Author - Jerry Paxton

The Assembly: Telling Stories in Virtual Reality

2016/06/10
Jerry Paxton
E3, Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

June 10, 2016 – – How far would you go to make a life changing scientific breakthrough? That’s the morally challenging question we explore in the third and final installment of our video series about the making of The Assembly.

In the video below, we take you behind the scenes of our upcoming VR game and reveal how we developed its thought-provoking story.

Join Senior Designer Jackie Tetley as we take you through the decisions we took to create the game’s complex characters. We also explain how we crafted a gripping narrative to drive you all the way through the game to one of several surprising conclusions.

Voices in VR

Today, we’re also thrilled to announce the game’s cast of voice actors. Our two protagonists, Madeleine Stone and Cal Pearson are played by Camilla Power and Matt Rippy respectively. Christy Meyer plays Cal’s intellectual rival Elizabeth Chevez, who is also overseeing Madeline’s initiation into the Assembly. Joining them as Cal’s close friend and junior associate Anton is Will Harrison-Wallace, while Vincent Brimble takes on the role of the Assembly’s elusive Director.

Along with the BTS video, I’ll also have a media blast to share with full details about the game’s voice cast to help make the BTS video’s wide release a little bit more newsworthy.initial details for the main cast below:

Dr Caleb Pearson: Matt Rippy

Madeleine Stone: Camilla Power

Elizabeth Chevez: Christy Meyer

The Director: Vincent Brimble

Anton: Will Harrison-Wallace

In addition, we’re pleased to confirm that The Assembly will feature fully localised voice acting in French and German.

 

Would you like to know more?

You can find out more about the themes that lie at the heart of The Assembly’s interactive story and the source of our inspiration by following this link: Building the Foundations of The Assembly.

 

We’re here for you, virtually

If you have any questions about The Assembly, feel free to send us a message via The Assembly‘s Facebook page or tweet us with the hashtag #TheAssemblyVR.

You can also find nDreams on Facebook, reach us via our dedicated subreddit, find more videos on YouTube and check out the game’s board on Pinterest for more screenshots.

Ubisoft Closes Casablanca Studio

2016/06/09
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Industry News, News

Paris – June 9, 2016 – Today, Ubisoft announced it will close its Casablanca studio. The studio will cease production on June 13. Employees were informed last week, and Ubisoft is providing transfer opportunities to other studios or assistance for those whose will no longer work for the company.

“Ubisoft Casablanca has been part of Ubisoft for 18 years, and contributed to a lot of memorable games over the years, especially on portable consoles,” said Jean-Michel Detoc, Executive Director, Ubisoft Mobile. “Unfortunately, as the video game market evolved in the past few years, we didn’t find a sustainable formula for the studio within our broader network. We thank the Casablanca team for their hard work throughout the years.”

The decision to close Ubisoft Casablanca was taken as part of Ubisoft’s constant efforts to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of its cross-collaboration studio model. Ubisoft has 29 studios in 17 countries, with 5 fully dedicated to mobile game development.

For more about Ubisoft, please visit www.ubisoft.com

Just Cause 3 Mech Land Assault Launch Trailer

2016/06/09
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

June 9, 2016 – Following an early release for Expansion Pass holders, JUST CAUSE 3: MECH LAND ASSAULT – the second content pack from the Air, Land and Sea Expansion Pass – is out on 10th June for everybody, and there’s a brand new animated launch trailer to mark the occasion.

The launch trailer, released today, shows Just Cause’s signature destruction realised in an animated style, as Rico’s mechanized loader punches a helicopter out of the sky.

MECH LAND ASSAULT takes Rico Rodriguez to the new island of Lacrima, home to an abandoned eDEN research base and a prison camp run by the mysterious Black Hand. Defended by huge powerful Mechs, Rico will need the new Bavarium Power Core rifle to disable their shields and hijack them. Once inside, Rico can use their powerful cannons and the GRIP Gravity Guns to hurl and smash the enemy into pieces.

