Author - Jerry Paxton

Razer Micro-Console Announced

2014/06/25
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Tech News

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June 25th, 2014 – SAN FRANCISCO (Google I/O 2014) – Razer™, a provider of connected entertainment devices and software “for gamers, by gamers,” announced today plans to create a Razer micro-console. The new device, powered by Android TV, will stream movies, music and other apps for large-screen entertainment with an emphasis on gaming.

Android TV is an entertainment interface that allows users to find and enjoy content on their televisions. The Razer micro-console can be navigated with a special mobile application that operates from any Android tablet or smartphone. Voice control is built into Android TV, leaving access to entertainment just a few words away.

Enhancing the gaming experience on Android devices is a key focus for Razer. Razer’s experience in designing high-performance gaming systems, controllers, keyboards and mice will contribute beneficially to the device development. Gaming-related software is also an area Razer knows well. With 9 million active users registered on its platform, the company offers a range of applications for communication, performance optimization, and device personalization.

“This is a console of the future,” says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder and CEO. “Built on Google’s incredible Android TV platform, the Razer micro-console incorporates not only hardcore and casual gaming, but music, movies and other entertainment and social applications, all on an affordable system.”

The award-winning Razer design team is developing the Razer micro-console. This same team engineered thin and powerful PC systems, including the Razer Blade and Razer Blade Pro laptops, the Razer Edge gaming tablet and, most recently, the modular PC prototype Project Christine.

Razer previously demonstrated success blending hardware and software together with the Razer Nabu smartband, a 2014 “Best of CES” winning device. Over the past two years, Razer won a combined four official “Best of CES” awards at the International Consumer Electronics Show.

The Razer micro-console is scheduled to be released this fall.

Availability:

Fall 2014

Funcom Announces Update Plans for LEGO Minifigures Online

2014/06/25
Jerry Paxton
News, Windows PC News

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Oslo, Norway – June 25th, 2014 – Funcom and The LEGO Group are very excited to have kicked off the Open Beta for LEGO® Minifigures Online, and LEGO fans from all over the world have now begun assembling their Minifigure teams and sent them out on grand, online adventures! LEGO Minifigures Online is set to launch later this fall, and throughout the coming months of Open Beta and beyond players will see the game grow and expand as new content and gameplay is introduced.

The game is currently available for play on the Windows PC, and the developers are hard at work preparing tablet versions of the game which will be available later this year.

Based on the hugely popular Minifigures series of collectible toys, LEGO Minifigures Online is a free-to-play game geared towards a younger audience, but can be just as much fun for the young at heart; especially when playing with your kids! Here players get to collect countless Minifigures, discover their unique abilities, and take them out on great adventures through colorful LEGO worlds together with thousands of other players. Funcom is making sure LEGO Minifigures Online is a fun, enjoyable and safe experience for everyone, and the game is fully COPPA compliant and has a robust privacy policy certified by TRUSTe. In-game chat is filtered and monitored using Crisp Thinking technology, and is restricted to members only to ensure a friendly and safe social environment; especially for younger players.

“This is the first step on a new and exciting journey,” says Funcom CEO Ole Schreiner. “We are going to use these months of Open Beta to push the game in the right direction by adding, tweaking, polishing, changing and doing everything it takes to make sure the game is constantly evolving and improving.  Players can expect to see both smaller and bigger changes over the course of Open Beta, and we look forward to surprising players with great new content and gameplay.”

Currently players can explore exciting locations in Pirate World, Medieval World and Space World, but the developers are hard at work finishing up more great content. More worlds will be added, and coming up next in Open Beta is the legendary Mythology World, where adventurers get to visit the Underworld and even battle Hades himself! Players can also look forward to new gameplay mechanics, such as a new and super fun way to collect minifigures.

To join the fun, please visit www.playminifigures.com to download the game. All player progress and purchases will carry over from Open Beta through the full launch and beyond.

Patrice Bergeron is the EA Sports NHL 15 Cover Athlete

2014/06/25
Jerry Paxton
News, PlayStation 3 News, PlayStation 4 News, Xbox 360 News, Xbox One News

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REDWOOD CITY, Calif., – June 24, 2014 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA), the National Hockey League (NHL®) and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA®) announced today that Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron has been voted by hockey fans to be the EA SPORTS™ NHL®15 cover athlete, kicking off a bold new generation of hockey videogames for the award winning franchise. Bergeron topped Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban following more than 10 million votes from hockey fans around the world. Earning 4 wins and 5 nominations for Best Sports Game at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2014, NHL 15 is the next leap forward in the genre-defining franchise from EA SPORTS.

“Being featured on the cover of NHL 15 is a dream come true,” said Bruins center Patrice Bergeron. “The fact that the cover is selected entirely by fans is an incredible feeling. The passion and support from hockey fans, especially Bruins fans, is unlike any other sport and I’m so grateful to everyone who voted for me.”

“Congratulations to Patrice Bergeron for being chosen by the fans as the EA SPORTS NHL 15 cover athlete,” said Adam Larry, NHLPA Director of Licensing and Associate Counsel. “We enjoyed seeing the passion that fans displayed in supporting the eight NHL players participating in this year’s NHL 15 vote campaign, as well as the entertaining activations from the players who were vying for the title. This program is a great way to kick off a big year for the NHL videogame franchise.”

“We would like to congratulate Patrice on this incredible honor and to recognize the outstanding fan support that helped him earn theNHL 15 cover distinction,” said Dave McCarthy, NHL Vice President of Consumer Products Marketing. “Once again, we were amazed with the level of engagement, creativity and support exhibited by our teams and our fans that truly exemplified the unrivaled level of passion and commitment only found in the NHL.”

NHL 15 ushers in an exciting new era of hockey videogames with the most detailed and authentic hockey experience ever delivered. Introducing true collision physics for all 12 players on the ice, NHL 15 delivers a level of realism for a new generation of game consoles that allows players to be immersed in the sights, sounds and feel of the sport like never before. Players can now look, move, play and think like an NHL athlete with detailed new player modeling and an expansive new set of tools, including the Superstar Skill Stick and Vision AI that heighten on-ice control and player intelligence.

Emotions run high in NHL 15 as players compete in arenas filled with dynamically modeled fans that react to the play on the ice like they would in real life. Announced by an all-new broadcast team led by veteran NBC Sports hockey commentators Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, Eddie Olczyk and TSN on-ice analyst Ray Ferraro, NHL 15 takes revolutionary steps forward in authentic game commentary.

NHL 15 launches on September 9, 2014 in North America and September 12, 2014 in Europe on Xbox One, PlayStation®4, Xbox 360®video game and entertainment system, and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.

Elite: Dangerous Enters Premium Beta 2 with Trailer

2014/06/24
Jerry Paxton
News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

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Cambridge, UK, 24th June 2014 – Frontier Developments plc (AIM:  FDEV), the leading independent game developer with studios in Cambridge, UK and Halifax, Nova Scotia, today released Elite: Dangerous Premium Beta 2.

The Premium Beta phase of development of Frontier’s epic multiplayer space game Elite: Dangerous continues with Premium Beta 2. There are significant improvements in many different areas, with major highlights being:

  • Three new star systems are available to explore and trade within, Aulin, LHS 3006 and Styx.
  • Giant Orbis class starports have been added, which are complex 8km diameter structures, larger and more luxurious than Coriolis star ports.
  • A new space ship type, the Hauler, is the first flyable Zorgon Peterson ship to be added.  It’s an entry-level trading ship, to follow on from the Sidewinder. It has four times the cargo capacity of the Eagle, the entry-level combat ship,
  • Additional language support has been added, with German as the first such language to be added to English.
  • A high resolution screen capture facility has been added (capturing at four times the current screen resolution)
  • Improved functionality in the installer, giving incremental updates going forwards.
  • Improved performance.

New video of the Orbis here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex2nGIvbiVI

“Feedback from Premium Beta 1 has been really helpful. We are continuing to refine endless details in addition to the ‘headline’ changes, and so Premium Beta 2 is another great step towards Beta.” said Frontier’s CEO David Braben.

You can play Elite: Dangerous  now via: Premium Beta.

The Elite: Dangerous Standard Beta is available to pre-order here.

The retail version of Elite: Dangerous is available to pre-order here.

Those who have already pre-ordered Standard Beta or the retail version can upgrade to Premium Beta and start playing Elite: Dangerous today.

Knott’s Scary Farm 2014 Dates Announced

2014/06/24
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Halloween, News

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BUENA PARK, Calif. (June, 2014) – Knott’s Scary Farm, the largest, most haunted experience in Southern California, returns for 24 horrifying nights September 25 – November 1 and features the return of Elvira, the legendary Mistress of the Dark, endless horrifying mazes, and a thousand monsters lurking in the fog.

Event dates are: September 25, 26, 27, October 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31 & Nov. 1.  Knott’s Scary Farm is open from 7pm until 1am Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and until 2am Fridays and Saturdays.  Killer deals will be available later this summer when tickets go on-sale.

Back by overwhelming demand, Elvira, the legendary Mistress of the Dark, will headline the 1,800 seat Ghoul Time Theater twice nightly through the entire run of Scary Farm.  Elvira’s all-new show will feature her signature blend of comedy and sass, along with singing, dancing, and explosive special effects!

Elvira’s reign as the “Queen of Halloween” began in 1981 when she became the hostess of the local Southern California television show “Movie Macabre,” and went on to become the most widely recognized horror host in history.  In 1982 she became the Knott’s Scary Farm headliner, following in the footsteps of Sinister Seymour and Wolfman Jack.  Elvira again returned to Knott’s Scary Farm in 2013 to overwhelming demand for her smash show, Elvira’s Sinema Séance.

Also returning in 2014 are the terrifying secrets behind the locked doors in Skeleton Key Rooms.  First introduced in 2013, Fright Lane with Skeleton Key offers front-of-line access to all mazes and unlocks unnerving terrors in exclusive scenes in select mazes.  This year, Knott’s Scary Farm Skeleton Key rooms will be entirely new and more frighteningly interactive than ever.  Also new this year is the collectible keychain that commemorates your harrowing journey through the Skeleton Key rooms (while supplies last).  Fright Lane with Skeleton Key will go on sale with Knott’s Scary Farm tickets later this summer, and join the conversation using #ScaryFarm.

For more hair-raising information on the 2014 Knott’s Scary Farm terrifying event visit the website or stay tuned to the Knott’s Scary Farm Facebook page.

Metro Redux Release Date

2014/06/24
Jerry Paxton
News, Windows PC News

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Deep Silver has announced that Metro Redux will be released on August 26, 2014 – and will include both remastered versions of Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light.

About Metro Redux

Deep Silver today confirms that Metro Redux will hit stores on August 26th in North America. The boxed copy of Metro Redux contains remastered versions of both Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light, with all previously released add-on content. Both campaigns can be tackled in ‘Spartan’ or ‘Survival’ play styles, and the legendary Ranger Mode is also included in both games. Metro 2033 Redux and Metro: Last Light Redux are also available separately as digital download only.

MSI Teams Up with iBuyPower for Customized Gaming Notebooks

2014/06/24
Jerry Paxton
Hardware News, News

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City of Industry, Calif. – June 24, 2014 – MSI Computer Corp, a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, announces the immediate availability of customizable gaming notebooks via iBUYPOWER’s Optiboost program.  Current customizable models include the GP60 and GP70 Leopard, GT70 Dominator and GT70 Dominator Pro, and the GE70 Apache Pro.

Designed to offer a new level of personalization, iBUYPOWER’s Optiboost program allows users to configure their system by upgrading its processor, memory, video card, hard drives, optical drives and wireless adapters.  It also allows users to personalize the gaming laptop with a selection of operating systems, software choices and peripherals.

“Individuality is a big part of the mobile gaming experience and MSI is confident that iBUYPOWER’s Optiboost program will deliver the ideal combination of customized performance and value,” said Andy Tung, President of MSI Pan America.  “We are making mobile gaming personal again.”

“MSI and iBUYPOWER gives gamers a level of high performance never seen before,” stated Darren Su, vice president of iBUYPOWER.  “The ability to customize, delivered with exceptional price-performance value, means users will receive their gaming notebooks the way they like it.”

For more information about MSI’s selection of gaming laptops, including full specs and high resolution images, please visit www.msimobile.com, usgaming.msi.com. For more information about iBUYPOWER’s OptiBoost program with MSI, please visit http://www.ibuypower.com/Product/MSI.

Cris Velasco Returns to CoH2 for Expansion Score

2014/06/24
Jerry Paxton
News, Windows PC News

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Los Angeles (June 24, 2014) – Award-winning composer Cris Velasco provides the original score for Relic Entertainment’s Company of Heroes™ 2: The Western Front Armies. Depicting some of the most high-profile conflicts in the darkest days of World War II, Company of Heroes 2: The Western Front Armies brings players back to the Western Front first introduced in the original award-winning Company of Heroes™. Velasco’s main theme for The Western Front Armies was recorded with the Capellen Orchestra and is available for streaming at https://soundcloud.com/monarch-audio.

“Cris Velasco has written an inspired score for Company of Heroes 2: The Western Front Armies,” said Relic Entertainment Audio Lead David Renn. “The theme song, recorded live by the Capellen Orchestra, conveys the tragedy, heroism, and tenacity of the American forces as they fought the resurgent Oberkommando West in the last major offensive against the Allies in 1944. The score perfectly captures the scale and importance of this ferocious battle and evokes those feelings in both the quiet and intense moments of gameplay.”

A prolific and versatile composer, Cris Velasco has become one of the most sought-after composers in interactive entertainment, scoring many major titles including Company of Heroes 2, Mass Effect 3, God of War Trilogy, Darksiders and Borderlands 1&2. Velasco’s music is performed in symphony concerts worldwide and has received numerous accolades including “Best Original Score” from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, “Best Original Music” nomination from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, NBC News’ “Best Video Game Music of the Year,” GameTrailers’ “Best Soundtrack of the Year” and IGN’s “People’s Choice Award – Best Overall Music.”

Company of Heroes 2: The Western Front Armies is the first standalone multiplayer release for Company of Heroes 2. The Western Front Armies introduces two unique collections of new content – the US Forces and the German Oberkommando West. Each army has distinctive tactical gameplay options, new infantry, team weapons, vehicles, abilities and upgrades on a total of eight seasonal multiplayer maps set on the Western Front. The Western Front Armies also includes an extended progression system that introduces other unique content into the game and enables players to dive deeper into the tactical and strategic aspects of the game than ever before.

The Western Front Armies launches on June 24, 2014. Each individual army will also be available as a standalone purchase via digital download, providing new players with a minimal entry point into the massive Company of Heroes 2 multiplayer community. For more information visit http://www.companyofheroes.com.