New Details For the New Xbox One Experience

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November 3, 2015

New Details For the New Xbox One Experience

During last week’s Xbox Newsbeat, we got to talk a little bit about this month’s huge update for the Xbox One console the New Xbox One Experience (NXOE). Well now just 10 days out from the massive update, Microsoft have spilled some more details about just what will change and why. Now, I find that oftentimes these things come best from the mouths of those responsible, so here is Microsoft’s description of what to expect;

When the update is released, the first thing you will see is a redesigned Home screen. The new design will look very familiar but we’ve made some important updates inspired by fan feedback. Your most recently used items will still be front and centre but we’ve added the ability to scroll vertically. You can scroll down to see the list of your most recently played games and apps, and each tile has contextual items that allow you to easily see message straight from the developer, see which friends are playing games, and lets you share your latest game clips and screenshots.
Pins are a fan favourite to save the games and apps you care about most for quick access. In the New Xbox One Experience, your Pins are also included in your new Home at the bottom of the screen. You can scroll down or press the right trigger on your controller to quickly go straight to your Pins. You can also go straight to your Collection from your Pins to see all your games and apps, just pull the right trigger then press A.

In addition, Microsoft have also announced that they will be taking the popular guide menu from the Xbox 360 and giving it a massive new lease on life on the Xbox One. We have attached a video below that details all of its new features and functionality so be sure to check that out and make sure you stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the hot new Xbox One news as we move towards the roll out of the NXOE.

Minecraft: Story Mode – Assembly Required Review

Travis Bruno

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November 3, 2015

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Minecraft: Story Mode – Assembly Required Review

Minecraft: Story Mode – Assembly Required
Developer: Telltale Games
Publisher: Telltale Games
Platforms: PC, iOS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One (Reviewed)
Release Date: October 28, 2015
Price: $4.99 – Available Here

Overview
Even when Telltale Games was just getting started with their episodic game releases they always had a knack of either taking months to release a new episode or suddenly announcing that a new episode was going to be released within the next day or two. As such it came as a major surprise when Minecraft: Story Mode’s second episode, Assembly Required, was stealth released two weeks after the first episode was released. While this quick turnaround is something fans will be happy about, perhaps Assembly Required needed some more material on the proverbial crafting table.

Story
Despite the story for Minecraft: Story Mode not really kicking into high gear in the first episode it is worth noting that a decent amount of events that take place during said episode will be discussed here, meaning if you have not yet finished The Order of the Stone you should do so before continuing.

Anyways, Minecraft: Story Mode – Assembly Required marks a very clear line in the sand depending on your choice during the end of the first episode. With the Witherstorm destroying everything it touches and Jesse’s group being the only ones who may have a chance to save the world, players were given the option of pursuing either the Order’s genius redstone engineer Ellegaard or the Order’s master of demolition, the griefer Magnus.

Depending on who you chose to pursue will dictate the events that transpire over the first half of the episode as these sequences will take part in completely different parts of the Minecraft world and events will play out entirely different depending on who you selected during this first half. This does create a unique way to unfold the story and make at least one of the player’s decisions in the last game have immediate consequences and also encourage players to play through the title more than once since they are only given a brief explanation of what transpired without them.

You see, although the events that take place may be unique depending on your choice, the end result still sees both Ellegaard and Magnus appearing together in order to keep the story moving despite the initial forked path. As for how it moves… well it does at least make some progress here but how much is rather debatable since Assembly Required is easily the shortest episode I’ve ever seen in an episodic game as it is entirely possible to not only talk to everyone, examine various objects during the limited exploration, even play through the first half again with a different choice, and still complete everything Assembly Required has to offer in a little under an hour and a half, marking a standard playthrough at roughly fifty minutes.

Since there is barely any time for events to actually take place during the story, thanks to the first half focusing on recruiting your chosen member of the Order, progress moves ahead at a snail’s pace as Jesse’s group searches for a way to destroy the Witherstorm and only manages to find themselves at their next location and encountering an old enemy before the episode abruptly ends after a minor battle with such little fanfare and vague preview that I had to double check that a glitch didn’t occur.

