Gametraders August Magazine

July 2013 August 2013

GAME OF THE YEAR? pg 10: now rated R18+

PREVIEWS & REVIEWS! pg 42

MOBILE GAMING pg 39

COMPETITION: Elysium pg 40

COSPLAY PHOTOGRAPHER Interview with Kris Ezergailis pg 68

HAYLEY ELISE pg 64

AVCON ADELAIDE pg 56

www.gametraders.com.au

T A M E â&#x20AC;&#x2DC; T E GAMETRADERS! G

Ear Buds $ .95

Belt Buckle $ .95

24 .95

Wallets $

Hooded Backpack $ .95

24 .95

Laplanders $

WELCOME TO AUGUST INSIDE New Releases Pages 5-8 Looking back on GTA San Andreas Pages 8-9 GTA V: Game of the year? Pages 10-11 Anime & Manga Pages 12-17 SALE Pages 20-21 Previews & Reviews Pages 22-33 Your Say Pages 38-39 Competition: Elysium Pages 40-41 Mobile Gaming Pages 43-47 Avcon Adelaide 2013 Pages 55-58 Profile: Gametraders Mackay Page 62 Cosplay Interviews Pages 64-71 Trading Card Tournaments Page 72

Welcome to Live Magazine and our August edition. If you’re in the northern hemisphere it’s warm and your heading out of summer. In the southern, it’s cold and wintery and great gaming weather. I think sometimes that there isn’t too many things better then putting on your favourite game, turning the heater up and settling down with good coffee for a night (or day) of gaming. While there’s been a bit of a slow down in what you’d call “must have” titles, the second half of the year is full of great titles including Call of Duty Ghosts, Battlefield 4 and of course GTA V which hit’s shelves on September 17th. We’ve got our special preview from Kylie Tuttle on page 22, but we’re also featuring a special “look back’ at San Andreas plus we’ve got comment on GTA V from the gaming industry and as John Elliot from Sticky Trigger points out, GTA V is probably the last AAA title for the current generation of consoles. We’ve also got reviews of Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom and a two page look at Deadpool! Anime is big this month and we’ve got a preview of K-On from Madman along with a look at the latest from Hanabee - Daily Lives of High School Boys, the latest from director of Gintama and School Rumble. We’ve also got 20 double passes to give away from Sony Pictures for Elysium starring Matt Damon. Our usual retro section from David Kudrev and Paul Monopoli and if you’re in Adelaide a wrap up including some fun photos from AVCon which was on during mid July. Oh, if you’re up for a bit of biffo check our Android and iOS page where our I.T wizard faces off against our E-commerce manager where they have their say on mobile gaming. There’s a ton of good reading so sit back relax and enjoy your free magazine. If you want to read it on your tablet rather than your PC screen - you can download it from our website - click the Magazine link or the Catalogue link they’ll both get you there or visit us on ISSUU and download the PDF, drop it on to your tablet and enjoy!

The Live Team

august rele 15th

8th CTC

29th

leases 22nd

Wii . PS3 .Wii . Xbox 360

o 3DS U . Nintend

23rd

29th

GET ‘EM AT GAMETRADERS!

future relea 17TH

SEPT

Standard & Blimp Editions available. Ask staff for details.

9TH

OCT CTC

10TH

OCT CTC

CTC

CTC CTC

CTC

OCT

5TH

NOV

TBC

CTC

eases 31ST

OCT 25TH

CTC

OCT CTC

CTC

GET ‘EM AT GAMETRADERS! 21ST

NOV CTC

LOOKING BACK ON GTA SAN ANDREAS

PROVIDED BY WWW.STICKYTRIGGER.COM

o game conjures fond gaming memories quite like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It’s easily one of the greatest games ever made, and deserves to be held in the same high regard as the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Final Fantasy VII. It is the definition of a perfect game. Everything from its graphics, gameplay, story and soundtrack were peerless at the time, and no other game has offered so much in one package. With Grand Theft Auto V just around the corner, I thought I’d throw on my green jeans, sit down with some hot coffee and rediscover the brilliance that is Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Like previous games in the Grand Theft Auto franchise, players once again assumed the role of a wouldbe successful criminal in a large, open-world game. However, unlike in previous GTA games, protagonist and the supporting cast of characters

have much more depth about them. The game world is larger, and the main story of GTA: San Andreas is more complex than the usual “complete missions for this shady character, get better guns, complete harder missions, finish the game” story experienced in GTA III and GTA: Vice City. Where previous Grand Theft Auto games told the stories of experienced thugs who excel at vanquishing their foes with a cheerfully-psychotic disposition, GTA: San Andreas tells the story of a reluctant underdog, who is dealing with complex situations where the distinction between heroes and villains is particularly blurred. Carl Johnson is not eager to commit to a life of murder and other crimes, but is nevertheless violently pulled into it. Each major story event carries with it a certain gravity, and also displays how well-written the character of Carl Johnson is, as he frequently weighs up the numerous consequences of his actions. Where Tommy Vercetti

may have acted quickly without thinking of the bigger picture, CJ quite often thinks of his friends and family’s wellbeing, and bears the burden of any necessary crimes or violence. With every Grand Theft Auto game comes with it a polarising effect. On one hand, gamers and video game critics praise every single release for their realism, addicting gameplay and well-written stories. On the other hand, the mainstream media and other ill-informed parties often make Rockstar and the Grand Theft Auto games a scapegoat for violent crime. What was truly brilliant about the story in San Andreas was that not everything was what it seemed, and the depiction of several characters was anything but cliché. To the media who stood on the outside looking in, CJ was an offensive stereotype of the young African-American male, but to the rest of us who actually played GTA: San Andreas, CJ was an intelligent and positive hero, who

LOOKING BACK ON

GTA SAN ANDREAS

defied offensive stereotypes and freed Personally, I prefer San Andreas’ vision his city from the tyranny of the corrupt to GTA IV’s, though both games certainly accomplish what they set law enforcement. out to achieve. From the preview But enough about Rockstar’s proclivity screens and footage of GTA V, it looks of being a media scapegoat, there’s as though the best of both games are going to merge, which is something fun to be had! Of all the GTA games, San Andreas is every gamer can look forward to. by far my favourite. The sheer amount of missions, distractions and side activities are absolutely staggering. In addition to the usual story missions, there are gyms to unlock new moves and increase your strength and stamina, triathlons, as well as A GTA game wouldn’t be a GTA new vehicle based missions, such game without brilliant voice-acting, as trucking and train-operating. It and GTA: San Andreas has a ton of sounds crazy (and maybe it would have been from any other developer), experienced film and voice actors but some of the most fun I have had lending their talents to create (in playing games has been hauling an my opinion) the best voice acting in the series. The game opens with 18-wheeler full or cargo across the a fantastic scene, in which CJ country in San Andreas. (played by rapper Young Maylay) receives a shake-down from Officer Not only are there new missions, Tenpenny (Samuel L. Jackson) and but CJ sports stats new to the GTA franchise. Your fitness level and dress- Officer Pulaski (Chris Penn), and San Andreas only improves from there. sense determines your sex appeal, On your journey through the story of which is integral to meeting the GTA: San Andreas you will encounter new girlfriends in San Andreas, who a plethora of colourful characters come with perks relative to their voiced by familiar actors such as occupations. If CJ partakes in too many pizzas and not enough salads, local pimp Jizzy B (Charlie Murphy), he will become fat, and unable to run government agent Mike Torino (James Woods), gang member Cesar as fast or as far. His punches won’t Vialpando (Clifton Collins, Jr.) and do as much damage and he will many more. be unable to learn any new fighting styles from gym trainers. Like previous GTA games, Grand Theft With GTA IV, Rockstar stripped away all Auto: San Andreas has a fantastic soundtrack with artists such as Dr these minor RPG elements in favour Dre and Snoop Dogg, Danzig, James of a more story-driven approach, Brown, Slick Rick, Public Enemy, Rick with unprecedented realism taking James, Tom Petty and David Bowie, the place of the more outlandish just to name a few. All the radio elements from San Andreas.

..it’s the greatest selling Playstation 2 game of all time.”

stations contain hours of DJ banter, provided by several DJs who are in fact, voiced by several real-life musicians. Axel Rose voices Tommy “The Nightmare” Smith, Chuck D of Public Enemy voices Forth Right MC (Playback FM), Wil Wheaton plays news reporter Richard Burns and Andy Dick hosts a gardening show as “Maurice”. There is so much to love about Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas that it’s difficult to fit it all into one article. Given that San Andreas ran on the same core engine that Grand Theft Auto III ran on, it stands as an example of how far Rockstar have come as game developers. Sure they were accomplished developers before Grand Theft Auto III (they even created the legendary Lemmings franchise), but Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas stands on its own as a triumph of hard work, and ambitious game design. Rockstar Games followed GTA: San Andreas with GTA IV and Red Dead Redemption, and like a thief on a motorcycle they show no signs of slowing down any time soon. If you haven’t experienced Grand theft Auto: San Andreas, you should absolutely track down a copy and treat yourself to a great time with it. Interesting fact: Despite releasing a few years after the PS2 console, Grand Theft Auto went onto to sell 27.5 million copies worldwide (as of 2011) and is the greatest selling Playstation 2 game of all time.

