Gears of War 4 Multiplayer Beta Kicks off on April 18

Gears fans, the wait is almost over. We know you’ve been eager to see what’s in store for the future of Gears multiplayer, and next month, we’re excited to give you the first taste and an opportunity to help shape the multiplayer experience in Gears of War 4 with the launch of our global Versus multiplayer beta, exclusively on Xbox One.

Beginning on April 18, fans who’ve played Gears of War: Ultimate Edition on Xbox One or Windows 10 will begin to receive tokens in waves for early access to the beta. Following the conclusion of early access on April 24, all qualifying Xbox Live Gold members on Xbox One will be invited to join the beta until it ends on May 1.

In addition, we’re extending the timeframe for Gears of War: Ultimate Edition players to qualify for early access to the Gears of War 4 beta from March 1 to April 11. To qualify, just log on to Xbox Live and play Gears of War: Ultimate Edition on Xbox One or Windows 10 by 4 p.m. AEDT, April 12.*

Season 2 Finals and Fan Activities at PAX East

We are also excited to announce that we will be joining you at PAX East in Boston and will be hosting a variety of fan activities, including:

• The Gears eSports ESL Pro League Season 2 finals will be LIVE from Boston at PAX East on Saturday, April 23.  Fans can tune into the Gears of War Twitch channel to watch the best Gears of War ESL Pro teams square off for the championship title. We are also excited to announce we will be increasing the prize pool for Season 2 to $60,000 thanks to fan support of our Season 2 bundles! During the stream, we will also debut the worldwide exclusive reveal of a new competitive game mode for Gears of War 4. Those watching from home can tune into the stream for instructions on how to get the special Season 2 Finals weapon skin and a chance to win a limited edition custom Gears of War 4
• The Out of the Shadows: Inside Gears of War Multiplayer with The Coalition panel on Sunday, Apr. 24 at 10:30am PDT in the Albatross Theater featuring a deeper dive in Gears of War 4 multiplayer and some special surprises.  We’ll also be offering up some great prizes to any of our fans who turn up in Gears of War Cosplay! Gears fans who can’t make the show can take part in the fun from home LIVE on the Gears of War Twitch channel!
• Lastly, fans at PAX East will be treated to Gears of War 4 Versus multiplayer located in the Xbox Booth.

Thanks for your support and we look forward to seeing you online when the beta kicks off next month!

*To qualify for early access to the Gears of War 4 Multiplayer Beta on Xbox One, log in to Xbox Live and play Gears of War: Ultimate Edition on Xbox One or Windows 10 by 4:00PM AEDT, April 12. Tokens for the beta will be distributed in waves through the Xbox Live messaging system and begin arriving Monday April 18. For both Early Access and Xbox Live Gold periods, must be 17+. Xbox One, broadband internet (ISP fees apply) and Xbox Live Gold membership (sold separately) required. Beta dates, content, and features subject to change. Not available in all markets. See https://GearsofWar.com for the latest information.

ARK: SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST BREAKS FROM THE DINO PACK AS FREE MULTIPLAYER ONLINE SURVIVAL ARENA (M.O.S.A.) ESPORT

Popular ARK: Survival Evolved Mod Launches as Free Standalone Steam Title Now Featuring ELO Ranking, Match-Making, Leaderboards, Pro-Tier Monthly Cash Prizes and More

SEATTLE, WA – Tuesday, March 15, 2016 – Studio Wildcard, the dev team that created the smash hit ARK: Survival Evolved (PC, Xbox One, PS4), is taking dinosaur survival mayhem into the new era of eSports. Available now on Steam Early Access and in-development for consoles, ARK: Survival of the Fittest is a free, standalone, multiplayer online survival arena (M.O.S.A.) game that pits as many as 72 combatants against one another in spontaneous Hunger Games-style competitions within a closed battlefield.

Watch the video on YouTube HERE: www.youtube.com/watch?v=56SvsV6Pb6E

“Following the success of the tournaments we hosted last fall, we saw valuable community feedback about other competitive features they wanted to see implemented,” said Jesse Rapczak, co-founder, co-creative director, Studio Wildcard. “Now with shorter matches, four new game modes, rapid dino taming and more, we felt it was time to let people come in to test it for themselves. Not only can you play for free, but we’re offering cash prizes for the top players in each Survivor League, so ARK survivors can potentially start playing their favorite game professionally!”

