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PAC-MAN CHOMPS HIS WAY ON TO IOS AND ANDROID POWERED MOBILE DEVICES AS BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA INC. LAUNCHES PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION DX

PAC-MAN CHOMPS HIS WAY ON TO IOS AND ANDROID POWERED MOBILE DEVICES AS BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA INC. LAUNCHES PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION DX

PAC-MAN Tells His Mobile Gaming Fans “It’s Your World, Eat It!’

SAN JOSE, Calif. – (July 23, 2015) – Today BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. released a premium version of the award-winning PAC-MAN Championship Edition™ DX on the Apple App Store for iOS powered mobile devices and on Google Play™ for Android powered smartphones and tablets.  PAC-MAN Championship Edition™ DX is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed titles in the classic maze-running action series with IGN.com giving the console version of the game a 10/10 along with an Editor’s Choice award. Its mobile debut features frantically addicting gameplay that can be enjoyed in short bursts for a thrilling and authentic arcade experience on the move. Players will use quick reflexes and power-ups to gobble up pellets, ghosts, and achieve high scores on the leaderboards over five separate game modes, 10 unique zone layouts, and 132 stages. PAC-MAN Championship Edition™ DX comes alive with the same electric visual and sound design introduced in the console editions of the game.

PAC-MAN Championship Edition™ DX is now available for $4.99 through the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, as well as Android-powered devices via Google Play. For more information on BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.’s games, please visit: http://www.bandainamcoent.com. Join the conversation on BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.’s Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/bandainamcous, or on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/bandainamcous.

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About BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., part of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive content — including all major video game consoles, iOS, mobile and online. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises, including PAC-MAN®, TEKKEN®, SOULCALIBUR®, NARUTO™, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, Dragon Ball®, GALAGA®, RIDGE RACER® and ACE COMBAT®. More information about the company and its products can be found at www.bandainamcoent.com or www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoUS.

All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.

Press Release © 2015 BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.

Rise of the Tomb Raider Confirmed PS4 and PC release

Rise-of-the-Tomb-Raider-screenshot- (1)

When the sequel to the hit reboot Tomb Raider was announced as an Xbox One exclusive it was fair to say that the Internet was up in arms cursing Square Enix for selling out and condemning thousands of players to not being able to play the game due to their choice of console. However through all the controversy a small piece of information was made known, the exclusivity deal with Microsoft was only a timed one, no matter how much Crystal Dynamics tried to ignore that fact. That means Rise of the Tomb Raider will see a release on PC through Steam and PS4.

The PC release date for Rise of the Tomb Raider is listed as early 2016 where as the game can’t release on the Xbox One’s main rival, the PS4, until one year after the game has launched. With the Xbox One and Xbox 360 release dates set as November 10th 2015, we expect a similar date for a PS4 release just a year later. It is still uncertain if a PS3 version will ever be made.

GABRIEL KNIGHT: SINS OF THE FATHERS® IS AVAILABLE NOW ON iPAD AND ANDROID TABLETS

GABRIEL KNIGHT: SINS OF THE FATHERS® IS AVAILABLE NOW ON iPAD AND ANDROID TABLETS

The “Remake Done Right” of the 1993 Sierra Classic Debuts Today on Mobile Tablets as a Free Download with In-App Purchases (www.GabrielKnight20th.com)

 

Mount Joy, Penn. – July 23rd, 2015 – Pinkerton Road Studio and Phoenix Online Studios today announced that Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers 20th Anniversary Edition, Jane Jensen’s remake of the 1993 classic Sierra hit, is available now for iPad and Android tablets. With gorgeous updated high-res graphics, new scenes and puzzles, a remastered soundtrack and bonus behind-the-scenes content, this “remake done right” (Digital Spy, 4/5) combines everything that made the original moody, mature murder mystery a “provocative story experience” (Adventure Gamer, 4.5/5) with modern graphics, gameplay, and audio. First released for PC & Mac in October 2014, Day 1 of the mobile version is available as a free download, with in-app purchases for the remaining Days available upon release, priced at $2.99 and $3.99, and can be found in the iTunes Store (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id972316145) and on GooglePlay (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.postudios.gk1). The new mobile trailer can be viewed here, and more information is available at www.GabrielKnight20th.com.

 

Gabriel Knight’s mobile debut contains all the same features available in the completely updated PC release, including:

  • Gorgeous high-res 3D backgrounds and models with more New Orleans flavor
  • The classic Gabriel Knight soundtrack, remastered and reorchestrated by original composer Robert Holmes
  • New playable scenes and puzzles
  • A tiered in-game hint system
  • All-new special edition content, including behind-the-scenes material from the original Gabriel Knight, from concept art to storyboards and more, plus new interviews with members of the original team

Pinkerton and Phoenix Online also recently completed the release of “The Temptation,” the free graphic novel complement to Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers: 20th Anniversary Edition. Set six months after the third game, and finds the finds the Schattenjäger back in Germany, alone, with Grace having departed for parts unknown, and wondering just what one does after fulfilling their destiny. The complete comic and short story are available as free downloads at www.GabrielKnight20th.com.

Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers: 20th Anniversary Edition is available now for PC & Mac on the Phoenix Online Store (store.postudios.com), Steam, GOG.com, and other online retailers for $19.99.

About Jane Jensen & Pinkerton Road

Jane Jensen and Robert Holmes founded Pinkerton Road in 2012 to create narrative games for tablet and desktop computers. A game designer and writer, Jane is best known for her work on the Gabriel Knight® adventure games and hidden object games such as Dying for Daylight. Robert is a composer, producer, musician, and strategic digital marketing executive whose music has appeared in numerous video games. The studio’s first projects are Moebius: Empire Rising, a Kickstarted adventure game released for PC and Mac in April 2014, and the Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers® 20th anniversary edition. The studio has also released a children’s ebook, Lola and Lucy’s Big Adventure™, for iPad. To learn more, visit http://www.pinkertonroad.com. Follow Jane on Twitter @jensen_jane.

About Phoenix Online Studios

Created by adventure game fans for adventure game fans, Phoenix Online Studios is an award-winning game development studio that seeks to put create compelling games where story and character come first. Formed in 2004, Phoenix began as fans seeking to bring back their favorite genre with the King’s Quest fangame The Silver Lining, they’ve followed up with the award-winning Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller, Jane Jensen’s Moebius: Empire Rising, and are working with Jensen on the remake of her classic hit game Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers. Phoenix also opened a publishing branch in 2014, putting indie games including Quest for Infamy, Moebius: Empire Rising, Lost Civilization, and The Last Door: Collector’s Edition. More information can be found on the company’s website, www.POStudios.com.

 

Gamescom Attendees Get Hands-On with the Biggest Upcoming Titles from Ubisoft®

Gamescom Attendees Get Hands-On with the Biggest Upcoming Titles from Ubisoft®

YOUTUBE LINK: Click here 

LONDON, UK — July 23, 2015 — Today, Ubisoft revealed that Assassin’s Creed® Syndicate, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Siege, Just Dance® 2016, Tom Clancy’s The Division™, For Honor, Trackmania® Turbo and more will be playable for attendees of Gamescom, the worlds’ largest consumer event in the video game industry, taking place from August 5 – 9 in Cologne, Germany.

For the first time, visitors to Ubisoft’s booth (Hall 6.1, space B020) will have the opportunity to get hands-on time with all of the Ubisoft games present on the show floor. A new Assassin’s Creed Syndicate playable demo will benefit from the biggest installation of its kind that Ubisoft has created to date. Additionally, guests will be able to engage in hands-on multiplayer battles in For Honor, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege and Tom Clancy’s The Division. Pods will also be available for Anno 2205™, Might and Magic® Heroes® VII and Trackmania Turbo.

In addition to the high-octane lineup, visitors will be able to experience the Rabbids Virtual Reality Ride, which uses a virtual reality headset and motion seat to create a totally immersive VR experience.  In addition, Ubisoft will have a packed program of on-stage activities and presentations, showcasing titles like Just Dance® 2016 and The Crew® Wild Run. Fans will also be able to participate in Ubisoft’s Cosplay Contest and numerous other community activities, prizes and performances which are planned throughout the event, including:

Just Dance World Cup: Players will be able to participate in Live Event qualifications on the dedicated Just Dance World Cup booth (located in hall 10.1, space B043) and have the chance to be selected for the Grand Finale, which takes place at the Paris Games Week in late October.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege Showmatch: On Saturday, August 8 from 4pm to 7 pm CET, four teams composed of some of the best Rainbow Six players from around the world will participate in a 5v5 PC match on the ESL booth, showcasing some of the most exciting competitive features the game has to offer. The show will be available live on Twitch.tv/Ubisoft.

Once again, Ubisoft has identified a group of fans who represent the passion and diversity of its gaming communities to welcome to Gamescom as “Star Players”. These visitors will receive a full VIP experience, with the opportunity to exchange directly with the Ubisoft dev teams and participate in the activities on offer in the Uplay Lounge.

“Gamescom is a huge event for us and for players, and this year’s show promises to be one of our biggest and most fan-focused ever,” said Alain Corre, EMEA Executive Director, Ubisoft. “Understanding players’ initial thoughts and reactions to the games we’re developing is incredibly important, and by making the Ubisoft games at Gamescom playable, we’re hoping that attendees will have a much more interactive and memorable experience and that their feedback will be even more applicable to our creative teams.”

For more about Ubisoft at Gamescom, visit www.ubisoft.com, www.youtube.com/ubisoft and www.blog.ubi.com.

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. Anno 2205, Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries. Anno, Blue Byte and the Blue Byte logo are trademarks of Ubisoft GmbH in the US and/or other countries.

Next Games Releases Major Content Update that Introduces Railroads and Co-op Events to Compass Point: West™

Next Games Releases Major Content Update that Introduces Railroads and Co-op Events to Compass Point: West™

HELSINKI, FinlandJuly 23, 2015 — Mobile games studio Next Games, created by veteran talent from Supercell, Rovio and Disney, today announced the first major update to its premier action-strategy title, Compass Point: West, available free-to-download on iOS smartphones and tablets.

Compass Point: West now lets players create and join Posses to tackle challenging events together with friends and unlock rare cards. A new resource, Steel, can be used to build railroads to connect the furthest reaches of the Wild West for easy travel and exploration. Today’s content update also adds Daily Events and cattle raid battles to complete for special rewards, while the new Train Station building gives players a convenient way to keep track of all the action going down on the frontier.

Featuring stunning 3D graphics, highly polished gameplay and a rewarding card-collecting system, Compass Point: West takes adventurers to the old Wild West to fight the hostile takeover plans of notorious oil tycoon, Orville Driller. Players will build their own outposts, acquire cards to summon allies, and encounter a wide range of characters, each with unique personalities, in this exciting quest to save the Wild West.

Compass Point: West is available to download for free worldwide on the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. For more information, please visit www.compasspointwest.com, and follow along on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Compass Point Series

Compass Point: West is the first in a series of four games, including North, East and South, that Next Games is developing based on its internal IP. With the Compass Point series, Next Games aims to develop a leading franchise of games banded together by the same principles of original, engaging gaming experience and gorgeous graphics.

About Next Games

Next Games, founded in 2013 by design veterans from Rovio, Supercell and Disney, focuses on crafting visually impressive, highly engaging games. Next Games has assembled a team with a profound love for games and a burning desire to develop lasting global entertainment. The 50-people-strong company is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, at the heart of mobile games development, and funded by an elite list of investors. In addition to the Compass Point series, Next Games is developing a mobile game based on AMC’s record-breaking television program, The Walking Dead. For the latest from Next Games, please visit www.nextgames.com, and follow the company on Facebook and Twitter.

Codemasters Releases The First Minion Training Video For ‘Overlord: Fellowship of Evil’

SO YOU THINK YOU’RE EVIL?

OVERLORD: FELLOWSHIP OF EVIL PUBLIC INFORMATION FILM TEACHES PROSPECTIVE NETHERGHŪLS A LESSON IN MINION MASTERY

UK – July 23, 2015 – The Codemasters development minions today unveiled a new video for Overlord: Fellowship of Evil, their digital only, angelically-priced, devilishly fun Action RPG which is coming to PlayStation® 4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Windows PC soon. Fans of evil doings can watch the trailer in action now at www.overlordthegame.com.

In the first of a series of training videos from The Minionstry of Information entitled ‘So You Think You’re Evil?’ prospective Netherghūls are taught the value of their minion horde. Whether causing carnage, grabbing loot, bothering sheep or generally smashing up the place, any self-respecting doer of dastardly deeds wouldn’t be seen undead without their faithful companions by their side.

“Brown minions, blues, reds and greens, they are what stands between you and the enemy,” said Gnarl, evil Minion Master. “Treat your minions well, provide them with carnage to cause, and loot to carry. And of course, sheepies. SHEEPIES!”

“Minions have always been at the heart of the Overlord experience and the unique sense of fun and mischief they bring is a key part of Fellowship of Evil,” said Carl Johnson, Chief Design Minion, Codemasters. “Whether you evil alone or evil with company, just make sure there’s a weapon in your hand, carnage in your heart and minions at your heels!”

Overlord: Fellowship of Evil is a dark and twisted Action RPG filled with the series’ signature black humor. Penned by award-winning original Overlord scriptwriter Rhianna Pratchett, Overlord: Fellowship of Evil delivers an epic new quest featuring four Netherghūls – undead servants of the dark arts, resurrected in the absence of a true Overlord, to bring evil back to a world overrun by the forces of good.

Assisting gamers once again are the mighty, maniacal and occasionally moronic minions, ready to unleash their charmingly chaotic brand of destruction and led by Gnarl, their wise old master, voiced, as before, by actor Marc Silk.

Players will embark on a brand new Overlord adventure filled with fun combat and twisted fantasy tales in single-player or with up to three friends in local and online single-screen co-op. Overlord: Fellowship of Evil invites players to dive into an Action RPG where it’s good to be bad, but it’s GREAT to be evil.

Overlord: Fellowship of Evil invades digital stores on consoles and Steam for Windows PC in 2015. Follow the Codemasters Minions’ progress towards world domination on the Codemasters Blog and on social media on Twitter and Facebook.

 

To plunder the press treasures, including the devilish new trailer, head to Codemasters’ all new press extranet site at www.codemasterspress.com.

 

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/viVQtkyKoJM

ABOUT CODEMASTERS

Codemasters, the award winning video game developer and publisher, has a 25-year heritage. With titles distributed globally, Codemasters is a leading developer and publisher of driving and racing entertainment games including DiRT, GRID and the official BAFTA award-winning FORMULA 1 series of videogames. In March 2010, Reliance Big Entertainment Ltd. (RBEL), a part of India’s Reliance ADA group, acquired a 60 percent shareholding in the company, alongside existing investor, Balderton Capital, the leading European venture capital firm. For more information on Codemasters’ product portfolio, please visit www.codemasters.com. Join in the conversation with @codemasters on Twitter or Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/codemasters.

ABOUT RHIANNA PRATCHETT

Rhianna Pratchett is an award-winning scriptwriter for videogames, comics, film and TV. Rhianna has regularly been named one of the top 100 most influential women in the games industry by various publications, including Edge, MCV and Develop, and won the Women in Games Hall of Fame award in 2013. She has talked about wrestling the wild beasts of narrative for numerous panels, documentaries and lectures. For more information, visit www.rhiannapratchett.com

ABOUT MARC SILK

Marc Silk’s voice is heard around the world in Cartoons, Films, TV Shows, Commercials, Theme Parks & Games, including F1 Race Stars, and the Overlord games, as the voice of Gnarl and a stack of wild Minions! For more information, visit www.marcsilk.com Twitter: @marcsilk

© 2015 The Codemasters Software Company Limited (“Codemasters”). All rights reserved. “Codemasters”® and the Codemasters logo® are registered trademarks owned by Codemasters. “Overlord” and “Overlord: Fellowship of Evil”™ is a trademark of Codemasters. All other trademarks or copyrights are the property of their respective owners and are used under license. Developed and published by Codemasters. Created with Unity. ©Unity Technologies. Audio powered by Fabric.

“PlayStation”, “PLAYSTATION” and “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Super Dungeon Bros Confirm Worldwide Retail Release

Super Dungeon Bros Confirm Worldwide Retail Release

Nordic Games named as Global Distribution Partner

Watford, United Kingdom and Vienna, Austria – (23rd July 2015) –  Wired Productions, an established independent games publisher, today announced a global retail distribution deal with Nordic Games to deliver a physical retail release of React Games’ Super Dungeon Bros for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
As part of the newly signed agreement, Nordic Games will handle physical distribution in all major territories.

“Throughout development we’ve been delighted with the reception of Super Dungeon Bros, and we’re excited to announce this partnership with Nordic Games to bring the title to as many players as possible, worldwide.”  said Leo Zullo, Managing Director of Wired Productions. He continued, “Nordic Games has always been a long term partner, and we’re pleased with the continuation of our relationship.”

Nik Blower, PR & Marketing Director for Nordic Games said, “Re-affirming our business-Bro relationship with Wired Productions gives us great pleasure. We’re Super-happy we can bring our physical distribution weight to the fore with this rockin’ good title. ”

More details regarding the launch will be released in due course.
In  Super Dungeon Bros, a band of mighty rock bros must navigate the endless dungeons of Rökheim, a giant scar of godforsaken earth, to seek out epic loot, fight hordes of evil undead and uncover the legends of long lost fabled Rock Stars!

Teams of up to four players either on or offline can take on the roles of heavy metal heroes; Axl, Ozzie, Freddie, and Lars and embark on a quest from the gods of rock to search ever-changing dungeons (which scale depending on the number of players) and combine rock and fantasy with dangerous foes, deadly obstacles and hazardous puzzles.

For more information on  Super Dungeon Bros and to keep up to date with all the latest news, announcements & more, please register your interest atwww.superdungeonbros.com  . You can also LIKE the official Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/DungeonBros  or follow the Dungeon Bros on Twitter athttps://twitter.com/DungeonBros.

For the latest news and information about Wired Productions, take a look at the website:www.wiredproductions.com , follow the Twitter page https://twitter.com/WiredP@WiredP, Like us on Facebook  www.facebook.com/wiredpro

About Wired Productions:
Wired Productions are an established independent games publisher based in Watford, Hertfordshire, UK.  Wired have produced over 35 titles, and are the team responsible for the 1.3 million unit selling We Sing franchise as well as producing and co-developing The Voice branded console products.  In 2013/14, Wired Productions moved back into digital console publishing with Let’s Fish! Hooked On on the PlayStation Vita, Tiny Troopers Joint Ops on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita (including cross buy) and Last Inua on PC & Mac.  For more information visit www.wiredproductions.com  or follow at: www.facebook.com/WiredPro  and on Twitter https://twitter.com/WiredP.

About Nordic Games GmbH:
Nordic Games GmbH is a wholly owned publishing subsidiary of Nordic Games Group AB. Founded in 2011, the Vienna/Austria based company puts great emphasis on its extensive game catalogue. The core portfolio comprises products and brands which have been acquired from JoWooD Entertainment AG, DreamCatcher Interactive Inc., THQ Inc., and Atari SAS, and further IPs and trademarks will follow.

The company will pursue the long-term goal of delivering quality products that live up to expectations of gamers worldwide. For more information, please visit www.nordicgames.at .

About React Games:
Founded in 2008, React Games is an award winning, independent video games developer based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Specialising in development for Xbox, PlayStation®, iOS, Android, Windows 8, Facebook, PC, Mac as well as the Nintendo 3DS, React Games has shipped over 40 titles in 7 years.  React Games is well known for delivering fun gameplay and high quality production values on every project.  For more information, please visithttp://www.reactgames.com  or follow us on Twitter viahttps://twitter.com/reactgames.

Life is Strange reaches 1 million sales

Life is Strange reaches 1 million sales

Episode 4 releasing Tuesday July 28th – New trailer today

Square Enix and DONTNOD Entertainment are incredibly proud to announce that LIFE IS STRANGE has reached 1 million sales – a huge achievement for the small team working on the game.

In other great news the wait is nearly over! LIFE IS STRANGE: EPISODE 4 – DARKROOM will be launching on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on July 28. A new trailer, artwork and screens are available to download now.

In Episode 4, Max pushes the investigation surrounding the disappearance of Rachel Amber and the strange happenings in Arcadia Bay into unexplored and daunting territory. As the End of the World party approaches, Max must use her powers to put all the pieces of the puzzle in place.

Watch the ‘LIFE IS STRANGE: EPISODE 4’ trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AukgNY6Uxww ;

AMPLITUDE STUDIOS’ ENDLESS LEGEND SHADOWS EXPANSION THIS SUMMER

AMPLITUDE STUDIOS’ ENDLESS LEGEND SHADOWS EXPANSION THIS SUMMER

Get Hands-On and Live Demo at Gamescom 2015

Paris, France – July 23, 2015 – Critically-acclaimed indie developer Amplitude Studios announced today the next expansion for its award-winning 4X strategy game Endless Legend. Due this summer on PC, Endless Legend Shadows integrates a highly requested and anticipated feature with a new the espionage system that gives players the chance to spy, infiltrate, pillage, and assassinate. Endless Legend Shadows also introduces a major new faction called the “Forgotten,” a faction based on espionage.

 

Watch the all new Forgotten Faction reveal for Endless Legend Shadows HERE: youtu.be/WFQxwaODOOc

Endless Legend Shadows is a nightmare out of history. The Forgotten are a faction that all others thought to be lost or dead. Against their will, they were forged into a tight society of violent and distrustful survivors, having spent the final years of the cataclysm alone on the surface of Auriga. Now, as rifts in their society have led a splinter faction to declare its independence, the Forgotten are risking everything in the hopes that the other factions will accept them – or kneel before them.

Endless Legend Shadows Features:

  • Play the brand new faction, the Forgotten, experts in the new espionage skills.
  • Play with invisible units using the new “Camouflage” and “Stealth” capacities.
  • Infiltrate an empire to steal, capture, sabotage and assassinate!
  • Pillage villages, extractors and watchtowers to slow your enemy’s progression.
  • Equip your heroes with “Insignia” accessories to give them special espionage abilities.
  • Defend yourself by using counterespionage skills and the new “Detection” capacity.

Amplitude Studios will be providing hands-on demos and developer interviews of Endless Legend Shadows at Gamescom this year. In addition to showing Endless Legend Shadows, Amplitude will also be showing off the upcoming Xbox One and iPad versions of Dungeon of the Endless, and an all new unannounced title.

Known for its deep, engaging, and gorgeous 4X strategy games, Amplitude Studios’ Endless Legend and Dungeon of the Endless were honorable mentions for Excellence and Design while Endless Legend was nominated for Seumas McNally Grand Prize in the 17th annual Independent Games Festival at GDC 2015. Amplitude’s first game Endless Space won the 2013 Golden Cube and Community Choice Unity Awards. For more on Amplitude Studios on its Website (www.amplitude-studios.com), like it on Facebook, and follow it on Twitter. For more on veteran strategy game publisher Iceberg Interactive, Follow it on Twitter @Iceberg_Int, ‘like’ it on Facebook, and watch it on Twitch and YouTube.

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ABOUT AMPLITUDE STUDIOS
Amplitude is an independent team of experienced video game lovers (and developers) with a single goal: Create the best strategy games with the players’ help! Based in Paris, the studio boasts an international team that has worked all over the world on major AAA titles. Since Amplitude’s creation in 2011, the studio has released Endless Space, Dungeon of the Endless and Endless Legend, all critically acclaimed. A pioneer in its working method, while developing its first game Amplitude launched an open crowdsourced development process called “GAMES2GETHER.” This platform enables the community to participate in the creation of a video game from the early stages of development. Today, this methodology enables the studio to fulfill the expectations of its players while earning international recognition for the quality of its productions. Read more at www.amplitude-studios.com.

ABOUT ICEBERG INTERACTIVE

Iceberg Interactive is an independent video game publisher founded in 2009 by an international group of games industry veterans and is located in Haarlem, The Netherlands. Iceberg has fully embraced the digital revolution of the past few years and maintains strong worldwide relations with most digital portals, while also keeping its roots in the European retail markets. Staffed with avid gamers, Iceberg works closely with an international assembly of game developers, both midsize and indie. Garnering attention with acclaimed releases over recent years in the genres of strategy, action, simulation and adventure, the company has an exceptional 2014 line-up, including Endless Legend, StarDrive 2, Starpoint Gemini 2, Lords of the Black Sun, Vector Thrust and Starship Corporation – with more promising games in the pipeline.

Magic Duels: Origins Review

magic-duels-origins-thumbnail-01

Magic Duels: Origins
Developer: Wizards of the Coast, Stainless Games
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
Platforms: PC (Reviewed), iPad (Reviewed)
Release Date: Out Now (iPad), July 29th (PC)
Price: FREE (with in-app purchases)iTunes | Not yet available on Steam

mtg-plains-screenshot-01 Overview

Magic Duels Origins is the newest installment in the long-running Duels of the Planeswalkers series of games that are designed to get new players into the world of Magic: the Gathering. While last year’s installment left a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth, I was eager to give this year’s trial a fair go and I was pleasantly surprised. While not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, it is a marked improvement and an almost perfect teaching tool for those looking to understand the ins and outs of this decades-old trading card game.

magic-duels-origins-screenshot-06

mtg-island-screenshot-01 Story

Magic Origins is a bit of a departure in the series in terms of storytelling and its no surprise that Magic Duels: Origins follows suit. Instead of one cohesive story, this game aims to explain the origins of some of the most popular characters from the franchise (Jace Beleren, Chandra Nalaar, Gideo Jura, Liliana Vess and Nissa Revane). The game is broken into five chapters, each focusing on a particular character’s early life including their childhood, their ascension to Planeswalker and also giving hints on where they went to from there. I found this fractured style of storytelling to be pretty cool, and breaking each character’s story into its own Campaign gave Wizards the perfect opportunity to summarise and present their lore in a very focused and well presented package.

magic-duels-origins-screenshot-04

mtg-swamp-screenshot-01 Gameplay

At its core, Magic Duels: Origins is a tool to teach new players how to get into the world’s oldest trading card game. From its simplistic controls to its well thought-out explanations of the rules, it is the perfect teaching aide for anybody looking to get into the game.

There are multiple ways to play Magic Duels, but they all boil down to three major categories: Campaign, solo battles, online multiplayer. It does each of these relatively well and I had no major gripes with any of them.

Last year when I played through Magic 2015: Duels of the Planeswalkers. I noted in my review that building your own deck to play through the game’s story was a novel concept but one that in the end resulted in the whole game feeling like it was a pay to win mobile game. Thankfully for this installment, Wizards did away with that whole side of the game for the story and instead lets you run through the game’s gauntlet with pre-chosen decks. The decks are different depending on which character’s story you are playing through and where in their saga you are up to. As you progress through a character’s challenge, their deck will become stronger, allowing you to progress at a steady pace. This for me is a massive improvement over the previous installment, where either you struggled and grinded your way through the story or you went the other way and shelled out massive amounts of money for a deck that could actually handle some of the mid-late game challenges.

Now before some of you out there worry; there is still a deck building element to Magic Duels: Origins, it is just limited to the free dueling and online modes. You start off with a decent sized collection of cards and have the ability to earn and purchase more as you play through, and from this collection you can build your deck. I wont lie – early on your decks will probably suck and I strongly suggest playing through the campaign and earning some packs in order to pad that collection before you really immerse yourself into the duels.

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In terms of online stability, I played almost 40 games of Magic across both platforms and I only had a couple of instances of drop-out (most of which were my own connection’s fault) so I can say that the game has a pretty smooth online experience. It does suck that there currently is no cross-platform play supported, but hey we can’t have it all!

One of my biggest gripes with Magic 2015: Duels of the Planeswalkers was that the game basically forced you into shelling out around $45 in a very pay-to-win environment. While you are still able to outright purchase packs of cards in Duels: Origins, the necessity of using real-world dollars has been scaled back somewhat by the game’s own currency. Winning duels, completing the daily challenges and playing through the campaign will unlock in-game coins that can be exchanged for packs. The coins you get from the campaign are enough to grab 5 packs (roughly 30 cards) to add to your collection, which isn’t a lot but combine that with the coins you can get regularly through the daily challenges and earning cards is a heck of a lot easier than the slog we had to go through last year.

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mtg-mountain-screenshot-01 Visuals & Audio

One thing the Duels games have without a doubt gotten right in the past few years has been the UI while playing. Last year’s game had its stark black and white theme going on which left the battlefield uncluttered and open. This time around, the clutter and the clarity are still there but we are instead given a nicely coloured orange/grey colour scheme to feast our eyes on. The backgrounds are plain enough to not interfere with gameplay, while still basic enough to allow you to focus on the game without getting distracted.

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Aside from the backgrounds, the rest of the UI is really impressive and incredibly responsive. The way that the game lays out the battlefield, the cards in hand, permanents on the battlefield and spells on the stack is just so clean and elegant that I have an easier time understanding everything that is going on while looking at my iPad screen than I do most of my real-world Magic games. Aside from that, clicking on cards to examine them and put them into play is lightning quick and super responsive meaning that you can check a card and get back to the action without wasting any time.

One thing I did notice though was that at the beginning of some levels, especially the tutorial levels that started with a lot of permanents on the battlefield and cards in hand, the game struggled and lagged on both the iPad and PC. It is a bit disappointing seeing such notable lag considering the simplistic nature of the game’s UI.

I will say though that the CGI at the end of each character’s campaign is seriously lacking and almost laughable. After I finished Kytheon’s story I was astounded at how poorly rendered the final cut-scene was, to the point that it looked like it belonged on an early PS2/Gamecube-era game.

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mtg-forest-screenshot-01 Overall

When I first learned to play Magic: the Gathering, the 7th Edition Starter Set came with a CDROM that have learn to play videos and tutorials, as well as some preconstructed decks with precise instructions on how to follow them in order to properly learn the game. Back then, I would have killed for a game like this to teach me the ropes and I am sure it will serve its intended audience perfectly in that regard. While in many ways Duels: Origins improves on the money-hungry antics of last year’s installment, there is still a definite pay to win feel attitude to the game.

8-0-capsules-out-of-10

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.