Author - Jerry Paxton

Star Wars Forces of Destiny Animated Shorts Announced

2017/04/13

Glendale, Calif. (April 12, 2017 – 9:00PM PST) – Disney and Lucasfilm today announced Star Wars Forces of Destiny, a new initiative celebrating the inspiring stories of iconic heroes from across the Star Warsuniverse. An original series of animated shorts (each 2-3 minutes in length) will explore exciting, all new adventures of key characters including Rey, Jyn Erso, Sabine Wren, Princess Leia, Ahsoka Tano and others, ahead of books and a TV special later in the year. The stories will also be supported by a line of toys from Hasbro, including new ‘Adventure Figures’ – a fusion between traditional dolls and action figures, creating a whole new way to play Star Wars.

“Star Wars Forces of Destiny is for anyone who has been inspired by Leia’s heroism, Rey’s courage, or Ahsoka’s tenacity,” said Kathleen Kennedy, President of Lucasfilm. “We’re thrilled that so many of the original actors are reprising their roles in these shorts which capture the small moments and everyday decisions that shape who these characters are. It is a fun new way for people to experience Star Wars.”

Developed by Lucasfilm Animation, Star Wars Forces of Destiny will remain true to the Star Wars canon, showing how choices both big and small ultimately shape the destinies of beloved characters. Launching in July, the animated micro-series will be available on Disney YouTube ahead of a two-part TV special featuring eight additional shorts on Disney Channel in Fall 2017. Fans will be delighted to hear familiar voices in the series, including: Daisy Ridley (Rey), Felicity Jones (Jyn), Tiya Sircar (Sabine), Ashley Eckstein (Ahsoka Tano) and Lupita Nyong’o (Maz Kanata as narrator).

Star Wars Forces of Destiny will also be supported by global product extensions, such as books, apparel, bedding, and toys – including the new line of ‘Adventure Figures’ created by Hasbro, which bridges the gap between traditional action figures and dolls. Each individually designed figure features dynamic action, like Rey swinging her lightsaber, along with multiple points of articulation to help recreate the characters’ adventures and heroic moments with different poses.

“From Princess Leia to Sabine Wren, Star Wars heroines are unique, and we wanted to represent that in the product line for Star Wars Forces of Destiny,” said Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media. “The result is the creation of our new ‘Adventure Figures’ that celebrate the power and stories of these incredible characters and allow kids to recreate their most heroic moments at home.”

The 11-inch figures will depict characters including Rey, Jyn Erso, Princess Leia, Sabine Wren, plus loveable sidekicks and epic villains like BB-8, Chewbacca, Kylo Ren and many more. Hasbro is also rolling out Star Wars Forces of Destiny role play and accessories—from Rey’s Extendable Staff, to a new, electronic Jedi Power Lightsaber toy, which are part of the Star Wars Bladebuilders system.

Adds John Frascotti, President of Hasbro: “As the Star Wars fan base has broadened over the last 40 years, we have continued to add new and exciting play experiences to the Star Wars brand, to engage fans across generations. We’ve worked closely with Disney to bring the storytelling from Star Wars Forces of Destiny to life through this innovative toy line to help connect with new audiences as well as appeal to existing fans.”

Fans attending Star Wars Celebration in Orlando will see a sneak peek of Star Wars Forces of Destiny during the “Heroines of Star Wars” panel on Friday, April 14. The panel, moderated by Amy Ratcliffe – host of “Lattes with Leia” podcast, will feature Carrie Beck – vice president of animation at Lucasfilm and Dave Filoni – executive producer of Star Wars Rebels, as well as Ashley Eckstein, Tiya Sircar and other surprise guests. For a first look at the new Star Wars Forces of Destiny Adventure Figures, stop by Hasbro booth #2744.

Stay tuned to StarWars.com for more details.

Arma 3 Jets Release Date and Trailer

2017/04/13

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

April 13, 2017 – In follow up to their latest dev diary, which discussed the planned new content for Arma 3 in 2017, Bohemia Interactive today announced the release date of the first upcoming DLC package: Arma 3 Jets. Available worldwide on May 16th 2017, the Jets DLC will enhance the combined arms experience by adding three new air-superiority jets, an Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV), a new Showcase scenario, and more.

