Author - Jerry Paxton

This War of Mine Announced

this war of mine

In this announcement from 11 bit studios, they reveal their upcoming project, This War of Mine, which puts the player in the role of a civilian, instead of a soldier, who is trying to keep a group of survivors alive in a warzone.

From 11 bit studios

Today’s the day we’ve been waiting for. After months of hard work, we would like to present to you our upcoming game: This War of Mine.

While developing the game, we’ve been driven by a specific tagline: “In war, not everyone is a soldier.” This sums up how we – and you – begin the experience. In This War of Mine, the focus is shifted away from military operations portrayed in most games. Instead, it is a dark survival game where you control a group of civilians trying to stay alive in a besieged city. Your task is simple: survive.

During the day snipers outside stop you from leaving your refuge, offering precious time to craft, trade, upgrade your shelter, feed and cure your survivors. At night you can scavenge nearby areas in search for food, medicines, weapons and other useful items.

This War of Mine was inspired by real-life events and delivers a message: “This can happen in your city, in your country.” Here’s what our lead designer, Michal Drozdowski, had to say: “While designing a new game, we came across an article that described how one man survived in a besieged city. We learned about his hardships and the horror of that experience. We decided to work around this idea and make something real, something that moves people and makes them stop think for a second. It’s about time that games, just like any other art form, start talking about important things.”

In TWoM you have to make life-and-death decisions based purely on your conscience. Try to protect everybody from your shelter or sacrifice some of them in order to prevail; there are no good or bad decisions during war. There’s only survival.

Stay tuned for more. We’ll talk about the major inspiration behind This War of Mine. A very interesting interview. You’ll see.

Teaser Trailer

)

Digital Storm Unveils Vanquish II Gaming PC

digital-storm-vanquish-ii

FREMONT, Calif. – March 12, 2014 – Digital Storm is excited to unveil the new VANQUISH II, a gaming PC  built to play the most demanding games with maximum detail, speed, and power without breaking the bank.

“Starting at just $699, VANQUISH II delivers an incredible value with the ability to play the most graphic intensive games at max settings,” said Rajeev Kuruppu, Digital Storm’s Director of Product Development.  “That is still obviously more expensive than purchasing a console, but we believe delivering graphics up to three times the resolution is well worth the extra $100-200 investment.”

From a “Good” configuration with an     NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 1GB graphics card and Intel Core i3 4330 processor to an “Ultimate” build with a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 2GB graphics card and Intel Core i5 4570 processor, VANQUISH II is armed to deliver a truly immersive gaming experience.

VANQUISH II’s fully upgradeable, open architecture helps gamers stay ahead of the competition with easy upgrades that keep the system on the cutting edge for years to come.

“PC gamers demand the best and that means utilizing the latest components and technologies to deliver the most immersive gaming experience possible. Conversely, consoles quickly become outdated due to a limited architecture and the inability to upgrade performance,” said Kuruppu.

There’s no waiting or delays like a traditional build-to-order system, all VANQUISH II units ship within 72 hours from the moment an order is placed.  During those 72 hours each VANQUISH II system undergoes rigorous stress testing and benchmarking. Afterwards, each desktop goes a multi-point QA inspection where every aspect of the system is scrutinized, from part fitment to software setup, to make sure each unit is perfect.

VANQUISH II is available exclusively at http://www.digitalstormonline.com/vanquish-ii.asp.

LuMini Smart Bulb Back on Kickstarter

lumini

BOSTON – March 12, 2014 – The LuMini is back and ready to party. TABU Products originally launched the LuMini, a small, colorful and affordable Bluetooth bulb, on Kickstarter in February. The LuMini is an LED RGB (Red, Blue and Green) bulb that’s ideal for mood lighting. It’s 50% smaller than traditional LED bulbs and will fit most lamps. The Kickstarter campaign helped TABU Products figure out what backers wanted, and they decided to revamp the project and re-launch the campaign, which starts today.

In the first project, TABU offered four socket sizes. They found that the bulk of the Kickstarter pledges were coming from two types of sockets, the E26 and E27, which are commonly used standard bulbs in the US and Europe. By removing the least popular two, E12 and E14, TABU cut their production cost in half, allowing the company to lower the goal from the $50,000 to $25,000, with pledges starting at $25.

“We used the KS project to determine the best size, quickly learned that having all four sockets wasn’t going to work, so we decided to focus on the two most popular sockets,” said TABU CEO Kevin So. “This lowers our cost by half and changes our goal to $25,000.”

Tabu will offer stretch goals for the E12 and E14 so that if there is demand, they will be able to produce them.

With funds raised from the Kickstarter campaign, Tabu will complete the firmware design and production molding and increase Android device compatibility. The LuMini is compatible with all phones that use Bluetooth® Smart, which encompasses all iPhones and certain Android models, including the Nexus 7 (with Android 4.3) and S4 (with Android 4.2). Recent models of the Lumen TL800 and the LuMini are compatible with Samsung phones with Android 4.3 and above.

