Author - Jerry Paxton

Mad Catz Returns Under New Management

2018/01/04
Jerry Paxton
CES, Geek News, News, Peripherals News, Trailers / Videos

Kowloon, Hong Kong – January 4th 2018, – Mad Catz Global Limited, the legendary brand, leading innovation in gaming hardware for almost three decades, announced today a surprise return to the international gaming scene.

Less than a year after the much-loved brand disappeared from the gaming landscape, Mad Catz is back: under new management, with new ideas, new attitude and most importantly, an entire range of new, high-quality gaming products!

Known for their award-winning range of R.A.T.™ gaming mice, arcade FightSticks, gaming headsets and much more besides, the new Mad Catz will focus first on quality, committed to producing innovative gaming products, designed and engineered in-house to stand out amongst the competition and deliver superlative performance for gamers of all abilities.

At CES 2018, Mad Catz will be previewing the first products in the new range, a line of all-new PC gaming hardware including new R.A.T. mice, S.T.R.I.K.E.™ keyboards, F.R.E.Q.™ gaming headsets and G.L.I.D.E.™ gaming surfaces.

Key products in the new range include the R.A.T.AIR™ an-all new version of the iconic, fully-adjustable gaming mouse, now with a state-of-the-art wireless power system. The R.A.T.AIR requires no unreliable battery pack to operate, instead drawing power via the wireless activation gaming surface, included in pack. For gamers preferring to use their own gaming surface, the R.A.T.AIR also includes a robust USB cable in pack, instantly converting the R.A.T. to a wired mouse.

The S.T.R.I.K.E.4 gaming keyboard features a fully mechanical key bed, aluminum frame and RGB lighting, and the F.R.E.Q.4 gaming headset, utilizes high-quality 40mm neodymium drivers and a metal plated frame. Further details of new products in the range are expected to be announced shortly.

“We couldn’t be more excited than to begin 2018 by announcing the return of Mad Catz to the global gaming arena. Mad Catz has been a permanent fixture in gaming for almost three decades and we firmly believe it’s best days lie ahead,” said Selena Chang, Director of Sales and Operations for Mad Catz Global Limited. “Through listening to gamers worldwide, we plan to once again forge a path of innovation in the gaming hardware community, and we’re already working on delivering products which we believe will enhance gamers’ abilities and do justice to the Mad Catz name. We can’t wait to unveil a little more at CES 2018 and in the months to come.’

Mad Catz Global Limited will be demonstrating new products in the range through invitation only at CES 2018, taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada from January 9th through 12th, 2018.

Additional information available at: www.madcatz.com

COMET TV Unveils The Craft and More for January 2018

2018/01/03
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Movie News, News, Trailers / Videos

COMET TV has released its lineup of programming and specials for January 2018! On this month’s lineup is The Craft, Labyrinth, Bubba Ho-Tep, and a whole lot more! See it all after the following sizzle trailer.

The Craft (1996)

Teen movies might want you to believe that high school was all about keggers and beautiful cheerleaders, but we prefer The Craft’s version of events. Featuring a quartet of angsty teens who turn to witchcraft in the face of personal high school horrors, The Craft casts a spell that leaves you wishing you had an occult stor on your local main street.

  • Friday, January 12 at 8P/7C
  • Saturday, January 13 at 8P/7C
  • Sunday, January 21 at 6P/5C
  • Monday, January 22 at 8P/7C

FILMS ON COMET IN JANUARY

Labyrinth (1986)

January will mark the second anniversary of the day we lost pop culture legend David Bowie, so this month’s COMET is honoring his memory in the best way we coul think of ….  by screening one of the most iconic roles of his career. Back in 1986, Bowie stole the show as the Goblin King in Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, from the music to the costumes, this was Bowie at his best.

