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GAMECHANGER CHARITY LAUNCHES NEW PROPRIETARY TWITCH EXTENSION TO ENABLE DIRECT GIVING FROM TWITCH BROADCASTERS AND VIEWERS

GAMECHANGER CHARITY LAUNCHES NEW PROPRIETARY TWITCH EXTENSION TO ENABLE DIRECT GIVING FROM TWITCH BROADCASTERS AND VIEWERS

Non-profit aiding hospitalized children is the first charity to develop its own Twitch extension, winner of Amazon Web Services’ NPO Hackathon for Social Good

MENLO PARK, Calif. – Dec. 7, 2018 – GameChanger Charity, a global non-profit enterprise providing aid and relief for young people battling life-threatening illnesses, as well as their families and caregivers, has created its own unique Twitch extension, available now. Made in collaboration with Twitch, this new extension integrates easily into participating broadcasters’ streams and is the first developed by a non-profit organization to directly drive its humanitarian impact efforts.

“We’ve been working very closely with the development team at Twitch, and we’re incredibly grateful for their overwhelming faith and support,” said GameChanger Charity CEO and co-founder Jim Carol. “The gaming community, particularly broadcasters and their viewers, has long been one of our greatest sources of generosity and enthusiasm, and our new Twitch extension will make it easier than ever to connect their thoughtful energies with the children in need who rely on them.”

GameChanger’s Twitch extension allows Twitch broadcasters and viewers to support and promote the charity’s core giving activities in aid of children battling life-threatening illnesses and the challenging recovery periods that often follow them. Proceeds made from the extension will be used to support the purchase of video games, gaming and VR hardware, and even college scholarships for children identified by the hospital care teams who work with them and their families on a daily basis.

The GameChanger Charity Twitch extension is designed with a number of features to make it friendlier to streamers and viewers – and ultimately patients – than competing Twitch extension donation services. The extension recognizes individual donors to the community in real-time, and up-to-the-minute stories and images from the charity’s ongoing work can be shared on stream in Tweet-sized snippets. Furthermore, thanks to Amazon Pay’s program for non-profits, the transaction fee for each donation is lower than those of other for-profit services, meaning a greater share of each donation goes to helping those in need.

GameChanger’s Twitch extension was crowned the winner of Amazon Web Services’ recent Non-Profit Hackathon for Social Good, a coding competition at the AWS re:Invent 2018 conference designed to identify and brainstorm actionable solutions for challenges facing non-profit organizations today. Participants in the event focused on stress-testing the extension while innovating new ways to more effectively inform, engage and empower the community around the charity’s mission.

Twitch broadcasters can install the GameChanger Charity extension at https://www.twitch.tv/ext/th40ow0zog4oe9by5a1mtbsuqmadvb-0.2.0. For more information on GameChanger, visit https://gamechangercharity.org, and follow @GameChangerOrg on Twitter.

About GameChanger Charity

GameChanger Charity’s mission is to leverage innovation and technology to empower patients to play, learn, and socialize. Taylor Carol co-founded GameChanger Charity with his father, Jim Carol, in 2007 after his own experience with childhood leukemia. GameChanger has delivered programs to over 100 hospitals and 25,000 pediatric hospital rooms in the past five years alone. https://gamechangercharity.org

WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES MORTAL KOMBAT 11

WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES MORTAL KOMBAT 11

Official Mortal Kombat 11 Announce Trailer Features Original Music Track Created in Collaboration with Rapper 21 Savage

Mortal Kombat 11: The Reveal to Take Place 

Jan. 17 with Global Livestream Gameplay Reveal at 11 a.m. PST/7 p.m. UTC 

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced Mortal Kombat 11, the newest game in the award-winning franchise. The official Mortal Kombat 11 Announce Trailer sets the stage for an epic, time bending story and features an original music track created in collaboration with multi-platinum selling rapper 21 Savage. Mortal Kombat 11 is developed by award-winning NetherRealm Studios and is scheduled for release beginning April 23, 2019 for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®4 Pro computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X, Nintendo Switch™ system and PC.

