-

May 20, 2014

Gauntlet: Darkness Calls digital comic available free with pre-order of Gauntlet

Retailer specific in-game bonuses offer fans even more reasons to battle with their friends in the fight for treasure and glory this September!

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced today that when consumers pre-orderGauntlet, they will receive a limited-time, exclusive free gift, an original digital comic,Gauntlet: Darkness Calls from DC Entertainment, which details the origins of theGauntlet’s most vile master Morak. The comic will be delivered on 3^rd September, 2014, the day the game is released.

Consumers who pre-order the game through select retailers will also receive unique, in-game weapons. Morak’s hordes will tremble when the Warrior dons these horrific implements of mayhem!

Gauntlet, a modernised version of the celebrated dungeon crawler, will be available this summer for the £14.99 via digital download for PC, offering full support for SteamOS and the upcoming Steam Machines shipping the second half of this year. The game will lead the launch of WB Games Vault, a direct-to-digital portfolio that will deliver paid games across multiple digital networks.

Gauntlet, developed by Arrowhead Game Studios, innovates on past titles while staying true to the brand’s legendary format. Players select from four classic fantasy-based characters: Warrior, Wizard, Valkyrie, or Elf.
Upon selecting a playable character, the gameplay is set within dungeons where the object is to fight through the chambers slaying evil creatures and completing challenges. An assortment of special items and magical relics can be located in each dungeon that can restore the player’s health, unlock doors, and aid the player in surviving longer in the Gauntlet by bestowing special abilities. The enemies are a vast assortment of fantasy-based monsters, including ghosts, grunts, demons, spiders, sorcerers and skeleton warriors.

For more information on Gauntlet, please visit www.Gauntlet.com https://www.facebook.com/PlayGauntlet or https://twitter.com/PlayGauntlet

# # #

GAUNTLET software © 2014 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Developed by Arrowhead Game Studios. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. © 2014 Valve Corporation. Steam and the Steam logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Valve Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

GAUNTLET and all related elements are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
WB GAMES LOGO, WB SHIELD: ™ & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
(s14)

ESL ANNOUNCES INTEL® EXTREME MASTERS SEASON 9

Press Releases

Philip Federico

-

May 20, 2014

0

ESL ANNOUNCES INTEL® EXTREME MASTERS SEASON 9

Leading Global Pro Gaming Championship to Premiere in Shenzhen, China

(Cologne, Germany) May 20, 2014 – ESL announced today that the Intel® Extreme Masters’ ninth season is to begin in China for the second consecutive year. Premiering in Shenzhen on July 16-21, the elite pro gaming tour will once again sweep the globe showcasing the best of competitive gaming.

Season 9’s first event in Shenzhen marks the fifth time that the Intel® Extreme Masters visits China, the previous stops taking place in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu in past seasons. The ‘Road to Shenzhen’ begins June 1st, with the extended qualifiers for the event.

An integral part of the Intel® Extreme Masters and a constant since Season 3, China has played host to some of the most impressive Intel® Extreme Masters events with over US$270,000 in prize money paid out in the region since 2009. The local community has been consistently eager to consume Intel® Extreme Masters tournaments: over 450,000 concurrent Chinese viewers tuned in to consume the Season 8’s League of Legends final in Katowice, Poland helping to break eSports records worldwide. Ahead of the upcoming season, Managing Director of Pro Gaming at ESL, Michal Blicharz, is eager to see records broken once again and explains the reasoning behind the Shenzhen event:

“With its tradition in eSports and continuously growing fan base, China is a sleeping giant in professional gaming. Last season the IEM recorded its highest Chinese viewership yet and we want to continue to involve Chinese gamers in global competitions. This is why we come to China every year.”

