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MAGIC: MANASTRIKE UNVEILS IKORIA II SEASON IN BRAND-NEW UPDATE

MAGIC: MANASTRIKE UNVEILS IKORIA II SEASON IN BRAND-NEW UPDATE

Exclusive New Skin for Magic Pass and 3 New cards Now Available!

LOS ANGELES – MAY 20, 2020 – Today, Netmarble Corp. released a new update to Magic: ManaStrike, Netmarble’s first-ever game for the Wizards of the Coast franchise Magic: The Gathering, that introduces additions including Magic Pass’ Ikoria II season, a new Magic Pass-exclusive Skin for the Planeswalker character Tezzeret, three all-new cards,  and more.

As part of Ikoria II season, a new Magic Pass exclusive skin for Blue/Black Planeswalker Tezzeret is now available. The new skin is inspired by Tezzeret the Schemer in Magic: The Gathering. Other rewards for Magic Pass Ikoria II season include: a Level Boost Voucher, a Skin selector, an Emoji and a new Player icon.

This update also includes the new card type, hybrid multicolor cards that can be used for color deck matching with one of Magic’s colors. The updated three hybrid multicolor cards are Blue/Black card Oona, Queen of the Fae, a Red/Green Regisaur Alpha card and a White/Green Good-Fortune Unicorn card. 

Other additions to Magic: ManaStrike as part of the new update include:

  • Color Strategy Tutorial – A new color strategy tutorial focusing on building decks with White, Blue, and Black cards
  • Event Mode Improvements Planeswalkers can now be purchased with a new currency that is obtained only in Event mode

Magic: ManaStrike takes the excitement of Magic: The Gathering’s vast lore in a whole new direction with a fast-paced PVP strategy game. After losing a war with the Planeswalkers, Magic: The Gathering’s most powerful villain Nicol Bolas creates a parallel universe to find the Planeswalkers’ weaknesses. Players enter a contract with Nicol Bolas to provide combat data by controlling Planeswalkers and units in his universe. Fast-paced and easy to learn, fans can experience dynamic real-time battles with anyone from around the world in three-minute matches. During battle, players will be able to summon units, cast spells, and command powerful Planeswalkers with simple tap and drag gameplay and iconic Magic: The Gathering cards re-envisioned through high-quality 3D. By collecting new cards from Magic’s five unique Mana colors – White, Blue, Black, Red and Green, players will learn to understand each color’s traits, and create unique strategies that lead the way to victory.

Magic: ManaStrike is available to download on the App Store and Google Play and is globally launched, and supports 13 languages including English, Korean, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Indonesian, Thai, Russian and Portuguese.

For more information, please visit Magic: ManaStrike’s official website and forum. Also, please follow Magic: ManaStrike on Facebook and Twitter.

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About Netmarble Corporation
Netmarble Corporation strives to entertain audiences of all ages around the world by providing great mobile gaming experiences. Established in Korea in 2000, Netmarble is one of the fastest-growing mobile game companies and consistently ranks as a top mobile developer and publisher worldwide. With more than 6,000 employees, Netmarble has been producing and servicing some of the most successful mobile games including Lineage 2: Revolution, Blade & Soul Revolution, MARVEL Future Fight, BTS WORLD, Everybody’s Marble, and Seven Knights. As a parent company to Kabam, a top mobile game developer in massively multiplayer free-to-play games, the largest shareholder to Jam City, a leading casual social game developer and a major shareholder of BigHit Entertainment, a music production, artist management and publishing company, Netmarble has a strategic partnership with CJ ENM Corporation, Asia’s largest entertainment company, Tencent Holdings, Asia’s largest internet company, and NCsoft, a prominent MMORPG company. More information can be found at http://company.netmarble.com

About Magic: The Gathering

Magic: The Gathering’s compelling characters, fantastic worlds, and deep strategic gameplay have entertained and delighted fans for more than 25 years. Fans can experience Magic through the tabletop trading card game, the new digital game Magic: The Gathering Arena, a New York Times bestselling novel, critically acclaimed comic book series, and professional esports league. With over 40 million fans to date, Magic is a worldwide phenomenon published in eleven languages in over 70 countries.

