As the first major expansion for Horizon Chase Turbo — which currently boasts an “overwhelmingly positive” review metric on Steam with more than 2,400 reviews — Horizon Chase Turbo - Senna Forever is a fitting tribute to one of the greatest motorsports athletes of all time. Aquiris Game Studio hasn’t skimped on content either, with this DLC bringing 12,000 RPM worth of new features, new maps, new skins, and for the first time, local multiplayer! And returning to keep the stoke high and the vibes groovy is composer Barry Leitch, who created the pulse-pounding soundtrack for the original game.
 
Horizon Chase Turbo - Senna Forever Key Features:

• It’s Senna’s World, You’re Just Driving It: Relive more than 40 of the iconic driver’s most legendary races spread across five all-new chapters, including 130 “Senna’s Marks” achievements in Career Mode
• If You Ain’t First, You’re Last: Prove yourself worthy of the name Senna by smoking your pals in 4-player local multiplayer
• New Cars, New Tracks, New Teams: 15 new tracks based on famous circuits, six playable cars in Career Mode, 34 playable cars in Championship Mode, and 18 teams to unlock in Championship Mode
• See the World Through Senna’s Eyes: A first for the series is the all-new First-Person driving mode, placing players in the cockpit of a world-class racecar

Horizon Chase Turbo: Senna Forever is now available for PlayStation 4 & 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, iOS, and Android devices for $5.99 USD —  the new content does require the base game Horizon Chase Turbo.
 
Make sure to follow Aquiris on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to stay up to date on all things Horizon Chase Turbo.

A full press kit including screens, logos, and key art for Horizon Chase Turbo: Senna Forever, can be found HERE.

Brazil Games has worked tirelessly for the past decade to support thriving Brazilian game studios internationally — funding their attendance at international video game events and connecting them with partnerships and financial backing opportunities. As the 12th largest gaming maker in the world, Brazil’s local industry has a current growth rate of 13.5% annually and accounts for $2.3 billion USD of the world’s video game-related revenue. Through their work with their affiliate studios, Brazil Games is an integral part of their success.
 
Find out more about some of the other incredible studios represented by Brazil Games in the press kit found HERE.

​If you’d like to speak with one of the developers at Aquiris about Horizon Chase Turbo: Senna Forever, please let us know and we’d be happy to coordinate an interview. If you’d like to chat with Eliana Russi, Executive Manager of Brazil Games, about any of their other studios, we can help with that as well.

​PRESS CONTACT - BRAZIL GAMES
Lisa Mior | Brendan Quinn
UberStrategist Inc.
pr@uberstrategist.com 
1-646-844-8983

"Sometimes people play Brazilian video games, but they don't know it."

These are the words of João Eduardo, head of public diplomacy and press for the Brazilian Embassy in Tokyo, who admits that even he didn't realise when playing Knights of Pen and Paper that developer Behold Studios was based in his home nation.

He offers other examples: Aquiris Game Studio's Horizon Chase, Pocket Trap's Dodgeball Academia, Arvore's Pixel Ripped series - all games that have found a global audience, although awareness of their country of origin remains low. In fact, the Brazilian games industry has historically been somewhat underrepresented, something Eduardo and his colleagues aimed to change with last month's inaugural Brazilian Games Week.

The online-only event was organised by folks from three organisations: Brazil Games, an export program operated by local developer association Abragames, Apex-Brasil, the Brazilian trade and investment promotion agency that has a particular interest in esports, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, drawing on support from various embassies and consulates around the world.

​Both Abragames and Apex-Brasil have already been working for years at putting local games companies on the map, travelling to major trade shows such as Gamescom to raise awareness of the talent the nation has to offer. And while this has been relatively successful, Eduardo notes that it soon became clear their reach was limited to each event's attendees.

​Brazil has hosted games events before, such as the long-running Brazil Games Show and the Brazilian Independent Games Festival, but with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing these to close for the time being, it was decided that a new showcase was needed.

"We obviously took the opportunity that the pandemic gave us," says Eduardo. "That was a good opportunity for us to develop something in the digital world. We tried coordinating with the other posts, with other embassies, other consulates, that also saw the potential of telling a little bit more about the Brazilian games industry to their local communities where they were stationed."

The week was packed with presentations and panels on different aspects of the industry, from an overview of the local market to featured Brazilian-developed games and spotlights on esports, virtual reality and 'serious games.'

The bulk of the activity was aimed at consumers, attempting to shine a light on the Brazilian market and its developers, as well as local esports teams, but there was also a trade element as the organisers attempted to highlight the potential hits being made in Brazil. This was in part because, as successful as some Brazilian games have become, studios still face certain barriers when it comes to entering more established markets.

