Nightlife in The Ballad of Gay Tony 

Club Management

Despite being a partner in the business, Luis still has to get his hands dirty at the clubs.  He can check in and do the rounds to make sure everything is running smoothly.  This means kicking out drug dealers, perverts, and other degenerates, trying to resist the passive aggressive advances of Joni, his coworker, and helping doorman Dessie.  

Occasionally he’s asked to deal with more delicate club-related matters, usually involving celebrity clientele.  This can range from picking up an obscure takeaway for a bulimic model, to helping a closeted rapper avoid the paparazzi after a night of indiscretion in Hercules, or maybe making sure an actor is on enough drugs so he can function when the curtain comes up on his stage show.     

Whatever Luis is called upon to do will earn him a healthy sideline, and keep the empire ticking over smoothly. 

Dancing

Snake-hips Lopez can show off his moves at Maisonette 9 or Hercules.  If the moment takes them, the whole club can join in a “bus stop” and dance in unison.  This will launch players into a familiar feeling dance mini-game. If he impresses a girl enough, she’ll lead him off the dance floor for some action in the club toilets. 

Booty Calls

If Luis has hooked up with a girl in the club, he can take her number and go around to her place for a second, third, or fourth round.  The grind of Love-Meet and the Liberty City dating market ain’t for a player like him. 

Shots!

If Luis wants to get his drink on he can head to the bar at one of his clubs for a shot.  Each one will get him incrementally more drunk, too many and he’ll black out, only to awake and find himself somewhere unexpected. 

Champagne Drinking

The credit crunch hasn’t seemed to affect the revelers at Maionette9.   If it takes Luis’s fancy, he can head to the VIP and challenge someone to a champagne drinking contest, chugging it back and spraying it on the crowd.  If he’s not careful and drinks too quickly, he’ll throw up.  Too many bottles may cause drunkenness and blackouts.  

Multiplayer   

The Ballad of Gay Tony

The new episode in Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City for Xbox 360® – takes the classic fan-favorite modes from the mayhem of Grand Theft Auto IV multiplayer and overhauls every aspect for an action packed, over-the-top experience. New weapons for greater diversity and impact. New, tighter Deathmatch arenas for more fierce matches. And the addition of new gameplay features including parachutes, kill streaks and assisted kills. It’s Grand Theft Auto multiplayer made more intense than ever.

The featured modes are: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, GTA Race, Race and Free Mode

In Deathmatch, with up to 16 players online, your objective is to have the most kills within the set time. Players are awarded contract money for each kill, and can also loot casualties for their dropped cash. The player with the most cash when the game ends wins. In Team Deathmatch, players work as a team to rub out other teams for money – and the crew with the most cash at the end of the round wins.

The Ballad of Gay Tony takes these classic multiplayer modes and gives them a high-powered bump with the addition of new weapons like the Assault SMG, the Explosive Shotgun, the Advanced Sniper Rifle, Sticky Bombs and more. See below for the full list and other specifications.

New Weapons

Pistol .44, Explosive Shotgun, Assault SMG, Gold SMG, Advanced MG, Advanced Sniper, Sticky Bombs and Parachute

Cash for Kills

Make $25 for every assisted kill.

Kill Streaks

Kill streaks of 3, 5 or 10 gives the player health and armor bonuses. Ending other players’ kill streaks you earn $125.

Deathmatch Locations

Deathmatch locations are contained areas, making for an even more intense experience. New locations include: CC Plaza, Meadow Hills, Firefly Island, Alderney Building Site, Varsity Heights, Factory, Construction, Acter Power Station, Pier 45, Castle Gardens Park, Boat House, Easton Subway, Warehouse, Hospital, Waste, Trespass, Museum and more.

Weapon Classes

Episodic, Automatic, Sniper Rifles, Explosives, Sticky Bombs.

