Eugen Systems and Focus Home Interactive have already shown off the English units in the last set of screenshots Wargame AirLand Battle, so now they are giving a look at another country, Germany. Playing its part as both NATO and Warsaw Pact, the divided Germany features two different lines up with the FRG (Federal Republic of Germany) and GDR (German Democratic Republic). The screenshots show off both sides, so let’s take a look at some of what each has to offer.
Showing off the FRG’s air units, players can see the F-104G “Starfighter” and the Panavia Tornado, while the GDR features a heavy Soviet influence. The GDR shows off both air and land units, such as the T-72 main battle tank. Since they’re mostly Soviet the air craft the GDR are toting include several Migs, including the Mig-17 and Mig-21.
Players interested in checking out what German units they can see from both sides of the conflict in Wargame AirLand Battle can view the full-sized screenshots by clicking on the images in the gallery below, while waiting for its release sometime this year.
Ahead of the launch of their upcoming anime streaming service with will be starting SPRING 2013, I had the chance to speak with DAISUKI’s Eri Maruyama about Japan’s first anime streaming service. We discussed the goals of the service, whether it plans to compete with other services, the availability of DAISUKI, what content we can expect to get with DAISUKI and much more. Read on for our exclusive interview.
Q. Could you tell us a little about what DAISUKI is and what its goals are? A. DAISUKI.net is a website that provides anime streaming to anime fans worldwide. The main purpose is to provide legal content to fans.
Q. What do you believe sets DAISUKI apart from other services such as Crunchyroll? A. DAISUKI.net will not have a paid subscription system. Some premium content may be fee-based but basically you can watch anime for free. Also, DAISUKI.net will offer an online shop with exclusive goods and opportunities for fans to give feedback to Japanese production companies directly. By doing so we want to build up an exchange between overseas fans and creators in Japan.
Q. So DAISUKI will be a completely free streaming service? A. Basically all content (except for some content) will be free. You can register as a user – the membership is free as well.
Q. Is Daisuki trying to compete with other anime streaming services or work with them? A. DAISUKI’s main purpose is to provide legal content to overseas fans. Our aim is not to earn users exclusively for DAISUKI.net. So as long as they watch Anime on other legal sites we are happy with that. We want to build a good relationship with other legal sites.
Q. Will other services continue streaming titles from companies involved with DAISUKI? A. Yes, other sites may continue their streaming services. The streaming on DAISUKI.net has not to be exclusively limited to DAISUKI.net.
Q.What anime titles can be expected to be found on DAISUKI? A: Confirmed titles are Madoka Magica, some sequels from the GUNDAM series, ONE PIECE, Lupin the 3rd and the new TV series of THE PRINCE OF TENNIS. We are planning to add more series: not only new and well-known anime series but also older ones, classic ones, nostalgic ones… by doing so we hope to offer a great variety for introducing all kinds of Japanese anime to all fans over the world.
Q. Will there be content other than anime on DAISUKI such as drama series or will it be anime only? A. We are also planning to show content related to Games and Anime music. Maybe there is even more to come.
Q. Can you tell us what led to the creation of the DAISUKI service? A. Anime productions in Japan have of course noticed the popularity of Japanese animation outside Japan in recent years. But, it is also true that there is much piracy. Delivering content is much easier online, while at the same time it gets more difficult for licensors to sell anime content for airing on TV. Also, older fans tend to watch content on their PCs rather than on TV. So Japanese contents holders started to plan how to provide legal content to those fans. We have realized that there is no use in competing against each other between the companies, it is time to work together if we want to deliver good and legal content outside Japan. So the different companies and production studios came together – this is the story of DAISUKI.net.
Q.Why do you feel that anime fans have such a strong desire for online content? A: Maybe this is not just limited to anime fans but just a usual phenomenon of our modern times. Older fans tend to spend more time with the PC than watching TV. Also, of course the online route is faster, easier and often cheaper (talking about legal service, of course). When it comes to longer series it is easier to have it in your virtual library than to complete the series by buying numerous DVDs with few episodes.
Q. What regions will DAISUKI be available in? A. The website will be available worldwide. We try to provide our streaming service worldwide but there may be exceptions for some areas. This will depend on the series, for example if a licensee in this region already has “exclusive rights” for a specific title.
Q. Will there be any differences in content for each region? A. Apart from the availability stated above we are not planning to change any content depending on the region. The subtitles will be the same (in English) for all areas. (We are considering adding more languages though some time in the future, but for now we have to focus on English)
Q. Will the DAISUKI service be available on smartphones or other devices? A. Yes, in the future we are also planning to offer applications for smartphones, tablets and also game consoles.
