Author - Jerry Paxton

Diablo III Street Date Revealed

2012/03/16
Jerry Paxton
News

IRVINE, Calif. — March 15, 2012 — The end is nigh! Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced that Diablo® III, the next chapter in its critically acclaimed action role-playing game series, will be unleashed from the Burning Hells on May 15.

Starting that day, gamers with a thirst for fast-paced action and adventure will be able to purchase Diablo III at retailers throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. In addition, gamers in the regions above as well as in Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Brazil will be able to buy Diablo III digitally via Blizzard’s Battle.net® website.

Players in the listed Latin American countries and in Russia will be able to purchase Diablo III at local retail locations starting June 7. Digital availability for the Russian version of the game will also begin June 7. In addition to the English version, Diablo III will be fully localized into Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, European Spanish, Italian, Polish, Russian, Korean, and Traditional Chinese.

Blizzard also kicked off global digital presales for Diablo III today. Would-be wizards, witch doctors, demon hunters, barbarians, and monks throughout the world should head to http://www.blizzard.com/games/d3/ now to reserve their digital copies.

“After many years of hard work by our development team and months of beta testing by hundreds of thousands of dedicated players around the world, we’re now in the homestretch,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We look forward to putting the final polish on Diablo III over the next two months and delivering the ultimate action-RPG experience to gamers worldwide starting on May 15.”

Diablo III will be available for Windows® XP/Windows Vista®/Windows® 7 and Macintosh® at a suggested price of $59.99 USD for both the retail DVD-ROM version and the digital version sold directly from Blizzard. A special alabaster-white Collector’s Edition, sold exclusively in retail stores at a suggested retail price of $99.99 USD, will include the full game on DVD-ROM, a behind-the-scenes Blu-ray/DVD two-disc set, the Diablo III soundtrack CD, a 208-page Art of Diablo III book, and a 4 GB USB soulstone (including full versions of Diablo II and Diablo II: Lord of Destruction®) and corresponding Diablo skull base, as well as exclusive in-game content for Diablo III, World of Warcraft®, and StarCraft® II: Wings of Liberty®. Diablo III has received a Mature rating from the ESRB.

World of Warcraft players interested in getting Diablo III free are encouraged to join the more than 1 million players who have already signed up for the World of Warcraft Annual Pass.* Through this promotion, with a 1-year commitment to World of Warcraft, players will receive a free digital copy of Diablo III — which they’ll be able to start playing immediately on May 15 — as well as an exclusive World of Warcraft in-game mount and access to the World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria™ beta test. This offer will no longer be available as of 12:01 a.m. PDT on May 1. Learn more at http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/annualpass.

In Diablo III, players take on the role of one of five heroic characters — barbarian, witch doctor, wizard, monk, or demon hunter — and engage in pulse-pounding combat with endless legions of evil. As they undertake an epic quest to rid Sanctuary from the corrupting forces of the Burning Hells, players will explore diverse and perilous settings, grow in experience and ability, acquire artifacts of incredible power, and meet key characters who’ll join them in battle or aid them in other ways.

Diablo III was built from the ground up to leverage the full functionality of the Battle.net platform, which delivers powerful matchmaking and communication tools, allowing adventurers to seamlessly join forces for exciting cooperative play. Battle.net also provides a secure infrastructure for the Diablo III auction house, a feature-rich marketplace that Sanctuary’s heroes can use to trade their hard-earned treasures. Players will be able to buy and sell weapons, armor, and other valuable items in the auction house in exchange for in-game gold. Players will also have the option to receive real-world currency for auction house sales, which they can apply to their Battle.net Balance for the purchase of a variety of digital products through Battle.net, including Diablo III auction house items, or cash out through a third-party payment service such as PayPal™ in most regions. Further details related to the auction house will be announced in the coming weeks.

For more information on Diablo III, please visit the official website at http://www.diablo3.com. To set up a Battle.net account and to opt-in to Blizzard Entertainment beta tests, please visit the official Battle.net website at http://www.battle.net. With multiple games in development, Blizzard Entertainment has numerous positions currently available — visit http://jobs.blizzard.com for more information and to learn how to apply.

38 Studios Touts Hiring of Two MMO Veterans

2012/03/16
Jerry Paxton
News

Providence, RI – March 15, 2012 – 38 Studios today announced that it has made two appointments to its executive team based at the company’s Providence, RI headquarters. John Blakely has joined the company as senior vice-president of development and Mark Hansen takes the role of senior vice-president of operations & business.

Prior to joining 38 Studios, John was general manager of Zynga Austin.  He also previously served as vice-president of development at Sony Online Entertainment, where he oversaw development of several massively multiplayer online (MMO) games, including DC Universe Online and EverQuest II.

As senior vice-president of development John will oversee game development at 38 Studios’ offices in Providence, RI and at Big Huge Games in Baltimore, MD.

Before coming on board at 38 Studios, Mark was senior director of Playwell Studios, where he oversaw the online game business, development, and operations for LEGO Systems Inc.  While at Playwell, he lead the development, launch, and operation of the LEGO Universe MMO.

As senior vice-president of business operations, Mark will run the company’s publishing efforts, including operational services, marketing, and business development.

38 Studios subsidiary Big Huge Games recently shipped acclaimed console/PC game Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning™, which was published by Electronic Arts on February 7, 2012.  Reckoning is the first step in 38 Studios’ efforts to bring the world of Amalur to life, with 38 Studios’ Providence, RI team hard at work on an unannounced MMO game set in the same universe and more announcements to come.

“From its founding, 38 Studios has always been about team,” said Curt Schilling, founder and chairman of 38 Studios.  “I am proud to add these two team-focused and incredibly accomplished leaders to the 38 Studios roster.  Between EverQuest, EverQuest II, DC Universe Online and LEGO Universe, both John and Mark have had a decade of experience, and success, in the MMO space and I’m excited they are now part of the 38 Studios family.”

About 38 Studios

38 Studios, LLC, an entertainment and IP creation company founded in 2006 by Curt Schilling, is developing an original fantasy IP driven by the creative and artistic visions of pop-culture icons R. A. Salvatore and Todd McFarlane. Entertainment products will include a massively multiplayer online game, novels, comics, toys, console games, movies, TV, and more.

For more information, visit www.38studios.com.

Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance Screenshots

2012/03/16
Jerry Paxton
News

Square Enix has released some new screenshots from its Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance – enjoy!

Screenshots

SEGA to Offer PC Titles on EA’s Origin

2012/03/16
Jerry Paxton
News

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.– Electronic Arts (EA) Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) announced today that SEGA® will bring its most popular PC game titles to Origin™, EA’s direct-to-consumer gaming platform. SEGA’s Total War™ Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai is now available for pre-order to PC gamers on Origin.

In addition to SEGA, other new publishers joining Origin today include Team 17 Software Limited, Rebellion, Kalypso Media Digital Ltd. and more, bringing the number of game publishers and developers on Origin to 35 partners. PC downloadable titles from each of these partners will be available on Origin in the coming months.

“By partnering with publishers like SEGA, we’re able to bring even more of the industry’s best games to players on Origin,” said Craig Rechenmacher, Vice President of Business Development and Marketing for Origin at EA. “With 11 million registered users around the world, Origin is fast becoming the destination for consumers looking for fresh new content to play with their friends.”

“We’re delighted to be partnering with Origin. The PC Market is continuing to grow and the prospect of offering the Total War franchise and the SEGA range of PC titles to the Origin audience is very exciting,” commented John Clark, UK Managing Director and PC Digital Distribution Director at SEGA.

Origin offers fast and safe game downloads for many of the industry’s most popular PC titles, including Mass Effect™3, Battlefield 3™, Star Wars®: The Old Republic™, FIFA 12, Batman: Arkham City, Saints Row: The Third and Rift™. In addition, Origin features provide a more dynamic and convenient play experience for the gamer. Beyond the fast download capability, automatic log-in and built-in customer service, Origin in-game overlay and chat features make for a more lively social experience, and cloud saves let gamers save and continue games from any computer, anytime, anywhere. Live streaming demos on Origin also allow gamers to try some games before they buy.

Transformers Prime Announced

2012/03/16
Jerry Paxton
News

Santa Monica, CA – March 15, 2012- Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATVI), is bringing the ultimate TRANSFORMERS video game experience to kids of all ages with the TRANSFORMERS PRIME video game. Based on the hit animated television show produced by Hasbro Studios and currently airing on The Hub television network in the U.S., the game lets fans play as their favorite AUTOBOT characters and embark on an action-packed adventure to save the earth from the evil MEGATRON and his new secret weapon. Players step into the roles of OPTIMUS PRIME, BUMBLEBEE, ARCEE, AUTOBOT RATCHET, BULKHEAD and more as they explore unique vistas all around the world with brawler-style combat and diverse driving sequences. Along the way, gamers cultivate friendships with Jack, Miko and Raf – the human characters from the show – as Team Prime sets out to protect mankind and eliminate the DECEPTICONS once and for all.

“Hasbro Studios has done a phenomenal job with the TRANSFORMERS PRIME television show,” said David Oxford, Executive Vice President at Activision Publishing. “We are collaborating closely with the series creators to capture all the adventure, humor and friendships from the show to create an authentic action experience for TRANSFORMERS fans of all ages to enjoy.”

“Hasbro is thrilled to be working with Activision again on an exciting new TRANSFORMERS video game,” said Mark Blecher, Senior Vice President of Digital Media and Marketing at Hasbro. “The TRANSFORMERS PRIME animated series has resonated strongly with kids and fans and we’re looking forward to delivering this new way to experience the adventure.”

TRANSFORMERS PRIME will hit stores later this year and is being developed exclusively for Nintendo’s Wii™ system and the Nintendo 3DS™ hand-held system by Now Production (NowPro), and for the Nintendo DS™ hand-held system by Altron Corporation. The game has not yet been rated by the ESRB.

For more information and exclusive updates, fans can visit www.TransformersPrimeTheGame.com.

Western Digital Ships My Book Thunderbolt Duo

2012/03/16
Jerry Paxton
News

IRVINE, Calif., March 15, 2012 — – Western Digital® (NYSE: WDC), the world’s leader in external storage solutions, is now shipping its first external hard drive with Thunderbolt™ technology – the My Book® Thunderbolt™ Duo dual-drive storage system. The new My Book Thunderbolt Duo provides professionals and Mac® enthusiasts with five primary areas of performance, double-safe data protection and flexibility; ultra-fast data transfer rates for greater work efficiency; a 4 TB/6 TB large-capacity; customized dual-drive storage system with RAID 0, 1 and JBOD options; customer serviceable drives; and dual Thunderbolt ports for daisy-chaining multiple My Book Thunderbolt Duo devices or other peripherals.

Thunderbolt technology brings a new way to connect high-speed storage devices to any desktop or notebook computer with a Thunderbolt port while delivering unmatched speed for multitasking activities such as, editing video/music, 3D rendering, and completing other high definition graphics-intensive projects.

“Offering lightning-fast throughput in both directions, the new WD Thunderbolt Duo storage systems are just what I need for organizing, editing, and archiving complex High Definition video projects,” said Bruce Dorn, DGA (Director’s Guild of America). Configurable as either RAID 0 or RAID 1 – and offered in both 4 TB and 6 TB capacities – these new WD Thunderbolt Duo systems are the perfect solution for video filmmakers who are desperate for an uber-fast time sensitive project management solution.”

“The My Book Thunderbolt Duo offers large storage capacities for creative professionals and enthusiasts who produce, edit, or need quick access to large files, including HD video,” said Jody Bradshaw, general manager of WD consumer storage solutions. “Its dual Thunderbolt ports provide amazing creative flexibility while allowing daisy-chaining of up to six My Book Thunderbolt Duo drives or other high performance peripherals for fast and efficient workflow. The combination of storage, backup, security, flexibility and speed makes the My Book Thunderbolt Duo the ideal choice for creative professionals who need to write, store, protect and edit high-definition and graphic intensive projects.”

My Book Thunderbolt Duo is an ideal, all-in-one external drive for creative professionals, enthusiasts, and consumers who own vast amounts of digital content including videos, music, and photos. The drive serves as a safe and reliable way to backup content stored on your computer while providing the fastest way to get information to and from the WD drive.  In addition, its RAID 1 support allows users to create a second copy of their digital content on the drive for double-safe protection, and peace of mind. The drive also supports a JBOD mode (allocate each disk individually to a specific task) excellent option for users running Windows OS on a Mac.

Additional features found on the My Book Thunderbolt Duo include out-of-the-box compatibility with Mac OS Time Machine and formatting for HFS + Journaled for Mac; capability for multi-stream workflows; and a 3-year limited warranty.

Price and Availability
The My Book Thunderbolt Duo is available now at select U.S. retailers and online at www.wdstore.com starting at $599.99 USD MSRP (4 TB) and $699.99 (6 TB).

Razer Unveils Razer Academy

2012/03/15
Jerry Paxton
News

Carlsbad, Calif. – March 15th, 2012 – Razer™, one of the world’s pioneering supporters of e-Sports, champions an all new e-Sports learning platform aimed at every gamer from casual and competitive amateurs to pro-gamers, driven by some of the world’s most experienced and celebrated gaming personalities.

The Razer Academy, currently in its beta phase, designed to provide an interactive, in-depth and enjoyable learning experience for e-Sports fans, will provide gaming shows, guides, game analysis, commentary, articles, interviews and documentaries, brought to you by some of the most famed individuals in e-Sports history.

The Academy contributors will include:

Abdulatif “Latif” Alhmili – Streetfighter champion
Bachir “Athene” Boumaaza – world famous gamer and YouTuber
Toby “TobiWanKenobi” Dawson – professional Defense of the Ancients commentator
Ben “MrBitter” Nichol – professional StarCraft II commentator
Martin “AngeL” Olsen – professional Defense of the Ancients player
Protato Monster – League of Legends YouTube channel
John “Swifty” Pyle – World of Warcraft legend
Rachel “Seltzer” Quirico – e-Sports journalist and gamer
Stuart “TosspoT” Saw – professional commentator
Kendall “arCtiC” Smith – professional console gamer
Leigh “Deman” Smith – professional commentator
Kevin “RotterdaM” van der Kooi – professional StarCraft II commentator
Alexei “Cypher” Yanushevsky – Quake professional

Supplementing this all-star lineup of e-Sports personalities will be the elite members of Team Razer – hundreds of professional gamers with huge competitive gaming experience, who will lend their knowledge and expertise to the Razer Academy project as guests on shows, commentaries and guides.

Ranging from match analysis and commentary in StarCraft II and League of Legends to live e-Sports gaming shows and guides to hone and develop your game, the Razer Academy will be situated on a brand new online portal where you can pick and choose those games and e-Sports stars you wish to follow.

“Unlike some other sports where professionals use tricked-out equipment made expressly for them, pro gamers use the very same hardware off-the-shelf that is readily available to you. Have you ever wondered what they use, why they use a certain type or style of mouse, keyboard, headset or surface? Razer Academy will strive to educate and demystify the why and how of gaming hardware. The Razer Academy aims to quench your thirst for e-Sports, providing a platform to not only improve and develop your game, but to make it your true passion,” said Robert “RazerGuy” Krakoff, co-creator of the first gaming mouse and President, Razer USA. “The star contributors to the Academy are legends in their own right and, drawing on their experience and talent, will provide some truly mouth-watering content to help you become a pro-gaming baller too.”

For more information on the Razer Academy, please visit http://www.razerzone.com/academy

Sinister Pointe Announces Dark Market

2012/03/15
Jerry Paxton
News

Haunted attraction and venue, Sinister Pointe, has announced their next event. The Dark Market and Haunted House will take place on April 21st at their location in Fullerton, CA. The market will feature various vendors and exhibits. Checkout the official Sinister Pointe website for more information.

Razer CEO Donates 10,000 to Wasteland 2 Kickstarter

2012/03/15
Jerry Paxton
News

We received this letter from Razer’s PR specialist:

This is Kevin Scarpati, Razer’s Public Relations specialist. I wanted to personally send you over some exciting news this morning regarding Razer’s CEO, Min-Liang Tan. As you probably know, our CEO is incredibly outspoken about his passion for gaming, and today, he’s putting his money where his mouth is. Min pledged $10,000 toward the Wasteland 2 Kickstarter campaign (you can find that page here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/inxile/wasteland-2). He’s one of only four people on the planet who has pledged that much, showing his dedication to the gaming community.

Per his generosity, Min will receive 50 free units of Wasteland 2 once the game launches, which he’s planning on giving away to the gaming community. You can check out Min’s public Facebook page for more details by going here: http://www.facebook.com/minliangtan. We’d love to see this campaign reach its goal of $900,000 in funding (they’re two-thirds of the way there, already!), so if there’s anything else that I can help you with, let me know!

New Demonicon Screenshots

2012/03/15
Jerry Paxton
News

Ridgewood, NJ, March 14, 2012– In the world of Demonicon, there is only darkness and the gray line that divides man from demons. Today, Kalypso Media is pleased to release new screenshots which illustrate the darkness that permeates the world of Demonicon, the action-RPG set for release on PC and next-generation consoles in Q1 2013. Download the new screenshot pack for a look into a world where heroes are few and far between, and the line between good and evil is razor thin.

Screenshots