Don't worry new geners there will be a F1 game for you in 2015.

Why this has piqued our interest The 2014 season has been one of the most exciting for Forumla One fans in a while. Due to changes to the car the established order has been shaken up and although one team is dominating the on track battles have been the best in recent years.  If the Codemasters team are able to capture this then this should be the best F1 game to date.

Launching October 17th is F1 2014 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. The game is a culmination of the past five years experience we’ve gained developing Formula 1 titles and reflects this year’s incredible new season with the latest cars, tracks and driver changes. The game will also deliver a new driver evaluation system that quickly identifies a player’s ability and tunes game settings to an appropriate level.

“There’s been a dramatic shift in the sport; the largest shake up in the rules and regulations for a very long time and the new power units provide a very different kind of challenge, for both driver and team. By delivering all of these changes, F1 2014 will make for an exciting and refreshingly different experience. Additionally, with the new driver evaluation system analysing each player’s skill level and suggesting appropriate game settings, plus re-graded difficulty levels including a brand new Very Easy setting, we aim to deliver a thoroughly rewarding F1 experience for players of all abilities, from the novice to the seasoned pro.” - Stephen Hood, Creative Director

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UK’s largest high-street and online video game retailer joins the party

GAME Retail, the UK’s largest video game specialist retailer is bringing its expertise to Game Expo Scotland 2014 as the expo’s official retail partner.

This means that eager gamers can take part in some amazing pre-event and during-event competitions for the latest games and consoles. And for those gamers who want to lay down a pre-order after tackling the likes of Dead Island 2, Homefront: The Revolution or pick up the titles in our hot eSports Zone, they can do so with ease.

GAME Retail will also be bringing some amazing bargains to Game Expo Scotland 2014 so gamers can pick up that extra pad they need, or grab the game they’ve been holding out for.

“Having GAME at Game Expo Scotland 2014 as the official retail partner is great news for all attendees this year,” said Magdala Media founder and Game Expo Scotland producer Rowan Mackie. “By bringing in its nationwide GAME Reward members, GES 2014 can reach a broader audie"We're delighted to be the retail partner at Game Expo Scotland in Edinburgh" said Lee Hunt, Local Marketing Manager for GAME Retail. "We're really excited to be involved in a consumer show in Scotland for the first time, and Game Expo Scotland seems like the perfect event for us to be involved in."

nce than ever before, and deliver great value to gamers everywhere.”

GAME Retail will have a store presence at the expo across the two-day show, and gamers should keep an eye out for more news on competitions and lineup reveals in the coming weeks before Game Expo Scotland 2014 takes place on October 4th and 5th.

Stay tuned to Game Expo Scotland’s Facebook and follow @gameexposcot on Twitter as well as our blog.

Why this has piqued our interest With pretty much the whole team being drawn into the Beta it was interesting to see the reaction from other gamers. These numbers show there is an interest in Bungie's new project and by the numbers being quoted the game is looking at a huge release later this year.

Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) and Bungie, today confirmed millions of people have played their upcoming and award-winning game Destiny during their beta test to gather vital information in preparation for launch.  The Destiny Beta included a sampling of major activities featured in the full game. The beta began first on PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 on July 17 and came to a close Sunday evening, with 4,638,937 unique players participating.

“This is the biggest beta of this console generation by a wide margin and the largest console beta ever for a new video game IP to date,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. “Hosting a beta at this scale is an incredible feat, so we’re thrilled to see the phenomenal response. But the beta is just a taste of what’s to come. We’re counting down the days to our launch day, September 9th.”

“We were totally blown away by the number of people who played the beta,” said Pete Parsons, COO of Bungie. “We surpassed even our own goals and the feedback was invaluable. We cannot thank the community enough, the response was humbling and in the weeks ahead we’ll be working hard to ensure that Destiny lives up to the expectations at launch.”