As is protocol with each Arma 3 DLC release, the Jets DLC will be accompanied by a free platform update that improves the game for everyone. The main highlights of this update are the ‘sensor overhaul’ to improve targeting and target detection, an upgraded fixed-wing damage model with more hitpoints and new damage effects, dynamic vehicle loadouts, and various other jets-related improvements.

In addition, as a special surprise, Bohemia Interactive is proud to reveal truly massive bonus content in the form of the CVN-83 “USS Freedom” Aircraft Carrier (watch new trailer). This nuclear-powered aircraft supercarrier, which will be available for free to everyone who owns Arma 3, serves as a naval main operating base, and can carry various aircraft and helicopters on board. In terms of in-game functionality, the ship is a static object that can be positioned across the map via the 3D Scenario Editor, but cannot be ‘driven’. The carrier supports catapult take-offs and tailhook landings, and features functional autonomous defensive weapon systems.

Arma 3 Jets DLC Key Features

F/A-181 Black Wasp II – The F/A-181 Black Wasp II is a fifth-generation, single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter jet. The aircraft was designed primarily as an air-superiority fighter, but also has ground attack capabilities. Its additional external hard points enable the aircraft to carry a wide variety of weapons configurations. The Black Wasp is fitted with the required equipment for carrier operations.
To-201 Shikra – The To-201 Shikra is a fifth-generation, single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter jet. The aircraft was designed by a CSAT and Russian joint syndicate with the goal to build a highly agile and maneuverable air-superiority fighter. Similar to the F/A-181, the To-201 also has ground attack capabilities, and is able to support various weapons configurations via its conventional pylons, but also its internal weapons bay.
A-149 Gryphon – The A-149 Gryphon is a fourth-generation, single-seat, single-engine, and all-weather tactical fighter jet. The aircraft was designed as a multi-role platform at an affordable cost, and unlike some of the larger air-superiority jets, it can also perform well in low-altitude flight. Despite its aging platform, the A-149 has still been upgraded with the newest sensors and weapons systems.
Sentinel – The Sentinel is a fifth-generation, state of the line, twin-engine, all-weather tactical Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV). The Sentinel was designed primarily as a reconnaissance platform, but can also perform precision ground attacks. It typically operates from an aircraft carrier.
Showcase Fighter Jets – Take to the skies above Altis and engage in air-to-air and air-to-ground combat in a brand new Showcase scenario.

The Jets DLC is now available for pre-order on the Bohemia Store and Steam with a 10% pre-order discount (original price: € 9.99 / $ 11.99 / £ 8.99). Alternatively, if they already wish to enlist for all planned upcoming DLC, players can purchase the Arma 3 DLC Bundle 2 on the Bohemia Store or Steam (€ 22.99 / $ 24.99 / £ 19.99), which saves more than 25% over purchasing the upcomingJets, “Orange” (working title), Tac-Ops, and Tanks DLC separately.

For a complete overview of the Arma 3 Jets’ content and features, check out the official website at www.arma3.com/dlc/jets. To keep track of all the latest news, also be sure to follow Arma 3 on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Steam.

MotoGP 17 – Announcement Trailer

2017/04/12

Jerry Paxton

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

Milan (April 12, 2017) – Milestone, one of the leading and longest established racing game developer in the world, is proud to announce MotoGP™17, the videogame dedicated to the 2017 world championship season. The game will be available on July 11 on PlayStation®4, PS4™Pro, Xbox One® and Windows PC/STEAM™.

MotoGP™17 will be available exclusively at GameStop in the United States and participating retailers in Canada and Latin America. Pre-orders will give players access to the MotoGP ™ 17 – Credits Multiplier helping them reach the top of the MotoGP™ Championship. MotoGP™17 will also be available for digital download.

The 2017 edition of the official MotoGP™ videogame brings all the adrenaline and need for speed of the new motorbike world champion with it. The title will include all the 2017 riders, teams and tracks; the new rules and the Red Bull Rookies Cup championship. This edition will reach 60 FPS for the first time, guaranteeing unprecedented performance and extreme enjoyability for the end user. All this will be made possible thanks to the Milestone developers’ experience and skills, developed over 20 years of dedicated work to racing.

