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Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle Reaches 200 Million Downloads Worldwide

Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle Reaches 200 Million Downloads Worldwide

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.’s hit mobile action RPG, Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle, is celebrating its 200 million downloads milestone with a series of in-game events and special reward items. Fans and new players of Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle can enjoy upcoming features and in-game events including:

  • Log-in Bonus – Players will receive rarity level SSR Bulma (Youth) for a log-in bonus until August 31st, PST
  • Daily Missions – Players can earn up to a maximum of 20 Dragon Stones a day through Daily Missions from a worldwide pool of 200 million Dragon Stones until none remain.
  • Summon Characters – Nearly all of the previous Dokkan festival exclusive characters will make an appearance. Exclusive characters will be available for summoning until August 31st, PST.
  • Fun Rewards – Players will receive one ”200 Million Download Commemoration Summon Ticket” as a present for every 50 Dragon Stones they used between March 26th, 2017 and July 22th, 2017.

For more information, visit the campaign page below.
https://200million-dbz-dokkan.bn-ent.net/en

“Thanks to all of our fans, not only have we got to celebrate 2 years since release, but now also 200 million downloads worldwide! Thank you all so very much. The Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle event we had the pleasure of holding in the US in July also saw great attendance, and gave us a chance to really get another good look at how devoted and excited the fans of Dragon Ball and this title are. To make sure those sparks of fandom never go out, we have plans for all sorts of events and campaigns to be enjoyed in all versions of the game around the world. I hope you are all looking forward to them.”

Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle features the characters from the popular Dragon Ball Z saga. The game combines intense match-3 battles, board-game style gameplay, and iconic fighters from the popular Dragon Ball universe.

Download Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle for free on the App Store for iOS and Google Play for Android today. Assets for Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle can be downloaded at https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/2yxK37Ezdk

 

Content Overview

Product NameDragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle
LanguagesJapanese, English, French, Korean, Traditional Chinese
Official Websitehttp://dbz-dokkan.bngames.net/en/
Copyrights©BIRD STUDIO / SHUEISHA, TOEI ANIMATION

©BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.

 

*All information in this press release is current as of the day of this announcement. Please be aware that all information herein is subject to change without announcement.
*Please be sure to display copyright information when posting logos or images.
*Mobile data costs required for use of the content are not included.
*Apple is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. in the United States and other regions. The App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.
*Google Play is a registered trademark of Google Inc.

The Pokémon Company International and Fathom Events Bring Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! to Theaters for a Two-Day Cinema Event

The Pokémon Company International and Fathom Events Bring Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! to Theaters for a Two-Day Cinema Event

New Animated Movie Featuring Ash and Pikachu’s Origin Story Coming to Cinemas Worldwide as a Limited Theatrical Release on November 5 and 6, 2017

Bellevue, WA, and Denver—July 31, 2017—The new animated film Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!, based on the globally popular Pokémon brand, is coming to movie theaters around the world for two days this November. The Pokémon Company International announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Fathom Events, the recognized leader in event cinema distribution, for international theatrical rights to the highly anticipated movie outside of Asia.

Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! is an origin story highlighting Ash and Pikachu’s first meeting and their adventures as they search for the Legendary Pokémon Ho-Oh. The iconic pair encounter familiar faces along the way, new characters including Trainers Verity and Sorrel, and even a mysterious new Mythical Pokémon, Marshadow. Challenges and epic Pokémon battles abound in this unique new story about the beginning of one of the most beloved friendships in popular culture.

“As an origin story, Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! is the perfect way for a new generation of Pokémon fans to experience the beginning of Ash and Pikachu’s friendship, and it offers longtime fans an exciting new look into the start of their epic adventures,” said Colin Palmer, vice president of marketing at The Pokémon Company International. “We’re excited to work with Fathom Events, whose expertise in unique theatrical event activations will offer families and fans the opportunity to come together and experience the excitement of Pokémon animation on the big screen.”

Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! will be shown in movie theaters for two days only, on Sunday, November 5, and Monday, November 6, 2017, in select international markets. More details, including screening times and special offers, will be available soon. The movie is already winning over crowds of moviegoers in Japan, where the franchise began, as it opened at the top of the charts for its first weekend.

