Author - Jerry Paxton

Stronghold Kingdoms Reaches Three Million Players

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London, UK – 18th March 2014 – Firefly Studios has just announced that their popular MMORTS Stronghold Kingdoms has attracted more than three million players since launch. For more than two years Kingdoms has ranked in the top 10 most popular free-to-play games on Steam and in the top 50 games overall by current player count:

http://store.steampowered.com/stats/

With more than 3000 games available on Steam, the enduring popularity of Stronghold Kingdoms is a remarkable achievement for the independent developer. Supporting Firefly Studios’ transition to digital self-publishing, the free-to-play model of Stronghold Kingdoms has allowed the company to stay healthy and keep growing. With the help of Steam Kingdoms has become one of the most actively played games on the platform, with more daily concurrent users than other MMOs with the backing of heavyweight IPs such as Marvel Heroes and Star Trek Online.

Stronghold Kingdoms has also thrived thanks to its passionate players, all of whom have input on the game’s monthly content updates. This worldwide audience hails from over 100 different countries, with more than 200,000 monthly active users sharing 22 game worlds. They have played a pivotal role in the continued growth of the game, with hundreds of thousands of players signing up to play Stronghold Kingdoms as a direct result of friend invites.

Stronghold Kingdoms allows players to enjoy classic Stronghold gameplay in a highly interactive and competitive MMORTS environment. Set across a number of different medieval countries, players build their thriving empires on game worlds that feature actual villages, towns and cities. Last month Firefly added a ‘Europe’ world, where more than 30,000 players are currently forming alliances and fighting for control of 33 countries in one huge game world.

Stronghold Kingdoms can be downloaded and played for free at www.strongholdkingdoms.com

ARES Amoeba S-Class M4 CCR Airsoft Gun Review (Airsoft)

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The folks at AirSplat and Tac City North in Irwindale, CA allowed us access to their indoor CQB field to review the new AREA Amoeba S-Class M4 CCR airsoft gun. Being one of ARES new, pistol style M4 airsoft guns, the Amoeba CCR is, as you would guess, pretty compact. In fact, it only has a 4 inch barrel on it! Featuring all-black styling and nylon polymer receivers, the airsoft gun is also exceptionally light weight. Unlike the Amoeba CCP, this model has a folding rear stock, which allows you to wield it around like a sub-machine gun. Furthering this end, ARES includes a short vertical foregrip to enhance your control of its small frame.

The battery compartment is actually located inside the top rail on the upper receiver. However, take note as we were only able to fit an 8.4v stick type battery inside of it. There may be some 7.6v LiPo batteries that fit, but none of ours did during our testing.  With an 8.6v battery connected to it, we received chronograph values of about 280 FPS on average. The chronograph readings you are seeing in the video are literally the first time the gun had been fired out of the box. So, that’s why it takes a few shots for it to loosen up to spec. In burst fire, we read a chronograph value of 857 rounds per minute, which is fine for a stock gun. I would not recommend running anything higher than a 9.6v battery in the gun.

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*The ARES Amoeba, seen below the Magpul PTS Masada

In actual play, I loved how easy it was to maneuver through the tight corners of Tac City North’s indoor arena. After returning from a few games with it, I was nothing but grins, and am very interested in obtaining one for my own airsoft gun collection. In outdoor play, I would not recommend using the Amoeba unless it were your backup gun. To that end, I would probably recommend the Amoeba CCP variant, as it has much more of a pistol form factor. Retailing at a reasonable $199.99 the ARES Amoeba S-Class M4 CCR airsoft gun won’t break your budget either and uses standard M4 style magazines.

Video Review

*Please note, this is the first video review ever for this player – welcome aboard, Henry!

