Author - Jerry Paxton

Cities: Skylines future – Campus Announced

STOCKHOLM – May 9, 2019 – Paradox Interactive and Colossal Order today announced the next step in the Cities: Skylines future – Campus. University life abounds with new area types for any sort of student – Trade School, Liberal Arts and University. Players will be able to increase the reputation of their campuses by attracting students and creating Academic Works. With five types of varsity sports arenas, nine unique faculties, seven new policies, seven new achievements and five new maps, Campus will take higher education to new heights on May 21, 2019 for $12.99 MSRP.

Key Features:

  • Degrees of Freedom – Design your own campus based on three area types – Trade School, Liberal Arts College and University. Increase reputation by attracting students and creating Academic Works to unlocking new buildings!
  • Var-City Sports – Bring college sports to your city by building football, basketball, baseball, track & field, and swimming arenas. Manage your teams, hire coaches, sell tickets — and collect prizes for winning matches! Customize your teams with unique jerseys and increase their chances of winning with cheerleaders and coaches.
  • Syllabuster – Employ seven new policies including book fairs and for-profit education. Sponsor academic works by handing out research grants and supporting the staff.
  • We Fancy – Display your scientific achievements in Museums.
  • Cheers! – Celebrate with your citizens during graduation ceremonies.
  • Ludocartography 101  – Five new maps for your building pleasure.
  • Three New Chirper Hats – Be the big chirp on campus!

But no Cities DLC is complete without some freebies! In addition to two new radio stations and a new Content Creator Pack , there will be two new library buildings, a new yellow school bus, job titles in the citizen info panel, and new industry policies added to the game in a free update later this month. Let’s recap:

Cities: Skylines – Content Creator Pack: University City
Give your city that real “university town” look and feel with a selection of new building spawns designed by Mike “KingLeno” Leno. For $4.99 MSRP, University City adds 36 low-density residential buildings, 32 low-density commercial buildings, and 15 props including commercial signs and logos to reflect the student residents in your neighborhood!

Cities: Skylines – Deep Focus Radio
For those late night term papers or relaxing city-building sessions, Deep Focus Radio has the chilled-out ambiance you need. For $3.99 MSRP, enjoy a selection of Ambient and Lo-Fi study music presented by DJ “Deep Thought.” This station comes with 16 unique tracks that will help you to focus on what’s truly important: perfect street layouts.

Cities: Skylines – Campus Rock Radio
Relive your freshman year with a collection of College Rock, Teen Pop, Happy Punk, and Power Chord music. For $3.99 MSRP, let DJ Claude Couture spin the tracks of your higher education with 16 unique songs!

For more information, please visit https://www.paradoxplaza.com/cities-skylines/CSCS00GSK-MASTER.html

Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Prophecy Announced

May 9, 2019 – We are pleased to announce WARHAMMER 40,000: INQUISITOR – PROPHECY, a stand-alone expansion pack for Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr. It is a brand new action-RPG experience in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and although Inquisitor – Martyr is not required to play, the story is designed to fit both for new and for returning players.

KEY FEATURES

  • New Class: Play as a Tech-Adept Inquisitor. Summon and enhance units to help defeat enemies and complete investigations. This new summoner class comes with new unique abilities and mechanics, a unique skill-tree and various new melee and ranged builds.
  • New Campaign: The story of Inquisitor – Martyr continues in three new chapters, with one chapter solely focusing on the Tech-Adept, as its story slowly ties into the main plot.
  • New Environments: Players can discover huge monasteries, hazardous factories, unforgiving deserts and ruthless worlds engulfed by lava and volcanoes.
  • New Enemy Races: Inquisitor – Prophecy adds the Eldar and the Tyranids as new enemy races.
  • New Gameplay Mechanics: Inquisitor – Prophecy will be based on Inquisitor – Martyr’s 2.0 update, bringing the base game’s new level cap, redesigned loot-system and leveling, its new end-game, the co-op campaign mode, new items and a much faster, ARPG-focused gameplay to the stand-alone expansion as well.

Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Prophecy will be available on PC on May 28 for $24.99, while those who already own a copy of Inquisitor – Martyr receive -30% off of their purchase for a limited time.

PlayStation 4 and Xbox One players will be able to pick the game up at a later date.

GRIP: Combat Racing Gets Anti-Grav Vehicles in New Update

Watford, England – May 9, 2019 – Wired Productions Ltd., an award-winning independent video games publisher, and developer Caged Element Inc., today launched a game changing update for GRIP: Combat Racing, bringing futuristic anti-grav racers and wheeled vehicles together for the first time, as a free download for all players.

Inspired by Rollcage, and in partnership with key development team members from the original Rollcage, GRIP: Combat Racing launched in late 2018 to fuel the racing appetite of arcade gamers. A return to the hardcore combat scene of the 90’s, bristling with heavy weapons and packing ferocious speed, the game is an intense, sensory feast. With a dedicated community and player numbers continually growing, GRIP: Combat Racing has seen a huge amount of content and updates since launch, with constant optimization, new tracks and new playing modes having already been introduced, GRIP: Combat Racing now receives the game changing feature, flipping the fundamental elements of gameplay, mechanics and physics, all in one surprise free update.

Introducing AirBlades!

Bringing a whole new vehicle class, and uniting two genres from the 90’s together for the first time, anti-grav racers called ‘AirBlades’, powered by an Element 115 anti-grav engine, fight against the aggressive wheel based mechanical monsters called Rollers, that launched with GRIP: Combat Racing, with both classes able to flip on any side, and choose their own path, not defined by the laws of gravity.

AirBlades is available on all the original race tracks that launched with GRIP: Combat Racing, plus all new levels set in out of space and is a completely free update for players. The inclusion of this latest update adds a robust new set of features sure to thrill fans and adrenaline junkies. GRIP: Combat Racing is now two games in one, giving racers the choice of how and where they drive!

“I’m pretty sure if WipeOut and Rollcage hooked up, this is the baby they’d pop out.’ said Leo Zullo, Managing Director of Wired Productions. “It’s beyond exciting to finally be able to reveal AirBlades, as we see it as a true game-changer and industry first. GRIP: Combat Racing is a fantastic game and, thanks to the mighty talented team at Caged Element with their visionary idea and commitment, gamers are now able to experience an even more truly amazing and unique experience that helps to redefine the racing genre.”

The AirBlades free update is live right now on Steam, Xbox One and PlayStation 4, with Nintendo Switch to follow later in May.

GRIP: Combat Racing can be purchased now for console platforms (MSRP $39.99) and PC (MSRP $29.99) – digitally on Steam, the PlayStation™ Store, Xbox Games Store, Nintendo Switch or physically, upright and upside-down at global retail. All players who already own GRIP: Combat Racing will receive Airblades as a free update.

In addition to its digital release on Xbox One, GRIP: Combat Racing is available through the Xbox Game Pass subscription service, bringing the title to Xbox players around the world.

RAGE 2 Launch Trailer Released

May 9, 2019 – When you’re about to get your head sliced in half by the glowing, wrist-mounted fishhook blade of a giant, old, cyborg man, you tend to reflect on the journey that brought you to that very moment. Relatable, right? Once you check out the launch trailer for RAGE 2, you’ll understand.

Check out the official RAGE 2 launch trailer here:

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLQg-Vq2zQk[/embedyt]

RAGE 2 launches next week on May 14, 2019 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Check out the official RAGE 2 site at bethesda.net/en/game/rage2 to pre-order and to learn more about what kind of crazy things players can do when they take over the mantle of “Wasteland Superhero.”

