GL Events launches international entertainment event: Gaming Istanbul
Ambitious plans to bring the best in entertainment, gaming and bespoke trade conferences to 100,000 visitors at the Istanbul Congress Centre, 4th – 7th February 2016
Istanbul, Turkey – 22 September, 2015 – GL Events, a leading global events company, has today announced the launch of a new European entertainment event, Gaming Istanbul, due to take place for the first time at the Istanbul Congress Centre, 4th-7thFebruary 2016.
The show is expected to cater to 100,000 consumer and trade visitors with areas for exhibition, eSports, indie showcases, and multiple stages through the venue, hosting gaming and entertainment shows and music from international artists. The 10,000 m2 venue will also house conferences, careers and B2B zones to facilitate investment and partnership opportunities.
The Consumer exhibition space has been designed to cater to the latest games, offering an array of options for international publishers, and with the publishers already signed-up to the event, it promises to put Turkey on the map for international gaming events.
Trade visitors can look forward to VR specific content, a wide range of panels and presentations on art, design, concept and programming, all linked directly to one of Europe’s largest in-event careers zones, specifically designed to put talent in touch with job creators. Online matchmaking apps will make introductions easier than ever before.
Commenting on the announcement, Cevher Eryürek, Project Director, Gaming Istanbul, said:
“Istanbul has been known as the gateway to Eurasia for centuries, and Gaming Istanbul was designed with this ethos in mind. For publishers, it will provide a platform for their products, showcasing them to a huge audience. For developers, tools providers, distributors and the wider industry, Gaming Istanbul is a springboard into Europe for Asian companies, and a bridge to the east for Europe and the Americas.” She continued, “Turkey has a huge gaming audience, equalled only by those with a passion for entertainment, and we’ve designed this event to cater to both; a showcase for the best in entertainment, and a new and innovative conference for the industry.”
Gaming Istanbul takes place between 4-7 February 2016 at the Istanbul Congress Centre.
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About Gaming Istanbul
Gaming Istanbul is designed to be “the gaming bridge of EuroAsia” inside a 10.000 m² space at Istanbul Congress Centre with an estimated 100,000+ international visitors for 2016. Gaming Istanbul provides worldwide advertising & PR campaign support, as well as providing showcase & OTC sale opportunities for game studios, game producers, hardware manufacturers, game & game related products retailers and hardware retailers.
GL Events has over 90 offices around the world, and specialises in providing events from exhibitions to fairs. GL Events has 40 event & exhibition centres in 24 countries with 300 registered fairs and 4000 events worldwide. With over 11 million visitors, GL Events fills an exhibition area of over 1 million m², and managing these large numbers is a dedicated international team of up to 4,107 professionals. GL Events made an annual income of 939.4 M €.
The Royal Gadget Pack – The Debut DLC for Chariot Is Out, Exclusively on Xbox One
Frima Studios Celebrate its Couch Co-op Platformer One-Year Anniversary with Debut DLC Pack
Quebec, Canada – September 22th, 2015 – With the upcoming first anniversary of the release of its couch co-op platformer, Chariot, on Xbox One, independent developer FRIMA Studios celebrated with the release of Chariot’s debut DLC – the Royal Gadget Pack. Now available on Xbox One, the Royal Gadget Pack includes a new playable character: the funny and charming Shopkeeper, 5 new gadgets, including Shield Bubble and Warp Beacon, and 10 challenging new achievements.
“The Royal Gadget Pack brings a whole new level of Chariot shenanigans to both solo and co-op players,” said Martin Brouard, Executive Producer at Frima Studios. “Some of these gadgets will delight the speedrunning community, while others will make some of the harder levels somewhat easier for less experienced players. We’ve also added the option to play as the Skeleton Merchant, which is something that many fans have been asking for since our 2014 launch.”
The Royal Gadget Pack stars the Shopkeeper, now a playable character that can join both solo and co-op games. For the first time, Chariot introduces awesome new technology delivered straight from the royal engineers’ workshop in the form of five new gadgets. Walk on ice, light up the darkness, swim in lava, freeze the world, teleport the Chariot through time and space, and much more! Also included are new achievements and blueprints hidden throughout existing levels. Help His Downloadable Majesty to rest in peace already!
