Today Viz Media has announced that fans of the Naruto movies won’t have to wait too much longer to get the next movie in the series as Naruto: Shippuden – Blood Prison now has a release date in North America. It is currently planned to be released on Blu-ray and DVD on February 18, 2014 and you can put down a pre-order now if you so wish.
The movie costs $19.98 on DVD or $24.98 on Blu-ray in the United States and each version of the film contains a special full-color variant O-card that will feature different artwork than what is on the case. Other bonuses include a special short film called Chunin Exam on Fire! Naruto vs. Konohamaru!, production art and Japanese trailers. The Blu-ray version will feature an exclusive video message from Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto and an interview with Junko Takeuchi, the Japanese voice of Naruto Uzumaki.
The story of Blood Prison involves Naruto being convicted of a serious crime that he didn’t commit and being sent to an inescapable prison known as Hozuki Castle. With his chakra sealed, Naruto must plan his escape with some new allies, though he is unaware of what their true motives are.
Call of Duty: Ghosts Developer:Infinity Ward Publisher:Activision Platforms: PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox One, Xbox 360 (Reviewed) Release Date: November 5, 2013 Price: $99.95 – Available Here
Overview Every year around the holiday season, a certain game franchise arrives and takes the game industry by storm and that certain franchise happens to be Call of Duty. Over the years Call of Duty has managed to become one of the most popular franchises in memory and despite being released yearly, it usually has kept things fresh enough to warrant such frequent releases. Now, with Call of Duty: Ghosts and its dog, is the game worth picking up once more?
Story On a cliffside in a forest, two sons listen to the story of the Ghosts unit, told by their father, during a summer day in California. While a few minor tremors occur on their way home, the family thinks little of it at first since quakes are common in California, but little do they know that those tremors are the start of a war that will push the United States to the edge against a new enemy known as The Federation.
Thanks to The Federation, a force of united nations from South America, gaining control over an orbital weapon capable of city-wide annihilation, nearly every major city in the South West of the United States has been annihilated and over a brutal ten year war, The Federation preparing to take down what is left of the United States’ defenses and the aforementioned family plays a pinnacle role in the defense as the two sons have become tough fighters while their father leads an elite force seeking the brains of the operation, an old ally turned enemy.
Now, Call of Duty: Ghosts’ campaign makes for a rather impressive and over the top offering in imagination as players trek through numerous locations from desolate ruins of fallen cities to jungles and the oceans to space. There are numerous ‘wow’ moments throughout the story as huge events occur in front of the player as they attempt to take down the man behind The Federation, even if it means losing those close to them in the process.
Sadly outside of that, and the inclusion of Riley, a highly trained German Shepard that gets far less game time than initially let on, Call of Duty: Ghosts remains pretty standard as far as the campaign’s structure goes. While players are meant to care about the characters that are in the game, there is little development outside of the occasional heartrending moment, making the dog the only character with a decent personality in the game, since choice isn’t really an option except for failure.
So while it may be quite the spectacle to behold, and believe me it is still enjoyable to experience an over the top war storyline with little real world detail to worry about thanks to the limited scope and focus of the story, it comes off as rather simplistic outside of a blatant set-up for a sequel.
Gameplay
Let’s get the discussion about the gameplay in the campaign out of the way before hitting the nitty gritty multiplayer bits. Ghosts features the same single player combat we’ve always experienced from the game, with numerous hallways and areas that have to be traversed and fought through. The only nice change is the inclusion of Riley in the group whenever he is available, as he actually makes the standard shooting a bit more fun as he viciously attacks enemies or weakens them for the player to take down, though be careful with your fire as it is possible to fail due to friendly fire if your bullets strike him. There are numerous difficulty levels to try, all the way from walk in the park to brutally difficult, as well as a few minor collectibles to gather and achievements to unlock to offer some replayability of this mode.
Now on to the multiplayer. Over the years Call of Duty has taken a number of steps to improve and refine its multiplayer mode and in recent years, they have taken on the policy of, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ Sadly it seems that Infinity Ward has chosen to do the exact opposite of that this time around as they have taken a pretty significant step back from what was offered in last year’s Call of Duty mode and tacked on some new features that range from neat additions to useless.
