Author - Jerry Paxton

Ancient Space Announced with Trailer

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STOCKHOLM — August 21, 2014 — Paradox Interactive today revealed that Ancient Space, a new story-driven real-time strategy (RTS) game from developer CreativeForge Games, will be coming to Windows and Mac PCs in Fall 2014.

Ancient Space is a single-player, real-time strategy title that puts the player in command of a fleet conducting a scientific mission on the edge of the known universe, charting what lies beyond in ‘The Black Zone.’ A rich and compelling story will guide the player as they build and upgrade their fleets and then survive overwhelming odds in deadly strategic missions.

See what awaits beyond the fringes in the Ancient Space announcement trailer:

Ancient Space mixes an engrossing single-player campaign story with time-honored RTS gameplay for a suspenseful experience. Mission objectives are many, varying from exploration to stealth, from assault to defense and more.

Ancient Space is host to a cast of characters voiced by fan-favorite actors from sci-fi television series and films, including:

  • John Billingsley (Star Trek: Enterprise, True Blood)
  • Aaron Douglas (Battlestar Galactica)
  • Ron Glass (Firefly)
  • Richard Gunn (Dark Angel)
  • Dina Meyer (Starship Troopers, Star Trek: Nemesis, Saw)
  • Dwight Schultz (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager)

Ancient Space Features:

  • New Frontiers, Classic Gameplay: Build, maintain, upgrade, and strategically command a multitude of ships in tactical battles and missions, facing aliens, pirates, and the unknown
  • An Explosive Space Opera: A compelling story, performed by a stellar cast, follows the player as the fleet tackles questions of humanity and science in an epic single-player campaign
  • Live with Your Choices: Each mission advances the plot, and introduces new challenges to be met by choosing the right crew and the right upgrades for the job

For more information on Ancient Space, visit www.ancientspacegame.com

InnoGames Rising Generals Starts Closed Beta Testing

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Hamburg, August 20 — InnoGames continues their successful franchise with the start of the close beta for their highly anticipated game: Rising Generals. Today, a considerable number of pre-registered players will be able to access and take part of real-time battles for the first time. People should check their emails for beta-keys and activate them through beta.risingenerals.com. The German-game developer will also be allowing access to the beta through various social media pages and lotteries for entries. Additionally, players who have not pre-registered yet can do so now atwww.risinggenerals.com to have a chance to get a key. Although the pre-release phase will start with a moderate number of players in the browser version, more players will be allowed gradually while the mobile versions of the game are released in the future.

Rising Generals is a PvP (player versus player) oriented strategy MMO with a Modern Warfare setting. The game is designed for short but intense gaming sessions with a high action focus. There will be no run times for example, but attacks will be executed immediately. Strategic minds have several options to plan them: More than 20 different units from heavy tanks and infantry to helicopters and warplanes have to be chosen and well matched. The game worlds of Rising Generals will have space for up to 40,000 players who can band together in so-called Battle Groups and fight for predominance. Unlockable technologies as well as officers and generals provide helpful bonuses and perks. Real-time 3D animations give each battle a unique feeling and will also provide valuable information about the course of the battle.

To create Rising Generals, InnoGames was supported by game design legend Bruce Shelley, known for his work on Civilization and the Age of Empires series. Shelley worked several months with the team during development and spent time in InnoGames’ Hamburg offices.

With 130 million registered players, InnoGames is one of the world’s leading developers and providers of online games. The Hamburg-based company employs 340 professionals from 25 nations. InnoGames has scored major success with games such as Tribal WarsGrepolis and Forge of Empires.

Trials Fusion Empire of the Sky Launch Trailer

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA  – August 20, 2014 – Today, Ubisoft released Empire of the Sky, the second of six planned downloadable content packs for Trials Fusion™. Available now for Season Pass holders and $4.99 for players without the Season Pass, Empire of the Sky brings new tracks, challenges, editor objects and achievements to Trials Fusion.

