Gaijin Entertainment today announced that Update 1.47, titled "Big Guns", for the award-winning MMO WWII online game War Thunder is now live. Now War Thunder’s eight million players worldwide have access to a slew of new and improved features, including map improvements, graphical enhancements and additional armored vehicles and aircraft. To see the full list of new improvements and features, check out the official patchnotes: http://warthunder.com/en/game/changelog/current/414  

The name Big Guns signifies the arrival of the biggest vehicles from WWII to War Thunder: the formidable bomber B29 Superfortress, with a wingspan larger than some modern airliners, and the super-heavy tank, Pz.Kpfw.VIII Maus, which weighed an incredible 188 tons. Additionally, the USSR gets the early version of the legendary Il-2 Sturmovik, which has the most detailed armor modelling (30 individual components) on any plane in a flight sim to date and sets the new standard for future aircraft in War Thunder.

Overall, 14 new planes and tanks join the War Thunder arsenal. Plus, with Beta-testing for the American tank line-up now complete, all players can use more than 30 US WWII tanks in high intensity battles.

War Thunder ground battles become even more realistic with the addition of different terrains. Now tanks move faster over roads, but drift more and slow down when they hit mud or soil. Adding even more realism, the tanks actually slow down and start to chew up the earth, carving deep grooves in the tank’s path, and of course this off-road driving affects the vehicles’ appearance, leaving them covered in dirt and dust. Tank warfare becomes even more tactical now, as the straightest route isn’t necessarily the fastest one!  

Update 1.47 also sees the implementation of in-game items, which players can obtain in a number of ways, including daily login bonuses, special gifts, winning battles and through the in-game store. Players can use them immediately or store them for future use. Examples include boosters for research points for individual players or for the whole team, discounts for particular vehicles, chances to get premium planes or tanks and much more. Wagers are special items that allow players to set some conditions (e.g. several victories in the row) and get a huge reward if they succeed.

Of course this is not the complete list of new features that Update 1.47 “Big Guns” yields, as there are binocular views and driver cameras for more realistic tank game modes, operable canopies for aircraft, night lights and contrails for planes and improved performance and graphics quality for low-end PCs. For more details and to see the complete list of new and improved features, please check the developers blog and patchnotes.

Check out the latest trailer below

The team behind the BAFTA nominated OlliOlli have been puttting the final polish on their upcoming sequel, OlliOlli2, and have anounced release dated for Europe and the States today. OlliOlli2 will release on March the 3rd in North and South America and the following day in Europe. The game will be a cross-buy and cross-save purchase for the PS Vita and PS4. 

OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood boasts a stunning new look, monster new levels and flow, ramps, split routes and secret lines, not to mention a sick new selection of tricks and modifiers to help you finger your way to glory. Roll7 even had the foresight to launch with FULL leaderboards this time, which should keep glory hunters happy.

Tom Hegarty, Roll7 Director and Lead Producer, notes: ‘OlliOlli2 is all kinds of amazing. Fact. We are frothing at the fingers to get this badboy into people’s hands. So get skating and fall in love with slamming, again.’

The core Amateur mode is about 7 hours of gameplay, with Pro adding another 10 to that – with Daily Grind and Spots on top – that’s a huge amount of gameplay.  Add to that Combo-Rush and a Local Multiplayer mode coming very soon in a free update, there'll be plenty of content to grind your trucks along. 

Simon Bennett, Director of Shouting About Things, is all kinds of excited. ‘The tiny team here in Deptford has created some serious skatey magic, even though it’s 2D and was made by 10 people, it’s the best arcade skateboarding experience you will find anywhere, ever!”

Key Sequel Features:

• Manuals - chain together grinds to do massive level long combos.
• Ramps, Monster Air and Epic Hills – nail a slick new skate flow in Olliwood
• Split Routes and Hidden Lines - 5 Star levels by exploring all the possible routes
• Slick New Art Style – clean, vibrant new world to make your eyes smile
• Updated Tricktionary - allowing for more personal style; are you a grind switcher or a spinner?
• Reverts, Revert Manuals and Grind Switching – max-out your multiplier in all new ways
• Extended 18 song Soundtrack  - meticulously handpicked for your aural pleasure
• Combo Rush* – awesome four player local multiplayer mode (Coming soon!)

We've been watching the videos that Roll7 have been teasing out over the last few weeks and cannot waiit to get our hands on the game. Watch the main site for a review very soon.

