Author - Jerry Paxton

Hyperkin Signs Licensing Deal with Microsoft for Xbox One Products

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December 1, 2015 (LOS ANGELES, Calif.) On Nov. 5, 2015, Hyperkin, an independent video game hardware developer from Los Angeles has announced that it has signed an agreement with Microsoft to develop licensed products for Microsoft’s Xbox One.

Built by individuals who grew up with controllers in their hands, Hyperkin has been a staple in the retro gaming industry for the past decade. They specialize in premium modern solutions for classic gaming consoles and accessories, as well as an array of modern peripherals.

This agreement with Microsoft opens a new chapter for Hyperkin, as it allows them to work with a major multinational technology company to develop directly for its console. Hyperkin CEO Steven Mar is ecstatic about what this means for Hyperkin’s future.

“I couldn’t be more excited,” Mar said. “This marks a brand new era for Hyperkin, as Microsoft is exactly the type of company we aspire to work with, and making officially licensed products for the Xbox One is another example of Hyperkin’s constant innovation.”

Hyperkin’s current development team has been responsible for projects such as the RetroN 5, ProCube Controller, and the SmartBoy, bringing universal nostalgia to modern gaming.

Amplitude Launch Trailer and Track List

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Boston, Mass. – December 2, 2015 – Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. is thrilled to announce that the PlayStation®4 version of Amplitude™ will be available to download via the PlayStation®Network worldwide on January 5th, 2016. The Kickstarter funded reboot of the 2003 PlayStation®2 cult classic will be available for $19.99 and feature over 30 songs, breathtaking visuals, and a concept album approach to its narrative storytelling.

Amplitude features a single player campaign along with competitive and cooperative local multiplayer modes. The campaign is presented in the form of a sci-fi concept album with a narrative that surfaces through the game’s visuals, music, and lyrics. There are also leaderboards available for bragging rights.

The soundtrack includes music crafted by Harmonix’s talented in-house composers, as well as songs from well-known video game composers such as Darren Korb (Transistor), C418 (Minecraft), Danny B (Crypt of the Necrodancer), and Jim Guthrie (Below). The game also features tracks made by backers, including fellow game development studios Insomniac Games (Ratchet & Clank) and the Lab Zero (Skullgirls).

The entire soundtrack is as follows:

  • “All The Time” – C418
  • “Assault on Psychofortress” – Single White Infidel
  • “Astrosight” – Inter:sect Ft. Noelle LeBlanc & Naoko Takamoto
  • “Break for Me” – James Landino Ft. Noelle LeBlanc
  • “Concept” – Symbion Project
  • “Crazy Ride” – Insomniac Games
  • “Crypteque (1-2)” – Danny Baranowsky
  • “Crystal” – George & Jonathan
  • “Dalatecht” – Harmonix
  • “Decode Me” – Inter:sect Ft. Noelle LeBlanc & Naoko Takamoto
  • “Digital Paralysis” – Harmonix
  • “Do Not Retreat” – Komputer Kontroller
  • “Dreamer” – Harmonix
  • “Energize” – Harmonix
  • “Entomophobia” – M-Cue
  • “Force Quit” – Jim Guthrie
  • “Human Love” – Harmonix
  • “I.C.U.” Harmonix
  • “Impossible” – Darren Korb
  • “Lights” – Wolfgun
  • “Magpie” – Harmonix
  • “Muze (Amplitude Remix)” – Ingrid Lukas, Remix by Patrik Zosso and Nik Bärtsch
  • “Perfect Brain” – Harmonix
  • “Phantoms” – Freezepop
  • “Recession” – Jeff Allen Ft. Noelle LeBlanc & Naoko Takamoto
  • “Red Giant” – Kodomo
  • “Supraspatial” – Jeff Allen Ft. Naoko Takamoto
  • “Synthesized” – Symbion Project
  • “Unfinished Business” – Shiohito Taki & Junichi Kamiunten
  • “Wayfarer” – Harmonix
  • “Wetware” – Harmonix

Kickstarter supporters who backed at the $40 tier or higher do not have to wait until January 5th to get their hands on Amplitude. Those backers will receive the game two weeks earlier, on December 23rd.

PlayStation® fans attending PlayStation®Experience this weekend will be among the first to play Amplitude. Those who play the game at the booth will receive an exclusive dynamic theme for their PlayStation®4 and an Amplitude trading card. More details can be found inAmplitude’s latest backer update.

