A little more than three years ago, Xbox took to the stage at Gamescom to unveil a brand-new program for Xbox One. The goal was to make sure Xbox players have access to the best, most diverse collection of games by making sure developers of all shapes and sizes were enabled to self-publish their creations on Xbox One.
Today, thanks to the efforts of independent developers from around the world and the fans who support them, Xbox is proud to reveal that after an amazing month of releases that included console exclusive Beep Games’ Voodoo Vince: Remastered,console launch exclusives Thimbleweed Parkfrom Terrible Toybox and Cities: Skylines – Xbox One Editionfrom Paradox Interactive, and dozens of others, Xbox has surpassed 500 games released through the ID@Xbox program.
Today’s news is a cool milestone not just for Xbox and the independent game developer community; it’s a milestone for everyone who loves great games. In 2016 alone, tens of millions of people played an ID@Xbox title on Xbox One or Windows 10 – what’s more, those players spent more than a billion hours playing ID@Xbox games. There have been some incredibly rad titles recently, from the critically acclaimed Firewatch from Campo Santo, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetimeby Asteroid Base, and of course Inside by Playdead (a big winner from the recent British Academy Game Awards). And let’s not forget other fan favorites like Superhot team’s Superhot, Night School Studio’s Oxenfree,Hi-Rez Studios’Smite, Pit People from The Behemoth, Studio Wildcard’s Ark: Survival Evolved,Wizards of the Coast’s Magic Duels: Origins,Roblox Corporation’s Roblox,The Molasses Flood’s Flame in the Flood,Spotlightor Interactive’s Candleman,ToyLogic’s Happy Wars,Other Ocean’s #IDARB,and so many more cool titles.
Xbox are also incredibly proud that ID@Xbox has helped developers bring games to Xbox and Windows 10 that are as diverse and interesting as the world of players that enjoy them. With games like E-Line Media’s Never Alone, Team17’s Beyond Eyes,Sassybot’s Fragments of Him,Bracket Games’ three fourths home, and many others tackling meaningful – and sometimes previously unattempted – subject matter, these developers are not only broadening the landscape of games players can enjoy, but offering inclusive experiences and perspectives that represent our worldwide community of gamers. With forthcoming titles like Culture Shock Gamers’ We Are Chicago and Arconyx’s I, Hope, this is meaningful, groundbreaking content Xbox can’t wait to see more of.
With more than 2000 studios having dev kits in hand, more than 1000 games currently in development, and Project Scorpio coming later this year, the future is bright for both the gaming community and ID@Xbox program. Xbox have an incredible slate of hotly anticipated ID@Xbox games on the horizon including the hotly-anticipated Xbox One exclusive Cupheadfrom StudioMDHR, and console launch exclusives like Capybara’s Below, AURORA44’s Ashen, and Fullbright’s Tacoma.Xbox can’t wait to share more ID@Xbox goodness with you soon.
Xbox wish to extend a sincere thanks to all the developers and fans who have helped ID@Xbox reach this milestone.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III Fragments of War Trailer
With the release of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III in just a few days Relic Entertainment and SEGA Europe are pleased to release the Fragments of War trailer. On April 27, the planet Acheron will emerge from the warp, bringing with it the mysterious Spear of Khaine – the powerful weapon that sets Dawn of War III in motion, drawing three familiar faces ever closer to their intertwined fates.
Through its haunting narration, the trailer surfaces the defining features of the story’s core heroes – Gabriel Angelos of the Space Marines, Farseer Macha of the Eldar, and Gorgutz ‘Ead’unter of the Orks. But as each shard twists, doubt is cast over whether those features will propel them to power, or see them left bloodied in defeat.
Dawn of War III’s story will unfold across 17 single-player missions, challenging players to command epic heroes, assemble huge armies, and wage war across a range of hostile environments. In Multiplayer, the scale of battle will hit its peak as players unleash towering war machines and screen-shaking super abilities to defeat their foes.
Dawn of War III’s Multiplayer Open Beta is live now and runs until 3AM AEST on Tuesday, April 25th. Pit colossal armies of Space Marines, Eldar and Orks against your foes in chaotic, over-the-top fights to the finish. Join now at www.dawnofwar.com/beta.
Following the launch of the second season of My Hero Academia, a real life escape game has been announced for Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.
