THQ Nordic/Koch Media acquires racing-game specialist MILESTONE the studio behind well-known franchises MotoGP, Supercross, MXGP and RIDE

Munich / Milan, August 14th –  THQ Nordic AB’s indirectly wholly owned subsidiary Koch Media GmbH, Höfen, has today entered into an agreement to acquire the Milan based Milestone s.r.l., a leading game developer and publisher behind successful racing games like MotoGP and Supercross.

The acquisition includes the development studio and all intellectual property rights.

“Becoming a part of the Koch Media Family is an important step for our studio. Being run as a family business, which is built on the enthusiasm of its team members and centered around racing games, we are delighted to bring our expertise and knowledge into the company group and strive from the experience and knowledge outside of our core DNA. We are sure that the combination of our experiences will strengthen our position in our market segment and help us to bring more exciting games to our fans and extend the frontiers of racing within the gaming industry,“ says Luisa Bixio, Vice President Milestone s.r.l.

Dr. Klemens Kundratitz, CEO Koch Media GmbH adds: “We are delighted to welcome the team from Milestone to the family. After a long relationship in distribution across selected Koch territories, I am sure that the combined knowledge of our companies will open amazing new opportunities within a core market of the games industry. I am more than confident that the motivation and passion that drives the team at Milestone and the strong value within the racing segment are a solid foundation for future projects. The knowledge of fully licensed titles such as MotoGP and the experience in self-publishing and developing own IPs such as RIDE, rooting on a core DNA which centers around racing will help us to broaden our group portfolio and strengthen us for the future.” 

Milestone is a software company founded in 1994 under the name Graffiti. Since 1996, the family owned business with currently around 200 staff is known as Milestone.

Over the years, Milestone produced legendary racing games such as Screamer for Virgin, The Superbike series for Electronic Arts, and WRC for Black Bean to name but a few. 2011/12 Milestone started its own publishing business for licensed IPs and games with the MotoGP series. Growing healthy, based on the experience of the teams at Milestone, 2013 marked the entry of the MXGP series. The company launched its first own franchise Ride in 2015, adding the official Monster Energy Supercross series in 2018. The current line-up is built around the three yearly franchises MotoGP, Supercross and MXGP as well as the bi-yearly release of the owned IP RIDE. Three additional not yet announced IPs, which are due to launch in 2021, underline the further growth of the company near to its core DNA-products.

RIDE:

Ride is Milestone’s most successful own IP and since 2015 the incarnation of the ultimate motorbike experience in video games. With a strong fan base, the third iteration was released in 2018, featuring more than 300 fully licensed bikes and thousands of accessories for customization. RIDE 4 is due to release in 2020, including a fully new neural AI-System and new vehicle classes.

MotoGP:

MotoGP is the longest lasting game franchise in Milestone history, starting back in 2007. MotoGP19 was released recently and is critically acclaimed by press and fans alike. Core to the success of the game is the A.N.N.A. (artificial neural network agent) which simulates the learning of NPCs and guarantees for a unique gaming experience with every race. Implementing this new form of AI to a videogame is a unique and unmatched achievement from Milestone. MotoGP is a well-known franchise in eSports and gains attention across the world with more than 15,000 participants per year and major sponsors such as Michelin, BMW and Red Bull supporting the competitions.

MXGP:

MXGP is the officially licensed motocross world championship by Youstream. The next chapter in the franchise history is set to release shortly and will include new features such as track editor and full customization support for riders and vehicles.

Supercross:

Monster Energy Supercross, licensed by Feld, is the most important US motorbike sport. Across the two already released iterations, the franchise sold over 1 million copies and Supercross 3 is due to be released in early 2020. It will be the first Milestone game that will also be released on Google Stadia.

About Koch Media

Koch Media is a leading producer and distributor of digital entertainment products (games, films and software). The company’s own publishing activities, marketing and distribution extend throughout Europe, North America and Australia. The Koch Media group has more than 20 years of experience in the digital media business, and has risen to become the number one publishing partner in Europe. It has also formed strategic alliances with numerous games and software publishers: Bethesda, Capcom, Codemasters, Kaspersky Labs, Konami, Koei Tecmo, Milestone, Sega, Square Enix, 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, Poland 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.

