Bright Shadow has been given a new expansion, entitled Curse of Hera. Curse of Hera will include a huge amount of new content, including 8 new classes, 30 new maps, and a raise of the level cap from 69 to 99! You can expect even more dungeon raiding and monster card collecting in this new expansion.
So if you play it now but were itching for some new content, haven’t played it in a while because you got bored, or have never played it – this would be a great time to head on back over and see if you can take on Hera and her minions! You can also challenge yourself with over 40 bosses, and more than 2000 extra quests to complete! There’s no chance of you getting bored with this much to do, you’ll surely be kept busy for a while – for at least the remains of your holidays.
To learn some more about Bright Shadow and play the game for FREE head on over to their SITE.
MMORPG Conquer Online has been announced to receive a new expansion, called Invasion of Pirates, which is set to be released on January 11, 2012. In this new expansion you get to have a whole bunch of new skills, all of which (surprise, surprise) have to do with piracy. You get to play around with skills such as Blackbeard’s Rage and Kraken’s Revenge, and I’m assuming something to do with rum. But that’s just speculation.
What could be more awesome? Now you can settle the argument of whether Priates or Ninjas would win as the Western mongrels come up against the deadly Easterners.
The new Pirate class comes with combat of both rapiers and pistols, and you can channel power and precision as well as the most explosive combat in the game. Pirates can take down enemies on land or sea, and they can easily become the most deadly in PvP battles.
Check out the trailer for the expansion pack below! Go HERE to check out the new skill list for pirates and start planning!
Vancouver’s cheekily titled games studio Rude Boy Games has released their new addictive social collecting game, Zwonks, which uses friend-to-friend messaging as part of its gameplay. You collect virtual toys, called Zwonks, which can be customized, accesorised and shared with friends through Kik Messenger and email.
You unlock Zwonks by collecting Zwag sets (yes, as you can tell, parents everywhere will be utterly confused and mispronouncing things in this game, look forward to it). Players can gift, receive or buy Piñatas then whack them for a chance to win rare Zwag or Gemz that they can use to purchase Zwag.
So you can unlock more Zwonks through interacting with friends, as well as help others in the game, but you can also use it to share and boast about your awesome collection.
Kik Messenger is already quite a popular app on its own, with over two million users in the first three weeks. So for those looking for a way to spice up their Kik Messenger, this might just be the way to do it. You know, if you’re into Moshi Monsters and Neopets and all that.
Zwonks is available NOW on iPhone, iTouch and iPad for FREE – Get it HERE
And if you don’t already have it, grab Kik Messenger HERE
As many of you should know by now, Bandai Entertainment of North America have dissolved their Anime and Manga division effective February 2012. An order handed down directly from the Bandai bigwigs in Japan.
Many people have been left completely puzzled by this and what it means for the industry as a whole. I will be assessing the damage and causes, as well as divulging information on who will be affected by what we shall come to know as; The Bandai Situation.
What’s the damage?
Unfortunately many of the Bandai Entertainment licensed series have suffered fatal damage, with a couple of releases cancelled indefinitely. Other series will be held onto until their licenses expire.
Completely dropped series include; Turn A Gundam, GOSICK, Nichijou and several manga series under the Bandai label. Bandai will be trying to pawn their licenses off to other companies but of course there are no guarantees they will be picked up.
This brings me to the global damage caused by this, Australian’s will be heavily affected when it comes to the Gundam franchise, which is one of Madman’s biggest selling series. While they may still retain the licenses for their currently held Gundam series such as Gundam Wing, Gundam 00 etc. it is currently unknown whether Bandai Entertainment of North America’s license expiration correlates to Madman’s license expiration.
This means that there is a potential that once Bandai of America lose their license for their series, that Madman or even UK distributor Manga UK may lose their licensing privileges to the English dubs of these series. Which could prove to be a massive hit to these distributors who rely on Bandai series for a large portion of revenue.
Not only does the damage affect the American anime industry but it spreads to both the United Kingdom and Australia. That is three industries at a loss due to the closing of Bandai’s anime and manga division. While it always possible for them to release sub only releases pertaining whether or not they can acquire said licenses from the Japanese, a lot of these series are up in the air, throwing the entire Western anime industry into a spin.
What’s the cause?
It has been heavily reported that Bandai of Japan’s head honchos passed down the word to close the anime and manga division of their North American branch due to incredibly poor sales. This is a completely true fact, but it’s only half the story.
