Indie Gala Every Monday Bundle #84 Now Available

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November 3, 2015

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.

STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. And/or its affiliates © & TM Lucasfilm Ltd.

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.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

What Sentai Filmworks Is Releasing in November 2015

K. Roberts

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November 2, 2015

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What Sentai Filmworks Is Releasing in November 2015

Sentai Filmworks is releasing several anime titles in North America in November 2015. The following list details each of those releases.

November 3, 2015:

Glasslip Complete Collection on DVD and Blu-ray – features episodes 1-13 with Japanese audio and English subtitles.
He Is My Master Complete Collection Sentai Selects Edition on DVD – features episodes 1-12 with Japanese audio and English subtitles. On-disc extras will include interviews with producers and Japanese promos.
Hidamari Sketch: Honeycomb (Season Four) on DVD – features episodes 1-12 with Japanese audio and English subtitles.

November 10, 2015:

Blue Spring Ride Complete Collection on DVD and Blu-ray – features episodes 1-12 with Japanese audio and English subtitles.
La Corda D’Oro Blue Sky Complete Collection on DVD and Blu-ray – features episodes 1-12 with Japanese audio and English subtitles.

November 17, 2015:

Gatchaman The Movie on DVD and Blu-ray – features the film with English audio and Japanese audio with English subtitles.
Invaders of the Rokujyoma!? Complete Collection on DVD and Blu-ray – features episodes 1-12 with Japanese audio and English subtitles.

November 24, 2015:

Angelic Layer Complete Collection Sentai Selects Edition – features episodes 1-26 with dual audio and English subtitles. On-disc extras will include commentaries with actors and directors and production artwork.
DRAMAtical Murder Complete Collection – features episodes 1-12 and the OVA with Japanese audio and English subtitles.

Except for the Gatchman film release, all releases will include their respective textless opening and ending animations as on-disc extras.

What FUNimation Is Releasing in November 2015

K. Roberts

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November 2, 2015

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What FUNimation Is Releasing in November 2015

FUNimation Entertainment has a big month of anime releases planned for November 2015. The following list details each of those releases.

November 3, 2015:

Fafner Complete Series and Movie S.A.V.E. DVD and Blu-ray – on-disc extras will include: “Making of Fafner”, promotional videos, commercials, textless opening and ending animations, actor commentary, the theatrical trailer and trailers.
Fairy Tail Collection Five (Episodes 97-120) DVD and Blu-ray combo pack – on-disc extras will include episode commentaries, video commentary for episode 99, “Marketing a Fairy Tail”, textless opening and ending animations, the U.S. trailer and trailers.

November 10, 2015:

Danganronpa: The Animated Series Complete Series Standard and Collector’s Edition DVD and Blu-ray combo packs – on-disc extras will include commentary for episode 1, textless opening and ending animations, the U.S. trailer and trailers. The collector’s edition release will come in an exclusive chipboard box with foil printing.
One Piece Collection Fourteen (Episodes 325-348) DVD – on-disc extras will include episode commentaries, “One Piece in the Booth: with Luci Christian”, “One Piece in the Booth: with Stephanie Young”, textless song animation and trailers.

November 17, 2015:

Black Lagoon Complete Series Collector’s Edition Blu-ray – on-disc extras will include “”The Crew” Behind the Scenes of English Version Production”, a Japanese only CD commercial, promotional videos, Japanese openings, textless opening and ending animation, the U.S. trailer and trailers. A Black Lagoon lighter, a Black Lagoon dog tag and a 60-page full colour art book will all be included in a collectible “Ammo Tin” chipboard box.
Buddy Complex Complete Series DVD and Blu-ray combo pack – on-disc extras will include promotional videos, Blu-ray commercials, Final Act commercials, a Final Act promotional video, textless opening and ending animation, the U.S. trailer and trailers.

November 24, 2015:

Dragonar Academy Complete Series Standard and Collector’s Edition DVD and Blu-ray combo packs – on-disc extras will include episode commentaries, commercials, promotional videos, textless opening and ending animations, the U.S. trailer and trailers. The discs and six art cards will be housed in an exclusive box for the collector’s edition.
Eureka Seven AO Complete Series S.A.V.E. DVD and Blu-ray – on-disc extras will include episode commentaries, “Inside the Booth: Eureka Seven AO“, the original commercials, textless opening and ending animation, the U.S. trailer and trailers.
Good Luck Girl Complete Series S.A.V.E. DVD – on-disc extras will include episode commentaries, video commentary for episode 8, textless opening and ending animation, the U.S. trailer and trailers.

CALL OF DUTY: BLACK HOPS III – MIDNIGHT PALE ALE ON SALE TODAY – 1:00PM AEST, 2ND NOVEMBER

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 2, 2015

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CALL OF DUTY: BLACK HOPS III – MIDNIGHT PALE ALE ON SALE TODAY – 1:00PM AEST, 2ND NOVEMBER

Call of Duty: Black Hops III – Midnight Pale Ale will be available exclusively in Australia from 1:00PM AEST today, ahead of the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops III on the 6^th November

Sydney, Australia – 2^nd November, 2015: ICYMI, to celebrate the upcoming release of the highly anticipated Call of Duty: Black Ops III on the 6^th November, three young Aussie craft brewers from the Gold Coast have created a world first, limited edition Call of Duty: Black Hops III – Midnight Pale Ale. The beer will be available in limited quantities, exclusively via www.beerbud.com.au/BlackHopsIII in both six packs and 24 bottle cartons from 1:00pm AEST today, 2^nd November.

You can find out more about Black Hops III – Midnight Pale Ale in THIS VIDEO, featuring Govs, Eddie and Dan from Black Hops Brewing, the Gold Coast trio offer a further glimpse into the craft brewing process that took Black Hops III from grain to bottle.

Black Hops III Midnight Pale Ale – Fun Facts:

15,400,000 grains of malted barley were used to brew Black Hops III
30,000 hop flowers were used to brew Black Hops III
5,000,000,000,000 individual yeast cells to were used to brew Black Hops III
It took 21 days for the yeast to produce 240L of pure alcohol and 195kg of Co2, which was used to carbonate Black Hops III
The signature ingredient ‘Midnight Wheat’ travelled over 15,000km to get to Black Hops Brewing

Call of Duty: Black Ops III is in development at Treyarch for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC.

The Official Call of Duty®: Black Ops III – Launch Gameplay Trailer can be viewed here: Link

For more info on Black Hops Brewing:

Web: http://www.blackhops.com.au

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackHopsBeer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/blackhopsbeer

Instagram: https://instagram.com/blackhopsbeer

ANZ GAME SERVERS FOR STARCRAFT® II NOW AVAILABLE AHEAD OF STARCRAFT II: LEGACY OF THE VOID™

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 2, 2015

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ANZ GAME SERVERS FOR STARCRAFT^® II NOW AVAILABLE AHEAD OF STARCRAFT II: LEGACY OF THE VOID^™

Sydney, Australia—November 2, 2015—Blizzard Entertainment is pleased to announce the immediate availability of StarCraft^® II game servers hosted in Australia, ahead of the November 10 launch of StarCraft II^®: Legacy of the Void^™. This new infrastructure should result in improved gameplay for players across Australia and New Zealand.

“In addition to an epic single-player campaign, social and competitive multiplayer has always been a core component of the StarCraft experience,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “Deploying local game servers for StarCraft II in ANZ reaffirms our ongoing commitment to the region and should deliver a new standard of gameplay for players there.”

Legacy of the Void is the thrilling new chapter of StarCraft II, adding an exciting new single-player story centred on the enigmatic protoss and their fight to reclaim their homeworld, and new multiplayer features that make playing with friends easier and more fun than ever. For more information about StarCraft II and Legacy of the Void, visit www.starcraft2.com.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft^® and the Warcraft^®, StarCraft^®, and Diablo^® franchises, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track record includes nineteen #1 games^* and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s online-gaming service, Battle.net, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

*Sales and/or downloads. Based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void and the availability of servers for StarCraft II in the Australia New Zealand region, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment’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 Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment 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 Blizzard Entertainment 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.

StarCraft II ANZ game server FAQ
Q: What benefits will local game servers have for StarCraft II players in ANZ?
A: By hosting StarCraft II game servers in Australia, ANZ players should benefit from improved gameplay responsiveness and a better gameplay experience.

Q: When will these new game servers be available?

A: Local StarCraft II game servers are available now!

Q: Will these new game servers affect who I can play with in ANZ and the Americas?

A: No. Because the new local StarCraft II game servers will communicate with the existing servers based in the Americas region, you will be able to seamlessly play, group up, and chat with friends in both ANZ and the Americas as you do currently.

Q: Will I need to pay any fees, or register to transfer?
A: No. Because the new ANZ StarCraft II game servers will continue to be linked with the Americas, all existing levels, achievements, and match history will be retained. Australian and New Zealand players currently accessing other regions, and who wish to benefit from the improved performance of locally-hosted game servers, are encouraged to switch to the Americas region in preparation for the launch of Legacy of the Void.

Q: Can I choose which game server I connect to?

A: Our most recent update, Heart of the Swarm Patch 3.0.3, allows the option to select a preferred game server in the StarCraft II Options Menu. However, we would like to clarify a few points about this feature before you try it out.

This setting will default to Best Match, but players may wish to change this if they notice connection issues when playing on a specific server.

Please note: As we continue to improve and expand our game sites, our intention is for Best Match to provide the best play experience for most players. If you are not experiencing issues, it is highly recommend that you leave this set to Best Match.

If players in a party have conflicting game site preferences, the game server that is most commonly selected among the party’s members will be used.
It is still possible for players to get matched into games on servers they did not select. This will be rare, but can still happen.
- If players in a party have different preferred game servers selected, it will try to match to the most preferred site.

If you are not in a party, you are almost guaranteed to receive the game server you select, but there is still a small possibility you will be connected to a different server.

Q: Will the new ANZ game servers only be available to players who purchase Legacy of the Void, or will they also work for Wings of Liberty and Heart of the Swarm players?

A: All StarCraft II players will be able to take advantage of the local game servers straight away at no additional cost, regardless of whether they purchase a copy of Legacy of the Void.

Q: Where are the servers physically located?

A: The ANZ StarCraft II game servers will be hosted within a data centre in Sydney, Australia, and service players across Australia and New Zealand.

Q: Will local game servers change the way I activate Legacy of the Void at launch, or any other Blizzard Entertainment games?
A: No. Local StarCraft II game servers will have no impact on the way players currently register physical copies of Blizzard Entertainment games, or the unlock timing or process for activating digital copies of StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void. While the new, local game servers should provide an improved gameplay experience, product activation and authentication will continue to be handled by Battle.net servers located in the Americas. Players in ANZ will be able to begin the fight to reclaim the protoss homeworld from 4 P.M. AEDT on launch day, November 10, 2015.

Q: Does this mean other Blizzard games will also be getting local servers?
A: Blizzard Entertainment is committed to providing our players around the world with the most epic experiences possible. We will continue to explore optimal solutions for all of our franchises in each region. The addition of local game servers supporting StarCraft II brings the title in line with our existing ANZ game server offerings for World of Warcraft, Diablo III, and Heroes of the Storm.