Author - Jerry Paxton

Firaxicon 2015 Details Announced

2015/07/29
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News

2kgmkt_civbert_screenshot_announce6-1920x1080

Baltimore, MD – July 29, 2015 – 2K and Firaxis Games today announced the second annual Firaxicon will be taking place at the Baltimore Convention Center on Saturday, October 3rd, with tickets on sale now. Hosted by the developers of the award-winning Civilization and XCOM series, Firaxicon celebrates the passion and support of the studio’s biggest advocates.

“Firaxicon provides us with a rare opportunity to sit down and talk with the people who enjoy our games most,” said Sid Meier, Creative Director at Firaxis Games.  “This has quickly become one of the studio’s most popular events of the year.  Our team members very much look forward to giving the fans an in-depth look at our latest projects this fall.”

Fans attending this year’s event can look forward to a number of exciting activities, including:

  • Meet and greet members of the Firaxis team;
  • Enjoy in-depth panels hosted by the lead developers of XCOM and Civilization: Beyond Earth, as well as legendary game designer Sid Meier;
  • Experience Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide and XCOM 2 prior to launch;
  • Play board games against (and with) Firaxis Games’ designers;
  • Participate in fun community giveaways, challenges and competitions offering various XCOM and Civ themed prizes;
  • Get exclusive and commemorative merchandise.

Tickets to attend Firaxicon are priced at $40 (plus applicable taxes and fees), and are available today for purchase via Eventbrite at https://eventbrite.com/event/17520131184/.

For those who are unable to attend, but would still like to join in on the Firaxicon experience, GameSpot has partnered with 2K to be the official livestream partner for the event.  Throughout the day, fans can look forward to viewing all-inclusive, online coverage of the Sid Meier, XCOM and Civilization panels via GameSpot.com.

For more information and additional details and programming information as the event draws near, please visit the official Firaxis Games website, follow the 2K blog, become a fan on Facebook, and like us on Twitter.

Starship Troopers: Disaster on Klendathu – Real Fake History

2015/07/29
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos
Real Fake History Battle of Klendathu Starship Troopers image

Real Fake History Battle of Klendathu Starship Troopers image

July 28, 2015 – One of the biggest losses of human life occurred in Starship Troopers during the Disaster on Klendathu. The Federation’s assault on the Arachnid planet Klendathu cost the lives of 308,563 human troops. Thanks to the latest episode of Real Fake History, we finally learn the causes behind this epic failure. When training consists of practice on human targets and taking hot co-ed showers every day, how can soldiers learn to kill bugs?

Please find the link to Starship Troopers: Disaster on Klendathu below:

Next week’s episode is Avengers: Battle of New York City

Mionix Unveils Castor Gaming Mouse

2015/07/28
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Peripherals News

The Mionix Castor Gaming Mouse image

Malmö, Sweden–July 28, 2015—Setting a new standard in ergonomic comfort and gaming performance, Minox today announced the CASTOR, the latest entry in their stellar lineup of premium gaming mice. Named for one of the brightest stars in the night sky, the 6-button, multi-color optical CASTOR mouse is crafted especially for right-handed gamers with dedicated ring and pinkie finger grooves and enhanced rubber grip, and features the outstanding technical performance that has made Mionix a cult favorite worldwide.

The CASTOR’s unique shape has been developed to be used by right-handed players to equally support palm, claw and fingertip-grip. The mouse has a dedicated pinky- and ring-finger support-groove which makes it extremely comfortable to hold and lift. The PMW-3310 gaming grade optical sensor has no positive or negative hardware acceleration, amazing accuracy, smooth tracking, and a maximum speed of more than 5.45m/sec (215 IPS), all the way up to 10000DPI. It is the choice of the world’s top pro-gamers and widely considered as the best gaming sensor currently available.

The new lift-off distance (LOD) Calibration feature combines the Surface Quality Analyzer Tool (S.Q.A.T™) with adjustment of the lift-off height to find the lowest possible LOD with optimized tracking. The lightning fast 32bit ARM™ processor enables the mouse to have numerous gaming features without compromising the tracking of the sensor. The downloadable software provides access to fully customize all buttons, sensor settings, LED colors, macros and profiles.

Key Features of the CASTOR include:

  • Five fingers, one home: Right-hand ergonomics with ring- and pinky-finger groove to comfortably place all five fingers on the mouse.
  • Maximum grip: 4 layers of rubber coating and the optimized textured side rubbers ensure maximum grip and soft touch feel.
  • Lightning fast processor: The 32bit ARM Processor running at 32Mhz is the powerful engine to power it all and ensure trouble free and quick setting changes in-game.
  • 128kb built-in memory: Bring your settings and recorded macros with you stored into up to different 5 profiles.
  • Zero- Acceleration Sensor with up to 10000DPI: 1:1 Tracking, no positive or negative hardware acceleration.
  • In-game 3 step DPI adjustment: Set 3 DPI values and switch easily between them in-game.

The CASTOR is expected to be available worldwide in September for US$69.99. More more information and to place your pre order, visit http://mionix.net/mice/castor.

Rob Zombie’s Great American Nightmare Returns to Chicago Area this Fall

2015/07/27
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Halloween, News
Rob Zombie's Great American Nightmare maze facade image

Rob Zombie's Great American Nightmare maze facade image

July 27, 2015 — Rob Zombie’s Great American Nightmare – the ultimate Halloween horror event – returns to Odeum Expo Center in Villa Park, IL (just outside Chicago) for its second engagement from September 25-November 1. Tickets go on sale for all Great American Nightmare dates on Friday, July 31.

October 2 & 4 will also feature two special concerts with groundbreaking musician and filmmaker Rob Zombie.

“I am thrilled to be bringing The Great American Nightmare back to the Chicago area for its second year,” says Rob Zombie. “After last year’s overwhelming response we’ve decided to return with a completely new Nightmare. It’s more vile and disgusting than ever. Have fun.”

Rob Zombie’s Great American Nightmare 2015 will feature three attractions based on Zombie’s own horror films:

  • Captain Spaulding’s Clown School In 3D: This irreverent school of pure terror is a hallucinogenic trip through the mind of Captain Spaulding (House Of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects). Startle after startle will thoroughly frighten even the bravest patrons, who won’t know if they should be laughing, screaming or crying.
  • The Devil’s Rejects: The murderous, backwoods Firefly family takes to the road to escape a vengeful police force that isn’t afraid of being as ruthless as its target. Guests will become part of the state troopers’ search and destroy mission against the Firefly family, who are wanted for over 75 homicides and disappearances.
  • 31: On October 30, 1975, five carnival workers are kidnapped and held hostage until the following night (Halloween), and are put in a compound named “Murder World.” They’re told that they are there to take part in a game named “31,” where the goal is to survive the next 12 hours. This is made difficult by the fact that they are not alone in “Murder World” — a violent gang of evil clowns are there and stalking their every move.

Captain Spaulding’s Clown School In 3D and The Devil’s Rejects debuted at Great American Nightmare in Scottsdale, Arizona last year. 31 is a brand new, never-before-seen haunt based on Rob’s forthcoming film of the same name.

The fully immersive haunted house experience at Rob Zombie’s Great American Nightmare will include the ALL NEW Bloody Boulevard with major carnival rides, freak shows, musical entertainment, roaming characters, themed food and beverages, games and vendors each night. Note: Carnival rides will not be open on concert nights.

Great American Nightmare producer Steve Kopelman says, ”Given the tremendous support we received last year in Chicago, we are extremely excited to make it the first location that we are coming back to. Last year was just a taste of what’s in store. This year will be Bigger, Badder and Bloodier! We can’t wait to show Chicagoland our all new event.”

Tickets for Rob Zombie’s Great American Nightmare go on sale Friday, July 31 at 9:00 AM CT, with prices starting at only $25. Each ticket includes access to all haunted house attractions and the Bloody Boulevard activities.

Tickets for October 2 & 4 include the Rob Zombie concert and will be available starting at only $45. A limited number of VIP packages will also be available for purchase at www.GreatAmericanNightmare.com. All VIP packages include a commemorative t-shirt and quicker access to the haunted attractions than general admission. Some packages also include a designated viewing area for the concert and a VIP-only bar.

Rob Zombie’s Great American Nightmare will celebrate the Halloween season on the following dates between September 25 and November 1:

  • September: 25, 26
  • October: 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30, 31
  • November: 1

Hours for Rob Zombie’s Great American Nightmare will be 7:00 PM until midnight (Fridays and Saturdays) and 7:00 PM until 10:00 PM (Thursdays and Sundays). On concert nights, Great American Nightmare will be open until midnight.

Rob Zombie’s Great American Nightmare is a creative collaboration between master of the macabre Rob Zombie and preeminent haunted houseproducer Steve Kopelman. The event is produced by Rob Zombie, Steve Kopelman and Andy Gould.

