New bunny girl characters and 0.5-Year Anniversary festival roadmap revealed
SEOUL – May 4, 2022 – Publisher Nexon has declared May to be Blue Archive month and in celebration begins the anime mobile RPG’s new story event “Bunny Chasers on Board,” releasing new bunny-themed characters and event rewards, in addition to revealing the 0.5 Anniversary roadmap.
The story follows the Cleaning & Clearing (C&C) members aboard a cruise ship to chase down the Millennium Science School’s resident troublemaker, White Rabbit, all while disguised as Bunny Girls. Players can enjoy the event story, quests and challenges.
Blue Archive fans who collect chocolate coins, bunny stickers and boarding passes from the event can exchange them for various items at the event shop including Intact Phaistos Disc, Superior Tactical Training Blu-ray, Asuna’s Eleph and more.
Additionally, a few of Blue Archive’s favorite characters are transforming into a new look: Neru (Bunny) and Karin (Bunny). Neru (Bunny) is a Tank with an Explosive Attack Type who uses an EX skill to move her to a designated location and grant a barrier, while Karin (Bunny) is a Mystic type Dealer who uses an EX skill that deals damage to enemies in a fan-shaped area.
Details regarding Blue Archive’s story event update, “Bunny Chasers on Board,” can be viewed in the official community.
Developed by NAT GAMES, Blue Archive follows a group of adventurous schoolgirls as they navigate romance, school clubs, academic events – and the occasional battle with rival schools. Players will take on the role of the students’ teacher and guide them as they investigate incidents throughout the city.
Blue Archive is available on Android and iOS devices in 237 countries and supports multiple languages including English, Korean, Thai and Chinese (traditional).
Players can find out more on the Official Website and follow the Blue Archive social media pages for the latest news and updates:
About NEXON Co. Ltd. Founded in 1994, NEXON Co., Ltd. (Nexon) (3659.TO) is a company engaged in the production, development and operation of online games and Virtual Worlds. First listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December 2011, Nexon was placed on JPX400 in 2015 and added to the Nikkei Stock Index 300 in 2017. In 2020, Nexon was added to the Nikkei 225. Nexon currently has more than 50 live games on multiple platforms including mobile and available in more than 190 countries. Major game franchises include MapleStory, KartRider and Dungeon&Fighter.
Racing Bonuses: 4X RDO$ in Standard Races and More
Triple Gold on Open Races, Free Community Outfit, Plus Blood Money and Free Roam Bonuses
Take advantage of huge rewards on Races, test your mount’s stamina in the weekly Featured Series, claim a free stylish outfit, and more in Red Dead Online this month.
Racing Bonuses and Rewards for All
Test your horse’s stamina and resolve against a crowd of competitors in various Races this week to earn rewards, including:
4X RDO$ for participating in Standard Races
3X Gold for cutting your own route between points A and B in Open Races
5X XP for steady shooting while out-racing the competition in Target Races
2X RDO$ and XP on Select Blood Money Contracts There are various ways to get your boot in the door as an aspiring outlaw: helping Guido Martelli attack the Central Union in The Railroad Contract; rescuing a gang leader in The Jeb Phelps Contract; and collecting Bluewater John’s debt in The Bluewater Contract; all these Blood Money Contracts are dishing out 2X RDO$ and XP, all month long.
Seek out Anthony Foreman, Sean Macguire, James Langton, or Joe to launch these adventures and earn yourself a reward, a dangerous reputation and some Capitale, to boot.
2X RDO$ and XP on Free Roam Missions
Wandering the frontier and helping do-gooders and despicable characters alike by taking part in Free Roam Missions will pay out 2X RDO$ and XP, all month long.
To fully replicate the happychrimus look, you’ll need to swap in the Wakeeney Hat — so we’ve also made a select colorway of the Wakeeney Bounty Hunter Outfit free to Bounty Hunters this month as well. All the above are available from local Tailors and the Wheeler, Rawson & Co. Catalogue, free of charge until June 6.
Featured Series Calendar
Here’s a rundown of each week’s rotating Featured Series, along with special weekly bonus incentives. All Rewards and Offers will be delivered within 72 hours of completion.
May 3 – May 9: Race Series
Dispense some frontier justice by completing any Bounty Hunter Mission to receive an Offer for 40% off a Bounty Hunter Novice or Promising Role Item
Completing “A One Horse Deal” will yield an Offer for 50% off the Fast Travel Post for your Camp
May 10 – May 16: Open Target Races and Overrun
Collectors who reach Rank 10 and above will receive an Offer for 40% off a Collector Novice or Promising Role Item
Win 2 rounds of this week’s Featured Series to receive a bonus to the tune of RDO$100
May 17 – May 23: Races and Shootouts
Complete 10 Daily Challenges this week to receive the Yeehaw Emote
Complete 2 Trader Sell Missions to receive a Citadel Rock Treasure Map
May 24 – May 30: Select Races
Play with your Persistent Posse to receive the Respectful Bow Emote
Pave the way for your bootlegging route by destroying 3 Revenue Agent Roadblocks to receive a select colorway of the Levens Gun Belt
May 31 – June 6: Target Races and Capture Mode
Riders who place Top 3 in any race this week will receive a select colorway of the Vaquero Baroque Spurs
Purchase any Pamphlet this week to receive a bonus of RDO$150
In addition to the above, Red Dead Online players will receive 10 Classic Oatcakes, 10 Horse Meal, and 10 Apples to keep their mount nourished every week this month. Participating in a NominatedSeries every week before June 6 will reward you with 10 Capitale. Plus, purchasing any Weapon Modification will result in a bonus of 5 Special Horse Stimulant.
