KONAMI dates Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 for Australia
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Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. has used the annual gamescom event to announce that its heralded Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 will be released for PlayStation®3, Xbox 360® and Windows PC in the UK on March 6th.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is the sequel to 2010’s hugely acclaimed resurrection of the vampiric series, and builds on its critically acclaimed predecessor in every way. Following extensive consultation with Castlevania’s enviable fan base, the sequel expands upon the acclaimed epic with a new storyline, villains and visuals. It also boasts a wealth of key additions that will provide a more open world and immersive experience, as players assume the role of Dracula, who has been resurrected in the present day and charged with defeating a powerful threat as old as time itself…

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 picks up where the first game shockingly concluded, with Dracula in modern times weakend and yearning for release from his immortal bonds. Zobek his old ally makes him an offer in return for his help against Satan who is returning to the world to bring about the apocalypse and settle an old score for his defeat all those years ago.

The world of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 breaks new ground for the series, offering for the first time a truly open play area, which can be freely explored. Despite its modern setting, the game’s city shows a Gothic legacy that harks back to Dracula’s past, and is inhabited by a varied menagerie of Satan’s hordes. Players can freely wander the city, returning to previously explored areas as they accrue new abilities, while an all-new fully moveable camera allows users to pan around as they explore, highlighting the wonderful art direction the series is famous for.

The central combat elements have also been thoroughly enhanced, with the addition of a Void Sword that is used to steal life force from stricken foes, and Chaos Claws that can smash through even the strongest protection. These also tie in with Dracula’s ability to strengthen his powers using the blood of his foes, allocating the resources he collects to build up specific skill attributes. Thus, from his weakened state, the player can determine the attributes that will assist him in his quest.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 marks the conclusion of KONAMI and MercurySteam’s grand story, and is a suitably epic tale of evil and redemption. Every aspect of the game is bigger, bolder and deeper than its predecessor, while the scale of the game expands not just in terms of the sprawling city that Dracula explores, but within a quest that features more complex Titan battles; a wider range of foes, each necessitating a particular strategy to defeat; and an ultimate confrontation with the most heinous of adversaries.

“So now we come to the conclusion of the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow story,” said Dave Cox, Producer on the title and Studio Head of European Production at Konami Digital Entertainment. “As such, we have gone all-out to create a fitting climax to one of the most warmly-welcomed series resurrections to date. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is bigger, more epic and more challenging – and tells a tale that will live on in video game lore forever.”

KONAMI’s game-changing football classic returns in all-new form with new Champions League cover, demo timing and DLC content revealed
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KONAMI Digital Entertainment B.V. has confirmed it will release the genre-redefining PES 2014 in Australia on September 26th on PlayStation®3 as a physical and downloadable title, Xbox 360® and Windows PC. The PES Productions studio has also announced demo details which will showcase a new take on football and launch following the gamescom event in Cologne.

PES 2014, which has been nominated for Best Sports Game at the Cologne showcase, ushers in a new era of football gaming, combining the celebrated FOX engine with unique new football systems which have allowed the development team to rework every aspect of the title. The PES team’s aim is to convey the ebb and flow of a real top-level match, from the way players look and move, through to the effect a disenchanted or galvanized crowd can have on the team and individuals. This will also be showcased in a new trailer set to debut at gamescom, with a special ‘Giant Killing’ montage showing the ‘Heart’ system in action.

At PES 2014’s epicenter lies the all-new Trueball Tech, wherein the ball reacts as a separate entity and is not tied in to the movements of the player. Instead, barycentric physics allow the user to control the weight shifting movement of players independently, creating true to life one-on-one situations. A new Motion Animation Stability System (MASS) ensures realistic contact and jostling between individuals with multiple outcomes for both the players and the ball making for a much freer and less predictable gameplay experience. This level of realism is also extended into the way players move, the way teams play, and even down to an incredible aesthetic level, wherein the distinctive weaves on their shirts can be seen.

As befits a major new era for the PES series, KONAMI has also unveiled a unique cover approach for the game. With KONAMI the exclusive holders of the UEFA Champions League competition, the game’s packaging will highlight PES 2014’s replication of the competition, rather than concentrating on players. PES embodies the aspirations, skill and determination that shine through in Europe’s premier club competition, and the new packshot uses the globally familiar iconography of the tournament. The packshot will be used across Europe and in US as well as Australia.

The release of the game will be preceded by a playable demo, which will be available from September 11th .on PS3 and the following day for Xbox 360. The demo will be fully representative of the final game, allowing users to play as several teams within a full match scenario, and to experience the individuality PES 2014 offers in terms of player movement and skill. The demo will also include a tutorial element, to help familiarize users with the overhauled controls.

