Thursday, October 22, 2020 — The changing of the leaves signals the return of fall in the world of Elvenar and the beginning of this year’s new Halloween event. From today through November 11 players will celebrate this spooky season by completing a line of quests and daily tasks in exchange for new items and rewards. Through Elvenar’s collaboration with M·A·C Cosmetics, players will also be eligible to win additional prizes, conjure up their own Halloween look and select from new in-game avatars inspired by makeup looks from three outstanding content creators. With diversity at the core of this collaboration, all are welcome and there are no limits to the imagination this Halloween.

Following an explosion of the witch’s brew, players are enlisted to find Mrs. Sniffle’s cat Bruno and rebuild the witch’s hut by completing quests and searching the outskirts of their cities for Magic Ingredients. These can then be traded for candles, lanterns and flash flasks to clear the way through the misty forest. It’s important to use the items wisely as each clears a different amount of mist. One never knows what may lie ahead.

“This year’s event is brand new and for the first time we’ve introduced the tile mechanic into the game to give players a new challenge in addition to the new storyline, prizes and avatars,” says Product Owner Nino Protic. “Our team works hard to provide regular updates that deliver new, diverse content on a biweekly basis. Collaborating with the content creators to design new avatars based on their makeup alongside the new event has allowed us to do just that. We hope to see many players using these new human and elf avatars not only because they look fantastic but also as a statement for diversity.”

Daily Exclusives can be found beneath the fog and allow players to acquire items old and new, including brand new buildings, buildings that have returned from past events and other exciting rewards. The forest is also home to some Friendly Spirits. Find enough spirits and more prizes are in store, including Witch’s Hut Artifacts, which will allow players to upgrade the Witch’s Hut building to its highest stage. Milestone Rewards are available at several points during the questline as an extra treat.

The Halloween event also brings with it new avatars based on makeup looks created by drag queen Vava Vilde, M·A·C Global Senior Artist Angelo Rauseo and M·A·C National Artist Luisa Sporkenbach. Inspired by the magical world of Elvenar, each creator used M·A·C products to design their looks, more of which can be found on the InnoGames, Elvenar and M·A·C social media channels. New M·A·CxElvenar filters are available for use on Instagram and will give users and idea of how the makeup would look on before following along to the creators’ step-by-step YouTube tutorials available here: https://bit.ly/3m1akX0

“It’s exciting to see an avatar based on one of my makeup looks,” says drag queen Vava Vilde. “I was inspired by Elvenar’s Fire Elementals to create a look that works perfectly for Halloween. I hope these looks show people that every day products can be used to create unique looks and that this encourages others to get creative and rethink what they can do with M·A·C products.” 

To further celebrate, Elvenar and M·A·C are hosting a giveaway competition with exciting prizes for those who create and share their own Elvenar-themed looks – including the chance to be featured in Elvenar. Prizes will be available for the top three looks, with the grand prize winner receiving M·A·C Cosmetic products worth EUR 500, a makeup bag, 5,000 diamonds of virtual in-game currency* and the creation of a new in-game avatar based on their submission. To enter, participants should (1) Follow Elvenar on Instagram, (2) Follow M·A·C Cosmetics Germany on Instagram and (3) Post of picture of your Elvenar-inspired makeup on Instagram using the hashtag #MACxElvenar between now and 23:59 CET on November 11, 2020.

Elvenar can be played for free and is available on browser and for iOS and Android devices.

*Virtual in-game currency, no cash out, non-transferable.

About Elvenar
Elvenar (www.elvenar.com) is a city-building Strategy-MMO set in a fantasy world. Tasked with creating a flourishing city, players can choose between Elves or Humans. This choice affects the appearance of the cities and their inhabitants, as well as the available technologies and units. The Elves live in the midst of magical creatures in harmony with nature, while Humans are ambitious builders and engineers. Between managing resources, leveling up buildings and unlocking new perks, players should also pay attention to the multiplayer-map if they want to find valuable relics. Yet, players might have to fight numerous fantastic creatures for them. Since its release in May 2015, Elvenar has been receiving continuous content updates, and as a cross-platform title, players can switch between browser, iOS and Android devices at any time.

About InnoGames
InnoGames is Germany’s leading developer and publisher of mobile and online games. The company based in Hamburg is best known for Forge of Empires, Elvenar and Tribal Wars. InnoGames’ complete portfolio encompasses seven live games and several mobile titles in production. Born as a hobby, InnoGames today has a team of 400 employees from more than 30 nations who share the passion of creating unique games that players across the globe enjoy for years.

About M·A·C
M·A·C is the world’s leading professional makeup authority because of our unrivalled expertise in makeup artistry. Every day, M·A·C celebrates diversity and individuality – we are for All Ages, All Races, All Genders. M·A·C is at the forefront of fashion trendsetting, collaborating with leading talents from fashion, art and popular culture. Our Artists create trends backstage at fashion weeks around the world. Visit maccosmetics.de/chat-live and book your free 20-minute personal makeup session with your M·A·C Make-up Artist via video chat: www.maccosmetics.de/chat-live

2K has revealed the last of three NBA 2K21 Next-Generation Gameplay Courtside Reports written by NBA 2K Gameplay Director, Mike Wang. The final report outlines changes coming to the MyPLAYER build systems alongside reworked AI to fully utilize the incredible power, speed and technology of next-gen consoles.

