Tag Archives: geek culture

MGM to launch first Stargate SG-1 strategy PC game in Slitherine partnership

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MGM has partnered with the digital strategy games publisher, Slitherine to develop and publish the first strategy PC game based on the popular sci-fi series, Stargate SG-1.

Called Stargate: Timekeepers, the title will pick up from the end of the seventh season of the Stargate SG-1 main plot to create an original story that takes place during the Battle of Antartica, in which Command Eva McCain and her team are tasked with supporting the SG-1 against Anubis’ fleet.

The aftermath of the battle sees Commander McCain and her squad face an epic adventure that spans multiple original locations, while players will travel through time and space to save civilians from the threats of alien lords, rescue their friends and allies from danger, and more.

Over the course of 25 years, Stargate has become a cultural hit, capturing the imaginations of sci-fi lovers and inspiring an audience of fans around the world.  The franchise includes three films, three TV series broadcast in 64 countries, an animated series, and a web series. More than 56 million Stargate DVDs have been sold to date, while the franchise has also found its way to graphic novels, games, and more.

“Working on an IP like Stargate is an honor and a testament to our continued effort to reach a wider audience,” said Marco Minoli, Slitherine marketing director. “We strive to capture players’ imagination by creating our own worlds or by forging experiences based on existing, influential franchises. We look forward to bringing Stargate: Timekeepers to life and creating a long-lasting legacy of Stargate strategy games.”

Robert Marick, executive vice president, MGM Global Consumer Products and Experiences, said: “We’re thrilled to work with Slitherine to bring a new Stargate PC game to market, and provide fans the opportunity to experience the Stargate universe well beyond TV and movie screens.”

 Stargate: Timekeepers is a Real-Time-Tactics game developed by Creative Forge Games, an independent studio based in Warsaw, Poland, makers of Phantom Doctrine and Hard West.  The game will release on PC distribution platforms.

MGM now joins a growing roster of licensing partners to have worked with Slitherine in the games space, who has published a portfolio of award-winning titles for consoles, smartphones, and tablets. The publisher has previously worked with the likes of NBC Universal, Games Workshop, Sony Pictures, BBC, Osprey, and more.

Pop culture retailer Geek Retreat to open 100 new UK stores as geek chic continues to rise

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The UK’s geek culture retailer, Geek Retreat, has detailed its plans to open 100 new stores on high streets across the country over the space of the next two years, part of its own plans to ‘breathe new life into town centres.’ The move follows the rapid rise in the popularity of the pop culture scene among consumers today, one that has given rise to the success of the Marvel franchise or the likes of Netflix’s Stranger Things.

The opening of the 100 new Geek Retreat stores will not only ride the crest of the current wave of demand in pop culture and games, but will create around 600 new jobs in the UK.

Board gaming, card trading and tabletop games make up an industry currently worth some £8 billion in the UK alone. This is predicted to grow by 3.1 per cent annually over the next three years, highlighting its continued popularity.

The Geek Retreat franchise – which opened its first store in Glasgow in 2013 and now employs 110 people – is a comic bookstore, gaming cafe and events hub rolled into one. It currently has 14 city-centre stores, including Glasgow, Newcastle, Birmingham, Leeds, the Wirral, and two in London, which stock geek culture merchandise like comics, posters, clothing, figures and memorabilia as well as games and trading cards.

New stores in Bournemouth, Northampton, Liverpool and are due to open shortly. Northwich and Chelmsford were the most recent stores to open, attracting the largest opening days to date.

All stores do and will commit to a COVID-19 secure environment, with social distancing and hygiene measures in place, to give customers extra piece of mind that they can visit in confidence. Small gaming events can take place with safety guidelines being carefully implemented.

Peter Dobson, chief executive of Geek Retreat, commented: “The UK’s gaming and hobby sector is a real success story and Geek Retreat is a home for the communities who are at the heart of this phenomenon. The wellbeing of our customers and staff has always been incredibly important to us – now more than ever everyone should expect a friendly, safe and clean environment to meet and play.

“We have made sure all of our stores are welcoming and accessible to gamers whatever their interests, providing a place for our loyal customers to get out of the house and play safely post-lockdown.

“This is particularly important for our more vulnerable customers, like those on the autistic spectrum, or with mental health issues where being in an inclusive, welcoming, and social environment is very important. It is strength of the relationships which our stores build with local communities that is a key driver of growth.”