The song by 21 Savage featured in the trailer is titled “Immortal” and overlays scenes of an epic battle between two iconic characters, Dark Raiden and Scorpion, with a tease of a new character who is at the centre of Mortal Kombat 11’s story.

Mortal Kombat 11 will make its first gameplay debut at Mortal Kombat 11: The Reveal, a highly experiential, community celebration of Mortal Kombat, taking place at 11 a.m. PST on Jan. 17, 2019 in Los Angeles and 7 p.m. UTC in London. Mortal Kombat 11: The Reveal will be livestreamed globally at www.twitch.tv/NetherRealm and will feature a keynote presented by NetherRealm Studios. The event will also include the first opportunity for hands-on with Mortal Kombat 11 gameplay, tournaments and other Mortal Kombat themed activities.

Mortal Kombat 11 deepens and personalizes the experience unlike ever before with an all new Custom Character Variation System that gives players the creative control of building customized versions of the character roster. In addition, the game will introduce a new cinematic story that continues the epic saga that is more than 25 years in the making.

“By giving players more creative control, Mortal Kombat 11 is a testament to why this iconic franchise is so strong and increasingly relevant after more than 25 years,” said David Haddad, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “This game showcases NetherRealm Studios’ extensive talent to innovate and create epic experiences for the Mortal Kombat fans and new players alike.”

“It’s exciting to finally announce Mortal Kombat 11 and showcase what the team has been working on,” said Ed Boon, Creative Director, NetherRealm Studios. “Our Custom Character Variation System opens up an infinite amount of options for players to personalize their favorite fighters. We can’t wait until January when we’ll be showing more of the game.”

Available for pre-order beginning today is the Mortal Kombat 11 standard edition for $99.95 RRP.* The Mortal Kombat 11 Premium Edition is also available for pre-order at $139.95 RRP which includes the base game and the Kombat Pack. All pre-orders will receive the in-game, playable character, ‘Shao Kahn’.  Those who pre-order on PlayStation®4 and Xbox One, at select retailers, will also receive access to the beta, which will be available in March for those platforms.

To learn more about Mortal Kombat 11, please visit mortalkombat.com or join the community conversation on Facebook (MortalKombat), Instagram (@MortalKombat), Twitter (@MortalKombat), Twitch (NetherRealm), YouTube (Mortal Kombat), Discord (MortalKombat), or Reddit (MortalKombat).

Mortal Kombat 11 assets can be downloaded here: http://www.wbie-press.com

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About 21 Savage
Multiplatinum-certified rapper, artist, and visionary 21 Savage remains downright unstoppable. Recently, he teamed up with Post Malone for the platinum-certified megasmash “rockstar,” achieving his first Billboard Hot 100 #1 in the process. Meanwhile, his full-length debut Issa Album, stands out as one of the year’s biggest success stories. It clinched #2 on the Billboard Top 200 upon arrival, moving over 77,000 copies first-week. It also went #1 on the Apple Music Hip-Hop/Rap Chart. The lead single “Bank Account” earned an RIAA platinum certification and peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100. To date, Spotify streams exceed 216 million and YouTube/VEVO views surpass 64 million-plus. Tearing through the game with tenacity, 21 Savage carved his own path to the top of 21st century hip-hop last year.

Following a series of 2015 fan favorite mixtapes such as The Slaughter Tape and Slaughter King, he sent shockwaves through rap with the Savage Mode collaborative EP alongside super producer Metro Boomin. Not only did the project earn an RIAA gold certification, but it spawned the double-platinum “X” [feat. Future] and platinum “No Heart.” In between supporting Young Thug on tour and selling out his own headliner, 21 uncorked the platinum “Red Opps.” He changed the game with ISSA and Without Warning yet again.

About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc., is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all platforms, including console, handheld, mobile and PC-based gaming for both internal and third-party game titles.

