Author - Jerry Paxton

Rob Gronkowski to be EA Sports Madden NFL 17 Cover Athlete

May 12, 2016 – Today Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) officially unveiled the Madden NFL 17 cover art, featuring New England Patriots Tight End Rob Gronkowski. EA and ESPN jointly revealed the cover live during the 6pm ET/3pm PT edition of SportsCenter, alongside avideo debuting this year’s game. In Madden NFL 17, players on Xbox One and PlayStation®4 can take their team all the way with new gameplay features that elevate the ground game, arming teams for success on both sides of the ball.

“It’s great to finally be able to share with the world that Gronk will be joining our cover fraternity,” said Josh Rabenovets, Senior Director of Global Marketing at EA SPORTS. “He’s one of the most fun, dominant and exciting players in the league, and it’s awesome to feature the famed Gronk Spike on the Madden NFL 17 cover.”

Gronkowski is one of the most decorated tight ends in the NFL, holding the season record for most touchdowns by a tight end in a season, as well as a four-time Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl Champion. He’s widely regarded as one of the most physically dominant players in the league, and was the highest-rated tight end in Madden NFL 16.

“It’s a really special honor to appear on the cover of Madden NFL 17,” said Gronkowski. “It’s one of those things that pretty much every guy in the league secretly dreams of, so to actually be the one on the cover, it’s a really big deal.”

EA also released a Madden NFL 17 video today showcasing Gronkowski and the first of several new features for next-gen consoles in this year’s game. Fans can check out the Madden NFL 17 website to learn more about improvements to the ground game, including a new path assist feature, new defensive AI and expansion of ball carrier special moves, which give players new creative controls on the ground, all of which are featured on the Xbox One and PlayStation®4 versions of the game.

EA Access* members can try Madden NFL 17 before it’s released for a limited time as part of a Play First Trial, only on Xbox One.

Madden NFL 17 is developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon and will be available for Xbox One, Xbox 360®, PlayStation®4 andPlayStation®3 on August 23. To learn more about Madden NFL 17, visit http://www.easports.com/madden-nfl.

All player participation has been facilitated by NFL Players Inc., the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA).

EA SPORTS™ is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through videogames, including Madden NFL football, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR® golf, SSX™ and EA SPORTS UFC®.

For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com to connect, share and compete.

*CONDITIONS, LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS APPLY. SEE EA.COM/EAACCESS/TERMS AND EA.COM/EAACCESS FOR DETAILS.

War Thunder Now Supports Oculus Rift – Next Update Brings Missile Tank

May 12th, 2016 Gaijin Entertainment today announced that War Thunder’s next major update will introduce new tanks armed with guided missile weaponry. This type of missile will bring a totally new destructive capability ground battles in War Thunder, thus expanding the number of tactics and strategies players can employ. Players can fire missiles and guide them the whole way to the target until impact.

One of the first guided missile tanks planned to appear in the next update is the Soviet IT-1. Based on the hull of the T-62, it was the first and the last Soviet tank that had no guns at all –  its only armament was 15 missiles ready to destroy an enemy vehicle, even if it was hidden on the other side of a hill. Most of the other nations in War Thunder will also get new guided missile tanks in the next update. Check out the developers’ blog for more information about upcoming additions: http://warthunder.com/en/devblog/

War Thunder also now supports Oculus Rift CV1, available since the last update, so players are able to play the game in exciting combat scenarios in VR. Available for both air and ground battles, Virtual Reality provides pilots and tankers with as much immersion as possible so that a player flying an aircraft in the game can experience similar feelings to what a real WW2 pilot would have experienced. With Oculus Rift CV1, fighters have detailed cockpits and instrumentation panels, providing important tools for controlling the aircraft whilst flying in a cockpit view. The detailed 2K resolution of the Oculus Rift CV1 lets players see enormous landscapes from the cockpit of their aircraft, leaving the enemy no place to hide.

To try War Thunder with the Oculus Rift CV1, download War Thunder, tick “Full client” and “Oculus Rift” in the game launcher, wait until the download is complete and run the game. Pick your favourite vehicle and join the battle. Virtual Reality is available for any aircraft or tank mode in War Thunder. Join multiplayer battles, try out the single or co-op missions or test the most breathtaking maneuvers in test flight. For a deeper level of immersion, a flightstick and throttle are highly recommended.

