Author - Jerry Paxton

Disney Unveils Triple Force Friday and Frozen Fan Fest

2019/02/15

Glendale, Calif. (February 15, 2019) – Fans of two of the most anticipated films of 2019 – Star Wars: Episode IX and Disney’s Frozen 2 – can begin counting down to October 4 when new products inspired by these two major entertainment events will begin hitting shelves around the world. Marking Disney’s first-ever, global simultaneous rollout for two entertainment juggernauts, retailers around the world will create unique celebrations for each of the franchises to honor their individual legacies.

“This is truly an epic moment for fans, families and retailers as products for two of the biggest-ever entertainment franchises hit shelves simultaneously,” says Ken Potrock, President, Consumer Products Commercialization. “We’ll be working with our partners to create suitably spectacular celebrations for each, in line with the excitement and anticipation of the legions of Star Wars and Frozen fans around the globe.”

TRIPLE FORCE FRIDAY
Triple Force Friday will celebrate the launch of a whole range of brand-new products from a trio of original Star Wars entertainment events, including products inspired by:

• The highly anticipated, final installment of the Skywalker Saga, Star Wars: Episode IX

• The first-ever Star Wars live-action series, The Mandalorian, set to debut exclusively on the upcoming streaming service, Disney+.

• The latest title from EA and Respawn – Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – a brand-new action adventure game releasing Holiday 2019

As Star Wars fans have come to anticipate, products spanning categories from toys to collectibles, housewares, books, apparel and more will go on sale beginning at 12:01 a.m. on October 4, 2019. Stores around the world will join the festivities with in-store events and midnight openings.

Commemorating merchandise introduced in advance of the episodic films, Triple Force Friday is an anticipated event for Star Wars fans around the world. Past iterations, including a live unboxing event that rolled through 15 cities worldwide in 2015 and a global in-store digital scavenger hunt using augmented reality technology in 2017, brought out millions of people who shared their experiences.

“With Disney’s Frozen 2 and Star Wars: Episode IX both launching in the same year, it will be a notable time for the toy industry,” says Juli Lennett, Vice President, Industry Advisor for The NPD Group’s U.S. toys division. “If history is any indication of future success, both Frozen and Star Wars will be among the top-selling properties of 2019, just as they were in 2014 and 2015/2016, respectively.”

Details of how Triple Force Friday will unfold will be revealed closer to the event, but fans can expect its legacy of unique experiences to continue, and for the new products to be kept under wraps until October 4, with additional new products continuing to rollout leading up to the theatrical release and beyond.

For more details on Triple Force Friday, those interested can visit StarWars.com and follow the conversation on social using #ForceFriday.

Frozen Fan Fest
Disney’s Frozen 2, the highly anticipated animated feature from Walt Disney Animation Studios, will make its big screen debut on November 22, 2019. In celebration of the new film and fan’s excitement for the sequel, Disney and retailers around the world will kick off Frozen Fan Fest on October 4, 2019, when new product rolls out worldwide. Frozen Fan Fest will include product reveals, musical moments, in-store events and much more, introducing an unprecedented assortment of Frozen 2 product and offering fans the opportunity to join the Frozen characters as they set out on a new and epic journey beyond Arendelle. These special fan experiences will continue until the premiere date, with product

continuing to rollout after the film’s release. The Frozen 2 product assortment spans categories including toys, apparel, fashion accessories, housewares, books and much, much more!

In November 2013, Walt Disney Animation Studios released Frozen, which quickly ascended to unparalleled success, delivering over $1.25 billion in global box office sales and becoming the number one global animated release of all time. With its fresh take on the classic fairytale, featuring strong, empowered heroines, powerful songs, and a loveable ensemble of characters that captured the hearts of fans of all ages, the Academy Award®-winning animated feature created a cultural phenomenon.

