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Knott’s Berry Farm 2017 Boysenberry Festival

2017/04/10

Once again, Knott’s Berry Farm has brought its prized boysenberries into the spotlight with their annual Boysenberry Festival. Running until April 23, the festival sees several stations setup around the park’s Ghost Town area with boysenberry themed foods to purchase and enjoy. Also gracing the park for the festival are some new shows to enjoy such as Snoopy’s Boysenberry Jamboree!

Of the boysenberry flavored offerings this year, I was once again enamored with the “Fun Bun”. A deep fried cinnamon roll with sweet boysenberry frosting… It’s really an amazing treat. Also great were the boysenberry meatballs and boysenberry pana cotta. Also of note is the boysenberry fry bread, which is located over at the churro factory. The dishes I could have done without were the boysenberry ravioli (I applaud their effort but it just didn’t work for me) and the boysenberry pizza. Of course, the park has its standard restaurants and watering holes open for guests during the festival, so the choice is yours. Knott’s Berry Farm is once again offering their $25 dollar tasting card for sale so that guests can get a little sampling of a number of boysenberry treats. Unfortunately, the fun bun is not on the tasting card, so you’ll have to pick that up separately, but I digress. If you are looking for liquid refreshment, you can find boysenberry cream soda as well as a host of craft wines and beers in the Craft Wine and Beer Garden, located within the Wilderness Dance Hall. There are some great local wineries and breweries on display here, so if you are over 21 and interested, be sure to check it out!

Snoopy’s Boysenberry Jamboree is a fun show for the whole family which takes place at the new Calico Stage and features dancing, singing, and your favorite Peanuts characters. Also fun to take in is Old MacDonald’s Barn over near the Ghost Town windmill. Inside, you will find horses, burros, and all sorts of animals for the kids to look at. At certain times, you can even watch them shear some sheep! It’s how shirts are made, people, and harmless for the innocent sheep.There is also a new Melodrama in the Bird Cage Theater, which is always a fun time. The Bird Cage Theater players are a talented lot and allow a lot of improv to come through with their performances, which just adds to the fun!

Overall, the Knott’s Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival is a fun day trip that will entertain and fill you up. Between the new boysenberry flavored treats and the entertainment options available to guests, Knott’s Boysenberry Festival is always a great time!

Photo Gallery

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey 4K Upgrade Review

2017/04/09

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Screenshots / Photos

The good people over at Universal Studios Hollywood’s PR team allowed us entry into the park to check out the upgraded Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction located within the park’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter area. Recently, the ride’s projection system was upgraded once again – this time, to ultra-high definition 4K resolution and a higher frame rate of 120 FPS! You might recall that, originally, the attraction opened with a 3D projection system that relied on riders to wear special 3D goggles. The ride experience left something to be desired, so the park smartly transitioned the ride back to 2D. The standard definition version of the ride was immensely-fun, but you could see a lot of blur in the image quality of the projection system. This is party due to the fact that the ride video is rear projected onto curved screens. So with the 4K upgrade, I just had to come out and experience the ride again – at least it would provide a good excuse for drinking more butterbeer!

Arriving at the park early, one of the Universal Studios PR team members escorted us onto the attraction and actually rode it with us as she had yet to experience it for herself. The ride was a blast and the 4K update is very noticeable, especially if you rode it prior to the upgrade. The video is still a bit blurry, but nowhere near the degree it was before and it is a lot easier to track the action on the screen thanks to the enhanced frame rate. I didn’t notice any other upgrades to the ride aside from the new projection system, but that’s not a bad thing as the ride is pretty amazing as it is.

After riding Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, we went over to the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade and had a big American breakfast plate with eggs and bacon. Of all the dining experiences inside Universal Studios Hollywood, this restaurant has consistently been the best since its launch a year ago. Their variety of food – from breakfast platters to shepard’s pie to so much more is prepared well and features great taste. Unfortunately, I did find out that the hot butterbeer which wowed me during the Winter is no more. It appears to be a seasonal beverage and I can’t wait for the end of the year to see it come back. In the meantime, I will “make do” with my favorite frosty drink, the frozen butterbeer.

Universal Studios Hollywood is open daily. Check out their official website for ticket information and more.

