Archive - 2017

Players Become Gods in New Conan Exiles Trailer

Oslo, Norway – January 20th, 2017 In just 11 days the barbaric open-world sandbox survival game Conan Exiles launches into Early Access on PC. The past two months has seen the Conan Exiles community grow rapidly as Funcom has revealed more and more information about the game including releasing the first two trailers based on the game’s ‘Survive, build, dominate’ tagline. Today Funcom is excited to release the ‘domination’ trailer revealing how players must engage in savage war and brutal combat to dominate the Exiled Lands.

“Take control of a towering god and drive your enemies before you as you crush their homes and conquer their land,” says Joel Bylos, Creative Director at Funcom. “That is the epitome of player vs. player conflict in Conan Exiles. We are giving players a huge, detailed open world where they can go out build a village, a city, or a vast empire in their name. If you are on a PvP multiplayer server, just remember there is always someone willing to take that from you!”

Combat is a key aspect of Conan Exiles and players will engage in brutal battles using anything from swords to warhammers and longbows. A violent fatality system ensures that they can slice each other in half or even see their own head rolling away from them in what is a savage and bloody combat system true to the spirit of the world’s most famous barbarian. To dominate the Exiled Lands, players will also have to build cities and fortresses to claim land, and they must go out and capture thralls to help them defend their settlements or create special weapons and armor. To truly dominate Conan’s world, they must also build altars to their god and bring them sacrifices to appease them. If they earn the blessings of their god, players will ultimately get to summon and take direct control of huge, towering avatars of the gods that can roam the world and crush both bodies and buildings under their weight. There will be several countermeasures against avatars and players can also choose to run and play on servers without avatars if they want to.

Conan Exiles is an open-world survival game set in the brutal lands of Conan the Barbarian, the world’s greatest fantasy hero. The game can be played on private and public servers, either in multiplayer or local single-player.

Conan Exiles enters Early Access on PC on January 31st and will also become available as an Xbox One Game Preview title in Spring 2017, with PlayStation 4 planned for later. Learn more about Conan Exiles by visiting the official website or the Steam page.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse Video Game Announced

January 20, 2017 – Paris-based video game publisher Focus Home Interactive is pleased to announce its partnership with White Wolf Publishing, license owner of the famous World of Darkness universe (Vampire The Masquerade, Werewolf, Mage Ascension).

The World of Darkness is a gritty vision of our own time. The world’s most devious conspiracies are true. The divide between the rich and the poor is huge and corruption is rife. In the shadows of our declining societies, humans fall victim to supernatural horrors, all struggling for control.

The partnership between Focus Home Interactive and White Wolf Publishing concerns the adaptation in a video game of one of the most acclaimed licenses from the World of Darkness – Werewolf: The Apocalypse. The game will be developed by studio Cyanide (Styx: Master of Shadows, Blood Bowl, Call of Cthulhu). Become a werewolf, known as Garou (from French “Loup-garou” meaning werewolf), immersed in the atmosphere of their shamanistic and tribal world. Garou are Werewolf warriors opposed to urban civilization and supernatural corruption, all heading towards inevitable apocalypse.

“The World of Darkness has always attracted creatives with a strong passion for telling dark and immersive stories. So to work closely with the great talent at Focus Home and Cyanide exploring the savage Werewolves of this universe is an absolutely fantastic experience for us at White Wolf and we are more than excited to see this great and highly relevant IP realized in a video game”, says Tobias Sjögren, CEO of White Wolf.

“We are pleased to partner with White Wolf to bring Werewolf: The Apocalypse to life in a video game for consoles and PC. We are excited to work on the World of Darkness universe, as this is formidable playground to tell the players a great story. We are also happy to partner with Cyanide Studio in this adventure – they are behind the original wish to adapt this universe, and we are faithful in their ability to create a game that will please both fans of World of Darkness and newcomers”, says Cédric Lagarrigue, President of Focus Home Interactive

More info about this new adaptation of this brutal Werewolf mythology to come at this year’s event in Paris, “le What’s Next de Focus”, on February 1st and 2nd.

Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 Character Profiles Released

WARSAW, Poland (January 19, 2017) — CI Games introduces Sniper Ghost Warrior 3, the most complete sniper experience in the market to date. Each character has his or her unique experiences and motivations, both professionally and personally. How each of the characters’ goals and personality quirks conflict or complement each other makes for a deeper, richer player experience.

