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Midnight City Announces Next Two Indie Releases

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Midnight City has announced that Blood of the Werewolf will be ported to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in Q2 2014. In addition to the console port, Blood of the Werewolf will be receiving an Endless Challenge that will pit Selena against a never ending stream of enemies. The mode will be available on the console edition at launch and will be added as a free update to the Steam edition afterwards.

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Avalanche 2: Super Avalanche is the sequel to the flash game Avalanche. Players will need to scramble their way upwards as an avalanche of items drop from the sky. There are over 70,000 possible item combinations that will help the players survive the crush. Avalanche 2: Super Avalanche will be released on Steam near the end of the first quarter, 2014.

Ubisoft Releases ANNO Online Monuments Backstage Video

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Ubisoft Blue Byte (Ubisofts’ mobile division) recently announced that an all new Monuments feature would be added into ANNO Online, a new free-to-play, browser based, world building strategy game. The Monuments system allows users to build their own buildings (libraries and botanical gardens for example) which can open new tech trees and bonuses. Friends can also help each other build these Monuments through multiplayer and more Monuments become available to build as players complete quest chains. Now the team behind the game have released an exclusive backstage video showcasing the games latest features and explaining all the details about Monuments.

For those who aren’t aware what ANNO Online is, it is a web game set during Medieval times that allows players to build thier own city. Players can colonize new islands, trade goods and discover treasures to gain prosperity. You can check out the video below and if you think that ANNO Online looks particularly interesting and want to try the game for yourself, head on over to the official website and you can start playing right now!

Loadout Review

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Loadout
Developer: Edge of Reality
Publisher: Edge of Reality
Platforms: PC
Release Date: 31st January 2014
Price: Free to play – Available Here

Overview

Loadout is a fast-paced, third person shooter with near limitless amounts of gun customization, meaning that no two games are ever the same. It currently features ranked and unranked game modes that are centred around objective based gameplay, with custom games coming soon and the new annihilation mode. Silly, fun, and yet highly competitive, this PC shooter will launch so many different projectiles your way that you can’t help but pay it attention.

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Gameplay

The big selling point of Loadout that sets it aside from every other shooter on the market is its unbelievable amount of gun customisation, offering literally billions of possible weapons to choose from. Players can improve their guns by levelling up various parts via matchmaking or by adding different components, changing projectiles, or by so many other means it is mindboggling. What blew me away though was just how much impact each change made to how the gun feels when you’re playing with it. My main criticism of the Borderlands series is that the guns often feel floaty and there is no real oomph behind your shots, even when your gun is obnoxiously oversized and powerful. Loadout doesn’t exactly perfect that problem, but considering that an average PC setup lacks the rumble of a console controller, you can feel an awful lot of punch behind even low level big weapons like a standard rocket launcher. If you want a light, agile rifle, you can make one. Want a 6-barreled rocket launcher with auto-fire that sends rockets corkscrewing through the air before exploding into cluster bombs and causing unimaginable mayhem? You bet your ass you can make it!

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What makes or breaks any competitive game for me is how balanced it is. I always hated Call of Duty because some guns and play styles were simply better than others and that made so much of the game unplayable. Conversely, I loved Halo before ODST because of it’s Quake-like arena style layout which positioned weapons symmetrically between spawns so no one was at a disadvantage. Loadout does neither of those things, simply saying, “here are billions of guns, keep playing and keep learning and your gun will keep getting better!” It is balanced because every character is extremely powerful in their own way so when the dust settles, there is not a man left standing. Early access on Steam may have its controversies and rightly so, but when a studio uses it to fund production as it tries to balance everything and work out the bugs instead of just releasing the game unfinished, you can really see its benefits and those are certainly visible in Loadout.

