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Dell Technologies & Fortress Melbourne Unite to Power the Next Generation of Gaming and Esports in Australia

Dell Technologies & Fortress Melbourne Unite to Power the Next Generation of Gaming and Esports in Australia

AUSTRALIA, Sydney – 18 February 2020: Dell Technologies has partnered with Fortress Melbourne, the largest video gaming and esports venue in the Southern Hemisphere, to become its end-to-end technology partner. Located within luxury shopping centre Emporium Melbourne, Fortress Melbourne will support esports players, fans and gamers of all skill levels, fostering a gaming community that will invite inquisitive parents and casual patrons looking for a premium entertainment experience.

Fortress Melbourne will include a 200-seat main arena – the Alienware Arena – and a LAN Lounge that will be equipped with some of Alienware’s most powerful PCs, featuring Intel® CoreTM processors, and cutting-edge gaming peripherals. The space will house more than 150 of Alienware’s Aurora R9 gaming PCs in the new Legend ID design with liquid cooling and NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2080 and 2070 SUPER GPUs, and Dell Pro Support services provided for all devices. Fortress Melbourne will also feature a mix of Alienware 27” and 34” gaming monitors with Legend ID design, RGB keyboards, gaming mice and headsets, offering gamers the best in class game performance.

“According to the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association’s (IGEA) Digital Australia 2020 Report[1], our local gaming industry continues to grow with two out of three Australians playing video games and total sales in the retail gaming industry exceeding AUD$4 billion in 2018.

Melbourne is at the epicentre of this growing community as it’s home to PAX Australia and the Melbourne Esports Open,” said Ben Jackson, General Manager, Consumer and Small Business, Dell Technologies ANZ. “We’re passionate about making Australia’s esports scene the best it can be, and we couldn’t be happier to partner with Fortress Melbourne. We believe that the venue will become the unofficial home for professional and casual gamers alike.”

In addition to the slew of high-end Alienware gaming PCs and equipment, Fortress Melbourne will be supported by a complete end-to-end infrastructure solution, from Dell Technologies, that will power its business, as well as deliver the best gaming experience for visitors. The IT infrastructure solution includes; Dell EMC PowerEdge R640 servers featuring 2nd Generation Intel® Xeon® Scalable Processors, which will ensure the smooth and secure running of the corporate operations as well as the PC Gaming services, Dell EMC SC Series storage, providing multi-media support for gaming streaming services and Dell EMC N-Series & S-Series networking for high availability and low latency that is critical to the gaming industry.

“We want Fortress Melbourne to become the go-to venue for all Australian gamers, which is why we’re so excited to be partnering with Dell Technologies,” said Jon Satterley, CEO at Fortress Australia. “By having our venue equipped with Alienware’s powerful gaming PCs and peripherals, as well as infrastructure from Dell Technologies, gamers of all skill levels will be able to experience the best gaming equipment in the world.”

The partnership between Dell Technologies and Fortress Melbourne comes at an exciting time for Australia’s professional gaming culture. The IGEA Digital Australian 2020 Report shows that Australian audiences are continuing to flock to esports tournaments and gaming events, as the local sector follows the lead of the United States and Europe’s billion-dollar esports industries.

“By creating a professional-grade esports facility that’s open to the public, Dell Technologies is proud to be in the driver’s seat and lead our local gaming community’s exciting transformation,” said Jackson. “The response from gamers across the country has been amazing and Australia is set to see more world-class esports and gaming venues emerge in the years to come.”

For more information about Australia’s new home for gamers, visit www.fortressmelbourne.com

About Dell Technologies

Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL) helps organisations and individuals build their digital future and transform how they work, live and play. The company provides customers with the industry’s broadest and most innovative technology and services portfolio for the data era.

AID THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS TO DEFEAT THE DEMONS WHO ARE OVERTAKING THE WORLD OF BABEL

AID THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS TO DEFEAT THE DEMONS WHO ARE OVERTAKING THE WORLD OF BABEL
 
SAN FRANCISCO, EUROPE, ANZ, AND SOUTHEAST ASIA – February 17, 2020 –  gumi Inc announces the newest collaboration of the year for THE ALCHEMIST CODE. From February 20 until March 11, 2020, players will have the chance to summon knights from the land of Britannia based on the popular Japanese manga, The Seven Deadly Sins.
In this collaboration, players can look forward to the following events and units:
 
Summonable Collaboration Characters
Players can summon five iconic characters from The Seven Deadly Sins to aid the players’ quest to repel the demons invasion in Babel.
 
Collaboration Units:
For a limited time only, recruit these five knights of Liones from The Seven Deadly Sins:

  • Meliodas
  • King
  • Diane
  • Gowther
  • Ban

Collaboration Equipment and Gears
Get ready to equip The Seven Deadly Sins units and gear them to be ready for battles.
 
The Seven Deadly Sins Equipment
Players can now get The Seven Deadly Sins Equipment by:
Clearing milestones from normal quests Episode 1 – 6 to obtain Equipment Shards. Players will have to gather 80 Equipment Shards in order to transmute one Equipment.
Each unit’s Equipment can also be purchased from the Secret Shop.
 