Mobius and Apogee Ultimate Streaming Bundle Announced

SANTA ANA, CA – MAY 8, 2019 – Audeze, the world’s leading manufacturer of planar magnetic headphones, and Apogee Electronics, the preeminent maker of audio recording interfaces and digital microphones, have teamed up to offer a premium USB microphone and headphone bundle – the Mobius and Apogee Ultimate Streaming Bundle. This limited promotion run (only 50 available), will feature a numbered, limited edition Apogee NITE MiC USB microphone and an Audeze Mobius headphone together for $499.00 ($149 off S.R.P), designed to deliver next-level gaming audio quality at an affordable packaged price. The Mobius and Apogee Ultimate Streaming Bundle combines the best in recording technology with the top premium gaming headphones to deliver unparalleled performance and value to members of the streaming community looking to take their game to the next level.

Watch the trailer for the Mobius and Apogee Ultimate Streaming Bundle HERE:

“We are always looking to work together with partners that share our pursuit of innovation and high quality,” states Sankar Thiagasamudram, CEO of Audeze LLC. “We have always admired Apogee’s product line and commitment to excellence, so it was a natural no-brainer to work together to bring a top-of-the-line bundle perfect for the livestreaming community.”

Apogee’s all new NITE MiC is a premium USB microphone that has been customized to work seamlessly in gaming environments from PC and MAC to consoles like the PS4 and more. NITE MiC features studio-grade sound quality, a stylish and durable design, and premium accessories, like a custom pop filter, mic stand adapter and desktop tripod. The Audeze Mobius is the multi-award winning premium gaming headphones that utilizes patented planar magnetic drivers with Waves Nx 3D audio technology for uncompromised audio quality. Apogee and Audeze are driven by a shared commitment to innovation and quality which keeps them at the forefront of audio technology development.

“Partnering with Audeze, a dedicated and dynamic company that shares our obsession with sound quality and customer satisfaction, is the ideal way to introduce NITE MiC to the gaming/streaming community,” comments Sean McArthur, Director of Marketing for Apogee. “Apogee and Audeze are focused intensely on creating innovative, inspiring, and high-quality products that elevate the user experience. We are confident that bringing these two premium products together as an affordable bundle will delight hardcore gamers who rely heavily on broadcast clarity and hearing the finest sonic details of footsteps, reloads and callouts. The pairing of NITE MiC and Mobius offers an almost unfair competitive advantage!”

The Mobius and Apogee Ultimate Streaming Bundle includes the following:

  • Audeze Mobius Gaming Headphones
  • Apogee NITE MiC USB microphone with mini-tripod
  • NITE MiC carrying case

For more information on Apogee products, please visit the official website at apogeedigital.com. For more information on the Audeze Mobius, follow Audeze on Twitter and Instagram, “Like” us on Facebook, subscribe to Audeze on Youtube to see and hear video demonstrations of Audeze products, and visit the website at www.audeze.com.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Tremere Clan Introduction

May 8, 2019 – Paradox Interactive has today revealed the second full-blood Vampire clan in Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2: Tremere! The Tremere are knowledge-obsessed warlocks who unleash devastating blood magic against their enemies.

Check out this video to learn more about the Tremere, their motives, and see one of their abilities in action:

Often referred to as usurpers, hermetics, blood witches, or worse, the other vampire clans share a general distrust of the Tremere. Despite this, the other clans respect the sheer power of the Tremere’s blood magic, turning those willing to offer their services into valued, if uneasy, allies. Long before Seattle, the Tremere began as occultists who were seeking immortality. Even though they found a way to live forever, the price they paid bound their magic to blood. The origin of their curse is mostly forgotten but continues to color their interactions with other Kindred. The Tremere were not allowed in significant numbers in Seattle – until recently…

You can head over to the Paradox Interactive Twitch channel today at 9 a.m. Pacific (12 p.m. Eastern) where the Bloodlines 2 team will give a breakdown of the Tremere clan: https://www.twitch.tv/paradoxinteractive.