“Fathom Events is thrilled to work with The Pokémon Company International to bring Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! to the US and international event cinema markets,” Fathom Events CEO-elect Ray Nutt said. “We can’t wait to deliver a high-caliber Pokémon cinema event that fans around the world won’t want to miss.”

More information, including participating theater locations, ticketing dates, and event details, will be available soon on www.FathomEvents.com . Parents and fans can visit the site now to sign up and receive updates and details about the upcoming limited theatrical release.

To learn more about Pokémon animation, visit www.Pokemon.com and join the conversation on social media with #PokemonIChooseYou.

About Pokémon
The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing and marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world. For more information, visit www.pokemon.com .

About Fathom Events
Fathom Events is recognized as the leading domestic distributor of event cinema with participating affiliate theaters in all 100 of the top Designated Market Areas®, and ranks as one of the largest overall distributors of content to movie theaters. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) (known collectively as AC JV, LLC), Fathom Events offers a variety of one-of-a-kind entertainment events such as live, high-definition performances of the Metropolitan Opera, dance and theatre productions like the Bolshoi Ballet and National Theatre Live, sporting events like “Canelo Álvarez vs. Julio César Chávez, Jr.,” concerts with artists like Michael Bublé, Rush and Mötley Crüe, the yearlong TCM Big Screen Classics film series, inspirational events such as To Joey With Love and Facing Darkness, and anime titles such as Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. Fathom Events takes audiences behind the scenes and offers unique extras including audience Q&As, backstage footage and interviews with cast and crew, creating the ultimate VIP experience. Fathom Events’ live digital broadcast network (“DBN”) is the largest cinema broadcast network in North America, bringing live and pre-recorded events to 897 locations and 1,387 screens in 181 DMAs. For more information, visit www.fathomevents.com .

Iconic soundtrack of the famous action/adventure game Another World to be released with a Limited Edition vinyl, CD & digital album

Iconic soundtrack of the famous action/adventure game Another World to be released with a Limited Edition vinyl, CD & digital album

Paris, July 31st – In the year of celebration of the 25th anniversary of the famous action/adventure game Another World, The Digital Lounge and Black Screen Records have teamed up to release the iconic soundtrack by French composer Jean-François Freitas with a Limited Edition vinyl and CD release. It’s the first official standalone physical release of the soundtrack apart from the game’s exclusive anniversary deluxe editions.

The vinyl comes in various vinyl variants with an exclusive Black Screen Records edition on orange 180g vinyl. A retail version on 180g black vinyl, an exclusive US variant as well as an exclusive 180g blue vinyl limited version will be announced at a later date. The soundtrack also features songs from the original Amiga version (all specially remastered for vinyl). The vinyl comes with a download code for the digital soundtrack.

Click here to Pre-order the CD and vinyl

A digital album will also be available and will be distributed by IDOL (Independent Distribution On Line).

Click here to Pre-order the digital album

“A superb collector, Jean-François’s original music is enhanced by the unique warmth of vinyl.” – Eric Chahi
Eric CHAHI & Jean-François FREITAS

Originally developed for Amiga in 1991 and released on multiple platforms over the years, Another World (aka “Out Of This World“ in the US) has become a major reference for gamers everywhere. More than 20 years later, Eric Chahi’s cult title has not aged a bit, as prove its rich gameplay, its immersive environment and its unrivaled art direction. In 2012, Another World made its debut in the prestigious MoMA in New York, among the first 14 games selected by the museum for having made gaming history.

Following the game’s success on iOS, Android, Blackberry and Ouya (co-published with Dotemu), Eric Chahi and The Digital Lounge have partnered up with Martial Hesse-Dréville to bring this title to Steam, Nintendo 3DS and Wii-U, Sony PlayStation®3, PlayStation®4 and PlayStation® Vita, and Microsoft Xbox One® for the first time.

