ESTABLISH YOUR DOMAIN AND CREATE YOUR OWN AMBITION IN THE GRAND STRATEGY SERIES, NOBUNAGA’S AMBITION: TAISHI

A Brand-New Resolve System Compliments Returning Systems to Bring True Simulation Combat to Iconic Series 

Hertfordshire, 9^th May 2018 – KOEI TECMO Europe today detailed the wide breadth of strategies available to players in Nobunaga’s Ambition: Taishi, providing players with all the tools necessary to build up their domain and conquer their foes. The latest entry in the Grand Strategy series, which focuses on the pivotal Warring States Era, is slated for release on the 8^th June 2018 for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and digitally for Windows PC via Steam® – marking the 35th anniversary of the series.

In Nobunaga’s Ambition: Taishi, players are able to step in the shoes of their favourite officer or lord and increase their clan’s influence in Japan. For players to successfully rule and conquer the land they will have to utilise a range of strategic options, including one of the newest features introduced to the series in Taishi: The Resolve System. Each move will have to be considered by the player, as the system introduces a set of aspirations – all of which decide how an officer will act in a given situation; Shingen Takeda, the head of the Takeda clan, has the resolve “Law of Kai” which focuses on the idea that everyone should be treated equally in every situation. Achieving an officer’s ambitions will prove worthwhile as it will unlock bonuses, such as increased gold or attack damage, to assist in the campaign.

To complement the addition of the Resolve System, the Council System has been augmented to allow each attending officer the option to approve new policies. This could create situations with an officer having their own set of aspirations, and this belief will influence their decision to agree or disagree with the mentioned policies.

An abundance of battle tactics can be utilised in Nobunaga’s Ambition: Taishi, allowing players to choose the best strategy to overthrow enemy units. Building upon the previous entries in the series, a new 2-part turn-based battle system is introduced; the Planning Phase pauses the action so that players can strategically plan their next move and then, when they are ready, the Execution Phase commences where the battle unfolds in real-time. While in the Planning Phase players will be presented with a variety of different strategies, all of which have their own advantages and disadvantages depending on how they are used. One strategy uses the formation ‘The Woodpecker’- causing a devastating blow to enemy units, though this takes five turns before an attack successfully lands.

Complimenting the battle system during gameplay are the Civic Development systems, where players are able to improve aspects of their domain to earn useful resources and in-game advantages. One of the key aspects to building a successful domain is through the use of Facilities. Farming, Irrigation and Military facilities all provide useful resources; generating gold and supplies, raising the satisfaction levels of neighbouring districts, and increasing the army size & providing them with greater weaponry and equipment. Greatly improved production rates and resources can be earned through the effective use of Trade Routes; expanding into a neighbouring district, and sharing resources, will even offer resources which cannot be produced within the player’s current domain.

To celebrate the announcement, KOEI TECMO Europe also released a selection of screenshots which provide a first look at character Ambition Cards; and a plethora of images detailing the strategic possibilities available to players within Nobunaga’s Ambition: Taishi.

To discover more of the key historical figures that shaped Sengoku era Japan, and stay in touch with the latest Nobunaga’s Ambition: Taishi news, please visit the official site at www.koeitecmoeurope.com/taishi, like www.facebook.com/koeitecmogames, and follow us on twitter @koeitecmoeurope

ABOUT KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD.

KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, UK. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. KOEI TECMO’s best known for their signature ‘one versus thousands’ Warriors series, the fan-favourite Ninja Gaiden and fighting entertainment title Dead or Alive. Through collaboration with strong existing franchises, such as A.O.T. Wings of Freedom (Attack on Titan), has brought fan-favourite shows to life in video game form. The company’s desire for innovation and diversity has seen the creation of the critically acclaimed dark-samurai action title Nioh, which takes on new and unique gameplay styles. The company’s acquisition of GUST, developer of a variety of heart-warming titles, has seen their flagship Atelier series span generations of consoles and fans alike. More information about KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD and its products can be found at www.koeitecmoeurope.com

DESTINY 2 EXPANSION II: WARMIND BRINGS NEW GEAR, ENDGAME CONTENT, AND ACTIVITIES TO PLAYERS

Bungie Partners with Vicarious Visions to Develop New Expansion for Destiny 2, Ushering in Season Three with Updates for all Destiny 2 Players 

