Author - boothby

Way of the Passive Fist Launch Trailer

2018/03/06
boothby
Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

Toronto, CANADA – March 6, 2018 – Independent developer Household Games has launched their highly-anticipated debut title,  Way of the Passive Fist, on PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system via the PlayStation®Store and Windows PC/Mac/Linux via Steam for $14.99 USD (€11.99). Xbox One enthusiasts can purchase Way of the Passive Fist through the Xbox Games Store as part of the ID@Xbox program at midnight, March 7th. Way of the Passive Fist’s release is celebrated by a new gameplay launch trailer:

The praised single player side-scrolling action arcade brawler game is the debut project from developer Household Games. Way of the Passive Fist is among one of five indie games to be included in GameSpot’s “Hidden Gems: 5 Games To Be Excited About In 2018” list, and the title sparked Rock, Paper, Shotgun to coin the term “Parrylicious.” In 2017, Way of the Passive Fist was selected to participate in curated indie game showcases with Indie MEGABOOTH at PAX West in Seattle, as well as 5th Annual Day of the Devs in San Francisco, produced by Double Fine and iam8bit.

The core of Way of the Passive Fist’s gameplay is its unique defensive fighting style to outlast and exhaust the enemies where players must master the timing of their parries, deflections, dashes, and dodges. Playing as the Wanderer, players should rack up their combo meter by timing their parries and dodges to deliver damaging offensive blows when facing off the different bosses at the end of each chapter.

Way of the Passive Fist also has a vast array of accessibility features, to give players a customizable experience and tailor the settings to their liking. Players will be able to fully remap the control scheme to play one-handed, modify the game settings if they’re visually impaired or sensitive to sudden flashing lights, as well as customize gameplay difficulty settings to fit their play-style. VICE’s gaming culture website, Waypoint, has praised the developer’s approach in creating and offering these distinct accessibility features, saying that Way of the Passive Fist’saccessibility is one of the coolest features and that “more games should steal these options from (the) Way of the Passive Fist.”

“This is such an exciting moment for Household Games. I’m extremely proud of the work that our team did to create Way of the Passive Fist and make a game that can be enjoyed by a wide range of players no matter their ability-level,” said Jason Canam, Founder of Household Games. “We genuinely aimed to give players a different arcade brawler experience and the team has delivered on that promise. Players will quickly learn that timing is everything in Way of the Passive Fist and how satisfying the perfectly timed defensive fighting gameplay can be. It’s been a long time coming, it’s well worth the wait.”

To learn more about Way of the Passive Fist, visit: www.wayofthepassivefist.com. Fans can follow the game and studio via social media: Twitter @HHGamesInc, Instagram @householdgames and Facebook www.facebook.com/householdgames.

Made Possible with the support of the Ontario Media Development Corporation.
www.omdc.on.ca

Inside XBOX Announced

2018/03/05
boothby
Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Xbox One News

Director of programming at Xbox, Tina Summerford, announced a new, monthly show called Inside Xbox. You can check out the full announcement below and at the Xbox Wire.

I’m thrilled to announce that Inside Xbox will debut on March 10th at 12:00PM PST, marking the dawn of a brand-new way for the team to celebrate our news, our games, and our fans.

Inside Xbox is many things. A premier live news broadcast that will highlight breaking announcements and a peek behind the curtain of Team Xbox. A glimpse at the mysteries of game design and a celebration of some of the month’s most exciting games and features. Most of all, it’s an opportunity for us to celebrate and listen to you, the community. All of this will be available streaming in 4K/UHD on supported services and platforms.

You can watch Inside Xbox in all the places you would expect, including Mixer.com/Xbox, YouTube.com/Xbox, Twitch.TV/Xbox, and Facebook.com/Xbox.

For us, Inside Xbox is the next step on a path Team Xbox has been traveling for many years. From programs like feedback.xbox.com to the Xbox Insider Program, and the great work the team has done with Gaming For Everyone, we believe strongly in transparency, inclusion, and having an authentic two-way conversation with our fans. We want to hear from you as much as we want you to hear from us.