One of the best features introduced in Ghosts is the fact that players can now customize the appearance of their character, giving them a number of heads to choose from, basic equipment styles and even the ability to play as a male or female. These changes are simply cosmetic and do nothing to the gameplay, but are a nice touch that has been missing from the game for quite some time.
When it comes to customizing the load out for each character, Ghosts makes use of a Squad Point system where points are earned from leveling up, performing certain objectives or occasionally simply doing well in a match. These points are used to unlock well, pretty much everything in the game if the player chooses. All weapons and their attachments, equipment, and even perks can be unlocked through using squad points whenever the player wishes.
This makes it possible to unlock a weapon at any given time in the game if the player has enough points for it, making customization both easier and more less enjoyable at the same time. In part it takes away from the enjoyment of leveling up to unlock new gear and the reward of using a weapon to unlock its attachments, but it also forces the player to balance their unlocks and perks to an unnecessary level.
You see, instead of featuring a “pick 10” system like the last Call of Duty or a set number of perks, players are given perk values that range from 1 to 5, meaning five 1 point perks can be used in the place a useful 5 point perk. This does help balance the game a bit but thanks to the fact that perks are the only thing in the game which requires leveling to obtain (outside of an expensive point pay off), it does lead to some unwanted perks for quite some time. It is worth noting that sacrificing equipment does allow players to use more perks at any given time, which is a nice touch.
Outside of these modifications, the kill streaks remain very similar where players can choose an Assault style, where your kill count is reset every time you die, Support where your kills continue to count regardless of how many times you die, and a final style that allows the player to gain additional abilities the more kills they rack up. These kill streaks have been modified slightly with a few new inclusions and replacements. A helpful, albeit slightly overpowered, attack dog can be summoned to protect the player and attack enemies while UAVs are now ground based.
It is also worth noting that care packages are no longer kill streak rewards. Instead care packages can only be obtained by completing ‘Field Orders’ which are special briefcases that are dropped by opposing players when killed. These orders contain mini-objectives such as killing an enemy from behind or killing two enemies while laying prone. Completing these objectives net the player a Care Package which, as veterans of the series know, offer random kill streak rewards. Sadly this is another feature which seems to be redundant and only makes the game slower paced than its predecessors as it often leads team mates to performing stupid actions, resulting in easy deaths or encourages griefing.
Sadly outside of adjusting these kill streaks, little balancing has been performed on the weapons in the game as there are still numerous persisting issues with Ghosts’ multiplayer. Quickscoping remains as prevalent as ever and thanks to the increased size of the maps with the limited player count per match, it often leads to long drawn out camp fests where Call of Duty usually falls closer to hectic combat. That isn’t to say that the increased map size is a bad thing, as it does give the player a bit of a feel that they aren’t cramped anymore, but perhaps adding a few more players to each arena would give matches a more exciting feel.
As for the additional gameplay modes added to Ghosts, it would be hard to call them ‘New’ as they simply feel like modified versions of past elements. There is Search and Rescue matches where players have to collect fallen comrade’s dog tags to respawn them, which is a bit of a modified version of kill confirmed. Joining this is ‘Infected’ which is literally a copy of what Halo has offered, Grind, Blitz and Cranked which help round things out but simply seem like bland additions.
Replacing your standard training mode is Squads. Players have the option of unlocking additional customizable squad mates at the cost of Squad Points and each of these characters can be upgraded and leveled up as the player wishes. They can then be taken into Squad matches where the player can pit their squad against other squads, which almost always means fighting against AI in bot matches. While enjoyable and a nice option for those who want to unwind from the competitive multiplayer or lack the ability to play online, it feels like a lazy inclusion which simply gives a reason to have more than one character spot.
Closing out Ghosts is the game’s Extinction mode which allows four players to play together to try and survive and annihilate an alien horde that has landed in a small town and began to infest the area. Players must destroy each hive while guarding a drill and kill any aliens who try to stop them. The mode works well on its own but does require co-operation which can be hard to find sometimes but when you do manage to find a working group, this mode actually is rather worthwhile.
