CRYSTAL DYNAMICS EXPANDS STUDIO WITH TOP INDUSTRY TALENT

Veterans from Naughty Dog, Visceral Games, Monolith, Sledgehammer Games, and More Assemble for The Avengers Project Development Team 

SYDNEY,  25^th January 2018 – Crystal Dynamics^®, the renowned developer of the critically acclaimed and world-famous TOMB RAIDER^® franchise, which has sold over 63 million copies globally, today announced they continue to expand their award-winning studio by adding 15 top industry talent to their development team in January alone. Included in the group are former Naughty Dog Creative Director Shaun Escayg who joins The Avengers Project as Creative Director, and as Director of Production Stephen Barry, a 27 year Veteran from EA/Visceral Games.

Video: Celebrating 25 Years of Crystal Dynamics

Escayg served as the Creative Director and writer of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy and led the cinematics team as the Director of Photography and Animation Supervisor on The Last of Us. In addition, he worked as an animator at Industrial Light & Magic. “I’m thrilled to join Crystal as Creative Director and be aligned with a team as passionate about telling great character based stories as I am.”

Barry held multiple positions at Electronic Arts and was formerly the Director of Product Development at Visceral Games, working on several games over his long career including the critically acclaimed Dead Space franchise. “Crystal’s been around almost as long as I’ve been in the business. The immediate chemistry and camaraderie has been exactly what I’d hoped for.”

“We’re committed to delivering an incredible, completely original Avengers experience to our gamers, and that means we are always looking to add amazing developers to our existing best in class studio talent,” said Scot Amos, Co-Head of Studio at Crystal Dynamics. “As development progresses, our studio continues to grow. The tremendous progress we’ve made on The Avengers project further drives us toward our goal of crafting something all Marvel fans will be proud of, and will play for years to come. We can’t wait to show you what we mean in the future.”

“We recently hired fifteen world-renowned industry veterans, spanning production leadership, animation, design, art and engineering, who have previously worked on games such as Batman: Arkham Origins, Dead Space, Star Wars: Battlefront and many more.” said Ron Rosenberg, Co-Head of Studio at Crystal Dynamics. “Their AAA experience adds to an already deep roster, making us well-positioned to deliver on the ambitious goals we’ve set for ourselves with The Avengers project. It’s a stellar addition of many people who fit incredibly well into our wheelhouse of building game experiences we all love.”

Crystal Dynamics has developed and published over 30 award-winning titles during its 25-year adventure. Some of the most beloved franchises include Gex®, Legacy of Kain® and most recently, TOMB RAIDER.

About Crystal Dynamics
Crystal Dynamics celebrated its 25^th year of development in 2017! This is the studio behind the critically acclaimed and world-famous TOMB RAIDER franchise, which has sold over 63 million copies worldwide. With over 30 video game titles released and hundreds of awards, the heroine Lara Croft has been a cultural icon for 20 years and has made an indelible mark on virtually every facet of entertainment. The most recent release, Rise of the Tomb Raider, has received over 100 awards and nominations and is one of the highest rated games on next generation systems.

For more information on Crystal Dynamics, please visit http://www.crystald.com, their Twitter account, Facebook page, or their LinkedIn page.

About Square Enix, Inc.
Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX^®, EIDOS^® and TAITO^® branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix group of companies. Square Enix, Inc. is affiliated with a global network of leading development studios such as Crystal Dynamics^® and Eidos Montréal. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY^®, which has sold over 135 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST^®, which has sold over 75 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER^®, which has sold over 63 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS^®. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.

More information on Square Enix, Inc. can be found at https://eu.square-enix.com

AVENGERS © 2018 MARVEL

© 2018 SQUARE ENIX. All Rights Reserved.

