Author - Jerry Paxton

Knott’s Spooky Farm Returns for 2021

The spooktacular family-friendly, daytime Halloween event, Knott’s Spooky Farm, invites families with little ghouls ages 3-11 to celebrate the delightfully spooky season as the park transforms with themed décor and wicked fun around every corner. The fall Season of Fun offers Halloween-themed activities that celebrate the season, including trick-or-treating, a line-up of original shows, pumpkin decorating and the brand-new Calico Carnival Costume Cavalcade. Knott’s Spooky Farm takes place on weekends, September 25 – October 31.

You can find Charlie Brown, his best friend Snoopy and the beloved PEANUTS Gang celebrating the spooky holiday with their own Halloween costumes at special meet & greets and fun photo encounters throughout Camp Snoopy. Kids ages 3 -11 can participate in a memorable trick-or-treating experience available along Ghost Town’s Main Street and Schoolhouse Road. During trick-or-treating, kids will interact with an array of spooky but friendly shopkeepers as little ones have the opportunity to show off their festive Halloween costumes. In Ghost Town, Stanley Scarecrow has opened the Livery Stable for guests of all ages to get close and personal with the Creepy Critters of Calico.

Whimsical jack-o-lanterns surround Calico Park as it changes into an enchanting Pumpkin Patch location for families to enjoy the atmosphere of the season with photo ops and crafters. Miniature pumpkins or Halloween cookies will be available for decorating for a nominal fee. Linus can be spotted at the pumpkin patch, helping little ones pick out their very own perfect pumpkin. Gals and ghouls are in for a treat as new fun Halloween-themed shows are in store with the Bob Baker Marionette Theatre Show at Birdcage Theatre. These peculiar puppeteers will amaze all with a spooky puppet show.

At Camp Snoopy, families can hop aboard the Grand Sierra Railroad, joining Linus in the Pumpkin Patch as he and Sally await the arrival of The Great Pumpkin because Halloween isn’t complete without this timeless tale from the Peanuts Gang. Additionally, The Camp Snoopy Theater is debuting the Great Pumpkin Palooza show, where you’ll get more than a rock as you join Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the Peanuts Gang for a high-energy music tribute to the best holiday ever, Halloween.

The residents of The Timber Mountain Log Ride will celebrate the Halloween Hootenanny, which adds a family-friendly seasonal twist to a park favorite. Mysterious creatures of Timber Mountain that live out in the woods and caverns join the citizens as they honor the season at the Halloween Hootenanny. The ride’s interior will feature fun surprises as guests venture past the Calico Coffin Creeper band, the town’s green witch and splash down Skull Mountain through a labyrinth of jack-o-lanterns. The seasonal ride will also feature an original song performed by Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies. At Camp Snoopy, families can hop aboard the Grand Sierra Railroad to experience a one-of-a-kind adventure with A Trip to Camp Spooky as riders travel with the PEANUTS Gang® and spot 2D and 3D Halloween themed characters and effects along the trail. The fun continues for little ones at the Calico Mine Ride with the newly added ride overlay at Calico Candy Mine Ride every Halloween as it mysteriously transforms from silver ore to pure candy. Grab a seat with your little one on the mine train for a sweet trip through a candy-filled dream. Little ghouls are also encouraged to strut their stuff and show off their Halloween Costumes in the Calico Carnival Costume Cavalcade hosted by the Calico Mayor and Cameo Kate at the Calico Mine Stage.

The Halloween fun is parkwide as Día de Los Muertos, ¡ViVir! takes over the Fiesta Plaza Stage. This festive show pays tribute to the Hispanic cultural celebration and traditions of Día de Los Muertos.

Knott’s Spooky Farm runs weekends September 25 – October 31 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and is included with regular park admission. For more information on all the exciting things that are going on at Knott’s Berry Farm, visit us online at knotts.com and follow the conversation using #KnottsSpookyFarm.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Waking Flame Gameplay Trailer

Today, we are excited to release the latest DLC for The Elder Scrolls Online: Waking Flame, available now for all PC/MAC and Stadia players. The new DLC will launch on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4 on September 8.

