Close to the Sun launches tomorrow on Steam and GOG

Wired Productions and Storm in a Teacup’s critically acclaimed high-seas horror adventure steams ahead on the world’s largest PC digital distribution platforms

Watford, UK – May 4^th, 2020 –– Award-winning global publisher, Wired Productions and leading Italian game studio, Storm in a Teacup, today announced that first-person horror adventure, Close to the Sun, will be available to purchase and play on two of the world’s most popular PC digital distribution platforms, May 5^th 2020.

Close to the Sun will be available on the Steam store from £11.99 / €14.90 / $14.90, with 25% savings for the first week of sale. Post launch, the price will be £15.99 / €19.99 / $19.99.  Players can also get hold of the game at the GOG store for the same discounted price, as well being able to pick up a copy of the game from all good Etailers. Check out the launch trailer here

For those looking for little more bang for the buck, a new Digital Deluxe version, which launches alongside the standard digital edition, and comes with $10-worth of additional content (soundtrack and digital art book), can be purchased for £19.99 / €24.99 and $24.99 respectively.

“We’re excited to finally bring Storm in a Teacup’s shocking first-person adventure to Steam and GOG,” said Leo Zullo, Managing Director at Wired Productions. “Close to the Sun contains all the ingredients that aficionados of horror games crave: an original setting with beautifully-rendered environments, atmosphere by the bucket-load, a strong narrative and moments that will make you jump out of your skin.”

Carlo Ivo Alimo Bianchi, CEO & Founder, Storm in a Teacup, added: “Close to the Sun is a special game for Storm in a Teacup; the Helios and its secrets have already captivated the interest of many players around the world, yet so many were waiting for it to get on Steam and GOG. Well, here it is! Everybody get on board, help Rose to find her sister, unveil the truth and survive the horrors that are hidden in the belly of the gigantic ship built by Nikola Tesla. We truly hope you’re going to like the trip!”

Grounded in an alternative 19^th Century where famed inventor and futurist Nikola Tesla was able to fulfil his shocking potential, Close to the Sun – which uses the raw power of the Unreal® Engine 4 – sees players step onto the Helios – a colossal vessel built for scientific research, steeped in horror and mystery. As the heroine, Rose, players find themselves walking the massive area looking for their lost sister on the majestic, yet mysterious ship created by Tesla. Where is Ada and what happened? Grand halls stand empty. The stench of rotting flesh lingers in the air. Silence. A single word is painted across the entrance… QUARANTINE!

Published by Wired Productions and developed by Storm in a Teacup, the game is also available on PC via Epic Games Store, in addition to PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Close to the Sun is rated “T for Teen” by the ESRB.

To purchase the Collector’s Edition, visit http://wiredproductions.com/close-to-the-sun-collectors. For more information, visit http://www.closetothesungame.com/ or follow the game now to receive future updates on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/closetothesungame.

*Regional pricing may vary.

ABOUT WIRED PRODUCTIONS
Wired Productions is an award-winning video games publisher based in Watford, UK. Founded in 2008 and shortlisted by MCV for Indie Publisher of the Year in both 2018 and 2019, Wired has produced and published award-winning titles across all major platforms. Bringing games to market in both physical and digital media, the company has made notable launches to date including Deliver Us The Moon, Close to the Sun, GRIP: Combat Racing, Victor Vran: Overkill Edition, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood, Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn and The Town of Light. #GETWired reflects the active and ever-growing number of fans and consumers who support us.

For more information, or to join the Wired community, please visit:
wired.gg | facebook.com/WiredPro | twitter.com/Wiredp | youtube.com/wiredproductionsltd | discord.gg/wiredp | instagram.com/wired_productions_games

ABOUT STORM IN A TEACUP
Storm in a Teacup was created by industry veteran Carlo Ivo Alimo Bianchi in 2013, to develop only the finest experiences in video game industry. With a unique art style and a skilled international team, STC has published three titles in two years, available on Xbox One/PS4, PC Steam and also experimented in VR. Its mission is to tell you stories. To create experiences; to make videogames that propagates the best of “Made in Italy” across the world.

Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/stcware/ Twitter https://twitter.com/stcware

Close to the Sun uses the Unreal® Engine. Unreal® is a trademark or registered trademark of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere. and “Unreal® Engine, Copyright 1998 – 2019, Epic Games, Inc. All rights reserved.

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ACTIVISION BLIZZARD SUPPORTS VETERANS DURING NATIONAL MILITARY APPRECIATION MONTH WITH DONATION AND #CODEFEARLESSCHALLENGE

Activision Blizzard Donates $2 Million to the Call of Duty Endowment, Helping Place Thousands of Veterans into High-Quality Jobs During These Trying Times

New “Fearless” In-Game Content Pack for Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® and Call of Duty: Warzone Launches This Month With 100% of Proceeds Going to the Call of Duty Endowment

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — May 1, 2020 — Activision Blizzard today announced that it has donated $2 million to the Call of Duty Endowment to help fund emerging veteran employment needs. The donation helps kick off the company’s celebration of National Military Appreciation Month through the #CODEFearlessChallenge, a social media campaign that calls for followers to post a photo or name of a veteran or current member of the military to honor their service and sacrifice.

