MOVE OR DIE DISCORD UPDATE NOW AVAILABLE – RUIN FRIENDSHIPS TO THE MELODIOUS SOUNDS OF RAGEQUITTERS
Indie developer Those Awesome Guys announced today that the Move or Die Discord Update is now available on Steam. Integrating Discord’s Rich Presence features to the ultimate friendship-destroying game, players will be able to keep track when Discord friends are playing Move or Die, join games straight from the Discord client, participate in daily giveaways from the official Move or Die Discord Channel, and play with two new Discord-inspired characters – the Discord logo and Wumpus, the official Discord mascot.
Also, as part of the Steam Autumn Sale, Move or Die is available for the limited promotional price of $8.99 (40% discount from S.R.P.) until November 28.
Key features of the Move Or Die Discord Update include:
Two New Characters: Jump into the action as two new characters; Wumpus, the Discord mascot, and Logo, the Discord logo. That’s right, the Discord Logo is now a playable character in Move or Die. Now that’s product placement.
Rich Presence: See when your Discord friends are playing Move or Die. You can even see what in-game activity they are doing. It’s not cyber-stalking, it’s just caring.
Official Move or Die Discord Server: Join the official, Discord approved, Move or Die server and make lots of new friends… or enemies… or frenemies.
Discord Server Bot: Beep-boop! Say hello to the Move or Die Discord bot. This handy little fellow will retrieve leaderboard info, item info, and hold daily giveaways of in-game goodies.
Ask to Join Button: Is your friend on Discord playing Move or Die? Do you wish you were playing with them? Fear not. You can now join a player’s sessions directly from the Discord client invites.
The free Move or Die Discord Update is now available on Steam. To learn more about Move or Die, please visit www.moveordiegame.com, ‘Like’ it on Facebook, and follow its development on Twitter @moveordiegame for all the latest developer updates and news.
STUDIO WILDCARD REVEALS DECEMBER 12 LAUNCH DATE FOR “ABERRATION” EXPANSION PACK
Black Friday Sales See Huge Discounts for ARK Across Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Steam
Seattle, WA – November 22, 2017 – Studio Wildcard, developers of ARK: Survival Evolved – announced today that on December 12th it will release the second expansion pack for ARK entitled ARK: Aberration. Survivors will wake up on Aberration – a derelict, malfunctioning ARK featuring with an elaborate underground biome system with new challenges unlike those found on prior ARK maps. Extreme radioactive sunlight and environmental hazards, ziplines, wingsuits, climbing gear, creatures like the Rock Drake and Lantern Pug, and more await in these vast caves.
“Aberration” will be available as a standalone expansion pack ($19.99) and as part of the ARK: Explorer’s Edition (Season Pass). “Aberration” will be the second Expansion Pack for ARK: Survival Evolved, joining the desert-themed Scorched Earth map in continuing to shed light onto the vast mysteries of ARK! It will release worldwide December 12th for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Steam.
Haven’t yet explored the island of ARK? The massive hit survival game that’s chock-a-block with over 100 prehistoric creatures, from dinos to mega-sharks, now has huge Black Friday discounts happening in both digital format and retail. Score this fantastically huge Jurassic-themed survival-adventure at a fantastic price!
Steam/PC
ARK: Survival Evolved: 50% off!
ARK Season Pass: 25% off
Xbox One (includes Xbox One X enhancements)
ARK: Survival Evolved – 25% off
ARK: Scorched Earth – 35% off
ARK Explorers Edition (base + Season Pass): 30% off
ARK Season Pass: 25% off
PlayStation 4
ARK: Survival Evolved: 35% off
ARK: Scorched Earth: 35% off
ARK Explorers Edition (base + Season Pass): 30% off
ARK Season Pass: 25% off
Tame New Creatures
The intense radiation of Aberration has led to incredible genetic mutations, resulting in new creatures with amazing abilities! Clamber up walls & glide through the air on the back of a camouflaging chameleon-like ‘Rock Drake’, keep the dark at bay with a friendly ‘Lantern Pug’, or grab and toss multiple creatures simultaneously with a massive ‘Cave Crustacean’, or — if you are talented enough to tame one — command the vile ‘Reaper Queen’ to impregnate your foes with a horrifying reproductive chest-burster!
