BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc., has announced that the epic role-playing game, Dragon Age™: Inquisition is now available in North America. Dragon Age: Inquisition is the next-generation of RPG from BioWare that combines powerful storytelling and compelling characters with beautiful, expansive open worlds for players to explore.
Winner of the official Game Critics Award for “Best RPG” at E3 2014, Dragon Age: Inquisition launches as one of the highest rated games for the new generation of consoles. Joystiq scored the game at 100, saying, “[Inquisition] sets the bar for what a blockbuster RPG should be.” Game Informer also gave the game a 95 score, calling the game, “…an expansive and unforgettable journey.”
“Our goal with Dragon Age: Inquisition was to bring players into the next-generation of role playing games with an experience that is truly your own, all in an immersive, visually stunning world,” said Mark Darrah, Executive Producer. “It’s the biggest story you can play this year, and finally all our years of hard work is in the hands of players around the world.”
Dragon Age: Inquisition is set in an epic, dark fantasy world where players are empowered to shape and drive their experience. The game combines the storytelling legacy BioWare is known for, with deep RPG gameplay, all on a brand new RPG game engine underpinned by EA’s cutting edge Frostbite™ 3 technology. Players will experience the hallmarks BioWare is known for in Dragon Age: Inquisition including a vast, overarching narrative that presents players with engrossing choices that allow them to experience unique moments based on those decisions.
Dragon Age: Inquisition was developed at BioWare Edmonton with support from BioWare Montreal and other locations and is available for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC via Origin™. Dragon Age: Inquisition will be available in Europe starting on November 20. The game has been rated “M” for mature by the ESRB and “18” by PEGI; visit www.esrb.org and www.pegi.info for more information.
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BMW has announced that Spotify – the world’s leading music streaming service – can now be brought into the car, delivering the perfect music for every journey. Spotify already brings you the right music for every moment on your computer, your mobile, your tablet and your home entertainment system.
Available NOW, all Spotify users on iOS – both free and Premium – can enjoy a seamless music experience to BMW and MINI drivers:
Access your own music and playlists or use features like Radio and Browse to find the perfect music for every mood and moment
Enjoy an intuitive viewing experience on the car’s high-resolution Control Display
Comfortable and safe to use with the iDrive Controller
Premium subscribers can enjoy extra high quality on-demand music (320kbps) – which sounds great on the car’s audio system – as well as ad-free and offline listening
When the Spotify app is downloaded from the Apple App Store, it will be compatible with any BMW equipped with the BMW Apps option.
Smartphones and apps in your car.
With the aim of enabling safe and comfortable use of apps in cars, the BMW Group was an early driver of smartphone integration and has already certified numerous apps for access in BMW and MINI vehicles. These apps have been optimised for use during a journey, can be operated via the iDrive Controller or MINI Controller without distracting the driver and are viewed in the Control Display or the MINI Centre Instrument respectively.
App integration.
This app has been specially certified by BMW for safe in-car use. The app uses the BMW Group’s A4A (Apps for Automotive) technology and can be downloaded for iOS-based devices from the Apple App Store. Having connected their smartphone to the car via the USB socket or snap-in adapter and launched the app, users are presented with its various functions via the iDrive Controller/MINI Controller, the Control Display/MINI Centre Instrument and the car’s audio system. To use the app in BMW and MINI models, the BMW ConnectedDrive Services or MINI Connected option needs to be specified.
Ubisoft® has announced that top-selling new franchise Watch Dogs® is now available for Wii U across retailers in North America for $59.99. Watch Dogs is rated M for Mature.
Watch Dogs will take advantage of Wii U with a detailed and interactive map of Chicago to be displayed on the Wii U GamePad. The game also features off-TV play, letting gamers continue playing Watch Dogs solely on the GamePad.
The development of Watch Dogs for Wii U is being led by Ubisoft Bucharest in collaboration with Ubisoft Montreal.
Watch Dogs is currently available for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC.
Watch Dogs tells the story of Aiden Pearce, a brilliant hacker whose criminal past led to a violent family tragedy. Now on the hunt for those who hurt his family, players will be able to monitor and hack their enemies by manipulating everything connected to the city’s Central Operating System (ctOS). Watch Dogs lets the player use Chicago as their ultimate weapon and exact their own style of revenge.
Did you hear? Snoopy leaked THE PEANUTS MOVIE trailer…good grief.
In PEANUTS, a 3D, CGI animated comedic adventure, Snoopy, the world’s most lovable beagle – and flying ace! – embarks upon his greatest mission as he and his team take to the skies to pursue their arch-nemesis, while his best pal Charlie Brown begins his own epic quest back home.
