Author - Jerry Paxton

Wargaming Celebrates April Fools Day

April 1, 2016 — April fool’s Day is generally celebrated by playing a good-natured practical joke, an amusing hoax, or, in Wargaming’s case, an entire parade of special in-game events created for its very passionate community.

In “Moon Mayhem” April 1 – 5, World of Tanks on PC establishes its first colony on the Moon. In this event, you command the latest weapon in spherical tank technology: the IS 8-BALL. In your space-age vehicle, you must knock other commanders on the “Crater” map into one of several billiard-type holes.

Of course, we’re on the Moon, which means less gravity. You’ll find that IS 8-BALL feels a little different than a regular tank. With less friction, various in-game hazards, like Meteor Showers and strange gravitational anomalies, this mode offers an out of this world experience. To play, all you have to do is enter your Garage, choose the IS 8-Ball and click the Battle! button. You will be added to a special queue with other players who have also selected the event vehicle.

April Fool’s Day in World of Warships March 31—April 11, exchanges the high seas for hot tubs in the special “Ruinberg In Jacuzzi” map. Take charge of the captain’s boat from the animated series “Bad Advice” and battle other players in a not-so-relaxing hot tub. All you have to do is start the game and search your Port for the 4 types of vessels available: the Pokeboat (JP), Botishkaff (RU), Das Boot (DE) and Bottlesheep (US). Choose whichever ship you take a fancy to, then click the Battle! button.

Each ship sports a Fish captain at the helm, stylized with the nation of its ship. When the little boat is bobbing in your port, a 3D model of “Bad Captain” will be visible on the ship. While the captain lacks a bikini, you can hear some of his trademark sounds from the show. Why not stick your toe in the water?

World of Tanks console players can also set out on a maritime-themed adventure in the “TOG Boat” event April 1 – 3. Jump aboard HMS TOG II*, become the scourge of the seas in 7-vs-7 battles, and rain down a 3-round shot of shells on your opponents. Existing players will have the HMS TOG II* in their Garage as long as they have played one battle, and players who download the game for the first time during the event will receive the mode after one battle is played. Once the HMS TOG II* is selected, the Garage floods with water, creating a canal for the vehicle to float in.

We have something for everyone this April Fools’ Day, so make sure you don’t miss out!

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Roach

April 1, 2016 – CD PROJEKT RED, creators of the really cool game with a lot of dialogues that don’t actually bore you to death, are proud to announce an entirely new DLC — Roach.

Available soon for only $4.99, the Roach DLC unlocks limited premium content — a horse you can finally identify with! Pre-order customers will receive an exclusive Roach sticker so they can stick it… on their gaming system.

We’re always listening to gamers, and gamers are telling us they are throwing money at the screen and nothing happens. That’s why we’re extremely thrilled to be able to make something happen, said April Loofs, Senior Executive Officer of Incremental Revenue Acquisition & Fun, CD PROJEKT RED.

We’ve created a special developer video to show you how the DLC was created, so giddyup and click below!

Star Wars The Black Series 6-Inch Kylo Ren Review

We got the chance to take a look at one of those sweet, sweet “Black Series” edition Star Wars figured from Hasbro – namely, the Kylo Ren model. Kylo Ren, the main antagonist featured in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, wields raw Force abilities and an equally raw cross blade light saber forged from a very old Sith design. The Hasbro figure has some great details, starting with his cloth cloak. The material doesn’t feel like the most expensive of fabric, but for a $19.99 retail value action figure, it is awesome. Also equally cool is that Kylo Ren comes packages with his iconic cross blade light saber, and the saber portion can be removed if you would like it displayed in its “off” state.

[ezcol_1half]Pros

  • Excellent price point
  • Cloth cloak
  • Removable light saber blade

[/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end]Cons

  • No accessories – especially no light saber holster hook

[/ezcol_1half_end]

The biggest problem with the 6 inch Black Series Kylo Ren from Hasbro is that it does not come with any additional accessories that a dark knight of the First Order might need. Most glaringly is the lack of a light saber holster. Because the blade of the saber is removable, it would have been nice to holster the saber hilt for additional pose possibilities. Speaking of poses, this Kylo Ren has a lot of joint articulation, making the sheer number of poses impressive…. most impressive.

As a very nice side note, it appears that Hasbro has chosen to use a cloth or twine twist tie to fasten the action figure into the plastic packaging. This is to not scuff the figure as plastic and metal ties sometimes can do. I would recommend using scissors to cut the tie, however, as untying it by hand is very tricky.

