Author - boothby

Dungeons & Dragons 2020 Year in Review

2021/05/19
boothby
Book News, Geek News, News

Wizards of the Coast is proud to announce that 2020 was once again the most successful year for Dungeons & Dragons in its rich franchise history. This is on the back of 2019 also being a record year already, with the legendary tabletop game continuing to grow and diversify its community which now counts with more than 50 million fans worldwide.

After an unprecedented year for businesses and individuals alike, Wizards of the Coast is proud to look back at the way the team and community came together stronger than ever, despite the need to party up at a distance.

An infographic that illustrates and celebrates the growth of the brand and highlights key milestones in the year ahead for D&D can be found here: A History Check On 2020” infographic.

Key stats from 2020 include:

  •  More than 50 Million players to date!
  •  7th consecutive year of growth
  •  Sales increased 33% year-over-year globally
  •  #DND is taking off on TikTok with over 1 Billion views in 2020
  •  Over 4 Million views of D&D Live 2020
  •  Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything was D&D’s most pre-ordered book ever!
  •  March 2020 marked an all-time peak in search interest
  •  Millions of downloaded free materials from D&D’s Stay at Home, Play at Home Hub

In 2020, D&D welcomed even more celebrity players and content creators to the table, be it at D&D Live, D&D Celebration or other exciting games, including the casts of Game of Thrones and Stranger Things as well as WWE Superstars and some of the UK’s top comedians.

“We’re proud that Dungeons & Dragons continued to bring people together during the challenges of the pandemic, providing valuable social connection even when we couldn’t meet in person, as the brand continued to grow strongly. With our video game Dark Alliance, the first D&D and Magic: The Gathering crossover card set, special events such as D&D Live and D&D Celebration, additional TRPG releases, and more to come in 2021 alone, we’re well set-up to sustain this progress. D&D is for everyone, and our growing EMEA¹ team are excited to introduce even more new fans to our legendary world of fantasy storytelling, now and in the years to come. We are hard at work on exciting plans for the future of D&D in our region and look forward to sharing them with you in more detail in the coming months.” – Dan Barrett, Senior Brand Manager – D&D, EMEA.

What’s in store for D&D this year?

Thanks to regular TRPG releases, the co-op action brawler Dark Alliance coming to PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Game Pass on June 22, the exciting MTG and D&D crossover Magic expansion Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms releasing on July 16 and the return of special events such as D&D Live and D&D Celebration, the brand is setting the stage for yet another successful year, continuing to broaden their impact as a leading fantasy franchise in mainstream media.

AI War 2: Zenith Onslaught DLC Out Now

2021/05/19
boothby
Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

Arcen Games is excited to announce the release of a new expansion for its space strategy cult hit AI War 2 — AI War 2: Zenith Onslaught — available now on Steam for $9.99!

To celebrate, the new and definitive AI War 2: Titan Edition is also available today on Steam — including the first two DLCs and the base game. Plus all Arcen titles and DLC are on discount up to 75% off through May 21st at 10:00a Pacific Time!

The most devious and acclaimed artificial intelligence in strategy gaming has continued to evolve over the last year, with many major updates culminating in our recent Paradigm Shift (tutorial and overview videos included in link). AI War 2 is a grand strategy/RTS hybrid that reverses many of the conventions of both genres. Take territory without attracting attention, build your empire with care, and adapt to an ever-evolving galactic battleground.

The Zenith Onslaught expansion is absolutely jam-packed with features. From “small” details like powerful new elite Cruisers that you can put in a new slot in your fleets, to galaxy-spanning empires like the Dark Zenith and the Zenith Architrave, this expansion is filled with new tools to use and new foes to best. Wormhole Borers let certain AIs alter the map topology, while Nomad Planets alter the map topology on their own as they roam around. The Zenith Miners consume entire planets, and Golem variants abound. There are also options to make some of the new fations your allies, and take on the AI together.

AI War 2 and its expansions are available now on Windows PC, Mac, and Linux platforms.

Multiplayer co-op has been feature-complete for months, but is still undergoing testing. The original intent was a simultaneous launch with Zenith Onslaught, but the novel heavily-multithreaded shared-simulation approach has required more testing time than expected. Please feel free to join in and share any feedback you have! The multiplayer in this game required some novel design work that we hope can be useful to other developers; once we’re past the last of the bugs we hope to present our findings so that other games in other genres can benefit from our work in making self-correcting mod-safe multi-threaded complex simulations of arbitrarily large sizes a reality. We expect no more than 1-2 more months of MP beta, as the bug count falls with weekly updates.

