8BitDo appoints Bluemouth as ANZ distributor and launches new SN30 Pro 2 controller

Tuesday 16 March, 2021 — Bluemouth Interactive today announced its exclusive rights partnership with premier third party video game hardware company 8BitDo, bringing its range of retro themed game controllers to Australia and New Zealand. Additionally, 8BitDo today launched its new SN30 Pro 2 controller, which Bluemouth is looking forward to bringing to market locally.

The 8BitDo Pro 2 is a pro-level Bluetooth controller designed for Switch, PC, macOS and Android devices. It features Ultimate Software which allows players to customise button mapping, adjust stick and trigger sensitivity, vibration control and to create macros as well as controller profiles all from your mobile phone. 

The controller also has two pro-level back buttons, software free button mapping vibration and a 20-hour rechargeable battery for competitive and uninterrupted gameplay. It will be available in three colours: G Classic, black and gray, retails for AU$89.95 / NZ$99.95 and will be available from 6 May 2021 (Australia) / 6 June 2021 (New Zealand) across all retailers.

“We’re excited to be bringing 8BitDo’s incredible range to Australia and New Zealand. 8BitDo is revered internationally for providing the highest-quality retro controllers available,” said Bluemouth Co-Founder and Managing Director David Provan. “It’s great to be able to announce the launch of the SN30 Pro 2 which beautifully coincides with 8BitDo’s wider range launching in Australia and New Zealand in the coming months.”

Bluemouth is working with its key retail partners to stock 8BitDo’s range, including:

• JB Hi-Fi (Australia and New Zealand)
• EB Games (Australia and New Zealand)
• Big W (online only)
• The Gamesmen
• Amazon
• Catch.com.au
• Mighty Ape

The below 8BitDo products will be available for purchase:

• 8BitDo SN Arcade Stick
• 8BitDo Mobile Gaming Clip for Xbox Controllers
• 8BitDo SN30 Pro Bluetooth Controller for Android – XBOX
• 8Bitdo SN30 Pro 2 Bluetooth gamepad (Black edition)
• 8Bitdo SN30 Pro 2 Bluetooth gamepad (Gray edition)
• 8Bitdo SN30 Pro 2 Bluetooth gamepad (G classic edition)
• 8BitDo SN30 Pro Bluetooth gamepad (G Classic Edition)
• 8Bitdo USB Wireless Adapter
• 8BitDo Zero 2 Bluetooth gamepad (Turquoise edition)
• 8BitDo Zero 2 Bluetooth gamepad (Pink edition)
• 8BitDo Zero 2 Bluetooth gamepad (Yellow edition)
• 8BitDo SN30 Pro Bluetooth gamepad (SN edition) – JB HiFi Exclusive 
• 8BitDo SN30 Pro USB gamepad (SN edition)
• 8BitDo Lite Bluetooth gamepad (Yellow edition）
• 8BitDo Lite Bluetooth gamepad (Turquoise edition）

About Bluemouth Interactive

Established in 2003, Bluemouth Interactive is a leading independent supplier of video game, mobile phone and audio accessories in Australia and New Zealand. Bluemouth’s award winning product portfolio and distribution capability have positioned the business at the leading edge of entertainment distribution. Bluemouth’s Management team is comprised of entertainment industry professionals who have previously held senior roles at leading public listed entertainment companies including Disney and Take-Two. Bluemouth’s insistence on genuine partnership and market development ensures that Bluemouth Interactive remain the trusted business partner of choice for entertainment accessories and pop culture products in Australia and New Zealand. 

About 8BitDo

8Bitdo is a premier third party video game hardware company with a special focus on retro themed game controllers. Renowned for producing the highest quality retro controllers on the market, 8Bitdo’s controller line has been referred to as, “a range of excellent retro-style game controllers” by The Verge. 8Bitdo’s goal is to produce premium quality game controllers with ultra-compatibility at economical price.