Experience a New Chapter in the World of Destiny 2 with the Untold Story of Ana Bray 

May 9, 2018 – Bungie, Vicarious Visions and Activision, a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), announced today that Destiny 2 Expansion II: Warmind is now available for download on PlayStation®4, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox One X, and PC.  The PC version of the expansion is available exclusively on Battle.net^®, Blizzard Entertainment’s acclaimed online-gaming platform. Destiny 2 Expansion II: Warmind marks the second official expansion to the award-winning Destiny 2, and sequel to the critically acclaimed Destiny videogame. Warmind includes new gear, deeper endgame content, activities, an all-new story, and features an epic new boss battle that challenges players in new ways. In Warmind, players will meet Ana Bray, a hero voiced by prominent actress Jamie Chung.

The expansion continues to build on the Destiny 2 universe for the dedicated and returning fans who want to enjoy a fresh chapter in a story campaign.  Players venture into a polar ice cap on Mars to explore epic adventures and activities. For players seeking an extremely challenging experience, Warmind includes an all-new endgame activity called Escalation Protocol. In this mode, players fight through increasingly difficult waves of Hive combatants. Included in the expansion and going live on Saturday, May 12^th in ANZ is a new Raid Lair, a Destiny fan-favourite endgame activity, called “Spire of Stars,” that offers new areas to explore, a brand-new boss to conquer, and unique rewards to acquire.

Additionally, with the launch of Warmind, Season 3 gameplay updates begin for all players of Destiny 2; these include powerful upgrades to Exotic weapons, the introduction of Ranked Crucible play, new Crucible maps, Private Matches, additional Vault Space, and much more.

“We are excited about the future of the Destiny franchise.  Together, as partners with Bungie, we have taken various steps to create a dialogue between those who make the game, and those who play.” said Byron Beede, executive vice president and general manager for Destiny at Activision. He added, “Warmind represents another step toward bringing the Destiny 2 hobby back to our dedicated players.”

“Since the launch of Destiny, we have played alongside and seen our amazingly passionate fans help evolve our universe.  With Warmind, we want to show we are actively listening to the global community and that we are also committed to respecting players’ time in game.  We know many of our fans have expressed a need for deeper endgame activities in Destiny 2, with more meaningful rewards, and we are excited to continue to improve that experience for them with this release,” said Sam Jones, project lead at Bungie.

“Vicarious Visions is proud to be a part of this franchise as fans, and now as developers,” said Jennifer Oneal, studio head for Vicarious Visions.  She added, “We’ve learned a lot from Bungie while working together and we hope the players see the care and craft we’ve given Warmind.”

At launch, PlayStation® gamers will get access to an additional timed exclusive* Strike called The Insight Terminus that will include an earnable timed exclusive* Armour set for each class until at least Spring 2018.

Players can purchase Destiny 2 Expansion II: Warmind individually ($29.95 AUD), or as part of the Destiny 2 Expansion Pass ($49.95 AUD), which includes both Expansion I and Expansion II, on PlayStation®4 system, Xbox One and PC, exclusively on Battle.net^®.  Destiny 2 game is required to play, and is sold separately.

For more game information, visit www.DestinyTheGame.com and follow the official Destiny social channels on Facebook and @DestinyTheGame on Instagram and Twitter. The community can interact directly with the developers at www.Bungie.net, Facebook, @Bungie on Twitter, Instagram and www.Twitch.tv/Bungie on Twitch.

About Bungie

Bungie is an independent, employee-owned game development studio dedicated to creating hopeful worlds that inspire passionate player communities. For more than two-and-a-half decades that purpose has led to the creation of some of the industry’s most celebrated gaming franchises, including Marathon, Myth, Halo, and Destiny. Today, Bungie is focused on creating new experiences and adventures for the Destiny 2 community to share.

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.

DESTINY 2 EXPANSION II: WARMIND BRINGS NEW GEAR, ENDGAME CONTENT, AND ACTIVITIES TO PLAYERS

Bungie Partners with Vicarious Visions to Develop New Expansion for Destiny 2, Ushering in Season Three with Updates for all Destiny 2 Players 

Experience a New Chapter in the World of Destiny 2 with the Untold Story of Ana Bray 

May 9, 2018 – Bungie, Vicarious Visions and Activision, a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), announced today that Destiny 2 Expansion II: Warmind is now available for download on PlayStation®4, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox One X, and PC.  The PC version of the expansion is available exclusively on Battle.net^®, Blizzard Entertainment’s acclaimed online-gaming platform. Destiny 2 Expansion II: Warmind marks the second official expansion to the award-winning Destiny 2, and sequel to the critically acclaimed Destiny videogame. Warmind includes new gear, deeper endgame content, activities, an all-new story, and features an epic new boss battle that challenges players in new ways. In Warmind, players will meet Ana Bray, a hero voiced by prominent actress Jamie Chung.

