It seems E3 2016 has come a little early this year, with one of Sony‘s most anticipated titles Horizon: Zero Dawn receiving an early trailer alongside an official release date and collectors edition. The new trailer titled Aloy’s journey focuses on main character Aloy’s back story, featuring some scenes of her as a child and questioning why the world is like it is. It also features sweet as robotic dinosaurs.
The Collectors Edition is confirmed for US and European/Oceanic regions and will contain:
9″ Aloy Statue sculpted by Gentle Giant
Steelbook Case including Horizon: Zero Dawn PS4 Game
The Art of Horizon: Zero Dawn Art Book
Exclusive PS4 Theme
DLC
Carja Storm Ranger Outfit and Carja Mighty Bow
Banuk Trailblazer Outfit and Banuk Culling Bow
Banuk Traveller Pack
Carja Trader Pack
Nora Keeper Pack
All this launches on February 28th (US) /March 1st (AU/EU) 2017, a fair delay on the previously stated 2016 release date. Be sure to let us know what you think of Horizon: Zero Dawn in the comments below. I was definitely impressed upon seeing this game last year at E3 and it easily became one of my most anticipated PS4 titles, hopefully the game will be better off after the delay.
Fire Emblem Fates is the second 3DS Fire Emblem title and the 12th main game in the series that began long ago on the original NES. A lot has changed since then but the fundamentals remain largely the same with your army of unique units doing turn based battle on a grid like map against a united enemy in a grand story. I’ve been a big fan of the series ever since the first English release simply titled Fire Emblem arrived for the Game Boy Advance. How does Fates stack up against the strong legacy of titles that come before it? Read on to find out.
Story
As with all Fire Emblem titles, Fates tells a grandiose tale about a royal family and their struggles against another faction. This time though there are two royal families, Hoshido and Nohr, and your created character is connected to both of them for different, yet equally important reasons. It becomes your very difficult choice to have to pick between the two houses in a decision that will not only largely affect the story but also which characters you will interact with and which maps you will play on as you progress. Unlike in Awakening how you had your created character and Chrom as the main Lord, your created unit is actually the central Lord figure of the game, giving you even more investment in your created character.
Because of this, outside of the first few chapters of Fates which are identical, the game is essentially three games in one once you reach Chapter 6. If you have the special edition you can choose any path freely (including the Revolution path where you choose neither family), however if you own Birthright or Conquest, you can only pick the one option that matches the game you have, unless you have purchased the other routes as DLC. This review focuses on the Birthright story path, however most things said here should apply to both.
I have heard Internet rumblings that choosing to side with the Birthright/Hoshido family path first will give you the most cohesive narrative experience, however the choice is of course yours to make and the choice is not an easy one as you can become pretty attached to these characters before you have to make your ultimate decision. Fighting your abandoned brethren can be conflicting especially when they have shown you such genuine kindness.
Beyond the big decision, the story here is lengthy, detailed and fleshed out. It’s hard to go into it without spoiling anything but expect plenty of intrigue, emotion, and surprise twist. Perhaps bringing the story down slightly are plot lines that are a little similar to games past, for example, the whole story of a Mad King such as Garon in Fates has been done a couple times now even in just the English Fire Emblem games I have played. I haven’t yet, but I am keen to play Revelations which apparently will answer some questions about the story in Birthright as well as the Nohr path, as it will be cool to see an alternate take on the events that transpire. Birthright’s story alone is great, but I think it will be that much better once you have the full narrative experience.
The dialogue is fantastic and is brought to light by a large roster of interesting and unique characters, all with their own personalities, relationships and way of speaking. While these traits are present in the story itself, support conversations and similar situations developer each character in great detail. Seriously most characters here have more development than the central character of a single player game, it’s ridiculous but that’s how Fire Emblem has always been and that wonderful tradition is upheld here. You will really find yourself invested in your personal armada, so much so that is it probably more common than not that someone will reset a chapter whenever a character dies in battle if playing with perma-death on.