Get The Danube or The Tasman Outfit Plus Returning Limited-Time Clothing
Placing in the Top 3 in any 6 Races in a single week will earn you The Danube or The Tasman outfit, depending on your character.
This week marks the return of the Dillehay Hat and Carver Pants to the pages of the Wheeler, Rawson & Co. Catalogue. Make sure to visit your local Tailor to try them on for size and buy them before they’re gone.
Discounts:
Ride like the wind, all Daily Stable Fees are waived for the entirety of this month. Stables are also offering half off Stable Slots and Stirrups, plus 30% off Race and War Horse breeds. In addition, there are discounts on Pistols, Emotes, Pants, Skirts, and more:
30% off Pistols
30% off Emotes
50% off Horse Food
50% off Stable Slots
50% off Stirrups
30% off Race Horses
30% off War Horses
50% off Reinforced Lasso
40% off Pants
40% off Skirts
Prime Gaming Benefits:Red Dead Online players who connect their Rockstar Games Social Club account to Prime Gaming through June 6 will receive the Flex Emote, a select colorway of the Espinal Double Bandolier, and a select colorway of the Windcliff Coat for free.
Wide Right Interactive, creators of What the Dub?!, and RiffTrax, the talent behind “Mystery Science Theater 3000”, team up to create the most hilarious wisecracking movie dubbing party game to date!
LOS ANGELES – March 15, 2022- Developer Wide Right Interactive, creators of the popular party game What the Dub?! and RiffTrax, the critically acclaimed team behind the Emmy nominated and Peabody Award winning Mystery Science Theater 3000, announced today that they have teamed up to create the definitive movie heckling party title, RiffTrax: The Game! With over 250 movies clips, new game modes, Twitch integration, and expanded ways to connect players, fans of witty one-liners and low-budgets movies can look forward riffing off with friends and family when the games releases on multiple platforms including Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 (forward compatible with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S), and Steam (PC/Mac) on May 5th!
RiffTrax: The Game brings the best of MST3K-style comedy to digital party games. Comedians Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett have been bringing their comedic running MST3K-type commentary to movies of all kinds for over 15 years-and now players have the opportunity to riff along with them! Gather with friends and family to see who can write the best jokes over some of the worst bits of what can loosely be called cinema. Players along with audience members will have the chance to vote each round for their favorite zingers and decide who has what it takes to be the next movie riffing genius!
“As someone who frequently comes in last when playing games I’m very excited to be part of actually making a game. Creating this with Wide Right Interactive, I think, energized everyone involved because though it’s obviously very close to what we do, it’s a fresh new way to do it. And I think it’s a way to make a lot of people laugh who maybe wouldn’t have otherwise had a chance to experience RiffTrax.” – Michael J. Nelson, RiffTrax
RiffTrax: The Games features:
● Over 250 movie clips from RiffTrax classics such as “Rollergator”, “Attack Of The Supermonsters”, and “Plan 9 From Outer Space”! ● Featuring two exciting ways to play! Write your own riff and watch your comedy genius come to life via text-to-speech. Or leave it to the pros and choose from over 2,000 expertly crafted riffs from the RiffTrax team. ● Play head-to-head with up to 6 players using any internet connected device as controller. An additional 12 audience members can also play along. ● Bring the party to your friends with support for remote games, cross play, and voice chat. ● Streamers, get your entire chat in on the action with Twitch chat voting. Additional moderation, privacy, and content tools ensure your stream remains problem-free.
RiffTrax: The Game Details
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Xbox One, Sony PlayStation 4, and Steam (PC/Mac) Next Gen: Forward compatible with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S Release Date: May 5th, 2022 Players: Local or remote multiplayer for up to 6 players. Supports an additional 12 audience members. Twitch chat voting is uncapped. Genres: Party, Multiplayer, Casual, Comedy
AboutWide Right Interactive – Developer & Publisher
Founded and operated by Jim Dirschberger, an Emmy nominated director and producer, Wide Right Interactive is focused on creating original content through collaborative efforts with emerging artists. Their debut game Freedom Finger saw a successful multi-platform release in 2020. Since then, Wide Right has supported Freedom Finger with multiple content updates, distribution in Asia (via EastAsiaSoft), and two sold-out physical editions (via Limited Run Games and Super Rare Games). Their second game What the Dub?! was released worldwide in 2021. The multiplayer party game was a hit on Twitch, with streamers such as The Sidemen, KarlNetwork, and Forsen playing the game with their millions of followers. What the Dub?! also landed on Metacritic’s Best PS4 games of 2021 list. WideRightGames.com
RiffTrax – Writers, Producers, and Performers
RiffTrax is an entertainment and comedy e-commerce company featuring the stars of the Emmy-nominated, Peabody Award-winning show “Mystery Science Theater 3000.” The guys at RiffTrax have added their comedic riffing treatment to over 450 feature films and over 400 classic educational shorts over the past 15 years. RiffTrax is composed of Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett. In addition to their starring roles as Mike, Tom Servo, and Crow on “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” they have appeared on numerous radio and TV shows, penned the screenplays for Hollywood Blockbuster films, and authored numerous best-selling books. To find out more about RiffTrax, visit www.rifftrax.com.
