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Former Harmonix Devs Form ToneStone Music Making Platform

ToneStone, founded by former Harmonix chief creative officer Greg LoPiccolo and game industry veteran of Valve and Amazon Games Tom Leonard, is building a platform to enable anyone to easily make and share music. LoPiccolo (Guitar Hero, Rock Band) and Leonard (Half-Life 2, Left 4 Dead) are on a mission to change the way music is made, shared, and monetized by creating a platform that combines interactive game mechanics with intuitive and easy-to-use creation tools, plus direct community and social integration.

“We want anyone to be able to express themselves through music, to collaborate, and to share their music,” said Greg LoPiccolo, co-founder and CEO, ToneStone. “The last decade has seen key innovations to lower the barrier of entry for media creation and sharing across video, photos, and recently games, but there’s no music platform that combines being accessible, comprehensive and enjoyable. By bringing together what we have learned from games and interactivity to music, we believe ToneStone can enable that radical leap for the creator generation of music.”

ToneStone is designed to be highly approachable; people with little-to-no experience can begin creating music within seconds, instead of spending hours learning complicated software.

Leveraging the deep interactive entertainment background of its founders, ToneStone is integrating proven game mechanics to elegantly guide progression. Integrated progression and achievement systems will keep users engaged, and encourage exploration and experimentation. Multiplayer options will also allow users to create and modify tracks together simultaneously online.

Creators will be able to share their own music directly on social media platforms, or download the tracks for use in broadcasts, livestreams, VODs, interactive experiences and other projects. ToneStone allows shorter formats like loops and beats as well as complete songs. With community-driven source material made available to everyone, musicians will be able to monetize their work and build up their fanbases.

ToneStone is currently in private beta; early adopters can sign up here to try out the very early stages of the platform before launch. Already you can quickly create and share music, and over time game mechanics, multiplayer and the marketplace will be added. At launch, ToneStone will be a free download on Steam for PC and Mac.

For more information about ToneStone, or to sign up for the waitlist, please visit https://tonestone.com

Frostpunk 2 Announcement Trailer

11 bit studios is proud to announce Frostpunk 2 – the sequel to the highly acclaimed, BAFTA-nominated society survival city-builder. Frostpunk 2 is the first project to be revealed from the three in-house games that are currently being developed at the Warsaw-based company. In addition to the big reveal, you can try the original Frostpunk for free on Steam for a limited time during this coming weekend between August 12th and 16th.

In Frostpunk’s successor, players are once again tasked with playing as the leader of a resource-hungry metropolis where the expansion and search for new sources of power is an unavoidable reality. But the apocalyptic world has moved on. After the age of coal, conquering Frostland for the oil extraction industry is expected to be the new salvation of what’s left of humanity. However, change does not come easily, and not everyone in this new multi-layered society will welcome this new direction.

NERF: Legends Announcement Trailer

NERF: Legends, the new first-person blasting game inspired by Hasbro’s iconic NERF toy line, will release in October 2021 for PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, as well as on PC via Steam. Gear up with a wide array of authentic NERF blasters and battle in this action-packed experience featuring an exciting single-player campaign plus intense online multiplayer action for up to eight players.

NERF: Legends is a fast-paced, high-energy FPS that’s fun for all! Jump into a futuristic sci-fi world with a full array of iconic NERF blasters at your fingertips, and face off against legions of robots and their boss masters. Show off your skills with high-flying trick shots in single-player story action, or compete with your friends in online multiplayer to become the ultimate NERF legend.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Pull off amazing trick shots with 15 authentic NERF blasters from the Mega, Ultra and Elite lines, including new releases from 2021!
  • Intense single-player campaign featuring a variety of extreme enemies, boss battles and challenges across 19 out-of-this-world locations.
  • Supercharge your blasting with power-ups like magnetic pull darts, push darts, seeker darts, and slow darts to change the tide of battle.
  • Create your own custom character, and personalize your blasters with upgradeable perks and skins.
  • Test your might against real players in 4v4 team-based and eight-player free-for-all online multiplayer matches.

NERF: Legends is available to pre-order now at major retailers. For more on the game, visit nerflegends.com.

Naraka: Bladepoint Launch Trailer

24 Entertainment is excited to announce that NARAKA: BLADEPOINT has just landed on Steam and on the NARAKA: BLADEPOINT website, delivering a unique battle royale experience complete with unrestricted movement via grappling and parkour, along with deep, tactical melee combat to make each match exciting and intense as fighters spar for victory.

NARAKA: BLADEPOINT is taking battle royale to the next level with “Unchained Multiplayer Combat” — combining exhilarating melee action and unparalleled movement, through parkour, offering a dynamic verticality to gameplay. Whether clashing swords in head-to-head conflicts, or sniping unaware opponents from afar, fighting is fast and exhilarating in NARAKA: BLADEPOINT.

