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New Teaser Trailer and Screenshots Out For Crysis 2 and Syndicate Writer Richard Morgan’s Dark Fantasy Gamebook Series

Press Releases

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October 12, 2015

New Teaser Trailer and Screenshots Out For Crysis 2 and Syndicate Writer Richard Morgan’s Dark Fantasy Gamebook Series

Richard Morgan’s ‘A Land Fit for Heroes’ Set to Launch on iOS and Android Late Oct and Steam for Windows in December

Gollancz, an imprint of the Orion Publishing Group with Liber Primus Games, the indie developer and creator of gamebook series Narborion Saga, today releases a new trailer and art assets of their new joint project – an addictive adventure gamebook based on the world-class novelist and Crysis 2 and Syndicate writer Richard Morgan’s book trilogy A Land Fit for Heroes. This morbid fantasy title is coming to the Google Play Store for Android devices, App Store for iPhone, iPad, iTouch and Amazon for Kindle Fire at the end of October. The title will also be launching on Steam for Windows PC in December.

Based on Richard Morgan’s trilogy of dark fantasy novels, The Steel Remains, The Cold Commands and The Dark Defiles – A Land Fit For Heroes is the new multiplayer interactive gamebook experience telling the story of three unlikely heroes with three interlocking storylines. In keeping with the gamebook adventure format, the reader decides upon their fates as they proceed through the narrative.

In the first of its kind, bestselling author Richard Morgan brings his dark and violent trilogy of novels to life as a three-player gamebook set in the world of Land Fit For Heroes with the first book in the trilogy delving into the traumatic and tortured lives of the book’s protagonists.

A Land Fit For Heroes will be one of the first gamebooks of its kind to allow players to choose the sexual orientation of their character, which mirrors the diversity of Richard Morgan’s book trilogy characters. The gamebooks also aims to retain the graphically violent nature of combat and adult themes from the novels.

Teaser Trailer: https://youtu.be/YS7ZQxS6tC8

A registration page is available at www.landfitforheroes.com

About Liber Primus Games

Established in 2014 Liber Primus Games is a small Indie developer based in Budapest, Hungary. The studio’s ultimate goal is to bring immersive story driven games to the digital marketplace. Their previous game-book titles include The Narborion Saga I, II & III.

www.narborion.com

About Gollancz

Gollancz is the oldest specialist SF & Fantasy publisher in the UK. Founded in 1927 and with a continuous SF publishing programme dating back to 1961, the imprint of the Orion Publishing Group is home to a galaxy of award-winning and bestselling authors. Through our long-running SF and Fantasy Masterworks programme, and major digital initiative the SF Gateway, Gollancz have one of the largest ranges of SF and Fantasy of any publisher in the world.

www.gollancz.co.uk

About Richard Morgan

Richard Morgan was, until his writing career took off, a tutor at Strathclyde University in the English Language Teaching division. He has travelled widely and lived in Spain and Istanbul. His is a writer of novels and comics, and has won the ARTHUR C. CLARKE, the PHILIP K. DICK and the JOHN W. CAMPBELL AWARDS. The movie rights to the first Takeshi Kovacs novel was optioned by Joel Silver and Warner Bros on publication, and a film version is currently in development with Mythology Entertainment. Richard Morgan is a fluent Spanish speaker. He is married and lives in Glasgow.

Spy Review

Vicky Martin

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October 12, 2015

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Spy
Developer: 20th Century Fox
Publisher: 20th Century Fox
Format: DVD, Digital HD, Blu-ray (Reviewed)
Price: $18.99 AUD (Blu-ray), $24.19 AUD (DVD)

Overview

The comedy and action hit that gives a new meaning to the word ‘Spy’, is now available to watch on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital HD. Director Paul Feig (The Heat and Bridesmaids), brings back fan-favourite Melissa McCarthy as the lead role in Spy, with an exceptional line-up of supporting actors; Jason Statham, Rose Byrne and Jude Law. The 2-hour movie promises nothing but outrageous entertainment, as Feig wanted to deliver something that is both ridiculous and amazing. So what makes this espionage film different from the likes of Bond or Mission Impossible? Did the director go overboard with the genre mash-up, or find a medium to appeal to action and comedy fans? Read on to decide for yourself.