For more information, head to Amplitude’s Twitter and Facebook pages.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing Xbox One Launch Trailer

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Budapest, Hungary – December 1, 2015 – NeocoreGames is proud to announce that the popular PC action RPG The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing is available now on Xbox One for $14.99 and is FREE for all Xbox Live Gold members in December, as part of the Games With Gold program.

In collaboration with Microsoft, NeocoreGames’ first chapter of the beloved trilogy has arrived on Xbox One with a multitude of additions and changes sure to delight hungry action RPG fans. Van Helsing, set in a gothic-steampunk world filled with monsters, weird science, humor and pop-cultural references, offers gamers overhauled controls and user interface specific to the Xbox One, a deep, story-driven single-player adventure, the two- to four-person multiplayer mode offered in either cooperative or competive modes, and more.

Additionally, starting Tuesday, December 1, all Van Helsing DLCs will be available on Xbox One for $3.99 each. Both ’Thaumaturge’ and ’Arcane Mechanic’add loads of new content, challenges, and narrative to the base game, including gear, weapons, skills and story-driven missions.

“We’ve been working very hard to bring The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing to the Xbox One,” said Zoltán Pozsonyi Producer, NeocoreGames. “We are delighted to introduce our Action-RPG to a brand new audience and we hope that they are going to have as much fun with playing the game as we had creating it.”

Full Features from NeocoreGames’ Van Helsing include:

  • An Incredible Adventure  – Play through a refreshingly unique story, spiced up with wry humor and snappy dialogue.
  • New Interface and Controls – Completely overhauled controls and user interface, made especially for Xbox One.
  • Detailed Level-up System – Customize your character through and decide which skills and abilities you’ll need for the hunt.
  • Multiplayer – You can team up with your friends in a four-player cooperative mode and become the greatest monster hunter of all time in competitive multiplayer modes.
  • Tower-Defense Mini-Game – Build and develop your hideout and place traps to defend it from waves of terrible monsters.
  • Rage System – Modify your skills on the spot with a unique power-up system.
  • Unique Companion System – Use the special abilities and tailor the skills of your remarkable follower, Lady Katarina.

Put on your wide-brimmed hat, grab your weapons and embark on an incredible adventure in the gothic-noir world of Borgovia, where mad science threatens the fragile peace between monster and mortal. Be Van Helsing and save the day with your beautiful companion, Lady Katarina, the charming ghost. Explore the savage wilderness in the mountains and the soot-stained brick distrcicts of a grim metropolis twisted with weird science.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing is available now on Xbox One for $14.99 and is FREE for all Xbox Live Gold members in December, as part of the Games With Gold program.

King’s Quest: Rubble Without a Cause Release Date

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Dec. 1, 2015 – Sierra™ has announced today that King’s Quest™: Rubble Without a Cause, the second chapter of the new King’s Quest, is expected to launch worldwide on Dec. 16 on the PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Windows PC via Steam. In North America, the versions for the PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 systems will be available late afternoon on Dec. 15.

In this latest page in the acclaimed reimagining of the classic adventure gaming series, King Graham takes players back to his first test as ruler of Daventry. When a band of goblins holds the kingdom hostage, a newly crowned and ill-equipped Graham must lead a daring rescue to free his people and prove himself the leader they deserve. But the choices he makes along the way may have dire consequences for those most counting on him.

In addition, King’s Quest’s first chapter, King’s Quest™: A Knight to Remember, is free to download on the PlayStation®4 system from the PlayStation®Store throughout December starting today for PlayStation®Plus members in North America.

Developed by The Odd Gentlemen, the new King’s Quest is a five-chapter journey that rekindles the timeless spirit of curiosity and wit the series was founded on over 30 years ago. As an aging King Graham looks back on a life of trials and triumphs with his precocious granddaughter, Gwendolyn, players will experience firsthand the untold puzzles, places and personalities of his incredible life.

King’s Quest: A Knight to Remember, King’s Quest™: The Complete Collection (a bundle* including all five chapters and a bonus playable story epilogue), and the King’s Quest™ Season Pass (a bundle* containing Chapters 2-5) are now available through the PlayStation®Store, Xbox Games Store and Steam. King’s Quest is rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and Up) by the ESRB. For the latest information, please visit www.sierra.com, and follow Sierra on Facebook and Twitter.