Written by Nick Getley

GTA V: GAME OF THE YE industry comment GTA V promises to be one of the biggest selling titles of 2013 - could it be game of the year? We can’t tell you that yet, but here’s what people in the games industry are saying about the Grand Theft Auto V, in-stores 17th September:

“Grand Theft Auto has always been met with controversy when it comes to violence and crime within video games. Many people who don’t play the game itself have proclaimed that the game is enticing and teaching people to commit criminal acts, that the game itself is a crime simulator. The popular game series does place the player into the role of a crime boss in populated city, and the missions required to be performed by the players to progress within the game can involve assassinations, stealing cars and drug deals. However, just because this content is in the game doesn’t mean that the players are going to emulate that behaviour. I personally have been playing the game series for several years now, and not once have I had the sudden urge to commit a crime just because I had done so in a GTA. No one who is playing these games is using it for tips of how to be a criminal. I can’t walk up to a car and press a single button to break into it. I can’t simultaneously carry an assault rifle, submachine gun, shotgun, crowbar, handgun, sniper rifle and rocket launcher, let alone walk around with them in the streets. If all games involving crime where banned, suddenly it would be TV shows, movies or the internet in the spotlight for causing criminal behaviour. Games such as Grand Theft Auto are just that, games.” Maddy Gibbons [www.johnnoshark-reviews.com]

“..GTA V I’m ecstatic to be returning to the city of Los Santos. The GTA fan in me can’t wait to relive some the memories that city holds. And the game critic in me can’t wait to experience the new features Rockstar are packing the new game full of.” - John Elliott “For me, my favourite GTA title is Grand Theft Auto IV – mostly because it’s the first game from the franchise that I’ve ever owned (ashamedly). Everything about it, in my opinion, was great. I enjoyed the story, the characters were interesting, and the gameplay/physics were solid. I also particularly loved the music and comedy in the game too – it just made it one of those games that you could pop the in-game radio on and just drive around aimlessly for ages. Oh, and let’s not forget the DLC too! Personally, I have absolutely no doubts that GTA V will live up to my expectations, and trump its predecessor. The gameplay trailer that Rockstar released last week was amazing to say the least, and to me, only further proves that GTA V will be nothing short of epic. The game is looking great, it looks like there’s going to be heaps of extra activities to dive into, there’s a similar feeling from GTA IV, and the three-character story is sure to add that variety that we really haven’t seen from many games before. Rockstar don’t hold punches when it comes to their games, and it looks like they’ve been working hard on their latest installment to the GTA franchise!” Nicholas Simonovski [www.stevivor.com]

AR? industry comment “GTA V is, to the surprise of no one at all, already set to be one of the years biggest, and very likely best games. Love them or hate them (how the hell could you hate them?!), you can’t deny the power of the Grand Theft Auto games. But as Uncle Ben has taught us all, with great power comes great responsibility. Over the years, GTA has been the target of much controversy and come under fire from all angles for its gritty depiction of the crime world. But, paranoid censors aside, the Grand Theft Auto series is widely considered a pinnacle of the modern gaming world. And all that is set to continue with GTA V. My favourite GTA instalment comes down to a tie between two from arguably the series’ best era, Vice City and San Andreas. I found them the perfect mix between crime world narrative and stupid fun, which I felt was somewhat void from number IV on the greater scale of things. So with V, I’m ecstatic to be returning to the city of Los Santos. The GTA fan in me can’t wait to relive some the memories that city holds. And the game critic in me can’t wait to experience the new features Rockstar are packing the new game full of. In particular, the new mission and general game structure that comes with the three-protagonist style. It’s something unheard of on this kind of scale, so I’m excited to see just how the guys and girls at Rockstar work it into the already established GTA formula. I just don’t think this game will disappoint.” John Elliott [www.stickytrigger.com] “The last AAA title for the current generation of consoles. That itself should be the reason to purchase this game even if you don’t like the Grand Theft Auto franchise. If you do however, then you’re in for the time of your life. Feeling slightly underwhelmed by what GTA IV offered, it seems to me that Rockstar have taken what worked and what didn’t, combined it with new and innovative features for an open sandbox title and have flipped it on its head. Judging from the gameplay reveal trailer, it’s safe to say that GTA V will have its time in the limelight of controversy. If State of Decay and Saints Row IV were both banned even with an R18+ classification in Australia for drug reference among other things, walking out a of shop with a marijuana sign on the front will land it in hot water, that’s for sure. Whether the player is rewarded for their actions with drugs or they improve the players attributes we don’t know. On the plus side, having a map larger than that of Red Dead: Redemption, GTA IV and San Andreas makes you wonder what Rockstar have in store for us. Three playable protagonists that you can switch to at any time during their daily routines, entire underwater environments to explore, mysterious sheds on top of large mountains… There will be some serious content crammed into this game which’ll pleasure the minds and arouse the hardcore enthusiasts of the franchise. Hitting up a game of tennis, I’ve spoken to people who are dying to play a recreational sport for hours, in a video game. If that’s not a testament to the influence that Rockstar have over gamers with this impeccably crafted title, I don’t know what is. They’ve strategically timed their announcements and reveals accordingly, never clashing with any other major news which could have potentially shrunk its appeal to the masses. There’s definitely quality to back up the quantity within GTA V. Let’s finish off this generation with what is set to be on the biggest blockbuster titles of the year.” Arthur Kotsopoulos [www.oxcgn.com]

RELEASED 17TH SEPTEMBER! PREVIEW ON PAGE 22!

hot new anime! $64.95

$59.95

$44.95

$39.95

$59.95

$49.95

$59.95

$19.95

$59.95

$64.95

$29.95

$34.95

k-ON!

Genius storytelling, fantastic music, brilliant animation – this is the masterpiece that is K-On! Animated by the world renowned Kyoto Animation (FULL METAL PANIC,THE MELANCHOLY OF HARUHI SUZUMIYA, LUCKY STAR), the K-On! Series won Best TV Series award 2010 (15th) Animation Kobe Awards. K-On!’s story revolves around four Japanese high school girls who their High School’s light music club to try to save it from being disbanded, however, they are the only members of the club. At first,Yui Hirasawa has no experience playing musical instruments or reading sheet music, as she is only familiar with playing the castanets, but she eventually becomes an excellent guitar player. From then on,Yui, along with bassist Mio, drummer Ritsu, and keyboardist Tsumugi spend their school days practicing, performing, and hanging out together.The club is overseen by music teacher Sawako

Yamanaka, who eventually becomes their homeroom teacher as well during their final year of high school. In their second year, the club welcomes another guitarist, Azusa. After Azusa joins they gain more structure and begin to practice more. After their third year,Yui, Ritsu, Mio and Tsumugi graduate and enrol into a university.There they join its light music club alongside three other students: Akira Wada, Ayame, and Sachi. In K-On! The Movie, Graduation time is finally here and the Light Music Club are taking a trip to London! On the way they’re going to have to solve that one last big puzzle that’s been vexing them: what to get for their underclassman rhythm guitarist Azusa, who will be taking over the club after they graduate. Get ready for a Magical Musical Tour as the whole gang takes in the sights and sounds of London and one last encore!

K-On! The Movie is released this month in Australia! The Movie featured at the Japanese Film Festival last year and was nominated for Best Animation Film for the Award of the Japanese Academy! To celebrate K-On! The Movie being released on DVD, check out your local Gametraders store for exciting special prices on the TV series on DVD and Bluray!

$19.95

manga

$19.95

$14.95

$19.95

$14.95

$19.95

$14.95

LOVE manga? check out our product directory for all the latest manga! WE CAN’T FIT ALL THE MANGA ON OUR STORE SHELVES SO WE’VE PUT IT ALL IN HERE!

daily lives of high school boys

rom the Director of Gintama and School Rumble comes the next laugh out loud comedy in Daily Lives of High School Boys!

may have that primary school title of High School Girls are Funky, it is, nonetheless, just as amusing!).

No matter who you are there is sure to A slice of life series be a character for that is sure to be a bit you to associate with nostalgic, where we take considering the sheer a step back in to the size of the cast. Whether every day lives of being it is down to earth a high school teenager. Tadakuni who can’t But don’t let the title help but get caught up deceive you as it isn’t in his friends schemes, all just about the boys the laid back jokester as even the girls get a in Yoshitake, or the evil focus as well (granted it mastermind in Hidenori,

all facets of high school life are laid bare here. Overall Daily Lives of High School Boys is a series that is sure to get a laugh out of you as you find yourself recalling your own ridiculous antics that you would have experienced during this awkward but daring period in your lives.

CHECK HOW YOU CAN WIN YOURSELF A COPY OF DAILY LIVES OF HIGH SCHOOL BOYS!

IN-STORE NOW! $49.99

$29.99

$59.99

WANT TO WIN YOURSELF A COPY OF DAILY LIVES OF HIGH SCHOOL BOYS?

Head over to Hanabee’s Facebook page: /HanabeeOfficial for your chance to WIN!

SUPERHERO PROFILE: WONDER WOMAN

WONDERWOMAN TRIVIA: Wonder Woman’s secret identity is Diana Prince

ontinuing our series on super heroes, this month we’re looking at Wonder Woman who, like Batman and Superman, was created in the first half of the 1900s. William Moulton Marston, an American psychologist created the Wonder Woman character in 1941 and was published by DC Comics. Wonder Woman fights for justice and has a number of enemies (as all super heroes do) including Cheetah, Ares and Circe. Being gifted with a range of powers including combat skills, a Lasso of Truth plus her indestructible bracelets and her tiara. Known as Diana of Themyscira in her homeland - which is a fictional island nation where Wonder Woman and her sister Amazonians live. According to DC Comics profile of Wonder Woman she is the most famous heroine of all time and it’s probably true. Whilst there are other game icons such as Tomb Raider, it’s Wonder Woman with her amazing powers that’s stood the test of time fighting crime and promoting peace.

In the TV series an episode titled Velvet Touch was not filmed as it featured Wonder Woman and toxic make up, but the star of the series, Lynda Carter was a spokes person for Maybelline so it remained unfilmed. Wonder Woman’s crime fighting career begins when army pilot Steve Trevor crashes his plan on the island that she and her sister Amazons live. Wonder Woman escorts him back to civilisation and so begins her life battling criminals whilst understanding how our world works with the wars, hate and relationships she encounters.

TV SERIES Like many super heroes we’ve seen Wonder Woman on the small screen, the most notable starred Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman in the 1975 to 1979 TV series. Wonder Woman also appeared in an animated series, Super Friends and also Justice League. In 2011, DC Comics udertook a revamp of its entire range of super hero books and according to Wikipedia, all of DC’s existing titles were cancelled and fifty two new series debuted in September of that year - all with new first release issues! This allowed many of the super heroes including Wonder Woman to have all new histories created to gain new fans.

A costume for water scenes in the TV series was designed as a two piece but the finished bikini wouldn’t stay on Lynda Carter correctly so a wetsuit was chosen for water scenes instead. In the TV series as in the comics, Wonder Woman wears metal bracelets that can deflect bullets. In the TV series these were made from “Feminum” but in the comic series the metal is called Amazonium. Lynda Carter beat 2,000 other actresses to the part of Wonder Woman, which was good news as she had just $25 left in her bank account when she received the good news. According to the comic series, Wonder Woman temporarily lost her powers in the late 60’s and it was during this period she became the pupil of Chinese martial arts master, I Ching how taught her how to use her body as a weapon. She regained her powers two years later. Wonder Woman’s earrings allow her to breathe in outer space!

WONDERWOMAN Hoody

$49 .95

iPhone 5 Cover

$24.95

12.95

Caped Socks $

24.95

Hinge Wallets $

49 .95

Backpack $

AVENGERS FRAGRANCES $39 .95EA

$29 .95

BLACK WIDOW PERFUME

SALE

29 .95

$ .95 ANGRY BIRDS COLLECTABLE ERASERS

SALE

64 .95

ANDROID MINI FIGURINES SERIES 2

49 .95

$ .95 METAL EAR BUDS

$ .95 EA

46 .95

29 .95

69 .95

SALE

14 .95

19 .95

39 .95

64 .95

SALE

HURRY! WHILE STOCKS LAST! HELLO KITTY MEGA BLOCK FIGURINES

COD MW3 CAP

GANNDROID PLUSH MOBILE COVERS

STRETCHABLE BOOK COVERS

$ .95

EACH!

