Home Blog Page 2661

Genital Jousting Pulls Out of Early Access

Genital Jousting Pulls Out of Early Access

– Full Release Comes with Story Mode –

CAPETOWN – Independent developer Free Lives (Broforce, GORN) and Devolver Digital have pulled the world’s premier schlong ‘em up Genital Jousting out of Early Access and thrust the updated game onto Steam as a full release and announced the first-ever Genital Jousting Espurts World Championships, airing tonight. Genital Jousting 1.0 includes a brand-new story mode, featuring dynamic voiceover narration, which follows the trials and tribulations of a dick named John as he looks for love in a world that simply doesn’t love him back [http://store.steampowered.com/app/469820/].

Since its entry into Early Access late last year, Genital Jousting has satisfied more than 300,000 players and become one of the top online sex party videogames of the past decade. Free Lives and Devolver Digital are celebrating this milestone achievement with the release of a limited edition physical item and the announcement of Genital Jousting’s foray into the competitive world of electronic sports (esports).

The Official Genital Jousting Squeezable Plush™ from ESC Toy is available now for $30 and comes with several alluring features, including a custom ‘spurt’ sound chip, a fashionable sundress, and a shockingly long Steam code for Genital Jousting [http://merch.devolverdigital.com/].

The game’s launch also ushers in a new era in esports, as the first ever Genital Jousting Espurts World Championships will be broadcast live on Genital Jousting’s Steam page. Starting tonight, Jan. 18 at 5:00 PM ET, Devolver Digital and Free Lives will come together with some of the greatest Genital Jousting players in the world to put on an arousing display of skills not seen in any other competitive game. The broadcast will include competitive battles, story mode demonstrations, and free stuff, because that’s what really gets the views [http://store.steampowered.com/app/469820].

“Genital Jousting’s story mode is the greatest narrative ever created for the medium of video games,” noted Devolver Digital CFO Fork Parker. “This is the Citizen Kane of penis video games.”

Genital Jousting is available now on Steam at an engorged price of $6.99 to account for all the hot new throbbing content. For more information and to become part of the conversation follow @Free_Lives on Twitter and visit GenitalJousting.com on the internet.

FAIRYTALE PLATFORMER CANDLEMAN: THE COMPLETE JOURNEY SHINES ON STEAM ON JAN. 31

FAIRYTALE PLATFORMER CANDLEMAN: THE COMPLETE JOURNEY SHINES ON STEAM ON JAN. 31

BEIJING Jan. 18, 2018Candleman: The Complete Journey, the 3D platformer published by Zodiac Interactive and developed by Spotlightor Interactive, will arrive on Windows PC via Steam on Jan. 31 for $14.99. This new edition of the game, which first launched to critical praise on Xbox One in 2017, includes the previously released “Lost Light” DLC, a new time challenge mode, enhanced performance and framerate optimizations, and 4K resolution support.

“The game’s positive reception from press and players overwhelmed us for the whole year after its debut on Xbox One,” said Gao Ming, creator of Candleman. “We are extremely proud to see the game we created at Ludum Dare 27 be recognized by so many, and we’re incredibly excited to bring this journey to PC players later this month.”

Candleman: The Complete Journey is a stunning fairytale adventure featuring challenging platforming gameplay that cleverly blends light and shadow. As a little candle who can burn for only 10 seconds, players must venture through unsettling darkness and overcome a wide range of enchanted yet dangerous environments in search of a mysterious light in the distance.

For more information, visit the game’s Steam page, and follow the game on Facebook and @CandlemanGame on Twitter.

About Zodiac Interactive

Experts in global software publishing and boasting a wealth of industry knowledge. Based in Beijing, the team is using their experience to bring quality foreign games to the booming Chinese market, while also identifying and enabling exciting up-and-coming Chinese developers to reach their potential in the West.

About Spotlightor Interactive

Founded in 2009 by Gao Ming and Ma Xiaoyu, Spotlightor is an indie game studio based in Beijing, dedicated to creating innovative games which provide unique experiences through immersive interactive design.

The Fall Part 2: Unbound to Launch on all Platforms February 13th

The Fall Part 2: Unbound to Launch on all Platforms February 13th
Release Date Trailer Highlights New Playable Character: The Companion

January 16th, 2018 – Vancouver, Canada – Independent developer Over The Moon today announced that its highly anticipated sequel, The Fall Part 2: Unbound, launches February 13th on PlayStation®4, Xbox One™, Nintendo Switch™, PC, Mac and Linux. The Fall Part 2: Unbound is the sequel to the award-winning original game – The Fall – and the second chapter in a planned trilogy.

The Fall Part 2: Unbound is a hybrid of haunting metroidvania exploration merged with brain teasing point-and-click adventure puzzles and a healthy dose of chilling hard sci-fi. This sequel picks up right where its predecessor left off as we follow the exploits of A.R.I.D., a rogue AI who’s rewritten its protocol to follow one rule: “save myself”. The new parameters of A.R.I.D.’s programming have allowed her the ability to possess new hosts including a posh, reality-divorced Butler, a sexy service Companion and a mysterious combat drone, known as “One”.

To commemorate this release date announcement, Over the Moon has unveiled a launch trailer that highlights the new playable Companion character as A.R.I.D.’s morally questionable protocol causes her hosts to struggle with issues of subservience, survival, and existential crisis.

“With The Fall Part 2: Unbound, our goal is to give players a deeper level of gameplay and story integration than they have ever seen,” said John Warner, CEO of Over The Moon. “Our newest trailer highlights a strange and unsettling section of the game, during which players possess a robot designed to pleasure humans, only twist and manipulate her into hurting others to obtain their goal. We want this game to shock you, excite you, make you laugh, thematically challenge you and put you in situations you have never been in before. It’s our highest goal that video games can change people for the better, and The Fall part 2: Unbound is as rich with interesting ideas as it is fun to play.”

About Over The Moon
Over The Moon was founded in 2013, to create games with rich, compelling worlds that blend gameplay and narrative, to push our understanding of video games as a medium. This was made possible when, in October of 2013, Industry veteran John Warner completed a successful Kickstarter campaign for Over The Moon’s first game, The Fall, which reached 224% of its funding goal. The Fall released on PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 4, Wii U and Xbox One to critical acclaim, winning Best Story 2014 from Giant Bomb.

 

UBISOFT ANNOUNCES THE FIRST TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX® ANZ CUP FOR 2018

UBISOFT ANNOUNCES THE FIRST TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX® ANZ CUP FOR 2018 

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — January 18, 2018 — Ubisoft® has announced the first Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® ANZ Cup for 2018 will commence Wednesday 29th January. 16 Teams from Australia and New Zealand will compete in a Best-Of-3 Round Robin PC tournament up until Finals Day on Sunday 4th March, with the Top 4 teams sharing in a prize pool of $10,000 AUD.

The ANZ Cup will be played on PC with 8 Pro League teams making up half the roster and the remaining 8 slots being filled by the best up-and-coming teams playing in the current Rainbow Six Go4, an online community tournament. The ANZ Cup will be divided into two groups with each team playing all opposing teams in their group once. Rounds will be played on Wednesday and Thursday nights from 7PM to 11PM AEDT, with select matches to be livestreamed on Ubisoft Australia’s YouTube channel, twitch.tv/r6_anz and facebook.com/Rainbow6ANZ/.

Console players can register for their respective Community Cups on Xbox One and PS4.

For more information about Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six ANZ Cup, please visit play.eslgaming.com/rainbowsix. For more information about Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, please visit rainbow6.com.

About Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

Inspired by real-world counter-terrorist organizations, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege puts players in the middle of lethal close-quarter confrontations. For the first time in a Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six game, players will engage in sieges, a new style of assault where enemies have the means to transform their environments into modern strongholds while Rainbow Six teams lead the assault to breach the enemy’s position. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege gives players unprecedented control over their ability to fortify their position by reinforcing walls and floors, using barbed wire and deployable shields, laying mines and more, or to breach the enemies’ position using observation drones, setting charges, rappelling and more. The fast pace and uniqueness of each siege sets a new bar for intense firefights, strategic gameplay and competitive gaming.

About Ubisoft

Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman, Far Cry and Watch Dogs. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2016–17 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,460 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.

©2017 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Tom Clancy’s, Rainbow Six, The Soldier Icon, Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries.

OVERWATCH LEAGUE™ OPENING WEEK DRAWS MORE THAN 10 MILLION VIEWERS

OVERWATCH LEAGUE™ OPENING WEEK DRAWS MORE THAN 10 MILLION VIEWERS

Newly announced Twitch distribution deal drives an average audience per minute of 408,000 for the opening day broadcast

SYDNEY, Australia — 18 January, 2018 — The Overwatch League roared to life last week at the Blizzard Arena Los Angeles, with four days of intense competition between all 12 teams of the world’s first major global city-based professional esports league.

Buoyed by a newly announced two-year deal with Twitch, the Overwatch League’s exclusive worldwide[1] third-party digital broadcast partner, opening day drew an impressive average audience per minute of 408,000, and 280,000 for the week. More than 10 million viewers tuned in over the four-day period via Twitch, MLG, and Chinese streaming partners ZhanQi TV, NetEase CC, and Panda TV—not to mention the countless additional viewers at watch parties worldwide. On Twitch and MLG alone, the peak concurrent online audience of 437,000 hit during the highly anticipated day-one matchup between Dallas Fuel and Seoul Dynasty. In addition, tickets to Blizzard Arena Los Angeles were sold out for the entirety of opening week.

“We’re thrilled by the overwhelming response to the Overwatch League’s opening week of play,” said Pete Vlastelica, president and CEO of Major League Gaming (MLG). “But this is only the beginning. With more than 35 million Overwatch® players, the Overwatch League has the potential to become one of the most-watched leagues—of any kind—in the world.”

“Since we announced Overwatch League at BlizzCon 2016, we’ve been eagerly awaiting the day when the global competitive Overwatch community could come together under one banner,” said Nate Nanzer, Overwatch League commissioner. “Opening week was that coming-out party—for the fans, both in-person at Blizzard Arena Los Angeles and tuned in by the millions all over the world, and for the players, whose love for the game came through crystal clear.”

“We had high expectations for the inaugural broadcast of the Overwatch League on Twitch, given our platform’s passionate fanbase for Overwatch,” said Kevin Lin, COO of Twitch. “They really put on an amazing show and fans showed up en masse to support and celebrate Overwatch. Based on the response from the community, Overwatch League is off to a great start and we look forward to watching how the season progresses. This league demonstrates the power and potential of esports, and we’re thrilled to continue expanding our partnership with Blizzard.”

Viewers can tune in to catch all the action on Twitch, www.mlg.com, the MLG app (on iOS and Android), www.overwatchleague.com, and the Overwatch League app, which launched last week for iOS and Android. Blizzard gamers also can get easy access to the Overwatch League via a new Overwatch League tab in the Blizzard Battle.net desktop app.

The first season of the Overwatch League runs until June, with playoffs and finals scheduled for July. For the inaugural season, all regular-season games will take place at Blizzard Arena Los Angeles, a state-of-the-art live-event venue in Burbank, California, custom-renovated for Blizzard Entertainment esports events. Fans can purchase tickets to attend matches, which will be played each Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday AEDT/NZDT. A full schedule and information about ticket sales can be found at www.overwatchleague.com.

About the Overwatch League

The Overwatch League is the first major global professional esports league with city-based teams across Asia, Europe, and North America. Overwatch® was created by globally acclaimed publisher Blizzard Entertainment (a division of Activision Blizzard—Nasdaq: ATVI), whose iconic franchises have helped lay the foundations and push the boundaries of professional esports over the last 15 years. The latest addition to Blizzard’s stable of twenty-one #1 games,[2] Overwatch was built from the ground up for online competition, with memorable characters and fast-paced action designed for the most engaging gameplay and spectator experiences. To learn more about the Overwatch League, visit www.overwatchleague.com.

For images and additional information please visit: https://blizzard.gamespress.com/en-AU/Esports-Overwatch#?tab=photos

LEGENDARY DEVELOPERS REVEAL NEW LOOK AT THE LONG-AWAITED FANTASY RPG UNDERWORLD ASCENDANT

LEGENDARY DEVELOPERS REVEAL NEW LOOK AT THE LONG-AWAITED FANTASY RPG UNDERWORLD ASCENDANT

Return to the Iconic Stygian Abyss with Industry Icons Paul Neurath and Warren Spector

Sydney, Australia – Jan. 18, 2018 – In a behind-closed-doors presentation at PAX South, game industry legend Paul Neurath (Ultima Underworld, Thief) discussed the inspiration and history behind the upcoming highly-anticipated Underworld Ascendant from OtherSide Entertainment. A new video produced for PAX South featuring exclusive gameplay footage also takes a deep dive into the heritage of the studio and the deeply experienced team creating Underworld Ascendant:

Published by 505 Games, Underworld Ascendant will return players to the Stygian Abyss, a breathtaking fantasy realm rife with danger and full of intrigue. The world boasts an environment that will react dynamically to player choices.

In Underworld Ascendant, OtherSide Entertainment is innovating upon the player-authored gameplay of the original series in bold new ways to bring the ‘immersive sim’ genre forward in this action-RPG designed to reward creativity.

Underworld Ascendant, made with Unity, will be published on Steam for PC in the second half of 2018. Players can Wishlist the game now at: http://store.steampowered.com/app/692840.

To learn more about Underworld Ascendant, please visit: www.underworldascendant.com.

Social Media

Twitter: @Underworld_Asc

Facebook: @UnderworldAscendantGame

# # #

About 505 Games

505 Games is a global video game publisher focused on offering a broad selection of titles for players of all ages and levels. The company publishes and distributes premium and free-to-play games on leading console, PC and handheld platforms as well as for mobile devices and social networks.

Publishing highlights in premium games include PAYDAY 2, Terraria, Portal Knights, Assetto Corsa, ABZÛ, Virginia, Brothers – A Tale of Two Sons and How to Survive. Free-to-play publishing highlights include Battle Islands, Gems of War and Hawken. Distribution highlights include Stardew Valley, Dead by Daylight and Inside/Limbo. Upcoming titles include Last Day of June, Indivisible (from the development team behind Skullgirls), and Koji Igarashi’s next project, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.

505 Games has offices in California, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and China. It works with a network of distribution and sub-licensing partners in all other markets.  For more information on 505 Games and its products please visit www.505games.com.

About OtherSide Entertainment

OtherSide Entertainment is an independent game studio with offices in Boston, MA and Austin, TX. We are focused on providing players with innovative gameplay, immersive worlds, and engaging narrative. Our specialty is what we call “player-authored” experience in the tradition of Ultima Underworld, System Shock, Thief, Deus Ex and Epic Mickey– games developed by the company’s founders, Paul Neurath and Warren Spector. In 2016, the company launched Underworld Overlord, one of the most highly rated Google Daydream VR games. Currently in development are System Shock 3 and Underworld Ascendant.  For more information about OtherSide Entertainment and its products please visit www.otherside-e.com.

JIM RYAN NAMED NEW DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT

JIM RYAN NAMED NEW DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT

SAN MATEO, Calif., January 16, 2018 –Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) today announced that Jim Ryan, Head of Global Sales and Marketing of SIE and President of Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe (SIEE), has been named Deputy President of SIE with immediate effect. In addition to his existing responsibilities, as a Deputy President, Jim will work together with John (Tsuyoshi) Kodera, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Kazuo Miura, existing Deputy President, to further reinforce and accelerate the PlayStation® business on a global scale.

Jim joined SIEE in 1994 and has held a number of senior positions over the course of his twenty-three years with the company. In 2011, he was appointed president of SIEE with responsibility for leading the PlayStation business in more than 100 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. He has also served as head of Global Sales and Marketing at SIE since April 2016.

“I’m very happy and pleased to have Jim as Deputy President,” said John Kodera. “Jim has more than two decades of experience at PlayStation and has a great record of success, including the successful launches of PlayStation 4 Pro and PlayStation VR that he led as Head of Global Sales and Marketing. With his deep knowledge around the game business and industry as well as his understanding of our own culture and strengths, I am confident that he will take our business to an even higher level.”

“It’s a huge honor to be named a Deputy President of SIE,” said Jim Ryan. “I’m looking forward to leveraging the experience that I have at PlayStation, both in Europe and also in leading Global Sales and Marketing, to support John Kodera as SIE strives to further expand the PlayStation business globally. Together with all our employees and partners, I’m committed to continuing to deliver unique entertainment offerings that are only possible on PlayStation.”

###

About Sony Interactive Entertainment

Recognized as a global leader in interactive and digital entertainment, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is responsible for the PlayStation® brand and family of products and services. PlayStation has delivered innovation to the market since the launch of the original PlayStation in Japan in 1994. The PlayStation family of products and services include PlayStation®4, PlayStation®VR, PlayStation®Vita, PlayStation®3, PlayStation®Store, PlayStation®Plus, PlayStation™Video, PlayStation™Music, PlayStation™Now, PlayStation™Vue, PlayStation®Original and acclaimed PlayStation software titles from SIE Worldwide Studios. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, SIE is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation and has global functions and regional headquarters in California, London and Tokyo.

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood to See Physical Release on Switch

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood to See Physical Release on Switch

Watford, United Kingdom, January 17, 2018: Wired Productions, an independent videogames publisher is pleased to announce that, in partnership with Danish development studio Flashbulb Games and Spanish developer StageClear Studios, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is to receive a physical release for Nintendo Switch and will be available at retail March 23rd.

Responding to fan requests and working with retailers around the world, Wired Productions will be delivering a global release for Max: The Curse of Brotherhood with an SRP of £24.99/€29.99/$29.99.

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a cinematic fairy-tale adventure perfect for the whole family to enjoy. Where Scandinavian storytelling meets colourful 2.5D platformer, Max offers perspective players classic jump and run gameplay, smart and innovative puzzles and a fun and unique gameplay mechanic to boot.

Adventurers must unleash the power of the Magic Marker as they:

  • Embark on this classic tale of brotherhood to rescue Max’s kid brother Felix from the grasps of the evil lord Mustacho
  • Explore a world filled to the brim with challenging physics puzzles and frantic platforming
  • Climb, fight and draw their way through deserts, lantern-lit bogs, ancient temples and lush-green-forests
  • Raise great pillars of dirt from the ground to reach new heights, grow trees to make bridges and create swinging vines to cross gaping chasms

Originally released for the Xbox One and Windows PC, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood received high praise, with fans and critics calling the game “a charming experience from beginning to end”. Rated 12 by PEGI Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is available now through physical and digital channels.

###

About Wired Productions Ltd
Wired Productions is an established 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, Super Dungeon Bros, Victor Vran and The Town of Light. In 2017, Wired Productions published Max: The Cursed Brotherhood, Surf World Series, Vostok Inc. and more.

NINTENDO LABO COMBINES FUN INTERACTIVE MAKE, PLAY AND DISCOVER EXPERIENCES WITH NINTENDO SWITCH

NINTENDO LABO COMBINES FUN INTERACTIVE MAKE, PLAY AND DISCOVER EXPERIENCES WITH NINTENDO SWITCH

Discover a new way to play when Nintendo Labo launches on 20th April across Australia and New Zealand

18th January, 2018 – Introducing Nintendo Labo, a new line of interactive make, play and discover experiences designed to inspire creative minds and playful hearts alike. Together with the Nintendo Switch console, the Nintendo Labo kits provide the tools and technology to make fun DIY creations, play games with your creations, and discover how Nintendo Switch technology shapes ideas into reality.* Nintendo Labo launches on 20th April across Australia and New Zealand. You can watch the First Look at Nintendo Labo trailer at www.nintendo.com.au/labo.

https://youtu.be/dlSPlyCPbDk

Building on the history of Nintendo, which is rooted in innovative entertainment and gameplay experiences, Nintendo Labo continues the company’s mission of putting smiles on people’s faces. With each Nintendo Labo kit, inspired minds across all generations can transform modular sheets of cardboard – specially designed to interact with the Nintendo Switch console and Joy-Con controllers – into interactive creations called Toy-Con. From a piano to a motorbike, a robot and more, each Toy-Con comes to life when combined with the Nintendo Switch in different ways. As you make, you will have fun discovering how the technology works and even invent new ways to play with each Toy-Con.

For example, you can make a functioning 13-key piano that brings your musical arrangements to life once the Nintendo Switch console and Right Joy-Con controller are inserted. As you play, the IR Motion Camera in the Right Joy-Con detects which keys are pressed and plays each note through the console’s built-in speakers. Budding musicians can also experiment with their own musical creations.

Or, you can take control of your very own motorbike by constructing a functioning set of handlebars, with a Joy-Con inserted in each side and the Nintendo Switch console cradled in the middle. Simply hit the ignition button, turn the right handle to engage the accelerator, and watch your adventure unfold on the Nintendo Switch screen, as you race to new destinations.

We are excited to introduce Nintendo Labo, our new invitation for everyone to make, play and discover with Nintendo Switch,” said Kamon Yoshimura, Managing Director of Nintendo Australia. “We are looking forward to seeing how families and all creative minds craft new ways to play together.

With Nintendo Labo, making and discovering is just as much fun as playing. Every Toy-Con creation presents exciting challenges and varying degrees of complexity, so each one is a unique experience. Making Toy-Con is especially fun with family and friends, as you collaborate and share each other’s Nintendo Labo experiences. Once built, those with a creative touch can customise their Toy-Con creations with their own colouring pens, stickers and paint to give them a personal feel – the only limit is their imagination. A special Customisation Set that includes fun stencils, stickers and coloured tape will also be available to purchase from 20th April with a suggested retail price of AU$14.95.

Nintendo Labo launches in Australia and New Zealand on 20th April with two kits: the Variety Kit and the Robot Kit. Both kits include everything you need to assemble your Toy-Con creations, including the building materials and relevant Nintendo Switch software.

Variety Kit

With the Variety Kit, you can create many different Toy-Con, including Toy-Con RC Car, Toy-Con Fishing Rod, Toy-Con House, Toy-Con Motorbike and Toy-Con Piano. The Variety Kit will launch with a suggested retail price of AU$99.95.

  • Toy-Con RC Car: Insert the Left and Right Joy-Con into your newly built RC Car and control its movement using touch screen controls on the Nintendo Switch. The HD rumble feature in the Joy-Con controllers will cause vibrations that move the car in the direction you choose. Materials to construct two RC Cars are included.
  • Toy-Con Fishing Rod: Construct the Fishing Rod with an active, rotating reel that is attached by string to a cradle holding the Nintendo Switch console. Catch one of many exotic fish shown swimming on the Nintendo Switch screen by casting your Fishing Rod and unwinding the reel to lower the hook. Once you feel a vibration from the Joy-Con inserted in the reel, you must crank the reel quickly and tug the Fishing Rod upwards to try and complete the catch.
  • Toy-Con House: By inserting various assembled blocks into openings in the sides and bottom of the House, you can interact, feed and play games with a cute creature on the front-facing Nintendo Switch screen. Each differently shaped block is detected by the IR Motion Camera on the Right Joy-Con inserted on top of the House.
  • Toy-Con Motorbike: Insert each Joy-Con into an assembled set of handlebars to drive a motorbike on the Nintendo Switch screen. Pressing the ignition button starts the engine, twisting the right handle activates the throttle, and leaning your body or turning the handlebars left and right controls the motorbike.
  • Toy-Con Piano: After assembling a beautifully crafted 13-key piano and inserting the Nintendo Switch console and Joy-Con, you can create your own music by pressing different keys. You can even insert different assembled knobs to create new sound effects and tones.

Robot Kit

  • Toy-Con Robot: Create a wearable robot suit, and insert the Left and Right Joy-Con into the designated slots on the backpack and visor to assume control of the robot, which is shown on the TV when the Nintendo Switch console is docked. Enjoy a variety of fun game-play experiences, including Robot mode, where you can destroy in-game buildings and UFOs. The Robot Kit will launch with a suggested retail price of AU$119.95.

Additional Links:
Nintendo Switch website: http://www.nintendo.com.au/nintendo-switch/
Nintendo Labo website: http://www.nintendo.com.au/labo
Nintendo Australia website: http://www.nintendo.com.au/
Nintendo Australia Twitter: https://twitter.com/NintendoAUNZ
Nintendo Australia Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NintendoAUNZ
Nintendo AU on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/nintendoau

Forged Battalion Preview

Forged Battalion

Developer: Petroglyph
Publisher: Team17
Platform: Windows
Release Date: 16 January 2018
Price: $19.99 USD – Available Here

Video Preview

Built from the ashes of Westwood Studios, Petroglyph has been carrying the torch by developing a variety of RTS titles for PC and mobile devices. Forged Battalion is their latest RTS game with an intriguing premise. All players start with the same base unit types, but customize their very own faction by modifying the units.

The early access build I tested comes with a small text intro to give players some background into the story and a five campaign missions. While the campaign content is far from finished, the writing already channels a cheesy B movie feel that I have always associated with the Command & Conquer series. I hope Petroglyph’s writers continue to embrace the cheesiness, as it is a nice hit of nostalgia and breaks from the generally buttoned up nature of recent RTS releases.

Forged Battalion does not stray far from RTS norms. The game is still about building armies and steam rolling the enemy. The strategy focuses on the customizable units. For every win or loss, players are awarded research points that are used to unlock new modifications for units. To balance the game, players are only able to equip their units with a limited number of mods. With the mod limits, each player made faction is forced to have certain strengths and weaknesses that can be exploited over the course of a game.

Customizing factions is done with a series of menus. It is all well organized and very easy to pick up. The game offers players a chance to access every modification in the game over time. The early unlock decisions are probably the toughest out there. Since they are often made when players have little idea how the game works, it would be nice to see a reset button that allows players to reallocate their research points.

Forged Battalion’s gameplay is more focused on the overall rock, paper, scissors mechanic than hardcore micromanagement.  The tech tree, economy, and manufacturing mechanics in the game are simple, bordering on barebones. There is a complex damage table that explains all the multipliers for all unit types and weapon types in the game. The relevant row is thankfully displayed as part of the unit information. Base expansion feels a little awkward at the moment. Positioning refineries in an spot close to other resource nodes around the map either means slowly sprawling your base towards the nodes in question, finding a nearby outpost to create a second base, or simply letting harvesters create an inefficient convoy.

The maps so far are solid. Many follow the standard symmetrical design ideal for competitive play. Forged Battalion also uses the environment to add more strategic complexity to the game. Elevation offers bonuses to unit sight lines. Hazardous terrain can only be crossed by certain vehicles, giving a crafty commander an opportunity to ambush the enemy then flee into an area that will forcibly split the enemy forces.

I hope Petroglyph spends some more time improving the AI in the coming months. The friendly unit AI has an terribly low reaction range. I often saw friendly units staying still as a nearby unit was pelted from a distance by artillery wielding tanks. It would be nice if the AI could have units move as a group. Currently, a mixed group of units will travel at their maximum pace, often having light vehicles rushing in while the infantry lags behind. Players are stuck stacking all the units together in at a nearby staging area before sending them in for an attack. The AI difficulty level could also use some work. I found one-star difficulty to be way too easy, while the average level two-star AI would easily roll into my base with a massive army early in the game. Another alternative may be to split the AI difficulty into five tiers instead of three. The developers have already confirmed this is work in progress, so the difficulty curve will probably look very different when Forged Battalion leaves early access.

The audio/visual experience is enjoyable so far. The sound effects are solid. The music is an instant hit of nostalgia for me. The soundtrack feels like it was ripped out of video games from the late 1990s and early 2000s. The voice acting is pretty bad, but it works because it helps create that cheesy B movie feel. The models and textures are nice. The unit design reflects modern military technology. I love the comic book style particle effects, as its unique and gives the game a bit of character. While there isn’t too much variety with five base units, the different weapons each unit can equip is identifiable right off the bat.

Forged Battalion is shaping up to be a solid RTS that fits in a nice little niche between casual games and hardcore competitive RTS titles that demand players to push out the absolute maximum APMs for victory. Petroglyph has embraced a nostalgic, B movie style presentation reminiscent of old Command & Conquer titles and added its own flair with its comic book style effects.