Author - Jerry Paxton

Battle Academy 2 Screenshots

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Epsom, UK – June 20, 2014 — “If we come to a minefield, our infantry attacks exactly as if it were not there.” (Georgy Zhukov – Marshal of the Soviet Union – 1945)

June 21, 1941 – Germany opens a new front in World War II with the launch of its ambitious military plan designed to lead its armies to Moscow. This was the starting point of a terrifying conflict that lasted almost 4 years and engaged millions of men, tanks, planes and weapons of all types.

In Battle Academy 2, players will be able to take command of Soviet and German forces at the tactical level. While this sequel includes everything that made the previous game so absorbing and accessible, it also introduces new features for a deeper and richer strategy experience. With more than 130 units, a brand new skirmish mode, random map generator, 4 single players campaigns, versus and cooperative multiplayer modes and enhanced with new tactical tools, players are bound to fight some unforgettable battles in Mother Russia.

Today, we are proud to share some screenshots taken from the current version of the game. They feature combat in various environments – from Russian frozen steppes to huge devastated cities – including plenty of historical units that fought on the Eastern Front between 1941 and 1945.

Director of Development, Iain McNeil, said “The Early Access Program for Battle Academy 2 has really helped focus in on what the players want and make sure we’re making the game they want to play. The improvements over the last few months have turned this from a good game in to a great one and we couldn’t have done this without the community.

Battle Academy 2 is currently available with an Early Access Program on PC. By joining the program, the players will support the development and get a chance to contribute to the game directly.

Battle Academy 2 is set to be released July 2014. Get more information on the game from its official product page.

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Halloween Horror Nights Fans Vote for Scare Zone

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June 19, 2014 — Online voters said “Bon appetite” and selected “Mask-a-Raid,” a Scare Zone concept based on a hoard of blood thirsty cannibals masquerading as French aristocrats, in the first-ever Universal Studios Hollywood “Halloween Horror Nights” Choose Your Scare online voting competition. The winning Scare Zone concept will materialize in disturbingly real detail at the terrifyingly popular event in Fall 2014.

“We are always listening closely to what our fans want, but this was the first time ever that we actually went out and put the power completely in their hands to determine part of ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ content,” said John Murdy, Creative Director, Universal Studios Hollywood and Executive Producer of “Halloween Horror Nights.” “The avalanche of votes we received confirmed our fans’ desire to be part of the process, and we are happy to give them exactly what they want.”

The new Scare Zone, staged in the theme park’s French Street location, will transport guests to a time when masquerade balls were a staple of the social calendar in pre-Revolutionary War France. However, visitors will soon learn that behind the elaborate, jeweled masks of powdered and perfumed party-goers are members of a blood-thirsty cannibal cult.

In addition to the new Scare Zone, and after rave reviews from fans, Universal Studios Hollywood’s “Halloween Horror Nights” is bringing back AMC’s “The Walking Dead” for an unprecedented third consecutive year. A terrifying maze – “Walking Dead: End of the Line” – and “Terror Tram: Invaded by the Walking Dead” will be inspired by Season 4 of the critically-acclaimed, Emmy Award®-winning television.

This year’s 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. Meanwhile, “Terror Tram: Invaded by the Walking Dead” will send guests on the road to Terminus, interspersed with landmarks and walkers from Season 4, including the “burned moonshine cabin,” “charred walkers” and “mud walkers.”

Call of Duty: Ghosts Invasion Release Info

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June 19, 2014 – Call of Duty®: Ghosts players on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC will be able to get their hands on Invasion – the game’s third epic DLC Pack – on July 3. Invasion offers players four new multiplayer maps each with a unique field order, plus “Awakening,” the third chapter in the game’s four-part episodic Extinction storyline.

Invasion’s four new multiplayer maps include:

Departed: Set in a rural Mexican town during the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration, players who complete the map’s Field Order will unlock the Death Mariachi killstreak. Armed with dual-wielding pistols, the Death Mariachi settles scores, with each kill turning enemy players into another member of the band, and a temporary squad mate.

Pharaoh: In the abandoned archeological site of an ancient Egyptian palace, players will have to be on the lookout for collapsing monuments and urns full of flesh-eating scarabs, among other surprises in this multi-level map. Players who unlock this map’s Field Order will be handsomely rewarded by Anubis, the half jackal/half human protector of the dead.

Mutiny: A remote Caribbean island harboring an eerie pirate hideout complete with abandoned trading posts and prison cells, where speed and stealth are a must as players navigate the narrow and intertwining pathways. Players that unlock “Mutiny’s” Field Order will find themselves escorted by two ethereal ghost pirates who will happily send enemy players down to Davey Jones’ locker on their behalf.