The Another World Soundtrack full track list includes:

  1. Another World
  2. Captive
  3. Escape
  4. Brief Respite
  5. Confined Space
  6. Prudence
  7. Tension
  8. Cold Echo
  9. Citadel
  10. Uncertain Flight
  11. Fluid Movement
  12. Oppression
  13. Flight

Amiga audio files :

  1. Intro
  2. The End

Windows audio files :

  1. Intro
  2. The End

About The Digital Lounge:

The Digital Lounge is the publisher of Another World – 20th Anniversary Edition, Dino Dini’s Kick Off and True Fear. “Publisher 3.0”: we build a strong relationship with the game creators to support them with marketing, communication and sales operations worldwide; it is in our DNA. We believe inspiration, business and fun go hand in hand. Our passion for games has no limit, and we make it our mission to connect creators and players. To learn more, please visit: http://thedigitalounge.com/

About Black Screen Records:

Black Screen Records is a German record label based in Cologne that focuses on high quality vinyl releases of video game soundtracks. Since the launch of Black Screen Records in early 2015 our small team – consisting of passionate gamers, vinyl collectors and music industry professionals – has released the soundtracks to the critically acclaimed indie games Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty & Stranger’s Wrath, Dear Esther, Syberia 3, Velocity 2X, Pony Island, Risk of Rain, Hue and Downwell on vinyl. To learn more, please visit: www.blackscreenrecords.com

About IDOL:

Founded in 2006, IDOL is one of the major specialists in the global digital market. With its strong marketing expertise, extensive digital distribution experience and technological edge, IDOL offers today a complete range of first-class services, tailored to meet the needs of music producers, labels and content distributors. To learn more please visit http://idol.io

Escape from Tarkov Enters Closed Beta Testing

Battlestate Games announced that their massive open world FPS Escape from Tarkov has entered closed beta testing. The game has been in an extremely limited closed alpha test so far with a small number of pre-orders given invites to the tests. The closed beta test will be rolled out to all pre-orders over the next week, followed by those who have signed up for the closed beta test on the website. Unlike the alpha test, there is no NDA, so testers are free to share their screenshots and gameplay footage with their friends and on social media.

The closed beta marks the introduction of the new Shoreline zone, the largest area in the map so far. Points of interest include a giant health resort, a marina, and a gas station. Additionally, existing zones have been rebalanced based on player feedback during alpha testing. New equipment, weapons, mods, a trader system, insurance, and general chat are also being introduced in the closed beta.

Nikita Buyanov, head of the Battlestate Games, released the following statement in regards to the closed beta:

In recent months we have done a formidable job optimizing the speed and stability of the game, and fixed a lot of errors. Our main task is to make it comfortable to play for everyone. Therefore, I hope that players will understand the precautions we took with the gradual admission process. Of course, the development of the game doesn’t stop there. It will grow richer with features and content with every consecutive update, as soon as they are ready. For example, the closed beta testing will be soon expanded with the quest system.

Escape from Tarkov is currently available for pre-order through the official website.

https://youtu.be/tPywVAt00yw

WWE 2K18 Cena (Nuff) Edition Announced to Celebrate Cena’s 15 Year Career

2K announced they will be releasing 30,000 copies of a very special edition of WWE 2K18 celebrating John Cena’s 15th anniversary of his WWE career. The WWE 2K18 Cena (Nuff) Edition will be available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in Australia and New Zealand as EB Games exclusives for $199.95 AUD/$209.99 NZD. It will contain:

  • Copy of WWE 2K18 Deluxe Edition video game, which includes the following items:
    • WWE 2K18 Season Pass digital content (details announced this fall);
    • Playable WWE Legends and John Cena Rivals: Batista and Rob Van Dam;
    • Playable John Cena Characters: ECW One Night Stand (2006) and WrestleMania 26 (2010);
  • Kurt Angle Pack: Access to WWE “American Hero” (2001) and ECW “Wrestling Machine” (2006) playable characters;
  • Exclusive premium packaging, including a unique cover sleeve;
  • Exclusive Mattel John Cena / Cena Nuff action figure featuring alternate T-shirt options;
  • Fanatics Limited Edition Commemorative Plaque with a piece of the ring mat, as well as a hand-signed photo from John Cena, in celebration of winning his 16th WWE Championship at Royal Rumble;
  • WWE SuperCard limited edition in-game cards featuring John Cena, Batista and Rob Van Dam, as well as a Cena (Nuff) card back.

WWE 2K18 is scheduled to launch on October 17 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Those who pre-order the game will be able to get a four day head start on October 13th. This year will mark the return of WWE to a Nintendo console, but it appears that the Switch version may be delayed as the original October 17th release date has been replaced with a generic Fall 2017 (Spring 2017 for the Southern Hemisphere) release window.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AWuG9J4-Ts

Mech_Con 2017 Website and Ticket Sales Now Live: Get Up Close with the MechWarrior Online World Championships and First Hands On With MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries

Mech_Con 2017 Website and Ticket Sales Now Live: Get Up Close with the MechWarrior Online World Championships and First Hands On With MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries

– Third Mech_Con Hosts Pilots from All Over the World on December 9 –

VANCOUVER – July 28th, 2017 – Eager pilots from around the world are converging on Vancouver on December 9th to play, compete or witness the MechWarrior Online World Championships at this year’s Mech_Con, and today Piranha Games revealed fans at Mech_Con will get the first crack at the upcoming and highly-anticipated MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries. The long-awaited and first standalone single player MechWarrior title will be playable for the first time in public at the event. The just-launched Mech_Con 2017 website is live as of today https://mechwarrior.com/mechcon and fans can grab tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/mech-con-2017-vancouver-bc-tickets-34484216219.

Mech_Con is a special one-day event dedicated to the celebration of BattleTech and MechWarrior and is hosted by Piranha Games. The event features fellow MechWarrior and BattleTech creators and developers Harebrained Schemes and Catalyst Game Labs, and attendees can participate in panels, Q&A’s, 1v1 MechWarrior Online matches, win prizes and giveaways throughout the day, and more. This year’s event will be held at the Pinnacle Harbourfront Hotel and Ballroom in Vancouver, and the just-launched Mech_Con website hosts the event’s schedule, travel and booking details and more.

Also home of the MechWarrior Online World Championships, fans attending Mech_Con in person and watching on Twitch from around the world have a chance to see which team will be crowned World Champions as they compete for the lion’s share of a cash prize pool. Last year’s inaugural tournament saw EmpyreaL, the North American MechWarrior Online team, lay waste to the competition and take home the title. More than 1,224 pilots from around the world entered the MechWarrior Online World Championship tournament, and the Regional Qualifying phase for 2017 is already underway.

This year, attending fans can also get the jump on the first impressions for the upcoming MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries and be among the first to hear announcements and reveals in store for the title. MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries will feature intense PvE ‘Mech combat in an immersive, career-based Mercenary campaign driven by player choice. Featuring an advancing timeline starting in the year 3015, players will adopt the role of a green MechWarrior mercenary thrust into combat as the Third Succession War continues to fracture the Inner Sphere, the vast region of colonized space surrounding Earth. Victory, prestige, and profit will not only require skill on the battlefield, but in the maintenance and enhancement of your BattleMechs.

Set for release in 2018, MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is under development by a dedicated and separate development team at Piranha Games using Unreal Engine 4. MechWarrior Online, Piranha’s existing F2P multiplayer-focused tactical ‘Mech combat game (built with CryEngine) will continue its ongoing live development by the MWO team at Piranha.

For more information about MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, and to keep up to date with Piranha Games and MechWarrior Online, make sure to visit the www.mwomercs.com, or follow Piranha Games on Twitter through @PiranhaGames and @MechWarriorF2P.

GOG.com going crazy with pre-order offers – get free games with Absolver, Hello Neighbor and more

GOG.com going crazy with pre-order offers – get free games with Absolver, Hello Neighbor and more

Get Furi, Jazzpunk, Sudd,n Strike 1-3, Chains of Satinav for free with pre-orders for Absolver, Hello Neighbor, Sudden Strike 4 and Ken Follet’s Pillars of the Earth

JULY 28 – Goodies, bonuses, and that feeling when you buy a game and it comes with so many extras – at GOG.com, we’ve always done our best to make sure your every purchase is absolutely full of value.

