Nintendo Reveals New Partnerships And First Indie Games Coming To Nintendo eShop On Nintendo Switch

Nintendo Reveals New Partnerships And First Indie Games Coming To Nintendo eShop On Nintendo Switch

NINTENDO REVEALS NEW PARTNERSHIPS AND FIRST INDIE GAMES COMING TO NINTENDO eSHOP ON NINTENDO SWITCH

More than 60 quality indie games confirmed for Nintendo Switch throughout 2017

1^st March 2017 – The Nintendo Switch console launches on 3^rd March, and people can expect an exciting line-up of games on Nintendo eShop for day one and beyond. Nintendo has been working closely with independent publishers and developers to deliver a steady flow of unique and original experiences to Nintendo eShop.

More than 60 quality indie games are confirmed for Nintendo Switch this year alone, and many games take advantage of unique Nintendo Switch features, including multiple play modes (TV mode, handheld mode, tabletop mode), flexible control options, local and online multiplayer*, and innovative Joy-Con functionality like HD rumble. In a Nintendo Switch Nindies Showcase video, Nintendo highlighted some of these games that are in development.

To view the Nintendo Switch Nindies Showcase video in its entirety, visit the Nintendo Australia and New Zealand YouTube channel. Along with Nintendo Switch exclusives and timed exclusives, some of the highlights revealed in the video include:

• Runner3 from Choice Provisions: Runner3 continues the joyous adventures of CommanderVideo from BIT.TRIP RUNNER and Runner2. Players will encounter quests, branching paths, item shops, new Retro Challenges, new character moves, new dance moves, and a roster of characters that somehow manages to rival the strangeness of Runner2. The game is scheduled to launch exclusively for Nintendo Switch this spring.
• SteamWorld Dig 2 from Image & Form Games: In the sequel to the award-winning original you must dig deep, gain riches and explore an underworld riddled with danger. The game is scheduled to launch this winter.
• Yooka-Laylee from Team17 and Playtonic Games: Explore huge, beautiful worlds, meet an unforgettable cast of characters and horde a vault-load of shiny collectibles as buddy-duo Yooka (the green one) and Laylee (the wisecracking bat with the big nose). The buddy-duo platformer is coming to Nintendo Switch soon, with multiplayer functionality perfect for the system.
• Blaster Master Zero from Inti Creates: The same elements that made the original Blaster Master a hit are back, including side-scrolling vehicular combat, top-down adventuring and a huge sci-fi landscape, in addition to a host of new and improved gameplay systems. The game includes a two-player mode and will have numerous character cameos coming soon. Blaster Master Zero launches exclusively on both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS family systems in March.
• Pocket Rumble from Chucklefish Games and Cardboard Robot Games: This deep 2D fighter makes players want to throw down, anywhere, anytime. The battles get even more intense with the inclusion of HD rumble: when players get hit by a weak attack, it’ll feel very different from getting rocked by a strong one. The game is scheduled to launch as a console exclusive for Nintendo Switch in March.
• Flipping Death from Zoink Games: Welcome to Flatwood Peaks, a small whimsical town with a problem – Death is on vacation. Play as Penny and help the ghosts with their peculiar problems on The Otherside. This puzzling adventure game is scheduled to come to Nintendo Switch later this year.
• Mr. Shifty from tinyBuild and Team Shifty: Shift through bullets, and master lightning-fast takedowns in a new kind of action game. Mr. Shifty follows a teleportation-fuelled heist to break into the world's most secure facility. Shift through walls, through bullets, cover huge distances and be everywhere at once. One shot kills. Survive on skills. HD rumble allows players to feel every punch, shot and crash. The game is scheduled to launch first on Nintendo Switch this April.
• WarGroove from Chucklefish Games: This turn-based strategy game offers local and online** matches for one to four players. The game is scheduled to launch later this year.
• Stardew Valley from Chucklefish Games and ConcernedApe: Nintendo Switch will be the first console to support the game’s new multiplayer feature. The open-ended, country-life RPG is scheduled to launch this winter.
• Shakedown Hawaii from vBlank: This 16-bit spiritual successor to Retro City Rampage aims to be twice as good with twice the bits. From the boardroom to the streets, Shakedown Hawaii parodies big business and the white collar crimes that go alongside. Build your empire, monopolize the markets and collaterally re-zone the island’s destructible sandbox. It’s scheduled to launch first on Nintendo Switch this April.
• Graceful Explosion Machine from Vertex Pop: Skilfully pilot the advanced Graceful Explosion Machine (GEM) fighter while blasting swarms of crystalline enemies with your ludicrously overpowered quad-weapon array. This side-scrolling arcade shooter features HD rumble support, which means players will really be able to feel those machines explode. The game is scheduled to launch this April.
• Tumbleseed from aeiowu: A small seed heads up a mountain to save his home in this physics-based puzzle game. More than 30 unique upgrades help the seed overcome challenges and enemies. HD rumble means players will feel seeds traversing across the screen. The game is scheduled to launch on Nintendo Switch this autumn.
• Overcooked: Special Edition from Team17 and Ghost Town Games: In Overcooked, players must journey through a variety of cruel and unusual kitchens on their quest to become master chefs capable of conquering an ancient edible evil which plagues the land. Play solo or engage in classic, chaotic couch co-op for up to four players in both co-operative and competitive challenge modes. The special edition features the original game, plus all of the DLC. HD rumble integration means players can feel every chop through a tomato and the slosh of soup in a pot. Overcooked: Special Edition is coming later this year.
• The Escapists 2 from Team17: The sequel to the hugely popular prison escape series supports drop-in/drop-out co-op for up to four players***. Players can tie together knotted sheets and use them to climb down high windows in new multi-level prisons and find other new ways to make a break for freedom. The Escapists 2 is coming later this year.
• GoNNER from Raw Fury and Art In Heart: GoNNER is a score-based, procedurally generated platformer with roguelike elements. GoNNER is also a story about friendship between Ikk, Death and a space whale named Sally. The console version of the game launches first on Nintendo Switch with additional content tailor-made for the console later this year.
• Kingdom: Two Crowns from Raw Fury and Noio: In Kingdom: Two Crowns, attend to your domain, border to border, or venture into the wild to discover its wonders and threats. First revealed today, two players can come together in co-op mode to rule a kingdom. Their choices bring hope or despair to their subjects. The game is scheduled to launch later this year.
• Dandara from Raw Fury and Long Hat House: Dandara has awoken to reshape the world. In this strange world of quirky characters, nothing is as it seems. In this bizarre, gravity- bending world with hidden beauty, it's up to Dandara, jumping from surface to surface, to restore order and direct a directionless world. The game is scheduled to launch on Nintendo Switch this winter with exclusive features and functionality, including HD rumble support.

