Author - Jerry Paxton

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 Soundtrack Revealed

2015/08/14

Geek News, News, PlayStation 3 News, PlayStation 4 News, Xbox 360 News, Xbox One News

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Aug. 14, 2015 – Today Activision Publishing, Inc. announced the complete list of songs that will be on the Tony Hawk’s® Pro Skater™ 5 soundtrack, featuring selections from Ratatat, Yogi & Skrillex, Death From Above 1979, and many more.

The full Tony Hawk’s® Pro Skater™ 5 track list include the songs below (the band or label’s official link to each song included, where available):

Anti-Flag
“Stars and Stripes”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm5BgQFpUfI

Atmosphere
“Southsiders”
https://youtu.be/ul_SvctiuXY?list=PL061AB85EF16D6C54

Black Pistol Fire
“Hipster Shakes”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFvGga7jwuE

Bully
“Milkman”
https://youtu.be/3TP0iJSzLxU

Cloud Nothings
“I’m Not Part of Me”
https://youtu.be/74TP8QhupLU

Cold Cave
“A Little Death to Laugh”
https://youtu.be/ELRvdyMwVQw

Connie Price and the Keystones
“International Hustler”
https://youtu.be/HwrvbaEblFs?list=PLrtNv3YphWz9mo4dyq4Qtyz4p6uAp0DdD

Crass Mammoth
“All 149”
https://youtu.be/eRNJs_59X90

Deaf Poets
“Degenerate Mind”
https://youtu.be/8I4SLIVu7j4

Death
“Keep On Knocking”

Death From Above 1979
“Virgins”
https://youtu.be/rJz0rq1gVLk

Deer Mother
“When The Wolves Come Out”
https://soundcloud.com/deermothermusic/when-the-wolves-come-out

Doomtree
“Mini Brute”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhp4y3SX5Pc

Fake P
“Rorschach”

Family Force 5
“Raised By Wolves”
https://youtu.be/KCjHKY-gJGk?list=PLzGCPH8UWJzIRSTCQ-FxvCl50eKSj6sG4

Four Year Strong
“Go Down In History”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA7OI3jW94s

Harlan
“Moment To Myself”

Hundred Visions
“Our Ritual”

Hungry Hands
“Highline”

Icon For Hire
“Cynics and Critics”
https://youtu.be/lAo389WHcJo?list=PL56NxhJmd8DwHWwH99F5SCVYVVeoGgsrx

Killer Be Killed
“Wings of Feather and Wax”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVE2GFvQhyM

New Politics
“Everywhere I Go”
https://youtu.be/NdMeiRlOz1o

Plague Vendor
“Black Sap Scriptures”
https://youtu.be/PeQQHiMQ-bE

Ratatat
“Cream on Chrome”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlcywgEMuGI

RattBlack
“Skate Rock”

Royal Blood
“Little Monster”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ere2Mstl8ww

State Champs
“Secrets”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVY0G-uJCBo

Temples
“Shelter Song”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs4i41cOv0s

The Orwells
“Who Needs You”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwAdhvvGFlo

The Schitzophonics
“Rat Trap”

The Sheds
“Bad Things are Bad”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S24NgNbGJ78

Yogi & Skrillex
“Burial”
https://youtu.be/UQ13nr6urIo

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 reignites the classic style and gameplay of the Pro Skater series with new levels and seamless online multiplayer. Unlock new content, level up and take on rivals in head-to-head, high-score battles by jumping instantly in and out of online shred sessions that support up 20 skaters at the same time. Players can also create their own skateparks to share online with the community.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 is scheduled to launch in North America on Sept. 29, 2015 for the PlayStation^®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One for $59.99. The game is coming to Xbox 360 and the PlayStation^®3 computer entertainment system on Nov. 10 for $39.99 (these versions do not have online play).

For the latest updates from the series, join the community on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TonyHawkGames and on Twitter and Instagram at @tonyhawkgames.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading global producer and publisher of interactive entertainment. Activision maintains operations throughout the world. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, http://www.activision.com or by following @Activision.

