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Latest Just Cause 4 Trailer Shows Some Love for Ultrawide Monitor Owners

 

Ultrawide monitor owners will be able to take advantage of their monitors when watching the latest Just Causetrailer. Square Enix set up a giant ultrawide screen at Paris Games Week to show off a gorgeous new trailer that highlights Just Cause 4’s graphics. Viewers will get plenty of footage demonstrating the game’s jaw dropping locales, environmental effects, weather effects, and the series’ over the top destruction animations.

Just Causetakes Rico Rodriguez to the fictional South American country of Solis. Rico is on the hunt for the mysterious Black Hand paramilitary organization after finding evidence that his father worked with the group. Looking for answers about his father, Rico is ready to destroy anything and anyone who stands in his way.

Just Cause 4 is set to launch on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows on December 4.

PUBG MOBILE HALLOWEEKS DROP IN AND STAY ALIVE

PUBG MOBILE HALLOWEEKS DROP IN AND STAY ALIVE

Halloween update for world’s most popular mobile game features holiday-themed content, gameplay balance changes, new challenges and more

LOS ANGELES – Oct. 26, 2018 – Players afraid of the dark are in for a treat, and a few tricks, with PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile (PUBG MOBILE) newest content update, available now on the App Store and Google Play. The 0.9.0 update delivers both tricks and treats to the more than 20 million daily active PUBG MOBILE players, with an all-new night mode on the Erangel map, as well as Halloween-themed in-game content, including new weapons and vehicles, balancing improvements and more.

The 0.9.0 update arrives just one month after the introduction of the rugged yet dense Sanhok map as Tencent Games and PUBG Corp continue to amplify and enhance the PUBG MOBILE experience, with new features including:

  • Night Mode – Classic Mode in Erangel will now alternate between day and night, and players can loot for Night Vision Goggles. Also, additional map details including buildings, trees and added barriers and blockades near rivers have been added;
  • Spooky Decorations – All maps now feature fresh Halloween decorations including haunting grenade explosions, lootable scarecrow dead body crates and more;
  • Halloween Purchases – Players can now unlock exclusive Halloween weapon and vehicle skins and customize unique outfits with an assortment of colors and logos.

In addition to all the latest in-game content, the Version 0.9.0 content update delivers several new social features and balances, including:

  • Matchmaking Improvements – Improved matchmaking times and prioritization for teammates that speak the same language;
  • Spectator Mode – Players can now watch opponents until the end of the match after being eliminated;
  • Crew Challenge – Leaders can now register crews of up to six players to compete in Qualification, Group and Finals rounds to earn exclusive rewards;
  • New Weapons and Vehicles – The QBU DMR rifle and Rony pickup truck are now available on the Sanhok map;
  • Improved Performance – Previous lag, crashing and loading issues have been resolved. Also, character actions, projectiles, in-game bugs and other systems have been improved;
  • Balance issues – Additional balances have been made to bullet-spread accuracy, gun and vehicle noises, crosshair designs and more.

For more details about the PUBG MOBILE Version 0.9.0 update, please visit the official update page here.

The official PUBG MOBILE Version 0.9.0 trailer can be viewed here.

To celebrate the latest upcoming updates, the developers at Tencent Games and PUBG Corp will host an exclusive party at Father Duffy Square in New York City on Oct. 28 from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST. Attendees will have opportunities to receive special PUBG MOBILE prizes and other goodies. More information about the New York City party can be found on the PUBG MOBILE official Facebook Page here. (https://www.facebook.com/PUBGMOBILE/)

PUBG MOBILE is available to download for free on the App Store and Google Play.

PUBG MOBILE is based on PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, the original battle royale PC and Xbox One phenomenon that took the world of interactive entertainment by storm in 2017. Up to 100 players parachute onto a remote 8×8 km island to do battle in a winner-takes-all showdown. Players must locate and scavenge their own weapons, vehicles and supplies, and defeat every player in a visually and tactically rich battleground that forces players into a shrinking play zone.

For more information, please visit the official PUBG MOBILE accounts on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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World of Tanks Brings Special Content to Twitch Prime Members

World of Tanks Brings Special Content to Twitch Prime Members

Twitch Prime members can get a unique Twitch-themed commander, emblems and medals on PC and Console

October 26, 2018 — Starting today all tankers—old and new—are able to grab some special content included with Twitch Prime this month. Packages, available for both World of Tanks PC or World of Tanks: Mercenaries, contain an elite female commander, the Valentine II tank, emblem, medal and much more. Even better: if you play World of Tanks PC or World of Tanks: Mercenaries ox Xbox and PlayStation 4, you won’t have to choose, you can have both!

