Swindon, UK – 7th April, 2017: Award winning indie team ‘Evil Twin Artworks’ are proud to announce today that Early Access favourite ’Man O’ War: Corsair’ is ready to set sail on the wider seas, as the Warhammer-themed title moves to full launch, 19th April, 2017. Man O’ War Corsair will be available for PC on Steam for £22.99 / €27.99 / $29.99.
“When we first launched our alpha back in April 2016, we rather optimistically said that we had about four months work left to do,” commented James Carroll, Director at Evil Twin Artworks. “We suspected we might end up doing more than that but our fantastic community has been so passionate and supportive, that we now have a much deeper and more engaging game than we ever envisaged.”
Man O’ War: Corsair now features explorable ports, new races and factions, additional gameplay modes, horrifying sea monsters and more epic battles than ever before! It’s a shining example of how a title should come through Early Access and blossom into a full gaming experience. James explains further: “When developers approach Early Access the right way, it can prove a wonderful collaboration that involves your most passionate fans without having to compromise your original development vision. We’re really glad we trusted our guts (and our community!) and took that route.”
True to form, through final launch and beyond, Evil Twin Artworks will still be asking for even more community feedback and suggestions as they continue to keep expanding Man O’ War: Corsair into the future, with a number of updates already in the works.
To celebrate the launch and to show how far the game has come, please check out the brand new Man O’ War: Corsair trailer.
BURBANK, Calif. (April 7, 2017) – Oprah Winfrey, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Stan Lee, Julie Taymor, and other remarkable contributors to the Disney legacy will be honored as official Disney Legends during D23 Expo 2017. Hosted by Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger, the Disney Legends Award ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 14, in Hall D23 of the Anaheim Convention Center.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Disney Legends Awards. The first Disney Legend was Fred MacMurray (The Shaggy Dog, The Absent-Minded Professor, The Happiest Millionaire), who was honored in 1987.
“The Disney Legends Award is the highest honor our company can bestow on an individual, reserved for those few who have truly made an indelible mark on the history of The Walt Disney Company,” said Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger. “It’s a celebration of talent, a recognition of achievement, and an expression of gratitude to the men and women whose work has significantly contributed to Disney’s enduring reputation for creative excellence.”
The awards ceremony is just one of the dozens of spectacular events that Disney fans can enjoy during the three-day D23 Expo.
The 2017 Disney Legends Award honorees (listed alphabetically) are:
CARRIE FISHER became an overnight sensation in 1977 with her iconic performance as Princess Leia in Star Wars. But throughout her career, Carrie took on many roles—as an actress, author, playwright, screenwriter, and outspoken advocate for mental health awareness. For Disney, Carrie appeared in Scream 3 (2000) and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) for Dimension Films, and, in 2015, she returned to the role that made her famous, starring as General Leia Organa in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. She reprised the role for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which will be released in December.
CLYDE “GERRY” GERONIMI joined the Disney Studio in 1931. His first assignments as an animator were for several memorable Mickey Mouse, Silly Symphony, and Pluto cartoons, and he eventually contributed to more than 50 of the Studio’s shorts. Gerry made the leap to sequence director with 1943’s Victory Through Air Power, and he subsequently contributed to The Three Caballeros, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, Cinderella, Peter Pan, and One Hundred and One Dalmatians. He also directed segments for television’s Mickey Mouse Club and contributed to episodes of Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. The apex of his Disney career came when he served as supervising director for the 1959 masterpiece Sleeping Beauty.
MANUEL GONZALES was one of 33 artists selected from thousands of applicants to join Disney in 1936. In 1938, he took over penciling duties on the SundayMickey Mouse comic strip from Disney Legend Floyd Gottfredson. He brought Mickey Mouse to newspapers nationwide for nearly 40 years. At its peak, his Mickey-starring comic strip appeared in 120 newspapers around the world with a collective circulation of more than 20 million readers each week. Manuel was presented a “Mousecar” award by Walt Disney in 1966.
