Author - Jerry Paxton

BATMAN Launches Backwards at Six Flags Great Adventure

2015/07/07

JACKSON, NJ — July 7, 2015 — Six Flags Great Adventure, the world’s largest theme park, unveils a second thrilling roller coaster experience for 2015 by flipping one of its most innovative and adrenaline-charged coasters backwards for a limited time.

BATMAN™: The Ride becomes even more intense as it undergoes a gravity-defying role reversal through Labor Day weekend. Guests can dare to take on an all-new experience on the world-famous suspended, looping coaster as its chair lift-style train is flipped 180 degrees. The excitement is magnified since guests cannot see the twists and turns that await them on 2,700 feet of track.

The journey begins with a nearly 11-story climb to the top of the lift hill. Next, riders soar beneath the track through five daunting inversions including a giant vertical loop, zero-gravity roll and corkscrew turns at speeds up to 50 miles per hour….backwards.

This ratchets the intensity way up,” said John Fitzgerald, Six Flags Great Adventure president. “We’re calling all thrill seekers to come out during this limited window and put their inner ‘super hero’ to the test.”

Since opening in 1993, BATMAN™: The Ride has given more than 27 million thrilling rides and reigns as one of the most popular roller coasters in the world.

“New Jersey’s 2015 tourism season is bigger and better than ever thanks to experiences like this here at the world’s largest theme park,” said New Jersey Acting Governor Kim Guadagno. “Already one of the park’s leading roller coasters, the reversed ride will give visitors another exciting reason to come back to Six Flags Great Adventure again and again.”

Tickets, operating hours, park information and special events can be found at www.sixflags.com/greatadventure

Pacific Rim: Tales From the Drift #1 Variant Cover Unveiled

2015/07/06

Jerry Paxton

Pacific Rim: Tales From the Drift #1 Variant Cover

Legendary Comics has unveiled the variant cover for issue #1 of its upcoming series, Pacific Rim: Tales From The Drift. For each issue, Legendary will release an alternate cover featuring limited edition artwork. The variant cover for issue #1 was illustrated by notable comics artist Whilce Portacio, (Uncanny X-Men, Iron Man, Spawn).

Pacific Rim: Tales From The Drift
On-sale date: 11/4/15
Retail price: $3.99
Writer: Joshua Fialkov
Cover artists: Marcos Marz, Whilce Portacio
Pencils: Marcos Marz
Colors: Marcelo Maiolo

Square Enix Announces San Diego Comic-Con Figure Line-Up

2015/07/06

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, SDCC

LOS ANGELES (July 6, 2015) – SQUARE ENIX® today announced its lineup for San Diego Comic-Con, taking place July 9-12 at booth #3829 in the San Diego Convention Center. Attendees will have a chance to play DRAGON QUEST HEROES®: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below™ and FINAL FANTASY TYPE-0 ™ HD on PC months before its release, and purchase exclusive figures for other titles.

DRAGON QUEST HEROES: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below is a full-scale action RPG that will be available on October 13 for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system. Players must rise up against insurmountable odds, challenge swarms of enemies and conquer gigantic monsters. It is filled with characters and monsters designed by world-renowned artist Akira Toriyama. Also, Yuji Horii, director and creator of DRAGON QUEST®, and Koichi Sugiyama, the renowned composer closely tied to the series, are closely involved in bringing this title to life.

FINAL FANTASY TYPE-0 ™ HD brings an immersive world, memorable characters and the production value known of the series, together with high-quality gameplay and storytelling. Coming this year to PC on Steam, the game will include graphical options for high-end PC users, improved battle and camera controls as well as Steam community features.

Attendees will also be among the first who can purchase the select advance sale items prior to general public availability:

DC COMICS VARIANT PLAY ARTS -KAI- Designed by Tetsuya Nomura BATMAN™
Event SRP: $250 (Sales Tax included)
From the creative mind of Tetsuya Nomura comes a unique and stylized BATMAN™. This figure offers interchangeable set of arms, rich glossy black and red paintwork and translucent visor among other features.

FINAL FANTASY® XIV: Heavensward™ Carbuncle Plush (Emerald and Topaz Vers.)
Event SRP: $40 each (Sales Tax included)
These cute yet powerful creatures based on the beloved summons from FINAL FANTASY XIV, can now be yours. The Carbuncle plush is available in two versions, and each one comes with its very own in-game minion item.

Other limited release collectibles available to attendees for purchase include:

San Diego Comic-Con 2015 Exclusive

BATMAN™: ARKHAM KNIGHT PLAY ARTS -KAI- BATMAN™ (Limited Color Ver.)
Event SRP: $100 (Sales Tax included)
Based on the highly popular and award-winning video game, BATMAN™: ARKHAM KNIGHT, the figure matches the highly detailed in-game graphics with battle scars and weathering effects. This SDCC exclusive version has been painted in a metallic bright blue and gold color scheme. Available for purchase at the booth or for pre-order on the online store.

Event Exclusives:

DC COMICS VARIANT PLAY ARTS -KAI- TIMELESS WILD WEST- BATMAN™ (Limited Color Ver.)
Event SRP: $120 (Sales Tax included)
Two American icons make for an amazing mashup of epic proportions. Batman has been re-imagined as a cowboy to combat lawless criminals who run rampant in the Wild West. Varying paint methods were applied to show the texture of the leather materials, as well as weathering from grit and dirt. The figure includes display stand and interchangeable hand parts.

METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN PLAY ARTS -KAI- Venom Snake (Splitter Ver.)
Event SRP: $100 (Sales Tax included)
From the highly anticipated entry in the Metal Gear Solid franchise, METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN, this figure includes an exclusive color paint scheme, interchangeable head, hands, weapons parts, and display stand.

Finally, for fans of the Play Arts -KAI- action figure line, Square Enix will display an array of never-before-seen prototype figures at the booth. For the latest events and merchandise news, follow the official merchandise Twitter (@SQEX_MD_NA) or visit the San Diego Comic-Con exclusives merchandise page at: http://www.square-enix-shop.com/us/event/SDCC2015.html.

truTV’s Impractical Jokers Bringing Museum of Impractical History to Comic-Con

2015/07/02

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, SDCC

Impractical Jokers Museum of Impractical History for Comic-Con

July 2, 2015 — The stars of truTV’s hit hidden-camera series Impractical Jokers are headed to San Diego for the opening of The Impractical Jokers Museum of Impractical History, a specially curated exhibition that will be open to the public during Comic Con International from Thursday, July 9 until Sunday, July 12. Q, Murr, Joe and Sal will be present at various times throughout the exhibition, which will feature fan-generated artwork and show artifacts from some of the most legendary moments in Impractical Jokers history. It’ll be like Planet Hollywood, but funnier.

The museum, housed within the Michael J. Wolf Fine Arts gallery, is located at 363 5th Avenue at the corner of J Street in San Diego. It kicks off at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 9 with a “Don’t Go Hungry on the Way to the Con” activation which will supply visitors with a complimentary Impractical Jokers-themed breakfast (Murr-ito anyone?) until noon, then beginning at 4:00 p.m., fans will be offered bite-sized snacks after a long day of panels, before closing at 7:00 p.m.

“Instead of waiting for the Smithsonian, MoMA or the Getty Center to finally launch a wing dedicated to the art of daring your best friends to embarrass themselves in public (seriously, what’s taking so long?), we decided to create the Museum of Impractical History ourselves to celebrate four successful seasons of the show and to give something back to the viewers who’ve been so supportive,” said Raymond Dooley, Vice President of Marketing at truTV. “We can’t wait for Sal, Q, Murr and Joe to invade San Diego and personally thank and reward their biggest fans with exclusive Impractical Jokers experiences just days before new episodes begin airing July 16.”

Throughout the exhibition, fans will have an opportunity to experience themed activations each day that they will recognize from popular Impractical Jokers moments, including portraits from caricature artists, spray paint tattoos chosen randomly by a spin from the Wheel of Doom, and an interactive photo booth that will put fans alongside The Jokers. A full list of activations can be found below.

Additionally, on Friday July 10 from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. visitors to the museum will be treated to an Impractical Jokers comic book signing with Q, Sal, Joe, and Murr. The comic book, The Secret Origin of truTV’s Impractical Jokers, is a reissue from a limited partnership run with DC Comics Entertainment and features an original story and new imagery from the series.

Impractical Jokers’ fourth season returns with new episodes on truTV on Thursday, July 16 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. Fans who visit the museum will also be given access to a free iTunes download of the mid-season premiere. In each episode, Q, Murr, Joe and Sal compete to embarrass each other in a series of hilariously humiliating challenges and outrageous dares, all to the amusement and consternation of the general public. At the end of every episode, the biggest loser must endure a punishment of epic proportions. They have to say it. They have to do it. You have to see it!

Impractical Jokers averaged 1.9 million viewers in Q1 2015, ranking as one of basic cable’s Top 3 programs in its timeslot with adults 18-49. A hit with both men and women, Impractical Jokers ranks the #2 basic cable show in its timeslot with women 18-34; one of the Top 3 with women 18-49; and one of the Top 5 with men 18-49 and men 18-34. In addition, the audience for Impractical Jokers has a median age of only 31, eight years younger than the network’s overall primetime figure.

The show currently has over 2 million fans on Facebook and over 325k Twitter followers.

Impractical Jokers is produced for truTV by NorthSouth Productions (Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta, Double Divas), with Charlie DeBevoise and Mark Hickman serving as executive producers.

ALL DAY ACTIVITIES JULY 9^th – JULY 12^th

Photo booth, Spray Paint Tattoos chosen by the Wheel of Doom, Social Vending Machine, Caricature Artist, “Drop a Ninja” Fan Wall, “That Bitch Irene” Petition, Show Artifacts/Props, and Fan Art room

THURSDAY, JULY 9^th

10:00am-12:00pm: Complimentary “Don’t Go Hungry On The Way To The Con” Breakfast including “Mur”ittos, “Sal”sa, Cup of Joe and BB”Q” Chips
4:00-5:00pm: ImSnacktical Jokers: Snack Hour
7:00pm: Museum closes

FRIDAY, JULY 10^th

12:00pm: Museum open to public
3:00pm-5:00pm: Comic book signing with the Impractical Jokers, meet the guys, have them sign your book
5:00pm-7:00pm: Closed event. Nothing fun will go on. Don’t sweat it.

SATURDAY, JULY 11^th

10:00am: Museum open to public
4:00-5:00pm: Snack Hour. Like a regular hour, but with more snacks.
7pm: Museum closes. All good things come to an end.

SUNDAY, JULY 12^th

10:00am: Museum open to public
2:00pm: Museum closes

Call of Duty: Black Ops III Coming to Comic-Con with a Zombies Escape Room

2015/07/02

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Halloween, News, SDCC

July 2, 2015 — For the first time in franchise history, Call of Duty will invade Comic-Con International with Black Ops III.

The excitement kicks off with a star-studded panel of in-game talent on Thursday July 9 from 1-2 PM in Room 6BCF. The Director and Lead Writer of Zombies from Black Ops III developer Treyarch, along with surprise guests, will reveal the highly-anticipated Zombies mode, along with other Call of Duty Zombies announcements.

Call of Duty Black Ops III: Zombie World Reveal

Panel attendees will be the first to see footage of Treyarch’s new mind-bending tale of the undead, complete with a star-studded cast.

Call of Duty Black Ops III: Zombies Escape Room Challenge

Bringing Treyarch’s signature brand of Zombies to life, Activision is inviting all Comic-Con attendees to experience the Black Ops III Zombies “Escape Room Challenge.” Showgoers must solve clues, and work together in order to escape the room before time expires. The Escape Room Challenge is free and open to the public, running the following days and times:

Thursday, 7/9 from 2 – 10 p.m. PT
Friday, 7/10 from Noon – 8 p.m. PT
Saturday, 7/11 from: Noon – 8 p.m. PT

Location: 450 Second Ave, San Diego, CA, 92101

(Note: attendees do not need a Comic-Con badge to participate! Participants must be at least 18 years of age.)

Guitar Hero Live Playable at Comic-Con

2015/07/02

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, SDCC, Xbox One News

Guitar Hero Live is coming to San Diego Comic Con! Think you’ve got what it takes to battle stage fright and put your shredding skills on display for all to see? Then come to the Xbox Lounge in the Manchester Grand Hyatt during San Diego Comic Con, where Guitar Hero Live will be playable all week. Starting Thursday, July 9^th, anyone with an official San Diego Comic Con badge can stop by the Xbox Lounge, try out the all-new 6-button guitar controller and rock out in front of real reactive live action crowds.