"One of the things that we noticed is that sometimes it's not easy to find a space, to find markets abroad for your games. In the case of Japan, for instance, or China, Russia, it's difficult to sell games because you need to adapt them to the local language and culture," says Eduardo. "You have to translate them, so you need a good publisher who will be willing to go, 'You know what? This is a good product. I should invest in this, translate it, and do everything [I can] in marketing it in my local marketplace'."

A digital event was naturally the only way to go given the ongoing global pandemic. The impact of COVID-19 has been particularly interesting in Brazil because, while large-scale events have been postponed or cancelled, the country has not implemented strict lockdown measures in the way that so many other territories have. Nonetheless, the Brazilian games industry has adapted in much the same way as other developers around the world have.
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"There was this huge debate -- that's still going on, actually -- regarding whether to go into a lockdown or restrict people, or just keep going with business as usual," says Eduardo. "But what happened in Brazil actually wasn't in any way like normal life. There were some times that people [felt] comfortable going to the streets... but in general, I think that everyone knew that something was wrong so people and companies tried to adapt in any way they could.

​"As you know, there are a lot of people in Brazil that are poor. They need to go [to work] every day to try to sustain themselves. But for these companies, especially the companies that are working in digital environments already, I think it was easier to adapt a little bit. In general, they tried to use telework, and tried to keep things as normal as they could, but still taking care of business."

​The spread of COVID between colleagues was manageable by the fact Brazil has very few large companies. Most are small to mid-sized, Eduardo tells us, and while there are close to 100 or so studios, only 30 to 40 are constantly producing new games. The rest are often indies that have produced one or two titles each.

There's also a number of external development and outsourcing companies in Brazil, with Eduardo adding: "We have some great talent in all parts of game development. So, we have good illustrators, we have good coders, we have good modellers, and all these people are now making games for other companies."

Again, the pandemic had an impact here. During 2020, the value of the Brazilian Real plummeted compared to the US dollar, which made these external development companies more affordable to larger firms from overseas.

"There were a lot of companies trying to find Brazilian talent, because now these guys that used to cost $1,000 were now costing half the price," Eduardo explains. "They would do the same work for less dollars. That made Brazilian prices more competitive and people were looking for more Brazilian talent."
The aim of Brazilian Games Week has also been to highlight that the South American nation is not too dissimilar to other markets when it comes to video games. His experience in Tokyo has shown Eduardo that there are several cultural connections between Brazil and Japan, with pop culture references that resonate just as well in both nations - Power Rangers-style superhero series, for example.

He estimated that close to 70% of Brazilians are gamers, although notes that most of this is on mobile. Consoles and dedicated PC hardware, as well as the games themselves can be particularly expensive in Brazil, so free-to-play dominates the market, but there is still a decent audience for more traditional hits - especially in the competitive multiplayer space.

"Because of the [popularity] of esports, there are a lot of people nowadays who are playing the most played games in the world," says Eduardo. "League of Legends has a lot of professional players in Brazil, as well as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Rainbow Six Siege.
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"The companies know that, and they're coming to Brazil to try and better understand the Brazilian market, and trying to offer more stuff there. Garena has recently opened an office in Brazil because Free Fire was a huge success in Brazil."

When the largest gaming market in Latin America meets the largest gaming market in Asia, great things can happen. Of course, it can be tricky making a transition into an entirely new region, and that’s why Brazil Games and Apex-Brasil will spend October presenting webinars and workshops to educate and provide valuable insight to studios looking to enter China.
 
Brazil Games (the Brazilian Games Export Program)  is a partnership between Abragames – Brazilian Games Companies Association and Apex-Brasil –  Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency.
 
While China is certainly a juggernaut in every aspect of the gaming industry, it remains difficult to navigate and find success for developers and publishers alike that come from other regions. Attendees will learn about its platforms, monetization opportunities, and player communities, along with vital observations and suggestions on how to navigate this enormous — but financially viable — area of the industry.
 
In order to give studios that insider’s knowledge of how to prosper and thrive in China, Brazil Games and Apex-Brasil will also provide select companies a chance to attend a business roundtable with Chinese companies to form partnerships, publish games, and many other opportunities — as well as a personalized service with a consultancy specializing in the Chinese market.
Clique aqui para editar.

• PHASE 1: Let's Discover the Market
  • Webinar: China Game Market Ecosystem — October 7, 2021
    • Rodrigo Terra, President of Abragames, Eros Ramos, Brazil Games Sector Project Manager at Apex-Brasil, and Cristina Wang from the Apex-Brasil Office in Beijing will introduce the Chinese gaming ecosystem and explain how Brazil Games can help studios enter the Chinese market through the Apex-Brazil Office in Beijing.
      
