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Mordor Expansion Launches for The Lord of the Rings Online

2017/08/03

August 3, 2017 – Mordor™, the long-awaited expansion for The Lord of the Rings Online™, is available to play today. This expansion allows players the ability to explore the shadowy lands beyond the Black Gate and includes:

Over 300 new quests: Players journey into Mordor and plunge into a new adventure, filled with lost stories, unfamiliar enemies, and the opportunity to fight through the lands around Mount Doom and beyond.
A new allegiance system: Pledge support to one of the factions seeking to reclaim this long-lost piece of Middle-earth. Players will be able to gain bonuses, story and exclusive gear along the way!
Crafting and gear updates: Players are able to customize their Hero with all-new armor, weapons, accessories, and more!
A new race – the High Elf. With the purchase of the Collector’s Edition or the Ultimate Fan Bundle, players will be able to ally with the High Elf.
Extensive landscape updates. Explore the beautiful and terrifying landscape of Gorgoroth to discover hidden treasures and additional rewards.

Players can purchase the Ultimate Fan Bundle for $129.99, the Collector’s Edition for $79.99 and Standard Edition of the expansion for $39.99. The Collector’s Edition comes with extras including the High Elf race, alliance cosmetics, exclusive title and more. The Ultimate Fan Bundle includes all of the perks of the Collector’s Edition in addition to exclusive Mordor cosmetics, an equippable XP accelerator for all characters, special relics and VIP access for one month.

You can find descriptions for each expansion edition here: http://store.turbine.com/store/turbine/en_US/custom/pbpage.lotro-mordor

Published by Standing Stone Games, The Lord of the Rings Online™ (LOTRO) is the world’s first and only MMOG based on the books of J.R.R. Tolkien. Players can experience the most famous fantasy world of all time, exploring and adventuring with their heroes through the vast reaches of Middle-earth in the fight against the forces of the Dark Lord Sauron. For more information, visit www.LOTRO.com.

Standing Stone Games, LLC is a global provider of handcrafted, story-driven massively multiplayer online games. Best-known for its acclaimed franchises The Lord of the Rings Online™ and Dungeons & Dragons Online®, Standing Stone Games designs and builds lore-rich, immersive worlds that allow you to live, play and share with our devoted communities. To learn more, visit www.standingstonegames.com.

Corsair Unveils New Corsair One Gaming PC Models

2017/08/03

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Geek News, News, Tech News

FREMONT, CA – August 3^rd, 2017 – CORSAIR^®, a world leader in enthusiast memory, high-performance gaming hardware and PC components, today announced three powerful new configurations of its multi-award-winning CORSAIR ONE performance PC. Hailed by press as “the new benchmark for small-form-factor gaming systems*” and “a triumph in both performance and design**,” CORSAIR ONE has redefined what gamers, content creators and power-users can expect from a small-form factor PC.

Now CORSAIR takes CORSAIR ONE even further, with three new configurations pushing the limits of PC performance. Equipped with a liquid-cooled Intel® Core™ i7 7700K CPU, Intel® 200 Series motherboard and iconic bead-blasted aluminum casing, CORSAIR ONE PRO is now available with NVIDIA’s most powerful GeForce GPU, the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti in top-end models, high-speed M.2 NVMe SSD storage, and up to 32GB of CORSAIR DDR4 memory. Incredibly small and unbelievably quiet, CORSAIR ONE is now available fully loaded to master the most advanced games and demanding workloads. It’s the fastest ONE yet.

The Ultimate GeForce – Introducing CORSAIR ONE PRO with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti

By popular demand, CORSAIR ONE PRO is now available with NVIDIA’s flagship GeForce GPU, the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, boasting irresponsible levels of graphics performance. Liquid cooled using CORSAIR ONE’s unique dual-loop convection cooling, the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti in CORSAIR ONE boosts clock speeds to 100MHz faster than an equivalent air-cooled GPU, all while running at temperatures close to 30°C cooler. Fueling the GTX 1080 Ti is an upgraded 80 PLUS® Gold certified 500W PSU, ensuring stable power and even quieter operation. Pushing the limits of 4K, VR and 3D performance, the CORSAIR ONE PRO now wields the power of the Ultimate GeForce GPU.

