Page 4209 – Capsule Computers

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November 7, 2013

Free Update for Stronghold Kingdoms Adds Paladin Castles, New Leaderboards

London, UK – 07.11.2013 – Stronghold Kingdoms, one of the most popular free to play games on Steam, has just been updated with new player-led gameplay content in the form of PaladinCastles and new leaderboards. Kingdoms remains one of the top ten most popular free to play games on Steam, with more concurrent daily users than titles from heavyweight IPs such as DC Universe Online and Lord of the Rings Online.

Since becoming an independent developer with the release of Stronghold Kingdoms, the development team at Firefly has ensured that any new features would be a product of shared input from players and developers. All of the new features added in this month’s gameplay update were requested by the community and implemented by Firefly. The Stronghold Kingdoms forums, Facebook page and Twitter feed are a constant source of new ideas for the team, who are eternally thankful for the community’s constant participation in the development of the game. A quick overview of some of the new features can be found below:

Paladin Castles – These new castles appear in player Parishes giving a popularity bonus, dependent on the size of the castle, to all villages in the Parish. These can be attacked in the same manner as hostile AI Castles, in case you feel like playing dirty.

Extra Leaderboards – New leaderboards have now been added to the game, listing which players have collected the most Glory, made the most Parish donations and razed the most villages!

A full list of new features, tweaks and hotfixes can also be found in the Stronghold Kingdoms forums:

http://forum.strongholdkingdoms.com/viewtopic.php?f=88&t=26505

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.

Ubisoft and Square Enix Expand their Joint Collectibles Line

Andrew Day

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November 7, 2013

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Ubisoft and Square Enix Expand their Joint Collectibles Line

play-arts-ezio-screenshot-01 — The Ezio figure will soon be joined by his descendants; Edward and Connor

Today Ubisoft and Square Enix have announced a continuing partnership. Sadly I don’t mean that they will be co-developing a game (although that will always be the dream). No, instead the two will be continuing their joint collectibles offering. Starting this month, a range of new merchandise from each company will be available in both the Square Enix Online Store, and the Ubisoft Uplay Shop.

A Selection of Ubicollectibles, including Assassin’s Creed figurines and Rabbids inspired vinyl figurines are now available in the Square Enix store. Joining them later this month will be four wall-scrolls inspired by Assassin’s Creed, and Play-Arts Kai figurines of Connor Kenway from Assassin’s Creed III, and his grandfather Edward from Assassin’s Creed IV (check out review here) coming in 2014. Meanwhile, Uplay shoppers can get their hands on Play-Arts Kai figures of famous Square Enix characters such as Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft, Final Fantasy XIII’s Lightning and Hitman’s Agent 47.

For those who might not be in the know, Play-Arts Kai are widely considered the best collectible figurines on the market. They are of incredibly high detail, are insanely pose-able, and often come with various hands, heads, and accessories so you can customise the look of your figure how you want.

To take a look at the offerings, head over to the Square Enix Store, or the Ubisoft Uplay Store. What do you think of the partnership, and will you be picking up any of the figures or merch when they drop? Let us know in the comments below, and always remember to stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the sweet gaming collectibles news as it becomes available.

Zombitsu Out Now On iOS and Android

Kane Bugeja

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November 7, 2013

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Melbourne-based developer Ruma Studios has recently released their newest title: Zombitsu. The game is a combat focused runner that takes inspiration from third-person platformer and arcade combat games, with an anime style inspired by Naruto.

ZOMBITSU (noun: zom-bit-su) – a traditional form of Japanese sword combat against warriors of the undead.
The evil Lord Nakatomi has torn apart your land and unleashed his army of soldiers for total destruction. Play as Hiro, the last known Zombitsu expert, on his epic journey through the glorious streets of his Japanese village, the devastated lava world and the picturesque floating kingdom. Run, jump and fight your way through the hordes of zombies to become an unstoppable ninja. Are you brave enough to take the challenge and save your world?

Perform devastating combos as you run and jump your way through randomly generated levels to stop the zombie ninja hordes unleashed by the evil Lord Nakatomi. Complete over 30 missions to unlock new combos and powerups to become the most powerful ninja in the land. Zombitsu combines the momentum of the runner genre with random levels, combat challenges and platforming to create a unique take on a tired genre. It also makes use of an anime art style in the same vein as Naruto to create a visually memorable experience.

Zombitsu is available now for free for iOS (iPhone/iPod/iPad) on the App Store and Android devices on Google Play. For more information, visit the official site and Facebook page. Check out the screenshots and concept art below and get ready to kill some zombies. Can you unlock the secrets of Zombitsu?

