Indie publisher collaborating with Maniac Panda Games on a boxed version of award-winning 2.5D adventure. 

Barcelona, Spain – December 18th 2023. Following an exclusive presentation at the Bilbao International Conference 2023, global indie publisher and distributor Selecta Play is thrilled to announce a new publishing deal with developer Maniac Panda Games to release a boxed edition of One Last Breath for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5.

Winner of the Indie Arena Booth Best Game Award at Gamescom 2022, One Last Breath is a stunning 2.5D adventure game developed by Maniac Panda Games where you take on the role of Gaia, a powerful being born from Mother Nature’s last breath and tasked with using her powers to save our dying planet. 

Selecta Play will be releasing further information on the content for the physical edition of One Last Breath in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for the latest information. 

“We are thrilled to be the publishing partner for this physical boxed edition of One Last Breath, a game which we believe will be an instant indie hit when it launches next year.” commented Javi Puertas, Head of Gaming at Selecta Play. “Our publishing team is working hard to produce a beautiful and highly collectable boxed edition worthy of the innovative and award-winning gameplay experience Maniac Panda Games is creating.” 

As expressed by Daniel Valdés, CEO of Nexxyo Labs, “We’re excited to bring Gaia to life and present to the players One Last Breath as a new immersive experience with a unique social message behind it. One Last Breath marks our grand entrance into 2024, standing as our first launch of the year, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to do so alongside Selecta Play.“

The physical boxed edition of One Last Breath will be launching in 2024 for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5. Stay up to date with all the latest Selecta Play news on the official community channels:

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About Maniac Panda Games

Maniac Panda Games is an independent video game studio by Nexxyo Labs, a vibrant technology company headquartered in Navarra, Spain, that unites a global team of talented and young professionals.  

Born in 2019 from the dream of a group of friends passionate about gaming and possessing a wealth of experience in development, Maniac Panda Games has evolved into a mission to revolutionize the way people engage with gaming, actively crafting new ways to immerse players in the exhilarating world of gaming with thrilling games in the oven. Rooted in our dual commitment to delivering entertainment and fostering a global gaming community, we continually push innovation ensuring enduring value for each player.

About Selecta Play

Selecta Play is SelectaVisión’s video games publishing branch. The company works with talented studios on unique video games and helps them publish their titles in both physical and digital formats worldwide.

About SelectaVisión

SelectaVisión is a media entertainment distributor company founded in 1984. Based in Spain, SelectaVisión’s catalogue includes anime and live-action feature films, TV shows, and movies. Publishing both anime classics and the latest Japanese productions since 1997, SelectaVisión has built a long relationship with fan-favourite Japanese producers and distributors, becoming the major publisher of anime content for Spanish audiences. 

The free English dub for SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s latest action brawler, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is now available. Those that own the game can update their game to download the free patch now.

Get a glimpse of the English performance in the Like a Dragon Gaiden | English Dub Story Trailer.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is the latest entry in Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s flagship Like a Dragon series. Once a legendary yakuza, Kazuma Kiryu faked his own death and abandoned his name for the sake of protecting his family. Now, he is thrust into conflict by a mysterious figure attempting to drive him out of hiding. Under the codename “Joryu,” Kiryu embarks on a gripping action narrative with bone-shattering combat in vibrant locations filled with exciting characters and activities. Thrilling sub-missions will draw you into an epic showdown that unfolds across Sotenbori and Yokohama.

DāM-FunK Presents The Music of Grand Theft Auto Online Original Score – Featuring Rampa, &ME, Soulwax, HEALTH, Take A Day Trip, Show Me The Body, and More

DāM-FunK Presents The Music of Grand Theft Auto Online Original Score — a brand new album of music from across the biggest and most beloved updates from GTA Online — is now available on all major digital music services including Spotify and Apple Music.

Showcasing ten years of meticulous musical curation inside the living world of GTA Online, DāM-FunK Presents The Music of Grand Theft Auto Online Original Score features score contributions from a wide array of artists, re-arranged and reimagined into 15 new songs by L.A. producer, DāM-FunK, and available on digital streaming platforms for the first time ever.

From Rampa’s take on the action and suspense of The Cayo Perico Heist II to HEALTH’s industrial rock for the frantically paced Arena Wars, Soulwax’s trippy contributions to Los Santos Drug Wars, or Take A Daytrip’s atmospheric vision of vehicular Import/Export, DāM-FunK Presents The Music of Grand Theft Auto Online Original Score delivers a snapshot of the in-game musical universe, and a new way to interact with the music that has defined the GTA Online experience across the last ten years.