This is the End 3D Maze Announced for Horror Nights

2015/08/13

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Halloween, News

Universal City, California, August 12, 2015 – In a bold, new approach to bringing iconic horror films to life during “Halloween Horror Nights,” Universal Studios Hollywood will break new ground with the introduction of its first ever 3D horror-comedy maze, “This is the End 3D,” based on 2013’s hit movie starring James Franco, Seth Rogen Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride and Craig Robinson. “Halloween Horror Nights” begins on Friday, September 18, 2015.

The hilarity of this genre-defying blockbuster movie, This is the End, will take a dark turn in this all-new maze experience that will come to life in hypnotic 3D. The end of the world will begin as guests head to the ultimate A-list party at James Franco’s new Hollywood Hills home, before the Apocalypse strikes and they find themselves trapped in a life-and-death struggle against the demons of the underworld. With the fate of humanity at the crossroads of heaven and hell, “This is the End 3D” will offer defining moments for those guests brave enough to tempt the devil as their destiny hangs in the balance to be damned for eternity or raptured to heaven engulfed in a sea of blue light.

“This is the End brings a new dimension of fear to ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ by fusing the best of two extreme worlds—horror and comedy— to create a literal and figurative three-dimensional experiential version of the film,” said John Murdy, Creative Director at Universal Studios Hollywood and Executive Producer of “Halloween Horror Nights.” “Our collaboration with James Franco, Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill to transform this outrageous movie into a terrifying maze underscores the impact of ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ as one the most influential Halloween events around.”

“Halloween Horror Nights” 2015 at Universal Studios Hollywood kicks off on Friday, September 18 and continues on select nights through November 1. The popular event brings together the sickest minds in horror to immerse guests in a living, breathing, three-dimensional world of terror. Featuring an all-new slate of unrivaled film production quality mazes, frightful scare zones and a fully re-imagined “Terror Tram” experience uniquely themed to today’s most definitive horror properties, “Halloween Horror Nights” will taunt, terrorize and torment guests with spine-chilling haunted attractions during Southern California’s most extreme Halloween experience.

Recent maze announcements include “Guillermo del Toro Presents Crimson Peak: Maze of Madness,” based on Legendary and Universal Pictures’ much-anticipated Crimson Peak film directed, co-written and produced by celebrated filmmaker Guillermo del Toro; “The Walking Dead: Wolves Not Far,” based on season 5 of the critically-acclaimed, Emmy Award®-winning television series, “Insidious: Return to the Further,” based on the bone-chilling Insidious film trilogy, and “Halloween: Michael Myers Comes Home,” based on director John Carpenter’s cult-classic horror film. This year’s event will also feature the global phenomenon and multi-talented dance crew, Jabbawockeez, direct from Las Vegas in an all-new original show, performing multiple times per night throughout the run of “Halloween Horror Nights.”

Join the “Halloween Horror Nights” conversation using #UniversalHHN on Facebook at Halloween Horror Nights – Hollywood, Instagram, Twitter and Periscope@HorrorNights. Add username HorrorNights on Snapchat, for nightly live content and watch the terror come to life on Halloween Horror Nights YouTube.

To learn more about the all new “This is the End 3D” maze at “Halloween Horror Nights,” click here.

Civilization: Beyond Earth Free to Play Weekend Announced

2015/08/13

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Windows PC News

New York, NY – August 13, 2015 – 2K and Firaxis Games today announced pre-purchase details for Sid Meier’s Civilization®: Beyond Earth™ – Rising Tide, the expansion pack for 2014’s turn-based strategy title, Civilization: Beyond Earth. Players who pre-purchase the game will receive a 10% discount on their purchases. Rising Tide is currently in development for Windows PC, as well as Mac and Linux through Aspyr Media, and scheduled for worldwide release on all platforms on October 9, 2015.

Complementing the Rising Tide pre-purchase news, players can also take advantage of the following Beyond Earth offers:

The award-winning** Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth is free-to-play on Steam beginning today at 1:00 p.m. EDT and concluding Monday, August 17, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. EDT;
Civilization: Beyond Earth – The Collection, which includes Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth, the Exoplanets Map Pack and the upcoming expansion pack, Rising Tide, will be available for purchase during the free-to-play period with an additional discount from participating digital retailers.

