Author - Jerry Paxton

Devolver Digital Releases Free Holiday Mini Game

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The Warmth in Your Heart – Non-denominational game label Devolver Digital have announced its intention to force holiday cheer onto your PC with unbelievable seasonal discounts on the label’s video game suite and a new, free game starring their oft-maligned Chief Financial Officer, Fork Parker’s Holiday Profit Hike.

The Devolver Digital PC games you’ve heard so much about but never actually bought are finally within your economic range from December 18th – January 2nd as all titles will be 10 – 90% off on the Devolver Digital store and Steam (http://store.devolverdigital.com).

Created by Enter the Gungeon developer Dodge Roll, Fork Parker’s Holiday Profit Hike stars the titular financier as he tracks down profit in the harsh snow-capped mountains in hopes of pleasing his investors before the fiscal year comes to a close. Armed with only his cane and an inexplicable amount of rope, Fork Parker will climb, repel, and dash his way to profitability all while avoiding hideous holiday sweaters, nonchalant penguins and way too casual snowmen.

“Fuck this noise,” said Devolver Digital CFO Fork Parker. “Free is for Korean mobile games and after-dinner mints. This is an affront to everything I stand for and what I believe in.”

For more information on Devolver Digital and Fork Parker’s Holiday Profit Hike please visit www.devolverdigital.com or follow us on Twitter @devolverdigital and @forkparker. For more information on holiday sales and free games, visit your local library and ask to see a dictionary.

Capcom Uses Unreal Engine 4 in Street Fighter V

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CARY, NC — December 18, 2014 – At PSX (PlayStation®Experience) in Las Vegas on December 5, Capcom gave the world the first look at Street Fighter® V. Announced exclusively for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and PC, and providing cross-platform play that will unite fans into a centralized player base, the upcoming title is poised to take the company’s fighting game franchise in an all new direction. Announced today, Capcom and Epic Games revealed that the new Street Fighter® is being built upon Unreal Engine 4, Epic Games’ very latest game engine technology. This new license agreement with Capcom arms their Street Fighter V development teams with Epic’s best-in-class development technology for years to come.

“Our goal with the next generation of Street Fighter is to take our beloved fighting game franchise and bring it to our fans in the best way possible,” said Bochan Kim, Producer, Capcom. “In order to fully deliver on that promise, we know we have to incorporate the latest and greatest technology available, which is why we partnered with Epic Games to power Street Fighter V using Unreal Engine 4.”

“I have been a very loyal fan of this historic franchise since the debut of the first Street Fighter in 1987. This opportunity to help the development team using Unreal Engine 4 for the new title is a great honor for Epic, and I couldn’t be more proud,” said Taka Kawasaki, Territory Manager of Epic Games Japan. “We know that the expectation level of fans is extremely high, so the support staff of both Epic Japan and Epic HQ have been providing dedicated support to help the team realize the very best performance from Unreal Engine 4 and deliver the highest quality experience to players.”

Street Fighter V joins a long line of games that have been announced recently and shown to be powered by Unreal Engine 4. Crackdown, EVE: Valkyrie, Fable Legends and many others round out the rapidly growing list of games using the engine. Developed by Epic Games, the award-winning Unreal Engine is known for world-class graphics, tools and scalability across PC, console, mobile, Web and VR.

Visit unrealengine.com to access Unreal Engine 4, and follow @UnrealEngine for updates.

Dying Light Interactive Trailer Released

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December 17th, 2014 – Warsaw, Poland/ All players looking forward to Dying Light can now get a taste of the zombie-infested quarantine zone in “Test Your Survival Skills” – an interactive video based on actual Dying Light gameplay. This non-linear video lets you choose your own path through a mission that showcases the multitude of possibilities available in the open world of Dying Light. As a bonus, along the way you can unlock original artworks and thus discover curious details about in-game mechanics and enemies. Try multiple playthroughs to see the range of choices and strategies that you can use, and start to get a grasp on how best to survive the dangers of the zombie quarantine zone.

The interactive video is available in English and supports French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish subtitles. N.B. The video was made to interacted with on desktop PCs and is unfortunately not mobile friendly.

Dying Light’s “Test Your Survival Skills” Interactive Video can be played at the game’s official YouTube channel:

In Dying Light, players will assume the role of Kyle Crane, an undercover operative sent to infiltrate the quarantine zone on a mission that is communicated as necessary and clear in moral intention, yet in reality raises profound questions – as shown in the latest Story Trailer.

Dying Light is coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the PC, and is scheduled for release in 2015 on January 27th in the Americas, January 28th in Asia, Australia and New Zealand, and January 30th in Europe.

Command: Modern Air/Naval Operations Gets New Update

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Arlington, VT, December 17, 2014 — In the spirit of the coming Christmas holidays, the restless developers at WarfareSims have unleashed an Arc-Light strike with a new huge free update for Command: Modern Air/Naval Operations, continuing their support to this deep military simulation. With this update, the players have been given some great tools to keep them occupied during the winter! Command: Modern Air/Naval Operations was already lauded for its technical accuracy, attention to detail, gameplay flexibility and its powerful integrated editor and version 1.06 really takes it to the next level.

The new update brings two great boons to airwar enthusiasts, and an a-bomb for modders and scenario creators.

Surge and Quick-Turnaround air operations allow players to faithfully recreate the frantic tempo of historical operations like the Six-Day War or the first nights of Desert Storm (or apply the same sortie rates on their own hypothetical conflicts), while also having to deal with the inevitable punishing wear and tear on both crews and airframes that this relentless pace enforces. The faithful depiction of the critical choice between sustained or “surge” rates is a first for any unclassified strategy/wargaming title on the market and pushes Command into the arena of hardcore flight simulators.

At the same time, customizable unit-level proficiency settings allow scenario creators to model both hard-seasoned eagles and green nuggets on the same side, even down to the same squadron. The effects of unit proficiency are also even more amplified than before, and veteran or ace operators now have decisive advantages over their less experienced counterparts. So now not only do you have to manage and favorably arrange the hardware, but the people too. How do you know your crews are entering battle with a vastly more proficient enemy? Maybe your briefing will tell you…. or maybe you’ll find out the hard way.

The third, and perhaps the most far-reaching improvement is the integration of the popular Lua scripting language right into the scenario editor, allowing unprecedented (indeed, undreamed of) levels of editing power and flexibility! Amongst other things, the use of Lua scripting allows players to write their own mission scripts, swap units between missions, place new units on either specific or random locations, set a wide range of unit properties, change the Doctrine/RoE settings during the course of the scenario as response to events happening (or not), and much more.

Of course there is a lot more to this update, including interface, AI & mechanics improvements and gameplay additions. The list here is so long, that the document containing the full list of changes is over 53(!) pages long.

All combined, these updates takes some of the features of Command that players love the most – such as attention to realism, vast amount of detail and the freedom to set up scenarios as you wish – and took them to the next level. All of this means that version 1.06 marks another key point in the continues improvement of Command: Modern Air/Naval Operations.

Check the full list of changes by reading the pdf file online.

Get more information on Command: Modern Air/Naval Operations from its official product page.

Life is Strange Trailer and Release Date

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LONDON – December 17, 2014 Square Enix and DONTNOD Entertainment today announced the release date of the brand new, episodic, narrative driven adventure game LIFE IS STRANGE™ that is coming to the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC.

Episode 1 of a 5 part series will be released on all platforms on January 30, 2015 and each episode will cost $4.99. Players can alternatively purchase the entire season* for $19.99. The PC version will be available for pre-purchase starting today.

Content Price
Life is Strange Episode 1 $4.99
Life is Strange Season Pass (Episodes 2-5) $16.99
Life is Strange Complete Season (Episodes 1-5) $19.99

 

Knott’s Berry Farm Rings in the New Year

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BUENA PARK, CA – The countdown to the New Year is on at Knott’s Merry Farm! With special fireworks, live entertainment, and extended hours, plus Knott’s signature rides and attractions, Knott’s New Year’s Eve celebration is the place for you and your family to ring in 2015.

Special one-night-only entertainment serves up family fun for a variety of ages and interests, including a family friendly comedian, salsa dancing and more! Count down the New Year with festive music, party hats, noisemakers, friends and family. Knott’s Sky Cabin, towering over 200 ft. in the air, will dramatically rise to the top of the “K” tower as special lighting effects help countdown the final moments of 2014. When the cabin reaches the top at the stroke of midnight both the “K” tower and skies above Knott’s will be ablaze with colorful fireworks!

There’s live entertainment everywhere you turn.  Adding to the line-up of can’t miss performers are:

·         Krazy Kirk & The Hillbillies!  From the deep country hills of Anaheim, these boys will have toes tappin’ hands clappin’ and guts bustin’ during the best darn musical comedy show ever performed in the historic Bird Cage Theatre.

·         The Clueless Remix is a non-stop live music adventure where old school R&B meets new school dance & hip hop. And before The Clueless Remix takes the stage, DJ Howly spins popular high energy music in the Calico Square.

·         Salsa Dancing with DJ JC invites you to show off your dance moves at Fiesta Plaza and groove to the beat of this spicy music scene that’s Hot, Hot, Hot! Snoopy will also make a special cameo and show off his paw-tastic dance moves.

·         Family friendly comedian, Adam Christing, brings his hilarious comedy, magic and fun audience interaction to Ghost Town’s Wagon Camp.

A New Year’s Eve celebration is not complete without a delicious meal, and Knott’s has just what you need. The New Year’s Eve buffet in Spurs Restaurant will be served from 4pm-9pm; prices are $26.99+tax for adults and $14.99+ tax for kids (3-11).

This New Year’s Eve, round out a full day of family fun on the Farm with Knott’s Merry Farm’s festive lineup of entertainment, delectable foods and holiday shopping! Guests won’t want to miss:

·         Merry Christmas, Snoopy! in this exciting new show filled with whimsy and spectacular skating, Snoopy enjoys all of the best parts of the season, including trimming the Christmas tree, awaiting Santa’s arrival, and attending the festive Christmas Ball!

·         When the sun sets on the Farm, the buildings and paths in Ghost Town’s Main Street will be filled with snow and glow! Thousands of sparking lights will dance to the beat of familiar holiday music while snow gently falls in this spectacular one-of-a-kind moment each night.

·         The Ghost Town and Calico Railroad will once again invite guests to celebrate Christmas on Engine 41.  Climb aboard a vintage railcar and meet an ever-changing group of Ghost Town residents eager to share their Christmas plans.

·         Another nighttime tradition at Knott’s Merry Farm is Snoopy’s Merriest Tree Lighting show on the Calico Square Stage. This whimsical tree lighting features a cast of marching toy soldiers, dancing snowmen, and America’s most famous beagle, Snoopy!

·         Over in Camp Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Linus and Lucy invite you to dance, sing and join in on the holiday fun in the live show, Lucy’s Wish List in the Camp Snoopy Theatre.

·         In the intimate setting of Ghost Town’s historic Bird Cage Theatre, catch a live performance of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol or O. Henry’s A Gift of the Magi.

·         Savor the ultimate comfort foods with Knott’s world-famous holiday treats. Santa’s Christmas Cabin serves up holiday delights like Santa’s homemade cookies, mouthwatering pastries, winter wine, craft beer, and more. Guests can also enjoy the fresh made-to-order maple lollipops in Ghost Town, churros from the Churro Factory, cakes, cookies, muffins and gingerbread men in the Farm Bakery, as well as the legendary cooking at Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant.

·         Relax and unwind in Knott’s Christmas Crafts Village, as Ghost Town transforms into a shopping wonderland filled with dozens of local artisans selling their unique gifts. Can’t-miss highlights of the Village include powerful chainsaw sculpting and elegant glass blowing demonstrations.               

            Knott’s New Year’s Eve Celebration is included with regular daytime admission.  Park hours on New Year’s Eve are 10am to 1am. A 2015 Knott’s Season Pass is a great way to visit on New Year’s Eve.  2015 passes offer a year of family fun and includes one free visit in 2014, including the New Year’s event.

And for a limited time, Season Passes can be purchased online starting at $79.50 or six easy installment payments of just $13.25 until January 4, 2015. To purchase Season Passes or tickets, or for more information about Knott’s Berry Farm, visit www.knotts.com or download the Knott’s mobile app for your smartphone today.  And join the conversation using #KnottsNYE.

Saitek Branded Farming Simulator Peripherals Announced

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San Diego – December 16, 2014 – Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. (“Mad Catz”) (NYSE MKT/ TSX: MCZ) announced today that it has teamed up with GIANTS Software to develop official, licensed simulation products for the Farming Simulator series of games on PC.  The products will be compatible with Farming Simulator 2013 and 2015 as well as subsequent versions of the popular series.

The new range of hardware is expected to ship in time for Holiday 2015 and will be released under the Company’s Saitek simulation brand.

“Mad Catz’ Saitek brand has long been the market leader in developing peripherals for flight simulation and is synonymous with precision and quality.  We are excited to bring the same level of engineering and realism to the farming simulator genre.  GIANTS Software has created a much loved simulation that has a loyal and passionate fan base.  Mad Catz is confident that the farming simulator community will embrace Saitek hardware, which we believe will bring an added dimension of realism and immersion to farming simulation,” said Darren Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz. “We are focused on expanding the range and reach of our Saitek brand and working alongside GIANTS is a positive step in that direction.”

Farming Simulator has been a runaway success for GIANTS and is now the best-selling simulation game in the world”, said Christian Ammann from GIANTS Software. “We are excited to partner with Mad Catz on the creation of dedicated peripherals for Farming Simulator”.

For additional information please visit: http://www.saitek.com/farmsim/

Loadout: Going in Hot Now Live on Machinima

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December 16, 2014 — Wayside Creations, the creator of some of the most popular live-action shorts based on the world’s most popular video game franchises including Fallout: Nuka Break and Fallout: Red Star – has announced that its latest adaptation, Loadout: Going In Hot, is now live on Machinima Prime. Featuring a strong ensemble cast – headlined by Richard Hatch (BattlestarGalactica, All My Children) as Captain Gaz – Loadout: Going In Hot is inspired by the popular third-person shooter that was created, developed, and released by Edge of Reality. Introducing viewers to Captain Gaz and his loyal crew of the HMS, the new sci-fi short deliver to viewers the same excitement, absurdity and key gameplay elements featured in the video game.

Directed by Vincent Talenti (Red Star, Fallout: Nuka Break) and also starring Bonnie Bower (Fallout: Nuka Break, Escape), Matt Mercer (Attack On Titan, Iron Man: Rise of Technovore), Jon Enge (Mars Rising Films). Becca Hardy (Off-Season), and Circus-Szalewski (Fallout: Nuka Break, Conan O’Brien) Loadout: Going In Hot will debut on Machinima Prime on December 17.