All standard edition owners to be upgraded to latest expansion

Source: CVG

The upcoming Emperor Edition of Total War: Rome 2 will be given to all existing owners of the game free of charge. Due for release on September 16, Rome II: Emperor Edition will include numerous improvements and downloadable content. Sega announced that all owners of the standard edition of the game will be automatically upgraded to the Emperor Edition come September 16 and receive everything that comes with it.

The main addition is the new Imperator Augustus Campaign Pack DLC. This covers the events of the 2nd Triumvirate War, which led to the end of the republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire. Gameplay changes in the Emperor Edition include “overhauled building chains, a redeveloped and more impactful politics system, improved campaign and battle lighting”. All free downloadable content updates released since the game’s original launch in September 2013 will also be included, however the paid DLC – including the Hannibal at the Gates campaign and the Caesar In Gaul campaign – will not.

Take a closer look at some of the new multiplayer features, including exoskeleton movement, customization, maps, and modes

Source: Gamer’s Hell

Activision and Sledgehammer Games today unveiled a new Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare trailer presenting the multiplayer portion of the game. With the all-new exoskeleton, players can boost jump, dodge, dash, slide, slam and more as the action goes vertical, while using future-tech, cutting-edge capabilities and a brand-new weapon class as part of nearly 350 custom weapons.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare will offer a new reward system, including more than 1,000 in-game player rewards, and nearly limitless customization options that create more than 2 billion unique player combinations and more.

Source: Blue’s News

Steam News announces that the Nemesis DLC Pack for Call of Duty: Ghosts is now available for purchase for all owners of the Windows edition of the shooter sequel. Word is:

“Call of Duty®: Ghosts owners can now enhance their experience with the exciting new Nemesis DLC, which includes 4 new multiplayer maps and Exodus, the conclusion to the Extinction 4-part episodic saga.”

Watch the Nemesis DLC Pack release video here.

First-ever Galactic Gameplay Revealed in All New Video with Developer Commentary

Prepare for an interstellar mission to the outskirts of the universe as Ancient Space is now available for pre-order. The upcoming single-player real-time strategy (RTS) title from Paradox Interactive and CreativeForge Games will be released September 23, 2014 for PC and Mac.

Commanding a fleet to the outer reaches of deep space on a quest to discover what lies inside “The Black Zone,” Ancient Space will take players on an adventure that combines a compelling storyline with classic real-time strategy elements in a full 3D environment, challenging players to come up with strategies that utilize the x, y, and z axes as they progress through the campaign and upgrade their fleet of ships.

Start planning your expedition into the world of Ancient Space by checking out the gameplay video here:

Launching into the unknown, players will need to keep their wits about them as they make strategic decisions, battle the odds and undertake deadly missions in the dark recesses of space. Players will be joined by a cast of character voiced by recognizable actors from popular science-fiction television shows including Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek, and more in this tale of strategic resource management and engrossing interstellar warfare.

For more information on Ancient Space, please visit www.ancientspacegame.com.

Independent developer Rebellion today announced the launch of two new pieces of DLC for Sniper Elite 3 on Steam for PC, with the content due to come to Playstation 4, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 later this month.

FREE Outpost Canyon Multiplayer Map

The fourth FREE multiplayer map for Sniper Elite 3 on all platforms, Outpost Canyon sees sharpshooters battle across an abandoned supply line, high up in the windswept Atlas Mountains.

Ominously deserted, the map is littered with evidence of previous skirmishes for what was once a crucial supply line for German forces; forgotten artillery positions and the scorched remains of vehicles mark the undulating landscape, ridges and barren river-bed.

With a free-flowing design and multiple elevated positions Outpost Canyon is an expansive addition to the Sniper Elite 3 multiplayer suite.

Axis Weapons Pack

Sniper Elite 3 players can now turn their enemies’ best weapons against them with new firearms from the German, Royal Italian and Imperial Japanese armies including the Type 99 – king of the long distance rifles.

All three weapons can be used in any multiplayer, singleplayer or co-operative game mode in Sniper Elite 3. The Axis Weapons Pack is available for just $3.99.

The Axis Weapons Pack includes:

• Type 99 rifle: Japanese made with a higher zoom and lower recoil, this bolt action rifle is one of strongest long range weapons available.
• MAB 38 submachine gun: boasting an improved rate of fire, range and zoom this Italian submachine gun has a distinct advantage over most.
• Army Pistol 38: used by German officers and soldiers alike this semi-automatic pistol has a strong rate of fire whilst still maintaining its impressive range.

By Kenny @ PureOC

A few months back we took a look at the ASUS Maximus VII Hero Motherboard . The Maximus VII Hero, which is part of ASUS’ mid range Republic of Gamer’s line, took home the Editors Choice award for its great performance and outstanding aesthetics. However, that was only the tip of the iceberg for the ROG line up. Today… we have the chance to take a look at ASUS’ flagship motherboard the ASUS Maximus VII Formula.

Read The Review Here

By Stuart Davidson @ Hardware Heaven

Gigabyte have taken a stab at peripherals a number of times over the years with sub brands such as Aivia. Overall the products have been decent, and certainly unique with their K8100 board being a prime example. More recently Gigabyte launched a new brand for gaming peripherals (and laptops). Today we take a look at the Aorus Thunder M7 mouse which is aimed at serious gamers, especially those who play MMO games… and the MASSIVE P3 extended pad which Aorus offer to complement it.

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.

• SHARKOON Announces the SHARK ZONE Product Series for Gamers
• ASUS Republic of Gamers Announces Ares III
• ASUS Republic of Gamers Announces Gladius Gaming Mouse
• Tesoro Releases Virtus.Pro Gaming Mouse Pad
• Sennheiser Takes Aim at Beats with New Urbanite Headphones
• DEEPCOOL Launches the GF120 Case Fan
• Gigabyte Rolls Out H97-DS3H Motherboard
• G.Skill Releases World’s Fastest DDR4 3333 MHz Memory
• Kingston Releases the HyperX Savage Memory
• Samsung Brings Ultra High Definition to the Desktop with New UD970 Monitor
• Creative Reveals the Sound Blaster X7
• NVIDIA to Cut Price of GeForce GTX 770 to Fight Radeon R9 285
• NVIDIA Files Patent Infringement Complaints Against Qualcomm & Samsung
• Raijintek Launches Metis Mini-ITX Cube Case
• Matrox Chooses AMD GPU for Next Generation Multi-display Graphics Cards
• Logitech Unveils First Keyboard Designed For Your Computer, Smartphone and Tablet
• Dell to Offer Ultra HD Monitor with 5120 x 2880 5K Resolution
• OverclockersUK: Reference GeForce GTX 980/970 with 4GB, 8GB Models Also Planned
• Mizuchi Tech Demo Renders Real Time Awesomeness – VIDEO

The US Navy’s most combat decorated ship of WWII

By John Dudek @ The Wargamer

Enterprise and her aircraft carrier kith and kin were still considered something of a revolutionary anomaly when she first entered the waters of the Newport News Shipyard and Dry Dock Company on an October Saturday in 1936. Theodore Mason in his book “Battleship Sailor” later observed. “If some seer had told me then that the Enterprise would steam to glory on one of the most brilliant combat records of any ship in the history of the US Navy, I would have given him the pitying smile one normally reserves for fools.” She was christened Enterprise, the seventh ship so named to serve the United States Navy. The aircraft carrier was then one of two ships in the Yorktown Class of warships. She was 824 feet in length and 114 feet wide. She was powered by 9 x Babcock & Wilcox boilers with 4 x Parsons geared turbines that generated 120,000 ship horsepower to her four huge bronze propellers, giving her a top speed of 32.5 knots. Enterprise had a range of 12,500 nautical miles at a moderate cruising speed of 15 knots. The crew compliment she took into battle in 1941 was some 2,217 officers and men. Her defensive armament consisted of 8 x single 5in/38 caliber guns, 4.x quad 1.1″ flak guns and 24 x .50 caliber water cooled machine guns. This armament would be changed and greatly augmented many times over in the coming months, especially after the ship’s first taste of battle against enemy aircraft. Enterprise’s primary offensive and defensive punch lay in the 90 fighter planes, torpedo planes and dive bombers carried in her hangar deck below. To warn of incoming enemy aircraft, the aircraft carrier carried a CXAM-1 RADAR atop her main mast that enabled them to see the approach of planes at a range of 70 miles or more.

Read on…

“War is not a river, or a lake, but an ocean of all that is evil” (Gustav II Adolf, King of Sweden)

Initially introduced to the lucky few who attended our 2014 annual convention “Home of Wargamers”, Pike & Shot is now mature enough to show more of the game to public! This upcoming strategy game designed by Richard Bodley Scott – the mastermind behind the Field of Glory table-top wargame rules – aims to simulate the majors battles in the age of Pike and Shot – the 16th and 17th centuries.

The period covered by this game is particularly interesting from a tactical point of view as lots of changes occurred on the battlefield at that time. In only two hundred years commanders have been substituting traditional medieval tactics with modern ones, inserting musketeers and artillery in the armies. Obviously the players will be able to feel this tactical revolution in Pike & Shot!

This setting, combined with the approachable and visually immersive Battle Academy engine, makes Pike & Shot a very engaging title for any gamer that has an interest for this period. 3 huge campaigns, a skirmish mode that allows to generate an infinite number of “What-if” scenarios and a multiplayer system powered by the famous PBEM++ come together for a captivating experience in the heart of the bloodiest battles of the Renaissance.

Pike & Shot is currently in beta and will release later this year for PC, with an iPad version following soon.

Click here to view the new screenshots and get more game information!