  • Friday, January 19 at 8P/7C
  • Saturday, January 20 at 8P/7C
  • Saturday, January 27 at 5:30P/6:30C
  • Tuesday, January 30 at 6P/7C

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

Could there be a better way to shake off the post-holiday blues than with the adventures of Elvis in all his hip shaking and breaking glory? Of course not, which is exactly why you should be tuning in to watch Bubba Ho-Tep on COMET this January.

  • Friday, January 26 at 8P/7C
  • Saturday, January 27 at 8P/7C
  • Sunday, January 28 at 2P/1C

Edgar Allan Poe DOUBLE FEATURES

Need to warm up on the cold Winter Wednesdays? Look no further than COMET’s brand new 2-hour block of Edgar Allan Poe programming. Each Wednesday evening at 6P/5C, catch the Tomahawk Man’s most beloved creations, including The Raven and Tales of Terror.

Airing Wednesday Nights at 6P/5C throughout January, check schedule at CometTV.com

Premature Burial (1962)

Wednesday, January 10 at 6P/5C

Tales of Terror (1962)

Wednesday, January 10 at 8P/7C

The Raven (1963)

Wednesday, January 17 at 6P/5C

The Haunted Place (1963)

Wednesday, January 17 at 8P/7C

Masque of the Red Death (1964)

Wednesday, January 24 at 6P/5C

The Tomb of Ligeia (1965)

Wednesday, January 24 at 8P/7C

The Oblong Box (1969)

Wednesday, January 31 at 6P/5C

Murders in the Rue Morgue (1971)

Wednesday, January 31 at 8P/7C

January Theme Weeks

Airing weekdays at 4P/3C throughout January, check schedule at CometTV.com

Killer Creature Movies (1/1 – 1/5)

Outer Space Movies (1/8 – 1/12)

Rubber-Suit Monster Movies (1/15 – 1/19)

Dystopian Movies (1/22 – 1/26)

January Friday Night Movies

Friday Primetime Movie 8P/7C

Saturday Encore Presentation 8P/7C

The Dark Half (1993)

Friday, January 5 at 8P/7C

The Craft (1996)

Friday, January 12 at 8P/7C

Labyrinth (1986)

Friday, January 19 at 8P/7C

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

Friday, January 26 at 8P/7C

SERIES ON COMET IN January 2018

Andromeda

Classic Space Opera is coming to COMET! Based on materials from sci-fi legend Gene Roddenberry, Andromeda stars all action hero Kevin Sorbo as the Captain of the Andromeda Ascendant, a highly advanced ship whose crew is charged with restoring power and stability to the Systems Commonwealth. But, to succeed the Andromeda crew must battle one of sci-fi’s weirdest looking bad guys….the sinister Magog!

  • Weekdays at 2P/1C and 10P/9C

Stargate: Atlantis

If you thought gate-hopping action was fun in the Milky Way, just wait until you see what it’s like in the Pegasus Galaxy. Stargate: Atlantis sees a team of international scientists unlocking the secrets of a legendary ancient city, discovering a whole new stargate network in a whole new galaxy, and bringing them face to face with the Wraith, a powerful enemy who are best summed up with the term ‘Evil Space Vampires’!

  • Weekdays at 3P/2C and 11P/10C

Civilization VI: Rise and Fall First Look at Cree Nation Trailer

2018/01/02
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

January 2, 2018 – 2K and F4iraxis Games today revealed that Poundmaker will lead the Cree in Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Rise and Fall. Poundmaker was a highly skilled bison caller – a man who drew bison into pounds – and greatly respected among his people. He was also recognized as an outstanding orator and went on to become a great leader.

His commitment to a lasting, just peace between the Cree and the government was born of foresight and dignity. During his life he had served as a personal agent of peace to end war between First Nations. His legacy is now honored among both the Cree and Canadians today.