Built for the burgeoning wild west of eSports competition, ARK: SotF challenges gamers to fight each other and the Jurassic environment that players loved in ARK: Survival Evolved. However, rather than a huge open world to survive in, this newly refactored game is an epic dinosaur survival arena with a continually shrinking “ring of death.” In the end, survivors are eventually pushed into an epic final showdown where only one “Tribe” will make it out alive.

Survivors can form one- to six-person Tribes with the options to choose Unofficial and Official (Ranked) servers, and a variety of game-lengths and sizes in which to play. Players will start in the base forest environment introduced in the original ARK: Survival Evolved, with new environments and creatures introduced regularly as the game evolves. Dedicated eSport ranking, matchmaking, reward, and tournament features make ARK: SotF readily accessible to all players.

As part of the ongoing Survival of the Fittest eSport competitive initiative, each month the Top-10 Ranked players in each game mode’s “Survivor League” will be awarded cash prize winnings corresponding to their Ranked placement. The ongoing Rankings for these elite titles will be visible in real-time on SurviveTheArk.com at launch.

KEY FEATURES

• Free, action-packed core survival gameplay
• 30+ creatures to tame and ride at Early Access start, many more planned at full launch
• Multiple game modes (1v1, 2v2, 4v4, and 6v6)
• One-to-six player tribes
• Variable game configurations ranging from 30-minute “instant action” to three-hour long “epic wars”
• Top-ranked players are listed dynamically on com, as well as provided monthly prize packages!
• Game-changing tameable super creatures (Dragon, Giant Ape, Brood Mother)
• Random “Evolution Events”
• Arsenal of weapons, traps, armor, structures and other items from primitive to modern tech tiers
• Robust ranking, tournament and spectator features
• Exclusive SotF cosmetic items that can also be used in ARK: Survival Evolved
• Custom-painted “War Banners” enable tribes to show off their team spirit on flags across their army of dinosaurs, and are also broadcast on the gigantic billboards during game events. Just don’t draw anything offensive!
• A custom soundtrack written by award-winning composer Gareth Coker of Ori and the Blind Forest!

Balanced for intense competition, Survival of the Fittest contestants begin in a neutral staging area where they can communicate pre-game, strategize, or talk trash. After a count-down, they dramatically descend from the sky onto the ARK in a circular formation via beams of light. There is a cache of valuable items in the center – do survivors dash for the goods and fight it out, do they run into the forest and hide, search for dinosaurs to rapidly build their army, or do they freeze up from the sheer terror of death? The continually shrinking arena boundaries force contestants ever closer together over time. The hunt is on!

To join in the battle, journey over to the Steam page for detailed feature list and weekly reveals of new dinosaur dossiers, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube, visit the website at www.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 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 12 years of industry experience across multiple independent and studio-backed titles, Jesse has teamed up with other veteran developers for a Seattle, WA-based development studio that also includes 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.

Crytek Unveils All-New CRYENGINE V and Community-Centered “Pay What You Want” Model

CRYENGINE Marketplace, expanded VR support, and intuitive new in-engine features added to Crytek’s powerful development tool

FRANKFURT, Germany / SAN FRANCISCO – March 15, 2016 – As the 2016 Game Developers Conference gets underway, Crytek has announced the arrival of CRYENGINE V – the most accessible, powerful, and feature-filled version of their all-in-one development solution to date.

CRYENGINE V launches today with a “Pay What You Want” business model, offering developers everywhere total access to the engine’s feature-set and full engine source code for a fee of their choosing, and with no obligation to pay royalties or additional service charges. Users who decide to make a contribution for utilizing CRYENGINE V can allocate up to 70% of the sum to Crytek’s new Indie Development Fund – a grant program that will see Crytek directly supporting promising indie projects around the world.

The latest evolution of CRYENGINE also introduces CRYENGINE Marketplace. The Marketplace will enable developers to access individual assets from Crytek’s own library, as well as thousands of materials, sounds, and 3D objects created by the CRYENGINE community and other trusted vendors.

Crytek’s Founder, CEO & President, Cevat Yerli, said, “CRYENGINE V represents our commitment to not only offering developers today’s most advanced engine technology, but also to making it as accessible as possible. The arrival of CRYENGINE Marketplace, the revamped engine UI, and new support channels will make it easier than ever to tap into the power of CRYENGINE – at a price that feels comfortable for each and every individual. Community is at the heart of our ‘Pay What You Want Model,’ which we hope will foster closer collaboration between us and developers as well as developers amongst themselves.”

