Page 4050 – Capsule Computers

SpellForce 2 Comes to an End in ‘Demons of the Past’

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January 17, 2014

SpellForce 2 Comes to an End in ‘Demons of the Past’

Austria-based game publisher, Nordic Games, announced today that the final expansion to the RTS/RPG crossover game, SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars, is now available in both boxed and digital format for PC.

Despite the release being delayed from its original October 2013 target, long time fans of the SpellForce saga will finally have the chance to dive back into the land of Eo in this new, standalone adventure. Take up the sword and discover the source of the mysterious new evil that has fallen upon the land as our young hero and his sundry band of companions.

Demons Of The Past can be played solo or with friends in campaign, co-op, skirmish and domination modes. This expansion is also the first to include a Survival mode in which heroes will need to work together to carve their way through seemingly endless waves of enemies, culminating in a final boss battle. With 5 new worlds and 25 hours of gameplay this last hoorah for the SpellForce 2 series promises to bring the story to an epic conclusion that will seal the destinies of our heroes and all those whose lives they touched in their journey forever.

SpellForce 2 – Demons Of The Past is available now on digital platforms and in game stores for £17.99/€19.99/USD$19.99. Check out the release trailer below.

GO KICK SOME DIGITAL BOO-TAY WITH NEW DLC FEATURING PEPPERMINT BUTLER, GUNTER, AND KING OF MARS IN ADVENTURE TIME: EXPLORE THE DUNGEON BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW!

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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January 16, 2014

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Go kick some digital boo-tay with new DLC featuring Peppermint Butler, Gunter, and King of Mars in Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW!

D3Publisher (D3P) and Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE) today announced downloadable content (DLC) for Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW!, that features three new playable characters including Peppermint Butler, Gunter, and King of Mars. The DLC is available for Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft at £1.29 per character, and on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Nintendo´s Wii U™ system, at £1.59 per character.

Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW! is a brand new action adventure game from the creative minds of Adventure Time series creator Pendleton Ward and game developer WayForward.

For more information on Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW!, please visit http://www.namcobandaigames.eu

About Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW!
The adventure begins with a completely new storyline staged in the Land of Ooo as players help Princess Bubblegum save the Candy Kingdom by exploring the mysteries surrounding a massive Secret Royal Dungeon. In Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW!, play as multiple fan-favorite characters from the show with up to four players, including Finn, Jake, Marceline, Ice King, and more and showcase your best attack moves with special abilities and skills to defeat baddies throughout the dungeon.

[Printable press release]

Stronghold Crusader 2 Exclusive to Steam

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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January 16, 2014

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London, UK – 16^th January 2014 – Firefly Studios has announced that Valve’s Steam platform will be required to install and play Stronghold Crusader 2 at launch. Ahead of the game’s planned release in Spring 2014, Marketing Manager Nick Tannahill revealed the news in a blog post on the game’s official website at www.strongholdcrusader2.com. Here he explains the developer’s reasons behind their decision:

“As an independent developer our resources are limited. For the majority of the Crusader 2 project we have had two full-time programmers and two artists working on the game… That said we still want Crusader 2 to have all the cool and convenient features players expect from a modern RTS and a true sequel to the original Stronghold Crusader. We can handle much of the game just fine on our own, so the game’s skirmish mode, AI, single-player campaigns and other core gameplay systems such as co-op have been tailor made by Firefly. However secondary features like achievements, game invites and gameplay stats will be powered through Steam, where the majority of our players come from.”

Listing the benefits of releasing on Steam, both for the development team and players, Nick goes on to confirm a list of Steam features intended for inclusion in the game either at launch or through free post-release updates:

Achievements
Voice Chat
Cloud Saving
Workshop Support
Game Invites
Gameplay Stats
Trading Cards

The main motivation behind Firefly’s decision is keeping development of the game on time, which has been a priority for all Stronghold titles since the company was founded in 1999. “The time required to create our own bespoke tools and systems for such features could end up delaying the game, which is something nobody wants… It sounds clichéd but this is win-win, we get to include the features fans of the genre expect without delaying the game or taking our focus away from core gameplay.”

Despite plans to integrate Crusader 2 with Steamworks, fans hoping to purchase a physical boxed version of Crusader 2 at launch can rest easy. Boxed copies of Stronghold Crusader 2 will be available at retail in a number of different regions, although they will require Steam to install and play.

The full news post can be found at www.strongholdcrusader2.com.

