Author - Jerry Paxton

IGN Adds New Publishers to Summer of Gaming Digital Event

2020/05/14

May 14, 2020 – IGN’s highly anticipated Summer of Gaming digital event recently announced the involvement of major publishers including Ubisoft, Blizzard, Xbox, EA, CD Projekt Red, Funcom, Larian, Systemic Reaction, Bloober, Artificial Core, Cold Symmetry (with publisher Playstack) and more.

Ubisoft will be joining IGN’s Summer of Gaming ahead of their Forward Digital Event, along with Blizzard, Xbox, EA and more. The Guerrilla Collective showcase, which will include many different developers and publishers, will also be a part of IGN’s Summer of Gaming programming. In addition, CD Projekt Red will bring one of the most highly anticipated games of the year to the show, Cyberpunk 2077.

IGN’s Summer of Gaming showcase is a global, digital event beginning in June, delivering the latest information and impressions around upcoming games and the next generation of consoles. The event will include publisher presentations with pre- and post-discussions, remote developer interviews, hands-on demos and preview impressions, gameplay, and news segments recapping the biggest announcements. Including both live broadcasts and on-demand programming, the event will feature the work of game developers from around the world.

IGN’s Summer of Gaming current lineup includes:

11 Bit
2K
Amazon
Arcade1Up
Artificial Core
Bandai Namco
Blizzard
Bloober
CD Projekt Red
Coffee Stain
Cold Symmetry
Cyanide
Dear Villagers
Deep Silver
Devolver Digital
EA
Easy Day Studios
Facebook (including Oculus)
Fellow Traveller
Firefly Studios
Funcom
Gato Salvaje
Good Shepherd
Google Stadia
Headup
Humble
Larian
Merge Games
Microids
Modern Wolf
PC Gaming Show
Proletariat
Raw Fury
Rockfish Games
Sega
Square Enix
Systemic Reaction (Avalanche)
Tactical Adventures
Those Awesome Guys
THQ Nordic
Thunderful
Tripwire Interactive
Twitter
Ubisoft
United Label
Upload VR
Vs Evil
Wings
Wizards of the Coast
Xbox
Ysbryd
Zen Studios

Fallout 76 Unveils 2020 Roadmap

2020/05/14

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

May 14, 2020 – Today we released the 2020 roadmap for Fallout 76. The roadmap outlines future content coming to Fallout 76 this year including the introduction of Seasons, a major re-balancing of combat and rewards for Dwellers of all levels, C.A.M.P. Shelters, Legendary Perks, plus the start of a yearlong Brotherhood of Steel story arc and more.

76 Seasons

Introducing 76 Seasons! Seasons bring a new account-wide progression system to Fallout 76 that overhauls the current Challenge system and helps players rake in lots of new rewards along the way. Seasons will be available to all players and offer a unified progression path to unlock dozens of new and unique rewards from Power Armor paints and C.A.M.P. items to Atoms, Legendary Scrip, Perk Packs, and so much more.

In place of the old Challenge system that rewarded Atoms for completing Daily and Weekly Challenges, players will instead earn a new currency: S.C.O.R.E. points. These points will advance players in their Seasonal progression on the road to unlocking some incredible rewards. The result is a more engaging, flexible, and fun experience for all types of players. While Seasons are still subject to change based on internal playtests and player feedback, here’s a bit more on how Seasons currently work:

Players will see a new option on the Main Menu that will take them to a uniquely Fallout-themed seasonal progression screen. During Season 1, this will be a Captain Cosmos-themed boardgame!
All players begin at the first space on the board — Rank 1 out of 100. Advancing along the board involves acquiring a new type of currency, S.C.O.R.E., obtainable through the revamped Challenge system and other in-game activities.
Challenges will be less complicated and easier to complete, typically involving activities players would complete by playing Fallout 76 as they normally would.
Rewards are handed out at every rank, with bigger rewards the more you advance and at specific milestones (Rank 25, 50, 76, etc).
Players will have the option to spend 150 Atoms to skip ranks after the first two weeks of a Season. After two weeks, players can move ahead in ranks by spending Atoms as a means for those late to a Season a chance to catch up.
Seasons will run for 10 weeks with a two-week break between the end of one season the start of the next.

The inaugural Season kicks off with Patch 20 this Summer!

