Steel Wool Games Super-fly Platform-Adventure game is landing this summer!
Flyhunter Origins will be swooshing onto PS Vita, PC, Mac, Mobile and Tegra powered devices 28th May: Steel Wool Games and Indie Publisher Ripstone announced today that their Platform-Adventure game Flyhunter Origins will be coming to PS Vita, PC, Mac, Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and Tegra powered devices this summer!
Developed by some of the finest artists and animators in the film industry – Flyhunter Origins delivers the sort of high quality cutscenes, characters and story that you would expect from a team with Steel Wool Games extraordinary credentials.
Let’s set the scene… Zak is a bumbling alien spaceship Janitor and wannabe Flyhunter from Burgarol 3. He works on board the Flyhunter Crew’s legendary spaceship;‘The Frog’ but deep down he longs for an exciting adventure of his own. Somewhere in Earth’s orbit, while the heroic Flyhunters are deep in cryo sleep; The Frog’s cargo of super-important exotic insects from the latest hunt is mysteriously jettisoned into Space, crash-landing back on planet Earth! It seems that clumsy Janitor Zak is the only one around to save the day. Can this accidental hero swap his sweeping brush for a super-cool fly swatter and take on the role of daring Flyhunter? It’s a good job Zak’s used to cleaning up – because he’s in a huge mess! Hurry! Help this little dude complete his mission, before “The Investors” find out their expensive bugs are missing!
About Steel Wool Games
Steel Wool Games was created by five artists, who decided to take their passion, creativity and combined 60 years of experience in the animation industry to make games and start their own indie studio. The team has worked on such films as Disney•Pixar’s, “Brave,” “The Incredibles,” “Toy Story”, “Monsters University”, “Ratatouille” and many others. Steel Wool games looks forward to releasing their first title in summer 2014 which will be published by Ripstone.
Visit http://www.steelwoolgames.com for more information.
About Ripstone
Ripstone® Publishing is an independent UK based games publisher specialising in digital distribution.
Ripstone’s ethos is built on honesty, integrity and trust, founded in 2011 in order to create a bespoke service for independent game developers.
Publishing video games on a number of different platforms including handheld and home consoles, PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android; Ripstone is best known for games such as Pure Chess, the award-winning Knytt Underground, Big Sky Infinity, Men’s Room Mayhem & Stick It To The Man.
Prepare for battle with the introduction of the Red Army
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – May 28, 2014 – Today Ubisoft® announced that the Red Army is joining the fight in Panzer General® Online, the new free-to-play browser based game from Blue Byte®.
The Red Army is marching into Panzer General Online with new units, boosters and starter packs along with a new single player campaign. Players will build up their Red Army decks to fight against the U.S. and German forces in intense, tactical online matches. Now featuring the three largest armies of World War II, Panzer General Online takes history farther, allowing players to command historical units including the famous T-34 tank and the dreaded Katyusha rocket launcher.
To get started playing, sign up for the open beta of Panzer General Online though the official website: www.panzergeneral.com.
Panzer General Online is a free-to-play browser-based tactical game combining elements of collectible card games and board games. Players create their own armies of World War II units including tanks, artillery and the infantry as well as command cards that when deployed strategically, can turn the tide of battle. Featuring a single player campaign and multiplayer PvP battles, players can challenge their friends and other generals to race to the top of the leaderboards.
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 and Far Cry. 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 2013-14 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,007 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.
About Blue Byte, a Ubisoft studio:
Blue Byte was established in 1988 and released its first hit game in 1991: Battle Isle. This was followed in 1993 by the development strategy game The Settlers®, which established itself as a longlasting favorite. In 2001, Blue Byte was acquired by Ubisoft, and in 2004 the studio moved into the premises of Ubisoft’s German branch in Düsseldorf. The team at Blue Byte is responsible for new productions of The Settlers® and ANNO®. The studio is also active in the free-2-play genre with the web-based browser game The Settlers Online, available in several languages and currently captivating millions of players worldwide.
Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association Nikkei Business Publications, Inc.
TOKYO GAME SHOW 2014, organized by the Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA) and in cooperation with Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. (Nikkei BP), announces Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) as a special sponsor for the “Indie Game Area” and “SENSE OF WONDER NIGHT 2014 (SOWN 2014)”; two projects for independent game developers.
As a special sponsor, SCE will cover 100% of the exhibition fees for the Indie Game Area, which will be exhibited through four days for 99,900 yen, and exhibited through two days in Public Days for 32,400 yen (* regardless of the platform of the exhibition title).
