In response to recent reports regarding the Australian release of Madworld, SEGA Australia would like to clarify that we are currently planning on releasing Madworld to the Australian market. We believe Madworld will be an asset to the industry and will do what we can to support its release in our territory.

FREE SINGLE PLAYER MAP PACK: BRAVE NEW WORLDS 

The Brave New Worlds single player map pack includes four all-new maps for Civilization Revolution players to conquer. “Mazeworld” is covered by mountains, making your global expansion all the more tricky. “Chokepoint” is aptly named for its unique terrain structure that forces you to fight for the dominant positions on the map. “Donutworld” has a special donut shape to it (hence its name), and “Checkerboard,” a map consisting of similarly sized islands peppered throughout the world.  

These four new single player maps are completely free for all players.  

SCENARIO PACK: THE VICTORY PACK

The Victory Pack includes three new scenarios for gamers to tackle in single player mode. They include “Enlightenment” where players show off their civilization’s grandeur as they vie for a cultural victory, “Hyper Drive,” a high-speed space race, and “Gold Rush” where amassing money fast will win the game.

The Victory Pack is available on Xbox Live for 100 MS Points, and on the PlayStation Network for $1.25 US, 0,99 EURO, 0,69 POUNDS, or $1,75 AUS .

http://uplay.uk.ubi.com/index.php?video=tm7f21rl

View:

The Cool Kids, Beastie Boys, The Pharcyde, N.E.R.D, Brand New Heavies, and DJ UNK headline NBA 2K9’s eclectic mix of artists

Sydney, Australia – October 7, 2008 – 2K Sports, the sports publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), announced today details regarding the music soundtrack for NBA 2K9, this season’s highly anticipated basketball title.  Known for consistently tapping the freshest and most relevant artists for the NBA 2K franchise, this year’s soundtrack continues the tradition with an eclectic mix of artists.  Standouts include N.E.R.D, Santogold, Gnarls Barkley, The Pharcyde, and Beastie Boys with an exclusive track by DJ UNK, along with an original recording by The Cool Kids titled “2K Pennies.”  Beyond the soundtrack, 2K Sports continues to embrace its artists in a myriad of ways, including in-game characters, national tours, music videos, gameplay trailers, radio promotions, mix tapes, community promotions, music downloads and digital sales.

“Every year our NBA 2K soundtrack features music innovators that push boundaries in the same way our franchise does,” said Tim Rosa, director of brand and lifestyle marketing at 2K Sports. “With NBA 2K9 we’re continuing the tradition with The Cool Kids representing our deepest music integration. They will appear in the game’s NBA Blacktop streetball mode, will perform on the 2K Sports Bounce Tour, and they recorded an original song which we’re giving away for free on the 2K Sports website.”

“Video games are an important part of culture and our lifestyle.  For years we’ve been playing games, but have never been inspired by the songs in them,” said Chuck Inglish and Mikey Rocks of The Cool Kids.  “When 2K Sports presented us with an opportunity to create an original song for NBA 2K9, we knew we had to create a song that embodied the sport of basketball.  We had to make kids everywhere appreciate the song as much as the game.”

Along with special The Cool Kids integration, NBA 2K9 will include in-game character likenesses of other past and present 2K music artists including ?uestlove (from The Roots), DJ Steve Aoki, Aceyalone, the legendary Bobbito Garcia, and Phife Dawg (from A Tribe Called Quest).  Fans can now listen to and purchase individual songs from the NBA 2K9 soundtrack through the new 2K Beats channel at www.2ksports.com/beats/games/nba2k9.

Below is the full list of tracks in NBA 2K9 (exclusives are denoted with **):
 
§  Beastie Boys — Root Down

§  Blackwizard — Dem Nah Ready fe We
  
Blockhead — Duke Of Hazzard
  
Bloody Beetroots — Mac Mac
  
Dangerdoom — Sofa King 
 
Dawn Penn — You Don’t Love Me (Extended Mix)  
 
DJ Rasta Root — RootZilla Beez  
 
DJ UNK — In Yo Face **  
 
Gnarls Barkley — Going On  
 
Jamalski — That Undaground (Remix)  
 
Mochipet — Sharpdrest  
 
Mommy and Daddy — Pretty Loser  
 
Money Mark — Silly Putty  
 
N.E.R.D. — Spaz  
 
Nickodemus — Funky In The Middle  
 
Santogold feat. Switch & Freq Nasty – Creator  
 
Skeewiff — Light the Fuse  
 
Spank Rock & Benny Blanco — Loose (inst.)  
 
