Farming Simulator 19’s Bourgault DLC Out
Now on PlayStation®4, Xbox One, PC & Mac
PARIS — March 10, 2020 — Farming Simulator 19, the biggest and best entry in the Farming Simulator series yet from GIANTS Software and Focus Home Interactive, is getting even bigger today with the launch of the Bourgault DLC on PlayStation®4, Xbox One, PC and Mac!
The Bourgault DLC adds new authentically
modeled machines from Bourgault Industries, the world’s leading manufacturer of
air seeder technology, including three top-class seeders, two air carts, a
cultivator and a weeder. Players also get a massive new John Deere 9RX Series
tractor to haul it all, guaranteeing high performance even under the most
tasking challenges.
Season Pass owners on PlayStation®4 and Xbox
One can download the Bourgault DLC through their consoles. New PS4 and Xbox One
players can grab the Bourgault DLC as part of a digital bundle featuring all
other DLCs included in the Season Pass by purchasing Farming Simulator 19 Premium Edition.
Fans can come play the complete Farming Simulator 19 Platinum Edition
and try their luck at the Bale Stacking Challenge competition at the Houston
Livestock Show and Rodeo, going on now until March 22.
Developed Alongside the C&C Community, the Remastered Collection Delivers 4K Graphics, Rebuilt Multiplayer, Enhanced UI, the Completely Remastered Legendary Soundtrack by Frank Klepacki and More Pre-Order the Collector’s Editions from Limited Run Games, Featuring Exclusive Command & Conquer and Red Alert Collectables
SYDNEY, Australia – March 11, 2020 – Welcome back Commanders! In celebration of the Command & Conquer ™ 25th anniversary, Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:EA) today announced the Command & Conquer Remastered Collection, a compilation of the iconic real-time strategy (RTS) games that defined a generation will be available June 5 worldwide on PC via Origin™ and Steam, and as part of an Origin Access Premier subscription. Comprised of Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn, Command & Conquer: Red Alert and their three expansion packs – Covert Ops, Counterstrike and The Aftermath – the Command & Conquer Remastered Collection is a passion project between EA and some of the original Westwood Studios team members at Petroglyph.
Command & Conquer Remastered Collection is being created alongside the C&C community, where the project was publicly revealed in October 2018 to gather community insight before development began. An active Community Council has been involved since early pre-production with 24/7 access to the development team. The title features rebuilt graphics and textures with support up to 4K resolution, along with an over seven hour soundtrack remastered by the renowned original composer Frank Klepacki. The community has helped shape the enhancements of the game through highly requested features like revamped UI, updated controls and a Map Editor for fans to showcase their creations. Multiplayer has been rebuilt from the ground up to support a modern online experience with custom games, 1v1 quick match, Elo-based matchmaking, leaderboards, replays and much more.
“Our team has been working hand-in-hand with the C&C community since day one and we hope this transparent dialogue will result in the Command & Conquer Remastered Collection being a love letter to our fans,” said Jim Vessella, Lead Producer at EA. “We’re taking the classic gameplay that ushered in a new era of the RTS genre and adding the most fan requested features like Skirmish mode for Tiberian Dawn, quality of life control improvements, and full Steam integration with UGC support. For me personally, having been a C&C fan since I was 12 years old in 1995, working with the original Westwood Studios team members at Petroglyph has been a dream come true.”
Pre-orders for the Command & Conquer Remastered Collection digital edition and physical Collector’s Editions are available now, please visit the Command and Conquer website. The pre-orders include:
Command & Conquer Remastered Collection (Digital) – $29.99 AUD – Only available on Origin and Steam and includes the remastered versions of Tiberian Dawn and Red Alert, plus all three expansion packs (Covert Operations, Counterstrike, and The Aftermath), and tons of bonus features and improvements.
Special Edition (Physical) – $59.99 USD – Only available on Limited Run Games, this edition comes in a 2-piece big box with embossing treatments and includes a Steam digital download code, Tiberium crystal 16GB USB drive with remastered original soundtrack (119 tracks, over 7 hours of music including the album, “Frank Klepecki and the Tiberian Sons: Celebrating 25 Years of Command & Conquer”); reversible 18” X 24” poster, four factional enamel pins, tech tree prints (one for each faction), and faction sticker sheet.
