Gaming
Shoot for the Stars: Gimmick! Special Edition Bounces Onto Consoles and PC Starting July 6!
Bitwave Games, a video game publisher and developer specialising in retro entertainment and part of Embracer Freemode, announced today that the long-awaited platformer classic Gimmick! Special Edition will be jumping onto consoles and PC starting July 6, 2023!
First announced to much excitement in August 2022, Gimmick! holds a special place in the hearts of many a retro gamer, memorable for its loveable hero Youkai Yumetaro, incredible physics-based gameplay and astonishing graphics, which pushed the NES™ to its absolute limits. First launched in 1992 by platformer experts SUNSOFT, Gimmick! only initially launched in Japan and Scandinavia and remains a highly sought after title for retro gaming enthusiasts.
From July 6, 2023 gamers need wait no longer as Gimmick! Special Edition will be available for purchase via digital download on PlayStation®4, Nintendo® Switch™ and PC. Xbox gamers will also be invited to join the retro hysteria when Gimmick! Special Edition arrives shortly after.
For gamers who favour physical, Gimmick! Special Edition will be available on PlayStation®4 and Nintendo® Switch™ across the EU and North America later in the year.
Cherished by enthusiasts, Gimmick! has been rejuvenated with the highest levels of care and authenticity by developer City Connection, preserving the unmistakable finesse and gameplay which defines the game. For gamers new to this NES™ masterpiece, and those looking for a modern gaming experience, several quality-of-life improvements have been added which lovingly extends the appeal of the game.
Gimmick! Special Edition features Speed Run mode ideal for speedrunners who wish to show the world their skills. Alternatively, completionists can take their time and soak up their surroundings, hunting for secrets throughout the game and unlocking a surprise by finding every collectible the world of Gimmick! has to offer! For those craving a hard-core challenge, gamers can disable all quality-of-life features in Serious mode to crank up the challenge.
Achievements have been added so gamers can bask in their skills while showing off their high scores via the new Online Leaderboards. Platformer fans who find the world of Gimmick! too daunting to complete in a single sitting can save and reload their progress, rewinding the action to tame the more challenging sections of the game. With Gallery mode offering up a time capsule of box art, manuals and cartridges, enthusiasts will be sure to fall in love with this hidden gem all over again!
“Gimmick! is a special game that means a lot to the retro community and since announcing the project last year, City Connection, Bitwave Games and indeed everyone involved has worked tirelessly to ensure this legendary title is brought to a modern audience with the care and attention it deserves,” Niklas Istenes, Founder and CEO of Bitwave Games, commented, “It’s a true honor to be publishing one of my all time favorite video games. I hope both new players and veterans of the game will enjoy this trip to this fantastic world of Gimmick!”
Gimmick! Special Edition launches via digital download on July 6, 2023 and will be available from Steam®, Nintendo® eShop and PlayStation® Store, with the Xbox® version following shortly after. Physical editions of the game for Nintendo® Switch™ and PlayStation®4 will be available from leading retailers later this year.
Gaming
4Players and ODIN deliver cutting-edge voice chat for Gray Zone Warfare
The globally operating software company 4Players GmbH announces its partnership with MADFINGER Games, the developer behind the highly anticipated tactical first-person shooter Gray Zone Warfare. The collaboration aims to level up in-game communication by integrating 4Players’ next generation Voice Chat SDK, ODIN, into MADFINGER Games’ upcoming title.
MADFINGER Games’ goal is to create a complex and realistic gaming experience that allows players to embark on an adventure alone or in a team. To ensure excellent communication during tactical approaches, ODIN was the best choice for MADFINGER Games’ Technical Director Johanny Clerc-Renaud:
“Selecting ODIN as the voice chat in our upcoming title, Gray Zone Warfare, was a pivotal decision driven by both technical and business considerations. Technically, ODIN ticks a lot of our criteria with its support for spatial audio, a ready-to-deploy Unreal Engine 5 plugin and the ability to meet any player load thanks to their cloud hosting.
From a business perspective, the agility and openness of partnering with a company like 4Players meant we could work hand-in-hand to tailor the solution to our specific needs. This includes a seamless integration with Wwise, allowing us to modulate voice data for a more immersive and engaging player experience. Together, these factors made ODIN the undeniable choice for Gray Zone Warfare, enabling us to make our game even more memorable.”
By natively integrating ODIN Voice Chat into Unreal Engine 5, MADFINGER Games’ developers could focus on creating ultra-realistic game content instead of managing complex data sets. By leveraging ODIN’s scalable cloud hosting, MADFINGER Games can also ensure seamless service delivery to players worldwide, improving accessibility and the gaming experience.
With features such as real-time 3D spatial audio – including audio occlusion and ambient effects – for the global voice chat as well as full-volume radio communication, ODIN sets a new standard for multiplayer engagement and promotes immersive and crystal-clear interactions between players. This level of immersive communication not only enhances gameplay, but also strengthens the social fabric in the gaming community.
