Archive - 2015

Neverwinter: Elemental Evil Launches March 17 with Minsc and Boo

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February 18, 2015 — The Forgotten Realms will soon be overrun with the Elemental Evil cults when Neverwinter: Elemental Evil launches for PC on March 17.

Along with the new Paladin playable class and level cap increase, Neverwinter: Elemental Evil’s storyline will see the return of Minsc & Boo – the ranger and miniature giant space hamster from the Baldur’s Gate series. The fan-favorite duo will be assisting players on their journey to discover the true nature of the Elemental Evil cults.

With the largest update to-date, Neverwinter: Elemental Evil brings a new playable class – the Paladin – that increases the playable classes count to eight. Players looking to create Paladins will be able to choose a focus on healing or tanking builds. The new module will also increase the level cap from 60 to 70, which brings a new set of quests, feats and slottable class feature powers.

Neverwinter: Elemental Evil also continues the partnership with Wizards of the Coast as Cryptic Studios and Perfect World Entertainment maintain a one-to-one release cadence with the official Dungeons & Dragons storylines. Neverwinter players will journey through new adventures as they fight the newest threat to Protector’s Enclave – the Cults of Elemental Evil – which are also present in the upcoming tabletop adventure release, Princes of the Apocalypse.

Neverwinter is a free-to-play action MMORPG that features fast-paced combat and epic dungeons. Players explore the vast city of Neverwinter and its surrounding countryside, learning the vivid history of the iconic city and battling its many enemies. Neverwinter is currently available on PC and will be launching for Xbox One, available free-to-play with Gold in early 2015.

For more information about Neverwinter, and to play now for free, visit http://www.arcgames.com/en/games/neverwinter

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Europa Universalis IV: El Dorado Release Date

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STOCKHOLM – February 18, 2015 Set sail for adventure, guarding treasure fleets and unlocking the secrets of the Amazon. Sacrifice vassal kings to angry gods to stave off Doomsday. Or, stand outside history, and create a new nation from scratch. More wonders of alternate history are coming very soon.

Europa Universalis IV expands again on February 26 with the release of its El Doradoexpansion. This, the fifth expansion to Paradox Development Studio’s best-selling historical grand strategy game, adds greater depth to the New World as your European explorers and conquistadors seek wealth and glory in South and Central America.

With the new Nation Designer, Europa Universalis IV players will be able to create custom challenges anywhere on Earth. Randomized nations with up to 32 user-designed creations open amazing new possibilities for both multiplayer and single player experiences.

El Dorado adds greater depth to the Aztec, Mesoamerican and Incan cultures with new religions and mechanics to help them prepare for the inevitable foreign invasions. Can you ward off Doomsday and hold off the Spanish armies?

El Dorado also introduces a system to automate exploration at sea and on land, where your hardy adventurers will encounter new events and decisions in their quest for cities of gold. There are also treasure fleets, changes to vassal management and many minor changes – as well as the usual pile of content free to all Europa Universalis IV players that accompanies every Paradox Development Studio expansion.

Tomorrow, on Febuary 19th, you can join Project Leader Martin “Wiz” Anward as he talks about the additions to Mesoamerica in Europa Universalis IV: El Dorado and details the content of the related patch on a live stream at 18.00 CET (+1 GMT) over on our twitch channel: http://www.twitch.tv/paradoxinteractive

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Square Enix Launches New Online Store and Rewards Program

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LOS ANGELES (Feb. 18, 2015) Square Enix, Inc. announced today the launch of a new online store and revival of the popular Square Enix® MEMBERS Rewards Program. The online store has been completely redesigned from the ground up with vast improvements for customers in areas of usability, product offerings, checkout options and more. Mobile users can also look forward to shopping for their favorite Square Enix products through a newly designed and optimized site. For a limited time, the Square Enix Store is also offering a $10 off coupon on orders of $60 and up.