MARK HAMILL began his career in 1970, appearing in numerous television series guest-roles and several TV movies, including a recurring role on ABC’s General Hospital and starring in MTM’s acclaimed The Texas Wheelers. He achieved worldwide attention as Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy, which included The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He returned as Luke in The Force Awakensand will appear in the upcoming The Last Jedi. His stage career includes Broadway shows and the first national tour of Amadeus directed by Sir Peter Hall. A prolific voice-over actor, he has performed in countless animated television shows, feature films, documentaries, and video games. He appears on Disney’s Miles from Tomorrowland and Milo Murphy’s Law, and has also provided the voice of The Joker in the Batmananimated series, a role that recently earned him a BAFTA Award.
WAYNE JACKSON began his career as a Walt Disney Imagineer in October 1965, and in the decades that followed he would put his technical skills and know-how to great use in the development and installation of Disney attractions around the world. Originally trained in aircraft tooling, he began as a technician and machinist assigned to rebuild the shows from the 1964–65 New York World’s Fair that were slated for installation at Disneyland. Instrumental in the early development of Audio-Animatronics® technology, Wayne would go on to help bring Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion to Disneyland. He went on to work on the construction and installation of attractions and show systems at Walt Disney World Resort, Tokyo Disney Resort, and Disneyland Paris.
STAN LEE got a job as an office assistant at a comic publisher in 1939 called Timely Comics—forerunner of the powerhouse we all know as Marvel. Stan made his debut with a Captain America story in 1941, and by the next year, at the age of just 18, he was promoted to editor. In 1961, Stan teamed up with Jack “King” Kirby to create the Fantastic Four and ushered in a spectacular new age of comics. Stan co-created an enormous roster of Marvel characters, including Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, the X-Men, Daredevil, and Falcon. He became Marvel’s editorial director and publisher in 1972, and eventually was named chairman emeritus. His well-known cameos in Marvel films began with 1989’s telefilm The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, and since the release of X-Men in 2000 he has appeared in nearly every Marvel film project. Outside the super-hero realm, he has even popped up as a wedding guest in Disney’s The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.
GARRY MARSHALL began his career in Los Angeles writing for a number of hit shows, including The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Lucy Show. But his big break came in 1970, when he produced The Odd Couple for ABC, the first of many big hits he created for the network. Beginning with Happy Days in 1974, he developed a shared universe of spinoffs including Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, and Joanie Loves Chachi. His other ABC sitcoms during these years included Angie, The New Odd Couple, and Blansky’s Beauties. Garry was also a successful movie director, with 18 films to his credit. At Disney, he made stars of two young actresses: Julia Roberts, in Pretty Woman, and Anne Hathaway in The Princess Diaries. He directed Bette Midler in Beaches, as well as in The Lottery, a short film that for years was a fixture of the Backstage Tour at the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park. Garry was known for his acting, as well, and he appeared in Disney’s Race to Witch Mountain, Chicken Little, and as the Devil in Hocus Pocus.
JULIE TAYMOR is a Tony®-, Emmy®-, and Grammy®-winning and Oscar®-nominated filmmaker who has changed the face of Broadway with her innovative direction. Her adaptation of The Lion King debuted in 1997, becoming the most successful stage musical of all time; 24 global productions have been seen by more than 90 million people. The show has played in more than 100 cities in 19 countries. It received 11 Tony Award nominations, earning Julie Best Director, Costume Designer, and Best Musical for the show. Her production of The Magic Flute is currently in repertory at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Her films include A Midsummer’s Night Dream,Titus, The Tempest, the Golden Globe-nominated Across the Universe, and the Oscar-winning Frida. Taymor is a recipient of the MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship and an inductee into the Theater Hall of Fame for Lifetime Achievement. She is currently directing M. Butterfly on Broadway, opening Fall 2017.