Story

Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) is introduced as the desk-bound CIA Analyst, an insignificant resource located in the vermin-infested basement of the agency. For the past decade, Cooper has put aside her potential in the field to better support her partner, Bradley Fine (Jude Law). The noticeable difference between the two agents is their self-image and working attitude. Fine is the self-absorbed spy, whose superiority and charm cannot be matched, and does not care who he steps on to be the finest agent of them all. On the other hand, Cooper is the reserved genius behind the Agent Fine’s successful missions, who has allowed her feelings for him to affect her professional relationship and undermine her ability as a CIA agent.

In the opening sequence, Fine is on a mission to track down the whereabouts of a nuclear bomb, with the help of his trusting partner via earpiece. When confronted by Tihomir Boyanov, the agent discovers that he is the only person who knows the location of the nuke. Before he can appropriately react, Fine blows up his only opportunity to question the man, after sneezing and simultaneously shooting him. Due to the mishap, Agent Fine is forced to go deeper undercover to seek information about the device. Against the advice of Agent Cooper, Fine infiltrates the premises of Boyanov’s daughter, Rayna (Rose Byrne) in the hope she will lead him to the nuke. Instead, the arms dealer leads him into a deadly trap, eliminating Cooper’s partner and admitting that she knows the names of the other ones and can have them killed if she is not left alone.

Following the untimely death of her partner and favourite agent, Cooper finds solace from her colleague, Nancy B. Artingstall. The pair find comfort in sharing their negative life reinforcements from early childhood over drinks, and imagining how different their lives would be as field agents in the spy world. At this point in the film, the audience become more invested in the protagonist – who does not want to play it safe anymore and is adamant on hunting down Rayna. Agent Cooper uses the video recording of Fines last mission, to dig for clues she may have missed in her first viewing, and finds a number that leads the CIA to Sergio De Luca (Bobby Cannavale), who works as an intermediary with terrorist groups. Due to the nature of the assignment and importance of avoiding detection, no trained agent can go in the field. In honor of her partner, Cooper volunteers herself to be the one to track and report De Luca, as a means of finding Rayna and securing the nuclear weapon.

All out of options, the boss Elaine Crocker (Allison Janney), reluctantly agrees to the analyst-turned spy arrangement for Cooper, but in the process makes an enemy of her own, Rick Ford (Jason Statham). The egotistical agent refuses to accept that an untrained agent can do a better job than him, so he quits the CIA and goes rogue. Ford’s unnecessary involvement compromises Cooper’s undercover assignment, forcing her to take on more than one new identity (even if it’s improvised). What starts out as a simple mission transforms quickly into a chaotic fire blazing and motor racing killing field, where the stakes of survival and preventing nuclear disaster rely solely in the hands of the CIA Analyst.

Does Agent Cooper have what it takes to avenge the man, who never gave her a chance in the field?

Visuals & Audio

Cinematographer, Robert D. Yeoman does a fantastic job in establishing the mysterious and alluring atmosphere in Spy, with a visually stunning palette of locations (Rome, Paris and Budapest) featured in the film. The creative action sequences, particularly involving Jude Law and Melissa McCarthy were very well put together, and the stunts were equally believable, as they were enticing. The great costumes and make-overs are fantastic in Spy, especially Agent Cooper’s cover identity of Penny Morgan – a cat fanatic vacationing in Italy, and wearing a customised cat t-shirt. Composer, Theodore Shapiro brings an ominous vibe to his original score for Spy, which is very different to the upbeat and fast-paced soundtracks in the film. Surprisingly, Curtis ‘50 Cent‘ Jackson made an appearance in Spy, as did his song, ‘Twisted’ (feat. Mr. Probz).

Extras

With the Blu-ray version of Spy, viewers can take a look inside the making of the film and the directors’ insight into the creative collaboration process. Feig describes his experience on set and involvement with the cast members – vice versa, noting that Spy is more of a serious movie with situational comedy. In addition, viewers can sit back and enjoy multiple gag reels from the movie, behind each of the stunt fighting scenes and why Jason Statham was the best pick for rival spy, Rick Ford. Other extras that come with Blu-ray include: Speaking is an art form and Super villains of the animal world.