About NetherRealm Studios
NetherRealm Studios is a leader in the development of interactive entertainment, and the creator of the billion-dollar Mortal Kombat franchise. Mortal Kombat has spawned two theatrical films, multiple television series, and has sold over 42 million games to date. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the award-winning NetherRealm team has been working and creating games together since 1992. Additional information about NetherRealm Studios can be found at www.netherrealm.com

Mortal Kombat 11© 2018 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Developed by NeatherRealm. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.  All rights reserved.

MapleStory 2 Goes to the Sky and Introduces Soul Binder Class

MapleStory 2 Goes to the Sky and Introduces Soul Binder Class

Skybound Expansion Phase 1 Includes PvP Mode, New Events and Special Rewards

LOS ANGELES – December 6, 2018 – MapleStory 2, the leading MMORPG available on Nexon Launcher and Steam is bringing a slew of additions including the highly-anticipated Soul Binder class, new Sky Fortress area, a PvP mode and more.

The game’s new Soul Binder class is a hybrid magic damage dealer and healer who studies ancient magic taught only in the depths of the mysterious Halo Mountains. While her spellcasting power is still raw, players must train to tap into the devastating potential deep inside.

A new area is also available with the Sky Fortress, a new staging ground warship that remains in the skies. Along with the new location, the Epic Quest continues with new Faction Missions assigned by the five factions who have gathered together including the honorable warriors of the Royal Guard, the agents of the Dark Wind, and the spiritual spellcasters of the Lumiknights. Each faction has its own shop, unique items, skins, chat bubbles, decorations, and more.

In addition, MapleStory 2 is introducing its PvP mode with the Maple Arena, a 1-on-1, best of three matchup between players to show off their skills and claim brand new PvP gear. Also, to bridge the gap for Maplers trying to reach the previously released Hard Chaos Raids, new Normal Chaos Raids have been added and Hard Adventure Dungeons have been adjusted to help players gear up properly for the ultimate challenge of Chaos Raids!

To celebrate the update, MapleStory 2 is hosting a Skybound Celebration event where Maplers level 10 and above who log-in during the first month of the update will receive 30 Elixirs, 30 Master Potions, and a Level Up Booster Ticket, which boosts combat, performance and fishing experience. Once players reached level 60, they will be able to claim additional items including a level-up potion which instantly boosts a character to level 50 and more epic rewards.

With the update, festive seasonal holiday events arrive to Maple World. Players can step into Merry Village and claim dozens of special prizes.

To learn more about MapleStory 2, please visit http://maplestory2.nexon.net.

Social Media: Twitch / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Instagram

About MapleStory 2

http://maplestory2.nexon.net/

Set in a colorful 3D block universe, MapleStory 2 is one of the most creative and customizable MMORPGs available on the market today. MapleStory 2 implements a robust set of character options, a brand new progression and growth system, and world-building tools, redefining the MMORPG genre by giving players the ability to customize everything.

About Nexon America Inc.

http://www.nexon.net

Nexon America, a subsidiary of NEXON Co., Ltd. (“Nexon”) (3659.TO) with more than 80 live games operated across more than 190 countries, is a global leader in online games. Nexon America introduced micro-transactions and the free-to-play business model in the Western market, and is widely credited with unmatched global expertise in sophisticated live game operations, nurturing player communities, and for sustaining titles for years, even decades. Nexon is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, and the company was placed on the Nikkei Stock Index 300 in 2017

UBISOFT BRINGS A SPECTACULAR POST-APOCALYPTIC SETTING TO FAR CRY UNVEILING FAR CRY® NEW DAWN

 UBISOFT BRINGS A SPECTACULAR POST-APOCALYPTIC SETTING TO FAR CRY UNVEILING FAR CRY® NEW DAWN

Sydney, Australia — December 7, 2018 — Today at The Game Awards, Ubisoft unveiled Far Cry® New Dawn, the newest installment of the award-winning Far Cry franchise. Set in a breathtaking post-apocalyptic world, Far Cry New Dawn will release on February 15, 2019 for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox One X and Windows PC. Players can pre-order Far Cry New Dawn now for $69.95 AUD.