Craft 50+ Unique Items
Traverse this new ARK using cave-climbing picks, gliding wingsuits, and ziplines. Learn advanced engrams to dominate the harsh environment, protect yourself with hazmat outfits, charge lanterns, explosive rounds, batteries, glowsticks, railguns and much more. Thrive by gathering new resources, using fishing baskets, gas collectors, fortify your home within the caverns using cliff structures, and much more!
Conquer New Challenges
With the maintenance systems of this new ARK malfunctioning, earthquakes, radiation exposure, gas leaks, and Element chambers are among the many hazards that survivors will learn to grapple with Aberration’s varied biomes, both aboveground and below the surface. Among Aberration’s greatest challenges is the hierarchy of ‘Nameless’: unrelenting, Element-infused monstrosities, requiring constant vigilance to defend against! And in the deepest depths of Aberration, their terrifying master awaits… will you be among the survivors powerful enough to face it?
Since its launch into Steam’s early access program in June 2015, over 12 Million survivors have been stranded on the ARK island, wandering into an incredible land to discover how to tame, train, ride, and breed the 100+ dinosaurs and primeval creatures roaming the land.
ARK: Survival Evolved is rated “T” for Teen (Violence, Blood, Crude Humor, Use of Alcohol) by the ESRB.
For the latest updates follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube, visit the Website at playark.com and watch us tame and train leviathan dinosaurs on Twitch.TV.
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ABOUT STUDIO WILDCARD
Studio Wildcard was co-founded in 2014 by industry veteran Jeremy Stieglitz and Jesse Rapczak, former Technical Art Director at Microsoft Game Studios, with the mission of bringing AAA quality to ambitious indie productions that are designed for core gamers. With combined 25 years of industry experience across multiple independent and studio-backed titles, Jeremy and Jesse have teamed up with other veteran developers for Seattle, WA-based and Gainesville, FL-based development studios that also include distributed team members across multiple continents. Wherever talented, driven developers may reside, Studio Wildcard intends to seek out and work with them!
SpellForce 3 Presents the Beautiful Elvish Faction – Free Preview Weekend at GOG.com
MUNICH, Germany / VIENNA, Austria – Nov. 22, 2017 – SpellForce 3 blends RTS and RPG perfectly together – one of the pillars of its gameplay is the different factions. In today’s gameplay trailer, the elves are in the spotlight. Beautiful, proud and warm at first glance, but a look behind the majestic buildings and smiling faces gives another perspective. A racist, remorseless aristocracy hunting down those of different minds. But the spark of a rebellion gives hope for a change.
In this new video, the elvish capital of Finon Mir is shown, with a band of renegades fighting orcs, men and elves alike in their search for the truth.
Free Preview Weekend at GOG.com
A chance to check out SpellForce 3 is around the corner: from Friday, Nov. 24, everyone can access the free preview version of SpellForce 3 at GOG.com:
SpellForce 3 returns to the roots of the SpellForce saga. Taking place before the acclaimed SpellForce: The Order of Dawn, players will unravel a deep and epic story in the SpellForce universe with over 30 hours of single-player campaign, also playable in co-op. Additional multiplayer modes offer competitive battles for up to six players. Create your own heroes, develop your skillset and build your army to fight in legendary battles with gameplay that expertly blends the RTS and top-down RPG genres together.
SpellForce 3 is launching on Dec. 7, 2017, on Windows PC and will be available with English and German voice over plus full text localization in French, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Russian and simplified Chinese. For more information, please visit the official website, like the game on Facebook or follow THQ Nordic on Twitter.
About SpellForce 3
RTS/RPG mix: Unique gameplay that combines the genres of real-time strategy and top-down roleplaying games.
