Page 3241 – Capsule Computers

Check your Luck With the Final Fallout 4 S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Trailer

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October 22, 2015

Check your Luck With the Final Fallout 4 S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Trailer

It has been a long and almost always funny journey as Bethesda released various trailers highlighting the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. mechanics, which stand for Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Luck, and now that journey has come to an end earlier today when the company released the seventh and final trailer for Fallout 4, this time focusing on L, Luck.

As one would expect Luck will be playing the same unique factor this time around as the amount of luck a player has can dictate how many critical hits they can deal out as well as whether or not certain loot they find will be rare or simply be trash.

The Long, Strange Journey of Zoombinis Heads to Windows, Mac and Kindle Fire on October 28

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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October 22, 2015

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The Long, Strange Journey of Zoombinis Heads to Windows, Mac and Kindle Fire on October 28

Non-profit Educational Leader TERC Revives the Classic Logic Game

Boston, October 21, 2015 – Following the incredibly successful Kickstarter and iPad and Android tablet launch from earlier this year, TERC, a not-for-profit leader in K-12 math and science education, announced today the upcoming October 28th availability of the beloved educational game, Zoombinis, on Windows and Mac for $9.99. It will release on Kindle Fire the same day for $4.99. The game is designed for players 9 and older and is a faithful recreation of the original with updated modern design principles and refinements. Including all the latest updates, the Windows and Mac version will also come packed with extras such as the game soundtrack, iOS and Android ringtones, a digital poster and desktop backgrounds.

Zoombinis is developed in conjunction with the world-class designers at FableVision Studios, an award-winning educational developer, along with Learning Games Network.

“Just as children and adults first came to love the timeless logic puzzles in the ’90s, players can with the click of a mouse on their PC or Mac help bring Zoombinis home once again,” said David Libby, Director of Technology, TERC. “In addition to the more modern look and added gameplay refinements, desktop players will get access to never before released goodies including the soundtrack and ringtones featuring characters such as Arno, the pizza troll.”

Numbering in the hundreds, the Zoombinis need your help. The small blue creatures, each with distinct personalities and appearances, are all imprisoned by the evil Bloats who took over their home – and you need to help them reach the safety of Zoombiniville. The PC and Mac controls are simple, using only a click of the mouse to control the Zoombinis, but the puzzles are not as easy as they may appear. Using logic, data analysis, pattern finding and problem solving skills, children and adults will face a series of increasingly difficult challenges – 12 in total – set within entertaining environments such as Pizza Pass, Titanic Tattooed Toads and Mudball Wall. Help the Zoombinis travel in groups until all 400 of them are safe in Zoombiniville.

For more information visit:
Web: http://www.zoombinis.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ZoombinisGame
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zoombinisgame
Instagram: https://instagram.com/zoombinisgame/
YouTube: http://tinyurl.com/ZoombinisYouTube

About TERC
For nearly fifty years, TERC has been introducing millions of students throughout the United States to the exciting and rewarding worlds of math and science learning. Led by a group of experienced, forward-thinking math and science professionals, TERC is an independent, nonprofit, research-based organization dedicated to engaging and inspiring all students through stimulating curricula and programs designed to develop the knowledge and skills they need to ask questions, solve problems, and expand their opportunities. Visit us on the web at: www.terc.edu

About FableVision Studios
FableVision Studios creates technology-enhanced media and story to move the world to a better place. Our signature blend of positive media, storytelling, and interactive technologies is sought after by a host of best-in-class organizations, including leading publishers, broadcasters, educational and nonprofit organizations, museums, and health care organizations. Together with our partners, we have designed and developed hundreds of websites, games, animated films, museum kiosks, and apps. Visit us on the web at: www.fablevisionstudios.com

About Learning Games Network
The Learning Games Network mission: By identifying and partnering with organizations that are working to create, research and disseminate game-based learning tools, the Learning Games Network amplifies the impact of these organizations and broadens access to high-quality educational games for learners at every age. Visit us on the web at: http://learninggamesnetwork.org

About Encore
Encore is a leading multiplatform software developer and publisher. As a result of key licensing, development partnerships and acquisitions, Encore offers a wide range of best-selling print, productivity, home design, entertainment and education titles. Principal brands include Broderbund’s The PrintShop and PrintMaster, HOYLE, Punch! Software and Viva Media. Publishing channels include worldwide retailers and worldwide digital distribution. Encore also sells direct to consumers through its managed sites: broderbund.com, encore.com, viva-media.com, hoylegaming.com, punchsoftware.com and punchcad.com.

