BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA INC. AND WEBZEN ONNET ANNOUNCE BRAND NEW GOLFING EXPERIENCE, WINNING PUTT

Free-To-Play Multiplayer Golf Game Goes into Open Beta; Set To Launch Later This Year

SANTA CLARA, Calif., – Jan. 14, 2016 – BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. (BNEA) and Webzen Onnet today announced Winning Putt, a free-to-play, multiplayer PC title now available in Open Beta and launching later this year. Winning Putt is the ultimate multiplayer sport game that is ideal for both PC gamers and golf enthusiasts looking for a sporting experience that goes beyond the typical round of golf.

Winning Putt rewards players who think outside the green, bringing fun and innovative gameplay elements to the sport. Clubs can be enchanted to hit farther! Players can create guilds to unlock perks such as special golfer’s lounge! Winning Putt allows players to drive their own experience with their friends or for solo play.

“BANDAI NAMCO is invested in continuing to broaden our catalogue of games, and want to create gaming experiences for players of all types,” said In Joon Hwang, Director, Digital Games at BNEA. “Winning Putt is a totally different type of game for us, and we are honored to work together with Webzen Onnet, who has over a decade’s worth of experience in creating fun and realistic golfing experiences. Together we are developing a game that pushes the boundaries of a typical golf game and gives the player more control than ever.”

Winning Putt delivers immersive gameplay only imaginable in a virtual world. Every rewarding moment of the sport can be experienced as players begin as a novice golfer and build their skill and level up as they continue to advance their golfing career. As players work their way through a variety of courses, their game improves with every stroke, unlocking new skills and earning resources that make it possible to acquire new gear.

With upgraded gear, characters gain new abilities, such as the capability to see the wind, sense the slope of a green and add boosts to their swing to overcome obstacles on the course. Gamers can further their career by competing in tournaments and even qualify for the annual grand championship for the ultimate bragging rights.

Customization is key in Winning Putt, and players have access to a number of ways to personalize and change the looks and playstyles of their golfer. Choose Power or Accuracy classes to learn unique skills and gain stats to best compliment a player’s gameplay style. Characters can also be outfitted with clubs, accessories and clothing items integrated to improve their game. Clubs can be customized even further through enchantments and fitting for longer drives or more accurate shots.

Open beta for Winning Putt begins with a number of fun features already included in the game. Seven courses are available to choose from with more coming at launch and beyond. Players have a number of ways to interact with their friends and other gamers. Players can set up their own foursome match or challenge other golfers in betting rounds and wager in-game currency. Golfers can even compete against another player’s data in a challenge round to receive rewards.

Winning Putt goes into Open Beta today and launches later this year. To sign up for Open Beta and learn more about Winning Putt, visit www.winningputtgame.com. To join the conversation about Winning Putt, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and register for our email newsletter on our website. For more information about BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment  America Inc.’s other products, go to:  http://www.bandainamcoent.com/home.html

About BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., part of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive content — including all major video game consoles, iOS, mobile and online. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises, including PAC-MAN®, TEKKEN®, SOULCALIBUR®, NARUTO™, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, Dragon Ball®, GALAGA®, RIDGE RACER® and ACE COMBAT®. More information about the company and its products can be found at www.bandainamcoent.com or www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoUS.

About WEBZEN ONNET Co., Ltd.

WEBZEN ONNET Co., Ltd. is the company that has been developing and publishing network based entertainment contents on worldwide basis. The company has its expertise in developing PC and mobile golf games. One of the well-known titles is Shot Online which has been loved by millions of golf fans and gamers over the world since it was first published in 2004. WEBZEN ONNET has jumped into the limelight once again with the next title, Winning Putt, developed based on one of the finest game engines, CryEngine 3 in combination of the upgraded physics engine with its know-how accumulated over 10 years. This new title will take your game experience to the next level. For more information, please visit our homepage at www.onnet.com.

©2015 BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. All rights reserved.

AN EPIC ROLE-PLAYING ADVENTURE AWAITS IN BRAVELY SECOND: END LAYER, COMING TO NINTENDO 3DS ON FEBRUARY 27

New trailer and demo announced for upcoming sequel to the critically acclaimed RPG, Bravely Default

14^th January, 2016 – Epic RPG Bravely Second: End Layer comes to Nintendo 3DS family systems in Australia and New Zealand on February 27. Building on the critically acclaimed Bravely Default, the sequel offers both newcomers and returning fans a vast role-playing adventure, filled with deeply strategic combat, unforgettable characters and much more.

