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TOTAL WAR: ROME II RELEASE DATE ANNOUNCED

PRE-ORDER AND COLLECTOR’S EDITION CONTENT REVEALED 

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – May 9, 2013 – SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA® Europe, Ltd. today revealed the release date, final pack art, pre-order bonus and Collector’s Edition for Total War™: ROME II.Release Date:

The global release date for the most keenly-anticipated Total War game yet will be September 3rd, 2013 across all territories on both physical and digital formats.

The game is now available for pre-order from the SEGA Store (http://download-store.sega.com/eshop/total-war/rome-2-3418.html) and other retailers world-wide http://www.totalwar.com/preorder

Pre-order Bonus:

Those gamers who pre-order any edition from participating retailers will receive ROME II’s first DLC for free alongside the game on release day. This first DLC, the Greek States Culture Pack, adds three additional playable factions to the game; Epirus, Athens and Sparta.

These factions have their own unique units, buildings, missions and win conditions alongside a distinct tech tree and, in the case of Sparta, will present a considerable challenge to the advanced player wishing to restore the famous city state to its former glory.

Collector’s Edition:

The Total War™: ROME II Collector’s Edition will be produced in a single, extremely limited run; only 22,000 individually numbered copies will be manufactured.

The CE contains a wealth of custom, Roman-themed games and items, bound in a leather-effect presentation box, complete with gold logo and magnetic closure; including:

  • Numbered copy of Total War™: ROME II

The most ambitious and expansive game in the Total War™ series to date, ROME II brings the statecraft, politics, intrigue, diplomacy and epic battles of the ancient world to life in thrilling detail. This version comes in a debossed Steelbook™ case, laser-etched with your unique collector’s number in Roman numerals.

  • Tabula set
    • The Roman forerunner to Backgammon, this Tabula set comprises 30 bone-effect game pieces supplied in their own burlap drawstring bag; the board itself is built into the base of the Collector’s Edition box.
    • Tesserae Dice
      • Three replica bone-effect dice for use in a variety of games. The design is based on original Roman Tesserae, found at the archaeological site of Herculaneum.
      • Total War Cards™: PUNIC WARS
        • Designed from the ground up to echo elements from ROME II, Total War Cards is a game of skill and luck for two players. Involving combat, territorial control, resource management and technological development, PUNIC WARS consists of 58 high-quality playing cards and a game-board printed with the PUNIC WARS tech-tree.
        • Canvas Campaign Map
          • A reminder of the world you must conquer, this ribbon-tied canvas map depicts each of the 57 provinces of the ROME II campaign.
          • Roman Onager
            • A complete, fully-functional Onager, or Roman siege catapult. This easy-to-assemble kit is constructed from weathered wood and steel, measures 26cm x 12cm x 12cm, and is capable of unleashing small projectiles at a variety of inanimate objects which may have affronted the glory of your empire.

A remarkable way to mark over 10 years of Total War games and Creative Assembly’s 25th Anniversary, the Total War™: ROME II Collector’s Edition is only available through selected retailers. Follow the link to pre-order from a list of participating stockists: http://www.totalwar.com/rome2_collectors

The award-winning Total War series returns to Rome in 2013 with the hotly anticipated Total War: ROME II, setting a brand new quality benchmark for strategy gaming. Players can become the world’s first superpower and command the Ancient world’s most incredible war machine. Find out more about ROME II at www.totalwar.com

 
formats

BenQ’s Flicker Free 27” GW2760HS VA LED Monitor

Large, yet slim, compact and easy on the eyes!

Sydney, Australia – May 2013: BenQ Australia will shortly launch their first flicker-free monitor onto the Australian market with the release of the GW2760HS VA display.   Featuring a sophisticated slim design, innovative flicker-free technology, powerful energy-saving solutions, Reading Mode, 3000:1 native contrast and a true 8-bit panel, the GW2760HS is 27 inches of premium visual enjoyment for the office or home environment.