About Wizards of the Coast

Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., is an award-winning developer and publisher of tabletop and digital games that ignite a sense of adventure in passionate players around the globe. Best known for publishing groundbreaking fantasy franchises, MAGIC: THE GATHERING® and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®, Wizards is dedicated to bringing together world-class talent to create unforgettable play experiences at its headquarters in Washington and studios in Austin and Montreal. Learn more at www.wizards.com

IDEA FACTORY INTERNATIONAL JOINS DIGITAL SHOWCASE, NEW GAME+ EXPO

|NGPX Official Website | IFI NA Online Store|

LOS ANGELES, CA., May 20, 2020 – Go beyond new! We’re excited to announce that on June 23, Idea Factory International, along with 13 other developers and publishers, will attend the upcoming digital showcase, New Game+ EXPO (NGPX)

We at Idea Factory International are happy to be able to join together with so many great video game publishers in this exciting experience for the fans. IFI fans can expect new exclusive game trailers and a few more exciting announcements coming soon alongside the dozens of games that will appear during the showcase.

What is NEW GAME+ EXPO? This digital showcase is a collaborative initiative of 14 video game publishers and developers located in North America and Japan, where fans can come through to check out new game announcements, trailers and more!

The showcase will be featured live exclusively on Twitch on June 23, 2020 at 8 AM PDT (5 PM CEST). A live broadcast will run from 9 AM to 4 PM PDT
(6 PM to 1 AM CEST
) featuring first looks, Q&A, and more on the NGPX Twitch channel. The full showcase, along with trailers and highlights, will be available to view after the livestream on NGPX YouTube channel.

SERIOUS SAM 4 OBLITERATES NORMALITY AUGUST 2020

SERIOUS SAM 4 OBLITERATES NORMALITY AUGUST 2020

Bombastic prequel will launch on Steam and Google Stadia

Croteam and Devolver Digital have announced that the high-powered prequel Serious Sam 4 will unleash both barrels of chaos on Steam and Google Stadia when it launches August 2020. Serious Sam fans can circle-strafe over to serioussam.com and watch new feature highlight videos, pre-order Serious Sam 4, and snatch up previous Serious Sam games at up to 90% off.

Humanity is under siege as the full force of Mental’s hordes spreads across the world, ravaging what remains of a broken and beaten civilization. The last remaining resistance to the invasion is the Earth Defense Force led by Sam “Serious” Stone and his heavily-armed squad of misfit commandos. 

HORDES OF INVADERS

The iconic cast of alien invaders returns with some new reinforcements! Fight your way through unbelievable numbers of Mental’s minions including the iconic Headless Kamikaze, Beheaded Rocketeer, Kleer, Scrapjack, Werebull, and Khnum! Square off against brand new enemies and towering monsters like the frantic Processed, repulsive Belcher, the hard hitting Brute Zealot, and more.

EXPLOSIVE ARSENAL

Armed with a slew of devastating weapons, pick your tool for any situation. Lay waste to Mental’s hordes using the powerful double-barreled shotgun, the punishing minigun, the powerful chainsaw launcher, a brand new auto shotgun, and the iconic cannon. Upgrade your toys, and enjoy the violent beauty of the lock-on rocket launcher, and the mighty laser beam of death. 

COOPERATIVE MAYHEM

Smash through the action-packed campaign with friends in 4-player online co-op mode! Tackle exciting primary missions and thrilling side quests in modified difficulties for an extra challenge.

LEGION SYSTEM

Serious Sam 4 unleashes some of the biggest moments in the series’ history with the new Legion System and battlefields teeming with thousands of enemies!

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NARAKA: BLADEPOINT Strikes with New Parkour Trailer

Hangzhou, 20.05.2020 | 24Entertainment today unveiled a new trailer for its upcoming multiplayer combat game, NARAKA: BLADEPOINT. Announced in December at The Game Awards 2019, this new trailer reveals exciting characters and their weapons, with an additional glimpse of new maps.

We have seen characters Viper Ning, Takeda Nobutada, Tenkai before, but this new trailer shows new, unseen before character, Mehlika. Each character has their own unique power, see video for Mehlika’s sneaky attack from using her power of invisibility.