Blimp DLC pre-order offer is available! Ask staff for details.

FREE TEE!

WITH EVERY GTA V PRE-ORDER! While stocks last. Selected stores only.

Previews PROVIDED BY WWW.STICKYTRIGGER.COM

grand theft auto v.

Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA V) has to be the most anticipated game to be released this year on any dedicated gamers schedule. Originally announced in 2011 that Rockstar would be bringing another installment to the ever successful franchise that is Grand Theft Auto, gamers have been chomping at the bit for the release date. Come September 17 2013, the wait is over.

xbox 360 . ps3

from GTA V. Vividly coloured and incredibly detailed sandy beaches, mountain ranges, tree filled woods, the usual suburbs and a mind boggling sea bed are all ready and waiting to be explored.

Being a single player mission with a twist, Rockstar changes their ’traditional’ game plan and introduces us to three playable characters in which the story is told - Michael, Trevor and Franklin. All three GTA V’s open world game play characters are considered protagonists and whose has to be Rockstar’s biggest criminal ways and stories one to date. Reportedly, the interconnect as missions are game world is bigger than Red Dead Redemption, Grand completed. Now without giving away too much about their Theft Auto: San Andres AND Grand Theft Auto IV combined! pasts, one is ex bank robber who has been under witness Yes, you have read correctly! protection, one a car repo guy It’s huge! Set in Los Santos, and the other a war vet. As to the entire game play world who is who, you will need to is available from the word play it to find out. go; thus avoiding the need to unlock levels and allowing During each mission, the the player to explore. Los Santos feels alive! The copious player can switch between each character to accomplish amounts of teaser trailers the required tasks. One skill released by Rockstar over the past two years were only a tiny that only Michael may possess taste of what we would expect for example, will assist the

player who could be using Trevor or Franklin at the time; thus allowing a group effort to accomplish the objective in that particular mission. Such gameplay has been seen in recent times in the ever successful LEGO game franchise. An incredibly smart move on Rockstar’s part to integrate this form of character interaction. There are three (possibly a fourth which may be accessible in the future) ways to switch the way and who you play - Auto, Cut Scene and Free play. Auto; this feature will happen when a certain character for a specific catered mission is required. Cut scene; the game will prompt you to switch characters to progress or complete an objective and Free Play; as the name suggests, you can play who you want, when you want. Now, whilst you may feel like you need to have yourself committed as you are suffering from some form of multiple

Previews PROVIDED BY WWW.STICKYTRIGGER.COM

grand theft auto v.

xbox 360 . ps3

personality disorder, this isn’t just a smart way of moving around and exploring the city, it’s also a somewhat stealthlike way of covering all actions in multiple missions and spotting vantage points for future heists. The previous ‘rag doll’ or stiff moving characters are also a thing of the past when compared to what GTA V has to offer. The movements are more fluid and lifelike.

you may have seen in Max Payne 3 when playing online. GTAV Online will allow you to create private crews (with your friends) or access to join public crews. Amazingly, this feature allows the player to be a member of up to five crews at a time, and gaining experience points when tasks are completed. This feature will surely be popular for fans on online play.

Also making a return from GTA IV is the mobile phone used to receive instructions for missions. Many of its features have been changed, however it can also be used the

Graphically, Rockstar’s RAGE (Rockstar Advance Game Engine) and the Euphoria game engine appear to be pushed to the limit when it comes to graphics and 3D

“Graphically, Rockstar’s RAGE (Rockstar Advance Game Engine) and the Euphoria game engine appear to be pushed to the limit when it comes to graphics and 3D rendering..” access the in-game internet. A new online multiplayer mode appears in GTA V in Grand Theft Auto Online. The multiplayer feature will require a crew, similar to what

rendering applied in this game. For those of you who missed it, Rockstar released their most recent trailer on July 9 to show the world what they can expect when the

game is officially released. Highly recommend you check it out as you will have a huge appreciation for what the masterminds at Rockstar, RAGE and Eurphoia have been able to achieve on GTA V! Your mind could possibly be blown! Now on to a very impressive change from the previous GTA’s - the cars and the weapons! Rockstar appear to have outdone themselves with Grand Theft Auto 5 with all aspects relating to the vehicles and weapons. With car customisation already being available on the previous instalments of GTA (Grand Theft Auto: San Andres), Rockstar has taken a greater approach in allowing key changes and customisation of cars by the player, which was what many players of GTA:SA had been wanting and hoping for. Throughout the game and in certain missions, you are actually asked to modify and customise your vehicle in a particular way and Rockstar have pushed themselves with the feature

to leap ahead of their first attempt (which wasn’t bad) which was showcased in GTA:SA. GTA V also features more vehicles than its predecessors. On offer for your thieving pleasure includes the obvious cars, but also trucks, bikes, planes, helicopters (yes, I said planes and helicopters!!) and jet skis! Cars feel less awkward to drive and have better handling abilities. The developers noted that they wanted the game to have more of a ‘racing from the law’ feel and in comparison to the previous installments, vehicles handle incredibly well. Sure, it’s no GT5 Nissan Skyline vehicle handling, but you get the point. ‘Reopening’ after its closure in GTA IV by then mayor Julio Ochoa, Ammu-Nation is back! The major chain of gun stores is back and has plenty to offer. Just like your mode of transport, customisation of your weapon in a variety of different ways is now a

possibility. You now have access to a huge and rather impressive range of mods for your weapon of choice – weapon tints to add a splice of colour to your gun, clip extensions to allow more ammo being fired between reloads, flashlights, sniper-like scopes and stealth option suppressors which will make for interesting game play in certain missions.

reserve my right to comment for fear of someone bustin’ a cap in my ass! However, from what I’ve seen so far, this game will definitely be one that will impress and will not disappoint! Rockstar have pushed their boundaries and taken GTA V to a new level using advances in technology with respect to rendering and created a visually stunning and thoroughly entertaining,

“..I would at a very solid and confident guess say that this game will definitely be receiving an R18+ rating” Whilst Government classification hasn’t been confirmed yet for the game here in Australia, I would at a very solid and confident guess say that this game will definitely be receiving an R18+ rating based on the weapons available and some of the specific game play involving them. So what’s the verdict? Is GTA V better than Saint’s Row? This is a tough call and I will

fast paced gaming experience that any avid GTA fan will and truly appreciate. Grand Theft Auto V hits your local GameTraders stores September 17th on Xbox 360 and PS3 (other platforms to be confirmed). You won’t want to miss this one. Written by Kylie Tuttle (editors note: GTA V just got rated R18+ in Australia)

Previews PROVIDED BY WWW.STICKYTRIGGER.COM

rayman legends.

Rayman Legends, the once Wii U exclusive launch title, after many delays is finally hitting ALL the home consoles next month. After Ubisoft’s other Wii U exclusive ZombiU underperformed they had to rethink their strategy and decided to port the game to 360 and PS3 for all to enjoy. And although many Wii U enthusiasts were upset they had lost a title they could call their own, it’s only a good thing that more people will get to experience the joy that is Rayman Legends. Legends is the sequel to the critically acclaimed platformer Rayman Origins which took Rayman back to his 2D roots. Very much inspired by the New Super Mario Bros. formula of side scroller multiplayer madness, Origins was a blast. Legends

xbox 360 . ps3 . ps vita . wii u

continues to bring that fun but where it really sets itself apart from it’s predecessor and competitors is it’s visuals. Everything has a beautiful hand painted quality to it, it’s a treat to watch and play. Infact Ubisoft have created some magical shader which gives dynamic shadows to the sprites. You really feel like you are playing a painting. It must be said though if you would like to get the full experience of Rayman Legends make sure you pick this up on Wii U. Wii U’s second screen experience using the GamePad really takes Legends to another level. With the GamePad a 5th player can jump in and play as Murfy a bug like creature, who when you touch the touchscreen can affect the environments, enemies and help discover

secrets. Murfy is an excellent edition for when you want to complete speed runs, just want to help out the four player madness on screen or, let a less experienced player join in on the fun. Rayman Legends hits shelves August 29th on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii U and PS Vita. Written by Jin Chan Yum Wai

Previews PROVIDED BY WWW.STICKYTRIGGER.COM

lost planet 3.

xbox 360 . pc . ps3

Set for an August release, Lost Planet 3 will see gamers return to the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Extreme Conditionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of E.D.N. III, a hostile Antarctic-like ice planet. The original game was released back in 2006 by Capcom, but now features new developers Spark Unlimited, who have decided to return the game to a more story driven narrative. Set as a prequel to the original game Lost Planet 3 follows the story of the first settlers on E.D.N. III and features a brand new protagonist, Jim Peyton. Jim is a colonist supporting his family back on earth by working for the Neo-Venus Corporation, a name that will set alarm bells ringing for fans of the series. The games also sees the return of the Akrid, the indigenous monsters of E.D.N., as the main antagonists of the game who usually seem to be one step away from leaving your carcass out in the cold.

The combat of Lost Planet 3 remains fairly similar but early screenings show that developers have tried to create a much faster and more action packed game. The violent blizzards and electrical storms create a much more frantic style of gameplay as the player struggles against not only against the Akrid, but the elements as well. In fact if the player ventures too far out the mini map and communication systems will even begin to fail increasing that isolated feeling. Players will also notice that the Vital Suits of the previous two games have been replaced with mechanized mining vehicles called Rigs equipped with drill and claw arms. Despite the Rigs lack of missiles and guns they can still kick some serious Akrid butt. The games also features four different multi-player modes one of which called Akrid Survival

pits teams of players against waves of the vicious creatures leading up to a final showdown. All in all it seems that Spark Unlimited have taken their job seriously creating a refreshing new direction for the series that will hopefully prove to be a thrilling gaming experience. Lost Planet 3 will be released on the 29th of August on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC.

