Author - Jerry Paxton

Square Enix Announces PAX East Lineup

2012/03/30

LOS ANGELES (Mar. 29, 2012) – Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of SQUARE ENIX® interactive entertainment products in the Americas, today announced its roster of games for this year’s Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) East, set to take place at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (Booth #850), from April 6-8.

PAX East attendees are invited to preview and play the following Square Enix titles:

Sleeping Dogs™ – the free-roaming, undercover thriller set in Hong Kong’s Triad underworld will feature a playable demo that encapsulates the game’s combat, narrative, driving and open world elements.
THEATRHYTHM™ FINAL FANTASY® – the first-ever music-themed title that commemorates the FINAL FANTASY franchise’s 25^th anniversary merges rhythm and role-playing game genres.
Quantum Conundrum™ – show attendees will be among the first members of the community to playthe first-person environmental puzzle game from Airtight Games and Kim Swift, co-creator of Portal.
HEROES OF RUIN™ – visitors who demo the epic action-adventure title for Nintendo 3DS™ system can receive a raffle ticket for a chance to win their very own Nintendo 3DS™ system; those who upload photos of themselves with hero weaponry props (available at booth) to their own Facebook page can earn another raffle ticket for the drawing.
WAKFU® – the recently launched MMORPG from Ankama Studios offers attendees the chance to demo 12 available classes. Upon request, the first 1,500 visitors will receive an exclusive PAX East in-game item, as well as two weeks of free premium game time. Fans will also be eligible to spin the WAKFU Prize Wheel for a chance to win branded merchandise.
Risen 2: Dark Waters™ – player decisions will help shape their world in the next installment of Deep Silver’s open world RPG. Featuring a swashbuckling pirate theme, a hands-on demo awaits intrepid buccaneers at the Square Enix booth.

Additionally, Square Enix will host an exclusive evening panel, featuring a gameplay demo and Q&A session with IO Interactive for the much-anticipated fifth entry in the classic HITMAN® franchise, HITMAN: ABSOLUTION™. Panel details include:

Speaker: Roberto Marchesi (Art Director, IO Interactive)
Day / Time / Location: Saturday, April 7, 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Manticore Theater

Finally, Square Enix will celebrate PAX East with a joint HITMAN: ABSOLUTION and Sleeping Dogs themed event at Boston’s famed Faneuil Hall on the evening of Friday, April 6. A PAX East badge and legal identification will be required for this 21 and over event.

About Square Enix, Inc.

Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix Group. The Square Enix Group operates a global network of leading development studios and boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property, including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 100 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 59 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 35 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.

More information on Square Enix, Inc. can be found at http://www.square-enix.com/na.

The Witcher 2 Enhanced Edition Gold

2012/03/30

Jerry Paxton

News

CD Projekt RED studio is proud to announce that The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition has gone gold on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Both the Enhanced Edition and Dark Edition of the game are now available for pre-sale and scheduled to arrive at retail stores on April 17, 2012.

“We are very excited to have The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition for Xbox 360 in our spring line-up this year,” said Kevin Kebodeaux, Senior Vice President, Sales Americas, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment., The Witcher’s 2 North American distributor “This game contains all of the elements that make The Witcher a truly immersive experience that will undoubtedly captivate console gamers just as it has and continues to engage PC gamers.”

“The game is truly a masterpiece and we are excited to bring the complex and non-linear story of Geralt of Rivia to console players” added Olivier Comte, senior vice president, NAMCO BANDAI Partners S.A.S., the game’s distributor for Europe, Asia and Australia.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition for Xbox 360 is an adaptation of the hit RPG fantasy game on PC. The game offers more than 40 hours of non-linear gameplay, set in a beautiful dark fantasy setting. At its core, the game gives players complete freedom to develop the game’s storyline through a series of choices.