The experience is called “Heroes Deadend Program” and runs for a total of 120 minutes, including a 60 minute introductory video program and 60 minutes for the escape game itself. The scenario is your group of up to four U.A. students are attacked by a group of villains during a training exercise. Your group must survive by solving puzzles until All Might arrives to save the day.
Tickets went on sale on the 22nd of April and sell for 3300 yen in advance, or 3800 yen at the door. A group ticket (4 people) is also available for 12,800 yen.
The franchise has had a great deal of success since Viz Media received American publishing rights for the manga in early 2015 and has grown increasingly in popularity since the anime adaptation calling for the currently airing second season and plans for an OVA.
Space Dandy is a dandy guy… in space. Along with his outdated robot partner QT, he spends his time hunting for unregistered aliens. If they find one and take it to the alien registration office, they get a cash reward. Joining them after an encounter at the ‘breastaurant’ BooBies is Meow, a member of an alien species that looks and acts rather like a cat. Although they remain blissfully unaware of this, Dandy is the primary target of the villainous Gogol Empire. The main trio is constantly winding up in crazy situations and meeting strange new people, and the Gogol Empire’s Dr. Gel and his assistant Bea trail them at their peril.
Story
With so many generic anime adaptations out there, it often seems as if there are no original and unique anime series waiting to be discovered. Space Dandy is one such series, if you have not already heard about it before. It was made out to be a big deal before, during and immediately after its 26-episode run. However, it seems to have largely dropped out of the public consciousness since then. More than two years later, it has been re-released in a box set, and its strong appeal remains exactly the same as it did in 2014. A simple way of describing it would be to call it Japan’s answer to Adventure Time, only bigger and in many ways better.
Shinichiro Watanabe and his team of global talent have done something that seemed very unlikely and difficult to accomplish. They produced an anime series that feels like the crazy anime comedies produced in the ’90s, except with a fresh coat of colourful digital paint. The ’90s saw the production of some of the greatest and most endearing anime shows of all time. Since then, there has been a change in tone and characterisation in the world of anime and manga that seems like more of a regression than an evolution. Characters have become dumber and dumber, regurgitating the same unfunny nonsense that was supposed to pass for comedy at some point. Characters in ’90s anime series often did come across as lacking in intelligence, but there was more to them than that, and there is so much more to the characters of Space Dandy. Dandy mostly just wants to spend time at BooBies and capture rare and unregistered aliens, but he also has a compassionate side and a surprising level of musical talent. Meow is a lazy cat reminiscent of modern teenagers who spend their time on social media in dark rooms, but he also secretly cares about the family he left behind to travel through space. QT ends up demonstrating the capacity to exceed his original programming in a couple of episodes. Furthermore, even Honey, a waitress at BooBies, turns out to be more than just a vehicle for fan-service. She is one of the most intelligent characters in the whole series, and although she initially only drops subtle hints about her level of knowledge, she gets her moment in the spotlight and reveals just how cool of a character she really is. Most anime series these days would just stop at the fan-service and degrade their female characters, but Space Dandy has some dignity. Make no mistake; that dignity is challenged on more than one occasion. However, that the creative team behind this series managed to capture the essence of early ’90s anime comedies, revive it and make it feel fresh demonstrates what anime could become if more production teams and animation studios took risks and let their imaginations run wild.
This series is largely made up of episodic plots. Often, especially in the earlier episodes, characters find themselves in situations that they simply cannot escape from. When the end of each episode comes around, a ‘to be continued’ card will appear instead of any kind of explanation about how things might return to normal in the following episode. This lack of continuity does not in any way negatively impact on the series, however. What makes each episode special is the level of creativity poured into every one of them. One episode might have plants evolving into highly intelligent beings, while another might have the characters performing a musical. The ways in which the characters seemingly go past the point of no return is ridiculous yet hilarious. The creative team runs with the sci-fi setting and takes it to distant places, often destroying the universe or coming close to doing so in the process. Some of the plots may be reminiscent of those seen in North American sci-fi series, but it is hard to be disappointed about that when these episodes are just so fun to watch. In the second season, the plots seem to become more focused and more awesome. The underlying narrative of the Gogol Empire chasing Space Dandy eventually turns out to be a major plot point, and when the series finally abandons episodic stories in favour of a significant plot, it turns into one major spectacle that concludes the show in a most fitting way.
