Author - Jerry Paxton

Street Fighter V Out Now

2016/02/16

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

SAN FRANCISCO – Feb. 16, 2016 – Capcom, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced the release of Street Fighter® V exclusively for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Windows PC. Through a strategic partnership between Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. and Capcom, the latest game in the renowned series offers cross-platform play that unites Street Fighter® fans into a unified player base for the first time ever. In North America, the game is currently available physically and digitally on PlayStation 4 and as a digital download on Windows PC for MSRP $59.99. European consumers can purchase both platform releases at retail and digitally. For European pricing, please check local retailers.

The legendary fighting franchise returns today with Street Fighter V! Stunning visuals depict the next generation of World Warriors in unprecedented detail, while exciting and accessible battle mechanics deliver endless fighting fun that both beginners and veterans can enjoy. Challenge friends online, or compete for fame and glory on the Capcom Pro Tour.

The initial Street Fighter V purchase will be the only one that consumers need to make to ensure they always have the most up to date version of the title. A cinematic story expansion will be released in June 2016 as a free update and over the course of 2016 (and beyond) further gameplay content, costumes, new challenges and balance system updates will continually be made available to all players. For the first time in Street Fighter history, all of the post launch

Frontier Developments Launches Elite Dangerous: Arena

2016/02/16

Jerry Paxton

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

Cambridge, UK. 16 February 2016 – Frontier Developments plc (AIM: FDEV) today launches Elite Dangerous: Arena for PC.

Elite Dangerous: Arena thrusts players into first-person dogfights against the galaxy’s greatest pilots in stunning 3D space arenas. With easy to pick-up controls that quickly reveal incredible depth, Elite Dangerous: Arena is a new way to engage in fast-paced PVP action against players from around the world for just £4.99 ($7.49, €6.75, 375 RUB).

Elite Dangerous: Arena brings Elite Dangerous’ Close Quarter Combat (CQC) PVP game to players as a standalone release, featuring full cross-compatibility with the large and growing Elite Dangerous player community.

CQC is the ultimate 34th century gladiatorial contest between starship pilots, featuring:

Four agile, combat-honed space ships. Choose from the fast and aggressive Federal and Imperial Fighters, the damage-dealing Eagle or the heavyweight Sidewinder.
Multiple tactical options with custom loadouts unlocked by ranking up.
Four Arenas: Elevate’s towering view, Cluster Compound’s mining facility, Asteria Point’s cavernous space station and Ice Field’s frozen asteroid belt.
Eight-player Free for All, Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag game modes.
Realistic, agile starship handling powered by Elite Dangerous’ advanced simulation technology.

“Elite Dangerous: Arena is a different kind of multiplayer shooter, offering competitive gamers the chance to jump into thrilling space combat and challenge the world.” Frontier CEO David Braben said. “We showcase CQC to players at events around the world, and it’s a hit wherever it’s played.”

All Elite Dangerous: Arena and Elite Dangerous CQC players are eligible to enter Frontier’s $100,000 Close Quarter Combat Championships tournament. Selection will take place over a series of heats in the spring and summer, and heat winners will receive an invite to the grand final to be held at a secret location and livestreamed online later this year.

Elite Dangerous: Arena is available today for just £4.99 ($7.49, €6.75, 375 RUB) at Frontierstore.net and Steam.

Elite Dangerous: Deluxe Edition, featuring CQC and full access to the new Horizonsseason of expansions is available now for £39.99 ($59.99, €53.99, 2998 RUB).

All Elite Dangerous players already own CQC as part of the core game, and can look forward to a new world of competition as pilots enter the fray via Elite Dangerous: Arena.

Players who buy Elite Dangerous: Arena and later choose to enter the epic Elite Dangerous galaxy will receive the full cost of Elite Dangerous: Arena off the price of Elite Dangerous: Deluxe Edition.

SubPac M2 Wearable Tactile Audio System Review

2016/02/15

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Reviews, Tech News, Tech Review

The folks over at StudioFeed USA were nice enough to loan us one of their new M2 Wearable Tactile Audio Systems for review and now we bring you our thoughts on what is a very interesting audio device. Looking like a futuristic backpack, the SubPac M2’s gray form has a sheen akin to some new stealth aircraft. In short, the SubPac M2 is a wearable subwoofer, allowing you to feel the bass in your audio without actually hearing it – well, not completely.

