Author - Jerry Paxton

Little Witch Academia: VR Broom Racing Release Date Trailer

2020/08/11
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

Little Witch Academia: VR Broom Racing (LWAVR), the VR racing game from UNIVRS Inc. based on the famous anime, takes off on Oculus Quest on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020, before casting a spell on PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, and Steam VR in early 2021.

Enroll as a guest student at the famous Luna Nova Witchcraft Academy, then ride a broom and soar through the skies across more than 10 tracks. Partner with fan-favorite Little Witch Academia characters such as Akko, Lotte, and Sucy, voiced in both English and Japanese by the anime’s voice actors. Race through the skies in first person perspective with UNIVRS, Inc.’s patent-pending motion sickness reduction technology.

Unfold a new story and dive into the LWA universe in immersive virtual reality. Pair up with fellow students while purifying ghosts, and customizing brooms. Join real-world friends in online multiplayer modes and take in the splendor of the Luna Nova Witchcraft Academy.

This adaptation of Studio TRIGGER’s hit anime series features veterans of anime and gaming such as director Junichi Yamamoto, whose past positions include opening and ending movie director on The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening and storyboard artist of Batman Ninja, and sound supervisor Yukio Nagasaki (Love Live!, Arc the Lad). Along with the returning voice cast, TV series songwriter/composer Yuiko Ohara and singer YURiKA return with a new theme song “Dream Flight,” exclusive to this game.

LWAVR sees the fulfillment of a pair of successful 2019 crowdfunding campaigns, with more than $165,000 raised in total between Kickstarter, and popular Japanese crowdfunding site Campfire. The Little Witch Academia series has always been driven by fan support, with a short film raising $625,518 from 7,938 backers, and its success leading to a 25-episode Netflix series.

“The fans are the lifeblood of the Little Witch Academia series, and that principle guided us at UNIVRS when creating VR Broom Racing,” said Naoya Koji, COO at UNIVRS. “We strived to make this as accessible an experience as possible for the fans, even if it’s their first virtual reality experience, and know we will live up to their expectations.”

Little Witch Academia: VR Broom Racing releases October 13, 2020 for $29.99 on the Oculus Quest Store, featuring English and Japanese language text and voice acting. Versions for PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, and SteamVR follow in early 2021.

To learn more, visit the official website, Facebook page, and follow Little Witch Academia VR on Twitter.

DreamHack Postpones Remaining Festivals for 2020

2020/08/10
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News

Today, DreamHack has announced the postponement of its remaining festivals in 2020: DreamHack Rotterdam, DreamHack Hyderabad, DreamHack Atlanta, DreamHack Winter and DreamHack Madrid. The decision was made as the world continues to battle the Covid-19 pandemic — events of this magnitude are not possible at a time when health and safety is the priority.

“The goal for all of us at DreamHack is to provide great experiences at our events, which thrive by bringing communities together for these shared and beloved festival weekends all around the globe,” said DreamHack Co-CEO Marcus Lindmark. “We have never had to postpone events like this before — but these are extraordinary times, and the safety of our attendees and staff has never been more important than now.” 

DreamHack’s festivals will continue to feature everything gaming under one roof, including pro esports tournaments, amateur and varsity gaming tournaments, world-famous bring your own computer (BYOC) LAN party, freeplay area, influencer appearances, cosplay championship, panels, art, activities, expo, film screenings, live music and more.

Lindmark continued: “This has been a very different year for everyone, but we are fully committed to bringing our festivals back in 2021. DreamHack will continue to follow the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Public Health Agency of Sweden (Folkhälsomyndigheten), as well as other national health authorities for guidance on resuming our festivals. Until then, we will continue to innovate so we can connect with our fans through great content.”

The affected events are:

  • DreamHack Rotterdam — originally scheduled for October 16-18, 2020
  • DreamHack Hyderabad — originally scheduled for October 31-November 1, 2020
  • DreamHack Atlanta — originally scheduled for November 13-15, 2020
  • DreamHack Winter — originally scheduled for November 27-29, 2020
  • DreamHack Madrid — originally scheduled for December 11-13, 2020

Earlier this summer, DreamHack Dallas, DreamHack Summer and DreamHack Montreal were also postponed to 2021. Complete schedule of festival dates and locations for 2021 will be announced later this year. Full details will be at dreamhack.com when available.

Six Flags Wild Safari Celebrates Birth of Baby Giraffe

2020/08/10
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News

The Six Flags Wild Safari’s animal care team is celebrating the birth of a female giraffe, the most recent of four calves born in the span of one year. The calf, named “Sierra,” was born on June 2, 2020 and recently ventured into the Wilde Plains section of the safari for the first time. Led by her mother, Muraya, she joined the other young giraffes in this “baby boom”—Phyllis, Embu, and Soda—and encountered 10 different species of African animals, including white bearded gnu (also known as blue wildebeest), eland, and blackbuck.