The opening of the 9th Intel® Extreme Masters season marks the longest ongoing pro gaming event sponsorship in the world with Intel sponsoring ESL’s premier competition since 2006. George Woo, Event & Sponsorship Programs Marketing Manager at Intel voiced his excitement ahead of the upcoming tournament series:

“Eight seasons long we’ve had one goal: to provide the best PC gaming technology to the best players from around the world. I couldn’t be happier to see this goal extending into the ninth season of the Intel Extreme Masters. I’m confident that with the things we have in store, it’ll be the best Intel Extreme Masters season yet!”

Intel® Extreme Masters Shenzhen will feature competition that will offer its participants a chance to qualify for the Intel® Extreme Masters World Championship in 2015. More details on the competitions and games will follow in the upcoming weeks. For more information please visit: www.intelextrememasters.com

###

Electronic Sports League (ESL) – is world’s largest, independent eSports brand, leading the industry across various games with numerous online and offline competitions. This includes high profile international and national leagues and tournaments such as the Intel Extreme Masters, ESL One, ESL Pro Series, Starcraft II World Championship Series, Wargaming.net League Europe, as well as grassroots amateur cups, leagues and matchmaking systems. ESL covers a broad field of services in gaming technology, event management, advertising and TV production, fully catering to the needs of the eSport’s ecosystem. With offices in Germany, Russia, France, Poland, Italy, China and the USA, it has a true global footprint. www.eslgaming.com

Intel® Extreme Masters – Intel® Extreme Masters is the ESL’s elite global pro gaming tour since 2006 with over 4 million USD given out in prize money in eight seasons. StarCraft II and League of Legends superstars from Europe, Asia and America compete at the world’s largest technological trade shows for their share of a lucrative prize purse. ESL TV, ESL’s web-TV service, presents the best games of the season live and reports directly from the offline events via Twitch TV, reaching over 20 million unique viewers each season. www.intelextrememasters.com

Intel Corporation – Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world’s computing devices. www.intel.com

Road Story By Smartphoneware

Press Releases

Philip Federico

-

May 20, 2014

0

Road Story By Smartphoneware

Game Center

View More by This Developer

Open iTunes to buy and download apps.

View In iTunes

This app is designed for both iPhone and iPad

Free
Category: Games
Released: May 15, 2014
Version: 1.00
Size: 65.5 MB
Language: English
Seller: Smartphoneware
© 2014 Smartphoneware

Rated 4+

Compatibility: Requires iOS 5.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

Description

Control cars to avoid crashes and become crossroads operator. Gain experience and level up to unlock new powerful bonus cars and new crossroads, complete missions, develop talents and acquire helpful items to progress.

– Addictive arcade gameplay
– Simple swipe and touch controls & interactive tutorial
– Many-sided player progress
– Compete or help your friends (via Game Center or Facebook)
– Free to play, without hard stops.

—
Join us: facebook.com/Smartphoneware
Follow us: twitter.com/Smartphoneware
Visit us: smartphoneware.com

…More

Smartphoneware Web Site Road Story Support

Screenshots

iPhone iPad

Logitech G502 Proteus Core Tunable Gaming Mouse Review

Zac Elawar

-

May 20, 2014

0

Logitech G502 Proteus Core Tunable Gaming Mouse Review

Logitech G502 Proteus Core Tunable Gaming Mouse
Manufacturer: Logitech
Compatible Platforms: PC
Release Date: Out Now
Price: $89.95 – Available Here

Logitech has made a stunning return to form in the gaming peripherals market over the past year or so, and with their first Illuminated Living-Room K830 Keyboard and other products recently showcased as part of their 2014 line-up as proof, it seems reclaiming the throne is not a lofty goal, but a handily achievable one for the original innovators in the field. The crowning jewel of their resurgence at the moment is the G502 Proteus Core Tunable Gaming Mouse. The Proteus Core embodies the company’s slogan “Science Wins!”, with advanced features such as on-board memory holding up to 3 profiles, 11 programmable buttons, primary buttons being rated to 20 million clicks, mechanical micro-switches, the world’s first 12,000 DPI setting, and the most accurate optical sensor ever made, capable of scanning and adapting to any surface material.

