Author - Jerry Paxton

Marcy Playground Heading to Rock Band

2012/11/21
Jerry Paxton
News, Nintendo Wii News, PlayStation 3 News, Xbox 360 News
Cambridge, Mass. – November 21st, 2012 – Harmonix today announced that singles from Carly Rae Jepsen and Marcy Playground are headed to the Rock Band™ Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.Rock Band provides the deepest and best selection of artists, songs and albums through the Rock Band music platform, which features more than 1,400 artists and more than 4,000* tracks via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks atwww.rockband.com/songs). Rock Band’s gigantic music library dwarfs that of any other rhythm video game on the market. More than 100 million songs have been sold through the Rock Band Music Store since its launch on Nov. 20, 2007.

Tracks downloaded from the Rock Band Music Store are compatible with the award-winning full-band Rock Band 3 experience, as well as the controller-based rhythm-action title, Rock Band Blitz, available now on PlayStation®Network and Xbox LIVE® Arcade!

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 system and Wii™

On November 27th, Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” will come to the Rock BandMusic Store. This upbeat pop track originally appeared on Jepsen’s EP, Curiosity and then later on her smash full length release Kiss, and reached the top of the charts worldwide! The single will be available alongside Marcy Playground’s breakthrough single, “Sex and Candy,” from the band’s self-titled 1997 debut.

Additionally, the controller-based rhythm-action of Rock Band Blitz is now on sale for Xbox LIVE Arcade for a limited time. From now until November 26th, players can pick upRock Band Blitz for 600 Microsoft Points™, 50% off its regular price! Rock Band Blitzcomes bundled with over 20 songs, and works instantly with any of the 3500+ Rock Band songs. Rock Band Blitz’s songs are also immediately compatible and playable in Rock Band 3, where players can experience these hits as a full band, using compatible guitar, microphone, drum, and keyboard peripherals!

Available on Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation®3 system (November 27th, 2012):

  • Carly Rae Jepsen – “Call Me Maybe” O
  • Marcy Playground – “Sex and Candy” X

(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation®3 system November 28th)

Price:
$1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points ™, 200 Wii Points™) per song
$0.99 USD (80 Microsoft Points™, 100 Wii Points™), £0.59 UK, €0.79 EU per song for eligible Pro Guitar/Pro Bass upgrade

Tracks marked with “X” will offer Pro Guitar and Pro Bass expansions for $0.99 per song.** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **
 
*Available on-disc, via download and disc export. Internet connection and export key purchase required. Wii™ Shop Channel has more than 1,500 song tracks available for purchase on the Rock Band platform on-disc, via song import, and download. Not applicable to Nintendo DS™.

Website Links:
For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website

Salem Players Receiving Colonial Relief Package

2012/11/21
Jerry Paxton
News, Windows PC News

NEW YORK — November 21, 2012 — The wilds of Salem: The Crafting MMO can be cold, unforgiving, and treacherous, filled with merciless snakes, vengeful crickets, and the constant threat of other pilgrims. During the holiday season, however, while pilgrims past and present enjoy their Thanksgiving feasts, Paradox Interactive will be providing their players with everything they need to enjoy the holiday weekend in-game.

On November 22, all players with active accounts will receive the “Colonial Relief Package,” which comes with a Dream Catcher inspirational, a deer hide to warm any lean-to or home, corncobs and cornbread, and even every pilgrim’s favorite kind of turkey – a dead turkey. The in-game store will be loaded with other new offers as well, allowing gamers to give thanks in style.

Paradox Interactive will also provide the holiday entertainment for their loyal and hard-working colonists. Salem: The Crafting MMO is a game where just about anything can happen, as evidenced by screenshots provided by the community. In addition, since American football has yet to be invented in Salem, you may instead sit back and watch what happens when a bucket full of angry snakes is mysteriously set loose in Boston in this highlights reel from a recent live stream here: http://youtu.be/cB–jRgZloM

Salem: The Crafting MMO is currently in closed beta. For a chance to visit the New World, please check out the official game site at www.salemthegame.com.

THQ Announces Deal with Wells Fargo

2012/11/20
Jerry Paxton
Industry News, News

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.– THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) announced today that it has entered into a forbearance agreement with Wells Fargo Capital Finance, LLC. Under the agreement, Wells Fargo has agreed to forbear from exercising its rights and remedies against THQ and its subsidiaries with respect to previous events of default under its credit facility. The period of the forbearance currently extends to January 15, 2013, during which time Wells Fargo has agreed to make additional loans to the company subject to the terms and conditions of the forbearance agreement.