For even more information on 76 Seasons including a look at the rewards, an FAQ, plus details on future roadmap content arriving later this year, check out today’s edition of Inside the Vault at fallout.bethesda.net

The Elder Scrolls: Blades Official Launch Trailer

2020/05/14

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Mobile News, News, Nintendo Switch

May 14, 2020 – Today, Bethesda Game Studios took The Elder Scrolls: Blades out of early access with Update 1.7 and released on the Nintendo Switch, downloadable now for free from the Nintendo eShop. Blades has grown with each update thanks to player feedback, delivering the PvP Arena, guilds, loadouts, new quests, the removal of chest timers, and much more.

Thanks to cross-progression, players can pick up their adventures on Switch right where they left off on mobile by linking their Bethesda.net account. Cross-platform functionality also allows players to chat with their guild members and battle other players in the Arena, regardless of the platform.

The Nintendo eShop also now offers a Quick Start Edition, a one-time $14.99 bundle that contains 30,000 Gold, 2,000 Gems, building materials, the exclusive Sylvan Fountain decoration, and rare gear once owned by the Bloodfall King.

The Switch launch isn’t the only thing players can look forward to in Update 1.7. Also available today in Blades:

· Challenge the Grand Champion and go on all-new quests – Update 1.7 introduces six never-before-seen quests, including a new questline that plays in the same style as Blades’ PvP Arena mode, challenging players to battle through a gauntlet of progressively stronger opponents leading up to the Grand Champion.
· Arena Rewards and Guild Leaderboards – Update 1.7 resets the PvP leaderboards and will reward additional prizes like Gems, Health Potions, and Chests to players based on the Arena they’ve reached – as well as a unique helm for top-ranked players.
· Celebrate Blades out of Early Access with a free gift – As a special thank you, a brand-new decoration is now available for free for Early Access players, just by logging in.

Snowrunner Modding Trailer

2020/05/13

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

May 13, 2020 – Focus Home Interactive and Saber Interactive officially partnered with mod.io for SnowRunner, the premiere off-roading trucking simulation game, to ensure that mod support was available at launch for PC players. There are already dozens of mods available to download now created by members of the community, delivering new vehicles, driving challenges, unusual creations, and more.

Check out this new video from the dev team for more info on modding:

Mods will continue to expand with even more tools in future free updates, and they’re on their way soon to SnowRunner players on consoles. New opportunities for creative designs will also come with the full year’s worth of content in SnowRunner’s Season Pass, which will feature new maps, missions, trucks and a lot more.

SnowRunner and its Season Pass are available now on PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and PC via the Epic Games Store. Visit the official game shop to find the game in your region, and snowrunner.mod.io for more on mods.

Horror-Comedy Anthology Scare Package Coming to Shudder

2020/05/13

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Halloween, Movie News, News, Trailers / Videos

May 13, 2020 — Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, announced today that it has acquired all rights in its territories to horror comedy Scare Package, from creators Aaron B. Koontz and Cameron Burns. The anthology film, which delighted audiences at numerous festivals including the Sitges Film Festival in Spain, features seven gleefully ghoulish tales from a range of horror subgenres. Scare Package will premiere on Shudder in the U.S., Canada and the UK on June 18.

“We are delighted to introduce a new generation of horror voices in this smart, funny, gory, ode to horror that is Scare Package,” said Emily Gotto, Shudder’s Director of Global Acquisitions & Co-Production.

“People say this often, but we mean it: This truly is a movie made by horror fans, for horror fans. And we have the tears, sweat and 40+ gallons of blood to prove it. So, to be able to partner this love-letter with Shudder was a dream come true and hopefully can be a wild and hilarious distraction in our newly confined times,” said producer and segment director Aaron B. Koontz.

In Scare Package, Chad, the owner of Rad Chad’s Horror Emporium, recounts a series of bone-chilling, blood-splattered tales to illustrate the rules of the horror genre to his newest employee. Each story takes aim at different tropes, paying homage to and subverting the timeless clichés of the beloved genre with a cast that includes Noah Segan (Knives Out), Baron Vaughn (Mystery Science Theater 3000) Chase Williamson (Beyond the Gates), Jocelyn DeBoer (Greener Grass), Jeremy King (Camera Obscura), wrestling legend Dustin Rhodes, Toni Trucks (SEAL Team), Hawn Tran (Watchmen) and more.

Led by a diverse group of up-and-coming genre filmmakers, Scare Package features the directorial debuts of actors Segan and Vaughn. Emily Hagins (Netflix’s Coin Heist), Anthony Cousins (The Bloody Ballad of Squirt Reynolds), Chris McInroy (Bad Guy #2, Death Metal), Courtney and Hillary Andujar (Production Designers of The Girl On The Third Floor, Bloodline), and Aaron B. Koontz (Camera Obscura, the upcoming The Pale Door) round out the collection of filmmakers.

