Author - Jerry Paxton

Middle-earth: Shadow of War Desolation of Mordor Cinematic Reveal

2018/05/03
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

May 3, 2018 – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today revealed the opening cinematic from the Desolation of Mordor Story Expansion, all-new downloadable content (DLC) coming to Middle-earth: Shadow of War on May 8. The new video spotlights Baranor, the Captain of Minas Ithil, who has escaped the fallen city’s demise and is now reunited with his lost brother, Serka. Together, the two warriors must hire an army of human mercenaries to combat a new Orc threat to the East, endure the harsh desert region of Lithlad and ultimately conquer the imposing Marauder fortress of Shindrâm.

The Official Desolation of Mordor Cinematic Reveal can be viewed and shared via the following link:

A complete list of the Expansion Pass content is provided below. For more information, check out the Middle-earth: Shadow of War Expansion Pass Trailer.

  • Full Expansion Pass – Includes Desolation of Mordor Story Expansion (avail. May 8), Blade of Galadriel Story Expansion (avail. now), Slaughter Tribe Nemesis Expansion (avail. now) and Outlaw Tribe Nemesis Expansion (avail. now) – $39.99 (*Expansion Pass also incl. as part of Gold Edition for $99.99)

  • Story Expansion Pass – Includes Desolation of Mordor Story Expansion and Blade of Galadriel Story Expansion – $24.99

  • Desolation of Mordor Story Expansion – Available à la carte – $19.99

  • Blade of Galadriel Story Expansion – Available à la carte – $14.99

  • Slaughter Tribe Nemesis Expansion – Available à la carte – $14.99

  • Outlaw Tribe Nemesis Expansion – Available à la carte – $14.99

Middle-earth: Shadow of War is available for the Xbox One family of consoles, Windows 10 PC through the Windows 10 Store, Steam, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro.

Set between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Middle-earth: Shadow of War is an open world action RPG that continues the original narrative of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. Players will be engrossed in a richer, more personal and expansive world full of epic heroes and villains, iconic locations, original enemy types, more personalities and a new cast of characters with untold stories.

For the latest information or to join the Middle-earth: Shadow of War conversation, visit us on YouTube (ShadowofWarGame), Twitter (@ShadowofWarGame), Instagram (ShadowofWarGame), Facebook (ShadowofWarGame), Twitch (MonolithLive), Community (ShadowOfWar) or the official website (www.ShadowofWar.com).

 

VAMPIRE Becoming the Monster Trailer

2018/05/03
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

May 3, 2018 – Vampyr, the upcoming action-RPG from DONTNOD Entertainment, explores tortured protagonist Dr. Jonathan Reid’s growth in power through savage combat gameplay in today’s Becoming a Monster gameplay trailer. By sacrificing the very citizens Reid swore to protect, players will learn and evolve powerful vampire abilities in their struggle to defeat London’s deadly foes. Vampyr releases June 5 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, with preorders now available.

In Vampyr, the greatest source of XP to learn and enhance abilities comes from the blood of London’s citizens, who Dr. Jonathan Reid has set out to save from the epidemic sweeping through the city. The question is less “Do I kill?” than “Who do I kill?”. Investigating citizens’ lives will allow Reid to decide who is more ‘deserving’ of sacrifice – or he can simply give in to his hunger and treat the mortals as blood bags. Either way, killing certain citizens will have a greater impact on the local ecosystem than others, while simply killing too many may cause an entire district to collapse.

After draining the blood of his victims, Reid can learn and evolve powerful combat abilities. Close combat abilities allow Reid to close gaps quickly, pouncing from afar before slashing with deadly claws, while others such as Bloodspear allow him to deal damage from a distance. At the higher levels of power, some abilities are feared by even the vampires themselves. Abyss allows Reid to unleash the shadows from within, while Rage targets and strikes entire groups of enemies with a terrible fury. Learning and evolving these abilities will aid in the doctor’s quest to save London – but at what cost?

