Author - boothby

Tactical Western Board Game High Noon Announced

NEW YORK, May 5, 2020 — High Noon Game Inc., the innovative board game company announced today the release of its highly anticipated High Noon game that features a miniature combat tactical board game set in a fictional Wild West world. The fast-paced, well-crafted board game immerses players into the untamed wild world of “New America” challenging them to hone their skill and outwit their opponents in a high stakes shootout. The High Noon game is now available via Kickstarter with the goal of raising $84,400 over the next 30 days.

High Noon is a stimulating journey into an alternate dimension with charismatic and diverse characters that become familiar faces in a high stakes game of intrigue, vengeance, and redemption. In a Western Epic with unfinished railroads, red rock deserts, native aboriginal warbands and gunslinging bandits. High Noon creates a fun, competitive and selectively cooperative experience for players to eliminate opponents on the board to be the “Last Posse Standing” or collect the most gold within 12 rounds of intense action. While no dice are required, High Noon players draw cards to entice their actions. The game has captured a broad appeal by being relatively easy to learn yet allowing the element of strategy to obtain a winning edge.

“We are on a mission to engage people by bringing the thrilling world of the wild west to their tabletops,” said Dwight Cenac II, Creator of High Noon. “The unique aspect in regard to High Noon is the fact that it was developed by our team with the help of fans from all over the world. It’s our goal with our Kickstarter campaign to build a community, test some features of the game and get feedback from our fan base. By humanizing our production process, we’re increasing our chances for success because fans will be getting the board game experience they asked for.”

Unlike other board games, High Noon is ever-expanding. The board consists of beautifully designed tiles that represent buildings, roads and various terrain which can be arranged in any formation, ensuring no two games are ever alike. Throughout the game, players control groups of characters known as “posses” using multiple decks of cards. Each deck is unique to each team, giving them special abilities to use while attacking their opponents. To entice further actions, every battlefield is filled with crates of randomized loot that players can equip and customize their characters with. Additionally, new poses are introduced throughout the story arch of the High Noon Universe, each with their own unique abilities and playstyles. Players can collect them all or choose their favorites, providing for a unique and versatile play experience with no wrong way to pick your posse and dominate the board.

“This is just the beginning for High Noon and our wild west adventure,” said Cenac. “Our audience is already eager for more. We are beyond excited to bring these characters to life as beloved icons in the High Noon world. With the release of our new game, it’s our mission to revitalize game night and bring continuous excitement for our players for years to come.”

High Noon can be played with two to four players at a time and is for ages nine and up. With the campaign launching today, backers are encouraged to support the campaign now on Kickstarter. As a special offer, the team behind High Noon will be hosting a 24 hour live stream launch party, where prizes and awards will be given at noon in every respective time zone or in proper Wild West terms, High Noon. High Noon is also offering multiple Pledge options including the Buckaroo Pledge for pledges of $79 or more which includes the core game and everything you need to play in the world of High Noon. The Saddle Up Pledge will also be available for pledges of $137 or more and features the core game and shootout at Pascagoula Ridge expansion pack. Or backers who participate in the All In Pledge of $179 or more will receive the core game, a shootout at Pascagoula Ridge expansion pack and an additional Abernathy Gang.

High Noon is available now via Kickstarter, with the goal of raising $84,400 over the next 30 days. For additional information, follow us on Facebook and use the #pickyourposse and #highnoongame.

Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire Soundtrack on Vinyl Announced

(May 4, 2020—Los Angeles, CA)— May the 4th be with you! In celebration of Star Wars Day, Varèse Sarabande Records is thrilled to announce the upcoming special release of the Original Video Game Soundtrack for Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire by GRAMMY®-nominated composer Joel McNeely. The soundtrack will be released for the first time on LP and reissued on CD on August 7, 2020, exclusively from Varèse Sarabande Records. Pre-order for LP and CD are available now.

Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire was developed and published by LucasArts for Nintendo 64 on December 3, 1996, and sold one million copies in its first year. A version for Microsoft Windows followed in 1997, and sold out reissues have kept the game alive amongst the Star Wars fan base since its release over 20 years ago.

As part of the Shadows of the Empire multimedia project, a full soundtrack was composed by Joel McNeely and recorded with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Samples of the soundtrack were used in both versions of the game, with the Windows version containing many of the full tracks. The album art features the main Star Wars characters and was created by legendary illustrator Drew Struzan (Blade Runner, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future).