KONAMI has also detailed a raft of DLC elements for the new game, with a number of pre-order elements confirmed. Those pre-ordering PES 2014 from certain retailers will be given DLC codes to add exclusive Classic European and Latin American kits to the main game. These include famed sides such as Benfica, Manchester United, AS Roma and AC Milan. Additional digital pre-orders and digital purchasers post-launch will be able to access a limited release DLC, which will add third kits for teams such as Manchester United and Juventus, and multiple Latin American 3rd kits.
Roster updates, new kit elements and additional DLC will also be regularly available during PES 2014’s lifespan.

PES 2014 will be released for PlayStation®3, Xbox 360® and Windows PC on September 26th. Versions for PlayStation®2 and PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) will follow. Please check with named stockists for details of pre-orders and DLC elements.

Sydney, Australia – Aug. 21, 2013– Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) today announced that EA SPORTS™ is bringing legendary footballers such as Pelé, Patrick Vieira, and Ruud Gullit, to FIFA 14 Ultimate Team to the Xbox 360® and Xbox One®, the all-in-one games and entertainment systems from Microsoft. Fans will be able to craft their FIFA 14 Ultimate Team with a mix of legendary players playing alongside today’s football stars. Each Legend will have unique attributes that will showcase the skills and flair that made them legendary at the height of their careers, and will be randomly included in Gold Packs in FIFA 14 Ultimate Team beginning with the launch of the Xbox One.

Microsoft announces Fable Legends and European launch bundles alongside Xbox One launch lineup, including new gameplay for highly anticipated blockbusters like Forza Motorsport 5, Ryse: Son of Rome, Dead Rising 3 and Killer Instinct

Today at gamescom, the world’s biggest gaming show in Cologne, Germany, Microsoft announces new content for EA SPORTS™ FIFA 14 only on Xbox, unveils a new map and multiplayer mode for Call of Duty®: Ghosts and new details on the Independent Developers @ Xbox program (ID@Xbox), which enables game developers of all shapes and sizes to build, publish and sell their games digitally on Xbox One. In addition, Microsoft unveils the full launch lineup for Xbox One and offers hands-on with a slew of hotly anticipated blockbusters, including Forza Motorsport 5, Ryse: Son of Rome, Kinect Sports Rivals and Killer Instinct.

The Biggest Blockbusters are Better on Xbox One
Xbox announces today that legendary footballers will be playable in FIFA 14 Ultimate Team only on Xbox. This season, fans will be able to craft their FIFA 14 Ultimate Team with a mix of legendary players playing alongside today’s football stars on Xbox One and Xbox 360. Joining Xbox and EA SPORTS Senior Vice President and General Manager Matt Bilbey on stage to make the announcements, superstars Freddie Ljungberg and Ruud Gullit were confirmed as two of the first Legends to join FIFA 14 Ultimate Team. Throughout the season, additional Legends will be introduced to FIFA 14 Ultimate Team.

In addition, the award-winning team from Infinity Ward unveils a new multiplayer mode, Blitz, for Call of Duty: Ghosts. Tune in to Xbox Live this Wednesday, Aug. 21 at 11:00 AM PDT (18:00 GMT) for a deep dive into the game’s multiplayer, along with interviews, news and more. And don’t forget, gamers will get all downloadable content for Call of Duty: Ghosts first on Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

In partnership with Ubisoft, Xbox announced that Tom Clancy’s The Division, will also bring exclusive content to Xbox One. Specifically designed by the Ubisoft teams to deliver a truly next-generation experience, The Division is a gripping open world game that sees a classified unit of tactical agents fighting an epic conspiracy and combating the effects of a devastating man-made virus which sweeps through New York City. Powered by Ubisoft’s new game engine Snowdrop™, tailor-made for next-gen consoles, The Division achieves an entirely new level of gameplay quality.

Xbox Reveals Bundles for FIFA 14 and Call of Duty: Ghosts
Xbox also announces that all pre-order Xbox One consoles in launch countries in Europe this holiday will include a digital version of a blockbuster game and the first of these bundles will be the best-selling sports franchise FIFA 14 (available while stocks last). All pre-orders to date and pre-orders from today will include FIFA 14, while stocks last.

To make the launch of Xbox One even more exciting, Xbox is also teaming up with Activision and Infinity Ward to create an exclusive Call of Duty: Ghosts bundle across various European markets when the game is released in November. The bundle will also include special bonus content, exclusive to Xbox One.

