Author - Jerry Paxton

Demonicon Gets New Release Date and Packshot

2013/07/24
Jerry Paxton
News, Windows PC News

Adobe Photoshop PDF

July 24, 2013, Ridgewood, NJ – Kalypso Media today is announcing an updated release schedule for The Dark Eye – Demonicon, its upcoming action-RPG for console and PC. Kalypso will release The Dark Eye – Demonicon for Windows PC in late October, while console versions for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system will arrive in 2014.

The Dark Eye – Demonicon is a thrilling action-RPG set in the extraordinarily popular universe of “The Dark Eye”, a richly crafted fantasy world beloved by fantasy gamers throughout the world.

Demonicon tells the tragic story of a brother and sister who become pawns of sinister forces in a world of cruelty and depravity.  In this bleak yet magical world, their affection is both a blessing and a curse.  Both are constantly threatened by mortal danger and demonic temptation, and must find a way through their tortured lives by facing serious moral decisions.  Their common destiny will determine that of the entire continent, and will be decided by the choices they make.  Hordes of fiends block their way to freedom and peace, and only through battle and magic they will truly become free of the darkness.

Features include –
●      A third-person action-RPG featuring brutal melee attack combos and dazzling magic spells
●      Powerful storytelling with an elaborate narrative rich with twists, as well as believable conflicts and ethical decision-making opportunities
●      Action-packed battles, where pin-point timing and clever tactics play important roles
●      Unique magic system: a dark talent grants the player devastating mystical powers
●      Important events in “Demonicon” will be part of “The Dark Eye” universe’s history
●      State-of-the-art 3D visuals using the powerful “Vision” engine

ABC TV Announces D23 Expo Screenings and Panels

2013/07/24
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News

OnceWonderland

BURBANK, Calif. – July 24, 2013 – Be among the first to watch ABC’s most anticipated new fall series and animated specials and have a chance to learn the secrets behind how they were made. Fans will have those opportunities at the D23 Expo: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, where all the worlds of Disney come together, August 9 – 11, at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Executive Producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz will be featured at a panel titled “ABC’s Once Upon A Time: Behind The Fairytale” on Saturday, August 10 at 1:00 p.m. at Stage 23. Eddy and Adam will talk about exciting developments for season three of their hit series Once Upon A Time as well as their new fall series, Once Upon A Time In Wonderland, which takes place in the Victorian England of Alice and the strange new land that exists on the other side of the rabbit hole. The Q&A with the executive producers will be moderated by D23’s Jeffrey Epstein.

Guests on the D23 Expo show floor are invited to come aboard the Jolly Roger for a swashbuckling good time with some of your favorite fairytale characters from ABC’s hit series Once Upon A Time. Explore the famous pirate ship and feast your eyes on original props from the set. You will also find Snow White, Prince Charming, the Evil Queen, Captain Hook, and Emma Swan (and Emma’s red leather jacket). Every pirate who boards the ship gets to visit the Evil Queen’s vault. And a surprise awaits when you unlock a box from Regina’s wall of hearts. No pirate will leave empty handed! Don’t let this exciting adventure sail by without you!

In addition, as previously announced, guests will be able to get an up-close-and-personal look at some of the elaborate costumes from Once Upon A Time inside the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit located on the second floor of the Convention Center.

Outlast Gets Release Date

2013/07/24
Jerry Paxton
News, Windows PC News

Outlast-Announced

MONTREAL – July 24, 2013 – Red Barrels announced today that its darkest brainchild, survival horror experience Outlast will be available on September 4, 2013 for digital download on Steam for $19.99. Outlast received great accolades and awards this past E3, even earning the honor of “Most Likely to Make you Faint.” White-knuckled attendees playing the game for the first time struggled to maintain composure (and consciousness) when faced with the frightening effects of Outlast’s immersive audio design and the shocking truth of what lies inside Mount Massive Asylum. Outlast will keep hearts pumping and palms sweating as players’ fiercest fears are awakened.

The industry veterans at the ten-person indie studio Red Barrels have created a game that traps players in the uncomfortable space between fear and intrigue. In Outlast, players will take on the role of Miles Upshur, a reporter investigating an anonymous tip that something is amiss at Mount Massive Asylum. Miles ventures blindly into the asylum where a bloody crime scene forebodes a gruesome story to unravel. Players will be in for a true derangement of the senses this September, where fainting may be the only way to escape.

For more information about the studio and Outlast, please visit redbarrelsgames.com.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified Live Action Trailer #4

2013/07/24
Jerry Paxton
News, PlayStation 3 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox 360 News

XCOM_E3_SCREENSHOT_IV

JULY 24, 2013 — 2K Games and 2K Marin have released “The Decision,” the next installment of the live action series for The Bureau: XCOM Declassified. In the last video, “The Choice,” Agent Ennis Cole, played by Lost and Lord of the Ringsstar Dominic Monaghan, faced a difficult choice in dealing with the aftermath of the Pima incident, so The Bureau fans helped him decide by voting either #grabthebottle or #grabthegun.

With 51% of the votes, fans have decided by an incredibly narrow margin to have Agent Ennis Cole grab the bottle instead of the gun. Watch the complete video to see the consequences of those actions.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified: Agent Ennis Cole – The Decision 
Download: https://www.hightail.com/download/bWJxQmtRdWNOMUFpR01UQw
Youtube embed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwAwrDS0EsM

Follow the story of The Bureau agents and the missing boy from the first live action trailer, “The Burn Room,” for a closer look into the mysterious world of The Bureau: XCOM Declassified and be sure to tune in this Friday for the next installment of the live action series starring Dominic Monaghan. Finally, we’re pleased to announce that the The Bureau: XCOM Declassified Steam page has gone live, as has a pre-purchase rewards promotion that some fans may want to check out.

Trailer

World of Tanks 8.7 Update Launches

2013/07/24
Jerry Paxton
News, Windows PC News

WoT_Screens_Tanks_Britain_Bishop_Image_04

July 24, 2013 — Wargaming, the leading free-to-play MMO developer and publisher, today announced the release of Update 8.7 for its MMO action game World of Tanks in Europe. North American players will get the new version on July 29. Korean and Southeast Asian tankmen will be able to download the 8.7 at the end of July.

Update 8.7 introduces a brand new branch of British self-propelled guns, including the iconic Sexton, Bishop and the Crusader, just to name a few. A number of post-World War II prototypes take their place in the middle tiers, while the intimidating Conqueror Gun Carriage becomes the Tier 10 arty.

The Soviet light tank T-50-2 has been replaced with the Tier 6 MT-25, with better agility and more horse power as main advantages.

The update also adds a brand new winter map, Severogorsk, as well as visual revamps of the Highway and Harbour maps

Superman and Batman Crossover Film Official News Release

2013/07/23
Jerry Paxton
Movie News, News, SDCC

Superman-Batman-movie-hi-res-logo

While at Comic-Con, it was revealed in a cool “and one more thing” moment that Warner Bros. is working on a Superman / Batman crossover film. Now, Warner Bros. has released the official press info on it. Enjoy!

BURBANK, CA, July 20, 2013 – On the heels of the worldwide success of “Man of Steel,” director Zack Snyder is bringing together the two greatest Super Heroes of all time—Batman and Superman—for the first time on the big screen. The announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

The current hit, “Man of Steel,” has taken in more than $630 million at the worldwide box office to date, and climbing. Along with its star, Henry Cavill, the upcoming film brings back Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane. The new Batman has yet to be cast. Snyder is co-writing the story with David S. Goyer, who will then pen the screenplay. Production is expected to begin in 2014, with an anticipated release date in Summer 2015.

Silverman stated, “Zack Snyder is an incredibly talented filmmaker, but beyond that, he’s a fan first and he utterly gets this genre. We could not think of anyone better suited to the task of bringing these iconic Super Heroes to the screen in his own way.” Kroll added, “We are thrilled to be back in business with Zack and his team on this next movie. The success of ‘Man of Steel’ is a wonderful testament to the love and support that both fans and new audiences, worldwide, have for these characters. We are very excited to see what Zack has in store for all of us.”

Diane Nelson, President, DC Entertainment, noted, “Superman and Batman together on the big screen is a dream come true for DC fans everywhere. All of us at DC Entertainment could not be more excited for Zack’s continuing vision for the DC Universe.”

Zack Snyder, who made a surprise appearance at Comic-Con today, breaking the news to audiences there, later said, “I’m so excited to begin working again with Henry Cavill in the world we created, and I can’t wait to expand the DC Universe in this next chapter. Let’s face it, it’s beyond mythological to have Superman and our new Batman facing off, since they are the greatest Super Heroes in the world.”

The new film brings back Charles Roven and Deborah Snyder as producers. This time, Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas are serving as executive producers, along with Benjamin Melniker and Michael E. Uslan. Thomas offered, “Whilst our ‘Dark Knight’ trilogy is complete, we have every confidence that Zack’s fresh interpretation will take the character in a new and exciting direction. His vision for Superman opened the door to a whole new universe and we can’t wait to see what Zack does with these characters.”

The film is based on Superman characters created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster, and Batman characters created by Bob Kane, published by DC Entertainment

EA Loses Madden Lawsuit to Developer

2013/07/23
Jerry Paxton
Industry News, News

madden-final_2

July 23, 2013 — After three days of deliberations, a jury in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California today ruled in favor of Robin Antonick, the original designer and developer of Electronic Arts’ (NASDAQ: EA) best-selling Madden NFL Football games, awarding him what should be, with interest, more than $11 million. It also gives him the ability to pursue the same claims against EA for games released after 1996—games with significantly higher revenues.

The case alleges that EA and Antonick signed a series of publishing and development contracts, culminating in a 1986 agreement that requires EA to pay him royalties on any derivative works related to the original version of EA Madden, including current annual releases, and prohibits EA from using his confidential information. The lawsuit claims that EA failed to pay millions of dollars in royalties owed to Antonick and to keep his work confidential as required by the contract.

The jury found that several of EA’s games, published between 1990-1996, were virtually identical to the original version of Madden NFL Football, developed by Antonick, and used substantially similar plays and formations. With mandatory prejudgment interest, the verdict should entitle Antonick to more than $11 million.

“This is a tremendous victory,” said Rob Carey, partner at Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP and one of Antonick’s attorneys. “In many ways, this trial was a test of each party’s version of events. The jury uniformly rejected the idea that this game was developed without Robin’s work. It is, if nothing, a good omen for the next phase of the litigation.”

A future phase of the trial will be held to determine whether EA is responsible for paying Antonick for games published between 1997 and the present, where revenues exceed $3 billion.

Antonick and his attorneys still plan to seek additional compensation during this stage of the litigation from the judge, who reserved for himself to decide claims for disgorgement of EA’s profits. They will also seek to appeal previous rulings that excluded Super Nintendo games and fraud claims from the jury deliberations.

Today, the jury found that Antonick’s game and the EA games shared substantial similarity in the plays and formations available to the user, and were virtually identical as a whole.

Antonick is also represented by Leonard Aragon of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, and Hagens Berman co-counseled with the Paynter Law Firm.

More information, including the full text of the lawsuit, is available at http://hb-ip.com/our-work/MaddenNFL.

Stardock Acquires Star Control IP from Atari

2013/07/23
Jerry Paxton
Industry News, News, Windows PC News

star_control_ii_cover1

PLYMOUTH, MI – July 23, 2013 – Stardock is pleased to announce that it has secured the rights to the classic PC franchise Star Control with the intent to develop a new Star Control game. Development on the new game will begin this year with a release date to be determined at a later time.

“We expect the new Star Control to come in the form of a reboot, similar to what Firaxis did with the XCOM series last year,” said Brad Wardell, president and CEO of Stardock. “We are looking at Star Control II as a major source of inspiration.”

Entering its 20th year as an independent studio, Stardock remains one of the few development studios solely dedicated to PC gaming. Its critically-acclaimed PC games include the timeless Galactic Civilizations series and the award-winning Real-Time Strategy game (RTS) Sins of a Solar Empire, which has sold more than two million copies worldwide. PC Gamer Magazine recently chose Galactic Civilizations II and Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion for inclusion in the top 100 PC games of all time.

Star Control maintains a cult following as a beloved PC franchise, with the first title including options for melee or strategy gameplay set in a science fiction universe. The sequel—Star Control II—expanded on the Star Control universe as an adventure game and shooter. Star Control II still holds spots on critics’ lists of the best PC games of all time among both new and seasoned PC gamers.

More information on the new Star Control will be announced as it becomes available.

For more information on Stardock, please visit www.stardock.com.