Oculus Touch Support and Major Game Expansion Coming to The Climb in Free December Update
Conquer cliffs with intuitive movements and explore and compete in an extensive new wintry setting in Crytek’s VR climbing game
Frankfurt am Main (Germany) December 1, 2016 – Prepare to conquer the wild like never before as Oculus Touch support comes to Crytek’s VR free solo rock climbing game,The Climb, on December 6.
Crytek revealed today that its incoming update for The Climb will integrate support for the new Touch controllers when they launch next week – giving players the freedom to scale VR cliffs with instinctive hand movements that mirror real-world climbing. With the addition of new leaderboards for each setting, the race will be on to master the game’s environments with Oculus’ intuitive new controllers.
The extensive game update will be free to everyone who owns The Climb, and also includes an expansive new setting inspired by the landscapes of Iceland. The wintry “North” location features snow-capped peaks, distant volcanoes, and a host of fresh challenges for players to get to grips with as they scale new heights, immerse themselves in the environment, or compete to set the best times in the world. In addition, the update introduces new player-customization options and a range of accessories designed specifically for the North setting.
The Climb’s free update will be available for players on December 6 via Oculus Home.
About Crytek
Crytek is an independent videogame developer, publisher, and technology provider dedicated to pushing the boundaries of gaming with its cutting-edge 3D game development platform CRYENGINE. With headquarters in Frankfurt am Main (Germany) and studios in Kiev (Ukraine), Budapest (Hungary), Sofia (Bulgaria), Seoul (South Korea), Shanghai (China), and Istanbul (Turkey), Crytek has created multiple award-winning titles, including the original Far Cry, the Crysis series, Ryse: Son of Rome, Warface, and The Climb. Crytek delivers fun and innovative gaming experiences for PC, consoles, and VR and continues to grow its reach in the games-as-a-service market. Every Crytek game is created with CRYENGINE, which can be used by anyone to create games on a Pay What You Want business model.
LONDON (1st December 2016) – Square Enix Ltd., have announced that the day one sales figures for FINAL FANTASY® XV, released simultaneously across the globe earlier this week, has exceeded five million units – becoming the fastest selling game in the history of the FINAL FANTASY series.
Receiving critical acclaim from fans across the world for its beautiful world design and graphical quality, combined with open-world freedom and an exciting new battle system, the game is the first in the series’ history to have a simultaneous global launch. Having surpassed five million sales across the world already, the game also broke the record for most downloads of a game on day of release in Japan. In the Asian region that excludes Japan it also broke the record for total game sales on day one, including packaged version units shipped and digital downloads.
SQUARE ENIX will continue to work on projects to expand and enhance customer enjoyment of FINAL FANTASY XV, releasing additional content and associated series products.
To commemorate the release of the game, numerous special launch events also took place across the globe, in Japan, Europe (UK and Belgium), North America (USA, Canada), Central and Southern America (Mexico) and China (Shanghai), celebrating the release with expectant fans from all regions of the planet. FINAL FANTASY XV is available now worldwide for the Xbox One and PlayStation®4 system. For more information on FINAL FANTASY XV, visit: http://www.finalfantasyxv.com/
About FINAL FANTASY XV
The latest instalment in the classic series, FINAL FANTASY XV is set in an enthralling world where fantasy meets reality, where players will embark on an adventure like no other. Join Prince Noctis and his comrades on an epic journey of brotherhood, love and despair as they unravel Noctis’s destiny and take up arms against the warmongering empire, Niflheim.
With a captivating cast of characters, breath-taking visuals, open world exploration and thrilling action-packed real time combat, FINAL FANTASY XV is the ultimate FINAL FANTASY experience for both newcomers to the series and series fans alike. Related Links: FINAL FANTASY XV YouTube: https://YouTube.com/FinalFantasyXV FINAL FANTASY XV Twitter®: @FFXVEN FINAL FANTASY XV Instagram: @FFXV FINAL FANTASY XV Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/ffxv/
About Square Enix Ltd.
Square Enix Ltd. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content in Europe and other PAL territories as part of the Square Enix group of companies. Square Enix Ltd. also has a global network of leading development studios such as IO Interactive™, Crystal Dynamics®, and Eidos Montréal. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 115 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 68 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 46 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix Ltd. is a London-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
More information on Square Enix Ltd. can be found at http://eu.square-enix.com/en
FINAL FANTASY XV, FINAL FANTASY, the FINAL FANTASY logo, DRAGON QUEST, SQUARE ENIX, the SQUARE ENIX logo, SPACE INVADERS and TAITO are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Square Enix Group. “PlayStation,” “PlayStation Portable” and “PS4” are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment. Xbox One is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
Madman Entertainment’s B2B (business-to-business) website has revealed their release schedule for March 2017. Several anime titles, both new and old, are scheduled for release on March 8, 2017. The full list is as follows:
Aquarion Logos Complete Series Collection – DVD only. All episodes are presented with dual audio.
Baka and Test Complete Series Collection – DVD and Blu-ray. All episodes are presented with dual audio.
Bikini Warriors – DVD only.
Cardcaptor Sakura Complete Series Collection – DVD only. All episodes are presented with English subtitles. On-disc extras include the textless opening and ending animations and a world exclusive interview with Sakura Tange, the voice of Sakura.
Haganai Complete Series Collection – DVD and Blu-ray. All episodes are presented with dual audio.
My Love Story!! – DVD only. All episodes are presented with English subtitles
Naruto Shippuden Collection 29 – DVD only. Episodes 362-374 are presented with dual audio.
Ninja Slayer Series Collection – DVD only. All episodes are presented with dual audio.
One Piece Collection 42 – DVD only. Episodes 505-516 are presented with dual audio.
Rampo Kitan: Game of Laplace Complete Series – DVD and Blu-ray. All episodes are presented with English subtitles.
Show by Rock!! Complete Series – DVD only. All episodes are presented with dual audio.
Terra Formars (film) – DVD only. The film is presented with English subtitles.
The World God Only Knows Ultimate Complete Series Collection – DVD only. All episodes are presented with dual audio.
Triage X Series Collection – DVD only. All episodes are presented with English subtitles.
Sakura Tange is returning to voice the character of Sakura in the newly announced anime sequel to the series, which will premiere on Japanese television in January 2018. Final release details for the titles listed above are subject to change. Some details may be revealed later for some releases.
Makoto Shinkai’s latest anime film Your Name. has become the fifth most popular film of all time in Japan. It has currently earned $172,165,960 USD, or ¥19.711 billion, and is the second best-selling film of all time in Japan. Hayao Miyazaki’s film Spirited Away is still the number 1 best selling film of all time in Japan. For Your Name to move up yet another spot, it would have to outperform Disney’s Frozen and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
FUNimation Entertainment dubbed the film into English and is releasing it in North American theaters for an Oscar Award-qualifying run ahead of its public release next year. Madman Entertainment is releasing it in cinemas in Australia and New Zealand.
It has been announced that there will be a new Cardcaptor Sakura television anime for the first time in over 15 years. This is the 20th anniversary of CLAMP’s series. To celebrate the anniversary, they began a sequel manga series titled Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card Arc, which the new anime series is adapted from.
The anime adaptation was initially teased back in February. More details will be announced today in the January issue of Kodansha’s Nakayoshi magazine. The new story arc follows Sakura in her first year of junior high school, after she graduates from Tomoeda Elementary School. Morio Asaka, who directed the previous Cardcaptor Sakuraanime will be returning to direct the new anime at Madhouse. It is scheduled to premiere in Japan in January 2018 on NHK.
Big Ant And Cricket Australia Launch The Greatest Mobile Cricket Game Ever
Big Bash 2016 gives players an unprecedented level of cricket realism on the go, and is completely free, with no microtransactions whatsoever.
Melbourne, 1 December 2016: Cricket Australia, in collaboration with the developer behind the hit Don Bradman cricket games, Big Ant Studios, today announces the upcoming release date for the official game for the 2016-17 KFC Big Bash League and Rebel Women’s Big Bash League season, Big Bash 2016, on Apple iOS and Android.
Players can take control of their favourite clubs and lead them to glory through each match of the season. Featuring player names and jerseys, Big Ant has applied its leading motion capture technology to the game, with both male and female players captured for the game, to ensure that the movement of players and flow of the game is more authentic than in any previous mobile cricket game.
Players will get to play through the entire BBL and WBBL seasons with any of the eight Big Bash clubs, and all of the big hits, big wickets, and big finishes that entails.
“We’re really proud to be the first developer to include women’s cricket in a mobile game,” CEO of Big Ant Studios, Ross Symons, said. “We wanted to give players the most authentic and complete T20 cricket experience, which they can play along with as they cheer on their favourite clubs in real life. T20 cricket is such an exciting version of the sport, and we think it fits with mobile gaming platforms perfectly.”
Big Bash 2016 has been designed to be simple to play but tough to master; to bat, players just swipe the touch screen in the direction they want their player to hit the ball. Time it right and you’ll watch the ball soar over the fence for a glorious six. Get the timing wrong, and watch the ball land directly in the safe hands of a fielder. To bowl, simply position a marker to determine pitch, and then swipe in a direction to create some spin or swing.
“The BBL and WBBL have taken Australia by storm in recent years, with the fast paced action on the field and fun family atmosphere off the field making it a favourite of fans young and old around Australia. Now, with Big Bash 2016, our fans will be able to be a part of the cricket action using their own mobile device,” Head of Big Bash League at Cricket Australia, Anthony Everard, said. “Being able to play as your favourite players and lead your club to victory in the BBL and WBBL is bound to be exciting for all of our fans.”
Big Bash 2016 is completely free-to-play, with no microtransactions or advertisements stopping players from getting stuck right in. The game will be available on the iOS and Android app stores now
In the interest of transparency – Aliens is my favourite movie, hands down, and I could not be more excited to see it on the big screen, just as it had originally aired 30 years ago. Or at least, not quite as it originally had. In The House treated us to the Director’s cut edition: Aliens as it was meant to be seen, as the director intended, in all it’s glory. I’ve seen it more times than I can count, and so it was with mounting excitement I made my way down to George Street Cinemas for the In The House screening. One of the many jewels in director James Cameron’s crown, Aliens was initially received with critical acclaim, and to this day is still able to stand on its own laurels against modern cinema offerings.
As is traditional David ‘Quinny’ Quinn and Jason ‘Jabba’ Davis presided over the viewing, sharing with us tidbits about the movie’s development, and prizes for the keen individuals who arrived in costume as Colonial Marines. For example, Sigourney Weaver, an anti-gun lobbyist, was quite unhappy to learn she’d be using one during the movie. Luckily for the movie however, she relented. Other cool facts: the ‘smartguns’ used by Vasquez and Drake were WW2 German MG42s, with motorcycle parts slapped on and carried on a camera gimbal. The creepy alien hive? Made out of melted black garbage bags and an old power station. However before the screening could begin, we the audience were a part of a mannequin challenge. This was new to me, but it did get me thinking of those creepy androids in Alien: Isolation, which in a dark cinema, right before watching the action/horror hybrid film that inspired that terrifying game, felt appropriate.
Story
Aliens opens with Lt. Ellen Ripley being rescued by scavengers and waking up at Gateway Station – a massive transit hub built above Earth – 50 years after the events of the first film. After a kangaroo tribunal fails to believe her talk of alien creatures, she’s fired and reduced to working on a loading dock. Which is when Carter Burke, a representative of the company they both work for, Weyland-Yutani, finds her and offers her a job: travel back to LV-426 and investigate what’s happened to their colony there, suddenly gone silent. After her recurring nightmare of chestbursting-horrors convinces her to go, we cut to the USS Sulaco on final approach to the ill-fated planetoid.
A cryo-tube wake-up scene reminiscent of the first film is our first introduction to the United States Colonial Marines who are supporting Ripley and Burke on this mission of investigation. Their preparations for the upcoming drop are awash with self-assured jingoism, testosterone and back-slapping camaraderie, in stark contrast to the bored professionalism and griping of the Nostromo’s crew. These early sequences serve as an excellent introduction to the respected Sergeant Apone, the green Lieutenant Gorman, and their family of belligerent children. Even Ripley lends a hand with a cargo loading exoskeleton, featuring in a happy, if bloodthirsty, little family montage. However once the party is on it’s way the first signs of nerves appear: Gorman revealing this was only his second combat drop, Hudson’s bravado when describing their arsenal (“we got nukes, we got knives, sharp sticks…”), and the marine’s general distrust of their corporate escort and brand shiny new commanding officer.
Making their way inside the abandoned colony, the marines discover Newt, a survivor of what happened to the human colonists, and the daughter of the person to find the facehuggers in the downed alien ship earlier discovered by the Nostromo’s crew. Finding no other survivors, and with signs of small arms fire and explosives damage everywhere, not to mention the melted walls and floors, the marines regroup and set about discovering what they can. Burke and Hudson soon find signs of the colonists all mysteriously gathered under a cooling tower of the colony’s neighboring terraforming device and fusion reactor. Making their way under the reactor, Gorman’s incompetence and Burke’s greed make themselves felt as the movie abruptly and violently changes pace. This sudden and brutal shift from confident bravado to what ends in Hudson’s iconic line “Game over man. Game over!” is one of my favourite parts of the movie, turning all expectations on their head.
From here the story is a tense struggle for survival. Every preparation and defense feels like it just might work, but slowly the survivors are attrited down. Several false endings happen, keeping the tension tight and visceral right to when the credits start to roll. The feelings of optimism and safety the first half evokes are nothing but distant memories by the time you walk out of the cinema, feeling as raggedy edged and drawn out as the characters do. While the horror is present several jump scares, this is not where the majority of the tension comes from, instead evoked through the creepy music, the dark and industrial sets, and the distant inexorable approach of death.
The actors all provide excellent performances, reacting believably to their unbelievable straits. While Carrie Henn’s (Newt) lack of acting experience is at times painfully obvious, the rest of the cast does a stellar job. Lance Henrikson plays the unflappable and resourceful android Bishop, giving a performance not quite as human as Ian Holm’s Ash (Alien), but much more believably synthetic. Bill Paxton’s (Hudson) panic is visceral, and his comedic leanings provides a contrast to stop the tension being unbearable, but not enough to break it. Paul Reiser as well does an excellent job as Burke, the slimy corporate slug.
Visuals
The visual direction follows the designs laid out in Alien, with a dirty industrial aesthetic defining the human constructs. The colony looks lived in, the military ship spartan, and Gateway Station’s sterile white aesthetic is laughably broken up by what one can only imagine was a corporation’s attempt to do the minimal necessary to make it’s employees comfortable. The props receive similar treatments, the addition of scrap metal making what should be familiar weapons seem futuristic, while maintaining their sense of utilitarianism. The alien hive is also impressively detailed, and a very believably creepy transplant of the organic into the mechanical. Not every visual effect survived the decades however. Scenes involving the dropship flying appear puppet-like, and the same shot of a xenomorph exploding is used time and time again.
The design of the xenomorph is the same as in the first film, their sleek, black, armored exoskeletons and extraordinary speed and agility making them a terrifying foe. However, no mention of Aliens can be complete however without mention of the Alien Queen – a massive 4 meter high construct that took 18 puppeteers to manipulate. All the horrifying organic efficiency of her children writ large, the Queen is an awe inspiring sight, dominating the spaces she’s in, and moving with a grace that belies her size. Throughout the dark and cramped confines of Hadley’s Hope the attention to detail is impressive, and the close shots and tight focus of the camera keep the atmosphere tense – even before the aliens make an appearance.
Audio
Featuring not just iconic images, but iconic sounds as well, Aliens makes masterful use of diegetic sound to sustain the tension. While the wailing strings of the orchestral score serve to creepily announce the presence of the xenomorphs, it is the soft pinging of the marine’s motion trackers that really puts the audience on edge. Hearing unseen threats hone in on the tiny screen, while outwardly all is peaceful serve to leave the audience on the edge of their seats, even if the crescendos and silences of the score were not enough on their own.
Overview
Aliens is not just a worthy successor to Alien, serving to expand upon the original world building, while keeping the same vision intact. It’s a masterwork piece of cinema that surpasses the original that birthed it. Featuring all of the original’s attention to detail, with gorgeous practical effects and an exquisite score, it’s the film’s characters and world building that really makes it strike home. Arguably having an even larger effect on popular culture than it’s predecessor, Aliens presents a cynical take on humanity’s future and with a slew of iconic moments wraps it up into the perhaps the best sci-fi, horror or action movie of all time. Many thanks to the folks at In the House for screening this!
For other films which In the House are screening, check out their schedule here.
Techland (Dead Island) and inXile Entertainment released a brand new trailer today to show off the third character class from the upcoming RPG Torment: Tides of Numenera. The aptly named Jack is a jack of all trade, but master of none. He has a wide variety of skills and can weasel his way out of any situation so he can reengage at a later time on his own terms. Alternatively, Jack is perfectly suited for simply wandering around and exploring the world without getting into a fight.
Torment: Tides of Numenera is an RPG set in Monte Cook’s science-fantasy world Numenera. The game also serves as the spiritual successor to Planescape: Torment. Torment: Tides of Numenera is set to launch on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in 2017.
Deck13 and Focus Home Interactive released three new screenshots for their upcoming action RPGThe Surgetoday. The images depicts some of the many mini-bosses the player will encounter. CREO’s robot dog has a bigger bite than its bark. It moves quickly and is heavily armoured, but a smart player can find weak points in its armour to take the dog down.
The Echelon 9 security forces will be a constant threat, as they are equipped with the mighty GOLIATH-class armour that makes them incredibly deadly. The armour imparts superhuman strength and speed, posing a serious challenge for players. Finally, CREO’s smelter has gone completely out of control. Like with CREO’s robot dog, players will need avoid its ore-smashing teeth and strike at its weak points to take it down.
The Surge will launch for PC, PS4, and Xbox One sometime in 2017.
ARK: SURVIVAL EVOLVED COMES ROARING ONTO PLAYSTATION®4 DECEMBER 6TH
Studio Wildcard’s ‘ARK Survivor’s Pack’ Delivers Both ARK and the Scorched Earth Expansion Pack to North American PS4 Gamers
Seattle, WA – November 30, 2016 – Studio Wildcard announced today that its massively popular dinosaur survival game is coming to PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system on December 6, 2016. Dubbed the ARK: Survivor’s Pack, this special offering includes both the base game, ARK: Survival Evolved, and the massive desert-themed expansion, ARK: Scorched Earth together for $54.99 USD.
The ARK: Survivor’s Pack gives PS4 North American players an up-to-date version of ARK: Survival Evolved that includes the previously released content, plus Scorched Earth — ARK’s first Expansion Pack. The Survivor’s Pack includes exclusive PS4 content including a Bionic Giganotosaurus skin plus an entire Manticore armor set for all male and female characters.
PS4 ARK players will also receive a constant stream of major updates packed with new dinosaurs, weapons, armor, mechanics, and lifestyle improvements, until it releases as a final product in Spring 2017.
Built on Unreal Engine 4, ARK: Survival Evolved is the first to deliver the popular-on-PC persistent online survival genre to both Xbox One and PlayStation 4, with a unique footprint of adventure, multiplayer online cooperation and competition, focused on the basic survival skills of crafting, harvesting, building, and exploration.
In ARK: Survival Evolved, survivors wake up stranded, naked, freezing, and starving on a mysterious island where they must hunt, harvest, craft items, grow crops, and build shelters to survive in every biome. Survivors will tame, train, and ride more than 100 stunning dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts, including gargantuan creatures on a scale never before seen in video games! In every available biome — Jungle, Snow, Swamp, Redwood, and Desert — you’ll be able to fly an armed Pteranodon squadron over the snow-capped mountains, race through a thick jungle with your pack of trained Raptors, tromp through a fortified enemy base with a convoy of gigantic Brontosaurus, or chase down prey on the back of a raging T-Rex.
Key ARK: Survival Evolved Features
TAME, TRAIN, RIDE, and BREED DINOSAURS: Command the most amazing creatures from throughout Earth’s biological history, with more than 100 dinosaurs and creatures planned for full launch. Use cunning strategy and tactics to tame and ride the many dinosaurs and other primeval creatures roaming the dynamic, persistent ecosystems across land, sea, air, and even underground.
CRAFT AND BUILD: Using any means necessary to survive, players will craft weapons, clothes, and items, and build shelters. Plant, harvest, build, level-up, and customize everything visually and functionally, including procedurally-generated RPG statistics for creatures, characters, resources, clothing, gear, and weapons both primitive and modern.
DISCOVER: Explore a massive living ecosystem and find the means to survive, thrive, and possibly escape the ARK Island.
TEAM UP TO SURVIVE: Start a tribe with dozens of other players in a large-scale multiplayer online first person environment to survive and dominate competing tribes…and to ultimately discover ARK’s true purpose.
JOIN A TRIBE: The ‘Tribe’ system encourages cooperation, by supporting dynamic parties to share resources, XP, and re-spawn points. Other players are organizing rebel tribes to accumulate resources, experience, re-spawn points, and to construct sprawling villages and cities, with technology spanning the primitive stone-age to the modern electric-powered era and beyond. And they will fight to destroy anything they see as a threat.
A LARGER UNIVERSE: Travel between Online ARKs to meet new players, face new threats, and discover new civilizations!
Meanwhile in the Scorched Earth Expansion Pack, players will wake up in a fiery, drought-ridden desert world, where they must immediately seek water, hunt for food, harvest new flora, craft new items, and build shelter from the extreme heat.
Use skills honed on ARK’s faraway Island to kill, tame, breed, and ride the fantastical new creatures that have evolved to survive the Desert’s ultra harsh conditions, including… DRAGONS!
Key Scorched Earth Expansion Pack Features
Where’s the Water? Players must re-learn what it means to survive and thrive in a harsh desert environment depleted of water resources.
Explore a New World: Scorched Earth is an entirely new map, composed of seven unique, desert themed biomes – dunes, high desert, mountains, canyons, badlands, oasis and the ever-dangerous dragon trench – each with their own aesthetics, resources & ecosystems, and littered with ruins, geysers, and intricate ancient cave systems.
Craft More Than 50 New Items: Discover new outfits and structures to protect from the heat, and new tools to help survive in the harsh environment. Carry temporary shelter with you using tents, employ whips, boomerangs and flamethrowers for ‘defense’, wind turbines to generate clean power, and water wells & oil refineries to harvest scarce resources, among many new mechanics!
Tame New Creatures: The desert’s biomes are filled with fantastical new creatures, many of which can be tamed. Lead a caravan of the camel-like Morellatops, or rain fire down on your enemies from the back of a Wyvern. Just mind your step in the vast desert, or you might attract a Death Worm!
Conquer New Challenges: Prepare yourself for dangerous electrical storms, blinding sandstorms, befuddling heat stroke, and unleash the power of the Obelisks to come face-to-face with ARK’s deadliest boss creature to date – the ferocious Manticore!
Travel Back to the Island: Take characters, favorite creatures and items from Scorched Earth back to the Island, standing out from the crowd and making your Island-dwelling friends jealous with all of the amazing new goodies and secrets you find in the Desert.
ARK: Survival Evolved is in development for Xbox One via the ID@Xbox program, PlayStation®4, and Steam PC. The game is available next week for PlayStation 4 players and is currently playable in Microsoft’s Game Preview on Xbox One and Steam’s Early Access program, which includes Oculus Rift VR support and an integration of Steam community features such as Steam Economy and Steam Workshop for custom maps and mods. Players can host private/LAN servers and have access to a custom-built version of the Unreal Engine 4 Editor for creating mods. The world of ARK is designed to be modder-friendly and ever-expanding!
For the latest updates follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube, visit the Website at playark.com and watch us tame and train leviathan dinosaurs on Twitch.TV.
Makoto Shinkai’s latest 
