Page 3222 – Capsule Computers

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November 5, 2015

SWORD COAST LEGENDS Soundtrack Now Available on iTunes

Experience the Original Score for Dungeons & Dragons RPG from Award-winning composer, Inon Zur

ORLANDO, Fla. — November 5, 2015 — Independent developers n-Space and Digital Extremes announced today that the official soundtrack for Sword Coast Legends™, the award-winning, party-based RPG set in the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) Forgotten Realms universe from Wizards of the Coast, is now available on iTunes and other popular digital music stores and streaming services for $9.99 USD. The official soundtrack for Sword Coast Legends is free to players who purchased the Digital Deluxe Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition Campaign, available at www.swordcoast.com.

The original score for Sword Coast Legends is composed and produced by Hollywood Music Award-winning and two-time BAFTA nominated composer, Inon Zur. Known for powerful and melodic orchestrations, Zur’s critically acclaimed scores have been heard in some of the most popular and well-regarded video games of all time, including Dragon Age: Origins, EverQuest, Fallout 3, Fallout 4, Prince of Persia, and many others.

Players are invited to listen to the end credits song “The Path of Destiny,” now on the official Sword Coast Legends YouTube channel. Nominated for Best Song in a Video Game by Hollywood Music in Media Awards, “The Path of Destiny” was written by Inon Zur, Ian Nickus, and co-written and performed by Mimi Page.

“In music, it’s all about feeling, describing something you cannot really describe in words,” says Inon Zur. “You try to be open to a world that has no explanation, just feeling, just emotion. Sword Coast Legends has a lot of that emotion. The story, the visuals, the whole set-up was very inspirational for me because I came from this world. My first few games were mainly RPGs, and composing the soundtrack for Sword Coast Legends felt like a natural return to form.”

Now available for purchase on Steam and other digital distribution platforms, Sword Coast Legends returns players to the lush and vibrant world of the Forgotten Realms with a deep story campaign. Developed by long-time industry veterans in partnership with the Dungeons & Dragons team at Wizards of the Coast, Sword Coast Legends brings the world of Faerûn to life like never before.

Sword Coast Legends also offers players an all-new way to enjoy the time-tested magic of playing Dungeons & Dragons with friends, bringing the roleplaying dynamic between adventurers and a Dungeon Master (DM) to life as a shared storytelling experience. With a first-of-its-kind real-time DM mode, Sword Coast Legends delivers a unique experience in which a Dungeon Master guides players through customizable adventures. Rather than focusing on the adversarial play typical of 4v1 games, the DM mode encourages DMs to engage and empower their players to have more fun in a way that best suits the group’s desired experience.

Currently available for purchase from the official website and Steam, Sword Coast Legends is offered at $39.99. n-Space recently announced that the Sword Coast Legends Rage of Demons DLC, as well as a wide list of community updates designed to improve the experience for adventurers and Dungeon Masters, will be available to all players free of charge. Sword Coast Legends is also scheduled to release on PlayStation®4 and Xbox One in Q1 2016.

To learn more about Sword Coast Legends, please visit the official website at: www.SwordCoast.com. To keep up with the latest updates from the Sword Coast Legends team, follow @SwordCoast and like the official Facebook page. For more in-depth details on Sword Coast Legends, including guides and links to community created content, please visit the official Sword Coast Legends wiki on Gamepedia.

ABOUT n-SPACE
Since its inception 20 years ago, n-Space has been retained to work with some of the largest publishers and biggest licenses in a high-quality work for hire capacity. The Orlando-based studio is now poised to deliver a new level of innovative, top quality games without a traditional publishing partner. With strategic additions of top industry talent combined with its proven team of dedicated professionals, n-Space has experience spanning nearly every genre and on every gaming platform. A scrappy, creative, and tight-knit team, they are driven by their passion for creating memorable game experiences. Sword Coast Legends is the studio’s first wholly-owned game and marks n-Space’s new independent development direction. www.n-space.com.

ABOUT DIGITAL EXTREMES
Founded in 1993 by James Schmalz, Digital Extremes ranks as one of the world’s top independent development studios in the interactive entertainment industry. The Canadian-based developer has a rich history in developing some of the industry’s top first-person shooter and action games including co-creation of Epic Games’ Unreal® franchise, Dark Sector®, The Darkness® II and work on the BioShock® series to name a few. Having developed its own proprietary technology, the Evolution Engine™, the studio currently develops and self-publishes the Free-to-Play action hit, Warframe® available now on PC, Steam, PS4™ and Xbox One. For more information about Digital Extremes, visit the company website at: www.digitalextremes.com.

