Page 4067 – Capsule Computers

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January 9, 2014

New Update for Stronghold Kingdoms Adds Strategy Cards, Player-Requested Features

London, UK – 09.01.2014 – A new community-led client update has just been released for Stronghold Kingdoms, one of the top ten most popular free to play games on Steam. A quick overview of some of the new features can be found below:

New Strategy Cards – A new set of strategy cards have been introduced affecting different areas of gameplay including farming, religion and combat. Attainable by free players through the Veteran Level free cards system and by paying players through the game’s selection of various card packs, all players will have access to this new content.
Player Targeting – The Lords and Ladies of Stronghold Kingdoms can now send letters in-game marking other players, villages and parishes, something that can be used for good or evil. Have a sworn enemy? Mark them for death! Want to protect a particular village or parish? Team up with your Liege Lord and send reinforcements! Whatever your purpose, the new player targeting system will hasten your plans, nefarious or otherwise.
Gameplay Features – Firefly have also added a number of new features requested by players over the past few months. These include the ability to keep a record of diplomatic relations with other players with the new notes system, in case you forget exactly why you’re at war! Also added this month is a quick replay button for cards, several UI tweaks and more.

Almost two years after launch Kingdoms remains one of the most popular free to play games on Steam. With nearly 3 million registered players from over 100 different countries, Kingdoms regularly has more active players on Steam than other MMOs from heavyweight IPs such as EVE Online and Marvel Heroes. Firefly has promised to continue supporting the game throughout 2014, with monthly updates based on community feedback found in the forums, on Facebook and Twitter.

As always a full list of new features, tweaks and hotfixes can also be found in the Stronghold Kingdoms forums – http://bit.ly/1cYRqsn

About Stronghold Kingdoms
Stronghold Kingdoms is the medieval online castle game. Join hundreds of thousands of players in a rich world of Lords, Ladies, Bumpkins and Barons as you build your village, research new technology and strive to be the greatest in the land. Construct mighty castles to defend your lands against insolent intruders, develop your economy and trade your way to victory, lead your fellow noblemen to war and control of the Kingdom. Build, besiege, pillage, farm, explore, research, vote, trade and banquet your way to the throne! For more information please visit www.strongholdkingdoms.com or follow @SHKingdoms on Twitter.

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 five 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.

WWE Network to Launch in U.S. February 24

Zac Elawar

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January 9, 2014

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WWE-Network-01 — **Every PPV will be included in the subscription after all**

Finally, the official announcement was made: at CES 2014, WWE Chairman of the Board Vincent K. McMahon – along with numerous professional wrestling superstars and legends – revealed everything you need to know about the long-gestating WWE Network.

The first-ever 24/7 streaming network will launch on February 24, the day after WWE Elimination Chamber. It will cost $9.99 USD a month, with a 6-month commitment necessary. Every PPV will be included in the package, amongst groundbreaking original programming, reality shows, documentaries, classic matches and more than 1,500 hours of video on demand at launch. This is a true steal, as buying the PPV’s standalone costs diehard viewers approximately $600 USD per year. Fans can subscribe from 9am ET on Monday, February 24 and will be offered a free one week trial as an early adopter. However, those who live outside of the U.S. will have to wait as the network is scheduled to launch in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Nordics by the end of 2014/early 2015.

Every Monday night and Friday night, the WWE Network will air 30-minute pre-shows and post-shows for WWE’s weekly cable programs Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown. The two, along with WWE Main Event, will continue to broadcast on their respective channels exclusively.

WWE Network will be delivered directly to fans through over-the-top digital distribution, on desktops and laptops via WWE.com and through the WWE App on Amazon’s Kindle Fire, Android devices, iOS devices, Roku streaming devices, Sony PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, and the Xbox 360. Availability on additional devices, including Xbox One and select Smart TVs, will follow in the summer. WWE Network also promises a comprehensive second-screen experience for all original programming via the aforementioned WWE App. Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, spoke on the importance of the network

Today is a historic day for WWE as we transform and reimagine how we deliver our premium live content and 24/7 programming directly to our fans around the world. WWE Network will provide transformative growth for our company and unprecedented value for our fans.