For more information on Oculus Rift CV1 support for War Thunder see the devblog page here: https://warthunder.com/en/devblog/current/899/

Check out the destructive capabilites of the anti-tank guided missile here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpKSqh-I3AY

For a look at the first two vehicle additions and updates to the next major War Thunder update, check out the devblog page here: http://warthunder.com/en/news/3718-news-victory-day-in-war-thunder-presentation-of-new-vehicles-en/

Serial Cleaner Announcement Trailer

May 12, 2016 – The protagonist is a professional cleaner, which means he takes care of cleaning up murder scenes by disposing bodies, covering up blood stains and hiding murder weapons and other incriminating evidence. He takes on jobs without asking questions, working shady assignments for the mafia, as well as helping out (for a fee of course) regular people, who for one reason or another, murdered somebody or unwillingly caused a lethal accident. The storyline revolves around a copycat killer, who commits murders similar to the latest highly-popularized killings that have taken the media by storm.

It’s a dynamic stealth game, in which the player needs to figure out how to pick the location clean of evidence, while not getting caught. Exploring, experimenting and fast paced decision making are the key words here. Getting caught and questioned would put a black mark on the protagonist’s career and the environment is often crawling with itchy-fingered police officers accompanied by nosy bystanders. The game uses Real-World Data to modify gameplay according to the time of day in player’s location.

Serial Cleaner takes a humoristic, slightly macabre approach to its subject matter, and doesn’t treat itself too seriously. Just take a look at the protagonist. He is a 30-ish man with a sharp sense of style and an iconic 70s look, complete with a mustache, large sunglasses, and tight pants.

Game Highlights

  • Fully realized 1970s-inspired setting
  • Just take a look at that art style!
  • The game uses Real-World Data to modify levels accordingly with the current time of day in the player’s whereabouts
  • Levels take inspiration from actual 1970s murder scenes
  • Humor and atmosphere inspired by Fargo series and Pulp Fiction movie
  • Playful approach to solving each level, which rewards exploration and experimentation

Valentino Rossi: The Game Bringing MotoGP Once Again to North America

LOS ANGELES – May 12, 2016 Imagining the career experience of a nine-time MotoGP™ World Champion will soon become a reality. Square Enix® and Milestone S.r.l. today announced that Valentino Rossi: The Game will be released on July 26 for Xbox One, PlayStation®4 and PC (Steam).

Valentino Rossi The Game will feature more than 90 riders from the official 2016 MotoGP™ roster, with 18 official tracks and historical tracks from previous seasons. Players will get a unique perspective of the motorcycle grand prix world as they follow Rossi’s legendary career in a series of challenges from his debut in 1996 up thru the 2015.

More than just a MotoGP™ game, players will experience the exciting world of Valentino Rossi with all-new expanded game modes dedicated to the career of the 9-time World Champion, including special 2-wheel and 4-wheel drift, rally, flat track, and R1M-only challenges.

Players can start their own racing history in the VR|46 Academy through Career Mode and live the dream of becoming an Academy member as they train and craft their abilities at Valentino’s exclusive Rossi Motor Ranch, or any other Game Mode, proving grounds to become amongst the world’s greatest riders.

Valentino Rossi The Game will be available for download and at retail with a suggested retail price of $49.99 in North America. The DAY ONE EDITION will also be available and includes the Real Events: 2015 MotoGP™ Season Pack.

Related Links

Website: www.valentinorossithegame.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/motoGPVideogame
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/milestoneitaly
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/milestone_team/

Console Release Date Announced For Banner Saga 2

BALTIMORE, MD – May 12, 2016 Stoic, an independent game development company, and Versus Evil, one of the leading independent video game publishers, today announced that Banner Saga 2 will launch on Tuesday 26th July, 2016 on PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and to the Xbox One via the ID@Xbox self-publishing program.  Banner Saga 2 recently released on PC and Mac where it received excellent reviews across the board. Check out the accolades trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN1lPeZWr5M

Banner Saga 2 is the exciting sequel to the award winning, BAFTA nominated, indie hit The Banner Saga, an epic Viking role-playing strategy game where a player’s choice directly affects their personal journey.

“We are happy that we were able to create a development schedule where the console version of Banner Saga 2 could come out shortly after the PC version,” said John Watson, Technical Director at Stoic. “Although our team size dictated what we could do with the first release, we knew that a two year wait for the sequel was just not acceptable, so we worked extremely hard to ensure that console gamers could continue their journey in a timely fashion. Our goal for Banner Saga 3 is to simultaneously ship on all platforms!” he added.

“This sequel continues to build on the legacy Stoic has created with the Banner Saga.  New players can jump right in and play without any concern of not playing the original game.   We didn’t want anyone penalized if they were jumping into this story for the first time.“ commented Steve Escalante, General Manager at Versus Evil.  “However, the diehard fans who completed the first game will be able to continue their own saga based on all the choices they made in Banner Saga 1. The Stoic team has done an amazing job of ensuring this sequel is better than the first and addressed many comments their community had including improvements to combat, a wider variety of characters to play and interact with and the addition of more animations and cinematics,” he concluded.

To celebrate the launch of the sequel, the team recently released an “In Memoriam” trailer, an entertaining homage to the first game which is renowned for making gamers make some difficult choices which result in the loss of several beloved characters. The trailer, which was created by Penny Arcade contributor Kris Straub, can be viewed here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSxrkcmDCpk.

The Banner Saga, which launched to much critical acclaim has received several awards and nominations, including winner of the 2014 Geekie Awards for “Best Video Game”, winner of 2014 Game Developers Choice: “Best Debut” award, finalist placement for “Excellence in Visual Arts” category at the Independent Game Festival, 3 BAFTA Award Nominations, and winner of Pocket Gamer’s 2015 Best Adventure/RPG Game and Best Android Game of the Year. The sequel, Banner Saga 2 for PC is available now through most digital retailers including Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/281640/

To learn more about The Banner Saga and Banner Saga 2 visit:http://bannersaga.com

To learn more about Versus Evil visit: http://www.vsevil.net

DOOM Coming to Indy 500

May 12, 2016 (Rockville, MD) – Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (SPM) and Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax® Media company, today revealed the DOOM car set to premiere at the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis on May 14 – one day after the videogame’s eagerly awaited release on May 13. The No. 7 car, driven by SMP Racing driver Mikhail Aleshin, will go on to compete in the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 29.

DOOM, under development at id Software®, the studio that pioneered the first-person shooter genre, returns as a brutally fun and challenging modern-day shooter experience for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

Aleshin is the first driver from Russia to race in the Verizon IndyCar Series. The 28-year-old native of Moscow spent the formative years in his racing career in Europe racing and winning on some of the most storied racetracks. Aleshin competed with SPM for a full season in 2014, earning one podium and seven top-ten finishes. He piloted a third SPM car at the 2015 season finale and is making his full-season return for 2016.

“We couldn’t imagine a more perfect sponsorship fit,” said Pete Hines, Vice President of PR & Marketing for Bethesda Softworks. “DOOM is all about pushing forward with incredible speed. We’ll all be cheering on Mikhail and the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports team as we celebrate the game’s launch.”

Relentless demons, impossibly destructive guns, and fast, fluid movement provide the foundation for intense, first-person combat – whether you’re obliterating demon hordes through the depths of Hell in the single-player campaign, or competing against your friends in numerous multiplayer modes. DOOM garnered numerous E3 2015 awards and in a recent preview, Game Informer aptly described the gameplay as “an absolute blast.”

“We are always pleased to invite a new sponsor into the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports family. However, according to my son, having DOOM on Mikhail’s car for the GP of Indy and the Indianapolis 500 is by far the most exciting sponsor we’ve ever announced,” said Sam Schmidt, SPM Team Owner. “We feel these types of partnerships are absolutely critical to creating the next generation of fans for the Verizon IndyCar Series. This sport is all about speed, innovation and technology, so gaming seems to be a natural fit.”

The team unveiled the livery for Aleshin’s No. 7 Indy car this morning at 8:30 a.m. ET in the SPM garages at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It will be on track at 11 a.m. for the first practice of the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis.

DOOM has been rated M for Mature by the ESRB. For more information, visit: www.DOOM.com.

