December 18th, 2017 – EVGA introduces you to the ultimate in raw performance for the next-gen Intel® Extreme lineup, the EVGA X299 Dark. The Dark is crafted from the ground up to be the performance apex with everything you need to make a record-breaking benching run or a 24/7 number cruncher, and nothing you don’t – a board that is as reliable as it is fast. The EVGA X299 Dark has all of the current gen top-tier component support, including:
2x M.2 Key-M slots / 1x M.2 Key-E slot
Intel® Optane™ Memory Ready
2x U.2 Ports
USB 3.1 Type-A / Type-C
Up to 64GB of 4000MHz+ (OC) Quad-Channel RAM on Skylake-X CPUs
Up to 32GB of 4133MHz+ (OC) Dual-Channel RAM on Kaby Lake-X CPUs
2x Intel® GbE LAN with teaming support
EVGA’s Full Featured GUI UEFI/ BIOS
Legacy LGA20XX Socket Backplate for custom CPU cooling solutions (optional)
There is much to be said about a beautifully-engineered motherboard designed to handle the highest loads or the most extreme conditions, let alone the rigors and abuse constantly demanded by the best overclockers in the world and still look good doing it. This was achieved, in part, by using:
12-Layer PCB
Highly-Efficient 16-Phase PWM
100% Solid State Capacitors
300% Higher Gold Content in CPU Socket
External BCLK / Clock Generators
8 SATA Ports – 6 from Intel PCH / 2 from ASMedia ASM1061
Triple BIOS Select Switch
PCIe Disable Switches
ProbeIT Connector
PS/2 Port
Creative Core3D Audio
Intel® VROC Header
Although the X299 Dark does not feature RGB LED support, it politely reminds you that you can’t see pretty in the Dark. This board is engineered for the ultra-enthusiast, including these features:
Active PCH & M.2 cooling
4-Way SLI Support
Multi-Function POST Indicator
Visual Guide / Bench table
PCIe / DIMM Status LEDs
Right Angle Power / Fan / and USB3.0 Headers
The X299 Dark proves once again that until you have used it, you don’t know the power of the Dark side of the EVGA motherboard lineup.
Universal Studios Hollywood is once again transformed for the holiday season. First of the holiday fun to take in is Grinchmas. Grinchmas uses the the sights and sounds of the 2000 film Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas to delight kids and adults. Once again, the heart of the Grinchmas event takes place around a gigantic Christmas tree, adorned with ornaments and lights, but there are also several things to do and enjoy setup around the tree. You can eat several holiday treats created for the event – my personal favorite being the “yeti doughnut” – as well as take your picture with Whoville citizens, the Grinch himself, and even the Grinch’s faithful companion: Max. You can also send your loved ones (or even yourself) a holiday card from the Whoville post office! There is also an area where you can customize your own special Grinchmas ornament. Then there is a large assortment of stage shows – from “Story Time with Cindy-Lou” to the Grinchmas tree lighting ceremony in the evening. Overall, Grinchmas is a very fun time for young and old. I also wanted to give a special shout out to the makeup artists behind the makeup of Grinchmas. Their are doing a terrific job in blending the “who” prosthetics on their actors.
Earlier this year, Universal Studios Hollywood unveiled a terrific new holiday idea for 2017 in addition to their venerable Grinchmas event: Christmas in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. After not seeing anything happen in that area of the park for Halloween Horror Nights (could we pretty please get Deatheaters next year?), the gates being not so ceremoniously-shut, this was a welcome addition to the park. The decorations hanging about in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter are decidedly rustic in nature, with boughs of holly and pine adorning the various shops and buildings of the fictional Hogsmeade village. Additionally, the Hogwarts Choir performs on the small stage with holiday-inspired harmonies – all backed up by their croaking frogs. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, the attraction inside Hogwarts Castle, is also there for your riding enjoyment and has never looked better with its higher resolution 2D projection system. The Three Broomsticks has has a holiday makeover as well, offering an array of holiday themed dishes from the wizarding world, so be sure to catch lunch there during your visit. Finally, the highly-fabled hot butterbeer is back!
