RTS ‘Iron Harvest’ to become first video game in months to reach $1,000,000 on Kickstarter
The classic realtime-strategy game ‘Iron Harvest’ has reached $1,000,000 in pledges on Kickstarter combined with pledges collected via the game’s website and is about to reach the same milestone on Kickstarter alone.
While boardgames have seen a 100% increase in pledges during 2016, collecting six times as much as video games in the same year, video games have struggled to obtain large-scale funding on the platform, as a recent analysis shows (see Kickstarter in 2017 – In depth look at the Games category).
‘Iron Harvest’ now becomes the first video game in a long while to finally shatter that magic $1,000,000 ceiling again.
“Iron Harvest is our fourth Kickstarted title. We successfully completed the previous three projects, earing the trust of the community”, said Jan Theysen, Iron Harvest’s Game Director. “However, receiving more pledges for Iron Harvest than with our previous three games combined and having the most successful video game Kickstarter campaign in a long time was beyond our wildest expectations.”
Iron Harvest is a classic real-time strategy game, set in the alternate reality of 1920+. With all singleplayer stretch goals being reached, the campaign strives to reach additional competitive multiplayer and co-op mode stretch goals. The Kickstarter campaign still going strong, ending on April 13th 2018.
Ubisoft’s Far Cry 5 Breaks Franchise Sales Records
Millions of People Join the Resistance to Liberate Hope County, Montana
Sydney, Australia – April 5, 2018 – Today, Ubisoft announced that Far Cry 5 more than doubled first week sell-through of Far Cry 4, making Far Cry 5 the fastest selling title in the franchise’s history. Digital distribution accounted for more than 50 percent of those sales. Far Cry 5 now represents the second biggest launch ever for an Ubisoft game, following only Tom Clancy’s The Division, with $310M USD in consumer spending through the first week.[1]
In addition to the strong first week of sales, record-breaking numbers of people are engaging with Far Cry 5 content. People streamed more than 55,000 hours of Far Cry 5 on Twitch and YouTubers’ videos earned more than 117 million views.[2] Both are records for an Ubisoft title in a week following launch, and evidence of the impact user generated content is having in convincing players to join the Far Cry community.
“Far Cry 5 is a vast and gorgeous playground filled with colorful stories for players to enjoy and share,” Alain Corre, EMEA Executive Director, Ubisoft. “We’re grateful to newcomers and fans of the series who have joined us in Hope County and have collectively grown our community.”
Set in America, a first for the franchise, Far Cry 5 offers players total freedom to navigate a serene-looking yet deeply twisted world as the new junior deputy of fictional Hope County, Montana. Players will find that their arrival accelerates a years-long silent coup by a fanatical doomsday cult, the Project at Eden’s Gate, igniting a violent takeover of the county. Under siege and cut off from the rest of the world, players will join forces with residents of Hope County and form the Resistance.
“I’m proud that the culmination of years of passionate work from the team is paying off, and that Far Cry 5’s experience resonates with so many people,” said Dan Hay, Executive Producer on Far Cry. “We are humbled by players’ reception of Far Cry 5 and fired up to keep growing and supporting the Far Cry community in the months and years to come.”
Far Cry 5 is now available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows PC. For more information on Far Cry 5, please visit farcry.com and follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/farcry.usa and on Twitter at twitter.com/farcrygame or hashtag #farcry5.
For the latest on other Ubisoft games, please visit news.ubisoft.com
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, Watch_Dogs, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman and Far Cry. 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 2016-17 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,460 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.
[1] Source: Ubisoft internal estimate, based on observed sales price for main game sell through worldwide and first parties’ estimates for Player Recurring Investment.
NEW GAME MODE AND NEW CHARACTER YAMI ANNOUNCED FOR BLACK CLOVER QUARTET KNIGHTS
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe today revealed the brand-new game mode “Treasure Hunt” for BLACK CLOVER QUARTET KNIGHTS. Furthermore, a new story mode detailing the newest character Yami is added to the game.
The new game mode Treasure Hunt is all about collecting magical keys and treasure boxes. When your team takes the emerging key, a treasure box will appear somewhere on the map. But be aware! The opponent team might steal the key to open the treasure box themselves. If you don’t open the treasure box in time, it will disappear, and a new key will emerge. It takes a lot of strategy to master this mode!
