Countdown to Release Debut Playstation 4 & (Nintendo Switch) 12 Days
A Bumper presentation for ALL
TAITO, together with ININ games, is pleased to announce that after the acclaimed release on Nintendo Switch of Bubble Bobble 4 Friends, PlayStation 4 owners can look forward to the digital debut release of Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron is Back which is bigger, better, with more features for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo fans to revel in.
Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron is Back will be available digitally and in physical editions in America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand on 17th November 2020.
More Stages – More Content! More Fun! Bubble Bobble 4 Friends on Nintendo Switch received praise and acclaim from the critics and fans although many requested more content. TAITO and ININ Games listened, hence its return and PlayStation 4 debut along with a favourite character to spice up this platform feast. Conveying even more exciting challenges and more ‘Bubble Bursting’ addictive mayhem, it looks and plays like a dream. Beware though the infamous Baron marks his appearance within 100 unique new stages: twice as many stages as before to offer unprecedented confrontations!!! Nintendo Switch will not miss out either for, if you purchased the original title, the extra content can be downloadable free on release and new purchasers of course will get this bumper game in full!
In Game Elements
4 Player Co-Op mode
Total of 200 Levels
Original Arcade version included
Online Ranking feature
Return of a fan-favorite villain: Baron von Blubba
About the Game. Simple – Smart – Addictive
The cutesy adorable Bub and Bob are ready to float to the challenge presented. Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron is Back is a single-screen platform action game released as a complete new addition to the legendary Bubble Bobble series, in which you control the bubble dragons Bub and Bob, clearing stages by blowing bubbles to trap enemies, then bursting them to defeat them. Players can acquire special skills by completing an area, and level them up by collecting letter bubbles that form the word “EXTEND”. You can play together in multiplayer with up to four players. Also included is the original arcade version of Bubble Bobble.
About Bubble Bobble Bubble Bobble is an action game planned, developed, and released by TAITO CORPORATION (TAITO) in 1986. The game centers around Bubby and Bobby, two boys who were cursed by a wizard and turned into the bubble-blowing dragons, Bub and Bob, who are on a quest to rescue their kidnapped girlfriends. To do this, they must brave all 100 floors of the cave of monsters, defeating their enemies by catching them in bubbles, then bursting them. The lovable Bub and Bob were a big hit and went on to star in numerous sequels and the original has since been ported to countless home platforms. Puzzle Bobble (a.k.a. Bust-A-Move), a puzzle game spin-off, became a huge hit, going on to personify the franchise. TAITO is the exclusive owner of the global intellectual property rights, including copyrights and trademarks, for Bubble Bobble and its characters, and takes an active role regarding new Bubble Bobble-related enterprises.
About TAITO Corporation TAITO Corporation (TAITO) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. With headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, TAITO operates core businesses such as game arcade operations, coin-operated game machines, and mobile phone content services. A seminal part of gaming history, TAITO caused a worldwide sensation with its arcade legend, SPACE INVADERS, and developed such fan favorites as PUZZLE BOBBLE (BUST-A-MOVE) and ARKANOID. Today, TAITO continues to thrill game lovers of all generations by offering both classic and new family-oriented titles on the latest gaming platforms. TAITO delivers a wide range of entertainment experiences with the goal of providing consumers with fresh surprises and new discoveries. More information on TAITO can be found on the Internet at http://www.taito.com/
About ININ Games
ININ Games focus on the digital and physical publishing of high-quality, feel-good retro and arcade games. ININ Games brings retro games to life and creates the classics of the future. They are best known for “CrossCode”, “Umihara Kawase BaZooKa!”, “Bubble Bobble 4 Friends”, “Slaps and Beans” and “The Ninja Saviors – Return of the Warriors”. Numerous other milestones of classic gaming culture are in the planning and will be announced in the coming months. ININ Games is part of United Games Entertainment GmbH. For more information visit http://www.inin.games
NEW YORK, NY (NOVEMBER 5, 2020) — Today, Cargo Film & Releasing — a global film sales and distribution agency — is pleased to announce the upcoming digital release of Insert Coin, a documentary focused on the history of Midway Games, a ragtag team of game developers with a simple punk-rock design mantra: “there are no rules.” Director Joshua Tsui’s Insert Coin takes viewers on a raucous ride with the studio’s iconoclastic designers led by Eugene Jarvis as they introduced the world to industry-defining games such as NARC, Mortal Kombat and NBA Jam that earned over a billion dollars at the arcade and remain pop culture touchstones to this day!
Insert Coin is the authoritative insider Joshua Tsui’s love letter to Midway Games, where he worked on the Mortal Kombat franchise (and whose face was used for character Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat IV). A graduate of Columbia’s film school, Joshua also led efforts to introduce digitized video technology to an industry previously dominated by hand-drawn pixels.
Insert Coin features interviews with past Midway team members including Eugene Jarvis (Defender and Robotron: 2084), Mark Turmell (SmashTV, NBA Jam, NFL Blitz), John Tobias (co-creator Mortal Kombat series), George Petro (NARC, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Revolution X), and others. Also prominently featured are industry insiders Carly Kocurek (Coin-Operated Americans) and novelist and screenwriter Ernest Cline (Ready Player One, Armada). Insert Coin showcases the history of one of the most unique groups of game creators of the arcade and early console era.
