Author - Jerry Paxton

Wii U Launch Date – Details Revealed

2012/09/13
Jerry Paxton
News


REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nintendo today revealed full details about how the new Wii U™ home console and its groundbreaking touch-screen Wii U GamePad controller can revolutionize not only video game play but also the way people find and watch TV and video content. The new HD system will offer entirely new ways for consumers to play games and enjoy their favorite programming when it launches in the Americas on Nov. 18. During the launch window, more than 50 games will be available for Wii U, which will be offered in two different colors and configurations. The Basic Set will be offered in white at a suggested retail price of $299.99, while the Deluxe Set, which includes higher storage capacity, additional accessories and the new Nintendo Land™ video game, will be offered in black at a suggested retail price of $349.99.

“The wait is almost over — in just 66 days, Wii U will arrive with the strongest lineup of launch software in Nintendo history”

At a special Wii U preview event in New York, Nintendo also unveiled Nintendo TVii, an application that will let Wii U owners in the United States and Canada find, watch and engage with their favorite video entertainment in fun new ways. Using the GamePad controller, Nintendo TVii lets viewers seamlessly explore available video content from a variety of sources – including live TV, their TiVo DVR and video-on-demand services such as Netflix – all in one easy-to-use interface.

Additionally, Nintendo shared new information about dozens of games on the way for Wii U, including Nintendo Land, New Super Mario Bros.™ U, LEGO® City: Undercover, BAYONETTA 2, The Wonderful 101™, Capcom’s Monster Hunter™ 3 Ultimate and Activision’s Call of Duty®: Black Ops II. New Super Mario Bros. U offers unprecedented ways for friends and families to play together and explore Mario’s world using the GamePad. Nintendo Land, which will be available as a standalone game or included with the Wii U Deluxe Set, is a virtual theme park featuring a lineup of 12 playable attractions based on Nintendo’s greatest game worlds, including The Legend of Zelda™, Metroid™, Mario™, Animal Crossing™and Donkey Kong™. As an added bonus for consumers, a Chase McCain LEGO minifigure will come as a special pre-order bonus for those who pre-order a copy of LEGO City: Undercoverat participating retailers while supplies last. All of these games will instantly immerse players in a variety of new game-play experiences that are available only on Wii U.

“The wait is almost over — in just 66 days, Wii U will arrive with the strongest lineup of launch software in Nintendo history,” said Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime. “With the integrated second screen of the included GamePad and features that instantly enhance the way people play games, watch video and interact with each other, consumers will see how Wii U delivers a completely unique experience and a remarkable value right out of the box. The new system also creates extraordinary new possibilities for game developers, bound only by the limits of their imaginations.”

The Wii U Basic Set includes a white Wii U console with 8 GB of internal storage, one white GamePad controller, AC adapters for both the console and controller, a sensor bar and an HDMI® cable. In the Wii U Deluxe Set, components are black. This bundle includes all elements from the Basic Set, as well as the Nintendo Land game, increased console storage capacity of 32 GB, a console stand, GamePad charging cradle and a stand that allows users to place the GamePad vertically on a table. Consumers who purchase the Deluxe Set also will be enrolled in the Deluxe Digital Promotion, which lets Wii U owners receive points for each digital download and redeem those points for future downloadable content from the Nintendo eShop. The promotion is currently planned through 2014.

Both configurations offer a wealth of one-of-a-kind entertainment experiences, including an online gaming community called Miiverse™ and the new Nintendo TVii application. Using the touch screen on the GamePad controller, Nintendo TVii users will be able to browse programming from sources they subscribe to, including cable and satellite channels, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube and even their recorded TiVo shows – all from a single starting point.