Yami Sukehiro, the captain of the Black Bull Squad, is a strong fighter who is best used in short range fights. His brand new story arc will enable players to relive Yami’s younger years and consists of original content never before seen in the anime. He also goes by the name “Destruction God”, and while fighting, he is surrounded by a mystical black cocoon that guards him. Next to his incredible magic powers, Yami can conjure a black hole which sucks in enemies and magic bullets.
About BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe S.A.S. BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe S.A.S., part of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive entertainment for all major video game consoles, iOS, Android, and online platforms. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises including PAC-MAN™, GALAGA™,TEKKEN™, SOULCALIBUR™, ACE COMBAT™ and DARK SOULS™. BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe is the premier publisher for anime based video games including NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, DRAGON BALL™, and ONE PIECE™. More information about the company and its products can be found at http://www.bandainamcoent.eu or www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoEU
Sydney Flagship Microsoft Store Launches ‘Esports Academy’ With ESL Australia To Help Nurture Local Esports Community
Sydney flagship Microsoft Store has announced the ‘Esports Academy’ in partnership with ESL, the world’s largest esports organisation, which will open from Monday 16th April 2018 to Sunday, 22nd April 2018. Registrations are now open here.
An initiative to educate and nurture future talent in the industry, the ‘Esports Academy’ will bring together a range of speakers within the community from professional players to commentators (‘shoutcasters’) to share their insights and advice; along with hands on experiences and practical tips for attendees.
Perfect for anyone that’s ever had an interest in the esports industry and wanted to know more, the academy aims to bring leading Australian esports talent from all corners together so attendees can learn from the best. Whether you’ve been playing with friends online, are a budding shoutcaster, esports player, or you’re just interested in learning more, the Esports Academy is a great way to meet other gamers, learn from some leading industry talent and have fun.
Max Ferfoglia, Gaming Community Manager at the flagship Microsoft Store in Sydney said: “We see a lot of excitement and engagement around video games at the Microsoft Store, from casual gamers to some of the players that attend our regular tournaments and competitions. This event is all about bringing the gaming community at Microsoft Store together with some of the top talent in Australia so people can learn more about esports, how to improve their game and also hear about the pathways that exist to get into the industry.”
The Esports Academy will involve both a live Q&A where attendees can learn from all corners of the industry followed by practical sessions, hands on gameplay with feedback from professional Australian esports players. Attendees will also get first-hand experience with shoutcasting, team management and understanding of the broad range of pathways and roles that exist for anyone to get into the industry. The hands on gameplay element will enable attendees to get direct tips from professional players from all sides of the industry in order to learn how to play like a pro.
“It’s great to see a retail space such as the Microsoft Store being used to engage directly with the gaming community in Australia through these workshops,” added Danny Kim, part of the business team at ESL Australia. “The esports industry in Australia continues to experience rapid growth and this partnership with Microsoft Store helps us to share some of our knowledge and experience about esports and give people a chance to get up close and personal with some of the leading talent in the industry.”
The Esports Academy is a part of Microsoft Store’s ongoing commitment to the local gaming community and forms part of broader activity, including regular events and workshops for anyone interested in gaming. The Esports Academy will also take place at the flagship Microsoft Store in New York on Saturday, April 21, and Sunday, April 22, and will include sessions from seasoned competitors in the esports, varsity and streaming space: the road to a collegiate esports scholarship; a career in professional gaming; content creation and additional revenue streams.
In addition to the Sydney event, the NYC flagship Microsoft Store will also be hosting a Esports Academy of its own. For those in New York, visit here to register for sessions taking place on Saturday, April 21, and here for Sunday, April 22, at the flagship Microsoft Store on Fifth Avenue and partake in three sessions from seasoned competitors and industry professionals in the esports, varsity and streaming areas. The team will cover the road to a collegiate esports scholarship, what a career in professional gaming looks like, and best practices for content creation and additional revenue streams.
For more information and to check out the latest events at the flagship Microsoft Store in Sydney, please see the events page on the Microsoft Store website.
