Author - Jerry Paxton

Planets3 Reaches Kickstarter Milestone

2014/04/07

April 7, 2014 — The French independent video game studio Cubical Drift is delighted to announce the success of the KickStarter campaign for Planets3, its voxel-based RPG video game. With an exact amount of $310,708 that were pledged by the community, the studio has reached his second stretchgoal, meaning that the game will be available for both PC and Mac.

The adventure proved both intense and full of twists and turns, thus maintaining the suspense at its utmost level right up until the end! To raise such an amount on KickStarter remains extremely rare for a French video game studio and is even rarer for an independent studio lacking notoriety. That’s why Michel Thomazeau, founder of Cubical Drift, gets enthusiastic:

The campaign – facts and figures

$310,708 raised 31 days
10,357 backers,
A $30 average pledge by people: 6,003 people pledged $20, 2 people pledged $5,000
A peak was registered on March 14th with $33,303 pledged by 1,219 backers
273,000 clicks on the trailer displayed on Planets3 KickStarter webpage

Next steps

Cubical Drift’s first priority is to launch their online store so that all those who couldn’t help on KickStarter (particularly because Paypal was not available as a payment method) can now support the project under almost identical conditions as the ones on KickStarter (some rewards were exclusive to KickStarter). This “special” preiod will last 1 month, then the studio will implement a more traditional pre-order system.

Will then come a phase of integration and tests for the “account” part of their website, leading to the launch of a forum. Michel Thomazeau comments: “I hope that before the end of May all backers will have the possibility to gather on our forum to continue the interesting conversations they started on KickStarter.”

And last, the team will need a few months to regroup in the office in Cannes and start being fully operational as soon as late June.

The release of the first opus Planets3 : Race to Space is to be expected in fall 2015 for PC and Mac.

Further information is available on: http://www.planets-cube.com/

Space Noir Combat Mission Gameplay Trailer

2014/04/07

Jerry Paxton

News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

April 7, 2014 — What’s it like to pilot a powerful starfighter screaming into battle over the surface of hostile alien worlds? Find out in today’s new video for Space Noir, the upcoming space-combat PC and tablet game from developer N-Fusion and publisher Unity Games. In the new trailer, N-Fusion team members Joe Parisi and Carissa Isolano showcase some of the combat encounters and design concepts of Space Noir. High-octane starfighter battles are par for the course in the game, which also features a powerful narrative to immerse players into its space-faring adventure.

A reddit AMA (“Ask Me Anything”) will be hosted by N-Fusion tomorrow (4/8) at 10AM Pacific Time,1PM Eastern. This is a perfect chance to ask questions about indie development, PC gaming, Space Noir and more!
– – http://www.reddit.com/r/AMA/

Trailer

More info about Space Noir is available at www.facebook.com/spacenoir

AirMech Arena Announced for Xbox LIVE

2014/04/07

Jerry Paxton

News, Trailers / Videos, Xbox 360 News

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA– April 7, 2014 – Today, Ubisoft^® announced a partnership with Carbon Games to bring AirMech^® Arena to Xbox Live online entertainment network from Microsoft. The fast-paced, free-to-play competitive game will be available for download on Xbox 360^® games and entertainment system from Microsoft this summer.

“As an indie developer, AirMech has been our passion for the past several years, and we are thrilled to partner with Ubisoft to bring the game to console,” said James Green of Carbon Games. “AirMech Arena was created from the ground up to be the ultimate RTS experience with a gamepad. The fast-paced action and depth of strategy brings console gamers a new experience we are confident they will enjoy.”

In a war-torn future, powerful weapons known as AirMechs dominate the battlefields in the fight for scarce resources. Players command giant transforming robots and capture and protect bases while building colossal armies to fight waves of enemies. As gamers conquer fortresses, they unlock powerful units, pilots, items and AirMechs, and can customize their armies to fit their personal gameplay preferences.

AirMech Arena supports single-player, multiplayer cooperative and multiplayer competitive gameplay for teams of two to three players. Teamwork is vital to succeed in multiplayer as players must work together to defend their fortresses against an onslaught of relentless enemies.

“Ubisoft is always looking for new ways to expand our console portfolio and AirMech was a natural choice,” said Chris Early, VP of Digital Publishing at Ubisoft. ”Carbon Games has created a unique experience, combining strategy and competition in an accessible free-to-play format that we think will resonate with console gamers.”

AirMech Arena will continue to receive regular updates post launch with content drops that include new AirMechs, units, maps and events.

Find more information on AirMech Arena here: www.AirMechArena.com

**Ubisoft has recently launched its new press site, www.ubisoft-press.com, which contains product info, release dates, fact sheets, screen shots, videos, developer team backgrounders and more. Moving forward, please use this as your primary resource for obtaining assets as we will be discontinuing FTP links in the future. Visit www.ubisoft-press.com to “register now” and input all of your information and please note it will take up to 48 hours to process.

Trailer

Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff Launch Party Images

2014/04/04

Jerry Paxton

Mobile News, News, Screenshots / Photos

Here are some various images from the launch party of the Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff mobile game, which is scheduled for release on April 10, 2014 for the iOS and Android platforms. In attendance were Patrick Warburton, Adam West, and a lot of others.

Images

Sounds of Alien: Isolation Trailer

2014/04/04

Jerry Paxton

News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

SEGA has released a new trailer going behind the scenes at the sound design of Alien: Isolation.

Trailer

Six Flags Great Adventure Announces April Events

2014/04/04

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News

Spring Break—April 12 to 21 — Six Flags Great Adventure and Safari opens for the 2014 season with Spring Break. The park will operate daily from April 12 through 21 from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. The adorable lion cub trio being hand raised by the Animal Care Team will make their debut in the Safari Off Road Adventure’s Camp Aventura section, weather permitting. Guests can celebrate spring on their favorite roller coasters, such as El Toro, Nitro and GREEN LANTERN.

Easter Weekend presented by PEEPS® – Egg Hunt April 19
On Saturday, April 19, Six Flags will host a special Easter Celebration giving guests the chance to search for eggs filled with PEEPS®. The morning event will also include onsite entertainment, games and giveaways. The first 100 guests (toddlers to age 12) to arrive by 9:30 a.m. will receive a PEEPS® Egg Hunt Participant Wristband and up to three spectator wristbands for friends and family members to join in the celebration. All participants and spectators must have valid park admission to receive a wristband. The event will take place at 10 a.m., prior to park opening.

Jason Derulo in Concert – April 20
The park’s concert series kicks off with chart topper Jason Derulo on Easter Sunday, April 20, presented by Coca-Cola. Derulo entered the music scene in 2009 with his self-titled debut album and has since sold more than 14 million tracks in the U.S. and racked up more than 700 million views on his YouTube page. Derulo’s pop/R&B hits have earned him MTV Video Music Awards, Teen Choice and American Music awards since 2010, and most recently landed him on the Billboard Hot 100 with “The Other Side, “Marry Me” and “Dirty Talk.” Doors open at 3:15 p.m. and the show begins at 4 p.m. and is free with Season Pass or theme park admission in the Plymouth Rock Assurance® Arena (formerly the Northern Star Arena) at 4 pm.

Academic Adventures:

Safari Off Road Education – April 22, 23, 29, & 30
Now incorporating the new Safari Off Road Adventure, Six Flags takes students grades K-6 on a journey in learning with 1,200 animals from six continents through the 350-acre wildlife preserve lead by experienced tour guides. This program takes place on non-operating days when the theme park is not open and is limited to 400 students per day. Tickets are $19.99 + tax per person.

Biology Day – April 25
Six Flags is proud to bring biology students up close and personal with 1,200 animals from six continents in the 350-acre wildlife preserve, and marine mammals such as California sea lions and Asian small-clawed otters in the theme park. Experienced safari tour guides and marine mammal experts lead the day, and complete it with a fun and interactive game show in Showcase Theater. This event takes place on exclusive education days when the theme park is only open for schools/educational groups.

Six Flags Step Invitational – April 26
The Six Flags Step Invitational will feature teams of all ages from New Jersey competing with fancy footwork for cash prizes and bragging rights. The event takes place on Saturday, April 26 and tickets include entry to the park and competition. For ticket and registration information, visit www.njstepteam.org

Fast Tracks and Food Trucks Festival – April 26 & 27
At this new festival, guests can enjoy a variety of cuisines ranging from barbecue and tacos to hibachi and sliders, plus sweets including gourmet waffles and cupcakes. More than 20 trucks will be available from 12 to 7 p.m., and seven award-winning New Jersey wineries will also be on hand from 1 to 6 p.m. for sampling and wine purchases. The festival is included with theme park admission; wine sampling and food requires an additional fee. Tickets may be purchased online with the promo code TRUCK.

General Park Information

For more information, guests can call 732/928-1821 or visit www.sixflags.com/greatadventure

The Elder Scrolls Online Siege Cinematic Launch Trailer

2014/04/04

Jerry Paxton

Mac PC News, News, Windows PC News

April 4, 2014 (Rockville, MD) – Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax® Media company, today announced that The Elder Scrolls Online is now available for PC and Mac at retailers worldwide and on the official online store. Developed by ZeniMax Online Studios, The Elder Scrolls Online is the latest chapter in the award-winning franchise and brings the legendary experience online for the first time.

The Elder Scrolls Online allows gamers to choose their own style of play as they embark upon an epic adventure across all of Tamriel. Players can adventure alone on heroic quests as in previous Elder Scrolls games, explore the huge, rich world with a few friends, or join with hundreds of others in massive Player vs. Player (PvP) battles to save the Empire.

“We are grateful for the overwhelming response to The Elder Scrolls Online,” said Matt Firor, Game Director of The Elder Scrolls Online. “With 5 million people registered for beta, it’s clear that a large number of fans are eager to jump online and experience everything the game has to offer. We couldn’t be more excited to get it into everyone’s hands.”

The Elder Scrolls Online was named Best Role Playing Game at E3 2013 by the Game Critics, a panel of leading North American media outlets, and is considered one of the industry’s most anticipated titles for 2014. The previous chapter in this franchise was The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim® which was released in November 2011 and enjoyed worldwide critical and commercial success. As the sequel to the 2002 Role-Playing Game of the Year, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind®, and the 2006 Game of the Year, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion®, Skyrim earned hundreds of ‘Game of the Year’ awards and sold over 20 million copies.

In addition to today’s PC and Mac release, The Elder Scrolls Online is in development for the PlayStation®4 system, and Xbox One®, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft. The Elder Scrolls Online has been rated M for Mature by the ESRB. For more information on The Elder Scrolls Online visit http://elderscrollsonline.com.

Trailer

Planets3 Exceeds Kickstarter Goal

2014/04/04

Jerry Paxton

News, Windows PC News

March 4 2014, Cannes, France – Cubical Drift are proud to announce that the KickStarter for Planets³ has exceeded its initial funding target of $250,000!

‘We are incredibly grateful to every backer we have for believing in our dreams of a Cubical world. The kind words, encouraging each other and helping us to get featured on websites all over the world has helped us to fund. Without you guys, there would be no Planets³. The love for our game is both very heartwarming and endearing – we can’t thank you enough.“, said Michel Thomazeau, Planets³ Project Director.

“Planets³ is something we have all worked hard on to get to this and now we can continue on and see this through to completion. We are very happy with the reaction from the games media press and public and very motivated to make P3 live up to everybody’s expectations.”

Planets³ is a beautifully presented, unique mix of adventure, RPG, dungeon crawler and building. Set in a multi-player universe, players can shape their own adventure and visit multiple planets, each composed of nearly 30 trillion blocks. Truly breath-taking landscapes and environments will be achieved through voxel-based graphics and the “Long Distance Display Engine”.

Progress through the game is achieved through “levelling-up” their character, embarking on various story-driven quests, tool-building and habitation and vehicle crafting. All of these things contributing to ever-deeper exploration of the planets in the vast universe.

Planets³ also offers side quests allowing players to unlock secrets of the game’s world and to find special items only reachable in secondary storylines.

About Cubical Drift
Created in 2013, Cubical Drift is an independent video game studio bringing together video game “passionates”, each of them being an expert in their field.

Planets³ is the studio’s first project, which is ambitious both from a technical and artistic point of view. The studio foresees a 5-year schedule with the release of an extension within 3 years after the initial release, and its development onto console and mobile platforms.

For more information on the game: http://www.planets-cube.com

BenQ Releases RevolutionEyes G Series Displays

2014/04/04

Jerry Paxton

News, Tech News

COSTA MESA, Calif. — April 3, 2014 — BenQ America Corp., the fastest growing display brand in North America1, today introduced its new GW and GL Series of mainstream monitors. Equipped with BenQ’s pioneering RevolutionEyes™ technology for exceptional monitor performance, the elegantly thin GL2460HM, GL2760H, and GW2760HS displays bring together best-in-class image quality with ZeroFlicker™ and Low Blue Light settings for enhanced visual comfort encased in stylish silhouettes to enable amazing onscreen experiences while adding a touch of sophistication to any home office or workspace environment.

“Our new G Series monitors are prime examples of BenQ’s value on innovation,” said Bob Wudeck, Associate Vice President, Strategy and Business Development at BenQ America Corp. “Featuring a clean look, super crisp dynamic contrast ratios, and BenQ’s RevolutionEyes technology with exclusive features such as ZeroFlicker and Low Blue Light, we now offer users the best viewing experience for peak performance in any application and across our entire monitor lines.”

Designed to blend perfectly within any living space or office décor, BenQ’s GL and GW monitors feature stylish attributes such as high gloss frames, curvaceous stands, and extremely slim bezels, which enable sharper-looking multidisplay configurations when monitors are placed side-by-side. Available in 24- and 27-inch sizes, the TN (GL2760H and GL2460HM) and VA (GW2760HS) LED displays are also engineered to augment the onscreen experience. While the GL2460HM and GL2760H provide dynamic contrast ratios of 12M:1 and rapid 2ms GTG response times, the contrast ratio rises to 20M:1 on the 4ms GTG GW2760HS monitor — enabling faster pixel rates and smoother overall picture performance on the entire series.

Now available on all BenQ monitors, BenQ’s RevolutionEyes technology brings exceptional monitor performance and better visual comfort across the G lines. Led by BenQ’s market-leading ZeroFlicker innovation, the monitors eliminate backlight flickering at all brightness levels to give users more comfort while allowing them to spend longer periods engaged in everyday applications. Also equipped with BenQ’s exclusive Senseye® technology, the G Series features preset calibration settings including BenQ’s proprietary “Low Blue Light” mode, which reduces blue spectrum light to protect eyes using specific settings designed for multimedia, web surfing, office, and onscreen reading. Using “SmartEco” mode, the monitors provide a better balance of performance and energy efficiency for energy savings of up to 44 percent.

To enable complete digital entertainment, BenQ’s G Series monitors include a pair of 1-watt built-in speakers (GL2460HM and GW2760HS) and high-speed HDMI® inputs, in addition to D-Sub/DVI ports. The slim monitors feature an intuitive OSD menu with a controller cleverly concealed behind the screen to maintain the monitors’ sleek design, and support the Windows® 8 operating system.

Available in early April, BenQ’s new GL2460HM, GL2760H, and GW2760HS monitors retail at $249, $379, and $399, respectively. More information on BenQ’s full line of RevolutionEyes monitors is available at www.BenQ.us.

IK Multimedia Launches AmpliTube Orange for iOS

2014/04/03

Jerry Paxton

Mobile News, News

April 3, 2014 – IK Multimedia, the leader in mobile music-creation apps and accessories for iOS devices, is pleased to announce a new iPhone, iPad and iPod touch app that will delight Orange Amplifier fanatics around the globe: AmpliTube® Orange® for iPhone/iPod touch and iPad.

Officially licensed and developed in close partnership with Orange Amps, AmpliTube Orange is a real time mobile Orange Amplifier and effects studio featuring digital models of 5 classic and modern Orange guitar amplifiers and one Orange bass amplifier. Each amp and cab model has been meticulously recreated in both looks and sound to deliver spot-on Orange tone any time, everywhere.

AmpliTube Orange for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

Orange Appeal
Derived from the fan-favorite desktop version of AmpliTube Orange, the app offers 5 guitar amps and one bass amp. Guitar amps included are the 40th anniversary reissue of the single channel “pics only” original OR50, the ultra-versatile “dirty” channel of the Rockerverb 50 MKII with multiple gain stages, the dual-channel 200-watt Thunderverb 200, the simple yet powerful original Tiny Terror “lunchbox amp”, and the straight ahead “British voiced” AD30. For bass players, AmpliTube Orange also spotlights the single channel vintage inspired AD 200 Bass MK 3 offering a huge range of bass tones from ultra clean to pure dirt and grit.

AmpliTube Orange also features perfectly matched Orange speaker cabinets as well — the 4×12” PPC, 1×12” PPC, 2×12” PPC, 2×12” AD30 and the 1×15” OBC. The cabinets are individually selectable, so they can be mixed and matched with other amp heads for different sound possibilities.

Stompbox Effects Mania
Even though Orange doesn’t make stompbox effects, IK Multimedia has created 4 vintage styled Orange-inspired effects to makeAmpliTube Orange a versatile stage and studio suite. Players will find four staple effects: a “Noise Filter” for keeping the hiss down when the gain is cranked; the “Highway Drive” vintage inspired overdrive pedal with crunch, level and tone controls, the “Echo Trip” delay pedal with feedback, delay time, level and tone controls, and “The Shaker” tremolo pedal with rate, depth and inspirational “shape” control.

Recording Studio
After dialing in their favorite tones, players can start recording thanks to AmpliTube Orange’s built-in recorder. The recorder section can be expanded via in-app purchase (4 tracks on iPhone/iPod touch, 8 tracks on iPad) for multi-track recording and composition. The full recorder features a bounce function that frees up tracks for limitless recording, and a master effects section with global reverb, EQ and compression. Players can record complete compositions without leaving AmpliTube Orange.

AmpliTube Orange is also Inter-App Audio and Audiobus compatible, so it can be used as an input or effect in other compatible audio apps like GarageBand, making it perfect for injecting Orange tone into other audio environments.

Practice Buddy
AmpliTube Orange is also the perfect practice tool, thanks to its built-in “Song” section. The Song section allows a user to import any audio from their device iTunes library and play along. It features a “no voice” button that cancels the center portion of the stereo field (where most vocals and leads are placed) making soloing over existing recordings a breeze. There’s also a speed control that allows users to slow down (or speed up) audio material without changing pitch, allowing players to learn difficult passages or enhance their speed and precision.

Standalone or AmpliTube in-app
AmpliTube Orange is available as a standalone app from the App StoreSM, an “in-app” purchase bundle within AmpliTube, or individual amps and effects can be purchased a-la-carte as in-app purchases within AmpliTube. This gives players the flexibility to choose the bundle or individual models as their needs change.

Plugging In and Control
With IK Multimedia’s range of interfaces and controllers for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Mac/PC, getting a guitar signal toAmpliTube Orange is as simple as plugging into an amplifier. iRig HD and iRig PRO are the newest digital interfaces that allow players to plug into an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and a Mac or PC and deliver pristine quality pure guitar signal. iRig BlueBoard is the advanced Bluetooth® pedalboard that allows for control of presets and sound parameters in AmpliTube, wirelessly, from the floor, without laying your axe down.

Pricing & Availability
AmpliTube Orange is available now on the App StoreSM in two versions: AmpliTube Orange for iPhone/iPod touch and AmpliTubeOrange for iPad for $14.99/€13.99 each. The 4–Track recorder and 8-Track recorder with master effects section on iPhone and iPad cost $9.99/€8.99 and $14.99/€13.99 respectively as an in-app purchase.

AmpliTube Orange is also available as a bundle for existing AmpliTube users for $14.99/€13.99 as an in-app purchase. Individual gear models are also available for in-app purchase, price ranging from $2.99/€2.69 to $6.99/€5.99.