Author - Jerry Paxton

ThinkGeek Unveils iCade 8-bitty at NYC Toy Fair

2012/02/13
Jerry Paxton
News
FAIRFAX, VA – February 13, 2012 – ThinkGeek is set to unveil its newest product, iCADE 8-Bitty, at the 2012 Toy Fair in New York City.  Its big brother, the iCADE gaming cabinet, began as an April Fool’s joke and soon became the most anticipated ThinkGeek product to date.  The iCADE 8-Bitty will bring the magic of the iCADE to the pockets of smartphone and tablet users by delivering an enhanced gaming experience everyone can enjoy.
“We’re excited to extend on the success of the original iCADE,” said Ty Liotta, head of ThinkGeek’s GeekLabs. “And with millions of iOS and Android devices in circulation it only makes sense to widen the field and bring the fun of iCADE to every possible device.”
The iCADE 8-Bitty is a wireless game controller that sports a classic D-Pad and button layout reminiscent of retro 8-bit game consoles from the 80’s and 90’s.  The 8-Bitty is battery powered, and connects with your device wirelessly.  It features a fully-functional directional game pad and eight buttons, just like the iCADE.
The 8-Bitty supports the iCADE’s growing list of hundreds of top games, including the Atari Classics collection, Pac Man, Super Mega Worm, and many more.  Developers of iOS and Android games can tap into the public API specification to make just about any game compatible with iCADE, and the list of supported games grows every week.  More information on compatible games can be found on ThinkGeek’s website at http://thinkgeek.com/iCADEGames.
The iCADE 8-Bitty will be available later this year for $24.99 at ThinkGeek.com.  To see it up close at Toy Fair, stop by the ThinkGeek booth #3125.

Ubisoft Touts I Am Alive’s Score

2012/02/13
Jerry Paxton
News

Portland, OR – February 13, 2012 – Composer Jeff Broadbent has created the atmospheric music score for Ubisoft’s upcoming post-apocalyptic action/adventure, I Am Alive™. Developed by Ubisoft Shanghai, I Am Alive was engineered to create a convincing, post-disaster world in which players are faced with thought-provoking choices. I Am Alive will be released released March 7, 2012 on Xbox LIVE® Arcade and Spring 2012 on PlayStation®Network.

“Jeff Broadbent’s music for I Am Alive perfectly captures the atmosphere and emotion of the game,” commented Sergei Titarenko, Producer, Ubisoft Shanghai. “The music matches the creative direction.”

I Am Alive follows an everyman’s journey to find his wife and daughter, who were lost during the ‘Event.’ A year later, he finds Haventon, his hometown, in shambles. Buildings are destroyed, toxic ash fills the streets, and society has been torn, causing inhabitants to take all necessary actions to survive.

“Creating the score for I Am Alive was an exciting undertaking,” said Jeff Broadbent. “The unique nature of the game allowed for a very creative and experimental approach to scoring. After first hearing of Ubisoft’s concept and direction for this title, I knew it was a project that would allow for creative freedom and exploration.”

The I Am Alive original score combines sublime ambiance, emotional intensity and thematic compositions to immerse players in this post-apocalyptic survival experience. As composer Jeff Broadbent explains, “A sense of environmental desolation was essential in crafting the aural landscapes of I Am Alive. Because of this, the music often uses ethereal and sound-design inspired approaches, blending organic and synthetic elements to create the sonic imagery of devastation and abandonment within a crumbling city. The quest of our unnamed protagonist to survive and protect the young girl Mei allowed for the use of poignant emotional themes and motifs.”

In I Am Alive, players will be challenged by both their environment and their enemies. Will you hang on to your humanity and help strangers or are you ready to sacrifice others in order to survive? For more information visit www.iamalivegame.com.