About Firefly Studios

Firefly Studios is an independent PC game developer specialising in real-time strategy and MMO titles. Formed in 1999 by Simon Bradbury and Eric Ouellette, the company has brought to market a number of high profile and commercially successful strategy games, including the Stronghold series with lifetime sales of over six million. Firefly has offices in the UK and US. For more information please visit their website at www.fireflyworlds.com or follow @fireflyworlds on Twitter.

GAMEVIL launches casual endless runner, Kiwi Dash, on Google Play and App Store

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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January 16, 2014

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GAMEVIL launches casual endless runner, Kiwi Dash, on Google Play and App Store

LOS ANGELES, CA- January 16, 2014- Leading mobile games publisher and developer GAMEVIL has today announced the launch of its latest title, Kiwi Dash, on App Store and Google Play. The free-to-play game is a casual endless runner, which features a cast of lovable Kiwis and some not-so loving cats.

Kiwi Dash takes place moments after a totem is stolen from the tranquil Kiwi haven. Players will need to help our Kiwis jump, dodge, dash, and fly through dangerous obstacles to retrieve the stolen totem from the mischievous cats.

By collecting kiwi fruits along the way, players can unlock new Kiwis, items, and power-ups to go farther than ever. Players can also complete daily and weekly missions to level up their Kiwis for higher bonuses and scores. Featuring Facebook connect, skills can then be put to test against friends and family for weekly ranking honors.

“We feel fortunate to have partnered with such a large mobile games publisher in GAMEVIL,” stated David Hahn, CEO of Vanilla Breeze. “Their know-how has enabled our game to evolve from a simple, single-play action game into one more social and competitive with long term vision.”

Kiwi Dash will be run as a service with new characters, content, and events introduced regularly. Players are invited to join the community at www.facebook.com/PlayKiwiDash.

“We’re excited to launch Kiwi Dash as it marks our first take on the casual, sideways runner,“ stated Kyu Lee, President of GAMEVIL USA. “We’ve learned a lot collaborating with Vanilla Breeze, and we feel confident that the game will appeal to a wide casual gaming audience around the world.”

Kiwi Dash is now available for free on App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch at https://itunes.apple.com/app/kiwi-dash/id687554907?ls=1&mt=8 and on Google Play for Android devices at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gamevil.kiwidash.free.

For more details, please visit http://www.gamevil.com

About GAMEVIL

GAMEVIL®, with over 330 million game downloads and experience publishing hundreds of games on multiple platforms, is one of the most active and innovative mobile game companies in the world. Established in 2000 and with offices in Los Angeles, Tokyo, Beijing and Seoul, GAMEVIL is an experienced global mobile game publisher working with more than 70 top studios around the world.

With deep industry and regional knowledge, GAMEVIL has been able to craft numerous award winners through a diverse portfolio of games. Backed by unparalleled expertise in mobile, GAMEVIL continues to lead the sector with a commitment in establishing mobile gaming as a way of life.

GAMEVIL is currently listed on the KOSDAQ Market (Ticker: 063080, Bloomberg: 063080:KS, Reuters: 063080.KQ)

Follow the Twitter feeds at http://www.twitter.com/gamevil and Facebook Pages at http://www.facebook.com/gamevil

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster Hands-on

Zac Elawar

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January 16, 2014

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Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster Hands-on

Now this is a remaster I can get behind. Final Fantasy X was beloved by fans back in 2001 when it came out for the PlayStation 2. Final Fantasy X-2, well, not so much… at least from many fans’ perspectives. Let’s just say it wasn’t as universally loved. Either way, the two are being released together as a compilation for the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita, entitled Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster. Our Square Enix Showcase coverage continues with a hands-on preview of the remaster… sort of. You see, the build only included a portion from Final Fantasy X HD, and it was quite short to boot.

Now, you guys are reading this because you are fans (most likely), so gameplay-wise, I’m sure you’re familiar with the game. Even if you weren’t, this is sadly not the place to find a detailed look at gameplay since our time was, as mentioned, brief and, well… Square Enix have always been fond of long cutscenes. You remember exactly what I’m talking about. Instead, what’s deserving of the spotlight in this piece are the graphical enhancements and the additions and differences that constitute a HD remaster. The section playable was the opening sequence set in the high-tech, futuristic metropolis of Zanarkland, leading off from that familiar intro of Tidus and his party sitting by a campfire outside a ruined city, retelling his story. There’s also a fleeting segment from the Baaj ruins that immediately follows.

Right off the bat, it is evident to anyone who has played or seen footage from the original, that this HD remaster is crisper, with incredibly enriched color depth and sharper lighting. Once we enter Zanarkland and see Tidus – being the talented and popular ‘blitzball’ player that he is – greeting his fans, what becomes even more noticeable are the improved textures, not just in the environments, but the characters as well. The game is also displayed in a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. With all that being said, character models and objects, as enhanced as they may be, still look rather blocky so do not expect that to change. The developers would need to practically redo every model from the ground up and rewrite a significant amount of code, in which case it becomes a flat-out remake, not a remaster. X-2 understandably fares much better in this respect.

The visuals aren’t the only element being reworked, with upgraded audio quality and, apparently, 60 remastered tracks in the full release. As I played through the run where Tidus and Auron are ambushed by Sinscales, I noticed small revisions to the camera angles, or at least my brain was tricked into thinking as much. With the new aspect ratio, that’s what could be making that impression. I also wouldn’t have recognised this at all if I hadn’t taken a trip back down memory lane before attending the preview event. Almost a dozen years is a long time. Wow, it just hit me… nigh on 12 full years and we’ve only gone from Final Fantasy X to Final Fantasy XIV. All spin-offs considered, if you needed an example of just how much lengthier development cycles become with every successive generation, look no further.

After getting sucked up into the Sin and experiencing a vision of his father, we as Tidus awaken, attempting to take refuge in a small watery temple ruin before being attacked by a school of Sahagin. Inciting nostalgia yet? Dispatching of them leads to the emergence of the Geosgaeno. Fighting him off to a scripted near-death scenario, Tidus makes his razor-close escape and the demo concludes. To close, I feel it is important to mention exactly what you would be getting in this package: Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X: Eternal Calm, Final Fantasy X-2 and Final Fantasy X-2: Last Mission, plus a special 30-minute audio drama called Final Fantasy X -Will-, set one year after the events of Final Fantasy X-2. Of note, the versions included are the “International” ones, which include extra options, abilities, optional boss battles and more which the majority of PAL and North Americans players never received.

Seeing as you’re just the right audience, why not check out our hands-on preview of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII while you’re here. Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster is scheduled for release on March 20 here in Australia.

Blackguards Video Guides Released

Mateja Simovic

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January 16, 2014

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Daedalic Entertainment has released the first video of a planned series to show punters some of the mechanics behind their roleplaying turn-based strategy game, Blackguards, with the first installment dealing with character creation. The game itself is an adaption of a popular European pen and paper roleplaying game called ‘The Dark Eye’ (woo!) with the narrative following the infamous (and the eponymous) group of rogues known as the ‘Blackguards’. Through the process of said adaption the developers have admitted to streamlining the mechanics from the original (Extremely complex) source into a more manageable format for those players who come completely fresh to the series. This is highlighted in their first video guide for the game with the narrator taking us through the basics of character creation.

Although your character will always start off as some manner of criminal scum (probably brought in for lollygagging), there are three classes to initially choose from with your choices limited to a ‘fighter’, ‘mage’, and ‘hunter’. All three appear to have their own specialisations but due to the use of a non-linear character upgrade system, there is much wriggle room to play a character with a wider range of abilities. In this system, character progression does not occur at set points when characters obtain ‘x’ amount of experience points, but rather each encounter awards ‘adventure points’ which can then be used to upgrade stats and skills/spells. This appears to be a similar system to that of Shadowrun’s ‘Karma points’… in case you needed a frame of reference. This free form character customisation will be available to players from the get go, due to the feedback received during the early access phase of the game’s development cycle.

Speaking of early access we covered the launch of this game’s early access period here, and the first four chapters of the game are still available via Steam’s early access program. The full game itself will be released on January 24th. The aforementioned video guide can be found below.

Unity Comes to Playstation Vita

Andrew Day

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January 16, 2014

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Last year, Unity Technologies announced a new partnership with Sony to provide support for games on each and every one of Sony’s gaming platforms. Today, that partnership takes it to the next level with the announcement of Unity 4.3 for Playstation Vita.

Now available to the public, and to the million plus Unity users; developers who have a license agreement with Sony can now create and launch games directly to the platform. Doing so gives a few awesome benefits and console-specific features such as;

Motion sensors
Front and rear cameras
Dual analog sticks
Rear Touch pad

Not only that, but the collaboration will mean that Unity developers will be able to implement PSN services into their games. So from now, look forward to seeing Unity titles that feature online matchmaking, friends list and most importantly – trophies.