Now for a limited time, you can get even more value out of your pre-order, ease the wait, and get in the right mindset when grabbing free games with select pre-orders, only on GOG.com:

Absolver + Furi

Precision, strategy, and timing are key in the incredible duels you’ll face throughout Furi and Absolver – blending stylish and nuanced combat with great visuals, story, and epic adventure. Pre-order Absolver now at 10% off to receive Furi and in-game items: The Labyrinth Prospect Mask and Uring Priest Gear Set.

Hello Neighbor + Jazzpunk

A splash of humor, a dash of tension – Hello Neighbor and Jazzpunk both offer a unique sort of adventure full of secrets, exploration, infiltration, and plenty that’s simply strange… Additionally by pre-ordering Hello Neighbor, you’ll get access to 3 Alpha builds allowing you to experience the diversity of gameplay in the newest game by tinyBuild.

Ken Follet’s The Pillars of the Earth + The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav

The video-game adaptation of world-bestseller “The Pillars of the Earth” is available for pre-orders now exclusively on GOG.com. Together with The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav, there are countless hours of fantastic writing and adventure ahead.

Sudden Strike 4 + Sudden Strike 1, Sudden Strike 2, Sudden Strike 3

Sudden Strike is coming back! Relive history with the original trilogy, reworked by GOG-engineers for smoother gameplay on modern machines, as we await the fourth installment of the highly-realistic RTS – we’ll need the practice anyway. Pre-order now at 15% off.

Each title was hand-picked by developers and the GOG.com team to really go great together – so whether you’re into strategy, adventure, or action, we think you’ll enjoy everything that your pre-order has to offer!

All free games will become available the moment you complete your pre-order purchase, so you can jump in and play right away!

All offers are valid throughout each title’s pre-order period, while the Absolver and Hello Neighbor offers will be active for 2 weeks following release (till September 12th).

F1™ 2017 – Born To … Make History

F1™ 2017 – Born To … Make History 

New Gameplay Trailer Showcases F1 2017’s Stunning Line-up of Current and Iconic Cars 

Larkspur, Calif. – July 27th, 2017 – With the imminent launch of F1™ 2017, the official videogame of the 2017 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP™, Codemasters and Deep Silver have today released the latest gameplay trailer which showcases how the game spans the history of the sport and highlights several new features. F1 2017 not only allows players to drive the latest cars on the grid, but also gives them access to 12* iconic classics.

F1 2017 releases onto PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one entertainment system by Microsoft, and Windows PC via Steam worldwide on August 25th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rC_x33ukzE.

In addition to the thrilling new and nostalgic cars, keen observers will notice that players can now race the iconic street circuit in Monaco at night for the first time in the series.

Lee Mather, Creative Director at Codemasters, says, “We know our fans have loved seeing the classic cars being revealed in the recent weeks, but we know they also want to see the new cars in action as well. The 2017 cars present their own unique challenge as they are incredibly fast but wider and heavier than before, therefore we have had to completely rework the physics system to refine the balance between aerodynamics and tire grip.

Lee continued, “Taking on Monaco is always a test of your skills and now we have added the ability to take to these iconic streets at night in both modern day and classic F1 cars. We think our fans are going to love it.”

In addition to the 20 official circuits from the current season, and Monaco at night, players can also take on four brand new short circuits at Britain, Bahrain, the United States and a soon-to-be-announced track.

*Consumers who pre-order or purchase ‘Day One’ copies of F1 2017 will have exclusive access to the iconic 1988 McLaren MP4/4, as part of the ‘F1 2017 Special Edition.’ Alternatively, the McLaren MP4/4 car will be available to be purchased at a later date. The 11 other classic cars are available in all editions of the game.

Follow Codemasters’ F1 games blog (http://blog.codemasters.com/f1/) and social channels on Twitter (https://twitter.com/Formula1game) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/formula1game) for future news, YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/formula1game) for video content, and visit the product website (http://www.formula1-game.com/) for additional information. Further details will be released on the upcoming game soon.

