Author - Jerry Paxton

RAGE Novel Available Now

Bethesda Softworks and id Software have announced that the official novel based on their upcoming id Tech 5-powered shooter, RAGE, is out now. RAGE is slated for release on October 4th, 2011 on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.

Novel Synopsis

When Lieutenant Nick Raine emerges from his Ark, he finds a future indistinguishable from nightmare. Humankind has not been entirely destroyed on the surface world, and a primitive new society has emerged in which life is brutish and short. Mutants and bandits prey upon the weak, and a mysterious military group known as the Authority preys upon everyone. Worst of all, a would-be tyrant seeks to impose his will upon the shattered planet. Armed with nothing more than his combat training and survival instincts, Raine must rise to meet the challenges of the wasteland.

SkyDrift Launch Date Announced

Digital Reality has announced that its upcoming arcade racer, SkyDrift, will launch on the Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation Network on September 7, 2011.

“SkyDrift is more than your typical arcade style racing game,” says Péter Nyester, SkyDrift Producer, Digital Reality. “Our team worked hard to deliver realistic, cutting edge graphics that are visually stunning, which really transform the overall feel of the gameplay. Skydrift combines all the best elements of arcade-heavy games with stimulating graphics and smooth game play – creating the ultimate racing experience.”

SkyDrift will retail for $14.99 or on Xbox LIVE Arcade for 1200 Microsoft Points.

Razer Unveils BlackWidow Stealth Edition Keyboards

Razer, hot off the heels of their Blade gaming laptop announcement, has unveiled two new versions of its mechanical-key BlackWidow keyboard. Labeled the “Stealth” editions, the BlackWidow Ultimate and BlackWidow keyboard in this new series will feature quieter key switches, allowing for less obtrusive keystrokes.The Ultimate retails for $139.99 while the standard goes for $79.99 – both are available now.

“Where the first Razer BlackWidow can be likened to a barbarian ploughing through enemies with ease, the Stealth Edition of this mechanical keyboard is the ninja who sneaks up on opponents unexpectedly to take them down in a quick blur,” said Robert “RazerGuy” Krakoff, President, Razer USA.  “Quieter feedback on the keys, lighter actuation force, extreme anti-ghosting on the Ultimate version, and a new matte black finish make the Stealth Edition of the Razer BlackWidow keyboards the best choice for the unassuming but extremely deadly gamer.”

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New King’s Bounty: Legions Screenshots

Nival, 1C, and KranX have released a plethora of new screenshots from strategy title King’s Bounty: Legions, which is available for play now on Facebook.

Screenshots

DrawRace 2 Trailer and Tentative Release Date for iOS Platform

This one looks like it could be very cool – DrawRace 2 from RedLynx. The game puts players in charge of drawing their racer’s course around a track, setting speeds and angles, then letting the action unfold before them. Currently, the game is set for release on the iOS platform and is scheduled for a launch date of early September.

Trailer

The Secret World Beta Registration is Now Open

Funcom has announced the opening of beta registration for its upcoming Lovecraftian MMO, The Secret World. Dealing with many occult phenomena and conspiracies, the game is due out in April of 2012.

“One of the most interesting features of ‘The Secret World’ is the three profoundly different secret societies that players can join,” says Funcom SVP of Sales & Marketing, Morten Larssen. “Since we first announced the game we have gradually revealed more details about them, and what we have seen is that thousands of gamers in our community have come to identify with them and form a loyal bond to other community members belonging to the same society. With ‘The Secret War’ experience we are excited about the prospect of allowing for even more community interaction and engagement.”

LINK: The Secret World Beta Registration

Wizard World LA Postponed – Official Statement

You may recall our previously-reporting that Wizard World LA’s event dates had been replaced with “TBD” on the official website. Now, we have some official comments on the matter from Wizard World PR.

“Wizard World has announced that its Los Angeles Comic Con event, originally scheduled for September 24-25, 2011, has been postponed.  Several pending strategic partnerships that will enhance the Wizard World experience have necessitated the rescheduling of the event.”

Pending strategic partnerships, hmm… New venue? Exhibitor requirements? We will update you as soon as we find out.

Two New Max Payne 3 Screenshots

Rockstar Games has released two new screenshots from their upcoming actioner, Max Payne 3.

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Hard Reset Launch Date and System Specs

Hard Reset, the first game from Poland’s Flying Wild Hog will be available on Windows PCs via Steam on September 13 for the price of $29.99 (or £22.99 or €27.99). Additionally, if you pre-order the game, you will receice 10% off the puyrchase price. Also announced were the game’s minimum and recommended PC requirements as well as some high-res screenshots – enjoy!

MINIMUM:

OS: Windows XP/Vista/7
Processor: 2.5 GHz Intel Pentium 4 / AMD Athlon 64
RAM: 2 GB
Graphics card: 512 MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800GS / ATI Radeon HD 3870 or better
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
DirectX: DirectX 9.0c
Hard Drive: 4 GB free hard drive space

RECOMMENDED:

OS: Windows XP/Vista/7
Processor: Intel Quad Core 2.3 GHz / AMD Phenom II x4 2.5 GHz
RAM: 3 GB
Graphics card: 512 MB NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT / ATI Radeon HD 4870 or better
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
DirectX: DirectX 9.0c
Hard Drive: 4 GB free hard drive space

Screenshots