Each character has their own unique , which enhances gameplay and gives players a different feel for each character they choose.  In this video, the action takes place in beautifully detailed maps. Enjoy the scenery, but watch out as the action as friends become foe in an epic battle to the death.

Game Features:

  • Unchained Combat System: Super free Map Interaction + Grappling Hook
  • Unique Block & Parry Mechanics: No Defence or Block button
  • Original multiplayer gameplay
  • Stunning Eastern Art Style

NARAKA: BLADEPOINT is set for release globally in 2020. To volunteer for the battle, go to https://store.steampowered.com/app/1203220 to begin your journey, as you look to become the hero or the villain, and raise your hands in victory as you celebrate as the champion.

For more information, visit http://www.narakathegame.com or follow the game now to receive future updates on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/narakathegame or Twitter https://twitter.com/NARAKATHEGAME

About 24 Entertainment
24 Entertainment is a Chinese game studio founded by a group of artists, engineers, and designers who are all veterans in the gaming industry, with the shared vision of introducing global players to Eastern cultures employing cutting-edge gaming technology.

Upcoming Digital Showcase New Game+ Expo Announced for June 2020

14 video game publishers come together to bring exciting announcements and connect with fans via an all-new showcase on June 23.

May 20, 2020 – New Game+ Expo (NGPX), a collaborative initiative of 14 video game publishers based in North America and Japan, will host a digital presentation featuring dozens of games that includes new title announcements and live gameplay demos.

The showcase will be featured live exclusively on Twitch on June 23, 2020 at 8 AM PDT (5 PM CEST). A live broadcast will run from 9 AM to 4 PM PDT (6 PM to 1 AM CEST) featuring first looks, Q&A, and more on the NGPX Twitch channel. The full showcase, along with trailers and highlights, will be available to view after the livestream on NGPX’s YouTube channel.

“New Game+ Expo is a grassroots coalition of publishers and developers,” said Adam Johnson, producer of NGPX. “Organizing together for the first time, we hope fans have fun as we take a look at the combined upcoming lineup of games for 2020 and beyond!”

The list of participating publishers are as follows:

ActtilAKSYS GamesArc System Works AmericaGungHo AmericaIdea Factory International Inti CreatesKOEI TECMO AmericaNatsume Inc. NIS America, Inc.PLAYISMSega of AmericaSNK CorporationSpike Chunsoft, Inc.WayForward

“COVID-19 has brought with it many challenges, but also an opportunity to come together as a bold collective of publishers. SEGA is delighted to announce its participation in New Game+ Expo, a new digital tentpole summer event of 14 publishers, joining forces to create a one-of-a-kind showcase event that unifies a special slice of the video game industry,” said Ian Curran, COO and President of Sega of America. “SEGA looks forward to joining with our friends at NIS America, Inc., KOEI TECMO America, Spike Chunsoft, Inc., Idea Factory International, AKSYS Games, Natsume Inc., Arc System Works America, GungHo America, SNK Corporation, PLAYISM, Acttil, WayForward and Inti Creates to bring all our fans more excitement and entertainment as we move into a busy digital show season! We look forward to entertaining you on June 23. In the meantime, stay safe and GAME ON.”

More highlights are to come via NGPX’s social media channels, including the schedule of publishers for the post-showcase livestream.

“Congratulations to NGPX! As a gamer myself, I’m incredibly excited to see what will be on display,” said SUDA51, CEO of GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE. “We must never doubt the power that video games bring to gamers offering us vitality and energy for tomorrow. Let’s get charged up while staying at home!”

About New Game+ Expo: Born from the collaboration of multiple talented developers from North America and Japan, New Game+ Expo (NGPX) is a digital event that strives to connect directly with fans and deliver exciting updates for their favorite titles. For the latest news, visit ngpx.games and follow NGPX on Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, and YouTube.

2Awesome Studio presents its publishing initiative: 2Awesome Partners

The Netherlands, May 21th 2020

After successfully developing the game Dimension Drive in 2017, 2Awesome Studio has helped other developers publishing their games on different platforms. The Bug Butcher (Awfully Nice Studios) and Back to Bed (Bedtime Digital Games) on Nintendo Switch, Inferno 2 (Radian Games) and Lumini (Speelbaars) on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Playstation 4.