“Military veterans need our support more than ever,” said Bobby Kotick, Co-Chairman of the Call of Duty Endowment. “With unemployment rates at all-time highs, we know from past experience that veterans will be far more affected than ordinary citizens. With this donation to the Call of Duty Endowment, we hope to find jobs for at least 4,000 veterans.”

The #CODEFearlessChallenge coincides with a series of events in May supporting the Call of Duty Endowment. Later this month, a brand-new downloadable content pack will launch for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Warzone called the Call of Duty Endowment (C.O.D.E.) Fearless Pack, with one hundred percent of Activision’s proceeds from the pack going to the Endowment’s efforts to place veterans into high-quality jobs.

In the last month alone, the Endowment has seen an unprecedented increase in requests from veterans seeking employment assistance from its grantee charities—a more than 50% increase over the same period last year. Activision Blizzard’s $2 million donation, as well as other funds raised through #CODEFearlessChallenge, will go directly to the Endowment’s grantee charities to meet this heightened demand. Additionally, Humble Bundle is running a two-week promotion with the Call of Duty Endowment as the charity of choice. Titled: Humble Sierra the 3^rd Bundle, this promotion will run starting on May 5 to May 19.

“We’ve seen a huge increase in veterans asking our partners for assistance since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dan Goldenberg, executive director of the Call of Duty Endowment. “We’ve been committed to helping veterans find meaningful employment for over 10 years, but we’ve never seen anything like this. Veterans will need our help more than ever, and through Activision Blizzard’s donation and support from the gaming community, we’re well positioned to provide that help.”

The Call of Duty Endowment has funded the placement of more than 69,000 vets in meaningful employment since its inception and aims to place 100,000 veterans in meaningful jobs by 2024. The Endowment’s 2019 cost to place a veteran was $499 – providing meaningful employment at 1/6 the cost of US Department of Labor efforts. Nationally, American veterans make an average salary of $49,945, while those placed through the Endowment’s grantees, with their focus on high-quality placements, made an average of $60,750, or 21% more.

To help get veterans back to work, please visit: www.callofdutyendowment.org/help.

About the Call of Duty Endowment

The Call of Duty Endowment is a non-profit organization co-founded by Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard. The Endowment seeks to help veterans find high-quality careers by supporting groups that prepare them for the job market and by raising awareness of the value vets bring to the workplace. For more information about the Call of Duty Endowment, please visit www.callofdutyendowment.org.

# # #

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about the expected availability, and features of the Call of Duty Endowment Fearless Pack, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY and MODERN WARFARE are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

Apex Legends Season 5 Fortune’s Favor Revealed

Today, Respawn Entertainment announced what’s next for its award winning shooter Apex Legends in Season 5 – Fortune’s Favor, set to launch on Wednesday, May 13 AEST for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Named best Multiplayer Game of 2019 by the BAFTAs, Windows Central and The Golden Joystick Awards, Apex Legends continues to evolve its narrative in Season 5.

Featuring some early details for Season 5, today’s reveal also included a new Stories from the Outlands trailer that delves deep into new Legend Loba’s path to the Apex Arena. A cunning thief whose life turns into a quest for revenge when she finds her nemesis Revenant competing in the Apex Games, Loba’s mission is driven by the loss of her parents and her need to uncover secrets from inside the arena.

You can watch and share the Stories from the Outlands –  Legacy of a Thief trailer via YouTube here.

When Apex Legends Season 5 – Fortune’s Favor arrives on May 13, players will find a new game mode, Quests- that will have players hunting for treasure and answers each season. Those who complete the journey will be richly rewarded.

With the start of Season 5 also comes Ranked Leagues Series 4. Players can expect the season split once again with the Series kicking off in Kings Canyon before the return to World’s Edge in June. The Ranked Leagues Series 4 will continue the emphasis on rewarding competitive players for the time they invest in Apex Legends. For more information on Ranked Leagues Series 4 please check out the full blog here.

Players can see some of Apex Legends best compete before the launch of Season 5 this weekend in the Apex Legends Global Series Online Tournament #5. Starting this Sunday, May 3, 2020, top contenders including TSM, Complexity, Team Liquid, Rogue and more will compete live on the Apex Legends Twitch and YouTube channels.

Also be sure to follow Apex Legends on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube or visit www.playapex.com for the latest updates.

Burnout Paradise Remastered Races onto Nintendo Switch on June 19; Pre-Orders Now Live

Burnout Paradise Remastered is releasing for the Nintendo Switch on June 19, and is now open for pre-orders for $69.95.

 
SYDNEY, Australia – May 1, 2020 – Burnout Paradise Remastered is releasing for the Nintendo Switch on June 19, and is now open for pre-orders for $69.95.

Burnout Paradise Remastered is the definitive Burnout Paradise experience, delivering the complete original game and eight high-octane DLC packs including Cops and Robbers pack, Legendary Cars, Burnout Bikes, and Big Surf Island. Racers can smash through traffic and rule the roads in adrenaline-fueled online multiplayer with up to eight other players, or pass the controller (or console!) in local party play. Optimized for the Nintendo Switch with a range of technological enhancements, players will race and rampage through the open world in 60 glorious frames per second, along with high-resolution textures, and pinch-and-pull map controls.