ABOUT WIZARDS OF THE COAST
Wizards of the Coast LLC, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS), is the leader in entertaining the lifestyle gamer. Wizards’ players and fans are members of a global community bound together by their love of both digital gaming and in-person play. The company brings to market a range of gaming experiences under powerful brand names such as MAGIC: THE GATHERING and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS. Wizards is also a publisher of fantasy series fiction with numerous New York Times best-sellers. For more information about our world renowned brands, visit the Wizards of the Coast website at: www.wizards.com.

Wasteland 2: The Director’s Cut Review

Mateja Simovic

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November 5, 2015

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Wasteland 2: The Director’s Cut
Developer: InXile Entertainment
Publisher: Deep Silver
Platforms: PC, XBOX One, PS4 (Reviewed)
Release Date: October 13th
Price: $79.95 AU – Available Here – $39.99 US – Available Here

Overview

So last month, Wasteland 2: The Director’s Cut was released on PC, PS4, and XBOX One. The game was originally crowdfunded in 2012 and was originally released in 2014. The game’s predecessor Wasteland was an inspiration for the Fallout series and some of the developers who worked on the original title got together on this one as well. Its forebearer is considered a classic title and I was very interested in getting a look at the game myself, with its own unique rendition of a post-apocalyptic world.

Also, I would like to thank my friend Brenton for hosting and guiding me on my first professional foray into reviewing a PS4 title. Thanks a bunch for putting up with me, buddy!

Story

The story of Wasteland 2 takes place in a post-apocalyptic world in which the nuclear Armageddon during the Cold War did occur but humanity was not completely wiped out. In the Arizona desert, army engineers and desert survivalists banded together to form ‘The Rangers’ who would set out to help survivors in and around the wasteland near them. These events all took place in the previous game and are briefly covered in a live-action opening cinematic.

Further discussion with other characters in the starting area gives further insight into the events of the previous game and the effect it has had on the current timeline. There are various carryovers from the first Wasteland game and it in fact starts off with the players attending the funeral of ‘Ace’, who was one of the heroes from the previous game. As you progress through the game you’ll encounter a number of these characters who were present in the first game, or at least the consequences of their actions.

The game presents an interesting and (sometimes) funny depiction of a post-apocalyptic society, with a number of interesting characters and factions to meet. The ‘Mannerites’ are a particularly interesting example with their veneer of polite civility balanced out by their barbaric enforcement of what is ‘bon ton’. This juxtaposition certainly endeared me to them as characters (if not as people).

The quests are also similarly interesting with plenty of interesting characters to meet (and kill) along the way. Luckily, depending upon the skill composition of your party, you can have multiple paths to resolving any given problem or situation. Certain dialogue options open up to you if you have the prerequisite points in a particular but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you should take a particular option as it may resolve in a way that you had not originally intended it to. Certain skills like ‘animal whisperer’ also allow you resolve combat encounters (with critters) peacefully by soothing the vicious spirits of animals rather than killing them outright. The choices you make in these situations affect the story you get outside of just how much ammo and health your characters have.

Gameplay

The gameplay largely appears to hold true to the form game’s PC release with a mixture of isometric turn-based and real-time gameplay. Traversing the maps is done in real time with the player controlling one character and then having the rest follow that character in formation. Sometimes this would lead to complications as we’d move our lead character to edge of a cloud of poisonous gas and turn them around which would then cause the entire party to form up behind them… into the poison gas. During combat encounters, the map takes on a grid pattern and the gameplay becomes turn based with your characters and the antagonists taking turns in order of their agility. This aspect of the gameplay is fairly rudimentary in terms of isometric RPGs and easily recognisable by anyone who has played classic RPGs.

Within combat itself, there are a number of weapons and special equipment options to customise your characters with. Obviously you’ll want to kit out your characters in accordance with weapons they are better at using and each weapon has its own pros and cons. Assuming you’ve equipped them to someone who knows how to handle them, assault rifles are great for laying down a hail of fire and shotguns are great for hitting groups of enemies at once.

In addition to the combat encounters, there are also social encounters as well which your characters can get involved in (which I preferred much more generally). I enjoy that the game does allow me a number of options for getting out of hostile encounters without having to kill anyone. That being said, I felt that the game locked me out of many options unless I specifically constructed a party with a specific set of skills. I’m sure that someone somewhere has worked out the optimal strategy for crafting a party which can get the most of various encounters, but I guess it just feels a bit punishing when you realise that your party just isn’t suited to deal with a particular challenge.