The film was produced by Austin-based genre production company Paper Street Pictures and developed by Koontz and Burns, who are currently in post-production on the witchy-western The Pale Door and previously collaborated on the horror-thriller Camera Obscura for NBCUniversal. Additional producers included Alex Euting, Shawn Talley, and Ashleigh Snead (The Ranger) for Paper Street as well as Kris Phipps. Graham Northcote served as Executive Producer. The deal was negotiated by Emily Gotto on behalf of Shudder and Aaron B. Koontz on behalf of Paper Street Pictures.

Universal Kicks Off Watch Party Series with HALLOWEEN

2020/05/12

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Halloween, Movie News, News

Universal City, California, May 12, 2020 – To entertain and bring audiences together, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has organized weekly watch parties of some of their most iconic films. Every Saturday, starting May 16th, audiences can watch a Universal Pictures film along with special guests and hosts for fans around the world to share reactions and discuss their favorite scenes together on Twitter.

In order to join, simply follow the hosts on Twitter, buy or rent the weekend’s movie at any retailer, and press play at exactly 1pm PT / 4pm ET / 9pm BST! Select titles will also include a pre-show 15 minutes prior. Follow and use the designated hashtag for each title to participate and discuss with friends and other excited fans.

The May schedule is included below with additional watch parties and special guests announcing soon:

May 16th – Halloween hosted by Blumhouse with Director David Gordon Green, Jamie Lee Curtis and special guests
No one does horror quite like Blumhouse and Michael Myers. Join the production company that specializes in horror as they watch the return of Halloween alongside the film’s director David Gordon Green, Jamie Lee Curtis and special guests including: John Carpenter, Jason Blum, Judy Greer, James Jude Courtney and Nick Castle. Jamie Lee Curtis returns to her iconic role as Laurie Strode, who comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago. Halloween is presented by Universal Pictures, Miramax, Blumhouse Productions and Trancas International Films. #HalloweenAtHome

May 23rd – Apollo 13 hosted by former NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly
A look at space with someone who has actually been! Join retired NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly, a veteran of four different space flights, as he watches his predecessors try to return back to Earth. Stranded 205,000 miles from Earth in a crippled spacecraft, astronauts Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) fight a desperate battle to survive. Meanwhile, at Mission Control, astronaut Ken Mattingly (Gary Sinise), flight director Gene Kranz (Ed Harris) and a heroic ground crew race against time – and the odds – to bring them home. #Apollo13AtHome

May 30th – The Breakfast Club hosted by Nerdist
Please report for Saturday detention at the library! Join Nerdist as they revisit the misfits of the John Hughes 80’s classic The Breakfast Club. They were five students with nothing in common, faced with spending a Saturday detention together in their high school library. At 7 a.m., they had nothing to say, but by 4 p.m. they had bared their souls to each other and become good friends. To the outside world they were simply the Jock, the Brain, the Criminal, the Princess and the Kook, but to each other, they would always be The Breakfast Club. #BreakfastClubAtHome

Hamilton Coming to Disney+ on July 3

2020/05/12

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Movie News, News

BURBANK, Calif. (May 12, 2020) — The Walt Disney Company, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeffrey Seller and Thomas Kail are pleased to announce that Disney+ will fast track the premiere of the filmed version of the original Broadway production of “Hamilton,” bringing the 11-time-Tony Award®-, GRAMMY Award®-, Olivier Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning stage musical to homes around the world on July 3, 2020.

Producers for “Hamilton,” the film of the original Broadway production, include Miranda, Seller, and Kail, who also directs.

The film is a leap forward in the art of “live capture” which transports its audience into the world of the Broadway show in a uniquely intimate way. Combining the best elements of live theater, film, and streaming, the result is a cinematic stage performance that is a wholly new way to experience “Hamilton.”

“No other artistic work in the last decade has had the cultural impact of ‘Hamilton’—an inspiring and captivating tale told and performed in a powerfully creative way. In light of the extraordinary challenges facing our world, this story about leadership, tenacity, hope, love and the power of people to unite against the forces of adversity is both relevant and impactful,” said Robert A. Iger, Executive Chairman of The Walt Disney Company. “We are thrilled to bring this phenomenon to Disney+ on the eve of Independence Day, and we have the brilliant Lin-Manuel Miranda and the team behind ‘Hamilton’ to thank for allowing us to do so more than a year before planned.”

