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Girls Make Games 2016 Dated for Early January

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The third Girls Make Games summer camp will be held in Sydney from January 11th to 22nd and in Melbourne from January 18th to 28th. It’s an ideal opportunity for girls learn the basics of game design, art, and programming from professional game developers. At the end of the camp, girls will show off their indie creations at the Demo Day.

There are two programs, one designed for girls 8-11 and one for girls 12-15. Camps run every day from 10 am to 4pm, with early drop off and late pick up options available for busy parents. Tuition cost is $1,300 AUD, though financial aid for up to 100% of the price is available on an as needed basis.

LearnDistrict is running the summer camps an are looking for volunteers from the industry to provide their expertise and people to donate to the financial aid fund. More information is available at the Girls Make Games website.

New NBA 2K16 Trailer Dazzles With Character

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NBA 2K16 is now available, and a launch trailer by 2K Games has released, showing players exactly what they should expect from the much loved franchise that is going to feature a full narrative this time around.

While the trailer doesn’t show much Frequency Vibrations, it does show the teams and general fun of the game of basketball as well as a few players hamming it up – with a good dose of slow-motion shots and general graphical displays that fans are sure to enjoy. Check out everything below and you can pick up your copy of 2K16 where games are sold.

Stella Glow’s Song Magic Focused on in Latest Trailer

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Although Stella Glow is a strategy RPG, one of the core mechanics of the game happens to be the extremely rare skill known as Song Magic. Possessed by only five people, all of whom are Witches, the songs they sing have powerful consequences, capable of turning the tide of the battle by buffing allies, damaging enemies, or even changing the nature of the battlefield.

Atlus USA has released a new trailer focusing on Song Magic and you can check it out below where it shows that in Stella Glow players will first need to fill a Song Stone gauge that can then allow one of your allied witches to begin singing one of their songs, with time spent in Free Time with the Witches unlocking additional songs by growing closer to them and diving into their Spirit World in a manner very similar to a separate franchise.

Sentai Filmworks Announces the ‘Black Bullet’ English Dub Cast

Sentai Filmworks has announced the complete cast list for their English dub of Black Bullet. The cast list is as follows (character/actor):

  • Rentaro Satomi – Chris Patton
  • Enju Aihara – Luci Christian
  • Kisara Tendo – Christina Kelly
  • Tina Sprout – Caitlynn French
  • Seitenshi – Carli Mosier
  • Sumire Muroto – Joann Bonasso
  • Kagetane Hiruko – Jay Hickman
  • Tamaki Katagiri – Adam Gibbs
  • Yuzuki Katagiri – Brittany Karbowski
  • Shoma Nagisawa – Mike Yager
  • Midori Fuse – Cynthia Martinez
  • Nagamasa Gado – George Manley
  • Shogen Ikuma – Andrew Love
  • Kohina Hiruko – Krystal LaPorte
  • Miori Shiba – Margaret McDonald
  • Kikunojo Tendo – John Swasey
  • Sogen Saitake – Ty Mahany
  • Kazumitsu Tendo – Houston Hayes
  • Hidehiko Gado – Clint Bickham
  • Matsuzaki – Christopher Ayres

Sentai Filmworks provided a synopsis of the series:

The Gastrea virus spreads like wildfire, causing each infected host to rapidly mutate, gaining new powers and abilities with every stage of development, even while they continue to attack, kill, and infect multiple new hosts. Unable to fight a pandemic enemy that turns defenders into adversaries, the shocked remnants of the human race are forced to retreat into cities surrounded by giant monoliths made of Varanium, one of the few materials that can stop the Gastrea.

Now mankind’s last hope lies in the Cursed Children: young girls infected with the virus who have managed to retain a hold on their humanity. Paired with a partner, they alone have the strength to take on a Gastrea in one-on-one combat. But the very thing that gives them power is a ticking time bomb, so even as they protect humanity, they are also feared and shunned. Are they girls? Monsters? Or mankind’s ultimate salvation?

The DVD and Blu-ray editions of the series can be pre-ordered here. Both editions will be released on October 27, 2015. They have a suggested retail price of $59.98 USD and $69.98 USD respectively. On-disc extras will include the textless opening animation and the textless ending animation. The first two discs of both editions will contain four episodes while the third disc will have five episodes on it.

Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance Delayed One Week in Europe

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If you were hoping to play Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance in European regions on October 9th then you will be disappointed to hear that “due to unforeseen circumstances” NIS America will now be releasing the title one week later on October 16th. The delay also affects the Bunny Seraphina and Weapon Starter Set DLC, which will be free only in Europe, to the same date of October 16th but thankfully they still will remain free for one month after release.

For now, those who can’t wait to try the game can still access Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance‘s demo on the PlayStation Store where their save data will be carried over to the full game.

Mighty No. 9’s New Release Date Announced as February 9

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After missing its initial release date of September 18th, Comcept announced that Mighty No. 9 would be released in Q1 2016 and now Deep Silver has announced that the game will be released on February 9, 2016 in North America and on February 12th for everyone else.

Mighty No. 9‘s release will feature a retail and digital version for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Wii U versions of the game while the title will be available digitally on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, Linux, and Mac. The previously announced PS Vita and 3DS releases will be coming at a yet to be determined date as digital exclusives.

The Familiar of Zero: F Complete Collection Review

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The Familiar of Zero: F Complete Collection
Studio: J.C. Staff
Publisher: Sentai Filmworks
Format: DVD, Blu-ray (Reviewed)
Release Date: July 14, 2015
Price: $59.98 – Available Here

Overview
After rescuing the license, Sentai Filmworks has done a great job bringing The Familiar of Zero to anime fans in the West and now here we are. Going into the final season brings with it a sense of completion but also sadness due to the fact that this is indeed the end of the story due to the passing of the series’ creator, Noboru Yamaguchi. With a set end in sight, does The Familiar of Zero: F manage to find itself a satisfying conclusion?

Story
After surviving many hardships and putting a temporary end to the threat in Gallia and rescuing Tabitha at the end of Rondo of Princesses, Saito and Louise seem to have found a temporary respite from all of the dangers that seem to always surround them. Or at least they would hope so but unfortunately this time of peace is interrupted as Louise, Saito, and Tiffania are invited to the nation of Romalia by order of Queen Henrietta.

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Upon arriving, they learn that not only is the leader of Romalia a Void mage just like Louise, but that Tiffania and their past enemy, the king of Gallia and Tabitha’s uncle Joseph is also gifted with the special power. He states that the reason for their summoning is that all Void mages must assemble in order to save the world. However with the antagonistic Joseph seeing this as an opportunity, it isn’t long before Louise finds herself targeted, though this issue ends up wrapping up rather early in the series.

That is far from Louise’s only reason to be concerned however as Saito’s actions over the last season as well as an early situation with Tiffania that may mark Saito as her familiar as well means that most of the core female cast has started to grow romantically attached to him. With Siesta assigned as Saito’s personal maid after becoming a chevalier, Tabitha seeking to protect him and showing happiness in small gestures, Tiffania who sees him as a love interest after he becomes her familiar as well, and even Henrietta beginning to make advances, the harem antics reach an all-time high near the middle of the final season.

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I must say, despite the amount of humor that is still spread throughout the season and the plentiful fan-service, the various harem antics do show just how much the cast has managed to grow as individuals over the course of four seasons. Previously Tabitha was merely a background character but over viewers have seen her status jump immensely to the point of rivaling Henrietta, while Henrietta herself, who may have only seen Saito as a passing fancy and always followed her advisers, commits fully to making her own choices and tries to begin a relationship with him.

It also speaks volumes to the strength of the bond between Saito and Louise, since no matter how many times their relationship appears to be tested in The Familiar of Zero: F, they always manage to make up despite Louise almost always being the one to overreact, although Saito does have some dalliances thanks to a mini-arc involving Tiffania and a race of desert elves. This bond creates a number of shining moments throughout this final season, with the battle between Saito’s group and Joseph serving as a proper closing to those who would target the Void users and Saito’s determination to protect Louise.

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However nowhere is the romantic element driven home the most than near the end of The Familiar of Zero: F. The line of having to save the world wasn’t fluff, as an ancient dragon awakens with the potential to destroy everything in the world. In many ways, this development does feel a bit forced. It does a proper job of forcing any potential arguments amongst nations to an end as they all begin to work together to try and put a stop to this creature but the nature of the has never been mentioned prior to its awakening.

As such, the rise of such a dangerous creature is not only incredibly awkward feeling, but also rather obviously placed in a way to force the series to a conclusion in as much of a rush as possible, as necessary as it had to be due to the author’s passing. That being said, due to the ancient dragon’s incredible power, only Void mages have any chance of slowing down the creature and potentially destroy it. The problem is… doing so would also place Saito in incredible danger and many lives do end up being lost in the battle against the creature.

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This creates a final few episodes that bring out the best in Saito and Louise’s relationship, though the way it is handled does feel a bit wonky from Saito’s side of things. While there always have been ups and downs, the sacrifices that each attempts to make for the other shows just how much they care for one another at the end, even if it means never seeing each other again. Thankfully, The Familiar of Zero: F manages to deliver something that is incredibly rare in anime nowadays, especially in series that have run on for four seasons such as this, it wraps up with a strong satisfying ending for the couple.

Visuals
While Rondo of Princesses managed to look better than its counterparts with an extra year of evolving animation techniques, The Familiar of Zero: F came out a solid four years after the third season. As such it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise when I say that this season has held up incredibly well in its transition to Blu-ray. The colorful world is as vibrant as ever while the characters appear far more detailed than before.

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The world itself also has been given a breath of fresh air as numerous new environments are visited with fresh, impressively detailed looking, background art ranging from an interesting looking desert oasis to flaming towns and lava fields. Animation remains fairly impressive as well, though there are some dips in quality and shortcuts used to make some of the less important battles look incredibly bad. As far as the fan-service element is concerned, the series is still filled with an abundance of it though once again it never really pushes past the classic feeling the series gives off.

Audio
The voice track for The Familiar of Zero: F retains the original Japanese voice cast, as one would expect given the series’ consistency for four seasons. The voice actors and actresses have all managed to fit their characters roles perfectly despite the down time between seasons though a few of the newer side characters do sound rather basic.

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As for this season’s soundtrack, it is sadly forgettable with almost every piece of background music feeling substandard or barely adding to the actual footage, even during combat sequences. Thankfully the opening theme “I’ll Be There for You” by Ichiko is perhaps one of the best the series has had so far while the final ending theme “Kiss Shite Agenai” by Rie Kugimiya is incredibly cute sounding and paired with fitting animation.

Extras
This release of The Familiar of Zero: F on Blu-ray is rather bare-bones as far as bonus content is concerned as the release only comes with a clean version of the opening and ending theme as well as trailers for other Sentai Filmworks releases.

Overall
Due to the nature that The Familiar of Zero: F’s ending had to come about, it could easily have fallen apart in many ways or failed to deliver on an ending that would satisfy fans. Though the road towards the finale does come with more than a few rushed storylines and convenient apocalyptic monsters fans will find that the series knows how to end itself in a big way and that the conclusion of the series is as satisfying as one can find for the loving couple.

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Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Legendary Characters and Monsters Showcased in New WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY Screenshots

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Legendary Characters and Monsters Showcased in New WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY Screenshots

LONDON (25th September, 2015) –   Square Enix Ltd., today released new WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY™ screenshots featuring the heroes Reynn and Lann, as a mysterious woman named Enna Kros guides them into the world of Grymoire. Along the way, the siblings encounter notable characters, locations and monsters that will be familiar to FINAL FANTASY® fans, including the legendary Lightning from FINAL FANTASY XIII and the town of Cornelia from the original FINAL FANTASY.

The new images showcase Mirages, powerful creatures that can turn the tide of any battle to aid Reynn and Lann. Players can take advantage of the game’s unique stacking mechanic to increase attack power and HP, and unlock special abilities. Among the iconic Mirages are Shiva, Ramuh, Ifrit and Cerberus, ready to wipe out all enemies that oppose the duo. WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY also introduces train travel with the Cactuar Conductor for Reynn and Lann to journey across Grymoire.

Related Links:
Official Homepage: www.worldoffinalfantasy.com
Official Facebook® Page: www.facebook.com/FinalFantasy
Official Twitter®: www.twitter.com/FinalFantasy

About WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY:
WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY, a brand-new title in the FINAL FANTASY franchise, combines classic RPG gameplay mechanics with fresh and imaginative toy-like visuals to welcome both fans and newcomers to the series. Players will lead a pair of twins through varied FINAL FANTASY worlds and capture and raise such adorably familiar beasts as cactuar, chocobo® and behemoth to discover alternate forms and learn new abilities.

WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY will be available in 2016 for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment systems.

About Square Enix Ltd.
Square Enix Ltd., a part of the Square Enix Europe business unit, develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content in Europe and other PAL territories as part of the Square Enix Group. Square Enix Ltd. also has a global network of leading development studios such as IO Interactive™, Crystal Dynamics® and Eidos Montréal. The Square Enix Group boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY, which has sold over 110 million units worldwide, DRAGON QUEST® which has sold over 66 million units worldwide and TOMB RAIDER® which has sold over 42 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix Ltd. is a London-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.

More information on Square Enix Ltd. can be found at http://www.square-enix.com/eu/en/ .

WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY © SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.  All rights reserved. CHARACTER DESIGN: TETSUYA NOMURA / YASUHISA IZUMISAWA
WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY, the WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY logo, FINAL FANTASY, CHOCOBO, SQUARE ENIX, the SQUARE ENIX logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Square Enix group of companies. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark. “PS4” and “PS Vita” are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Deep Silver and Comcept Confirm Mighty No. 9 Release Date

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Deep Silver and Comcept Confirm Mighty No. 9 Release Date

Mighty No. 9 Will be Available Physically and Digitally on February 9, 2016

Larkspur, Calif., September 25, 2015 – Deep Silver and Comcept today announced that the highly anticipated, challenging side-scrolling action game created by Keiji Inafune, Mighty No. 9, has a confirmed street date. It will launch across the Americas on February 9, 2016 and in the rest of the world on February 12, 2016.

The game will be available as a digital download as well as a physical retail version for Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system by Microsoft, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Wii U(TM) from Nintendo as well as digital only on Xbox 360 games and entertainment system by Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, PC, Linux and Mac. Portable versions for PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system and Nintendo 3DS(TM) system will be released digitally at a later date.

Get ready to prove your might!

About Mighty No. 9
Created by Keiji Inafune and an all-star team of veteran devs, Mighty No. 9 is a challenging side-scrolling action game that transforms the feel of 8 and 16-bit classics, as players remember them, into a fresh modern-day classic.

In the year 20XX, breakthroughs in robotic technology have ushered in a new era of peace & prosperity. Violence is confined to the Battle Coliseum, where robot combatants face off in spectacular duels. Dr. White created 9 robot siblings known as the “Mighty Numbers”, who were the most popular and powerful team of robots in the Battle Coliseum and always in the top ranks. But, during one competition there was a cyber-attack, infecting them with a computer virus causing them to become crazed and rampant. You play as Beck, the 9th in a line of powerful robots, and the only one not infected by the mysterious computer virus that caused mechanized creatures the world over to go berserk.

Run, jump, blast and transform your way through 9 initial stages (plus 3 later stages) which you can tackle in any order you choose, using weapons and abilities stolen from your enemies, in order to take down your fellow Mighty Number robots and to confront the final evil that threatens the planet!

About Comcept
Comcept handles design and development of consumer titles with major game publishers such as Sony Computer Entertainment and Koei Tecmo Games. We create large-scale titles such as Soul Sacrifice, Soul Sacrifice Delta, and YAIBA: Ninja Gaiden Z. In September of 2013 we successfully Kickstarted $4 million for project Mighty No. 9, becoming the first consumer game title to be launched by our company.

In addition, we have been ambitiously pursuing in-house design and development of mobile titles. Our title Boiling OSSAN Eggs! released in April 2012 has been met with steady success–exceeding two million downloads primarily in Japan and Asia–and we continue cultivating that position alongside our core business of consumer game development. Outside of games, we handle such content development as publications and comics, and have a deep relationship with the promotion of e-Sports in Japan.

comcept’s business outlook is the mass production of original content concentrating the creative power of the internationally-respected Keiji Inafune and the group of veteran creators supporting him. This content is developed for a range of entertainment fields– of which video games is but one–and we have taken on a multitude of foreign staff under the basic concept of transmitting such content globally.

With a mere three years since its founding, comcept succeeds in providing various works to a global audience. There are few cases of well-known creators splitting off from large game companies and achieving such results on their own. Rest assured that the future holds many Inafune titles for consumers around the world.

For more information, please visit
http://comcept.co.jp

About Inti Creates
Inti Creates is based in Chiba Prefecture, Japan and was founded in 1996 by a group of game industry veterans with a knack for creating superb 2D action games. In 2008, Inti Creates opened a development studio in Nagoya, Japan, thus boosting their ability to develop games and increasing their base of creators to 90 employees (as of April 2015). Over the years, Inti Creates has worked very hard to become one of Japan’s biggest and most suc-cessful independent developers, having developed dozens of games for major video game publishing companies such as Capcom, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Sega, and Sony Computer Entertainment. In August of 2014 Inti Creates reached a new milestone with the release of their first completely self-developed/self-published games Azure Striker Gunvolt and Mighty Gunvolt in Japan and North America, with a European release that followed in April of 2015. For more information, please visit http://www.inticreates.com.

About Deep Silver
Deep Silver develops and publishes interactive games for all platforms, seeking to deliver top-quality products that provide immersive game experiences driven by the desires of the gaming community. The company has published more than 200 games worldwide since 2003, including the best-selling zombie action Dead Island(TM) franchise, the critically-acclaimed Metro(TM): Last Light and the smash hit action adventure Saints Row IV(TM). Deep Silver is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Koch Media, GmbH, and also owns the development studios Deep Silver Fishlabs in Hamburg, Germany, Deep Silver Volition based in Champaign, IL, USA, and Deep Silver Dambuster Studios in Nottingham, UK. For more information please visit www.deepsilver.com.

All product titles, publisher names, trademarks, artwork and associated imagery are trademarks, registered trademarks and/or copyright material of the respective owners. All rights reserved.

© Deep Silver, a division of Koch Media GmbH, Austria

Activision Releases Behind-the-Scenes Video for ‘TRANSFORMERS: Devastation’

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Activision Publishing, Inc. has released a new behind-the-scenes video for its highly anticipated, intense action-brawler, TRANSFORMERS: Devastation, featuring exclusive insights from developer PlatinumGames.

In this latest video, PlatinumGames producer Atsushi Kurooka, director Kenji Saito and Activision producer Robert Conkey explore how TRANSFORMERS: Devastation combines the exhilarating world of the TRANSFORMERS Generations story universe with the one-of-a-kind style of PlatinumGames. Capturing the Nlook and feel of the iconic robots in disguise meant recreating little details, like their signature metallic sheen. But it also required nailing the lifelike speed and explosive force of their every move, which fit perfectly with PlatinumGames’ flair for big gameplay and visuals.

TRANSFORMERS: Devastation features five unique playable heroes – OPTIMUS PRIME, BUMBLEBEE, SIDESWIPE, WHEELJACK and GRIMLOCK – each of whom can dish out huge, free-flowing combos in gorgeous, cel-shaded 3D. The complete adventure includes a gripping story campaign pitting the AUTOBOTS against the DECEPTICONS to decide the fate of Earth, as well as five fine-tuned difficulty levels and a hardcore challenge mode with 50 bonus missions.

TRANSFORMERS: Devastation is expected to launch on Oct. 6 on the PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Windows PC via Steam. It is rated T (Teen) by the ESRB. For more information, please visit www.TransformersGame.com and www.facebook.com/TransformersGame.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

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

About PlatinumGames Inc.

PlatinumGames Inc. is an independent entertainment developer based in Osaka, Japan, dedicated to making high-quality, next-generation games for a variety of hardware platforms. Under the slogan “Taking on the World as the Representative of Japan,” PlatinumGames works hard to deliver fresh surprises and new experiences to gamers all over the world. Official website: www.platinumgames.com.

About Hasbro

Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a global company committed to Creating the World’s Best Play Experiences, by leveraging its beloved brands, including LITTLEST PET SHOP, MAGIC: THE GATHERING, MONOPOLY, MY LITTLE PONY, NERF, PLAY-DOH and TRANSFORMERS, and premier partner brands. From toys and games, television programming, motion pictures, digital gaming and lifestyle licensing, Hasbro fulfills the fundamental need for play and connection with children and families around the world. The Company’s Hasbro Studios and its film label, ALLSPARK PICTURES, create entertainment brand-driven storytelling across mediums, including television, film, digital and more. Through the company’s commitment to corporate social responsibility, including philanthropy, Hasbro is helping to build a safe and sustainable world and to positively impact the lives of millions of children and families. Learn more at www.hasbro.com, and follow us on Twitter (@Hasbro & @HasbroNews) and Instagram (@Hasbro).

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

TRANSFORMERS and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission. © 2015 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. ©2015 Activision Publishing, Inc.  All rights reserved. “PlayStation” and “PS3” are registered trademarks. “PS4” is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.