The next-gen MyPLAYER system gives players a level of customization never seen before in a basketball game. These changes to the MyPLAYER build system gives ballers control over setting each individual rating to the cap they prefer and the new badge system offers more experimentation options.

Increased computational power from next-gen consoles also allowed Visual Concepts to redesign the AI system in NBA 2K21 to more accurately model basketball better than ever before. Changes coming to both the defensive and offensive AI systems will give ballers a seamless on-court experience to do what they want to do, when they want to do it.

Check out all the upcoming next-gen gameplay features in the final NBA 2K21 Next-Generation Courtside Report here: https://nba.2k.com/courtside-report/nba-2k21-next-gen-gameplay-courtside-report-3/

Stay tuned for more details and announcement in the days leading up to the next-gen release. NBA 2K21 on next-gen is available on November 10 for Xbox Series X|S and November 12 for PlayStation®5. Additional information is available at: https://nba.2k.com/faq.

###

NBA 2K21 Next-Gen Gameplay Courtside Report #3 – MyPLAYER & AI

Hi again 2K fans! Welcome to my final Courtside Report. We’re just a few weeks away before players can get their hands on the next-gen version of NBA 2K21, which will be released on November 10 for Xbox Series X|S and November 12 for PlayStation®5*.

We’ve discussed a lot already from scoring to our revolutionary new movement and impact technology and the great enhancements they’ve brought to gameplay. But I know a lot of you are chomping at the bit to find out what’s new with your MyPLAYER, while others are curious how we’re pushing Simulation into the future. Well, this blog is for you! There’s going to be a lot of info to digest this week, so I’ll try to keep the points as concise as I can.

Player Builds, Badges, & Takeover

The next-gen MyPLAYER Builder is all about customization. We’ve taken in a lot of feedback from the community over the past few years as we’ve evolved the MyPLAYER building experience. One thing that we hear loud and clear from you is that you want more options. Here’s our response:

No More Pies: You no longer choose from preset skill breakdown pie charts for next-gen. Instead, we’ve given you control over setting each individual rating to the cap that you prefer. Obviously, there are restrictions based on your vitals and you can’t max out everything, but there’s much more control to make the exact type of player you want to be.

Badges: A lot of thought and re-design went into badges for next-gen. Many favourites return, but most have undergone some significant functionality changes. There are also some new ones, some revived ones, and some removed ones. The badge point system and equipping process is similar to what you’ve grown accustomed to: perform well in the various categories (Finishing, Shooting, Playmaking, Defence/Rebounding) in any mode to earn badge points, and then apply those points to whatever badges you want within those related categories. But my advice when you get next-gen is to experiment with different badges that you may have overlooked in the past because you might find some new favourites that compliment your playstyle in ways you may not expect. Here are some of the new/returning badges and what they do:

• Fearless Finisher – Boosts contact layups and decreases fatigue
• Heat Seeker – Boosts takeover progress on inside shots
• Highlight Film – Boosts teammate takeover progress on flashy dunks
• Hook Specialist – Boosts hook shot ability
• Revived Posterizer – Contact dunks!
• Rise Up – Boosts ability to do standing dunks in traffic
• Anti-Freeze – Harder to get cold and lose takeover meter progress
• Blinders – Less affected by peripheral defenders when shooting jumpers
• Circus Threes – Improved ability to hit pull-up and stepback 3’s
• Fade Ace – Boosts all post fadeaways
• Hot Shot – Increases takeover meter faster when knocking down jumpers
• Deep Threes – Dame and Curry range 3 balls
• Rhythm Shooter – Boosts shot %’s out of size-ups as well as 1-step pull-ups
• Set Shooter – Shooting ability gets better the longer you set and wait before pulling
• Sniper – Boosts the ability to hit shots when using Pro Stick aiming
• Stop & Pop Three – for the JJ Redicks who want to pull-up for threes in transition
• Bullet Passer – Gives you the ability to throw laser dots like LeBron
• Relay Passer – Boosts the shooter on pass to assist situations
• Special Delivery – Boosts takeover progress for the passer and receiver off a flashy pass assist
• Ankle Braces – Makes it tougher for ball handlers to break your ankles
• Clutch Defender – Boosts your defensive ratings in clutch moments
• Hot Stopper – Boosts takeover meter for good defensive plays like steals, blocks, and good contests

And here are the badges that we retired because they were either redundant, didn’t fit in the new design, or the community just didn’t like them: Consistent Finisher, Contact Finisher, Cross-Key Scorer, Fancy Footwork, Fastbreak Finisher, Deep Hooks, Pick & Roller, Relentless Finisher, Showtime, Deep Fades, Flexible Release, Hot Start, Pick & Popper, Pump Fake Maestro, Range Extender, Quick Draw, Steady Shooter, Pass Fake Maestro, Flashy Passer, Lob City Passer, Lightning Reflexes, Moving Truck.