Attentive readers will note that I’m not a native player to the PS4 and that this is my first review on the console. Since this was my first extended foray into the wonderful world of Sony’s gaming platform, I made sure that my friend and I would play through it together. My first instinct upon learning and using the controls was that the PS4 controls were not optimally used. There are buttons which bring up scroll wheels to access specific skills and there’s a dedicated button for radioing back to base (which you don’t do that often actually). Accessing skills and specific abilities within these wheels quickly became annoying and tedious.

After consulting with my friend/guide/patsy, we both agreed that this control scheme was not (in our humble opinion) optimal when compared to other turn-based games on the PS4. We also experienced a number of glitches wherein the controls would become inverted in a strange manner and the camera would lock to a specific location. The camera movement itself was also somewhat finicky and a chore to use. I feel that this area of the game could certainly use some more polish on the PS4.

Visuals

The visual design of Wasteland 2 is deliberately evocative of older isometric RPGs. The textures and graphics are dated but this adds to their nostalgic charm in my opinion. I didn’t quite notice all that much difference in the visual upgrade from the original game but I wouldn’t recommend Wasteland 2 to someone on the strength of its graphics to begin with so this is somewhat of a moot point. It’s not pretty, but it’s pretty enough dammit and that’s gonna be good enough for most people. There were a number of bugs we encountered which drastically changed the textures within the game and I hope that InXile will release a patch soon to fix this.

One thing I did quite like was the artwork that this game has throughout. These are generally found in the character portraits and the loading screens. They’re not the biggest part of the game, but I like that they’re there.

Audio

The music in this game largely fits the tone and setting they’re going for on each map. The soundtrack creates haunting soundscapes with reverberating acoustic guitar strings and other more sinister sounds. It very much reinforces the Western feeling it invokes with its images.

One of the big drawcards for the ‘director’s cut’ edition of the game was that it would feature far more voiced dialogue than the base game. This is certainly a pleasant addition to the game and helps bring to life a lot of the characters beyond their portrait. The sound quality appears to be a bit hit and miss here and there as you can clearly tell that the voices have been recorded in different sessions and with different equipment on hand. An astute sound engineer would have picked up on that, but occasionally mistakes are made and it didn’t spoil my fun too much.

Overall

So in the end, what do I think of Wasteland 2: The Director’s Cut? I love the game and can say that with pretty much no reservation… but I did not like this port to the PS4 that they did. The story and setting are really rad… and not just because it’s a radioactive wasteland. The gameplay is fairly standard isometric RPG faire, but I’m not sure how well it was suited to being ported to the PS4. The visuals aren’t anything particularly noteworthy in terms of graphics or design, but I enjoyed the little bits of artwork scattered throughout. The audio design is actually quite nice and the voice overs are pretty good too but can at times be of mixed quality. Overall, I’d recommend the game as a fun RPG, but I cannot recommend this port of it and my score must ultimately reflect the version that I played. Assume something higher for a PC version.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Meet the BeatNiks: Harmonix’s Musical Monster Pet Game Out Now

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 5, 2015

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Meet the BeatNiks: Harmonix’s Musical Monster Pet Game Out Now

From the Makers of Rock Band™ Comes the World’s First Musical Virtual Pet Game for Mobile Devices

BOSTON – Nov. 5, 2015 – Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. today revealed BeatNiks™, an original new virtual pet game where players care for a loveable monster friend, evolved from the music they love. Designed by the creative minds behind Rock Band, BeatNiks is Harmonix’s first internally developed mobile game, in collaboration with publishing partner Tilting Point. BeatNiks is now available on the App Store and Google Play™.

“Like the music on your phone or tablet, you can take your BeatNik everywhere you go,” said Harmonix spokesmonster and BeatNiks product manager Jessa Brezinski. “You’ll take care of your BeatNik like a pet, but unlike your dog or cat, your BeatNik looks forward to listening to music with you and sharing its opinions on your choices. You can play mini-games with your BeatNik, and the music you listen to will bring its world to life!”

Every player’s personal musical DNA beats at the heart of their new friend, shaping how the BeatNik evolves and grows. BeatNiks come in a huge variety of personalities, shapes, colors and sizes… they’re truly a unique reflection of their owners! Feed it, clean it, tickle it, play with it and make it grow into an adorable monster.