Nice and compact with a high-gloss frame and base stand, curvaceous neck and carbon fibre-patterned exterior rear, the monitor features an 11.5mm slim bezel and chassis design.  Looks aside, it’s what’s inside that counts most.  The GW2760HS’s distinguishing virtue is the inclusion of flicker-free technology which essentially makes it a better choice for eye health.

Eye fatigue is caused by flickering backlight and can result in headaches, eye strain and blurred vision with prolonged computer use.  By replacing the conventional LED backlight, BenQ effectively eliminate flickering at all brightness levels, making the GW2760HS easier on the eyes when a computer is used for extended periods.

“It’s well documented that flicker-free technology reduces eye fatigue,” said Martin Moelle BenQ Australia’s managing director, “and this emerging technology is certain to provide a health benefit to all people who spend a large percentage of their day staring at a computer screen.”

Continued Moelle, “Of course, it’s not just computer screens which will benefit, but smartphones, PDAs, televisions and all digital panels are set to adopt flicker free technology – and the good news is that even though the technology is very new, it’s not adding great expense to the overall purchase price of the screen.  So upgrading your computer monitor for the sake of your health doesn’t come at a cost,” he said.

BenQ’s flicker free 27” GW2760HS will retail for just $299.00 and will be available from May 2013.

A poll conducted in America in 2011 estimated that around 60% of American adults spent between 1-6 hours a day viewing content on electronic devices – while approx 22% spent 7-9 hours and a significant 12% spent more than 10 hours a day staring at a screen.  (Poll Position – US research – November 2011)

It’s not unreasonable to suggest that a study conducted in Australia would yield similar results with so many Australians relying on computers, smartphones and digital panels to complete work projects, not to mention that these same devices are readily and frequently utilised for social and pleasurable pursuits like communicating, viewing entertainment programs or shopping online.

‘Computer Vision Syndrome’ or ‘CVS’ is now a very real and commonly diagnosed ailment which is described by Wikipedia as a “.. temporary condition resulting from focusing the eyes on a computer display for protracted uninterrupted periods of time.  Symptoms include headaches, blurred vision, neck pain, redness in the eyes, fatigue, eye strain and dry eyes.”

“BenQ is proud to put its R&D muscle into producing digital lifestyle solutions that promote better heath and bring better visual enjoyment to all,” continued Moelle.

GW2760HS at a glance:

  • 3000:1 high native contrast ratio (this      is three times that of a general panel, adding astonishing colour depth      and definition to darkened complex images with the greatest subtlety and      clarity.
  • A true 8-bit panel that renders a total      of 16.7 million colour shades compared to a 6-bit panel which is only able      to achieve merely 2% of a similar range of colours, delivering smoother      and more stable transition from one colour to the next.
  • Senseye® Reading Mode that recreates      the comfortable experience of reading actual books by adjusting the      monitor’s colour temperature and brightness levels, as well as balancing      its contrast ratio and sharpness to simulate the look of paperback paper.
  • True Blacks and Minimised Light Leakage      that bring out flawlessly layered and precisely contrasted details in even      the darkest images.
  • Colour Shift-free Technology that      perfects skin tone and image colour presentation from a wide-viewing angle      of 178?/178? from left, right above and below by reducing the visibility      of colour washout, or colour shift between normal and oblique viewing      angles.

RRP:                             $299.00

Available:                      May

For further information and stockist details visit www.BenQ.com.au

 
formats

SUPERMAN: UNBOUND

Available to own on Blu-ray™ for $24.95 RRP and

on DVD for $19.95 RRP

Also available on Digital Download from June 26 

Castle Duo of Stana Katic & Molly Quinn Voice Lois Lane & Supergirl 

A destructive force is devastating planets across the galaxy – with Earth next in its sights – and even Superman may not be capable of halting the terror in SUPERMAN: UNBOUND, the next entry in the ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original Movies. Produced by Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, the all-new film arrives June 26, 2013 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Blu-ray™ ($24.95 RRP) and DVD ($19.95 RRP) and for Digital Download.