Takeover: In case you’re new to 2K, Takeover is the ability to get hot and take over games. It’s been a popular feature for the past couple years and we wanted to take it to the next level for next-gen.

Instead of limiting players to eight general archetype-based takeovers, we’ve broken those eight into 24 more specific takeover abilities. In a way, you can think of them as unique badges that you can fire off when you get hot.

• Advanced Gathers – Unlocks more effective spin, euro, hop step, cradle gathers
• Finishing Moves – Able to absorb contact and finish at the rim
• Easy Blowbys – Enhances ability for slashers to beat defenders off the dribble
• Pull-Up Precision – Boosts well timed/aimed shots off the dribble
• Anklebreaking Shots – More anklebreakers off of spin and stepback jumpers
• Negative Impact – Reduces defensive impact against pull-ups and other skill shots
• Limitless Range – Extends your shooting range out to the logos
• Spot-Up Precision – Boosts well timed/aimed stationary jump shots
• Team Ratings Boost – Playmakers boost their teammates’ offensive ratings
• Team Takeover Boost – Boost your teammates’ takeover meter progress
• Team Badge Boost – Boosts your teammates’ badges up a tier
• Extreme Clamps – More stone wall and lost dribble body-up resolutions for locks
• Perimeter Badge Drop – Knocks shooting badges down a tier when you get close
• Enhanced Jump Shot Contests – Boosts your ability to contest jumpers
• Stuff Blocks – Unlocks more swat, backboard pins, and grab blocks
• Paint Intimidation – Boosts your ability to affect shots around the rim
• Interior Badge Drop – Drops opposition’s scoring badges down a tier in the paint
• Boxout Wall – Improves ability to seal off opponents for easy boards
• See the Future – Shows where missed shots are going to end up
• Glass Clearing Dimes – After rebounds, kick out passes boost your teammate’s shooting
• Power Backdowns – Easier to push defenders around when posting up
• Post Playmaking – Boost your teammates’ offensive abilities when passing out of post
• Advanced Post Moves – Easier to beat defenders with post moves
• Post Shot Daggers – Increased scoring ability with hooks, fades, shimmy shots, etc.

We’ve also changed Takeover to be a multi-tier system! Once you set up your ratings caps and vitals, you’ll be presented with a subset of the list above based on the type of build you made. Then you choose one ability for your primary and another for your secondary, or if you want, you can put the same ability in both slots if you want to “double up” on it. When you’re in-game, your takeover meter will fill up your primary takeover slot first. Once filled, you can choose to activate it right away or wait to try and fill up your secondary slot. You must be careful because you take the risk of losing all your progress if you turn the ball over or miss a bad shot. But if you can fill in your secondary slot, you can activate both the primary and secondary takeovers together and keep them active for a longer period of time. Finally, if you want to devastate your opponent even further, you can wait even longer and try to fill up the Team Takeover meter. If you can fill all three, activating will enable your entire teams’ takeovers and it’s pretty much over for the competition. And just like in current-gen, activating Team Takeover also allows you to have user-control over your teammates in MyCAREER games. We know our MyCAREER fans love that ability!

Last thing I wanted to mention about Takeover. We wanted to honour our late friend, Kobe Bryant, who we tragically lost way too early this year. When you’ve earned all your badge points, you will receive the Mamba Mentality badge which allows you to change your takeovers whenever you want. So just like Kobe, you can vary up how you choose to take over from one game to the next!

Next-Gen AI

Next-gen was an opportunity to reset on a lot of areas of gameplay. This was especially true when it came to artificial intelligence. Some of these items are immediately noticeable and some are more nuanced for the hardcore X’s and O’s hoop heads. But one thing’s for certain, NBA 2K21 continues to lead the way in accurately modelling its respective sport better than anyone else out there. That’s something we pride ourselves in and know that the true students of the game appreciate about the franchise.

Defense

• New switching logic update: Both on-ball and off-ball screen logic has been rewritten and the auto-switching logic was refined to reduce bad switching instances. So expect to see fewer cases of the AI calling for a switch without a screen and leaving a player open.
• Adaptive Coaching Engine (ACE) now has the ability to recognize and adapt to different types of off-ball actions including: Flare screens, Down screens, Back screens, and Handoffs.
• Improved logic for CPU defenders to get in position to take charges.
• Several improvements to transition defence.
• Overhauled the Hedge defensive system for better screen positioning and angle targeting.
• The player can now call for help defence by holding L1/LB instead of just calling for a double team. This is a great mechanic that you can use when guarding the ball; instead of hoping the AI selects the right time to send help, it’s now under your control with a simple press and hold of the button.
• Improved logic for defenders in avoiding each other when moving around obstacles. This works hand-in-hand with the off-ball movement changes I detailed in last week’s blog.