The Exoplanets Map Pack features six custom maps inspired by real exoplanets, including:

Kepler 186f: This lush forest planet is one of the oldest known Earth-like planets;
Rigil Khantoris Bb: Orbiting the closest star to our solar system, the historical records of this arid continental planet’s settlement are well-preserved;
Tau Ceti d: This planet of seas and archipelagos features a booming biodiversity and wealth of resources;
Mu Arae f: Tidally locked in orbit around a weak star, the southern hemisphere of this planet is a blistering desert where the sun never sets, while the northern hemisphere is perpetually in frozen darkness;
82 Eridani e: An alien world of scarce water and wracked by tectonic forces;
Eta Vulpeculae b: A mysterious new discovery with unknown terrain.

New players who participate in the free-to-play weekend on Steam will have until 1:00 p.m. EDT on Monday, August 17, 2015 to purchase Civilization: Beyond Earth or the Civilization Beyond Earth: The Collection for more than 10% off, and retain their in-game progress.

About Rising Tide

Rising Tide will expand Beyond Earth to new frontiers on the planet’s surface and across its seas, adding more choices and diplomatic options as players build “one more turn” toward a new vision for humanity’s future. New aquatic gameplay will explore the oceans for colonization by dramatically extending the play space, while an overhauled diplomacy system will provide players with additional layers of dynamic choices and options to shape the diplomatic landscape while engaging with the AI and one another.

Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth and Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide are rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) by the ESRB. Rising Tide will be available globally for Windows PC on October 9, 2015. The title will also launch for Mac and Linux this fall through Aspyr Media.

For more information on Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth, please visit www.civilization.com, become a fan on Facebook, follow Civilization on Twitter and subscribe to Civilization on YouTube.

For more information on the Mac and Linux version, please visit www.aspyr.com or follow Aspyr Media on Facebook and Twitter.

*Sid Meier’s Civilization®: Beyond Earth is required to play Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth Rising Tide

**Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth took home more than 15 awards at E3 2014, including Destructoid’s “Best of E3: Best PC” and “Best of E3: Best Strategy Game,” Game Critics Awards’ “Best Strategy Game,” Game Informer’s “Best PC Exclusive” and “Best Strategy Game,” IGN’s “Best of E3 Best Strategy Game,” Nerdist’s “Editor’s Choice E3 2014,” Polygon’s “Editors’ Choice,” The Escapist’s “Best of E3 2014” and more.

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

Dying Light: The Following Reveal Trailer

2015/08/13

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Halloween, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

August 13th, 2015 – Wroclaw, Poland/ After a successful showing at Gamescom 2015, Techland has released the reveal trailer for Dying Light: The Following – a story-based expansion set in a massive new area that’s as big as the original maps from Dying Light combined. Dying Light: The Following will see Kyle Crane travel to a hazardous outback ruled by mysterious and fanatical cultists whose beliefs have unnerving connections with the zombie outbreak.

To get close to the cult and unravel their secrets, players will need to earn the trust of the locals. Through various missions and tasks, players will be able to choose their own path for infiltrating the inner circles of the cultists. In order to succeed in this harsh countryside, players will also gain access to fully customizable and upgradable dirt buggies. With its own unique skill tree, players will be able to traverse the vast expanse of the Harran countryside in what is their deadliest weapon yet.

“Gamescom 2015 was our first chance to let people play Dying Light: The Following so I was a bit nervous – admits producer Tymon Smektała. But so many positive reactions really showed me we made the right decision to work on this expansion. With its new map and far-reaching gameplay additions, it feels like we’ve hit the sweet spot for what players are expecting from us.”

While a release date is still to be determined, Techland has confirmed that Dying Light: The Following will be priced at $14.99, while all Season Pass holders will receive the expansion completely free.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 Kickstarter Announced

2015/08/12

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Windows PC News

Coming to Kickstarter on August 26, 2015 is Larian Studios with Divinity: Original Sin 2. Sequel to their 2014 Windows PC title, Divinity: Original Sin, the sequel is said to build upon the original title’s game mechanics and tune them for better play. They are being somewhat tight-lipped on details yet, but here is the official blog post from this morning’s announcement:

Returning to Kickstarter

Posted on August 12, 2015

Hi Everybody!