Hot on the tracks of the recent Chi-Nu Kai tank, Wargaming today introduced the Imperial Steel update for World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition, bringing a brand new line of Japanese tanks to the game. Console tankers can now advance through the Japanese Tech Tree and engage the enemy on the newest map, “Sacred Valley”.

The Imperial Steel adds an impressive thirteen new vehicles to tanker arsenals. The Japanese Tech Tree will initially field two branches with nine medium and four light tanks available for battle. Players can now command the following light tanks: the R. Otsu, the Ha-Go, the Ke-Ni and the Ke-Ho. Additionally, powerful Japanese medium tanks roll into the fray, with the Chi-Ni, STA-1, Type 61 Chi-Ri and more at tank commander’s disposal. Medium tank commanders can now gain a competitive edge whether it is through their vehicle’s agility or the impressive rate of fire the Japanese mediums deliver.

A new Japanese battleground unfolds for tankers with the arrival of the “Sacred Valley” map. An abandoned village at the bottom of a serene-looking valley provides great cover for tanks of all sizes while bringing the opportunity for intense, short-range skirmishes. The map is bordered by cliffs, and the advantageous high ground will let long-range gunners rain the destruction on any tank unlucky enough to enter into their gun sights.

For more details please see the link below:

Japanese light and medium tanks: http://worldoftanksxbox360edition.com/en/news/announcements/imperial-steel-inbound/

“Sacred Valley” Map: http://worldoftanksxbox360edition.com/en/news/Guides/map-overview-sacred-valley/

For more information about World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition, visit:

• www.worldoftanks.com/xbox

Leading developer and publisher of digital entertainment Telltale Games today announced the appointment of veteran gaming executive, former Electronic Arts CEO and Unity Technologies CEO John Riccitiello to the company's Board of Directors.  The appointment of Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) CEO Jon Feltheimer to Telltale's Board was announced earlier today as part of Lionsgate's investment in Telltale.

"As Telltale continues to lead the revolution in next generation interactive storytelling, I'm excited to welcome two top executives to our Board.  Jon Feltheimer and John Riccitiello have decades of experience delivering premium entertainment to audiences everywhere," said Kevin Bruner, CEO and co-founder of Telltale. "This is a time of explosive growth and opportunity for our company, and I'm thrilled to have these industry giants join us as we continue to define exceptional interactive scripted entertainment."

"Telltale has created something entirely new.  Their games combine linear storytelling and gameplay in an entirely new way that is fresh, unique, and compelling," said John Riccitiello, CEO of Unity Technologies. "I'm excited to partner with Kevin and his team at Telltale as they build on their success in bringing together some of what is the best of television, film and video games."

Mr. Riccitiello is currently the CEO of Unity Technologies. Previously, he served as the CEO of Electronic Arts and co-founded investment firm Elevation Partners.  He has also served as advisor to and invested in several startups including Oculus VR and Synertainment.

During his 30-year entertainment industry career, Mr. Feltheimer has held leadership positions at Lionsgate, Sony Pictures Entertainment and New World Entertainment and has been responsible for tens of thousands of hours of television programming and hundreds of films.

Last year Telltale was named the No. 1 'Most Innovative Company in Gaming' byFast Company.  After completing two award-winning series, including The Wolf Among Us and The Walking Dead:  Season Two, the company was also the recipient of multiple 'Developer of the Year' awards for 2014.  Telltale also premiered two new series to critical acclaim at the end of the year, including Tales from the Borderlands in partnership with Gearbox Software and in association with 2K Games, as well as Game of Thrones in partnership with HBO.

The company also recently announced its partnership with renowned developer Mojang, confirming Minecraft: Story Mode set to premiere in 2015.  Telltale was also recognized by leading review aggregate site Metacritic as the No. 1 overall publisher for quality content in 2014, with all content also produced, developed, and published by Telltale across over 6,000 different devices

Update 1.7 also introduces two new game locations, “Province” and “The Observatory”, both available for tiers 5–10. “Province” transports players to an Italian-themed warzone during spring. Here they can find snaking valleys of canyons and plateaus, littered with several towns and connecting bridges. “The Observatory” is a European-themed battleground. In this harsh winter environment, players can soar across mountain ranges to discover a wide canyon marks the center of the map.

