In a strategic reorganization of its Star Wars miniatures titles, Asmodee is announcing today that oversight of its three Star Wars miniatures titles will be moving to their dedicated miniatures games studio, Atomic Mass Games.
Development of all future miniatures games will be handled by Atomic Mass as well. The move to a specialty studio positions Asmodee’s miniatures titles for even greater success in the future.
“Atomic Mass is committed to bringing people together through fun games, and Star Wars has been bringing people together through the power of myth and story for over 40 years,” Steve Horvath, Head of US Publishing, said.
“Combing their talent with the strength of our current Star Wars miniatures games and the limitless possibilities of a galaxy far, far away is going to lead to incredible new experiences for tabletop gamers and Star Wars fans to enjoy.”
Simone Elliott, who has shepherded Fantasy Flight’s relationship with Lucasfilm Licensing since 2015, will lead Atomic Mass Games during this time of expansion as Head of Studio. Will Shick assumes primary creative oversight as Head of Product Development. Joining them will be key members of the teams involved in the creation and evolution of Fantasy Flight’s current Star Wars miniatures games, Star Wars X-Wing, Star Wars Legion, and Star Wars Armada.
2Awesome Studio is proud to announce that BFF or Die is snuggling up on consoles in November, 2020. The crazy and cozy cooperative puzzle game that’s amassed over 23k downloads between popular game hosting sites Steam, Itch, and Game Jolt is launching on PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch™ for $7.99!
BFF or Die is a co-op puzzle game that challenges up to 4 local players to use their cunning wit and camaraderie to survive as time-traveling space aliens. Never forget the academy motto: “BFF or Die!”
ABFF Or Die Launch Dates
– PlayStation®4 – Launch: November, 24th
– Xbox One – Pre-order: November 18th with 15% discount | Launch: November 25th
– Nintendo Switch™: Pre-order: November, 20th with 15% discount | Launch: November, 27th
BFF or Die is developed by ASA Studio, and is partnering with 2Awesome Studio as part of the 2Awesome Partners Initiative.
Previously, BFF or Die was featured in 2016’s Indie Showcase at Develop Conference and Intel’s Level-Up Competition at PAX West. In 2017, ASA Studio was one team awarded of hundreds of applicants to secure £25k from the UK Games Fund, and, in 2018, pitched BFF or Die to an industry panel, placing in top three games at the event, and receiving marketing support across the Steel Media Network.
“We’ve been developing BFF or Die for a long time. That dream marked the beginning of a road that led us… here! In collaboration with our new publishing friends over at 2Awesome Studio, BFF or Die is now available for you to play on console,” says Shaz from ASA Studio.
Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: CZR) (“Caesars” or “the Company”) today announced plans to resume operations at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, as its final property to reopen company-wide in the U.S. and Canada, following the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, the hotel will accommodate weekend stays, Thursday through Monday, while the gaming floor will be open seven days a week.
The resumption of business at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino follows the successful reopening of all Caesars regional casinos and hotels across the country, in addition to the Company’s other Las Vegas properties.
“As the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino prepares to resume operations on December 22, this marks the final Caesars Entertainment resort to reopen in the U.S. and Canada,” said Anthony Carano, President and Chief Operating Officer of Caesars Entertainment, Inc. “The past nine months have been filled with challenges, as well as opportunities including the merging of our two gaming companies to form the new Caesars Entertainment. We recognize the incredible effort it has taken to reopen our resorts and get us to this important milestone, and we look forward to welcoming our Team Members and Guests back to Rio with their health and safety still top of mind.”
The following amenities will open at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino:
Entertainment
Penn & Teller – Performance schedule to be announced at a later date. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.riolasvegas.com.
Restaurants
All-American Bar & Grille
Hash House A Go Go
Starbucks (near the hotel elevators)
VooDoo Steak
Sports Deli
Bars and Lounges
Shutters Bar
iBar
Purple Zebra Daiquiri Bar
Race & Sports Book Bar
Masquerade Bar
Gaming
William Hill Race & Sports Book
Keno Lounge
Slot Machines
Table Games
Fitness Center
Fitness Center
Retail
Rio Logo
Additionally, Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino will debut the newly branded William Hill Sports Book on reopening day, with new customer offerings that include self-service sports betting kiosks and an expanded betting menu featuring LIVE InPlay Wagering.
Guests can save up to 20 percent on their next stay at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino with Caesars’ Fall Savings Sale from Nov. 2-23, for select travel dates through September 2021. This hotel offer is based on availability and cannot be combined with any other offer. Offer code: FALL20.
During the holiday season, Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino will also accommodate hotel reservations seven days a week Dec. 23, 2020 through Jan. 3, 2021. Self-parking at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino will remain free for all guests, but the valet will remain closed at this time.
Caesars Entertainment has reopened all other Las Vegas properties including Caesars Palace Las Vegas, Flamingo Las Vegas, Harrah’s Las Vegas, Paris Las Vegas, Bally’s Las Vegas, The LINQ Hotel + Experience, Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino and The Cromwell, as well as The LINQ Promenade, High Roller Observation Wheel, FLY LINQ and Eiffel Tower Viewing Deck.
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino has implemented Caesars’ new health and safety protocols, which enhance its existing plans and practices in these areas. All Caesars properties are focused on the well-being of team members, guests and the community, and continue to work to create an environment with high standards of sanitization and physical distancing practices. Among the enhanced health and safety protocols include more frequent cleaning and sanitization. Caesars has also implemented a health screening program for all employees. Team members and guests are required to wear masks, which the Company makes available, at all Caesars properties.
For more information on the Company’s health and safety protocols, visit: www.Caesars.com/health.
World of Darkness, the transmedia entertainment brand behind celebrated fantasy horror properties including Vampire: The Masquerade and Werewolf: The Apocalypse, announced today that Renegade Game Studios is now the Publishing Partner for its catalogue of tabletop role playing games (TTRPG). World of Darkness also revealed it is bringing IP development of its story universes in-house and is kicking off this change with Vampire: The Masquerade Companion, a free digital supplement that brings new playable clans to Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition, that will be available this December.
“Renegade and World of Darkness worked closely together on Vampire: The Masquerade – Rivals and the team proved their passion for our brands and alignment with our values in that collaboration,” said Sean Greaney, Brand Manager for World of Darkness at Paradox Interactive. “Our joint goal is to ensure that there will be no disruption of service for fans looking to get their hands on Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition books.”
“We’re thrilled to work with the World of Darkness team and create exciting content for this rich universe of supernatural horror.” said Scott Gaeta, President and Publisher at Renegade Game Studios. “We look forward to supporting the existing community and welcoming in new players very soon.”
World of Darkness is taking over IP development of its story universes, including Vampire: The Masquerade and Werewolf: The Apocalypse. Led by World of Darkness Creative Lead Justin Achilli, they will create the foundational material – including core TTRPG books – for all stories set in a World of Darkness franchise, including video games, comics, and other forms of media. Renegade Game Studios, working with local partners globally, will broaden the offering with additional TTRPG products. Additionally, all World of Darkness books will continue to include sensitivity reviews as part of the development process.
“Bringing IP development in-house is one of the many reasons why the World of Darkness team hired me and I’m thrilled to take on this responsibility. I’ll be working with handpicked teams to set the lore, atmosphere, and tone that players have come to expect, and working with partners like Renegade to create compelling stories within that framework,” Achilli said. “Even though I’m leading this process, we’ll continue to work with teams of writers and freelancers. Our goal is to ensure that book development happens with teams that include a diversity of voices.”
While World of Darkness will take over IP development of its core TTRPG books, as publisher, Renegade Game Studios will handle publishing and marketing of these products. Everything that falls outside of the core story setting, as determined by World of Darkness, will be developed and published by Renegade Game Studios.
The Vampire: The Masquerade Companion book brings highly-anticipated Vampire clans from the community into tabletop play and gives Storytellers more tools to enhance their narratives. To download completely free of charge, fans will simply need to visit the World of Darkness website (https://worldofdarkness.com) and log in with a Paradox account.
Vampire: The Masquerade Companion Key Features:
Three vampire clans: Tzimisce, Ravnos, Salubri
Discipline powers representing each of the new clans
How to play rules for ghouls and mortals
Details on each clan’s view on vampire coteries
Additional Merits for players’ characters
Updates to Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition core rulebook
“World of Darkness fans have been asking us for more Vampire: The Masquerade content since we launched the 5th edition core book in 2018. Vampire: The Masquerade Companion is our answer, adding in some of their most-requested features like clan Tzimisce and rules for Mortals”, said Martyna Zych, Brand Community Developer for World of Darkness. “We are listening to our players, and now that we are developing IP in-house, we are equipped to respond to their feedback and produce content like the Companion. This is just one of many products we have in the pipeline, and while we can’t reveal anything else now, I will say that it is a great time to be a World of Darkness fan.”
World of Darkness will share more information about its lineup of announced products including, Second Inquisition, Vampire: The Masquerade Player’s Guide, Werewolf: The Apocalypse core book and more in the coming weeks. The first TTRPG book to release under this new process will be the Sabbat Sect Book. Stay tuned to www.worldofdarkness.com for updates.
GIANTS Software and Focus Home Interactive are delighted to release the “Alpine Farming Expansion” for Farming Simulator 19. Available today on PC, Mac, PlayStation®4 and Xbox One, this latest expansion for the best-selling game takes players to a totally new mountain region with tons of farming activities and brand-new vehicles and equipment.