For assets, visit the press portal and head over to the official blog post for more details. Let me know if we can do anything to assist with your coverage.

About Electronic Arts

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 2019, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.95 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognised 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.

EA SPORTS, Battlefield, Apex Legends, The Sims, Need for Speed, Titanfall and Plants vs. Zombies are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. ©FIFA and FIFA’s Official Licensed Product Logo are copyrights and/or trademarks of FIFA. All rights reserved. Manufactured under license by Electronic Arts Inc. John Madden and NFL are property of their respective owners and used with permission.

Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee coming to Nintendo Switch May 14th!

Time to Save Oddworld’s Endangered Species!

Sydney, Australia and Oddworld, CA – April 30, 2020 – Oddworld Inhabitants, Inc. and Microids team up to announce a May 14th release date for the classic game Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee. Initially available on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch, Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee is the classic action adventure game with an ecological heart ported to the world’s most innovative and popular handheld, tabletop, and traditional all-in-one gaming console. The physical version will be released later this year.

The story begins with you playing as a Gabbit named Munch, the hero of the Oddest Oddysee of all. Munch’s luck is about to change – for the worse.

How would you feel if you broke your leg in a scrab trap, were abducted by soulless scientists, had an alien device implanted in your skull, and found out your race had been hunted to extinction?

Due to the rich variety of consumer products derived from the Gabbit species, their legacy has nearly come to its end. For the amphibious Gabbit, there is only one lonely individual that survives. However, it won’t be spotted where one might typically find such a Gabbit. This one is currently an entrapped test subject within the horrible testing facility known as Vykkers Labs. It is up to you to help guide Munch in efforts to rescue fellow test creatures. These critters will be forever loyal to Munch and in turn enable his escape.

Once free, Munch teams up with Abe and together they are guided by the wisdom of the Almighty Raisin.  They are informed as to how to accomplish their goals, but in order to do so, they must work together. For Munch, his dream is to bring back his species from the brink of extinction. For Abe, it is to rescue his Mudokon buddies.

You can “switch” between Munch and Abe depending on the situation. Using special psychic powers, cool power-ups, and other special abilities to deliver payback to the Vykkers, Abe and Munch set out to reclaim the last gabbit eggs on Oddworld, which have been packaged in a can of gabbiar.

May Odd help you!         

Find Microids on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin or at http://www.microids.com/. Watch all their videos on YouTube

More information on the Oddworld franchise can be found here! Follow them on Facebook,  Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.

How Xbox Game Pass is Helping Friends Stay Connected

by Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox

For many of us, the current global health situation has made it more difficult to spend time with friends, family, and the people we care about most. We are heartened to see many people using games to be entertained, to find inspiration, and to strengthen social connections through shared adventures.

At Xbox, our mission has always been to bring you the best games to play, with the people you want to play with. That’s why we created Xbox Game Pass, a community with unlimited access to a curated library of over 100 great Xbox console and PC games.

We’re excited by the response to Xbox Game Pass and yesterday we announced that Game Pass now has over 10 million members from 41 countries worldwide.

Xbox Game Pass inspires a new era of gaming – where the community with the same Game Pass plan can play a large common catalogue of the best games, discovering new titles and experiences together. With Game Pass, we want to answer the question: what to play next with my friends?

We’re still early on this journey, and in the last two months we’ve seen how important gaming can be to our community.

Since March, Xbox Game Pass members have added over 23 million friends on Xbox Live, which is a 70% growth in friendship rate. Game Pass members are also playing twice as much and engaging in more multiplayer gaming, which has increased by 130%.

Xbox Game Pass is empowering players and their friends to branch out and discover new games they might not have played before. We know this because after joining Game Pass people play 40% more games and more than 90% of members have played a game they wouldn’t have tried without Game Pass – often discovering new genres they have not yet experienced. This speaks to our passion at Xbox for sharing and celebrating the games that we love and for showcasing works, from blockbusters to indie developers with unique points of view.

The Xbox Game Pass library includes some of the biggest blockbuster franchises like Forza, Gears of War, Halo, Minecraft, NBA 2K, and The Witcher. It also includes dozens of high-quality games from independent developers, and 30% of our most popular games are family friendly titles like Kingdom Hearts III, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and Sea of Thieves.

We’re humbled by the reception to Xbox Game Pass. It’s changing the way we play and discover games together, and it inspires us on our journey to help people connect through gaming.

We’re also inspired to deliver you our fastest, most powerful console ever that will set a new bar for performance, feel, speed and compatibility when it releases this holiday; as well as a library of games from our 15 Xbox Game Studios and thousands of development partners around the world. Later this year our cloud game streaming technology, Project xCloud, will come to Game Pass—so you and your friends can stream and play the games you love together on your devices.

I’ve always believed gaming has a unique power to bring us together, and I’m proud of how our artform is introducing this unique power to more people during a time of need. I have no doubt that we’ll come through this experience stronger than ever.

Stay safe and stay well.