Cross platform play between Xbox One and Xbox 360 will be available ensuring that tankers on both consoles stay in the fight. Both versions of the game will share a common battle server, identical content updates and the same active community of players. With the game available on Xbox One and Xbox 360, the opportunity for battle grows, as the number of combatants swells across the two, server linked consoles.

Additionally, for those upgrading from the Xbox 360 to the Xbox One, all existing World of Tanks accounts and in-game progress will automatically transfer to the new platform. Tankers can continue to play with confidence, knowing that no matter the Xbox platform, the battle will rage on.

For more information about World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition and the upcoming game for Xbox One, visit:

• www.worldoftanks.com/xbox

*Xbox Live Gold membership (sold separately) required. Additional in-game content available and sold separately.

World of Tanks Generals offers a PvP mode and PvE training battles, allowing players to master the game’s basics, build a number of decks, tailor strategies and unlock the cards that suit their playstyle.

Included in the Closed Beta test are over 200 unique cards split between three factions—the USA, Germany and the USSR—and divided into several types. With an army of cards and a host of strategies available, every battle is an intense skirmish of sudden strikes, tactical trickery and dynamic dueling where you must adapt to survive.

The game will utilize the unified Wargaming.net ID that provides instant access to other Wargaming titles, including World of Tanks, World of Tanks Blitz, World of Warplanes and World of Warships.

For more information about World of Tanks Generals and to sign up for the testing, please visit its official website:

• www.wotgenerals.eu (Europe)
• www.wotgenerals.com (North America)
• www.wotgenerals.asia (Asia)

True success, however, can only be attributed to the game’s active and passionate community. To celebrate this historic anniversary, Wargaming will be offering its console tankers myriad benefits from February 12th through February 22nd, including XP boost, free vehicles, high tier tank discounts and unique anniversary exclusive emblems, available for a limited time only.

For more information about World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition, visit:

• http://worldoftanksxbox360edition.com 

The 13th  February is a big day for Nintendo fans. The eagerly awaited new Nintendo 3DS and 3DS XL are finally available to buy and, following the buzz of the Ambassador edition, we expect these to be snapped up off the shelf in their droves. With the new form factor, extra ZR and ZL buttons, updated 3D settings and the much requested new analog C-Stick all in effect, the new models look to take your 3DS gaming to giddy heights.

The massively successful Monster Hunter series sees the release of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate on the 13th too. Lucky gamers in Japan have already been roaming around killing beasties since last October, so we look forward to finally getting our pouches filled with useful potions and tools and consuming as much cooked steak as possible in our search for monsters. The latest iteration of Monster Hunter is bigger and better, with more of a focus on using 3D movement and scaling the environment. With two new weapons, the Insect Glaive and the Charge Blade, and also the first Monster Hunter game to include fully integrated online multiplayer, it looks to be the definitive experience on your 3DS.

Also out on the 13th is The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. A proper nostaglia-fest is on the cards; the Nintendo 64 classic is coming to the new consoles with fully remastered visuals, an updated control system and extra features. You will able to travel back to Termina as Link, after a 15 year break, to re-experience the thrill of controlling the passage of time, solving challenges and puzzles and taking advantage of the shape-shifting powers the various Masks offer you. Our favourite feature is using the touchscreen to select equipment quickly and check the map while we are still playing. 

February looks to be a massive month for 3DS owners. 


This post has been sponsored by Nintendo, but all thoughts are our own.

Home of European eSports, European Gaming League (EGL), and World renowned Advertising and Communications agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH), are delighted to announce their partnership. BBH will hold a key share position in the business and aims to help EGL grow into one of the biggest global providers of eSports by leveraging their creative and strategic capabilities as well as their global client base and network.

With roots that can be traced back to 2007, EGL was established in 2010 by a group of gamers (including some former professional gamers) with the intention of changing gaming’s place in the world forever. It is a company by gamers, whose belief is that gaming is set to become a truly global sport to rival the likes of football and Formula 1, for a fast growing community of game-loving millennials. EGL’s focus is not just about money but sustainability, quality of service, accessibility, unique content and interactive formats. It will be a hub for all gamers at any level to compete in, watch and come together over eSports, no matter what platform, game or skill level.

EGL is set to become a world class platform for brands who want to directly engage with the EGL audience with leverage from both sides of the user engagement including brand marketing and direct product upsell.   A report focussing on eSports, (released by Super Data Research collaboration with Newzoo) states that viewership across all eSports titles doubled in 2012, peaking to over 71 million by the end of 2013.   The BBH partnership opens a unique opportunity to offer brands bespoke and interactive brand campaigns.  Activating existing gamers is key plus the acquisition of new players and the attraction of mass market users across Europe.