Vampyr releases June 5 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Pre-orders are now available at www.vampyr-game.com

Goosebumps HorrorTown Mobile Game Announced

2018/05/03
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Mobile News, News, Trailers / Videos

SAN FRANCISCO, May 3, 2018 – Pixowl, creator of the award-winning world builder game, The Sandbox, which has been downloaded over 40 million times, today announced the opening of pre-registration for the upcoming May 30th launch of Goosebumps™ HorrorTown, a character-driven simulation game where players will build and populate a town with scary monsters, on the App Store and Google Play.

Based on R.L. Stine’s hit “Goosebumps” horror series and licensed by Scholastic, the game will take players to HorrorTown to build and manage a quirky town, collect iconic monsters, frighten hapless humans, unlock compelling human characters, and undertake scary missions where young townsfolk spy on monsters to try to figure out what’s going on in their town.

“Goosebumps: HorrorTown is all about collecting monsters in a character-driven adventure set in R.L. Stine’s spooky world,” said Arthur Madrid, CEO and co-founder of Pixowl. “Players who sign up for pre-registration today can be the first ones on their block to collect all their favorite monsters!”

As seen in the Goosebumps HorrorTown preview trailer released today, players will build a town and fill it with over 50 signature scary monsters from the series, including Slappy the ventriloquist dummy, Curly the skeleton, the Mummy, Murder the Clown, the Phantom, and even the Lawn Gnomes! Players take on dual roles: gathering a scary assortment of sinister creatures to terrify townsfolk and playing as humans to defend against the monsters by investigating monster activity and exploring the map to unlock new areas and adventures. As monsters, players can scare humans to obtain materials and add new creatures, while as humans they can gather resources, craft items, and spy on the monsters.

Along with pre-registration, Pixowl today launched a “Draw your Monster!” contest on its Facebook page allowing players to submit their ideas and drawings. The best suggestions will be submitted to a public vote and the winning Monster will be included in the game at the time of worldwide launch. More details can be found on the Facebook post.

To watch the latest trailer for Goosebumps™ HorrorTown gameplay trailer, please head here:

To keep in touch with Pixowl and Goosebumps HorrorTown, please visit www.pixowl.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Jamstik 7 and Jamstik 12 Indiegogo Campaign Now Underway

2018/05/02
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Tech News

MINNEAPOLIS, May 2, 2018 — Zivix, the makers of the award-winning Jamstik+ Smart Guitar, proudly launches the third generation MIDI Guitars via crowdfunding—the Jamstik 7 (JS7) and Jamstik 12 (JS12). Both versions are now available for exclusive pre-order on Indiegogo, with early bird pricing starting at $179 and $349 respectively.

“When we first announced the Jamstik over five years ago, we were blown away by how many people shared our passion for bringing a modern MIDI guitar to market. The excitement was around what we delivered then, but also the potential of what future versions could bring,” said Matt Cannon, Director of Growth at Zivix. “We’ve developed this new line of Jamstiks having kept a close eye on both the digitization of educational methods and the shifting landscape of digital music production, creation, and consumption. There has never been a better time for our new guitars to hit the market; they are better than ever and we can’t wait to share them with the world.“

The Jamstik 12 is designed for existing guitar players and musicians looking for a serious MIDI capable instrument for songwriting, music production and performance. With an MSRP of $499.99, the JS12 provides a high-quality MIDI guitar for the modern era, at a price point that makes it a must-have studio tool for innovative guitarists and musicians.

The Jamstik 7 is designed for those wishing to pick up the guitar for the first time, get reacquainted with playing, or be able to practice and play a multitude of software and apps to improve their guitar playing and music creation skills. With an MSRP of $249.99, the goal of the JS7 is to provide an affordable guitar learning experience as well as an introduction to music production and songwriting.