The lack of story progress also plays a role in making sure that players spend very little time interacting with the colorful cast of characters in their group. While players will spend some time talking to Jesse’s friends and learning a secret that will likely rise up again as a major point in a later episode, very few jokes are made and although there are some humorous moments that come from the events that transpire during the story and the various creations that players will come across in Assembly Required, the amount of humor is incredibly low here since the cast has barely any time to shine and the two members of the Order are more annoying than anything else since their bickering nature reveals nothing here, only making the unfulfilling feeling of the episode all the worse.

Gameplay
As before, players will be spending most of their time selecting various dialogue choices as well as taking part in quick time events to avoid taking damage from the massive Witherstorm or fighting against monsters using the fun little combat system that features players choosing to use the various weapons they may have on them to defeat their foes, with the weapons handling a bit different.

Exploration also returns and as mentioned there are a number of enjoyable contraptions to look at that really capture the whimsical nature that anything can be built, no matter how ridiculous it may seem, in the world of Minecraft. Then again, this idea is pretty much ignored later on when one of the group falls down a hole and, despite being an adequate builder as shown in the first episode, cannot simply build themselves a way back up.

Visuals & Audio
The use of the Minecraft style buildings and visuals really do help bring some charm to Minecraft: Story Mode and the various places that players will be visiting, especially when it comes to recruiting the Order members, are elaborately designed with a number of fantastic looking buildings that makes me wish that I could actually explore certain elements of these areas since most of them are simply shown for a few moments and that is all.

The character designs remain the same, with just enough expressions to get their emotions across, though this time around I did notice a number of glitches occurring where characters would speak with stone faces showing no emotion or even moving lips. The voice actors once again continue to perform their roles admirably and they really do help make the scant humor found in this episode through the dialogue turn out to be rather funny at times.

Overall
Minecraft: Story Mode – Assembly Required may create a perfect way for players to experience a different perspective throughout the first half of the episode by making a previous choice matter but it barely manages to deliver anything beyond that. By providing the bare minimum level of humor and plot advancement there is almost none of the charm found in the first episode in Assembly Required and thanks to an abrupt ending with barely any developments worth noting, it’ll be interesting to see what Telltale can do with the three episodes they have left to get the ball rolling.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

THE STACHE IS BACK! WARFRAME TEAMS UP WITH THE MOVEMBER FOUNDATION

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 3, 2015

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THE STACHE IS BACK! WARFRAME TEAMS UP WITH THE MOVEMBER FOUNDATION

Join the Movement Committed to Changing the Face of Men’s Health

LONDON, ONTARIO — November, 2015 — Start growing your Mo, Tenno! Digital Extremes, creator of the AAA Free-to-Play hit, Warframe^® is breaking out the virtual staches once again and proudly participating in Movember, the annual month-long celebration of the moustache to help raise awareness of men’s health issues including prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and physical inactivity. With more than $650 million dollars raised globally, the charity aims to help men live happier, healthier and longer lives by addressing both physical and mental health issues.

Starting today, players logging into Warframe on PC, Xbox One or PS4™ will get to sport in-game, The Dastard — the first of up to five free virtual moustaches equipable on their favorite space ninja in missions throughout the Solar System. To gain access to the additional moustache styles players are encouraged to visit the Warframe Movember website — www.warframe.com/Movember — where they can donate to the cause and help reach multiple fundraising goals to unlock the additional free, all-new for Movember 2015 in-game moustaches to class up their Waframes throughout the month of November.

Warframe holds the Guinness World Record for the Largest Gathering of People Wearing False Mustaches in a Videogame set during Movember 2014 with over 10,000 Tenno across PC, PS4™ and Xbox One donning their favorite mouth brow in-game.. Alongside the Guinness World Record, the Warframe Community raised thousands of dollars for the charity throughout the month-long event.

Digital Extremes is continuing to raise awareness this year and encouraging its 19 million+ players to donate and make a difference as they run Movember-related events, Community contests, livestreams and more throughout the month. Be sure to follow the Warframe Community activities on Warframe.com as well as on the Warframe Facebook and Twitter channels with #Moframe.

“Acts of honor are fundamental traits of the Tenno in Warframe and we are honored to contribute to such a meaningful, worthy cause,” said Meridith Braun, VP of Publishing at Digital Extremes. “With all the activities we have planned throughout the month, I know our Tenno will rise to the occasion with donations to help fund Movember’s programs to improve men’s health worldwide.”