Registrations open for student gamers in Australia to compete in world’s biggest university VALORANT competition 

• Red Bull Campus Clutch invites students from around Australia to represent their campus and battle for supremacy, competing in new esports phenomenon, VALORANT
• Australian qualifiers will take place from April 8 to April 16, and registration is now open at redbull.com/CampusClutchAU

Australia, Tuesday 16 March 2021: Red Bull Campus Clutch, the biggest global university esports event to ever take place has opened for registrations in Australia, offering students a unique opportunity to be a part of a global experience and compete in one of the fastest growing and most talked about games, VALORANT.

The groundbreaking competition challenges players of all levels to team up, represent their campus, and compete on the world stage to make history for their university and country. The online event also offers students the opportunity to showcase their skills in one of the hottest character-based tactical first person shooters (FPS) for PC, where precise gunplay meets unique agent abilities, and understand what it takes to compete professionally.

To take part, student teams of five around the country are invited to sign up to the online qualifiers which will run from April 8 to April 16. The top teams from the qualifiers will move forward to fight for supremacy in the National Finals on April 24. To enter this unique, first of its kind event, students must be over 18 and enrolled in an Australian university. Teams of five can register to compete at redbull.com/CampusClutchAU

The winning National Finals team will take home the ultimate glory and title as Australia’s first Red Bull Campus Clutch victors, along with prizes up to the value of RRP $12,500 with each team member receiving an Intel NUC 11 Mini PC, AOC Monitor and SteelSeries peripheral pack.

National winners across the global series will compete in a World Finals with the team that emerges victorious securing €20,000. In addition, Riot Games, the creators of VALORANT are offering the Red Bull Campus Clutch World Final Winners an exclusive chance to see the biggest stars in VALORANT compete at the upcoming VALORANT Masters event, an official tournament within the 2021 Champions Tour.

VALORANT was one of the fastest growing, talked about, and most watched games of 2020, breaking the “single-day hours watched record in a single game category” with 34 million hours, according to Twitch. 

As the esports industry continues to thrive, university esports ensures the ecosystem remains sustainable and provides a much-needed path for new talent. Red Bull Campus Clutch is a new grassroots event that aims to take university esports to the next level by creating a global structure, inviting students to not only represent their campus, but their country, and pave the way for the next generation of esports pro players. 

The Australian Red Bull Campus Clutch Qualifiers take place online from April 8 to April 16. 

Visit the Red Bull Campus Clutch event page to find out more on how to enter and register now: redbull.com/CampusClutchAU

About World Finals

Red Bull is dedicated to the safety and wellbeing of players while delivering high quality, professional competitive experiences. Further details on the World Finals will be provided closer to the date. 

About Red Bull Gaming & Esports

Red Bull gives you wings – in gaming and real life. We have built up personalities in gaming and hosted and supported esports events for a long time. Some of the most notable athletes promoted include streaming superstar Ninja, the 2019 Dota 2 world champions OG, and many more. We are partners with the League of Legends Global Esports Events and numerous regional leagues around the world, including the League of Legends European Championship (LEC), Campeonato Brasileiro de League of Legends (CBLOL), and League of Legends Championship Series (LCS). 

Apart from Red Bull Campus Clutch, we host tournaments – like the Red Bull Kumite – that gives world class players the chance to stand out. Explore the world behind the can and visit the hub on redbull.com/esports or redbull.com/gaming. Our hubs feature the latest trends in gaming, esports and lifestyle. It is a focal point for getting information about exciting upcoming Red Bull events, plus there is a section aimed at players in particular who want to improve their skills.

More Red Bull Gaming / Esports

• Still images for editorial use: https://www.redbullcontentpool.com/
• Web: https://redbull.com/gaming and https://redbull.com/esports
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/redbullgaming
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redbullgaming/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RedBullGaming

About the Global Partners 

Red Bull Campus Clutch is presented in collaboration with such partners as AOC, SteelSeries and Intel. Bringing the event to life, each partner will provide cutting-edge hardware for the esports tournament. Intel, the Gaming PC Partner, will create a limited Red Bull Campus Clutch Edition of the Intel NUC Phantom Canyon for the competition. The official Monitor Partner, AOC will provide top-notch high performance gaming monitors for the event. SteelSeries is the official Peripheral Partner and will equip students with their award-winning gaming headsets, keyboards and mice.