Offense

• Next-Gen Game Planning: This is a great new feature that allows players and AI to have more specific game plans for their teams. In the past, you could choose to run pick & rolls with LeBron, but the new system allows the AI to target a team’s best players. So for the Lakers, not only will they run pick & rolls, but you can have them run exclusively with LeBron and Anthony Davis. There’s a new game plan option in the pause menu. Here, players can select between 8 pre-selected game plans that they can access in game through the On-The-Fly-Coaching panel (OTFC). Each game plan has default options already set up for them, so the player can pick a single option and have all the important details for that game plan ready to go. Here are two examples of game plans you can choose:
  • Play Through Star: This game plan will have ACE automatically select the best scorer on the team and only run scoring actions for them, both via plays and freelance actions. It also sets the tempo and rebounding choices automatically to accommodate your star’s playing style.
  • Pound the Ball Inside: ACE auto selects the best post scorer on the team and will exclusively run post scoring actions and plays for them.
• Double team counter intelligence: You’ll see the AI using less movement and create more spacing for shooters spotting up behind the three point line to punish excessive double teaming.
• End of game logic: Improved the AI’s ability to time plays with the shot clock for buzzer beater situations.
• Starters and Bench favourite Plays: This year we expanded the favourite plays to allow players to set up one group of plays for their starting unit and another group of plays for the bench units.
• Moved player-specific plays and player-specific ball screens back to the L1/LB button. This was something many people were requesting so they could get quick access to icon pick control again. Favourite plays are now mapped to the DPAD.
• Play and freelance flow: As we have done every year, the play and freelance offensive flow has been greatly improved moving to next-gen. There are several actions that we just had a hard time getting to run smoothly in past 2K games, but thanks to the logic upgrades and vastly improved motion engine, everything flows extremely well in NBA 2K21 fornext-gen.
• Fixed AI players accidentally positioning themselves out of bounds.
• New pick & roll spacing: New spacing code gives some of our pick & roll and isolation sets that extra adjustment on dribble penetration. It’s much more solid now but expect continued expansion on this module as the year goes along with our in-season play and AI updates.

Closing Thoughts

As I stated in the NBA 2K21 current-gen blog a few weeks ago, this has been a rollercoaster year for 2K. With the changes to our work from home culture in addition to having to roll out both current and next-gen versions of NBA 2K21, I’m amazed at the talent and grit that the entire Visual Concepts team has shown over this wild year. Again, a HUGE thanks to all the gameplay engineers and producers (as well as their families) for coming together to create, without question, the best basketball game ever to grace a console. I’ve been working and testing on this title non-stop everyday, and I still get excited to play every time I boot the game up. I hope these Courtside Reports give you a small glimpse of some of the awesome things the gameplay team has created for you and we look forward to hearing your feedback to help us continue to refine 2K basketball and take it to even greater heights as we move forward into this next generation. And if these gameplay blogs even have you a little excited about NBA 2K21 for next-gen… just wait. We have A LOT of jaw-dropping news coming soon about all the amazing stuff happening off the court that’s going to blow you away!

·         Mike Wang @Beluba (NBA 2K Gameplay Director)

*PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S required to play the next-generation version of NBA 2K21. The PlayStation 5 console will be available on November 12 in the US, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea, and November 19 in all other regions.

Ubisoft’s player ecosystem gets the biggest overhaul in its history
and paves the way for cross-platform features and communities

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – October 22, 2020 –Today, Ubisoft announced that its existing ecosystem of player services and loyalty program, Uplay and Ubisoft Club, will be refreshed and expanded as Ubisoft Connect. This new universal interface, through which players from all platforms will now interact with Ubisoft’s in-game services, activities and community, will be releasing from October 29 this year, starting with Watch Dogs: Legion.

The Ubisoft Connect experience will be available with an intuitive and seamless in-game overlay in Ubisoft’s latest and new titles. Ubisoft Connect is founded on Ubisoft’s ten-year experience of operating online services on Windows PC via Uplay, as well as the Ubisoft Club loyalty program that has provided 1.1 billion rewards to players to date. While the PC experience will continue to improve with dedicated services, this expansion enables players to now access Ubisoft’s in-game and social features, regardless of the platform they use, including consoles and cloud gaming services.

“A decade ago, Ubisoft was one of the first publishers to enhance players’ experience with more services and social features. We wanted to build upon this legacy to fulfill Ubisoft’s vision of a global community and bring these benefits to all our players,” says Charles Huteau, Ubisoft’s Creative Director on Ubisoft Connect. 

Gathering millions of players, Ubisoft Connect is the ideal destination to connect with friends or participate in events and activities. Along with new exciting time-limited and community challenges, the service brings a cross-game loyalty system that lets players earn an uncapped amount of Units to spend on unique rewards, like weapons, outfits and consumables.

This more social and personalized gaming experience also comes with a newsfeed interface gathering friends’ activities and achievements, while a brand-new “Smart Intel” feature brings players dedicated tips and video recommendations based on their game activities. Each player will have access to data on their personal stats and playstyle to keep improving or compare with select groups of friends through an improved leaderboard system.

Designed for a new gaming era, one where players expect to be able to play, progress and stay in touch with friends anywhere, Ubisoft Connect lays the foundation that will enable Ubisoft’s games and services to live across platforms and make cross-platform features a standard moving forward*. As part of this commitment, full cross-progression, across all platforms and services, will be available with some of Ubisoft’s most highly anticipated upcoming titles, including Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Immortals Fenyx Rising and Riders Republic.

