We dedicate today to the memory of the great actor, entertainer, and artist: Leonard Nimoy. Best known as Star Trek’s “Spock”, Nimoy passed away at his Bel-Air home this morning at 83 years old.
His wife, Susan Bay Nimoy, confirmed his passing was caused by a battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which he was diagnosed with last year. Earlier this week, Nimoy was hospitalized after having chest pains.
Nimoy’s career spanned over six decades and he was an artist in the truest sense of the word. He explored a multitude of mediums such as music, poetry, photography, and even writing.
Even at his elder status, Nimoy took to social media, interactive with his friends and fans. This was his last tweet, from February 23, 2015:
A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP
LOS ANGELES (Feb. 26, 2015) – With the launch of FINAL FANTASY TYPE-0™ HD less than a month away , SQUARE ENIX® today released a new gameplay overview trailer featuring:
· The history and environments of the war-torn Kingdom of Orience;
· The fourteen brave young warriors of Class Zero;
· The action-packed battle system, with customizable magic spells; and
· The ability to summon fearsome monsters known as Eidolons.
FINAL FANTASY TYPE-0 HD offers a new type of FINAL FANTASY® experience that will captivate a new generation of players as well as long-time fans.
SQUARE ENIX also confirmed that a secret movie will be included in the game. The mystery-shrouded movie can be unlocked when a player meets certain requirements of the game.
Paradox Interactive has released a new video dev diary for their upcoming Cities: Skylines, showing off what the developer calls a “Commitment to Modding”. Cities: Skylines is due out on PC, Mac and Linux on March 10th.
SAN JOSE, Calif., (February 25, 2015) – BANDAI NAMCO Games America Inc. and developer Milestone s.r.l., have announced that the physical retail version of RIDE, a complete motorcycle racing simulator, will be available at retailers across North America on May 19, 2015 on the Xbox One all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system. Racers who pre-order the title through participating retailers will receive the Iconic Pack downloadable content (DLC) that contains three historic motorcycles from Yamaha’s iconic line of motorbikes. In addition, gamers who pre-order through GameStop will also receive an exclusive set of downloadable content (DLC), the High Performance Pack that includes five high performance Yamaha motorcycles.
The Iconic DLC Pack includes the Yamaha TZF-R7, and two versions of the YZF-R1. This trio of vehicles represents some of the most recognizable Yamahas in the company lineup, and date back to the late 90s and early ‘00s. The R7 (1998) was designed to dominate in 750 cc competitions, only 500 units were produced. The R1 (1998) was conceived as a bike that would perfectly balance the performance of a 1,000 cc bike with the lightness and maneuverability of a 600 cc vehicle. The R1 (2002) was developed under the supervision of Kunihiko Miwa and was a major revision to improve the handling and to bring a more exhilarating riding experience.
The GameStop exclusive High Performance DLC Pack includes the Yamaha YZF-R1, YZF-R1M and three versions of the YZF-R6. The YZF-R1 was designed without compromise to offer amazing performance, unprecedented control and technology; it was created to compete in the grueling MotoGP competition. The YZF-R1M is a limited edition superbike that boasts the most evolved performance on the racetrack in its segment. The YZF-R6 was forged on the international racing circuits, utilizing technology derived from MotoGP.
From the grease of the garage to the sight of burning rubber on the racetrack, RIDE offers motorcycle enthusiasts and gamers alike a complete racing experience as players take on four different categories of racing – more than 100 Superbikes, Supersports, Naked, and Historical bikes. The title offers extensive vehicle and rider customization, presenting gamers with a vast array of options to keep gameplay fresh and exhilarating through a huge selection of circuits that range from city, country, and historic tracks from the world of motorcycling.
“With RIDE’s bonus DLC offered through GameStop and participating retailers, bikers can hit the ground running with some of the most powerful bikes in the racing world,” said Chris Gilbert, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at BANDAI NAMCO Games America Inc. “Come May 19th, I look forward to letting those pistons fire, and seeing fellow racers in my rearview.”
For more information on BANDAI NAMCO Games America Inc. game titles and products, please visit http://bandainamcogames.com.
Kenilworth, New Jersey – February 25, 2015 – MAINGEAR, an award-winning PC system integrator of custom gaming desktops, notebooks, and workstations, showcases a pixel-obliterating lineup of gaming desktops during PAX East, including the Epic FORCE SS, Powerful SHIFT and a brand new living room gaming desktop.
From March 6th to 8th at locations throughout the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, gamers can marvel on the epitome in customizable gaming PCs and admire the unmatched craftsmanship of MAINGEAR’s desktops. Systems on display include the Epic FORCE SS at Intel’s booth; the Powerful SHIFT, Classic F131 and the brand new living room gaming desktop at PNY’s booth; the SHIFT at Gigabyte’s booth, and the ultra-compact XCUBE at EVGA’s booth.