25th Anniversary Edition (Physical) – $149.99 USD – Only available on Limited Run Games, this edition includes all items in the Special Edition plus a beautiful foil and embossed rigid box, six-disc remastered original soundtrack signed by Frank Klepacki, 100+ page art book, four faction patches, reversible beanie, metal mammoth tank replica, and painted PVC light and sound tesla coil and obelisk replicas.
The Command & Conquer series helped cement the foundation of the RTS genre’s core gameplay when Command & Conquer: Tiberium Dawn was released in 1995, introducing innovative faction mechanics with asymmetric unit creation and technology trees for a highly strategic experience. In addition to gameplay, the series pushed the boundaries for storytelling with its unique and lighthearted full-motion video (FMV) cutscenes, ultimately creating one of the most recognised villains in games with Kane, the megalomaniac leader of The Brotherhood of Nod. In Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn, Earth has been overrun by Tiberium and while GDI (Global Defense Initiative) aims to contain the material, The Brotherhood of Nod looks to harness its power, leading to all out war between the factions. Command & Conquer: Red Alert is set in an alternate universe where the Soviet Union wages war on the Allies in a fun, action-packed, tactical RTS game.
Command & Conquer Remastered Collection is being developed by Petroglyph, Lemon Sky Studios, and EA, including some of the original Westwood Studios team members at Petroglyph, and will be available on PC via Origin and Steam on June 5. Origin Access Premier subscribers will also get full access to the Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on PC on June 5 for as long as they are subscribed. For more information on Command & Conquer Remastered Collection and to stay up to date on development updates to the community, please visit: https://www.commandandconquer.com.
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.
Command & Conquer, EA SPORTS, Battlefield, Apex Legends, The Sims, Need for Speed, Titanfall and Plants vs. Zombies are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. FIFA, John Madden and NFL are property of their respective owners and used with permission.
Start
as a Visionary, Become a Leader: Management Sim Good Company Launches on
March 31st
Can
You Better Society with Technology and a [very] Good Company?
LONDON (March 10, 2020) – Developer
Chasing Carrots and publisher The Irregular Corporation (PC Building
Simulator) announced that the robot-filled tycoon management sim Good
Company will hit Steam Early Access on March 31st (https://store.steampowered.com/app/911430/Good_Company/.)
Good Company sets you up as
CEO of your very own company, where hardcore tycoon fans will feel right at
home with challenging and rewarding gameplay as you grow your staff, delegate
tasks using the powerful Logistics mode and rake in enormous profits by
inventing increasingly complex tech products that the public desperately
craves.
Choose how you want to run your Good Company as the game lets you
set your own pace: continue to refine your ever-expanding empire and find
creative and efficient ways to maximize those profits either in single-player
Campaign Mode or endless Freeplay Mode. In Campaign Mode, aspiring CEOs tackle
rewarding scenario levels and bonus challenge maps, and in Freeplay Mode, the
success of your empire is in your hands. Building a good company and mastering
the art of invention, automation and expansion.
“With Good Company we want to make players forget that our
game is a management simulation. We want them to be managers,
intensely challenged and rewarded by every action they take while hands-on
building a unique corporation,” said Dominik Schneider, co-founder of
Chasing Carrots.
Preorders are currently available at a 10 percent discount that
also yields Good Company CEOs three cosmetic bonus items to help them pave the
pathway to success in a bit more style.
Good Company expands into Early Access on March 31st. Keep up with
Good Company by following them on Twitter @chasing_carrots and keep regular by
following The Irregular Corporation @theirregularcorp.
Demolish Fortresses, Build and Share
Masterpieces in Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break June 2nd on Nintendo
Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Stadia
Behind-the-Scenes Video Barrels Through New
Gameplay, Explores Creative Dynamic between ACE Team’s Sibling Trio and
Development Partner Giant Monkey Robot
Walnut Creek, Calif.
(March 10, 2020) – Indie game publisher
Modus Games, joined by developers ACE Team and Giant Monkey Robot, today
announced Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break is tumbling toward a June 2 release
on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Stadia.
Modus Games accompanied the announcement with a gameplay video detailing how Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break’s all-new level creator opened an entire new realm of possibilities for players, with the help of Giant Monkey Robot. View the full video here
Rock of Ages 3: Make
& Break is an incomparable blend of tower defense-style base designing and
swift, arcade-paced demolition via guidable boulder. The action is backed by a
hilarious reimagining of history across an inventive campaign and distinctive
game modes. Debuting the series’ first-ever level creator, Rock of Ages 3: Make
& Break allows players to craft and share their dream experiences while
enjoying challenges made by other players in the community.
Modus Games is one of
the fastest-growing video game publishers in the world. The label prides itself
on providing AAA publishing services to talented independent developers across
the globe. Modus Studios Brazil is a full-service development studio supporting
creators of inspired interactive entertainment. For more information, visit www.modusgames.com.
About ACE Team
ACE Team is an
award-winning studio founded by brothers Andres, Carlos and Edmundo Bordeu in
Santiago. The studio is known for creating distinctive, incomparable games like
the Rock of Ages and Zeno Clash series, Abyss Odyssey, and more.
About Giant Monkey
RobotGiant Monkey Robot (GMR) was founded in 2017 by
a group of videogame professionals with more than 20 years in the industry.
With dozens of successful published games on all the major platforms, GMR has a
unique combination of talent and experience that allows them to develop
breakthrough games. GMR is currently working with ACE Team to develop Rock of
Ages 3: Make & Break.
With so many popular anime and manga series receiving their own video games, One Punch Man found itself in a bit of an odd predicament. While it has quite a large following of fans eager to see what type of video game would be made for the property, it also featured a main character that is completely invincible and can eliminate any threat with one strike which leads to quite a challenge as to how he would be handled in a game. Spike Chunsoft and Bandai Namco have taken it upon themselves to answer this challenge with One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows.
Story
Rather than place players in the shoes of Saitama, the game instead places players into the boots of their very own female or male hero that can be created from scratch. Years prior to the events of One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows, a monster tears through the city and the player finds themselves at the mercy of the creature. Despite their best efforts they are no match for such a powerful being but when a bald lackadaisical man steps forward claiming to be a “hero for fun” the player finds a new hope for the future. With one strike the day is saved and now years later inspired by the events that unfolded that day, the player has joined the Hero Association as a fledgling C Rank Hero.
In a rather interesting fashion One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows chooses to follow the same storyline as told through the first season of the anime and a bit further in the original storyline by placing the player’s hero side by side all of the action. This means that while Saitama, Genos, and various other heroes are fighting, the player’s hero will be right there beside them. When considering the limitations of sticking true to Saitama’s strength this is perhaps the best way to handle things as players will still get to see the original story they love but from a slightly different perspective and with an extra dose of added humor on top of things.
The writers for the game clearly knew how to make the most of the characters’ unique personalities as they all continue to shine through here in the story, especially in regards to a few of the more eccentric heroes and villains. Alongside the same storyline fans are likely familiar with there are plenty of side-events and smaller scale story beats that explore a bit of what life is like in the world as well as give fans an extra chance to see what other heroes are doing at times of crisis. This makes for a fairly solid bit of extra storytelling that fans will enjoy and helps flesh out a few of the more underrepresented characters.
Gameplay
As mentioned before, players will find themselves creating a character of their very own and partaking in the game’s story mode as it features the bulk of the content and serves as the main hub for online events as well as versus fights with other players. It is also worth noting that many fighters, both heroes and villains, are locked until the player progresses far enough in the story so this is the primary focus of the game. Now it is worth noting immediately that, outside of his appearances in combat, players do not control Saitama in any form in the campaign and are instead seated firmly in their created heroes’ shoes.
This works as a balance to the game especially considering it is designed as more of a 3 vs 3 tag team arena fighter/RPG more than anything else. The player’s hero will receive numerous missions from people around town as well as the hero association and eventually rank up from their starting C Rank status to the powerful ranks of S Rank heroes. These missions can occasionally involve tracking down items scattered around the town or talking to certain people but generally most missions involve a battle against a monster, villain, or even a rogue hero. Fighting allows the player to level up and assign various points into their health, striking power, and other stats as well as equip a variety of different fighting styles that match with those found in the original series including mechanical styles similar to Genos.
These battles take place in a 3D arena where the player is given free movement and a collection of fairly simplistic combat mechanics. Players have access to a standard attack, heavy attack, block, jump, and “killer moves” that serve as the game’s special attack system with various killer moves being obtained through interacting with professional heroes and having a variety of uses. Standard combo attacks are strung together with standard and heavy input strings while killer moves require the use of a constantly refilling gauge that can also be charged though this leaves the player open to attack. Players that can properly time their block can also perform a special teleporting dodge that instantly places the user behind the attacker, allowing the player to gain an advantage. There are also some special events that can occur during a fight such as meteors raining down from the sky, a random hero running in to strike at a random combatant, and more to help spice things up.
Generally players enter a battle alone in story mode and instead must make use of the game’s “Hero Arrival System” in the hope for backup, though the enemy team can also receive backup the same way. This takes the form of a timer showing a hero, or villain, running to the battlefield with a timer and performing combo attacks and perfect blocks can reduce this timer, allowing them to appear and provide assistance faster. This also allows for Saitama to play a bit of a more balanced role in the game as anytime he shows up as a hero that can come to the player’s aid, his timer is incredibly long.
This makes some battles against far stronger opponents, such as the massively powerful monsters and aliens from the source material, merely a survival battle that sees the player and their team trying to survive the fight while doing minimal damage to the enemy while Saitama is on the way. When Saitama finally does show up to a battle he is completely invincible with the enemy dealing no damage to him and the fight finishing in a single strike, regardless of whether it is one of Saitama’s killer moves or a normal punch.
Outside of simply taking on missions players can spend time outside of the fight by exploring the town and talking with various heroes and raising their friendship level as well as decorating the player’s apartment, and playing a bit of dress-up using purchased and unlocked costumes. Unfortunately outside of a couple of interesting interactions, nearly every aspect outside of the game’s story mode and combat is a bit on the shallow side. Even then, combat can often feel incredibly clunky depending on the fighting style the player is using and the opponent AI in side-missions can easily be exploited even when taking on harder missions so some battles that aren’t story based often feel unrewarding.
Now the online component for One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows is a bit of a mixed bag as players can explore the town and see other created heroes running around and interact with them in various ways here. There are a number of online events that players can work towards but for the most part players will be spending their online time battling against one another in a bit of a messy system. Players have access to all characters that they have managed to unlock through the story mode but it is worth noting that Saitama himself is also a character that can either be enabled or disabled when looking for a fight.
If Saitama is able to come to a battle, the game does try to balance things a bit by forcing the player with Saitama on their team to fight a 2 on 3 battle until he arrives, but once he does the match is over. Should both players manage to get Saitama to the fight, they will actually be able to damage one another but even then he doesn’t actually lose and instead finds an excuse to leave the fight. This lets Saitama remain as true to his roots as possible but also something of a one-sided victory if not disabled, something that nearly everyone online isn’t keen on doing.
Visuals & Audio
It is clear that Spike Chunsoft wanted to let players have plenty of customization options open to them as there are tons of costume pieces to unlock and purchase throughout the game and a lot of attention has been paid to make sure the character models of all of the named heroes and villains remains as true to their source material as possible. Unfortunately this level of care has left nearly every other aspect of the game’s graphics in a very poor state. Environments are incredibly bland and lack any kind of signature appeal to them both inside combat and while exploring the world and players should be ready for the game to suffer from incredible amounts of slowdown at times. These slowdowns can occur anywhere; be it exploring the town or during a fight the game can start to lag horribly for no apparent reason and this issue occurs far too frequently to be ignored.
It comes as something of a surprise to say that Bandai Namco has provided One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows with both an English voice track as well as the original Japanese voice track. Fans will appreciate both options and even the created character can be given a variety of different voice actors in both languages, though their dialogue is limited to battle. The voice work for all of the characters is rather strong, though some of the random mobs players fight can start to blend together quickly. The soundtrack features a great opening theme when starting the game but unfortunately most of the background tunes while fighting and exploring the town are as generic as they come.
Overall
One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows knows exactly what it wants by letting players have access to Saitama’s world without giving them complete access to his unstoppable power. With a witty storyline that places players in a different position to the story they may already be familiar with fans of the series and maybe even some newcomers will enjoy the game’s solid, if occasionally clunky, combat system. That being said, be prepared for some very underwhelming mechanics outside of combat and some strange performance issues that pop up incredibly often.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Coinciding with the news that the World Health Organization is now classifying the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic, the Entertainment Software Association announced today that E3 2020 has been cancelled. Originally, the event was to run from June 9-11 in Los Angeles. California is currently grappling with an outbreak of COVID-19 which resulted in the cancellation.
The ESA announced they will be issuing refunds to exhibitors and attendees over the next several days.
Although E3 is cancelled, ESA is still looking to host press conferences and showcases this year. Currently, the ESA is hoping to run an online-only event in June. More information will be made available in the next few weeks as plans are put into place.