Bravely Second is the latest addition to the stellar line-up of varied RPGs on Nintendo 3DS family systems, joining titles like Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, and recent release Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. It also kicks off a landmark year that will see Fire Emblem Fates, Hyrule Warriors: Legends, and both DRAGON QUEST VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past and DRAGON QUEST VIII: Journey of the Cursed King all reach Australia and New Zealand before the year is out.

The story begins when the evil Kaiser Oblivion abducts Agnès Oblige, the heroine of Bravely Default, and her bodyguard Yew Geneolgia pledges to rescue her from the kaiser’s Skyhold, an impregnable fortress floating high over Eternia. Along the way, Yew will need to team up with Magnolia Arch and other new faces, plus a few returning heroes like Edea Lee and Tiz Arrior, to survive foreboding dungeons and conquer fearsome enemies.
Bravely Default’s innovative Brave and Default tactical battle system returns with even deeper layers of strategy. As before, players must balance risk and reward in turn-based battles: characters can make multiple moves in one turn, but this leaves them unable to move in subsequent turns. One new feature in Bravely Second lets players put their skill and their nerve to the ultimate test: after winning a battle in a single turn, brave warriors can immediately start another, more difficult encounter for the chance to earn increasing rewards. Chaining these battles together is a swift way to level up characters and jobs, but defeat means losing everything earned during those battles, so discretion should always be the better part of valour.

To conquer these tougher battles and devastatingly powerful enemies, players will need to make good use of the 30 character classes, known as jobs, to equip their characters with the skills necessary to survive. As characters gain job experience by battling, they learn new skills and abilities, giving players totally new tactical possibilities. For example, the new Patissier enfeebles foes with delicious desserts, while the Catmancer uses a deep understanding of felines to increase the team’s abilities and find useful items.

Upon its launch on February 27, the game will be available as a Deluxe Collector’s Edition including an Original Soundtrack CD, Agnès Mini Figurine* and a Deluxe Artbook of around 250 pages (SRP AU$169.95). The game will also be available solus and as a downloadable version from Nintendo eShop. A pre-launch demo focusing on the Three Cavaliers – Yew Geneolgia, Janne Angard, and Nikolai Nikolanikov – will act as a prelude to the adventure, and even allow players to unlock rewards in the full version of the game, depending on their progress in the demo. The demo will be available in Nintendo eShop on February 12.

With a vast world to explore, a deep tactical battle system to master and much more, Bravely Second: End Layer will kick off a great year of RPGs on Nintendo 3DS family systems when it launches across Australia and New Zealand on February 27.

Additional Links:

Nintendo Australia website: http://www.nintendo.com.au
Nintendo Australia Twitter: https://twitter.com/NintendoAUNZ
Nintendo Australia Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NintendoAUNZ
Nintendo AU on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/nintendoau

HI-REZ STUDIOS CELEBRATES THE FINALE OF THE 2016 SMITE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY XBOX ONE

Epsilon eSports Claims $500,000 Grand Prize With 3-0 Win Over Enemy In The SMITE PC World Championship To Close Season 2 Of SMITE

EnVyUs Vanquishes Cognitive Gaming 3-0 In The Debut SMITE Xbox One Invitational

ATLANTA – Jan. 13, 2016 – Hi-Rez Studios has closed the books on the SMITE World Championship presented by Xbox One (SWC), thus bringing to a conclusion Season 2 of the action MOBA game. The world’s top SMITE teams from North America, Europe, China, Latin America, Brazil, and, for the first time, Oceania converged on Atlanta’s Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre for a four-day battle of wits and reflexes. Playing before a sold-out audience and millions more watching online, Europe’s Epsilon eSports defeated North America’s Enemy 3-0 in the Grand Finals of the SMITE PC World Championship to claim $500,000 and the immortal title of SMITE World Champions.

The SWC was also host to the premiere of the SMITE Xbox One Invitational, drawing the four top teams from the platform’s rising competitive scene to fight for a prize pool of $150,000. In the final series, Team EnVyUs emerged victorious over Cognitive Gaming 3-0, taking home the highest honors and $75,000.

Hi-Rez Studios capped the prize pool for the PC World Championship at $1 million in order to distribute a greater share of winnings at tournaments throughout the season; in total, more than $2 million in crowd-sourced prizes were awarded to SMITE players in the past year of competitive play. For a full breakdown of the results from the 2016 SWC, please visit http://swc.smitegame.com.

During the SWC, Hi-Rez Studios introduced the Japanese Pantheon, a new cast of upcoming gods, skins and items inspired by Japanese mythology. The first of these mighty deities, Amaterasu, the Goddess of the Sun, is already playable on PC and will come to Xbox One in late February. Amaterasu’s arrival begins a multi-week event called Rising Sun, which will include many Japanese-themed skins, such as Kaiju Sobek and Harajuku Neith. The company also announced a new 3v3 Joust League and 3v3 Joust map for Season 3.

