Turn-based open-world RPG tells a brooding tale about a blood-sucking hero.. or a villain, if one wishes

Stockholm, Sweden — July 15th, 2020 — Indie developer Early Morning Studio today announced that their gothic turn-based RPG, Vampire’s Fall: Origins is coming to Nintendo Switch and Xbox One this Autumn. Available on Steam, App Store and Google Play, Vampire’s Fall: Origins, has amassed a dedicated community of players praising the clever way the game applies classic RPG elements to create a fun, slightly dark-humoured roleplaying experience that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

“Vampire’s Fall: Origins is our tribute to classic RPGs,” said Emir Kuljanin from Early Morning Studio. “After receiving very positive feedback from our mobile and PC players, we are excited to announce Vampire’s Fall: Origins’ upcoming release on consoles so that more people can enjoy our dark fantasy vampire-themed RPG born out of love for old-school gaming.”

Vampire’s Fall: Origins, is a 2D open-world RPG featuring tactical turn-based combat set in a medieval fantasy world. After the malevolent Witchmaster destroys the Vamp’Ire village, players wake up as a newly born vampire with a mission to get revenge and halt the dark magic conjurings of the evil foe. The lone hero wanders the vast open world, takes on quests, and encounters a variety of NPCs, engaging in entertaining dialogues and snarky comments, that add tasteful lightheartedness to an otherwise gritty atmosphere.

Whether choosing to be on a righteous path or venture with deceit, players face countless enemies and level up their character by unlocking skills and abilities, as well as upgrading gear. With more than 50 hours of gameplay, over 250 pieces of weapons and armour, and rich character customization, Vampire’s Fall: Origins puts a modern vampire-themed twist on the classic RPGs of yesteryear.

Follow Vampire’s Fall: Origins on:

Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1167950/Vampires_Fall_Origins/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vampiresfall
Discord: https://discord.com/invite/2MsQVsf

About Early Morning Studio
Founded in 2010, Early Morning Studio is a Swedish indie developer with a passion for creating high quality old-school RPG games without any hand-holding. Their title Vampire’s Fall: Origins was released on mobile in 2018 to great success which led to its launch on Steam in January, 2020 with a review rating of Very Positive. For more information, visit: http://earlymorningstudio.com

The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack announced

While many are staying safe at home, it could be time for a new hobby. How about gaming and knitting combined? We are introducing The Sims 4: Nifty Knitting, where you can experience the two and enhance your Sims knitting skills while playing with an array of knitted items and objects. The Sims 4: Nifty Knitting launches on Wednesday, July 29, 2020 for PC via Origin and Steam, Mac, PS4, and Xbox One.

The Sims 4: Nifty Knitting is a community based stuff pack that was voted on by Simmers in early March of 2019 and brought to life this year. Simmers have helped choose the theme, art style, Create-A-Sim assets, and even the title and icon for this pack and now it is finally theirs as much as it is ours.The stuff pack features brand new items such as a rocking chair, yarn, knitted clothing, brand new hairstyles and much more.

As players increase their knitting skill, they can teach other sims to knit and unlock new knitting styles. Players can also experience being a handmade shop owner by selling their items on Plopsy – an online in game marketplace. Additionally, making an appearance in the game is Yarny from Unravel (EA Originals), a unique game about a tiny character made from a thread of yarn that slowly unravels as it embarks on a seemingly larger than life journey.

Hired Guns Wanted

Head-hunters and hired guns, step up – successfully completing any Legendary Bounty Mission will result in a 50% boost to your RDO$ payout and Role XP.

And newcomers who get their Bounty License to become a Bounty Hunter between July 14th and 27th will receive a RDO$200 Reward, plus all Bounty Hunters who rank up once will get an extra RDO$100 Reward. Veterans who already maxed out their Bounty Hunter ranking will receive a Treasure Map and 10 sticks of Volatile Dynamite for their determination and continued efforts in frontier justice. Much obliged.