Photo Gallery

WonderCon 2017 Photo Gallery

2017/04/09

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Screenshots / Photos, WonderCon

Another WonderCon has come and gone, and we are left with nothing but fond memories of the San Diego Comic-Con’s little brother. Each year, we watch WonderCon grow, and this year saw some great expansions to the event – it has even more panels as well as a huge amount of vendor space for those of you seeking to purchase your geekly desires. While we were there, we saw a multitude of cosplayers showcasing their costuming abilities – my favorite being the rebel trooper who gets ran through with Darth Vader’s lightsaber at Rogue One’s conclusion. We also got the chance to take in the Geek & Sundry “Talks Machina” panel, featuring the cast of their loved Critical Role web series. Overall, WonderCon is an amazing convention that Orange County geeks should make it a point to visit. You will not regret it!

Photo Gallery

Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 Safehouse Screenshots

2017/03/28

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Screenshots / Photos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

WARSAW, Poland (March 28, 2017) — Every soldier needs a safe place to rest, recuperate and gear up for his or her next mission. Today, CI Games invites you into the welcoming environs of the Jon North’s Safe House in Sniper Ghost Warrior 3.

As one may predict by the name, the Safe House is a safe place where our lead protagonist can sleep to a designated hour, craft and purchase items, choose equipment loadouts and begin missions. There are different safe houses to be discovered in the northern part of the Republic of Georgia, many of which contain loot or new weapons to equip. After they’re discovered, players can fast travel back to these locations as long as they aren’t in a designated mission area.

Listed below are some key things players can access in the Safe House:

The Weapon Cache is a place where the player can change his or her loadouts. Primary weapons, secondary weapons, side-arms, gadgets, weapon skins and armors can be purchased and equipped here.

At the Workbench, the player is able to craft regular and special bullets, gadgets and medkits using resources found in the world. There are five kinds of resources, each used in different proportions to craft different equipment such as special bullets, gadgets, and to modify weapons and attachments.

The currency in Sniper Ghost warrior 3 is called ‘Trading Goods’. Players can purchase almost everything available in the game for it – starting with grenades and medkits, and ending with weapons. The Trading Goods can be acquired by various actions during gameplay: completing main story missions, completing side operations, finding collectibles, assassinating most wanted targets, helping civilians or just simply by being found in the world.

Special Bullets:

Luring Bullet: Can be used to lure enemies into desired spots while not raising an alarm. Players can easily dispose of enemies that can be seen by others. Simply lure them out of sight and take them out. It can also lure enemies out from behind obstacles and into view.
Tagging Bullet: Extracts a pulse that locates enemies through obstacles. It allows players to tag enemies in places where flying the drone would be too risky or would take too much time.
Armor Piercing: Can be used to take out targets hiding in cover, so thin walls, fences, and even metal will no longer stop shots. It’s very effective against armored vehicles.
EMP: Emits an electromagnetic pulse that disables vehicles and electronic devices within a small radius. A well-placed shot can ensure enemy reinforcements won’t arrive on the location, disable CCTV cameras, or can lure enemies by frying a power generator.
Explosive Bullet: If you no longer care about stealth, then this is your bullet of choice for one-shot, one-kill sniping.
DARPA: Experimental homing bullets that allow players to ignore wind and gravity, making these severe-condition shots much easier to execute.

Gadgets and combat gear are a large set of tools available through crafting or purchase that will help players execute their planned approach. These gadgets differ in their intended use, ranging from offensive frag grenades to defensive warning devices, but it’s ultimately up to players to choose how they’d want to use them.

The C4 charge, typically an offensive item, can be planted as a diversion to make enemies leave their posts and investigate what’s happening while the player sneaks past them.
The throwing knife can be used to silently take out enemies without expending valuable suppressor durability, but can also be a last-resort attack in case of a spent magazine.

By choosing gadgets that best suit their style, players can greatly expand the variety of available tactics.

The player can modify weapons with currently unlocked attachments. New attachments, weapons and gadgets can be unlocked by completing missions, but can also be found distributed on outposts or out in the world. New attachments can be unlocked by accomplishing open-world activities such as saving civilians. Once unlocked, attachments can be purchased from the shop along with ammo, gadgets, med-kits and armor using the in-game currency.

Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 tells the story of brotherhood, faith and betrayal in the most complete sniper experience ever. Take the role of an American sniper named Jonathan North, who is dropped into enemy territory in northern Georgia, nearby Russian borders. Explore large open-world maps with dynamic weather and a day and night cycle that actually impacts play and decisions. Customize weapon equipment, accessories, vehicles and a drone, and utilize the three pillars of gameplay to your liking: Sniper, Ghost and Warrior.

Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 launches on the PlayStation®4 system, Xbox One and Windows PC on April 25, 2017.

To learn more about CI Games and Sniper Ghost Warrior 3, visit:

CI Games webiste: www.cigames.com
Sniper Ghost Warrior 3: www.sgw3.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SniperGhostWarrior
Twitter: www.twitter.com/SGW3Game

Afghanistan ’11 Launch Screenshots

2017/03/23

boothby

Geek News, News, Screenshots / Photos, Windows PC News

March 23, 2017 – Slitherine and Every Single Soldier are once again taking the strategy genre from a totally new angle. After the stunning success of Vietnam ’65 (81 score on Metacritic and 85 user’s review score on Steam), the counter-insurgency gaming system created by Johan Nagel is back in a new setting, with a new look and with a monumental list of new features.

As before, players are faced with the task of destroying an ever-elusive enemy while striving to win the Hearts & Minds of the local population. They must juggle spending resources to fight the enemy, while at the same time capitalising on the opportunity to bring civilians to their cause.

They are facing a barrage of obstacles, from IED’s to hidden enemies such as local militia that excel at guerrilla warfare as well as Taliban troops that make their way over the mountains from Pakistan to stifle their efforts. Their own casualties can severely damage military progress while eliminating enemy troops and assisting villages and improving their infrastructure can significantly assist them. They will have many tools to achieve success, from the mightyApache Helicopter to Special Forces units which can be used to train Afghan National ArmyUnits or to hunt down the enemy.

Logistics are also a key factor: defending supply convoys without which troops will suffer and will be vulnerable to ambushes and loss of combat effectiveness is the key to attaining a solid victory.

Furthermore, a tense political situation grips the country: unpredictable Political Events can significantly alter the outcome of the struggle and Elections will play a vital role in the mission tostabilise Afghanistan.

With 18 different campaign scenarios starting from the initial actions in Afghanistan to the culmination of American involvement there are tens of hours of counter-insurgency warfare to be played. The game also has an extremely customizable Skirmish mode which allows to consistently alter any parameter of the operation the player’s liking.

Afghanistan ’11 is available on the Slitherine site and on Steam. Check out the product page for more details.

Launch Screenshots

Rabbids VR Experience Announced for Google Daydream

2017/02/27

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Mobile News, News

SAN FRANCISCO – February 27, 2017 – Today, Ubisoft® announced that Virtual Rabbids®: The Big Plan, the first VR Rabbids experience on mobile, will be released this spring on Daydream, Google’s platform for high quality mobile VR. Developed by Ubisoft Montpellier in collaboration with Bucharest, specifically for virtual reality, the mobile game is based on the Rabbids franchise which has sold more than 14 million video games worldwide and are featured in a television show that airs in more than 110 countries.

In Virtual Rabbids, a few irreverent Rabbids have stolen and scrambled a top secret nuclear safety password. You are called upon by a classified government agency to travel through different locations in a hilarious adventure to recover the missing digits. Players will find themselves in some of the most precarious situations as they race to save the planet.

Daydream gives players the opportunity to get closer to the Rabbids than ever before. Using the headset and controller, players will be plunged into the crazy world of Rabbids which includes various worlds which are full of hidden toys and an arsenal of tools and nutty gadgets to interact with. The Daydream controller lets you interact with the virtual world in the same way you do in the real world, making the gameplay experiences richer and more immersive.

“Ubisoft is committed to exploring new technologies and platforms that deliver more immersive and interactive gaming experiences”, said Dominique Tardieu, vice president sales and marketing, Ubisoft’s mobile business. “We’re happy to bring Rabbids to Daydream as it enables us to offer players a high fidelity game in a mobile VR environment and we’re looking forward to explore the gameplay ideas and interactive opportunities on this new device for developers”.