Whether you want us to celebrate your clutch 1v4 Chicken Dinner in PUBG, show off your epic treasure haul in Sea of Thieves, ask questions of our interviewees, provide feedback, or just want to sass (politely of course) our friendly hosts, drop us a line using #insidexbox on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. We may highlight your content or commentary from our dedicated community desk on the show, overseen by our good friends Rukari Austin and Alex Hebert.

Of course, we’ll also be unlocking the “free stuff chest” with prizes and giveaways for those that participate in the conversation, including some great MixPot giveaways, so make sure you’ve got your Mixer account all squared away and connected to your Microsoft Account.

Hosting the show will be Xbox luminaries Larry Hryb, Graeme Boyd, Jeff Rubenstein, Alex Hebert, Lydia Ellery, and more.

For our inaugural episode, these fine folks will be crewing a ship bursting at the seams with content. We’ll be sitting down with Rare to discuss the incredible energy from fans surrounding Sea of Thieves, including an illuminating conversation on the core design principle that drives the game, how they’ve acted on feedback from the Closed Beta, and what fans can expect from the game at launch (as well as a tantalizing hint of new adventures to come post-launch).

We’ll be breaking Xbox Game Pass news, debuting upcoming new console features, forging gold (true story), and saying hello to two wonderful old friends (one human, one plastic). You’ll also be able to enjoy a sit-down with Microsoft Studios Executive Producer Nico Bihary to discuss Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds, explore what it’s like to bring Far Cry 5’s most polarizing character to life, and much more.

We hope Inside Xbox will become a monthly communal event for us and for you. We hope you’ll be energized by what’s coming, better educated about what’s new, and empowered to better enjoy our favorite pastime with great new features and content.

Welcome back to Inside Xbox, and we’ll see you online on March 10th at 12:00PM PST.

BenQ Launches True 4K HDR TK800 Projector

2018/03/05
boothby
Geek News, News, Tech News

COSTA MESA, Calif. — March 5, 2018 — BenQ America Corp., an internationally renowned provider of visual display solutions, today announced the TK800 Home Entertainment DLP projector, which delivers heart-pounding 4K UHD sports action and movies in the comfort of well-lit living rooms or media rooms. Built to showcase the world’s greatest sporting events, TK800 is meticulously engineered to deliver breathtaking picture quality, custom audio/video modes, and easy setup with modern style.

The TK800 is the second true 4K (3840 x 2160) UHD-resolution projector to launch from BenQ in 2018, following the poplar 2,200-lumen HT2550 launched in January. Like the HT2550, the TK800 produces stunningly lifelike video with 8.3 million distinct pixels and using projector-optimized HDR to enhance brightness and contrast, all with one-step image optimization and automatic HDR natural color rendition. TK800’s brand-new, innovative 4K RGBW color wheel achieves 92 percent of Rec. 709 color gamut with 3,000-lumen high brightness. The result is awe-inspiring projected picture quality in bright environments with ambient lighting, such as living rooms and backyard parties.

TK800 fully captures the excitement and thrill of watching live sports, with dedicated Football and Sports modes that make viewers feel as if they are attending in person. Football Mode preserves natural skin tones while intensifying lush green grass, simultaneously clarifying the announcer’s commentary against the cheering crowd of an open-air stadium. Likewise, for indoor sports, Sports Mode prioritizes realistic skin shades while enhancing wood tones, vivid reds, and balanced greens and blues. Clear acoustical quality brings out the announcer’s voice and details such as squeaking sneakers, referee whistles, and ice scraping under skates.

TK800’s CinemaMaster Audio+ 2 sound system is newly upgraded with a significantly wider frequency range and 5-watt power, using sophisticated materials such as an aluminum driver diaphragm and resonant sound chambers for delicate details, pure vocals, and resounding bass.

A true 4K DLP projector with high brightness for the living room, the sleek and compact TK800 blends beautifully into any décor simply and conveniently, with automatic keystone correction and 1.2X zoom flexibility to accommodate any space.

Powered by infinitely durable Oscar®-winning Digital Light Processing technology, TK800 delivers long-lasting picture quality with precise colors and razor-sharp clarity without maintenance or degradation.

The BenQ TK800 Home Entertainment projector will be available in April from select retailers at an MSRP of $1,499. Read more about the TK800 projector on the BenQ website.

More information on the full line of BenQ products is available at www.BenQ.com.

Blizzard Announces StarCraft 20th Anniversary Celebration

2018/03/05
boothby
Geek News, News, Windows PC News

March 5, 2018 – StarCraft officially turns 20 on March 31, 2018, and all throughout the month, we’ll be celebrating this epic milestone alongside our epic community of players. Revisit the saga that introduced the world to iconic characters like Jim Raynor, Sarah Kerrigan, and Zeratul, and helped set the stage for esports as we know them today.

  • SC20 Short Video Feature. We’re debuting StarCraft Is Life: A 20th Anniversary Celebration on March 31, a short film featuring interviews with StarCraft players from around the world, who share how the series has impacted their lives in profound ways.
  • StarCraft Anniversary Live Stream. Join us on March 30 and 31 for a live celebration of StarCraft’s 20th Anniversary featuring your favorite StarCraft personalities old and new. Tune in on Twitch during the stream to earn a commemorative console skin. Earn even more StarCraft II goodies by watching StarCraft on Twitch throughout the entire month!
  • Party Across Games. It may be StarCraft’s birthday, but all our universes are joining in on the celebration. During the month of March, we’re giving out all kinds of exclusive bonuses and goodies when you log into your favorite Blizzard games.
  • StarCraft II: Celebrate StarCraft’s anniversary by logging into StarCraft II and earn Remastered Terran, Zerg, and Protoss console skins, a 20 Years of StarCraft portrait, 20 Years of StarCraft login achievement, and 20 Years of Terran, Zerg, and Protoss decals. Select StarCraft items II will also be on sale from March 6 through March 20.
  • StarCraft Remastered: Show your StarCraft 20th anniversary love by logging in and getting a cool new console skin. StarCraft Remastered will also be on sale from March 6 through March 20.
  • Heroes of the Storm: Entering the fray will earn you a Protoss, Zerg, and Terran portrait and will test your mettle in StarCraft-themed Brawls. A new Hero from the StarCraft universe will also be coming to the Nexus soon!
  • Diablo III: Call down the Hyperion to Tristram—in a manner of speaking—with the new Battlecruiser pet.
  • World of Warcraft: WoW players can stand up and be recognized when they /salute one of the following StarCraft-themed companion pets: Zergling, Grunty, Mini Thor, Baneling, or Zeradar.
  • Overwatch: One of the Dominion’s deadliest Ghosts meets Talon’s ruthless assassin with the new Kerrigan Widowmaker skin.
  • Hearthstone: Get ready for a StarCraft-inspired Tavern Brawl later this month.

For more information on how each Blizzard game will be celebrating StarCraft, when you can get your hands on these exclusive bonuses and goodies, and for news on all things related to the StarCraft 20th Anniversary, head over to www.starcraft2.com/sc20.

Since its debut in 1998, StarCraft has become widely recognized as one of the most acclaimed and influential real-time strategy series ever made, with over 20 million units sold. The game also established itself as a fixture of global esports, with millions of players still watching top pros like Sasha “Scarlett” Hostyn compete in the StarCraft II World Championship Series (WCS).

Lara Croft Comes to Final Fantasy Brave Exvius

2018/03/05
boothby
Geek News, Mobile News, News, Trailers / Videos

LOS ANGELES (March 5, 2018) – As a celebration of the upcoming motion picture release of TOMB RAIDER (in theaters on March 16), SQUARE ENIX® has brought the iconic treasure hunter to the hit free-to-play RPG FINAL FANTASY® BRAVE EXVIUS® for a limited time starting March 9. The trailer highlighting this collaboration event is available on YouTube:

From March 9 through March 22, all players will be able to add Lara Croft from the action-adventure video game, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris to their roster. Players must complete the first event stage or collect daily login bonuses to obtain the playable heroine. The daily login bonuses will run fromMarch 9 through March 21 and reward players with generous prizes including 10+1 Summon Ticket and Lapis.

The new collaboration event will give players the opportunity to battle the Apep boss during the Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris raid. Additionally, FINAL FANTASY BRAVE EXVIUS characters will be reskinned based on characters from Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris including Explorer Aileen, Divine Soleil, and Pharaoh Abe – available for a limited time through gacha summon pickups.