The Royal Gadget Pack – DLC Features:
New playable character: the Shopkeeper
5 new gadgets (all unlocked at level 1, with 2 upgrade blueprints per gadget hidden in existing levels)
Shield Bubble – Protects you from everything – including looters! Hold jump to bounce.
Omni Boots – Allows you to walk normally on any surface – ice, quicksand, even lava!
Stasis Field – Freezes EVERYTHING in place (except people).
Warp Beacon – Use to set beacon; use again to warp the Chariot (and any riders).
Royal Arms – Gives each character their own special attack.
10 new achievements both fun and challenging!
The DLC the Royal Gadget Pack is available now on Xbox One for only $2.49 / £1.99 / €2.49 / $3.35 AU. The ChariotandRoyal Gadget Pack DLC bundle will also be available for $15.99 / £12.79 / €15.99 / $21.35 AU.
Operating under the banner Frima Originals since 2014, this division of Frima is dedicated to develop and self-publish innovative indie titles on multiple platforms. This creatively empowered unit’s creations include Chariot, Nun Attack and Zombie Tycoon.
Founded in 2003, Frima’s services include video game and smart toys development, as well as the concept art, visual development and visual effects of VOLTA. With 350 in-house artists and programmers, Frima produces high-caliber products with both artistic and technical appeal.
Friendship Proves to be the Winning Strategy in Dominating StarCraft II’s Archon Mode, Teammates “Huk” and “MC” Take the Title of 2015 Red Bull Battle Grounds Champions
Legendary StarCraft II Champ “MC” Returns from Retirement to Win Championship with Close Friend and Pro Player “HuK”
Santa Monica, CA – September 21, 2015 – Red Bull Battle Grounds kicked off the 2015 StarCraft II eSports tournament series with ‘Archon Mode’, the first to require two players to control one army. Battles waged on and Chris “HuK” Loranger and Jang “MC” Min Chul Park emerged as an unstoppable force, taking down team after team with ease. Long-time friends HuK and MC stood on the stage raising their well-deserved trophies and together earning the title of ‘Red Bull Battle Grounds StarCraft II Champions’ and the $15,000 purse.
The skillful roster of contenders and the new format formed unlikely pairings, and every team had an equal chance at the title – each with their own story and motivation to win. 2014’s champion Choi “Bomber” Ji Sung, faced his final battle before his government sanctioned his enlistment in the Korean Army. His selection of Mun “MMA” Seong Won, who eliminated him from the BlizzCon 2014 finals, made the pair a powerhouse team.
Kim “viOLet” Dong Hwan and Maru “MaSa” Kim returned after winning the Red Bull Battle Grounds Toronto qualifier, seeking the title won by Bomber in 2014’s Battle Grounds after he defeated them both. Park “DongRaeGu (DRG)” Soo Ho and Yoo “True” Ki Sung also looked for redemption, both having lost to “Bomber”. The teammates came on confident after an epic performance at the playoffs.
MC, one of the most successful StarCraft II players of all time, came out of retirement upon the request of HuK who desired to take a title with his long-standing friend.
Fans were welcomed through massive doors with StarCraft II-inspired comic book portraits depicting both teammates as one unit. As the countdown clock ticked closer to the commencement of the Grand Finals, fans followed the players’ journeys in a comic book created in collaboration with Dark Horse Comics, The Fateful Eight Part: II. Bomber’s chosen teammate, MMA, was revealed live during the Pro/Am in digital format.
In the All-Star exhibition winners of the Pro/Am took to the stage to select their teammate. Hosts took on the familiar role of competitors as Tien Comlekoglu selected Nathan “Nathanias” Fabrikant, with Tong “AZAZ” Shen selecting Kevin “RotterdaM” van der Kooi. The “best of one” match ended with Nathanias and Tien taking a loss within 7 minutes, with John “TotalBiscuit” Bain and Yoan “ToD” Merlo taking jabs at Nathanias throughout.
Other light moments were presented in interviews with the players scoring each other on maintaining their calm under pressure as well as their fashion sense. The interviews also continued to draw laughs with responses like, “Because we all know I fill the things he lacks in life,” from MMA, when asked why Bomber chose him as a partner.
With Bomber and MMA playing as Archon teammates for the first time, their performance at the finals was unclear, but their fusion of creativity, high risk and speed persevered and the two took the first win from HuK and MC. Their performance was short-lived as HuK and MC won match one in a punishing three wins in five rounds.
ViOLet and MaSa struggled going into Match 2 against DRG and True, who dominated at the Playoffs. Ultimately, ViOLet and MaSa moved on the winner’s final in five games.
Immediately after crushing DRG and True, viOLet and MaSa faced off against HuK and MC in Match 3. HuK and MC quickly took the first and second win. Even with the brave attempt from viOLet and MaSa in an epic final match, it wasn’t enough with HuK and MC taking all three wins.
As Bomber and MMA entered the losers’ final and the crowds cheered on, fans finally saw the team living up to their notorious reputation as the two eliminated DRG and True and then quickly eliminated ViOLet and MaSa in a sweep.
In what would be the deciding final match, HuK and MC once again faced off against Bomber and MMA. Still going strong from the loser’s round, Bomber and MMA took the first win with a flawless performance. Then the tide turned with HuK and MC taking the second win. Indecision caused Bomber and MMA to quickly tap out giving up the third round. Bomber and MMA started out strong again but could not find a strategy to slow the damage to their economy. HuK and MC were named the 2015 Red Bull Battle Grounds StarCraft II Champions!
The steady beat of their mantra “We’re the only players that are friends, all the other teammates hate each other” through each round kept HuK and MC’s communication aligned and strategies in sync. HuK and MC celebrated their first victory together. But will it be their last? Or was the thrill of competition enough to woo MC back to the circuit?
Relive the Red Bull Battle Grounds StarCraft II – Archon Mode Grand Finals on:
Did you know there are 78 cards in a tarot deck? Unfortunately no tarot deck can predict the horrors you’ll encounter in this week’s Indie GalaEvery Monday Bundle #78. The Eerie Monday Bundle comes with eight terrifying indie games that will keep you up all night.
SECTOR – Dimitri is trapped in a shadowy biology lab. The experiments are now running freely in the halls, slaughtering all unfortunate enough to get in their way. Can you survive this old school styled shooter?
Clandestinity of Elsie – Hayden Warrick is drinking away the horrors of World War II, but now he’ll have to face his fears in hopes of rescuing his wife from the darkness.
Darkness Assault – Katrine has woken up in an underground facility without her memories. She will need to explore its depth to discover its horrifying truth.
Kidnapped – Sebastian disappeared from Stirling, Scotland in the winter of 1992. Now, follow him as he attempts to escape an ever changing world that does not intend on allowing him to leave alive.
Houston, we have a problem – The last thing you heard from your fellow astronauts was that they made a strange discovery, but now they’re gone and you are ever so alone on the Moon.
The Note – Mike must discover the fate of his partner Andy and the mysterious city only known as SCP-599.
The Haunted: Hells Reach – A fast paced horror shooter and the winner of the 2010 Make Something Unreal contest.
Coma:Mortuary – After attempting suicide in the midst of grieving for your lost girlfriend, our hero “wakes” up in the world of the dead, while his body is stuck in a coma.
For the first 24 hours of the sale, the bundle is only $1.89. Grab your copy at Indie Gala.
Overview The Senran Kagura series was seen as such a risk to bring over to the West that when the original game managed to get released, it was given the digital only treatment. Thankfully, likely due to fan support, the series has blossomed in the West to the point that the subsequent PS Vita game was given a physical release and even the strange but enjoyable cooking rhythm game was localized. Now here we are with the continuation of the series’ core storyline in Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson for the 3DS.
Story The beginning of Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson starts by retreading the end-game material from Senran Kagura Burst, likely so that new players can try to jump into this game without worrying too much about losing the plot but if you haven’t managed to play it yet then you’re definitely missing out. Anyways, the shinobi of Hanzo academy are infiltrating the evil Hebijo Academy in order to retrieve the school’s scroll that was previously stolen by the Hebijo shinobi.
This leads to a number of bouts between the main girls in the series as Asuka and the rest of the Hanzo shinobi end up putting a stop to the leader of Hebijo, Dogen’s, plans to resurrect an ancient monster. After succeeding, the Hanzo students returned home while Homura, Yomi, Hikage, Mirai, and Haruka choose to become rogue ninjas and splinter off into a new group known as the Homura Crimson Squad and choose to live off the grid away from their old school and continue to train while taking small jobs where they can.
Despite Asuka and Hanzo’s win over Dogen, yoma continue to run rampant and their rise throughout the story leads to the former enemies teaming up in order to face off against these creatures and any other forces who stand with them. This leads to a couple of new interesting characters being introduced to the storyline in the form of the young Kagura and her protector Naraku.
The meat of the storyline may be fairly standard but it is the interactions between the characters remains one of the best highlights of the game. With plenty of funny moments the cast really shines in this installment in the series as fans have already spent plenty of time getting to know them and their personalities as well as how they act with one another. That being said there, elements of the girls’ backgrounds go fairly unexplored in this installment release so newcomers may be lost in regards to certain elements of a character’s backstory if they never played Burst.
The core focus is mostly spent on the enjoyable interactions amongst the core girls while also introducing and exploring elements of the two mysterious aforementioned girls who are introduced in this game. It is worth noting that there are some fairly drawn out segments in the storyline that end up dragging it down a bit which is unfortunate since the prior game seemed to avoid this issue almost entirely.
Gameplay Players have a number of ways they can play through Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson though most of the time you’ll be working on advancing the story in a manner that you would expect, with the story advancing as the player completes the story missions that require players to play as either a specific character or pair of characters.
These missions can then be completed again however many times you wish with whatever character you choose to grind experience points. Other game modes include specialized missions that require the player to complete a stage given a certain condition (such as winning within a certain time limit or being unable to damage enemies with airborne attacks) with the reward being a shinobi stone that can subsequently be equipped to provide a certain buff to the chosen character. Finally there is the Yoma’s Nest mode that allows players to choose a character, or once again a pair of characters, to enter into a gauntlet of battles as they progress down a fourteen floor pyramid with fights getting increasingly difficult as you progress with no restoration in-between battles, making it a great way to earn XP, test your skills with certain characters, and of course unlock some cosmetic weaponry as a bonus.
Combat in Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson has been refined with some elements from Burst and Shinovi Versus combined to create a fresh type of system. Players will be fighting on a 2.5D plane in this side-scrolling brawler using various combo attacks to take down opponents that range from other generic shinobi, to wooden dolls, to demons, and of course the other playable girls. Attacks are handled in a similar style to past games with X triggering most combos and mixtures of Y allowing for heavier attacks as well as adjusting the light combo.
You see, in this version most characters now can alter their combo attacks with the Y button either imbuing their weapon with a new ability or swap it entirely, expanding the capabilities of each girls’ unique fighting style even further. For example, Katsuragi can hover through the air using the power of wind and deliver faster blows, Hikage becomes faster with her deadly sword-whip, and Mirai swaps between her umbrella, a machinegun, and a grenade launcher making her the most versatile character on the roster.
Each of the girls’ combo attacks are listed on the bottom screen making it easy to know what the character is capable of at any moment. Of course players will also be able to use the girls’ secret ninja arts after a Shinobi Transformation. Some battles begin with a character already in this form but after delivering or receiving certain amounts of damage a scroll will be earned allowing for a Shinobi Transformation, or at least three scrolls to trigger Frantic Mode. Shinobi Transformed characters will restore their health and clothing while allowing three different types of ninja arts (which remain just as entertaining as ever) to be performed to various levels of strength while the Frantic Mode strips the character bare for the benefit of increasing all the characters’ stats at the cost of a constantly draining health meter.
Now I’ve mentioned pairs a few times so far and that is because one of the biggest changes to combat in Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson happens to be the fact that many missions and levels in Yoma’s Nest can be completed with two shinobi at one time. Players will now be able to select their primary character as well as a partner to bring into combat who will fight alongside you. This party member can be swapped to at the tap of a button and can even execute powerful team attacks that vary depending on the characters you have teamed up with one another. This adds an extra layer of depth to the combat system as well as the possibility to play with a friend and complete missions with them as the title supports both local and online co-op play.
It is worth noting that thanks to the game’s transition into more of a 2.5D side-scrolling format that the camera becomes a rather annoying issue in this game. While it is possible to lock onto an opponent, it merely provides an arrow in the direction of that foe and their health bar. Controlling the camera is not possible for the most part and this often leads to attacks and skills missing an opponent far too often than one would like. This also becomes an issue thanks to the rather large difficulty spikes that come in the form of bosses in this game. While it is possible now to select between Easy, Normal, and Hard mission difficulties, the bosses that appear at the end of most levels are often capable of shrugging off attacks and dealing their own uninterruptable combo attacks that will likely see you facing a mission failed screen far more often than in Burst.
The fan-service level still remains a very prominent feature in Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson. As mentioned earlier, players can enter the Frantic Mode to strip down to their underwear immediately but whenever you take too much damage your girls’ clothing will be ripped apart, usually with the top and skirt/pants ripping separately over the course of a fight. The same can be said about your enemies as special skills will strip enemy shinobi of their outfits while cannon fodder enemies can be stripped with basic attacks.
Character customization also returns in a big way as players still have free reign over the accessories and outfits a girl wears into battle with plenty of customization options available. This means that the changing room is back, including the ability to poke them in various places to hear their comments and turn the camera around their bodies and now the characters can be told to take specific poses if you wish it and, if you still have the AR cards for the 3DS, can be displayed in the world using system’s camera. This means the game is certainly for those who know what they will be getting into in that regard.
Visuals & Audio While the Nintendo 3DS may not have enough capabilities to deliver the same polished character models found in Shinovi Versus, they have undergone a significant improvement over Burst. The character models have been given an impressive increase in quality and level of detail which is essential considering the fan-service element and the various options available in the dressing room and costume customization. There is even a humorous touch regarding Mirai’s shinobi transformation as she attempts to perform the same move as the rest of the busty characters only to hit herself in the chin.
The environments have also been improved with some nice details here and there to keep things feeling fresh with some actual depth in most areas. It is worth noting that the voice track again features only the original Japanese voice work but at this point fans should be more than familiar with how each character sounds and for newcomers these characters are all performed well and fit their nature. The soundtrack features a number of enjoyable tracks that can be listened to in the game after you complete the level they play in.
Overall While not as in-depth as the original game’s storyline, Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson still delivers an enjoyable story with plenty of humorous moments accompanied by a far more refined combat system with plenty of new elements to take advantage of. With the clothes ripping fan-service at an all-time high, difficulty spikes and camera issues may be a prominent issue with the game but that only puts a small damper on the latest entry in the series that continues to prove itself as a fun brawler.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Good evening everyone! I hope you all had an enjoyable weekend and that your Monday-itis didn’t hit you too badly! Well even if it did we have the cure right here for you at Xbox Newsbeat! After last week’s Forza-specific installment, we are back to our regularly scheduled programming here at the Newsbeat, so strap yourselves in for all the latest and greatest news from Microsoft HQ!
Games with Gold – Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition Available as a Free Download Right Now
Starting off this week’s Newsbeat with a small but oh so delicious morsel – Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is now available for Xbox One owners as part of the Games with Gold program. If you haven’t yet gotten into Lara Croft’s newest adventure, this is the perfect opportunity as its sequel; Rise of the Tomb Raider will be hitting stores on November 10th.
Updates Available Today for Xbox App on Windows 10
Not only is there a new Games with Gold game available this week, but the Windows 10 “Xbox App” also has a fresh new coat of paint with a new update. The update brings the following features to life:
Real-time Friends list presence.Your Friends list will automatically refresh with your friends’ on/offline status and the apps and games in which they’re currently engaged – including whether the game they’re playing can be joined via multiplayer or party.
Real-time Activity Feed updates.No need to hit refresh to see new Activity Feed items; keep the Xbox app open and your Activity Feed will let you know when there are new items to view, comment on, like, or re-share.
Game progress comparison.Feeling competitive? Discover how you stack up against your friends on specific game progress by visiting the Achievements section of your profile and selecting ‘Compare.’ You’ll enjoy a side-by-side comparison of your selected friends’ progress on games you’ve recently played, including game completion percentage, Gamerscore and Achievements earned.
Console text entry.One of the most requested features from Xbox Feedback is being brought to the Xbox app on Windows 10 – the ability touse the Xbox app for text input on Xbox One. You will now be able to use the Xbox app and other inputs compatible with Windows devices – keyboards, touch keypads, and the like – to enter text in search boxes and more on Xbox One.
There we go folks, a short and oh so awesome way to break up the monotony of your Monday evening! Which of today’s two pieces was most interesting for you? Let us know in the comments below (if you aren’t too busy playing Tomb Raider that is) and make sure you stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Xbox news as it becomes available.
While the booth designs range from rather simple designs used to draw in fans of the series such as the one above or others attempting to grab as much attention as possible of those walking by with having an elaborate looking design as possible, as seen with World of Tanksbelow, the long tradition of booth babes continue to be a prominent feature of Tokyo Game Show with most of the booths featuring at least one or more girls dressed up in outfits to try and get those in attendance to stop by.
Philip Federico spent plenty of time visiting these booths on the floor and of course ran into quite a large number of booth babes in his time so we have not only gathered nearly a hundred photos together but also have chosen my top three favorite booth babes from the event.
Third place goes to:
Xperia with a classy but attractive looking design that ranged from the silver shown below to golden variants:
Second Place goes to
Sega’s Phantasy Star Online 2 where the company went the extra mile on this outfit:
and finally the first place ranking goes to
DMM with many of their properties being promoted with numerous girls dressed up with outfits from their plethora of titles:
That is far from all however as most of these booths had numerous girls, with a special shout-out going to Koei Tecmo’s variations with Atelier Sophie and Arslan: The Warriors of Legend. You can check out all of the photographs of the booth babes that we came across in attendance at the Capsule Computers Facebook Album as well as our coverage for the rest of Tokyo Game Show 2015 here.
Although the new announcements and playable demos for upcoming video games are the key highlight for Tokyo Game Show, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a hot spot for cosplayers to show off their latest outfits, especially video game themed ones though it looks like more anime fans were in attendance this year.
Throughout his time at the event Philip ran into a large number of cosplayers, including an annual Street Fighter cosplayer, many of which appear to have spent quite some time preparing for the event if the extensive amount of detail in their outfits are anything to go by.
You can check out over one hundred and thirty photos of different cosplayers Phil saw during the event at the Capsule Computers Facebook Album as well as our coverage for the rest of Tokyo Game Show 2015 here.
While most of the Capsule Computers staff was trying to keep up with the announcements made throughout Tokyo Game Show 2015 and various other activities, our own Philip Federico was wandering around the event floor, taking advantage of the thinner crowds that make up the first two days of the event which are open only to the press and businesses.
Philip took quite a large number of photos from the event floor as he snapped up shots of numerous booths, the various statues that were created to help promote games such as Attack on Titan and the recently announced Gravity Rush, and of course plenty of other titles that weren’t highlighted too much thanks to the glitz and glammer of major titles.
You can check out all of the photographs from the event floor on the Capsule Computers Facebook Album as well as our coverage for the rest of Tokyo Game Show 2015 here.
The Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association announced that over the course of the four-day 2015 Tokyo Game Show event, 268,446 people managed to attend. The company then announced that Tokyo Game Show 2016 will be held from September 15th to September 18th.
It is interesting to note that while this was a very good year for Tokyo Game Show attendance, that this event fell a little under two thousand attendees short from breaking the record previously set by the Tokyo Game Show that was held back in 2013. For a full breakdown of how many people attended each day of the event you can find the provided numbers below:
September 17 (business day) – 29,058
September 18 (business day) – 29,557
September 19 (public day) – 97,601 (including 10,360 in Family Area)
September 20 (public day) – 112,230 (including 14,517 in Family Area)
Total attendance – 268,446 (including 24,877 in Family Area)