The dust has settled from the events of The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood, yet schemes of Mehrunes Dagon persist in its aftermath. With his dominance growing stronger, The Elder Scrolls Online: Waking Flame DLC will deliver two new four-player dungeons: The Dread Cellar and Red Petal Bastion.

All 19 million ESO players to date can look forward to Update 31, a base-game patch that will include a bevvy of bug fixes and performance enhancements, plus new houses, furnishings, and houseguests available in the in-game Crown Store. Here are some key improvements coming to the console update when it arrives on Sept. 8:

  • Dynamic resolution scaling enabled for Performance Mode on Xbox Series X|S and PS5, scaling resolution on Xbox Series X and PS5 between 1080p-2160p and on Xbox Series S between 1080p-1440p
  • For all consoles except for the base PS4 and base Xbox One, a new HDR mode known as “Default” arrives in the Waking Flame DLC, a brand-new setting to keep the intended look of the game’s original artwork while taking advantage of the increased range. For players who prefer the way ESO looks in HDR right now, that mode will remain an option under the name “Vibrant”
  • ​For PC Players, the console render multithreading setting that debuted with Console Enhanced in June will arrive on PC through a new opt-in beta setting, a feature intended to increase frame rates

As part of our Gates of Oblivion year-long storyline, the Blackwood Chapter tasks players with exposing the daedric plots and tyrannical schemes consuming the region. Discover the connection of these plots to the Prince of Destruction and his dreadful plans for Tamriel. Available now, Blackwood is a standalone story, its events further the overall Gates of Oblivion narrative that will conclude later in 2021.

Players can purchase the Waking Flame game pack through the in-game Crown Store and is included for all who subscribe to ESO Plus. The new DLC is available now on PC/MAC and Stadia, and will launch on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4 on September 8. For full patch notes on Update 30, remember to keep an eye on our official forums.

Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop First-Look Images and Date Announcement

Meet Spike Spiegel (John Cho), Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir), and Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) in Cowboy Bebop, premiering November 19, only on Netflix.

COWBOY BEBOP is an action-packed space Western about three bounty hunters, aka “cowboys,” all trying to outrun the past. As different as they are deadly, Spike Spiegel (John Cho), Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir), and Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) form a scrappy, snarky crew ready to hunt down the solar system’s most dangerous criminals — for the right price. But they can only kick and quip their way out of so many scuffles before their pasts finally catch up with them.

Based on the beloved anime series, COWBOY BEBOP is executive produced by André Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg of Midnight Radio, Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements of Tomorrow Studios, Makoto Asanuma, Shin Sasaki and Masayuki Ozaki of Sunrise Inc., Tim Coddington, Tetsu Fujimura, Michael Katleman, Matthew Weinberg, and Christopher Yost. Nemec serves as showrunner. Original anime series director Shinichirō Watanabe is a consultant on the series, and original composer Yoko Kanno returns for the live-action adaptation. The series also stars Alex Hassell and Elena Satine.

WE2K22 Coming this March

During WWE’s SummerSlam 2021 broadcast on August 21, 2K and Visual Concepts revealed WWE® 2K22 is currently scheduled for release in March 2022, capitalizing on the momentum of the “Road to WrestleMania,” when WWE fandom is at a fever pitch.

The reveal was made with an electrifying video package of WWE 2K22 gameplay featuring WWE Superstar Rey Mysterio, as well as a first glance at Roman Reigns, Goldberg, Bayley, Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, The Miz, Sheamus, Shinsuke Nakamura, Rhea Ripley, Finn Bálor, Ricochet and Kane. A screenshot of WWE Superstar Edge was also shared, showing off incredible detail in his entrance attire, pyrotechnics, and stage lighting.

https://youtu.be/tgO0XKUpwf4

WWE 2K22 promises new controls, incredible graphics, and a redesigned engine for the most impressive WWE 2K experience to date. As part of the game’s development process, 85% of the in-game roster has taken part in facial scanning for ultra-realistic and updated character models, and more than 3,400 new animations have been captured. More details will be revealed in January 2022.