Nowadays, we can find management games about almost everything but to my knowledgeCat Cafe Manager is the first one featuring a cat cafe and that is why it got my attention in the first place.
Management games can seem a bit daunting especially for people that have never played them before. This game falls into the category of more casual management games meaning that most aspects of the genre are present, but the gameplay is rather simple and straightforward. So, it’s an easy game to understand.
Story
The premise is simple. The main character goes to the village of Caterwaul Way for the first time. Their grandmother sent them a letter asking them to rebuild the cat cafe she owned there. Soon after the cat cafe open again, a mysterious cat comes up at the door and asks help to rebuild the cat shrine, present in the village, to its former glory. A bit later in the game the player will learn that a corporation threatens to buy the village and destroy the cat shrine that has been here for decades. The main character will also meet NPCs living in the village and the more the player will talk with them the more friendly they’ll become.
It’s interesting that the game has a storyline. It’s not especially engaging, but at least it’s present.
Gameplay
The gameplay is accessible, so it’s a perfect game for a first experience of the management game genre. Comparatively to games such as Roller Coaster Tycoon, there aren’t a lot of options to take care of and the menus are simple.
The gameplay loop is as follows: people come and place orders, the player has to prepare the food and give it to them. There is a satisfaction meter and the more satisfied a customer is, the more resources they will give away. These resources can then be used to upgrade the cafe or to buy more food. To expand a little on the topic of resources, all of the patrons will give “delight” to the player which will be used to upgrade the cat shrine. They will also give away materials or currency; these depend on what category of people they are. The game contains five different categories of customers: witches, artists, fishermen, businessmen and punks. All of them giving the player specific resources that can be used to buy items in the stores. Having multiple categories of characters is a great idea. But after a while they felt a bit identical, it would have been great to have a few more categories once the player reaches the mid or late game.
While preparing and serving order the player also obtain skill points that they can distribute to the staff and the cats as they want to.
The player can hire staff and adopt stray cats to help expand our cafe. There’s the possibility to adopt many different cats, some of them such as a racoon or a ghost cat are strange on purpose. Also, we can give the cats a forever home meaning that they’ll then be adopted by someone else.
Cat cafe Manager might be easy to understand, but I wouldn’t say that it is relaxing. On the contrary, the game can be stressful and even frustrating at times. I thought that the difficulty was not well adjusted. Sometimes I found myself not doing much because my employees were doing almost all of the work. But on other moments customers were ordering items I didn’t even have the recipe for yet, and I just couldn’t satisfy them fully. Having difficulty settings and the ability to manually make time go faster would have fixed this issue.
The main problem this game has is its repetitiveness, a lot of the days felt very similar to me and during the late game I had the impression that it took me a lot of time to make progress. That repetitive aspect could have been quite easily fixed with more random events happening.
Visuals
The visuals are simple, but they work well. There’s a decoration option which is simple yet still good. the player can choose what they want their cafe to look like. Some of the decorations don’t impact the gameplay such as the type of material the player uses to build the floor or the walls. On the other hand, the furniture does have an impact on the employees, some are more efficient when the cafe is equipped with a set of a particular furniture style.
Even though it didn’t impact the gameplay I think it’s important for me to mention that I had frequent graphical bugs, for example, patrons would be floating away from their chairs.
Audio
The soundtrack is inspired by the surge of the “lo-fi” music genre meaning that the music is relaxing and cozy which fits the game perfectly. I once again wish that there were more tracks because after a while, I realized that I was listening to the same few musical loops in repeat.
Overall
I wanted to like this game. I really did, but there are too many things that bothered me. Honestly overall, I didn’t enjoy my experience playing it. The core concept is good, and it is by no means a mediocre game but with a few adjustments it could have been a much better game and this to me is extremely frustrating.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Activision Blizzard Makes new $30 Million Commitment for Veteran Employment Initiatives
Call of Duty Endowment’s Economic Value Creation Estimated at $5.6 Billion
New white paper details Veteran Employment Lessons Learned over 12 years with Recommendations for Veterans, Employers, Policy Makers and Philanthropic Donors
SANTA MONICA, Calif. – May 3, 2022 – The Call of Duty Endowment reached its goal of placing 100,000 veterans into meaningful employment two years ahead of schedule. In addition, Activision Blizzard is also committing $30 million in additional funding to support the program for the next five years. To coincide with today’s announcement, and in recognition of Military Appreciation Month, the Endowment released a white paper detailing veteran employment “lessons learned” over the organization’s 12-year history, with recommendations for veterans, employers, policy makers and philanthropic donors.
