DESTINY 2 ANNOUNCED: BLOCKBUSTER SEQUEL TO THE BIGGEST NEW CONSOLE VIDEO GAME FRANCHISE LAUNCH OF ALL-TIME SET FOR SEPTEMBER 8

Gameplay World Premiere Set for May 18

Pre-Order for Early Access to Upcoming Destiny 2 Beta†

First-Person Action Game Welcomes PC Players to the Destiny Universe

Destiny 2 will be released with full English voice over and subtitles

March 31, 2017 – Bungie and Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), announced Destiny 2, the sequel to the internationally acclaimed Destiny, a first-person action game that takes the player on an epic journey to defend humanity from annihilation. The official Destiny 2 reveal trailer, “Rally the Troops,” debuted a character-driven glimpse at Destiny 2’s story today. Additionally, the first hands-on gameplay reveal livestream will be broadcast around the world on May 18.  The broadcast will showcase a variety of fun, action-oriented activities within Destiny 2, and will highlight the brand-new, epic adventure waiting for players. With a fresh start for all players right from the opening cinematic, Destiny 2 will expand across the globe with a worldwide release on September 8.  Destiny 2 will be available on PlayStation®4 systems with additional timed exclusive content*, Xbox One (PlayStation®Plus or Xbox Live Gold subscription, respectively, required for significant features), and for the first time in Destiny’s history, a new platform to enjoy this universe will be offered.  Destiny 2 is coming to PC!

“Destiny was the biggest launch of a new console video game franchise ever, and Destiny 2 will welcome a new generation into this action-packed universe,” said Activision CEO, Eric Hirshberg.  “Along with our incredibly talented partners at Bungie, we are focusing on making Destiny 2 appealing to more fans than ever – with state of the art first person action, an awesome new story, great characters, and innovations that make the game more accessible than ever. We’re also bringing a dedicated version of Destiny to the PC platform for the first time.  Destiny 2 will make an already great game franchise bigger and better than ever.”

Bungie CEO, Pete Parsons, said, “The past three years have been incredibly inspiring and rewarding for Bungie. To know that millions of players around the world have forged lasting Destiny memories and even made it their hobby is truly humbling and we can’t wait to continue the journey.”  He added, “We are looking forward to sharing a fresh, inviting story, and with the upcoming Destiny 2 Beta slated for this winter, we are eager to get feedback from millions of players around the world who will get a glimpse of the new adventures that will unfold for all of us.  Together, with our partners at Activision, we are thrilled to get Destiny 2 in the hands of players in September.”

In Destiny 2, the last safe city on Earth has fallen and lay in ruins, occupied by a powerful new enemy and his elite army, the Red Legion. Every player creates their own character called a “Guardian,” humanity’s chosen protectors.  As a Guardian in Destiny 2, players must master new abilities and weapons to reunite the city’s forces, stand together and fight back to reclaim their home. The official Destiny 2 reveal trailer, “Rally the Troops,” shows two of the Vanguard, leaders of the Guardians, inspiring the people of the last city in an impassioned (and occasionally sarcastic) call to arms.  In Destiny 2 players will answer this call, embarking on a fresh story filled with new destinations around our solar system to explore, and an expansive amount of activities to discover.  There is something for almost every type of gamer in Destiny 2, including gameplay for solo, cooperative and competitive players set within a vast, evolving and exciting universe.

Destiny 2 is categorised as CTC by the Australian Classification Board. The product line-up will also feature the Destiny 2 – Game + Expansion Pass Bundle at $139.95 AUD RRP, the Destiny 2 – Digital Deluxe Edition featuring premium digital content at $149.95 AUD RRP, the Limited Edition at $149.95 AUD RRP and the Collector’s Edition, featuring a fully-wearable Destiny 2 – Frontier Bag, Expansion Pass, premium digital content and a Cabal-themed Collector’s Box for $349.95 AUD RRP.

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

About Bungie

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

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.

Heavy Metal Machines Releases New Trailers for Two Character Revamps  

Enhancements to Leaderboards and New Language Localization Announced

Florianópolis BRAZIL, March 30, 2017 – Hoplon, the developers of Heavy Metal Machines, are pleased to announce that a new update is due to hit the game’s open beta today, bringing with it new vehicle skins, updates to the leaderboard system, and localization support for three new languages.