The Movember Foundation is the leading global organization committed to changing the face of men’s health. Once signed up on Movember.com, men, also known as Mo Bros, grow a moustache for the 30 days of November, raising awareness and funds for men’s health programs as friends and family donate to their efforts. This year the foundation is introducing MOVE, its 30-day fitness challenge inviting participants to be more active while raising funds and awareness for men’s health.

Warframe is available for free download on PC, PS4™ and Xbox One. To find out more about Warframe, please visit www.warframe.com.

For supporting assets including a special mustachioed trailer highlighting Warframe‘s 2015 lineup for Movember’s cookie duster couture, please visit:
https://digitalextremesltd.box.com/s/10vnuu4sp3ac4puyct6zouexjlt7u46z

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. Originating with the co-creation of Epic Games’ multi-million unit selling Unreal® franchise including Unreal, Unreal Tournament – and all its iterations — and continuing with such hits as Dark Sector®, BioShock® for PS3™, the multi-player campaign of BioShock 2 and The Darkness® II, based on the comic book series of the same name. The studio now uses its proprietary technology, the Evolution Engine™ in the development of its blockbuster Free-To-Play hit, Warframe® available now on PC, PS4™ and Xbox One. For more information about Digital Extremes, visit the company website at www.digitalextremes.com. To sign up for Warframe, visit www.warframe.com.

Former Rovio Team, Epic Owl, Announce ‘Starside Arena’, a Strategic Multiplayer Space Battler Hitting the App Store Worldwide on November 10th

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 3, 2015

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Former Rovio Team, Epic Owl, Announce ‘Starside Arena’, a Strategic Multiplayer Space Battler Hitting the App Store Worldwide on November 10th

Produce A Custom Spaceship and Fight Against Other Players in Strategic Space Battles

Helsinki, Finland – November 3, 2015 – Epic Owl Ltd, a Finnish game studio formed by a team of former Rovio colleagues in December 2014, today announced their debut title, Starside Arena, will be available worldwide on November 10th for iOS devices, with the Android version following later in November. Set in the year “4000-something”, Starside Arena hands players the tools to design and build a spacecraft that will dominate arena battle in a dynamically changing, futuristic game world. With over 50 technologies to research and 37 unique ship models to choose from, Starside Arena offers players extraordinary design possibilities with a limitless range of creative options to make the ultimate ship. For more information about Starside Arena, visit: http://www.starsidearena.com

“We are thrilled to introduce Starside Arena to core fans of the space battle and builder genre. During soft launch the game showed an extraordinary retention with players coming back again and again,” Juha Vainio, CEO of Epic Owl comments. Risto Holmström, CCO, continues: “It has been exciting to witness the players’ creativity in their unique ship designs, and we look forward to seeing how many more thousands of designs emerge when we launch the game worldwide.”

In Starside Arena, smaller ships can fit a handful of modules while the largest can hold hundreds; the number of possible design combinations is astronomical. Each ship’s performance depends on multiple factors, including engine power, defenses, countermeasures, weapon systems, power generation and even mass. Additionally, with two separate combat modes, the player’s success in battle will depend on either the ingenuity of the design or the composition of the fleet.

The world of Starside Arena is populated by player-made ships. This result is a constantly evolving metagame where weak designs fall into obscurity and the best ones rise to dominance until they are overthrown by players discovering their counter designs.

Availability:

Starside Arena is a free-to-download title with in-app purchases that will launch on the iPhone and iPad through the App Store globally on November 10, 2015, with the Android version following later in November.

Teaser trailer link: http://youtu.be/09kUDr4CZgU

PR images: http://www.epic-owl.com/press/

About Epic Owl

Epic Owl focuses on bringing core gamers to mobile gaming by developing innovative games gameplay first. Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, Epic Owl is an independent development studio founded in 2014 by Rovio Entertainment veterans with experience in developing and shipping several hit games for mobile platforms. The company’s first title, Starside Arena, is slated to launch in November 2015.