The frenzy for all things Frozen continued to grow in 2014 and beyond, solidifying its place in the zeitgeist and translating into massive sales at retail. Frozen products flurried across toy industry and holiday wish lists with the National Retail Federation naming toys from the franchise property as some of the top toys for 2014. Anna and Elsa costumes sold over three million units that year and became the top costumes at Disney Stores around the world.

Frozen has since been propelled by new content including animated shorts and specials, a Broadway show that will begin touring this year, Parks attractions, character appearances, and retail category expansion across home goods, food, health and fashion.

Additional details on Frozen Fan Fest will be revealed later this year…stay tuned on social using

#FrozenFanFest.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Gathering Storm Out Now

2019/02/14

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Windows PC News

New York, NY – February 14, 2019 – 2K and Firaxis Games today announced that Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI: Gathering Storm, the second expansion pack for the critically acclaimed and award-winning Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI, is now available for Windows PC.

Civilization VI: Gathering Storm presents players with an active planet that generates new and dynamic challenges for the Civilization series, with new features and systems including Environmental Effects, new Engineering Projects and Consumable Resources for players to experience a living world full of danger and opportunity. The expansion, the largest ever created for the beloved strategy series, introduces the Diplomatic Victory and the World Congress – a new way to win the game in a forum where leaders vote on global policies. Technologies and Civics now extend into the near future, opening possibilities not yet seen by the existing world. In addition, there are eight new civilizations and nine new leaders, as well as many new units, buildings, improvements, wonders and more.

“Firaxis continues raising the bar with Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Gathering Storm in developing the largest and most feature-rich expansion to date for the franchise,” said Melissa Bell, SVP and Head of Global Marketing at 2K. “The development team exceeded our expectations by delivering a unique expansion with a living world of climate challenges for players to experience Civilization in ways never before possible.”

“In Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Gathering Storm, the world around the player is more alive than ever before,” said Ed Beach, Franchise Lead Designer at Firaxis Games. “We’re excited to offer new ways for fans to discover fresh experiences playing Civ, and this expansion epitomizes that sense of exploration. The choices players make will influence the world ecosystem and could impact the future of every civilization on the map.”

Key features for Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Gathering Storm include:

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: Volcanoes, storms (blizzards, sand storms, tornadoes and hurricanes), climate change, floods, droughts and geothermal fissures bring the world to life in a brand-new way;
POWER AND CONSUMABLE RESOURCES: Strategic resources like coal and oil, as well as renewable energy sources like wind and geothermal energy, play an additional role and are now consumed in power plants to generate electricity for cities;
ENGINEERING PROJECTS: Players can now shape the worlds around their empires to overcome unfavorable land conditions by adding improvements like canals, dams, tunnels and railroads;
WORLD CONGRESS: For the first time in Civilization VI, players can make their voices heard among the other leaders of the world in their quests to achieve the new Diplomatic Victory;
21st CENTURY TECHNOLOGIES AND CIVICS: A New 9th Era is added to the Technology and Civics trees, introducing a new age of technology;
NEW LEADERS AND CIVS: Nine new leaders from eight new civilizations bring unique bonuses and gameplay, as well as a total of nine unique units, four unique buildings, three unique improvements, two unique districts and one unique governor;
NEW SCENARIOS: Two new scenarios are included in the Gathering Storm expansion. The Black Death provides players with the challenge of leading their civs through The Great Plague that devastated Europe, while War Machine is a multiplayer experience pitting one player as Germany to execute a bold plan of invading France, while the French defender strives to repel the invasion;
MORE NEW CONTENT: Gathering Storm includes seven new world wonders, seven natural wonders, 15 new improvements, nine new buildings, five new districts, two new city sets, nine new techs and 10 new civics;
NEW UNITS: Gathering Storm introduces 18 new units, including the return of the near-unstoppable Giant Death Robot, as well as The Rock Band, a special kind of Atomic Era unit that generates huge boosts of Tourism;
IMPROVED GAMEPLAY SYSTEMS: The Espionage system is enhanced with new options, while the Culture and Science Victories are updated, new Historic Moments are added and additional improvements were made to other existing systems.