For more information, please see 2K’s official Civilization blog: https://civilization.com/news/entries#civilization-vi-rise-and-fall-poundmaker-leads-the-cree-nation

HP Omen X 35-inch Curved Gaming Display Review

2018/01/02
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Reviews, Tech News, Tech Review

HP’s Omen gaming line of computers and peripherals has become quite the conversation piece thanks to its sleek, dark future design ideology. Recently, we got to check out their Omen X 35-inch curved gaming monitor, and I was simply amazed. We have gotten our hands on some other curved displays in the past and been very pleased – however, just looking at the Omen X 35 once unboxed and setup on our desk was impressive.

It features a thin, black bezel, classy OMEN text at the bottom center of the monitor, and an understated Nvidia G-Sync logo at the bottom right. Its control buttons are located along the bottom right edge of the display and are fairly easy to navigate – especially with the on-screen prompts which pop up as you press the side buttons. On the back of the Omen X 35, you’ll find HDMI, DisplayPort, USB 3.0, and USB 3.0 upstream ports, all fairly easy to reach when setting it all up. The bottom of the monitor features an RGB lighting system that can be adjusted via the control buttons on the right, and features something I have not seen yet on a gaming display. Aside from the usual cycle and solid color modes, you can set the Omen X 35’s light to whatever the ambient color on the screen is at the time! I have seen lighting systems like this on large TV displays, but never on a PC gaming monitor – it is a pretty cool effect! They also have a “work light” mode which simply displays a low-lumen white light which is nice for working at your desk without a large desk lamp available.

In terms of adjusting the display itself, the Omen X 35 is somewhat rigid in that area. You can easily adjust the height of the monitor up and down, but it does not feature a swivel left or ride range of motion. This is because of how the monitor stand is constructed. Going for that sleek, dark-future look, the monitor stand is very thin, being only a half and inch thick when looking at it straight-on. Of course, it is thicker than that when viewed from the side as it has to support the weighty display, but its minimal cross section allows for less distraction and more of a “floating display” appearance from the front. Unfortunately, this does not allow for the previously-mentioned swivel. Thankfully, swiveling the entire monitor is not difficult thanks to the distribution of weight on the monitor base.

Being the Fallout fan I am, I first tried the monitor out with Fallout 4. I have downloaded many of the HD texture and lighting mods for the game, so I was extremely impressed with how it ran. Next up on my list was a faster game – Battlefront II, which was also very impressive, and the ultra wide resolution and screen real estate felt like having two regular displays side by side, but without that annoying center bezel that multi-monitor gamers are all too familiar with. Also a bonus is that you can get better performance with one ultra wide monitor instead of two or three regular displays as you can set your video card to single display performance mode – an added bonus. Another feature of the Omen X 35 that gets overlooked in many reviews I have seen is that its 2500:1 contrast ratio – an impressive ratio.

Specifications

  • 35.03 Inches Screen (Curved)
  • 3440×1440 Resolution
  • 8-bit VA Panel (AMVA+) with 178° Viewing Angles
  • 21:9 Aspect Ratio
  • 4ms Response Time
  • 100Hz
  • Nvidia G-Sync
  • Ports: DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 1.4
  • Other Ports: 3x USB3.0, Audio Line-Out
  • Brightness: 300cd/m2
  • Static Contrast: 2,500:1
  • Dynamic Contrast: 10,000,000:1
  • Pixel Pitch: 0.2382mm

Overall, the Omen X 35-inch curved display is a gamer’s dream. Not only is its 100Hz refresh rate blazing fast but, when coupled with Nvidia’s G-SYNC technology you will not be subject to any discernible ghosting or trails as you jump around the battlefield. Also, it has a reasonable price point (in this display category) of a little more than $900 dollars in most online retailers. If you have the money to spend, you will not be disappointed with the Omen X 35-inch curved gaming monitor.