Written by Sam Babu

Previews PROVIDED BY WWW.STICKYTRIGGER.COM

payday 2.

xbox 360 . ps3

Payday 2 is the sequel to the fun and original Payday: The Heist, released back in 2011 on PC and on the PSN. The Heist was a relatively small game, showcasing some innovative gameplay elements and a strong focus on co-operation. It wasn’t groundbreaking at all, but was definitely an enjoyable experience with the right friends. Immediately, it’s clear developer Overkill Software are aiming much higher with Payday 2. The game is now a full-fledged retail release, with tons more missions (unique heists) and content to sink your teeth into. Players can upgrade their characters and weapons to carry over to further missions, and general gameplay has undergone a major overhaul. The long outdated Diesel Engine has been given a much needed

upgrade to version 2.0, and from what we’ve had the pleasure of seeing, it really shows an advantage over the original titles core gameplay. Gunplay and combat is more fluent, responsive and not to mention looks a hell of a lot better! The most impressive feat of the game though, is the core experience. Players can plan out and execute their heists in a variety of ways, and stealth now plays a bigger part in the game. You can pay to have resources placed in the maps beforehand, and buy intel to help with the planning and execution phases. With the right planning, character builds and skill, entire robberies can be successfully pulled off without the police even being alerted. Co-op is more important than ever if you want to do some really

impressive heists. So far it seems like Overkill have put a lot of depth into the game, and with a handful of new features, overhauled mechanics and a heavily polished engine, Payday 2 is looking awesome! It releases on August 14th on Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC. Keep an eye out for our review to see if it lives up to the hype.

Written by John Elliott

! R E P U JUST S Sleep Pants

$29.95ea

iPad Sleeve Case

$49.95

iPhone 5 Covers

$24.95ea

reviews PROVIDED BY WWW.STICKYTRIGGER.COM

hakuoki: demon of the fleeting blossom.

Japan has a rich and interesting history, and some of Japan’s most successful video games, anime, movies and TV series are based on historical events. The story of the Shinsengumi has been retold numerous times, and one of my personal all-time favourite anime, ‘Peacemaker Kurogane’ revolved around a young boy infiltrating the Shinsengumi with his brother. It was a brilliant anime, and is an absolute must-watch for any fans of samurai anime. When I received ‘Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom’ I was ecstatic to learn it was about the Shinsengumi as well. While the interpretation is completely different, and the beginning is extremely slow, Hakuoki delivers an interesting version of the Shinsengumi that history

buffs and samurai anime fans should check out. The season begins with Chizuru, a young woman, traveling to Kyoto in search of her father. She is disguised as a boy, as it is far too dangerous for a woman to be wandering the streets of Kyoto by herself. One night, she is chased by Ronin (masterless samurai) and hides in an alley. The ronin are killed by demons, and the demons then attempt to attack Chizuru. Thankfully, the Shinsengumi arrive and save Chizuru, taking her back to their headquarters. Visually, Hakuoki is well designed and at times, very beautiful. There is a lot of clever colour use. In scenes where there is meant to be peace or beauty, there are a lot of pinks and purples

dvd

met with shades of blue. The outlines of the characters are well defined, which highlights the colour use further. It’s hard not to notice the beauty in the artwork when it really is striking compared to other recent anime. It’s not easy to summarise Hakuoki, as there is so much going on at one time. It’s an enjoyable anime, though there are plenty of slow-paced scenes, which may begin to grate on fans of more action-oriented anime. One you learn the characters and get past the opening episodes, Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom is an slow-to-start but enjoyable beginning to a great series. By Nick Getley

7/10

reviews PROVIDED BY WWW.STICKYTRIGGER.COM

bakemonogatari.

Part One Bakemonogatari can be described as a living book; it grows before your eyes while using patterns and quick cuts to deliver incredibly meaningful stories. It transforms the light novel by Nisio Isin into something tangible and chaotic. I hear you thinking, “Ugh, not another…” but this brings humour, intelligent and witty conversation mixed with SHAFT’s stylized art. If you haven’t experienced their visuals before, this is one anime you do not want to skip. You need to be patient with Bakemonogatari. It’s about sharing a story with you, a different perspective on how to view common issues that you may have tackled in your life. The often literal interpretations of each story helps you evaluate how you see obstacles and their

dvd . blu-ray

solutions. This isn’t an anime for people who only want to see action, but for those who want to have a unique experience with a novel adaptation.

8.5/10

affects everyone around them, not just the person feeling it. Just like Part One, Part Two is as much a living book as its predecessor. It flows you through each character’s complexities and makes you appreciate their place in Araragi’s life. Through them we get to appreciate qualities in him, and qualities we can identify within ourselves and those around us. There are some important messages Bakemonogatari conveys, and does so in a way you want to grab the closest shoulder, sob, sigh and smile. Don’t miss out on the experience but make sure you have someone nearby in case of emergency.

Part Two In Part One of Bakemonogatari, Koyomi Araragi and his desire to help those afflicted by apparitions took us on a journey of self-discovery. The women around him developed into meaningful people in his life and served a purpose in different situations. In Part Two his maturity unfolds in front of your eyes as the one thing Written by Yiánna Paris that makes him risk his life becomes apparent – love. Bakemonogatari so far has been full of life lessons. We’re taken through the maze of Araragi’s life to be shown how jealousy, love, stress and abuse

8.9/10

reviews PROVIDED BY WWW.STICKYTRIGGER.COM

deadpool.

xbox 360 . ps3

Here at Sticky Trigger, we have a number of comic book fans. One of our own writers, Jin, is even a very talented comic book artist. So while I might not have the in-depth knowledge of some comic book fans, I’m more than familiar with Deadpool, the schizophrenic, masked “merc with a mouth” from Marvel Comics. Developed by High Moon Studios (Transformers: Fall of Cybertron), Deadpool casts players as Deadpool himself, or perhaps I should say, as the player themselves, in control of Deadpool. You see, Deadpool: The Game consistently breaks the fourth wall, and Deadpool frequently communicates with the player directly.

Sometimes he even runs off-screen and comes back with a present or a funny observation. I smashed out the games campaign, and despite the game design seeming to be in conflict with itself (much like Deadpool himself), the game is absolutely puerile (but in a really good way). High Moon have crammed as much boobies, burritos, and bazookas as they could into the game, with Nolan North lending his voice talents to the character of Deadpool himself. To summarise, Deadpool is awesome, though not without little annoyances. Those of you familiar with Deadpool will know of his

legendary reputation as a smartass and a homicidal killing-machine who takes great pride in his work. High Moon Studios casted Nolan North as the voice of Deadpool (not a shock, as North has voiced DP multiple times), and together with some fantastic writing, North really shines as Deadpool. It would have to be my favourite voice acting work from him (and he has performed in over 200 voice roles).

remember stealing a bank vault in Saints Row: The Third, and dangling from it over the city as you shot hundreds of police? Deadpool one-ups that in every single level, and it never gets old. Whether you’re strapping rockets to a bicycle or piloting a sentinel’s foot, every single level in Deadpool has at least one of these awesome moments.

Deadpool is quite enjoyable, though the level of Gameplay usually involves enjoyment really comes set-piece style fighting and down to an individual shooting sections, some player’s sense of humour platforming with some minor and whether or not they can puzzle elements (like finding withstand the hack-slasha switch) followed by what shoot-repeat gameplay. For can only be described those of you who looking as “whoa” moments. You for a good single-player

experience, check out Deadpool: The Game, it’s not as polished some action games, but it is infinitely better than Deadpool’s depiction in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (sorry, I had to!) Written by Nick Getley

6/10

AT GAMETRADERS

Caps $

Wallets

.95

Reversible $ Belt Buckle

.95EA

Jake Mascot Knit

Mini Backpacks

.95EA

Laplander

.95

Finn Beanie

Backpack

.95

Ice King Beard

.95EA

.95

19.99

THEME DECKS $

4.99

PLASMA BLAST BOOSTERS $

AVAILABLE AT SELECTED STORES NOW!

TO GAMETRADERS

NEW

GUMBY & FRIENDS BENDABLE BOXED SET

ANIMATED CLOCK

29.99

49.99

$ 5” BENDABLE PAIR

12.99

BENDABLE KEYCHAINS

6.99

MINI BENDABLE PAIR

GUMBY & POKEY BENDABLES

4.99

9.99

MARVEL IRON MAN 3:

MOVIE IRON MAN MARK 42 ARTFX STATUE

209.95

MAN OF STEEL: SUPERMAN ARTFX STATUE

174.95

GUMBY “Gumby is clearly a work of vision” - Robert Lloyd, LA Times

ICON

CHARACTER

Gumby is a widely recognizable pop culture icon with a timeless quality.

Gumby is synonymous with adventure, imagination, creativity, flexibility, optimism, good heartedness and green.

Gumby is the star of 234 TV episodes!

Gumby is an evergreen brand a four quadrant, family-friendly brand with a huge following spanning all demographics. Gumby has aired in 146 countries and has an especially strong presence in Japan and Australia. Widly popular with the facebook generation, Gumby drives millions of hits for YouTube mashups and user-created content. Gumby avatars pop up everywhere - on cell phones, games, personal Web pages.

Gumby is an every-man hero who always leaves a place better than when he found it. The surreal nature of the stories resonate with adults, while entertaining children.

Gumby stars on TV throughout the 1950’s, 60’s, 80’s and 90’s and has fans of all ages. In the 80’s Gumby garners ratings that beat Transforers, He-Man, G.I. Joe, Robotech, Spiderman, Voltron... and many more.

Fans of all ages develop a strong emotional connection with Gumby.

The Gumby Movie plays on HBO, Showtime, the Movie Channel, the Disney Channel: 1997-2000.

“You could call the flexible Gumby the first transformer, sans the mass destruction. Like ‘Avatar’, Gumby took us to new worlds.” - Jere Hester, NBC

Gumby Dharma airs on Sundance Channel and PBS: 2007-2010.

YOUR SAY Each month we’ll feature your thoughts on games and popular culture. Plus, we pick a comment we feel is the “comment of the month” and give away a DVD from our friends at Madman and Hanabee! Here’s what you had to say leading up to August...

GENERATIONAL GAMING “Like many people, I grew up with consoles like the Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Master System II and Atari 2600. Those experiences left their mark on me and even as older consoles made way for the new, I carry those memories. Today, I’m almost at the end of my 20’s and have a little girl of my own. I still game regularly but I feel that my lifetime of enjoyment was founded when I was my daughter’s age, in simpler times. I had already begun re-gathering the consoles of my youth, an effort I felt was more self-satisfying than anything. That is, until my little girl picked up my Super Nintendo controller and started Mario and Yoshi on their journey in Super Mario World. Now I realise it’s not about me reliving my past but rather, offering that experience to the next generation. It’s satisfying to know that even with newer and faster consoles being released, that there’s a store I can take my little girl, to show her what gaming was like when I was only 4 years old. My hope is that she’ll be able to take her kids to Gametraders in another 30 years.”

