Gran Turismo Sport announces closed beta

Today, it was unveiled via the PlayStation Blog that racing fans will have the chance to get hands on with Gran Turismo Sport through a closed beta.

Participants of the closed beta will get a sneak peek at how the next iteration of the renowned Gran Turismo franchise will pave the future of racing, competing in highly competitive races against other users across the country, and eventually, across the globe.

The initial phase of the closed beta, starting on March 17th, will only be open to selected US PSN IDs and will gradually increase in size and in stages.  Australians who have signed up within the PlayStation Europe forum or received a direct e-mail will be selected to participate in Phase 2 of the closed beta.

For more details on the contents of the GT Sport beta and roll out plans, head to the PlayStation Blog.

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TAG Heuer announced as official time keeper in Gran Turismo Sport

Gran Turismo creator, Kazunori Yamauchi, has announced that TAG Heuer will be the Official Time Keeper in Gran Turismo Sport. Polyphony Digital has integrated TAG Heuer’s Live Timing Technology into Gran Turismo Sport, providing unparalleled timing solutions within the racing experience.

The partnership was unveiled at the 87th Geneva International Motor Show, at the TAG Heuer stand, surrounded by exceptional racing cars, including showcars from the F1 Red Bull Racing Team and FIA Formula e Championship.

Please see attached the press announcement for the partnership for more details.

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Fittipaldi EF7 Vision Gran Turismo Revealed for GT Sport

F1 racing legend and Indy 500 champion, Emerson Fittipaldi, has unveiled his dream track car, the much-anticipated Fittipaldi EF7 Vision Gran Turismo by Pininfarina, at the Geneva Motor Show. Supercar fans and video game enthusiasts will have the opportunity to experience the EF7 in the virtual world where it will be exclusively available in Gran Turismo Sport.

Attached is the press announcement with more information on the Fittipaldi EF7 Vision Gran Turismo along with screenshots of the car in-game.

Head to the official Gran Turismo website for additional details on all GT Sport related topics.

For all the latest PlayStation news, follow PlayStation Australia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

GREY BOX, SIX FOOT AND TEQUILA WORKS’ RiME WILL LAUNCH ON PLAYSTATION^®4, XBOX ONE AND WINDOWS PC ON MAY 26

Captivating Puzzle Adventure Game Will Be Available on Nintendo Switch^TM Later this Winter 

Sydney – March 10, 2017 – Grey Box, Six Foot and independent developer Tequila Works have announced that RiME, the highly-anticipated puzzle adventure game, has a confirmed release date of May 26 for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, and Windows PC. It will arrive at Australian retail store shelves with a suggested retail price of $59.95 (PS4/XB1), and $49.95 (PC).

​Shortly afterward, RiME will launch on Nintendo Switch™, allowing players to take the adventure with them anywhere on the go utilising the system’s portability, with a suggested retail price of $79.95.

RiME is a single-player puzzle adventure game about discovery, experienced through the eyes of a young boy who awakens on a mysterious island after shipwrecking off its coast. Players must navigate the island’s secrets by making use of light, sound, perspective and even time. Inspired by the rugged, sunbaked terrain of the Mediterranean coast, RiME paints its breathtaking world with a fusion of vibrant colours and moving musical undertones to set the stage for the deeply personal journey that awaits within.

For more information leading up to release, visit www.rimegame.com , and follow the title on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.

QBBY RETURNS FOR ONE LAST ADVENTURE IN BYE-BYE BOXBOY!, COMING TO NINTENDO eSHOP FOR NINTENDO 3DS FAMILY SYSTEMS ON 24^th MARCH 2017

More than 180 puzzling new levels, four special new types of box, amiibo functionality and new challenge levels await players

10^th March, 2017 – In 2015’s BOXBOY!, Qbby arrived on the scene and forced both puzzle and platformer fans to start thinking outside the box. In BOXBOXBOY! the following year, he upped the ante with new powers and more complex puzzles. Now Qbby is back to square up to his biggest challenge yet in BYE-BYE BOXBOY!, which launches on Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS family systems on 24^th March 2017. The perfect introduction to Qbby and his quirky, minimalist world is out today on Nintendo eShop in the form of the BOXBOY! series demo, which lets players tackle a package of levels from both previous titles, in addition to a selection from BYE-BYE BOXBOY!.

Developed by HAL Laboratory, creators of the Kirby series, the BOXBOY! trilogy of puzzle-platformers sees players control Qbby, a simple yet surprisingly expressive square-shaped character, as he makes his way through a multitude of 2D side-scrolling levels. While he may look like a somewhat unassuming hero, Qbby packs a rather special power into that small frame of his – the ability to create a string of boxes out of thin air. By learning to harness that power and use it in a variety of ingenious ways, players will be able to solve the numerous puzzles that lie ahead.

With more than 180 brain-teasing levels to tackle and four planets to explore, BYE-BYE BOXBOY! is Qbby’s biggest adventure yet. On each planet he will encounter a Qbaby – a small lifeform similar in appearance to Qbby himself. These Qbabies are in need of guidance, and by helping them to safety, Qbby will be rewarded with the power to create all-new box-types. Blow walls to smithereens with a bombox, soar into the air with a box rocket, teleport with a warp box or dispatch a remote box to reach far-flung corners, as you grapple with the puzzling new possibilities on offer.

For true brainboxes, Qbby can also tackle five unlockable Challenge Worlds. Each of these imposes its own specific gameplay restriction that changes the rules in new ways. Can players get through a level without throwing boxes, or where falling too far is game over? How about helping Qbby to the goal without the ability to jump?

For the first time in the series, BYE-BYE BOXBOY! also features amiibo functionality. Players can use Kirby Collection amiibo figures* to unlock additional costumes and dress Qbby up as Kirby, Meta Knight, Waddle Dee or King Dedede. The Kirby, Meta Knight and King Dedede amiibo from the Super Smash Bros. Collection will also unlock the respective costumes for those characters. Also available from 24^th March is the Qbby amiibo (Japanese retail version), launching exclusively via the Official Nintendo AU/NZ eBay Store.

Furthermore, players with save data from BOXBOY! on their Nintendo 3DS system can transfer an additional 10 costumes, and those with save data from BOXBOXBOY! can transfer an additional eight. The costumes from BOXBOY! include the Rabbit, which allows Qbby to jump higher, and the Wizard, which allows him to create an extra box, with a grand total of 37 costumes available. As a special bonus, players with game data from both of the previous titles will unlock both a Qucy costume and the option to play the game in a distinctive visual style reminiscent of the original Game Boy.

Join Qbby as he harnesses the power of special new boxes in his largest adventure yet, when BYE-BYE BOXBOY! comes to Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS family systems on 24^th March 2017, priced at AU$7.50 / NZ$8.25. A BOXBOY! series demo, containing a selection of levels from BOXBOY!, BOXBOXBOY! and BYE-BYE BOXBOY! is also available for free download from today.

Additional Links:

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

Cartoon Network Powers Up a Connected World of Original Heroes Across TV and Gaming with OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes

New Series Gets Greenlight Along with an Integrated Console Game

Burbank, CA – March 9, 2017 – Cartoon Network powers up a connected world of original heroes across the TV and gaming landscape with the greenlight of animated series OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes followed by an integrated console game jointly developed with indie video game studio Capybara Games. Created by Ian Jones-Quartey, and produced by Cartoon Network Studios, the action-packed show follows the heroic feats of K.O., an endlessly optimistic kid attempting to level up to be the best he can be in a dynamic universe of friends and challenging foes. The console and PC game is an action brawler with RPG elements and is expected to arrive later this fall and will be previewed at PAX East on Friday, March 10.

