Warlock: Master of the Arcane is coming out on May 8th, so Paradox Interactive and Ino-Co have released a video tutorial to better prepare eagerly waiting players. The video covers the different aspects of the game from development of cities, to moving units from place to place, to the different aspects of magic, to diplomacy with other warlocks, and exploring for more resources or places to build.
An empire building game with a fantasy setting, players must build up the influence of their warlock in hopes of becoming the sole master of magic in the “Majesty” universe of Ardania. Players can also find portals to the other universes to explore and utilize for resources in their quest for total control. Warlock: Master of the Arcane is coming out for the PC May 8th, so be sure to check out the video below to get a good grasp of the mechanics beforehand.
For those who are eager for ticket news on the second EB Expo, to be hosted in Sydney, will be pleased to hear that ticket details, along with some more details, have been released. The expo will run between October 5 to 7.
The cheapest ticket is a half-day pass which will cost you AU$39.95. Also available is a Family Pass, which allows two adults and two children in for a half-day for AU$99. The Gamer Pass (AU$69) will allow entry for one full day and include a souvenir photo and a free ticket. For those with more cash and want the best experience, then the Express and Ultimate Gamer Pass is the way to go. While the Express Gamer Pass (AU$189) will allow you to enter one day with first priority, the Ultimate Gamer Pass (AU$499) will allow attendees to enter all five sessions, reserve seating for the opening session as well as a tour of the stage while it is being built. All tickets will be available from May 24.
Alongside the ticket information, two cosplay competitions have been announced. The first cosplay competition is tailored to the hardcore cosplayers, with a AU$3000 EB Games voucher up for grabs. A second cosplay competition is tailored to those who casually dress up. The prize for that is a AU$400 Madman voucher. Both vouchers will be quite handy for those who enjoy games or anime. In terms of exhibitors, a list for 2012 has not been released, but it is expected that those who attended the 2011 EB Expo will make a second appearance. A special guest has also been hinted.
To purchase tickets and find out more information, go to the official EB Expo website. Of course, check out Capsule Computers for more news on the 2012 EB Expo.
Last month, an EB Games Australia listing pointed to a new colour for the Playstation 3. Today, Sony Computer Entertainment Australia has confirmed that the Scarlet Red colouring of the Playstation 3 will be heading to Australia. The Scarlet Red Playstation 3 will be the 320GB model and will include two Scarlet Red Dualshock 3 controllers. It will retail for $459.95. These details were mentioned in the EB Games listing.
Sony Computer Entertainment Australia did not specify a release date or even a release window for the release of the new colour. The colour will also be released in the United Kingdom, revealed in an Amazon listing. The listing has been updated with a new release date: May 11. It is still quiet on the North American front as Sony Computer Entertainment America has not mentioned a release for the Scarlet Red Playstation 3.
The latest game to feature Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s super sleuth has been flaunting its wares for some time now. Something of a big deal for the series, this title has been developed specifically for home consoles, boasting an all new engine and motion capture techniques. It’s certainly promising a larger scale mystery than previous PC and DS titles featuring Sherlock, and now publishers Focus Home Interactive have finally confirmed a release date, albeit leaving the exact date still a little mysterious.
The Testament of Sherlock Holmes is now due on PS3, PC, and Xbox 360 in September 2012. Also hitting the internet today is a selection of new screenshots featuring some atmospheric shots of London, Holmes himself and the always loyal Dr Watson: click on the thumbnails below to see the full image, and stay tuned to CC for more news as it comes.
The first season of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has been picked up by Madman for release and distribution on DVD, and the first two volumes will be released in Australia on 20 June 2012.
Volume 1 is titled as My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic- Friendship Changes Everything and Volume 2 will be titled as My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic- That’s What Friends Are For. Each will have a RRP of $19.95.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has become one of the biggest pop culture phenomena in recent memory, loved by children and adults, and men and women of all ages. The show comes from the creative genius of Lauren Faust, who has worked on iconic animated series like The Powerpuff Girls and Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends.
Look forward to our review of this upcoming DVD release next month.
In some breaking news, Rockstar Games have revealed that they will unveil a new trailer tomorrow in their special two part video trailer series for the hotly anticipated upcoming third instalment in the critically acclaimed Max Payne franchise.
The anticipation surrounding the launch of this second part of their special trailer series focuses on the game’s multiplayer aspects. Tomorrow’s trailer will show off several of the game’s exciting multiplayer features including Bullet Time, Multiplayer Crews, Burst Abilities and much more.