After exploring the wastelands in Riders of the Rustlands, Empire of the Sky takes players to new heights. Ride through the floating islands of the privileged, who lead their lives blissfully unaware of the problems of the lands below. Sheltered in their dome of ultra-comfort, these citizens reside in a utopia that hides its own secrets to be unveiled.

Nine new tracks have been added, consisting of single player tracks, along with one Supercross track, one Skill Game, and one FMX track. In addition, there are 18 new Track Challenges, including secret locations and mini-games. Track editors also have dozens of new objects at their disposal including anti-gravity technology, force fields, and floating platforms to help create the track of their dreams.

The Season Pass is still available for purchase for $19.99. Players will receive Empire of the Sky and Riders of the Rustlands today and all future DLC at no additional cost. The final four pieces of DLC will be released by May 2015.

Developed by RedLynx in collaboration with Ubisoft Shanghai and Ubisoft Kiev, Trials Fusion has sold over one million copies and offers players an unlimited array of obstacles and challenges as they race against the clock to set track records.

For the latest information on Trials Fusion, please visit: www.trialsgame.com.

For the latest on all of Ubisoft’s games, please visit ubiblog.com

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ESL One Counter Strike: Global Offensive Viewership Record Broken

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(Cologne, Germany) August 20, 2014 – The world’s largest independent eSports brand, ESL, broke industry records once again with its world class ESL One product. Hosted at gamescom, ESL One Cologne 2014 saw the best Counter Strike: Global Offensive teams from all over the world compete for US$250,000 in community-funded prize money as a peak online concurrent viewership (both in-game and on Twitch) of 409,368 watched the action unfold.

‘Pure’ spectator viewership on leading streaming platform, Twitch, was reported to be an astounding 343,638 peak concurrent. This sees the previous record from March this year beaten by over 153% for an event that had Counter Strike: Global Offensive become the ‘most watched’ game on Twitch throughout the majority of its duration.

“It’s amazing to see the growth of Counter Strike: Global Offensive in the eSports community. Just five months after ESL One Katowice, we see ESL One Cologne 2014 break our previous record by an amazing 161%,” said Ulrich Schulze, Managing Director Pro Gaming at ESL. “We had over ten million sessions and were just shy of three million unique viewers for ESL One Cologne 2014. It’s absolutely amazing to see and we’re all very excited to get back to work and see where we can take Counter Strike: Global Offensive next.”

The tournament, which ran from Thursday (14th August) to Sunday (17th August) crowned Ninjas in Pyjamas champions of ESL One Cologne 2014 after a grueling week of intense competition. An astounding 856 years of content were watched over the span of just four days. – In case you missed out on any of the action, more information can be found at www.esl-one.com and www.eslgaming.com.

Halloween Horror Nights Tickets Now On Sale

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Universal City, CA, August 19, 2014Tickets are now on sale for “Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood as Southern California’s leading Halloween event becomes “More Dead Than Ever,” expanding to 22 select nights with more mazes than ever, from FridaySeptember 19 through Sunday, November 2, 2014.

Tickets to this year’s event are available for purchase at www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com/hollywood, including a Front of Line ticket option that enables guests to enjoy priority access at each “Halloween Horror Nights” maze, Terror Tram and theme park attraction.  Advance purchase is recommended as event nights will sell out.

“As the movie studio that invented the horror film genre, we hold ourselves to a very high standard in producing the best and most terrifying Halloween experience,” said John Murdy, Creative Director at Universal Studios Hollywood and Executive Producer of “Halloween Horror Nights.”  “Our ongoing collaboration with today’s most influential filmmakers and musicians, and movie and television horror properties, contributes to the authenticity of ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ and delivers one of the scariest, most compelling experiences anywhere.  This year will be ‘More Dead Than Ever’ with more event nights and even more mazes, and we can’t wait.”

Halloween Horror Nights” 2014 will feature a slate of all-new haunted attractions including, “The Walking Dead: The End of the Line,” inspired by Season 4 of AMC’s Golden Globe®-nominated and Emmy® Award-winning TV series. The bone-chilling maze will place guests at the heart of a harrowing journey to seek sanctuary at Terminus, an elusive destination that promises community for all.  Mirroring the terror that befell the residents of the West Georgia Correctional Facility, now overrun by savage walkers, the experience will send guests fleeing from the fallen prison into unknown territory as they stage a desperate battle for survival against flesh-eating walkers and ruthless humans.

The engrossing television series will seep into other parts of Universal’s backlot with predatory walkers prowling the secluded wooded areas of the movie studio. “Terror Tram:  Invaded by the Walking Dead” will take guests down the daunting path to Terminus, interspersed with landmarks and walkers from Season 4, including the “burned moonshine cabin,” “charred walkers” and “mud walkers.”

Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez’s cult film and El Rey network’s acclaimed supernatural TV series, “From Dusk Till Dawn,” will debut at this year’s event in a new maze designed to thrust guests into its deviant world where they will encounter sordid mythological creatures known as “Culebras,” serpent-like vampires who have tormented the Earth for centuries.

Celebrated Grammy® Award-winning musician, SLASH, hailed as one of the 10 best electric guitar players of all time by Time magazine, is joining forces with Universal Studios Hollywood to compose the first-ever original score for the theme park’s hypnotizing new 3D maze, “Clowns 3D Music by SLASH.”

Other marquee mazes will include, “Dracula Untold:  Reign of Blood,” a terrifying new haunted attraction based on Universal Pictures’ upcoming epic action-adventure; “AVP: Alien vs. Predator,” bringing together the most deadly species spawned from two blockbuster films; “An American Werewolf in London,” inspired by Universal Pictures’ Academy Award®-winning film, and “Face Off:  In the Flesh,” featuring gruesome characters from Syfy’s hit TV series.

A series of unnerving scare zones will also infiltrate “Halloween Horror Nights,” terrorizing guests as they navigate the darkness from one terrifying maze to another, beginning with “The Purge:  Anarchy,” inspired by Universal Pictures’ disturbing blockbuster thriller. “The Walking Dead: Welcome to Terminus” will awaken swarms of predatory walkers in a gruesome scare zone situated adjacent to the new “The Walking Dead” maze.

Additional scare zones will include, “Mask-a-Raid,” featuring hordes of blood thirsty cannibals masquerading as French aristocrats; “Dark Christmas,” a Pagan-themed area where demonic creatures hunt disobedient children and drag them to hell; and “Skullz,” based on the Native American legend of Wendigo, a malevolent supernatural half-beast monster with an insatiable appetite for human flesh.

As a complement to the nighttime event, Universal’s most popular rides and attractions will also be open to guests, including” Transformers:  The Ride-3D,” “Jurassic Park—In the Dark,” “The Simpsons Ride” and “Revenge of the Mummy—The Ride.”

Updates on “Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood are available online at HalloweenHorrorNights.com/Hollywood and on Facebook at: “Halloween Horror Nights – Hollywood,” on Instagram at @HorrorNights and Twitter at @HorrorNights as Creative Director John Murdy reveals a running chronicle of exclusive information. Watch videos on Halloween Horror Nights YouTube and join the conversation using #UniversalHHN.

Halloween Horror Nights” dates are as follows: September 19, 20, 26, 27, October 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31, and November 1, 2, 2014.

Universal Studios Hollywood, The Entertainment Capital of L.A., includes a full-day, movie-based theme park and Studio Tour; the Universal CityWalk entertainment, shopping and dining complex, the Universal CityWalk Cinemas and the “5 Towers” state-of-the-art outdoor concert venue.  World-class rides and attractions include the all new 3D Ultra-HD movie motion-simulator adventure, “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and “Super Silly Fun Land,” the intense, award-winning ride, “King Kong 360 3D” on the famed behind-the-scenes Studio Tour, the critically-acclaimed mega-attraction, “Transformers™:  The Ride-3D,” “The Simpsons RideTM,” “Revenge of the MummySM—The Ride” and “Jurassic Park® —The Ride.”