Odeum Expo Center is located at 1033 North Villa Avenue in Villa Park, IL, just outside Chicago. It’s easily accessible from downtown Chicago by major highways, and from the Tri-State area by tollways.

 

Website: www.GreatAmericanNightmare.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/RobZombiesGreatAmericanNightmare

Instagram: http://instagram.com/rzgreatamericannightmare

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobZombiesGAN

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/RobZombiesGAN

Schwarzenegger Announced as 2K WWE 2K16 Pre-Order Bonus Fighter

2015/07/27
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 3 News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Xbox 360 News, Xbox One News

arnold-wwe2k16

July 27, 2015 — 2K today announced the debut of 2015 WWE Hall of Fame inductee and global action film icon Arnold Schwarzenegger in WWE 2K16, the forthcoming release in the flagship WWE franchise. Best known for his acting, bodybuilding and political endeavors, Schwarzenegger, a longtime WWE fan and WWE Hall of Famer, will expand his relationship with WWE through WWE 2K16 with two playable characters – T-800 from The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day films. The playable characters will be available for those who pre-order the game at participating retailers for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 computer entertainment systems, as well as Xbox One and Xbox 360. The game is scheduled for release on October 27, 2015 in North America and October 30, 2015 internationally.

“I’ve achieved many things in my life, but I’ve always said success means staying hungry and pushing the limits,” said Schwarzenegger. “I was honored to join the WWE Hall of Fame earlier this year, and now I’ll continue my WWE legacy with one of my biggest film roles immortalized in WWE 2K16. Match the Terminator against Stone Cold Steve Austin®, Seth Rollins® or Daniel Bryan®, and there’s only one possible outcome: Hasta la vista, baby!”

From early childhood in his native Austria to today, Schwarzenegger represents the ultimate renaissance man, taking risks and defying odds through career accomplishments in bodybuilding, acting, politics and more. He won his first of four Mr. Universe titles at the age of 20, earned seven Mr. Olympia titles and since 1989 has hosted worldwide fitness expositions through the Arnold Sports Festival. Schwarzenegger is a fixture in numerous blockbuster action films, including Conan the Barbarian, The Terminator, Predator, Total Recall, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Expendables franchise and his most recent release, Terminator Genisys, as well as for his roles in pop-culture favorites Kindergarten Cop and Twins. In addition, Schwarzenegger transcended from Hollywood to the state capitol, serving two consecutive terms as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 to 2010.

“Arnold Schwarzenegger is a living legend with universal appeal, a perseverance for greatness and a strong relationship with WWE, including his recent Hall of Fame induction, all of which make him an incredible fit for WWE 2K16,” said Chris Snyder, Vice President of Marketing at 2K. “He’s a force to be reckoned with and defines what it means to raise some hell. Through his WWE 2K16 pre-order inclusion, fans simply can’t beat the opportunity to play as the Terminator in a WWE ring.”

FN Herstal FNX-45 Tactical Airsoft Gas Blowback Pistol by Cybergun Review

2015/07/26
Jerry Paxton
Action Sports, Airsoft News, Airsoft Reviews, Articles, Geek News, News, Reviews

FN Herstal FNX-45 Tactical Airsoft Gas Blowback Pistol by Cybergun

The FN Herstal FNX-45 Tactical airsoft gas blowback pistol by the folks at Cybergun is a replica of the real steel FN Herstal FNX-45 Tactical semi-automatic pistol. The pistol features a flat dark earth color scheme with a full metal slide and polycarbonate frame. In the box, you will find the FNX-45 pistol, one magazine, an extra backstrap piece, and a manual. The pistol also features an orange, threaded muzzle which allows for the addition of a suppressor as well as an under muzzle rail system for flash lights or laser units. The pistol retails for $189.99, making it on the higher end of gas blowback pistols. However, on looks alone, it is a value – but, what about internals and performance?

Internally, the FN Herstal FNX-45 Tactical airsoft gas blowback pistol is fairly standard for a modern gas blowback pistol and the various components seem very durable. All indications point to the exact manufacturer of the FNX-45 being VFC and, if this is the case, they can give themselves a pat on the back for a job well done. On the top of the slide, you will find a removable plate that allows the mounting of a micro red-dot sight – a very handy little feature not found on most airsoft pistols. Built for both right and left-handed shooters, the FNS-45 Tactical features an ambidextrous magazine release, slide release, and thumb safety. Speaking of the thumb safety, it also functions as a de-cocking lever when pressed downward.