Jon North is dropped into a hot conflict zone in the Republic of Georgia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, Georgia is of critical strategic importance and is sliding into the chaos and slaughter of civil war. Jon’s Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) mission is to neutralize the Separatist Leaders who are destabilizing the country.

Personally, Jon is coming to grips with the capture and presumed death of his younger brother, Robert, nearly two years ago. Jon was present at the attack and was unable to save Robert. Recent intelligence chatter puts a very much alive Robert in Georgia, in an area controlled by Separatists. Jon believes he has a second chance to do right by his brother.

Jon is a Marine first, and deeply committed to the relentless pursuit of his professional mission. Frank Simms, Jon’s long-time JSOC handler, is sympathetic to Jon’s personal goal, as long as Jon completes his official assignment. Jon chooses a team who will help him accomplish both.

His first pick is Lydia Jorjadze, an ex-Georgian SFB and mercenary. Lydia is a battle-tested veteran who fought bravely at Jon’s side in Afghanistan. Their passionate affair ended when Jon abruptly disappeared after emerging from a deadly firefight. Lydia agrees to help Jon, with a personal agenda of finding out what really happened in Afghanistan.

Raquel Shein, a deadly MOSSAD agent, also agrees to help if Jon will help her find Sergei Flostov. Flostov is a brilliant rogue scientist conducting forbidden experiments. The Israelis want to find him and shut him down.

As the team eliminates Separatist Leaders, and teams with the Georgian Resistance, a mysterious high-tech sniper, named Amazi, both thwarts and assists them. Jon fights through a treacherous web of criminal, military, and shadowy terrorist forces only to find the violence keeps leading back to Robert. Eventually, both brothers must face the deadly truth – only one brother can survive.

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[mks_tab_item title=”Jonathan North”]

Jon grew up on a sprawling ranch at the foot of the Colorado Rockies. His best friend and greatest rival was his younger brother, Robert. His family always considered military service the highest form of patriotism. Both brothers enlisted when they came of age.

Jon quickly climbed the ranks of the US Marine Corps and was selected to join a prestigious scout sniper platoon. His spotless record, combat prowess, and exemplary self-discipline brought him to the attention of the JSOC. He completed multiple successful black ops for JSOC and was awarded the Navy Cross for heroism during a mission in Afghanistan.

At the start of the Sniper Ghost Warrior 3, Jon arrives in the Republic of Georgia, a strategically important country at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe. Rogue Separatist groups are destabilizing the country and pushing Georgia toward a bloody, chaotic civil war.

Jon’s task is to sabotage Separatist operations and neutralize key Separatist leaders. He is perfectly suited to wage the deadly war of attrition needed to stop the ruthless Georgian traitors and rescue innocent civilians.

Personally, Jon has never given up hope his captured brother is somehow still alive. Two years of following every lead and tracking down every stray bit of intel leads Jon to believe his brother, Robert, is in Georgia. Jon volunteered for the present mission immediately.

In Sniper Ghost Warrior 3, Jon is driven by the conflict between his sense of duty to his country and his loyalty to his brother. He must walk a fine line, balancing both patriotic and personal goals. What is his higher duty? The player will help him decide.

Jon is supported in his professional and personal quests by his former lover and comrade-in-arms, Lydia Jorjadze. The two share a deeply troubled past and their intense feelings for each other both help and hinder their mission. In Sniper Ghost Warrior 3, characters battle not only exterior obstacles but their inner demons as well.
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[mks_tab_item title=”Lydia Jorjadze”]

Lydia became an expert marksman as soon as she was able to physically lift a rifle. In rural Georgia, being a skilled hunter was often the difference between living to see another winter
or slow, freezing starvation.

A military career seemed the obvious choice in a country with limited opportunities for women. Lydia immediately made a name for herself, and her skill and fearlessness outshone most
of the men around her. She applied to the Special Forces Brigade and engendered the disapproval of General Boris Rokva. He blocked her career and attempted to trade continued promotion for sexual favors. Lydia steadfastly refused.

When General Rokva finally tried to force himself on her, Lydia reacted with characteristic decisiveness. She shattered his orbital bone, blinding him, and threw him out a window breaking his spine. Lydia fled the country with help from her grandfather’s Georgian Mafia connections.

Lydia started a lucrative new career as a mercenary. She has since honed her skills in almost every military hellhole across the globe. Her reputation and her ability are unmatched.
Her warmth and loyalty to those she respects and admires is unparalleled. Beautiful and deadly, she is an iron fist in lovely deerskin gloves.

Lydia met Jon North during a JSOC black-ops mission in Afghanistan about three years before our story starts. They had the kind of intense love affair that only equal partners and true soul mates share. It was a glorious first for both of them.

She was shattered when Jon disappeared without a word of goodbye. It was particularly bitter since he barely survived a firefight that took out his whole unit. He lived and his response was to leave her.

Despite the years and distance between them, she could not say no when Jon asked her to join him again in their most dangerous campaign yet. Lydia wants things finally resolved even
if it’s likely one of them will die this time around.

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[mks_tab_item title=”Robert North”]

Robert is Jon’s younger brother. He is married to Milla, a smart gutsy war correspondent.
He has been “Missing in Action” for two years, and is presumed dead. Robert’s wife disappeared shortly after enemy agents captured him.

Whereas his brother, Jon, is a resolutely “old school” and “follow the book” kind of Marine, Robert is more rebellious and skeptical of authority. He is clever, quick to improvise, and has exceptional proficiency in high-tech weaponry. Robert can build or fix anything. He’s slow to trust and sees himself as a “lone wolf.”

Robert began his career in the US Navy, rising quickly up the ranks despite his sometimes unorthodox methods. Soon after he completed his Navy SEALs Sniper training, Joint Special Operations Command recruited him. Robert has successfully accomplished several key black ops for JSOC.

Robert is fundamentally a suspicious, sometimes reckless, but extremely brave and ingenious SEAL. He deeply loves his older brother, but he has dedicated his life to besting him. Robert also believes warfare has moved on to a new era, which will leave his brother hopelessly behind. Robert wants to lead the way forward and will not let Jon stop him, even at the cost of war between them.

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Long War 2 Mod Now Available for XCOM 2

January 19, 2017 – 2K and Firaxis Games today announced that Long War 2, the mod for XCOM 2 on PC from Pavonis Interactive, is now available from Steam Workshop.

Pavonis Interactive, the creators of the Long War mod for XCOM: Enemy Unknown and XCOM: Enemy Within have been hard at work on its successor for XCOM 2.

The Long War 2 mod presents a series of changes to the game’s campaign including the introduction of new tactical mission scenarios like Jailbreak, the Technical class for your XCOM soldiers, and more varied counter-operations from ADVENT forces.

For more information, please see 2K’s official XCOM blog with a Q&A from Pavonis Interactive: https://xcom.com/news/xcom-2-pavonis-interactive-qa-on-long-war-2

A new series of videos going in depth into the features of Long War 2 is also available to view or embed with this YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PadaLO8o_P4&list=PL8mfplD2jGg9LjEoySAJQgXQxeKmn60os

Be sure to follow XCOM on Twitter and Like XCOM on Facebook to keep up to date with the latest information on XCOM 2.

Torment: Tides of Numenera Combat Trailer

January 19, 2017 – inXile Entertainment and Techland Publishing today revealed the latest trailer for their upcoming, highly-anticipated science-fantasy RPG, Torment: Tides of Numenera – the thematic successor to Planescape: Torment, one of the most critically revered and in-depth CRPGs of all time.

The world of Torment: Tides of Numenera is rife with conflict. Although players can avoid or resolve dangerous situations in bloodless ways with deception, persuasion or stealth, sometimes a decision – or even just a bad roll of the dice – will mean that blood must be spilled. Take a look at the game’s combat trailer to see the ways in which players can emerge victorious from such conflicts!

Experience a game of intricate choices and consequences with thousands of meaningful decisions that will make every playthrough unique. Developed by inXile Entertainment and published by Techland Publishing, Torment: Tides of Numenera will launch on February 28, 2017 for PC, the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, and Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft.

For more information on Torment: Tides of Numenera and the various editions available for purchase, please visit: http://tormentgame.com/

What does one life matter?

Galaxy of Pen & Paper Announced with Teaser

BRASILIA, Brazil — Jan. 19, 2017 Behold Studios, the creators of Knights of Pen & Paper and Chroma Squad, today announced an all-new game, Galaxy of Pen & Paper, to be released in – and take place in – the future. Built completely from scratch using handmade pixels and original artisanal code, Galaxy of Pen & Paper is a role-playing game (RPG) inspired by classic tabletop games, and will include all of the character customization, die-rolling, and bickering with the GM that players love. Galaxy of Pen & Paper, which is both developed and published by Behold Studios, will release in 2017 for Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs.

