Author - Jerry Paxton

Disney Infinity Unveiled at Hollywood Press Event

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Disney Interactive has let loose the details on their upcoming Disney Infinity. The augmented reality title looks to blend real-world toys into the game world with a system similar to Activision’s Skylander titles, where a player places a plastic figure on a base station, adding that character to the game world. Taking it a step further, Disney Infinity looks to have multiple game types and experiences all lined up as well as a Toy Box mode where players can mix and match various universes from their multiple IPs. Disney Infinity will begin rolling out in June – Note that in the press release below, there is no specific console announced – just “all consoles”, lending some credence to this being available or usable on the next Sony and Microsoft platforms as well.

Official Press Release

BURBANK, Calif.–Disney Interactive today unveiled its most ambitious gaming initiative ever, Disney Infinity. This all new game platform unlocks the freedom to create stories and play experiences starring beloved characters from The Walt Disney Company and Pixar Animation Studios. Disney Infinity allows players to both experience original adventures in some of their favorite Disney and Pixar worlds and to build their own worlds using the power of their imagination.

“Disney Infinity introduces a new way to interact with the best of Disney on one game platform, both now and in the future,” said John Pleasants, co-president, Disney Interactive. “With this innovative approach to gaming, Disney Infinity will bring to life new characters, stories and environments from The Walt Disney Company over time in a way that will delight fans and gamers alike.”

In a way that only Disney can, Disney Infinity integrates collectible character figures that come to life in the game. These figures provide experiences that are true to these characters and stories, as well as the opportunity to bring characters from various Disney and Pixar films to play together in a virtual “Toy Box.” This all-new game universe will launch in June across all consoles and will have a phased roll out across mobile and online devices throughout 2013.

Throughout each story-driven experience, called a “Play Set,” players will solve challenging puzzles, battle enemies and explore iconic locations from famous Disney properties, while collecting unique characters, vehicles, and gadgets from each world and saving them to a virtual “Toy Box.” Players can access their “Toy Box” and build and customize their own unique virtual world using their favorite characters, vehicles, settings and accessories. Disney Infinity allows players the opportunity to share these unique creations in the “Toy Box” mode with friends both online and off.

The Disney Infinity Platform includes:

  • Disney Infinity Interactive Pieces – Initially a line of 40 collectible interactive pieces will be introduced that allow players to expand and customize their play experiences.
  • Disney Infinity Interactive Character Figures – Seventeen character figures will allow players to experience a variety of their favorite characters in true to property experiences and in “Toy Box” mode.
  • Disney Infinity Base – When figures are placed on the Infinity base, they unlock the world and play experiences of Disney Infinity.
  • Disney Infinity Power Discs – Interactive discs can be placed on the Infinity base to power up characters and “Toy Box” with unique powers, customizations and gadgets.
  • “Disney Infinity combines prominent Disney and Pixar characters and scenarios in a way that mimics how kids play in real life,” said John Blackburn, vice president and general manager, Avalanche Software. “With our platform’s unique gameplay mechanics and innovative approach to user generated content within the “Toy Box” mode, Disney Infinity will spark imaginations and provide endless hours of fun and creativity.”

Development for Disney Infinity is being led by Disney Interactive and Avalanche Software. The game currently is unrated by the ESRB. For additional information, please visit www.disney.com/Infinity and youtube.com/disneyinfinity, join the Disney Infinity Facebook Community (Facebook.com/disneyinfinity) and follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/disneyinfinity).

The Disney Infinity base has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained.

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Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14: The Masters Historic Edition Revealed

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EA Sports has announced a limited edition of their upcoming Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14: The Masters known as the “Historic Edition”. It will include a number of additional courses, including the 1934 Inaugural Augusta National Invitation Tournament, as well as a couple extra extras for your virtual golfer. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14: The Masters is due out March 26 in North America and on March 28 in Europe for PS3 and Xbox 360.

Official Press Release

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – Jan. 15, 2013 – Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: EA) announced today that fans will be able to step back in time with Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14: The Masters Historic Edition. For the first time ever, users will experience Augusta National Golf Club as it was when the course played host to the very first Masters Tournament – what was known in 1934 as the Inaugural Augusta National Invitation Tournament.

The development of this exclusive feature was researched with meticulous detail in an effort to re-create the original 1931 design of world-renowned golf course architect Dr. Alister MacKenzie and legendary golfer Bobby Jones.

“From the very beginning, our relationship with the Masters Tournament has been built around our ability to bring a unique and authentic experience to a new and younger demographic of potential golfers,” Mike Taramykin, Vice President ofTiger Woods PGA TOUR said. “From unprecedented access to the Augusta National archives, to in-depth discussions with golf historians – and even our own internal research into the sport in the 1930s – The Masters Historic Edition is the next step in bringing gamers an exciting and distinctive glimpse into the game of golf.”

Game play will place players in a 1934 environment, which takes into account everything from the clothing to the equipment. On the golf course, users will discover a new way to enjoy the timeless layout, and as it would have played when the first Tournament field competed in the Club’s inaugural invitational. This includes everything from the golf course’s nines being reversed to its original green contours and speeds.

In addition to this unique feature, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14: The Masters Historic Edition will also include:

  • A complete copy of Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14
  • A walk through of the original 1934 layout of Augusta National
  • The present-day Augusta National Golf Club course
  • Augusta National’s world-class Tournament Practice Facility
  • Augusta National’s Par 3 course
  • Green Jacket ceremony
  • Augusta, the Song, as heard during the Masters Tournament television broadcast

In total, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14: The Masters Historic Edition will include all 20 courses available in the standard edition and the four additional championship courses: Royal County Down, Royal Melbourne, Sheshan and TPC Blue Monster at Doral.

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 is developed in Orlando, Fla., by EA Tiburon and will retail for $59.99 and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14: The Masters Historic Edition will be available for $69.99 on the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14: The Masters Historic Edition will be participating in the EA SPORTS Season Ticket program. Season Ticketsubscribers will be provided full digital access to Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14: The Masters Historic Edition three days before retail launch.

BioShock Infinite PC Requirements

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2K Games and Irrational Games have released a new blog post over at the official BioShock Infinite website, detailing what us PC gamers will need to run their upcoming epic. This information comes from the game’s Technical Director, Chris Kline. You can see the full post here or just the specs below.

Requirements

Will BioShock Infinite run on your gaming setup? We certainly hope so! So, without further ado, here are the PC requirements for BioShock Infinite:

MINIMUM

  • OS: Windows Vista Service Pack 2 32-bit
  • Processor: Intel Core 2 DUO 2.4 GHz / AMD Athlon X2 2.7 GHz
  • Memory: 2 GB
  • Hard Drive: 20 GB free
  • Video Card: DirectX10 Compatible ATI Radeon HD 3870 / NVIDIA 8800 GT / Intel HD 3000 Integrated Graphics
  • Video Card Memory: 512 MB
  • Sound Card: DirectX Compatible

RECOMMENDED

  • OS: Windows 7 Service Pack 1 64-bit
  • Processor: Quad Core Processor
  • Memory: 4 GB
  • Hard Drive: 30 GB free
  • Video Card: DirectX11 Compatible, AMD Radeon HD 6950 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560
  • Video Card Memory: 1024 MB
  • Sound Card: DirectX Compatible

Injustice: Gods Among Us Release Date and Battle Edition Unveiled

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JANUARY 15, 2013 — Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today revealed details for the Injustice: Gods Among Us Battle Edition. The package will be available in limited quantities at Gamestop and EB Games stores located in the United States and Canada for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. Injustice: Gods Among Us is also confirmed to be available in North America beginning April 16 for Xbox 360, PS3 and the Wii U™ system from Nintendo.

The Injustice: Gods Among Us Battle Edition will retail for $149.99 and includes the game disc, exclusive Injustice: Gods Among Us Fight Stick featuring official artwork from the game and three exclusive skins based on Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman from DC COMICS – THE NEW 52. The Fight Stick is a lightweight controller that boasts a non-skid foam underside, a lockout feature for the Start, Select and Guide buttons, as well as adjustable illumination for the buttons and joystick.

Accompanying the news is an image featuring all the contents of the Injustice: Gods Among Us Battle Edition, as well as a new image showcasing the contents of the Injustice: Gods Among Us Collector’s Editionwhich will be sold separately for $99.99 at various retailers throughout North America for the Xbox 360 and PS3.

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TOSY mRobo Dance Off at CES 3013

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TOSY Robotics was showing off their mRobo dancing bass robot at this year’s CES. Derek Hough, three-time winner of TV’s Dancing with the Stars, choreographed a dance-off between two of the speaker-equipped robots, and fun ensued. The mRobo will be available later this year for $199.

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Could the Xbox 720 and PS4 Be Announced Before E3? [Rumor]

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Looks like Game Informer magazine may have some info about the revelations of the forthcoming “next-gen” Microsoft and Sony video game consoles. In Game Informer’s February 2013 issue, the magazine claims that the companies are planning “Apple-syle press conferences” near the time of the Game Developers Conference in the last part of March, 2013. This would put the game console announcements a month and change ahead of the venerable Electronic Entertainment Expo in June – leaving E3 to be more about the game announcements rather than the hardware.

The full quote from the magazine report reads, “We hear that both Sony and Microsoft are targeting special Apple-style press conferences to unveil their platforms near the Game Developers Conference in late March…”

Only time will tell, but we will keep you in the loop as soon as we hear more.

Dead Space 3 Dev Team Edition Announced

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January 14th, 2013 — Want a more personal look into the creation of the first big entertainment launch of 2013, Dead Space™ 3? In partnership with Treehouse Brand Stores, the Dead Space 3 development team at Visceral Games has assembled an insider look for fans into the clues, art and inspiration behind the highly-anticipated game that CNET says “is back and promises to be more terrifying than ever.” Available when Dead Space 3 launches on February 5, 2013, the Dead Space 3 Dev Team Edition delivers exclusive merchandise and is available for presale* with the game for $160 (North America only) or without for $100 at http://deadspace3devteamedition.com/. Gamers that want to take down the terror before the game launches can do so by playing theDead Space 3 downloadable demo starting January 22 on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace and January 23 on the PlayStation® Network.

“We’re super excited to team-up with Treehouse and make something extra special for gamers that have been supporting us since the first Dead Space game,” says Steve Papoutsis, VP and GM of Visceral Games. “We, as a development team, really wanted to put our personal touch on these exclusive items so that they feel authentic and meaningful to our passionate fan base.”

Dead Space 3 Dev Team Edition includes:

  • Dead Space 3 Limited Edition (North America only): Includes the “First Contact” and “Witness the Truth” packs.
  • Tin Collector’s Case: Measuring nearly 14”x9,” this case is covered with mysteries and trivia from all three Dead Spacegames, debossed with full color art based on the designs from Ben Wanat (Creative Director for Dead Space 3) and Dino Ignacio (UI Designer for Dead Space 3).
  • Serrano’s Journal: Dr. Earl Serrano’s journal full of clues and haunting artwork of his findings on Tau Volantis has come to life with exclusive content by Chuck Beaver (Story Producer on Dead Space 3).
  • Art Book: A 4.75”x6.5” hardbound book containing 96 stunning full color pages, plus exclusive material from the Dead Space art department headed by Alex Muscat (Art Director for Dead Space 3).
  • Flip Book “Data Pad:” A 10”x7” book with a metal cover that contains 9 image sets made with clear PET cover sheets over heavy-weight cardstock. The flip book was designed by Dino Ignacio to be a functional prop version of the Dead Space User Interface in the game.
  • Marker Statue: A 8” hand-sculpted, custom-molded polyresin statue that’s coated in metallic paints to replicate the maddening glyphs of the Black Marker.
  • Med-Pack: The med-pack in the game has been recreated as a 14 oz. PET water bottle, perfect for carrying your beverage of choice.
  • Poster Pack: A set of three 5”x10” single-sided posters replicating the nostalgic posters found throughout Dead Space3 that depict an older age of space travel.
  • Postcard Set: A set of six 3.75”x6” Peng themed postcards, double-sided with art on the front and Dead Space-branded postcard information on the back.

Winner of more than 15 critic awards at E3 2012 including Best of Show from Game Informer Magazine, Dead Space 3 cuts to the heart of deep space terror. The game is recognized by game critics worldwide for its incredible craftsmanship in horror, action, suspense and sound design. Players will embark on a thrilling ride through space that takes them to a hostile new planet, Tau Volantis. Fortunately, they are not alone this time around. The fully integrated drop-in/drop-out co-op feature gives players the option to play alone or team-up with a friend anytime. Players that choose to take down the terror together will experience additional story details, side missions and gameplay mechanics only found when playing as John Carver.

Dead Space 3 will be available on February 5, 2013 in North America and February 8, 2013 in Europe for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and the PC. Follow us on Twitter at:www.twitter.com/deadspace or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/deadspace. For additional information and news, visit www.deadspace.com.

S2 Games Doubles Workforce due to Heroes of Newerth Success

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Kalamazoo, MI – January 14, 2013 –S2 Games wasn’t short on ambition in 2012. The publishers and developers of the popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game Heroes of Newerth more than doubled its workforce last year, creating their very own mobile gaming division in the process. To make room for these latest additions and continued growth in 2013 and beyond, S2 has relocated its headquarters to a corporate suite in the Portage Trade Centre, outside Kalamazoo.

“Our Heroes of Newerth player base grew by about 50 percent in 2012 and we have high expectations with the launch of HoN 3.0 in 2013,” said Marc DeForest, CEO of S2 Games. “We’re constantly seeking ways to improve our games and the services we offer to the player base, and that’s why we’re investing in a top-notch workforce and a great space to do the work.”

The new S2 offices now accommodate all of the company’s 90 employees, 49 of whom were added in 2012 alone. The 18,000 square foot space – 6,000 square feet more than their previous location – features state of the art amenities, as well as a new 55-seat enrichment classroom that will help educate S2’s employees on not only industry-related information, but also valuable job skills and topics for personal growth.

“Our employees are our biggest strength,” DeForest added. “A productive, educated, and happy workforce mean our games will be that much better.”

With that future in mind, S2 Games proudly launched a new mobile games development division – iGames –on Jan. 2, 2013. iGames is a wholly-owned subsidiary of S2 designed to bridge the gap between casual players and experienced gamers while growing S2’s unique vision of online multiplayer gaming. The team’s goal is to push the boundaries of what mobile games are and can be by focusing on a balanced mixture of fun and intuitive mechanics with deep, engrossing gameplay that caters to players of all skill levels.

Information on employment opportunities with iGames can be found at www.igames.com.

Chris Taylor is Going “Wild” with a New Action RPG

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REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 14, 2013 — Acclaimed game developer Chris Taylor and his award winning Gas Powered Games® (GPG) team is ready to take you on a “walk on the wild side” with a brand new and unique gaming experience. Gas Powered Games today announced the development of Wildman™, a combination of an action role-playing game (RPG) and real-time strategy (RTS) game that could only come from the creative (and wild) mind of one of the industry’s  most entertaining figures.

Wildman will be funded with a Kickstarter campaign that also was announced today. The official Kickstarter page has a video interview with Taylor and members of the GPG team and includes information about the game including videos and some early artwork from the dev team. GPG has a goal of raising $1.1 million in pledges.

“Kickstarter and crowdfunding allows us to fundamentally change the way we develop games.  I’m thrilled that we are finally entering a new era of gaming, an era that allows collaboration and unprecedented levels of transparency with our customers,” says Taylor, creative director at GPG. “It allows us to work together as a team, create games more efficiently and direct our energy at the things that the players care about most.”

The GPG team has a long history of making successful RPG and RTS games such as Dungeon SiegeSupreme Commander and Demigod™. And the team will be pulling some of the best features from each of them to create the unique Wildman experience that is a combination of both popular genres.

Imagine a game where you control a single hero unit—the “Wildman”—in the middle of a raging battle between opposing forces in a specially designed War Zone. You engage the enemy and see your opponent switching tactics, forcing you to reconfigure your army to counter. You push the enemy back to their base before facing your opponent’s champion. Over the course of this battle, you upgrade your armies with new technology, execute special abilities, construct defenses, change your army composition, and shape-shift into new forms that grant you new abilities. This is Wildman.

Now imagine that between these War Zone battles you can go on role-playing adventures. You can explore fantastical environments. You can discover ancient dungeons full of mystery and treasure. You can earn new skills. You can discover and equip new weapons and armor. You can collect materials. You can craft new items. You can fight relentless onslaughts of men and monsters. This is also Wildman.

“Wildman takes the elements that we’ve crafted over the years with our action role-playing games and combines them with the things we love about real-time strategy,” said Taylor. “It’s original, it’s unique and we think our fans will embrace this new approach. And if you like what you are seeing and hearing about the game, we hope you’ll back us on Kickstarter.”

Wildman will release as a PC only product. It will be single player game that includes co-op multiplayer play modes. For more information on the game go to www.wildmangame.com. The official Kickstarter page for Wildman is located at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gaspoweredgames/wildman-an-evolutionary-action-rpg.