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Going into this game, I was dreading the fact that a huge part of Loadout is objective based. In my experience with shooters, I always found that whenever objectives are involved, people either ignore them completely and just farm kills, or you are so focused on them that the shooting element of the game is dwarfed. Bemused, I stumbled out of my first few games of Loadout absolutely stunned at how natural meeting objectives was. The objectives are so simply laid out that you just go along with them like breathing. When you’re playing TF2 you have to make a concerted effort to push the payload, or capture the control point, but in Loadout you find yourself doing all of these things without even noticing what you’re doing. In a way, I feel like this makes it less tense at times, but it keeps you constantly in the action and that breakneck carnage is the real strength of this game.

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I personally have a small issue with the fact that you can buy experience boosters for in-game currency that you can purchase with real money, but for the most part, the micro-transaction model is fair and mainly consists of a wide variety of hilarious clothes, hats, and taunts that are both of no consequence to gameplay, and are great to rub your victory in the face of your enemy.

Visuals

Edge of Reality has done a magnificent job with the art style and graphical fidelity of this game. Somehow, they have managed to inject into Loadout almost all of the charm of Team Fortress 2, but they have also succeeded in bringing it up-to-date, so it feels like a game that should be released in 2014. Every single asset in the game’s roster is bright and vibrant and every animation is smooth, be it projectiles, general movement, or loose limbs soaring majestically over a boxer shorts flag, hoisted high atop a flag pole surrounded by huge men dancing to Gangnam Style. Running the game on its highest settings, I found the shadow quality to be excellent and I could say the same about smoke and particle effects. The inclusion of an FOV slider was also a very welcome feature and being able to see more of what is going on around you definitely helps in multiplayer.  I can see how playing this game with bad ping would be a real issue considering its fast-paced nature, but if your connection is reasonable, you should be fine considering how stable the servers seemed to be.

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Audio

Right from the account creation menu I loved the sound design in Loadout. The menu features grimey rock music that makes you want to dive straight in and every asset feels satisfying to click which is something I am very picky about in game menus. As soon as you get into a game though, the noise is on a whole different level… Tesla guns, guns that heal, rockets exploding constantly, the guns don’t just look and feel cool, but they sound awesome too! Adding that final stroke to the masterful work they have done on this game’s main focus, the meaty explosions and the strange splat of the healing guns, the arcadey ping that you get whenever you hit an enemy, the random guitar solos whenever someone taunts you, everything just collects into something really quite wonderful. My only small qualm is that they need to adjust the difference in audio levels between the menus and when you’re in a game. Suddenly having my eardrums bleed having been dropped in the middle of a warzone after casually enjoying some low volume background music is not overly pleasant to say the least.

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Overall

Rarely do I play a game for review purposes and then go back and play it again, but for Loadout I think I could make an exception. It is impossible to be bored when you are playing this game. The art style is captivating, the sound design is fantastic, and the customisation makes you keep coming back time and time again in hopes that today you can make your gun that little bit better. Bored of grinding for weeks for that new sight in Call of Duty? Then Loadout is undoubtedly the game for you. Strap on the bondage gear and get your hexibarrel rocket launcher ready, it’s going to get wild!

 

9-0-capsules-out-of-10

 

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

BANDFUSE: ROCK LEGENDS MUSIC STORE AND FIRST DLC FEATURING JIMI HENDRIX AVAILABLE NOW

BANDFUSE: ROCK LEGENDS MUSIC STORE AND FIRST DLC FEATURING JIMI HENDRIX AVAILABLE NOW

Experience Fully Playable Hendrix’s Songs “Fire” and “Love or Confusion,” Plus Hits from Boston, Yes, Incubus, and More

Campbell, CA — January 28, 2014 — Realta Entertainment released today its new Music Store for BandFuse: Rock Legends,the music video game designed by musicians for people who want to play music. The BandFuse: Rock Legends Music Store offers users the ability to sort, listen to, and purchase DLC songs and backing tracks for play on Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.

Watch it HEREwww.youtube.com/watch?v=JkqiSrgopXY

The BandFuse: Rock Legends Music Store is headlined by Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire” and “Love or Confusion” from the album Are You Experienced (1967), the first two of 15 signature songs coming to the game from the legend’s catalogue. The store also features epic songs from The Offspring, Incubus, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Boston, Yes, Blues Traveler, Filter, and Pantera. An expanded library of backing tracks for players to create and record original music is also part of the DLC catalogue.  Each downloadable song comes with a music video, multi-instrument support and Lick Lab learning modules for $2.99, and each backing track is $1.99.

