Author: Donster

Paradox Interactive and Eugen Systems Bring Historical Weight to WWII Tactical RTS

Two giants of historical strategy put their love of the past on display in Steel Division: Normandy 44. The World War II themed real-time strategy game from Paradox Interactive and Eugen Systems is rooted in a deep appreciation of history and an understanding of the limits and possibilities of games.

In a new behind-the-scenes video from Eugen Systems, Creative Director Alexis Le Dressay and his team expand on the research that went into the development of Steel Division: Normandy 44. Division battlegroups, unit design and map choice are all based on attention to period detail and historical accuracy.

Players can now pre-order Steel Division: Normandy 44 for $39.99/£34,99/€39,99, or the Deluxe Edition for $59.99/£49,99/€59,99. Both versions include two historical aces as a pre-order bonus, giving division leaders new cosmetic faces to put in command of their vehicles.

Pre-ordering Steel Division: Normandy 44 also gives players access to the multiplayer beta, which allows players to face off on the battlefields of Normandy with Steel Division’s unique battlegroups in advance of launch. Steel Division: Normandy 44 will receive its final pre-launch beta update this afternoon, which will add two new divisions (the British 6th Airborne and German 352.Infanterie Division) and maps of Odon and Carpiquet for players to master!

Steel Division: Normandy 44 will be available on Steam and the Paradox store on May 23, 2017.

For more information on Steel Division: Normandy 44, and to pre-order the game, please visit the official Steel Division: Normandy 44 website.

By Mario Campos @ PureOC

A gamer who doesn’t sit on their butt for hours at a time is scarcely a gamer at all. It’s at least true today, as the arcades have gone the way of… I don’t know, MySpace? They exist, but not like they did in their prime. If you want to play a game, you’ll likely want to sit. If you want to sit for hours without those post-game pains, you’re going to want a better than average chair. You might even want the Cougar Armor Gaming Chair. Let’s find out.

Read The Review Here

Check out these latest hardware announcements for today from around the web. Also included are some hardware news bits, and on some days, a few rumors tossed in for good measure. Click on the links below to read the official press release, visit the products web page, or to an independent news source.

• CRYORIG Releases NZXT CAM Powered H7 Quad Lumi RGB Cooler
• AMD Intros the Radeon RX 560 Graphics Card
• NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030 Pascal GP108 Graphics Card Officially Launched
• CORSAIR Launches T1 RACE Gaming Chair
• Lian Li Launches PC-T70 Open-Bench Chassis
• Swiftech Intros a Pair of GTX 1080 Ti Water Blocks
• PowerColor Red Devil Radeon RX 570 AXRX 570 4GBD5-3DH/OC Video Card Introduced
• Noctua Introduces New A-series Fans and Accessories
• ASUS Adds Wi-Fi Connectivity to ROG Crosshair VI Hero Ryzen Motherboard
• Roccat Announces the Leadr Wireless Gaming Mouse
• AMD Radeon RX Vega Lineup Supposedly leaked – Vega Core, Eclipse and Nova
• AMD to Offer Liquid-Cooled Version of Its Vega “Frontier Edition” GPUs

Celebrated with a launch trailer, Bohemia Interactive today released the anticipated Jets DLC for its tactical military shooter game, Arma 3. The Jets DLC delivers three air-superiority jets, an Unmanned Aerial Combat Vehicle, a new Showcase scenario, and more. The package is complemented by a free Arma 3 platform update, which introduces massive content (literally!) in the form of an aircraft carrier, and implements various new gameplay features related to fixed-wing aircraft.

Arma 3 Jets DLC Key Features

• F/A-181 Black Wasp II: The F/A-181 Black Wasp II is a fifth-generation, single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter jet. The aircraft was designed primarily as an air-superiority fighter, but also has ground attack capabilities. Its additional external hard points enable the aircraft to carry a wide variety of weapons configurations. The Black Wasp is fitted with the required equipment for carrier operations.
• To-201 Shikra: The To-201 Shikra is a fifth-generation, single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter jet. The aircraft was designed by a CSAT and Russian joint syndicate with the goal to build a highly agile and maneuverable air-superiority fighter. Similar to the F/A-181, the To-201 also has ground attack capabilities, and is able to support various weapons configurations via its conventional pylons, but also its internal weapons bay.
• A-149 Gryphon: The A-149 Gryphon is a fourth-generation, single-seat, single-engine, and all-weather tactical fighter jet. The aircraft was designed as a multi-role platform at an affordable cost, and unlike some of the larger air-superiority jets, it can also perform well in low-altitude flight. Despite its aging platform, the A-149 has still been upgraded with the newest sensors and weapons systems.
• Sentinel: The Sentinel is a fifth-generation, state-of-the-art, twin-engine, all-weather tactical Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV). The Sentinel was designed primarily as a reconnaissance platform, but can also perform precision ground attacks. It typically operates from an aircraft carrier.
• Showcase Fighter Jets: Take to the skies above Altis and engage in air-to-air and air-to-ground combat in a brand new Showcase scenario.

The Jets DLC is supported by the 1.70 platform update, which features new content and features. This platform update is free for all owners of Arma 3. Its highlights include:

• Sensor Overhaul: A new radar interface for targeting guided weapons, powered by advanced Active Radar and Infrared sensor technology.
• Extended Hitpoints: The damage model of fixed-wing aircraft has been upgraded to the level of detail of other vehicle classes in Arma 3.
• Dynamic Vehicle Loadouts: Players can now customize their vehicle’s armament. In the case of jets, this means you can choose what kind of ordnance each pylon carries.
• Other Improvements: Various audio enhancements, tweaked controls, several new scripted solutions such as ejection seat emergency procedures, and more.
• Aircraft Carrier “USS Freedom” (CVN-83): A nuclear-powered aircraft supercarrier which can carry various aircraft, and supports catapult take-offs and tailhook landings. The aircraft carrier is a static in-game object that can be positioned across the map via the 3D Scenario Editor, but cannot be ‘driven’.
• Surface-to-Air Weapon Systems: The USS Freedom is outfitted with 3 autonomous defensive weapon systems: Praetorian 1C AAA, Mk-49 Spartan SAM, and Mk-21 Centurion SAM.

The Jets DLC is available for purchase on the Bohemia Store and Steam at € 9.99 / $ 11.99 / £ 8.99. To already enlist for all planned upcoming Arma 3 DLC, players can purchase the Arma 3 DLC Bundle 2 (€ 22.99 / $ 24.99 / £ 19.99), which saves more than 25% over purchasing the Jets, and upcoming “Orange” (working title), Tac-Ops, and Tanks DLC separately. For a complete overview of the Arma 3 Jets’ content and features, check out the official website at www.arma3.com/dlc/jets.

Ace Combat franchise director Kazutoki Kono announced in an open letter addressed to fans that Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is being delayed until sometime in 2018. Here’s that letters content:

Dear Ace Combatants,

I wanted to take this opportunity to speak with you directly, our loyal ACE COMBAT fans, and give you a first-hand update on the launch timing for ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN.

The Project ACES team and I have been working hard on ACE COMBAT 7 and we’re determined to achieve the vision we have set for the game. To reach that vision, we have decided to move the launch of ACE COMBAT 7 to 2018.

We would have loved to launch ACE COMBAT 7 at the end of 2017 as we originally intended, but doing so would compromise our goal for the game. We take our art very seriously and that means we have instead chosen to devote additional time and effort to perfect and optimize this newest chapter of the ACE COMBAT saga. The combination of the Unreal 4 Engine and the power of current generation consoles and PC hardware have literally opened the “skies of opportunity” to us to develop the best ACE COMBAT experience to-date. At no other time in ACE COMBAT’s 20+ year history has gaming technology allowed us to deliver the minute details of flight combat – such as cloud cover and air currents – or give players a new way to experience dogfights and attack sorties through hardware such as the new PlayStation VR.

We’ll have a lot more information and details to share with you in the coming months, starting at E3 2017 where we plan to reveal a brand-new demo showcasing one of the non-VR missions in ACE COMBAT 7 for the first time ever!

On behalf of the entire Project ACES team, I want to thank you all for your patience and for your continued support.

Sincerely,
Kazutoki Kono – ACE COMBAT Franchise Director

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is currently rated PEGI 16. The game will be coming for the PlayStation 4 system, Xbox One, and PC via STEAM. To find out more about Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, head over to the games official website.

Last February, developers from M2H and Blackmill Games visited the Western Front together with the The Great War YouTube Channel.

The Great War dedicated a special episode to the French fortress called Fort Douaumont. The fortress protected the city of Verdun and was captured without a fight by the Germans in February 1916.

In this episode, the Verdun developers explain to host ‘Indy’ Neidell how they rebuilt the fort in their game Verdun, staying as historically accurate as possible.

Verdun is the first multiplayer FPS set in a realistic First World War setting. The merciless trench warfare offers a unique battlefield experience, immersing you and your squad into intense battles of attack and defense.

The game takes place on the western front between 1914 and 1918, in one of the bloodiest conflicts in world history. The developers were inspired by the infamous Battle of Verdun France in 1916. The game offers 4 distinct game-modes; Frontlines, Attrition, Rifle Deathmatch and Squad Defense. Also many historically accurate features are included such as realistic WW1 weaponry, authentic uniforms, gore and maps based on the real battlefields of France and Belgium.

Find out more about Verdun at the games official website.

Today, Ubisoft announced that the second expansion for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, Fallen Ghosts, will be available to season pass owners simultaneously on Xbox One, PlayStation® 4 computer entertainment system and Windows PC on May 30th, 2017. The expansion will release for individual purchase for all players a week later, on June 6th, 2017.

Fallen Ghosts takes place after the fall of the Santa Blanca Cartel. With Unidad’s military force unable to maintain control over Bolivia, the country is in a state of civil war. To help restore order, the Unidad enlists cartel members, veterans, mercenaries and criminals from various nearby countries as volunteers. Together, they form a new brutal special unit, Los Extranjeros, which is ordered to track and eliminate all American agents.

In this chaotic situation, the Ghosts have one last mission: evacuate the last CIA members and American civilians remaining in the country. Shot down enroute to their mission, the Ghosts find themselves in the middle of the jungle, without external support, facing deadly enemies equipped with the latest gear and technology. These dangerous elite soldiers are separated into four distinct classes:

• Armoured: Equipped with heavy bulletproof plates, they are especially threatening in close combat.
• Elite Sniper: Geared up with an advanced movement detector, these Elite Snipers are able to spot far away targets, and never miss their shot.
• Jammer: With a jamming antenna directly in their backpack, they are able to neutralise drones and interfere with all electronic equipment.
• Covert Ops: Equipped with a new prototype cloaking device, that makes them almost invisible, and a powerful crossbow, they give a new meaning to the word “Ghost.”

The Fallen Ghosts campaign will feature 15 new missions in which players will have to take down four new bosses located in three different regions. In the expansion, players will start with a new character at level 30 and equipped with all of the main game skills. The level cap will increase from 30 to 35, and players will be able to unlock nine new skills, including physical, weapon and drones skills.

Fallen Ghosts also features six exclusive new weapons, ranging from new assaults rifles, sniper rifles and a crossbow that can be equipped with explosive arrows.

Finally, the more hardcore players will be pleased to know that the advanced and expert difficulties have been tweaked to offer an even higher challenge. By turning the HUD off, players will get the most extreme and tactical experience possible in Ghost Recon: Wildlands.

For more information about Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, please visit games official website.

[North Africa] was the only theatre where the principles of motorized and tank warfare, as they had been taught theoretically before the war, could be applied to the full-and further developed. It was the only theatre where the pure tank battle between major formations was fought.” — Field Marshall Erwin Rommel

Matrix Games is very proud to announce a new wargame is in the making, Desert War: 1940 – 1942!

Take the lead of the Italian-German forces or the Commonwealth and relive the key moments of the war!

In Desert War, your main concern will be the safety of your supplies! Make sure to not overstretch your lines and be prepared for enemy incursions within your perimeter!

The game employs a WEGO system that will make you plan your moves very carefully: will you wait for reinforcements, leaving the initiative to the enemy or will you try to exploit his mistakes, possibly risking your entire frontline?

The choice is yours!

Get more information about Desert War: 1940 – 1942 from its official product page!

Source: UbiBlog

Rainbow Six: Siege boasts a thriving community of online players, and the game’s overall health is always chief among the development team’s priorities. As such, the team has made the decision to focus on improving the overall Rainbow Six: Siege experience over the next three months with a series of improvements and changes called Operation Health.

Operation Health is a hard push toward tech improvements and bug fixes, and it introduces a new three-stage deployment process for updates, with new features first rolling out on a Technical Test Server, then on PC, then on consoles. (There’s also a new on/off feature in case a rollback is needed). Because of this new focus, the planned Hong Kong season will be pushed back to Season Three in August, while November’s Season Four will feature South Korea. Poland will no longer have its own season in Year Two, but its GROM Operators will be available at the start of seasons three and four. The number of new maps has also been reduced to three, and includes the most recent map set in Spain.

Read on…

A Tsar is Born. Can You Bring Third Rome to Glory?

For 500 years, the princes of Russia have kept the faith. Through civil wars and Mongol conquest, the word of God has not just survived, but has united our people. Those princes who embrace the church will find glory, those who turn their back will be cast to dust. There have been two Romes, and both have fallen. Muscovy is the third.

There shall be no fourth.

Paradox Interactive and Paradox Development Studio are thrilled to announce Europa Universalis IV: Third Rome. The first immersion pack for the best-selling historical strategy game introduces a wealth of region-specific content, and takes a deeper look at one of the greatest powers of the early modern era – Russia. Russian cultured nations will find new interactions for their government and the Orthodox Patriarchate, deepening the experience of playing this rich and fascinating region.

Russia now gets two unique governments, with special abilities that allows them to tighten their grip on power. Use your administrative ability to reduce provincial autonomy. Call on your diplomatic resources to suppress incipient revolts. Use your military resources to quickly recruit streltsy units for your army. Rule with the iron fist that comes with a divine blessing.

Features of Europa Universalis IV: Third Rome include:

• Tsardoms and Principalities: New ranks of Russian government with new abilities and, for Tsars, strong bonuses including the right to claim entire States – not just provinces
• Iconography: Commission great religious icons for the Orthodox Church, boosting your empire’s power depending on the saint you choose to revere
• Patriarchs: Consecrate highly developed provinces with Patriarchs, adding to the authority of the Orthodox Church, but for a cost.
• Streltsy: Special Russian soldiers that excel in combat, but raise the cost of stabilizing your empire
• Siberian Frontier: Russian nations can slowly colonize uninhabited border regions, with no fear of native uprisings
• New Graphics: Includes three full unit packs and new portraits for Eastern Europe.

As usual, Third Rome will be accompanied by a free update to Europa Universalis IV, available for everyone who owns the base game.

Watch the Europa Universalis IV: Third Rome Announcement Trailer here.