Feel the Need for (read and write) Speed – M.2 NVMe SSD Storage comes to CORSAIR ONE PRO

All three new configurations of CORSAIR ONE PRO now boast 480GB of advanced M.2 NVMe SSD storage, accelerating read and write speeds far beyond those possible with traditional SATA SSDs. Boot faster, load games quicker and accelerate file transfers with up to 5x the speeds possible via a single SATA SSD. Not forgetting storage capacity, all CORSAIR ONE PRO systems are also equipped with a high-capacity 2TB HDD, so there’s no choosing between speed or size; CORSAIR ONE has both.

Bigger is Better – VENEGANCE LPX DDR4 Memory, now with up to 32GB

Pushing the limits of the Intel Z270 chipset, the new top-end configuration of CORSAIR ONE increases the generous 16GB of CORSAIR VENGEANCE LPX DDR4 memory to a massive 32GB of 2,400MHz VENGEANCE LPX DDR4. Specifically selected for maximum compatibility, performance and stability with CORSAIR ONE’s Z270 motherboard, all 32GB of DDR4 stands ready for the most demanding photography, video editing or 3D rendering tasks.

I Want More – Upgrade Guides and DDR4 Kits Now Available

CORSAIR is a company run by PC enthusiasts, always eyeing the next upgrade and performance improvement. That’s why CORSAIR is happy to announce that all current and future CORSAIR ONE PCs can now be end-user serviced for both storage and memory upgrades without impacting the warranty. All CORSAIR SSDs are supported for 2.5in drive expansion, while a specially qualified CORSAIR 32GB VENGEANCE LPX DDR4 kit is now available for existing and future CORSAIR ONE owners who need extra DDR4 capacity.

Specifications for New CORSAIR ONE Configurations***:

	CORSAIR ONE PRO	CORSAIR ONE PRO	CORSAIR ONE PRO
Chassis	Black, VR Ready	Black, VR Ready	Black, VR Ready
CPU	Intel i7-7700K Liquid Cooled	Intel i7-7700K Liquid Cooled	Intel i7-7700K Liquid Cooled
GPU	NVIDIA GTX 1080 Liquid Cooled	NVIDIA GTX 1080 Ti Liquid Cooled	NVIDIA GTX 1080 Ti Liquid Cooled
DRAM	16GB 2,400MHZ DDR4	16GB 2,400MHZ DDR4	32GB 2,400MHZ DDR4
Storage	480GB m.2 NVMe SSD, 2TB HDD	480GB m.2 NVMe SSD, 2TB HDD	480GB m.2 NVMe SSD, 2TB HDD
Motherboard	Z270	Z270	Z270
PSU	400W SFX, 80 PLUS Gold	500W SFX, 80 PLUS Gold	500W SFX, 80 PLUS Gold
OS	Windows 10 Home	Windows 10 Home	Windows 10 Home
MSRP	$2,299.99 Exc. TAX	$2,699.99 Exc. TAX	$2,899.99 Exc. TAX

Availability, Warranty and Pricing

CORSAIR ONE is available to immediately in North America, Europe and Australia from the CORSAIR worldwide network of authorized retailers and distributors and direct from the CORSAIR webstore. Select configurations are only available direct from the CORSAIR Webstore. CORSAIR ONE is backed by a comprehensive two-year warranty and the CORSAIR worldwide customer support network, which includes dedicated technical support, 24 Hour Phone support and an included suite of self-diagnostic tools.

For up-to-date and regional pricing, please contact your local CORSAIR sales or PR representative.

