ELECTRONIC ARTS DELIVERS A NEW NAME AND A NEW PLATFORM FOR ITS SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE
EA Play is The New Name for All EA Subscription Services Beginning Today
Redwood City, Calif. – August 19, 2020 – Today, Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) has revealed that EA Access and Origin Access Basic have become EA Play*, and Origin Access Premier is now EA Play Pro, all with a fresh new look. All the great benefits players love (trials of new EA games, 10% savings on digital purchases including full games and a library of top titles) aren’t going anywhere. In fact, even more benefits are on the way over the coming months, starting with exclusive in-game challenges and monthly reward drops for members on select titles. In addition, on August 31st, EA Play will launch on its fourth platform, the most in the industry, with Steam for PC, and players can look for more exciting news on EA Play soon.
EA Play is a game subscription service that makes every game more rewarding with access to exclusive player challenges, in-game rewards, member-only content and a library of top titles including The Sims™ 4, Need for Speed™ Heat, Titanfall® 2 – and some of EA’s most fabled franchises like Battlefield™, Star Wars™ Battlefront and Plants vs Zombies™. EA Play is available on Xbox One, PlayStation®4 and on PC via Origin™ now, and launches on Steam for PC on August 31st.
EA Play members get more from their favorite games with unique in-game benefits and perks for EA’s latest games:
● Madden NFL 21 players get to start their season early on August 21st, as well as enjoy EA Play Challenges, a launch-day pack in Madden Ultimate Team™, three Gold Team Fantasy Packs each month, plus additional in-game benefits that will give you a boost on the field.
● FIFA 21 players will get early access to the trial starting October 1st with pre-launch challenges to unlock bonuses and additional benefits all season long including FIFA Ultimate Team™ Season Objective XP boosts.
● Star Wars™: Squadrons players will receive in-game perks through vanity items like the Interceptor Elegance Helmet and the Ashen Monarch Starfighter Paint Job Set.
Members can also try out selected new release games for up to 10 hrs, with saved progress for those who decide to purchase the game so they can continue where they left off. Members also save on digital purchases, with a 10% member discount on full games to Season Passes, points packs and DLC. Members of EA Play will also be the first to try a reimagined PC experience that is currently available as Origin Beta. An EA Play membership is available for $4.99 a month. EA Play Pro membership, with full access to all of EA’s new titles, is $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year.
This summer, EA Play Live debuted as the new name for our annual live event previously called EA Play. EA Play Live is a showcase dedicated to sharing the latest EA news from world premieres and game updates, to fun ways for players and community to interact with EA’s hit games.
For more information on EA Play please visit www.eaplay.com.
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company develops and delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, mobile devices and personal computers.
In fiscal year 2020, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $5.5 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality brands such as EA SPORTS™ FIFA, Battlefield™, Apex Legends™, The Sims™, Madden NFL, Need for Speed™, Titanfall™ and Plants vs. Zombies™. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news.
Spotted: Legendary Mud Runner and Snow Bucks Now in Red Dead Online
Naturalists meandering in the Heartlands of New Hanover or the woods of West Elizabeth should sharpen their tracking skills and stay alert for a pair of Legendary Bucks.
The fabled Legendary Mud Runner Buck – with its aggressive nature and piebald coat that sets it apart from the more common bucks living nearby – has been spotted in the south of The Heartlands by Flat Iron Lake. The vigilant and fleetfooted Legendary Snow Buck can often be found grazing near the Aurora Basin.
Photograph, track, sedate and sample them in all their natural splendor and Harriet will be pleased to reward your efforts. Alternatively, hunt and skin the beasts before bringing their pelts back to Gus to adorn your trophies.
These Legendary Bucks are said to be most active at daylight, during dry weather.
You’ll receive 50% more XP (as well as Role XP) and monetary payouts for returning Legendary Buck samples to Harriet. And while Gus will not be able to craft coats from intact Legendary Buck carcasses, he will gladly purchase these carcasses and pelts from you for 50% more RDO$.