The Rise of VALORANT 

• VALORANT was one of the most anticipated games releases for 2020
• It is played in teams of 5 (5v5)
• The genre is First-Person Shooter (FPS)
• The game launched on PC in June 2020
• VALORANT is a competitive 5v5 character-based tactical shooter for the PC developed by Riot Games. VALORANT is a precise and lethal multiplayer game with high-fidelity gunplay, a diverse arsenal of guns, agents with unique abilities, and competitively tuned maps for thousands of hours of play.
• VALORANT is a free-to-play game and optimised to perform on a wide variety of PC hardware, allowing for a global audience to compete. Demonstrated by the game’s best-in-class game server quality, global infrastructure, and proprietary anti-cheat technology, Riot Games is committed to preserving the core tenets of the tactical shooter genre and upholding the competitive integrity of the gameplay experience.
• VALORANT quickly established itself as a fan-favorite among the global first-person shooter community after launching its closed beta in April 2020. The game made history on its first day, breaking viewership records with 34 million hours-watched in a single day, and surpassing 1.7 million peak concurrent viewers, a peak concurrent record second only to Riot Games’ 2019 League of Legends World Championship Finals. Over the course of VALORANT’s two-month beta testing period, an average of nearly 3 million players logged on each day to play. Fans also demonstrated their enthusiasm for the shooter by watching more than 470 million hours of VALORANT closed beta streams on Twitch, the world’s leading service and community for multiplayer entertainment, and Korean video-streaming service AfreecaTV.
• Riot Games the developer and publisher for VALORANT recently announced their esports structure for 2021- a three-tiered structure called the VALORANT Champions Tour

UBISOFT ANNOUNCES SNAP FITNESS PARTNERSHIP FOR STAGE 1 OF THE OCEANIC NATIONALS

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — March 16, 2021 — Today, Ubisoft^® Australia announced its official sponsorship with Snap Fitness for the Oceanic Nationals 2021, the national Rainbow Six esports tournament in Oceania.

Snap Fitness is a brand built on experience, community and results, helping Australians to achieve their fitness goals. Ubisoft Australia is excited to team up with Snap Fitness to amplify its positive message of health and fitness throughout the broadcast of Stage 1.

“We are very excited to explore a brand-new opportunity with Ubisoft as we embark on diversifying our digital channels” said Stefanie Nicholson, Head of Marketing, Lift Brands APAC.

“Ubisoft target audience aligns with a large proportion of our demographic, and we are hopeful through this partnership we can connect more people to our brand. We are very excited to be a part of the local esports scene, and support the Rainbow Six community through fitness!” 

The 2021 season of the Oceanic Nationals will begin on March 21, with the eight best teams in Australia and New Zealand competing for a $100,000 AUD seasonal prize pool.

All matches of the Oceanic Nationals will be broadcast on the global Rainbow 6 Bravo channel on Twitch.

For more information about Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Oceanic esports, please follow us at https://twitter.com/R6esportsOCE with the hashtag #OCN.

For more information about Snap Fitness, please follow https://www.facebook.com/snapfitnessaustralia & https://www.linkedin.com/company/snap-fitness-asia-pacific/

About Snap Fitness

Snap Fitness is part of the Global Lift Brands family which is the world’s largest wellness franchise organisation. Snap Fitness has 250+ clubs across Australia and New Zealand, and now has more than 2000 locations open or in development globally across 20+ countries. Snap Fitness is dedicated to providing quality clubs and facilities that cater for all health and fitness needs from strength, cardio and functional training zones. Snap Fitness has been ranked on Entrepreneur’s annual Franchise 500 list every year in the last decade. It was also the first health and fitness franchise system in the country to achieve a five-star accolade on the Australian Franchise Rating Scale™. www.snapfitness.com.au

About Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

Alongside a thriving professional esports scene and a community of over 60 million registered players, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege puts players in the middle of a fast-paced, ever-evolving multiplayer experience grounded in the selection of unique Operators. Using the right mix of tactics and destruction, Rainbow Six teams engage their enemies in sieges, where both sides have exclusive skills and gadgets at their disposal. Defenders prepare by transforming the environments around them into modern strongholds, while attackers use recon drones to gain intel for carefully planning their assault. With access to dozens of Operators inspired by real world counter-intelligence agents from around the globe, players can choose exactly how they want to approach each challenge they encounter. Through the constant addition of new Operators and maps that add to the depth of both strategy and combat, the unpredictability of each round of Rainbow Six Siege sets a new bar for intensity and competition in gaming.

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, 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 2019-20 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated net bookings of €1,534 million. To learn more, please visit: www.ubisoftgroup.com.

© 2021 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are registered trademarks in the US and/or other countries

Five Legendary Bethesda Titles Get the FPS Boost Treatment on Xbox Series X|S Today

by Will Tuttle, Xbox Wire Editor in Chief

Hot on the heels of officially welcoming Bethesda’s world-renowned studios to the Xbox family, we’re excited to announce that five of the biggest titles from their vast catalogue of games – Dishonored: Definitive Edition, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition, Fallout 4, Fallout 76, and Prey– will all be updated today to enable FPS Boost on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. And it’s not just owners of these titles that get to take advantage of FPS Boost; all these titles are available with FPS Boost for Xbox Game Pass members too.

As a reminder, FPS Boost employs a variety of new methods for nearly doubling the original framerate on select titles. Higher, steadier framerates make games visually smoother, resulting in more immersive gameplay. We partnered closely with developers to enhance the experience while maintaining the game’s original intent. And while not applicable to all games, these new techniques can push game engines to render more quickly for a buttery smooth experience beyond what the original game might have delivered due to the capabilities of the hardware at the time. For the five titles we’ve shared today, gamers can expect to see an increase from 30 fps to nearly 60 fps while enabling FPS Boost.

In some instances, because there are higher graphics requirements to enable FPS Boost technology, we’ve had to reduce a game’s resolution to ensure it both runs smoothly and plays great. In those select cases, such as Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 in this latest title announcement, FPS Boost is not automatically enabled for Xbox Series X gamers. For all titles receiving this update, gamers will see a clear indicator if a title is running FPS Boost.

At Xbox, we’re all about giving you the choice in how you want to play your favourite games, whether in its original form or with FPS Boost and/or Auto HDR. As we also detailed a few weeks back and included as part of our March Platform Update, you can now go into the “Manage Game” section for any enhanced title, where you’ll see the new “Compatibility Options” button that will allow you to toggle FPS Boost and Auto HDR “on” or “off.”

To see if the game you’re playing is running FPS Boost or Auto HDR, you can also now just tap the Xbox Button on your controller while in the game and you’ll see a Guide overlay indicator in the upper right corner if the features are enabled or not. To experience FPS Boost for these iconic Bethesda titles, and to be able to toggle the feature on and off, make sure your console has taken the latest update and you’ve rebooted your console. After that, you’re good to go.

We’ve got more titles that will support FPS Boost to announce in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for the latest and greatest.

Civilization® VI New Frontier Pass Portugal Pack

2K has announced the sixth and final DLC pack in the Civilization® VI – New Frontier Pass – the Portugal Pack – will be launching on Thursday, March 25. The Portugal Pack requires Civilization VI to play and will be available to anyone who owns the Civilization VI – New Frontier Pass or available for individual purchase for $7.55.

Check out the developer reveal video below

The Portugal Pack includes a new leader and civilization, the new optional game mode Zombie Defence, two new World Wonders in the Torre de Belém and Etemenanki and a new Wetlands map script.

