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Spend Xmas on the Red Planet in JCB Pioneer: Mars launching for Nintendo Switch 24th December, 2018! Official JCB engineering team design futuristic in game vehicles for this survival sandbox dig ‘em up!

Press release:
Liverpool, UK – 5th December, 2018 – Liverpool based indie studio Atomicom today announced its Mars based survival sandbox game JCB Pioneer: Mars is headed to Nintendo Switch on 24th December, 2018 in EU and AUS, 3rd January, 2019 in NA for £19.99 / €22.19 / $24.99.

Previously released on Steam Early Access, the Switch version builds on the original; addressing user feedback, adding a tonne of new updates and improvements including a huge increase in performance, new and improved UI, new tools, refined gameplay and much more.

“We’ve taken the time to really think about how we can bring the game to the Switch market.” said Tamsyn Hastings, Designer at Atomicom. “We’ve made drastic improvements across the board; refining playability and in game experiences, implementing new explorable areas and mechanics which allow us to show more game depth than the original early access release. We hope these improvements will give players a deeper more expansive and fulfilling gameplay experience”.

“At JCB, innovation is in our lifeblood and we are constantly exploring new thinking and JCB Pioneer: Mars provides a vision of the tools needed for future space colonisation”, said Worldwide Marketing Director, Michael Plummer. “It’s been an incredible experience for our visionary design team to build a series of futuristic heavy-duty construction and mining vehicles, optimised for exploration and mining on Mars”.

About JCB: Pioneer Mars
JCB Pioneer: Mars begins as the player awakes from a crash, surrounded by the wreckage of a Lander vehicle amidst falling debris and hurtling winds. Survival is the first goal – the location of oxygen and the founding of an outpost. As the player slowly begins to establish themselves on Mars, learning to combat the planets fierce and hostile weather patterns, they’ll begin a larger operation of colonisation. Life-support infrastructure is crucial but so to is the mining of natural resources, part of a broader mission to save an ailing Earth.

JCB Pioneer: Mars is a hardcore blend of survival and construction gameplay set on a hostile, alien planet. Meteor strikes, dust clouds and electrical storms all threaten the player’s survival and chances of a successful colonisation effort. Equipped with the futuristic, heavy-duty construction and mining vehicles specifically designed by JCB Engineers, every would-be astronaut has a chance of surviving and thriving in the face of extreme planetary challenges.

Esteemed astrophysicist, Dr Maggie Lieu, provided advice to Atomicom during the development process, as well as making an in game cameo appearance.

About Atomicom
Based in Liverpool, United Kingdom, the team behind JCB Pioneer: Mars are veterans of the games industry. Since being founded by ex-Psygnosis staff, the studio has successfully mixed creating its own IP and collaborating with third parties; producing over 15 titles across Console, PC & Mobile for renowned Publishers such as SEGA, SONY & Ubisoft. The company features a highly experienced development team with members that have worked on some of the world’s biggest games including Skate, Resident Evil, WipEout and Need For Speed.

About JCB
JCB is the world’s third largest manufacturer of construction equipment, employing 12,000 people in 22 plants around the world. The company was founded by Joseph Cyril Bamford on October 23rd, 1945 – the same day that his son Anthony, now Lord Bamford, was born. Lord Bamford has been Chairman of JCB since his father retired in 1975. The company produces more than 350 different products, which including telescopic handlers, tracked and wheeled excavators, wheeled loading shovels, skid steer loaders and powered access equipment. JCB is a leading UK exporter with 75% of its UK-made products getting shipped to over 150 different countries.

Over its 72-year history, JCB has won 30 Queen’s Awards for export achievement and innovation. The company also sponsors The JCB Academy, a state school in Staffordshire for 14–19 year olds that specialises in manufacturing, engineering and business skills. JCB has a very successful Young Talent programme for apprentices and university graduates who are keen to work in manufacturing and engineering.