Why were theses titles that by all rights should be big sellers (Gundam, K-ON!, etc.) not selling? Well it comes down to the simple fact that Bandai of Japan pushed the North American branch to up the prices on DVD and Blu-Ray releases so that they would match their Japanese counterparts.
Now that may sound reasonable at first but there is a lot more to take into account. First off is the fact that Bandai’s anime releases generally follow suit of the Japanese in featuring a very minuscule amount of episodes on disc (usually 2-3 episodes) whilst selling these titles for the same price as their competitors with much better value releases (Funimation releases for example often feature 13-23 episodes for half the price).
Bandai have been trying to sell over priced anime in an economy that is just now coming out of a recession. It is understandable that they think to increase the price on a product that is not selling, in order to make their money back, but that was ultimately the nail in their coffin.
The cause of all of this mess is simply the fact that out of touch Japanese bigwigs could not understand the state of the American economy. They could not interpret the lay of the land in the North American anime industry and in the end they are at fault for all this damage made to the industry.
What happens now?
It’s a sad day for the industry when a company falls in such a way, but there is brighter horizons waiting for us. With many of these titles licensed by Bandai being as popular as they are it can be assumed that another company could be interested in picking them up.
For now we can only keep our fingers crossed in hope that these shows end up in the hands of someone who knows how to handle them. Otherwise a lot of these brilliant anime will never break from the iron grip of their Japanese right holders and receive the global attention they really deserve.
While we may have to wait until February 22nd to play the PlayStation Vita in North America, a few people have likely already paid the extra money to purchase the Japanese PlayStation Vita and have imported it to North America. Well for all of you who have it in your hands right now you soon will be able to get a free taste of Sumioni: Demon Arts on the PlayStation Vita.
A demo will be released on Japan’s PlayStation Store on January 24 which is two weeks before the game’s official February 9 release in Japan. There currently is no specific release date for the North American version of the title, though XSEED has revealed that they will be releasing it sometime in the Spring of this year.
Ano Natsu de Matteru is one of the most hotly anticipated anime series of the Winter 2012 season. As you’d expect the series is getting simulcast, which will be handled by Crunchyroll. The most interesting news however is that Sentai Filmworks may have licensed the series.
In Crunchyroll’s section for the series, Sentai Filmworks is listed as the distributor of the anime. While Sentai Filmworks have not officially stated a confirmation of this, but it is slightly more solid than mere speculation considering Crunchyroll’s strong ties with distribution companies.
Crunchyroll have not confirmed that the series will premiere on the 11th of January and will be exclusively available to North and South American audiences.
Redline Studio: Madhouse Publisher: Madman Format: DVD (Reviewed), Blu-Ray Release Date: December 14th, 2011 Price: $29.95- Available Here
Overview: ‘It’s begun!’ – The harrowing words that embody the heart and soul of Redline. A film that defies many notions attributed to anime, as well as proving that anime is truly an art form unlike any other.
With huge action set pieces that could only be done in this medium alongside a deep and immersive universe that just begs to be explored, Redline is a master class in anime cinematography.
Story:
Before I start, I’d like to say that Redline isn’t perfect, but it’s damn near it. With such a vast world and huge cast of characters, Redline is ultimately only a half explored film. There is a lot of potential in this world and it’s cast for further exploration, but in my opinion, some things are better left unknown.
The film takes place in the distant future in a time when racing is outlawed, but those with the hunger for rolling thunder enter into the black market of the racing world in hopes of competing in the universe’s biggest race – Redline.
As you’d imagine the film features the Redline race, which makes up the majority of the films plot (as it should), with the rest which leads up to it introducing us to the cast and the universe they inhabit. This time devoted to the characters and world, flesh them out just enough to whet our appetites without ever fully revealing everything and that is how it should be. We don’t need to know everything and in this case it works for the best.
The main theme of Redline is that we are all racing towards something, what that something is is up to us to determine and whether we reach it all not is all down to our will to obtain it. Through this tenet, Redline tells an unexpectedly romantic tale of two people who have been racing towards one another all their lives.
While to some this plotline may seem cheesy upon reading, the way it is handled is not only beautiful but also honest. It’s extravagant in it’s portrayal but by the time the race ends with that final shining moment the anticipation and build up pays off in a grand way.
Redline just does so much right in the way of it’s plot, with superb pacing, brilliantly crafted dialogue, fully realised characters (even minor ones) and action sequences that will blast your brains into another dimension. You will leave Redline with no pants, socks or even underwear as they would all be blown away by the sheer bombastic brilliance of Redline.