Path of Exile: Xbox One Announcement Trailer

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – Jan. 18, 2017 – Grinding Gear Games announced today that their hit online ARPG, Path of Exile, will be coming exclusively to Xbox One in 2017. The Xbox One version of Path of Exile will contain all five previous expansions and the new content that will be launching for the PC version this year in the upcoming giant 3.0.0 expansion, including the long-awaited Act V.

“For three years, PC players have enjoyed Path of Exile’s visceral combat, deep character customization and addictive item hunt,” said Chris Wilson,
co-founder of Grinding Gear Games. “We have spent over a year adapting Path of Exile specifically to the Xbox One, creating an experience equivalent to playing with mouse and keyboard on PC.”

About Path of Exile

Path of Exile is an online Action RPG set in the dark fantasy world of Wraeclast. It is designed around a strong online item economy, deep character customization, and unlimited replayability. Path of Exile is completely free and does not sell items or consumables that provide competitive advantage over other players. Since release in 2013, it has received five large expansions.

Path of Exile Key Features Include:

  • Download and play for free, but never pay-to-win
  • A dark and deep action RPG
  • Unlimited character combinations with the game’s gigantic skill tree
  • Combine skill gems to create unique combat strategies
  • Explore a dark and gritty world rendered from a fixed 3D perspective
  • Explore randomly generated levels for nearly infinite replayability
  • Craft weapons, magic items, and even end-game maps to become more powerful
  • Cooperate or compete with thousands of other Exiles in a persistent online world
  • Ascend online ladders in every game mode

Path of Exile was released in October 2013 to critical acclaim including winning GameSpot’s PC Game of the Year award. Since its launch, Path of Exile has received extensive updates (including  five large expansions) and has grown its worldwide community to over 16 million players. Localized versions are available in Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Russian, Thai, and Brazilian Portuguese.

About Grinding Gear Games

Grinding Gear Games is an independent game studio founded in 2006 and based in Auckland, New Zealand. Its team members come from various countries and have a diversity of backgrounds ranging from artificial intelligence and software security to industrial design and professional tournament gaming. In 2013, GGG released its flagship title, Path of Exile, and is committed to ongoing expansion and new content releases for the critically acclaimed game. You can find more information about Grinding Gear Games at www.grindinggear.com.

Call Of Cthulhu – Depths of Madness Trailer

January 19, 2017 – Developed by seasoned studio Cyanide, Call of Cthulhu for consoles and PC is an RPG Investigation game blending psychological horror and stealth mechanics in a deeply immersive world with an oppressive atmosphere. Today ushers in a new trailer depicting protagonist Pierce’s submersion into the depths of madness as he investigates a mysterious death on Darkwater Island, Boston.

A Private Detective, Edward Pierce is a mission to find the truth behind the death of an acclaimed artist and her family on a backwater island. Pierce is used to trusting his instincts, but with whale mutilations and disappearing bodies, this is only the beginning as reality becomes skewed. As your investigation leads you closer to the sphere of influence of the Great Dreamer, you will start to doubt everything you see. You will have to find balance between your own sanity and your determination in finding out what lurks in the shadows―as they say that madness is the only way to truth.

The player will soon uncover a more disturbing truth as the Great Dreamer, Cthulhu, prepares its awakening…

Delve head first into madness when Call of Cthulhu: The Official Videogame releases in 2017 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. 

Horror Anthology The Field Guide to Evil Film Crowdfunding Announced

(Park City, UT | January 19, 2017) – From the dangerously demented minds that brought you The ABCs of Death, Turbo Kid, and The Greasy Strangler comes The Field Guide to Evil, an entirely new vision of anthology horror inspired by a global exploration of folklore and mythology. The film has launched a campaign on First Democracy VC, a funding portal brought through a partnership between Indiegogo and MicroVentures. This will allow anyone the chance to become a true investor in the production, becoming the very first film equity crowdfunding campaign that Indiegogo and MicroVentures have done through their partnership.

From producers Ant Timpson and Alamo Drafthouse CEO/Founder Tim League, The Field Guide to Evil brings together eight of the most exciting voices in international filmmaking to shine a light on the stories from around the world that have kept people sleepless since before the birth of cinema.

The stories and filmmakers hail from Austria (Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala, Goodnight Mommy), Germany (Katrin Gebbe, Nothing Bad Can Happen), Greece (Yannis Veslemes, Norway), India (Ashim Ahluwalia, Miss Lovely), Poland (Agnieszka Smoczynska, The Lure), Turkey (Can Evrenol, Baskin), and the United States (Calvin Reeder, The Rambler).