“I’m so proud of how beautifully Tommy Kail has brought ‘Hamilton’ to the screen. He’s given everyone who watches this film the best seat in the house,” said Lin-Manuel Miranda. “I’m so grateful to Disney and Disney+ for reimagining and moving up our release to July 4th weekend of this year, in light of the world turning upside down. I’m so grateful to all the fans who asked for this, and I’m so glad that we’re able to make it happen. I’m so proud of this show. I can’t wait for you to see it.”

Filmed at The Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway in June of 2016, “Hamilton” features Tony Award® winners Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton; Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson; Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler; Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr; Tony Award nominees Christopher Jackson as George Washington; Jonathan Groff as King George; Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton; and Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds; Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison; and Anthony Ramos as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton.

The cast also includes Carleigh Bettiol, Ariana DeBose, Hope Easterbrook, Sydney James Harcourt, Sasha Hutchings, Thayne Jasperson, Elizabeth Judd, Jon Rua, Austin Smith, Seth Stewart and Ephraim Sykes.

The Guerrilla Collective Video Game Event Airing June 6-8

2020/05/11

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News

May 11, 2020 — A worldwide coalition of leading independent game companies and partners have announced the Guerrilla Collective, a group of publishers and developers dedicated to bringing the experience of exciting news and reveals home to viewers globally.

The three-day celebration kicks off on June 6th, in collaboration with some of the world’s coolest publishers, developers, and media, with a full day dedicated to gaming news and announcements: the premiere Guerrilla Collective, The PC Gaming Show and the Future Games Show.

The June 6th lineup is today announced as a packed day of the latest news for every platform. At 10:00 am PT, the world’s first Guerrilla Collective Live will air, hosted by Kinda Funny’s Greg Miller. The PC Gaming Show returns triumphant starting at 12:00 pm Pacific Time with all the latest news and information about the PC gaming space. The Future Games Show presents reveals, developer interviews, and wholesome gaming chatter starting at 2:30 pm Pacific Time.

Also part of IGNs ‘Summer of Gaming’ and GameSpot’s ‘Play For All,’ the Guerrilla Collective is a truly agnostic, completely player focused initiative to bring gamers and developers together to celebrate games during a difficult time.

Working together, the Guerrilla Collective and other notable publishers and developers have been excitedly chatting, to ensure players have a place to go to search for their gaming fix June 6-8 as part of other initiatives throughout the summer.

The Guerrilla Collective will feature a number of game companies from around the world, including:

11 bit studios (credits include Frostpunk, This War of Mine)
Another Indie (SIMULACRA 2, Yuppie Psycho)
Coffee Stain Studios (Satisfactory, Deep Rock Galactic)
Fellow Traveller (In Other Waters, Neo Cab)
Funcom (Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden, Conan Exiles)
Good Shepherd Entertainment (John Wick Hex, The Eternal Cylinder)
Headup (Bridge Constructor Portal, Pumpkin Jack)
Humble Publishing (Temtem, Forager)
Larian Studios (Baldur’s Gate III, Divinity: Original Sin II)
Modern Wolf (Necronator: Dead Wrong, Out There: Oceans of Time)
Paradox Interactive (Cities: Skylines, Stellaris)
Raw Fury (Kingdom Two Crowns, Atomicrops)
Rebellion (Sniper Elite 4, Zombie Army 4: Dead War)
Those Awesome Guys (Monster Prom, Move or Die, Floppy Knights)
Thunderful (SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech, Lonely Mountains: Downhill)
United Label (Eldest Souls, Röki)
Versus Evil (The Banner Saga, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire)
Whitethorn Games (Aground, StarCrossed)
WINGS Interactive (Later Daters, Lord Winklebottom Investigates)
Ysbryd Games (WORLD OF HORROR, VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action)
ZA/UM (Disco Elysium)
And more coming soon…

The Guerrilla Collective is produced by Media Indie Exchange (The MIX) in partnership with the Kinda Funny Games Showcase. The MIX is an indie-focused group that runs events every year at conventions like GDC, E3, gamescom, PAX West and more. Kinda Funny is a five-year-old, San Francisco-based podcast and YouTube company celebrating and critiquing video games to an audience of hundreds of thousands of fans. In 2018, the company launched the Kinda Funny Games Showcase, a video event spotlighting more than 60 great titles.

What: A coalition of amazing video game studios and publishers who have come together to establish a brand-new online press conference and event showcasing exclusive news, reveals, trailers, gameplay demos, and more from some of the top teams around the world. The event will be hosted by Kinda Funny’s Greg Miller.