“Sierra is over 200 pounds and will likely grow to be 1,500 pounds,” said Safari Veterinarian Dr. Ken Keiffer. “She is the latest in an exciting string of giraffe births here at the safari, and we are thrilled that all four calves are being raised by their mothers,” he added.

Though calves are typically about six feet tall when they are born, adult male giraffes can reach 18 feet, making them the tallest mammals in the world.

The calves are all reticulated giraffe, also called Somali giraffe, which are native to northeastern Kenya, southern Ethiopia, and Somalia.

“Reticulated giraffes have distinctive coat patterns featuring red-brown patches divided by thin white lines. Their spots are unique like a fingerprint, which is how we can tell them apart,” said Dr. Keiffer. Other facts about reticulated giraffes include:

  • A group of giraffes is called a “tower”;
  • Giraffes can stand and walk within an hour of their birth—they even sleep and give birth standing;
  • Giraffes have seven vertebrae in their extremely long necks, which is the same amount of vertebrae humans have in their necks; and
  • Their tongues can be 18 inches long to help reach tree leaves.

In the wild, giraffes are currently undergoing what is referred to as a “silent extinction event.” Their numbers have decreased by nearly 40 percent in the past 30 years, placing them in the “Vulnerable to Extinction” category as determined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Six Flags Wild Safari is home to 12 giraffes.

The Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure takes guests on a self-guided journey through 1,200 exotic animals from six continents from the safety and privacy of their own vehicles. Guests must purchase tickets and make a reservation in advance of their visit using Six Flags’ new online registration system. A new, free audio tour is available to stream online that provides fun facts about 70 different species of animals at the safari. Guests can learn more about the animals and their habitats, purchase tickets, make reservations, and stream the audio tour at www.sixflags.com/safari.

Fun Facts About How Giraffes Measure Up:

  • Taller than traditional double-decker busses;
  • Two times taller than ostriches;
  • Two times taller than the world’s tallest man, Robert Wadlow;
  • Two and a half times taller than the average Christmas tree;
  • Two and a half times taller than superstar basketball player Shaquille O’Neal;
  • Taller than three stacked refrigerators;
  • Six times taller than General Tom Thumb; and
  • Taller than 14 stacked bowling pins.

Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans Coming to Netflix

2020/08/09
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Movie News, News, Trailers / Videos

DreamWorks Animation and Netflix announced today, to celebrate the release of the third and final Tales of Arcadia series Wizards, that a feature film marking the culmination of Guillermo del Toro’s epic trilogy is currently in production. Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans will debut globally on Netflix in 2021.

Arcadia may look like an ordinary town but it lies at the center of magical and mystical lines that makes it a nexus for many battles among otherworldly creatures including trolls, aliens and wizards. Now the heroes from the hit series Trollhunters, 3Below and Wizards, team-up in their most epic adventure yet where they must fight the Arcane Order for control over the magic that binds them all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QNwryfRmgQ

“Team Trollhunters committed, about a decade ago, to try and push the boundaries of 3D CGI animation made for TV. We outlined a vast trilogy of interconnecting mythology and characters that we always hoped could culminate with a massive “all-stars” reunion,” says creator and executive producer Guillermo del Toro. “DreamWorks Animation and Netflix both shared the very ambitious notion of doing the three series, interwoven and then finishing off with a bigger, epic-sized feature film to top it all off.”

Created and executive produced by del Toro, Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans is also executive produced by Marc Guggenheim, Chad Hammes, Dan Hageman and Kevin Hageman. Johane Matte, Franisco Ruiz Velasco and Andrew L. Schmidt directed while Marc Guggenheim, Dan Hageman, Kevin Hageman wrote the feature animated film.

DreamWorks Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans features an all-star cast of Emile Hirsch (​Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood​) as Jim, Lexi Medrano (Trollhunters​) as Claire, Charlie Saxton (​Hung, Bandslam​) as Toby, Kelsey Grammer in his Emmy Award-winning role as Blinky, Alfred Molina (​Frozen II​) as Archie, Steven Yeun (​Burning, The Walking Dead) as Steve, Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead) as Stuart, Colin O’Donoghue (​Once Upon A Time) as Douxie, Diego Luna (​Narcos: Mexico​) as Krel, Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) as Aja and Nick Offerman (Parks & Recreation, Fargo) as Vex. Additional cast members include Cole Sand, Fred Tatasciore, Brian Blessed, Kay Bess, Piotr Michael, James Hong, Tom Kenny, Angel Lin, Amy Landecker, Jonathan Hyde, Bebe Wood, Laraine Newman, Grey Griffin and Cheryl Hines.