Last note on story, I have to praise Nintendo for giving out some pretty cool additional story content for free. The free mission I played involved lots of nostalgia as I traveled back to Ylisse and battled alongside Chrom and his companions, which lead to some great conversations between the two camps as well as serving as a slight prequel for the Fire Emblem Awakening. Hopefully there will be a few more free missions but paid DLC maps are also on offer here, which I suspect like in Awakening will give numerous advantages to those who want to amass large amounts of gold and experience.
Gameplay
At it’s core Fire Emblem remains the same turn based tactical RPG it has always been. You have your army of unique units and the goal is often to route the map of the enemy or seize their stronghold which always has a powerful boss unit blocking the way. To achieve your goal, you guide your 13 or so chosen units (later in the game you pick the units you want from all the ones you have collected) across the map, taking out a multitude of enemies all with different strengths, weaknesses, skills and abilities while gaining experience and growing stronger as a result. It’s fun, gets you thinking and is just really enjoyable if you like turn based games or strategy games at all.
The two key components to victory is the placement of your units and your attack strategy. That makes the game seem simple, but there is so much to consider (even more so in Fates) that influences your best move that it is incredibly rewarding when you pull off a great strategy or have a unit survive a fatal blow because you minimized the risk. Attack range, enemy numbers, hit points, stats, critical chance, type of weapon, partner skills, partner support levels, whether to pair up certain units, unit placement, terrain and probably more factors I am forgetting are what you will have to consider each turn, if you’re thinking only one turn at a time. Luckily, the patented ‘battle forecast’ provides a simple yet comprehensive overview of the outcome of any single battle down to the important stats of chance to hit, damage and critical chance, making that overwhelming list much easier to manage.
It’s a lot to take in but the evenly paced tutorial continues to provide new chunks of information in digestible segments, so by the first few chapters you’ve got a good grasp on everything the battle system has to offer. It’s hard for me to look at the series as a newcomer being so used to the gameplay and all its kinks, however I feel the lower difficulty levels (I am playing on Insane) would easily offer a welcoming entrance point to the series and allow players to ease into the nuances that make Fire Emblem the fantastic strategy RPG that it is. For those that don’t like perma-death, there is an option to have any characters that fall in a chapter come back at the end of it (or even quickly in phoenix mode) which new players will definitely appreciate it. I still like to play the classical way of getting through the game without anyone dying in classic mode, which is why it is so great to see the options available here.
For those who aren’t new to the series let’s talk about what’s new in Fates. One addition is the Dragon Vein, special spots on the map that certain characters can use a turn to activate which will often transform the battlefield itself in some way, most of the time revealing new path ways or healing spots. This is in no way a huge addition it but can open up some strategic options. Weapons no longer break but there is now more balance and variety among the ranks, with stronger weapons like silver swords lowering some stats. That brings up another new feature in stat debuffs, which several new weapons like knives and shurikens can inflict on the enemy and again bring a new layer of strategy. The fundamental weapon triangle has also been modified slightly to include magic and the new hidden weapons (knives and shuriken).
There is also a much greater emphasis on skills (you can equip 7 now on one unit as opposed to 5 and there are much more than before) and thus army customisation. Gone are the days of meeting a character who is of the predetermined Archer class and having them evolve at level 20 into a Sniper. Different types of seals allow you to re class any unit to essentially any class you see fit. This allows you to build a unit how you would like, taking the unique skills of any classes tree or changing certain units to classes that suit their stats better. This gives you incredible freedom to create your very own custom army. The marriage system from Fire Emblem Awakening makes a welcome return here as well, allowing you to marry two characters and then recruit their future child who takes both visual, gameplay and personality traits from the parents.
Between chapters users can return to their castle, which represents a more tangible version of the barracks or camp site all past games had but never really expanded on. In here you can set up your own fortress, decorating it with shops and statues that can help you on your journey as well as talking to random people from your crew that helps increase your support rates. As you progress through the game you can expand your vision further with better shops and so on. You can even visit other players castles online and can set up a defense for yours in what acts like a pseudo PvP mode. While those who just want to experience the maps will be in and out of this mode quickly and probably just use it like in old games to manage their inventory, those who want a break from the story or like management type games will find some enjoyment here.
Visuals
Visually the game is on par with Fire Emblem Awakening however we now have actual feet on our character models as opposed to stumps! In my opinion, the 3D models and textures are rather lackluster technically and look pretty rough on the 3DS hardware. The game does make up for that somewhat with impressive animations, quick and seamless transition from the overhead grid view into a 3D battle scene and a battle camera you have complete control of (I love going into slow motion mode when pulling off a risky play).
The combat maps themselves look better and the detailed sprites ensure you never confuse one unit for another which is both great for gameplay but also a nice throwback to older games that used sprite work. The games UI conveys a healthy amount of information whilst never looking cluttered or confusing which is essential in a tactical RPG. I tried the 3D but almost instantly went back as there was just way too much ghosting on my original 3DSXL.
Unlike past games that always seemed to have a bronze age sort of theme to them, Fates Birthright heads east, providing a Japanese theme that applies to every facet of the game from its visuals, character design and even classes. The Japanese motif is adapted strongly and gives rise to some really cool and inspired character designs, which anime fans will definitely love.
The portrait art which you will see a lot of the time during conversation is fantastic as always and even has a couple different emotional looks the characters can take on which adds a bit more depth to the numerous conversations. The beautifully rendered CGI cutscenes are also a standout and there are a nice amount of them to see here in Fates. They are a little compressed, again most likely due to the limits of the 3DS hardware, and while it is noticeable the cutscenes still look great on the small screen and bring the more epic story moments to life.
Another appreciated feature that carries over from Fire Emblem Awakening is the ability to design how the main player character of the game looks, which includes a custom portrait as well. I spent a good 15 minutes toying with the fair amount of options to make my royal Lord look to my liking and had fun doing it. The option to choose between gender is also appreciated and will be fun in subsequent playthroughs as this will also open up different conversations with members of the opposite sex.
Audio
Fire Emblem has never dissapointed on the sound side and Fates does not bring an end to that tradition. A wide range of beautiful instrumental pieces, a catchy vocal song and fitting battle and UI sounds culminate to create an enjoyable and immersive audio experience. This is one game you will want to whip out the headphones for.
The only negative is the absence of full voice acting outside of cutscenes which is just made of random sentences or sounds which try to convey the message in the dialogue. In saying that, with there being so much dialogue here it would be unreasonable to expect full voice acting and it would most likely irritate those that read quickly, so Fates gets a pass there for making a decent effort.
Audio
Fire Emblem Fates is a fantastic addition to the Fire Emblem series, the RPG genre and to gaming in general. The engrossing story with its well written dialogue and huge yet unique cast of characters make the fun and strategic gameplay even more enjoyable. The visual representation while starting to feel dated on the 3DS is still above average overall and the orchestral soundtrack paired up with the voice acting and sound effects makes for a near perfect audio experience. Whether you’re a long time fan or complete novice to Fire Emblem, Fates: Birthright is well worth your time.
Spread Your Wings and Explore a Vibrant, Breathtaking World
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – June 6, 2016 – NetEase and global publisher My.com are excited to announce that Revelation Online is preparing for its release in the West. Tremendously popular among MMO players, Revelation Online is developed by NetEase, the second largest gaming company in China, and official operator of Blizzard Entertainment’s games in the region.
“Ever since we first opened Revelation Online to the public, we have been overwhelmed by the requests from gamers all over the world to provide the experience to them,” said Tianlei Hu, Head of the development studio NetEase. “We feel privileged to have found a partner in My.Com to honor those requests. The game provides a stellar amount of quality content and we are convinced that players in the west will enjoy Revelation Online as much as our current players.”
“Players can already register for Revelation’s Beta and we are working hard to start Closed Beta in the fall of this year,” said Yury Maslikov, Head of Publishing at My.Com’s office in Amsterdam. “We are localizing the game into German, French and English, and aim to provide local servers, quality customer support, local events and community management with dedicated teams. And we feel that an excellent game will thrive even more by enhancing game features to reflect expectations from players in the West. We are actively working together with the developer on implementing those features!”