Xbox One is the Best Place for Games, From AAA to Indies
Microsoft’s Independent Developers @ Xbox (ID@Xbox) program will make Xbox One home to the best and broadest selection of games, with an ever-expanding portfolio of innovative titles.

Xbox is committed to helping independent developers bring great new games to Xbox One, where every game will be easy to find in the new Xbox One Store – whether it’s the biggest blockbuster from a team of hundreds or a creative new title from an individual.

New features for Xbox One will bring games to the forefront, no matter who they are developed by:
· Trending will show what your friends and the community are playing
· Recommendations will highlight new games you may like, based on what you like to play
· Spotlight will showcase Editor Picks for great games across the entire store
· With Game DVR and Upload, gamers can instantly capture their favorite moments and edit and share them with their friends around the world
· Achievements and Challenges enable developers and the community to create special events out of games

The ID@Xbox program will offer game developers the same great benefits that existing Xbox developers have today, including the full power of the console, cloud services, Kinect and the Xbox Live toolset such as Xbox SmartGlass, multiplayer, Achievements, Gamerscore and more. A global support team, forums and local events will provide education and assistance to foster creativity and help developers with getting their games published on Xbox One quickly and easily.

Applications for the first phase of the Independent Developers @ Xbox program are accepted starting today. For more information on ID@Xbox and how to apply, visit: www.xbox.com/id.

Xbox One Announces Fable Legends and Cobalt as well as Blockbuster Launch Lineup
Microsoft Studios debuts a brand-new exclusive for Xbox One: Fable Legends from Lionhead Studios. With the next-generation capabilities of Xbox One, Fable Legends brings you back to Albion like never before. For the first time, up to four heroes can cooperatively play and explore, or even play the villain and mastermind the entire game in real time.

Also coming to Xbox One is award-winning Mojang’s highly anticipated Cobalt, an action-packed platform shooter, which features a multiplayer mode with up to eight players that lets you punch rockets and deflect bullets to win the day.

In addition, Microsoft unveils the full list of Xbox One launch titles, which includes the industry’s biggest blockbusters and most highly-anticipated exclusives. On launch day, fans will be able to enjoy titles from a diverse range of global developers and renowned studios. Xbox One launch titles include:

· Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag (Ubisoft, Ubisoft)

· Battlefield 4 (DICE, Electronic Arts)

· Call of Duty: Ghosts (Infinity Ward, Activision)

· Crimson Dragon (Grounding/Land Ho!, Microsoft Studios)

· Dead Rising 3 (Capcom Vancouver, Microsoft)

· FIFA 14 (EA Sports, Electronic Arts)

· Fighter Within (AMA Ltd., Ubisoft)

· Forza Motorsport 5 (Turn 10 Studios, Microsoft Studios)

· Just Dance 2014 (Ubisoft Paris, Ubisoft)

· Killer Instinct (Double Helix, Microsoft Studios)

· LEGO Marvel Super Heroes (TT Games, Warner Bros. Interactive)

· Lococycle (Twisted Pixel, Microsoft Studios)

· Madden NFL 25 (EA Sports, Electronic Arts)

· NBA 2K14 (Visual Concepts, 2K Sports)

· NBA LIVE 14 (EA Sports, Electronic Arts)

· Need for Speed: Rivals (Ghost Games, Electronic Arts)

· Peggle 2 (Popcap, Electronic Arts)

· Powerstar Golf (Zoe Mode, Microsoft Studios)

· Ryse: Son of Rome (Crytek, Microsoft Studios)

· Skylanders: Swap Force (Vicarious Visions, Activision)

· Watch Dogs (Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft)

· Zoo Tycoon (Frontier Developments Ltd., Microsoft Studios)

· Zumba Fitness: World Party (Zoë Mode, Majesco)

New Gameplay and First Hands-on with the Biggest Xbox One and Xbox 360 Exclusives
gamescom attendees will have the chance to experience how games are better on Xbox One through hands-on gameplay experiences with launch titles like Ryse: Son of Rome, Killer Instinct, Forza Motorsport 5 and Dead Rising 3, as well as other titles launching within the first year and beyond like Titanfall, Kinect Sports Rivals, Project Spark, and more.

Fans will have the chance to try out new multiplayer, Kinect, and SmartGlass gameplay features, as well as experience how the Xbox Live cloud will power a new generation of gaming.

More information on all the Xbox gamescom news is below, and can be found on Xbox Wire at http://news.xbox.com/. Be sure to keep an eye on Xbox Wire for more in-depth updates throughout the week.

