Horizon: Zero Dawn ‘Evolution of the Machines’ Developer Diary

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October 22, 2016

Horizon: Zero Dawn ‘Evolution of the Machines’ Developer Diary

Sony and Guerrilla Games have released a brand new video for Horizon: Zero Dawn and it just so happens to be a new developer diary. In this diary the development team talks about how they thought up and created the various machine creatures that live in the world such as the brand new Snapmaw, a giant water-based machine that appears to look like a crocodile.

You can check out the dev diary and some new screenshots below. As for the game itself, Horizon: Zero Dawn is set in the distant future where human evolution has been thrown back to a pre-historic timeframe and now machines with organic animal-like features now rule the planet.

Berserk and the Band of the Hawk Opening Video Released

Travis Bruno

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October 22, 2016

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Berserk and the Band of the Hawk Opening Video Released

With Berserk and the Band of the Hawk releasing in Japan next week, Koei Tecmo and Omega Force have released the opening movie for the title. The cinematic video focuses on showing off each of the main characters for the title as well as combat between Guts and generic enemies as well as Apostles.

You can check out the opening movie below and as for the game itself, Berserk and the Band of the Hawk is currently set to be released for the PlayStation 4, PS Vita, and PC in North America on February 21st and in Europe on February 24th.

Indie Gala Friday Special Bundle #40 Now Available

Jamie Laike Tsui

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October 22, 2016

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Indie Gala Friday Special Bundle #40 Now Available

Leave the work week behind with a brand new indie bundle from Capsule Computers and Indie Gala. This month’s Friday Special Bundle contains ten indie games for $3.49 USD for the first 24 hours of the sale.

For a minimum purchase of price of $1.00 USD, buyers will receive:

Neon Shadow – A cyberpunk FPS inspired by old school shooters.

mr.President Prologue Episode -Who needs the Secret Service when the president is packing heat and isn’t afraid to use it!

One Day: The Sun Disappeared – An action RPG based around limited stamina that forces players to choose their attacks and blocks wisely.

For a minimum purchase price of $3.49 USD during the first 24 hours of the sale, buyers will also receive:

Pixel Cup Soccer 17 – A dynamic arcade game inspired by retro soccer titles featuring modern day competitions like the World Cup.

Wrath of Anna – A new FPS designed by former competitive gamer Michael “hamtaro” Fiorentino Gutierrez that pitches the people of two planets against each other

Zombo Buster Rising – Infuse your zombie killing with a big dose of nostalgia with this 2d side scrolling shooter.

Measurement Problem – A narrative driven puzzle platformer with intriguing co-op and competitive modes.

The Odyssey – A point and click adventure based on Homer’s epic poem.

Star Tactics – A turn based strategy game featuring two campaigns, one based on massive fleet battles and the other based on intense dog fights.

GEARGUNS – Tank Offensive – After the aliens invaded Earth, the world’s armoured regiments mounted their tanks to serve as the world’s last line of defence.

The special $3.49 USD price will only run for the first 24 hours of the sale, so be sure to grab your copy at Indie Gala before the price goes up.

Trillion: God of Destruction Launches on PC on October 25

Travis Bruno

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October 22, 2016

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Trillion: God of Destruction Launches on PC on October 25

Idea Factory International has announced that they are planning on releasing the PC version of Trillion: God of Destruction next week on October 25th on Steam. For one week after the game’s release they will be selling the title at a 40 percent off discount though those who feel like dropping a bit of extra money will find that a $9.99 Deluxe Pack will also be available.

This extra pack will include seven digital novels that give extra insight into each Overlord, a 21 page digital character art book, 18 pages of digital rough sketches in an art book, 6 PC wallpapers, and the original soundtrack for the game.

Spice & Wolf Short Story Collection and Sequel Novels Licensed by Yen Press

Travis Bruno

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October 22, 2016

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Spice & Wolf Short Story Collection and Sequel Novels Licensed by Yen Press

Yen Press has announced that they have acquired the license for the Spice & Wolf short story collection as well as the sequel novels that recently began releasing in Japan. Spice & Wolf Volume 18: Spring Log will be released sometime in 2017 and the sequel novel, which is being called Spice & Wolf New Theory: Parchment and Wolf, will also release sometime next year.

The collection of short stories will revisit the world during various times in Lawrence and Holo’s journey while the new volume will follow the story of Myuri, Lawrence and Holo’s daughter. While all seventeen volumes of the core Spice & Wolf light novel series have already been released in print, Yen Press has also announced plans to release all volumes digitally for those who prefer that option.

Independence Day: Resurgence Review

Mateja Simovic

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October 21, 2016

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Independence Day: Resurgence

Studios: TSG Entertainment, Centropolis Entertainment, Electric Entertainment
Publisher: 20th Century Fox
Platforms: DVD, Blu-Ray (review)
Release Date: 19th of October, 2016
Price: $29.98 AUD- Available Here & $9.99 USD- Available Here

Overview

The original Independence Day by Roland Emmerich was released twenty years ago and fundamentally changed the nature of the Hollywood action blockbuster. This film completely altered the mainstream cinematic landscape of its day and helped launch the career of Will Smith as a credible action movie hero. It revitalised Hollywood’s interest in science fiction and disaster movies almost single-handedly. Does lightning strike a second time for the sequel or have the twenty years of preparation been for nought? Read on to find out!

Story

It has been twenty years since the events of the first movie and Earth has been changed drastically by the alien invasion. Earth has been almost completely rebuilt with the humans integrating alien technology into their own. The nations of the world have come together as well to build defence measures capable of turning back any more invasions from interstellar travellers. David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum), now director of the force dedicated to defending the Earth, races around the globe to uncover the source of an alien transmission being beamed into space. His search leads him to an intact alien ship which landed in Africa and he ascertains that the distress signal it has been sending out has been received. Earth’s defences are put to the test as the aliens come back to try and finish the job they started two decades ago.

I will immediately state that the film’s narrative action is quite convoluted with a bunch of plot threads and perspectives. Of these, I find the sub-plots of the new generation of fighter pilots to be the most interesting as they go about navigating their relationships with each other. It feels like something out of an anime and maybe it’s for that reason I find it quite charming but I also admit that these relationships may lack a deeper substance… but then again, it isn’t trying to be anything more than an action blockbuster film. Goldblum gives a largely satisfying performance that you’d expect as Levinson with plenty of the Goldblum charm present (largely not in the form of ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’) Judd Hirsch as the father of Levinson in the film does an okay job as the film’s comic relief but the real humour came from Brent Spiner as the crazy scientist Dr Brakish Okun.

One phrase that was repeatedly being thrown around by the cast and crew upon viewing the extras is that Emmerich was aiming for things to be “big”. Certainly, this film has action spectacle in spades with more fighting, dogfights, and cities being destroyed than was ever present in the original film… but this, I feel, does not make for a better film. The higher status and increased stakes on the central characters meant that using the first film’s narrative style of multiple character perspectives would result in some unnecessary plotlines. By focusing more on a smaller cast of personas, I feel that the narrative arcs would have been much neater and the film would feel less bloated. That being said, some of the narrative action set pieces are absolutely hilarious in how over-the-top ridiculous they are.

Visuals

The CGI is very well used quite regularly throughout the film. The designs of the new tech including the moon bases, satellite weapons, and jet fighters are quite nice to look at with a sleek, recognisable design with incremental changes. The disaster imagery is also noticeably updated with the introduction of CGI allowing a far greater scale than would have been possible through practical effects and models. One of the noticeable examples was a shot which featured the city of Dubai falling onto the city of London. Watching the various landmarks collide in to each other is certainly a sequence I enjoyed to watch as a moment of movie spectacle. Unfortunately, these moments were somewhat few and far between.

The alien designs are also pretty cool as they all go about in biomechanical looking exo-suits which are a cool concept and decidedly interesting in terms of design. Another qualm I have is that I found the design of the Alien Queen to be somewhat disappointing when she’s revealed during the film’s climax. Her design was meant to be evocative of the Alien queen in the finale of Aliens, I guess, but it looks to me to similar to the other alien designs we see and there isn’t enough differentiation. I’m not sure what could have been done to change her design but as it was, she simply looked like a largely version of every other alien we saw in the film thus far.

Audio

The films soundtrack was not particularly noteworthy with it leaving no impression, neither good nor bad. For what it’s worth, when a film’s score leaves no impression then it’s generally a sign it did the job of matching the cinematic beats. It does its job well, but I’ll be damned if I try to recognise anything from the film’s soundtrack or where it was used during the movie.

Extras

The extras which revealed various aspects of the behind-the-scenes production process were quite interesting and I’d recommend giving them a watch. There is also an in-universe documentary detailing the events and aftermath of the “war of ‘96” which I very much enjoyed. As a lover of expanded universes and extras detailing bits of lore, I wished that more movies did things like this. I’d recommending skipping the audio commentary by Emmerich however, as you can tell he’s not entirely sure how he’s meant to approach the recording at all. All he ends up giving is a basic description of the narrative action as the movie unfolds which is really uninteresting and disappointing.

Overall

Ultimately, I feel that I enjoyed this movie despite its’ limitations. The story was trying very hard to spin too many plates at the same time with too many characters and points of perspective. The new cast of characters are very enjoyable to watch, however, and I look forward to future instalments in this series featuring more of these characters. The use of CGI was awesome with Emmerich having a great sense for what makes an interesting action set piece but the design of the alien queen felt a bit muted. The extras were largely a mixed bag with some wonderful hits and some very mediocre misses. I would recommend this film to fans of the original and anyone who is up for a very light action flick to pass the time, but I normally prefer my films (even action films) to be a bit more cerebral.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI Now Available Worldwide

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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October 21, 2016

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Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI Now Available Worldwide

Build an empire to stand the test of time in latest entry of the 25 year gaming phenomenon

Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #OneMoreTurn

Windsor, UK – October 21, 2016 – 2K and Firaxis Games announced today that Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI, the latest entry in the award-winning turn-based strategy franchise, is now available worldwide for Windows-based PC. Sid Meier’s Civilization VIoffers players new ways to interact with their world, expand their empire across the map, advance their culture, and compete against history’s greatest leaders to build a civilization to stand the test of time.

“For over 25 years, gamers of different generations and all ages have enjoyed taking one more turn in Sid Meier’s Civilization,” said Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K. “Today we celebrate those 25 years with the launch of the latest entry in 2K’s longest-running franchise, the highly anticipated, Sid Meier’s Civilization VI.”

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI marks another milestone in the Civilization franchise, which has sold-in over 35 million units worldwide and changed the gaming landscape by bringing the strategy genre to unparalleled heights. In Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, cities will physically expand across the map to create new, deep strategic layers, active research in technology and culture will unlock new potential ways to play; and the large variety of leaders will pursue their own agendas based on their historical character traits as players race to achieve victory however they choose to play.

“The Civilization VI team strived to create the best Civilization game possible to celebrate 25 years of the series and also 25 years with our fans” said Ed Beach, lead designer at Firaxis Games. “Including all the ingredients for a true Civilization experience, while adding in exciting new features like active research and unstacking cities, makes Sid Meier’s Civilization VI a truly unique experience. We hope that both our fans and new players will join us in taking just one more turn over and over again.”

Developed by Firaxis Games, Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI is rated PEGI 12+ and is available now on Windows PC. Expand your empire further with the Civilization VI Digital Deluxe Edition which includes the full base game, the 25th Anniversary Digital Soundtrack, and access to four post-launch DLC packs that will add new maps, scenarios, civilizations and leaders.

For more information on Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI, visit www.civilization.com , become a fan on Facebook, follow Civilization on Twitter and Instagram and subscribe onYouTube.

Firaxis Games is a 2K studio. 2K is a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO).

About Take-Two Interactive Software

Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a leading developer, publisher and marketer of interactive entertainment for consumers around the globe. The Company develops and publishes products through its two wholly-owned labels Rockstar Games and 2K. Our products are designed for console systems and personal computers, including smartphones and tablets, and are delivered through physical retail, digital download, online platforms and cloud streaming services. The Company’s common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website athttp://www.take2games.com .

About 2K

Founded in 2005, 2K develops and publishes interactive entertainment globally for console systems, handheld gaming systems and personal computers, including smartphones and tablets, which are delivered through physical retail, digital download, online platforms and cloud streaming services. 2K publishes titles in today’s most popular gaming genres, including shooters, action, role-playing, strategy, sports, casual, and family entertainment. The 2K label has some of the most talented development studios in the world today, including Firaxis Games, Visual Concepts, Hangar 13, Cat Daddy Games and 2K China. 2K’s stable of high quality titles includes the critically acclaimed BioShock®, Borderlands™, Mafia, and XCOM® franchises, the beloved Sid Meier’s Civilization series, Evolve™, Battleborn®, the popular WWE 2K franchise and NBA 2K, the highest rated* annual sports title of this console generation.

*According to 2008 – 2016 Metacritic.com

About Firaxis Games

Firaxis Games™ is one of the world’s premier game development studios, and home of legendary designer Sid Meier. Firaxis has developed some of the most successful and award-winning PC and video games on the market today, including the award-winning Sid Meier’s Civilization® series, featuring the recently released expansion pack for Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth™ for Windows PC, Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide for Windows PC, Sid Meier’s Civilization V for Windows PC, as well as the critically acclaimed expansion packs, Sid Meier’s Civilization V: Brave New World and Sid Meier’s Civilization V: Gods and Kings for Windows PC. Firaxis also recently released XCOM 2 for Windows PC, the Xbox One video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system. This was the follow up to the 2012 Game of the Year award-winning XCOM®: Enemy Unknown for Windows PC, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and Apple iOS, along with the critically acclaimed expansion pack XCOM: Enemy Within for Windows PC, the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation3 computer entertainment system, and Apple iOS. Firaxis Games is owned by Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., and is part of its 2K publishing label. For more information about Firaxis and its games can be found atwww.firaxis.com .

All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The statements contained herein which are not historical facts are considered forward-looking statements under federal securities laws and may be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “potential,” “predicts,” “projects,” “seeks,” “will,” or words of similar meaning and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the outlook for the Company’s future business and financial performance. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs of our management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to them, which are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Actual outcomes and results may vary materially from these forward-looking statements based on a variety of risks and uncertainties including: our dependence on key management and product development personnel, our dependence on our Grand Theft Auto products and our ability to develop other hit titles, the timely release and significant market acceptance of our games, the ability to maintain acceptable pricing levels on our games, and risks associated with international operations. Other important factors and information are contained in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the risks summarized in the section entitled “Risk Factors,” the Company’s most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the Company’s other periodic filings with the SEC, which can be accessed atwww.take2games.com. All forward-looking statements are qualified by these cautionary statements and apply only as of the date they are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Titanfall 2 Single Player Campaign Trailer Revealed

Travis Bruno

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October 21, 2016

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Titanfall 2 Single Player Campaign Trailer Revealed

Electronic Arts and Respawn Entertainment have released an official trailer showing off the single player campaign for Titanfall 2. With this sequel featuring a single player story mode for the first time, it will follow a 3rd Class militia rifleman named Jack Cooper.

Jack aspires to be a Pilot and has been receiving training in private and it just so happens that a Vanguard class Titan designated BT-7274 is in need of one after its previous pilot dies during an investigation mission. The two must combine their abilities and weaponry in order to survive after ending up far behind enemy lines.

Akiba’s Beat to Feature Dual Audio in North America

Travis Bruno

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October 21, 2016

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Akiba’s Beat to Feature Dual Audio in North America

XSEED Games has announced that when they eventually release Akiba’s Beat in North America that they will be including both the original Japanese voice track as well as their freshly recorded English dub. The extra language track will be present on the disc for the PlayStation 4 version of the game and as free DLC for the PS Vita version.

The company also revealed that those who pre-order the title before the Q1 2017 release will be given a 3.5” Pinkun pocket plushie. The English voice cast for the game is as follows:

Asahi Tachibana – Chris Patton
Boss – Mick Wingert
Hazuki Aihara – Alexis Tipton
Kanon – Todd Haberkorn
Kotomi Sanada – Cherami Leigh
Megane Taro – Justin Briner
Mizuki Aihara (and Dog) – Ray Chase
Moe Suzumori – Alexis Tipton
Pinkun – Brittney Karbowski
Saki Hoshino – Erica Mendez
Reiji Shinomiya – Ed Bosco
Riyu Momose – Tia Ballard
Yamato Hongo – Robbie Daymond

Nights of Azure 2 Full Trailer Released

Travis Bruno

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October 21, 2016

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Gust and Koei Tecmo have released the first full-length trailer for Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon and with it comes a look at various elements of gameplay as well as some character introductions, including the new character Lily Camilla and some of the new Servans that have been added into the game.

You can check out the video below and as for the game itself, Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon is set for release in Japan on December 22nd for the PlayStation 4 and PS Vita and has already been confirmed for release in the West sometime in the future.

https://youtu.be/OVI0LSME1xc