Web Pages

To learn more about CORSAIR ONE please visit:

http://www.corsair.com/one

Razer Announces Chroma Hardware Development Kit (HDK)

2017/08/03

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Geek News, News

IRVINE, (Calif.) – Razer™, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced the Razer Chroma Hardware Development Kit (HDK), the world’s most advanced modular lighting system for PC gamers and enthusiasts. Integrated within the Razer Chroma ecosystem, the Chroma HDK offers all-in-one color customization with precise control down to the individual LED.

Users can shape and bend the LED strips to fit virtually any surface to light up an entire room, home or office for total game immersion. The individually controllable lights are integrated into Razer Synapse 3, and are powered by Razer Chroma™ technology, which unlocks customizable lighting features that can be synced across devices.

The Razer Chroma HDK supports 4 channel output with a total capacity of 64 RGB LEDs. Included in the box are 2 LED strips that have 16 LED’s each and additionally, the Razer Lightpack Extension Kit (purchased separately) comes with a pair of LED strips and extension cables.

Gamers can choose from 16.8 million colors and a variety of effects. Custom settings can be created using the all-new Chroma Studio on Razer Synapse 3 – the next generation device configurator tool that is currently in beta. Using Chroma Studio gamers will be able to synchronize lighting effects across devices and also have the ability for certain effects to be displayed continuously across peripherals based on their physical position relative to the other.

“Razer Chroma is the most advanced lighting configurator in the world, enjoyed by millions of gamers worldwide,” says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder and CEO. “The Chroma HDK allows us to take game immersion to the next level with PC cases, entertainment centers, appliances, and be used wherever else users desire.”

The Chroma HDK will be available from Q3 2017 onwards via RazerStore.com. For more information, visit Razerzone.com/Chroma-HDK

Price:

Razer Chroma HDK: U.S. $79.99 / EU € 99.99

Razer Lightpack Extension Kit for Chroma HDK: U.S. $28.99 / EU € 34.99

Availability:

Q3 2017 on Razerzone.com and authorized Razer resellers worldwide

Product features:

Razer Chroma HDK module with 4 lighting channels
Includes 2 LED strips
Install inside or outside your PC case
Works with Razer Synapse 3 and Chroma Studio
Razer Chroma SDK enabled Razer Chroma HDK with 4 channel lighting output
USB connection for data and power
DC output for additional power and brightness
Included Molex to DC power adapter for internal case lighting
Double sided adhesive tape for mounting
Razer Synapse-enabled
Razer Chroma SDK-enabled

Size and Dimensions

Razer Chroma HDK: 10 cm x 7 cm x 1.5 cm / 3.9” x 2.7” x 0.6” inches
LED strip length: 50 cm / 19.6”
Extender cable length: 30 cm / 11.1”
Micro USB data cable: 100 cm / 39”
USB to DC power cable: 150 cm / 59”

Package Contents

Razer Chroma HDK module
2 LED strips (16 LED’s each)
2 Extender cables
Micro USB data cable
USB to DC power cable
4-pin Molex to DC cable
DC power adaptor

For more information about the Razer Chroma HDK, please visit www.razerzone.com/chromahdk.

Rise of the Goblins Now Available for Pathfinder Adventures

2017/08/02

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Geek News, Mobile News, News, Windows PC News

IRVINE, Calif. – Aug. 2, 2017 – Obsidian Entertainment and Asmodee Digital today announced the launch of Rise of the Goblins, a new content pack for Pathfinder Adventures on PC, iOS, and Android devices. Rise of the Goblins offers a new adventure that puts players in the shoes of new goblin characters as they embark on a twisting tale of mischief and mayhem.

Rise of the Goblins is available now at a special launch price of $5.99 ($8.99 after this week) for PC, Mac, iOS and Android. The content will also be on sale for one week for $5.99. Purchase and download links for Pathfinder Adventures are below:

Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/539591/Pathfinder_Adventures__Rise_of_the_Goblins/

iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pathfinder-adventures/id966333863?mt=8

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.obsidian.pacg1&hl=en

Rise of the Goblins tells the other side of the Pathfinder Adventures story, and puts players in charge of the goblin attack on Sandpoint that kicks off the Rise of the Runelords campaign. Pathfinder Adventures players will get the opportunity to wreck the havoc they attempted to solve as Pathfinder’s legendary Iconic characters in the beginning of Rise of the Runelords, using updated cards that turn former barriers into boons, and vice versa. Drawing inspiration from the We Be Goblins! module for the Pathfinder tabletop RPG, Rise of the Goblins’ full-length campaign will give players the chance to experience the same type of engaging stories that brought the original Iconics to life – only this time, everyone is a goblin!