To access Nintendo eShop, a system update that will be available on launch day is required. The system update downloads in the background, is designed to install quickly and doesn't disrupt gameplay.

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands - A World With No Heroes

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands - A World With No Heroes

DISCOVER ‘A WORLD WITH NO HEROES’ EXPERIENCE WEBSITE & EXPLORE THE WILDLANDS.

SYDNEY, AUSTRLIA — March 1, 2017 — Ubisoft has announced that the Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands ‘A World With No Heroes’ experience website is now available allowing all fans to discover the full map of the Wildlands.

To view the trailer click the image below

‘A World With No Heroes’, a digital experience available on mobile and desktop* let’s players discover the vast and living open-world of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands before the Ghosts’ arrival in Bolivia. Composed of 50 cameras displayed into the full in-game 3D map, ‘A World With No Heroes’ allows players to witness suspicious activities and recon various intel across the 21 various provinces of the game as the Cartel takes control. By collecting enough information, players will get rewarded with an in-game bonus pack, including customization badges and limited XP booster for the main game. The experience is available** from  https://noheroes.ghostrecon.com/en-GB/index.html

Set in the largest action-adventure open world ever created by Ubisoft, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands takes place in Bolivia, a few years from now, as the country has been turned by the vicious Santa Blanca drug cartel into a narco-state. Players are tasked with eliminating the cartel by any means necessary. The massive and responsive open world encourages a variety of playstyles allowing players the freedom to choose how they execute any and all missions.

New Alien Covenant trailer drops

New Alien Covenant trailer drops

A brand new trailer for Alien Covenant has just been released.