“Next-generation gaming goes beyond technological improvements and better graphics. To us, as a creator and publisher, it is about bringing more fluidity and versatility in the experience to have the freedom to play games on whatever device and with whoever you want,” says Stephanie Perotti, Ubisoft’s Vice-President of Online Services. “Ubisoft Connect is our take on a new seamless experience to not only ease the transition between generations and platforms, but also be the starting point for new services that further contribute to new, more player-centric ways of enjoying games.”

To celebrate the launch of Ubisoft Connect and its improved loyalty program, more than 1,000 legacy Ubisoft Club rewards are unlocked today, for free, to all players. Regular updates will add more features and rewards to improve players’ experience along the way. With Ubisoft Connect, the Ubisoft experience is available via current and soon to be released platforms: Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. To offer the most seamless integration and adapt to new cloud gaming and streaming services, Stadia, Nvidia GeForce Now, and Amazon Luna will also offer some Ubisoft Connect features later this year**. Additionally, players can also access the ecosystem via the Ubisoft Connect mobile application, the desktop app and on ubisoftconnect.com. 

For more information on Ubisoft Connect, please visit ubisoftconnect.com.

Adventurers Taking a Break Invited to Return to Eorzea in Latest Free Login Campaign

FINAL FANTASY® XIV Online celebrates the arrival of its latest in-game event today, with the return of the ever-popular Make It Rain campaign to the Mandeville Gold Saucer. Running from today until 20^th November, the event sees all MGP rewards from the Gold Saucer increased by 50%, while campaign attendants will be offering a range of items at discounted prices, including furnishings awarded during previous seasonal events. Additionally, tracking down Nanaphon in Ul’dah and helping him out will unlock a special “Consider” emote.

This year’s event has an added spooktacular twist, as the Continental Circus will be sending a special representative to the Gold Saucer. Players can seek out the genial guiser, and accept their invitation to the Haunted Manor masquerade…

More information on the Make It Rain campaign can be found here: https://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/special/2020/the_make_it_rain_campaign/

Furthermore, players who are currently taking a break from their adventures are encouraged to return to Eorzea as part of the latest Free Login Campaign. From today until 23^rd November, eligible players can play free for up to four days, providing they meet certain criteria. Full details on the Free Login Campaign can be found here: https://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/special/freelogincampaign/

Having recently announced 20 million total registered players, there has never been a better time for newcomers to begin their adventures in the critically acclaimed FINAL FANTASY XIV Online saga. The recently expanded Free Trial now includes all content from A Realm Reborn and the Heavensward™ expansion (and updates through Patch 3.56), as well as an additional playable race (Au Ra), and three additional playable jobs (Dark Knight, Astrologian, and Machinist). Free Trial players can enjoy hundreds of hours of award-winning gameplay and story experiences equivalent to two full FINAL FANTASY titles, without limit on playtime. New players who wish to experience the free trial may register here: http://sqex.to/FFXIVFreeTrial

FINAL FANTASY XIV: Shadowbringers is the third expansion for FINAL FANTASY XIV Online and has received acclaim from critics and fans alike since its release in July 2019. Packed with striking new environments, the new gunbreaker and dancer jobs, Hrothgar and Viera races, Trust system and much more, FINAL FANTASY XIV: Shadowbringers offers players both old and new hundreds of hours of content to explore.

Related Links

SQUARE ENIX® Press Site: https://www.square-enix-press.com/
Shadowbringers Teaser Site: http://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com/shadowbringers/
The Lodestone®: http://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com
Official Facebook®: https://www.facebook.com/FinalFantasyXIV
Official Twitter®: @FF_XIV_EN

About Square Enix Ltd.

Square Enix Ltd. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content in Europe and other PAL territories as part of the Square Enix group of companies. Square Enix Ltd. also has a global network of leading development studios such as Crystal Dynamics® and Eidos Montréal. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 154 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 82 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 78 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix Ltd. is a London-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.

FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered Boxed Edition Also Coming for PlayStation®4

SYDNEY, 22^nd October 2020 – Square Enix Ltd., today announced that two of gaming’s most cherished RPGs, FINAL FANTASY® VII and FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered will unite in a twin-pack physical release for the Nintendo Switch™ system across Australia & New Zealand this December.

A timeless classic loved by a legion of fans across the globe, FINAL FANTASY VII is an epic adventure culminating in a battle to decide the fate of the planet which has fallen under the dominion of Shinra Electric Power Company, a sinister corporation monopolizing the world’s energy force. Cloud Strife, a former member of Shinra’s elite SOLDIER unit now turned mercenary, lends his aid to an anti-Shinra resistance group calling themselves Avalanche to fight for the planet. In addition to a powerful and emotional storyline, FINAL FANTASY VII also includes:

• 3x Speed Mode: Play through the game with three times the speed.
• No Encounters: Players will have the ability to turn battle encounters off to enjoy the storyline uninterrupted. While enemy encounters are turned off, players can still enjoy the story’s event battles.
• Battle Enhancement Mode

Over 20 years on from the game’s original release, FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered breathes new life into the game’s characters and story like never before. With newly rendered visuals, players step into the shoes of SeeD recruit Squall Leonhart and resistance fighter Rinoa Heartilly as they work together to save the world from the military nation of Galbadia. FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered features the following boosts to enhance the experience even further:

• Battle Assist: The ability to always have maxed out HP and ATB, and trigger Limit Breaks at any time.
• No Encounters: An enemy encounter option that allows players to enjoy the storyline uninterrupted. While enemy encounters are turned off, players can still enjoy the story’s event battles.
• 3x Speed Boost: Play through the game with three times the speed.

