F1® 2018 – CLOSER TO THE REAL THING THAN EVER BEFORE 

NEW DEVELOPER DIARY EXPLORES AUDIO & VISUAL IMPROVEMENTS 

SYDNEY, 21^st August 2018 – Codemasters® has today released the final part in its series of four developer diaries for F1® 2018, the official videogame of the 2018 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP™, talking about the improvements made to audio and visual aspects of the game.

F1® 2018 presents a significant visual jump forward for the franchise, utilising physically based rendering to improve the overall look and feel of the game and get it as close to reality as possible. Visually the car models, character renders, the atmospherics, visual effects, cinematics and animations have all been overhauled, while on the audio front the engine sounds are closer to real life than ever before.

“The biggest win visually is in the atmospherics,” said F1® 2018’s Art Director, Stuart Campbell. “This year we’ve got a full atmospherics system that gives you a greater sense of depth from the scene, and it makes for some really stunning vistas.”

Stuart continued: “One of the most iconic things for me about F1® as a sport is seeing that heat haze on the start straight: the heat rising from the track and from the engine exhausts, and in the mirage effect that you see reflecting in the track. We’ve added a full heat haze and mirage system to our visual effects for this year, and it makes a huge difference in the replay cameras and on track when you’re racing.”

With regards the audio improvements this year, Brad Porter, Senior Audio Designer on F1® 2018, commented: “We try to make the engine sounds as close to broadcast as possible, which is what a lot of fans ask for. We’ve been over to tracks such as Abu Dhabi, Barcelona and Paul Ricard over the last year, working directly with F1® teams, going into garages with them on test sessions, mic’ing up the cars onboard with our new radio gear, and then we’re standing at the side of the track for external recordings. We’re also in the garages recording ambisonics, we’re out in the paddock, and we’re out in the pit lane.” Brad added: “From an audio point of view, the game is now sounding far more believable and far more authentic.”

F1® 2018 features all the official teams, the drivers and all 21 circuits of the thrilling 2018 season, including Circuit Paul Ricard and the Hockenheimring. As well as the current season’s offerings the game includes 20 iconic cars from the history of the sport. F1® 2018 will release onto PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X and Windows PC (Steam) worldwide on Friday 24^th August 2018.

Follow Codemasters F1® games blog and social channels on Twitter and Facebook for future updates.

SQUARE ENIX AND DONTNOD ENTERTAINMENT REVEAL LIFE IS STRANGE 2

An All-New 5-Episode Story Begins September 27, 2018 

SYDNEY, 21^st August 2018 – SQUARE ENIX® is excited to reveal LIFE IS STRANGE™ 2, the next entry in the highly successful, critically-acclaimed and award-winning franchise from DONTNOD Entertainment, the creators of the original LIFE IS STRANGE. The first entry in the all-new five-episode story of LIFE IS STRANGE 2, will release on September 27, 2018 on XBOX ONE®, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Windows PC.

Discover a story of two brothers, 16-year old Sean and 9-year old Daniel Diaz, who have to flee their home in suburban Seattle after a tragic event that changes their lives forever. On the run from the police, Sean makes a difficult decision; to take his brother and go to Puerto Lobos, Mexico. Life on the road is dangerous and the brothers will be faced with tough decisions as they bravely undertake a journey that will test the bonds of brotherhood.

Everything is new in LIFE IS STRANGE 2 – a new cast of characters, multiple new settings, new gameplay features and a brand new power for players to discover, making Life is Strange 2 the most ambitious project in series history.

“The release of Captain Spirit was a great moment for the team and we can’t wait to introduce the players to the new story and characters of Life is Strange 2” said Raoul Barbet, Co-Creative Director of LIFE IS STRANGE 2 at DONTNOD Entertainment. “We have worked hard with the original team to keep what I personally loved to craft in the first game: the mood, the cinematographic work and of course, the music.”

“After the exciting adventures of Max and Chloe, we are extremely happy that you will all soon meet Sean and Daniel Diaz, our new protagonists, and follow them on their journey.” said Michel Koch, Co-Creative Director of LIFE IS STRANGE 2 at DONTNOD Entertainment. “We love diving back into the Life is Strange universe along with our lead writer, Jean-Luc Cano, to create our new story and characters”.

DONTNOD Entertainment are back with an all-new story to tell, and have been hard at work on LIFE IS STRANGE 2 since completing work on LIFE IS STRANGE. DONTNOD are set to continue their tradition of telling compelling stories with believable characters in a grounded setting, with a new tale that tackles relatable real-world themes like brotherhood, education and coming of age.

“We’re very excited to present Life is Strange 2, one of our most important releases of the year. After the overwhelming success of the original, we knew that crafting a sequel that is every bit as compelling and powerful as the first game would be a real challenge”, said Jon Brooke, VP of Brand and European Marketing at Square Enix External Studios. “We are confident that the talented team at DONTNOD, who have been working closely with the Square Enix External Studios team, have truly outdone themselves.”

Visit the LIFE IS STRANGE official website: https://lifeisstrange.square-enix-games.com

LIFE IS STRANGE official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LifeIsStrangeGame/
Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LifeIsStrange

The Gardens Between Bends Time on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Steam 20 Sept.

MELBOURNE, Australia – 20 Aug., 2018 – The Gardens Between, the adventure puzzle game from The Voxel Agents in which players manipulate time to guide two best friends through a surreal world of mysterious garden islands, will launch for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Steam and Mac App Store on 20 Sept., 2018. Pre-orders open today on Nintendo Switch and Mac App Store.

Journey with the headstrong Arina and thoughtful Frendt as they are swept into a world of reality-warping isles. Manipulate the flow of time and twist the dreamlike spaces of the gardens to help them discover, reminisce and traverse together. With a bit of guidance, Arina and Frendt will solve puzzles and ignite constellations to revisit precious moments they’ve spent together.

Their shared experiences light the way as they uncover objects and situations that form the foundations of their friendship. Follow the duo as they relive the emotional journey of their past, cherishing the memories they’ve built together and understanding what must come to an end.

“It’s our hope that players are not only touched by the story of Arina and Frendt, but that they take time to remember their own special relationships growing up,” says Simon Joslin, co-founder of The Voxel Agents. “While so many of the objects featured in the gardens are from our own childhoods, we hope our audience will relate and recall a time when friendship meant everything.”

The Gardens Between will be at Gamescom in hall 3.2, booth A70 presenting the Nintendo Switch version for the first time. Following its Gamescom debut, The Gardens Between will be playable at PAX West in booth 650 as part of the Indie MEGABOOTH.

Pre-orders for The Gardens Between on Nintendo Switch and Mac App Store will be open today by 6 a.m. PT / 3 p.m. CEST for $19.99. It can be wishlisted on Steam, where it will be available on Windows, Mac and Linux.

For more information, please visit The Garden Between’s official website.

Pre-order on Mac App Store

About The Voxel Agents
Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, The Voxel Agents was founded in 2009 by Simon Joslin, Matthew Clark, and Tom Killen to create games that kindle curiosity with a passion for highly focused gameplay.

Previous achievements include their hit release Train Conductor, followed by Train Conductor 2 USA and Puzzle Retreat, totaling over 14 million global players for the Train Conductor franchise

METRO EXODUS SHOWS BRAND NEW GAMEPLAY WITH THE OFFICIAL GAMESCOM 2018 TRAILER

Fans Can Go Hands-On at Gamescom in the Deep Silver Booth in Hall 9

The Taiga – Aug. 20, 2018 – Today, Deep Silver and 4A Games debuted the latest Metro Exodus trailer during the NVIDIA® GeForce® Gaming Celebration which kicked off tonight at the Palladium in Cologne, Germany ahead of Gamescom 2018.