Create and customize: Create your group of heroes and choose a number of different combos with a range of skill structures.
Boost and command your army: Prepare your troops and fight the greatest of all battles. You can also exploit numerous strategic aspects (e.g., terrain, troop formations, visibility, exploration, etc.), that would make Sun Tzu proud!
Epic storyline: Unravel a deep and complex plot that eventually leads up to the events that trigger the convocation ritual, which will change the whole world.
Extensive universe and lots of loot: Explore the world of Eo, discover intrigue and secrets, and collect a whole load of loot for your hero.
Complex single-player campaign: Over 30 hours of gameplay time, and even more if you’re able to discover everything Grimlore Games has incorporated into the game world.
Strong multiplayer component with various modes: Play in versus battles with up to six players or master the single-player campaign with a friend in co-op mode.
Dozens of Games at Big Discounts Are Part of the Nintendo eShop Cyber Deals
Great Deals on Digital Games for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Whether you or someone on your holiday shopping list is a fan of action games, RPGs, platformers, puzzle games or party favorites, the Nintendo eShop Cyber Deals sale has something for every type of player. With discounts up to 75 percent off on select digital games for the Nintendo Switch system, the Nintendo 3DS family of systems and the Wii U system, the Nintendo eShop sale, which runs now through Dec. 11 at 8:59 a.m. PT, offers a huge selection of games for fans of all ages.
With discounts up to 75 percent off on select digital games, the Nintendo eShop sale offers a huge selection of games for fans of all ages. (Graphic: Business Wire)
“The Nintendo eShop is a great place to browse and purchase digital versions of first- and third-party games,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “The easy-to-use and intuitive service lets shoppers enjoy holiday discounts from the comfort of their own home, so they can avoid the holiday rush and jump right into the games.”
The sale starts right before Thanksgiving and ends a few days after The Game Awards. Some of the games nominated for awards this year are from franchises featured in this sale. The discounted games that are part of the Nintendo eShop sale include the following:
On Black Friday, Nintendo is also offering some great deals on physical products. Shoppers can purchase a green Link Edition Nintendo 2DS system with bright yellow buttons that comes pre-installed with the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D game at a suggested retail price of only $79.99. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Explorer’s Edition, a bundle that includes the critically acclaimed Nintendo Switch game, a 100-page explorer’s guide and a two-sided map, will also be available at a suggested retail price of $59.99. Participating retailers and additional Black Friday retailer deals can be found at https://happyholidays.nintendo.com/deals/.
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™ system and the Nintendo 3DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.5 billion video games and more than 710 million hardware units globally, including Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS™ family of systems, 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 America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Americas. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com.
Note to editors: Nintendo press materials are available at http://press.nintendo.com, a password-protected site. To obtain a login, please register on the site.
This is a friendly reminder from us at Capsule Computers that Steam Autumn sale is due for today. The dates for upcoming sales have been leaked for quite some time and we’re only a few hours away from the Autumn one.
So check your wallet, sell some Steam cards fast and hope for a good price on your wishlisted games. My personal recommendation would be to grab The Evil Within 2 if it happens to be at a good discount. Either way, you’ll have a large assortment of PC games to choose from. One thing to note, Steam doesn’t have a habit anymore of keeping the flash deals during these sales. In other words, what you see on sale today will be there at the same prices tomorrow and the day after – all the way till November 28th.
Rockstar Games will forever be linked to Grand Theft Auto. Sure, the developers have definitely had success elsewhere, but no franchise has ever been bigger for the publisher that has catered to adult audiences for years. Now and then, we have gotten to see a few offerings of change – such as Red Dead and Bully, but no side project has ever been more unique or more groundbreaking than 2011’s L.A. Noire. This title introduced a new facial capture system that set a very import bar in the AAA game industry, while producing a riveting plot that is simply unforgettable. Like most gems of yesterday, Rockstar have decided to re-release this beast on updated platforms, possibly testing the waters for consumer interest. With just its original legs to stand on, does L.A. Noire still feel as important six years later? Let’s find out.