The FINAL FANTASY VII and FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered twin-pack will be available for the Nintendo Switch™ from 4^th December and is available to pre-order from select retailers across Australia & New Zealand now. In addition, a boxed version of FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered will also be available for the PlayStation®4 system from 4^th December.

Related Links:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FinalFantasy
Twitter: http://twitter.com/finalfantasy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finalfantasy/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/finalfantasy

# ENDS #

• Protect major gaming investments such as consoles, gaming PCs, and other entertainment devices from harmful power irregularities
• Now available, the APC Back-UPS™ Pro Gaming UPS allows gamers to be confident that they will remain connected, protected and in the game
• Esports certified to protect both professional and recreational gamers from power disruptions, dropped games and resulting penalties 

ANDOVER, MA (October 21, 2020) – Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, today launches the APC Back-UPS™ Pro Gaming UPS. This stylish and state-of-the-art uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is designed to protect gaming gear and maintain connection through power irregularities — keeping PC and console gamers in the game. As the first UPS specifically designed with gamers in mind, the APC Back-UPS™ Pro Gaming UPS delivers uninterrupted power protection, even during power outages. 

https://www.apc.com/us/en/solutions/home-solutions/gaming-ups-xbox-ps4-console-pc/

As gamers invest more in their equipment and spend more time winning games, protecting both is critical. The APC Back-UPS™ Pro Gaming UPS features sine wave battery backup power, delivering the smooth electrical current required by sensitive electronics and AVR (Automatic Voltage Regulation) to help protect against power irregularities and resulting glitches during an outage, while helping to extend the lifespan of gaming equipment. The APC Back-UPS™ Pro Gaming UPS also boasts a patented reactor circle which provides status of remaining power, surges, dips, power outages and building wiring faults visible from every angle. 

Schneider Electric is also a D&H Certified Esports Provider, meaning that esports enthusiasts and pros alike can play with peace of mind, knowing their reputation won’t be tarnished over something outside of their control. Adding the APC Back-UPS™ Pro Gaming UPS to their setup allows both professional and recreational gamers to be confident that they will remain:

• Protected: A gaming battery backup protects valuable gaming systems from more than seven different types of power interruptions
• Connected: After shutting down a game, the system continues to provide power to a router and/or modem
• In the Game: If the power is interrupted or lost during play, backup power allows gamers to finish a match and reap the rewards that would have otherwise been lost

“Power irregularities are not just limited to storms. Gaming gear is highly sensitive electronics and unclean power can cause game disruption or damage equipment. At the end of the day – it’s not if, it’s when,” said Christian Enriquez, Global Product Marketing Manager, Schneider Electric. “Winning your match is about teamwork and a quality of a great team member is reliability. APC Back-UPS Pro Gaming helps you stay in the game and being there for your team when they need you most.”

APC Back-UPS™ Pro Gaming UPS Key Features: 

• Reactor Circle: When the Gaming UPS is on battery backup power, the reactor circle ticks down to show how much time is left at a glance
• 160 Degree Slant: APC made sure the reactor circle is titled at 160 degrees, so it’s visible from nearly every angle
• Functional Lighting: When the Gaming UPS detects a power anomaly — like surges, dips, and even wiring faults — it notifies gamers with pulsing lights
• Six Battery Back-up Outlets: Complete with surge protection, the unit instantly powers sensitive electronics, such as an Xbox, PlayStation, PCs, TVs, or routers/modems, during a power loss
• Four Additional Surge-Only Outlets: Designed to protect against unsafe power surges and “hard shutdowns” that can permanently damage equipment
• Three Easy-Access Front USB Ports: Recharge devices, like a gaming headset and cellphone
• Custom Look: Available in two color options – Arctic (BGM1500) and Midnight (BGM1500B), both with 12 customizable RGB LED lights to match a user’s gaming setup

A launch live stream for the APC Back-UPS™ Pro Gaming UPS will be held today at 7:30pm ET and can be viewed here:

The APC Back-UPS™ Pro Gaming UPS is available for purchase starting today in North America for USD $259.99 at retail stores nationwide and online at Amazon, Newegg, and B&H Photo. Soon to be available at Best Buy and Microcenter. 

About Schneider Electric

Schneider’s purpose is to empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all. We call this Life Is On.

Our mission is to be your digital partner for Sustainability and Efficiency.

We drive digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies, end-point to cloud connecting products, controls, software and services, across the entire lifecycle, enabling integrated company management, for homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries.

We are the most local of global companies. We are advocates of open standards and partnership ecosystems that are passionate about our shared Meaningful Purpose, Inclusive and Empowered values. 