To learn more about AI War 2, visit: https://store.steampowered.com/app/573410/AI_War_2/
Discord: https://discordapp.com/invite/5g9ETKn

Summer Game Fest Kickoff Date Announced

2021/05/19
boothby
E3, Geek News, Industry News, News, Trailers / Videos

This June, celebrate the future of video games with the return of Summer Game Fest, an all-digital, free global fan festival. Featuring updates for fans from more than 30 of the industry’s leading game publishers, developers and platforms, Summer Game Fest will include a lineup of original programming, publisher live stream events and more, which fans can watch for free on their streaming platform of choice.

“As a free, fan-first, global experience, Summer Game Fest will bring the entire video game community together for a memorable month of announcements and updates,” said Geoff Keighley, curator, Summer Game Fest.

Summer Game Fest will include updates for fans from the following partners, with more to be announced (in alphabetical order): 2K, Activision, Amazon Games, Annapurna Interactive, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Battlestate Games, Blizzard Entertainment, CAPCOM, Devolver Digital, Dotemu, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Finji, Frontier, Gearbox Publishing, Hi-Rez Studios, Inner Sloth, Koch Media, Mediatonic, MiHoYo, PlayStation, Psyonix, Raw Fury, Riot Games, Saber Interactive, SEGA, Steam, SQUARE ENIX, Tribeca Festival, Tencent Games, Warner Bros. Games, Ubisoft, Wizards of the Coast, and Xbox.

Summer Game Fest will blast off with Kick Off Live!, a spectacular world premiere showcase streaming globally on Thursday, June 10 at 11 am PT / 2 pm ET/ 6 pm GMT. Produced and hosted by Geoff Keighley, creator of The Game Awards, Kick Off Live! will feature more than a dozen world premieres and announcements from select publishers, while also serving as a preview of the exciting publisher livestream events planned during Summer Game Fest.

Kick Off Live! will include a live performance by Weezer, who will debut a brand new, stream safe game soundtrack song that can be freely streamed on Twitch, YouTube and anywhere else without being blocked or losing monetization, in an effort to help eliminate the challenges creators often encounter with popular music. This summer Weezer, along with Green Day and Fall Out Boy, will hit the road for The Hella Mega Tour, a 21-city U.S. outing, bringing the bands to some of the most renowned stadiums including Dodger Stadium, Wrigley Field, Citi Field, Fenway Park, and more.

In addition, Days of the Devs, an in-depth showcase of exciting new independent games, produced and curated by iam8bit and Double Fine Productions, will be featured as part of the Kick Off Live! broadcast.

“The Day of the Devs team handpicked the best of the games and performances from hundreds of submissions from all around the world. What they’ve put together is, for the ninth year in a row, an incredibly inspiring celebration of gaming’s creative spirit,” said Tim Schafer, founder of Double Fine Productions and co-founder of Day of the Devs.

As part of Summer Game Fest, select publishers will directly update fans with free live streamed events, which will be indexed and available to watch on summergamefest.com. Starting today, fans can visit summergamefest.com for a constantly updated calendar of events as they are announced by publishers.

Summer Game Fest’s original programming, including Kickoff Live, will be distributed across all major streaming platforms, including Facebook, Twitch, Twitter, YouTube and more global outlets, and also be available for co-streaming by creators around the world. Amazon’s Prime Gaming will serve as a sponsor of Summer Game Fest.

Fans can follow @summergamefest on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter for continual updates on events and news. Additional world premieres, musical performances, special guests and partners will be announced in the coming weeks.

Six Flags Great Adventure Announces Six Flags Xpedition Dino

2021/05/18
boothby
Geek News, News

Six Flags Great Adventure, the World’s Ultimate Thrill Park, will launch Six Flags Xpedition Dino daily May 28 through September 7. Guests will have the option to drive their own vehicles or walk through this Jurassic adventure, which will feature 30 life-size dinosaurs with realistic movement and sound.

During the day, guests will experience Xpedition Dino as an add-on experience to the Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure:

  •  Drive past life-size, roaring, moving dinosaurs;
  •  Private, wooded path; and
  •  Custom soundtrack guests can stream from any mobile device that marries this prehistoric adventure with the 21st century.

After the safari closes each day, Xpedition Dino will become a thrilling and educational add-on to the theme park and includes:

  •  A wooded, walk-through adventure amongst the life-like dinosaurs;
  •  Detailed information at each dinosaur
  •  Unique and memorable photo experiences.