Free Mode

Free Mode is a long-running fan favorite mode that is truly the sandbox equivalent of Multiplayer. No rules, no guidelines, just all out mayhem and anarchy. Join in and go nuts rampaging amongst other Grand Theft Auto lunatics. Or get together with friends and create your own original game in this wide open freeform mode. Now made more insane than ever with the addition of the nimble Buzzard attack helicopter, the devastating N.O.O.S.E. APC and even parachutes to enable you to skydive down from the top of Rotterdam Tower blasting fools from up above. 

The Lost and Damned – Multiplayer

Deathmatch and Team DM

New weapons class: Biker Weapons (automatic 9mm, sawed off shotgun, pipe bomb, pool cue, assault shotgun and grenade launcher)

Races

New Race Type: Checkpoint races but each biker is equipped with a bat.

New Race Vehicle Classes:

Race Class: The Lost

Vehicles: Diabolus, Hexer, Lycan, Hellfury, Zombie, Innovation

Race Class: Angels of Death

Vehicles: Wayfarer, Daemon, Wolfsbane, Angel, Nightblade, Revenant

Race Class: Street Bikes

Vehicles: Double T, Double T Custom, Hakuchou, Hakuchou Custom, Bati 800, Bati Custom

Other Race Classes: Vans, Cars and Trucks

New Mode: Club Business:

How to Play: Angus will keep you informed as to what’s on the agenda for The Lost MC. Complete tasks to gain standing within the Club. 

Description: Players must work together to complete a variety of different tasks and earn money for The Lost MC. These can include stealing bikes, taking out an enemy biker gang and picking up other members of Club.

New Mode: Lone Wolf Biker:

How to Play: One player is the Lone Wolf Biker, racing to checkpoints while evading the pursuers. Kill the Lone Wolf Biker and it’ll be you getting hunted – and you’ll become invincible for ten seconds. Pursuers can hold Y to respawn their vehicles.

Description: One player starts as the Lone Wolf Biker and must pass through checkpoints while avoiding the other players. If another player manages to kill the Lone Wolf Biker then they will become the new Lone Wolf Biker and must then avoid the pursuers. The winner is the player who has spent the most time as the Lone Wolf Biker when the round ends.

New Mode: Chopper Vs Chopper

How to Play: The biker tries to get to a checkpoint – the pursuer pilots an attack helicopter hunting them down. When the biker dies, the roles are reversed. Hold Y to respawn your vehicle.

Description: One player starts on a bike and the other player in an attack helicopter. The biker must reach checkpoints dotted around the map and try to avoid being killed by the pursuer. Roles are reversed if the attacker manages to kill the biker. The player who has passed the most checkpoints at the end of the round wins.

New Mode: Witness Protection

How to Play: The N.O.O.S.E have to escort witnesses to police stations around the city, while The Lost try to destroy the transport bus and take out the snitches before they talk.

Description: The Lost MC players must kill the as many of the 3 witnesses as possible before the N.O.O.S.E driver can drop them off at each police station. They can do this by destroying the prison bus or by chasing down the bus and shooting the witnesses as they walk from the bus to station.

One N.O.O.S.E player will be selected as the driver and the other members of the N.O.O.S.E team must protect the witnesses.

The first witness is worth $500, the second $1000 and the third $1500. The team with the highest score at the end of the round wins. 

New Mode: Own the City

How to Play: Take as much territory as you can. A territory becomes yours when all its defenders are dead. While you own a territory, members of your club will appear to defend it. Your club’s Gun Van is marked with a square blip on your radar. Drive it near your defenders to equip them with better weaponry.

Description: The Lost MC battles the Angels of Death for control of Liberty City. The chosen location is split up into several different territories. Each team must take over as many of these territories as possible before the round ends. Your team will capture a territory once you have killed all AI defenders and enemy players inside it.

The team in control of the most territory at the end of the round wins.

2K Games Announces First Downloadable Content for Borderlands™ 

The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned to infect players later this year 

Sydney, Australia – October 16, 2009 – 2K Games announced today that the first piece of downloadable content for Borderlands™, The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned, is planned for release later this year for all available platforms for $12.95 (800 Microsoft Points). The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned is in development at Gearbox Software and is the first in a series of downloadable expansions that will enhance the Borderlands mayhem in fun and exciting ways. 

Tasked with keeping the workers of Jakobs Cove alive, Dr. Ned (who is not related to Dr. Zed from Fyrestone) does his job a little too well, creating zombies and other abominations that now run rampant in this region. Players will have to work alongside Dr. Ned as they embark on a quest to cure the inhabitants of Jakobs Cove in this full-fledged expansion filled with new enemies, new quests and rare loot drops. 

Featuring extensive co-op integration that seamlessly blends the single-player and multiplayer experiences, Borderlands allows players to freely join or leave each other’s games at any time for collaborative mayhem or the freedom to choose to play in full single-player mode to experience the world on their own. Borderlands also includes a groundbreaking weapon generation system that offers a near infinite variety of weapons to the player. Borderlands combines these features with addictive non-stop action to form a breakthrough experience that challenges the conventions of modern shooters and RPGs. 

Developed by Gearbox Software, Borderlands™ is shipping to retailers in North America on October 20 for the PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and beginning October 23 internationally.  The Windows PC version will ship to retailers in North America and internationally on October 26 and October 30, respectively. Borderlands is rated MA 15+ by the OFLC. 

For more information, please visit http://www.borderlandsthegame.com. 

2K Games is a division of 2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

RELIVE THE ADVENTURES. EXPLORE THE GALAXY.
FEEL THE FORCE LIKE NEVER BEFORE.

The Complete Season One

From Lucasfilm Ltd. and Warner Home Video, Four-Disc Set Includes Companion Featurettes For All 22 Action-Packed Episodes, and a Blu-ray Exclusive – Jedi Temple Archives After wowing TV audiences with a cutting-edge, animated look at “a galaxy far, far away,” Star Wars: The Clone Wars™ The Complete Season One is coming to DVD and high-definition Blu-ray Disc 18 November 2009 from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Warner Home Video.

Live the adventures again and again, and dig deeper into the first season of The Clone Wars with a comprehensive look behind-the-scenes of the popular animated series. Uniquely packaged with an exclusive 64 page production journal, the four-disc set contains all 22 episodes from the groundbreaking first season – including seven extended Director’s Cuts – as well as companion featurettes for each episode. And exclusive to the Blu-ray disc, The Jedi Temple Archives provides indepth access to an extensive database of creative materials.

“I’m a longtime Star Wars fan, and the same’s true for a lot of the guys working on the show,” said supervising director Dave Filoni. “And as a fan, I know that Lucasfilm can be pretty secretive. They’re famous for it. But we’re all so proud of the work that’s gone into The Clone Wars, and we wanted to share some of our production tricks, and open up the vault and reveal our efforts. You’re going to get unprecedented access, to see the nuts and bolts of our series – from concept to finished animation.” Created and executive produced by George Lucas, the first-ever TV production from Lucasfilm Animation explores the tumultuous time between Episodes II and III of the live-action saga, expanding the scope of Star Wars beyond anything seen in the feature films. With the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance, the heroes of the Republic – including the valiant Jedi Knights and their loyal clone troopers – fight bravely to repel the attacks of the evil Separatists and their droid army.

“The live-action saga was just the beginning. The universe is vast, and there are so many more stories to explore beyond Anakin’s fall and redemption,” said Lucas. “The scope of the war gives us the perfect vehicle for a weekly series, allowing us to look at how the conflict has affected the farthest reaches of the galaxy, including characters, creatures and races we only glimpsed in the feature films. Animation has allowed us to visualize the worlds and characters of Star Wars in all new ways.” Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Complete Season One will be available 18 November 2009 on DVD for $79.95RRP and Blu-ray for $99.95RRP.