In addition to the store launch, the Square Enix MEMBERS Rewards Program has also made its way back with all new features. Fully integrated into the Square Enix Store, Members can now easily accumulate reward points throughout the year to redeem them for exclusive prizes.  Unlike in previous years, MEMBERS Rewards now features a redesigned system that will enable participants to redeem their points at any time throughout the entire year for all types of prizes. These prizes will be announced at a later date. As a bonus to the initial launch, the program is offering an additional free 50 points to anyone signing up within the first week of the store’s launch. Customers who have already preordered the FINAL FANTASY TYPE-0 HD Collector’s Edition will also earn 50 points automatically.

As part of our launch activities, we are also giving away $1,000 spending cash to purchase your favorite games, merchandise, music CDs and much more. Visit our Square Enix Online Store Shopping Spree page for more details.

Be sure to sign up for a Square Enix Members account for the latest promotions and updates on Square Enix Members Rewards program.
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Sharkoon Skiller Pro Keyboard – A Review

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Over the course of my various occupations and hobbies, the computer always seems to end up taking center stage. As a teacher, gamer, writer, and reviewer I end up spending most of my time typing away on a keyboard, which causes me to be mighty particular to how my keyboards feels. This always leads to a combination of both excitement and trepidation whenever I receive a new keyboard in the mail. The newest keyboard to find a spot on my desk to see if it can survive my weekly computer regiment is the Skiller Pro Keyboard by Sharkoon.

Specifications and Features

Let’s get right into the main bit of the keyboard first. The Skiller Pro is a wired USB illuminated rubber dome keyboard that comes with a lot more features then I was expecting. The Skiller Pro measures 480 x 190 x 32 mm and weighs just 888 grams total, including cable. The cable itself is braided, which is a great touch, and is roughly 1.5 meters long. The illumination on the keyboard is a soothing blue, and the software allows for 10 different levels of brightness, including a breathing option.

The features of the Sharkoon Skiller Pro is a pretty full list, especially considering the price point which I will get to later. The keyboard is set up in the standard 3-block layout, with 9 multimedia, 6 macro, and 3 profile keys added in. The Skiller Pro also supports multi-key rollover, which is fantastic for gaming. The software included allows for more customization, including customization for specific programs like Photoshop, supports up to 3 different profiles, and supports programs such as creating macros, mouse functions, delay times, and internet functions. The Skiller Pro also supports Windows XP and higher.

The Sharkoon Skiller Pro has a lot of functions and features that fits nicely into both my gaming and career needs for computer work. I do miss the feel of a mechanical keyboard, I just don’t get the same satisfying crunch when I type on a rubber dome keyboard. That is not to say that typing on the Sharkoon Skiller Pro was a horrifying experience, it isn’t. The Skiller Pro was one of the best typing and gaming experiences I had with a rubber dome keyboard in a long time.

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During my week of testing the Skiller Pro, I put it through my typical gaming regiment of Team Fortress 2, but added in some Book of Unwritten Tales 2 and Day Z, as well as countless hours of typing on it while creating curriculum for a school. Taking out my personal preference for the mechanical keyboard, the Skiller Pro did everything I needed it to do and did it well. I was extremely pleased with the performance of the Skiller Pro, especially for the price.

Price

I’ve mentioned price twice before, so let’s talk about it. The Sharkoon Skiller Pro will run you about $30 US, or roughly 20-25 Euros if you are on the other side of the pond. For me, that is the Skiller Pro’s biggest selling point. You get all those features, and an illuminated keyboard for only $30. Price is always one of those subjective items when one does a review. For some, price does not matter due to their amount of disposable income, for others price is one of the biggest determining factors in a purchase. For $30 US, I truly think you will have a hard time finding a better keyboard on the market with both the amount of features and offers illumination.