Players unlock various skills from load outs as they level up and they earn points mid-session which can be used to enhance the player’s pre-selected skills and also upgrade their weapons. Extinction makes for a nice change from the regular zombie mode, though it is sad to see that at the moment there is only one map available for this mode which quickly makes it a humdrum activity once finished a few times.
Visuals There are times that Call of Duty: Ghosts looks astounding and then there are times that the game really shows its age on the 360. The various set-pieces and the aforementioned ‘wow’ moments are spectacular to see but sadly any time the player takes a closer look at the environment or any aspect of the game, it is clear that the game’s graphics can only be appreciated from a distance as any examination results in some terrible looking textures.
That being said, it is nice to see that Ghosts does sport some improved animations and Riley is quite realistic looking. The multiplayer maps are also varied a bit and feature some extremely minor destructible environments, such as opening a gate or creating one piece of cover except for one map that actually changes due to player interaction.
Audio While a game’s story can be compelling enough without voice work, Ghosts’ story is not only a mindless romp with plenty of explosions, it also happens to feature some truly terrible voice work. While there are some decent sounding characters in the game, the big bad and the player’s constant ally should not be allowed to talk as much as they did throughout the game’s campaign.
Outside of that, the game does feature some nice atmospheric sounds and the various sound effects both from the guns the player is shooting and the various explosions sound believable enough at this point.
Overall When a game is released yearly it requires something new and fresh to make it worthwhile. Sadly Call of Duty: Ghosts barely inches by with some bare-minimum upgrades to the game’s multiplayer and a new mode that gets old very quickly due to the lack of environments. While the game’s multiplayer can still be considered great on its own, outside of a new story to tell and some slightly modified online modes, Ghosts feels like a step back for the franchise in more than one way.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
505 Games and Overkill Software are adding five new single day heists with the new DLC for PayDay 2. Armored Transport Heists will have the PayDay ganging hitting five different Armadillo Armored Transport trucks scattered across Washington D.C. The DLC also contains three new weapons, four US Presidential masks, four new mask patterns, and four new mask materials. As an added bonus, players who do not own the DLC can still play the new maps, as long as they join a host who owns the DLC.
The DLC is available now on Steam for $5.99 USD or $6.43 AUD. Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions will follow in the new year after Overkill Software releases patches for the console versions.
Veteran game designed Navid Khonsari is bringing history to life. After working on hit games like Max Payne, Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Revolver, Alan Wakeand Manhunt, Khonsari has started on a new project, in hopes of creating an action adventure title based on the 1979 Iranian revolution. The game seeks to both entertain and educate gamers on an important event in modern history. The team includes an impressive array of advisers, collaborators, and talent, including photojournalist Michel Setboun who spent two years covering the revolution and anonymous Iranian team members whose identities must remain hidden for fear of reprisals.
iNK Stories is seeking $395,000 USD at their Kickstarter campaign to bring this game to iOS. The money will be poured into development with hope of a May 2014 release.
Beetle Breaker is a free, explosive physics-based puzzler developed by Master of Code and published by mobile heavyweight Chillingo. The player must use different kinds of bugs at their disposal to slingshot at, and destroy, a spinning target. Could Beetle Breaker be the next big addiction for iOS users? Or should we turn on the zapper, take out the bug spray and kill it before it breeds?
Gameplay
Have you played Dekovir Entertainment’s 2011 mobile game Amazing Breaker? If so, you’ll already know exactly what’s in store for you here. The gameplay is pretty much identical, although it would also be clear to those same people that the theme is radically unrelated. The most common primary goal is to sling your army of war-faring, kamikaze bugs at the target in hopes of destroying at least 90% of it with one bug remaining. Bug types range from mime-laying bugs, to plain explosive bugs, split-direction bugs and many more that become unlocked as you play. Adopting the now commonplace 3-star rating system, using them all to your advantage in successfully completing secondary objectives will ensure full completion. These can be as simple as destroying a specific part of the target that has a star lodged inside it.
White bug outlines may also appear on the play-space, and causing an explosion within range of the different bug representations will grant you an extra bug of that type (treat them like opportunities for extra ammunition). Failing a level leads you to a Spin Wheel. Every now and then you will receive a free spin and whatever bug the arrow lands on can then be used as a sort of final chance to succeed. When you don’t have a free spin, spins are bought with micro-transactions (in-game coins). As if this inclusion won’t do enough to turn off cynical gamers, the constant advertisements will. The game is free, so it’s a given that it is supported by ads, but in a trial-and-error title, having one pop-up between tries and levels so often can be infuriating.
Visuals & Audio
Beetle Breaker aptly presents the aesthetic of a backyard setting… although I have no idea who has a candy-striped awning in theirs, but let’s just ignore that, shall we? Otherwise, there is a great consistency with the visual theme as levels are represented as leaves on a growing pot-plant with the U.I. elements taking on a wood-grain texture. The targets themselves are of many forms (not necessarily bug-related as the above octopus proves), but again, exist as wooden objects. The bugs themselves are uniquely designed, however they magically get catapulted behind the slingshot upon release. Pretty sure that’s not how the laws of physics, motion and the mechanics of solid objects work.
A small nuisance is the easily miss-able menu and restart buttons at the top of the screen. For some reason the developers felt they would possibly be a distraction and faded them substantially. And when following through with tapping the restart button, there is rarely any visual feedback; only a small audio cue. On the odd occasion, you will be asked ‘if you’re sure’, but only if you’ve already made some progress in the stage. The secondary objective symbols also do not expand, so it is near impossible to understand what each means without any text. Audio-wise, you get what’d you expect, with a light, playful theme and familiar garden sounds… although the bugs do make odd noises – seemingly recorded mouth noises from Master of Code employees.
Overall
Beetle Breaker is a challenging puzzle shooter (is that even a genre?!), but almost to a fault. It’s not so much that the levels themselves are too hard to pass, but the high star requirements for the next worlds means you’re going to have to achieve three out of three stars on most to progress past the initial 24 levels. That can be tough and trying. Annoyances such as the lack of visual feedback on the inexplicably faded buttons, unclear secondary objectives and the controls being locked-out as you await seemingly never-ending bouncing bugs/bombs, the overkill of advertising really ruins the experience. Yes, it’s a free title, but an ad after every level? Truly overkill. If you can somehow avoid utter frustration at these things, then Beetle Breaker may become your new go-to time waster.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Last night, Nintendo hosted one of their infamous Nintendo Direct presentations. This particular presentation was largely focused on the 3DS and the near future for the console. Since a fair bit of news came out of it, we thought we would collect and collate all of the big news to share with you:
Miiverse Coming to 3DS:
This one has been a long-time coming for sure. Nintendo Miiverse, the Wii U’s integrated online community hub is finally making its way to the 3DS. Not only that, but users will be able to synchronise their Wii U and 3DS accounts into one single Nintendo ID. This will allow players to purchase Wii U software using the remaining balance on their Nintendo 3DS eShop accounts, and vice versa, as well as post into the online message boards and other cool features that the Miiverse allows.
YouTube Coming to 3Ds & Wii U:
In equally as exciting news, the video-sharing site YouTube will now be viewable on 3DS consoles everywhere through its own 3DS-specific app. Using the app, players will be able to watch videos on the top screen, while browsing for content on the bottom. YouTube will also be making its way to Wii U in the near future.
Legend of Zelda: Link Between Worlds StreetPass:
Nintendo also announced the new StreetPass feature for the highly anticipated; Legend of Zelda: Link Between Worlds. When you StreetPass with another owner of the game, your Shadow Link will appear in their world, equipped with all the items and weapons that you currently have. Players who vanquish a Shadow Link will receive a Rupee bonus dependent on those equipped weapons.
In addition to the 3DS news, the Big N dropped a few bombshells regarding upcoming Wii U titles too, namely Super Mario 3d World. Mario, Luigi, Peach and Toad will be joined by at least one more unlockable playable character when the game drops on November 30th – Princess Rosalina from Super Mario Galaxy fame.
A few more other tid bits and news pieces were announced during the video, so we have attached the entire presentation below for your enjoyment. Be sure to check it out below and let us know in the comments the most exciting thing for you from the presentation. Always remember to stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Nintendo news as it becomes available
NINTENDO BRINGING NINTENDO NETWORK ID AND MIIVERSE TO NINTENDO 3DS
New Nintendo Direct announces new content and services for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
14th November 2013 – As part of a Nintendo Directbroadcast today, Nintendo announced news of Nintendo Network ID, Miiverse and the video-sharing service YouTube making their way to the Nintendo 3DS family of consoles. Hosted by Nintendo of Europe President Satoru Shibata, the broadcast focused primarily on Nintendo 3DS software launching in the coming months, including new reveals for The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds,Bravely Default and Mario Party: Island Tour. In addition, football fans will be excited to hear of a new football management game coming to Nintendo 3DS.
Meanwhile for Wii Uowners, today’s broadcast revealed numerous ways in which to enjoy SUPER MARIO 3D WORLDwhen it releases in just over a fortnight, as well as new and original downloadable content coming for owners of Pikmin 3.
To view the Nintendo Direct in its entirety, visit http://www.nintendo.com.au/nintendodirect. Today’s announcements included:
Nintendo 3DS News
Nintendo Network ID & Miiverse: A December system update will allow users to register their Nintendo Network ID for Wii U on their Nintendo 3DS systems and combine Nintendo eShop account balances. This will enable them to purchase Wii U software using the remaining balance on their Nintendo 3DS eShop accounts, and vice versa. Nintendo 3DS owners who do not own a Wii U system can also create their own Nintendo Network ID for the first time. This system update will also mark the beginning of Miiverse support on Nintendo 3DS. With a Nintendo Network ID, users will be able to connect with other players around the world to share their experiences and game tips through Miiverse on Nintendo 3DS. For more information about Nintendo Network ID, including some important notices Nintendo would like customers to be aware of, please visit our website here.
YouTube on Nintendo 3DS: The video-sharing service YouTube is coming to Nintendo 3DS later this month with users able to watch videos while on the go, providing they have internet access. Users will be able to browse content on the bottom screen, while watching a different video on the top screen.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds: In Link’s latest adventure, engage in special battles against players met through StreetPass by creating a Shadow Link that will be sent to others during StreetPass encounters. The items equipped and the number of hearts you have will affect the rupee bounty on your Shadow Link’s head, likewise with the Shadow Link characters of other players who will appear at certain places in the game world. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds launches on 23rd November.
Bravely Default: An English-language demo of Bravely Default is available for download now on Nintendo eShop. The combat mechanics in this highly anticipated RPG include the Bravely Second feature, which freezes time during a battle. Attacks during Bravely Second use Sleep Points that can be accrued when players leave their Nintendo 3DS in Sleep Mode. Launching 7th December, the game is also available as part of a Bravely Default Deluxe Collector’s Edition, including a copy of the game, Agnès figurine, deluxe artbook, 34 AR Cards and an original soundtrack CD, exclusive to EB Games.
Mario Party: Island Tour: Mario’s latest party has a tropical theme, with seven new game boards and 80 new minigames, including some that use the motion controls of Nintendo 3DS, and the ability for four Nintendo 3DS owners to play all multiplayer game content with only one copy of the game via Download Play. Players can also engage with other players who have the game in StreetPass minigame competitions. The game is releasing on 18th January 2014.
Nintendo Pocket Football Club:Coming to Nintendo eShop in 2014, this new football management game puts players in charge of their very own football club, from deciding on the club’s emblem and kit, to training players and overseeing tactics on match days. In addition to single player mode, players will be able to compete in local wireless matches against friends, as well as taking on fellow managers in an online multiplayer mode.
Wii U News
SUPER MARIO 3D WORLD: This latest Nintendo Direct presents ten new things included in the game, including the ability to play as Rosalina from Super Mario Galaxy, a Luigi Bros. bonus game that is more easily accessed for players who have New Super Luigi U save data on their systems, and Captain Toad levels, which challenge players to collect five stars without jumping. SUPER MARIO 3D WORLD releases on 30th November.
Animal Crossing Plaza update: The Wii U gathering place for Animal Crossing fans is being upgraded with two new features on 15th November:
o After users perform a software update, they can customise their Miiverse posts using 50 different Animal Crossing stamps. Users can combine multiple stamps or add hand-drawn messages to decorate posts they have already stamped. They can even partially erase a stamp and redraw it any way they like.
o Nintendo is also adding a ranking feature to display the results of monthly polls. November’s question is “Who would make the best secretary?” and December’s theme will be “Who is the neighbour of the year?”
o Additional features, including the ability to register and interact with your town residents, will be added in a future update
Further Pikmin 3 downloadable content: A third volume of downloadable Mission Mode Add-On Stages for Pikmin 3 will incorporate completely new “Collect Treasure” and “Battle Enemies” stages with locations as varied as beaches, the inside of someone’s house during a party, a construction site and a mysterious factory. In one stage players can control Captain Olimar, the main character from Pikmin and Pikmin 2. Even Louie makes an appearance! Released on 3rd December, a software update required to play this third volume will be released on the same day.
YouTube on Wii U update: The already released YouTube application on Wii U is to receive an upgrade later this month, which will greatly improve the interface and let users view videos on the Wii U GamePad, plus enable users to search content on the GamePad whilst watching a different video on the TV screen.
Wii Fit U: A free trial of the game is available on Nintendo eShop now until 31st January. Wii U owners with a Wii Balance Board accessory and a broadband Internet connection* can download the trial and play it for free for 31 days. Users can make the trial permanent by buying and syncing a Fit Meter to the software. Nintendo Australia wishes to advise that Wii Fit U will now launch in retail outlets 14th December, one week later than the original date of 7th December. It will launch in retail as a packaged game in two sets, one including the game disc and Fit Meter, the other including the game disc, Fit Meter and Wii Balance Board.
Wii Sports Club: Another game currently available as a free download on Nintendo eShop, Wii Sports Club features classic Wii Sports events such as Tennis and Bowling, updated with Wii Remote Plus controls, online play and Miiverse features. Users can play the game for free for 24 hours beginning when the software is started for the first time. If you want to keep playing, users can purchase a 24-hour Day Pass or a Single Sports Pass for users to play their favourite sports for as long as they like.
*Depending on the Wii U hardware pack you own and your use of it, an additional storage device may be required to download software from Nintendo eShop. Additional Links:
Bulkypix new music guessing game Tunes Up! is out now for both iOS and Android devices! Featuring songs from all type of music such as Rock and Pop to more obscure genres like Reggae and Lounge, you can challenge the A.I. or your friends to see who has the greatest musical knowledge. Players attempt to answer questions such as song or artist name or even the name of the album the song is from. Tunes Up! can be played with friends on the same device, which is sure to be a whole lot of fun and mayhem when the action heats up.
Features include:
Customize your avatar with funny accessories
More than 40 music genders for every tastes
Over 1000 questions to test your knowledge and challenge your friends
Train and improve yourself against AI before beating other players for real
Play locally with your friends on the same device for a funnier experience
Tunes Up! is available right now for free on both the App Store and Google Play. Follow the respective links to download the game now.
Expand the XCOM Experience Today with XCOM®: Enemy Within
Expansion adds new maps, enemies, abilities, weapons, gameplay and more to the Game of the Year* strategy title
Join the conversation on Twitter using the hash tag #XCOM
Sydney, Australia – November 14, 2013 – 2K and Firaxis Games announced today that XCOM®: Enemy Within, the expanded experience for the Game of the Year* award-winning strategy title, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, is available today in Australia and New Zealand for Windows PC, Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.
In XCOM: Enemy Within,players can modify their soldiers genetically to enhance their operatives’ abilities or transform their soldiers into cybernetic warriors. These new abilities and units are imperative to combat two new aliens, the Mechtoid and the Seeker. In addition to new aliens, XCOM: Enemy Within adds a new threat known as EXALT, an underground human organization set on disrupting XCOM operations and taking control of Earth. XCOM: Enemy Within also includes an array of new maps, abilities, upgrades and weapons across both single player and multiplayer.
“XCOM: Enemy Within continues the tradition of robust expansion packs from Firaxis Games,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “With an incredible amount of new content, XCOM: Enemy Within is the definitive way to play last year’s best strategy game.”
“The number one thing our fans asked for after we released XCOM: Enemy Unknown was more maps,” said Ananda Gupta, lead designer at Firaxis Games. “In XCOM: Enemy Within, we’re giving players nearly 50% more maps in addition to a massive amount of other new content, providing nearly limitless replayability for XCOM commanders to enjoy.”
Key features for XCOM: Enemy Within include:
New Soldier Abilities: Research a new alien technology to advance the capabilities of operatives:
Gene Mods: Construct the Genetics Lab to physically enhance operatives’ abilities, including augmentations to the chest, brain, eyes, skin and legs;
MECs: Build the Cybernetics Lab to enable the construction of the new Mechanized Exoskeletal Cybersuit, or MEC. The new MEC Trooper class has specialized abilities and each suit can be upgraded with new weapons including the flamethrower, grenade launcher and more.
New Weapons and Equipment: Give operatives an extra tactical edge with new projects from the engineering team in the Foundry;
New Enemy Threats: Adopt new tactics to counter the threats from new enemies, including the Mechtoid, the Seeker and an organization known as EXALT, a group of humans sympathetic to the alien cause;
New Strategic Resource: A valuable new alien resource, known as Meld, has been discovered. Secure it on the battlefield and use it carefully back at base to unlock new research and upgrades;
New Tactical Challenges and Maps: Face new tactical challenges, on nearly 50% more maps;
New Story Elements: Recover a mysterious new weapon in Operation Progeny, investigate a terrifying threat in an abandoned fishing village, and defend the XCOM headquarters from alien attack in a series of new plot-driven missions;
New Multiplayer Maps, Units and Abilities: Create custom squads from a wider array of options and dominate opponents in intense, one-on-one, turn-based matches;
New Second Wave Options: A number of new gameplay modifiers including the option to enable random soldier abilities means no XCOM squad need ever be the same again.
XCOM: Enemy Within vastly improves upon the experience of XCOM: Enemy Unknown with an incredible amount of new content. On PC**, XCOM: Enemy Within features additional content that can be enjoyed with previously purchased copies of XCOM: Enemy Unknown. XCOM: Enemy Within is available on Xbox 360 and PS3™ system as the XCOM: Enemy Within – Commander Edition** – a standalone pack that expands the XCOM: Enemy Unknown experience featuring the new XCOM: Enemy Within content and the add-on content that was previously released for XCOM: Enemy Unknown,including the Elite Soldier Pack and Slingshot Content Pack.
XCOM: Enemy Within is rated MA15+ in Australia and R13 in New Zealand and is available today. XCOM: Enemy Within is available for Windows PC for MSRP$49.95, and is available for Xbox 360 and PS3™ system for MSRP$69.95 as the XCOM: Enemy Within – Commander Edition. For more information on XCOM: Enemy Within, become a fan on Facebook, follow 2K on Twitter and visit the official web site at http://www.xcom.com.
**XCOM: Enemy Within for PC requires XCOM: Enemy Unknown to play. XCOM: Enemy Within – Commander Edition is a standalone expanded experience that includes all XCOM: Enemy Unknown content and two add-on content packs: the Elite Soldier Pack the Slingshot Content Pack. XCOM: Enemy Within – Commander Edition does not require XCOM: Enemy Unknown to play.
Firaxis Games is a 2K studio. 2K is a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).
About Take-Two Interactive Software
Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a leading developer, marketer and publisher of interactive entertainment for consumers around the globe. The Company develops and publishes products through its two wholly-owned labels Rockstar Games and 2K. Our products are designed for console systems, handheld gaming systems and personal computers, including smartphones and tablets, and are delivered through physical retail, digital download, online platforms and cloud streaming services. The Company’s common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at http://www.take2games.com.
About 2K
Founded in 2005, 2K develops and publishes interactive entertainment globally for console systems, handheld gaming systems and personal computers, including smartphones and tablets, which are delivered through physical retail, digital download, online platforms and cloud streaming services. 2K publishes titles in today’s most popular gaming genres, including shooters, action, role-playing, strategy, sports, casual, and family entertainment. The 2K label has some of the most talented development studios in the world today, including Firaxis Games, Visual Concepts, Irrational Games, 2K Marin, 2K Australia, 2K Czech, Cat Daddy Games and 2K China. 2K’s stable of high quality titles includes the critically acclaimed BioShock®, Borderlands™ and XCOM® franchises, the beloved Sid Meier’sCivilization series, the popular WWE 2K franchise and NBA 2K, the #1 rated and #1 selling basketball franchise***. 2K is headquartered in Novato, California and is a wholly owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO). For more information, please visit www.2K.com.
***According to 2008 – 2013 Metacritic.com and The NPD Group estimates of U.S. retail video game sales through September 2013.
About Firaxis Games
Firaxis Games™ is one of the world’s premier game development studios, and home of legendary designer Sid Meier. Firaxis has developed some of the most successful and award-winning computer and video games on the market today including: the award winning Sid Meier’s Civilization® V for the PC, as well as the critically acclaimed expansion packs Sid Meier’s Civilization® V: Gods and Kings and Sid Meier’s Civilization® V: Brave New World, the critically acclaimed XCOM®: Enemy Unknown for Windows PC, the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, iPhone®, iPad® and iPod touch®, Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol™ and Sid Meier’s Ace Patrol: Pacific Skies™ for the PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, Haunted Hollow™ exclusively for iPhone, iPad and iPhone touch, Sid Meier’s Civilization® Revolution™ for console, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Nintendo DS, 2005 PC Game of the Year – Sid Meier’s Civilization IV®, the expansions Civilization IV: Warlords®, Civilization IV: Beyond The Sword™, and Civilization IV: Colonization™, the blockbuster Sid Meier’s Civilization® III series, Sid Meier’s Pirates!® (PC, Xbox and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system), Sid Meier’s SimGolf™ and Sid Meier’s Railroads!™. Firaxis legacy titles include the Sid Meier’s Civil War Series!™ (Gettysburg!, Antietam!, and South Mountain), and the Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri® series. In 2005, Firaxis Games was acquired by Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., joining its 2K publishing label.
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The statements contained herein which are not historical facts are considered forward-looking statements under federal securities laws and may be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “potential,” “predicts,” “projects,” “seeks,” “will,” or words of similar meaning and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the outlook for the Company’s future business and financial performance. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs of our management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to them, which are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Actual outcomes and results may vary materially from these forward-looking statements based on a variety of risks and uncertainties including: our dependence on key management and product development personnel, our dependence on our Grand Theft Auto products and our ability to develop other hit titles for current and next-generation platforms, the timely release and significant market acceptance of our games, the ability to maintain acceptable pricing levels on our games, our ability to raise capital if needed and risks associated with international operations. Other important factors and information are contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013, in the section entitled “Risk Factors,” the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2013, and the Company’s other periodic filings with the SEC, which can be accessed at www.take2games.com. All forward-looking statements are qualified by these cautionary statements and apply only as of the date they are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
North American, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand anime fans have all seen the third Neon Genesis Evangelion movie on the big screen, and now Irish fans can look forward to their premier of Eva 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo at the end of this month.
The Japanese Film Festival Ireland posted details about the premier on theirFacebook page earlier today; they have made the 30th of November “Evangelion Day” and will marathon all three movies from the Eva re-boot. The movie screenings, in association with Scotland Loves Anime, will begin at midday at the Lighthouse Cinema in Smithfield Dublin. “Evangelion Day” will naturally start with You Are (Not) Alone, followed by You Can (Not) Advanceat 2 pm and finishing with the premier of 3.0 at 4 .m.
Tickets can be purchased for each film individually, or you can get a pass to see all three movies for €19.50 at the Light House Cinema Box Office. All movies will be screened in Japanese with English subtitles, check out the cinemas website for more information.