Firstly, Logitech went to great lengths to find the best, most appropriate materials and textures for the mouse, without having to hike up the RRP. We were personally witness to evidence of their exhaustive prototyping phase when representatives handed us a multitude of swatches and samples, as well as entire prototype builds to examine back at the reveal event in March. The minute differences between each graduation could barely be distinguished by the layman with their eyes closed, but the expert engineers and designers at Logitech extensively researched and tested what almost seemed like every kind of rubber, metal and plastic known to man. The result is an extremely comfortable feel, with an ergonomic form factor that fits the right hand perfectly (unfortunately, the Proteus Core was not developed for lefties). The rubber grips on the sides reduce slipping drastically, and the individual keyplates for the left and right mouse buttons mean no warping, and more tangible, precise clicking. That accuracy is more-so helped, however, by the mechanical micro-switches underneath every button.

All up, in utilising the downloadable Logitech Gaming Software, there are 11 programmable buttons on the Proteus Core. Aside from the obvious function of the scroll wheel, middle click, LMB and RMB, the default configuration has the left and right scroll buttons doing just that – scrolling left or right on a page – buttons G4 and G5 on the left hand side representing ‘Back’ and ‘Forward’ respectively, G7 and G8 next to LMB representing ‘DPI Down’ and ‘DPI Up’ respectively, G9 in the center underneath the ‘Scroll Mode’ button being assigned to ‘Switch Profile’ and the button in front of where your thumb would naturally lay as the ‘DPI Shift’. All of these can be changed to your whim, incorporating keystrokes, media commands such as volume up and down, shortcuts, headphone operations (mute microphone, etc.) and even computer functions, i.e. opening E-mail. When using profiles stored on the computer, your current game will be automatically detected and its dedicated profile assigned. Literally thousands of profiles can be created when stored on the computer, although it will render the quick ‘Switch Profile’ button useless – that is purely meant for on-board functionality.

As you may be able to tell already, customisation to your exact needs is wholly enabled by the Proteus Core. If you want one profile for general use, one for hardcore gaming, and one for productivity – packed with cut, copy, paste and custom keystrokes ideal for specific programs such as Photoshop for instance – you can do that. In fact, assign ‘G-Shift’, hold down the button, and you’ll essentially have a whole new set of functions at your fingertips. The only button that is not programmable is the ‘Scroll Mode’ button, which, when clicked, changes the speed of the dual-mode scroll wheel between click-to-click precision and hyper fast scroll. And, as has become a trademark of Logitech mice, the Proteus Core comes with five 3.6g weights in a hexagonal case. The weights can be added in the back of the mouse, the cavity door for which is magnetic. The weights can be added in multiple arrangements to alter not only the heft of the peripheral, but the center of balance. The mouse itself is only 121 grams to begin with, so adding all five weights brings up its total to a measly 139 grams, which is enough to significantly modify its feel, but clearly the mouse is light by comparison to some similar offerings, which is nice, especially because it is not flimsy by any means.

As aforementioned, Logitech allow an outrageously sensitive dots per inch, or DPI, setting of 12,000 in the Proteus Core; a world’s first, this insanely fast reaction speed will aid the most deft of twitch-game players around the world, but there’s very little else you’d use it for. Up to 5 DPI settings can be assigned on any given profile and modified within the Logitech Gaming Software, where users can test out what works well for them within the 200-12,000 DPI range. A ‘Default’ DPI can be designated, as can the ‘Shift’ DPI. Most people might find a DPI of 1,400, give or take a couple hundred, suitable for everyday use, but in using a shooting game as a prime example, assigning 200 DPI as the ‘Shift’ speed will accommodate gamers who then have the ability to hold the ‘DPI Shift’ button and slow their mouse sensitivity to meet the required precision aiming of a sniper. Let go and it’s back to ‘Default’. Otherwise, your chosen DPI settings can be alternated between using the DPI Up and Down buttons, reflected by 3 blue LED lights. There are four polling rates ranging from 125 to 1000 reports per second to select between, and when using computer stored profiles, pointer settings can be customised per profile and ‘Acceleration’ enabled.