In the game, which serves as backstory between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, the player controls the mercenary Dash Rendar in his efforts to help Luke Skywalker and rescue Princess Leia from Prince Xizor.

PRE-ORDER
LP: https://www.varesesarabande.com/products/star-wars-shadows-of-the-empire-lp
CD: https://www.varesesarabande.com/products/star-wars-shadows-of-the-empire-1

PewDiePie Signs Exclusive Deal with YouTube Gaming

Los Angeles, CA – May 4, 2020 – YouTube today announced that the platform will be the exclusive live streaming home for Felix Kjellberg, aka PewDiePie, one of the world’s most popular gaming celebrities and content creators. Kjellberg has amassed 104 million subscribers and generated over 25 billion views to date, far and away the most of any individually operated YouTube channel in history.

“YouTube has been my home for over a decade now and live streaming on the platform feels like a natural fit as I continue to look for new ways to create content and interact with fans worldwide,” Kjellberg said. “Live streaming is something I’m focusing a lot on in 2020 and beyond, so to be able to partner with YouTube and be at the forefront of new product features is special and exciting for the future.”

The agreement further bolsters YouTube’s exclusive live streaming roster as PewDiePie joins creators including CouRage, Lachlan, LazarBeam, Muselk, Typical Gamer, and Valkyrae, who collectively have over 140 million subscribers. YouTube is the largest global gaming platform with more than 200 million gamers a day watching more than 50 billion hours of gaming a year.

“YouTube is where the world comes together to connect and during these unprecedented times, it’s inspiring to see our YouTube community come together to raise money for various charities and provide a source of entertainment to fans around the world,” said Ryan Wyatt, Head of Gaming, YouTube. “And I couldn’t be more thrilled to continue to grow our roster of creators who are making our platform their exclusive live streaming home to bring fans around the world even more of what they love.”

Kjellberg created his YouTube channel in 2010 and began uploading videos of Minecraft and Amnesia through his popular ‘Let’s Play’ series. Over the years, his channel has evolved to include a range of comedy and reaction videos as well as popular videos about memes. His live streams often draw thousands of viewers where fans engage and support Kjellberg through products like Memberships and Super Chat. In August 2013, Kjellberg became the most-subscribed YouTube channel in the world, and in August 2019 he became the first individual YouTube creator to reach 100 million subscribers.

Close to the Sun Launch Trailer

Watford, UK – May 4th, 2020 –– Award-winning global publisher, Wired Productions and leading Italian game studio, Storm in a Teacup, today announced that first-person horror adventure, Close to the Sun, will be available to purchase and play on two of the world’s most popular PC digital distribution platforms, May 5th 2020.

Close to the Sun will be available on the Steam store from £11.99 / €14.90 / $14.90, with 25% savings for the first week of sale. Post launch, the price will be £15.99 / €19.99 / $19.99. Players can also get hold of the game at the GOG store for the same discounted price, as well being able to pick up a copy of the game from all good Etailers.

Check out the launch trailer here:

For those looking for little more bang for the buck, a new Digital Deluxe version, which launches alongside the standard digital edition, and comes with $10-worth of additional content (soundtrack and digital art book), can be purchased for £19.99 / €24.99 and $24.99 respectively.

“We’re excited to finally bring Storm in a Teacup’s shocking first-person adventure to Steam and GOG,” said Leo Zullo, Managing Director at Wired Productions. “Close to the Sun contains all the ingredients that aficionados of horror games crave: an original setting with beautifully-rendered environments, atmosphere by the bucket-load, a strong narrative and moments that will make you jump out of your skin.”

Carlo Ivo Alimo Bianchi, CEO & Founder, Storm in a Teacup, added: “Close to the Sun is a special game for Storm in a Teacup; the Helios and its secrets have already captivated the interest of many players around the world, yet so many were waiting for it to get on Steam and GOG. Well, here it is! Everybody get on board, help Rose to find her sister, unveil the truth and survive the horrors that are hidden in the belly of the gigantic ship built by Nikola Tesla. We truly hope you’re going to like the trip!”

Grounded in an alternative 19th Century where famed inventor and futurist Nikola Tesla was able to fulfil his shocking potential, Close to the Sun – which uses the raw power of the Unreal® Engine 4 – sees players step onto the Helios – a colossal vessel built for scientific research, steeped in horror and mystery. As the heroine, Rose, players find themselves walking the massive area looking for their lost sister on the majestic, yet mysterious ship created by Tesla. Where is Ada and what happened? Grand halls stand empty. The stench of rotting flesh lingers in the air. Silence. A single word is painted across the entrance… QUARANTINE!

Published by Wired Productions and developed by Storm in a Teacup, the game is also available on PC via Epic Games Store, in addition to PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Close to the Sun is rated “T for Teen” by the ESRB.

To purchase the Collector’s Edition, visit http://wiredproductions.com/close-to-the-sun-collectors. For more information, visit http://www.closetothesungame.com/ or follow the game now to receive future updates on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/closetothesungame.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered Out Now

May 1, 2020 – One of the most iconic, blockbuster video game story experiences in gaming entertainment history is now available for Xbox One and PC. Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 2 Campaign Remastered is a complete enhancement of the critically-acclaimed single player experience that includes the full campaign with stunning high-definition visuals – up to 4K resolution and HDR support on console; and, additionally, uncapped framerate as well as ultrawide monitor support on PC via Blizzard Entertainment’s Battle.net® platform.

Players who purchase Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered will also receive, Underwater Demo Team Classic Ghost Bundle for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare including the UDT Ghost Operator skin inspired by the ‘The Only Easy Day…Was Yesterday’ campaign level that featured an action-packed hostage rescue attempt from an oil rig in in the arctic. Alongside the Ghost Operator skin, players will also receive two weapon blueprints, a weapon charm, new finishing move, voice quip, animated calling card, emblem and two Battle Pass tier skips all for immediate access in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and the recently released Call of Duty: Warzone*.

For the most up to date information on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered, check out the Activision Games Blog at https://blog.activision.com/call-of-duty.

*Call of Duty: Modern Warfare/Call of Duty: Warzone required, sold/downloaded separately.

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous Alpha Available for Backers

Moscow, Russia, April 30, 2020 – Owlcat Games has announced that the first alpha test for its classic isometric CRPG, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, is now available for all the backers who contributed to the title’s Kickstarter campaign and got the appropriate access. All the fans of Pathfinder who missed the Kickstarter can also purchase access for $15 after selecting a tier to contribute to the crowdfunding campaign via the game’s official website. The studio has launched a Slacker Backer campaign in an effort to add a new Hunter class and Dinosaur companions and mounts to the game.

“These are rough times we are living in right now, but we are doing our best to keep up with our development schedule and deliver the game as promised,” says Oleg Shpilchevskiy, Owlcat Games’s Head of Studio. “Now that the alpha version is available to our backers, we are thrilled to receive feedback from our core fans.”

From now until May 21, testers are able to play through the first two chapters of Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, thereby experiencing the beginning of their epic adventure. The alpha allows fans to try out six new classes (each with a plethora of archetypes) and two prestige classes alongside the full roster featured in Pathfinder: Kingmaker. This version also includes 10 new companions and gives players the opportunity to take their first steps toward one of six Mythic Paths (eight will be available once the full game launches next year).

Features that were backed as Kickstarter stretch goals have also made their way into the alpha build, including mounted combat, increased reactivity for companions and a meeting with a new companion named Woljif Jefto. Fans should note that these features have not been completed and will be improved upon in the future. Additionally, some content may be missing or replaced in later builds. For instance, romances, Crusade Commander features, and the Locust Swarm and Golden Dragon Mythic Paths are absent, and the alpha’s UI has not been updated. Owlcat Games encourages testers to report the bugs and glitches they encounter via a survey.

“This is a significant moment for us – it will show us if we are on the right track,” adds Mr. Shpilchevskiy. “Moreover, a lot of the new features we’ve included were funded as stretch goals during our Kickstarter campaign. It’s time to show our progress on some of them, and I hope the backers will be happy with what they see.”

Kickstarter backers are now able to access a personal account to manage and upgrade their pledges, select specific add-ons, receive digital rewards, and edit personal information such as their shipping address. Fans may also pre-order the title and purchase packs similar to the tiers offered during the game’s Kickstarter campaign if they wish to continue supporting Owlcat Games.

Curious CRPG aficionados who missed out on Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous’s crowdfunding campaign can support development via a Slacker Backer program. The funds collected through this initiative will help Owlcat Games finance its last active Kickstarter stretch goal: the addition of both a new Hunter class called Hunter and ferocious Dinosaur companions and mounts. The warrior of the wilds will be able to command these giant reptiles as pets and ride them into battle. Of course, Hunters will be able to form bonds with other animal allies, too.

Owlcat Games will continue to update fans on Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous’s development progress after the game’s alpha test is complete. Additional details regarding the title can be found on its official website or Kickstarter page.