“ODIN represents the future of in-game communication. We combine cutting-edge technology with decades of expertise in the gaming industry to create a product that is fun and designed to improve gamers’ communication,” says Phillip Schuster, CEO at 4Players GmbH. “We are excited to be working with MADFINGER Games to further optimize the immersion of Gray Zone Warfare. The partnership highlights our shared goal of driving social interaction and creating a unique gaming experience.”With the release of Gray Zone Warfare for Early Access on 30th April 2024, players will experience unparalleled realistic gaming communication with ODIN.
Gaming
Phoenix Games acquires PopReach Games along with its impressive games portfolio and over 100 employees
Phoenix Games, a global gaming enterprise specializing in the acquisition and enhancement of game studios, is thrilled to announce the acquisition of PopReach Games, a live operations studio based in Bengaluru, India, from Ionik for a total aggregate purchase price of up to US$9.8 million, financed from cash reserves. Together with the studio, Phoenix takes over a broad portfolio of free-to-play games that boasts more than 420 million lifetime downloads.
This transaction substantially diversifies the Phoenix portfolio by including globally recognized IPs and beloved free-to-play titles on different platforms, such as Smurf’s Village, Smurf’s Magic Match, Gardens of Time, Kitchen Scramble games, Kingdoms of Camelot, and War of Nations as well as the Brain Training app Peak..
The acquisition of PopReach Games India strengthens Phoenix Games’ global presence and adds a dedicated workforce of more than 100 employees from the Indian studio.
“The acquisition of PopReach Games signifies a remarkable enhancement of our portfolio, introducing not just a team of 100 passionate professionals but also a suite of globally acclaimed IPs and games that continue to captivate millions,” states Klaas Kersting, CEO of Phoenix Games. “We look forward to elevating these games to new heights with our proprietary Uplift platform and exciting new game experiences that we can craft around them.
Echoing this sentiment, Jairaj NS, General Manager at PopReach Games India, shares, “I am excited about joining forces with the stellar team at Phoenix Games. This marks the beginning of an exciting journey we can’t wait to embark on with Phoenix as our new home. This is great news for all the stakeholders, especially for the millions of our loyal players across the globe. I am happy we have found a new ideal home for our globally acclaimed games. This partnership enables us to continue pouring our hearts and souls into creating unforgettable experiences for our players worldwide and create value for stakeholders.”
Ted Hastings, CEO of Ionik, adds: “It’s truly remarkable that we’ve discovered the perfect home for our former games division, PopReach Games India, with Phoenix Games, ensuring a promising and successful path ahead. This strategic move enables us to turn our full attention to our core responsibilities”.
Based in Karlsruhe, Germany, Phoenix Games boasts an impressive lineup of studios, including Upright Games, Sixteen Tons Entertainment, Well Played Games, Smileygamer, and the recent addition of Canadian developer Sad Panda Studios in November 2023.
Utilizing its proprietary Uplift platform, Phoenix Games enhances the financial performance and reach of the titles of acquired game studios, providing their expertise in user acquisition, ad monetization, and live operations to ensure an economic upswing.
Gaming
Midjiwan Supports Reforestation Efforts With New Elyrion Tribe Skin In The Battle Of Polytopia
Midjiwan, the award-winning independent studio behind The Battle of Polytopia, is celebrating Elyrion (∑∫ỹriȱŋ) Tribe Week with a brand-new Midnight (₼idŋighţ) skin and donations to support reforestation.
Tapping into the Elyrion Tribe’s nature magic abilities, every purchase of an Elyrion item in the game will plant one real-world tree from April 22-28 2024. Midjiwan has teamed up with The Canopy Project, an organisation that works with global partners to reforest areas in urgent need of rehabilitation, combining The Battle Of Polytopia’s themes with a desire to make real change in the world. Previous years of Elyrion Tribe Week have resulted in the planting of over 12,000 trees.
The Elyrion Tribe is a mysterious group of elves, dedicated to defending their woodland home with their unique magic and connection with nature. Players using the Elyrion tribe have the ability to enchant animals into Polytaurs and summon powerful Fire Dragons.
Christian Lövstedt, General Manager at Midjiwan, commented:
“This is a hugely exciting partnership, allowing players to support the planet and contribute to reforestation whilst also accessing brilliant new content to use in The Battle Of Polytopia.”
Alongside donating to The Canopy Project, The Battle Of Polytopia also boasts a brand-new skin for the Elyrion Tribe! The Midnight skin allows players to create graves, build crypts, and summon demons in dark forests, all in service of the mysterious Shard of D’Naeh.
The Midnight skin re-skins the entire Elyrion Tribe as the Midnight Cult. Everything the Elyrion Tribe is all about – nature, enchantment, and sanctuary – is turned on its head, corrupted into a dark, twisted dystopia of itself.
Midjiwan has already invested €250,000 in solar power projects in rural areas around Africa, and other charitable projects. The studio continues to seek opportunities to combine its in-game creativity with real-world benefits. The Battle of Polytopia is available on Nintendo Switch, the App Store, Google Play, PC, and Tesla cars.
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