Guests will see 30 different types of dinosaurs including:

  •  Tyrannosaurus (T. Rex)
  •  Triceratops
  •  Brachiosaurus
  •  Megalosaurus
  •  Utahraptor
  •  Iguanodon

Xpedition Dino is a small upcharge to Memberships, Season Passes and daily tickets. Tickets and reservations should be made in advance at www.sixflags.com/greatadventure.

Subnautica: Below Zero Launch Trailer

2021/05/17
boothby
Geek News, News, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 News, PlayStation 5 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News, Xbox Series X News

Unknown Worlds Entertainment has released the highly anticipated sequel Subnautica: Below Zero for players worldwide to brave the cold and dive into life on Planet 4546B. Subnautica: Below Zero is a new chapter in the Subnautica universe that will drop players into a freezing underwater adventure, set after the events of the original Subnautica. Below Zero challenges players to survive the icy biomes of an alien planet by crafting tools and scavenging for supplies as players unravel its mysteries.

Players can brave the cold today on PC and Mac via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in digital editions. The original Subnautica is available for the first time on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S as well with the release of Below Zero, so handheld and next-gen fans can explore the world of Subnautica from the beginning. Unknown Worlds Entertainment has also partnered with BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. to distribute physical editions in the Americas, EMEA, and Japan at major retailers.

“We’d like to thank all the players who have been with us since Subnautica, and the early access days of Below Zero for making this franchise a success and helping Below Zero get to what it is today,” said Ted Gill, President, Unknown Worlds Entertainment, “Below Zero grew immensely throughout the development process and new players will find an incredible world to explore, filled with surprises for old and new players alike.”

Subnautica: Below Zero offers players a myriad of new challenges and tools to face them, including the Seatruck and Snowfox vehicles that offer new ways to traverse the frozen seascape. Alterra bases offer more variety than before with new room types and even jukeboxes. A stream of quality of life improvements have also been injected into the game for the official launch and throughout the early access period. New icy biomes above and below the surface encourage players to explore, improve their gear, and discover all corners of the map.

The Subnautica series has been critically acclaimed for its massive open world and immersive gameplay that tests how far players are willing to go in wonder of its ocean world. Subnautica: Below Zero features an all-new story, new land environments to explore, new technology to craft, and treacherous mysteries to uncover.

For additional details on Subnautica: Below Zero, please visit: https://unknownworlds.com/subnautica/

For more information regarding BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. please visit: https://www.bandainamcoent.com/

Loki Exclusive New Clip Released

2021/05/17
boothby
Geek News, Movie News, News, Trailers / Videos

An exclusive clip from Marvel Studios’ “Loki” was shown during this past weekend’s 2021 MTV “Movie & TV Awards,” airing live from the Palladium and hosted by Leslie Jones. Marvel Studios’ “Loki” features the God of Mischief as he steps out of his brother’s shadow in a new series that takes place after the events of “Avengers: Endgame.” Tom Hiddleston returns as the title character, joined by Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sophia Di Martino, Wunmi Mosaku and Richard E. Grant. Kate Herron directs “Loki,” and Michael Waldron is head writer.

 

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins Official Trailer

2021/05/17
boothby
Geek News, Movie News, News, Trailers / Videos

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins stars Henry Golding as Snake Eyes, a tenacious loner who is welcomed into an ancient Japanese clan called the Arashikage after saving the life of their heir apparent. Upon arrival in Japan, the Arashikage teach Snake Eyes the ways of the ninja warrior while also providing something he’s been longing for: a home. But, when secrets from his past are revealed, Snake Eyes’ honor and allegiance will be tested – even if that means losing the trust of those closest to him. Based on the iconic G.I. Joe character, Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins also stars Andrew Koji as Storm Shadow, Úrsula Corberó as The Baroness, Samara Weaving as Scarlett, Haruka Abe as Akiko, Tahehiro Hira as Kenta and Iko Uwais as Hard Master.

ONLY IN THEATRES, DOLBY CINEMA, AND IMAX ON JULY 23, 2021

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground New Trailers

2021/05/14
boothby
Geek News, News, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground, the action-packed, turn-based strategy game developed by Gasket Games and published by Focus Home Interactive based on Games Workshop’s iconic IP, has released three new trailers showcasing the game’s different playable factions. In this dark-fantasy universe where immortal knights ride heavenly stardrakes to eradicate Death across the realms, you’ll choose between the stalwart Stormcast Eternals, ghoulish Nighthaunt, and putrescent Maggotkin. Lead your highly customizable forces in combat, unlocking devastating new units, weapons and skills across three solo campaigns and multiplayer.