Special Features:

Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Complete Season One is presented in widescree n with English, Spanish and French 5.1 DTS audio and English, French and Spanish subtitles.

Bonus features include:
· Seven Director’s Cut Episodes:
o Rising Malevolence, Shadow of Malevolence, Lair of Grievous, Rookies, Storm Over Ryloth, Innocents of Ryloth and Liberty on Ryloth
· 22 Episodic Featurettes that go behind-the-scenes with Supervising Director Dave Filoni and crew about the making-of each episode
· Spectacular 64 page production journal that includes early sketches, artist notes, and concept art from each episode from Season One
· Blu-ray Exclusive – The Jedi Temple Archives
o An extensive database exploring test footage, early concept art, 3-D character and object turnarounds and early animation. The Archives is a rare look at the assets in various stages of creation for The Clone Wars, with a wealth of surprises and neverbefore seen moments sprinkled throughout.

Synopsis

As the Clone Wars sweep through the galaxy, the heroic Jedi Knights – including Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Master Yoda and padawan Ahsoka Tano – struggle to maintain order and restore peace. But despite the best efforts of these brave protectors, more and more planets are falling prey to the sinister forces of the dark side… Star Wars: The Clone Wars features the voices of Matt Lanter (“90210”) as Anakin Skywalker, Ashley Eckstein (“That’s So Raven”) as Ahsoka Tano, James Arnold Taylor (“The Spectacular Spider-Man”) as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Tom Kane (“Wolverine and the X-Men”) as Yoda. Lucasfilm, Star Wars: The Clone Wars™, Lucasfilm Animation and related character names, vehicle names and properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

THE NEXT GENERATION OF HEROES STORMS INTO ACTION ON  BLU-RAY AND DVD IN THE WORLDWIDE BLOCKBUSTER                                                                                   

The ultimate elite fighting force hit the big screen to defend the world in the worldwide smash hit  G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra, which earned over $280 million at the global box office.  The action-packed, visually arresting adventure based on Hasbro’s immensely popular action figures makes its eagerly-awaited Blu-ray and DVD debut on December 3, 2009 from Paramount Home Entertainment.  

Directed by Stephen Sommers (The Mummy), G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra stars a hot young cast including Channing Tatum (Public Enemies), Marlon Wayans (Dance Flick), Sienna Miller (Factory Girl), Joseph Gordon-Levitt ((500) Days of Summer), Rachel Nichols (“Alias”) and Ray Park (X-Men), as well as veteran actors Dennis Quaid (Vantage Point) and Christopher Eccleston (Gone in Sixty Seconds). 

The G.I. JOE team travels the world from the Egyptian desert to the polar ice caps and the streets of Paris in a high stakes pursuit of COBRA, an evil international organization threatening to use a technology that could bring the world to its knees.  Armed with the coolest hi-tech gadgets and weapons, including jaw-dropping accelerator and camouflage suits, G.I. JOE is the last line of defense against those intent on world domination.           

The G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra Blu-ray and DVD include commentary by director Stephen Sommers and producer Bob Ducsay, “The Big Bang Theory: The Making of G.I. JOE”, which takes viewers behind-the-scenes for a look at how the filmmakers turned the perennially popular action figures into a summer blockbuster and “Next-Gen Action: The Amazing Visual FX and Design of G.I. JOE”, which showcases the incredible work that went into creating over 1,650 visual effect shots and the challenges the filmmakers faced in bringing the world of G.I. JOE and COBRA to life.  

The DVD and Blu-ray packages will also feature augmented reality technology that will allow owners to participate in an exclusive 3D holographic G.I. JOE combat experience, utilizing their webcams and a special website.  Fans will be able to choose between SNAKE EYES and STORM SHADOW, two of the most popular G.I. JOE and COBRA characters, and battle against their enemies one-on-one in an immersive 3D video game. 