Third Generation Jamstik Features:

Both models have been redesigned from the ground up, and feature the following technologies; however, the JS12 will boast a denser array of optical sensors and more detailed capacitive touch design for fine-tuned position accuracy.

● FretTouch™ Finger Sensing Fretboard: A capacitive touch PCB sits below the fretboard, identifying your finger position in real time and allowing for more nuanced play. This technology is also incorporated into the controls touchpad for a seamless and accessible interface to app functionality.

● Infrasense™ Optical Pickups: Custom engineered pickups capture the movement and vibration of the strings when strummed with an array of IR LEDs and photoreceptors—instantly providing string velocity and movement which is translated into dynamic MIDI data.

● Bluetooth & USB MIDI Connectivity: Building off of the BLE MIDI protocol we helped pioneer with members of the MIDI Association, each new Jamstik model will play fully wirelessly with the added option to connect via high-speed USB.

The Jamstik Indiegogo campaign launches on May 2, 2018. The Jamstik 7 will begin shipping to backers in August 2018, and the Jamstik 12 will begin shipping to backers in Q1 2019.

Lebowski Fest LA 2018 Tickets Now on Sale

2018/05/02
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Movie News, News

May 2, 2018 – What started as a lark by two fans of The Big Lebowski in a tiny bowling alley in Louisville, Kentucky in 2002 has spawned the cultural phenomenon known as Lebowski Fest which celebrates the Coen Brothers film in bowling alleys across the world. Fans have been gathering for nearly two decades to bowl, dress in costume, drink White Russians and abide in honor of The Big Lebowski which turns 20 years old this year. Lebowski Fest returns to the home of the film’s location, Los Angeles this Memorial Day Weekend for a Movie Party at The Wiltern on May 25 and a Bowling Party at The Fountain Bowl on May 26. The Movie Party will feature a performance by Kyle Gass Band (of Tenacious D fame) as well as a meet and greet with several actors from the film and a massive 20th anniversary screening of the movie on the big screen. The Bowling Party will feature unlimited bowling, a costume and trivia contest as well as the opportunity to bowl alongside actors from the film. Tickets and more information about Lebowski Fest Los Angeles 2018 are available at http://lebowskifest.com.

The Big Lebowski was initially dismissed by many critics and was not popular with the movie going public on its release but in the years after has gathered a massive cult following of dedicated fans also known as Achievers. It has even spawned its own religion, Dudeism, which claims to have ordained nearly half a million Dudeist priests. The film has been added to the National Film Registry, is studied in college classrooms and several books have been written about it including “I’m a Lebowski, You’re a Lebowski” which debuted as an LA Times Bestseller and has now been re-released for the film’s 20th Anniversary. The fan book, written by the founders of Lebowski Fest, includes interviews with the actors and real-life inspirations, a foreword by the film’s star Jeff Bridges and a new afterword by film critic from The New Yorker, Daphne Merkin, who like many critics originally criticized the film but have now come around to seeing the merits of this Coen Brothers classic.

Fans will gather this Memorial Day in the city where the film is set, Los Angeles and be treated to a meet and greet with some of the film’s actors including Jack Kehler (Man in the High Castle, Love Liza) who played The Dude’s Landlord who will hopefully be re-creating his hilarious “Cycle” dance he performed in The Big Lebowski. Also on the bill is Luis Colina who smashes The Dude’s windshield after John Goodman’s character, Walter smashed his new Corvette in a rage yelling a phrase that has been famously redubbed for television “Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps!?” (Actual dialogue not fit for print) Ajgie Kirkland who kicked The Dude out of his cab after The Dude proclaims he hates The Eagles will be there as well. Jim Hoosier who plays John Turturro’s faithful bowling buddy, Liam, will be at the Movie Party as well as the Bowling Party and actor and Saddam Hussein look-a-like Jerry Haleva will be at the Bowling Party. Music will be provided by Kyle Gass Band fronted by the other half of Tenacious D. There will be White Russians aplenty both nights as fans get together to celebrate this cult classic that is now 20 years old. Mark it 20, Dude.

Details are as follows:

May 25 – Movie Party – Music by Kyle Gass Band (of Tenacious D) with special guests Jack Kehler (Dude’s Landlord), Luis Colina (Angry Corvette Owner), Jim Hoosier (Liam) & Ajgie Kirkland (Eagles Cab Driver) followed by a massive screening of The Big Lebowski! @ The Wiltern – 3790 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010 – All Ages – $20 GA Seated / $30 Loge Reserved Seats – Doors 7pm – Show 8pm

May 26 – Bowling Party – Unlimited bowling, costume contest, trivia contest and special guests Jerry Haleva (Saddam) & Jim Hoosier (Liam) @ Fountain Bowl – 17110 Brookhurst St, Fountain Valley, CA 92708 – All Ages – $25 adv / $30 day of. Ticket includes bowling and shoe rental. Bowling is general admission and not guaranteed. 8pm – Midnight

Red Dead Redemption 2 Official Trailer #3 Released

2018/05/02
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

May 2, 2018 – America, 1899. The end of the wild west era has begun as lawmen hunt down the last remaining outlaw gangs. Those who will not surrender or succumb are killed.

After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him.

From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an epic tale of life in America at the dawn of the modern age. Coming October 26, 2018 to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One systems.

SingSpace Out Now for Oculus Go

2018/05/02
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Mobile News, News

Boston – May 2, 2018 – SingSpace™, a social karaoke experience from Harmonix, is available now for the Oculus Go. With multiple game modes, a stellar soundtrack and cross play support for the Gear VR for only $7.99, SingSpace is sure to bring karaoke fans together, in virtual reality, no matter where they may be.

Oculus Store link: https://www.oculus.com/experiences/go/1111567195551033/
SingSpace website: http://singspacegame.com/

Gameplay
SingSpace offers players the option of performing solo for a crowd of robot karaoke connoisseurs, singing live with friends and strangers or pursuing international acclaim by submitting in-game footage of their signature performance to be evaluated by the entire SingSpace community. No need for a microphone – SingSpace uses the Oculus Go’s built-in headset mic.

With the SingSpace character creator, players can choose from a variety of hair, skin, accessories and clothing styles to create a custom avatar. Once the avatar is created, it’s time to choose whether to embark upon a single or multi-player karaoke experience.

Singers who aren’t quite ready for an audience or just want an opportunity to warm up before taking the main stage should check out SingSpace’s single player experience. In it, players are transported to a futuristic bar where they can sing their hearts out for a cute robot crowd. It’s the perfect way to get over first show jitters.

For crooners looking for a more social experience, SingSpace offers several ways to connect with others in VR through a shared love of music and performance. Players can join friends in-app for an intimate evening of karaoke, join a virtual room to perform live and make new friends or post their signature performance for the entire SingSpace community to enjoy with Watch & Rate.

In SingSpace, spectating is not a passive activity. As players watch a performance, they can show their approval by showering the performer with a wide array custom emojis – from roses to pizza to illuminati pyramids. Don’t overthink it, just do what feels right.

For more on SingSpaces game modes, please see these relevant dev blogs:
http://www.harmonixmusic.com/blog/singspace-multiplayer-karaoke-reveal/
http://www.harmonixmusic.com/blog/singspace-watch-rate-reveal/

Music
Good Karaoke needs good music, and SingSpace comes with 20 signature songs – from timeless staples to modern hits. They are:

  • “…Baby One More Time”
  • “Ain’t It Fun”
  • “Beautiful”
  • “Before He Cheats”
  • “Bye Bye Bye”
  • “Can’t Feel My Face”
  • “Cheap Thrills”
  • “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”
  • “Hey Ya!”
  • “I Don’t Want To Be”
  • “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”
  • “Material Girl”
  • “One Week”
  • “Only Wanna Be With You”
  • “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)”
  • “Rapper’s Delight”
  • “Sugar, We’re Goin Down”
  • “Take On Me”
  • “Thrift Shop”
  • “U Can’t Touch This”