Developed by Firaxis Games, Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Gathering Storm is available for Windows PC and coming shortly thereafter for Mac and Linux from Aspyr Media. Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and up by the ESRB and is available now for Windows PC and Nintendo Switch™. Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is also available for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Linux from Aspyr Media.

For more information on Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, 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 #OneMoreTurn.

Oninaki Announcement Trailer

2019/02/14

Jerry Paxton

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

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 13, 2019) – SQUARE ENIX® today announced that an all-new action-RPG developed by the talented Tokyo RPG Factory™ team, titled ONINAKI ™, will be releasing on the Nintendo Switch™ system, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, and STEAM® this summer.

Tokyo RPG Factory’s third title, ONINAKI, continues the studio’s mission to take inspiration from classic Japanese role-playing games to create a brand-new experience on modern platforms following the releases of the critically acclaimed I Am Setsuna ™ and LOST SPHEAR ™.

With exciting new action-RPG gameplay, players will explore the world as a mysterious Watcher named Kagachi who is bound by duty to sever the bonds that tie the Lost to this world. With Kagachi’s guidance, these wandering souls in the world of the Beyond can continue the cyclical process of reincarnation over again.

ONINAKI is not yet rated. Please visit the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) website at www.esrb.org for more information about ratings.

For more information, visit http://www.oninaki.com.

Universal Offers Limited Time Mandarin VIP Tour Option

2019/02/13

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News

Universal City, CA, February 13, 2019 – Universal Studios Hollywood enhances its premium VIP Experience with the introduction of Mandarin-speaking guides offering guests an opportunity to experience the world-famous theme park and historic backlot by in-language experts.

Mandarin VIP Experience tours will be offered on a weekly basis through June 1, 2019. For more information and to book a reservation, guests can visit www.ush.cn and www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com or call 818-622-8477.

The Mandarin VIP Experience complements Universal Studios Hollywood’s popular VIP Experience. Helmed by expertly-trained tour guides, the VIP Experience offers guests from around the world a front row seat to the magic of movie and television production with escorted express access to all rides and attractions, behind-the-scenes access to movie and television sets and soundstages, including the legendary Property Warehouse and the Costume Department, along with exclusive entry to a reserved VIP lounge, a gourmet buffet lunch in a private dining room prepared by the theme park’s executive chef and valet parking.

Universal Studios Hollywood’s VIP Experience is a full-day adventure that has guests traveling in style aboard specially-designed trolleys equipped with LED monitors featuring clips from movies and TV shows previously filmed on the lot to add further context to the exclusive tours.

Adding to the insider’s look at the legendary studio, guests are invited to disembark and explore areas of the backlot typically inaccessible to the general public. From realistic exterior sets such as the New York Streets where scenes in such blockbusters as Transformers and The Sting were filmed to the iconic Courthouse Square made famous in the Back to the Future movies and To Kill a Mocking Bird, VIP Experience guests can walk along the same sets that have been immortalized in countless films, television shows and commercials.

Highlights of the VIP Experience also include visits to Universal’s famed Property Warehouse and Costume Department. Built in 1915, the 130,000 square-foot, four-story facility contains over 400,000 unique items representing virtually every set dressing and handheld article ever created for the big or small screen, and the Costume Department features a diverse collection of over 800,000 articles of clothing, costumes, accessories and jewelry required for any production spanning across time.

The VIP Experience also features escorted express access and reserved seating at Universal Studios rides and attractions, including “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey” and the outdoor family coaster, “Flight of the Hippogriff™ located in “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter,” the multi-sensory attraction DreamWorks Theatre Featuring “Kung Fu Panda” and one of the park’s most popular thrill rides, “Transformers™: The Ride—3D.”

Intruders: Hide and Seek PSVR Launch Trailer

2019/02/13

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos

HAMBURG, Germany – Feb. 13, 2019 – Daedalic Entertainment and Spanish developer Tessera Studios today released the VR psychological thriller Intruders: Hide and Seek for PlayStation®VR. The game is available for $19.99. It has already won several accolades, including a PlayStation Talents award, Best Pitch at SXSW Gaming, and a Titanium Award from the Fun & Serious Games Festival.

Intruders: Hide and Seek makes full use of VR’s strengths to immerse you into a hostage drama in the middle of a spooky forest. Through the eyes of young Ben, you are forced to watch three mysterious burglars threaten your family in their secluded holiday home. The helpless teen can do nothing but flee and hide from the intruders. If he wants to uncover the villains’ secret and save his family, he must remain undetected at all costs.

Thanks to VR technology, you can directly experience the feeling of terror of being exposed to uncontrollable powers from Ben’s perspective. In Intruders: Hide and Seek, your only chance is to overcome debilitating fear and keep your nerve against seemingly impossible odds.

Key Features:

A realistic and nerve-wrecking hostage drama.
Unique immersion thanks to PlayStation®VR: Experience the game through the eyes of young Ben.
Plan your next steps carefully – or else they might be your last.
Four hours of exciting and breathtaking suspense.

Intruders: Hide and Seek will be published on Steam with VR support in winter 2019.

Frozen 2 Teaser Trailer

2019/02/13

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Movie News, News, Trailers / Videos

February 13, 2019 – From the Academy Award®-winning team—directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, and producer Peter Del Vecho—and featuring the voices of Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad, and the music of Oscar®-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Frozen 2” opens in U.S. theaters on Nov. 22, 2019.

Check out the new teaser trailer from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Frozen 2.”

Arma 3 Steam Free Weekend Starts on Valentine’s Day

2019/02/12

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

February 12, 2019 – This Thursday February 14 until Monday February 18 (starting and ending at 19:00 CET/18:00 GMT/10:00 PST), players from all over the world will be able to get some action with the Arma 3 Free Weekend on Steam. Additionally, Arma 3 and all Arma 3 DLC packs (including the Arma Apex expansion) will be on sale with discounts ranging from 20-66% for the duration of the Free Weekend.

The Free Weekend gives Steam users access to the entire Arma 3 base game plus the Arma 3 Apex expansion content. This includes 50+ weapons, 30+ vehicles, 4 massive terrains with a combined landmass of 450 km2, a singleplayer and co-op campaign, individual showcase scenarios, a tutorial prologue campaign, training courses, a variety of multiplayer game modes (including the recently introduced Warlords mode), and the powerful 3D Scenario Editor. Free Weekend participants will be able to carry over all of their save games and Steam Achievements when they decide to purchase the game.

Besides the official game content, players can also make use of the wealth of free community-made content, including the 55,000+ items shared on the Arma 3 Steam Workshop. These items contain additional weapons, vehicles, gear, terrains, missions, multiplayer game modes, and much more. Some of the most popular Workshop items of all-time include the RHS Russian Armed Forces and United States Armed Forces add-on packs, the Halo-inspired Operation: TREBUCHET total conversion, the CUP ports of terrains from previous Arma games, and the original PLAYERUNKNOWN’s Battle Royale.

Since its initial version 1.0 release in 2013, Arma 3 has received more than 70 free platform updates – introducing new core gameplay mechanics, assets and playable content, as well as tons of other improvements and bug fixes. It is currently one of the best reviewed tactical shooter games on Steam with 89% of its 75,000+user reviews being positive, and so far the Arma 3 community has welcomed over 4,500,000 players. Together, Arma 3 users have played the game for a total of 650+ million hours, and the average playtime per Arma 3 user is more than 150 hours.

To keep track of all the latest Arma 3 news, we recommend following Arma on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Steam.

Conviction – An Anthem Story From Neill Blomkamp Teaser

2019/02/12

Jerry Paxton

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

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — Today, Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) and Neill Blomkamp, the Academy Award-nominated director of District 9, Elysium, and Chappie, have announced that they have collaborated on Conviction, an original live-action short-film based on BioWare’s Anthem™. In Conviction, Blomkamp brings the vast world of Anthem to life with his own story set decades before the beginning of the game. This live-action short invites viewers to experience Blomkamp’s unique style of creating photorealistic visual effects and bringing them seamlessly into the real world, this time with EA’s highly-anticipated new game.

A teaser of Blomkamp’s Conviction is now live, with the full short going live February 14 on the Oats Studios YouTube channel. In the short, people will see the player city of Fort Tarsis in the game come to life, and the freelancers that live within it. These freelancers who use Javelin exosuits, have been re-created by Neill’s team to show them in live action as they fight off the main villain and head of the evil Dominion faction, the Monitor.

“I was really blown away by this incredible world BioWare created the very first time I saw Anthem,” said Neill Blomkamp. “Conviction sets the stage with a narrative that touches on Anthem’s beautiful and immersive world, which is ripe for exploration by these powerful Javelins. A world where danger is lurking on every ledge and in each valley.”

In Anthem, players can play with up to three friends to explore and battle in a dangerous, mysterious world with great characters and a unique BioWare story. As freelancers, players don Javelin exosuits, making them powerful heroes with strong weapons and incredible special abilities to help them survive in an ever-changing, unfinished world. Players will be able to customize and personalize their Javelins with unique paint jobs and gear so they’ll have the right tools to confront almost any situation, and look good doing it. As players work together to find vast ruins, defeat deadly enemies and claim otherworldly artifacts, they’ll be unlocking their own individual story fighting against The Dominion, a ferocious militaristic society.

Players can unleash their power in Anthem worldwide on February 22 for Origin for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Origin Access Premier members can be the first to play the full game with unlimited access on PC starting February 15, and EA Access and Origin Access Basic members can enjoy up to 10 hours of play time as part of the Play First Trial.*

Fans who wish to learn more about Anthem can visit the official website, as well as get the latest news and updates on Twitter and Facebook.

RAGE 2 9 Minutes of Gameplay

2019/02/12

Jerry Paxton

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

February 12, 2019 – A lethal dance-off for a sweet new ability, a high-flying trip over a hostile open world, a fight against a very angry man in a mech suit… RAGE 2 has it all in this brand new extended gameplay video. It’s nine minutes of Wasteland action!

With intense id-style combat rammed into the open-world mayhem of Avalanche Studios, RAGE 2’s shooterverse will let you go anywhere, shoot anything, and explode everything when it launches on May 14, 2019 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Visit the official site at bethesda.net/en/game/rage2 for more details.

Telltale’s The Walking Dead The Final Season Collector’s Box Set Announced

2019/02/11

Jerry Paxton

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

February 11, 2019 – With Telltale’s The Walking Dead The Final Season coming to a close this March (Episode 4 releases March 26th), we’ve been working on something special—an exclusive Collector’s Pack that includes a boxed edition of the entire Final Season (for Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, or PS4) as well as two special items only available in this Collector’s Pack on Skybound.com:

AJ Pin from Yesterdays: Wear AJ as your badge of honor with this custom enamel pin.
AJ Figure: Keep AJ close with this 4” stylized, full color vinyl figure.
Both items will be packaged in a custom gift box, along with your copy of The Final Season, and shipped to your doorstep. Quantities are extremely limited – so don’t wait!

If you are a Skybound Insider, pre-orders open today here (https://store.skybound.com/products/telltales-the-walking-dead-season-4-collectors-edition). If not, well you can sign up to become a Skybound Insider here (https://accounts.skybound.com/web/register/register.php), or check back tomorrow when pre-orders open for the non-Insiders among you.

THIS PRE-ORDER PERIOD IS THE ONLY TIME YOU CAN ORDER THIS COLLECTOR’S EDITION. ORDERS CLOSE MARCH 17TH (or while supplies last) SO ORDER NOW BEFORE THIS COLLECTOR’S PACK IS GONE FOREVER.

But seriously, sign up to be an Insider—you’ll get discounts on awesome stuff and exclusive access to Skybound content and more.