Why this has piqued our interest. Although the main draw of COD remains the multiplayer, the franchises move into more extreme scenarios has been interesting. With Advanced Warfare we are looking at major changes with the introduction of a global superstar in Kevin Spacey taking a leading visual and vocal role in the plot. It remains to be seen how this will effect the campaign but it certainly has us excited.

With nations brought to their knees by a global terrorist attack, the world turns to Atlas, the largest private military company on the planet. Power, though, changes everything.

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A few choice Snapmatic photos from the Independence Day Special, compliments of community members MILKFED, Sabotage_OG_187, SilverFox1, ChaosofDestiny and Deltakeks.

There is less than one week left to get the limited-time content made available as part of the GTA Online Independence Day Special. So if you have yet to acquire vehicles like the Sovereignmotorcycle and the Liberator monster truck, weapons like the Musket and Firework Rocket Launcher, or any of the patriotic tees and masks in-game then now's the time. The seven new properties, the ability to ride the Ferris Whale and the Leviathan Roller Coaster, and the 17 new Jobs will all remain open permanently.

For those who've asked, the Firework Rocket Launcher along with its ammo will be available again during future holidays and other special events when fireworks are traditionally let off. At the beginning of any holiday or special event where fireworks are available, players who purchased the Firework Rocket Launcher previously will receive one free full refill of ammo per qualifying event in order to make sure you can properly celebrate.

And stay tuned for future GTA Online updates to be announced on the Newswire, including some bonus double RP later this week to help send off the Independence Day Special in proper patriotic style.

WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT, TT GAMES AND THE LEGO GROUP CELEBRATE SUMMER GAMING WITH THE LAUNCH OF LEGO® NINJAGO: NINDROIDS AVAILABLE FOR NINTENDO 3DS & PLAYSTATION®VITA

The heroes of LEGO Ninjago are ready to battle! Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, TT Games and The LEGO Group today announced the release of the high-kicking action-adventure videogame, LEGO ® Ninjago™: Nindroids™, available August 1st in the UK for the Nintendo 3DS™ handheld system and PlayStation ® Vita handheld entertainment system.

“Adding LEGO ® Ninjago: Nindroids ™ to our popular LEGO Ninjago franchise is very exciting,” said Tom Stone, Managing Director, TT Games.  “Hellbent Games has delivered the action game Ninjago fans have been waiting for - with all the characters, comedy and thrills that make the franchise such a success." 

Based on the first five episodes of the animated television series “NINJAGO: Masters of Spinjitzu,” the LEGO ®  Ninjago: Nindroids™ videogame takes players to New Ninjago City where the Ninja face a technological threat by the evil Digital Overlord and his robotic army of Nindroids.  Playing as their favourite Ninja – Jay, Zane, Cole, Kai or Lloyd – players battle through more than 30 exciting levels with cool vehicles, signature weapons and the new Technoblades, all the while partaking in missions to help save the city.

Players will recognise their favourite LEGO building sets as they gear up as Samurai X, shoot down enemies in Zane's Ninjacopter, dodge missiles in the Kai Fighter, pilot Jay's Thunder Raider, smash up the streets in Cole's Earth Mech and tear through the forest on Lloyd's Golden Cycle. Alongside intense combat, players can visit the New Ninjago City Hub, home to Grand Sensei Dareth's Mojo Dojo, Doomsday Comix and Mr. Noodle's Noodle Bar.

Developed by Hellbent Games in partnership with TT Games, LEGO ® Ninjago: Nindroids ™ is available for Nintendo 3DS and PS®Vita. LEGO ® Ninjago: Nindroids ™ is rated PEGI 7.
For more information on LEGO Ninjago: Nindroids™, please visit:http://www.lego.com/ninjago.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is pleased to announce that the highly anticipated action game, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, will be available in the UK on 3rd October 2014 for PlayStation™ 4, Xbox One, PlayStation™ 3  Xbox 360 and PC. 