I’m so glad I can finally talk to you about this! It was getting hard to talk about what we’re doing without actually saying what we were doing, so I’m really relieved that it’s finally in the open and that I can share my excitement for this.

In case you missed it, I’m of course referring to our recent announcement that we’ll be returning to Kickstarter with Divinity: Original Sin 2; our biggest and most ambitious RPG to date — one that will either sink us, or go on to be remembered as our best game ever!

We’re saving the announcement of all the features for when the Kickstarter campaign launches on August 26th, so I won’t discuss those just yet. Instead, I thought I’d talk a little bit about why we’re returning to crowdfunding, and what our hopes and aspirations are.

Divinity: Original Sin wouldn’t be the game it was without the input from our Kickstarter backers & Steam Early Access players. There were a lot of them and they pushed us forwards in directions we hadn’t anticipated when we started development. To this day, our entire team is incredibly grateful for this. Our community was a critical factor for the success of the game. Without having that same community on board, I think it’s going to be very hard for us to achieve the goals we have with Divinity: Original Sin 2, and so we’ll do our very best to convince them to back us once again. The result at the end will be so much better if they do.

I’m hopeful that our players will find Divinity: Original Sin 2 a worthy cause to back though; it really goes beyond what’s been done so far in turn-based RPGs and it’s going to be a lot of fun to play. Actually, it already is and we’ll be showing a prototype at Pax Prime where people will be able to get a taste of it.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 builds further on the foundations we’ve been laying with Divinity: Original Sin (D: OS), and Divinity: Original Sin – Enhanced Edition (D: OS EE). For us, this allows for an unprecedented focus on the gameplay. We won’t be “losing time” building the elementary systems that typically take up more than 60% of our development time. Instead, we can start building the world immediately and try out all kinds of things.

That also means we have much more room for fine-tuning. If we can convince our players to help us, then that should allow us to make a real diamond. When we made D: OS, we did a lot of experimentation with systems, constantly improving them and offering them to our players for feedback. I believe it was a shining example of the power of early access, which both provides a developer with feedback as well as the funding to integrate that feedback. It was also the best development process I’d ever seen.

Now that news about D:OS 2 is in the open, I can also talk a bit about the commercial reasoning behind making D:OS EE. By now, the investment we did in D:OS EE is beyond what most would consider reasonable, both financially and in terms of time we’ve been putting in. But, other than allowing us to perfect the game which I think always make commercial sense, the work that is being done on D:OS EE would in any case still have had to be done for D:OS 2. So it’s not as if we haven’t been moving forward. On the contrary, all the money we’re investing in D:OS EE is also investment in the tech that’s powering D:OS 2. And the tech can do a lot.

Put simply, if you were to compare what we’re doing to what Bioware did back in the day with Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate 2, D:OS 2 is to be our Baldur’s Gate 2 — building further on our equivalent of Baldur’s Gate; D:OS.

Of course, returning to Kickstarter isn’t without risk. There’s no guarantee that we’ll have any success. If we were to fail, I guess that will mean we’re on the wrong track, and that we would have to return to the drawing board. It would be a real pity if that happens, but there’s no certainties in life, and perhaps we’re completely wrong about this. But that too would still be valuable feedback.

I’m hopeful though — there’s a small scene in D:OS 2, right at the beginning of the demo that we’ll be showing to press and players at Pax Prime. It’s a small detail, but every time I see it, my heart starts beating faster because of the enormous implications it has for the entire game. It was when I saw this that I felt sure about taking it to Kickstarter. I think other RPG players will recognize what it means for the game and their hearts will start beating faster also.

And I think they’ll want us to put as much of it as we possibly can in the game. We have the budget to do cool stuff already, but what we’ll be doing is something we can really take very far. How far will depend on how our Kickstarter campaign fares. Perhaps we’ll even be able to do very cool stuff – all the money we’ll hopefully raise with Kickstarter will be put on top of what we’re investing already to make the game better. The same scenario essentially as with the original D:OS.