Be sure to check out the trailer when it hits the web tomorrow. This game appears to feature an incredible new and fresh take on the online multiplayer experience, which will of course be the focus of the trailer that will launch tomorrow. What do you think of Max Payne 3? Surely you also think it’s brilliant. Tell us how much you love Max Payne 3 in the comments section below.
Love the new SSX but miss SSX Tricky? You’re not alone. EA released two DLC packs today that brings Mount Eddie, three retro music tracks, and seven classic retro themed characters from the SSX universe to the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. Mount Eddie focuses on the classic trick based gameplay, full of rails, kickers, lights, fireworks, and billboards to explore. Elise, Mac, Zoe, Kaori, Psymon, Moby, and Eddie all make a return to the slopes, each sporting a unique snowboard in the character pack. Each DLC pack can be purchased for 480MSP/$9.95AUD / $ 11.50NZD each or be bought together at a discount for 640MSP/$12.95AUD / $15.50NZD.
The Razer Naga Hex Wraith Edition is a red variant of the Razer Naga Hex mouse which is being pegged for MOBA gamers. This mouse looks like it’s similar to its green variant which we have reviewed here.
Ideally, it looks like this mouse will be best for MOBA players, gamers who play spammy RPGs and hack-and-slash gamers. I think that DOTA, LoL and that other games players will probably favor this kind of mouse.
When fighting frenzied waves of enemies, there’s no time to think and no time for failure. With the Razer Naga Hex – Wraith Red Edition, bind your skills to our 6 mechanical thumb keys and make sure that every attack is executed to perfection.
Devastate hordes of enemies with lightning fast combos, as our high performance buttons register and accurately execute up to 250clicks a minute, ensuring your enemies are kept at bay, even in the heat of battle.
Fight frenzied wave after wave of enemies with the Razer Naga Hex.
Be sure to check out the official page for more information. The mouse is currently available in the USA and will be made available in Q2 internationally.
With iOS 5’s new features, many iPhone users have noticed their battery life butchered. Thankfully there are better solutions than never being more than 100 meters from a power outlet and hauling a sync cable and USB charger everywhere. Enter Incipio’s new offGRID PRO Backup Battery case. The case is constructed from slim black polycarbonate and sports two rechargeable and interchangeable lithium ion batteries. Each battery is rated at 1600 mAh and 3.7v output. The case can be charged via micro USB port or the external battery charger. There are generous holes cut out for access to the camera and the vibration switch. Included in the case is a 3.5mm headphone adapter to ensure that no matter how big the plug on your headphones are, they will work with your case.
The case costs $99.99 on Incipio’s site and is available in black, gunmetal, and white.
kimi ni todoke -From Me to You- Volume 2 Premium Edition Studio: Production I.G Publisher: NIS America Format: Blu-ray/DVD Combo Release Date: April 10, 2012 Price: $55.99 – Available Here
Overview: Having a meaningful relationship with anyone can be difficult for some, especially in high school. Now while many anime series will take a high school setting and immediately drop a romance into the main characters lap, there are also a select few series which will slowly develop a touching romance between two characters.
kimi ni todoke -From Me to You- has so far been a perfect example of the latter, with the slow moving developments between characters being one of the highlights of the first volume, the review of which can be seen here. Now that NIS America has brought us the second half of the first season of kimi ni todoke -From Me to You- in Volume 2, does this romantic anime continue with what made volume one so endearing?
Story: Sawako Kuronuma may be just a normal looking high school girl to some, but it just so happens that she bears a striking resemblance to a memorable movie character. The problem with this is the fact that the movie character she resembles just happens to be the terrifying Sadako from the Japanese horror movie “The Ring.” Because of her outward appearance Sawako has never had any friends as she always terrified those around her.
However this all changed when she met a boy at her high school named Shota Kazehaya who treated her like a normal person and spoke to her kindly. Over the course of the first volume of kimi ni todoke -From Me to You- we watched as Sawako slowly began to come out of her shell and even make friends with two of her classmates, Chizuru Yoshida and Ayane Yano. Sawako experienced many firsts in her life with her new friends and slowly began to develop feelings for Kazehaya who also slowly started to realize he was beginning to develop feelings for her.
However when we last saw Sawako and Kazehaya, a new girl named Ume Kurumi had begun circulating rumors about Sawako and her friends, trying to sabotage the relationships that Sawako was finally beginning to develop and hold dear. Not only was she trying to break up her friendship with Chizuru and Ayane, but even try and convince Kazehaya that she held no feelings for him. However bonds of friendship are hard to sever and Kazehaya isn’t about to stand by and let Sawako fall for anyone else. Will Sawako’s newfound bonds hold true and deepen as the story continues in Volume Two?
kimi ni todoke -From Me to You- continues to provide a down to earth romance that slowly develops between two people who are too shy to speak to one another about what they are feeling, with the mere mention of dating Kazehaya sending Sawako into a stuttering state of confusion. As the story progresses we continue to see Sawako experience many more firsts in her life and continue to fall deeper in love with Kazehaya, even admitting it to her friends. The amount of character development found in this series is hard to come by as the development isn’t limited to only Sawako and Kazehaya.
In fact, Volume Two of kimi ni todoke -From Me to You- also explores the feelings of two of the supporting cast as well, creating a story arc in the latter half of the volume that shifts the focus to Chizuru and Ryu. Similar to Sawako and Kazehaya’s budding relationship, Ryu simply is unable to express his feelings properly to Chizuru. To top it off, Chizuru has feelings for Ryu’s older brother Toru. What is interesting about kimi ni todoke -From Me to You- is the fact that despite the potential for conflict and number distressing situations the cast faces, the story never becomes hectic or convoluted in the slightest.
Instead of jumping forward in leaps and bounds, the simplistic plot of kimi ni todoke -From Me to You- continues on its very slow pace as we watch Sawako experience new things with her friends and slowly become closer to Kazehaya. This is far from a bad thing however as the lighthearted tone of the series is enjoyable to experience and provides viewers a chance to watch a socially awkward girl try to become closer to others and succeeding in her own charming way. Perhaps the biggest highlight of the entire series is the slow boiled romance between Kazehaya and Sawako.
It is worth noting that NIS America has already picked up the license for the third season of kimi ni todoke -From Me to You-, so viewers can also expect to continue to watch Sawako and Kazehaya’s relationship develop.
Visuals: Throughout Volume Two, Production I.G continues to use an extremely soft color palette with down to earth coloring. This is especially true with the artistically detailed backgrounds which usually feature pastel-like coloring. As before there are also plenty of moments where the background will change to highlight the mood of any specific scene, such as bubbles or sparkles for romance and happy scenes.
The character’s themselves are highly detailed up close and they often appear in a number of different outfits as well. As before, the characters in kimi ni todoke -From Me to You- will easily end up deforming into “chibi” states whenever something funny or surprising occurs. These deformations in character design are stylistic however and don’t degrade the series’ quality, in fact they are often precursors to either comedic or touching moments.
Audio & Subtitles: As per standard with an anime release from NIS America, kimi ni todoke -From Me to You- Volume Two only contains the Japanese audio track and no English dub. Obviously this is a negative for those who would rather listen to the show in English, though the series is still more than enjoyable enough with the accurate English subtitles.
Sawako’s voice actress Mamiko Noto continues to excel with her soft voicework and the rest of the Japanese voice cast also performs ably. Volume Two features the same exact opening and ending songs from the first half of the series, which means the opening song is still “kimi ni todoke” by Tomofumi Tanizawa and the ending song is still “Katamoi” by Chara.
Extras: With the release of kimi ni todoke -From Me to You- Volume Two we also see the same premium edition inclusions that NIS America is known for. The series itself comes on both Blu-ray and DVD discs inside two slimpak DVD cases. Considering Volume Two features the same opening and ending songs as before, there are no on-disc extra features besides trailers for past NIS America releases which is a bit of a shame as some commentary would have at least been nice.
Included in the premium edition is a 28 page hardcover art book that is called “Our Memories” which is a nice subtle change from the first Volume which contained an art book called “My Memories.” This subtle change is a nice reference to the fact that Sawako no longer has memories only of herself, but of her friends as well. The inside of the artbook reads similar to a scrapbook with images from each episode placed in chronological order along with a few sentences from the episode itself to match the images. The themed artbook is another nice touch though it is worth noting that it contains barely any extra content besides the aforementioned images, as it simply contains two pages of character design and a few pieces of scenery, meaning those looking for extra behind-the-scenes content will be left hanging.
These are contained inside of an oversized hard-slipcover case which features the five main cast members, Sawako and Kazehaya in the front with Ayane, Chizuru and Ryu in the back. On the flipside we see various images from the show itself inside of bubbles which are similar to the backdrop shown during romantic scenes from the show itself.
Overall: kimi ni todoke -From Me to You- Volume 2 continues to deliver the same charming experience found in Volume 1. The premium edition itself may be a bit light on extra content but still delivers a charming themed artbook, though the lack of any on-disc extras is a bit of a negative. With a likable cast of characters, especially Sawako and her two female friends, and an enjoyable storyline the show’s slow progression doesn’t harm it in the slightest. In fact, with a third release on the way, the great impression Volume 2 leaves on viewers will leave them eager to see more of Sawako’s life and interactions with those around her.