ASSASSIN’S CREED: THE MOVIE “The film adaption of Assassin’s Creed has been given a release date of 19th June 2015. Until then, we can only get on our knees and pray to “Those that came before” that the film makers won’t assassinate it. Historically, film adaptions of video games have not been well received, with exceptions such as the Resident Evil and Tomb Raider films. However, there seems to be a resurgence of interest in this admittedly niche genre. Besides AC, there are other cool films in the production line including Ratchet and Clank, Angry Birds and Need for Speed. Now days, when a blockbuster film is released, you can generally assume that a tie-in video game will show up on the shelves. Is the future the other way round? When a Triple-A game is released, can we expect a film to be released not long after? This seems to be coming to reality very quickly; A film based on the yet to be released Watch_Dogs has already been announced! So get ready for video game adaptions to be the biggest genre since comicbook adaptions, or the biggest flop since the last badly made film based on a gaming franchise (Silent Hill: Revelation 3D).” By Todd P. Havier

By Lee Edgerton

Want your say in next month’s magazine? Email us at: news@gametraders.com.au with your short article!

YOUR SAY HARVEST MOON: TALE OF TWO TOWNS Platform: DS and 3DS Genre: RPG, Visual Novel, Otome (dating sim) Age: 13+ HMToTT is the 10th game of the Harvest Moon franchise on the Nintendo consoles. The main aim in all the HM games is similar to that of Animal Crossing; however the only difference is that you are allocated a farm to raise crops, animals, obtain a spouse, get a baby and create the best farm in town! HMToTT takes a new turn, allowing players to either choose 1 of the 2 villages available to live in; either to raise crops or to raise animals. In doing so, we are asked to restore friendship between the 2 villages, and this is a challenging task to accomplish! Furthermore, for those who has never touched a Harvest Moon game, one may thoroughly enjoy HMToTT with its unique story, characters, art and music. As for veterans of the series, HMToTT may at first seem complicated as features greatly differ from its previous games, however despite the new challengers, it is still enjoyable to play. HMToTT is available to purchase on the DS and 3DS consoles in Australia (yay!) as well as the Nintendo eShop later this year. Hopefully this franchise will make some noise, as Aussie fans of the HM series needs to be recognised worldwide! By r0lan

HAVE DEVELOPERS LOST THEIR TOUCH?

HAVE YOU EVER

It’s no secret that both developers and the created games have progressed immensely and and the readily available technology is incomprehensible, but is the progress for better or worse? In some cases it may seem that developers feel they can make a game with stunning and incredible visual graphics and justify sloppy or incomplete gameplay and story. Why is it that gamers continue to relive old classic such as Super Mario and Final Fantasy when the when the graphic are considered horrible for todays standards? It is undeniably because gameplay and a good story outweigh the desire for visually beautiful graphics. It’s not about how much brawn and muscle a system can produce but how immersed the gamer can become in the story, and how tied we can become to relatable characters. Games are an art form and much like a physical painting each viewer perceives and interprets it differently. Would you rather genuinely invest your time in a game that you enjoy and feel a part of, or simply kill time and get to the rolling credits?

Have you ever lied being really good at a game when you know you’re terrible at it? I have. It’s called Halo.

By Mitchell Purdon

Have you ever bought a game that you lie about buying it because it’s a childs game? I have. It’s called Lego Batman. Have you ever pretended you were the super hero in the game? I have. I’m Taylor X (DC Universe online) Have you ever fallen in love with a game series that you have to buy every game related to it? I have. It’s called Assassin’s Creed Have you ever played Wii and enjoyed it? I haven’t. By Chloe Taylor

eLYSIUM

n the year 2159, two classes of people exist: the very wealthy, who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. The people of Earth are desperate to escape the planet’s crime and poverty, and they critically need the state-of-the-art medical care available on Elysium – but some in Elysium will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve their citizens’ luxurious lifestyle. The only man with the chance to bring equality to these worlds is Max (Matt Damon), an ordinary guy in desperate need to get to Elysium. With his life hanging in the balance, he reluctantly takes on a dangerous mission – one that pits him against Elysium’s Secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster) and her hardline forces – but if he succeeds, he could save not only his own life, but millions of people on Earth as well.

RELEASE DATE: 15 AUGUST 2013

CAST:

Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley

GENRE:

sci-fi/drama

writer/director: Neill Blomkamp

WEBSITE:

www.ItsBetterUpThere.com.au

COMPETITION!

want to win a double pass to elysium? simple.. Watch the trailer & inbox us the answers to these 2 questions on OUR Facebook PAGE for your chance to win a double pass to Elysium!

1. On the red homeland Aircraft, where the 2 soilders jump out of, what does it say to beware of? 2. How old is Matt Damon’s character?

MOBILE GAMING M

obile gaming is now huge thanks to smart phones and Ninento DS systems. Live Magazine takes a look at the joys of gaming without a big screen.

We spoke with mobile gaming developers Universal Chicken about how they see developing games on Android and iOS platforms. Is it easy or is it like the good old days of PC gaming development that began to really grow in the 90s..? Live: Richard, how long does it take to develop a game and get it ready for release? Richard: Well, that depends a lot on the game. Naturally Tetris is going to be a much shorter development than GTA IV. Master Thief took us 3 years of on-and-off part time work in total, including a fair bit of stuff that we re-visited during the project and a number of things which we’ve started but don’t feel are ready to share in the public release yet. So it’s pretty difficult to estimate how many hours went specifically into the version you’ve got in your hands at the moment, but... I’d estimate that if we were to work on something similar full time we’d be able to do it quite comfortably in a couple of months. Live: Is iOS or Android the easier platform? Richard: They both have their ups and downs. Assuming that you have a Mac, I’d say that iOS is the easier platform largely because of the small number of devices you need to support. There are around a dozen different iOS devices you might want to support at any one time, which is quite a manageable number, whereas Google Play currently lists 2568 Android

devices. In terms of making sales, I’d say that iOS is a clear winner. The App Store has at least a minimum level of quality control, which I think makes people feel more comfortable purchasing apps and games than on Google Play. Live: Back in the 90s when PC gaming was growing with the release of Windows 3.1 and then 95 there was a lot of one and two person teams slaving away in the garage coding games. Is that now the same with mobile platforms? Why do you think so?

where do you get your ideas? Richard: Oh, coming up with ideas is the easy part. At any given time each of us at Universal Chicken probably has half a dozen game ideas we’d love to make, with a huge variety of sources. It could be something cool we see, a kind of interaction we want to play with, something we wish another game had explored differently... pretty much anything where we think there could be an interesting challenge, or an idea that a player would enjoy exploring.

“..Coming up with the ideas is the easy part. The hard bit is deciding which to develop” Richard: Yes, it’s definitely the same with mobile games. That’s pretty much how Master Thief happened, after all! Steam and similar stores have a pretty consistent churn of indie and small team titles, too, so it’s not just mobile platforms. As for why it’s happening, I think there are two parts to it: it’s getting easier to make games, and it’s also getting easier to distribute them.

The hard bit is deciding which to develop. Live: Is the indie scene big in Australia?? Richard: I don’t know if I’d call it “big”, but it’s definitely on the grow, at least in South Australia.

Ten years ago the only thing I knew about was an online forum where about two dozen local developers There are professional level tools hung out. Five years ago things really out there for free, like Unity and UDK, started to happen, though. Ben Kilsby which will allow anyone to get started got the Indie Games Room going as a in game development without first part of AVCon, which grew from 6 dev getting a computer science degree. teams to 12 to 20... Ben has passed Then, once it’s made, anyone can on the reins now, but this year’s event distribute their game with platforms like had a huge 54 developers. Two years the iTunes App Store and Google Play. ago Jessica Citizen and Kingsley While it’s still early days the Ouya is also Foreman started Adelaide’s Really looking promising, and while they’re still Good Gathering of Game Developers aimed at people with prior experience (a.k.a.“ARGGGH”), which attracts 30+ it looks like the big consoles are also developers monthly. I haven’t checked trying to make their own publishing out Jamalaide myself yet, but they’ve platforms more accessible. been going for over a year now. So Live: Where do you come up there’s definitely stuff going on here, with game ideas - we see some and I expect there’d be similar shows, amazingly creative and sometimes groups and clubs in the other major just plain weird games and apps cities.

DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T GET CAUGHT! Click here to download Master Thief today! Available for iOS & Android!

Published by

WHICH SMART PHONE FOR YOU? ANDROID or IOS

W 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

ith the recent launch of our new game on both iOS and Android, Master Thieft, we decided to ask two of our team members what smart phone they used and why they prefer the format. Here’s what they had to say about their preferred phone..

JOE - THE I.T WIZARD (ANDROID)

Developers don’t have to jump through hoops and adhere to Apple’s extremely restrictive, and sometimes ridiculous policies to have their apps published in the store (Google Play). Google’s rapid development rate means features generally appear on Android well before they make their way to rival mobile OSs (E.G. Full multitasking for 3rd party apps; Cloud syncing of contacts etc; Notification drawer; the list goes on).

Hardware choice. If I don’t like the latest offering from Samsung, there’s a plethora of OEMs making different handsets that I can choose from. Drag and drop file functionality. Not locked into iTunes. However, if I wanted to use a syncing type app, there are many available in the store (Google Play). FREEDOM! I can use the device as the manufacturer intended, or I can customise it to look and feel however I see fit. Here are some examples of truly unique looking Android home screens.

WADE - THE PRODUCT GURU (IOS)

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Everything just works.

Walled garden environment means I don’t have to worry about viruses/Trojans and the like. Significantly better looking (more premium looking) when compared to an Android phone – Aluminium/Glass body of iPhone vs plastic Androids.

Choice and quality of apps – iPhone often gets apps first, as well as many exclusives.

Faster software updates. There seems to be more consistency in updates with OS updates.

DON’T GET CAUGHT!

ANDROID AND IOS: TOP 5 PAID APPS

Android has a ton of games to buy in the Google Play store. Here’s their top 5 paid games. Not surprisingly there are a couple of top sellers on both platforms...

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Minecraft - Pocket Edition: Minecraft is about placing blocks to build things and going on adventures!

Plants Vs. Zombies: Like the iOS version it’s about defending your home using a range of plants from the attacking Zombies.

Fruit Ninja: Swipe your screen to slash the fruit in ninja like fashion hugely popular!

World of Goo: Help Swampy the croc guide water to his broken shower it’s a hugely popular game that’s a ton of fun!

Where’s My Water? Game of the Year - Metacritic, IGN, TouchArcade and many other app review sites. 5 star ratings - get it!

Top 5 paid games on iOS as at middle of July 2013.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Gametraders are the publisher of Master Thief and have a number of games on the iTunes store. Click here to download Master Thief today! Available for iOS & Android!

Minecraft - Pocket Edition: The game about placing blocks to build things and go on adventures. Multiplayer over local Wi-Fi. 5 star rated on iTunes.

Heads Up: A fun game where you guess the word on the card on your head from your friends clues before the timer runs out.

Plants Vs. Zombies: Winner of over 30 game of the year awards you need to use your arsenal of 49 zombie-zapping plants to mulchify 26 types of zombies before they break down your door.

