Big Viking Games and Valiant Entertainment Form First Major Content Partnership for Next Generation HTML5 Messenger Gaming Platforms

TORONTO and LONDON, ON – (December 13, 2016) – Big Viking Games, a leader in HTML5 mobile instant games, and Valiant Entertainment, the award-winning comic book publisher with a library of more than 2,000 characters, including X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Harbinger, Shadowman, Archer & Armstrong and more, today announced a five-year mobile content partnership that will convert Valiant’s massive library of characters and stories into mobile instant gaming experiences focused on new gaming platforms such as the recently launched Facebook Messenger.

Starting today, Valiant and Big Viking will combine Valiant’s best-selling collection of superheroes and their associated storylines with Big Viking’s industry leading HTML5 development and publishing ability to deliver the Valiant Universe to fans and new players alike through a completely new medium. The companies intend to release numerous HTML5 titles with a focus on messengers and social networks as distribution.

“It’s an honor to partner with Valiant and bring their incredibly rich and deep catalogue of characters and stories to new and exciting platforms on mobile,” said Albert Lai, CEO and Co-founder of Big Viking Games. “We have always been huge fans of their comics, and the executive team has done an incredible job bringing Valiant to the forefront of the comic world over the years. Valiant and Big Viking share a very similar core ideology, which is to ‘make fans,’ and I believe this partnership will make millions of new fans for both companies”

“Big Viking is poised to enter the market on the cusp of a game-changing moment for the whole of mobile gaming and, together, we look forward to engaging a massive new audience for Valiant’s incredibly rich universe of characters,” said Russell A. Brown, President of Consumer Products, Promotions & Ad Sales for Valiant Entertainment. “Valiant is the most acclaimed publisher of comics in our industry today, and Big Viking has dedicated themselves to translating the essence our best-known heroes into a groundbreaking new medium. We look forward to presenting our fans, old and new, will some truly amazing experiences to explore on Facebook and beyond in the coming months and years.”

In addition to today’s announcement, Big Viking recently revealed a $21.75 million funding round to continue expansion of their HTML5 mobile instant gaming division and the creation of a $10 million publishing fund to develop and distribute third-party content for messengers in HTML5. Additionally, last year Valiant announced a five-film deal with Sony Pictures to bring both Bloodshot and Harbinger franchises to life on the big screen.

About Big Viking Games

Big Viking Games, founded in 2011, is the largest independent mobile and social game studio in Canada and a pioneer in mobile HTML5 games.  The company has grown profitably to a team of over 100 Vikings across two studios in Toronto and London, Ontario.  From our beginnings with hits like Fish World and YoWorld, we have become a leader in live operations, and a pioneer of what is possible with mobile HTML5 technologies to redefine the future of mobile entertainment. Our titles are played by millions of people on iOS, Android, Facebook and the mobile web.

About Valiant Entertainment

Valiant Entertainment is a leading character-based entertainment company that owns and controls the largest independent superhero universe in comics. With more than 80 million issues sold and a library of over 2,000 characters, including X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Harbinger, Shadowman, Archer & Armstrong, and many more, Valiant is one of the most successful publishers in the history of the comic book medium. Today, the company’s characters continue to be forged in publishing, licensing, film, video games, and beyond. Valiant consistently produces some of the most critically acclaimed comics in the industry and has received numerous industry awards and accolades, including a Diamond Gem Award for Comic Book Publisher of the Year. In 2015, Valiant announced a multi-picture deal to bring Bloodshot and Harbinger to the big screen as feature films.

WWE 2K17 New Moves Pack Now Available

2K today announced that WWE 2K17’s New Moves Pack is now available as downloadable content, enabling access to a wide variety of in-game moves. Examples include the Swingout Neckbreaker (made popular by WWE Superstar Charlotte); the Elbro Drop (made popular by WWE Superstar Zack Ryder); the Face Wash Combo (made popular by NXT Superstar Samoa Joe); and the TJP Clutch (made popular by WWE Superstar T.J. Perkins). The New Moves Pack is available for £3.19 (SRP)* and is also included as part of the game’s Season Pass.

View or Embed the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKe5f385prg

For more information on WWE 2K17, including the game’s Downloadable Content and Season Pass Program, please visit wwe.2k.com, like the game on Facebook, follow the game on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #WWE2K17 or subscribe on YouTube.

Developed collaboratively by Yuke’s and Visual Concepts, a 2K studio, WWE 2K17 is rated PEGI 16 and is available worldwide for the PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems, Xbox One and Xbox 360.

* Based on 2K’s suggested retail price. Actual retail price may vary. Check the PlayStation or Xbox store in your country for the actual retail price in your local currency.

Adorable, Hand-Animated Adventure The Little Acre Treads onto PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC

Heartwarming Tale Debuts with a Free Digital Artbook, Offering Insight into the Creation of this Spectacular Game from Pewter Games and Executive Producer Charles Cecil

LONDON – December 13, 2016 – Developer Pewter Games, executive producer Charles Cecil and independent games publisher Curve Digital today announced that the stunningly handcrafted point and click adventure, The Little Acre, is now available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows PC, Mac and Linux via digital distributors. An interview between creators Christopher Conlan and Ben Clavin ushers in the lovable tale, wherein they discuss the challenges and joys of bringing a classically-styled adventure game to modern audiences: https://youtu.be/yN_LPz0-kHA

Launch window discount offers are currently live across various digital stores – including Steam, GOG.com and Humble Store by Humble Bundle, as well as via the PlayStation and Xbox stores for consoles – enabling players to grab the game below its usual SRP of $12.99 / €12.99 / £9.99. PC players automatically receive a lavish digital artbook as part of their purchase, with console owners able to download it for free via digital magazine website ISSUU.com.

Created by the Dublin-based Pewter Games alongside Broken Sword creator Charles Cecil as executive producer, The Little Acre is a heart-warming, story-led adventure featuring hand-drawn animation, full voice acting, and a beautiful original score. Inspired by the marvels of classic Don Bluth animation (All Dogs Go to Heaven) and the magical wonder of a Miyazaki world, the game is set in 1950s Ireland and follows the story of Aidan and his young daughter, Lily. Investigating the sudden disappearance of his father, Aidan finds himself transported to a strange new land populated by bizarre creatures. Things are made slightly more difficult when young Lily decides that she is going to “help” and encounters her own perils along the way.
“Now the game is releasing, we can’t wait to see how people respond to The Little Acre,” says Ben Clavin, Co-Founder of Pewter Games. “The feedback we’ve received throughout development has been enormously positive – and now it’s out there.”

“We’ve put our heart and soul into creating The Little Acre, so we’re absolutely thrilled to see it up in stores,” adds Chris Conlan, Co-Founder of Pewter Games. “While we know it’s going to appeal to fans of adventure games, we’re really looking forward to welcoming new players to the genre.”

“The Little Acre is a game I would have been proud to have created myself,” concludes Charles Cecil. “To be able to play a small part in it has been enormously rewarding. I hope this prompts a real resurgence in the genre’s popularity, inspiring more teams to write equally wonderful stories.”

The Little Acre is now available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows, PC, Mac and Linux from most major digital stores. More information on the game can be found on the official website at www.pewtergamesstudios.com/the-little-acre/. The digital artbook can be viewed online at:

https://issuu.com/curvedigitalpublishing/docs/the_little_acre_artbook_issuu

For a brief synopsis and overview of The Little Acre, a debut trailer released in August provides a glimpse at the level of finesse, passion and attention to detail instilled in the game by its creators, and is viewable at: https://youtu.be/SVjO5EuPLG0

About Curve Digital

Curve Digital is the largest publisher of independent video games on console formats in the world. Working with high profile developers such as Mike Bithell (Thomas Was Alone), Dan Marshall (The Swindle) and Olli Harjola (The Swapper), Curve helps individuals and small teams bring their games to a larger audience. Curve actively publishes on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U and 3DS.

Mirage: Arcane Warfare’s Vypress Class Unleashed in New Trailer

Torn Banner Studios, the creators of Chivalry: Medieval Warfare, today released a brand new trailer exploring one of the iconic classes of their upcoming multiplayer action-combat game Mirage: Arcane Warfare, the Vypress.

The Vypress is one of Mirage: Arcane Warfare’s deadliest competitors that you probably won’t even see coming. Wielding two blades that can slice through your head in an instant, the Vypress relies on her superior speed and specialized abilities – the high-flying “Pounce” and the teleportation-like “Phase” – to end her enemies in the flash of an eye. What she lacks in defense she makes up for in agility, as seen in the new class trailer focused on her that can be viewed here.

This brand new trailer featuring the Vypress is the first in a series of videos called “Instruments of Death” exploring Mirage’s unique band of warriors that will be released in the lead up to the upcoming 2017 launch of Mirage: Arcane Warfare. For more information, or to sign up for the closed alpha that is currently running, please visit MirageArcaneWarfare.com. Like their game’s Facebook page and follow it on Twitter @MirageGame for future news and updates.

About Torn Banner Studios
Torn Banner Studios is a small indie games studio that makes BIG games. Based in Toronto Canada, Torn Banner Studios was founded in 2012 by a group of passionate game developers who are dedicated to creating powerful and unique games for a dedicated audience of fans. The nucleus of the team first came together from a group of modders who created a well-known Half-Life 2 mod called Age of Chivalry. Their first full game, Chivalry: Medieval Warfare, was a critical and commercial success and has driven the dedicated team at Torn Banner to continue to develop great games and ongoing content for their passionate community of fans. For more information visit TornBanner.com or follow @TornBanner.

KOEI TECMO EUROPE REVEALS FIRST GUST STUDIOS TITLES TO BE RELEASED ON STEAM®

‘Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book’ and ‘Nights of Azure’ Form the Inaugural Lineup of GUST Titles on Windows PC

Hertfordshire, 13^th December 2016 – KOEI TECMO Europe is pleased to announce that long time developer GUST Studios will introduce their deep and colourful RPGs to PC audiences for the first time with the release of two popular titles: Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book and Nights of Azure. Set to release for Steam® on 7^th February 2017, PC gamers will finally get a chance to experience the bright and mysterious world of the Atelier series and face dangerous demons and ancient threats in the dramatic story of Nights of Azure.

Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book follows the exploits of young novice Alchemist Sophie Neuenmuller, who discovers she is the owner of an enigmatic book imbued with a soul. This Mysterious Book seems to hold all the secrets to the art of Alchemy, even going on to become Sophie’s mentor. As Sophie experiments with Alchemy throughout the story she unravels the book’s forgotten memories and eventually sets out to uncover the strange tale of its origin. Uncover the mysteries of Alchemy that have been hidden away and forgotten alongside Plachta, the Mysterious Book, and experiment with the Synthesis system to learn new alchemy recipes at any pace! Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book was originally released for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system.

Marking a new action-oriented and dark direction for GUST titles, Nights of Azure tells a tragic tale of two friends faced with impossible decisions that will test their loyalty to their quest – and to each other. In the kingdom of Ruswal, very few people leave their homes after nightfall, let alone have the strength and skill to take on the powerful, azure-blooded demons that plague the island. One of the best among these brave few is Arnice, a knight of great skill and power, who is assisted by her friend and priestess Lilysse in a quest to rid the land of these monsters. However, they soon find out that the solution to the island’s problems might not be as simple as defeating enemies in battle. Nights of Azure was previously exclusive to the PS4™ system.

A selection of assets was released today showcasing both titles running on Windows PC for the first time!

For more information on the Steam releases of Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey and Nights of Azure, please like us on www.facebook.com/ateliergames and follow us on twitter @koeitecmoeurope.

ABOUT KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD.

KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, UK. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. TECMO is best known for the Dead or Alive® and Ninja Gaiden®series. KOEI is best known for its Dynasty Warriors® and Samurai Warriors® franchises. On April 1, 2009, KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD was established as a result of the TECMO, LTD. and KOEI Co., Ltd. merger. More information about KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD and its products can be found at www.koeitecmoeurope.com 

HITMAN “Holiday Hoarders” – out today

Free for all HITMAN players in support of World Cancer Research Fund

COPENHAGEN, December 13, 2016 – Io-Interactive would like to invite players to feel festive today as the new Holiday Content for HITMAN is released in support of World Cancer Research Fund.

Your destination is Paris, France and your targets are Harry “Smokey” Bagnato and Marv “Slick” Gonif, a pair of professional thieves currently breaking into the Palais De Walewska. The mission, ‘Holiday Hoarders’ is new bespoke content using the Showstopper mission as a backdrop and as Agent 47, it’s your job to stop these thieves. Feel free to open up some of the presents you find as some of the content will be handy to get the job done…..and security reports a strange jingling sound in the palace, something worth looking into. There is also a holiday-appropriate way to exit the mission…!

“Cancer is something which affects everyone in one way or another at some point in their lives and we at IOI wanted to do something to help raise money for Cancer research,” said Hannes Seifert, Studio Head at Io-Interactive. “We’re supporting World Cancer Research Fund by giving away some fun free Holiday content to all HITMAN players and we ask you in return if you want to donate to a great cause, to give what you can via www.wcrf-uk.org/hitman ”.

Holiday Hoarders will be available via a game update today for PS4, Xbox One and PC.

This partnership was enabled and supported by Playmob. Playmob are a cause marketing platform connecting Games, Brands and Charities. For more information visitwww.playmob.com

Related Links:       hitman.com / facebook.com/hitman / twitter.com/hitman /reddit.com/r/hitman

About HITMAN™
HITMAN is the sixth game in the blockbuster series and is the culmination of a journey started by Io-Interactive more than 17 years ago. It builds on the critically acclaimed and commercially successful foundation of games like Silent Assassin, Blood Money and the recent Hitman: Absolution.

About World Cancer Research Fund
For over 25 years, World Cancer Research Fund has been the UK’s leading charity dedicated to the prevention of cancer through diet, weight and physical activity. By funding and supporting research, developing policy recommendations and providing health information, we have ensured that people can make informed lifestyle choices to reduce their risk of developing a preventable cancer. As we look forward to our next 25 years, our scientific research ensures that we will continue to have the latest and most authoritative information at our fingertips, all underpinned by independent expert advice.

About Io-Interactive
Io-Interactive, a Square Enix Studio, is the creative force behind some of the most talked-about multiplatform videogames to emerge in the last decade. Starting with the praised and ground-breaking Hitman series, Io-Interactive has since developed the cult classic “Freedom Fighters”, the controversial “Kane & Lynch” series and the adorable “Mini-Ninjas”. Dedication to creating original IP and unforgettable characters and experiences are the hallmarks of Io-Interactive.

YOOKA-LAYLEE REPTILE-ROLLS TO 11^th APRIL 2017 RELEASE

NEW WORLD, FORMAT UPDATES, PRICING AND PRE-ORDER INCENTIVE REVEALED

UK – 13^th December 2016 – Award-winning international games label Team17 and Playtonic Games, the UK studio formed by veterans of the platforming genre, have today revealed a slew of updates for their hotly anticipated open-world platformer Yooka-Laylee.

Announced today Yooka-Laylee will launch on April 11th 2017 for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 platforms, Yooka-Laylee is now available to pre-order at £34.99 / $39.99 / €39.99 for non-Kickstarter backers in both digital and physical formats* from all participating stores worldwide. Kickstarter backers will soon have the option to upgrade to a physical version if they choose. The pre-order offer includes an instant unlock to the Yooka-Laylee Toybox  which gives a taste of the platforming mechanics set to appear in the full game in a self-contained, spoiler free sandbox experience.

Playtonic has also provided an update on the Wii U™ version of Yooka-Laylee, confirming that development is looking to transfer to the upcoming Nintendo Switch™ platform.

“We’re sad to announce that despite our best efforts and exploring every possible avenue, we have encountered unforseen technical issues that unfortunately mean it will be impossible for us to release Yooka-Laylee on Wii U as initially planned.” Gavin Price, Studio Director, Playtonic Games confirmed.

“We can however confirm today that we are working very closely with Nintendo to look to bring Yooka-Laylee to the upcoming Nintendo Switch™. We’re thrilled to be able to explore the opportunity and more details will be shared in early 2017. Of course, any backers who pledged for the Wii U version will be able to move their pledge to any of the versions launching on April 11th or upgrade to the Nintendo Switch™ version when we announce further details in 2017. Thanks again for your incredible support.”

Playtonic and Team17 also revealed today a brand-new world for the tail-twirling buddy-duo to explore: Capital Cashino. As with all the five worlds in Yooka-Laylee, this visually striking new world will be fully expandable, providing players with a whole new area to explore and challenges to complete, with an exciting gameplay twist; players must now compete to win casino tokens, and exchange them with the banker for pivotal Pagies!

Check out Capital Cashino in the new world reveal trailer here: https://youtu.be/Bwrixu-0HKo.

Yooka-Laylee is now available to pre-order digitally for Xbox One via the Xbox Store, PlayStation 4 via the PlayStation Store and for PC, Mac or Linux via both Steam and GOG.

More information for the Kickstarter backers on upgrading pledges to a physical boxed version or exchanging from the Wii U to another platform will be available soon. For updates please stay tuned to the official Playtonic blog.

Yooka-Laylee launches on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Mac and Linux on the 11^th April 2017. Further details to follow for Nintendo Switch™.

*Note: Boxed, physical version available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 only.

To keep up to date with all the information on Team17 and its games please visit www.team17.com, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

About Yooka-Laylee

Developed by Playtonic and published by Team17, Yooka-Laylee stars the charismatic new buddy duo Yooka and Laylee, who use an arsenal of special moves to explore – and expand – gorgeous 3D worlds filled with collectibles to discover, secrets to unlock and a cast of quirky characters to meet (or defeat).

About Team17 Digital Ltd
Founded in 1990, Team17 Digital Limited is a leading international games label that hosts the Worms franchise, Yooka-Laylee, The Escapists, Overcooked, Way to the Woods and many more from amazing developers around the world. Visit www.team17.com for more info.

About Playtonic Games
Founded in 2014, Playtonic Games is an independent developer based in Derby, UK. Between them, the Playtonic team has over 100 years of combined experience working on legendary gaming franchises and is currently developing the much-anticipated 3D platformer Yooka-Laylee.

MORE POKÉMON ARRIVE IN POKÉMON GO

Featuring Togepi, Pichu and Select Pokémon Originally Discovered in the Johto Region

‘BATMAN – The Telltale Series’ Season Finale Trailer Sets Stage for Final Showdown

Season Finale Available Starting Tuesday Dec 13th; Episode One Currently Free on Steam

Citizens of Gotham,

Today we would like to share the season finale launch trailer for BATMAN – The Telltale Series Episode 5: ‘City of Light’.