DISCOUNTS

If you are eyeing a couple of things in the Wheeler, Rawson & Co. Catalogue, might we recommend taking advantage of the myriad of discounts on offer, including 40% off all Single and Double Bandoliers, Sniper Rifles, Machetes, Skirts, Chaps, Half-Chaps and select Winter-style Coats:

• Leather Duster
• Bison Duster Coat
• Tempest Coat
• Sheep’s Wool Jacket
• Hagen Coat
• Torranca Coat
• Dunaway Coat
• Ballard Jacket
• Durham Coat
• Finley Jacket
• Cinched Jacket
• Riggs Fringe Coat

TWITCH PRIME

Link your Social Club and Twitch Prime accounts and claim your benefits on Twitch Prime to get RDO$1,000 and more within 72 hours of claiming your benefits. Head to the Benefits section to claim your Offers and Rewards:

• Offer for 5 Gold Bars off the Butcher Table which starts the Trader Role
• Rewards for 6,000 Trader XP
• Offer for 40% off a Horse
• Offer for 40% off a Stable Stall
• Offer for 40% off a Shotgun
• 50 Incendiary Buckshot Slugs

Check Rockstar Support for details and limitations.

by Jason Ronald, Director of Program Management, Xbox Series X

When we set out to design the Xbox Series X, we aspired to build our most powerful console ever powered by next generation innovation and delivering consistent, sustained performance never before seen in a console with no compromises. To achieve this goal, we knew we needed to analyse each component of the system, to push beyond the limitations in traditional console performance and design. It was critical in the design of the Xbox Series X to ensure we had a superior balance of power, speed and performance while ensuring no component would constrain the creative ambition of the world’s best creators, empowering them to deliver truly transformative next gen gaming experiences not possible in prior console generations.

At the heart of the Xbox Series X is our custom processor leveraging the latest RDNA 2 and Zen 2 architectures from our partners at AMD to deliver a best in class next generation processor delivering more than 12 TFLOPs of GPU power and more than 4 times the CPU processing power of the Xbox One X. Xbox Series X includes the highest memory bandwidth of any next generation console with 16GB of GDDR6 memory, including 10GB of GPU optimised memory at 560 GB/s to keep the processor fed with no bottlenecks. As we analysed the storage subsystem, it became clear that we had reached the upper limits of traditional hard drive technology and to deliver on our design aspirations, we would need to radically rethink and revolutionize our approach with the Xbox Series X.

Empowering Next Generation Game Design and Creative Vision

Modern games require a significant amount of data to create the realistic worlds and universes that gamers experience. To enable the processor to work at its optimum performance, all of this data must be loaded from storage into memory. The explosion of massive, dynamic open-world environments and living, persistent worlds with increased density and variety has only increased the amount of data required. From environmental mesh data, high polygon character models, high resolution textures, animation data, audio and video source files and more all combine together to deliver the most immersive game play environment for the player.

Despite the ability for modern game engines and middleware to stream game assets into memory off of local storage, level designers are still often required to create narrow pathways, hallways, or elevators to work around the limitations of a traditional hard drive and I/O pipeline. These in-game elements are often used to mask the need to unload the prior zone’s assets from memory while loading in new assets for the next play space. As we discussed developers’ aspirations for their next generation titles and the limitations of current generation technology, this challenge would continue to increase exponentially and further constrain the ambition for truly transformative games. This feedback influenced the design and development of the Xbox Velocity Architecture.

Introducing the Xbox Velocity Architecture

The Xbox Velocity Architecture was designed as the ultimate solution for game asset streaming in the next generation. This radical reinvention of the traditional I/O subsystem directly influenced all aspects of the Xbox Series X design. If our custom designed processor is at the heart of the Xbox Series X, the Xbox Velocity Architecture is the soul. Through a deep integration of hardware and software innovation, the Xbox Velocity Architecture will power next-gen gaming experiences unlike anything you have seen before.

The Xbox Velocity Architecture comprises four major components: our custom NVME SSD, hardware accelerated decompression blocks, a brand new DirectStorage API layer and Sampler Feedback Streaming (SFS).