Setup for the LuMini is simple; simply download Lumen’s proprietary app, plug in the bulb and light up the room. The app turns both the TL800 and LuMini into a smart bulb with various modes for different occasions, including party mode, wake up mode, music sync mode, romance mode, and relaxation mode. The app has a proximity sensor and can be set to notify users of incoming calls.

Pledges start at $25 for LuMini. Estimated delivery on the project is May 2014.

About Tabu

TABU Products makes high-quality accessories that are designed to bring color and joy to to the lives of the company’s customers. TABU believes an accessory should be more than a “second thought” – it should reflect the individuals’ personality through innovative design, unique colors and creative shapes. Check us out at www.tabuproducts.com, on Facebook and Twitter.

WildStar Gets Release Date

wildstar-engineer_classdrop_08

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. (March 12, 2014) – Carbine Studios today announced that its upcoming action-adventure sci-fi MMO, WildStar will officially launch worldwide on Tuesday, June 3, 2014. Additionally, the studio has announced that pre-orders for the game will begin Wednesday, March 19 at a suggested retail price of $59.99, and orders can be placed on WildStar’s website at www.wildstar-online.com/en/preorder or through select third party retailers such as GameStop and Amazon.

Players who pre-order have early access to several closed and open beta events and will receive a variety of exclusive in-game items and perks, including:

  • Early game access beginning Tuesday, May 31 (three days prior to the game’s official launch).
  • An exclusive Rocket House
  • A mini-ship housing decoration, which grants players additional rest experience points.
  • A 10-slot storage bag to increase character inventory
  • The opportunity to reserve character and guild names prior to launch.

WildStar will be available in two versions. The Standard Edition includes the game, 30 days of play time, and three 7-day friend passes, as well as an Eldan-themed Housing Décor item. For an additional $15, the Digital Deluxe version ofWildStar includes all elements of the Standard Edition as well as an even larger package of exclusive content: an Eldan Hoverboard, a unique costume, a unique Eldan player title and a limited-edition Eldan dye set.

“We’re stoked to launch WildStar,” said Jeremy Gaffney, executive producer at Carbine Studios. “We’re looking forward to seeing the first players begin their journey on the unexplored planet of Nexus. Both noobs and MMO vets will have a blast with our fast-paced combat, while experienced guilds and groups will build complete battle-fortresses using our Warplot system and tackle some truly epic raids. We’ve aimed for fun and unique content for MMO gamers of all stripes from level one to level cap and beyond. WildStar is a brand new IP and new universe that has attracted more than 1.4 million beta signups already, so it seems like other gamers are also eager for something new and different in the MMO space.”

Unlike anything currently available, WildStar engages players with a beautiful and distinctive animation style, robust housing customization, and high-action combat that truly tests players’ skill with its fast-paced, reactive telegraph system. On top of that, the game’s personality is distinct in its own right; humorous but laced with a mysterious undercurrent that implies there is more happening in the world than meets the eye. WildStar gives players the freedom to experience the game how they want to play, while providing an unprecedented level of exploration and discovery among the planet Nexus.

For more information on WildStar and its pre-order details please visit: www.wildstar-online.com/en/preorder.

CruxCase Unveils Color CruxENCORE Case on Kickstarter

CruxENCORE-1-630x350

PROVO, Utah – March 11, 2014 – CruxCase, established by cutting-edge designers of innovative iPad® cases, is pleased to announce the new Color Collection CruxENCORE™ campaign level now live on Kickstarter. The CruxENCORE™ is a versatile rotating protective keyboard case for the iPad Air, transforming it into a compact and powerful laptop. The different color options include Yellow, Green, Blue and Red.

Built with the look of a Macbook Pro and the weight and feel of a Macbook Air, the CruxENCORE™ features Bluetooth® connectivity as well as a raised, full-sized QWERTY keyboard. With its exclusive patented hinge technology, the CruxENCORE™ allows the keyboard to rotate 360 degrees for multiple positions: typing, movie watching and travel. At an ultra slim 2.0 cm, it is one of the thinnest keyboards ever developed for the iPad Air. Engineered with anodized aluminum, CruxENCORE™ weighs in at a travel friendly 1.45lbs. Additionally, foam padding allows the iPad Air to stay in place and prevents scratches. The case comes with a built-in 360 mAH battery and will only need to recharge once a month depending on usage.