And starting on Monday, West Coast Classics listeners are in for a special treat. To commemorate a decade of hosting Los Santos’ preeminent classic hip-hop station, DJ Pooh has hidden a special mix of the album somewhere in town. You’ll need to call in to West Coast Classics for clues, and also make sure to listen for some very special shoutouts from notable friends of WCC’s iconic DJ to celebrate his legendary run.

Also available today is SOUTHSIDE, a new track by BEAM and Cardo that is featured in the trailer for GTA Online: The Chop Shop and samples Take A Daytrip’s version of Import/Export. Get it here.

Sydney, Australia, 18 December 2023 – Results released today show that revenue in the Australian video game industry has risen to $345.5 million, an increase of 21% over the past financial year. The results are part of the eighth annual Australian Game Developer Survey (AGDS), released by peak industry body, the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association (IGEA). The survey results are backed up by Australian consumer sales data released earlier this year, showing that Australians’ love for video games is reflected in the local industry.

51% of the 111 studios surveyed intend to utilise the Digital Games Tax Offset (DGTO) pending their eligibility, while 49% are already accessing some form of government funding. Many local studios will be looking to secure further funding made possible through government programs, such as the reinstated Australian Interactive Games Fund (AIGF) from Screen Australia, and boosts in games funding from Victoria and Queensland. As a direct result of federal and state-based government support, Australian studios are committing to the development of more projects, receiving increased interest from international businesses, and are predicting either income growth (68% of respondents) or income stability (21% of respondents) throughout the 2024 financial year.

“79% of studios have less than 20 employees, and nearly half of all studios (45%) have existed for less than five years, highlighting growth in independent and emerging businesses,” said Ron Curry, CEO of IGEA. “With continued government support to ensure success in our industry, we will likely see our younger studios turn into veterans – like the 32% of Australian studios that are 10 years or older today. We even have 63% of studios planning on hiring over this financial year, creating 200+ new jobs.”

“It is important to acknowledge that this is a challenging time for the industry and some studios are really feeling the effects. Funding and support must continue to ensure the long-term growth and success of the Australian industry so we can maintain the positive trajectory and continue contributing to the Australian economy and talent development.” Curry added.

The survey also revealed that Australian studios face ongoing challenges such as securing early-stage development funding, securing international publisher deals, and hiring specialised talent when local talent is hard to come by. To combat some of these issues, many studios have taken to working and hiring remotely to lower costs and unlock the potential of hiring interstate or international talent. 

Despite the challenges, diversity in local studios is increasing with 26% of developers identifying as women and 5% identifying as trans, non-binary, or gender diverse.

“Our incredible local studios continue to perform on the global stage – 87% of our video game revenue comes from outside Australia into the local economy and 19% of our game developers who responded are receiving investment from overseas businesses. There is always potential for our local industry to grow sustainably, and thanks to the survey’s respondents we can now target the issues affecting local studios with renewed certainty and clarity.” said Curry.

About IGEA

IGEA (Interactive Games & Entertainment Association) is the peak industry association representing the voice of Australian and New Zealand companies in the computer and video games industry.  IGEA supports the games industry’s business and public policy interests through advocacy, research and education programs.

About Australian Game Developer Survey

Our 2022-2023 game development survey is based on financial year data from 1 July 2022 – 30 June 2023. The survey was conducted by Bond University who supply responses in aggregate to IGEA. The survey opened in September 2023 and closed in the middle of November 2023. Participation in the survey is voluntary, with 111 studios completing the survey and providing usable data, which is slightly higher than the participation rate last year.

Company Celebrates Iconic SaGa Franchise’s 34^th Anniversary with a Special Livestream Revealing New Details for the Upcoming SaGa Emerald Beyond

SYDNEY (Dec. 18, 2023) – SQUARE ENIX® recently hosted the SaGa Glimmerfest 2023 34^th Anniversary Livestream, where members of the development team revealed that the all-new original adventure in the acclaimed RPG franchise, SaGa Emerald Beyond,will launch digitally on April 25, 2024 for Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®5 (PS5®), PlayStation®4 (PS4®) consoles, PC (STEAM®) and iOS and Android devices.

Watch the SaGa Glimmerfest 2023 livestream VOD here.