Based on hearing fans’ excitement over the latest chronicle in Middle-earth, WBIE will release the action game earlier than originally planned at all participating retailers. In the game, players will experience the depth of the Nemesis System, where every enemy is unique, differentiated by their appearance, personality, strengths and weaknesses. These enemies are shaped by their encounters with the player to create personal archenemies who are unique to every gameplay session.

Middle-earth™: Shadow of Mordor™ delivers a vibrant game environment where the player orchestrates their personal plan of vengeance as they bend Mordor to their will. The game begins on the night of Sauron’s return to Mordor, as his Black Captains brutally execute the Rangers of the Black Gate. Players become Talion, a ranger who loses his family and everything he holds dear, only to be returned from death by a mysterious Spirit of vengeance. Based on the player’s actions with the in-game Nemesis System, every enemy encountered is distinct and can evolve to become a personal archenemy through the course of the game.  As Talion’s personal vendetta unfolds, players uncover the mystery of the Spirit that compels him, discover the origin of the Rings of Power and confront the ultimate nemesis.

Today we would like to share an all-new accolades trailer following the season finale of 'The Wolf Among Us,' based on Bill Willingham's award-winning comic book series 'FABLES' and licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. 

The episode received a 9.3 out of 10 score from IGN.com, who said "Simply put, The Wolf Among Us' finale provides some of the finest storytelling I've played in a long time," later adding "Telltale's finale is a fantastic adventure, and some of the best work the studio has ever done." Nerdist.com called the series upon its conclusion, "... a tour de force of sex, lies, murder, deceit, and, ultimately, hope. The final moments of the series are guaranteed to be the subject of heated comment section debate for months to come and can totally shatter your perception of everything you've come to know."   
 
In their review of the season finale, GamesBeat awarded the episode a 9.5 out of 10score, saying "Cry Wolf ends Telltale's Fables series on a memorable and effective note... It's everything a finale should be."  

Official Xbox Magazine gave 'Cry Wolf' 9 out of 10, calling it "a spectacular end to an excellent series," while Joystiq, also gave the episode 9 out of 10, saying, "The Wolf Among Us has been consistently excellent from start to finish."

The season finale of The Wolf Among Us, 'Cry Wolf,' is now available on the Xbox Games Store for $4.99 USD or equivalent, or as part of a season pass upgrade including access to episodes 2-5 for $14.99 USD. On PC, the episode is available as part of a season pass for $24.99 USD. This episode is also available on PlayStation®Network for PlayStation 3 individually for $4.99 USD, or as part of a season pass which includes access to all five episodes. For iOS, the episode is available as an in-app purchase individually for $4.99 USD, or as part of the episodes 2-5 multi-pack for $14.99.

For more information on the game, visit the official website, Facebook, and follow Telltale Games on Twitter. 

Hone your skills then challenge real world legends with VooFoo Studios Pure Pool

Indie developers VooFoo Studios and Publisher Ripstone announced today that Pure Pool; the latest addition to the Pure series will shooting onto PlayStation®4 on 29th July in Europe and on 30th July in the US, in addition to PC via Steam on 31st July.

After the success of the critically acclaimed Hustle Kings on PlayStation 3, VooFoo Studios have honed their craft and taken hyper-realism to a whole new level with Pure Pool. Renowned for beautiful high definition graphics and silky-smooth gameplay, not only can players expect full immersion in a living, busting pool hall, but the team at VooFoo have raised the quality bar higher than ever resulting in the ultimate pool game.

Offering four game modes in single player from classic American 8 Ball to Killer and four challenges from Royal Rumble to Perfect Potter, players can refine their skills solo or relish in the challenges of full live online multiplayer – competing against the best in one-on-one matches and in global online and custom leagues.

Promising players the most authentic pool experience outside of real life, Pure Pool not only boasts the most convincing baize and balls in pool simulation history – the game has been built from the ground up with the idea of connecting players.