Favela: A refreshed version of the fan-favorite map from Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 2, this Brazilian shantytown has seen substantial change since its original release. Buildings once under construction are now complete, while others have crumbled into a state of disrepair. Players must avoid falling to their death as they traverse the map from one building to the next, avoiding enemy snipers taking advantage of the map’s long sightlines. Players who complete “Favela’s” Field Order can call in air support from a nearby Y-8 Gunship.

Anchoring the Call of Duty: Ghosts Invasion DLC Pack is the next installment in the game’s Extinction mode episodic narrative, “Episode 3: Awakening.” In Awakening, the team descends into the perilous alien underworld to strike at the subterranean fortress of the Ancestors, the mysterious puppet-masters behind the Cryptid invasion. Armed with a range of new hi-tech weapons and equipment, the team must penetrate a series of defensive barriers to reach the Ark and unlock the secrets of the Ancestors’ psychic powers. As the final battle draws closer, the fate of Earth and the future of the human race hang in the balance.

Call of Duty: Ghosts Invasion is available for purchase a la carte for a suggested retail price of $14.99, or as part of the discounted* Call of Duty: Ghosts DLC Season Pass**. Call of Duty: Ghosts game sold separately and is required to play the Invasion DLC Pack.

Rising Generals Trailer

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Hamburg, June 19, 2014. InnoGames just published a 90 second launch trailer for its upcoming cross-platform strategy MMO Rising Generals. It offers a roundup of the most relevant game features like base building, recruitment and units, as well as espionage. The video includes an animated introduction sequence and a great deal of gameplay material from the browser, tablet and smartphone versions. In Rising Generals, players will be able to use one account for all three platforms: browser, Android and iOS. The game is scheduled to be released this summer. For the video production, InnoGames was supported by Take Off Studios and imascore.

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 strong focus on action. There will be no run times, 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. Real-time 3D animations give each battle a unique feeling and will also provide valuable information about the course of the battle.

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

With about 120 million registered players, InnoGames is one of the world’s leading developers and providers of online games. Currently, 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.

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Tour de France 2014 and Pro Cycling Manager 2014 Launch Trailer

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June 19, 2014 — With the most prestigious cycling race starting in just two weeks, Pro Cycling Manager 2014 (PC) is being released today as digital download in the US. PlayStation 4 owners will be able to get their hands on Tour de France 2014 mid-July from the US PSN Store, while PlayStation 3 players will be able to download it early July. Meanwhile, European players can already download it for both PS4 and PS3 from the EU PSN Store. To celebrate the occasion, we are pleased to unveil the launch trailer!

From the streets of London to the grand finish in Paris on the Champs-Elysées; the sprints neck-and-neck and the trying ascension of mountain passes, follow the biggest cycling champions in this new video, before throwing yourself into the race today on PC, and in July on your PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3!

Cycling lovers will thus enjoy new editions of Pro Cycling Manager and Tour de France 2014 that are even more gorgeous than previous installments, but also filled with new treats. Do not hesitate to visit the new official website of Pro Cycling Manager and Tour de France, with new sections dedicated to the 2014 editions of Pro Cycling Manager and Tour de France as well as the Devblog – they are all filled with all the information you want to know about both games.

Tour de France 2014 on PS4, PS3 and Xbox360 invites you to wear the jersey of the greatest champion cyclists and take part in a 2014 Tour packed with new features. Enter one of the most prestigious cycling competitions in the world that now takes you through the English countryside, London roads, cobbled sections in northern France, legendary mountain stages and the fabulous finish on the Champs Elysées. This year we have new rider animations, more detailed and enthralling backdrops, reconnaissance of the stages and a brand new and more dynamic descent gameplay in store for you! Finally, the extra Pro Team mode will allow you to compete over several seasons and upgrade your team by recruiting the top champions to ensure that you win the coveted “maillot jaune”!

Pro Cycling Manager 2014 on PC will thrill fans of sports management and catapult you to the head of one of the 75 pro teams in a riveting cycling season where you take part in over 200 competitions and 550 stages! This extensive 2014 edition offers meticulously rendered graphics, new off-race management options (R&D, financial management and improved sponsor relations, etc.), a more dynamic transfer market, a more realistic injury system, a brand new and highly intuitive interface and a race gameplay that is full of great features, including consecutive orders and race tactics!