THE PEANUTS MOVIE
3D Animation
Release: November 6, 2015
To celebrate opening night of the third and highly anticipated Hunger Games film, Cinépolis invites fans to relive the action of film 1 and 2 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. and then celebrate the newest movie with food, prizes and photo opportunities. Then guests can head back into the theater to enjoy the newest film, Mocking Jay Part 1, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Additionally the night will feature handcrafted “Mockingjay” cocktails, complimentary face painting tray-passed hors d’oeuvres, a mocktail tasting, contests, giveaways and more!
“May the odds forever be in your favor…”
The guest sporting their best Hunger Games attire will be awarded an ultimate grand prize!*
Hunger Games: 1:45pm
Catching Fire- 4:30 pm
Special Reception-7pm
Mockingjay Part 1: 8:15pm
*No costumes with weapons will be allowed inside the building. This is a special event ticket. The $40 marathon price includes the price of your $19.25 opening night reception fee and your $20.75 marathon movie ticket.
Cinépolis Rancho Santa Margarita
30632 Santa Margarita Parkway
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
Hot off the heels of a record breaking year for Dark Harbor, The Queen Mary’s full holiday event season continues as the coolest winter wonderland in Southern California, CHILL, prepares to open on November 21. New in 2014, all CHILL guests can enjoy unlimited access to The Ice Kingdom, ice tubing, ice skating with skate rentals and a visit on the Queen Mary ship with the purchase of general admission tickets.
This season The Ice Kingdom at CHILL will showcase holidays in the Golden State with the magic of a California Christmas theme meticulously hand sculpted by a team of international artists, and made entirely out of 2 million pounds of ice. The California Christmas theme begins with a traditional poinsettia entrance lined with toy soldiers standing over seven-feet tall. Next comes the candy cane forest with ten-foot candy canes that unveil a surfing Santa shredding through twenty-foot tall waves. Guests can gaze at the giant ice Christmas tree with tons of gifts for boys and girls and Jolly Old St. Nicholas on the rooftops with his team of reindeer. Venture onto the ice replica of the Queen Mary ship with four new lanes of ice slides for all to enjoy. A nativity scene, forest of penguins and the fairytale kingdom with the almighty ice queen round out the California Christmas theme in The Ice Kingdom.
The Ice Kingdom is kept at a chilling 9-degrees Fahrenheit to preserve the glistening ice sculptures. Public parkas are available, and guests are encouraged to bring their own jackets, hats and gloves to stay warm while inside the giant igloolike exhibit.
The Glacier Glide at CHILL offers guests unlimited ice tubing down six-lanes made entirely out of ice that stand more than two stories tall and 100-feet long. Guests can enjoy a perfect Southern California evening on a yuletide glide on the CHILL Ice Rink presented by the Port of Long Beach. The world-class 6,500 square foot outdoor ice skating rink gives skaters an awe inspiring view of the majestic Queen Mary, complete with twinkling lights installed just for the holidays, on her world famous stacks. This year ice skate rentals are included with each ticket or guests are welcome to bring their own skates.
CHILL also invites visitors to explore the festive holiday village complete with a gingerbread house, holiday carolers, the decoration adorned Candy Lane and a visit with Santa Claus. CHILL features live festive entertainment, food and beverages nightly.
A holiday experience like no other, CHILL tickets start at $39.99 for adults and $29.99 for kids (ages 4-11). Tickets include entrance to The Ice Kingdom, ice skating and skate rental, ice tubing and access to the Queen Mary ship. Lodging packages are also available. CHILL will be open Nov. 21-30, Dec. 2-7, Dec. 9-Jan. 4 and Jan. 8-11. CHILL sponsors include The Port of Long Beach, Hawaiian Host, YP, Coca-Cola, Heineken and Finlandia. For more information, including hours or to purchase tickets online, visit http://www.queenmary.com/events/chill/.
PRESS RELEASE: Knott’s Berry Farm announced plans for a spectacular new interactive 4-D attraction for 2015, Voyage to the Iron Reef. Opening spring 2015, Voyage to the Iron Reef adds high-tech fun for everyone as guests save Knott’s from mysterious creatures emerging from the seas beneath the Boardwalk in a cutting edge media-based battle.
Ever since construction crews finished expanding the Boardwalk Pier in 2013, guests have happily enjoyed the many new attractions like Coast Rider and Surfside Gliders. But all that activity on the Boardwalk shores has reawakened a mystic lair in the depths below, filled with creatures who have risen up to wreak havoc on the classic So Cal theme park.