Pure Pool tracks players’ individual gaming-styles – closely monitoring traits, ranging from the length of time it takes for a player to take a shot to the number of balls are potted in quick succession. This will create a unique DNA profile as they play, allowing gamers to take on AI interpretations of their friends and foes, no matter whether they’re online or not.  Players’ pool skills will be challenged to the maximum by weighing up against the DNA profiles of the development team or snooker, pool and gaming superstars.

For more information about Pure Pool please visit http://ripstone.com/#games and check out the latest screenshots in the Pure Pool press pack.

German based cult developers Piranha Bytes, creators of the iconic Gothic series, are going back to their roots with the newest instalment of the classic role-playing series "Risen". In Risen 3 Titan Lords, the key element is the vivid world and the freedom to explore it. The world of Risen 3: Titan Lords will be diverse and full of life, providing the player with the same authentic, classic experience that characterised the Gothic series as well as the original Risen. In their "Back to the roots" feature, Piranha Bytes and Deep Silver take the player to the various locations of Risen 3 Titan Lords and show how favourite elements of the former Piranha Bytes games are coming back. 

Humble Bundle is launching the first-ever Humble Square Enix Bundle, featuring 16 titles on Steam for Windows from some of Square Enix's biggest franchises, including Hitman and Deus Ex. Select titles are also available for Mac. Customers can pay what they want and support charity.

Customers can pay what they want for:
●      Thief Gold
●      Daikatana
●      Mini Ninjas
●      Anachronox
●      Hitman: Codename 47, and
●      Hitman 2: Silent Assassin

Customers who pay more than the average will also unlock:
●      Deus Ex: Invisible War
●      Deus Ex: The Fall
●      Hitman Absolution
●      Nosgoth Veteran Pack, and
●      Battlestations: Midway

If customers pay $15 or more, they'll receive all of the above plus:
●      Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut
●      Just Cause 2
●      Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
●      Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition, and
●      Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days

As with all Humble Bundles, customers have the power to choose how their purchase dollars are allocated, between the developers and charity. The Humble Square Enix Bundle supportsGamesAid, dedicated to helping disadvantaged and disabled youth, and Make-A-Wish, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.

The Humble Square Enix Bundle runs for two weeks and ends on Tuesday, August 5, 2014 at 11 a.m. PDT/7 p.m. BST

Take to the open road in more than 200 cars, with the first 100 revealed today

“Forza Horizon 2” will feature a huge and diverse lineup of cars to collect, customise, and drive. That means everything from state-of-the-art supercars such as our cover car, the 2015 Lamborghini Huracán, to Group B rally legends, monster off-roaders, classic American muscle cars and much more.

Leading into launch we’ll continue to reveal more to get you ready for the ultimate racing experience starting September 30.

Below the read more line is a list of the first 100 cars we are revealing today for “Forza Horizon 2”:

Why this has Piqued our Interest Wargaming have a habit of creating addictive online experiences from the aerial shenanigans of World of Warplanes to the land based fun of World of Tanks Blitz everyone has a touch of polish that few other FTP games can match. These games will be on the show floor but the real show stopper is looking to be... World of Warships as the battle will take to sea to give a whole new tactical twist within the Wargaming stable. Of course those who attend Gamescom will get first hand experience but the good news is that the game is now show ready and that can only be good for an on schedule release. The

Wargaming today announced its presence at gamescom 2014, the world's largest trade fair for interactive games and entertainment, to be held at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany from August 13–17, 2014. Wargaming will bring an exciting booth spectacle, delivering its trademark mix of AAA military combat gaming experience and supply top-tier giveaways for attendees and viewers at home.

Action-packed activities can be found at Wargaming’s massive 720 square meters booth located in Hall 8. The showfloor will feature gaming stations for participants to engage in intense battles and test their prowess. Available to play will be the global phenomenon of World of Tanks (PC), the award-winning World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition, the flight MMO World of Warplanes (PC) and the recently launched World of Tanks Blitz (iOS). Of special note is the premiere of World of Warships (PC) at the booth this year. Attendees of gamescom will have the opportunity to go behind closed doors and be the first to experience the anticipated PC naval combat game.

The daily entertainment will begin with immersive games with Wargaming on the show floor and continue into its signature live stage show, game presentations, talk shows with special guests and game developers, regular on-stage giveaways and prizes, including an Alienware X51 gaming system, HyperX FURY USB drives, Razer peripherals, Logitech hardware, and much more.

Catch the exclusive stream from Wargaming’s gamescom studio on Twitch on Wednesday, August 13, as well as Friday and Saturday, August 15–16 with special prizes for viewers from Europe.

Be sure to come to the Wargaming booth for all of the gaming, entertainment and giveaways that the global leaders in free-to-play military combat games can pack into the biggest gaming show on the planet.

Look how cute he is. Unbreak my heart, Geralt.

GOG.com pre-orders of the game now come with exclusive papercraft toys and a chance to win an awesome Collector's Edition figure of Geralt fighting the griffin.

To celebrate the addition of an exclusive set of six Togui-created paper toys (Geralt, Triss, Yennefer, Ciri, Eredin and Leshen) to the already-impressive digital loot chest of pre-order bonuses for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, GOG.com is launching a photo contest!

To win awesome Witcher swag gamers will need creativity and some manual skills. The author of the coolest photo scene--arranged with GOG.comexclusive papercraft figurines, submitted to their Twitter channel (with #PaperWitcher hashtag), or the correspondingforum topic--will get the top prize: an amazing figure of Geralt fighting the mighty griffin. Get all the contest details here.

With more bonus goodies to come before the game's launch, GOG.com's The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt DRM-free, digital pre-orders remain the best offer for monster-hunters worldwide.

30 years ago, alien robots know as Transformers were born into a timeless story of good versus evil. Today, Transformers delivers an epic experience to fans across entertainment, digital, toys and lifestyle and has grown into a multibillion dollar franchise.

Check out a timeline of Transformers heritage, created to celebrate 30years of Transformers, in conjunction with the recent launch ofTRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE DARK SPARK, a third-person action adventure game. TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE DARK SPARK is available now on Sony’s PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system and Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft, Nintendo’s Wii U™ system and Windows PC and is rated PEGI 12. The Nintendo 3DS™ hand-held system edition is rated PEGI 7. For more information, please visitwww.TransformersGame.com.

Fellow survivors,  Today we would like to share the official trailer and release dates for 'Amid the Ruins,' the penultimate episode of The Walking Dead: Season Two - A Telltale Games Series.

The Walking Dead: Season Two - Episode 4 'Amid the Ruins' will be available starting next week on these dates for the corresponding platforms:

July 22nd: PC/Mac via Steam, the Telltale Online Store and other digital distribution services; on the PlayStation Store in North America (SCEA) for PlayStation 3 and PS Vita

July 23rd: Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft; on the PlayStation Store in European territories (SCEE) for PlayStation 3 and PS Vita

July 24th: Available as an in-app purchase within The Walking Dead: Season Two on the iOS App Store

Additional platform release dates for tablets, mobile, handheld, and micro-console devices are to be announced. Please stay tuned to @telltalegames on twitter for more updates as they become available.

The Walking Dead: Season Two's fourth episode, 'Amid the Ruins,' will be available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace and PlayStation®Network for $4.99 USD individually, or as part of a season pass option including access to episodes as they are released.  On PC/Mac, the episode will be available as part of a season pass, and also available on the iOS App Store as part of a season multi-pack, or for $4.99 USD as an in-app purchase within The Walking Dead: Season Two application.

Powerful and iconic American autoloaders debut in-game, a new line of U.S. and German tanks, and two new maps

Wargaming today deployed another exciting slew of content—Rapid Fire Update—for World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition. Available worldwide, this content update to the successful multiplayer tank warfare game allows tankers to command some of history’s most dominant U.S. autoloader tanks and adds a total of thirteen brand new American and German tanks. Two dynamic new maps have also been included in the Rapid Fire Update, delivering variety to the battlefields.

Players can now research advanced autoloaders, including the deadly T-57 heavy, and roll them into battle. Further expansion of the U.S. and German tech trees and the addition of the high-tier autoloaders give players more options to strategize and engage in battle, while adding a new tactical element to their tank play.

Each map in the Rapid Fire Update offers different tactics for various tanks. The Arctic Region presents large areas covered in ice and snow, rocky outcrops, hills and ridges. The turns and twists in this icy deathtrap make Arctic Region an engaging battlefield. The Erlenberg map offers green hills adjacent to a close-packed town which is bisected by a river with three bridges. These bridges and the different types of terrain in this map create natural contact points between opposing forces and allow for a variety of viable tactics.

For more information about the Rapid Fire Update, visit http://worldoftanksxbox360edition.com/en/news/news/rapid-fire/

To download and join the global phenomenon of World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition for free, please visit:

·       www.worldoftanks.com/xbox 

Netherlands based developer, Digital Dreams, today released the very first gameplay footage for their PlayStation Vita exclusive action game Metrico. Metrico is set in a world filled with infographics and challenges the player through levels filled with bar charts, line diagrams and pie charts, each of which directly react to the player’s movements, actions and input. For example, one bar diagram might grow with each step a player takes to the left, while another might decline with every jump. Players must explore Metrico and carefully analyze every move to see how they affect the world, and what will help them advance. This game mechanic, called “Input Morphing” forces players to think about actions that they normally don’t consider in a video game. Metrico is a combination of exploration, skill, experimentation, but above all: thinking outside of the box.

Metrico will be available on PlayStation Network the 5th of August in the US and the 6th of August in Europe, exclusively for the PlayStation Vita. Dutch synthesizer composer “Palmbomen” will be featured for Metrico’s music soundtrack and sound effects.

The new gameplay trailer, including the most gameplay you’ve probably ever seen in one video, can be seen below

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Why this has piqued our interest Arma can be an unforgiving game when you first start to play. However with this new update it seems Bohemia are trying to break newbies in as gently as  possible. The chance to learn combat on foot and in vehicles is a big plus for when you do dare venture online. Maybe this update will even make a Arma player out of me. You can learn more below.

Bohemia Interactive today released Arma 3 Bootcamp – a major new update for Arma 3, which delivers additional single- and multiplayer tutorials, a Virtual Reality training environment, a character- equipment- and weapons-viewer called Virtual Arsenal, refinements to the fatigue and weapon sway game mechanics, plus the anticipated add on integration for Arma 3’s Steam Workshop. The update is further introduced in the new Arma 3 Bootcamp trailer. 

SP Bootcamp 
The single player 'Bootcamp' mode is the best place to get started with Arma 3.  Introducing the basic principles of infantry combat - actions, navigation, and weapon handling - a short prologue campaign challenges new players to complete real objectives. 

MP Bootcamp 
Multiplayer Bootcamp is a great way for veteran players to help newbies adapt to Arma 3. Offering a structured set of challenges for both trainees and instructors, MP Bootcamp uses the Zeus framework to give players the tools they need to create a tutorial on-the-fly. 

VR Training 
VR Training enables you to learn about basic game mechanics within the confines of a virtual world and practice without penalty. A variety of training topics focus upon individual gameplay elements, where players are guided to complete simple objectives with the support of contextual hints and tips. 

Virtual Arsenal 
Virtual Arsenal is a character, equipment and weapon viewer, which enables you to cycle through and try out in game assets, configure custom settings - such as identity types and insignia - and export load outs to script or used in Arma 3 Zeus scenarios. 

