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The award-winning Elite Dangerous comes to PlayStation 4 next month

The award-winning Elite Dangerous comes to PlayStation 4 next month

Sydney, Australia –  17 May, 2017 – Frontier Developments plc (AIM: FDEV) announced the critically acclaimed massively multiplayer space epic Elite Dangerous will launch for the PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system on June 27, 2017.

Elite Dangerous: Legendary Edition will also be available at physical retail stores for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on the same day, featuring Elite Dangerous, the Elite Dangerous: Horizons season pass and a bonus 1,000 Frontier Points to spend on in-game cosmetic items.

Elite Dangerous re-creates the entirety of the Milky Way at its full galactic proportions, with an evolving player-driven narrative and connected multiplayer experience. Starting with only a small starship and a few credits, players do whatever it takes to earn the skill, knowledge, wealth and power to survive in a futuristic cutthroat galaxy and to stand among the ranks of the iconic Elite.

Sonic Forces™ Introduces New, Third Gameplay Style

Sonic Forces™ Introduces New, Third Gameplay Style

Sydney, Australia — May 17, 2017 — SEGA® revealed the third gameplay style in Sonic Forces is a powerful gadget touting customizable character. For the first time in the Sonic series, players can create their own original Hero Character, and customise how the character plays and how it looks. This newly revealed playstyle in Sonic Forces is in addition to the previously revealed fast-paced action of Modern Sonic and the thrilling platforming of Classic Sonic. 

In this just announced gameplay style, players will be equipping their custom Hero Character with one of a variety of powerful unique gadgets called Wispons. Wispons are an evolution of the Color Powers from Sonic Colours and double as both offensive abilities and as a way to platform through levels quickly. Along with the Wispon, the Hero Character will have a grappling hook they can utilise to quickly traverse across zones. Players can also customise the Hero Character’s looks by choosing and swapping between hundreds of accessories and outfit options to change the character’s appearance as they play through the game.

There are seven base animal types that players can select from, each with varying special abilities:

  • Wolf – Automatically draws in rings when near them
  • Rabbit – Has longer invincible time after receiving damage
  • Cat – Keeps one ring after being hit
  • Dog – Restarts with five rings after the player dies
  • Bear – Blows away enemies with a homing attack
  • Bird – Flies high with double jump abilities
  • Hedgehog – Collects rings when getting damaged

No matter what Hero the player chooses to create, it will be featured throughout the entire game. In a first for the Sonic franchise, a character the player creates will be a key part of the story, appearing not only in cut scenes, but by being a crucial element in helping Sonic reclaim the world from Eggman’s domination.

Sonic Forces will be available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, & PC in 2017. Join the Uprising to take back the world from Dr. Eggman.

To stay current on Sonic the Hedgehog news, follow Sonic on Twitter and Instagram, like him on Facebook, and subscribe to the Twitch channel and the YouTube channel.

EB EXPO PRESENTS REGURGITATOR, ART VS. SCIENCE AND 7BIT HERO – 1 NIGHT ONLY!

EB EXPO PRESENTS REGURGITATOR, ART VS. SCIENCE AND 7BIT HERO – 1 NIGHT ONLY!

The team behind EB Expo 2017 on the Gold Coast are thrilled to announce the entertainment weekend will kick off its Gold Coast return with a special live music event Unit20. Regurgitator will be joined by Art vs. Science and 7Bit Hero to celebrate 20 years since Regurgitator’s ground-breaking second studio album Unit. The concert will rock Gold Coast Convention Centre on Friday 6 October.

For the first time ever, rock and gaming fans will get to witness a special collaboration of three bands with an iconic place in Australia’s pop culture and music scenes. Show-goers will be blown away by state-of-the art 3D visual effects and an amazing sensory experience.

More than 20 years after they first formed in Brisbane, Regurgitator are still going strong. After releasing their debut album Tu-Plang in 1996, their mega-popular follow-up Unit was released in 1997 which quickly went triple platinum and won five ARIA awards including Album of the Year.

Unit is but a pixel in time. A spec in the Australian music cultural cosmos. In itself a chimerical reaction to a love of music past. Forged in a self-created Dirty Room studio in the Fortitude Valley over a few weeks in August 1997 after returning from an extensive US tour with Helmet & The Melvins… then set adrift in the molecular world by Warner Music on NOV 3 1997. First conveyed into the live stratosphere at a ski club in the northern climes of Darwin on a balmy Halloween eve… this self-effacing monster of a retrotech platter stirred the self-styled opening jeer of I like your old stuff better than your new stuff, tumbling all that chose to follow into the rapidly embraced new stuff of beeps, blips and all out pop-rockin’ fun. Unit resolutely found its link in the musical DNA of the day and 20 years down the track this yellow dot still glows with all the intensity it rose that day to greet us with. The UNIT20 collaboration with EB Games strives for a unique multi-dimensional ocular moment, the only live revisitation we will emit across this double decade point in time… and even more the gratification to be joined in this celebration by musical compatriots Art vs Science along with 7 Bit Hero to help transmit the light and sound. Pong on indeed!

The trio guarantee to erase the roof and open the sky, as will electronic dance band Art vs. Science. The Sydney-based group won the ARIA award for Best Independent Release for their debut album The Experiment in 2011.

Art vs Science have come a long way since 2009. Their debut EP, featuring major hits ‘Parlez Vous Francais?’ (#2 in triple j’s 2008 Hottest 100) and ‘Magic Fountain’ (#9 the following year), cemented the Sydney three-piece as one of Australia’s favourite bands. In 2011, Art vs Science won an ARIA Award for Best Independent Album and were championed as festival headliners, welcomed back time and time again for their feel-good and dynamic live show.

Taking time off after their debut record, they honed their sound for 2014 EP Create / Destroy and the result was a self-assured release paying tribute to their dance rock roots, but with a new level of depth and vitality. When the trio reunited in 2015 for their sophomore release Off The Edge of The Earth and Into Forever, Forever it was with the same desire for renewal and transformation. Art vs Science have spent the past two years touring, and working on new music.

Hyper bit-pop band 7Bit Hero, who also develop video games for mobile platforms, will also get fingers dancing with their eclectic set which combines music with interactive visuals. During their show, your smartphone will be your joystick that allows you to control a character in the multi-player game projected behind the band.

“We could not be more excited to have the opportunity to bring Unit20 to the Gold Coast for an exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime show,” said Event Manager Trent Weekes

“This is truly a historic musical event that will kick off a huge weekend of entertainment at the EB Expo. There will be no better place to be the second weekend of October.”

Tickets for sitting or standing areas start from only $49.95 and will be available via Ticketek.com.au, ebexpo.com.au or at all EB Games and ZiNG Pop Culture stores from Friday May 19. Concert doors will open at 7.30pm.

BIGBEN AND KYLOTONN STUDIO ANNOUNCE WRC 7, THE OFFICIAL VIDEO GAME OF THE 2017 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

BIGBEN AND KYLOTONN STUDIO ANNOUNCE WRC 7, THE OFFICIAL VIDEO GAME OF THE 2017 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP


Sydney (Australia), May 17th, 2017 – Bigben and Kylotonn are pleased to announce the upcoming release of WRC 7, the official video game of the 2017 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). The game will be available this spring on PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PC.

With over one million copies sold in the last 2 years, the WRC license will benefit from the experience of the French studio Kylotonn, which will use all of its expertise to develop a more precise, extreme and realistic game. This year, the level of immersion in the FIA World Rally Championship will be even higher.

WRC 7 will put even more emphasis on the dynamic new-for-2017 World Rally Cars, including Thierry Neuville, Dani Sordo and Hayden Paddon’s Hyundai i20 (already 2 victories in 5 events in 2017 for Hyundai Motorsport) highlighted in the trailer called “The Beauty and the Beast”. 

This year the World Rally Championship rules have changed, and the cars in which the drivers compete are more powerful and more aggressive. Their new characteristics, enhanced by astonishing aerodynamics and improved handling, will make the rallies even more spectacular. This surge of power experienced while steering and driving with the controller will never have felt so real.

Aggressive, loud and nimble, the WRC 7 cars represent a new challenge for players, who will face off against each other to gain crucial tenths of a second on the Tarmac, dirt and snow of the 13 rallies in the WRC. Players will have the chance to play as their favourite WRC drivers and cars from the 2017 season, including Sébastien Ogier (Ford Fiesta WRC), Kris Meeke (Citroën C3 WRC) or Jari-Matti Latvala (Toyota Yaris WRC).

The Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC is a 380hp version of the road car, able to reach 60mph in less than 4 seconds. For Hyundai Motorsport, the three-door Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC represents the team’s third new car since its debut in the Championship back in 2014. 

WRC 7 will be available in spring of 2017 on PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PC.

CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS III ZOMBIES CHRONICLES AVAILABLE NOW, FIRST ON PLAYSTATION®4

CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS III ZOMBIES CHRONICLES AVAILABLE NOW, FIRST ON PLAYSTATION®4

Players Can Now Experience Eight Classic, Fully-Remastered Maps from Call of Duty: World at War, Call of Duty: Black Ops, and Call of Duty: Black Ops II, All In One Package “8 Days of the Undead” Fan Celebration Kicks-Off Today, Featuring Free In-Game Giveaways, and Much More. 

May 17, 2017 – Call of Duty: Black Ops III Zombies Chronicles, the unprecedented collection from Activision that includes eight of the most beloved Zombies maps from previous Treyarch-developed Call of Duty games, is available now together in one package on the PlayStation® Network for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system. The fully remastered maps, featuring thrilling Zombies origins stories, have been enhanced with stunning visuals, enhanced audio and new gameplay for current console generations.

The eight maps in Zombies Chronicles are:

  • From Call of Duty: World at War: Nacht der Untoten (Abandoned Bunker), Verruckt (Wittenau Sanitorium) and Shi No Numa (Jungle Swamp)
  • From Call of Duty: Black Ops: Kino Der Toten (Theater of the Dead), Ascension (Soviet Cosmodrome), Shangri-la (Exotic Jungle Shrine) and Moon (Lunar Base)
  • From Call of Duty: Black Ops II: Origins (WWI France) 

Call of Duty: Black Ops III Zombies Chronicles takes players through the beginnings of the original Zombies saga remastered in true HD. It features the classic characters that fans have come to know and love, as well as the deep storylines that have made Zombies so popular. The collection adds vibrant current-generation visuals, enhanced lighting, revamped character models and environments, and updated AI and audio systems. Zombies Chronicles also lets players use custom weapons, including current weaponry featured in Black Ops III that wasn’t featured in the original maps. 

To celebrate launch day, Activision and Treyarch are kicking-off the “8 Days of the Undead.” Players of Black Ops III on all platforms and players of Black Ops III Zombies Chronicles on PS4 are invited to earn double XP rewards, engage in community challenges, and to receive a host of free exclusive content, including Zombies calling cards, a new weapon camo, new GobbleGums and a PS4 theme.

Call of Duty: Black Ops III Zombies Chronicles* is a digital offering available now at a suggested retail price of $AUD44.95, and comes with the following bonus content with purchase:

  • 20 Vials of Liquid Divinium
  • 2 All-New Whimsical GobbleGums
  • Exclusive Zombies Pack-A-Punch Weapon Camo

*Call of Duty: Black Ops III Zombies Chronicles is a content expansion for Call of Duty: Black Ops III which is sold separately and is required to play this downloadable content pack. Internet Connection Required. For more information, please visit https://support.activision.com/zombieschronicles.

Call of Duty: Black Ops III Zombies Chronicles is published by Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. [NASDAQ: ATVI], and developed by Treyarch. The game is rated R18+ for Mature Audiences (Blood, Intense Violence and Strong Language).

For more information, please visit www.callofduty.com. Fans can also follow @CallofDuty on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

About Treyarch

Treyarch is an award-winning video game studio, driven by the desire to create epic gameplay experiences that are enjoyed by as many video game fans as possible. It is an approach that has helped to make the studio behind the Call of Duty®: Black Ops series of games, an industry-leading developer. Call of Duty: Black Ops set an entertainment launch opening record upon its release in 2010 and continues to be one of the best-selling games of all time, according to NPD and GfK Chart-Track; Call of Duty: Black Ops II set world-wide launch day records; and the studio’s most recent Call of Duty: Black Ops III had the biggest entertainment opening weekend of 2015, and was the #1 console game globally for the calendar year. Additionally, Treyarch is the birthplace of Call of Duty’s Zombies. Treyarch is wholly owned by Activision Publishing, Inc.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

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

WELCOME TO THE AGE OF SHADOW & MIGHT IN FOR HONOR™ SEASON TWO, AVAILABLE NOW

WELCOME TO THE AGE OF SHADOW & MIGHT IN FOR HONOR™ SEASON TWO, AVAILABLE NOW

The New Season Adds Two New Heroes, New Maps and More.

Sydney, Australia — May 16, 2017 —Ubisoft® has announced that For Honor™ Season Two, Shadow & Might, is now available on all platforms. Shadow & Might will bring new content to For Honor, including two additional heroes, two extra maps, new customization items for all heroes and gameplay updates. Maps and gameplay updates will be free for all players at the start of Season Two. Available now for season pass holders, the new heroes, the lethal Shinobi and the fierce Centurion, will be available for all players on May 23 for 15,000 Steel each.

The For Honor team has made numerous improvements to hero balancing, gear, matchmaking, and network stability, and much more is planned for the coming weeks and months. The launch of Season Two is a great opportunity to return to the battlefield or experience For Honor for the first time.

 

Shadow & Might brings a wealth of new content to For Honor, including:

  • Shinobi (Samurai Assassin): The Shinobi are experts at maneuvering around the battlefield. Equipped with backflip, front roll, dodge cancel and super sprint abilities, Shinobi are hyper agile and mobile heroes. While their low health and difficulty performing defensive counters can leave them vulnerable, their agility and long-range attacks more than make up for their lack of defense. They wield the traditional Japanese kusarigama, a weapon composed of a sickle with a chain attached. With the ability to throw and retract their kusarigama and grab at a distance, Shinobi have the longest range of any hero.
  • Centurion (Knight Hybrid): Centurions are close-quarters melee fighters that specialize in bypassing defenses and draining their opponent’s stamina. Their short range necessitates getting up close and personal to knock opponents off balance. Once enemies are staggered, the Centurion can punish them with a charged heavy and high damage jump attack. Equipped with the reliable standard-issue gladius, the Centurion is perfectly suited for getting in close and executing short-range combination attacks.
  • New Maps: Season Two will also expand upon the selection of multiplayer maps with the inclusion of Forge and Temple Garden. Forge represents the might of Ashfeld and the brute force of the Knight war machine. The Temple Garden embodies the beauty and harmony of the Myre but has since been turned into a Samurai battlefield. Both maps are available in all multiplayer modes.
  • Gear Overhaul: Shadow & Might revamps the gear system by addressing stats that are not useful or made redundant by other stats, while ensuring that no one statistical category is too powerful and thereby eliminating overpowered builds. The presentation of gear stats will also change as players comparing gear can now see the specific percentage increases in individual categories.
  • Epic Level Gear: Coinciding with the gear system makeover comes an entirely new level of gear, Epic gear, which increases the maximum gear score from 108 to 144.
  • Expanded Faction War: With Season One of the Faction War coming down to the wire between the Vikings and Samurai, the Faction War map will see changes with the introduction of nine new territories into the cross-platform metagame. With honor, pride and exclusive in-game rewards on the line, the twelve-week Faction War decides which faction is truly superior.

Developed by Ubisoft Montreal in collaboration with other Ubisoft studios,* For Honor offers an engaging campaign and thrilling multiplayer modes. Players embody warriors of the three Great Factions – the bold Knights, the brutal Vikings and the deadly Samurai – fighting to the death on intense and believable melee battlefields. The Art of Battle, the game’s innovative combat system that puts players in total control of their warriors, allows them to utilize the unique skills and combat style of each hero to vanquish all enemies who stand in their way.

For more information about For Honor, please visit forhonorgame.com and please follow on Facebook at facebook.com/ForHonorGame and on Twitter at twitter.com/ForHonorGame. To learn more about all Ubisoft games, please visit ubiblog.com.

*Associate Ubisoft studios are Quebec, Toronto and Blue Byte.

 

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 2015–16 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,394 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.

© 2017 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. The For Honor logo, Ubisoft, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries.

UBISOFT® REPORTS FULL-YEAR 2016-17 sales and earnings figures

UBISOFT® REPORTS FULL-YEAR 2016-17 sales and earnings figures

Company posts third consecutive year-on-year rise in non-IFRS operating margin, with record-high digital revenue and back-catalogue sales, reflecting the Group’s transformation toward a more profitable and recurring model  

Paris, May 17, 2017 – Today, Ubisoft released its sales and earnings figures for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017. 

Yves Guillemot, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, stated: “The execution of our strategic plan fully paid off in 2016-17, with further very strong growth for the digital segment – which now accounts for 50% of total sales – and an ever-more recurring profile.” 

“With 44 million unique registered players, the size of the Tom Clancy community has increased by almost 150% in less than 18 months. This impressive performance for a brand created almost 20 years ago clearly illustrates the strong popularity of Ghost Recon Wildlands, Rainbow Six Siege and The Division. Our Live titles continue to beat records for player engagement and have seen a sharp rise in player recurring investment. Our results for 2016-17 demonstrate the success of our new model, with record high operating income and outperforming the target announced a year ago, and operating margin up for the third consecutive year.” 

“Over the last three fiscal years, Ubisoft has – with remarkable success – created numerous new brands and rebooted Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon. These successes have strengthened our visibility for the coming two fiscal years, with a line-up of releases principally comprised of established franchises. In 2017-18 we will see the exciting returns of Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, The Crew and South Park. 

In 2018-19 we intend to pursue our digital transformation and consolidate our new business model, which is much more recurring and more profitable and is now significantly less exposed to new releases. This revision of our assumptions gives greater visibility for meeting our targets.”

“Our dynamic trajectory is being led by the growing footprint of video games in the entertainment industry. Ubisoft is playing a leading role in this respect thanks to the creativity of our teams, the power of our owned brands, the digital transformation that has generated direct relationships with our communities, and our numerous growth drivers, particularly in terms of geographic markets. Beyond 2018-19 we will continue to catch up with our competitors in terms of player recurring investment, which represents huge value creation potential for our shareholders.”

Note

All of the figures in this press release correspond to non-IFRS data adjusted to exclude non-operating items, unless stated otherwise. The Group presents these indicators – which are not prepared strictly in accordance with IFRS – as it considers that they are the best reflection of its operating and financial performance. The definitions of the non-IFRS indicators with a description of the applicable adjustments, as well as a reconciliation table between the IFRS consolidated income statement and the non-IFRS consolidated income statement are provided in an appendix to this press release.

Disclaimer

This statement may contain estimated financial data, information on future projects and transactions and future business results/performance. Such forward-looking data are provided for estimation purposes only. They are subject to market risks and uncertainties and may vary significantly compared with the actual results that will be published. The estimated financial data have been presented and approved by the Board of Directors on 05/16/17 and have not been audited by the Statutory Auditors. (Additional information is specified in the most recent Ubisoft Registration Document filed on July 22, 2016 with the French Financial Markets Authority (l’Autorité des Marchés Financiers)).

 

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, Watch_Dogs, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman and Far Cry. 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. Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries.  © 2017 South Park Digital Studios LLC. All Rights Reserved. South Park and all elements thereof © 2017 Comedy Partners. All Rights Reserved. Comedy Central, South Park and all related titles, logos, and characters are trademarks of Comedy Partners. Game software © 2017 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

TURTLE BEACH ADDS NEW XO THREE AND RECON 150 GAMING HEADSETS FOR XBOX ONE AND PLAYSTATION®4 TO 2017 LINEUP

TURTLE BEACH ADDS NEW XO THREE AND RECON 150 GAMING HEADSETS FOR XBOX ONE AND PLAYSTATION®4 TO 2017 LINEUP

The XO THREE and RECON 150’s Large 50mm Speakers and High-Sensitivity Mic Deliver Turtle Beach’s Unbeatable Game and Chat Sound Needed for Multiplayer Victory

Previously Announced RECON CHAT Gaming Headsets for Xbox One and PS4™ Now Available at Participating Retail Outlets Nationwide

Sydney, Australia – May 17, 2017 – Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ: HEAR) today revealed two new models for its 2017 lineup of acclaimed gaming headsets for Xbox One and PlayStation®4. Similar in style to the company’s best-selling XO FOUR STEALTH, the new XO THREE officially licensed gaming headset for Xbox One and RECON 150 offer the same rugged and robust design as their predecessor, with large 50mm speakers and Turtle Beach’s renowned high-sensitivity mic to deliver the unbeatable game and chat audio needed to secure victory on the multiplayer battlefield. The XO THREE and RECON 150 are planned to launch at participating retailers this Australian winter with local pricing still to be confirmed.

Additionally, last month Turtle Beach redefined what gamers should expect from a chat headset with the all-new RECON CHAT for Xbox One and PS4™, which are now available globally at participating retail outlets.

“Part of our consistent success in this category is rooted in the breadth and quality of our lineup because we have a gaming headset for every type of player,” said Juergen Stark, CEO, Turtle Beach Corporation. “The XO THREE and RECON 150 headsets are great additions to our mid-range line of products, delivering amazing game audio, crystal clear chat and comfort at a great price.”

In addition to the large, high-quality 50mm speakers and Turtle Beach’s renowned high-sensitivity mic, the XO THREE and RECON 150 include convenient in-line controls that put Master Volume and Mic Mute right at your fingertips. The XO THREE also delivers immersive virtual surround sound on Xbox One via Windows Sonic for Headphones, making your games, movies and music a more in-depth experience.

Full details on Turtle Beach’s XO THREE and RECON 150 are below:

  • Rugged & Comfortable Design – The XO THREE and RECON 150 have a thick, rugged and robust frame with a plush leather-wrapped headband and breathable fabric-wrapped ear-cushions that allow you to play for hours in complete comfort.
  • Surround Sound Ready* – The XO THREE is surround sound ready for Windows Sonic for Headphones on Xbox One (and compatible Windows 10 PCs) so you can experience your games, movies and music with deeper immersion.

*Windows Sonic for Headphones only available on Xbox One (and compatible Windows 10 PCs) with update from Microsoft.

  • Large 50mm Speakers – Hear every crisp high and thundering low with these large, high-quality 50mm over-ear speakers.
  • Crystal Clear Chat – Turtle Beach’s renowned high-sensitivity mic picks-up your voice loud and clear, and can be removed when watching movies or listening to music.
  • Convenient In-line Controls – Convenient in-line controls place Master Volume and Mic Mute right at your fingertips.
  • Versatile Compatibility – Works great with PS4 and Xbox One controllers with a 3.5mm jack, as well as with PC, Mac® and mobile/tablet devices with a 3.5mm connection. Other Xbox One controllers require the Headset Audio Adaptor (sold separately).

For more information on the latest Turtle Beach gaming headsets and audio accessories, visit www.turtlebeach.com, and be sure to follow Turtle Beach on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Critically Acclaimed Plaftormer “Splasher” Spattering its way to Consoles this Fall

Critically Acclaimed Plaftormer “Splasher” Spattering its way to Consoles this Fall

The Splashteam and The Sidekicks confirm development of the quirky platformer for Playstation 4, Xbox One and Switch.

Montpellier, France – 05/16/2017 – Since its launch on Steam last February, Splasher has been critically acclaimed and considered as one of the best platformers of the year so far, with flattering comparisons to hits like Super Meat Boy. The proof is in the pudding. Steam customer reviews to date are 97% positive. Today, the Splashteam and The Sidekicks are thrilled to announce that the Speedrun challenging platformer will be released this fall on Playstation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

Splasher is a 2D platformer with unique arcade/action gameplay. Set in a crazy cartoon universe, it offers gamers challenges that require agility, speed and fast reflexes.

Armed with a splatter cannon, players launch an attack on a paint factory in order to save the workers, called the Splashers and stand up against the evil boss. The amazing paint cannon grants you color superpowers. Splashers can stick to the walls, bounce, or attack enemies. To succeed in this noble mission and put an end to the madness, players will have to put their skills and reflexes to the test and face whatever the factory throws at them.

Splasher has been acknowledged for its inch-perfect level design that makes it very popular in the Speedrun community. The game offers several competitive modes and world leaderboards and started a #SplasherChallenge that led to a fierce competition between players including some very skilled youtubers and twitchers. As a reward for the developers the game already made its way to the next SGDQ line-up, the most popular worldwide speedrun event.

For the players willing to discover Splasher before next fall, the PC edition is available this week on Steam with a special 25% discount offer (until Monday, May 22nd).

>About The Splashteam
The Splashteam was founded by Romain Claude, former Game Designer and Level Designer at Ubisoft (Rayman Origins, Rayman Legends). He gathered a small, talented team, including Richard Vatinel a.k.a Gromy, Art Director, and Aymeric Schwartz, composer and sound designer (Absolver, Rayman Origins or Valiant Hearts), to create Splasher.

About The Sidekicks
The Sidekicks is a video game label founded in 2015 and focusing on PC and Consoles premium games.  In addition to Splasher, its publisher line-up includes highly anticipated games such as Edge of Eternity or Hover; Revolt of Gamers as well as promising titles such as Old School Musical or BAFL.
More info on: www.TheSidek.com

Porno Studio Tycoon Review

Porno Studio Tycoon

Developer: Zitrix Megalomedia
Publisher: Zitrix Megalomedia
Platform: Windows
Release Date: 5 May 2017
Price: $19.69 USD – Available Here

Overview

Porno Studio Tycoon is a serious business sim delivered with a titillating premise. Players will run their own pornography business making, selling, and marketing pornographic films around the world. Although the premise is definitely 18+, the game itself has suggestive but no explicit content.

Story

As to be expected of a tycoon genre game, there is no actual story in Porno Studio Tycoon. The writing is rather poor. Some sentences are passable, but others are pure nonsense. The game’s text was written or translated from its original Russian by someone who is does not speak English fluently.

Gameplay

Porno Studio Tycoon is a difficult game to learn. The tutorials consist of two poorly written interactive walkthroughs that provide instruction on the absolute basic functions of the game. The game leaves players to figure out a bulk of the game on their own. There is little documentation to explain most mechanics in the game. Although the first new game generated supposedly locks down many features to “introduce” them slowly, the actual explanations are either non-existent or nonsensical. The automatic scene creator that is unlocked for the second new game for easier play is equally confusing, leaving me more willing to tough out managing the minor details in each scene than force myself to master a new, confusing menu.

The menus follow the trend of confusion and a lack of clarity. The tooltips are marginally helpful at best. Some sliders, buttons, and UI elements are not explained at all. Some menu buttons are not properly sized against the English text, making them hard to read. The layout is a disorganized mess. The game is laid out like a point and click adventure game found on mobile devices than an actual business sim, making the navigation feel bloated Creating a film starting with hiring actors to post production to tracking your business’ records requires hopping between multiple locations, creating multiple unnecessary steps.

If a player manages to endure the poor layout and experiment with the game enough to learn the ropes, they will discover a half competent business tycoon. While it is not as epic or complex as some of the titans in the genre, there are plenty of variables in the creation and marketing of films that need attention for players to be successful. Actors need to be cast in the right roles based on their abilities, extra technical crew can be hired to improve the quality of the film, and the day’s filming schedule must be optimized to keep actors focused on their jobs without exhausting them. Players will constantly need to keep an eye out on changing market data to ensure a stream of relevant films hit the market that caters to ever changing demands that change by country and by week. When money is low, players can sell scenes or pick up contracts to make a quick buck.

The developers have done a good job with giving the end users a good bit of freedom to tweak their game as they please. The new game menu provides a plethora of options to tweak the difficulty of the game beyond the preset difficulty settings. Additionally, the game features mod support through Steam Workshop.

Visuals

Porno Studio Tycoon features nice graphics that are probably a touch too risqué to be safe for work, but not actually pornographic in nature. The quality of art is high, but the style feels quite generic for the most part. The style is almost identical to the sea of hidden object adventure games that are churned out for mobile platforms. The only part of the game’s graphics that really stand out is the cheeky icons that allude to a variety of acts the performers can be directed to perform.

Audio

The audio experience is a bit disappointing. The music consists of rather generic tunes that are incredibly forgettable. Many of the songs would feel at home in old 1990’s shareware games or an elevator. There are some voice lines. The acting is decent, though there is a distinct lack of variety in the actors and lines themselves. It is important to note that only female actors are given voice lines, as the game lacks any male voice.

Overall

Reviewing Porno Studio Tycoon has been a bit of a challenge due to the nature of its taboo content. Up to this point in my review, I have consciously treated the game as if it was making normal movies seen at the theatre to separate the game itself from it’s taboo content. But at some point, I must address the giant thousand-pound elephant in lingerie that has been in the room that I have made all attempts to ignore up until now. This game involves pushing the boundaries of the last great Western media taboo surrounding of sex, thanks in a large part to the United States of America’s massive influence on English language entertainment. While controversy around depictions of violence and drugs have largely subsided in recent decades, the Hot Coffee controversy involving Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is still rather fresh. Why is this rather dry, academic tangent relevant to a $20 video game made by a Russian developer? Because this game would have never received the same attention if it was simply called Movie Studio Tycoon. Sex and pornography isn’t being portrayed in a sex positive or even a sex negative way in Porno Studio Tycoon. I can accept that making an adult themed game on Steam is problematic in its own rights based on a lack of clear guidance on what Valve is willing to accept. Russian laws also brings its own sets of rules with depictions of non-heterosexual content. Both facts may have impacted some design decisions on how sex and pornography is depicted in the game. But the problem lies in the fact the game treats sex with poorly translated wink wink, nudge nudge treatment of innuendo that makes the whole endeavour feel like it was designed to strictly capture the attention of 18-21 year old straight young men with promises of risqué and tantalizing content. While the game is rather restrained in the larger scheme of things, the emphasis on the sexualized depictions of females combined with the innuendo heavy treatment of sex in the game makes it hard to escape the conclusion that the game’s pornographic is essentially clickbait. That is not to say that a pornography studio tycoon sim could not be done in an entertaining and enjoyable way, this is just not the way to do it.

Parsing out any potential controversy related to sex and video games, Porno Studio Tycoon is a game that buries half decent tycoon sim gameplay under a pile of poor writing, bad UI, and lousy documentation. The graphics and audio are polished, but for the most part are completely generic. That alone is enough earns the game a poor review. The immature, clickbait-like handling of the game’s premise just makes the poor game quality all the more offensive.

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