Thousands of kilometers from the ruins of Moscow, Artyom and his companions discover what seems like paradise – a lush, green valley, teeming with life. But if their years in the Metro have taught them one thing, it is this: the night brings terror.

And here, terror has a new face…

Metro Exodus is playable at Gamescom on the Deep Silver booth in Hall 9, at the Xbox Booth in Hall 8 and at the GeForce Gaming Celebration event where players can experience the game on NVIDIA’s new generation of GeForce RTX GPUs. Powered by the new NVIDIA Turing™ GPU architecture and the revolutionary NVIDIA RTX (https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/20-series/) platform, the new GPUs bring together real-time ray tracing, artificial intelligence, and programmable shading. Metro Exodus incorporates RTX ray tracing-enabled Global Illumination – delivering to games a stunning revolution rendered in real time.

Metro Exodus releases on Feb. 22, 2019, and pre-orders are now live across all physical retail and digital stores. Fans can secure The Aurora Limited Edition and check out the range of pre-order offers at www.metrothegame.com/preorder

All Xbox One pre-orders, physical or digital include a copy of Metro 2033 Redux – the first game in the Metro saga, remastered for the Xbox One.

All PlayStation 4 pre-orders, physical or digital, include a stunning Dynamic Theme based on the Metro Exodus ‘Winter’ artwork.

All physical PC pre-orders and Steam pre-orders include a digital art book and the Metro Exodus OST.

Regardless of where or how you buy, no in-game content has been reserved for pre-order – fans can order safe in the knowledge that however, wherever or whenever they buy Metro Exodus, they are getting the full experience as 4A Games intended it.

Be the first to learn more about Metro Exodus by registering for updates at MetroTheGame.com, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @MetroVideoGame or on Facebook at Facebook.com/MetroVideoGame.

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EA ANNOUNCES BATTLEFIELD V OPEN BETA WILL BEGIN SEPTEMBER 4 FOR EARLY ACCESS, SEPTEMBER 6 FOR ALL

In Partnership with NVIDIA, DICE Showcases Stunning Real-Time Ray Tracing in Battlefield V Powered by All-New GeForce RTX^TM GPUs

SYDNEY, Australia – August 21, 2018 – This evening before gamescom DICE announced that the Battlefield™ V Open Beta will begin on September 4 for early access* and September 6 for all players on Origin™ for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation®4. The Open Beta will showcase the soon-to-be-iconic Rotterdam map on Conquest mode as well as the Arctic Fjord map on both Conquest and Grand Operations. Revealed just last week, the Rotterdam map will immerse players in a battle fought throughout the streets of Holland where the game’s dynamic physicality and destruction will be on full display. New to the Battlefield franchise, Grand Operations is a multiplayer experience across multiple maps and modes that that takes players through a powerful narrative journey inspired by historical events. All of this Open Beta content can be previewed by attendees of gamescom this week, where it will be playable in Hall 6 on the showfloor on PC and Xbox One X.

Also, this evening, DICE showcased NVIDIA’s new RTX technology announced during NVIDIA’s press conference with a jaw-dropping live demo of Battlefield V on PC, one of the first games being developed on the NVIDIA RTX platform to feature real-time ray tracing as a rendering technique. Previously used to pre-render lifelike worlds in movies, ray tracing with the NVIDIA RTX platform brings real-time, cinematic-quality rendering to video games. In Battlefield V, NVIDIA RTX allows DICE to imitate the way light is reflected in the real world enhancing the fidelity of reflective surfaces in every level, map and locale in the game. This will ensure Battlefield V feels more lifelike and dynamic, leading to a more immersive experience that makes players feel like the battle is unfolding in a full 360-degrees around them. The use of real-time ray tracing in Battlefield V is made possible by NVIDIA’s new GeForce RTX 20 series GPUs.