BeatNiks Game Details

CREATE YOUR OWN BEATNIK: Pick its color, shape and personality to determine its musical DNA.
TAKE CARE OF IT: Play with it, cook for it, feed it, clean it, poke it, tickle it and listen to what goes on in its head.
EVOLVE IT: Help your BeatNik grow into an adorable adult monster with new body parts and cool clothes.
DRESS IT UP: Personalize your monster with over a hundred clothes and accessories inspired by music: rock, pop, R&B/hip hop, dance, electronic, country, disco and many more.
DECORATE ITS HOME: Go from an empty room to smooth carpets, shiny furniture, grand pianos and trumpet lamps.
PLAY MINI-GAMES: Catch hot dogs, test your brain with a memory challenge, or flex your fingers with a variety of mini-games.
MAKE IT DANCE! Listen to your own music while playing to get an extra boost, and unlock cool outfits for your BeatNik based on what you listen to.
CONNECT: Enable Facebook sharing of the music you’ve listened to through Spotify, Pandora and iHeartRadio to help evolve your BeatNik even when you’re not playing!

To download BeatNiks for free visit:

App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/beatniks/id982077943?ls=1&mt=8

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.harmonixmusic.beatniks

For more information visit: www.BeatNiksGame.com.

©2015 Harmonix Games LLC. All rights reserved. BeatNiks and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Harmonix Games LLC. Harmonix and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. Tilting Point and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Tilting Point Media LLC. BeatNiks developed by Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Google Play is a trademark of Google Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

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About Harmonix Music Systems

Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., based in Boston, MA, and established in 1995, is the leading developer of groundbreaking music-oriented videogames. 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.

About Tilting Point

Tilting Point is a new generation games partner for top independent development studios. Tilting Point empowers developers with expert resources, services, and operational support to give carefully selected games mainstream success. The company adheres to a core philosophy of putting development talent first, advancing industry-leading analytics, and overcoming discoverability hurdles with aggressive, best-in-class marketing. www.tiltingpoint.com

BUILD THE ULTIMATE SUPER HERO SCHOOL AND EXPERIENCE THE AVENGERS AS YOU’VE NEVER SEEN THEM BEFORE IN MARVEL AVENGERS ACADEMY

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 5, 2015

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BUILD THE ULTIMATE SUPER HERO SCHOOL AND EXPERIENCE THE AVENGERS AS YOU’VE NEVER SEEN THEM BEFORE IN MARVEL AVENGERS ACADEMY

Marvel and TinyCo Reimagine the Iconic Avengers as College Students in Upcoming Mobile Game

(San Francisco, Calif. & Los Angeles, Calif.) November 5, 2015 – Today, TinyCo and Marvel Entertainment announced that Super Hero school is officially in session with MARVEL Avengers Academy, an all-new adventure / simulation game. Currently in development for iPhone®, iPad®, iPod touch® and Android™ devices, MARVEL Avengers Academy will allow players to build their dream Super Hero school and guide the paths of the world-famous characters as complex young adults grappling with newly emerging powers and social lives.

In MARVEL Avengers Academy players will unlock the young versions of their favorite Avengers characters through exploration, and will upgrade and develop their superpowers and play through original narrative-driven stories written in partnership between TinyCo and Marvel Entertainment. To further customize the experience, each iconic character can be suited with unique abilities and exclusive outfits. MARVEL Avengers Academy marks the first time in videogame history that the beloved cast of the Avengers has been re-envisioned as student versions of themselves.

In MARVEL Avengers Academy, players will have the freedom to build and expand their own version of a prestigious Super Hero campus, creating the ultimate environment for aspiring young Avengers to hone their skills by building and upgrading training facilities, dorms, laboratories, classrooms, sports stadiums and much more. Players will experience dramatic campus life by going on dates, confronting rival cliques and navigating the social ups and downs of their character’s lives, all with a special Super Hero twist. Up-and-coming Super Heroes and Super Villains will learn what it takes to reach their greatest potential. They’ll engage in sporting activities and training sessions to build and strengthen their superpowers, which they’ll take out into the world as youthful Avengers, uncovering exciting original storylines and battling against epic Super Foes.

“Marvel’s Avengers is an amazing franchise with near endless possibilities,” stated Andrew N. Green, Head of Business Operations at TinyCo. “We are excited to work closely with the team at Marvel Games on MARVEL Avengers Academy to offer a truly unique experience that will allow a broad range of players to interact with the iconic characters and universe in ways never before seen in gaming!”

“Whether its visiting Stark Tower or going on a date with Loki, players will soon be debating what’s the coolest experience of MARVEL Avengers Academy, but for this lifelong fan, it’s seeing world-famous Super Heroes like Captain America, Black Widow and Iron Man reimagined into charmingly fresh but instantly recognizable young adult forms,” said Bill Rosemann, Marvel Games Creative Director. “And here’s the extra twist: There’s a mystery for you to uncover—a shocking truth that lies beneath the very campus you’re exploring. You see, these are the real deal Earth’s Mightiest Heroes (and Villains), complete with their distinct personalities, powers and personal struggles that we’ve all grown to know and love. What has transformed them into students, and what chain of events have assembled them at the ultimate superhuman university? Class is in session…do you have what it takes to become an Avenger?”

Rosemann, a 20-year veteran of the Super Hero industry, is sharing his extensive knowledge of the Marvel Universe to help bring the ever-expanding cast of MARVEL Avengers Academy to life. TinyCo has also enlisted the help of their own top tier talent, including comic book and animation writer Allen Warner and David Nakayama, artist of numerous comic book covers for Marvel.

MARVEL Avengers Academy is developed by TinyCo and will release in Q1 2016 as a free-to-download game with in-app purchases for iPhone®, iPad®, iPod touch® and for Android™ devices.

For more information on TinyCo, please visit: http://www.tinyco.com. Visit MARVEL Avengers Academy at AvengersAcademy.com, Facebook.com/AvengersAcademy or follow them @AvengersAcademy on Twitter.

About TinyCo

Founded in 2009, TinyCo has developed more than a dozen successful games for the App Store, Google Play Store and Amazon App store with titles such as FAMILY GUY: The Quest for Stuff and Tiny Monsters. The company’s mission is to make people happy five minutes at a time through incredible, fun and original mobile entertainment. The company’s investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Pinnacle Ventures and angel investors including Ron Conway and Keith Rabois. For more information about TinyCo, please visit http://www.tinyco.com.

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy-five years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit marvel.com. © 2015 MARVEL

THE LEGEND OF HEROES: TRAILS IN THE SKY SECOND CHAPTER TO LAUNCH ON EUROPEAN PLAYSTATION®STORE NOVEMBER 10TH

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 5, 2015

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THE LEGEND OF HEROES: TRAILS IN THE SKY SECOND CHAPTER TO LAUNCH ON EUROPEAN PLAYSTATION®STORE NOVEMBER 10^TH

Torrance, Calif. – (November 5, 2015) – XSEED Games, the independent-minded console publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., is pleased to announce the RPG title The Legend of Heroes: Trails in The Sky SC will be launching on the PlayStation®Store in Europe and Australia on November 10, 2015, for €26.99, £21.99, AUD $40.95 and other applicable regional pricing via the PSP (PlayStation®Portable) system. This follows a successful debut on the North American PlayStation®Store as well as on PC worldwide on October 29, 2015.

Developed by legendary RPG specialists Nihon Falcom, The Legend of Heroes: Trails in The Sky SC picks up mere hours after the conclusion to The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, with Estelle traveling across Liberl in search of Joshua. Her journey involves more than seeking loved ones, however, as the Bracer Guild also tasks her with unraveling the mysteries behind the newly unveiled Society of Ouroboros.

In The Legend of Heroes: Trails in The Sky SC, Falcom’s celebrated Sound Team jdk returns with a massive and highly lauded score that perfectly complements the tumultuous resolution to one of the most moving and expansive JRPGs ever created. The series’ staple strategic turn-based battle system with unmatchable customization has been taken even further with all new arts, crafts, upgraded orbments, and combo attacks. The meticulously detailed land of Liberl awaits the player’s return with new quests, mini-games, and collectibles to offer, along with a host of both new and familiar locations that are populated with hundreds of unique NPCs, each featuring his or her own story to tell.

Developed by Nihon Falcom and published by XSEED Games, The Legend of Heroes: Trails in The Sky SC will be available on the PlayStation®Store in Europe and Australia for the PSP® system on November 10, 2015. This release is fully compatible with the PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system. It has been rated 12+ by PEGI in Europe, 12+ by USK in Germany, and M in Australia.

Additional information about the game can be found at the official website: http://www.trailsinthesky.com/sc/.

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.

Capsule Computers Podcast Episode 106 – The After-Spooktacular

CC Podcast

Dustin Spencer

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November 5, 2015

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We are now headed towards Christmas, but who doesn’t love horror games year round? Yes, after being late even recording – Dustin Spencer and Garrett Cheater have come together for another episode of CC Unplugged so that they can run over their favorite titles in the genre. We also speak about some news on Fallout 4, upcoming releases, television stuff, and other odd things – so most of you might want to tune in and give it a listen.

So grab a chainsaw, tell your friends, and prepare to get UNPLUGGED!