Revelation Online is a breathtaking Massively Online Multiplayer experience in which players will discover the lands of Nuanor. Explore a vibrant world of ancient mystery, and use the power of flight to experience absolute freedom. Spread your wings or master one of the many aerial mounts to soar through the sky. Dive into the waters or climb to the top of the world – in Revelation Online you can freely reach any place.
Experience the absolute freedom to explore a gorgeous and open world. Discover hundreds of stunning locations, each with different settings and dynamically changing weather conditions.
Spread your wings and fly without any restrictions! Fly with your friends across the world and unleash the power of your wings in aerial combat!
Enjoy hundreds of story driven adventures unfolding through spectacular cut scenes.
Participate in raids with challenging bosses for up to 20 players.
Join intense PvP battles in numerous modes with hundreds of players simultaneously.
Enjoy the wide variety of character customization and progression.
Develop relationships with new allies using advanced socialization systems.
Elaborate guild system with personalized guild fortresses and cross server guild battles.
To sign up for the Revelation Online Beta today, visit ro.my.com/en/about. For more information, ‘Like’ it on Facebook and follow the game’s development on Twitter @RevOnlineGame for all the latest developer updates and news.
NetEase, inc. (NASDAQ: NTES) is a leading internet technology company in china. Dedicated to providing online services centered on content, community, communication and commerce, NetEase develops and operates some of China’s most popular online pc and mobile games, advertising services, email services and e-commerce platforms. In partnership with Blizzard Entertainment, NetEase operates some of the most popular international online games in China.
London, UK — June 6, 2016 — Today, Ubisoft® and Blue Byte released the new Anno 2205™ Big Five Pack, a free DLC for all players, including new features, updates and ornaments.
The Big Five Pack brings Economic Warfare to the game. Player can enter the stock market and compete with the Big Five, the five most influential corporations, for shares, influence and industrial dominance. Competing with the Big Five offers new challenges and grants special rewards and powerful buffs for a richer endgame experience.
Players will have several tools at their disposal to ensure their corporation’s supremacy over the Big Five. A new resource will be introduced: influence. In the stock market, players can buy other companies’ shares during auctions. With Espionage, players can gather information and unlock special auctions to gain advantage over the Big Five.
Gaining the upper hand in this economic warfare grants players several bonuses. Owning all the shares from another company unlocks additional buffs and reaching industry dominance will grant a special reward. A new public building is also available as a reward for entering the stock market: the trading floor.
On top of introducing Economic Warfare, the Big Five update brings new features to Anno 2205: the sector effects. The Calamities, like the Hacker Attack or Climate Warfare, are temporary and can be removed by solving a counter measure quest, while the Sector Traits affect regions permanently in a positive or negative way. The building quick view also includes industry types and additional improvements in order to help players craft their strategy for industry dominance, and new ornaments are available for the metropolis.
On July 20, the Anno 2205 Orbit DLC will allow players to build their own modular space station, which offers a brand new science and research system to upgrade different areas in their corporations. Anno 2205 Orbit DLC is part of the Anno 2205 Season Pass but will also be available as a standalone purchase.
Anno 2205 is in development at Blue Byte, a Ubisoft studio, and is available now.
About Blue Byte
Blue Byte has a long history of developing AAA PC games such as the ever-popular build-up strategy series The Settlers® which debuted in 1993 and ANNO® for which the studio began overseeing the production in 2007. Blue Byte opened its doors in 1988 and was acquired by Ubisoft in 2001. Since then Blue Byte is located in the city of Düsseldorf, Germany and expanded in 2014 with the acquisition of a new branch in Mainz. Recent projects include Anno 2205TM which brought the acclaimed city-builder series into space and Champions of AnteriaTM, a new Real-Time-Strategy experience to be released on August 30, 2016. Blue Byte created and operates browser-based and mobile games, like The Settlers® Online and Assassin’s Creed® Identity. More unannounced projects, some of them in close collaboration with other Ubisoft studios are currently in development. In 2016 Blue Byte is celebrating 15 years of being part of the Ubisoft family. To learn more, please visit www.bluebyte.com.
About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Watch_Dogs, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman and Far Cry. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2015-16 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,394 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.
