Author - Jerry Paxton

New Battlefleet Gothic: Armada Screenshots Released

2015/10/28
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Screenshots / Photos, Windows PC News

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October 28, 2015 – Battlefleet Gothic: Armada, the RTS videogame adaptation by Tindalos Interactive of Games Workshop’s classic tabletop game, today reveals the Ork fleet for the first time! First hinted at in the Gameplay Trailer last month, in a post-credits sequence, the Ork ships are presented today in all their badass glory in new screenshots.

Orks are not your typical space-faring species. Their ships are usually built from scrap, hulks of other ships, and in some rare cases even from asteroids. But what their ships lack in reliability is made up for with sheer firepower and particularly strong prow armor. “More Dakka” would be their motto, and charging forward, all cannons blazing and ramming the enemy ships is a totally valid “tactic” in the mind of any Ork captain.

Developed on Unreal Engine 4, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada is an RTS in which the player takes command of one of these battlefleets composed of the most powerful spaceships from the Imperial, Chaos, Eldar and Ork forces, in a no-quarter given struggle for the control of the Gothic sector of space. Players will be at the center of every fight, commanding fleets of gigantic ships as the Chaos unleash a sequential chain of surprise attacks on Imperium naval bases – the start of 20 years of warring in the sector.

Battlefleet Gothic: Armada offers deep management of every ship composing the player’s fleet, both during and between battles. From the fastest frigates to the gigantic, miles-long battleships, the player will customize all aspects of his ships: weaponry, defense and support sub-systems, etc… each customization affecting the very performances of the ship and the special abilities available during battle. From battle to battle, the admirals and crew of surviving ships will gain experience and promotions, improving the battle-readiness of the ships for future, bigger and more dangerous battles.

Battlefleet Gothic: Armada will release on PC in 2016

Screenshots

Divinity: Original Sin – Enhanced Edition Launch Trailer

2015/10/27
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Xbox One News

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October 27, 2015 – Acclaimed RPG Divinity: Original Sin – Enhanced Edition is now available for PS4 and Xbox One, in retail stores and for download… discover a sneak peek at what awaits you in Larian Studios’ new hit RPG, with the official Launch Trailer!

Having won over 150 awards and nominations, Divinity: Original Sin has become a must-have game for all RPG lovers, and the Enhanced Edition brings a wide range of improvements and new content. We’ve previously showcased the online and offline cooperative features with its Co-op Trailer, and its turn-based, tactical combat in the Combat Trailer.

Designed for consoles, the slick and stylish interface allows the player to seamlessly switch between inventory, spells, and skills. Each player has full control of their own UI, in and out of split-screen mode.

Featuring brand new content, drop-in, drop-out online and offline multiplayer, three new difficulty modes, and a host of new features (check the website for more information!) Divinity: Original Sin – Enhanced Edition brings an unprecedented, content rich experience to PS4 and Xbox One that may surprise both RPG fans and new players alike.

Divinity: Original Sin – Enhanced Edition Edition is now available on PS4 and Xbox One, in retail stores and for download.

The Park Launch Trailer

2015/10/27
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Halloween, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

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Oslo, Norway – October 27th, 2015 – A day at the park… a lost teddy bear… a missing child. So begins the story of Lorraine, a mother that must face every parent’s worst nightmare when her son goes missing in Atlantic Island Park. While amusement parks should be happy places, the one you visit in ‘The Park‘ is anything but. Freak accidents, grotesque killings and ghostly hauntings have inspired many sensational headlines, and locals worry that the park is far from done claiming innocent lives.

Funcom’s first-single player experience in almost ten years, ‘The Park‘, launched on Windows PC today and is now available for purchase on Steam, Humble Store, NVIDIA GeForce NOW Store, GreenManGaming and GamersGate at a 23% promotional discount ($9.99). ‘The Park‘ is a one to two hour adventure focusing on intense storytelling and exploration instead of combat and action. Players must explore the dilapidated amusement park and face panic and paranoia as they progress through a narrative written and created by an award-winning team of storytellers.

“Thanks to similar games in the narrative space, such as ‘Gone Home‘, ‘Dear Esther‘ and ‘The Stanley Parable‘, we are confident that there is a place in the gaming industry for shorter, intense experiences,” says Funcom creative director Joel Bylos. “Technically, it explores the limits of what is possible for a team to achieve with a small budget, short deadline and a strong focus.”

Known largely for its massive-scale online games, ‘The Park‘ is Funcom’s first game built on a relatively small budget and short development cycle. The team’s ambition has been to create a short, but intense experience with solid quality production values.

For more information about ‘The Park‘, please visit the official website at www.theparkgame.com.