“We are working really hard to make MotoGP™17 not just a seasonal update, but an enjoyable game which is full of all the innovations which the fans of the series have asked for over the years. We will have a new competitive and thrilling online mode, a completely revolutionised career mode and much more. I don’t want to reveal too much, but I can assure you that you will see great things in the next few months. In the meantime, sit back and watch the beginning of the new season with us,” states Matteo Pezzotti, Milestone Lead Designer.

Star Conflict Introduces PvE Mode

2017/04/12

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Windows PC News

April 12th, 2017 — In celebration of the first manned spaceflight in human history 56 years ago, StarGem Inc. and Gaijin Entertainment today announced the release of the major Evolution Factor update for the Sci-fi Action MMO Star Conflict. Part of the new content is the evolvable interceptor Tai’Kin as well as the PvE game mode ‘“Ariadne’s Thread”, in which players combine forces against a rogue Artificial Intelligence.

Star Conflict’s brand-new PvE mode “Ariadne’s Thread” will see players explore the vast and experimental shipyards of the Blackwood Corporation, which is controlled by Ariadne, a sophisticated management AI. After repeatedly freeing itself from human control, it now has gone completely rogue by supplying the dangerous Cyber forces in their recent large-scale attack. Tasked with defeating Ariadne, players need to brace themselves for an unpredictable enemy, where every new battle can be completely different from the previous one. The encountered forces will vary in every mission and so will the secondary objectives, rewarding players with additional rewards upon completion.

Similar to the other fascinating spaceships of the Ellydium Corporation’s Evolution project, the new Tai’Kin is actually multiple ships at once. Thanks to the flexible evolution and customization system that allows for a large number of combinations in special modules and weapons, this fast and maneuverable interceptor will be able to outsmart its competition in many ways. For example, the ‘Return Crystal’ module will transform the Tai’Kin in into an ideal defender of any control point. Once placed, the ship can jump back to the crystal at any time, while restoring a portion of the damage sustained in previous combat. Another major breakthrough of Ellydium engineers is the ‘Quantum Leap’, which allows the ship not only to travel through space, but time as well. At any moment in battle, the ship can return to the state and position it was in a few moments ago, leaving pursuers in confusion and disarray. More details about the different combinations and the additional 15 ship items including weapons and modules added can be found on the official website: http://star-conflict.com/en/news/1143-star-conflict-1-4-3-evolution-factor-en

Project CARS 2 – Official Rallycross Gameplay Trailer

2017/04/11

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

April 11, 2017 – Rallycross, one of the world’s most thrilling and action-packed motorsports, will come fully-loaded to Project CARS 2 with an array of licensed cars and tracks in late 2017. Rallycross combines the sideways dirt racing action of rally with the highspeed corner carving action of tarmac racing, all taking place within a closed course with 70-foot jumps, obstacles, and with other drivers in close proximity.

Merging the authentic physics, unsurpassed visual fidelity, and superior driving dynamics synonymous with the Project CARS franchise along with a technical partnership with one of the sport’s most legendary teams, OMSE rallycross. The development team at Slightly Mad Studios signed real-world Honda Factory Global Rallycross racing stars Mitchell deJong and Oliver Eriksson as consultants to ensure the sport is presented in the most accurate and realistic manner possible. Project CARS 2 drivers will experience the rush of driving purpose-built rallycross cars such as Mitchell and Oliver’s Honda Red Bull GRC Civic Coupe on scanned real-world rallycross tracks including US-based DirtFish and Daytona, Lånkebanen in Norway, and the track where it all began half-a-century ago—Lydden Hill in the UK.

Project CARS 2 is racing towards its launch later this year on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PCs via STEAM.

Ghost Recon: Wildlands – Narco Road DLC Release Date

2017/04/11

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Screenshots / Photos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

SAN FRANCISCO — April 11, 2017 — Today, Ubisoft^® announced that the first Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon^® Wildlands expansion, Narco Road, will be available to season pass owners simultaneously across all platforms on April 18. Season pass owners will have access to Narco Road one week before it releases for individual purchase on April 25 for the suggested retail price of $14.99.

Narco Road tasks players with infiltrating three gangs of smugglers led by the elusive El Invisible. Players will have to work their way up the ranks and earn the trust of the mysterious leader if they have any hope of bringing him to justice. Reaching El Invisible will require gaining the trust of three new charismatic bosses:

Eddie Escovado: The self-proclaimed social media star and adrenaline-addicted leader of the Kamikazes gang.
Arturo Rey: The mysterious leader of the Death Riders, a gang of riders who worship Santa Muerte.
Tonio Mateos: The arrogant leader of the Jinetes Locos, a gang specializing in racing muscle cars.

To earn the respect of these bosses, players will complete more than 15 fast-paced campaign missions. In addition to these new story missions, four new types of side missions and racing challenges offer adrenaline-fueled action. Completing these activities will earn players fame and followers. The more followers a player acquires, the more interest they will get from the gang bosses, and the closer they will come to bringing down El Invisible.

Narco Road also features four exclusive outfits, nine new weapons and four new vehicle types. Traverse the massive Bolivian map in huge monster trucks, nitro-boosted muscle cars, powerful motorcycles and aerobatic planes.

Additionally, a new game update will be launching April 12 on consoles and April 14 on PC. The update will introduce weekly live season challenges in the form of solo, co-op and community tasks that refresh every Wednesday. Players who complete these challenges will be rewarded with up to three unique in-game rewards per week. Challenges will be available through multiple seasons, each of them lasting six weeks and featuring a specific theme. In the first season, The Rise and Fall of Unidad, players gather intel on Unidad’s operations and combat the threat to the country.

In Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands, players discover a fictionalized future Bolivia, a few years from now, in which players must take down the Santa Blanca drug cartel by any means necessary. Behind enemy lines, they hunt down targets and discover intel, using any of the more than 60 vehicles available, including cars, motorcycles and even helicopters that they can commandeer. To topple the cartel, players have to fight their way to El Sueño, Santa Blanca’s ruthless leader, by breaking down the Santa Blanca drug cartel’s operation piece by piece as they sever alliances between the drug lords and the corrupted government. A second expansion for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands, Fallen Ghosts, will be available soon, as well as an all-new PvP mode in the coming months.

For more information about Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands, please visit ghostrecon.com.

Final content and release dates may be subject to change. Some features may not be available at launch. Content may be available for purchase and/or as giveaway(s) separately at Ubisoft’s sole discretion at any time. System requirements pending. Please check system requirements upon game release before purchase and redemption.

To learn more about other Ubisoft games, please visit ubiblog.com.

EVE: Valkyrie – Groundrush Update Launch Trailer

2017/04/11

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

April 11, 2017 – Today, CCP Games launches Groundrush, the fifth major free update for EVE: Valkyrie – the acclaimed virtual reality space combat shooter set in the universe of EVE – on PlayStation®VR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

Groundrush takes the fight to the surface with Solitude, the game’s first ground-based map. Solitude introduces a brand-new battleground carved into the craggy face of a remote planet, featuring fully playable interior and exterior spaces with intricately detailed terrain. With its tight passageways, mountainous terrain and cavernous underground spaces, Solitude rewards risky flight maneuvers that will test the flight skills of even the most seasoned Valkyrie pilots. You can find full details about Solitude in this developer blog: Groundrush Update – A New Map, Wormholes and More

The Groundrush update also introduces yet more chaos to the weekly Wormhole events, bringing even weirder and wilder permutations to this popular weekly game mode where the usual rules no longer apply.

In addition, co-op players can now enjoy the Carrier Assault and Control modes when teaming up for battle, plus EVE: Valkyrie players on Steam now benefit from official support for the Steam Controller. The full list of improvements can be found on the EVE: Valkyrie website here: Groundrush Update – The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Further substantial updates are also in development for all Valkyrie pilots to enjoy. For more information about EVE: Valkyrie, visit https://www.evevalkyrie.com/roadmap

Knott’s Berry Farm 2017 Boysenberry Festival

2017/04/10

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News

Once again, Knott’s Berry Farm has brought its prized boysenberries into the spotlight with their annual Boysenberry Festival. Running until April 23, the festival sees several stations setup around the park’s Ghost Town area with boysenberry themed foods to purchase and enjoy. Also gracing the park for the festival are some new shows to enjoy such as Snoopy’s Boysenberry Jamboree!