SYDNEY, 21st August, 2013 – Polyphony Digital Inc., creator of PlayStation®’s best-selling Gran Turismo® franchise, has announced a unique partnership with a number of leading automotive manufacturers, design houses and other leading global brands. Design teams from Alfa Romeo, Alpine, Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Bertone, GM Design, Honda, Infiniti, Italdesign Giugiaro, JORDAN Brand, Mercedes-Benz, Nike, Nissan, Peugeot, SRT(Chrysler), Volkswagen and Zagato will create concept models giving a unique insight into the future of the automotive sector. Their designs will then be recreated as working cars for the new Gran Turismo®6 game due for release on 6th December, 2013. The initiative celebrates 15 years of the 70-million-selling franchise and is known as ‘Vision Gran Turismo’.

Vision Gran Turismo will include cars such as the BMW Vision Gran Turismo, an exclusive virtual concept derived from the BMW M genes. Volkswagen gave free rein to their designers to explore the future of the iconic Golf GTI with the Golf GTI Vision Gran Turismo. The Alfa Romeo 6C Biposto Vision Gran Turismo, created by the team responsible for the Alfa Romeo 4C, will celebrate an iconic model from the 1930’s. A bold glimpse into the future, the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo unites sensual purity with classic Mercedes-Benz design elements. Nike makes an intriguing foray into automotive design, following the company’s collaboration with Polyphony Digital Inc. on the design of the revolutionary concept vehicle, Nike ONE for Gran Turismo 4.

The cars will be released by Polyphony Digital from 2013 to 2014 as gifted downloadable content (DLC) to owners of Gran Turismo 6 through online update. Vision Gran Turismo has been developed as a ‘thank you’ to the franchise’s loyal fan base for its successful 15-year history.

Sports Interactive and SEGA® Europe Ltd. are delighted to announce a collaboration with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd. (SCEE) which will result in the release of a major landmark in the development of the Football Manager series, Football Manager Classic 2014 for PlayStation Vita.

FMC 2014 for PS Vita is the first game in the series’ long and successful history to allow cross-platform compatibility away from home computers, meaning that fans who own both FM 2014 (and play Classic mode) for PC, Mac or Linux and FMC 2014 for PS Vita will be able to carry on a single continuous game, whether they’re at home using their computer or out and about with their PlayStation Vita (or vice versa).

In addition, FMC 2014 for PS Vita will also be the first ever handheld game to feature FM’s acclaimed 3D Match Engine, adding an extra layer of realism and immersion that’s been unavailable in previous Football Manager games for handheld devices, alongside a pretty much identical feature set to Football Manager Classic on home computers.

“This is a hugely significant landmark for Football Manager,” says Miles Jacobson, Studio Director for Sports Interactive. “Not only are we today announcing a first for us, with a portable version of Football Manager Classic, but we’re also announcing the first game ever to provide cross-save between PC, Mac, Linux and PS Vita. Play the game at home, at work, at Uni, on the bus, on the train – wherever you want to, with the saved game stored in the cloud. Welcome to the future.”

“At PlayStation, many of us have longed for the full Football Manager experience on the go, so we’re absolutely thrilled to see Football Manager 2014 make its first full appearance on the PlayStation Vita,” says Shahid Ahmad, Senior Business Development Manager, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE). Speaking of the project, he adds: “We were especially thrilled to support the Sports Interactive team’s desire to create a seamless experience between Football Manager on a home computer and the PlayStation Vita. It’s always a pleasure working with our long-standing partners at SEGA and we’re looking forward to the fruit of this innovative collaboration between our companies.”

Football Manager Classic started life as a ‘slimmed down’ game mode in Football Manager 2013, specifically designed as an alternative, less time-consuming way for players to approach the game. The release of FMC 2014 for PS Vita marks the first time that it’s been released as a standalone game.
Produced with considerable support from SCEE, FMC 2014 for PS Vita has been co-developed by Sports Interactive, sister game development studio Hardlight (responsible for Sonic Dash and Sonic Jump) and Sheffield-based Little Stone Software.

“The creation of FMC 2014 for PS Vita has been a really positive advertisement for the value of collaboration,” adds Jacobson. “It was no mean feat to get a game as technically advanced as Football Manager onto a mobile device with the minimum of compromise and it’s taken a great deal of effort and ingenuity to make it happen. Everyone who’s worked on this game at SI, Hardlight, Little Stone and, of course, PlayStation has done an awesome job and I would like to say a huge thanks to them all for making what was originally a ‘wouldn’t it be good?’ type conversation between ourselves and PlayStation into reality.”

Football Manager Classic 2014 for PlayStation Vita will be published by SEGA and will be available as both a physical release and a digital download through the PSN store.