Final Thoughts

While the Sharkoon Skiller Pro will not replace my current mechanical keyboard (I just love it too much), I highly recommend this keyboard for those of you that are looking for something solid under the $50 mark. With multiple profiles, illuminated keys, macros, and software that allows customization for your programming, the Sharkoon Skiller Pro gives you what you need, for a nice price tag of $30 US. The Skiller Pro even has a braided cord, which my mechanical keyboard that cost my 3 times as much doesn’t even have. When it comes down to it, if price is a big deal for you due to a fixed amount you can spend, do yourself a favor and take a long look at the Sharkoon Skiller Pro keyboard. If you have a larger pool of funds to draw from, the odds are you already have a fantastic keyboard you are happy with. The Sharkoon Skiller Pro is available now.

[easyreview title=”Sharkoon Skiller Pro Keyboard Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″ ]

The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 – A Review

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King Art and Nordic Games hit a massive home run with the point and click adventure game, The Book of Unwritten Tales, back in 2009. With the help of a Kickstarter campaign, King Art will release the sequel on February 20th, aptly named The Book of Unwritten Tales 2. The use of Kickstarter and the Steam Early Access program for the Book of Unwritten Tales 2 was an interesting choice for a studio that already had a fan base and a successful hit on their hands, but when I started poking around it appeared that King Art really used these crowd funding and preselling avenues to acquire extra immediate capitol to make a good game much better. Whether the funding was truly necessary or not, will always be up for debate, however the final product is a very polished and fun successor to one of the better point and click adventure games of the last decade.

Story

For those of you that didn’t play the first game, The Book of Unwritten Tales follows four characters through their adventures in Aventasia. You play as the elven princess Ivodora Eleonora Clarissa, the gnome magician Wilbur Weathervane, the human adventurer Nathanial Bonnet, and the furry creature named Critter. The first game ends with our adventurers flying off into the sunset, after successfully hiding the Artifact of Divine Fate from the world.

The sequel begins with our four heroes finding their own paths in the world, that is until Ivo finds a reason to leave the Elfburrow once more to gather the group together. Ivo discovers that, not only is there a growing Darkness in the world, but that she is also become mysteriously pregnant by magical means. Defying her mother, she sets out to find the Arch Mage and Wilbur to discover who would have cursed her with this pregnancy and what exactly this new Darkness is that is spreading across the land.

The story of The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 is about 20 hours long, and is entertaining for the entire length of the game. I truly enjoyed playing both the first game and the prequel The Critter Chronicles mostly due to the story lines that were presented, and The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 does not disappoint. The characters continue to be fantastic characters, with their own faults and moments of glory, and the humor just really does it for me. When I heard that I was getting this copy to review, I was legitimately excited to see how the story would continue, and I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest.

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Game Play

The game play for The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 hasn’t changed since the first game, and why should it. Point and click adventure games have sort of hit the natural ceiling for evolution with their game genre in the game play department, so developers really just need to focus on how the story and characters develop and what types of puzzles to put into the game. The basic point and click mechanic here is flawless and feels just natural at this point. The hint system is perfect, in my eyes, since it will only tell you what you can interact with and not what it does. By pressing space bar, the game will highlight everything you can tough or talk to, but won’t tell you what to say or how to use it. Interactions are contextually based, so the character will know immediately what to do with the item depending on what you have done before.

The puzzles in the game are hard enough to be a challenge, but not too hard to completely stop your progress either. If you are willing to put some thought into the puzzle and look around the scenes that you have access to, you will find your solution. I discovered that I was randomly clicking on items and objects less with this game, then I was some of the other past point and click adventure games that I have reviewed. So, either I am getting better at these types of games, or the puzzles were decently hard but not killer.

If you have played a point and click adventure game in the past, you will know exactly what to do here. There isn’t anything new or different in The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 from a game play mechanic perspective, but what is here has been done to a high polish and works extremely well.

Aesthetics

The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 is an extremely gorgeous looking and sounding game, with great voice acting. The actual visual design of the game is very pleasing to my eyes, and the developers have designed many scenes to contain references to other pop culture icons, some hidden and some more blatantly on display. The scenery is light very well, and the colors just demand attention when you are playing the game.