The Seven Deadly Sins Gear
Players can now get The Seven Deadly Sins gear by:
Clearing milestones from EX quests to obtain up to 50 Gear Shards, and with this number of Shards, players can transmute a 2-Star gear of their choice.
Additional Gear Shards can be collected by clearing EX quests objectives and through drops in EX quests.
 
Collaboration Mementos
For a limited time only, players will get a chance to obtain two unique The Seven Deadly Sins collaboration Mementos – “Legendary Order of Knights” and “Holy War of the Seven Deadly Sins”.
 
Legendary Order of the Knights Memento
The legendary order of knights, The Seven Deadly Sins, was known to rush to the aid of the kingdom in times of crisis. In contrast to the evil countenance depicted on their wanted posters, their eyes shine like those of true heroes. “Never give up! Be strong, ‘The Seven Deadly Sins are here!” They wished for peace, and fearlessly stood against those who would threaten it. They lived as true knights, fighting solely for their beliefs, with no desire for wealth or fame.
 
Holy War of the Seven Deadly Sins Memento
Those righteous fellows, the Deadly Sins, go to intercept the approaching menace. If one looked upon the scene using Balor’s Magical Eye, it would be obvious that the assembled were no ordinary beings. Most startling of all would be the revealed prowess of the one leading the group. “You have hurt that which is precious to me…that is your sin.” The flash of his rage-driven blade follows this proclamation, lighting up the faces of his companions, who fight this Holy War at his side. His resolve is absolute: he will protect that which is precious to him, no matter the cost.
 
This Memento is obtainable from 5-Step Memento 10-Summon.
 
Original Collaboration Quests
The demons were released from the Coffin of Eternal Darkness and they have infested the whole of Babel. Gear up and assemble your team to defeat these demons by clearing limited-time collaboration quests (available from February 20 until March 11, 2020).
Players can get The Seven Deadly Sins Equipment and Gears Shards by going through the quests. With these Shards, players can transmute one Equipment with 80 Equipment Shards and transmute a 2-Star gear with 50 Gear Shards. At the same time, players can get up to 63 The Seven Deadly Sins soul shards at random by clearing the Hard quest within the period of the collaboration.
 
Collaboration Raid
Assemble your team and take part in The Seven Deadly Sins raid happening from March 5 until March 11, 2020. Defeat raid bosses such as the Red Demon, Gray Demon and Giant Taurus, and be rewarded with items such as Gems, Sinful Indulgence, Retribution for Sin and Rainbow Soul Shards. At the same time, players can purchase new Raid Gear with 7,500 port coins. Port coins can be obtained through Raid Quest Port Ranking.
 
THE ALCHEMIST CODE is a free-to-play app (with in-app purchases) available through the App Store, Google Play and on the Amazon App Store.
 
For the latest updates, please follow THE ALCHEMIST CODE’s social media channels:

  • Official Site:     https://www.alchemistcode.com/?utm_source=pr
  • Facebook:        https://www.facebook.com/TheAlchemistCode
  • Twitter:           https://twitter.com/alchemist_code
  • Instagram:       https://www.instagram.com/alchemist_code
  • YouTube:                      https://www.youtube.com/c/TheAlchemistCode

Note: All dates mentioned are in PST.

About Kodansha Ltd.
Founded in 1909, Kodansha Ltd. is Japan’s leading publishing house, based in Tokyo, Japan. Under the leadership of Yoshinobu Noma, company president since 2011, Kodansha continues to play a dominant role in the media world, producing books and magazines in a wide variety of genres including literature, fiction, nonfiction, children’s, business, lifestyle, art, manga, fashion, and journalism. Recently, the company has focused on creating and developing a wide range of digital businesses.

About gumi Inc.
Founded in 2007, gumi Inc. (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 3903) is a leading global mobile game publisher and developer headquartered in Japan, with overseas operations in France, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and the United States. The company has proven success in launching titles worldwide, such as the widely popular role-playing games Brave Frontier and THE ALCHEMIST CODE. In 2016, gumi established a Silicon Valley-based investment group with partners, called The Venture Reality Fund, which focuses on seed and early stage augmented reality and virtual reality startups. Its VR incubation subsidiaries have expanded globally, including Tokyo XR Startups, Seoul XR Startups, and Nordic XR Startups. In 2018, the company launched gumi Cryptos, an investment arm in blockchain technology and funds. With ongoing publishing and development projects on a wide array of mobile, AR and VR platforms, gumi aims to change the world through innovative entertainment products and services, including both original content and collaborations with popular IP. For more information, please visit
http://www.gu3.co.jp/en/

About THE ALCHEMIST CODE
THE ALCHEMIST CODE is a full-scale Strategy RPG, featuring classic tactical elements and a plethora of high-quality content — from intense missions, gloriously animated 3D battles, to stunning anime-styled cutscenes, superb music and voice acting. The pinnacle of Japanese SRPGs, players can delve into THE ALCHEMIST CODE’s universe of infinite possibilities and customize strategic teams to be deployed on multi-dimensional planes of different elevation and orientation. Left at the mercy of the gods and the seven deadly sins, who will prevail and bring about a change in the world?

