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NI NO KUNI COLLABORATION UPDATE FOR LINEAGE 2: REVOLUTION

NI NO KUNI COLLABORATION UPDATE FOR LINEAGE 2: REVOLUTION

‘Ni no Kuni’-Themed Characters, Costumes, Agathions, and More are Added

Up to 100,000 Red Diamonds to be Rewarded to Players via ‘Red Diamond Return Event’

LOS ANGELES – JAN. 22, 2020 – Netmarble released a new update in collaboration with the world famous fantasy RPG Ni no Kuni II Revenant Kingdom to introduce new characters and various game features to its popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Lineage 2: Revolution. To celebrate the update, Netmarble is hosting a ‘Red Diamond Event’ that will reward up to 100,000 Red Diamonds, depending on the number of Red Diamonds used by players at the start of the event.

More information about the update can be found at the special webpage (https://l2.netmarble.com/en/main), where players can discover the exact number of Red Diamonds to be awarded from the event.

Lineage 2: Revolution’s new update includes the following:

  • New characters from ‘Ni no Kuni’
  • ‘Ni no Kuni’ themed Character Costumes, Agathions, Pets, Soul Crystals, and more.
  • In-Game Events
    • Red Diamond Return Event: Return up to 100,000 Red Diamonds depending on the number of Red Diamonds that the player has used;
    • Various rewards to be given through the Ni no Kuni themed Temporal Rift event
    • 10 million Adena, 3,000 Red Diamonds, and three types of daily buffs for players starting a new game in the recommended server

Lineage 2: Revolution is a groundbreaking MMORPG bringing top-quality visuals, a massive open-world and large-scale PvP to mobile devices. Powered by the Unreal Engine, the game features stunning visuals and large-scale open-world combat where up to 200 players can battle in real-time on a single screen – all in a gorgeous, fully featured, persistent world MMORPG that can be enjoyed alongside millions around the world and all within the palm of your hands.

For more information regarding Lineage 2: Revolution, visit the game information website (http://l2.netmarble.com/en) and the official Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/OfficialL2Revolution/).

Ni no Kuni II Revenant Kingdom’ is the third game title of ‘Ni no Kuni’, the fantasy RPG series produced by Level 5 Inc. Released in March 2018 for PlayStation®4 and PCs, it features stunning graphics and royal fantasy stories as if the animation were made into a game. This fantasy game tells the story of the young king ‘Evan’, who was driven out of the country by conspiracy, overcoming trials and becoming a great king. Akihiro Hino, Representative & CEO Level 5 participated as story and general director, Yoshiyuki Momose as character designer and Hisaishi Jo as director of music.

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

Project: Mara Revealed by Ninja Theory

Ninja Theory has announced that they are working on another new title alongside Hellblade II and this one is a more “experimental” title called Project: Mara. According to the developers Project: Mara will try to present a real-world and grounded representation of mental terror. Based on real lived experience accounts and in-depth research the team is looking to recreate horrors of the mind as accurately and realistically as possible.

This announcement was accompanied by both a teaser trailer as well as a developer diary that focuses on the entire studio and both of these can be found below. It is worth noting that while Ninja Theory is now owned by Microsoft, no platforms for the game were revealed at the time.

Teaser Trailer
Developer Diary #1

Rune Factory 4 Special Releases in the West Late February

XSEED Games and Marvelous have announced that they are planning on releasing Rune Factory 4 Special in North America on Febraury 25th and February 28th in Europe with those who purchase either the physical “Archival Edition” or pre-order the game digitally through the Nintendo eShop in either region will be given special “Swimsuit Day” DLC for free that allows players to change characters into swimsuits.

The company also revealed that “Another Episode” a free piece of DLC will be released on the same day as the game and be available as such until March 26th and be priced at $4.99 after that date. This DLC offers some extra illustrated stories for every marriage candidate and, just like the rest of the game, feature both English and Japanese voice work.

You can check out the new release date trailer as well as a handful of screenshots for Rune Factory 4 Special below.

Azur Lane: Crosswave Modes Detailed Alongside New Screenshots

Another large batch of screenshots have been released for Azur Lane: Crosswave by Idea Factory International but not only do these screenshots do a bit more than simply highlight a number of new playable characters but also show off some of the game’s different modes.

