A brand-new way of exploring a world of Harvest Moon

12th May, 2020 – Natsume Inc., a worldwide developer and publisher of family-oriented video games, and Rising Star Games, video game publisher and long-standing partner of Natsume, today announced their latest title, Harvest Moon: One World for Nintendo Switch™. Harvest Moon: One World will be launching later this year, distributed by Nintendo of Europe in European countries.

Fledgling farmers will explore an entire world full of new and familiar faces, unique villages, and adventurous challenges while managing their growing farm. The new title is being developed with an all-new engine and graphics.

“Harvest Moon: One World features a brand-new way of exploring Harvest Moon that seasoned players and new generations will both enjoy,” said Hiro Maekawa, President and CEO of Natsume. “Over the decades, Harvest Moon has evolved but has always retained the traditional, family-friendly farming fun that the franchise is known for. The new engine and new graphics will upgrade this experience for 2020. We are so excited to share more about the features of Harvest Moon: One World in the coming months.”

Can you imagine a world without tomatoes, strawberries, or even cabbage? In the latest entry in the Harvest Moon series, that’s the situation players will find themselves in. Only an old book gives hints of what once was… Buoyed by a mysterious discovery, players will find themselves setting out on an adventure that spans not only their hometown but the whole world! What kind of people and places await? From the gorgeous beaches of Halo Halo to the snowy mountains of Salmiakki, there’s literally an entire world to explore.

“Rising Star Games has been partnering with Natsume for nearly two decades.” said Brjann Sigurgeirsson of Thunderful Publishing and Rising Star Games. “Harvest Moon is the very series that started the farming genre, always innovating and bringing fresh ideas whilst attracting new players. With the invaluable support of Nintendo of Europe, we will continue to carry the torch of this successful series into 2020 and beyond for Pan-European regions with the release of Harvest Moon: One World for Nintendo Switch.”

About Nintendo
The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Nintendo Switch™ home console and Nintendo 3DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.9 billion video games and more than 766 million hardware units globally, including the Nintendo Switch™ and Nintendo 3DS family of systems, including New Nintendo 3DS™, New Nintendo 3DS XL™, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL™, Nintendo 2DS™, as well as Nintendo DS™, Nintendo DSi™, Nintendo DSi XL™, Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance™, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo GameCube™, Wii™ and Wii U™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™.  A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of Europe, based in Germany, was established in 1990 and serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in Europe. Nintendo Switch is a trademark of Nintendo.

About Harvest Moon

The first game in the series was released in North America in 1997 and has continued to see a steady rise of popularity and players, making it one of today’s most beloved franchises. Harvest Moon is revered for being a non-violent, family-oriented game for everyone, and there have been more than 31 games released in the series.

About Natsume Inc.

Natsume Inc. is a worldwide developer and publisher that specialize in unique and family-oriented interactive entertainment software for a variety of platforms. Most known for publishing Reel Fishing and Harvest Moon, Natsume is dedicated to producing quality video games.  For more information about Natsume Inc. visit www.natsume.com

About Rising Star Games

Founded in 2004, Rising Star Games has built a portfolio of over 130 titles across a wide variety of platforms, from cherished brands such as Harvest Moon, Beyblade and Cooking Mama to cult classics like Deadly Premonition and La Mulana. Originally established to bring Japanese games to a western audience, Rising Star Games has also published games from indie developers across the world.  As of 2019, Rising Star Games has refocused its publishing activities on Japanese games. www.risingstargames.com

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR BRAZIL’S INDEPENDENT GAME (BIG) DIGITAL, ONLINE EDITION OF LATIN AMERICA’S LARGEST VIDEO GAME CONFERENCE
 
Join Ubisoft, Marvelous, DANGEN Entertainment, and Others in Workshops, Panels, and Virtual One-on-One Video Game Industry Business Networking from June 22 to 26, 2020
 
São Paulo, Brazil (May 12, 2020) — Brazil’s Independent Game (BIG) Festival, the largest independent games festival in Latin America, is thrilled to announce today that registration is now open for its inaugural online edition, BIG Digital 2020.
 
Video game developers, buyers, international investors, and industry professionals are invited to register to participate in free virtual lectures and presentations covering a wide range of valuable industry-specific topics, strategies, and advice. For a nominal fee, from June 22 through June 26, registrants will have the opportunity to meet and connect with some of the biggest names in gaming, including Ubisoft, Marvelous, DANGEN Entertainment, and many others.
 
Since 2012, BIG Festival — which hosted more than 20,000 visitors last year — has become the most important business-to-business gaming event in Latin America, where hundreds of innovative studios connect with global publishers and investors. BIG estimates that last year’s event generated $65 million (USD) in business, with over 4,000 meetings between 630 industry professionals from 24 countries during the festival’s tenure.

BIG Festival recently announced BIG Digital — a fully online version of its traditional event. Its aim is to ensure developers have access to industry peers, strategic partners, and presentations that are vital to their ongoing success and growth. The event’s dedicated matchmaking platform will provide crucial business networking opportunities previously only possible at the physical event.