F1 2020 Circuit Zandvoort Trailer

Larkspur, Calif. (April 30, 2020) – Codemasters® today premieres Circuit Zandvoort, the first of two new races added to F1® 2020, the official videogame of the 2020 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP™. Originally scheduled for this weekend in the F1 calendar, Circuit Zandvoort returns to F1 for the first time since 1985. The virtual hot lap features the car of Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen on his home circuit.

Nestled amongst the coastal dunes in the province of North Holland, Circuit Zandvoort is a traditional style racetrack. In preparation for its return in 2020 the circuit has new paddock and run-off areas, with sections of the track enhanced to create exhilarating racing moments. It will become synonymous for its steeped bank curve, which is unique amongst F1 circuits. The final bank, angled at 18 degrees, will allow drivers to tuck-in behind an opponent and line-up to overtake in front of the fans on the home straight.

“The team has done an incredible job in recreating every aspect of the circuit. The banked final corner heading into the long straight is something players are going to enjoy,” said Lee Mather, F1 Franchise Game Director at Codemasters. “Circuit Zandvoort is highly technical with height variation, blind crests and unsighted braking points and corner apexes. It’s an onslaught on the senses and doesn’t give players a moment to rest.”

F1 2020 will be released on July 10, 2020 for PlayStation®4, Xbox One and Xbox One X, PC/Steam, and Google Stadia. The official box art of the PS4 and Xbox One retail versions have also been revealed. Players who purchase the Michael Schumacher Deluxe Edition will receive exclusive content and three days early access. Standard Editions is priced at $59.99, with the Deluxe Michael Schumacher Edition priced at $69.99.

For future news and details on all the new features follow Formula 1 game website and social channels on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

Wizard World Unveils Online Store for Rare and Limited Collectibles

LOS ANGELES, April 30, 2020 – From signed photos and posters to celebrity banners, rare and limited edition comics and other unique pop culture memorabilia, Wizard Entertainment, Inc. (OTCBB:WIZD) is pleased to launch Wizard World Vault, an online marketplace of one-of-a-kind products backed by the trust of Wizard Entertainment’s more than two decades of experience in the industry.

Wizard World Vault, accessible via www.wizardworldvault.com, will feature a wide variety of items, including many unique pieces culled from more than 150 Wizard World events conducted over 20+ years, as well as materials sourced directly from industry leaders, top creators and longtime Wizard World partners. All come with a guarantee of authenticity, and range from single autographed photos and comics to distinctive collectible items not found anywhere else from throughout Wizard World’s history, letting fans “Bring Pop Culture Home.”

“Wizard World has an unmatched trove of thousands of pieces of collectibles and memorabilia of all types for any budget,” said John D. Maatta, CEO, Wizard Entertainment, Inc. “Many, like signed event posters and banners, have never been available before on any platform. We can’t wait to roll out the whole vault for fans to see everything we have to offer.”

The news comes following the successful launch of Wizard Entertainment’s “Wizard World Virtual Experiences,” which bring celebrity interactions, autographs and other elements of its live shows to an online platform.

For the full Wizard World schedule, visit www.wizardworld.com/comiccon.

Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours to Kill Official Trailer

April 30, 2020 – Jerry Seinfeld’s new hour-long special, Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours to Kill, reinforces his reputation as the precision-craftsman of standup comedy. Premiering on May 5, 2020, only on Netflix, the special features a spectacular arrival to the Beacon Theatre in New York City, and showcases Seinfeld’s sharp angles on everyday life, uncovering comedy in the commonplace.

 

Maneater Final Developer Diary

April 30, 2020 – On behalf of publisher and developer Tripwire Interactive, we are pleased to share the final installation in the Maneater Developer Diary Series! Maneater Developer Diary 4: The Final Countdown comes ahead of Maneater’s launch on May 22nd for PC via Epic Games Store, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The release date for the Nintendo Switch version has not been announced yet but will release later this year.

Dive in for the final chapter of this developer diary series, detailing Maneater’s unique tone, premise, and presentation. View the sea through the eyes of Tripwire Interactive’s animators, directors, and artists, as they describe the visual, aural, and interactive detail in this whale of a tale. You won’t want to miss this final chance to learn more about gaming’s first open-world action-RPG (shARkPG) where players Eat, Explore, and Evolve!

Maneater is available to pre-order now from the Epic Games Store and for Xbox One via Microsoft Store. For additional pre-order links, please visit the official website.