Set seventeen years after a global nuclear catastrophe, Far Cry New Dawn brings players into a wildly beautiful and radically transformed Hope County, Montana. Life has begun to emerge from the chaos, but the survivors now face a new threat – the merciless Highwaymen and their leaders The Twins, Mickey and Lou. Raised in a lawless frontier, the twin sisters and their band of scavengers live only for today and have descended upon Hope County to take all available resources. To push back this devastating threat, players must help the Survivors grow stronger, craft a makeshift arsenal and form unexpected alliances to fight for survival in a dangerous new frontier.

At the Homebase, players will prepare to face off against the threat of the Highwaymen. The Homebase, called Prosperity, is the stronghold of the Survivors. Here, players can craft makeshift weapons and vehicles and train their Guns for Hire – including new and familiar faces. As players progress, they can upgrade the Homebase for more powerful weapons and gear. The Homebase is also a launch-pad to Expeditions, where for the first time in Far Cry, the adventure is more than local. Set in memorable locations across the US, from wetlands to canyons and more, Expeditions drop players into unique locations where they must grab a package of valuable materials and get out, quickly.

Developed by Ubisoft Montreal with support from Ubisoft Shanghai, Ubisoft Kiev and Ubisoft Bucharest, Far Cry New Dawn is a first-person shooter set in a completely open world. The standalone sequel to Far Cry® 5, Far Cry New Dawn thrusts players into a brilliant post-apocalyptic setting where they will encounter a dual threat – The Twins, Mickey and Lou. Players can recruit an eclectic cast of Guns and Fangs for Hire, or a Friend for Hire for co-op play, to experience unpredictable, unforgettable Far Cry Moments where anything can happen.

For more information about Far Cry New Dawn, please visit farcry.com and follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/farcry and on Twitter at twitter.com/farcrygame or hashtag #FarCryNewDawn.

For the latest on Far Cry New Dawn and 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, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman, Far Cry and Watch Dogs. 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 2017–18 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,732 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoft.com.

© 2018 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Far Cry, Ubisoft, and the Ubisoft logo are registered or unregistered trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries. Based on Crytek’s original Far Cry directed by Cevat Yerli.

GET READY TO GO FUR-THROTTLE WITH CRASH TEAM RACING NITRO-FUELED

GET READY TO GO FUR-THROTTLE WITH CRASH TEAM RACING NITRO-FUELED

Legendary Kart Racer Debuts Competitive Online Gameplay and More For Its 20th Anniversary

Preorders Live Now, Including Digital Deluxe Edition

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Dec. 6, 2018 – Crash is back again, and this time he’s revved up to the max in Crash™ Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, an authentic Crash Team Racing experience that’s been remastered in stunning HD and so much more. Power-sliding into players’ hands on June 21st, 2019, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled also brings fans online multiplayer racing. Get ready to start your engines as the game will be available for the PlayStation® 4, PlayStation® 4 Pro, Nintendo Switch™, and the family of Xbox One devices from Microsoft, including the Xbox One X.

Developed by Beenox and published by Activision, a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is built from the ground up and remasters the original Crash™ racing game by bringing the characters, karts, tracks and arenas to modern console HD graphics. Fans will be able to see Crash and friends’ expressions and antics in beautiful detail as they blast each other with power-ups and whiz around the corners in all the original racetracks. The stakes are high and the competition is fierce as players race with a variety of Crash Bandicoot™ series characters, including Crash, Coco, Dr. Neo Cortex and others against the egomaniacal Nitros Oxide to save our planet from destruction. In the new game, Adventure, Arcade Single Race and Cup Race, Time Trials and Battle Mode are back. Play Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled single player or vs. friends both online and offline.

“The love that fans have for Crash Team Racing goes beyond just a fun kart racing game, and we’re excited to finally show fans what we’ve been working on to celebrate its 20th anniversary,” said Thomas Wilson, Co-Studio Head at Beenox. “Not only are we revamping Crash Team Racing from the kart up in Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, we are giving fans a whole lot more including all the characters and tracks they love, with tons of added animations and personality that the original platform just couldn’t convey. We can’t wait to see fans go head-to-head as they test their Crash kart racing mettle in online multiplayer.”