Let’s dive deep into each component:

• Custom NVME SSD: The foundation of the Xbox Velocity Architecture is our custom, 1TB NVME SSD, delivering 2.4 GB/s of raw I/O throughput, more than 40x the throughput of Xbox One. Traditional SSDs used in PCs often reduce performance as thermals increase or while performing drive maintenance. The custom NVME SSD in Xbox Series X is designed for consistent, sustained performance as opposed to peak performance. Developers have a guaranteed level of I/O performance at all times and they can reliably design and optimise their games removing the barriers and constraints they have to work around today. This same level of consistent, sustained performance also applies to the Seagate Expandable Storage Card ensuring you have the exact same gameplay experience regardless of where the game resides.

• Hardware Accelerated Decompression: Game packages and assets are compressed to minimise download times and the amount of storage required for each individual game. With hardware accelerated support for both the industry standard LZ decompressor as well as a brand new, proprietary algorithm specifically designed for texture data named BCPack, Xbox Series X provides the best of both worlds for developers to achieve massive savings with no loss in quality or performance. As texture data comprises a significant portion of the total overall size of a game, having a purpose built algorithm optimised for texture data in addition to the general purpose LZ decompressor, both can be used in parallel to reduce the overall size of a game package. Assuming a 2:1 compression ratio, Xbox Series X delivers an effective 4.8 GB/s in I/O performance to the title, approximately 100x the I/O performance in current generation consoles. To deliver similar levels of decompression performance in software would require more than 4 Zen 2 CPU cores.

• New DirectStorage API: Standard File I/O APIs were developed more than 30 years ago and are virtually unchanged while storage technology has made significant advancements since then. As we analysed game data access patterns as well as the latest hardware advancements with SSD technology, we knew we needed to advance the state of the art to put more control in the hands of developers. We added a brand new DirectStorage API to the DirectX family, providing developers with fine grain control of their I/O operations empowering them to establish multiple I/O queues, prioritization and minimising I/O latency. These direct, low level access APIs ensure developers will be able to take full advantage of the raw I/O performance afforded by the hardware, resulting in virtually eliminating load times or fast travel systems that are just that . . . fast.

• Sampler Feedback Streaming (SFS): Sampler Feedback Streaming is a brand-new innovation built on top of all the other advancements of the Xbox Velocity Architecture. Game textures are optimised at differing levels of detail and resolution, called mipmaps, and can be used during rendering based on how close or far away an object is from the player. As an object moves closer to the player, the resolution of the texture must increase to provide the crisp detail and visuals that gamers expect. However, these larger mipmaps require a significant amount of memory compared to the lower resolution mips that can be used if the object is further away in the scene. Today, developers must load an entire mip level in memory even in cases where they may only sample a very small portion of the overall texture. Through specialised hardware added to the Xbox One X, we were able to analyse texture memory usage by the GPU and we discovered that the GPU often accesses less than 1/3 of the texture data required to be loaded in memory. A single scene often includes thousands of different textures resulting in a significant loss in effective memory and I/O bandwidth utilisation due to inefficient usage. With this insight, we were able to create and add new capabilities to the Xbox Series X GPU which enables it to only load the sub portions of a mip level into memory, on demand, just in time for when the GPU requires the data. This innovation results in approximately 2.5x the effective I/O throughput and memory usage above and beyond the raw hardware capabilities on average. SFS provides an effective multiplier on available system memory and I/O bandwidth, resulting in significantly more memory and I/O throughput available to make your game richer and more immersive.

Through the massive increase in I/O throughput, hardware accelerated decompression, DirectStorage, and the significant increases in efficiency provided by Sampler Feedback Streaming, the Xbox Velocity Architecture enables the Xbox Series X to deliver effective performance well beyond the raw hardware specs, providing direct, instant, low level access to more than 100GB of game data stored on the SSD just in time for when the game requires it. These innovations will unlock new gameplay experiences and a level of depth and immersion unlike anything you have previously experienced in gaming.

Unlocking Next Generation Experiences

What does this all mean for you as a gamer? As the industry’s most creative developers and middleware companies have begun to explore these new capabilities, we expect significant innovation throughout the next generation as this revolutionary new architecture enables entirely new scenarios never before considered possible in gaming.  The Xbox Velocity Architecture provides a new level of performance and capabilities well beyond the raw specifications of the hardware itself. The Xbox Velocity Architecture fundamentally rethinks how a developer can take advantage of the hardware provided by the Xbox Series X. From entirely new rendering techniques to the virtual elimination of loading times, to larger,  more dynamic living worlds where, as a gamer, you can choose how you want to explore, we can’t be more excited by the early results we are already seeing. In addition, the Xbox Velocity Architecture has opened even more opportunities and enabled new innovations at the platform level, such as Quick Resume which enables you to instantly resume where you left off across multiple games, improving the overall gaming experience for all gamers on Xbox Series X.

We can’t wait for gamers around the world to get to experience these new, next generation gaming experiences on Xbox Series X this holiday and beyond. For more information on the Xbox Velocity Architecture, check out the video above.

The 25^th Annual QuakeCon will be the very first QuakeCon held remotely, but that won’t stop us from getting together to frag with friends, bond over video games, and raise money to do good in the world … just like always.

This year, due to COVID-19, QuakeCon at Home will be a global, totally online event – kicking off August 7 and ending August 9 – filled with three days of livestreams from around the world, tournaments (of course!), charity fundraising, and more. And the BYOC – the heart of QuakeCon – is going virtual, using Twitch Teams to bring fans together through games in new ways.

Here are a few QuakeCon at Home highlights:

• Global Super Stream – QuakeCon at Home will feature a weekend packed with streamed content from around the globe, kicking off on Friday, August 7 at 11:00am AM CST with Bethesda’s QuakeCon Digital Welcome. The event schedule will feature round-the clock programming with special influencer streams, surprises, and our very own Bethesda Community teams from around the globe – all streaming from home in support of charitable causes. Stay tuned for more info, including the full stream schedule, in the coming weeks!
   
• QuakeCon Twitch Team – Playing and sharing games with friends in the BYOC is the core of QuakeCon, and this year the global QuakeCon community will unite and connect for the first time through the official QuakeCon at Home Twitch Team. The Team will celebrate QuakeCon, play and share games, and help raise money for the QuakeCon-supported charities. Some players will be featured on the QuakeCon Twitch Team page.

 We will be releasing more details on how players can register to join the QuakeCon at Home Twitch Team soon.

• Esports Tournament – It’s not QuakeCon without a tournament full of frags, so that too has gone virtual for 2020. The 2019-2020 Quake Pro League season will conclude at our Quake World Championship, Sunday, August 9 at 4:00pm CST. From the comfort of their own homes, the top 24 players around the globe will compete to win their share of $150,000 Prizing and the title of Season Champion. Quake fans can watch online live via the Global Super Stream – stay tuned for details.
   
• Charity Initiatives – Raising money for charities has been a key part of QuakeCon for years, and attendees have made a huge impact for local, national and international groups. We are excited to continue this legacy in both a global and local way. QuakeCon players will be able to donate to organizations directly from the official QuakeCon at Home Twitch stream, including Direct Relief, UNICEF, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and The Trevor Project.

Animal Charities: Everyone will miss the good doggos who visit the Exhibit Hall every year, so this year we are bringing the furry fundraising global. QuakeCon at Home will have new, exclusive “Dogvahkiin” and “Catodemon” t-shirts for sale, with 100 percent of the profits going to both our long-time Dallas animal adoption partner, Dallas Pets Alive, as well as FOUR PAWS, a global animal welfare organisation.

• Official QuakeCon at Home Swag – With luck, this will be the only QuakeCon at Home we ever have to hold, so this year’s tee-shirt will be truly one-of-a-kind. QuakeCon collectors can preorder QuakeCon at Home merch today to complete the set and receive it in time for the live event.
• NA Bethesda Gear Store: beth.games/2ZtStON
• EU Bethesda Gear Store: beth.games/31E3vUq

Razer’s first ever 60% keyboard built with community-driven improvements is now available with traditional clicky or newly improved linear optical switch options

Razer™, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced the Razer Huntsman Mini 60% optical gaming keyboard. This new ultra-compact form factor keyboard is the latest addition to the Huntsman family lineup, known for its industry-leading optical switches that outperform traditional mechanical switches in both speed and response times.

The Huntsman Mini will be available in Black and Mercury White finishes as well as in both the clicky purple, and newly improved linear red optical switch variations.

The Rise of the 60% Keyboard

The Huntsman Mini answers the growing demand from gamers for a compact, high-performance gaming keyboard. This includes professional Fortnite gamers such as Ceice and Cloakzy, as the ultra-compact form fits perfectly in their limited tournament desk space.

With about 60% of the size of a full-sized keyboard, the Huntsman Mini still retains all the essential keys for gaming. Functions normally assigned to dedicated keys on a full-sized keyboard are still present as secondary functions, printed onto the side of the keycaps. Even more functions or macros can be assigned to any key via Razer Hypershift within Razer Synapse 3.

This minimalist design clears the clutter from the desk and allows for more gaming room with large mouse swipes or for a larger sleeping area for that furry friend.

Community-driven Improvements

The Razer product team is continuing the community-validation design approach they adopted with the Razer Huntsman Tournament Edition by listening to product feedback from gaming and tech enthusiast communities. Through multiple stages of iteration and feedback, the Razer Huntsman Mini was developed.

“We have many years of experience in creating and innovating keyboards and switches designed for gamers. That is complemented through the support and feedback from our community,” says Alvin Cheung, Senior Vice President of Razer’s Peripherals Business Unit. “The Huntsman Mini packs the latest and greatest in keyboard technology in an ultra-compact 60% form factor.”

In less than a year from the release of the linear switches on the Huntsman Tournament Edition, Razer has developed an improved Razer Linear Optical Switch, now to first appear on the Huntsman Mini – it features silicon sound dampeners that significantly reduce noise for quieter acoustics without sacrificing any speed or smoothness.

Doubleshot PBT keycaps, which were introduced with the Huntsman Tournament Edition last September, are more durable than regular ABS keycaps on standard keyboards and resist the oily shine from extended use. Razer has also made the investment to produce quality PBT Keycaps in regional layouts later in the year, including Japanese, Nordic, UK, German, French, Russian, and Spanish.

For fans of keyboard customisation, the Huntsman Mini features a standard bottom row to be compatible with most standard keycap sets. A standard USB-C connection port can be used to interchange with the user’s own favorite coloured cable on hand.

Built for Gaming

The Huntsman Mini may be small but still packs a punch in games. Players of fast-paced games such as Fortnite can build and shoot quickly and reliably with the best-performing optical switches that instantly actuate at the speed of light, outperforming and outlasting traditional mechanical switches found on most other gaming keyboards.

For more information on Razer Optical Switches, see here.

Gamers can also fully utilise Razer Chroma RGB lighting effects with popular game integrations like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and an ever-growing list of over 150 games through Razer Synapse 3. Even without external software, gamers can show off their Chroma lighting effects through extra onboard preset lighting profiles.

For more information on Razer Chroma, see here.

ABOUT THE RAZER HUNTSMAN MINI

• Razer™ Optical Switches – with Clicky or Linear options
• 100 million keystroke lifespan
• Razer Doubleshot PBT Keycaps
• Standard Bottom Row Layout
• Aluminum construction
• 60% Compact form factor
• Detachable USB-C Braided Fiber Cable
• Hybrid onboard storage – up to 5 keybinding profiles
• Onboard lighting presets
• Individually backlit keys with Razer Chroma RGB backlighting featuring 16.8 million customisable colour options
• Razer Synapse 3 enabled

PRICE & AVAILABILITY

Clicky: $119.99 USD / 129.99€ MSRP
Razer.com and authorised retailers – July 14, 2020

Linear: $129.99 USD / 139.99€ MSRP
Razer.com and authorised retailers – August 2020

For more information, please see here.