Thus, after having worked with other teams, 2Awesome Studio has  decided to go ahead with the publishing of projects from other teams. Therefore, it is an honor to present our initiative 2Awesome Partners, in which we give you a sneak peek at the lineup of the 2020 season in video form, and after that a text summarizing all of them.

In words of David Jimenez, co founder of 2Awesome Studio “When we funded 2Awesome Studio in 2014 our main goal was to bring to market games with new and addictive mechanics. Thanks to the experience gained with our own games we are now happy to be able to announce our 2Awesome Partners initiative where we can help other great teams and bring even more awesome games to the players.” 

All these games will be coming to the market throughout the year. As the launch of each game approaches, we will let you know, and we hope that you will enjoy all these games as much as they have entertained us.

And more information can be found at our website http://www.2awesomestudio.com

Lost Wing (BoxFrog Games; PC, consoles).

Lost Wing is a frantic speed shooter game in which we control a ship that runs through tracks while dodging traps, defeating enemies and getting as many points as possible. The player will work his way through different types of modes, both by randomly generated environments and others created specifically to challenge the player. Also, if you want to have any kind of opportunity to climb the leaderboards, you must defeat the mega bosses first. With a deep electronic soundtrack and stunning neon science fiction visuals, Lost Wing is a game that fans of speed, shooting and high scores will love.

Rainswept (Frostwood Interactive; consoles)

Rainswept is a murder mystery game where the player investigates a double shooting as Detective Stone, helped by local cop Amy Blunt, in the fictional small town of Pineview. Unravel threads of love, relationships and unresolved trauma in this character driven game. 

Farm Slider (Ludomo Gamestudio; PC, Consoles)

Easy to play, difficult to finish and impossible to put down. Hours and hours of baffling fun for all ages. The player will challenge their ability to think about the future in this minimalist puzzle game that contains 48 levels set in villages and farms that are out of place. To fix it you must slide the tiles to match the previous example to complete the level.

Luckslinger (Duckbridge; Consoles)

In Luckslinger, luck is measurable, collectible, and usable whenever the player desires. Inspired by the unreal fast gunmen, the gritty, dark humor and greed-fueled antiheroes of the spaghetti wester classics. In addition to vinyl sound, rhymes, slow drums, and jazz samples of hip hop culture and sound, Luckslinger is a curious game that mixes platforming, shooting, and some unexpected surprises.

Horned Knight (2kSomnis; PC, Consoles)

Horned Knight is an action platformer where the player controls a brave knight that awakens inside a dungeon. He must overcome all his fears, defeat numerous enemies, dodge many traps and escape from this place to be able to reunite with his family again. There are monsters and traps everywhere! You need to help your knight kill them.

Batu Ta Batu (EZSD Games; PC, consoles)

Batu Ta Batu is a colorful tile-based puzzle for one to four players. Swipe and match tiles of the same color and reach ever higher levels of complexity in hundreds of levels and various game modes.
Enter the world of Batu Ta Batu and slide the tiles, combine them and send them to their corresponding color in 10 different game modes. Batu Ta Batu (“join and join” in Basque) is the first commercial game by solo developer Erik Zubiria that has created all the art, code and music in it.

Castle of Pixel Skulls (2KSomnis; consoles)

Castle of Pixel Skulls is a fun retro style platformer where the player has to avoid traps and run to reach the goal at each level before the time runs out. Meanwhile, the game will test the platforming skills of the player while it tries to escape the Castle of Pixel Skulls.

LUDOKU (Ludomo Gamestudio; consoles)

LUDOKU is a unique puzzle game that provokes brain teasing, where the objective is to unlock hidden treasures: challenge the numerous traps and dangers to exploit the riches of an ancient Mayan temple.

Herald: An Interactive Period Drama (Wispfire; consoles)

Graphic adventure based on the choice set in the colonial tides. Board the HLV Herald and uncover its dark secrets in an intriguing story about tyranny and servitude. Herald  has won a multitude of awards on narrative, art and mechanics in such prestigious contests as Casual Connect, Eurogamer Expo or Gamescom with Book I & II already released on Steam 2Awesome Partners in cooperation with Wispfire will bring the full experience to more platforms later this year.