“We’re thrilled to work with Joshua Tsui and his team to finally bring Insert Coin to fans,” said David Piperni, Founder of Cargo Film & Releasing. “Midway is so core to gaming’s DNA, and this documentary reminds us all of those great gaming moments from the past, right down to the sounds of Scorpion’s ‘Get over Here!’ to the ‘Boom Shakka Lakka’ of NBA Jam!”
“Insert Coin is the culmination of my work in and passion for the gaming industry blended with my love for visual storytelling,” added Joshua Tsui, Insert Coin’s director. “It truly is my love letter to the early days of Midway and how it influenced the transition from classic coin-operated games to ushering in a new generation of console gaming. I hope fans of video games, and especially of Midway, will love watching Insert Coin as much as we enjoyed making it!”
In the ‘80s and ‘90s, Midway Games took the world by storm with games such as Mortal Kombat, NBA Jam, Rampage, SmashTV and countless others. Led by Eugene Jarvis, an acclaimed game designer in his own right, the studio dominated the market with hit after hit. Insert Coin looks at both the rise and fall of Midway Games and everything in-between — from the creative personalities who brought Scorpion and Sub-Zero into the cultural zeitgeist to the games that introduced the iconic characters. Midway affected the culture – not just of gaming – but of public consciousness as a whole. Featuring interviews with the team behind some of Midway Games’ biggest hits, along with games industry personalities, Insert Coin is the definitive look at one of the most important contributors to gaming history.
Led by David Piperni and Dan Cantagallo, Cargo Film & Releasing specializes in representing documentary features for all revenue streams in the global marketplace with care.
Eger, Hungary / Giebelstadt, Germany, November 5th, 2020: The legendary Chicken Police needs your help in solving a case that went from unusual to life-threatening within a few hours. Marty MacChicken and Santino “Sonny” Featherland are fighting crime in Clawville on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch starting today at 5PM CET / 4PM GMT / 9AM PDT for 19.99 (EUR / USD / GBP).
Sonny is an alcoholic, deadbeat detective, waiting for his retirement and only old photographs and newspaper articles serve as reminders of the glorious times when he and his partner Marty were working together as a dynamic duo, the Chicken Police. With nothing less than a cult following of fans, a successful book series about their adventures and professional success any other law enforcement officer wouldn’t even dream of, they felt invulnerable. Now they’re being asked to investigate a series of strange threats. But nothing is as it seems in the corrupt city of Clawville. It is up to you, to uncover the truth surrounding the secretive Natasha Catzenko and the city’s criminal underworld and shed light on the Chicken Police’s dark past.
About Chicken Police – Paint it RED!: This Film-Noir inspired buddy-cop adventure features a cast of diverse, fully voiced characters all in the games original, iconic art-style. Crime scenes are to be investigated, clues to be found, puzzles to be solved, and suspects to be interrogated. A modern take on the classic point-and-click gameplay, Chicken Police comes with a grim plot that will keep you intrigued and immersed. Who is telling the truth, who is trying to mislead the investigators, and why? Find answers to these and more questions and bring back some of Clawville’s lost color!
Features:
Over 8 hours of professional voiceover for all 30 characters
A thrilling, rich storyline with a classic film-noir twist
Carefully crafted, unique, and “colorful” world
Complex interrogation system
Cinematic film-noir experience with more than 20 cutscenes!
Lots of clues, information, and collectibles to find
Enthralling original soundtrack
About HandyGames: HandyGames™ is part of the THQ Nordic and Embracer Group family and operates as an international publisher for mid-sized projects and developers for a worldwide audience. The focus lies on creating and publishing games for current gen consoles like PlayStation®4, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox One X or Nintendo Switch™ as well as games for Steam and many other PC gaming distribution channels. HandyGames™ produces titles for new innovative gaming platforms, for example VR (Virtual Reality) on Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Samsung Gear VR, but also offers games of all kind of genres for Android smartphones and tablets, Apple iPhones, iPads and many other mobile and smart devices. As a games company and that is truly passionate about gaming, we always strive for gameplay innovation. We received the German Developer Award as “Best German Game Studio” in 2015 and produced and published award-winning games of virtually every video gaming genre imaginable for a diverse range of audiences and gameplay styles. One example is “Townsmen VR” which was awarded with the German Games Award 2018 in the category “Best Game Design”
About The Wild Gentlemen “The Wild Gentlemen” is an independent game studio, working on its artistic game: Chicken Police, the “Orwellesque Buddycop Noir Adventure”. The team is based in Hungary and consists of six core members and four part-time contributors. Some team members have worked on projects like The Witcher 3, Call of Duty WWII, Warhammer: Mark of Chaos, the Crysis series, Haegemonia or Ryse: Son of Rome. While individually, most of them have been active members of the games industry for over a decade, Chicken Police is their first joint project.
Choose your heroes, win the battle and save the kingdom with swords, spells, blades and blasters in a new action RPG from Phase Two Games
Melbourne, Australia – November 5th 2020 – Independent developer Phase Two Games today announced that their squad-based fantasy adventure RPG Battle Hunters is now available on Steam for PC and Nintendo Switch.
Players will command a team of adventurous heroes, plunging headlong into dungeons, caves, forests and swamps as they heed the call for help from the old Wizard, and embark upon a journey beset with danger at every turn.
With a more strategic approach to combat through a combination of turn-based and real-time action, Battle Hunters gives players the opportunity to build a uniquely skilled team of 3 adventurers ready for battle. With a roster of 28 unique hero characters to discover and choose from, including the Wizard, the Barbarian, the Rogue or the cursed Dreadknight – Battle Hunters provides a huge variety of choice when deciding who to bring to the fight. Different heroes bring a range of strengths and weaknesses to the battle, and with such a wide array of enemies to confront, the player must use the right combination of heroes to suit their own battle style, and to ensure victory.