In addition, CRYENGINE V brings expanded support for today’s leading Virtual Reality hardware. Crytek’s engine will now equip users to create stand-out VR experiences for PlayStation VR, OSVR, HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.

CRYENGINE V also introduces:

• C# Enabled: A new API that allows developers who know C# to start scripting in CRYENGINE V right away.
• Reworked Low Overhead Renderer: Significantly increases the performance of today’s hardware in graphically intensive applications.
• DirectX 12 support: Utilize the latest branch of DirectX to take greater control of hardware resources.
• Advanced Volumetric Cloud System: Optimized for VR to give clouds full 3D spatial rendering for higher quality with minimal performance hit.
• New particle system: Create stunning real-time fluid effects, handled almost entirely on the GPU.
• A new launcher and UI: Navigate CRYENGINE more intuitively thanks to a streamlined UI which includes realigned features and new icon groupings.
• FMOD Studio support: Allowing greater flexibility in audio middleware selection.
• CRYENGINE Answers: A dedicated channel where the CRYENGINE community can share questions and answers.

To take a closer look at how developers are putting the power of CRYENGINE to work today, watch Crytek’s new developer showcase trailer on YouTube.

CRYENGINE V can be downloaded now at www.cryengine.com. Stay up to date with Crytek’s latest news from GDC 2016 on Twitter, Facebook, and at www.crytek.com.

PRESS ONLY

CRYENGINE Showcase YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcnrt1pX5XA

About Crytek

Crytek is an independent videogame developer, publisher, and technology provider with headquarters in Frankfurt am Main (Germany) and seven other studios around the world. Established in 1999, Crytek has created multiple award-winning titles, including the original Far Cry, the Crysis series, Ryse: Son of Rome, and Warface. All of Crytek’s games are developed using CRYENGINE, the company’s cutting-edge 3D game technology, which is also the first choice of other leading developers and licensees when creating games for PC, Xbox One, PlayStation^®4, and Android. Crytek’s ongoing growth in the games-as-a-service market has extended the company’s reach as they continue to deliver top quality interactive experiences to players through self-publishing platforms online.

For more information visit www.crytek.com and www.cryengine.com.

Vampire Counts Arise! The final, as-yet-unseen playable Race from Total War: WARHAMMER is revealed

In the forsaken lands of Sylvania, the sun refuses to rise. Twisted, buckled trees and a windless mist herald the advance of a darkness that has haunted the nightmares of men for millennia. An unliving host advances, a tide of resurrected corpses, driven on by necromantic magic and the immortal will of their masters.

Far from home, an Empire Witch Hunter seeking the source of this corruption will soon find that there are fates in the Old World far worse than death. The Vampire Counts have arisen, and today in this brand new in-engine trailer, they are unleashed. Vampire Counts join the Greenskins, Dwarfs and Empire as the fourth playable race in Total War: WARHAMMER.

To view the new Vampire Counts for Total War: WARHAMMER, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj605sogy3I

All tremble before the Midnight Aristocracy! Led by Mannfred von Carstein, chief acolyte of necromantic magic and the Vampire Counts’ most cunning son, battalions of age-dead soldiers march forth to claim the Old World in the name of the undead. Moldering legions of Grave Guard, Skeletons, colossal aberrations and bat-winged beasts lay siege to gigantic Dwarfen citadels whilst Mannfred himself prowls the skies on his ferocious Zombie Dragon. The Vampire Counts are masters of Death magic and necromancy and those that stand and fall before their might will not remain fallen for long.

An exclusive Vampire Counts battle will be streamed live for the first time today at 6:00pm PDT/1:00am GMT atwww.twitch.tv/totalwarofficial. This stream will also be available to watch on the Total War Twitch channel later, for those unable to watch the stream live.

A fantasy strategy game of legendary proportions, Total War: WARHAMMER combines an addictive turn-based campaign of conquest and empire-building with explosive, colossal, real-time battles, all set in the vivid and incredible world of Warhammer Fantasy Battles. Total War: WARHAMMER will release on May 24^th 2016 and is available now to pre-order http://store.steampowered.com/app/364360/.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel now for the latest Total War: WARHAMMER news and info: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=thecreativeassembly

XSEED GAMES LAUNCHES HOME CONSOLE DEBUT OF BUXOM BEAT-’EM-UP SERIES, SENRAN KAGURA ESTIVAL VERSUS

SENRAN KAGURA Hits PlayStation 4 and “PSVita” with a New, Parallel Dimension Paradise Adventure Featuring Biggest Roster and Most Content in Series History; Limited “Endless Summer” Edition Includes Two Soundtrack CDs with 70 Tracks of In-Game Music & More