Epic Owl is financially backed by Helsinki-based Sisu Game Ventures.

www.epic-owl.com

http://www.facebook.com/epicowl

http://twitter.com/epicowlltd

Indie Gala Every Monday Bundle #84 Now Available

Jamie Laike Tsui

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November 3, 2015

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Indie Gala Every Monday Bundle #84 Now Available

Did you know 84 is the atomic number of polonium? It’s a radioactive element discovered by Pierre and Marie Curie. Good thing Indie Gala’s Every Monday Bundle #84 is a little safer and way more entertaining than a chunk of polonium. This week packs six indie games for only $1.89 during the first 24 hours of the sale.

Swords & Crossbones: An Epic Pirate Story – A comical RPG with a zany cast and eye catching pixel art.

Read Only Memories – A cyberpunk adventure inspired by Gabriel Knight and Snatcher.

The Adventures of Fatman – A not so subtle parody of The Dark Knight, this retro adventure stars a food obsessed hero trying to protect the city of Shadowlawn from evil.

OASE – Other Age Second Encounter – A multi-genre game that mixes dating sims, RPGs, puzzles, and adventure games all together in a quirky package.

Caveman Craig – Help Craig fight off dinosaurs and enemy tribes in this survival strategy game.

SWR JST DX: Selective Memory Erase Effect – A retro styled platformer set in a dream that might just be an operating system.

For the first 24 hours of the sale, the bundle is only $1.89. Grab your copy at Indie Gala today.

Corpse Party: Blood Drive Review

Travis Bruno

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November 3, 2015

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Corpse Party: Blood Drive
Developer: Team GrisGris, 5pb.
Publisher: XSEED Games
Platform: PS Vita
Release Date: October 13, 2015
Price: $49.99 – Available Here

Overview
Creating a proper horror game has become something rather divided over the last few years. Many horror titles in the West have either switched into an action style format where players will fight against the horrors in front of them or strip them of any ability to defend themselves, forcing them to only flee. There are very few titles that find a solid middle ground between simply leaving the player feeling helpless and actually providing terror and one series that has always been great in that regard is Corpse Party. So now that the conclusion to the Heavenly Host saga has been released in the West with Corpse Party: Blood Drive, how does the story wrap up?

Story
Although at the end of the last title it seemed that Heavenly Host Elementary School and its curse had finally been destroyed two months ago, the survivors have continued to suffer from the event. Their friends that lost their lives in that horrific place were never able to be saved and only those who survived even remember their names as their faces have been blackened in every picture and their entire existence seems to have been erased from everyone else’s memory, going so far as to completely replace their lost teacher as if nothing had ever happened.

With the weight of the events hanging heavily on Ayumi’s mind, rumors that the deaths due to supernatural means in the world all lead to the curse of Heavenly Host leaking into the normal world, and this once again drives Ayumi and the other survivors to search for a way to return to the last place they ever would want to. Add in a number of new characters that have their own reasons for wanting to track down the school as well as the supernatural elements that it contains and you have a number of characters all trying to reach their own goal while faced with possible gruesome death.

It is worth noting that Corpse Party: Blood Drive isn’t a title that will pull any punches and although it does take a bit to get going, once the story kicks into full gear players will be in for one hell of a ride. There is plenty of backstory given to both past events that players thought were finally finished as well as the new characters.

Those expecting plenty of twists will also be pleasantly surprised as there are numerous events that take place that will keep players on their toes. It certainly helps that the writers’ ability to create a tense and horrific atmosphere hasn’t dulled in the slightest between Book of Shadows and Blood Drive as the sense of dread coming from the characters and the ghastly descriptions of the deaths that can occur if the player finds themselves either stumbling into a bad end or dying in the game are as terrifying as ever.

Of course since the most exciting part of Corpse Party: Blood Drive’s storyline is the unknown, I won’t delve into any of the aforementioned twists or spoil any of the events that take place but this is certainly a game meant for fans of the series as there are numerous callbacks to past events that those who have never played the first two titles will be left with only the bare minimum of knowledge going off what the story wants to describe here, but those who have stuck around for the entire series are in for a very satisfying end if they dare venture into the halls of Heavenly Host one more time.

Gameplay
Corpse Party: Blood Drive made a jump to the PlayStation Vita with this release and with a bit more power the developers have tried out a different gameplay style by offering players 3D environments for the first time ever, since the original focused on 2D and the second title was more visual novel with exploration than anything else. Blood Drive harkens back to the original style of exploration as players will be spending the majority of the game split between the visual novel dialogue sequences and exploring the 3D environments.