Features

  • Pilot two types of powerful Mech and drive them anywhere in Medici.
  • Unleash the Mech’s Gravitational Remote Influence Projector or “GRIP” to attract and hurl objects at your enemies.
  • Jump and smash helicopters from the sky or ground pound tanks with the GRIPS’s “Force Pulse” attack.
  • Prove your skills and earn upgrades in Mech arena challenges.
  • Call in a Rebel Mech buddy for extra firepower when the going gets tough.
  • Includes a powerful new energy weapon, the Bavarium Power Core rifle.

The MECH LAND ASSAULT pack is priced at $11.99 / €11.99 / £9.49 whilst the AIR, LAND & SEA Expansion Pass is available for $24.99 / €24.99 / £19.99. The final content pack – BAVARIUM SEA HEIST – will be released by the end of summer 2016, released one week early to Expansion Pass holders.

Styx: Shards of Darkness E3 Trailer

2016/06/09
Jerry Paxton
E3, Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

June 9, 2016 – Styx: Shards of Darkness, the sequel to Cyanide Studio’s stealth surprise success story Master of Shadows, comes to consoles and PC in 2016. Styx creeps back in a new adventure packed with bigger production, a load of new features and a new engine: Unreal Engine 4. Today’s E3 Trailer unveils more about the quest that awaits our green-skinned goblin in Styx: Shards of Darkness.

While Styx is in business in Thoben, the City of Thieves, he makes an unexpected deal with a mysterious human officer Helledryn. As Styx, you must steal the ambassador’s scepter, a very coveted object, which other, more nefarious, parties are interested in. Of course, the reward shall be worth the risk, in return the officer promises you great quantity of a resource you are desperately looking for: magical amber, the source of Styx’s power.

Sneak your way to your objective, evading Dwarves, elves, and all manner of races, hunting down the scepter. Creatively utilize all of Styx’s tools: assassination, amber powers, talents and skills, equipment, and crafting!

Each race excels at a different thing. The Dark Elves, for instance, have experts at goblin hunting while the Dwarves have a supernatural sense of smell, enabling them to track you down (even when invisible!). Learn their strengths and weaknesses if you want to survive long enough to snatch the scepter.

There are further exciting features to be revealed just around the corner!

Styx: Shards of Darkness will be present at E3 2016 in Los Angeles on June 14-16.

Battlefleet Gothic: Armada Space Marines Fleet Screenshots

2016/06/09
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Screenshots / Photos, Windows PC News

June 9, 2016 – Battlefleet Gothic: Armada, the RTS videogame adaptation of Games Workshop’s classic tabletop game by Tindalos Interactive, showcases the upcoming Space Marine fleet with new images! The Space Marine fleet will be available on June 21, and will be playable in the multiplayer modes of Battlefleet Gothic.

As announced for several months, the Space Marines faction – as well as the Tau faction, currently under development – is free to all Early Adopters of the game on Steam. The Early Adopter offer applies to all Steam pre-purchase owners and people who buy the game during the first two months of the game’s release – untilJune 21. Players now only have 12 days left to purchase their Early Adopters Edition of the game and receive for free the Space Marines and the Tau factions. Players who will purchase Battlefleet Gothic: Armada after June 21 will be able to purchase the Space Marines and The Tau as DLCs.

The Space Marines are the greatest of humanity’s warriors, fierce warriors that have been subjected to intense training, genetic modification, and psycho-conditioning. Their fleets are experts at close-ranged battles, sporting well-armoured ships and specialize in aggressive boarding techniques. In addition, they have access to two unique faction traits which make them immune to insubordination mechanics and give them the ability to prioritize their attacks on different subsystems when boarding.

The Space Marines DLC includes 5 different Space Marine chapters including the Ultramarines, the Imperial Fists and the Blood Angels. Today’s images show off the Dark Angels and the Space Wolves.

The secretive Dark Angels hold traditions and rituals that date back to the earliest days of the Imperium – they were the first Legion, and one of the most powerful. Every single Dark Angel wishes atonement for a great sin their brothers committed long ago on their homeworld, Caliban. These monastic Space Marines have only a single goal: To eliminate the Fallen Angels, the Dark Angels that have given in to the temptations of Chaos during the Horus Heresy.

Space Wolves are savage. They accept who they are, fierce warriors from the land of Fenris, proud of their anti-authoritarian ways. A mutation in their gene-seed makes Space Wolves who bear the “Curse of the Wulfen” transform into wolf-like mutants.