The selection of third-party games on the way for Wii U will include some of the industry’s biggest names and most beloved franchises. Activision is set to bring several of its leading properties to Wii U during the launch window, including Call of Duty: Black Ops II,Skylanders Giants™ and TRANSFORMERS PRIME™. Other third-party games coming soon to Wii U include Assassin’s Creed® III, ZombiU™, Rayman Legends® and Just Dance® 4 from Ubisoft, Madden NFL 13 and Mass Effect™ 3 from Electronic Arts, Scribblenauts™ Unlimitedand Batman: Arkham City™ Armored Edition from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two from Disney Interactive.

“The integrated second screen of the GamePad creates new possibilities for how games can be played, and further reflects the innovation Nintendo has poured into the Wii U,” said Eric Hirshberg, Activision Publishing’s CEO. “We’re excited for our fans to experience the biggest franchises, like Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Skylanders Giants and Transformers Prime, in new ways made possible on Wii U.”

Below is a list of upcoming Wii U games that will be available on launch day or during the launch window*. (For information about third-party games, check with the individual publishers.)

Publisher Title
505 Games Funky Barn
2K Sports NBA 2K13
Activision Publishing, Inc. 007™ Legends
Call of Duty®: Black Ops II
TRANSFORMERS PRIME™
Wipeout 3
Skylanders Giants™
Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2013
Rapala Pro Bass Fishing
Capcom Monster Hunter™ 3 Ultimate
D3Publisher Rise of the Guardians: The Video Game
Ben 10: Omniverse™
Family Party: 30 Great Games Obstacle Arcade
Disney Interactive Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
Electronic Arts Mass Effect™ 3
Madden NFL 13
EA SPORTS™ FIFA Soccer 13
Frozenbyte Trine 2™: Director’s Cut
Gaijin Games Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien
Majesco Entertainment Zumba® Fitness Core
Maximum Games Jett Tailfin™
NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. TEKKEN TAG TOURNAMENT™ 2 Wii U Edition
TANK! TANK! TANK!™
Nintendo Nintendo Land™
New Super Mario Bros.™ U
NINJA GAIDEN™ 3: Razor’s Edge
SiNG PARTY™
LEGO® City: Undercover
Wii Fit™ U
Game & Wario™
Pikmin™ 3
The Wonderful 101™
SEGA Aliens: Colonial Marines™
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
Shin’en Nano Assault Neo
Tecmo Koei America Corporation WARRIORS OROCHI® 3 Hyper
THQ Darksiders® II
Wheel of Fortune®
JEOPARDY! ®
Two Tribes Toki Tori 2
Ubisoft Assassin’s Creed® III
Just Dance® 4
Marvel Avengers™: Battle for Earth
Rabbids® Land
Sports Connection™
Your Shape®: Fitness Evolved 2013
ZombiU™
Rayman Legends®
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Scribblenauts™ Unlimited
Game Party Champions
Batman: Arkham City™ Armored Edition

* Launch window is defined as the period beginning Nov. 18, 2012, and ending March 31, 2013.

Broadband Internet access is required for online features. For more information, go tohttp://support.nintendo.com.

Remember that Wii U features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visithttp://www.nintendo.com/wiiu.

For more information about Nintendo, visit http://www.nintendo.com.

MechWarrior: Tactical Command Launch Date

2012/09/13
Jerry Paxton
News

SINGAPORE – Sep. 13, 2012 – Personae Studios announced today that MechWarrior: Tactical Command will be available Thursday, September 27th. Based on the award winning franchise, MechWarrior: Tactical Command takes the world of the BattleTech universe and brings it straight into the palms of iPad users worldwide. The game combines unique, innovative multi-touch game controls along with a single player campaign written by a team of award winning famous science fiction authors, Loren L. Coleman and Randall N. Bills–veterans of the series canon lore. Personae Studios has made a firm effort in staying close to the original mechanics of the BattleTech board game in order to appeal to both newcomers and fans of the MechWarrior series alike.

MechWarrior: Tactical Command features:               

  • Real Time Tactics on the go: MechWarrior: Tactical Command brings a true mobile RTS experience with Personae’s unique controls for iOS devices. Players can initiate precise, advanced commands with quick responses to get the most immersive BattleTech experience ever.
  • Authentic BattleTech Mechanics: MechWarrior: Tactical Command stays very close to the original boardgame. Heat acts as stamina and Mech’s limbs have individual sources of health-watch Mechs cripple other robots as they destroy their limbs and bodyparts!
  • Massive Damage: Players will fight through waves of Elementals, Tanks, and other heavy armored mechs with a squad of four warriors in 21 levels set across three planets, including Twycross, where a number of the events from the series occur.
  • Massive Mechs: With 30 mechs taken from the series lore, there are a variety of Battle Mechs with different classes to deploy onto the battlefield. Charge in with a Mad Cat, annihilate the opposition with the Atlas, or wreak havoc with the Hatamoto-Chi.
  • Massive Customization: Players earn C-bills and tech resources from missions to upgrade their lance of mechs. Increase a mech’s arsenal, tune their BattleMech’s accuracy, or enhance their weapon systems-MechWarrior: Tactical Command lets players build their mechs and squad members whichever way they desire.

Sit tight and get ready to deploy when MechWarrior: Tactical Command makes its way onto iPad devices, Thursday September 27th for $9.99 on the iTunes Store.

Guild Wars 2 Sells Over Two Million Units

2012/09/13
Jerry Paxton
News

SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 13, 2012: NCsoft®, the world’s premier publisher and developer of massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) and ArenaNet, developer of the renowned Guild Wars franchise, has announced that the chart-topping MMO Guild Wars 2 has sold more than two million units. Despite temporarily halting first-party sales and replenishing retail stores to maintain an optimal player experience, Guild Wars 2 surpassed the two million sales milestone shortly after turning sales back on.

Guild Wars 2, which launched just over two weeks ago, has captured the imagination of the gaming community around the world. With peak concurrency regularly exceeding 400,000 players and first week sales that placed it at the top of the All Formats charts across ten European territories, it’s clear that demand for the game hasn’t slowed.

“Reactions from around the world justified the time and care we put into developing Guild Wars 2 and making it into the game it is today,” said Mike O’Brien, president and co-founder of ArenaNet. “And this is only the beginning. We’re continually fine-tuning the game to deliver the polished experience that our players expect, and we’re already working on new adventures and experiences to introduce into this truly dynamic online world.

For more information and to purchase Guild Wars 2, visit www.guildwars2.com.

Five New Of Orcs and Men Screens

2012/09/13
Jerry Paxton
News

Focus Home Interactive has released five new screenshots from their upcoming Of Orcs and Men today. Of Orcs and Men launches on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC platforms on October 11th in the US and October 18th in the UK, Germany, and worldwide for download on PC.

Screens

The Walking Dead Season 3 Starts Oct 14

2012/09/12
Jerry Paxton
Halloween, News

“The Walking Dead,” the most watched drama in basic cable history, returns for an exhilarating new season on Sunday, October 14 at 9pm ET/PT.  In this uncertain world, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his band of survivors must not only fight the dead, but also face a whole new fear: the living.  A 16 episode season, the series Entertainment Weekly called the “greatest thriller ever produced for television” will air in two-parts with the first eight hours kicking off October 14 and returning February 2013 with the final eight episodes.  Internationally, “The Walking Dead’ will return to audiences in 120+ FOX International Channels (FIC) markets the week of October 15, as part of FIC continued commitment to broadcast the series near date-and-date globally.  Following “The Walking Dead” will be the season premiere of AMC’s live after show, “Talking Dead,” hosted by Chris Hardwick at 11pm ET/PT.

The season premiere of “The Walking Dead,” coincides with AMC’s annual blockbuster marathon of thriller and horror films, AMC Fearfest.  Celebrating its 16thyear, AMC Fearfest will feature 19 consecutive days of themed programming and more than 70 films, running from Saturday, October 13 through Wednesday, October 31.