“Tim League and I have been thinking about a global folklore anthology for a few years now – we’re both fascinated with the rich history in certain countries and how well-told oral folklore has evolved over centuries and across cultures. We loved the idea of approaching filmmakers whom we felt had the perfect sensibility to bring to life dark folklore from their country of origin. The tales won’t be familiar friendly fare that others have mined over the years. The filmmakers will be going down untraveled paths to explore tales that are atmospheric, disturbing, and provocative,” said producer Ant Timpson.

This innovative approach to horror storytelling is also offering an equally innovative approach to crowdfunding, becoming the first film to offer equity financing from Indiegogo and MicroVentures through their funding portal First Democracy VC. Along with a list of incredible perks, fans everywhere will now have the chance to become a true partner in the production of The Field Guide to Evil.

“I am incredibly excited to be launching the first equity crowdfunded feature in the states,” said Alamo Drafthouse CEO/Founder and The Field Guide to Evil producer Tim League. “This platform has the potential to revolutionize independent film financing and help visionary storytellers realize their dream projects.”

THE FIELD GUIDE TO EVIL Indiegogo & MicroVentures:
THE FIELD GUIDE TO EVIL Sizzle Reel:
For developments on THE FIELD GUIDE TO EVIL follow:

Fig Raises $7.84 million in Series A Financing

San Francisco, CA, January 18, 2017 — Loose Tooth Industries Inc. (d/b/a “Fig”), the only crowdfunding platform and publisher that sells SEC-qualified shares tied to individual game projects, announced it has raised $7.84 million in Series A financing.

Spark Capital and Greycroft led the round, with participation from Resolute Ventures, NextView Ventures, and Draft Ventures. The investment will allow Fig to accelerate the number of innovative game projects made available to investors and backers on its unique crowdfunding platform, which lets fans support games through either rewards-based campaigns or by investing in shares tied to a game project securities, such as Fig Game Shares™.

“Fig is singular in video games in that it is the first to allow fan investors to participate in the upside of a video game’s financial performance,” said Spark Capital’s Nabeel Hyatt, who was also the lead investor of Cruise Automation (acquired by General Motors for $1 billion). “Investors on Fig don’t have to wait for a company to be sold before they can reap returns, an occurrence that is rare and can take 7 to 10 years.”

“Interactive Entertainment is a $100 billion-a-year industry¹ yet many talented, veteran teams are still constrained by lack of resources.” said Jon Goldman, Venture Partner of Greycroft and Partner at Skybound, the IP holders of The Walking Dead. “Fig provides a new avenue for funding that brings makers and players into an entirely new relationship, which should foster innovation and help this amazing creative industry grow even bigger.  

In 2016, Fig hosted four of the year’s 10 largest crowdfunded games including Psychonauts 2, Wasteland 3, Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch, Consortium: The Tower, Kingdoms and Castles, Make Sail and Trackless. In 2016, Fig has a 78% campaign success rate that was twice the success rate² for all campaigns on a leading crowdfunding platform, and nearly five times the success rate³ for the video games category. Fig released an infographic detailing it’s 2016 year in review which can be foundhere.

“The opportunity for fans to invest in the games they believe in opens up an entirely new narrative in the evolution of crowdfunding,” said Fig CEO Justin Bailey. “Fans on our platform have already demonstrated that they’re willing to invest over 20 times more money per person for equity over rewards. This creates an avenue of funding for independent games that has never existed before. In addition, our model is allowing investors to reduce content risk by finding out if there’s sufficient market demand through fan funding prior to completing development.”

Fig CEO Justin Bailey added, “Looking forward, we’re exploring the possibility of amplifying the impact of fans even further by inviting institutional investors who have already expressed interest in our unique model to provide matching funds across our platform.”

With Fig Game Shares, non-accredited investors are able to participate in the potential success of a game. Fig Game Shares pay returns based on the sales revenue of a single game, so investors get paid when a game launches, rather than having to wait for an exit if and when that occurs, which is the case with other crowdfunding platforms supporting investments in game studios.

Founded in 2015, Fig strives to create an ecosystem where game development studios can stay independent, new talent can be discovered and profits can be shared with fans who invest. Development funds are raised in two ways on Fig.co’s platform. The first is through the developer’s rewards-based campaign. Secondly, Fig can offer securities, such as Fig Game Shares, that have returns tied to an individual game’s sales. On Fig, developers keep 100% of the rewards proceeds (minus credit card fees), and backers receive copies of the game, T-shirts or other items.