Overall

As a whole, Spy is an entertaining film that challenges the boundaries of mixing genres on screen, and does so with style. The comedy and action hit is the perfect combination of funny, empowering and ridiculously good. What takes the film to the next level is the awesome cast and their ability to work so well in their new roles, particularly Jason Statham and Melissa McCarthy. The hilarious Spy movie is worth watching, and the Blu-ray version has all the juicy content that fans will love.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Predator Review

Mateja Simovic

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October 12, 2015

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Predator
Studio: Lawrence Gordon Productions, Silver Pictures, Davis Entertainment
Publisher: 20th Century Fox
Format: Cinema
Release Date: Out Now

Overview

Predator is considered one of the cultural touchstones for any geek to experience. With awesome one-liners like “I ain’t got time to bleed” and “Get to da choppa!” (The latter delivered in your best Arnie impression), it presents itself as a plain old action flick but for one ace in the hole; the alien antagonist. The Predator alien is a being which has a strong onscreen presence which is no small feat, considering it’s invisible for most of the time. The monster has earned its place in a number of sequels, video games, and crossovers with other sci-fi franchises. I was excited to see In The House screening the original the film at George St cinemas.

I was even more excited to hear that along with hosts David ‘Quinny’ Quinn and Jason ‘Jabba’ Davis; the cinematographer for Predator, Don McAlpine was an honoured guest who came in to speak about film. After the screening, there was a Q&A with Mr McAlpine, a seasoned veteran of Hollywood, which I very much enjoyed. McAlpine was a man of few but blunt words and he openly admitted that he was surprised by the film’s cult following. Although he deliberately avoided saying anything incendiary or scandalous, the anecdotes he did share were all exciting and informative of the process behind the scenes. I only hope that In the House can again succeed in finding interesting guests like McAlpine to complement their regular roster of personalities.

Story

The story is an action movie classic. The protagonists are green berets deployed as a part of a covert operation into an unnamed Latin American country to rescue a high value target. Things go pear shaped as the team realise that the jungle they’re trudging through is inhabited by more than snakes and guerrillas. As they work out that they’re being stalked by an invisible and alien enemy, the stage is set for confrontation between action movie brawn and sci-fi alien technology.

The premise is simple and works to get all the players where they need to be for the action to happen when it needs to. The story is somewhat bogged down with unnecessary sub-plots concerning the protagonists being duped by their superiors into doing the mission but that largely gets wrapped up in the latter half of the film. In the discussion with Don McAlpine we learnt that there wasn’t much of a script for the cast and crew to work with, which certainly comes through in the disjointed acts of the main narrative and retroscripting (where the script gets ad libed by the actors) definitely explains some of the films cringeworthy/awesome dialogue and one-liners.

The acting from the entire cast is pretty much as camp as it gets with the protagonists being portrayed by the likes of Shane Black, Jesse Ventura, Bill Duke, Carl Weathers, and the ever popular Arnold Schwarzenegger. No character appears to exist beyond the first-dimension but, to be honest, I’m not sure that more in-depth characters would have added all that much to the film or that all of the cast would have the chops to pull out something more complex. What this film lacks in Oscar winning performances, it makes up for with testosterone by the tonne as the protagonist beefcakes blast their way through the jungle.

The big draw card here is very much the near-brainless action. The film features action scenes which have muscle-bound men shooting, stabbing, and destroying everything around them. It gets the blood-pumping and certainly entertains in a visceral rather than cerebral manner. The last act does have the tension pick up significantly as one of the protagonist beefcakes takes on the eponymous ‘Predator’ one-on-one.

The enigmatic ‘Predator’ alien is certainly the film’s big attraction and what elevates it from rudimentary action flick to something quite special. The idea of a technologically and physically superior lifeform hunting us for sport touches upon those primal fears we have of being followed by a force we cannot see. It’s an interesting sci-fi concept which the movie plays with to a certain degree and although we don’t actually get too much screentime with them, they’re still very well characterised by Kevin Peter Hall… although to be honest, I think the suit did a lot of the work.

Visuals

The film is very well shot and directed in its efforts to showcase the action sequences. You get a tangible sense of space as the characters move through the thick jungle. This helps the audience keep up with the action even as the camera changes perspective quickly between various angles and characters in a very short space of time. The film develops a very fast beat as the shots change quickly from action and reaction; cause and effect. The director also counterbalances these moments with a much slower pace to build up tension between these moments (and to give the audience some breathing space).

The creature design for the Predator alien is pretty dang awesome, and it’s easy to see how it’s become so iconic. At first the ‘Predator’ appears to be quite humanoid in his appearance but in the last act, we see it remove its mask and reveal its truly alien visage. The ‘Predator’ vision is especially interesting as one of the films standout visuals where we see the protagonists from the alien view of the being that hunts them. It appears to be an alien form of infrared (which was actually computer generated) and it gives an uncanny view of the world through its filter.

Audio

The film’s audio design is largely solid. The soundtrack is orchestral and matches the thematic tones of the various scenes, so there’s nothing out of pace. It’s solid but not quite memorable to any significant degree.

The audio work for the ‘Predator’ sequences matches its visual design in that it is quite iconic. The diegetic sound of the ‘Predator’ processing, recording, and playing-back conversations the human characters have which each is one of the creepier high points in this film for me. The actual sounds of the predator alien proper are pretty awesome too, as we hear its alien chittering, screams, and yells during a couple of instances in the film.

Overall

This is the quintessential, non-cerebral, 80s action popcorn film, as McAlpine himself pointed when discussing his opinion of the film during production. Its story simplistic and shallow but largely works in linking together the action. What makes Predator stand out from the rest of the flak that came out the year it did was that it had one of cinemas most iconic sci-fi monsters squaring up against the beefcakes. Everything about the alien antagonist, from his creature design to when we are actually shown their perspective, is imaginative and uncanny in an entertaining way. The eponymous Predator is what makes this film a must-see for any sci-fi and action geeks.

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.

New Star Wars App Takes you to a Galaxy Far, Far Away

Andrew Day

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October 12, 2015

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I wish that whenever I wrote a Star Wars article, I could transcribe the epic fan fare of the films as a bit of an intro. However since I am no where near musically gifted enough to do that, we will just have to jump right into it! Disney have released a brand new Star Wars app for iOS and Android devices.

The app, which is available now gives fans news, previews, inside looks, augmented realisty games and even a countdown timer to this year’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens release date. There isn’t much else for me to say on this one, but check out the trailer below for a look at the App in action and then head over to The App Store or Google Play and download away, and may the force be with you all!

Star Wars: Rebels – Recon Mission gets a Season 2 Update

Andrew Day

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October 12, 2015

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Star Wars: Rebels – Recon Mission gets a Season 2 Update

Star Wars: Rebels – Recon Mission is a cute little action/platforming game for mobile devices that was released last year. There isn’t much to it but as far as mobile games go it is a bit of a fun time waster, plus you get to play as the awesome Rebels crew.

Well, with Season 2 on the horizon, Disney have gone and updated the game to give players a few new features, including:

Play as Hera or Ahsoka – Players can now unlock Rebel characters, Hera and Ahsoka. Fans can now use Ahsoka’s “Lightsaber Throw” to lead the charge and take down the Empire.
Save the Citizens – Fans can embark on quests and challenges to help the citizens in their new Haven. Players will use Hope to help build and fortify new structures to keep the Haven safe.
New Free Ice Levels – Adventurers will battle the frigid elements in two new free ice levels to stealthily infiltrate an Imperial fortress.
Revamped Character Upgrades – A new and improved character upgrade system has players growing heroes into a force to be reckoned with.

The new content is available via a free update through the App Store or Google Play, so make sure you check it out.

New Info on Marvel Battlegrounds for Disney Infinity 3.0

Andrew Day

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October 12, 2015

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We were told that a new Marvel Play Set would be released for Disney Infinity 3.0, but other than the name Marvel Battlegrounds and the fact that it will be a four-player co-op adventure, Disney were pretty mum about the details. Well now we have some new plot details as well as some info on the new figures that you will be able to get.

The story of Marvel Battlegrounds focuses on Loki and Ultron teaming up in order to steal an Infinity Stone from Asgard. To succeed in their plan, the two create an army of robotic counterparts to the super heroes and have them frame the Avengers and co.

Included with the Play Set will be Hulkbuster Iron Man, Ultron and Captain America – The First Avenger; a new version of the Captain America character that has a new look (similar to that of his film counterpart), and new abilities to match.

More Marvel Battlegrounds figures will be announced in the coming months, and all of the 2.0 Marvel Super Heroes range of figures will work in the Play Set too. We have a little trailer below for you to check out that shows off the new Play Set in action.

New Official “Star Wars” App Puts the Star Wars Universe in Your Pocket

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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October 12, 2015

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New Official “Star Wars” App Puts the Star Wars Universe in Your Pocket

Lucasfilm and Disney Interactive today launched the official Star Wars app in Australia & New Zealand, a new FREE app that puts fans into the Star Wars universe right from their mobile devices. Available for iOS and Android, the app provides breaking news, social media updates, augmented reality and interactive features, special events, shareable content and more for the countdown to Star Wars: The Force Awakens and beyond.

By uniting the world of Star Wars in a native mobile experience, Lucasfilm and Disney Interactive are giving fans a gateway to access Star Wars anytime, anywhere. In addition to featuring exclusive content, the app also pulls in news and posts from Star Wars’ expansive network of digital channels, including StarWars.com as well as the official Star Wars channels on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Tumblr, and Google+. Users can also theme the app with light side, dark side, or droid interfaces, each containing different designs, sounds, and animations.

To view the official Star Wars app trailer, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK_dqLkwdm4&feature=youtu.be

Updated daily and in real-time, this is the app Star Wars fans are looking for. Features include:

News: Get instant notifications on big announcements from across the franchise, including trailer releases, movie updates and game news. The news feed is fully customizable, so users can filter which platforms their updates are coming from, and which aspects of the Star Wars franchise they’re hearing about.
Augmented Reality: Bring the Star Wars universe to life by unlocking 3D characters from Star Wars: The Force Awakens using an exclusive augmented reality camera feature.
Videos: Watch official Star Wars videos, including movie trailers, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and more.
Force Trainer: Wield a lightsaber and hone your skills by playing with the Force Trainer, an interactive activity where users can duel a training remote, as seen in Star Wars: A New Hope.
Star Wars “Selfie”: Take and share a Star Wars “selfie” in various iconic costumes and settings, including Jedi, Princess Leia, Han Solo’s carbon-freeze, and more.
GIFs: Share animated GIFs with friends and family of memorable scenes and characters from the Star Wars movies and TV shows, including Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars Rebels.
Soundboard: Play classic sound clips and sound effects from your favorite Star Wars characters, creatures, weapons, vehicles, and scenes.
Star Wars History: Discover behind-the-scenes fun facts with This Day In Star Wars
Weather: Get Star Wars-themed weather and five-day forecasts, featuring original art and parallax effects of in-universe planets and locales.

Created especially with fans in mind, the app is equipped with Star Wars ID which lets users join the growing Star Wars fan community by choosing an avatar, creating a handle, and building a connected profile. The app will continue to evolve along with the Star Wars franchise, and users can look forward to regular updates and new features. The app also helps fans discover the latest Star Wars digital apps, products and experiences.

Those wanting a more immersive experience can try a special augmented reality experience through the Star Wars app. Head to http://disneyinteractive.smugmug.com/Games-Apps/More-Games/Star-Wars-App/n-HCgfRK/i-2TMxkw9 to download the poster below to trigger a special interaction with a STORMTROOPER or BB-8. Users can record or take photos of their experience and share them with friends. The augmented reality feature will change over time, introducing new characters and objects as well as new triggers.

Download Star Wars for FREE from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

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 & © 2015 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

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Xbox brings the home of racing to the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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October 12, 2015

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Xbox brings the home of racing to the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000

The Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 race weekend is one of the most iconic events in the motorsport calendar globally, and this weekend Xbox teamed up with DJR Team Penske for the 2015 event to celebrate being the home of racing at Australia’s world renowned circuit, Mount Panorama.

Continuing its long-standing involvement in V8 Supercars in Australia, Xbox brought legends from both the gaming and racing world to the track, including Xbox Racing drivers Scott Pye and Marcos Ambrose, Master Chief and Agent Locke from the upcoming and highly-anticipated Halo 5: Guardians, and Top Gear’s The Stig, who performed a hot lap of the iconic track for the first time ever, much to fans delight.

In addition to Craig Lowndes’ and Steven Richards’ celebrations in the Xbox One victory lane and the many thrills from the Xbox One corner, the weekend also saw the culmination of the Forza Motorsport 6 ‘Drive to Win’ initiative, pitting racing fans from around the world against one another in an in-game time-trial to register the fastest lap around the Mount Panorama circuit.

Australia’s own Brendan Christie from Melbourne was eventually crowned the overall winner, claiming the title of King of the Mountain, scoring USD$5,000, a private hot lap with Top Gear’s The Stig, and having his Gamertag emblazoned on the car, circuit and the race suit worn by Marcos Ambrose throughout the weekend.

The Xbox #17 Ford FGX Falcon, driven by Pye and Ambrose, had mixed fortunes, getting off to a great start to begin the race in 7^th position on the starting grid, following a highly successful practice and qualifying. After an exciting, nail-biting race that saw the Xbox Racing car in the top 10 for much of the day, an unfortunate crash on lap 137 rendered the car unable to finish.

Jeremy Hinton, Head of Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft Australia, said: “We were so pleased to be able to share the biggest weekend in Australian motorsport with some of the most avid Xbox and Forza Motorsport fans from around the world. This year’s partnership with the DJR Team Penske race team has been such a resounding success and further cemented that Xbox truly is the home of racing in Australia.”

The DJR Team Penske crew were pleased with the strong showing from the moment the car took to the track on Thursday, with the team’s hard work transforming the Xbox Falcon into a genuine top contender in the field. The Xbox #17 Ford has its final outing at the Gold Coast 600 in two weeks’ time with a strong race expected.

Xbox and DJR Team Penske partnered for the Endurance series of the V8 Supercar calendar which includes the iconic Mount Panorama Bathurst track as well as Sandown 500 in Melbourne and upcoming Gold Coast 600 on October 23-25.

With new features including night driving and wet weather racing, the inclusion of ten cars from the 2015 V8 Super Car season and in-game commentary from Australian racing legend, Mark Skaife, Forza Motorsport 6 is available to buy now, exclusively for Xbox One.

About Xbox
Xbox is Microsoft’s premier gaming and entertainment brand created by gamers for gamers on Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Windows 10 devices. Xbox delivers the best games and greatest social gaming network with Xbox Live. More information about Xbox can be found online at http://www.xbox.com

About Forza Motorsport
Welcoming racing gamers of all types, Forza Motorsport games combine unprecedented visuals with the industry’s leading simulation engine, giving everyone the opportunity to truly feel what it’s like to own, race and customize the cars of their dream. Forza Motorsport is developed by Microsoft’s award-winning game developer Turn 10 Studios. “Forza Motorsport 5: Game of the Year Edition” and “Forza Horizon 2” are available now for Xbox One. More information about the Forza Motorsport franchise is available at http://www.forzamotorsport.net

GRAVITY FALLS: LEGEND OF THE GNOME GEMULETS TO LAUNCH ON OCTOBER 22

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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October 12, 2015

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GRAVITY FALLS: LEGEND OF THE GNOME GEMULETS TO LAUNCH ON OCTOBER 22

Sydney, Australia — October 12, 2015 — Today, Ubisoft^® and Disney Interactive announced that action-adventure platformer Gravity Falls: Legend of the Gnome Gemulets will launch on October 22^nd in Australia exclusively on Nintendo 3DS handheld systems.

Gravity Falls: Legend of the Gnome Gemulets is adapted from Disney XD’s hit animated series whose latest season premiered to record viewership for the network.* In collaboration with the show’s creator, Alex Hirsch, a brand-new and original adventure was created for the game which places players in a mysterious adventure to help Jeff the Gnome retrieve the ancient Gnome Gemulets and restore magic to the Gnome forest.

Players will play as both Mabel and Dipper Pines in dual-character gameplay, switching between characters at any time to use unique powers and abilities given through the power of Gnome magic. Dipper is bestowed with Gnome Battle Cuffs, which deliver powerful punches at close range, and keeps his trusty flashlight by his side to shed light on the many mysteries in Gravity Falls. Mabel wields the Fleece of Bedazzlement that lets her whip her sweater sleeves to attack monsters from afar, and her grappling hook is at the ready to help access areas otherwise out of reach. Dipper and Mabel will complement one another as they will unravel a mystery to learn more about the inhabitants of Gravity Falls and unlock secrets of the town’s past.

Gravity Falls: Legend of the Gnome Gemulets is powered by the UbiArt Framework game engine, allowing players to experience lush backgrounds and beautiful graphics. Players will explore favorite places from the show, such as the Mystery Shack and the Gnome Forest, like never before.

For more information on Gravity Falls: Legend of the Gnome Gemulets, please visit ubisoft.com/en-US/game/gravity-falls.

*According to Nielsen’s Live + 3

About Disney Interactive

Disney Interactive is the digital entertainment part of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS). As one of the world’s largest creators of high-quality digital experiences, Disney Interactive produces interactive entertainment for the whole family, including multi-platform video games, online short form video, mobile and social games and digital destinations across all current and emerging media platforms. Entertaining guests of all ages, Disney Interactive’s key products include the video game platform Disney Infinity, top virtual world for kids Club Penguin, popular mobile franchises like Frozen Free Fall and LINE: Disney Tsum Tsum, top online destinations for kids, parents and fans including Disney.com, Oh My Disney, and Babble.com and the Disney social network reaching more than 1.5 billion guests on Facebook.

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. Disney elements ©Disney. Nintendo trademarks and copyrights are properties of Nintendo.

The Grand Prix Sydney 2015 Tournament Overview

Vicky Martin

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October 11, 2015

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The Grand Prix Sydney 2015 Tournament Overview

Playing in the Grand Prix Sydney 2015 for the first time is an incredible experience, as there are no certainties on what can happen and battling it out to reach the top 8 is definitely worth the $80 entry fee.

On Saturday October 10th, an impressive 996 magic players (myself included) joined in Day One of the main event, all eager to crack open the best of Battle for Zendikar to play in the Sealed Format for 9 Swiss rounds.

The latest Magic the Gathering set comes with new GP rules:

The cards in the 6 booster packs you open are yours to keep (even rare foil Expeditions!)

New mulligan rule introduced with Battle for Zendikar pre-release takes into effect at the GP

In the Modified Swiss-style rounds, players have 50 minutes to determine a winner of the best of 3 games. While that may seem like a decent period, the majority of matches finished either in the first 15-20 minutes or ran over the time limit. Even with the additional 5 moves, there was no guarantee players could wrap up their games and avoid a draw.

To qualify for Day Two of the GP, magic players needed to get a total score of X – 2 -0, which equates to a minimum of 7 wins, 2 losses and 0 draws. After the first 3 rounds, I noticed a large drop in players still competing in the main event, most of whom thought it would be better to try their luck in the Bounce Back Sealed Deck side event.

While playing in the GP on Day One, every round presented a new challenge and required me to play my deck differently. Using the cards I received from the boosters, I constructed a Blue/Black Eldrazi Consumption deck with plenty of colourless ingest creatures and awakened land to buff up with Ruination Guide. My best card that won me 4 games in the GP was Drowner of Hope, perfect for sacking Scions to tap target creature/s.

Regardless of the final scores, all participants who made it to the end of the 9 Swiss rounds should feel proud of themselves. The skill of moving ahead in the competition depends on the players strategic ability to make the best use of the cards they receive. A big congratulations to the undefeated players of Day One – Gautier Lam, Daniel Rowe and John Seaton, and the 97 who continued onto Day Two.

The top 8 players this year are: John Seaton, Kelvin Chew, Sugaya Hironobu, Alex Ball, Zen Takahashi, Prads Pathirana, Paul Costentin and Chester Swords.