OPRAH WINFREY is a renowned award-winning producer, actress, talk show host, and philanthropist. For 25 years she was the host of the award-winning talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show, which ran for 25 seasons on hundreds of stations domestically and in more than 100 countries around the world. Oprah is also an Academy Award®-nominated actress for her role in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 hit The Color Purple. In 1998, she starred in Beloved for Disney’s Touchstone Pictures, a film that she also produced. Oprah also produced and starred in ABC’s 1989 limited series The Women of Brewster Place, and would go on to produce many films for ABC, including Tuesdays with Morrie, Before Women Had Wings, and Their Eyes Were Watching God under the “Oprah Winfrey Presents” banner. She performed as Eudora in Disney’s The Princess and the Frog in 2009 and will co-star as Mrs. Which in Disney’s 2018 film A Wrinkle in Time.
Honorees receive a two-foot-tall bronze Disney Legends sculpture that signifies the imagination, creativity, and magic they have brought to the Company. Disney Legends Award recipients will also participate in a handprint ceremony at the end of the event, and their bronzed prints will be displayed in the Disney Legends Plaza at the Company’s Burbank headquarters.
Admission to the ceremony will be on a first-come, first-served basis and is included in the price of a ticket to D23 Expo 2017.
Including this year’s honorees, a total of 276 Disney Legends have been named. Past Disney Legends include Tim Allen, Julie Andrews, Beatrice Arthur, Howard Ashman, Regis Philbin, Annette Funicello, Peter Jennings, Johnny Depp, Estelle Getty, George Lucas, Angela Lansbury, Steve Martin, Rue McClanahan, Alan Menken, Hayley Mills, Fess Parker, Sir Tim Rice, Dick Van Dyke, Barbara Walters, Betty White, and Robin Williams. Beginning with the inaugural D23 Expo in 2009, thousands of Disney fans have been able to enjoy the Legends Awards ceremony live.
Ticketsfor D23 Expo 2017 are available for $81 for one-day adult admission and $59 for children 3–9. Membersof D23: The Official Disney Fan Club can purchase tickets for $72 for a one-day adult admission and $53 for children 3–9. Multi-day tickets are also available. For more information on tickets and D23 Expo 2017, visit D23Expo.com.
Berlin, Germany – April 7th, 2017 – Berlin indie studio Point Blank Games are proud to announce that Shock Tactics will be released on PC, April 11th, 2017. The game combines fast-paced tactical combat with exploration elements and intricate squad management. Shock Tactics comes with a complex cover system, where it is crucial to use the terrain to your advantage. Position yourself above the enemy and strike both swiftly and decisively in action-packed strategic battles.
You are the leader of a small vanguard of space pioneers, on a mission to scout a newly discovered planet. On Hephæst, you must try to harness unexplored alien technology to withstand the relentless attacks of the powerful Imperial Consortium, pirates and aliens. A thrilling race against time unfolds, as players have to quickly secure excavations on the procedurally generated world map and ensure their technological edge in the war over Hephæst.
Shock Tactics will be available for 19.95€ on Windows PC as digital download on Steam, and physically in stores worldwide in cooperation with EuroVideo.
April 6, 2017 – Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III is just a few short weeks from release, and the time has come for players to dive into the intense combat of multiplayer with the upcoming open beta. Running from April 21-24th, players will be able to pit powerful heroes and devastating abilities against each other as they vie for battlefield supremacy. To help players get ready for the challenge, SEGA Europe Ltd. and Relic Entertainment have revealed two videos showcasing the strategy and spectacle of multiplayer.
Dawn of War III: Assemble Your Troops gives a taste of what it’s like to form fragile alliances and bitter rivalries with fellow players as you go head to head in battle! With live audio recorded from players during one particularly suspenseful 3v3 match, Assemble Your Troops captures the chaos, strategy, and excitement of Dawn of War III multiplayer.
Fog of War: Multiplayer Showcase is for those players who might be new to the Dawn of War franchise or the RTS genre, or want a refresher before heading out into battle. Covering the entire multiplayer experience, players will learn the strategy that goes into selecting Elite units and Doctrines to enhance your play style, accomplishing multiplayer objectives, and achieving victory. After watching this, you’ll surely be ready for WAAAAGH!