Being that the SubPac M2 is meant for those people needing to take their bass with them, the system needed to be portable. Thankfully, the SubPac M2 can use either AC adapter or batteries. This was a make or break feature and, thankfully, StudioFeed USA chose right with that one. Donning the SubPac M2 is very comfortable, and the pack itself actually seems to give some added posture thanks to its design, which is meant to hug your back as closely as possible for maximum contact. The reason for this is that the SubPac M2 utilizes transducers to translate the bass to something you can feel. We have actually seen this kind of technology before in the KOR-FX gaming vest which we reviewed a while back. Unlike the KOR-FX, the SubPac M2 translates those bass vibrations into your back, not your upper chest. The portable control box has a nifty belt/pants clip on it so that you can wear it on your side while wearing the SubPac M2, and you simply plug your 3.5mm audio input into the box and set the intensity level via a control knob.

Actually feeling your audio in the SubPac M2 is way more comfortable than the experience of using the KOR-FX unit – I don’t know if that is due to the placement of the transducers (on the wearer’s back instead of chest) or some difference in the transducers themselves. Even though the SubPac M2 is primarily meant for DJ’s and audiophiles who want to “feel” their music in spaces where loud subwoofers aren’t feasible, it also has a new use…. Virtual Reality.

Thanks to its wearable design and portable control box, the SubPac M2 makes a great addition to any virtual reality setup. While I don’t have an Oculus Rift at the moment (although I did pre-order one) I was able to use the SubPac M2 with my Google Cardboard and some of the various VR demos on the Apple App Store right now. I plugged the audio output of my iPhone into the input of the control box, then my headphones into the headphone jack…. That is, until I read the instructions and discovered that the SubPac M2 features Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity! So, I unplugged the 3.5mm cable from my phone and paired it instead. The experience was awesome – especially in the Star Wars: The Force Awakens VR demos Disney and Lucasfilm recently released.

The capabilities extend into watching movies, playing non-VR games (Star Wars Battlefront is amazing while wearing this), and even listening to your tunes – whether in your office or walking around a convention hall. Hands-down, the SubPac M2 Wearable Tactile Audio System is the best audio transduction vest on the market today. If you are someone in the situation of needing to “feel” your audio, invest! The one drawback to the SubPac M2 is its price tag. At $399 dollars, it is a hefty bit of pocket change to shell out. That being said, if you have the cash to spend, it is well worth spending it on the SubPac M2. I should also note that StudioFeed USA has partnered with Bethesda to bring a Fallout 4 Vault-Tec inspired SubPac M2 to their store (see the above image) – you can find out more on that here.

SubPac M2 Official Website

[easyreview title=”SubPac M2 Wearable Tactile Audio System Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

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Star Wars: Episode VIII Now in Production

2016/02/15

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Movie News, News, Trailers / Videos

February 15, 2016 – Rey took her first steps into a larger world in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and will continue her epic journey with Finn, Poe, and Luke Skywalker in the next chapter of the continuing Star Wars saga, Star Wars: Episode VIII, which began principal photography at Pinewood Studios in London on February 15, 2016.

Star Wars: Episode VIII, which is written and directed by Rian Johnson and continues the storylines introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, welcomes back cast members Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, and Andy Serkis. New cast members will include Academy Award winner Benicio Del Toro, Academy Award nominee Laura Dern, and talented newcomer Kelly Marie Tran.

Star Wars: Episode VIII is produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman and executive produced by J.J. Abrams, Jason McGatlin, and Tom Karnowski. Joining the production crew will be some of the industry’s top talent, including Steve Yedlin (Director of Photography), Bob Ducsay (Editor), Rick Heinrichs (Production Designer), Peter Swords King (Hair and Make-Up Designer), and Mary Vernieu (US Casting Director). They will be joining returning crew members Pippa Anderson (Co-Producer, VP Post Production), Neal Scanlan (Creature & Droid FX Creative Supervisor), Michael Kaplan (Costume Designer), Jamie Wilkinson (Prop Master), Chris Corbould (SFX Supervisor), Rob Inch (Stunt Coordinator), Ben Morris (VFX Supervisor), and Nina Gold (UK Casting Director).

Star Wars: Episode VIII is scheduled for release December 15, 2017.

The Walking Dead: Michonne Extended Gameplay Trailer

2016/02/14

Jerry Paxton

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

February 14, 2016 – Today we can share an extended preview of the first six minutes of The Walking Dead: Michonne – A Telltale Miniseries.