Based on the manga “Nanatsu no Taizai” by Nakaba Suzuki originally serialized in the weekly SHONEN MAGAZINE published by Kodansha Ltd.
©Nakaba Suzuki,KODANSHA/The Seven Deadly Sins Revival of the Commandments Project,MBS. All Rights Reserved.

©FgG

OUTWARD New DLC Pulls No Punches

OUTWARD New DLC Pulls No Punches

Enchanting, Corruption and New Skills Await

Larkspur, Calif. (Feb 17, 2020) – Deep Silver and Nine Dots Studio are excited to announce the long awaited first DLC pack, The Soroboreans is due for Spring 2020.

Launched on March 26, 2019 by the pocket-sized and dynamic Canadian developers Nine Dots Studio, Outward’s popularity grew substantially but that wasn’t the end of this adventure. It was just the start. Allow yourself to be immersed in Aurai once again and see what’s new.

You have battled your way through the landscape, dedicated yourself to your favorite faction and died countless times. Now it’s time to grab your backpack, pick up where you left off, and venture forth in this new hard-hitting DLC.

Filled to the brim with content and new features that will add a breath of fresh air to your game, The SoroboreansDLC will get you worried about a lot more than starving to death, dehydration, losing your backpack and… well, everything else. Check out below for a tease of some new features, and stay tuned for more info including new developer diarieswith a lot more detail coming soon.

Enchantments

What’s better than your favorite weapon by your side? What about your favorite weapon with a whole new effect on it? Weapons and Trinkets will now be able to be changed with the new enchanting system.

Corruption

Hungry, thirsty and cold. A terrible situation to be in, but one you often find yourself in while playing. If that wasn’t enough for you now your character can get corrupted. The level of corruption affects you in different ways and if you can’t shake it you could meet an untimely end. The world just got a whole lot scarier.

New Skills and Status Effects

Introducing new skills and status effects for your character. These will help with the new situations you find yourself in with the corruption affects. These add a new element to the game and can completely change your gameplay. Time to start a new character? Do you have enough Travel Rations for this one?

# # #

About Nine Dots Studio

At Nine Dots we create games aimed at hardcore gamers with sophisticated tastes. We specialize in making games that would normally be out of scope for a studio of our size by refining our management practices and by focusing on creating the best working environment for our developers. The company is based in Quebec City, has been around for over 8 years and released Outward on March 26, 2019. 

About Deep Silver

Deep Silver develops and distributes interactive games for all platforms. The Deep Silver label means to captivate all gamers who have a passion for thrilling gameplay in exciting game worlds. Deep Silver works with its partners to achieve a maximum of success while maintaining the highest possible quality, always focusing on what the customer desires.

Deep Silver has published more than 200 games since 2003, including its own brands like the open world extravaganza Saints Row, the zombie action franchise Dead Island, and the grim post-apocalyptic future of the Metro series. Upcoming highlights from Deep Silver include Dead Island 2. Deep Silver also owns the development studios Deep Silver Dambuster Studios in Nottingham, UK; Deep Silver Fishlabs in Hamburg, Germany, and Deep Silver Volition based in Champaign, IL, USA. For more information please visit www.deepsilver.com

Koch Media is a leading producer and distributor of digital entertainment products (software, games and films). The company’s own publishing activities, marketing and distribution extend throughout Europe and the USA. The Koch Media group has more than 20 years of experience in the digital media business, and has risen to become the number one distributor in Europe. It has also formed strategic alliances with numerous games and software publishers: Bethesda, Capcom, Kaspersky Labs, NC SOFT, Sega, Square Enix and Tecmo-Koei, etc. in various European countries. With Headquarter in Höfen, Austria Koch Media owns branches in Germany, England, France, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, the Nordic regions, Benelux, Australia, Czech Republic and the United States.

All product titles, publisher names, trademarks, artwork and associated imagery are trademarks, registered trademarks and/or copyright material of the respective owners. All rights reserved.

STREET FIGHTER™ V: CHAMPION EDITION NOW AVAILABLE IN AUSTRALIA;

STREET FIGHTER V: CHAMPION EDITION NOW AVAILABLE IN AUSTRALIA;

SETH ADDED TO ROSTER AS 40TH CHARACTER

New Version of Acclaimed Fighting Game Includes 40 Characters, 34 Stages, 200+ Costumes and More!

SYDNEY – Feb. 17, 2020 – Champions will rise! Capcom, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, have announced Street Fighter V: Champion Edition, the most robust version of the acclaimed fighting game, is now available for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and PC. Also announced over the weekend, Seth embodies a new physical form and joins the Champion Edition roster as the 40th character for Street Fighter V players to add to their collection. A new Street Fighter V: Champion Edition launch trailer featuring Seth and other iconic fighters is available now.

Street Fighter V: Champion Edition includes all content (excluding Fighting Chance costumes, brand collaboration costumes and Capcom Pro Tour DLC) from both the original release and Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition. Champion Editionadds each character, stage and other content that released after Arcade Edition and through the launch of this new version, including Seth. In total, this robust edition of Street Fighter V features 40 characters, 34 stages and over 200 costumes. Fighters can select their character and battle their way through a variety of exciting single-player and multi-player modes designed for players of all skill levels, including Cinematic Story Mode, Arcade Mode, Team Battle, Ranked Match, Casual Match and more.