Homefront: The Revolution Story Trailer

May 11, 2016 – Today Deep Silver invites you to meet the leaders of the Philadelphia Resistance as we reveal the first details of Homefront: The Revolution’s gripping characters. As raw recruit, Ethan Brady, you are plunged into a desperate struggle for freedom as the Resistance try to save the one man who can inspire the people to rise up – Benjamin Walker, the ‘Voice of Freedom’ himself. What lengths will the Resistance go to in order to achieve their goals… and will the end ever justify the means?

Weaving state-of-the-art performance capture into a 30-hour open world single -player campaign, Homefront’s dark and brutal story will leave you reeling. Homefront: The Revolution will be released on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on May 17th, 2016.

Scare LA Announces Interactive Haunts for Upcoming Convention

PASADENA, Calif., May 11, 2016 — This August, the most anticipated Halloween haunt creators give attendees a taste of their darkest nightmares at ScareLA on August 6-7, 2016 at the Pasadena Convention Center. Since becoming the first U.S. convention dedicated to Halloween in 2013, ScareLA has been leading the charge in showcasing original interactive horror content unlike anything audiences have ever seen. Today, we are excited to announce three immersive experiences set to join the event’s extensive lineup and kick of Halloween in the summer.

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Only at ScareLA: CREEP LA MINI HAUNT: CREEP LA will preview their latest attractionENTRY, inspired by cinematic styles from directors (David Lynch, Stanley Kubrick & Ti West) and influenced by productions like Sleep No More & Then She Fell. Experience a taste of ENTRY before the haunt season ONLY at ScareLA!

“ONE OF THE CLOSET THINGS TO FEELING LIKE YOU’RE IN A HORROR MOVIE”

– Nerd Reactor

#CREEPITREAL #CREEPLA @Creeplosangeles

Only at ScareLA: Snapshot Productions presents THE ROPE, an immersive horror experience taking you through the darkest moments of waking life utilizing sensory deprivation and physical/emotional tests to challenge your sanity.

Inspired by the From Software’s Dark Souls series, and Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem.

Website: www.screenshot.productions
Instagram: @whatwelearnedhere

HereticHauntedHouse

Only at ScareLA: H E R E T I C Presents: THE DESCENT, a walk through a nightmare fragmented in real time to test your nerves.

Returning for their 3rd year at ScareLA they promise that this exclusive experience will give you a sample of how H E R E T I C cerebrally pushes guests to their limits. 

Website: http://www.heretichorrorhouse.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HERETICHAUNTEDHOUSE/

For more information and to purchase tickets for ScareLA 2016 : Season of the Witch event, visit www.scarela.com.

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About ScareLA

Founded in 2013, ScareLA is the Southern California convention dedicated to all things Halloween. Situated in the entertainment capital of the world, the event celebrates the American scare season traditions and the diverse cultural heritage of the Greater Los Angeles region. Featuring hundreds of specialty vendors, education programming, world-class industry presentations, ScareLA draws over 10,000 professionals, fans and families from the U.S. and abroad to celebrate Halloween early every summer. ScareLA is one of the fastest growing independent fan conventions in the U.S. addressing a $10 billion Halloween industry worldwide.

Time Machine VR Gets Release Date

MONTREAL – May 11, 2016Minority Media Inc. has today announced that their VR exploration adventure game, Time Machine VR (TMVR), will be launching simultaneously on Rift and Vive on May 19 for $29.99 USD (with other regional prices adjusted separately). Featuring over 10 hours of single-player gameplay, the title takes players on a captivating journey through time, with a narrative written by Assassin’s Creed III and IV’s Jill Murray. For those who can’t wait for the end of the month to go nose-to-nose with dinosaurs and fight for the survival of the human race in a visually-stunning simulation of the Jurassic era, TMVR is already in Early Access on Steam and the Oculus Store.

“As kids, we all dreamed of encountering a dinosaur,” said Minority CEO Vander Caballero. “So when VR came around three years ago and we started experimenting with it, we immediately remembered this dream. Once we started bringing the megalodon and other creatures back to life in VR, we couldn’t wrap our minds around how huge and real they looked! This is the kind of mind-blowing contact with prehistoric creatures that can only happen in VR.”

