Author - Jerry Paxton

The Legion Invades World of Warcraft on August 30

IRVINE, Calif.—April 18, 2016The great enemy of Azeroth is back, and soon the kingdoms of the Horde and the Alliance will be consumed in a storm of fel fire. Starting August 30, realms will shatter, heroes will fall, and the world will stand on the brink of destruction with the launch of World of Warcraft®: Legion™, the sixth expansion for Blizzard Entertainment’s acclaimed massively multiplayer online role-playing game.

Defenders of the Alliance and the Horde can steel themselves for the return of the demonic armies of the Burning Legion by pre-purchasing World of Warcraft: Legion digitally at www.wowlegion.com. Players who pre-purchase will unlock an instant level-100 character boost, as well as early access to the Demon Hunter—Legion’s dexterous and deadly new hero class—prior to the expansion’s release.†

Legion opens a dark and thrilling new chapter in one of the Warcraft series’ greatest conflicts, and things will never be the same for some of Azeroth’s most iconic heroes and villains,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “This expansion is loaded with features and content that give players whole new ways to explore the world and customize their heroes. We’re looking forward to sending everyone into battle against the Burning Legion this August.”

In this expansion chronicling the events following Warlords of Draenor, all hellfire breaks loose when the warlock Gul’dan, betrayer of the orcs and twisted servant of the Burning Legion, unleashes a demonic invasion force upon Azeroth unlike any the Horde and the Alliance have ever faced. To save their world from annihilation, heroes must unlock the mysteries of the mythic Broken Isles, master powerful Artifact weapons, and strike a forbidden pact with the Demon Hunters of the Illidari—vengeful disciples of the dreaded Illidan Stormrage.

Pre-purchase Now and Prepare for the Invasion

World of Warcraft: Legion will be available in a Standard Edition (physical and digital versions available; SRP $49.99). Players also have the option to upgrade their pre-purchase to the Digital Deluxe Edition (SRP $69.99), which contains a hoard of in-game bonuses for a variety of Blizzard games, including an Illidari Felstalker mount and pet for World of Warcraft, a Felstalker mount for Heroes of the Storm®, a helm transmog and wings for Diablo® III, and a pair of fel-infused StarCraft® II portraits.

Players who pre-purchase either the digital Standard Edition or Digital Deluxe Edition of Legion through www.wowlegion.com will be able to immediately† boost one character to level 100, allowing them to experience the latest World of Warcraft content alongside their friends.††

Pre-purchasing Legion will also grant early access to the Demon Hunter prior to the expansion’s release.† During the pre-launch early-access period, players will be able to complete the Demon Hunter’s unique starting experience on the shattered, Legion-corrupted world of Mardum and achieve level 100, leaving them fully prepared to join their allies on the Broken Isles the moment the expansion launches. Further details on the upcoming Demon Hunter early-access period, including the timing and duration, will be announced at a later date.

World of Warcraft: Legion will also be available in a retail-only Collector’s Edition (SRP $89.99), which includes the digital bonuses from the Digital Deluxe Edition along with a full-color hardcover art book, a behind-the-scenes two-disc Blu-ray/DVD set, a CD soundtrack, and a Legion mouse pad. Supplies are limited; players should check with their local retailer for preorder details and availability.

World of Warcraft: Legion Features

World of Warcraft: Legion is filled with features and content that will transform Azeroth’s heroes into Legion-slaying avatars of vengeance, including:

  • New Hero Class: Demon Hunter—Unleash the demon within as an all-new melee hero class gifted with preternatural mobility—and the ability to metamorphose into hellish new forms.
  • New Feature: Artifact Weapons—Smite the Legion with class-specific weapons of lore. Unlock abilities and traits, and customize your weapon to suit your needs.
  • New Continent: The Broken Isles—Discover the fate of a lost night elf civilization, confront twisted fragments of the Emerald Nightmare, and hunt agents of the Legion in all-new zones. Forge your own path through the Broken Isles as you explore content that dynamically scales to your level.
  • Boost to Level 100—Come fully prepared to battle the Legion with a level-100 character boost, and fight alongside your friends in this epic new chapter of World of Warcraft—available immediately upon pre-purchase†.
  • New Feature: Class Hall—Gather with fellow members of your class and unite followers of your order—including iconic characters from Warcraft lore—to carry out missions at your command.
  • New PvP Honor System—Fight for fame, glory, and a range of new PvP-specific powers as you face the opposing faction in Arenas and Battlegrounds.

For more information about World of Warcraft: Legion or to sign up for the upcoming beta test, visit www.wowlegion.com.