Visuals
The animation is outstanding. This show was produced by Bones, and involved talent from around the world. Fortunately, the people involved seem to have been given a high level of creative freedom, and the end result is a series of colourful and crazy adventures that remain more memorable than almost every other anime series from 2014 and the years since then. The action is fluid and engaging, and the unique designs of the aliens and the settings allows each episode to feel new and exciting. Fan-service is present, mostly in the form of objectifying shots set in BooBies, but is not taken to the extreme that many anime and manga series feature these days.
Audio
Considering the fact that the English dub was produced in time for it to be broadcast on North American television at around the same time as it was shown on Japanese television, it turned out remarkably well. Every voice actor is perfectly cast. Ian Sinclair captures Dandy’s spirit brilliantly, and only good things can be said about each of the other voice actors. If there is one case where watching an anime series with FUNimation’s English dub is a recommended option, it is this one.
With so many anime series out there featuring generic opening and ending songs, many of which are existing pop songs, it is refreshing to hear some outstanding pop songs during the opening and ending credits sequences in Space Dandy. The opening song “Viva Namida” and the ending song “Welcome to the X Dimension” are about as catchy and memorable as anime songs can get these days. The background music is surprisingly memorable as well, thanks to a variety of composers being brought in to produce music for this series. A few different musical styles are present, including techno music and surprisingly atmospheric pieces that enhance the scenes they accompany. Everything about the audio comes together perfectly, making the soundtrack CDs look appealing.
Extras
This release includes a digital gallery, teaser trailers, DVD and Blu-ray trailers, English episode commentary for episodes 19 and 26 and the textless opening and ending songs as on-disc extras. The back of the box claims that an extra titled “Dandy Guy in Space: Part 02” is present, but unless this was intended to be one of the extras that are apparently exclusive to the Japanese home video releases, it seems to actually be referring to the second season itself. The textless animation sequences, which include the special textless ending animation sequences from season two, are far more colourful and interesting than the generic and dull sequences usually seen in modern anime. They are also subtitled, but oddly, the subtitles for all songs were removed from the episodes they come from.
Overall
Space Dandy is a rare anime series in which almost everything goes right. The fan-service is unnecessary seeing as this show is already engaging when it is focused on other things; fortunately, there are many unique visuals and crazy stories that make this as entertaining as it is. If you love watching cool anime and fondly remember some hilarious anime comedies from the 1990s, this is a show for you. Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
If you have not been following the development of Sniper Ghost Warrior 3closely, then CI Games is helping you catch up with the latest trailer. The Polish developers released a brand new trailer summing up the ten most important points about the game. The trailer also has plenty of new gameplay footage showing off the game’s movement system and weapons.
Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 is the first AAA quality title in the stealth FPS series. The game follows the story of Jon North, a USMC special ops sniper inserted into the Republic of Georgia in hopes of stopping simmering tensions from exploding into an all out bloodshed. Off the books, North is looking for his brother who went missing in the area after a mission goes wrong. Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 launches on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows on April 25.
The follow up to one of the most terrifying indie games is almost upon us. Outlast 2 tells the tale of a journalist and his wife who investigate a strange murder. Their investigation sends them to the Arizona desert where unspeakable horrors are being committed in the name of faith. Players will be taken on a journey that will have them questioning faith, sanity, and human nature.
https://youtu.be/GFxFxizerqY
A special physical release containing all three Outlastgames will be launched alongside Outlast 2. Entitled Outlast Trinity, the package contains Outlast, Outlast, and Outlast 2 for one price. Outlast 2 will be available at digital distributors on April 25. Outlast Trinity will be available on the same day at physical retailers like EB Games and Amazon.
TEAM OBEY ALLIANCE TAKES HOME THE CROWN IN $300,000 H1Z1®: FIGHT FOR THE CROWN™ TOURNAMENT
WHAT: Last night, H1Z1®: Fight for the Crown™, the first official team-based tournament for Daybreak Games’ massive competitive shooter, H1Z1®: King of the Kill®, came to an action-packed finish as Obey Alliance fired the last shots to win the tournament.
The one-hour primetime special, which aired last night on The CW Network*, featured one of the single largest esports fights with 15 teams made up of five players apiece. Pitted against one another in a high-stakes, single-elimination showdown for their share of a $300,000 prize pool, 75 players parachuted into the match simultaneously with only one life to give for their team.
