NEW GAME SERVERS DEPLOYED IN AUSTRALIA IN PREPARATION FOR DIABLO® III: REAPER OF SOULS™
Sydney, Australia—March 20, 2014—Blizzard Entertainment is pleased to announce the deployment of local Diablo® III game servers in Australia and New Zealand to coincide with the launch of Diablo® III: Reaper of Souls™ on March 25, 2014. This new infrastructure should result in a smoother gameplay experience for local players.
“We’ve listened to community feedback and set a goal of improving the game experience for Diablo players in Australia and New Zealand,” said Paul Sams, chief operating officer of Blizzard Entertainment. “By deploying local game servers to the region in time for the release of Reaper of Souls, we aim to make slaying demons more fun—for the heroes, at least. Malthael’s in for a world of hurt.”
Reaper of Souls, the upcoming expansion to Diablo III, opens a dark and terrifying new chapter in the ongoing conflict over the mortal realm of Sanctuary. For more information about Reaper of Souls, visit http://www.diablo3.com/reaper.
About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft® and the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track record includes sixteen #1-selling games* and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s online-gaming service, Battle.net®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.
*Based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners.
Welcome to another episode of CC: Anime, Capsule Computers Anime Podcast! In our thirtieth episode, the CC: Anime crew discuss the latest anime and manga news, the upcoming Spring 2014 season, the series that have caught there eye, card games solving all of lifes troubles, sports anime bonanza and we reveal the truth of the universe of Space Dandy, isn’t that right Everett?
Cast: Luke Halliday, Travis Bruno, Frank Inglese and Kane Bugeja.
We hope you enjoy CC: Anime Episode 30, be sure to let us know what you think.
Time to shuffle your decks, draw 7 cards and get ready to cast some spells, as today Wizards of the Coast have announced that they will be bringing the one, the only Magic: The Gathering to Oz Comic-Con in Adelaide and Perth this year. Whether you are new to the long-running strategy game or a seasoned veteran, there is something for everyone here.
Players can pick up a free 30-card basic deck and start slinging spells under the tutelage of some of the finest in the country, or you can purchase one of the many Intro Packs (at 20% off RRP) and get yourself a free booster, a free Comic-Con exclusive promo card, and entry into the Intro Pack Tournament. As if that wasn’t all, you will be able to play the iPad version of Magic 2014: Duels of the Planeswalkersand try to earn yourself an exclusive copy of Elspeth Tirel’s Sword.
All of this, plus all the other greatness that is coming to Oz Comic-Con this year! Don’t forget that pre-registration to the Adelaide and Perth Comic-Cons gets you a free entry to the amazing NYCC prize for later in the year. So for all the Magic: The Gathering news as it becomes available, be sure to stay tuned to Capsule Computers.
In what can be seen as a surprising but a very welcome announcement from Sentai Filmworks fans of Mondaiji-tachi ga Isekai Kara Kuru Sō Desu yo? will be be happy to hear. The company has announced that they have picked up the license for the series and are planning on giving it a home video release sometime in the future under the name Problem children are coming from another world, aren’t they?
Currently it is unknown whether or not Sentai will be giving this series an English dub or if it will be a sub-only release. Despite being only a ten episode series this one actually won our Winter 2014 Anime of the Yearduring our inaugural anime awards.
Today Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2: Sisters Generation was released in Japan and to help bring a little hype with the game’s release 4Gamerhas released a little over eleven minutes of gameplay footage showing off the game and some of the improvements that have been made to the title since the original was released and localize by NIS America.
You can check out the gameplay below and as for the game itself, the localization chances of this title are currently unknown since, despite NIS America localizing nearly every Neptunia game so far, they have yet to license the Re;birth 1 which is the remake of the first game and was released in Japan last year.
Challenge your friends and race through your favorite fairy tales in this fun and social MMO!
Torrance, CA – March 20, 2014 – The long awaited return of Tales Runner to North America is finally here. OGPlanet launches the game’s first beta test today. Servers will officially open at 12:00 PM PT / 3:00 PM ET, but players can sign up for their free OGPlanet account anytime at http://www.TalesRunnerOnline.com.
Jump into this exciting and casual racing MMO that is like no other. Compete against friends, enemies and time itself as you race through tracks based off your favorite fairy tales, such as Alice in Wonderland, Jack and the Bean Stalk and many more. For those needing a break from the intensity of racing, hang out with friends in the Park and socialize with other players from the game or head to your farm to raise your pet and grow your crops.