It know it’s all a bit cryptic for the moment, but you’ll see it soon enough — on August 26thto be precise.For now, let me just say that this is getting very close the RPG that will dwarf them all, and I can’t wait to show it to you!

Given that we’re returning to Kickstarter, I’m of course very eager to hear your thoughts about what we should and shouldn’t be doing. In the past, the comment section in this blog has been a goldmine of advice for me & Larian, so I’m very curious to read what you all think.

And to be honest, also a bit nervous about it all

Have a great day! (And don’t forget to send us suggestions for the campaign here)

Thonet & Vander Debuts High-End Kugel and Koloss Bluetooth Speakers

2015/08/11

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Tech News

Thonet & Vander Debuts High-End Kugel and Koloss Bluetooth Speakers

Miami –August 11, 2015 — Thonet & Vander, the German audio company that specializes in merging technology and design for state of the art sound, are adding their flagship high-end speakers, Kugel and Koloss, to their product selection now available to U.S. consumers. The top of the line speakers are a result of years of research and artistic development to be able to deliver the ultimate clarity in audio. Built from the best materials available, including HDAA™ (High Density Acoustic Absorber) wood, both the Kugel and Koloss are active bookshelf speakers, featuring Hi-Fi technology sound and Bluetooth capabilities.

Kugel, has an MSRP of $369.99, with a special introductory price of $299.99 on Amazon.com and NewEgg.com. This Bluetooth speaker has a robust power output of 140W (70W per speaker) to deliver crystal clear sound at high volumes. For room-filling sound, Kugel features Rage Bass™, an exclusive development of the Thonet & Vander team, which extends low frequencies to deliver a deep and powerful sound. At the same time, Glow FX™, another T&V’s technological development, provides smooth treble sounds with extreme definition and sharpness.

Koloss also features Rage Bass™ and Glow FX™ technology for powerful audio. A notch above the Kugel, this is the ultimate high-end speaker in the Thonet & Vander line, and will deliver a widespread and deep sound that features extreme power and purity. With an output of 160W (80W per speaker) and two 6.5 inch woofers, this is the most powerful speaker from Thonet & Vander so far.

Both models feature active crossover, where two amplifiers work in each frequency range, as opposed to one. This results in greater precision in the division of treble and bass, improving the quality and sound of the entire system. To avoid distortion, both speakers include DSP and ALC technologies. DSP (Digital Signal Processor) optimizes playback of sound using digital processing, and removes noise and distortion, allowing you to hear crystal clear voices and music. At the same time, ALC (Auto Level Control) maintains a low level of distortion even when set to maximum volume. This is achieved through a circuit that adjusts the amplifier when the input level exceeds a predetermined limit.

Like other Thonet & Vander speakers, the Kugel and Koloss have an Antimagnetic Shield® to isolate sound and eliminate external interferences for a virtual surround sound experience. Both speakers feature a rear bass reflex, with purposeful placement to increase the bass response through the build of the speaker.

Kugel and Koloss are made of natural materials like real wood and 1 inch silk tweeters. The tweeters’ fiber is known for being light and responsive, so that trebles are reproduced purely for clear sound. Even the aramid fiber comprising the woofers is of organic material designed to be resistant to shocks, light and moisture.

The speakers each have volume, treble and bass control on the side with an additional remote control to equalize them however you like. Besides featuring Bluetooth, both systems include an RCA stereo input and optical input. The first allows you to connect to different devices, like computers, tablets, smartphones and more. The second connects the speakers to Blu-Ray devices and Smart TVs. Optical input improves the quality of the signal received, reducing interference and offering a pure sound, a true trademark of this affordable luxury line.

Kugel Specifications

Power Output: 140W (70W + 70W)
Frequency Response: 40Hz-20kHz
14 x 8.5 x 9.5 in
Driver: Woofer 6.5 in.; aramid fiber
Tweeter: 1 inch; silk

Koloss Specifications

Power Output: 160W (80W + 80W)
Frequency Response: 50Hz-20kHz
21.9 x 8.5 x 9.5 in
Driver: Woofer 6.5 in.; aramid fiber
Tweeter: 1 inch; silk

Koloss will be available at NewEgg.com and Amazon.com for $399.99 by the end of September 2015.

