Author - Jerry Paxton

Sine Mora Gets Release Date, New Trailer

Budapest, Hungary – February 27 – Sine Mora, the highly-anticipated shmup from Digital Reality and Grasshopper Manufacture coming exclusively to Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, will be heading to XBLA gamers everywhere on March 21, 2012 for 1,200 Microsoft Points.

Trailer

Robert Griffin III is NCAA Football 13 Cover Athlete

Redwood City, Calif. – February 27, 2012 – Electronic Arts Inc (NASDAQ: EA) today announced Robert Griffin III, former Baylor University quarterback, will be featured on the cover of EA SPORTS™ NCAA® Football 13, set to hit retail shelves on Tuesday, July 10. In addition to RG3, a fellow Heisman Trophy winner will appear on the cover of NCAA Football 13 based on a fan vote.

Beginning March 12, fans can log on to the EA SPORTS NCAA Football Facebook page to vote for one of eight Heisman Trophy winners to accompany Griffin III on the cover of NCAA Football 13. The candidates include former University of Southern California running back Marcus Allen, former Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie, former The Ohio State University running back Eddie George, former The University of Michigan wide receiver Desmond Howard, former Oklahoma State University running back Barry Sanders, former University of Georgia running back Herschel Walker, former Florida State University quarterback Charlie Ward and former University of Houston quarterback Andre Ware.

The first student-athlete from Baylor to win the Heisman Trophy, Robert Griffin III – popularly known as “RG3”— also won the Davey O’Brien Award and was named the Associated Press College Football Player of the Year in 2011. In 2008, RG3 was named the Big 12 Conference Offensive Freshman of the Year by the league’s coaches, setting the school’s rushing yards record for a freshman and for a quarterback with 843 yards for the season.

Developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon, and licensed by The Collegiate Licensing Company, a division of IMG College, NCAA Football 13 will be available on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. NCAA Football 13 is available for pre-order now.

EA SPORTS™ is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, global videogame competitions and breakthrough digital experiences. EA SPORTS delivers experiences that ignite the emotions of sport through industry-leading sports simulation videogames, including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA basketball, NCAA® Football, Fight Night boxing, EA SPORTS MMA and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, and EA SPORTS Active.

For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com to connect, share and compete.

Nexus Conflict Announced, Beta Details

Hamburg, February 27, 2012 – Battles in space aren’t won and lost in the cockpit of a fighter ship, but on the bridge of a mighty battle cruiser! In gamigo’s new tactical real-time strategy game Nexus Conflict, players jump into the past of Black Prophecy’s universe to take command of one of these titans during the height of the Species Wars.

The battles for control of strategic regions are waged in the Nexus – a place where universes are colliding – and fought between the cybernetically optimized Tyi and the genetically perfected Genides. By completing PvP and PvE missions, players can earn improved weapons, stronger shields and other enhancements. Over the course of the game, captains will have access to ships ranging in size from an 80-meter cruiser to a massive battle titan measuring in at 1.5 kilometers in length.
The spectacle of space battle is presented by the powerful Unity 3D graphics engine, thanks to which Nexus Conflict bedazzles with astounding 3D visuals.The game, available as a client game to start with, will also be playable as a browser game in the future. Nexus Conflict is being developed by the German developer studio Limbic Entertainment.

The first beta testing phase is scheduled to start in March. Registration for closed beta testing is open on the game’s official website.

Nexus Conflict’s features at a glance:

  • Stunning graphics both as a client game and in the browser thanks to state-of-the-art Unity 3D technology!
  • Set in the well-known sci-fi universe of Black Prophecy
  • Spectacular strategic battles with gigantic battleships
  • A variety of ship classes, from small frigates to megacruisers
  • Ship system with extensive configuration options
  • Individual skill system
  • PvP, PvE and PvE Co-op missions
  • Conquering and defense of faction territories
  • Crafting system

DDO Menace of the Underdark Release Date

NEEDHAM, MA – February 27, 2012– Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Wizards of the Coast announced today Dungeons & Dragons Online®: Menace of the Underdark™, the first expansion to the award-winning free-to-play massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) will launch on June 25, 2012Players across North America and Europe can pre-purchase Menace of the Underdark to receive exclusive benefits starting today at http://www.ddo.com/underdark.

“The journey to the Forgotten Realms begins today,” said Fernando Paiz, Executive Producer of Dungeons & Dragons Online, Turbine.  “Today we introduced the Web of Chaos content update that serves as the prologue to our first foray into the Underdark which makes it a perfect time to introduce our pre-purchase program which offers very cool items that players will be able to use immediately as they prepare for the launch of Menace of the Underdark on June 25th.”

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ONLINE: MENACE OF THE UNDERDARK FEATURES:

Ø  Three New Forgotten Realms Adventure Packs — Featuring a multitude of epic adventures, unprecedented new wilderness areas with challenging objectives, a host of dungeons, and more!

o    The King’s Forest:  Explore deep into the King’s Forest and defend the village of Eveningstar from Lolth’s Drow legions.

o    The Underdark:  Venture down into the Underdark and confront Lolth’s elite followers in the Drow city of Sschindlyryn.

o    The Demonweb:  Journey to Lolth’s home plane, battle demon hordes and confront the spider goddess herself as you attempt to stop her scheme.