SYNOPSIS 

Based on the Geoff Johns/Gary Frank 2008 release “Superman: Brainiac,” SUPERMAN: UNBOUND finds the Man of Steel aptly handling day-to-day crime while helping acclimate Supergirl to Earth’s customs and managing Lois Lane’s expectations for their relationship. Personal issues take a back seat when the horrific force responsible for the destruction of Krypton – Brainiac – begins his descent upon Earth. Brainiac has crossed the universe, collecting cities from interesting planets – including Supergirl’s home city of Kandor – and now the all-knowing, ever-improving android has his sights fixed on Metropolis. Superman must summon all of his physical and intellectual resources to protect his city, the love of his life and his newly-arrived cousin. 

The film’s stellar voicecast is led by Matt Bomer (White Collar) as Superman, John Noble (Fringe, The Lord of the Rings films) as Brainiac, Stana Katic (Castle) as Lois Lane and Molly Quinn (Castle) as Supergirl. Additional voices in the cast include Golden Globe Award winner Frances Conroy (Six Feet Under) as Ma Kent, Wade Williams (The Dark Knight Rises) as Perry White, Diedrich Bader (The Drew Carey Show, Office Space) as Steve Lombard, Stephen Root (Boardwalk Empire, Justified) as Zor-El, and Alexander Gould (Weeds) as Jimmy Olsen.

 
formats

Universal Sony Press Release: Great Expectations – Blu-ray, DVD and UltraViolet – July 4

Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is releasing Great Expectations on Blu-ray, DVD and UltraViolet from July 4, 2013.

Directed by BAFTA® Award-winning Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), Great Expectations is a stunning re-telling of a classic tale.  Adapted from Charles Dickens’ novel of the same name, the film is a beautiful and dynamic homage to Dickens’ iconic narrative.

The vivacious cast, including Helena Bonham-Carter (Les Miserables, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix), Ralph Fiennes (Skyfall, The Harry Potter film series), Jeremy Irvine (War Horse, Now is Good), Holliday Grainger (Anna Karenina, The Borgias), Robbie Coltrane (Arthur Christmas, The Harry Potter film series) and David Walliams (TV’s Little Britain, Stardust), work flawlessly together to bring Dickens’ words to life.

 
formats

Magic 2014 – New Features Revealed!

Wizards of the Coast has announced two exciting new features coming to Magic 2014 – Duels of the Planeswalkers! Sealed Play and a new take on the popular Slivers creature type will both make their debut in the Duels of the Planeswalkers franchise with Magic 2014.

The addition of Sealed Play will allow players to open booster packs and build decks to play against the AI and other players. Each sealed pool is comprised of 84 cards, mimicking paper TCG booster packs. The PvE experience includes a six-deck ladder where players take on mono-colored Sealed decks each corresponding with a particular Planeswalker, and finally facing a ‘boss’ Sealed deck.

Another feature debuting in Magic 2014 is a new take on the popular Slivers creature type. A fan-favorite, new playable Slivers in Magic 2014 decks will include the following:

?      Sliver Construct

?      Predatory Sliver

?      Groundshaker Sliver

?      Megantic Sliver

?      Blur Sliver

?      Striking Sliver

?      Thorncaster Sliver

?      Battle Sliver

?      Sentinel Sliver

?      Bonescythe Sliver

In addition, Hive Stirrings, a sorcery that creates Sliver tokens, will also be included in Magic 2014.

The Magic 2014 – Duels of the Planeswalkers video game will be available for PC, Xbox Live Arcade, PSN, iPad, and Android tablet for the first time when it launches this winter. The Magic 2014 product line-up also includes the Magic 2014 – Core Set for the paper trading card game (TCG) and Magic Online.

 
formats

MYTHICAL Pokémon Deoxys Available Now!

 Full Details Revealed on Seldom-Distributed Psychic Pokémon

9th May , 2013 – Beginning today until May 31, Pokémon Trainers across the Australia and New Zealand can add Deoxys to their Pokédex in a special distribution event via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service.