OGPlanet is kicking off Tales Runner’s first beta test with some fun and exciting events. Casual and elite players alike can both win tons of awesome prizes. That’s not all! Simply by taking part in Tales Runner’s first beta test, all players will receive a bonus prize for the game’s full launch, scheduled for later this spring.
Tales Runner’s Main Features:
Famous Fairy Tale Maps: Race through tracks based on your favorite Fairy Tales such as Jack & the Bean Stalk, Alice in Wonderland and many more.
Intense PvP: Compete against your friends and other opponents in intense 8 player races, relays or team matches. Those up for a real challenge can try their luck at Survival Mode where it is truly survival of the fittest.
Challenging PvE: Play against various magical enemies and confront epic bosses from legendary tales. You better team up with a friend though, these bosses mean business.
Social MMO: Meet your friends in the Park and chat about your exciting races and victories or invite them to your farm where you can raise your pet and grow crops to sell.
Pet Racing: Raise and train your pet to become a four legged speed machine. Prove to your friends that you have the fastest pet by challenging them to an epic pet race.
Mini-Games: Take a break from the intense racing to play some fun and casual mini-games such as a Jeopardy style quiz game, fortune tellers and more.
Tales Runner Overview
Tales Runner is a wonderfully bright and cheerful racing game that you can play with your friends! Set in a world where your favorite fairy tales come to life, challenge your friends and take some friendly competition to the next level. With multiple game modes, quests and social features such as the community Park, Farm and chat, there is never a dull moment and always fun to be had.
Sign up and play Tales Runner’s first beta test at http://www.TalesRunnerOnline.com. The race begins March 20th at 12:00 PM PT / 3:00 PM ET.
Players can also join the friendly Tales Runner community on Facebook or on Twitter to stay current on all the latest Tales Runner announcements, updates, events, contests and more!
About OGPlanet
Headquartered in Torrance, California, OGPlanet is a leading publisher in North America and Europe of free-to-play, multiplayer, online games. OGPlanet offers a wide range of game titles, such as SD Gundam Capsule Fighter Online, Rumble Fighter, La Tale, Heroes of the Realm, Red Stone, Heva Clonia Online and soon Tales Runner. For more information, visit http://www.ogplanet.com.
Director, Travis Fine delivers a beautiful masterpiece with the film, Any Day Now; inspired by a true story that touches upon the barriers of sexual, social and legal discrimination in the 1970’s. The audience is thrown back to a despicable period that was closeted to the idea of change and accepting everyone as equals, regardless of their sexual orientation. The motion picture officially selected for this year’s Mardi Gras Film Festival and the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, reinforces the relevant struggle within the gay community and captures the hearts of our world today.
Story
Welcome to 1979, West California – drag queens strutting on stage and lip syncing in their fabulous glittery dresses and make-up in Fabios, the glorious gay bar. On the other side of the door is a vicious and corrupt society that refuses to accept homosexuality as a ‘normal’ lifestyle. Rudy Donatello (Alan Cumming from The Smurfs 2) takes on the stunning role as a lead drag performer and proud gay man, who attracts the attention of the timid newcomer, Paul Fliger (Garret Dillahunt from Looper). On the night they meet at Fabios, the men quickly become acquainted on a “deeper” level in Paul’s car, much to the surprise of a police officer on guard. At this point, we discover that Paul is a district attorney, with an agenda to hide his sexual orientation from becoming public knowledge. The men leave with a warning from the officer to keep their private endeavours elsewhere. Regardless of their differences in expressing their sexuality, Paul gives Rudy his business card and insists that they keep in contact.
The critical turning point of the film follows the introduction of Marco Deison (Isaac Leyva), a down-syndrome teenager with a blonde doll, whose junkie mother has been incarcerated. When Rudy discovers Marco alone in his apartment next door, he takes the initiative to reach out to Paul to ensure that the teenage boy does not end up in foster care through family services. With the help of the district attorney, Rudy visits the ‘real parent’ and demands the right to custody of her son, Marco, during the period she remains in prison. Before making an appeal, Rudy rearranges his life by moving in with Paul to ensure that Marco can live in a safe, loving and financially secure environment. However the custody rights come with a great cost, in that the men cannot freely be romantically involved and “appropriate” guardians. Despite the fact that they are lovers, Paul declares to the court that Rudy is his cousin to avoid legal complications and suspicion from his work colleagues and friends.
The most powerful element of this true story is the commitment and dedication that these two loving men bestow on Marco, to guarantee that he is treasured and valued for the special boy he is. For the first time, Marco is given the opportunity to become a part of something promising and that is the security of a family. And as a result, Paul becomes more accepting of himself as a gay man and father figure, and becomes more determined to spend his time working as an attorney to make a true difference to society. Paul’s willful and introverted persona is juxtaposed by Rudy’s flamboyant and arrogant personality, which hides his deep-seated vulnerability to the situation which is unfolding before his eyes. Observing the character’s subtle personality changes throughout the film, highlights how profoundly people’s lives can be altered by society’s prejudice and scrutiny over what is seen as “normal”.
When their “unconventional” living arrangement is revealed to the public, Paul and Rudy are confronted by their decision to not initially claim the true nature of their relationship. Over the next few weeks, the court case takes a drastic turn and consequently changes the lives of each family members forever.
Visuals
Rachel Morrison takes the lead as cinemaphotographer for Any Day Now, and does a great job at capturing the emotion portrayed by each of the central characters. From the opening sequence of the film, Marco is depicted to the audience as a wanderer of the night, a boy cast in the shadows hopelessly searching for the right place. The dark and hazy atmosphere in this scene carries through the film as a burden for what’s to come. As the film progresses, the lighting drastically changes as Paul and Rudy’s relationship flourishes with Marco. One of the most memorable scenes was the montage of memories, encapsulating the happy and joyous moments shared between each member of the family.
As a way of highlighting the 1970’s ambience within the set, Rachel made use of a specialised camera technology from that period, to build on the contrasting tones of colour with uncoated ultra-prime lenses. In particular, the scenes in Fabios bar were visually more appetising for the audience compared to the mundane humdrum of the court room.
Audio
Joey Newman composes a wonderful score that flows majestically with the somber melody of the piano in the film. Joey frames the narrative with the music, illustrating the journey of the family and gradually delving deeper into the heart-breaking true story. The soundtrack would not be the same without Alan Cumming, giving the best performance of his career with the songs; ‘I Shall Be Released’, ‘Come to Me’ and ‘Long Don’t Live Here Anymore’. In the concluding scenes of Any Day Now, Alan brings the audience to tears with the song ‘I Shall Be Released’.
Overall
Any Day Now is not just a film, but a true story that will inspire the audience to put into perspective what is morally important. The title stipulates a movement to change the justice system to ensure that the rights of equality for all are met. Should we expect that Any Day Now we can change the world? Well that all depends on who is willing to move forward towards a better future, rather than dwell in the past. In our present time it is important to believe in yourself, your capabilities and the people that you want to be. I would highly recommend watching this film to everyone (mature enough), because it highlights issues that are still relevant in our society today and allows people to become more understanding of the wrongs from the past.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Today NIS America has released a handful of new screenshots for Mugen Souls Z and these screens mark the first time that Mugen Souls Z’s gameplay has been shown in English. It is also worth noting that instead of the vague May release window we now know that Mugen Souls Z will be released in North America on May 20th and a few days later on May 23rd in Europe.
In this sequel to Mugen Souls, players will take control of the goddess Syrma who meets Chou-Chou shortly after the events of the first game. Syrma is out to stop an ancient threat to her world and with the help of Chou-Chou and her friends, plus a level cap of 9,999, players must do what they can in this wacky game to put a stop to this threat.
Now that Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends is set to be released in North America in less than a week Tecmo Koei has chosen to release their first English trailer for the game which shows off how the game will look if you play it on the PlayStation 4 as all of the gameplay footage found below is from the next-gen version of the game.
We have previously seen how the game will look compared side to side to the PlayStation 3 release of the game but this trailer not only shows us some additional gameplay footage and a look at some of the new modes available in the Xtreme Legends release but it also features a preview of the English dub for the new characters in the title.
Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends, exclusive to the PS3, and Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition, only for the PS4 and PS Vita, is set to be released next week on March 25th.
You’ve never seen a promotion for a game quite like this one! With all the hype surrounding “J-Stars Victory Vs.” finally coming to the boil in anticipation of its release in Japan, it seems as though the marketing guys at Namco Bandai have come up with an excellent way to make the general public aware of such an incredible title and to get fans already into the game incredibly excited for it. This promotion comes in the form of a huge installation outside of a”Parco” department store in Shibuya, Tokyo.
The installation shows Goku (Dragon Ball Z) fighting against Luffy (One Piece) and it looks absolutely amazing. Below we have a gallery full of images of the installation for all of you to look at and appreciate, I certainly did! For those of you reading from Japan; the game is available now for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita so head down to your local game store now to pick it up and if you live somewhere in or near Shibuya, head down to check out the installation, it will be up until the 23rd of March so you only have a few days left.