# # #

 

About Codemasters

Codemasters, the award-winning videogame developer and publisher, has a 30-year heritage. With titles distributed globally, Codemasters is a leading developer and publisher of driving and racing entertainment games including DiRT, GRID and the official BAFTA award-winning FORMULA 1™ series of videogames. The company is fully controlled by Reliance Big Entertainment Ltd. (RBEL). For more information on Codemasters’ product portfolio, please visit www.codemasters.com. Join in the conversation with @codemasters on Twitter or Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/codemasters.

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.

Deep Silver has published more than 200 games since 2003, including its own brands like the open world extravaganza Saints Row, the zombie action franchise Dead Island, and the grim post-apocalyptic future of the Metro series. Upcoming highlights from Deep Silver include Dead Island 2 and Agents of MAYHEM. Deep Silver also owns the development studios Deep Silver Dambuster Studios in Nottingham, UK; Deep Silver Fishlabs in Hamburg, Germany, and Deep Silver Volition based in Champaign, IL, USA. For more information please visit www.deepsilver.com

Publisher Wired Productions, Along with Developer LKA.it Aims to Raise Awareness of Mental Illness with Free Demo for The Town of Light

Publisher Wired Productions, Along with Developer LKA.it Aims to Raise Awareness of Mental Illness with Free Demo for The Town of Light

Demo for PlayStation®4 and Xbox One Versions Now Available, Providing Players with a Historically-Inspired Experience that Explores Significant Psychological Topics

Watford, United Kingdom —July 28, 2017 — Independent games publisher Wired Productions and developer LKA.it are proud to release today a complimentary game demo for the award winning, first-person psychological adventure game, The Town of Light. The demo is now available for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft.

Played through the fictional eyes of Renée, a 16-year-old girl who suffers from the symptoms of mental illness, players must search for answers to the many questions from her past while exploring and uncovering the place where she spent most of her youth. What happens next is a dark and emotional journey where the lines of interactive entertainment, storytelling and reality frequently tend to blur.

PlayStation®4 and Xbox One players will be able to briefly delve into the inner workings of Renée’s mind as she revisits the real-life location of Ospedale Psichiatrico di Volterra – a genuine asylum in Italy that closed in the 1970s due to a law that instructed all asylums to close completely and give back patients their civil rights.

Studio Head and Founder of LKA.it, Luca Dalco, said: “We’ve had an overwhelming response from players who’ve followed Renée’s journey and how it made them compassionate to the psychological and physical effects people experienced whilst at the asylum prior to its closure. To reflect this, we wanted to provide more gamers the opportunity to play a portion of the game – for free – to understand more about mental health.”

“Mental health is a current issue that should be raised to understand further, and we’re pleased to do our part by offering a teaser of The Town of Light to raise awareness of the struggles of real people,” said Leo Zullo, Managing Director of Wired Productions. “We hope gamers take the opportunity to get their hands on the demo, and then eagerly look to finish the journey that they started, in the full game.”

Developed by LKA.it and co-published with Wired Productions, The Town of Light is out now on PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and Windows PC in physical and digital formats for SRP $19.99/€19.99/£15.99. The Town of Light has been rated “M for Mature” by the ESRB.

For more information on The Town of Light, visit:
http://www.thetownoflight.com/facebook.com/TheTownOfLighttwitter.com/thetownoflight

About LKA.it
LKA.it is an independent game development studio based in Florence, Italy. LKA.it was founded in 2014 by the veteran artist Luca Dalcò, with a clear objective, to create strong story driven gaming experiences. The Town of Light was first launched on PC in early 2016 and was critically acclaimed and loved by a dedicated community of gamers, and fills the gap between gaming and reality, creating a compelling narrative experience based on real facts and events.
For more information visit www.lka.it.

About Wired Productions Ltd
Wired Productions is an established independent computer games publisher based in Watford, Hertfordshire, UK.  Founded in 2008, Wired have produced over 40 titles for many global publishers and are part of the team responsible for the 1.5 million unit selling We Sing franchise. In 2013, Wired moved into console publishing on all major platforms. Notable launches to date include Let’s Fish! Hooked On, Tiny Troopers Joint Ops, Last Inua and Super Dungeon Bros. Victor Vran and The Town of Light are the latest titles to be signed for 2017.

