Video

Star Trek Timelines Facebook Launch Trailer

2016/11/30

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

November 30, 2016 – As Star Trek’s 50^th anniversary comes to a close, Disruptor Beam continues to celebrate as their highly popular strategy role-playing game Star Trek Timelines is now available on Facebook Games via web browsers and Facebook Gameroom, a new PC gaming desktop app. With millions of fans playing the game on the App Store and Google Play, new and old players now have an extra way to experience the Star Trek universe.

Originally launched in January 2016 for the App Store and Google Play, Star Trek Timelines starts out when a temporal anomaly brings together space and time, allowing players to assemble a dream crew featuring characters from all eras of Star Trek. Players then deploy their crew to resolve conflicts using each crew member’s unique skills and abilities. The game allows players to engage in stunning 3D ship battles, as well as explore the galaxy alongside friends, delivering an immersive game experience to all Star Trek fans.

“One consistent request we’ve heard from our dedicated Star Trek Timelines community since launch has been to bring the action to Facebook,” said Joey Lapegna, Director of Product and Design at Disruptor Beam. “We could not be more thrilled to have Star Trek Timelines finally on Facebook Games and their new Gameroom platform and aim to deliver the same compelling experience as it is now on mobile.”

Star Trek Timelines on Facebook Gameroom and Facebook Games allows for persistent cross-platform gameplay between Facebook and mobile devices as progress made on either platform will be saved and accessible at any time. The Facebook versions of Star Trek Timelines are also available for free and in five different languages – English, Spanish, German, French and Portuguese. Moving forward Disruptor Beam will update both the Facebook and mobile versions in tandem with frequent additions of new characters, starships, features and popular weekly in-game events.

To get started with the Facebook version of Star Trek Timelines, check out this FAQ on the Disruptor Beam website, visit Star Trek Timelines on Facebook Games or download Facebook Gameroom on your Windows PC.

Players can follow new game developments by joining the Star Trek Timelines community and signing up for the Bridge Crew email list, joining the Disruptor Beam forums and following the game on Facebook and Twitter.

Interactive Nintendo Areas Coming to Universal Studios

2016/11/30

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News

Kyoto, Japan and ORLANDO, Florida (November 29, 2016) – Imagine the fun of stepping into a larger-than-life Nintendo adventure. Gigantic Piranha Plants spring to life. Question blocks, power-ups and more surround you. And Mario and all his friends are there to pull you into a brand-new world.

You will enter an entire realm filled with iconic Nintendo excitement, gameplay, heroes and villains. And it is coming to three Universal theme parks around the globe.

The creative visionaries behind Nintendo’s legendary worlds and characters are working together with the creative teams behind Universal’s blockbuster theme park attractions. Their goal: to bring the characters, action and adventure of Nintendo video games to life within Universal theme parks. And to do so in new and innovative ways that capture what makes them so special. All of the adventure, fun and whimsy you experience through a screen will now be all around you – in breathtakingly authentic ways.

Nintendo-themed areas are coming to Universal Studios Japan, Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood.
These will be expansive, immersive and interactive. They will be highly themed and authentic environments filled with multiple attractions, shops and restaurants.
Guests will feel as if they are playing inside their favorite games – this time in real life.
There will be something for everyone – regardless of their age or gaming experience level.
Planning and creative work on these areas is well underway; they will open separately over the next several years.

The new themed areas come as the result of a global partnership between Universal Parks & Resorts and Nintendo – two icons of the entertainment world. Universal theme parks create incredibly popular family entertainment experiences for millions of people based on compelling characters, stories and innovative technology. Nintendo creates remarkable and imaginative games filled with captivating stories and beloved characters.

Each Universal theme park will announce details of its specific Nintendo areas. The first such announcement will come soon.

About Universal Parks & Resorts
Universal Parks & Resorts, a unit of Comcast NBCUniversal, offers guests around the globe today’s most relevant and popular entertainment experiences. With three-time Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg as creative consultant, its theme parks are known for immersive experiences that feature some of the world’s most thrilling and technologically advanced film- and television-based attractions.

Comcast NBCUniversal wholly owns Universal Studios Hollywood, which includes Universal CityWalk Hollywood. It also owns Universal Orlando Resort, a destination resort with two theme parks (Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure), five resort hotels, and Universal CityWalk Orlando. In addition, Comcast NBCUniversal owns a 51 percent majority interest in Universal Studios Japan, in Osaka and has a license agreement with Universal Studios Singapore at Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore. The company has also announced plans for a theme park in Beijing.

Ghost Town Mine Ride & Shootin’ Gallery Review (HTC Vive)

2016/11/29

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Reviews, Windows PC News, Windows PC Review

Spectral Illusions is a name many of you video gamers out there might not know just yet. However, if you are a part of the haunted house/haunter community, you will no doubt recognize them as a well-known producer of digital projector effects. I had seen them at various Halloween-related trade shows like ScareLA and Midsummer Scream, so I knew that they made quality effects. What I did not know was that this two-person team was working on what might just be the best “on-rails” virtual reality shooter to date: Ghost Town Mine Ride & Shootin’ Gallery. And it’s out now for your gaming enjoyment… If you dare!

Ghost Town Mine Ride & Shootin’ Gallery puts players in the shoes of a person exploring an abandoned thrill ride – a mine ride as the title mentions. The experience starts off in a small office attached to the mine ride and shooting gallery. From there, you will make your way into the ride, with the first stop being the stationary shooting gallery. Armed with a six shooter, players can shoot at the various targets as long as they like. The shooting gallery experience is extremely well-done, with 1:1 aiming and gun manipulation. Thankfully, the game still has some arcade shooter in its genetics as you have unlimited rounds for your pistol, and reloading is just a simple control press.

Speaking of controls, Ghost Town Mine Ride & Shootin’ Gallery uses the HTC Vive motion controllers extremely well. Movement is done in real-time, no teleportation here, and I am very happy for that. I think teleportation takes players out of the VR experience. Now, it is true that some players get motion sickness while using virtual reality headsets. If this is you, I would highly suggest you skip this game unless you pick it up just for the excellent shooting gallery. This is because after you shoot your heart out at the shooting gallery, you venture further into the attraction, boarding the mine ride itself. From there… Well, all Hell breaks loose and you are in for a wild ride.

Visually, Ghost Town Mine Ride & Shootin’ Gallery is a beautiful VR experience. The atmosphere is perfect and I experienced a ton of jump scares on this mine ride gone berserk. The sound is equally immersive and just adds to the creep-factor of the ride. In terms of performance, even when the action was crazy and frenetic, the frame rate kept stable and I experienced very little in the way of juttering when I turned my head. You can stand or sit when you board the mine ride, and I highly suggest you stand at moments when you would be standing in the experience and sit when you are riding the mine ride. Have a chair nearby and just be careful not to trip over it, lol.

Now, there are some bugs that still need to be worked out. For instance – every once in a great while, I would end up getting thrown out of the mine cart due to a glitch. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do at that point except restart. There are no save points or anything like that. In fact, that kind of issue is where the game’s independent development shows through. For the most part, it is an amazing experience that lasts about a half hour.

Overall, Ghost Town Mine Ride & Shootin’ Gallery is one of the best virtual reality-based experiences I have ever played. Finally, Ghost Town Mine Ride & Shootin’ Gallery is only $8.99 on Steam, making it one of the most economical VR experiences I have ever played. If you own an HTC Vive, you owe it to yourself to purchase Ghost Town Mine Ride & Shootin’ Gallery right away. You won’t regret it.

Ghost Town Mine Ride & Shootin’ Gallery Review Score:

[mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#eded00″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#eded00″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#eded00″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#eded00″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#eded00″ type=”fa”] (5 out of 5)

Bluefin to Distribute Bandai Star Wars Models

2016/11/28

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos

Anaheim, CA, November 29, 2016 – Bluefin, the leading North American distributor of toys, collectibles, and hobby merchandise from Japan, Hong Kong and more, expands its relationship with Bandai Hobby to include distribution of Bandai’s line of Star Wars Scale Vehicle Models.

Bandai Hobby is renowned for its high-quality model kits that blend complex detail and innovative construction that fans of all skill levels will enjoy. Manufactured in Japan, the Star Wars Scale Vehicle Model kit line includes notable crafts and space ships from the earlier classic Star Wars films as well as from Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the latest Rogue One: A Star Wars Story release. Originally available only for the Asian market, these official U.S. releases will include English instructions and will also have product support from Bluefin.

Bluefin will launch the Bandai Hobby Star Wars model line in early December with the 1/72 and 1/144 scale Red Squadron X-Wing Starfighter Special Set, which features the star fighter depicted in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The kit will be initially available from Amazon.com in time for the film’s North American wide release in December.

Amazon pre-orders are available now at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LX1Y3CA/

Subsequent 1/72 scale kits for the Tie Interceptor, A-Wing Starfighter, and Poe’s X-Wing Fighter will follow in January and will be available at Barnes & Noble stores nationwide, followed by full distribution across the U.S. to hobby and independent store channels.

The remaining Scale Vehicle model kits in the Bandai Hobby Star Wars line are planned for release by Bluefin to additional online and physical retailers throughout 2017. Bluefin also plans to release new future Bandai Hobby Star Wars Scale Vehicle model kits simultaneously as the kits debut in Asia.

Bandai Hobby’s line of Star Wars kits includes:

1/72 & 1/144 RED SQUADRON X-WING STARFIGHTER SPECIAL SET

1/72 TIE INTERCEPTOR

1/72 A-WING STARFIGHTER

1/72 POE’S X-WING FIGHTER

Additional kits are planned for 2017

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Tickets On Sale Now

2016/11/28

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Movie News, News, Windows PC News

BURBANK, CALIF. (November 28, 2016)—Advance tickets are on sale now for Lucasfilm’s highly anticipated standalone Star Wars adventure “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” Tickets are available wherever tickets are sold.

To celebrate “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” several theater chains and ticket sellers are offering special promotions. Detailed information available here: http://www.starwars.com/news/rogue-one-a-star-wars-story-tickets-on-sale-worldwide

Additionally, to kick off ticket sales, a new TV spot is now available, featuring the chilling sounds of an iconic villain:

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” follows a group of unlikely heroes in a time of conflict who band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire’s ultimate weapon of destruction. This key event in the Star Wars timeline brings together ordinary people who choose to do extraordinary things, and in doing so, become part of something greater than themselves.

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is directed by Gareth Edwards and stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Riz Ahmed, with Jiang Wen and Forest Whitaker. Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur and Simon Emanuel are producing, with John Knoll and Jason McGatlin serving as executive producers. The story is by John Knoll and Gary Whitta, and the screenplay is by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy. “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” opens in U.S. theaters on December 16, 2016 in 3D, Real D 3D and IMAX 3D.

Razer Naga Hex V2 Gaming Mouse Review

2016/11/22

Ripper71

News, Peripheral Review, Reviews, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

There are two gamers in our household: one casual and, the other, more hardcore. Despite this difference, both of us agree that, when it comes to gaming mice, it has to be comfortable for really long periods of use. We recently got the chance to review the Razer Naga Hex V2 Gaming Mouse, a legend for game compatibility without creating a porcupine bristle of buttons. Will it be ergonomic and user friendly to please both sides of my household? Let’s give it a whirl and find out!

Hands On:
First, we should discuss the way the mouse looks. Obviously, selecting as mouse based solely on looks is a bad thing. That being said, the Razer Naga Hex V2 is damn sexy with its out of the box lighting sequence being a slow drift through the colors of the rainbow that lights the wheel, the hex buttons and Razer logo. The lighting is vibrant and makes the gunmetal and black bode that much classier in look. Of course, a much more important and definitely contested point in our house would be the location of the hex buttons themselves.

The mouse is designed so that your thumb rests right in the middle of a circle of buttons labeled 1-7 so that a slight shift of your finger could hit any of them easily, with buttons 1 and 2 being straight along the desktop plane. The thumb rest has a rubber tiny hex pattern on it that helps with grip as does the entire area you may want to rest your pink for leverage. The wheel also has high knobs so that your finger won’t lose its grip and can make fine adjustments. The left/right buttons and the palm rest area all have an unpolished feel to them so you can tell the difference in pattern from the grips but you might be able to get some minor grip there if you need to.

The strength of button placement is solid on all with the only question being the thumb rest. I found it very easy to adjust to a slightly further back grasp and button pattern but then I have used the old school Razer Naga that had 12 buttons there so if you could get used to that you could get used to the placement on anything, especially one that placed rubber gripping in the middle of the thumb zone. Folks who are used to ergonomic mice will find this a close fit but one they will have to get used to, especially if they were front heavy users. However, you “claw” gaming mouse users out there might have some trouble navigating the thumb buttons efficiently.

One thing I found odd was the numbering for the Hex buttons on the side. The buttons go 1,2,3 clockwise then go across the wheel to go 4,5,6,7. There may be some reason for this that I missed but it would seem to make more sense to me that if you have a button rotation it should go the same direction. This is an easy fix by either memorizing this order or ignoring the button numbers all together and just program them the way you want.

One last thing… If you have an older version of the software you may have trouble with updating but help is there to be found. My other Razer gear was getting elderly so it had a lot of updates to do and not all were friendly. Once you get there though the program is a simple gem to operate.

Hands Off:
While my wife didn’t fall in love with the mouse like I did, all that means is she won’t take it from me! The Razer Naga Hex V2 Gaming Mouse is a great addition to your arsenal with strong ergodynamics and buttons designed for hours of gameplay, and it looks damn sexy doing it. Claw gaming mouse users, beware, as it might not be your first choice for a mouse.