The music is also created to match the tone of the game, and is fantastic. The extra money from the Kickstarter campaign allowed King Art to bring in a full orchestra, and you can hear it in the background music. The voice actors all return from the first game, and once again bring their characters to life. The acting is exactly what the scene needs at that moment, the actors can play their characters straight or over the top, depending on the scene.

Final Thoughts

The Book of Unwritten Tales was easily one of the best point and click adventure games of the last ten years, and it has a proper sequel. With top notch character development, story line, voice acting, music, visual design, and puzzles, The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 is a production that shouldn’t be missed. To properly get a feel for the story line in The Book of Unwritten Tales 2, I do recommend that you pick up the first game before playing this one, if you haven’t already. Unlike many other games on the market, the story really matters in The Book of Unwritten Tales 2, and if you do not know where these characters have come from, then you will begin the sequel a little lost. I can’t recommend this series enough for anyone who wants to sit down and enjoy an old style point and click adventure game. The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 will be released February 20th on Steam.

[easyreview title=”The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

Seal of Approval

Universal Studios Hollywood’s 50th Anniversary Celebration

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Universal City, California, February 17, 2015 – The spotlight shines brightly on Universal Studios Hollywoodas the world-class destination celebrates a milestone 50th anniversary with the much-anticipated opening of the “Fast & Furious—Supercharged” thrill ride, “Springfield,” an-all new immersive experience surrounding “The Simpsons Ride,” and a “Nighttime Studio Tour” as part of the theme park’s pioneering epic transformation.

This monumental undertaking—the most ambitious in the theme park’s storied 50-year history—will radically alter and reimagine its familiar footprint as The Entertainment Capital of L.A. sets its sights on the next 50 years.

From its humble beginnings five decades ago, Universal Studios Hollywood has emerged as one of the most progressive and exciting theme park experiences anywhere, while remaining true to its roots of immersing guests in the awe-inspiring world of movie-making magic.

Since its inception, Universal Studios has lifted the veil on Hollywood’s most illustrious industry, placing guests at the heart of favorite movies and television shows. It continues to be at the forefront of innovation, imagination and inspiration, working in collaboration with some of the most influential filmmakers in the business and the greatest minds in entertainment—Steven Spielberg, Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, Peter Jackson, Michael Bay and Chris Meledandri—to create intriguing rides and attractions.

“For 50 years, Universal Studios Hollywood has given guests unprecedented access to the world’s most alluring business by inviting them to peek behind the velvet curtain and become part of the exciting movie-making process,” said Larry Kurzweil, President of Universal Studios Hollywood. “We are reimagining over 75 percent of our destination as we build upon our incredible success and expand our vision for the future, and we look forward to entertaining and inspiring guests for generations to come with what will ultimately be an entirely new theme park experience.”

The “Glamour Trams” of yesteryear that gave way to today’s world-famous Studio Tour is undergoing a top to bottom makeover to coincide with the 50th anniversary, and by 2016, will roll out a fleet of new, contemporary trams, including the installation of ultra-comfy cushioned seats.  A modern exterior and sleek logo design will contribute to the updated aesthetics of these iconic trams, while a new Art Deco-themed Studio Tour entry portal, located within the theme park, will greet guests.

Offered in multiple languages, including Mandarin, Japanese, Spanish and English and led by expert guides, the acclaimed Studio Tour remains a hallmark Universal Studios Hollywood attraction bringing millions of guests through an authentic movie and television studio and into its elusive world motivated by three compelling words:  lights, camera, action.

The action, however, is only getting started.

This summer, high-octane excitement will race onto the scene when Universal Studios Hollywood introduces “Fast & Furious—Supercharged,” a pulse-pounding, adrenaline-fueled thrill ride as the new grand finale to the world-famous Studio Tour.