These four modes happen to be Story Mode where players will be able to experience the game’s story through seven chapters, extreme battle mode for players to challenge their skills against, a photo mode, and an episode mode that features more than fifty different sub stories that players can unlock and view once the player has unlocked the members of the event as part of their fleet.

These screenshots, alongside ones that highlight Portland, Vestal, Prinz Eugen, Hood, Belfast, and Victorious, can be found below while the game itself is set to be released on February 13th in North America and February 21st in Europe for the PlayStation 4 and PC.

Digimon Adventure Reboot to Air in April

Western fans have started to grow used to seeing their favorite childhood franchises undergo reboots of sorts and now it seems that the trend is continuing in Japan as it has been announced by Toei Animation that the Digimon Adventure anime series is going to be given a brand new reboot and bring the story all the way back around to when Tai was a child alongside the rest of the group.

This reboot may come as a surprise but one that makes quite a bit of sense due to the popularity of the core series remains quite high with even the final movie, which will even make an appearance in North America, follows Tai all the way to college. The trailer for the reboot can be found below with the Digimon Adventure series beginning once again in Japan when the anime airs April this year.

The Idolmaster: Starlit Season Revealed for PC and PlayStation 4

For some time now fans have been hoping for a new full scale IdolM@ster game and now Bandai Namco has announced that one is indeed in the works and considering it is heading to PC alongside the PlayStation 4, this may lead to some hope for fans in the West. The Idolmaster: Starlit Season as it is called will once again place players as the producer of 765 Production who has just returned from overseas training only to find themselves faced with a major new event called “Starlit Season.”

To compete, players are tasked with creating a brand new idol group that combines not only the familiar faces of 765 Productions fame but also a number of characters from the numerous spin-off games such as Cinderella Girls, Million Live and Shiny Colors. The reveal trailer and some screenshots can be found below.

Tencent Seeks to Acquire Full Ownership of Funcom

Funcom also announces the intention to increase the scope of the upcoming Dune IP game

OSLO, Norway – Jan 22nd, 2019 – Tencent has today announced a voluntary cash offer to acquire all shares in Norwegian game developer Funcom. Tencent, a leading Internet company with a strong online games operation, is a shareholder in many leading gaming developers, such as Riot Games, Epic, Supercell, Ubisoft, Paradox and Frontier. The company already owns close to 29% of the shares in Funcom and news of the intended takeover is greeted with enthusiasm from Funcom CEO Rui Casais.

“We have had a great relationship with Tencent as our largest shareholder so far and we are excited about this opportunity,” says Funcom CEO Rui Casais. “We will continue to develop great games that people all over the world will play, and we believe that the support of Tencent will take Funcom to the next level. Tencent will provide Funcom with operational leverage and insights from its vast knowledge as the leading company in the game space.”

Funcom is a publicly traded company on the Oslo Stock Exchange and Tencent will seek to acquire shares directly from all the other shareholders. Tencent is offering all shareholders NOK 17.00 per share, which is 27.3% higher than the closing price of Funcom shares on January 21st, 2020. Shareholders are free to either accept or reject the offer during the offer period, which is expected to start early February. Funcom’s management board and supervisory board have unanimously decided to recommend shareholders to accept the offer.

Following the intended acquisition, there are no planned changes to Funcom management, staffing, or structure, with the company set to remain an independent business. Funcom will also continue to support its long-running online games Conan Exiles, Secret World Legends, Age of Conan, and Anarchy Online. Casais points out that Tencent has a reputation for being a responsible long-term investor, renowned for operational capabilities in online games. Having had Tencent as a majority shareholder since October 2019, has only reaffirmed that notion.

Steven Ma, Senior Vice President of Tencent, commented: “We are impressed by Funcom’s strengths as a developer of open-world multiplayer, action and survival games. Funcom has a strong track-record in developing new titles with long life span. We are glad to deepen our relationship with Funcom and look forward to collaborating with Funcom to deliver more exciting and enjoyable game experiences to fans worldwide.”

Funcom was founded in 1993, but the recent years have been the most successful and profitable in the company’s 27-year history, following the success of online survival game Conan Exiles. In addition to various projects, including the continued support of Conan Exiles, the Norwegian game developers are currently developing an open world multiplayer survival game based on Frank Herbert’s Dune.