Listen to the podcast:

• SUBSCRIBE: iTunes Podcast Channel | Podcast RSS Feed

• DOWNLOAD: MP3 (right click/save as)

Be sure to listen to our past CC Unplugged episodes here.

“Halo 5: Guardians” smashes record with biggest Halo launch in history

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 5, 2015

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“Halo 5: Guardians” smashes record with biggest Halo launch in history

Latest entry drove more than $400 million in global sales of “Halo 5: Guardians” games and hardware during first week and pushes franchise over the $5 billion mark.

REDMOND, Wash. — Nov. 4, 2015 — One week after launching worldwide, “Halo 5: Guardians” has made history as the biggest Halo launch and fastest-selling Xbox One exclusive game to date, with more than $400 million in global sales of “Halo 5: Guardians” games and hardware, pushing the franchise to over $5 billion lifetime. With the highest week one attach rate for a Microsoft first-party title on Xbox One, the game was the most played of any game on Xbox One, as well as the most played on Xbox Live.

Fans have logged more than 21 million hours of total gameplay, including 12 million hours in campaign mode alone. The widely praised multiplayer modes have also led to 9 million total hours played with nearly 7 million multiplayer matches played across Arena and the all-new Warzone mode. In addition, Halo fans are taking to the new Requisition System in a big way, with over 45 million REQ Packs acquired, totalling more than 568 million REQ Cards.

Last week’s “Halo 5: Live” earned a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the most watched video game launch broadcast, setting a precedent with more than 330,000 unique streams on the evening of the broadcast. Additionally, content from the broadcast generated 5.5 million total views throughout the week. This resulted in a spike in digital sales of “Halo 5: Guardians,” leading to it becoming the best-selling digital game ever in the Xbox Store for an opening week.

“The success of ‘Halo 5: Guardians’ is a testament to the innovative work from the entire team at 343 Industries to bring this instalment to Xbox One and the incredible community of fans who have come to love the story, characters and gameplay central to the franchise,” said Phil Spencer, head of Xbox. “The game represents all the possibilities of Xbox One and has earned its place as the anchor title in the greatest holiday games line-up in Xbox history.”

Fans around the world have discovered the pure entertainment of what The Verge calls “an absolute masterclass in how to craft a first-person shooter” and currently the highest rated Xbox One exclusive, first-person shooter game of 2015, according to Metacritic. A custom Twitter emoji of the Master Chief — the first ever for a video game franchise — is the result of Twitter’s hunt for partnerships with iconic, global brands. The buzz also extended to Twitch, where “Halo 5: Guardians” was the most streamed Xbox One exclusive game, with more than 3 million hours watched in the first week.

Just as fans are diving into “Halo 5: Guardians,” professional players as young as 13 years old are also getting ready for the Halo World Championship that begins later this year. The competition will run December through March and be divided into five regions, with the best players from U.S. and Canada, Europe, along with the Middle East and Africa, Greater Asia, Latin America, as well as Australia and New Zealand coming together to battle for dominance. Due to the crowd funding enabled through the “Halo 5: Guardians” REQ System, the overall prize pool has reached $1.5 million and continues to grow daily. Additional information can be found by visiting halo.gg.

“Halo 5: Guardians” is available now for $99.95 (estimated retail price) at selected retail stores in Australia as well as via digital download on the microsoftstore.com. A sample list of participating retailers can be found at http://www.xbox.com/en-AU/games/halo-5-guardians/buy-now.

To relive the launch day excitement, fans can watch video on demand of “Halo 5: Live” through YouTube at http://www.xbox.com/Halo5Live. Photos and video from global launch events can be viewed at http://news.xbox.com/media.

About the Halo franchise

Exclusively published by Microsoft Studios and developed by 343 Industries, the Halo franchise is an award-winning collection of properties that has transcended video games and grown into a global entertainment phenomenon. Beginning with the original “Halo: Combat Evolved” (2001), the critically acclaimed and record-shattering series of games has reinvented how people think about video games and has since built a fan base of millions worldwide and inspired multiple New York Times best-selling novels, a live-action digital series, comic books, action figures, apparel and more.

About Xbox

Xbox is Microsoft’s premier entertainment brand for the TV, phone, PC and tablet. In living rooms or on the go, Xbox is home to the best and broadest games, as well as one of the world’s largest libraries of movies, TV, music and sports. Your favourite games, TV and entertainment come to life in new ways through the power of Kinect, Xbox SmartGlass and Xbox Live, the world’s premier social entertainment network. More information about Xbox can be found online at http://www.xbox.com.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) is the leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

More details about Xbox One, Xbox One games and the latest Xbox news can be found at http://news.xbox.com.