The expansion continues to build on the Destiny 2 universe for the dedicated and returning fans who want to enjoy a fresh chapter in a story campaign.  Players venture into a polar ice cap on Mars to explore epic adventures and activities. For players seeking an extremely challenging experience, Warmind includes an all-new endgame activity called Escalation Protocol. In this mode, players fight through increasingly difficult waves of Hive combatants. Included in the expansion and going live on Saturday, May 12^th in ANZ is a new Raid Lair, a Destiny fan-favourite endgame activity, called “Spire of Stars,” that offers new areas to explore, a brand-new boss to conquer, and unique rewards to acquire.

Additionally, with the launch of Warmind, Season 3 gameplay updates begin for all players of Destiny 2; these include powerful upgrades to Exotic weapons, the introduction of Ranked Crucible play, new Crucible maps, Private Matches, additional Vault Space, and much more.

“We are excited about the future of the Destiny franchise.  Together, as partners with Bungie, we have taken various steps to create a dialogue between those who make the game, and those who play.” said Byron Beede, executive vice president and general manager for Destiny at Activision. He added, “Warmind represents another step toward bringing the Destiny 2 hobby back to our dedicated players.”

“Since the launch of Destiny, we have played alongside and seen our amazingly passionate fans help evolve our universe.  With Warmind, we want to show we are actively listening to the global community and that we are also committed to respecting players’ time in game.  We know many of our fans have expressed a need for deeper endgame activities in Destiny 2, with more meaningful rewards, and we are excited to continue to improve that experience for them with this release,” said Sam Jones, project lead at Bungie.

“Vicarious Visions is proud to be a part of this franchise as fans, and now as developers,” said Jennifer Oneal, studio head for Vicarious Visions.  She added, “We’ve learned a lot from Bungie while working together and we hope the players see the care and craft we’ve given Warmind.”

At launch, PlayStation® gamers will get access to an additional timed exclusive* Strike called The Insight Terminus that will include an earnable timed exclusive* Armour set for each class until at least Spring 2018.

Players can purchase Destiny 2 Expansion II: Warmind individually ($29.95 AUD), or as part of the Destiny 2 Expansion Pass ($49.95 AUD), which includes both Expansion I and Expansion II, on PlayStation®4 system, Xbox One and PC, exclusively on Battle.net^®.  Destiny 2 game is required to play, and is sold separately.

For more game information, visit www.DestinyTheGame.com and follow the official Destiny social channels on Facebook and @DestinyTheGame on Instagram and Twitter. The community can interact directly with the developers at www.Bungie.net, Facebook, @Bungie on Twitter, Instagram and www.Twitch.tv/Bungie on Twitch.

About Bungie

Bungie is an independent, employee-owned game development studio dedicated to creating hopeful worlds that inspire passionate player communities. For more than two-and-a-half decades that purpose has led to the creation of some of the industry’s most celebrated gaming franchises, including Marathon, Myth, Halo, and Destiny. Today, Bungie is focused on creating new experiences and adventures for the Destiny 2 community to share.

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.

CONAN EXILES OUT TODAY, OVER 1 MILLION SOLD

Conan Exiles, Funcom’s open-world survival game, has now left Early Access and launched in full on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 at retail

9^th May 2018 – The Barbarian has arrived! The whole team at Funcom is proud and excited to announce that Conan Exiles, the open-world survival game set in the savage lands of Conan the Barbarian, successfully launched today on Xbox One, and PlayStation 4! A major launch update went out across all platforms, introducing massive new areas to the game world as well as bringing the game up from Early Access to the launch build on Xbox One. Funcom also announced today that the game has sold over one million copies even before today’s launch.