GUS’ STORE
In addition to offering 50% bonus payouts on intact Legendary Buck carcasses and pelts, Gus will be positively thrilled to aid you in crafting either the Mud Runner Coat or the Snow Coat.
WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER FREE ROAM EVENT
A brand new Free Roam Event invites all players to photograph animals in their natural habitats, competing against other photographers to rack up the highest number of points. Outscore your foes by photographing as many different animals as possible as closely as you can, paying mind to the quality of your composition. Prove your skills behind a camera to emerge as the victor for generous RDO$ & XP payouts. The best individual photograph taken during each event will also earn a reward.
INTRODUCING THE HARDCORE SERIES
No Ability Cards. No consumables. Just you, your opponent and your trigger. If you think you’re an expert gunslinger, the Hardcore Series is where you’ll meet your match.
Keep an eye on the Featured Series tile for the occasional Hardcore Series in the weeks ahead. This week, jump into the Hardcore variations of Overrun, Spoils of War, Hostile Territory and Most Wanted.
NEW EMOTES
There is a selection of new Emotes available in the Wheeler, Rawson & Co. Catalogue this week, including Hypnotize, Sniff, Check the Time, Prayer, Cougar Snarl, Coin Bite and Shrug.
BONUSES, OFFERS & REWARDS
Completing any Free Roam Event will pay out RDO$100 and a Reward for 5000 Character XP, including the newly added Wildlife Photographer Free Roam Event. Plus, take a photo using the Advanced Camera to receive a Reward for RDO$100.
Speaking of discounts, Naturalists might be wise to take advantage of 40% off all tonics in Harriet’s Shop. While those on the hunt for fashion can take 30% off all craftable Coats in Gus’ Store, plus 30% off all trinkets.
If you haven’t jumped into Red Dead Online yet, play before September 21st to receive the following one-time gifts, and be sure to check the Benefits section frequently for new Offers and Rewards:
An Offer for 30% off any Novice or Promising Naturalist Role Item
A Reward for 2,000 Naturalist XP
A Reward for Free Sedative Varmint Cartridges
A Reward for a Free Legendary Animal Pheromone
An Offer for 30% off a Revolver
A Reward for a Free Ability Card
Becoming a Naturalist and studying wild fauna in their home environment is a reward unto itself, but there are plenty of other perks, including the following one-time gifts:
Become a Naturalist and get Reward for a free Role Accessory, Outfit or Emote
Sedate and sample any animal and get the Gila Monster Camp Flag
Complete an Animal Sighting Mission and get a Reward for the Farnholme Double Bandolier
Purchase a Wilderness Camp and get a Reward for a Treasure Map
Visit the Social Club Events page for a rundown of all the latest special bonuses, and you can also view current active Offers and Rewards at any time via the in-game Benefits menu or at the Offers and Rewards section of the online Wheeler, Rawson and Co. Catalogue.
PRIME GAMING
Red Dead Online players who connect their Rockstar Games Social Club account to Prime Gaming will receive Rewards for:
5 Free Legendary Animal Pheromones
6,000 Naturalist XP
A free Wilderness Camp
A free Katata Coat crafted from the Legendary Elk hide
In addition, players connected to Prime Gaming will receive Offers for 50% off a Camp Dog, 50% off a Tent, and 50% off a Vest below Rank 15 – as well as 10x each of Special Health Cures, Special Snake Oil, Special Miracle Tonic and Special Bitters at their Camp Lockbox or any Post Office.
Broadcast 3 Trailer Promises New Class Reveal and More
SYDNEY, 19th August 2020 – SQUARE ENIX® is excited to announce that the third episode of the OUTRIDERS™Broadcast will air later this month on August 26th (AEST). The OUTRIDERS Broadcast gives players insight into the dark and desperate world of OUTRIDERS. Players will learn more about the devastating powers, deep class customisation systems, and challenging journey that awaits them in the highly anticipated upcoming RPG-Shooter from People Can Fly, the developers of Gears of War: Judgment and BULLETSTORM, andSquare Enix External Studios, the minds behind SLEEPING DOGS® and JUST CAUSE®.