Of the boysenberry flavored offerings this year, I was once again enamored with the “Fun Bun”. A deep fried cinnamon roll with sweet boysenberry frosting… It’s really an amazing treat. Also great were the boysenberry meatballs and boysenberry pana cotta. Also of note is the boysenberry fry bread, which is located over at the churro factory. The dishes I could have done without were the boysenberry ravioli (I applaud their effort but it just didn’t work for me) and the boysenberry pizza. Of course, the park has its standard restaurants and watering holes open for guests during the festival, so the choice is yours. Knott’s Berry Farm is once again offering their $25 dollar tasting card for sale so that guests can get a little sampling of a number of boysenberry treats. Unfortunately, the fun bun is not on the tasting card, so you’ll have to pick that up separately, but I digress. If you are looking for liquid refreshment, you can find boysenberry cream soda as well as a host of craft wines and beers in the Craft Wine and Beer Garden, located within the Wilderness Dance Hall. There are some great local wineries and breweries on display here, so if you are over 21 and interested, be sure to check it out!

Snoopy’s Boysenberry Jamboree is a fun show for the whole family which takes place at the new Calico Stage and features dancing, singing, and your favorite Peanuts characters. Also fun to take in is Old MacDonald’s Barn over near the Ghost Town windmill. Inside, you will find horses, burros, and all sorts of animals for the kids to look at. At certain times, you can even watch them shear some sheep! It’s how shirts are made, people, and harmless for the innocent sheep.There is also a new Melodrama in the Bird Cage Theater, which is always a fun time. The Bird Cage Theater players are a talented lot and allow a lot of improv to come through with their performances, which just adds to the fun!

Overall, the Knott’s Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival is a fun day trip that will entertain and fill you up. Between the new boysenberry flavored treats and the entertainment options available to guests, Knott’s Boysenberry Festival is always a great time!

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Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker – Announcement Trailer

2017/04/10

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (April 10, 2017) – BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., the premier anime videogame publisher and developer has announced NARUTO TO BORUTO: SHINOBI STRIKER™, the latest addition to the popular Naruto game franchise, coming soon to the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, and PC via STEAM®. Developed by Soleil Ltd. and published by BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., this new action game enables players to compete online in 4 vs. 4 matches against other teams to become elite ninja masters.

In NARUTO TO BORUTO: SHINOBI STRIKER, players go head-to-head in 4 vs. 4 battles, with all eight ninjas fighting simultaneously. NARUTO TO BORUTO: SHINOBI STRIKER features beloved Naruto characters and teams from the series, including Naruto, Sasuke, and Team 7. The game showcases a brand-new graphic style with vivid colors and dynamic third-person ninja gameplay that enables players to take advantage of the verticality of the arena environment with vertical running and jumping to elevated areas. Players can also choose to play co-op with friends and lead teams to victory to be the top ninjas online.

“We’re delighted to work with Soleil on the newest installment to the Naruto series, taking the popular franchise to literal new heights as players utilize the vertical plane to gain advantages in battles with friends. Long-time fans and Naruto newbies are sure to enjoy the intense arena combat together,” said Eric Hartness, Vice President of Marketing at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. “NARUTO TO BORUTO: SHINOBI STRIKER is a fresh take on the iconic anime series, and puts all players and characters into the fight.”

To learn more about BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.’s other products go to: http://www.bandainamcoent.com/home.html or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoUS or join the conversation on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/bandainamcous.

Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds Sells Over One Million Copies

2017/04/10

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Windows PC News

April 10, 2017 – Holding strong as Steam’s number one seller for more than two weeks, Bluehole and Brendan Greene (aka PLAYERUNKNOWN) announced today that PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS has sold more than one million units on Steam Early Access in 16 days. PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS has remained in the top three concurrent user count on Steam, peaking at more than 89,000 simultaneous active players at a given time.

The battle royale chart-topper has over 150,000 concurrent viewers on Twitch with more than 2,000 streamers streaming every day. To date, PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS has been featured on more than 39,841 streams for a total of 5,168,180 minutes streamed since launch.

“We couldn’t have reached this milestone without the dedication of our players and we are truly humbled by their passionate response,” said Brendan Greene (aka PLAYERUKNOWN). “As we move to make improvements and deliver new content we will actively engage this growing fan base.”

PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS is being developed with full transparency and is planned to be in Early Access for less than six months. More information can be found at www.playbattlegrounds.com, ‘Like’ it on Facebook, and follow the team on Twitter @PUBATTLEGROUNDS for all the latest updates and news.

PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS – Not Just a Game. This is Battle Royale.