About 2Awesome Studio.

2Awesome Studio is an independent game development studio and indie publisher whose mission is to add awesomeness to reality by developing video games with new and addictive mechanics and finding games that are equally awesome to publish.

About 2Awesome Partners.

2Awesome Partners is the publishing initiative of 2Awesome Studio. Its mission is to find the most awesome games, and deliver them to all the awesome places.

Witness the Power of an Overclocked 10th Gen Intel Core Desktop CPU in a 17-inch Laptop

Witness the Power of an Overclocked 10th Gen Intel Core Desktop CPU in a 17-inch Laptop

Introducing the All-New ORIGIN PC EON17-X and NS-17 featuring overclocked next-generation CPUs and GPUs

Miami, FL – May 20th, 2020, 9:00 A.M. EDT— ORIGIN PC announced the availability of the all-new EON17-X gaming laptop and NS-17 workstation laptop, both powered by 10th gen Intel Core desktop processors featuring up to 10 cores and 20 threads. Get desktop-like graphics performance with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER with Max-P design. Connect a high bandwidth accessory with a Thunderbolt 3 port. With overclockable power and performance to rival desktops, the EON17-X is the ultimate desktop replacement system.

Equipped with a powerful 10th gen Intel Core desktop processor, up to the i9-10900K, gamers and professionals can run their programs at maximum performance just like they would on a desktop. The EON17-X offers graphics card options above and beyond most mainstream laptops on the market with the inclusion of NVIDIA GeForce RTX SUPER graphics cards with Max-P design. Customizable up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX SUPER 2080 with Max-P design, experience ray-tracing and improved game performance compared to desktops. The EON17-X can support up to 64GB of RAM with space for up to four DDR4 RAM sticks with 128GB support coming soon.

Multiple display options supporting NVIDIA G-SYNC are available, including the 17.3″ 240Hz 1080p display and 17.3″ 60Hz UHD 4K display that show 100% of Adobe RGB colors. If more displays are desired for at-home or office use, up to 4 additional external displays can be connected via the available Thunderbolt 3, Mini DisplayPort, or HDMI ports.

Both the EON17-X and NS-17 laptops are proudly supported by the US-based ORIGIN PC support team, available 24/7. The EON17-X and NS-17 laptops start at $2599 at ORIGINPC.com.

“We’re proud to launch our latest desktop replacement laptop, the all-new EON17-X, alongside the launch of 10th gen Intel Core processors,” said Kevin Wasielewski, ORIGIN PC CEO and co-founder. “With overclocked performance that can push past some desktops, you can play or work comfortably with desktop-like performance in the body of a 17-inch laptop with a G-SYNC display.”

The All-New EON17-X and NS-17 Laptops Feature:

  • Up to a 10 core Intel Core i9-10900K desktop processor with optional professional overclocking
  • 17.3″ 240Hz FHD (1920*1080) thin bezel G-SYNC display, 17.3″ 60Hz UHD (3840*2160) thin bezel G-SYNC display that can show 100% of Adobe RGB color, or 17.3″ 144Hz FHD (1920*1080) thin bezel G-SYNC display
  • Up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER graphics card with Max-P design with optional professional overclocking
  • Up to 3 x m.2 PCIe Gen3x4 SSDs and 1 x m.2 SATA SSD for a total up to 8TB (with support for RAID configurations)
  • Up to 64GB (4 x 16GB) DDR4 3200MHz RAM (128GB support coming soon)
  • Intel Dual Band Wireless-Wi-Fi 6 AX201 + BT
  • Sound Blaster™ Atlas
  • Super X-Fi Headphone Holography
  • 3x USB 3.2 Type-A, 2 x USB 3.2 (Type C) and a Micro SD Push-Push card reader
  • 1x DisplayPort 1.4 over Thunderbolt 3 (USB 3.2 Type-C), 2x Mini DisplayPort 1.4, 1x HDMI Output
  • 1x RJ-45 Ethernet port
  • Custom HD UV printing, laser etching, and custom paint available
  • Custom HD UV printing and laser etching available
  • Free Lifetime 24/7 Phone Support Based in the U.S.