The third OUTRIDERS Broadcast features the reveal of the fourth class, a look at the strategic depth of co-op play and class synergies, deeper insight into the Devastator class, plus answers to some of the most asked questions from the OUTRIDERS community.
The third episode of the OUTRIDERS Broadcast will air on Tuesday August 25th at 9:00amPT / Wednesday August 26th 2:00am AEST. Tune in at www.twitch.tv/squareenix
OUTRIDERS will release on PlayStation 5®, PlayStation 4®, Xbox Series X, the Xbox One family of devices, and PC in Holiday 2020.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Panel From Hell: New Gameplay Details & Intro Cinematic, Early Access Coming Sept. 30, 2020
DUBLIN — Aug. 18, 2020 — Today Larian Studios revealed the eagerly awaited early access release date for the upcoming RPG Baldur’s Gate 3. During the “Panel From Hell” livestream, the studio announced they’re aiming for Sept. 30, 2020, as the date Steam PC and Stadia players will be able to jump into the first act of the game’s early access content. The panel also went in-depth about Baldur’s Gate 3’s early access content, as well as the journey Larian is soon embarking on with players.
The final part of the game’s now roughly six-minute CGI introduction revealed that players begin their journey in Avernus, the first layer of the Nine Hells. Avernus featured heavily in the recently released D&D adventure module Descent Into Avernus, which saw the entire city of Elturel dragged into hell. The city was saved, but the aftermath of that cataclysmic event casts a shadow over the events of Baldur’s Gate 3. Players won’t just see the aftermath, however; captive aboard a nautiloid, they’ll take part in a daring escape as the ship jumps between planes of existence and is caught in the fury of the eternal, apocalyptic Blood War that rages across the hellscape. Avernus will be featured throughout the game, alongside many other locations to be announced later.
A highlight of the Panel From Hell was the “lobotomy scene,” a new gameplay snippet shown during the stream. As players attempt to seize control of the nautiloid, they find a corpse with its brain exposed. The brain itself seems to address the player, asking them to free it. At this point, players can decide to get their hands dirty, extracting the brain from the skull, which leads to the discovery that it’s not a brain at all, but rather a trapped Intellect Devourer. These creatures feed on the intelligence of sentient beings, taking over their victims’ bodies on behalf of their Mind Flayer masters.
Swen Vincke, Creative Director of Larian Studios, also showcased the scope of early access, giving details on how the size of Baldur’s Gate 3’s first act compares to Larian’s previous release, Divinity: Original Sin 2, when it launched in early access. Here are a few numbers that will emphasize the depth of Baldur’s Gate 3 in comparison to Divinity: Original Sin 2:
● Number of combat encounters: 22 in DOS2 EA vs. 80 in BG3 EA ● Number of English dialogue lines: 17,600 in DOS2 EA vs. 45,980 in BG3 EA ● Number of characters: 142 in DOS2 EA vs. 596 in BG3 EA ● Number of spells/actions: 69 in DOS2 EA vs. 146 in BG3 EA
Classes and races will be announced closer to September 30, but Larian today confirmed that Baldur’s Gate 3’s early access will include five Origin characters (as well as player-customized characters), with more to be announced throughout early access. The five launch characters are: Astarion (Elf/Vampire Rogue), Gale (Human Wizard), Lae’zel (Githyanki Warrior), Shadowheart (Half-Elf Cleric), Wyll (Human Warlock).
Through gameplay footage, and audience interaction, Vincke demonstrated how the game allows players to discover different permutations in encounters and dialogue depending on the characters they play and the choices they make. This depth of reactivity means that even in early access, multiple playthroughs will lead to different outcomes and developments not only for players and their companions, but for the many NPCs they meet and the world around them, too. In simple terms, playing “good” and “evil” will offer wholly different experiences with many twists and turns (all performance-captured) that other players may never see, depending on their choices.
While the studio is working towards the September 30 release date, there is still plenty that needs doing before players can dive into the world of Baldur’s Gate 3 early access on PC via Steam and Google’s Stadia. For more information about the early access philosophy covered today in Larian’s stream, we recommend keeping up to date with the community updates. Today’s will cover heat maps and the topic of how player input is parsed into functional data to improve the game. Heavy stuff!