ABOUT RAZER

Razer™ is the world’s leading lifestyle brand for gamers.

The triple-headed snake trademark of Razer is one of the most recognised logos in the global gaming and esports communities. With a fan base that spans every continent, the company has designed and built the world’s largest gamer-focused ecosystem of hardware, software and services.

Razer’s award-winning hardware includes high-performance gaming peripherals and Blade gaming laptops.

Razer’s software platform, with over 80 million users, includes Razer Synapse (an Internet of Things platform), Razer Chroma RGB (a proprietary RGB lighting technology system), and Razer Cortex (a game optimiser and launcher).

In services, Razer Gold is one of the world’s largest virtual credit services for gamers, and Razer Fintech is one of the largest offline-to-online digital payment networks in SE Asia.

Founded in 2005 and dual-headquartered in Irvine (California) and Singapore, Razer has 16 offices worldwide and is recognised as the leading brand for gamers in the USA, Europe and China. Razer is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (Stock Code: 1337).

Razer – For Gamers. By Gamers.^™

# # #

SAN FRANCISCO – 14 July 2020 – Summer of Pride 2020, the second-annual month-long celebration of LGBTQ+ diversity in games, wrapped up its Twitch streams as well as sales on Steam and the Nintendo Switch eShop, raising more than $25,000 for Trans Lifeline, The Trevor Project, GaymerX and The Bail Project in partnership with more than 70 diverse streamers and 40 developers and publishers.

Adding a charitable component for the first time this year, MidBoss surpassed its own goals and expectations mid-month, while achieving the objective of spotlighting creators and media with positive LGBTQ+ representation in characters and storylines. 

In addition to donating 100% of its cut from games bought from the Summer of Pride charity storefront during the month of June, MidBoss has made the online shop permanent and will continue to donate all its proceeds year-round.

Summer of Pride gathered Biqtch Puddin, winner of season 2 of “The Boulet Brothers’ DRAGULA” and former competitive player in the fighting game community, alongside more than 70 popular streamers from across the LGBTQ+ spectrum including Spofie, Mischa, iambrandon and DEERE to play a variety of queer positive titles ranging from AAA The Last of Us: Left Behind and the Mass Effect series to popular indies including Sayonara Wild Hearts, Monster Prom, Always Sometimes Monsters and Fragments of Him.

“The success of Summer of Pride 2020 proves there is a strong demand for positive LGBTQ+ representation in games and to hear from queer content creators around the world,” said Cade Peterson, CEO of MidBoss. “We look forward to continuing Summer of Pride annually, making it a bigger and better event each year.”

For more information, visit the MidBoss website, follow @MidBoss on Twitter.

About MidBoss

Based out of San Francisco (although not the Neo kind), MidBoss aims to make the world better, safer and more inclusive for marginalized people, especially those across the gender and sexuality spectrum, by creating cool experiences through games and other forms of media which diversify representation, as well as becoming a platform for queer content around the world.

To learn more visit the Summer of Pride charity storefront, MidBoss website, MidBoss Twitter, and MidBoss blog.

New Map, Sweeping Improvements to Party Systems, Gameplay, More

CHICAGO — July 14, 2020 — Killer Queen Black, the strategic eight-player action platformer from Liquid Bit and BumbleBear Games, introduces a new map, sweeping improvements to party systems, gameplay and more in the Betelgeuse Update available now on Nintendo Switch and Steam. Follow the Roadmap to see how the game will continue to improve.

The Nesting Flats, a new level that separates weapon and power-up gates, encourages soldiers to cause trouble for Queens focusing solely on claiming weapon gates. The short snail track can lead to a quick victory, but berry-throwing pros can secure a rapid economic win unless met with strong defense. Steam achievements, new gameplay visuals, and a new party system make it even easier to play new content together.