Also available from today, Seth has been added as the 40th character to appear in Street Fighter V; this master move mimicker returns with a new physical form in Champion Edition. The boss character from Street Fighter IV, Seth’s biological brain has been paired with Doll Unit Zero as the intelligence continues to seek new data and install moves from the fiercest fighters in the world. New players can experience Seth now as part of Street Fighter V: Champion Edition and current players can acquire Seth separately, also for 100,000 Fight Money (in-game currency).

Street Fighter V: Champion Edition is available now physically and digitally on PlayStation®4 and as a digital download on Steam. Current owners of any version of Street Fighter V can purchase a digital Upgrade Kit, offering instant access to all unowned Champion Edition content.

The initial Street Fighter V purchase is still the only one that consumers need to make to ensure they always have the most up-to-date version of the title. All game mode additions and balance updates are free for owners of any Street Fighter V version. Additionally, all DLC characters remain earnable completely free of charge through completing various in-game challenges and receiving earned in-game currency, called Fight Money. For those who can’t wait, in-game content can be obtained instantly using real money. Certain additional content can only be acquired using Fight Money, which can be earned through normal gameplay.

###

ABOUT CAPCOM

Capcom is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment for game consoles, PCs, handheld and wireless devices. Founded in 1983, the company has created hundreds of games, including groundbreaking franchises Resident Evil™, Monster Hunter™, Street Fighter™, Mega Man™, Devil May Cry™ and Ace Attorney™. Capcom maintains operations in the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Tokyo, with corporate headquarters located in Osaka, Japan. More information about Capcom and its products can be found at www.capcom.com or www.capcom-europe.com.

Capcom, and the Capcom logo are registered trademarks of Capcom Co., Ltd. in the U.S. or other countries. Ace Attorney, Devil May Cry, Mega Man, Monster Hunter and Resident Evil are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Capcom Co., Ltd., in the U.S. and/or other countries. Street Fighter is a trademark and/or registered trademark of Capcom U.S.A., Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks and “PS4” is a trademark of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

UBISOFT® INTRODUCES ‘PHASE 3’ OF ITS VISION OF SUSTAINABLE ESPORTS FOR TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX® SIEGE

UBISOFT® INTRODUCES ‘PHASE 3’ OF ITS VISION OF SUSTAINABLE ESPORTS FOR TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX® SIEGE

Phase 3 is the keystone of Ubisoft’s vision of sustainable esports for Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Siege

Sydney, Australia — February 17, 2020 — Drawing from 2 years of learnings provided by Phase 1 and 2 of the Pilot Program, the revenue-sharing test-initiative first introduced in 2018, Ubisoft® introduced today at the Six Invitational 2020 ‘Phase 3’, the keystone of Ubisoft’s vision of sustainable esports for Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Siege.

Phase 3 aims to ensure a mature and virtuous environment for partner organisations engaged in the Rainbow Six professional esports scene and a supportive environment for our teams, players and talent by:

  • Supporting up to 44 organisations worldwide, across NA, EU, LATAM & APAC.
  • Running for the next 4 years, allowing organisations to think long term.
  • Introducing a multi-tier support system with 3 Tiers, to adapt both revenue shares and requirements to the organisations variable situations.

Phase 3 will provide a clear, virtuous and structured approach to supporting our valuable professional esports scene. This program will redefine what it means to be a ‘Pro’ team in Rainbow Six Siege through higher industry standards.

Phase 3 implements a qualitative in-depth selection process, involving third parties to ensure a fair and neutral evaluation process.

  • To be eligible, organisations must meet the minimum requirements of having a Rainbow Six Siege roster competing at a professional regional level and participating in a national program.
  • To determine how organisations will be split into the 3 Tiers, third parties will evaluate the applications submitted by the organisations.
  • Organisations selected to enter Phase 3 will then be assessed every 3 months and ranked against other organizations in their Tier on a set of criteria such a viewership, support provided to their players, revenues from their in-game items sales and so on. Organisations can be promoted or demoted from one Tier to another at the end of the year.
  • Tiers and ranks will determine each organisation’s part of the revenue-sharing.

Overall, 30% of the net revenue on selected items will be redistributed to the Phase 3 organisations: 

  • League items: for every regional league set sold, 30% of the net revenue will be split 4 ways between Tier 1 organisations, Tier 2, Tier 3 and a Performance Pool.  
  • Pro Team items: for every team-branded item sold, 30% of the net revenue will be shared with the organisation whose branded item is purchased.
  • Six Major items: An Operator bundle will be produced for each Major. 30% of the net revenue from these items will contribute to the prize pool of any Six Major event
  • Road to S.I. Battle Pass: 30% of the net revenue from the Road to Six Invitational Battle Pass will go towards the Six Invitational prize pool.
  • For revenue generated by the Six Major items and the Road to S.I. Battle Pass contributing to the respective prize pools of those events, if a team wins part of that prize money in the competition, then 70% of this prize money will go to the players and 30% to the organisation.