Take control of over 30 authentic agricultural vehicles and machines from leading brands like Aebi, Lindner, PÖTTINGER, SIP and more, including the series’ first-ever electric vehicle: the Rigitrac SKE 50. The idyllic mountain valleys of Erlengrat, the expansion’s new map, feature a wide range of lucrative new activities, such as alpine agriculture and breeding, as well as grass harvesting, the centerpiece of this new addition to the game.
The “Alpine Farming Expansion” is available as part of Farming Simulator 19: Premium Edition, now available on all platforms, which contains the full base game plus 10 bonus DLCs, including the popular “Platinum Expansion.” The physical version of the Premium Edition also contains a 72-page premium artbook!
The “Alpine Farming Expansion” is also available as a free download for Season Pass owners, as well as to purchase standalone.
NACON and KT Racing today celebrate the launch of WRC 9, the official video game of the FIA World Rally Championship, on Xbox Series X|S consoles!
Thanks to the Smart Delivery, players already in possession of WRC 9 for Xbox One can now directly access to the Xbox Series X|S versions of the game, and thus benefit from a brand-new experience in 4K 60FPS.
Starting today, WRC 9 on Xbox Series X|S also includes the October update including six new stages for Rally Finland, an additional WRC driver and a brand-new Photo Mode.
Today, after debuting its trailer on the Indie Live Expo II, Skystone Games is pleased to announce that it will be publishing Underworld Dreams from Drop of Pixel. Underworld Dreams is a first-person horror experience blending adventure, combat, and investigative puzzle elements to piece together a unique psychological thriller. Based on the worlds of H.P. Lovecraft and set in the 1980s, Underworld Dreams creates an enthralling mystery narrative with gameplay that’s not for the faint of heart.
“Nestor is a one-man team making this surreal horror game, and we’re certain that players across the globe will love the puzzles, mystery, action, and terror of Underworld Dreams when it launches on PC and Consoles next year,” said Bill Wang, CEO of Skystone Games.
“My love of horror and the Cthulhu Mythos is something I’ve been dying to turn into a game for years,” said Nestor Alfaro of Drop of Pixel. “We’re thrilled to have partnered with Skystone Games to bring this experience to fans of horror all over the world next year.”
Underworld Dreams will launch on PC and console in 2021, and is available to Wishlist on Steam now.
Nominations for this year’s The Game Awards, the video game industry’s annual year-end celebration, will be announced on Wednesday, November 18 at 9 am PT via The Game Awards’ official Twitch, YouTube, and Twitter channels. This year, The Game Awards has introduced a new category for Innovation in Accessibility, honoring the software and/or hardware developers helping games be played and enjoyed by an even wider audience. Following the nomination announcement, fans will be able to help choose the winners in all categories via authenticated online voting on www.thegameawards.com
The Game Awards will take place on December 10 as a free digital livestream available across more than 45 global video platforms. Taking a virtual format, The Game Awards will adapt a multi-city approach to the 2020 broadcast, airing live in 4K UHD from studio locations with no in-person audience in Los Angeles, Tokyo and London. The three host cities for The Game Awards will be digitally connected for an innovative celebration with live award presentations, musical performances, and spectacular world premiere game announcements.
The Game Awards is executive produced by Geoff Keighley and Kimmie Kim. LeRoy Bennett returns as creative director for his sixth year, and Richard Preuss returns as director for his fourth year.
For more information and to stay up to date on the latest The Game Awards announcements, please visit: www.thegameawards.com
Thrustmaster is continuing to innovate, and is thrilled to announce the arrival of its second modular ESWAP gamepad controller officially licensed by Xbox®. The ESWAP X PRO CONTROLLER is the result of a full year of research, development and consultations with pro gamers, with the goal of meeting the growing demands of an uncompromising class of players..
The gamepad’s new, innovative design and extreme level of precision takes into account feedback from Xbox and PC gamers, with a unique modular concept unique to Thrustmaster products. This brand-new X edition of the ESWAP PRO CONTROLLER line that launched last year, features next-generation mini-sticks for longer lifespan and greater precision, the ability to physically lock the triggers, manual button remapping, headset volume control and access to the latest version of the popular Thrustmapper software with great new features.
Thanks to their close collaboration with Microsoft®, Thrustmaster has been able to push technological limitations in order to provide totally new functionality to gamers while ensuring perfect compatibility on both new and older generations of systems: Xbox One®, Xbox One X, Xbox Series X|S and PC (Windows® 10).