In addition to the new content, Bohemia Interactive also took the opportunity to further refine the fatigue and weapon sway mechanics in Arma 3. Weapon Sway and Inertia is intended to simulate the inherent advantages that lighter and more compact firearms possess (particularly in CQB situations) as compared to relatively more cumbersome weapons. For Arma 3, this means that players may turn as quickly as they like, but shouldn't expect their sights to line up dead on target if they are carrying heavier weapons. The improvements to the Fatigue system are related. While players will always be able to run, their rate of movement can now be limited based on the weight of their gear, their state of health, and the management of their stamina. 
Last but not least, the Bootcamp Update implements a further integration of the Steam Workshop in Arma 3. Whereas before the Steam Workshop was limited to player-created Arma 3 scenarios, people will now also be able to upload and share add ons, such as custom weapons, vehicles, gear, and much more. Additionally, the first iteration of Arma 3’s dedicated Game Launcher has been published, which functions as a separate executable that enables players to more easily set starting parameters and helps to organize, maintain, and load installed Arma 3 mods. 
For more information, please visit http://www.arma3.com and/or follow Arma 3 on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. 

Why this has piqued our interest Lord of the Rings is perhaps one of the biggest entertainment franchises around and so far has not really had a game that truly made use of Tolkein's larger universe.  From what has shown far this could be the game that matches the epic tome and that puts it very high on our watchlist.

This  autumn’s anticipated action game,  Middle-earth™: Shadow of Mordor™ from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Monolith Productions, will be the topic of a feature panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, 25th July, showcasing key development talent in writing, design, art and acting from Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor.

For the panel titled, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor – How the Nemesis System evolves new-generation storytelling in games, and explores the history of the Rings of power, the discussion will include the following:

·         Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor’s innovative approach to storytelling through the Nemesis System, and how storytelling in games is all about the player stories
·         The secret history of the Rings of Power and their relationship to the Wraith, one of the key characters in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
·         Reveal new story elements, including one of Middle-earth’s most beloved characters, Gollum and his role in the upcoming action game
·         A brand new feature trailer reveal

To wet fans’ appetites, the team today reveals the first Behind the Scenes interview forMiddle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, revealing panellists Troy Baker, who stars as Talion (The Last of Us, Batman™: Arkham Origins) and Christian Cantamessa, lead writer (Red Dead Redemption), discussing their experiences creating the game. Look closely for the first glimpse of a beloved Middle-earth character, and a few new faces.

Develop in Brighton returns 14-16 July 2015

The winners of the fourth Indie Showcase, sponsored by Unity, have been announced at the Develop in Brighton Conference. 

Indie Showcase overall winner as voted for by the judging panel: SwapQuest (Android) by Rebusmind - Play as Prince Wilbert or Princess Wilma to find the holy sword Sturmwind in order to defend the kingdom from the Evil Horde that has invaded the land.

People's Choice award as voted for by attendees: 4PM (PC) by 4PM Game - 4PM is an experiential, narrative driven game that explores the subconscious and the complexities of human relationships. It is a short, intense thriller trying to engage people in a new way.

Editors' Choice award as voted for by the media: Darklings (iPhone) by MildMania - Darklings is an epic endless adventure through magical worlds. Lum, face of light, tries to save the world by purging the darklings and retrieve the stars. Play as the face of light, Lum, only piece of hope left on the universe, and purge all the Darklings to their pits, and begin to save the world!

Out of hundreds of entries received by the conference organisers this year, ten were shortlisted for the showcase by the judging panel, chaired by Adam Green, managing director of Assyria Games, and took into consideration graphics, gameplay, technology achievement and originality. Each studio received a complimentary booth on the expo floor, complimentary indie passes and the chance to demo their game to more than 1,600 top developers, games industry professionals and journalists from all over the world who voted for their favourite. 

Andy Brammall, regional sales director, Unity, said: “It is an honour to once again sponsor the Indie Showcase. The creativity, originality and complexity of the games on show has been astonishing and we congratulate all those who made the shortlist.”

Adam Green, chair of the judging panel, added: “The winner was an exceedingly close call this year, but it was SwapQuest that ultimately grabbed the top-spot. The combination of puzzle and role playing elements works exceedingly well. While easy to pick up and play, it takes quite some time to truly master. This combined with the fantastic pixel art, unique mechanics and depth provided through the RPG aspects really caught our attention.”

The Develop in Brighton Conference - Europe's leading conference for the game development community - ran from 8-10 July. In 2015, the dates are 14-16 July. Speaker submissions open in January 2015.

For more information about the Develop in Brighton conference and expo visitwww.developconference.com

- 28 completely awesome items up for vote -  Why this piqued our interest Dead Island 2 has already shown off a great E3 trailer but with developer Yager at the helm the hope is the game will have a strong story along with some awesome zombie crushing fun. The survey below also shows a team looking to interact with their community and that can only be a good thing for the games development.

The undead will have their day in the California sun as Deep Silver announces voting is now open for the Dead Island 2 Collector’s Edition contents. In the tradition of the community-voted Collector's Editions for Dead Island Riptide in North America andSaints Row IV worldwide, Deep Silver announced that voting is now open for fans worldwide to participate in a quick survey and choose what they want from the sunny shores of quarantined California, including voting on a real zombie*! Dead Island 2 is coming spring 2015 from development studio YAGER for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and Windows PC. 

Fans are able to complete the quick survey by accessing the survey link via http://docs.google.com/forms/d/1jg8RrD_VxhOdcwxqTWXOP1U4wcmtUlnVvQJ4H1CRIl8/viewform. Voting will end on Monday, 14th July at midnight, so hurry up and don’t be left out – you could make the world’s first mo-capped cat for a video game come to life as a Rick Furry plushy and love him and squeeze him and call him George. 

Dead Island 2 picks up the Dead Island and Escape Dead Island storyline several months after the events on the Banoi islands. The United States military has put the Golden State under full quarantine which, for some, is a dream come true with a promise of a fresh start.  California’s newfound bloody paradise is an action-packed playground featuring the acclaimed, seamless multiplayer for up to eight players who cooperate, compete or simply coexist in a truly social, new-gen multiplayer experience. 

For more information, hit up the official website atwww.deadisland.com or any of the official channels: 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/deadislandgame
Youtube: www.youtube.com/deadislandgame
Twitter: twitter.com/deadislandgame   

*legal disclaimer: real zombie subject to country availability

BEST-SELLING FRANCHISE LAUNCHES ON OTHER PLATFORMS STARTING JULY 16

 In an exciting worldwide exclusive, Wizards of the Coast today announced the release of Magic 2015 – Duels of the Planeswalkers on iPad®. The launch signifies the first in the Magic 2015 product line-up and will be followed by releases on other platforms starting on July 16th.

Why this has piqued our interest Although Magic 2015 will be releasing on other platforms soon its the mobile experience that certainly has our attention. From the ability to build full decks to the chance of interacting and showing others how the game functions the future for the franchise is looking good. On a personal note I'm glad to see the game will be coming to Android next week.

Duels of the Planeswalkers challenges players to “Hunt Bigger Game” and confront the deadliest hunter in the Magic Multiverse – Garruk Wildspeaker. Players must attempt to stop Garruk as he turns his instincts away from beasts of the wild to a new quarry – you, his fellow Planeswalker. New this year to the latest installment of Duels of the Planeswalkers is the introduction of a full deck-building experience, allowing fans to customize their style of play like never before.

Available today exclusively on iPad, Magic 2015 – Duels of the Planeswalkers will later launch on PC via Steam®, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Amazon Kindle, and Android on Google Play beginning July 16.  The release of the paper Magic 2015 Core Set follows on Friday, July 18th.

Magic 2015 – Duels of the Planeswalkers is the perfect way to start playing the world’s best strategy game, as well as a great way for existing fans to share their favorite game with their friends. Magic: The Gathering is the first and most widely played trading card game with more than 20 million players and fans worldwide. Visit MagicTheGathering.com for more information and follow Magic on Facebook and Twitter.

Art and iPad Screenshots