Additionally, THQ announced that it has entered into exclusive negotiations with a financial sponsor regarding financing alternatives which may result in, among other things, significant and material dilution to shareholders. Information concerning the identity of the sponsor, deal size, structure and/or timing will not be disclosed until such time negotiations have concluded. There can be no assurance these negotiations will result in a transaction.

“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Wells Fargo. This agreement enables us to continue focusing on bringing our games in development to market,” said Brian Farrell, THQ’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Meanwhile, we are evaluating financial alternatives that will transition the company into its next phase.”

THQ also announced today the resignation of Paul Pucino, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. The Company is evaluating its alternatives with respect to the Chief Financial Officer role, and has retained FTI Consulting to assist its finance and accounting team.

“We would like to thank Paul for his significant contributions over the past four years and wish him well in his future endeavors,” commented Farrell.

Razer Upgrades DeathAdder Gaming Mouse

2012/11/20
Jerry Paxton
News, Peripherals News, Tech News, Windows PC News

CARLBAD, Calif. –Nov. 20, 2012 – Razer™, the world leader in high-performance gaming hardware, announced that its immensely popular DeathAdder mouse is upgraded and set for launch.

Originally released in 2006, the Razer DeathAdder has become legendary for its combination of ergonomics and precision. It remains the world’s best-selling gaming mouse, used by countless pro gamers in the circuit as their preferred weapon of annihilation.

The new Razer DeathAdder’s optical sensor was upgraded from 3.5G to a cutting-edge 4G infrared sensor with improved performance and precision. It is the world’s most powerful optical sensor, achieving up to 6400 dpi resolution without sacrificing the natural tracking feel of an optical sensor or yielding the robotic sensation of a comparable laser option.

The iconic right-handed ergonomic shape that gamers have come to love in the DeathAdder has been retained; however, it has been further enhanced with built-in textured rubber side grips for better mouse control and grip.

Like its predecessor, the new Razer DeathAdder will feature Synapse 2.0 support for effortless synching of settings and profiles automatically with the cloud. Razer Synapse 2.0 is an innovative proprietary software that intuitively functions as the Razer DeathAdder’s brain – automatically syncing the gaming mouse to a remote server to download driver and firmware updates, as well as save individual game settings.

“We didn’t want to fix anything that wasn’t broken,” said Robert “RazerGuy” Krakoff, president of Razer USA. “We focused instead on enhancing and optimizing the proven merits of the Razer DeathAdder, utilizing next generation technologies and further ergonomics tweaks to make a perfect gaming mouse even better.”

About the New Razer DeathAdder

The Razer DeathAdder was released in 2006 and is still to-date the world’s best-selling gaming mouse, used by countless pro gamers in the circuit as their de facto gaming mouse. The new DeathAdder iteration focuses on improving power, performance and control through hardware tweaks and software upgrades.

AOC Unveils New 23-inch Virtually Borderless IPS Monitor

2012/11/20
Jerry Paxton
News, Tech News

Fremont, Calif. – November 20, 2012 – AOC, worldwide leader in monitor display technology, announces the retail availability of the i2367fh, a virtually borderless 23-inch monitor that is perfect for both workstations and gaming setups. The display’s Advanced High-Performance In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology and 50,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio provide enhanced picture quality, higher definition, better color accuracy and greater light transmission. Blu-ray players, game consoles and other devices connect effortlessly through the integrated HDMI port, and the built-in speakers eliminate the need for external audio.

The 23-inch IPS display has a 2mm bezel that gives the monitor a sleek, borderless appearance. The monitor’s artistic design also features a metallic hook-shaped stand that allows for two different setup modes of viewing – as a photo frame style without a base or a standard function stand. The AOC i2367fh is available now for $199 at B & H Photo and Amazon.com.

“The i2367fh, part of our AOC 67 series, combines smart technology with style,” said AOC North America Marketing Manager Chris Brown. “This monitor provides performance, affordability and design like no other display on the market today.”

The ENERGY STAR i2367fh combines impressive display technology with energy-efficiency. The WLED backlit panel consumes 50 percent less energy than CCFL backlit monitors and contains no Mercury. The monitor’s e-Saver feature and off timer function also help to reduce power consumption.

The i2367fh supports Full HD 1920×1080 resolution and can display 16.7 million colors. The monitor also offers ultra-fast performance with a 5ms response time that prevents pixels from blurring, streaking or ghosting. The Windows 7 compatible monitor allows for optimal productivity with its included Screen + Software, which can split the screen in up to four different viewing panes.

Specifications
•    Full HD 1920×1080 resolution
•    50,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio
•    5ms response time
•    TFT Active Matrix LCD
•    Hg free WLED Backlight for ultra-low power consumption
•    FRC 8-bit panel that supports 16.7 million colors
•    VGA and HDMI with HDCP digital inputs
•    Two 2-Watt built-in speakers
•    Detachable, multi-purpose stand
•    User friendly OSD menu with 16 languages
•    Microsoft Windows 7 compatible

Evil Dead Movie Poster Released

2012/11/20
Jerry Paxton
Halloween, Movie News, News

Click me. I get bigger!

This posted up over at Yahoo! Movies and then GeekTyrant. I am in geek love with the franchise and an avid horror movie fan, so I wanted to make sure you guys didn’t miss this. Here is the new poster for the upcoming Evil Dead film, which is due out on April 12, 2013.

CM Storm Quickfire TK Keyboard Review (Red Switches)

2012/11/20
Jerry Paxton
News, Peripheral Review, Reviews

Cooler Master has released a new gaming keyboard, the CM Storm Quickfire TK. Built for gamers needing to take a dependable keyboard with them for tournament play, the Quickfire TK features hard plastic and metal construction and small form factor. To meet this aim and keep it affordable, Cooler Master has made the Quickfire TK a no-frills affair. For example, there is only one red back-light color and it is keyboard controllable via 5 intensity levels and three modes of operation (pulse, steady, and WASD). What the keyboard lacks in “frills”, however, it makes up in dependability. This lack of bells and whistles should not discourage you from checking it out. The CM Storm Quickfire TK is an excellent keyboard that exudes rugged design. Its compact but very hefty and it wont go jumping around your gaming station in the heat of battle. There are no software-based controls for the keyboard, it is all done on the hardware itself by way of a special function key. The numeric keypad shares keys with the extended “home”, “del”, etc keys as well as the arrows. The whole keyboard is

The Cooler Master Storm Quickfire TK keyboard is available in three flavors of Cherry MX switches: Red, Brown, and Blue. Basically, this allows you to get the keyboard that best fits your particular preference. Cherry MX Blue switches tend to be tactile and “clicky”. Red switches are not either but its shorter action makes it a bit more suited to gaming. The Brown switch variant is very tactile, with a noticeable pressing action but is not nearly as noisy as the Blue switches. The choice is yours, however some key types are more readily available in certain markets than others. Shop around until you find a supplier with the one you desire.

I used the CM Storm Quickfire TK in multiple games, from Sword of the Stars to Call of Duty: Black Ops II and even some Company of Heroes. I loved my experience with the keyboard and the only issue I had with it was the occasional pressing of the wrong key due to the small surface area of the keys. While the key bases are a standard size, they taper to a much smaller size on the finger-pressing side. This helps keep the keys from bumping up next to one another. Unfortunately, I am a bit thick-fingers and sometimes am not all that coordinated… 😉

Overall, the Cooler Master Storm Quickfire TK gaming keyboard is a compact, dependable, and rugged keyboard. It accomplishes everything it sets out to do and is available now at Cooler Master’s CM Storm official website. It may not have a 16 million color back-lighting system like some other keyboards out there, but I would like to see someone use those keyboards as a club when the LAN tournament gets heated. I think not. With the Quickfire TK, you can quickly detach the braided cable and start swinging.