To learn more about the new Intel-powered EON17-X gaming laptop, please visit: https://www.originpc.com/gaming/laptops/new-eon17-x/

To learn more about the new Intel-powered NS-17 workstation laptop, please visit: https://www.originpc.com/workstation/laptops/new-ns-17/

Connect with ORIGIN PC:
www.twitter.com/originpc
www.facebook.com/originpc
www.twitch.tv/originpc
www.youtube.com/originpc
www.instagram.com/originpc

About ORIGIN:

ORIGIN PC builds custom, high-performance desktops, workstations, and laptops for hardware enthusiasts, digital/graphics artists, professionals, government agencies, and gamers. ORIGIN PCs are hand built, tested, and serviced by knowledgeable gaming enthusiasts, industry veterans, and award-winning system integrators. Every ORIGIN PC comes with free lifetime 24/7 support based in the United States. The ORIGIN PC staff is comprised of award-winning enthusiasts, experienced in the gaming and PC markets who want to share their passion with others. ORIGIN PC is located in Miami, FL and ships worldwide. For more information, please visit www.ORIGINPC.com or call 1-877-ORIGIN-Ø. (674-4460)

©2020 Origin PC Corporation all rights reserved. Origin and the Origin “O” symbol are trademarks of Origin PC Corporation.

Black Desert Online turns up the volume with new Compose and Play feature

Amsterdam, The Netherlands — May 20, 2020 — Kakao Games and Pearl Abyss announced the arrival of a musical new feature: compose and play. This week also sees the beginning of highly lucrative login event and the publisher is also announcing changes coming to the game packages being sold for Black Desert Online.

The new Compose and Play feature will allow players to create intricate musical compositions using a robust editor. While players can compose music on any character, true to her musical inclinations, players will have to use the Shai class to play their composition. With guitar, flute and drums at their disposal; composers can create multiple tracks of music with a variety of sounds to create a rich musical masterpiece.

Compositions can vary in BPM, time signature and amount of instruments played and can easily be shared with other players. After unlocking Shai’s unique ‘Talent’ at level 56, players can further improve their musical skills. It’s also possible to form an ensemble of multiple Shai characters playing their instruments and compositions together.

In addition to the Compose and Play feature, a new login event started that can yield players with up to $100 in premium items. By logging in every day they can earn, among other things, a wizard mini pet, a special service maid, and a very convenient buff called The Book of Old Moon. The event started this Wednesday and will run up until June 3rd. On a special minisite, a full rundown of the event and other seasonal promotions can be found.

The publisher also shared an upcoming revamp of the game packages of Black Desert Online. After 4 years on the market, the items contained in the bundles will be updated to better reflect the current state of the game and provide better value to new players joining the hit MMORPG. More information on the contents of the new packages was shared on the official Black Desert Online website.

Players interested in Black Desert Online can sign up for the 7-day free trial via the Black Desert Online official website, where they can also learn more about game updates and events.

About Black Desert Online
Black Desert Online is an open world action MMORPG with cutting-edge visuals and skill-based combat that redefines the genre. Black Desert Online has the most fully developed character customization system of any game that is currently on the market. This feature allows users to break free of the mundane and make unique characters that are truly representative of each and every player. Its intuitive controls, beautifully designed worlds, and extensive lore are enough to excite both new and veteran gamers of MMORPGs and RPGs. The game has been successfully launched in over 150 countries, is available in 12 languages, and has over 20 million registered users. The mobile and console versions have launched globally in 2019.

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. With all their games built on their proprietary engine, their games are renowned for their cutting-edge graphics. The company has two new projects in the works and is poised to continue its growth through 2019 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 Kakao Games
Kakao Games is a leading publisher of online and mobile games. Founded in 2016, Kakao Games is responsible for servicing a variety of games, including Pearl Abyss’s Black Desert Online (Serviced in North America, Europe), Bluehole’s Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds (Serviced in Korea) and Ascent: Infinite Realm (Scheduled to be serviced in North America and Europe).

More information about Kakao Games is available at www.kakaogames.com

Game of Thrones, Teen Wolf, Perfect Strangers Stars Among Upcoming Wizard World Virtual Experiences, May 21-29; Free Video Q&A Streamed Live On Twitch, YouTube, Facebook

Game of Thrones, Teen Wolf, Perfect Strangers Stars Among Upcoming Wizard World Virtual Experiences, May 21-29; Free Video Q&A Streamed Live On Twitch, YouTube, Facebook

The Amazing World of Gumball Also Featured; Fans Can Purchase Live Video Chats, Recorded Videos, Signed Photos During Events, Accessible Via Dedicated Website, Social Platforms For Fans Across The Globe

LOS ANGELES, May 20, 2020 – Wizard Entertainment, Inc. (OTCBB:WIZD) announces that the next five entries in the “Wizard World Virtual Experiences” are set for the next 10 days. The first, featuring “The Amazing World of Gumball” voice actors Jacob Hopkins and Terrell Ransom Jr., will take place on Thursday, May 21 at 3 p.m. ET / noon PT. Next, cast members from “Game of Thrones,” Jerome Flynn, Anton Lesser, Brenock O’Connor, Kristian Nairn, George Georgiou, Iwan Rheon, Mark Stanley and Megan Parkinson are set for Saturday, May 23 at 3 p.m. ET / noon PT. “Teen Wolf” standouts Crystal Reed, Holland Roden, JR Bourne, Khylin Rhambo, Linden Ashby, Shelley Hennig and Victoria Moroles, follow on Thursday, May 28, at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT., Finally, the leads of “Perfect Strangers,” Bronson Pinchot and Mark Linn-Baker, reunite on Friday, May 29, at 3 p.m. ET / noon PT.

During each session, the celebrities will participate in a FREE live moderated video Q&A, followed by one-on-one video chats, recorded videos and autographs. Sessions are accessible to virtual attendees on their computer and mobile devices via http://wizd.me/virtual.

As part of the events, fans across the globe can:

· Submit questions via chat during the free 45-minute panels (open to everyone, no entry fee to watch or submit). Panels available for viewing live or on demand via Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/wizardworldvirtual; YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/wizardworld; and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wizardworld/
· Participate in a personal, exclusive two-minute live video chat with each celebrity (paid) (vary by celebrity)
· Purchase a recorded video from each star specifying the message if desired
· Purchase an autograph on an 8”x10” photo

Pricing varies by item for the individual chat, video and autographs, available on the Website.

Upcoming Wizard World Virtual Experiences (all times ET)

· Thursday, May 21, 3 p.m., “The Amazing World of Gumball,” Jacob Hopkins, Terrell Ransom Jr. 
· Saturday, May 23, 3 p.m., “Game of Thrones,” Jerome Flynn, Anton Lesser, Brenock O’Connor, Kristian Nairn, George Georgiou, Iwan Rheon, Mark Stanley, Megan Parkinson
· Sunday, May 24, 3 p.m., “Versailles,” Elisa Lasowski, Anna Brewster, Jessica Clark
· Thursday, May 28, 6 p.m, “Teen Wolf,” Holland Roden, Linden Ashby, JR Bourne, Shelley Hennig, Crystal Reed, Khylin Rhambo, Victoria Moroles
· Friday, May 29, 3 p.m., “Perfect Strangers,” Bronson Pinchot, Mark Linn-Baker

About Wizard Entertainment, Inc. (OTCBB: WIZD)
Wizard Entertainment, Inc. (www.wizardworld.com) produces comic, gaming and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate the best in pop culture: movies, television, gaming, live entertainment, tech, comics, sci-fi, graphic novels, toys, original art, collectibles, contests and more. A first-class lineup of topical programming and entertainment takes place at each event, with celebrity Q&A’s, comics-themed sessions, costume contests, movie screenings, evening parties and more. Additional initiatives may include an augmented touring schedule of Wizard World shows, fixed-site installations, curated e-commerce, and the production and distribution of content both in the U.S. and internationally. Fans can interact with Wizard Entertainment at www.wizardworld.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and other social media services.
The 2020 Wizard World convention schedule is available at: http://www.wizardworld.com/comiccon.