In connection with Tencent’s voluntary offer, the Funcom management have decided to publicly announce several strategic and operational matters. Management intends to increase the ambition level of the upcoming Dune game pending board approval, with resources being allocated from other initiatives and possible additional financing. For more information, please visit https://investors.funcom.com/.

About Funcom
Funcom is an independent developer and publisher of computer and console games. Funcom was founded in 1993 and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange in 2005. Funcom became one of the pioneers of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (“MMORPG”) when Funcom released the PC game Anarchy Online. Over the course of its history, Funcom has developed and published around 30 game titles across several genres and gaming platforms. Currently, Funcom holds a broad portfolio of both released games and owned content, with high-degree control of its IPs. Funcom’s key active game portfolio includes Conan Exiles, Mutant Year Zero, Secret World Legends, Conan Unconquered as well other games such as Age of Conan, Anarchy Online, The Park, Hide & Shriek and The Longest Journey. For corporate information please visit www.funcom.com. For information about Funcom games visit www.conanexiles.com, www.secretworldlegends.com, www.anarchy-online.com, www.dreamfall.com, www.theparkgame.com, www.conanexiles.com, or www.ageofconan.com

New Lost Words: Beyond the Page Gameplay Trailer Details a Fantastical World Brought to Life Within a Young Heroine’s Journal

New Lost Words: Beyond the Page Gameplay Trailer Details a Fantastical World Brought to Life Within a Young Heroine’s Journal

Witness a Moving Coming of Age Story Penned by Renowned Storyteller Rhianna Pratchett

Walnut Creek, Calif. (Jan 22, 2020) – Publisher Modus Games and developer Sketchbook Games have released a new gameplay trailer for Lost Words: Beyond the Page, revealed for the first time during last night’s New York Game Awards. Lost Words is an inventive and touching tale of a young girl’s personal growth and will be released this spring.

This new trailer, narrated by the game’s female protagonist, Izzy, provides a glimpse of the fantasy world of Estoria and the moving emotional journey of a young writer using creativity and her journal to deal with life’s adventures. Izzy’s recollections and imagination inspire breathtaking scenes of a vibrant, evocative world, unfolding new moments within an emotional story brimming with joyous, childlike zeal and mounting poignancy as that innocence adapts to life’s realities. View the trailer in full here:

Lost Words: Beyond the Page has garnered praise and more than a dozen accolades during its development, including recognition as ‘Best Indie Game’ at Game Connection Paris as well as earning the ‘Special Selection Indie Award’ at Reboot Develop. Featuring a stirring narrative from distinguished writer Rhianna Pratchett, Lost Words: Beyond the Page’s innovative linking of story to platforming and puzzles makes for an adventure as compelling as it is beautiful.

To read more about Lost Words: Beyond the Page, visit the official site (https://www.lostwordsgame.com) and wishlist the game on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/599610/Lost_Words_Beyond_the_Page/). For the latest on Modus Games, head over to https://modusgames.com/, join the Discord channel (modus.games/discord), and follow @Modus_Games on Twitter.

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Lost Words: Beyond the Page is also supported by Creative England and Microsoft’s Greenshoots Programme, The Wellcome Trust, Games Co London and The UK Games Fund.

About Modus Games
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 Sketchbook Games
Sketchbook Games is a multi-award-winning studio founded by game designer Mark Backler, who previously worked at companies such as EA, Lionhead, and Sony, on a variety of games including Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and the BAFTA award winning Fable 2. The company is based at the Colchester Games Hub and is developing Lost Words: Beyond the Page in collaboration with Fourth State.

World of Tanks Silent Auction to raise funds for Australian bush fire crisis

Livestream aims to raise thousands for BlazeAid

22 January 2020 — World of Tanks ANZ is hosting a charity livestream on Thursday 23 January, to raise much needed funds for Australians, impacted by the devastating bushfires across the country.

With thousands of individuals and families displaced and requiring aid for the upcoming months and years, World of Tanks has decided to partner with local charity BlazeAid. A volunteer-based organization, BlazeAid, works with families and individuals in rural Australia after natural disasters such as fires and floods. Support includes helping to rebuild fences and other structures that have been damaged or destroyed.