Take a look at the Ridley Scott helmed Alien Covenant below:

Critically Acclaimed 'The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series - A New Frontier' Now Available at Retail

Critically Acclaimed 'The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series - A New Frontier' Now Available at Retail

Critically Acclaimed  'The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series - A New Frontier'  Now Available at Retail Series Continues with Episode 3: 'Above the Law' Arriving in March

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Feb. 28, 2017 -- Leading publisher of digital entertainment Telltale Games and Robert Kirkman's Skybound Entertainment, announced today that the critically acclaimed The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series - A New Frontier is now available on a special season pass disc at retail.   Beginning today at North American retailers, and March 3rd at European retailers, The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series - A New Frontier is available for purchase on a special Season Pass Disc for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles. The season pass disc includes the critically acclaimed two-part premiere episodes, and grants access to all subsequent episodes in the five episode season for download as they become available.  The two-part premiere of The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series - A New Frontier launched to widespread critical acclaim. In their review of the premiere, IGN.com said that, "Smart characterization and writing for Javi and his family, plus the return of Clementine, add weight to a largely unfamiliar but already engaging new frontier that I can't wait to continue to explore," adding that its "uncharted territory feels familiar and, excitingly, fresh." GamesRadar said that A New Frontier, "demonstrates the resonant power of interactive storytelling," and that it, "finds the right balance between rewarding longtime players who've shaped their own version of the story and welcoming those who might be hopping aboard this grim adventure for the first time." Game Informer said the two-part premiere has, "shocking deaths, intense betrayals, and split-second decisions to second-guess," claiming that "Everything leads up to a hell of a cliffhanger, making me intrigued to see what happens next."  The series is set to continue with the much-anticipated Episode 3: 'Above the Law' debuting later in March. Look for more details on the episode in the coming weeks.  When family is all you have left... how far will you go to protect it? Years after society was ripped apart by undead hands, pockets of civilization emerge from the chaos. But at what cost? Can the living be trusted on this new frontier? As Javier, a young man determined to protect his family, you meet a young girl who has experienced her own unimaginable loss. Her name is Clementine, and your fates are bound together in a story where every choice you make could be your last.   The Walking Dead: A New Frontier acts as both a new beginning for players fresh to the series and unfamiliar with Clementine, as well as a continuation for players who have experienced Seasons One and Two. Players new to the series are able to start a story that is tailored to this new beginning. Players continuing onward from prior seasons have multiple options for quickly configuring their tailored backstory, or importing past save files from various platforms.   The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series - A New Frontier Episode One: 'Ties That Bind' Part I is rated 'M' (Mature) for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, and Use of Drugs by the ESRB. Episode Two: 'Ties That Bind' Part II is rated 'M' (Mature) for Violence, Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, and Strong Language by the ESRB. Future content in the season is yet to be rated.   To date, The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series has sold more than 50 million episodes worldwide, earning more than 100 Game of the Year awards from outlets including Metacritic, USA Today, Wired, Spike TV VGAs, Yahoo!, The Telegraph, Mashable, Polygon, Destructoid and GamesRadar, and was also the recipient of two BAFTA Video Games Awards for Best Story and Best Mobile Game.    The Walking Dead is set in the world of Robert Kirkman's award-winning comic book series and offers an emotionally-charged, tailored game experience where a player's actions and choices affect how their story plays out across the entire series.

GTA Online Stunt Race Event: New Races, Double Cash, Unlockable Stunt Suit & More

GTA Online Stunt Race Event: New Races, Double Cash, Unlockable Stunt Suit & More

Suit up, strap in and get ready for the 2017 GTA Online Stunt Race Event, featuring 15 brand new Stunt Races plus Double GTA$ & RP across the full spectrum of Rockstar Created and Rockstar Verified Stunt Races. Find the Stunt Series icon to quickly jump straight into the racing action and claim the dashing Pink Jock Cranley endorsed Stunt Jumpsuit just for logging in.

