Author - Jerry Paxton

Official Mortal Kombat X Tournament Prize Pools Over $100k

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June 4, 2015 — Following the success of Mortal Kombat X’s “Blue Steel” Sub-Zero skin DLC, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is supporting the competitive pro fighting game scene in a big way with tournament sponsorships and prize pool contributions.  With a month remaining before the July 11 ESL Mortal Kombat X Worldwide Competitive Program finals, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is doubling its commitment to the prize pool and raising it to $100,000 USD.

The Blue Steel Sub-Zero Skin is still available for purchase for $1.99 with the proceeds to be used to fund the following initiatives:

  • Further contribution to the ESL Mortal Kombat X Pro-League finals prize pool. The deadline for the Blue Steel Sub-Zero Skin to fund this tournament is June 29.
  • Funding a series of Mortal Kombat X tournaments including:
  • Other tournament support to be confirmed later

Mortal Kombat X, the latest entry in the legendary fighting game franchise from NetherRealm Studios, is available now for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft and Steam on Windows PC

EA Trax Returns in Madden NFL 16

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June 4, 2015 – Today EA SPORTS revealed that Madden NFL 16 will celebrate the return of its legendary EA Trax soundtrack, recognized as the industry’s foremost showcase for introducing new music. This year’s game will feature a soundtrack from a multi-genre roster of soon-to-be- breakthrough artists and superstar acts, with the full list to be revealed this summer.

“Our Madden NFL soundtracks have changed the cultures of both gaming and music,” said Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing for EA. “They’ve given unparalleled exposure to new artists, and brought Platinum acts to all-new levels. EA Trax is proud to be delivering a new soundtrack complete with national announcement events, and we look forward to once again moving music forward for millions of gamers and fans.”

For more than a decade, the Madden NFL soundtrack helped launch artists that have included Good Charlotte, Fallout Boy, Tyga, Bullet For My Valentine, OK Go, Franz Ferdinand, Yellowcard, Dashboard Confessional, Jet, Swizz Beats, K’naan, Ozomatli and 30 Seconds To Mars, and introduced new music from superstars such as Green Day, Outkast, blink-182, Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne, Outkast, Linkin Park, Faith No More, The Roots, Foo Fighters and Justin Timberlake. The unprecedented hit-making impact of the soundtracks has led fans, gamers and the music industry to enthusiastically label the annual collections, ‘Madden Music’.

In addition to the new soundtrack, EA SPORTS is teaming up with Spotify to offer a new Madden NFL channel on the streaming music network. Launching today, the channel currently features some of the greatest songs from the previous editions of the Madden NFLfranchise, letting fans relive their favorite songs of games gone by. When Madden NFL 16 launches on August 25 the Spotify Playlist will be updated with the full game soundtrack, and throughout the NFL season music-lovers can come back every week on “Madden Music Mondays” for fresh songs and artists, as well as special themed playlists.

As a GameStop pre-order exclusive, Madden NFL 16 is joining with Live Nation to give fans $15 worth of Live Nation Concert Cash®, which can be used toward tickets for select Live Nation concerts in the U.S. or artist merchandise from the Musictoday online store.  This GameStop exclusive is granted in addition to the $15 of Madden Ultimate Team content players will already receive for pre-ordering the game.

Madden NFL 16 is developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon and will be available for Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® games and entertainment system and thePlayStation®3 entertainment system on August 25, 2015. To learn more about Madden NFL 16, visit http://www.easports.com/madden-nfl.

All player participation has been facilitated by NFL Players Inc., the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA).

EA SPORTS is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through videogames, including Madden NFL football, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR® golf, SSX™ and EA SPORTS UFC®.

For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com to connect, share and compete.

Live Nation and Concert Cash are registered trademarks of Live Nation Worldwide, Inc.

Steam Hardware Available for Pre-Order

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June 4, 2015Valve, GameStop, EB Games, Micromania, and GAME UK today announced the first pre order offerings for Steam Hardware devices will begin at 10 am Pacific. A collection of hardware designed to expand the Steam gaming experience into the living room and beyond, the new Steam Hardware devices are targeted to arrive in North America and Europe this fall.

