QuakeCon 2014 Swag Pack Pre-Registration Available Online

QuakeCon 2014 Swag Pack Pre-Registration Available Online

Originally Published by Blast Away the Game Review on 4/16/2014

 As of today, Bethesda-Zenimax is pleased to announce that the QuakeCon 2014 online pre-registration for the Swag Pack Presented by Logitech® G as well as general attendee registration will open today, April 16th at 7pm CT/8pm ET at: registration.quakecon.org. The Swag Pack includes:

Swag Pack Presented by Logitech® G

Full of Limited Edition Items

$120 (500 packages available)

· Official QuakeCon 2014 T-Shirt

· TWO Special Limited Edition T-Shirts

· Poster and Exclusive Drawstring Backpack for The Evil WithinTM

· QuakeCon 2014 Branded Logitech G430 Surround Sound Gaming Headset

· The Elder Scrolls® Online Branded Mousepad

· 1-year ‘Pro’ Subscription to QUAKE LIVE®


 As all pre-registration BYOC seats are now accounted for, we’ll be giving people the opportunity to win BYOC seats via social media giveaways, contests, and via our event partners leading up to the show. Be sure to keep an eye on our QuakeCon Twitter account (twitter.com/QuakeCon) and QuakeCon Facebook page (www.facebook.com/quakecon) for all the details on how to win!

About QuakeCon 

 QuakeCon, the ultimate video game festival, will take place on-site at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, TX on Thursday, July 17 – Sunday, July 20. Doors to QuakeCon will open on Thursday, July 17th at 10:00am CT and will remain open through July 20th. For more information visit: www.quakecon.org.

Our Take By Dustin Murphy:

 As an event that we are beyond excited to go to, we definitely know a few of you wanted to get some swag packs, and well, here's your chance! This Swag Pack itself seems like a heck of a deal for those who haven't exactly had a chance to obtain some BYOC seats.

Garbage DLC Available for Rocksmith 2014 Edition

Garbage DLC now Available for Rocksmith® 2014 Edition

Originally Published and Copyrighted by Blast Away the Game Review on 4/15/2014

Written by Dustin Murphy

 Are you a fan of Garbage? Remember driving down the road with windows down and music blaring to songs like "Stupid Girl", "I Think I'm Paranoid" or "Only Happy When It Rains"? As of today, Ubisoft, the masterminds behind this amazing game, which teaches people to play guitar, but the songs with them; has made it possible for you to learn and play these songs via the PlayStation Network and XBox Live for both the PlayStation® 3 and Xbox® 360 home consoles. This amazing song back comes out at 7.99 USD or songs can be purchased separately for the price of 2.99 USD for those wanting a specific track to play.

 With new packs coming out on a regular basis, we'll keep you updated as they come out, and hopefully hear some feedback from you, the readers, which we can happily relay to Ubisoft as recommendations, compliments and or a simple thank you!

About Rocksmith 2014 Edition:

 Rocksmith 2014 Edition is the sequel to 2011’s immensely popular Rocksmith, which taught over 1.5 million players how to play the guitar by enabling players to plug any real guitar or bass with a standard ¼” jack directly into their Xbox® 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the Sony PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system, PC or Mac®.

 Rocksmith 2014 Edition includes new features, new modes, optimized tracking and responsiveness, and completely redesigned interface, new techniques and tunings, and much more. Aspiring guitarists can now learn to play guitar in just 60 days with Rocksmith 2014 Edition.

About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman and Far Cry. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2012-13 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,256 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.

© 2012-2014 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Rocksmith logo, Ubisoft, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft.

Opinion Article: The Ugly Side of Gaming

Opinion: The Ugly Side of Gaming

Originally Published and Copyrighted by Blast Away the Game Review on 4/11/2014

Written by Dustin Murphy

 Gaming is something that is supposed to be enjoyable, a leisure of sorts so that we can escape from stress, annoyance, and or just to relax after a long day doing the activities that has filled the day. Though sometimes, just sometimes gaming is not the funnest thing. Gaming we would have once thought was a community where we all got a long, where each individual would help the other out, and that was a thought long cherished till recent days.

 What this article is about is everything that gaming shouldn't be, things that have appeared, and things that should just not exist in it. After a few days of finally debating this article and how to write it, the words finally have come forth. It started by simply sitting on the Google+ forums, reading forums, and even seeing flame wars break out based on who has the better console, the false statistics, and even clear down to racism. It is true that society is very diverse, very different for each individual, and that presents conflicts of all sorts, but is it really worth a sub-culture war within itself?

 After speaking with several fellow gamer's, journalists, and just enthusiasts, it was interesting to see their take and reactions to the posts I had bookmarked, forum pages that were there, and of course the reactions of other people. Does gaming spark hatred? One of them had stated from what he saw, experienced, and even has gone through, gaming itself is a subculture of society, it is a culture that like any - is very alive. Our anonymous response also had stated he was not surprised by XBox gamers, PlayStation gamers, or even PC gamers flaming eachother, and purely hating eachother based on a console of their choice. It is something he himself has experienced since his day one purchase of an XBox One and of course a PlayStation 4, which lead to the question, why? His response was simple, "it's because of the games. Not who has the better graphics, the better controllers, but based on what I am wanting to play. They just don't seem to take care of this or see past a stupid blind hate. I've experienced this before when mentioning in a Battlefield 4 lobby on XBox One that I needed to go, a few friends wanted to play Blacklight Retribution on PS4. What came out of their mouths was quite disturbing. I was called everything from homo to traitor and words quite a bit more vulgar. Unfortunately, it doesn't surprise me if gaming could spark violence. If it can cause hate, why not physical actions based on such?"

 Our conversation went on much longer where I got to understand the stories he went through, ones which seemed much like a few encounters of my own. After talking to a few other people, the responses came around the same, and what was a bit more frustrating was the sexism that the few female gamers I did speak with have encountered. One of these women let me quote her with the following statement:

 "It's not easy being a female gamer. I get told to show them my chest, send nude pics, or even prove that I'm a gamer by listing some of the most famous franchises out there. It's not hard to use the stereotyped answer that I grew up playing my dad's NES with a copy of Duck Hunt or even the Super Mario Bros., which came in a dual cartridge. The worst part of it all is how guys will hound you for being female. If you stop talking? They start messaging, if you tell them you have a boyfriend, they will make fun of you and instantly the flaming starts. They think the female gaming community is something hyper sexually charged because of games, movies, and even cosplayers. It makes it hard for me to even plug my headset in during a session of World of Warcraft, League of Legends, or when I play a single session of Call of Duty with my boyfriend. The frustration it causes shouldn't be surprising though. It's something that happens quite often anymore. I've just learned to ignore it and tell them I'm a little kid. Then the squeaker flaming starts. In a lot of ways, I can't say I'm proud to be a gamer, not if I have to be put into a category with a hardcore set of people who are rather close minded. I've stopped most of my gaming lately because of this."

 Her statement, which I've seen and experienced while playing with her, remains quite true. Unfortunately, the community has become a bit hateful and even brash due to the invisible internet wall, which allows people to become who they are not. With the industry heading the way it has, the internet has grown and allowed people to create a sense of security that was never present before. This also leads to a new form of moderation that companies like Activison-Blizzard, Microsoft, Sony, and even a few other major companies have begun to take measures in. Allowing for in-game moderators, report systems, and of course ignore systems. However, the question comes down to the ideology of - how well does it work? For many of us that have used the ignore, mute, and or report system, the results can be promising. With companies such as Activision-Blizzard, Microsoft, and Sony having implemented report systems, they are able to check the game logs, voice chat, and even actions that have lead to such an event. This sometimes can turn into an account ban, game ban, or even a "cool down period," unfortunately it doesn't always work. Gamer's will create new accounts and once more proceed to their bullying.

 However, does this correlate to the effects of video games and violence or frustration caused by a gamer that leads to violence? I'm not going to say they can't, I'm not a doctor, but what I can say is perhaps the community can. With a community that can be cold and calculating, at times it can only lead us to wonder; when will enough become enough and gamers become gamers? This is a question no one can ask. The thing that we must remember is that where a gamer is, a gamer should be, and no matter the platform, we are all the same. We experience our games based on preference. Be it mouse and keyboard, joysticks, and or voice commands. Perhaps a touch pad. The reality of it is, no matter what platform you are on. In the long run, we all experience the same story, same gameplay, even if the graphics are slightly better or worse.

Ghost Recon Phantoms Video Documentary Series Gets Episode 3

Ghost Recon Phantoms Gets new Dev Doc

Originally Published and Copyrighted by Blast Away the Game Review on 4/8/2014

Written by Dustin Murphy

Ghost Recon Phantoms has been a game we've watched closely over time as more and more information seeps through. With Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, we are impressed to see the game progress from Future Soldier to the new project called Phantoms, and now from retail to free-to-play. This series of developer logs. With this series of video logs, players will see how Ghost Recon Phantoms has evolved, moved to deliver a more in-depth gaming experience than in previous versions.

About Ghost Recon Phantoms: The Journey Series:
Discover the story behind the evolution of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, from Future Soldier to Phantoms, from retail to free-to-play. Learn how the project went through a full year of Closed Beta up to Open Beta and now to full release. In this episode, the team explains how they create an accurate representation of tomorrow’s battlefield.

Episode 3: Ghost Recon Phantoms: The Journey - The Vision of the Future Battlefield

Previous episodes available here:

Episode 1: Ghost Recon Phantoms: The Journey - Acquiring the Ghost Recon Brand

Episode 2: Ghost Recon Phantoms: The Journey - Learning, Testing and Adapting

ROCKSMITH 2014 Edition Gets New Song Pack.

Bob Dylan Pack Now Available for ROCKSMITH 2014 Edition.

Originally Published and Copyrighted by Blast Away the Game Review on 4/8/2014

Written by Dustin Murphy

 Learned how to play guitar via Rocksmith? Want more to learn? Today Ubisoft has announced that their title Rocksmith 2014 Edition is going to expand the content via a new DLC pack featuring Bob Dylan, and three of his songs in this pack. Players will be able to experience "Like a Rolling Stone," "Just Like a Woman" and "Subterranean Homesick Blues." The content is available on Xbox LIVE for Xbox® 360, the PlayStation Network for the PlayStation® 3 and Steam for PC and Mac.

 How much will this go for? Players can get each song for 2.99 USD or the complete package featuring all three songs for 7.99 USD. This is only the one of many music packs that will be released on a regular basis, which means plenty of new chords to learn!

Rocksmith Official Information:
Rocksmith 2014 Edition is the sequel to 2011’s immensely popular Rocksmith, which taught over 1.5 million players how to play the guitar by enabling players to plug any real guitar or bass with a standard ¼” jack directly into their Xbox® 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the Sony PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system, PC or Mac®.

Rocksmith 2014 Edition includes new features, new modes, optimized tracking and responsiveness, and completely redesigned interface, new techniques and tunings, and much more.  Aspiring guitarists can now learn to play guitar in just 60 days with Rocksmith 2014 Edition.

About Ubisoft:
Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman and Far Cry. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2012-13 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,256 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.

© 2012-2014 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Rocksmith logo, Ubisoft, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries.  “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.  Microsoft, Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft.

The Crew Launching Fall 2014!

Ubisoft Announces The Crew to Launch in Fall 2014!

Originally Published and Copyrighted by Blast Away the Game Review on 4/8/2014

Two Editions Now Available for Pre-Order

 SAN FRANCISCO — April 8, 2014 — Today, Ubisoft® announced that The Crew will be available this fall for Xbox One®, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation® 4 computer entertainment system and PC.

 The Crew is a revolutionary action-driving game that takes gamers on a reckless ride throughout a massive, open-world recreation of the United States brimming with exciting challenges and populated by other real players.

 The Crew’s premiere gameplay trailer, released today, shows four cars, each in a different iconic region of the United States, forming a crew to continue their journey together across the living, breathing open-world.

 The Crew is now available for pre-order in two different editions for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The Limited Edition will grant early access to rides that will prepare gamers for any road—and off-road—conditions. Players who pre-order this edition will receive early access to the BMW Z4 sDrive35is, Mini Cooper S, and Dodge Ram SRT-10 and their respective sets of full custom and performance parts. The Muscle Edition, which can only be pre-ordered at GameStop, will include all early unlock content from the Limited Edition and will also grant exclusive early access to the 2015 Ford Mustang GT. Both Editions include 10,000 bonus Crew Credits. Players can pre-order The Crew for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 at their local retailers.

For more information on The Crew, please visit: http://thecrewgame.com/

About Ubisoft:
Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman and Far Cry. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2012-13 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,256 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.

©2014 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. The Crew logo, Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Xbox One is a trademark of the Microsoft group of companies and is used under license from Microsoft.

“Playstation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Our Take by Dustin Murphy:

 The Crew has been a game that got my attention the moment the PlayStation 4 reveal occurred. With beautiful graphics, realistic shading, shine, detail, and an amazing score; I was sold. With even the delays I've only began to grow more, and more, and more interested in the title. With a long development period for perfection, so we hope, we can't wait to see what Ubisoft has done we can only hope The Ivory Tower, Ubisoft, and us the fans can be just as excited for the launch as us. Where will you be when The Crew launches on next gen consoles? I know I'll be burning rubber, grinding gears, and granny shifting.

For a full new release of Artwork, check the small gallery featured with this article.

Thief - XBox One and PlayStation 4 Review

Thief Review - Not as Sneaky as the Master Thief Himself

Originally Published and Copyrighted by Blast Away the Game Review on 4/3/2014

Review by Dustin Murphy

Pros:
-Graphically amazing
-Remains as stealth like as the others
-Redefines the tactics guards use to hunt Garrett
-Voice acting remains superb and ahead of its time
-Use of the PS4's Touch-pad (PS4 version only) allows for ease of access to equipment.
-Enhanced used of the games lighting system provides a worthwhile challenge
-Many things left from the original entries of the franchise remain untouched, but polished up to make the game easier to play.

Cons:
-Frame rate Stutters on both PS4 and XBox One version provide a teeth gritting time when going through high paced chase scenes.
-Guards rubber band at times rather harshly that will make players want to bang their head on a desk.
-Graphic's at times can be muddy and unrefined till they load in, causing a less than beautiful game.
-Some enemies will detect a knock out rather easily compared to normal.

Final Verdict: 7 out of 10

Final Opinion: Having gotten lucky to play both Next Gen versions it was easy to see that the game itself came through some development struggle. With the Frame Rate not being too much different between PS4 and XBox One, it's easy to note that the game itself has had some trouble with performance. However, for fans who want a good story, good game play mechanics, this is your game to go to.

Thief has always been a game to hold a soft spot within my heart. Why? Because of how in-depth it remained when it came to stealth mechanics, stealing, and enemy detection engines, but also the story that drives the franchise. In Thief (2014) you take the role once more as the Master Thief Garrett who is well known for his reputation among the shady folk that inhabit the darker portions of a location only known as "The City". In this city Garrett has taken advantage of the rich and even the poor in order to provide himself with a livelihood by selling his "black market" items to his pawns, but also carrying out tasks for random patrons. We are also witnesses to an event that sends Garrett's life spinning and our story to start. However, this review will not focus on the story element, but instead of the mechanics of a game I grew to know and love over time starting back on Windows 98.

When it comes to Thief, the series isn’t focused on just the story, but a set of in depth mechanics that range from the guards patrol path, lighting, sound, and at times even environmental changes. Several of the biggest changes I’ve come to notice is also the engine used. The game itself has improved massively since the last installment that welcomed me to the series on console; Thief: Deadly Shadows. Having been used to arrows such as the moss arrows, broadhead arrows, water arrows, and even utilities such as flash bombs. Only one of these that I've noticed through my entire playthrough was one thing; the removal of Thief: Deadly Shadows Moss Arrows. These arrows allowed for Garrett to sneak past his enemies unnoticed without having even made a creaking sound. Instead it now just silences the use of broadhead and saw-tooth arrows both. These little things are useful and will help players take care of their enemies as they pursue their way through each amazingly detailed fort, vault, and or mansion. Each of these allows for a unique use of all of Garrett’s utilities up to and not excluding his flash-bangs and his vision.

The most interesting part though is not just the utilities before mentioned that are associated with his bow, but also the ones that are not. Garrett has obtained a new ability that allows him to focus in order to give users the ability to look around and find things to take and or even get a hint at where they can maneuver too. Though that is a nice feature, it will also make players pursue a new avenue of exploration, and movement throughout each location in order to find all secret items, sneak past guards, and ultimately give themselves the ability to adventure forth through the open world of Thief. 

The actual game is something that is worth taking a peak at. Harnessing the power of the Unreal Engine, players will be given a powerful example of what it is capable of, and how it will look especially once set to perform at full graphical capabilities. Thief represents what Next Generation graphical assertions can be given when it comes to games, animation, and of course atmospheric realism. However, this doesn't come, but with a few hiccups when it comes to Thief. Unfortunately on both the PlayStation 4 and XBox One versions have been experiencing framerate issues, but these issues mostly pop up in high paced scenes where Garrett’s running and players will notice a rather drop in a frame-rate. However, this issue does not seem to be as widespread as it may seem. With only a few minor hiccups, the game itself is quite a bit of fun. Players will spend hours hunting through buildings, puzzles, and of course mazes in order to complete the free-roaming portion of the game.

The other thing that has left us simply amazed is the narrative. While many report it is weak, dry, and unoriginal. While this may seem so, it has been one of the best story lines I have personally played when it comes to the world of Thief, and the unnamed city only known as “The City”, which allows for us to see a magical story line that weaves mysticism, and of course steampunk. With this, players will find a unique story that will rival their viewpoints on sanity, and darkness. This is truly one of those few games that will allow players to enjoy a rather unique title.

Graphics: Portraying one of the possibly most powerful engines in the industry, Eidos truly shows us what the game is about, and what makes it so unique. With only the frame-rate stutters that appear, Thief is truly one of the best looking games to date. The lighting in this game truly shows what Next Generation games will be capable of. We only hope that sixty frames a second soon becomes a standard for games like this.

Sound: With a rather unusual use of realism, Thief provides a powerful sound that makes it stand out among others. From the creaking of wood, snipping of wires, thumping of arrows, and the sound of guards torches as they pass by. This provides users with a rather unique twist on environmental realism.

Controls: Thanks to the unique controls of both the XBox One and the PlayStation 4, players can truly see what controllers of this would be like. However, we can only hope to see games like this one stay as easy to learn as this one was. Well done, Eidos, well done.