Of course, you will also be able to enjoy all the rest of the attractions and things that Universal Studios Hollywood has to offer. The studio tour is legendary and, despite its reliance on 3D movie-based experiences, still offers you an amazing view on the studio lot. I love doing stargazing from the tour tram as you never know who you’re going to see while being driven around – especially if you are there during the work week when shows and films are shooting. On the day we visited, which was a Sunday, the backlot was fairly quiet as one would expect, with maintenance workers buzzing about in golf carts. The area of the lot used for The Good Place is still off limits due to shooting, but hopefully they will open it up again soon. That area is a hoot to visit – especially if you are a fan of the show.
Overall, Universal Studios Hollywood has put together a great holiday celebration with Grinchmas and Christmas in the Wizarding World. There are plenty of things to do for both young and old and, after you are done in the park, you can enjoy the Universal City Walk outdoor mall. There you will find a number of interesting shops and restaurants for your holiday shopping pleasure. You can find ticket information and a lot more at the Universal Studios official website.
December 15, 2017 – Epic Games has launched its “Survive the Holidays” event for Fortnite, which includes all-new game content for both Battle Royale and Save the World!
Some details on the update can be found below and full patch notes can be found here. Fortnite is now available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Mac. Fortnite Battle Royale is completely free; Fortnite’s PvP “Save the World” is in paid Early Access, and will be free in 2018.
Season 2 for Battle Royale players kicks off with the all-new Battle Pass! Players who purchase a Battle Pass will immediately get sweet cosmetic loot with more than 65+ rewards unlocked for progression throughout the season. Players can get more details in the recently released “Battle Pass Overview” video.
The mode also gets a festive update with a limited-time Snowball Grenade Launcher weapon and other fun visual updates. Additionally, the game has been updated to add new daily quests, updated UI, bug fixes, and general game improvements.
The Fortnite Guide to Holiday Survival is here! This limited time holiday event brings an all-new questline, exclusive holiday-themed loot and activities, Holiday Heroes, new weapons, the addition of mini-bosses, and more.
The “Survive the Storm” event also returns on an all-new Winter survival map with festive trees, snow, and a mountain vista. Epic has also listened to player feedback on the mode and brought a number of improvements, including rebalanced difficulty, resourcing, and rewards.
As always, the update brings a ton of bug fixes and updates to the Early Access title.
Moenchengladbach/Germany, December 15, 2017 – Fans of gripping police simulation games will need a little bit more patience before they can go on patrol in the fictional US city of Loston Bay: In order to meet the wishes of their very active and enthusiastic community developer Bigmoon Entertainment and publisher astragon Entertainment have decided to postpone the release of POLICE SIMULATOR 18 on PC to summer 2018.
“Through our close communication with the members of our player community we have received a tremendous amount of constructive feedback regarding the development of POLICE SIMULATOR 18 from police fans all over the world. We are of course striving to implement as many of these elements as possible, so that we will be able to offer players a police simulation that fully matches their expectations. We have therefore come to the conclusion that it will be beneficial to extend the development period by a few more months and postpone the release of our game to summer 2018,” explains Benjamin Wolf, producer at astragon Entertainment, the publisher’s decision.
About POLICE SIMULATOR 18
In POLICE SIMULATOR 18 the player will slip into the role of a real US police officer – either male or female – and discover the interesting challenges and varied tasks that lie waiting for him in the streets of the sprawling US city of Loston Bay. The player can choose to go on patrol through three different city districts either alone in the game’s single player mode or together with a friend in the cooperative two-person multiplayer mode. The extremely expansive – and thanks to the use of the Unreal® Engine 4 very lifelike – metropolis can be freely explored by the player either on foot or in one of three distinct patrol cars.
In addition to these police cars with their fully functional cockpits the virtual cop will of course also be able to use a broad range of authentic police equipment.
More information regarding the development of POLICE SIMULATOR 18 can be found on the official facebook page of the game as well as on Steam™:
So! You are almost done with your shopping? Then it hits you that you forgot to get little Jamie a present! What do you do? Do you rush out to get Jamie the latest Turbo-Man toy? NO! That would be silly, and you would probably end up locked in holiday toy combat with a disgruntled postal worker while someone you don’t like is at home eating your cookies! Instead, just look below and pick one – you won’t be disappointed! I mean, JAMIE won’t be disappointed! 🙂
HP Omen X 35 Inch Curved Display
HP’s Omen X line of computers and gaming peripherals is a stylish and performance-driven lineup. What stood out most to me, however, was its HP 35 Curved Display – it’s ultra-wide and CURVED! Also, it has an exceptional sense of style as well as 100Hz refresh rate and G-SYNC compatibility. This display is simply exceptional.