Powered by the latest in cutting-edge gaming technology, including NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX™ 980 GPU, MAINGEAR’s brand new living room gaming desktop delivers a superb performance that rivals full-sized desktops in a console-sized unit.
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment have released a new trailer for the upcoming Batman: Arkham Knight titled ‘Gotham is Mine’. Batman: Arkham Knight is due out on June 2, 2015.
February 25, 2015 — Wargaming today announced the release of Update 1.7 for the mobile and tablet hit World of Tanks Blitz. Now available for players on iOS and Android, this update introduces the second branch of U.S. tank destroyers, bringing seven new vehicles to the game.
The majority of newly-added tank destroyers are highly agile vehicles, far more flexible and maneuverable than traditional turret-less models of the same class. Above average offensive capabilities make them a deadly opponent at any tier, while huge main guns allow them to pierce a wide range of enemy tanks.
Players have many iconic vehicles at their disposal, including the Tier 6 Hellcat that has excellent gun depression and view range; the Tier 10 T110E4 has great alpha-damage capabilities; and the ?8?1 that has a superior aim time to other tank destroyers of its tier, as well as a compact body.
(MOSCOW, RUSSIAN FEDERATION) — February 25th, 2015 — Gaijin Entertainment today announced that Update 1.47, titled “Big Guns”, for the award-winning MMO WWII online game War Thunder is now live. Now War Thunder’s eight million players worldwide have access to a slew of new and improved features, including map improvements, graphical enhancements and additional armored vehicles and aircraft. To see the full list of new improvements and features, check out the official patch notes: http://warthunder.com/en/game/changelog/current/414
The name Big Guns signifies the arrival of the biggest vehicles from WWII to War Thunder: the formidable bomber B29 Superfortress, with a wingspan larger than some modern airliners, and the super-heavy tank, Pz.Kpfw.VIII Maus, which weighed an incredible 188 tons. Additionally, the USSR gets the early version of the legendary Il-2 Sturmovik, which has the most detailed armor modelling (30 individual components) on any plane in a flight simulation to date and sets the new standard for future aircraft in War Thunder.
Overall, 14 new planes and tanks join the War Thunder arsenal. Moreover, with Beta-testing for the American tank line-up now complete, all players can use more than 30 US WWII tanks in high intensity battles.
War Thunder ground battles become even more realistic with the addition of different terrains. Now tanks move faster over roads, but drift more and slow down when they hit mud or soil. Adding even more realism, the tanks actually slow down and start to chew up the earth, carving deep grooves in the tank’s path, and of course, this off-road driving affects the vehicles’ appearance, leaving them covered in dirt and dust. Tank warfare becomes hyper-tactical, as the straightest route is not necessarily the fastest one!
Update 1.47 also sees the implementation of in-game items, which players can obtain in a number of ways, including daily login bonuses, special gifts, winning battles and through the in-game store. Players can use them immediately or store them for future use. Examples include boosters for research points for individual players or for the whole team, discounts for particular vehicles, chances to get premium planes or tanks and much more. Wagers are special items that allow players to set some conditions (e.g. several victories in the row) and get a huge reward if they succeed.
Of course, this is not the complete list of new features that Update 1.47 “Big Guns” yields, as there are binocular views and driver cameras for more realistic tank game modes, operable canopies for aircraft, night-lights and contrails for planes and improved performance and graphics quality for low-end PCs. For more details, and to view the complete list of new and improved features, please check the developers’ blog and patch notes.
(Los Angeles, CA) February 24, 2015 – ESL, the world’s largest esports company, today announced $1 million dollars in prize money is being allocated for its ESL One Dota 2 tournament series with minimum prize pools of $250,000 for each event. With this base increase, ESL will have quadrupled its 2014 investments into ESL One Dota 2. This investment begins in June and will take place within the 12 months to follow, setting a new standard for independent events.
“We’re starting with ESL One Frankfurt 2015 in June this year, where the prize money has been raised from $150,000 to $250,000 – and this is just the beginning,” said Ulrich Schulze, Managing Director of Pro Gaming at ESL. “ESL One is here to set a new standard for professional Dota 2 events at this level. We’re dedicated to pushing the boundaries, and giving players from around the world more chances to make their careers as professional gamers is a key aspect of that.”
The event series, which debuted last year in Frankfurt at Commerzbank-Arena and at Madison Square Garden in New York with Dota 2, will continue to take place at iconic stadiums and arenas from around the world this year.
To ensure a global presence, the events will continue to be broadcast live on Twitch, ESL’s broadcasting partner and the world’s leading social video platform and community for gamers.