Torrance, Calif. — March 15, 2016 — XSEED Games, the independent-minded console publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., today announced that SENRAN KAGURA ESTIVAL VERSUS, the latest iteration and first home console release in the renowned busty brawler series, is now available in North America for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system. The game is available digitally via the PlayStation®Store as well as physically via a limited “Endless Summer” retail release, the latter of which includes a 108-page art book packed full of artwork from the SENRAN KAGURA series, a randomly chosen set of ten 2.5” by 3.5” holographic “pin-up cards” featuring one of six bevies of badass beauties each in two distinct poses, and a 2-disc soundtrack containing 70 total tracks.

In addition, XSEED Games has revealed that today it will provide players with a free update to the game including additional multiplayer game modes and combat features (such as Puppet Walkers, the first rideable mech in the series), playable characters Rin and Daidoji, and various tweaks and balances to ensure fair play across the board. In the weeks following today’s launch, a variety of free and paid DLC options will become available for fans, including additional costumes, new playable characters (such as Ayane from the DEAD OR ALIVE series), new missions, and much more. All DLC options from the game’s Japanese release will eventually make their way to the North American release of SENRAN KAGURA ESTIVAL VERSUS, excepting for the Japanese-exclusive playable characters from the Ikki Tousen series.

“I’m eagerly awaiting Western fans’ reactions to experiencing SENRAN KAGURA on PlayStation 4 for the first time,” said Kenichiro Takaki, series producer at Marvelous Inc. “I’m really impressed by the way in which the console enhances my beloved series—both SENRAN KAGURA fans and interested newcomers alike are in for a treat. That said, I feel that ESTIVAL VERSUS’ PlayStation Vita release is hands-down the series’ greatest handheld experience yet.”

In SENRAN KAGURA ESTIVAL VERSUS, a mystical phenomenon transports the nubile ninjas of the titular series to a parallel dimension to face off against their rivals in a new kind of battle. In this strange world – which resembles a sunny, sandy island paradise – the girls are thrown for another loop as they encounter departed loved ones and ultimately have to decide if they can bear to part from them a second time.

With over two dozen playable characters, making this the biggest roster in the series’ history, SENRAN KAGURA ESTIVAL VERSUS boasts more moves, more story, more attitude, and more destruction online with matches that can support up to 10 players (PS4™ system version only; “PSVita” system supports up to 4 players). All of the series’ previous Shinobi girls return with a host of upgraded moves to master, and new playable characters offer more challenges to conquer, along with a story that’s equal parts sexy and shocking, serious and scandalous, busty and bouncy.

Developed by Marvelous Inc. and Tamsoft and published in North America by XSEED Games, SENRAN KAGURA ESTIVAL VERSUS is now available in North America for the PS4™ and “PSVita” systems. The limited “Endless Summer” physical release has a suggested retail price of $59.99 for the PS4™ system and $49.99 for the “PSVita” system, while the digital release of the game will be available on the PlayStation®Store for $49.99 and $39.99 respectively. This title has been rated “M for Mature” by the ESRB.

More details on the game can be found at the product website www.hanzonationalacademy.com/skev/. For more information on XSEED Games products, please visit www.xseedgames.com. Fans can also follow XSEED Games on Facebook at www.facebook.com/XSEEDGames and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/XSEEDGames.

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A New Spin on Warfare Available Today!

Aksys Games and Acquire proudly present Aegis of Earth: Protonovus Assault, a frenetic and explosive new spin on action strategy gaming. Dig in, plan out and build up your defenses as hordes of hulking monstrosities bombard your heavily fortified city in an attempt to wipe you off the Earth for good! Command the last bastion of humanity as you fight for the survival of the species utilizing fantastic tech, cunning tactics and massive weapons in an all-out action strategy extravaganza! Aegis of Earth: Protonovus Assault attacks TODAY on PlayStation®4 Computer Entertainment System, PlayStation®3 Computer Entertainment System and PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system.

Check out the official site for more information!

Click here to purchase!

Key Features

Defense is the Strongest Offense
Engage in dynamic city defense via revolutionary gameplay mechanics in which you rotate your entire city to aim weapons and take out monsters! Leave no quadrant untouched as you spin 360 degrees in search of would-be destroyers!

Immersive Commander Experience
Command and level up a huge variety of units and gargantuan weapons as you hone your tactical skills. Immersive gameplay puts you in the center of intense combat. Seize the initiative from your enemies and decimate their ranks as a robust cast of characters lend their support to the cause!

