Author - Jerry Paxton

Table Top Village Details for QuakeCon 2014

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JUNE 18, 2014 — We’re excited to announce that QuakeCon and Common Ground Games have joined forces to bring the best of table top gaming to the new Table Top Village, located in the BYOC at QuakeCon 2014!  Common Ground Games, with the help of DFW Nerd Night, will be hosting some exciting events at the show for all skill levels!

Come join Friday Night Magic on July 18th at 7:00pm CT to celebrate the release of the 2015 Magic the Gathering Core Set (M15). As this is a sealed event, anyone at any skill level can participate. The tabletop area will also host additional M15 drafts throughout the rest of the weekend whenever  at least 8 people want to join in.

In additional to MtG and other tabletop gaming activities and retailers, Common Ground Games will also be holding a Ticket to Ride Tournament on Saturday, July 19th where a copy of the 10th Anniversary Ticket to Ride is up for grabs!

We’ll also have tons of demo games and staff on hand to teach newcomers how to play! See below for hours that the demo area and retail space will be open.  The play area will be open 24 hours a day as of noon on Thursday, July 17th all the way through noon on Sunday, July 20th.

Details on how to sign up for tournaments, along with a full schedule of events will be available soon!

Table Top Village Hours (including retailers):

Thursday, July 17th:             12:00pm – Midnight

Friday, July 18th”:                 10:00am – Midnight

Saturday, July 19th:              10:00am – Midnight

Deadpool Pinball Announced

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Los Angeles, CA – June 17, 2014 – Zen Studios, the developer and publisher of hit digital games like Zen Pinball 2 and Castlestorm, is excited to announce yet another Marvel team-up, this time a video pinball table featuring the one and only Merc with a Mouth, Deadpool, for a variety of platforms including PC, console, and mobile on June 24.

Deadpool Pinball condenses all of the attitude and insanity of the beloved Merc with a Mouth into a virtual pinball machine, which itself includes an even smaller pinball table within the game. Featuring the supreme voice talents of Nolan North as Deadpool, the table captures the acerbic, fourth wall-crushing attitude of the character, as well as appearances by supporting characters from Deadpool’s comics, from old-school companions like Blind Al and Weasel to companions as recent as his lovely new wife, Shiklah.

“After months of being badgered by Deadpool, having him deliver dozens of pizzas to my house, late night prank calls, and flaming bags of dog excrement on my doorstep, I feel like an enormous weight is being lifted off my chest,” said Mel Kirk, VP of Publishing at Zen Studios. “I’m very thrilled and excited for fans of Deadpool and Zen’s unique brand of pinball alike to have a chance to experience the character like never before. But more importantly, I’m relieved to finally be able to get some peace and quiet in my home life. There, Wade, are you happy now?!”

“Happy?!” replied Deadpool. “You’re ‘thrilled and excited,’ Mel? Jeez, pal, how much more press-release cliché can you get?! You wanna sell people on Deadpool Pinball, I’ll sell it to ‘em real quick and Marvel-like. Oh, the fanboys are gonna love this sound bite: Deadpool Pinball. ‘Nuff said.”

“Wait, who am I kidding?” Deadpool continued, completely wearing out his welcome – this is a corporate press release, for crying out loud. “It is IMPOSSIBLE to say ’nuff about Deadpool Pinball! I mean, I’m pretty sure it’s revolutionizing the industry by being the first table ever – physical or digital – to reference chimichangas. EVERY pinball table in existence should reference chimichangas. It’s a no-brainer – a pretty simple concept that’s taken the industry DECADES to adopt, and I can only assume we’ll be seeing chimichanga references in all pinball tables yet to come from now until I die – which’ll be never, since I’m pretty much impossible to kill. And did I mention the—”

“That’s enough, Wade,” interjected Kirk, saving us all. “They get the point. Let’s have Nameless Press Release Voice finish up with a few chimichanga-free lines about why your new table rocks…”

Thank you, Mr. Kirk. Deadpool’s dynamic table switches at his whim, delivers quick-time events, and even features a “Blind Mode” courtesy of Blind Al in which only the ball, flippers and target lanes are visible. Finally, there’s Deadpool’s favorite: a mode where he takes down some of his most nefarious enemies: raging comic book fans!

For all Deadpool Pinball assets, please visit the Zen Studios Press Center, and check out the official announcement trailer. Deadpool comes to Pinball FX2 and Zen Pinball 2 next week on June 24, so dust off those dancing shoes and synchronize watches, because it’s about to go down!

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GRID Autosport Discipline Focus, Street Trailer

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Tuesday 17th June (2pm UK) – Today Codemasters® revealed a new video showcasing the Street racing discipline, one of the five unique styles of racing set to star in the game’s new world of professional motorsport, now playing at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vcej03eyoA

The video reveals a wide range of GRID Autosport’s cars that compete in the Street discipline going wheel-to-wheel in dramatic and claustrophobic races. The video also features Dan Trent and Matt Burton from PistonHeads (www.pistonheads.com), explaining the Street racing difference and what it’s like to race some of the most exciting cars in the world.