The G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra DVDs are presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround with English, French and Spanish subtitles.  The Blu-ray is presented in 1080p High Definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital with English, English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.  The following special features are in standard definition: 

• Feature commentary by director Stephen Sommers and producer Bob Ducsay
   
• The Big Bang Theory: The Making of G.I. JOE— Join the G.I. JOE team as they set out to “Sommer-size” the summer action epic and bring G.I. JOE to the big screen.
   
• Next-Gen Action: The Amazing Visual FX and Design of G.I. JOE— With over 1,650 visual effect shots, G.I. JOE was a truly massive endeavor.  Showcasing the hard work and creativity of the film’s effects and design team, this piece looks at the unique challenges of bringing the world of G.I. JOE and COBRA to life, while immersing viewers in the incredible thrills and various FX challenges of the film’s major action sequences. 

About Paramount Home Entertainment   

Paramount Home Entertainment (PHE) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment.  PPC is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands.  PHE is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment products on behalf of various parties including: Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Paramount Famous Productions, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, CBS and PBS and for providing home entertainment fulfillment services for DreamWorks Animation Home Entertainment. 

About Hasbro

Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS) is a worldwide leader in children’s and family leisure time products and services with a rich portfolio of brands and entertainment properties that provides some of the highest quality and most recognizable play and recreational experiences in the world. As a brand-driven, consumer-focused global company, Hasbro brings to market a range of toys, games and licensed products, from traditional to high-tech and digital, under such powerful brand names as TRANSFORMERS, PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, CRANIUM and WIZARDS OF THE COAST. Come see how we inspire play through our brands at http://www.hasbro.com. (C) 2009 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

From the director of Mission: Impossible II and Face Off comes a spectacular action-packed war-epic starring Tony Leung. Red Cliff is the epic tale of wits, bravery and heroism taking place in the final days of the Han Dynasty. The highest grossing film in Chinese Box Office history, Icon Home Entertainment will release two versions, Battle of Red Cliff and Red Cliff: The Director’s Edition- Part 1 + 2 on both DVD & Blu-ray

Based on the legendary battle in which a force of fifty thousand men defeated an army of nearly one million, Red Cliff follows shrewd Prime Minister Cao Cao who convinces his fickle Emperor that declaring war on the remaining kingdoms is the only way to unify China. Under a brutal military campaign of unprecedented scale, the remaining kingdoms are forced into an unlikely alliance. Waging several battles of strength, this newly unified force faces their ultimate and final battle at shores of Red Cliff, which would change the course of Chinese history forever.

Both the Battle of Red Cliff and Red Cliff: The Director’s Edition- Part 1 + 2 will be available to rent or buy on Blu-ray & DVD, January 6, 2010

20^th Century Fox’s BIGGEST Blu-ray Day One results of all time 

‘Day One’ Blu-ray Sales Of 4, 769 Units*  

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – The latest instalment from the successful X-Men franchise, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, has achieved 20^th Century Fox Home Entertainment’s (TCFHE) biggest ever day one Blu-ray result with sales of 4,769* units on it’s opening day.

“The X-Men series continues to be one of the most successful movie franchises in the world,” says Chris Dunn, Managing Director, TCFHE. “It is no surprise that X-Men fans around Australia have rushed into stores on its opening day to purchase X-Men Origins: Wolverine in all of its high-definition glory on Blu-ray Disc — a truly awe-inspiring viewing experience.”

Previously QUANTUM OF SOLACE was TCFHE biggest selling Day One Blu-ray release with 4,715 units sold. This Blu-ray title went on to sell 24,813 units in its 12 week life cycle.

Important to note the percentage of sales on X-Men Origins: Wolverine Blu-ray equals 24.4% of the total sales across all of X-Men Origins: Wolverine products released yesterday. This includes the Single Disc DVD (Standard Definition) and also the Limited Edition Tin Packaging release (Standard Definition).

“These results demonstrate that the Australian consumer is not only excited by the Blu-ray format but willing to embrace it in such a rapid way,” says Dunn.