Tales of Halloween Live Tweet Party this Wednesday

2015/10/26
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Halloween, Movie News, News

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[Hollywood, CA] Epic Pictures Releasing invites fans to join the directors & cast of TALES OF HALLOWEEN to screen the film and live-tweet with them on Wednesday, Oct. 28th at 9:00pm ET.

Directors prepared the following invitation video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFF6bXlImnE

During the live-tweet, the cast and directors will be providing exclusive behind-the-scenes fun facts, giving away prizes and answering fans¹ questions in real-time via Twitter and on video via Periscope.

To join the live-tweet, fans rent or buy the movie and hit PLAY when Wednesday at 9:00pm Eastern / 6:00pm Pacific.

Directors/cast comments will be available on search using #TalesOfHalloween.

Fans are also invited to submit their questions in advance and receive discount to via Vimeo following this link: http://goo.gl/forms/T5v7P97Ryp or e-mailing directly to: LIVETWEET@TOH-MOVIE.COM.

Additional information on our Facebook event page: http://po.st/TOHLiveTweet

Other Information:

Pillars of Eternity 500,000 Copies Sold

2015/10/23
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Windows PC News

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IRVINE, Calif. and STOCKHOLM — Oct. 23, 2015 — Obsidian Entertainment and Paradox Interactive today announced that Pillars of Eternity, the critically acclaimed computer role-playing game (CRPG) made possible by a record-setting crowdfunding campaign, has crossed a new milestone, and has now sold over 500,000 copies worldwide. Including fans who backed Pillars of Eternity on Kickstarter, over half a million players have purchased the game worldwide, making it one of the best-selling games on Steam this year. Pillars of Eternity has gone on to be one of the best reviewed PC games of 2015, and in addition to its two-part expansion The White March, Obsidian has plans to continue to expand upon its rich universe across several forthcoming releases.

“Every one of these milestones, from the completion of our crowdfunding campaign to the game’s release and beyond, is a surreal moment when you consider where this journey began,” said Feargus Urquhart, CEO of Obsidian Entertainment. “Pillars of Eternity has been a life-changing experience for me, and for everyone involved in its creation. Knowing that over half a million people have gotten to share in that is both flattering and humbling. I want to deeply thank all of our fans and supporters. We can’t wait to share what we’ve got next for the world of Eora.”

Following the release of Pillars of Eternity in March, 2015, Obsidian Entertainment has announced several additions and expansions to the world, lore, and gameplay of the award-winning CRPG. An expansion to the based game, titled “The White March,” was announced as a two-part addition, with Part I releasing in August, 2015. A tabletop card game based on the Pillars of Eternity world, Lords of the Eastern Reach, has also been announced for a 2016 release. In addition, several digital books (“eBooks”) are slated to release this year featuring the characters and lore of Pillars of Eternity, authored by members of the game’s core writing team, including Carrie Patel, Eric Fenstermaker, and Paul Kirsch.

“It’s very encouraging to see so much enthusiasm for the classic CRPG alive and well within the gaming community,” said Fredrik Wester, CEO of Paradox Interactive. “It’s a genre we’re very fond of ourselves, as evidenced by the large number of Pillars of Eternity backers within our own company. Given that Paradox itself grew from tabletop-inspired strategy games, we’ve always believed there was plenty of room for the ‘classic’ genres to thrive, and we’re very proud to see half a million players agree with us.”

Pillars of Eternity is a CRPG inspired by classic titles such as Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale, and Planescape: Torment, which features an original world and game system that evokes and improves upon the classic experience. Funded via Kickstarter in late 2012, raising $4.5 million through both backer pledges on Kickstarter and Obsidian’s own website, Pillars of Eternity has been a project of passion both for the development team and for the loyal fans who have made it possible.

For more information on Pillars of Eternity, visit eternity.obsidian.net.

World of Tanks on Console to Get Spectral Tank and Dead City Mode for Halloween

2015/10/23
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Halloween, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

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October 23, 2015 -Wargaming today announced Dead City, a limited time Halloween game mode with the exclusive Spectre tank, will rise from the grave October 30th offering brave souls a haunting experience that won’t cost an arm and a leg, because it’s free* to all registered players through November 1st.

Dead City is a 7vs7 Team Battle game mode that immerses players in an eerily reworked version of the Himmelsdorf map in a fight to prove who is the ghost with the most. Manned by a skeleton crew, the nearly frictionless Spectre tank glides across the battlefield with ethereal grace firing ectoplasm rounds at a high rate of horror. During this very limited time event, a chilling tank emblem will be available to any boys or ghouls that customize any tank in their garage as a souvenir for playing Dead City.