The Tremere employ powerful blood magic to uncover secrets and unleash harrowing attacks. Players who join the Tremere’s ranks can unlock two new disciplines to expand their arsenal: Thaumaturgy and Auspex. Thaumaturgy is the Tremere’s signature blood sorcery which grants unparalleled destructive power. Auspex expands the Tremere’s senses beyond the boundaries of their bodies, ensuring nothing stays hidden to the Warlocks.

Thaumaturgy

  • Skewer – Launches a small portion of the vampire’s blood at the feet of their enemies, where it erupts in a patch of razor-sharp spikes. Once they dissolve, a stream of blood flows back to the caster.
  • Purge – Allows the vampire to make their victims vomit up blood, damaging them heavily. A stream of blood flows back to the caster.
  • Blood Boil – A master of Thaumaturgy may cast Purge for a second time on an affected NPC, causing the blood in their veins to sear. The wretch explodes within moments; bystanders in a large area are damaged. Blood from each victim streams back to the caster.
  • Use of Thaumaturgy in front of witnesses is a Masquerade Violation.

Auspex

  • Aura Sense – Allows the vampire to spot NPCs even through walls, read crowds at a glance, and mark individuals to keep them in their sights over long distances. It also allows the user to spot the weaknesses in a marked NPC’s attack and defense.
  • Psychic Projection – Detaches the vampire’s mind from their body. Untethered, they can explore the area in astral form, remaining free to use Aura Sight to mark any character they spot. Beyond that, the vampire’s mastery of their own senses has grown to such an extent that they can telepathically overwhelm the senses of others for a short while.
  • Use of Auspex is not a Masquerade Violation.

Players who join the Tremere clan can use these disciplines in addition to the individual powers from their Thinblood past.

Conan Exiles Pays Tribute to Conan Films with Update

OSLO, Norway – May 8th, 2019 – Funcom will this week be releasing the sixth DLC for Conan Exiles, the studio’s bestselling title of all time. The DLC is named after The Riddle of Steel, central to the plot of the 1982 movie featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger as Conan the Barbarian, and is part of the game’s one-year anniversary, which is also celebrated with a free update (containing two brand new dungeons) and a prolonged Steam Free Weekend (May 8th – May 12th).

“We thought we’d do something a little different for the anniversary,” explains Funcom CEO Rui Casais. “Although the game is based upon the world created by Robert E. Howard during the 1930s and the subsequent comics, the movies enjoy a huge cult following. Many of the Conan-fans today would probably never have heard of Howard’s work if it weren’t for Schwarzenegger’s breakthrough role as Conan the Barbarian. We therefore thought it would be a good idea to combine the anniversary of our bestselling game with a homage to Schwarzenegger, Thulsa Doom-actor James Earl Jones and their like,” he says.

Casais adds that a lot has happened to the game, which he likes to label as “Minecraft for adults”, since it was launched on May 8 th last year. A total of five DLCs have been released even before The Riddle of Steel, as well as a host of updates, bug-fixes and the like. “This makes me all the more pleased to announce the Steam Free Weekend, so that everyone can see what the game has evolved into for free,” the CEO says, adding that the Steam Free Weekend is in fact nearly a week long, as it will start already today.

The new DLC will contain several unique statues and figurines of Arnold Schwarzenegger as Conan, as well as iconic helmets from the first movie, commemorative warpaint and other decorative items. The Riddle of Steel is not part of the four core DLCs Funcom have planned for 2019 and will therefore not be included in the Year 2 Season Pass. Instead the studio has simultaneously released a free update, which includes two new dungeons, a total revamp of several locations, new NPCs and a new feat, “Witch Doctor”, allowing you to summon wights and skeletons to your side.

The Riddle of Steel will be available for PC for $ 6.99 (other regional prices may apply) later this week, and will follow on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 shortly after.

The Steam Free Weekend starts today at 7 pm CET (11 am PST).

Fight with style: The Riddle of Steel features new cosmetic options that honor the cult classic Conan-movies from the 1980s.

