Leading free-to-play MMO developer and publisher Wargaming is celebrating its 15th anniversary by opening its fifteenth worldwide office in Tokyo. The new office will focus on publishing, marketing, public relations, customer service and support for the Japanese player-base of World of Tanks.
“As Wargaming continues its global expansion, there’s no possible way we can ignore the importance of the Japanese market,” said Victor Kislyi, CEO of Wargaming. “Besides being one of the major video games markets in the world, it’s also a place where free-to-play gaming is growing by leaps and bounds.”
The Japanese market is an interesting one, as traditional PC games aren’t as big over there as they are in the West. But free-to-play games certainly are popular, and Japan has its fair share of serious military otaku. Wargaming Japan is now hiring from around the world as well as Japan to join its new team there.
Build It! Miami Beach Resort is a time management game that gives players a resort on Miami beach with one condition – you have to build it. Say what you want about this game but at least the developers are straight forward with what it involves from the get-go. Build It! Miami Beach Resort originally saw it’s debut on Mac and PC where it saw itself in the top 10 for over 30 days in various game charts. Now, G5 Games hopes to have similar success on iOS devices.
Gameplay
Build It! Miami Beach Resort gives the player a beach to build a resort on in the 1920s and as life goes on throughout the years players will need to advance to keep up with the times. The game has simple touch controls to maintain the resort’s attractiveness with it’s guests and profits is a fun challenge and as time goes on more options become available with great variety. The catch however is you won’t be building this resort in your own image. Build It! Miami Beach is a time management game, not a building simulator. So the game is actually very restricting in terms of designing the resort. In fact, the game is broken up into levels where you must complete each goal by building certain things from a list and reaching a certain amount of profit within the set time limit. While some may see it as a fun time management organisational challenge others will see it as a glorified fetch quest as all you’re really doing is pressing the buttons you’re told to do with little to no freedom. The game also has a secondary mode called ‘Riot Mode’ where you must destroy your city within a set time limit, but this is rather bland and feels restricting as well.
To be fair, it can be argued this ‘restricting’ feel is not the developer’s fault but rather a staple of the genre. Also, this style of gameplay may appeal to rather a niche market. For for a title that sells itself as a casual game, it’s actually pretty complex. Without going into too much detail players not only must meet goals within a time limit, but also manage the stats of the resort. There are three types of buildings: lodgings, leisure facilities and recreational facilities and they all effect each other. By building one building that may increase the capacity of the resort, you may lower the attractiveness of the beach, etc. This means there’s a lot of balancing out to do. So while it may have simple controls, it has a bit of a learning curve and can get pretty challenging. With sixty levels and more than thirty achievements to unlock, Build It! Miami Beach Resort doesn’t seem casual at all. Like I said, it’s not going to be for everyone, more so a niche market who can appreciate testing time management skills.
Visuals & Audio
Visuals are bright and full of colour but are unfortunately rather static. While the animation isn’t as vibrant as the colors it’s never a big deal. Music suits the game but can get repetitive and annoying but hey, that’s why iPhones have a mute button right? Other than that there’s nothing really more to say since the entire game is basically tapping on menus and buildings. There’s nothing bad here and nothing is spectacular either, but this is one of those games that don’t really need to sell you on these sort of things so it wouldn’t be fair to criticise for that. It should also be noted that Build It! Miami Beach Resort opens with a basic cinamatic with a storyline. There’s nothing breathtaking here but it’s nice to see that the developers put some effort in.
Overall
Build It! Miami Beach Resort may sell itself as a casual title, but it’s probably best suited for a niche market more interested in time management strategy rather than gamers hoping for a building simulator like Sim City. While it may not be oodles of fun for some, it will satisfy those who are engaged with plenty of levels, achievements and content. As for everybody else though, the lack of freedom makes the game feel like doing housework chores as you are constantly being forced what to do.While the controls are simple, the learning curve isn’t and if the gameplay fails to keep you playing the presentation will do no favours. Build It! Miami Beach Resort is not a bad game, it’s just a decent title that will be appreciated by just a select target of gamers.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
One man indie development team phr00t released a major updateto his procedural generated shooter 3089. The update adds a plot to 3089 and includes several different endings to the story. phr00t announced that additions or more changes to story may occur in the future. The update also adds a few tweaks including an in game compass, a heavily requested feature by players.
phr00t also shared some his future plans for 3089. They include biome changes, acid rain, and the new hoverboard vehicle.
3089 is the sequel to 3079. The game is a proceduarally generated FPS that runs on Linux, Mac, and Windows. It is available on Desurafor $10.94 USD for the duration of the alpha testing.
Animal Crossing: New Leaf may not launch until June 9th, but we here at Capsule are already preparing ourselves for the Mayor position at hand. Today, a new Facebook page opened for the game for the AU and NZ regions, which will be used to keep players updated with news and events. Think of it as a reminder page – if you will for holidays and other activities that will be going on in the game.
Here is the official greeting for the page:
Meet Mayor Russell – the resident Mayor! He’ll be sharing all sorts of fun information and hints and tips from his time spent as Mayor, helping you to utilise your mayoral powers to build projects, set ordinances and create the town of your dreams.
Seems standard, but this page could be useful. Stay tuned as our own review will be out soon enough. Until then, check out our recent coverage for all things 3DS here.
Zelda fans, REJOICE! Nintendo have brought back two classics this week to the Australian eShop, with those being The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages – which both originally launched on the Game Boy Color. If you act now, you can also get a discount, and since these two work together to share items and such – that is most helpful.
Special offer until 20/6/13: AUD$ 6.50 (NZD$ 8.50)
Non special offer price will be AUD$ 7.80 (NZD$10.20)
Game Description: Onox, the General of Darkness, has imprisoned the Oracle of Seasons to drain life from the land. Link must control the seasons themselves to turn the tide of evil! Change seasons at will – like conjuring winter to cross rivers – to solve puzzles and explore the land. Befriend animals to aid you, collect mysterious rings and conquer eight dungeons to recover the Essences of Nature. Plus – link with The Legend of Zelda™: Oracle of Ages™ via passwords to conclude your quest. Unlock secrets in both games, carry over items and reveal the ultimate boss battle!
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
(Nintendo)
Nintendo 3DS
(Virtual Console, Game Boy Color)
Nintendo eShop from 31/5/13
Special offer until 20/6/13: AUD$ 6.50 (NZD$ 8.50)
Non special offer price will be AUD$ 7.80 (NZD$10.20)
Game Description: Veran, the Sorceress of Shadows, has captured the Oracle of Ages to change history! Link must bend time with the Harp of Ages to save the Oracle, but the clock is ticking… Embark on a time-spanning adventure, where your actions in the past affect the future. Befriend animals to aid you, collect mysterious rings and conquer eight dungeons to recover the Essences of Time. Plus – link with The Legend of Zelda™: Oracle of Seasons™ via passwords to conclude your quest. Unlock secrets in both games, carry over items and reveal the ultimate boss battle!
THE “DENPA” MEN 2: Beyond the Waves
(Genius Sonority)
Nintendo 3DS
(Download)
Nintendo eShop from 31/5/13
AUD$13.00 (NZD$17.00)
GGame Description: The Denpa Men are mysterious little creatures that float around radio waves. They all have their own territories. You can’t see them with the naked eye, but you can use your Nintendo 3DS™ to find them and
catch them. In this RPG, you can form a team of the Denpa Men you caught and take them on an exciting adventure across the world, in order to save the hero’s family. If you played the previous game, you’ll be able to transfer your hero and to bring all of your friends from the previous game into this one!
Mario & Sonic at the
London 2012 Olympic Games™
(SEGA)
Nintendo 3DS
(Download)
Nintendo eShop from 31/5/13
AUD$ 49.99 (NZD$59.99)
Game Description: On your marks and get set for the world’s greatest sporting event as Mario & Sonic head to the London 2012 Olympic Games. Hosted within the truly iconic setting of London, the games are back, bigger and better than ever before, bringing even more multiplayer fun and excitement to friends and families everywhere.
Special offers
Title
Platform
Price
Available
Ghosts’n Goblins
(CAPCOM)
Wii U
(Virtual Console, NES)
Nintendo eShop from 31/5/13
AUD$ 6.50 (NZD$ 8.50)
Ghosts’n Goblins is 50% off for users who bought Super Ghouls’n Ghosts™ on Nintendo eShop on their Wii U.
Majesco are back and bringing their most successful franchise to a new generation of gamers. Today, it was announced that Zumba Fitness World Party would be the next big step for the franchise, bringing the top fitness title to consoles during 2013. This title will be covering quite a few platforms as well, seeing a release in October on the Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360 with Kinect, and the newly announced Xbox One sometime later this year.
Also announced today was the first ever on-the-go fitness title, Zumba Dance – hitting mobile devices this summer.
This franchise will be receiving a complete overhaul since we last seen it with Zumba Fitness Core, and that is a good thing. Check out the details for yourself:
“Innovation defines our Zumba franchise strategy this year,” said Jesse Sutton, chief executive officer, Majesco Entertainment. “World Party’s next gen debut features an exciting new aesthetic that complements the game’s theme and brings the player around the world in an immersive exploration of movement, music and culture. What’s more, our first mobile tablet game, Zumba Dance, breaks new ground as a motion-based app that tracks calorie burn in a flexible on-the-go fitness format. Both of these products exemplify our vision for franchise growth—leverage new technology to create marketable, differentiated experiences on current generation systems while expanding the brand across next gen and mobile platforms.”
“The World Party game has always been a dream for us,” said Jeffrey Perlman, CMO, Zumba Fitness. “Zumba blurs the lines between fitness, entertainment and culture. As such, we wanted to create a game that explored different dance cultures from around the world. World Party unites the player with the global community of dance through an interactive experience that delivers both physical and emotional benefits.”
The world is your dance floor in Zumba® Fitness World Party. This engaging interactive game takes you on a cultural joyride around the world as you burn up to 1,000 calories per hour with more than 40 high-energy new routines and an unparalleled international soundtrack featuring Lady Gaga, Pitbull and Daddy Yankee. Learn to love your workout with this fun, freeing fitness journey that expands your horizons with an abundance of new and returning features.
Features Include:
40+ fresh songs including chart-topping hits, new Zumba originals, and eclectic tracks from regional musicians. Full soundtrack to be announced.
A new visual presentation complements your travel to exotic worldwide locations with an extraordinary cast of 14 celebrity Zumba instructors including: Beto, Gina Grant, Kass Martin, Melissa Chiz, Heidy Torres and Loretta Bates.
30+ cultural dance styles, from Cumbia to Swing to Hip-Hop and Bollywood plus new additions like Blues, Capoeira and Girly Funk.
The New World Dance Tour mode unlocks songs from each region in a progressive trip around the world realized through on location videos.
Streamlined Progress Tracker Plus tallies all your stats: technique score, calories burned, achievements earned, fitness goals met, and more.
45 new classes of varying lengths cater to your schedule while the Custom Playlist feature enables you to choose your favorite music and routines.
Low, medium, and high intensity routines tiered for all skill levels plus an expanded Learn the Steps mode with eight tutorial modules.
Two-player support on Xbox One and Kinect for Xbox 360 and four-player support on Wii U and Wii.
Unlock behind-the-scenes videos, artist interviews and souvenirs to stay motivated as you play.
Fans who register for their virtual passport on zumbafitnessgame.com get access to a $10 discount coupon off the game exclusively from GameStop along with behind-the-scenes content and multiple entries in the World Party Sweepstakes that will send one lucky winner and a friend to an exotic destination featured in-game.
I am still feeling the burn since my review of Zumba Fitness 2, and that one game made myself a believer in the phenomenon for consoles, even though I am a bit out of the target demographic. I am happy to see this franchise returning either way, as this proves there is still life in the dance/fitness genre. Stay tuned for June folks, as E3 will bring us even more on this fitness party. For now – check out the first Passport to Party clip as well as the shiny teaser trailer down below.
Fuse – Insomniac Games‘ first new IP since Resistance was introduced in 2006 (excluding the Facebook game Outernauts) – releases tomorrow in Australia. But Americans have already got their hands on the team-based shooter, and the developers have released a helpful Tips and Tricks video, which can viewed embedded at the bottom of this article.
They will help you learn how to combine your Fuse-powered weapons to gain maximum points in the co-op campaign, master the intricacies of the wave-based “co-petitive” Echelon mode, and watch as Insomniac’s lead designer strategically leaps between agents at will, during combat, to elude dangerous scenarios. Insomniac intentionally made Fuse a challenging experience to master, so use these developer tips to stay a step ahead during frantic fire-fights.
As many of you know, we consistently bring updates on all of the Club Nintendo goodies as they emerge. This week is no different, but comes with the first new physical piece of merch to hit the service in months. What you see above is the Super Mario Accessory Box, featured with a bright green design with a dashing Koopa leading a variety of other famed faces.
You can get this prize now for just 700 coins if you live in the U.S., but keep in mind that this product is limited, so you might want to act fast. I have some old Nintendo Wii Remotes lying around that need a space of their own, so I personally think some of my coins just got spent. Remember, the digital rewards will indeed be updating on June 3rd, so stay tuned for that as once they are revealed, we will be sure to bring even more updates.
EA knows that everybody loves theme parks. Okay, maybe not everybody…I’m not exactly fond of roller-coasters. But, your Sims love them, and now you can fulfil their dreams of having an amusement park in their city!
The Amusement Park content pack has been released for SimCity and enables players to build the ultimate in innocent fun, with three unique entrances and nine different rides/attractions including the Bigfoot Roller-Coaster, Ferris Wheel, Carousel, Go-Kart Speedway and more. Successfully managing the park will turn your city into the tourist destination. Along with all these additions, there are five new missions to play through within the Tourism specialisation tree. Checked out the new Edgewater Bay map provided with Update 4.0? Maybe it would be the ideal location for such a magical place.
You can purchase this digital expansion at an early Mayoral special price of $9.99 right here.
Indie developers Evelend Games aren’t new to the scene. Though they aren’t a household name yet, they have worked on three games. Pixelry is their newest contribution to the world of video games.
So, “What is Pixelry?” you may ask. OriginallyKickstarted back in March, Pixelry is an 8-bit PC game that plants you firmly in the role of a knight in Pixelville. Wanting nothing more than to win the hand of the princess, Arianna Annabelle di Grandigund Hyacinthe (yes, that’s actually her name), you’ll have to train and work your way up the ranks to become a renowned jouster and earn your shot at winning the grand tournament.
You’re initially given a view of the land of Pixelville. From there, you can go to several different locations. First and foremost, you’ll probably want to stop by the barn. There you can customize your horse and, once between contests, race to earn money. Though it’s relatively limited customization (pick three colors for the horse’s cloak and the horse’s color), it gives a great sense that the steed you ride in competition truly is yours.
Beyond the barn, you can stop by your home to view your statistics and customize your flag (also known as your heraldry). Once you’ve finished there, you can wander over to the store to get goods that will aid you on your journey. You could also head to the forge to upgrade your gear, even helping the smith out some to earn a discount. On your way to the tavern, be sure to swing by the academy and check your rank. From the tavern, you can sign up for local tournaments or schedule exhibition matches against other trainees.
Pixelry really is aiming to get back to the roots of gaming. Keeping the controls simple suits the game surprisingly well. You’ll only need access to the arrow keys, space bar, and escape key. The game would literally be right at home on an NES controller.
While menu navigation is pretty straight forward, combat is somewhat more nuanced. You’ll use the left and right arrows to slow down or speed up your steed while the up and down keys will raise or lower your shield accordingly. Pressing the space bar will alter the angle of your lance for a chance to get around your opponents defenses. After a few tilts, you can be sure that one of you will be taken off your horse, while the other wins fame and wealth.
Once you’ve made a name for yourself within the kingdom, you’ll have a shot at bigger tournaments, higher stakes, and so on. You’ll have to be sure to upgrade your gear. Heading into a tournament with a weak lance or shield could mean the end of you.
The graphic design in Pixelry is 8-bit to its core. Everything from you and your horse to the single-pixel townsfolk traveling the roads in Pixelville scream of an era long gone by when controllers were shaped like bricks just as the characters on-screen were. It’s loaded with charm and enough style to keep you looking forward to every match.
The music in Pixelry is light-hearted and warm. Though it sounds like it was generated using antiquated hardware, but it gives it a unique appeal and aesthetic feel that flows right in with the rest of the game.
Though Pixelry is bringing a fun, light-hearted experience to the table, it is still evident that the game is in an alpha state. A couple of issues hamper the experience somewhat, though I’m confident Evelend Games can easily work those out before launch. For example, there are times where the English localization could use some work. Also, though the game’s progress is saved, the settings are not, so I have to go in and change the language to English every time I fire the game up. There are also the occasional spelling mistakes that could be quickly handled.
Even with a few of these issues currently present, the game is a lot of fun to play and experience. This game is certainly one to keep your eyes and ears peeled for. With some more work and content, Pixelry could be a game that really grabs attention in the days and weeks ahead.
