Landmark project will allow managers to take charge of both women’s and men’s teams in future versions of the world’s most popular football management simulation.

Sydney, Australia – 26^th July 2021: Sports Interactive™ and SEGA® Europe Ltd. can proudly announce that work has started on a multi-year project to bring women’s football into its iconic Football Manager™ series.

The result of this landmark work will not be a standalone women’s football management simulation. Instead, women’s football will be fully incorporated into FM’s living, breathing world, with managers able to take control of either men’s or women’s clubs and move between them seamlessly.

The studio has not set a definitive date for when the project will be completed, but the intention is to incorporate the women’s game as soon as realistically possible. Sports Interactive’s development team is committed to ensuring that women’s football is represented as authentically as possible and with the level of realism and attention to detail that the series is renowned for and will not announce a launch date until these standards have been met.

Miles Jacobson, Studio Director at Sports Interactive, said: “We have NO interest whatsoever in making a standalone women’s football version of FM. What we are doing is adding women’s football to FM… one sport, one game.”

“We know that adding women’s football to FM is going to cost in the millions and that the short-term return it delivers will be minimal. But that’s not the point. There’s no hiding that there’s currently a glass ceiling for women’s football and we want to do what we can to help smash through it. We believe in equality for all and we want to be part of the solution.”

“We want to be a part of the process that puts women’s football on an equal footing with the men’s game. We know that we’re not alone in this – the historic TV deal that Sky and the BBC recently agreed with WSL in England is proof of that – but we intend to do everything we can to get women’s football to where it deserves to be.”

The move to incorporate women’s football into FM has received support from leading figures inside the football industry, including Chelsea FC Women manager, Emma Hayes.

“Women’s football is capturing the imagination of fans across the globe and we’re making huge strides in terms of attendance figures and broadcast deals,” says Hayes. “For the women’s game to get to the next level, though, it needs to be recognised as an integral part of the world of football, not something separate and different. We want future generations to grow up in a world where football isn’t divided into ‘women’s’ and ‘men’s’… it’s just football. The ambitious plan that the Sports Interactive team have for Football Manager will play a huge part in getting us there.”

A detailed overview of the project and some of the technical work that it will entail is presented in a blog by Jacobson, published on the Football Manager website.

About Sports Interactive™

Sports Interactive (SI) is the world’s leading developer of sports management simulations. Founded in 1994, SI became a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEGA in 2006. Based in Stratford, East London, the SI team includes more than 200 full-time staff members, supported by a network of roughly 1,000 part-time researchers across the globe. SI is an official partner of many major football leagues and organisations, including the Bundesliga, LFP, the EFL and the League Managers Association, as well as numerous charities and not for profit organisations. Further information on the studio and its work can be found at www.sigames.com.

About Football Manager™

Football Manager (FM) is the world’s leading football management simulation title. With more than 50 countries to manage in and a database of over 800,000 players and staff it offers an incredibly detailed and immersive experience. In FM you make all of the key decisions, from signing (and selling) players through training, team selection and tactics as you take your team to the top of the footballing world while carving out your own philosophy and strengthening your club’s identity. FM has grown to become more than just a game and has embedded itself in the football industry; the FM database is used by several clubs to help shape their recruitment strategies and thousands of professional footballers and backroom staff members are committed fans of the game. FM has become an integral part of modern fan culture; the game has not only enhanced the collective footballing knowledge of its players but has been the inspiration for several books, a stand-up comedy show and even a feature length documentary. For more information on Football Manager, visit www.footballmanager.com.

About SEGA® Europe Ltd.:

SEGA® Europe Ltd. is the European Distribution arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA CORPORATION, and a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe. SEGA wholly owns the video game development studios Two Point Studios, Creative Assembly, Relic Entertainment, Amplitude Studios, Sports Interactive and HARDlight. SEGA Europe’s website is located at www.sega.co.uk

LINEAGE 2: REVOLUTION DEBUTS SEASON 2 OF ITS VALAKAS’ FURY EXPANSION PACK IN NEW UPDATE

New In-Game Server, 25-Player Raid and Seasonal Improvements Await Players

LOS ANGELES – JULY 23, 2021 – Netmarble’s popular mobile MMORPG Lineage 2: Revolutionreceived a new update that introduces the second Expansion Pack:  Valakas’ Fury to players alongside an assortment of new content and improvements from Season 1 thanks to the community’s feedback.