New Car Designs

Two of Heavy Metal Machine’s most notorious competitors will be receiving a visual revamp in this update through the introduction of new 3D models and paintjobs for their vehicles. The first is the Clunker brothers, the Redneck duo that needs both brains to compete in their tricked out tow truck. The “good ol’ boys” have improved their country engineering to revamp their classic pickup truck is now a tougher and more robust adversary in the arena.

The other recipient of some sweet new ride variations is the Ayatollah of Rock n’ Roll himself, the New Messiah, the Metal Herald. He has a whole new set of vehicle skins to don as he relentlessly runs down infidels while blaring his holy fury through specialized loudspeakers that, as they say, rock. Check out the new trailers for these new car designs here and here.

Leaderboards

This update will also see the unveiling of the game’s leaderboard system. Under this new design, players will have stats tracked over four week time periods known as seasons, which will be broken up into shorter phases of a single week. Players will have their performance tracked in three different categories: Damage Per Minute, Repair Per Minute, and Bombs Delivered. Overall scores per time period will be determined through a transparent calculation system described in more detail on the Heavy Metal Machines website. At the end of seasons, Champions will collect their awards and enter the Hall of Fame.

Additional Languages Supported

Heavy Metal Machines is now available in French, German, and Spanish.

About Hoplon

Founded in 2000, Hoplon is comprised of a one-hundred-person team specializing in video game development, publishing and support services with titles like APB: Reloaded to their credit. Already a fan-favorite in their native Brazil, in mid-2017 Hoplon plans to delight North American audiences with their most ambitious title to-date, Heavy Metal Machines. For more information about Hoplon, please visit www.hoplon.com . To learn more about Heavy Metal Machines, please visit www.heavymetalmachines.com or follow us on Facebook at FB.com/HeavyMetalMachinesEN and on Twitter @HMM_Hoplon_EN.

The Festival Begins – Miniature Garden Now Out!

March 30, 2017 – The mystery visual novel Miniature Garden is now available on Steam! Developed by Muzintou, Miniature Garden tells the story of five students trapped at school on the night of a festival. Korie Riko from Lump of Sugar is behind Miniature Garden’s art, and the game boasts a great lineup or famous voice actors.

Synopsis
In the woods not far from the city lies a school called the ‘Miniature Garden.’ In keeping with the school’s name, an original ‘Miniature Festival’ is held there every three years. There’s a rumor that an unnatural death will befall someone on the night of the festival. This year, as the sun sets, Yasunari and four other students find themselves trapped alone in the school on the night of the festival. Is it just a mistake, or could the rumors be true?

Features:

• A mystery story with multiple endings.

• Characters fully voiced by leading voice actors.

• HD Widescreen resolution.

Character Voices

• Tokui Sora (Love Live, Tantei Opera Milky Holmes) as Shibaya Sumika.

• Hidaka Rina (Ro-Kyu-Bu!, Kantai Collection) as Komiya Rio.

• Numakura Manami (Aikatsu, the IDOLM@STER) as Sakura Ayana.

• Kakihara Tetsuya (Fairy Tail, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann) as Orimoto Itsuki.

English version of the opening song, “Miniature Garden”, performed by Kanade Nakoto (Lump of Sugar), can be seen on the Fruitbat Factory YouTube channel.

Screenshots are available on the game’s Steam page and homepage.

Miniature Garden is available on Steam for $14.99 during the first week (regular price $19.99).

For more information, business enquiries and to be included in the press release and review mailing lists, contact Fruitbat Factory at [email protected].

Fruitbat Factory, Ltd
English version developer (Homepage, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Google+ & YouTube)
Fruitbat Factory is an independent localisation house focusing on bringing interesting Japanese games to English-speaking audiences.

Muzintou
Developer of original Japanese version ( Homepage , Twitter )
Muzintou was founded as a collaboration between industry veterans, and Miniature Garden is their first production.
SOURCE: Fruitbat Factory

Crowdfunded Thimbleweed Park Murder Investigation to be Closed Unsolved
Sheriff tells amateur investigators to leave town: “There’s nothing-a-reno to see here.”