To fundraise for BlazeAid, a livestream will be held on Thursday 23 January, from 3pm – 11pm AEDT via the Wargaming Asia Twitch channel. During the livestream, a silent auction will be held where people can bid on one or more of the 50 prizes, available on the World of Tanks portal. The portal link is live from Thursday morning.

There are a range of exclusive prizes amongst the mix, including a:

  • pro gaming mouse and signed mouse mat by Wargaming CEO and Founder Victor Kislyi
  • private Twitch streaming and production masterclass with Twitch influencer and World of Tanks ANZ Content Creator ‘Vondle’
  • private gaming production master with Ally McLean, CEO of The Working Lunch and Wargaming Sydney Product Manager
  • a personalized digital print / wallpaper by the World of Tanks APAC design team, amongst others

The livestream will include a range of special guests including World of Tanks Regional Product Director, Alex de Giorgio; ‘Wasaabi’, a member of the Victorian Country Fire Authority and World of Tanks Senior Moderator; and Marty Williams, aka ‘CountryTripper’, Deputy Captain of Logistics, Mid-North Coast Brigade, NSW Rural Fire Service.

World of Tanks ANZ aims to raise $10,000 through the livestream and silent auction. For more information on the livestream, silent auction or to place a bid on one or more of the items, visit this link.

For more information on World of Tanks or to download World of Tanks for free, visit https://worldoftanks.asia/

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About World of Tanks

World of Tanks is the first team-based, massively multiplayer online action game dedicated to armored warfare. Throw yourself into the epic tank battles of World War II with gamers all over the world. Your arsenal includes over 600 armored vehicles from 11 nations, carefully detailed with historical accuracy.

Official website: https://worldoftanks.asia/

About Wargaming

Wargaming is an award-winning online game developer and publisher headquartered in Nicosia, Cyprus. Operating since 1998, Wargaming has grown to become one of the leaders in the gaming industry with 4500+ employees and offices spread all over the world. Over 200 million players enjoy Wargaming’s titles across all major gaming platforms. Their flagship products include the massively popular free-to-play hit World of Tanks and the strategic naval action game World of Warships.Official website: https://asia.wargaming.net/en/

Killer Queen Black Adds Eight-Player Local Play and More in Hydra Update

Killer Queen Black Adds Eight-Player Local Play and More in Hydra Update

CHICAGO — January 21, 2020 — Killer Queen Black, the strategic eight-player action platformer from Liquid Bit and BumbleBear Games, makes it easier to join the battle with highly requested new features debuting today.

Killer Queen Black’s player base becomes stronger by the day. Liquid Bit has heard their feedback: eight-player local co-op on one machine, Switch or PC, is now available via the latest update, Hydra (Patch 1.60). No internet connection or Nintendo Switch Online account is required; crush friends and enemies while rubbing elbows on the couch.

In addition to the highly requested local play update, new features such as selectable regions on Nintendo Switch are available. Check out the complete feature set of the Hydra patch:

  • Eight-player local support for PC and console
  • Region selection on Switch
  • Custom (online) and local matches can be started by a single player
  • Bots can fill out local and custom matches
  • Teams in local and custom matches can now be automatically shuffled
  • Streamer mode: Choose which names to display in-game and in menus
  • Map pools now skew towards more variety and fewer repeats
  • Various bug fixes and UI improvements

For cyber cafe and Arcade owners looking to break into the Killer Queen Black scene, a new commercial build is available on Steam. For more information on this build, please visit the commercial version’s Steam Cafe page. This is far from the end of Liquid Bit’s plans for Killer Queen Black: check out the roadmap to see what the team is dreaming up.

“Our community has been behind us the whole way and we are happily providing the most requested additions,” said Matt Tesch, co-founder of Liquid Bit. “Players can now host the ultimate Killer Queen Black tournaments and bring the full experience of the arcade home.”

Killer Queen Black is available now in English and on sale for $9.99 on the Nintendo eShop, Steam, the Humble Store, Discord. A Switch physical edition created by Nighthawk Interactive includes Nintendo Switch controller skins, a cartridge, exclusive game art on the box for $29.99. Killer Queen Black will be available on Xbox One at a later date.

To learn more, please visit the game’s official site, follow the game on Twitter, and join the official Discord.

About Liquid Bit

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

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

About BumbleBear Games

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

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