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Author - Jerry Paxton
According to Kotaku who got word through a un-named LucasArts source, Disney has shut the doors on the long-time game developer, also canceling Star Wars 1313 and Star Wars: First Assault. We are filing this under rumor until a reliable source can be located.
*UPDATE: Sadly, this is official, folks. Here is the official statement from Disney received by GameInformer:
“After evaluating our position in the games market, we’ve decided to shift LucasArts from an internal development to a licensing model, minimizing the company’s risk while achieving a broader portfolio of quality Star Wars games. As a result of this change, we’ve had layoffs across the organization. We are incredibly appreciative and proud of the talented teams who have been developing our new titles.”
While they were not very active in recent years, back in the 1990s, LucasArts was a VERY important game-maker, with titles like X-Wing, Tie Fighter, Full Throttle, The Dig, the awesome Indiana Jones point-and-click adventures, and a ton more. We at GamingShogun are sad, both as gamers grieving over the loss of an important studio in the history of PC gaming, and as people for the 150 employees who have been laid off. We hope everyone lands on their feet soon.
Just for a fond look back, here is a list of LucasArts games from Wikipedia:
BURLINGAME, Calif. April 3rd, 2013 – TECMO KOEI AMERICA is pleased to announce the upcoming release of DYNASTY WARRIORS 8. The next installment of the fan-favorite tactical action franchise will be available in stores on July 16th, 2013 for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.
As with previous titles in the series, DYNASTY WARRIORS 8 follows the stories of the kingdoms of Wei, Wu, Shu and Jin through the actions of historical military and political figures of the time as they fight to gain control over the Three Kingdoms of China.
However, this sequel takes the much loved IP one step further, merging numerous replay elements like multi-endings and extra modes with synergies between action and game systems, making a game that people won’t want to put down.
Apart from the Story Mode, which comes with new episodes and characters and takes a deeper look at the drama that unfolds in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms story, DYNASTY WARRIORS 8 includes all new ‘What if?’ scenarios. Breaking away from historical fact, this mode takes a look at what could have happened if famous characters had lived to fight another day. Stories branch out to different outcomes providing variety in the course and ending of the game, and giving the players the power to view an alternate version of history depending on their choices.
DYNASTY WARRIORS 8 also boasts a vast number of new and returning playable characters, as the highly anticipated officers Yue Jin and Li Dian from the Wei Kingdom, who make their first appearance in the series, alongside more than 70 playable characters that fight to prevail in the battlefield.
Giving stronger emphasis in the stage of these epic battles and inspired by the landscape of ancient China to deliver a wide range of visual treats, DYNASTY WARRIORS 8 will feature more than 40 completely new stages: verdant plains, desolate wastelands, sharp ravines, huge castles, and other breath-taking sites.
April 3, 2013 – Following the recent Deus Ex announcement, Eidos Montreal and Square Enix unleash the first trailer for the Director’s Cut, the definitive version of the critically acclaimed DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION.
About DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION – DIRECTOR’S CUT
Praised for its in-game art and cinema-quality storyline, DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION has garnered critical acclaim from the media and consumers alike since its original release in August 2011. In DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION, the year is 2027– a time of great innovation in neuroprosthetics, but also a time of chaos, conspiracy, and social divide. Adam Jensen, a man cybernetically augmented against his own choice, finds himself in the middle of a mysterious, global plot to which he holds the key. By offering players vastly different ways to play, DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION challenges the foundation of gaming and provides an immersive experience where every choice has a lasting consequence.
Coming in 2014, the Director’s Cut features include visual improvements, overhauled boss fights, reinforced combat mechanics and much more making it the ultimate HUMAN REVOLUTION experience.
Trailer
This was just sent out from Hammerpoint Interactive/OP Productions llc have revealed that hackers have gained access to the form and game databases for their controversial The War Z, leading to the comprising of player data. Thankfully, the official statement does reveal that payment information was not compromised, so that’s a plus.
Official PR Text
We are sorry to report that we have discovered that hackers gained access to our forum and game databases and the player data in those databases. We have launched a thorough investigation covering our entire system to determine the scope of the intrusion. This investigation is ongoing and is our top priority. As part of the remediation and security enhancement process we will be taking the game and forums down temporarily.
We are issuing this Security Alert to all Survivors as a precaution so you can take some precautionary measures on your own. We have already taken a number of steps to increase security and are continuing to work with external advisors and investigators to identify and implement measures to minimize the chance of this happening in the future.
The data accessed included email addresses used to log-in to the forum and game, forum passwords which we encrypt, encrypted game passwords as well as in-game character names and the IP addresses from which players log-in to the forum and to the game. If you posted other information to the forum it is likely that such data was accessed as well. We do not collect the names or addresses of our gamers so that information was not impacted unless you posted it on the forum. We are investigating whether additional information may have been obtained.
No Payment information Exposed.
All payments are made through a third party and not through our system. Therefore there was absolutely no exposure of your payment or billing information of any kind.
Email Addresses.
If you registered on our forum your registration email address was taken. Those Survivors who use the same email address to access their game accounts should be aware that the hackers have the email address.
Passwords.
We encrypt all passwords. However, there is a possibility that simple passwords can be obtained using brute force even if they are encrypted. Our research shows that many users are not using strong passwords.
Therefore, we are asking all of our players to please change your passwords immediately. You may do this by visiting our website or by clicking “Forgot Password” on The War Z launcher screen. If you use the same password for accounts on other services, you should change those passwords as well. Please make sure to use a strong password that is unique and uses a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters. Longer passwords are stronger. We suggest not to use password shorter than 8 symbols, with 12 to 15 symbols long password being preferred.
What we are doing.
We have engaged outside experts and investigators to assist in our investigation of this incident and committed substantial resources to that effort. We have identified how access was obtained and have enhanced our security to improve game and forum safety. We are undertaking a full review and update of our servers and the services we use and adding additional security mechanisms.
The security of your data is important to us and we want our players to be assured that we take this situation very seriously. We have taken steps to improve security to minimize the chance of this happening in the future and will continue to invest in improving security going forward.
This has been a humbling experience for us. While we all know that there is no guaranty of security on the internet, our goal is to try our very best to protect your data. We sincerely apologize.
We will update you on status as we make progress.
Thank you,
The War Z Team
Rockstar Games presents the official Grand Theft Auto V Cover Art featuring the game’s three lead characters Michael, Trevor and Franklin. Grand Theft Auto V is due out this Fall. Click the image above to make it larger!
Checkout this brand-new trailer for Suda 51, XSEED Games, and Grasshopper Manufactures upcoming Killer is Dead. Be careful as your mind may actually be blown by how awesome and over-the-top this is! Killer is Dead will be released in North America by XSEED Games in summer 2013. Deep Silver, the games label of Koch Media, will bring the title to the countries of Europe and Oceania. XSEED Games will reveal more information for KILLER IS DEAD in the coming months.
Trailer
SAN RAFAEL, Calif., April 2, 2013 — Telltale Games, leading publisher of digital entertainment, announced today that the award-winning game series The Walking Dead will soon be available for purchase from European, Australian and New Zealand retailers on Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and PC.
The Walking Dead game was originally an English-only digital download when the series debuted in April 2012. This new retail release, set to launch on May 10th, includes subtitled versions in French, Italian, German and Spanish for the first time. It compiles all 5 episodes in the critically-acclaimed first season of the game on one disc.
The Walking Dead has earned Game of the Year honors from over 80 media outlets including Metacritic, USA Today, Wired, E! Online, Yahoo!, The Telegraph,Mashable, Polygon, and GamesRadar, and recently won the BAFTA Video Games Awards for Best Story and Best Mobile Game.
IGN.com gave the final episode of the season an Editor’s Choice Award and a score of 9.5 out of 10 saying, “People will reference the series over and over as the benchmark for story-telling in games,” and summed up the game’s emotional impact by stating, “I cried in the final minutes, sat silently through the credits, and was speechless after the epilogue.”
The Walking Dead is set in the world of Robert Kirkman’s award-winning comic book series. Players experience life-changing events, meeting new characters and some familiar to fans of the comic book series, in events that foreshadow the story of Deputy Sheriff Rick Grimes. The Walking Dead offers an emotionally-charged, tailored game experience – a player’s actions and choices affect how their story plays out across the entire series.
The Walking Dead is rated ’18’ for ‘extreme violence, violence towards defenceless people and strong language’ by PEGI, ‘MA 15+’ (Restricted) for ‘strong themes and horror violence’ by the Australian Classification Board, ‘R16’ for ‘violence, offensive language and horror’ by the New Zealand Office of Film and Literature Classification.
The Walking Dead is also available to download for PC and Macintosh Computers from theTelltale Online Store and other digital outlets and is available for compatible iOS devices from the App Store.
For more information on the game, visit the official website, Facebook, and follow Telltale Games on Twitter. For more information
Sitting on our duffs playing video games and taking in the occasional high-sugar, high-caffeine snack or energy drink can have a drastic and dire effect on our video gamer bodies. How many video gamers do you know that could use to lose a few pounds? Or, perhaps you are like me and just want to get more fit without having to spend the high monthly fees on a gym? Either way, we can all stand to increase our core strength and that is exactly what the new Ab-Carver Pro from Perfect Fitness is meant to do.
Hi. I’m an Ab Wheel.
This is a regular, cheap ol’ ab wheel. Available for anywhere between $10 and $25 dollars, this little hunk of metal and plastic has been a mainstay of core workouts throughout the decades. However, you get what you pay for and, with the basic ab wheel, you get a lot of sore hands and possible back strain – especially if you are not used to that kind of workout. The problem comes after you have extended outwards with the wheel. At that point, you have to utilize your core muscles to pull yourself back together. Without any assistance, this can lead to problems. Additionally, the basic ab wheel can be somewhat uncomfortable to use when making left or right arcing motions. The wheel has no curvature to make carving practical. Also, the basic ab wheel comes with nothing to cushion your knees from rug or gym mat burn.
Hi. I’m an Ab-Carver Pro.
The Perfect Fitness Ab-Carver Pro looks to remedy all of the ab wheel’s shortcomings. First, it comes included with two foam knee pads in order to prevent rug or gym mat burn. Second, its articulated handle bars allow for comfortable usage of the device. Its wider wheel width and smooth curvature means carving to the left or the right will feel natural. Thirdly, it resembles the wheel off the new “light cycles” seen in the movie TRON: Legacy. But, the most interesting thing about the Ab-Carver Pro actually lies within its wheel. Inside, the device features a winding, “kinetic engine” with carbon steel spring. As you roll out with the Ab-Carver Pro, the spring tightens up, gaining potential energy. When you begin rolling back, that energy is turned into kinetic energy and helps you return to the starting position in a smooth manner, thus alleviating any core muscle strain for the neophyte athletes out there. Finally, the large, ergonomic handles allow you to grip the Ab-Carver Pro comfortably, and without causing pain to your knuckles or palm throughout the workout.
As an added bonus, the Ab-Carver Pro includes a small set of foam knee pads to take the stress and pressure off of them while using the core trainer. On the Ab-Carver Pro’s official website, you will find a digital, free 21-day workout program which means to increase your core strength safely and gradually while using the device. In reviewing my Ab-Carver Pro, I went through the entire 21-day program. While I am still working on being able to complete the last training day’s number of sets and reps (it is a rigorous core workout), I have noticed a definite increase in core strength.
I highly recommend the Ab-Carver Pro over standard ab wheels thanks to its clever internals, solid build quality, and reasonable price of about $40 dollars (set in 2 payments). There is simply no reason to pass it up in your core training. This is one training device that lives up to the hype.
[easyreview title=”The Ab-Carver Pro Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″] Our Rating Scores Explained
**We at GamingShogun.com remind you to consult with your physician prior to starting a workout program or using any fitness device
1st April, 2013 – Wargaming, the leading free-to-play MMO developer and publisher, is pleased to announce that its smashing hit World of Tanks and the highly anticipated World of Warplanes will soon be crowded with brand new PvE characters-zombies. The AI-controlled undead will become essential elements of both games and bring more diversity to the gameplay.
“The first time one of our game designers brought up using zombies, we immediately brushed it aside”, said Andrew Yarantsau, VP of Global Operations at Wargaming. “But after thorough analysis, we determined it would be a great feature to implement in all our games. It’s a completely new gameplay element, attractive to both current players and new gamer audiences.”
World of Tanks will feature the Zombie Escort survival mode, where players will have to navigate from point A to point B, while fighting their way through swarms of zombies. The new mode is aimed at a more hardcore audience, as it requires extra skills from tankmen. Among other tricks, the undead enemy will be able to infect the tank crew, damage external modules, and block the main gun.
In World of Warplanes, zombies will appear as natural gameplay elements, including undead tail gunners. If a tail gunner gets hit, they instantly turn into a zombie, causing twice as much damage as the default gunner mode. Moreover, the AI remembers the player that killed the tail gunner, forcing the latter to deliberately target that warplane until it’s destroyed.
Another major update for World of Warplanes is the dendro-zombies, a new threat for pilots who prefer shaking off enemies in the woodlands. The closer a warplane flies to a wooded area; the more likely it is to have a zombie stuck to one of the wings, immediately affecting its top speed and maneuverability.
“If a zombie is hanging on one of the wings, the best thing to do is to reverse course and fly over the trees again. Hopefully a zombie will get stuck to the other wing and you’ll regain balance,” said Anton Sitnikau, World of Warplanes producer.
“We are looking forward to the introduction of zombies in World of Tanks and World of Warplanes”, said Wargaming CEO Victor Kislyi. “After so much background work, I can proudly say that the undead will be one of the coolest features in our games.”
Zombies will attack World of Tanks and World of Warplanes in one of the games’ upcoming updates.