Once, long ago, in a barren world of attire mediocrity, lived a young gamer girl named Tara. This bright, hopeful lass spent night and day playing the exciting rollercoasters referred to today as video games. These games were colorful, enticing, vibrant, vast, and above all, exciting. In fact, all of Tara’s companions, surroundings, and her entire reality, were positively chromatic! Now, this world wasn’t perfect– no, it was far from it. This inconsistency was one of the highest caliber, for looking at any of these gaming world natives, or nerds and geeks as they are most commonly referred to, you would immediately detect the flaw. Their t-shirts and hoodies, even when not tattered nor torn, were bland and unoriginal. The nerds simply could not express themselves through their clothing items! Tara, being a courageous and self-sacrificing gamer, volunteered to scour the worlds beyond looking for a rectification for her world’s blunder… even if it meant she would go completely without gaming throughout her journey!

After a tumultuous and ungratifying journey, the young nerd maiden stumbled through the very last location on her map, the United Kingdom. Feeling disheartened and ready to give up, she sees a bright yellow, black, and white logo in a building through the stereotypically thick fog. “Insert Coin Clothing”, it read. Upon entering the building, to her delight, was the most beautiful gamer gear, more enamoring than she could have fathomed! Cervantes, Umbrella Corporation… Monteriggioni! Surely Sonic the Hedgehog himself had forged the instrument that created the Eggman Industries tee!

Exhausted, but supremely pleased with her discovery, Tara packed up hundreds of articles of Insert Coin clothing for her people, and started her journey home. The nerds and geeks of Tara’s world were overjoyed! So joyous were the festivities of her return that they deemed that very day a world-wide holiday, Insert Coin day!

Were the troubles over for this civilization of gamers? How, oh how could they continuously procure such quality clothing!? All was okay, though, for they ship internationally!

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Autobots, get ready to roll out with TRANSFORMERS: PRIME– DARKNESS RISING, available on DVD from 20 June, 2012 ($19.95srp).

TRANSFORMERS: PRIME is a bold new CG-animated series, and the latest exciting installment in the Transformers universe. The first DVD volume, ‘Darkness Rising’, contains the first five action-packed episodes of the series, linked together as one 110 minute feature length movie.

Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Megatron and Starscream return in TRANSFORMERS: PRIME, the brainchild of the creators of the TRANSFORMERS movie trilogy and the recent STAR TREK movie, as well as popular TV shows, LOST, ALIAS and FRINGE. The series also features voice actors Peter Cullen and Frank Welker, the original Optimus Prime and Megatron respectively.

TRANSFORMERS: PRIME– DARKNESS RISING is available on DVD 20 June, 2012 ($19.95srp).

Saddle up for the long awaited release of the first two volumes of MY LITTLE PONY; FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC, coming to DVD 20 June 2012 ($19.95srp each).

Loved by mothers and daughters around the world, MY LITTLE PONY; FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC follows the adventures of Twilight Sparkle, a studious young unicorn pony who may be smartest in all of Equestria, but she gets an “incomplete” in friendship.

MY LITTLE PONY; FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC introduces a new generation to the MY LITTLE PONY franchise with a vibrant and funny take on this beloved toy brand, established for more than 25 years.

Developed by Hasbro Studios with Lauren Faust (THE POWERPUFF GIRLS, FOSTER’S HOME FOR IMAGINARY FRIENDS), MY LITTLE PONY; FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC has become a pop culture phenomenon across the globe thanks to the show’s brilliantly written plot lines, high quality animation and a message of friendship that everyone can relate to.

ZeniMax Online Studios Takes Award-Winning Elder Scrolls Franchise Online In Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game

Sydney, Australia – May 4, 2012 – Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax® Media company, today announced The Elder Scrolls® Online, an MMO in development at ZeniMax Online Studios. The Elder Scrolls Online will be the first Elder Scrolls game to allow gamers to explore the legendary Elder Scrolls world with others.

The Elder Scrolls Online is being developed for PC and Mac under the leadership of industry veteran Matt Firor, who has spent the last two decades working in online game development. Details about the game are revealed in an exclusive cover story in Game Informer®’s June issue, which ships to subscribers and newsstands this month.

“We have been working hard to create an online world in which players will be able to experience the epic Elder Scrolls universe with their friends, something fans have long said they wanted,” said Matt Firor, game director of The Elder Scrolls Online. “It will be extremely rewarding finally to unveil what we have been developing the last several years. The entire team is committed to creating the best MMO ever made – and one that is worthy of The Elder Scrolls franchise.”

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim® is the most recent title set in the award-winning Elder Scrolls universe. Skyrim, developed by Bethesda Game Studios, was released in November 2011 and enjoyed worldwide critical and commercial success. Skyrim earned hundreds of ‘Game of the Year’ awards, including top honors at the 2012 Game Developers Choice Awards, the 15^th Annual 2012 Interactive Achievement Awards held at the 2012 D.I.C.E. Summit, and at the 2011 Video Game Awards. Internationally, Skyrim shipped over 10 million units within the first month of its release, was the second highest grossing title in the industry last year, and is the fastest selling title in Steam’s history.