Company of Crime Official Launch Trailer

2020/08/07
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

The time has finally come – Company of Crime releases tomorrow August 8th at 8am CEST (August 7th at 11pm PT) on Steam, GOG and other digital platforms. Get ready to become the mastermind of a crime organization and make your way to the top of London’s underworld, or join the Scotland Yard’s famed Flying Squad and crack down on crime in this turn-based strategy title. Company of Crime is priced for 29,99 USD / 29,99 EUR / 24,99 GBP with a 10% launch discount during the first week.

London, 1960s – the city is fighting a crime wave like the country has never seen before. Organized crime is on the rise and that is your opportunity! Become a leader of a crime syndicate or become an Inspector of Scotland Yard’s famous Flying Squad in this turn-based strategy game with heavy focus on tactical melee combat. Build your crew, take over rival’s businesses and rule the city!

Company of Crime is a hybrid of an empire builder and a tactical strategy game that features a turn-based combat system. You can either play as the Criminals or as the Police, where in each case you will have to build a team that consists of gang members possessing the different skills required to pull off criminal tasks, or detectives that have mastered the art of investigation.

Company of Crime is developed by Resistance Games and published by 1C Entertainment. For more information, be sure to check out the game on Steam and Twitter as well as 1C Entertainment.

The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan Joins Xbox Game Pass

2020/08/07
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Xbox One News

Today, leading video game developer and publisher BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. announced that The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan is now available for subscribers of Xbox Game Pass, giving players a new opportunity to dive into the terrifying cinematic horror of The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan, which will also be available on Xbox Game Pass for PC later this year.

In Man of Medan, four friends and their inexperienced dive captain set sail on a diving trip, with a rumored WWII wreck to find. As the day unfolds, and a storm rolls in, their trip soon changes into something much more sinister. Who will live? Who will die? The choice is all yours!

To celebrate Man of Medan launching on Xbox Game Pass, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. has released a free Twitch extension that is now available and allows viewers to challenge their survival instinct by voting for choices made by the streamer.

Download The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan Twitch extension: here.

D23 Celebrates Disneyland’s 65th Anniversary

2020/08/06
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News

It was 65 years ago that Disneyland first welcomed guests to enjoy a new kind of experience: the theme park. And to mark the occasion, Disney twenty-three has created a one-of-a-kind, stand-alone issue, filled with rich stories and stunning photography that look at the development and evolution of the Disney theme park. Disney artist Ricky De Los Angeles created an exclusive wrap-around cover for the issue featuring colorful illustrations of iconic attractions (and snacks!) from Disney parks around the world. Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro penned a special “Editor’s Letter” for readers, highlighting his deep connection with the theme parks, and stories include exclusive interviews with Disney Legends Tony Baxter and Wing T. Chao; Imagineers Tom Fitzgerald and Bhavna Mistry; original Mouseketeer Bobby Burgess; and Walt Disney Imagineering President Bob Weis.

The Disney twenty-three team pulled together a robust selection of stories written by subject matter experts including:

  • Walt’s Map to the Magic: A deep dive into the inspiration, planning, and creation of Disneyland penned by Walt Disney Archives Director Becky Cline and publication editor Max Lark
  • Dateline Disneyland: July 17, 1955: A guided tour of Disneyland on opening day by D23’s Manager of Content Curation (and former Disneyland Park tour guide) Justin Arthur
  • Picturing the Parks: A curated look at some of the most beloved attraction posters from Disney’s parks around the world written by Disney Publishing’s Editorial Director Wendy Lefkon
  • National Treasures: Stunning images from several of National Geographic’s many trips to the parks from National Geographic’s Caitlin Holbrook
  • Rooms with a View: The evolution of Disney’s immersive resorts and vacation experiences from the Disneyland Hotel to a galaxy far, far away by Disney Vacation Club’s Ryan March
  • Character Analysis: Park Stars: Beloved characters created just for Disney parks, from the Orange Bird and Figment to the Country Bears and Chandu, written by Disney Parks’ Charles Stovall
  • And much, much more including a roundup of every glorious Disney castle, a look at our remarkable cast members around the world, the Disney spectacular examined, and an advance peek at the new book Holiday Magic in the Disney Parks

Plus, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club is extending the celebration for fans and members including:

  • Expanded Digital Storytelling: More than a dozen original features on D23.com looking at the Disney theme park, from a look at movies filmed at Disney parks (Saving Mr. Banks and Tomorrowland) to delicious vintage parks recipes.
  • An Exclusive Pin Set: Available only to D23 Gold and Gold Family Members, this 6-pin set features some of the colorful artwork from Ricky De Los Angeles’ cover of Disney twenty-three, including Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Resort, Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland Resort, Ratatouille: The Adventure at Disneyland Paris, Spaceship Earth at Walt Disney World Resort, Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, and one inspired by Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. The limited-edition set will be available for $49.99 on August 31 at shopDisney.com.
  • Disney Imagineers Celebrate 65 Years of Disneyland Park: From August 21 through August 23, D23 Gold and Gold Family Members will have the chance to watch an exclusive virtual panel created by Walt Disney Imagineering celebrating the 65th anniversary of Disneyland with Imagineering leaders Jeanette Lomboy, Kim Irvine, and Scott Trowbridge, along with Disney Legend Tony Baxter, and moderated by Leslie Iwerks, director and executive producer of The Imagineering Story on Disney+.
  • D23 Trivia Night: 65 Years of the Disney Theme Park: Disney parks trivia aficionados are invited to join a fun evening of trivia spanning every Disney park around the globe. On August 28, D23 Gold and Gold Family Members can join the fun to celebrate 65 years of favorite places and attractions—classic and new.
  • D23 Magical Summer Sweepstakes: Starting August 10, all D23 Members will be able to enter to win exciting prizes, including a new D23 Gold Membership and the exclusive 6-pin set.
  • Special Gold Member Gift: Just for D23 Gold and Gold Family Members, this issue of Disney twenty-three will include a set of six postcards—each representing a different Disney resort around the world.

No purchase is necessary to enter the weekly sweepstakes. Open to all D23 Members who are residents of the 50 United States or D.C., 18 or older. For details, visit https://d23.com/entry/magical-summer-sweepstakes.

Additional details will be available at D23.com. Disney twenty-three, which is delivered directly to fans’ doorsteps, is offered exclusively to D23 Gold and Gold Family Members as a benefit of their membership. The latest issue will begin arriving before the end of August.

IL-2 Sturmovik: Desert Wings – Tobruk Out Now

2020/08/06
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

IL-2 Sturmovik: Desert Wings – Tobruk, the exciting new expansion for IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover – Blitz Desert War is now available via Steam, the official IL-2 Sturmovik store and other digital platforms for $69.99 USD / 64.99 EUR with a 15% launch discount during the first week!

This new addition to the long-standing and critically acclaimed IL-2 Sturmovik series of aerial combat simulators takes you over the sands of North Africa in the critical moment during WWII when the control of the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal was decided. Experience what it was like to fly and fight during the Desert War in deadly Messerschmitts, sleek Macchis, rugged Kittyhawks and the legendary Spitfires. IL-2 Sturmovik: Desert Wings – Tobruk brings over 40 new flyable types and variants, more than 25 new tank, artillery and vehicle types added to the desert versions of the vehicles from the CLIFFS OF DOVER, as well as 15 new ships including British and Italian types which are historically accurate for the TOBRUK map.

The excellent multiplayer environment that allows over 100 players and dozens of AI aircraft online simultaneously, IL-2 Sturmovik: Desert Wings – Tobruk promises intense and challenging human versus human aerial battles. For the Single Player enthusiasts, the game also includes 24 Quick Missions playable with any aircraft, 7 long form Campaigns based on historical Squadron experiences, another 14 single missions as well as two co-op missions playable both via multiplayer or single player.

IL-2 Sturmovik: Desert Wings – Tobruk is now available via Steam, the official IL-2 Sturmovik store and other digital platforms for $69.99 USD / 64.99 EUR. The game requires the base game IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover Blitz Edition in order to play. Find more information about the game via Facebook, Twitter and/or YouTube. Keep in touch with the latest 1C Entertainment news on their website and by following them on Twitter and Facebook.

Game information:
Platforms: PC
Publisher: 1C Entertainment
Release Date: August 6, 2020
Developer: Team Fusion Simulations
Price: $69.99 USD / 64.99 EUR

Razer Unveils Acari Gaming Surface

2020/08/06
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Peripherals News

Razer announces the ultra-low friction Acari mouse mat, designed for the smoothest mouse gliding and maximum speed within a generous 420x320mm surface area – allowing for ultra-fast reaction times and pixel-perfect accuracy.

Using a unique, hard-wearing Ultraviolet activated nano-bead surface, the Acari guarantees precise pixel tracking with world-class static and dynamic friction coefficients.

To deliver accurate, smooth mouse tracking and ensure consistent, drag-free swipes, the Razer Acari uses an oleophobic surface on top of the nano-bead layer to reduce the build-up of binding agents such as natural skin oils and dust. This is bonded to a polycarbonate core, with a textured rubber backing, to create a slick, smooth gliding surface with a secure non-slip base, just 1.95mm thick.

For more information on the new Razer Acari, please visit https://www.razer.com/gaming-mouse-mats/razer-acari

Only the slickest survive. The Razer Acari is an ultra-low friction hard surface that satisfies the need for speed, with a large surface area for complete freedom of movement and accurate mouse tracking.

Available from August 6th, 2020 onwards
Available at Razer.com and authorized resellers
The Razer Acari retails at $59.99 USD / €69.99 MSRP