Design Elements
• 2.0 cm thin keyboard base
• Smooth anodized aluminum coat matching the iPad Air exterior
• Full-sized raised above the plane island-style keys with special function keys on top
• Foam padding to hold iPad in place and prevent scratches

Functionality Items
• Patented hinge provides 360 degrees of rotation
• One-time easy Bluetooth setup
• Multitude of positions for portability, typing, and movie watching
• Switches iPad on/off when keyboard is opened and closed

Arma 3 Final Campaign Episode Release Date

arma3_win_screenshot_01_to199

Prague, Czech Republic, Tuesday 11th March 2014- Bohemia Interactive has set a release date for the third and final campaign episode of their tactical military shooter and combined arms game, Arma 3™. Available on Thursday March 20th, players will be able to conclude the story of infantryman Ben Kerry – a soldier who’s been stationed in the Republic of Altis & Stratis as part of a NATO-peacekeeping mission.

Arma 3’s ‘The East Wind’ campaign consists of three episodes: ‘Survive’, ‘Adapt’, and ‘Win’. The final act follows the situation as it escalates further, with NATO forces in the Mediterranean on the brink of all-out war with the AAF and their strategic partners, CSAT. Given greater responsibility – and facing a more formidable enemy – players must deploy all the skills and experience they’ve gathered to bring the flashpoint to a resolution.

“The final installment of our campaign gives players the chance to experience combat on a larger scale than we’ve seen so far”, said Arma 3’s Creative Director Jay Crowe. “Tactical freedom – together with big, combined arms engagements – is at the heart of Episode 3’s gameplay, as we follow Ben Kerry’s story to its conclusion.”

The episode’s content package also includes three brand new vehicles. The first new vehicle making its way into Arma 3’s sandbox is the A-164 Wipeout single-seat aircraft. The A-164 Wipeout, successor to the legendary A-10, features improved performance and armaments, adding some real punch and some great new gameplay opportunities to the NATO faction. The other new aircraft is the To-199 Neophron, which serves as a great addition to the CSAT forces due to its agility. The To-199 Neophron is perfect for Close Air Support and taking off from rough terrain. The third new vehicle is a 6×6 mine resistant standard transport truck, named Tempest. Its primary role is to carry troops and cargo, and its modular design allows for several transport variants of the Tempest truck: cargo, refuel, medical, repair and ammo re-supply.

Last but not least, the Win campaign episode delivers a separate ‘Fixed-Wing’ Showcase mission, which introduces players to the new aircraft via a thrilling new scenario. The massive 270 km² Altis terrain has also not been left untouched. New points of interests have been added, with the highlights being an athletics stadium and ghost hotel compound.

The ‘Win’ campaign episode, including the new vehicles and other content, will be made available to all Arma 3 owners as an automatic update on Steam. To play through the first two campaign episodes, and experience the rest of Arma 3’s diverse offering, people can already purchase the regular edition of Arma 3 (44.99 EUR/39.99 GBP/59.99 USD) or the Arma 3 Digital Deluxe Edition (49.99 EUR/42.99 GBP/64.99 USD) from Steam and Store.bistudio.com. A boxed version of the game is also available at many of the major retailers.

For more information about Arma 3, please visit the official website at www.arma3.com and follow Arma 3 on FacebookTwitter and YouTube.

Screenshots

World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition Gets “Map Madness” Campaign

WoT_Screens_Tanks_Britain_Sexton_1_Image_01

March 11, 2014 — Wargaming today announced “Map Madness”, a limited-time campaign challenging World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition players to reach a cumulative global tank destruction quota. By reaching key numbers of tanks destroyed, the global community will unlock new maps in the game.

Starting March 18th and running until March 24th, tankers around the world will be able to unlock the following maps:

  • Lakeville—unlocked when 10 million cumulative tanks destroyed.
  • El Halluf—unlocked when 25 million cumulative tanks destroyed.
  • Prokhorovka—unlocked when 40 million cumulative tanks destroyed.

The urban Lakeville is a deeply strategic location where the careful use of buildings and cover become the ultimate key to team success. The desert-based El Halluf provides a plethora of key strategic ambush spots for careful players. Prokhorovka, a classic battle arena from the PC version of World of Tanks, combines both open space and an urban setting to create an extremely balanced map, incredibly popular with eSports players.

For more information on World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition, please visit:

Trailer

)

Next Games Gets $6 Million Investment

TWD_Next_Games

Helsinki, Finland – March 11, 2014 – The Finnish games company Next Games has successfully completed its first external investment round raising $6 million in financing from an elite list of institutional, strategic and private investors. The studio has begun by crafting two visually impressive, engaging games, one of which is the recently announced collaboration with AMC Networks Inc. on a mobile game based on the incredibly successful TV drama, The Walking Dead.

Founded by design veterans from Rovio, Supercell and Disney, Next Games has assembled a team with a profound love for games and a burning desire to develop lasting global entertainment. It is not only a passion for games that is driving Next Games – a thoughtful worldview permeates the studio as well.

Next Games’ Series A round funding round was co-led by IDG Ventures and the company’s original investor, Jari Ovaskainen, who was also an early investor in Supercell. Joining them is Lowercase Capital, making one of its first ventures into the mobile game sector.

Additional funding has also been provided by Asia based IDG Capital, AMC Networks Ventures LLC, and freshly minted VC firm York Ventures LLC, a recently established early-stage venture vehicle backed the by the Gores brothers, Alec, Tom and Sam; well-known figures in the private equity and entertainment worlds and managed by digital media entrepreneur Peter Levin.

More than a dozen individual financiers, including former Microsoft CMO Mich Mathews, Initial Capital’s Ken Lamb and eOne’s President & CEO Darren Throop, backed the startup’s business plan, as well as executives from a handful of venture capital and entertainment media companies.

“Our funding was made possible by the pioneering work by established Scandinavian game development studios. It is a testament to the talent in the Nordic region where many of the most successful games in recent years have been created,” Teemu Huuhtanen, CEO of Next Games noted. “The majority of our private investment is rooted in the United States and Asia, the world’s leading mobile app markets. I’m confident this diversity will lead to compelling games with broad global appeal and unique opportunities for partnerships, such as the one we currently have with AMC.”

“We are prepared to define the next wave of playful innovation. Our plan is to build titles that people will enjoy for years and a dream team of people passionate with the art of making games,” said Joakim Achrén, Founder, Chairman of the Board and Chief Product Officer, Next Games.

“I’m thrilled to see a Finnish game studio with such talent and vision hit the runway with this dynamic range of global investors,” stated Jari Ovaskainen, Next Games investor and seed investor of Supercell.

Letter from CD Projekt RED RE: The Witcher 3 Delay

The_Witcher_3_13658919008813

March 11, 2014 — Ever since we started working on the third installment in The Witcher franchise, it has been our aim to produce a title that would take our 11 years of experience in creating RPGS and distill them into a quintessence, into a game that would effectively crown those years. At the same time, we have wanted The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to expand creative boundaries, set new benchmarks, develop the genre as a whole. Ultimately, you, the players, must get an unforgettable adventure to experience in a vast, open world – and that’s most important. We’ve created a story that flows naturally, cinematically, rendered it in amazing sound and visuals, while preserving full freedom of choice – all for you. We knew this to be an ambitious plan, but believed we could achieve it by bringing together our team with its creative energies and current gaming platforms with their technical capabilities. A project this vast and complex would inevitably require special care in its final stages, manual fine-tuning of many details, thorough testing time and again.

We recently reexamined what we had achieved thus far, and faced a choice about the game’s final release date. The decision we made was difficult, thoroughly considered, and ultimately clear and obvious. We could have released the game towards the end of this year as we had initially planned. Yet we concluded that a few additional months will let us achieve the quality that will satisfy us, the quality gamers expect from us. Consequently, we have set the release of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for February 2015.

Dear gamers – we know many of you would have liked to play The Witcher 3 sooner, as soon as possible, even. We’re sorry to make you wait longer than you, or we, initially assumed you would. At the same time, we believe the game will prove to be worth the wait and meet the expectations you have of us. We believe The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be an exceptional RPG, one of the best, providing many hours of wonderful entertainment.

Dear shareholders – we are aware of the responsibility that rests with us and thank you for the trust you have granted us thus far. We firmly believe that quality – more than any other factor – determines a game’s success, and that the decision we have made is thus equally valid in business terms.

The Board of CD PROJEKT S.A.

signatures

Tiny Troopers Coming to the PS3 PS4 and PS Vita

Tiny_Troopers_JointOps_Poster_72

Watford, United Kingdom – (March 11th, 2014) – Independent games publisher, Wired Productions, today announced that it has signed a license agreement with the talented Finnish video game developer Kukouri Mobile Entertainment, for their hugely successful IP Tiny Troopers.

The deal sees Tiny Troopers and Tiny Troopers 2: Special Ops, whose combined downloads exceed 8 million, merged into a shiny and new game called “Tiny Trooper Joint Ops”. The game will be transformed into a twin stick arcade experience and published on PlayStation® Vita, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.

Leo Zullo, Managing Director of Wired Productions said, “Tiny Troopers has been on our playlist for a while and we really wanted to work on this title. We believe it is perfect for the PlayStation formats, and now we have the opportunity to show people.”

Kim Soares , CEO of Kukouri Mobile Entertainment said, “We are really pleased with Wired’s speed,  professionalism and respectfulness of our IP. They seem to understand what is needed to create and publish a PlayStation version of Tiny Troopers.”

This agreement forms part of Wired’s continued expansion into publishing, with further titles to be announced soon. “Working with small talented studios is the way forward, and working on games we like to play is important,” continued Zullo.

More information including a full features list, game-play assets and release dates will be announced over the coming weeks.