Deep Silver Announce Agents of Mayhem® from Volition, the Creators of Saints Row
Discover an amazing new comic hero universe bursting with unforgettable characters
as the Agents of M.A.Y.H.E.M. do battle against the sinister forces of L.E.G.I.O.N. in a brand-new open-world extravaganza
Larkspur, Calif. – June 6, 2016 – Volition are back with a brand new game in their latest open-world epic – Agents of Mayhem® coming to Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC in 2017.
The developers of the highly acclaimed and hugely successful Saints Row series have taken it to the next level with the creation of a new comic hero universe.
Meet the Agents of M.A.Y.H.E.M. (the Multinational Agency for Hunting Evil Masterminds) – a motley outfit of unique and diverse Super Agents recruited from around the world to thwart the destructive schemes of the evil supervillain organization L.E.G.I.O.N. (the League of Evil Gentlemen Intent on Obliterating Nations).
Featuring an original storyline, trademark over-the-top open-world gameplay, and the look-and-feel of a distinctive superhero cosmos, Agents of Mayhem is pure Volition. The title exists as a part of the Saints Row universe, sharing certain story elements, symbolism, and design inspiration with the multi-million selling franchise. Building on the skill of the AAA studio to continuously surprise, endear, and engage players, Agents of Mayhem represents the culmination of over a decade of open world experience and creativity.
In a simultaneous global assault, LEGION has taken control over the nations of the world and the only force left to stop them is MAYHEM. Led by the mysterious and no-nonsense Persephone Brimstone, MAYHEM’s elite Super Agents are called to the city of Seoul, South Korea. Led by LEGION Minister Doctor Babylon and his diabolical lieutenants, a nefarious plot is set in motion to build a world-altering device that will grant unrivaled power to the supervillain organization. In order to stop LEGION and take back the world, the Agents of Mayhem will traverse a sprawling urban battlefield from the ground to the rooftops and team up as a super-agent collective to stop LEGION at any cost.
Success is far from guaranteed and collateral damage will be substantial, but it’s all in a day’s work for the Agents…
# # #
Quick Facts
Title: Agents of Mayhem
Developer: Deep Silver Volition
Publisher: Deep Silver
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Genre: Third Person Open World Action
Release: 2017
Target Age Rating: M / 18+
ABOUT DEEP SILVER
Deep Silver develops and publishes interactive games for all platforms, seeking to deliver top-quality products that provide immersive game experiences driven by the desires of the gaming community. The company has published more than 200 games worldwide since 2003, including the best-selling zombie action Dead Island(TM) franchise, the critically-acclaimed Metro(TM): Last Light and the smash hit action adventure Saints Row IV(TM). Deep Silver is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Koch Media, GmbH, and also owns the development studios Deep Silver Fishlabs in Hamburg, Germany, Deep Silver Volition based in Champaign, IL, USA, and Deep Silver Dambuster Studios in Nottingham, UK. For more information please visit www.deepsilver.com.
ABOUT VOLITION
Volition was founded in 1996 with a focus on creating innovative technology and applying it to new IP. Located in Champaign, Illinois, USA, Volition has spent 20 years building a culture based on proprietary technology, creativity, and teamwork. Best known for its multi-million selling Saints Row franchise and its skill at combining best in class design fueled with pop culture references, the studio is currently putting its open world expertise and its creative culture behind its new multiplatform IP: Agents of Mayhem.
Free June Update for Rock Band 4 Includes Practice Mode
Eight New Tracks from Chart Topping Artists Available as DLC
BOSTON, MA, June 6, 2016 – Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. today announced the addition of Practice Mode to Rock Band™ 4 through this month’s free game update as well as details of the new downloadable content (DLC) that will become available for purchase this month.
One of the most requested features by the Rock Band community, Practice Mode allows players to slow down and rehearse specific sections of any song in their music library. More details on the fan favorite feature can be found on Harmonix’s blog here.