Wired Productions are also a founding member of We Sing Productions, which is a collaboration between THQ Nordic, Wired Productions and Le Cortex, with the sole mission to establish a new range of We Sing products for all formats.

For more information visit www.wiredproductions.com or follow at:  www.facebook.com/WiredPro and on Twitter https://twitter.com/WiredP.

About THQ Nordic
Founded in 2011, THQ Nordic is a global video game publisher and developer. Based in Vienna, Austria and Karlstad, Sweden with subsidiaries in Germany and the USA, THQ Nordic brands include Darksiders, MX vs. ATV, Red Faction, Titan Quest and many more. THQ Nordic is meant to represent a core approach of doing much more than “owning” a highly competitive portfolio of IPs. It revolves around cherishing them, and aligning them with the very best development resources to expand upon them with the level of experience that communities and established fan bases expect and deserve.

The company’s internal development studios are Grimlore Games based in Munich, Germany; Rainbow Studios based in Phoenix, Arizona; Mirage Game Studios AB based in Karlstad, Sweden and Foxglove Studios AB based in Stockholm, Sweden.
http://www.thqnordic.com

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*ESRB Guidelines for The Town of Light

Trailer/video may only be displayed if it is behind an age-gate that: (1) is age-neutral (i.e., requires the user to input their date of birth or select it from a drop-down bar); (2) employs reasonable technical measures to keep underage users from re-entering their age after initially being denied access; and (3) does not display any ESRB rating information on the video player or the age-gate itself. Failure to implement these requirements may jeopardize your ability to obtain material of this nature from us in the future.

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Review

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?

Studio: J.C. Staff
Publisher: Hanabee Entertainment
Platforms: DVD (reviewed) / Blu-ray
Release Date: July 13, 2017
Price: $49.99 – Available Here

Overview

One day, the gods decided to give up their powers and descend to the world of humans. Hestia is one of these gods and the leader of the Hestia Familia. A young boy named Bell Cranel is the only member of her Familia, but he makes up for his lack of partners with his often reckless pursuit of his goal of becoming an adventurer. He also hopes to one day save a girl in the Dungeon, a place where monsters spawn randomly and drop crystals that can be exchanged for money on the surface. One flaw in his plan is his initial lack of strength, which causes him to end up being the one rescued by a girl. Bell’s one redeeming quality is his perpetual kindness, caused by his utter naivety, and his forgiving nature helps him befriend a supporter named Liliruka Arde and a smith named Welf Crozzo.

Story

As much as this series, often referred to as DanMachi, is focused on Bell, it is often far more interesting as a viewer to instead focus on its setting and pay attention to the characters around him. His entire character can be summed up easily. He wants to be an adventurer, save girls and protect his goddess Hestia, and he is kind and forgiving to a fault. Girls fawn over him and sometimes literally throw themselves at him because of the original author’s bizarre and sexist interest in male wish fulfilment. Bell may look slightly different to the average harem protagonist, but his romantic indifference to the person who cares about him the most, Hestia, puts him squarely in the same category as every other generic harem protagonist out there. This is the reason why it is worth paying attention to the world around him instead of caring about him as a character; the world of Orario is inhabited by many different kinds of people who interact with each other in unexpectedly dynamic ways.

There are a large number of recurring and supporting characters introduced in these 13 episodes, far too many to become familiar with or even remember the names of. However, there are inevitably a few that have some interesting stories to tell. Liliruka Arde is a supporter with a tragic past, one that is significantly more disturbing than anything else presented in these episodes. Despite being young, she knows too well just how harsh and unforgiving the world can be. Bell is only able to befriend her by being kind to her and accepting her for who she is when no one else would, even after both of her almost-successful attempts to betray him. He may be naive and often childish, but his character is used to help bring out the best in those around him.

Welf Crozzo, a smith who does not like actually producing magic weapons, is intriguing, and does receive some character development. Unfortunately, that this is an adaptation of a much longer story becomes very obvious in the final episode because of him. His involvement in the story is apparently more significant than it seems. Despite this, he is largely pushed to the side in the final episode in favour of a dramatic conclusion in which Bell ultimately saves the day after receiving help from more skilled fighters and mages, including several recurring characters.