Thanks to this, exhibition fees for all participants in this area will be free. Also, to call for a wider range of exhibitions, the deadline for application for exhibition entry is extended till June 11 (Wednesday), from the original deadline of May 30 (Friday).
Maximum 50 booths (scheduled) out of applied titles will be selected by the Administration Office to be exhibited in the Indie Game Area.
Last year, the Indie Game Area was set for the first time in the TOKYO GAME SHOW. 41 independent game developers from 10 countries/regions worldwide participated and attracted a lot of attention. Many applications have been accepted for this year’s exhibition already.
The SOWN 2014, which presents “unprecedented” game ideas including game prototypes, welcomes its 7th year and has been a staple as the stage event for independent develops at TGS.
The application for the SOWN 2014 will be accepted until July 7 (Monday). Maximum 10 titles will be selected as the presentation titles through the screening by the selection committee.
Both projects will be carried out with the cooperation of the International Game Developers Association Japan Chapter (IGDA Japan).
The TOKYO GAME SHOW provides opportunities to transmit new gaming ideas to the world through projects for independent game developers; Indie Game Area and SOWN 2014.
*For details on application requirements and application methods for both projects, please refer to the TOKYO GAME SHOW official website (http://tgs.cesa.or.jp/).
Frank Studio: Film4 Publisher: Madman Format: Cinema Release Date: 7th of June (Sydney Film Festival) Price: $19.50 – Available Here
Overview
Where does one even begin to understand a movie like Lenny Abrahamson’s Frank? The answer is simple: you don’t. You simply sit back watching the insanity of the plot and its characters unfold. Made by the same guys who made Submarine and The Double andInspired by Chris Sievey’s comical character (Frank Sidebottom), the film’s eponymous character wears an oversized paper-mache head. This absurd concept sets the tone for the rest of this black comedy film with an anarchic, indie punk rock feel.
Story
The film can largely be broken up into three acts, with the audience following the plot largely from the perspective of the timidly sweet, amateur musician, Jon (played by Domhnall Gleeson). We first find Jon in the middle of a creative rut. He believes he is unable to compose music due to his largely comfortable but uninspiring surroundings in the suburbs. Due to fate, and a nervous breakdown, Jon ends up being invited to play keyboard for a band called ‘Soronprfbs’ after only being asked if he can play some very basic notes.
Following the performance, he is (essentially) kidnapped to a cabin retreat by the band in order to help them record their next album. Among his eccentric band mates is the sexually deviant manager Don (Scott McNairy), the aggressive theremin player Clara (Maggie Gyllenhaal), and the titular, paper-mache head-wearing Frank (Michael Fassbender). Jon does his best to try and fit in with his fellow band members but is largely met with hostility, which is repeatedly played for laughs throughout the movie.
Things escalate with the band due to Jon garnering social media coverage of Soronprfbs by recording and posting their rehearsals online. Their meagre online popularity leads to them being invited to play at the festival ‘South by South West’. Their limited success and fame does take their toll as underlying tensions surface.
The narrative is largely minimalist with few set changes or character developments. Jon starts the movie as a talentless pop-musician wannabe and by the end he remains such. Although we, the audience, learn about the quirky characters which inhabit this film, we don’t get to see them develop or learn anything. In fact, I would go further and say that most of the characters are underdeveloped in a number of aspects and that a lot of the actions they take are not given any rhyme or reason (i.e. the irrational hatred of Jon by the rest of his bandmates). The film appears to pride itself on its zany, quirkiness which in turn means that it loses focus and goes from one disjointed event to another with the film’s third act providing somewhat of an anti-climax.
Gleeson is great in his performance and brings a timid charm to Jon as he wallows in his status as a fish-out-of-water in the band. Fassbender is similarly enjoyable in his portrayal of Frank as he gives a performance on expression through physicality to overcome the mask. I also believe that casting one of the (currently) biggest names in Hollywood to play a character whose face is covered throughout the film is comedic genius. Gyllenhal does an admirable job with Clara, but since the character appears to simply be a parody of the manic ‘pixie dream girl’ trope of so many Hollywood films of late, she doesn’t appear to have been given much to work with by the script.
The best way I can rationalise this film is as a parody, especially of the sub-genre of biopics focusing on the life and works of musicians. In particular, it takes aim at the common trope of musical genius going hand-in-hand with mental illness. Although there were several moments where the film enticed me to laugh out loud at several points, this aspect did make me squirm as the film repeatedly brushes off its lack of character motivation with explanations along the lines of “It’s a mental illness”. I would like to believe that this was largely done in parody of the trope from aforementioned biopics but I can’t shake the feeling that the writers relied on this punchline a bit too much in Frank. The more I think about it, the less comfortable I am with this film.
Visuals & Audio
The visuals are quite pleasant through most of the film with the direction doing a capable job of showcasing scenery and at times setting up jokes. The cinematography gets to showcase some fairly breathtaking sites in both New Mexico and Ireland as the film moves through the plot. Shots of suburban England are suitably grey and drab in comparison to the green of Ireland and the yellow desert of Texas. Largely, this lies in the background as most of the scenes are shot in either interiors or urban environments. The actors are dressed in suitable hipster-chic fashion which, I dare say, is complimented by the addition of a giant paper-mache head. Occasional graphics of Jon tweeting the events of the plot also make an appearance and help to deliver a witty punch-line to keep you going.
The music is a big part of this film (surprise, surprise). All the diagetic music was recorded on-set live by the cast at the same time as shooting. I can best describe it as indie industrial punk with a variety of unusual instruments and sound recordings combining to make what I assume is music. This is certainly not something you’d hear playing at club or requested on radio as it’s suitably abstract and avant-garde to match the unusual personalities of its creators. It’s difficult for me to give an objective view of the music within this film and due to my limited knowledge on this topic I can only give you this: When I first heard Soronprfbs play, I wanted to tear my ear drums out. By the closing credits, I had warmed up to their sound considerably. Whether they’re good or not is still a mystery to me… or maybe that’s the joke?
Overall
Overall, I feel like this film banks too much on the unusual nature of its characters and the absurdity of their actions. Sometimes, this hits the mark and tickles my funny bone, but by the end the laughs ran dry for me. This film does raise interesting questions about the nature of the creative process and the standards by which we measure artistic success, which certainly hit a note with me.
The hipster quirk can certainly be charming, but eccentric for the sake of eccentric does not create enough substance for an entire film but it might keep you entertained for a couple of hours. This movie still made laugh out loud (or “lol” as kids these days would say) at times, and it is certainly deserving of your attention… just be prepared for the rocky third act and perhaps some uncomfortable themes.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Deponia – The Puzzle and Edna & Harvey – The Puzzle now available for iPad
Hamburg, Germany; May 28, 2014. The Hamburg-based studio Daedalic Entertainment and the developer Chromatrix have released Deponia – The Puzzle and Edna & Harvey – The Puzzle for iPads and Android tablets. Both puzzle games are now available for iPad on the App Store for € 1.79/$ 1.99/GBP 1.49/RUR 66 at http://bit.ly/RAzHzX (Deponia – The Puzzle) and http://bit.ly/1nTxxX1 (Edna & Harvey – The Puzzle). The Android versions will appear in two weeks on Google Play and on the Amazon app store on June 12th.
With Deponia – The Puzzle and Edna & Harvey – The Puzzle, the cult adventures return as mobile puzzle fun and provide the real Daedalic feeling. With each game offering 96 puzzles of favorite background themes from the Deponia trilogy and the Edna & Harvey series, long-term puzzle fun is guaranteed. Three different modes are available in the single-player version. In the classic Search & Find mode, players have to find the right puzzle pieces for a given field as quickly as possible in order to earn maximum points. Additional drag & drop modes, rotating puzzles, and a variety of difficulty levels ensure that even puzzle pros will have tons of fun.
The highlight of the mobile version is the two-player mode. Once a puzzle has been unlocked, it can be played with someone else from then on. Two friends can compete at puzzling on the same tablet in a speedy picture duel.
The Daedalic puzzle fun is now available on the App Store for € 1.79/$ 1.99/GBP 1.49/ RUR 66 at http://bit.ly/RAzHzX (Deponia – The Puzzle) and http://bit.ly/1nTxxX1 (Edna & Harvey – The Puzzle).
About Daedalic Entertainment
Daedalic Entertainment is a Hamburg-based indie-studio that develops and publishes high-quality games worldwide, focusing on the projects with strong narratives. Over the last few years, Daedalic has collected 21 German Game Developer Awards (incl. “Studio of the Year 2009, 2013”), five German Computer Game Awards (incl. “Best Game 2011”), and more.
Chromatrix GmbH develops and publishes computer games for mobile platforms, browser and PC. Chromatrix received numerous awards for their “The Dark Eye”/”Das Schwarze Auge” series on mobile phones particularly the German Developer Award as Best Mobile Game 2004 and 2005, and Best Browsergame 2008.
Chromatrix also licenses Europe’s largest Fantasy RPG “The Dark Eye” to third parties, i.e. “Blackguards”, “Demonicon”, “Memoria”, “Realms of Arkania”, “Herokon Online”, “Chains of Satinav”, “Drakensang”.
Kill the Bad Guy Now Available on Steam and Other Digital Platforms
Use the environment to create diabolical traps and rid the world of vile criminals in this blood-soaked puzzler from Exkee
Marseille, France – May 28, 2014 – Let the gore hit the floor …and splatter just about everywhere else. Independent game developer, Exkee today announced that their gory puzzler, Kill The Bad Guy, is now available on Steam and other digital platforms including Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Kill The Bad Guy is a puzzle-based game with a seemingly calm, utopian atmosphere, but in actuality, it is a veritable playground for which to serve vile evil doers their just desserts! Players will act as a shadowy justice, manipulating the tangible world from afar as the unsuspecting Bad Guy goes about his day.
Players will use intelligence, cunning, and trickery to find the best way to lure the Bad Guy into a deadly trap. Once the Bad Guy is zeroed in on, players can choose accessible tools best suited for the job: a runaway car, a razor-sharp propeller from a defective air-conditioner unit, or perhaps a wrecking ball which happened to “accidentally” detach itself from an excavator. What will it be? Every level provides players with the possibility to splatter and destroy the Bad Guy using various weapons and traps. Simply put, it is up to the player to put the Bad Guy in the wrong place at the right time!
To celebrate the release of Kill The Bad Guy, Exkee has created an all-new launch trailer showing off some of the unique ways to dispense justice. To view the launch trailer, please visit the official Exkee YouTube channel: http://youtu.be/QGDas5xaCIg.
Kill The Bad Guy Features:
OVER 60 LEVELS – Track Bad Guys across 60 original levels, plus 6 unlockable bonus levels
USE YOUR ENVIRONMENT – Make full use of all the different traps available. Sabotage vehicles, transform daily objects into weapons, and combine different elements in order to create deadly new ones.
INSTANT REPLAYS – Become the perfect assassin by using the game’s replay feature. Get the top score, fulfill secondary objectives, find new ways to kill each Bad Guy, and perfect your justice skills.
SOCIAL SHARING – Show off your killing prowess by sharing your achievements and screenshots of your trophy kills with your friends. Prove that you are the world’s top justice seeker!
Kill The Bad Guy is now available on Steam for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. To download Kill The Bad Guy, please visit the Steam store page:
For additional information, please visit the official Kill The Bad Guy site at www.ktbg-thegame.com.
Stay in touch with Exkee:
About Exkee:
Exkee is an independent video game company located in Marseille, France. Founded in 2003, Exkee has created a number of original products including:
I-Fluid, ColorZ, and Voodoo Dice. Exkee’s rich expertise and their young studio’s dynamism has also allowed them to develop various internationally renowned games such as: Ghost Recon Network, Raving Rabbids Mobile, and most recently Foosbal / Metegol, a game based on the animated full-length movie of the same name.
Exkee’s France-based office consists of passionate employees who strive to create games which are always innovative and original. Additional information can be found at www.exkee.com.
MapleStory celebrates its 7th anniversary in style with special patch and events
Luxembourg, 28th May 2014: Nexon Europe has the pleasure to announce today the 7thanniversary celebrations of MapleStory, the enormously popular fantasy MMO that has thrilled millions of players worldwide since its inception.
The anniversary patch to the game involves a host of new content that will have Maplers enthralled, taking them on a brand new set of adventures through the timeless Maple World. Old adventurers and new are sure to be delighted by the gifts and characters on offer, each available for a different time frame to take celebrations to the max.
“Time flies when you’re having fun – and we’ve had a lot,” said Anna Kwon, Operation Manager at Nexon Europe. “We’re thrilled to be rewarding our loving community with new content and so many special events to commemorate the occasion. Here’s to another seven happy years!”
Until 11th June, players can help Little Richie prepare his water park and defeat the evil Black Bean. When destroyed, Black Bean will drop a range of treats including special items, Chair of Black Bean, power up scrolls and 7th anniversary coins.
The Red Monster Invasion has already begun and the residents of Maple World need all the help they can get to clear it. Cassandra, who will be handing out daily quests to players over Level 13, will give players a sealed 7th anniversary box, which can only be opened by keys found after defeating one of the Red Monsters. These strange creatures spawn once every three hours in the game world, but will give way to unique 7th anniversary themed gifts. As well as Red Monsters, Maple World has also been subjected to the Cake and Pie Monster invasion! These bosses will spawn in various towns throughout the world.
Also available until 11th June is a special event for MapleStory players that have reached level 200 – the best of the best. The Masters Road will see high level players create their own statues and battle tough enemies to unlock big rewards.
The Five Maple Marble (dice) Event sees players take each other on in an epic Maple Story board game to unlock special 7th anniversary coins. These coins can be traded in at the NPC Inkwell for more 7th anniversary items and players can get coins in the game.
A new button has also been added to the game, for an easier character selection process. This can be found in the game menu and lets players change characters without having to log out from the game.
About MapleStory
MapleStory is a free2play 2D Fantasy MMORPG first launched in South Korea in April 2003, allowing players to delve deep into an exciting online adventure to fight monsters, solve quests and join fellow gamers. Since then, MapleStory was able to delight nearly 100 million players worldwide by now; establishing Nexon’s fantastic journey through Maple World as one of the most successful online games. More than 2 million European players are contributing to this huge community since May 2007, when the European service started in English, German, Spanish, French and Dutch.
About Nexon Europe
Established in March 2007, Nexon Europe is one of the leading publishers of free-to-play MMOs in Europe. The company has brought the worldwide hit casual MMORPG MapleStory to Europe in May 2007, and the successful FPS Combat Arms in January 2009. With the launch of the 3D action MMORPG Vindictus in 2011, Nexon Europe has strengthened its position as a promising publisher in Europe. Next to these in-house franchises, Nexon Europe was also able to acquire and fully operate Atlantica Online, an innovative, tactical MMORPG; Dekaron, an authentic action MMORPG set in a grim fantasy universe; and the action-packed FPS War Rock. The recent additions to its growing portfolio are Navy Field 2 alongside the legendary FPS game Counter-Strike Online in Turkey. For 2014, the company’s first browser-based full-scale MMORPG Arcane Chronicles and fun-packed, action-fighting game Lost Saga will join as new line-ups. Furthermore, with United Eleven, a browser-based, cross-platform football management game, Nexon Europe is seeking to reach diverse players globally. For more information on Nexon Europe and its games, please visit the official website at www.nexoneu.com.
Founder of Revolution Software, Charles Cecil, declared, “We are absolutely delighted by the response of PlayStation Vita gamers to the first episode of The Serpent’s Curse. A large number of people had contacted us to ask, or simply just demand, that we bring the game to Vita. Now they can get stuck into the concluding episode or, for those who preferred to wait, to play the adventure in its entirety.”
Following Broken Sword 5 – the Serpent’s Curse: Episode 1, the highly-anticipated sequel comes to a dramatic finish with George and Nico venturing throughout Spanish Catalonia and the depths of Iraq and coming face to face with the ultimate nemesis – a terrifying goat!
Broken Sword 5 – the Serpent’s Curse: Episode Two for PS Vita can be purchased at the PSN store for $17.69 (€12.99) or $27.23 (€19.99) for both episodes – for a limited period there are special launch discounts. Currently both episodes of Broken Sword 5 – the Serpent’s Curse are available on PC, Linux and Mac from Steam, GOG.com, Humble Store, and Get Games for $24.99.
Madman Entertainment – one of the leading Australian anime and manga distributors – is, once again, changing the way in which they deliver Japanese pop culture to the citizens of this great country. Yes, it is all good and well to purchase anime from Madman, heck, they even gave it to us for free through their “Madman Screening Room”, but now they’re taking their anime distribution to the next level with their brand-new streaming service “AnimeLab“.
Basically this new service will allow residents of Australia and New Zealand to access a variety of new and classic anime series from a number of different devices. “AnimeLab” is mobile/tablet-ready and supports Google Chromecast which means it will be available to pretty much everybody. So far, shows like “Attack On Titan“, “Space Dandy” and “Sword Art Online” are available to be watched through the service alongside current season titles like “Date A Live II” and “Dai-Shogun – Great Revolution”.
As of right now, “AnimeLab” is entirely free but this is strictly for a limited time so jump onto it now before that changes. To sign up for this exciting new service, head over to the “AnimeLab” official website by clicking here. This is definitely a huge step in the right direction for Madman Entertainment. I Suggest you join them.
The secret Indie Gala project previously known as “Gala Project X” is officially open for pre-orders. Blockstorm is a voxel-based FPS developed by Ghostshark Games bundled with the very same editor the developers used to create the game’s content. Players will have access to a wide variety of weapons to build and destroy the terrain in an attempt to gain a tactical advantage over their enemy. Currently, the game boasts Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Assault modes. Modders will have access to powerful editing tools to create new or modify existing maps and characters that can be shared with the world on Steam Workshop.
The game is now available for pre-order for $9.99. Those who pre-order will get instant access to the Steam Early Access and get the opportunity to provide the development team with vital feedback that will mould the future of Blockstorm. Learn more about the game at the official Blockstorm site.