Only on BandFuse: Rock Legends will aspiring musicians receive the unique opportunity to learn to play like Jimi Hendrix. Gamers can now pick up a real guitar or bass and play ‘Fire’ and ‘Love or Confusion’ with fully animated tablature, five difficulty levels, including the full lead and rhythm transcriptions, and view specially selected Jimi Hendrix video footage while playing.

The new Music Store enables players to broaden their musical experience with a wealth of content packed into each DLC track. Songs are playable on guitar, bass, and vocals in single-player mode or multiplayer mode on five difficulty levels. Just like every song that comes on disc, each DLC song is also paired with a specially picked video to accompany it. BandFuse: Rock Legends’ DLC songs are fully integrated into all gameplay modes, including Lick Lab and Practice Mode.

The first BandFuse: Rock Legends DLC tracks are:

  • Jimi Hendrix           “Fire”
  • Jimi Hendrix           “Love or Confusion”
  • Blues Traveler        “Run-Around”
  • Boston                  “Foreplay/Long Time”
  • Filter                    “Hey Man, Nice Shot”
  • Incubus                 “Pardon Me”
  • Lynyrd Skynyrd       “Simple Man”       
  • The Offspring         “All I Want”
  • Pantera                 “Cowboys From Hell”
  • Yes                       “Roundabout”

The first BandFuse: Rock Legends backing tracks are:

  • Marcus Henderson    “Funky Canon”
  • Marcus Henderson    “Jazzy Chill Groove”
  • Marcus Henderson    “Backing Beats Pack 1” (Three looping drum tracks)

Reigniting the music genre with the only true multiplayer experience on console, supporting two guitars, a bass, and vocals, BandFuse: Rock Legends’stellar lineup of acclaimed talent, authentic animated tablature, and lag-free audio unleashes a full band experience for players of all skill levels. Players jam using authentic animated tablature and a fully unlocked library of 55 massive genre-jumping songs ranging from rock to metal and punk to funk.

The platinum cast of musicians includes master guitar instructor Slash, Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society), Mike Ness (Social Distortion), Bootsy Collins (Parliament-Funkadelic), George Lynch (Dokken, Lynch Mob), Zoltán Báthory and Jason Hook (Five Finger Death Punch), and Alexi Laiho (Children of Bodom). Later this year, Jimi Hendrix will be integrated into the game as a rock legend, which will include interviews with present day guitar greats talking about his technique and experimental style paired with archival video footage from his illustrious career.

Only Guitar Center offers the ‘BandFuse: Rock Legends Guitar Bundle’ (MSRP $179.99), the exclusive, specially-priced starter pack for players that includes a Fender Squier Bullet guitar, the BandFuse: Rock Legends video game (Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3), and a BandFuse guitar cable. A list of participating Guitar Center locations can be found HERE.

BandFuse: Rock Legends is rated T for Teen by the ESRB and is out now in North America and Japan on Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation 3 system, and is available in North America and Japan with a European release coming soon. To learn more about BandFuse: Rock Legends, please visit www.bandfuse.com/, ‘Like’ the game on Facebook, follow @BandFuse on Twitter and watch the dev team rock out on Twitch.

NIDHOGG CONFIRMED FOR ESPORTS SHOWCASE; LIVE ACTION TURN-BASED ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GAME CONFIRMED AS PART OF NIGHT GAMES FOR INDIECADE EAST

NIDHOGG CONFIRMED FOR ESPORTS SHOWCASE; LIVE ACTION TURN-BASED ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GAME CONFIRMED AS PART OF NIGHT GAMES FOR INDIECADE EAST

IndieCade East, East-Coast Edition of Premier Independent Video Game Festival Arrives in New York Feb. 14-16, 2014 at Museum of the Moving Image

Last Call for Early-Bird Registration; Open Through Friday, January 31


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IndieCade, the International Festival of Independent Games, today unveiled details about the Night Games portion and eSports Showcase at IndieCade East, the East-Coast edition of the nation’s premier independent video game festival. IndieCade East takes place at Museum of the Moving Image in New York City from Friday, February 14 through, Sunday, February 16. Early bird registration for IndieCade East is available here and will close on Friday, January 31.

Hosted by Simon Ferrari, the IndieCade East eSports Showcase, taking place on Saturday and Sunday, encourages friendly competition among the growing audience for independently-developed games. Fans in the indie game community can challenge each other in one-on-one duels, team up for multiplayer games, or strive to be the sole winner in the independent eSports games of tomorrow. The recently released award-winning Nidhogg, among other titles, will be one of several eSports games available to play.

The full lineup of eSports titles at the IndieCade East eSports Showcase includes:

  • Laza Knitez: A free-for-all twitch shooter where up to four players steer a speeder to line up shots from a precision laser lance, from developer Glitchnap.
  • Particle Mace: A physics-based, last-player-standing, free-for-all deathmatch for up four players. This arcade-style game from Andy Wallace supports multiple offiensive styles and encourages rhythmic motion and nuanced spatial control.
  • Foiled: a two-player fighting game with a great dueling system (think Nidhogg meets Super Smash Brothers) from developers Gabe Cuzzillo and Aaron Taecker-Wyss. In Foiled, players steal a fallen enemy’s soul and dunk it to score.
  • Stikbold: A whacky, fast-paced dodgeball simulation for six players, with a twist from the Reign Bros. Downed players have a chance to influence the game in chaotic and calculated ways unique to each level.
  • Gunsport: A combination of volleyball and lasers from developer Necrosoft. Need we say more?
  • Nidhogg: The granddaddy of competitive indie games emerges as the award-winning, side-scrolling, two-player fighting game will include new maps, animations and moves, from developer Messhof.
  • Videoball: Three-on-three minimalist hockey with a generative playfield from developer Action Button.

On Saturday, February 15, from 7 p.m. 10 p.m., Night Games takes over IndieCade East offering a diverse mix of live action games, multiplayer games, theater projections of upcoming indie games and more in spaces throughout the Museum. As part of this evening, an eSports tournament, the “Saturday Night Rumble,” will take place in the Museum’s main theater.

Some of the confirmed games for IndieCade East Night Games include:

• Crypt of the NecroDancer:
A rhythm game where players move to the beat of the game’s epic soundtrack while battling dancing skeletons, zombies, dragons, and more
• Surround:
a local multiplayer tactical game with four classes (Assault, Support, Sniper, Medic) each with their own unique abilities
• Tether:
Four players are attached to chains and must work with their opponents to be the first to collect ten orbs
• Zombie Ward: Players can experience the zombie apocalypse first-hand in this turn-based action game. A siren will sound and the first zombie will be identified; players will need to escape the ever-growing zombie horde and find a key hidden in the play area to unlock the gates and let the humans free.
• Soundself:
Players can explore a personal world of light and sound as it emerges from their own bodies; no two playthroughs are the same!
• ART BOY Sin:
Magnetic Poetry meets street art as a series of 8.5″ x 11″ letters are taped up, allowing players and passersby to rearrange them into street poetry.

“With the help of our partners in the indie game community, we’ve put together a truly eclectic and ridiculously fun weekend,” said Matt Parker, Chair for IndieCade East. “This evening event is especially indicative of the breadth and depth of indie games available for fans of all ages and skill levels. Even if you’ve never played a game before, you will have a blast at IndieCade East!”

For more information and updates, visit IndieCade or movingimage.us.

About Festival Passes

Festival passes are on sale now. Each pass gives access to all IndieCade East programs and events. Purchase now through January 31 to receive the early-bird discount: $100 public ($80 student/senior/Museum member). Order online at movingimage.us or call 718 777 6800 to reserve passes.

Beginning February 1, full festival passes will be $125 public ($100 student/senior/Museum member). Individual day passes will also be available: Friday, February 14, passes will be $45 ($35 discounted); Saturday, February 15, passes (including access to Night Games) will be $55 ($45 discounted); Sunday, February 16, passes will be $45 ($35 discounted).

For families: Admission for children (ages 3-12) will be $10 per day. Many of the games on view will appeal to visitors of all ages. Throughout the weekend, the Museum will also present “The Game-Making Game,” a workshop for children ages 8 and older (materials fee applies).

IndieCade East is organized by Stephanie Barish, Founder and CEO, IndieCade; Sam Roberts, Festival Chair and Jury Co-Chair, IndieCade; Matt Parker, Chair, IndieCade East; Aaron Isaksen, Festival Chair, IndieCade East; Margaret Robinson, Conference Co-Chair, IndieCade East; Kevin Cancienne, Conference Co-Chair, IndieCade East; Simon Ferrari, eSports Chair, IndieCade East; and Greg Trefry, Night Games Chair, IndieCade East.

About IndieCade
Applauded as the “Sundance of the videogame industry,” IndieCade supports independent game development globally through a series of international events highlighting the rich, diverse, artistic and culturally significant contributions of indie game developers. IndieCade’s programs are designed to bring visibility to and facilitate the production of new works within the emerging independent game community. Annual events include IndieCade East, IndieCade’s Showcase @ E3, and IndieCade Festival, the largest gathering of independent game creators in the nation. For more information, visit indiecade.com.


Digital media at Museum of the Moving Image
As the first museum to include video games as part of the scope of the “moving image,” the Museum is considered a leading institution in the exhibition of digital media. Changing exhibitions focusing on this subject area have included Hot Circuits: A Video Arcade (1989), the first-ever exhibition at any museum devoted to video games; Interactions/Art and Technology (2004), presented in conjunction with Ars Electronica (Linz, Austria); and Real Virtuality (2011), six experiments in art and technology. The Museum has regularly exhibited video games in its core exhibition, Behind the Screen, and is currently presenting Indie Essentials: 25 Must-Play Video Games, co-presented with IndieCade (on view through March 2, 2014). For more information, visit movingimage.us

Capture the Candy Crooks in Another Case Solved

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Life is rough in the candy prohibition. Ruthless criminals with a sweet tooth for trouble roam the streets that flow with bootleg caramel. Innocent civilians quake inside their houses with not a chocolate coin to their name and only one hope amidst the sugarless anguish in which they struggle to survive. That hope is you, a private detective dedicated to helping the common people as the police try their best to put away the criminal scum that plague their fair city.

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This February get ready for Another Case Solved, the latest title by AT Games, the developers of the hugely successful Puzzle Craft. Use all of your detective wile to solve puzzles, collect clues, and gather evidence to help crack the cases that the police are too swamped to deal with. As you progress through the story you can earn money to upgrade your office, customise your detective, and even improve your investigation skills so that you can tackle bigger and better cases.

Another Case Solved will be available on iPhone and iPad this February. Check out the trailer below.

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MIDNIGHT CITY ANNOUNCES NEXT TWO INDIE RELEASES

MIDNIGHT CITY ANNOUNCES NEXT TWO INDIE RELEASES

Blood of the Werewolf Transforms onto Consoles with Avalanche 2: Super Avalanche Bouncing onto Steam in Spring 2014

Edison, NJJanuary 28, 2014 – Midnight City, the recently founded indie label of Majesco Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: COOL), an innovative provider of games for the mass market, is proud to announce two more indie releases in the pipeline. Beast Game’s indie fan-favorite Avalanche 2: Super Avalanche will be fully optimized for Steam in late Q1, followed by an updated Blood of the Werewolf expanding to the Xbox Live online entertainment network for the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®Network simultaneously in Q2. Tune in to Scientifically Proven’s livestream on January 31 to get a special preview of the game and meet the team!