Watch Launch Trailer here!
Watch gameplay here!
“We’re excited to bring Battle Hunters to PC and Nintendo Switch and hope that players enjoy our classic-style RPG. Battle Hunters is inspired by great RPGs of the past, but we think we’ve brought a fresh approach and some genuine innovation to the gameplay.” – Dan Tonkin Co-Founder of Phase Two Games.
Players will face off against devious goblins and lumbering trolls, as well as vicious gargoyles and unstoppable stone golems so creating a formidable band of heroes with the right skills can make the difference between defeat and victory. Battle Hunters is an adventure created in the style of older classics, with a new approach to combat, character classes and abilities.
A free demo can be downloaded from the Battle Hunters page on Steam.
From their early years at Beam Software on PC games like ‘Krush, Kill and Destroy’ to bringing the first ‘Sims’ game to iPhone for EA, and later going on to bring ambitious brands like ‘Need for Speed’ and ‘DeadSpace’ to the smartphone and tablet, Dan and Toby have a long and respectable history of both making games and dealing with top IPs. At Phase Two Games we are determined to produce quality experiences with a small, talented team. We have deliberately stepped away from large-scale corporate-style production to pursue a more traditional style of development in the hope that our games can be free of influences that undermine the creative vision. We love games, and hope you enjoy playing the games we make.
Time for the ultimate showdown: Ferrari Hublot Esports Series Final takes place this weekend.
The final weekend of competition in the Ferrari Hublot Esports Series championship gets underway on Friday 6 November and will decide the overall Championship winner. The best driver across the two days will secure the chance to join the Ferrari Driver Academy Hublot Esports Team. Could an amateur driver clinch that much-coveted seat?
Maranello, 4 November 2020 – The first season of the Ferrari Hublot Esports Series is about to enter its final stages. On November 6 and 7, the 24 drivers who qualified through the PRO and AM Series Championships held in October will have the opportunity to go head-to-head in three heated races on the Mugello, Nordschleife, and Monza circuits played out in Assetto Corsa, developed by Kunos Simulazioni. Adrenaline and high emotions are promised from the first lap to the last.
The Championship Finals will also be an opportunity to see the top drivers who dominated the PRO and AM Series facing off for the first time, respectively France’s Arnaud Lacombe and Germany’s Jarno Koch. The competition between these two is sure to be spectacular. The rest of the grid features top racing talent including Gianfranco Giglioli and Kamil Pawlowski, all ready to fight for the victory and win one of the top prizes in sim racing – the opportunity to train and race in the Ferrari Driver Academy Hublot Esports Team.
The overall winner of this season’s championship will be crowned this weekend and will join the FDA Hublot Esports Team for the 2021 season. Current drivers in the FDA Hublot Esports team include David Tonizza, reigning champion of F1 Esports Series drivers, and Enzo Bonito, a very experienced sim racer.
The live broadcasts for the Grand Final races can be followed on the Official Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook channels, and feature expert commentary by Nicki Shields, pit lane reporter for the FIA Formula E Championship, and Paul Jeffrey, Sim Racing expert, journalist, and voice of companies such as Sro Esports and Race Department.
The Ferrari Hublot Esports Series Championship can be followed on the official social media channels:
Instagram: @Ferrariesports
Twitter: @Ferrariesports
Twitch: @Ferrariesports
Facebook: @FDAFans
Title Partner: Hublot
Founded in Switzerland in 1980, HUBLOT is defined by its innovation, which began with the highly original combination of gold and rubber. The release of the iconic, multi-award-winning Big Bang in 2005 paved the way for new flagship collections (Classic Fusion, Spirit of Big Bang), with complications ranging from the simple to the highly sophisticated, establishing the extraordinary DNA of the Swiss watchmaking house and ensuring its impressive growth. Keen to preserve its traditional and cutting-edge expertise, and guided by its philosophy to “Be First, Different and Unique”, the Swiss watchmaker is consistently ahead of the curve, through its innovations in materials (scratch-resistant Magic Gold, ceramics in vibrant colors, sapphire), and the creation of Manufacture movements (Unico, Meca-10, Tourbillon).
Technical Partner: Thrustmaster
Thrustmaster is a major player in the gaming industry with its innovative peripherals (steering wheels, controllers, headsets, and joysticks) for 30 years. The Thrustmaster DNA symbolized by “Passion, Quality, and Innovation” takes on its full meaning in Esport. Thrustmaster is fully invested in this and offers gamers equipment that allows them to express their talents and perform as well as possible. E-athletes will find in Thrustmaster products solutions designed and developed to ideally meet the specificities of each individual and the Esports competitions they favor.
Black Desert Prestige Edition to hit stores November 6th
Sydney, Australia, November 5th, 2020 – Black Desert, the critically acclaimed MMORPG by Pearl Abyss will hit selected on- and offline retail stores on Friday, November 6th for both PlayStation™ 4 as well as Xbox One X. The game is fully compatible with the upcoming next generation of consoles as well.
Inviting all players to join one of the most innovative MMOs in the recent years, the Black Desert Prestige Edition comes with tons of digital bonus content! Both new and current players can receive unique collectibles such as the exclusive Black Leopard pet, the edition offers tons of content supporting new players following their first footsteps in the game.