The Assemble Your Troops multiplayer trailer and Fog of War: Multiplayer Showcase are only the tip of the iceberg in showcasing the rich depth that Dawn of War III brings to players. Players can sign up to experience it for themselves in the Open Beta by registering at www.dawnofwar.com/beta.
Dawn of War III releases on April 27, 2017 for PC. To learn more about the worlds and characters in Dawn of War III, and to keep up with future updates, be sure to head to DawnOfWar.com, and follow Dawn of War on social media.
April 6, 2016 – Deck13’s upcoming hardcore action-RPG The Surge comes to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on May 16, 2017. Today, the “Target, Loot and Equip” trailer highlights the game’s limb-slicing loot system in all its bloody, brutal glory.
The Surge empowers players by giving them control over what they loot from defeated enemies. Target specific body parts before damaging them with a combination of vertical and horizontal attacks; the dismembered part then determines which piece of equipment is looted―the schematic corresponding to the sliced armor part, salvaged materials for crafting the corresponding piece, or even the weapon wielded by the enemy. This means that when approaching an enemy, players face a difficult decision: do they target an unarmored body part for a shorter fight, or risk a lengthier, more damaging battle for a chance at slicing off a shiny new piece of equipment?
Balancing risk and reward is core to succeeding in The Surge, and bold players can walk away from a fight with amazing rewards. The toughest enemies drop the most powerful weapons and armor, so if you see a piece of equipment you like, you’ll need to fight hard for it―or die trying.
The Surge arrives May 16 and is available to pre-order now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Visit the official website for more info.
April 6, 2017 – We’re excited to announce that The Fall of the Dark Brotherhood, the first major new content addition for The Elder Scrolls: Legends, is now available worldwide for PC and iPad. This new story content brings tons of additional missions and cards to the game and returns Elder Scrolls fans to one of their favorite guilds from the franchise – the lethal Dark Brotherhood.
About The Fall of the Dark Brotherhood
The Fall of The Dark Brotherhood is a new PvE Story that tosses players into the role of a double agent hired to infiltrate the ranks of the fabled Dark Brotherhood. Recruited by a sinister group to bring down the infamous Elder Scrolls guild of lethal assassins, players will need to make key choices that both impact which missions they will play and determine how the story unfolds.
This massive new adventure takes place prior to the events of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and is broken into three sections, or maps, introducing more than 25 missions and 40 new cards to the game. By completing missions within the new Story, players will unlock new cards available only via The Fall of the Dark Brotherhood, including three new Legendary cards. Players will face a variety of new challenges, lane conditions, and scenarios as they play through the new Story. There’s a pig you have to keep alive, a fight that takes place during a ball where things keep moving around, a prison fight, a skooma den battle, and much more.
The Fall of the Dark Brotherhood is purchasable in-game as three individual maps or as a bundle for a special price of $19.99 and can also be bought with in-game gold. Those who pick up The Fall of the Dark Brotherhood will also receive the ‘Doom Wolf’ mount for use in the award-winning online RPG, The Elder Scrolls Online (PC/Mac only). For more details about on The Fall of the Dark Brotherhood, including a look at the exclusive cards, please read more online.
The Elder Scrolls: Legends is currently available to download for free on PC via the Bethesda.net launcher, on iPad via the App Store.
London, April 5, 2017 – Relic Entertainment and SEGA Europe Ltd. today announced the official Open Beta weekend for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III. The Open Beta will take place from 10AM PST Friday, April 21st until 10AM PST Monday, April 24th. Register now at www.dawnofwar.com/beta.
The Open Beta will pit players against each other in Dawn of War III’s tense, chaotic multiplayer. This game mode highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each faction as players put powerful heroes and devastating abilities to use, while countering those of their foes. Players will have access to all three of the game’s factions – Space Marines, Eldar, and Orks – and a selection of powerful elite heroes for each, allowing them to experiment with different playstyles and strategies.