In honor of this milestone, the Endowment posted the following video to thank all of its supporters:
Over the last twelve years, the Call of Duty Endowment has helped more than 100,000 veterans find meaningful careers after their military service. The Endowment partners with the most effective nonprofit veterans organizations in both the US and UK to deliver low cost, high value job placement, the service most requested by veterans.
“To put 100,000 placements in perspective, the entire active-duty Marine Corps is made up of more than 178,000 people,” said General James Jones, USMC (retired), 32nd Commandant of the United States Marine Corps and Co-Chair of the Call of Duty Endowment. “While reaching 100,000 placements two years earlier than our goal is an accomplishment to be proud of, there is much, much more we can and should be doing to support our veteran community as they transition to civilian employment.”
“As we begin Military Appreciation Month we are proud of the accomplishments achieved by the Call of Duty Endowment and Dan Goldenberg’s leadership. We also recognize that our heroes need even more post service employment support and opportunity than is currently provided. To date, we have invested over $60 million in support of veterans employment initiatives to secure 100,000 job placements,” said Bobby Kotick, Co-Founder of the Call of Duty Endowment. “Today, we are committing an additional $30 million of funding for new veteran employment initiatives. With our even more efficient programs we expect to generate another 50,000 job placements through Call of Duty Endowment grants.”
“As we recover from the pandemic, there are great opportunities but even greater challenges present in the labor market. Veterans need assistance more than ever,” said Dan Goldenberg, Executive Director of the Call of Duty Endowment and Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at Activision Blizzard. “We are pleased to make a difference in getting veterans placed into meaningful employment, but also realize that we have so much more to do.”
“The Call of Duty Endowment’s financial and moral support has not only been essential for VetJobs’ mission, having funded more than 48,000 of our 77,000 placements, but also in driving accountability to higher standards across not-for-profit veteran employment initiatives,” said Rear Admiral Dan Kloeppel, U.S. Navy (retired), CEO of VetJobs. “There is no better, more supportive resource for veteran job placement than the Call of Duty Endowment.”
About the Call of Duty Endowment White Paper
The new white paper, titled Lessons Learned for the Future of Veteran Employment, highlights areas of opportunity to provide improved job placement services for our heroes upon completion of their military service.
Less than 1/10 of 1 percent of $300 billion veteran spend is focused on employment opportunitiesalthough successful transition into a high-quality careers reduces costs associated with housing and health care.
Veterans are still vastly underemployed as compared to the general population: According to The Veterans Metrics Initiative (TVMI), 61% of veterans are underemployed and 55% believe that they are more experienced than the job they currently have requires.
Modest, individualized assistance such as improving interview skills and resume coaching have a dramatic impact – especially for female veterans and people of color.
TVMI Data shows that:
Veterans are nearly three times more likely to find a job if they practice interviewing with a coach or mentor
Veterans are twice as likely to find a job if an experienced mentor or coach helps them with resume writing
Currently:
10% of male veterans of color are not employed and seeking work
14% of women veterans are not employed and seeking work
22% of women veterans of color are not employed and seeking work
The Call of Duty Endowment is a non-profit organization co-founded by Bobby Kotick, the CEO of Activision Blizzard. The Endowment seeks to help veterans find high-quality careers by supporting groups that prepare them for the job market and by raising awareness of the extraordinary value veterans bring to the workplace. For more information about the Call of Duty Endowment, please visit www.callofdutyendowment.org.
ACTIVISION and CALL OF DUTY are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.
TORINO, Italy – May 3, 2022 – Saber Interactive and 34BigThings have revealed a scorching new trailer for Redout 2, announcing that the next entry in the acclaimed anti-gravity racing series will launch on May 26, 2022, for PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation®4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Redout 2 is the biggest and fastest entry in the series yet, with more tracks than ever before. Strafe, tilt and boost your customizable hovership through dozens of mind-bending, jaw-dropping courses in a variety of game modes, including an expansive single-player campaign plus competitive online multiplayer for up to 12 players on PC, PlayStation and Xbox, and up to six players on Nintendo Switch.
Key Features:
Speed & Control: With blazing-fast speeds of over 1,000 km/h and an intuitive driving system, Redout 2 is a blast to pick up and play, but truly rewarding for any who can master its super-high skill ceiling.
Extensive Career Mode: Fly through hundreds of events across 36 unique racetracks – all of which are reversible! From Arena Races and Time Attacks to Last Man Standing and intense Boss Races, dart past the competition and dominate the finish line.
Competitive Multiplayer: Take on rivals in intense online multiplayer. Dive into fresh challenges with regularly added custom content and seasons featuring bonus rewards.