TECHLAND ONCE AGAIN TEAMS UP WITH KOCH MEDIA TO DELIVER DYING LIGHT 2 IN EUROPE AND AUSTRALIA

Both companies will also join forces at this year’s Gamescom.

August 14, 2019 – Long-time partners,Techland® and Koch Media® are happy to announce their Europe and Australia cooperation to distribute the upcoming open-world action RPG game, Dying Light 2. Koch Media covers all retail distribution in the selected territories, as well as supports Techland in Marketing and PR activities with its local teams and expertise. It is also worth mentioning Koch Media has been the distributor of the first installment of Dying Light in Europe.

         “We are very excited to be joining forces with Koch Media once again. Our relationship dates back over a decade, and Koch has been our trusted partner since. This is a fantastic opportunity, and we will bring Dying Light 2 to audiences from Europe to Australia.” said Ed Lin, Head of Marketing at Techland. “After officially starting off our cooperation at Gamescom, we will work together to deliver a vigorous campaign, and launch Dying Light 2 in Spring 2020 .”

“We are delighted to announce the revitalization of what has been an extremely successful partnership over the years. Both the teams at Koch and Techland know each other well and have trustful working relationships, forged through the combined work we did for the critically acclaimed predecessor Dying Light and various other titles in our territories. All of our local publishing and distribution teams at Koch Media across Europe are excited to work on the highly anticipated next entry of the Dying Light franchise. Our past experience in working with Techland and the overall quality of the game gives us great confidence that this will be another top hit for both companies. Gamescom 2019 is the perfect time to kick off our collaboration once again. We are all ready to support the game with all our Marketing-, Sales- and PR-expertise across all European markets and Australia”, states Dr. Klemens Kundratitz, CEO at Koch Media.

Dying Light 2 brings to life a unique post-apocalyptic vision of  Modern Dark Ages – a brutal, bleak, and unforgiving reality where you are as likely to perish at the hand of a human as you are by the Infected. In this exhausted world, your quick thinking, exceptional parkour abilities, and brutal combat skills are the only things that let you dive into the night and emerge alive. Make ambiguous decisions and witness how they impact the world on multiple levels, transform the shape of The City, and ultimately decide its fate.

Dying Light 2 will be showcased at the Koch Media booth at Gamescom this year.

Powered by the C-Engine, a new generation of Techland’s in-house technology, Dying Light 2 is set to be released on PlayStation®4, the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X, as well as PC.

Related Links

Official Homepage: www.dyinglightgame.com

Official Twitter: @DyingLightGame

Official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DyingLightGame

Time Travel Adventure ‘The Great Perhaps’ Out Now for PC, Mac and Linux

Unlock the secrets of past and present in Daedalic Entertainment and Caligari Games’ thought-provoking sci-fi puzzler

HAMBURG, Germany — Aug. 14, 2019 — Award-winning publisher Daedalic Entertainment has launched the original time travel adventure game The Great Perhaps, the debut title from indie developer Caligari Games. Featuring hours of puzzle-based gameplay and atmospheric storytelling in a unique sci-fi universe, this thought-provoking journey is available now for £8.99 / €9.99 / $9.99  on Windows PC, Mac and Linux via Steam, GOG.com and other portals.

Hop through time in The Great Perhaps’ exciting new launch trailer:

The Great Perhaps is a pre- and post-apocalyptic adventure about a cosmonaut returning to Earth to find a wasteland devastated by an unknown cataclysm. Armed with a mysterious lantern that can both reveal the past and transport you between timelines in an instant, you’ll overcome challenges and survive dangers in both eras to uncover — and perhaps prevent — what happened in this uncompromising vision of our planet’s future.

