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Be a tourist in your own country with NAVIGON’s new Lonely Planet package for compatible Samsung GALAXY smartphones

New features of NAVIGON for Android™ 4.6 include Google Street View, Last Mile, Urban Guidance and Panorama View 3D 

SYDNEY, 23 October 2012 – NAVIGON is bringing the great Australian road trip to your compatible Samsung GALAXY smartphone with the launch of a new Lonely Planet package for users, available with the latest upgrade to NAVIGON for Android™ 4.6*. Offered exclusively for Samsung users to purchase, the Lonely Planet in-app package provides you with 25 value-added routes across Australia to help you get the most out of our country’s most visited tourist destinations.

NAVIGON* for Android 4.6 offers a number of new features, including Google Street View,  Last Mile and Urban Guidance, as well as the Panorama View 3D in app-package^. These new features will help you to arrive at your final destination with ease, while the Lonely Planet package provides a wealth of tourist information along the route you select.

“Carrying your Lonely Planet guide in your pocket is now so easy. This new package combines Lonely Planet’s trusted travel information with NAVIGON’s advanced mobile navigator, to give users a great experience as they explore some of the country’s most popular road trips,” said Harry Gasiamis, Director – Mobile Phone Business, Garmin Australia.

Purchase and download the Lonely Planet in-app package^ to access 25 road trips across Australia, including the Great Ocean Road, Murray River, Blue Mountains, Hunter Valley to Coffs Harbour, Barossa Valley and Sunshine Coast. The distance of each tour varies but along the way, the app calls out key points of interest like landmarks, museums and historic buildings, places to eat and drink, and accommodation options.

“The smartphone is increasingly becoming a do-all device for consumers,” said Tyler McGee, Vice President of Telecommunications, Samsung Electronics Australia. “NAVIGON’s new Lonely Planet app is designed to cater to consumers who want as much information and as many applications as possible at their fingertips. As we celebrate the activation of the one millionth NAVIGON app on Samsung smartphones in Australia, we are pleased to offer our customers an exciting new feature that can be added to their existing NAVIGON service.”

The Panorama View 3D feature^ uses satellite information provided by NASA to present a three dimensional perspective of the road ahead. This is particularly useful when entering steep and unfamiliar terrain. Exclusive to the Samsung Electronics Australia version of the app, Panorama View 3D also presents three dimensional images of key city landmarks, helping you to orientate yourself in unfamiliar cities. In Sydney, landmarks like the Sydney Tower will be clearly visible from a distance so you can compare your NAVIGON maps to your actual surroundings.

Finding your final destination in both metropolitan and regional areas is now so easy with the introduction of NAVIGON’s innovative Google Street View feature.  With Google Street View, the app presents a picture of your destination on the screen when you start navigating, and you can pull up this image again as you approach your destination.

For users who are walking or taking public transport in the final part of their journey, NAVIGON has introduced a practical Last Mile function, which saves the location of your car after parking and leads you to your destination on foot. With the new ‘back-to-car’ button, NAVIGON can easily take you back to your car location – or a pre-saved location afterwards. The addition of Urban Guidance to NAVIGON’s growing stable of features means users can now also incorporate public transport into their chosen route. The app will guide you to your nearest transport stop by foot, and lets you look up detailed information about which route or line to take and where to get off.

Other new features of the app include Click-On POI, which presents clustered POIs in an easy-to-read list. A new MyMaps button is available for Samsung users only, and provides easy access to the NAVIGON map manager.

The NAVIGON for Android 4.6 upgrade is available for free# on selected Samsung GALAXY devices. The Lonely Planet and Panorama View 3D in-app packages are available exclusively for Samsung users for $6.00 and $10.00 respectively.

 
formats

INTRODUCING THE NEW RAZER SURFACES 2013/14 COLLECTION

World’s mouse technology leader launches four all-new mouse mats 

CARLSBAD, Calif. Oct. 23, 2012 – Razer, the world leader in high-performance gaming hardware, today launched its new 2013/2014 lineup of mouse mats: the Razer Invicta, Razer Manticor, Razer Destructor 2 and Razer Megasoma 2. These mats were engineered with new construction methods to provide an unprecedented level of finish, and were treated with all-new performance-boosting sensor-reactive surface coatings, selected after extensive research into the most precise and responsive treatments and materials.