For more information about the game, please visit www.rabbids.com

Dying: Reborn Gets PlayStation VR Release Date

2017/02/26

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Screenshots / Photos, Windows PC News

BEIJING – (February 24, 2017) – After an impressive end of 2016 that saw the release of three diverse PlayStation®VR games, Oasis Games Ltd, a leading independent Chinese publisher, today announced that its room escape horror game, DYING: Reborn, will launch on February 28 for the PlayStation®VR and PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system. The release date for the PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system will be announced at a later time.

DYING: Reborn is a dark, horror-themed puzzle game that creates a unique first-person room escape experience. Players will play as Mathew, a distraught young man on a mission to find his missing sister. After receiving a mysterious note from his sister, Mathew finds himself trapped in a strange and eerie hostel with no recollection of how he landed there. To escape the hostel and solve the mystery, Mathew must solve a variety of creative puzzles while exploring each spooky room in the building for clues. Scattered throughout the environment are items he will collect and use to piece together what happened while trying to find his sister.

Players who solve all of the mysteries in DYING: Reborn will discover a rich, overarching story—and just possibly, a shocking revelation. Can you help Mathew find his sister and escape safely? We’re DYING to find out!

The PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®Vita games consists of six chapters of riveting gameplay, while PlayStation®VR has three immersive chapters for a shorter but even more intense experience. Developed by NEKCOM Entertainment and published by Oasis Games for PlayStation®VR, PS4™ and “PS Vita” system, DYING: Reborn will be available on February 28 for the PS VR and PS4™ on the PlayStation®Store. The titles are available on PS VR for $9.99 and PS4™ for $19.99. This game has been rated “M for Mature” by the ESRB.

Stay up to date on all of the PS VR titles from Oasis Games by liking us on Facebook at fb.me/OasisGamesConsole and following on Twitter at OAS_Games and Instagram at @OasisGamesOfficial. Get more information on all Oasis Games titles here: http://en.console.oasgames.com.

Screenshots

JetCat Games to Publish Heliborne

2017/02/21

boothby

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

February 21st, Warsaw, Poland — Get behind the cockpits of the best helicopters in the world – from the classic machines of the 1950s to the modern gunships of the 21st century. In Heliborne you’ll play historical missions with your friends and compete with players from all around the world in various multiplayer modes.

Heliborne’s creators have strived to faithfully recreate the realities of armed conflicts and produce a gameplay model that is both dynamic and realistic.

“We created JetCat Games to make a military helicopter game and Heliborne is our dream project. Initially we decided to release Heliborne on Steam Early Access, but it turned out that we actually needed a publisher if we wanted our game to meet our expectations. Klabater helped us expand the scope of our game, add new game modes, additional helicopters, and most importantly a single-player mode,” says Raman Ulasau, Head of JetCat Games.

In the release version of Heliborne, available in early summer 2017, players will be able to play a fully-fledged single-player mode, historical missions played in solo or in co-op, and open-map missions in multiplayer.

“For a while now we’ve been longing for a title like Heliborne. It’s been a long time since the last true helicopter combat game came out. JetCat Games is now opening a new chapter in the history of the genre, giving players a full range of helicopters from the 1950s up to the 21st century. Heliborne’s successful launch on Steam Early Access only shows that fans are hungry for a new game that will let them use their flight sticks once again. We’re excited to be helping the crew of JetCat Games expand their game. We’re certain that a single player historical missions played with friends and a competitive multiplayer are what fans have been waiting for all along,” says Lucas Jozefowicz, Head of Marketing at Klabater.

In Heliborne fans will get the chance to learn more about the development of rotary-wing aircraft. The game shows different historical periods, focusing on the technological innovation which changed helicopter combat over the years.

MAIN FEATURES OF HELIBORNE:

a dynamic combat flying game
over 40 legendary helicopters, including models from 1955 to 2003
over 100 possible payload variants
historical co-op missions
6 open maps, including The Gulf of Tonkin (Vietnam), Operation Nguyen Hue (Vietnam), and Badakhshan Province (Afghanistan)
3 gameplay modes: single player, co-op, and competitive multiplayer for up to 32 players
test your skills in the historical missions and in the open sandbox maps
play your way: fully supports gamepads, flight sticks, and keyboard & mouse

Heliborne is available on Steam in Early Access: http://store.steampowered.com/app/433530/.

More information about Heliborne can be found on the official website: http://helibornegame.com/, and on Facebook and Twitter.