After 14 games and numerous spin offs, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms video game franchise has been running longer than most millennials have been alive. Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIVoffers one of the largest rosters to date, with over 1000 officers plus the ability to create custom characters. This iteration sticks with the franchise’s tried and true turn-based strategy gameplay on a carefully crafted map of China.
Story
Since the franchise is based on the Romance of the Three
Kingdoms historical novel, the story’s main plot points do not change
between titles. There are some non-historical scenarios in the game, but the
main focus is clearly on scenarios that are based on the contents of the novel.
The book is considered to be one of China’s four great classical novels, so the
tale has already endured the test of time. However, not all is well in Romance
of the Three Kingdoms XIV as the dialogue is terrible. It’s corny, stilted,
and about as subtle as an avalanche. It feels like a poorly translated Japanese
video game from the early PlayStation 1 era with none of the campy charm or
excuses. The introductory cinematics on the other hand are much better,
concisely laying out the historical context for the scenario in an interesting manner.
Gameplay
Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV is a turn-based
strategy game. The only goal is to unite China under your leadership before the
year 351. Failing to do so or losing all your cities will result in a loss. To
win, players will need to recruit officers, raise armies, and control territory
to slowly push out competitors.
The game’s emphasis is squarely on combat and politics. The economy
is extremely simple and is mostly automated. Armies are led by an officer who
dictates their formation and troop numbers. Each officer has their own set of
traits that can trigger, and some have special abilities that can turn the tide
of battle. Success in combat focuses on troop positioning, managing supply
lines, and configuring the right army for the right task. Actual combat itself
is completely automated based on army and officer stats, down to the duels that
officers may engage in. While automated combat is not necessarily a bad thing
for turn based strategy games, the automatic duels are quite disappointing
considering the game drags the player into the same duel screen each time.
While not nearly as complex as combat, the politics system
is where players will conduct a variety of diplomatic intrigue and assign officers
to positions of power so they can manage the day to day operation of the player’s
territory. At the end of the day, players must control all of China to win, so
politics is simply a means to create the most ideal situation for their armies
to operate in.
Romance of the Three Kingdom XIV has no single
campaign, but rather a series of scenarios that start at certain points in the
book. Each scenario uses the same massive map of China, but configures each ruler
and territory based on the source material. Players are free to pick any of the
rulers, and the game provides a rating showing how difficult each ruler’s path
to victory is. There are some configuration options to lower the level of
realism, adjust the difficulty, and create random leader placements instead of
following historical events.
The learning curve for new players is poor. There is a four-part
tutorial that teaches new players the absolute basics of the game. Upon
entering a scenario for the first time, players will be bombarded with new features
that are only explained in pretty bare terms in the help menu. There are some features
designed for new players that automatically populate officers and armies based
on the area of focus a player wants and the needs of the kingdom. These are not
the ideal min/maxed set ups but do a good enough job for the new player just
trying to keep their head above water. The game is oddly simple compared to
other grand strategy titles, but Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV still
manages to be incredibly opaque. The game has a strong “figure it out yourself”
attitude that seems to be designed for long time fans or incredibly patient new
players. For example, the in-game suggestions and messages tend to be extremely
vague and rarely give good shortcuts to the matter at hand.
The PC port quality is good, with some minor hiccups. Most
of the configuration can be done in game, but more granular graphic options can
only be accessed from the start up menu. The mouse and keyboard controls are
well executed. Since the game is a strategy title, it does translate well to the
PC. The UI layout is clearly designed for consoles as the menus are optimized
for scrolling around with buttons instead of a mouse.
Visuals
The graphics are decent. The illustrations are by far the
best the game has to offer. The beautifully drawn portraits are captivating,
detailed, and lively. The environment and models are decent, although not extremely
detailed. The duel animations are the weakest in the game as it looks completely
lifeless and robotic. It’s as if the duel animations were torn out of a title
in the series from ten years ago.
Audio
The audio experience is enjoyable. The sound effects are good,
though nothing to spectacular. The soundtrack is excellent, providing the right
balance of calm and unobtrusive music that suits strategy games while still
channeling enough energy to not sound like a meditation music album. There is
no English voice acting in the game, just a handful of Japanese lines for major
characters. I much rather have only Japanese voice acting than a poor English voice
work.