To help build this highly-developed world, Cartoon Network opened the door to the gaming and creative communities to produce custom multiplatform content. At a Game Jam last year, independent game developers created their own original games based on the characters. Following the Game Jam, college undergraduates were invited to craft 15-second animation shorts using the IP at an Animation Jam. A standalone original mobile game, titled OK K.O.! Lakewood Plaza Turbo, also launched last year based on Jones-Quartey’s short, of the same name, from Cartoon Network’s Emmy-winning artist program.

“This combined launch marks the culmination of a unique multi-media development process,” said Rob Sorcher, chief content officer for Cartoon Network. “The result is an entirely connected world which provides deeper satisfaction as fans get further into the property from every access point.” 

­Added Jones-Quartey: “For me, video games and animation have a lot in common and having fun is the main goal. OK K.O.! is a video game-inspired world expressed through the language of animation, but mostly an adventurous playground with heart-warming heroes who battle against robots.”

OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes is set in Lakewood Plaza, a mall for heroes, where K.O. and his cool crew of friends are constantly trying to impress each other in their efforts to level up and overcome the obstacles that evil foe Lord Boxman sends their way on his quest to destroy the plaza. A sneak peek of the new series will be presented at SXSW on Monday, March 13. OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes is slated to premiere this summer in the U.S. and will also roll out across global markets.

Jones-Quartey first joined the Cartoon Network family in 2010 as a storyboard artist on Secret Mountain Fort Awesome. Most recently, he served as the co-executive producer on the Emmy-nominated series Steven Universe. He is an alum of the School of Visual Arts in New York City.  

About Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network is Turner’s global entertainment brand and the # 1 animation network in the U.S., offering the best in original content for kids and families with such hits as, Adventure Time, The Powerpuff Girls, Steven Universe, We Bare Bears and The Amazing World of Gumball. Seen in 192 countries and over 400 million homes, Cartoon Network is known for being a leader in innovation with its approach to engaging and inspiring kids at the intersection of creativity and technology. Its pro-social initiative, Stop Bullying: Speak Up is an acknowledged and often used resource for kids and adults looking for tools that can assist in dealing with the ongoing issue of bullying.

Cartoon Network is part of Turner, a Time Warner company that creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult multi-platform content for consumers around the world. Turner brands and businesses include CNN/U.S., HLN, CNN International and CNN.com, TBS, TNT, TCM, truTV, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Adult Swim, Turner Sports, Bleacher Report, iStreamPlanet and ELEAGUE. 

TIME OF VIRTUAL REALITY ANNOUNCES CO-OP ACTION TOWER DEFENSE GAME ANCIENT AMULETOR FOR PLAYSTATION®VR, LAUNCHING THIS SUMMER

Ancient Amuletor and other upcoming titles from Time of Virtual Reality will be publicly playable during PAX East at booth 22127

BEIJING – March 9, 2017 – Independent studio Time of Virtual Reality (TVR) has announced it will bring the virtual reality game Ancient Amuletor to PlayStation®VR* this summer. This action tower defense title throws players into the ancient world to battle magical creatures, monsters and other legendary threats in both single-player and cooperative multiplayer for up to four players.

Developed for VR with Unreal Engine 4, Ancient Amuletor is designed to deliver pick-up-and-play arcade-style thrills. Players can swap between multiple distinct heroes, including the archer, mage, gunner and puppeteer, at any time as the changing tide of battle dictates.

Ancient Amuletor will be publicly playable alongside two other upcoming VR titles from TVR during PAX East at booth 22127:

• The action game Reborn, coming to PlayStation®VR this year, as well as HTC Vive and Oculus Rift in the future.
• The colorful puzzle game Lighting End, arriving on HTC Vive this summer and PlayStation®VR later this year.

*PlayStation®Move is required to play.

For more info about Ancient Amuletor visit: http://amuletor.com/

About Time of Virtual Reality

Founded in 2014, Time of Virtual Reality (TVR) is an independent game studio developing content for emerging virtual reality and existing video game platforms. http://time-vr.com