Knott’s Berry Farm Announces NYE 2017 Plans

2017/12/27
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News

BUENA PARK, CA (December 2017) – The countdown to the New Year is on at Knott’s Merry Farm with  midnight fireworks, live entertainment, and special extended hours for the one-night event. Guests can say goodbye to 2017 as the park celebrates with memorable festivities including Knott’s Merry Farm seasonal performances throughout the day on December 31st. The Knott’s New Year’s Eve celebration gives guests front row seats to the final Seasons of Fun event, of year as the park rings in 2018 with a park wide party unlike any other.

The New Year’s celebration features entertaining activities for the whole family including a family-friendly comedian Chipper Lowell, live bands throughout the park, salsa lessons and more. Guests are invited to count down the final moments of 2017 with festive music, party hats and noisemakers making this last night of the year extra special. The spectacular firework celebration sets the sky above Knott’s ablaze at the stroke of midnight as colorful fireworks light the start of the New Year. The nighttime extravaganza offers a stress-free night perfect for family and friends to come together and create new memories by starting a new tradition at Knott’s.

This year’s line-up of cannot miss entertainment:

·         Jumpin’ Joz Band and Memories Swing Dancers invite guests to jump, jive & swing to the sounds of Jumpin’ Joz. The resident “swingers” are always looking to teach some of their signature dance moves!

·         Reindeer Rockers Duo will have guests rockin’ around the Christmas tree with rock and blues versions of classic Christmas songs at the all-new Boardwalk BBQ Restaurant.

·         DJ Howly brings the party to the farm for a special New Year’s celebration with high energy music perfect for dancing, all taking place at the Calico Mine Stage.  The Calico Mine Stage will also offer a musical performance by Vanity Band, a top 40s band that will keep crowds singing and dancing as the clock approaches midnight.

·         Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies will have the crowd’s toes tappin’, hands clappin’ and guts bustin’ performing live in the Birdcage Theatre.

·         DJ JC and Salsa Instructor Maria will teach guests how to salsa and dance their way to the New Year with the top Hispanic hits of the decade in Fiesta Village.

·         To celebrate the New Year the beloved Peanuts characters will be offering a special nighttime meet and greet right next to the Calico Mine Stage. 

·         Midnight Fireworks Spectacular, guests can ring in the New Year with a bang as the park’s sky wonderfully lights up for an aerial fireworks display that will leave the young and young at heart in awe.

·         Dining at the Farm: A New Year’s Eve celebration is not complete without a delicious meal. Spur’s Restaurant is serving up a special New Year’s Eve buffet from 4pm-10pm; prices are $34.99+tax for adults, $29.99 for Seniors (62 and over) and $18.99+ tax for kids (11 and under).

The seasonal fun continues with Knott’s Merry Farm’s festive lineup of entertainment, delectable foods and holiday shopping:

·         Merry Christmas, Snoopy!, in this exciting show filled with whimsy and spectacular ice skating, Snoopy enjoys all of the best parts of the season, including trimming the Christmas tree, awaiting Santa’s arrival and attending the festive Christmas Ball!

·         When the sun sets on the farm, the buildings and paths in Ghost Town twinkle brightly to the beat of holiday favorites as snow gently falls. Guests can enjoy the nightly Snow and Glow experience throughout most of Ghost Town.

·         The Calico Tree lighting Ceremony features the Calico Mayor, carolers and the friendly Calico Saloon cast as they invite guests to sing around the tree for an illuminating Christmas celebration.

·          The holiday season celebration continues at Camp Snoopy with A Peanuts Guide to Christmas, at the Camp Snoopy Theatre, featuring a delightful mash up of holiday songs with a cheerful and heartwarming dose of the Peanuts Gang.

·         In the intimate setting of Ghost Town’s historic Bird Cage Theatre, guests can catch a live performance of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol or O. Henry’s A Gift of the Magi.