Key Features:

The Riddle of Steel

  • 18 Statues and figurines of Arnold Schwarzenegger as Conan.
  • 5 iconic helmets from the movie, of characters such as Thulsa Doom and Rexor.
  • 5 unique placeables from the movie, such as King Conan’s Lion Throne.
  • 6 statues and figurines of Valeria from the movie Conan the Barbarian.
  • 6 statues and figurines of Subotai the Hyrkanian archer.
  • 3 decorative warpaints from the movie.

Anniversary-update (free update)

  • New dungeon: The Sunken City.
  • New dungeon: Sepermeru Silver Mine.
  • New feat: Witch Doctor, allowing you to summon undeads.
  • Total revamp of several locations, with new enemies and additional bosses.
  • New items, both lootable and craftable.
  • Tons of UI fixes and balance passes.

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire Celebrates 1 Year Anniversary with Big Update

Irvine, California – May 8th, 2019 – Genre-defining RPG developer Obsidian Entertainment, in partnership with indie powerhouse publisher Versus Evil, is today announcing that update 5.0 for Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is now available. On the one year anniversary of its launch Obsidian continues to refine the player experience for Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire and introduces a whole host of new content, balances, and fixes with update 5.0, including the full release of turn-based mode.

The update provides further refinement to ship to ship encounters as players navigate the exotic open ocean of the Deadfire archipelago. Obsidian has also written in new story content recorded by the original actors which improves story aspects with Woedica and Eotha characters in the game. The final God Challenge will also be live with this update and turns on not only all the other God Challenges, but also Solo (the game must be played with no companions), Trail of Iron (you only have one save file and if you die, the save is deleted), and Path of the Damned (the hardest difficulty), for players looking to test their mettle.

And there’s more! – with update 5.0 Obsidian is also providing a revised set of the Pillars of Eternity pen-and-paper rules for everyone to be able to try out. Anyone who is interested in playing a tabletop game in the world of Eora, can head over to https://eternity.obsidian.net and download the ruleset now! Those who already had the rules either through backing the game on Fig, or in the Deluxe or Obsidian Editions of Deadfire will also get the updated ruleset.

Furthermore, Obsidian is holding a competition for the Ultimate God Challenge where players can get an embroided patch from Obsidian and their name, class, character and level engraved on a plaque for prosperity to be hung in the Obsidian offices. For full guidelines for the competition, check out the latest Deadfire Backer Update on Obsidian’s forums.

Update 5.0 Features in detail

  • New Ship UI – An update to the UI has been implemented that will come up any time players engage with a ship on the seas that brings a more elegant way to ship-to-ship encounters.
  • Turn-Based Mode Out of Beta – Thanks to feedback from the community, Obsidian have made a lot of changes to turn-based mode to account for bugs and balance fixes and it is now in full release with the 5.0 patch.
  • New Story Content Added – After listening to feedback on the critical path of the game when it came to reactivity with Woedica and Eothas, Obsidian have been able to go in and write new lines and get them recorded by the original actors to add more to that aspect of the game.
  • The Ultimate – The final God Challenge will be live with the 5.0 patch. This challenge, “The Ultimate” will turn on all other God Challenges, Trial of Iron, Path of the Damned, and Solo mode.

Added Extras

  • Revised Paper Rules – This can be downloaded by visiting eternity.obsidian.net. Those who had the PnP starter guide as a digital reward through the Fig Campaign, or those who have the Deluxe or Obsidian editions of the game will also get the updated rules.
  • Ultimate God Contest – Those who complete the challenge and show Obsidian proof through either a YouTube playlist of their playthrough, or links to videos via Dropbox (all submitted to theultimate@obsidian.net), can have the chance to get a patch sent to them from Obsidian. The first 12 to complete the challenge will get a patch, but will also have their name, their character’s name, their class and level, engraved on a plaque in the Obsidian offices*.
  • *All submissions subject to judgement from Obsidian team members and can be disqualified as Obsidian see fit.