Comprehensive Customization: Choose from 12 distinct chassis and fully customize your hovership with an incredible selection of propulsors, stabilizers, rudders, intercoolers, flaps, magnets, wings, spoilers, rocket engines, paints and more!
Experience a futuristic soundtrack from leading electronic artists like the legendary Giorgio Moroder and acclaimed talents such as Zardonic and Dance with the Dead, with music seamlessly and dynamically mixed based on real-time race data.
Create and share your best high-speed moments with Redout 2’s Photo Mode.
Redout 2 is available to wishlist now on Steam. For more information, visit the official Redout 2 website, and keep up with the latest updates on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Discord.
About 34BigThings
Established in 2013, 34BigThings is a leading Italian developer for premium games across PC, console, and mobile devices which uses cutting-edge technology to create innovative, genre-leading games that receive critical acclaim and capture the imagination of gamers around the world. The studio has released over 10 premium games topping charts on most gaming platforms. 34BigThings joined Saber Interactive in November 2020.
An Embracer Group company headquartered in the U.S., Saber Interactive is a worldwide publisher and developer consisting of 22 studios in the Americas and Europe. Creating games for all major platforms based on original and licensed IPs, Saber’s titles include Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, World War Z, SnowRunner, Evil Dead: The Game and A Quiet Place. Founded in 2001, Saber is known for two decades of development partnerships with AAA publishers, producing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for Nintendo Switch, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Crysis Remastered, and many others.
Neon noir RPG ignites on Kickstarter as Free League’s fastest funded campaigns in its history
Los Angeles, CA (May 3, 2022) – Get your badges and blasters ready, because the Kickstarter campaign for BLADE RUNNER: THE ROLEPLAYING GAME by Free League Publishing has been fully funded.
Voted the #1 Most Anticipated RPG of 2022 at EN World, the BLADE RUNNER RPG campaign debuted today and blew through its initial funding goal within minutes after going live today. The highly anticipated RPG is now running through a long list of stretch goals, such as providing additional content to the Core Rulebook and gaming accessories such as custom dice, cards, and handouts to the Starter Set, with much more on the way.
Find out more at the BLADE RUNNER RPG Kickstarter:
Alongside a bevy of beautiful previews and a new trailer of the neon neverland soon to come, Free League has revealed their initial line-up of BLADE RUNNER gear available to backers now:
The BLADE RUNNER hardcover Core Rulebook ($55) features 200+ pages of official Blade Runner lore and an original investigative RPG ruleset that takes Free League’s award-winning Year Zero engine to a new level.
All backers also receive a PDF version of CASE FILE 01: Electric Dreams – the first official Cinematic module for the BLADE RUNNER RPG. An original, investigative twist on Free League’s award-winning Cinematic mode and a love letter to classic mystery games like Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective, Blade Runner Case Files will deliver full-length scenarios with pre-generated characters and events, a shared pool of assets and informants throughout the city, and a variety of physical handouts representing in-world artifacts (data files, Esper photos, evidence, and more) to be used during the investigation.
In the Rep-Detect Bundle ($95), backers can receive the Standard edition of the Core Rulebook as as well as the Blade Runner RPG Starter Set, a boxed collection that includes a condensed rulebook, the print edition of the Case File 01: Electric Dreams, pre-generated characters, and various physical handouts that bring the fully-immersive investigation to life. If unlocked as stretch goals, custom dice, an initiative card deck, a map of the 2037 Los Angeles, and more will added to the Starter Set. For the elites, the Off-World Bundle ($140) delivers the print and digital edition of the Starter Set alongside the limited run Collector Edition of the Core Rulebook, boasting a deluxe black faux leather cover with an embossed holographic foil stamp of the iconic neon Origin kanji character. The Collector Edition is exclusively made for Kickstarter and will never be printed again.
For retailers, the Megacorp Bundle welcomes FLGS buyers to purchase five physical copies of the standard edition Core Rulebook and Starter Set at a discount.
And if cash or chinyen are short, the Diji Bundle ($35) offers PDF editions of the Core Rulebook and Case File 01: Electric Dreams for all players to enjoy.
The Kickstarter campaign will wrap up on May 26, 2022. Shortly after the Kickstarter ends, all backers will get early access to PDF versions of the complete Core Rulebook and Case File 01 – months ahead of the official retail release expected to hit shelves in Q4 2022.
As an added incentive, all backers of physical items who back the pledge their support within the first 24 hours will also receive an exclusive art print by BLADE RUNNER RPG lead artist Martin Grip at no extra cost.
Designed by Free League – the publishers of award-winning RPGs such as the ALIEN RPG, The One Ring™, MÖRK BORG, Vaesen – Nordic Horror Roleplaying, and Tales From the Loop – the BLADE RUNNER RPG propels players into the neon noir streets of Los Angeles as Blade Runners. Set in the year 2037, the adventures begin shortly after the Wallace Corporation debuts the new Nexus-9 Replicants on Earth, giving players the choice to play as either human or Replicant Blade Runners with different specialties, personalities, and memories.