This gripping, technologically-advanced ride, inspired by Universal Pictures’ most successful film franchise of all time and featuring the film’s original cast members, will propel guests into the high-stakes underground world of fast cars and daring escapades traveling at accelerated speeds of up to 120 miles per hour. Situated within a newly constructed 65,000 square foot building on the legendary backlot, the high speed, 3D-HD ride will reunite stars from the Fast & Furious series—Vin Diesel (Dominic “Dom” Toretto), Dwayne Johnson (Luke Hobbs), Michelle Rodriguez (Letty Ortiz), Tyrese Gibson (Roman Pearce) and Luke Evans (Owen Shaw)—in a revolutionary mega-attraction, conceived as a new installment to the dynamic film series that can only be experienced at The Entertainment Capital of L.A.

The layout of the park will become unrecognizable when “Springfield,” hometown of America’s favorite family, The Simpsons, breathes new life to the sprawling and vibrant space surrounding “The Simpsons Ride.”  “Springfield” is designed to capture the spirit of the animated town and engage visitors and fans of the show in the intensely absorbing and colorful world made famous throughout the series’ record-setting 26 seasons.

Guests visiting “Springfield” will have the pleasant sensation of being hurled through their television sets and into the accurately depicted town, complete with signature eateries such as Krusty Burger, Cletus’ Chicken Shack, Luigi’s Pizza and Phineas Q. Butterfat’s Ice Cream Parlor, along with Homer’s favorite hangouts, Lard Lad Donuts, Moe’s Tavern and Duff Brewery.

Universal’s slate of new 2015 attractions will entertain from sunup to sundown when the theme park broadens the scope of its popular Studio Tour with the introduction of a “Nighttime Studio Tour,” designed to enlighten guests on the art of moonlight movie-making.

Under a blanket of stars, over 20 locations along the famed Studio Tour route will showcase an array of luminous onset lighting and special effects used in nighttime production. Theatrical lighting will cast a glow on iconic backlot sets as Studio Tour guides shed light on Hollywood secrets and tricks of the world’s most glamorous trade, including how filmmakers create the effect of daylight amid the black of night.  Celebrated stars who found fame on Universal’s backlot will also make cameo appearances on the “Nighttime Studio Tour,” including Marilyn Monroe, Norman Bates and Frankenstein.  The “Nighttime Studio Tour” will run every weekend throughout the summer from July 4th through Labor Day.

The excitement that these new rides, attractions and themed immersive lands will bring to guests is only a prelude to the highly-anticipated arrival of “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™” in 2016.

In the spirit of the popular social media trend, Throwback Thursdays (#TBT), Universal Studios Hollywood’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram will pay tribute to its legacy with a collection of nostalgic photos. Join the conversation and share Universal Studios Hollywood memories using #UniStudios50th and @UniStudios.

Universal Studios Hollywood, The Entertainment Capital of L.A.SM, includes a full-day, movie-based theme park and Studio Tour; the CityWalk entertainment, shopping and dining complex, the Universal CityWalk Cinemas and the “5 Towers” state-of-the-art outdoor concert venue.  World-class rides and attractions include the incredibly popular 3D Ultra-HD adventure, “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and immersive “Super Silly Fun Land,” the critically-acclaimed mega-attraction, “Transformers™:  The Ride-3D,” the intense, award-winning ride, “King Kong 360 3-D” on the behind-the-scenes Studio Tour, “Revenge of the MummySM—The Ride” and “Jurassic Park® —The Ride.” As part of its milestone 50th anniversary celebration in 2015, Universal Studios Hollywood will debut a slate of dynamic new attractions, including the electrifying 3D-HD thrill ride, “Fast & Furious—Supercharged” as the grand finale to the famed Studio Tour, “Springfield,” hometown of America’s favorite TV family, adjacent to the award-winning “The Simpsons RideTM” and the “Nighttime Studio Tour,” offering evening tours of the iconic movie backlot.

Techland Introduces Dying Light Developer Tips Video Series

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February 16th, 2015 – Warsaw, Poland/ As millions of players from all over the world are already fighting their way through Dying Light’s zombie epidemic, the physical release of the game outside of North and South America is set to see even more fans join the fray.  In anticipation of the February 27th physical launch, Techland is dropping a few extra hints and tips to help new and existing fans get the most of their playthroughs. A six-part video series of Developer Tips narrated by lead game designer Maciej Binkowski has been created and will walk players through the core essentials. The first episode – “The More the Merrier” – focuses on the benefits of co-op play, and reveals the ins and outs of invading other players as the Night Hunter.