For more information on WWE 2K22, visit the game’s official website, become a fan on Facebook, follow the game on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #WWE2K22 or subscribe on YouTube.

Visual Concepts is a 2K studio. 2K is a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

Turtle Beach Recon Wired Xbox Controller Review

Turtle Beach has been a widely-known name in the gaming audio product category for a long time. Now, they’re stepping into the peripheral game with a new wired Xbox game controller called the RECON. From a design standpoint, the Turtle Beach Recon wired xbox game controller features a classy dark gray and black color scheme with white LED lights thrown in for extra cool factor. The body of the controller features a mainly plastic body structure with textured, rubber grips to make sure you can keep the controller in-hand during intense gameplay. The whole controller feels well-made, with the analog sticks’ action being nice and crisp. Turtle Beach even includes a 10 foot long braided cable to connect the Recon to your Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, or Windows PC.

The real fun stuff about the Turtle Beach Recon wired controller is located in the area just above the Xbox button. This area has a ton of controls – mainly dedicated to tweaking audio. There are two separate rocker controls which allow the gamer to independently adjust chat and game audio. There is also a button which toggles on and off what Turtle Beach calls “Superhuman Hearing”. This is a feature which has been seen on some of their headsets but in this configuration it allows you to use the feature with any headset you plug into the controller. This audio mode allows you to more easily pick up quiet audio cues like the sound of footsteps or another player reloading. It’s pretty darn cool and I love that they are allowing it to be headset agnostic in the Recon. Rolling through the other features using the mode and select buttons in this area of the controller, the gamer can adjust their mic gain with in-controller mic monitoring, custom button mapping to the two underside buttons, as well as adjusting “Pro-Aim” focus mode. This mode allows you to adjust the sensitivity of the right analog stick for finer movement. It’s analogous to DPI adjustments on a PC gamer’s mouse and is a very nice feature to have on a game controller.

Using the features can take a little getting used to – although, once you do, you’ll love that you have them on your controller. In these facets, the Turtle Beach Recon wired controller actually outshines the Microsoft controller. Of course, the Recon doesn’t have wireless capabilities or quite the same build quality as the Microsoft model (but its VERY close), but that wired connection allows for a lot more capability than a wireless one would. The Turtle Beach Recon wired controller is compatible with Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows 10 PCs – although the audio stuff doesn’t work on PCs. Most PC gamers probably have an favorite headset and sound card solution they already use and are happy with, so it’s not a big loss.

Overall, the Turtle Beach Recon wired Xbox game controller costs an economical $60 smackers while offering a premium level of options not seen on most controllers. If you are in the market for a wired controller for your Xbox One, Xbox Series X, or Windows PC you will love the Recon.

Festival Tycoon Early Access Trailer

One-man indie studio Driehaus (aka Johannes Gäbler) announced today that Festival Tycoon, his upcoming festival builder-sim, will be released in Q3 year on Steam Early Access.

Book bands, sign deals, fix toilets, and design the venue of a lifetime – no job is too big (or too gross) for a manager on the rise. Festival Tycoon challenges players to create, design, and manage their own music festival empire, growing from a backyard bonanza to an unmissable, Coachella-level event.

A fusion of builder, management and RTS, Festival Tycoon is all about hosting the wildest festival the world has ever seen in adorable, colourful voxels.

Features:

  • Design the optimal festival layout: Place tents, VIP bungalows, glamorous stages, portaloos, festival decorations and more!

  • Book talent and arrange a stellar line-up: Put your bargaining skills and musical taste to the test by hiring a range of bands across the likes of folk, rock and techno.

  • Attract sponsors and sell tickets: Appease sponsors like banks, record labels and drink companies for grants.

  • Keep the crowds happy: Be wary of your attendees’ satisfaction, as unhappy punters are quick to take to social media and ruin your reputation!

  • React to events to ensure the smooth running of your festival. Despatch first aiders and security to deal with common festival occurrences, fix the beer vans, replenish the food supplies and keep the trash from piling up.

  • Grow your festival empire and react to world events including band breakups, record breaking album releases, sponsorship spats and more.

  • Plus many more unannounced features planned for Early Access

EA SPORTS Madden NFL 22 Out Now

Today Electronic Arts Inc. signaled the imminent return of the football season with the worldwide launch of EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL 22 for Sony PlayStation®5, Microsoft Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation®4, Xbox One, PC via Origin™ and Steam®, Google Stadia™ and mobile with NFL superstars Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes on the cover. Madden NFL 22 is where gameday happens and arrives with new innovation Dynamic Gameday*, powered by all-new features Gameday Momentum*,Next Gen Stats: Star-Driven AI*, and Gameday Atmosphere*, impacting gameplay in every mode to make each game feel fresh with a deeper level of strategy and storytelling. To mark the game’s release, EA SPORTS debuted a brand new campaign “Welcome to Madden Land” with stars from in and around the NFL.

“Every Madden NFLrelease is a big moment for football fans; it means football season is right around the corner and players finally can explore the newest features and live out their NFL fantasy on the virtual gridiron,” said Cam Weber, EVP and Group GM of EA SPORTS. “We’re so excited for players to get into Madden NFL 22 to experience the rollercoaster of emotions and fun of NFL gameday, which is brought to life in our new Madden Land campaign.”

Madden NFL 22delivers the true-to-life impact of game changing moments that swing momentum in or out of a team’s favor with new Gameday Momentum* performance-based mechanics, includingthe fan-favorite Home Field Advantages* which provide a unique game condition tailored to each of the 32 NFL teams. The integration of the real-world player data in Madden NFL through the NFL’s Next Gen Stats continues to power more realistic player movement, and brings the personalities and tendencies of both players and teams to life with Star-Driven AI*. Players can connect to their NFL fandom through Gameday Atmosphere* which delivers presentation elements that enhance and impact every game.

The game also features highly requested improvements to the popular Franchise mode including more detailed staff management and skill tree progression systems, and comprehensive weekly game strategy with a revamped Season Engine that keeps things interesting every week. Players have already shown their excitement for Madden NFL 22 during the EA Play early access trial, which saw more players exploring new features on day one than the first day of the EA Play early access trial for Madden NFL 21.

“Our Madden NFL community has continued to grow significantly in the last few years, and we’re eager for football fans to get their hands on Madden NFL 22 to experience our gamewide innovation with Dynamic Gameday on next-gen consoles,”said Seann Graddy, Executive Producer, EA SPORTS Madden NFL. “Madden NFL 22 has a variety of opportunities for players to express themselves and experience the fun of football – from 11v11 simulation to arcade-style experiences – and launch is only the start. We have much more coming to players with new content planned all season long via our live service.”

The arcade-style mode, The Yard, features an all-new single player campaign and avatar progression system that shares progress with Face of the Franchise, which also returns with an all-new story and more options for players to shape their journey in the League. Superstar KO brings multiplayer squad play to NFL teams with the addition of real-world NFL teams and Madden Ultimate Team is back with a new season of exciting content, halftime adjustments to Superstar X-Factor abilities and the integration of Next Gen Stats* to track stats for player items. Plus all new player ratings, Superstar X-Factors, and much more that will continue to evolve throughout the season.

