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NYKO Unveils Miniboss Wireless NES Classic Controller

LOS ANGELES – November 3, 2016Inventive console accessories manufacturer Nyko today unveiled Miniboss, a wireless controller for the highly anticipated NES Classic Edition game console. Built to complement the visual look and design of the console, Miniboss offers complete wireless freedom of up to 30 feet. Nyko will also release Extend Link, a six foot extension cable for the wired Nintendo NES Classic controller that triples its reach. Both Miniboss (MSRP $19.99) and Extend Link (MSRP $9.99) are available for pre-order at Nyko.com and GameStop.com, and will be available later this month at Amazon.com and in GameStop stores.

“The original NES is a legendary console that so many of us have fond memories of, and we’ve set out to create an accessory that offers what we at Nyko do best – augment the gaming experience with creative design while respecting the charm of the hardware it complements,” said Chris Arbogast, Nyko’s Director of Sales and Marketing. “We envision gamers playing the amazing lineup of NES Classic Edition titles on their massive flatscreens at home, which require a little more distance from the screen than the old tube TVs. The Miniboss will allow us to play from the comfort of our couch without having to pull the console out to our coffee table.”

Miniboss Key Features

  • Precise button mashing action with complete wireless freedom
  • Two offset ergonomic face buttons
  • Four-way directional pad for perfect up, down, right, and occasional left movement
  • Cord-free gameplay up to 30 feet

Extend Link Key Features

  • Six foot extension cord triples the length of controller cord
  • Enables gameplay at a comfortable distance from screen
  • Compatible with some Wii and Wii U wired controllers

To learn more about Nyko and its various products, visit:

Knott’s Berry Farm Announces Fire and Law Tribute Days

November 3, 2016 – As a thank you to all fire and law personnel in our community, Knott’s Berry Farm will once again be offering their Fire and Law Tribute Days. Knott’s will offer free theme park admission for fire and law personnel and one guest. From November 28, 2016 – December 16, 2016 up to six additional tickets can be purchased for only $32 each. From January 9 – January 31, 2017 up to six additional tickets can be purchased for only $27 each. Fire or law enforcement ID required.  For information and promotion details visit knotts.com/promotions.

November 28 – December 16, 2016 & January 9 – January 31, 2017

Personnel that is eligible: ATF Agents, Bailiffs, California Dept. Of Forestry, California Highway Patrol Officers, City, County, State and Federal Police (sworn officers and civilian employees/support staff), City, County, State and Federal Fire (sworn officers and civilian employees/ support staff), Correctional Officers, County Sheriff Officers, Ambulance Company Emergency Medical Techs, Department of the Youth Authority, District Attorney’s, FBI Agents, Homeland Security, Police Explorers, Peace Officers, Probation Officers, Reserve/volunteer Fire/Law employees, Sherriff’s, U.S. Forest Service Personnel, U.S. Marshals, Wildland Firefighters

Available during park operating hours

Knott’s Berry Farm, 8039 Beach Boulevard, Buena Park, CA 90620

Hot Butterbeer Comes to Universal Studios Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Universal City, CA, November 2, 2016 Delightful, delicious and hot.  Three wonderful words that describe hot Butterbeer™, the newest addition that will be offered seasonally at Three Broomsticks at “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Like its traditional and frozen counterparts, hot Butterbeer is reminiscent of butterscotch and shortbread that’s been perfectly fine-tuned as a Hogsmeade treat.

Three Broomsticks, an aged rustic tavern, caters to guests with an array of authentic British breakfast, lunchtime and dinner fare while they are seated at custom-made wooden tables, chairs and benches in a warm and inviting atmosphere inspired by the Harry Potter books and films.

The eclectic menu offers such tasty staples as Bangers & Mash (savory grilled English sausages with creamy mashed potatoes and minted peas), Shepherd’s Pie (ground beef and vegetables, crowned with a crust of mashed potatoes), Beef Sunday Roast (prime rib of beef with Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes and gravy), Beef, Lamb & Guinness Stew, and Fish & Chips.  In addition to Butterbeer Potted Cream, Sticky Toffee Pudding rounds out the hearty British fare.

Scrumptious traditional English breakfast items invite guests to start their day at “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter,” including the Eggy Bread breakfast (freshly baked baguette dipped in a cinnamon egg batter and lightly sautéed, sprinkled with powder sugar and served with bacon, strawberries and real maple syrup.), as well as traditional English breakfast (fresh scrambled eggs, sausage links, bacon, baked beans, baked tomato, and potatoes) and traditional American breakfast (fresh scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon and link sausage with butter croissant).

Gathering inspiration from historic British taverns, the adjoining Hog’s Head pub features original draught beers and spirits created exclusively for the land, including Hog’s Head Brew, Dragon’s Scale, Wizard’s Brew and Fire Whiskey.  Also available are Pumpkin Fizz and Gilly Water and the three Butterbeer choices: traditional, frozen and hot.

Join the conversation online using #WizardingWorldHollywood. Like Universal Studios Hollywood on Facebook and follow @UniStudios on Instagram and Twitter.

Maize PC Release Date

November 2, 2016What would happen if stalks of corn could walk? Talk? Crack jokes? You probably never considered it before, but now you’re starting to, aren’t you? Discover the answer, and get an earful of puns soon, as today Finish Line Games is happy to announce that Maize, an absurdist first person puzzler adventure with a corny twist, will be launching on Steam and the Humble Store on December 1st, 2016!

Meet Vladdy, your new best friend, in the new trailer:
https://youtu.be/0zqCLQSRZuU

Explore the winding cornfields of Maize for clues, venture your way into the super secret research bunker beneath the desolate farmstead, meet a colourful cast of characters along the way, including silly sentient corn stalks, a grumpy Russian robot bear, and two scientists who maybe shouldn’t be scientists.

Maize will be available for $19.99 USD, on December 1st, 2016.

For more information follow @FinishLineGames on Twitter, or visit maizethegame.com

Fnatic Gear Announces Clutch G1 Gaming Mouse and Duel TMA-2 Headphones

LOS ANGELES – Nov. 1, 2016 – Today, Fnatic Gear, the global leader in the world of eSports and gaming, announces two professional eSports-grade peripherals for the gaming lifestyle community: the Clutch G1 optical gaming mouse and the Duel TMA-2 headphones. The Duel TMA-2 combines professional gaming and urban lifestyles into one headset, thanks to its intuitively modular design, while the Clutch G1 supports maximum reliability and performance with its customizable buttons and controls. Together, the Clutch G1 and Duel headphones support professional gamers with precision and performance during rigorous gaming marathons with premium comfort.

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Duel TMA-2 Headphones – for gaming and lifestyle audio

Fnatic Gear collaborated with award-winning Danish audio pioneers at AIAIAI to create the Duel TMA-2 headphones. Enthusiasts can finally have an all-in-one headset that delivers top-class audio quality during gaming and music listening sessions, whether you’re at home or on-the-move.

The Duel TMA-2’s have a soft-rubber coated modular design, enabling users to switch between sound-isolating over-ear pads to soft, padded on-ear cups to suit their preference for maximum comfort and desired sound signature. The Duel TMA-2 pumps out accurate and immersive sound using 40mm titanium-coated drivers. Provided is a removable boom for use while gaming and an in-line mic for taking calls when you’re out and about. The Duel TMA-2 headphones are created for the professional eSports player’s lifestyle, and will work seamlessly with PC, PlayStation4 and Xbox as well as smartphones, tablets and other audio devices.

Designed to eliminate the need to own a separate gaming headset and music headphones, the sleek and stylish design of the Duel TMA-2 offers a completely personal experience during the longest of gaming sessions and throughout the rest of your day.

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CLUTCH G1 mouse – putting eSports in the hands of all gamers.

The Clutch G1 is a plug and play, soft touch, multi-button eSports gaming mouse designed to increase efficiency, accuracy, and performance. It naturally incorporates thumb and hand movements for extreme comfort during crucial gaming situations.

Engineered and designed for comfort and performance, the Clutch G1 has a matte, soft-touch coating and beautifully ergonomic shape that perfectly fits the right-handed FPS player. Its build allows for a claw or palm grip, which provides flexible comfort even after the longest gaming sessions. The Clutch G1 also features a unique Drag Reduction cord, elevated 2mm, to increase speed and efficiency.

The Clutch G1 is armed with Pixart 3310, an advanced optical sensor perfect for users that are serious about perfecting their game with precise actions. Designed with onboard memory, Clutch G1 offers maximum customization with three different gamer profiles to personalize the functions of all seven individual buttons, select RGB illumination patterns with millions of colors and lighting effects, and adjust polling rates.

“After the successful reception, by our players and the eSports community of our Flick mouse, we wanted to offer a mouse that would equally satisfy all players and the community who want a slightly bigger form factor with different ergonomics so that everyone can enjoy what we, here at Fnatic, have to offer,” said Andrew Kim, Head of Product Development at Fnatic Gear. “Secondly, I’m really excited to finally be able to announce a headset that will truly eliminate the need for passionate gamers to purchase two different headsets. The Duel TMA-2 is the first professional gaming headset to provide uncompromised gaming acoustics and audiophile music listening through its intuitive and innovative modular design. With a gaming configuration prioritizing positional audio for those gunshots and footsteps, and an on-the-go configuration tuned for a truly immersive audiophile listening experience, the minimalistic and iconic design of the Duel TMA-2’s provide users with uncompromised versatility, comfort and performance.”