The Open Beta weekend also gives players their first chance to see and experience the intimidating Masters of War skins in action. The Dark Queen skin for Lady Solaria (Imperial Knight), the Ghost Seer skin for Farseer Taldeer (Wraithknight) and the Big Kustom skin for Beauty (Morkanaut) will all be available for use. The Masters of War Skin Pack is included free with all pre-orders.
Dawn of War III immerses players in the escalating brutality of galactic warfare, where they will lead elite hero units and colossal armies to victory, or oblivion. Powerful super walkers will tower over the front lines as screen-shaking assaults blister the battlefield in an all-out, over-the-top spectacle worthy of the iconic Games Workshop® Warhammer 40,000 universe.
The long-awaited third instalment of the critically acclaimed real-time strategy franchise will be released on April 27th, 2017, and is available to pre-order now at www.dawnofwar.com.
Los Angeles, CA – April 5, 2017 – Rising Star Games today announced that Cooking Mama: Sweet Shop is confirmed for retail box release on May 16 in North America, with a digital release set for May 18 on the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. In partnership with Japanese development studio Office Create, gamers will create a myriad of sweet treats and dazzling desserts in the fun and adorable style of the beloved Cooking Mama series.
With over 60 different recipes to create, spread throughout 160 different mini-games, players use the stylus to slice, stir, bake and decorate their creations – you can even use the microphone to blow and cool your delicacies! Create a wide assortment of delicious looking sweets and puddings, and serve customers in the shop to keep them happy. The more sweets you create and complete, the more your shop expands. You may even trigger a special event! Cooking Mama: Sweet Shop also features a competitive multiplayer mode for two to four players – challenge your friends and see who can make the tastiest treats. And just like always, don’t worry if you make a mistake – Mama will fix it for you!
Developed by Office Create and published by Rising Star Games, Cooking Mama: Sweet Shop will release at physical retail and digitally in the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS in May 2017. The retail packaged version of Cooking Mama: Sweet Shop will be exclusively distributed in North America by Crescent Marketing Inc. For more information follow Rising Star Games on Twitter and visit the official Rising Star Games website.
April 5, 2017 – It’s a new month, which means a fresh update of new content for Gears of War 4! April is bringing the goods with a themed Easter Event plus a major tuning update, ranked play improvements, new maps, additional legacy characters to collect and more! Read on for all the info and check out our Gears 4 April Update ViDoc.
Easter Event
Easter is on the horizon, and as always, Gears of War 4 will be ready to celebrate another holiday with new events and unlocks for fans!
Festivities will kick off with ‘Bunny Hunt’, an Easter-themed game mode that brings back the oversized Bunny Heads from previous games into a new variation of Guardian. On top of that, fans will get to unwrap five Chocolate Easter Egg-themed weapon skins by registering on GearsofWar.com and completing challenges in this special playlist!
Look out for more information on the Easter Festivities next week as we build up to the big celebration on April 14.
New Maps
This month brings two maps from Gears of War 3 updated and refined to Gears of War 4: Hotel and The Slab!
Hotel was a classic part of the Gears 3 lineup, and we’re excited to bring it back for fans. Hotel is now set on a misty cliff-side, with a long-abandoned reclaimed beauty look that feels right at home in Gears 4. Combat still has a distinct feel between the inside and outside environments, with the longer-range street fight clearly separated from the frantic cover-to-cover battle on the interior. New weapon swaps like the EMBAR now appear on the map, freshening up the familiarity of Hotel and having you learn an old favorite all over again!
Cell Block 38 in The Slab was where Gears began. Last seen as a post-launch map for Gears of War 3, we return again to Marcus’ prison. For Gears 4, we’ve honored the originals look while cranking up the detail, including a windflare coming dangerously close to the prison. The Slab has a unique two-lane opening separated by an interior courtyard, encouraging plenty of Gnasher and ranged combat despite the smaller size of the map.
Both maps will be available for Season Pass holders to play from today in the Developer Playlist, with Double XP and 20% Bonus Credits to boot. Hotel and The Slab will be available for all to play in Public Matchmaking from April 11onwards.