GONNER2 CO-OP PARTY MODE REVEALED AT NINTENDO INDIE WORLD SHOWCASE
The award-winning platformer’s sequel unveils four-player local co-op party game mode & Q4 2020 release window
STOCKHOLM — Aug. 18, 2020 — At Nintendo’sIndie World Showcase, Raw Fury and Ditto of Art in Heart have revealed that the eagerly anticipated GONNER2 is getting a four-player local co-op party mode. For anyone that’s just lost their head over that exciting news don’t worry: GONNER2 will have plenty of replacements ready to go when it releases in Q4 of this year!
For those unaware (surely nobody!), GONNER2 is an intense and messy action-platformer with roguelike elements. Made for the brave, the bold, and the tad bit whimsical, you’ll flow through nonlinear levels, experiencing intense shooter action and pulling off ludicrous acrobatic destruction. Each time you play, the levels change drastically, loaded with extreme challenges and grand bosses to face off against, along with mind-dazzling secrets to discover. Oh, and of course a bunch of heads, guns, and upgrades that you can combine for some bizarro, fast-paced action!
GONNER2 is set for release in Q4 2020 on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. For more info, spin over to www.gonnergame.com.
About Art in Heart
Art in Heart is the independent game development studio based in the northeast of Sweden founded by programmer, game designer, and artist Ditto. GoNNER was Ditto’s first commercial release with Art in Heart after having released several smaller well-regarded games on his personal itch.io. Ditto may be the one-man game studio Art in Heart, but making a game takes a team. The team working on GONNER2 are: Ditto (code, art and design), Martin Kvale (sound design), Joar Renolen (music), Inna Hansen (art, character design), and Daniel Linssen (game design). Art in Heart makes games filled with twists and turns, secrets and surprises. Don’t believe you think you know what’s coming, because you really don’t.
Raw Fury is a boutique indie (un)publisher founded in 2015 by Jonas Antonsson, Gordon Van Dyke and David Martinez. We don’t care about genres or mechanics. We care about experiences and emotions. We want to help developers make magic.
After the utter failure of Microsoft Flight in 2012, Asobo Studio was tasked with the gargantuan challenge of reviving the beloved franchise and bringing it back to its roots. It is now 2020 and we are finally getting our first proper Microsoft Flight Simulatortitle in the franchise since the release of Microsoft Flight Simulator X in 2006 and the subsequent Steam update in 2014.
I am new to flight simulators, though I have always been interested in giving one a serious try. I have messed around with some flight simulators in the early 2000’s, but I found myself giving up in under an hour due to the steep learning curve. Yet something about the almost obsessive love fans have for the genre makes me want to drink the Kool-Aid and get into flight sims. I want to make it clear that this review is from the perspective of a curious new player. If you are looking for a review from someone with more experience in the genre, I strongly recommend looking elsewhere.
Story
Beyond the short lessons provided by the flight instructor during training and the standard interaction between pilot and air traffic control, the game is completely devoid of dialogue. The instructor has some cheesy sayings, but thankfully she is mostly focused on teaching players how to fly. Beyond that, the player’s journey is completely in their hands.
Gameplay
Microsoft Flight Simulator lives up to its name, so the learning curve is going to be difficult no matter what. There is a reason why pilots need so many hours of flight time to earn their license. Luckily, Asobo Studio provides a tutorial and an incredibly deep set of assistive tools to help players get into the game no matter their skill level or the degree of realism they are interested in experiencing.
The tutorial involves several levels in a Cessna 172 where a flight instructor will walk players through taking off, flying, navigating, and landing. The tutorial is helpful, and I found myself flying the Cessna 172 with some confidence by the end of the training. The jump to the open world with new planes is a rough experience. Newer planes like the Textron Aviation Cessna Citation Longitude are particularly brutal as they use a new screen-based cockpit. As a new player, I feel like I am already trying to drink from a firehose as I learn new terms and try to decode messages from air traffic control. The game is in desperate need of an in-game manual of some sort with a glossary of terms and labelled pictures of each plane’s cockpits. Right now, players simply must rely on a web browser and use the mouse to hover over each button to figure out what everything does.