NEW ROCKSTAR CREATED STUNT RACES

All the hair-raising thrills and stomach-churning twists from Stunt Races are back and bigger than ever with 15 brand new Rockstar Created tracks. You'll race up glass towers, plummet through clouds, dodge turbines and clatter though bowling pins on your way to the finish line. We've updated the in-game Stunt Series on your map with these new Races, but you can also bookmark them individually on Social Club using the links below:

Green Machine | In The City | Raton | Around The Docks | Pier Race | Big Drop | Trench III | Spinner | 45° | Mountain Drop | Gauntlet | Plummet II | Big M | Lift Off| Wall Climb

To reward adrenaline junkies for their bravery (and lunacy), we're offering Double GTA$ & RP on all Rockstar Created and Verified Stunt Races from today through March 13th.

STUNT IN STYLE

There's no point in barrel-rolling through a ring of fire while flipping off your adversaries unless you look the part while you're doing it. Tackle the new Stunt Races in style with the Pink Stunt Jumpsuit, a free unlock for all who log onto GTA Online at any point between now and March 13th.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE

Since we're celebrating the arrival of 15 new Stunt Races, it only makes sense to discount some of the hallmark vehicles and clothing of Cunning Stunts now through March 13th. Enjoy 25% off the following: 

• Annis RE-7B 
• Emperor ETR1 
• Vapid Desert Raid
• Vapid Trophy Truck 
• Obey Omnis 
• Lampadati Tropos Rallye 
• Liveries
• Stunt Tattoos 
• Stunt Clothing 

And for multi-tasking Stunt Racers with fledgling criminal enterprises, invest your hard earned 2x GTA$ into a Vehicle Warehouse for 25% off, which brings missions to steal and deal vehicles for a profit and unlocks access to Special Vehicles.

PREMIUM RACE SCHEDULE:

• 2/28 - 3/6: "Pier Race" (Locked to Super class vehicles)
• 3/7 - 3/13: "In The City" (Locked to Sports class vehicles)

Launch Premium Races through the Quick Job App on your in-game phone or via the yellow corona at Legion Square. Premium Races pay out GTA$ winnings for the top 3 finishers and all racers receive Triple RP.

TIME TRIALS SCHEDULE: 

• 2/27 - 3/5: "Up-n-Atom"
• 3/6 - 3/12: "Maze Bank Arena"

Set a Waypoint to the Time Trials marker on your map and enter via the purple corona, then beat the par time to reap sizable GTA$ & RP rewards.

Alliance French Film Festival Q&A with director Dorothée Basel

Alliance French Film Festival Q&A with director Dorothée Basel

Before settling in New Zealand with her Kiwi husband and two children in 2015, Dorothée Basel worked in film distribution and on festivals in England and Germany. With an M.A. degree in Film and English studies from the Free University of Berlin, Germany, Dorothée worked on the Semaine du Film Français, the French Film Festival, in Berlin for several years, showcasing French contemporary and classic cinema. Dorothée also has an extensive background in distributing and presenting repertoire, ‘classic’, cinema, especially from East Germany.

You've got quite a prestigious background in cinema abroad in Europe - how do we differ in approaches to film compared to there?

The main difference would probably be that in Europe you have an easier access to the films of other nations and cultures. The film choice at an arthouse cinema in the larger French or German cities would definitely be very wide and international. But then I was surprised and impressed to see how many foreign films make it to NZ screens. And the reception the Alliance Française French Film Festival receives here every year underlines that interest and open mindedness to other cultures and languages.
Having a bi-cultural background myself and working here in NZ representing a different culture but bringing it to a NZ audience, I wanted to put a focus on co-productions and francophonie in the Festival. A programme section such as ‘Across the Borders’ puts forward co-productions and a creative exchange between countries and cultures that also leads to a transformation of identity (for the characters in the films).

There's a focus this year on female directors - what are the talents in the programme this time and how do you feel movements like 52 Films by Women is helping to change things?

When I started selecting films for the programme I quickly noticed how many films were made by women directors. From original first feature films such as Baden Baden by Rachel Lang to award-winning Festival titles such as Things to Come by Mia Hansen-Løve (Best Director, Berlin 2016), there are films of all genres and topics. So putting these films in a section ‘Women to the Fore’ offers the chance to present some of the very talented women filmmakers working in France today, telling stories from a particular feminine point of view, films on unusual and strong women (150 Milligrams by Emmanuelle Bercot or In Bed with Victoria by Justine Triet). Across the other programme sections are another 6 films by women directors, so maybe making films in France and being a woman is something quite ‘normal’.
However raising awareness on gender inequalities, differences in access to jobs and education due to gender etc., remains important everywhere and in any professional field.
So specialised film festivals presenting films by women or campaigns such as #52FilmsByWomen help to raise awareness and also offer a platform for distinct female voices and point of views that otherwise might not get heard.

Rebecca Zlotowski is going to be a guest for screenings of Planetarium, what can we expect from the film and the Q&As?

Rebecca Zlotowski has a great talent for emotionally dense stories and impressive cinematography. This is particularly highlighted in her latest film Planetarium, set in Paris in the 1930s in the cinema milieu and starring Natalie Portman and Lily-Rose Depp (both fluent in French). The film offers a great story, convincing acting and beautiful set and costume design. Rebecca has quite a visionary approach to story telling and the mise-en-scène that will captivate the audience I am sure. The Q&As we will run at the screenings in Wellington (12 March) and Auckland (13 March) should be very inspiring. Furthermore Script to Screen and WIFT New Zealand offer a masterclass in Auckland (13 March) which will focus on a detailed discussion of the script of Planetarium and how to bring the script to the screen.
The attendance of a filmmaker from France means a lot to the Festival as it offers a unique chance to get in touch with the audience here and also build ties between the New Zealand and French film industry.

How do you rate France's film output at the moment, - is the industry starting to shape products based on their reactions to horrific events like what transpired at the Bataclan?

France’s film output remains one of the strongest worldwide. It’s the second largest film exporter after the USA and every year there are about 300 feature films produced.
The quality of French cinema is that it remains so diverse, offering a wide range of talents, producing films of all genres. And a credit given to French cinema in general is that the characters are often so real and credible. True stories are told about real people.
We have several films in the programme that tackle more challenging issues and reflect concerns of contemporary society today. I would like to mention here the ‘cinema engagé’ of the Dardenne brothers (The Unknown Girl) or the film A Decent Man by Emmanuel Finkiel. A first film not a direct answer to the Bataclan events, but a film that raises strong questions about violence and self justice.

I'm quite intrigued by your animated offering, Adama, what can you tell us about this?

The films offered this year in the section for the younger audience ‘Education Outreach’ are films that present rather serious issues. Be it mourning and growing up (My Mommy is in America), the First and the Second World War (Adama, Fanny’s Journey) or a difficult adolescence (Standing Tall, presented in cross-section with the main programme), the characters in the films have to face quite harsh realities. However, what all films have in common is an unshakable belief and optimism and the strength of friendship. The film Adama is particularly fascinating. Retelling an initiation story of a young African boy who travels to the war front of WW I in Verdun in search of his brother, the film brings a new perspective on the Great War. The colonial past is evoked, a different spiritual way of seeing the world is suggested and here again the strength of childhood beliefs are put forward. Technically the film is also very interesting, mixing drawing, painting, modelling and 3D techniques which add to the realism of the film.

You're travelling the breadth of the country, taking in some real differing centres. Outside of the metropolitan areas, how does the festival go down?

I find it fascinating to make a Festival not only aimed at the audience in the larger city but at an audience across New Zealand. From Auckland to Dunedin the Festival is presented in 12 cities. This wide network of Festival venues has partly been established through the presence of the Alliance Française and its French associations in 9 of these cities. However we experience that the reception of the Festival is particularly positive in the smaller centres where this event has clearly become an established date in the annual cultural calendar.

You must be expecting the Umbrellas of Cherbourg to be popular, given the success of La La Land…

It’s wonderful to see how a film genre such as the musical, so popular during the height of US studio cinema in the 30s-50s, can get a ‘rejuvenation’ and attract a new audience. Jacques Demy in his ‘comédies musicales’ of the 1960s brought the genre a daring step further, making a melodrama entirely sung and danced (all dialogue is sung), an opera of the everyday. Audiences can expect an explosion of colours and dance and a beautiful young Catherine Deneuve. Associating this classic in our programme with the modern Julie and the Shoe Factory (a musical and social comedy!) and also pairing a classic film noir (Le Doulos) with a modern genre example (Dark Diamond), offers the chance to shine a fresh light on classic cinema in general.