More info about the Ultramarines, the Imperial Fists and the Blood Angels will be communicated in the coming days.

ScareLA Announces Line-Up of Film Screenings

2016/06/08
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Halloween, News

LOS ANGELES, CA, Jun X, 2016 – ScareLA, the original summer Halloween convention, is excited to announce its 2016 film programming for this year’s festival to feature 75 exclusive screenings throughout the weekend of August 6-7, 2016 at the Pasadena Convention Center. ScareLA received over 2100 submissions of features and shorts from over 20 countries  around the world and is now unveiling this year’s star-studded lineup. The selection of films are immersed with scary storylines and haunting plots, keeping within ScareLA’s Halloween theme.

“This year’s incredible selection of films will thrill audiences at ScareLA,” said Screening Curator Emily Rua. “The biggest challenge was narrowing down our choices, we had so much extraordinary content to choose from.” ScareLA Founder and Executive Producer Lora Ivanova added “Our number one objective in all of our programming choices is to capture the spirit of Halloween. We are grateful for all of our programming partners and community of talented filmmakers who contributed. We look forward to sharing our dark passion for the scare tradition on screen as well as all throughout the event showfloor this summer!”

Exclusive featured programming includes ”The Blackout Experiments,” a nightmarish tale about extreme haunts, that came into the spotlight during Sundance Film Festival, “Tales of Halloween,” stories of ghosts, ghouls, monsters, the devil, aliens, and ax murderers who terrorize a suburb on Halloween night.produced by Epic Pictures and showcasing an incredible array of local filmmakers, Rodney Ascher‘s ”The Nightmare,” a recent Sundance selection that explores sleep paralysis and has been named one of the scariest documentaries ever, “Sliders of Ghost Town,” a film about the amazing scare art of sliding, and “Creature of the Bates Motel,” with the notorious Brian Evans and comedian Carrot Top – the first music video ever filmed at The Bates Motel, authorized by The Alfred Hitchcock Estate.

Special programming and fun additions will be included with guest feature blocks from top local horror film festivals Shriekfest, Screamfest and Horrible Imaginings, and family-friendly programming with films Halloween Treats, Halloween Tricks, Zomedy, Monsters, Witches and a special Animated block.

Additionally, for the first time ever, ScareLA will be presenting an “Audience Award” to filmmakers and attendees will be able to vote for their favorite film. The winner will receive a special prize from Shriekfest and a free submission into their 2016 festival.

Debuting in 2013, ScareLA opens doors for it’s fourth year this August. The hit summer show celebrates the diverse Halloween industry of the West Coast – from its iconic theme parks to home haunts. The event is a mecca for horror fans and families. Attracting close to 10,000 guests in 2015, ScareLA is one of the fastest growing independent conventions in the U.S.

To buy tickets or to learn more about ScareLA’s 2016 plans, visit the ScareLA website at www.scarela.com.

Arma 3 Apex Setting and Content Trailer

2016/06/08
Jerry Paxton
E3, Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

June 8 – 2016 — Representing the pinnacle of over 15 years of Arma development, Bohemia Interactive today published a brand new developer diary video about their major upcoming expansion for Arma 3: Arma 3 Apex. In the video, Project Lead Petr Kolář and Creative Director Jay Crowe unveil the expansion’s setting and content.

Bringing players to the 100 km² South Pacific island archipelago terrain of Tanoa, which was revealed at E3 last year, the Arma 3 Apex expansion features new armed forces (including a brand new local faction of bandits and ex-paramilitaries), 13 new weapons, new uniforms, equipment and gear, 10 new vehicles, a 1-4 player co-op campaign, and more.

On the road to Arma 3 Apex, Bohemia Interactive has also been releasing several major Arma 3 platform updates in the past months. The highlights include the implementation of an audio-visual upgrade, 3D Scenario Editor, new server browser, enhanced mod handling, Quick Play, vehicle-in-vehicle transport, weapon switching, better squad communications, spectator mode, and various other features and user experience improvements.

The final release date of Arma 3 Apex will be announced during the PC Gaming Show at E3 next week on Monday June 13th. The event will kick-off at 11:30 AM Pacific Time (click here for all time zones), and will be broadcasted live on www.twitch.tv/pcgamer.

For more in-depth information about the Apex expansion, and a detailed overview of its content and features, be sure to visit the new web page at www.arma3.com/apex – and take a look at the updated product pages on the Bohemia Store and Steam, which have been reinforced with the new Apex logo and artwork, a new description, and screenshots.

The Arma 3 Apex is now available for pre-order with a 20% discount for 23.99 EUR / 19.99 GBP / 27.99 USD (regular price: 29.99 EUR / 24.99 GBP / 34.99 USD) on Steam and the Bohemia Store. Those who are new to Arma 3, but want to enlist for the complete experience at the best price, can pick up the Arma 3 Apex Edition for 59.99 EUR / 44.99 GBP / 69.99 USD.

Ubisoft Unveils Watch Dogs 2

2016/06/08
Jerry Paxton
E3, Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

SAN FRANCISCO — June 8, 2016 — Today, Ubisoft® announced that Watch_Dogs® 2, the newest installment in the blockbuster Watch_Dogs franchise, will be available worldwide on November 15 for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Windows PC.

Watch_Dogs 2 is the product of over two years of intensive development by the original creative team behind the Watch_Dogs brand. Players enter a massive and dynamic open world environment set in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is the latest city to adopt ctOS 2.0, an advanced operating system networking the city infrastructure, and in the wrong hands, ctOS 2.0 can be used to invasively control and manipulate everyday citizens.

Players will explore the birthplace of the tech revolution as Marcus Holloway, a brilliant young hacker who has fallen victim to ctOS 2.0’s predictive algorithms and is accused of a crime he did not commit. In Marcus’ quest to shut down ctOS 2.0 for good, hacking is the ultimate weapon, and players can not only hack into the city’s infrastructure but also every person and any connected device they possess, to trigger unpredictable chains of events. With the ability to take control of drones, cars, cranes, security robots and much more at their disposal, players can choose whether to use stealth hacking to complete missions without killing a single enemy or go guns blazing for a more ferocious approach. In this vast open world, players can hack their way through traffic while engaging in dangerous car chases through the winding streets of San Francisco, traverse the rooftops of the vibrant neighborhoods of Oakland and infiltrate the offices of cutting-edge companies in Silicon Valley.

“Our creative team is working hard to deliver an outstanding Watch_Dogs experience,” said Dominic Guay, senior producer, Ubisoft Montreal. “In Watch_Dogs 2, we’re excited to give players a captivating storyline with engaging characters that offers deeper, more meaningful hacking options, a greater variety of gadgets and weapons and a brand new seamless multiplayer experience that will appeal to fans of the original Watch_Dogs as well as players new to the brand.”

In addition to the standard game, several editions are available for pre-order:

  • Deluxe Edition includes the Game and the Deluxe pack of digital customization items.
  • Gold Edition includes the Game, the Deluxe pack of digital customization items and the Season Pass.
  • Players can pre-order the Collector’s Edition – with either the Standard, Deluxe or Gold Edition of Watch_Dogs 2 – on the Uplay shop and receive the exclusive Wrench Junior robot, a motorized and endearing companion, controlled by an app available on smartphones or tablets.

Players who pre-order any edition get an extra mission named Zodiac Killer: An unwanted ghost of San Francisco’s past has resurfaced after fifty years. While completing the mission, the player unlocks an additional exclusive outfit.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided – City-hub Gameplay Demo

2016/06/08
Jerry Paxton
E3, Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

June 8, 2016 – Get your first glimpse at the city-hub of Prague in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, an expansive and dense location which will allow players to meet a variety of characters, take on side-quests, and explore indoor and outdoor areas. For the purpose of this demo, we activated infinite life, energy, and ammo.

In this section of the game, set in the poor district of the city, Adam Jensen wakes up after being caught in a devastating attack, allegedly perpetrated by augmented extremists, which is causing his augs to malfunction. He needs to see Vaclav Koller, an underground augmentation specialist, so that he can have a look at them and help him get back into shape.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is coming August 23rd, 2016 on PC, PS4 and Xbox One. #CantKillProgress

Explore the Deus Ex Universe:
Official portal: http://www.deusex.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DeusEx
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DeusEx
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/DeusEx
Reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/deusex
Tumblr: http://deusex.tumblr.com