EGL have initially received Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) investment from high net worth individuals within the media, financial and publisher worlds. The ongoing goal is to explore significant investment and joint venture opportunities before the end of 2015. In addition to working with industry leaders, publishers, hardware and software producers, EGL will announce key partnerships throughout the year ahead. These partnerships will be focused around media, monetisation, internationalisation, experiential events and more.

The management team behind EGL includes Glen Elliott and Neil Ghosh, who are both Managing Directors. Glen founded EGL 5 years ago after spending 15 years within the financial industry.  A keen and passionate gamer, he saw the emergence of eSports and helped pioneer areas such as console eSports.

“After a busy 5 years, we are overjoyed to welcome BBH to team up with our EGL family. With this partnership we can take EGL to the top level we always dreamed of, and one the eSports community deserves” said Glen.

The team at BBH includes some of the world’s most awarded and respected admen as well as founding partner Sir John Hegarty, who says: 

“Esports is one of the most vibrant and rebellious sectors in the industry today, experiencing massive growth and interest amongst gamers and new brands. I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do to take EGL to the next level."

It was announced this morning that indie-game studio Roll7's break-out, skate-out hit OlliOlli has been nominated for Best Sports Game in the British Academy Games Awards.

 
Studio Director Simon Bennett notes, "To be held in the same regard as such sports titles as FIFA, Forza and Trials is a massive accolade in itself. To do it with Skateboarding; my favourite sport, is just mental!"

 
Series creator and hardcore skater John Ribbins continues, "I wish I was Indie and cool enough not to care about the BAFTAs, but I do, and its frickin’ awesome!"

Roll7 would like to thank everyone who has ever played OllIOlli. From the tried-it-once haters, to the hardcore grinders - every single player, writer, content creator - it means the world to us!



Finally, Tom Hegarty, Roll7's third Director, concludes the sentiment with the apt: "YEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH"

You can find the full category for Best Sports Game below.


 OlliOlli 
John Ribbins, Simon Bennett, Tom Hegarty

Forza Horizon 2 
Development Team


Football Manager 2015 
Development Team

Madden NFL 15 
Development Team

FIFA 15 
Development Team

Trials Fusion 
Kim Lahti, Antti Ilvessuo, Karri Kiviluoma

LiquidThread, Starcom MediaVest Group’s branded content division, has created a unique partnership between Wargaming.net, the award-winning online game developer and Vevo, the world’s leading all-premium music video and entertainment platform, to launch a global online campaign.

The creative campaign will see Wargaming.net sponsor the rock and metal music genres across Vevo’s properties internationally, including Europe, America and Asia.  As part of the campaign, Wargaming.net will have presence across video and display, featuring music from some of the best known rock performers available on Vevo.

The campaign kicks off on 5 February with a coordinated takeover of Vevo’s rock and metal genres in the UK, US, Italy, Spain, France and Ireland.

As part of the partnership – which runs until mid-March - a bespoke music video playlist featuring the world’s greatest rock stars will also be available to Vevo viewers.

Al King, Global Brand Director at Wargaming.net, said, “The Wargaming.net brand had been looking for a viable global music partner for some time. We needed the right fit with our audience and a way to satisfy their love of rock and metal music. Vevo delivers this and the campaign that SMG’s LiquidThread has negotiated is the perfect experience for our audience to relate to their interests and increase their excitement about the brand.”

Lindsey Webb, Partnership Manager from SMG’s Liquid Thread, said: “Wargaming.net are a really imaginative client who are open to the creativity and collaborative spirit we thrive on. As a result this unique global partnership with Vevo will allow them to reach a highly engaged and relevant audience.”

James Cornish, Vevo's UK Sales Director, said: "We're delighted- and really excited- to be working with Wargaming.net for the first time on this campaign. Home to the world’s biggest music video catalogue, Vevo has a huge audience of passionate Rock and Metal fans and so we will provide the perfect platform for Wargaming.net to engage and entertain their target audience on a global scale."

Based on the award-winning HBO television drama series, Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series tells the story of House Forrester. Caught up in the events of The War of the Five Kings, they are placed in a precarious position where members of the household must do everything they can to prevent the house from meeting its doom.