Finally, the Proteus Core‘s ace up its sleeve – surface tuning calibration employing exclusive Delta ZeroTM technology. Via an extremely simple, easy and quick 3-step process – that basically just asks you move the mouse in a figure-eight shape for a few seconds – you’re able to tune your mouse to any surface in your house for optimum control and maximum responsiveness. The mouse is corded, but if you’re using it with your Windows 8 Laptop in bed, tune it to the usually troublesome surface of the sheets and away you go. I personally tested it on a wood table top and other branded mouse pad (sorry Logitech!) and it works brilliantly. Along with your custom added surfaces, there are three pre-sets to choose from: the Logitech G240 Cloth Gaming Mouse Pad, G440 Hard Gaming Mouse Pad, and Factory Default. Tracking issues should virtually be a thing of the past with the Proteus Core.

The Logitech G502 Proteus Core Tunable Gaming Mouse is the most flexible gaming mouse I’ve ever used that doesn’t look and feel like an absolutely clunky, heavy, mechanical beast. Logitech have truly designed a comparatively sleek, light, durable mouse with a focus on quality, that can be used for all purposes. The science, as they say, is there. From tracking movements up to 300 inches per second with zero sensor acceleration, zero smoothing and filtering and zero pixel rounding, the Proteus Core backs itself as one of, if not the most, accurate mice out there. It might just be the perfect mouse, period, not even considering price ranges… and if we did, it’s even more impressive at an RRP of $89.95.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Blade Symphony Review

Sergei Lazarev

-

May 20, 2014

0

Blade Symphony
Developer: Puny Human Games
Publisher: Puny Human Games
Platforms: PC
Release Date: May 7, 2014
Price: $14.99 – Available Here

Overview
There are countless competitive online games with guns. Oddly enough, you would struggle to count the number of competitive sword fighting games on one hand. Even stranger when you consider how little skill it takes to operate a modern firearm compared with, say, a Japanese katana. Part of this phenomena lies with the difficulty in making a video game that can emulate the complex motions of sword combat. But surely we’re now at a stage in game development technology where these games aren’t impossible to make?

Enter Puny Human Games, a studio founded by two teams of modders, and their attempt at bringing the deadly ballet of sword duelling to the online sphere with the help of Kickstarter. Does Blade Symphony deliver its “tactical swordplay” promise?

Gameplay
You’d be forgiven for thinking a game with just swords is all about mashing left-click until someone drops dead. Unless you play through the highly-recommended tutorial, you’ll learn the hard way once you come across the game’s skilled players. Blade Symphony’s combat system mixes directional attacks, not unlike what we’ve seen with War of the Roses, with combos and interchangeable fighting styles.

Add swords types such as longswords, rapiers and scimitars and you have the foundation of a highly functional action game with plenty of pointy objects. The team is very much inspired by Jedi Knight II: Outcast, which they happened to re-create in a Half Life 2 mod as one of their previous projects.

The game makes you rely on skill, coordination and reflexes in its competitive 1v1, 2v2 or free-for-all game modes. Although FFA is definitely the weakest game mode as the chaotic pace and the seemingly random spawns offsets the highly coordinated, respectful duels when going toe-to-toe in 1v1, for instance. Players pick one of four unique characters including the long-ranged Phalanx, the ingenious combination of knight and samurai called Judgement, the street ninja Ryoku or the wushu acrobat Pure. It’s up to you to utilise the strengths and weaknesses of each characters and swords with throws, charge attacks, parries, sidesteps and more.