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Pros

  • Rugged construction
  • Detachable, braided cable
  • Small size but a good weight

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Cons

  • Small keys

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Images

Specifications

Model Number SGK-4020-GKCR1(Red switch)
SGK-4020-GKCM1(Brown switch)
SGK-4020-GKCL1(Blue switch)
Key Switch Cherry MX Blue/ Brown/ Red
Keycaps ABS, grip coated, removable
Keycap Puller Yes, ring-puller
Backlight All keys, Red, 5 Levels, 3 Modes
Key Rollover NKRO (windows only)
Polling Rate 1000 Hz /1 ms
Interface USB 2.0 full speed
USB cable 1.8m, braided, gold plated, removable
Dimensions 377.5(L)*138(W)*33(H)mm14.9(L)*5.4(W)*1.3(H)inch
Weight 544 g/1.2 lbs

Star Citizen Shatters Crowd Funding Record

2012/11/19
Jerry Paxton
News, Windows PC News

AUSTIN, Texas, November 19, 2012 — Star Citizen™, the highly anticipated space sim from legendary game developer, Chris Roberts, today set a new record for a crowd funded game as pledge totals reached $6.23 million and the game’s Kickstarter campaign came to a close. Star Citizen is currently under development by Roberts’ new game company, Cloud Imperium™, which has offices in Los Angeles; Austin, Texas and Montreal, Canada. An early alpha play test for backers of the project should be available next winter.

The previous crowd funding record for a game had been held by Obsidian Entertainment’s Project Eternity title. An October 17 posting on the Project Eternity Kickstarter website listed a total of $4.16 million in pledges and funds raised.

Today marked the end of the Star Citizen’s Kickstarter campaign, which reached $2.13 million in pledges, more than 400 percent of the original goal. Roberts also has been raising funds on his own site,www.robertsspaceindustries.com. That site has reached $4.1 million in pledges. In all there are nearly 90 thousand people who have signed on and pledged to back the product.

Here are updated stats from the Star Citizen crowd funding campaign as of 1 PM central time on November 19:

  • ·         Kickstarter backers– 34,397
  • ·         Kickstarter funds pledged – $2,134,374
  • ·         Roberts Space Industries backers – 55,270
  • ·         Roberts Space Industries funds raised – $4,104,189
  • ·         Total backers – 89,667
  • ·         Total funds raised and pledged – $6,238,563

“I am absolutely elated by the incredible outpouring of support for this project,” said Roberts. “It’s clear that space sim fans have just been waiting for a game like ours to come along and rekindle some of the excitement that’s been missing from PC games and the space sim genre. With the resources that our fans have provided, it means the team will be able to provide more features in Star Citizen and deliver an even better game.”

For Roberts, Star Citizen, signals his return to gaming after more than 10 years in the Hollywood film industry. He made his mark in the games industry with several hit franchises in the 1990s including Wing Commander, Privateer and Freelancer. All of those games were successful PC titles that continually broke new ground with space combat games.  That’s something Roberts says is currently missing from PC gamers’ plates.

“I’ve been looking for an opportunity to jump back into gaming,” said Roberts. “With all the tools and tech currently available, I can now make a game that really provides gamers with cutting-edge visuals, a highly detailed, immersive world and visceral, heart-pounding combat that only the PC can provide.  In fact, PC gamers don’t need to take a back seat to any other platform. With Star Citizen, I want them to be able to stand up, be counted and completely enjoy all that their PC can deliver.”

Going forward, Roberts says, people who backed the project during the crowd funding campaign will have the ability to purchase further tiers or upgrade existing ones at the initial prices. And for those who missed this opportunity, there is still a chance to be a part of the Star Citizen community and back the project but at slightly higher prices. Roberts says it will still be cheaper than purchasing the final product when it is released and it will enable backers to reserve a limited amount of alpha and beta slots that remain. Behind-the-scenes subscription updates during development are also available for purchase. They will provide even more extras and inside info for those who sign up.

To register and become a backer of the game and for more information about Star Citizen, including videos and trailers of the game, regular communications from Roberts to fans, community forums and game fiction go to www.robertsspaceindustries.com.

About Cloud Imperium

Cloud Imperium Games Corporation and its subsidiary Roberts Space Industries were founded in April 2012 by renowned game developer Chris Roberts (Wing Commander, Freelancer, Privateer) and his business partner and long-time international media attorney Ortwin Freyermuth. Under Roberts’ leadership using his long-standing relationships in the game space, Cloud Imperium quickly assembled a top tier development team for the creation of art assets, story elements, and an extensive prototype for its first game Star Citizen. Star Citizen is being marketed and launched via www.robertsspaceindustries.com. Cloud Imperium’s strategy is about customer acquisition through established game designer fan bases.  We believe that the online space provides a tremendous opportunity in this regard that has been missed so far.