Season 2 of the expansion pack adds four new expansion heroes – Pan, Miro, Liza, and Elizabeth – alongside a new 25-player Valakas Raid, and a new Expansion Temporal Rift themed after the expansion pack. In addition to various improvements players can look forward to thanks to community feedback on the first expansion pack: Antharas’s Rage, beloved Player vs. Player (PvP) battlefield, “Hero Honorable Battlefield”will also return for players to experience during the expansion season.

To celebrate today’s update, Netmarble is opening new servers : Kastien (NA), Khadia (EU) on 7/22 (EST) and is launching a four-week in-game event that will allow for expedited leveling and increasing combat power for the community. Players can look forward to rapid growth for their equipment, agathion, elixir, and mount strengthening alongside a handful of rewards. These include 2x LR Grade Indomitable Attribute armor, an LR Grade Disintegrate Attribute weapon, a Rare agathion selection box, and 100x Maphr’s Protection.

Lineage 2: Revolution is a groundbreaking MMORPG bringing top-quality visuals, a massive open world and large-scale PvP to mobile devices. Powered by the Unreal Engine, the game features stunning visuals and large-scale open-world combat where up to 200 players can battle in real-time on a single screen – all in a gorgeous, fully featured, persistent world MMORPG that can be enjoyed alongside millions around the world and all within the palm of your hands.

For more information regarding Lineage 2: Revolution, visit the game information website (http://l2.netmarble.com/en) and the official Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/OfficialL2Revolution/).

About Netmarble Corporation Established in Korea in 2000, Netmarble Corporation is a top developer and publisher pushing the boundaries of the mobile gaming experience with highly innovative games including Lineage 2: Revolution, The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross, Blade & Soul Revolution and MARVEL Future Fight. As a parent company of Kabam, and a major shareholder of Jam City and HYBE (formerly Big Hit Entertainment), Netmarble strives to entertain audiences around the world with a variety of mobile games based on its powerful franchises and collaborations with IP holders worldwide. More information can be found at http://company.netmarble.com

In the fourth quarter of this year, Disturbing Forest – a puzzle adventure game set in an original fantasy world – will debut on PC. Players can expect, among others, a tense atmosphere, survival elements and a detective mode. A free prologue of the game is already available on Steam. In 2022, Disturbing Forest will also hit Nintendo Switch.

Disturbing Forest is the debut game by the independent Polish company Panteon Studio. It will be published by Ultimate Games S.A. and Gaming Factory S.A.

Disturbing Forest: Demon’s Path –Trailer:

The new release is a first person perspective puzzle adventure game set in an original fantasy world. Disturbing Forest distinguishes itself through an intriguing plot, while the gameplay itself is mainly based on the exploration of the dark, secret-filled universe. It also features combat, survival and crafting elements, as well as an extensive detective mode.

“In Disturbing Forest, we transport the players to a unique fantasy world. It’s a mysterious and quite dark place, full of challenges and fear-inducing situations. We are preparing a diverse gameplay – it’s a puzzle and adventure game, where we discover the plot not only through interacting with specific characters, but also the environment itself. In order to maintain the right balance, we’ve added – among others – elements of monster slaying and fighting for survival in a hostile world. Disturbing Forest also offers a quite demanding difficulty level” – said Mateusz Kuliś, one of the creators of the game.

A free prologue of Disturbing Forest, featuring story events preceding ones from the full version of the game, is now available on Steam.

Disturbing Forest – features:

• puzzle adventure game;
• unique fantasy world;
• combat, survival and crafting;
• detective mode;
• challenging difficulty level.

The PC (Steam) launch of Disturbing Forest is scheduled for Q4 2021. In 2022 the game will also be released on Nintendo Switch.

