Namco and The Iron Fist Tournament are showing Australian and New Zealand fans some love!
If your a fighting fan from Australia or New Zealand, your in for a treat. Namco Bandai has just announced Tekken Tag Tournament 2 ANZ Edition, which includes a special edition casing and DLC content through select retailers on September 13, 2012.
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 ANZ Edition will be exclusively available through EB Games and JB HIFI Australia. Gamers who pre-order through these retailers will not only get the highly anticipated Tekken Tag Tournament 2 in a high quality limited edition metal casing and the super awesome Snoop Dogg arena stage, but also four DLC fighters: Michelle Chang, Angel, Kunimitsu and Ancient Ogre. How awesome is that?
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 ANZ Edition will be available September 13, 2012, but you can pre-order it NOW through JB HI FI and EB Games.
Can’t wait until then? Check out the casing featured above and the Snoop Dogg Stage below!
Arrietty Studio: Studio Ghibli Publisher: Madman Release Date: 23/05/2012 Price:$29.95Available Here / Special Edition $34.95Available Here
Overview:
The Borrowers was a series of classic children fairy tale books written by famous English author, Mary Norton, and with books being published during the 1950s, 1960s, and the 1980s. These books tell the story of some rather interesting creatures called Borrowers, that are very much like humans and even live, dress, and behave a lot like them, except that they’re about as tiny as insects and live out of the sight of humans. The original series of books focused on the lives of these tiny people, living inside the homes of humans but always staying hidden from them. They survive by borrowing things without anyone noticing, things like a small sugar cube or a fallen pin.
Arrietty is an animated feature film that draws heavily upon the The Borrowers, with the main protagonist, Arietty, being based on a character of the same name in the novels. This animated movie is created by the legendary Japanese animation studio, Studio Ghibli, known for classics such as Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away, and Laputa.
While borrowing many ideas and even character names from The Borrows (see what I did there), Arietty tells a unique tale of its own that is inspired by its source material, rather than being an adaptation of it.
Story:
Arrietty tells the story about a young boy named Sho, who spends a week at his mother’s peaceful childhood home with his relatives. It’s a beautiful summer, but unfortunately for Sho the trip isn’t for a holiday, but due to circumstances. Sho suffers from a heart disease and has no choice to spend a week at his relatives when his own parents are too busy with their careers. While he is greeted warmly and looked after by his relatives, he still feels very alone. That is until he catches a glimpse of a tiny person, by the name of Arrietty.
Arrietty is a high spirited 14 year old girl who lives with her loving parents, in their miniature home located just underneath the residence of Sho’s relatives. Arrietty loves to explore the world around her, and seems to enjoy spending time in the garden and teasing the cat. The movie focuses on Arrietty’s first venture into the human household with her father, a journey that was filled with awe and wonder for her, until she accidentally gets spotted clearly by Sho, which complicates things for Arrietty and her family.
It is a story about discovery, as it focuses on Arrietty’s interaction with the human world and in particular, Sho. She was raised to believe that humans were a threat to her kind, and that being spotted by them would bring danger to her family. However, in her interactions she learns much about the nature of human beings, and she and her family face some challenges that force them to make some life changing decisions.
It’s a lovely and charming story presented in a most fairy tale like manner, and the way it tries to portray lessons and morals is akin to the story telling conventions of classic Walt Disney animations that were based on fairy tales. It’s an adorable and touching story, with really likeable and well developed characters. The movie will make you smile, laugh, but at the same time present some emotional and tear jerking moments. It’s nicely paced, and it reels you into its world seamlessly.
Arrietty is easily among the best of Studio Ghibli, one that is actually a lot more laid back, subtle, and simple in its delivery and portrayal. Most Studio Ghibli movies tend to be very dense, layered, abstract, and over the top, and can be a bit too much to digest in one viewing. Arrietty keeps things nice and simple, which ultimately makes it a very enjoyable and heartwarming viewing experience.
Visuals and Audio:
Arrietty looks absolutely marvelous, amazing use of colours and set pieces to create a stunning animated world. The character designs and animations are of the same unique style and exceptional quality that you’ve come to expect from Studio Ghibli. As simple as the character designs are, they really make a lasting impression. The main character, Arrietty, in particular is just so very adorable, energetic, and likeable in terms of her design. Overall, it’s a brilliant work of animation, easily among the hallmarks of Japanese animations.
The soundtrack of Arrietty is an unforgettable masterpiece, filled with a mix of mellow and uplifting tracks that tend to be very Celtic in nature. The soundtrack also features some chilling and beautiful vocal performances, and the English dub of these songs sound are just as good, if not better, than the Japanese counterparts.
Speaking of English dub, Arrietty features a brilliant English dub, one that is done very professionally and delivered in a compelling manner as it portrays the right emotion and mood. It really feels like watching a well-produced and well-acted Walt Disney movie.
Extras:
Arrietty comes with a few extras, and apart from the usual trailers it allows you to watch the entire movie with just the storyboard angles. While the English dub is excellent, you can still watch the film in its original Japanese audio, although you will find that the English dub is actually more fitting.
Overall:
Arrietty is a marvelous movie in just about every regard, one that is characterised by sheer simplicity and pure innocence. It’s a great example of how you can create something so unique and refreshing even after borrowing from something else, as Arrietty provides a refreshing take on Mary Norton’s The Borrowers. Arrietty simply must be experienced by fans of Studio Ghibli’s past work, and anyone looking for an enchanting work of animation.
The Playstation Vita has a new title in its library. Gravity Rush is now available at all Australian retailers carrying Playstation Vita titles as well as the Playstation Store for those who prefer a digital copy of the game. It follows the release of the game in North America and Europe, also this week. Japan received the game in February under the title of Gravity Daze.
Developed by Japan Studio, the player controls Kat, a mysterious woman with no recollection of her past. She stumbles upon a cat who gives her the power to manipulate gravity. With this power, Kat is forced into battle with strange creatures who arrive in a gravity storm. The game uses touch controls and the gyroscope alongside physical controls. You can expect Capsule Computers to give our thoughts of the game in our review. In the meantime, check out some screenshots and the box art below.
During the E3 media conference, changes to the Playstation Plus program were announced for North America. For all Playstation Plus Australian subscribers, similar changes have hit every Australian Playstation 3 around the country. Australian subscribers, both current and new, will be offered ten titles instantly, increasing their collection of games. These are:
Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown (a recent release)
Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD
Renegade Ops
Chime Super Deluxe
Outland
Darksiders
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
inFamous 2
MotorStorm: Apocalypse
LittleBigPlanet 2
In addition to those ten games, Plus subscribers will be offered a Playstation Plus Game of the Month, which will change every four weeks and will include blockbuster titles. There will also be an increase presence of the indie scene. The first of these games will be Retro/Grade, which will be available during the summer at no extra cost. This is all on top of the existing offerings of Playstation Plus. Subscription fees will still stay the same. A yearly subscription will cost $69.95 while a 90-day subscription will cost $20.95.
For those of you Aussies that get tired of seeing the west get everything much earlier, you can breathe a sigh of relief when it comes to New Super Mario Bros. 2 as Nintendo of Australia have now confirmed that the game would be hitting Australia on August 18th. As you know, Nintendo released a lot of information for the 3DS sequel thus far and we have now learned that this adventure is all about the coins and will have local co-op, where two can go through the game as Mario and Luigi.
Instead of the standard “get to the end” Mario fare, players must attempt to grab every coin they see with the brand new power-ups that revolve around bringing the loot out of each level. It’s a nice new concept for sure, and one that is sure to grab the interest of anyone who crave the score-attack formula or that go out of their way to collect everything in a Mario game. Set your dates in your calenders, ‘roo lovers, as this next Mario will be out in just two months time.
Are you a hardcore gamer living in the country of Singapore? Are you a gamer that is willing to import from a country known as Singapore? Then you are in luck, as the latest in gaming laptops, the Razer Blade, is now available in Singapore. Yes, that’s right, Singapore.
The worlds first true gaming laptop (suck it Alienware) is now available for the price $3,999.99 at retail outlets, such as the online Razer store and Best Denki Ngee Ann City. This is the first release outside of the US for this particular product.
Be sure to check out the devices store page for more information.
This year’s EB Games Expo is taking place at the Sydney Showground, Olympic Park from Friday 5 October 2012 to Sunday 7October 2012. The organisers of the EB Games Expo have set up ‘Project Gamer’. On their website, EB Games posted the question ‘What Gamer Are You?’, by which they gave the fans the opportunity to become the face of EB Games Expo 2012.
Project Gamer will launch with two events, Saturday 16 June 2012 at EB Games Albert St, Brisbane and Saturday 23 June 2012 at EB Games Westfield Parramatta, NSW. Film crews will be on hand to capture gaming fans explaining just what type of gamer they are. Fans outside of these areas won’t miss out either, as the promotion will extend to online, giving people the opportunity to film themselves and upload in HD to YouTube. This footage will be compiled to make one video package that will air across the weekend of the EB Games Expo 2012.
A $100 gift card up for grabs for the best entries in Brisbane, Sydney and online. Deadline for all entries is 30 June 2012. You can catch more details on the official website.
We have seen American Idol in the video game world quite a bit in the past, spanning all the way back to the Game Boy Advance and Playstation 2. Yes, the show has had a lot of changes since then, but so has this very industry. Majesco today announced that they would be partnering with FremantleMedia Enterprises to publish American Idol games in North America.
“American Idol created the reality television singing competition format that defined an entire genre and grew into a massive pop culture phenomenon,” said Jesse Sutton, Chief Executive Officer, Majesco Entertainment. “This exciting entertainment brand has a loyal and active fan base that has generated billions of votes since the series launched. That kind of unprecedented engagement offers a unique opportunity for us to introduce new interactive experiences that develop those social connections.”
“Majesco’s expertise in creating casual and family oriented titles made them the perfect partner for our biggest brand, American Idol,” added Naz Cuevas, Senior Manager, Consumer Products, Hardlines, FremantleMedia Enterprises.
Of course this means that we will be seeing a lot more karaoke in the market, as well as some digitized Steven Tyler models, but this certainly is a big partnership and seeing Majesco expand even more is a pleasant sight to see. As of now, no new American Idol game has been announced, but expect it soon as America’s favorite singing contest is about to make a comeback to consoles in a big way.
Ubisoft hosted their annual E3 conference this year, and to many, they indeed won the entire show due to the good amount of games they had to show, as well as the execution of the entire event. As you all know, actress and avid gamer Aisha Tyler hosted the event, and has been receiving some rough feedback from a few onlookers and critics. This is the feedback we have grown accustomed to, with the name calling, personal attacks, and general hate that everyone sees light up twitter and forums everyday.
Tyler doesn’t take anything lying down though, and has now fired back with some words to put those voices to rest.
Tyler has posted this beautiful letter on her Facebook.
I play.
I’ve played since I was a little kid.
Since I begged my dad to buy me a Nintendo LCD Donkey Kong, Jr.
Since I blew through three weeks’ allowance playing Defender at the laundromat.
Since you were a twinge in the left side of your daddy’s underoos.
I’ve been a gamer since I made friends with a girl in the 5th grade just to get at her Atari.
Since I missed the bus playing Galaga after school.
Since I missed the start of Return of the Jedi playing Tempest in the theater lobby.
You think you know. You don’t know.
I’ve been a gamer since before you could read.
Since I aced midterms after staying up all night playing Evil Tetris.
Since I became dorm champ at Leisure Suit Larry.
Since I double-wielded on Time Crisis 3 at Fuddrucker’s.
I was a voice in not one, but two major video game titles.
I hosted the Reach Beta tutorial.
I was a Gears of War superfan panelist at ComicCon.
I hosted the Ubisoft presser at E3 2012.
I didn’t do any of it for the money.
For most I got paid next to nothing, and for some, less than that.
I did it because I love video games.
Because I’ve dreamt since I was a kid of being in one of the games I love.
How many games have you done voices for?
How many cons have you repped at?
Your buddy’s Unreal Tournament garage deathmatch doesn’t count.
I go to E3 each year because I love video games.
Because new titles still get me high.
Because I still love getting swag.
Love wearing my gamer pride on my sleeve.
People ask me what console I play.
Motherfucker, ALL of them.
I get invited to E3 because real gamers know I’m a gamer.
I don’t do it for the money.
I have plenty of money.
I don’t do it for the fame.
Fuck fame.
I do it because I love video games.
I don’t give out my gamertag because I don’t want a mess of noob jackholes lining up
to assassinate me on XBL.
I don’t give a shit what you think about my gamerscore.
I don’t play to prove a point.
I don’t play to be the best.
I play because I love it.
I play.
I’ve been playing my whole life.
I’m not ashamed of it.
I don’t apologize for it.
It’s who I am.
To the core.
I’m a gamer.
So to all the haters out there who claim I don’t play;
To the GAF dicks,
Gamespot trolls,
To every illiterate racist douchebag on Youtube:
Flame away. Go nuts.
Post every jackass comment your heart desires.
I’ll still be playing when your mom’s kicked you out of her basement
and you have to sell your old-ass console
and get a real job.
For now, I say to you respectfully,
and I mean this from the bottom of my heart,
GFYS.
We see a lot of celebrities at E3 each year. Some love them, some hate them. Aisha Tyler performed well at E3 though, and if anyone is attacking her, they should re-watch Ubi’s big press event again. After each title was announced, she showed excitement and a genuine interest. Her eyes were lit up with joy, and you could tell that she was in it for something other than a few extra dollars. I honestly can’t comprehend how someone could attack someone as passionate as Tyler, as she played a perfect ringmaster with all of the games in tow, making the event Ubisoft’s best ever, in my opinion.
You see, people like Usher or Jamie Kennedy come in and make a mockery of our industry while only attempting to promote themselves all of the time. Shouldn’t we offer a little bit of praise to someone who actually cares? I really didn’t know who Aisha Tyler was before E3, and now after seeing this elegant rebuttal, she has earned my respect even more-so now than after her solid hosting job. As gamers, we should definitely protect what we love, but we also have to invite those at the door in with open arms if we ever want to be respected for our passion.
Gaming is not a frat house or special club. It is and has always been a hobby, a sport, a type of art, and a form of entertainment that anyone can enjoy. Aisha doesn’t need to prove herself because you think she “misrepresented” something you like. She is a gamer, and there is nothing anybody can do about it. My hat goes off to Ms. Tyler today. We need more voices like yours in this industry and I can’t wait to see you represent what we all love more in the future.
So if you’re Australian and play Battlefield 3 and bought the Battlefield Premium service that EA is flashing at you, then you probably are the victim of EA’s ‘unintentional’ thievery.
As it turns out, the Battlefield Premium service has been advertised across the board as $49.99 AUD. So basically that is the ‘advertised’ price for the PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 versions of the Battlefield Premium service.
Funnily enough, EA decided to take even more of your money if you were purchasing the Premium service on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Whilst the service is advertised as $49.99 AUD, players weren’t exactly charged that price. As a matter of fact, Xbox 360 users were charged $66 AUD and Playstation 3 users were charged $79.95 AUD, while PC users were the only ones actually paying the advertised $49.99 AUD.
What this means is that EA have taken more money than they in fact told you that you were giving them for this Battlefield Premium service. So how do they make up for this grievous error? By refunding Playstation 3 players $15 AUD and leaving Xbox 360 players crying in the corner at how they got ‘ripped off’ by corporate greed. All the while they have still yet to amend the advertised price which still shows as $49.99 AUD when in fact it’s about $15 AUD short of the real price.
In my opinion it just goes to show that you really shouldn’t give EA your money, it’s their meth. Your money is EA’s meth. Help EA kick their addiction to meth (your money) by not spending a single cent on this absolute garbage that they are spewing. It’s your choice, I’ve made mine.