The action is very fast and methodical, leaving no room for error. You can dash, jump, roll and switch between light, balanced and heavy stances mid-combo to create some pretty crazy chain attacks. This makes Blade Symphony a pretty complex and elegant affair. A typical 1v1 match can last for a long time depending on the skill of each player as you have to wait for an opening and time your attacks. This means that even spectating a match is often more entertaining when you have master ninjas backflipping off walls and clashing blades for what seems like an eternity.

Blade Symphony prides itself on its customisation as being merely cosmetic, meaning any upgrades you earn simply make you look cooler rather than boosting your performance. All avenues to slice and dice your opponent are left to you and your skills from the very first match.

Although you can play with a mouse and keyboard just fine, a gamepad is highly recommended for an action game like this. I found the fast-paced gameplay a bit too much for my clicking and keyboard-mashing efforts.

Visuals
For a low-budget indie title, Blade Symphony is a head turner in the graphics department. Highly stylised character models and a clean, tasteful menu and user interface are the highlights. Some of the environments do have a low budget and incomplete feel though especially when it goes outdoors.

The art style itself seems inspired by the likes of Blade Runner and Japanese cyborg fiction. The creative designs have that sleek, sci-fi look. While not perfect and with the occasional glitch or two, Blade Symphony excels at making sure everything looks and feels fluid in motion including the animations.

Audio
When it comes to the sound, Blade Symphony packs a high-tech, spacey sound track mixing modern tunes with traditional Japanese music. This helps keep the flow going when the blades start clashing in the arenas. Blade Symphony delivers decent audio for the experience but when you are slashing away at opponents for hours on end you wish for more varied sound effects.

Overall
This is by no means a sword “simulation” game but nor is it an arcade hack ‘n slash like Chivalry. It’s best to think of Blade Symphony as a fast-paced, action duelling game. The meat is very much in the competitive, sweat-inducing duels. But only if you can keep up as the combat is unforgiving to those who don’t measure their every move.

The game still doesn’t feel like a complete package yet and one can only hope more content is added down the track but for what it does, Blade Symphony is an exciting effort with a dedicated community and competitive tournament prospects.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Bang & Olufsen BeoLab 20 Wireless Speakers Now Available

Jamie Laike Tsui

-

May 20, 2014

0

Bang & Olufsen has released their new wireless speakers to stores around the world. The BeoLab 20 Wireless Speakers are able to produce even sound throughout the room with no sweet spots using the Acoustic Lens tweeter. Bang & Olufsen is able to deliver high quality audio without wires thanks to the new WiSA audio streaming technology. The BeoLab 20 is tuned to Bang & Olufsen’s signature sound, featuring precise sound, impressive mid-ranges, and tightly controlled yet punchy bass. The design follows European principles of form follows functions, resulting in a minimalist and elegant look.

The BeoLab 20 Wireless Speakers are now available at Bang & Olufsen stores around the world for $13,500 AUD or $15,500 NZD for the pair. Learn more about the BeoLab 20 at the official mini-site.

‘Space Hulk’ Gets Loaded with new Cooperative Mode and Introduces ‘Harbinger of Torment’ Campaign

Press Releases

Philip Federico

-

May 20, 2014

0

‘Space Hulk’ Gets Loaded with new Cooperative Mode and Introduces ‘Harbinger of Torment’ Campaign

Full Control Introduce Complete Overhaul of Multiplayer Mode and Releases New Five-Mission Campaign

Copenhagen, Denmark — May 20, 2014 — Danish independent studio Full Control today announced that Space Hulk now includes cooperative play mode, as part of the latest free game patch that also has a number of updates and bug fixes. The patch also coincides with the new campaign ‘Harbinger of Torment’ which is now available for PC, Mac and Linux. Space Hulk is the digital adaptation of the classic Games Workshop board-game, set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and is available on PC, Mac, Linux and iPad,

“We are excited to release the new co-op mode in Space Hulk. It’s been in development for several months now, as we made a complete overhaul of the multiplayer mode to make it a seamless experience so players can easily jump into a co-op game”, said Thomas Hentschel Lund, CEO of Full Control. “In honor of launching co-op we are also releasing a new five-mission campaign, ‘Harbinger of Torment’, that is now available to Windows, Mac and Linux players”.