‘Dying Light Developer Tips – The More the Merrier’ can be embedded from the game’s official YouTube channel here.

Starting today, the Dying Light Developer Tips video series will be released daily through to February 22nd. In upcoming episodes, Maciej Binkowski will go into details about the art of movement in the game, tactics for surviving the night, efficient zombie combat, and more. Stay tuned and visit the official Dying Light YouTube channel every day for more Developer Tips.

Dying Light is available worldwide in digital form with box copies also available in North and South America. The physical release in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia is set for the 27th of February 2015.

EVE Online Tiamat Update Deployed

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February 17, 2015 — Today Tiamat has followed the Rhea release as EVE Online’s second feature bundle of 2015. Tiamat’s additions to the EVE universe focus on the evolving universe storyline, a new tactical destroyer, improvements to our new physically based rendering graphic system, and changes in corporation tools, projectile weapons and more.

Here are some of the changes in Tiamat:

  • Minmatar Svipul: The second tactical destroyer to leave the shipyards, the Svipul (pronunciation), brings dynamic transformations between defensive, propulsion and sharpshooter modes to match a constantly shifting space battlefield.
  • Corporation Tools: Player corporations receive essential management tools to help them better organize and attract new members, and can now decide whether “friendly fire” will be policed by CONCORD authorities.
  • Projectile Weapon Rebalancing: The quality and diversity of projectile weapons and ammunition has been improved with adjustments to small artillery and autocannons in particular.
  • Audio and Effects: A large audio engine update brings improved performance, atmospheric sounds for pirate factions, and more visceral turret sound-effects.
  • Visuals: EVE‘s new physically based rendering system provides enhanced indirect lighting during warp, reflected light from nearby planets, updated structures and more.

And, importantly, Tiamat also includes mysterious newcomers to New Eden (pictured) — and other things you have to be in space to discover.
Take care, though: They wield some of the most deadly weapons that aren’t fitted to a Titan-class ship.

Last year, after delivering over 20 expansions in eleven years, the EVE Online development team switched to an aggressive 5-6 week release cadence that has brought more features more frequently to our notorious and loyal assemblage of internet spaceship pilots.

For further descriptions of Tiamat’s features, see this in-development video.

Pollen to Demo at PAX East and New Screenshots

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Helsinki, Finland – 17th February, 2015 – Virtual reality games studio Mindfield Games today announced that its first person virtual reality exploration game Pollen, will be unveiled for the first time to press at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2015 in San Francisco from March 4th – 6th and to the public at PAX East in Boston from March 6th – 8th. Pollen is slated to launch on PC in late 2015 with mouse and gamepad support. In addition, Pollen will be fully optimized for the upcoming Oculus Rift virtual reality headset.

Pollen is a first-person space exploration game set on Titan, the sixth and largest moon of Saturn and the only moon in the solar system with an atmosphere and vast liquid seas, where life may exist. Pollen begins as the player docks and enters Research Station M. Inside the research station, the player moves from room to room and explores fully interactable virtual reality playground. Each step forward leads to new discoveries about the fate of the crew and the secrets that they have uncovered.

“Pollen is a space exploration and mystery game that will launch on PC with Oculus Rift support later this year. Through a full virtual reality experience, players will be able to explore a desolate space station and an alien world quite unlike any other” said Olli Sinerma, Co-Founder of Mindfield Games.

Pollen will be available to play at the Unity booth #1402 at GDC 2015 in San Francisco from March 4th – 6th and will be presented to the public for the first time at PAX East (Boston) at the Pollen booth #10168 from March 6th – 8th. To book an appointment for a demo please contact Derick Thomas (North America) or Chris Clarke (Europe).

Visit the website: www.pollengame.com

Follow us on Twitter: @Mindfield_Games

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindfieldgames

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