      
  • Webinar: Explore Chinese Game Market Opportunities — October 13, 2021
    • Simon Zhu, Founder of CiGA – China Indie Game Alliance, will give a presentation on the Chinese game market outlook for participating companies. His talk will cover the most up-to-date market information, industry trends, market access requirements, opportunities and challenges for Brazilian companies, international collaboration in development, location, and investment.
      
      
• PHASE 2: Let's Exchange Ideas and Deepen What We've Learned
  • Workshop: How to Monetize your Games & Apps in China — October 15, 2021
    Wenchan Ouyang, Deputy Director of Operations at Tradplus, will present a talk that covers how to monetize games and apps in China, including an introduction to the Chinese market in terms of monetization, how to evaluate performance, and lessons learned from success stories.
  • Workshop: Data Analysis — October 19, 2021
    Chris Han, a former algorithmic engineer at Intel SSG and co-founder of Thinking Data, will show how  to use sophisticated data to guide game development and optimize operating strategy through highly efficient and flexible data analysis.
  • Workshop: Current Situation and Trends of Chinese Game Publishing — October 21, 2021
    ​Joying Qin, General Manager of the Game Strategy Center of the Meetsocial group and director of GamePlus and formerly of Tencent Photon Studio and Head of Publishing for EA China, will talk about analysis of the game market, Chinese players, the current situation of game publishing in China, and trends within game development and publishing in China. 
    
    
• PHASE 3: Is my Company Suitable for the Chinese Market?
  • Individual sessions for selected companies that will include diagnosis, intelligence data, personalized market access information, indication of opportunities, and a roadmap for operating in the Chinese market. (Dates to be confirmed)
• PHASE 4: The Moment of Truth
  • Virtual business rounds between Brazilian and Chinese companies seeking to publish or invest in international games.  (Dates to be confirmed)

For more information on the speakers, please check out the schedule here.
​

Follow Brazil Games on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram to learn more about the many talented studios and companies, and to keep up to date with their achievements.

​About Brazil Games
Brazil Games is the export program created by the Brazilian Independent Game Companies Association, ABRAGAMES, in partnership with Apex-Brasil, the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency. Our goal is to promote the Brazilian Indie Game industry internationally, developing new business opportunities for our companies. The Brazil Games Program also promotes Brazil as the hub for business in Latin America and invites buyers, investors, and publishers for BIG Festival, Brazil's Independent Games Festival, the most important international indie games festival, and the hub for international business in Latin America.
 
About Apex-Brasil
The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad and to attract foreign investment to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. The Agency's efforts comprise trade and prospective missions, business rounds, support for the participation of Brazilian companies in major international trade fairs, the arrangement of technical visits of foreign buyers and opinion makers to learn about the Brazilian productive structure, and other select activities designed to strengthen the country’s branding abroad. Apex-Brasil also plays a leading role in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) to Brazil, by working to identify business opportunities, promoting strategic events, and providing support to foreign investors interested in allocating resources in Brazil.

​PRESS CONTACT - BRAZIL GAMES
Lisa Mior | Brendan Quinn
UberStrategist Inc.
pr@uberstrategist.com 
1-646-844-8983

Kukoos - Lost Pets Key Features:

• Cute n’ Cuddly Creatures: A bright, colorful, and super adorable aesthetic permeates the world and its quirky inhabitants
  
  
• Golden Era Inspiration: A platforming adventure reminiscent of golden-era classics like Mario 64 and Banjo Kazooie
  
  
• Biomes, Biomes, Biomes!: Journey across beautiful and epic environments like ancient temples, lush forests, and of course, ice cream mountains and haunted pizzerias
  
  
• Become a Digital Ace Ventura: Meet and befriend five distinct pets, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and gameplay styles

Kukoos - Lost Pets is currently available to wishlist on Steam along with a playable demo. The game will be available on PC and consoles.

Check out the Kukoos - Lost Pets Demo here

​Make sure to follow PetitFabrik on Twitter, and Instagram to stay up to date on all things Kukoos - Lost Pets.

​“Bringing a delegation of Brazilian studios to this year’s TGS is such an honor and a pleasure,” said Eliana Russi, Manager of Brazil Games. “We have much to show off on behalf of Brazil, and this amazing gathering of industry professionals and gamers, eager to see the next big indie titles is the perfect location.”
 
In addition to the studios offering free demos during the event, other incredible Brazilian studios that will be present at Tokyo Game Show business area include:

​Of course, it wouldn’t be a developer conference without some informative and enlightening talks from industry experts, veterans, and professionals — of which Brazil Games has many.

