Author - Jerry Paxton

Dead Space 3 Pre-Order Bonuses from Amazon and Gamestop

2012/12/03
Jerry Paxton
News, PlayStation 3 News, Screenshots / Photos, Windows PC News, Xbox 360 News

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – Dec. 3, 2012 – Visceral Games, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) studio, today announced that fans who pre-order Dead Space™ 3 from GameStop* will receive the EG-900 SMG and from Amazon* the Tesla Enervator. These exclusive weapons will help players on their mission to destroy the horrifying and mysterious Markers and stop the bloody Necromorph infestation once and for all. Throughout Dead Space 3, unwilling heroes Isaac and Carver put their engineering and military skills to the test as they scavenge for parts and assemble their ultimate tools for survival. While exploring different locations, players can hunt for parts, break down tools, build devastating new weapons and share them with a friend to defeat whatever terrors stand in their way.

The bonus pre-order items** include:

  • EG-900 SMG available at GameStop
    • This EarthGov-issued sub machinegun is built for urban warfare. It’s compact but deadly, sporting an internal hyper-accelerator maximum damage.
  • Tesla Enervator available at Amazon
    • Sovereign Colonies scientists developed the “Enervator” from an overdriven focus coil to “humanely” eliminate dangerous specimens. The Enervator delivers a precision blast causing instantaneous electrocution and molecular destabilization in the target. In test subjects, death was instantaneous.

Winner of more than 15 critic awards at E3 2012 including Best of Show from Game Informer Magazine, Dead Space 3 cuts to the heart of deep space terror. The game is recognized by game critics worldwide for its incredible craftsmanship in horror, action, suspense and sound design. Players will embark on a thrilling ride through space that takes them to a hostile new planet, Tau Volantis. Fortunately, they are not alone this time around. The fully integrated drop-in/drop-out co-op feature gives players the option to play alone or team-up with a friend anytime. Players that choose to take down the terror together will experience additional story details, side missions and gameplay mechanics only found when playing as John Carver.

Dead Space 3 will be available on February 5, 2013 in North America and February 8, 2013 in Europe for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and the PC.

For additional information and news, please visit www.deadspace.com, follow us on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/deadspace, or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/deadspace.

FORGE Launch Screenshots

2012/12/03
Jerry Paxton
News, Screenshots / Photos, Windows PC News

With tomorrow’s launch of Dark Vale Games PvP, online shoot ’em up, FORGE, the company has sent out some official launch screenshots. Check ’em out!

Screenshots

Omerta – City of Gangsters Gameplay Trailer

2012/12/03
Jerry Paxton
News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

Ridgewood, NJ, December 3, 2012 –Kalypso Media today released a new gameplay trailer for Omerta – City of Gangsters, the upcoming multiplatform title that combines challenging tactical combat with “criminal-styled” city building. In the new trailer, viewers will enjoy a firsthand look at the tactical, turn-based combat that will have players planning elaborate heists, drive-by’s and much more in this 1920’s era gangster title set for a 2013 release on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC.  With guns blazing, players will take over a realistically rendered Prohibition-era Atlantic City while also using their wits to manage illicit businesses, which bring in big money!

Trailer

Bioshock: Infinite Box Art Released

2012/12/01
Jerry Paxton
News, PlayStation 3 News, Screenshots / Photos, Windows PC News, Xbox 360 News

Irrational Games and 2K Games have released the official box art for the upcoming Bioshock: Infinite. Enjoy!

Box Art

Hurricane 2 Canless Air System Review

2012/11/30
Jerry Paxton
Gadget Review, News, Reviews, Tech News
2 Comments

When we saw the Hurricane 2 Canless Air System over on ThinkGeek, we were very excited. Our primary gaming rigs gets super-dusty and we are always on the lookout for a way of eliminating the mountain of compressed air cans that we go through each month. Short of submerging our rigs in non-conductive gel, we simply had to give the Hurricane 2 Canless Air System a shot. Basically, the Hurricane 2 is a small air compressor that pushes air out at around 200 MPH as long as the trigger is depressed. The unit is comfortable to grip, as can be seen in the above image, and doesn’t weight very much. Setting the Hurricane 2 up is as easy as inserting one of the plastic extensions into the air nozzle and making sure it is fully charges. Then depress the trigger and let the air rip. Speaking of charging, the rechargeable battery in the Hurricane 2 Canless Air System will last for about 15 minutes of continuous operation or around four hours of general usage.  Unlike traditional compressed air canisters, the Hurricane 2 will not stop functioning after a short while of continuous use. Also, the Hurricane 2 can be used at any angle – a feat which compressed air canisters simply can’t duplicate.

The only real issues with the Hurricane 2 Canless Air System are the pressure of the air stream and the noise. Its not that the Hurricane 2 isn’t powerful – quite the opposite, in fact. The problem is that the plastic extensions used to guide and focus the air from its business end are a bit on the wide side. A more narrow extension would allow the air stream to exit with more concentrated force, which would greatly increase its dusting capabilities. The second issue with the Hurricane 2 is the noise it makes while in operation. The official product website claims it “sounds like an electric razor”. It actually sounds a bit louder and higher-pitched than that (to my ears, anyway). Aside from dusting electronics and furniture, its noise and air are a great way to dissuade your cat from biting your Christmas Tree lights. I mean, I think it might be good for such use. The GamingShogun.com Legal Team warns all users that they should never point the Hurricane 2 Canless Air System at any living creature, great or small. 🙂

Overall, the Hurricane 2 Canless Air System will provide you with an exceptional anti-dust solution that doesn’t involve constantly buying cans of compressed air. While the pressure of the air stream could be a bit more intense, it does a fine job in dusting – especially if used on a regular basis before dust has a chance to “settle in” for the long haul. I would recommend the Hurricane 2 Canless Air System to anyone needing to keep their electronics clean. Additionally, it would make a fine gift for the geek in your life this holiday season.

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Pros

  • Can be used at any angle.
  • Lasts for several hours on one charge and can be used for about 15 minutes straight on one charge.
  • Rechargeable.
  • Air stream is non-toxic (its air!).

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Cons

  • Initial pressure not as high as a compressed air can.

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You can find the Hurricane 2 Canless Air System on sale at the product’s official website or ThinkGeek.

Creative Labs Sound Blaster Z Review (Hardware)

2012/11/30
Jerry Paxton
News, Reviews, Tech News, Tech Review

Creative Labs recently sent us over one of their new Sound Blaster Z sound cards. The Sound Blaster Z is the entry-level in their latest sound card line and we were very excited to review it, given the sometimes controversial outlook on discrete sound cards by gamers. If you have not heard about this, many gamers overlook discrete sound cards in favor of on-board motherboard audio chips. We hoped to not only review the unit but, also, compare it to our ASUS Sabertooth Z77 motherboard’s internal audio to settle the score on this argument for good.

Design-wise, the Sound Blaster Z is very much a Creative Labs/Sound Blaster sound card. Featuring a PCI-E interface, its exterior features a red aluminum heat sink/cover and cool red LED lighting, it is a very snazzy-looking sound card. Installing the Sound Blaster Z is a straightforward process of inserting the card into an available PCI-E slot, attaching the hookup to your case’s front panel connector, and installing the software. The whole process took about ten minutes.

After installation and software setup, you can configure the Sound Blaster Z in the software utility. Looking very similar to the control panel from their Recon3D sound card line, the control panel has a lot of settings for you to play with. Also, the new SBX Pro Studio feature set is basically an updated version of the THX TruStudio Pro features found on the Recon3D sound cards. In terms of quality, these features are noticeably better than their previous version. The SBX Surround technology, which simulates a surround sound setup using a 2.1 sound system is a prime example of this. These simulations are getting scary-good at emulating true surround sound. Additionally, the Sound Blaster Z’s front channel 116dB SnR (signal-to-noise ratio) was audibly better than our on-board sound chip’s 95dB SnR – especially when pumping up the volume of our Corsair SP2500 speaker system (that thing “goes to 11” as they say).

I have been enjoying the Sound Blaster Z sound card with titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops II single and multiplayer (turn on the Scout Mode), The War Z (DEFINITELY turn on the Scout Mode), and even my personal favorite right now: DCS: A-10C Warthog. These are just a few examples but I have nothing bad to say about the card’s performance in any of those or any other game I use it on. Beyond gaming, the card also performs beautifully in playing higher bit rate Mp3s. Music is crisp and plays back wonderfully – especially nice right now when playing those holiday favorites. The included beam microphone is excellent and eliminating background noise and my lance mates in the Mechwarrior Online beta had no trouble hearing my comms.

Overall, the Sound Blaster Z sound card is a good purchase for $99 dollars. So long as you have a decent pair of headphones and/or speaker system, you will hear a difference over most on-board audio chips. Additionally, the SBX Pro Studio features are very good at enhancing video game audio and the “Scout Mode” is almost a cheat in some games. That being said, if you are using a $20 dollar computer speaker system from a 99 cent store, you won’t notice any upgrade over on-board sound.

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Pros

  • Good Value for Price
  • SBX Pro Studio Features
  • Included Microphone

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Cons

  • You need a decent pair of speakers and/or headphones to fully take advantage of the card’s features over on-board sound chips.

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Official Specifications

Feature Description
Output Level (Full Scale)
  • Front Channel Out : 2Vrms
  • Headphone (33 ohms): 1.3Vrms
  • Headphone (600 ohms): 2Vrms
Maximum DAC Resolution
  • Front Channel Out : 24-bit, 192kHz
  • Headphone (33 ohms): 24-bit, 96kHz
  • Headphone (600 ohms): 24-bit, 96kHz
SNR (20kHz Low-pass filter, A-Wgt), @ 24-bit, 96kHz
  • Front Channel Out : 116dB
  • Headphone (33 ohms): >105dB
  • Headphone (600 ohms): >105dB
Frequency Response @ 96kHz
  • Front Channel Out : 10Hz to 45kHz
  • Rear Channel Out : 15Hz to 45kHz
  • Center Out : 10Hz to 45kHz
  • Headphone (33 ohms): 10Hz to 45kHz
Frequency Response @ 192kHz(Stereo only)
  • Front Channel Out : 10Hz to 88kHz
 
Speaker Support Description
Supported Output Stereo/2.1 Speakers
  5.1 Speakers
  Headphones
 
Connectivity Description
Headphone 1 x Amplified 1/8″ mini jack
Speaker Out 3 x 1/8″ mini jacks
Optical Out TOSLINK
Optical In TOSLINK
Line In / Microphone In Shared 1/8″ mini jack

Reedus and Rooker Confirmed for The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct

2012/11/30
Jerry Paxton
News, PlayStation 3 News, Windows PC News, Xbox 360 News

Activision and Terminal Reality have revealed the The Walking Dead actors Norman Reedus and Michael Rooker will be lending their likenesses and voices to the upcoming The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct video game. The game is due out next year for the Windows PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 platforms.

About the Game

In the game, players assume the role of the mysterious, crossbow-wielding survivor Daryl Dixon. This first-person survival title takes place within the universe of “The Walking Dead” and before the events of the AMC show, following Daryl and his brother Merle on a gruesome journey to reach the supposed safety of Atlanta as the world around them ends. Reedus and Rooker will bring life to their characters’ desperate, unforgiving struggle against limited resources, the nightmarish walkers and, perhaps, their fellow survivors…

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct video game will be available in 2013 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows PC platforms. To pre-order or to find out more information, visit www.TheWalkingDeadBegins.com or ‘Like’ The Walking Dead on Facebook (facebook.com/TheWalkingDeadAMC).

The Black Crowes Coming to Rock Band

2012/11/30
Jerry Paxton
News, Nintendo Wii News, PlayStation 3 News, Xbox 360 News

Cambridge, Mass. – November 30th, 2012 – Harmonix today announced that a three-pack of songs from The Black Crowes is headed to the Rock Band™ Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

Rock Band provides the deepest and best selection of artists, songs and albums through the Rock Band music platform, which features more than 1,400 artists and more than 4,000* tracks via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks atwww.rockband.com/songs). Rock Band’s gigantic music library dwarfs that of any other rhythm video game on the market. More than 100 million songs have been sold through the Rock Band Music Store since its launch on Nov. 20, 2007.

Tracks downloaded from the Rock Band Music Store are compatible with the award-winning full-band Rock Band 3 experience, as well as the controller-based rhythm-action title, Rock Band Blitz, available now on PlayStation®Network and Xbox LIVE® Arcade!

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 system and Wii™

The Black Crowes rocketed to success in the ‘90s with a blues-rock sound and throwback vibe that was a revival of some of the biggest rock acts of the’ 70s. With a string of successful mainstream singles and awards, The Black Crowes have cemented themselves in rock history among the legendary acts that have influenced their trademark sounds.

“The Black Crowes Pack 01” kicks off December’s Rock Band downloadable tracks with three hits that helped jumpstart the band to success early in their career. “She Talks to Angels” is the fourth single from the band’s critically acclaimed debut record, 1990’sShake Your Money Maker. “Remedy,” from the group’s second record, 1992’s The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, reached #1 on the Billboard Album Rock track charts, and stayed there for 11 weeks! The final single off of The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, “Sometimes Salvation” rounds out the three-pack.

As a bonus, Rock Band Blitz players who play any songs by The Black Crowes will earn double coins for each play!

Available on Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation®3 system (December 4th, 2012):

  • The Black Crowes – “She Talks to Angels” O X
  • The Black Crowes – “Remedy” O
  • The Black Crowes – “Sometimes Salvation”

(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation®3 system November 28th)

Price:
$5.49, £2.49 UK, €3.99 EU (440 Microsoft Points, 550 Wii Points™) for the “The Black Crowes Pack 01”
$1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points ™, 200 Wii Points™) per song
$0.99 USD (80 Microsoft Points™, 100 Wii Points™), £0.59 UK, €0.79 EU per song for eligible Pro Guitar/Pro Bass upgrade

Tracks marked with “O” feature support for keyboards; tracks marked with “X” will offer Pro Guitar and Pro Bass expansions for $0.99 per song.

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **
 
*Available on-disc, via download and disc export. Internet connection and export key purchase required. Wii™ Shop Channel has more than 1,500 song tracks available for purchase on the Rock Band platform on-disc, via song import, and download. Not applicable to Nintendo DS™.Website Links:
For more information, please visit:Rock Band Website

Grimlands Begin Second Round of Closed Beta Testing

2012/11/30
Jerry Paxton
News, Windows PC News

Hamburg, 30th November, 2012 – Today gamigo’s post-apocalyptic Shooter-MMO, Grimlands, enters the next phase of closed beta testing. The servers will stay open until Wednesday the 5th so that all content and changes can be thoroughly examined.

Beta testers can look forward to around three-times as much game content. There are mercenaries and mutants to fight in far-off settlements which they have taken control of. In addition to this the number of dungeons has grown to 23. With the new version there’s been a comprehensive renewal of the interface, substantially more intelligent opponents, a reworked shooter feeling, and improved graphic effects.
An overview of all important changes:

  • New regions unlocked
  • Completely new interface
  • Improved graphics
  • Optimized performance
  • Reworked shooter feeling
  • New enemy AI

A total of 10,000 players have been chosen for the CBT2. Whoever wants to take part should register quickly for free on the official website.

For the start of the CBT2 gamigo will be releasing the official intro to the game on YouTube that gives you a look into the post-apocalyptic scenario.

Jason Graves to Compose Score for Tomb Raider

2012/11/30
Jerry Paxton
News, PlayStation 3 News, Windows PC News, Xbox 360 News

SQUARE ENIX and Crystal Dynamics today announced that Jason Graves, an award winning composer with an outstanding pedigree across film, television and gaming is penning the original score for TOMB RAIDER.

Graves’ involvement is revealed in the third episode of The Final Hours of Tomb Raider. In The Sound of Survival, host Zachary Levi escorts viewers to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) London headquarters, and speaks to Graves about his role in the reboot of the iconic Tomb Raider franchise (BAFTA has previously recognized Graves’ work for Original Score and Use of Audio in Dead Space).

The composer reveals his vision for the game’s soundscape and speaks about infusing atmosphere, emotion and authenticity into Lara’s origins story through his musical score – and illustrates his search to find the perfect sound for the game, through his collaboration with sculptor, Matt McConnell who created a bespoke and wholly original instrument to aid Graves in bringing his unique sound to Tomb Raider.

In keeping with the tradition of Geoff Keighley’s signature THE FINAL HOURS series, viewers can gain a deeper, behind-the-scenes look at what Graves has to say by checking out this episode: http://youtu.be/zadNXgwqNnI

Click here for the latest episode:

http://youtu.be/zadNXgwqNnI

Click here if you missed episode 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUs0mZ8O2ZQ

For more information on Tomb Raider:

http://www.tombraider.com/

For more information on Jason Graves:

http://www.jasongraves.com