Capsule Computers Podcast Episode 105 – Explain This, Clarissa

CC Podcast

Dustin Spencer

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October 21, 2015

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Sometimes you need to talk about the games that are coming out when there are so many games that are coming out that things are going to get complicated just a couple of weeks from now. This week, Dustin Spencer and Garrett Cheater are back on CC Unplugged to go over the new releases that are quickly approaching, providing a bit of opinions on each. It is like your guide for the holidays. HOW CONVENIENT! You can also see our opinions of what you should watch, how you should live, what you should eat, and how to bathe. It is quite a lovely, entertaining hour filled with…opinions I guess.

So tell Ferguson to bug off, tell your friends to shoot him on sight, 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.

Sydney’s Microsoft Flagship Store Grand Opening Festivities Announced

Jamie Laike Tsui

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October 21, 2015

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Sydney’s Microsoft Flagship Store Grand Opening Festivities Announced

Microsoft is opening its first Microsoft Flaship Store outside of North America in Sydney, Australia. The store will officially open at 12 PM on November 12, 2015.

Today, Microsoft has announced the festivities that will accompany the grand opening. The most important announcement is that Microsoft is making a $2,000,000 USD donation in software and grants to several not-for-profit groups supporting STEM and youth education across Australia. Additionally, they will be running free several workshops and seminars designed for young people over the coming weeks.

Microsoft will also be holding a free concert starring Jessie J and The Voice Australia 2015 winner Ellie Drennan to celebrate the grand opening. The first 750 people to visit the store will net themselves two tickets for the concert being held later in the evening at the State Theatre. More giveaways and special sales on things like Xbox One bundles will be held throughout the day in store. Microsoft will also be bringing demo units of the recently announced Microsoft Surface Book and Surface Pro 4.

The line up begins the day before at 10:00 PM at the Westfield Sydney on Pitt Street Mall (see below). Check out the full schedule at the Microsoft website.

Westfield Sydney on Pitt Street Mall

188 Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW 2000

02 8023 8608

Get directions

Jotun Review

Jamie Laike Tsui

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October 21, 2015

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Jotun
Developer: Thunder Lotus Games
Publisher: Thunder Lotus Games
Platform: Linux, Mac, Windows
Release Date: 29 September 2015
Price: $14.99 USD – Available Here

Video Review

Overview

Jotun is the first game from newly formed Canadian indie devs Thunder Lotus Games. Funded through Kickstarter and several Canadian media foundations, Jotun is inspired by Norse mythology. The game tells the story of a Viking warrior princess named Thora. After drowing to death during a storm, Thora is denied entry to Valhalla. Taken to Viking Purgatory, she is given one chance to impress the Viking Gods and earn her way into Vahalla.

Story

The ideal Viking death is to perish in battle so the warrior can go to Valhalla and serve at Odin’s side. Since she failed to die in combat, Thora is given a second chance to prove her worthiness by the Gods. She is sent to Viking Purgatory to battle five massive elementals called Jotuns. As Thora defeats the Jotuns, she begins to share her life story with the player. Her story touches on intrigue in the family and her path to earning respect as a female warrior. It is an interesting plot that is accompanied by Viking myths told throughout the game. The resulting combination is an enjoyable epic.

Gameplay

Jotun is an action adventure game that mixes puzzle solving, exploration, and some incredible boss battles. Don’t get lulled into a false sense of security with Jotun’s storybook art style, this game is designed to be challenging. The game is split into five zones. Thora must explore levels to unlock the runes that will open the doors to the area’s Jotun. The exploration portion of Jotun is easily its weakest. It tends to be a rather dull affair due to Thora’s plodding pace. In each level, there are two extra objectives that are supposed to be optional. One is the God Power that will give Thora handy new abilities and the other is an apple that will add some extra health. For most players, these two side objectives are not actually optional as the bosses are already blisteringly hard with all the abilities and max health, forcing players to explore at lengths. The God Powers are a little challenging to find, as they are marked on the map. The apples on the other hand can be downright devious as they are in out of the way places not marked on the map. The real challenge is that the map is exactly that, a map. The player must figure out where they actually are on their own.

The level design is a bit of a mixed bag. I really like the fact each level has a unique theme and a mechanic that will later show up in the zone’s Jotun fight. On the other hand, some of the levels are an absolute drag. Thora doesn’t move with much gusto and some of the areas are just packed with long runs or annoying mechanics that are incredibly frustrating. The Crater level is probably the worst of the pack, mixing utterly frustrating mechanics, long runs, and incredibly well hidden side objectives that makes the level feel like some sort of mind numbing purgatory in its own right. On the other hand, there are some great levels like The Northern Sky that focus more on puzzle solving and less on the exploration.