With waves of alpha invites hitting the inboxes of World of Warcraftplayers, the hype for World of Warcraft: Battle for Azerothis growing. As is tradition, Blizzard has held off on providing a solid release date for Battle for Azeroth, opting for the usual “it will be out when it’s ready” approach. Today, the American developers announced that the new expansion will go live on August 14th. The exact times in each region were not part of the announcement and will likely be revealed as the release date draws near.
World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth looks to ratchet up the intensity between the Alliance and the Horde, as the conflict has waned over the past few expansions in the face of greater dangers that demanded unity. With the Legion gone, age-old conflicts are exploding with a new cast of characters. No one can stay neutral in this conflict, with allied races like the Highmountain Tauren and the Lightforged Draenei being dragged into the battle.
World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth is available now for pre-purchase. Those who do will get a free level 110 character boost and begin to gain reputation with four of the six new playable Allied Races.
Valve recently delisted the Steam Machine section from the main navigation bar, triggering a wave of rumours about the impending death of the Steam Machine program and Valve’s Linux support. Pierre-Loup Griffais, a coder at Valve, posted an update on the Steam community forums clarifying the situation. He emphasized that Valve’s support for Linux is not going anywhere. While Griffais admitted that sales of Steam Machines have been low, the removal of the category is strictly a house cleaning measure to neaten the main navigation bar.
Moving forward, Valve will be continuing to focus on increasing support for Vulkan across the gaming industry and improving the gaming experience on Linux.
Monolith Productions announced they will be revamping the economy for their action game Middle-Earth: Shadow of War. Based on player feedback, Monolith will be getting rid microtransactions to create a more immersive environment. By getting removing the ability to purchase orcs, players should develop a closer relationship with the orcs under their command by creating a challenging environment where players need to earn their entire army.
Monolith will stop selling the premium gold currency on May 8th. Players will have until July 17th to earn gold through challenges, spend their remaining gold, and buy items from the market. On July 17th, War Chests will be removed from the game and all unused gold will be converted into Gold Loot Chests at a rate of 150 gold per chest. Any remaining balance will be converted into an extra Gold Chest. Monolith has released an FAQ breaking down how the removal of microtransactions from the game will be implemented.
The changes will be rolling out in the coming months as a series of patches that will include changing the reward structure to remove War Chests, increasing the ways to recruit orcs, and adding new content.
CARTOON NETWORK ANNOUNCES TEEN TITANS GO FIGURE!, COMING THIS SUMMER TO iOS AND ANDROID
Collect and Battle Figures from the DC Universe in This Sequel to the Hit Game Teeny Titans Inspired by the Upcoming Feature Film Teen Titans GO! To the Movies
ATLANTA – April 4, 2018 – Cartoon Network has revealed Teen Titans GO Figure!, a new mobile game based on the Cartoon Network hit animated series Teen Titans GO! from Warner Bros. Animation and inspired by the upcoming feature film Teen Titans GO! to the Movies. The game will launch this summer on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets via the App Store, Google Play and Amazon store.
The follow-up to 2016’s top-selling mobile game Teeny Titans, Teen Titans GO Figure! features our cute 3D stylized figures, exciting shopping system and engaging battle system fans know and love from the original Teeny Titans. There are now more than 100 figures to collect and battle, including iconic DC Super Heroes like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and many more. Each figure can be personalized and repainted to create just the perfect custom figure.
Teen Titans GO Figure! kicks into a mystery around who is trying to put the Teeny Titans Figure Company out of business and all signs point to… the Justice League?! But why would the world’s greatest Super Heroes want to put an end to this global figure battling phenomenon? Play as Robin, Raven, Cyborg, Starfire or Beast Boy as you battle, search for clues and travel across multiple cities from the DC Universe experiencing this new story. Explore from the depths of the Batcave to the far reaches of the orbiting Justice League Watchtower in this exciting sequel.
Teen Titans GO! Figure is licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment on behalf of DC Entertainment. It is expected to launch this summer in time for the release of Teen Titans GO! To the Movies, arriving in theaters only on July 27, 2018.