Staring Australia’s Hugh Jackman, X-Men Origins: Wolverine tells the story of Wolverine’s epically violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed and the ominous Weapon X program.  Along the way, Wolverine encounters many mutants, both familiar and new, including surprise appearances by several legends of the X-Men universe whose appearances in the film have long been anticipated.

*Source: VNET, Australia

BUILD BIGGER, BETTER AND SMARTER IN ‘CITIES XL’

– NAMCO BANDAI Partners Launch Monte Cristo’s Next-Generation City Builder for PC, Available Now in Australia and New Zealand – 

– 15 October 2009 – NAMCO BANDAI Partners today announced that Monte Cristo Games’ next-generation city builder CITIES XL for PC is available now at retailers in Australia and New Zealand.  CITIES XL pushes the boundaries of the ever-popular city builder genre with a host of original features and compelling gameplay both in single player and online multiplayer. 

“We’re very excited to be launching CITIES XL which we have poured so much of our energy and passion into developing and which we are confident will drive this brilliant genre firmly forward,” said Jérôme Gastaldi, CEO of Monte Cristo Games. “I’d also like to thank our incredible community of beta players without the support of whom we wouldn’t have such a great game today.” 

“The city builder genre of gaming has been around for a while and so it’s very rewarding to see not only the very real innovations that Monte Cristo are bringing to the table, but also the continued support from the players,” said Olivier Comte, VP Marketing, Sales & Publishing, NAMCO BANDAI Partners S.A.S. “We’re proud to have CITIES XL in our distribution portfolio for a number of important PAL territories, and we look forward to building on its success.”

 With a place on the ‘top ten best places to live’ list firmly in players’ sights, CITIES XL lets virtual mayors test the limits of scale, realism and sophistication as well as their own skill in both solo play  and in the game’s massively persistent online multiplayer ‘Planet’ mode.  Desktop property moguls will develop cities on realistic 3D maps using a lovingly crafted collection of unique structures and monuments based on global architectural styles.  The numerous maps feature a variety of environments including mountains, hills, canyons, beaches and islands, all set in different climate zones ranging from tropical to desert, Mediterranean to temperate.  

Solo mode offers players 25 maps and approximately 500 buildings, along with a complex and diverse set of tools, while the massively persistent online ‘Planet’ mode lets many thousands of players manage their multiplayer experience both in-game and via the internet.  Interactive online features include trading, cooperative creations of Megastructures, visiting other players’ cities, online events, regular content updates, and web-based city management from any computer in the world.

In CITIES XL, there’s a new challenge around every corner.  For more information about CITIES XL please visit the official website at www.citiesxl.com.

Sydney, Australia – October 15, 2009 – 2K Play announced today that Axel & Pixel^TM, the point-and-click adventure game for fans of all ages, is now available worldwide exclusively on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.                     

“We are excited about Axel & Pixel for its simple yet deep gameplay. The art is breathtaking and the surreal sense of humor catches you by surprise,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “All of these elements combined offer a fresh experience that truly embodies the concept of ‘games as art’.” 

Axel & Pixel was developed by Silver Wish Games and utilizes a simple point-and-click interface. Players lead Axel the artist and his dog Pixel through 24 levels of stylized photo collage environments where they encounter nature-inspired characters like the Ice Giant, his mischievous rat apprentice and other motley inhabitants of the Dream World. Along their journey, the duo will scale majestic mountains, build rafts to cross treacherous rivers, and fly away in a hot air balloon through the Dream World. 

In addition to assisting Axel and Pixel on their adventures, players can race vehicles in Arcade Mode and post high scores to the online leaderboard. Brave explorers will also discover bonus items, including dog bones, sketches and paint tubes hidden throughout the Dream World that give Axel the tools and inspiration to complete his finest work of art. 

Axel & Pixel is now available worldwide exclusively on Xbox LIVE Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft for 800 Microsoft Points. Axel & Pixel is rated G by the OFLC. For more information, please visit http://axelandpixelgame.com. 

2K Play is a division of 2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

Indy is back in a new Lego adventure which brings you all the fun and action of all four Indiana Jones movies. Due out November 25^th, the new game features a ‘build your own adventure’  level giving you the power to create your very own maps! Watch the latest Producer Walkthrough and see how this new feature works here. Alternatively if you would like a copy of the walkthrough please let me know (130MB) 

For more information visit www.lucasarts.com

A NEW WAY FOR KIDS TO HAVE FUN WITH BOOKS

EA ANNOUNCES FLIPS ON THE NINTENDO DS – COMING TO AUSTRALIA

15 October 2009, Australia – Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that FLIPS™, an innovative and interactive new book range created for the Nintendo DS™ and designed to give children of all ages a fun new way to read their favourite books, will officially launch in Australia this summer.
 
EA has worked with leading publishers of children’s books and magazines, including Egmont and Penguin publishing, to bring modern classic titles from critically acclaimed authors such as Cathy Cassidy, Eoin Colfer and Enid Blyton to the Nintendo DS.
 
Each FLIPS title features multiple books by the author. Originally planned for exclusive launch in the UK, building interest has secured the release of the titles in Australia on 3rd December 2009.

FLIPS uses the DS touch screen and stylus to enable children to read and interact by combining the world of storytelling with quizzes and references to characters, encouraging greater concentration and incentive to finish every chapter. Within the books, links appear, giving the reader a unique way of interacting with the story and enhancing their experience.
 
“FLIPS is a brilliant way of getting children into reading who may love their DS but may not normally pick up a book,” commented Cally Poplak, Director, Egmont Press. “At Egmont we are passionate about bringing stories to life for children, so the development of new platforms for reading is incredibly exciting for us. We are proud to be at the heart of this innovation and thrilled to be a part of this first collection bringing authors such as Enid Blyton to the digital world, and encouraging more children to take up reading for pleasure rather than seeing it purely as part of their homework.”
 
“FLIPS offers a great way to bring books to life on a platform that is incredibly popular with kids,” said Keith Ramsdale, VP and General Manager, UK, Ireland and Nordics for Electronic Arts. “With multiple books on each game card, FLIPS makes a great value Christmas gift for children of all ages.”
 
“Our job as publishers is to bring authors’ work to as many readers as possible and we are increasingly looking at platforms other than the book to do this,” said Jeremy Ettinghausen, Penguin Digital Publisher.  “So it’s incredibly exciting to be working with Electronic Arts to bring some of the best writing for children to one of the bestselling devices in the world.”

“I’m over the moon to see my stories and characters brought to life on the Nintendo DS with EA’s new FLIPS range,” said Eoin Colfer, author of the award-winning Artemis Fowl series.“Everyone knows that reading improves literacy skills. I have two children who are DS fanatics and cannot wait for the FLIPS to arrive, so EA might finally get them reading my books!”

Each FLIPS title featuring six to eight books will be sold separately with an RRP of $49.95.
 
Titles include:
 
·      Enid Blyton (Egmont)
–       The Enchanted Wood®
–       The Magic Faraway Tree
–       The Folk of the Faraway Tree
–       Enchanted World® – Petal and the Eternal Bloom
–       Enchanted World– Melody and the Enchanted Harp
–       Enchanted World – Silky and the Rainbow Feather

·      Cathy Cassidy (Penguin)
–       Scarlett
–       Angel Cake
–       Sundae Girl
–       Shine on Daizy Star
–       GingerSnaps
–       Driftwood

·      EoinColfer (Penguin)  
–       Artemis Fowl
–       Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident
–       Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code
–       Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception
–       Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony
–       Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox
 
·      Too Ghoul For School (Egmont)
–       Silent but Deadly
–       The In-Spectres Call
–       Ghoul Dinners
–       The Bubonic Builders
–       Attack of the Zombie Nits
–       School Spooks Day
–       French Fright
–       Terror In Cubical Four