Our ScareLA 2015 Round-Up

2015/08/11

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Halloween, News, Screenshots / Photos

Now in its third year, ScareLA has become quite the Southern California horror convention, with exhibitors ranging from haunted houses to special makeup effects vendors and a whole lot more – not to mention playing host to over 10,000 attendees! The producers behind ScareLA: Lora Ivanova, David Markland, Johanna Atilano, and Rick West have seemingly learned a great deal since the first ScareLA, which took place at “The Reef” in Los Angeles. While this location was great for their needs at the time, the team has moved ScareLA to the much larger Pasadena Convention Center. I love the Pasadena Convention Center – not only does it have a ton of floor space but it also has great parking as well as tasty eateries right across the street.

Mini-Haunts

Drunken Devil

Drunken Devil was an unknown to me this year before entering ScareLA. However, after having gone through their French Quarter themed mini-haunt, I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us this Fall. Their full haunted house is said to be located somewhere in the fashion district of Los Angeles. One of the people manning their mini-haunt mentioned to me that they like to go for a traditional haunted house experience, focusing on scares rather than the trend of haunted events going “extreme” with full-contact and more. Good on them, as not everyone likes those extreme experiences. You can find the Drunken Devil on Facebook!

Curse of Devil Swamp

The Curse of Devil Swamp is a home haunt with tons of heart and some great scares. Their mini-haunt at ScareLA was a true testament to this with good set design and enthusiastic monsters. You can find the Curse of Devil Swamp on Facebook here.

Field of Screams

This was a crazy mini-haunt in the best sense of the word – so much so, in fact, that I completely forgot to take photos of the experience! Walking into what appeared to be a small church complete with altar, we were treated to some sort of demonic ritual performed by two monstrous nuns on some poor, unsuspecting Shemp. The pews in which we were seated were on motion platforms which rocked back and forth along with the incantations. Field of Screams is located at the Lake Elsinore Storm baseball team field in Lake Elsinore, CA. You can find the event on Facebook here.

Spooky Hollows Legends of the Swap

This mini-haunt had some great set decoration starting off with an eye-catching graveyard set in a swamp. The mini-haunt had several monsters within and some great lighting effects to go along with it. This mini-haunt also featured a great transition between what was supposed to be the swampy outdoors and an indoor set (a real feat as this was all constructed in a generic-looking convention space). Their full haunted house is located in Van Nuys, CA but you can find them on Facebook right now.

Fear Station

The Fear Station mini-haunt easily featured the tallest facade to their attraction. Looking like an old, dilapidated wooden structure, guests were on a hunt to seek out a strange, terrifying creature. This mini-haunt featured actors, not just monsters, and I applaud their creating an actual storyline for the short experience. Last year, Fear Station was based in Stanton, CA but word has it that they are moving locations for 2015. We will update our horror column when we find out the new location. You can find them on Facebook here.

The Vault of Darkness

The Vault of Darkness was produced by Evil Twin Studios, the folks behind last year’s Raymond Hill Mortuary and the upcoming Ward13 haunted attraction. Unlike the mini-haunts at ScareLA, this was a walk-through experience showcasing various vendors and technology. Entering the vault, attendees were given a dim flashlight to light the path ahead. Unfortunately for them, this flashlight has a tendency to go out at the worse possible moments! Actually, this is all part of the show as there is some serious technological wizardry behind it. The flashlights just don’t go out when entering various parts of the vault but, also, change color to enhance the mood. The Vault of Darkness allowed us a look at cool props, a full anti-zombie military vehicle, crazy lighting and even shocking wall panels. It was a neat experience that I hop they bring back next year. Also, I hope more exhibitors take note of this experience and submit their wares for display as it is a great way to let guests see your products at work, in a scary environment.