THIMBLEWEED PARK – March 30, 1987 – The Thimbleweed Park Sheriff has formally closed the ongoing investigation into the dead body under the bridge citing lack of evidence, dwindling interest, and a desire to get home by 8:00pm to watch wrestling.

The murder victim is believed to be a European visitor with no ties to the local community. The unsolved murder is the latest in a series of suspicious events that include the sudden death of town founder Chuck Edmund and the mysterious disappearance of his brother, Franklin.

In the course of the investigation, the Thimbleweed Park Sheriff’s Department raised suspicions about two uninvited federal agents, disgraced entertainer Ransome the Clown, and pillow factory heiress Delores Edmund. Though their involvement has not been definitively ruled out, the Sheriff today insisted he sees no reason to waste further resources on a “dead-end-a-reno case.”

“Dead body? What dead body?” the Sheriff blurted when pressed for comment, conspicuously looking over his shoulder.

Game developers Ron Gilbert, Gary Winnick, and David Fox, who have been camping out in Thimbleweed Park since the body was found, are questioning the Sheriff’s motives. “This town is hiding a secret, a big one. When we came close to uncovering it, that’s when the locals stopped cooperating,” Fox said from the show floor at ThimbleCon ’87, which is taking place this weekend at the Edmund Hotel.

“We thought raising funds on Kickstarter and embedding ourselves in Thimbleweed Park would give us answers. But two years later, we’re only left with more questions,” added Winnick. “Why are the signals so strong out here? How come the phone book has 3,000 names in a town with only 80 people? None of these nutjobs even care about the dead body!”

With officials stonewalling the murder investigation and the crowdfunded project drawing to a close, the developers of the Thimbleweed Park video game are now appealing to more than 18,000 backers, as well as countless others who are intrigued by the strange happenings in Thimbleweed Park, to take over.

“Gary, David, and I have spent two years of our *beeping* lives trying to get to the bottom of this,” said Ron ‘Grumpy Gamer’ Gilbert. “You want to know what’s going on with the dead body? You want the truth about Thimbleweed Park? Then get down here and start pointing and clicking. This game isn’t going to play itself.”

To participate in the Thimbleweed Park murder investigation, visit Steam, GOG, Xbox One, or the Mac App Store today. More details can be found at http://www.thimbleweedpark.com.

About Thimbleweed Park
In Thimbleweed Park, a dead body is the least of your problems. Switch between five playable characters to uncover the surreal secrets of this strange town in a modern mystery adventure game from the creators of Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion. The deeper you go, the weirder it gets. Kickstarted in 2014 and developed with the invaluable support of more than 18,000 backers, Thimbleweed Park is now available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Xbox One, with iOS and Android versions coming soon.

MLB Manager 2017 Available Now For Android and iOS

Official Licensee of MLB.com and MLBPA, Featuring 2017 Opening Day Rosters

Out of the Park Developments, an official licensee of MLB.com, MiLB.com, and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), today announced that MLB Manager 2017 is available now for Android and iOS at Google Play and the Apple App Store, respectively. This exciting mobile game allows players to take control of any MLB team, past or present, and guide it through unlimited seasons of championship chasing. An option to create fictional leagues is also included.

Like Out of the Park Baseball 18, which was released on March 24, 2017, MLB Manager 2017 features the official Major League Baseball logo, as well as official logos for all 30 MLB teams, historical MLB logos, and the World Series trophy. The MLBPA license allows MLB Manager 2017 to include real player names and stats too.

Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ootpdevelopments.mlbm2017

iOS App Store:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mlb-manager-2017/id1142642733?mt=8

MLB Manager 2017 also features 2017 Opening Day rosters, with the projected 40-man roster for each team. It sells for US$4.99, with historical seasons available as in-app purchases.

“Guide your team through unlimited seasons of championship chasing while on the go, any time, anywhere. You don’t even need an Internet connection,” said lead developer Sebastian Palkowski.

New features in MLB Manager 2017:

– 2017 Opening Day MLB rosters, including top prospects
– Beautiful new interface
– Improved AI for trading, roster building, contract negotiations and in-game management
– Improved league news and play-by-play text

MLB Manager 2017’s core features include:

Three game modes:

• Major League: Mobile managers guide their favorite Major League Baseball teams through the 2017 season and beyond
• Fictional: A fresh customizable world full of fictional players, providing a unique challenge each time
• Historical Major League: Three exciting past seasons to recreate — 1927, 1948, or 1997 — with the ability to buy more through in-app. (Historical seasons are $0.99 each, 10 for $4.99, or all seasons dating back to 1901 for $19.99.)

In Historical Major League mode, real players show up in the draft when they made their actual major league debuts, assuming the user owns those seasons.

• Managerial options that enable players to set lineups, pitching rotations, and depth charts before taking the field to make in-game calls, including when to issue hit-and-run and steal signs, how to configure the defense, when to pull pitchers and put in pinch-hitters, and more.

Players can also let the computer handle those decisions and set a series of sliders that dictate overall strategies, such as aggressiveness on the base paths, how often to pitch around batters, and more. They can simulate the season a day or a week at a time, jumping back in to manage games whenever they want. A Simulate to Date X function allows players to simulate to a specific date, with a Don’t Disturb option that enables uninterrupted long-term sims.

• A play-by-play text stream that describes what’s happening on the field during the game, making it feel like a radio broadcast.

• An in-depth financial system that allows players to unleash their inner GMs. Are they looking for undervalued players who might help the team win while keeping payroll low, or are they free-wheeling spenders seeking high-profile free agents for the big win?

Players oversee trades, negotiate contract extensions, sign free agents, draft players, cultivate minor league prospects, move players between the active roster, minor league roster and disabled list, and more. A Shop a Player function lets them field offers from other teams, while shortlists let armchair GMs easily keep track of certain players.

About Out of the Park Developments 

Out of the Park Developments is the developer of the award-winning OOTP and MLB Manager series of baseball management simulations, Franchise Hockey Manager, and Beyond the Sideline Football. German-based OOTP Developments was founded by Markus Heinsohn and Andreas Raht in 1999. OOTP Developments has consistently produced games that have met with critical acclaim, including winning Metacritic’s coveted “Game of the Year” for the 2007 edition of OOTP, which remains the second highest-rated PC game on Metacritic of all time. Further information on the company and its games is available from the OOTP Developments website, http://www.ootpdevelopments.com

About MLB.com

Established in June 2000 following a unanimous vote by the 30 Major League Baseball club owners to centralize all of Baseball’s Internet operations, MLB Advanced Media LP (MLBAM) is the interactive media and internet company of Major League Baseball. MLBAM manages the official league site, MLB.com,and each of the 30 individual Club sites to create the most comprehensive Major League Baseball resource on the Internet. MLB.com offers fans the most complete baseball information and interactivity across computers and mobile devices, including up-to-date statistics, game previews and summaries, extensive historical information, online ticket sales, baseball merchandise, authenticated memorabilia and collectibles, fantasy games, live full-game video streaming and in-progress and on-demand highlights, live and archived audio broadcasts, Gameday pitch-by-pitch application, Statcast tracking technology, around-the-clock hosted and specialty video programming, complete blogging capabilities, console and mobile video games and the award-winning At Bat and Ballpark mobile applications. MLBAM powers more live events across the Internet than any other company in the world.

Major League Baseball Players Association

The Major League Baseball Players Association (www.MLBPLAYERS.com ) is the collective bargaining representative for all professional baseball players of the thirty Major League Baseball teams and serves as the exclusive group licensing agent for commercial and licensing activities involving active Major League baseball players. On behalf of its members, it operates the Players Choice licensing program and the Players Choice Awards, which benefit the needy through the Major League Baseball Players Trust, a charitable foundation established and run entirely by Major League baseball players. Follow: @MLB_Players; @MLBPAClubhouse; @MLBPlayersTrust

Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of MLB Advanced Media, L.P. Minor League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with the permission of Minor League Baseball.  All rights reserved.