With multiple games in development, Blizzard has numerous positions currently available—visit http://jobs.blizzard.com for more information and to learn how to apply.

†Players upgrading from World of Warcraft Starter Edition must wait for trial restrictions to be removed (up to 72 hours) before using character boost. Demon Hunter early access timing will be announced at a later date. Only one Demon Hunter per realm (per account); requires at least one level-70 character on realm.

††Corresponding World of Warcraft expansions required.

Funcom’s The Park Console Launch Date

Oslo, Norway – April 18th, 2016Funcom is excited to announce that the company’s latest game, ‘The Park’, will be available to horror fans around the world on both PLAYSTATION® 4 and XBOX ONE next month, on May 3rd. ‘The Park’ will be Funcom’s first console release since ‘Dreamfall: The Longest Journey’ in 2006.

“We are thrilled to develop games for consoles again,” says Funcom CEO Rui Casais. “Not only because ‘The Park’ is a great fit for console gaming, but the process has also given us a lot of experience which we can use for some of our upcoming games, like ‘CONAN EXILES’.”

‘The Park’ first served its ice cold chills when it launched on PC during Halloween last year. It quickly became a favorite among streamers, and in the weeks following its release it generated more than 10 million views on various Let’s Play videos on YouTube.

In ‘The Park’ players step into the shoes of Lorraine, a mother whose son goes missing at the Atlantic Island Park. Here players must explore the dilapidated amusement park and face panic and paranoia as they progress unravel Lorraine’s story and the history of the park itself. Focusing entirely on intense storytelling and exploration instead of combat and action, ‘The Park’ draws inspiration from other first-person exploration games such as ‘Gone Home’, ‘Dear Esther’ and ‘The Vanishing of Ethan Carter’.

For more information about ‘The Park’, visit the official website at www.theparkgame.com.

Dark Souls III – Kingdom Fall Trailer

April 18, 2016 – DARK SOULS™ III, one of the most anticipated games of 2016, has released to rave reviews and incredibly strong first week sales, breaking records for the most successful day-one launch and fastest selling title in BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.’s history. See what everyone is talking about with the latest DARK SOULS III trailer, “Kingdom Fall”.

DARK SOULS III is currently available for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and STEAM for PC.

Pandemic (2016) Movie Review

John Suits’ Pandemic takes place relatively soon after a fast-moving virus has wiped out 2 billion people. The virus turns people violent and, in the last stage, downright cannibalistic with a zombie-like appearance. The government has set up facilities to send teams out into the cities to look for uninfected and/or immune individuals. The big selling point for Pandemic is that most of the film is shot from a somewhat first-person perspective, mainly seen through helmet cameras of the various characters. Unfortunately, the camera-shake is very high and becomes more of a gimmick than anything else. This is unfortunate, as underneath that aspect of Pandemic, you will find some decent performances and plot twists.

Rachel Nichols (Continuum, Star Trek) stars as Lauren, a lab analyst for the CDC who is tasked with leading one of these groups into Los Angeles to find survivors. Others in her team include Mekhi Phifer (Divergent, Dawn of the Dead) as an ex-cop, Missy Pyle (Gone Girl, Galaxy Quest) as the team navigator, and Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones) as the team driver. Unfortunately, none of these characters act professionally at all – especially the ex-cop. There is simply a lack of discipline all over the place. While some of this is understandable given the circumstances, these are not the people we want out there, trying to save humanity from a terrible virus. To make matters worse, each of the characters has an agenda which seems to be perpendicular to the overarching goal of the mission.

Pandemic-still-3

Despite this and the fact that characters do strange, unrealistic things in the wake of the dangers they are facing, the cast turns in some good performances, especially Nichols, as her character discovers the whereabouts of her daughter. Additionally, the plot moves along at a good pace. Much to their credit, the filmmakers have crafted a movie that looks like a much higher budget production than what they actually had. While there appears to be a lot of CGI gore, they have used some tried and true, old time film-making techniques for several sequences – especially the night driving ones. These effects were used to great effect and are refreshing to see.

Overall Pandemic offers some intense moments and interesting plot twists. However, its shaky cam gimmick soon wears thin becoming more of a distraction than anything else. I highly recommend renting Pandemic before you buy, just in case it is not your cup of hot cocoa. Pandemic is available now via video on demand services like iTunes to own and rent.

[easyreview title=”Pandemic (2016) Film Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”2″ ]

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Digital Extremes Announces First Ever TennoCon

LONDON, ON (April 15, 2016) — Independent games developer and publisher Digital Extremes is excited to announce first details for TennoCon, an action packed convention and celebration of Warframe®, bringing together one of the world’s largest Free-to-Play Communities. Set in the heart of Digital Extremes’ hometown of London, Ontario at the London Convention Center on July 9, 2016, TennoCon offers attendees a chance to connect with the Warframe developers, well-known Warframe Twitch and YouTube broadcasters, and fellow players, better known as Tenno.

Now with more than 22 million players across PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, Warframe boasts a thriving in-game and online Community. TennoCon will bring this devoted Community together in a day of interactive panels, giveaways and activities focused on three major themes: Learn, Play, Connect. With a variety of panels hosted by various members of the Warframe development team, players can learn first-hand the inside track on how Warframe is made, from concept to design to live update. Warframe game stations and a mix of hands-on activities will allow attendees to play and test their IRL space ninja skills and players can meet and connect with fellow Clan members and in-game friends in the largest gathering of Tenno yet!

The day’s events will end on a high note with TennoLive, a livestreaming broadcast of Warframe’s popular Devstream series where the Developers will discuss future plans for Warframe including big reveals on new content, continued cinematic quest direction and gameplay enhancements. Players unable to attend the event can tune in to TennoLive online at twitch.tv/warframe.

TennoCon tickets are available for purchase today at the official website. Three tiers of tickets include Full Day, Collector’s and Limited VIP:

  • Full Day Ticket – $25 CAD – includes full day access to the event along with free, exclusive in-game swag.
  • Collector’s Ticket – $75 CAD – includes full day access to the event along with free, exclusive in-game swag, PLUS an exclusive TennoCon t-shirt and additional swag.
  • Limited VIP Ticket – $250 CAD – includes all previous tier items along with a Limited Edition Nyx Collector’s Statue and a Digital Extremes Studio Tour, complete with Canadian Brunch with the Warframe Development Team.

To learn more about TennoCon, visit warframe.com/tennocon. For more information about Warframe, please visit the official website. To keep up with the latest updates from the Warframe Development team, be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Shock Tactics – Announcement Trailer

Berlin/Munich, April 15th 2016/… Berlin-based indie development studio Point Blank Games is pleased to unveil its first project – Shock Tactics, a single player turn-based sci-fi strategy game with tactical combat, exploration, squad management and base building.

Shock Tactics is inspired by the space western style of Firefly and games like Jagged Alliance and X-COM. The game is set on an ancient alien homeworld, procedurally generated each time you start a new game. Shock Tactics will be released later this year on Steam for PC and be available as a digital download.

Activision & Sony Pictures Announce New Ghostbusters Video Games

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – April 15, 2016 – Activision Publishing, Inc., in collaboration with Sony Pictures Consumer Products, has announced a pair of new Ghostbustersvideo games set in and inspired by the comedic action world of the upcoming Ghostbusters film, in theaters July 15. Taking place after the events of the new movie, bothGhostbusters games introduce new casts of rookies keeping watch over the station while the now-famous Ghostbusters tour the country stopping high-profile poltergeists. When paranormal phenomena unleash apparitions across New York City, these new squads of recruits must don their proton packs and wrestle those rogue spirits back to the afterlife!

The console game, Ghostbusters, is a third-person action role-playing game positively charged for thrilling couch co-op with up to four players locally. As rookie Ghostbusters, players can level up their characters’ gear and abilities by tackling objectives, defeating ghastly creatures and discovering hidden collectibles in Manhattan’s most haunted haunts. There are four heroes to choose from, and each has his or her own unique personality and play style, bringing special strengths to support the team.

Ghostbusters is expected to arrive on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Windows PC via Steam on July 12.

The mobile game, Ghostbusters: Slime City, lets players be a Ghostbuster and save New York City from a new wave of threats. Team up with other players in asynchronous co-op, and collect powerful ghosts to rise to the top of the leaderboards. Players can also craft their own proton packs from any number of combinations of components, as well as upgrade their own headquarters and complete jobs around the city for new weapons and rewards.

Ghostbusters: Slime City is expected to launch in July on select iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices via the App Store, select Android devices via Google Play and select Kindle devices through the Amazon Appstore.

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Mirror’s Edge Catalyst Closed Beta Coming Soon

April 14, 2016 – Today, we want to share more details on what will be the closest look at Mirror’s Edge Catalyst so far. The Closed Beta for Mirror’s Edge Catalyst will begin on April 22nd. It will last for five days, ending on April 26th.

Try out several of the main missions in Faith’s story, Side Missions, other optional content, and the Social Play features Mirror’s Edge Catalyst has to offer. Also, learn more about connecting with friends and comparing your skills with other runners in the Social Play developer diary here.

Read the full blog for more details.