Customers can pre-order The Clutch G1 and Duel TMA-2 for $69.99 and $199.99 respectively at FnaticGear.com. Both products will be fully available late November 2016.

For more information about the Fnatic Gear’s entire selection of gaming accessories, visit FnaticGear.com and follow @FnaticGear on Facebook and Twitter.

nDreams Announces Danger Goat

Tuesday 1st November, 2016 – nDreams, the UK’s largest developer/publisher solely focused on creating virtual reality (VR) games and experiences, is thrilled to confirm that that their upcoming mobile VR game Danger Goat will be available to download for Daydream on Thursday, 10th November.

To celebrate this announcement, nDreams has released the first trailer for Danger Goat – watch it on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/u5vxr4a3xw0

Danger Goat is an all new breed of puzzle platformer with a bold, graphic style inspired by classic cartoons and developed exclusively as a launch title for Daydream, Google’s platform for high quality, mobile VR. nDreams has designed Danger Goat to make best use of the Daydream View headset and controller by combining tactile, dynamic puzzles with intuitive motion controls.

In Danger Goat, a seemingly humble goat has escaped from the depths of Area 51. This, however, is not any old goat – he’s the intergalactic Danger Goat who wants to return to his spaceship! A sinister group of secret agents are hot on his trail and will stop at nothing to prevent him from returning to the cosmos. They have deployed an arsenal of over-engineered contraptions to wipe out Danger Goat in the most hilariously brutal ways imaginable. It is up to players to stop them by using the Daydream controller to guide Danger Goat to freedom, solving tricky puzzles and using delicious thistles to lure him away from harm.

nDreams are proud to be one of the first videogame developers making original apps and experiences for Daydream, having first announced their commitment at Google I/O 2016.

For more details about the game, please visit nDreams’ website for additional information.

Universal Studios Hollywood Employees Volunteer for 12th Annual Day of Giving

Universal City, California, November 1, 2016 As part of Universal Studios Hollywood’s annual “Day of Giving” community outreach event, hundreds of employee volunteers will band together to bring magic to six LA-based non-profit community organizations on Thursday, November 10, 2016.

The inspirational “Day of Giving” event is a yearly Universal Studios Hollywood tradition designed to connect employees with diverse community organizations, many of which are beneficiaries of the Discover A Star Foundation whose mission is to empower individuals and families to lead more productive and fulfilling lives.

On this 12th “Day of Giving” anniversary, Universal Studios Hollywood will serve as home base for two of the six event locations, hosting Operation School Bell and Habitat for Humanity.

In support of Operation School Bell, 250 homeless children from over 20 LAUSD elementary and middle schools will be treated to new clothing, sneakers and school supplies, followed by an afternoon of theme park fun that includes a visit to “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter TM,” a chance to visit with Minions and experience the popular “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” ride and “Super Silly Fun Land” play zone, and venture aboard the world-famous Studio Tour to experience the epic “Fast & Furious – Supercharged” thrill ride.

For the first time, Habitat for Humanity will join the “Day of Giving” roster with employee volunteers crafting elaborate playhouses to accompany homes built by the organization.

The day-long event will also send hundreds of employee volunteers around Los Angeles  to help support community-building efforts at the following organizations:  AIDS Project L.A. (APLA), where employees will volunteer at the North Hollywood food pantry and help assemble food bags for clients; Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where volunteers will visit patients, distribute gifts and assist with arts & crafts; Project Angel Food, where employee volunteers will prepare and package meals for terminally ill clients; and Shane’s Inspiration, where employees will take part in a “play date” with special needs children at a nearby Shane’s Inspiration playground.

Supported by Universal Studios Hollywood, Discover A Star Foundation is committed to making a significant impact in local underserved communities by providing grants to deserving non-profit organizations. Originally founded in 1995, Discover A Star’s mission is to provide financial assistance to neighboring nonprofit groups.  To date, Discover A Star Foundation has raised over $8 million and provided financial assistance to over 65 non-profit organizations.

Eisenwald: Blood of November Launch Trailer

October 1, 2016 – Following up on the success of Legends of Eisenwald, developer Aterdux Entertainment is pleased to announce the newest standalone game in the franchise – Eisenwald: Blood of November, is now available on Steam and GOG.com.

A completely standalone game, Eisenwald: Blood of November focuses on a sandbox-style approach to gameplay set within the medieval world of Eisenwald. Players will battle to determine who will take the mantle of Duke of Eisenwald. There are two leaders vying for the role, and only one can reign supreme.

Eisenwald: Blood of November is available now on Steam and GOG.com for $8.99 USD. Review keys are available upon request.

KRYTAC Partners with Laylax for Precision Barrels

October 31, 2016 – Brea, California, USA – KRYTAC, the premium brand of airsoft and training replicas from world-renowned arms manufacturer KRISS USA, has entered into an agreement with Laylax for the exclusive distribution of Prometheus EG Precision Barrels for KRYTAC in the United States. These high precision barrels will be available for all KRYTAC AEG models and sold through the KRYTAC Pro Shop at www.krytac.com.

“We are excited and honored to work with Laylax and bring this new line of high performance barrels to US players,” states Allen Lau, Product Manager at KRYTAC. “The Prometheus EG barrel already has a longstanding reputation of excellence. When Laylax showed that they were able to improve upon the original design and match each barrel for KRYTAC, we knew there would be no better tight bore barrel to pair with our AEGs. Innovative, high quality, products are the hallmark of the KRYTAC brand. A sentiment that is shared by Laylax, and is shown masterfully through the Prometheus EG for KRYTAC barrels.”

“Performance upgrade components function best when installed in a quality base platform, and KRYTAC has the best performance, out of the box,” according to Masaki Koshida, Senior Licensing Manager at Laylax. “Creating a performance barrel specifically for KRYTAC AEGs has been a top priority at Laylax since we began our partnership with KRISS USA. Our goal is to compliment the already outstanding AEG platform with our top quality upgrade parts to further increase the advantage for KRYTAC owners on the playing field.”

Prometheus EG for KRYTAC barrels are precision machined from high carbon stainless steel, and are enhanced from the standard Prometheus EG barrel with an enlarged hop up window as well as channel cuts at the front for stabilization bushings, o-rings are included to fit into the channels. All Prometheus EG for KRYTAC barrels feature a 6.03mm bore.

Prometheus EG for KRYTAC precision barrels will be available directly through the KRYTAC Pro Shop starting December 2016, in the following lengths:

  • 135mm for the Alpha SDP
  • 155mm for the Trident MKI and MKII PDW
  • 280mm for the Alpha CRB, Trident MKI and MKII CRB, and Trident LMG Enhanced
  • 387.5mm for the LVOA-C
  • 416mm for the Trident MKI and MKII SPR

For more information about KRYTAC, please visit www.krytac.com. For more information about Laylax, please visit www.laylax.com.

New Rock Band Rivals DLC Announced

Boston – October 31, 2016 – Huge new releases and iconic hits from the 80s, 90s, 00s and 10s join the Rock Band 4 DLC music library this month. Kicking off the month is a “Hootie & The Blowfish Pack 01”, which will be available tomorrow, November 1, on both Xbox One and PlayStation®4 for $5.49. Each song can also be purchased individually for $1.99 per track:

  • Hootie & The Blowfish – “Hold My Hand”
  • Hootie & The Blowfish – “Only Wanna Be With You”
  • Hootie & The Blowfish – “Let Her Cry”

In celebration of Friday’s release of Bon Jovi’s thirteenth studio album, This House Is Not For Sale, a new single from this album will join their 12 other career-spanning hit tracks in the Rock Band 4 DLC music library on Thursday, November 3 for $1.99:

  • Bon Jovi – “Born Again Tomorrow

Other artists set to contribute new tracks to join Rock Band throughout the month of November include:

  • Avril Lavigne
  • Bruno Mars
  • Coldplay
  • The Cure
  • Cyndi Lauper
  • Fine Young Cannibals
  • … and more

Stay tuned to the Harmonix blog, as well as Rock Band’s Twitter and Facebook pages, for exciting DLC announcements and gameplay reveals throughout the month.

Gameplay Notes
“Hold My Hand” opens the new DLC pack. This tune is great for the full band, as there is a little something for everyone. Bassists have a constantly active bassline that will be a blast to hold down. Darius Rucker, vocalist of Hootie & The Blowfish, accomplishes a fantastic vocal performance in this track with plenty of variety and vocal runs. Singers will have plenty to practice with this one!

An iconic hit from Hootie & The Blowfish, “Only Wanna Be With You”, joins the Music Library this week. Featuring an energetic beat on drums to a fun guitar solo, this track is sure to be a staple in your ‘90s setlist. The track also includes an interesting and varied bassline and catchy vocal harmony charts.

Another bass-centric tune, “Let Her Cry”, finishes up this week’s pack. Bassists will have the spotlight in this one as well, with an interesting countermelody sprinkled throughout the tune. “Let Her Cry” is an excellent tune for beginner rockers.

Bon Jovi is back with memorable guitar riffs and driving drums in “Born Again Tomorrow”. An awesome addition to any music library as Bon Jovi returns to their unique brand of Jersey-born rock ‘n’ roll. This song will be fun for players of all skill levels with challenging vocals and fret-work.