Conan Exiles has seen massive changes, additions, and improvements throughout its Early Access phase. The size of the game world has more than doubled, dozens of new features and mechanics have been added, and huge amounts of new content has made it into the game. Today’s launch version introduces the new Swamp and Volcano biomes, and finally introduces the up-to-date version of the new Purge gameplay where monsters will attack and try to bring down your base.

At the time of writing, Conan Exiles has sold over one million copies before launch, based on Early Access / Game Preview sales and retail and digital pre-orders.

“Conan Exiles is already one of the most successful titles in Funcom’s 25-year history,” said Funcom CEO Rui Casais. “This has been a great experience for us. When I look at the incredible journey the game has gone through in just 15 months of Early Access as well as the very positive development in player reviews over the past few months, I feel confident that we’ve been successful in what we set out to do. I’m very proud of the amazing work everyone on the team has done.”

Last, but certainly not least, Funcom is thrilled to announce that a Collector’s Edition is available exclusively at EB Games. This one-of-a-kind (and very limited) edition contains a wealth of exclusive items both physical and digital sure to satisfy any fan of Conan the Barbarian and Conan Exiles.

The Collector’s Edition includes:

• FIGURINE: 15 cm / 6-inch Conan the Barbarian polyresin figurine, modelled after Conan from the Conan Exiles cinematic trailer
• CUSTOM COMIC BOOK: Full-color print comic book created in collaboration with Dark Horse Comics specifically for this game. The comic book tells the story of Conan on one of his adventures in the Exiled Lands.
• SOUNDTRACKS: Three soundtracks featuring the music from Conan Exiles as well as the music from Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures and Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer.
• ARTBOOK: Go behind the scenes and discover some of the incredible production artworks developers used to guide their vision for the game in this full-colour, print artbook.
• WORLD MAP: Full-color printed map of the world of Conan Exiles.
• DIGITAL COMIC BOOKS: Code to unlock six full-colour digital comic books from Dark Horse Comics, featuring the entire “A Witch Shall Be Born” story arc.
• DIGITAL RPG BOOK: Code to unlock the 368 full-colour digital rulebook created by Modiphius for their Conan pen and paper role-playing game. Everything you need to play!

Conan Exiles is an open world survival game set in the savage lands of Conan the Barbarian. Here players must survive in a vast and seamless world, build a home and a kingdom, and dominate in savage combat and epic warfare in either single-player or multiplayer.

For more information about Conan Exiles, please visit www.conanexiles.com.

Last Encounter Lands on Planet Steam Today

Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One Launching Q3 2018

ZAGREB, Croatia – May 8, 2018 – Last Encounter, the intergalactic roguelike twin-stick shooter with extensive weapon customization from Exordium Games, launches on Windows and Mac today. Reinforcements will arrive on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in Q3 2018. 

A savage, technologically superior race has invaded Earth and humanity is on the brink of extinction. Thankfully, newly discovered cloning technology has given the remaining survivors a last bit of hope. Earth’s remaining pilots must traverse procedurally generated galaxies to thwart the alien onslaught in a final fight for survival.

Choose from a variety of pilot clones, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Pair pilots with distinct ships rigged with diverse attributes and abilities. Salvage and combine weapon components to create the armaments of your wildest dreams and bring an end to the extraterrestrial invaders.

Brave the cosmos alone or recruit up to three fellow pilots for fast-paced, engaging couch co-op. Resources are shared, so allies must work together, managing and purchasing weapon components to fight off waves of enemies and bring peace to Earth once again.

“When playing co-op in Last Encounter, players will need to strategically use resources to best prepare for fighting off waves of enemies,” said Andrej Kovacevic, game director, Exordium Games. “Whether alone or with friends, players can engage in frantic, intense battles over and over again with the joy of weapon experimentation and loads of replayability.”

Last Encounter is now available on Steam for $14.99 in English. For more information, visit the official website, check out the official Discord or follow Last Encounter on Twitter and Facebook.

About Exordium Games

Exordium Games is a Croatia-based independent studio that united more than a dozen developers under a shared belief that games have a vital role in modern society’s evolution and future. Exordium strives to create magnificent adventures that can be enjoyed by people all over the world.

The Fortnite x Avengers Limited Time Mashup is now live!

Play as the mad titan himself in a limited Fortnite Battle Royale mashup

Wield true power… the Infinity Gauntlet! Hop into Fortnite Battle Royale and become Thanos in the Infinity Gauntlet Limited Time Mashup, available now free on all platforms that Fortnite is available.