The Walking Dead: Michonne – A Telltale Miniseries stars the iconic, blade-wielding character from Robert Kirkman’s best-selling comic books, portrayed in-game by award-winning actress Samira Wiley (Orange is the New Black).

Haunted by her past and coping with unimaginable loss and regret, the story explores Michonne across a three episode miniseries event. Players will dive into the mind of Michonne to discover what took her away from Rick, Carl, and the rest of her trusted group… and what brought her back.

In this premiere episode, ‘In Too Deep,’ Michonne joins Pete and his crew on the sailing ship The Companion as they cruise the coast for survivors and supplies. When a desperate signal for help draws them to a scene of horrific massacre, Michonne and the crew are lead further to the floating survivors’ colony of Monroe, which may just be harboring the person responsible for the carnage.

The Walking Dead: Michonne – A Telltale Miniseries will premiere its first of three episodes, ‘In Too Deep,’ this February 23rd on PC/Mac from the Telltale Online Store, Steam, and other digital distribution services, the PlayStation®Network for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, the Xbox Games Store for Xbox One® and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, followed by a release on compatible iOS devices via the App Store, and Android-based devices via Google Play and the Amazon App Store starting February 25th. The second episode in the miniseries, ‘Give No Shelter,’ will follow in the month of March, and conclude with the third episode, ‘What We Deserve,’ in April. All three episodes in the miniseries will be available for purchase at the cost of $14.99 USD or equivalent when the first episode debuts, including access to the second and third episodes as they become available.

To date, The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series has sold more than 50 million episodes worldwide, earning more than 100 Game of the Year awards from outlets including Metacritic, USA Today, Wired, Spike TV VGAs, Yahoo!, The Telegraph, Mashable, Polygon, Destructoid andGamesRadar, and was also the recipient of two BAFTA Video Games Awards for Best Story and Best Mobile Game.

The Walking Dead is set in the world of Robert Kirkman’s award-winning comic book series and offers an emotionally-charged, tailored game experience where a player’s actions and choices affect how their story plays out across the entire series.

The Walking Dead: Michonne – A Telltale Miniseries Episode 1 – ‘In Too Deep’is rated ‘M’ (Mature) for Intense Violence, Blood & Gore, Sexual Themes, and Strong Language by the ESRB.

For more information on the game, visit the official website, Facebook, and follow Telltale Games on Twitter.

Spartan 300 Blackout Series SRX Model 306 Airsoft Rifle Review

2016/02/14

Jerry Paxton

Action Sports, Airsoft News, Airsoft Reviews, Articles, Geek News, News, Reviews

VFC’s new generation of AEGs come with a lot of cool features – both internally and externally. Many of these features and more can be found on the new Spartan SRX Blackout series model 306 airsoft rifle by Palco Sports, Spartan, with manufacturing by VFC. Externally, the entire SRX 300 Blackout series is beautiful – each with its own design aesthetic and intended usage. The SRX Blackout Series Model 206 is intended for assault, with a black, full metal body, 9.5 inch rail system, and VFC’s new QRS stock. For you trademark junkies out there, you will find both Spartan and VFC trades alongside the rifle’s receiver. Included in the package are two front end rail covers to protect your hands from getting unnecessarily cut as well as one midcap magazine. Please note that some retailers are selling this airsoft gun with an additional midcap magazine AND foregrip. Your mileage may vary on that.

Internally, the SRX Blackout series 306 comes with VFC’s new generation 8mm version 2 gearbox. Of course, being a VFC gearbox, you get their auto-shimming steel gears (whether you love them or not) as well as their new hop-up chamber. While some people are not huge fans of the self-shimming gears, they are working great in this new line of VFC manufactured AEGs and I nave no complaints about them. The SRX 306 also features a polycarbonate piston an aluminum, ported piston head. Overall, this AEG has a lot of performance right out of the box, with our testing yielding around 385 feet per second and a fire rate of 16BBs per second with a 9.6V battery.

On the field, I played several weekends worth of games at SC Village in Norco, CA and had an absolute blast. The SRX Blackout 306 has a snappy trigger response and aggressive look which definitely turned heads. I actually had several other players ask me what kind of gun it was and where they could get one for themselves. I also wanted to give big props to Palco Sports and Spartan for using the VFC QRS stock on this rifle. It is one of the best airsoft rifle stocks I have ever used and couldn’t believe how easy it was to open up and insert a battery into. I would not hesitate to use this in a milsim game or even a game on a local field, however it definitely shoots too hot for indoor CQB gameplay.