Based on the wildly popular flash game Avalanche, Beast Games’ Avalanche 2: Super Avalanche builds on the core platform-climbing gameplay with a host of new features, adding more dimension than ever before. Players start out as a bouncy marshmallow character compelled upward by a rising tide of liquid, while a constant stream of procedurally generated items and breakable blocks fall from the sky. What starts as a simple climb soon becomes a challenge to survive as blocks can crush the marshmallow heroes if they don’t act fast. To aid players in their altitude-driven quest, unlock up to four item slots for over 70,000 combinations of special power-ups that help ‘mallows jump higher, move faster, double jump and more! On the ascent, keep an eye out for special chests to break and discover bonuses and valuable coins which can be used to purchase customizations and abilities. Randomly generated bosses spawn at specific altitudes on special platforms, punctuating the heart-pumping climb at critical intervals. Avalanche 2: Super Avalanche is planned to release on Steam in late Q1 2014.

Released to critical acclaim this last Halloween on Steam, Blood of the Werewolf is ready to transform onto consoles with fresh content for its debut. New game mode ‘Endless Challenge’ pits players against procedurally generated, increasingly difficult gauntlets for limitless runs to sharpen the player’s skills and compete on leaderboards. For the uninitiated, Blood of the Werewolf spins the tale of Selena, a loving wife, mother and unstoppable werewolf who races against time to save her son from the evil Victor Frankenstein. Fueled by vengeance at the sight of her murdered husband, Selena sets off on a blood-soaked rescue mission that spans 10 levels of platforming action with five intense boss arenas. Dynamic gameplay focuses on lightning-quick transformations from human to werewolf form by light of the moon. Along the way Selena faces off with a reimagined cast of monster-movie icons including The Creature, Jekyll & Hyde, The Mummy, Dracula and Frankenstein’s Monster. Adding to the challenge, players must seek out secret rooms and hidden areas scattered throughout the game to collect powerups for their crossbow, werewolf powers and health upgrades. Blood of the Werewolf is a thrilling platformer that pays homage to the classics of days past and reignites the passion for mastery that inspired one of the greatest eras in video games. Blood of the Werewolf is planned to release on the Xbox Live online entertainment network for the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation® Network simultaneously in Q2 2014.

As a special thanks to those who purchased Blood of the Werewolf on Steam, Scientifically Proven will release a free update with challenge room content, post-console release.

Blood of the Werewolf is rated T for Teen.

Follow Midnight City:

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ABOUT MAJESCO ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY
Majesco Entertainment Company is an innovative developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment for consumers around the world. Building on more than 25 years of operating history, the company develops and publishes a wide range of video games on console, handheld and mobile platforms, as well as digital networks through its Midnight City label. Majesco also owns 50% of GMS Entertainment, the parent company of online gaming company Pariplay, which specializes in iGaming, iLottery and social gaming. Majesco is headquartered in Edison, NJ and the company’s shares are traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol: COOL. More info can be found online at majescoent.com or on Twitter at twitter.com/majesco.

ABOUT MIDNIGHT CITY
Midnight City is Majesco’s independent digital label dedicated to supporting indie development teams with customized publishing services, including public relations, marketing, and community content. Operated by former IGN Editor-in-chief Casey Lynch and longtime industry veteran Doug Kennedy, Midnight City focuses its efforts on the ever growing independent game development market and independent game studios.

Red Bull Music Academy Makes Movie: What Difference Does it Make?

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In celebration of the 15th anniversary of the formation of the Red Bull Music Academy, said academy invited director Ralf Schmerberg (Recipient of a Cannes Gold Lion and Cinema for Peace Award) to create a full-length feature film. Said movie was shot at the 2013 Red Bull Music Academy in New York. It is now set to premiere in movie theatres worldwide as a documentary named What Difference Does it Make? A Film About Making Music on the 17th of February. It will then be available for free viewing on the academy site here. Red Bull released another documentary called McConkey, which deals with the exploits of a pioneer in freestyle skiing and base jumping.

If however the trials and tribulations of rockers, ravers, and music makers interest you, then you should definitely check out the trailer below. From the looks of things, the film documents people who are very passionate about their art. Some of the people featured include; Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Brian Eno, Philip Glass, Giorgio Moroder, Erykah Badu, Nile Rodgers, Rakim, Skream, Q-Tip, Bernie Worrell, Egyptian Lover, Ken Scott, Thundercat, Richie Hawtin, James Murphy, Debbie Harry, Stephen O’ Malley, and others. Unfortunately my knowledge of music extends only as far as Pirate/Viking metal, but I’m sure those names mean something to those of you who are more musically inclined as they are apparently quite influential in their fields.

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The film seeks to evoke the apparent feel of the academy experience in that the interaction of different artists across generations and genres creates sparks of creativity. Musical luminaries lead workshops during the day with up to 60 different young performers, hoping to make a name for themselves. At night, they travel into the niches of the city to perform in cult venues and concert halls. With these experiences, the academy hopes to foster the next generation of groundbreaking musicians. Only time will tell whether they are successful or not…

The aforementioned trailer can be found below.

Harebrained Schemes’ Shadowrun: Dragonfall Now Available for Pre-Order

Harebrained Schemes’ Shadowrun: Dragonfall Now Available for Pre-Order 

Shadowrun Returns Expansion includes full-length campaign, multiple new features and gameplay enhancements

Kirkland, WA (January 28, 2014) Harebrained Schemes’ Shadowrun: Dragonfall, a major expansion for the magic-meets-cyberpunk tactical RPG mashup Shadowrun Returns, is just weeks away but the time to take action is now!  Fans can pre-order the expansion for $14.99 (requires the original game to play) at http://store.steampowered.com/app/272030.   Harebrained Schemes has also released new screenshots and a trailer on its website (http://harebrained-schemes.com/shadowrun/dragonfall/) today in anticipation of the game’s February 27, 2014 launch date.

The Shadowrun: Dragonfall expansion features a robust full-length campaign set in the city of Berlin and contains a multitude of new features and enhancements. The title will be available for purchase on Steam and a DRM-free version will be available on GOG.com.  Shadowrun: Dragonfall will debut on Windows, OSX and Linux, with iPad and Android tablet versions to follow.

Shadowrun Returns debuted in 2013 to much acclaim.  The game was the first $1m+ Kickstarter-funded videogame to be released and premiered as a #1 seller on Steam. It appeared on 5 “Most Anticipated Games of 2013” lists, and was a featured Game of the Week on the Apple and Google Play App Stores.  The accolades for the game have continued with Shadowrun Returns winning numerous “Best of 2013” awards including:

  • Diehard GameFAN – 2013 Game of the Year
  • Diehard GameFAN – Best PC Exclusive Game
  • Diehard GameFAN – Best Digital/Downloadable Game
  • Diehard GameFAN –  Best Strategy Role Playing Game
  • Gamasutra – Best of 2013, Gamasutra’s Top Games of the Year
  • Giant Bomb – Best of 2013 list (by Xavier Woods)
  • The Escapist – Best of 2013 list (by Justin Clouse)
  • IGN – Recommended Games Holiday Gift Guide
  • Board Game Geek – Recommended Games Holiday Gift Guide

“The response to Shadowrun Returns has been the highlight our year, from our audience posting their wonderful reviews, to the gaming media who awarded us all of these 2013 honors, to the amazing community of content creators using our editor to create their own awesome stories,” said Jordan Weisman, founder of Harebrained Schemes.  “Shadowrun: Dragonfall continues the high standards set by Shadowrun Returns, while adding in new features for the game and the editor that we hope will help draw fans even deeper into the Shadowrun Universe.”

SHADOWRUN: DRAGONFALL STORY

MAN MEETS MAGIC & MACHINE. The year is 2054. Magic has returned to the world, awakening powerful creatures of myth and legend. Unchecked advances in technology have blurred the line between man and machine. Great dragons play humanity for pawns, while ruthless corporations bleed the world dry. In this new reality of elves and trolls, corporate arcologies and terrifying new magics, anything is possible… for a price. And when the powerful and the desperate need a job done, they turn to shadowrunners: mercenaries, living on the fringes of society, surviving day-by-day on skill and instinct alone.

BERLIN. The Flux-State: a stable anarchy enforced by an ever-shifting coalition of megacorps, political factions, and savvy power players. A place where almost anything goes, and the right connections can be the difference between success and starvation. Dangerous jobs abound and there’s no better place to earn a quick payday – provided you live long enough to spend it. For you and your team of battle-scarred runners, it’s just another day in the Free City of Berlin.

But a new threat is rising, one that could mean untold chaos and devastation. The only clue: whispers of the DRAGONFALL, a long-forgotten event from the earliest days of the Awakened world. As you find yourself drawn into a maze of veiled dangers and strange machinations, you will come face-to-face with a grim spectre of the past… and alter the course of Berlin’s future.

SHADOWRUN: DRAGONFALL FEATURES

  • Experience a New Full-Length Campaign: Return to the “Tech meets Magic” future of Shadowrun as you and your team of runners get drawn into a treacherous conspiracy. Operating out of an offbeat central hub neighborhood, you’ll choose which missions to accept and how you’ll approach them while navigating the dark underbelly of “the Flux”.
  • An Exciting New Locale: Shadowrun: Dragonfall transports runners to the Free City of Berlin, a thrilling Shadowrun setting full of gorgeous new hi-res environments, a diverse new cast of characters, and a new soundtrack by Sam Powell, the composer of the original Sega Genesis Shadowrun game.
  • Command Your Team: Lead a small team of shadowrunners, each with their own outlook and backstory. Each member of your team is designed to play an interesting role during missions and has a unique set of skills, abilities, strengths, and weaknesses.
  • New Weapons, Cyberware, Enemies & More: Try your hand at the long-range sniper rifle, devastating grenade launcher, or stun-inducing taser. Chrome yourself out in the latest cyberware, and take on deadly new enemies – including new magical creatures like gargoyles and fire drakes. Dragonfall brings a host of new items, characters, portraits, and improvements to the Shadowrun Returns experience.
  • Save Anywhere: You can save your progress at any time during the game. In addition to being in Shadowrun: Dragonfall, this save feature will be available in new downloads of Shadowrun Returns and through a patch for already purchased versions.
  • New Game Editor Features: A wide range of enhancements to the game editor for community content creators – including a scripting system to better control lighting, tracking mission objectives in the main game UI, placing exploding barrels, and allowing players to input keypad passwords and custom text strings in conversations. In addition, content creators will be able to use all of the new Berlin environment art, items and characters in their own stories along with assets from the original Shadowrun Returns campaign. 

About Harebrained Schemes

Harebrained Schemes is a small team of passionate game developers led by Jordan Weisman, the creator of Shadowrun, Crimson Skies, BattleTech, MechWarrior, and many other acclaimed properties. Founded in 2011, the Seattle-based studio is centered on deep collaboration between seasoned veterans and fresh talent. Their first title, Crimson: Steam Pirates, was one of Apple’s Benchmark Games of 2011 and one of Metacritic.com’s “Best iPhone Games of 2011.” Their next title, Strikefleet Omega, was named one of Google Play’s “Best Games of 2012.” In April 2012, Harebrained Schemes made headlines when it launched one of the first 7-figure Kickstarter campaigns for Shadowrun Returns, which appeared on five “Most Anticipated Games of 2013” lists and launched in July 2013 to much acclaim. Their latest Kickstarter success story, a digitally-enhanced miniatures board game called Golem Aracana, is due out next year.  http://harebrained-schemes.com/

WIN – Monster Part 1

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Episode 27 of CC: Anime is now live. Each month, thanks to our good friends and sponsor Siren Visual, we will be giving away a prize in a monthly competition held through CC: Anime.

To win, listen to the podcast for the question and once you have an answer email it in along with your name and address to [email protected]. At the end of the month, a winner will be randomly selected from the pool of entries. The winner will then be announced on the next podcast.

This month, we will be giving away a copy of Monster Part 1, on DVD thanks to our good friends at Siren Visual. If you have yet to listen to CC: Anime you can do so here.

Listen to the podcast and then send your answer in along with your name and address to [email protected] Good Luck!

 

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