“Most gaming mouse mat companies today fill their boxes with marketing jargon and slap an image of a pro-gamer on the side of the package; however, designing a true gaming surface requires in-depth knowledge of mousing sensor technologies, extensive testing and validation by professional gamers,” said Min-Liang Tan, CEO of Razer.  “For the first time ever, we are letting gamers in on the design process of a Razer gaming mouse mat, and sharing the inside track on how our industry leading user interface technology and experience allows us to design the very best gaming surfaces in the world.” 

All Razer surfaces are optimized for optical, laser and dual-sensor mouse tracking performance, and they are put through rigorous qualitative processes, including mouse sensor lift-off, acceleration and precision tests.  Robot arms move mice across the mats, monitoring the devices to ensure surface textures meet Razer’s strict requirements for precise glide and control.

Razer also offers an unfair gaming advantage by allowing users to optimally calibrate their Razer gaming mouse to mouse mat.  Through Razer Synapse 2.0, a pioneering cloud-based software, the user’s gaming mouse will record the mat’s specific texture and details in order to enhance mouse responsiveness and in-game accuracy.

In conjunction with the launch of these four new mouse mats, Razer is also presenting a making-of video that delves into the design, technology and craftsmanship of the incredible Razer Invicta.  Interested parties may watch the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdaMfLoatGs or learn more about the science behind Razer surfaces at www.razerzone.com/scienceofsurfaces. 

Razer Invicta – Versatility of Choice

The Razer Invicta offers gamers a choice between ultra-fast mousing speed and meticulous control, all on one mat.  Users are able to flip between a slick-smooth surface and a rough one to get the exact play style to match a game, whether it requires accurate headshots or twitch gameplay.

Razer Manticor – The Smoothest Glide Yet

The Razer Manticor is uniquely stamped and sandblasted out of a single sheet of aircraft-grade aluminum to offer the smoothest, most effortless glide under one’s gaming mouse.

Razer Destructor 2 – Maximum Precision and Feel

The Razer Destructor 2 builds on the success of its predecessor by delivering enhanced, ultra-precise mouse tracking with an all-new sensor-reactive surface coating. It offers optimal reflective quality for next-gen sensors, while its proprietary micro-textures provide a more comfortable mousing experience.

Razer Megasoma 2 – Soft Touch, Hard Control

The Razer Megasoma 2’s highly stable silicon surface is a revolution of engineering, bringing together the consistent precision of a hard mat, with the exquisite comfort of a soft one.

About the Razer Invicta:  

Versatility of play style is important, especially in today’s ever-evolving, competitive gaming landscape. As such, the Razer Invicta builds on the innovation of its predecessor, the Razer Vespula, to offer users a choice between pinpoint control and neck-breaking speed all on one mat. Go from executing precise headshots to twitch gameplay and back by quickly flipping the mat from one side to the other.

Price: USD$59.99/ EU €59.99

Availability: Exclusively on Razerzone.com – pre-order now 

Product features:

  • SPEED      surface for fast mouse movements
  • CONTROL      surface for precise mouse movements
  • Optimized      surface coating for highly-responsive mouse tracking
  • Robust      aluminum baseplate
  • Product      dimensions: 255 mm/10.04 in. (w) x 355 mm /13.98 in. (l) x 4.5mm/0.18 in.      (h)

For more information about the Razer Invicta, please visit www.razerzone.com/invicta.

About the Razer Manticor Gaming Mouse Mat: 

Elevated to a new level of exceptional design and engineering, the Razer Manticor delivers an effortless glide under your gaming mouse. Uniquely stamped and sandblasted out of a single sheet of aircraft-grade aluminum, and specially treated with a sensor-reactive coating for absolute precision, hand and mouse will feel as if they are floating to victory. 

Price: USD$49.99/ EU €49.99

Availability:

Razerzone.com – pre-order now

Worldwide – Q4 2012 

Product features:

  • Ultra-smooth,      sandblasted surface
  • Robust      aluminum unibody
  • Thinner,      wider profile
  • Non-slip      rubber base
  • Product      dimensions: 255 mm/10.04 in. (w) x 355 mm/13.98 in. (l) x 2.2 mm/0.09 in.      (h)

For more information about the Razer Manticor, please visit www.razerzone.com/manticor.

About the Razer Destructor 2:  

The original Razer Destructor established the standard for exceptional pro-gaming performance with its ultra-precise mouse tracking surface. Today, the Razer Destructor 2 was born to focus on sharpening that precision to a point. It comes with an all-new surface coating that responds instantaneously to the sensor as mouse glides over mat, ensuring a feeling of absolute control over your every movement in-game.

Price: USD$39.99/ EU €39.99

Availability:

Razerzone.com – pre-order now

Worldwide – Q4 2012

Product features:

  • Optimized      surface coating for highly responsive tracking
  • Micro-textured      finish for balanced gameplay
  • Non-slip      rubber base
  • Product      dimensions: 255 mm/10.04 in. (w) x 355 mm/13.98 in. (l) x 2.2 mm/0.09 in.      (h)

For more information about the Razer Destructor 2, please visit www.razerzone.com/destructor2.

About the Razer Megasoma 2: 

The Razer Megasoma became a worldwide phenomenon as a revolutionary hybrid soft/hard mat that delivers the comfort and flexibility of the former, with the precision of the latter.  The Razer Megasoma 2 returns with a complete overhaul of design and construction, improving surface stability for marked improvements in mouse control.

Price: USD$39.99/ EU €39.99 

Availability: Exclusively on Razerzone.com – Q4 2012 

Product features:

  • Hybrid silicon soft/hard mat
  • Specialized texture design for comfort and precision
  • Durable anti-static, anti-fraying surface
  • Non-slip rubber base
  • Product dimensions: 230 mm/9.06 in. (w) x 350 mm/13.79 in. (l) x 2.3 mm/0.09 in. (h) 

For more information about the Razer Megasoma 2, please visit www.razerzone.com/megasoma2

About the Razer Group: 

Razer is the world leader in high performance gaming hardware. Founded in 1998, with its headquarters in Carlsbad, California, the company has offices in nine cities around the globe. Used by the most demanding professional gamers who compete in global tournaments, Razer provides gamers with the most unfair advantage of cutting-edge technology and award-wining design. We live by our motto: For Gamers. By Gamers™.

 
formats

UBISOFT® AND NEW REGENCY PARTNER ON ASSASSIN’S CREED® FILM

Deal Builds on Attachment of Michael Fassbender 

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — October 23, 2012 — Ubisoft® and New Regency have announced that they are partnering on the forthcoming Assassin’s Creed® film.

Ubisoft Motion Pictures, the film and television division of Ubisoft, will develop the Assassin’s Creed film in close collaboration with New Regency. The development of a screenplay is beginning immediately and the project is being fast tracked as the creative pieces come together, while allowing Ubisoft to maintain control of key elements of the movie’s creative direction. Financial terms of the deal are not being disclosed.

“Ubisoft chose to partner with New Regency because they are a talent- and filmmaker-driven company, with the same independent and creative mindset that we have at Ubisoft Motion Pictures,” said Jean-Julien Baronnet, chief executive officer, Ubisoft Motion Pictures. “Bringing aboard New Regency’s renowned production and distribution expertise while maintaining our own creative and financial flexibility ensures that Assassin’s Creed will be a high-quality film that respects the lore and fans of the video game franchise.”