Panels for XDS21 Adapt will include:

• “Getting Noticed as a Small Vendor” (Tuesday, September 14 at 3:30 PM PDT): Including Rodrigo Carneiro, CEO of PUGA Studios, attendees will learn about the best practices and strategies to use when approaching a large development studio for work or when entering the industry. The talk will highlight perspectives from both the vendor and the developer. A Q&A including Jesse Sosa, Outsourcing Manager at Gearbox Software, Brian Burleson, Managing Director of Production at Gearbox Software, Walter de Torres, Founding Partner at Pixel Mafia, and Colby Acree, Outsourcing Department Head at WB Games, Avalanche, will follow the main presentation.
  
  
• “Help Us Help You: Best Practices from RFP to Sign-Off” (Friday, September 17 at 10:30 AM PDT): Alberto Lopes, Director of Production at Kokku, will discuss the importance of communication and proper protocol for ensuring solid partnerships between internal and external development teams and publishers. Several panelists will join the presentation — including Juney Dijkstra, Legacy Portfolio Manager at Paradox Interactive, Blandine Prost, Client Partner at Keywords Studios, and Andrii Titov, CTO at Stepico Games. A Q & A session will follow the talk.

To learn more about the panels and speakers attending XDS21 Adapt, visit the official website: https://xdsummit.com/.

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Starlit Kart Racing Key Features:

• Powerups and Bosses: In classic “kart” formula, the racers can pick up special items and weapons to use against the other players and even bosses, because who needs speed when you’ve got bombs and boomerangs!
• Your Favourite Heroes and Villains: All the stars of the Starlit franchise are here for your enjoyment, with wacky custom karts and adorable hats.
• Varied Terrain and Weather: Get down and dirty in the mud and rain or take a nighttime cruise under the starry sky, different weather conditions keep things spicy on the track.
• Choose Your Engine: With different categories of race available, players can keep it chill at 150cc or put the pedal to the floor with the intense 600cc tier.

About Rockhead Studios
Rockhead Studios is focused on projects designed for mobile devices, tablets, PC and consoles. The studio is committed to creating fun, deliver memorable moments, lead to imaginary worlds, present living characters, and challenge people by revisiting elements of the classic games, back to our time. Rockhead strives to make elegant solutions, created as a custom outfit. Modular technology that adjusts to the platform strengths and game features, as a glove. And at last, but not least, they aim to deliver valuable content to the public. Rockhead Studios' goal relies on fair play and positive meanings, targeted for individual and collective growth.

Starlit Kart Racing will launch on iOS and Android on September 9 for free. 
​​

​Listen to the newly released DeMagnete soundtrack on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Tidal.

DeMagnete Key Features:

• Virtual Reality Magnet Gloves: Solve an intricate series of physics-based puzzles using the power of magnet gloves — positive attracts, negative repels.
• Beautiful, Immersive Visuals: Taking the quality of VR to the next level, DeMagnete features stunning, lush visuals and vivid colors.
• A Mysterious Story: Uncover the secrets of the cryptic cave and its even more enigmatic host, the keymaster AI which controls the environment and guides you through its chambers.
• Lots to Discover: More than 40 puzzles that utilize a variety of original magnet-based mechanics that become more complex as the player progresses through the chamber.

About BitCake Studio
BitCake Studio is a game development studio from Rio de Janeiro, creating games that bring people together since 2013. The company specializes in multiplayer experiences and have released titles for PCs, browsers, mobile devices, and most recently consoles. 

​DeMagnete is currently available for Oculus Rift, Steam VR, Viveport, via Steam, and PlayStation VR for $19.99 USD.

Follow Brazil Games on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to learn more about the many talented studios and companies, and to keep up to date with their achievements. 

A full press kit can be found here: https://uberstrategist.link/BrazilGames_Presskit.

About Brazil Games
Brazil Games is the export program created by the Brazilian Game Companies Association, ABRAGAMES, in partnership with Apex-Brasil, the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency. Our goal is to promote the Brazilian Indie Game industry internationally, developing new business opportunities for our companies. The Brazil Games Program also promotes Brazil as the hub for business in Latin America and invites buyers, investors, and publishers for BIG Festival, Brazil's Independent Games Festival, the most important international indie games festival, and the hub for international business in Latin America.
 
About Apex-Brasil
The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad and to attract foreign investment to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. The Agency's efforts comprise trade and prospective missions, business rounds, support for the participation of Brazilian companies in major international trade fairs, the arrangement of technical visits of foreign buyers and opinion makers to learn about the Brazilian productive structure, and other select activities designed to strengthen the country’s branding abroad. Apex-Brasil also plays a leading role in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) to Brazil, by working to identify business opportunities, promoting strategic events, and providing support to foreign investors interested in allocating resources in Brazil.

​