Story
When it comes down to it, L.A. Noire is mostly made up of its story. Sure, there are gameplay elements, but this is one of those titles that you spend a long time playing, finish, and forget for years. By the next time you pick it up, you almost remember everything, but get just as much entertainment out of it – if not more, the second time around. That kind of describes myself. I have not touched L.A. Noire for years, so seeing Cole Phelps and friends again was quite a warm reunion. Even though the big moments stuck in my memory and technically “spoiled” the outcome of the plot, there are still so many little cases and nuances about this world that make it an absolute joy to explore all over again.
Personally, before this release I never thought about going back to L.A. Noire. I enjoyed it the first time around, but like other releases that focus so much on telling a tale, I was just done when the credits rolled. This updated port offers nothing new in terms of content, but still has a timeless atmosphere that truly keeps its relevancy and intellect due to the beautiful writing that has stood strong.
Gameplay
The gameplay in L.A. Noire is made up of two different elements. The player takes control of Cole Phelps and must work their way up the police force by completing cases. The first element of gameplay lets you take control of Phelps and explore Los Angeles while solving crimes that become more involving and deep as you progress onward. The world is open, but the main interactivity comes while exploring crime scenes, as Phelps is able to poke, prod, and find clues in order to solve each case.
From time to time, the game will break into an action sequence, where the player is forced to take part in a chase, or some kind of shoot-out that typically comes once you corner the appropriate suspect. Sure, the gameplay isn’t exactly fluid at handling the action sequences in a world meant for attention to detail, but it definitely is serviceable and still can offer a nice, satisfying reward and change of pace for a player who has spent a good minute snooping out an area. I think Rockstar have certainly had more polished games before, but there is something very fulfilling about the delivery in L.A. Noire’s little bursts of action that makes it addicting as a whole, where your next case is never truly your last.
The interrogation process is the other big aspect of gameplay that made this title sing years ago. Utilizing the motionscan tech, players are able to interrogate a suspect and surround the way they treat their suspect based simply on reaction and the clues gathered previously. This re-release has slightly altered the process, now dubbing the three choices “Good Cop”, “Bad Cop” and “Accuse”. This change may seem subtle, but it kind of changed the way I danced around each case. I remember with my first experience, I would hit “Doubt” and watch Phelps go nuts at an innocent woman. Well, now that option is Bad Cop, so it just makes more sense this time around. Either way, it still is a fun feature and one that I think most will enjoy toying with all over again.
Visuals and Audio
Visually, L.A. Noire mostly holds up. Sure, the resolution has gotten an upgrade so things like skin, textures, smoke, and so on look more realistic, but I personally can’t think of another remake that comes off as crisp and change free than this one. That said, the motionscan has aged a bit. Now that we have better HD visuals these days, it is much more obvious to see the intense animations from the mouth and eyes that seem to have been pasted on a standard model. Sure, it isn’t glaring or a reason not to indulge, but it is hard not to notice Cole’s mouth jiggle in and out of place on the front of his character’s head.
The soundtrack has also held up. I mean, not that anyone would expect any different, but these 40’s tunes truly set a divine atmosphere for this entire world and make it come alive. The voice acting was also so damn good that it is hard to think of another title that has ever came close to matching it. I know, a lot of current titles have big budgets and long cutscenes, but those titles also have a lot less dialogue and a lot more action, which is where L.A. Noire tips the scales in the area of performance.
Overall
Every single year I have like five or six movies I watch religiously, just because they make me feel good. Titantic, Twister, Home Alone, Close Encounters, the list goes on. I bring those titles up because replaying through L.A. Noire kind of brought about that same kind of enjoyment all these years later. Despite knowing outcomes and retreading past territory, I found the game to be a lot of fun to go through again, and one title that still holds up well, despite showing a wrinkle or two when it comes to its original presentation. Those who have never visited this part of Los Angeles, this is a great version of a classic to try out. For those who have already played and loved L.A. Noire, welcome home.