“We’re thrilled to be able to bring together developers, publishers, and industry video game industry leaders to meet and learn from each other,” said Eliana Russi, executive manager of Brazil Games — the export program created by the Brazilian Independent Game Companies Association, ABRAGAMES, in partnership with Apex-Brasil, the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency. “The ability to meet with the leading companies within the industry is essential to the growth of independent studios, and we are thrilled to facilitate these critical meetings through BIG Digital 2020.”
 
Those interested in participating in BIG Digital, including those interested in presenting workshops or on panels, can register here: https://event.bigfestival.com.br/about.
 
Early registrants can participate in “Finding and Pitching the Right Publisher For Your Game” — a pre-show warm-up session to help developers get the most out of BIG Digital. Taking place on May 21, this webinar, which will be led by industry veteran and founder of The Powell Group, Jay Powell, will empower developers when pitching potential publishers. Attendees will be provided with valuable information such as selecting the appropriate publishers to pitch, how to reach them, what to include in their pitch package, and what’s needed to close the deal.
 
The complete BIG Digital 2020 program, as well as additional guests and speakers, will be announced soon. More information about the BIG Digital festival and its attendees can be found at the official Festival website, here: https://www.bigfestival.com.br

Follow BIG Digital on LinkedIn to receive the latest news directly, and keep up to date with BIG Digital 2020 and BIG Festival 2021 by following them on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and subscribe to the BIG Festival YouTube channel.
 
BIG Festival’s physical event is slated to resume from January 27 through 31, 2021, at the Frei Caneca Convention Center in São Paulo.
 
The Games Industry and Brazil
 
Brazil is now the 13th largest video game market in the world and second in Latin America, only to Mexico. The $1.6 billion (USD) Brazilian games industry has nearly doubled in size since 2014, and the number of local gamers reached 75.7 million as of 2018, making Brazil the fourth-largest consumer market in the world. Half of both men and women in Brazil play mobile games, while roughly 40 percent of men and women play PC games, according to Newzoo. Purchase intent is healthy as well, as 83 percent of gamers in the region have made an in-game purchase within the past six months.
 
About Brazil Games
 
Brazil Games is the export program created by the Brazilian Independent Game Companies Association, ABRAGAMES, in partnership with Apex-Brasil, the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency. Our goal is to promote the Brazilian Indie Game industry internationally, developing new business opportunities for our companies. The Brazil Games Program also promotes Brazil as the hub for business in Latin America and invites buyers, investors, and publishers for BIG Festival, Brazil’s Independent Games Festival, the most important international indie games festival, and the hub for international business in Latin America.
 
About Apex-Brasil
 
The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad and to attract foreign investment to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. Apex-Brasil organizes several initiatives aiming to promote Brazilian exports abroad. The Agency’s efforts comprise trade and prospective missions, business rounds, support for the participation of Brazilian companies in major international trade fairs, the arrangement of technical visits of foreign buyers and opinion makers to learn about the Brazilian productive structure, and other select activities designed to strengthen the country’s branding abroad.
Apex-Brasil also plays a leading role in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) to Brazil, by working to identify business opportunities, promoting strategic events, and providing support to foreign investors interested in allocating resources in Brazil.
 

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PUBG MOBILE OPENS TOY CHEST OF REWARDS WITH ROYALE PASS SEASON 13

World’s most popular mobile game introduces fresh wave of content in time for live reveal of updated Miramar map

LOS ANGELES – May 12, 2020 – It’s time to suit up! PUBG MOBILE is introducing the highly-anticipated Royale Pass Season 13 with a “Toy Playground” theme designed to evoke nostalgia.  Starting tomorrow, May 13, iOS and Android players can enroll in the fresh season to collect themed rewards including new gear skins, outfits and more. Community members can also tune in today for the 24-hour PUBG MOBILE unveiling of the updated Miramar map under the incoming Sandstorm ravage on the official live stream here.

In the PUBG MOBILE Royale Pass Season 13, the Carton Rangers open for players to join the toy squad. Players who unlock Royale Pass Season 13 can choose between Ice Ranger or Fire Ranger at Level 50, and get the Ultra Defender Set at Rank 100. Players are also invited to complete in-game challenges to unlock a myriad of special and rare items.

Additional new features for Royale Pass Season 13 include:

• Puppet Agent – The Puppet Agent outfit boasts three separate forms, which can be mixed and matched for ultimate customization. Players who reach the highest rank can also upgrade the outfit to Mythic rarity
• New Challenge Series – Players can unlock upgrades to their outfits by completing the Toy Mastery and Puppet Agent series special missions
• Notification Upgrades – All RP mission reminders at the on the result page have been improved for players to see their mission progress easier; also added reminders at the beginning and the end of the season
• Additional Bug Fixes – Tutorial guides and some bugs have been addressed and fixed.