“The game will be released in over two weeks, but I think we will surprise players in the following weeks. On the 5th of April we will host a conference and announce something truly extraordinary – so be sure to watch our live stream at 5 p.m. GMT that day.” Said Marcin Iwiński, joint-CEO pf CD Projekt RED

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition features never-before-seen content , making it the richest version of The Witcher 2. The Enhanced Edition will include a world map, a soundtrack audio CD and a quest handbook. The Dark Edition includes all of the in-pack bonus items in the Enhanced Edition, plus a Witcher themed medallion, an art book, stickers and a behind-the-scenes DVD.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition can be pre-ordered at buy.thewitcher.com

Line of Defense Comic Book Announced

2012/03/30

Jerry Paxton

News

WESTON, FL– March 28, 2012– 3000AD, INC and DC Entertainment welcome comic book fans to the edge of conflict. Designed by videogame veteran Derek Smart, Line Of Defense, developed by 3000AD, takes place in a rich environment where Galactic Command is deep in conflict with opposing forces hell bent on taking over the resources of a distant planet and apparently building a super weapon while they’re at it.

A special limited-edition,“First Issue” comic based on this upcoming videogame will be featured at the DC Entertainment booth at San Diego Comic-Con this year, as well as E3 and several other trade shows during the year. It will also be made available through various online outlets.

For many years the Terran military forces of GALCOM have been engaged in various conflicts with the Insurgents– a splinter group of military personnel opposed to the Terran governing body. In a surprise move, the Insurgents setup shop on the long abandoned planet of Lyrius, previously used by GALCOM for weapons testing, R&D and other forms of military operations. This move wouldn’t normally warrant a deep space troop deployment, except for the fact that the Insurgents were rumored to be developing a super weapon on the planet.

The “Firefight” comic tells the story of the brave direct action team sent by GALCOM to neutralize the threat and destroy the weapon.

Written by Ricardo Sanchez (Resident Evil, Telara Chronicles, Alganon), Firefight features interior art by Brian Ching (Gears of War, Batman: Arkham Unhinged, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic) and Cover art by Puppeteer Lee (Blacklight Tango Down, Storm Lion).

For more information about 3000AD, please visit http://www.3000ad.com

For more information about Line Of Defense, please visit http://lodmmo.com

The Dark Meadow Gets Free Version on iOS

2012/03/30

Jerry Paxton

News

CHICAGO, IL, March 28, 2012 – Nominated by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences for 2012 Mobile Game of the Year, The Dark Meadow, the best-selling iOS game developed by Phosphor Games Studio, tonight is unleashing a major update on the iOS App Store, as well as a new free to play version, Dark Meadow: The Pact. Then next month, Android owners will receive their chance to get in on the action with the release of Dark Meadow: The Pact, free of charge. Enjoy console quality gameplay, vivid graphics, in-depth story-telling and a host of updates – without spending a dime.

Phosphor Games is updating the original release with more premium content than ever before, including:

iPad 3 retina support;
New environments filled with challenging enemies, a new boss creature and more of the beloved Trickster story and voice-over;
New premium weapons and amulets, including:

o Lightbombs to devastate enemies

o New swords and crossbow weapons with special attacks

Healthpacks that can be used in battle and to revive after death to remain in the fight;
New “Fast Travel” warps that allow players to instantly move to floors they’ve unlocked;
Addition of a world map to prevent players from getting lost;
Added language support for Chinese, Russian and Brazilian Portuguese;
A new Premium Pack, including:

o 5 health kits;

o 13 bombs;

o 15,000 gold

o 150 Sun coins;

o Ad free.

As a special thank you to those who have already purchased the game, existing premium users will get the Premium Pack for free once they update their game.

“We are extremely pleased at the overwhelming response by gamers and critics to The Dark Meadow, our very first iOS game, and we are glad to offer Dark Meadow: The Pact free of charge on iOS tonight and Android in April,” said Chip Sineni, Director at Phosphor Games Studios. “For those ‘early adopters’ who bought the game when it was first released, we hope you enjoy all the new content and enhancements that were designed specifically in response to your feedback and to hardware enhancements that will now make the game more beautiful than ever on iOS.”

Developed utilizing the acclaimed Unreal Engine 3, The Dark Meadow is a stunning first-person, action/adventure game where players fight to escape a nightmare world filled with fantastical creatures bent on destroying them. You awake in a hospital uncertain of how you arrived there or why. An old man warns of a beautiful witch whose minions roam the halls seeking to kill the living. It is only when the witch is destroyed that you will be released from this unrelenting torment.

As you explore the photo-realistic world, you will need both your crossbow for ranged combat as well as your sword for in close, melee combat. Gesture-based “pull back and fire” as well as slashing combat will be instantly recognizable to touch screen players, and node-based movement through the world makes navigation simple yet compelling.

Role-playing game mechanics enhance the exploration, as a wide variety of items are secreted throughout the world – from hidden scraps of paper that reveal the mystery of your imprisonment, to money which can be used to purchase better equipment and weapons.

When released next month, the Android version of Dark Meadow: The Pact will deliver even more enhanced visuals and physics owing to the powerful new NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 quad-core mobile processor. The game will be available in English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Italian, Chinese, Russian, and Brazilian Portuguese.

New Krater Screenshots Released

2012/03/30

Jerry Paxton

News

Fatshark AB has released some new screenshots from their upcoming hack and slash RPG, Krater!

Screenshots

World of Mercenaries Announces

2012/03/28

Jerry Paxton

News

WARSAW, POLAND, March 27, 2011— Did upgrading your PC to a hardcore gaming machine leave your wallet a little light? Don’t worry, you’re still entitled to a premium gaming experience and City Interactive SA is going to give it to you with World of Mercenaries, a new free to play AAA first person shooter currently in development exclusively for PC.
Powered by Unreal Engine 3© and to be distributed digitally via Steam©, World of Mercenaries is a skill based competitive FPS with stunning graphics, fluid controls, customizable weapons and focus on teamwork as a core element for player progression. Immerse in the life of a fearless mercenary!
“Our veteran team is comprised of some of the most devoted FPS fans in the world and we’re excited to use our knowledge and experience to fuse the best elements of previously released games in the genre with new and exciting advancements – be it in terms of graphics, controls or skill based game play.” says Bogdan Oprescu, Executive Producer for the title. “Our closed beta program will be an integral part of the development process for World of Mercenaries, as it is our goal to deliver a game made by, for and with FPS fans. We are shaping the future of competitive FPS, and are fully confident it will be achieved with the enthusiasm and help of our beta testers.”
More information on the game and the launch of the Beta registration process will be made public soon at www.worldofmercenaries.com.
Follow us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/worldofmercenaries) and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/wom_TheGame)!

Phantom 410 Special Edition Launched

2012/03/28

Jerry Paxton

News

El Monte, CA – March 27, 2012 – NZXT, a company built on realizing the dreams of gamers worldwide, is proud to introduce new, special edition color options of the widely-acclaimed Phantom 410. Early this year, NZXT polled the facebook community to see what color combinations were most demanded by gamers and enthusiasts, selected the top choices and made them a reality. Phantom 410 is now available in Black with Orange Trim, Black with White Trim, White with Blue Trim, and a surprise Gunmetal black edition with a gunmetal interior and exterior matte finish.

Phantom 410 builds off of the legendary qualities of the award-winning case with even more value for every dollar spent. Effective airflow is paramount with a cooling capability of up to seven fans (2x 120mm and 1x 140mm LED fan included), support for 240mm dual radiator water cooling solution, and an integrated 30W fan controller for customizing your system for silence or performance.

Installation and upgrades are simplified with innovative right mounted HDD rails, a solution for easy hard drive replacement, a removable HDD cage to allow more room for extended video cards, and screwless 5.25” and HDD trays that secures 2.5” SSD. Additional innovative features include USB 3.0 support and an acrylic window that allows gamers to admire the power of their rig.

“We’re proud to reward the enthusiast community the specific color combinations that they voted for earlier this year” said Johnny Hou, Founder and Chief Designer at NZXT. “Now you can have the same legendary quality of the highly regarded Phantom 410 in an array of designs that suit your personal preference. We always pride ourselves on bringing gamers dreams to reality, and this is a great example of how NZXT makes that happen.”

The Phantom 410 will be available in Gunmetal, Black with orange trim, black with white trim, and white with blue trim for $99.99 in late March. For more information visithttp://www.nzxt.com/new/products/crafted_series/phantom_410