The Decayed Brigade

The Decayed Brigade is a group of “sliders” who have worked, or are working, at various haunted attractions in Southern California. These sliders throw their bodies and slide across the ground on knee pads as a way of scaring people. This activity, in recent years, has become more of a sporting event, with haunted attraction guests cheering as monsters perform sliding stunts. That’s what the Decayed Brigade excels at. It’s always a pleasure to watch them perform. Their show this year seemed a bit more structured, which was good in that it was tightened up, but it also seemed to lose a bit of the spontaneity that it had in past years. Overall, still a great show to watch and we hope they return in 2016 (and I wish them all a speedy recovery as that stuff looks like it hurts)!

Panels

ScareLA has become such a Mecca for Southern California haunt-goers that the big events out there, Knott’s Scary Farm and Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights (as well as many others), even have their own panels where they get to announce stuff for the upcoming Fall season. Knott’s Scary Farm announced a new maze titled “The Dead of Winter”, the return of Special Ops: Infected, and a new stage show featuring Elvira. Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights announced “Halloween: Michael Myers Comes Home”, a new maze based on the classic John Carpenter film.

The “Making Monsters” panel returned for 2015, this time focusing on the art directors of various haunted attractions. Also new for 2015 was the amazing “Legend of Disneyland’s Hatbox Ghost” panel, which focused on the lore and history of the fabled Haunted Mansion resident.

Of course, there were a plethora of additional panels, these are just the ones that stand out in my mind as I type this up.

Education

Being that I was covering the convention on the show floor and in panel rooms, I didn’t get a chance to explore this facet of ScareLA. The convention hosts a huge number of classes and workshops devoted to various aspects of horror – from haunted house design and decoration to makeup effects tutorials. If I had more time, I would love to just sit-in on these workshops. You would be hard-pressed to find these classes anywhere else!

Screenings

Another aspect to ScareLA (in case you haven’t figured it out by now, there is A LOT to do there) is its screening room. While I didn’t get a chance to attend any of the screenings personally, the list of showings was impressive. Not only were there short horror films like Nick Lines’ “It’s a Wonderful Knife” but, also, feature screenings such as “The Houses that October Built”, about a group of people looking for the most extreme haunts around the country and find more than they bargained for. Also in the line-up was a test screening of “Haunters The Movie”, a documentary about the people behind modern-day haunted attractions. I wish I got the chance to check that one out but, again, just didn’t have enough time.

Wrap-Up

Walking around the show floor, I was blown away by the number of vendors and exhibitors. I was even more blown away by how much empty space was still available on the show floor (that convention space is huge). While this meant there was a lot of breathing room, something not seen at most conventions these days, it also means they could, theoretically, pack in even more booths and experiences next year!

We had a great time at the 2015 edition of ScareLA and would like to thank the event’s producers for having us out again. We highly recommend this event for fans of Halloween, haunted attractions, and horror in general. Thanks to ScareLA, our appetites for the upcoming haunted attraction season have been whetted. The haunt season is about to begin, kiddies (insert diabolical cackling here)!

ScareLA Official Website

Photo Gallery

Hearts of Iron IV Gamescom 2015 Trailer

2015/08/11

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

STOCKHOLM – In a dark alternate timeline, a weakened United Kingdom falls to the overwhelming might of the Third Reich. In a new trailer for Hearts of Iron IV, you can watch the key events in the fall of Europe’s last hope as played out in the game’s Clausewitz engine. Paradox Development Studio presents Operation Sea Lion as a success:

The trailer shows air strikes on the British homeland, combat around the capital and demonstrates how players can follow the war on the map through descriptive arrows and animation. In Hearts of Iron IV, like all Paradox grand strategy games, history changes the moment you start your game.

Hearts of Iron IV will be your chance to revisit the last titanic military struggle between the world’s greatest powers. You have complete control over a nation’s industry, military doctrine, political goals and strategic planning. Assign your fleets and air wings to areas of operation, draft your invasion plans and keep your war economy running by protecting your convoys.

Hearts of Iron IV will be a 2016 release on major digital distributors.