When: Starting on June 6, with an opening online press event at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT, continuing on June 7 with a second online press event, and finishing up June 8 with a day of programming that includes live gameplay demos and developer interviews.

Where: Streaming at twitch.tv/guerrillacollective

The Guerrilla Collective is putting out a casting call for content! Teams interested in having their games considered for the Guerrilla Collective event can submit here.

The Guerrilla Collective will have more to share as the event approaches. To keep up with the latest news from the show, visit www.GuerrillaCollective.com, and join the Guerrilla Collective on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI – New Frontier Pass Announcement

2020/05/11

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 News, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

New York, NY – May 11, 2020 – 2K today announced the Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI – New Frontier Pass, a new season pass that brings eight new civilizations, nine new leaders, six new game modes and more to the critically-acclaimed strategy game.* Content will be released in six downloadable (DLC) packs delivered on a bimonthly basis starting May 21, 2020 through March 2021.

“It’s been four years since we first announced Civilization VI, and the support from fans and players has been overwhelming,” said Ed Beach, franchise lead designer at Firaxis Games. “After two giant expansions in Rise and Fall and Gathering Storm, four years’ worth of balance updates and more, Civilization VI has grown into the flagship title for the series.”

“We’re very excited to be adding even more content to Civilization VI, ensuring longtime players and franchise newcomers have something fresh to look forward to in the months to come,” added Anton Strenger, lead game designer at Firaxis Games. “By delivering new content on a regularly scheduled basis, we’ll have more opportunities than ever with the New Frontier Pass to connect with our community as we actively develop and deliver content.”

The Civilization VI – New Frontier Pass will be available for $39.99 on Xbox One, PS4™, Nintendo Switch™, Windows PC, Mac and Linux, with mobile platforms arriving later this year. Each individual DLC pack will also be available for individual purchase; the first DLC offering, the Maya & Gran Colombia Pack, will add leaders from each respective civilization, a new Apocalypse game mode, new City-States, Resources and Natural Wonders, and will launch on May 21, 2020.

Anyone who purchases the Civilization VI – New Frontier Pass will receive exclusive bonuses – the Teddy Roosevelt and Catherine De Medici Persona Packs. Each Persona Pack contains a brand-new take on a favorite leader, with a new leader model and background, new gameplay bonuses and an updated agenda that reflects the changes to the leader’s personality. “Rough Rider Teddy” excels at keeping the peace on his home continent, while “Magnificence Catherine” can use Luxuries to overwhelm the world with Culture and Tourism. The Persona Packs will be available with the second DLC Pack in July.

As part of the overall content roadmap for Civilization VI, Firaxis will also provide free updates in between DLC packs that feature new maps, scenarios, balance updates and more, available for anyone who owns the game.

For more information on the Civilization VI – New Frontier Pass, visit www.civilization.com, become a fan on Facebook, subscribe on YouTube, follow Civilization on Twitter and Instagram and join the conversation using the hashtag #Civilization.

Civilization VI is rated E10+ for Everyone 10+. Firaxis Games is a 2K studio. 2K is a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

*Requires the Civilization VI base game. Some features of the Civilization VI – New Frontier Pass also require either the Gathering Storm or Rise and Fall expansion to work. Visit www.civilization.com for the latest details.

Week-Long Live Documentary Goes into Real House from The Conjuring

2020/05/08

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Halloween, Movie News, News

May 8, 2020 – While many of us revel in the perks of an extended staycation, one family’s quarantine situation is almost unthinkable, and they want to give you a front row seat to see what their terrifying lives are like in the real-life Conjuring House. From May 9 to May 16 , The Dark Zone Network proudly presents a 24-7 interactive live streaming event like no other, entitled “The House.”

Featuring live Remote interviews available with the Heinzen Family (current residents) and Andrea Perron (eldest Perron family daughter and author of the books “The Conjuring” is based on).

“The House ” is a week-long immersive experience documenting the daily lives of Corey and Jennifer Heinzen, the current residents of the notorious haunted house made famous by the hit film, “The Conjuring;” which chronicled the experiences of the house’s former residents, The Perron family. A little over a year ago the Heinzens moved into the house thinking they could handle whatever came their way; after all, they are paranormal investigators themselves. Almost immediately after the family moved in, paranormal activity reached a fevered pitch, and now they need your help to figure out what lurks in the house with them.

MAY 9 – STREAMING EXCLUSIVELY ON THE DARK ZONE

https://live.thedarkzone.tv