Exclusive Pet Black Leopard x1
Limited Edition Glorious Shudad Premium Set x1
Pearl Box (In-Game Currency) – 2000 x1
Value Pack (30 Days) x1
[Event] Enhancement Help Kit II x1
Advice of Valks (+40) x1
Blessed Message Scroll (100 min.) x15
About Black Desert:
Black Desert is an open-world action MMORPG with cutting-edge visuals and a skill-based combat system that redefines the genre. Black Desert has the most developed character customization system of any game that is currently on the market, allowing users to become their true selves with unique avatars. The MMO is known for its intuitive controls, beautifully designed world and extensive lore, which has successfully launched in over 150 countries and 12 languages and gained more than 30 million registered users during its lifetime.
Title: Black Desert Prestige Edition
Platforms: PlayStation 4 / Xbox One / Xbox Series X
Genre: MMORPG
Developer: Pearl Abyss
Publisher: Pearl Abyss
Age Rating: M – Fantasy Violence, Online Interactivity
Release Date: November 6, 2020
Price: AUD $49.95
Available in Europe, North America, EMEA, Australia and New Zealand
About Pearl Abyss
Best known for the MMORPG franchise Black Desert, Pearl Abyss is a leading developer in the game industry. Established in 2010, Pearl Abyss has since developed Black Desert for PC, mobile and console, and Shadow Arena for PC and console. With all their games built on their proprietary engine, their games are renowned for their cutting-edge graphics. The company also is developing Crimson Desert, DokeV, and PLAN 8, and is poised to continue its growth through 2020 and beyond to maintain its position as one of Asia’s leaders in game development. More information about Pearl Abyss is available at: www.pearlabyss.com
About Koch Media
The Koch Media Group is a global developer, publisher and distributor of video games, VR games, gaming hardware and merchandise.
The group’s publishing activities, marketing and distribution extend throughout Europe, America, Australia and Asia. Koch Media has more than 25 years of experience in the digital media business and has risen to become a leading global publishing partner. The Koch Media Group runs a multi-label strategy with fully owned publishing units such as Deep Silver, Milestone, Vertigo Games and Ravenscourt which publish games for consoles, PC and VR platforms across all physical and digital channels.
Additionally, as global publishing partner Koch Media has formed long-term multi-national publishing collaborations with numerous game publishers including Bethesda, Capcom, Codemasters, Konami, Koei Tecmo, Sega, Square Enix, Warner Bros and many others. With its parent company in Höfen, Austria, and the Publishing HQ in Munich, Germany, Koch Media owns local publishing companies in Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Australia, the United States as well as Japan and Hong Kong.
The Koch Media Group owns seven game development studios: Deep Silver Volition (Champaign, IL / USA), Deep Silver Dambuster Studios (Nottingham / UK), Deep Silver Fishlabs (Hamburg / Germany), Warhorse Studios (Prague / Czech Republic), Milestone (Milan / Italy), Voxler (Paris / France) and Vertigo Games (Rotterdam /The Netherlands). Additionally, the Koch Media Group collaborates with numerous independent development studios around the world.
Part of the Koch Media Group is also Koch Films, a European independent film distributor with business primarily in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy as a cinema, TV, online and Home Entertainment distributor. The Koch Media Group also owns Gaya Entertainment, a leading video game merchandise company in Munich, Germany, and the Quality Assurance Facility in Olomouc, Czech Republic.
Learn more about XIII’s soundtrack in anew music composer video interview!
Sydney, November 5th, 2020 – Microids is delighted to present a video interview with Lionel Gaget, XIII’s music composer. Learn more about his work on the famous cel-shaded FPS released in 2003 and discover new gameplay sequences of the upcoming remake.
LionelGaget revisits his XIII soundtrack creation process and explains his choices of instruments made to fit the game’s intentions giving the title a very unique jazzy mood. Behind the piano, he details the strength of dynamic music, changing its rhythm to match the player’s actions.
Lionel Gaget also explains how he crafted a musical identity that follows every situation the player faces in the game, would it be a calm exploration, a suspenseful infiltration or an intense combat situation.
Microids and Ubisoft Music are proud to announce the digital availability of the album containing 11 remastered tracks on streaming platforms alongside the game’s digital launch (November 10th). The soundtrack will also soon be available on Vinyl.
You can already listen to the track titled “Brighton Beach” here.
***
XIII will release digitally on November 10th on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, with a physical limited edition version available from November 24th at retail.
The game will be available in 2021 on Nintendo Switch.
About the Story of XIII:
Who are you?
The country is still in shock after President Sheridan’s assassination.
You wake up injured and with amnesia on the shore of an east coast beach. The only clues about your identity are the number XIII tattooed on your collarbone and the key to a locker. Despite the memory loss, you realize not everything has been forgotten as you seem to have amazing reflexes comparable to a well-trained government agent. You will soon be on your way to uncover your past, discovering in the process your role in the murder of the US president and unveiling the most astonishing conspiracy in the country’s history. The vinyl of the soundtrack will be available soon.
Play as “XIII” – a man who has no memory about his identity – and try to find out the truth regarding the setup of a major conspiracy. Follow XIII in his search for his identity through a thrilling solo campaign and brutal online fights!
Players will be delighted to hear the iconic soundtrack and voices from the original game!