Overall, the Hasbro 6-inch Black Series Kylo Ren action figure is a great addition to your collection or toy box and will be sure to make any Star Wars fan happy. It fits right in with the higher end “Black Series” figures from Hasbro and displays a terrific amount of detail to pour over. It retails for $19.99, with many places selling it on-sale, and is available now.

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Purchase this at the Hasbro Toy Store

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Eli Roth’s “The Witches” Dark Souls III Animated Trailer

March 31, 2016 – BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. today released a brand new animated trailer directed by Eli Roth, famed director of hit horror movies such as Cabin Fever and Hostel, based on the universe of DARK SOULS. Eli Roth’s “The Witches” Dark Souls Animated Trailer is an original story set in the world of DARK SOULS III where a lonely world-weary knight finds himself in an incredibly deadly situation when confronted by three witches.

The behind-the-scenes featurette can be found at the following YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/2MdIht2tRjk

Wargaming.net 2016 Grand Finals Countdown

March 30, 2016 — In a little over a week, from April 8–9, Torwar Hall in Warsaw will throw open its doors and welcome 12 of the biggest names in World of Tanks eSports. Teams from across the globe will meet on the digital battlefield for two days of tank mayhem for the title of champion. With entry absolutely free, Grand Finals 2016 promises to be an event that’s not to be missed.

Crossing the Atlantic to represent North America are former Silver League champs eClipse, and veteran team SIMP, who recently switched up their lineup. From the EU are two giants of the League: Wombats on Tanks and Tornado.RoX, who locked horns at last year’s Grand Finals. The CIS are sending reigning champs Natus Vincere (Na’Vi) and WGL Gold Series Season 2 runners-up Not So Serious Team. Last Grand Finals’ silver medalists EL Gaming and relative newcomers Gold Bass are representing Asia.

It wouldn’t be a true Grand Finals without a few wildcards dealt to shake things up: Yato from China, Kazna Kru from the EU, 2015 World Champions HellRaisers, and Red Canids—the first team to ever take part from Brazil.

Along with the action inside the arena, visitors and tank enthusiasts alike can check out two real steel beasts outside Torwar Hall. A T-34-85 and an M4A1 Sherman will be guarding the exterior of the hall, offering fans a great photo opportunity.

As well as real tanks, the virtual and equally awesome Tier 8 premium light tank M 41 90 GF, specifically designed to commemorate this year’s event, will be available from April 1 in NA and Asia, and April 3 in Europe. Its excellent view range and rapid speed make it a superior scout. Not to mention, its exclusive and striking black camouflage will definitely turn heads on the battlefield.

With very few places left, fans can still register for the event, which will snag them a special gift: the Premium British Tier 5 heavy tank Excelsior. There’s also one last chance to take the Grand Finals experience up a gear with Premium tickets. These allow entrance to the venue one hour before everyone else, a fast queuing lane, a dedicated premium seat in front of the action, and a collection of tanks: the Premium British Tier 5 heavy Excelsior, the Tier 8 Premium heavy IS-3A, the unique Grand Finals M 41 90 GF, and more.

If you are unable to make it to Poland, there’s no need to worry. All the Grand Finals main stage and second stage action will be streaming live on YouTube, Twitch, and Hitbox. So whatever your broadcasting preference, the Wargaming.net League has you covered.

You can find all the broadcasts in English, Polish and Russian, available at one place: thegrandfinals.com

Main stage streams:

ENG:

PL:

Second stage streams:

ENG

PL

The Wargaming.net League official partners for Grand Finals are Intel, PayPal, Razer, and SanDisk.

For more information on the Grand Finals, visit the official website:

New P.O.L.L.E.N Gameplay Trailer

HELSINKI – March 30, 2016 – Virtual reality games studio Mindfield Games has announced that its first-person space exploration game – P.O.L.L.E.N – will launch on Windows PC with mouse/keyboard and gamepad support on April 20 via Steam and the Humble Store. It will also be available that day on Oculus Rift as a near-final VR beta, which will be fully optimized with updates shortly after release.

“We’ve been crafting P.O.L.L.E.N for two and a half years, beginning on the earliest Oculus development kits, and we’re thrilled for players to soon experience it for themselves with the game’s full PC launch and the initial beta rollout of our VR edition,” said Olli Sinerma, co-founder of Mindfield Games. “P.O.L.L.E.N offers a uniquely captivating experience for each platform: a fiercely original and eerie first-person exploration game on traditional monitors, and a fully immersive virtual reality adventure that completely transports players to the surface of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan.”

Delivering a complete 5-8 hour gameplay experience on both PC and Oculus Rift, P.O.L.L.E.N places the player in a mysterious, mind-bending situation on a moon research base where nearly everything is interactive. Even a small, simple item can be the key to unlocking one of the game’s many puzzles and secrets. P.O.L.L.E.N’s real-time binaural soundscape has been designed to let players perceive it in the most natural way, as human ears hear it, with atmospheric audio that tells its own story as players explore the deserted environments of this remote and ominous world.

For the latest updates from Mindfield Games, please visit www.pollengame.com, and follow the studio on Facebook and Twitter.

Homefront: The Revolution Ignite Trailer

Larkspur, Calif., March 30, 2016 – Deep Silver and Dambuster Studios today revealed the unique ‘Hearts and Minds’ feature that powers player progression in Homefront®: The Revolution and released the latest gameplay trailer titled, “Ignite.”

Playing as freedom fighter Ethan Brady, the ultimate goal in Homefront is to inspire the people to rise up against the brutal military occupation and ignite the revolution.

‘Hearts and Minds’ represents the state of uprising across the oppressed Yellow Zones of occupied Philadelphia, and will increase as the player performs acts of resistance, such as destroying KPA infrastructure.

The open world dynamically transforms around the player as Hearts and Minds increases – a once cowed civilian population will join the player in acts of defiance, and the entire Zone will evolve from a state of lockdown to open revolution on the streets.

Watch the latest Homefront: The Revolution trailer at www.youtube.com/user/HomefrontGame.

For more information and to get the latest updates on Homefront: The Revolution, visit the official website at www.Homefront-Game.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @HomefrontGame or on Facebook at Facebook.com/HomefrontGame.

Mortal Kombat X eSports Competitive Series Announced

Burbank, Calif. – March 30, 2016 – Coming on the heels of the second pro league finals, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced an expansion of Mortal Kombat X esports by launching a new competitive series in April that includes the ESL Mortal Kombat X Pro League Season 3 and the ESL Challenger Cup, as well as official sponsorships of local tournaments across North America and Europe. The total prize pool for the program is $500,000 USD and with new characters now available to play in the recently released Mortal Kombat XL, the time has never been better for fans across the globe to compete and win while enjoying the best selling fighting game from NetherRealm Studios.

“Mortal Kombat has always been about friends going head-to-head in ‘couch competition.’ With Mortal Kombat X, these players now have multiple ways of jumping into the tournament scene to prove their skills and win cash,” said Ed Boon, Creative Director, NetherRealm Studios and co-creator of Mortal Kombat. “This is the biggest commitment we’ve made to the esports scene and with our newly enhanced online experience, we’re looking forward to seeing the intense match-ups at the various tournaments we’re supporting.”

The third season of the ESL Mortal Kombat X Pro League begins April 3 with the best players from around the world facing off for supremacy during an eight-week online season. Sixteen finalists across North America, Europe, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and for the first time, Latin America, will convene June 12 in Burbank, Calif. for a live showdown in front of a studio audience. PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system players will be fighting to win a piece of the $200,000 USD prize pool, which will be distributed among the eight finalists, granting more players than ever a chance to earn a share of the prize.

The ESL Mortal Kombat X Challenger Cup kicks off April 2 and offers an all-new way for PlayStation®4 system and Xbox One gamers who are not competing in the ESL Pro League to battle online for cash and prizes. Open tournaments across North America, Europe, CIS and Latin America will be held weekly through the end of June, with monthly finals to be streamed live.

Additionally, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and NetherRealm Studios will continue to support local tournaments across North America and Europe with sponsorships and contributions to prize pool funding.

Fans can continue to show their support for Mortal Kombat X esports by purchasing the Blue Steel Sub-Zero or recently released character skin via the PlayStation®Store or Xbox Marketplace. A portion of the proceeds goes towards supporting Mortal Kombat X tournament prize pools.

For more information on ESL Mortal Kombat X Pro League Season 3and the ESL Mortal Kombat X Challenger Cup Series, please visit ProLeague.com/MKX. For the latest updates, follow Mortal Kombat on Facebook and Twitter.

Mortal Kombat X is NetherRealm Studios’ most recent installment in its legendary, critically acclaimed fighting game franchise that propels the iconic franchise into a new generation. The game combines a cinematic presentation with all new gameplay to deliver the most brutal Kombat experience ever, offering a new fully-connected experience that launches players into a persistent online contest where every fight matters in a global battle for supremacy. For the first time, Mortal Kombat X gives players the ability to choose from multiple variations of each character impacting both strategy and fighting style. Players step into an original story showcasing some of the game’s most prolific characters including Scorpion and Sub-Zero, while introducing new challengers that represent the forces of good and evil and tie the tale together.

Astragon’s Oil Enterprise Gets Launch Date

Moenchengladbach/Germany, March 24, 2016 – While the drive to your local petrol station has almost become enjoyable again, the global business with the black gold remains very lucrative. Players who have always wanted to involve themselves in this multimillion dollar business will now get the chance to do just that – at least on their PC.

Oil Enterprise, which will be released at the end of April 2016 will take the player on a steep career from ambitious small-scale entrepreneur to gobally operating oil magnate.

After starting with some test drilling on a rather manageable oil field with just as few resources, the player will go on to develop a total of 90 oil fields in 15 extraction areas as the game progresses.

After a successful test drilling, he will need to erect oil pumps, refineries, warehouses and logistics buildings.  Later, the budding businessman will also need facilities for maintenance and the security of his premises. All types of buildings come in different grades of efficiency and therefore with varied costs and construction times. In order to keep the production running smoothly all capacities of the different operating areas should be carefully coordinated and upgrades planned ahead of time.

Additionally to the dynamic day-to-day business on the free market, long-term supply-contracts will guarantee the survival and growth of the virtual business. Failure to fulfill those obligations however will result in a loss of reputation, which will in turn mean losing out on potentially lucrative contracts.

No matter whether it is in the 20 missions of the varied single-player campaign or the challenging free game mode – only those who will consider their actions wisely and act strategically sound will be able to lead their business to success and a top-tier position in the global market. Especially thrilling in this regard will be the multiplayer mode of the game, where the player can compete with up to five rivals.

Oil Enterprise is suitable for beginners and pros alike and will be available starting April, 20th 2016 for 19.99 Euro / 19.99 USD / 18.99 GBP (RRP).

EVGA Unveils SC17 Gaming Laptop

March 29th , 2016 – Introducing the first ever laptop that is 100% designed in house by EVGA, the EVGA SC17 Gaming Laptop. This new 4K ready, high performance laptop was meticulously created from the ground up for the hardcore gamer, performance enthusiast, and even overclocker. No shortcuts here.

It all starts with power, an in house EVGA designed power supply with a new unique form factor helps deliver up to 240 watts of power when needed, without compromising battery life.

An Intel Core i7 6820HK CPU that is unlocked and capable of being overclocking to 3800MHz and beyond, combined with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, also capable of being overclocked, lets you get the performance you always wanted from a gaming laptop.

Did we mention that the EVGA SC17 Gaming Laptop is built for overclocking? A FULL GUI BIOS with full mouse control gives you complete control over all aspects of performance, voltage and advanced settings right at your fingertips. Not to mention, a Clear CMOS button directly on the chassis, this is the world’s first TRUE overclocking laptop.

A sleek design rounds out the package with a full unibody chassis, and slim design that is under 1.05in at its thickest point. This is just the beginning. USB 3.1 Type C, excellent sound with an integrated subwoofer, and a beautiful 4K 17” display is what you get when you cross performance with art.

Key Features:

  • Unibody Design – A sleek design and thin 1.05in thickness means this is one of the sleekest laptops around.
  • 4K UHD Display – A Sharp IPS display capable of delivering up to 4K resolution for crystal clear graphics.
  • Incredible Hardware – EVGA is known for performance hardware, and the EVGA SC17 laptop is no exception. An Intel Core i7 6820HK Unlocked processor combined with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M graphics gives you unbelievable performance in the latest games.
  • Built to Overclock – Overclocking on a laptop? Seems like a myth, but we have nothing to hide here. A full GUI BIOS with full control over CPU Multipliers, Voltage, Memory Timings, Frequency, even GPU overclocking right inside the BIOS. It also ships with EVGA PrecisionX mobile for complete control in Windows also!
  • BIOS – The EVGA SC17 Gaming Laptop ships with a REAL BIOS. This means full GUI support including mouse, complete control over all overclocking features such as CPU.
  • EOC (EVGA Express OC) – Overclocking at your fingertips, overclock on the fly with up/down arrow keys allowing you to enable Superclocked performance, or downclock mode to improve battery life. Also cycle through preset overclocks to find the best performance for the situation.
  • EVGA PrecisionX Mobile – The power of EVGA PrecisionX, now mobile with EVGA PrecisionX Mobile. Tweak your overclock settings, overclock hotkeys, profiles and CPU overclocking right at your fingertips. EVGA PrecisionX mobile can even enable/disable laptop backlighting and keyboard lighting!

Learn more at http://www.evga.com/sc17