This is a pretty big step in the right direction for the gaming industry. Let us know your thoughts about the partnership in the comments below and remember to stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Sony and Unity news as it becomes available.

Witcher 3: Wild Hunt coming to Australia and New Zealand

Luke Halliday

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January 16, 2014

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Namco Bandai Games have just made a major announcement for fans of the Witcher video-game series. They have officially announced that they will be distributing the hotly anticipated Witcher 3: Wild Hunt throughout Australia and New Zealand.

The Witcher series is the creation of developer CD Projekt RED and began with the original Witcher game back in 2007. Namco Bandai Games have confirmed they will be releasing Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 at some point in 2014.

No solid date has been set as of yet but stay tuned for further details on the release of Witcher 3: Wild Hunt as they come to light.

7th Star Wars Installment: Old School vs New School

Mateja Simovic

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January 16, 2014

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7th Star Wars Installment: Old School vs New School

Recent reports online have surfaced concerning the Disney production of the 7th installment in the Star Wars movie franchise. These reports are stating that the replacement of Michael Arndt was not due to ‘timing concerns’ as was once believed but rather a disagreement with the focus of the script for the new installment of the Star Wars film saga. Arndt was considered a worthy candidate to pen the screenplay for the newest installment of the Sci-fi series featuring space samurai. His previous works on Toy Story 3 and Little Miss Sunshine stand credit to his ability to scriptwright and we covered his appointment previously here.

Said reports allege that Arndt disagreed with director, J.J. Abrams over the focus for the opener of the new trilogy with Abrams, who aimed to craft one last narrative around the old protagonists (Luke, Han, and Leia), while Arndt argued for the film to follow the offspring of said protagonists. Arndt was alleged to have planned for the original cast and characters to make an appearance as supporting roles to the new heroes (of the Republic/Rebel Alliance/galaxy). Abrams possibly pulled his rank and intends to give the old heroes one last adventure as a final send off for fans of the original trilogy. Whether or not the use of a such clear nostalgia bomb will make a good Star Wars movie is yet to be seen, but one thing is for certain; said nostalgia bomb will almost certainly help cement the film’s box-office performance upon release.

Feel free to post your thoughts about this change in focus in the screenplay. Right now it’s too early for anyone to really guess how the film’s going to turn out and it would be wrong for me to provide conjecture… but that doesn’t mean you can’t 😉

FINAL FANTASY VI OUT NOW FOR ANDROID DEVICES

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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January 16, 2014

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FINAL FANTASY VI OUT NOW FOR ANDROID DEVICES

Play the iconic RPG on mobile devices for the very first time

Square Enix® are excited to announce that FINAL FANTASY® VI is now available to download from the Google Play Store, priced £10.99/€14.49, compatible with Android 3.2 and after (Android 4.0 OS recommended).

Originally released in for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994, the game’s graphics have been recreated to bring the world of FINAL FANTASY VI to your mobile device for the very first time. One of the graphics designers involved in the FINAL FANTASY series from the very start, Kazuko Shibuya, personally worked on the main characters and supervised this recreation.

FEATURES

FINAL FANTASY VI features intuitive user-friendly controls that make the game easy to play on touch screens. In particular, the battle interface has received a complete overhaul for use on your smartphone.

The magicites and events that were introduced in the 2006 remake for the Game Boy Advance, will also make a return. In addition, events have been optimized to be played with user-friendly touch controls.

Need a hint? Mog will help players who are stuck by telling them what they should do next. And the album feature allows players to revisit the story of the game, just in case they missed something earlier.

Available in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and Chinese (Traditional/Simplified) languages; Android device users can pick up FINAL FANTASY VI from the Google Play Store today for £10.99/€14.49.

Follow the link below to view the game’s launch trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wubKZWvZLgk

ABOUT FINAL FANTASY VI

The War of Magi left little but ashes and misery in its wake. Even magic itself had vanished from the world. Now, a thousand years later, humankind has remade the world through the power of iron, gunpowder, steam engines, and other machines and technologies.

But there is one who possesses the lost power of magic, a young girl name Terra, whom the evil Empire has kept enslaved in an effort to harness her power as weapon. This leads to a fateful meeting between Terra and a young man named Locke. Their harrowing escape from the Empire’s clutches sets in motion a series of events that touches countless lives and leads to one inevitable conclusion.

RELATED LINKS

Official Website: http://dlgames.square-enix.com/ff

GooglePlay Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.square_enix.android_googleplay.FFVI

Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FinalFantasy

Official Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/FinalFantasy

Official YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/FinalFantasyOfficial