ORIGIN PC EON17-X Now Offering Hexcore CPU

2012/02/13
Jerry Paxton
News

Miami, FL – February 13, 2012, 8:00AM Eastern — ORIGIN PC announced today the availability of their new EON17-X desktop replacement laptop. Featuring the latest Intel X79 chipset, 2nd generation Intel hexcore processors, and overclocked NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M graphics cards in SLI the EON17-X is the most powerful laptop on the market for gamers, artists, enthusiasts, and professionals. The EON17-X marks the first laptop from ORIGIN PC with a customizable backlit keyboard with two lighting zones and seven color options.

The ORIGIN EON17-X is available now with a 3D model including a built-in 3D emitter coming in early Q2.

ORIGIN PC’s EON17-X Laptop features:

  • Customizable Backlit Keyboard with Two Lighting Zones and Seven Colors
  • Intel X79 Chipset with 2nd Generation Intel Hexcore Processors
  • Up to 32GB 1333MHz Corsair Quad Channel Memory
  • Up to 16GB 1866MHz Corsair Vengeance Quad Channel Memory
  • Up to Dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M Graphics Cards with ORIGIN Professional Overclocking
  • Up to Three Hard Drives with up to 3TB’s of Hard Drive Space
  • Industry Leading Free 24/7 Lifetime Support Based in the United States
  • Fully Customizable starting at $3,159

“ORIGIN is thrilled to answer our customers’ requests by adding a customizable backlit keyboard to the EON17-X.” said Kevin Wasielewski ORIGIN PC CEO and co-founder. “The EON17-X is more powerful than a lot of desktops on the market. With an Intel X79 chipset and dual overclocked NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580Ms in SLI you won’t find a more powerful laptop anywhere else.”

“We are pleased with ORIGIN PC’s choice of Vengeance® high-performance memory for the EON17-X,” said Thi La, Vice President of Memory Products at Corsair. “It’s designed to automatically take advantage of the faster memory speeds made possible with Intel 2nd generation processors and helps fulfill ORIGIN PC’s mission of building a premium performance laptop.”

All ORIGIN systems come with free life-time 24/7 phone and online service based in the United States. Each customer has a dedicated support team and free life-time labor for upgrade needs. ORIGIN PC features a 1 to 3 free part replacement warranty combined with the best in class integration, quality testing and support.

Syndicate Voice Cast Announced

2012/02/13
Jerry Paxton
News

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – February 10, 2012 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) and Starbreeze Studios (The Chronicles of Riddick and The Darkness) today announced that celebrated actors Rosario Dawson (Sin City, Men in Black II) and Brian Cox (The Bourne Identity) will headline the Hollywood cast of Syndicate™, a re-imagining of EA’s cult classic from 1993. The stars take on the role of cutthroat executives working for the biggest and most aggressive syndicate, EuroCorp, in a near-future world ruled by three mega-corporations. Syndicate is a unique and brutal sci-fi first person shooter experience that blends fast-paced action and futuristic settings with an innovative gameplay mechanic where players hack into and violently extract the mind-controlling chips embedded in people’s brains.

“Syndicate immerses players deep into a dystopian world of unscrupulous corporations and chip augmented enforcers,” said Mikael Nermark, CEO of Starbreeze Studios. “These agents are the weapons of this war for market dominance and we needed strong talent to represent these intense characters. We are honored to have worked with the incredible Rosario Dawson, Brian Cox and Michael Wincott to make this world come alive.”

Dawson, the famed actress of Unstoppable, Sin City and Grindhouse, plays Lily Drawl, the rising star of EuroCorp. With a shattered and conflicted psyche, Lily is torn between the demands of her corporate masters and the underground resistance to syndicate rule. She knows that this balancing act can only last for so long before she falls, most likely, to her death.

“I’m amazed how videogames have become so deep in story, delivering fantastic worlds and memorable characters rivaling big Hollywood films,” said Rosario Dawson. “I was excited when EA approached me to play Lily Drawl in Syndicate. She’s an interesting and strong female character. How cool is it to play the mastermind who designed the military chip inside the player’s head!”