With this full release the fearsome Yoto Hime is joining the fight as a brand new hero, and a fiery chainsaw weapon has also been added alongside a new dagger to provide fresh offensive options. Additionally, those who played the beta will see map alterations and further optimisations to the battle royale experience, including a casual mode, when they jump into the game once more.

During its public beta test on Steam, the game accrued over a million participants and was in the top 5 most played games on the platform, and 24 Entertainment are ready for even more warriors to enter the battlefield.

The game is available to purchase now for the following price points:

Standard Edition: $19.99/ £17.99
Deluxe Edition: $34.99/ £30.99
Asura Streamer Themed Edition: $34.99/ £30.99
Ultimate Edition: $49.99/ £45.99

Find out more about NARAKA: BLADEPOINT at the links down below.

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous Features Trailer

Owlcat Games and META Publishing have released a new trailer for Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, inviting gamers to save a dark and gritty demon-infested world from ruin. After an incredible $2 million Kickstarter campaign and beta release, the console version of the game is set to launch in stores on March 1st, 2022 for Playstation 4 and Xbox One. To celebrate the console release date, a new trailer premiered during Microsoft’s Twitchgaming Showcase: ID@Xbox to reveal the main villain and the companion cast that can help the players on their journeys. In addition, details about new characters, gameplay mechanics, and mythic transformations were shown.

To fight against the demonic invasion, players choose a mythic path, which grants their character a unique set of skills as well as a distinct narrative arc – ultimately leading to their mythic transformation. As Commander, characters can become a celestial Angel, a raging Demon, a powerful Lich, a cunning Trickster, an otherworldly Aeon, a rebellious Azata, a wise Gold Dragon, an insatiable Swarm That Walks — or remain mortal and walk the arduous path toward becoming a living Legend. Mythic transformations allow characters to increase the rank of their chosen path to earn new skills and abilities, but also have a great impact on the world around them including Drezen, the biggest fortress of the game and its capital city.

The trailer showcases details about crusade mode, along with mounted combat and tactical combat game mechanics. Crusade mode enables players to select their general, change the size of their army, and explore the map of the world. It also shows how many movement points that are left, overall combat morale, army strength, and enemy strengths. Animal companions are useful for mounted combat, as they come with their own full-scale progression systems and levels of customization.

Owlcat Games and META Publishing are excited to remind that Pathfinder: The Wrath of the Righteous will launch worldwide on PC on September 2nd, 2021. Pre-orders are available on Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG for $49.99. Playstation 4 and Xbox One versions are slated for release on March 1st, 2022. Prime Matter, Koch Media’s premium gaming label, will distribute the physical console copies.

Fishing: North Atlantic – The Scallops DLC Launch Trailer

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…it actually is, and there are plenty ‘o delicious scallops just waiting for you to dredge up and get prepped for the dinner table. The Scallops DLC for Fishing: North Atlantic from developer Misc Games — is available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC via Steam and GOG! Of course, you don’t send a harpoon to do a dredge’s job (as scallops are much, much smaller than swordfish and thus far more difficult to spear), so the maritime masters at Misc Games have also included three brand new, fully licensed, and realistically detailed scallop fishing vessels — including the OG herself, Old Ben!

In order to harvest these tasty aquatic treats, players will need to learn the ins and outs of “dredging,” which is the use of perforated metal shovels that are dragged along the sea bed, filtering out water and sand, keeping the delectable shelled creatures for collection. Digital fishermen will begin this learning experience the way their predecessors did — by hand — on the mighty Old Ben, the original scallop ship located in the port of Yarmouth. Once they’ve mastered the basics, it’s time to climb the tech tree and begin to use more modern, less labor-intensive techniques and technology to get more scallops from the sea bed and into the Michelin-starred kitchens worldwide.

Of course, the process is a tad more complicated than simply dropping a dredge overboard and pulling up the beautiful bivalves. The Scallops DLC stays true to the hardcore simulation aspects of the base game, which means multiple realistic dredges, sensors, cranes, and of course, some good old-fashioned hands-on sorting!

Key Features of the Scallops DLC:

  • Three Brand New Ships: Old Ben, a $295,000 old-school scallop boat located in the Port of Yarmouth that holds 20,000kg with two crew. Ocean Scout, a medium-sized ship that’ll run you $1,695,000 in-game and can hold 100,000kg of cargo and 5 crew members, located in Lockeport. Viking Power, a massive monster of a scallop boat that costs $8,995,000, requires 6 crew, and comes equipped with two dredging arms!
  • I Sense a Scallop: Each of the three new ships utilizes a range of sensors to make fishing for scallops more efficient, including Depth from Ship, Catch Load, and Depth of Net, so you can keep a close on where the real treasure is and how much you’ve caught.
  • Get Your Hands Dirty: You can’t sell low-quality goods, and you’ll need to dive headfirst into sorting your catch, making sure to separate the high-quality meat from the…not so high-quality meat, and return the small specimens to the seabed to maintain sustainable fishing.