Along with the release date, the livestream shared a deeper look into SaGa Emerald Beyond’s eclectic cast of heroes and their stories. SaGa series Producer Masanori Ichikawa, Executive Producer and SaGa series General Director Akitoshi Kawazu, and Localization Director Neil Broadley introduced two key SaGa Emerald Beyond characters who possess the rare ability to see the mysterious emerald waves that present choices of their destinies: Tsunanori Mido and Ameya Aisling.

Tsunanori comes from the esteemed Mido family, whose bloodline uses their unique ability to control kugutsu puppets to complete all manner of odd jobs. He joins the Cathedral Project, made up of a group of explorers who investigate other worlds, with the goal of repairing his city’s weakening barrier and to help reclaim lost spiritual energy.

Watch the Tsunanori Mido character trailer below:

Known by her pseudo-identity Yumeha Izumi, the Miyako City schoolgirl, Ameya is actually a witch from Pulchra whose powers were stolen from her. Ameya hopes that by following the mysterious emerald waves, she’ll discover who stole her mana and become the best witch anyone has ever seen.

Watch the Ameya Aisling character trailer below:

Additionally, the team unveiled a new key art featuring SaGa Emerald Beyond’s full cast of protagonists.

Players who are eager to embark on this new adventure can add the game to their wishlist for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Steam to be notified when pre-orders open next year.

SaGa Emerald Beyond will be the latest release from the ongoing SaGa Project from SQUARE ENIX that has so far included Western releases of Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered, Romancing SaGa 3, SaGa SCARLET GRACE: AMBITIONS, hit mobile game Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe, and SaGa Frontier Remastered. SaGa Emerald Beyond is not yet rated by the ESRB.

Official Website: https://saga-franchise.square-enix-games.com/en-us/games/sgeb

About the SaGa Series

SaGa is a series of revolutionary role-playing games, created by legendary game developer Akitoshi Kawazu (FINAL FANTASY, FINAL FANTASY II, SaGa Frontier). Since THE FINAL FANTASY LEGEND was released in 1990 for the Game Boy, the series has expanded with several additional entries across numerous platforms. Other SaGa series regulars include illustrator Tomomi Kobayashi, who has given the series its own unique style, and composer Kenji Ito (Mana series). Although the SaGa series shares its roots with FINAL FANTASY, the SaGa series has always incorporated revolutionary and challenging gameplay mechanics, such as player choice, branching storylines and implementing characters with wildly different playstyles, setting it apart from other JRPG series. SaGa Emerald Beyond, the latest standalone entry in the franchise, will release across various modern platforms on April 25, 2024.

About Square Enix, Ltd.

Square Enix, Ltd. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX® and TAITO® branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix group of companies. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 185 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 88 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix Ltd. is a London-based, wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd

More information on Square Enix, Ltd. can be found at https://square-enix-games.com

TOKYO – Dec. 16th, 2024 – Touhou Mystia’s Izakaya, the cozy restaurant simulator set in the Touhou Project universe from developer Dichroic Purpilion and publisher Phoenixx, crafts the perfect dining experience on Nintendo Switch starting Thursday, May 2nd, 2024.

An unruly customer destroyed Mystia Lorelei’s tavern – the most popular in all of Gensokyo. While restaurateur dreams were shattered, bills must still be paid! Rebuild, starting with a humble new food cart, pay off Mystia’s ever-growing debts, and grow the business to revive the restaurant to its former glory.

Running the best tavern in the Touhou universe requires round-the-clock work! During the day, collect recipes and source hand-picked ingredients from the wild to cultivate fresh produce. Befriend the local townsfolk and hire employees to help with daily duties. Watch the clock while running daytime errands – restaurant doors open every night and hungry customers await!

Open for business in the evenings and deliver a flawless experience. Each visitor has distinct preferences, favorite dishes and beverages, as well as individual budgets. Converse with guests, showing hospitality with promptly-fulfilled orders and friendly interactions. Chain together successively-satisfied customer service combos to create massive profits, but invite ire from Mystia’s mentors when careless management leads to unhappy guests.

While hired workers can handle everyday tasks, keep an eye out for rare visits from Reimu, Akyuu, and more than 30 hungry Touhou characters who require a personal touch. Learn the culinary preferences of each special visitor who will only hint what they would like to be served, and be prepared to cook up off-menu items to unlock special rewards.

Scout new locations for Mystia’s food cart across six familiar Touhou locations including the tranquil Hakurei Shrine and the bustling Human Village. Re-invest profits to improve the business, collect cute costumes, enhance the ambiance with decorations, and unlock two soundtracks’ worth of music for customer’s enjoyment during every evening (Soundtrack 1 and Soundtrack 2 are both available for purchase on Steam).

