PlayStation Australia has today announced new research revealing how online gaming helps Australians stay connected with friends, family, loved ones that they aren’t able to see in person. To help encourage Australians to jump online and connect with a mate, online gaming will be free this coming weekend.
The research found that over 4.5 million Australian gamers have used online gaming to stay connected to people they haven’t been able to see over the last 18 months. This finding is backed up by a recent report from Telsyte revealing that video game subscriptions have grown by 13% in the last year.
Other key findings include:
Over half (52%) of Australian gamers have used online gaming to stay connected to people they haven’t been able to see over the last 18-months
One in two (51%) Australians agree that online gaming has a positive effect on their social life.
One in four (25%) gamers are using online gaming as their preferred form of communication to stay connected with friends and family over any other communications platforms.
17% choosing to connect through gaming more than online video call.
14% using it more than phone calls.
14% choosing gaming over social media platforms.
12% opting to stay connected through gaming over texting.
Nearly 1 in 10 Australians (8%) surveyed have formed a romantic partnership or bonded with their partner through online gaming.
PlayStation Australia is offering a free weekend of PlayStation Plus, its online multiplayer platform for all Australians this weekend, from 2-4 October 20121.
Sydney, Australia – September 30, 2021 — Today, Ubisoft Australia and Budgy Smuggler announced a collaboration bringing the highly anticipated Far Cry 6 to life for the Australian summer. The partnership includes a collection of male and female swimwear inspired by Far Cry 6’s loveable Amigos and the fictional setting of Yara.
Far Cry 6 follows the story of Dani Rojas and a modern-day guerrilla revolution set in Yara, a fictional tropical paradise frozen in time in the heart of the Caribbean. Players will come up against President Anton Castillo, portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, The Mandalorian) who vows to restore his country to its former glory.
The bespoke collection includes two swimwear styles in the traditional male ‘Smugglers’ and female one-piece ‘Smugglettes’ featuring the popular Far Cry 6 Amigos, Chorizo and Chicharrón.
Chorizo Aqua Blue: Inspired by the tropical flavour of Yara’s ocean and sky the Chorizo Aqua Blue features, Chorizo, the disarmingly adorable dachshund who can be recruited to be your sidekick in your adventures through Yara.
ChicharrónSolar Yellow: Representing the golden glow of tropical sunsets and the burning heart of Yara’s revolution, the Chicharrón Solar Yellow features Yara’s one and only punk rooster and trusty companion, Chicharrón.
Far Cry® 6 will release in Australia on October 7 on Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4 and for Windows PC exclusively on both the Epic Games Store and the Ubisoft Store. The game will also be available on Ubisoft+*, Ubisoft’s subscription service.
For more information on Far Cry 6, please visit: farcry.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, Far Cry, For Honor, Just Dance, Watch Dogs, and Tom Clancy’s video game series including Ghost Recon®, Rainbow Six and The Division. 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 2020-21 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated net bookings of €2,241 million. To learn more, please visit: www.ubisoftgroup.com.
Centipede®: Recharged Available Today, Black Widow™: Recharged Invades Oct. 28, Breakout® and Asteroids® to Follow Q4 2021
NEW YORK — Sept. 29, 2021 —Atari® brings back the hunt for the high score starting today as the long-standing game publisher announces three new entries in the Recharged series, a line of revivals of arcade classics for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC for Steam and Epic Games Store, and Atari VCS.
The action kicks off with Centipede: Rechargedavailable today, followed by Black Widow: Recharged on Thursday, Oct. 28, with Asteroids: Recharged and Breakout: Recharged arriving in Q4 2021.
Black Widow: Recharged tangles a web of high-intensity, twin-stick arcade-style action as it hearkens back to 1982’s Black Widow with a modern-day neon refresh paying tribute to the original vector graphics. Defend the nest with a friend in couch co-op mode or solo with online leaderboards. New powerups introduce an added level of depth and strategy on top of classic gameplay.
Centipede: Recharged, the neon-fueled re-imagining of the arcade classic, crawls back into the spotlight. Blast and zap through tough enemies while tackling more than 20 challenges across a widescreen-optimized field of play. Meanwhile, the Atari VCS version features support for the system’s Atari Wireless Classic Joystick and includes exclusive Challenges.
Sharp neon visuals with high refresh rate support on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X provide a visually stunning experience, complete with an 80’s-style original soundtrack by award-winning composer Megan McDuffee. She will also provide the soundtrack for the other three upcoming Recharged titles, with the soundtrack album available on Bandcamp.
Bringing the full retro gaming experience of the 1970’s and 80’s to the modern world, Atari classics Asteroids and Breakout are both set to receive the “Recharged” treatment. Asteroids: Recharged and Breakout: Recharged will reimagine the asteroid-annihilating and brick-breaking classics with many of the same modern flourishes in Centipede: Recharged and Black Widow: Recharged, and are expected to release starting in Q4 2021.
“Our goal with the Recharged series is to both honor these arcade classics and make them feel fresh and modern,” said Wade Rosen, CEO, Atari. “We want to revisit the pick-up-and-play, high-intensity arcade action that everyone loves, but with fresh surprises.”
Centipede: Recharged is available now, Black Widow: Recharged releases Thursday Oct. 28, and Asteroids: Recharged and Breakout: Recharged are coming soon. All titles will be available on the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Steam and Epic Games Store for Windows PC, and the Atari VCS for $9.99. The Atari VCS versions each feature exclusive content and are optimized to work with the new Atari Wireless Classic Joystick.
Centipede: Recharged supports English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Korean, and simplified and traditional Chinese language text.
To stay up-to-date on all things Atari and retro-pop-culture, follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Google Play is a trademark of Google LLC.
About Adamvision Studios
Adamvision Studios is a one-person development studio owned by Adam Nickerson and based in British Columbia, Canada. Adamvision Studios has created arcade hits like Bit Blaster, Ding Dong XL, Orbt XL, and Atari’s Missile Command: Recharged. Adamvision Studios’ games have been featured on Apple’s App Store ‘App of the Day’, Google Play’s ‘Indie Corner’, as well as the front page of Steam and top-selling charts on Nintendo Switch. Learn more at www.AdamvisionStudios.com.
About SneakyBox
SneakyBox is a development studio focusing on games, VR/AR products, and interactive engineering solutions. Since 2012 the company has been steadily growing and gaining expert knowledge in various scale and type projects: in-house games production, full game development services, including porting to all major platforms, virtual and augmented reality experiences, and interactive solutions for complex engineering projects. SneakyBox currently has more than 40 people working on various different projects. More information about the studio at http://sneakybox-studios.com.
TORONTO — Sept. 29, 2021 —Guardians of Hyelore, the tug-of-war fantasy idle-battler from developer Megaglope Studios and publisher Freedom Games, marches full speed ahead onto Windows PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store today.
Plagued with war and nearly hopeless, the people of Hyelore called out for salvation from a ruthless army of invaders. From their call rose a band of heroes who swore to take back the land at all cost, the Guardians of Hyelore. Traveling far and wide, the Guardians turn the tides and drive out all who seek to do harm to their people. Take up the mantle of battle commander and guide the Guardians, among other mercenaries for hire, to victory against enemy forces.
Assess the needs of the battlefield, and strategically deploy skillful teams of warriors, archers, mages, thieves, and other units accordingly to cut through daunting hordes of enemies. Manage resources gained from war to upgrade troops and purchase items like a Flask of Luck giving troops an edge mid-siege. When the time is right, release a Guardian into the fray to overwhelm the combatants and lead the infantry to victory.
Revel in the spoils of war, using them to progress into new areas throughout the 35-stage campaign. Test the army’s fortitude through four difficulty options as well as the endless Arena Mode, where unending hordes and imposing bosses await. Learn specialized talents to unlock perks and powerful abilities to take back the realm of Hyelore.
“Guardians of Hyelore blends real-time action with strategic planning as customized armies progress against rival factions,” said Ivan Babona-Pilipos, Founder, Megaglope Studios. “The sheer amount of control we give players creates near-endless ways to overcome challenges. ”
Guardians of Hyelore is available now on Windows PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store for $19.99 with support for English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, and Simplified Chinese language options.
For more information on Guardians of Hyelore, please visit the game’s Steam Page and check out Megaglope Studios on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
About Freedom Games
Freedom Games is a publisher dedicated to offering best-in-class services to partners and providing players worldwide with unique and memorable experiences. With over 50 years of combined industry experience at the executive level, Freedom Games seeks to leverage its expertise to facilitate great games and even better publishing experiences.
Megalope Studios is a Toronto-based independent game developer run by solo creator Ivan Babona-Pilipos. Fueled by passion and a love for technology, Megalope is releasing its first project, the action-packed tug-of-war fantasy idle-battler Guardians of Hyelore on Steam.