Time Traveling Platformer Reina & Jericho Lands on PC, Switch in Q2 2021

Leap Back Through Time to Correct Mistakes in a Powerful Tale of Love and Loss

EDMONTON, CANADA – 21 October 2020 – Reina & Jericho, the touching metroidvania from Reclamation Games following a woman’s time bending journey to save the love of her life, will break hearts and tantalize minds on Steam for Windows PC and Nintendo Switch in Q2 2021.

Driven by revenge, love, and loss, Reina emerges from the ruins of a crumbling nation to rescue Jericho. Without power, status, or money, Reina must challenge a dangerous despot seeking to secure his reign of terror with a coveted ancient artifact that manipulates cause and effect. Jericho’s life is on the line, and Reina must fight her way through a mysterious fortress where she will face her greatest fears over and over again.

Fight for the future as Reina and Jericho’s young heroine, then double back to the past to right any wrongs. Gather new power-ups that synergize with one another to enhance Reina’s fighting ability, and unravel the traps laid out against Reina to create the perfect chain of cause and effect. Slice through enemies as Reina faces off against bosses wielding supernatural artifacts and the well-armed henchmen of a failing state.

Multiple endings leave Jericho’s fate in the player’s hands. Through Reina’s regret and rage, evaluate what paths lead to dead ends before revisiting the past to start another. Unravel the mystery of Jericho’s disappearance, learn who to trust along the way, and discover who can be saved and who must die for Jericho to be saved.

Three ways to adventure provide endless replayability as Reina and Jericho features a gripping Story Mode, a specialized Speedrun mode, and a built-in Randomizer option that scrambles rooms, items and beyond to create a unique adventure every time. An emotive soundtrack featuring touching live recordings paints the painful tale of Reina and Jericho, highlighted by stylized environments, intense gameplay, and a story that transcends time. 

“Metroidvania games are among my favorites, and I’m taking my chance to add my contribution to the genre,” said Dave Wightman, Reclamation Games Founder and CEO. “Powerful stories will always be king for me, and that’s what I’m seeking to do here. We want to create an intense, action-packed platformer that never forgets its narrative and centers that element.”

Reina & Jericho will be available on Nintendo Switch and Steam for Windows PC for $19.99 in Q2 2021. It will support English language text.

For more information, please visit the official Reina & Jericho website, follow @ReclamationGames on Twitter and stay engaged with the conversation around Reina’s journey through time via Discord.

About Reclamation Games 

Based out of Edmonton, Canada, Reclamation Games is a one-developer studio aiming to create touching gaming experiences through the distinctive use of art, music, and storytelling. Reina & Jericho is the company’s first release and a passion project from founder Dave Wightman. Reclamation Games seeks to fill the gaps in the industry, tackling beloved genres in inventive ways and breathing new life into familiar concepts.

XSEED Games and Marvelous Europe Team Up to Unleash the Action-Packed Brawler

Torrance, Calif. – October 21, 2020 – XSEED Games, the independent-minded publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., jointly announced with Marvelous Europe today that they have opened the doors to Last Resort Island and launched UPPERS, the over-the-top beat-em-up from Honey∞Parade Games, for Windows PC via Steam. The explosive brawler set in a world where the strong rule and the crowds go wild for street fights released with a 15% launch week discount off both the standard edition, normally priced at $29.99, €29.99, and £24.99, and the Digital Deluxe Edition normally priced at $39.99, €39.99, and £34.99. The Digital Deluxe Edition of UPPERS includes the digital soundtrack with 46 pulse-pounding tracks and a digital version of the art book featuring character designs from acclaimed designer Hiroaki Hashimoto. Both standard and Digital Deluxe versions of the PC release will include all previously released DLC at no additional cost, including bonus playable character Daidoji from the SENRAN KAGURA series. To celebrate its launch, XSEED Games is planning to run a special giveaway for physical versions of the soundtrack and art book in limited numbers via their social channels. These items will be made available for sale individually from XSEED Games’ online store in the near future.

Originally released on the PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system in 2016, UPPERS makes its PC debut with a full digital remaster supporting 60 frames per second and high resolution formats to show off every bone-crunching frame and pixel. Each combatant on Last Resort Island brings their unique style to the fight and, in addition to their fists and feet, can use the environment around them as a weapon, pummeling opponents into submission before finishing them off by slam dunking them into a manhole or throwing them into a helicopter. Impressing the “Queens,” their adoring female support characters, and fans watching players beat-down their opponents can even lead to additional power-ups! Featuring the original Japanese text and voiceovers, the PC version also comes with full English, French, Korean, and Simplified and Traditional Chinese text translations.

About UPPERS

Set on Last Resort Island, a brutal place where the strong reign supreme, UPPERS puts players in control of up to 13 characters who engage in combat against battle-hungry punks who freely stalk the island looking for trouble. These fighters are accompanied by a squad of thrill-seeking girls determined to see their favorite fighter as the victor. Follow the multi-layered story of violence, betrayal, and redemption as these brawlers fight to be the strongest on Last Resort Island.

Each character is equipped with a unique fighting style and special combos, ranging from rugged street brawlers and wrestlers to trained martial artists. The more characters pummel their enemies, the more popular they will become with fans, earning power ups to help them stand victorious in street battles. The girls also issue challenges in return for reward bonuses, which can be used in the in-game shop and gym to dress up or improve characters.