Veterans of the physical Pathfinder Adventures game will recognize Ranzak from the Skull & Shackles adventure deck and Poog from the Goblin Burn! deck, the two new goblin Iconics available for players to use in both the Rise of the Runelords and Rise of the Goblins campaigns. Ranzak and Poog have unique classes and powers from the other Iconic characters, and goblin versions of the original Iconics have also been added for players to build out their parties. Further building on the theme, Rise of the Goblins introduces new visual components (including a set of distinctly goblinoid dice) and gameplay updates to make the goblins feel even more real.

Dreadnought PlayStation 4 Now in Open Beta

2017/08/01

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Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos

HOUSTON and BERLIN – Aug. 1, 2017 – Grey Box, Six Foot and independent developer YAGER have launched Dreadnought, the class-based spaceship action game, into free-to-play open beta for all users on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system via the PlayStation®Store. The console-exclusive Hactar Hero Ship, a new ShareFactory theme, and two dynamic themes for the title are also available for free today through the PlayStation®Store.

In addition to the maps featured in closed beta, the PlayStation®4 open beta of Dreadnought introduces two game maps new to consoles and six bonus night map variations. It includes four game types: Team Deathmatch, Team Elimination, Training, and Havoc modes. Havoc is a cooperative mode exclusive to PlayStation®4 in which three players attempt to survive as long as possible against progressively tougher waves of enemies using ships they select and upgrade over the course of each match.

Dreadnought puts players in the captain’s chair of massive capital ships and on the front lines of tactical, team-based battles across a variety of competitive, multiplayer game modes. There are more than 50 playable vessels to master, each customizable with an array of weapons, modules, coatings and decals. Five distinct ship classes, specializing in vital roles like frontline assault, long-range bombardment, strategic support and more, offer captains unique powers to exploit the enemy team’s weaknesses and claim victory.

Dreadnought is being created for the PlayStation®4 by lead developer YAGER and co-developer Iron Galaxy Studios in partnership with Six Foot and Grey Box. It is also currently in open beta on Windows PC.

For further updates as open beta progresses, follow Dreadnought on Facebook, Twitter and Twitch.

Resident Evil Revelations Gets Release Date

2017/08/01

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Geek News, News, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 News, Screenshots / Photos, Xbox One News

August 1, 2017 – Now updated for current generation consoles, Resident Evil Revelations is the acclaimed survival horror title featuring series veterans Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield as they investigate the reportedly abandoned “Queen Zenobia” cruise ship. This new version features a smoother 1920×1080 resolution, an improved framerate, increased environmental detail and refined creature movement, defining the best-looking version of the game to date. All previously released downloadable content is also included in the game as unlockable rewards.

Take on hordes of enemies with a friend online in the returning Raid Mode, which includes “The Ghost Ship: Chaos,” a fresh take on the popular stage with more powerful weapons and ways for players to upgrade their arsenal, and remixed enemy placements for an added challenge. Additionally, four controller schemes based on control types from across the entire series are available in this version of the game for a more flexible experience to accommodate different playstyles.

Resident Evil Revelations launches in North America at retail and digitally on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One August 29 for $19.99. A Nintendo Switch release of both Resident Evil Revelations and its follow up Resident Evil Revelations 2, which features series favorites like Claire Redfield and Barry Burton as they face untold horror, will also be available in Late 2017.

Activision Announces Continuation of Call of Duty Endowment Program

2017/07/31

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Geek News, Industry News, News

SANTA MONICA, Calif., July 28, 2017 — Activision Blizzard (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced it is continuing its award winning in-game program that supports veteran hiring with The Call of Duty™ Endowment (C.O.D.E.) Double Duty Calling Card. With the new animated calling card, players can view a service member transform before their eyes from a uniformed warrior to a civilian on their way to work to show their donation’s meaningful impact for the veteran community. Designed by Treyarch, the C.O.D.E. Double Duty Calling Card, along with a collection of three rare supply drops, is now available in the United States through Call of Duty: Black Ops III for a suggested retail price of $3.99. All gross proceeds received by Activision will be donated to The Call of Duty Endowment (“The Endowment”), which will use all funds to help veterans secure high-quality careers after their military service.

The Endowment is a non-profit founded in 2009 by Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick. With a mission to identify and fund the most effective and efficient employment-focused veteran-serving organizations, the Endowment has funded more than 37,000 job placements to date, at an average 2017 cost-per-placement of $552, with an average starting salary of $56,784, and with a six-month retention rate of 88 percent.

“We’re incredibly excited to continue to bring new content to our community in proud support of the Call of Duty Endowment’s mission,” said Dan Bunting, co-studio head, Treyarch. “This year’s Double Duty Calling Card is animated to highlight the good work the Call of Duty Endowment does to help veterans transition to civilian life.”

“The Call of Duty community has always come out in a big way to support the Endowment and its work to help veterans. We’re so grateful for their backing,” said Dan Goldenberg, Executive Director of The Call of Duty Endowment. “To date, the in-game purchase program alone has helped our grantees get more than 4,000 veterans back to work—that’s about the size of an aircraft carrier’s crew.”

Goldenberg added, “We are profoundly appreciative of the contribution by our partners. This program would not be possible without the continued support of Treyarch, Sledgehammer Games, Infinity Ward, Raven Software, Sony and Microsoft.”

The Double Duty Calling Card and its associated collection of three rare supply drops is available now through February 7, 2018 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC platforms in Call of Duty: Black Ops III.

MSI Unveils Quadro P4000 GPU Equipped Mobile Workstation

2017/07/31

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Geek News, News, Tech News

City of Industry, Calif. – July 31, 2017 – MSI, a world leader in computer hardware, continues to innovate its workstation line with the announcement of the updated WS63, powered by Quadro P4000 with Max-Q Design. With its smaller design, improved graphics performance and optimized air flow system, MSI redefines portable workstation performance.

Based on NVIDIA Pascal architecture, the Quadro P4000 GPU delivers over 40 percent better visualization performance and 1.7 times the computing performance of the previous generation. The WS63 has the performance and memory capacity required for large models, detailed photo-realistic renderings and compelling VR experience in a thin and light mobile workstation chassis.

The P4000 is paired with 8GB GDDR5 memory to drive realistic VR environments, display complex models and easily handle large computational datasets. The WS63 also features NVIDIA GPU Boost 3.0 which automatically maximizes application performance in real time, while staying within the power and thermal envelope available to the GPU. The P4000 dramatically reduces visual aliasing with up to 64 times full-scene antialiasing, supports 16K texture and render processing and Pascal memory compression, increasing bandwidth by up to 20% by reducing the amount of data fetch from memory for each frame.

In addition to the new GPU, the WS63 still maintains all the best features and performance of the previous WS63 model. The WS63 boasts MSI’s Cooler Boost Trinity design with a 41-blade and 37-blade fan for the GPU, five pipes for optimized thermal designed and a 41-blade fan for the CPU. The Whirlwind blade design increases air pressure by 30 percent, reducing the running heat and resulting in a speedier cooling capacity.

“We are excited to bring NVIDIA’s Quadro P4000 GPU to our newest iteration of the WS63 workstation,” said Andy Tung, President of MSI. “With this upgrade, this line will continue to bring incredible performance to the professional market in a thin and light chassis.”