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About Teen Titans GO! to the Movies
When the Teen Titans go to the big screen, they go big! “Teen Titans GO! to the Movies” finds our egocentric, wildly satirical Super Heroes in their first feature film extravaganza—a fresh, gleefully clever, kid-appropriately crass and tongue-in-cheek play on the superhero genre, complete with musical numbers.
Will Arnett (“The LEGO® Batman Movie”) and Kristen Bell (“Frozen”) lend their voices to the first-ever big-screen version of DC Entertainment and Cartoon Network’s animated TV show, which also stars Greg Cipes (TV’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”) as Beast Boy, Scott Menville (TV’s “Spider-Man”) as Robin, Khary Payton (“The Walking Dead”) as Cyborg, Tara Strong (the “My Little Pony” franchise) as Raven, and Hynden Walch (TV’s “Adventure Time with Finn & Jake”) as Starfire, reprising their roles from the series. And in guest roles, Superman super fan and Oscar winner Nicolas Cage (“Leaving Las Vegas”) portrays the Man of Steel; singer/songwriter Halsey lends her voice to Wonder Woman; and rapper/-singer Lil’ Yachty plays Green Lantern.
The film is directed by Aaron Horvath and Peter Rida Michail, from a screenplay by Michael Jelenic and Horvath, based on characters from DC. Michail, Will Arnett and Peggy Regan produce, with Sam Register, Jelenic, and Horvath serving as executive producers. Apart from Arnett, all are “Teen Titans GO!” series contributors. Set to release on July 27, 2018, “Teen Titans GO! to the Movies” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. TeenTitansGO-movie.com
About Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is Turner’s global entertainment brand and the # 1 animation network in the U.S., offering the best in original content for kids and families with such hits as, Adventure Time, The Powerpuff Girls, Steven Universe, We Bare Bears and The Amazing World of Gumball. Seen in 192 countries and over 400 million homes, Cartoon Network is known for being a leader in innovation with its approach to engaging and inspiring kids at the intersection of creativity and technology. Its pro-social initiative, Stop Bullying: Speak Up is an acknowledged and often used resource for kids and adults looking for tools that can assist in dealing with the ongoing issue of bullying.
Turner, a Time Warner company, is a global entertainment, sports and news company that creates premium content and delivers exceptional experiences to fans whenever and wherever they consume content. These efforts are fueled by data-driven insights and industry-leading technology. Turner owns and operates some of the most valuable brands in the world, including Adult Swim, Bleacher Report, Boomerang, Cartoon Network, CNN, ELEAGUE, FilmStruck, Great Big Story, HLN, iStreamPlanet, Super Deluxe, TBS, Turner Classic Movies (TCM), TNT, truTV and Turner Sports.
INDIE VIDEO GAME STUDIOS FURNACE AND RIPOSTE GAMES& COANNOUNCE EARLY ACCESS DATE FOR HACK & SLASH DUNGEON CRAWLER “DUNGEON STARS” WITH A NEW TRAILER
DUNGEON STARS READY TO SHAKEDOWN STEAM’S EARLY ACCESS ON APRIL 26
Montreal, April 4, 2018 – Riposte Games & Co, the developer behind smash hit Mini Guns and Dallas based Furnace Games, spearheaded by industry legends Allan Ditzig and Jim Montgomery, are pleased to unveil the first details about their upcoming titleDungeon Stars, a side scrolling hack & slash dungeon crawler. Dungeon Stars is an explosive evolution of the classic dungeon crawler with addictive button-smashing action set in a world populated by lovable characters, a beautifully rich 3D environment, and rapid progression.
Additionally, a new announcement video has been released and can be viewed here.
Johan Eile, CEO of Riposte Games & Co, commented:
“We are very excited about the collaboration between Furnace games and Riposte Games & Co as it bolsters a new force within the indie video game landscape. Dungeon Stars represents the first project of this partnership, and we are eager to start to receive players’ feedback. We try to push the quality bar on both tech and art with everything we do and all the developers from this game is taking that to heart in a big way. The game is built on a solid core engine and to see the content come to life is just an awesome experience. This is a really fresh and exciting evolution of the dungeon crawler genre and will bring a lot of fun to the players.”