·         Cameo Kate and Dakota Dan host a musical holiday celebration with a special performance in the Calico Saloon Christmas Show. The old west revue show offers plenty of laughs and audience interaction in the toe-tapping, knee-slapping journey

·         Savor the ultimate comfort foods with Knott’s world-famous holiday treats. Santa’s Christmas Cabin serves up holiday delights like Santa’s homemade cookies, warm roasted nuts, hand-made tamales and more. Guests can also enjoy the all-new Holiday Pizza at Hollywood Hits, as well as the legendary cooking at Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant. 

·         The bustling streets of Calico also celebrate the sounds of the season with the Knott’s Calico Carolers as they harmoniously sing classic holiday tunes for all to enjoy.

·         Relax and unwind in Knott’s Christmas Crafts Village, as Ghost Town transforms into a shopping wonderland filled with dozens of local artisans selling their unique gifts.

 

Knott’s New Year’s Eve Celebration is included with regular daytime admission. Park hours on New Year’s Eve are 10am to 1am. A 2018 Knott’s Season Pass is a great way to visit on New Year’s Eve. A 2018 Season Pass includes one free visit to enjoy in 2017 unlimited visits in 2018 with no blackout dates, discounts on select food and merchandise, and access to exciting year-round seasonal events. A Regular Season Pass includes unlimited admission in 2018 to Knott’s Berry Farm and a Gold Season Pass includes unlimited admission in 2018 to both Knott’s Berry Farm and the newly expanded Knott’s Soak City Waterpark with no blackout dates. Now at the Lowest Price of the Year, Regular Season Passes start at just $92.00 or six easy payments of $15.33 and Gold Season Passes are $110 or six payments of just $18.33. These offers end January 7, 2018. Applicable taxes and fees apply online. Payment plans are only available at knotts.com.

To purchase Season Passes or tickets, or for more information about Knott’s Berry Farm, visit www.knotts.com or download the Knott’s mobile app for your smartphone today.  And join the conversation using #KnottsNYE.

World of Warships Blitz Coming to Mobile in January

2017/12/23
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Mobile News, News

December 23, 2017 — Wargaming Mobile is excited to announce that World of Warships Blitz launches January 18 on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Mobile gamers on tablets and phones will soon be able to engage in epic naval combat that combines teamwork, tactics, and skill to rule the seas in an action-packed free-to-play online shooter.

Developed in partnership with KingNet, World of Warships Blitz will let players battle each other from a massive roster of 90 legendary warships from Japan, ​USA, Germany​ ​and​ the ​USSR. ​Players can choose between ​four​ ​distinct​ ​classes such as ​agile​ ​destroyers, well-rounded​ ​cruisers, ​powerful​ ​heavy​ ​battleships​ ​and​ ​long-range​ ​tactical​ ​aircraft carriers. Captains will be able to take to the seas in rapid 7-vs-7​ player​ ​battles,​​ team​ ​up​ ​with​ ​friends,​ unlock​ ​new​ ​ships, and take part in exciting single player missions.

“As a mobile game, World of Warships Blitz is casual, easy to learn and super competitive,” said Thaine Lyman, Head of Shooters at Wargaming Mobile. “Short battles, easy controls, and an impressive roster of ships are all right there from launch. We’re happy to welcome World of Warships Blitz into the Wargaming Mobile portfolio.”

World​ ​of​ ​Warships​ ​Blitz​ ​will​ ​support​ ​the​ ​unified​ ​Wargaming.net​ ​ID, which​ ​allows players to​ ​switch​ ​between​ ​platforms​ ​and​ ​devices​ ​while​ ​retaining​ ​all in-game​ ​progress.​ In World​ ​of​ ​Warships​ ​Blitz,​ players on both iOS and Android will be able to​ ​play​ ​together​.

Both iOS and Android players can pre-register here, starting December 23 to receive the Aurora Premium ship when the game has officially launched!