Visuals:
There is no animated film that came out in 2011, that could even stand along-side this visual masterpiece. Redline looks utterly beautiful and is a true testament to the quality of Madhouse produced works.
The film features entirely unique character designs, with memorable characters such as ‘JP’ and ‘Sonoshee’ being etched into minds of viewers long after watching.
Not only that but Redline features some of the most aesthetically stunning action sequences in years, so grand in scale in fact that there is no way such scenes could be reproduced in any other medium. It is simply you could only see in anime, there is no doubt about that.
Redline is without a doubt the most visually expressive and impressive animated film of the year and that is a title is earns with ease.
Audio:
When it comes to Redline’s soundtrack you are in for an absolute treat. The film features a stunning soundtrack brilliantly composed and carefully crafted for each scene. None of which stand out more than ‘Redline Day’ the film’s closing theme, which perfectly serves as a capper to the events of the entire movie. If you wanna hear a bit of it, watch the trailer for the film below this review.
The voice acting is well done and acted, showing that Manga Entertainment can really create some solid dubs, if given the chance. All actors portray their roles brilliantly, not only giving the viewer an attachement to each character but also a longing to be right besides them as they race through this gloriously realised world backed by a fully realised soundtrack.
Extras: Redline is action packed, but it’s special features are just as packed. Madman have included two Redline Guides, one which is a ‘Perfect’ Guide to Redline and the other is ‘Quick’ Guide to Redline as well as the original 2006 trailer from when the film was announced.
The two guides are really nice and give a truly deeper insight into the movie and is a must watch in both forms for those of you who are looking for more information after viewing (if you’re like me then I’m sure you will). There is certainly enough on disc to keep viewers satisfied after watching.
Overall:
After the engines simmer down to a final stop, Redline remains the best anime film of 2011. The only thing to even came close was Summer Wars but even that could not reach the sheer bombastic exhilleration of Redline.
If you are looking for a good action film, a good anime film, a good film in general, Redline is the movie for you. It will stir something deep within you and will resonate longer than any other anime film you would see from 2011. It is just that good. With Redline, it begun and with this review it’s won.
EA Sports’ upcoming Grand Slam Tennis 2 features a brand new gameplay feature – Total Racket Control, which uses the controller’s analog stick to play the game rather than simple button controls. This allows players a new way to play the game as you gain full control the racket, the direction, type and power of all shots with the single right analog stick. Think of it a bit like Skate’s control scheme, whereby the skateboard is controlled solely from a single analog stick.
Check out Gameplay Producer Liam Millar explaining exactly how this new feature will be implemented in the game below.
Grand Slam Tennis 2 is set to be released in Australia on February 9 and in New Zealand on February 10 for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3
When the newest SSX game was announced, there were some concerns. Could it hold up against the previous games in the series? Would the new abilities, like wingsuits, hurt or help the gameplay? How could anything supplant Tricky? However, the two trailers have calmed many fears. They show off what the series has done best: glorious, impossible, sick combos with crazy characters and great music topping everything off. SSX launches on February 28th in the US and March 2, 2012 for everybody else. Be sure to be “ill” that day.
Pre-order bonus items for the game are listed below:
GameStop – legendary SSX character Eddie Wachowski, Elite snowboard and bonus boost
Origin – Elise’s Elite snowboard and bonus boost
Amazon – Mac’s Elite snowboard and bonus boost
Best Buy – Zoe’s Elite snowboard and bonus boost
Wal-Mart – Kaori’s Elite snowboard and bonus boost
The majority of games out there usually require that you kill Orcs. They are the enemy. The invader. The bad guy. The scavenger of destroyed worlds that must be dealt with, preferably violently. Orc Attack puts you in the Orcs shoes though. It was the humans who came first, wreaking havoc on the Orc way of life. And the Orcs are fighting back, but with a unique weapon. I’ll let the Orcs explain further: “The humans came in their thousands. They poisoned our food supplies and made the waters toxic.We escaped to the mountains but the damage had been done. Having ingested the poisonous fruits we now suffer from explosive flatulence… But our weakness will become our greatest weapon!” Check out the video below to see more.
Bright Shadow has been given a new expansion, entitled Curse of Hera. Curse of Hera will include a huge amount of new content, including 8 new classes, 30 new maps, and a raise of the level cap from 69 to 99! You can expect even more dungeon raiding and monster card collecting in this new expansion.