Deoxys—an impressive Pokémon that can change its Forme—has long captivated fans with its mind-blowing Psychic-type powers and mysterious interstellar origins. Little is known of its past, but Pokémon professors have determined that Deoxys was originally a virus of alien origin: as it plummeted through the atmosphere on a wayward meteorite, the virus passed through a laser beam and mutated to become Deoxys.

Making its first-ever appearance in Pokémon Black 2 and Pokémon White 2, Deoxys carries some moves that are special to this distribution. Trainers can torment their opponents with a balanced set of attacks and healing moves like Psycho Boost and Recover, then knock them off balance with Nasty Plot and Dark Pulse, two moves that Deoxys can’t normally learn on its own. If that balanced attack isn’t enough, raw power should be: for the first time, Deoxys arrives at Level 100.

Arriving in a Dusk Ball and holding a Life Orb to boost attack power at the expense of HP, Deoxys boasts the Pressure Ability, which can exhaust opponents by draining extra PP. Deoxys can also change Formes to suit any battle, altering its genome between the visually distinct Normal Forme, Attack Forme, Defense Forme, and Speed Forme if its Trainer brings it to a certain place in Nacrene City.

To participate in the Deoxys character distribution event via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service, players will need:

  • Wireless broadband Internet access
  • A Nintendo DS®, Nintendo DSi™, Nintendo DSi™ XL, Nintendo 3DS™, or Nintendo 3DS™ XL system
  • A copy of the Pokémon Black 2 or Pokémon White 2 game
  • No more than 11 Wonder Cards in their possession
 
formats

DJANGO UNCHAINED

Quentin Tarantino’s Global Box Office Smash Starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz,

Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington and Samuel L. Jackson

Yours, as you like it on Blu-ray™,DVD and UltraViolet from June 6, 2013

“A bloody masterpiece…funny, thrilling and cleverly structured” – Triple J

Vengeance has a new name in the Oscar-winning, global box office hit DJANGO UNCHAINED, riding in on Blu-ray™,DVD and UltraViolet from June 6, 2013. This epic, action-packed Spaghetti Western from writer/director Quentin Tarantino (Inglorious Basterds) was nominated for five 2012 Academy Awards® (Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing), taking home awards for Best Original Screenplay (Tarantino) and Best Supporting Actor (Waltz).

The film has grossed more than $400 million globally and features a stellar cast, including Academy Award®  winner Jamie Foxx (Best Actor, Ray, 2005), two-time Academy Award®  winner Christoph Waltz (Best Supporting Actor, Django Unchained, 2012 and Best Supporting Actor, Inglourious Basterds, 2010), Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio (Inception), Kerry Washington (Ray, TV’s “Scandal”) and Academy Award nominee Samuel L. Jackson (Best Supporting Actor, Pulp Fiction, 1994; The Avengers).

DJANGO UNCHAINED is a classic Tarantino revenge story about a slave (Foxx) who, with the help of a German bounty hunter (Waltz), rises up from the brutality of his former life to exact his own brand of personal justice in his quest to free his slave wife (Washington) from an evil plantation owner (DiCaprio).

The Blu-ray™ comes with two exclusive featurettes: “Reimagining the Spaghetti Western: The Horses & Stunts of Django Unchained,” giving viewers a look at the making of the film.  “The Costume Designs of Sharen Davis” chronicles the costume choices of designer Sharen Davis, who imagined, designed and created every article of clothing and accessory featured in the film, from Django’s first outfit as a free man in vibrant blue to Calvin Candie’s three piece suits. Both the Blu-ray™ and DVD come with the featurette “Remembering J. Michael Riva: The Production Design of Django Unchained,” giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the selection of settings and style that Riva, who was the driving force behind the set design, used to visually tell Django’s story. The Blu-ray™ and DVD also comes with the “Django unchained Soundtrack Promo.”