“It’s always been important to us as a studio to stay one step ahead as we look to increase the graphical fidelity in games,” said Christian Holmquist, Technical Director at DICE. “With this new NVIDIA RTX platform, more detail than ever before can now be seen on the battlefield, from recognising the flash of a muzzle being reflected off a car to spotting the detailed reflection of a devastated facade in a splash of water on the ground. Things in the environment will feel more lifelike and real and all-out war will never look the same.”

“We’ve been close partners with DICE for many years and we’ve spent much of the last year deeply embedded with their team in Stockholm to bring this vision to life,” said Tony Tamasi, Senior Vice
President of Content and Technology at NVIDIA. “With the help of NVIDIA RTX, DICE is creating a revolutionary moment for computer graphics in Battlefield V, as ray tracing has been used in film for years and has long been considered the Holy Grail for real-time rendering in games.”

Building upon this partnership with NVIDIA, both NVIDIA Ansel and Highlights will be also be integrated into Battlefield V for GeForce PC gamers. NVIDIA Highlights automatically captures a gamer’s greatest gaming achievements in video. Integrated directly with the game, it knows precisely when that magic moment will happen and automatically records it using NVIDIA ShadowPlay technology, making it easier to capture those Only in Battlefield moments.

NVIDIA Ansel, available in the single-player War Stories in Battlefield V, is a revolutionary way to capture in-game photography. Users can compose shots from any position, adjust with post-process filters, capture HDR images in high-fidelity formats, and share their screenshots with the world.

Battlefield V will be available worldwide October 19th on Xbox One, PlayStation®4 and Origin for PC. Those that pre-order the Battlefield V Deluxe Edition on any platform will get access three days early on October 16**, while Origin Access Premier members on PC will be able to play the full game on October 11th. Origin Access Basic members on PC and EA Access members† on Xbox One will also be able to jump into the Play First Trial on October11. Players that pre-order any edition of the game with the Battlefield V Enlister Offer will get early access to the Open Beta and other in-game benefits including soldier customisation options, access to Special Assignments starting at launch week and immediate access to five weapons to use in Battlefield 1**.

Full details on the Open Beta can be found on the Battlefield Blog here.
Fans Can See This Technology Firsthand in the Battlefield V: Official GeForce RTX Trailer below:

*To receive early access, players must have either pre-ordered the game, or are members of Origin Access Premier, Origin Access Basic or EA Access
**Conditions and restrictions apply. See www.battlefield.com/disclaimers for details on Deluxe Edition and Enlister Offer. See here for details on the Battlefield 1 In The Name of The Tsar and Battlefield 4 Final Stand offers.
†CONDITIONS, LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS APPLY. SEE http://www.ea.com/eaaccessAND http://www.origin.com/store/origin-access FOR DETAILS.

Drinkbox Studios Slams Guacamelee! 2 onto PlayStation®4 and Steam

Toronto – August 20, 2018 – It’s time to let out the loudest grito ever as celebrated independent video game developer Drinkbox Studios launches its long-awaited, Metroidvania action-platformer Guacamelee! 2 TOMORROW on both PlayStation®4 and PC/Steam for $19.99 / €19.99. Check out the brand new launch trailer:

Starting tomorrow, players can purchase Guacamelee! 2 from the PlayStation™Store at https://bit.ly/2ACLSbG, with PlayStation®Plus members getting a 10% discount. Steam users can acquire the game at https://bit.ly/2OBFbtb, and also get a 10% discount, plus a coupon for an additional 10% off in their Steam inventory if they own the original game on Steam.

Guacamelee! 2 brings former hero Juan Aguacate out of retirement to stop a powerful and ruthless luchador who has emerged as the ruler of a parallel timeline. Juan must once again don his special luchador mask and tights, and fight his way through the worlds of the living and the dead (plus time and space) in an attempt to save his family… and the entire Mexiverse! Set in a unique world full of challenges, adventure and humor, Guacamelee! 2 expands upon the original game by introducing new levels, enemies, characters, and gameplay mechanics for the ultimate high-flying luchador experience.