Overall
Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV is not a game for everyone. It has a laser like focus on politics and combat at the expense of everything else. At the same time, it does not offer great depth in either discipline. Instead, the game is more focused on the broad strokes, much like the boardgame Risk. Determined newbies and seasoned veterans of the franchise who enjoy big picture strategies will find some interest in Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV; however, most players will probably want to avoid the game’s clunky learning curve and sometimes shallow gameplay.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
UBISOFT ANNOUNCES THE SEASON
2 PASS FOR Anno 1800 WITH THE FIRST DLC RELEASING ON MARCH 24
Anno 1800 Celebrates More Than 1 Million Players with
a Free Ornament and a Free Weekend from March 12 to March 16
Sydney, Australia — March 10 2020 — Today, Ubisoft announced that Anno 1800™, the latest installment in the successful city-building and strategic franchise, will get a Season 2 Pass including three new major DLCs to be released in 2020. The first one, Seat of Power, will launch on March 24th. In addition, Ubisoft announced the game has reached more than 1 million players* around the world. Released on April 16th, 2019 for Windows PC, Anno 1800 was already the fastest selling Anno game at launch and was able to consistently expand to new players throughout 2019 and will continue to do so in 2020. To celebrate this milestone, all Anno 1800 players will receive a unique free ornament** today and everyone will be able to discover Anno 1800 for free from March 12 to March 16.
“Our team at Ubisoft
Mainz is extremely happy about the results of Anno 1800 so far and thanks to
the constant feedback by the community, we are highly motivated to bring new
content to the Anno brand in 2020”, says David Wightman, Studio Manager at
Ubisoft Mainz.
With the Season 2
Pass, players will have access to new adventures, challenges, and tools as they
shape their very own Industrial Revolution. The Season 2 Pass includes the
three following DLCs to be released throughout 2020:
Seat of Power: Players will be able to show off their city’s power
with a prestigious palace and government departments that can boost their economy
with a variety of policies. Seat of Power will be available on March 24.
Bright Harvest: In this DLC, players will have the opportunity to
bring the wonders of mechanized farming to the countryside as they boost
the efficiency of their farms with tractors and more.
Land of Lions: Players will travel to the Southern continent and
join forces with an embattled emperor to bring life to the desert using
the new irrigation system.
Three Exclusive Themed Ornaments: Finally, Season 2 Pass owners will get access to
exclusive ornaments available alongside the first DLC Seat of Power.
In addition,
beginning March 12th until March 16th***, players will be able to discover Anno
1800 (including Tiers 1 to Tiers 3 and co-op mode) for free on Uplay and the
Epic Games Store.
Developed by Ubisoft
Mainz, Anno 1800 provides players with countless opportunities to prove their
skills as a ruler. Players can create huge metropolises, plan efficient
logistics networks, settle an exotic new continent, send out global
expeditions, and dominate their opponents by diplomacy, trade or warfare.
For more than two
years, Anno 1800 has invited players to take part in the creation and the
development of the game by giving feedback through the Anno Union. So far, more
than 200 blogs have been published, 18,000 comments posted and 5 community
contests organized. This collaboration between players and the studio enables
the development team to shape the game and add requested community features.
Anno 1800, the
Season 2 Pass and Anno 1800: the Complete Edition are available digitally on
the Epic Games store and the Ubisoft Store for Windows PC. The Season 2 Pass
can be purchased at the price of AU$36.95. The Complete Edition of Anno 1800
includes the main game, the Season 1 & 2 Passes and the Digital Deluxe
Content****, it can be purchased at the price of AU$149.95.
*Including all distribution platforms and Uplay+. Not including
pre-launch beta tests and trial versions. Anno 1800 has reached 1M players
within the first 9 months of launch in December 2019.
**All Anno 1800 players will receive an exclusive free ornament with the
next update today directly in Anno 1800.
***This software is a free demo of Anno 1800 from 13th
March, 2020 2am AEDT to 17th March, 2020 1am AEDT on EPIC PC and from 12th
March, 2020 10pm AEDT to 17th March, 2020 1am AEDT on Uplay. The game is
provided AS-IS, may not function as expected, and may crash. Please note that
maintenance may also occur at any time during this period, rendering you unable
to access parts or all of the game. Internet access and Ubisoft Account
registration required.
****Including the additional content
The Anarchist, the game soundtrack, an artbook and exclusive company logos.
About Ubisoft Mainz:
The
teams at Ubisoft Mainz are engineering Ubisoft’s biggest blockbusters.
Operating from a historic city in the heartland of Germany, the studio develops
genre pushing games like the acclaimed Anno 1800 and lends decades of expertise
to AAA co-development projects like Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege and the
upcoming Beyond Good And Evil 2. More information at mainz.ubisoft.com.