CRYSTAL DYNAMICS, DRAGON QUEST, EIDOS, FINAL FANTASY, GEX, LEGACY OF KAIN, RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER, SQUARE ENIX, the SQUARE ENIX logo, SPACE INVADERS, TAITO, and TOMB RAIDER are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Square Enix group of companies. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

GOOD SHEPHERD ENTERTAINMENT and ThirtyThree Announce February 8 Release Date for ATOMIK: RunGunJumpGun on Nintendo Switch™

AMSTERDAM – January 24, 2018 – Good Shepherd Entertainment has revealed it will launch indie developer ThirtyThree’s hyperkinetic side-scrolling action platformer ATOMIK: RunGunJumpGun for Nintendo Switch™ on February 8^th, 2018. The game will be available to download via the Nintendo eShop for $7.99.

ATOMIK: RunGunJumpGun’s 2D retro automatic runner gameplay revolves around one very big gravity-defying gun with two-button controls: one to fly up and the other to blast forward through obstacles and death traps at breakneck speed. There are over 120 levels of meticulous mayhem to master, with unique challenges that demand quick thinking and reflexes to survive.

Set in a warped space-opera universe, ATOMIK: RunGunJumpGun’s pulp sci-fi storyline is full of bizarre characters and moments. The game bursts off the screen with colorful, neon-infused visuals and a pulse-pounding synth soundtrack. The Switch version will also feature the new Shield Mode which empowers players with an energy shield and decreases the movement speed to help make the intense action more manageable, but no less heart pounding and exciting.

ATOMIK: RunGunJumpGun is rated E (Everyone) by the ESRB. For more information, visit www.RunGunJumpGun.com, or follow Good Shepherd Entertainment and ThirtyThree on Twitter @GoodShepherdEnt and @Team33Games.

About Good Shepherd Entertainment

Good Shepherd Entertainment publishes video games from independent artists worldwide and operates a proprietary investment platform for a growing global network of qualified investors seeking risk-mitigated participation in the $130B video game industry. Originally established in the Netherlands in 2011 as an equity crowdfunding platform under the name Gambitious BV, the Company became a publisher in 2014 with the release of Train Fever, which was the first game ever successfully published with equity crowdfunding. The Company has since funded and released over a dozen original games across eight digital platforms. The founders of Devolver Digital and Croteam, two very successful companies in independent game development and publishing, invested in the Company and joined its management in 2012. The Company rebranded in 2017 as Good Shepherd Entertainment following an investment by Advance/Newhouse, having established a track record of success with both independent developers and investors. www.GoodShepherd.games

About ThirtyThree

ThirtyThree is a tight-knit three-person game studio in Canada. Our first big title, RunGunJumpGun, began as a parting gift to an old workplace we thought would be done in a week. We split art, code and sound three ways.

New Kingdom Come: Deliverance Video Details Adventure’s Key Mechanics

16 Minutes of New Gameplay Revealed

Larkspur, Calif. – Jan. 24^th, 2018 – Warhorse Studios and Deep Silver today released a new gameplay video for the upcoming RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance, which will launch on Feb. 13, 2018 for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one entertainment system from Microsoft, and PC.

Following a day in the life of Henry, the game’s protagonist, today’s video gives an extensive look at the key features of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, including the historically-inspired combat system. To survive fights in a country which is torn apart internally and invaded by foreign forces, evening the odds is key when rushing into a battle. Kingdom Come: Deliverance offers plenty of more prudent approaches for keen eyed players who invest time explore the world.

Every choice bares a price to pay, and forces players to face the consequences when they forge their own paths through exploring the intricate story of Kingdom Come: Deliverance. In this open-world RPG, navigate your choices carefully as their consequences will dictate and influence the numerous missions, quests and opportunities along their way. Building up your reputation amongst common folks and high-born leaders alike as you follow the son of a blacksmith on his path to revenge. Besides just learning how to fight – reading, bargaining, alchemy and many more skills are at hand to help Henry in a world on the brink of a bloody civil war.

About Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a story-driven open-world RPG which immerses you in an epic adventure in the Holy Roman Empire. Avenge your parents’ death as you battle invading forces, go on game-changing quests, and make influential choices. Explore majestic castles, deep forests, thriving villages and countless other realistic settings in medieval Bohemia.

Massive realistic open world: Majestic castles, vast fields, all rendered in stunning high-end graphics.
Non-linear story: Solve quests in multiple ways, then face the consequences of your decisions.
Challenging combat: Distance, stealth, or melee. Choose your weapons and execute dozens of unique combos in battles that are as thrilling as they are merciless.
Character development: Choose your equipment, improve your skills, and earn new perks.
Dynamic world: Your actions influence the reactions of the people around you. Fight, steal, seduce, threaten, persuade, or bribe. It’s all up to you.
Historical accuracy: Meet real historical characters and experience the genuine look and feel of medieval Bohemia.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance Key Facts
Title:                           Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Platform:                    PlayStation®4, Xbox One, PC
Developer:                 Warhorse Studios
Co-Publishers:          Deep Silver, Warhorse Studios
Release Date:            Tuesday, Feb. 13^th, 2018 (worldwide)
Age Ratings:             M
Genre:                        RPG
Price:                         $59.99
# # #
About Warhorse Studios

Warhorse Studios is a young independent game developer studio from the Czech Republic, Prague. It was founded by Daniel Vávra, creator of Mafia and Mafia 2, and Martin Klíma, formerly of ALTAR (Original War, UFO:* trilogy). The studio contains a mix of experienced game industry veterans, with dozens of games published and millions of copies sold, and young guns from all around the world.

In January 2014, Warhorse launched a Kickstarter campaign for a realistic medieval RPG game called Kingdom Come: Deliverance. It ended up being the third most successful project, according to the number of backers, in 2014. With an initial goal of £300,000, we finally gathered over £1.1M. Warhorse Studios was also named among the World‘s TOP10 Most Innovative Companies on Kickstarter of 2015 by Fast Company.

About Deep Silver

Deep Silver develops and distributes interactive games for all platforms. The Deep Silver label means to captivate all gamers who have a passion for thrilling gameplay in exciting game worlds. Deep Silver works with its partners to achieve a maximum of success while maintaining the highest possible quality, always focusing on what the customer desires.

Legrand Legacy Arrives as Prophesied on PC Today

Nintendo Switch Q3 2018, PlayStation 4, Xbox One Q1 2019

HONG KONG – Jan. 24, 2018 – Legrand Legacy, the nostalgic love letter to classic JRPGs from publisher Another Indie and developer SEMISOFT, launches today on PC via Steam at 8 a.m. PT/5 p.m. CET.  Legrand Legacy will come to Nintendo Switch in Q3 2018, followed by PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in Q1 2019.

After displaying mysterious powers beyond his control, Finn is freed from violent slavery and vows to save his liberator’s daughter. This leads him to a prophecy, a group called the Fatebounds and their quest to save the land of Legrand from the resurgence of a conflict that previously left it in war-torn shambles.

Saving the world may be a colossal task, but Finn is not alone. While adventuring, he can recruit citizens of Legrand to join the Fatebounds and upgrade their headquarters, Dumville Castle. As their ranks swell, the Fatebounds will acquire the services of shopkeepers, blacksmiths and others in addition to party members who can turn the tide of battle.

The Fatebounds must master both turn-based combat and tactical warfare to counter their enemies’ weaknesses. Victory will grant them stronger attacks, new magical abilities, and the materials needed to craft new weapons and armor.

When the battle for their homeland gets tough, Finn and his companions can take time to enjoy the beautiful environments of Legrand, depicted in a delicate balance of eastern and western oil paintings. Narrative-driven side quests, fencing competitions, heart-racing hack and slash battles, and fishing are among the abundance of activities waiting to be enjoyed in this yet-thriving world.

“Legrand is a land full of life, engaging activities and nostalgic throwbacks to the JRPGs of yore,” says Iain Garner, director of developer relations, Another Indie. “This epic tale pays homage to the greats with its beautiful and riveting world, cast of exotic characters, and twists waiting to be uncovered.”

Legrand Legacy is now available on Steam for $24.99 USD. This JRPG will launch with language support for English and Simplified Chinese, with Japanese, Korean and Russian to follow. Legrand Legacy was successfully Kickstarted by 1,000 backers in January 2017, surpassing its goal of £40,000 (more than $53,000 USD).

For more information, please visit the official website, join the Another Indie Discord or follow Legrand Legacy on Facebook and Twitter.

About Another Indie

Headquartered in Mongkok, Hong Kong, Another Indie believes that language and geography shouldn’t be an obstacle to gamers who want to enjoy the best that the world has to offer and strives to bring to the west the best games coming from China and Southeast Asia.

About SEMISOFT

Based in Jakarta, Indonesia, SEMISOFT’s focus is to create games that engage players to think deeply about art, gameplay and narrative. Legrand Legacy is their first game.

Boundless Bountiful Building — Life is Feudal: MMO Trailer Features Momentous Player Achievements

Gaze upon the magnificent creations crafted by tens of thousands of players since Open Beta Launch
Bitbox today released an all-new trailer for their large-scale group-focused game, Life is Feudal: MMO, now available on Steam. This new “Infographic Trailer” showcases player accomplishments and in-game stats from over the course of gameplay, starting when the OBT began in late 2017. Gaze upon the new trailer and learn more about how players are making the most of their feudal experiences – from the amount of characters currently in the game, to the number of trees grown (and felled, since lumber is needed for those amazing monuments), to the number of items crafted by players, the trailer gives viewers a snapshot of the flourishing world that is Life is Feudal: MMO.

Life is Feudal: MMO is a large-scale group-focused RPG, that places players in a highly realistic, non-fantasy, medieval world where danger lurks around every corner. Players need to work as a team to gather resources, build shelter, craft tools and form a fully functioning feudal society in an unforgiving archaic world. Players may find a place in society as a vassal, a knight, a farmer or even royalty, as their guild builds and expands their medieval societies.

While players may start their adventures alone, as they gather and craft supplies needed to make it to the next day, they will quickly meet up with others to form groups, then guilds, and finally work their way up to complete medieval societies and nation-states. Life is Feudal: MMO is a realistic social experience, where the best way to thrive in the world is to work together and build a fully functioning society, where everyone has a place, from the most basic hunters and gatherers, to farmers, soldiers and civic leaders. There’s a place for everyone in Life is Feudal: MMO, and a world ready for them to explore!

# # #

ABOUT BITBOX
Bitbox is an independent studio, developer and publisher of PC games. Founded in 2011 by Vladimir ‘Bobik’ Piskunov, the studio’s most notable achievement is the release of the successful multiplayer online RPG project: Life is Feudal: Your Own.

ABOUT XSOLLA
Xsolla is a global distributor and publisher of video games, providing clients with advanced technical tools to enhance their games’ potential reach worldwide. Focusing solely on the video games industry, Xsolla delivers an a la carte menu of global services — user acquisition, payment solutions, game store building and management, the #1 fraud protection in the gaming industry, international year-round customer support, marketing worldwide, and data analytics/visualization. Leaving the creative to the developers/publishers, Xsolla complements their backend and frontend toolkits by building custom infrastructure solutions. Headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices around the globe, Xsolla has become a partner-centric company and operates as a merchant and seller of record for major gaming entities like Valve, Twitch, Ubisoft, Epic Games, and Nexon.

CLOSERS ASSEMBLE! ONLINE BEAT’ EM UP RPG CLOSERS LAUNCHING FEBRUARY 6 ON STEAM

Newly Added Tiamat Raid to Kickoff Release of Anime-Styled Arcade MMO

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – January 23, 2018 – En Masse Entertainment announced today that Closers, the fast-paced online RPG with high end anime-stylings, will be launching on February 6 on Steam and on the En Masse digital store. Focusing on a group of psychic high school students in Neo-Seoul, Closers combines the frenetic action of old school 2D beat ‘em ups with the engaging combo mechanics of fighting games, and the vivid art style and drama of a modern-day episodic anime.

Closers‘ launch will also be accompanied by the game’s first raid, open to all players and featuring challenging scenarios with unique encounters and special loot rewards that will only be earned by the most dedicated of Closers.

The Closers launch Day Raid introduces the Dimensional Ops Center, an area where players can earn the most powerful gear in the game and challenge Closers’ first Raid Boss: Tiamat! From the Dimensional Ops Center, the Closers journey into another dimension, known as the Nightmare World, controlled by an extremely powerful dimensional entity called Tiamat. By fighting their way through the Nightmare World, players will unlock the gateway to the Abyss and face off against the Queen of Nightmares herself.

The Closers launch day raid eventually leads to this cozy level. Charming.

But players won’t have to wait that long for an update to Closers. Today, the game will bring an update that increases the level cap from 65 to 70 for all characters, along with adding a new hub area – Sky Ship Bridge – with new story quests.

Closers is a multiplayer online action RPG (MOARPG) beat-em-up with an emphasis on over-the-top brawler combat, boisterous storytelling, and characters with deep and profound backstories. Evil aliens have begun opening interdimensional gates to invade the world and players take the role of one of the “Closers,” a group of psychic teenagers chosen by the world government to take on the alien menace and close these dangerous dimensional portals.

Published by En Masse Entertainment, Closers will be launching on February 6 on Steam and on the En Masse digital store. For more information on Closers, please visit the official site closers.enmasse.com and follow the progress of the game on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
# # #

ABOUT EN MASSE ENTERTAINMENT
Based in Seattle, Washington, En Masse Entertainment embodies the evolution of modern game publishing. The company’s mission is to publish great games and provide great service. Beginning with its inaugural title, TERA, and continuing with Alliance of Valiant Arms, Kritika Online and soon Closers, En Masse Entertainment has built a track record of excellence and innovation. The team at En Masse includes experts in online technology, live service, branding, community, and player support, allowing them to thrive as a publisher in the digital era. For more information, visit enmasse.com.

SAMSARA GAINS A RELEASE DATE FOR XBOX ONE, WINDOWS 10 AND PC / MAC – 07 FEBRUARY 2018

Help Zee escape in Marker’s addictive puzzle game of echoes and contrasts – inbound within a month

Auckland, 23 Jan 2018: Marker today announced that Samsara will be released on 07 February 2018 for Xbox One and Windows 10 through the Microsoft Store, for macOS on the App Store and for either PC or Mac via Steam. Mobile versions for iOS and Android will follow at a later date.

Samsara is a reflective puzzle game in which players guide Zee, an innocent child, safely to the exit by dropping blocks with different shapes and properties into a world of two dimensions separated by a pool that mirrors placements. Deceptively simple mechanics conceal complex interactions involving positioning, pathfinding, gravity, balance, redirection and teleportation, with Samsara’s significant twist: everything added in the upside down world of Zee’s mysterious shadow below reflects in the world above.

While playing in the park, Zee follows a squirrel through a portal to a world of echoes, inhabited by a shadow child. Surrounded by the unknown and trapped in a series of realms both confusing and dangerous, the youngsters must avoid slipping into the pool between dimensions, embarking on a voyage of discovery and awakening they share with the player, up and down staircases, through light and dark, across the upside-down and the right side-up to their eventual freedom.

‘The reaction from the public has been great and Samsara was recently Finalist in the Made with Unity Showcase at Unite Melbourne 2017,’ says Alex Humphries, Senior Producer. ‘Players seem to enjoy the way the mechanics are simple but the puzzles pretty challenging, and people appreciate the distinctive art and animation style. We’re looking forward to getting the final game into everyone’s hands in a couple of weeks!’

Samsara features 77 levels across 6 hand-detailed realms, each with hidden “Easter Eggs” to uncover, and is hand-crafted by a team of experienced developers in New Zealand.

###

Links to Official Website, Steam page.

About Marker

Auckland, New Zealand-based Marker is a veteran development studio with over 75 games under its belt, including major contract titles such as Disney’s puzzler Crash, Boom, Ham! and its own properties such as popular word game AlphaJax. Samsara is its latest original release, for Xbox One, Windows 10, macOS, Steam (PC and Mac) with iOS and Android versions to follow.