Rounding out the cast is Emmy Award-winning actor, Brian Cox (The Bourne Identity, X2, Troy), who plays Jack Denham and Michael Wincott (The Crow) who voices Jules Merit in Syndicate. Both play significant roles at the top of Eurocorp’s organization. Jack is the ruthless power behind the boardroom throne, while Jules is a highly regarded senior agent having led many successful operations against the Aspari corporation.

Syndicate will be available February 21, 2012 in North America and February 24, 2012 in Europe for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and the PC. For more information on Syndicate, please visit www.syndicate.ea.com. Become a fan of Syndicate on Facebook at www.facebook.com/syndicate to download the exclusive remixed tracks of the original Syndicate theme song from some of the world’s top DJ’s including Skrillex, Digitalism and Flux Pavilion.

Paramount and Namco Bandai Team Up for Star Trek Game

2012/02/13
Jerry Paxton
News

We finally have some official details on that Star Trek title we got to checkout at last year’s E3 Expo. Enjoy!

SAN JOSE, Calif., (February 10, 2012) – Paramount Pictures and leading video game publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. today announced the two companies have signed a deal for NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. to co-publish and distribute the highly anticipated Star Trek video game worldwide during the first quarter of 2013 for all major home consoles and PC.

The action-packed combat game is set to launch the first quarter of 2013 prior to the May 17th theatrical release of the next Star Trek installment from director and producer J.J. Abrams. The game, through a license with CBS Consumer Products, is based on a stand-alone storyline that continues the adventure of iconic characters Kirk and Spock as they work together to stop a legendary enemy race bent on conquering the galaxy.

“With our NAMCO BANDAI partners leading the distribution effort, we are confident that we will meet an overwhelming demand to get this exciting console experience into the hands of gamers and Star Trek fans worldwide”, commented LeeAnne Stables, Paramount Pictures Executive Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Partnerships and head of the studio’s video game unit. Stables continued, “The positive response from our initial unveiling at E3 last year was unprecedented, and we are fortunate to have the highest level of production and creative talent on our team that will bring this incredible game out to market next year.”

“Star Trek continues to be one of the most beloved entertainment properties around the world, and NAMCO BANDAI Games America is extremely excited to be teaming up with Paramount Pictures to create the definitive Star Trek interactive experience,” said Carlson Choi, VP of Marketing for NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.

Paramount unveiled the Star Trek video game in pre-alpha phase at 2011’s Electronic Entertainment Exposition (E3) and won the praise of critics including the prestigious “Most Valuable Game” awards from Official Xbox Magazine and PlayStation: The Official Magazine, and was included as one of CNN’s Top 5 Games of E3 2011 list. The Star Trek video game also won additional praise with an exclusive trailer that debuted during Sony Computer Entertainment of America’s keynote address at its annual E3 press conference.

The Star Trek video game is being developed by Ontario-based developer Digital Extremes (Bioshock 2, Unreal Tournament, Dark Sector, The Darkness II) with production being overseen by Paramount Creative Executive Brian Miller. “Working with Paramount Pictures and Digital Extremes reinforces NAMCO BANDAI Games’ commitment of expanding its portfolio to include Triple ‘A’ Western developed games in addition to its popular and well-respected Japanese Franchises,” said Carlson Choi. “Digital Extremes’ attention to detail, and the collaboration with Paramount Pictures and the team at Bad Robot Interactive will create an authenticity that is sure to thrill Star Trek fans and gamers alike.”

The game’s original story is being penned by BAFTA award winner and God of War writer Marianne Krawczyk in collaboration with Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, writers and producers for the upcoming Star Trek film. Built from the ground up as the ultimate co-op experience, the Star Trek video game lets players control both Kirk and Spock in a sweeping journey of epic proportions across unexplored planets and enemy battleships with the latest 23rd century weapons and gear. Kirk and Spock’s complementary personalities result in the most fully realized and varied co-op experiences for this console generation.

For more information about NAMCO BANDAI Games, please visit http://www.namcobandaigames.com. For more information about the upcoming Star Trek movie from Paramount Pictures, please visit http://www.startrekmovie.com.

Heart, Mr Big, Poison, and Astley Coming to Rock Band

2012/02/13
Jerry Paxton
News

Harmonix has announced that tracks from Heart, Mr. Big, Poison, and Rick Astley will be available on February 14th on the Rock Band Music Store.

Available on Xbox 360, Wii™and PlayStation®3 system (February 14th, 2012):

  • Heart – “Alone” O
  • Mr. Big – “To Be With You” X
  • Poison – “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” O X
  • Rick Astley – “Never Gonna Give You Up” O

(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation®3 system February 15th)

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:                   
$6.99, £3.49 UK, €5.29 EU (560 Microsoft Points, 700 Wii Points™) for “Gold Star My Heart Pack”
$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™.

UFC Undisputed 3 New Details

2012/02/09
Jerry Paxton
News

AGOURA HILLS, Calif. – February 9, 2012 – THQ and the Ultimate Fighting Championship® organization today announced new details surrounding the online feature set for UFC® Undisputed® 3, the forthcoming installment in the critically acclaimed mixed martial arts (MMA) videogame franchise based on the UFC®. The online feature set, including franchise-first community content sharing, improved online matchmaking and the return of Fight Camps, is currently scheduled to include the following items:

ONLINE EXHIBITION – In Ranked Matches, players will select their fighters, referee and venue within UFC or PRIDE® Mode. In addition, they will have the option to generate a Quick Match for automated matchmaking, a Custom Match to search with specific settings or select Create Session to host a match. Once a fight is complete, players will proceed to the post-game statistics for rankings information. Ranked statistics will contribute to a player’s Fighting Points grade and rank, as well as Fight Camp leaderboards.

EXHIBITION MATCHMAKING & FIGHTER POINTS – UFC Undisputed 3 will introduce new servers to significantly improve online matchmaking capabilities. Parameters will also be set on ranked matches to ensure fairness for leaderboard participants. The ranked settings are set to three rounds, while downloadable content and created fighters, mirror matches and camp fighting will be active during gameplay. In addition, Online Exhibition in UFC Undisputed 3 will introduce a new Fighter Points system. This system will enable players to compare ranks and show off their skill levels to see who is the ultimate champion.

HIGHLIGHT REELS – UFC Undisputed 3 will automatically save gameplay footage from fight rounds, up to the 50 most recent, enabling players to go back and watch them again. They will be able to save these videos to their Favorites and also cut clips from these fights to create a Highlight Reel. Highlight Reels may be also shared online so players can show off their accomplishments.

CONTENT CREATION & COMMUNITY SHARING – A community hub will allow players to upload their custom content, including created fighters, highlight reels and logo designs, and share the items with others from around the world. Once uploaded, anyone can download the content and use it within gameplay. A ratings system will allow players to rank each piece of shared content for others to review. In addition, players will also be able to download and review upcoming fight cards.

FIGHT CAMPS RETURN – Players may apply to join an existing camp or create their own, including selection of the camp’s name, developing a camp ID for use in match lobbies and creating a camp banner to be displayed during matches. The Camp Menu will offer several options based on player rankings, including access to the camp’s member list to monitor online status, option to view camp milestones and progress, as well as the ability to invite new camp members, accept applications and edit camp profile settings. In the gym, players will participate in free sparring with camp partners, play in unranked matches with camp members, compete in ranked matches outside of the camp and arrange chat sessions with up to four other players.

UFC Undisputed 3 is in development for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, as well as the PlayStation®3 computer system, with a currently scheduled release date of February 14, 2012. For more information on UFC Undisputed 3, please visit www.ufcundisputed.com, facebook.com/UFCUndisputed and twitter.com/UFC_Undisputed.