Ghost Adventures Season 10 Details

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CHEVY CHASE, MD (August 19, 2014) – Get ready to lockdown your October. Zak Bagans, Nick Groff and Aaron Goodwin – the seasoned experts who have become synonymous with paranormal investigations – return for a brand-new season of Travel Channel’s “Ghost Adventures” on Saturday, October 4 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. This season launches with lockdown investigations in five iconic locations airing throughout the month of October, including a two-hour Halloween special which investigates the ancient Celtic demons that make up the country’s haunted Halloween history. Season ten is comprised of thirteen hour-long episodes and one two-hour special.

“We’re going big this season,” said Zak Bagans, lead investigator. “From the massive Queen Mary ship in California to Ireland’s Leap Castle and Mexico’s Island of the Dolls, each location is embedded with layers of paranormal activity to explore. As Nick, Aaron and I dig deeper to capture compelling evidence, we’re instituting a variety of new investigation tactics, experiments and equipment.”

In the season premiere, the investigative trio climb aboard the legendary ocean liner Queen Mary, now permanently docked in Long Beach, Calif. and considered to be one of the most haunted places in the world. Not long after the ship’s maiden voyage in 1936, it was put into military service. Tragedy surrounded the ship – nicknamed the “Gray Ghost” – until 1967 when it dropped anchor for good and became a hotel, still in operation today. Weighing more than 81,000 tons and over three football fields in length, the Queen Mary’s haunted history is as large and looming as the ship itself. With reports of multiple apparitions and voices – including that of a former crewman and little girl – the trio prepares for a powerful investigation. They first conduct a séance to channel the spirit of world renowned psychic and paranormal pioneer Peter James, who used the ship as basecamp for his studies and captured EVPs (electronic voice phenomena) of the little girl named “Jackie.”  Inviting EVP specialist Debbie Constantino on the lockdown, the team splits up to investigate the massive ship and are immediately confronted with disembodied voices, intelligent responses, light anomalies and a figure that will give chills to even the greatest of skeptics.

Additional locations featured this season include:

  • Lemp Mansion (St. Louis, Mo.) – Saturday, October 11 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT

Lemp Mansion has been voted one of the top ten most haunted locations in America.  This house holds the ghosts of a dynastic family whose members went from rags to riches to madness and horrible death.

  • Zozo Demon (Oklahoma City, Okla.) – Saturday, October 18 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT

Darren Evens claims a terrifying demon named “Zozo” entered his life through a Ouija board at his Hudson Avenue home in Oklahoma City. Seemingly a global phenomenon, “Zozo” has made Evens life so unbearable that he fled the home and hasn’t been back since.

  • Island of the Dolls (Xochimico, Mexico)– Saturday, October 25 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT

Near the dark and creepy canals of Xochimico, Mexico sits what might be the world’s strangest and scariest tourist attraction: the Island of the Dolls (Isla de las Munecas), also home to a sinister – and haunted – mystery.

  • Ireland: Celtic Demons – Leap Castle, Hell Fire Club, Loftus Hall (Ireland) –

Friday, October 31 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (Two-Hour Halloween Special)

The roots of Halloween date back to 500 B.C. in the world’s Celtic region. Rich with haunted history, Ireland’s Leap Castle, Hell Fire Club and Loftus Hall are still believed to be infested by vengeful ghosts, banshees and other satanic elements.

“Ghost Adventures” is produced by My Tupelo Entertainment for Travel Channel.  For My Tupelo, the executive producers are Michael Yudin, Joe Townley, Zak Bagans and Nick Groff.  For Travel Channel, the executive producer is Daniel A. Schwartz.

STEP INSIDE THE “GHOST ADVENTURES FAN LAIR” ON TRAVELCHANNEL.COM

Get more “Ghost Adventures” at TravelChannel.com (www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/ghost-adventures). The “Ghost Adventures Fan Lair” returns September 26th – interact with fellow fans, explore fan photos on the ‘haunted’ Instagram wall, catch up on the latest “Ghost Adventures” chatter via a Facebook and Twitter stream, and more.  On Friday, October 31, TravelChannel.com will host a Google Hangout with Aaron Goodwin and Jeff Belanger (“Ghost Adventures” researcher, author and paranormal expert) immediately following the two-hour Halloween special. Additional web elements includes video extras from each episode, photos, video blogs, travel guides for each location – including Ireland’s iconic and haunted locations, the most haunted places in the world, a ‘Which GA Guy Are You?’ quiz, full length episodes and more. Check out “Ghost Adventures” on Tumblr and Facebook and follow@GhostAdventures and #GhostAdventures on Twitter for more exclusive updates and content.