June will also see the addition of eight new songs to Rock Band’s expansive music library including five artists who are set to make their Rock Band debuts. The following songs will be available tomorrow for $1.99 per track:
• Blues Traveler “Hook”
• My Chemical Romance “Famous Last Words”
Tracks from the following artists will be joining Rock Band 4 as DLC throughout the month:
• Goo Goo Dolls
• Imagine Dragons
• The Killers
• MAGIC!
• Three Days Grace
• Toto
Rock Band 4 is currently available for play on both Xbox One and PlayStation®4 with a suggested retail price of $59.99.
About Rock Band
Called “the new benchmark for rhythm gaming” by GamesRadar+, Rock Band 4 delivers the ecstatic rush of a live full-band game experience like never before. Rock Band 4 builds on the core gameplay people love, with brand new features, including game-changing Freestyle Guitar Solo gameplay that allows players to craft their own face-melting and truly original guitar solos.
Last December, Oculus and Harmonix announced Rock Band VR, a completely new music simulation experience coming exclusively to the Oculus Rift later this year.
For more information on Rock Band and to stay up to date with the latest news and announcements, head over to the Rock Band 4 blog or follow @RockBand on Twitter for updates.
About Harmonix Music Systems, Inc.
Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., based in Boston, MA, and established in 1995, is the leading developer of groundbreaking music-oriented video games. Harmonix was founded to invent new ways for non-musicians to experience the unique joy that comes from making music and has pioneered music and rhythm gaming in the US. For more information, please visit www.harmonixmusic.com.
‘Minecraft: Story Mode – A Telltale Games Series’ Episode 6 Trailer Features Community Guest Stars in Behind-the-Scenes Footage
First of Three All-New Adventures Premieres June 7th
Today we can share the launch trailer for Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 6 – ‘A Portal to Mystery’, featuring community guest stars in special behind-the-scenes footage from the recording booth.
The first episode in an add-on series of three new adventures, Episode 6: ‘A Portal to Mystery’ will be available digitally worldwide starting Tuesday June 7th on PC and Mac from the Telltale Online Store, Steam, and other digital distribution services, on the PlayStation®Network for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, on the Xbox Games Store for Xbox One® and Xbox 360®, for compatible iOS devices via the App Store, and for compatible Android-based devices via Google Play and the Amazon Appstore. The episode will also be coming to the Windows Store.
This episode may be purchased digitally as part of the new Adventure Pass for $14.99 USD or equivalent, which includes access to Episodes 6, 7, and 8 as they release. The episode will also be available individually for $4.99 USD or equivalent. Players will need to own at least Episode 1 in the series, or the season pass disc, in order to purchase Episodes 6, 7, and 8.
Several special guest stars from the Minecraft community join the cast in this new episode, all playing characters from their own YouTube videos. Players will get to interact with Joseph Garrett as Stampy Cat, Stacy Hinojosa as Stacy Plays, Dan Middleton as DanTDM (The Diamond Minecart), Lizzie as LDShadowLady, and Jordan Maron as CaptainSparklez.
In Episode 6: ‘A Portal to Mystery’, continuing their journey through the portal hallway, Jesse and crew land themselves in another strange new world – one completely overrun by zombies. With a timely invitation to take refuge in a spooky mansion, they find themselves thrown into a thrilling mystery alongside famous members of the Minecraft community.
Minecraft: Story Mode – A Telltale Games Series – Episode 6: ‘A Portal to Mystery’ is rated ‘E10+’ (Everyone 10+) for Fantasy Violence by the ESRB. Future content in the season is yet to be rated by the ESRB. The series is published by Telltale Games in partnership with Mojang.
UK – 6th June 2016 – Playtonic Games today unveiled the E3 trailer for the highly anticipated upcoming 3D platforming adventure Yooka-Laylee and revealed it will showcase the game for the first time at E3 2016, from 14th to 16th June in Los Angeles. The trailer is available to watch now at: http://bit.ly/Team17YouTube.
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). The game will be showcased, by appointment only, in the Concourse Hall room #8804.
Playtonic also announced today that Yooka-Laylee now has a firm release window of Q1 2017 on PC and consoles.
“We are really excited to release today the E3 trailer for Yooka-Laylee and confirm our presence in Los Angeles where we will showcase the game for the first time to the media and influencers,” said Gavin Price, Creative Director and MD of Playtonic.
“After a lot of soul searching and knowing through dialogue with our fans that they value quality and polish above all, we’ve made the difficult decision to lock the release of Yooka-Laylee to Q1 2017. While we felt confident we could ship the game in October as originally planned, the team has decided that it would like to add a few extra months’ polish to our schedule. Ultimately, this will allow us to release a better game to the thousands of fans who’ve supported us throughout development.
“We’re sure some will be disappointed by the prospect of a few extra months’ wait, however the Playtonic team is confident that we’ve made the right decision for the game and that you’ll be pleased with the results when the game arrives early next year.”
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 Team17 Digital Ltd
Founded in 1990, Team17 Digital Limited is a leading international games label that hosts the Worms franchise, Yooka-Laylee, Way to the Woods, The Escapists, Beyond Eyes, Sheltered and many more from amazing developers around the world. Visit www.team17.com for more info.
About the 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.
Champ Man 16 predicts Spain will win this year’s European Championships
· 100,000 game engine simulations tip a Spain v Germany final
· Run-throughs suggest England are likely to exit in the Quarter-Finals
· Dele Alli also predicted to be the most-likely England star to see red
The team behind Champ Man 16, the hugely-successful mobile football management sim, are tipping Spain to win this summer’s European Championships after using the game’s sophisticated engine to run 100,000 simulations of the tournament.
It predicted the most probable final will be between Vincente del Bosque’s Spain and Joachim Löw’s Germany, with current holders Spain the most likely victors. They retained their crown 30% of the time while Germany only managed to win 20% of the time. Italy were next likely on 14%, then France on 11% with England’s likelihood seeing just 7% of trophy-lifting wins from the simulations.
The game engine predicted a one in 10 chance of England being runners-up with their most likely finish being in the quarter-finals yet again, bowing out at that stage 30% of the time.
Surprisingly, Belgium, despite a strong squad, look set to struggle with just a 15% chance to reach the semi-finals. But with Leicester teaching us that football dreams can happen, Turkey came ahead of both Croatia and Russia for an outside chance of winning the tournament, proving victorious in 2% of the 100,000 trials.
In terms of goalscorers, it looks to be Ronaldo’s tournament with the Portuguese number 7 topping the chart in more than 30,000 simulations. He will have some tough competition though from both Thomas Müller and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. England’s own Harry Kane’s hot streak looks set to continue – he topped the goals list 8% of the time (the fourth highest player) but Gareth Bale looks unlikely to challenge with just 3% of simulations finishing with the Welsh attacker at No1.
Looking at red cards, Romania may be playing with 10-men a lot with Steliano Filip and Gabriel Torje keeping the first two places on the naughty step warm – followed by Zlatko Junuzovic, of Austria, and Oleg Gusiev and Serhiy Rybalka of Ukraine. Surprisingly, mild man of English football, James Milner, scrapes into the top 10 list of sendings off although Dele Alli is the most-likely England star to see red.
Confident in the strength of the game engine and its predictions for this year’s European Championships, the Champ Man team have placed a £1000 charity bet on Spain to triumph at odds of 11/2. As they love an outsider in the Champ Man office, the team has also put its money where its mouth is with a cheeky £50 flutter on Turkey at 80/1. Any winnings will then be donated to GamesAid, a charity that helps disadvantaged or disabled children and young people – www.gamesaid.org .
The Champ Man team have placed their bet with Paddy Power, the leaders in football betting, who have committed to matching any winnings with a donation to their charity of choice, Special Olympics UK.
Des O’Connor, producer for the Champ Man franchise, says: “The Champ Man team is excited about the summer of football ahead and we’ll all be watching the matches to see how accurate our game engine is. Even if we’re not right about everything, we’re confident it’s going to be one of the most exciting tournaments in years with so many talented players and teams in France.
“We’re also very grateful to Paddy Power for kindly offering to match our selections even though we think our prediction tool is giving us the upper hand!”
Paddy Power himself said: “As huge fans of the series, we’re delighted to have worked with Championship Manager ahead of the tournament. With a huge bank of data and a sophisticated game engine, the Champ Man team’s predictions carry serious weight and should they hit the mark, some very worthy charities will reap the benefit.”