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Mafia II: Definitive Edition Review

Mafia II: Definitive Edition

Developer: Hangar 13, D3T LTD
Publisher: 2K
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows (Reviewed)
Release Date: 19 May 2020
Price: $29.99 USD/$49.95 AUD – Available Here

Video Review

Overview

2K and Hangar 13 have bundled up and revamped the Mafia franchise with Mafia: Trilogy. While the top down remake of Mafia is drawing a lot of attention, Mafia II: Definitive Edition was remastered and bundled with all previously released DLC. As a bonus, anyone who owns the original Mafia II received a free upgrade to Mafia II: Definitive Edition.

Story

Mafia II is inspired by classic gangster films like The Godfather. Players are taken to Empire Bay, a fictional city inspired by New York City, where a variety gangs battle for territory as people struggle to achieve the American dream. The story has aged reasonably well over the years. The plot moves quickly with plenty of interesting twists and turns. The cast of characters are well developed, and players easily get attached to protagonist Vito over the course of the game. Out of the three story DLC released, only “Joe’s Adventures” expands upon the main story, filling in the details of Joe’s activities during one of the game’s time skips. The remaining two appear to be completely non-canon.

Gameplay

Mafia II was originally billed as an open world shooter, but the game is better described as a linear shooter set in an open world. The distinction is important because Mafia II misses some of the distinguishing features of a proper open world title, such as optional activities and side missions. Instead, the game is laser focused on the player completing the main story mission and immediately pushing the player onto the next chapter. Therefore, Mafia II is a pretty lousy open world shooter, but is still a decent linear shooter.

The gameplay has aged reasonably well in the last 10 years. Mafia II was originally released when a number of mechanics we take for granted today were still being refined or were completely new and innovative. Things like the cover system has stuck around, while the stricter enforcement of traffic laws in game has died out.

Combat is still enjoyable. The game offers a wide variety of period appropriate weapons. In terms of combat, the cover system has probably aged the worst as it is become clunky for modern standards. The melee combat is still excellent as it requires most skill than simply spamming one button. While Mafia II will never be mistaken for an actual fighting game, Vito can perform a small number of combos, counters, and finishing moves.

The driving is still solid. There are a large variety of cars from the two time periods the game is set in. Cars are a little more realistic than most open world games, needing to be refueled and repaired. Police enforce basic traffic laws like speeding, though are less strict that I remember from the original Mafia. Mafia II hit a good balance between realism and tedium as the player needs to be a little more aware of their car status, such as turning on the speed limiter and keeping an eye on the gas, without having to be utterly paranoid about obeying traffic laws.

The PC version of Mafia II: Definitive Edition is decent, but it could use some improvements. The graphic options are more granular compared to the original game. However, there is some ongoing debate on exactly how the game physics has changed in the Definitive Edition as some of the Nvidia physics technologies the original game relied on have been long discontinued. The mouse and keyboard controls are still barebones. There are a few key functions like use and enter vehicle that could have been grouped int a single key binding. There are also missing quality of life options like toggle to aim or crouch that should be added. The game still needs some patching, I ran into glitches like clothing clipping into models and AI pathing bugs.

Visuals

The most noticeable upgrade in Mafia II: Definitive Edition is the improved textures. Everything looks sharper, more detailed, and more realistic. The models and the animations do not appear have changed much. The improved textures do a decent job of hiding the dated models, but the animations are not as lucky. The humans look a bit wooden and awkward, very much in line with other games released during that period as motion capture was not the norm for major titles.

Audio

The audio experience is has held up very well over the years. The radio is still packed with licensed music from the appropriate eras along with a fair amount of advertisements and radio DJ commentary. The sound effects are enjoyable. The voice acting is excellent for the most part, but a few minor NPCs are voiced by very bad actors in comparison to the main characters.

Overall

Mafia II: Definitive Edition adds some visual modernizations to a 2010 game that has aged reasonably well. Unfortunately, the remastered version failed to upgrade some of the control options to bring it up to modern standards and struggles with a variety of bugs that will need to be patched out in the coming months. The linear nature of the game will be disappointing for those looking for a true open world, and a few features feel clunky 10 years later. However, Mafia II still offers some of the best storytelling from the last twenty years.

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