dangerous continues in parallel with Planet Coaster.

“Tycoon games and coaster park simulations in particular are as much part of Frontier’s DNA as space games,” Frontier Chief Creative Officer Jonny Watts said. “Planet Coasterbrings our sky-high production values and cutting-edge tech to bear on the Tycoon genre we so love, and we are looking forward to engaging with another passionate community of players as we develop Planet Coaster.”

Planet Coaster was announced in January as Coaster Park Tycoon. Planet Coaster will be available in 2016 for PC, developed and published by Frontier Developments.

Coaster park fans can join Frontier in the revolution now. See the Planet Coaster trailer, pre-order, get early access and become part of the game at PlanetCoaster.com. Join Planet Coaster on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram all @PlanetCoaster.

Pillars of Eternity The White March Part 1 Announced

2015/06/17

Jerry Paxton

E3, Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

LOS ANGELES — June 16, 2015 — Obsidian Entertainment and Paradox Interactive today revealed the name and the first details of an expansion to Pillars of Eternity, the role-playing game (RPG) funded by over 70 thousand backers. The expansion, titled “The White March: Part 1,” will extend the story and experience of Pillars of Eternity, as well as adding a higher level cap, new multi-class abilities, new companions including the rogue and monk, a new party based AI system, and much more to the game. The expansion, originally offered as a pledge add-on during the game’s incredibly successful crowdfunding campaign, was revealed by Obsidian and Paradox at E3, and will be coming soon for Windows, Max, and Linux PC.

A trailer for The White March: Part 1 is visible here, with a glimpse of what is coming next to the world of Eora:

“The response to Pillars of Eternity has been incredible,” said Feargus Urquhart, CEO of Obsidian Entertainment. “We knew, when we started work on the game following our crowdfunding campaign, we had the potential to create the kind of game world we’d want to visit again and again for a very long time. The White March is just the second step in our own long campaign to bring more and more of the Pillars of Eternity world to life, but with us always making sure we live up to the faith our fans have placed in us.”

“Our partnership with Obsidian couldn’t have started on a higher note than with Pillars of Eternity,” said Fredrik Wester, CEO of Paradox Interactive. “It was clear to us, from the beginning, that Obsidian had a deep connection to their fans, and with the tremendous success of Pillars of Eternity, there’s no doubt in our mind that they understand what players want from an RPG. We’re looking forward to working with their team for a long time to come.”

Pillars of Eternity is an RPG inspired by classic titles such as Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale, and Planescape: Torment, featuring an original world and game system that evokes and improves upon the traditional computer RPG experience. The first expansion, originally offered to fans as a pledge add-on during a crowdfunding campaign, will continue the game’s rich story and expand upon its detailed, original world. Named “The White March: Part 1,” the expansion will also raise the in-game level cap and let players meet new companions, unlock new abilities, and meet new challenges in their own unique manner.

For more information on Pillars of Eternity, visit http://pillarsofeternity.com/.