Limbo Game: This popular game sees the player who is uncertain of his sisters fate, enter limbo. Great ratings and winner of more then 100 awards!

Monopoly: Buy, sell and trade now on iPhone and iPad

3d gaming on the go:

WITH THE 3DS P

laying on the go is more than just smart phones, there is the amazingly popular 3Ds from Nintendo. The power packed system evolved from the original Nintendo DS which according to VG Chartz has sold 154.67 million units world wide, second only to the Playstation 2 at 157.68million. Not far behind is the 3DS sitting on 32.29 million, not a bad figure when taking into account the 3DS has only been on sale since February 2011. Best selling games for the 3DS, according to the charts, are: Super Mario 3D Land reinvents everything fans love about Mario gaming with the first platforming environment in true 3D, presenting a 3D Mario game that plays like a 2D Mario game!

Players will experience an exhilarating new sense of depth, distance and speed while running, jumping and stomping on enemies throughout the levels.

2. 3. 4.

TRADE & SAVE! GET INTO GAMETRADERS & YOUR OLD GAMES FOR THE NEW XBOX ONE & PS4 GAMES!

CTC

PRE-ORDER NOW *Artwork not final.

CTC CTC

CTC

PRE-ORDER NOW *Artwork not final.

CONFIRMED LISTS OF NEXT GEN GAMES.. PS4 GAMES Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Battlefield 4 Beyond Good & Evil 2 Call of Duty: Ghosts Carmageddon: Reincarnation Contrast The Crew Crusade Daylight Deep Down Destiny Diablo III The Division Dragon Age: Inquisition DriveClub Doki-Doki Universe Don’t Starve Dying Light The Elder Scrolls Online The Evil Within FIFA 14

Final Fantasy Project Final Fantasy XV Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Galak-Z Human Element Infamous: Second Son Just Dance 2014 Killzone: Shadow Fall Kingdom Hearts III Knack LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Mad Max Madden NFL 25 Mercenary Kings Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Mirror’s Edge 2 NBA 2K14 NBA Live 14 Need for Speed Rivals Octodad: Dadliest Catch Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty

The Order: 1886 Outlast Secret Ponchos Shadow Warrior Skylanders Swap Force EA Sports UFC Sniper Elite V3 Star Wars Battlefront Thief Transistor Trials Fusion Watch Dogs Warframe War Thunder The Witness Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Whore of the Orient The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Wolfenstein: The New Order

Kinect Sports Rivals Kingdom Hearts III LEGO Marvel Super Heroes LocoCycle Mad Max Madden NFL 25 Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Minecraft Mirror’s Edge NBA 2K14 NBA Live 14 Need for Speed Rivals Peggle 2 Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare Project Spark Quantum Break Rabbids Invasion Ryse: Son of Rome Skylanders Swap Force Sniper Elite V3 Star Wars Battlefront

Sunset Overdrive Thief Titanfall Trials Fusion EA Sports UFC Watch Dogs The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Wolfenstein: The New Order Zoo Tycoon Zumba Fitness World Party

XBOX ONE GAMES Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Battlefield 4 Below Call of Duty: Ghosts The Crew Crimson Dragon D4 Dead Rising 3 Destiny The Division Dragon Age Inquisition Dying Light The Elder Scrolls Online The Evil Within Fantasia: Music Evolved FIFA 14 Final Fantasy XV Forza Motorsport 5 Halo Xbox One Just Dance 2014 Killer Instinct

Pre-order all Xbox One or PS4 Games at any of our stores!

get â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;em at

gametrad mini busts

CLONE TROOPERS

aders! POP! VINYL FIGURES

DOCTOR WHO FIGURINES

IN-STORE OR PRE-ORDER!

NEW L!VE GAMING EXPERIENCE! PENRITH COMING SOON! Gametraders are opening the first of their new “L!VE” stores in Penrith, New South Wales. L!VE is a brand new gaming experience, specialising in games, trading, cards and tournaments, Warhammer, cosplay, anime and much more! Gametraders L!VE is about you and what you love. Opening soon - stay tuned!

FIND OUT MORE! Want to find out more information about the new “LIVE” gaming experience? Visit www.gametraders.com/franchising

retro round up: AVCON 2013

david kudrev - FOUNDER OF RETROspekt

his year’s AVCon was quite a show! With all the special guests, the amazing effort people put in to the costumes, the artwork seen in the artist alleys, sweet collection of anime screenings the video game competitions, locally developed independent games featured, and much more. There was something for everyone regardless, of course Retrospekt was there doing a lot on the weekend as per usual. On Saturday, Retro Writer Paul Monopoli hosted the Super Retro Trivia Challenge with members from Retrospekt as well as other contestants from the audience and mascots for each team (Mario and Luigi). Many questions that even stumped me and audience members but then knowing the answer, the crowd and the stage let out a massive “OHHHHHH!”. Overall a very entertaining show with the audience getting in to it. On Sunday I did a short and simple presentation about places for a retro-gamer to go in Japan to drink and shop. The panel covered only the places I managed to visit and check out during my trip last year. As well as the presentations we hosted throughout the weekend, we also hosted the Retro games museum. This year’s museum is much bigger than last year’s space meaning we had to bring more games, consoles and arcade machines

to showcase. For the arcade machines we got 19XX, Neo Geo MVS with King of Fighters 98, 99, Double Dragon and Samurai Showdown III and a PlayChoice 10 with 10 games on it! As for the consoles, as well as the well-knowns like the Super Game Boy (with a Super Famicom and SNES Jr. both with Super Game Boy 2 carts and a link cable), SEGA Mega Drive, SNES, Atari 7800, SEGA Master System, SEGA Dreamcast and SEGA Saturn, we showcased the Amiga CD 32, Neo Geo AES, Bandai Playdia, Panasonic 3DO, Atari Jaguar, Sharp Twin Famicom, Amstrad GX4000, Intellivision 2, PC Engine Duo-R and a Vectrex! Generally it was a fantastic weekend and was great to see the room get packed out for majority of the two days at AVCon 2013. It was also great to see parents bringing in their kids to teach them about all the consoles before the days of achievements and trophies, and linear gameplay. As well as that, seeing amazing cosplay of game characters from the past games! We had fun sharing the experience of gaming from the older days with the crowd and look forward to doing it again at PAX Australia 2013. Oh and we had a Nintendo 64 going too.. This is Dave from Planet Retrospekt, signing off!

BY DAVID KUDREV www.retrospekt.com.au

2013

AVCON

AVCON ADELAIDE

VCon Adelaide swept the city in mid July with thousands heading into the Convention Centre to enjoy the weekend! The city streets were filled with cosplayers and fans for two days as they headed to the Convention Centre for what is one of the biggest events on the gaming and cosplay calendar. Adelaide’s Rundle Mall too was filled with colour and a sense of fun as cosplayers shopped and met up before heading off to AVCon. AVCon invited some special guests along to meet and greet fans and this year Gametraders LIVE magazine had the opportunity to talk wtih voice actors Chris Cason and Spike Spencer along with cosplayer Jessica Nigri.

Chris Cason, Jessica Nigri and Spike Spencer questions to these fabulous and super friendly visitors. First up. Kasey via our Facebook page asked Jessica about where a cosplayer draws the line between dressing to impress and dressing for enjoyment.“I do it for myself mostly cause I strongly believe that if you’re not enjoying what you’re doing you shouldn’t do it. Everything I cosplay I’m a huge fan of. Recently I cosplayed Teemo from League of Legends. Teemo is a jerk in that game you either really love him or really hate him. Like Teemo, some people really dislike what I do and some people really like what I do. I mainly do it for my own personal thing.”

We asked Chris Cason about the most challenging roles he’s had and he explained that being a projects’ ADR LIVE asked fans via Facebook what Director - the Automated Dialogue questions they’d like to ask the visitors, so Replacement Director who’s job it is while it rained outside in the cold July to direct the voices and match the winter, I sat down and put some of your dubbing of voices to the visuals on

screen can be very challenging, but the most challenging is the one project you don’t necessarily like doing. Chris explained,“You always find one thing you really enjoy but one particular project I couldn’t find anything I really enjoyed about it. Not mentioning names, I thought it was one thing but it turned out to be for a much younger audience, It was a kids’ show but I didn’t know at the time. One project out of 8 years is pretty good” The other difficulty according to Spike Spencer is the dubbing,“Anime is ADR and basically we’re dubbing. He explained that with anime there is a need to match the lips, with voice actors having to perform and match the lip movements that the artists have created. Whilst in video games you can be free as they sometimes put in the character movements afterwards. Casen said he, ..”prefers video games

right now and it’s the challenge of doing something new, something else. Video games are awesome!” We also asked Jessica what challenges she’s faced as a cosplayer or have there been any characters she didn’t enjoy. Jessica explained that she “... I always do what I want to do and always enjoy them, but there’s been some costumes I’d like to redo.” Whilst Jessica is a gamer and is currently playing League of legends, Spike said he’d “... love to play games but I’d never leave my apartment. I’ve still got a PS one with Lara Croft!” We asked the trio what’s coming up for them in the future and for Chris he told us that it was difficult to detail too much as they (actors) “... sign a lot of non disclosure agreements and so I can’t say what I’m working on. Wish it weren’t that way.” After AVCon, Jessica Nigri is going to the Caribean for a video game tournament, then is off to Canada for a couple of anime conventions, also Killer is Dead comes out August 1st in Japan so she’ll be promoting that in the immediate future along with some work for Rooster Teeth! Spike has three great projects he can’t talk to much about with a series just about to start on Nickolodean which sounded exciting if a bit mysterious. On life outside of cosplay - Jessica said she wants to study marketing and advertising and start her own video game company.“I give myself two more years as a cosplayer” This is based on her current style of costume, but she loves older cosplayers who do a good job with their cosplay costumes. Finally I had to say goodbye as there were journalists from a variety of media wanting to interview the guests. Over the weekend there were thousands of cosplayers and fans enjoying AVCon and if you’ve never been to an event like ComicCon or PAX, get to one. It’s a real mix of gamers, fans of anime, cosplay and retro game fans all mixing and enjoying an atmosphere of fun. it’s great for families too, see you there!

VCON ADELAIDE 2013

RETRO: ATARI JAGUAR: T

BEGINNING TO END

PAUL MONOPOLI - RETRO WRITER

hough touted as the world’s first 64 bit video game system, the Atari Jaguar is a little known console that wasn’t widely available in Australia.

disagreements on how to run the company, so he was ready to buy up one of its rivals and continue on in the computer market.