Q. Can you explain what the name DAISUKI means and why this particular name was chosen? A. “Daisuki” is Japanese and means “loveable”, “to be fond of” or “like very much”. The name was chosen because we hope that many people from all over the world will enjoy our service and will “daisuki” Japanese anime even more through our service/website!
Q. What direction do you believe the anime industry in heading towards in the future? A. I think that in the future, the producing side/anime industry will become more and more aware of the foreign market and their fans. Also because of the technical possibilities fans can expect worldwide simulcasts in the near future (for example DAISUKI.net is planning this also). So I think overall, it becomes more international. For example, if you think of the Japanese popularity you can estimate how many percent are “anime fans”. It may be a limited number. In other countries and regions it’s the same (though the number may be less than in Japan), but, you can say for sure that there ARE fans worldwide. It would be great if the anime industry can reach to each of the fans all over the world. And we want to help with that.
Q. Why do you feel that anime fans should use DAISUKI for anime streaming? A. While DAISUKI.net’s service is for free, fans can be sure that all content on the website is legal. Of course all merchandise is authentic, too. A big problem about piracy is that the actual creators do not get any revenue from the selling. So the culture and industry will shrink eventually. This has to be stopped. Fans at DAISUKI.net can be sure that everything is original and directly from the contents holders. Of course to make our service attractive for the fans we are planning special and exclusive content that can be only watched at DAISUKI.net. Please stay tuned!
Q. Do you have anything you would like to say to anime fans around the world reading this? A. Thank you reading, thank you for your interest in DAISUKI.net and Japanese anime overall! Please enjoy our service.
Q. Thank you for your time. A. Thank you!
You can check out the DAISUKI anime streaming service on the official website DAISUKI.net when it launched SPRING, 2013.
Today it was announced that the retail version of Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition will be released later than expected. Originally it was meant to be released on April 30th but today Microsoft announced that, to “include the very latest content” the game has been delayed.
Now the physical copy of the game will instead be released on June 4th, though it is currently unknown if the international release of the game in Australia, Hong Kong, India, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan, which was originally slated for release in June, will be affected by this delay. The physical copy of the game does not come with any special bonuses nor will it cost any less than the digital version of the same game.
With Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter nearing its open beta launch date – April 30th, Perfect World Entertainment and Cryptic Studios have mustered up a new montage trailer specifically to showcase the Great Weapon Fighter class. Care to specialize in singular weapon tactics or just look like a badass holding a mighty two-handed weapon? Then the Great Weapon Fighter class just might be for you. With the unending thirst for battle, this class build will have you recklessly charging into the fray to beat down even the largest of foes.
No need to explain anything further concerning the Great Weapon Fighter class. Look for yourselves in the montage trailer below!
You may remember that Twisted Pixel had recently announced that they were planning on releasing four of their games in one neat bundle this week on the XBLA. Well at the time the company did not mention how much this bundle would actually cost.
Today the bundle was released onto the XBLA and it turns out that this is probably one of the best deals available for these games outside of the company simply giving it away. You see, for these four games, ‘Splosion Man, Ms. Splosion Man, The Maw, and Comic Jumper, consumers only have to pay 800 MSP which translates into only $2.50 a game. When you consider the fact that Comic Jumper alone costs 1,200 MSP, this is certainly a great deal for those who haven’t picked any of these games up yet.
I keep writing these articles, waiting for spring to start in earnest. What do I get for two days in a row? Hail. That’s right. Canada is flinging around ice in the middle of spring.
GamersGate is running a huge Paradox Interactive weekend sale. Every major Paradox Interactive title and DLC is anywhere from 50 to 75% off. Most of the sales are at 50% off, but each day knocks one franchise title down to 75% off. At the time of writing, the King Arthur and all its relevant DLC are 75% off. Additionally, the Silent Hunter series of submarine sims are on sale for 75% off.
Steam is running several sales this weekend. Cult favourite Farming Simulator 2013 is on sale for 50% off. I never could get into the series, but there are some serious fans of the game out there. Dishonoredis at its lowest price this weekend for 50% off. Dishonored is the spiritual successor to Thief and is an excellent game. Be sure to read our reviewon Dishonored if you need convincing. Natural Selection II is a hidden sale this weekend at 50% off. It is a pretty good price for the game. It’s tremendously good fun when a team actually puts in the effort to work together. Steam’s Weeklong Deals are PAM: Post Apocalyptic Mayhem, Fireburst, Ducati World Championship, DCS: Blackshark and Spectraball.
Greenman Gaming has a bunch of new coupon codes for use this weekend. Defianceand the Season Pass is on sale for 30% off with the coupon GMG30-LLAKQ-WPPQZ. I’ve been pouring all my free time onto Defiance and I am loving the game. Its been a rocky launch, but its a fantastic game with great potential. If you’re on the fence, be sure to read our review of Defiance. Buyers can snag 25% off Company of Heroes 2with GMG25-COMPA-NYOFH. Of course, GMG’s now legendary 20% off most titles coupon is also running. So be sure to try GMG20-GGN5D-FC3NA on all your purchases this weekend.
Greenman Gaming is running three different themed sales this weekend. Meridian 4 titles are 75% off. Racing gameson sale for up to 75% off. Finally, titles from the publisher Nordicare also 75% off. Most of the titles are pretty forgettable, but racing fans should check out the highly regarded Dirt series for 66% off. There are some titles that are on sale that do not belong to any of the three themed sales. The FEAR series is on sale for 50% off. Although they are excellent games, I recommend skipping over them as all three games have gone down to 75% in the past. Dishonoredis 45% off and the 20% off coupon does not apply here. Steam has the better offer for Dishonored this week.
Brazilian site Nuuvem has a 2 for 20 Brazilian Real deal going on. With the exchange, it roughly works out to $10.00 USD. Buyers can choose Assassin’s Creed Revelations, Bulletstorm, Blades of Time, Omerta: City of Gangsterss, Stay Dead, Sine Mora, Alpha Protocol, Binary Domain, Deep Black, and I Am Alive. Most of the games are a little older, but if you stick to games at $20.00 or more, you are getting at least 75% off which is a good deal. Out of the available games, I personally recommend Assassin’s Creed Revelations and Bulletstorm. Revelations continues the tradition of high quality Assassin’s Creed games and Bulletstorm is just good crude fun.
Get Games has Farcry 3 Blood Dragon on sale for 15% off. This isn’t as good as Gamefly’s deal, but if you can’t purchase your copy through Gamefly for what ever reason, this is a good alternative. Assassin’s Creed III, including the Deluxe Edition, the Battle Hardened Pack, and the Season Pass, are on sale for 50% off this weekend. This is one of the cheapest prices for Assassin’s Creed 3 at the moment. The Sonic Mega Bundle which includes all of the Sonic the Hedgehog games available on Steam is 75% off. Company of Heroes is 22% off, but skip this in favour for Greenman Gaming’s 25% coupon if you can.
GameFly is running a sale on indie games this weekend. You really can’t go wrong with any of the titles, but I highly recommend picking up Hotline Miami, Sine Mora, Torchlight II, and Dungeon Defenders. Gamefly is still running their 20% off coupon, GFDAPR20. This coupon works for Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon, which brings the game down to its cheapest price yet.
SG Interactive is undoubtedly excited to celebrate the upcoming fourth anniversary of the release of their golfing based MMO Pangya Challenges, and the fans will have a reason to celebrate as well. The developers plan on giving back to the fans in a big way with various interactive events and exclusive giveaways. The developers want the celebration to focus on the players that make up the loyal fanbase instead of the game itself and fans can expect great prizes and content in the form of raffle prizes.
Players traveling through Pangya Island will hope to discover one of the many “Master Keys” hidden around the land which can be used to spin the Anniversary Wheel to get some great prizes. Another inclusion for the anniversary is the Fan Art Competition in which players can enter their original art to be showcased ingame on Pangya Island as well a nice reward. Another exclusive item being raffled off is real Pangya “Comet” golfballs and gamers who subscribe for the news letter will also win a prize for playing.
Pangya Challenges is an anime-based golf MMORPG thats deeper than it appears at first glance. It feature 18 courses scattered over the game’s Pangya Island and includes five competitive modes for head-to-head play such as Versus and Tournament modes; the game also has all the real world obstacles that face all golfers like sandtraps, the fairway, and the frustrating water hazard. Gamers can find information at SG Interactives official site and those interested in getting in on the action can speed to the games site for the action.
Dungeon Hunter 4 Developer: Gameloft Publisher: Gameloft Platform: iPad (Reviewed), iPhone, iPod Touch Release Date: April 11th, 2013 Price: Free Available Here
Overview
Dungeon Hunter 4 is Gameloft’s latest dungeon crawling action RPG. The game features four playable classes, a complete single player campaign, and two multiplayer modes for co-op and arena PvP.
Story
The heroes of Dungeon Hunter 4 are members of the kingdom of Valenthia. Better known as the Valen, the kingdom defeated the demons a long time ago and entered an era of more normal struggles against their barbarian neighbours, the Kenashi. One day, the demons reappeared and all hell breaks loose. The player’s character is the archetypical chosen hero who will change the course of the battle and save the Valen from destruction.
Although the plot of Dungeon Hunter 4 ticks off all the traditional western RPG archetypes, the writing is very good. The conversations are believable and manage to have a few funny moments that feel very natural. The game does not bring anything new to the table plot-wise, but the story in campaign mode stays interesting enough to avoid becoming forgettable window dressing.
Gameplay
Dungeon Hunter 4 is a full-fledged action RPG experience that could easily succeed on the PC or console. There are four classes, each with its own play style and skill tree. The player can equip one spirit skill, three active skills, and up to four passive skills at any given time, providing lots options for different builds. There is a small shop to purchase new items and a crafting system to create powerful new items. The item system is well thought out and logical. The controls are excellent. They are responsive and provide the option to customize the button placement. The customization option is a life saver for any gamer who plays with the heavier Retina iPads!
With all these excellent points in gameplay, where exactly did Dungeon Hunter 4 go wrong? The In App Purchase scheme. It is incredibly aggressive. Every loading screen shows off some item that can be purchased with Crystals, the real money currency. Each time the player levels up, the game recommends an item to purchase at a small discount. Every item menu has a few items that can be purchased that are a marked improvement to the player’s current inventory. Extra inventory space is constantly advertised. Respeccing and unlocking skills early require Crystals. Players can revive where they died, for a price. The aggressive advertisement for in game purchases could be tolerated if it was not for the ridiculous potion scheme. The player can store up to three health potions at any time. Every eight hours, the player is given another health potion. Regularly, they cost 20 crystals, the real money currency in Dungeon Hunter 4. Crystals can be earned without using any real money by watching short 15-30 second advertisements. Each advertisement provides one Crystal, so in theory; a potion can be earned by watching approximately five to ten minutes of advertisements. Suddenly, Dungeon Hunter 4 sounds more like work than a game. If the player chooses to forgo purchasing health potions, they are stuck grinding an area to survive to the end.
Visuals
Dungeon Hunter 4 provides beautiful console quality visuals. The animations and textures are of high quality. Unfortunately, I noticed Dungeon Hunter 4 on the iPad 3rd generation suffers from the odd drop in frame rate in the first few moments of a freshly loaded level and when there are many enemies and spell effects on screen.
Audio
The audio in Dungeon 4 is top notch. The music is enjoyable to listen to, the sound effects are realistic, and the voice acting is very good. I thoroughly enjoyed the voice work for the NPCs. In comparison, I found the voice acting for the player to be a little inferior in comparison. Some of the delivery just missed the mark and felt a bit too forced some times. However, this is an extremely minor complaint.
Overall
Games like Dungeon Hunter 4 break my heart. The game is fantastic, but the aggressive IAP scheme completely ruins the game. The blame for this mess deserves to be split between the consumers and the developers, but that is a rant for another column. The controls, the gameplay, the video, and audio come together in an excellent console grade package. But all of this gets drowned out by the unending flow of advertisements and the oppressive potion scheme. I would be more than happy to fork over ten dollars for Dungeon Hunter 4 if it meant that the advertisements were banished and Crystal prices were converted to in game gold. It would be worth the money. Too bad the option isn’t there.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Much to the excitement of developer Smart Bomb, their game National Geographic Animal Jam has been nominated in the ‘Games’ category at the 17th annual Webby Awards. The nomination comes as a treat as it symbolizes a recognition of being among the best content that the Web has to offer.
For those not familiar with the goal of the game, players take control of their favorite animals in free-roaming open world gameplay. Its also an educational tool as it teaches you about various flora and fauna present in the games world, Jamaa. The game is being recognized around the world as a great tool for teaching kids about the natural world in a fun way that also stimulates the mind. The way to fame for this title was only paved due to word of mouth from the many fans of Smart Bomb’s work, with players clocking in at over an hours worth of play per session which exposes them to over 60, 000 minutes of educational videos and other features to develop mental growth.
To be nominated for a Webby is a big deal, the group received over 11,000 entries from over 60 countries around the world. The ‘Games’ category is an especially competitive category with contestants being judged on several categories including content, visual design, interactivity, and functionality.
For fans interested in how they can help propel Animal Jam to the limelight can cast their votes for the win. Additional information can be found at Smart Bomb Interactive’s official site, or play the game at the official site.
Publishing giant Namco Bandai announced that they’ve struck a deal with indiePub Entertainment for three games to be released in 2013. Storm, Capsized, and Vessel.
All three games will be available for digital download on the Xbox Live Arcade. Storm and Capsized will both be made available through the PlayStation Store for the PlayStation 3.
In Storm, you will solve puzzles to guide a seed to fertile soil where it will take root and spring up new life. Capsized is a 2D action platformer where you must use your grappling hook, jetpack, and more to save your crewmates from bloodthirsty aliens. Vessel presents the players with puzzles to solve in a single-player game set in a steampunk world. It features a unique liquid-physics engine and features music from prodigy Jon Hopkins.
For more information, you can check out the official indiePub website here.
Today it was announced that the retail version of Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition will be released later than expected. Originally it was meant to be released on April 30th but today Microsoft announced that, to “include the very latest content” the game has been delayed.