Players will drop in solo as they hunt for and fight over the Infinity Gauntlet. The first to equip the Gauntlet will transform into the mighty Thanos and wield the Gauntlet’s power!

For a short tease of the mode, check out today’s new trailer below. For more information, head over to www.fortnite.com.

ABOUT EPIC GAMES
Founded in 1991, Epic Games is the creator of Fortnite, Unreal, Gears of War, Shadow Complex, and the Infinity Blade series of games. Epic’s Unreal Engine technology brings high-fidelity, interactive experiences to PC, console, mobile, the Web, AR and VR. Unreal Engine is freely available at unrealengine.com. For more information on the studio, visit epicgames.com and check out @EpicGames.

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero “Ultimate Day One Edition” Dances onto Store Shelves; Now Available for Nintendo Switch at Select Retailers

It’s a Dance Party at Home and on the Go with Shantae, Friends, Frenemies and Costumes Together in the ‘Definitive’ Edition of the Title for Nintendo Switch!

Torrance, Calif. — May 8, 2018 — XSEED Games, the independent-minded publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., today announced that the “Ultimate Day One Edition” limited edition of the hit crowdfunded action platformer developed by WayForward, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, is now available at select retailers throughout North America at an MSRP of $39.99. The Nintendo Switch™ exclusive “Ultimate Day One Edition” physical release includes the game’s groovy 30-song ‘Risky Beats’ soundtrack on CD, a gorgeous new 100-page art book (96 interior pages + 4 page cover), and plenty of company for Shantae with the ‘Pirate Queen’s Quest’, ‘Costume Pack’, and ‘Friends to the End’ DLC all included in the Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Ultimate Edition game card packed in the box.

Don a fancy hat, trade magic for good old-fashioned weapons and tools, and play the role of the bodacious (and ambiguously evil) buccaneer Risky Boots with the ‘Pirate Queen’s Quest’ DLC. Having successfully stolen the powerful Dynamo from Shantae’s uncle, Risky Boots must now traverse the game to uncover the five mysterious components needed to upgrade the machine and bend Sequin Land to her will in this alternate adventure!

The “Ultimate Edition” also includes the ‘Costume Pack’ and ‘Friends to the End’ DLC, because no dance party is complete without friends and snazzy new outfits! ‘Friends to the End’ takes Shantae’s pals Sky, Bolo, and Rottytops into her nightmare where they must find and save her from certain doom using their unique abilities and skills. Shantae has some powerful new outfits at her disposal in the ‘Costume Pack’ DLC, which provides three new arcade-style adventures for her to shimmy her way through in style. Stick to the shadows as Ninja Shantae, soak in the sun as Beach Shantae, or lay down the law as the Mighty Switch Force-inspired Officer Shantae in these arresting arcade adventures!

About Shantae: Half-Genie Hero

Following three highly successful releases with Shantae, Shantae: Risky’s Revenge, and Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero reacquaints players with the cast of Shantae in style. The magical world of Sequin Land is more vibrant than ever with true high-definition graphics that retain the charm of the original 2D hand-drawn sprites the series is known for. Shantae, the spirited young half-genie, must once again defend Scuttle Town from the pirate captain and self-proclaimed Queen of the Seven Seas, Risky Boots, who plots to steal a newly discovered limitless source of power.

Shantae has previously protected her hometown from all forms of evil including steam-powered pirates, undead evildoers, and militaristic madmen, and is ready to take on Risky Boots with her trademark Hair Whip attack and Belly Dance moves, which give her the power to transform into eight different creatures. Non-stop action with immersive 2.5D environments and a new relic system give novice and expert players alike a uniquely tailored platforming experience. All of Sequin Land becomes a fully explorable world — after conquering massive bosses, the Arcade-style action stages can be revisited to discover new items and secrets based on new abilities Shantae has gained in later areas.

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is developed by WayForward for Xbox One, PC, PS4™, “PS Vita”, Wii U™, and Nintendo Switch. XSEED Games has previously published the “Risky Beats” physical editions, each packaged with the ‘Risky Beats’ soundtrack CD, as well as the digital “PS Vita” release. The Shantae: Half-Genie Hero “Ultimate Day One Edition” retail release for Nintendo Switch comes packaged with the same ‘Risky Beats’ CD soundtrack and a new 100-page art book together with the “Ultimate Edition” of the game containing all DLC, and is now available in North America at an MSRP of $39.99. Digital versions of Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Ultimate Edition are published by WayForward, and are available for Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and Steam for Windows PC. Priced at $29.99 USD, these versions feature the same in-game content, but do not include the ‘Risky Beats’ CD soundtrack or art book.

