Author - Jerry Paxton

INSURGENCY Partners with Gamebanana and Razer for Map Contest

2014/06/26
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Windows PC News

insurgency

Denver, CO – June 26, 2014 – Now with full Steam Workshop integration in team-based shooter INSURGENCY, New World Interactive (NWI) announced today that it is partnering with GameBanana™ to launch a map creation contest hosted by www.gamebanana.com. To mark the occasion, NWI will also be providing a new game update that includes updated SDK content to help assist map creators.

“Releasing Workshop has been a great step in the right direction, however it remains important to continue supporting this community and attract some new talent along the way,” said Jeremy Blum, Founder and Game Director at NWI. “I’m very excited about this contest because I used to participate in similar contests when I was just getting started as a game developer. The prizes are definitely worth peoples’ time, whether unemployed or working at another game studio. The Razer Blade 14” laptop is a real piece of beauty. I own one myself and was pretty adamant about it being a prize for this. It’s great for both game development and travel. A rare gem in mobile PC hardware.”

Starting now, participants will have until Wednesday, August 20, to create, test, and upload their original maps to both Steam Workshop and GameBanana.com. GameBanana™ will select the top 10 maps submitted and send to NWI for final judging after the contest closes. NWI will also be publishing weekly tutorials on how to design and build a map forINSURGENCY, even creating a new map in parallel and sharing how it progresses.

First place winner of the contest will receive $1,000, a 14” Razer Blade Gaming laptop, a slew of Razer gaming gear, and the distinction of having their map become an official part of INSURGENCY. Second place will receive $800, a Razer prize pack that includes Razer keyboard, headset, and mouse, and the opportunity of having their map appear in game. The third place winner will receive $200 and the Razer prize, while the fourth place winner will receive $100 and the same prize pack.

“We’re all about customizing your PC gaming experience with unique user generated content, and with the addition of mod support for INSURGENCY, this contest was a fantastic fit in our minds,” said Jon Higgins, VP of marketing with GameBanana™. “We’re big fans of both INSURGENCY and Razer, so we’re very proud to be part of this contest – the largest one we’ve hosted thus far.”

For the full Official Rules, please click HERE: gamebanana.com/wikis?page=insurgency_rules_2014

Built on Valve’s Source Engine, INSURGENCY supports up to 32-person multiplayer and six-player cooperative, and showcases a training level as well as offline practice against AI to ease the learning curve for newcomers. The game is built for Windows PC and Mac OS X with Linux support in development.

More on INSURGENCY can be found on New World Interactive’s website www.playinsurgency.com. “Like” the game on Facebook, follow on Twitter, and watch it on Twitch.

Etherium Gets Website and Screenshots

2014/06/26
Jerry Paxton
News, Screenshots / Photos, Windows PC News

etherium-12

June 26, 2014 — Etherium, the new RTS game developed exclusively for PC by Tindalos Interactive and planned for release in Q3 2014, is launching its official site today!

To mark the occasion you can discover 4 new game screenshots that transport us to a planet within our own solar system… Mars!

Optimized for navigation on both smartphones and tablets, the Etherium website is a real mine of information on the title where you’ll find everything you need to know about the game mechanics, the gameplay, game modes and the three playable factions. There’s also a fabulous gallery of images and videos where you can see the screenshots revealed today and which take you to Mars, one of the 6 worlds that provide the setting for your confrontations in Etherium!

Mars is one of the 6 deposit planets for etherium, the extremely rare resource for which the armies of the Consortium, the Intari and the Vectides are locked in a merciless struggle. Humanity discovered etherium on Mars several hundred years ago during their first attempt to colonize it, as evidenced by the many ruins of industrial plants that were built to extract this precious resource. Today, a battle is raging on the Red Planet and the Consortium, mobilizing most of its troops on the ground, appears determined to keep control of the planet!

– Visit the official website

Screenshots

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

medievalnews

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

patrice

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

elite-12_Anaconda

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.