Spooky Thrills Coming to Xbox Game Pass on Day One
TORONTO – Sept. 29, 2021 –Echo Generation, the turn-based adventure game from Cococucumber revealed in the 2020 Xbox Games Showcase, hunts for creepy creatures when it arrives exclusively on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC on Thursday, Oct. 21. Echo Generation’s gang of kids will investigate supernatural occurrences to save their small townwhen the game releases with Xbox Game Pass and Game Pass for PC on launch day.
All is well in quiet Maple Town – school is out for summer, Rascal and Rosky are on TV, plus Dylan and his friends are finally ready to shoot their film, “Alien Skin Eaters.” That is until a mysterious object crashes into the nearby cornfields and bizarre occurrences pop-up all-over town. When no adults notice anything amiss, there is only one thing for the local kids to do – get to the bottom of it.
Armed with a trusty hockey stick and a backpack filled with snacks and comic books, Dylan, his little sister, and their charming pets embark on a summer full of adventures they will never forget.
Challenge the neighborhood trash pandas and eerie animatronics in turn-based battles to level-up party stats. Explore the local suburb, downtown VHS store or the train tracks to find clues and lost items to solve the many mysteries. Uncover the town’s secrets by talking to city residents and witty squirrels. Recruit adorable pet companions to face deadly creatures like mutant rat wolves and junkyard monsters. Above all, learn the true meaning of home by revealing a conspiracy that connects Dylan with the strange and supernatural, in a tale that transcends time.
Echo Generation pulls at the heartstrings of nostalgia and recreates memories of unforgettable summers inspired by classic coming-of-age films and horror novels from the 80s and 90s. Synthwave tunes help craft an uncannily atmospheric, playfully creepy, and vibrant voxel-based world, brought to life in stunning 4K resolution and 60 fps on Xbox Series X.
“Creating an exciting adventure that captivates a new generation while also paying homage to our own was very important to the team,” said Martin Gauvreau, Game Director of Echo Generation. “There is a universality in the story of growing up and by adding our twist on old-school, turn-based combat into the mix, we cannot wait for everyone to dive into the world of Echo Generation.”
Echo Generation releases on Thursday, October 21, on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC with Xbox Game Pass and Game Pass for PC, or priced separately at $24.99. It supports the English language, with more languages to come post-launch.
Cococucumber is a Toronto-based indie studio co-founded by Vanessa Chia and Martin Gauvreau to develop original games for PC and consoles. Titles by Cococucumber include voxel dungeon crawler Riverbond and narrative puzzle-platformer Planet of the Eyes. Echo Generation is their fourth title.
PAC-MAN Takes to the Tournament Stage with PAC-MAN 99 Challenge Events!!!
PAC-MAN and esports fans, the time has come to prove your maze navigating skills and abilities against other players! Kicking off on October 9 and running through December 5, there will be eight open-entry PAC-MAN 99™ Challenge events in North America, each hosted by well-known content creators; stay tuned as we announce our first content creator partner via our PAC-MAN Twitter channel at https://twitter.com/officialpacman on October 6.
Each PAC-MAN 99 Challenge event will comprise 10 Password Match game lobbies! Competitors earn points on the event leaderboard based on their final placement in each game – ranging from 1 point earned for a 99th place finish to 50 points earned for a PAC-ONE victory! Once all 10 Password Match game lobbies have been completed the player with the most points on the leaderboard is the winner! Players who earn top five in PAC-MAN 99 Challenge events will win PAC-MAN™ 99 Deluxe Pack DLC and official PAC-MAN merchandise!
Head over to the following YouTube link (ready for embedding) to check out some PAC-MAN 99 Challenge action.
To learn more about the PAC-MAN 99 Challenge event, including registration directions, host information, and tournament schedules; please visit the tournament website at: https://www.pacman99challenge.com/
SOULWORKER CELEBRATES FIRST GLOBAL ANNIVERSARY WITH IN-GAME, SOCIAL MEDIA EVENTS
Acclaimed developer Lion Games commemorates the milestone with limited-time anniversary events; players will receive special items, costume re-runs and more
Seoul – Sept. 30, 2021 –Epic MMORPG SoulWorker has come a long way sincedeveloper and publisher Lion Games released the global version of the game last year on Steam, garnering a fervent following for the post-apocalyptic adventure. After multiple content updates that introduced thrilling new characters, challenging maps and more, Lion Games is celebrating the significance of hitting the first anniversary by hosting a number of exclusive in-game and social media events for the game’s community.
Kicking off this week, the in-game event “SoulWorker: Thank You So Much Festival” will award players who log into the game a series of special rewards. Players can claim each reward only once. All characters will receive 200 percent EXP and a 100 percent Item Drop Rate, as well. These include:
Parable’s Akashic Record Transmitter x10
High-Grade Attack/Defense Tag Transmitter II (⋆3~6) x5 each
Twilight Resource x50
Lion Games will introduce several other special items for the anniversary celebration, including the First-Anniversary Special Akashic Record, Brooch and Tag Packages, plus other useful combat items. Additionally, the “Enemy Festa” and “Refined Modern Casual” costumes will be available for purchase for a limited time, with past costumes that were popular in the game returning to the store, as well.
The first anniversary celebration goes beyond the game. An exclusive anniversary illustration will post to the game’s official social media accounts, along with a two-day fan contest – running from Oct. 2-4. Players who comment on the pages to share their “Love for SoulWorker” will automatically be entered to win 3,000 Soul Cash. The contest will crown 20 lucky winners on Tuesday, Oct. 5.
“We would like to thank our SoulWorker players for bearing with us in the past year that SoulWorker has been self-serviced. Although there have been many difficulties, we were able to get through the first year thanks to our SoulWorker players and fans. We hope fans enjoy the many benefits and various events specially prepared for the First Anniversary,” said YongNam Jo, SoulWorker product director. “We will work harder to show appreciation for their love and interest in the game through continued events and updates.”
SoulWorker is a free-to-play MMORPG set in a post-apocalyptic world where players command powerful heroes, the eponymous SoulWorkers, to protect humanity from extra-dimensional enemies. The game uses a special cartoon rendering technique to produce its anime-style graphics.
Following the game’s global release in October of 2020, SoulWorker rolled ahead with several major updates, including two new SoulWorker characters – spear-wielding Ephnel and sniper Lee Nabi – plus new story content in “West War I, II” and hotly-anticipated Raids “Lunar Fall” and “Violent Sun.”
For more information about the anniversary events, visit the official Steam page and Lion Games’ social media channels.
About Lion Games The most valuable concept Lion Games holds dear can be summed up into one word, “enjoyment.” The developers at Lion Games are consistently communicating with its fans to understand where and how “enjoyment” plays a role in the company and its products. Founded in 2011 and based in Seoul, Lion Games prides itself on a “think outside the box” mentality to create unique ideas and usher them into reality.
Through an ever-changing world, Lion Games wishes to grow and evolve with global content trends both within and beyond local markets. More information on the studio can be found at (www.liongames.co.kr).
About SoulWorker
SoulWorker is an anime-style third-person action MMORPG available for PC gameplay developed by Lion Games. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, players take on the role of a SoulWorker, who are chosen as one of humanity’s saviors. Over 100 PvE districts and episode bosses await the young heroes, and after battling through the AI and guilds, players can then face one another in the extensive PvP zone. A unique emotion system that includes vengeance, madness, euphoria, or sadness defines and powers each of the characters’ abilities. Concentrating on these emotions activates abilities that boost effects for Defense or Attacks while using class-specific Soul Weapons.
Through Steam, SoulWorker is currently available in English and Traditional Chinese.
This week finds the massive pirate world of ATLAS introducing a new modular ship variant: Broadsider! The Broadsider is a heavy-hitter packing a devastating punch with 40 cannons at its disposal. Given the opportunity, this ship will make quick work of any vessel or defenses that are unfortunate to fall into its massive firing range.
The Broadsider is the first in a new system of modular ships that is only craftable by following a blueprint design. These blueprints are discovered in shipwrecked sunken treasure locations around the world, and then craftable in the advanced shipyard. Blueprints come in different rarities – the rarer the blueprint, the more modular points players will have to then customize their ships. Test your luck and see if you can craft a mythical Broadsider to add to your fleet.
ATLAS is an early access game with lots of changes happening as the game evolves! Additional bug fixes for PC and Xbox One Pathfinders are listed in ye patch notes HERE
ATLAS players will stake their claim in this vast open world while endeavoring to construct custom ships, search for buried treasure, siege and conquer fortresses, plunder traveling merchants, then recruit a crew to join their powerful Armada and engage in the ultimate quest for fortune and glory! ATLAS has full cross-platform support, allowing Xbox and Steam PC players to battle together in the same gigantic world.
For the latest dispatch on #playATLAS, keep yer one good eye trained on this here information:
Zen’s next-generation pinball experience readies for a summer 2022 official launch on PC, PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation®4, Xbox One & Nintendo Switch
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Sept. 29, 2021 — Zen Studios has announced that Pinball FX, the groundbreaking next-generation installment of its blockbuster pinball franchise, will first release in early access on PC via the Epic Games Store in March 2022. The game is expected to officially launch in summer 2022 on PC via the Epic Games Store, PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. Zen also revealed that Pinball FX will launch at the same time on PlayStation®4 and Xbox One, allowing even more players to experience the fun.