Included with the purchase of SingSpace is a six-month subscription to the SingSpace Subscription Library, instantly adding the following 71 songs to your repertoire:

18 And Life A Whole New World ABC
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough All About That Bass All Of Me
All That Jazz Bad Romance Barbara Ann
Beauty and the Beast Because Of You Black Horse & The Cherry Tree
Bohemian Rhapsody Bring Me To Life Call Me
Can You Feel the Love Tonight Chain of Fools Chandelier
Creep DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love Downtown
Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) Hakuna Matata Hey There Delilah
Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!) Holding Out For A Hero Holiday
Hopelessly Devoted To You I Hate Everything About You I Heard It Through The Grapevine
I Love Rock N’ Roll I Want It That Way If I Could Turn Back Time
If You Could Only See I’ll Be I’m Like A Bird
I’m So Excited Keep Your Hands To Yourself Killing Me Softly
Kiss From a Rose Let It Go Let’s Dance
Lonely No More Love Shack Macho Man
Misery Business No Scrubs One Headlight
One Way Or Another Oye Como Va Papa Don’t Preach
Part of Your World Push It Roxanne
Royals Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) Semi-Charmed Life
Shining Star Somebody To Love Step By Step
Suffragette City Super Freak Take Me Home, Country Roads
The Middle Two Princes Un-Break My Heart
Under Pressure Under the Sea We Are Young
Y.M.C.A. You Can’t Hurry Love

Stay tuned to Harmonix’s Twitter and Facebook pages as well as the SingSpace blog for additional information about the game.

Super Mega Baseball 2 Launch Trailer

2018/05/01
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

Victoria, British Columbia – May 1, 2018 – It’s time to jump back into the critically acclaimed Super Mega Baseball series with today’s launch of Super Mega Baseball 2 by Metalhead Software. Launching on Xbox One, PlayStation®4 and PC via Steam for $29.99 USD, Super Mega Baseball 2 arrives with gorgeous new visuals, deep team and league customization, and long-awaited online multiplayer modes. Starting today Super Mega Baseball 2 is available for the month of May via Xbox Live Games with Gold. Metalhead is also releasing today three DLC packs with additional cosmetic customization content as an optional way for fans to show added support.

Whether a rookie or baseball purist, Super Mega Baseball 2 packs a mode for everyone. Compete in ranked Pennant Race mode (1v1), dominate friends in arranged matches (1v1, 2v1, 2v2), or take on the AI (solo, local co-op, online co-op) – all kept fair by Ego, the genre’s most flexible difficulty system.

“With the major leap in production values and the addition of online play, we’re excited for the possibility of SMB2 reaching a much broader audience than the original,” said Metalhead Co-Founder Scott Drader. “We expect SMB2’s inclusion in Games with Gold at launch to help it find that audience and establish a solid player base for online play right from the get go.”

Super Mega Baseball’s initial iteration earned an 85 Metacritic score and “Sports Game of the Year” honors. Building on the core features of the original, the sequel includes:

  • Overhauled presentation including 8 stadiums built from the ground up, more realistically scaled character models, and new, more athletic player animations
  • Comprehensive customization of leagues, team logos and uniforms, and player gear
  • New competitive and co-operative online modes, utilizing dedicated servers
  • Cross-platform play between PC and Xbox One, and between PC and PS4 in Pennant Race mode
  • Refined baseball simulation with visceral physics and realistic play outcomes
  • Enhanced image quality on Xbox One X and PS4 Pro

Discover the action in the game’s launch trailer at https://youtu.be/HLdVIYwXs88.