Players can now challenge friends, in up to 4-player co-op battles where three gamers each control a squad of terminators and one player controls the Genestealers. To support co-op gameplay, Full Control has given multiplayer a complete overhaul and is introducing a lobby system where players can see other gamers who are online and ready to play. The new co-op functionality is free with Space Hulk, so all players need to do is log in, visit the new lobby and play.

About the Harbinger of Torment Campaign

As the Space Hulk, the Harbinger of Torment, emerged from the warp it was discovered to be on a collision course with the planet Baal. Several attempts were made to change course, but all failed. A team of the Imperium’s finest warriors is sent to the Harbinger of Torment to try and reverse the engines or stop them altogether. Failure is not an option. Harbinger of Torment has been specially designed for 4 player co-op and is now available for PC, Mac and Linux on Steam.

You can purchase Harbinger of Torment on Steam for $4,99/€4.99/£3.99

About Space Hulk

Space Hulk is a 3D digital turn based strategy game that recreates the classic claustrophobic board game experience for single player and multiplayer cross-platform play between PC, Mac and iOS. Set in the isolated corridors and tomb-like chambers of an ancient vessel lost in the graveyard of space, players lead a small army of fearless Space Marine Terminators to battle in a ferocious fight for survival against hordes of predatory alien Genestealers. Based on the “Sin of Damnation” campaign from the 3rd edition board game, Space Hulk includes a robust 12-mission single-player campaign. Recreating the tense battles of the board game, multiplayer mode allows players to go head-to-head with one player controlling the Space Marines and their opponent, the Genestealers, in the ultimate fight for domination. Cross platform functionality in multiplayer mode allows players to compete against friends whether they play on PC, Mac, Linux or iPad.

You can find more information about Space Hulk visit: http://www.spacehulk-game.com/

About Full Control

Full Control is a small independent studio based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Over the years they have specialized in the genre of turn-based strategy games and have several productions in their portfolio, including the upcoming project, “Jagged Alliance: Flashback” and the recently released, “Space Hulk”, a turn-based videogame adaptation of the hugely popular Warhammer 40k boardgame.

About Games Workshop®

Games Workshop® Group PLC (LSE:GAW.L) is based in Nottingham, UK. Games Workshop designs, manufactures, retails, and distributes its range of Warhammer® and Warhammer® 40,000® games, miniature soldiers, novels and model kits through more than 400 of its own Hobby centres, the Internet and independent retail channels in more than 50 countries worldwide. Further details on the company can be obtained at www.games-workshop.com

Hanabee Licenses “Patema Inverted” + Announced For Australian Premiere

Frank Inglese

-

May 20, 2014

0

Hanabee Licenses “Patema Inverted” + Announced For Australian Premiere

Patema-Inverted-Official-Film-Poster-Cropped-01 — **– Click For Full Poster Image –**

Hanabee Entertainment today announced that they have just acquired the rights to the highly praised anime fantasy film “Patema Inverted” BUT that’s not all! The young Australian anime distributor alongside the Melbourne International Film Festival are extremely excited to reveal to us that “Patema Inverted” will premiere at this year’s festival as a part of the “Official Selection”.

Don’t event think about letting your guard down because there’s one more surprise for all you anime film fans out there: The director of “Patema Inverted”, the man himself, a legend in the anime industry, Mr. Yasuhiro Yoshiura has also been revealed to be making his way to Australia as an honorary guest for the 2014 festival alongside his movie.

An enthusiastic participant in all phases of the production process, Mr.Yoshiura heralds the arrival of the next zeitgeist in anime. After graduating from the Kyushu University of Design, Mr.Yoshuira wrote and directed his first short animation titled Pale Cocoon. He then created the brilliant Time of Eve, a six part series he wrote and directed, which won the Original Video Animation category prize at the 9th annual Tokyo Anime awards. Time of Eve was also the third most downloaded iTunes Movie in 2011 alongside Toy Story 3 and Inception. – Hanabee Entertainment

This is looking to be another fantastic year for the Melbourne International Film Festival as well as for all anime fans living down here in Australia. The festival is set to run from the 31st of July all the way up until the 17th of August. So far, no actually screening times have been announced but you can be sure we’ll have the listing here on the site as soon as they’re announced. For any more information on the festival head the official Melbourne International Comedy Festival site (click here).

Cosmic DJ Preview

Vicky Martin

-

May 20, 2014

0

Cosmic DJ
Developer: Gl33k
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Platforms: Windows, Mac
Buy Now – $5.99 – Steam Store

Cosmic DJ is a music generator of intergalactic beats across a galaxy of madness. The bizarre and intriguing title, which originated on iPad last year, is currently available via Steam’s Early Access Program for Windows and Mac. What is significantly different about Gl33k and Devolver Digital’s game is the ability for players to create and share music with an eccentric cover artwork.

Music fanatics are invited to take on the role of Cosmic DJ – a robot who is driven by the power of music. However, bad vibes have surfaced within space because of the villainous STEVE4, who has hijacked the “Jamtennas.” The campaign mode takes players on a crazy music adventure, with six missions (five currently available) for players to gain back control of the Jamtenna Network. In addition, there is a quick play mode for players who are more interested in doing their own jamming sessions. Based on the preview, it is fair to say that Cosmic DJ is better suited to casual gamers of all ages, who enjoy the art of musical improvisation.

In order to dominate the Jamtenna Network and defeat STEVE4, Cosmic DJ needs to get all the transmitters working again. The first task is to track down the drummer, keyboard player and guitarist of the Robot Band (who have turned away from their love of music for deadbeat jobs) and reunite the group by reminding them how sweet being in a band is. The next step is to resolve a lover’s quarrel by returning to the happy phases of their relationship (gotta love that hang gliding date) and sending out good vibes with the power of love. The third objective is to re-establish the power of friendship between two best mates by building music around their most fond memories (can’t go wrong with laser skating). The fourth goal is to reassemble the space corgi, ‘Potato’, who got blasted to bits when STEVE4 sent out bad tunes through the network. The final mission is a showdown with STEVE4 at a dance party, with the power of the Jamtenna Network it is impossible to lose.

Cosmic-DJ-Screenshot-02 — Cosmic DJ features the adorable Corgi, ‘Potato’ (a.k.a. Potato Pancake Wisirup) owned by Kat Wenske.

The gameplay is very basic, mainly because it is more improvisational than technical. Players are given the choice of several groovy instruments, including; keyboards, guitar, drums and voice samples to sequence into their 32-beat mixed jams. For each mission there is a particular set of diverse and funky sounds that work really well, such as; attack rave, slap bass, girls gone mild, synth ping, dog life, horse laser and saw floor. Using the keys Z, X, C and V (also A, S, D, F works) which are displayed on the four pads, players can tap their own beats. Alternatively, players can also use a grid sequencer, with the click of the mouse to create the perfect rhythm. On the off-chance you don’t like the combination of sounds; you can clear what you have done and start over as many times as you want to.

Once the set bar of the jam metre is reached, players can submit their creations. The best part is that once each Jamtenna is repaired, Cosmic DJ can listen to their combined recordings and convert their tracks into an MP3 file that can be shared via SoundCloud. This feature allows players to form their own collection of Cosmic DJ hits for future stardom. While the song recording is in progress, players can design their own cover artwork using a range of themes, drawing and sticker tools to personalise the new track.

As there is no differentiating factor in the looping process of gameplay, players are confined to creating songs in a very repetitious environment. It would be nice to see a multiplayer component, which would enable more players to jam more competitively and get more out of the Cosmic DJ experience. Having a wider network of players creating songs together would not steer the focus away from the joys of embracing music.

Cosmic DJ is defined foremost by the intense audio and visuals on display. To be completely honest, the radiating flashes of unclear animations of the 3D digital world were extremely disorienting and dramatized considerably, for the one-dimensional storyline. With the overlapping sound mixing and overwhelming visuals, it was more challenging to keep my eyes on the screen than anything else. In terms of audio, the robotic voiceover could be improved, as well as the “cheesy” dialogue. For example, in the mission to do with the lover’s quarrel, the DJ says, “Sometimes people don’t realise that love IS like a video game. There are challenges, you can level up and you can make a nice coat out of wolf pelts.” Nevertheless, the music making instruments are great fun and player’s will find that each song they create is incredibly unique.

Cosmic DJ still needs some fine-tuning before the game is officially released. The storyline is underdeveloped and does not add to the rhythmic experience; rather it serves as background imagery for players. The developers might want to consider expanding the game for multiplayer functionality, with the ability for online players to vote on the best jams. While the game is still in the early stages of development, it is currently up and running for play on Steam. For those who prefer games that focus primarily on being fun and silly, than Cosmic DJ is definitely a track on the to-do list.

Wargaming Announces E3 2014 Presence

Press Releases

Philip Federico

-

May 20, 2014

0

Wargaming Announces E3 2014 Presence

Company to reveal World of Tanks Blitz release date

May 20, 2014 — Wargaming today announced details of the company’s presence at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2014 in Los Angeles on June 10 – 12. With a massive 10,000 square feet booth located at 623 in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center, Wargaming plans to showcase a number of titles to E3 attendees.

The company’s multiplatform lineup will include the PC sensation World of Tanks, with its major overhaul currently underway, and World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition with a brand new line of vehicles. Rounding out the lineup, Wargaming will announce the release date of the mobile MMO action game World of Tanks Blitz that successfully soft-launched in Scandinavian countries and will go live globally soon.

Visitors at the booth will be able to participate in exclusive giveaways during the show and try their hand at a number of Wargaming titles, including World of Tanks, World of Warplanes, World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition, and World of Tanks Blitz at one of the many gaming stations.

Wargaming will also exhibit two armored vehicles at E3: the M4 Sherman medium tank will be on display outside of the South Hall, while the T-62A medium tank will be featured within the booth during the expo.

###

Asset pack (logos + screens of all projects):

ftp://ftpplus.wargaming.net/WGN_Assets_E3_2014_Announcement.zip
About Wargaming

Wargaming is an award-winning online game developer and publisher and one of the leaders in the free-to-play MMO market. Founded as a privately held company in 1998, Wargaming has shipped more than 15 titles and employs over 3,000 people across such key regions as North America, Europe, Russia, Asia, and Australia.

Currently, Wargaming is focused on its team-based MMO war series dedicated to mid-20th century warfare that will include the company’s flagship armored MMO World of Tanks, launched in April 2011 and currently boasting over 80 million players worldwide, the flight combat World of Warplanes that took off in November 2013 with over 4.5 million pilots, and the naval World of Warships, scheduled for release in 2014.

In June 2012, Wargaming announced the Wargaming.net Service, the epicenter of the online battle gaming universe that will gather the series under a single portal—www.wargaming.net.

Official website:

www.wargaming.com

Gauntlet: Darkness Calls digital comic available free with pre-order of Gauntlet

Retailer specific in-game bonuses offer fans even more reasons to battle with their friends in the fight for treasure and glory this September!

<img decoding="async" class="artwork" src="http://a3.mzstatic.com/us/r30/Purple4/v4/d5/df/f3/d5dff332-12fe-630b-3644-8b66f8c74db3/mzl.pscwmhfr.175x175-75.jpg" alt="Road Story" width="175" height="175" />

Road Story By Smartphoneware

Description

Screenshots

Wargaming Announces E3 2014 Presence

Company to reveal World of Tanks Blitz release date