The Queen of the Kraken and her aquatic army have surfaced to feed on the steel of any attraction within their grasps. Their unquenchable appetite for coaster metal has turned these creatures into swimming mechanical monsters unlike anything ever seen on the ocean floor.
Guests who have what it takes to become brave deep sea navigators will climb aboard four-person submarine-inspired ride vehicles and embark on the four-minute gaming adventure into the Iron Reef. Equipped with an interactive freeze ray, guests will aim for ballooning puffer fish, an iron clad octopus and other exciting 3-D creatures as they attempt to blast the most sea life and save Knott’s from a watery doom.
Through enchanting underwater forests, disorienting ocean current tunnels, and mysterious mechanical wreckage, high definition 3-D animation will surround guests at every turn. Along the way, the submarines navigate 600 feet of track and 11 scenes featuring hundreds of media-based creatures and live action special effects.
Altogether, it’s an interactive voyage that features a different experience every time and reacts to the actions and accuracy of the guests onboard. Following the thrilling finale, the number of creatures taken is digitally displayed onboard and in the undock area.
Montreal-based Triotech, the multi-sensory attraction developer that animated the popular Wonder Mountain’s Guardian at Canada’s Wonderland, is the creator behind the groundbreaking gaming system and animation for Voyage to the Iron Reef.
“Triotech is thrilled to cooperate with Knott’s team and bring our media-based interactive dark ride to Southern California, an area with a rich attraction and entertainment heritage. We feel that guests of all ages will enjoy this unique attraction,” said Ernest Yale, Triotech’s President and CEO.
Knott’s is well prepared to integrate new technologies into traditional dark ride experiences. Next year will mark the third consecutive year the park has reintroduced spectacular and unique family attractions. Both the Timber Mountain Log Ride and Calico Mine Ride recently delighted guests after both underwent extensive technological and special effect upgrades, reestablishing Knott’s as a destination renowned for premier theme park experiences.
The future home of Voyage to the Iron Reef is hallowed ground for Knott’s enthusiasts. In 1975, the show building was originally the site of the wacky and whimsical Knott’s Bear-y Tales. Designed by legendary theme park designer Rolly Crump, Knott’s Bear-y Tales transported guests to a county fair filled with anthropomorphized frogs, owls, and bears. In 1987, dinosaurs once again ruled the earth as Knott’s Bear-y Tales transformed into Kingdom of the Dinosaurs, capturing the imagination of a new generation of fans.
“The same commitment to storytelling and dedication to incorporating the most cutting edge ride technologies that made Knott’s Bear-y Tales and Kingdom of the Dinosaurs so popular is what has driven the Iron Reef creative process,” said Raffi Kaprelyan, vice president and general manager of Knott’s Berry Farm. “The technology showcased in Iron Reef will honor the legacy of the attractions that preceded it, and propel the on-ride experience into the 21st century.”
Voyage to the Iron Reef is the centerpiece of an exciting 2015 at Knott’s Berry Farm.
An all new production of PIPPIN has leaped through hoops onto stage at Segerstrom Center For The Arts in Costa Mesa! From the creator of WICKED and the choreographer of CHICAGO: PIPPIN THE MUSICAL is an extraordinary reimagined tale of Broadways cherished show. Winner of FOUR 2013 Tony awards, PIPPIN tells the story of a young prince on a coming of age journey for meaning in his life through stunning magical acts and death-defying acrobatics!
Words cannot easily describe the feeling one gets from watching this incredible show. This is not the PIPPIN you may already know. New in the show is a story based more within the thrilling circus acts and events within the big tent. Some may read the word “circus” and quickly think cheesy or childish, but PIPPIN is a far cry from anything less than astonishing.
Your experience in the audience is more than a Broadway caliber musical, but a Cirque du Soleil-esque mash between circus, music and dance. The American Repertory Theater production of PIPPIN is fresh off a tremendous run at Pantages, and if you have already seen it, I can only imagine you are planning on seeing it again.
What? Am I sounding too “pro-Pippin”. Well, if so, I totally am! This has brought so much life back into theatre for me. It’s an incredible endless act of high energy, mostly light-hearted, non-stuffy class-act entertainment.
The show features SASHA ALLEN, a young star of last year’s season of The Voice, which plays into her charismatic circus barker role as the Leading Player. While I am shedding high praise for this show, this may also be the only part I felt lacking. It was lack-lusting of pep and seduction one may expect from role of this stature. I am unfamiliar with her and after looking at several photos before my review, it almost doesn’t look like the same person. Therefore, full disclosure here, I may have seen an understudy but I did not here the announcement if there was one.
This character however allows for one sexual, erotic even, telling of the story. The choreography from CHET WALKER is energetic and flashy yet remaining creative and professional while still being downright sexy at times. With revealing risqué costumes and a few coarse words PIPPIN is recommended for children ages 13+. The few adult innuendos were quite hilarious too and well-played.
KYLE DEAN MASSEY plays Pippin who many may recognize from WICKED and XANADU or even The Good Wife and Hart of Dixie. He has joined the cast direct from Broadway’s production of PIPPIN. He in no doubt embodies the character perfectly as he searches for his extraordinary life in the show. Comedically perfect, great voice, and believable in his role as the black-sheep of his royal family.
Pippin seeks outs the family business after life at war where he falls into power, sex and politics. He is unsure the life he wants to live and after a first act of trying his expected destiny, the second act follows a different choice; the choice that embodies love and an “ordinary life”. His quest for more creates a challenge for him though. A calm-life may be too difficult for him to settle for.
Along Pippin’s journey he is lead to the life of insane circus acts and beautiful, flexible… women. In fact, there is absolutely no doubt your attention will be focused on his Granny’s unbelievable performance, who is actually Lucille Ball’s daughter LUCIE ARNAZ, that then introduces the troupe of acrobats. This production features Montreal’s Les 7 Doigts de la Main who appeared in the Opening Ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Not only do we get to see jaw-dropping stunts, but also impressive magical illusions. I am not going to say you won’t know how everything is done, but I am willing to bet that some of them may have you shocked and then shortly cheering thereafter. Nothing is too much or an “eye-rolling” style of magic, but instead a perfect balance that just fits.
Now hold on, you may be wondering why I haven’t mentioned anything about the music yet. That’s because the music is integrated so perfectly, not forced, that the whole show just combines it all to create a well-balanced superb show. This is not something I have seen too much of lately.
I’m not going to dive too deep into the music except to mention the favorites are there with definitely powerful ballads, soft quiet songs, and yet surprisingly not heavy on the amount of them. There is music almost throughout, but instead it is used as background to the many circus acts onstage. Shockingly enough, the show is actually 2 hours and 40 minutes! I actually had no idea it was a longer show before I went, nor did I while I was in the middle of it. In fact, I didn’t know until I got in my car and realized the time! I truly left wanting more of everything.
I guess it’s clear that I say “SEE IT!” I loved the ensemble of characters, and I do mean characters. Every acrobatic has their oddity, in the best way possible, and yet they all sing and act well too. I imagine to find such well-rounded entertainers and actors was not an easy feat.
PIPPIN is a story I relate to all too well, and I’m sure much of its audience does as well. I guess that is what has lead to its great success. It’s a moral for life that I need to remind myself daily. I’ve always looked for more, something bigger and more meaningful, something extraordinary… but when will I ever find enough. Have I tried for too long? Do I already have enough right in front of me? Did Pippin?
PIPPIN THE MUSICAL is now playing at Segerstrom Center for the Arts – Segerstrom Hall
It is recommended for ages 13+.
November 11th – 23rd, 2014 Tuesday – Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m.
SEGA® of America, Inc., a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, has announced that Sonic Boom™: Rise of Lyric and Sonic Boom™: Shattered Crystal are now available at retailers nationwide. Following the U.S. premiere of Sonic’s first CGI animated TV series Sonic Boom™ on Cartoon Network and a full merchandising program, these two games are cornerstones of the newly created Sonic Boom universe and expand the Sonic Boom vision for fans. Set in the same world as the Sonic Boom animated TV series, Sonic and team – including new friend Sticks – work together to stop the evil villain- Lyric! Gamers play as multiple characters, each with their own abilities, as they explore, fight and speed through an undiscovered land.
Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric exclusively for the Wii U™ system, is an original game developed by Southern California based studio Big Red Button Entertainment in collaboration with Sonic Team and its head Takashi Iizuka. Sonic Boom™: Rise of Lyric finds Sonic and his friends Tails, Knuckles, and Amy as they release a powerful snake-like villain named Lyric from an ancient tomb sealed deep within an island. The group must put aside their differences and work together as a team to save the world from Lyric’s evil plan and his army of war mongering robots!
Nintendo 3DS exclusive title, Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal, was developed by the Northern California based Sanzaru Games Inc. in collaboration with Sonic Team. In Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal, Amy discovers a secret ancient language and manuscript detailing the history and whereabouts of a Lost Crystal of Power. The evil and vile villain, Lyric, kidnaps Amy in his eagerness to get his claws on this long-forgotten power that has been hidden throughout the jungles and canyons of a mysterious new island.
The Sonic Boom titles deliver totally different experiences than previous Sonic games with collaborative gameplay at their core, all while featuring the traditional element of Sonic and his adventures – SPEED. Taking advantage of the innovative hardware of both the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, Sonic Boom introduces exploration, combat and a new Enerbeam gadget that allows the Sonic Boom world to be discovered in totally unique ways.
Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric for Wii U is available at retailers in North America at an MSRP of $49.99 with a rating of “E10+ for Everyone 10 and up” by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal for Nintendo 3DS is available at retailers in North America at a MSRP of $39.99 and is rated “E for Everyone” by the ESRB.
The evening of November 9th at Segerstrom Center for the Arts a very near and dear event to me was held, an Into the Woods reunion with the original Broadway cast! It was part conversation and part musical selections featuring Bernadette Peters, Joanna Gleason, Chip Zien, Kim Crossby, Danielle Ferland, Ben Wright, Robert Westenberg as well as the creators of the show: James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim! Below are some of the highlights of the night.
First of all, in the lobby of the Segerstom Center they had various props and costumes from the original show such as Milky White (the cow), the giant’s golden harp, the carriage and various costumes. It was exciting walking around and being able to get a gander at what these Broadway stars once wore and used. Also at the Segerstrom Center they had various stations selling a never before released Blu-Ray version of the original Broadway show for $20.00.
The show, which was moderated by Mo Rocca, featured many stellar performances such as “It Takes Two,” “No More,” “On the Steps of the Palace,” Hello Little Girl,” “Moments in the Woods,” Giants in the Sky,” “Your Fault,” “No One is Alone,” “Witch’s ‘Rap,’” “Stay With Me,” “Your Fault,” “Last Midnight,” “Children Will Listen,” and “Act II Finale.” All of the numbers sounded absolutely fantastic and you could tell all of the actors truly felt each and every song. The audience members were completely enthralled; laughing at the choreography like in “Hello Little Girl” and giving multiple standing ovations. It was truly a magical evening full of laughs and tears. This was definitely true especially when Bernadette Peters sang a heart-wrenching rendition of “Stay With Me,” or when Chip Zien, Kim Crossby, Danielle Ferland and Ben Wright sang “No One is Alone.”
The musical numbers were sang intermittently, separated by the cast and director’s anecdotes of the show’s inception, Broadway performances and some of the aftermath of the show. To note some of the memorable things that were said were:
Crossby admitted she received some advice from Gleason saying that her (Gleason’s) character had a secret that no one in the show would know about; that secret? she was pregnant once more at the start of Act II.
Lapine wrote the role of Little Red Riding Hood with Danielle Ferland in mind.
Sondheim revealed that the only song he has written without a rhyme is “I Guess this is Goodbye”
Gleason admitting that she and Zien (the baker and his wife) had a very close and relationship that Zien has been the only actor whom she has hit.
Westenber and Crossby talking about the wolf’s costume and its anatomically correct suit that would often upstage the actor. So much so that each show they had to readjust and reduce the well endowed package.
Another touching moment was when each of the cast members revealed which line was their favorite line in the show and Bernadette’s answer of: “No One is Alone” and what it meant to her. Sondheim then added to her answer and stated that many people often misconstrue what it means; most people take it literally that no one is ever truly alone. What Sondheim revealed was that the song is actually saying is that your actions and words have consequences for you and those around you; what you do isn’t something that won’t have an effect on other people and so no one is alone.
As Sondheim stated when he was asked how it felt watching the original actors performing once more as “very upsetting” we too felt the same way realizing that we would not be able to watch them all perform the songs together again after that night. It was a spectacular, one that I for one will never forget and I know many in the audience would say as well. Thank you Segerstrom Center for the Arts for allowing us to attend and hosting this wonderful evening.
In Assassin’s Creed Rogue, you’ll play as Shay Patrick Cormac, an Assassin who turns his back on the Brotherhood to join the Templar cause and hunt the Assassins to the ends of the earth. From New York City to the perilous Arctic sea, Shay will stop at nothing as he follows his own creed.
Set in the middle of the 18th century during the Seven Years’ War, Assassin’s Creed Rogue gives players new locations across North America to explore, including the frozen North Atlantic, the Appalachian River Valley and New York. In Assassin’s Creed Rogue, players experience the Assassin’s Creed universe through the eyes of a Templar. As Shay Patrick Cormac, players suffer the brotherhood’s betrayal and transform into an Assassin hunter. Assassin’s Creed Rogue will be available on November 11 for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. The game will also be available for Windows PC in early 2015.
Disney Legend, author and Cal State Fullerton alumna Martha Blanding will speak at a CSUF commencement ceremony for the College of Humanities and Social...