Pinball FX’s PC early access phase is designed to give the team the freedom to fully test a variety of the game’s systems before it goes live everywhere. As early access progresses, Zen will routinely roll out new content, tables, features and more leading up to the game’s official launch on all platforms. The news was made today on the latest episode of The Pinball Show, Zen’s monthly YouTube program featuring updates, interviews and more.
“Pinball FX is a huge leap forward for us in so many ways. We’re really pushing the boundaries of what we’ve done before, trying a lot of exciting new things,” said Zen Studios COO Mel Kirk. “Early access is a great opportunity for us to experiment with all of these systems in a true live environment alongside our community, which will benefit players wherever they play when the game is fully ready.”
Zen’s most ambitious pinball project to date, Pinball FX will introduce Pinball Royale, a new multiplayer action mode incorporating frantic battle royale-style gameplay. The game will also feature original tables from brand-new IPs, new challenge modes, a clan system, enhanced visuals and more. Leagues, tournaments and competitive play are being revamped to bring the community together in unique ways, and new live events and seasonal content will mean there’s always something exciting going on.
Zen Studios is a leading global producer and publisher of interactive entertainment software for all major digital game platforms. Recognized as one of the premier gaming studios in the world, Zen Studios has worked with some of the most iconic entertainment studios, including NBC Universal, FOX Digital Entertainment, Marvel Entertainment, South Park Studios and Lucasfilm.
Zen’s CastleStorm franchise has won the developer critical acclaim and commercial success, including the coveted Editor’s Choice awards from both the Apple App Store and Google Play. Its Pinball FX franchise has defined video game pinball excellence since 2007. And Operencia: The Stolen Sun stands as one of the most critically acclaimed RPGs of 2019. Zen Studios joined Saber Interactive in November 2020. For more information on Zen’s library of titles, visit https://zenstudios.com.
Seattle, Wash. – September 29, 2021 – On September 1, Kalypso Media Group appointed Dr. Anika Thun as Managing Director with sole power of representation alongside Managing Partner Simon Hellwig.
Dr. Thun holds a degree in business administration and a doctorate in media science. After holding positions at companies such as Roche Diagnostics and Bosch, she became one of the first employees at Kalypso and most recently took care of the worldwide positioning and marketing of the company’s products as International Marketing Director.
“For many years, Dr. Thun and I have planned and made every major step and significant decision together as a team – be it the founding of new studios or our subsidiary in Japan. It is a logical next step for us to shape the future of Kalypso Media together,” says Simon Hellwig, Managing Partner. “We have grown significantly, especially in the last 5 years, and part of sensible growth management is to improve and expand structures.”
Dr. Thun added: “I am looking forward to continuing to contribute my expertise into driving the success and growth of the company in the future. Especially as this continues to feed into our prevailing company culture where we promote and live equality and inclusion.”
As part of the management team, Dr. Thun is responsible for marketing and public relations, human resources, customer care, brand management and business development.
Furthermore, she represents the company externally at industry associations and as a contact for ministries and cultural institutions.
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About Kalypso Media Group GmbH:
Kalypso Media Group GmbH is an independent publisher, developer and marketer of interactive entertainment software with 150 employees at 10 locations in Germany, England, France, Japan and the USA. Kalypso Media Group includes Kasedo Games, the digital label of Kalypso Media Group, and three development studios – Realmforge Studios (Dungeons series), Gaming Minds Studios (Railway Empire, Port Royale) and, since March 2020, Claymore Game Studios (upcoming Commandos game). With the recent acquisition of a majority stake in the French Bulwark Studios by Kasedo Games, Kalypso Media now unites a total of 4 development studios in the group of companies.
Specializing in the development of strategy games for a global audience on all modern platforms, Kalypso Media Group’s IP portfolio includes full rights to the Tropico series, Commandos, Port Royale, Dungeons, Sudden Strike and Railway Empire, among others. Kalypso Media’s most recent releases are Port Royale 4, Tropico 6 – Nintendo Switch™ Edition, Commandos 2 – HD Remaster for Nintendo Switch™ and Spacebase Startopia. Upcoming releases include Disciples: Liberation (October 21, 2021). Recent releases from Kasedo Games include City of Gangsters, Filament and+ the console and tablet versions of Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus. More at www.kalypsomedia.com.