Unlike past games however, it seems that the darkness is far stronger in Corpse Party: Blood Drive as Heavenly Host now almost always requires players to make use of a flashlight to navigate its dangerous halls. With a limited supply of batteries available, players are encouraged to only use it when needed but thanks to numerous traps and pitfalls scattered throughout the halls and wires similar to the second game that can only be seen and disabled with the use of the flashlight players will find themselves moving gingerly through the halls as they keep a look out around them for traps while trying to keep their battery usage to a minimum.

Traps aren’t the only danger to watch out for however as ghosts and phantoms that roam the halls must also be avoided as being caught by them will whittle away your health and potentially result in an early death. The best way to avoid these ghosts are to either sneak around them or, if seen, run as far as possible and try to hide out of sight in a cabinet. Since every character only has so much stamina to run and ends up coming to a stop when they run out of breath, another option is to use a talisman to dispel the ghost.

Other than these dangers players will of course have to travel through the halls and classrooms of the school as they search for the areas that contain key items and the various puzzles that must be completed before advancing the story but here lies one of the main issues with the title. You see, while the game’s ten chapters and bonus chapters provide a lengthy experience for a horror game, a lot of this time will be spent looking at a loading screen.

While it is certainly understandable to have loading sequences when traveling to another area or changing rooms, Corpse Party: Blood Drive makes the scariest thing the dark loading screen containing a ghost face as almost every aspect of the game requires at least seven seconds to load. This includes everything from opening the menu, navigating the inventory screen, changing options; to just swapping between rooms that should have loaded with the entire building considering scene transitions are the longest screens of all and completely ruin any of the tension the title may have been building up.

Visuals & Audio
Now the change from to 3D character models does give Corpse Party: Blood Drive a refreshing appearance but it causes numerous frame rate issues with the game slowing down when enemies are on screen and it also detracts from the elements that past games were able to make players visualize for themselves. These almost chibi like characters lose some feeling of tension, with an early scene showing a girl stabbing herself in the hand with scissors simply resulting in a few spurts of blood that could have been far more gruesome if represented in any other fashion than the way it was chosen. This doesn’t mean all of the grisly horror and death has vanished from the game as there are still plenty of elements that pay off well through this system as well as numerous CGs and descriptions that are exactly what fans of this type of horror game are looking for.

As before, Corpse Party: Blood Drive features only the original Japanese voice cast but this works for the benefit of the title as fans of the series are more than familiar with the characters at this point and the voice actors know how to portray the horror the characters are feeling very well. As for the background music and atmosphere of the game, I must recommend that players try to play this game with headphones or ear buds as the title is designed to make sounds appear like they are coming from various areas around the player to up the scary factor and it really does deliver here.

Overall
Corpse Party: Blood Drive delivers on where it matters most as it provides the continuation of the enthralling story that has kept fans on the edge of their seats ever since it was released. By expanding upon the lore of Heavenly Host and providing numerous twists to keep things bloody and exciting, fans will not be disappointed with what Corpse Party: Blood Drive has to offer, if only the technical issues didn’t make playing through said title to experience the story feel like such a drag.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Cara Delevingne and Marshawn Lynch star in Call of Duty: Black Ops III’s New Trailer

Dustin Spencer

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November 3, 2015

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Cara Delevingne and Marshawn Lynch star in Call of Duty: Black Ops III’s New Trailer

It is that time. Time for Activision to fully plug Call of Duty: Black Ops III with a trailer that brings the classic “Paint it Black” tune together with random celebrities. Ah, yes. To be mainstream in gaming culture.

The trailer is rather nice and sets the stage for this Friday’s release of Treyarch’s latest, and marks one of the next big jumps for the series. Enjoy your cameo of Cara Delevingne as she suits up with Marshawn Lynch and some other guy who may or may not be famous, and grab your copy of the game later this week.

TURTLE BEACH CORPORATION’S NEW SANDTROOPER GAMING HEADSET FOR STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT AND X-WING PILOT HEADSET FOR STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS HIT RETAIL SHELVES

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 3, 2015

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TURTLE BEACH CORPORATION’S NEW SANDTROOPER GAMING HEADSET FOR STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT AND X-WING PILOT HEADSET FOR STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS HIT RETAIL SHELVES

The Star Wars Battlefront Sandtrooper and Star Wars X-Wing Pilot Headset are Available at Retail Outlets Nationwide now

London, UK – November 2, 2015 – Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ: HEAR), the leading-edge audio technology company and #1 in gaming audio, today announced the Star Wars™-themed Sandtrooper and X-Wing Pilot gaming headsets are now available at retail. In celebration of the soon to be released Star Wars™ Battlefront™ video game, the Sandtrooper headset is themed after the squad of Stormtroopers donning the signature orange shoulder pauldron and is available for a MSRP of £69.99. Additionally, in anticipation of the theatrical release of Star Wars™: The Force Awakens™, the X-Wing Pilot headset is themed after the signature orange jumpsuits worn by Rebel Alliance pilots and is based on Turtle Beach’s all-new lightweight and comfortable entry-level Recon series design. The X-Wing Pilot headset offers a handful of features and functionality no gamer should be without, and is available at participating retailers for a MSRP of £34.99.

“Star Wars is one of the hottest, must-have consumer brands heading into the holiday season and we’ve got two truly unique, high-quality Star Wars-inspired headsets fans will definitely want to add to their collections,” said Juergen Stark, CEO, Turtle Beach Corporation. “Turtle Beach is filled with hardcore fans, so it’s been a real pleasure for us to design these two headsets that will let gamers further immerse themselves in the Star Wars universe.”

Turtle Beach’s Sandtrooper gaming headset works great with PlayStation^®4, Xbox One, PC and mobile/tablet devices and features an over-ear design for extended comfort, plus a removable high-sensitivity boom mic, and thundering 50mm speakers to deliver sound the way Star Wars is meant to be heard. It also includes one set of removable speaker plates that can be swapped out to show off different Star Wars characters and iconic franchise moments.

The X-Wing Pilot headset is an entry-level gaming headset that works with PS4™, Xbox One and mobile/tablet devices and is built on Turtle Beach’s all-new lightweight and comfortable Recon series headset design. The X-Wing Pilot headset features over-ear, synthetic leather-wrapped ear-cups with big, booming 40mm Neodymium speakers that deliver sizzling highs and thundering lows. It also comes with a removable high-sensitivity boom mic and convenient in-line controls for Master Volume and Mic Mute. Fans can use the X-Wing Pilot headset for playing games like Star Wars Battlefront, and also use it to enjoy their favorite movies, music and more.

Star Wars Battlefront launches November 19, 2015 on the PS4, Xbox One, and on Origin for PC. Additional information on the game can be found at www.StarWars.EA.com/StarWars/Battlefront.

For more information on the latest Turtle Beach gaming headsets and accessories, visit www.turtlebeach.com, and be sure to follow Turtle Beach on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

About Turtle Beach Corporation

Turtle Beach Corporation (www.turtlebeachcorp.com) designs leading-edge audio products for the consumer, commercial and healthcare markets. Under the Turtle Beach brand (www.turtlebeach.com), the Company markets a wide selection of quality gaming headsets catering to a variety of gamers’ needs and budgets, for use with video game consoles, including officially-licensed headsets for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, as well as for personal computers and mobile/tablet devices. Under the HyperSound brand (www.hypersound.com), the Company markets pioneering directed audio solutions that have applications in digital signage and kiosks, consumer electronics and healthcare. The Company’s shares are traded on the NASDAQ Exchange under the symbol: HEAR.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking information and statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Except for historical information contained in this release, statements in this release may constitute forward-looking statements regarding assumptions, projections, expectations, targets, intentions or beliefs about future events. Forward looking statements are based on management’s statements containing the words “may”, “could”, “would”, “should”, “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “estimate”, “target”, “project”, “intend” and similar expressions constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current belief, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management.
While the Company believes that its expectations are based upon reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurances that its goals and strategy will be realized. Numerous factors, including risks and uncertainties, may affect actual results and may cause results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements made by the Company or on its behalf. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the substantial uncertainties inherent in acceptance of existing and future products, the difficulty of commercializing and protecting new technology, the impact of competitive products and pricing, general business and economic conditions, risks associated with the expansion of our business including the implementation of any businesses we acquire, our indebtedness, and other factors discussed in our public filings, including the risk factors included in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Company’s other periodic reports. Except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Company any is under no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement after the date of this release whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

UBISOFT® ANNOUNCES TRACKMANIA® TURBO COMPATIBILITY WITH OCULUS RIFT™ AND PLAYSTATION®VR DEVICES

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 2, 2015

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THE OCULUS RIFT™ COMPATIBILITY SHOWCASED AT THE PARIS GAMES WEEK AS PART OF THE ELECTRONIC SPORTS WORLD CUP

DEV DIARY TRAILER: YOUTUBE

London, UK – November 2, 2015 – Today, Ubisoft announced that Trackmania Turbo will be compatible with Oculus Rift™ and with PlayStation^®VR, once both the game and these devices are available. Trackmania Turbo, the latest installment in the Trackmania franchise developed by Nadeo, a Ubisoft studio, will be released on the PlayStation^®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Windows 10 PC in early 2016.

The Trackmania series is known for its thrilling and fast gameplay experiences and Virtual Reality is a natural fit for the series, by allowing players to immerse themselves deeper into the game when racing along the mesmerising Trackmania tracks. Players can experience the entire Trackmania Turbo game, including all tracks and game modes, whether they are playing on a console or computer, or with the additional VR device.

For the ninth consecutive year, Trackmania was part of the Electronic Sports World Cup during the Paris Games Week. This year’s tournament included virtual reality for the first time and showcased the game’s compatibility with Oculus Rift™.

Trackmania Turbo features an “easy to learn, hard to master” arcade racing universe with time-attack gameplay where players set their own limits and challenges. The game revolves around an exhilarating combination of matchbox car fantasy and massive scale, focused on the pursuit of the perfect run around the track. Players can test their skills in the campaign mode, which includes more than 200 head-spinning tracks set in four beautiful environments, each with their own play style.

To learn more about Trackmania Turbo, visit www.trackmania.com.

For more information on the Electronic Sports World Cup, please visit www.eswc.com.

The upcoming Trackmania Turbo Virtual Reality compatibility can be experienced through a dedicated 360° video available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DInTG4kfCdg

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, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman, Far Cry and Watch Dogs. 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 2014-15 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,464 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.

© 2015 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries. Nadeo and Trackmania logo are trademarks of Nadeo in the US and/or other countries. Nadeo is a Ubisoft Entertainment company.

Xbox One is a trademark of the Microsoft group of companies and is used under license from Microsoft. “Playstation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

About Oculus

Oculus is focused on enabling players to experience anything, anywhere through virtual reality. The Oculus Rift and the Oculus-powered Samsung Gear VR allow players to step inside virtual worlds and immerse themselves like never before. As a result of the global Oculus developer community, VR is poised to transform gaming, storytelling, film, and much more.

Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate Review

Andrew Day

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November 2, 2015

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Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: Xbox One (Reviewed), PS4, PC
Price: AU$99.95 – Available Here | US$59.99 – Available Here

Overview

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the Assassin’s Creed games. Every so often I will get disillusioned with the franchise and not care much about the next installment, but after a while something always happens to draw me back in. After skipping Unity, I have been lured back by promises of London, Karl Marx, multiple playable characters and a Batman-style grappling hook! Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate feels like a fresh touch to the franchise and while it still suffers from its fair share of issues, is definitely a worthwhile addition to the series.

Story

Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate takes place at the end of London’s Industrial Revolution. The Assassin’s Brotherhood has been all bus disbanded and the city has been overtaken by the Templars. Enter Jacob and Evie Frye, twin sibling Assassins who realise that they cannot let the city rot from within any longer. Together they set upon freeing the city from the Templars, finding a piece of Eden and securing the future for the citizens of England.

The two twins couldn’t be any more different if they tried to be, Evie is fixated on discovering pieces of Eden while Jacob is frequently questioning the moral ambiguity that is the Assassin’s Creed. It is pretty cool to finally have a character that calls into question the morals and ethics of what are essentially secret murderers, and it is something that I would really like to see explored in future instalments. As with past games, you will frequently find allies (and enemies) from some of history’s greatest figures. The cast of characters this time around includes the likes of Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin, Queen Victoria, Florence Nightingale and even Karl Marx.

Ok so I’m going to let you all in on a little secret; when it comes to books, television, movies, games etc I am an absolute sucker for witty banter. Two characters quipping and sassing over one another? I could listen to that for days on end. So guess what Syndicate has; yeah the two twins go at each other like… Well like siblings and I loved every minute of it. Not only was their dialogue with each other quick and on point, but it felt real. Like I honestly believed that the Frye twins were real people. Honestly I feel that the twins are some of the best protagonists that the series has ever had and if Ubisoft are looking to have leads stick around for the next few games (a la Brotherhood and Revelations) then I wholeheartedly suggest the Frye Twins.

Ever since Desmond’s sacrifice at the end of Assassin’s Creed III, the series has had more than a fair share of issues with how to present itself, especially in terms of the modern-day sections. Syndicate makes perhaps one of the franchise’s better decisions in pushing all of the modern-day Abstergo stuff to the background. This leaves the whole narrative feeling more fluid and cohesive without the need to stick to the convoluted lore of the previous games.

Gameplay

Aside from just acting like different people, the Frye twins have their own unique skills and abilities that the player can take advantage of depending on what mission they find themselves in. Jacob is a big, physical brawler who can handle just about anybody else in a fight, while his sister is more stealth-oriented, able to sneak up quieter on enemies and take them out without ever being seen.

As the campaign progresses, I found myself relying more on Jacob than Evie due to the narrative pulling me in that direction. I would have liked to see more parity between the two in terms of the spotlight but even with Jacob taking more of the stage than his sister, it doesn’t mean she has been left in the cold. I found Evie more fun to play as and her skills were invaluable during the game’s side missions.

Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate introduces two new important game mechanics; grappling hooks and carriages. Grappling hooks, as you might have guessed, are used to reach higher places and traverse long gaps between buildings. It’s a cool little tool that leads itself well to certain kills but in the end I felt it didn’t add all that much to my overall experience. Each of the twins can also hijack carriages to tear through the bustling London streets at their will. It almost feels like Syndicate goes a little bit Grand Theft Auto during these sections and while I wasn’t particularly fond of them I can see why others would get a huge kick out of charging down an enemy carriage at full speed.

If there has been one gripe that I have had with the Assassin’s Creed franchise it has been that from game to game, there has felt like close to no real development or improvement in the mechanics. As you might expect, Syndicate suffers from a few of the series’ sins like awkward parkour, slow and repetitive combat and just way too many optional objectives for a sane person would ever be able to complete. For all the good it brought to the franchise with its grappling hooks and diversely skilled dual protagonists, the game is still held back from greatness due to these nagging issues.

Visuals & Audio

I will just come right and say it; I love the world of Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate. Industrial Revolution-era London is an amazing place to set a game like this. The packed streets, cluttered buildings,my all towers and more all work in unison to create this massive, explorable world that is beyond anything else the series has ever managed to achieve. Even though I still struggle with the game’s parkour system, I still enjoyed moving from rooftop to rooftop, taking everything in as I did so.

Aside from just well-designed landscapes, London actually LOOKS good… Well honestly it looks like an ugly, run-down mess, but that is exactly what you want 1860s London to look like. Buildings are decrepit, and look like they could fall at any moment, the bystanders all look dirty and disheveled, it’s really like looking at a living history book, and I could not get enough.

Overall

I will admit that I had my fair share of hesitations going into Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate. I was starting to feel that aside from Black Flag, the series was getting dull and repetitive. I am happy to admit that while Syndicate still suffers from more than its fair share of issues, I really do feel like the entire franchise has had new life breathed into it, and I am confident that with a little more time the series can really start to evolve and flourish in ways us players never imagined.

I will say though that the game’s ending really threw me for a loop. After nary a boss fight for the entire game, suddenly we are thrown into an extremely long and drawn out sequence that just borders on the absurd. Not only that, but the entire thing feels so detached both tonally and thematically from the rest of the game and almost comes across as a rushed, shoehorned conclusion in order to quickly wrap up the story. I am sure that with future DLC on the way we will have a bit more of an explanation to this ridiculous conclusion but for now it is just a really bitter taste to leave an otherwise enjoyable albeit imperfect game on.

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