About Dungeon Stars
Use sword and spell to delve deep and battle through hordes of powerful enemies. Does the next room contain a healing fountain, a rare treasure, or the Toxic Ogre King? You need to keep on your toes as you face unknowns in every room. If you delve deep enough, you may face the legendary eater of light, the Conqueror Worm!
Key features include:
– Visually stunning blend of 3D lighting technology with hyper expressive 2D-Style characters.
Collect 15 charming and adventurous heroes, each with their own unique powers and special quests to perform. Team them up to take on various challenges.
– Simple and addictive action-combat that has heroes blasting through hordes of enemies.
Block powerful enemy attacks, Smash through enemy shields, and unleash rapid Attacks to deal damage as fast as possible. As you defeat enemies, you power up your Special Abilities to turn the tables on dangerous opponents and powerful Bosses.
– Powerful pets and gear creating a variety of magical combinations and capabilities to explore.
Level-up your heroes to unlock abilities and boost their stats; equip magic gems and pets to give them new powers; customize your heroes to match your play style.
– 40+ adventures with special procedural content that bolsters replay and exploration.
Random encounters, secret rooms and loot are never the same twice.
Furnace and Riposte Games & Co debut project, Dungeon Stars, will be launching on Steam Early Access, April 26, 2018. The Early Access release will give gamers the opportunity to experience a major part of the game prior to release and provide invaluable feedback to the team of Furnace and Riposte Games & Co.
About Riposte Games & Co.
Founded in 2014, Riposte Games & Co (formerly Cloudcade Canada) has emerged as a development powerhouse for mid core F2P games on mobile, PC, and Web. Over the last few years the team has developed and released top performing games across all platforms, including the titles Shop Heroes, Swords & Potions, and Card Monsters. Led by a group of savvy video game professionals, the company is built on a rock solid foundation that combines technology and art to create a fantastic player experience.
About Furnace Games
Furnace Games was founded by Jim Montgomery and Allan Ditzig and is based in Dallas TX. The team is composed of an award-winning group of game makers with decades of collective experience and 6 years working together on hit games. The team has a proven track record of creating successful franchises on console, PC and mobile platforms. With more than 40 combined years of experience across genres and consoles, including work on hit titles like Mortal Kombat, Dark Age of Camelot, CastleVille and Dungeon Boss.
SPRING INTO THE SEASON WITH NEW LINEAGE 2: REVOLUTION UPDATE
New Easter-Themed Content, World Boss, Rare Equipment and More Added in New Game Update
Seoul, Korea (April 4, 2018) – Netmarble, the fastest-growing mobile game company worldwide, has added brand-new in-game content for their hit mobile MMORPG Lineage 2: Revolution, just in time to welcome the start of spring.
In the latest game update, an all-new World Boss, Guillotine, has appeared in the Shrieking Hallows and Guillotine Keep. This ferocious World Boss ignores all defense and requires a significant amount of HP to defeat and appears daily at 8:00pm ET in North America I and 8:00 pm PT in North America II servers. A new Rare Red Equipment Set Effect has also been added to the game, allowing players to severely damage magical monsters.
To celebrate the start of spring, the Capture the Egg! Event also began last week and will run until April 11, allowing players to exchange Intact Eggs, Soul Powders and other items obtained from destroying Eggs in Monster Dungeons for various rewards. A new “Eggcellent” mount has also been added to the Shop for a limited time with Adena and for players above level 50.
“It’s amazing to think that our worldwide journey for Lineage 2: Revolution began just last fall,” said Netmarble’s Chief Global Officer Seungwon Lee, “Spring is a season of new beginnings and we’re excited to continue bringing fresh, new and seasonal content to our loyal community as a thank you for their continued support over the past year.”
As part of its efforts in interacting with the game’s fans, it also celebrated April Fools’ Day by posting limited time promotions for ‘Dwarvish Beard’ and ‘Maphr’s Boba’ on its Facebook page, which generated hilarious reactions from the fans.
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 the fastest-growing mobile game company and consistently ranks as a top mobile developer and publisher worldwide. With more than 4,000 employees, Netmarble has been producing and servicing some of the most successful mobile games including Lineage 2: 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 E&M 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
