EPIC Games has released the debut trailer for their upcoming Fortnite, in which survivors must scavenge during the day to ward off monsters at night.
Author - Jerry Paxton
In case you missed the debut trailer of Naught Dog’s upcoming “The Last of Us” on the Spike VGAs last night, here it is! The game has severe post-apocalyptic undertones and seems to follow the story of a father and daughter trying to survive in a harsh world.
Trailer
It’s that time again – time for the GamingShogun.com crew to write up our favorite gift picks. Behold, the Official GamingShogun.com 2011 Holiday Gift Guide! WOOOOoooosh (cue swooshing sound effects)! Also, if any of our loved ones are reading this – feel free to pickup any of these gifts for us… Just sayin’!
Bring on the gifts!
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ($59.99)
I had to include this new game from Bethesda Softworks as it is simply an incredible experience that will give you hundreds of hours of game time if you fully-explore the game world. The game allows players to customize their characters as they like and play the game their way via Bethesda’s “Radiant Story” system as they quest to discover the reason behind the return of the dragons. Featuring eye-popping visuals and brilliant writing, this is an experience not to be missed by console and PC gamers alike. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim retails for $59.99 and is available now on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows PC platforms.
Psyko Carbon 5.1 Surround Sound Headset
Psyko Audio Carbon ($169.99)
Psyko Audio made some big noise, no pun intended, with their original Psyko 5.1 surround sound headset. The company has taken consumer feedback and crafted a new headset with their Psyko Carbon. Retailing for $169.99, the Carbon features ACTUAL 5.1 surround sound via speakers in the headset band. The sound is then funneled down into the correct position for your ears to pick it up via wave guides in the headset band. The result is some of the best multi-directional audio ever heard in a headset. The Psyko Audio Carbon is available now.
Roxio Game Capture
Roxio Game Capture ($99.99)
Roxio’s Game Capture allows gamers to record their Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 play sessions right on their Windows PCs. The best part about this system is that it allows you to record the action in real-time, so you wont have to miss your best frags. Couple this with a very simple-to-use software suite which even allows for some video editing and this thing is a wonder device for those looking to record their matches or play sessions. The Roxio Game Capture retails for $99.99 and is available now.
Amazon Kindle Fire
Kindle Fire ($199)
Amazon has created quite the stir with their new Kindle Fire tablet. Featuring a 7″ I.P.S. LCD display, the tablet has brilliant, crisp visuals and is backed by the large selection of books, magazines, movies, TV shows, and more found on the Amazon Kindle store. Coupled with the fact that you get so much content for a very-reasonable $199 dollars and you can’t beat this tablet for its intended function as a media/entertainment device. The Kindle Fire tablet retails for $199 dollars and is available now.
Frostmourne Latex LARPING Sword
Frostmourne Latex LARPING Sword ($149.99)
Feel like LARPING with your buddies? Why not rule the battlefield with this World of Warcraft, officially-licensed by Blizzard Entertainment, latex replica of the Lich King’s sword: Frostmourne. The latex sword has a hefty grip for all your play-fighting needs and is 47” inches in length. The sword is usable in both one-handed or two-handed grips and features a very nice blade catcher which is sure to keep your arm safe from those nasty latex burns left by enemy weaponry. Just watch out for magic missiles! The sword is not cheap at $149.99 dollars but it is worth it if you are a collector of WoW memorabilia or just looking for that extra edge on the battlefield. It is available now.
SuperTooth Buddy
SuperTooth Buddy Speakerphone ($69)
The SuperTooth Buddy bluetooth speakerphone system is an exceptional hands-free solution for your vehicle. Simply charge it up via a mini-USB plug and you have a quality system that provides exceptionally-clear vocal reproduction. I have seen several speakerphone systems on the market, but none have been as easy-to-use or dependable. It even allows you to use the iPhone 4S Siri digital assistant by hitting the “call” button in mid-drive. The SuperTooth Buddy retails for $69 dollars and is available now.
GUNNAR Optiks Modern Warfare 3 Gaming Eyewear
GUNNAR Modern Warfare 3 Gaming Optiks ($99)
I can’t begin to say how many hours I have spent staring into a computer monitor, straining to pick up every detail of the virtual battlefield. It is pwn or be pwned, after all. Thankfully, you can decrease your eye strain and increase your visual acuity with GUNNAR Optiks gaming eyewear. They come in several models, including the new set themed after Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, but they are all very effective at aiding your gaming stamina and efficiency. I am proud to say I have owned a pair of these for a long time and never regretted the purchase. These eyeball-savers are $99 dollars and available now.
YouRock MIDI Guitar
YouRock MIDI Guitar ($199.99)
The YouRock MIDI guitar is a versatile instrument which allows musicians to perform multiple tasks that would usually take several devices to pull off. Not only does the MIDI guitar act as a regular guitar (complete with different sound types) by plugging it into a speaker system or headset, it also is usable as a Guitar Hero peripheral! Additionally, you can plug it into your PC or Mac and use it as a MIDI instrument in your favorite audio programs. The YouRock MIDI guitar is a great device for both beginner and veteran musicians. It retails for $199.99 dollars and is available now!
Razer Battlefield 3 Collection
Razer Battlefield 3 Collection ($ Vary)
Razer has long-been known for its quality PC gaming peripherals and, recently, they have begun releasing themed peripheral lines based on AAA games. One of their newer lines is themed after Electronic Arts new Battlefield 3. This collection features an Onza Xbox 360 controller, Scarab gaming surface, Imperator gaming mouse, silicon mobile phone case, Black Widow Ultimate keyboard, and even a messenger bag. All feature the excellent performance of the base peripheral along with some cool graphic design elements to boot. Additionally, the peripherals come with a code to unlock a special Battlefield 3 dog tag for your player avatar. The collection has multiple price points depending on the product but all are available now.
A320 Pocket Retro Game Emulator
A320 Pocket Retro Game Emulator ($69.99)
The Pocket Retro Game Emulator is an exceptional purchase for those of you who are not looking for simply a handheld game console like the Nintendo 3DS. Not only is it a lot cheaper, but it also allows you to play just about any classic arcade or console game you can find a ROM for. Please note, ROMs are not legal unless you own the original game. Just saying. You have been warned. Seriously. The A320 Pocket Retro Game Emulator also plays video files as well as MP3s, making it one of the most versatile handheld systems ever made. It retails for a very reasonable $69.99 and is available now.
Midnight Shot NV1 Night Vision Camera
Midnight Shot NV1 Night Vision Camera ($129.99)
The Midnight Shot NV1 allows you to take both still images as well as video in either regular light or night vision. The video files are only 640×480 but it is VERY cool to be able to bust a camera out when others can’t stand up to the darkness. The still image quality is good but it won’t completely replace a more mainstream camera. Where the NV1 shines on its own is in its night vision capabilities. The Midnight Shot NV1 retails for $129.99 and is available now.
OnLive Gaming System
OnLive Gaming System ($ Vary)
Voted one of the “Top 50 Websites of 2011” by Time Magazine, OnLive is to video games what Netflix is to movies (without the ever-increasing prices). For a $10 membership you get access to over 180 games through cloud gaming, meaning your rig doesn’t have to be state-of-the-art to play them, all you need is a strong Internet connection. It can also be played on most smart phones and tablets. New games are competitively priced and all cloud stored and there is often a deal to get a free console with a game pre-order. You can play your games on PC, portable device and their console which is literally just slightly larger than a deck of cards and can handle up to four players. Whichever platform you decide to play, you can pick up your same game on any platform! If you are concerned about latency, it has been tested and is very reliable. If you are worried about losing your game because you don’t have a copy of it on your system, OnLive has deals with just about every big video game developer and publisher out there… they aren’t going anywhere. This is the future of PC gaming and you can get started at just $10 a month.
Cyborg R.A.T. 7 Albino Gaming Mouse
Cyborg R.A.T. 7 Gaming Mouse-The Albino Edition ($99.99)
If you are a gamer, odds are you have heard of the R.A.T. 7 at one time or another. The mouse not only can be adjusted for the right or left hand, but it can be customized 1,344 different ways which won it a spot in the 2011 Gamer’s Edition of The Guinness World Records Book as the “World’s Most Customizable Mouse”. Also, just about every PC gaming magazine out there gave it their top honors. It comes with multiple pinky and palm rests, a 6400 DPI “twin eye” laser sensor, 5 command buttons with 3 Cyborg modes giving a total of 15 programmable commands, Precision Aim mode, and a sturdy but lightweight metal chassis makes it perfect for the casual MMO player or the hardcore gamer. It retails for $99.99 dollars and is available now.
Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog
Thrustmaster H.O.T.A.S. Warthog Flight Control System ($499.99)
Thrustmaster made a huge splash in flight simulation circles with their HOTAS Warthog flight control system. It is the pinnacle of consumer PC flight simulation peripherals and earned a place on our holiday gift list. The flight stick and throttle feature all-metal construction and are designed as replicas of the controls found in the United States Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt II (affectionately called the “Warthog”). The Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog retails for $499.99 dollars and is available now.
There you have it, our picks for this year’s Holiday Gift Guide. Some will agree with our choices and some won’t, feel free to tell us about your picks in the comments below!
While accepting the Gamer God award at last night’s Spike TV Video Game Awards, Blizzard Co-Founder Mike Morhaime revealed the opening cinematic of Diablo III. Here it is, so watch it already!!
Cinematic
Spike TV has concluded its 2011 Video Game Awards. Did you get a chance to see it? If not, don’t worry as we have the full list of winners for your reading pleasure below!
GAME OF THE YEAR
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
STUDIO OF THE YEAR
Bethesda Game Studios
CHARACTER OF THE YEAR
The Joker – Batman: Arkham City
VIDEO GAME HALL OF FAME AWARD
“The Legend of Zelda”
GAMER GOD AWARD
Blizzard Entertainment
BEST XBOX 360 GAME
Batman: Arkham City
BEST PS3 GAME
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
BEST Wii GAME
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
BEST PC GAME
Portal 2
BEST HANDHELD/MOBILE GAME
Super Mario 3D Land
BEST SHOOTER
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
BEST ACTION ADVENTURE GAME
Batman: Arkham City
BEST RPG
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
BEST MULTI-PLAYER
Portal 2
BEST INDIVIDUAL SPORTS GAME
Fight Night Champion
BEST TEAM SPORTS GAME
NBA 2K12
BEST DRIVING GAME
Forza Motorsport 4
BEST FIGHTING GAME
Mortal Kombat
BEST MOTION GAME
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
BEST INDEPENDENT GAME
Minecraft
BEST ADAPTED VIDEO GAME
Batman: Arkham City
BEST SONG IN A GAME
“Build that Wall (Zia’s Theme)” by Darren Korb – Bastion
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Bastion
BEST GRAPHICS
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A HUMAN MALE
Stephen Merchant as Wheatley – Portal 2
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A HUMAN FEMALE
Ellen McLain as GLaDOS – Portal 2
BEST DOWNLOADABLE GAME
Bastion
BEST DLC
Portal 2 Peer Review
MOST ANTICIPATED GAME
Mass Effect 3
GAMETRAILERS.COM TRAILER OF THE YEAR
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations – E3 2011 Trailer
EA SPORTS NFL BLITZ DIGITAL COVER ATHLETE
Ray Rice
BioWare is developing Command & Conquer: Generals 2. If you recall, the first Generals was set in the real world and depending on realistic units and tactics. Command & Conquer: Generals 2 uses the Frostbite 2 game engine, is being developed by a new BioWare studio, BioWare Victory, and is coming exclusively to the PC in 2013.
“We’re bringing BioWare’s vision for emotionally engaging gameplay and great attention to quality to the strategy genre and the Command & Conquer franchise,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, General Manager of EA’s BioWare label. “I am excited to welcome BioWare Victory to our label. They are a great addition and the team is working hard to make sure Generals 2 truly immerses and engages players into this intense, gritty, modern war experience.”
Screens
Trailer
You may recall back in October when we posted our review of Sinister Pointe’s Haunted Attraction that the event’s creator, Jeff Schiefelbein, mentioned wanting to do haunted events at other times of the year. Well, now is that time! The Sinister Pointe Not-So Holiday Haunted Attraction is running in a limited engagement this weekend (December 9th through 11th). For the holiday season, Sinister Pointe has had a Wintery makeover, complete with snow, Santas, and more!
Brief IR (Nightvision) Clip of the Inner-Lobby
Walking up to the Sinister Pointe building in Brea, CA, the queue line was adorned with red and green lights, Christmas Trees, and even some holiday specials running on projector system. A couple of monsters worked the crowd, some sliding on the concrete to jump up at unsuspecting guests while others relied on jumping about in more straightforward scares. All the monsters outside seemed pumped to get to perform again and their enthusiasm showed. Tickets are reasonably-priced at $15 dollars for a standard pass and $23 dollars for a front-of-the-line, VIP pass. After grabbing our tickets, we went on into the maze hoping for a fun, creepy time.
The maze decor is very well-constructed, with the hillbilly home from the Halloween event all decked out for Christmas time. If you experienced their Halloween attraction, chances are that a lot of the maze will look familiar, even in its Holiday-state. Despite this, the layout of the maze has changed somewhat, ditching the multiple path decision-making and adding a few new and nasty surprises which will creep-out and/or scare new guests as well as veterans of the event.
Character costuming was great, with monsters wearing reds and greens, stripes, and other holiday apparel. There are even some cool costuming homages to a classic holiday flick which I will leave for your discovery (HINT: It has something to do with carrots). On the topic of characters, monsters had much more of an evil, creepy-factor than the scaring they did during the Halloween event. This new attitude of malicious whimsy fits the Holiday season a lot better and it was a good decision to change it up (this is not to say that there are not straight-up scares to be had, but the mood change is definitely a good thing).
One shining aspect of the experience was its soundtrack. Unlike the actual maze itself, which has to be physically-altered in order to change, the audio was completely new and different, featuring creepy carols, voice overs, and more thanks to haunted attraction musician and audio engineer, Jon Autopsy. Autopsy also created the soundtrack for the event’s Halloween incarnation.
Overall, if you are a fan of Halloween or just looking to start a new and twisted Holiday tradition, I can’t recommend Sinister Pointe’s Not So Holiday Haunt enough. Get out there and experience it – it is only here through Sunday night! I hope this weekend does well enough that they extend the event a bit, but we shall see!
Official Sinister Pointe Website (Check the site for directions, ticket information and purchase, and more)
Images from Sinister Pointe
Harmonix has announced that a three-pack of Rush (including Fly by Night) and some tracks from Black Veil Brides and Volbeat will be hitting the Rock Band Music Store on December 13, 2011. Checkout the information below on pricing and more.
Available on Xbox 360, Wii™and PlayStation®3 system (December 13th, 2011):
· Rush – “Fly by Night” X
· Rush – “Caravan” O
· Rush – “The Spirit of Radio (Live)” X O
· Black Veil Brides – “Rebel Love Song”
· Volbeat – “A Warrior’s Call”
(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation®3 system December 14th)
The Rush tracks will be available as “Rush Pack 01,” with all songs available for purchase individually on Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 system and Wii™. 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:
$5.49 USD, £2.49 UK, €3.99 EU (440 Microsoft Points, 550 Wii Points™) for the “Rush Pack 01” pack.
$1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points) per song for the Rush tracks “Fly by Night,” “Caravan,” and “The Spirit of Radio (Live)”
$2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per song for the Rush tracks “Fly by Night,” “Caravan,” and “The Spirit of Radio (Live)”
$0.99 USD (100 Wii Points™/80 Microsoft Points), £0.59 UK, €0.79 EU per song for Black Veil Brides’ “Rebel Love Song” and Volbeat’s “A Warrior’s Call”
$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™.
Aksys Games has announced that the strategy RPG, Record of Agarest War 2, will be hitting North American and European shores in Summer of 2012 – exclusively on the PlayStation 3 platform.
Story:
One day, the world was enveloped by a mysterious blinding light. The destruction it caused was terrible, even as the light itself was sublime in its beauty, and it made those who witnessed the awesome display think of the unrestrained rage and fury of the divine.
The central continent, from where the light is believed to have originated from, went silent, while at the same time demons began to spread throughout the world like a plague. Amongst the survivors of the catastrophe, that fateful day became known as the “Day of Light.”
Sometime after the events of the Day of Light, a young man by the name of Weiss, who had lost all memory of himself, encounters an enigmatic woman named Eva, who introduces herself as an Agent of the Divine. It is from her that Weiss learns that he has committed the grievous sin of deicide, and that in order for him to atone for his crime he is to become the “Vessel” in which the power of the divinity he had slaughtered will be stored. For it will be that power that will be used to resurrect the one whose life he stole.
For those who betray the divine will pay for their sins in the space which separates salvation and damnation, as will their progeny…
Features:
- Revamped Battle System: Unlike the first two games of the series, Agarest 2 battles are fought with an engaging active grid-based battle system.
- HD graphics: Enjoy your favorite characters, environments and CGs in high-definition!
- Mini-games: Engage in PlayStation®Move compatible Bathtub, Shiatsu, and Massage mini-games.
- New Agarest Universe: Roam freely in the newly designed world of Agarest
Thankfully, someone over at HP has their head on straight and has seen the potential of Palm’s WebOS operating system. HP announced today that WebOS would be released as an open source package to further its capabilities. The company did not announce that they would be producing more WebOS-enabled devices but, one would think that if the open source community gets the OS to a place the company likes, they might.
“webOS is the only platform designed from the ground up to be mobile, cloud-connected and scalable,” said Meg Whitman, HP president and chief executive officer. “By contributing this innovation, HP unleashes the creativity of the open source community to advance a new generation of applications and devices.”