Author - Jerry Paxton

Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Digital and Home Video Release Dates

2019/01/03
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Movie News, News

Universal City, California, January 3, 2019 – Families everywhere can ring in the New Year with Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch on Digital and via the digital movie app MOVIES ANYWHERE on January 22, 2019, and on 4K Ultra HD, 3D Blu-ray™, Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand on February 5, 2019. From Illumination and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, the film based on Dr. Seuss’ beloved tale about a cynical grouch who goes on a mission to steal Christmas from others only to feel his own heart grow three sizes larger through unexpected friendships is one “the whole family can watch and enjoy,” (Kidsday/Newsday).

The new home entertainment edition contains more than 60 minutes of bonus content, including three mini-movies: “Dog Days of Winter” starring the Grinch and his heroically loyal dog Max; and “Yellow is the New Black” and “Santa’s Little Helpers,” both starring the lovable Minions. It also includes stunning featurettes, a how-to-draw tutorial and much more. Narrated by Grammy Award®winner and Oscar® nominee Pharrell Williams, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch stars Academy Award® nominee Benedict Cumberbatch (Dr. Strange, “Sherlock”) as the infamous Grinch, who lives a solitary life inside a cave on Mt. Crumpit with only his loyal dog, Max, for company. The incredible voice cast includes Rashida Jones (“Parks and Recreation,” The Muppets) as Donna Who, Kenan Thompson (“Saturday Night Live”) as Bricklebaum, Cameron Seely (The Greatest Showman) as Cindy-Lou Who, and featuring legendary actress Angela Lansbury (Anastasia, Beauty and the Beast) as the mayor of Whoville. Funny, heartwarming and visually stunning, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch is a perfect night in for the whole family!

BONUS FEATURES EXCLUSIVE TO 4K ULTRA HD, 3D BLU-RAYTM, BLU-RAYTM AND DVD:

  • Who’s Who in Who-ville (interactive map) – There are so many interesting characters that call Who-ville home that it’s hard to keep track of them all. This “Who’s Who” pop-up book uses animation to create a virtual storybook that takes us from Who-ville to Mt. Crumpit. 
  • “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” Lyric Video – Tyler, The Creator puts a modern spin on the Seussian Christmas classic.

MINI-MOVIES ON 4K ULTRA HD, 3D BLU-RAYTM, BLU-RAYTM, DVD & DIGITAL:

  • Yellow is the New Black – Before they all make their big escape from prison in Despicable Me 3, a couple of lucky Minions get a taste of freedom as they break free with the help of one of their fellow human inmates.
  • Dog Days of Winter – Max braves the harsh winter weather and an uncooperative Who to bring a sick Grinch his favorite hot tea.
  • Santa’s Little Helpers – Fan favorites – the Minions – are back for another adventure! Having been accidently dropped off at the North Pole, our Minion pals make the most of the situation by trying to become elves.

BONUS FEATURES ON 4K ULTRA HD, 3D BLU-RAYTM, BLU-RAYTM, DVD & DIGITAL:

  • The Making of the Mini-Movies – Mini in size but not in heart, these short films are fan favorites. From the Grinch and Max to the Minions – you’ll explore the themes of each of the mini-movies through the eyes of the filmmakers who made them.
  • From Green to Screen – It takes a lot to bring grumpy green to your home screen. This inside look at the making of Illumination’s Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch features interviews and behind-the-scenes moments with the cast, filmmakers and artists whose hearts have all grown three sizes bringing this classic tale to life.
  • Illuminating THE GRINCH – Using filmmaker and cast interviews, concept art and progression reels, we take a behind-the-scenes look at how the characters evolved from initial sketches to fully realized characters.
  • My Earliest GRINCH Memories – The cast and filmmakers of Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch reveal their earliest memories of the grumpy green character and the enduring appeal of this Christmas curmudgeon’s journey to redemption.
  • Grinchy Gadgets – From his body-size blow dryer to his moving mechanical chair, from his catapult to his dog drone-rig and more… you’ll get to explore the wondrous world of Grinch’s gadgets.
  • “I Am The Grinch” Lyric Video – A stylized look at Tyler, The Creator’s original song created just for the film.
  • Songs From His Little Heart – Take a deep dive into the toe tapping beats ofDr. Seuss’s The Grinch. From score to specialty songs, you’ll hear from the film’s A-list musicians on what it took to create the music behind the movie.
  • X-mas Around the World – Every culture practices Christmas in a slightly different way. We’ll highlight some of the more fun permutations of the holiday around the globe.
  • Cindy-Lou’s Yule Log – Nothing says the holidays quite like an animated fireplace blasting fake heat from your living room television. Just in time for winter, we’ll recreate Cindy-Lou’s living room on Christmas Eve for all to enjoy.
  • Production Babies – A celebration of the babies born to the filmmakers during the production of Illumination’s Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch.
  • Any Who Can Draw – Hosted by an Illumination artist and head of story Mark O’Hare, you’ll see step-by-step how to draw some of your favorite characters from this beloved holiday classic; Grinch, Max and Fred!

The film will be available on 4K Ultra HD in a combo pack which includes 4K Ultra HD Blu-rayTM, Blu-rayTM and Digital. The 4K Ultra HD disc will include the same bonus features as the Blu-rayTM version, all in stunning 4K resolution.

  • 4K Ultra HD is the ultimate movie watching experience. 4K Ultra HD features the combination of 4K resolution for four times sharper picture than HD, and the color brilliance of High Dynamic Range (HDR) with immersive audio delivering a multidimensional sound experience.
  • Blu-rayTM unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring 6X the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras and theater-quality surround sound.
  • Digital lets fans watch movies anywhere on their favorite devices. Users can instantly stream or download.
  • MOVIES ANYWHERE is the digital app that simplifies and enhances the digital movie collection and viewing experience by allowing consumers to access their favorite digital movies in one place when purchased or redeemed through participating digital retailers. Consumers can also redeem digital copy codes found in eligible Blu-rayTM and DVD disc packages from participating studios and stream or download them through Movies Anywhere. MOVIES ANYWHERE is only available in the United States. For more information, visit https://moviesanywhere.com.

GamingShogun 2018 Holiday Gift Guide

2018/12/09
Jerry Paxton
Articles, Geek News, News

Every year during the holiday season, we like to acknowledge some of the best products and gift ideas we have seen throughout the year. Hopefully, this guide will help you if you are stuck thinking about what to get that special geek in your life!

The Products:

Razer Huntsman Elite Gaming Keyboard – $199

The Razer Huntsman Elite gaming keyboard brings forth a new key switch technology that allows for ultra fast key response as well as crisp key actuation sure to please.

Product Link

Razer Sila Gaming Router – $249

The Razer Sila gaming router optimizes your wireless network by giving priority to whatever application type you desire – especially games. To make things even better, the Sila is easy to use and very effective.

Product Link

AOC AG332QC4 Curved Display – $545.99

AOC’s new AG332QC4 curved display features 144Hz refresh rate, FreeSync, 2560×1440 resolution, and HDR certification – all of which add up to one great gaming monitor.

Product Link

Audeze Mobius 3D Headphones – $399

The Audeze Mobius 3D headphones are a marvel of modern audio technology. Sure, they come with a hefty price point but, if you can afford it, you will be treating yourself to some of the most crisp, clear, and believable positional 3D audio I have ever had the privilege to hear.

Product Link

Apple iPad Pro – $799 up

While the new iPhone XS and XS Max are incredible smartphones, the new iPad Pro proved to be the most amazing update Apple unleashed this year. Coming in both 11 and 12.9 inch flavors, the iPad Pro features lightning fast performance.

Product Link

Wheel Stand Pro for Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog – $304

I am constantly on the lookout for compact, mobile flight sim setups and the Wheel Stand Pro allows me to put together a great virtual cockpit for my favorite sims. Then, it folds up easily for storage!

Product Link

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Xbox One, PlayStation 4) – $59.99

Red Dead Redemption 2 is easily my favorite game of 2018. It is a gripping action drama set amongst the sunset of the rough and tumble world of the Old West.

Spider-Man (PlayStation 4) – $59.99

Spider-Man is the best video game adaptation of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man ever seen. It is a fun action romp through the streets and skylines of New York City.

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire (Windows PC) – $49.99

If you are a fan of turn based isometric RPGs, you owe it to yourself to checkout Obsidian Entertainment’s Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. It manages to capture that old school tactical gameplay while also modernizing it for today’s gaming crowd.

Universal Studios Grinchmas 2018 Review

2018/12/07
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News

Universal Studios has brought both Grinchmas and Christmas in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to the fore for this holiday season, both with unique offerings sure to please young and old alike. We started our long day at the park in the morning, with a stop at the Will Call desk to pick up our media tickets. Immediately while approaching the main gate, it was clear that Universal Studios has brought their full decorating and design prowess to bear. Christmas lights, trees, and more adorn every nook and cranny of the park.

One of the areas of the park I always enjoy is the New York area next to the new Kung Fu Panda Adventure attraction. This time of year, the New York area is covered in snow and beautiful lighting which is truly a sight to behold in the evening. The Kung Fu Panda Adventure attraction is also a lot of fun and not to be missed, but I wanted to focus more on the holiday portions of the event for this article. Going to the lower lot, the Jurassic Park ride is still being transformed into the Jurassic World attraction, but you can still enjoy the holiday lighting in that portion of the park as well. The fabled Universal Studios Tour is, as always, outstanding and it’s a pleasure to see the backlot in action – especially if you attend on a weekday. One never knows what movie or celebrity might be filming on the lot at any given time.

Grinchmas itself takes place in the Universal Plaza. There, you’ll find various food vendors, activities, and photo opportunities all arcing around the Grinchmas tree. This tree is enormous and never ceases to amaze – even in daylight. Once night falls, however, you’ll see it burst into a whole new life with amazing lighting effects. Also to be enjoyed throughout the day, there are multiple shows that take place at the base of the Grinchmas tree. For the little ones, be sure to get your photo taken with the Grinch himself! In the evening, you can enjoy the Grinchmas tree lighting ceremony, which is a brief retelling of the Dr. Seuss tale (as portrayed in the Universal Pictures’ film). You can even send a postcard to the Grinch, telling him you’ll do three good deads – whch is great for the kiddies. The Whoville citizens are all in movie quality makeup prosthetics and the makeup artists behind these applications should be very pleased with their edge-blending work.

Traveling farther into the park, we entered the Christmas in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter makeover of Hogsmeade. Again, Universal Studios park designers and decorators went above and beyond, managing to perfectly balance beautiful, seasonal decor with something that seems very in-character with the fictional village. At night, you and your group can experience faux snowfall! The Three Broomsticks restaurant has a holiday plate and you can now enjoy a hot version of the popular Butterbeer beverage. The holiday frog choir also has various shows throughout the day where they sing holiday tunes sure to please. The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle is a beautiful nighttime show where precision projector work and practical effects all come together into one eye popping spectacular. Overall, The Christmas in the Wizarding World makeover is outstanding – both in design and fun factor!

Overall, the Universal Studios Grinchmas and Christmas in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter events are not to be missed. Grinchmas runs from now until December 30th while the Christmas in the Wizard World makeover runs until January 6th, 2019. You can check out the full website for park hours, ticket information, and more!

Photo Gallery

THQ Nordic Acquires Carmageddon IP

2018/12/03
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Industry News, News

December 3, 2018: THQ Nordic today announced that the acquisition of the intellectual property “Carmageddon” has been finalized with Stainless Games, based in Newport, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom.

The acquisition itself is being handled by THQ Nordic AB, based in Karlstad, Sweden, and daily operations (sales and distribution, evaluation of sequels & new content etc.) will be done via THQ Nordic GmbH in Vienna, Austria and/or www.handy-games.com GmbH in Giebelstadt, Germany, respectively.

About Carmageddon
Carmageddon is a vehicular combat video game released for PC in 1997. It was later ported to other platforms, and spawned a series of follow-up titles.

Red Dead Online Beta Open to RDR 2 Gamers

2018/11/30
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Xbox One News

November 30, 2018 – The Red Dead Online Beta is now officially open to everyone with a copy of Red Dead Redemption 2.  Choose to make your mark as either a gunslinger or an outlaw. Join or form posses, battle enemy gangs, hunt, fish and search for treasure, challenge other settlers and much more in this brand new multiplayer story.

Over the first few days of early access, we’ve already received a lot of great feedback from the community. Please make sure to keep it coming at reddeadonline.com/feedback – as we’re constantly working to improve and evolve the experience.

In response to some early feedback we’ve seen from players, here are a few quick tips to help you succeed and thrive on the frontier.

  • Character Creation: Use the character creator’s in-depth tools to detail your character’s appearance and facial features. To further adjust a number of facial features, tap X/A to enter the Customize section and use the sliders to fine-tune your character. You can also click R3/Right-Stick to quickly see your character’s face without facial hair, and tap L1/LB and R1/RB to quickly check your character’s profile. While you can always make changes to your character’s hair, facial hair, makeup and dentistry at the local Barber or clothing from your Wardrobe or shops, your permanent features like your nose, eyes, mouth and freckles will not change after you finish creating your character. If you’d like at any point to start anew with a different character, you can delete your current character and create a new one by going to the PLAYER section of the pause menu and holding down Square/X; please keep in mind that this will delete your existing character and progression.
  • Player Menu: Tap d-pad left to bring up the Player Menu. From here you can find many practical tools and features: see other players in the session and your friends, form or join a Posse, manage your Camp and horses, quickly join matches or series, adjust your voice chat options – select Everyone to chat with everyone in your proximity, or isolate your chat to your Posse, Friends or Crew only – and much more.
  • Fast Travel: Visit Fast Travel signposts to quickly travel to where your Posse or friends are located and various other locations around the map, or return to your camp for a flat fee.
  • A Land of Opportunities: Visit Horley in Blackwater to start A Land of Opportunities, a cooperative series of story-based missions that can push your honor high or low based on your decisions. You’ll get to know some new characters in Red Dead Online, fight alongside fellow outlaws and earn a pretty penny along the way. If you made all positive honor decisions throughout and want to see how the storyline changes and push your honor in the other direction, you can replay making all negative honor decisions (and vice versa), all while receiving further payout and experience.
  • Treasure Maps: When you hit Rank 10 you’ll receive a Treasure Map, uncover the treasure for Gold and Cash. You’ll receive Treasure Maps for every 5 ranks after that. There’s also a chance you’ll uncover a Treasure Map when looting enemy bodies after clearing a Hideout or surviving an Ambush.
  • Catalogue: Hold down left on the d-pad to bring up the Catalogue and pick up provisions, tonics, weapons, ammo and more while on the go. Alternatively, when not in-game, purchases can be made via the web Catalogue on Social Club. Once purchased, you can recover most of your goods from your Camp’s lockbox or the Post Office, new weapons can be found on your horse and clothing will be added to your Wardrobe. Any horses or saddles will go to the Stable.
  • Ability Cards: Utilize different Ability Card categories (combat, recovery and defense) to help you survive the frontier. You can upgrade Ability Cards through 3 tiers of benefits and you can adjust them at any time to suit any scenario: use combat cards for attacking missions where you’ll rely on your weapons, or switch to defensive cards when escorting a wagon.

Look for lots more updates to the Red Dead Online Beta in the coming weeks and months, along with some more tips here at the Newswire

Total War: Three Kingdoms Diplomacy System Update Trailer

2018/11/30
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

November 30, 2018 – The second (and last) part of a new video series detailing the diplomacy system in Total War: THREE KINGDOMS is available to watch now here: https://youtu.be/LG_Xy960Lqo. If you’ve missed part one, you can catch up here: https://youtu.be/qa-Sp1fwHmA

The diplomacy system has been rewritten from the ground up for THREE KINGDOMS, introducing a range of diplomatic tools which enable players to engineer a host of new outcomes.

Players can now employ new tradeable assets as leverage in negotiations, including ancillary items and characters, food supplies, and even territory itself. Players can also haggle to find the best deal – or sabre-rattle other warlords into acceptance.

Diplomacy is now a more subtle and powerful tool of statecraft than ever before, enabling players to to build relations, manipulate opinion, form coalitions and mighty alliances, and broker power across the campaign map in their rise to the throne.

Total War: THREE KINGDOMS launches March 7th, 2019.

For further information on Diplomacy, please see the CA dev-blog.

For more THREE KINGDOMS gameplay, see the Total War YouTube Channel.

Universal Studios Hollywood Rings in 2019 with EVE

2018/11/29
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News

Universal City, California, November 29, 2018 – Universal Studios Hollywood rings in 2019 with EVE, Hollywood’s biggest and most exciting New Year’s celebration, including an all-new Ultimate EVE package, on Monday, December 31, with extended theme park hours to 2:00 a.m.

EVE is included in the price of theme park admission and invites guests to spend the day and night enjoying its many popular rides and attractions with a special park-wide party starting at 9:00 p.m., featuring multiple DJs and live music entertainment hubs, that will culminate simultaneously at midnight with a traditional New Year countdown and a spectacular fireworks display.

The all-new Ultimate EVE package is a featured addition to this year’s event, inviting guests to celebrate in style. Package highlights include theme park admission starting at 6:00 p.m., access to private lounges, buffet dining, private cash bars, reserved VIP viewing areas for the dazzling fireworks display, a complimentary, midnight champagne toast, commemorative 2019 party favors and unlimited Universal Express access to all rides and attractions.

Starting at 9:00 p.m., Universal Plaza, Simpsons Plaza located in Springfield™ and an area near “Revenge of the Mummy – The Ride” will transform into three uniquely-themed party hubs, featuring a variety of music, from rock ‘n’ roll to electronic dance music to Latin pop, and the celebration will continue with enhanced DJ shows and after-party entertainment until 2:00 a.m.

A selection of food and beverages, including specialty desserts, champagne, beer, wine and specialty cocktails, as well as 2019 memorabilia will be available for purchase.

To purchase tickets for EVE or the Ultimate EVE package, click here.

With its festive environment, guests can toast the New Year with the spirit of the holidays already resonating throughout Universal Studios Hollywood.

The highly-anticipated return of “Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry PotterTM brings glistening snowfall for the first time ever to Hogsmeade village along with “The Magic of Christmas at HogwartsTM Castle,” a breathtaking digital light projection experience, which continues through January 6, 2019.

More information, including special EVE Preferred Hotel Packages, is available at www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com. Like Universal Studios Hollywood on Facebook and follow @UniStudios on Instagram and Twitter.

Overkill’s The Walking Dead Season Two Trailer

2018/11/29
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Windows PC News

STOCKHOLM – Nov. 29, 2018 – Starbreeze, Skybound Entertainment and 505 Games have announced the start of season two of OVERKILL’S The Walking Dead on Windows PC via Steam. Included for all players who own the standard and deluxe editions of the co-op multiplayer action game, this first major content update introduces a new full-length story mission, improved tutorial support for newcomers and the highly requested addition of in-game voice chat.

Season two picks up with the main group of survivors facing new challenges in the aftermath of season one’s finale, including a powerful new enemy fortified on Washington, D.C.’s historic Capitol Hill. The first episode – “No Sanctuary” – sees players stage a daring raid on a Georgetown church to rescue a potentially life-saving informant. Season two will feature nine episodes from November 2018 to June 2019, containing new missions, playable characters, weapons, mods and other surprises along the way.

OVERKILL’s The Walking Dead has also been updated with new features driven by player feedback since the game’s launch earlier this month. In-game voice chat is now supported within Steam, enabling players to better communicate and coordinate with each other. A new video tutorial available in game – “The Survival Guide” – offers first-time players a more robust introduction to the game’s core mechanics with helpful advice for staying alive. Finally, restructured files will help the development team continue updating the game with new content and improvements at a quick and reliable pace.

Inspired by Robert Kirkman’s original graphic novels and developed by OVERKILL – A Starbreeze Studio, OVERKILL’s The Walking Dead is a four-player co-op shooter where players must band together on a variety of missions to find survivors, secure supplies and survive. Use stealth to evade enemies tactically, or dismember walkers limb from limb with brute force and firepower. Each of the game’s playable characters has their own special abilities, skill trees, squad roles, play styles and background stories.

Both OVERKILL’s The Walking Dead standard edition and OVERKILL’S The Walking Dead Deluxe Edition, containing the full game, its first and second seasons of content, the Night Raid Collection cosmetic DLC, a digital artbook, and the game’s digital soundtrack, are available now via Steam. The newly added OVERKILL’S The Walking Dead Starter Edition is available now for $29.99 and features the game’s full first season, with season two and onward content available for purchase via Steam. OVERKILL’s The Walking Dead will arrive on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One around the world in February 2019. Console pre-orders are available now digitally and at most major retailers.

OVERKILL’S The Walking Dead is rated M (Mature) by the ESRB and PEGI 18. For more information, visit OVERKILL’S The Walking Dead on Steam, https://www.overkillsthewalkingdead.com, and follow the game on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram with #OTWD.