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IK Multimedia launches iRig Voice

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June 19, 2014 – IK Multimedia, the global leader in mobile apps and accessories for musicians and music fans on the move, is pleased to announce the new iRig® Voice microphone line – the fun, easy-to-use and affordable vocal microphone for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Android devices. iRig Voice comes with the new free EZ Voice app, which lets you quickly and easily sing along and record with any song on your iOS or Android mobile device’s music library.

iRig Voice is designed specifically for quality voice recording and is the perfect companion to the most popular singing and music apps like IK’s EZ Voice and partner apps like Smule’s Sing! Karaoke and AutoRap, plus The Voice: On Stage by StarMaker, musiXmatch, Karaoke Anywhere by JoltSoft and many more.

iRig Voice features an ergonomic design for comfortable handheld performance, and its shape fits easily into most standard microphone stand clips for stage use. And for maximum clarity its unidirectional cardioid design features a pickup that minimizes feedback when used with speaker systems.

iRig Voice provides a unidirectional close voice pickup that’s tuned for optimal vocal frequency range reproduction. It has an on/off slide switch for quick muting, and it connects through the microphone/headphone jack found on all iOS and Android devices providing a stereo output to connect headphones or earbuds for private practice and performance.

Fun and Easy to Use for Everyone
iRig Voice is extremely easy to use. Simply connect the microphone, connect headphones or speakers, launch its free EZ Voice companion app (compatible with iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Android) and you are ready to start singing for hours of fun. You don’t need any audio skills to use EZ Voice, it’s the simple-to-use sing along app that lets you quickly and easily import your favorite songs from your music library, cancel the original vocals and add professional quality effects like reverb, chorus, pitch correction and more. Then when you’re ready, EZ Voice lets you record your performances and share them with the world via email or SoundCloud. With EZ Voice, iRig Voice is packed with a powerful app that can turn any mobile device into a fun, great sounding vocal and recording suite.

The Color of Sound – Bling it
iRig Voice comes in 5 eye-catching colors that look great on stage: Green, Blue, Yellow, Pink and White match the colors of the iPhone 5C adding a bright new level of style to any performance.

The Microphone for Everyone
With a street price comparable to a phone case, iRig Voice is so affordable that anyone can get started down the path to vocal stardom. iRig Voice is also perfect for capturing broadcast interviews in the field, conference calls, school projects, parties – it’s an ideal solution anytime vocals need to be captured.

Pricing and Availability
iRig Voice costs only $39.99/€29.99 (excluding tax) and is now shipping from music and electronics retailers worldwide and from the IK Multimedia online store. EZ Voice is a free app available for download from the App StoreSM and from the Google Play™ store.

For more information about iRig Voice, please visit
www.irigvoice.com

GRID Autosport This is Racing Trailer

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Thursday 19th June (2pm UK) – Today Codemasters® released the ‘This Is Racing’ GRID Autosport launch trailer ahead of the game’s store ship date of June 24th in the USA and race into retail in Europe on June 27th for the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft, Windows PC and for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.

The video, now playing at:

reveals the intensity and drama that only racing cars can provide and demonstrates GRID Autosport’s huge breadth of content. Each of the five disciplines of racing – Open-Wheel, Street, Tuner, Endurance and Touring Cars – are showcased at a selection of the game’s environments, including iconic motorsport circuits like Mount Panorama, Spa-Francorchamps and Indianapolis, and beautifully recreated cities whose streets are turned into stunning tracks including Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Barcelona.

The trailer focuses on GRID Autosport’s uniquely robust and competitive racing, as the game’s range of thoroughbred racing cars, ranging from hot-hatches like the Volkswagen Golf R to hypercars including the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport, are shown taking chances, making contact and occasionally crashing out in the uncompromising sprint for the chequered flag.

GRID Autosport’s huge career mode, featuring over 100 routes and 22 environments, will see players build a career as a professional racing driver. Gamers can specialise in their favourite discipline or master them all as they develop their team or climb the ranks by accepting new offers. Players will feel the aggression of the pack in Touring Cars, speed into the night in Endurance events, race Open-Wheel cars with precision, show car control in Tuner events and react on the fly in Street races. Each unique category features series dedicated to different classes, including Touring Cars, Hypercars, Endurance GT Cars, Prototypes, Single-Seaters, Super Modified vehicles, Drift cars and many, many more.

GRID Autosport delivers players a separate and extensive online multiplayer game. Online, players will collect and maintain a garage of cars to customise, tune and upgrade. Players can compete in races across the game’s five disciplines, plus a range of Party modes and in Demolition Derby mode. Gamers who join up to RaceNet, Codemasters’ free online community hub with over 1 million members, will be able to track their progress in game, receive new gameplay challenges every week and can join together to form Racing Clubs as clan-style online competition comes to GRID Autosport.

GRID Autosport is set to ship on June 24th in the USA and release on June 27th in Europe for the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft, Windows PC and for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. A limited edition of GRID Autosport featuring exclusive additional content including the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé Black Series, GRID Autosport Black Edition, is available to pre-order from GAME in the UK. Fans can keep up with all the latest updates straight from the studio by speeding over to www.gridgame.com and www.facebook.com/gridgame or follow the team atwww.twitter.com/gridgame.

ROCCAT Releases Kone Pure Military Mouse

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Hamburg – June 19, 2014 – ROCCAT Studios, German manufacturer of high-quality gaming peripherals, proudly introduces the latest in our Kone series, the Kone Pure Military gaming mouse. The Kone Pure Military presents a series of themed visual styles for players to select, from Camo Charge and Naval Storm, to the Desert Strike variant, with all of the excellent features gamers would expect in a Kone mouse. It comes standard with our patented Easy-Shift[+] technology, highly customizable illumination via LED lights with brilliant 16.8 million discrete colors, in a sleek, compact package that’s smaller than the instant classic Kone XTD, but with all of the durability and ergonomic function you’d expect from a Kone.

Outside of the striking new visual flare, is the feature highlight of the Kone Pure Military; its 5000 dpi Pro-Optic (R4), one of the most high-powered optical sensor available. State-of-the-art, lag-free, ultra-precise, with an Adjustable Control Unit (ADCU) for manually configurable lift control, the Kone Pure Military lives up to its name, giving gamers military precision, ROCCAT quality, and the very best gaming experience.

Also new to the ROCCAT roster is the Sense Military Mousepad. Available in the same color schemes as the Kone Pure Military, the Sense Military is an excellent companion to any ROCCAT gaming mouse, with our non-slip backing, and more than enough room for even the most active mover and shaker with a mouse in hand, the ROCCAT Sense Military adds yet another option to an already stellar list of ROCCAT products.

René Korte, CEO and founder of ROCCAT says, “The positive feedback we received with the introduction of the Kone Pure Color edition in 2013 encouraged us to come up with a second limited version of the Kone Pure. Many popular games played with ROCCAT products have a military theme, and we thought it fitting that we extend this to the Kone Pure Military mouse and Sense Military mousepad. We believe these products are a perfect complement to your combat gaming experience.”

Both the Kone Pure Military mouse and Sense Military gaming mousepad are available now.

ROCCAT™ Kone Pure Military Edition – $69.99 MSRP
ROCCAT™ Sense Military Edition – $19.99 MSRP

Six Flags Great Adventure Announces July Events

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The folks at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey have unveiled their July event lineup – enjoy!

Operation Homefront ­­– July 3
In appreciation for the service and sacrifice made by U.S. military members and their families, Six Flags teams up with Coca-Cola® to support Operation Homefront as part of July 4th Fest. A portion of tickets sold through Coca-Cola® will benefit Operation Homefront, and from June 30 through July 6, guests will be able to make a special donation to Operation Homefront online. In addition, Six Flags Great Adventure will proudly host 500 military and their families for a day full of fun and thrills in July, and four Hearts of Valor families will enjoy special V.I.P. treatment July 3.

July 4th Fest – July 4 to 6
Six Flags Great Adventure and Coca-Cola® team up to celebrate Independence Day July 4 through July 6 at the park. Guests can enjoy some of the top thrill rides in the world, listen to live music and be dazzled by nightly firework displays. Visitors can present a can of Coca-Cola® to enjoy exclusive ride time on some of the most popular coasters in the park.

MAGIC! in Concert – July 4
MAGIC! performs in concert in the Plymouth Rock Assurance® Arena July 4 at 8 p.m. MAGIC! is a Canadian reggae fusion band consisting of song-writer and producer Nasri, Mark Pellizzer, Alex Tanas and Ben Spivak. They will be playing their Billboard Hot 100 song “Rude” and other singles from their upcoming debut album. Admission is free with theme park ticket or season pass.

Daddy Yankee in Concert – July 5
Fourth of July weekend heats up Saturday, July 5 with Daddy Yankee in concert presented by Coca-Cola®. He will perform popular hits such as “Gasolina,” “Rompe” and “Limbo.” The concert begins at 7 p.m. in the Plymouth Rock Assurance® Arena and is included with theme park admission or season pass.

Rita Ora in Concert – July 20
Coca-Cola® presents Rita Ora in concert Sunday, July 20 at the Plymouth Rock Assurance® Arena. She is known for her hits “”How We Do (Party)” and “I Will Never Let You Down.” The concert starts at 7 p.m. and is included with theme park admission or season pass.

More information is available at www.sixflags.com/greatadventure