*For viewers based outside of the United States and Puerto Rico, the tournament was simulcasted on the Twin Galaxies Facebook fan page.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Obey Alliance, one of the world’s biggest gaming organizations, was crowned Fight for the Crown champion and ended the tournament with all five players alive. Obey Alliance walked away with the grand prize of $180,000. More about the winning team here: https://youtu.be/S6iKkVRskUM
“JuanKorea” from World Best, a South Korean esports organization, helped his team claim runner-up honors and $60,000.
Luminosity’s Adrien “Aydren” Morales, a runner-up at 2016’s H1Z1 Invitational, secured third place for his team and $30,000. Luminosity was captained by 2015 H1Z1 Invitational winner Tyler “Ninja” Blevins.
Counter Logic Gaming’s Casey “Flamehopper” Pitel stayed alive long enough for his team to clinch $18,000 and fourth place.
Denial Esports rounded out the top five, walking away with $12,000.
Obey Alliance collectively racked up the most kills with 9 total in the tournament, followed by Luminosity with 8, Team Gates with 7, and World Best with 6 kills.
Six players tied for the most individual kills with three kills each: Miguel “Mig” Medina (Obey Alliance), Grant “AladdinLTD” LaBelle (Obey Alliance), Aydren (Luminosity), Hogne “chipzy” Krogsæther (Luminosity), Derek “yungD” Diaz (Team Gates), and Garrett “Geesh” (Panda Global).
11 players were killed by the toxic gas that pushes everyone closer together over time.
11 different countries were represented in the tournament, ranging from Vietnam to Czech Republic to Canada. Enigma6, who earned 10th place, boasted a full European roster, while World Best, a South Korean team, finished second.
Ohio Rebels was a community team that earned a spot in the tournament through the Fight for the Spot contest.
The H1Z1: Fight for the Crown tournament and unscripted docuseries, which followed professional esports team Echo Fox, owner and former NBA player Rick Fox, and CEO Jace Hall in the lead-up to the competition, can be watched online on cwseed.com and the CW Seed App, available on Android, iOS, Roku, Apple TV and Xbox.
ABOUT H1Z1
H1Z1: King of the Kill is a single-elimination, massive online shooter that pits 150 battle-hardened players against each other in a robust and detailed world. Search for weapons, ammo, armor, vehicles and supplies to get a leg up on your competition and be the last one standing. To learn more, visit: www.h1z1.com/king-of-the-kill, and follow the game on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Twitch.
H1Z1 was one of the best-selling games of 2016 on Steam and one of the 10 most-watched games on Twitch with more than 75 million hours of gameplay viewed on the platform last year. ESRB Rating: Rated M for Mature for Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, and Suggestive Themes.
About DaybreakGame Company
Daybreak Game Company LLC is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online gaming. Best known for blockbuster hits and franchises such as H1Z1®, DC Universe™ Online, PlanetSide®, and EverQuest®, Daybreak creates, develops, and provides compelling online entertainment for millions of gamers worldwide.
DARK SOULS™ III: THE FIRE FADES™ EDITION IGNITES INTO RETAIL STORES FOR PLAYSTATION 4 AND XBOX ONE
The Complete DARK SOULS III Experience Now Available on a Single Disc
SANTA CLARA, Calif., (April 21, 2017) – Leading interactive entertainment developer and publisher BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. has released DARK SOULS™ III: The Fire Fades™ Edition for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One to retail stores. DARK SOULS III: The Fire Fades Edition gives players the complete DARK SOULS III experience, bundling the critically acclaimed DARK SOULS III together with both downloadable expansions; Ashes of Ariandel™ and The Ringed City™ into one incredible package for $49.99.
Developed by renowned Japanese studio FROMSOFTWARE, DARK SOULS III: The Fire Fades Edition provides players with the complete DARK SOULS III experience. Players venture forth on a journey through Lothric with the series’ trademark sword and sorcery combat and rewarding action-RPG gameplay. Reborn as the Champion of Ash, players travel to faraway lands to return the Lords of Cinder to their thrones in order to rekindle the fading fire that keeps the impending Age of Dark at bay. Through their journey players will meet crestfallen warriors, powerful sorcerers, dutiful knights, unsavory individuals, and a number of other characters who will help or hinder their progress across a vast and twisted interconnected world.
“DARK SOULS III: The Fire Fades Edition combines incredible content for a tremendous value,” said Eric Hartness, Vice President of Marketing for BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. “Making it a perfect opportunity for gamers who may have missed out on DARK SOULS III to join the adventure and see what all the critics and fans have been raving about.”
DARK SOULS III: The Fire Fades Edition is rated “M” for mature by the ESRB, carries a MSRP of $49.99, and is available for the PlayStation 4 system and Xbox One. For more information about DARK SOULS III: The Fire Fades Edition and other titles from BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. please visit: https://www.bandainamcoent.com, follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoUS, or join the conversation at https://www.twitter.com/BandaiNamcoUS.
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About BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., part of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive entertainment for all major video game consoles, iOS, Android, and online platforms. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises including PAC-MAN®, GALAGA®, TEKKEN®, SOULCALIBUR®, and ACE COMBAT®. BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. is the premier publisher in the Western hemisphere for anime based video games including NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, DRAGON BALL Z®, and ONE PIECE®. More information about the company and its products can be found at https://www.bandainamcoent.com or https://www.facbook.com/BandaiNamcoUS.
THQ Nordic and Piranha Bytes released a brand new trailer for their upcoming sci-fi/fantasy RPGELEX today. The new trailer introduces viewers to the events leading up to the game. ELEX is set on the planet Madalan, where a comet caused massive earthquakes that destroyed the cities and the people who lived in them. Now the survivors scrape by in a brand new environment. The comet brought the resource Elex to Madalan, a drug-like substance that could give people incredible power. Now, four factions struggle for control and scarce resources as Elex addicts gone mad wander around like zombies.
ELEX is set to launch on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows later this year.
FROM GAME CONCEPTION TO IMMACULATE CONCEPTION MINICLIP’S OVAR.IO IS NOW LIVE
Battle, Survive & Reproduce in this Unique Multiplayer Game of Fertilisation!
LONDON, April 21st 2017 – Miniclip today launches Ovar.io, a new, online, multiplayer, PvP arena populated by a variety of colourful, bad-ass sperm. Take on hordes of wriggly competitors to be the ultimate sperminator!
Ovar.io is a game of sperm, yes sperm, that’s all about getting to the eggs, called Ovarios, first. The aim of the game is to win as many Ovarios as possible before you die. Battle other players and race your little swimmers to be the first to reach the Ovarios and fertilise them. Once you’ve made them yours then an Ovario will become a turret emitting bullets deadly to alien sperms, therefore damaging your opponents and giving you ultimate baby-making bragging rights.
Developed by OKAM Studio, Ovar.io is the latest and most unique browser-based game to spearhead the next generation of multiplayer ‘2.io’ games, and follows in the steps of Miniclip’s hugely successful Agar.io, Diep.io and recently released, Squadd.io.
Players can choose from a range of funky sperm characters such as the Cluster, a group of flocking little spermatozoa; the Tank, a slow-moving heavy attacker; the Soldier, a balance between strength and speed; the Scout, a far-sighted, fast but weak sperm or the Ghost, a spooky guy with the power to dematerialise.
Ovar.io is the latest in a series of new .io titles from mobile and web game publisher, Miniclip. Jamie Cason, Miniclip’s Executive Producer said “Ovar.io represents everything that’s great about the .io genre. It is cheeky, irreverent, easy to play, but tricky to dominate. We’re actively looking to move things on with “2.io” games like Ovar.io, where professional studios like OKAM get to bring all their experience making characterful, beautifully animated and nicely-crafted titles to an area which has hitherto been the reserve of brilliant new talent like Agario’s Matheus Valadares who are making very punky, home-made-feeling products. If Agar.io was the Sex Pistols, then our 2.io games are Blondie! We think there is a market for web-based super-fun, casual, multiplayer games like Ovar.io that look and feel as gorgeous as a mobile or console game.”
Martina Santoro, CEO of OKAM Studio said “We’re proud to be the development studio of Ovar.io for Miniclip. When they came to us with this crazy idea of a game of sperm we couldn’t believe our luck. For us, Ovar.io is a chance for us to demonstrate our teams’ talent for realising distinctive new game IP in the .io genre. Miniclip are the perfect creative partner for independent studios such as ours, giving us the chance to express ourselves to make a magical, funny, exciting world in which players can have maximum fun!”.