The game tries to recreate the pilot experience down to the pre-flight checklist. The attention to detail is stunning. For new players, this is obviously too overwhelming. Asobo Studio gets around this with a generous set of computer assistance options that automates everything down the AI co-pilot doing the flying for the players. The intention is for players to turn off assistance features as they hone their skills. The options menu provides both general recommended settings and granular controls for players to tune their experience exactly how they want it. The assistance ranges from letting the AI deal with more mundane things taking care of the pre-flight checklist to more intrusive assistance like automatically adjusting the flaps and throttle to help players nail a tricky landing. The most helpful features were the waypoints indicating the correct flight path to land or circle around the airport. The system works well but struggles a bit with the more intrusive options. Objectives displayed in-game help new players navigate and get through their flight, but they can be too vague beyond take offs and landings. Important information like the correct cruising altitude must be determined from the ATC radio, but information can get crowded off the screen quickly. If the vague objective is not completed, the game can get stuck and a little confused, leaving players to figure the rest of the flight out on their own. Other times, the AI can struggle trying to get the plane on the correct course. I am unsure if the AI is overcompensating to fix my own overcompensation, but I ran into a few occasions where I needed to make some extreme maneuvers to get things back on track.
I quickly learned the controls are a bit challenging without the correct hardware. As a new player to the genre who is not ready to make a commitment of hundreds of dollars in hardware, I use what most PC gamers have access to already: an Xbox One controller, a keyboard, and a mouse. This set up is usable for a casual player, but far from ideal. The controller is too sensitive by default. There is no dead zone on the thumb stick and the slightest bump on the controller can send the plane veering unless the air is completely still. While I am able to add a dead zone and dial back the sensitivity in game, adjusting things like thrust and trimming is still a pain compared to a proper lever. Not only am I missing the tactile feedback of a lever, trying to make precise adjustments using taps and holds is difficult. While it breaks the simulation, I would have preferred an option to have these bars displayed as necessary on the UI when players make changes to them, regardless of how the information is presented in the actual plane’s cockpit. A mouse and keyboard to supplement the controller is an absolute must. I found moving the camera around and interacting with lesser used cockpit functions and the UI was infinitely easier with the mouse. Additionally, the limited nature of the controller means some lesser used functions can only be bound on the keyboard.
While Asobo Studio has offered a strong suit of tools for new players, Microsoft Flight Simulator is still a rough game to get into as a newbie. It is a game that requires new players to buy in and dedicate time to slog through the initially steep learning curve, and an investment into proper hardware if you are planning to play seriously. But the effort is rewarded eventually. For me, it took a few hours of frustration to struggle past the initial cliff and figure out the absolute basics of the game with full assistance. Afterwards, the curve levels out significantly, and most of the learning is focused on transitioning between different planes and whittling down the number of assists from the computer. The game has made me see the appeal of the entire genre. While landings are incredibly stressful, choosing a location and just flying somewhere is a relaxing experience. The game is designed to put the exact amount of friction players want between them and the sky. From there, success, failure, and everything in between are simply within the player’s control. It is just as easy to set the game up for a sight seeing tour through Europe by having a co-pilot take the controls on a sunny day with clear skies as it is to challenge yourself with a windy night landing on a tiny airstrip in the middle of nowhere. Outside of wrestling with the more extreme AI assistance issues, the controls always feel fair and realistic. Make too extreme of a movement and a whole series of alarms will sound and the plane will shake in complaint. The realism extends to the flight environment, as the game offers options for real time weather conditions and flight traffic.
For those looking for a little more excitement in their flight sim experience, the game lets players jump to different parts of the flight. Those who need more action can start with the take off and ascent, skip or speed through the cruising, and then land the plane. If you want a challenge, then bush pilot mode and landing challenges are available.
The technical experience on the PC deserves a special mention. The installation is ghastly. The game has an update that is over 90GB in size right out of the gate that must be done while in game, and it counts towards the play time to Steam users who are considering a refund. The load times are brutal. I have my copy loaded on an SSD but loading into a level and even the main menu feels like the game is running on an old hard drive. On the other hand, it is smooth flying once the game is actually loaded in.
Visuals
Microsoft Flight Simulator’s graphics are absolutely breathtaking. The planes look like the real thing to my untrained eye. The weather system is fantastic, and the live weather system is a joy to use when flying out of local airports. The landscape is incredibly well done, and I love that several major points of interest were created by hand to match the actual thing. Small details like animals and ground crew have not been forgotten either.
The era of COVID-19 restrictions highlights something special about Microsoft Flight Simulator: the freedom the game offers. After being cooped up for months, the ability to take a plane to a far away country I can’t visit right now and take in the sights by air is invigorating.
Audio
The audio experience is generally solid. The sound effects are spectacular. It is a game well suited for headphones, letting players hear small details like the quiet clicks of switches through the drone of the aircraft’s engines. The menu music, or the lack of, is a sore spot. Currently, there is only one short track for the menu, and it replays on loop. The track needs to be extended to by two to three minutes and a few more tracks need to be added to break up the tedium in the menu. The voice acting is minimal, but what is there is done well. The game has a quite a bit of voice chatter on the radio, but much of it uses either the Windows 10 speech engine or the speech engine on the Azure cloud server.
Overall
Microsoft Flight Simulator has a killer learning curve, but it also offers the intoxicating allure of freedom in the skies with a combination of solid simulation, fantastic graphics, and excellent audio. While Asobo Studio has done good job making the genre more accessible to new players with its generous suite of assistances, they have not perfected the method and still need to smooth out the learning curve. If you are looking to take your first steps to virtually fulfilling your pilot fantasies, Microsoft Flight Simulator is a great place to start.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
‘Art of the Duo’ campaign sees T-Pain team up with animator Rafael Varona, while Herman Li lines up with Kingdom of Something’s animators. Two teams, with two screens, in an epic clash of the creators
ROG 13.08.20 | The ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 is no ordinary laptop. So when Republic of Gamers (ROG) were thinking about the best way to showcase their machine’s abundant high-end abilities, it was always going to take something a little less than ordinary to fulfil the brief. Enter stage left our two teams: fronted by T-Pain and Herman Li, who — alongside animation talents Rafael Varona and Kingdom of Something — have been tasked with creating a mini-masterpiece with their new toys.
Herman Li is a British Chinese musician and co-lead guitar with London’s premier power metal band, DragonForce. His co-conspirators are the Amsterdam-based animation team, Kingdom of Something. Hoping to dash the hopes of these European dreamers is American rapper, songwriter and record producer, T-Pain. His artistic ally being Rafael Varona — a South American animator based in Western Europe but with roots firmly planted in his native Peru.
Both teams have within their ranks huge community engagement on social media platforms like twitter, Facebook and Instagram. This support will be key to the success of their projects and will also see two lucky winners score their very own ROG Zephyrus Duo 15s — as well as the chance to collaborate with the teams on their projects. Runners-up prizes also include high-end ROG hardware (detailed below).
The battle lines are drawn, the two teams are tasked with creating an animated short film with accompanying musical score; with the ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 offering all the creative firepower they’ll need. The laptop behind each team has a patented ROG ScreenPad, a secondary display, innovative liquid metal cooling and a groundbreaking thermal design unleashIng peak power from a 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9 CPU and NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2080 SUPER™ GPU; it will also run 48GB of the fastest 3200-DDR4 RAM. Meaning our creative teams certainly shouldn’t encounter any issues when collaborating across their respective music and animation projects.
Industrial designer, Adrian Godin-Bernard, suggests the ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 will easily handle the demands placed on it by the two teams: “The laptop can handle any kind of 3D rendering for hours without any problems at all. In terms of its music-making abilities there are also zero latency issues. The cutting edge specs mean this baby eats even the most resource-sapping music production projects — for breakfast, lunch and dinner!”
Angela Chang, ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 product manager explains how screen choices will be set up for ‘Art of the Duo’ teams: “For the main display we have two different alternatives that both balance the needs of gamers and creators. The first option provides a 300Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time; perfect for pro-level gaming. The second option, is a more professional creator-oriented set-up with a 4K display — this is the one our two creative teams will be using here.”
Battle commences on August 13 — if you want to follow the fortunes of the teams and get involved — maybe even win your own ROG Zephyrus Duo 15, you can find more details here.
ROG Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/asusrog ROG Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asusrog ROG Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/asus_rog ASUS Global Press Room: http://press.asus.com ASUS Global Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/asus ASUS Global Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/asus
About Republic of Gamers
Republic of Gamers (ROG) is an ASUS sub-brand dedicated to creating the world’s best gaming hardware and software. Formed in 2006, ROG offers a complete line of innovative products known for performance and quality, including motherboards, graphics cards, laptops, desktops, monitors, audio equipment, routers and peripherals. ROG participates in and sponsors major international gaming events. ROG gear has been used to set hundreds of overclocking records and it continues to be the preferred choice of gamers and enthusiasts around the world. Learn more about the choice of champions at http://rog.asus.com.
Players will find a carnival atmosphere and some old friends once the party gets underway!
YOOZOO Games, Shanghai — 18.08.2020 | Fantasy 3D MMOARPG Era of Celestials is two-years-old and you can join in the celebrations, with some old classes and some new looks. There’s a bit of something for everyone here and old and new players alike should find something appealing to explore.
ANNIVERSARY GIFTS
To celebrate the anniversary, Era of Celestials has prepared a range of gifts. Players joining our anniversary events stand a very good chance of winning a lot of very cool in-game stuff.
SLUMBERING CELESTIAL BAND
August 21 sees an all-new new event, Slumbering Celestial Band — which will be available to all players. This event consists of six parts: Celestial Band Available, Celestial Band Omen, Expedition Trials, Operation Awakening, Cursed Prayer, and Awakening Shop. Join the first ‘Celestial Band Available’ to collect the new Celestial Bands: Band of Ice and Fire, Thunderstorm Band, Band of Light, and Band of Darkness.
During the event, players are appointed either Guardian Envoys or Divine Saints to join in-game events; earning Envoy Medals or Saint Medals so they can purchase items in the Awakening Shop. In addition, players can get new costumes, mounts, and even titles (via Cursed Prayer).
ALL-NEW LINEAGE EQUIPMENT
Players will need to reach the required level to unlock Lineage Clone. 10 different pieces of Lineage Equipment can be equipped on the Lineage Clone, and each piece of Lineage Equipment will have its own Lineage Points. Once the Lineage Points have reached a certain number, PvP attributes and additional skills will be activated. The rarities of the Lineage Equipment determine the special effects of the activated Lineage Skills.
SAY “CHEESE”!
A giant birthday cake has been added to the main city. Log in and take a photo with it. Afterwards, share the photo on Facebook/Instagram with #EOC2YEARS for a chance to get a surprise gift!
MESSAGE FROM THE ERA OF CELESTIALS TEAM:
“We want to thank each and every one of our players over the past two years, your continued support is our best motivation.
May our game bring you even more fun for many moons to come!”ERA OF CELESTIALS Play Era of Celestials Stay up to date on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
The first instalment in a new Road to Odyssey dev diary series, “One Giant Leap” delves into the exploration of atmospheric planets and the stunning new planetary tech that powers them
Cambridge, UK – August 18, 2020. Frontier Developments plc (AIM: FDEV) unveiled today “One Giant Leap”, the first in a series of Elite Dangerous: Odyssey Developer Diaries. Join Game Director Piers Jackson, Art Directors Chris Gregory and Jonathan Bottone, Principal Programmer Kay Ross and Lead Designer Gareth Hughes for a first contact with Odyssey’s atmospheric planets.