WWE NXT – where the superstars and divas of tomorrow get to showcase their ability in hopes of impressing the upper brass and making an impression upon fans – and WWE Superstars – a weekly highlight show also featuring new matches – will be moved to the WWE Network (no details on foreign markets where they still air on cable).

This has all been made possible by a fruitful collaboration with MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM), who built a powerful solution for delivering 24/7 WWE content to fans. MLBAM are providing their industry-leading technology services, including video streaming infrastructure, application development and operational support for reliable cross-platform distribution. MLBAM’s pedigree is beyond impressive, having over a decade of experience in the field, and managing live video content for more than 25,000 events in the last year alone. Bob Bowman, President and CEO, MLBAM, stated;

We applaud WWE for this bold, timely and strategic move to fully optimize the power and potential of live entertainment. We are proud to work with WWE to help provide its millions of loyal fans with unencumbered access to distinctive and engaging live content across the devices they use most.

Here is more original programming fans can look forward to with the WWE Network:

The Monday Night War is a series that explores the shocking real-life stories that fueled the mid-90’s rivalry between WWE and WCW. Battling for ratings dominance, WWE’s Vince McMahon and WCW’s Ted Turner engaged in a masterful game of one-upsmanship and, in the process, elevated WWE Monday Night Raw and WCW Monday Nitro to all new levels of pop-culture relevance.

WWE WrestleMania Rewind is a comprehensive look back at the most groundbreaking matches and dramatic moments in WrestleMania’s rich, three decade long history, including never-before-seen footage and in-depth interviews.

WWE Countdown is a one-hour interactive countdown series that puts the power squarely in viewers’ hands by giving them the chance to discuss and rank WWE’s most spectacular superstars, unexpected moments, best catchphrases and more through digital polling and social media.

Coming in April, WWE Legends House reunites WWE’s greatest legends – only this time, they’re competing outside the ring. Imagine a beautiful house in the suburbs… perfectly furnished, with gorgeous landscaping, a lovely pool and quiet, respectable neighbours. WWE superstars from the past, including Rowdy Roddy Piper, Tony Atlas and Hacksaw Jim Duggan will turn the neighbourhood upside-down as the house staff tries their best to keep these legends on time, on speaking terms and out of trouble in this new reality show.

In addition to the streaming services, WWE Network will also hold all previous WWE, WCW and ECW pay-per-views, as well as classic matches uncut and uncensored, encores of Raw, SmackDown and WWE Main Event, totaling more than 1,500 hours of video on demand at launch. All episodes of original programming on WWE Network will be available on demand immediately after they premiere as well, allowing viewers to watch on their own schedule.

RBMA Releases Trailer for ‘A Film About Making Music’

Zac Elawar

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January 9, 2014

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What Difference Does It Make? A Film About Making Music is a full-length feature, directed by Ralf Schmerberg and shot at the 2013 Red Bull Music Academy, that got made in celebration of the 15th anniversary of the academy. Red Bull are rolling out the documentaries!

Releasing globally for one day only on February 17, the film will then become available the next day, for free, on redbullmusicacademy.com. A trailer has just been released for the movie – which deals with the challenges that a life in the industry brings – and can be viewed at the bottom of this article. Many notable artists are included in the picture, from Erykah Badu, Rakim and Q-Tip to Brian Eno, whose statement – “Why am I doing this and what difference does it make?” – inspired the title. The common thread between them all is that each has spent time as a studio tutor at the academy, which holds workshops for aspiring musicians as it travels to a new city every year.

iOS and Android Dungeon-Crawler “Archangel” Now Available

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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January 9, 2014

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iOS and Android Dungeon-Crawler “Archangel” Now Available

Unity Games’ newest mobile and tablet title available now for €2.99

San Francisco – January 9th, 2014 – Unity Games and Black Tower Studios are pleased to announce that the fantasy-themed action title, “Archangel,” is now available on iOS and Android devices (Google Play) for €2.99. In Archangel, the eternal struggle between good and evil comes to life via stunning console-quality visuals and intuitive touch controls. As the Archangel, you will cast brutal spells and deal divine justice via fire and force as you battle your way through an immersive 3D isometric world of peril and darkness.

“We’re proud to release Archangel as the first core title in our 2014 portfolio”, said Oren Tversky, VP of Unity Games. “Black Tower Studios has been a wonderful development partner, and Archangel’s high quality visuals and streamlined combat system are a testament to the studio’s meticulous attention to detail”.

A celestial being of certain conviction, driven by moral absolutes, you take control of the Archangel who has risen from the heavens as the forces of evil mobilize in defiance of heavenly rule. Through a unique gesture-based control system, draw symbols on-screen to rain punishment on your foes. Tap and hold to power up a devastating energy beam, or use other touch gestures to teleport, unleash lightning storms or even resurrect foes to battle alongside you.

Customize the Archangel’s armor and weapons to boost stats and at the end of each level wager hard-earned spoils for more treasure – or risk losing it all. An adaptive difficulty system adjusts itself to your ability and experience, ensuring Archangel offers endless replayability to both novices and experienced players.

Developed by Black Tower Studios and published by Unity Games, Archangel is now available on the iTunes App Store and on Google Play for Android.

For more information about Archangel, visit: http://www.unitygames.com/games/archangel/

About Unity Games
Unity Games is a division of Unity Technologies dedicated to publishing high quality Unity authored games. Working with the talented and diverse Unity community, Unity Games is elevating the status of its developer base, while pioneering technologically and artistically advanced games. For more information, visit: http://unitygames.com

About Black Tower Studios

Black Tower Studios is a developer of high quality mobile, tablet, and console games with offices in Japan and Australia. Showcasing a blend of Western and Japanese design sensibilities, the studio’s work demonstrates a passion for storytelling and action-packed gameplay. Black Tower Studios’ first game, Archangel, was published in 2014 on iOS and Android.

Ao Haru Ride Green Lit For Anime Adaptation

Sanjay Parbhu

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January 9, 2014

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Ao Haru Ride Green Lit For Anime Adaptation

Shojo fans will be happy to know that the Ao Haru Ride manga will be getting an anime adaptation, however at the time of writing no official dates have been given. The announcement of the manga’s adaptation is going to be in the February edition of the shojo magazine Bessatsu Margaret, which will be available from the 11th of January. Created by Io Sakisaka, the currently published manga made its debut in 2011 and follows the life of high school student Yoshioka Futaba.

When she was in middle school Yoshioka couldn’t express her true feelings to the boy she loved due to a misunderstanding, resulting in Ko Tanaka leaving without ever knowing the truth. Now in high school Yoshioka discovers Tanaka has returned under the name Kou Mabuchi, and finds out that he too wanted to express his feelings for her when they were both younger. Can these two still become something despite what happened in the past?

Only two cast members have been announced for the anime so far; Yuki Kaji, who will voice the role of Kou Mabuchi and Maaya Uchida, who holds the role of Yoshioka Futaba. Yuki Kaji is the voice behind Eren Yeager in Attack on Titan and is in the currently airing series Noragami, Maaya Uchida you may recognize as the voice of Rikka Takanashi from the KyoAni series Chuunibyo.

The Witcher Expands with New Adventure Board Game

Simon Wolfe

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January 9, 2014

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CD Projekt RED seems to be on a roll as after the announcement of the mystery project they have in the works with Dark Horse, another big announcement has been made today in the form of a new game. Though anyone worrying about fatigue since The Witcher 3 isn’t even out yet needn’t fret as this new reveal is a board game from Fantasy Flight Games.

The Witcher Adventure Game will let players fill the role of one of four characters from The Witcher Universe:

Geralt of Rivia, monster slayer
Dandelion, roguish bard
Triss Merigold, cunning sorceress
Yarpen Zigrin, dwarven warrior

With these characters, players will defeat monsters, collect gold, and interact with characters creating “a web of alliances and treachery”. Players wanting to try The Witcher Adventure Game out for themselves will be able to when it releases worldwide this year. While those wanting some more information can check out the teaser trailer embedded below.

China Temporarily Lifts Ban on Foreign Video Game Consoles

Kane Bugeja

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January 9, 2014

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Video-Game-Consoles-01 — **Something to look forward to**

The Chinese Government has recently announced that it is temporarily lifting its ban on the sale of foreign video game systems, a ban that has been in place for 14 years. Since 2000, companies such as Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony have been unable to sell their products in what is the world’s third largest video game market. The ban on these consoles was apparently put in place not due to censorship or any form of protectionism, but rather their “adverse effect on the mental health of young people.”

With the ban suspended “foreign-invested enterprises” are now able to produce their consoles within Shanghai’s free trade zone and sell them throughout China. However, just because the ban has been lifted it doesn’t mean that there aren’t still some restrictions in place. Each console produced must be inspected by “cultural departments, the government’s top decision-making authority, the State Council”

Yasuhiro Minagawa (Nintendo’s Japan PR Manager) said:
“We are still not sure exactly what we will be able to do in Shanghai, and thereafter in Greater China. Both with hardware and software, there are many things we have to look into and so we can’t say anything concrete.”

Satoshi Nakajimi (spokesman for Sony Computer Entertainment) also presented a somewhat reserved statement:
“We do recognize that China is a promising market, and we will continue to study the possibility.”

Microsoft has not commented on the ban as of yet, although in September 2013 they did form a joint venture with Chinese company BesTV New Media Co Ltd, investing $237 million in “family games and related services”.

Video-Game-Consoles-04 — **How will these consoles fare?**

Though the ban’s suspension heralds a new market for the video game powerhouses, it may be an uphill battle. As they have had no presence in the Chinese market for such a long period of time, PC, mobile and social media gaming have become the central focus for Chinese gamers. PC gaming alone attributes for more than two-thirds of the entire video game market, one which stands around $13 billion strong. Not only that, but these companies will have to work with a section of gamers who make comparatively less than their other markets. More than 70% of Chinese gamers net an income of 4,000 yuan ($634) a month. To purchase games at a price of $50 (a decent price in the US) would translate to roughly 300 yuan. So even if they can produce and sell their consoles, the companies will have to alter their price points to maintain any form of viability in this newly opened market.

Though not as financially dire, yet another problem also arises from the 14 year sales drought: demand. For those older gamers who remember the classic titles, there will surely be a desire to buy a console while it’s legal to do so. But for those younger gamers who grew up completely devoid of any input from Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft, there may be a surprising lack of interest. Will it be difficult to for these icons to incite a sense of wonder in a new audience? Or will the overall appeal of video games see these colossal companies dominate yet another market?

Viz Media license rescues Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit

Travis Bruno

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January 9, 2014

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Viz Media license rescues Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit

The anime Moribito – Guardian of the Spirit might sound a little familiar because it was once licensed in the past by Media Blasters, but since the company has had numerous issues recently and have let go of the license, Viz Media has revealed that they have picked up the anime and they are going to take advantage of it.

Viz has revealed that they will start showing the series on Neon Alley, their English anime streaming service, beginning on January 17th at 10:30PM (PST) and they will be releasing it on Blu-ray and DVD sometime later this year. For those who don’t know, the twenty six episode series aired back in 2007 and is the anime adaptation by Production I.G of the first book from the bestselling fantasy novels by Nahoko Uehashi. The story follows Balsa, a nomadic warrior who has vowed to atone for eigth deaths she caused in the past by saving the same number of people. As such she encounters a number of people who need her help, including a Prince who has been targeted by assassins.

Death Sentence Issues 1 – 4 Review

Frank Inglese

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January 9, 2014

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Death Sentence Issues 1 – 4
Author: Monty Nero
Illustrator: Mike Dowling
Publisher: Titan Comics
Release Date: Out Now
Price: $3.99 Per Isuue – Available Here

Overview

Death Sentence is a comic that, as of right now, hasn’t had too long of a run yet it has boomed in popularity and has quickly become a short series that comic book enthusiasts from around the world have been holding in very high regard, and it is very well-deserved. It is an odd story written and illustrated by a team of two men (Monty Nero and Mike Dowling) that looks into supernatural beings with a short time left to live and how they spend their final months.

“Death Sentence” has a unique story paired with a very different view of the world we currently live in, it has heart, it has soul and this is why I believe it has become so well-received in such a short amount of time. This review will be covering issues one to four of the comic with issues five and six not yet being released.

Story

As I briefly mentioned above, the story revolves around three characters: Verity, an aspiring artist, Weasel, the front-man to an extremely popular punk band, and Monty, a comedian turned public figure. We meet these characters as they are confronted with the news that they have tested positive to the “G+ Virus”, a new sexually transmitted disease that gives holders varying degrees of supernatural power but leaves them with only six months to live. People with the disease begin to feel themselves become more powerful as the days go by, their bodies and powers develop as they reach the apex of the diseases effects but quickly deteriorate as they enter their last couple months of living.

Throughout the comic we follow the last days of these three deviants as they decide whether or not to fizzle out of existence like everybody else or use their temporary powers to do something good with what’s left of their life. The story is incredibly unique and the entire comic actually has fantastic dialogue that allows you to sympathise with people who have not long to live. I simply enjoyed the premise of this comic, it seems as though it really hasn’t been done before and even if it has, it has definitely not been done to this degree.

All three characters are so different from each other yet oddly the same and it’s very interesting to see how they change and how they adapt or evolve after they’ve realised they’re superhumans who are on a fast-track to the grave. The only unfortunate thing about writing this review is that I can’t get into to much detail about what happens between issues one and four, what I can tell you is that it is one of the most well-written comics I’ve read recently.

Each characters has their own time in the spotlight accompanied by an inner monologue that really gets audiences thinking, well…it got ME thinking so I can imagine it did the same to many others. The characters are coming to terms with what they have become and what they will become while also dodging their past lives and the authorities that intend to “capture” them and do God-knows-what. You sympathise with the characters but you’re also forced to, somewhat, hate them at times, the comic helps audiences try and understand what these people are going through because, while they have these incredible abilities now, they’re dying and they all know there’s no way it can be stopped.

Artwork

Visually this comic looks fantastic, Mike Dowling seems to have gone with a more realistic way of illustrating “Death Sentence” and it fits entirely considering these are real people living a supernatural existence, if only for a short time. All the characters are very unique and illustrated fantastically, I also thoroughly enjoyed the colours throughout the comic, it really brought it to life and essentially that’s what comics are about. Full-colour comics take a very long time to produce but they’re make for great results and “Death Sentence” really proves that to us.

As I mentioned; the art style is realistic in a way but it also very rough and somewhat gritty which, once again, fits the comics all around vibe to a tee. Reading through he comic I noticed that panel placement for each page was extremely well done and must have been well thought out because they really made for exciting scenes. You don’t often see comic panels over the top of half-page panels but when you do, it is something great and “Death Sentence” has done this very well. I have no complaints at all when it comes the artwork within this comic, it’s absolutely brilliant and I even had to screenshot one page to put as my background image because of just how good it looked.

Overall

I’m almost at a loss for words here, between the detailed artwork and the well-written story all I can say is that “Death Sentence” is a winner! It does what comics are supposed to do; it engages you, it questions the things around you and it takes on a journey that will wanting more. There is a reason that this comic has become so popular recently and it’s not because of some “fluke” nor did it happen by chance, this comic is paving its own way and, if you read the whole review, you can see exactly why.

Any open-minded comic fan will ultimately fall for “Death Sentence” sooner or later so I say make it sooner rather than later and give the comic a try, I truly believe it has a lot to offer and that most comic books fans will take at least one thing away from it. I’ll end by simply saying: “Bring on Issue 5, I’m ready!”.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Toukiden: The Age of Demons Australian Release Announced

Travis Bruno

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January 9, 2014

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Toukiden: The Age of Demons Australian Release Announced

While we know that Toukiden: The Age of Demons is currently set to be released in North America on February 11th and sometime in February for Europe, we now have confirmation from Tecmo Koei that the game will also be released in Australia and New Zealand in February 2014.

Developed by Omega Force is set in the historical period of Japan where humans fight for survival against monstrous demons of immense strength. Only Slayers, an elite force that has protected mankind in secret for years, can turn the tide of the battle. Players take control of a young Slayer that they can completely customize with six different weapon types to try out. To help get players started, anyone who pre-orders Toukiden through the PSN will receive Mitama of Momotaro, a soul that will strengthen the player’s kill and a pair of cat ears for armor.