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Escape from Tarkov Screenshots of New Map

December 16, 2016 – Battlestate Games, developers of the much-anticipated military-themed FPS/MMO Escape from Tarkov have released several screenshots of a new in-game location – the Forest. This vast Forest covers a major section of the city of Tarkov’s immediate outskirts and it hides many secrets. Attentive explorers will discover many locations, most of them dangerous, including an abandoned railroad station, sawmill, the remains of a crashed plane and much more. To succeed in the forest battlefield, players will have to adopt special combat tactics and learn to navigate in dense vegetation and open spaces.

Escape from Tarkov is a hardcore story-driven MMO featuring elements of both FPS and RPGs. The events take place in the Russian city of Tarkov, which has been sealed off by roadblocks after having plunged into chaos of warfare between private military companies. Escape from Tarkov’s Hazardous Environment Combat Simulator employs a number of custom system modules to create incredibly immersive gameplay and lets players feel the reality of what is happening in the game.

Escape from Tarkov is currently in the Alpha testing stage and is being prepared for transition to closed beta. At the moment, most key game mechanics are already in place including trade, handling of weapons/inventory, raid objectives and character leveling/skill upgrades system.

To learn more about Escape from Tarkov, visit www.escapefromtarkov.com. ‘Like’ the game on Facebook and follow the game’s development on Twitter @bstategames for all the latest developer updates and news.

Call of Cthulhu Gets New Screenshots

December 15, 2016 – The official video game adaptation of Chaosium’s pen and paper RPG, Call of Cthulhu, today unveils new images showcasing the horrifying locals and locales of Darkwater Island. Step into the shoes of Edward Pierce as you investigate the tragic death of Sarah Hawkins, and push your sanity to the limit to uncover the disturbing truth in this RPG/Investigation game blending psychological horror and stealth mechanics.

You are Edward Pierce, a war veteran turned private detective, in the Boston of the 20s. You have been hired to investigate, on the isolated island of Darkwater, the unusual and tragic death of Sarah Hawkins and her family. Soon your investigation will lead you to the fringes of the paranormal, where reality and illusion begins to blend… or is this really the fruit of your imagination?

Driven by the idea that mankind is irrelevant in an uncaring universe filled with inconceivable horrors, Lovecraft’s dark works have captured imaginations across the world for close to a century. Call of Cthulhu fully embraces these fundamentals, pitting you in a desperate struggle against powers that defy human comprehension. To uncover the disturbing truth of Darkwater Island, you will venture a deadly path to the very brink of insanity – a concept tightly tied to the Cthulhu Mythos. As your investigation leads you closer to the sphere of influence of the Great Dreamer, you will start to doubt everything you see. You will have to find balance between your own sanity, and your determination in finding out what lurks in the shadows – as they say that madness is the only way that can bring you to the truth.

Between the haunting environments, twisted story, and the ever-looming threat of the Great Old Ones, Call of Cthulhu promises a darkly satisfying experience for Lovecraft fans and newcomers alike.

Call of Cthulhu: The Official Video Game releases 2017 on consoles and PC.

Ubisoft Announces New Acoustic Update for Rocksmith 2014 Edition

SAN FRANCISCO – December 13, 2016Today, Ubisoft® announced that Rocksmith® 2014 Edition – Remastered will now feature all-new acoustic instrument support, allowing acoustic players to join the four million people who have learned to play guitar and bass through the award-winning Rocksmith® method, the fastest way to learn guitar.*

The free update comes with three new modes including Microphone Mode, Disconnected Mode and Endless Replay Mode in Guitarcade. With Microphone Mode, players can go acoustic. They will be able to plug in a dedicated USB microphone to a console or computer that will detect the notes played on an acoustic instrument. By placing the microphone near their acoustic guitar or bass, players will be able to take full advantage of Rocksmith without plugging in their instrument.

Disconnected Mode enables players to learn songs without plugging in an input device. With this mode, note detection is deactivated and players can read the notes on the screen for more casual practice sessions. Now with Endless Replay Mode, players are able to immediately restart their session in Guitarcade rather than starting back at the game menu after each round.

“We’ve been looking for a way to bring Rocksmith to aspiring acoustic players for a long time, so we’re thrilled to unveil today’s updates,” said Nao Higo, executive producer, Ubisoft San Francisco. “This year our song catalog grew to more than 900 tracks, and we added new features for all players with the free remastered upgrade.  Now, millions of acoustic guitarists can enjoy Rocksmith too. We’re focused on providing our players with the best guitar learning experience possible and will continue looking for ways to grow and support our community.”

Along with these new modes, players can now edit their song lists from the Learn a Song menu, as well as the Nonstop Play menu. There is also the added ability to choose other arrangements in Score Attack and the ability to replay the Welcome to Rocksmith introductory lesson, as well as an updated Calibration sequence for greater accuracy. The new update will be distributed as a free patch for users on all platforms.

For more information about Rocksmith 2014 Edition – Remastered, please visit rocksmith.com.

 

For the latest on all of Ubisoft’s games, please visit ubiblog.com.

*Research Strategy Group Inc. – March 2013 – US nationwide in-home placement study

Great American Comic Convention Las Vegas After-Action Report

One of the greatest parts of my job is going to conventions.  I love them – I physically train for them (they can be an endurance challenge), I do homework on them, and then I go and take in the sights and sounds in a manner that fellow Firefly “Browncoats” would simply call “shiny”.  Some of them are massive and literally impossible to take everything in during an entire week, others are so intimate that legends of their industry become friends.  That has been the Great American Comic Convention in Las Vegas the last two years.

When I was a kid I didn’t usually read super hero comics like most kids, I was into House Of Mystery, Chamber Of Secrets, Swamp Thing, mostly the spooky comics with some Scooby Doo and some much loved Sgt. Rock (my friends collected G.I. Joe and I preferred the more realistic Sears Sgt. Rock action figures).  I also read The Nam a lot, my dad bought those for me and they were deeply important because they helped me understand what he went through in country.

In college I would sometimes eat ramen and drink cheap beer to pick up the latest Punisher, Swamp Thing, Hellraiser and my all time favorite John Constantine Hellblazer.  When I got into the geekdom reviewing business after college I still had a love for all these things and with the exception of the Holy Grail of cons, San Diego, I started going to cons for everything from electronics to broadcasting equipment to my lifetime loved comics.

If you had told me as a kid I would talk to the first artist to do Swamp Thing comics Bernie Wrightson last year at Great American Comic Convention I wouldn’t believe you.  If you told me that the event would be so intimate that over the last two years at GACC I would actually become friends with one of the cover artists for Punisher, Hellraiser and Hellblazer Tim Bradstreet I would have probably suggested to stop drinking cheap vodka, if you had told me that Mike Golden who penned the first issues of The Nam would remember me, joke around all weekend and then mention me in his panel I might have cried for how deep those comics strike home with me.  If you told me Allen Bellman would call me over to his table around a group already there because he want to talk to ME about the 75th anniversary of Captain America (I wasn’t wearing anything media, he just looked at me and decided I was who he wanted to talk to) and shake my hand over and over I would be stunned to silence.

25 years ago when I was the entertainment reporter for a college newspaper I told the entertainment reporter for the Los Angeles Times that the Rugrats weren’t the “in” thing on college campuses right now it had become Ren and Stimpy, an animated dog and cat that started at a fringe cartoon festival and had become a viewing party sensation coast to coast.  This last weekend I got to go up to the artist Bob Camp and hand him two printed out copies of that article, one for him and one he signed for me.

Great American Comic Convention is one of my favorites because it is intimate enough to actually have a full conversation with Neil Adams, hang out with Mat Nastos, check out the guns on John Romita Jr. while meeting such groups as Very Awesome Girls and Critical Care Comics that help the community.  There is also the artist alley of the up and comers, just waiting for that big break which we have seen happen at shows.  If you haven’t made it to this convention in the past make room for it in the future to meet the guys behind the inked pages.

Great American Las Vegas Comic-Con Photo Gallery

A Magical LAIKA Experience Back at Universal Studios Hollywood

LOS ANGELES – December 8, 2016 – By overwhelming popular demand, acclaimed animation studio LAIKA will present a return holiday engagement of “From Coraline to Kubo: A Magical LAIKA Experience” from December 21, 2016 to January 15, 2017 at Universal Studios Hollywood. This special event will take place within the theme park’s Globe Theatre and is included in the price of admission.

The innovative, interactive Experience offers an up-close look at the artistry and imagination behind LAIKA’s groundbreaking 10-year filmmaking history, which includes the Academy Award-nominated films Coraline (2009), ParaNorman (2012) and The Boxtrolls (2014), as well as this year’s acclaimed Kubo and the Two Strings, recently named Best Animated Feature of 2016 by the National Board of Review, Washington DC Area Film Critics Association and Atlanta Film Critics Society and nominated for ten Annie Awards (including Best Animated Feature). The exhibition previously debuted this summer at Universal Studios Hollywood and was met with tremendous success, enjoyed by thousands of guests.

“From Coraline to Kubo: A Magical LAIKA Experience” showcases the evolution of LAIKA’s unique blend of handcrafted stop-motion animation and visual effects magic that will once again come to life in four imaginatively themed rooms. The extensive display of original sets, puppets and props will immerse guests in their singular, fantastical worlds.

“We’re thrilled to be able to return to Universal Studios Hollywood after our successful summer debut of the LAIKA Experience,” said Travis Knight, LAIKA’s President & CEO who recently made his directorial debut with Kubo and the Two Strings. “There’s nothing like experiencing the LAIKA wonderland up close and personal. We’ve likened it to Santa’s Workshop with a much weirder bunch of elves. Not everyone can come to our studio just outside Portland, so we’re once again taking that experience to our fans so they can become immersed in our creative process and witness how the artists bring the films to life.”

“The LAIKA Experience was a phenomenal success for our guests this past summer and we are excited to welcome its return to our theme park,” said Xiomara Wiley, Executive Vice President, Marketing & Sales, Universal Studios Hollywood. “Partnering with Focus Features and LAIKA on this exhibit is a perfect example of how we entertain our guests with exclusive behind-the-scenes movie magic.”

Universal Studios Hollywood is a world-class theme park entertainment destination providing guests with a full day experience enjoying today’s most compelling rides and attractions, and behind-the-scenes Studio Tour.  From the recently opened “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™,” “The Walking Dead” daytime attraction, and “Despicable Me Minion Mayem,” Universal Studios Hollywood creates immersive worlds based on popular movies and television shows.  For California residents, Universal Studios’ must-have California Neighbor Pass is chock full of benefits, that enables guests to choose any day for their first visit and return to enjoy Universal Studios Hollywood for more than 200 select days and weekends for only $119. Discounts on general admission tickets for friends and family to the theme park also include access to special events such as the “From Coraline to Kubo: A Magical LAIKA Experience” limited-time experience.

Fueled by the vision of President & CEO Travis Knight, feature film animation studio LAIKA celebrated its 10th anniversary in December 2015. Located just outside Portland, Oregon, LAIKA was awarded a Science and Technology Oscar plaque in recognition of its innovation in 3D printing in 2016. Its three films, Coraline (2009), ParaNorman (2012), and The Boxtrolls (2014) were all nominated for Oscars® and PGA Awards as Outstanding Animated Film. Coraline earned Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Critics’ Choice nominations, and was named one of the year’s 10 Best Films by the American Film Institute (AFI). ParaNorman (2012) garnered BAFTA, Critics’ Choice, and GLAAD Media Award nomination and won two Annie Awards (the animation community’s Oscars equivalent) and was cited as the year’s best animated film by 14 critics’ groups. The Boxtrolls also earned Critics’ Choice and Golden Globe Award nominations and 13 Annie Award nominations, more than any other film that year. Kubo and the Two Strings, which marks the directorial debut of Travis Knight, was released by Focus Features on August 19th, 2016.

Focus Features (www.focusfeatures.com) acquires and produces specialty films for the global market, and holds a library of iconic movies from fearless filmmakers. Current and upcoming domestic releases from Focus include Tom Ford’s romantic thriller Nocturnal Animals, starring Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal, winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2016 Venice International Film Festival; the real-life story of heroism The Zookeeper’s Wife, directed by Niki Caro and starring Jessica Chastain; Colin Trevorrow’s The Book of Henry, starring Naomi Watts, Jaeden Lieberher, and Jacob Tremblay; Sofia Coppola’s The Beguiled, starring Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, and Elle Fanning; the action spy thriller The Coldest City, directed by David Leitch and starring Charlize Theron and James McAvoy; Stephen Frears’ Victoria and Abdul, starring Dame Judi Dench as Queen Victoria; Joe Wright’s Darkest Hour, starring Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill; the untitled new film from Paul Thomas Anderson starring Daniel Day-Lewis; J.A. Bayona’s visually spectacular drama A Monster Calls, starring Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Lewis MacDougall, and Liam Neeson, which world-premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival; and Jeff Nichols’ Loving, based on the love story of Richard and Mildred Loving, portrayed by Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga, which world-premiered at the 2016 Cannes International Film Festival.

Focus Features and Universal Pictures are part of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

Universal Studios Hollywood is The Entertainment Capital of L.A. and includes a full-day, movie-based theme park and Studio Tour. As a leading global entertainment destination, Universal Studios Hollywood delivers highly themed immersive lands that translate to real-life interpretations of iconic movie and television shows. Recent additions include “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter ™” which features a bustling Hogsmeade village and such critically-acclaimed rides as “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey” and “Flight of the Hippogriff™,” Universal Studios Hollywood’s first outdoor rollercoaster. Other immersive lands include “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and “Super Silly Fun Land” as well as “Springfield,” hometown of America’s favorite TV family, located adjacent to the award-winning “The Simpsons Ride TM.” and the all-new “The Walking Dead” daytime attraction. The world-renowned Studio Tour is Universal Studios Hollywood’s signature attraction, inviting guests behind-the-scenes of the world’s biggest and busiest movie and television studio where they can also experience such authentic and immersive thrill rides as “Fast & Furious—Supercharged.” The destination also features the Universal CityWalk entertainment, shopping and dining complex, including the Universal CityWalk Cinemas and the “5 Towers” state-of-the-art outdoor concert venue.

Double Nation Pack Available for Wargame: Red Dragon

December 1, 2016 – Wargame: Red Dragon is still alive and well thanks to its amazing community and the support of its developers. The million-selling series Wargame is back with a Double Nation Pack DLC introducing two new REDFOR Armies: Yugoslavia & Finland. As voted by the community, these two nations come to reinforce the PACT side of Wargame: Red Dragon, bringing up to 186 new gorgeous units to add further strategic depth to Eugen Systems’ spectacular RTS.

The Yugoslav People’s Army is a highly-mechanized fighting force, with powerful tanks and IFV backed up by a wide choice of versatile SAM/SPAAG weapon systems and many indigenous assault aircrafts. It features four variants of the M-84 MBT as well as heavier tanks such as the M-91 Vihor. Yugoslavia also fields many variants of BOV wheeled armored vehicles, M-60 APC, M-80 IFV… The Yugoslav Air Force introduces no less than four indigenous planes (Jastreb, Super Galeb, Orao & Novi), modeled in-game into seven variants. Yugoslavia is playable in a coalition with Czechoslovakia.

But Yugoslavia is not arriving alone, as the Finnish Army is also available in this new Nation Pack! It features excellent reconnaissance (a small army by itself!), providing a wide array of choices, ranging from the stealthy to the powerful. Finland introduces a new unit type: ATV riders, with the FDF Mönkijä, a small & elusive jeep! A strong infantry line-up backs up this recon force, with a large selection of shock troopers & commandos with CQC MG, giving Finland an uncanny ability at clearing urban areas & woods. The Finnish Army’s lineup also features a wide range of tube artillery, from heavy mortars, such as the TelaKrH 66, the Gvozdika, to modernized MBT such as the T-72M1MOD. And let’s not forget the iconic StuG III, a.k.a “Sturmi” !

Since its release, Wargame: Red Dragon has added the following DLC :

– The Millionth Mile (60 new units and a new unit type)
– Second Korean War (a new solo campaign and 12 new units)
– Norse Dragons (60 new units for Sweden, Denmark & Norway)
– Nation Pack : Netherlands (with 80 units)
– Nation Pack : Israel (with 96 units)
– Russian Roulette 10v10 map

New bundles are also made available today on Steam :

– Full Nation Pack : Netherlands + Israël + Yugoslavia + Finland
– Red Dragon Complete Edition : Game + all available DLCs
– Wargame : Ultimate Franchise Pack : All Wargame games + DLCs

This Double Nation Pack : Reds is available now on PC. Enjoy up to 75% off on Steam for the whole Wargame Franchise until December 5th.

The Surge Mini-Boss Info and Screenshots

November 30, 2016 – Deck 13’s new hardcore action-RPG, The Surge, today unveils some of the game’s mini-bosses set to prowl the hallways of overrun industrial complex CREO. From CREO’s elite security forces to malfunctioning industrial machinery, these enemies make up just a few of the dangers facing Warren throughout the dangerous environments of The Surge.

Led by a billionaire philanthropist, a project developed by CREO – a mysterious industrial and R&D megacorporation – designed primarily to reverse the effects of climate change on the planet is just beginning to take shape as something ominous.

Although most dangers in The Surge were not originally designed for combat, CREO’s security forces exist to maintain order within the complex. CREO’s ‘robot dog’ is a leaping quadruped designed to track down and kill any intrusions. As with most threats in The Surge, it has a weakness – although heavily armored, players can hit vulnerable places in order to take it down, and loot it, faster.

The Echelon 9 security forces, armed with anti-personnel combat gear, are armored in the GOLIATH-class armor making them extremely fast and strong. Although contrary to CREO’s image as a planet-saving company, CREO’s internal security forces’ primary goal is to protect CREO from outside interference, as the stakes are high.

One of the many malfunctioning industrial machines throughout CREO, the Smelter was designed to be impervious to tampering, making it extremely difficult to shut down. With ore-smashing gripper teeth and coolant forcing it to vent gasses to keeping it stable, you’ll have to attack its most vulnerable inner workings at the right time to deactivate it.

You will have to make the most of your newly installed exo-suit, armors, and almost limitless armament combinations to survive CREO when The Surge slices its way onto consoles for PS4, Xbox One, and PC in 2017.

Kingdoms and Castles Announced in Fig Campaign

Los Angeles, CA – November 30, 2016 – Pete Angstadt and Michael Peddicord, who between them have worked on acclaimed indie games including Abzu, Journey and Cannon Brawl, as well as EA’s Spore and Boom Blox, have founded a new studio called Lion Shield and have announced their new city building game Kingdoms and Castles.  Partially inspired by Angstadt’s time at Maxis and games like SimCity, Stronghold, and Banished, players build a simulated city while crafting a strategy to protect their peasants from a continually changing and dangerous world. Kingdoms and Castles begins a funding campaign on Fig.co/castles today, to raise $15,000 for the development, publishing and release of the game on PC and Mac in Spring 2017.

In Kingdoms and Castles, players start out creating small villages, which they expand to thriving cities protected by imposing castles.  As the game progresses, choices about strategic castle expansions, tax policies, farming, industry, religious institutions, defense and other important decisions determine whether their city thrives for fails. Unlike other games that have come before, players in Kingdoms and Castles will both create a city and protect it from danger.  Many other games have focused separately and exclusively on building or defending – not both.