Creative Labs crafted a very impressive PC gaming headset with their Sound BlasterX H7 Tournament Edition. Featuring a 50mm tilt-driver setup which creates small acoustic chambers in the ear cups, the Sound BlasterX H7 TE is also very comfortable to wear for long gaming sessions. Finally, its removable mic has some great noise cancellation for chatting with your team mates. These are just a few reasons why it made our “Seal of Excellence” award!
Keeping my coffee hot during my morning routine never goes well and inevitably ends up with me pouring a cold cup of coffee in the sink. The Ember electronically controls your drink’s temperature by way of an iOS app and is rechargeable! Couple that with its ceramic mug style lip and push-to-open operation, drinking from the Ember travel mug is terrific and makes a great gift for the busy person in your life.
Xbox One gamers in your life will love the Plantronics RIG 800LX with its free DOLBY Atmos capabilities and comfortable ear cups. Additionally, it’s super-comfortable for long gaming sessions and has a nifty flip up boom microphone which auto-mutes when in the up position. You can also adjust the headset for various head heights which is something you don’t usually see. Finally, the DOLBY Atmos provides some seriously-cool positional audio which will blow your mind!
Creative Labs makes this list a second time with their iRoar Go bluetooth speaker. Not only does it have some great styling and lines, but it also features some seriously powerful audio from a considerably portable product thanks to its “SuperWide” technology. This technology allows the small iRoar Go to sound almost like a much larger sound bar that you would have in your home/dorm/office theater system!
Paris, December, the 14th – Game publisher Playdius and Indie dev Studio Chahut announce that Post Human W.A.R is now available on Steam! As a record, Post Human W.A.R is a turn-based tactical and psychological strategy game. Form your armies and set off on an adventure through solo campaigns, or face other players online!
Since the the start of its early access, a lot of content was added to Post Human W.A.R: new languages, visuals, effects, balancing… And also a new core feature: the CHAMPION. Victory is now achieved by finding and defeating the hidden opponent’s champion, allowing even more subterfuges and deceitful strategies!
Post Human W.A.R datas
3 factions
18 solo missions
36 customizable units and 400 original animations
250+ sound effects
700+ audio voice over
8 illustrated chapters describing the goofy universe of Post Human W.A.R
Haarlem, The Netherlands, December 13, 2017 – Publisher Iceberg Interactive and developer Coronado Games announce the release of the ‘Artificial Humans’ content update for their space ship building simulation game Starship Corporation (PC). Starship Corporation is currently available through Steam’s Early Access Program. The Artificial Humans’ update adds a new type of crew member: Cybernetic Organisms (CyO).
CyO’s do not require air, water, food, healthcare or life support. They can practice any profession and are built to last. If damaged, all they need to do is return to their pod. However, technological advancements such as these come at a price. CyO’s require lots of research and have a high production cost, and if they malfunction they are almost unstoppable. How will you handle a rampaging killing machine threatening to destroy the beloved starship you are building? A new crew management mission has been added that will test the counter-measures of your ship for just this type of emergency.
Decide for yourself if you want to strengthen your crew by adding an artificial human, or if you prefer human error over the threat of malfunctioning, rampaging CyO’s.
The update also adds 10 new contracts for completely automated ships to the market. The 60 contracts currently available in all different areas of space travel can now be approached in a new way, due to the introduction of CyO’s.
In addition to new content, several bug fixes took place. A detailed log of bugs fixed can be found on the Starship Corporation Steam community HUB here: http://steamcommunity.com/app/292330/allnews/
Starship Corporation launched in Steam’s Early Access program in 2016 following a successful Indiegogo campaign, in which over 300% of the goal was reached. Interested entrepreneurs can currently purchase or wishlist the game through Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/292330/Starship_Corporation/
REDWOOD SHORES, CA — (December 13, 2017)–Today, Crystal Dynamics®, the renowned developer of the critically acclaimed and world-famous TOMB RAIDER® franchise, released a brand new video highlighting the studio’s 25-year legacy of great gaming experiences.
The developer began its 25th year in a newly redesigned, state-of-the-art facility that includes a fully equipped motion capture stage, six soundproof audio rooms, a dailies review room featuring a 4K HDR TV setup, a photogrammetry capture space, a full 4K HDR Dolby Atmos™ equipped theater, and more.