Apart from the core casework, the RPG will both in setting and mechanics also showcase key themes of Blade Runner – action, corporate intrigue, existential character drama, and moral conflict – that encourage roleplaying and challenge player characters to question their orders, empathize with their enemies, and make hard calls with high stakes and long-lasting implications.
Tomas Härenstam, Free League co-founder and lead game designer of the ALIEN RPG, fills the same role for the BLADE RUNNER RPG. Original artwork comes from lead ALIEN RPG artist Martin Grip, with Joe LeFavi of Genuine Entertainment, who also brokered the deal with Alcon for Free League, serving as the lead setting writer, brand manager, and producer on the game series.
ABOUT ALCON ENTERTAINMENT Co-founders and co-CEO’s Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson founded Alcon Entertainment in 1997 with partner Frederick W. Smith, the Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of FedEx. Alcon has financed and produced or co-financed and co-produced 35 films to date including the Academy Award Best Picture nominee The Blind Side; the critically acclaimed Blade Runner 2049 starring Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford which won 2 Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects and received an additional 3 nominations; The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman; and many others. Alcon is currently in post-production on Lullaby, the horror feature from director John R. Leonetti (Annabelle).
Alcon Television Group’s latest projects include season six of the critically acclaimed epic space series The Expanse which airs on Amazon Prime Video and boasts a 100% Certified Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes; the animated children’s series Pete the Cat, a co-production with Amazon Studios based on the best-selling children’s book series currently available on the streaming service; and Blade Runner – Black Lotus, an anime series developed in partnership with Adult Swim and Crunchyroll inspired by Alcon’s Oscar-winning feature Blade Runner 2049.
Past projects for Alcon Television Group include the Grammy award-winning and 5-time Emmy-nominated HBO documentary series The Defiant Ones which chronicled the divergent roots and unlikely partnership of Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine. The Company’s first co-production was the Emmy-nominated documentary Sinatra: All or Nothing at All for HBO from Oscar winning director Alex Gibney. The intimate portrait of Sinatra as a singer, actor, father, husband, and philanthropist remains one of HBO’s most successful shows in the 50+ demographic.
ABOUT GENUINE ENTERTAINMENT Genuine is a leading producer and brand manager of best-selling, award-winning stories, games, and geekery for beloved genre entertainment brands. An expert in authentic adaptations and premium licensing programs across all corners of pop culture, we specialize in growing franchises and fandoms in strategic markets and media alongside best-in-class partners.
Cultivating a dream portfolio of top media companies and intellectual properties, our credits and collabs include the ALIEN RPG with Free League; the Altered CarbonRPG with Hunters; The Art and Soul of Blade Runner 2049 art book with Alcon; the Batman game series with Portal Games; the Blade Runner RPG with Free League; the Blade Runner video game with Nightdive Studios; The Dragon Prince master tabletop gaming program, including Battlecharged from Brotherwise Games and Fandom’s Tales of Xadia RPG; the Dune master tabletop gaming program, including GF9’s Dune, Dire Wolf’s Dune: Imperium, and the Dune RPG from Modiphius; the Hello Neighbor party game from Arcane Wonders; the Vampire: The Masquerade – Rivals card game from Renegade Game Studios; and the World of Darkness comic book program from Vault. Come play at genuineent.com
ABOUT Free League Publishing
Free League Publishing is an award-winning game studio and publisher dedicated to speculative fiction, based in Stockholm, Sweden. Founded in 2011, the studio has published a wide range of tabletop games and acclaimed art books set in strange and wondrous worlds. Free League was voted Fan Favorite Publisher at the annual ENNIE Awards in both 2020 and 2021.
Free League’s game portfolio includes the just released new edition of The One Ring™ RPG, the official ALIEN RPG (Gold ENNIE for Best Game 2020), the Gothic horror game Vaesen – Nordic Horror Roleplaying (winner of three ENNIE Awards 2021), the pitch-black fantasy RPG MÖRK BORG (winner of four ENNIE Awards 2020), the alternate ‘80s Tales From the Loop RPG (winner of five ENNIE Awards 2017, including Best Game), the retro-fantasy game Forbidden Lands (winner of four ENNIE Awards 2019), the postapocalyptic Mutant: Year Zero (Silver ENNIE for Best Rules 2015), the science fiction game Coriolis – The Third Horizon (Judge’s Spotlight Award 2017), the recently released new edition of RPG classic Twilight: 2000, and the dark fantasy game Symbaroum.
Free League has also published the art books Tales From the Loop, Things From the Flood, The Electric State and The Labyrinth by internationally acclaimed visual artist Simon Stålenhag, as well as the illustrated edition of the Lovecraft classics At the Mountains of Madness and The Call of Cthulhu by the praised artist François Baranger.
Ahead of the upcoming Double XP LIVE event and Yak Track overhaul, skillers will find plenty to do in this update.
Tuesday, 3 May 2022, Cambridge, UK – RuneScape’s Fletching and Firemaking skills receive an update today which introduces several high-level training methods producing best-in-slot Elder God arrows to fell Gielinor’s most deadly threats. This new content launches today for high level skillers as the community looks forward to the Double XP event later this month.