In Zombie Defence, the dead don’t stay dead for long and present an ever-growing threat to the world’s civilizations. Every unit slain in combat has a chance to rise from the battlefield as a ravenous Zombie, which will chase and attack the nearest non-Zombie; units that are successfully killed will respawn as Zombies themselves. New trap and barricade improvements deal damage to hostile units passing through or near them and can be built on owned or neutral territory. In addition, players can build two city projects that allow them to temporarily control the Zombies in their city limits, enabling them to either redirect Zombies to directly target enemy units or move them out of the city. The “Zombie Defence” spy operation is another option, which will attempt to spawn Zombies on worked tiles in another player’s city.

Ahead of next week’s launch, we’ll be sharing a First Look video at the leader for Portugal. Stay tuned to Civilization VI onTwitter,YouTube andFacebook for more information.

Firaxis Games is a 2K studio. 2K is a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

# # #

Chasing Static Haunts the Sound Waves on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam Q3 2021

Demo Stirs Up Scares on Steam for Limited Time

BRISTOL, England — 15 March 2021 — Chasing Static, the retro psychological horror game from developer Headware Games and publisher Ratalaika Games S.L., brings a vision of PS1-style horror to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One along with the previously-announced Steam version, in Q3 2021. A free demo is available now on Steam for a limited time, as revealed during Game Dev Direct.

Seek shelter from a crushing storm as Chris Selwood, a man traveling through rural Northern Wales in the dead of the night following his father’s funeral. After a warm coffee courtesy of a charming waitress at a roadside café offers a short respite, Chris witnesses unspeakable terror as he sees the waitress violently pinned to the ceiling by an indescribable monstrosity. Chris passes out and later awakens to the long deserted ruins of the café, his world now shrouded in darkness.

To save himself and escape this nightmare, Chris must uncover the truth about a decades-long government conspiracy. Using strange technology, listen for signals acting as aural cues to navigate these haunted places, learning puzzle solutions by listening to the static-laden conversations of long-lost souls. 

Rendered in a graphical style harkening back to horror games on the original PlayStation, explore foreboding locales including dense woods, abandoned villages, shadowy government facilities, and a mysterious bunker. Piece together what happened to the residents of the long-abandoned village of Hearth, and discover shocking revelations about Chris, his father’s past and the mysterious Echo Garden Facility.

“The PlayStation era had so many great horror games that made an impact on me and gave me nightmares for years,” said Nathan Hamley, Founder, Headware Games. “Chasing Static is my attempt to pay homage to those classics and that visual style while scarring a whole new generation with ideas I’ve had percolating for a while.”

Chasing Static releases on Steam for Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One this Q3 2021 with English language voice acting and English, French, German, Spanish, and Japanese text with additional language support to be confirmed. For more information on Chasing Static, please visit the game’s Steam Page and follow Headware Games on Facebook and Twitter.

About Headware Games

Founded by solo developer Nathan Hamley of Bristol, England, Headware Games creates adventure games with a focus on accessibility and to experiment with interactive narrative. Chasing Static is the studio’s second title, after previously releasing Guard Duty, an innovative point-and-click adventure game played over two distinct eras of history.

For more information, please visit the Headware Games website and follow Headware Games on Facebook and Twitter.

About Ratalaika Games

Based out of Spain, Ratalaika Games is an indie developer and publisher of 2D games for consoles and PC. Focused on helping other indie creators, the company offers console porting, localization and promotion services to spread the word about smaller studios to gamers all over the world.

To learn more, visit the Ratalaika Games’ official website, like the Ratalaika Facebook page and follow @RatalaikaGames on Twitter.

We Are The Caretakers Defends the World on Steam Early Access on Earth Day

10% of Game’s Revenues Support Wildlife Conservation Network

ANN ARBOR, MI – 14 March 2021 – We Are The Caretakers, the sci-fi turn-based tactical RPG set in an afrofuturist world from developer Heart Shaped Games, begins its mission to protect endangered species on Steam Early Access for PC on Earth Day, Thursday, 22 April, as revealed at Game Dev Direct. Heart Shaped Games is proud to announce that 10% of its revenues from the game will go to the Wildlife Conservation Network’s Rhino Recovery Fund.