Atari VCS Pre-Order Date Revealed

2018/04/30
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Hardware News, News

NEW YORK, NY (APRIL 30, 2018) – Atari® — One of the world’s most iconic consumer brands and interactive entertainment producers — today announces that pre-sales of its new Atari VCS™ hardware platform will start May 30, 2018. The pre-sale is exclusive to Indiegogo and features the time-limited Atari VCS Collector’s Edition featuring the special retro-inspired wood-front. In addition to the Collector’s Edition, fans will have the option to pre-order the Atari VCS Onyx, a sleek black version. Early-bird Atari VCS packages will be offered, including the Onyx starting at $199 USD for a limited period of time. Other packages will include the Classic Joystick and Modern Controller. Initial Atari VCS shipments are planned for Spring 2019. Fans who have signed up for “insider” email alerts at AtariVCS.com before May 24, 2018 will be eligible for special purchase incentives during the pre-sale.

The VCS is a completely new Atari connected device, designed in California by Atari. The company has partnered with AMD who provides the Atari VCS custom processor with Radeon Graphics Technology. The Atari VCS platform will offer support for 4K resolution, HDR and 60FPS content, onboard and expandable storage options, dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0, as well as USB 3.0 support. A complete list of Atari VCS product specs will be posted with the pre-sale.

The updated Classic Joystick and new Modern Controller for the Atari VCS are being developed in partnership with leading video game peripherals maker Power A. Both items will be available in select packages and as standalone purchases.

Retro-inspired, but not a “retro-box,” the Atari VCS will be a fully customizable entertainment experience. This means access to a vast array of games, media and streaming content options. As an homage to the past, Atari VCS covers the classics with the included Atari Vault of more than 100 classic games, including all-time arcade and home entertainment favorites like Asteroids®, Centipede®, Breakout®, Missile Command®, Gravitar® and Yars’ Revenge®; a growing list of games, especially a full range of popular modern titles, will be announced at later dates.

“We continue moving forward on the Atari VCS project and are excited to see this pre-sale kickoff and to share more updates with our fans as we look toward the first shipments,” notes Michael Arzt, Atari COO of Connected Devices. “We are building outstanding teams and forging alliances that will make this product great and truly worthy of the Atari VCS name. Expert hardware partners are helping make this project possible and we couldn’t be more pleased with their contributions.”

Atari appreciates the community’s intense curiosity about VCS games and content, hardware specifications, production timelines and other key information, and is confident that it is putting the right pieces in place for a successful product and launch.

All Atari VCS branding and communications channels now reflect the product’s official name. Fans can follow Atari VCS on Facebook, Twitter @TheAtari_VCS and Instagram.

Razer Partners with 100 Thieves Esports Team

2018/04/30
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News

IRVINE, Calif.  – RazerTM, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced a one-year partnership with 100 Thieves, a professional American esports gaming and lifestyle organization founded by veteran Call of Duty® champion, Matt “Nadeshot” Haag.

With this new partnership, 100 Thieves will be outfitted with Razer’s esports-grade peripherals including mice, keyboards, headsets, and surfaces for all training and tournament purposes for the next year.

“100 Thieves is a team to be reckoned with as we’ve seen with their solid performance this year alone. They are a welcomed new addition to our growing Team Razer roster of talent,” said Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder and CEO. “The team is bound for high achievements and we are thrilled to support them every step of the way.”

The star-studded League of Legends® team features veteran players such as Spring Split MVP “Aphromoo” and North American League of Legends Championship Series (NA LCS) Coach of the Split Award winner “Pr0lly.” During this year’s NA LCS, 100 Thieves placed 2nd in the Spring Split and 1st place in the regular season standings.

In addition to competing in League of Legends, 100 Thieves recently announced a new Clash Royale® team to compete in the mobile esports scene.

“We are beyond excited to partner with Team Razer,” said Matt “Nadeshot” Haag, 100 Thieves Founder and CEO. “We have built a competitive League of Legends roster and Razer’s high-performance gaming devices will push us further as our team continues to evolve.”

For more information on Team Razer visit https://www.razer.com/team.

For more information on 100 Thieves: