Author - Jerry Paxton

Universal Studios Hollywood Expands Universal Express Ticket to Include Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge

2024/08/07
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News

On the heels of the one-year anniversary celebration of SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™, which opened on February 17, 2023, Universal Studios Hollywood is expanding its popular Universal Express ticket to now include express access to “Mario Kart™: Bowser’s Challenge,” the land’s signature attraction.

Guests visiting SUPER NINTENDO WORLD can enjoy one-time express access per day to ride “Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge.” When purchasing the Universal Express ticket, guests can also elect to upgrade to a Universal Express Unlimited ticket, which offers unlimited express access per day to each ride, attraction and seated show during their visit to the theme park. The Universal Express ticket takes guests to a separate line with a shorter wait time. Food, retail locations and non-seated shows are excluded for both Universal Express tickets.

SUPER NINTENDO WORLD is a visually spectacular land, located within an expanded area of Universal Studios Hollywood. Within the vibrancy of colors and architectural ingenuity, the land features the groundbreaking “Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge” ride, as well as many thrilling and interactive activities to engage the family within the captivating Mushroom Kingdom.

The debut of a new interactive wall, located within the Frosted Glacier area, is a recent addition to SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. This innovative, interactive wall is designed to challenge guests as they engage with familiar Super Mario™ characters within the dynamic land.

Along with themed dining at Toadstool Cafe™ and shopping at the 1-UP Factory™ retail store, SUPER NINTENDO WORLD is an inspiring, game-changing addition to the world-famous theme park.

From the moment guests pass through the iconic green pipe, a journey filled with exploration, discovery and play awaits that is unlike anything they’ve ever experienced. Their journey begins as they enter Peach’s Castle before venturing further into the colorful Mushroom Kingdom.

SUPER NINTENDO WORLD sweeps guests into the 360-degree world of Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach where they become an integral part of their universe.

SUPER NINTENDO WORLD was conceived in partnership with Nintendo and the visionaries at Universal Creative to deliver exhilarating entertainment with innovative technological achievements inspired by characters and video games that have appealed to Nintendo fans for generations.

For more information and details, guests can visit www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com; like Universal Studios Hollywood on Facebook and follow @UniStudios on Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter).

The Weeknd Maze and Blumhouse Terror Tram Unveiled for Halloween Horror Nights

2024/08/07
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Halloween, Movie News, News, Trailers / Videos

Multi award-winning artist The Weeknd makes his terrifying return to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood with an all-new experience, “The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy” haunted house and “Terror Tram: Enter the Blumhouse” invites guests to step into a slate of popular horror films from Blumhouse Productions. “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Legacy of Leatherface,” which celebrates 50 years of the iconic maniacal monster, rounds out this year’s gruesome line up of terrifying haunted houses.

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood kicks off on Thursday, September 5 and will continue select nights through Sunday, November 3. With less than a month until the event begins, now is the time to purchase the popular Frequent Fear Pass as they may sell out. The Frequent Fear Pass offers guest the opportunity to experience up to 33 nights of General Admission and revisit the terror over and over and over again.

The Weeknd is one of the 21st century’s most significant artists and the enigmatic superstar has continued to shatter records year after year. In 2022, he joined forces with Halloween Horror Nights to create the popular haunted house, “The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare,” inspired by his highly successful “After Hours” album.

This year, he returns with “The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy,” which provides fans an authentic, one-of-a-kind horror experience with surprises at every turn and music by The Weeknd scored by seminal producer, artist, and seven-time Grammy® award winner Mike Dean.

Universal Studios Hollywood’s exclusive Terror Tram is back with a vengeance. On “Terror Tram: Enter the Blumhouse,” horror fans will set off on the Universal Studios backlot and encounter some of the most frightening characters from Blumhouse’s popular franchises, including M3GAN, The Black Phone, Freaky, The Purge and Happy Death Day.

Plus, guests who purchase or opt to upgrade their event tickets to the R.I.P. Tour will encounter themed photo ops along with exclusive access to the Jupiter’s Claim set from the hit film Nope.

