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Friday, February 20, 2015
02/21/2015 - Kirby Rainbow Curse Out NowEXPERIENCE KIRBY'S MOST CLAY-FUL ADVENTURE YET IN KIRBY AND THE RAINBOW
CURSE
REDMOND, Wash.,
Feb. 19, 2015 – From having Kirby ride on hamsters to turning him into yarn, Kirby games have always experimented with
inventive visual styles and unique game play. Launching for the Wii U console on Feb. 20, the visually striking new adventure Kirby and the Rainbow Curse finds players controlling Kirby exclusively using the touch screen on the
Wii U GamePad controller in a world made of clay. By drawing lines on the touch screen with the stylus, the player creates
Rainbow Ropes that will help Kirby navigate obstacles and defeat enemies. Three friends can hop in and out at any time using
Wii Remote controllers to play as Waddle Dees and assist Kirby, and players can even use compatible amiibo figures once a day, per stage, to power up Kirby with special abilities.
“Kirby and the Rainbow Curse kicks
off another absolutely stellar lineup of Wii U games for this year,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s
executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “In the first half of the year alone, Wii U owners will be able to
adventure with Kirby, party down with Mario and his friends in Mario Party 10, build levels in the Nintendo eShop-exclusive
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars and experience Nintendo’s newest IP with the action-packed Splat oon.”
Unlike other games in the Kirby series, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is set in a beautiful “clay-ful”
world. The controls are also easy to pick up for all types of players, since the game is played exclusively on the touch screen
of the Wii U GamePad. The Rainbow Ropes will guide Kirby in the direction players want him to go, and drawing ropes in creative
ways like a loop will even give Kirby a quick speed boost. Strategy not only comes into play in guiding Kirby, but also in
the amount of Rainbow Ink used, as drawing Rainbow Ropes uses precious ink. By staying on the ground or collecting an ink
bottle, players can refill the Rainbow Ink quickly. In addition to moving Kirby around, Rainbow Ropes can be cleverly used
to solve environmental puzzles. Using a well-drawn rope can block a waterfall or uncover hidden areas.
Instead
of his traditional copy abilities, Kirby can transform into powerful vehicles. As a tank, Kirby will move automatically and
players must tap on the GamePad touch screen to shoot at approaching enemies. When traveling through the depths as a submarine,
Kirby will move to the spot players tap on the touch screen. And as a rocket, drawing Rainbow Ropes will help navigate him
to the goal.
Anyone that wants to experience Kirby and the Rainbow Curse with friends or family members
is in luck! Up to three additional players can join the adventure at any time. As the player who controls Kirby draws Rainbow
Ropes and taps the GamePad, other players use Wii Remote controllers (sold separately) to play as friendly Waddle Dee characters
to assist Kirby and help discover the game’s numerous collectibles. While ultimately everyone works together to reach
the goal, each player’s collected stars will display at the end of each stage, encouraging a little friendly competition.
Kirby, King Dedede or Meta Knight amiibo can each be used once a day to power up Kirby with special abilities. By
tapping a Kirby amiibo to the Wii U GamePad, players receive an unlimited Star Dash within a stage, which usually can only
be activated by collecting 100 stars. A King Dedede amiibo outfits Kirby with a hat that grants him six health bars instead
of the normal four. And the Meta Knight amiibo gives Kirby a mask that lets him use a fast dash that blasts right through
weaker enemies.
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse launches for Wii U on Feb. 20 at a suggested retail price
of $39.99. The game will also be available for purchase in the Nintendo eShop and at Nintendo.com.
For more information
about Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, visit http://kirby.nintendo.com/rainbow-curse/.
Remember that Wii U features parental controls that let adults
manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu.
About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the
creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software
for its Wii U™ and Wii™ home consoles, and Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ families of portable systems.
Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.3 billion video games
and more than 680 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL,
as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, Super NES™,
Nintendo 64™, Nintendo GameCube™ and Wii systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known,
household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly
owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations
in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com. Submitted by: E. Thomas
Thursday, February 19, 2015
02/19/2015 - The Lords of Midnight coming to Windows PhoneThis is the Moon Ring, the last of the Great War Rings of Midnight!
Following
the successful launch of The Lords of Midnight and its sequel Doomdark’s Revenge across multiple platforms, Chilli Hugger
Software are pleased to announce that the games will be available for Microsoft Windows Phone.
The Windows Phone
version will be released on February 20th and brings the list of supported platforms to include iOS, Android, Blackberry Playbook,
Blackberry 10, Amazon Kindle Fire, Windows, Windows Phone, and OSX.
The games are released as a tribute to Industry
Legend Mike Singleton during the weekend of what would have been his 64th birthday.