The Planet finds itself in turmoil as aliens make first contact, and show particular interest in the Raun, a rhino-like species targeted by high-tech poachers. Step into the shoes of the Conductor, sworn protector of the people and land of Shadra, who rallies Caretakers to protect the Raun before poachers drive them to extinction. 

Deploy squads of Caretakers onto real-time strategy maps with RPG turn-based combat in either the story-rich campaign or through the challenging procedurally generated Survival mode. Each squad features characters from one of 20-plus job classes utilizing some of the more than 70 abilities as they fight against poachers and other threats to the Raun, where extinction represents a catastrophic, game-ending failure for the Caretakers.

We Are The Caretakers’ afrofuturist vision combines elements of synthetic and organic sci-fi created by art director Anthony Jones (former cinematics artist at Activision Blizzard) and narrative director Xalavier Nelson Jr. (IGF nominee, narrative director for Hypnospace Outlaw). Core pillars of real-world anti-poaching guide gameplay strategy, with a soundtrack combining epic orchestras, African instrument samples, and modern hip-hop beats.

We Are The Caretakers will extend its efforts on conservation not just from awareness, but toward making a financial impact to organizations conserving Earth. Heart Shaped Games’ first initiative will donate 10% of the game’s revenue to the Wildlife Conservation Network. This organization protects wildlife all around the world, such as through the Rhino Recovery Fund, which focuses on improving the health of rhino populations while also benefiting local people.

“Our goal with We Are The Caretakers is to raise awareness about conservation in a way that would engage people with the issue,” said Scott Brodie, founder, Heart Shaped Games. “This is a science fiction story, but the issues the Conductor and The Caretakers face are present in the real world right now, and we hope it causes you to think about how we’re taking care of the world we live in.”

We Are The Caretakers joins Steam Early Access for Windows PC on Earth Day, Thursday, 22 April for $19.99 with a 20% launch discount, and support for English language text, with French, German, Spanish (Spain), Japanese, and more translations in development.

For more information, visit the official website, join the We Are The Caretakers Discord and follow Heart Shaped Games on Twitter, Facebook, and Twitch. Players can wishlist now on the We Are The Caretakers Steam Page.

About Heart Shaped Games

Heart Shaped Games is a design-centric indie game studio founded in 2010 by 18-year game industry veteran Scott Brodie. As a diverse, remote team of veteran developers, Heart Shaped Games’ mission is to have an impact by creating meaningful and memorable games that fans will love. Their line-up of award-winning titles continues to expand, and so far includes We Are The Caretakers, Hero Generations, Brave Hand, and Highgrounds.

About Wildlife Conservation Network

Wildlife Conservation Network‘s (WCN) mission is to protect endangered species by supporting conservationists who ensure wildlife and people coexist and thrive. WCN invests technically and financially in a network of conservation partners to ensure their mission success, and provides funding via large-scale, range-wide Wildlife Funds to support the best ideas to bring wildlife back from the brink, including the Rhino Recovery Fund, which safeguards the world’s remaining wild rhinos and their landscapes. WCN is proud to send 100% of every donation directly to the field for maximum conservation impact. Wildlife Conservation Network also holds the highest possible 4-star rating with Charity Navigator and platinum status with Guidestar. Learn more about WCN’s unique approach to saving wildlife at www.wildnet.org.

Famous San Francisco Skateboarding Location Available to Download on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam

Easy Day Studios is proud to launch the Embarcadero Plaza, one of the most beloved and historic skate locations, as an official playable map in Skater XL.  This original map creation from Easy Day Studios pays tribute to this iconic Bay Area district, transporting players to the San Francisco waterfront with all its ‘90s landmarks. From the well-recognized Vallaincourt Fountain, the ‘C Block’ ledges, and the infamous ‘Gonz Gap’ proving ground, gamers will get to experience this legendary street skating scene in Skater XL, available now on PS4, Xbox One, and Steam via the in-game Mod Browser.

Watch the new Skater XL Embarcadero Plaza Launch Trailer HERE:

Jump the famous ‘Gonz Gap’ in the new map update for Skater XL.    As one of the most influential locations in skateboarding history, San Francisco’s Embarcadero Plaza was the epicenter of street skating during the 1990’s. Bay Area locals and skaters around the world would come to the ‘EMB’ to write new pages in skate history books. Players can now challenge themselves to master EMB’s red bricks, long stair steps, concrete blocks, and the ‘Gonz Gap,’ a jump section first made famous by professional skateboarder Mark ‘Gonz’ Gonzales. Skater XL’s Embarcadero Plaza remains true to the original ‘90s era while optimized with additional elements to enhance gameplay. 

Rep the Bay with FTC branded gear in Skater XL.

In tribute to the legendary Embarcadero Plaza, Easy Day Studios has included a special drop of gear from San Francisco-based skateboard brand FTC (For The City). For over 25 years, FTC has kept the Bay Area skate scene thriving, hosting local events and sponsoring many skateboard legends. This pack is now available in the Skater XL’s Mod Browser on all platforms, sporting the Bay Area colorways of the iconic FTC logo.

The Embarcadero Plaza map update is now available to download for free via Skater XL’s Mod Browser. Skater XL is for $39.99 USD on PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam, and at brick and mortar retailers for PS4 and Xbox One. For the latest news and updates on Skater XL, follow the game on Instagram and Twitter, “Like” us on Facebook, and visit the official website, SkaterXL.com.

# # #

ABOUT EASY DAY STUDIOS
Founded in 2018 by Skater App founder and physicist Dain Hedgpeth, Jon West, former sponsored skateboarder turned game developer, and Jeff Goforth, industry veteran of 19 years and former head of skateboarding at DC Shoes, Easy Day Studios is the leader in action sports video game creation. Easy Day Studios is fully self funded and 100% committed to the shared vision of reviving and evolving skateboarding games into what every fan has been hoping for since the birth of the genre. With decades of experience, the team is comprised of video game development and skateboarding veterans. Since Early Access launch in December 2018 and the rapid growth of the Skater XL modding community, Easy Day has also hired two former modders and continues to work directly with this community.

Prepare to Connive and Conquer on Steam

Space strategy game Star Dynasties is arriving into Early Access TODAY for Windows PC via Steam for $24.99 – plus a limited time 10% discount!

From publisher Iceberg Interactive (Endless Space, Stars in Shadow) and developer Pawley Games, Star Dynasties is a role-playing sci-fi strategy game set in a divided galaxy following the destruction of Earth. A unique procedurally generated narrative of human drama and feudal politics is mixed together with a light empire management layer.

Check out the game in our launch trailer 

Lead Developer Glen Pawley remarked:

Star Dynasties is almost complete, and I’m excited to invite players to join us on the last leg of the journey. We’ve got some interesting features planned over the next six months to round out the experience – but what I’m most looking forward to is seeing how player feedback will influence the final shape of the project. The beta tests we’ve run have been some of the most stimulating periods of working on the game, and I hope Early Access will be as enjoyable, for both us and the community.

Features

• Customize your character, then play through their life and the lives of their descendants, guiding your political household to dominance over the galaxy
• Expand your empire through conquest, or convince other rulers to join your fold via diplomacy. Negotiate, threaten, or blackmail other rulers to get what you want.
• Celebrate your achievements by hosting lavish feats and ingratiate yourself with other rulers. Marry off your family members to stabilize your empire or build external alliances.
• Safeguard your reputation. Act honourably and bravely, then strike ruthlessly when the opportunity presents itself. Pursue justice for your vassals or punish and exploit them for their crimes.
• Use your spies to uncover the secrets of your opponents or spread lies about them. Arrest their agents and negotiate for the release of your own.