The kingdoms face threats from a dynamic and dangerous world filled with vikings, plague, dragons, bitter winters and other challenges. The player’s strategy will determine if the viking raiders make off with their villagers or if they are stopped, full of arrows, at the castle gates; or if a dragon torches the town’s granary so that people die of starvation in the winter, or are able to boldly defeat the beast. The success of kingdoms depends solely on the player’s intelligence and skill as a city and castle planner.

The Kingdoms and Castles world dynamically changes and evolves throughout the game – seasons change, forests grow and clouds move through the sky, with a variety of algorithms and procedural systems operating behind the scenes to simulate the environment.

Individuals and organizations can learn more about the game and support Kingdoms and Castles on Fig.co/castles today.  In addition to rewards contributions, qualified investors can get returns based on the game’s sales performance by investing in a Fig security that pays dividends tied to the revenues received from the game.

About Fig

As the only funding and publishing platform created by gamers for gamers that offers rewards and investment based funding, Fig.co empowers developers and passionate fans alike to bring well-known franchises and undiscovered indie titles to market. Fig.co was established with help from a coalition of independent game developers including Brian Fargo, Feargus Urquhart, and Tim Schafer. Fig Publishing, Inc. is an affiliate of the Fig.co company and was founded to give investors a way to support the development and publishing of great new games by Fig.

For more information, visit Fig.co and follow us on Twitter.com/playfig and Facebook.com/playfig.

New Styx: Shards of Darkness Screenshots Released

November 29, 2017 – Styx: Shards of Darkness, sequel to Cyanide Studios’ stealth hit Master of Shadows, comes to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC in Q1 2017. Four new images show off the heavily guarded Port of Korrangar, airships in flight, and the impish nature of our green-skinned thief himself.

The only thing sharper than Styx’s wit is his knife, and both will be put to the test in his deadly adventure across land, sea and sky. After taking care of business in City of Thieves Thoben, Styx agrees to steal an ambassador’s scepter – in exchange for vast quantities of highly addictive, magical Amber of course! It’s not long before this seemingly straight forward task takes an unexpected turn though, as Styx is thrust into a dangerous world of shady politics and powerful magic.

This time around, Styx has access to a far greater arsenal of tools and abilities to fit with a range of different playstyles. Avoid or hunt guards with potent Amber powers, including the ability to instantly teleport into a newly hatched Styx clone. The newly-added crafting system lets you adapt to situations as you progress, allowing you to craft lethal traps and other devices from components stolen on your adventure.

This open-ended approach extends beyond Styx himself. The game once again features highly vertical environments, far grander in scale and non-linearity than ever before. Every objective is achievable through many different routes and tactics – from lurking through shadowy depths to unleashing silent attacks from above, how Styx progresses in each mission is entirely up to you.

Styx: Shards of Darkness comes to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in early 2017. Players who preorder now get exclusive access to the Akenash set, granting them the iconic outfit and dagger seen in Styx’s first adventure.

WGL Challenger Rumble Declares Its Winners

November 21, 2016 — This weekend, the 6 best teams from the EU, APAC and NA regions fought for 2 tickets to the Champions Rumble in Moscow and cash prizes. After a day of intense brawling, Ding took a resounding win over Kazna Kru, with both teams earning tickets to Champion’s Rumble.

Looking onwards and upwards, these two will have to work on their tactics and prepare for the Champions Rumble, the ultimate showdown in the World of Tanks calendar. At the Champions Rumble, they will truly define who the best team is and take their slice of the $160,000 prize pool.

This year’s final fight will be taking place at WG Fest on December 17, the massive community gathering in Moscow, Russia, that shows off all things Wargaming. Thousands will be watching the Challenger Rumble champs face off with World Champion Na’Vi and the runner-up of the CIS Season 1 Finals, HellRaisers, to claim a ticket for the Grand Finals 2017.

However, who can forget that the Challenger Rumble also etched its first World of Tanks Blitz World Champion in history? C4 beat TEAM ID to take both the trophy and the cash back home. We couldn’t have stuffed any more eSports action into one weekend if we tried.

For more information on the WGL, visit the official portal: