Akiba’s Beat English Introduction Video Released for Kotomi Sanada

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September 13, 2016

Akiba’s Beat English Introduction Video Released for Kotomi Sanada

XSEED Games has released another new English trailer for the upcoming localization of Akiba’s Beat and this time around the seventeen year old Kotomi Sanada is introduced. Kotomi is a third-year high school student who avoids attending school and comes from a distinguished family that even has a maid since she was very young. Thanks to this rich lifestyle, she tends to be sarcastic and speaks with an authoritative tone.

You can check out the full video below and as for the game itself, Akiba’s Beat was originally slated for release sometime this Winter in North America but after the recent announcement of the Japanese release being delayed to that same time frame, it is currently unknown how the North American date will be affected.

The Last Guardian Delayed to December

Travis Bruno

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September 13, 2016

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Fans of Team Ico were glad to hear that The Last Guardian had finally received a solid release date but it seems that history has repeated itself once more in regards to this long awaited title. Sony has announced that The Last Guardian has been delayed from its initial release date of October 25th to December 6th in North America and December 7th in Europe.

The reason given for The Last Guardian‘s delay was provided by Shuhei Yoshida who explained that the delay was due to a few more bugs that had to be worked out to give fans the best experience possible.

2001: A Space Odyssey Review

Mateja Simovic

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September 13, 2016

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2001: A Space Odyssey

Studios: Stanley Kubrick Productions
Publisher: Metro-Goldwyn Meyer
Platforms: Cinema
Release Date: Out Now

Overview

Stanley Kubrick is one of the hallmark auteurs of cinema with his experiments in the cinematic medium leaving a lasting impression. Arthur C. Clarke is one of science fiction’s household literary names with many of his predictions about the future of humanity becoming reality. 2001: A Space Odyssey was the result of these two great and talented individuals coming together at the right place and time. Unfortunately, I missed the film’s original theatrical release by existing at least several decades too late.

It is very fortuitous that the same folks who organise In the House are now launching a new film series titled Niche 505 presented by Giles Hardie (a film critic from the ABC). I was invited down to review the screening and I was intrigued to see what the format for the new series would be like. I assumed from the earlier start time that perhaps there would be a short talk beforehand discussing the film and although there was, it was quite brief. I assumed that this new format would be a bit more academic compared to the frivolity of In the House and had looked forward to the pre-screening lecture… but those are my film student sensibilities showing no doubt.

Story

The film’s narrative starts off proper, after a brief tangent to the dawn of mankind, on an American base on the moon. The base uncovered an unusual alien artefact beneath the moon’s surface which appeared to have been deliberately covered. In an effort to investigate this artefact further, they send an expedition to Jupiter to try and ascertain its possible origins. The mission proceeds as planned until the artificial intelligence running the ship begins reporting malfunctions which don’t occur and acting irrationally. The astronauts aboard the ship are then forced to find a solution to the precarious possibility that the AI, which controls all of the functions of the ship, might be going haywire and that help is months away.

The story is at once both simple and complex. The brunt of the film’s story might be considered to be the Astronauts on their mission to Jupiter, but the film doesn’t even begin to focus on them until half way through. Up until this point, there’s no real sense of a complication as we watch smaller stories play out in the sequences beforehand, including that of rival simian apes fighting over a water source and an American official wishing his daughter a happy birthday from a space station in orbit around Earth. Kubrick and Clarke spend a lot of the film’s ample screen time on simply constructing the mise-en-scene of the sci-fi universe the film takes place in as well as forming the contextual framework for themes which will be present later in the film.

The film takes its’ time in even approaching the semblance of a narrative with the first half hour not even including any (understandable) dialogue. We aren’t even introduced to our notional protagonist, David Bowman (Keir Dullea), until the second act of the film. The time the film spends in what can be described as a narrative ‘cold opening’ could be considered indulgent were it not that Kubrick was so skilled at making compelling cinema. Although there might not be much happening on the screen, there’s generally enough to keep you interested all the same. It’s definitely a much slower and considered cinematic experience but for those who are willing to put the mental energy into engaging it, the film is supremely rewarding. Fans of a more visceral and dynamic filmic experience may be perturbed by these lengthy takes in which little action unfolds.

The last act is certainly one which takes a very strange turn from the film’s more hard-science fiction storytelling. Although I have read the accompanying novel by Clarke which goes into further detail about what exactly happened during this sequence, its’ representation in the film is certainly esoteric. Kubrick makes a deliberate choice to avoid expository dialogue… or any kind of exposition at all. Although many viewers may be scratching their heads over what exactly happens in this final sequence, I still consider it to be one of the best cinematic representations of the concept of infinity itself.

Visuals

This film is absolute testimony to Kubrick’s talent as a master of the cinematic frame. I stated before that the long takes which the film showcases would be indulgent were they not so compelling. This is where Kubrick shines as each shot and sequence are carefully laid out to evoke an almost immediate sense of awe. Kubrick makes us watch over a minute of dark, empty screen in order to wow us with the majesty of the sunrise. This strong sense of temporal contrast is present throughout the film as we go from shots of the endless expanse to the claustrophobic interiors of a ship. The shots of space and space craft are particularly serene due to the length of each shot we see them in. It gains a distinct balletic feel as these spin and float through the vacuum as if they were part of an interstellar dance.

The last act of the film features some of the most stunning visuals I have ever seen in a film to date. The images take a sharp turn for the surreal as the special effects showcase alien landscapes and physical dimensions. It’s beautiful in how Kubrick plays with colours, light, and saturation, but also deeply unsettling when he plays with camera positioning and perspective. It’s no wonder this sequence left its mark upon the cultural zeitgeist as it truly is visually groundbreaking.

Audio

The orchestral score to this film is par excellence, which it needed to be to carry the audience through the sequences where Kubrick deliberately keeps the action downplayed. The building orchestral swell of Also Sprach Zarathustra is particularly haunting and otherworldly when depicting pre-historic Earth. The use of The Blue Danube for the ship docking sequence gives the entire sequence a very balletic feel to give the shots a very serene feel to them. For the final act of the film, the soundtrack returns to a more ethereal tone with further reinforces the general unease the audience feels during the sequence. This is a soundtrack which very much leaves its impression on you and will forever be lodged in your memory in conjunction with scenes from this movie.

Overall

This film is, without a doubt, a cinematic masterpiece which was well worth watching again in a theatre. The story is a slow burn but absolutely compelling if you’re willing to follow along and have patience. The visual design is absolutely beautiful with stunning shots laced throughout the film which keep you interested even while the story progresses at its slow, measured pace. The soundtrack is striking and beautiful to set the tone as well as engage you when the narrative slows down. This is not simply a movie which I’d recommend you see but rather one which you MUST see at least once in your life. I cannot overstate how good it was to see this film up on a theatre screen and so I give kudos to Niche 505 for opening with a very strong choice for their new series.

For other films which Niche 505 is screening, feel free to check out their schedule here.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

A NEW GENERATION OF SHINOBI EMERGES WITH NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™: ULTIMATE NINJA STORM 4 ROAD TO BORUTO ON FEBRUARY 3RD 2017 IN EUROPE!

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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September 13, 2016

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A NEW GENERATION OF SHINOBI EMERGES WITH NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™: ULTIMATE NINJA STORM 4 ROAD TO BORUTO ON FEBRUARY 3^RD 2017 IN EUROPE!

The end of the NARUTO SHIPPUDEN saga is not the end of the story!

September 13^th, 2016 – BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe, the premier anime videogame publisher today announced NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: ULTIMATE NINJA STORM 4 ROAD TO BORUTO. The expansion will be available on February 3^rd 2017 on PlayStation®4, computer entertainment system, Xbox One, all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and on PC via STEAM in Europe, Middle-East, Africa and Australasia. The new content lets players take on the role of Boruto, the son of Naruto Uzumaki, and experience the storyline from Boruto: Naruto the Movie with an all-new story mode from the talented developers at CyberConnect2.

NARUTO SHIPPPUDEN: ULTIMATE NINJA STORM 4 ROAD TO BORUTO brings together the lighting-paced combat and anime-quality graphics from Ultimate Ninja STORM 4 while integrating an all-new adventure mode chronicling Boruto Uzumaki’s exploits from BORUTO: Naruto the Movie. In addition to the new story mode, ROAD TO BORUTO will also include new playable characters for both offline and online Free Battle Mode including Boruto Uzumaki and Sarada Uchiha.

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN ULTIMATE NINJA STORM 4 ROAD TO BORUTO will be available on February 3^rd 2017 on PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PC in Europe, Middle-East, Africa and Australasia.

Go further with:

Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/NarutoGames
Official Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/NarutoVideoGame
Official Website: http://www.NarutoStorm4.com
STORM League Website: http://www.Storm-League.com

# # #

About BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe 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^®, ACE COMBAT^®and DARK SOULS^®. BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe 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 http://www.bandainamcoent.com or www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoEU.

STUDIO WILDCARD DELIVERS NEW, FREE CONTENT TO ARK: SURVIVAL EVOLVED INCLUDING TWO FLYING CREATURES AND MEGA UPDATE TO ‘THE CENTER’

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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September 13, 2016

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STUDIO WILDCARD DELIVERS NEW, FREE CONTENT TO ARK: SURVIVAL EVOLVED INCLUDING TWO FLYING CREATURES AND MEGA UPDATE TO ‘THE CENTER’

Feathery Friends Tapejara and Archaeopteryx Join the ARK, Plus Free DLC Map Adds Diversity, Depth, and Beauty

Seattle, WA – September 12, 2016 – Studio Wildcard, the unofficial sleepless in Seattle studio, brought cuteness and beauty today to ARK: Survival Evolved with the addition of two new dinos, Tapejara and Archaeopteryx with Update v247. Both are small, beautiful flying creatures, the latter resembling the modern bird more than any other dinosaur on the ARK. Update v247, which is entirely free on Steam PC, also includes Night Vision Goggles for stealthy raids, and a bevy of performance optimizations and gameplay fixes.

Watch ARK Update v247
www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0zMrrd3qlo

First released in May 2016 as part of the ‘ARK Official Mods Program,’ The Center fantasy map expanded today to now include 13 new mini caves, new explorable area near the “Edge of the World,” more penguin spawns, loads of fixes, re-work of the weather system, and more.

The Center was created by modder Ben Burkart and exudes a rich, hand-drawn Tolkien-esque aesthetic. Players who download this free DLC will more than double the in-game playable geography of the already enormous ARK landscape making it 70 sq. kilometers filled with stunning lighting effects, lava rivers, giant picturesque mountains, misty floating islands, ancient underground ice caves, and more.

The Archaeopteryx is a great traveling companion.

The Archaeopteryx is a small bird-like forest-dweller that glides between trees, harvesting their sap as well as consuming small insects. When Tamed, it can be used to collect sap, or held overhead for players to “glide” over long distances!

The Tapejara provides excellent maneuverability for military excursions.

The Tapejara is a mid-size pterosaur whose large head-fin gives it superior maneuverability. Not only can it ‘strafe’ while in the air, it can only cling onto walls, allowing its rider and up to two additional seated passengers to shoot their weapons!

Night Goggles have a transforming effect on enemy raids.

Feel like riding a dinosaur? Join the ARK community forums HERE: survivetheark.com/index.php?/forums/

Two weeks ago, the ARK: Scorched Earth Expansion Pack (available now on Steam and Xbox One) launched: it an entirely new desert-themed ARK filled with new biomes, creatures, gameplay mechanics, and challenges that will push players’ survival skills to the limit. Players who survive the harsh arid conditions can travel back and forth from the Scorched Earth map to the ARK: Survival Evolved main game, taking with them newly collected tools, weapons, and their new tamed creatures to impress their friends and dazzle their combatants.

ARK: Survival Evolved is in development for Xbox One via the ID@Xbox program, PlayStation^®4 with VR support, and Steam PC. The game 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!

To join our growing band of survivors, journey to Steam or Microsoft’s Game Preview on Xbox One to download the game. 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.

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ABOUT STUDIO WILDCARD

Studio Wildcard was co-founded in 2014 by industry veteran Jeremy Stieglitz and Jesse Rapczak, former Technical Art Director at Microsoft Game Studios, with the mission of bringing AAA quality to ambitious indie productions that are designed for core gamers. With combined 25 years of industry experience across multiple independent and studio-backed titles, Jeremy and Jesse have teamed up with other veteran developers for Seattle, WA-based and Gainesville, FL-based development studios that also include distributed team members across multiple continents. Wherever talented, driven developers may reside, Studio Wildcard intends to seek out and work with them!

ABOUT INSTINCT GAMES

Instinct Games is Egypt’s leading game development studio. Started in 2011 by former Timeline Interactive co-founders, the Instinct Games team develops and produces video games on all major platforms utilizing its competent technical team. Its mission is to collaborate with world class partners to foster Egypt’s video game development ecosystem and set a precedent of high quality, low cost, entertaining indie games with worldwide appeal.

SEGA AND RELIC CELEBRATE 10 YEARS OF COMPANY OF HEROES!

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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September 13, 2016

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SEGA AND RELIC CELEBRATE 10 YEARS OF COMPANY OF HEROES!

London, England – September 12, 2016 – 10 years ago today, SEGA & Relic Entertainment released Company of Heroes, a genre defining World War II strategy game that launched on PC. The Metacritic and GameRankings.com highest rated RTS of all time was described by PC Zone as ‘nothing short of brilliant’, PC Gamer said it ‘should be on the must-play list of every RTS fanatic out there’, while IGN lauded its realism, claiming that “it puts you more into the battle than any RTS in memory.’ For many, it became the game that redefined the RTS genre and Company of Heroes is now celebrating its 10^th Anniversary in style.

Today, SEGA and Relic are delighted to announce a raft of promotional activity and community fun across the Company of Heroes franchise.

Today, September 12^th, is the day of the anniversary and you can watch two COH heavyweights go head-to-head in a COH2 grudge match, as Executive Producer, Greg Wilson, takes on Game Director, Quinn Duffy which will be live streamed in its entirety on Relic’s official Twitch channel, starting at 9am PDT. Relic will also be revealing a celebratory 3D diorama for people to print on their home 3D printers, a celebratory wallpaper for the community and a sale on the COH2 in-game store, where everything will be 66% off until September 20^th. Be sure to follow Company of Heroes on Twitter to ensure you don’t miss out on any of the other planned activities.

Modding and user-generated content have played an important part throughout the franchise’s history. The modding community for the original COH has been going strong for ten years now; and COH2 recently saw the introduction of UGC and revenue share (for vehicle skins), while the Steam Workshop offers thousands of custom maps. Therefore, Relic hopes to unveil even more initiatives around modding and UGC in the coming months to honor this legacy – separate announcements will follow. In the meantime, now is the perfect time to revisit some of the most creative mods for COH1 – for instance, Modern Combat and The Great War, respectively here and here.

“We’re immensely proud to be celebrating 10 years of Company of Heroes,“ said Justin Dowdeswell, General Manager of Relic Entertainment. “and we hope that our community, and perhaps even some new players, will be able to enjoy and benefit from the activities we have planned around this huge milestone. Company of Heroes left a legacy of quality and innovation and we’re looking forward to the next ten years!”

For more information about Company of Heroes, log on to www.companyofheroes.com, and keep yourself up to date on all the latest 10^th Anniversary news via our Twitter and Facebook accounts.

About Relic Entertainment

Relic Entertainment is the award-winning development studio behind critically-acclaimed franchises including Warhammer 40:000: Dawn of War, Company of Heroes, and more. Since its inception in 1997, Relic has produced a rich catalogue of genre-defining real-time strategy titles and continues to innovate today as a SEGA-owned studio. Relic is located in Vancouver, Canada. Learn more at www.relic.com.

About SEGA Europe Ltd.:

SEGA Europe Ltd. is the European Distribution arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA Games Co., Ltd., and a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. SEGA Europe’s website is located at www.sega.com

Indie Gala Monday Motivation #5 Now Available

Jamie Laike Tsui

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September 12, 2016

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Indie Gala Monday Motivation #5 Now Available

If coffee just isn’t enough of a pick me up for your Monday, then Indie Gala’s Monday Motivation bundle is what you need to get the week started right! For only $2.99 USD during the first 24 hours, buyers can snag 11 great indie games.

For only $1.00 USD, buyers will snag:

The Return Home – Protect the house of the rabbit by shutting down the dimensional portals that are letting reptiles flood into your homeland.

Polyology – Don’t be fooled by this puzzle, it’s a challenge consisting of environmental factors and lateral thinking.

Conclusion – You are Nile, a man who finds himself lost on a road that seems all too familiar.

For only $2.99 USD during the first 24 hours, buyers will also receive:

Sandmason – Escape the mines with your hi-tech mining tool by reshaping the world to solve the environmental puzzles.

Shift – Match similar blocks in a line and try to create the longest line possible in this deceptively simple puzzle game.

In Celebration of Violence – An over the top violent top down rogue-like featuring a huge collection of weapons, items, spells, and mementos to use against the enemy.

Chill the Piro – There’s a pyromancer on the loose! Fight fires, catch Piro the pyromancer, and save people in this casual puzzler.

Occurrence at JCR Outpost – You are in command of a research mission in Antarctica, tasked to protecting your crew as a mysterious being is released under the ice of your mission.

Sneak Thief – Rob everything from small homes to big banks the way you want to in this highly flexible FPS, whether it means pulling out the big guns and blasting your way in or sneaking through like a ninja.

Reptilian Rebellion – The lizard people are rising up to take over the world! Choose one of ten characters, pick up your weapons and battle back in this casual shooter.

The $2.99 USD only lasts for the first 24 hours of the sale, so be sure to grab your copy at Indie Gala before the price goes up!

2K Celebrates Launch of NBA 2K17 “The Prelude” and MyNBA2K17 App With New #TimeToAssemble Trailer

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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September 12, 2016

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2K Celebrates Launch of NBA 2K17 “The Prelude” and MyNBA2K17 App With New #TimeToAssemble Trailer

2K has announced that “The Prelude,” a free downloadable experience for NBA 2K17, is officially live on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 platforms. Alongside “The Prelude,” theMyNBA2K17 app is also now available for download across app stores worldwide for iPhone and Android devices.

For the first time in NBA 2K history, gamers – both new and old – will get to start their MyCAREER experience prior to the game’s launch on September 20 through “The Prelude”, which was designed specifically to give them an introduction to NBA 2K’s legendary MyCAREER mode, placing the user at the center of an epic basketball story. MyNBA2K17 will let you connect with NBA 2K17 wherever you are – the bus, subway, the court, a store, anywhere. The mobile companion app also features facial scanning technology which imports your likeness directly to the game. Jumpstart your MyCAREER now – it’ll be waiting for you when you pick up NBA 2K17 on September 20.

Flipping over to the MyTEAM mobile side of the app, you’ll be able to earn even more VC by competing against players across the world in Quick Games and by completing MyTEAM mobile’s rotating Goals. The feature enables gamers to start building up their deck and collect cards of their favorite players.

To celebrate, 2K has also released an all-new #TimeToAssemble TV spot featuring cover star Paul George, Kevin Durant, and the rest of Team 2K putting aside their offseason activities for the upcoming, new NBA 2K17 season.
Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOkJqkSBZp8

To download “The Prelude” on Xbox Live or PSN, please visit the following links:

Berserk Game Trailer Highlights “Berserker Armor Guts”

Travis Bruno

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September 12, 2016

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Berserk Game Trailer Highlights “Berserker Armor Guts”

Another new gameplay video for Koei Tecmo‘s upcoming Berserk video game has been released and while this one revisits a character that we’ve seen before, fans of the franchise know that Guts in his Berserker armor is a completely different character and that is exactly what is being shown off in the most recent video.

You can check it out below and see what Beserker armored Guts is capable of while the game itself is set to be released in Japan on October 27th for the PlayStation 4 and PS Vita and in North America and Europe sometime this fall where it will be available for the PlayStation 4 at retail and the PS Vita and PC digitally.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night Delayed to 2018

Travis Bruno

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September 12, 2016

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Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night Delayed to 2018

There’s a bit of bad news for those who backed the Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night Kickstarter and those who were simply looking forward to the finished product. The latest update to backers of the project came in the form of a video featuring creator Koji Igarashi announcing that the game will no longer be making its 2017 release window and will now be released sometime during the first half of 2018 for the PlayStation 4, PS Vita, PC, Xbox One, and Wii U.

The video, found below, describes the delay as being necessary to create a better game and help meet the vision of the product that he wants to put out for those who have supported him and the rest of the development team.