More details on Phase 3 are available here: https://rainbow6.ubisoft.com/en-gb/game/rainbow-six/siege/news-updates/7N1J3eGDVRon8q8OCE9kLV/introducing-phase-3-of-the-rainbow-six-vision-of-sustainable-esports

For more information about Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six esports, please visit http://www.rainbow6.com/esports and follow us at https://twitter.com/R6esports and https://instagram.com/R6esports with the hashtag #SixInvitational.

About Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

Alongside a thriving professional esports scene and a community of over 50 million registered players, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege puts players in the middle of a fast-paced, ever-evolving multiplayer experience grounded in the selection of unique Operators. Using the right mix of tactics and destruction, Rainbow Six teams engage their enemies in sieges, where both sides have exclusive skills and gadgets at their disposal. Defenders prepare by transforming the environments around them into modern strongholds, while attackers use recon drones to gain intel for carefully planning their assault. With access to dozens of Operators inspired by real world counter-intelligence agents from around the globe, players can choose exactly how they want to approach each challenge they encounter. Through the constant addition of new Operators and maps that add to the depth of both strategy and combat, the unpredictability of each round of Rainbow Six Siege sets a new bar for intensity and competition in gaming.

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 www.ubisoft.com.

© 2020 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are registered trademarks in the US and/or other countries

UBISOFT® UNVEILS MAJOR CHANGES COMING TO THE TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX® ESPORTS PROGRAM FOR 2020 AND BEYOND

UBISOFT® UNVEILS MAJOR CHANGES COMING TO THE TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX® ESPORTS PROGRAM FOR 2020 AND BEYOND

The next Pro League champions will be crowned at the Season XI Finals in São Paulo, Brazil, on May 16-17

Sydney, Australia — February 17, 2020 — Today at the Six Invitational 2020, Ubisoft® revealed a major update of the Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Siege esports program for 2020 and beyond. Following the next Rainbow Six Pro League Finals that will conclude Season XI on May 16-17, in the Grand Auditorium, Anhembi in beautiful São Paulo, Brazil, the Rainbow Six esports scene will evolve towards a regionalised program.

While fitting into a coherent global frame, the 4 existing regions – Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia-Pacific – will decide on the specifics of their regional program, whether it is their partners, their formats or the way the regional program fuels the global program. Building upon what was created over the past 4 years of Rainbow Six esports with Pro League and national tournaments, regionalising the program is the natural next step for Ubisoft to enhance the specificities and successes of each region. It will allow for a stronger focus on local scenes and an increased diversity in the different choices of programs Ubisoft offers. All of this will feed into one exciting global race towards a qualification for the Six Invitational, the pinnacle of the Rainbow Six competitive year.

The program changes will result in:

  • 4 regional programs running in parallel during the year. A competitive year of Rainbow Six esports, known as a ‘Season’, will be divided into 4 quarters. The first 3 quarters will be known as ‘Stages’, each concluding with a Major, where the 4 best teams from each region at the end of a given stage will gather to compete. The 4th quarter will be dedicated to regional finals and relegations, leading towards the Six Invitational that will crown the world’s best team at the end of the Season.
  • Teams involved in the regional programs will be ranked based on a new and in-depth point system that rewards sustained performance.
  • Performance in the regional programs and Majors will impact the global rankings and the teams’ journey towards the Six Invitational.

ASIA-PACIFIC

The Asia-Pacific region will include two divisions. In the North Division, the Japanese, Korean, and Southeast Asian programs will come together to form a single, highly competitive, online league gathering 12 teams. In parallel, the South Division will provide exciting new opportunities to the established Oceanic market along with up-and-coming regions such as South Asia. Ubisoft will commission ESL Australia to handle the Asia-Pacific programs and events.

EUROPE

The European League will expand to ten teams and build upon what was created over the past couple of years. The European national programs will receive greater significance and will feed into the global program, thus forging a multi-tiered esports scene, allowing players from all levels and horizons to compete. FaceIt and LiveNation will be Ubisoft’s co-production partners for the European League and events.

LATIN AMERICA

Latin America will grow from eight to ten teams in Brazil and move to an offline structure in Mexico while expanding into South America (Argentina, Peru, Chile, Uruguay). Latin America will now support three divisions (Brazil, Mexico and South America) with the intent of continuing to evolve into global competitors. The Latin American program will be owned and operated by Ubisoft and its contracted vendors in the region.

NORTH AMERICA

North America will level up the production and tournament operations across the board while continuing to champion players and community. Next year will see the introduction of the US Division, a new program with premier production and play dates. For the first time, Canada will have a place within the global competition stage with the Canada Division.

The Six Invitational 2020 also revealed the regions that will host Majors in the next 2 years:

2020

  • May 16-17, Pro League Finals Season XI: São Paulo, Brazil
  • August Major: North America
  • November Major: Europe

2021

  • February, Six Invitational 2021: Canada
  • May Major: Europe
  • August Major: North America
  • November Major: Asia-Pacific

More details on the revamped Rainbow Six esports program and each of the four regional programs are available here: https://rainbow6.ubisoft.com/news-updates/

For more information about Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six esports, please visit http://www.rainbow6.com/esports and follow us at https://twitter.com/R6esports and https://instagram.com/R6esports with the hashtag #SixInvitational.

About Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

Alongside a thriving professional esports scene and a community of over 50 million registered players, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege puts players in the middle of a fast-paced, ever-evolving multiplayer experience grounded in the selection of unique Operators. Using the right mix of tactics and destruction, Rainbow Six teams engage their enemies in sieges, where both sides have exclusive skills and gadgets at their disposal. Defenders prepare by transforming the environments around them into modern strongholds, while attackers use recon drones to gain intel for carefully planning their assault. With access to dozens of Operators inspired by real world counter-intelligence agents from around the globe, players can choose exactly how they want to approach each challenge they encounter. Through the constant addition of new Operators and maps that add to the depth of both strategy and combat, the unpredictability of each round of Rainbow Six Siege sets a new bar for intensity and competition in gaming.

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 www.ubisoft.com.

© 2020 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are registered trademarks in the US and/or other countries

OPENING MOVIE OF THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATEDbFINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE REVEALED

OPENING MOVIE OF THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATEDbFINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE REVEALED

SYDNEY, 17th February 2020Square Enix Ltd., today revealed the opening cinematic movie for one of the year’s most highly anticipated games, FINAL FANTASY® VII REMAKE. The video showcases the eclectic city of Midgar, backed by newly orchestrated, breath-taking music. In FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE, players will be drawn into a world where the Shinra Electric Power Company, a shadowy corporation, controls the planet’s very life force. Cloud Strife, a former member of Shinra’s elite SOLDIER unit now turned mercenary, lends his aid to an anti-Shinra organisation calling themselves Avalanche.

Additionally, fans will get to experience the breath-taking music from FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE live during the recently announced Orchestra World Tour starting in Los Angeles this June. Further concerts will take place in London, Paris and Barcelona with more European dates and countries to be announced soon. The concerts will feature music from the game’s soundtrack performed by a majestic orchestra and full chorus, all conducted by GRAMMY®-Award winner Arnie Roth known for his work on Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY. For more concert and ticketing information, visit: http://ffvii-remakeconcerts.com/.

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE is a reimagining of the iconic original game that re-defined the RPG genre, diving deeper into the world and its characters than ever before. The first game in the project will be set in the city of Midgar and presents a fully standalone gaming experience that provides a great starting point to the series. Along with unforgettable characters and a powerful story, FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE features a hybrid battle system that merges real-time action with strategic, command-based combat.

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE will be available for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system on 10th April 2020. For more information, visit: www.ffvii-remake.com

Related Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finalfantasyvii

Twitter: https://twitter.com/finalfantasyvii

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finalfantasyvii/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/finalfantasy

#FinalFantasy #FF7R

Arc of Alchemist Review

Arc of Alchemist

Developers: Compile Heart, Idea Factory
Publisher: Idea Factory International
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 (Reviewed)
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $39.99 USD – Available Here $89.95 AUD – Available Here

Overview

Every so often a developer wants to try out something a little different and Idea Factory has been known to take some big swings when it comes to developing their RPGs. Some of these risks have led to great successes and popular long running franchises while others have simply been misses that are left forgotten. Arc of Alchemist sees the developer take another risk and try out a hack and slash style RPG set in a post-apocalyptic world but was this one that was worth taking?

Story

The Earth is something that many people take for granted and that is the truth even in a fantasy realm as the Earth in Arc of Alchemist, once called the “Planet of Water,” has now suffered from mankind’s machinations as countless wars and overuse have led to the desertification of the planet with nearly all of humanity wiped out or living in small societies that are struggling to survive with dwindling resources in an ever growing desert planet. With resources scarce and dangerous beasts roaming the land alongside rogue machines that remain active from past wars, humanity’s last days are in sight unless some type of salvation can be found.

As such the king has sent out a large scale team into the Desert of Beginnings, a danger filled land where the “Great Power” is said to reside. leading the investigation team is Quinn Bravesford, a skilled soldier and tactician that knows just what type of weight has been placed on her shoulders and those of her team. Equipped with the Lunagear, an ancient device capable of wielding the four elements, Quinn and her team must find this great power even if many think that it is simply a legend.

Almost immediately out of the gate Arc of Alchemist struggles to find its own path. The setting, while fairly generic as far as a post-apocalyptic struggle goes, is established well enough with a solid amount of lore going into detailing just how the world became like it is. Once again though, this is as far as it goes as the story really doesn’t get fleshed out too much more beyond that and unfortunately part of this problem also lies with the characters themselves. Rather than try to introduce the cast to players at a slow burn Arc of Alchemist immediately provides players with Quinn and a number of playable characters that start out as part of her squad. 

Eventually more characters do join but their storylines are unfortunately told in an incredibly poor manner as they are only focused on whenever the player returns back to their “HQ.” Returning to HQ to replenish supplies or save can often lead to a number of short scenes triggering to detail a character’s past or try to flesh them out a bit and while occasionally these scenes do end up feeling a bit emotional or humorous depending on the focus at the time, many of them fall incredibly flat. This is also problematic simply due to how forced a few can end up feeling, especially if the player doesn’t return to HQ often enough to space out these events, leading to some rather lengthy sequences that often don’t feel worth the time of day even for some of the better written characters in the group.