For more information on Hearts of Iron IV, visit http://www.heartsofiron4.com/

Knott’s Scary Farm Announces New Maze and More at ScareLA

2015/08/10

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Halloween, News

August 9, 2015 – Knott’s Scary Farm, the largest, most haunted experience in Southern California, has unveiled a new spine-chilling maze for its 43rd annual event, The Dead of Winter. The theme park has also announced the return of 2014’s unparalleled interactive experience, Special Ops: Infected – Patient Zero. Also back by popular demand, Elvira, the legendary Mistress of the Dark, will star in an all-new show, Elvira’s Asylum. The notorious event returns for 24 horrifying nights September 24 – October 31 and features endless mazes, wall to wall terror and a thousand monsters lurking in the fog. Whatever you’re imagining, it’s here…at Knott’s Scary Farm.

New for 2015, escape the icy grasp of the chilling Snow Queen in the The Dead of Winter. Backed by with a ravenous beastly army of resurrected Viking warriors, she is hellbent on avenging her beloved family’s murder, and preys upon any unsuspecting visitors who foolishly enter the borders of her icy domain.

Back by overwhelming demand, guests can enlist to fight the zombie apocalypse in an all-out war against the undead in the interactive experience, Special Ops: Infected – Patient Zero. In 2015, the highly sought-after attraction will include more blood thirsty zombies, twice the amount of challenging missions, brand new high-tech laser guns.

Elvira, the legendary Mistress of the Dark, returns to Knott’s Scary Farm in a spectacular all-new show, Elvira’s Asylum, featuring insane levels music, dance and comedy. Also returning in 2015, the twisted tale of the Tooth Fairy returns with the addition of a gruesomely interactive Skeleton Key room and new horrifying ending. Deadly howls and a full blood moon mark your impending doom as Werewolves take over the crime stricken town, in the return of Gunslinger’s Grave: A Blood Moon Rises.

Overlord: Fellowship of Evil New Minion Training Video

2015/08/10

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

UK – August 10, 2015 – The dastardly development minions at Codemasters today unleashed the latest video for Overlord: Fellowship of Evil, their digital only, angelically-priced, devilishly fun Action RPG which is coming to PlayStation® 4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Windows PC soon. Fans of evil doings can watch the trailer in action now at www.overlordthegame.com.

Whilst eviling alone is fun, the second in their series of training videos from The Minionstry of Information also teaches Netherghūls-in-training the value of working together. Bringing a friend (or at least someone you can tolerate for a while) along to help with the carnage can really help lift the levels of nefarious nastiness.

But in Overlord: Fellowship of Evil, your friends can also be your biggest enemies. Co-operation becomes “co-opetition” as Netherghūls compete to be more evil throughout the game and traps offer opportunities for mischief.

“Whilst you are welcome to indulge in some solo mayhem and destruction, sometimes you need a friend to back you up,” said Gnarl, evil Minion Master. “And when I say friend, I mean enemy who hasn’t killed you yet.”

“Fellowship of Evil has been designed to be equally fun playing solo or with your friends in co-op,” said Carl Johnson, Chief Design Minion, Codemasters. “Whether you’re at your happiest causing chaos alone with a horde of minions at your heels or together with some equally evil companions, there’s always plenty of deviousness to be done. Remember, evil never plays by the rules!”

Overlord: Fellowship of Evil is a dark and twisted Action RPG filled with the series’ signature black humor. Penned by award-winning original Overlord scriptwriter Rhianna Pratchett, Overlord: Fellowship of Evil delivers an epic new quest featuring four Netherghūls – undead servants of the dark arts, resurrected in the absence of a true Overlord, to bring evil back to a world overrun by the forces of good.

Assisting gamers once again are the mighty, maniacal and occasionally moronic minions, ready to unleash their charmingly chaotic brand of destruction and led by Gnarl, their wise old master, voiced, as before, by actor Marc Silk.

Players will embark on a brand new Overlord adventure filled with fun combat and twisted fantasy tales in single-player or with up to three friends in local and online single-screen co-op. Overlord: Fellowship of Evil invites players to dive into an Action RPG where it’s good to be bad, but it’s GREAT to be evil.

Overlord: Fellowship of Evil invades digital stores on consoles and Steam for Windows PC in 2015. Follow the Codemasters minions’ progress towards world domination on the Codemasters Blog and on social media on Twitter and Facebook.