Seoul, South Korea – June 5, 2017– Seeing purple? Bluehole Inc. and PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS announced today a new line of skins exclusively available for Twitch Prime members. On June 9, 2017, Twitch Prime members around the world can redeem in-game Twitch themed items including an exclusive t-shirt, jeans, balaclava and shoes in PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS.
Kill or be killed in Twitch gear during your fight to be the last man standing!
Today’s PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS exclusive skins announcement coincides with Twitch’s expansion of the Twitch Prime program, which will now reach to more than 200 countries and territories. Players across the globe can now sign up to enjoy a premium experience on Twitch Prime that includes free in-game content and digital games, and Twitch-specific benefits such as ad-free viewing, an expanded set of chat emotes and colors, a Twitch channel subscription every 30 days and more. Prime members worldwide can unlock their Twitch Prime benefits including the new PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS skins on June 9, 2017 at www.twitchprime.com.
San Jose, California — Apple today introduced an all-new 10.5-inch iPad Pro and a new 12.9-inch iPad Pro, featuring the world’s most advanced display with ProMotion technology and incredible performance with the new A10X Fusion chip. The new 10.5-inch model reduces the borders by nearly 40 percent to fit into an incredibly compact package that still weighs just one pound. Combined with powerful new iPad features in iOS 11 coming this fall, like the all-new Files app, customizable Dock, improved multitasking and deeper integration of Apple Pencil, iPad Pro gives users the ability to be even more productive and creative.
“These are by far the most powerful iPads we’ve ever created with the world’s most advanced displays featuring ProMotion, the powerful new A10X Fusion chip and the advanced camera system of iPhone 7,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Product Marketing. “Together with iOS 11 these new iPad Pro models will radically change what users can do with iPad.”
The Most Advanced Display Featuring ProMotion
The stunning, redesigned Retina display in iPad Pro features ProMotion, a new technology that delivers refresh rates of up to 120Hz for fluid scrolling, greater responsiveness and smoother motion content. With ProMotion, Apple Pencil is even more responsive with an industry-best, 20-millisecond latency for even more fluid and natural drawing. ProMotion also improves display quality and reduces power consumption by automatically adjusting the display refresh rate to match the movement of the content.
The advanced Retina display is Apple’s brightest iPad display yet and features antireflective coating, making content easier to see indoors and out. True Tone dynamically adjusts the white balance of the display to match the light around you for a more natural and accurate viewing experience. A wide color gamut enables iPad Pro to deliver digital cinema-standard colors.
Groundbreaking Performance Powered by A10X Fusion Chip
iPad Pro delivers groundbreaking performance, connectivity and versatility to tackle the most demanding tasks. The powerful new 64-bit A10X Fusion chip provides performance that is faster than most PC laptops shipping today, so tackling complex tasks like editing photos and 4K video, rendering 3D images or playing games feels effortless. A six-core CPU and 12-core GPU deliver up to 30 percent faster CPU performance and 40 percent faster graphics performance than the industry-leading A9X chip, while delivering all-day battery life.¹
iPad Pro is the perfect device to shoot, edit and share pro-quality photos and videos. It features the same advanced front- and back-facing cameras as iPhone 7, including a 12-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization, along with a 7-megapixel FaceTime HD camera. iPad Pro also features a four-speaker audio system, providing powerful, clear and rich stereo sound in any orientation. An embedded Apple SIM2 and support for 802.11ac Wi-Fi and LTE Advanced3 make it easier to stay connected when traveling in more than 180 countries and regions.
Touch ID on iPad Pro is more responsive and gives users a simple and secure way to unlock iPad, keep personal information private within apps and approve purchases from the App Store, iTunes Store and iBooks Store. With Apple Pay on iPad, paying for physical goods and services within apps or on websites in Safari has never been easier.4
iOS 11 Introduces Powerful iPad Features
iOS 11, coming this fall, introduces powerful new features for iPad, including:
A new customizable Dock that provides quick access to frequently used apps and documents from any screen;
Improved multitasking, including a redesigned app switcher that brings Spaces to iOS, making it easier to move between apps or pairs of active apps, used in Split View and now Slide Over;
The new Files app that keeps everything in one place, whether files are stored locally, in iCloud Drive or across other providers like Box, Dropbox and more;
Multi-Touch Drag and Drop, which is available across the system to move text, photos and files from one app to another, anywhere on the screen;
A new document scanner in Notes, which lets users easily scan single or multi-page documents, removes shadows and uses powerful image filters to enhance readability; and
Deeper integration with Apple Pencil, with support for inline drawing to write along text in Notes and Mail, Instant Markup to easily sign documents, annotate PDFs or draw on screenshots, and a new Instant Notes feature, which opens Notes from the Lock Screen by simply tapping Apple Pencil on the display. New searchable handwriting makes it easy to search for handwritten text or characters.
Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard
Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, available for purchase separately, bring breakthrough levels of precision and utility to iPad Pro. Advanced sensors in Apple Pencil measure both pressure and tilt for natural drawing, annotating and note-taking. A new full-sized Smart Keyboard has been custom designed for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, offering a thin yet durable keyboard that never needs to be charged or paired over Bluetooth and is easily foldable into a protective Smart Cover.
The 10.5-inch iPad Pro comes in silver, space gray, gold and rose gold and starts at $649 (US) for the 64GB with Wi-Fi model and $779 (US) for the 64GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is available in silver, space gray and gold and starts at $799 (US) for the 64GB Wi-Fi model and $929 (US) for the 64GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model. For more information, visit apple.com/ipad.
The new iPad Pro models are available to order beginning today from apple.com and will start delivering to customers next week. Both models will also be available next week in Apple Stores, through select carriers and Apple Authorized Resellers (prices may vary) in the US and 37 additional countries and regions, including Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. India, Turkey, UAE and other countries and regions will follow later this month. Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and other countries and territories will follow in July.
Apple Pencil is available for $99 (US). The Smart Keyboard is available in charcoal gray for $159 (US) for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro and $169 (US) for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with layouts for over 30 languages, including simplified Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish.
A new Leather Sleeve is available for both the 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro in a range of colors for $129 (US) and $149 (US), respectively. A new Apple Pencil Case is available in a range of colors for $29 (US). iPad Pro Smart Covers are available in polyurethane and leather in a variety of colors for $49 (US) and $69 (US) for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro and for $59 (US) and $79 (US) for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro at apple.com and Apple Stores.
Every customer who buys iPad Pro from Apple will be offered free Personal Setup, in-store or online, to help them customize their iPad Pro by setting up email, showing them new apps from the App Store and more.5
Anyone who wants to start with the basics or go further with their new iPad Pro can sign up for free sessions at apple.com/today.
June 5, 2017 – MercurySteam have released the second developer diary for Raiders of the Broken Planet, that focuses on the the background story of its 4 divided by 1 asymmetric shooter. Currently in closed beta Raiders of the Broken Planet takes a pulp sci-fi approach melding comic book visuals with an intense narrative that involves various factions fighting for an mythical power source.
In one of the moons of Saturn, a scientific expedition from earth discovers the remains of a space ship stranded millions of years ago. The explorers enter the ruins and discover Aleph, an incredible power source that is the key to interstellar travel. Motivated by private interest and corporate greed, the organisation sends a group of paramilitary factions to the Broken Planet. On arrival, an accident renders the paramilitaries technology useless and the factions begin a battle for supremacy, Aleph and the alien technology that can return them back to earth.
In addition, the developer diary delves deeper into the role of the antagonist and his role not only in the story but how the counter operative adds to the overall adventure aspect of the game.
The Long Journey Home puts players in charge of leading a space vessel back to Earth after being flung into the far reaches of the cosmos. To accomplish this, the player will have to collect and manage resources, maintain diplomacy with alien life, and fight their way out when diplomacy breaks down. This roguelike game is rough and tough, but that’s simply the nature of those kinds of games.
In The Long Journey Home, players will first select the four crew members for their voyage. Each of these crew members has strengths and weaknesses, as well as an item they bring aboard with them to help with the journey. Once selected, you’ll then select the ship and lander craft you’ll pilot. Again, each kind of craft has its strengths and weaknesses, as well as an interesting look all its own. You have a good amount of customization available to you in these steps to help cater the game to your play style. Finally, you’ll select the difficulty level you desire and start your journey. Daedalic recently added a new, lower-difficulty option called “Story Mode”. Story mode made a huge difference for me as it brought what was, at times, very tedious to a more fun and forgiving level. I highly suggest Story Mode when you do your first play-through of The Long Journey Home unless you absolutely LOVE those difficult roguelike experiences.
Moving your ship requires understanding of Newtonian physics and players must take care to perform thruster burns at just the right direction and duration. Otherwise, you could overshoot your destination and waste precious fuel turning around or, worse yet, crash into a star or planet! Crash into one of those, and you’re gonna have a bad time. Once you fly to a planet or celestial body you want to explore or exploit, you then land on it with your lander craft. Controlling the lander was fun and reminded me of the old-school Lunar Lander game. In this interface, you can drill and collect as long as resources are available, then achieve escape velocity and altitude to return to your ship. The whole goal of the game is to make it back to Earth, so collecting these resources is vital to that end. You will use these resources to repair your ship, refuel it, and a whole lot more.
Of course, the cosmos is vast and full of like, so you will meet a plethora of aliens along your way. Some will be agreeable and, others, not so much. Which brings us to combat. Ship to ship combat is handled quite nicely in The Long Journey Home and, for me, in a pretty realistic way that I would imagine actual space combat to take place some day. Again, you must utilize Newtonian motion in your combat maneuvering, but you also need to charge your weapons and line up enemy ships in a position that your shots will hit. While combat is not the sole focus of The Long Journey Home, it is handled well enough to be a welcome diversion from mining and navigation the stars.
Overall, Daedalic Entertainment’s The Long Journey Home is a tough, roguelike space survival game where you must plan carefully in order to bring your ship and crew home. The game is available now on Steam for under $40 dollars.
[mks_col]
[mks_one_half]The Pros
Pleasing visuals
Story Mode difficulty raises the overall fun factor
June 5, 2017 – In support of the upcoming epic action thriller Dunkirk, written and directed by Christopher Nolan, Wargaming.net has partnered with Warner Bros. to remember the seminal World War II event that inspired the motion picture. Wargaming, the world leader in free-to-play online WWII video games with a base of 180 million registered players, continues to revere history’s defining moments and the wartime vehicles that shaped their outcomes.
The evacuation, known as the “Miracle of Dunkirk,” took place from May 26th until June 4th, 1940, when hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers were trapped by advancing German forces on the beaches of Dunkirk, France. As the battle raged around them, many were transported to safety by the combined efforts of both military and civilian vessels. The history of this massive mobilization and the hopeful, personal stories of those involved will unfold in the film Dunkirk.
“We believe Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk will be an unforgettable film about one of the most momentous accomplishments of World War II,” stated Erik Whiteford, Head of Marketing, Wargaming America, “and we are honored to be in a partnership with a creative endeavor that shares our passion for honoring and preserving the incredible events that define that era.”
Join Wargaming as they “Remember Dunkirk” to commemorate the 77th anniversary of this crucial turning point in WWII. “Remember Dunkirk” anniversary events and offerings are taking place across the entire slate of Wargaming’s combat video games. The action intensifies in July, as even more events come to the Wargaming “Battle Trilogy” of video games.
A series of emblems, missions and more await all who enter the battle. Join Wargaming and take to the Land, Sea and Air with World of Tanks, World of Warships and World of Warplanes.
June 5 2017 – Award-winning developer and publisher of digital entertainment, Telltale Games, along with Marvel Entertainment, is pleased to reveal the first trailer for ‘Under Pressure,’ the second of five Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series episodes, which will be available starting June 6 for $4.99 USD or equivalent. Individual episodes, and the series as a whole, can be downloaded on PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One®, Windows PC, and Mac, as well as the App Store® and Google Play™.
Episode two description:“The Guardians just can’t seem to outrun the past (or their tab), but if they figure out how to control the untold power of their mysterious new relic, they might not have to. With help from dubious old friends and unwilling new allies, Star-Lord and company scour the galaxy for answers. But how long can they elude the genocidal maniac hunting them? And will simmering tensions finally tear the team apart?”
The series is also available as a special ‘Season Pass Disc’ at retailers across North America for an MSRP of $29.99 USD, and at retailers elsewhere across the globe. The special ‘Season Pass Disc’ includes episode one ‘Tangled Up in Blue’ and grants access to download the subsequent four episodes via online updates as they are released in the coming months of 2017. Additional platforms for release are yet to be announced.
The series will feature a star-studded cast of voice talent, including Scott Porter (Friday Night Lights, The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series) as Star-Lord, Emily O’Brien (The Young and the Restless, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor) as Gamora, Nolan North (the Uncharted series, Pretty Little Liars) as Rocket, Brandon Paul Eells (Watch Dogs) as Drax, and Adam Harrington (The Wolf Among Us, League of Legends) as Groot.
Redwood City, Calif. – June 5, 2017 – Today, Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) announced Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid C.F. as the global cover star of EA SPORTS™ FIFA 18, launching worldwide September 29, 2017 on PlayStation®4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®3, and Xbox 360* systems.
To deliver innovation in FIFA 18, Cristiano Ronaldo’s data was recently recorded during a training session at a mobile EA Capture studio in Madrid. Data capture of Ronaldo’s acceleration, run cadence, skills, and shooting technique were all recorded to bring veracity to his likeness and personality in FIFA 18. His data also informed important gameplay elements including fluidity, player responsiveness and explosiveness. Fans can learn how Ronaldo fueled FIFA 18 by tuning into EA PLAY on June 10 at 12:00pm PT on EA.com.
“The world’s best player has helped fuel the biggest leap forward on the pitch that we’ve ever delivered,” said Aaron McHardy, Senior Producer for EA SPORTS FIFA. “We are extremely excited to partner with Cristiano – working with him we learned a lot about his unique play style and what makes him so special. His passion, energy and global fanbase make him the perfect ambassador for FIFA 18.”
“It is a real pleasure to be on the cover of FIFA 18,” said Cristiano Ronaldo. “It’s a great feeling and I am grateful to have been chosen.”
A forward for both Real Madrid C.F. and the Portugal national team, Ronaldo is frequently ranked the best player in the world and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Ronaldo was named FIFA Men’s Player of the Year in 2016, and recently scored his 100th goal in European competition, the first player ever to do so. He is Portugal’s most-capped player, with 138 appearances for the national team, as well as Portugal’s all-time top goal-scorer. He has also won the coveted Ballon d’OR and the Golden Boot, among a multitude of other accolades.
Those who pre-order the Ronaldo Edition** of FIFA 18 on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One or PC will receive three-day early access, up to $60 worth of additional content**, including 20 jumbo premium gold packs (1 per week for 20 consecutive weeks), eight special edition FIFA Ultimate Team™ kits designed by artists on the FIFA 18 soundtrack and a Cristiano Ronaldo loan player for five FUT matches.
FIFA 18 fans can get their hands on the full game before launch day, with Ronaldo Edition and ICON Edition** owners getting three-day early access, letting them start playing on Tuesday, September 26, while EA Access and Origin Access members can enjoy up to 10 hours of play time starting Thursday, September 21 as part of the EA Access and Origin Access Play First Trial.***
Fans eager to learn more about FIFA 18 won’t have long to wait, as new details about the game will be announced at EA PLAY on June 10. Those in the Los Angeles area can also join us in Hollywood to get their first hands-on with FIFA 18 at the EA PLAY FanFest.
Join the EA SPORTS FIFA community at Facebook and on Instagram. Follow us on Twitter @easportsfifa and use the hashtag #FIFA18.
FIFA 18 is developed by EA Vancouver and EA Romania and will be available worldwide on September 29 for, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 systems*.
EA Access and Origin Access members receive a 10 percent discount** when they purchase a digital version of FIFA 18 on Xbox Live and Origin.
The EA SPORTS™ brand is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. The EA SPORTS studios create connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through videogames, including Madden NFL football, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR® golf,SSX™ and EA SPORTS UFC®.
For more information about EA SPORTS games, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com to connect, share and compete.
Universal City, CA, June 5, 2017 – This holiday season, Universal Studios Hollywood will introduce “Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter,” transforming HogwartsTM castle into a breathtaking light projection show that captures the spirt of the yuletide season.
Hogsmeade village will also shine brightly as the quaint town celebrates with festive décor uniquely themed to each of the individual storefronts, along with holiday-themed food and beverages including hot Butterbeer.
A special time in the Harry Potter series, the all-new “Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” tradition invites guests to celebrate this part of J.K. Rowling’s compelling story for themselves.
As night falls on Hogsmeade village, the familiar sounds of Harry Potter music will resonate throughout “The Wizarding World of Harry PotterTM”. Multiple times an evening, colorful projection mapping will illuminate Hogwarts™ School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with impressive dimensional animations that melodically dance across Hogwarts castle in tandem to a musical arrangement from of the Harry Potter movies.
“Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” represents the immersive land’s first holiday themed program since opening at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2016.
Inspired by J.K. Rowling’s compelling stories and characters that were brought to life in the Warner Bros. films, “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” at Universal Studios Hollywood is a masterful recreation, faithful to the visual landscape of the fiction and films, including as its iconic focal point, Hogwarts castle.
From its snow-capped roofs and cobblestone streets to the historic British sensibilities that characterize the whimsical look and feel of the land, “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” transports guests of all ages to the very places they watched on the silver screen.