More information on Shantae: Half-Genie Hero can be found at www.shantaehgh.com. This title has been rated “T for Teen” by the ESRB with the descriptors of Cartoon Violence and Suggestive Themes. PQube will be publishing the physical version in Europe, and more information can be found on their website at http://www.pqube.co.uk/.

For more information on XSEED Games products, please visit www.xseedgames.com. Fans can also follow XSEED Games on Facebook, on Twitter, and via their localization blogs on Tumblr.

For more information on WayForward, please visit www.WayForward.com or contact their press department at [email protected].

About XSEED Games:

XSEED Games is the independent-minded publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marvelous Inc., which is a publicly-traded company listed in the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Formed in 2004 and located in Torrance, California, XSEED Games publishes interactive entertainment content for PC and consoles from the Marvelous portfolio as well as from a wide variety of third-party partners. Whether it’s Marvelous properties such as STORY OF SEASONS (Bokujo Monogatari), SENRAN KAGURA, and Rune Factory, or third-party titles such as the Corpse Party, AKIBA’S TRIP, and The Legend of Heroes: Trails series, XSEED Games has grown its reputation among gamers with its critically acclaimed localizations and commitment to fans, remaining ever dedicated to its “indie spirit, player-first” approach.

About WayForward:

Based in Valencia, California, WayForward was founded in 1990 and has remained an independent game developer for 25 years. We are home to many talented individuals including programmers, environment artists, animators, modelers, illustrators, audio wizards, designers, and team leaders. With the new avenues for distributing games directly to fans we are finally able to make the games we have always wanted to.

AO International Tennis Available Now In Digital Retailers Throughout North America

Play tennis your way with the most comprehensive creation tools in a sports game ever, now available exclusively on digital platforms

MELBOURNE, Australia – May 8, 2018 – Big Ant Studios and Tennis Australia are delighted to announce AO International Tennis is available today in digital stores across North America for $49.99. Starting today, tennis fans from around the world will be able to jump onto the PlayStation®4, Xbox One and Steam to pick up their copy and compete in realistic, authentic, deep simulations of tennis while putting themselves right into the biggest tournaments around the world.

AO International Tennis’ key feature is the depth of its customization. In addition to making your own decals and logos for your uniforms and equipment, you’ll be recreating your favorite stadia and venues through the comprehensive editor, and even putting yourself right into the experience through PlayFace™: the most advanced visual editor in a sports game ever, allowing you to take a photo and superimpose yourself onto an in-game character for true photo-realism.

“Everyone wants to take on professional tennis players like Rafael Nadal, Angelique Kerber, David Goffin and Karolina Pliskova. You might not be able to do that in real life, but you can certainly put yourself on the court with him in AO International Tennis,” Big Ant Studios CEO Ross Symons said. “In addition to making a tennis game that plays as true to the sport as possible, we really wanted to give players complete ownership over their game, allowing them to play it their way.”

In addition to a comprehensive career mode and the ability to play through the Australian Open tournament, tennis fans will be able to take on one another online, with full online leaderboards giving everyone a chance to carve out their own tennis records and exploits.

In addition, from today on all copies of AO Tennis are automatically upgradeable to AO International Tennis for free. Just make sure your console is connected to the internet, and the upgrade will be downloadable in patch form, effectively installing AO International Tennis on your console hard drive.

“AO International Tennis truly represents the vision that we had for the sport,” Symons said. “We look forward to seeing fans out there on the court!”

AO International Tennis is available today for $49.99 on PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PC via each platform’s respective digital download storefront. It has been enhanced on Xbox One X and PlayStation®4 Pro.

About Big Ant Studios

Big Ant Studios Pty Ltd, a privately owned and operated independent game developer and publisher, is one of Australia’s largest and longest-running game development studios. Founded in 2001, it has developed and published games from historic platforms, including the Game Boy Advance and PlayStation®Portable, through to modern consoles, including the PlayStation®4 and Xbox One. Big Ant is best known for producing high quality niche sports titles and has developed and released bestselling titles based on AFL, Rugby League, Motorsports, Lacrosse and Cricket.