Disturbing Forest (Steam):

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1091840/Disturbing_Forest/

Disturbing Forest: Demon’s Path (Steam):

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1322830/Disturbing_Forest_Demons_Path/

Media pack:

Basic information:

title: Disturbing Forest
genre: adventure, puzzle, survival, action, indie
producer: Panteon Studio
publisher: Ultimate Games S.A., Gaming Factory S.A.
language: English, Polish
release date: Q4 2021 (PC – Steam), 2022 (Nintendo Switch)

Minimum technical requirements:

operating system: Windows 7 (64-bit) or newer
processor: Core i3 / Ryzen 3
memory: 4 GB RAM
graphics card: GeForce GTX 660 / Radeon HD7790
DirectX: 9.0c
storage: 4 GB of available space
sound card: DirectX compatible

Wonderscope Games’ Early Access debut blossoms with the addition of agricultural abilities and gameplay that further grows its wholesomeness.

Friday, 23^rd July 2021 – Team17 and Wonderscope Games have today launched the Farming Update for community life-sim game Hokko Life, which launched into Steam Early Access last month. Inviting players to cultivate their best virtual life, Hokko Life whisks players to the town of Hokko, where they can customise every aspect of the town they call home. The new update features a cornucopia of content, including a new farming area, dozens of crops to grow, and crafting recipes to create.

The seeds have been planted, here’s what we’ve sown: 

The Farming Update provides a harvest of fresh content for Hokko denizens, including 24 different crops to sow, grow, and gather, from onions and tomatoes to strawberries and watermelons. It also introduces a new villager to the town, Aubrey, who joins the friendly group of welcoming villagers, selling seeds, crafting recipes, and a variety of farming equipment. A new farming area is also available from today that, once cleared of debris and overgrowth, provides players with a new allotment to practice and develop their green fingers. Once successfully grown, crops can be exchanged for prepared food from the village innkeeper or donated to townsfolk. The full patch notes for the Farming Update can be found on the Hokko Life Steam page.

Alongside the launch of the Farming Update the Early Access roadmap for Hokko Life has also been revealed, with updates on the way that include a super shopping mall, a mayor merits system, new clothing design and customisation options, bug bonanza, and desert island distractions. Full details of the announcement can be found on Steam.

Hokko Life Key Features:

• Get Creative: The workshop awaits as players take control over every aspect of Hokko, with the 3D design tool, every aspect of a player’s creation can be tailored to perfection
• Dare to Design: No detail is too small, everything from the colour, fabric, and angle of the pillow on a chair can be edited
• Sharing is Caring: Players will be able to share their meticulously crafted designs with friends and other players around the world
• Back of the Net: A lazy afternoon in Hokko can be spent with a net or pole in hand, catching and collecting the critters crawling around town
• Meet the Neighbours: Hokko’s townsfolk offer a warm welcome, and with varying personalities, they all make for fantastic friends.

Players can start their life in Hokko Life on Steam now. To keep up to date with all the information on Hokko Life please like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and join us on Discord.

About Wonderscope Games
Wonderscope Games is based in Stockholm, Sweden and headed by British-Swedish developer, Robert Tatnell. The studio’s debut title, the community life simulator Hokko Life, is currently in development for PC. Visit www.wonderscope.games for more information.

About Team17 Group plc

Founded in 1990, Team17 Group plc is a leading developer, video games label, and creative partner for developers around the world. Floated on AIM in 2018, Team17, with its extensive portfolio of over 100 titles, embodies the spirit of independent games. In addition to the award-winning Overcooked!, Yoku’s Island Express, and the iconic Worms, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2020, Team17 has helped bring critically acclaimed titles including Hell Let Loose, Moving Out, Golf With Your Friends, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, Blasphemous, and The Escapists to gamers everywhere.

Frontier welcomes you to the very first developer diary for the much anticipated sequel to Jurassic World Evolution.

In this first instalment, join Game Director Rich Newbold, Executive Producer Adam Woods, and Lead Designer Jim Stimpson, as they share a deeper look at the game. Explore new locations, enhanced management features, and of course, meet the stars of the show – the dinosaurs.

From what makes Jurassic World Evolution 2’s dinosaurs the most realistic yet, to how players can get creative with new customisation options, the team talk us through the game’s exciting new features. Take a closer look at new flying reptiles, staff members, dinosaur management features, guest types, and much more as we showcase Jurassic World Evolution 2.

Click below for our very first developer diary from the team behind Jurassic World Evolution 2. Jurassic World Evolution 2 will be launching in late 2021 on PC, PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation®4 and Xbox One.

In a zombie infestation, try to survive or become a zombie and kill everyone!

Crania Games, developer of Roots Of Insanity is delighted to announce the release of A Way To Be Dead in Steam Early Access, priced at $6.99, €6.99, £5.19. Whether you chose to fight in the infestation, or become a zombie and kill anything that walks, you have the choice, but the fun is mandatory.

A Way to be Dead is an asymmetrical multiplayer (4 vs 1) horror game where a bewildered doctor is on the hunt for a group of victims who are just trying to escape. Players can take on the role of Dr. Riley, the victims or even the zombies, as the action unfolds in the same universe as Roots of Insanity, Crania Games previous game. As the frenetic multiplayer action ensures, as the player witnesses the events of Roots Of Insanity from an entirely new perspective.

For more information about A Way To Be Day, please visit the official website, or follow @craniagames on Twitter for the latest information on A Way To Be Dead, Roots Of Insanity and more.About Crania Games
As an independent game development team, our foremost goal is to design games that we and everyone else would enjoy playing. We are happy to have taken the first step towards this goal with our first game, Roots of Insanity. We love making games at least as much as playing them and there are stories we want to tell you through the games we make. 

Celebrated Series Releases Third Installment on Xbox One, Xbox One Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Steam

PLANO, TX – JULY 23, 2021 – Robot Entertainment, an independent development and publishing studio, today launches Orcs Must Die! 3 on Xbox One, Xbox One Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 via backward compatibility, Steam, and with streaming via GeForce NOW. The critically acclaimed series that’s been enjoyed by over eight millions players is now available for console and PC players to unleash orc-devastating mayhem. 

Orcs Must Die! 3 brings a brand new campaign and story to the world’s #1 orc-murder simulator. In addition, players will have access to new weapons and traps, and can use them in an all-new challenging and lethal Scramble Mode, where our heroes must adapt to and overcome a series of challenges and modifiers that add new excitement to the battlefield. Also new to the franchise are War Scenarios and War Machines, featuring massive scale and destruction. Fan favorites such as Weekly Challenges and Endless Mode return to add even more orc-slaying fun.

To celebrate the release of Orcs Must Die! 3 on Steam, Xbox and PlayStation, the development team at Robot Entertainment is giving away a custom Orcs Must Die! 3 PC! Winners will be contacted via email on August 2. Must be 18 or older. This contest is limited to United States residents only. Full PC specs: Intel i9 10900K CPU, ATX Z490 Motherboard, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060, 32GB DDR4 Memory, 1TB M.2 drive, 700W PSU, 240mm AIO CPU Cooler, Five 120mm RGB Fans, Win 10 Home 64bit, and a custom case that comes with a freakin’ Orc! Visit here to enter: https://gleam.io/Hea8y/orcs-must-die-3-custom-pc-giveaway 

Orcs Must Die! 3 Features: 

• More of Everything – Orcs Must Die! 3 is everything fans loved about the first two games and more. More orcs, more traps, more weapons, more upgrades and even better looking. It’s cranked up to at least eleven.
• New Story – Play through a brand new story set more than 20 years after Orcs Must Die! 2, where the War Mage and Sorceress have rebuilt the order and trained new young apprentices.
• War Scenarios – All new War Scenarios deliver on the promise of massive scale first set out in Orcs Must Die! Confront overwhelming armies of orcs outside on battlefields surrounding castles. Thin out waves of orcs hundreds strong before they breach the walls and crash your rift.
• War Machines – You’re going to need new weapons of death and destruction to handle these hordes. War Machines are traps on an oversized scale. Lay down your mega flip trap and launch dozens of ragdolling orcs. Mount your mega boom barrel launcher and unleash pyrotechnic glory.
• It Never Stops – The legions of orcs keep coming long after the story is completed. Etch your name into the orc-slaying hall of fame through Weekly Challenges or see how long you can survive in Endless Mode.
• Take Drastic Steps – Orcs Must Die! 3 comes with the Drastic Steps campaign and content for free, including terrifying flying enemies, heroic war guardians and of course more tools for orc destruction!
• Scramble to Survive – The new Scramble Mode pits you against vile orcs who evolve with increasingly difficult and sinister tricks up their chunky sleeves. But each level you survive, you collect your own modifiers to fight back with!

ABOUT ORCS MUST DIE! 3

Orcs Must Die! 3 ushers orc-slaying mayhem to a previously unimaginable scale. Solo or with a friend by your side, arm yourself with a massive arsenal of traps and weapons. Slice, burn, toss and zap hordes of repugnant orcs in this long-awaited successor to the award-winning series. New to the series, War Scenarios pit players against the largest orc armies ever assembled. Mountable War Machines give players the essential firepower to heave, stab, carbonize, and disarticulate the abominable intruders. Orcs Must Die! 3 originally released as a Stadia exclusive in 2020 and this version of the release includes all new content, features, and improvements as well as all previously released Stadia content including the Drastic Steps campaign.

For more information on Orcs Must Die! 3, please visit the official website http://www.orcsmustdie.com/, and follow the game on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OMDGame/  and Twitter https://twitter.com/OrcsMustDie 

ABOUT ROBOT ENTERTAINMENT
Based in Plano, Texas, Robot Entertainment is an independent game development and publishing studio founded in 2009 by veterans of Ensemble Studios. With a team that has proven experience and expertise in creating games that appeal to massive audiences on multiple platforms, Robot Entertainment is focused on developing titles that set new standards for their respective genres. Previous titles include Echo Prime, Hero Academy, ReadySetHeroes, and the critically acclaimed Orcs Must Die! series.

Warframe Players Set New Franchise Peak Concurrency Record with The New War Interactive Preview Event and Earns Twitch’s Top-Five Highest Concurrent Viewership Stream of 2021

LONDON, Ontario – July 23, 2021 –  Digital Extremes’ (DE) sixth annual TennoCon — a community celebration of all things Warframe — shattered multiple community and franchise records and achieved all-time high engagement from players around the world as they joined together on Twitch and in Warframe for an interactive preview event of The New War content expansion, arriving 2021. Warframe players set a new in-game peak concurrency record for the franchise during the TennoLive Relay event, with hundreds of thousands of global players simultaneously sharing an experience together, and propelled Warframe into Steam’s Top-Ten Highest Ever Peak Concurrency for a free-to-play game on the platform.  Additionally, on Twitch, player excitement for The New War preview drove so much viewership, Warframe is now the only game in Twitch’s Top-Five Highest Peak Concurrent Viewer Streams of 2021, establishing a new livestream best for the Canadian developer and publisher, as the all-time most viewed TennoCon in franchise history.

TennoCon 2021’s penultimate moments tookWarframe down a historical path during TennoLive, the conventions flagship keynote, where an in-game Relay event destroyed former concurrent player records to set a new all-time high record. Warframe secured the #1 chart position on Twitch for the day and reached the Top-Ten Global Twitter Trending category. The live broadcast featured a highly anticipated gameplay world reveal of upcoming content from Warframe’s The New War expansion in a 30 minute live demo, drawing more than 540,000 concurrent viewers and making it the most watched Warframe stream of all-time. Warframe is currently the only Twitch Video Game Channel to achieve placement on Twitch’s Top-Five Highest Concurrent Viewership Streams of 2021.  

“This is the biggest thing we’ve done, by a lot… and I’m super excited to do a live demo,” Steve Sinclair, Creative Director at Digital Extremes, commented during the live broadcast.  

Additionally, a work-in-progress functional demo of Cross Play, Cross Save, and Warframe on mobile was showcased.  Release dates to be revealed at a later time. 

“TennoCon is about Warframe players… an accepting, supportive and inclusive community.  They are the reason we have such a fun, cooperative game to play online with friends.  This year, the community achieved all-new heights and we couldn’t be more appreciative of their support,” said Rebecca Ford, Live Operations and Community Director at DE. “We put passion and energy into creating a memorable reveal of The New War for players and we couldn’t be happier to see that this really is what brings Tenno together. They want to know what comes next in our story.” 

In addition to the large number of reveals, Warframe players also received a significant amount of exclusive in-game rewards for tuning in, access to limited-time bonus events, and other in-game activities. For TennoCon 2021, DE partnered with Unity Project of London, Ontario and featured a live viewer donation component as part of its broadcast to help generate funds for the organization which specializes in providing emergency shelter, supportive housing, and stability supports where people are struggling to escape and avoid homelessness.

To keep up with the latest updates, be sure to follow Warframe on Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram or visit www.warframe.com. Warframe is available free-to-play on  PC (Steam, Epic Games Store) and on PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Nintendo™ Switch.

ABOUT DIGITAL EXTREMES
Founded in 1993 by James Schmalz, Digital Extremes ranks as one of the world’s top independent video game development studios. Originating with the co-creation of Epic Games’ multi-million unit selling Unreal® franchise including Unreal and Unreal Tournament, Digital Extremes went on to develop Dark Sector®, BioShock® for the PlayStation®3, the BioShock 2 multiplayer campaign, and The Darkness® II. The studio has reached its greatest critical and commercial success with the free-to-play action game, Warframe®, boasting a global community of 60+ million registered players on PC, PS5™, PS4™, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch™. For more information about Digital Extremes, visit www.digitalextremes.com. To sign up for Warframe, visit www.warframe.com.

# # #

“I Am only Concerned with Serving Customers Who have Their Hearts in the Right Place.”

Wiesbaden, Germany (23rd July) – Award-winning video games publisher Assemble Entertainment today published a statement from Founder and CEO Stefan Marcinek: 

Hello, my name is Stefan Marcinek.

I co-founded Kalypso Media, left there a few years ago and founded Assemble Entertainment in 2016. We are an independent publisher and developer of computer and video games and organizer of the GDD GermanDevDays, a German-speaking developer conference.

I was born on April 01, 1977 – an April Fool’s joke that provided me with an uuuunbelievably amusing childhood – and I’ve been in the games industry since the late 1990s.

I get to work in an industry that is truly open-minded. An industry that accepts everyone just as he or she is. Which – in my opinion – represents the truly right values – both externally and internally, an industry with its heart in the right place.

I have been in a committed relationship since 2000 and happily (depending on whom you ask ^^) married since May 2019 (my husband is two years older than me).

I enjoy – even if I rarely get to play myself – computer and video games. Another thing I really enjoy, although I unfortunately have even less opportunity to get out and do so, is geocaching. I like Formula 1 races and pets. A dog would be great at some point but, back in the day, it was unanimously decided that we would get a cat. Talis is now 17 years old.

What I do not like are idiots or, to put it more bluntly, contemptible defecatory orifices!

If you are one of those people who can’t accept others because they don’t fit your worldview, because they are gay, lesbian, bi, trans or queer, who considers people with a different skin color, religion or ancestry than your own to be foreign or abnormal, who can’t stand them or even insults them, in what way ever, or who is incapable of respecting women and is violent; who votes for “parties” that are disgusting and inhuman, supports them, sympathizes with them or is active as a politician for them (yes, I’m referring especially to the AfD in Germany), then I want to make this perfectly clear:

I don’t want you as a customer!

I don’t want to see you at our events or conferences. Neither as a visitor nor as a speaker!

I don’t want to have anything at all to do with you!

If you are one of those people and are about to buy one of our games: Don’t!

If you bought one of our games and can still return it: Do so!

And if you are one of those experts who think “Then you’ll sell fewer games”, let me tell you a little secret: You are not the center of this universe or our bank balance. There are more than seven billion people in this world and therefore enough customers with their hearts in the right place and who are not just contemptible fecal defecatory orifices!

I am well aware of how harshly this statement may be received by some and that some may feel affronted, even though the statement may not be directed at them personally. However, I would like to use this statement to make perfectly clear how important moral and ethical values are to me in the management of my company – and how these should also be communicated to the outside world. Namely, openly and transparently – but, of course, also with the awareness that not everyone will like it. I would like to thank all our supporters, fans and all those who buy our games, play them and – even if not always – love them.

Thank you for your support!

Stefan Marcinek

Founder & CEO

Assemble Entertainment

July 2021

About Assemble Entertainment

Based in Wiesbaden, Germany, Assemble Entertainment is an independent games developer and publisher best known for modernized award-winning Leisure Suit Larry series, featuring two new entries in the iconic decades-spanning saga, and the multi-award-winning Endzone – A World Apart, that challenges players to survive and thrive following an environmental apocalypse. Assemble Entertainment also organizes GermanDevDays, an annual conference that attracts more than 1,200 attendees from across the German-speaking video game development industry.

A NEW VIDEO GAME BRINGING ITALIAN ART, MUSIC AND CULTURE TO THE WORLD

Rome, Italy – The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Italian MFA) announces the launch of ITALY. Land of Wonders, a video game that is aimed at bringing the cultural heritage and wonders of Italy to a worldwide audience in general, and to young people in particular. Graphically appealing and targeted to both children and adults, ITALY. Land of Wonders portrays the beauty and tradition of this country through an interactive and fun experience. Available for free in 11 languages, it will be released worldwide on 19 July for iOS and Android, smartphone and tablet, via italiana.esteri.it, Italian MFA’s new portal dedicated to Italian culture in the world.

See the trailer for ITALY: Land of Wonders here:

Elio is the old lighthouse keeper who, every morning, with the help of the 20 sparks he retrieved the night before from the 20 regions of Italy, lights up the sun that will shine bright over the country. The game starts at sunset, Elio – a reference to Helios, the sun god of ancient Greek mythology – is looking for an assistant who can help him complete his arduous task. He has summoned a mysterious character outside the lighthouse: the player, who is drawn into a night adventure around Italy to retrieve 20 sparks, light up the lighthouse and ensure the sun shines again.

During their journey, the players will meet five Guardians, who will guide them to discover Nature, Cuisine, Art, Performance and Design, the five main sectors of the Italian cultural heritage. At the end of the journey, a huge surprise awaits the players: they will take Elio’s place, symbolically becoming the new Lighthouse Keepers, with a mission to protect the country’s treasures. First, however, they will need to pass no less than 100 puzzle game levels, each one featuring a 3D reconstruction of an iconic Italian landmark, in a truly engaging journey to discover, step by step, the coast and mountains, cities and castles, traditions and myths of the country. Created for those already acquainted with Italy, as well as those who are not and want to learn more – while improving their grasp of the language –, ITALY. Land of Wonders can also serve as a travel guide, thanks to a collection of 600 articles filled with stories, news and fun facts.

Last but not least, the music! Original scores inspired by the great Italian classics, from opera to baroque to famous movie soundtracks, set the mood to a game that is also an engaging and informative learning tool for schools that teach Italian as a foreign language.

“Today, the mobile gaming market is one of the main channels for the diffusion of every type of content, including cultural and informative topics,” commented Ambassador Lorenzo Angeloni, Director General for Cultural and Economic Promotion and Innovation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. “It’s our job to leverage any opportunity we see to promote our country and its culture to the world. This is why we have embraced the mobile platform and are communicating in a way which is innovative not only for our Ministry, but also for Italy’s public administration in general.  We are engaging with a younger audience with ITALY. Land of Wonders and it is our objective to engage people from all over the world and to get them interested in our country and its beauties, creating a sense of familiarity that can guide them, one day, to the actual discovery of our territories and our products.

ITALY. Land of Wonders isn’t just an enjoyable mobile game – it’s a real Made in Italy product, skillfully mixing culture and technology. Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of our country: it’s an adventure accessible to everyone to help discover the beauty, the creativity and the taste of Italy “.

As with all the cultural initiatives by italiana.esteri.it, ITALY. Land of Wonders is part of Italian MFA’s general post-Covid programming strategy aimed at supporting Italian cultural and creative sectors.