Ø  Attain Epic levels to 25!   — Deadly battles and high-speed action continue as your advance your character to the Epic level 25!

Ø  Introducing Epic Destinies — Attain epic enhancements as you progress through levels 20-25!

Bonus Features-Free to VIPs or with purchase of Collector’s or Standard Pre-Purchase Editions

Ø  The Druid Class:  Wield nature’s magic or transform into a powerful animal form as you play the all new shape-shifting Druid class!

Ø  Eveningstar Challenge Pack:  New challenge quests for levels 15-25!

Starting today, players can take can take advantage of three special pre-purchase offers to celebrate the release of the first major expansion to DDO:

Ø  Menace of the Underdark Base Edition – $29.99/£22.99/24,99€

Includes access to Adventure Packs and Epic Destinies, plus:

–         Lesser Tome of Learning (1 free tome per DDO game world)- Permanently increases experience earned by a character up to level 20.  Provides +25% bonus to experience for first-time quest completions and +10% boost to other earned experience points. Stacks with other experience boosts and persists through all forms of reincarnation.

–         Pre-Purchase Bonus Item

·         Demonweb Spiderling Creature Companion – A tame little spider from Lolth’s domain. Includes 3 tricks and a collar. Exclusively available with pre-purchase of Menace of the Underdark!

Ø  Menace of the Underdark Standard Edition – $49.99/£39.99/44,99€

Includes access to Adventures Packs, Epic Destinies, the Druid class and Eveningstar Challenge Pack plus:

–         Greater Tome of Learning (1 free tome per DDO game world):  Permanently increases experience earned by a character up to level 20.  Provides +50% bonus to experience for first-time quest completions and +20% boost to other earned experience points. Stacks with other experience boosts and persists through all forms of reincarnation.

–         1,000 Turbine Points

–         Veteran Status (lvl 4)

–         DDO Classics Adventure Pack bundle (Phiarlan Carnival, Attack on Stormreach, The Path of Inspiration, The Dreaming Dark)

–         Pre-Purchase Bonus Items!

o    Demonweb Spiderling Creature Companion

o    Druid’s Wolf Pup Creature Companion – A grey wolf pup as commonly seen accompanying young Druids. Includes 4 tricks and a collar. Exclusively available with pre-purchase of Menace of the Underdark.

o    Spider Cult mask cosmetic helmet- Change your helmet appearance to a mask like the one worn by Lolth’s followers in Eberron and receive a stat bonus to character skills and poison resistance!

Ø  Menace of the Underdark Collector’s Edition – $79.99/£59.99/69,99€

This limited time offer includes access to Adventures Packs, Epic Destinies, the Druid class and Eveningstar Challenge Pack plus the following items that players can begin using immediately:

–        Greater Tome of Learning  (1 free tome per DDO game world)

–        Lesser Tome of Learning for all characters (1 free tome per character – forever)

–        2,000 Turbine Points

–        Veteran Status (lvl 7)- Start a new character at level  7!

–        Veteran Status (lvl 4)-Start a new character at level 4!

–        DDO Classics Adventure Pack bundle

–        DDO Epic Classics Adventure Pack bundle (Vault of Night, The Red Fens, Sentinels Stormreach, Devil Assault)

–        Pre-Purchase Bonus Items!

o    Demonweb Spiderling Creature Companion

o    Druid’s Wolf Pup Creature Companion

o    Elite Spider Cult mask cosmetic helmet

o    Onyx Panther Cub Creature Companion – A rare dark panther cub from Faerun. Includes 4 tricks and a collar. Exclusively available with pre-purchase of Menace of the Underdark.

o    Figurine of Wondrous Power: Onyx Panther Summon this Level 20 Black Panther Hireling to assist you in Dungeon and Wilderness Adventures!  (min level 18 to use)

Players will have access to all of the bonus items including the new companions, veteran status, cosmetic helmet and Figurine of Wondrous Power and Tomes of Learning immediately after purchase. Menace of the Underdark expansion itself will be available to play on June 25, 2012. These special offers will only be available for a limited time.  For more information, please visit www.ddo.com/underdark.

Dungeons & Dragons Online®(DDO) is a free-to-play MMORPG featuring the industry’s best combat system, a massive world with state-of-the-art graphics and gameplay, and a rich set of features that until now could only be found in premium subscription-based MMOs. DDO offers an innovative pricing model that allows players to download and play for free, purchasing adventure packs, items, and account services a la carte from the new DDO Store, or to subscribe to get unlimited access to all of the game’s content. Players can download and play DDO Unlimited for free by visiting http://www.ddo.com.

Act of Valor Review (Movies)

Act of Valor, the new action flick in theaters which features active-duty U.S. Navy SEALs (apparently filmed in-between deployments), is both a salute to the men and women of the armed forces as well as an intense action movie. While its authenticity (you will NEVER see this much re-loading in any other action movie – seriously) is often times a blessing, it also acts as its biggest downfall as it utilizes soldiers, not actors, in the role as the SEALs themselves. Does this interesting mix of fact and fiction make the cut? Find out in our full review after the jump!

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BandFuse: Rock Legends Announced

Los Angeles and Campbell, CA – February 24, 2012BandFuse: Rock Legends (working title), the first authentic approach to a video game that combines the fun, challenge and exhilaration of playing the guitar, was announced today by Realta Entertainment’s CEO Stephen Gomes and Relativity’s CEO Ryan Kavanaugh. Letting gamers plug in a real guitar and casually strum along with their favorite songs or master the techniques of the world’s most iconic guitarists, BandFuse: Rock Legends gives players the chance to experience their favorite songs like never before. The game will be released in 2012 and is the first project from Realta Entertainment and Rogue, Relativity’s digital content and interactive studio.

BandFuse: Rock Legends will let gamers play along with the biggest rock songs of all time on a real guitar by using animated tablature (tabs), which will simplify music for novice musicians while allowing advanced gamers to perform songs as the original artists intended. Singers can also belt out the lyrics using a microphone to keep the party jumping with a massive collection of hit songs from today’s top bands and classic rock ‘n’ roll artists including: “Yellow” (Coldplay), “Back From Cali” (Slash), “Sweet Home Alabama” (Lynyrd Skynyrd), “Breaking the Law” (Judas Priest), “Harder to Breathe” (Maroon 5), and “The Bleeding” (Five Finger Death Punch).

Slash, one of the most-iconic, Grammy®-winning rock guitarists and songwriters of all-time, will serve as BandFuse’s master guitar instructor; getting novices jamming in minutes and helping advanced players master their instrument. In addition, a number of the world’s most accomplished Rock Legends and new artists such as Five Finger Death Punch – the hard rock band with nine-straight top ten rock singles – will also be integrated into the game to mentor players, with numerous iconic rock idols still to be announced.

Rogue also announced they have a minority stake in Realta Entertainment. Kavanaugh has been an advisor to Realta and has had a long-standing relationship with Realta’s principals. Realta will collaborate with Rogue on all aspects of BandFuse: Rock Legends, including leveraging Rogue’s social media platforms and its leading music news website ARTISTdirect.com.

Kavanaugh said, “BandFuse truly offers something for everyone – whether you’re looking for a fun pick up and play experience in your living room, or you’re a serious musician looking to put your skills to the test.” He added, “As a gamer and musician, I was sold after watching a true novice pick up the guitar and strum ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ after just a few minutes playing BandFuse.”

“The music genre is due for a shake up,” said Gomes. “BandFuse: Rock Legends is poised to change the way people think about music gaming and the guitar – we’re working to make it fun and easy for novices to jump in and enjoy a great game while giving experienced players the tools to refine their skills and discover new music. This is not another rhythm game. This is the first true music game for creation, collaboration, and competition.”

To help get beginners playing right away and give serious players depth, BandFuse: Rock Legends’ uses animated tabs to keep perfect time and display notes, fingering and guitar techniques such as bends, hammer-ons and pull-offs. Players will also have the option to slow down the music to practice challenging parts of songs. The game will feature four levels of gameplay for novice, beginners, intermediate and advanced players.

In partnership with Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC), BandFuse: Rock Legends will prominently feature the most recognized guitars and musical instrument brands in history. FMIC products such as the iconic Fender® Stratocaster® guitar, will be featured in-game and in marketing programs for the game.

BandFuse: Rock Legends is being published by Mastiff and has not yet been rated by the ESRB. For more information about BandFuse: Rock Legends, please visit the official game website at http://www.bandfuse.com.

Huey Lewis Coming to Rock Band

Harmonix has announced that three tracks from Huey Lewis and the News will be available on the Rock Band Music Store beginning on February 28th.

Available on Xbox 360, Wiiand PlayStation®3 system (February 28th, 2012):

  • Huey Lewis and the News – “Do You Believe in Love” O
  • Huey Lewis and the News– “The Heart of Rock & Roll” O
  • Huey Lewis and the News– “I Want a New Drug” X O

(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation®3 system February 29th)

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.

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

** 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™.

BitGym Virtual Active iOS App Review (iOS)

BitGym’s Virtual Active iOS app is meant to help people stay motivated and get a change of scenery while working out on various cardio machines like treadmills and stationary bikes. The app displays a high resolution video of a first-person trip through various terrain types, from routes in the Pacific Northwest to urban areas like Los Angeles. The desired effect is that you will go on a “virtual run” through these terrains without ever having to book a plane ticket. Does it work though? Find out in our review, after the break!

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Plantronics BackBeat 903+ Bluetooth Headset Review

It is not often that I get a chance to review Bluetooth headsets for mobile devices. Usually, we see headsets of the PC/console gaming variety. So, we were pleasantly surprised when Plantronics sent over one of their BackBeat 903+ Bluetooth headsets for us to check out. They tout it as the perfect Bluetooth headset for workouts, commutes, or “just chilling at home”. Is it really good for these things? Find out in our review, After the jump!

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