In an exclusive partnership, starting June 4 and for a limited time, customers in the U.S. may pre-order an Alienware Steam Machine, Steam Link, and/or a Steam Controller from GameStop or Steam and have their order available on October 16, weeks before the official launch of November 10.  

In Europe and Canada, GameStop, EB Games, Micromania, and GAME UK will join Steam in offering the Steam Link and Steam Controller as part of this pre order program.

Additionally, CyberPower is now offering their Steam Machine as part of this pre order, directly from its site. The other manufacturers of Steam Machines will be releasing information about their pre order and launch plans in the coming weeks. 

GameStop, EB Games, and Micromania are now accepting Steam Hardware pre-orders online and in more than 5,700 retail stores worldwide.

“Valve is known for driving innovation in PC gaming, what we consider the fourth console,” said Bob Puzon, senior vice president of merchandising at GameStop, the exclusive retail partner in the U.S. and most of Europe for this Steam Hardware pre-order promotion. “As we continue to see strong growth in this category, we are excited to give gamers more options and look forward to seeing how the market responds to the new offerings from Valve and its Steam Machine partners.” 

A leading platform for PC, Mac, and Linux games, Steam offers more than 5,000 titles to millions of gamers around the world. Targeted for release on November 10, the Steam Controller, Steam Link, and Steam Machines will provide Steam gamers with a host of hardware devices, at a variety of price points, allowing them to customize a gaming experience that best suits their needs and play Steam’s thousands of games, user-generated content, and more from any room in the home.

“We have collaborated for years with Valve and GameStop to develop a platform with the best content, the best performance, and the best value compared to anything else on the market. Finally, with this preorder, we have a chance to address the building anticipation for the latest and greatest gaming system,” said Frank Azor, general manager of Alienware and XPS, Dell. “It’s been a blast playing on our Alienware Steam Machines with our friends and family over recent months; it’s really exciting to finally share that experience with our community of gamers.” 

About the Steam Hardware devices:

Steam Controller — An innovative input device that allows you to play games from all genres, including traditional gamepad style games as well as games usually reserved for play with a mouse and keyboard. The Controllers are wireless, completely configurable, and available for pre- order in the U.S. and Europe for an estimated $49/?54.

Steam Link — The Steam Link allows Steam gamers to easily expand the range of their current gaming set up via their home network. Connecting any TV to your Steam host PC, Mac, or Steam Machine, the Link allows you to stream your games at 1080p 60 fps, and is available for pre-order in the U.S. and Europe for an estimated $49/?54. 

Steam Machines — Available from Alienware and other manufacturers, Steam Machines can serve as a stand-alone device for enjoying the Steam gaming experience in one box, with more than 1,000 titles available for native play. In addition, Steam Machines have the ability to broadcast and receive In Home Streaming, allowing you to stream your games to a Steam Link, or receive a stream from another Steam Machine or PC. Steam Machines will vary in price, offering a range of hard drive sizes, graphics performance, and more. Available for pre-order in the US, starting at an estimated $449.

For more information about the Steam Hardware pre order offerings, please visit Steampowered.com/hardware

Bohemia Interactive to Unveil New Arma 3 Terrain at PC Gaming Show

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June 4, 2015 — Bohemia Interactive is excited to announce its participation as official sponsor in the PC Gaming Show (Powered by PC Gamer), the first event dedicated to the PC platform in the history of E3. In celebration of the golden age of PC gaming, the show will include exclusive reveals, as well as fresh industry perspectives from key PC developers.

Starting the countdown today, one of the things people can look forward to is the much-anticipated exclusive world premiere of Arma 3’s new terrain, which will debut as part of a major expansion coming in 2016. With this expansion, the Arma 3 development team aims to deliver a completely fresh experience, featuring a new large-scale terrain, military vehicles, weapons, gear, characters, scenarios, and more. In addition, Bohemia Interactive’s Early Access titles, DayZ – the open-world survival horror hybrid-MMO game created by Dean Hall – and the studio’s space exploration game, Take On Mars, are also scheduled to appear on the show.

“Following in the footsteps of Chernarus and Altis, the new Arma 3 terrain is already shaping up to become one of the most compelling destinations in the series, and we can’t wait to show it for the very first time at E3”, said Bohemia Interactive’s CEO Marek Spanel. “Meanwhile, we also have exciting news to share about DayZ and Take On Mars, which – with the great support and patience from our players – are both working towards their next milestone in Early Access development.”

The PC Gaming Show will take place on June 16, from 6PM – 8PM PDT (Wednesday, June 17, 01:00 – 03:00 UTC), at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles, and will be livestreamed on Twitch. Find out more at www.pcgamingshow.com.

For more information about Bohemia Interactive, please visit www.bistudio.com. To keep track of all the latest news, be sure to follow Bohemia Interactive on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The Assembly E3 2015 Trailer

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June 4th 2015 – nDreams, the UK’s largest developer/publisher solely focused on creating virtual reality (VR) games and experiences, is excited to unveil The Assembly. Completely rebuilt in Unreal Engine 4, the game will be coming soon to Oculus Rift (Windows PC), Project Morpheus (PlayStation 4) and HTC Vive (Steam VR).

The Assembly is a thrilling adventure game, designed from the ground up with the full use of VR in mind. Players will be challenged by moral dilemmas as they uncover the secrets of The Assembly, a mysterious organisation that has been experimenting outside the constraints of government scrutiny and society’s morals. But what is The Assembly hiding? What will it sacrifice in the name of progress? And how far will it go to keep its operation a secret?

As a chain of events threatens to expose The Assembly, two individuals – each with their own perspectives and motivations – are offered a chance to shape the future. For better or worse, the impossible choices they face will transform not just their own lives, but also that of entire nations.

Having honed their skills over the past year in the fast-moving world of VR development, the team at nDreams redesigned The Assembly following the game’s announcement at E3 2014 in order to take its world and gameplay to new levels. The Assembly also features a reworked story by Rob Morgan, lead writer and voice director on the Augmented Reality title Wonderbook: Book of Spells and Sony Computer Entertainment’s VR demo, The Deep.

“Over the last year, we have moved The Assembly to Unreal Engine 4 and continued to enhance every aspect of the game, from its graphical fidelity to the scope and scale of its gameplay and narrative” said Patrick O’Luanaigh, CEO of nDreams. “We can’t wait for the world’s media to get their hands on The Assembly in its new and improved form at this year’s E3.”

The Assembly is targeting the launch window of the Oculus Rift, Project Morpheus and HTC Vive for release. To have a look at the re-engineered version of The Assembly, download the game’s new trailer for E3 2015 by following this link.

Website:
http://theassemblygame.com/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/theassemblyvr

Trailer

2K And Gearbox Reveal New Battleborn Features and E3 Trailer

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New York, NY – June 4, 2015 – 2K and Gearbox Software, the award-winning creators of the critically acclaimed Borderlands franchise, today announced that Battleborn™ will include 25 unique playable heroes, a story mode playable alone or with friends, three distinctly different competitive multiplayer modes and a persistent progression system. The companies also released an all-new trailer showcasing many of the first-person shooter’s 25 heroes in action.

Battleborn is set in a distant future, where nearly every star in the universe has gone dark at the hands of a mysterious enemy. Solus, the last star, is the only beacon of hope for the universe’s surviving population. The fading of stars has led to a great war among those desperate for the last remaining resources. Heroes, called Battleborn, fight for the dominance of their unique factions as all life in the universe teeters on the brink of extinction. Now, the mysterious enemy is threatening to finish what they’ve started, and only an unlikely alliance between the universe’s most powerful heroes can stop them.
Game modes and features for Battleborn include:

  • Story Mode: Battleborn’s Story Mode is a narrative experience playable in a single-player capacity, as well as cooperatively by up to five friends via splitscreen* or online. The Story Mode is modular, allowing players to choose which missions to enjoy next. The modular structure of Story Mode also allows players to replay missions for the chance to earn better loot;
  • 25 Playable Heroes: Battleborn has a deep and diverse roster of 25 playable heroes, each with its own personality and equipped with unique weapons and powers. An accelerated character growth system, known as the Helix System, allows players to level up a character from 1 to 10 in a single story mission or competitive multiplayer match;
  • Competitive Multiplayer: Battleborn’s team-based competitive multiplayer action can be experienced by up to 10 players online in 5v5 matches and will include three distinct modes:
    • Incursion: Teams of heroes defend their base from waves of AI-controlled minions while working together, alongside their own minions, to destroy their opponents’ base;
    • Devastation: Teams of heroes face off in a fast-paced death match and must capture and hold objectives on the map to win;
    • Meltdown: Teams of heroes protect their minions as they march to their death at the center of the map. Points are scored for minions who throw themselves into the incinerator, and the team with the most points wins.
  • Persistent Progression System: All experience points, whether earned through playing Battleborn’s Story Mode or Competitive Multiplayer modes, contribute to leveling up individual Character Rank, as well as player profile Command Rank:
    • Character Rank: Each hero can permanently rank up from 1 to 10 outside of missions and matches, allowing players to swap out augments in their helix skill tree, as well as unlock skins.
    • Command Rank: Players can rank-up their own player profile, unlocking badges and titles to impress friends, and loot that can be used to benefit any hero the player chooses to command.