Key Features:

• Use time travel to solve challenging puzzles and unlock the mysteries behind the apocalypse.
• Experience a world of gripping tension and haunting sorrow before and after the fall.
• Discover innovative storytelling which binds together past and present.
• Meet memorable characters with touching personal stories.
• Original dynamic soundtrack which adapts to each timeline.
• Wistful hand-drawn 2D art style inspired by Soviet aesthetics and history.

Check out The Great Perhap the game on Steam.

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BELGIAN PUBLISHER CRONOS INTERACTIVE RELEASES THIRD BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT VR GAME “JOURNEY FOR ELYSIUM”

NEW DEV DIARY “ART” EXPLORES VISUALS POWERING THE GREEK UNDERWORLD ADVENTURE

Ghent, Belgium, August 13, 2019 — Publisher Cronos Interactive and developer Mantis Games have released the third video in a series of behind-the-scenes looks at Journey For Elysium. This entry in the series focuses on the art, animation, and visual design of the game. The game’s dour scenery is inspired by a myriad of sources; from the architecture and religion of the ancient Greeks to the works of Gustave Doré. The team discusses the effort that goes into creating their own voyage along the river Styx.

A companion article has been published with the video on Mantis Games’ website. It goes into further detail on the art and animations in Journey For Elysium. 

Journey For Elysium is a story-driven VR game inspired by ancient mythology. Players will take on the role of an unnamed hero who has passed away, traveling on a boat in the Underworld. In order to reach Elysium and obtain redemption, the mysterious traveller must use all his wits and skills in a series of increasingly elaborate twists and challenges. Along the way, he will discover more about his past.

Key features

• Puzzles: Journey for Elysium brings back the excitement of classic adventures games of the 90’s and revamps them for a new era. Solve an increasingly complex range of puzzles, challenges and tests to move the story forward.
• A lot to discover: immerse yourself in a rich world, grounded between history and myth. Explore breathtaking environments and unravel surprising facts of the Classical antiquity. Connect with your senses to this VR storytelling experience.
• Mechanics: travel on the river Styx and explore the underworld with the rowing mechanic, the most important travelling method in the game. This natural way of transportation is also very comfortable and immersive. 
• Two modes: when you are not rowing, you can experience two different ways of moving around thanks to the Comfort or Immersive modes.
• Art style: enjoy the black and white art style inspired by the paintings of Gustave Doré. The high contrast art style fits best in recreating the desired atmosphere of the underworld. In addition, you will find golden highlights here and there, which will guide you further along the way.

Journey For Elysium will release in Q4 2019 and will be available on Steam for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift VR systems.

For more information, follow @CronosInteractv and @Mantis_GamesBE on Twitter, or visit journeyforelysium.be.

About Cronos Interactive
Cronos Interactive is the independent video game publishing arm of Belgium leading technology group Cronos. Cronos Interactive strives to provide a platform for local developers to gain visibility for their projects on a global scale. Since 2017, the company has rapidly invested in the local interactive entertainment landscape and now operates promising studios such as Mantis Games, Not A Company, Glowfish Interactive and the 1UP Belgium video game convention. Hoverloop, Journey for Elysium and Trifox are the first projects currently in development under Cronos Interactive publishing stable.
https://cronos-interactive.be/

About Mantis Games
Based in the city of Ghent, Belgium, Mantis is an independent game development studio founded in 2018.
With a focus on VR, AR and other emerging technologies, Mantis is committed to making games that are meaningful, memorable and, above all, fun!
https://mantis.games/

PRE-REGISTRATION STARTS FOR MAJOR ‘LINEAGE 2: REVOLUTION’ UPDATE FEATURING NEW ‘KAMAEL’ RACE

New ‘Dual Class’ System to be Introduced;

Players That Pre-Register In Advance of Update Receive Over 30 Enhance Scrolls

LOS ANGELES – AUG. 13, 2019 – Today, Netmarble Corp. announced its plan for a major update to the popular massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORG), Lineage 2: Revolution, including an all-new Kamael race with unique class mechanics.

Starting today, players can pre-register for the new update (https://l2.netmarble.com/kamael) to receive over 30 Enhance Scrolls once the update is available. More information about the update and scheduled rollout will be revealed at a later date via the pre-registration website.