For more information about Dead City and World of Tanks visit:

Western Digital Acquires SanDisk for $19 Billion

2015/10/21
Jerry Paxton
Industry News, News

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IRVINE, Calif. and MILPITAS, Calif., Oct. 21, 2015 — Western Digital® Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC) and SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Western Digital will acquire all of the outstanding shares of SanDisk for a combination of cash and stock. The offer values SanDisk common stock at $86.50 per share or a total equity value of approximately $19 billion, using a five-day volume weighted average price ending on October 20, 2015 of $79.60 per share of Western Digital common stock. If the previously announced investment in Western Digital by Unisplendour Corporation Limited closes prior to this acquisition, Western Digital will pay $85.10 per share in cash and 0.0176 shares of Western Digital common stock per share of SanDisk common stock; and if the Unisplendour transaction has not closed or has been terminated, $67.50 in cash and 0.2387 shares of Western Digital common stock per share of SanDisk common stock. The transaction has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies.

The combination is the next step in the transformation of Western Digital into a storage solutions company with global scale, extensive product and technology assets, and deep expertise in non-volatile memory (NVM). With this transaction, Western Digital will double its addressable market and expand its participation in higher-growth segments. SanDisk brings a 27-year history of innovation and expertise in NVM, systems solutions and manufacturing. The combination also enables Western Digital to vertically integrate into NAND, securing long-term access to solid state technology at lower cost.

The proposed combination creates significant value for both SanDisk and Western Digital shareholders. Western Digital brings a successful track record of M&A with a number of acquisitions over the last several years helping to fuel innovation, create value and strongly position the company to capture higher-growth opportunities. In addition, Western Digital’s operational excellence, coupled with the recently announced decision by China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) allowing Western Digital to integrate substantial portions of its WD and HGST businesses, is expected to generate additional cost synergies.

“This transformational acquisition aligns with our long-term strategy to be an innovative leader in the storage industry by providing compelling, high-quality products with leading technology,” said Steve Milligan, chief executive officer, Western Digital. “The combined company will be ideally positioned to capture the growth opportunities created by the rapidly evolving storage industry. I’m excited to welcome the SanDisk team as we look to create additional value for all of our stakeholders, including our customers, shareholders and employees.”

“Western Digital is globally recognized as a leading provider of storage solutions and has a 45-year legacy of developing and manufacturing cutting-edge solutions, making the company the ideal strategic partner for SanDisk,” said Sanjay Mehrotra, president and chief executive officer, SanDisk. “Importantly, this combination also creates an even stronger partner for our customers. Joining forces with Western Digital will enable the combined company to offer the broadest portfolio of industry-leading, innovative storage solutions to customers across a wide range of markets and applications.”

Western Digital and SanDisk’s complementary product lines, including hard disk drives (“HDDs”), solid-state drives (“SSDs”), cloud datacenter storage solutions and flash storage solutions, will provide the foundation for a broader set of products and technologies from consumer to datacenter. Both companies have strong R&D and engineering capabilities and a rich base of fundamental technologies with over 15,000 combined patents issued or pending worldwide.

Toshiba has been a long-term strategic partner to SanDisk for 15 years. The joint venture (JV) with Toshiba will be ongoing, enabling vertical integration through a technology partnership driven by deep collaboration across design and process capabilities. The JV provides stable NAND supply at scale through a time-tested business model and extends across NVM technologies such as 3D NAND.

Steve Milligan will continue to serve as chief executive officer of the combined company, and the company will remain headquartered in Irvine, California. Upon closing, Sanjay Mehrotra is expected to join the Western Digital Board of Directors.

Led by a seasoned management team, Western Digital has a strong track record of integrating acquisitions to create value. The company expects to achieve full annual run-rate synergies of $500 million within 18 months post-closing. The transaction is expected to be EPS accretive on a non-GAAP basis within 12 months of the transaction close. Pending the closing of the transaction, Western Digital expects to continue paying its quarterly dividend and plans to suspend its share buyback program.

The transaction will be financed by a mix of cash, new debt financing and Western Digital stock.  In connection with the transaction, Western Digital expects to enter into new debt facilities totaling $18.4 billion, including a $1.0 billion revolving credit facility. The proceeds from the new debt facilities are expected to be used to pay part of the purchase price, refinance existing debt of Western Digital and SanDisk and pay transaction related fees and expenses. If SanDisk’s cash balance falls below certain thresholds at the time of transaction close, the merger agreement provides for an adjustment to the mix of cash and stock consideration.

The transaction is subject to approval by SanDisk shareholders and, in the event that the Unisplendor transaction does not close, Western Digital shareholders, receipt of regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close in the third calendar quarter of 2016.

BofA Merrill Lynch and J.P. Morgan are acting as lead financial advisors to Western Digital and will provide committed financing for the transaction. Also, Credit Suisse is acting as a financial advisor and providing committed financing, and RBC Capital Markets is providing committed financing. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP and Baker & McKenzie are acting as legal advisors to Western Digital.

Goldman Sachs is acting as the exclusive financial advisor to SanDisk. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is acting as the exclusive legal advisor to SanDisk.