Following the dramatic finale of the Elder God Wars, Prehistoric Potterington’s ‘Accidental’ Fletching & Firemaking Training Stations is a gameplay respite from the cataclysmic end to one of RuneScape’s most iconic storylines. This update includes a series of new arrows with corresponding effects as well as new means of training Firemaking and Fletching.
Complete the Extinction quest then meet with Prehistoric Potterington at the Anachronia Dinosaur Farm who has discovered three new methods to train Fletching and Firemaking using dinosaur eggs and zygomites,which are cute plant creatures as adorable as they are ancient.
By incubating, feeding, and ‘carestyling’, these colourful critters, players will collect and combine the components of T95 Dinarrows entirely through skilling, then imbue them with one of four powerful Elder God combat effects.
Create Dinarrows and Elder God Arrows to stock quivers ahead of upcoming content involving infernal adversaries or sell them to make a fortune at The Grand Exchange.
Players can also look forward to the return of the Double XP LIVE event from Friday 20 May until Monday, 30 May – the first since February. Get the most out of the skill grind with 48 hours of a Double XP bonus to use over the course of 10 days. An XP timer will begin at the time of login and stop at logout so RuneScape’s skill community can make the most of this limited time event.
RuneScape’s Yak Track is also back from May 30th until July 24th, where players can get their hands on Iaia themed cosmetic rewards and pets by taking part in fun and varied tasks in Gielinor.
RuneScape is available now on PC, Steam, iOS, and Android, complete with cross-platform progression and play on PC and mobile.
About RuneScape
More than twenty-one years in the making and acclaimed by PC Gamer as “one of the most endearing and unique MMOs available”, RuneScape is an ever-expanding, living game that’s bursting with activity and life. Today RuneScape is one of the world’s longest-running online games, welcomed almost 300 million player accounts, and is at peak popularity with millions of players.
Set in a medieval fantasy land, begin by creating a character and then embark on epic journeys through a vast sandbox world that’s full of gods, warring races, unexplored dungeons, and glittering riches. Propelled by the game’s narrative, choose your own path through enthralling quests, and progress through 28 diverse skills to shape a single character in a classless world. RuneScape on mobile is now available for iOS and Android devices, featuring cross-platform play between mobile and desktop editions, enabling players to seamlessly jump between devices and take their adventure anywhere. In RuneScape, you get to be the hero you always wanted to be and, with new content added almost every week, there’s always a new and adventurous experience to look forward to. Become the hero you were born to be at www.runescape.com.
About Jagex A leader in creating deep and engaging live games on PC and mobile, Jagex’s flagship MMORPG, RuneScape, has welcomed almost 300 million player accounts to its world and is a $1billion lifetime revenue franchise. Today the RuneScape franchise exists beyond running games in live operations; our titles are living games that connect and inspire millions of players, with content and experiences both inside and outside of inexhaustible game worlds. Both RuneScape and Old School RuneScape, on PC and mobile, offer ever-evolving, highly active worlds and our community-focussed development ethos empowers players to have a real say in how each game is shaped. Now we’re expanding and extending our portfolio with fresh franchise titles and new IP to bring life to the living games of the future. Jagex employs more than 450 people at its Cambridge headquarters.
Take your first steps in this mysterious world at the “Going Rogue” Steam Festival
Milano, Italy – May 3rd, 2022 – Studio Cima is excited to announce that its upcoming narrative adventure game, The Perfect Pencil, will have a playable demo at Steam’s “Going Rogue: A Festival of Persistence” festival. Set to release for PC and Nintendo Switch in Early 2023, The Perfect Pencil is a narrative-focused platformer set in a strange world filled with perilous paths and unsettling creatures.
With combat and gameplay elements taking inspiration from games such as Hollow Knight and Earthbound with psychological depth of the characters, typical of games like Celeste, this combination is beautifully wrapped in a hand drawn art style. The Perfect Pencil aims to challenge players to comprehend and face uncomfortable situations that stem from their fears and anxieties – a topic very much in the zeitgeist of today – as part of a wholly engaging experience.
Engaging and unusual interactions, challenging choices, surprising exploration and fast paced combat will keep the gameplay interesting throughout whilst the narrative reveals itself. This game has its own language full of humour and allegories which it uses alongside immersive gameplay, to speak intimately to the player.
About Studio Cima Based in Italy, Studio Cima was born in April 2019 from an idea of Stefano Rauzi, following an artistic path that started with drawing and painting leading to videogames. Through the years collaborators have joined to give the right importance to every aspect of its first game “The Perfect Pencil” and to develop this project in the best possible way. Studio Cima aims to keep creating, through the videogame medium potential, interesting and narratively engaging adventures that explore human nature.
Ship-to-ship Refueling, Mining Gadgets, and Loot Selling Added in Latest Major Update; Includes Lorville Hospital, Interactive River Tech and New FlyableHull A Cargo Ship
LOS ANGELES – May 2, 2022 – Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) today announced the release of the Star Citizen – Alpha 3.17: Fueling Fortunesupdate. Available now, Fueling Fortunes expands the economic and career opportunities available to pilots with the addition of new locations to explore, and tools to support emergent gameplay. The Musashi Industrial & Starflight Concern (MISC) manufacturer introduces the new Hull A – the entry-level ship in the MISC Hull lineup of cargo-hauling vessels perfect for pilots beginning their career in trading, now available for spaceflight.
Life in the ‘verse can be dangerous and costly, and every pilot needs a way to earn an honest living. Today’s Fueling Fortunes update adds new functionality to NPC vendors and storefronts, allowing pilots to sell unwanted inventory items for cold hard UEC when they’re done hunting pirates or exploring for resources. There are also new and improved ways to earn credits with the addition of ship-to-ship refueling, allowing MISC Starfarer owners to refuel ships in space and charge customers for the service, as well as mining gadgets that can enhance the mineral yield of asteroids. Additionally, players can explore the first implementation of river technology with the introduction of the first interactive river on microTech, teeming with plant life and harvestable resources on the surrounding bank. For full details on theStar Citizen – Alpha 3.17: Fueling Fortunes update, please head here.
“With the Alpha 3.17: Fueling Fortunes releasewe’re thrilled to introduce new places to explore like the Maria Pure of Heart hospital in Lorville and new ways to participate in the in-game economy – whether it be through selling plunder from hard-fought pirate battles or counting your profits from a day of mining and cargo transporting,” said Star Citizen Creative Director, Chris Roberts. “We’re excited to see how pilots interact with the new features and watch the emergent gameplay unfold, especially with ship-to-ship refueling, which will create interesting encounters between players. This is just the start of our plans for 2022, and we can’t wait to share more details about what is in store for Star Citizen.”
Star Citizen – Alpha 3.17: Fueling Fortunes update key features include:
Ship-to-ship Refueling: The MISC Starfarer can now refuel stranded ships or top off fuel tanks before a long voyage. Pilots can charge the recipients for the fuel and service, creating a new money-making profession in the ‘verse.
Selling to NPCs: NPC vendors and stores are now greater participants in the economy, and players can sell weapons, armor, and other looted items for UEC.
Mining Gadgets: Take asteroid mining to new depths! Mining gadgets can be placed on asteroids with a variety of effects such as making the asteroid easier to break apart or increasing the quantity of mineable minerals.
Lorville Hospital: The Maria Pure of Heart hospital has been added to the Hurston Dynamics company town of Lorville, welcoming in new patients. Pilots can now access hospitals in all landing zones of the Stanton system.
Interactive River Tech: With the implementation of river tech complete, the first interactive river has been added and can be found on microTech. Pilots can glide over the water in search of harvestable resources, or go for a stroll through the water for a different perspective on the ‘verse (helmet required).
MISC Hull A: The “entry level” of the MISC Hull line of commerce-grade cargo ships is ready to kick-start a pilot’s career in space-trucking with its unique, expandable arm tech for carrying large commercial cargo containers. As with the larger Hull ships in its series, the MISC Hull A is designed to do one thing – haul lots of cargo. With the ability to land planet-side even when fully loaded, it’s the perfect vehicle for enterprising station-to-orbit cargo captains throughout the ‘verse.
Star Citizen combines classic space sim and FPS gameplay with boundary-pushing visuals in a massively multiplayer setting of unprecedented fidelity. Live how you want to live: shift paths from cargo hauler to outlaw, explorer, or any other role, whenever you want. Explore multiple planets and moons, including vast cities and underground caverns, all created with a unique combination of procedural planet technology and complementary hand-crafted design.
For further information, including how to download and play Star Citizen, visit the official website. Enlist today and join this ever-expanding universe by visiting the game’s Welcome Hub and Guide System for tips on how to play. Keep up to date with Star Citizen development via the game’s Progress Tracker and roadmap. Millions of players from around the world have already joined to help CIG build the most ambitious game ever made. For continued updates, follow Star Citizen on Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, Twitter, and YouTube.
About Cloud Imperium Games
Cloud Imperium Games is a new kind of independent studio dedicated to delivering AAA games outside the established publisher system. It was founded in 2012 by renowned visionary game developer Chris Roberts (Wing Commander series, Freelancer, Privateer), Sandi Gardiner, and international media lawyer and producer Ortwin Freyermuth (Carlito’s Way, Shattered, Das Boot – Director’s Cut), with industry veteran and studio director Erin Roberts (Lego videogame series, Starlancer, Privateer) joining the team in 2013. Cloud Imperium Games is creating Star Citizen, a record-shattering, largely crowdfunded space sim, and Squadron 42, a Hollywood-caliber, story-driven single-player game set in the same universe. Cloud Imperium Games operates in “open development” – sharing progress and updates in near real time. This paradigm-shifting development process (game development usually occurs behind closed doors) gives the community an unprecedented look at Star Citizen and Squadron 42’s development and allows direct feedback and interaction between players and developers, thereby ensuring that the games being developed are what players want to play.