Continuing the momentum, Leatherface also makes his horrifying return to Halloween Horror Nights with “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Legacy of Leatherface.” The haunted house will debut an all-new storyline celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the original 1974 slasher film. Set in an abandoned slaughterhouse, visitors will encounter the many iterations of Leatherface from all nine films in the franchise, dodging his relentless chainsaw at every turn.

Additionally, “The Purge: Dangerous Waters” returns to the WaterWorld venue, taking visitors on a fiery, rock-fueled adventure while they fight to survive the night.

Rounding out the slate, horror fans will encounter multiple scare zones throughout the park. When exiting the “Monstruos 2: The Nightmares of Latin America” haunted house, visitors will encounter “Luchadores Monstruosos,” an all-new scare zone. As they begin their terrifying night at Halloween Horror Nights, fans will first need to escape a troop of chainsaw killers in “Chainsaw Punkz,” then dodge a gothic inspired royal court of the dead in “Skull Lordz.” The menacing “Murder of Crowz” will flock to a new dedicated space, including mama crow debuting at the nest.

These exciting experiences join previously announced haunted houses, including Paramount Pictures’ critically-acclaimed franchise “A Quiet Place,” Sony Pictures’ horror-comedy “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” Universal Pictures’ Classic Monsters in “Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines,” “Insidious: The Further” based on the latest film in Blumhouse’s terrifying film series, “Monstruous 2: The Nightmares of Latin America” a sequel to the hit 2023 haunted house and “Dead Exposure: Death Valley” an original concept house with petrifying radioactive zombies.

Adding to the scares, guests also can experience select theme park attractions open during the event, including “Jurassic World—The Ride,” “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™” highly immersive land featuring “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™” and “Flight of the Hippogriff™,” “Transformers™: The Ride-3D,” “Revenge of the Mummy—The Ride” and “The Simpsons Ride™.” Those purchasing select tickets will have same day access to the interactive land SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™ from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. (subject to change).

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood begins on Thursday, September 5 and continues select nights through Sunday, November 3. A variety of Halloween Horror Nights ticket options for Universal Studios Hollywood are now available, including General Admission, Universal Express, After 2 PM Day/Night, the Early Access Ticket, which provides access to select haunted houses beginning at 5:30 p.m. (subject to change), in advance of the scheduled 7:00 p.m. event opening time, the premium R.I.P. Tour and popular passes, Frequent Fear Pass and Ultimate Fear Pass, which enable guests to experience the scares again and again. Click here to purchase tickets and for Terms and Conditions.

William Shatner to Screen Star Trek V at GalaxyCon 2024

2024/08/07
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Movie News, News

GalaxyCon, the largest independently owned consumer fan engagement company, is thrilled to announce a special 35th-anniversary screening of “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier,” hosted by the legendary William Shatner who will provide a live running commentary about the making of this classic Star Trek film to picture. This unique once-in-a-lifetime event will occur on Sunday, August 18, 2024, at the San Jose Convention Center’s Main Theater.

William Shatner, who directed and starred as Captain James T. Kirk in “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier,” will provide live commentary during the screening and reveal for the first time what he loves and loathes about the film. This will offer fans an exclusive, behind-the-scenes perspective on making the critically underrated motion picture and marks Shatner’s first foray into live commentary. It will not be a traditional Q&A but rather a continuing dialogue with the audience along with the film as he reveals for the first time the challenges and triumphs of directing his first big-budget movie.

This special event will be moderated by Mark A. Altman, the acclaimed writer/producer of the beloved cult classic “Free Enterprise” starring Shatner himself and Eric McCormack, along with his Inglorious Treksperts podcast co-hosts Daren Dochterman (associate producer, Star Trek: The Motion Picture – Director’s Edition) and Ashley E. Miller (writer, Thor, X-Men: First Class). He is also the author of the bestselling two-volume book “The 50 Year Mission: The Complete Oral History of Star Trek” from St. Martin’s Press and a respected TV showrunner.

Event Details:

Date: Sunday, August 18, 2024
Doors Open: 4:00 PM
Movie Starts: 4:30 PM
Location: San Jose Convention Center – Main Theater
Ticket Information: This screening is a special event requiring a separate ticket for admission. GalaxyCon San Jose attendees must purchase a ticket for this event and their regular admission to the convention.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit GalaxyCon San Jose.

Nostalgic VR Lightgun Shooter On Point in Early Access

2024/08/07
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

On Point, the vibrant VR light gun shooter from developer Actuator Digital, pulls the trigger on its Early Access launch for Meta Quest and Steam VR today!

Relive the glory days of fast-moving targets, colorful stages, and clicky plastic guns in 90 eccentric minigames reminiscent of notable arcade and lightgun classics. Wreak havoc in a china shop or blast away at waves of free-falling fruit and red-hot lava balls in each increasingly challenging stage.

Despite On Point’s ‘90s arcade inspirations, no tokens are required! Bring a sharp eye and split-second judgment to take down bullseyes hiding behind glass, leaves blowing in the wind, and seemingly innocent targets that could transform into game-ending bombs in an instant! Perfect the art of hand-eye coordination and quick reflexes to rocket to the top of the global leaderboards.

On Point will see several significant updates in the lead-up to its full 1.0 launch including a fully optimized PC mode, a new achievement system, light gun customization, leaderboard improvements, and Twitch chat support.

“On Point is our team’s tribute to iconic ‘90s arcade games,” says Sebastiaan Fehr, Founder of Actuator Digital. “We’ve brought the best of these games to VR in the most accessible way possible. On Point emphasizes aim and coordination with limited locomotion, reducing the risk of nausea. We’ve worked hard to breathe new life into this genre and can’t wait for gamers of all skill levels to play it for themselves!”

On Point enters Early Access today for Meta Quest 2 and Steam VR, retailing for $14.99 USD. For more information about On Point please visit their official website, follow the team on Twitter, join the community on Discord, and search #OnPointGame on all social media platforms.

Star Wars Outlaws Post-Launch Roadmap Revealed

2024/08/06
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 5 News, Windows PC News, Xbox Series X News

The post-launch roadmap for Star Wars Outlaws™ has been revealed, providing details on the open-world Star Wars game’s Season Pass content. Two upcoming story packs are included in the Season Pass, and will also be available for standalone purchase. At launch, Season Pass owners will obtain the Kessel Runner character pack with outfits for scoundrel Kay Vess and her companion, Nix, and get access to an exclusive mission called “Jabba’s Gambit.” All players will meet Jabba the Hutt in the main game, but those with Season Pass access will gain an additional quest from the notorious Hutt Cartel. Just as Kay is putting together a crew for her big heist, she receives a job from Jabba the Hutt himself – ND-5 owes the Hutts a debt from years ago, and Jabba has come to collect.

Star Wars Outlaws launches on August 30 and is available for preorder now at the Ubisoft Store, and you can play up to three days early on August 27 with the Gold Edition or Ultimate Edition, or with a Ubisoft+ Premium subscription.

After launch, Star Wars Outlaws Season Pass owners will be able to continue their journey across the galaxy with two story packs, that will also be available for separate purchase.

Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card – Coming Fall 2024

Kay is hired to infiltrate a high-stakes Sabacc tournament, but as she crosses paths with the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian, she soon learns that another game is being played.

When this first story pack is released, Season Pass owners will also get the Hunter’s Legacy Bundle and the Cartel Ronin Bundle with additional outfits for Kay and Nix plus cosmetics for Kay’s speeder and her ship, the Trailblazer.

Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate’s Fortune – Coming Spring 2025

The Trailblazer’s reputation precedes Kay as she runs into veteran pirate Hondo Ohnaka, who is looking to settle old scores with a ruthless gang of pirates.

Star Wars Outlaws launches on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC via Ubisoft Connect and Epic Games Store on August 30. You can preorder it now at the Ubisoft Store and receive the Kessel Runner Bonus Pack that includes cosmetics for Kay’s speeder and her ship, the Trailblazer.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One

2024/08/06
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Xbox One News

Respawn Entertainment and Electronic Arts, in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games, announced that the critically acclaimed and Grammy-award-winning 2023 game Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will launch on PlayStation® 4 and Xbox One consoles on Tuesday, September 17. Pre-order* Star Wars Jedi: Survivor on these platforms before September 17 to receive free cosmetic items including the Hermit Cosmetic (inspired by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi™), Hermit Lightsaber Set, and Combustion Blaster Set.

The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One editions of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will sell for the suggested retail price of $49.99 and feature a variety of optimizations aimed at maximizing the hardware capabilities of the consoles.

Additionally, the PC version of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will receive an update in the coming weeks. This patch will bring enhancements to the game’s technical performance, controls and more, plus a variety of quality-of-life improvements.

In Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Cal Kestis returns as a stronger and more experienced Jedi Knight. To escape the Empire’s long shadow and a mysterious threat from the galaxy’s distant past, Cal must reunite with old friends and join forces with new allies. New abilities, traversal options and combat styles await in this beloved adventure, dubbed “one of the best Star Wars games ever made” and “everything you could want from a sequel.”

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor debuts on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles on September 17, 2024. The game is rated T (Teen) by the ESRB. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor first released on April 28, 2023 and is available now on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

*Conditions & restrictions apply. See https://www.ea.com/games/starwars/jedi/jedi-survivor/disclaimers for details.

Haunted House Renovator: Prologue Announcement Trailer

2024/08/06
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Halloween, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

Image Power is delighted to announce that the Haunted House Renovator Prologue will be avalible in Q4! This will be a great opportunity to check what the game has to offer.

The full version of Haunted House Renovator has been funded in 180% on Kickstarter!

In the Prologue, players will be able to check out all the features available in the full version of the game, such as; improved UI, 2D cutscenes, secret passageways, a sneak peek at the upgrade system, an enhanced magic circle system, game saves, as well as many more new and interesting mechanics! Players should prepare to meet new creatures and spirits, and learn more about the mysterious Ancestor first met in the demo!

The feedback that developers received after the Steam Next Fest was extremely helpful and all improvements are based on it.

Players will have the opportunity to try Haunted House Renovator: Prologue without additional fees and without a time limit. The presented version will have many mechanics from the full version (without the selection of orders) and the location itself will be larger than the one presented in the demo. Additionally, furniture created especially for this level will be available, as every map has one.

Haunted House Renovator: Prologue – Steam link

D&D Inspires Legions of Fans at Gen Con 2024

2024/08/06
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos

More than 64 million D&D fans love THE WORLD’S GREATEST ROLEPLAYING GAME and a huge number of them were in Indianapolis this past weekend. At Gen Con 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana, more than 3,000 lucky DUNGEONS & DRAGONS fans got their hands on early copies of the 2024 Player’s Handbook before it releases widely on Sept 17th. More than 10,000 fans played D&D at Gen Con, including the amazing cast of the immersive live D&D game which featured Neil Newbon (Astarion) and Samantha Béart (Karlach), reprising their roles from the smash hit Baldur’s Gate 3, alongside Brennan Lee Mulligan, Anjali Bhimani, and Aabria Iyengar as DM.

“It was so cool being in the audience when Aabria revealed Brennan and Anjali were both playing secret dragons in the D&D Live game,” said Jess Lanzillo, VP of D&D Franchise and Product at Wizards of the Coast. “Gen Con 2024 was such a celebration of the five decades of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and a testament to the countless imaginations that have been inspired by this special community.”

The climactic encounter in the adventure titled “An Astarion and Karlach Adventure: Love is a Legendary Action” played out in Project Sigil, an upcoming immersive 3D sandbox that empowers fans to build their own D&D experience using Unreal Engine 5. Anyone can sign up for the Project Sigil closed beta at DnDBeyond.com/project-sigil. All you need is a free D&D Beyond account!

Everyone is talking about the D&D Live game from Gen Con 2024! Head to youtube.com/@DNDWizards to check it out today at this link: https://youtu.be/Cn7XLBykzEU. The YouTube Premiere of “An Astarion and Karlach Adventure: Love is a Legendary Action” will be live at 3pm PT!

Warner Bros. Pictures Brings Beetlejuice Beetlejuice to Roblox

2024/08/06
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Windows PC News

It’s showtime! Fans can now travel to the Afterlife in a new immersive Beetlejuice Beetlejuice experience on Roblox (NYSE: RBLX) from Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, created by Sawhorse. [Beetlejuice] Escape the Afterlife launches today and includes an integrated virtual Fandango box office, where eligible users can purchase movie tickets—a first for the Roblox platform as Roblox tests and invests in commerce.

[Beetlejuice] Escape the Afterlife was created to bring together dedicated fans and introduce new audiences to the world of Beetlejuice. Developed by Sawhorse, the experience brings the movie to life, enabling fans to experience its scenes and characters, and providing Warner Bros. the opportunity to expand its reach with new audiences and ways to increase content viewership, as well as drive ticket sales.

“We are always looking to engage audiences and amplify our reach in new and exciting ways; this first-of-its-kind collaboration with Roblox and Fandango for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice allows for just that,” said Cameron Curtis, Executive VP of Marketing, Warner Bros. “By leveraging the vast Roblox creator community, we are not only able to connect with existing Beetlejuice fans, but also have the opportunity to reach new audiences who are being introduced to him for the first time. And we are thrilled to be the first studio to test ticketing on the platform.”

“We are excited to collaborate with Warner Bros. and Roblox on this unique in-world experience and test the first-ever virtual Fandango box office for the much anticipated ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ movie,” said Will McIntosh, Fandango President. “At Fandango, we are champions of the big screen and remain committed to reaching new fans through innovative, one-of-a-kind experiences that drive increased theater attendance.”

Welcome To The Afterlife (Experience Details)

As visitors enter [Beetlejuice] Escape the Afterlife on Roblox, they are immediately transported to The Afterlife Lobby—a spooky world that brings together familiar places from the original Beetlejuice movie with new scenes and experiences from the highly-anticipated sequel. From the lobby, fans can enter one of three immersive worlds, where they need to escape ghouls and rescue beloved characters like Delia and Lydia, and new characters like Astrid. They will visit The Waiting Room, see the Shrinkers (aka Shrunken Head Guy) and his friends, and even explore Adam’s model of Winter River, Connecticut during their rescue journeys.

While watching the new movie trailer for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice in The Afterlife Lobby and interacting with other fans, users can now also make plans to see the movie in theaters. The virtual Fandango box office is open today, so eligible fans can walk up and make a ticket purchase right within the experience to see the movie once it’s live in U.S. theaters on September 6. Eligible users who complete the ticket purchase through the virtual box office will also receive a Beetlejuice Beetlejuice exclusive avatar item available for use on Roblox with in-game effects.

Leading up to the premiere, [Beetlejuice] Escape the Afterlife will get connected with four of the top Roblox community-created experiences: Barry’s Prison Run, Carry a Friend!, Escape a Running Head, and The Floor is Lava. When a user’s journey ends in one of these experiences, they will have the option to portal to the Afterlife and the opportunity to interact with Beetlejuice and obtain unique virtual items.

“We are thrilled to bring the cultural phenomenon of Beetlejuice to Roblox through this collaboration, including our creator community involvement helping drive the excitement around the film,” said Stephanie Latham, VP of Global Partnerships, Roblox. “As we continue to test commerce, offering an opportunity to purchase tickets within the movie-inspired immersive environment is a way to explore a new consumer category and further engage users who are looking to purchase different things. This is just the beginning as our vision is to enable brands and creators to turn their brand affinity and consumer engagement on Roblox into a seamless shopping experience for their new and existing audiences.”

“The Beetlejuice franchise carries so much sentiment and appeal across generations, especially for superfans like me,” said Nic Hill, Co-Founder and Head of Interactive, Sawhorse. “But we knew we had to create a Beetlejuice experience on Roblox that introduces new generations to the story and adapts to their way of interaction inside the Beetlejuice Universe. With [Beetlejuice] Escape the Afterlife, Warner Bros. and Sawhorse brought to life a true adventure that appeals to all ages with elements like the escape theme and exclusive content.”

The Juice is loose (Release Dates)

Roblox users on mobile and desktop aged 13 and older and US-based will be able to enjoy the full in-game experience, including purchasing movie tickets via the virtual Fandango box office, which goes live on August 5, 2024. Users under 13 years old and those of all ages outside of the U.S. will still be able to enjoy [Beetlejuice] Escape the Afterlife today without a ticket purchase option today. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is in theaters in the US on September 6, 2024.