Exploration has always been at the core of the Elite Dangerous experience. With the highly anticipated arrival of Elite Dangerous: Odyssey in early 2021, this fundamental aspect of the game takes on a completely new dimension by introducing on-foot exploration of atmospheric planets. Players will leave the protection of their spaceships and venture out and discover the secrets and hazards those new worlds have to offer, experiencing the thrill of leaving their footprints over previously unexplored terrain.
The Elite Dangerous: Odyssey development team is lavishing great care and attention to detail in the authentic recreation of the ice and rocky planets players will be landing on. Surface pressure, volcanism, atmospheric composition and other geological agents all play a key part on the structure and natural features of each world, capriciously moulding their appearance and making them unique and distinctive.
One of the most stunning changes Elite Dangerous: Odyssey’s on-foot exploration will bring to the game is a completely new perception of scale. When disembarking from their spaceships, players will notice never seen before details, like alien vegetation. This exotic flora can be analysed to obtain genetic information from every new variant encountered, and players can profit from their discoveries by trading in the data.
Elite Dangerous: Odyssey launches in early 2021. Stay tuned for more Development Diaries in the near future, expanding on gameplay and combat from a first person perspective. For more information, follow Elite Dangerous on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Visit the Elite Dangerous official website at elitedangerous.com. For media assets, visit Frontier.co.uk/media.
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About Elite Dangerous
Take control of your own starship in a cutthroat galaxy. Some may know you as an ally; others will call you a pirate, a bounty hunter, a smuggler, an explorer, an assassin, a hero… Fly alone or with friends, fight for a cause or go it alone. Your actions change the galaxy around you in an ever-unfolding story. Start with a small starship and a handful of credits, and do whatever it takes to earn the skill, knowledge, wealth and power to stand among the ranks of the Elite.
About Frontier
Frontier is a leading independent creator of self-published videogame franchises founded in 1994 by David Braben, co-author of the iconic Elite game. Based in Cambridge, Frontier uses its proprietary ‘COBRA’ game development technology to create innovative games, currently focusing on videogame consoles and personal computers.
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Epic Games and DC AnnounceAll-New Fortnite Bundle Coming this Spring
Become Everyone’s Nemesis with the Fortnite: The Last Laugh Bundle
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Epic Games and DC has announced Fortnite: The Last Laugh Bundle, the latest bundle that continues the worldwide retail distribution partnership for Fortnite. The latest DC Super-Villains themed bundle will have a RRP of $44.95 and players will be able to pick up the new bundle for the Xbox One family of devices, including Xbox Series X, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, and Nintendo Switch™ system beginning Nov. 17, 2020. Players can also purchase Fortnite: The Last Laugh Bundle and download digitally through the in-game store and first-party digital marketplaces this holiday.
Fortnite: The Last Laugh Bundle will consist of V-Bucks and 11 in-game items:
1,000 V-Bucks
Three outfits: The Joker, Poison Ivy, Midas Rex
Three Back Blings: Laugh Riot (reactive), Back Bloom, Midas Crest
Four Pickaxes: Bad Joke, The Joker’s Revenge, Ivy Axe, Kingmaker
BATTLE. BUILD. CREATE. Fortnite is the free, always evolving, multiplayer game where you and your friends battle to be the last one standing in 100 PvP mode or collaborate to create your dream Fortnite world.
About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc. is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all platforms, including console, handheld, mobile and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.
About Epic Games
Founded in 1991, Epic Games is the creator of Fortnite, Unreal, Gears of War, Shadow Complex, and the Infinity Blade series of games. Epic’s Unreal Engine technology brings high-fidelity, interactive experiences to PC, console, mobile, AR, VR and the Web. Unreal Engine is freely available at unrealengine.com. For more information on the studio, visit epicgames.com and check out @EpicGames.
About DC
DC is one of the largest publishers of comics and graphic novels in the world and home to some of the most iconic and recognizable characters ever created. As a creative unit of WarnerMedia, DC is charged with strategically integrating its stories and characters across film, television, consumer products, home entertainment, interactive games, and the DC Universe digital subscription service. For more information visit dccomics.com and dcuniverse.com.