Quickly access party members, online friends, and privacy with the new Party Widget. Set up custom matches by toggling “friends only” for instant join, or create invite codes. Choose between Invite Only, Friends, and Friends of Friends with the new Party Privacy settings. New Custom Match voice options include Team Chat and Match Chat: the former only allows communication during matches, while the latter keeps chat active during matches and in the lobby.

Adjustments to the core game experience make Killer Queen Black feel better than ever. Tweaks to how berry throws earn points make the game feel fairer and more deliberate. Speed upgrades now affect soldiers’ vertical momentum. Changes to the Helix Temple map include spacing out the gates, making the top berries just a bit harder to reach, and making the central berry pile harder to deplete quickly. For much more detail, check out the official patch notes.

Swarm the battlefield with this latest update and fight for the hive. Two teams of four enter but only one queen and her brood shall emerge victorious. Secure victory by defeating the enemy queen three times, gathering berries as quickly as possible, or riding the stalwart Snail to the goal. Turn chaos into communication with Killer Queen Black’s new Betelgeuse Update.

“Killer Queen Black is a great game to spend time with people and connect,” said Mike Chorak, Chief Architect at Liquid Bit. “With that in mind, we’ve made it easier than ever to play together.”

Killer Queen Black is available now on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. Killer Queen Black will be available on Xbox One at a later date. To learn more, please visit the game’s official site, follow the game on Twitter, and join the official Discord.

About Liquid Bit

The Chicago-based Liquid Bit is a group of builders, dreamers, designers, and developers. They make games that bring people together through innovative gameplay and design, and challenge you with games that are easy to learn but hard to master. Liquid Bit strives to go beyond just a game and deliver a connected experience and believes that good software should elicit an emotional response.

To learn more about Liquid Bit please visit the studio’s official website.

About BumbleBear Games

BumbleBear makes games for smart people to play together in public spaces. Its “platform”, the New Arcade, is a blend of digital and physical worlds through arcade cabinets, installations, and VR. The team is based in Brooklyn, NY.

To learn more about BumbleBear Games, please visit the studio’s official website.

As the last remnants of humanity destroy themselves, journey from the ruins of the old world into the unknown that lies beyond. The signal is still out there, and with it – the key to mankind’s salvation.

Watch the OUTRIDERS “Journey Into the Unknown” Trailer Here

OUTRIDERS is a co-op RPG shooter with brutal powers and intense action, deep RPG mechanics, and a compelling story set in a dark sci-fi world. Players will become an Outrider, a fallen pioneer from a forgotten past, reborn with devastating powers. Define your play style, level up your powers, and collect brutal guns and gear on an epic journey of survival.

OUTRIDERS will release on PlayStation 5®, PlayStation 4®, Xbox Series X, the Xbox One family of devices, and PC in Holiday 2020, and on Google Stadia in 2021.

OUTRIDERS official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/outridersgame
Follow OUTRIDERS on Twitter: https://twitter.com/outriders
Follow OUTRIDERS on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outridersgame
Subscribe to OUTRIDERS on YouTube: www.youtube.com/outriders
Join the OUTRIDERS Discord: discord.gg/outriders  
Learn more about SQUARE ENIX® here: http://www.square-enix.com
Learn more about People Can Fly: https://peoplecanfly.com
Follow People Can Fly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PCFPeopleCanFly

Raising Good Gamers Partners with TED-Ed to Elevate Young People’s Ideas at First-ever Games for Change Youth Summit in 2021

NEW YORK (July 14, 2020) – Raising Good Gamers, a new initiative to change the culture of online gaming for youth, launches today, including a year-long campaign with TED-Ed that will culminate with the first-ever Games for Change Youth Summit in 2021. This new initiative is made possible by a $100K grant from the Susan Crown Exchange.

Raising Good Gamers, led by Games for Change and The Connected Learning Lab, is a cross-sector initiative bringing together game developers, policy makers, researchers, parents, educators and youth to create a sustainable movement aimed at raising a more kind, civically engaged, pro-social generation of players.
 
