Author - Jerry Paxton

Millenia Announcement Trailer

Lead a nation of your own design through thousands of years of history in Millennia, a new turn-based strategy game from Paradox Interactive and C Prompt Games. Progress through ten ages of humanity, from the Stone Age to the near future, unlocking new technologies, new ways of living, and, maybe, alternate pasts that could have been.

C Prompt Games is an American development team helmed by veteran strategy game developers Rob Fermier, Ian Fischer and Brian Sousa. Motivated by a passion for deep and replayable systems-driven games, they bring their experience working on many celebrated real-time strategy games (including Age of Empires II, Age of Mythology and Starcraft II, as well as Orcs Must Die) to the turn-based 4x space in Millennia, a game that pairs the familiar comforts of the genre with fresh new gameplay to enable players to write their own stories of the past.

Features of Millennia include:

  • History and Alternate History: Lead your people through ten historical ages, steer your timeline into the uncharted alternate history of a Variant Age or the danger and opportunity of a Crisis Age.  Each Age involves unique rules, units, buildings, goods, and challenges, which can alter the path of history.
  • National Spirits: Decide what your Nation is famous for by selecting National Spirits and using the bonuses they provide to achieve your goals.  Combine multiple National Spirits as you progress through history to craft a unique civilization in every game.
  • Domains: Invest in six different Domains that influence the focus of your Nation – Exploration, Government, Warfare, Diplomacy, Engineering, and Arts.  The better you provide for each, the more your Nation can make use of unique Domain Powers.  Everything from claiming territory, to adopting new governments, to spreading religion, to reinforcing Armies flows from mastery of the Domains.
  • Deep Economy: Design your economy to support your strategy.  Gather raw materials, then build Improvements to refine basic Goods like logs or iron into lumber, paper, books, ingots, tools, or weapons – specialized products that allow you to improve and adjust your economic engine to suit whatever history sends your way.
  • Army Based Combat: Customize your approach to war by combining individual Units into powerful Armies.  Each Unit influences the capabilities of its Army, allowing you to employ a vast number of varied strategies.  Once in conflict, watch the action unfold through the Combat Viewer, where battles play out and provide details on how different Armies perform.
  • And more: discover natural landmarks, build the Pyramids, compete in the space race, finance expeditions, survive plagues, use diplomacy to your advantage, defeat barbarians, unleash innovations, deal with alien visitors, govern underwater cities, manage air combat, and master a host of other historical-themed content.

Millennia is targeted for a 2024 release.

The Exorcist: Believer A Look Inside Featurette

Exactly 50 years ago this fall, the most terrifying horror film in history landed on screens, shocking audiences around the world. Now, on Friday, October 6, a new chapter begins. From Blumhouse and director David Gordon Green, who shattered the status quo with their resurrection of the Halloween franchise, comes The Exorcist: Believer.

Since the death of his pregnant wife in a Haitian earthquake 12 years ago, Victor Fielding (Tony winner and Oscar® nominee Leslie Odom, Jr.; One Night in Miami, Hamilton) has raised their daughter, Angela (Lidya Jewett, Good Girls) on his own.

But when Angela and her friend Katherine (newcomer Olivia O’Neill), disappear in the woods, only to return three days later with no memory of what happened to them, it unleashes a chain of events that will force Victor to confront the nadir of evil and, in his terror and desperation, seek out the only person alive who has witnessed anything like it before: Chris MacNeil.

For the first time since the 1973 film, Oscar® winner Ellen Burstyn reprises her iconic role as Chris MacNeil, an actress who has been forever altered by what happened to her daughter Regan five decades before.

The film also stars Emmy winner Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale, Hereditary) as Victor and Angela’s neighbor, and Grammy winner Jennifer Nettles (Harriet, The Righteous Gemstones) and two-time Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz (Fosse/Verdon, Bloodline) as the parents of Katherine, Angela’s friend.

When The Exorcist, based on the best-selling book by William Peter Blatty, was released, it changed the culture forever, obliterating box office records and earning 10 Academy Award® nominations, becoming the first horror film ever nominated for Best Picture.

The Exorcist: Believer is directed by David Gordon Green from a screenplay by Peter Sattler (Camp X-Ray) and David Gordon Green, from a story by Scott Teems (Halloween Kills), Danny McBride (Halloween trilogy) and David Gordon Green, based on characters created by William Peter Blatty.

The film is produced by Jason Blum for Blumhouse and by David Robinson and James G. Robinson for Morgan Creek Entertainment.

The executive producers are Danny McBride, David Gordon Green, Stephanie Allain, Ryan Turek and Atilla Yücer. Universal Pictures presents a Blumhouse/Morgan Creek Entertainment production in association with Rough House Picures.

Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood Launch Trailer

Skybound Entertainment, the creator-led, multi-platform entertainment company, in collaboration with Universal Games and Digital Platforms, today announced Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood – based on the Universal Pictures and Skybound produced horror comedy film, Renfield – is now available. Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, is developed by Skybound partner Mega Cat Studios and is available now on Steam for $3.99 during a special publisher 25% off Steam launch sale through October 2, after which it will retail for $4.99.

In the game, inspired by the events of the movie, Dracula has tasked you with a simple job – do everything he wants you to do for the rest of his immortal life. Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood immerses players into the Renfield universe with one-touch gameplay that innovates on the familiar roguelite recipe and takes inspiration from extraction shooter games. Updated and additional features now available in the full release include:

  •   New playable characters, including Dracula himself!
  •   Fight off enemies with powerful new weapons including dueling pistols and the Marble Cat statue.
  •   New “Challenge Rooms” add risk/reward decisions. Do you play it safe and stick to a route of vanilla rooms? Or do you jump into a harder room and risk it all for more loot?
  •   Two new stages to play, including Dracula’s Castle.
  •   Companions can now be unlocked and upgraded at the shop! These minions are unlocked through special rooms and will remain with you throughout your run.
  •   Battle brand new enemies such as Cannoneer, Honest Abe, Flintlocker, Saboteur and Gatling Gunner.
  •   New accessibility features including Color Blind mode and haptic feedback.
  •   New “Nightmare mode” where difficulty is increased and players will have to use all of their skills to survive.

It’s a demanding gig, but the benefits are great – immortality, mystic powers, and a high-fiber diet of mostly insects. Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, is a single player adventure that combines the simplicity of one-touch gameplay with frenetic, room-based action for a new roguelite experience. With unique stages, dozens of enemies, diabolical bosses, and enough weapons for a bug-powered bloody rampage, Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, is the only game that shows you the ups and downs of being the lackey/employee of the worst boss in history – Dracula.

The simple controls allow players to clear rooms filled with frenetic action while environmental objects and collectibles will create new split-decision moments as players pick their path through hordes of enemies. Players will also encounter Dracula’s constant and hilarious fetch quest demands that parallel the storyline from the movie.

Phandalin in Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk Out Now

D&D fans can now discover a horrifying plot that is threatening the existence of Phandalin in Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk – available for purchase everywhere starting today.

Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk returns players to a familiar location that was first seen in Lost Mine of Phandelver, but the stakes now are much higher and more challenging. This new adventure takes parties from level 1 to 12. It includes a fresh take on the town of Phandalin, new secrets for players to discover, and unexpected story twists that lead the characters deep into the Underdark and beyond.

Similar to the hit video game Baldur’s Gate 3 now available on PS5 and PC, the major threat in the campaign is led by those tentacle-faced abominations, the mind flayers. As the masterminds behind the goblins’ mischief in Phandalin, these illithids are different than any others that fans have encountered in D&D. They are involved with a godlet who’s been previously unknown to fans lurking in the Far Realm.

The Simpsons Season 34 Disney+ Release Date

Today, Disney+ announced that season 34 of the hit animated series “The Simpsons” will launch October 11 on the streaming service. The new season of the Emmy® Award-, Annie Award- and Peabody Award-winning animated comedy takes fans back to Springfield for 22 more episodes of fun with the Simpson family. Season 34 also marks an exciting milestone – the 750th episode of “The Simpsons” titled “Homer’s Adventures Through The Windshield Glass.” The season features guest voice appearances from Fred Armisen, Anna Faris, Will Forte, Simu Liu, Lizzo, Rob Lowe, Melissa McCarthy, Jade Novah, Aubrey Plaza, John Roberts, and more.

The longest-running primetime scripted show in television history, “The Simpsons” exploded into popular culture in 1989 and has remained one of the most groundbreaking and innovative entertainment franchises, recognizable throughout the world. Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie are instantly identifiable television icons. In the premiere, Homer is desperate to prove he’s not dumb and sets out to solve the case of the tortoise missing from the zoo. Season 34 also features a double dose of “Treehouse of Horror” episodes, marking the first time in the show’s history there have been two “Treehouse”-branded episodes in a single Halloween.

In addition to 34 seasons of “The Simpsons,” Disney+ is also home to “The Simpsons Movie” and 10 shorts featuring the Simpsons family. All these and more can be found in “The Simpsons” collection on the streaming service: https://www.disneyplus.com/franchise/the-simpsons

New and returning customers looking to enjoy “The Simpsons” can subscribe to Disney+ Basic (with ads) for $1.99/month for three months by visiting www.disneyplus.com through September 20.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians New Trailer Released

Today, Disney+ released a new teaser trailer for the upcoming Disney+ Original series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.” This latest teaser begins to lift the veil on the heroic quest Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell), Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri) and Annabeth Chase (Leah Sava Jeffries) are about to embark on when the series debuts December 20 on Disney+ with a two-episode premiere, followed by new episodes weekly.

The epic eight-episode series features exciting guest stars, some of which can be seen in this teaser trailer, including Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hermes”), Megan Mullally (“Alecto” aka “Mrs. Dodds”), Toby Stephens (“Poseidon”), Virginia Kull (“Sally Jackson”), Jason Mantzoukas (“Dionysus” aka “Mr. D”), Jay Duplass (“Hades”), Glynn Turman (“Chiron” aka “Mr. Brunner”), the late Lance Reddick (“Zeus”), Adam Copeland (“Ares”), Charlie Bushnell (“Luke Castellan”), Dior Goodjohn (“Clarisse La Rue”), Jessica Parker Kennedy (“Medusa”), Olivea Morton (“Nancy Bobofit”), Suzanne Cryer (“Echidna”), Timm Sharp (“Gabe Ugliano”), Timothy Omundson (“Hephaestus”). The first two episodes are written by Rick Riordan and Jon Steinberg and directed by James Bobin. Steinberg and Dan Shotz serve as executive producers alongside Rick Riordan, Rebecca Riordan, The Gotham Group’s Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Bert Salke, The Gotham Group’s Jeremy Bell and D.J. Goldberg, James Bobin, Jim Rowe, Monica Owusu-Breen, Anders Engström and Jet Wilkinson.

Through September 20, new and returning customers can subscribe to Disney+ Basic (with ads) for $1.99/month for three months by visiting www.disneyplus.com.

Atomi Unveils E30 Electric Scooter

Atomi, an electric scooter manufacturer and micro-mobility industry expert, announced the release of Atomi E30 today. The electric scooter expert continues to pave the path for the company’s essentials series with the launch of the latest Atomi E30 electric scooter. The motorized scooter comes at an attractive price and entry-level features supported by smart technology. Atomi E30 will enable riders to commute effectively on a 10″ pneumatic tire scooter without breaking the bank. The electric scooter is equipped with Atomi’s signature automatic locking system, and its overall design and features were developed to fulfill the need for flexible, safe, and secure personal transportation.

The new member of Atomi’s budget line of electric scooters appears similar to the recently announced Atomi E20 but comes with larger tires and upgraded peak motor power. At 36.5 lbs, the new Atomi E30 is also slightly heavier than its entry-level sibling. The 36V 7.5Ah 280WH battery and 650W brushless motor allow riders to reach an 18.6-mile range on a single charge. The new e-scooter elevates above the competition with its state-of-the-art dual-braking system with a rear disc brake that ensures efficient and safe travel while enjoying top speeds of up to 15 mph

Riders get a sense of freedom by choosing between three-speed modes, which allow scooting at approximately 3.7, 11, and 15.5 mph. Even though the product is part of Atomi’s budget line, it does not compromise safety as the new model has a bright lighting system consisting of a front LED and brake tail lights, helping riders see and be seen in the dark. The new Atomi E30 comes with a large LED display and all the bells and whistles Atomi offers in the Atomi app, including riding records, battery level, app locking, distance, cruise control, and navigation access. The app is available on Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store.

“Atomi strives for excellence in every category of the personal transportation space, and the new E30 electric scooter fulfills a small but fairly important gap in our essentials series. With this new micro-mobility solution, we are introducing electric scooter fans to competitively-priced electric scooters with 10-inch shock-absorbing pneumatic tires,” said Carol Young, co-founder of Atomi. “Even though the new model comes with an attractive price tag, our unique positioning on the market allows us to build Atomi E30 with some of the finest components on the market.”

Atomi E30 will be available in an elegant black color. The micro-mobility expert plans to offer the usual free next-business-day shipping with delivery in 5-8 business days. Atomi will also accept returns on unused scooters within 14 days of delivery and provide an industry-standard 12-month warranty.

Atomi E30’s MSRP is $449.00 and is readily available for preorder on Amazon and Atomi’s official website. Shipping is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2023, with the products planned to arrive in time to satisfy the micro-mobility market demands during the Black Friday season.

More information about Atomi E30 is available at https://atomiscooters.com/.

Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova Edition Release Date Trailer

Stardock announced the release date of Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova Edition, the latest entry in its award-winning space turn-based strategy game will be October 19, 2023, and will coincide with Stardock’s 30-year anniversary.

Currently in Early Access on the Steam and Epic Store, the game is currently available for purchase at a discount over the final release price.

Beginning shortly after humanity has discovered father-than-light travel, Galactic Civilizations puts the player in the role of leader of a united world looking to expand their civilization into the galaxy. As a leader, you must decide what technologies your scientists focus on, what policies your government enacts, and what your foreign policy with alien species will be.

Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova Edition on Steam is the integration of the Epic version of Galactic Civilizations IV with the Supernova Expansion pack, currently in development.

“Supernova is, by far, the biggest expansion Stardock has ever made,” said Brad Wardell, founder of Stardock who returned to the design chair for Supernova. “It doesn’t just add a lot of new content but transforms the gameplay in ways not seen in a 4X game before.”

Amongst the new innovations in Supernova is AlienGPT, a technology that allows players to describe their own custom civilization and then uses generative AI to create it. Other new features include the Civilization Vault, Cultural Progression, a story-driven campaign, several new canon alien civilizations, a new starship designer, a new battle system, and much more.

Galactic Civilizations IV can be found on Steam and Epic. Epic customers can upgrade from Galactic Civilizations IV to Supernova for a highly discounted rate. The release date is October 19 for $49.99 ($39.99 during its early access period).

To learn more visit www.galciv4.com.

Midnight Ghost Hunt Getting Mini Game and Steam Trading Cards

Vaulted Sky Games and Coffee Stain, publisher of Valheim, Deep Rock Galactic and Satisfactory, are pleased to announce that the highly-acclaimed prop hunt game Midnight Ghost Hunt is receiving some game-changing new features in its new update! A retro-inspired mini-game has been added into the Hunters’ van ride before each match, plus full controller support and the introduction of Steam Trading Cards.

The van that ferries Hunters to their potential demise across a variety of ghoulish maps has received a major refurbishment. To entertain them and while away the minutes as they prepare to face a bevy of flying props and vengeful spirits, Hunters can play the ‘Ghost Invaders’ mini-game on the GhostMaster handheld gaming console. This top-down shooter is inspired by retro games of yore, and Hunters can even customize the in-van console with a swathe of unique console skins to choose from.

For those who prefer analog sticks and buttons over a keyboard and mouse, full controller support has finally landed in the game! The developers have been hard at work refining specifics to provide a controller experience as smooth as possible, so players can sit back and ghoul out however they want to play.

In addition, Steam Trading Cards are now available to appease the collectors out there. Players automatically collect virtual cards as they progress in-game, featuring artwork hailing from the world of Midnight Ghost Hunt. Full sets of cards can be turned into game badges, tradable Steam community items and so much more!

Midnight Ghost Hunt launched into Steam Early Access in March last year to huge acclaim, and recently hit over one million players after its launch this June on the Epic Games Store. This new update is the next step on the game’s exciting journey to full commercial release.

To celebrate the game’s whopping ninth update, Midnight Ghost Hunt’s price has been knocked down by 66%, on the Epic Games Store until September 18th and Steam until September 26th! After that it will be available for $19.99 at full price on both platforms.

Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord in Early Access

In 1981, Sir-Tech released Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord — the first-ever party-based dungeon crawler and first installment in the venerable Wizardry series.

Digital Eclipse has just unveiled a modern reimagining of this influential first-person role-playing game on Steam and GOG Early Access, inviting RPG fans to help shape how history will remember the game that launched a genre and inspired enduring series like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Baldur’s Gate.

A LEGEND REBORN

Digital Eclipse’s Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord revival is built directly on top of the original Apple II game’s code, preserving the appeal of the classic while also incorporating modern graphics and improved party management, navigation, spellcasting, and combat.

While the remake may look all new, the complete Apple II game is under the hood — you can even view the original interface while you’re playing.

Craft your own party of adventurers and head into the labyrinth at the behest of the mad overlord Trebor, in search of the amulet stolen by the evil wizard Werdna. Battle challenging monsters, avoid hidden traps, and find your way through the dungeon for the ultimate showdown with Werdna himself.

EARLY ACCESS PLANS

Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord has been under development for nearly two years by a small but dedicated team at Digital Eclipse, a studio known for historical preservation of classic games such as The Making of Karateka and Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration.

With the core game fully playable and several quality-of-life improvements already implemented (including one-button combat selection and streamlined party management), the team is now bringing it to Early Access to solicit feedback from fans of the long-running Wizardry series as well as modern RPG players.

The current $29.99 price is expected to rise as new updates are released and the game approaches completion. Additional details about the Early Access plan can be found here.