War Thunder’s content sharing platform provides incentive for ‘bedroom coders’ and player generated content

Gaijin Entertainment has revealed that the recent War Thunder Update 1.59 ‘Flaming Arrows’ which saw a variety of new features, locations and vehicles added to the game has been a financial hit with one lucky player. Arguably, one of the most extraordinary additions has been the very first official introduction of an aircraft that was created by a member of the Community. Yes, that’s right: The original 3D model of the German night interceptor He 219 was created by Daniil “_Joy_Division_” Zaitsev, a War Thunder player who’s just banked a cheque from Gaijin Entertainment fir a cool $5000 as part of its player revenue share program.

Revenue Share: Where Players become Developers

Adding this vehicle was possible thanks to War Thunders Revenue Share Partner System, which was introduced a while ago as an incentive for creative players to add to and help with the development of War Thunder. The principle is simple: Exceptional work posted to War Thunder Live, the game’s own content sharing platform, may catch the developers attention and thus has a chance of being added to the game. Similarly, players that have already made progress in creating something truly impressive, like the 3D model of a vehicle, are invited to contact us directly – as was the case with Daniil Zaitsev, who got in touch with one of our modelers. If you are interested in reading more about how the He 219 came to life, read more in the respective developer’s blog!

The He 219, a Success Story for Revenue Share!

Included as a Premium vehicle to the German tree that is available for purchase by Golden Eagles, the He 219 quickly became a favorite for many players. And while the machine itself with its six cannons is truly interesting, we are sure that many players decided to support and thank a fellow War Thunder player for his hard work and dedication. Which is great thing, indeed! Check out the He 219 in all its glory here.

To download War Thunder, please visit the official War Thunder website.

By Brian Nyhuis @ Legit Reviews

Eisbaer? What!? Try pronouncing it like ‘Ice Bear’ and it’ll make a whole lot more sense! It could be written as Eisbär, to confuse native English speakers more, but thankfully it is not. It translates to ‘Polar Bear’ in German, which Germany is exactly where Alphacool is stationed. First shown off at Computex 2016, today Alphacool is taking the wraps off of the Eisbaer AIO Liquid CPU Cooler and we have one for review! Alphacool has worked with various partners in the past, such as Fractal Design, ASUS, Sapphire, and even Cooler Master, designing cooling solutions for their various needs; they’re actually quite the one-stop-shop for water cooling products for everyone. This is a pretty neat looking cooler, so let’s hope the performance is as good as the looks.

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.

• GeForce GTX “Pascal” Faces High DVI Pixel Clock Booting Problems
• Cougar 530M Gaming Mouse Released
• ASUS Intros GeForce GTX 1070 Turbo
• MSI Readies the B150M Mortar Arctic and B150M Bazooka Plus Motherboards
• EK Releases GIGABYTE GTX 1080 G1 Full-Cover Water Block
• PowerColor Working on a Custom Radeon Pro Duo?
• EK Releases NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Water Blocks
• EK Releases ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 Strix Full-Cover Water Block
• Raja Koduri Creates a Bit of Hype – Vega 10 Celebration

Nothing quite shocks the senses like the chilly winds and intense air-battles of 1940s southeast Asia. Today’s summery Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China Steam update not only improves multiplayer features, but also retrofits cockpit view/support, starting with a functional inside rendition of the RAF’s tropical Spitfire Mk. V. Furthermore, a pair of new fighters have been made available namely the Allied P-47D “Thunderbolt” and the Japanese Ki-44 Shoki “Toji”, each with a decent selection of skins and over-the-radio voice shouts in American, Chinese, Russian and Japanese languages.

“Cockpit/Contender” Update Overview:

• Added support for cockpit view. Just getting started on fighter interiors. Buckle up in the Spitfire Mk. V fighter in the Multiplayer, Dogfight or Free Flight modes (press “V” to cycle cameras/cockpit).
• Online features improved. Collapsed multiplayer JOIN/HOST menus for better overview and accessibility, improved lobby/match views, added Steam invites (via lobby and pause screens), Leaderboards readily accessible, Steam profile avatars used for both multiplayer games and match stats, adjusted formatting/layout to make native chat more pleasant (use RETURN/ENTER to toggle chat).
• Multiplayer modes. Flying below 200 ft partially hides you allowing for interesting escapes and sudden “jumps” on opponents. Player health for all multiplayer modes now displayed in the match stats/overview.
• Visuals. Improved scene rendering for increased shadow and tree stability on (resulting in a less distractive landscape view).
• Just for fun. Implemented real-time “documentary” color modes; sepia, black & white and vintage filters (available via the DISPLAY SETTINGS menu).
• Two new fighter aircraft. P-47D “Thunderbolt” and Ki-44 Shōki “Toji” fighters with multiple skins and voice shouts.

Watch the “Cockpit/Contender” Steam Update Gameplay Trailer here.

You can purchase Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China via Steam.

Get more information about the game at the official Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China website.

Matrix Games have published the first Blog Post on Strategic Command WWII: War in Europe.

Strategic Command WWII: War in Europe is the ground-breaking next step in the highly acclaimed Strategic Command series of turn based strategy games. Building on the success of previous versions covering both world wars, Strategic Command is returning the series to its roots as a hex based game, complete with a new engine, new graphics, and lots of new features too!

This latest Strategic Command game retains the best of the previous games in the series, including their accessibility and ease of play, while adding a whole lot more!

Strategic Command WWII: War in Europe is currently in Beta. You can apply for it here.

Fans of the story-driven, hardcore first-person action MMORPG/FPS – Escape from Tarkov, will get a fresh look at the game today in a newly released gameplay trailer. The new video features over 14 minutes of in-game footage, following a soldier as he attempts to escape an abandoned (but not un-guarded) chemical factory, slipping past scavengers and searching the factory for anything to help him escape the city of Tarkov.

Escape from Tarkov is a hardcore story-driven MMO featuring elements of FPS and RPG. The events take place in the Russian city of Tarkov, which has been sealed of by roadblocks and sunk into the chaos of local 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 make players feel the reality of what is happening in the game.

More info on Escape from Tarkov can be found at the game’s official page.

Source: Blue’s News

As expected, the Summer Sale is now underway on Steam, or as they’re calling this year’s installment the Summer Picnic Sale. We can probably find more details when an announcement rolls in, but in the meantime, we can see that there are the usual discounts to be had, and this year’s side game involves getting three free trading cards each day. Initial sales are for things like LEGO games for 30-75% off, the Arma franchise for 20-80% off, and the Call of Duty franchise for 50-67% off.

Source: Blue’s News

EA’s Battlelog has details on how to pick up Battlefield 4 Second Assault for free for the coming week (June 21 to June 28), offering a 100% discount on this DLC for owners of Battlefield 4. In the same update they also offer details about a new community challenge in the military shooter sequel that will reward participants with gold backpacks (perfect camouflage for battles in Fort Knox) if the community can manage 25,000,000 collective revives over the next week. Battlefield 4 Second Assault includes four maps that hearken back to the old days of Battlefield 3. Here’s a trailer promoting the giveaway.

Middle East! Once a place of advanced civilizations, now is a land plagued by dozens of cruel conflicts. Technology has made possible for small armies to deliver devastating blows to unprepared enemies and, as a consequence, new military canons have been introduced, innovating the entire warfare.

Campaign Series: Middle East 1948-1985 is a turn-based, tactical wargame that focuses on conflicts in the Middle East and today it has received its first major update!

Version 1.02 is now available and it brings a lot of improvements and incredible additions! The graphics have been overhaul improved (in both 3D and 2D mode), several new scenarios have been introduced, the Ode to Arab-Israeli Wars scenario mod has been included, and more!

The changelog is very long, so be sure to check it here!

Download the update and get into action now!

Get more information on Campaign Series: Middle East 1948 – 1985 from its official product page.

Prepare for the battle which shaped the fate of America: Gettysburg: The Tide Turns is coming soon on PC and Steam!

Gettysburg: The Tide Turns, is a turn-based wargame where players will be able to take command of Union or Confederate forces in the iconic battle of Gettysburg in July of 1863.

The game is easy to learn thanks to its clear and minimalistic interface but it is challenging for its innovative activation system. Inspired by board-games, the turn system randomizes when each division moves and fights so each replaying of the famous battle will feel different from the previous one. You will need to learn how to react to ever changing tactical situations.

With tons of period units including infantry, cavalry and artillery and an accurately recreated order of battle, your decisions and military performances will play a crucial role in defining the outcome.

The game will soon go into Beta, and if you’d like to contribute to the bug-fixing process, you can apply here!

Lead your army, face your enemy and win the battle!

More game information, a teaser trailer and screenshots are available on the Gettysburg: The Tide Turns official webpage.