Magazines for the FN Herstal FNX-45 Tactical airsoft gas blowback pistol cost about $40 dollars each and have a chrome exterior save for the flat dark earth base plate. Unlike most airsoft pistol magazines, these do not have a green gas fill valve on the base plate area. On these magazines, the fill valve is located on the back of the unit, near the release valve/button. Unfortunately, I am having one heck of a time trying to find an online retailer with the magazines in-stock. It seems these are a bit harder to find than most. Each magazine stores 25 BBs and I had no issues to speak of with them except for having to get used to filling them from the back instead of the base plate. I was able to fit the FNX-45 Tactical airsoft gas blowback pistol into a larger Blackhawk! holster of the canvas variety. However, I prefer kydex holsters an am having trouble finding one for this pistol model. Like the magazines, these are a big harder to come by than most airsoft pistol holsters.

I was fortunate to get the chance to play several games with the FNX-45 Tactical by Cybergun/VFC here at SC Village in Norco, CA. The pistol is a lot of fun to use and I didn’t even have to re-gas the magazine up for several full reloads. It should be noted that this is one large-framed pistol, but I had no difficulty in getting a solid grip on it once the smaller backstrap was installed. The recoil has a very nice kick to it and the iron sights are solid and accurate. Our pistol clocked in from 308 to 326 feet per second with .20g BBs, which is a great velocity window for an airsoft pistol. I played with .25g BBs and always seemed to hit what I was aiming it.

[ezcol_1half]We liked the…

  • Great exterior build quality
  • Unique design
  • Light trigger pull
  • Good recoil
  • Ambidextrous functions

[/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end]We didn’t like the…

  • Scarcity of magazines
  • Scarcity of kydex holsters

[/ezcol_1half_end]

Overall, the FN Herstal FNX-45 Tactical airsoft gas blowback pistol is an excellent choice for those players looking to not only get great performance but also great looks out of their airsoft pistols. If your hands are big enough to wield this sucker into airsoft combat, then you are in for a treat!

[easyreview title=”FN Herstal FNX-45 Tactical Airsoft Gas Blowback Pistol by Cybergun Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

[button target=”_blank” style=”” link=”http://gamingshogun.com/gamingshogun-rating-system/”]Learn About Our Rating System[/button]

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The Technomancer Gets New Screenshots

2015/07/24
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Screenshots / Photos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News
Screenshot from Focus Home Interactive's The Technomancer

Screenshot from Focus Home Interactive's The Technomancer

July 24, 2015 — The Technomancer, the new sci-fi RPG for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC from developer Spiders, today unveils new exclusive screenshots.

Technomancers are “mage-warriors”, who harness, thanks to an innate talent, destructive electrical-based powers, amplified by their cybernetic implants. Both respected and feared by all, they are fearsome warriors trained from a young age to fight. You are one of them, about to finally pass your initiation rite to become a fully-fledged Technomancer.

On today’s images, we discover the Technomancer and his companions, about to explore one of the Old Domes, vestiges of the first human colonies on Mars and places considered “sacred” by Technomancers, who guard them zealously. Like the rest of the planet, the Ancient Domes are dangerous places, with countless dangers such as looters lured by the prospect of lost technology, as well as some of the most dangerous mutant creatures to roam the Red Planet. This is a true challenge for an aspirant Technomancer, about to pass his initiation rite…

The Technomancer will be presented in more details during Gamescom in Cologne, from August 5 to 9.

The Technomancer will release on PS4, Xbox One and PC in 2016.

Screenshots

Overlord: Fellowship of Evil Video Shows Off Minion Types

2015/07/23
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News
Overlord Fellowship of Evil Header Image

Overlord Fellowship of Evil Header Image

UK – July 23, 2015 – The Codemasters development minions today unveiled a new 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.

In the first of a series of training videos from The Minionstry of Information entitled ‘So You Think You’re Evil?’ prospective Netherghūls are taught the value of their minion horde. Whether causing carnage, grabbing loot, bothering sheep or generally smashing up the place, any self-respecting doer of dastardly deeds wouldn’t be seen undead without their faithful companions by their side.

“Brown minions, blues, reds and greens, they are what stands between you and the enemy,” said Gnarl, evil Minion Master. “Treat your minions well, provide them with carnage to cause, and loot to carry. And of course, sheepies. SHEEPIES!”

“Minions have always been at the heart of the Overlord experience and the unique sense of fun and mischief they bring is a key part of Fellowship of Evil,” said Carl Johnson, Chief Design Minion, Codemasters. “Whether you evil alone or evil with company, just make sure there’s a weapon in your hand, carnage in your heart and minions at your heels!”

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.