Download the Madden NFL mobile app now to start a Journey in Madden NFL 22 Mobile where players can upgrade lineups with completely reimagined systems to make their team more powerful than ever before, mixing and matching different types of NFL stars and trading up. Players can also be the GM of their Ultimate Team as they battle their way to greatness, while experiencing all new visuals unlike any previous Madden NFL mobile game.

Register now for the Madden NFL 22 Championship Series(MCS 22) to earn the chance to compete in four MCS marquee tournaments, closely tied to key NFL season moments. The largest prize pool in franchise history of $1.65 million is on the line as the next generation of the MCS is played for the first time on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.

Madden NFL 22is developed in Orlando and Madrid by EA Tiburon and is available worldwide for Sony PlayStation 4, Sony PlayStation 5, Microsoft Xbox One, Microsoft Xbox Series X|S, PC via Origin and Steam, Google Stadia, and Madden NFL Mobile.

Call of Duty: Vanguard Reveal Trailer

Scheduled to start November 5 players will turn the tides of war to experience World War II like never before in Call of Duty®: Vanguard. Alongside a seamlessly integrated, new Warzone experience coming later this year, the massive amount of Call of Duty content will provide players an unrivaled offering.

Vanguard delivers the complete package to Call of Duty fans across Campaign, online Multiplayer and Zombies co-operative modes. Players will witness the origins of Special Forces as they change the face of history, forming Task Force One in a sprawling World War II narrative campaign spanning the Eastern and Western fronts of Europe, the Pacific, and North Africa. Multiplayer features 20 maps on day one at launch. While Zombies fans will experience a signature undead gameplay experience, marking a franchise-first Zombies crossover for Call of Duty.

Later this year, Vanguard players will be immersed in a fully integrated, new Call of Duty®: Warzone™ experience featuring a brand-new map, new gameplay and new experiences. Together, this is the most connected Call of Duty ever, all powered by the next-generation Call of Duty engine introduced in Modern Warfare®.

“Call of Duty: Vanguard is primed to deliver a stunning range of gameplay experiences for the entire Call of Duty community. Vanguard’s breadth of content is a hallmark of the title, with more multiplayer maps on day one than ever before and the first Zombies crossover in Call of Duty history,” said Johanna Faries, General Manager, Call of Duty, Activision. “Warzone fans will also experience a host of exciting new things to come as part of the new launch. We can’t wait to share more soon.”

Call of Duty: Vanguard is available for pre-order now. The title is scheduled for release on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox® Series X|S ,Xbox One®, and PC via Battle.net starting November 5. Call of Duty: Warzone’s new experience will release later this year.

Call of Duty: Vanguard is published by Activision, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI). Development is led by Sledgehammer Games, with Treyarch leading development for Zombies. Call of Duty: Warzone development is led by Raven Software. Additional development across Vanguard and Warzone comes from Beenox, Demonware, High Moon Studios, Activision Shanghai Studio, and Toys for Bob. For more information, the latest intel and complete blog coverage check out: https://www.callofduty.com/ and https://www.youtube.com/callofduty and follow @SHGames, @RavenSoftware, @Treyarch and @CallofDuty on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

RiMS Racing Launch Trailer

NACON and RaceWard Studio are pleased to celebrate the launch of RiMS Racing, a brand-new motorbike game concept, available now on PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC in Europe and on August 24th in North America. The experts from Italian studio RaceWard have developed a game that gives players an unparalleled experience, blending driving and mechanics, pushing the limits of realism and customization.

RaceWard has included 8 of the fastest motorbikes in the world: the Kawasaki Ninja ZX10 RR, Aprilia RSV4, BMW M1000 RR, Ducati Panigale V4R, Honda CBR1000 RR, MV Agusta F4 RC, Suzuki GSXR-1000 and the Yamaha YZF R1. The motorbikes have been reproduced in the game with peerless detail and realism, and you will have to maintain and upgrade them through the innovative gameplay, which blends mechanical precision with the sheer thrill of driving.