Razer Naga Hex V2 Gaming Mouse Review Score:

Conan Exiles Trailer, PC Release Date, and Xbox One Announcement

2016/11/22

boothby

Geek News, News, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

Oslo, Norway – November 22nd, 2016 – Know o Prince, that between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities, and the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an age undreamed of!

Very soon gamers on both PC and Xbox One will get to journey to that very age in Funcom’s upcoming open-world survival game ‘Conan Exiles’. Starting January 31st 2017, players on PC will get to unleash their inner barbarian in Early Access. Soon after, Xbox One players too can jump into the fray as ‘Conan Exiles’ hits the Xbox One Game Preview program in the spring same year. Inspired by the great Robert E. Howard stories, ‘Conan Exiles’ will have players fighting to survive, build, and dominate their enemies in a vast and treacherous open-world in both single- and multiplayer.

To celebrate today’s announcement, Funcom is releasing a brand new trailer showing how the game looks in action. This is the first ‘Conan Exiles’ video released in almost six months and shows the results of the hard work the developers have put into both graphics and gameplay since June.

“The open-world survival genre is ripe for Conan’s conquest,” says Game Director Joel Bylos. “If there ever was a world that can truly test your strength and skill, it is the brutal and savage world of Conan the Barbarian. ‘Conan Exiles’is not just an empty sandbox, it is a world rich in history where you must discover the secrets of ancient civilizations as you struggle to build your own.”

‘CONAN EXILES’ is an open-world survival game set in the brutal lands of Conan the Barbarian, the world’s greatest fantasy hero. The game can be played on private and public servers, either in multiplayer or local single-player. In the world of ‘Conan Exiles’, survival is more than tracking down food and water. Journey through a vast, seamless world filled with the ruins of ancient civilizations and uncover its dark history and buried secrets as you seek to conquer and dominate the exiled lands yourself. Start with nothing but your bare hands and forge the legacy of your clan, from simple tools and weapons to gigantic fortresses and entire cities. Enslave the bandits of the exiled lands to do your bidding by breaking them on the grueling Wheel of Pain. Sacrifice the beating hearts of your enemies on the blood-soiled altars of your deity to seize true power and glory. Summon the colossal avatar of your god and see them lay waste to your enemies and their homes.

You can learn more about ‘CONAN EXILES’ on www.conanexiles.com Follow the game on Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates. You can also visit blog.conanexiles.com for the latest news and developer updates. For more information about Funcom, please visit www.funcom.com

Dawn of Andromeda Coming to Steam Early Access December 1

2016/11/22

Jerry Paxton

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

Haarlem, The Netherlands – November 21, 2016 – Publisher Iceberg Interactive announces today that their 4X space RTS ‘Dawn of Andromeda’ (PC) will launch on Steam’s Early Access program on December 1st, 2016. Earlier this year the game enjoyed a very successful closed beta program, accumulating tremendous feedback and suggestions from a dedicated group of testers. Having taken giant strides forward since then, and having undergone extensive Quality Assurance, developer GreyWolf Entertainment is now eager to put the current advanced beta in front of a much wider audience, in Early Access. Given the remaining development roadmap and gamer requests, they currently anticipate the game to stay in early access for approximately three months, releasing in March 2017.

Iceberg Interactive CEO Erik Schreuder says “Despite the avalanche of releases occurring in Q4, we feel that Dawn of Andromeda stands out from the crowd and is polished enough to take the leap during this busy window. It has been quite a while since a solid and engaging 4X space RTS title has emerged between the many turn-based competitors and we expect many real-time 4X strategy fans to jump on board and grab their chance to make an impact.”

Dawn of Andromeda is a plausible, real-time space 4X game focused on providing a fun, immersive and accessible experience. It allows you to build your empire, colonize new planets, interact with other factions and characters, research new technologies and build fleets so powerful your enemies will tremble. On top of that, the game brings you a galaxy filled with diverse factions, outlaws, merchants, pirate clans and mercenaries but also anomalies, black holes, ancient artifacts, ruins and much more.

Dawn of Andromeda will launch December 1 on Steam’s Early Access program at $24.99.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/427570.

Features:

Explore, expand, exploit and exterminate in this real-time space strategy game, featuring real-time combat in a dynamic and ever-evolving galaxy

New factions and characters can join the fray mid-game; artifacts, ruins, anomalies and a huge variety of fascinating elements are scattered throughout the galaxy and can yield new research opportunities. Various characters such as outlaws, merchants and others roam the galaxy

Asymmetric gameplay. Not all races discover space travel at the same time, some may have yet to discover it, some may have already built a mighty empire, and some races may be naturally stronger than others. However, if you’d prefer a traditional 4X experience and start an entirely symmetric game, it’s up to you

Pre-designed, customizable and randomly generated races, each with their unique backgrounds and traits

Accessible gameplay, featuring a highly-intuitive User Interface

Eras; unique scenarios, each with a pre-designed galaxy and background stories which you can play as one of the existing factions, each with their own victory conditions, traits, challenges and ongoing conflicts and relationships

Choose between researching pre-fabricated or randomly generated ship designs, or alternatively research and discover ship parts, allowing you to create your own unique shop designs from them

In-depth diplomacy system. Create or join coalitions, make allies and enemies, but beware, each action you take can change how the rest of the galaxy will view you. Destroying an entire planet, or just praising or denouncing another race, can have a deep impact on the balance of the entire galaxy

Reduce micro-management by appointing governors to your colonies and council members to your empire, all of whom can be leveled up. Each come with their own unique traits, happiness and experiences

Multiple, customizable victory conditions, which can never be set to vary for each faction, making for unpredictable friends and foes

For more information on Dawn of Andromeda, please visit the official website athttp://www.dawnofandromedia.com or check out the Steam page http://store.steampowered.com/app/427570

FINAL FANTASY XV – 101 Trailer

2016/11/21

boothby

Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos

LOS ANGELES (Nov. 21, 2016) – To prepare for the launch of FINAL FANTASY® XV, SQUARE ENIX® today revealed a new introduction trailer highlighting everything players need to know before beginning their epic journey through the world of Eos on November 29. The trailer delves into the game’s deep story, real-time combat system, magic spells, summons, and introduces the four main characters.

Additionally, a free “Crown Update” will also be available for players to download automatically at launch. The update is the result of some additional time for development since mastering the full game, and provides a variety of updates, minor bug fixes and new features to greatly enhance the overall story and gameplay experience.

The upgrade provides enhancements for several elements within the game including:

Improvements to the camera with new options to better assist and track the action in tight space and to improve visibility during battles
New event scenes and scenes from KINGSGLAIVE: FINAL FANTASY XV™ and the “Omen” trailer have also been added to the game to make the story and timeline of events easier to follow for newcomers
The addition of an ability tree for the “Wait Mode” function which improves the strategic element of this feature
Players can obtain the “Beast Whistle” which can be used to call monsters to battle
A wider variety of recipes and fish with an addition of a gallery for completionist players who enjoy collecting items
Implementation of social media support, allowing the photos Prompto takes along your journey to be uploaded to Facebook and Twitter

Following news of copies of the game going on sale ahead of the release date, Game Director Hajime Tabata issued the following message to the fans:

“The November 29th release date is approaching and I sincerely hope everyone enjoys this game with a fresh state of mind. Unfortunately, there has been an unauthorized distribution of the boxed edition of FINAL FANTASY XV in select regions and we have noticed that gameplay footage from people playing these copies has appeared online. Though this type of situation is brought on by various region specific circumstances and may not be something that is completely avoidable, we are very regretful of this situation.

One of the major goals of FINAL FANTAr3SY XV is for everyone to enjoy the story and to discover the surprises together through the simultaneous worldwide release. Due to these recent events, videos with unexpected spoilers could potentially be posted online, so we would like to warn everyone who has been waiting in anticipation for this game.

We will also do everything in our capacity to prevent unauthorized footage from appearing online. We would also like to ask anybody that has obtained an early copy of the game to be respectful to those that are looking forward to the official release and to not spoil the surprises for everyone.

A large and dedicated team have worked extremely hard to make this game and to create a FINAL FANTASY that everyone can enjoy. It would be a huge regret for us if the excitement of the launch was to be spoiled for so many when we are so close to release.

Your understanding and cooperation would be much appreciated so we can celebrate the best possible release together.”

The Assembly Gets Motion Control Support

2016/11/21

Jerry Paxton

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

November 21, 2017 – nDream3s brings motion control functionality to The Assembly for no additional cost. A patch adding in support for HTC Vive’s controllers will be released tomorrow, Tuesday 22^nd November, via Steam, with an equivalent update for both Oculus Touch and PlayStation Move arriving before the end of December. This patch also enhances the ability for The Assembly to be played as a room-scale experience.

To demonstrate how this patch enriches The Assembly’s gameplay, nDreams has released a new video, which can be watched here: https://youtu.be/-qzkFJ6UUXk