*Subsequent chapters and epilogue may be downloaded in-game upon individual release.

Elite Dangerous: Horizons Beta Begins Today with Planetary Landings

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Cambridge, UK. December 1, 2015. Frontier Developments plc (AIM: FDEV) today launched the Elite Dangerous: Horizons beta test for PC.

Elite Dangerous: Horizons is the new season of major gameplay expansions for the award-winning space epic Elite Dangerous, beginning this Holiday with Planetary Landings on 1:1 scale worlds. Elite Dangerous: Horizons will introduce further major gameplay features as the season continues into 2016, enriching the Elite Dangerousexperience with new activities and new ways to play.

In today’s Planetary Landings beta, players can explore epic, accurately simulated planets and moons throughout Elite Dangerous’ full scale re-creation of our Milky Way. Each of these life-sized worlds offer incredible vistas and new gameplay opportunities as players discover valuable resources, experience deadly combat encounters, raid bases, scout crash sites and cooperate with other players, both on the planet surface and flying high above.

Players can journey from space to surface for the first time in Elite Dangerous, coasting over mountaintops in their spacecraft, diving into canyons and venturing out on the ground in the new Scarab SRV wheeled vehicle, alone or with friends, all without loading screens or breaks in gameplay. Planetary Landings is an entirely new way to play Elite Dangerous, and is just the first of the Horizons season of expansions

Planetary Landings in Elite Dangerous is the closest most of us will ever come to visiting other worlds, and it’s just the beginning of Horizons’ new season of gameplay expansions,” Frontier Developments CEO David Braben said. “There is so much new gameplay to experience, new things to discover, and new ways to bring our amazing community together. It’s also a great technical achievement for our incredible team, using cutting edge technology to create realistic simulated worlds and add to the enormous depth and richness of the Elite Dangerous galaxy.”

Elite Dangerous: Horizons launches this Holiday with the first expansion Planetary Landings and continues into 2016 with further expansions including new missions, new ships, new Close Quarter Combat (CQC) arenas and massive new features dedicated to gameplay, community, and narrative, including:

  • Loot and Crafting, unlocking a world of customization options and adding new value and meaning to every action.
  • Multicrew, allowing teams of players to assume roles aboard the same ship.
  • Commander Creation, giving a unique appearance to players’ in-game avatars.
  • Ship-Launched Fighters, allowing larger spacecraft to carry their own short-range fighter ships for attack and defense.

All Elite Dangerous and Elite Dangerous: Horizons players will retain their progress and continue to fly together in the same galaxy as one community, and all Elite Dangerous players will continue to receive free updates, fixes and optimizations as the game evolves alongside Elite Dangerous: Horizons.

The Elite Dangerous: Horizons beta for PC is available now at FrontierStore.net for £49.99 (€67.99, $74.99), with beta and full access to every Elite Dangerous: Horizonsexpansion available throughout Elite Dangerous: Horizons season.

Elite Dangerous: Horizons will launch soon for PC, and is available for pre-order now atFrontierStore.net for £39.99 (€49.99, $59.99). An entire season of gameplay expansions for one price.

Existing Elite Dangerous players who pre-order either the beta or standard edition will receive a £10 (€14, $15) loyalty discount off the retail price and will unlock the exclusive ‘Cobra Mk IV’ spacecraft in Elite Dangerous: Horizons.

2015 GamingShogun Holiday Gift Guide Part 1

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It’s that time of year, GamingShogun readers, for part 1 of our official holiday gift guide series! Here are some of the products that we would highly recommend as gifts to your friends, loved ones, or even yourself!

Mega Gifts ($1000 and up)

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The Millennium Falcon Star Wars Bed ($3,999)

If you have kids that are getting into science fiction and/or Star Wars, and if you have an extra four grand laying around, you can’t go wrong with this Millennium Falcon Star Wars bed from Pottery Barn Kids. If I had this as a kid, I would never leave my bed… Ever. I would probably still be typing this article from it more than three decades later – much to the chagrin of my wife.

Pottery Barn Kids Store Link

hoverboards

Self-Balancing Hoverboard Scooter ($300 to $1,200)

This new self-balancing hoverboard is all the rage right now around college campuses. Brought over by Chinese manufacturers and re-branded to kingdom come, you can find them for a wide range of price points depending on the retailer you go through. Just know, that most are exactly the same (albeit different brand labels).

Find these on Amazon

Expensive Gifts ($200 to $999)

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EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti FTW GAMING ACX 2.0+ ($679.99)

The EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti FTW ups the game with dual 8-Pin Power inputs, 8+2 Phase Power Design, Dual BIOSes and an included EVGA backplate. Not to mention this card packs 2816 NVIDIA CUDA Cores and 6GB of GDDR5 memory, giving you the horsepower to drive whatever comes next. In fact, the EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti FTW provides over 3x the performance and 3x the memory of previous-generation cards.

Amazon Product Page

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DJI Osmo ($649)

DJI’s new handheld, gimbal-stabilized camera is quite the technical marvel. Not only does it record video up to 4K in image quality, but it also features on-board gyroscopes to keep the thing level during action shots. It also wirelessly interfaces with a smartphone in order to use it as a monitor.

DJI Osmo Product Page

Mid-Level Gifts ($50 to $199)

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Sound BlasterX P5 ($69.99)

The Sound BlasterX P5 gaming earphones feature a huge amount of good quality sound in an ear bud form factor. Weighing at only 12 grams, the Sound BlasterX P5 is a tiny marvel that fits 7mm Neodymium magnets which deliver amazingly high sensitivity 114dB audio with excellent clarity.

Official Product Page

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Mad Catz R.A.T. PRO S Gaming Mouse ($69.99)

The Mad Catz R.A.T. PRO S provides everything you need in a tournament quality mouse, and nothing you don’t. Basically, you get the high-end PixArt optical sensor, configurable comfort points, and more all without crazy, function-less lights, etc.

Official Product Page

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Fallout 4 ($59.99) – Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC

Bethesda Softworks latest entry into the Fallout franchise is many things: Epic, fun, intense, and satisfying for hundreds of hours of gameplay.

Official Website

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Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ($59.99) – Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC

Easily one of the year’s best games, Kojima’s last Metal Gear Solid title is an epic romp through the world of Big Boss and Co. as they try to build up Mother Base. It is an amazing gaming experience.

Official Website

Inexpensive Gifts ($0 to $49)

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NERF Rival Apollo XV-700 ($24.99)

As a long-time airsofter, I loved getting to check out the NERF Rival series of pop guns. Shooting small foam balls at an opponent is a great way to liven up the office or dorm room. They are a lot better than the NERF foam darts without being as dangerous as, say, and airsoft BB or paintball.

NERF Rival Apollo XV-700 on Amazon

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NYKO Type Pad for Xbox One ($29.99)

The NYKO Type Pad for Xbox One makes typing out long messages so much easier than scrolling through every letter on the virtual keyboard, one at a time. You will be sending off text messages or entering passwords like never before with this handy gadget.

NYKO Type Pad for Xbox One Product Page

Total War: Warhammer Cinematic Campaign Trailer

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November 25, 2015 – After slaughtering his way across the Blasted Wastes, Grimgor Ironhide is searching for a new foe…

Total War: WARHAMMER will be a mix of real-time tactical battles, and turn-based grand strategy played out across a gigantic campaign map.

This epic in-engine cinematic trailer will take you on a fly-through of that campaign map for the first time, hinting at the shear range of cities and terrain you can aspire to conquer– from the Badlands in the South to the Chaos Wastes in the North.

With an uncontrollable thirst for battle, the Greenskin Legendary Lord has never gone more than two days without a fight, crushing entire settlements to sate a desire for the spilled blood of his enemies.

A full Campaign Gameplay Walkthrough for Total War: WARHAMMER will be coming next week.

Trailer

Airsoft Innovations Announces New Cyclone grenade

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November 25, 2015 – After years in development, we are thrilled to introduce the Airsoft Innovations Cyclone Grenade; the newest incarnation of the most ruthless spinning airsoft BB dispensing device out there. Using our new Quantum Drive engine, it unleashes a spinning storm of 140 BBs at 225 feet per second and now available for about the price of a GBB pistol magazine.

  • Spiritual successor to the Tornado Grenade
  • Runs on propane + BBs, no other consumables
  • Easy to reload, no loose parts in the trigger mechanism
  • Reliable, effective and devastatingly powerful
  • Spherical firing pattern due to spinning action
  • All for about the price of one GBB pistol magazine