About Ubisoft:
Ubisoft
is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment
and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including
Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman, Far Cry
and Watch Dogs. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and
business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming
experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones,
tablets and PCs. For the 2018–19 fiscal year Ubisoft generated Net Bookings of
€2,029 million. To learn more, please visit ubisoft.com.
Political Activist Platformer Super Bernie
World Campaigns on Steam Today
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – 10
Mar. 2020 –Super Bernie
World, an electoral
activism platformer rendered in classic NES style with nostalgic chiptunes from
Gamedevs for Bernie and publisher Kitsune Games, is now doing its part for the American
people for free on Steam for Windows and in your browser on Itch.io.
Take on MAGAmbas, Mitch Troopas, ICE Bullets and Tiki Torchers with the power of positive change. Campaign through 12 states and go up against two notable senators, a congressman and the president of the United States himself. With power-ups like Vermont cheddar cheese to embiggen him, red roses for tossing and the symbolic “Not Me, Us” raised fist firing him up with invincibility, Bernie will help achieve the dreams of millions of 8-bit Americans.
Learn more about
Sanders’ policy platform in cutscenes at the start of each world. Look up how
to support his campaign with time or money right from Super Bernie World’s
main menu. Help Bernie inside the game and out in the real world to collect
enough votes across the United States and win the presidency in November.
“We wanted to do our
part and educate people about what a Bernie Sanders presidency could do for our
nation, and as game developers, this seemed the natural way for us to do it,”
said Emma Maassen, President of Kitsune Games, “We feel his policies are the
best way forward for not just us, but our communities including LGBTQ+ and
other marginalized groups. Accessible health care, living wages, less student
debt and fighting climate change are critical to increased quality of life for
us all.”
Game Devs for Bernie
is a collective of 8 professional game developers with more than 50 years of
combined experience who believe Bernie Sanders is the best path forward for the
United States of America. Game Devs for Bernie is not affiliated with the
Bernie Sanders campaign for president.
About Kitsune Games
Kitsune Games is an
inclusive indie video game development microstudio led by Emma ‘Eniko’ Maassen
and James Yarrow. Set apart by its queer founder, the studio strives to make
the world a better place by offering quality entertainment with representation
of people from all walks of life.
Paper Beast: A Dreamlike Odyssey Comes to
PlayStation VR 24 March
Dive into this odyssey in virtual reality, born
from Eric Chahi’s imagination (Another World, From Dust).
9 March 2020 –
Montpellier, France – Independent
studio Pixel Reef has announced Paper Beast, the poetic journey through a blossoming
virtual world by renowned game designer Eric Chahi, will release 24 March for PlayStation VR.
The new game from Chahi,
the creative mind behind Another World, Heart of Darkness and From
Dust, is a dreamlike odyssey through a wild, simulated ecosystem. In this
strange, uncharted world, form delicate bonds with fascinating and exotic
creatures, solve environmental puzzles, and unfold the mysteries of a land born
from long-lost Internet data.
Created from the ground
up for virtual reality, Paper Beast invites intrepid explorers to
understand this dreamlike world through the real-time consequences they create.
In adventure mode, collaborate with fascinating wildlife and shape the
environment to overcome obstacles or resolve puzzles, with everything from
weather and terrain deformation to the way animals respond fully simulated.
The almost-infinite play
space of the sandbox mode approximates a god game experience, where
experimentation and ecosystem play a major role. The player can sculpt the
terrain, play with the weather, and interact with creatures and plants. All
consequences are calculated in real-time by the deep physics engine that powers
Paper Beast.
Paper Beast unfurls its virtual world for PlayStation VR 24
March. More details can be found on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the Pixel Reef website. Subscribe to the newsletter to receive the
latest news about Paper Beast.
Paper Beast’s mood-fitting original soundtrack, which
oscillates between ambient and punk rock, is available for pre-order on Bandcamp and in double vinyl
edition on G4F Records store.
About Pixel Reef
Founded by renowned game
designer Eric Chahi (Another World, Heart of Darkness, From
Dust), Pixel Reef aims to create immersive indie games with a poetic touch.
The independent studio sees itself as an atoll, a happy place ripe for creative
exploration. Bringing years of experience, Eric and his team are currently
working on Paper Beast, a visually stunning game of exploration set
to be released on “PlayStation VR” in 2020. More details can be found on the Pixel Reef website.