After a phenomenal success of the Atari Before we get into the 2600 the company was console though, a bit of starting to suffer with the history: The Jaguar was 5200 and 7800 consoles released in 1993 by Atari underperforming. Rivals Corp. It’s important to note Nintendo and Sega the name here as Atari were taking up a larger has gone through many market share while changes over the years. Atari was taking a back Atari Inc was founded by seat. By 1990 Atari were Nolan Bushnell and the still marketing its most lesser known Ted Dabney successful machine, the in 1972. Nolan sold the 2600 but it was 13 years company to Warner old. The market was losing Communications in 1976 faith in Atari and luck was prior to the release of not on its side. The Atari ST the 2600, which would computer was considered have been too costly for to be inferior to the Nolan to market himself. Commodore Amiga, while Warner disbanded the Lynx lost out to the Atari Inc after the video Nintendo Gameboy. game crash, keeping the arcade division but selling By this stage Atari needed the consumer division a hit or their problems (Atari Corp) to former were only going to get Commodore founder Jack worse. Two consoles were Tramiel. Jack had resigned conceived; the Panther from Commodore due to and the Jaguar. The

BEGINNING TO END Panther was designed to be a 32-bit console with the Jaguar being released a couple of years later with 64-bit architecture. Production of the Jaguar continued at a faster than expected rate and the Panther was cancelled. Games that were designed for the Panther were eventually released for the Jaguar, including the pack in title Cybermorph. While it is arguable that the machine is indeed 64 bits (certain components of it are), what cannot be argued is that the machine is capable of some outstanding graphical feats. Many ports released on the Jaguar looked much better than their Nintendo and Sega rivals at the time. The problem was that the Jaguar wasn’t getting many games released. At this time Nintendo was still forcing some developers into exclusive licensing agreements and those who were not bound

by those arrangements just weren’t interested. Nintendo and Sega were the kings when the Jaguar was released, and a year after its release the Playstation and Saturn entered the field.

were created but never released.

Discontinued in 1996, the Jaguar only sold a paltry 250,000 units throughout its 3 year lifecycle and its successor the Jaguar 2 never saw the light of day. Despite this, the Jaguar In 1996 Atari Corp merged played host to some with JTS Inc and it would fantastic games, including be many years until the the popular Aliens vs name Atari was used Predator, Doom, Rayman again. and Tempest 2000. The later released CD drive add on had a small library, but it did feature some classic titles such as Don Bluth’s Dragon’s Lair and Space Ace.

PAUL MONOPOLI RETRO WRITER

The Jaguar had the ability to network with other Jaguars through its Jaglink interface, though only a handful of games took advantage of the feature, most notably Doom. A multitap was also released to enable 4 players in games such as NBA Jam, though with the lack of popularity other devices such as the VR headset and Web TV adapter

GET MORE!

CHECK OUT OUR BRAND NEW

PRODUCT DIRECTORY! products.gametraders.com.au

real gamers run gametraders stores!

GAMETRADERS MACKAY

ach month we’ll be talking to someone involved in the world of gaming, cosplay, anime or pop culture...

It’s true, real gamers do run and own Gametraders stores! This month we decided to head North to a warmer climate and spoke to Grant & Felicity at our Mackay store. Live: When did you open your first store and why Gametraders? Grant: We officially opened on the 1st November 2012 with a bang. The people of Mackay flocked to the store partly out of curiousity and many had not experienced a Gametraders store before. This was also a major part of why my partner Felicity aka ‘Oz’ (nickname and gamer tag) and I wanted to bring the Gametraders experience to Mackay. Live: Are you a gamer and what are you playing at the moment? Grant: Absolutely! I’m an avid gamer

since as far as I can remember, playing Alex the Kid on my very first console the Sega Master System 2. These days I own and play all current generation consoles though at the moment I am thoroughly enjoying The Last of Us for the second time over. As I look to the future I’m really looking forward to titles like Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, Destiny, Titanfall, Killzone Shadow Fall and Watch Dogs…plus heaps more but I won’t rant about all the great titles announced at E3. Live: Next generation consoles are coming soon - are you excited about them and what are your thoughts on the Xbox One and PS4? Grant: As a gamer I’m extremely excited to see what gaming experience this new generation of console can offer us. There are a lot of great points with both consoles and with so many fantastic exclusive titles it’s hard to side with either one. My honest thoughts, like most people, is that Sony hit the ground running and Microsoft had some hiccups to

overcome. Now that those hiccups have been taken care of and with games like Dead Rising 3, Forza 5, Titanfall and Ryse: Son of Rome exclusive to the console it’s a must have for me. Live: What games are looking forward to in the second half of 2013? Grant: Definitely Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Grand Theft Auto 5, Battlefield 4, Watch Dogs, New Super Luigi U and Pokemon X/Y. Live: Finally, what’s your pick for game of the year? Grant: Although I thoroughly enjoyed Bioshock Infinite and truly love the series, The Last of Us is my pick. Naughty Dog are just in a league of their own in their chosen genres and never fail to combine an epic story with fantastic flowing action and gameplay.

Check out Mackay’s facebook page here!

? m e ‘ Want 4” Plush with sound

$14.99ea

Tetris Light

$59.99

Tetris Alarm Clock

$49.99

Tetris Stress Blocks

$4.99ea

8” Plush with sound

PacMan Romote Control twin pack

Plush Back Packs

$24.99ea

Mario 6-pack Series 4

$24.99

Yoshi 3-pack Figurines

Die Cast 5-pack

$24

.99

$9.99

$24.99ea

$59.99 or $34.99ea

Keychains with sound

$12.99ea

Mario Coin Bank

$17.99

! s r e d a r t e m a G t a m ‘e Get MarioKart Pullback

$10

.99ea

Cosplayer: Hayley Elise Photographer: Eurobeat Kasumi

PROFILE: HAYLEY ELISE COSPLAYer

Photographer: Kris Ezergailis

ach month we’ll be talking to someone involved in the world of gaming, cosplay, anime or pop culture...

This month we talk to the amazing Hayley Elise, a cosplayer based in Sydney. Hayley’s into video game cosplay but is interested in branching out into a wider range of characters. We spent some time asking Hayley about cosplay and what characters she particularly loves as a cosplayer... Live: What characters are your favourite to dress as when you go to events? Why those characters? Hayley: I have so many favourite characters to dress as, and all for different reasons! Starting more recently, I had an amazing time cosplaying the Wii Fit Trainer, only a week or two after she was announced as a new

character on the Smash Bros roster. It was a last minute cosplay, but it got such a great reaction at the convention, and everyone I met just wanted to get a silly photo with me. Sometimes it’s great to take a break from the serious and just have fun – that’s what cosplay should be about, after all! Princess Leia is also a great one to wear at conventions – both the bikini and the white dress. Star Wars is just such an iconic franchise that everyone loves, and I’m always bound to run into a heap of other Star Wars cosplayers to get photos with and generally geek out with! The 501st and Rebel Legion guys are always great fun, and one of my absolute favourite parts of wearing Leia has to be the star-struck kids who think I really am the character! Samus wins the prize as my all time favourite video game character, and so

it makes sense that she’s also great fun to dress as. There’s something amazing about dressing as someone you really admire, and Samus is such an iconic, strong character. The Zero Suit is also surprisingly comfortable, as cosplays go, though I can only hope that one day I’ll be able to boast a full Varia suit in my wardrobe. I can never say no to a chick with a gun! Live: Some cosplayers enjoy creating costumes like Ardella, some prefer to buy the costume and then add accessories - what’s your preference? Hayley: I have always loved creating costumes just as much as I do wearing them; it’s definitely a great feeling to be able to wear and showcase something that I’ve made entirely myself. I made my first costume about five years ago with absolutely no sewing experience, and I’m finally starting to get the hang of it. Since then I’ve also dabbled

Thank you to photographers Kris Ezergailis, Beethy Photography & Eurobeat Kasumi Photography for allowing us to use their photographs of Hayley Elise. Click their names to see more of their work!

Photographer: Beethy Photography

PROFILE: HAYLEY ELISE COSPLAYer

year I travelled to the US for Anime Expo and San Diego Comic Con, and it was an absolutely amazing experience. I mean, Australian conventions are great, but nothing compares to sleeping in line outside the San Diego Convention Centre for six hours just to see one panel, or having Yoshinori Ono turn up as a surprise guest at a Street Fighter Seeing how far I’ve come can be incredibly satisfying as well, going from panel, complete with Blanka costume! props made from cardboard and craft I am planning on going to my first interstate convention in Brisbane at foam, to resin and metal sheet! Props the end of this year, though, and while were always something that I used to it’s no Comic Con, I reckon it’ll still have trouble with, so overcoming that block has been a great learning curve. be great. I love travel in general, but something about travelling for cosplay Live: Do you get asked to pose for and conventions makes it especially photos by fans at events? Any funny exciting! And especially exhausting as stories you can share? well, though that’s all part of the fun. Hayley: I’ll usually get asked to pose Live: How long does it take to get for photos quite a bit whenever I’m in ready for an event and do you do all costume at a convention, though not your own make up? so much by people who recognise me as my cosplay alias. I think I’ve only Hayley: I do my own makeup and everything the morning of a ever had two people at conventions convention – I wish I had a team of recognise me as ‘Hayley Elise!’ As far stylists, but it isn’t going to happen as funny stories go… well, I have a any time soon! Usually it’ll take me at whole heap of awkward ones, and a least an hour to get into my costumes, few really heartbreaking ones. When I was dressed as Princess Leia the other although that tends to be the bare weekend at Sydney Supanova, I had a minimum. Some costumes, like Cammy, bit of trouble with my rather impractical integrate my real hair, and so that (you know the one!) hairstyle staying in all has to be styled on the day. Wii Fit Trainer involved painting my entire place, so towards the end of the day I was glad enough when I could rip my upper half white, and so that took me wig off and go to change. Once I had, more than three hours to get ready! Sometimes I completely run out of however, I turned to see a very young girl staring at me in absolute horror. Her time before we have to leave (and sometimes I just sleep in), and I’ll end father explained that she had gone up doing all my makeup and wig there to see Carrie Fisher, though kept stuff in the convention bathrooms… asking him where the real Princess although if you pay a visit to the Leia was. On seeing me, he told her women’s bathrooms the morning that I was the real Leia, only to have of any convention, you’ll find it jam me tear my wig off right in front of her! packed with other people doing Whoops… I felt a bit like I had just told exactly the same! her Santa wasn’t real. with leatherworking, woodworking, metalworking, jewellery techniques, resin casting and wig styling, and I always love the chance to expand my skills and techniques. I’ve always been a crafty person, which is part of the reason that I was drawn to cosplay in the first place.

Live: Do you travel for events? Where have you travelled?

Live: Finally, are you a gamer and if so, what do you enjoy playing?