Racing conditions, riding style and mechanical status of the components have a direct impact on the motorbike’s behaviour. By taking the customisation to its most extreme level and thanks to a physics system offering unmatched precision, RiMS Racing highlights the connexion between each part and puts mechanics at the very core of the gameplay.

To ensure victory, players are able to fully disassemble their motorbike and replace every element to achieve the best possible setup by choosing over 500 official components: tyres, discs, callipers, pads, suspension, springs, air filters, exhausts, brake and clutch master cylinders, brake fluids, engine oils, ECUs, fairings… and many more.

The player uses different tools to identify the mechanical components that can be upgraded, such as the Motorbike Status Check (MSC), which provides a real-time analysis of the motorbike’s status and performance. Players are at the controls and select, handle and integrate each required component in the driver’s HQ, in a brand-new gameplay feature.

Throughout a career divided into seasons, with each season comprised of over 70 events, and during the many challenges available in multiplayer, RiMS Racing promises complete immersion in the world of competition, where victory depends equally on your driving skills and your motorbike.

RiMS Racing is now available on PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC in Europe and on August 24th in North America. It will launch on Nintendo Switch™ September 16 in Europe and October 5 in North America.

Corsair Unveils HS80 Wireless Gaming Headset

CORSAIR® (NASDAQ:CRSR), a world leader in high-performance gear for gamers and content creators, today launched the new CORSAIR HS80 RGB WIRELESS Gaming Headset, offering gamers industry-leading SLIPSTREAM WIRELESS technology, an exceedingly comfortable new design, durable construction, and refined style.

Multiple connection options make the HS80 RGB WIRELESS a great choice for both PC and console gamers. Connecting to your PC using CORSAIR SLIPSTREAM WIRELESS technology, the HS80 RGB WIRELESS boasts 24bit audio along with a strong, unwavering signal that lets you play completely untethered from anywhere in the room with a range of up to 60ft. For unrivaled convenience, connect up to three SLIPSTREAM WIRELESS-compatible CORSAIR devices – headset, keyboard, and mouse – with a single USB receiver, making a full wireless setup easy, simple, and hassle-free.

If you’re looking for the highest quality sound, plug in via USB to enable true high-fidelity 24bit/96kHz audio and hear the minute details in games, films, or music that you’ve been missing. The HS80 RGB WIRELESS also connects to PS5 / PS4 consoles with the included USB wireless adapter, and is fully compatible with PS5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech for couch-ready high-quality gaming audio.

A new floating headband design offers a stress-free listening experience, paired with memory foam ear pads for comfort that lasts all day – with 20 hours of wireless battery life to match. The HS80 RGB WIRELESS is durably constructed, featuring a modern new design that’s reinforced by lightweight aluminum.

With Dolby Atmos® on PC, the HS80 RGB WIRELESS delivers precise spatial audio, placing sounds three-dimensionally to help you pinpoint the opposition or immerse yourself in the mix. Complementing this captivating listening experience, a broadcast-grade omni-directional microphone picks up your voice with the utmost clarity, ensuring reliable communication with your teammates.

With a comfortable and modern design, robust wireless that gamers can rely on, and multi-platform support, the HS80 RGB WIRELESS is what winning sounds like.

Availability, Warranty, and Pricing

The CORSAIR HS80 RGB WIRELESS is available immediately from the CORSAIR webstore and the CORSAIR worldwide network of authorized retailers and distributors.

The HS80 RGB WIRELESS is backed by a two-year warranty, alongside the CORSAIR worldwide customer service and technical support network.

For up-to-date pricing of the HS80 RGB WIRELESS, please refer to the CORSAIR website or contact your local CORSAIR sales or PR representative.

Web Pages

To learn more about the CORSAIR HS80 RGB WIRELESS, please visit:

https://www.corsair.com/hs80-rgb-wireless

For a complete list of all CORSAIR gaming headsets, please visit:

https://www.corsair.com/gaming-headsets