“We are proud of the continued partnership with MSI bringing to market the WS63VR, powered by the Quadro P4000, as a shining example of the technology of NVIDIA unlocking never before capable workflows for the ever-demanding customer today,” says Bob Pette, NVIDIA VP of Professional Visualization. “We look forward to continuing to drive the professional mobile market together with MSI with not only the new WS63VR but also the entire portfolio powered by NVIDIA Quadro solutions.”

The WS63 features built-in biometrics and high-level security for enterprise-grade security and is certified by Windows Hello. The workstation is also protected by an integrated discrete TPM to provide more security and stability in the commercial market.

The 15.6” screen on the WS63 is available as either a Full HD or 4K IPS – Level display. True Color Technology brings accurate colors to the screen panel and the WS63’s screen and performance can also be adjusted through MSI’s Dragon Center software.

The MSI WS63 workstation with Quadro P4000 GPU will be available on July 31 at Amazon, Best Buy and Newegg starting at $3,099.

Codemasters Releases New F1 2017 Gameplay Trailer

2017/07/28

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

Larkspur, Calif. – July 27th, 2017 – With the imminent launch of F1™ 2017, the official videogame of the 2017 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP™, Codemasters and Deep Silver have today released the latest gameplay trailer which showcases how the game spans the history of the sport and highlights several new features. F1 2017 not only allows players to drive the latest cars on the grid, but also gives them access to 12* iconic classics.

F1 2017 releases onto PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one entertainment system by Microsoft, and Windows PC via Steam worldwide on August 25th. The brand-new gameplay trailer can be viewed on the game’s official YouTube channel

In addition to the thrilling new and nostalgic cars, keen observers will notice that players can now race the iconic street circuit in Monaco at night for the first time in the series.

Lee Mather, Creative Director at Codemasters, says, “We know our fans have loved seeing the classic cars being revealed in the recent weeks, but we know they also want to see the new cars in action as well. The 2017 cars present their own unique challenge as they are incredibly fast but wider and heavier than before, therefore we have had to completely rework the physics system to refine the balance between aerodynamics and tire grip.

Lee continued, “Taking on Monaco is always a test of your skills and now we have added the ability to take to these iconic streets at night in both modern day and classic F1 cars. We think our fans are going to love it.”

In addition to the 20 official circuits from the current season, and Monaco at night, players can also take on four brand new short circuits at Britain, Bahrain, the United States and a soon-to-be-announced track.

*Consumers who pre-order or purchase ‘Day One’ copies of F1 2017 will have exclusive access to the iconic 1988 McLaren MP4/4, as part of the ‘F1 2017 Special Edition.’ Alternatively, the McLaren MP4/4 car will be available to be purchased at a later date. The 11 other classic cars are available in all editions of the game.

Follow Codemasters’ F1 games blog (http://blog.codemasters.com/f1/) and social channels on Twitter (https://twitter.com/Formula1game) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/formula1game) for future news, YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/formula1game) for video content, and visit the product website (http://www.formula1-game.com/) for additional information. Further details will be released on the upcoming game soon.

John Kassir to be ScareLA 2017’s Host

2017/07/28

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Geek News, Halloween, News

Los Angeles, CA — We could not believe our eyes when ScareLA surpassed 100,000 fans online last week! To celebrate we are making our 2017 EXTRA scary. Today we are thrilled & terrified to announce the special appearance of John Kassir, of “Tales from the Crypt,” ScareLA’s 2017 Host! Listen to his iconic voice over the loudspeakers of the entire convention all weekend long as he announces special programming and more surprises right from the ScareLA show floor.

The fun will continue into the night in our Saturday night-party venue: Clifton’s Shadowbox Room (Clifton’s Republic, 648 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90014). You’ve heard of the famed Tiki Room, Gothic Bar and five stories of incredible themed-entertainment space at this coveted DTLA staple. But did you know that lurking below the ground there is a room called “The Shadowbox”?!? Few have set foot inside and even fewer have ever left! Open only for ScareLA attendees from 8PM-2AM!

This will be a tale you will never forget: August 5-6 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Tickets for the convention are still available for purchase, but all monsters must act now before quantities die out!

For more information, visit www.scarela.com.