On Thursday, May 7, a mysterious sandstorm enveloped the Miramar map, just as it received a massive wave of new features and new locations. As a special event of the 0.18.0 content update, PUBG MOBILE is hosting a 24-hour live stream of the Sandstorm to showcase how Miramar looks like beginning today on the official YouTube channel. Community members can witness the event to defend against the Sandstorm together with PUBG MOBILE.

Following the massive updates, more information will be released soon about upcoming PUBG MOBILE features, including the Jungle Adventure Guide, Bluehole Mode in EvoGround and more.

PUBG MOBILE is available to download 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 own 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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Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN esports stars shine over the weekend

Hinwil, 12 May 2020 – The weekend produced wins, podiums and very positive results all over the board for the Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN esports racers, with Antonio Giovinazzi finishing in P7 in a very competitive Spanish Virtual Grand Prix, ahead of Thibaut Courtois in 11th; Bardia Boroumand claiming P2 and Daniel Bereznay in fourth in the Pro Exhibition Race; and Bereznay winning race two in the Veloce “Not the GP” Belgian race.

It was redemption, at last, for the team during the latest round of esports races: banished were the technical gremlins, the game freezes and the other misfortunes that, without fault to our drivers, so negatively influenced our previous rounds.

Antonio, so often relegated to the sidelines by game crashes, was finally able to show his talent, running in the front positions for the majority of the race and eventually claiming a top-10 finish, while Real Madrid goalkeeper Courtois produced a clean, effective performance to finish in P11, ahead of some big names from motorsport and as the lead footballer.

In the Pro Exhibition race, Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN had a commanding performance; Bardia Boroumand started in pole position and, while he was unable to contain the attacks of Frederik Rasmussen, he claimed his first podium for the team with a fine second place. Daniel Bereznay was in contention for the final spot on the podium for the entirety of the race, eventually finishing fourth.

The Hungarian was in fine form on Saturday, in the Veloce “Not the GP” in Belgium. On the hallowed racetrack of Spa-Francorchamps, Daniel claimed P3 in race one, before a dominating win in race two.

The uptick in performance and the resolution of the glitches holding the team back are hopefully a good omen for the next rounds of the esports competitions.
 
Antonio Giovinazzi (P7, Virtual GP; DNF/DNF, Not the GP): “Finally we left the technical issues behind us and we were able to complete the race. Our first objective was to see the chequered flag, now we have done that and we can go back to focussing on performance. Because of the freezes, I didn’t have the chance to train as much as I would have liked, but for the next race we’ll prepare better and hopefully the results will show that on track.”
 
Thibaut Courtois (P11, Virtual GP): “I am really happy for the performance we produced as a team. Daniel [Bereznay] told us to go on medium tyres and it was a good strategic call. We had good pace and to finish where I did, in front of real drivers, is definitely a good result. I tried to keep out of trouble at the start: it cost me some time, but I didn’t want to ruin my race by taking risks. In the end, it was a fun experience and it was great to race for Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN. I am looking forward to the next time.”
 
Daniel Bereznay (P4, Pro Exhibition race; P3/P1, Not the GP): “I really enjoyed the weekend of racing. On Saturday, streaming in front of more than 40,000 people on my YouTube channel, I was involved in some very fun and clean fights on track. I was racing for fun, not the ultimate result, but in the end the position was great. The Pro Exhibition race was always going to be difficult because Spain is one of my weakest tracks. I was really happy with P4 in qualifying, then in the race I was close to overtaking Nicolas Longuet for P3: we ran side by side for one and a half sectors, but he was smart, placed his car well and I couldn’t pass. Frederik [Rasmussen] was uncatchable but my team mate Bardia was amazing: he was very consistent, played for the team and raced smartly. I am happy for the team with second and fourth, and I can’t wait for the next race.”
 
Bardia Boroumand (P2, Pro Exhibition race): “First podium in just my second esports race, I am really happy with how the race went. I started on pole and did all I could to keep the place, but Rasmussen was so fast and fully deserved the win. I didn’t do mistakes, pitted at the right time so I don’t have regrets. We’ll try to go one better in the next one.”

About Sauber Group of Companies:
The Sauber Group of Companies is composed of three operational entities: Sauber Motorsport AG, which operates and manages the Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN Formula One team; Sauber Engineering AG, which focuses on prototype development and additive manufacturing; and Sauber Aerodynamik AG, which conducts full and model-scale testing in the factory’s state-of-the-art wind tunnel and creates ground-breaking innovations in the field of aerodynamics. The companies collaborate closely and share know-how to apply the expertise of more than 500 dedicated individuals at the headquarter in Hinwil, Switzerland, to all internal and external projects. Since its founding in 1970, the passion for racing has been at the heart of Sauber.

For the last 50 years, the innovative Swiss company has been setting standards in the design, development and construction of race cars for various championship series, such as Formula One, DTM, and WEC. Following its own Formula One debut in 1993, Sauber Motorsport AG has established one of the few traditional and privately held teams in the sport. After 25 years of competition in Formula One, the company launched a long-term partnership with Alfa Romeo in 2018 and enters the 2020 championship under the new team name Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN.