As previously reported, Sony Pictures fell Victim to a DDOS attack from a group calling themselves #GOP (Guardians of the Peace). Since the announcement, rumours have been soaring through the internet that the people responsible are the North Koreans motivated by their discontent over the upcoming release of The Interview. While seemingly ludicrous, it’s a legitimate theory. Unless a group boasts about it over the internet, it’s generally pretty hard to prove who’s responsible for such an attack. What is interesting is that a diplomat from Pyongyang has come forward and denied responsibility for the attack. The anonymous official stated that, “Linking [North Korea] to the Sony hacking is another fabrication targeting the country. My country publicly declared that it would follow international norms banning hacking and piracy.”
So why should we believe them?
Why North Korea Could Be Responsible
The easy answer is that they had both a motive and the means.
Motive
The Interview is a comedy, starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, about two journalist who are privileged enough to be granted an interview with Kim Jong Un. Upon hearing the news, the CIA enlist the pair to assassinate the North Korean leader during this rare meeting. It’s no surprise that Kim Jong Un isn’t exactly thrilled about the soon to be released film. In an interview, Kim Myong-chol, executive director of The Centre for North Korea-US Peace, commented to the release stating that, “There is a special irony in this storyline as it shows the desperation of the US government and American society.” North Korea has even asked Sony not to release the film calling it, “an act of war.”
Means
But what about the means? For a country with no significant Internet infrastructure, they do have their own cyber task force. This task force has been blamed for numerous US attacks and countless attacks on South Korea. In South Korea particularly they have deployed malware to wipe data from selected hard drives, disrupted TV networks and interrupted ATM services.
Why North Korea Probably Isn’t Responsible
As aforementioned, North Korea has launched attacks before but it is not their MO to to deny them. While there are similarities between known North Korean attacks and the Sony Hack, there’s simply not enough evidence to confirm it. This paired with the outright denial of any responsibility leads one to believe (although far from confirm) that they are not, to the mass displeasure of the internet, at fault.
Aftermath of the Attack
Let’s take a look at the current damage count against Sony and, my god, there are a lot of casualties! Firstly, the pay packets of all the top executives (and many other employees) coupled with the names, addresses, social security numbers and medical histories of the people belonging to them. On top of this, five of the studio’s films and an unpublished script have been released over the net. Budget data relevant to Sony’s films have also been release, including that of The Interview. Funnily enough, one line of this movie’s budget assigned $250 to a “table of weed, coke, pills and panties.” Of course, as well as the aftermath, it’s important to remember the crippling result of the initial attack, forcing over 6000 employees off their computers and unable to work.
Sony Pictures is sure to continue the slow process of recovering from the massive hit. The investigation into the attack, involving representatives from the FBI and Homeland Security, will continue and, while difficult, may lead to a confirmation on who really was behind it all, North Korea or otherwise.
The official website for Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory II has been updated and with it comes a handful of new screenshots for the title. Most of these screenshots focus on dialogue but one of these screenshots gives us a close look at not only adult Neptune’s character model but also how the field will look as the player explores it.
You can check out the screenshots below, including one CG event. As for the game itself, Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory II is set to be released on the PlayStation 4 in Japan sometime in Spring 2015. Currently there has been no word of localizing the title, but considering Idea Factory International is bringing Omega Quintet to the West, there is almost zero chance that one of their most popular series won’t be making the jump as well.
Today Marvelous has updated the official website for Senran Kagura: Estival Versus and with this update comes character pages for all five new characters added to the game, the four we previously wrote about which are Renka, Hanabi, Kafuru, and Sayuri, as well as Ryoki who is a recently revealed character that is the older sister of Ryobi and Ryona that died in a battle only to now be resurrected.
With these updated pages comes in-game screenshots showing each of the characters in action except for Sayuri who we have yet to see in action, meaning that she may take on a role similar to Rin from Hebijo and Kiriya from Hanzo.
You can check out the character screenshots below and as an added bonus, the creator of the series tweeted the above picture showing how Katsuragi will look in the new title. Currently Senran Kagura: Estival Versus is set to be released in Japan for the PlayStation 4 and PS Vita on March 26th.
Well that was quick. We had only just learned that Atlus and Spike Chunsoft would be teaming up to make Etrian Odyssey and the Mystery Dungeon and now Atlus USA has revealed that they plan on bringing the game to North America in Spring 2015 under the name Etrian Mystery Dungeon.
As we have written previously, the title is a mixture of Etrian Odyssey’s atmosphere and characters with the roguelike random dungeon mechanics of Mystery Dungeon. The title will feature tons to explore and loot and will not feature a first person view like the Etrian Odyssey titles.
When released Etrian Mystery Dungeon will cost $39.99. To go along with this localization announcement Atlus USA has revealed new details about the game’s story and some gameplay features that you can read about below.
Infinite Dungeons to Explore – Etrian Mystery Dungeon incorporates the random map feature, which changes the floor terrain each time a player enters the dungeon. This core mechanic, inherited from the Mystery Dungeon series, challenges the players with a new maze and stronger monsters every time, offering them unlimited replayability!
Attention to Detail – The Etrian Odyssey tradition of party customization is in full effect for Etrian Mystery Dungeon. After the first journey as a Landsknecht, players can freely choose their party of 4 from up to 10 different class types. While each class has a unique skill set of its own, characters can also unlock new skills through skill trees.
Not Your Grandfather’s Combat – The unique perspective in Etrian Mystery Dungeon means that special care will have to be given when selecting party members and upgrading their abilities. With dungeons chock full of enemies and all the loot and money collected at stake, being 100 percent certain in your party’s abilities is crucial for making it out alive.
Far off in the mountains, the small village Aslarga becomes a hub for adventurers looking for fame and fortune from the Mystery Dungeons. But dire challenges await even the most stalwart adventurers in Etrian Mystery Dungeon, a turn-based action RPG roguelike developed by ATLUS and Spike Chunsoft. The Nintendo 3DS exclusive mixes Etrian Odyssey’s vast RPG party and skill customization aspects, and Mystery Dungeon’s infinitely random dungeon adventures. There’s no hand-holding in Etrian Mystery Dungeon. The action/turn based combat means that battling monsters is not just about using the right skills, but becomes an elegant Pas de Quatre of strategic positioning. Players form their parties with familiar Etrian Odyssey classes, such as Landsknecht and Runemaster, customize individuals using Etrian-style skill trees, and then take up to four members into the dungeons. Always randomized with various levels and paths, the dungeons require plenty of exploration, not to mention the incredible loot rewards — just be wary of what waits among the deepest depths.
Today Aksys Games has revealed that the limited edition version of Guilty Gear Xrd: Sign will not be making the title’s December 16th release date in North America. The reason for this delay is due to strikes being held at Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach and because of this, key components of the limited edition have been held up.
The release of the Limited Edition will likely suffer from a one to two week delay, though those who ordered the standard edition of Guilty Gear Xrd: Sign should still be able to pick up a copy when it is released on December 16.
They say loose lips sink ships but often in the video game industry, it just means that we learn about games far earlier than the publishers usually intend us to. Kotaku has obtained information and images concerning the next iteration in the Assassin’s Creed franchise and all signs are pointing towards the title taking place in Victorian London.
Currently the title is being called Assassin’s Creed Victory and will be released on the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in Fall 2015. Assassin’s Creed Victory is being developed by Ubisoft Quebec, which handled the development of Assassin’s Creed III.
No information was revealed about a last gen Assassin’s Creed game coming out in 2015 like Rogue did this year, though of course since this is leaked and unconfirmed information, everything is subject to change. That being said, the writer talking about the leak has stated that he was shown seven minutes of footage that appeared to be a sizzle reel that would accompany the game’s full reveal.
Today Idea Factory International has released a number of new screenshots focusing on the battle aspect of the strategy RPG. Most of these screenshots focus on attacks from the various Goddesses in the game but a couple of the new guest characters are also shown off.
Also released today is the opening movie for Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart which will be released for the PS Vita in North America and Europe sometime early in 2015. You can check out both the new screenshots as well as the opening video below.
He’s back! The Terminator franchise and Arnold Schwarzenegger have been mainstays of the sci-fi action scene for decades now, and I for one am always buzzing with excitement whenever there is new developments or news about the series’ past, present and future. Well, we are still seven months away from the next installment – Terminator: Genisys, but we have a brief look at the film’s teaser trailer and “living poster” for you to check out. Here is the brief trailer for the movie:
Pretty cool hey. Well guess what? Paramount Pictures have announced that FULL trailer is set to release tomorrow! However, if you want a little more Genisys goodness to keep you satiated until then, click here to check out the living, moving poster for the film. Terminator: Genisys is set to release on July 1st, 2015 with the full length trailer dropping tomorrow so make sure you stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Terminator news as it becomes available.
Today Viz Media had a surprising announcement to make when they revealed that they have acquired the rights to Junji Ito‘s “Fragments of Horror” manga. While this may not be the well known title, it may be due to the fact that it is a short story collection that contains numerous horror stories from Junji Ito that ran in Nemuki Magazine for eight chapters.
The entire collection has been contained in one volume and Viz is planning on printing it under their Viz Signature label and currently they are planning on releasing it sometime in Summer 2015 with a special deluxe hardcover release.
Some of the stories contained in the collection have been described by Viz below:
Fragments of Horror is the brand-new collection of delightfully macabre tales from the celebrated master of Japanese horror. An old wooden mansion that turns on its inhabitants. A dissection class with a most unusual subject. A funeral where the dead are definitely not laid to rest. Ranging from the terrifying to the comedic, from the erotic to the loathsome, these stories showcase Junji Ito’s long-awaited return to the world of horror.
Overview The Pokémon franchise has remained extremely successful over the years despite only changing a little bit each time a new game is released. As such when Pokémon X and Y were released last year and gave numerous aspects of the game a much needed visual overhaul, fans were quite pleased with the direction the series was going in. As such, a year later Nintendo has brought us a remake of two classic games featuring many of the improvements from X and Y. So is the Hoenn region worth revisiting in Pokémon Omega Ruby?
Story As per the series standard, players take control of a male or female trainer who has recently moved into Littleroot Town with their mother. With your father already an established Gym Leader in the region, there are high hopes for the trainer and shortly after moving in you will begin your own journey. After saving Professor Birch from being attacked in the wild, you are given your first Pokémon and set out into the world.
From here players experience the story that has remained a rudimentary inclusion in the Pokémon series as they will battle against eight different gym leaders, all of whom have a gimmick, and take on the Elite Four and the final champion. This time players will encounter a nefarious group called Team Magma that plans on causing mass destruction and forcing the landmass to expand in order to satisfy an ancient Pokémon of legend.
The story remains as threadbare as standard for a Pokémon game which is something of a disappointment thanks to the fact that there is a solid storyline told in a piece of post-game content. Instead we have some very standard villains with little to zero development that do little than get in the player’s way and throw a little bit of chaos into the world that the trainer must put a stop to as has become standard fair.
Gameplay The basic mechanics of Pokémon remain the same as always, with players starting out with only one Pokémon and then catching various Pokémon they come across while traveling through grassy areas. The previously archaic battle system of Ruby has been redone using the same mechanics found in X and Y, giving players various new moves and weaknesses to take advantage of as well as the Fairy type.
While it may appear as an unexpected surprise for some, the EXP Share device is back where players can choose to provide EXP to all of the Pokémon in their party after a battle is complete. This allows players to avoid grinding for extensive lengths of time as they try to build up a team that they like but it also means that the game can be even easier than it should be at times, with most of your team clearly overpowering Gym Leaders with one move.
Despite featuring only specific Pokémon, Mega Evolutions have returned in X and Y in abundance as a number of classic Pokémon have been given the rub this time around, adding some much needed variety to the system that before saw only a few useful Mega Evolutions of the whole lot. There is even a new little mechanic that is exclusive to each game’s legendary Pokémon. In Omega Ruby, Groudon can use “Primal Reversion” which is similar to a Mega Evolution but instead is triggered automatically rather than at the player’s choosing like a Mega Evolution.
Outside of the Pokémon battles, Omega Ruby sports a number of new and returning features that help spice up the old formula, though sadly some of these systems are complete copy pastes from X and Y. For example, the entire Super Training and Pokémon Amie apps are direct copies from the previous versions though it is worth noting that the happier a Pokémon is, the better it will do in the returning competitions that see players compete against other Pokémon in order to win contests.
These contests still don’t do much other than offer a side attraction to the main game, though those of you who happen to be big fans of Pikachu will want to spend some time here as you will obtain a cosplaying Pikachu that can wear different costumes not only while performing but also in combat, allowing it to learn new moves it otherwise wouldn’t be able to master.
One of the new features that is not only delightful to use but also helps make catching certain Pokémon easier, is the DexNav. This application not only shows what Pokémon are in each area, and if you have already caught these Pokémon, but also features a search option to try and find specific Pokémon types. The more you encounter each type of Pokémon, the more information will be revealed about it in the wild. This includes everything from their level, to their potential state growth, and even a rare skill that generally is only available through time consuming breeding.
This also sees players taking advantage of a new sneak feature. As you walk through an area with grass, you will occasionally notice a Pokémon’s tail or ears sticking out of the grass, each unique to the Pokémon’s species. To try and catch these Pokémon you will need to sneak up on them as simply running up will cause them to escape. Combine this with the ability to search for specific Pokémon through the DexNav and you’ll be able to create a team of your dreams easier than ever.
Unfortunately a large amount of the apps found on the “Pokénav Plus” as it is called are largely useless. While the map is helpful and the DexNav is a great tool, the television that broadcasts incredibly repetitive information and the copy pasted mechanics earlier clutter the screen with mostly useless material. One thing that has been given a major overhaul is the Secret Base mechanic. Players can create and customize their own secret base with numerous different decorations and create their very own base that they can share not only through QR codes but also with everyone they happen to StreetPass.
Omega Ruby is packed with content that will give players plenty of time to explore at their hearts content, including taking advantage of a new move called Soar that allows players to travel wherever they wish in Hoenn. From online battles against their friends to competing in little contests to taking part in all of the post-game content and finding every secret, there is so much to do in this title that it will be very hard to put down even once the League has been conquered.
Visuals & Audio With Omega Ruby given a remake job, it has been brought up to the same level that X and Y were presented at. The new 3D world is a nice change of pace over what fans of the old games experienced and, given the change of perspective; it almost makes the game feel like much more than a remake. Thanks to the various areas in the Hoenn region the world is full of vibrant sights to see and explore as players travel up active volcanoes to icy plains. The Pokémon battles themselves have been given similar improvements as each Pokémon continues with their overhauled appearance, making each battle look very impressive. That being said, it is worth noting that these battles do still suffer from slowdown from time to time which is a bit of a nuisance considering how fluid the rest of the game is.
One thing that does sound very similar is the soundtrack. There are numerous themes and tunes used in Omega Ruby that anyone familiar with the old games will instantly recognize. They have been given a revamp to fit in with modern times and thankfully they have made the transition without damaging any of the music. It is also nice to note that whenever a Pokémon tail pops out of the grass as mentioned earlier, you will also hear the cry of that Pokémon, giving the world a more realistic approach as you venture through the wilderness.
Overall Although many people may have scoffed at the idea of simply remaking an old Pokémon game and giving it a handful of improvements taken directly from X and Y, Pokémon Omega Ruby turns out to be an extremely successful title. While there is some laziness in this upgrade, it offers practically everything that a fan of the series could ask for. With a number of new features that make finding Pokémon a fun endeavor and plenty of content to explore in a familiar region, Pokémon Omega Ruby will leave fans more than satisfied.
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