Press releases and media assets can be found at http://news.xbox.com/media (and relevant content can be found by clicking on Select Category).

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://news.microsoft.com. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://news.microsoft.com/microsoft-public-relations-contacts.

ACTIVISION PUBLISHING, INC. LAUNCHES THE PEANUTS MOVIE: SNOOPY’S GRAND ADVENTURE VIDEO GAME FOR CONSOLES

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 5, 2015

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ACTIVISION PUBLISHING, INC. LAUNCHES THE PEANUTS MOVIE: SNOOPY’S GRAND ADVENTURE VIDEO GAME FOR CONSOLES

The Imaginative World of Snoopy And Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie Comes Alive in Snoopy’s Town Tale, Available on Select Apple Devices Nov. 5

Sydney, Australia – Nov. 5, 2015 – Activision Publishing, Inc. has released The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy’s Grand Adventure, a new console game, as a part of its deal with Peanuts Worldwide. The game is inspired by the classic comic strip from Charles M. Schulz, which just recently celebrated its 65^th anniversary. This side-scrolling exploration platformer features simple, pick-up-and-play controls and the classic characters and humour of Peanuts, delivering a great experience for fans of all ages.

When Charlie Brown and the gang run off to play hide-and-seek, Snoopy hits the trail to track them down. As players dive into the wild worlds of Snoopy’s imagination, they’ll traverse a multitude of different environments, from the deep jungle to the moon itself, each teeming with surprises and dangers. Snoopy can reach new places with unique hidden costumes that give the beagle new abilities based on his many infamous alter egos, including Joe Cool and the Flying Ace, which unlocks special flight stages. A second player can partner up as Woodstock to help Snoopy get past dangerous creatures and obstacles, or find secret paths and collectibles such as jelly beans and the trusty Beagle Scouts.

The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy’s Grand Adventure draws from the distinctive style and playful charm of Snoopy And Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie, coming to theatres on Jan 1 from 20^th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios. The varied worlds of Snoopy’s daydreams are painted in gorgeously colourful 3D detail, and the film’s vocal cast is showcased throughout the game.

The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy’s Grand Adventure is out today, Nov 5 in Australia and New Zealand on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Xbox 360, available exclusively in EB Games from $59.95 RRP in Australia and $74.99 RRP in New Zealand. It is rated G (General) by the Australian Classification Board.

In addition, Activision Publishing, Inc. will be launching Snoopy’s Town Tale, a free-to-play mobile game for select iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, on Nov. 5 via the App Store. Players can join Snoopy and other fan-favorite PEANUTS characters to build, explore, and go on quests through the iconic locations from the comic strip. Peanuts: Snoopy’s Town Tale will be available in December for select Android devices through Google Play and Kindle Fire via the Amazon Appstore.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading global producer and publisher of interactive entertainment. Activision maintains operations throughout the world. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com, or by following @Activision.

About Peanuts Worldwide

The PEANUTS characters and related intellectual property are owned by Peanuts Worldwide LLC, a joint venture owned 80% by Iconix Brand Group, Inc. and 20% by members of the Charles M. Schulz family.

About The Peanuts Movie

Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the beloved “Peanuts” Gang make their big-screen debut, like they’ve never been seen before, in state of the art 3D animation. Charlie Brown, the world’s most beloved underdog, embarks upon an epic and heroic quest, while his best pal, the lovable beagle Snoopy, takes to the skies to pursue his arch-nemesis, the Red Baron. From the imagination of Charles M. Schulz and the creators of the ICE AGE films, THE PEANUTS MOVIE will prove that every underdog has his day.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy’s Grand Adventure or Peanuts: Snoopy’s Town Tale, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

©2015 Activision Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark and “PS4” is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Acclaimed Author Chris Brookmyre Takes Players Inside Genre-Hopping FPS Bedlam

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Philip Federico

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November 5, 2015

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Acclaimed Author Chris Brookmyre Takes Players Inside Genre-Hopping FPS Bedlam

London, 4 November 2015 – Following a successful launch week, a new behind-the-scenes gameplay video for the genre-hopping FPS Bedlam is now available. In the video, Chris Brookmyre, celebrated author and writer of both Bedlam the novel and the game, takes viewers on a short tour through some of the worlds seen in Bedlam, explaining his thought processes and giving extra details on the creation of the game.

Bedlam is available now on PlayStation®4, PC, Mac OSX and Xbox One, the all in one games and entertainment system from Microsoft. All versions are priced at $19.99 in the US.