In the highly anticipated new season, Rick and his fellow survivors continue to seek refuge in a desolate and post-apocalyptic world and soon discover that there are greater forces to fear than just the walking dead. The struggle to survive has never been so perilous. Season 3 also introduces new characters, including the Governor (David Morrissey) and fan-favorite Michonne (Danai Gurira), along with her zombie pets.

Based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics, “The Walking Dead” stars Lincoln, Sarah Wayne Callies, Laurie Holden, Steven Yeun, Norman Reedus, Chandler Riggs, Lauren Cohan, Scott Wilson, Iron E. Singleton, Melissa McBride, Morrissey and Gurira. The series is executive produced by showruner Glen Mazzara, Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd and David Alpert with Greg Nicotero, Denise Huth and Evan Reilly as co-executive producers.

The season premiere of “The Walking Dead” will be complemented by a wealth of exclusive content at www.amctv.com. Fans can check out Inside “The Walking Dead” videos, episode sneak peeks, “Talked About Scenes,” “Talking Dead” bonus scenes, production diary interviews with the cast and crew, production photo galleries, fan trivia and new behind-the scenes videos from the set in Atlanta.

Following “The Walking Dead” season premiere will be the second season debut of AMC’s live after show “Talking Dead,” at 11pm ET/PT, hosted by Chris Hardwick.  Following its most watched episode ever – after “The Walking Dead’s” Season 2 finale, which attracted 4.3 million viewers – “Talking Dead” features Hardwick spending time with fans, actors, producers and TV enthusiasts, recapping that most recent “Dead” episode, providing sneak-peeks and discussion of upcoming episodes and taking questions and comments from viewers. The series is executive produced by Michael Davies and co-executive produced by Jen Kelly from Embassy Row.

“The Walking Dead” reigns as the most watched drama series on basic cable for Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54. The series has garnered an Emmy® Award for Outstanding Prosthetic Make-up, a Golden Globe® Award nomination for Best Television Series – Drama, and a WGA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Writing Derivative New Media, among other accolades.

New Screenshots for Fuse

2012/09/12
Jerry Paxton
News

Insomniac Games has released new screenshots from its recently-announced title, Fuse.

Screenshots

Preview Video for The Secret World Update

2012/09/12
Jerry Paxton
News

Funcom has released a new preview video of tomorrow’s update to The Secret World, Issue #2: Digging Deep. The update features cool stuff like several new investigation missions, the rocket launcher auxiliary weapon, the looking-for-group system, as well as plastic surgery and the barbershop where you can alter your character’s looks.

Video

iPhone 5 Unveiled

2012/09/12
Jerry Paxton
News

SAN FRANCISCO—September 12, 2012—Apple® today announced iPhone® 5, the thinnest and lightest iPhone ever, completely redesigned to feature a stunning new 4-inch Retina™ display; an Apple-designed A6 chip for blazing fast performance; and ultrafast wireless technology*—all while delivering even better battery life.** iPhone 5 comes with iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new features including: the all new Maps app with Apple-designed cartography and turn-by-turn navigation; Facebook integration; Passbook® organization; and even more Siri® features and languages.

“iPhone 5 is the most beautiful consumer device that we’ve ever created,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “We’ve packed an amazing amount of innovation and advanced technology into a thin and light, jewel-like device with a stunning 4-inch Retina display, blazing fast A6 chip, ultrafast wireless, even longer battery life; and we think customers are going to love it.”

iPhone 5 is the thinnest smartphone in the world, with an all-new 7.6 mm anodized aluminum body that is 18 percent thinner and 20 percent lighter than iPhone 4S. Designed with an unprecedented level of precision, iPhone 5 combines an anodized aluminum body with diamond cut chamfered edges and glass inlays for a truly incredible fit and finish.

The new 4-inch Retina display on iPhone 5 delivers even more pixels than iPhone 4S, making the already incredible Retina display even better. By making the screen taller, not wider, iPhone 5 is just as easy to use with one hand so you can tap, type and scroll the same way you always have, while enjoying even more of your content including amazing apps optimized for the larger Retina display, widescreen HD video, a full five days of your Calendar and more of every web page.

iPhone 5 supports ultrafast wireless standards including LTE and DC-HSDPA, so you can browse, download and stream content even faster. To support the latest LTE technology, Apple has pioneered a unique single-radio LTE solution that provides blazing fast speeds while fitting perfectly into the new remarkably thin design. iPhone 5 features dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi support for a wireless experience up to 150 Mbps.***

The all-new A6 chip was designed by Apple to maximize performance and power efficiency to support all the incredible new features in iPhone 5, including the stunning new 4-inch Retina display—all while delivering even better battery life. With up to twice the CPU and graphics performance, almost everything you do on iPhone 5 is blazing fast for launching apps, loading web pages and downloading email attachments.

The 8 megapixel iSight® camera is the most popular camera in the world and with iPhone 5, it’s even better. The new camera is completely redesigned with incredible optical performance, yet amazingly it’s 25 percent smaller than the camera in iPhone 4S. The new iSight camera in iPhone 5 features a sapphire crystal lens cover that is thinner and more durable than standard glass with the ability to provide crystal clear images. The new panorama feature lets you capture jaw-dropping panorama images of up to 28 megapixels by simply moving the camera across a scene in one smooth motion. New video features include improved stabilization, video face detection for up to 10 faces and the ability to take still photos as you record. A new FaceTime® HD front facing camera makes FaceTime calls incredibly clear and can also be used for self portraits and recording 720p HD video. iPhone 5 also allows you to share photos with friends and family using iCloud’s Shared Photo Streams.

iPhone 5 features the new Lightning™ connector that is smaller, smarter and more durable than the previous connector. The all-digital Lightning connector features an adaptive interface that uses only the signals that each accessory requires, and it’s reversible so you can instantly connect to your accessories. The Lightning-to-30-pin Adapter is also available to connect iPhone 5 to legacy 30-pin accessories.****

iPhone 5 introduces new enhanced audio features including a new beam-forming, directional microphone system for higher quality sound, while background noise fades away with new noise canceling technology. iPhone 5 now includes support for cellular wideband audio for crisper word clarity and more natural sounding speech. Wideband audio will be supported by over 20 carriers worldwide at launch. iPhone 5 comes with the new Apple EarPods™ featuring a breakthrough design for a more natural fit and increased durability, and an incredible acoustic quality typically reserved for higher-end earphones.

iPhone 5 comes with iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new user features including: an all new Maps app with Apple-designed cartography, turn-by-turn navigation and an amazing new Flyover™ view; Facebook integration for Contacts and Calendar, with the ability to post directly from Notification Center; Passbook, the simplest way to get all your passes in one place; new Siri features, including support for more languages, easy access to sports scores, restaurant recommendations and movie listings;***** Siri and Facebook-enabled apps like Photos, Safari® and Maps; and Shared Photo Streams via iCloud®.

Pricing & Availability
iPhone 5 comes in either white & silver or black & slate, and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the 64GB model. iPhone 5 will be available from the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores, and through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 5 will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK on Friday, September 21, and customers can pre-order their iPhone 5 beginning Friday, September 14. iPhone 4S will also be available for just $99 (US) and iPhone 4 will be available for free with a two-year contract.****** iOS 6 software will be available on Wednesday, September 19 as a free software update.

iPhone 5 will roll out worldwide to 22 more countries on September 28, including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

* LTE is available through select carriers. Network speeds are dependent on carrier networks, check with your carrier for details.
** Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.
*** Based on theoretical speeds, actual speeds may vary.
**** Sold separately.
***** Not all features are supported in all countries.
****** Availability varies by carrier.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.