The new Kamael race is the sixth race to appear in the game, following the addition of the Orc race in October last year. The update has multiple distinctive features compared to other races – Warriors of the Kamael race use Ancient Sword weapons, the Rogue uses Crossbow weapons and Mystic Kamael players have access to the Rapier weapon for close-combat attacks.

Moreover, the update will bring a new “Dual Class” system where players can experience different classes with their own characters and a new server where players can receive extensive rewards.

Upon completion of the update, players can also participate in various in-game events such as the Level-Up Boosting Event, as well as an event that gives out three full sets of Grade UR Equipment, the highest grade of its kind in the game.

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/).

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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, Everybody’s Marble, and Seven Knights. As a parent company to Kabam, a top mobile game developer in massively multiplayer free-to-play games, and the largest shareholder to Jam City, a leading casual social game developer, 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.

ROOSTER TEETH GAMES’ VICIOUS CIRCLE OUT NOW ON STEAM

Screw over your friends and compete for loot in this ridiculous uncooperative multiplayer shooter!

AUSTIN, TX — Aug. 13, 2019 — Rooster Teeth Games has announced that Vicious Circle, the fast-paced uncooperative multiplayer shooter in which four mercenaries compete for loot against a terrifying monster — and each other — is now available on Windows PC via Steam for $19.99. This over-the-top comic- and sci-fi-inspired game features the voice talent of some of Rooster Teeth’s most notable personalities and will be updated with new mercs, monsters, maps, modes, gadgets, skins, events and more with free Seasonal Battle Passes in the coming months.

In each round of Vicious Circle, one player is selected to become a massive, unstoppable creature with a simple goal: kill all four mercenaries. Mercs can team up to survive and are formidable when working together, so use your powerful abilities to pick them off one by one. If a merc goes down, they’re not necessarily out: dead mercenaries spawn creepy beings called Little Dippers that let players possess the bodies of other mercs, giving them another chance at victory.

Only one player can make it out with the loot, so the key to success in Vicious Circle is playing dirty whenever you can. Use your gadgets and the environment to mess with your adversaries: lock doors to slow them down, trap them in rooms with the monster, and suck loot out from under them. Do you join forces against the monster hunting you down, or sneak away to gain the upper hand while everyone is busy? The choice is yours, but remember — what goes around comes around!

On Friday, August 16, from 3PM – 9PM CDT, Rooster Teeth will host the Vicious Summer livestream event on RoosterTeeth.com and YouTube.com/LetsPlay to celebrate Vicious Circle’s release. Vicious Summer is six hours of live gaming shenanigans and comedy featuring a variety of online gaming talent separated into five teams to compete against each other Olympics-style. Competitions include playing Vicious Circle, an eating competition, Bob “Sauce” Ross challenge, Vicious Beer Pong, and other fun, outdoor summer games. Think Double Dare meets Guts, with just a little Reservoir Dogs… plus video games.

For more information, visit www.ViciousCircleGame.com.

About Rooster Teeth

Rooster Teeth is a pioneering media and entertainment company responsible for some of the biggest online series in history, such as the award-winning and longest-running web series, Red vs. Blue. They also produce the globally acclaimed animated series RWBY, the first western anime series to be distributed in Japan; the award-winning Rooster Teeth Podcast; and Immersion, a reality format that brings video game theory to the real world. Rooster Teeth has a massive global footprint of more than 45 million subscribers to its YouTube Network, five million unique monthly visitors to its RoosterTeeth.com hub and three million registered community members. The company was founded in 2003 and is now a subsidiary of Otter Media, a WarnerMedia company. Discover more at RoosterTeeth.com.

MASSIVE MONSTER AND ARMOR GAMES STUDIOS’ NEVER GIVE UP OUT NOW ON NINTENDO SWITCH, WINDOWS PC AND MAC

See what you’re made of in the biggest game yet in the ultra-hardcore platformer series!