The Elder Scrolls Online will be featured later this month in GameInformer Australia and in online stories over the coming months which will provide gamers with more information about this exciting title.

Upon release, The Elder Scrolls Online will be available in English, German and French languages.

All science, just a little fiction.  Seriously.

Melbourne, VIC. May 4, 2012 – The real world may be a lie… but this announcement isn’t. THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI – News) and Volition, Inc.^® are proud to announce the development of Saints Row^®: The Third^TM – Enter The Dominatrix™, the groundbreaking standalone expansion to Saints Row: The Third. No longer an April Fool’s dream, the outrageous game concept will be reality this fall. It’s really happening.

Slated for release on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, Saints Row: The Third – Enter The Dominatrix takes the award-winning, over-the-top action of Saints Row: The Third and adds the most requested gameplay features from the Saints Row community: freaking super powers.

“Faster than a speeding cyber jetbike, more powerful than a roided-out Luchadore, able to leap flying aircraft carriers in a single bound… That’s the power you’ll find inside the Dominatrix. Use it for good. Use it for evil. Use it for whatever you want. As always in Saints Row, it’s up to you,” said Danny Bilson, Executive Vice President, Core Game Production, THQ Inc. “With a franchise with more than 11 million units shipped globally, it’s incredibly gratifying to have the flexibility to give Saints Row fans the features they want most.”

He later added, “Freaking super powers.”

About Saints Row: The Third – Enter the Dominatrix

Saints Row: The Third – Enter the Dominatrix picks up immediately following the events of Saints Row: The Third. For centuries, alien warlord Zinyak has eyed Earth and its precious natural resources and females with a watchful eye.  As he prepares an armada for invasion, he has only one worry: the Third Street Saints.

Once a simple street gang from Stilwater, the Saints have evolved into a global empire, replete with bombastic TV advertising and tasteful consumer products, the kind of TV advertising and consumer products that would give any alien warlord pause. Clearly, the Saints are the biggest badasses on Earth.

Now, in order to prepare his forces for domination, Zinyak captures the leader of the Saints and imprisons him in an elaborate virtual reality simulation. This simulation program looks and feels like Steelport, but it is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth. Here, you are a slave. Welcome… to the Dominatrix.

More details and a first look at Saints Row: The Third – Enter the Dominatrix will be available this summer.

Presenting Multiplayer Gameplay Part Two, the second video in our two-part series showcasing Max Payne 3’s Multiplayer.

Max Payne 3 multiplayer incorporates the Max Payne series’ famed gritty storytelling and intense gunplay into an epic online experience for up to 16 players.

Multiplayer Gameplay Part Two focuses on Gang Wars, which uses events from the single-player game as narrative starting points for matches with a dynamically shifting storyline based on the outcomes of each round; and some of the features that allow players to form grudges and alliances, such as Vendettas and the ability to join Crews; and Max Payne 3’s range of multiplayer special abiltities called Bursts, including Bullet Time.

Near Future Setting, Branching Storylines, Advanced Weaponry and New Graphics Technology Combine to Deliver The Most Ambitious Call of Duty To Date  

THE FUTURE IS BLACK™ on November 13, 2012 

Sydney, Australia– May 4, 2012 – Call of Duty®: Black Ops II delivers the most groundbreaking and visceral Call of Duty® experience ever.   Set in the year 2025, Call of Duty: Black Ops II propels players into global conflict featuring advanced weaponry, robotics, and drone warfare in a new Cold War scenario whose seeds are being sown in today’s headlines.  New graphics technology drives the stunning cinematic action of the single-player campaign’s branching storylines and non-linear missions.

“Hands down, this is the most ambitious Call of Duty ever,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. “We are bringing disruptive innovation to the franchise and we are doing it on several fronts. We’re pushing the boundaries technologically, graphically, and from a narrative and gameplay perspective. At the same time, we need to stay true to the epic realism, authenticity, heart pumping adrenaline, and cinematic action that so many people love and expect from a Call of Duty game. Treyarch’s vision for Call of Duty: Black Ops II will redefine the Call of Duty franchise for the future–both literally and figuratively.”

“With Call of Duty: Black Ops II, the team is crafting an experience that Call of Duty fans have never seen before,” said Mark Lamia, Studio Head for Treyarch. “We are challenging assumptions on every front, with the single player campaign, Zombies and multiplayer.  In the campaign, we are creating a thought-provoking story that introduces branching storylines and meaningful choices that impact the narrative. Running in the multiplayer engine for the first time, Zombies gives players a bigger and more diverse set of gameplay experiences, as well as entirely new ways to wage war with the undead. And in multiplayer, we’re embracing all skill levels and play styles to give players more ways to engage. With Call of Duty: Black Ops II, we’re all in and we won’t rest until we’ve launched nothing less than the best Call of Duty we’ve ever made.”

On November 13^th award-winning developer Treyarch and Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), will deploy the sequel to the universally acclaimed Call of Duty®: Black Ops, which following its launch in 2010 set the record for the biggest entertainment launch in history.  Call of Duty: Black Ops II has not yet been rated.  For more information, visit www.callofduty.com/blackops or follow Call of Duty: Black Ops II on www.facebook.com/codblackops and on Twitter at #BlackOps2.

About Treyarch

Treyarch is an industry-leading game developer, wholly owned by Activision Publishing, Inc. whose previous game Call of Duty: Black Ops set an entertainment launch opening record upon its release in 2010 and continues to be one of the best-selling games of all time, according to NPD and GfK Chart-Track.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Russia, Japan, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.

Now Available For PC

Friday 4th May, 2012—SEGA® Europe Ltd and SEGA® of America, Inc. today announced the release of the SEGA Mega Drive Classics Collection 5 for PC digital download. Turn back the clock and grab these fantastic retro hits today from the SEGA Store.

The SEGA Mega Drive Classics Collection 5 gives players the chance to experience iconic moments from the golden era of the Mega Drive with the added help of full in-game save features. Titles in the collection include:

• Golden Axe™ III
• Beyond Oasis / The Story of Thor™
• Dynamite Headdy™
• Phantasy Star™ II
• Phantasy Star III™: Generations of Doom
• Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium™
• Streets of Rage™3
• The Revenge of Shinobi™
• Vectorman™ 2
• Wonder Boy™ in Monster World™”

All ten games are available for individual purchase at AUD$3.49 each. Players can also grab the whole collection to get the true Mega Drive experience for AUD$9.99.

For more information about the SEGA Mega Drive Classics series, as well as other SEGA® games, please visit http://www.sega.com/games/

Includes New Level Updates, Pinpoint Controls and Faster Game-play, Now Available for iPhone!

SYDNEY — May 4, 2012 — Ubisoft® announced that Monster Burner, the frantic arcade puzzle game, is now available for free on the App Store. New Gold Rush levels allow players to amass great fortune in a short amount of time with coins to enable players to procure upgraded spells and destroy even more monsters. The update also allows for faster game-play and more precise fireball controls with added support for iPhone® and the iPad®.

In Monster Burner, players must protect their riches by blasting invading hordes of gold-thirsty monsters with ferocious spells. Spells encourage players to draw firewalls and release devastating fireballs to destroy monsters en masse.

For on-the-go gamers, iCloud® support allows players to launch Monster Burner on the iPhone, continue their game on the iPad and finish later on the iPod touch®.

For more information on Monster Burner, please

Leading comparison site WhistleOut has launched new comparison technology to analyse the new breed of telco offerings in Australia where iPads and tablet computers are being increasingly offered on contract, adding to the device and billing confusion already swamping consumers.

The market now has more than 160 contract options where plans are offered just like mobile phones: a monthly payment for a broadband plan which enables the user to access the internet away from WiFi, and $0 or a small monthly payment for the iPad or tablet .

Cameron Craig, Director of WhistleOut, says: “I expect buying on plan will become the predominant way to buy a tablet. In just three years, we have seen the tablet become an everyday item and the early adopters have all purchased at full price early on. The rest of the market will be harder to convert so a monthly plan is the next phase in going mass market. Having a monthly payment and embedded 3G connectivity for one price is an obvious choice for many.”

Contract prices for new iPads are being offered from $34 per month for 24 months, putting tablets in the same league as mobile phones and allowing families and students to have more than one in the house without spending thousands up front.

WhistleOut now compares over 160 tablet contract plan options for tablets from 5 telcos across 13 tablet models including 106 individual iPad contracts alone. At the launch of the first iPad in April 2010, no contract options were offered to consumers.

The burgeoning new market has been broken down by WhistleOut into three price categories:

• iPad 2 from $34 per month for 24 months
• The New iPad from $38 per month for 24 months
• Android Tablets from $29 per month for 24 months

For consumers the wide range of price plans won’t save them substantially over the contract period.

Cameron, says: “Buying a tablet out-right with a prepaid broadband plan can the cheapest overall option if you don’t intend to use data on a monthly basis. A plan gives you plenty of mobile internet convenience and you avoid the upfront cost which is attractive to many, but it will end up costing you more than the basic WiFi tablet. Consider what you’re looking for and how much you’ll use the connectivity.” For the full price range visit WhistleOut’s Tablet Comparison.

Tablet computer ownership is on the rise in Australia: currently 18 per cent of households own a tablet and this is forecast to double to be 39 per cent by 2013[1]. Australians are also increasingly accessing online media using devices other than desktop and laptop PCs while commuting or travelling, growing from 42 per cent in 2010 to 55 per cent in 2011[2].