PDXCON 2019 Tickets On Sale Now

STOCKHOLM – May 7, 2019 – Paradox Interactive, a publisher and developer of games that defy convention, today opened sales of tickets for PDXCON 2019, the annual celebration of Paradox’s global community. This year’s event, occurring in Berlin, Germany on the weekend of October 18-20, 2019, will include exclusive activities and experiences for attendees — including the announcement of new games from Paradox and its partners. Tickets purchased starting today will be eligible for an “Early Bird” discount of 20% off, applicable to all available ticket tiers.

Prepare for the debuts by watching the debut of the latest PDXCON 2019 trailer, here:

This year’s PDXCON will see several world-first exclusives including hands-on game experience with Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. All PDXCON attendees, starting with holders of a Baron ticket, will get admission to the convention on Saturday, October 19, which includes access to all seminars, activities, game areas, and more. The King ticket will also grant admission during Sunday, October 20, where a series of special megagames, developer meet-and-greet sessions, and a LAN gaming session will be held. For those who purchase an Emperor ticket, an extra day on Friday, October 18 will be held, which will include an exclusive behind-the-scenes first look at Paradox’s newest games and biggest secrets.

Tickets and event details are available at the PDXCON website: https://pdxcon.paradoxplaza.com/

Walt Disney Motion Pictures Updated Film Release Schedule to 2027

May 7, 2019 – The Walt Disney Studios has unveiled its upcoming slate following the recent acquisition of the Fox film studios, including changes to previously dated films and a number of major additions.

After kicking off with the record-setting success of Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame, The Walt Disney Studios’ 2019 summer slate includes Disney’s Aladdin on May 24, Fox’s Dark Phoenix on June 7, Pixar’s Toy Story 4 on June 21, Fox’s Stuber on July 12, and Disney’s The Lion King on July 19. Fox 2000’s The Art of Racing in the Rain moves up to Aug. 9, and Fox Searchlight’s Ready or Not will release on Aug. 23, while three films move to later dates: Ad Astra (9/20/19), The New Mutants (4/3/20), and Artemis Fowl (5/29/20).

The Studios’ 2019 slate rounds out with Fox’s The Woman in the Window on Oct. 4 and Ford V. Ferrari on Nov. 15, Disney’s Maleficent: Mistress of Evil on Oct. 18 and Disney Animation’s Frozen 2 on Nov. 22, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker on Dec. 20, and Blue Sky Studios’ Spies in Disguise, moving from September to Christmas. Among early 2020 titles are Fox’s Underwater on Jan. 10, a new Kingsman movie on Feb. 14, and Call of the Wild on Feb. 21, followed by Pixar’s Onward on March 6 and Disney’s Mulan on March 27.

The updated calendar also sets release dates for major franchises Avatar and Star Wars. With Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker bringing the original Skywalker Saga to its conclusion, three new as-yet-untitled Star Wars films will release on the pre-Christmas weekend every other year beginning in 2022. Four forthcoming Avatar films, expanding the vibrant world of Pandora, will release on the pre-Christmas weekend every other year beginning in 2021. In the holiday corridor for 2020, Fox’s West Side Story adaptation, directed by Steven Spielberg, will debut Dec. 18 in the pre-Christmas slot, with Disney’s Cruella opening Wednesday, Dec. 23, for the long holiday weekend.

“We’re excited to put in place a robust and diverse slate that lays the foundation of our long-term strategy, bringing together a breadth of films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Fox, Fox Searchlight, and Blue Sky Studios to create an extraordinary collection of cinematic experiences for audiences around the world,” said Cathleen Taff, President, Theatrical Distribution, Franchise Management, and Business & Audience Insights, The Walt Disney Studios. “With a strong summer already in place, we are eager to carry that momentum forward over the coming years thanks to a creative wellspring of bold and imaginative stories coming from our world-class studios – including several new chapters of two revered franchises, Avatar and Star Wars.”