Published and developed by Misc Games, Fishing: North Atlantic is available now for PlayStation 4 and Windows PC via Steam for $34.99 USD, and Xbox One with a limited-time discount for $29.99 USD. The Scallops DLC is available on all platforms for $13.99 USD. Learn more at https://fishingnorthatlantic.com.

Gas Station Simulator Gets A Release Date and Trailer

Movie Games has the pleasure to announce that Gas Station Simulator, the creative simulation / management game by DRAGO entertainment, will be released on September 15th on Steam at $19.99, with a 10% launch discount. Console versions are scheduled for 2022. The game’s free prologue became a hit among streamers, with 10+ million total views on YouTube alone.

Visit the game’s Steam page

Gas Station Simulator is a game about renovating, expanding and running a gas station along a highway in the middle of an American desert. The players will clean, fix, paint, decorate, repair or buy new equipment, and start serving their customers, confronting different personas with varied expectations.

The game offers a huge amount of customization options as well as plenty of additional activities and minigames. One of its strongest features is emergent gameplay, stemming from high interactivity combined with a variety of random encounters.

I Am Dead Console Launch Trailer

I Am Dead, the charming puzzle adventure game with a heartfelt story about exploring the afterlife, is now available for PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. I Am Dead launched last October on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam to critical acclaim, and is now available on the current generation of consoles for a whole new audience.

Developed by Hollow Ponds and Richard Hogg, the creators best known for Hohokum and Wilmot’s Warehouse, and published by Annapurna Interactive, I Am Dead depicts the story of the recently deceased Morris Lupton, a museum curator on the beautiful island of Shelmerston. When Shelmerston is threatened by a volcanic eruption, Morris teams up with the ghost of his old dog Sparky to track down other ghosts and uncover secrets that will help them save their home.

Synth Riders Launch Trailer

Get your groove on with 54 fantastic, licensed songs of various genres to choose from in the base game and 25 additional songs available as paid DLC from bands like Muse, The Offspring, and Caravan Palace. Perform your best dancing moves on the 13 amazing stages in two game modes that you can spice up with modifiers. But most of all, there’s a ton of fun awaiting PS VR players in one of the best VR dancing games out there!

Synth Riders is now available on the PlayStation Store (https://store.playstation.com/concept/235392, where you can get either the base game or one of the fantastic bundles offered by the developer:

  • Synth Riders (base game): $24.99 / 24.99€ with a 20% Launch Discount for PS+ Members
  • Synth Riders + Caravan Palace Music Pack (special edition): $29.99 / 29.99€, with a 20% Launch Discount for PS+ Members
  • Synth Riders + Complete Music Collection (special edition): $52.99 / 49.99€, with a 20% Launch Discount for PS+ Members
  • 5 Music Packs, each available for $7.99 / 7.99€
  • 25 individual songs, each available for $1.99 / 1.99€

“We’re super happy that PS VR players can finally join the amazing Synth Riders community and start their dance-action journey through immersive, artistic, retro-futuristic environments, with movements choreographed to our diverse soundtrack of licensed music,” said Abraham Aguero Benzecri, the Creative Director at Kluge Interactive. “We also have fantastic news for those who like to play together! We are working on bringing Multiplayer Mode to Synth Riders on PS VR, and we will add it as a free update for PS+ members. Keep practicing your best dance moves so you’ll be ready to join the party once this feature becomes available!” He added.

Lawn Mowing Simulator Launch Trailer

Are you ready to get mowing? Curve Digital and Skyhook Games are delighted to announce that Lawn Mowing Simulator, a stunning mowing simulator and detailed business management game set in the British countryside, is out today on PC and Xbox Series S|X.

The game is available now with 15% off on PC and Xbox from today until 24th August 2021.

David Harper, Co-founder of Skyhook Games said: “Lawn Mowing Simulator is lawn-mowing at its absolute best! Mowing a lawn well and efficiently is something we find immensely satisfying – and we think other people feel the same way, so we’re really excited that people now get to play Lawn Mowing Simulator in all its glory.”

“We’d like to thank our wonderful community who have supported us through the development of the game, sharing their invaluable feedback on our Discord server. We’ve been blown away by the positive sentiment and have worked incredibly hard to make the game as good as it can possibly be for launch and beyond. We hope everyone enjoys playing Lawn Mowing Simulator as much as we’ve enjoyed making it and we’re looking forward to more content to come in the future!”