Battleborn will be playable at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) from June 16-18, 2015 in 2K’s booth – #1001 – in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Battleborn is not yet rated by the ESRB and is currently scheduled for worldwide release this winter for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and Windows PC. For more information on Battleborn, follow the game on Twitter and Twitch, become a fan on Facebook, subscribe on YouTube and visit http://www.Battleborn.com.

* Battleborn supports 2-player splitscreen and can connect with other splitscreen or solo players online to create a full 5-player party

Xbox to Appear at PC Gaming Show

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LOS ANGELES – June 3, 2015PC Gamer today announced that Microsoft has joined the upcoming “AMD Presents The PC Gaming Show Powered by PC Gamer” event as both a sponsor and participant. Taking place in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 16, 2015at the Belasco Theater, the show will feature appearances and announcements from some of the biggest names in the PC gaming industry. Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer and several game developers will share the latest details about gaming on Windows 10 as well as showcase several upcoming games.

“For us, the PC Gaming Show is the ideal place to speak directly to PC gamers, and it’s a great time to talk about Windows 10 – the best operating system we’ve ever created for gamers on PCs,” said Phil Spencer, head of Xbox at Microsoft. “With Windows 10, we’re bringing the best of Xbox with the best of Windows gaming, including Xbox Live and the new Xbox app, Game DVR for nearly every game, and DirectX 12 for better gaming graphics and performance.”

“Windows is a vital element of the PC gaming experience for so many of us, and I’m excited to see what Microsoft has in store,” said Tim Clark, Global Editor-in-Chief, PC Gamer. “The PC Gaming Show is a celebration of every aspect of the platform, so I’m delighted Xbox has decided to play such a key part in it.”

Presented by AMD, organized by PC Gamer, and streamed live in partnership with Twitch, the show will bring the PC gaming community together under one roof for announcements and presentations from both major companies and rising independent developers. Hosted by Sean ‘Day[9]’ Plott, participants of the show include Dean Hall (DayZ), Blizzard, Bohemia Interactive, Tripwire Interactive, Fullbright, Cliff Bleszinski (Boss Key Productions), Devolver Digital, Nexon, Creative Assembly, Square Enix, CCP Games, Paradox Interactive, and many more.

For more information and to register for press access, please visit: www.PCGamingShow.com and follow #pcgamingshow.

WizKids Partners with Nickelodeon for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Tabletop Games

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JUNE 3, 2015 (Columbus, OH) – At Origins Game Fair today, WizKids announced a partnership with Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids, to produce multiple tabletop games based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. The first two games developed under this partnership will be a special series of TMNT HeroClix™ figures, and a TMNT Dice Masters™ game, both set for release later this year.

“We are very excited to partner with Nickelodeon on expanding the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles brand,” said Justin Ziran, President of WizKids. “We expect fans of both Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and WizKids will be very pleased with the lineup of games we have in store, and we can’t wait to get them in players’ hands in the coming months.”

WizKids has seen great successes in its HeroClix collectible figure-battling and Dice Masters Dice Building™ products, and is very excited to bring fan-favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters, spanning all iterations of the comics from classic to present day as well as the classic cartoon and current hit CG-animated series on Nickelodeon, to both games.

“The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are classic and beloved characters, and we can’t wait to see them integrated into WizKids’ tabletop games,” said Manuel Torres, Senior Vice President, Global Toys and Publishing, Nickelodeon. “We are as excited as our fans are to see Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello, Shredder and more come to life in HeroClix and Dice Masters.”

Skylanders SuperChargers Reveal Trailer

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Santa Monica, Calif. – June 3, 2015 Skylanders® is bringing another trailblazing innovation to the #1 kids console franchise(1) with the launch of Skylanders® SuperChargers on September 20, 2015 in North America. Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) and the leaders of the toys-to-life category it created, expands upon the franchise’s signature gameplay to introduce vehicles-to-life — an entirely new way for fans to experience the magic of Skylands.

At the helm of powerful, tricked-out land, sea and sky vehicles, Portal Masters can engage in a high-octane action-adventure videogame like never before. Kids can speed across Skylands’ roads in vehicular combat, race down roaring rapids and engage in aerial dogfights as they barrel-roll through enemy swarms for the first time. Developed by Vicarious Visions, Skylanders SuperChargers offers a rich story-driven gameplay experience, filled with vehicle-based and on-foot adventures, combat, puzzles, mini games, activities and platforming, set within a variety of all-new compelling environments.

“We created the toys-to-life category and have continued to lead it by bringing new innovations and new magic to the genre with each and every game. First we brought action figures to life, and now we’re bringing vehicles to life with Skylanders SuperChargers,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, Inc. “We love making these games because in order to do it well, you have to constantly tap into your inner kid. What kid hasn’t imagined epic vehicles with amazing powers and dreamed about the adventures they could have with them? Skylanders SuperChargers makes those dreams real.”

Skylanders SuperChargers features a brand-new class of heroes, called SuperChargers who are distinct with fresh moves, powerful attacks and all-new weapons.  These SuperChargers also have special in-game abilities that help Portal Masters fight Kaos.  Twenty new SuperChargers character toys and 20 new vehicle toys will be available.

Players will have the ability to customize all vehicles in-game with super cool modifications and upgradeable weapons. For the ultimate gameplay experience, players can pair a SuperCharger Skylander with its signature vehicle to create a SuperCharged combination, unlocking an exclusive mod that revs up the performance of both the vehicle and character. Not only are the vehicles playable in the game, but also many feature moving parts, making them fun to play with outside of the game.  Additionally, Skylanders SuperChargers supports all 300+ Skylanders toys from previous games, enabling all Skylanders characters to pilot land, sea or sky-based vehicles.

“Since first partnering with Activision to bring the original Skylanders® Spyro’s Adventure to our stores, we have believed whole-heartedly in the magic and innovation of this brand, as well as the company’s ability to reimagine and redefine play experiences with the toys-to-life concept,” said Richard Barry, Global Chief Merchandising Officer, Toys”R”Us, Inc. “With each new introduction, Activision never disappoints its highly loyal fans of the franchise, and we are thrilled to continue to offer the broadest assortment of all Skylanders® merchandise, including the newly introduced Skylanders SuperChargers.”

The game’s storyline focuses on Kaos’ latest attempt to rule Skylands. In his efforts to take down the Skylanders, Kaos has unleashed his most sinister weapon ever – a massive “Doomstation of Ultimate Doomstruction” capable of eating the sky itself!  Fortunately, Master Eon has seen the warning signs and assembled a special team of Skylanders to pilot an unstoppable fleet of land, sea and sky vehicles with the power to travel through the reign of destruction to stop Kaos!

To support the game’s announcement, motorsports champion Travis Pastrana stars in the Skylanders SuperChargers trailer. Check out Pastrana having a blast with the Skylanders! Fans can pre-order Skylanders SuperChargers Starter Packs beginning on June 3 at select retail destinations worldwide for the suggested retail price of $74.99 in North America, which includes two new Skylanders characters, a first-of-its kind Skylanders vehicle, newly designed Portal of Power®+ and the full AAA game. Skylanders SuperChargers will be available on Xbox 360™ and  Xbox One™video game and entertainment systems from Microsoft, PlayStation® 3 and PlayStation® 4 computer entertainment systems, Nintendo’s Wii U™ system, and a different, unique adventure will be made available on Nintendo’s Wii™ system and the Nintendo 3DS™ hand-held system. Additionally, the complete Skylanders SuperChargers experience will be available on iPad®. The game will be available on September 20 in North America, September 24 in Australia/New Zealand; and on September 25 in Europe.