Season 3 of SMITE is already gearing up on PC and Xbox One. For more information, please visit www.smitegame.com, and follow the title on Facebook and Twitter.

About SMITE

SMITE is the online Battleground of the Gods, a mythology-themed action game for PC and Xbox One. Since launching in Europe and North America in March 2014, SMITE has quickly established itself as one of the Top 3 games in the rapidly growing MOBA genre, with over 13 million players. Themed around gods of mythology and offering a third-person camera and more game modes than any other leading game in its genre, the game provides a unique, action-packed experience that puts the player in the thick of the action. SMITE is free-to-play on both PC and Xbox One.

About Hi-Rez Studios

Atlanta-based Hi-Rez Studios was established in 2005 to create exceptional online interactive entertainment, and is now one of the largest video game studios in the Southeast United States. Its games include the squad-based shooter Global Agenda, the critically acclaimed Tribes: Ascend and SMITE, the Battleground of the Gods. Hi-Rez Studios also has two new games: Paladins, a fantasy FPS with progression using collectible cards currently in closed beta testing for PC, and Jetpack Fighter, a swipe-to-attack, high-speed platformer with gear progression. www.HiRezStudios.com.

KOEI TECMO ANNOUNCES PRE-ORDER BONUS CONTENT FOR SAMURAI WARRIORS 4 EMPIRES

Battle features detailed in brand new gameplay videos!

Hertfordshire, 12^th January 2016- Koei Tecmo released today new information focusing on the bonus content available to those who pre-order upcoming strategy epic Samurai Warriors 4 Empires ahead of its scheduled release on 11^th March 2016.  The game will be available for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system (physical and digital), and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PlayStation®Vita handheld system (digital only).

Specifically, fans who pre-order from Independent Retailers (via Centresoft) will receive a ‘Bonus Item Set’, consisting of an additional castle option, the ‘Golden Castle’, the ‘Osaka Campaign’ scenario and an additional costume for Takakage Kobayakawa.

Alternatively, GAME will offer a brand new costume for one of the most popular female characters of the game, Lady Hayakawa. This costume will also be available as an early purchase bonus for fans buying the game via the PlayStation®Network Store

Lady Hayakawa is only one of the historically known women of influence available to players in Samurai Warriors 4 Empires. This title also features the first appearance of indivisualised minor officers with the inclusion of over 200 male and female officers with unique appearance and stats. The officers are based on warriors, known lords and ladies, or dynamic personalities who left their distinct mark in history.

Additionally, Koei Tecmo released two gameplay videos today detailing a few of the options available in battle preparation and whilst on the battlefield. Battle preparation includes choosing which of the tactics or formations proposed by the magistrates to deploy prior to battle.

Tactics can be either basic (i.e. Troop economy, Blocking enemy Aid, or taking action to increase troop strength prior to engagement), deployed before battle, or executable (i.e. Cavalry Charge, Officer Capture Etc), deployed during battle. Formations affect the way the army is structured and offer relevant bonuses on attack, defence, or speed. A well thought out, balanced strategy is essential when choosing formations, as the enemy could use opposing formations to overrun player troops.

Battles in this title follow the classic Empires-style of “Base Battles.” By claiming enemy bases and turning them into allied bases, players can establish “supply lines” linking together strongholds on the battlefield. In this title, they can also claim “chains” of enemy bases by cutting off enemy supply lines and isolating them. An enemy base positioned in between two allied bases will automatically be claimed for the player’s side! Analysing the enemy battalion placements and efficiently working together with allies can help push the lines up until they can lay siege to the main enemy camp.

While maintaining the exhilaration of the “one vs a thousand” battle-style, these options add a wide variety of strategic elements, from planning a route of attack, to deciding which characters to use, and what commands to give to allied officers.

To view these exciting, in depth videos please check out https://youtu.be/gX67BrWHtEg and https://youtu.be/NjUI8h1bm4s

To keep updated on Samurai Warriors 4 Empires news and for more information on the battle system please visit www.facebook.com/koeigames or www.samuraiwarriors4.eu/empires and follow us on twitter @koeitecmoeurope

About Samurai Warriors 4 Empires

Samurai Warriors 4 Empires marks the return of the ‘Empires’ brand in the Samurai Warriors universe after a nine year gap. Since the 2007 release of Samurai Warriors 2 Empires for the PlayStation®2, Samurai Warriors has grown to become one of the most successful and acclaimed titles in the Warriors universe. This revamped version of the fan-favourite installment features much improved battle gameplay and an expanded intuitive governing system, and explores the effects of building in-depth relationships and alliances.