Coming Up This Month
On top of our Easter Event, there’s even more to come for Gears of War 4 fans to sink their teeth into this April.
Continuing our returning roster of Legacy Characters, we have another addition to the COG lineup coming this month! As with Tai in March, you’ll have a chance at finding them early in this month’s Gear Packs before they become available for Crafting. Speaking of Gear Packs, if the Locust are more your thing, we’ve got you covered – Kantus is coming back this month!
On top of new things to earn, there’ll be new things to play too! Our monthly Horde and Versus events are all about playing Gears of War 4 in a different way – save the date and get involved on April 21 and 28 respectively.
Tuning and Ranking Improvements
Yesterday, we outlined major tuning changes coming to Gears of War 4 with the April Update on our Community Blog. Over the past six months, we’ve watched you play, heard your feedback and gathered data from millions of matches – and we feel like now is the right time to introduce new weapon tuning for Gears 4.
These tuning changes provide a major update to both Core and Competitive play. Our Core changes mostly focus on making the starting weapons fit their role better than before, with reduced range on the Gnasher, improvements to the Hammerburst and slight tweaks to the Lancer. For Competitive, it’s all about adjustments that highlight the teamwork and competitive nature of playing with these team-focused settings.
On top of these updates, we’re making a number of improvements for Ranked Play including Seasons, Season Rewards and more!
Learn about April’s new updates in detail and say up to date with everything Gears of War by bookmarking our Community Hub at gearsofwar.com/community!
Gears Pro Circuit Atlantic City Open Recap
All bets were off this past weekend as the Gears Pro Circuit Atlantic City Open welcomed over 60 teams to the Caesars Atlantic City Hotel & Casino, battling it out over a $200,000 prize pool and bragging rights as the best team in the Gears of War 4 esports scene. In the end, OpTic Gaming emerged victorious to claim the crown for the fourth time in the Gears Pro Circuit, wrapping up an intense weekend full of upsets, drama and excitement.
Croatia – Chaos incarnate Croteam and professional hype-people Devolver Digital have launched Serious Sam VR: The First Encounter and Serious Sam VR: The Second Encounter on HTC Vive and Oculus Rift via Steam. Keen on defying normal release timelines, Croteam told us to hold their beer as they paired The First Encounter’s Early Access departure with a surprise debut from its relentlessly exhilarating follow-up The Second Encounter. Both titles are available for 25 percent off during their launch window.
Each game immerses sharpshooters into blistering clashes with hordes of enemies, placing Sam’s ridiculous arsenal into the quivering and probably sweaty palms of VR fans. Using trackpads or state-of-the-art VR teleportation trickery, players tear through waves of enemies across ancient Egypt, South America, medieval Europe and Mesopotamia.
Cleave through beasts with an over-the-top collection of firepower, including the Chainsaw, Cannon, Minigun and trusty staples like the Shotgun, Colt and Sniper Rifle. Keeping targets in your sights is as simple as pointing and shooting … so long as you can hold a steady aim throughout Serious Sam’s blazing pace of action.
The monstrous forces in both Serious Sam VR: The First Encounter and Serious Sam VR: The Second Encounter are led by Mental, a god-like being stirred from hibernation by the human race’s incessant curiosity with an ancient alien technology. Hellbent on crushing all life, Mental’s army devastates all forces in their path with the exception of Sam ‘Serious’ Stone, a lone EDF general leading a resistance as the galaxy’s last hope of salvation.
VR socialites can enlist up to 15 friends to help them blast through cooperative modes, including full multi-level campaigns, or turn acquaintances into rivals across a wealth of competitive multiplayer game types. Earn bragging rights in the hunting-themed showdown, Beast Hunt, the fight to steal and hold a score-boosting item, My Burden, or classic match types including Capture the Flag and Instant Kill. Keyboard and VR-wielding sharpshooters can face off via cross-platform battles.
To get the jump on Croteam’s next outing, follow @Croteam. To discover the rest of your new favorite games, follow @DevolverDigital.