The schedule for the Xbox Lounge is as follows:

Thursday, July 9^th – 11am – 8pm

Friday, July 10^th – 11am – 8pm

Saturday, July 11^th – 11am – 8pm

Sunday, July 12^th – 11am -5pm

The Xbox Lounge is located in the Manchester Grand Hyatt (1 Market Place) – Manchester Ballroom, Second Floor, Harbor Tower.

Piranha Bytes Announces ELEX

2015/07/02

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Windows PC News

Vienna, AUSTRIA, Essen, GERMANY, July 3rd 2015 – Nordic Games teams up with veteran studio Piranha Bytes to work on their first collaborative and new project: ELEX. The Eclectic, Lavish, Exhilarating, Xenial open-world RPG is scheduled to release in Winter 2016/2017 on PC and current gen console platforms. This is by far the most ambitious project for Piranha Bytes and Nordic Games to-date.

“To say we are excited to see this new project unfold in the hands of Piranha Bytes is an understatement. ELEX is going to be edgy, dark, uncompromising, complex, and we love it already,“ comments Reinhard Pollice Business & Product Development Director at Nordic Games. “We will be premiering a vertical slice build at Gamescom 2015, more info will be released in due time.”

“Apart from being enthusiastic about the cooperation with Nordic Games, it is great to know, that we will have ample creative freedom with ELEX, which is a very important factor for us” said Björn Pankratz, Game Director at Piranha Bytes. “We can’t wait to show you a completely new game experience with a fresh setting, new assets and plenty of possibilities.”
About ELEX
ELEX is a handcrafted action role-playing experience from the award-winning creators of the Gothic series, set in a brand new post-apocalyptic science fantasy universe that puts players into a huge, seamless game world full of original characters, mutated creatures, deep moral choices and powerful action.

Website: http://www.ELEXgame.com
Forum: http://community.ELEXgame.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ELEXgame

ScareLA Announces Making Monsters: The Art of Terror Panel for 2015 Convention

2015/07/02

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Halloween, News

PASADENA / LOS ANGELES, CA — Following last year’s wildly successful “Making Monsters” stage panel, ScareLA, the first West Coast Halloween convention, is excited to announce its sequel presentation – “Making Monsters: The Art of Terror” to take place on August 8, 2015 at 1:30 pm at the Pasadena Convention Center. Hosted by Rick West, Programming Producer for ScareLA and Founder and Editor of Theme Park Adventure, the panel will bring together art directors from Southern California’s largest Halloween attractions: Knott’s Scary Farm, Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights, Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor, and Six Flags Magic Mountain Fright Fest to discuss the creative process behind each haunt.

This all-star lineup of haunt industry royalty is sure to be one of the highlights of ScareLA 2015, signifying only the second time anywhere that SoCal’s biggest Halloween attractions have come together on one stage in a show of support and unity, representing some of the the biggest Halloween events in the world.

Lara Hanneman will represent the granddaddy of all park haunts, Knott’s Scary Farm; JJ Wickham will reign from the fog of Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor; Mark Wing will creep out of the shadows of Valencia and represent Six Flags Magic Mountain Fright Fest; and Chris Williams will shed some light on the gruesome underside of Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights.

“It is terribly exciting to see ‘Making Monsters’ expand and continue to grow from what we accomplished last year,” says Rick West. “Southern California is the birthplace of the theme park haunt industry, so having these big players come together once again to chat about their roles in the creative process with fans is something we are very proud of. It’s groundbreaking and at the very core of what ScareLA is all about.”

Haunted attraction art directors play a key role in designing and developing the look and feel of ‘scare zones’ entertaining millions in Southern California each fall. From facades to individual scenes and more – art directors guide and build large teams to ensure the utmost quality of every facet of the experience.

In addition to hosting representatives from each top attraction, ScareLA is pleased to announce that major presentations by Knott’s Scary Farm, Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor, Six Flags Magic Mountain Fright Fest, and Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights will be on tap throughout the weekend during ScareLA, giving fans non-stop thrills and excitement from morning till night.

For more information and tickets, visit www.scarela.com. Be sure to follow ScareLA on Twitter, Periscope, Facebook, and Instagram. Join the conversation on social media using #ScareLA.

World of Warships Enters Open Beta

2015/07/02

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Windows PC News

July 2, 2015 — The wait is over as Wargaming today announced World of Warships has launched its Open Beta. With the Closed Beta concluded, which surpassed over 410,000 prospective captains, the floodgates are open to all who are ready to command the most iconic vessels from the mid-century in intense naval battles.

“World of Warships’ Closed Beta was strong out of the gate and showed no signs of slowing as players and streamers embraced the game, then took to the high seas for legendary naval combat,” said Jake Neri, Publishing Producer Wargaming NA. “Participation was solid and a community of passionate, dedicated players was born to help shape the game with their feedback. We can only match that by working on the game with just as much passion. Building on all of this enthusiasm we look forward to welcoming even more players into the Open Beta test for a game we are so proud of.”

The Open Beta launches with over 80 warships from America and Japan and 10 original maps to participate in thrilling 12v12 matches. Players will shape the fight by harnessing the power of mighty battleships, swift destroyers, tactical aircraft carriers or versatile cruisers. Whether it is the fierce competition of PvP combat or the action-packed experience of PvE mode, commanders will take the helm, join forces with other players and sink the competition across the high seas.

Open Beta also brings new additions to the World of Warships experience. With the inclusion of Soviet and UK nations, the finest vessels that Britain and the USSR built will be joining the fleet. For the first time ever, World of Warships introduces a robust signal flag customization system. Earned in battle as achievements and applied to vessels to enhance performance, the signal flags in-game are not only cosmetic but also functional. Signal flags will display a player’s prowess on the water while providing buffs and advantages, such as giving extra credits for a battle, increasing the number of experience points gained in combat, improving the speed of the vessel, and more!

As the Open Beta commences, all purchased pre-order packages are credited to players. Closed Beta testers who used their bundles during the previous testing phase are credited them once again.

To stay up-to-date with all the latest developments, visit our official website.

http://worldofwarships.com (North America)
http://worldofwarships.eu (Europe)
http://worldofwarships.asia (Asia)

Capcom Announces San Diego Comic-Con 2015 Events

2015/07/01

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, SDCC

July 1, 2015 – Capcom will be at San Diego Comic-Con 2015 next week with playable demos of Capcom’s upcoming video game lineup, including Street Fighter V, the beautiful new entry in the legendary fighting game franchise, Mega Man Legacy Collection, featuring the 8-bit history of the iconic Blue Bomber, and Resident Evil 0, a newly remastered version of the Resident Evil series’ origin story.

In addition to these games you can come by and play this year, Capcom is also planning a series of panels and a host of other activities at SDCC, more details below. Capcom is located at booth #215, Hall A. We hope to see you at the show!

Capcom Booth Activities:
– Capcom Store, featuring lots of cool, collectible merchandise for various Capcom IP
– Street Fighter V tournament stage events
– Signing sessions with Street Fighter franchise Executive Producer Yoshinori Ono (Thurs, Fri) and other special guests will be hosted at the booth. Full signing schedule will be posted in the booth during the show. (Ono-san will not be available for interviews).

PANELS:
THURSDAY, JULY 9 – STREET FIGHTER V
11:45am-12:45pm in Room 6BCF
Capcom’s Street Fighter experts will share the latest news on Street Fighter V, which will include a special guest appearance from Yoshinori Ono (Executive Producer, Street Fighter franchise). Learn how you can earn big money and everlasting fame by competing in the Capcom Pro Tour culminating in the Capcom Cup Finals later this year. Plus, get a first look at all the must-have Street Fighter licensed goods in store for the rest of the year.

THURSDAY, JULY 9 – WORLD OF CAPCOM
5:00-6:00pm in Room 7AB
The Capcom team will share the latest updates on all the new and upcoming Capcom games including Street Fighter V, Resident Evil 0 and more, plus sneak peeks at all the latest Capcom merchandise and licensing products coming your way soon. There will also be some exclusive first-looks and reveals just for SDCC.