Page 3276 – Capsule Computers

-

October 12, 2015

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

-

October 12, 2015

0

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

-

October 11, 2015

0

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.

Razer Announces New Razer Blackwidow Ultimate for 2016

Jamie Laike Tsui

-

October 10, 2015

0

Razer Announces New Razer Blackwidow Ultimate for 2016

Razer announced that the Razer Blackwidow Ultimate keyboard will be gettinga refresh this year. Dubbed the 2016 Edition, the Razer Blackwidow Ultimate has been upgraded with new lighting effects brought in from the Chroma line of Razer products. The new keyboard’s Razer green LEDs now have lighting settings that can react to key presses with Reactive, have random keys can light up like twinkling stars, and more. The keyboard case has been improved, with the top cover being more smudge resistant and the overall size being shrunk down.

Razer is continuing to use their version of the Cherry MX style switches on the new Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2016. The switches have a lifespan of 60 million presses, 10 million longer than traditional Cherry MX switches. The clicky Razer Green switches will be available in all stores, while the silent Razer Orange are normally Razer Store exclusives.

The Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2016 keyboard has an MSRP of $109.99 USD and is available now.

Legendary Pokemon Hoopa Event Coming Soon

Nathan Farrugia

-

October 10, 2015

0

Ever since Pokemon X & Y were data mined way back in the day we knew of three event Pokemon, Diancie, Hoopa and Volcanion. While Diancie has since been released as an event and Volcanion has still yet to be mentioned in any official capacity, it seems players outside of Japan will now be able to get their hands on the mythical Pokemon Hoopa through means of a physical event.

Hoopa will be available across the UK in GAME stores between October 23rd and November 5th. Players will be able to receive a code which they can then put into the Mystery Gift option to claim their new event Hoopa from any Pokemon Center. While other methods for picking up Hoopa in other countries are still yet known, it is confirmed Hoopa will be available in North America and most likely in many other countries in the coming months.

Hoopa can be downloaded into the 3DS games Pokemon Omega Ruby and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire as well as Pokemon X and Pokemon Y, but it can only transform into it’s Unbound form in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. To transform Hoopa in those games, simply receive the Prison Bottle by having Hoopa in your party and enter any Poke Mart. Talk to the new clerk who is not normally there and he will give you the Prison Bottle. You can then use the Prison Bottle like any other Key Item, which will transform Hoopa into it’s Unbound Form for 72 hours.

In it’s normal, Confined Form, Hoopa is a Psychic/Ghost type with the Magician ability, which allows it to steal it’s opponents hold item if it doesn’t have a held item itself and the item can be stolen (unfortunately Mega Stones can’t be stolen which would make for a great strategy.) It retains this ability in it’s Unbound Form however turn’s into a Psychic/Dark type along with a significant attack boost and smaller boosts in special attack and speed.

UPDATE: Hoopa will be available in Austraila and New Zealand from January 18 through January 29 via a special code distribution at select retailers in Australia and New Zealand. These include EB Games, JB Hi-Fi and Big W. No purchase is necessary to claim a code.

Indie Gala Friday Special Bundle #22 Now Available

Jamie Laike Tsui

-

October 10, 2015

0

TGIF, and if you’re in Canada, hello Thanksgiving long weekend! Indie Gala’s Friday Special Bundle #22 is packed with 12 great indie games that will keep you gaming all weekend.

For a minimum purchase of $1.00, buyers will get:

Stranded In Time – A point and click adventure game starring Olivia and a mysterious old church in the middle of the woods.

Blaster Shooter GunGuy! – A 2D action platformer that will test your skills across 56 levels.

Hidden Mysteries: Civil War – Can you solve the mystery of a secret society from the Civil War and discover their caches of riches?

For a minimum purchase price of $2.89 for the first 24 hours of the sale, gamers will nab:

Collisions – An atmospheric puzzle game that will challenge not only your logic skills but also your dexterity.

HyperRogue – A rogue-like that mixes action RPG, M.C. Escher, and mathematics.

Ferrum’s Secrets: Where Is Grandpa? – Can you rescue your inventor grandfather and solve the mystery that has enveloped Ferrum City in a thick fog?

Gun Rocket – A 2D physics puzzler that challenges players to get through levels with the most efficient movement.

Super Hipster Lumberjack – A love letter to the difficult flash platformers the developer played.

Micron – A stylish mix of puzzle and rhythm games.

Survivalist – After a year of hiding in a survival bunker, Joe Wheeler emerges to experience the post-apocalyptic world.

Hyperspace Invaders II: Pixel Edition – A hardcore bullet hell shoot’em up that is a visual spectacular to be witnessed.

Witches, Heroes and Magic – A strategy game inspired by DoTA and Heroes of Might and Magic.

For the first 24 hours of the sale, the bundle is only $2.89 for all 12 games. Be sure to grab your copy at Indie Gala before the price goes up.

Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash Hops onto the 3DS with Amiibo in Tow

Dustin Spencer

-

October 10, 2015

0

I guess most of you may not remember Chibi-Robo or his awesome little Gamecube adventure that turned him into a star of sorts. Most might also forget about how the Wal-Mart exclusive sequel was also charming on the Nintendo DS, but didn’t do so hot either. Well, the gameplay was always excellent with this series, and the little robot is back for a new adventure in Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash on the 3DS.

Yes, this is a platformer which is a bit away from the normal oddness of Chibi-Robo, but it looks solid and to be the most ambitious release yet as the package even comes with an Amiibo.

There are a hardcore few who look up to this little robot. I love the games so I guess I will associate with that, but I cannot stress enough to support this franchise if you want it to thrive as this release may be the last opportunity to do so. Check out the lovely art and screens down below and download or pick up the game in stores today.

Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma Volume One Review

Dustin Spencer

-

October 10, 2015

0

Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma Volume One Review

Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma Volume One
Developer: Redacted Studios
Publisher: Versus Evil
Platforms: Playstation 4 (Reviewed), Xbox One, PC
Release Date: September 22, 2015
Price: $14.99 USD – Available Here

Overview
I remember picking up the first Afro Samurai in a bargain bin, playing it for a bit, and forgetting about it sometime later. I did not hate it, I just kind of got lost in other titles and never returned to it. I have done this with a lot of titles that I didn’t have to review or commit to as I enjoy sampling and then returning to gems that are out there. I guess the first title did have a following as does the brand, but the appeal didn’t catch me. Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma Volume One could have been one of those sequels like Mass Effect however, so good that it brought me back into the first game just to get another taste of the world. Well, that didn’t happen. I think I am done with this poofy-haired Samurai and his series, and the reason is a sequel that doesn’t work. Why do I say that? Well, join me on a ride through this sequel that misses its mark.

Story
Oh wait, there was a story section to start off with? Well, normally I spend a bit of time speaking about the story of any game before breaking down the gameplay. Its kind of a structure here. For Samurai 2 however, its both cringeworthy and nonsensical. You play as Kuma who (SPOILERS?!) died in the first title and is looking for revenge. Yes, you are not really an Afro Samurai, who mostly cameos in this title, but a weak, tired nemesis of the past that is almost impossible to get behind. Maybe if they spent more time focusing on narrative or simply further background I would have been into this story more, but I found it boring and stale from the start due to the lack of direction and focus. I did appreciate some of the references to modern pop culture mixed into this title, but why? Why even bother telling me about another form of entertainment when you seem lost in your own world?

Gameplay
The story maybe a bit off, but this is where Revenge of Kuma sinks. The gameplay is sort of a timed masher, where the player will be asked to connect combos to enemies. The end result sometimes sees amazing action and pretty cool sequences as a whole. Other times it feels dull and broken. I know, the combat of the first title was not exactly tight, but its hard to understand why things in this game exist. Like, why have a defense, or a counter system if you are better off mowing through a target. The general feel is clunky and unpolished, as if the entire game was made in a month or two and walked out the door before testing. Let me get one thing straight, there is a good product buried in here, but it never shows its face. Ever.

General movement and other gameplay sections are questionable at best. I bitch a lot in reviews about games holding your hand until the end. I guess since I am older I miss the days where we got to learn in an organic fashion. No, no. This title does not do that right here either as Afro Samurai 2 is all about throwing you almost no help with no explanation of what to do before a sequence. I knew I was in for a treat whenever the first section, and I do mean first required me to run from a laser up a mountain. In theory, this acrobatic-lead activity should have been fun and exciting. Instead I died trying to get to a platform that was spaced very far from the actual climb. The game feels extremely one-note and slapped together, as if the developers were trying to just play it from one perspective without asking themselves about how ACTUAL HUMANS may interact with the environment.

Lets also talk about the little quick time events. Have you ever stuck your finger in peanut butter? When you pull it out the gloppiness of the peanut butter makes it come out slow and messy. That is how these play out. Instead of having the character jump into action, the now very common events take the wind and excitement out of any story you might actually be thinking about and just make the game trudge again, feeling sticky, messy, and downright insulting to the person behind the controller. Kuma is terrible to play as it is, and the lack of any cohesive element makes me think that there was simply no thought put into the pacing of the experience. I’m not even going to get into the skill tree as while there is one, there is no point or change that I noticed from it even existing.

Visuals
I guess this title looks ok most of the time as I didn’t experience too many glitches with model animation. That being said, this is not a pretty game by any means and looks dated. The cutscenes are laughable as well. I guess it would be a nice, unique move to show what seems to be storyboard art to tell a story, but even that isn’t consistent and the game seems to never know when to play these bits at the right time. Its a visually boring title that seemed to make me frown more than pull me in.

Audio
Well, the soundtrack i didn’t hate. It didn’t fit and occasionally would play over the vocal dialogue way too loud, but eh, it was ok I suppose. The voice acting is “ok” as well, but you can tell this is a project where the voice actors probably recorded in their homes and sent in tapes as the performances did not connect as the emotion in these voices felt out of place and disconnected.

Overall
Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma Volume One is a bad game in a generation that is needing more hidden gems. I cannot believe this is just Part One as everything is so sloppy it feels as if Versus Evil were rushed by their developer to meet a deadline when they just started, so they picked up all the pieces and threw them in a box without taping anything together. This franchise and namesake deserves better than this. Some bad games are fun to play as they still are laced with the intended entertainment value that the loving developers applied. Afro Samurai 2 vomits on the player, making you feel dirty and gross until you cleanse your memory from ever turning the game on. Note to future developers: Finish your products before you sell them.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

GRAVITY FALLS: LEGEND OF THE GNOME GEMULETS TO LAUNCH ON OCTOBER 23

Press Releases

Philip Federico

-

October 10, 2015

0

GRAVITY FALLS: LEGEND OF THE GNOME GEMULETS TO LAUNCH ON OCTOBER 23

London, UK — October 9, 2015 — Today, Ubisoft^® and Disney Interactive announced that action-adventure platformer Gravity Falls: Legend of the Gnome Gemulets will launch on October 23^rd in the UK, 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 their favourite 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 https://www.ubisoft.com/en-GB/game/gravity-falls/.

For the latest news on Ubisoft collectible merchandise, please visit and like the page www.facebook.com/ubicollectibles.

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.

Magic The Gathering – GP Sydney 2015 Kicks off this Weekend

Vicky Martin

-

October 9, 2015

0

Today marked the beginning of the Grand Prix Sydney 2015, the greatest of Magic Gatherings for players across the Asia-Pacific, to compete for the championship title. Magic enthusiasts of the strategy game joined in the first day of side-event tournaments at Sydney Olympic Park Showground, competing in Last-Chance GP Trials and Warm-up Sealed Deck events to practice with the latest set, Battle for Zendikar, for the GP this weekend.

The side-events provided an opportunity for Magic the Gathering players to claim awesome prizes, including playmats, boosters, single-foil cards and more. Most importantly though, winners of the side-events today secured themselves an upgrade to VIP and 2 byes for the Grand Prix tournament.

While entries have closed for the two-day main event, magic players can still participate in all of the side-events on Saturday and Sunday – check out the schedule here. Don’t miss out on the magic this weekend!

Stay tuned with Capsule Computers for more coverage on Grand Prix Sydney 2015.