TRAVEL CHANNEL (http://www.travelchannel.com) is a multiplatform travel lifestyle brand with the core mission of providing inspiring and compelling programming that takes viewers beyond their everyday destinations, making the unfamiliar familiar, whether it’s around the world or around the block.  A dual feed network that is also available in HD, Travel Channel is the world’s leading travel media brand, and is available in over 94 million U.S. cable homes.  Owned and operated by Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), Travel Channel has offices in Chevy Chase, MD, and New York, NY.  Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI) also owns and operates HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Cooking Channel and Great American Country.

Razer Announces BlackWidow Ultimate Stealth CLG Edition

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CARLSBAD, Calif. – Razer™, a world leader in connected devices and software for gamers, along with Counter Logic Gaming (CLG), a longtime eSports partner and premier North American organization, announced the launch of the new Counter Logic Gaming Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Stealth keyboard.

The CLG BlackWidow Ultimate Stealth gaming keyboard continues to give CLG players and fans a customized gaming setup. Late last year, Razer unveiled a limited edition CLG version of its best-selling DeathAdder mouse in the team’s iconic black and white colors. The new keyboard is wrapped in a familiar finish. The team’s logo is imprinted onto a unique two-tone black and white body and the keys are illuminated in CLG’s white coloring.

“CLG is one of the driving forces behind the explosive growth of professional gaming in North America and the world,” says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder and CEO. “The new CLG BlackWidow Ultimate Stealth keyboard features the only unobtrusive mechanical switch that was specifically designed for gaming.”

While traditional mechanical switches were originally designed for typing, the all-new Razer Mechanical Switches have been designed and engineered from the ground up for gaming. After extensive research, Razer’s multi-award winning engineers identified the optimal actuation distance for a gaming switch to a fraction of a millimeter and reduced the distance between the actuation and reset point by almost half to allow for faster, more precise gaming commands when compared to standard mechanical switches. Furthermore, the all-new Razer Mechanical Switches are made using an ultra-precise manufacturing technique that, along with gold plated contact points, result in a projected lifespan of up to 60 million key strokes.

These switches were tested extensively by the world’s most demanding eSports athletes from Team Razer, including CLG pros, who validated the new Razer Mechanical Switch in some of the most intense professional gaming tournaments.

“We’re really happy to be working with Razer, a company that pioneered the gaming peripheral category, on our custom-branded gear for our players and fans,” says George “HotshotGG” Georgallidis, CLG co-founder and President. “We’re proud to extend our ongoing partnership that will result in giving our players and fans the best gaming gear on the planet.”

Razer made history with eSports legends since the early days of eSports and has been integral to the growth and development of the competitive electronic gaming generally. The brand’s work has leading the way in partnerships, business development and product evaluation in the gaming industry. For more information on Team Razer and its elite eSports athletes, visit http://www.razerzone.com/team

Razer’s reputation in the gaming space has led to licensed products along the lines of CLG’s range of peripherals. Game publishers and eSports organizations alike are using Razer’s award-winning technology. For more information, check outhttp://www.razerzone.com/licensed-and-team-peripherals.

Price:  USA: $149.99/EUR: €149.99

Availability: Immediate

Product features:

  •  Razer™ Mechanical Switches with 45 g actuation force
  •  Up to 60 million keystroke life span
  •  Individually backlit keys
  •  10 key roll-over anti-ghosting
  •  Fully programmable keys with on-the-fly macro recording
  •  5 additional dedicated macro keys
  •  Gaming mode option
  •  Audio-out / mic-in jacks
  •  USB pass–through
  •  1000 Hz Ultrapolling
  •  Razer Synapse enabled
  •  Braided fiber cable
  •  Approximate size: 475 mm / 18.72 in.