Worldwide PlayStation 3 Sales Hit 80 Million Mark

Zac Elawar

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November 7, 2013

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As of November 2nd, Sony has sold a whopping 80 million units of the PlayStation 3. This huge milestone being reach in its 7th year on the market demonstrates its consistent state of growth, according to Sony.

Many factors contributed to the strong, steady sales of the console, from the various versions of the console (the ‘Slim’ in 2009, ‘Super Slim’ in 2012 and “Azurite Blue” and “Garnet Red” colors in 2013), and price drops, such as when the 12GB flash memory version price was slashed in Europe, before being introduced in North America just this past August. Now operating in 59 countries around the world, the PSN multiplayer and digital entertainment service secured over 150 million cumulative registered accounts.

The PlayStation Plus membership service became available back in June of 2010 before the motion-controller known as PlayStation Move made its debut in September that very same year. Looking to the future, most industry experts expect one of the larger console booms in gaming history, and the PlayStation 4 is in good stead.

Spec Ops: The Line Launches for Mac

Kane Bugeja

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November 7, 2013

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Spec-Ops-The-Line-01 — **Walk the line**

Digital Tribe Games is busy prepping for the launch of Spec Ops: The Line for the Mac on Steam, set for a release of…well tomorrow.

The ruins of Dubai is a character all its own in the tragic tale of Captain Walker and his crew. These relics of a modern age taken over by natural forces are more than simple set pieces to shoot guns in. Sands will shift and the tides of battle can turn on its whim putting you at the city’s mercy.

Digital Tribe is counting down the days on their Facebook page, bringing you information to get you in the Spec Ops mood. For some more insight into the game itself, check out the Behind the Lines videos below. There is a thin red line between hope and darkness.

UBISOFT® AND SQUARE ENIX PRODUCTS EXPAND JOINT COLLECTIBLES OFFERING

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 7, 2013

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UBISOFT^® AND SQUARE ENIX PRODUCTS EXPAND JOINT COLLECTIBLES OFFERING

London (7 November, 2013) – Today, Ubisoft^® and SQUARE ENIX^® announced that a range of merchandise from each company is now available for fans to purchase in both Ubisoft’s Uplay^® Shop and the Square Enix Store across EMEA territories. In addition, Square Enix Products is expanding the range of character collectible content based on Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed^® franchise.

A selection of merchandise from the Ubicollectibles^TM series, including Assassin’s Creed figurines and Rabbids^® inspired EEERZ^TM vinyl toys, is now available via the Square Enix Store.

Four new Assassin’s Creed wall scrolls from Square Enix Products will be available in November, while new PLAY ARTS -KAI- action figures of Connor from Assassin’s Creed^® 3 and Edward from Assassin’s Creed^® IV Black Flag™ will be released in early 2014.

Meanwhile, in the Uplay Shop fans can now find selected Square Enix merchandise and character goods including PLAY ARTS® -KAI- action figures of Lara Croft from Tomb Raider, Lightning from FINAL FANTASY® XIII-2 and Agent 47 from Hitman.

“We’re very happy to be able to announce this new cross-promotion as a part of our on-going partnership with Ubisoft,” said Shinji Hashimoto, Corporate Executive, Square Enix. “Ubisoft’s titles and characters are a perfect fit with the quality and craftsmanship of SQUARE ENIX PRODUCTS and we look forward to offering more in the future.”

“By adding Square Enix’s strong brands and high-quality merchandise to our Uplay Shop, we’re making it easier for videogame fans to find what they’re looking for no matter which company it comes from,” added Alain Corre, EMEA Executive Director at Ubisoft. “Plus, the new Assassin’s Creed character merchandise is a great asset to the brand, especially in conjunction with the release of the biggest Assassin’s Creed game ever!”

To visit the SQUARE ENIX PRODUCTS online store and to see the full range of available merchandise please visit: http://www.square-enix-shop.com

To visit the Uplay shop please visit http://shop.ubi.com

Related Links

Square Enix Products Store Website: http://www.square-enix-shop.com

Square Enix Products Official Facebook: www.facebook.com/SquareEnixProductsEU

Ubisoft Store Website: Uplay Shop: http://shop.ubi.com

Ubisoft Ubicollectibles Official Facebook: www. facebook.com/ubicollectibles

About Ubisoft:
Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified line-up of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has offices in 29 countries and has sales in more than 55 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. For the 2012-13 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,256 million. To learn more, please visit: www.ubisoftgroup.com

About Square Enix Ltd.

Square Enix Ltd., a part of the Square Enix Europe business unit, develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content in Europe and other PAL territories as part of the Square Enix Group. Square Enix Ltd. also has a global network of leading development studios such as IO Interactive™, Crystal Dynamics® and Eidos Montréal. The Square Enix Group boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY, which has sold over 100 million units worldwide, DRAGON QUEST® which has sold over 62 million units worldwide and TOMB RAIDER® which has sold over 35 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix Ltd. is a London-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.

More information on Square Enix Ltd. can be found at http://www.square-enix.com/eu/en/.

About Square Enix Products

Square Enix’s merchandising division, known as “SQUARE ENIX PRODUCTS”, is a part of the company creating high-end collectable items from many of their key franchises including FINAL FANTASY, DRAGON QUEST, KINGDOM HEARTS and TOMB RAIDER.

The range of products produced by SQUARE ENIX has extended out from their in-house series, creating merchandise for a wide range of licenses and properties from the worlds of popular Video Game series, Movies and Comics including METAL GEAR SOLID, STREET FIGHTER, BATMAN and ASSASSIN’S CREED among many others.

CRYSTAL DYNAMICS, DRAGON QUEST, EIDOS, HITMAN, IO INTERACTIVE, FINAL FANTASY, SPACE INVADERS, SQUARE ENIX, the SQUARE ENIX logo, TAITO and TOMB RAIDER are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Square Enix Group. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

© 2007-2013 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Assassin’s Creed, Black Flag, Ubicollectibles, Rabbids, Eeerz, Ubisoft, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries.

IGEA Speaks Out Against Costly Video Game Classification Review

Claire Phillips

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November 7, 2013

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South Australian Attorney General John Rau has requested that The Classification Review Board reconsider the rating of twelve MA15 rated games, despite none of the titles receiving any complaints from the public. The Attorney General raised concerns about Australia’s rating system in September, pointing out several titles that had received MA15 ratings in Australia but higher, adult ratings in Europe and the United States. Australia does have an adult R18+ rating, and Rau argues that it should be applied more stringently.

The Attorney General has imposed the review after consultation with the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM), which brought the games to Rau’s attention in September. The Interactive Games and Entertainment Association released a statement calling the review “costly and unwarranted”, noting that the Attorney General and ACCM had not accounted for inherent differences between the ratings systems of Australia and other countries, which could easily result in games being rated differently overseas.

Australia’s rating system is government led, whilst the United States and European rating systems being used as a benchmark by Rau are administered by the video game industry. Ron Curry, CEO of the IGEA, said, “Not only have these games already been examined against stringent guidelines, we also haven’t heard of any formal complaints made by parents or adults who think the video games are wrongly classified. The review is an unwarranted and costly exercise to satisfy a vocal yet unrepresentative minority,”

It is estimated that each review will cost $28,000, resulting in a $336,000 bill for the 12 video games from publishers such as SEGA, 2K Games, Activision, and UBISOFT. The titles to be reviewed are:

Alien Rage
Borderlands 2 Expansion Packs
Company of Heroes 2
Deadly Premonition: Director’s Cut
Deadpool
Fuse
Gears of War: Judgement
God Mode
Killer is Dead
Splinter Cell Blacklist
The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct

Morphopolis: interactive art or point and click adventure?

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 7, 2013

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Morphopolis: interactive art or point and click adventure?

Announcing the ambitious new game from Micro Macro

7th November 2013, Leamington Spa: Indie Studio Micro Macro launch their latest game for iOS, Android, Windows 8 & BlackBerry.

Initially inspired by games like Year Walk, Machinarium and The Tiny Bang Story, Morphopolis has been crafted by two architects, giving the game a strong visual aesthetic and unique gameplay perspective.

Micro Macro founder Dan Walters says “We love playing games like Device 6, they appeal to our inquisitive minds. With Morphopolis we wanted to create a game that we would enjoy playing, but also reflected our architectural training. We think the lessons we learnt apply just as much to the digital space as the physical one, and give us a unique voice in such a competitive genre.”

The beautiful art style uses intricate line drawings and ink wash techniques, that draw on the colouring style of 60s and 70s posters; blending the style of Martin Sharp with the work of illustrators like Edmund Dulac and Maxfield Parrish. This attention to detail creates a charming and magical world for the players to explore.

Game Artist Ceri Williams said “There has been a great deal of debate recently about whether games can be art. We believe that this runs much deeper than just aesthetic choices, but about how the experience makes the player feel. We have worked hard on how we combine the illustration style, specially composed music, and player interactions to create an immersive experience where players can lose themselves.”

Set for simultaneous release on: Windows 8, Android, iOS, Windows Phone 8, Blackberry and Kindle Fire, with a Steam version to follow (http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=168032747&searchtext=morphopolis). Morphopolis has been created over the past 10 months, by just two developers. Together they have had crafted more than 25 hidden object sets, 16 scenes, and many more mini puzzles for players to solve. Available from 7th November $3.99 for mobile versions and $9.99 for the multi-platform pack including desktop and android. Morphopolis will also be available for PC & Mac via mcro.org.

About Morphopolis
Morphopolis is a visually stunning point and click adventure which takes the player on a lucid and fantastical journey of transformation and discovery. Play the role of an aphid grub and embark on an epic adventure of metamorphosis. Explore and interact with beautifully illustrated scenes to find hidden objects and solve puzzles.
Morphopolis was the Design New Talent winner of the prestigious Association of Illustrators Awards. Following a month long exhibition at Somerset House in London the award show is now touring nationally.

Biographies
Dan Walters studied architecture for 6 years at Cardiff then later at Cambridge, but has always been passionate about game development, teaching himself to program at the age of 13. His passion for games eventually lead him to become a graphics programmer for an established developer. Dan devotes his spare time to developing innovative games under the banner of indie studio Micro Macro.
Ceri Williams is an architectural designer and illustrator based in London. In addition to working and teaching with Toh Shimazaki Architecture Ceri has completed installation projects for Virgin Records, The Victoria & Albert Museum and the Royal College of Art alongside working part time with Asif Khan Studio. Morphopolis is his first video game project and he has been able to use the composition and spatial skills learnt in architecture to develop the game narrative and sequence of scenes.

Hatsune Miku Project Diva f announced for Western release

Travis Bruno

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November 7, 2013

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Hatsune Miku Project Diva f announced for Western release

Despite being very pleased when Sega brought a Hatsune Miku game to the West for the very first time in the form of Hatsune Miku Project Diva F, our review of this version can be found here, many gamers were still surprised by the fact and others were hoping that there would be some chance of getting the portable version of the game brought over as well.

Well that wish has been granted because today Sega has announced that they will be bringing Hatsune Miku Project Diva f, the Vita version of the game, to North America and Europe as a digital download. To commemorate the announcement the company released some new screenshots for the game as well as an announcement trailer, both of which can be found below.

Gold Status For Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag PC Announced

Sanjay Parbhu

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November 7, 2013

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Ubisoft have announced that Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag has reached gold status for the Windows PC, Three editions of the game will be available from November 12th in Australia and New Zealand.

The Standard Edition will contain just the game and the Deluxe Edition will include bonus in game content. The Deluxe Edition comes with more customization items and a new adventure where you play Aveline as the main character.

The Uplay Deluxe Edition includes all bonuses from the deluxe edition plus an exclusive digital package distributed only from the Uplay Shop. Players who pre-order the Uplay edition will also get a 25% discount off a season pass. By itself the pass gives you 20% off the regular unit price of additional DLC, which will be released until March 2014. Click here to pre-order a season pass.

A special edition of the game will be available at the standard price and will include unlockable in game content only available at the game launch. If you want to have both physical and digital contents with the game, then you should check out the two collector’s editions of Black Flag.

Both the Buccaneer and the Skull editions come with a high quality art book, official sound track and 2 lithographs in protective envelopes. Buccaneer includes a figurine of Edward Kenway on the Jackdaws Crow’s Nest and the Skull edition will be contained in a jumbo collectors steel case.

Ubisoft and NVIDIA have also been collaborating to create a version of Black flags that offers more immersion; achieved through the use of God Rays, Horizon based Ambient Occlusion and temporal anti-aliasing. This is further explained by the Vice president of NVIDIAs Content and Technology, Tony Tamasi:

“We’ve integrated advanced, PC-specific technologies into the game to give mood and depth to scenes and bring buildings and landscapes to life. The end result is an unparalleled visual treat, and set to be an absolute PC blockbuster.”

Examples of NVIDIA technology used within Black Flags include God Rays, Horizon based Ambient Occlusion and temporal anti-aliasing. Because of this collab, NVIDIA is offering a free copy of Black Flag for those who purchase the following GeForce cards: GTX Titan, 780 Ti, 780, 770, 760, 660, 670, 680, and 690. More details can be found from the GeForce Website.