LEGO Dimensions Unveils Wave 8 Characters

2017/02/02

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Nintendo Wii U News, PlayStation 3 News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Xbox 360 News, Xbox One News

February 2, 2017 – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today revealed details around three highly collectible new expansion packs for LEGO Dimensions, the LEGO toy and videogame hybrid, that will be available on May 9, 2017. The Goonies Level Pack, the Harry Potter Fun Pack and LEGO City Fun Pack will broaden the selection of the world’s most popular entertainment brands available for the game, allowing players to customize their experience by mixing and matching favorite characters and universes with full compatibility. In addition, LEGO minifigures included within each of these expansion packs come with special golden Toy Tags which unlock a free play Adventure World of the corresponding entertainment brand, as well as a Battle Arena that can be reached through Vorton. Each Battle Arena is unique to the world of the character used to unlock it and features competitive split-screen local gameplay for up to four players, with four exciting gameplay modes including Capture the Flag, Objective, Base Bash, and Tick, Tag, Boom!.

The Goonies Level Pack includes a complete level of The Goonies gameplay where players can help Sloth and Chunk escape the Fratelli hideout and join the rest of the Goonies on their search for One Eyed Willy’s treasure. Players can use Sloth’s Super Strength to smash through walls or play as Chunk and use his infamous Truffle Shuffle. The rebuildable One-Eyed Willy’s Pirate Ship will sail on water and can also be built into the Fanged Fortune and the Inferno Cannon; while the rebuildable Skeleton Organ has Sonar Smash abilities and can also be built into the Skeleton Jukebox and Skele-Turkey for added game play capabilities. Sloth provides access to a new The Goonies Battle Arena, and also the Adventure World where players can explore Mikey’s House, Inferno Cove and the Goon Docks. Once the level is complete, players will be able to replay through the game and other levels as any of the seven other Goonies characters to solve additional puzzles and access more collectibles in their journey through the LEGO multiverse.

Players can extend their wizarding adventures in LEGO Dimensions with the Harry Potter Fun Pack which includes a Hermione Granger LEGO minifigure. She can cast magical spells such as Wingardium Leviosa to levitate objects and Lumos to light up dark places. She also allows players to unlock the Harry Potter Battle Arena for a competitive match, along with the Adventure World where they can explore locations in Hogwarts, Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. Players can build the 3-in-1 rideable Buckbeak the Hippogriff and use its Stomp Attack to smash Silver LEGO bricks, then rebuild it into the Giant Owl and the Fierce Falcon for additional in-game abilities.

Players can help stop crime in the LEGO Dimensions multiverse with the LEGO City Fun Pack featuring a Chase McCain LEGO minifigure. Chase can become a Miner to break Silver LEGO bricks or a Fireman to use his Water Beam to put out fires. Gamers can use his LEGO City Detective Scanner to track down bad guys and change his disguise to unlock more abilities. In the LEGO City Adventure World, there are new areas to explore like Blackwell’s moon base and the LEGO City Police Department. Players can also compete with up to three of their friends in the LEGO City Battle Arena. Additionally, Chase’s 3-in-1 Police Helicopter can be built to fire off bolts, then rebuild it into the Police Hovercraft and Police Plane for additional in-game abilities.

Developed by TT Games and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, LEGO Dimensions is now available for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 computer entertainment systems, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and the Wii U system.

Follow LEGO Dimensions at:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LEGODimensions

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LEGODimensions (@LEGODimensions)

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/LEGODimensions (@LEGODimensions)

Tumblr: http://LEGODimensions.tumblr.com

Follow the LEGO Dimensions YouTube series at: http://www.youtube.com/LEGODimensions

HeroCraft shows first GUI screenshots of Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf

2017/02/01

Jerry Paxton

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

February 1, 2017 – As we announced earlier, Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf is coming to Steam Early Access in February 2017: http://store.steampowered.com/app/553210. We’re ready to unveil the GUI screenshots now!

Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf was originally released on iOS and Android as a f2p game, and now we’re working on the PC version of the game, it will be a full paid game, without any IAPs. At the very beginning of Early Access there will be the original gameplay and in-game balance, because the main aim of this Early Access is to gather players’ feedback and get the understanding of what they would like to see in our game.

Steam version of Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf will be remastered especially for PC players and will include: