Milton Keynes, 27th July 2009 – 505 Games in collaboration with 1C Company have today confirmed the date of the single player Xbox 360 demo for upcoming flight combat title IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds Of Prey. Gaijin Entertainment’s hotly anticipated WWII action simulator will get the demo treatment on Xbox LIVE Marketplace from 29th July, with the full release hitting Australian shelves on 3rd September and New Zealand shelves on  4th September for Xbox 360, PS3, PSP and DS.

The IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds Of Prey demo will give players a taste of two of the game’s memorable conflict scenarios, The Battle of Britain and The Battle of the Bulge.

In Battle of Britain: Red Skies Over Dover, players are given the role of an RAF pilot commanding the legendary Mk. II Spitfire with B wing armament (two canons, four machine guns). What starts off as a routine ‘mopping up’ mission on a few stray He-111 German bombers soon develops into a fracas in which the RAF faced their finest hour. The mission demonstrates the skills required to intercept larger bombers as well as the more nimble Stuka bombers. The effective use of wingmen will become apparent as the mission unfolds and survivors will have the opportunity to land on a home airstrip.

In Battle of the Bulge: Tiger Hunt, the US Air Force P-51D Mustang is the weapon of choice as players are invited to pick off some German armour ploughing through the Ardennes. Defending FW-190 fighters will also have to be dispatched; although the Tigers are the primary target as US forces aim to stem the German advance and defend the front line. The mission will allow players to try rocket attacks on ground targets as well as sample the snow capped vistas of the December Belgian landscape.

Based around large-scale aerial combat over the ground-based military operations of World War II, variety is at the heart of the action in IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey. Players participate in the most famous confrontations of the era piloting fighters, battle planes or heavy bombers across a range of missions. There are 6 theatres of war in which to engage – The Battle of Britain, Stalingrad, Berlin, Sicily, the Battle of the Bulge and Korsun – representing the main airborne battles of World War II in Europe.

As well as taking environmental and landscape visuals to new heights by incorporating satellite technology, IL-2 also boasts a tangible damage effects engine. Players will see real-time damage to the aircraft such as holes in the wings and trail lines during dogfights.

IL2 Sturmovik: Birds Of Prey will be published by 505 Games in collaboration with 1C Company. Visit the official website at www.il2game.com for all the latest information.

Develop greats including Hideo Kojima and Shingo ‘Seabass’ Takatsuka to present their new games in Cologne  

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH will premiere a wave of stunning titles at the gamescom event in Cologne, with key development talent on hand to present and answer questions on their work. 

The publisher will premiere a wave of stunning titles that includes PES 2010, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker and Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, and will be showcasing the talent behind those games with appearances from Hideo Kojima, Studio Head of Kojima Productions and mastermind behind the Metal Gear Solid series; Shingo ‘Seabass’ Takatsuka, Producer of Pro Evolution Soccer; and many others of its biggest talents from Overseas and Europe who will visit the event in Cologne. These developers will attend the gamescom to showcase their games in a series of special presentations with a unique look behind the scenes of their work.

Hideo Kojima, legendary creator of the most successful tactical espionage videogame series of all time, will present Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker for PSP® (PlayStation®Portable). The latest installment of the Metal Gear Solid series picks up where Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater left off. Players take control of the famed Snake, in a thrilling story set in 1974. Game design, story and scenario come directly from the pen of the master himself who will be presenting Peace Walker with a new video trailer and will be signing autographs.

Konami will be presenting a further world premiere with PES 2010. The new game has been developed following months of listening to feedback from fan forums and advice from PES players. Consequently PES Producer Shingo ‘Seabass’ Takatsuka will be visiting gamescom to introduce the results of this unique collaboration to visitors and fans. Seabass is promising to European players that new PES 2010 will be the most realistic and satisfying PES to date.

A few weeks ago Konami announced the Wii version of PES 2010 will be released in the autumn, shortly after the versions for PLAYSTATION®3, Xbox 360 and PC-DVD. PES Wii Fans will be delighted that Producer Akiyoshi ‘Greyhound’ Chosokabe will also make his way to Cologne to present key advances in the game including new gameplay and advanced graphical elements.

The ever popular Bemani music brand will also be well represented, with Naoki Maeda, Producer for the DanceDanceRevolution brand set to appear, alongside Kenichi Miyaji, Director of the recently announced European version of pop’n rhythm.  

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is the most ambitious project under the direction of Konami´s European Product Planning Division to date. The epic fantasy adventure is developed by Madrid-based studio Mercury Steam and Konami’s Kojima Productions studio, led by Hideo Kojima. Dave Cox, Producer on the title and Head of Product Planning for Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH, will also visit gamescom to present the title and the revolutionary new direction that the Castlevania series is taking, revealing new insight into what’s in store. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow will be released in 2010 for PLAYSTATION®3 and Xbox 360.

“Visitors of this year’s gamescom will get the unique chance to meet Konami´s greatest talents from Overseas and Europe,” commented Martin Schneider, European Marketing and PR Director for Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH. “Likewise, for Konami´s developers this event marks a fascinating opportunity to discuss their games with their European fans and get firsthand feedback. Konami will be showing a line up of diversity and innovation at Europe´s premier gaming event.”

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH will attend gamescom from August 19th – 23rd and can be found in hall 7.1, booth C30. Further details and a precise time schedule concerning the developer´s presentations on the Konami stage show will be announced shortly.

Milton Keynes – July 23rd 2009 – 505 Games and Bohemia Interactive have today released a new video dev diary for ARMA II. This third installment in the series focuses on ArmA II’s Team Command interface and is available to download from www.arma2.com now.

The eagerly anticipated sandbox PC military shooter smash hit of 2009, ARMA II, is now available across Australia and New Zealand for all who want to visit the post-soviet republic of Chernarus and experience the many fantastic features of this monumental war simulator.

The third installment sees Jan Pražák, Bohemia’s PR manager explaining ArmA II’s Team Command interface once again using exclusive in game footage. 

“The system of team command in ARMA II allows players to enjoy the role of commander of various sizes of squads, from leader of a small team up to and including division commander.” introduces Jan Pražák “our system of command, though well arranged and easy-to-use, could be mistaken as complicated in combat situations such as CQB and large battles, especially in comparison to the current trend of modern games to overly simplify everything to appeal to the most casual of gamers. My intention is to show to that this system works perfectly and by mastering our basic team command options, everyone can enjoy the game even more than before. Various situations which are initially difficult to handle are then made simple, moreover giving the satisfaction of successful leadership directly on the battlefield.”
ARMA II offers the ultimate realistic combat simulation experience in a modern day setting. With unprecedented freedom of movement, actions and tactics, the game allows players to immerse themselves in battle as never seen before.

Keep checking back at www.arma2.com for more dev diaries and all the latest information.

Sydney, Australia  – 27, July 2009 – Edimax, a company dedicated to the design, development, and manufacture of leading networking solutions, releases the 3G-6200n Wireless 3G Broadband Router. When connecting either a 3G or 3.5G USB modem * to 3G-6200n, all network users, wired or wireless, can share a 3G/3.5G Internet connection. The 3G-6200n supports speeds of up to 7.2Mbps and comes with a built-in Ethernet WAN port for Cable modem or xDSL modem.

The Edimax 3G-6200n was designed for users looking for the freedom in sharing their 3G Broadband by creating an instant and secure 3G Broadband wireless hotspot. Sharing a 3G Broadband connection with colleagues whilst on the go is the next logical step, considering the growing popularity of built-in 3G USB modems in Australia combined with strong sales in the notebook and netbook segments.

Enjoy flexibility accessing Broadband Internet
With the Edimax 3G-6200n Wireless 3G Broadband Router, users can easily set up their own wireless hotspot at home or while traveling interstate. Gone are the days of looking for wireless hotspots only to discover that they are slow and vulnerable to security intrusions.

Employees away from the office needing to keep up to date with their emails and work but are time-committed to a tradeshow booth or attending a conference, the Edimax 3G-6200n solves the offline issue through sharing of a wireless 3G USB device.

Populations living in metropolitan cities can now enjoy the flexibility of choosing either LAN, WAN or 3G access point using the Edimax 3G-6200n.

Students and light Internet users are set to benefit by reducing costs in directly using an existing 3G Broadband account without the fixed line costs of ADSL.

With increasing 3G Broadband coverage across the country, it will also now be easier to share fast Broadband access for rural Australians who are increasingly reliant on accessing the Internet.  The Edimax 3G-6200n supports all of the 3G/3.5G Broadband carriers in Australia. When 3G is not available the router supports an xDSL or cable broadband as an easy alternative.

Flexible wireless connectivity with WPS security
The Edimax 36-6200n supports xDSL /Cable Broadband, wireless 802.11b/g/n and 3G/3.5G accounts. When connected to a xDSL /Cable Broadband, 3G-6200n will enable the xDSL /Cable Broadband connection automatically when 3G/3.5G Internet connection is not available.

The Edimax 3G-6200n USB port also functions as a print server. When you connect a USB printer, the device also works as a print server to share a printer over the network.

The One-Click WPS button helps you setup a secure wireless network in a snap.  For added security the Edimax 3G-6200n features a control button on its back panel to for easy on and off switch of the Wi-Fi wireless connection. When you want to use only wired connection, you can simply pause the Wi-Fi option by pressing the button without making any extra settings.

Compatibility features with the EzMax Wizard
Compatible with IEEE 802.11n standard, the Edimax 3G-6200n is a high speed solution that complies with wireless IEEE 802.11b/g. When fine-tuned to operate using the wireless 802.11n technology, 3G-6200n wireless data transmission rate can reach up to 150Mbps – providing better wireless coverage support and a speed 3 times faster than a standard 802.11g/b router.

Configuring the router couldn’t be easier utilising the EzMax set-up wizard. The EzView on screen menu system allows users to either manage the router remotely through the Internet, or locally, providing flexible management options for different user needs. The Edimax 3G-6200n router also caters for multiple users to download files at the same time. Users can share a printer on the same network by connecting a USB wireless printer to the router. The print server supports LPR and network printing so users can select the best printing option for their specific network environment.

Product features summary
•Shares 3G connection or xDSL/Cable connection with network users
•Supports xDSL or cable Broadband backup when 3G is not available
•Provides USB 2.0 Port for UMTS/HSDPA/CDMA mobile Internet service
•Includes 16-languages EZmax setup wizard for Internet connection, wireless security and firmware upgrade
•Complies with IEEE 802.11b/g and compatible with IEEE802.11n wireless standards
•Supports WEP, WPA, WPA2, DDNS, QoS, Anti-DoS Firewall, MAC/IP filter, URL blocking, Virtual Server and DMZ

Product Summary
•Product and Pricing Summary
•Vendor: Edimax
•Model: 3G-6200n Wireless 3G Broadband Router
•RRP : AUS $149
•Website: http://www.edimax.com/
•Australian Distributors: Bluechip Infotech
•Availability: Now

Download High Resolution Image
http://www.gapmarketing.com.au/press_images/Edimax/3G-6200n.zip

About Edimax
Edimax Technology is a global manufacturer of a broad range of networking and connectivity solutions. Since its foundation in 1986, the company has grown to be one of Asia’s leading manufacturer of networking products and solutions. Edimax’s global presence includes subsidiaries in the USA, China and Europe. The company maintains branch offices in Miami, San Jose, Beijing, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Poland, Romania and most recently, France and Russia.The complete products range consists of Wireless solutions (802.11n/802.11g), Print Server solutions, xDSL Router solutions, Ethernet Switch solutions, PoE solutions, Powerline solutions, Network Access Controllers, Load Balancer solutions, IP Camera solutions, VoIP solutions, KVM Solutions and Media Converter solutions. Edimax is headquartered in Taipei County, Taiwan, and has been a listed entity at the Taiwan Stock Exchange since 2001. In 2007, the company’s revenue reached US $100 million and its current workforce count is over 900 employees worldwide. Edimax’s complete product portfolio fulfils all connectivity needs, whatever the network architecture or application requirements are.

? Wireless                    ? Print Servers / MFP Servers
? Routers                     ? Switches
? NAS                          ? IP Cameras
? Home Entertainment   ? Connectivity
? Switches                   ? KVM Switches

Milton Keynes, 27th July 2009 – 505 Games has today released details on the handheld versions of IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds Of Prey. Currently set for a September release, the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions are being developed by Gaijin Entertainment, while DiP Interactive and SME Dynamic Systems Limited are taking care of the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP formats respectively.

DiP Interactive’s Nintendo DS version of IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey has sought to employ innovative use of the DS’ unique touch screen format by way of counter measure. Players will be able to take hand draw notes on the in game flight card into battle, to physically record key information such as enemy positions and bombing coordinates. DiP Interactive has made use of the lower screen for flight instruments with the top screen used for gameplay and have managed to cram over 25 planes across 42 missions into a single DS cart. The DS has been tested to its limits by producing maps that can comprise an area of up to 100 x 100 km, providing ample room for aerial manoeuvre.

SME Dynamic Systems Limited is able to take advantage of the PSP’s considerable graphical capabilities and produce a handheld format that bears notable familiarity to the home console versions of IL-2. The PSP campaign unveils 30 thrilling missions across six major WWII battlefields with over 30 aircraft recreated in stunning detail (14 available for the player to pilot). The non-linear campaign allows players to pick any mission and unlock new ones as they are completed. There are 16 achievements to gain as well as multiplayer support for two player head to head dogfights on the move.

Based around large-scale aerial combat over the ground-based military operations of World War II, variety is at the heart of the action in IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey. Players participate in the most famous confrontations of the era piloting fighters, battle planes or heavy bombers across a range of missions. There are 6 theatres of war in which to engage – The Battle of Britain, Kursk, Berlin, Sicily, the Battle of the Bulge and Korsun – representing the main airborne battles of World War II in Europe.

As well as taking environmental and landscape visuals to new heights by incorporating satellite technology, IL-2 also boasts a tangible damage effects engine. Players will see real-time damage to the aircraft such as holes in the wings and trail lines during dogfights.

IL2 Sturmovik: Birds Of Prey will be published by 505 Games in collaboration with 1C Company in September 2009 for Xbox 360, PS3, DS and PSP. Visit the official website at www.il2game.com  for all the latest information.

We have great news coming from the team at Paragon Studios today. They have announced their next major content update, Issue 16: Power Spectrum, which will allow players to customize their powers! It also involves a really nice update to their award-winning and genre-defining character creator, as well as more power set proliferation options. Powers customization is the longest requested feature that players have wanted and they are going to get it this Spring!

Please go to http://www.cityofheroes.com/news/game_updates/issue_16/issue_16_overview.html to find out more specifics about Issue 16.

Also, we have created a new fact sheet for the City of Heroes franchise. This provides a snapshot of what the game is about, what it offers to gamers and what’s coming up. (Yes, our Going Rogue expansion is on there!) You can get the fact sheet at the location listed at the bottom of this email.

Furthermore to the release of Issue 16, QVS, NCsoft and Paragon Studios have released a set of five screens showing powers customization. This batch of screens includes a Blaster that changed his Electric power from blue to gold, a Controller/Dominator who chose to coordinate her Fire Imps with her costume color, as well as a Tank who decided he preferred green Ice Armor over the traditional color blue. 

Also included are a couple first looks at the enhanced character creator, which in addition to allowing for powers customization, will also give players the flexibility in building their character by clicking on the menu items at the top of the screen in any order they wish.

More details about issue 16: Power Spectrum will be revealed in the coming weeks.

All the big names are back again for 2009 to present the newest games, latest products and all the excitement which makes this the biggest interactive event in Australia. 

Showcasing the latest in the world of computer and video games. Play new and yet to be released titles on Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and PC as well as handhelds such as Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. 

There will be plenty of bargains to buy throughout the expo.  

Featuring leading game publishers and developers, along with major brands demonstrating the latest products and technologies, eGames provides a ‘hands-on’ experience for gamers of all ages. A new feature to the show is the eGames ‘Kids Zone’ showcasing games and products for younger children.  

The eGames Main Stage will provide a focal point with activities, presentations and entertainment.

The expo will also feature interactive areas like the Playstation Zone, and Xbox Zone for general game play and specific competition play to join in and have the chance to win one of many great prizes up for grabs. Play against Pro teams like Intel’s Team Immunity or challenge your mates to see who is the better player. 

Located at the Royal Exhibition Building Carlton, a single ticket will enable entry into the eGames Expo, Digital Lifestyle Show and Develop ICT Skills andCareers Expo for the ultimate Digital Entertainment experience.

SYDNEY, Australia – 24 July 2009 – Apple today unveiled the next version of Logic Studio with major upgrades to Logic Pro and MainStage and more than 200 new features that simplify complex tasks. Logic Pro 9 features new Amp Designer and Pedalboard plug-ins that provide realistic virtual guitar amps and stompbox effects to create amazing custom guitar rigs. A new set of Flex Time tools allow Logic users to manipulate the timing and tempo of audio quickly and easily. MainStage 2, Apple’s live performance application, includes the new Playback and Loopback plug-ins to provide backing tracks and creative, real-time loop recording for performing on stage. Logic Studio also includes the new Soundtrack Pro 3, with new multitrack audio tools for video production, and Compressor 3.5 for encoding in a variety of formats.

“The new Logic Studio is ideal for professional musicians, live performers and GarageBand enthusiasts who want to take their music to the next level,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Guitar players are going to love Amp Designer and Pedalboard and the new Flex Time tools allow you to quickly improve your recordings and create tighter performances.”

The new Amp Designer and Pedalboard plug-ins give guitar players incredible new recording and sound design capabilities. Amp Designer recreates 25 legendary vintage and modern amp heads in beautiful detail with matching controls and 25 paired speaker cabinets that emulate the sound and feel of a guitar running through a real tube amplifier. Guitar players can create their own custom rig by mixing and matching amps, cabinets, reverbs and EQs, and can choose from three different microphone types that can be positioned in 3D space to capture the ideal guitar tone. Pedalboard adds an assortment of 30 guitar stompbox pedals that can be arranged in any order to produce a wide variety of lush, creative effects including overdrive, distortion, fuzz, delay, chorus, flange, phaser, tremolo, treble boost, wah and more.

Flex Time is a new collection of tools that allow musicians to quickly manipulate the timing and tempo of recorded audio, including vocals and instruments, to create tighter performances. Using the Flex Tool, individual beats in a waveform can be moved effortlessly with a mouse click, without the need for tedious slicing and editing. Audio Quantize can instantly fix or adjust the timing of an entire performance by aligning notes and beats to a musical grid with a single menu selection. Varispeed provides the ability to slow down and then speed up an entire multi-track production to help record challenging parts. Flex Time also enables recorded tracks to be moved between different Logic projects and matched together, even if they were performed at different tempos. All Flex Time edits are performed non destructively and in real time, even when using the highest quality settings.

MainStage 2 lets musicians use all the instruments and effects from Logic Studio to turn their Mac into the ultimate live performance rig. The new Playback plug-in provides musicians with a backing band, allowing them to perform with pre-recorded audio, like drums, sound effects and other accompaniments that can be triggered to play while they are performing live. The new Loopback plug-in allows musicians to record, layer and jam along with their own performance so a single musician can lay down a rhythm and then play a lead over it.

Soundtrack Pro 3 adds powerful new audio editing tools including Voice Level Match which extracts volume information from the vocal content of one clip and applies it to another without altering any other audio content, so editors can easily correct mismatched voice levels. An enhanced File Editor includes new tools to make sophisticated edits and fine tune volume adjustments by targeting specific frequencies such as the rustle of a paper or the bump of a desk without affecting dialogue. The new Advanced Time Stretch feature stretches and compresses audio with incredible precision using three Apple-designed algorithms or other algorithms available as third party plug-ins. Soundtrack Pro and Compressor are also available as part of the new Final Cut Studio, allowing Final Cut and Logic users to collaborate and share files.

Pricing & Availability
Logic Studio is now available through the Apple Store (www.apple.com/au), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorised Resellers for a recommended retail price of A$749 inc GST and existing users of Logic Studio and Logic Pro can upgrade for a recommended retail price of A$299 inc GST. Full system requirements and more information on Logic Studio can be found atwww.apple.com/au/logicstudio. Logic Express, a streamlined and even more affordable version of Logic for GarageBand users who want more power and control, will ship in August for a recommended retail price of A$299 inc GST and will be available through the Apple Store (www.apple.com/au), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorised Resellers.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

New Versions of Final Cut Pro, Motion, Soundtrack Pro, Color and Compressor

SYDNEY, Australia – 24 July 2009 – Apple today announced a significant update to Final Cut Studio with more than 100 new features and new versions of Final Cut Pro, Motion, Soundtrack Pro, Color and Compressor. Final Cut Studio features Final Cut Pro 7 which expands Apple’s ProRes codec family to support virtually any workflow and includes Easy Export for one step output to a variety of formats and iChat Theater support for real-time collaboration. Motion 4 includes enhanced tools such as 3D shadows, reflections and depth of field for stunning motion graphics and visual effects, and Soundtrack Pro 3 features new multitrack audio tools to streamline audio post production. Color 1.5 includes better Final Cut Pro integration and support for full colour resolution, and Compressor 3.5 adds new features that make it easy to set up and customise your export options. At recommended retail price A$1499 inc GST, the new Final Cut Studio is A$199 less than the previous release and is also available as an upgrade for just RRP A$449 inc GST.

“With 1.4 million users and 50 percent of the market,* Final Cut Pro is the number one professional video editing application,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “The new Final Cut Studio includes more than 100 new features and dramatically expands Apple’s ProRes family of codecs so editors can work in the studio with the highest quality video or on location at low bandwidths.”

Final Cut Pro 7, the latest version of Apple’s Emmy Award-winning editing software, includes new versions of Apple’s ProRes codecs to support virtually any workflow with the addition of ProRes Proxy, for offline and mobile editing at low bandwidth; ProRes LT, for general purpose editing; and ProRes 4444 for editing and visual effects at the highest quality possible. Easy Export allows users to continue working on projects while encoding is done in the background and the sequence is exported to YouTube, MobileMe, iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, DVD or Blu-ray. iChat Theater support allows real time collaboration by sharing Final Cut timelines or individual source clips with iChat users anywhere in the world, even if they don’t have a copy of Final Cut Pro. Other new features include new speed tools to change clip speed with ease, alpha transitions to create dramatic effects using moving mattes, and native AVC-Intra support for the latest high quality Panasonic cameras.

Motion 4 extends award-winning, easy to use animation tools so video editors can quickly create everything from basic titles to animated credit rolls to stunning motion graphics. Enhancing 3D compositions is faster than ever with new customisable features that add point and spot lights to cast realistic shadows or turn any shape, video plane or paint stroke into a reflective surface. Motion 4 gives editors the flexibility to adjust the depth of field within a 3D canvas by selectively highlighting a single object or using multiple objects to create a racking focus effect.

Soundtrack Pro 3 adds powerful new audio editing tools including Voice Level Match which extracts volume information from the vocal content of one clip and applies it to another without altering any other audio content so editors can easily correct mismatched voice levels. An enhanced File Editor includes new tools to make sophisticated edits and fine tune volume adjustments by targeting specific frequencies such as the rustle of a paper or the bump of a desk without affecting dialogue. The new Advanced Time Stretch feature stretches and compresses audio with incredible precision using three Apple-designed algorithms or other algorithms available as third party plug-ins.

Color 1.5, Apple’s easy to use professional grading application, now works with a greater range of sequences and effects from Final Cut Pro and an integrated workflow allows editors to complete projects entirely within Final Cut Studio. New 4K support works natively with files from cameras such as the RED ONE and outputs directly to ProRes for HD or DPX for film. Expanded support for new high quality formats includes AVC-Intra, XDCAM 422 and ProRes 4444, for grading with the maximum amount of colour information.

Compressor 3.5 makes encoding and delivering in multiple formats easier than ever with the ability to automatically detect QuickTime settings and create an Easy Export template or a mini “droplet” on the desktop that automates specific Compressor actions. New, customisable sharing options make it easy to publish to YouTube and MobileMe, or export for iPhone, iPod, Apple TV and mobile phones. For the highest quality HD material, menu templates and encoding presets make it fast and easy to create Blu-ray discs. Final Cut Studio also includes DVD Studio Pro, a powerful DVD authoring environment with drag and drop tools, on screen editing and real time previews.

Soundtrack Pro and Compressor are also available as part of the new Logic Studio, allowing Final Cut and Logic users to collaborate and share files.

Apple today also introduced Final Cut Server 1.5, the asset management and automation tool for Final Cut Studio. Final Cut Server 1.5 includes powerful new features like lightweight, offline editing with ProRes Proxy, production hierarchies to organise media, and support for still sequences to easily view and manage image sequences for graphics and effects workflows. Final Cut Server now includes unlimited client licenses and is available for RRP A$1499 inc GST or as a A$449 inc GST upgrade for existing users.

Pricing & Availability
Final Cut Studio is now available through the Apple Store (www.apple.com/au), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorised Resellers for a recommended retail price of A$1499 inc GST and existing Final Cut Studio and Final Cut Pro users can upgrade for a recommended retail price of A$449 inc GST. Full system requirements and more information on Final Cut Studio can be found atwww.apple.com/au/finalcutstudio. Final Cut Server 1.5 is now available through the Apple Store (www.apple.com/au), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorised Resellers and includes unlimited client licenses for a recommended retail price of RRP A$1499 inc GST and existing Final Cut Server users can upgrade for recommended retail price of A$449 inc GST. Full system requirements and more information on Final Cut Server can be found at www.apple.com/au/finalcutserver.

*Based on data from broadcast and professional video market research firm SCRI International, Inc. showing Apple is the market leader for post-production with 50 percent of broadcast and post non-linear editor purchases in 2008.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

2K’s upcoming title, Borderlands has been officially dated to release in Australia and New Zealand on the 23^rd October 2009! Please see the media advisory below for more information. If you have any questions about this title or require any assets, feel free to drop me a line.