Produced by Honey∞Parade Games and published by XSEED Games globally on PC in close partnership with Marvelous Europe, UPPERS launched on October 21 on Windows PC via Steam. The base game is available for $29.99, €29.99, and £24.99, while a Digital Deluxe Edition is available for $39.99, €39.99, and £34.99, both featuring a 15% launch week discount.

More information about XSEED Games’ products can be found at www.xseedgames.com. Fans can also follow XSEED Games on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, get in depth info from their developer blog, and join the discussion on their Discord server at: http://discord.gg/XSEEDGames.

About XSEED Games

XSEED Games is the independent-minded publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Marvelous Inc., which is a publicly traded company listed in the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Formed in 2004 and located in Torrance, California, XSEED Games publishes interactive entertainment content for PC and consoles from the Marvelous portfolio as well as from a wide variety of third-party partners. Whether it’s Marvelous properties such as STORY OF SEASONS (Bokujo Monogatari), SENRAN KAGURA, and Rune Factory, or third-party titles such as the Corpse Party and AKIBA’S TRIP series or the recently released Granblue Fantasy: Versus, XSEED Games has grown its reputation among gamers with its critically acclaimed localizations and commitment to fans, remaining ever dedicated to its “indie spirit, player-first” approach.

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Newest expansion will also provide new portraits, civics, ship sets and other cosmetics

STOCKHOLM – October 21, 2020 – It’s a grave affair as Paradox Interactive today disentombed the details on what is shaping up to be the spookiest expansion this side of the galaxy, the Necroids Species Pack. Available October 29, Necroids will leave players with goosebumps after experiencing a brand new selection of portraits, civics, ship sets and other cosmetics. This pack is for players who aren’t afraid to live their undeath to the fullest, all out on the dark side of the galaxy. 

Cast your eyes upon the drop-dead gorgeous trailer below: 

Prepare to meet the Necroids, an intelligent species who believe that death is not the end, but rather the beginning of their journey. Necroids are known to spend their days excitedly studying in preparation for their eventual “transformation” in the Elevation Chamber. New cosmetic changes will reincarnate playthroughs of Stellaris for long time players, while also bringing new life to killer type empires. In total, the Necroids Species Pack includes: 

• 1 New Origin – Necrophage
  • The brand new Necrophage Origin positions gamer-martyrs as a powerful primary species which consumes others within its grasp, blurring the line between cult and empire with three brand new civics:    
    • Death Cult: Enables powerful edicts which require the sacrificing of pops
    • Reanimated Armies: Allows the deployment of morality-immune, undead armies
    • Memorialists: Erects monuments to the galaxy’s past, improving planetary stability and honouring tomb worlds
• 16 new portraits (15 organic, 1 robotic)
• New ship set
• New advisor voiceover
• New city set & diplomacy room
• New Name lists
• New building cosmetics

Enter the atmosphere of Stellaris today: https://www.stellaris.com/

Paradox Interactive is a leading global publisher of strategy games for PC and console. The company has developed and published a world-renowned catalog stretching back to 1999, with players hailing from all around the world.

The publisher’s steadily-growing portfolio includes firmly established franchises such as the critically acclaimed Europa Universalis, Crusader Kings, Hearts of Iron, and Stellaris series created by Paradox Development Studio, the Age of Wonders series created by Triumph Studios, as well as award-winning titles such as Cities: Skylines, Pillars of Eternity, and more from a network of partner studios. Paradox is the owner of the World of Darkness IPs and is publishing Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. Today, over four million people play a Paradox game each month, and the number of registered Paradox users is over twelve million.

Paradox’s head offices are located in Stockholm, Sweden. Our development studios are located in Stockholm, Malmö and Umeå, Sweden, in Delft, The Netherlands, in Seattle, Washington, and in Berkeley, California. We share a passion for gaming and gamers, and our goal is to provide deep and challenging games with hours of gameplay and endless variety to our ever-growing community.

For more information, please visit our forums and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Comet sighted!

HIEI AND MERUEM GET READY FOR A FIGHT IN LATEST JUMP FORCE TRAILER

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. revealed the launch trailer for Hiei and Meruem ahead of their official addition to the JUMP FORCE roster for PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PC users. Hiei and Meruem are available in early access as part of Character Pass 2 beginning October 23^rd and will officially be available for individual purchase by all players on October 27^th. Both characters will also be coming to Nintendo Switch in 2021. To see Hiei’s merciless Dragon of the Darkness Flame attack and Meruem’s Nen abilities in action.

In addition to Hiei and Meruem, JUMP FORCE Character Pass 2 also features the now-available Shoto Todoroki and two currently unannounced characters from Bleach and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. By purchasing Character Pass 2 for $17.99, players will immediately obtain Todoroki, as well as gain early access to Hiei, Meruem, and each subsequent DLC character upon their release; characters may also be purchased individually for $3.99.

JUMP FORCE is currently available in the Americas for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PCs via STEAM. The JUMP FORCE Deluxe Edition is also currently available for Nintendo Switch.