Give me your audience-pleasing 3 picks from the festival and explain why they will rate well with cinema-goers

There are of course films with ever-popular actors that will definitely appeal to a larger crowd: Omar Sy in Monsieur Chocolat, Dany Boon in Penny Pincher! and Gérard Depardieu in Saint Amour. On the actresses side, films with Isabelle Huppert (Things to Come), Nathalie Baye (Moka and It’s Only the End of the World) and Marion Cotillard (From the Land of the Moon and It’s Only the End of the World), films that should all be popular.
But I would like to mention here a few of the ‘feel good movies’ we have programmed: the very charming One Man and his Cow, a road movie on an Algerian farmer and his cow travelling by foot up to Paris; the romantic comedy Just to be Sure with François Damiens and Cécile de France that we show as a world premiere and the very entertaining Up for Love with Jean Dujardin and Virginie Efira.
But there are thrillers, films noirs, comedies, dramas, romances, films that offer to travel the world and a world of emotions and all en français bien sûr, I am sure everyone will find their favourite pick.

What is your top film and why?
This question is impossible to answer as I have at least one favourite in each programme section and this would already be 8 top films… Our opening and closing night films, The Odyssey and A Journey Through French Cinema maybe sum up all the richness French cinema and this year’s programme has to offer: moving stories, great actors, captivating cinematography and the continuity of film history, both guarantee an eventful journey.
But if I have to name just one film, I will go for Baden Baden by Rachel Lang: highly original, funny and serious, introducing new faces and talents, a film by a woman, a beautiful portrait of an everyday moment and deeper reflection on life.

How do you see the future of the French Film festival developing and what would you like to see next year?
The Festival has grown a lot over the last ten years, adding new venues and cities to the Festival circuit each year. We still do get new requests to play the Festival in other venues. An idea for 2018 could be to present a ‘Best of’ in selected additional venues.
Each year will of course request its new programming and artistic development. Looking at the emerging talents I see promising material for many Festivals to come.

Full details of the Alliance French Film Festival can be found here - allons-y!

Introducing Xbox Game Pass: Unlimited Access to Over 100 Games

Introducing Xbox Game Pass: Unlimited Access to Over 100 Games

Today, Xbox announced a new gaming subscription service called Xbox Game Pass, which gives you unlimited access to over 100 Xbox One and Xbox 360 backward compatible games on Xbox One for NZ$10.95 a month.

Xbox Game Pass will begin rolling out to select members of the Xbox Insider Program at 6 a.m. PST today, and will launch to the broader community later this spring - US. If you’re part of the Xbox Insider Program and would like to take the update right away, you’ll need to reboot your Xbox One; otherwise, Xbox Game Pass should appear on your dashboard within an hour or so.

A few things about Xbox Insider Program:

·         As is common with new features and programs going into preview, Xbox Game Pass will be an early build with some feature limitations and will not be on par with the final experience that will be available later this spring.

·         Most notable for users in the Xbox Insider Program will be a limited catalogue (i.e. approximately 20 titles in preview, many of them arcade) and potentially some slight tweaks to the user interface. Most AAA titles in the Xbox Game Pass catalogue will begin appearing in when the program launches to the broader Xbox community later this spring.

·         You can expect to run into bugs while in the Xbox Insider Program. Note that the main focus of Preview is to test features and report bugs so the team can refine the experience before it launches broadly.

·         Xbox Game Pass will initially launch to the Xbox Insider Program without full localisation, meaning the product description and channel names will appear in English. When the program launches to the broader Xbox community later this spring, the product description and channel names will be localised appropriately.

Some of the great titles coming later this spring when Xbox Game Pass launches to the broader Xbox community include: “Halo 5: Guardians,” “Saints Row IV Re-Elected,” “NBA 2K16,” “Mad Max,” “LEGO Batman,” “Mega Man Legacy Collection,” “Terraria,” “Payday 2,” “Gears of War: Ultimate Edition,” “Fable III,” “SoulCalibur II” and “Tekken Tag 2.” Note that these titles will not be part of the Xbox Insider Program.