LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO – August 16, 2013 - SEGA® Europe, Ltd. and SEGA® of America Inc. today announced details on the release date, price and pre-order for Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse™, the fantastical reimagining of the original SEGA® Mega Drive™ classic. Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse™ will be available worldwide for digital download on September 4^th, 2013 for PlayStation®Network, the Xbox Live® online entertainment network as an Arcade game for the Xbox 360® games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and for PC digital download for £9.99/€12.99/$14.99USD/1200 Microsoft Points.

For a limited time only, customers in Europe who pre-order Castle of Illusion on PlayStation®Network from August 21^th to September 3rd will receive an exclusive downloadable emulated version of the original Mega Drive™ game, one pre-order exclusive dynamic theme and three avatars. Customers who pre-order the game will be able to download these items from launch.

With all-new HD graphics and gameplay, Castle of Illusion brings Mickey and his magical world to life. When the evil witch Mizrabel kidnaps Minnie, it’s up to Mickey to brave the dangers of the Castle of Illusion to rescue her. Gather your courage and take on hordes of rebellious toys, traverse enchanted forests and navigate mazes of living books.

To view further information visit: www.sega.com  

Submitted by: E. Thomas

Watch the new Official Gameplay Video for  Grand Theft Auto Online - which shows how we've taken the fundamental GTA concepts of freedom, ambient activity and mission-based gameplay and made them available to multiple players in an incredibly detailed and responsive online world.

In Grand Theft Auto Online, you'll have the freedom to explore alone or with friends, work cooperatively to complete missions, band together to participate in activities and ambient events, or compete in traditional game modes with the entire community, all with the personality and refined mechanics of Grand Theft Auto V.

Access to Grand Theft Auto Online is free with every retail copy of Grand Theft Auto V and launches on October 1st.
 

Submitted by: E. Thomas

Huntsville, AL (August 14, 2013) -   The U.S. Army today announced that America’s Army: Proving Grounds, the next version of its official Army game, will launch on August 29, 2013 on Steam.  The new America’s Army: Proving Ground website (http://aapg.americasarmy.com) features the game’s first trailer, as well as a registration form for players to reserve their Soldier name for the game.  

As with its predecessors, America’s Army: Proving Grounds (AA: PG) showcases the Army by emphasizing Army Values, teamwork, training and completing the objectives through gameplay that reflects the Soldier’s Creed.   Bringing the best features of the previous versions to a new America’s Army environment,  AA: PG stresses small unit tactical maneuvers and training that echoes true-to-life Army scenarios.  AA: PG reflects the current day Army by focusing on these smaller self-contained, full spectrum units that can carry out a variety of objectives during missions.    

In the game, players will experience the type of positional tactical training that U.S. Soldiers encounter at a real Army MOUT (military operations on urban terrain) site.   Set in a fictional country, The Republic of the Ostregals, players are in the role of an 11B Infantryman practicing combat maneuvers at JTC Griffin, a fabricated training environment created by Conex modular containers and found materials.  This training is crucial to the player’s success as part of a Long Range Combined Arms – Recon (LRCA-R) unit, a full spectrum capable team that embarks on special operations missions behind enemy lines.

AA: PG features several training exercises designed to sharpen small unit maneuver skills.  Battledrill Exercises (BDX) are small engagements of 6 players vs. 6 players.  These fast-paced maps focus on the basic movements and maneuvers, allowing players to learn how the enemy might react and adjust their strategies for future engagements.  The game also features Forward Line Operation (FLO) training for 12 vs. 12 players. These larger mission-based exercises require players to use several skills learned in their Battledrills to achieve success. 

“We built America’s Army: Proving Grounds to appeal to novice as well as experienced America’s Army players,” said Marsha Berry, Project Manager for America’s Army.  “For AA fans we are bringing back some of the much loved maps from AA2 and also introducing a new map style that’s smaller and more focused, allowing players to be much more thoughtful and strategic in their gameplay.    For new AA players, the intuitive style of gameplay will allow players to gain experience and confidence much easier.    Our emphasis on teamwork will allow new players to succeed, and allow experienced players a new level of depth in how they wish to strategize with their clans and train for competition.”

Setting the stage for AA: PG is the America’s Army Comics series (http://comics.americasarmy.com/) that lets readers further explore the America’s Army storyline and delve deep into character plots of Soldiers’ lives when deployed or at home.  The comics are available through the America’s Army website and America’s Army Comics App (iTunes and Google Play) as well as through IDW on websites and for mobile devices through the IDW and comiXology apps, Apple iBooks, and on the Nook and Kindle among others.

The comics tell the saga of American forces deployed to Czervenia, a tiny foreign nation, in the middle of a chaotic conflict. From a seemingly insignificant nation of Czervenia, President-General Adzic and his army set upon a campaign of annihilation against the neighboring Republic of the Ostregals, setting in motion a mysterious plan that could change the course of world power forever. America's Army must create new experimental combat teams, forged together in secret Proving Grounds, and uncover the General's insidious plot before time runs out. The story furthers the plot for the game’s missions and maps and gives the player a better understanding of their assignment and the challenges they face.  Released today, AA Comic Issue #8 Proving Grounds presents fans with the latest events which will lead directly into players’ missions when the game launches on August 29th.

About America’s Army

America's Army (www.americasarmy.com) products use innovative technology to provide authentic and entertaining Army experiences that reflect the lives, training, technology, skills, careers and values of a United States Army Soldier. The flagship is the America's Army PC Game, the official game of the U.S. Army. It's rated T for Teen and can be downloaded free from Steam.  The Army launched America's Army in July of 2002, America’s Army: Special Forces in 2003, and America’s Army 3 in June 2009.  The next version of the game, America’s Army: Proving Grounds, brings the best features of the previous games to a new AA environment that stresses small unit tactical maneuvers.  The America’s Army Comic series (http://comics.americasarmy.com/)  lets readers further explore the America’s Army storyline and delve deep into character plots of Soldiers’ lives when deployed and at home.

Submitted by: E. Thomas