The partnership with New Regency comes hot on the heels of Ubisoft Motion Pictures attaching distinguished actor Michael Fassbender to the Assassin’s Creed film.

“We wanted to do everything we could to secure the rights to Assassin’s Creed, which Ubisoft has maintained with such care and quality over the years,” said Brad Weston, president and chief executive officer, New Regency. “Having just finished working with Michael on Steve McQueen’s 12 Years A Slave (with Plan B) made the partnership even more irresistible.”

Ubisoft Motion Pictures was created in January 2011 to expand the audience of Ubisoft’s successful video game brands by bringing them to film, television and Web series. In addition to the Assassin’s Creed movie, the studio also is in production on the Rabbids TV series, a collection of 78 seven-minute CGI episodes based on the insane, hilarious and silly stars of the video game franchise of the same name, in partnership with France Televisions and Nickelodeon. Ubisoft Motion Pictures also has two additional feature-length films in development based on the Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon video game franchises.

 
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ROCKSMITH™ CLASSIC ROCK DLC PACK NOW AVAILABLE, TWO MORE COMING SOON

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – October 23rd, 2012 – Today, Ubisoft® announced that Rocksmith™ Classic Rock DLC pack is now available for download on Xbox LIVE for Xbox 360® in Australia. It will be available on October 31st, 2012 on the Playstation Network for Playstation®3. This pack will be followed by the Alternative Rock pack and the Metal pack to enrich even more Rocksmith’s track list with different rock styles.

Highly acclaimed in North America, Rocksmith is a revolution in the music game genre: for the first time ever, players can plug any real electric guitar or bass into their Xbox 360® or PlayStation®3 console. Rocksmith is the real thing for those who are serious about guitar learning and playing. 

Players will be able to further enjoy their rock experience with the DLC packs planned for Rocksmith EMEA version:

  • Classic Rock DLC pack now available on Xbox LIVE for Xbox 360®

Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Free Bird”

Deep Purple – “Smoke on the Water”

Boston – “More Than a Feeling”

Heart – “Barracuda”

Blue Öyster Cult – “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper”

The Blues Brothers – “Soul Man”

The Police – “Message in a Bottle”

The Police – “Roxanne”

The Police – “Synchronicity II”

Queen – “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Queen – “Fat Bottomed Girls”

Queen – “Keep Yourself Alive”

Queen – “Killer Queen”

Queen – “Stone Cold Crazy”

Otis Redding – “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” 

  • Alternative Rock DLC pack to be available on November 14th
  • Metal DLC pack to be available on December 12th

For more information on Rocksmith, visit www.rocksmith.com

 
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Snow White and The Huntsman

Available on Triple Play, Blu-ray™ & DVD from November 7, 2012

Venture into a land of action fantasy, heroic battle scenes and visual wonder in Snow White and the Huntsman – coming to Triple Play, Blu-ray™ and DVD from November 7, 2012.

Packed with pulse-pounding battles, unmatched visual imagination and compelling characters, Snow White and the Huntsman is a wholly original adventure story told on an epic scale. From the splendour of the wicked Queen’s enchanted palace to the menace of the Dark Forest, a breathtaking combination of harrowing beauty, epic battle scenes, visual wonder and jaw-dropping special effects make this film perfect for the incomparable high-definition picture and the perfect 5.1 surround sound of Blu-ray™.

In this spectacular action-adventure, Kristen Stewart (Twilight) is Snow White, the only woman in the land fairer than the evil queen Ravenna (Academy Award® winner Charlize Theron). Ravenna wants nothing more than to destroy her young rival, but she doesn’t know that Show White has been training in the art of war with a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) the queen dispatched to kill her. Together with a handsome prince (Sam Claflin) enchanted by Snow White’s beauty and power, they assemble an armed force to recapture the kingdom. This breathtaking new vision of the legendary tale from Joe Roth, the producer of Alice in Wonderland, producer Sam Mercer (Sixth Sense) and acclaimed commercial director and state-of-the-art visualist, Rupert Sanders, Snow White and the Huntsman is a filmatic experience that shouldn’t be missed.

Triple Play, Blu-ray™ & DVD Bonus Features: 

Exclusive to Blu-ray™: 

  • A New Legend Is Born
  • Reinventing The Fairytale
  • Citizens Of The Kingdom – Fairest Of Them All: Snow White
  • Deliciously Evil: Queen Ravenna
  • The Huntsman
  • The Magic Of Snow White And The Huntsman 

DVD:

  • Motley Crew: The Dwarves
  • Feature Commentary with  Director Rupert Sanders, Visual Effects Supervisor Cedric Nicolas-Troyan and      Co-Editor Neil Smith

SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN 

Director: Rupert Sanders 

Cast:  Charlize Theron (Prometheus, Hancock)

Chris Hemsworth (Thor, The Avengers)

Kristen Stewart (The Twilight Saga, On the Road)

Sam Claflin (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides)

Ian McShane (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides)

Bob Hoskins (Mrs. Henderson Presents)

Ray Winstone (The Departed), Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz)

Toby Jones (Frost/Nixon)

Eddie Marsan (Sherlock Holmes)

Johnny Harris (Atonement)

Brian Gleeson (The Eagle)

Sam Spruell (The Hurt Locker)

Vincent Regan (Clash of the Titans)

Lily Cole (St. Trinian’s)

Noah Huntley (28 Days Later)

Liberty Ross (W.E.)

 

Price:                    Triple Play SRP $49.95

Blu-ray™ SRP $44.95

DVD SRP $39.95

 

Duration:            2hrs 18mins

Genre:                 Action/Adventure/Fantasy

Rating:                 M

 
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Tecmo Koei Europe teams up with Mindscape Asia Pacific for ANZ Retail Distribution

SYDNEY, 23 October, 2012: Mindscape Asia Pacific and Tecmo Koei Europe have announced a distribution partnership for Australia and New Zealand.   The partnership will see Mindscape Asia Pacific handle all sales, marketing and distribution of Tecmo Koei’s popular titles including Dead or Alive, Warriors Orochi, Fist of the North Star, Dynasty Warriors, Ninja Gaiden and beyond.

Mindscape was initially enlisted to distribute Dead or Alive 5 in Australia and New Zealand but the partnership has now been extended to the entire Tecmo Koei portfolio.

Partnering with a publisher as popular and promising as Tecmo Koei has come as a natural progression for Mindscape. Tecmo Koei’s catalogue and its league of diehard fans are testament to the brand’s power and we are excited to be a part of this,” said Tonia Velasco, General Manager at Mindscape Asia Pacific. “We are confident we will grow the Tecmo Koei brand in Australia and are looking forward to releasing many hit titles in the new future”. 

We are delighted to extend our partnership with Mindscape. We are certain that our collaboration for our upcoming titles will help expand our brands and grow our fanbase in Australia and New Zealand’ says Yasutomo Watanabe, General Manager of Tecmo Koei Europe.  

The partnership is effective immediately.  Following on from the release of Dead or Alive 5, Mindscape will launch the next title Warriors Orochi 3: Hyper on the Nintendo Wii-U.

 
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Bioshock Infinite – Beast of America trailer

Bioshock Infinite: Beast of America Trailer

Check out this all-new BioShock Infinite gameplay voted for by the Irrational Facebook community! See more of the streets (and skies) of Columbia, new ways to use your Sky-Hook and how Elizabeth can be your wingman in combat.

 
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PLAY TO EARN IN-GAME REWARDS!

23rd October, 2012

Starting today, you can earn in-game items for BioShock Infinite! How, you ask? Well, today we are proud to announce BioShock Infinite: Industrial Revolution – our BioShock Infinite pre-order bonus.

BioShock Infinite: Industrial Revolution is a puzzle game in which you assume the role of a factory worker within the sky-city of Columbia. You complete increasingly difficult puzzles while learning more about the warring factions in the game and earning in-game rewards.

There are nearly 60 puzzles to play, and they are all FREE!

You can only get access to BioShock Infinite: Industrial Revolution by pre-ordering BioShock Infinite at a participating retailer. Head on over to www.preordernow.com to get started!

This game was developed by Lazy 8 Studios, in close collaboration with Irrational Games. Check out more of their amazing work at www.lazy8studios.com

 
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Be among the first in Australia to own a Motorola RAZR M on 30 October 2012

Motorola Mobility is excited to announce that the Motorola RAZR™ M will be available for purchase in store, only from Telstra from Tuesday, 30th October 2012. Those who can’t wait for this big screen beauty can be amongst the first to get their hands on their device by pre-ordering the RAZR M now via http://telstra.com.au/latest-offers/motorola-razr-m/index.htm

The Motorola RAZR M will be available exclusively through Telstra’s 4G network for $0 upfront on the $60 Telstra Every Day Connect Plan (min cost over 24 months after using a MRO bonus is $1440). The Motorola RAZR M will also be available to purchase outright for $600 RRP.

The RAZR M is Motorola’s newest edge-to-edge screen masterpiece that packs a big display into a compact phone that fits perfectly in the palm of your hand. Its super AMOLED advanced 4.3-inch display spans the width of the device, providing a beautiful viewing experience on a screen that’s protected from scratches – thanks to a strong Corning® Gorilla® Glass display. RAZR M is also built with premium materials synonymous with the Motorola RAZR family. DuPont™ KEVLAR® fibre and splash-guard coating ensure that the device is strong and durable enough to withstand life inside your pocket.

Bringing the best of Google experiences to life via Telstra’s superfast 4G network, the RAZR M provides a fast web experience via Chrome™ for Android. You can also enjoy Google Maps™ for Android, free turn-by-turn navigation, Android Beam and HD Voice support. A cool 1GB of RAM paired with a dual-core 1.5GHz processor and a long-lasting 2000mAh battery also allows users to talk, text, tweet and browse in superb HD quality for longer.

 
formats

Sleeping Dogs ‘Nightmare in North Point’ Trailer

Face doesn’t mean a thing when the minions of hell roam the streets…

In life, Big Scar Wu was one of Hong Kong’s most ruthless triad gangsters. Feared as much by those who stood against him as those who stood by him in the Sun On Yee, it was decided by the Grand Dragon that he must be stopped. Looking to send a message, they had him stabbed 42 times before feeding his bleeding corpse to the grinder at the Smiley Cat cat-food plant… his final resting place, in the food bowls of the city’s pet cats. It is said that if the wronged receive anything less than a proper burial, their spirit will almost certainly come back as a Hungry Ghost, damned to starve in the afterlife, feeding only on their hatred. You turn him into cat food and that’s pretty much guaranteed.

Now, Hell has a sense of humour, and when Big Scar Wu arrived in the underworld and word spread of his demise, they renamed him Smiley Cat, much to his chagrin, with the name fuelling his bitterness with every utterance and driving his thirst for revenge. Rising from Hell and vowing to exact his revenge, Smiley Cat has raised an army of Jiang Shi, vowing to destroy the Sun On Yee and to create Hong Kong’s most fearsome criminal empire.

With the city in chaos and its citizens possessed, Wei Shen now faces a challenge far more sinister than any before. To save Hong Kong, he must seek out the most powerful of Chinese magic, endowing him with a power strong enough to take on Smiley Cat’s army of Jiang Shi and face-off against the ghosts of Triads he has defeated in the past, sending the dead back to Hell once and for all.

Nightmare in North Point will be available this Halloween, downloadable from the PlayStation Network, Xbox LIVE Marketplace and Steam. You can find out more from www.sleepingdogs.net, our extensive community website where players can track their in-game progress and see how they shape up against the global Sleeping Dogs community.