The architecturally stunning land also includes the captivating and highly acclaimed “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey” thrill ride, now enhanced with 4K-HD and ride film projecting at an astounding rate of 120 frames-per-second for an even more immersive glimpse into Harry Potter’s world, as well as “Flight of the Hippogriff™,” Universal Studios Hollywood’s first outdoor family coaster.
“The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” resonates with immense detail, inviting guests to revel in J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World with the opportunity to enjoy authentic food and beverages at multiple locations, including Three Broomsticks™ and Hog’s Head pub, as well as the Magic Neep and Butterbeer™ carts.
A foray through the shops adds to the authenticity of the land with eight retail venues and locations, including Honeydukes™, Ollivanders™, Owl Post™, Zonko’s™ Joke Shop, Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipment, Dervish and Banges™, Gladrags Wizardwear and Filch’s Emporium™ of Confiscated Goods.
More details about “Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” will be shared in the coming months.
Additional information on Universal Studios Hollywood is available at www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com. Join the conversation online using #WizardingWorldHollywood. Like Universal Studios Hollywood on Facebook and follow @UniStudios on Instagram and Twitter.
June 2, 2017 – Forge Reply, the video game development studio within the Reply group, is excited to announce that its upcoming game, Theseus, will launch first on PlayStation®VR in Summer 2017. By taking a cinematic approach to game development and building it specifically for virtual reality, Forge Reply is creating a story-driven action-adventure game that is perfectly suited for PS VR.
Theseus offers a modern and obscure take on the classic myth of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth, promising an engaging and immersive experience through the power of Virtual Reality. Watch the new trailer to get a glimpse of just how intense the experience can be.
In Theseus, our protagonist awakens alone, stranded in a hostile and mysterious place. With Ariadne’s voice as his only guide, players will explore alleys and chambers, venturing deep into the heart of the Labyrinth to unveil the truth behind it. But as one will discover, our protagonist is not alone. The mighty Minotaur is the ruler of this world, and you are not a welcomed visitor.
Theseus launches first on PlayStation®VR in Summer 2017.
HAMBURG – Jun. 2, 2017 – Daedalic Entertainment has today announced the first major update to The Long Journey Home, the company’s ambitious space RPG, with the addition of a new ‘Story Mode.’ Designed based on feedback from the engaged community of The Long Journey Home players, this new mode offers a perfect introduction to the game, as well as a way for players to experience the aliens, questing and other parts of the diverse and colorful galaxy without being burdened by the fight for survival and some of the harsher dangers of unplanned intergalactic travel.
New players are especially invited to try Story Mode to experience a smoother introduction to space before challenging the Adventure (formerly Explorer) and Rogue Modes, which continue to offer the more survival-focused, hardcore gameplay that has won the heart of streamers across Twitch, where every decision counts and mismanaged resources or diplomacy mean death.
Specifically, Story Mode provides a far friendlier galaxy to explore, where resources are more abundant and valuable, where aliens are more generous with their trade agreements, and featuring far more planets with Earth-like conditions and fewer extreme hazards. Players are also equipped with a more resilient Lander and additional assistance for tricky parts of the game, such as easier orbiting around planets and reduced damage from celestial threats. Additionally, the pirate presence has been reduced throughout the galaxy. With these changes, players will be free to take their time crossing the galaxy, better upgrade their ships for advanced challenges like bounty hunting, and enjoy the atmosphere and witty script instead of wondering where the next refuel is coming from.
We still recommend Adventure Mode as the ideal way to play The Long Journey Home, with Rogue Mode for the ultimate survival challenge. However, Story Mode is the perfect way to get into the game, and get to grips with its systems, as well as simply enjoying the Journey. We have, however, added a few quality of life additions to all modes, including the much requested secondary confirmation before destroying installed devices and a dedicated windowed mode.
Daedalic will continue to monitor player feedback on The Long Journey Home and implement improvements to enhance the game in order to deliver the best adventure space game experience for its players. Join our community to let us know what you’d like to see.
CHANGELOG IN BRIEF
New Mode: Story Mode
Reduced planetary difficulty conditions
More abundant galactic resources
Resources worth more in trade and for ship repair/maintenance
Increased Lander strength
Reduced impact/heat/environmental/drilling damage in the Lander
Reduced fuel consumption in the Lander
Enemies cannot lock player into Encounter
Aliens offer more credits and more generous deals in trade
Reduced flyover damage in event of failed orbit
Greatly reduced pirate presence
Larger orbit window
General Changes
Explorer mode renamed “Adventure Mode”
Devices now require timed button press to uninstall/destroy
Can now jump back to same system if required
Lander roation speed and thruster agility increased