Several new updates will be added to the game during the collaboration event as well. Beginning March 6, new players can acquire the 5* max Level Ashe (FINAL FANTASY XII) from the tutorial gacha, pick up 5* Lightning (FINAL FANTASY XIII) as a reward through the Rookie Mission and more.

FINAL FANTASY BRAVE EXVIUS is available as a free-to-play app (with in-app purchases) through the App Store, Google Play and on the Amazon App Store. For the latest assets, please visit the press site athttp://sqex.to/Media.

This title is developed as a collaboration between SQUARE ENIX and gumi Inc. (developer of the hit titleBrave Frontier). The game is available in six languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese (traditional) and Korean.

Train Sim World: Founders Edition Xbox One Launch Screens

2018/03/02
boothby
Geek News, News, Screenshots / Photos, Xbox One News

CHATHAM, Kent – March 2, 2018 – Dovetail Games, the multi award-winning developer and publisher of simulation games, is pleased to confirm Train Sim World® Founders Edition will arrive exclusively on Xbox One on March 9, 2018.

Train Sim World Founders Edition is a first-person train simulator that delivers the experience of being a train driver on your Xbox One. Designed to provide the perfect introduction to Train Sim World for Xbox One players and fully optimized for performance and playability, Train Sim World Founders Edition enables you to quickly progress from learning the basics in accessible tutorials to confidently using the fully functioning cab controls without any assistance.

Powered by Unreal Engine 4® technology and Dovetail Games’ proprietary SimuGraph® vehicle dynamics engine, Train Sim World uses real-world data to accurately replicate the performance, sound and feel of real trains. Players can truly feel the detail as they explore the world and interact with the trains. Featuring distinctly different types of locomotives, Train Sim World Founders Edition allows complete interactivity in the cab via an intuitive interface designed for the Xbox controller.

Experience a full day-in-the-life in Service Mode, which features a timetable based on real-world activities. Hop on and off a range of services as they carry out their duties, and choose to be either a driver or a passenger. With a timetable to keep and passengers to transport on time, your skill, focus and endurance will be tested to the limit!

Rob O’Farrell, SVP, Development at Dovetail Games, said, “Train Sim World Founders Edition is the perfect fit for Xbox One. We wanted to ensure that we struck the right balance between accessibility and authenticity so the player gets an experience that on one hand feels intuitive and on the other hand feels challenging and rewarding. We’re excited to be delivering a true simulation experience on the Xbox One, and we can’t wait to see what people do with it.”

Chris Charla, Director of ID@Xbox at Microsoft, said, “We are excited to continue our great relationship with Dovetail Games and to help enable them to deliver new and differentiated experiences to Xbox One gamers. Train Sim World Founders Edition is a wonderful point for simulation gaming, and we’re super excited to have it on Xbox One!”

Train Sim World Founders Edition is now available to preorder on the Xbox Games Store at a price of $29.99.

For further information, please visit www.trainsimworld.com.

Pizza Connection 3 Research Trailer

2018/03/02
boothby
Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

Wiesbaden, 02 March 2018 – In Pizza Connection 3 players always should invest in researching new technologies to keep up with their competitors. It’s totally up to you if you want to concentrate on innovative advertising measures, new restaurant furnishings or, for example, the improvement of your gangsters. The fourth feature video offers a brief insight into the research possibilities:

Assemble Entertainment will release Pizza Connection 3 on March 22 Europe-wide in retail and worldwide digital for PC, Mac and Linux (SteamOS) at a recommended retail price of €29.99. The business simulation is being developed by the Assemble-own developer Studio Gentlymad in Wiesbaden. Pizza Connection 3 can be pre-ordered on various digital portals, for example Steam, with a 15% discount.

Ubisoft Acquires Brawlhalla Dev Blue Mammoth Games

2018/03/02
boothby
Geek News, Industry News, News

PARIS – March 2, 2018 – Today, Ubisoft announced the acquisition of the video game development studio Blue Mammoth Games. With the acquisition, Ubisoft adds Brawlhalla, currently the most played fighting game on Steam, to its portfolio and bolsters its online expertise.

Blue Mammoth Games is based near Atlanta, Georgia, and is comprised of 21 talented team members, including founders Matthew Woomer and Lincoln Hamilton, who have a strong massive multiplayer online background. The studio developed and published Brawlhalla, a free-to-play online brawler that is among the top free-to-play games on PS4. Engagement in Brawlhalla as an esports grew exponentially in its second season, and they recently kicked off the third year of esports events, including a partnership with Dreamhack for the Brawlhalla World Championship.

“The team at Blue Mammoth Games is expert at developing and running scalable, competitive, multiplayer online games, and they’ll be a great addition to Ubisoft’s network of studios,” said Laurent Detoc, President of Ubisoft NCSA. “With Brawlhalla, we’re getting a hugely popular and highly-profitable title that aligns with our strategy of expanding our audience and providing players with long-lasting, entertaining gaming experiences.”

“We’re looking forward to leveraging Ubisoft’s expertise and resources to continue developing and supporting Brawlhalla for the long term, and to benefiting from their help in bringing the game to new players,” said Matthew Woomer and Lincoln Hamilton, Blue Mammoth Games founders.

This acquisition of Blue Mammoth Games is expected to be immediately accretive to Ubisoft’s earnings. The acquisition was closed on March 1, 2018. Additional terms of the deal are not being disclosed.

Far Cry 5 Live Action Short Film Inside Eden’s Gate Announced

2018/03/01
boothby
Geek News, Movie News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

SAN FRANCISCO — March 1, 2018 — Today, Ubisoft announced Far Cry 5 Inside Eden’s Gate, an original short film inspired by the upcoming release of Far Cry 5, will stream exclusively on Prime Video starting  March 5, via Prime Video Direct (formerly Amazon Video Direct). Set in the fictional Hope County, Montana, Inside Eden’s Gate will delve deeper into the Project at Eden’s Gate and its ruthless leader, Joseph Seed. The short film is produced in partnership with Asylum, an award-winning division of prolific feature film studio Legendary Entertainment.

In Inside Eden’s Gate, rumors of a fanatical cult called The Project at Eden’s Gate lure three vloggers to the remote Hope County, Montana. As the vloggers follow the leads of missing locals and other strange events, they come face-to-face with Joseph Seed, played by the same actor as the in-game version of the cult leader, and the rest of the fanatical doomsday cult. Produced by Asylum Entertainment, Inside Eden’s Gate features Greg Bryk (A History of Violence) and Kyle Gallner (American Sniper).

“At Ubisoft, we always strive to build worlds and narratives that actively engage our consumers both in and outside of our core gaming experiences,” said Tony Key, senior vice president of marketing and consumer experience, Ubisoft. “Our partnership with Asylum Entertainment provided a unique opportunity for the team to work with top-tier acting talent in Greg Bryk that bridges the consumers’ experience from the short film to the game.”

Set in America, a first for the franchise, Far Cry 5 offers players total freedom to navigate a serene-looking yet deeply twisted world as the new junior deputy of fictional Hope County, Montana. Players will find that their arrival accelerates a years-long silent coup by a fanatical doomsday cult, the Project at Eden’s Gate, igniting a violent takeover of the county. Under siege and cut off from the rest of the world, players will join forces with residents of Hope County and form the Resistance.

For more information about Far Cry 5, please visit farcry.com and follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/farcry.usa and on Twitter at twitter.com/farcrygame or hashtag #FarCry5.

For the latest on Far Cry 5 and other Ubisoft games, please visit news.ubisoft.com.

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery Official Teaser Trailer

2018/03/01
boothby
Geek News, Mobile News, News, Trailers / Videos

March 1, 2018 – Google pre-registration for Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery is now open. Fans can pre-register on Google Play to be the first to be notified when the game launches. Jam City also unveiled Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery’s second official trailer. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery is licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, developed by Jam City and will be released this spring for mobile devices under Portkey Games™, the new label for gaming experiences inspired by the magic and adventures of the Wizarding World™. The title will be available on the App Store and Google Play.

“We are grateful to the fans who have made Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery one of the most anticipated mobile games of 2018,” said Chris DeWolfe, co-founder and CEO of Jam City. “We’re thrilled to open Google pre-registration and share a new sneak peek at how this game will let fans create their own character and enter Hogwarts as a student for the first time.”

For more details on Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery and to connect with other fans , visit www.facebook.com/HPHogwartsMystery/, www.twitter.com/HogwartsMystery,
and for more information visit www.HarryPotterHogwartsMystery.com.