Massive Content Keeps You in the Fight!
An intense 20+ hour campaign ensures you’ll have your hands full as you battle through 23 epic missions! Fend off 15 species of relentless enemies that will not stop until your city is reduced to rubble!

UBISOFT^® BRINGS GAME NIGHT TO VIRTUAL REALITY WITH WEREWOLVES WITHIN POSITIONAL TRACKING AND VOICE INFLECTION ANALYSIS TECH CREATE NEW VR EXPERIENCES

WEREWOLVES WITHIN REVEAL TRAILER: DOWNLOAD HERE + YOUTUBE

London, UK — March 15, 2015 — Today, Ubisoft revealed Werewolves Within, a game of social deduction that brings the fun of game night with friends to virtual reality. As one of the first multiplayer VR games created, Werewolves Within captures the essence and competitive spirit of playing live around a table with friends, and channels that into a social VR experience. Werewolves Within will be available on major VR platforms in autumn 2016.

Developed by Red Storm Entertainment, a Ubisoft Studio, in collaboration with Ubisoft Barcelona, Werewolves Within transports players to the medieval village of Gallowston, where they must uncover the werewolves that have been terrorising the townsfolk. Designed as an online multiplayer experience for five to eight people, players assume randomly assigned roles at the beginning of each game, some of which grant special abilities that will help players deduce who is a werewolf in disguise. To keep the experience dynamic, games are quick, with roles changing each time. One round you could be a villager, pleading your case for innocence, and the next round you could be a werewolf, lying your way to victory.

With the game’s matchmaking features, players can create Private Matches with friends or be grouped in a Quick Match with friends and other gamers looking to play. Using Red Storm’s positional tracking technology and animations based on voice inflection analysis, players’ real-life actions and body language will be reflected through their VR character in-game.

“VR is proving to be an amazing platform for social interaction, moving toward truly feeling like you are there with other people,” said David Votypka, Sr. Creative Director at Red Storm Entertainment. “Werewolves Within gives players a taste of how VR can generate strong social connections, allowing you to get together to have a great time with others no matter how near or far they are.”

Werewolves Within marks the latest venture into virtual reality for Ubisoft, who recently announced the game Eagle Flight and a VR partnership with the film company, SpectreVision.

For more information about Werewolves Within, visit www.WerewolvesWithin.com.

VISUAL DESIGN TEAM TAKES FINAL FANTASY XIV TO NEW HEIGHTS IN NEW DEVELOPER DIARY

FINAL FANTASY XIV Dev Diary Chapter Three: Visual Design can be viewed on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT-LcSlZewk

LONDON (15^th March 2016) – In the final entry of the FINAL FANTASY® XIV developer diary series, the visual design team details their approach in the creation and implementation of new landscapes and environments, as well as the introduction of flying mounts for the acclaimed expansion pack.
Key members of the visual design team include lead designer Takeo Suzuki, lead background artist Junichi Murata, character artist Yuji Mitsuishi, and lead animator Shinya Ichida. In this video, they explain their goals in creating an amazing player experience, the creative process from conception to implementation, and the challenges they faced in order to expand the world of FINAL FANTASY XIV.

FINAL FANTASY XIV: HEAVENSWARD is available now on the PlayStation®3 system, PlayStation®4 system and on Windows PC. For newcomers, an all-in-one bundle including both the award-winning FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn and FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward is also available now. A free 30-day trial is included for new accounts, with monthly subscriptions starting at £7.69 / 10.99 €. Those who have not yet had the chance to try FINAL FANTASY XIV Online can do so by downloading the 14 day free trial for PC here; http://www.ffxiv-freetrial.com/en/ or, for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 directly from the PlayStation Network.

Related Links

HEAVENSWARD Official Website: http://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com/heavensward/
The Lodestone:  http://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/
Official Website: www.finalfantasyxiv.com
Official Promo Site: eu.finalfantasyxiv.com/pr/
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FinalFantasyXIV
Official YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/FINALFANTASYXIV
Official Twitter: @FF_XIV_EN

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 110 million units worldwide, DRAGON QUEST® which has sold over 66 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.

FINAL FANTASY XIV © 2010 – 2016 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.
HEAVENSWARD and A REALM REBORN are registered trademarks or trademarks of Square Enix Co., Ltd. FINAL FANTASY, FINAL FANTASY XIV, FFXIV, SQUARE ENIX and the SQUARE ENIX logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.