DJANGO UNCHAINED was produced by Stacey Sher (Pulp Fiction), Reginald Hudlin (TV’s “The Boondocks”) and Pilar Savone (Inglorious Basterds). Executive producers are Bob Weinstein (Inglorious Basterds), Harvey Weinstein (Inglorious Basterds), Michael Shamberg (Pulp Fiction), Shannon McIntosh (Death Proof) and james W. Skotchdopole (True Romance).

DJANGO UNCHAINED is available to own on Blu-ray™,DVD and UltraViolet from June 6, 2013

Special Blu-ray™ Features include: 

  • Reimagining the      Spaghetti Western: The Horses & Stunts of DJANGO UNCHAINED
  • The Costume Designs of Sharen Davis
  • Remembering J. Michael      Riva: The Production Design of DJANGO UNCHAINED
  • DJANGO UNCHAINED Soundtrack      Promo

Special DVD Bonus Content / Special Features 

  • Remembering J. Michael Riva: The      Production Design of DJANGO UNCHAINED
  • DJANGO UNCHAINED Soundtrack      Promo 

Django Unchained

Price:                    DVD + UltraViolet RRP: $39.95

BD + Ultraviolet RRP: $44.95                                                                                         

Duration:             159 mins 

Genre:                  Action

Rating:                  MA 15+

UltraViolet is the new digital way to watch and collect movies and TV shows.  

Powered by the world’s leading entertainment and technology companies UltraViolet registers all your movies and TV show purchases in your own personalised and sharable account, securely stored in the cloud. Through an UltraViolet retailer you can add to, access and watch your collection, almost anywhere, on your favourite devices. For more information on UltraViolet please contact Bang.

 
formats

Sony Computer Entertainment Celebrates 15 Years of Gran Turismo®

Kazunori Yamauchi set to talk about the game’s future at Silverstone event

SYDNEY, 9th May 2013 – Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) will host a celebration of the 15th anniversary of ‘the real driving simulator’ at the world-famous Silverstone Circuit (UK) on 15th May, 2013 (16th May, Australia). The original Gran Turismo® game was first seen in Japan in December, 1997, after five years of development by legendary designer Kazunori Yamauchi, and then released around the world during 1998. The franchise went on to become multi award winning and the biggest-selling PlayStation® title ever.

Yamauchi-san is set to provide an update on the future of the Gran Turismo game at Silverstone. His passion for all things automotive is evident in the ever-increasing levels of realism and attention to detail in Gran Turismo, and the huge range of cars for which it is famous. Strong relationships with the many manufacturers that have featured in the franchise have led to some fascinating co-operations with the automotive world; such as the Red Bull X2010 ultimate race car, GTbyCitroën concept, a design co-operation for a display featuring on the real Nissan GT-R and an innovative new app developed for the Toyota GT86.

In a close partnership with Nissan, PlayStation has taken the virtual-to-reality overlap, inspired by Gran Turismo, to a new level in the form of the Nissan PlayStation GT Academy. The now-famous racing driver development programme selects the fastest GT gamers from around the world and transfers their talent to real-world racing. The competition began in 2008 and has gone from strength to strength. Over three million people have entered since its inception, and graduates of the Academy have recorded some impressive results, including a second-place finish in the 2011 Le Mans 24 Hours LMP2 class. Five Gran Turismo gamers turned GT Academy champions will be on hand at Silverstone. The ‘Nismo Athletes’ will be showing off their real-world racing skills with some high-speed passenger laps around the famous circuit, a track that has, so far, never featured in Gran Turismo.

This mutual respect and increasing blurring of the lines between the virtual and real, has led to the Silverstone event being well supported by a host of other manufacturers as well, such as Audi, BMW, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, KTM, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla and Toyota. Real-life versions of their cars, old and new, familiar to the legions of passionate Gran Turismo fans will be on display and on-track as part of the event.

“The Gran Turismo franchise continues to be extremely important to PlayStation,” explained Jim Ryan, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. “We felt that 15 years of GT was an event worth celebrating along with our colleagues from the Americas, Asia and Japan. We are very grateful to our manufacturer partners for helping us to bring together a fantastic event. As well as experiencing the development of the franchise and comparing the virtual and real, it will be a pleasure to see Yamauchi-san and hear what’s next for Gran Turismo.”

Information, images and film about the Gran Turismo 15 Year Celebration Event can be found at www.gran-turismo.com/xx/15th/. News from the day itself will be posted on the PlayStation Blog and official Gran Turismo Facebook page as well as on Twitter (#15YearsofGT).

 
formats

Infinite Crisis: Closed Beta Begins Today!

Beginning today, the Closed Beta phase for Infinite Crisis begins! Select players chosen from the pool of registrants will get their first chance to dive into the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) PC game from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and developed by Turbine. To help celebrate, a new Champion Profile video highlighting The Joker is being released.

A homicidal maniac who terrifies even Gotham’s worst criminals, The Joker cavorts into fights blasting opponents with explosive dolls and boxing glove-adorned RPGs.  He is the master of turning innocent props into deadly weapons as he employs his contraptions to corral his opponents into a fatal trap.  Check out the new video via the link and embed code below, along with a character bio and art here. Don’t forget to sign-up for the beta to be among the first to test their skills in Infinite Crisis!

Infinite Crisis, a free-to-play PC game featuring a deep roster of DC Comics characters clashing in fast-paced, player-versus-player battles, is scheduled to launch later this year.

To watch the Video 

Infinite Crisis Beta Sign-Up

https://www.infinitecrisis.com/en/beta-application

 
formats

Escrow Scams, More Dangerous in June

Car, Motorbike, Electronics Shoppers at Most Risk of Escrow Fraud

SYDNEY, May 9, 2013 – The number and scale of escrow scams are expected to grow in June, according to Bitdefender®, the award-winning provider of innovative antivirus solutions.

The company’s analysis on the last 10 months  that fraudsters put more energy into creating fake escrow websites at the beginning of winter. More than 16.8 per cent of the escrow scams registered in almost one year were created in June.

A similar spike was registered in February this year, with over 17 per cent of the total number of analysed escrow scams. After a steady decrease from July to October, the number of fake escrow companies starts to grow before the holidays, especially in December.

Cars, motorbikes and electronics top the list of items that scammers use most to swindle online shoppers in the growing underworld of escrow fraud, a Bitdefender study on over 2,000 fake escrow websites shows.

Scammers generally pose as sellers on authentic auction websites, then direct buyers to the fake escrow service they control. The scammer takes the money and never delivers the goods.

“The scammers can be quite convincing – that’s precisely how they can make money,” said Bitdefender Chief Security Strategist Catalin Cosoi. “They put a great deal of effort into coming across as legitimate, even to the point of warning their targets to protect themselves from credit card and payment fraud. A typical statement seeking to reassure their victims is that they never request banking details – it actually makes no difference with escrow fraud.”

Here are the Top 5 Items Scammers ‘Ship’ to Neverland:

  1. Cars
  2. Motorcycles
  3. Electronics
  4. Items      of special value
  5. Bikes

Other items ‘transported’ by escrow scammers include bank deposits, medical records and tissue samples.

Before making any payment online and using an escrow service to ‘secure’ the transaction, check WHOIS information for clues about the domain registration, hosting and online activity. Unlike real sites, more than 90 percent of the fake escrow websites are registered for just a year, and use e-mail addresses such as contact@privacyprotect.org to remain anonymous.

Another sign is that real escrow websites use secure server connections (SSLs) to protect customers, so “https://” should appear in the address browser. Fraudulent websites may even ‘borrow’ the logo of SSL verification services such as Verisign, so users should check if the site is listed by the authentication company.

UK global redirecting numbers that start with +4470 may also reveal the presence of a scam. Though the country code may look British, the 70 prefix means the phone call will be redirected to any country but the UK.

Users should also check if the contact address of the website is located in the same country as its phone number.

 
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