To learn more about World of Warships Blitz, visit the official website:

https://wowsblitz.com/

Bloody Zombies Nintendo Switch Launch Trailer

2017/12/21
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Nintendo Switch, Trailers / Videos

(Farnborough, United Kingdom) December 20. 2017 – Video game publisher nDreams and Paw Print Games have announced their E3 award-winning co-op brawler Bloody Zombies is coming to Nintendo Switch™, the new home gaming system that people can also take on the go, on 23rd December for £10.99/€13.49/$14.99.

Bloody Zombies on Switch features extensive multiplayer support, with online and local co-op brawling for one to four players. Set in a London wasteland, bloody zombies have taken over the city and four survivors must fight together to beat back the rotting hordes across the game’s full campaign. Bloody Zombies’ highly refined freeform combat is both an evolution and refinement on genre greats, featuring an expansive, unlockable moveset that can freely be chained into brutal, discoverable combos. With extensive support for the Nintendo Switch console, Bloody Zombies features full controller and play mode support, allowing you to go from TV to handheld to table top and play with your preferred controller input.

Check out the trailer here:

“We’re delighted that Bloody Zombies is joining the host of wholesome family-friendly titles, like Skyrim, Doom and LA Noire, hitting the Switch this holiday season.” said David Corless, VP of Publishing, nDreams. “What could make Christmas more festive than helping your Granny take down a seven-foot zombie with a samurai sword, all whilst playing together on your new Switch console?”

“We’ve gone to town to create a game that is a truly modern evolution of the brawlers that we love,” said Antony White, Co-Founder and Director at Paw Print Games. “With extensive multiplayer options, an expansive campaign, and a combat system inspired by some of our favorite titles, we’re sure it will be enjoyed by genre fans and anyone else who cannot resist punching a zombie in the face!”

War Thunder Update 1.75 Brings New Aircraft and Light Tank Additions

2017/12/20
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Windows PC News

Wednesday, 20 December 2017 — Gaijin Entertainment today released Update 1.75 “La Resistance” for its vehicular combat MMO War Thunder. Besides adding more than a dozen aircraft, new locations, and a new reconnaissance mechanic for light tanks, the update introduces the previously announced Ground Forces research tree for France. Furthermore, the update sets the stage for the popular New Year’s marathon, where players can obtain tanks and aircraft unique to this year’s event.

The French Ground Forces research tree starts with a staggering amount of 35 vehicles from Rank I all the way to Rank VI, encompassing early tanks of the 1930s as well as modern vehicles from the late stages of the Cold War. The production of the most modern model inWar Thunder, the AMX-30V2, began in 1982 and it is still in service today with several armies worldwide.

Together with the French Ground Forces comes the new combined battles location “Maginot Line”, portraying one of the sectors of France’s famous fortification line against Germany with its bunkers, a small town and even a medieval castle. Another new location, “Middle East”, sees combat between a ruined city and an oil plant located in the blazing desert sand.

A new reconnaissance game mechanic has been introduced for light tanks of all nations, which greatly expands the teamplay value for this type of vehicles. Now, light tanks can transmit information about enemy vehicles to their teammates and can assist all allies with repairs on the battlefield. More information is available here:

https://warthunder.com/en/news/5193-development-new-opportunities-for-light-vehicles-en

The air forces of War Thunder have received more than a dozen of new machines, including the twin-engined World War II machines Yak-2, Yak-4 for the Soviet Union and the British Whirlwind. New post-war fighters wait for the US and Japan, with the F3D-1 Skyknight and F-86-F40 Kyokko, respectively.

To celebrate the festive season, pilots and tankers of War Thunder can obtain unique Premium vehicles for free. For pilots, the P-40C for the USA and a captured Fw 190 A-8 in the French tree are available, while tankers can get the British wheeled armored car AEK Mark II, which is equipped with a tank turret, and a German Panther tank that is disguised as an American M10 tank destroyer. Specifically created for the New Year’s marathon this year, these vehicles can only be obtained during this event by fulfilling specific tasks available from 22 December to 22 January. Further rewards include boosters, decals and 3D decorative items.