“Touhou Mystia’s Izakaya breaks the mold of the usual Touhou game. Instead of combat, players must utilize cooking and customer service to achieve victory”, said Youzi KK, founder of Dichroic Purpilion. “We are very grateful for the success that Touhou Mystia’s Izakaya has experienced on Steam, and we look forward to bringing the mobile restaurant experience to a new platform.”

Touhou Mystia’s Izakaya launches on Nintendo Switch on Thursday,  May 2nd, 2024 for $24.99 with language support in English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean. For more information, please visit the Phoenixx official website, Phoenixx Facebook page, and follow @Phoenixx_inc on Twitter.

About Dichroic Purpilion

Dichroic Purpilion is an indie game developer based in Japan specializing in creating Touhou Project based games for which he received the official recognition of being “Touhou Project Approved”.

About Phoenixx

Established in 2019 by industry veterans, Phoenixx aims to support innovative and creative developers from Japan and around the world. Its mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one creator, one game, and one community at a time.

Explore real-world criminal psychology in realistic comic-style card battles

CHENGDU, China – 16 Dec. 2023 – Card Detective, the complex criminal investigation game featuring a card-based interrogation system from developer MuccyGames, cracks the case on PC via Steam today.

Step into the shoes of young journalist turned novice detective, Hazel Gong, after she discovers a mysterious corpse beneath an abandoned construction site. Learn and apply real-word sleuthing skills to grill witnesses and get to the bottom of a comically perplexing case brought to life with beautiful hand-drawn art. 

Decipher a hazy sequence of events and engage in thought-provoking card battles, utilizing criminal psychology to simulate realistic witness interrogation techniques. Choose to “Attack” with direct questioning or “Analyze” with strategical probing inquiries to break the resolve of even the most calculated criminals. 

Progress through a lively comic book-style story, collecting new cards representing a variety of investigation methods. Mindfully craft custom decks with non-traditional examination styles, unraveling complicated relationships and making crucial connections to solve the case and bring justice to the victim.

“The team studied a large amount of material and consulted criminal psychology professionals to craft this experience,” said Peter, Partner, MuccyGames. “We hope aspiring detectives will enjoy learning about criminal psychology and real-world strategies within the interactive experience.”

Card Detective is available on PC via Steamnow for $3.99, coming with a 10% discount in the first week of launch. For more information, check out the official Steam page, and follow MuccyGames’ YouTube channel for more updates.

About MuccyGames

MuccyGames is an independent game developer and publisher based in Chengdu, China. The company’s mission is to share engaging educational content through video games, as it did in its first medieval doctor title Dr.Chatlet Faith.

For more information, please visit the official website.

LOS ANGELES – December 15, 2023 – Netmarble, a leading developer and publisher of high-quality mobile games, launches a new game update for its blockbuster mobile RPG MARVEL Future Fight. Agents can experience new content based on Marvel Studios’ ‘What If…? Season 2,’ including a new hero, character-tier upgrades, costumes, event battle and more.

This new game update contains content inspired by the popular animated TV series including a newly added character, Kahhori and three new uniforms for Hela, Wenwu and Super Nova Nebula. Agents can participate in a new ‘What If…? Season 2’-inspired event battle to acquire the new ‘1★ Kahhori’ as well as access to a new Comic Card Collection featuring new comic cards and a new premium comic card.

Character tier upgrades have been added for Hela (Tier-4 with new Striker Skill) and Wenwu (Tier-3 with new Ultimate Skill). Awakened Skills and Transcend Potential have been added to select heroes including Kahhori, Katy, and Lincoln Campbell.

MARVEL Future Fight has over 150 million players across the world with the game currently available worldwide in the App Store® and Google Play™.

For more information, please visit http://marvelfuturefight.netmarble.com.

About Netmarble Corporation

Established in Korea in 2000, Netmarble Corporation is a leading developer and publisher of top-grossing mobile games worldwide. Through powerful franchises and collaborations with acclaimed IP holders, Netmarble strives to elevate the gaming experience and entertain audiences globally. As a parent company of Kabam and SpinX Games, and a major shareholder of Jam City and HYBE (formerly Big Hit Entertainment), Netmarble’s diverse portfolio includes Lineage 2: Revolution, MARVEL Future Fight, Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds, The King of Fighters ALLSTAR, The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross, and forthcoming PC games like Paragon: The Overprime. More information can be found at http://company.netmarble.com.