Check out the Champ Man 16 European Championship’s infographic for more predictions for this summer’s tournament. Download Champ Man 16 for free on iOS & Android today and enjoy more excitement and in-depth gameplay than ever before, as well as the longest ever playable game in the mobile series to date. Experience the emotion and tension of what it takes to be a real football manager with Champ Man 16, the ultimate football package.
Key Features:
q NEW! European Championship Mode – manage one of 31 European national teams and take them to European Championship glory. Warm up with friendly matches and then battle through group and knockout stages to lift the cup.
q 20 Playable Seasons – The longest ever playable CM game on mobile
q Managerial Job Vacancies – You can receive job offers from other clubs in recognition of your management abilities, so browse and apply for available jobs across the footballing world.
q More Countries, more leagues, more competitions – There are now 25 playable leagues across 15 countries with tens of thousands of real world players available. Australian and Singapore leagues are also playable, with South American and Asian Champions Cups included alongside the European Champions cup.
q Brand New Objectives system – The new objectives system leads you round the features of the game and helps you on the way to glory.
q Improved Match Engine – Disallowed goals, improved commentary timing and new match highlight graphics
Square Enix Ltd., a part of the Square Enix Europe business unit, 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. 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 boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 110 million units worldwide, DRAGON QUEST® which has sold over 66 million units worldwide and TOMB RAIDER® which has sold over 42 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix Ltd. is a London-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
Square Enix Limited is a company registered in England & Wales under the number 01804186 whose registered office is situated at 240 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NW, United Kingdom.
FINAL FANTASY XII THE ZODIAC AGE brings never-before-available job system to the West
Newly remastered title offers gorgeous high-definition visuals, sound and modern gameplay advancements
LONDON (6th June 2016) – Square Enix Ltd., today announced that fans can finally experience the world of Ivalice like never before with FINAL FANTASY® XII THE ZODIAC AGE, an HD remaster of FINAL FANTASY XII. Announced for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system today, the title will give western audiences the first opportunity to experience the Zodiac Job System, a 12-job character progression system first introduced in the 2007 title, FINAL FANTASY XII INTERNATIONAL ZODIAC JOB SYSTEM.
FINAL FANTASY XII THE ZODIAC AGE will also feature:
· Latest-generation high-definition graphical capabilities, including characters and movie scenes fully remastered in high-definition.
· True 7.1 surround sound, including high-definition voicing and newly recorded background music utilizing the current generation of sound production.
· Option to switch between the original and the newly remastered soundtrack.
· New trial mode where players can take on monsters and enemies in up to 100 successive battles
· Modern gameplay advancements including PlayStation ® 4 system trophy support and share functionalities, auto-save and shortened loading times
An endless amount of gameplay and adventure including hunts, battles, and mini-games
FINAL FANTASY XII THE ZODIAC AGE will be coming to the PlayStation®4 system in 2017.
About FINAL FANTASY XII:
Originally launched in 2006 for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and known for introducing many landmark features to the FINAL FANTASY series, FINAL FANTASY XII takes place in the grand world of Ivalice, where the small kingdom of Dalmasca is left in ruin and uncertainty. Princess Ashe, the one and only heir to the throne, devotes herself to the resistance to liberate her country. Vaan, a young man who lost his family in the war, dreams of flying freely in the skies. In a fight for freedom and fallen royalty, join these unlikely allies and their companions as they embark on a heroic adventure to free their homeland.
About Square Enix Ltd.
Square Enix Ltd., a part of the Square Enix Europe business unit, 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. 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 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 and TOMB RAIDER® which has sold over 45 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://www.square-enix.com/eu/en/ .
FINAL FANTASY, FINAL FANTASY XII THE ZODIAC AGE, the FINAL FANTASY XII THE ZODIAC AGE logo, DRAGON QUEST, EIDOS, SPACE INVADERS, SQUARE ENIX, the SQUARE ENIX logo, TAITO and TOMB RAIDER are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Square Enix group of companies. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