IRVINE, Calif. — Aug. 13, 2019 — You’ve got this! Developers Massive Monster (The Adventure Pals) and Tasselfoot (Give Up, Give Up 2), in partnership with publisher Armor Games Studios, have released the hardcore iterative platformer Never Give Up on Nintendo Switch, Windows PC and Mac. Hang in there with the latest and greatest entry in the Give Up game series for $14.99 through the Nintendo eShop, Steam and GOG.com.

Never Give Up is a death-defying, twitch-based platformer that lets you see what you’re made of — in more ways than one — with vicious traps and hazards designed to turn you into bloody goo. The biggest installment in the franchise yet, Never Give Up features over 150 stages of buzzsaws, guided missiles, giant rhino mechs, huge boss battles and more.

Success only ups the challenge — every time you beat a level, another element is layered in to make it even harder. Never Give Up’s treacherous platforming may make you rage, but with a “Give Up” button to save you, even death is a blast!

Never Give Up  is packed with stuff speedrunners will love, including built-in leaderboards, ghost racing, and splits timers for tracking and perfecting your route with each iteration. There are also tons of costumes, collectibles, secrets and jokes to discover, made even better with the voice talent of Game Grumps’ Egoraptor (Arin Hanson) and colorful carnage illustrated by Jimp.

Never Give Up is rated T (Teen) by the ESRB. For more information, visit https://armorgamesstudios.com/games/never-give-up.

About Armor Games Studios

From its roots as a popular portal for online gaming, Armor Games Studios is a publisher that aims to work directly with and help foster talented indie developers to create unique and engaging games of all types for all platforms. For more information, visit www.armorgamesstudios.com, and follow the company @ArmorGameStudio on Twitter.

About Massive Monster

Awoken by a nuclear blast, this colossal game-making monstrosity flattens entire cities underfoot, bringing gaming armageddon to all mankind! Massive Monster is an indie game studio that strives to create exciting and memorable video games that are bursting with color and character. www.massivemonster.co.uk

CREA-TURE STUDIOS ANNOUNCES SESSION SKATEBOARDING GAME COMING TO STEAM EARLY ACCESS ON SEPTEMBER 17

Xbox One Version Coming to Xbox Game Preview in October

MONTREAL – Aug. 13, 2019 – creā-ture Studios’ announced today the skateboarding game Session will be released on PC via Steam Early Access on Sept. 17, 2019. The Xbox One version will follow a few weeks after on Xbox Game Preview. The final game is expected to officially launch in early 2020.

Inspired by the golden era of skateboarding (the early ’90s through the early 2000s), Session lets players experience what skateboarding is really like — an incredible culture where there are no goals other than expressing your creativity and achieving success through hard work, perseverance and a bit of madness. This is the most authentic and grounded skateboarding game yet: Session is a conscious move away from arcade-style skateboarding games. This is no place for button-mashers!

The PC early access version of Session will include true stance-stick controls: each “stick” controls one foot to replicate real skating while highlighting the difficulty of“switch” tricks. The skateable environment is a 1:1 scale of New York focused on lower Manhattan, featuring the legendary Brooklyn Banks and surrounding Financial District. Players will hit many of the iconic spots that helped shape what street skating is today. The game will also feature an extended video editor that allows players to create trick montages in-game and share them. Creating skate videos has always been an essential part of skate culture, and creā-ture has made sure the production matches the period-specific, VHS-style visual aesthetic.

A lot more information will be shared about Session in the coming months, so be sure to follow creā-ture on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

About creā-ture Studios

Here at creā-ture Studios, located in the surroundings of Montreal, Canada, we try to do things differently — not because we have to, but simply because making games doesn’t seem to be what it used to. Formed by guys who got sucked into the AAA industry for probably too long, we strive at getting back to what video games are to us. More than a product, a creā-tion, the achievement of an art form envisioned into something fun and interactive! Our goal is to bring high-quality, detail-oriented, entertaining, creative and original games to niche markets and to serve them the best we can with an inspiring mindset, creating games that will meet the needs, quality standard and requirements of the people who play them. At the end of the day, it needs to be legit and fun. For more information, visit http://www.crea-turestudios.com.