Stay up to date with Star Dynasties here: 

Website, Discord, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube

ABOUT PAWLEY GAMES
Pawley Games is a UK based indie game development studio founded by developer Glen Pawley, that aims to craft engaging experiences based on the emergent behaviour of complex simulations. The studio is working on its first release, the procedural narrative strategy game Star Dynasties.

ABOUT ICEBERG INTERACTIVE
Iceberg Interactive is an independent video game publisher founded in 2009 by an international group of games industry veterans. Located in Haarlem, The Netherlands and staffed with avid gamers, Iceberg works closely with an assembly of game developers around the world, both midsize and indie.

Known for many hit franchises including Starpoint Gemini, Killing Floor and Circle Empires; the company has enjoyed recent success with PC titles such as Shortest Trip to Earth, The Sojourn and Railroad Corporation. Iceberg Interactive has many exciting multi-format games coming up, including Blazing Sails (PC), Ambition: A Minuet in Power (PC) and Sacred Fire (PC).

To learn more, please visit www.iceberg-games.com.

TASOMACHI: Behind The Twilight Charts Expedition to Steam Q2 2021

TOKYO – 13 MARCH, 2020 – TASOMACHI: Behind The Twilight, the gorgeous 3D exploration platformer set in a mysterious Far-Eastern world, ventures into town in early Q2 2021 on Steam, as revealed by developer and Japanese game industry veteran nocras and publisher PLAYISM during Game Dev Direct.

TASOMACHI is a relaxed 3D platformer that is all about unwinding and exploring a sleepy Far-Eastern themed world to your heart’s content, collecting items while navigating platforming sections and completing requests from NPCs.

One day, young heroine Yukumo’s airship breaks down mid-flight, crash landing in an enigmatic and abandoned town. Assist the only remaining inhabitants, the strange yet adorable cats of The Nezu Tribe, and fulfill their many requests in exchange for valuable collectibles and resources.

Every new item helps repair Yukumo’s airship, earn new upgrades, and unlock stylish outfits. Pilot the airship through the skies of this mysterious town and explore more of an awe-inspiring world, filled with temples, landscapes, and icons taking inspiration from diverse cultures and extraordinary geography. Explore the world while vibing to a soundtrack by Ujico*, a Japanese musician with more than 1 million YouTube subscribers and 600,000 monthly Spotify listeners.

Developer nocras releases his debut title after contributing both 2D and 3D art to many of Japan’s biggest games of the 2010s. His work includes 3D design on Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Final Fantasy XIV; 2D art for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Xenoblade Chronicles 2; and field map design for Pokemon Sword and Shield. He developed his skills and experience on these games, all in preparation for his independent premiere.

“I’ve contributed to so many great games, but I always found something compelling about the Nintendo 64 era of platformers,” said nocras, the sole developer of TASOMACHI. “I wanted to make something that felt like what those games felt like while artistically exploring Far Eastern themes that always intrigued me.”

TASOMACHI: Behind The Twilight releases in Spring 2021 via Steam for Windows, with Japanese, English, and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) language text.

For more information, please visit the PLAYISM website, follow PLAYISM on Facebook and Twitter, and search for #Tasomachi on social media.

About nocras

nocras is an artist and independent game developer known for his environmental art, with the goal of translating the world he creates in his art into three-dimensional, interactive experiences. He’s contributed to multiple Japanese AAA titles, such as 3D design at Square Enix on Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, and freelance 2D art on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Xenoblade Chronicles 2. TASOMACHI: Behind The Twilight is his debut independent game.

To learn more, follow nocras on Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube, and Pixiv.

About PLAYISM

Known for bringing popular indie games from Japan, including Gnosia, Touhou Luna Nights, Fight Crab, La-Mulana 2, Bright Memory, and DEEEER Simulator, PLAYISM was created with the global indie community in mind. The company focuses on helping developers every step of the way, from localization to distribution of their games.

To learn more, visit the PLAYISM official website, Facebook page, and follow @PlayismEN on Twitter.