The Eternals, Storm Ground’s sturdiest warriors, are worthy of their name. Banding together in tight formations around their hero allows them to withstand tons of damage and shine in long battles.

Nighthaunts, on the other hand, are much more fragile, relying on debuffs to weaken their enemies and summoning units to overwhelm them.

Last, but not least, the Maggotkin compensate their generally sluggish movement with an unrivaled ability to control the battlefield, turning hex tiles into dangerous hazard zones that inflict debilitating effects on the toughest of enemies with ease.

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground comes to PlayStation®4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC on May 27. Pre-order today to get a special discount and receive the “Spoils of War Weapon Pack,” featuring an exclusive weapon for each of the game’s three armies. Visit the official game store for more information.

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 Gameplay Trailer

2021/05/14
boothby
Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, PlayStation 5 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News, Xbox Series X News

The latest entry in the best-selling first-person sniping franchise is less than one month away, and CI Games is excited to showcase the full gameplay experience on offer with its latest Gameplay Overview trailer. This new trailer provides a deepdive into the variety of gameplay available in Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2, including sandbox-style maps, customisable weapons and equipment, and, of course, its shiny new feature — 1000m+ extreme-range sniping.

As well as new distances, the title also promises to take the franchise to new heights as the most visually impressive entry yet, when it launches on June 4th, 2021 for Xbox SeriesX/S, Xbox One, PS4 and PC. All PS4 editions of the game qualify for a free digital upgrade to the PS5 version, which will arrive later in the year.

The Gameplay Overview trailer’s powerful narration is voiced by none other than Abubakar Salim, an established actor who’s fast becoming a mainstay in entertainment. Salim provided the voice of Rokhan in World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth (2018), the protagonist, Bayek, in Assassin’s Creed Origins (2017), and also contributed to the latest entry, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (2020). Most recently, he starred in Ridley Scott’s acclaimed sci-fi series, Raised by Wolves (2020).

Digital pre-orders for Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 are now live on the PlayStation and Xbox storefronts, whilst PC owners are able to pre-order the title on Steam. Links for both digital and physical editions of the game can be found on the official SGWC 2 pre-order page. All those who pre-order will receive the following free exclusives:

  • Marcus Tactical: A light sniper rifle with great stability
  • FFF-45 ACP Luring Pistol: A sidearm with special luring ammo
  • Rock AS100: A punishing magazine-fed shotgun, that fires buckshot or slugs
  • Blue Servers Skin
  • Warning Stripes Skin

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 is set in Kuamar, a lawless region of the Middle East, located along the Lebanese and Syrian borders. Players take on the role of Raven, Contract Sniper Assassin, as they attempt to take down the brutal dictatorship installed by President Bibi Rashida and her husband, Omar Al-Bakr. Contracts 2 takes the sandbox design of the first game to the next level with extreme long-range sniping, adding to the variety of objectives players will tackle and revisit using realistic weapons, gadgets, and skills they’ll enhance with unlockable upgrades.

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 aims to set a new bar for the best-selling first-person sniping franchise of all time, when it launches on June 4th, 2021 for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4 and PC at $39.99 / €39,99 / £34,99 / AUD69.95. The PS5 version will arrive later in the year, but PS5 players needn’t wait, as all PS4 editions of the game arrive with a free digital upgrade to the next-generation version, upon its release later this year.

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 Features:

  • 1000m+ extreme-range sniping
  • A dramatic single-player campaign set in modern-day Middle East, with 5 distinct sandbox maps featuring a variety of fully accessible, interactive areas players can approach their own way
  • Next-level realism with realistic gadgets and weapons customizable to fit different styles of play
  • Replayable missions that can be completed in a number of ways, with unlockable rewards for achieving all objectives
  • More intelligent adversaries with improved tactics
  • Next-generation features including enhanced visuals, 4k resolution, and improved loading times, setting a new benchmark as the best looking Sniper Ghost Warrior game thus far
  • Special pre-order bonuses:
    • Marcus Tactical: A light sniper rifle with great stability
    • FFF-45 ACP Luring Pistol: A sidearm with special luring ammo
    • Rock AS100: A punishing magazine-fed shotgun, that fires buckshot or slugs
    • Two Weapon Skins.

For more information about Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2, head to www.SniperGhostWarriorContracts2.com.