Hayley: A lot of cosplayers travel interstate for conventions – funnily enough, I haven’t been to any interstate conventions yet, though I’ve already been to international ones. Last

Hayley: Yes! I’ve loved games ever since my dad brought us home a brand new N64, back when I was barely even in kindergarten yet. I’ve dabbled with almost every genre of

games, and I haven’t found one yet that I don’t like! My all time favourite game series is Metroid, and I’ve played every single game in the franchise, sometimes more than once. Much, much more than once. More recently I’ve been known to play a good shooter or two; I’ve loved the Bioshock games ever since I took my first bathysphere down to Rapture all those years ago, and the Gears of War series is insanely fun to play in co-op mode – I’m even planning my next cosplay from it! Survival horror is another genre I’ve only recently started to get into, though I’ve found that sitting in the dark being scared out of your wits in the middle of the night is strangely addictive. I recently decided to play through all of the Silent Hill games in order, though this is only after playing through Amnesia enough times that I have every single monster spawn point and all the puzzle solutions completely memorised! Of course, the 64 still gets brought out every now and again for some good, old fashioned nostalgia, and generally some of the best games to play with a few friends.

Photographer: Kris Ezergailis

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ardella as Jessica Rabbit. All the lighting effects were created on set. The microphone would work if it were plugged in.â&#x20AC;?

PROFILE: KRIS EZERGAILIS COSPLAY PHOTOGRAPHER

“Hayley Elise – as a mage from origin art of Dragon Age. We found a cool location for this and everything just fell into place.”

ne thing you’ll see at every video game convention or event is the army of cosplayers who spend hours getting ready for events such as AVCon or ComicCon. You’ll also see a ton of photographers wanting to capture amazing images of cosplayers and one of the best is photographer Kris Ezergailis. We’ve featured many of Chris’s photos over the past few issues so we thought we’d speak to him about his experience in working with such well known cosplayers such as Ardella, Black Cat and this months cosplayer, Hayley Elise. We asked Kris what it’s like to photograph such amazing people... Live: Kris, you’re a photographer that does a lot of work with cosplayers, tell us how you got into photographing cosplay.

Kris: Back in 2009 I was asked by a friend to help out at her stall at Supanova, I brought my camera with me not knowing what to expect. Before long I started seeing all these people dressed up as all these characters and it was simply amazing. I’d seen cosplay from America on the internet but had no idea that it happened over here. Live: Do you do other types of photography too? Kris: Yes, cosplay photography is a hobby for me. I will photograph anything to do with people… except weddings. Live: So why cosplay - do they approach you or do you enjoy the challenge of recreating the feel of the character? Kris: Cosplayers love having their photo taken, it comes with the territory of being a superhero. I

encourage anyone with a strong commitment to bringing their character to life to contact me. The costume they bring has usually got a cool story or a scene that we can try to re-enact and capture in a photograph. The styling and creative possibilities really give us a lot of opportunity to try new things that you just can’t do for mainstream portraits. Live: Why do so many people love being photographed in cosplay? Is it the fantasy of the character, the exposure to fans..? Kris: You can do things in a photograph that you just can’t do in real life. It really pushes the fictional unreality to the next level. The internet allows people to share their work with a much wider audience than in the past, and get recognition from around the world.

KRIS EZERGAILIS

Above: Black Cat as … Black Cat! Suspended from a truss structure overhead and surrounded by black drapes. Holding a pose on a rope is not easy. We suspect the diamond is not real. Top right: Kiara as Rorona from Atelier Rorona (PS3). You’d be surprised the cool places you can find really close to home. Bottom right: thevixengamer as Lara Croft. We shot this before the game had launched and all we had to go from was concept art. After playing the game I have a newfound appreciation for her attention to detail.

Live: What’s been your most challenging cosplay shoot?

Live: If you could photograph anyone who would it be?

Live: Finally, do you have a favourite Gametraders store?

Kris: I’ve never had anything get out of hand, so I guess the most work on a shoot went into setting up overhead rigging and ropes early this year. I was expecting to use it only once but the timing worked out and I got the chance to shoot 3 different sets before it all had to be dismantled.

Kris: Richard Branson. I know it’s not his thing to cosplay but he is known for his love of the off centre, probably has some cool ideas, owns an island and would bring an amazing budget with him.

Kris: Parramatta is my local and favourite store. The staff are always really quick and helpful.

Live: And who are your favourite cosplayers you’ve photographed? Kris: I’m not sure we have enough space to list everyone. I’ve had really good experiences with so many people.

Live: Being a cosplay photographer, are you also a gamer? And if so, what’s your favourite games.. Kris: I would say I’m a casual gamer. I have a lovely PC and it’s usually playing Team Fortress 2. I am in the middle of Deadpool, and just finished the new Tomb Raider.

KRIS ezergailis Want to see more from Kris Ezergailis? Visit facebook.com/ WhatABigCamera

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eve Beauregard as Elektra. We had an image from one of the movie posters that we were determined to recreate without resorting to heavy editing or compositing.â&#x20AC;?

TRADING CARDS: SA

Ingle Farm No current tournaments.

NSW

IN-STORE TOURNAMENTS

Blacktown Yu-Gi-Oh - Saturday 10am, Sunday 10:30am Magic the Gathering - Thursday 6pm

Marion

Cardfight!! Vanguard - Sunday 2pm

Pokemon - Monday 6pm

Weiss Shwarz - Saturday 2pm

Cardfight!! Vanguard - Tuesday 6pm Yu-Gi-Oh - Wednesday 6pm

Macarthur Square

Magic the Gathering - Friday 6pm (Arrive 5:30)

Tournaments on 5:30 every Wednesday. Please check their facebook page for details.

Mt. Barker Yu-Gi-Oh - Sunday 4pm

Nowra

Magic the Gathering - Saturday 4pm

Please check their facebook page.

SEAFORD Yu-Gi-Oh - Wednesday 4pm

Parramatta

Cardfight!! Vanguard - Friday 4:30pm

Yu-Gi-Oh - Thursday 6pm, Saturday 2pm

Pokemon - Monday 4pm

Cardfight!! Vanguard - Sunday 2pm

Magic the Gathering - Monday 6pm

Weiss Shwarz - Saturday 10am

Yu-Gi-Oh PRO (Paid - $10) - Sunday 1:30pm

School Holiday Additional Tournaments:

Salisbury

Yu-Gi-Oh - Monday, Wednesday & Friday 2pm

Yu-Gi-Oh - Saturday 12.30pm

ACT

Hyperdome

VIC

BACCHUS MARSH

Yu-Gi-Oh - Saturday 10am, Tuesday 6pm

Cardfight!! Vanguard - Tuesday & Thursday 2pm

QLD

Chermside Please check their facebook page.

Logan Hyperdome

Magic the Gathering - Thursday 5pm, Sunday 2pm

Magic the Gathering - Friday 6pm

Yu-Gi-Oh - Sunday 10am

Yu-Gi-Oh - Sunday 3pm (Register 2:45pm, book in advance to secure a spot).

Cardfight!! Vanguard - Sunday 12pm All TCG Casual Play - Sunday 10am - 4pm TCG WEEKLY SPECIAL: 15% off TCG Stock every Sunday!

HIGHPOINT Yu-Gi-Oh - Sunday 5pm Magic the Gathering - Sunday 5pm

MILDURA Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Magic the Gathering and Cardfight!! Vanguard every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Click here for times and event details.

Cardfight!! Vanguard - Dates announced on FB Pre-Releases and Special Tournaments announced on facebook.

Mackay Yu-Gi-Oh - Sundays 3:45pm Cardfight!! Vanguard - Monday 5:45pm Magic the Gathering - Friday 6:15pm

Morayfield Please check their facebook page.

TRADING CARDS: CARDFIGHT!! VANGUARD REGIONAL QUALIFIERS

uring the beginning of June, the first Australian Cardfight Vanguard Team League Regional Qualifiers were held in Melbourne and Brisbane. This was an invite only event where teams of three had to fight their way to the top 2 standings to earn an invite. Competition evolved to a whole new level with this new format as you need to have at least two wins amongst your team members to advance to the next round. As captain of Team Sagramore, I joined into the fray of competition around South Australia with my team and surprisingly enough, we came 1st place at each available shop qualifier. As representatives for our local store Gametraders Marion, we decided to

attend the Melbourne Regional Qualifiers for our chance to win flights and accommodation to Singapore for the world championships.

and only 4 spots available for the playoffs, my team was chosen to playoff against another for the final spot for top 4. Unfortunately Lady Luck was not on our 21 teams participated side for this round and the event in Melbourne we all drew horrible. Our and needless to say, it overall ranking was 5th was going to be a day out of 21 teams which of fierce competition. is still impressive and The format was double disappointing at the elimination where if your same time as we just team loses two rounds missed out on top 4 but during the tournament, still keep our title as best your team would be in S.A. The team who eliminated so the defeated us in the first pressure was definitely round went on to win the on. Our progress through entire tournament. They the tournament was a were a local Melbourne nerve wracking one. We team who regularly plays lost our first match which at Nekocards and they meant that we were definitely were the team already on the bubble of to beat this year. being eliminated but we managed to pick up our For all you Vanguard momentum by winning card fighters out there, the rest of our rounds keep your eyes peeled flawlessly. Since there for announcements were 5 teams remaining on new tag team

Find your nearest store... South Australia Ingle Farm.................................. (08) 8265 7283 Marion....................................... (08) 8296 1144 Mt Barker................................... (08) 8391 6300 Salisbury.................................... (08) 8281 0966 Seaford...................................... (08) 8327 1966 ACT Hyperdome................................ (02) 6293 3751

New South Wales Blacktown................................. (02) 9676 1411 Macarthur Square (Campbelltown) (02) 4620 0750 Nowra........................................ (02) 4422 8790 Parramatta................................ (02) 9633 2833

format tournaments as well as the single format tournament commencing in September! And donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to check into your local Gametraders store to get the latest in booster and trial deck releases!

BY JOhNATHAN HENG

For more info visit: www.gametraders.com.au Queensland Chermside................................. (07) 3861 5000 Logan Hyperdome..................... (07) 3801 5599 Mackay...................................... (07) 4944 0998 Morayfield.................................. (07) 5495 7705

Gametraders L!VE Penrith Opening Soon! Victoria Bacchus Marsh......................... (03) 5367 0717 Highpoint................................... (03) 9317 0188 Mildura....................................... (03) 5023 7702

Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see what you want in-store or on our website? Check out our product directory!

products.gametraders.com.au Terms & Conditions August Catalogue valid until 31/08/13, unless specified otherwise. Stock is subject to availability and change without notice and may vary from store to store. No Rain Checks. All dates and prices are correct at the time of printing.