To get this unique collection of goodies, all you need is a Twitch Prime membership and an account for World of Tanks PC or World of Tanks: Mercenaries on console. All content will be redeemable via Twitch Prime and each bundle must be claimed separately.

The offer will be available from 25th October through 30th November for World of Tanks PC and from 30th October through 30th November for World of Tanks: Mercenaries on console. Both bundles are available to existing and new players, those just starting off will simply have to create an account for their desired platform(s).

More details can be found:

World of Tanks PC:                         https://worldoftanks.asia/en/update_twitchprime/

World of Tanks Mercenaries:      https://console.worldoftanks.com/en/user/login?destination=node/51838

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About World of Tanks

World of Tanks is the first and only team-based, massively multiplayer online action game dedicated to armored warfare. Throw yourself into the epic tank battles of World War II with tankers all over the world. Your arsenal includes over 550 armored vehicles from the United States, Germany, the Soviet Union, France, Great Britain, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, Japan and China, carefully detailed with historical accuracy.

Official website: http://worldoftanks.com

About World of Tanks: Mercenaries

World of Tanks: Mercenaries is a team-based massively multiplayer online action game dedicated to armored combat, created by Wargaming West in Chicago, USA. Players can immerse themselves in fierce 15-v-15 tank combat with opponents from around the world, fight it out on more than 90 different maps, and take command of their preferred vehicle from over 690 different tanks from 10 nations. For the first time in the history of the World of Tanks series, a new Mercenaries line allows players to forsake nationalities and take the wheel on a new range of powerful tanks, exclusive to the console experience.

World of Tanks: Mercenaries is played by more than 17 million players worldwide and is available on all generations of PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and Xbox 360. The game can be downloaded for free by all PlayStation Network and Xbox Live account holders, in stunning 4K and with HDR support on PlayStation®4 Pro and Xbox One X. The epic, story-driven campaign mode War Stories can also be played for free, with regular episodic stories giving players the chance to rewrite history in immersive single-player and co-operative battles.

Official website: http://console.worldoftanks.com

About Wargaming

Wargaming is an award-winning online game developer and publisher headquartered in Nicosia, Cyprus. Founded in 1998, Wargaming has grown to become one of the leaders in the gaming industry with 4000+ employees and offices spread all over the world. Over 200 million players enjoy Wargaming’s titles across all major gaming platforms. Their flagship products include the massively popular free-to-play hit World of Tanks and the strategic naval action game World of Warships.

The company’s dedicated unit, Wargaming Mobile, is forging collaborations to deliver new mobile experiences alongside their in-house game development.

Official website: www.wargaming.com

First Free DLC for NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 Adds Halloween Surprises, A New Playground, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and More

First Free DLC for NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 Adds Halloween Surprises, A New Playground, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and More

NEW YORK Oct. 25, 2018 – 2K today announced the release of the first of many planned free DLCs for NBA 2K Playgrounds 2, the acclaimed two-on-two arcade basketball game from developer Saber Interactive for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch™ and Windows PC.

This new update, available today on PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PC, and on Switch at a later date, introduces an exciting Halloween playground, an assortment of Halloween-themed outfits (available via Swag Pack unlocks), a new lottery pick called the Ankle Breaker, and one truly frightful sight for your opponents: the addition of all-time great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to NBA 2K Playgrounds 2’s roster of unlockable players. A new trailer released today shows off all the fun surprises players can expect.

Today’s free update also features a number of improvements and balance changes cultivated from player feedback post-release, including refinements for character speed, blocking rates, and three-pointer percentages, as well as a variety of minor technical fixes to address issues with lag, AI and the shot meter.

For more information on NBA 2K Playgrounds 2, visit https://nba.2k.com/playgrounds, and follow the series on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is rated E (Everyone) by the ESRB.

2K is a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

Online Account (13+) required to access online features. See www.take2games.com/legal and www.take2games.com/privacy for additional details.

About Take-Two Interactive Software

Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a leading developer, publisher and marketer of interactive entertainment for consumers around the globe. The Company develops and publishes products principally through its wholly-owned labels Rockstar Games and 2K, as well as its Private Division label and Social Point, a leading developer of mobile games. Our products are designed for console systems and personal computers, including smartphones and tablets, and are delivered through physical retail, digital download, online platforms and cloud streaming services. The Company’s common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO.  For more corporate and product information please visit our website at http://www.take2games.com.

About 2K

Founded in 2005, 2K develops and publishes interactive entertainment globally for console systems, handheld gaming systems and personal computers, including smartphones and tablets, which are delivered through physical retail, digital download, online platforms and cloud streaming services. 2K publishes titles in today’s most popular gaming genres, including shooters, action, role-playing, strategy, sports, casual, and family entertainment. The 2K label has some of the most talented development studios in the world today, including Firaxis Games, Visual Concepts, Hangar 13, Cat Daddy Games and 2K China. 2K’s stable of high quality titles includes the critically acclaimed BioShock®, Borderlands™, Mafia, and XCOM® franchises, the beloved Sid Meier’s Civilization series, Evolve™, Battleborn®, the popular WWE 2K franchise and NBA 2K, the highest rated* annual sports title of this console generation.

*According to 2008 – 2018 Metacritic.com

About Saber Interactive

Based in the U.S., Russia, and Spain, Saber Interactive is an independent developer whose credits include Quake Champions, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo: Master Chief Collection and others. Saber’s NBA Playgrounds is one of the best-selling digital console titles of 2017. The company has multiple development studios across the world making great games and bringing fun interactive experiences to life.

All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The statements contained herein which are not historical facts are considered forward-looking statements under federal securities laws and may be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “potential,” “predicts,” “projects,” “seeks,” “should,” “will,” or words of similar meaning and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the outlook for the Company’s future business and financial performance. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs of our management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to them, which are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Actual outcomes and results may vary materially from these forward-looking statements based on a variety of risks and uncertainties including: our dependence on key management and product development personnel, our dependence on our Grand Theft Auto products and our ability to develop other hit titles, the timely release and significant market acceptance of our games, the ability to maintain acceptable pricing levels on our games, and risks associated with international operations. Other important factors and information are contained in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the risks summarized in the section entitled “Risk Factors,” the Company’s most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the Company’s other periodic filings with the SEC, which can be accessed at www.take2games.com. All forward-looking statements are qualified by these cautionary statements and apply only as of the date they are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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CONTINUE YOUR ADVENTURES IN ARLAND WITH THE WESTERN RELEASE OF ATELIER LULUA: THE SCION OF ARLAND

CONTINUE YOUR ADVENTURES IN ARLAND WITH THE WESTERN RELEASE OF ATELIER LULUA: THE SCION OF ARLAND

KOEI TECMO Europe Reveals The Fourth Entry To The Fan-Favourite ‘Arland’ Series

Hertfordshire, 25th October 2018 – KOEI TECMO Europe revealed today the upcoming western release of Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland for the Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, and Windows PC via Steam®. Slated to release in Spring 2019, the latest entry to GUST’s popular Atelier franchise continues the fan-favourite Arland trilogy; set several years after Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland.

This heart-warming new entry follows the young Elmerulia Fryxell; an energetic and positive young girl who studies alchemy diligently to live up to the legacy of her mother – the famous Rorona Fryxell. Supported by her close childhood friend, the hardworking and caring Eva Armster, she works hard to fulfil her dream and become a renowned alchemist. Fans of the Arland series will be able to re-meet old characters, and re-explore the land of Arland, to see how the flow of time has changed everything they once knew.

Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland has all-new synthesis, exploration, and battle systems in place which combine the familiar Arland system with fresh new gameplay mechanics. Blending the Arland-style gameplay with the latest Mysterious series opens a variety of exciting new possibilities.

Prior to meeting Lulua, players are invited back to Arland as of the 4th December 2018 with the Atelier Arland series Deluxe Pack on the PS4, Switch, and PC via Steam via digital release. This pack includes all three titles featured in the Arland trilogy; Atelier Rorona: The Alchemists of Arland DX; Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland DX; and Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland DX with many of the previously released DLC contents – perfect to prepare themselves for Lulua’s journey. Players can choose between purchasing these titles individually or as a package containing all three at a discounted price.

A first look at Atelier Lulua was shown off in a fresh asset batch by KOEI TECMO Europe today, featuring the new characters and the land of Arland.

With more information for Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland and the Atelier Arland series Deluxe Pack set to be revealed in the coming weeks, be sure to check out our official website http://www.ateliergames.eu/lulua/, http://www.ateliergames.eu/arlanddx/, Like us on www.facebook.com/ateliergames and Follow us on Twitter @koeitecmoeurope for all the latest details.

ABOUT KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD.

KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, UK. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. KOEI TECMO’s best known for their signature ‘one versus thousands’ Warriors series, the fan-favourite Ninja Gaiden and fighting entertainment title Dead or Alive. Through collaboration with strong existing franchises, such as A.O.T. Wings of Freedom (Attack on Titan), has brought fan-favourite shows to life in video game form. The company’s desire for innovation and diversity has seen the creation of the critically acclaimed dark-samurai action title Nioh, which takes on new and unique gameplay styles. The company’s acquisition of GUST, developer of a variety of heart-warming titles, has seen their flagship Atelier series span generations of consoles and fans alike. More information about KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD and its products can be found at www.koeitecmoeurope.com

Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland ©2018 KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. All rights reserved. Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland and GUST are trademarks or registered trademarks of KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. The KT logo is a registered trademark of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD.

BIONIK ANNOUNCES MANTIS VR HEADPHONES ARE OFFICIALLY LICENSED FOR PLAYSTATION®VR

BIONIK ANNOUNCES MANTIS VR HEADPHONES ARE OFFICIALLY LICENSED FOR PLAYSTATION®VR

Bionik’s Integrated VR Audio Solution is now officially licensed by Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe (SIEE)

Los Angeles, CA (October 25, 2018) – Bionik, a manufacturer of innovative and high quality gaming accessories, is thrilled to announce the Mantis™ is now officially licensed for use exclusively with PlayStation®4 (PS4™) and PlayStation®VR (PS VR) in Europe, Africa, Middle East, Russia, India and Oceania. Bionik’s unique detachable headphones will help players further immerse themselves in the incredible virtual worlds of PS VR.

Mantis is engineered for seamless integration with PS VR, featuring a unique clip-on design for easy attachment and removal. Comprised of high quality components and a complementary color scheme, the headphones are lightweight, intuitive to use and come complete with an audio cable for use with PS VR. The officially licensed Mantis will include both on-ear and over-the-ear attachment options, which allows for even more customization to fit the needs of all PS VR players.

“The Mantis was designed from its inception to complement and enhance the extraordinary PS VR experience as a natural extension of the headset,” said Amir Navid, Bionik’s SVP of Product Development. “We’re thrilled to partner with SIEE on the official licensed release of Mantis, and look forward to serving our SIEE region customers that have been excited for the Mantis’ debut. This kit will include everything you need for customized, integrated, and immersive sound made even richer thanks to PS VR’s 3D Audio capabilities.

For more information on Bionik check out www.bionikgaming.com and www.facebook.com/bionikgaming and follow on Twitter @BionikGaming.

About Bionik
Bionik is a gaming accessories manufacturer focused on providing gamers with the tools they need to reach their full, competitive potential. By offering unique devices and accessories that have been tested and designed to provide solutions for even the most-discerning gamers, Bionik is dedicated to providing high-quality solutions for some of the most common issues gamers deal with. For more information on Bionik, or to pre-order items, please visit BionikGaming.com.

TURTLE BEACH BECOMES OFFICIAL BLAST PRO SERIES COPENHAGEN PARTNER

TURTLE BEACH BECOMES OFFICIAL BLAST PRO SERIES COPENHAGEN PARTNER

Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Powers One of the World’s Premier CS:GO Tournaments

San Diego, CA – October 25, 2018 – In its continued support of the world’s top PC esports teams and players, Turtle Beach (Nasdaq: HEAR), today announced it is the Official Partner of the highly-anticipated BLAST Pro Series Copenhagen tournament. Taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark on November 3, 2018 the tournament will showcase six of the world’s top Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) teams –including local favorite, and current World #1, Astralis – battling it out to be crowned tournament champion.

BLAST Pro Series is one of the world’s premiere esports tournaments, with returning stops in major international cities. With the world’s best teams competing on its unique A-shaped stage, it attracts millions of fans and viewers worldwide.

“We entered the PC gaming market this year with our all-new Atlas headsets and a plan to support top PC players, teams, and events like BLAST Pro Series,” said Andrew Lilien, VP of Marketing, Turtle Beach. “We’ve already seen some outstanding reviews for the Elite Atlas, in which Astralis played an integral role in designing. We’re excited to work with BLAST Pro Series in Copenhagen and see this as an ideal opportunity to showcase to fans in the arena, and those tuning in from around the world, everything the Elite Atlas has to offer.”

Added Jakob Lund Kristensen, EVP Sales and Co-Founder of RFRSH Entertainment, “We’re thrilled to have Turtle Beach joining us in Copenhagen. The continued growth and popularity of esports globally requires organizations like ours to deliver nothing short of exceptional quality in all aspects of competitive events, and Turtle Beach’s Elite Atlas PC gaming headset delivers the high-quality audio pro players require to find success on the tournament stage.”

The six CS:GO teams set to battle it out at the upcoming BLAST Pro Series Copenhagen tournament at the Royal Arena are NaVi, NiP, FaZe Clan, Cloud9, MIBR, and Astralis. Cloud9 won the first 2018 Major, and Astralis enter the tournament as the reigning Major Champions, BLAST Champions, and the world’s #1 CS:GO squad.

The Elite Atlas sets a new benchmark for esports audio on PC. For pro-players and hardcore PC gamers alike, the Elite Atlas is built to win with a durable yet sleek metal headband with a suspended pad, ProSpecs™ glasses friendly design, and upgraded magnetic memory foam ear cushions featuring athletic fabric and synthetic leather working together to block out external noise. Audio performance centers around the Elite Atlas pro-tuned 50mm Nanoclear™ speakers that deliver immersive Windows Sonic for Headphones1 surround sound, and the removable high-sensitivity mic with TruSpeak™ technology for flawless communication with teammates. Finally, the Elite Atlas goes wherever gaming takes you with included 3.5mm and PC-splitter cables that connect to any PC setup.

For more information on the latest Turtle Beach gaming headsets and accessories, like the Elite Atlas, as well as the Atlas Three and Atlas One PC gaming headsets, visit www.turtlebeach.com and be sure to follow Turtle Beach on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Turtle Beach Corporation
Turtle Beach (www.turtlebeach.com) has been transforming console multiplayer gaming since the very beginning with its wide selection of industry-leading, award-winning gaming headsets. Whether you’re a professional esports athlete, hardcore gamer, casual player, or just starting out, Turtle Beach has the gaming headset to help you truly master your skills. Innovative and advanced technology, amazing high-quality gaming audio, clear communication, lightweight and comfortable designs, and ease-of-use are just a few features that have made Turtle Beach a fan-favorite brand for gamers the world over. Made for Xbox, PlayStation®, and Nintendo consoles as well as for PC, Mac®, and mobile/tablet devices, having a Turtle Beach gaming headset in your arsenal gives you the competitive advantage. The Company’s shares are traded on the NASDAQ Exchange under the symbol: HEAR.

Cautionary Note from Turtle Beach Corporation (“Turtle Beach”) on Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking information and statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Except for historical information contained in this release, statements in this release may constitute forward-looking statements regarding assumptions, projections, expectations, targets, intentions or beliefs about future events. Statements containing the words “may”, “could”, “would”, “should”, “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “estimate”, “target”, “project”, “intend” and similar expressions constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current belief, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management.

While Turtle Beach believes that its expectations are based upon reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurances that its goals and strategy will be realized. Numerous factors, including risks and uncertainties, may affect actual results and may cause results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements made by Turtle Beach or on its behalf. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, risks related to Turtle Beach’s liquidity, the substantial uncertainties inherent in the acceptance of existing and future products, the difficulty of commercializing and protecting new technology, the impact of competitive products and pricing, general business and economic conditions, risks associated with the expansion of our business including the implementation of any businesses we acquire, our indebtedness, the outcome of our HyperSound strategic review process and other factors discussed in our public filings, including the risk factors included in Turtle Beach’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Turtle Beach’s other periodic reports. Except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Turtle Beach is under no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement after the date of this release whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

1Windows Sonic for Headphones provided by Microsoft for compatible Windows 10 PCs (and Xbox One). Also compatible with Dolby Atmos® for Headphones (additional purchase may be required.)

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Fallout 76 is Getting Awesome Official Merchandise

Numskull Designs announced their official Fallout 76 merchandise range. The first online game of the franchise from Bethesda Softworks will launch on November 14th for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. If there’s a birthday near or you’re in need of Christmas gifts, this might be what you’re looking for. Of course you can also add these products into your own Fallout collection and prepare you for the adventures in the wasteland!

The full range includes:

  • Vault Boy Incense Burner
  • Vault Boy 3D keychains (6 variants)
  • Vault Boy 3D Christmas decorations (6 pack)
  • Vault Boy Coat Hooks
  • Vault Boy LED lamp (due December 2018)
  • ‘Have a Great Day’ rubber floor mat
  • Nuka Cola pin badge set
  • Pip-Boy pin badge sets
  • Bomb 3D mug
  • Vault 76 3D mug
  • Nuka-World steel mug

Check out our gallery to have a look at  the merchandise. You can already preorder worldwide on the official website from Numskull Designs and the products will also be  available at international retailers from November 14th.

Nickelodeon Kart Racers is Now Available for Consoles

The folks from GameMill Entertainment announced, that Nickelodeon Kart Racers is available now for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. In this multiplayer racing game you can select your favourite character from iconic Nickelodeon series like SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Rugrats, Hey Arnold! and more. You can play the local multiplayer or battle mode with up to four players on 24 different tracks.

“The anticipation for Nickelodeon Kart Racers has been amazing,” said Mark Meadows, Partner of GameMill Entertainment. “Bringing so many different characters together in one game has been fun and challenging. We are overjoyed to see how excited people are and we can’t wait for players of all ages to join The Slime Grand Prix!”

Nickelodeon Kart Racers is available to purchase for $39,99 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Review

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

Developer: Treyarch
Publisher: Activision
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows (Reviewed)
Release Date: 12 October 2018
Price: $59.99 USD – Available Here / $99.95 AUD – Available Here

Video Review

Overview

Between this year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and last year’s Call of Duty: WW II, the franchise seems to be moving away from the fast pace of previous titles and back to more grounded gameplay of early games. This year’s iteration is the first without a singleplayer campaign, opting instead for the series’ first battle royale mode called Blackout. Combined with the traditional multiplayer modes and the ever-popular zombie mode, Treyarch is hoping their triple threat will conquer the busiest video game launch season of the year.

Story

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is the first game in the franchise to dispense with a singleplayer campaign, but not the story completely. Instead, the story has been moved to Specialist HQ where players get small cut scenes in exchange for playing tutorial missions for each specialist and a bunch of bot matches. Black Ops 4 is supposed to serve as the bridge between the events of Black Ops 2 and Black Ops 3. In practice, the story is vague and barely understandable to anyone new to the franchise. It’s bad enough that I would have preferred if Treyarch just embraced the fact they were making a Call of Duty game in the Black Ops universe with no singleplayer campaign and just skip the story all together. The only bright spot in the story is the hilarious, over top performance by the AI version of Sergeant Frank Woods.

On the other hand, the state of the zombie campaign is a lot better. The two main storylines are entertaining. The writing is still a bit cheesy at times, but I think it’s always been part of the mode’s charm. The constant banter between the players gives the mode a lot of character, though players will hear a few lines over again in the course of a long game of zombies.

Gameplay

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 marks the return of the Pick 10 and the Specialists systems. The infinitely flexible Pick 10 system has aged incredibly well and still ranks as one of my favourite class systems in an FPS. This year’s specialists are a diverse bunch. Each one offers two skills on a short and long timer, with the longer timer skill essentially serving as a fourth killstreak. There’s definitely a specialist for every playstyle, such as the support friendly Crash and the flanker’s friend Seraph.

The movement system in Black Ops 4 is possibly the best in the series so far. Running around the map and climbing into windows is incredibly smooth. The pacing is quicker than last year’s Call of Duty: WWII, but still grounded enough for older Call of Duty fans to feel right at home. The game easily ranks as one of the smoothest FPSes I’ve played in a long while.

Considering Call of Duty started the trend of automatic health regeneration, I was rather surprised that Black Ops 4 opted for a new health system. Now players are given a syringe that will regenerate all the player’s health over a few seconds. The syringe has a short cooldown, meaning players can’t tank shots either. It’s a great system that offers players the tough choice between reloading and regenerating health during tense firefights.

The game has opted for a slightly more team-based, casual friendly appeal. The scoreboard has been reformatted to reward players for participating in combat instead of landing the final blow. While this probably won’t change the kill/death ratio obsessed community overnight, it’s a small change that helps new players feel like they are contributing to the match. This feels like the logical next step to Call of Duty’s existing point based scorestreak system.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 offers a mix of old favourites and new maps. The old maps have been left untouched save for a facelift to bring them up to modern standards. The new maps are a solid mix of close quarter brawls and long hallways for tense sniper battles. It appears that the series’ emphasis is now on larger mixed area maps, versus the small pure close quarter battle maps that players have a love/hate relationship with.

Treyarch is hopping on the battle royale bandwagon this year, offering a new Blackout mode that pits players against each other in small teams or a free for all. Instead of choosing their guns and perks, players parachute onto a massive map with main areas taking design cues from some of Black Ops most beloved levels. Perks, weapons, and equipment are scattered around the map that is quickly closing in on the players. Call of Duty’s fast paced gunplay translates well to the mode.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 offers two separate zombie campaigns consisting of two missions each. While the two campaigns share the base gameplay, perks, potions, and guns; each campaign starts with its own set of plot-appropriate special weapons that are eventually unlocked for the other campaign. The new missions have a ton of content beyond fighting zombie waves that get increasingly more challenging. Without many hints, players will need to experiment, or use a walkthrough, to find all the Easter Eggs in the level. The levels are designed well, with few cheap chokepoints and a lot of neat little challenges scattered throughout.

The weapon balancing is clearly a work in progress. On the PC, the dual SAUG 9mm combo and, to a slightly lesser degree, the Paladin sniper rifle currently need a nerf. From what I hear from console players, they are faced with a separate set of issues due to the lack of mouse and keyboard. It might be time for Treyarch to follow Blizzard’s lead and balance the PC and console versions of the game separately.

Right now, the network situation needs some work. During the beta, Black Ops 4 ran at 60hz up and down. Currently, the game client sends data at 60hz, but receives at 20hz. The set up is not ideal for competitive first person shooters, and many of Black Ops 4’s non-battle royale competitors are running at least 60hz up and down. In all fairness though, Acitivision-Blizzard’s other big competitive shooter Overwatch was in a similar situation on launch and later upgraded to 60hz up and down. Launches for big games means a crush of players during the first week with a quick drop in player count in following weeks. Managing a finite amount of server resources to ensure a good experience for all players during that initial surge is a challenge. What’s not excusable is the fact Treyarch hasn’t been clear on what their plans are to sort this matter out. They’ve announced they will be rolling out improvements in the coming weeks but have been a vague on what these improvements actually entail. As of publishing, there is talk that this improvement is a bump up to 30hz for some servers, but it’s still a far cry from 60.

The PC port quality is excellent. Beenox has done a fantastic job making sure PC players can tweak almost every aspect of the game. I like the fact the game’s tiered menu that offer the usual options with an advanced menu just underneath to let players have finer control over the game. It’s a small detail, but I noticed fact Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 lets me use the caps lock key without actually triggering the caps lock. I don’t know what sort of black magic happened, but I wish more games would do it.

Visuals

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 doesn’t change too much graphically besides the usual upgrades to take advantage of the latest and greatest hardware. The near futuristic art style looks excellent, though admittedly a few gun designs would probably be immediately booted from a firearms designer’s desk for not being practical. The maps offer a good variety of locales to keep things fresh. Classic maps like Firing Range have been given a visual update and look excellent.

Audio

The audio experience in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is good. The music is the usual hard rock tracks we’ve come to expect from the series. The voice acting is solid. The sound effects have a nice punch to them. Sound directionality is not bad but could be improved. With a pair of headphones and a virtual surround sound set up, I had no problem figuring out exactly where shots were coming from, but footsteps generally felt more muffled in comparison. It’s not much of an issue for busy modes like Team Deathmatch where all the action drowns a lot of footsteps anyways, but it’s a bit frustrating for quieter modes like Blackout.

Overall

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is the perfect example of small, steady improvements year after year on a long running franchise to keep it fresh enough to bring in old players without completely alienating the fan base. The return to the more grounded gameplay is sure to bring older players into the fold. The improved movement system and the new Blackout mode are excellent. The game is suffering growing pains though. The guns need some balancing and the netcode needs to be bumped back to 60hz as soon as possible; however, even with these issues, I’ve still had an absolute blast with Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.

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