Dan Trent explains what it feels like to race on street circuits, saying, “driving on a tight circuit with no run off is very, very different from driving on the circuits. [With] Tracks with closed fences by the sides, narrow tracks, you get a heightened sense of speed. Everything is ramped up – the fear factor, the excitement, the adrenaline, everything is magnified. You just know that you can’t afford to make any kind of mistake.”

Matt Burton comments on the unique experience of racing supercars as featured in GRID Autosport, “it’s the relentlessness of the acceleration. The exciting thing with a supercar is having that much power that it never quite feels like it’s tailing off. There’s nothing better really when you’re a car fan. It’s like nothing else.”

In GRID Autosport’s Street racing discipline, players take the racing to the asphalt in iconic cities across the world as circuits are carved through the streets of Washington D.C., San Francisco, Paris, Barcelona, Dubai and Chicago. Player reactions and the ability to take chances are put to the test in striking urban environments for a huge range of production cars, from hot hatches like the Mini John Cooper Works GP and the Volkswagen Golf R to supercars like the Pagani Huayra and Mazda Furai and hypercars including the McLaren P1™, Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport and more. To bring alive the authentic experience of racing in these events, Codemasters has consulted with real-world professional racing drivers who have put these cars through their paces.

In GRID Autosport’s huge career, gamers will specialise in their favourite racing discipline or conquer them all; players will feel the aggression of the pack in Touring Cars, race 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. Bursting with content, GRID Autosport features over 100 routes across 22 incredible locations and the world’s most exciting contemporary and classic high-performance racing cars to collect, tune and upgrade.

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 Autosportfeaturing 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 at www.twitter.com/gridgame.

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Guild Wars 2: Season 1 Recap Video

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NCSoft and Arena Net have released a season 1 recap video for their popular MMO, Guild Wars 2.

About the Video

From the Gathering Storm in the Shiverpeaks to the final Battle for Lion’s Arch, Scarlet unleashed the Molten Alliance, the Aetherblade Pirates, her watchwork armies, and the Toxic Alliance onto the world – but Tyria ultimately prevailed. However, deep beneath Tyria, something sinister awoke and players will find out more as they tune in for Season 2.

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Warhammer 40K Carnage Trailer

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VANCOUVER, BC – June 17, 2014 – Roadhouse Interactive Limited, a leading developer and publisher of tablet, smartphone and browser games, today released Warhammer 40,000: Carnage for Android, after being featured as a Best New Game in over 80 countries, and consistently topping the Role-Playing Category, among many others, throughout May. Android fans of Carnage, who have been eagerly awaiting the Google Play release, will be in a total frenzy.

As with the iOS release, the Android version of Warhammer 40,000: Carnage is a vivid, wildly engaging action-shooter, based on an exclusive story from award-winning Warhammer 40,000 author, Graham McNeill. The all-new storyline brings players to the world of Mithra. Players take the role of Space Marines who can play solo or join forces with others for Fireteam missions, to battle Orks and ensure the survival of humankind. Players can gear up with more than 500 pieces of Wargear to help save the planet, or succumb to total annihilation by the vicious Green Plague! Warhammer 40,000: Carnage is now available for purchase on Google Play for $6.99.

“We’re thrilled to be launching Carnage on Android. It’s already proved to be a huge hit across a range of tablet and smartphone devices, so unleashing the game on Android is huge news for Warhammer 40,000 fans,” said Tarrnie Williams, President at Roadhouse Interactive. “The game is accessible to all, whether fans of the Warhammer 40,000 series, or new players hungry for the taste of Ork blood.”

Game Director, Kayla Kinnunen is just as excited, “From the beginning, we set out to create a stunning, side-scrolling action game with a ton of depth, for the Android community. We were determined to make a visceral console-quality, Warhammer 40,000 experience that we think will be one of the best games on Android, especially for players with powerhouse devices!”

To celebrate the Android launch, Roadhouse has put together an epic new trailer:
Warhammer 40,000: Carnage Official Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCEOlL3AULk&feature=youtu.be

To kick some Ork, head over to:
Google Play: http://taps.io/LsCw
App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id858196064

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Kalypso Gifting Tropico 5 DLC to North American Retail PC Consumers

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Ridgewood, NJ – June 16, 2014 – To celebrate the upcoming June 17 PC retail launch of Tropico 5 in North America, Kalypso Media today announced they are rewarding the retail community by providing the first planned DLC pack – ‘The Big Cheese’ – at no cost to those who have been patiently awaiting the North American retail version.

This special bonus comes directly from Kalypso and El Presidente as a special “thank you” to the North American Tropico 5 audience who prefer to purchase the physical version of the best-selling Tropico 5. ‘The Big Cheese’ DLC pack will automatically unlock at no charge once it becomes available this summer.

Tropico 5 is out now on PC via Steam and US retail June 17. Xbox 360® and Mac will be available later this summer – with a version for the PlayStation®4 platform following in autumn. For more information on Tropico 5 don’t forget to visit the official Tropico 5 website at www.tropico5.com.

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Damson Unveils Bone Conducting Headphones Kickstarter

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York, England – June 16, 2014 – British audio innovator Damson, has launched its revolutionary Headbones wireless headset on Kickstarter. The Headbones unique design creates sound by sending vibrations through the temporal bone straight to the inner ear. The headset was originally scheduled for distribution later this year, but has been made available early due to incredible public demand.

Headbones innovative technology delivers top-quality audio to the inner ear without blocking the ear canals. The potential dangers of wearing headphones while cycling, skiing, skateboarding, running or simply crossing the road are completely eliminated since the wearer can still hear their surrounding environment. Headbones are the perfect sports accessory and ideal for any situation where you may need to be alert to the sounds around you.

Kickstarter pledgers are able to pre-order Headbones for $88 ($62 below retail MSRP). As an added benefit, early backers will receive their headset in a limited edition carbon fiber finish.

“Kickstarter has proven a successful platform for launching products before they hit retail stores,” says James Talbot, Damson Founder and CEO. “It’s a great opportunity for us to get a really innovative new tech, which we believe will really disrupt the market, into the hands of early adopters and dedicated Damson fans much earlier than originally planned.”

Headbones utilize Damson’s Incisor Diffusion Technology™. IDT forgoes the use of a traditional cone speaker and instead utilizes incisors to radiate sound across the surface of the temporal bone. All Headbones include removable, noise-isolating in-ear buds for users who prefer a completely immersive listening experience.
Headbones are compatible with any Bluetooth-enabled device and offer up to ten hours of music from a single charge. Headbones are available in two versions; one with the speaker sitting in front of the ear, and another where the speaker rests just behind the ear.

For more information please visit damsonaudio.com.

Angry Birds Transformers Announced

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Espoo, Finland, and Pawtucket R.I. — June 16th 2014 — Autobirds, assemble! Rovio Entertainment and Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) are teaming up again to bring together two of the world’s largest and most popular entertainment brands and their fans. Angry Birds Transformers will come to life in multiple forms, including a mobile game, consumer licensed goods and a product line from Hasbro.

“We’re really excited to combine the iconic Transformers universe with the quirky world of Angry Birds” said Blanca Juti, Chief Marketing Officer of Rovio. “This mash-up is going to appeal to those who grew up with the brand in the 80s, as well as fans of the brand today. People are going to love it!”

“Angry Birds Transformers provides fans worldwide with a fun, new story and characters, and innovative ways, like our TELEPODS platform, for consumers to engage with the brand” said John Frascotti, Chief Marketing Officer at Hasbro. “We collaborated with Rovio to create opportunities for kids and families to experience Autobirds and Deceptihogs across multiple formats and entertainment platforms, for a completely immersive branded experience.”

Later this year Hasbro will introduce a product line featuring TELEPODS technology which will enable fans to teleport their favorite Angry Birds Transformers characters into the game and gain unique powers. The Angry Birds Transformers franchise follows successful collaborations between Hasbro and Rovio including the Angry Birds Star Wars and Angry Birds Go! product lines, as well as the upcoming Angry Birds Stella TELEPODS line which will be available September 2014. In 2013, the companies announced an expanded licensing agreement making Hasbro its premier toy and game licensee. Hasbro and Rovio will reveal more exciting Angry Birds Transformers products and content throughout the next few weeks. Keep an eye on transformers.angrybirds.com for more info.

Rovio Entertainment and Hasbro, Inc. are participating in the 2014 Las Vegas Licensing Expo on June 17-19. Rovio proudly announces that it has been nominated in four categories in 2014 LIMA awards (Best Digital/New Media Program, Best Licensed Promotion, Best Digital/New Media Licensee and Overall Best Licensed Program) and the winners will be announced at the LIMA Opening Night Awards Ceremony on June 17th.

TELEPODS and Retoy are trademarks of Retoy, LLC, used under license.

Knott’s Berry Farm Mine Ride Re-Launch Preview Event Photos

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This past weekend, we were invited out to a special launch event for Knott’s Berry Farm’s newly-renovated Calico Mine Ride. The mine ride opened in 1960 and was the brainchild of veteran ride designer Bud Hurlbut. Hurlbut also designed the train ride which ran at the now-defunct Santa’s Village amusement park as well as the Timber Mountain Log Ride also found at Knott’s Berry Farm. Over the course of time since its launch, the mine ride had slowly been showing its age – with a plethora of effects simply not functioning anymore.

Knott’s Berry Farm teamed up with audio-animatronics and effects creators Garner Holt Productions and worked for six months in updating the ride. Garner Holt Productions has worked on a whole host of attractions – including Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Holiday and Universal Studios Hollywood’s Jurassic Park ride. The six month process saw updates to all of the mine ride’s effects and animatronics – even adding several new elements to the ride experience.

After getting the chance to ride it, I can safely type that the wait was worth it. Knott’s Berry Farm and Garner Holt have done an outstanding job in making the ride feel new while, at the same time, keeping its original charm. I highly recommend you get over to Buena Park, CA and hit Knott’s Berry Farm. You will not be disappointed.

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E3 2014 Photo Gallery

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Here is our official photo gallery from the 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, CA. The event was really incredible – and we saw some great upcoming games for a variety of platforms. Look for our “Best of E3” piece coming out this week.

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