HOT SWAP: the ESWAP range’s modular DNA, for ultimate versatility
The T-MOD technology built into the ESWAP X PRO CONTROLLER is the result of extensive feedback on the ways in which gamers use their gamepads. Competitive gamers are looking for both incredible flexibility and next-level tools to help them climb the rankings as they compete on PC and console. Thanks to the Hot Swap feature allowing for all of the gamepad’s modules to be instantly swapped around at any time, gamers can quickly and easily take advantage of the optimal configuration for any game they’re playing.
Next-generation mini-sticks: better precision, and an even longer lifespan
The ESWAP X PRO CONTROLLER features next-generation (S5 NXG) analog mini-sticks for enhanced precision and a longer lifespan compared with previous Thrustmaster mini-sticks. Gamers will enjoy better physical resistance (+33%), improved re-centering precision (+66%), and even double the lifespan for the built-in mini-stick buttons (+100%).
New trigger locking feature
Thrustmaster now lets gamers adjust the physical range of travel on the triggers to support any gaming style, reducing travel distance by up to 50%.This can be extremely useful especially in shooters, where the triggers’ responsiveness can provide a major advantage when it comes to firing rate, helping players emerge victorious when facing off against adversaries.
In this way, players can take advantage of enhanced responsiveness with a shorter range of travel on the triggers.
Renowned surgical precision
Thrustmaster is also offering new modules that are compatible with the ESWAP X PRO CONTROLLER, featuring super-responsive tact switches providing a greater level of precision and near-zero response times as well as a better feeling of control for long gaming sessions. The controller’s buttons and D-pad can each be activated more than 5 million times, while the pre-calibrated analog mini-sticks featuring shorter design for optimal precision have a lifetime of more than 2 million clicks each.
Headset volume control and manual button remapping
The ability to manually remap the rear buttons lets gamers find and use the best combinations of buttons to adapt to all types of games and hand sizes. Being able to quickly adjust their headset’s volume increases gamers’ ability to focus and gives a considerable boost to the practical aspect of listening to their games.
ESWAP ecosystem: dedicated packs of modules, plus replacement modules
Like its predecessor, the ESWAP X PRO CONTROLLER features a unique ecosystem of modules for customization without limits, officially licensed by Microsoft. This ecosystem allows users to update the look of their gamepad and adapt its performance to their preference. With the goal of continuing to meet the needs of competitive gamers,, the ESWAP X PRO CONTROLLER lets users take advantage of super-soft, smooth grips — for the first time ever.
Thrustmaster is also pleased to offer different packs and modules to accompany the launch of the ESWAP X PRO CONTROLLER this year, allowing gamers to adapt their gamepad to their own individual needs and start fresh with new individual modules if necessary.
ESWAP X GREEN COLOR PACK and ESWAP X BLUE COLOR PACK:
Camo-inspired packs of modules for the ESWAP X PRO CONTROLLER, allowing users to expand their gaming comfort zone. Modules with new shapes and textures let gamers push their boundaries and take their gaming to the next level — with 7 modules, plus 2 additional mini-stick caps.
ESWAP X S5 NXG MINI-STICK MODULE:
Replacement next-generation mini-stick: start fresh if you lose or break your mini-stick module or if you’ve gotten through its lifespan.
ESWAP X D4XB D-PAD MODULE:
Replacement D-pad: start fresh if you lose or break your D-pad module, or if you’ve gotten through its lifespan of millions of activations.
ESWAP T-CASE:
The ESWAP T-Case hard-shell, lets gamers safely transport their gamepad wherever they’re going.
Thrustmapper: the constantly-evolving configuration software
The Thrustmapper software lets gamers configure important settings by creating customized presets specifically adapted for particular games or characters. These presets can be used on both Xbox and PC for perfectly seamless multi-platform use.
For the launch of the ESWAP X PRO CONTROLLER, Thrustmaster is also adding the ability to modify the shape of the dead zones curves for the left and right analog mini-sticks. Thrustmapper also offers other incredibly useful features for creating completely customized gaming presets — including configuring the sensitivity curves for the analog mini-sticks, the ability to remap buttons, and adjusting vibration levels.
ESWAP: an eSports leader in less than a year
Since its launch in 2019, the ESWAP range has won the favour of a large number of leading esports gamers across a variety of different games (FIFA, Rocket League, Call of Duty, NBA 2K and many others) and captured the attention of thousands of ranked gamers all around the world.
Thrustmaster is excited to enter the dawn of this new era, and a promising new year for eports and gaming, as one of the leading industry hardware brands of this generation.
Skunkape Games, a small indie developer made up of former Telltale Games employees, will release a remastered version of Telltale’s first episodic series, Sam & Max Save the World, for Nintendo Switch and PC on December 2. The game can be preordered starting today.
Originally released in 2006 and 2007 as Sam & Max Season One, this six-part adventure was widely considered the first successful episodic game. Skunkape acquired the rights after Telltale closed down in 2018.