BRAZIL’S INDEPENDENT GAMES FESTIVAL 2018 ANNOUNCES UNPRECEDENTED LEADING KEYNOTES FOR ITS SIXTH HIGHLY ANTICIPATED EDITION

KEYNOTES AND PANELS HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE SERIOUS GAMES AND VIRTUAL REALITY IMPACT ON TODAY’S SOCIETY AND GLOBAL VIDEO GAME MARKET BIG FESTIVAL 2017 VIDEO

Sao Paulo, Brazil,  May 7, 2018 – BIG Festival (Brazil’s Independent Games Festival), the largest independent games festival in Latin America, gathering key constituents from the International video game industry, today announced the major keynotes and panels for its 2018 program, taking place at Centro Cultural São Paulo, Brazil from June 23 to July 1. For its 6th forthcoming signature edition, BIG Festival 2018 is introducing for the first time an exclusive and deep foray into the evolution of virtual reality and serious games, providing insights into their influence in today’s modern society and how they are shaping the future of nations and communities.

With the objective to be recognized as a leading international game festival, BIG Festival 2018 is setting a higher bar this year, delivering an impressive calendar of more than 120 keynotes, with themes spanning from the integration of cultural references into indie video games, the fast adoption rate of virtual reality technology to our everyday life and its applications, to the impact of social games transforming our society by discussing real examples illustrated with topics such as sexuality, bullying, coming of age or education. The complete schedule can be reviewed here.

BIG Festival 2018 is shaping up to beat every prior attendance records, anticipating a total of more  20,000 visitors, by boasting an award competition offering over $24,000 in prizes and showcasing panels whose guests are composed of an influential international industry roster. Confirmed panelists and moderators include David Martinez (Raw Fury, Co-Founder), Steve Escalante (Versus Evil, general manager), Sandro Manfredini, (Aquiris, Partner – Business Director) , Nando Guimaraes (Cat Nigiri, CEO), Bill Le Voir-Barry (CTO for IBM Esports), Chris Remo (Firewatch Game Designer, Composer, Writer), Samir El Agili (Tilting Point, COO), Reginaldo Valadares (Rovio, Head of Studio), Falko Bocker (Flaregames, Senior Developer Relations Manager), Sebastian Badylak (Coffee Stain Publishing, VR Fanatic), Paul Hanraets (Good Shepherd Entertainment, co-founder), Jason Della Rocca (Execution Labs, Co-Founder). Additional significant international speakers will be announced as part of the line-up in the near future as the festival unfolds its content and list of exhibited games. List of confirmed guests and speakers is being updated on weekly basis here. Stay tuned!

BIG Festival 2018 attendants can look forward to be treated to edgy and inspirational keynotes, such as the case study for serious game VilDu, from Dutch developer Lapp, discussing how a game can lower the boundaries to talk about sexual abuse and describing how a rather personal design experience led to the creation of a playful tool used for therapy purposes. Another highly anticipated panel will explore today’s and tomorrow’s virtual reality applications outside of gaming and utilized in the fields of medicine, education and movies. Other notable presentations are set to examine the different ways a particular culture can permeate a game and its components (mechanics, music, graphics, story) and ultimately how this can create a connection between the game and its global audience; as well as a spotlight on how to develop and self-publish online competitive indie games in LATAM.

A comprehensive schedule of BIG Festival 2018 panels, keynotes and fireside chats can be found here It is important to underline, that due to the international nature of the event, all talks are being translated real-time in English and Portuguese for the audience and transcripts available upon requests.

About BIG Festival
BIG Festival (Brazil’s Independent Games Festival) has been held since 2012 and is considered one the most influential and innovative  independent gaming festival in Latin America. With the mission to strengthen the Brazilian video game ecosystem, the event produces a yearly international independent video game award competition offering significant cash prizes ($24,000 in 2018), a major exhibition showcasing hundreds of games including the awards nominees, a spectacular awards ceremony event, industry related lectures and business rounds. In 2017, BIG hosted more than 20,000 visitors, 3,500 of them having participated to lectures, and more than 1600 guests attending business meetings. This year BIG will expand its schedule of lectures and workshops by  incorporating new topics and areas that are part of games development cycles, such as music, animation, virtual and augmented reality, a career center, among others segments already present at the event.