About Marvel

Marvel is one of the world’s most prominent entertainment brands, built on an unparalleled library of iconic characters and stories that have shaped pop culture for 85 years. The Marvel brand spans entertainment, including film, television, publishing, licensing, games, live events, digital media, and more.

For more information visit marvel.com. © 2023 MARVEL

App Store is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the US and other countries.  App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Google Play is a trademark of Google Inc.

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LOS ANGELES – December 15, 2023 – MapleStory M, Nexon’s free-to-play mobile MMORPG, is thrilled to announce the release of Adele, Aurora Castle and more updated content in the game’s December 2023 update. In addition, MapleStory M is pleased to announce the 2023 Year-End greetings event and a 2024 Countdown.

Players can now explore the new class, Adele, and receive bonuses and growth support. Adele login rewards include an extra character slot coupon, auto-battle charge ticket, whetstone, and pet box to help users grow their character.

Adele also offers a Growth Mission Event, offering more rewards after leveling up and completing specific challenges. In addition, the Mega Burning Plus Event means players can select another character to earn an additional two levels (up to a maximum of 140) every time Adele levels up – all jobs are selectable. And finally, players will receive rewards and EXP for selected characters every time Adele levels up. 

MapleStory M’s latest update will also include a special event where players can explore the mysterious Aurora Castle over the sea. Maplers will be able to participate in various mini-games/events to earn the following rewards: 

• Coin Drop and Shop: Players can earn event coins through a daily hunting event and purchase various items using event coins.
• Bang Bang Bang! Aurora Gem: A puzzle mini-game where players shoot gems on the map, eliminate them, and earn points, similar to Bust-A-Move.
• Daily Auto-Battle: An event to earn rewards based on daily Auto-Battle time, a new mini-game with added blocks, and a health system.
• Reverse Battle: A minigame that adds blocks, stamina system, and more!
• What Brings You to My Home?: A quiz mini-game where players locate NPCs not on the guest list in the Aurora Castle.
• Leo’s Exploration Journal: A daily mission clearance event where players complete daily missions to earn event coins.
• Renee’s Magic Orb: Players can accumulate gauge on their main character by hunting and retrieving EXP points with a sub-character.
• Mr. Kim’s Gift: A reward receivable when visiting Mr. Kim during the event period.
• Rainbow Rush: A mini-game where players run as far as possible within the time limit while avoiding obstacles.
• First Purchase Event: First purchase bonus with efficient rewards during the event period.
• Star Bridge: A mini-game where players connect the stars to form constellations based on the shape displayed.

Further updates include the addition of Adventure Training Ground, where players can quickly level up their character to level 100, Auto-Play for Epic quests, the release of Beauty Award-Winning hair and plastic surgery coupons and a holiday home theme. Changes include the reduction of hyper stat level up costs and an adjustment of Guild Fort Battle entry method where the first user who enters will obtain the permission to select Golem. 

The 2023 Year-End Greeting Event will share high-value rewards with players as they log in between December 29 PST and January 7 PST as a thank you to all the Maplers. Check out MapleStory M’s official YouTube channel for more details!

MapleStory M’s 2024 countdown will begin on December 20 PST and extra special rewards will be available from the event map on New Year’s Day. Players will be able to enter a special countdown map to celebrate the New Year! Gather EXP points, daily rewards and join in on the festivities as we say goodbye to 2023 and hello 2024!

Return to MapleStory M, experience the new updates, upcoming events, and explore the Aurora Castle Event!

About MapleStory M

MapleStory M, launched globally in July 2018, brings the nostalgic world of side-scrolling MMORPG MapleStory to mobile, offering the same endless amount of customization, immersive storylines, and epic boss raids that fans have come to expect from the legendary franchise. MapleStory M quickly reached 10 million downloads within 100 days after global launch.

About Nexon America Inc.

Founded in 2006, Nexon America Inc. delivers outstanding free-to-play online game expertise and live game support, taking the strengths of NEXON Co., Ltd. (“Nexon”) and applying them for uniquely Western audiences. Nexon America has consistently sustained iconic franchises such as MapleStory and Mabinogi for more than a decade, which have gone on to break records and captivate players. With new projects on the horizon, Nexon America maintains the pioneering and innovative spirit of its parent company, employing its player-first approach, while designing the best possible gameplay experiences for the Western market.