Without a doubt, Jotun’s strength is its epic boss battles. Each of the five zones is capped off with a multi-stage boss battle that mixes in some of the gameplay mechanics featured in the levels before. Even with all of the God Powers and health bonuses unlocked, the boss battles are fiendishly difficult and will test the skills of even the most veteran gamer. Since it’s possible to proceed through the game without any bonuses or abilities, I suspect there will eventually be YouTube videos popping up of especially skilled players pulling off complete runs of Jotun with only the starting health and no abilities. The boss fights actually remind me of raiding in MMORPGs, where players are faced with physically giant bosses that require memorizing attack patterns and dodging incoming damage without failure. For the most part, each death feels like a learning experience and there’s a fantastic feeling of achievement every time a Jotun falls.

Jotun does struggle a little with some hitbox issues. Certain Jotuns can be particularly difficult to hit, as what is on screen does not always coincide with their hitbox. I noticed this situation was most prevalent when a Jotun was no longer standing for one reason or another. The game also seems to struggle a bit with moving projectiles. This is most apparent in the game’s final boss fight, where Thora will actually clip the spear and take no damage or clearly dodge a spear and take damage.

Visuals

Jotun’s art is hand drawn which gives the game a classic Disney-like look. The game is filled with beautiful landscapes that the designers really want players to enjoy. There are plenty of areas in each level where the camera pans back to treat players to a better look at the gorgeous art. The game is easily one of the best looking indie titles in 2015.

Audio

Jotun supports its beautiful artwork with an excellent audio experience. The sound effects are solid and the soundtrack is fantastic. The music goes from minimalistic strings to epic scoring at the right times. All of the voice acting is done in Icelandic. While I cannot attest for the actual accuracy or quality of the Icelandic, the voice actors do an excellent delivery. I believe the decision to record all the lines in Icelandic instead of English is a good one, as it gives the game an authentic Viking feel.

Overall

Jotun is an excellent game that has some weak moments. The exploration parts of the game really bog things down and the hitboxes are a little off at times; but this is all easily compensated for by epic boss battles, gorgeous artwork, and solid audio. The game’s difficulty means it isn’t for everyone, but those willing to challenge themselves will be rewarded by a stunning experience.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

LIGHTNESS AND DARKNESS CLASH IN BRAND NEW NETMARBLE TITLE, GUILD OF HONOR

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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October 21, 2015

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LIGHTNESS AND DARKNESS CLASH IN BRAND NEW NETMARBLE TITLE, GUILD OF HONOR

Massive-Strategic Guild Battle Experience Awaits Warriors as Netmarble’s Latest Title Heads to iOS and Android Devices Today

SEOUL, Korea (October 21, 2015) – Netmarble Games (“Netmarble”), a leading Korean gaming company, today announced that their latest mobile title, Guild of Honor, is now available for iOS and Android devices across the world in 14 languages*. Guild of Honor pulls from the lore of the battle between the Gods of Light and Darkness that began from the beginning of time. Endless entertainment awaits with an intense storyline, stunning 3D graphics, spectacular skill effects and large scaled, strategic guild combat with up to simultaneous 100 players.

Without the threat of Light and Darkness, modern day human civilization has flourished on the Varlos Continent. However, with the battle emerging once more, how will the Light alongside humankind win the war against the evils that threaten their land? With the emperor of the Arel Empire and the last human lord, Castlotte, leading the forces, players have the chance to take over the roles of warriors in order to fight off the Darkness. There are over 360 different types of warriors available in Guild of Honor, including specialized magical and healing warriors. Guild of Honor also offers many unique challenge modes such as Arena and the Chronicle of Trial, a wave based enemy mode.

“With every new release, we aim to continuously push the boundaries of what a mobile game should offer,” said Seungwon Lee, President of Overseas at Netmarble Games. “Guild of Honor has a complex storyline with many different features for fans of guild battles to keep the game continuously interesting for players and their fellow comrades.”

Guild of Honor’s foundation lies within its massive-strategic guild battle gameplay system which allows up to 100 players to participate at once. By fostering the guilds, players will be able to take advantage of “Guild Level Up” in order to earn powerful rewards that will help them along their journey. Also included in Guild of Honor are various features such as Special Guild attendance, Guild Store, and the Guild Buff System which allows players to receive various benefits through “Guild Level Up”.

Developed by Maius Games Co., LTD, a subsidiary of Netmarble Games, Guild of Honor is available free-to-download, with in-game purchase options on the App Store and Google Play.

