Author - Jerry Paxton

Outlast Playable at PAX East

2013/03/12
Jerry Paxton
News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

outlast_white_hirez.1

MONTREAL & MOUNT MASSIVE, COLORADO – March 12,2013 – Red Barrels, an independent game development studio based in Montreal, today announced that its first title – PC survival-horror experience, Outlast – will be playable for the first time as part of the PAX East Indie MEGABOOTH in Boston, March 22-24. Attendees will be given a chance to walk the corridors of Mount Massive Asylum in the shoes of investigative reporter Miles Upshur as he tries to escape the evils that roam the complex’s halls. For a preview of what horrors are in store, check out the teaser trailer here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GPf3MdVOKI!

“We got a huge amount of fantastic, positive feedback when we unveiled Outlast a few months back, so we knew we wanted to provide gamers with a chance to play it as soon as possible,” said Red Barrels co-founder David Chateauneuf. “I can’t wait to watch people take their first steps in Mount Massive.”

“There is no doubt in our minds that the MEGABOOTH is the way for us to be a part of PAX East,” said Philippe Morin, the other co-founder of Red Barrels. “Indie developers, cool games, passionate people, friendly atmosphere… what’s not to like? We hope to see you all there!”

Red Barrels will be located in the Indie MEGABOOTH on the PAX East show floor, booth 776.

For more information about the studio and the Red Barrels team, visit redbarrelsgames.com.

Teaser Trailer

Crytek to Show GFACE, Warface and New CryENGINE Features at GDC Expo 2013

2013/03/12
Jerry Paxton
Industry News, News

Cryengine_3_Scene_4

Frankfurt am Main (Germany) March 12, 2013 – Video game developer and publisher Crytek GmbH has confirmed details of what they will be presenting at this year’s Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. Situated at booth #1402 in the Main Expo’s South Hall, Crytek will be inviting attendees to take a closer look at their GFACE social gaming platform and how it integrates with free-to-play FPS Warface, as well as presenting the latest in game development technology with a series of CryENGINE® 3 demonstrations.

Taking place from March 25-29, GDC will present an opportunity for a wider audience to experience the seamless integration between GFACE and Warface. Conference and Expo attendees can go hands-on with both on the show floor; managing social interactions via GFACE’s intuitive interface before jumping into a game of Warface to tackle co-op and versus missions with friends. Visit booth #1402 to see for yourself how GFACE offers an exciting new social hub built around great free-to-play games.

As well as offering GDC visitors the chance to sample GFACE and Warface, Crytek will also showcase the latest updates to their state-of-the-art development solution, CryENGINE® 3. Licensees will join Crytek at their booth to show attendees the full potential of CryENGINE® technology, along with simulation and serious games studio, RealTime Immersive.

Finally, Crytek will be on the lookout for talented professionals to fill a wide variety of vacancies at their worldwide family of studios. To find out about recruitment opportunities with Crytek, visit booth #CP2416 in the South Hall’s Career Pavilion during GDC or check out our careers page at www.crytek.com/career.

World of Tanks Wins Guinness Record

2013/03/12
Jerry Paxton
News, Windows PC News

WoT_Screens_Tanks_Britain_Tortoise_Image_02

March 12, 2013 — Wargaming, the award-winning videogame developer and publisher, is delighted to announce that its MMO action game World of Tanks has set a new Guinness World Record for Most Players Online Simultaneously on One MMO Server. The number of gamers logged on to one of the five servers of the Russian gaming cluster reached the triple-figure mark of 190,541 players on January 21, 2013.

With more than 50 million gamers worldwide and peak concurrent user count of 815,000 players in Russia alone, the company is on the leading edge of the online games market.

“It’s an important and exciting milestone for the company”, said Andrei Yarantsau, VP of Global Operations at Wargaming. “It inspires us to greater efforts in polishing and refining all aspects of our present and future projects. If World of Tanks keeps growing at the rate it is, the game will soon top the current total and secure another world record.”

The tank MMO action game has entered the book for the second time by demolishing its previous record of 91,311 players set in January 2011.

ESPN and EA Sports Kick Off Madden NFL 25 Cover Vote

2013/03/11
Jerry Paxton
News, PlayStation 3 News, PlayStation 4 News, Xbox 360 News

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REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – March 11, 2013 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) and ESPN today announced the official players and brackets for the Madden NFL 25 Cover Vote. The vote will include two brackets, one composed of 32 new-school NFL stars and one of 32 old-school NFL legends, with the winner of each bracket facing off in the finals for the right to appear on the cover. The Madden NFL Cover Vote has proven to be extremely popular with the fans, garnering over 33 million votes since its introduction in 2011.

The new school vs. old school format is especially fitting for the 25th anniversary of the Madden NFL franchise, as this edition of the game both celebrates the past while laying a strong foundation for the future. The name Madden NFL 25was chosen in celebration of the franchise’s silver anniversary, and the game will launch on August 27.

Throughout the competition, fans can vote for all their favorites by visiting ESPN.com/MaddenVote starting today with all 32 old-school and new-school matchups. And, for the first time ever, SportsNation will debut a limited window of live Twitter voting during their show every Tuesday from 4-5 p.m. ET on ESPN2.  Voting starts now and will continue up until the reveal of the winner on Wednesday, April 24.

The first round of the competition promises to offer plenty of excitement, with several high-profile matchups. In the old-school bracket Hall-of-Famer Curtis Martin takes on former Pittsburgh Steeler Jerome Bettis in a battle between two of the top running backs of the previous decade; while in the new-school bracket feared Broncos linebacker Von Miller will do his best to prevent New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz from salsa dancing into the next round.

Over the past week ESPN has hosted a special Wild Card Round via Twitter with Hall of Fame wide receivers Cris Carter and Jerry Rice going toe-to-toe to decide who would earn the last slot in the old-school bracket. Today Jerry Rice took the honors, and will test himself against former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor in the opening round.

Fans can tune into SportsNation every Wednesday at 4pm ET on ESPN 2 to get the weekly results of the Madden NFL 25 Cover Vote, and watch hosts Marcellus Wiley and Charissa Thompson as they provide in-depth analysis and debate the results. Cover Vote participants and other special guests will also be appearing on SportsNation and other ESPN programming for the duration of the campaign to make their case and attempt to earn fan votes.

“Madden NFL 25 will be a culmination of 25 years of innovation when it launches in August and there is no better way to honor our incredible history than by engaging our fans in the ultimate debate of old school vs. new school,” said Anthony Stevenson, Senior Director of Marketing at EA SPORTS. “Our fans’ passion has built the Madden NFLfranchise into what it has become, so it’s only fitting that they decide who should be the face of this special year ofMadden NFL; whether it be one of the NFL’s brightest young stars or an all-time legend of the game.”

“The Madden NFL 25 cover vote is the perfect marriage between two strong brands coming together to put fans in control of what they’re most passionate about and giving them a platform for their voices to be heard,” said Brian Dailey, Director of Games and Partnerships for ESPN.  “Engagement has been strong in our last two Madden cover votes, accounting for some of ESPN’s most successful social activations to date, and we anticipate that to continue with the 25th anniversary.”

“The Madden NFL 25 cover vote includes an incredible collection of young NFL stars and some of the best legends to ever play the game, so it is sure to spark great debate over the next month on SportsNation,” noted Jamie Horowitz, Vice President of Original Programming and Production for ESPN. “Our viewers are extremely passionate about their favorite players and teams so we’re looking forward to seeing how the vote turns out on ESPN.com and Twitter.”

To celebrate the start of Madden NFL 25 Cover Vote, EA SPORTS and ESPN hosted a live bracket reveal onSportsNation at LA Live. The star-studded event featured visits from San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and former San Francisco wide receiver Jerry Rice making their cases for the new school and the old school, alongside a musical performance by Kendrick Lamar. The event provided a high-energy start for the Cover Vote and set the tone for an exciting competition.

Fans will also have the opportunity to win a trip for two to the Madden NFL 25 Cover Shoot on Wednesday, April 24 and tickets to the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 25 in New York City. Starting today and through March 18 users will be able to click on the Xbox 360 Madden NFL 25 Play and Win banner on the Xbox Live dashboard to gain access to the various ways to enter to win. Full rules and details can be found here.

Embraced by fans and honored by critics for 25 years, Madden NFL is known as the NFL’s “33rd Franchise” due to its authentic gameplay, the development team’s unparalleled access to NFL resources and its prominent place in NFL culture.

Madden NFL 25 is developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon and will be available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system for $59.99 and can be preordered atGameStop. To learn more about Madden NFL 25, visit http://www.easports.com/madden-nfl. Fans are also invited tobecome a Madden Insider for exclusive information on Facebook including the latest news, original content and more for Madden NFL 25.

All player participation has been facilitated by National Football League Players Incorporated, the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA).

EA SPORTS is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through industry-leading sports videogames, includingMadden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, SSX™ and Fight Night boxing.

For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visitwww.easports.com to connect, share and compete.

MUSUBO iPhone 4/4S Smartphone Case Giveaway – Expired

2013/03/11
Jerry Paxton
Contests, Mobile News, News
9 Comments
rubberband

MUSUBO RubberBand Case

Thanks to everyone for participating in this giveaway! The winners were all randomly selected from the staggering amount of Twitter entries and they have been notified! Our next contest for the ROCCAT gaming mouse is still on, so be sure to enter to win that beauty!

The good people at MUSUBO have sent over four of their iPhone 4/4S smartphone cases. We have two RubberBand cases and two Sexy cases of various colors. We will randomly-select four lucky winners on Friday, March 29th, 2013 @ 11:59pm Pacific time. This contest is only open to residents who reside within the contiguous United States. We will not be doing any international or outside the contiguous U.S. shipping. This will be a Twitter-based giveaway, but there are two ways to enter so feel free to use both methods to increase your odds of winning!

To Enter:

Simply tweet the following message: “I have entered to win a MUSUBO iPhone case from @GamingShogun — http://goo.gl/eTjI0”

Second Entry:

Simply leave a comment below stating what your smartphone is currently using as a case.

 

sexy-case

MUSUBO Sexy Case

Seidio EVO 4G LTE Smartphone Case Giveaway – Expired

2013/03/11
Jerry Paxton
Contests, Mobile News, News
convert-evo-4g-lte

Convert for EVO 4G LTE

Thanks to the good people at SEIDIO for sending us over one of their Convert and Surface cases for the EVO 4G LTE smartphone from HTC. This giveaway will expire at 11:59pm Pacific on Friday, March 22nd 2013. One randomly-chosen winner will receive the Surface cover, and the other randomly-chosen winner will receive the Convert.

Please Note: This giveaway is open ONLY to residents of the contiguous United States. We are not shipping international or outside the contiguous U.S.

To Enter:

Simply “LIKE” our Facebook page and leave a comment on our profile telling us why you should win one of the cases. Please start the comment with “SEIDIO – ” that way we know what you are talking about.

CSR3HTJET-BK-5

Surface for EVO 4G LTE

 

Oz Sees Tops at Box Office

2013/03/11
Jerry Paxton
Movie News, News

Oz-The-Great-and-Powerful_5

We love movies here at GamingShogun, so we thought we would start bringing you the top ten weekend box office scores as part of our weekly news. In this first edition of the weekend box office report, Oz: The Great and Powerful rules with an $80 million dollar opening.

Weekend Box Office from March 8th to March 10th, 2013.

  1. Oz: The Great and Powerful – $80.3M / $80.3M
  2. Jack the Giant Slayer – $10.2M / $43.8M
  3. Identity Thief – $6.3M / $116.5M
  4. Dead Man Down – $5.4M / $5.4M
  5. Snitch – $5.1M / $31.9M
  6. 21 and Over – $5.1M / $16.8M
  7. Safe Haven – $3.8M / $62.9M
  8. Silver Linings Playbook – $3.7M / $120.7M
  9. Escape from Planet Earth – $3.2M / $47.8M
  10. The Last Exorcism Part II – $3.1M / $12.1M

Moon Strategy Title Shackleton Crater Now on Kickstarter

2013/03/11
Jerry Paxton
News, Windows PC News

shackleton-crater-ui

Scottsdale, AZ, March 11, 2013 – Industry vet Joe Ybarra and his new studio Joe Got Game have announced their debut title, Shackleton Crater is live on Kickstarter. You can check out the project page here.

A uniquely fast-paced strategic simulation, Shackleton Crater brings to life the exploration and colonization of the southern pole of the moon across a one-hundred year period beginning in the near future.

Using actual lunar mapping data and satellite photos in concert with the Unity 3D engine, Shackleton Crater offers an ultra-realistic, finely detailed background to the player’s efforts to reach the moon. Players will also be tasked with the managing of basic resources in the face of incredibly unforgiving physical conditions, building a thriving habitat, and later – missions to explore the far reaches of the lunar surface.

“After many years of setting up new studios   including Electronic Arts – under the private investor and venture capital model,” Joe commented, “I’ve been equally impressed with how the Kickstarter people have made crowdfunding so accessible, and with how fans of great game projects have participated in the process in such large numbers.”

Joe Got Game’s Kickstarter includes a variety of rewards: digital downloads (initially with Beta releases), plus T-shirts, limited edition posters, licenses for two future expansion packs and much more. Joe went on to say, “We expect that the community will really appreciate the scope, realism and excitement factor of the Shackleton Crater design, as well as the opportunity to become part of the development process.”

Shackleton Crater will be offered for Windows, Android, and iOS operating systems and for a variety of mobile devices, and is targeted for first delivery in Spring, 2014.

The ESA Announces Parental Controls Education Campaign

2013/03/11
Jerry Paxton
Industry News, News

esa

Washington, DC – March 11, 2013 – The U.S. video game industry today announced a new national public education campaign to educate American parents further about the tools and information available so they can manage the entertainment choices for their families. The campaign’s focal point will be a new series of Public Service Announcements (PSA) encouraging parents to review the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) video game ratings and utilize existing video game console parental controls.

“This campaign will connect with consumers in an immediate and sustained way in addition to the traditional mechanisms over TV outlets. By channeling our industry’s compelling and innovative medium, we will instantly provide proven, practical, and effective information to millions of consumers,” said Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the U.S. trade association representing video game publishers.

“No one knows better than parents when it comes to making decisions about which games their children should and should not play,” said U.S. Senator John Thune (R-SD), ranking member of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. “The video game industry makes games for people of all ages, but that doesn’t mean all games are appropriate for everyone. I commend the industry for raising awareness of the tools available to parents that can help them make informed decisions about the games their children play.”

Every month, the video game industry has more than 300 million interactions with consumers through online storefronts and video game play. Leveraging this energy and passion, the industry will:

  • Enhance public education efforts around video game ratings and parental controls by developing and funding a series of new PSAs;
  • Utilize the unique interconnectivity and reach of the video game industry’s platforms to promote these public service messages and related content;
  • Coordinate with video game retailers to use both their physical store footprints and dedicated online networks to educate millions of their customers about video game ratings and parental controls;
  • Work with policy makers to extend the proven ESRB rating system to the broader games ecosystem of smart phones, tablets, and online social games; and,
  • Support and partner with non-profits using video games for educational and other pro-social purposes.

“The more parents know about the wealth of dynamic tools the video game industry has developed for monitoring game play, the more empowered they will be to make informed decisions about which video games are appropriate for their family. I commend the video game industry for recognizing the importance of educating and engaging parents about the ratings and other resources and for leading a national program that will ensure the decision-making power remains where it should be – with parents,” said Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-23).

Specifically, the video game industry stated that they will accomplish their objectives by:

  • Featuring new PSAs on video game platforms that will expand on the series already completed and available here;
  • Providing consumers with information on video game-specific web sites and online stores;
  • Providing PSAs to video game industry news and fan discussion sites for use;
  • Encouraging broadcast outlets to run the PSAs on local channels;
  • Working with federal and state elected officials to provide rating and parental control information to their constituents; and,
  • Distributing PSAs to retailers for use on their in-store and online channels.

“Our industry has a long-standing, high-quality track record of empowering parents,” said Mr. Gallagher. “The Federal Trade Commission described the ESRB as having the
strongest self-regulatory code with regard to its marketing guidelines and enforcement system. Today we will build on that success.”

According to industry statistics, approximately half of American homes have at least one video game console. Every video game console has password-protected parental controls that allow parents to limit their children’s video game use. As such, each of those consoles, handheld devices, and PCs can be activated to block types of video games and restrict access to the Internet.

For more than 18 years, all computer and video games sold at retail have been rated by the ESRB. 85% of parents of children who play video games are aware of the industry’s rating system and this campaign will build on the already high awareness rate. The Federal Trade Commission reports that parents are present when video games are purchased 9 out of 10 times.

According to a survey conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates in 2012, 70% of parents regularly check the ESRB rating before buying video games. The ESRB rating system also enjoys high levels of trust among parents, who consistently report being satisfied with the information it provides in terms of selecting games for their children.

In the future, the distribution channels established as part of this campaign could also provide a platform for other educational and pro-social messages and information.

ESA offers services to interactive entertainment software publishers, including conducting business and consumer research, providing legal and policy analysis and advocacy on First Amendment, intellectual property and technology/e-commerce issues, managing a global anti-piracy program, owning and operating E3, and representing video game industry interests in federal and state government relations. For more information, please visit www.theESA.com or follow us on Twitter at @RichatESA or @ESAGovAffairs.

The ESRB is a non-profit, self-regulatory body that assigns age and content ratings for video games and apps so parents can make informed choices. As part of its regulatory role for the video game industry the ESRB also enforces industry-adopted advertising guidelines and helps ensure responsible online privacy practices under its Privacy Online program. ESRB was established in 1994 by the ESA.