Time Machine VR places players in the shoes of an adventurous time-traveling cadet, assigned to investigate the treacherous depths of the Jurassic oceans by harvesting data on the sea-dwelling leviathans of ancient Earth. But when melting ice caps in the present unleash a deadly prehistoric virus, this routine research mission quickly becomes a race to save humanity from extinction. Time travel is not an exact science, so players will need to navigate more than just the jaws of Earth’s mightiest ancient titans when time itself begins to splinter around them.

Built from the ground up as a VR-only experience, Time Machine VR’s breathtaking atmosphere uses the technology’s unmatched immersive power to kick your adrenal glands on overdrive. The Oculus’ Xbox gamepad offers one of the smoothest navigation systems in VR, and in the Vive version only, players can freeze the game and physically move around the space just by standing up.

As players glide through prehistory, they can use their pod’s high-tech powers of observation and time manipulation to engage with some of our planet’s greatest sea monsters, from the livyatan to the megalodon.

For more information please visit:

Civilization VI Announcement Trailer

New York, NY – May 11, 2016 – 2K and Firaxis Games are excited to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Civilization series by announcing that Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI, the next entry in the award-winning turn-based strategy franchise, is currently in development for PC. Sid Meier’s Civilization VI will offer players new ways to interact with their world, expand their empire across the map, advance their culture, and compete against history’s greatest leaders to build a civilization to stand the test of time.

“Sid Meier’s Civilization games hold a reputation for defining the 4X gaming genre for the past 25 years,” said Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K. “We can’t think of a better way to celebrate the silver anniversary of our longest-running franchise than launching the eagerly anticipated Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, which will provide the most detailed, beautiful and complete experience ever featured in aCivilization game.”

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI sets another milestone in the Civilization franchise, which has sold-in over 34 million units worldwide and changed the gaming landscape by bringing the strategy genre to unparalleled heights. In Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, cities will physically expand across the map to create new, deep strategic layers, active research in technology and culture will unlock new potential ways to play; and the large variety of leaders will pursue their own agendas based on their historical character traits as players race to achieve victory however they choose to play.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI builds on the firm foundation of the Civilization franchise, and we’ve added many exciting new elements,” said Ed Beach, lead designer at Firaxis Games. “The visual presentation of the game is inspired by the maps and tools of the Age of Exploration, and we’ve made several key gameplay changes such as expansive cities and active research that makes Sid Meier’s Civilization VI an entirely unique experience while remaining true to what makes the Civilization series so special.”

Key features of Sid Meier’s Civilization VI include:

  • EXPANSIVE EMPIRES: See the marvels of your empire spread across the map like never before. Each city spans multiple tiles so you can custom build your cities to take full advantage of the local terrain;
  • ACTIVE RESEARCH: Unlock boosts that speed your civilization’s progress through history. To advance more quickly, use your units to actively explore, develop your environment, and discover new cultures;
  • DYNAMIC DIPLOMACY: Interactions with other civilizations change over the course of the game, from primitive first interactions where conflict is a fact of life, to late game alliances and negotiations;
  • COMBINED ARMS: Expanding on the “one unit per tile” design, support units can now be embedded with other units, like anti-tank support with infantry, or a warrior with settlers. Similar units can also be combined to form powerful “Corps” units;
  • ENHANCED MULTIPLAYER: In addition to traditional multiplayer modes, cooperate and compete with your friends in a wide variety of situations all designed to be easily completed in a single session;
  • A CIV FOR ALL PLAYERS: Civilization VI provides veteran players new ways to build and tune their civilization for the greatest chance of success. New tutorial systems are designed to introduce new players to the underlying concepts of Civilization so they can easily get started on a path to victory.

Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI is not yet rated by the ESRB, is available for pre-order now on Windows PC, and will be released worldwide on October 21, 2016 for $59.99/£49.99/€59.99. Expand your empire further with the Civilization VI Digital Deluxe Edition, which includes the full base game, the 25th Anniversary Digital Soundtrack, and access to four post-launch DLC packs that will add new maps, scenarios, civilizations and leaders for a bundled discount.

Come see Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI at 2K’s E3 booth, # 1601, South Hall.

For more information on Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI, visit www.civilization.com, become a fan on Facebook, follow Civilization on Twitter and Instagram and subscribe on YouTube.

Firaxis Games is a 2K studio. 2K is a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO).

All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.