Gameplay

As mentioned before, Arc of Alchemist is something a bit different from Idea Factory as the game is a more mechanically simplistic but speedy hack and slash RPG that relies upon fairly basic combos to take down foes and explore. Players are given two different types of attack depending on the weapon type, and occasionally on the weapon itself, that generally range from being a long and close range attack or buffs and healing for the team, while also being able to dodge incoming attacks with a finicky rolling system. While fighting Quinn and her party also build up a super meter that allows for them to unleash a special attack or buff and thankfully this meter carries over between battles.

This is primarily due to the fact that fights in Arc of Alchemist fall into two categories as they either are battles that see the player’s three person party completely dust their foes with little challenge or longer drawn out battles that only come about due to the player being underleveled for that specific enemy. This leaves quite a bit to be desired as there is really very little middleground here especially since most battles that do end up being a challenge are, as mentioned before, only because the player explored an area far too above their level or because of a special “gimmick” that the player hasn’t learned to use yet. It is nice to note that players are given the option to play as any of the playable characters in the game and can even form a party that doesn’t even have the main character Quinn in it should they desire but given her versatility she fits nearly any role the player may need for their preferred party.

Players will find that the Lunagear is the most versatile tool in the game both in and outside of combat as the staff has a limited number of uses per expedition in the field but can deal massive amounts of damage to a foe if used properly. Outside of combat the Lunagear plays into the aforementioned “gimmicks” that are scattered throughout the open world. These range from being overgrown paths or frozen areas that require a fireball to destroy or a blast of water to put out a fire that may be blocking the player’s path. These gimmicks are simple puzzles that are generally easy to solve, though the earth manipulation can be a bit too rough at times given the game’s floaty jumping mechanics, but help break up the standard flow of exploration in a nice manner. That being said, be ready for some disappointment as often extensive side exploration and even some gimmicks simply lead to nothing of worth, which is something that can be a bit of a problem in an open world exploration game such as Arc of Alchemist.

While exploring the field players will occasionally find various gathering points that have special items that can be used back at HQ or locate a treasure chest but for the most part the only thing exploration unveils are more enemies to take down. Speaking of the HQ, this is where players will spend their time upgrading their characters, purchasing items and equipment, and even building up their base of operations to provide special bonuses. This base building mechanic is fairly simple to understand and adds a number of unique little bonuses to the party, as well as access to better items, if used properly but be prepared for a few of these mechanics to fall by the wayside a bit as some elements require an extensive amount of unnecessary grinding.

Visuals & Audio
Arc of Alchemist finds itself in a bit of an odd predicament when it comes to presentation given the fact that the majority of the game is meant to take place in various desert locations. The overall design of these areas fit the theme but also fall into the same issues that the open world mechanics do by being incredibly empty or barren looking in nature and even if players take a closer look at some areas, the textures on many parts of the map are flat out ugly which is rather surprising given the game was developed for the PlayStation 4. The actual character models for the Quinn and the party are nicely designed, albeit a bit on the chibi side, and the quickness of combat allows for fights to flow smoothly which is a nice touch though be prepared to face off against many similar looking enemies throughout the game.

Idea Factory International has released the game with only the original Japanese voice work accompanied by English subtitles and, unfortunately, a lot of the infield dialogue when using skills or finishing combat is left unsubbed. Surprisingly Arc of Alchemist does feature a rather outstanding soundtrack as not only does it feature some great action music to fight to but also quite a lot of variety in general as there is a collective mix of somber, pop, and heavy action music that fits a wide variety of scenes.

Overall

Arc of Alchemist was a different risk for Idea Factory to take and it shows. There are hints of something more here and this leads to Arc of Alchemist being a decent enough experience but one that is plagued with a number of issues. Between an interesting storyline that features lackluster characters and some solid gameplay mechanics that quickly begin to feel repetitive, Arc of Alchemist easily could have been something more but in the end this RPG is one that doesn’t deliver on its potential and instead becomes a middling hack and slash with an interesting premise.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX® SIEGE REVEALS OPERATION VOID EDGE

TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX® SIEGE REVEALS OPERATION VOID EDGE

Discover Operators Iana and Oryx, and a reworked version of the map Oregon

Sydney, Australia — February 16th, 2020 — Today, at the Six Invitational 2020, Ubisoft announced the full details of the first season of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Siege Year 5. Operation Void Edge introduces Iana and Oryx, the new Attacker and Defender from the Netherlands and Jordan, in addition to an entirely reworked Oregon map. Season 1 of Year 5 will also include a slew of gameplay changes and a limited-time event.

Dutch Attacker Iana and Jordanian Defender Oryx are the two new Operators coming in Operation Void Edge. While studying for her systems engineering doctorate, Iana pioneered topographical mapping software that allowed her to generate a holographic representation of herself that she can command with her Gemini Replicator. Once she activates her hologram, she directly goes inside and can control it. It can move and produces sound like she would, but it obviously cannot shoot, melee or use secondary gadgets.

Oryx is the unofficial second-in-command at Kaid’s Fortress, maintaining it during his absences, as well as acting as his trusted advisor. Oryx is a heavily trained Operator that does not use a gadget, though his ability, Remah Dash, has more than one application. Its speed allows him to roam efficiently and cover short distances with unprecedented swiftness. In addition, it can also be used to knock down opponents or dash through breakable walls, though at the cost of part of his health. Finally, Oryx is also able to climb up hatches, giving him a significant tactical advantage over his opponents.

In addition to these two new Operators, players will be able to explore a reimagined Oregon map, which has been newly reworked. Notable changes include expansions to the basement area, attic, and office tower. Additional changes can be experienced throughout the map, all with the intent of evolving the gameplay meta.

Additional game updates include the following:

  • Debris replication tweak
  • Changes to attackers’ drone spawn location
  • Revamped player hub
  • Changes to Lesion and Twitch
  • Addition of Caveira Elite set

The Test Server for Operation Void Edge will go live on February 17th. The Test Server is an alternative version of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, allowing players to test upcoming gameplay features that will make their way into the main game itself. Since this is a testing environment, a consistent gameplay experience is not guaranteed on the Test Server. Players are invited to submit the issues they encounter on the Test Server on the R6 Fix platform

. The Test Server is exclusive to Windows PC.

For more information about Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, please visit: https://rainbow6.ubisoft.com.

About Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

Alongside a thriving professional esports scene and a community of over 50 million registered players, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege puts players in the middle of a fast-paced, ever-evolving multiplayer experience grounded in the selection of unique Operators. Using the right mix of tactics and destruction, Rainbow Six teams engage their enemies in sieges, where both sides have exclusive skills and gadgets at their disposal. Defenders prepare by transforming the environments around them into modern strongholds, while attackers use recon drones to gain intel for carefully planning their assault. With access to dozens of Operators inspired by real world counter-intelligence agents from around the globe, players can choose exactly how they want to approach each challenge they encounter. Through the constant addition of new Operators and maps that add to the depth of both strategy and combat, the unpredictability of each round of Rainbow Six Siege sets a new bar for intensity and competition in gaming.

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 www.ubisoft.com.

© 2020 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are registered trademarks in the US and/or other countries

WORLD’S LARGEST MOBILE ESPORTS TOURNAMENT PROVIDES NEW STAGES FOR PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS: THE PUBG MOBILE PRO LEAGUES KICK OFF

WORLD’S LARGEST MOBILE ESPORTS TOURNAMENT PROVIDES NEW STAGES FOR PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS: THE PUBG MOBILE PRO LEAGUES KICK OFF

Squads from various regions set off to the all-new professional level competition for a slice of the total prize pool of $5 million USD of the PUBG MOBILE 2020 esports program

LOS ANGELES – Feb 14, 2020 – PUBG MOBILE has unveiled the all-new tournament PUBG MOBILE Pro League (PMPL) as the pro-level addition to this year’s mobile esports program. Creating suitable stages and additional competing chances for professional players and teams, PMPL 2020 is kicking off in various countries and regions starting from Feb 14.

PUBG MOBILE Pro Leagues will feature selected countries and regions, including Indonesia, Malaysia/Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Chinese Taipei, as well as South Asia and the Americas. The league is divided into Spring and Fall seasons that culminate in the PUBG MOBILE World League (PMWL) in May and October, respectively. Top pro teams standing out from PMPLs will qualify for PMWL and even get their chance to compete for the highest honor in the World Championship in December, as well as a large chunk of the $5 million USD prize pool for the all-year esports program.

The PMPL schedules for different regions include:

  • Southeast Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia/Singapore, Vietnam): Friday, Feb. 14 to Sunday, April 19
  • Chinese Taipei: Thursday, March 12 to Sunday, April 19
  • South Asia: Thursday, March 12 to Sunday, April 5
  • North and South America: Early to late April

The PMPLs offer professional players and teams a tailored platform to compete, starting with the PUBG MOBILE Pro League 2020 in Southeast Asia (PMPL SEA 2020). From Feb 14 onwards,PMPL SEA 2020 will take place in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia, representing the largest professional tournament on country level ever held by PUBG MOBILE in Southeast Asia. PUBG MOBILE fans and community members can follow the action here beginning today.

In 2020, PUBG MOBILE completes the structure of global esports ecosystem, supporting an amateur-semipro-pro as well as country-regional-world level for players to start their esports path to stardom. Adding more suitable stages and additional competing chances to players around the world, the tournaments include PMCOs open to all-level players, PMPLs and PMWLs for professional players, as well as the World Championship for the best teams coming out on top to compete for the highest honor and unprecedented total prize pool of $5 million USD.

Get the latest updates and news viaPUBG MOBILE Esports YouTube channel and Facebook.  Download PUBG MOBILE for free on the App Store and Google Play.

ABOUT PUBG MOBILE

PUBG MOBILE is based on PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS, the phenomenon that took the world of interactive entertainment by storm in 2017. Up to 100 players parachute onto a remote island to battle in a winner-takes-all showdown. Players must locate and scavenge their weapons, vehicles, and supplies, and defeat every player in a visually and tactically rich battleground that forces players into a shrinking play zone.

For more information, please visit the official PUBG MOBILEaccounts on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

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