Microids is a French video game publisher. Founded in 1985, Microids’ editorial strategy now focuses on 4 major areas: adventure games, racing games, retro gaming and games inspired by iconic titles. By collaborating with renowned studios and authors (Pendulo Studios, Eden Studios, Benoît Sokal, Paul Cuisset, Philippe Dessoly and Pierre Adane), Microids has become a major player in international video games. Taking inspiration from legendary titles, including Asterix & Obelix, and Titeuf, Garfield, Fort Boyard, XIII and Blacksad, Microids reaches a wide audience and creates original adventures which give gamers the chance to play as some of their most beloved characters.
About PlayMagic Ltd.
PlayMagic is a studio designing and developing games based on high profile licenses and original IP across a wide range of formats for the hard-core market segment. With a studio based in Malta, and one in Kiev, the company is currently working on the Remake of XIII for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC and Mac and on an Original IP for next-gen consoles and PC. The team at PlayMagic has designed and worked on top selling console and PC franchises such Halo, Call of Duty, Crysis, Hunt Showdown, Condemned, Sonic, Rome Total War, Operation Flashpoint, Colin McRae, Virtual Reality Games such as The Climb, Robinson. MMO titles include Lords of the Rings Online and Mobile Games like Forge of The Empire, CMR, F1 Challenge.
About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, For Honor, Just Dance, Watch Dogs®, and Tom Clancy’s video game series including Ghost Recon®, Rainbow Six and The Division. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2019-20 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated net bookings of €1,534 million. To learn more, please visit: www.ubisoftgroup.com.
An assortment of WWE Superstars, Legends and Hall of Famers, plus customization items, also set to arrive in the coming weeks
2K has announced that 10 WWE Superstars and 20 customization items will be coming to WWE® 2K Battlegrounds in the first of several roster updates starting November 6, 2020**. Featuring fast-paced action and an assortment of power-ups, special moves, unconventional melee items and interactive environments, WWE 2K Battlegrounds offers a unique arcade style and aesthetic for casual and hardcore WWE games fans alike. More than 50 additional Superstars and cosmetic items will be made available in the months to come**. You never know who or what might come crashing into the Battlegrounds!
The following Superstars, Legends and Hall of Famers are currently scheduled to appear in WWE 2K Battlegroundsvia automatic updates, with some content requiring unlocking**:
Friday, November 6*:
Goldberg;
Batista;
Jey Uso (unlocked);
Jimmy Uso (unlocked).
Wednesday, November 11*:
Ultimate Warrior;
Eddie Guerrero (unlocked);
Lita (unlocked).
Wednesday, November 18*:
Trish Stratus;
Booker T;
Ruby Riott (unlocked).
Each update will also include a selection of Superstar and Battleground arena customization items, including outfits, face paint, arena designs, color schemes and more**.
WWE 2K Battlegrounds is developed by Saber Interactive for 2K. 2K is a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).
*Exact dates subject to change.
**Some Superstars and cosmetics require unlocking through in-game currency. In-game currency can be earned or purchased.
Update Including a New Game Chapter, New 5-Star Cardsand Special Events Arrives to the Mobile Game on November 4
Los Angeles (November 4, 2020) – Netmarble today announced an all-new update available for BTS WORLD, the mobile game that allows the player to manage BTS’s career. Available now, the update includes the addition of Season 2, Chapter 4 to the game, following Seok Jin on his special vacation story at the hotel of horror.
In addition to this new chapter featuring Seok Jin, the November update includes:
Newly-added 5-star cards
Increased chance of picking Empathy and Passion cards from Nov. 4 – 11
Increased chance of picking Stamina and Wisdom cards from Nov. 11 – 18
November 7-day check-in event
Bonus time event with buff to draw mileage, gold and EXP
Free wings draw event, letting players draw wings for free every four hours
Special in-store item package sales
BTS WORLD includes 10,000 brand new photos and 100 video clips exclusive to the game, and players are able to interact virtually with BTS as their manager through various 1:1 interactive content.
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 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
About Big Hit Entertainment
Founded in February 2005 in South Korea by CEO and Producer Bang Si-Hyuk, Big Hit Entertainment’s core business focuses on music production, artist management and publishing. Big Hit’s business ventures incorporate and develop a range of content produced from top-notch artists’ IP, including global superstars BTS and its newest addition TOMORROW X TOGETHER. With its mission of ‘Music & Artist for Healing’, Big Hit strives to impart a positive influence through content while providing comfort and inspiration to music fans worldwide.
About Takeone Company
Takeone Company Corp. is an innovative content company that utilizes pop-culture within a gaming environment. Established in 2016, Takeone is leading the new genre of mobile games called ‘Cinematic Games’ that combines interactive game elements within a story concept based on both pop-culture and original IP’s. The games include full motion videos and various visual contents that push the boundaries of next-generation storytelling. Years of experience and knowledge in both storytelling and game development have led to the creation of cinematic games such as Take Urban, BTS WORLD. Takeone is currently developing a series of future cinematic games for their next up and coming titles. For more information, please refer to www.takeonecompany.com.
2K today revealed a new trailer introducing The City – the new multiplayer setting for the next-gen version of NBA 2K21. The most ambitious execution of a virtual basketball community ever with a map many, many times larger than previous Neighbourhoods, The City is complete with towering skyscrapers, sprawling plazas, a city centre and distinct boroughs controlled by rival affiliations.
Erick Boenisch, Executive Producer at Visual Concepts.
We’re roughly a week out from the release of NBA 2K21 for the next-gen PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S platforms. I can’t believe it is basically already here! As I noted in the last Courtside Report I wrote, it has been an incredibly unique year for all of us here at VC, as it has been for many of our friends in the entire video games industry. To be in this position to kick off a whole new generation of NBA 2K games, alongside the next-gen console launches, speaks to the team’s unassailable hard work and dedication to make NBA 2K21 the best experience possible. My endless thanks goes out to the entire team at Visual Concepts!
So far in these Courtside Reports, we’ve talked about next-gen gameplay and all the innovations we’re bringing to player animation, collision, AI behaviour, and so much more. The graphics…we’ve all seen the graphics! We’ve also introduced all-new WNBA experiences – The W, The W Online, and MyWNBA – that bring long-awaited gameplay modes to the women’s game in NBA 2K. And now, as you’ve undoubtedly already seen from the trailer, the team here at Visual Concepts is incredibly proud to present…The City!
But first, a little bit of history.
When we made NBA 2K14 for what was then the new, next-gen gaming consoles, we introduced “The Park.” The vision was to create a competitive online basketball environment that allowed our quickly growing community of NBA 2K fans to compete against each other outside of the authentic NBA experience. This meant allowing NBA 2K players to take their custom MyPLAYERs and bring them into a whole new place where you can compete with friends and complete strangers. Just like walking onto an outdoor court to run a half-court game or waiting for 5s at your local rec centre, the Park was our version of playing pick-up basketball and taking part in its unique, competitive vibe.
Over the past seven years, it has evolved and expanded with features that enriched the online experience at every stop. The Park experience quickly grew into The Neighbourhood as the NBA 2K community itself flourished, and it’s been our most popular feature over the years. We’re very proud about what we were able to build in the past and are astonished every day by the competition and creativity that our fans demonstrate in our world.
With all this said, I am proud to be the very first to welcome you to…
THE CITY
Here is The City at a quick glance: Imagine a map that is many, many times larger than previous Neighbourhoods. A design that resembles a modern metropolis, complete with towering skyscrapers, sprawling plazas, and a city centre. Oh, and it houses four distinct boroughs that are controlled by four rival Affiliations. And with that, I’m incredibly proud to announce that Affiliations are BACK! I’ll go into more details on Affiliations a little further below. For now, let’s keep painting the picture of what The City truly is.
The City is our most ambitious execution of a virtual basketball community…ever. The sheer amount and variety of buildings and basketball courts that we were able to create and fit into the map still amazes me to this day!
Let’s talk about the core components of The City and their functions:
Rookieville – Sitting just off the water’s edge on the southern side of The City lies the Rookieville docks. Rookieville is exactly what it sounds like; this is where your NBA 2K21 City journey will begin. MyPLAYERs looking to dive into The City and all that it has to offer must first prove their skills amongst other rookie MyPLAYERs in this isolated cluster of basketball courts. Meet the requisite actions in Rookieville, and the gates of The City will open before you. Let’s find out what awaits you on the other side…
Boroughs – As I noted above, Affiliations make their long-awaited return in NBA 2K21. Each has a dedicated space in the North, South, East, and West sections of The City that we refer to as boroughs. Each borough has its own vibe and collection of basketball courts – decked out in the Affiliations logos and colours. Additionally, each Affiliation area houses a unique Warehouse basketball court, where new MyPLAYER progression features await. More on this below!
Event Centre – The heart of The City is the brand new Event Centre, shining like a bright beacon, no matter which borough you view it from. Equally bright and shiny are the many different interiors of this futuristic monolith, where the court floors and walls are lined with dynamic LED screens and lighting elements that change the tone and vibe of the setting. All new and returning Events will be held inside the Event Centre, and special intra-Affiliation competitions will take place here as well.
Garage Hoops – Exploration is a major part of experiencing The City. Sprinkled around The City, you will find basketball hoops attached to the side of some buildings – if you look close enough. If you happen to see one, try pulling out your basketball and shooting some hoops with it. If another player passes by and sees you shooting, they will have the ability to step on the court and shoot with you. From there you will have the option to quickly and seamlessly launch into 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, HORSE, and many other game types. Its simplicity is its strong point. And as an added bonus, there are large VC multipliers you can earn on these courts each day for your first five games played! This is a great place to start your day off as you warm up for the main event at your affiliation’s courts.
People of The City – Continuing on with the theme of exploration, scattered throughout The City are quest/objective giving NPCs. If you’ve ever played any RPG experiences, you’ll have no problem spotting them; they will be the people with coloured exclamation points above their heads. Every 4-6 weeks, new quests/objectives will be added to our People of The City, such that you will find yourself with new things to do all year long.
Generally speaking, there are two lines of quests. The first is a series of single player 3v3 games you will be challenged with in the Warehouses found in the court area of each affiliation. Some of these can be pretty challenging as you’ll be facing off against some of the best players to ever lace up a pair of basketball shoes. The insides of the Warehouses are actually very cool. Astute players who enjoyed NBA 2K20’s Neighbourhood will appreciate the throwback efforts within them! The other line of quests will encourage you to get out and play games in The City, and reward you for doing so. Simple as that. Complete all of the quests and you will earn some unique clothing items/accessories that are not sold in stores. Get out there and ball, my friends!
Gatorade Training Facility – The mecca of MyPLAYER physical training gets a makeover on multiple levels – literally. The facility has now expanded to two floors, where on the first floor, MyPLAYERs will find their usual array of training equipment that’ll help beef up their abilities. The second floor houses a great new feature in The City: Rental Courts. Want an uninterrupted run of games with your friends or other ballers you just met? Rent a court in the Gatorade Training Facility and play games however you want!
Special Courts – There are a couple full-sized (one 4v4, the other 5v5) courts available in The City. These are non-affiliated courts that our team created to pay tribute to two things we are very passionate about. One of these courts was built to commemorate and celebrate the late Kobe Bryant. The surface is textured beautifully with Kobe’s signature snakeskin design, and his numbers 8 and 24 mark the restricted areas at the opposite ends of the court. And overlooking the grounds is a gigantic mural of an iconic Kobe moment, where he stood triumphantly on the scorer’s table as he celebrated his 5th NBA championship. I know you all are picturing the pose. What you are thinking is correct; and it is immortalized right here in NBA 2K21’s The City. This is a location where you will find me playing, as I celebrate my Laker and Kobe fandom!
Fire Ball – Holding court in The City is going to come with an air of prestige in the next-gen version of NBA 2K21. On occasion, you will see a Fire Ball being used on the courts…yes, literally A BALL THAT IS ON FIRE! When your team wins 10 games in a row on Affiliation courts, the ball used in your game will immediately catch on fire and stay lit until you lose. Expect crowds to gather around your court when this happens! You already know that everyone seeing the fire ball will be like a bat signal for the best ballers to start lining up to dethrone your reign. Challenge extended!
Pink Diamond Plaza – One of my favourite basketball court designs in the next-gen version of NBA 2K21 sits atop Pink Diamond Plaza, located right in the heart of The City. Decked out in fluorescent lights and with music orchestrated by a resident DJ, Pink Diamond Plaza hosts the entirety of the MyTEAM Triple Threat Online experience. Give it a look and prepare to be impressed!
Apparel Stores – While some of your favourite shops from the old Neighbourhoods will be returning, The City has been built to feature an even wider variety of apparel locations for you to express your style. Some of our closest brand partners will be receiving a dedicated space within our plaza of shops. All your favourites, including Nike, Jordan Brand, adidas, Under Armour, Puma, and many more can be found in the City. For me, two of my favourite new stores are Alter Ego and Drip Brothers; you can get some fun items in those two! Be on the lookout for all of the new self-expression items we will have available at launch and beyond!
AFFILIATIONS
The City is big. The return of Affiliations, however, may be just as big – if not bigger. For some years now, one of the most requested features from the NBA 2K community has been Affiliation-based gameplay. Naturally, we’re incredibly excited to bring it back in a meaningful way that offers competitive depth to the City. This is something we have wanted to do for a number of years now, and the power of the next-gen consoles finally affords us the opportunity to see our vision through.
Let’s start with the basics. There are four Affiliations in The City:
North Side Knights
South City Vipers
Beasts of the East
Western Wildcats
Each has their own dedicated borough and set of Affiliation courts within The City. Rep up to Pro 1 by winning a few games in Rookieville, and you’ll be assigned to one of these four rival factions. If you didn’t land in your Affiliation of choice, you can always head to City Hall of the Affiliation you are interested in joining and file a transfer request. The penalty for changing your Affiliation is your Rep level will reset all the way down to Pro 1 (what you had when you graduated from Rookieville); I would encourage you to think long and hard before abandoning your team to jump ship!
So, who will run The City? At the core of Affiliations gameplay is rivalry and competition. It’s us vs. them. Who will be the best? We’ve designed this experience to be an ever-present grapple amongst the Knights, Vipers, Beasts, and Wildcats for bragging rights within The City. Here is what’s in-play as you represent your Affiliation:
Player Rep – Playing on your own Affiliation’s courts has its advantages; specifically, you can only achieve your full Player Rep by balling on your home court. Playing on the courts of your rival Affiliations will earn you much less rep per game played. Leveling up and strengthening your MyPLAYER will be very key for what is to come…
Rival Day Conquest – The final two weeks of every Mayor term (more on this below!) will feature the culmination of a series of events to crown which Affiliation runs The City. Rival Day Conquest is a key event where all rep-earning restrictions are removed from The City and you are encouraged to invade every other borough with your teammates and take hold of the courts. Keep a close eye on the leaderboard located in each court area; at the end of Rival Day Conquest, the four Affiliations will be ranked by score and seeded for the culmination of the season, the Rival Day Championship.
Rival Day Championship – Taking place in the Event Centre, this is the final piece of the puzzle in confirming your Affiliation as the true champions of The City. Battle head-to-head with teams from other Affiliations as you engage in this culminating experience. For the Affiliation that comes out on top of this head-to-head championship, the spoils of The City await you. You’ll be able to head to your Affiliations City Hall and pick up your winner’s check (enjoy the free VC!), but the real prize is your Mayor will also be able to deck out your entire borough and make your Affiliation the envy of The City.
This is now the second time I’ve mentioned the concept of the Mayors. Let’s dive in and take a closer look at what a Mayor is, and what they do for you…
MAYORS
A brand new dynamic we’re introducing as part of The City are…Mayors! Each Affiliation will be represented by a Mayor; they will be very influential in your day-to-day experience within The City. So what is a Mayor, and what do they do? And how do they become elected?
Let’s go over their responsibilities. Mayors are responsible for:
Affiliation Videos – Mayors will be creating assorted videos during their term that will appear in-game on the jumbotrons in the court areas. You can expect your Mayor to emit rallying cries and motivate the members of the Affiliation to perform at the peak of their abilities. After all, like you, they want to run The City!
Custom Playlists – Mayors can curate custom music playlists that only play within their respective borough/affiliation boundaries. This is actually a great feature in that each Affiliation court area will have its own vibe based on the musical selections of the current Mayor. As you move away from one court area, you will hear the music slowly fade away as you get further away. Simultaneously, you’ll be approaching a new court area and hear new beats starting to get louder with each step. It is the small details like this that you will find immerse you completely in the experience of The City!
Court Design – There will be events during a Mayor’s reign where if their Affiliation comes out victorious, they will have the responsibility of designing what the courts look like for their borough. Will they choose a thematic design that represents the mascot? Will they just ask for Lakers courts? They need to be thinking re-election here with every decision made!
Mural Design – Like Court Design above, there will be opportunities for Affiliations to customize the look of their court areas with highly stylized murals to really set the tone for the location when rival players come to visit!
Uniform Selection – When it comes time to formally battle the other Affiliations head-to-head, the Mayor will have the unique opportunity to select the uniform that all members will wear as they stream onto the courts of their rivals. Dressing for success will be the order here; Rival Days will be monumental periods of time during the season.
Mayors will also be interacting with their constituents via in-game polls and messaging that is all conveniently built directly into the menu system of The City.
Finally, let’s talk briefly about how Mayors come to be. For the launch of NBA 2K21, we have hand-selected the initial candidates for mayors (spoiler: they will be some of the biggest names from the NBA 2K community; you know all of them!). These four big-time community influencers will be leading the charge for our Mayor program. But these positions aren’t permanent! Every six weeks, we will be holding an election week in the game where you, the community representing your Affiliation, will have the final say on who becomes the next Mayor to represent the cause. These are going to be exciting times that can turn the tides of momentum! We have some fun ideas in store to make election weeks fun and memorable. Stay tuned!
MyPLAYER
With a map of this size, our objective was to populate it with as many ballers as possible. To make for a truly vibrant, dynamic environment, we’re supporting hundreds of MyPLAYERs simultaneously in the City. Here’s what’s new for every one of them:
Walking and Balling… at the Same Time – The basketball is an integral experience in The City in NBA 2K21 (yes, we have LOTS of different balls for you to express yourself with!). You will need to have one in your inventory to participate in the aforementioned Gatorade Court Rentals and Garage Hoops games. Easily my favourite usage of the basketball is the simple act of dribbling it around The City whenever I want. You will be able to showcase your style with the real-time chaining together of a wealth of dribble moves. The dynamism in the system this year truly offers you the chance to create unique and custom showcases of dribbling the ball. One little tip for you: Somewhere out there in The City is a citizen who can teach you some of the best dribble moves around; you just have to find him!
Skateboard/BMX Improvements – One of my favourite improvements to the experience this year falls into the category of the simple joys I get while traversing The City. For the thrill seekers out there, you will find plenty of rails you can grind on with your skateboard this year. That’s right, express your style and grind on any rails you can find in The City! There is a very large hill over in the Beasts of the East borough that features the longest rail grind in The City. Have fun with that one! Oh, one more thing, there is a free fully kitted out skateboard waiting for you in Decks, our skateboard shop! Make sure to stop by and pick it up so you can partake in the fun!
The BMX bike has also seen a lot of improvements to its functionality and control this year. Aside from being one of the fastest vehicles in the city, it now allows you to perform a variety of tricks to show off your style. Land the 360 and you’ll get everyone’s attention. I should probably note, the skateboard also has its own set of tricks you can perform, in addition to the newly added grinding abilities!
One of our new vehicles, the Chopper, is a great way to flaunt your style. It’s not the fastest bike, but it’s not supposed to be. This one is all about looks and catching the attention of everyone around you. I’m a fan of all the different looks available here; more on the way too. This game will never stop growing and evolving!
Cosmetics – Creating a specific look for your MyPLAYER has been one-half of an important equation in making your MyPLAYER really yours. In the next-gen version of NBA 2K21, we’re opening up new customization elements to help you look just right.
Hair – This one is definitely a big ask from you, our community! We’re offering a number of new hairstyles this year that will keep you up-to-date with the latest looks!
Accessories – Rep your Affiliation with the latest accessories. Make sure and hit up ‘Embellish’, one of our many new stores in The City this year, where you can pick up some chain necklaces to truly show off your style!
Apparel – We’ve got some surprise items in store, including new types of hats (spoiler: I’ve seen the upcoming ‘wacky hats’ and they are my all-time favourites!), clothing, footwear, and more. For launch, head to your Affiliation store and mask up with a custom face mask that only people within your Affiliation can sport! It’s important to stay safe out there. And as always, we’ll continue bringing out new gear to freshen up your look all year long!
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Here at Visual Concepts, we see the dawn of a new generation as a chance to plant our flag and showcase to the world the kind of experiences we are capable of delivering to our dedicated fanbase. Born through a vision we started many years ago, NBA 2K21’s The City represents exactly that sentiment. The freedom afforded to us by the open-ended nature of The City is one we plan to grow with and into over the coming years.
2020 has been a challenging year for all of us in mankind. A global pandemic and devastating wildfires (in our neck of the woods) would have been cause for many to throw in the towel. To both my amazement and expectation, the development team here at VC buckled down, adjusted to their new norm, and delivered an experience that only we could deliver. I couldn’t be more proud of the team here, and more excited for our fans all around the world!
From our homes to yours, this one is for all of you! We’ll see you out there in The City!