[ezcol_1half]Pros

  • Small form factor
  • STANAG type M4/M16 magazines
  • Good FPS for CQB fields

[/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end]Cons

  • Uses an increasingly rare short stick type battery

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Overall, the ARES Amoeba S-Class M4 CCR airsoft gun is an excellent, budget-friendly choice for your indoor, CQB style airsoft games. It performs well, is easy to operate, and is a heck of a lot of fun to shoot. The ARES Amoeba S-Class M4 CCR airsoft gun retails for $199.99 and is available now. It also comes in three varieties based on your needs – a pistol type, collapsible stock, and fixed stock type. Just be sure you have a battery that will fit its small battery compartment.

Product Link

[easyreview title=”ARES Amoeba S-Class M4 CCR Airsoft Gun Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″ ]

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Magpul PTS Masada ACR CQB Airsoft Gun Review (Airsoft)

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At our recent outing to AirSplat and Tac City’s Irwindale CQB airsoft field, we got the chance to review the Magpul PTS Masada ACR CQB airsoft gun that AirsoftExtreme was nice enough to lend us. The real steel Masada was Magpul’s attempt at creating a modular, advanced carbine platform. The Masada later was turned into the ACR platform by Bushmaster. Magpul PTS’ Masada ACR CQB features the Masada/ACR looks and style coupled with a shorter, CQB length barrel. Magpul PTS did make, although it is becoming increasingly rare these days, a full-length barrel version of this airsoft rifle, but the performance specs are the same.

This particular version of the Masada ACR CQB featured dark earth coloring and a functional bolt catch, replicating the real firearm’s. Once the charging handle is pulled back, it reveals the hop up unit within. The unit was fairly easy to adjust and I was very easily able to find a correct amount of hop for the arena I was playing in. Also included are a rear MBUS2 pop up sight and a front flip up sight that is part of the top rail. The Masada ACR CQB’s stock is a thing of beauty, with seven positions of length, an adjustable cheek riser, and the ability to fold down if you are riding in a vehicle, etc.

The biggest issue I had with the Magpul PTS ACR CQB was in changing and fitting a battery to the rifle. Taking the front hand guard off requires the use of a tool to pop out a pin. Once done, you have to make sure your battery is not too big as the quick change barrel lever is also located within the hand guard.

Video Review

Before entering the airsoft arena, the referees chronographed the rifle and it shot reliably at about 340 FPS, well within the indoor field limit. I would, however, recommend upgrading the spring if you are going to take it into outdoor play – while velocity is not everything in airsoft, it definitely helps. For indoor fields requiring a max of 350 FPS, this airsoft rifle is just perfect. One particularly cool feature of this gun is the micro-switch trigger assembly. It has a nice, short trigger pull and is said to have a lot more longevity than standard airsoft gun triggers.

[ezcol_1half]Pros

  • Excellent recreation of the real steel firearm
  • Lightweight
  • Excellent CQB performance
  • Quick change barrel system

[/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end]Cons

  • Quick change barrel handle can get in the way of batteries

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Overall, the Magpul PTS Masada ACR CQB airsoft rifle is a faithful recreation of the real steel firearm with excellent performance – especially for indoor, CQB style airsoft arenas. The price is not cheap at about $510 dollars, but you are definitely getting a whole lot of quality inside this airsoft gun.

Product Link

[easyreview title=”Magpul PTS Masada ACR CQB Airsoft Gun Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

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Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist to Premier All Episodes on Machinima

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Los Angeles, CA, March 14, 2014 – Machinima, Assassin’s Fist Limited, and Capcom U.S.A., Inc. announce today, in partnership with Producer Jacqueline Quella, and Director Joey Ansah, that STREET FIGHTER: ASSASSIN’S FIST will debut in its entirety on Machinima, the number-one global video entertainment network for young males. The exact air date will be announced soon. The live-action series, which is distributed by Content Media, is the brainchild of Ansah (The Bourne Ultimatum, Snow White and the Huntsman), a member of the creative team behind the hugely successful fan film Street Fighter: Legacy—which has received almost 5,000,000 views to date. Ansah, who also stars in the series (Akuma), wrote the script with Christian Howard, who reprises his role as Ken Masters from the original fan film. The series also stars Mike Moh as Ryu, Togo Igawa (47 RoninMemoirs of a Geisha, The Last Samurai) as Gōtetsu, Akira Koieyama as Gōken, Gaku Space as Gōki, Mark Killeen (300: Rise of an EmpireThe Dark Knight Rises) as Mr. Masters, and Hal Yamanouchi as Senzo. Through the coming of age story of Ken & Ryu, we are shown the back story of some of the game’s most iconic characters, and over the course of the series we will see how the past, present, and future of all of those characters are intertwined, as the battle to become Ansatsuken Master threatens to tear apart another generation of brothers.

A first look at the new series can be found below:

“This series was meant for Machinima,” said Allen DeBevoise, Chairman, Co-Founder and CEO of Machinima. “We have successfully launched popular game-inspired web series in the past, and Street Fighter is about as iconic as they come. We couldn’t be more excited about working with the incredible production team behind the series and the folks over at Capcom to launch not only a compelling and action-packed series in its own right, but also one that stays true to the Street Fighterlore.” DeBevoise continued, “After the success of Mortal Kombat: Legacy 2, we will once again provide all of the episodes on the day of launch to our fans to ensure they get exactly what they want—the entire series from start to finish!”

“We can’t wait for our fans to get the opportunity to experience Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist,” said Matt Dahlgren, Senior Product Manager at Capcom. “Working with filmmakers who are so passionate about the brand was an extremely rewarding process and we couldn’t be more pleased with the results. Their work embodies the heart and soul of what Street Fighter is and we’re thrilled that Machinima will be able to deliver the epic series to those who care about the celebrated franchise as much as we do.”

STREET FIGHTER: ASSASSIN’S FIST is Machinima’s latest live-action series based on one of the world’s best-selling video game franchises, and is one which will very much stay true to the game, featuring fight moves and action performed by the cast with stunning attention to detail. It follows on the heels of last year’s highly successful airing of Mortal Kombat: Legacy 2, the successor to, Mortal Kombat: Legacy, as well as Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn. Combined, the three series have garnered more than 130,000,000 views on Machinima.

A thrilling, multilayered series, STREET FIGHTER: ASSASSIN’S FIST takes the audience back to the formative years of iconic characters Ryu and Ken as they live a traditional warrior’s life in secluded Japan. The boys are, unknowingly, the last practitioners of the ancient fighting style known as “Ansatsuken” (Assassin’s Fist). The series follows them as they learn about the mysterious past of their master, Gōken, and the tragic, dark legacy of the Ansatsuken style. Can their destiny be changed, or will history repeat itself?

STREET FIGHTER: ASSASSIN’S FIST is what a live-action Street Fighter should be,” said Ansah when he announced the project at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con. “This takes the story right back to the start: the origins and motivations of Ryu, Ken, Gōken and Akuma. This will become the definitive back-story from which further epic adventures will follow.”

“Our priority is to stay true to the appearance, fighting techniques, and canon of the Street Fighter game,” Quella added. “At the same time, we’ve managed to make this an emotion- and character-driven story, which will surprise viewers who might just be expecting a super-faithful fight fest!”

The series is produced by Assassin’s Fist Limited (a UK based company) in association with Lonely Rock Productions, Gloucester Place Films, Capcom U.S.A., Inc. and Evropa Film.

Bound by Flame Release Date and Screenshots

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March 14, 2014 — Bound by Flame, the new RPG developed by Spiders studios, will be released on May 9th on PlayStation®4, PlayStation®3, Xbox 360® and PC. Today, the game offers a new glimpse of what’s in store with a new series of exclusive images of some of the ferocious creatures you’ll have to face in your numerous quests!

The bestiary you will confront in Bound by Flame is impressive, rich and varied. Conceived and brought to life by the talented teams at Spiders studios, these creatures are as terrifying as they are deadly, and will do their utmost to make your life hell in spectacular, real-time and highly tactical battles. And just how they do that is revealed in the six new screenshots we urge you to check out now!

The strategic depth of the combat system in Bound by Flame has been made possible mainly through the variety and originality of the game bestiary. Each creature has its specific attacks, special skills and, in particular, individual behavior that will force the player to adapt his tactics and combat style depending on the composition of the groups of enemies he encounters. This, combined with the awesome range of strikes available to the player, the use of magic and the incredible combat animations, contributes to make the battles in Bound by Flame both tactically complex and visually stunning.

A video dedicated to the combat system in Bound by Flame will also be unveiled in the coming weeks!

Published by Focus Home Interactive, Bound by Flame, the new RPG developed by Spiders studios, will be released on May 9th on PlayStation®4, PlayStation®3, Xbox 360® and PC. The game will be distributed in North America by American publisher Majesco.

Screenshots

Satellite Reign Pre-Alpha Gameplay Footage

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MARCH 14 — 2014 — On behalf of developer 5 Lives Studios we are really excited to share a first glimpse of Satellite Reign today running in glorious 1080p.

But first the disclaimer, from Mike Diskett himself: “It’s very much a pre-alpha build being demoed, nothing here is really final, the UI, audio, weapons and effects are 100% placeholder, in fact it’s so early we weren’t going to show any combat or civilians, but…

“The video was originally meant  to demonstrate the agents’ coats reacting to wind from the cars zooming by, but before we knew it we were showing crowds of civilians, CCTV cameras, cover usage, x ray camera mode and even a couple of enemies.

“The video was recorded at 1920×1080 @ 60 fps on a 2nd Generation i5 PC with a Radeon 5970 using Fraps.”

Trailer

Rubicon Live-Action Prequel Now on Machinima

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March 13, 2014 — When Mark Long and Chris McQuarrie launched the graphic novel Rubicon in 2012, they brought people right into the middle of a re-imagining of Seven Samurai, set during the War in Afghanistan. The novel focuses on five paramilitary Navy SEAL operators who are defending the residents of a remote mountain farming village from attacks by marauding Taliban.

But what led up to the events of the graphic novel?

Long (Hawken) and McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects, Jack Reacher) joined forces with director Christian Johnston for a live-action prequel that is now live on Machinima Prime.
The digital series pilot is now live, and the link can be found below.

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The pilot follows the journey of operator, Mike, and his handler, Smash, as they disrupt the dealings of a diverse set of dangerous groups. Mike is one of the good guys with a fair amount of bad guy to make him effective.

New Screenshots Show YAIBA: Ninja Gaiden Z Boss Battle

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March 13, 2014 — Team NINJA today released new images which offer a glimpse into a bizarre battle with a massive boss in YAIBA: NINJA GAIDEN Z. As Yaiba faces off against seemingly countless forms of the mysterious boss, he will have to engage every skill he has learned on his journey. With meteorites crashing around him, before he knows it, he’ll be not only fighting in space, but in a temple reminiscent of an ancient America civilization. What does all of this mean? Players will find out starting March 18, 2014 when YAIBA: NINJA GAIDEN Z launches on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft followed by the Steam® (PC) release on March 21, 2014.

In YAIBA: NINJA GAIDEN Z, players will battle fierce zombies as Yaiba, a cyborg ninja who will do anything to get revenge and stay alive. Cleaved in two, he is brought back to life with cyber-technology. Brandishing his ninja sword and the mecha weapons in his cyber arm, he slaughters zombies with brutal, over-the-top abandon. Step into a stylized living comic book where stunning graphics depict a world gone mad. Hordes of undead can only be stopped by Yaiba’s willingness to use any means necessary to get the job done. Will he kill by turning his cyber arm into a razor chainsaw for slicing up undead—or just rip off an opponent’s arms to use as zombie nunchucks? Both possibilities fill Yaiba’s heart with twisted laughter in this upcoming collaboration between famed developers Team NINJA and comcept’s Keiji Inafune.

YAIBA: NINJA GAIDEN Z for the PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360® will launch on March 18, 2014 for a suggested retail price of $59.99 in North America. The Steam® (PC) version will follow and launch on March 21, 2014 and is available for pre-order at a special discounted price of $49.99, beginning March 7. This title been rated M (Mature) by the ESRB.

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