The Lords of Midnight and Doomdark’s
Revenge are available from the Windows Phone Store, iTunes App Store, Blackberry App World, Google Play, Amazon, and GoG.com. RRP £2.99 / $4.99 / €3.49 / $5.99
Follow the latest
news on www.thelordsofmidnight.com
PDF of this press release: www.thelordsofmidnight.com/assets/lomddr_press.pdf
Submitted by: E. Thomas
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
02/18/2015 - ESA Foundation Awards Grants for Innovative Use of Games and Digital TechnologiesESA
Foundation Awards Grants for Innovative Use of Games, Digital Technologies
Eight Organizations Receive Funding for Programs
Benefiting American Youth February 18, 2015 –
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Eight nonprofit organizations today were awarded grants from the ESA Foundation to advance programs
leveraging video games and technology to make a difference in the lives of America's youth. The grantees’ programs range
from offering hands-on game design workshops for girls to using video games for vision screenings in schools. The ESA Foundation
is the charitable and philanthropic organization begun by the U.S. video game industry. “Video games can improve lives and expand horizons exponentially. These grantees
are harnessing interactive technologies to create innovative solutions to everyday challenges,” said Jenny Lai, vice
president of ESA Foundation. “Their programs are closely aligned with the ESA Foundation’s mission to create positive
social impact through video games and digital technology, and we are proud to support their efforts.” These grants will allow the organizations to advance their projects through 2015
and beyond. 2015 ESA Foundation Grantees: • Boys & Girls Club of America (BGCA)
Through project-based
learning, BGCA will promote a nationwide science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) initiative to encourage kids and
young adults to apply STEM concepts to real-life experiences and improve their local communities. • Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals
Since its inception in 2008, Extra
Life, a 24-hour video game marathon and fundraiser, has raised more than $14 million for CMN Hospitals across the country.
The ESA Foundation sponsored the top prizes of $30,000 to the two CMN hospitals whose Extra Life 2014 participants raise the
most funds overall and per capita. • Drexel University
As a leader in collegiate game design programs, Drexel University will offer game development workshops for girls
in the Philadelphia region in partnership with TechGirlz, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing the gender gap in technology occupations.
The workshops will give girls a hands-on experience with different technologies and encourage them to pursue degrees and occupations
in technology-related industries. • HopeLab Foundation
HopeLab works to harness the power of technology to improve human health and well-being. Its newest project, Zamzee,
encourages physical activity among children and their families. HopeLab will test Zamzee with clinical partners to explore
using games as a tool to combat sedentary behavior and prevent the onset of chronic diseases. • National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
NCMEC will support the
development of NetSmartz Kids Club UYN, an online monthly feature that promotes Internet safety with animated media, interactive
activities and more. • National Museum of the American
Indian (NMAI)
NMAI, a component of the Smithsonian Institution, will develop The Great Inka Road: Engineering
an Empire, an in-gallery game play experience that will explore the importance of the Inka Road and how the indigenous peoples
of the Western Hemisphere changed the course of world history. •
ThanksUSA
As a way to thank the men and women of the U.S. armed services, ThanksUSA provides meaningful educational
scholarships for military family members. The ESA Foundation will continue to support ThanksUSA’s Treasure Hunt, an
interactive American history game that reinforces the privilege and values of American freedom. • VisionQuest 20/20
VisionQuest 20/20 aims to protect children and their families from
the devastating consequences of undetected vision disorders and preventable blindness. Thirty-five schools across the U.S.
will receive EyeSpy 20/20, a vision assessment game, along with supplies and technical support to conduct unlimited screenings. About ESA Foundation
Created by the American entertainment
software industry, the ESA Foundation works to make a positive difference in the lives of America’s youth by providing
scholarships to the next generation of industry innovators and supporting charitable organizations and schools that leverage
entertainment software and technology to create educational opportunities. ESA Foundation is primarily supported by proceeds
from its signature annual fundraiser, “Nite to Unite – for Kids” and other charitable initiatives. For more
information, please visit ESA Foundation's website or follow us on Twitter.
Submitted by: E. Thomas
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
02/17/2015 - Monkey King Escape Coming to iOS“MONKEY KING ESCAPE”,
INSPIRED BY THE CHINESE MONKEY KING LEGEND, ARRIVES ON MOBILE DEVICES IN THE UK
Ubisoft Chengdu - Ubisoft’s Chinese studio - releases its first mobile game adapted from a famous local
legend
Launch Asset Pack: Download Here
London, UK– 17th February 2015 – Ubisoft® has announced
the release of Monkey King Escape, a brand new game inspired by the famous Chinese legend of the Monkey King. Developed
exclusively for the Chinese market by a small team of twenty talented developers at Ubisoft Chengdu, Monkey King Escape
was a huge success when it was released for Android on 21st August 2014. The game has already been downloaded 2
million times in China. Monkey King Escape, a free-to-play ‘endless running’ game, is now available on
the App Store and Google Play in the UK.
Monkey King Escape, an ‘endless running’ game based
in the mythical world of the Chinese novel
The game’s unique setting and visual atmosphere, reflecting
the traditional art of the fable, will plunge players in the world of the Monkey King. Monkey King Escape allows
players to run, fly and jump through fascinating, colourful environments. To offer a brand new experience in the runner genre,
the teams at Ubisoft Chengdu have added innovative features such as QTE (quick time events) when fighting bosses in rapid
combat scenes, and a system whereby the hero can change into an animal and use its special powers to increase their skills.
For example, rabbits are the symbol of prosperity in Chinese culture - changing into a rabbit in the game allows players to
multiply their earnings. The developers were also careful to create a universe and story that remain faithful to the legend,
adding supporting characters with special powers.
The Legend of the Monkey King, an immortal monkey born
from the coupling of Heaven and the Earth
The hero of a book by Wu Cheng’en called “Journey To The
West”, the Monkey King was one of the protectors of the monk Sanzang during his trip to India to return the sacred writings
of Buddha to China. The “King of Monkeys” or “Monkey King” is one the most famous characters in Chinese
literature and an emblematic figure of local culture. Modern Asian and Chinese pop culture contains many references to the
Monkey King, including Dragon Ball Z and the eponymous high-budget movie adaptation released in China on 31st January
2014.
“In China, the Monkey King is on the same level as a superhero, bursting with positive energy,
and lots of children grow up reading about his adventures,” said Chen Yi Feng, producer at Ubisoft Chengdu. “We’re
proud to bring this popular hero and his adventures to a wider public.”
The first mobile title
from Ubisoft Chengdu designed for Chinese players
To launch the game as successfully as possible in such a vast
territory as China, Ubisoft Chengdu joined forces with Idreamsky, China’s biggest independent mobile game publisher.
Idreamsky lent its expertise to support the studio during the game’s development, making sure it would meet the expectations
of Chinese players, and prepared a large-scale marketing plan to support the game’s release on iOS (organising events
on Chinese university campuses, online promotion, etc.)
“Monkey King Escape is the perfect illustration
of our desire to offer an ever-growing cross-section of players a varied game experience. We’ve created a new brand
for mobile terminals, inspired by a popular local legend, aimed at the Chinese market”, said Jean-Michel Detoc,
Manager of Ubisoft’s Mobile Division. “We’re really proud, because this is the first time that Ubisoft
has created a game specifically for the Chinese market, with release just in that territory before worldwide rollout a few
months later.”
For more info about Monkey King Escape, please visit http://www.monkeykingescape.com/
More information about Ubisoft Mobile’s games line-up can
be found at www.facebook.com/ubisoftmobilegames
For the latest news on Ubisoft collectible merchandise, please
visit and like the page www.facebook.com/ubicollectibles.
Submitted by: E. Thomas
Monday, February 16, 2015
02/16/2015 - Spiral House Announces New Game for Xbox One and PS4Spiral House announce their new game - ‘ Troll and I ’.
Established in 1998, the company has a successful
track record for developing and assisting on many major key titles, including the successful titles MotorStorm, Silver,
and PlayStation Vita Pets. www.spiralhouse.co.ukTROLL AND I:
‘Troll and I’
is being developed for PC (Steam), PS4 (PSN) and Xbox One (Xbox LIVE) using our own internally developed tools and technology;
the first episode is currently scheduled for release fourth quarter 2015 (TBC).
Gameplay footage and a promotion
video will be available mid-March 2015.
Set in the 1950’s, in the harsh, demanding landscape of Northern Europe,
‘Troll and I’ is a third person, episodic, action adventure in which the player takes (flip flop) control of two
unlikely friends; a young boy called Otto who is agile, skilful with a spear and deft with melee weapons; and a giant, magical
Troll, also in his infancy and yet to learn and harness the magical abilities of his kin.
STORY:
“ After a disaster destroys his village, a young boy named Otto is forced to run, leaving his family and
friends behind to fend for himself in a harsh, demanding landscape. But in the midst of chaos and from the desire to survive,
Otto befriends a Troll. Together they embark on a journey that explores the friendship and emotional depth of human and beast
as they trek across a devastated landscape that has concealed many secrets… until now!”
FEATURES:
- Single Player, direct control, dual protagonist
teamwork with boy and magic troll
- Multiplayer, co-op play
- Melee and long range combat
- Stealth
- Crafting, melee and long range weapons
- Survival, hunt animals and forage for food
- Puzzle solve
- Explore, climb, jump using both characters
individually or together as a team
- Skills and abilities, upgrade
with skill points
- Varying enemies and factions
- Collectable's, Troll lore, Troll Hunter plans
- Varying gameplay approach
Please visit http://collective.square-enix.com/projects/99/troll-and-i for more information.
Submitted by: E. Thomas
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