Embracing a diverse staff of the industry’s best, many of whom have been tenured for over 15 years, industry leader Crystal Dynamics has developed and published over 30 award-winning titles during its 25-year adventure. Some of the most beloved franchises include Gex™, Legacy of Kain and most recently Tomb Raider, which has now sold over 63 million copies worldwide including 11 million units for Tomb Raider (2013) and more than 7 million units for Rise of the Tomb Raider®. In collaboration with Marvel, the studio is currently hard at work on the highly anticipated ‘Avengers’ project, which was announced earlier this year.
“Crystal occupies a special place in the games industry. Over a third of our team have been with the studio for more than 5 years, and several have been here for more than 20 years, which makes us a tightly knitted team,” said Ron Rosenberg, Head of Studio. “Over the years, many industry luminaries have worked at Crystal and contributed to the creative culture that our current rock star developers embody and evolve. From the very beginning, we’ve shared a common goal of crafting incredible character-driven games, and 25 years later that flame of innovation burns brighter than ever.”
Additionally in 2017, Crystal Dynamics partnered with charity organizations and the Tomb Raider community to continue its campaign of giving back, making charitable contributions to GameChanger, Extra Life, and the Alzheimer’s Association.
“We exist thanks to the generosity and love our amazing players show us; and it’s a true privilege to do what we do for what we feel are the best fans out there. So following their example, we are always looking for meaningful ways to give back to those in need and share our good fortune,” added Scot Amos, Head of Studio at Crystal Dynamics. “Crystal exists to make the best games possible… be it within our legacy of Tomb Raider or our future with the Avengers project, we do this because we love making people happy. And that’s what giving is all about.”
December 12, 2017 – Hope you’re having a fun time in Fallout 4 VR! We wanted to let you know that we’ve identified a fix for any blurriness/low resolution that some players may be experiencing in Fallout 4 VR. There is a beta update now available on Steam.
Please see below for the list of patch notes that reflect what’s addressed in this beta update now available on Steam and let me know if you have any questions.
Fixed an issue that would affect the in-game resolution based on desktop resolution
Increased default application supersampling value from 1.0 to 1.4x
To change this value up or down to adjust performance or quality, add the following to your Fallout4Custom.ini in My Games/Fallout4VR: [VRDisplay] fRenderTargetSizeMultiplier=
Fixed an issue where players would be unable to use the world rotate functionality while commanding companions
Stability improvements
To opt-in to the Steam beta update please follow the instructions here:
How to access the Steam Beta:
Log into Steam.
Right Click on Fallout 4 VR in your Library.
Select Properties.
Select Betas.
A drop down menu will appear. Select Fallout 4 VR Update 1.0.28.0
Select OK.
Wait for the game to update.
When done, Fallout 4 VR Fallout 4 VR Update 1.0.28.0 should appear in your Library.
December 12, 2017 – Netflix and DreamWorks Animation Television are set to release six new original series in 2018 beginning with Trolls: The Beat Goes On! premiering Jan. 19, 2018, exclusively on Netflix. The new slate includes series inspired by DreamWorks’ beloved animated films as well as classic properties including an all-new She-Ra. From executive producer Noelle Stevenson, the new She-Ra series will present a modern take on the ‘80s girl power icon for a new generation of young fans.
2018 series include (unless noted, premiere dates to be announced):
DreamWorks Trolls: The Beat Goes On! – January 19, 2018
Picking up where the film left off, the Netflix original series is an all-new chapter in the the endlessly upbeat adventures of the Trolls as Poppy, Branch and all of Troll Village keep the party going in their fantastical forest home. Executive produced by Matthew Beans (Robot Chicken), the series features Skylar Astin (Pitch Perfect 1 and 2) and Amanda Leighton (This Is Us, The Fosters) as the voices of Branch and Poppy with original songs written and produced by Alana Da Fonseca (Pitch Perfect 3). The series will premiere exclusively on Netflix in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the Nordics, Benelux and France. Watch the Trolls: The Beat Goes On! trailer here and visit netflix.com/trollsthebeatgoeson for more information. The music from season 1 of Trolls: The Beat Goes On! is available for pre-order on iTunes, Amazon and Google Play.
She-Ra
From Eisner Award-winning author and executive producer Noelle Stevenson (Lumberjanes, Nimona) comes a modern take on the ‘80s girl power icon for a new generation of young fans. The trailblazing property originally debuted in 1985 to satisfy overwhelming demand for a female lead fantasy series. With Stevenson’s unique voice at the helm, fans are in store for an epic and timely tale that celebrates female friendship and empowerment, lead by a warrior princess tailor made for today. The series will be available to Netflix members worldwide in 2018.
The Boss Baby: Back in Business
Boss Baby, with the help of his big brother and partner-in-crime Tim, continues to navigate the cutthroat corporate jungle gym of Baby Corp, while angling to achieve the near-impossible: the work-life balance of a modern career baby. From Emmy-winning executive producer Brandon Sawyer (Penguins of Madagascar), the series will be available to Netflix members worldwide in 2018. Visit netflix.com//bossbabybackinbusiness for more information.
Harvey Street Kids
From its never-ending games of kickball to the infinite flavors of its ice cream truck to the greatest climbing tree in the universe, every day on Harvey Street feels like a Saturday. And that’s largely thanks to the Harvey Girls – Audrey, Lotta, and Dot – the block’s self-appointed guardians and the world’s bestest BFFs. They will do whatever it takes to keep Harvey Street the best block to never grow up on and transform every afternoon into a wild adventure. From executive producer Brendan Hay (Dawn of the Croods, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) and Emmy-nominated supervising producer Aliki Theofilopoulos (Phineas & Ferb, Descendants: Wicked World), the series will be available to Netflix members worldwide in 2018. Visit netflix.com/harveystreetkids for more information.
The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants
Based on the epic books by Dav Pilkey, DreamWorks The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants follows the adventures of George Beard and Harold Hutchins, two best friends who’ve bonded through their love of pranking, comic books and being the thorns in Principal Krupp’s side. Their fun gets them mixed up in adventures crazier than their outrageous comic books, which is when they call on their greatest creation: Captain Underpants! From Peabody Award and Emmy-winning executive producer Peter Hastings (Animaniacs, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness), the series will be available to Netflix members worldwide in 2018. Visit netflix.com/epictalesofcaptainunderpants for more information.
Trollhunters (Part 3) and 3 Below (Second installment of Tales of Arcadia Trilogy)
DreamWorks Trollhunters Part 2, from Guillermo del Toro, premieres on Netflix, on Friday, Dec. 15, with a third and final chapter of the Emmy-winning series set to debut in 2018. 3 Below, the second series in the previously announced Tales of Arcadia trilogy, will premiere in late 2018 and feature two royal teenage aliens and their bodyguard who flee a surprise takeover of their home planet by an evil dictator and crash land in Arcadia. Now on the run from intergalactic bounty hunters, they struggle to blend in and adapt to the bizarre world of high school all the while attempting to repair their ship so they can return and defend their home planet. A final chapter, Wizards, is set to debut in 2019.
Premiering in 2016 to critical acclaim, Trollhunters introduced audiences to the seemingly quiet town of Arcadia and an ordinary kid who embarks on an extraordinary adventure in a hidden world right beneath his feet featuring the voices of Anton Yelchin, Kelsey Grammer, Ron Perlman, Steven Yeun, Anjelica Huston and more. Recently nominated for six 2018 Annie Awards, the first season lead the Creative Arts Daytime Emmys with six wins, more than any other program, including writing for an animated program (Marc Guggenheim), directing (Rodrigo Blaas, Guillermo del Toro), casting (Ania O’Hare, Mary Hildalgo) and a voice acting win for Grammer.
DreamWorks Trollhunters is created and executive produced by Guillermo del Toro with Marc Guggenheim (Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow), Rodrigo Blaas (Alma) and Chad Hammes (Dragons: Race to the Edge) and Christina Steinberg (Rise of the Guardians) serving as executive producers. Dan Hageman (The Lego Movie, Ninjago) and Kevin Hageman (The Lego Movie, Ninjago) serve as co-executive producers.
Since 2013, DreamWorks Animation Television and Netflix have released 12 original series including DreamWorks Trollhunters, Dragons: Race to the Edge, DreamWorks Voltron Legendary Defender, All Hail King Julien, DreamWorks Spirit Riding Free, Dinotrux and more, winning 17 Daytime Creative Arts Emmys and six Annie Awards.