Square Enix announced that the Steam port of World of Final Fantasy is now live. The game was previously launched in October 2016 for PlayStation 4 and PS Vita. The Steam version has full support for all of Steam’s functions, including Steam trading cards and achievements, plus full keyboard and controller support. PC gamers are getting rewarded for their patience with a bunch of bonus legendary characters and creatures, such as all time favourite villain Sephiroth.The game is available now on Steam for $39.99 USD. Anyone who buys the game before November 28 will get a free upgrade to the Day One Edition containing the game, a soundtrack sampler, and wallpaper.
World of Final Fantasy follows siblings Reynn and Lann in an epic quest to discover their past and save the world of Grymoire. To do so, they will need to capture iconic Final Fantasy creatures and train them to reach their potential. The game features a modified version of the series’ iconic Active Time Battle system that focuses on building stacks of creatures to create powerful monster towers.
For those of us who aren’t celebrating Thanksgiving this week, Paramount Pictures released a new Daddy’s Home 2 trailer to help us get in the Christmas spirit. The theme of the new trailer is chaos, as the more dads that are under same same roof just means more chaos! The new trailer is full of dad jokes, Brad (Will Farrell) getting hurt or humiliated in the silliest ways possible, and plenty of awkwardness between Brad and Roger (John Cena).
Daddy’s Home 2 follows the story of Brad and Dusty (Mark Wahlberg), who promise their kids the best Christmas ever. Their plans go sideways when their father, the ultra emotional Don (John Lithgow) and the hypermasculine Kurt (Mel Gibson) show up to spend Christmas with their grandkids. Daddy’s Home 2 is set to hit cinemas in Australia on November 23rd.
PlayStation® Australia announces one billion hours of play
A nation of connected entertainment seekers turn to gaming, music, TV and video services on PlayStation 4
Fun-seeking Aussies consume more than one billion hours of play on PlayStation
Hours of play across PlayStation gaming, music, TV and video rose 26 per cent year on year
Australia is a nation of entertainment enthusiasts with 67 per cent playing video games and over 3.7 million subscribing to a streaming service
Sydney, Australia – 22 November 2017: Sony Interactive Entertainment Australia has today announced a milestone of more than one billion hours of entertainment consumed in the last twelve months1, as content hungry Australians turn to gaming and entertainment services on PlayStation®.
The data revealed that Aussies’ appetite for entertainment is voracious with the one billion hours of play representing a 26 per cent increase in consumption on the 12 months prior1. Consumption was based around the time spent playing games, music, TV and video services on PlayStation in the period November 2016 to October 2017 inclusive. For scale, one billion hours is equivalent to over 100,000 years.
Proving Australia really is a digital nation, the Digital Australia 2018 Report, released earlier this year, revealed that over two-thirds (67 per cent) of Australians play video games2 and more than 3.7 million now subscribe to a streaming service3, with fans turning to gaming, streaming and downloading via the PlayStation platform to keep their premium entertainment options on one powerful device.
Reflective of this cultural shift, entertainment consumption (music, TV and video) on PlayStation has increased 45 per cent in the last 12 months1. The large portfolio of video and TV services available on PlayStation®4 enables players and their households to easily discover and stream the best video content across PlayStation Store and third party services such as Spotify, Stan, Netflix and Foxtel Now.
Patrick Lagana, Director of Marketing, Sony Interactive Entertainment Australia, said:“This is the first time Australia has reached this incredible milestone. PlayStation has been the country’s highest-selling console for the last four years and to reach one billion hours of play across gaming and entertainment demonstrates that PlayStation is the leading entertainment platform and continues to be Australia’s favourite place to play”.
Michael Denny, SVP Sony Interactive Worldwide Studios, said: “Reaching one billion hours of play in Australia is testament to the blockbuster content that is exclusive to PlayStation, from Horizon Zero Dawn to Gran Turismo Sport, and upcoming releases like God of War™ and Detroit: Become Human™. As important as our commitment to content is our commitment to our loyal fans, families and players.”
The figure was announced at PlayFest 2017, a unique celebration of PlayStation gaming, bringing players closer than ever to some of the biggest unreleased titles coming to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR.
MAJOR SPLATOON 2 UPDATES ADD NEW STAGES, NEW MODES, AND NEW WAYS TO SPLAT
Colourful shooter stays fresh with free updates on 24th November and mid-December
22nd November, 2017 – Living up to the promise of delivering a continued rollout of additional content after launch, two free software updates are coming to colourful multiplayer shooter Splatoon 2, adding a wealth of new content to the Nintendo Switch game. The first free update hits on 24th November and adds new battle stages, a new stage for Salmon Run, new gear and new hairstyles for Inklings, as well as many other features. The second free update will be available mid-December and introduces a frantic new Ranked Battle mode called Clam Blitz, which involves picking up clams around the stage and trying to throw them into the opponent’s basket.
The two free updates include the following content:
24th November Update
Four New Battle Stages: While four new battle stages are coming to Splatoon 2, they won’t all be available immediately after downloading the update. Like with previous additions, the stages will roll out over the subsequent weeks, giving players new surprises as they play throughout the holiday season and beyond. The first new battle stage, MakoMart, will be available to play on Saturday 25th November, with Shellendorf Institute, Walleye Warehouse and Arowana Mall coming soon. The new MakoMart stage is a giant superstore-style stage and Shellendorf Institute is also new to the series, while Walleye Warehouse and Arowana Mall are popular stages returning from the original Splatoon game.
New Salmon Run Stage: Fan-favourite multiplayer mode Salmon Run is getting a new stage. After downloading the update, Salmonid Smokeyard will be added to the stage rotation. In Salmonid Smokeyard, a wide gap on the beach divides two upper platforms, with fan lifts being the quickest way to traverse the two platforms. Teamwork is required to use the fan lifts effectively.
New Gear: Approximately 140 pieces of gear are being added to Splatoon 2. These include shoes, headgear and clothes, like a motocross mask, additional winter clothing as well as returning items from the original Splatoon game.
New Battle Music: Two new bands have been gaining popularity in Inkopolis! The punk-flavoured Bottom Feeders and classically-trained avant-garde-style Ink Theory are contributing new songs to the already music-rich game.
New Hairstyle: When customising an Inkling, four new hairstyles will be available to choose from – two each for female and male characters.
Higher Level Caps: Currently, players are maxed out at Level 50. After downloading the update, the new maximum level will be raised to 99. If players talk to Judd when they reach Level 99, they’ll have the option to reset their level display to Level ★1 so they can continue raising their level.
New amiibo Functionality: Tapping a compatible amiibo figure after the update will let players take and share photos in preset locations in Battle Stages, in addition to being able to take photos in Inkopolis Square. Players can also add fun filters to their images.
Convenient Gear Swapping: Players who want to change gear between battles in Regular Battle, Ranked Battle and Splatfest Battle (Solo) won’t have to exit to the lobby anymore! After downloading the update, gear can be swapped out without leaving the match room, making it quicker to get back to splatting. For Regular Battle, this also means players can play the next battle with the same players.
Mid-December Update
Clam Blitz: In Clam Blitz, competing Inklings are tasked with collecting clams scattered around the stage. After one is picked up, the clam follows the player. The objective is to throw the clam into the basket near the opponent’s base, and the first team to score 100 points wins! But, of course, this being the fiercely competitive world of Splatoon 2, things are not as easy as they seem. The baskets are protected by a barrier, which must be destroyed first. After collecting 10 clams, the player will earn a Power Clam. These super-powered clams are the key to breaking the barrier, so strategic Inklings need to decide which clams are used to destroy the barrier and which are used to earn points. Not to mention the extra-satisfying opportunity to steal opponents’ clams by splatting them.
Splatoon 2 is now available in stores and in Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch. For more information, check out the official Splatoon 2 website.