Overall, we had a great time checking out the Spartan SRX Blackout Series 306 from Palco Sports, Spartan, and VFC. It has a lot solid build quality, both inside and out, and would make a great airsoft rifle for any outdoor milsim or skirmish games. The rifle retails for $339.99 and is available now.

[easyreview title=”Spartan Blackout Series SRX 306 Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″ ]

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Planet Eclipse GX Kitbag Review

2016/02/13

Jerry Paxton

Action Sports, Airsoft News, Airsoft Reviews, Articles, News, Reviews

Planet Eclipse was nice enough to send over one of their highly talked about GX Kitbags for us to take a look at and review. One of the biggest issues I face as an airsofter, and I hear this same thing from some paintballer friends of mine, is how to transport all of your gear to and from game events. Both of us – airsofter and paintballer alike, tend to accumulate a lot of stuff… And, for some reason, we feel the need to take it with us to every game. That being said, we are always looking for large kit bags to store everything. Thankfully, the GX Kitbag from Planet Eclipse fits the bill and will be a boon to your gear-carrying needs.

The Planet Eclipse GX Kitbag is made from a rugged polyester material and features a strong, rigid external shell that allows it to keep its shape when bumped around. Also, one of the smartest features of the GX Kitbag is that it has two robust wheels on it and a retractable pull handle. This allows you to navigate the Planet Eclipse GX Kitbag around like a large piece of luggage. In fact, thanks to its wide wheels, it is so stable when being pulled about that I would trust my actual business clothes in it for long trips. The internal storage space is no joke with an approximate volume of 100 liters – that’s over 26 gallons of liquid! Disclaimer: GamingShogun.com does not recommend that you attempt to travel with the GX Kitbag filled up with 26 gallons of liquid, that would just be strange.

Official Features

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Tough, light EVA protective lids
Fast access end zip pocket with luggage ID
Convenient external side zip pockets
Retractable pull handle
Vented & water resistant lined compartments
Internal clear document holder & zip pockets
Soft touch handles for comfort and grip
High visibility locking zip pullers are easy to locate and operate
Robust rails & wheel set

[/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end]

Specifications
Dimensions 340mm (13.4”) x 820mm (32.3”) x 360mm (14.2”)
Capacity 100L approx
Weight 5.7/12.6lb – 6.3KG/13.9lb – With Insert
Materials
100% Polyester
Care Instructions
Hand wash only.

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The GX Kitbag features one large chamber and one smaller one, but through the use of the internal flap system, can be joined into one large super-chamber. How you organize your gear is a personal thing, but the GX Kitbag is more than up to the challenge of whatever you prefer. More to that point, Planet Eclipse includes several Inside, the bag is lined with a tarp-like material so that any paint that gets on it can be easily cleaned up.

Photo Gallery

Overall, the Planet Eclipse GX Kitbag is an incredible option to transport your airsoft or paintball gear – whether its in your trunk or checked into the belly of an airliner. The GX Kitbag is rugged and has a huge internal volume. The GX Kitbag retails for just shy of $200 Dollars and is available now at several online retailers, including the Planet Eclipse Online Store.

[easyreview title=”Planet Eclipse GX Kitbag Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

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Sound BlasterX G5 Portable Sound Card Review

2016/02/13

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Reviews, Tech News, Tech Review

Creative Labs has been making a lot of waves with its Sound BlasterX line of portable sound cards and headphone amplifier units. We take a look at the latest in this new family of audio devices, the G5, and give it great marks for it slick design, portability, and performance. The Sound BlasterX G5 features dark, gray and black exterior with an eye-catching, backlit Sound Blaster X logo emblazoned across its “top” side. The front end of the G5 has a large volume knob and illuminated volume indicator that is pretty rad – especially when playing in a dark dorm or office. The whole G5 unit measures about 4.5 inches in length and 3 inches in width, making it a very portable audio solution for your laptop, PC, or even gaming console.

The Sound BlasterX G5 features both optical in and out ports (by way of sold separately mini TOSlink cables) as well as the standard 3.5mm headphone and microphone jacks for you to interface with. Also along the front side of the G5 is a mini-USB port as well as a full size USB port. This allows you to use the G5 as a pass through from your PC to your gaming keyboard or mouse – the USB port is capable of putting out 100mA of power, so you won’t come up short by using it.