Players who want to kick their Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled into the highest gear can pre-order the Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled – Nitros Oxide Edition. In the digital deluxe edition, the self-proclaimed fastest racer in the galaxy, Nitros Oxide will be a playable character from day one in all game modes. Players will also receive the full Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled game, Oxide’s Hovercraft kart, space-themed character skins for Crash, Coco, Cortex, and much more. Players who do not purchase the Nitros Oxide Edition can earn the Nitros Oxide character and Oxide’s Hovercraft kart by completing some of the fiercest challenges in the Adventure Mode.

Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled and the Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled – Nitros Oxide Edition are available for pre-order starting today. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled will be available for the suggested retail price of $39.99. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled – Nitros Oxide Edition will be available for the suggested retail price of $59.99. Watch the official trailer here. More information about Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled can be found at www.crashbandicoot.com. Fans are also invited to follow Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as subscribe to the YouTube channel at YouTube.com/crashbandicoot.

About Activision
Headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., Activision is a leading global producer and publisher of interactive entertainment. Activision maintains operations throughout the world and is a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), an S&P 500 company. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com or by following @Activision.

 

Family Settings on Xbox Provide Fun, Positive Gaming; New Tools for Cross-Play Now Available

Family Settings on Xbox Provide Fun, Positive Gaming; New Tools for Cross-Play Now Available

By Dan McCulloch, General Manager, Xbox Live

Here at Xbox, we see technology as an advantage for families today. It can be a positive force in the home and classroom, in personal growth, and in helping families and friends spend quality time together. We also know that it’s important that children learn how to build a healthy relationship with technology. We’re committed to making gaming a positive and inclusive form of entertainment, and with that goal in mind, family settings on Xbox ensures that gaming can be a rewarding experience for every member of the family. Over the years, we have continued to innovate family settings on Xbox to be as unique as families are today and support their needs.

So how can parents take advantage of everything family settings on Xbox has to offer? First off, parents will need to set up a child account at account.microsoft.com and link it to their Microsoft account. Once that’s done, parents have access to more than 15 comprehensive and customisable tools to manage their child’s account across four key categories: screen time management, purchase limits, content filters, and privacy.

Let’s take a closer look:

  • Screen time management: Parents can set time limits and view activity reports to keep on top of their children’s activity. Limits can be set for each day of the week, meaning parents can restrict gaming on school nights or allow more time over the weekend.
  • Purchase limits: Parents can choose to approve children’s purchases before they are made, to receive alerts after each purchase, or to set up an allowance to limit purchases children can make on their own.
  • Content filters: Parents can filter or allow games, apps and websites based on the age of their children to ensure they are interacting with age-appropriate content. Children can also request access to content which parents can then approve or decline.
  • Privacy: Parents can set what people see about their child’s online profile, status and gaming history and who they can communicate with online. This is especially valuable with the increasing popularity of multiplayer games where users can interact with other players around the world. These settings can be managed via the parent’s Microsoft account at xbox.com/Settings.

We’ve also heard feedback and questions from parents whose kids enjoy playing cross-network enabled games. Available today, Fortnite is the first game to feature our new cross-play settings, which provides parents and caregivers with more choice in managing cross-network scenarios for their children who play on Xbox. This includes two new settings parents can turn on or off, which empowers them to allow or block both cross-network play and cross-network communication, on their child’s account. As with the rest of the family settings, these can be changed in the parent’s Microsoft account. We expect other cross-network enabled games will be updated in the future to include these settings and offer more choice for parents.

Of course, ensuring families have fun isn’t solely the domain of parents. To that end, we also empower kids to play an active role in learning healthy digital habits. Our family settings features include an activity report that kids can view so they are aware of their own gaming habits and, with screen time limits, kids can request extensions to their time on the console or PC, which parents can approve or decline. Kids can also use the Ask a parent feature to request permission to make app or game purchases in the Microsoft and Xbox stores, as well as request access to websites, apps or games. We feel that when kids are a part of this process, it provides a collaborative and fun gaming experience for everyone.

At the end of the day, communication is the most important tool parents can employ to ensure their family has a fun and positive gaming experience.  We encourage parents to have an ongoing dialogue with their children about healthy technology habits and customise their family settings to fit their unique passion for gaming. If you’d like to learn more about our industry-leading Microsoft family settings and features, visit Xbox.com/family.

CALL OF DUTY® WORLD LEAGUE (CWL) ADDS NEW SPONSORS FOR 2019 SEASON

CALL OF DUTY® WORLD LEAGUE (CWL) ADDS NEW SPONSORS FOR 2019 SEASON

MTN DEW AMP, ASUS Join for Upcoming Season

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — December 6, 2018 — As the 2019 season of the Call of Duty® World League, Presented by PlayStation®4, kicks off this Friday, today Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues revealed the lineup of new and returning sponsors. The CWL welcomes back presenting sponsor PlayStation®4 alongside returning sponsors ASTRO and SCUF Gaming. Additionally, the CWL proudly welcomes MTN DEW AMP and ASUS as new promotional sponsors.

“Strong sponsors not only amplify the exceptional experience for players, spectators and fans across Call of Duty World League community, but also help us welcome new fans from around the world,” said Brandon Snow, Senior Vice President, Chief Revenue Officer of Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues. “New sponsors MTN DEW AMP and ASUS alongside returning sponsors PlayStation 4, ASTRO, and SCUF Gaming all share our vision of continued growth in esports. We look forward to working with our entire roster of sponsors starting this week at CWL Las Vegas and beyond to deliver the most exciting CWL season yet.”

“MTN DEW AMP GAME FUEL is thrilled to join this year’s Call of Duty World League season,” said Erin Chin, senior director, marketing, Mountain Dew. “We’re kicking off the sponsorship at the Las Vegas competition and giving attendees an exclusive first taste of the beverage ahead of its 2019 launch. MTN DEW AMP GAME FUEL, the first drink made by gamers, for gamers, will excite gamers looking to take their gaming experience to the next level.”

“ASUS Republic of Gamers is proud to be providing the VG245H console gaming monitor for the CWL 2019 season, helping to deliver the best in class console gaming experience on the world’s largest stage. Both professional and amateur console gamers have recognized the importance of using a monitor with minimal input lag, low response times and a higher refresh rate as key to raising the bar for competitive gaming. We look forward to the most competitive CWL season yet,” said Vivian Lien, Head of Global Marketing for Gaming at Republic of Gamers, and Chief Marketing Officer at ASUS North America.

“ASTRO Gaming is back, sponsoring with the CWL for the 2018-19 season,” said Aron Drayer, VP of Marketing for ASTRO. “We’ll have our booth onsite at every LAN event to interact with the passionate CWL fans and athletes. We’re continuing to reward the top performing player at each LAN event with our custom designed MVP trophy. We’re powering Listen-Ins during every broadcast, and of course we’re bringing back the popular Trading Shots weekly video segments. We’re huge fans of Black Ops 4 and look forward to another great year of CWL competition!”

“Call of Duty esports and professional gaming are deeply rooted into our core DNA. We first designed SCUF controllers 8 years ago to cater for the fast action and competitive demands of Call of Duty esports, so it’s very humbling to see how far Call of Duty esports has come and seeing esports develop as a true industry,” said Duncan Ironmonger, CEO & Founder of SCUF Gaming. “Without Call of Duty esports, we would not be where we are so I thank everyone who has been involved in its growth, success and another year with the Call of Duty World League.”

The 2019 season, featuring Activision’s Call of Duty®: Black Ops 4 developed by Treyarch, begins with CWL Las Vegas, which begins broadcasts at 2:00 PM PT on Friday, December 7, across Twitch.com/CallofDuty, MLG.com as well as within the in-game viewer exclusively in the PlayStation®4 version of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.

Follow the Call of Duty World League on Twitter and Instagram for the latest CWL updates. For live broadcasts and Video on Demand, visit MLG.com/CallofDuty.

About Activision
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading global producer and publisher of interactive entertainment. Activision maintains operations throughout the world and is a division of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), an S&P 500 company. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com or by following @Activision.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about the expected dates, features, sponsors and events of the Call of Duty World League, including CWL Las Vegas, are forward-looking statements, that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

# # #

© 2018 Major League Gaming Corp. ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY, CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS and CALL OF DUTY WORLD LEAGUE are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc.

UNCOVER THE LEGACY OF THE LAST REMNANT REMASTERED TODAY

UNCOVER THE LEGACY OF THE LAST REMNANT REMASTERED TODAY 

SYDNEY, 7th December 2018 –  Square Enix Ltd., today announced that THE LAST REMNANT™ Remastered is available now on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system.

Originally released in 2008, THE LAST REMNANT captured the hearts and minds of gamers with its enthralling story, countless characters and intricate battle system. In a world filled with Remnants – ancient artefacts that grant mysterious abilities to its wielders – players will follow the journey of Rush who is determined to uncover the truth behind the mysteries around him.

THE LAST REMNANT Remastered is now available for PlayStation® consoles for the first time, featuring beautifully enhanced graphics enabled by Unreal®Engine 4, allowing for a more immersive and captivating adventure, alongside full PlayStation® Trophy support and updates and changes to gameplay and UI to make THE LAST REMNANT Remastered better than ever before.

THE LAST REMNANT Remastered is available digitally now for the PlayStation®4 system. Additionally, an exclusive new PlayStation®4 theme is available with every purchase of THE LAST REMNANT Remastered.

Related Links:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/uksquareenix

Twitter: www.twitter.com/square_enix_eu

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/squareenix

Facebook: www.facebook.com/squareenix

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New Screenshots for A Plague Tale: Innocence Released

Asobo Studio released ten new screenshots for their upcoming adventure game A Plague Tale: Innocence. The screenshots show off the varied environments of medieval France lovingly recreated in the game. Gamers will be able to see everything from muddy countrysides to creepy catacombs in the batch of screenshots.

A Plague Tale: Innocence follows the story of Amicia and her little brother Hugo. The Black Death is blasting its way through France, leaving millions of dead in its wake. Amicia and Hugo are looking for safety as rats swarm and paranoia is at its highest.

A Plague Tale: Innocence is set to launch on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2019.

Just Cause 4 Review

Just Cause 4

Developer: Avalanche Studios
Publisher: Square Enix
Format: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC (Reviewed)
Release Date: 4 Dec 2018
Price: $59.99USD – Available Here $89.95 AUD – Available Here

Overview

We’re all familiar with the never-ending debate of games being art. Are they, are they not? Plenty of arguments for, plenty against and usually certain titles get thrown around like The Journey, Metal Gear Solid, the recent NieR: Automata and so on. And on the far end, we have some games staying away from all that drama. They’re created in mind so we can mostly wreak havoc, drive around super fast or just blow stuff up. Just Cause series did a fine job on that last bit. There is usually some half-interesting story about saving the world or whatever as an excuse for all the destruction and we’re good to go. I finished recently Just Cause 3 and this sequel promised some neat new stuff like a weather system, different biomes, and more gadgets to create destruction. Why? Well, just cause (terrible, terrible joke…first and last one in this review, I promise).

Story

We find our favorite agent and stuntman, Rico Rodriguez, in a fictional South American country called Solís. Rico continues waging a personal war against the Black Hand, a powerful private army. Only this time we have a face (or better yet, a leader) behind the army. Gabriella Morales is a newly introduced character in Just Cause 4 and the main antagonist of the game. To make things worse (or interesting, depending on how you look at it), Rico soon discovers that his late father was working with the Black Hand! How, why and most importantly – was he paid well? They don’t answer that last question in the game but we can definitely find some answers regarding the first two. So the basic story to give some sense to all that mindless destruction is there, now let’s get onto the more important bits.

Gameplay

In short: some things were added, some removed. Some good, some bad. The grappling hook has been upgraded and we can add mods to it. Along with tethering objects (or people) to one another, this time we can have a hook that ends up with a booster. Attach that to a parked car or a person and see them fly sky high. There is also a helium balloon as a hook finish, use that to lift pretty much anything up (mostly confused enemies). We can fine-tune all these mods, adjusting how the balloons and boosters act (do they blow up or pop once they reach a certain height). Some new weapons are in the game but I’m not a fan of how extremely limited ammo capacity they all have. Expect to kill no more than a dozen of enemies, give or take, before you have to zip around and search for a nearby weapon crate. Good old destruction is still with us although with minor adjustments. Unnecessary and unwelcome adjustments. Remember how in previous games you had to blow up & destroy various locations in order to liberate areas and progress through the game? Well, this time you also get chaos points for blowing stuff up and upon reaching a certain level of chaos, you are awarded an army squad. You use a squad to liberate a small portion of the area on the map. So no more 100%ing a certain region to fully liberate it, just mindlessly blow stuff up and it will happen pretty soon. But how do you know if you ever 100% a location or destroy everything? Well, you don’t. Believe it or not, all destructible objects spawn right back after some time. Speaking of the map, Just Cause 4 has the worst UI of all the game in the series. There is a map screen, a separate screen for grapple hook mods, screen for challenges and one to manage supply drops and pilots (used for fast travel). The whole map screen is also incredibly close to you and you have to scroll through it quite a bit to see everything. You also can’t remap some keys and game progression is repetitive as hell. Doing some repetition in side missions is expected to a degree, but Just Cause 4 really pushes it. There is a character called Garland King and she tasks you with doing plenty of stunts for her upcoming movies. The stunts are divided into three sections; pass through a ring driving a certain car, drive through a ring at high speed and fly with a wingsuit through three rings. That’s all. Now repeat it around a hundred times. Lazy and uninspiring as hell.

Visuals

If I were unimpressed with gameplay, then this section is straight up disappointing. I have a brand new rig (recently upgraded) and some visuals are mindbogglingly bad. Upon my first play, I noticed a strange shadow effect, like everything is coated in three layers of pixelated darkness. After some lurking in Just Cause 4 discussions on Steam, I saw someone advising others to turn off SSAO in options to fix it. And what do you know, it worked. The first time that I had to tone down some visuals for a game to look better. The water is also strangely still, no waves whatsoever and I stumbled upon some strange texture of train tracks literally pasted on the ground. Just all flat, like a sticker. If you ever wondered how a PlayStation 2 game would look like in 2018, here is your answer.

Audio

The audio is a big improvement over Just Cause 3, mainly because they added more of it during exploration. You don’t feel alone anymore while gliding with a wingsuit, sometimes a serene music track will kick in. But the biggest improvement this time is the inclusion of radio stations in vehicles. Considering that there are quite a few times where you have to drive from point A to point B in missions, this is a great addition. There are also some oddities during cutscenes, such as the speaking characters sounding like they’re way back in the background compared to where they actually are.

Overall

You know how they say “if something is broken, don’t fix it”? The more I think about (and play) Just Cause 4, a similar thing comes to mind. Don’t change stuff just for the sake of changing it. Ok, maybe after some time I could get used to that atrocious UI. What I can’t get over is the revamped progress system with respawning destructible locations. Why would I ever bother destroying a large and heavily guarded base for 20 minutes is everything is going to reappear from thin air an hour later? Add some visuals that are 5-6 years late to the party and we have a winning recipe – for a game to avoid. To be honest, I feel a bit sad writing all this. After I got my hands on the game, I thought to myself “well this should be fairly easy”. All I needed was more of the same, with new locations and weapons for good measure. Instead, I got more of the stuff nobody asked for with a plethora of technical issues for good measure. I’ve seen traffic going absolutely haywire, enemy ships launching me on the other side of the map, helicopters in kamikaze mode against me and everything else, camera view locking up with only a full game reboot being able to fix it and so on. At this stage, with this price, these visuals and this many bugs, I cannot recommend Just Cause 4. If the previous review of HITMAN 2 was my GOTY of 2018, then this is my disappointment game of the year. My advice is to wait some months to patches and visual tweaks to see if anything can be salvaged from this debacle.

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