In Bedlam, players take on the role of Heather Quinn (aka Athena), a programmer at medical scanning developer Neurosphere, who finds herself transported into the world of Starfire: a nineties FPS she remembers from her teen years. Searching for an explanation and a way home, she ventures beyond Starfire to discover a vast realm of interconnected game worlds documenting the evolution of the FPS genre and of video games in general. As Athena, players move through numerous game settings while battling against a digital conspiracy that seeks to destroy the game worlds and their characters. A fast-paced and authentically unique FPS, Bedlam serves up a dizzying variety of genres from fantasy RPGs to classic 2D arcade games to WWII shooters in an innovative journey through gaming nostalgia.

This title has been rated “M” (Mature) by the ESRB. For the latest on Bedlam, visit the game’s official website at http://www.bedlamthegame.com.

To download media assets including the new game trailer, screens, and logos please visit: https://app.box.com/BedlamGameplayWalkthroughVideo

About RedBedlam
RedBedlam Ltd. was founded in 2001 in order to create virtual worlds and to realise virtual economies. The company spent approximately five years developing its proprietary virtual world and virtual economics technologies alongside its first commercial virtual world, Roma Victor®, which was released in 2006. RedBedlam’s other MMORPG, The Missing Ink, launched in beta in 2012. RedBedlam’s virtual world technology is licensed by a number of clients including the popular kid’s virtual world and social network – www.dpals.com. RedBedlam is a fully independent privately held company. www.redbedlam.com

About Standfast Interactive
Vision Games Publishing is the publishing arm of Standfast Vision, a Guernsey based investment fund for video games, investing across genres, business models and gaming platforms. Vision Games Publishing offers sales, marketing and production assistance, working closely with developers to help take their game to market.

KOEI TECMO ANNOUNCES STEAM® FREE PLAY WEEKEND AND DISCOUNT EVENT FOR NOBUNAGA’S AMBITION: SPHERE OF INFLUENCE

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Philip Federico

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November 5, 2015

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KOEI TECMO ANNOUNCES STEAM® FREE PLAY WEEKEND AND DISCOUNT EVENT FOR NOBUNAGA’S AMBITION: SPHERE OF INFLUENCE

BURLINGAME, Calif. – November 4^th, 2015 – KOEI TECMO America today announced an exclusive four-day free-play event on Steam® for immersive strategy epic Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence. Specifically, gamers will be able to download and play the historical strategy simulation for free from Thursday, November 5^th at 10:00 AM PST until Sunday, November 8^th at 1:00 PM PST.

The full game will also be available for purchase at a $10 discount from Thursday, November 5^th at 10:00 AM PST until Monday, November 9^th at 10:00 AM PST. Additionally, for those who are already in the midst of conquering the land and uniting it under their clan’s banner, KOEI TECMO will offer a sale for the nine available DLC scenarios, which will be discounted from $2.99 to $1.99 for the same period!

After 10:00 AM PST November 9^th(Mon), the game and the DLC scenarios will revert to their original price.

Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence is now available on Steam at http://store.steampowered.com/app/392470/.

About Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence

Set against a backdrop of a fragmented nation, players take the mantle of a Daimyo, a feudal lord of the Sengoku era (15^th-16^th century Japan), and fight for the great ideal of uniting the war-ridden country under one rule. Providing the choice to play as either a historical personality or a uniquely created character, Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence offers an extremely wide pallet of choices for the player to shape the world as they please.

Three key elements help you on your path of unification: Creation, Diplomacy and War. Balancing these elements is crucial to expanding your influence and power during the warring period of Japan. Will you become Shogun? Or will you just become a distant memory? You control the fate of your clan.

Having recently celebrated its 30^th anniversary, Nobunaga’s Ambition is one of the longest running franchises for KOEI TECMO Games in Japan, and during its lifetime it has received high praise by an ever-growing fan base across an array of platforms.

For more information Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence news, please visit the official website at www.koeitecmoamerica.com/sphereofinfluence, Like KOEI TECMO America on Facebook at www.facebook.com/koeitecmous, and follow KOEI TECMO America on Twitter @KoeiTecmoUS.

ABOUT KOEI TECMO AMERICA CORP.

KOEI TECMO AMERICA CORP. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Burlingame, California. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. KOEI is best known for its Dynasty Warriors® and Samurai Warriors® franchises. TECMO is best known for the Dead or Alive®, Ninja Gaiden®, Tecmo Bowl®, and Fatal Frame® series.