The software package to control the Sound BlasterX G5’s audio options is fairly robust and features a very user friendly GUI that enables quick navigation to its various options. Among these options are a huge array of sound profiles based on what game you are playing. These are very handy and I definitely noticed a positive difference using the FPS (“Call of Duty Series”) option for playing, well, first-person shooters and the “Driving Simulation” profile for my time spent in DCS A-10C Warthog. These are great ways to get quality sound if you are not the kind of person who likes to tweak their entire sound profile. Also part of the Creative Labs control suite for the Sound BlasterX G5 is what they call the BlasterX Acoustic Engine Pro. This is software technology that packages a ton of Creative Labs audio features into one suite. What it amounts to is simply a more enjoyable gaming experience and, in some cases, better gaming performance on the part of the player.

Being able to hear footsteps and bullets whizz past while listening through the G5 allowed me to have a better sense of situational awareness on the digital battlefield, resulting in a better “kills to death” ratio. Furthermore, the suite also has a preset for music, which is a nice setting for general music enjoyment. Additionally, the built-in headphone amplifier allows headsets of up to 600Ω impedance to be used, making the G5 a very handy tool for studio-level recording and monitoring. The one big issue with the Sound BlasterX G5 is its lack of an internal battery, which would have helped its portability quite a bit. It would also save the battery life of your laptop somewhat while gaming, which can be a big power draw.

Overall, the Creative Labs Sound BlasterX G5 portable sound card features a ton of useful audio capabilities to help you game on the go with your laptop or game console. At a very reasonable $149.99, it won’t break your bank account and is a great value given what it can do. The Sound BlasterX G5 is available now.

[easyreview title=”Sound BlasterX G5 Portable Sound Card Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″ ]

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Battlefleet Gothic: Armada – Chaos Fleet Trailer

2016/02/13

Jerry Paxton

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

February 12, 2016 – The Chaos Warfleet, led by Abaddon and his admiral ship the Planet Killer, emerges from the Eye of Terror! After revealing the Imperium ships and gameplay in a previous video, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada, the new space RTS set in the Warhammer 40k universe from Games Workshop, now showcases the Chaos fleet and its ships in a new gameplay video!

Over the millennia, many ships and their crew have betrayed the Imperium to join the Traitor Legions. As such, a big part of the Chaos Warfleet is composed of ancient ship designs that have long since been decommissioned from service in the Imperial Navy.

But make no mistake, this does not make them less fearsome. While not as heavily armoured, Chaos ships are faster than their Imperium counterparts, and out-range them with extensive use of weaponry such as Lances and attack crafts. These traits work well in synergy with the Stasis Bomb: teleported from your ship, the bomb traps enemy ships and their ordnance, while allowing your own lances to rain destruction on them. Astute Chaos admirals will be able to inflict considerable damage to the enemy fleet before they may even return fire.

Chaos ships, and their crew, may also receive the favours of the four Gods of Chaos. Khorne, Slaanesh, Tzeentch and Nurgle will reward your prowess in battle with Chaos Marks, each giving different bonuses and abilities to your ship, while warping their hull, dramatically affecting their appearance.

Battlefleet Gothic: Armada warps in on PC beginning of 2016.

SWTOR Knights of the Fallen Empire Anarchy in Paradise Launch Trailer

2016/02/12

Jerry Paxton

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

February 11, 2016 – BioWare and Lucasfilm today released a new chapter in the episodic story, Star Wars^TM: The Old Republic^TM – Knights of the Fallen Empire. Anarchy in Paradise is the first in a series of seven new chapters and introduces the infamous mercenary known as Firebrand, who’s on a mission to destroy the Eternal Empire.

With the addition of Firebrand to the Alliance, it is up to the Outlander to decide just how far he or she is willing to go to defeat the Eternal Emperor.

Star Wars: The Old Republic – Knights of the Fallen Empire launched last fall, continuing an epic adventure that also serves as a starting point for new players at Level 60. The player-driven storyline puts fans at the center of their own Star Wars™ saga making choices that impact their story alongside unexpected twists and turns. New players can jump right into the evolving story, create a new Level 60 character and start building their Alliance in the expansion which has been praised for its deep BioWare storytelling set in the rich Star Warsuniverse.

Knights of the Fallen Empire, including Anarchy of Paradise, is free to Subscribers. Plus, Subscribers as of February 1, 2016 will be rewarded with the HK-55 Jetpack in-game item as part of the new Subscriber Rewards Program listed here.

More details on today’s Anarchy in Paradise release can be found here.