“Mexico is such a vibrant and colorful country. Oftentimes that stuff doesn’t make the front page news, so we wanted to put it front and center in Guacamelee 2” said Augusto Quijano, Concept Lead at Drinkbox Studios. “Mexican folklore heavily influenced and shaped the areas, characters, enemies and music of Guacamelee 2. If you were a fan of the first game you will have a completely new, yet familiar experience. If this is your first time playing, I hope you have as much fun exploring this rich world as we had making it!”

For more information regarding Guacamelee! 2 please visit the game’s website, or Drinkbox Studios’ Twitter or Facebook pages.

About Drinkbox Studios

Founded in 2008, Drinkbox Studios is an independent, Toronto-based video game developer responsible for creating games such as Mutant Blobs Attack!, Guacamelee! and Severed. For more information on the studio, please visit Drinkbox’s presskit() page.

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LEISURE SUIT LARRY – WET DREAMS DON’T DRY SETS SIGHTS ON NOVEMBER 7 RELEASE ON WINDOWS PC

Assemble Entertainment Celebrates the Return of Video Game Icon Larry Laffer with #ShowUsYourLarry Competition

WIESBADEN, GERMANY (AUGUST 20, 2018) – Assemble Entertainment today launched #ShowUsYourLarry – the craziest competition of the year – to celebrate  their upcoming game, Leisure Suit Larry – Wet Dreams Don’t Dry! Anyone who posts a photo of themselves as Leisure Suit Larry on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter can participate – the only important thing is that the hashtag #ShowUsYourLarry is used! It doesn’t matter whether you really threw yourself into a white suit for the photo, or whether the result was the creation of some specialized image editing! Almost everything is permitted – the only important thing is that the following conditions must be fulfilled:

• You must be 18 years or older to participate
• The face of the participant must be clearly recognizable
• The participant has to wear a white suit (no matter if it is real or created by image processing)
• When posting the photo on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, the hashtag “#ShowUsYourLarry” must be used

Assemble Entertainment is giving away ten free copies of Leisure Suit Larry – Wet Dreams Don’t Dry and a top prize of $999.99 USD! Participation is possible until 8/31/2018 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. The winners will be contacted the following week. Employees and their families from Assemble Entertainment and Crazybunch Studios (the developer of Leisure Suit Larry – Wet Dreams Don’t Dry) are excluded from the competition.

Last but not least, Assemble Entertainment is also announcing the official release date for the new Leisure Suit Larry adventure on Steam and other digital platforms —  November 7, 2018! Mark your calendars and get ready for a swinging adventure!

More about Leisure Suit Larry – Wet Dreams Don’t Dry –

Hey ladies, I’m back in business! My new adventure, Leisure Suit Larry – Wet Dreams Don’t Dry, takes me – whatever the route or twist of fate – from the end of the ’80s directly to the 21st Century and wow, how the world has changed! While my view of the world and women from way back in the 1980s collides with modern reality, I’m all set to date my way across the modern world!

In a “point & click” adventure I’d call typical for the genre, we mutually experience how I fall head-over-heels in love with Faith, the assistant to the boss at Prune, a technology enterprise successful worldwide. Since even dating is done digitally nowadays, the first thing I have to do is to work on my score at Timber, the totally hip, can’t-get-anywhere-without-it dating app where I date women, satisfy their needs, and accordingly pick up points for my Timber profile. And whenever I get a chance in between, briefly check out a few new bikini pix at Instacrap – the 21st century is gnarly!

Features:

• Explore a lovingly designed, non-linear game world set in modern times with over 30 hand-drawn venues
• Use “Timber”, the in-game app, along with an innovative dating mechanism to date women, improve your score at Timber, and ultimately clear the way to get to dating Faith, the women of your dreams
• Solve true-blue puzzles and interact with over 30 hand-drawn characters

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