Raising Good Gamers will choose 30 middle and high school students to participate in a TED-Ed program that will give the teens the opportunity to develop their voice around the culture of online games and their role in it. Raising Good Gamers and TED-Ed will then select five of the students to receive one-on-one coaching by TED-Ed coaches and a mainstage speaking opportunity at the inaugural 2021 Games for Change Youth Summit (anticipated for June 2021). Selected talks will also be featured on the TED-Ed Student Talks YouTube channel. 

“TED-Ed is on a mission to celebrate and amplify the voices of young people around the world. We believe this generation’s creativity, their art, their questions, their play — this generation’s ideas will define the future of our world. While Raising Good Gamers aims to build kinder, more civically engaged gamers, TED-Ed believes the most powerful tool for making that happen are the ideas and voices of those gamers,” said Ashley Kolaya of TED-Ed.
 
Raising Good Gamers believes the promise and potential of games and new media as spaces of learning, social exchange, and civic engagement among youth cannot be realized without a shared public agenda addressing the growing problem of toxicity online.
 
“We have an obligation and an opportunity to create a positive digital culture and climate for our youth so that they can use games and new media as safe and dynamic places for learning, social, civic engagement and fun,” said Katie Salen Tekinbaş of The Connected Learning Lab.
 
Susanna Pollack, president of Games for Change added, “We have long imagined an event just for teens, and with support from TED-Ed and the grant from the Susan Crown Exchange, we are bringing that vision to life with the first Games for Change Youth Summit in 2021 featuring youth experts from Raising Good Gamers.”

Raising Good Gamers will be introduced at this year’s Games for Change Festival, during an announcement with program organizers Katie Salen Tekinbaş and Susanna Pollack on July 14 at 1:45pm ET. There will also be a fireside chat on July 15 at 12:30pm ET with Laura Higgins from Roblox and Katie Salen Tekinbaş about teens’ experiences with online gaming during the pandemic, as well as a panel at 6:15pm ET to explore the design of online play communities for kids, and a research roundtable on July 16 at 1:30pm ET to discuss how kids are engaging with each other online. Register for the now virtual and free Games for Change Festival here to attend the Raising Good Gamer sessions.

About Games For Change
Since 2004, Games For Change (G4C) has been empowering game creators and innovators to drive real-world change, using games and immersive media that help people to learn, improve their communities, and contribute to make the world a better place. G4C partners with technology and gaming companies as well as nonprofits, foundations and government agencies, to run world class events, public arcades, design challenges and youth programs. G4C supports a global community of game developers working to use games to tackle real-world challenges, from humanitarian conflicts to climate change and education.

About The Connected Learning Lab
The Connected Learning Lab (CLL) is dedicated to studying and mobilizing learning technologies in equitable, innovative, and learner-centered ways. Connected learning is a uniquely interdisciplinary and cross-sector approach that brings together the learning sciences, social sciences, design, informatics, and computing to develop new research frameworks, engage in pressing real-world problems, and develop and test breakthrough innovations. The CLL investigates both formal and informal learning settings and supports connection and alliance building across varied institutions and sectors.

About the Susan Crown Exchange
The Susan Crown Exchange (SCE) works to prepare youth to thrive in a rapidly changing, highly connected world. SCE primarily supports organizations that operate in out-of-school time, prioritizing initiatives that promote social and emotional learning and explore the relationships between technology and society. What unites all of SCE’s partners is their commitment to creating opportunities for young people.

About TED-Ed
TED-Ed is TED’s youth and education initiative. TED-Ed’s mission is to spark and celebrate the ideas of teachers and students around the world. Everything we do supports learning — from producing a growing library of original animated videos , to providing an international platform for teachers to create their own interactive lessons, to helping curious students around the globe bring TED to their schools and gain presentation literacy skills, to celebrating innovative leadership within TED-Ed’s global network of over 500,000 teachers. TED-Ed has grown from an idea worth spreading into an award-winning education platform that serves millions of teachers and students around the
world every week.
 
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