App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id956440753

Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.netmarble.goldenagegb

For the latest updates, please follow Guild of Honor on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Mobirum.

*Chinese (simplified and traditional), English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Thai and Turkish.

About Netmarble Games Corporation

Netmarble Games Corp. strives to enrich people’s lives by providing great games to global audiences. Based in Seoul, Korea, Netmarble Games Corp. has produced some of the most successful mobile games such as MARVEL Future Fight, Raven (Evilbane in US), Seven Knights, Everyone’s Marble, and Monster Taming. The company has more than 2,500 employees worldwide, numerous studios and consistently ranks as a top developer and publisher in Asia and globally. Netmarble Games Corp. has a strategic partnership with CJ E&M Corporation, Asia’s largest entertainment company, Tencent Holdings, Asia’s largest internet company, and NCsoft, a prominent MMO company, as company shareholders. The company is the largest shareholder to SGN, a leading casual game developer. More information can be found at www.netmarble.com.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate ‘The Victorian Commuter’ Video Released

Travis Bruno

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October 21, 2015

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Ubisoft has been creating some rather unique promotional material for their upcoming release of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, not only have they strapped a camera to an eagle so it could record footage of the city from the sky and give fans a literal bird’s eye view, they have now opted to bring a bit of Victorian life back to the capital in the form of a new video called “The Victorian Commuter” where a man travels around modern day London on none other than nothing more than one of those large classic bikes that is apparently called a “Penny Farthing.” The more you know.

You can check out the video below and be sure to keep an eye out for Assassin’s Creed Syndicate when it is released later this week on October 23rd on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with a PC release set for November 19th.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind Review

Mateja Simovic

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October 21, 2015

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Close Encounters of the Third Kind Review

Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Studio: EMI Films
Publisher: Columbia Pictures
Format: Cinema
Release Date: Out Now

Overview

Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind is an interesting film that had a profound impact on the modern cultural landscape. One of its more groundbreaking concepts was the aliens not being warmongering beings from another galaxy but rather more curious and enigmatic (and also led me to Earth’s doom in Watch the Skies last year). It’s a film which I was in awe of when I first saw it many years ago, and I was curious to see whether the film would have the same effect on me.

The In the House screening was hosted by David ‘Quinny’ Quinn and Jason ‘Jabba’ Davis with their customary introduction to the film. Their discussion of the film’s trivia was as interesting as always, but a highlight for me was when they had a volunteer from the audience come up and teach us all the Curwen hand signs from the movie. I thought that was quite cool, and not something I’d have gotten from just a regular screening of the film. There was also a game of ‘heads’ or ‘tails’ with the whole audience with prizes being given out to the winners before the screening went underway.

Story

The narrative splits its focus across three points upon two individuals and a group of scientists. The first group we’re introduced to are Claude Lacombe and David Laughlin who are both UN experts investigating the strange, alien-related occurrences around the globe. Roy Neary is a quintessential working everyman who encounters and then becomes obsessed with UFOs. Our last protagonist is Jillian Guiler whose son becomes the focus of alien attention. These individuals all get drawn together in their mutual desire to meet with and find out more about the aliens.

With each of these protagonists, we see a story arc evolve and climax with varying degrees of depth. Roy gets the most onscreen time dedicated to his development from a normal person to a man on the brink of madness with his obsession. Jillian’s arc is much more constrained and we don’t really see her develop much as a character beyond being a mother. Claude and David receive even less development and their purpose throughout the story is largely to frame and explain the action in a very direct way. I feel that these latter storylines are quite weak in terms of their writing and that work could have been done to make them a bit more engaging.

One aspect I did find particularly interesting within the film’s narrative was the alien implantation of images into a brain. Roy and Jillian exhibit this implantation after their encounters and continuously replicate the image and shape of an unusual shape. This is particularly memorable in one scene where Roy, while eating dinner with his family, sculpts the shape in mashed potatoes while his sons and wife look on in horror. It’s an interesting science fiction concept and I commend Spielberg for presenting this concept to us completely without dialogue.

The action and themes of Close Encounters is difficult to pin down. There are moments, in typical Spielberg fashion, which has the tone of the film presenting the encounters with the aliens as something wonderous and exciting. At others the film gets a much darker tone with the visitors taking on a more sinister tone as they go about their business on Earth. This ultimately climaxes in one scene where they effectively terrorise Jillian and kidnap her child. It’s eclectic and creates a nuance to the presence of these aliens which isn’t purely ‘good’ or ‘evil’ but more in line with enigmatic and inscrutable… which can be frightening in and of itself. Although the aliens are barely ever on the screen, their presence is felt throughout.

I feel that these failings might have been the result of the tumultuous writing process behind the film itself. Although the original script was based on something which Spielberg had written in his teenage years, it went through a number of drafts at the hands of many different writers. This might certainly explain the dramatic shifts in tone between some scenes. Although I do prefer the eclectic tone that this creates in the film, some of might find that it lacks focus.

Visuals

Spielberg’s direction is suitably creative with his composition of scenes and shots. The scenes with the aliens in particular are suitably otherworldly and claustrophobic. By comparison, the rest of scenes are somewhat slow but they serve the purpose of building. This ultimately climaxes spectacularly at the end of the film in a scene which is both unsettling and uplifting.

The special effects in this film have not aged well unfortunately. I can imagine that when it was first released, this film broke ground but at this point a modern audience used to CGI effects will probably not be too impressed. That being said, the design of the ships themselves are creative and vibrant with their movement being suitably otherwordly. Even though the effects aren’t cutting edge anymore, I don’t think it would be too hard for anyone in particular to suspend disbelief for the duration of the film. That being said, if there’s anyone reading this who has seen a real UFO and would like to point out what the film got wrong; be my guest.

Audio

One cannot talk about Close Encounters without mentioning the film’s sound design. Produced by John Williams (Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark), the score matches the visuals beat for beat whether following a UFO chase or heightening the horror of an abduction. It provides a reinforcer of tension within the film with its focus on strings in the orchestra (much like Jaws). The film’s central five tones (which are a message from the aliens to us) is also sufficiently simple but pleasant enough to become a bit of an ear worm. It’s not all that surprising to hear that the film’s soundtrack album charted briefly in the US. Kudos.

Overall

Overall, I found this film to be enjoyable and worthy of the praise and accolades it has garnered. Its story is somewhat eclectic but captivating as we slowly the mystery of the aliens. The visuals effects are dated, but still create beautiful shots worthy of an artist like Spielberg. The sound design is amazing and gives us a soundtrack which will survive through the decades. It’s interesting for its nuanced portrayal of alien visitors as both frightening and wondrous. This a movie which will dazzle most audiences, although it might be a bit too frightening for kids. It’s a movie which will stay with us for a long time… at least until we do finally encounter aliens and realise that Independence Day got it right.

For other films which In The House is screening, feel free to check out their schedule here.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Samurai Warriors 4 Empires’ Western Release Set for Mid-March

Travis Bruno

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October 21, 2015

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Koei Tecmo has announced that they will be bringing over the recently announced Samurai Warriors 4 Empires, the first one for this series in nine years, to the West where the title will be released for the PlayStation 4 at retail and as a digital download while the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita versions will be available as digital downloads only.

Samurai Warriors 4 Empires will be released in North America on March 25th and on March 11th in Europe. To go along with the announcement of Samurai Warriors 4 Empires‘ localization the company has released a handful of new screenshots and a trailer that you can check out below.

The List of Madman’s Anime Releases of October 21, 2015

K. Roberts

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October 21, 2015

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Madman Entertainment has released several anime titles today. The following list details each of those releases.

Blast of Tempest Complete Series Collection (Subtitled Edition) DVD – on-disc extras will include the textless opening and ending animations and the trailer for the series.
Fairy Tail Collection 16 (Episodes 176-187) DVD and Blu-ray – on-disc extras will include: “Guild Pride: Sabertooth”, commentaries for episodes 177 and 184, the textless opening and ending animation, the U.S. trailer and trailers.
Haikyu!! Part 2 (Subtitled Edition) DVD – on-disc extras will include the textless opening and ending animation.
Hozuki’s Coolheadedness Complete Series (Subtitled Edition) DVD – on-disc extras will include the textless opening and ending animation.
The Hentai Prince and the Stony Cat Complete Series (Subtitled Edition) DVD – on-disc extras will include “Henneko BBS” and the textless opening and ending animation.
When Marnie Was There DVD and Blu-ray – suggested retail price $34.95 (DVD) and $39.95 (Blu-ray). On-disc extras will include storyboards (picture in picture), “Behing the Scenes with the English Voice Cast”, “Making of When Marnie Was There”, “Yohei Taneda Creates the Art of When Marnie Was There” and the original Japanese trailers and TV spots.

Except for the When Marnie Was There DVD and Blu-ray releases, all of the releases have a suggested retail price of $59.95. All of the prices listed are in Australian dollars.