Only a few of the minor characters outside of Hestia’s Familia actually feel like a genuine part of Bell’s journey, one of whom is Ais Wallenstein from the Loki Familia. She is known as the Sword Princess because of her extraordinary fighting abilities, and after saving Bell on multiple occasions, she helps him improve his own fighting technique. It would have been far more effective to introduce the other minor characters one or two at a time over the course of a few dozen episodes, not over a mere 13, but the end result is that many of them feel like unimportant video game NPCs that can be forgotten as soon as they are off-screen. It could also have been better explained why the gods decided to give up their powers for all eternity and resign themselves to a life of running their Familia without actually being allowed to become adventurers, but a little too much screen time is wasted on trying to keep up the breakneck pace of the action by introducing distraction after pointless distraction.

Visuals

There are two elements of this adaptation that make this more engaging than a harem series has any right to be; one of them is the visuals. The world of Orario and the Dungeon come to life here. They have a lot to offer, from the old architecture of the buildings to the varied layouts of the various floors in the Dungeon. It is all fleshed out with a lot of care and effort, making this one of the more unique and interesting settings of any harem series.

J.C. Staff’s animation stands out as being consistent and high quality. Bell and his friends’ move fluidly even when pulling off crazy attacks on agile and giant monsters. There is a lot of blood, marking one of the more notable differences between this and actual RPGs, but humans rarely suffer any injuries that they cannot recover from. Being a harem series, it should come as no surprise that the vast majority of all female characters are sexually objectified and depicted as being almost perpetually lustful whenever Bell is present. Most of them also happen to consistently wear almost no clothes; they exist solely as ‘fan-service’ and not as characters with any identifiable personalities. It detracts enormously from the adventures and the intriguing elements of DanMachi. The parts of this adaptation that are not bogged down by offensive male wish fulfillment are entertaining, but the harem elements destroy any possibility of it reaching a larger, mainstream audience.

Audio

The audio is the other major highlight of this adaptation. Kenji Inai’s background music is surprisingly energetic; orchestral pieces are used throughout every episode, adding to the sense of adventure that we get whenever Bell and his friends are going through the Dungeon and fighting monsters. Inai does his best to compensate for the nonsense that pervades so many scenes on the surface and later on the 18th floor of the Dungeon, and his efforts go a long way. The voice actors do their best to give the characters some personality, and the resulting English dub is about as good as it gets for a harem anime. Unsurprisingly, Luci Christian portrays the hyper-energetic Hestia excellently, and Hilary Haag does a fantastic job at capturing Liliruka’s troubled but determined character. More wordplay in the dub would have been nice, but there are no bad performances, which really helps the audio stand out.

Extras

The textless animation sequence for the opening song “Hey World” and the textless animation sequence for the ending song “Right Light Rise” are included on the first disc. The animation for the ending song is fairly standard, but the animation for the opening song is notable for the large numbers of characters it presents for just a few seconds at a time. There are so many that it could be a challenge for viewers to remember the names and roles of every single one.

Overall

DanMachi provides the strange but interesting experience of watching a role playing game instead of playing one. The experience is unlike watching a let’s play, however; it is as if a five-hour mystery dungeon game unfolds as a series of long but well-animated FMVs. The world of Orario is well-crafted and contains both a history and a culture that contrast heavily with the kinds of settings normally seen in harem series, although that history is not explored as much as it should have been. It is obvious that this is an adaptation created to sell the source material, so it is possible that longer explanations are given for certain things in the original story, such as why monsters spawn in the dungeon and what ultimately led to the gods giving up their powers. For western anime fans, this adaptation does tell its story almost as well as it could have in just 13 episodes, so it may be worth your time if you are a fan of harem anime series or anime set in alternate worlds. It cannot be overstated, however, that it features some utterly ridiculous and downright misogynistic harem antics, that it can be disturbing at times and that only a few of the female characters are actually developed as characters.
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