The Brand New Heavies — Jump ‘N’ Move  
 
The Cool Kids — 2K Pennies **  
 
The Heavy — Coleen  
 
The Limp Twins — Moving Closer to The Sofa  
 
The Meters — Cissy Strut  
 
The Pharcyde — Passing Me By  
 
Ursula 1000 — Step Back (Deekline & Ed Solo Remix)   
  
NBA 2K9 is the latest edition of NBA 2K, the #1 selling next gen basketball video game* that has also been the #1 rated NBA simulation for seven years in a row**, is back for its 10th season.  NBA 2K9 is the premier basketball game for serious players, and will deliver the most realistic and feature-rich simulation experience ever available in the NBA 2K franchise – from gameplay and graphics to presentation and online features.  NBA 2K9 is rated G and will be available on October 10 for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and the PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems.  For more information about NBA 2K9, please visit http://www.2ksports.com/games/nba2k9.

* According to NPD Funworld estimates of U.S. retail video game sales of Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 NBA titles for the period from September 2007 to August 2008.

**The NBA 2K series developed by Visual Concepts outranked competitors based on GameRankings.com average scores of 2001-2007 NBA video games.

Sydney – 7 October, 2008 – Constance Newlove is in danger and needs your help. Crack the QUANTUM CODE and join in the race to solve the clues and save her life.

Commencing at 11:00 (EST) on 7 October 2008, the below QR code can be scanned with any QR enabled phone*. Once scanned, you will receive a video message giving you the first clue and the opportunity to begin the challenge that will lead you far and wide.
 
A treasure hunt like no other, your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to follow the clues and crack the QUANTUM CODE, to have the chance to win the ultimate Bond-style experience package, worth over $15,000.

A relatively new concept in Australia, “QUANTUM CODE” utilises Quick Response (QR) Codes that will bring intrigue and mystery of a Bond movie into your own world.

The clues will be random, unpredictable and what you least expect, but unlocking the code could change your life forever. Thanks to Sony, a world of mystery that you never even knew existed will finally be revealed.

For further information on how you can help Constance Newlove find the clues to save her life, visit www.facebook.com/srch.php?nm=constance+newlove and add her as a friend.

Sony’s partnership with Telstra means that Next G™ network customers can access a seamless competition experience in more places. Next G™ customers with compatible handsets need only launch Telstra’s pre-installed Telstra Code Reader from their My Place phone menu and point their mobile phone cameras at competition codes to access video-rich clues for free. Video clues are also available free to mobile phone users on the Vodafone and 3 networks. 

If you don’t have a QR compatible phone, you can still access all the QUANTUM CODE mission briefings by surfing to www.quantumcode.mobi on your mobile phone browser.

Sony Australia is a partner of the new Quantum of Solace movie, due out in theatres on 19 November 2008.

The QUANTUM CODE Story

A locked safe, containing secrets that could change the world forever. A global network of arms dealers, terrorists and villains. And a mysterious seven digit code called the QUANTUM CODE.

When British Intelligence operative Constance Newlove discovered upon an international conspiracy to steal the secrets of the QUANTUM CODE, she became an immediate target. If she is to survive, she needs your help to crack the QUANTUM CODE – before the enemy does.

DEFEATING THE STAR DESTROYER IN STAR WARS THE FORCE UNLEASHED IN UNDER 5 MINUTES

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, 7 October 2008 – For such an awesome game, this is probably the most frustrating part of the game due to the “buggy” control system. However, this level can be completed in under 5 minutes.

Before you can bring down the Star Destroyer, you must first defeat the Tie Fighters.

1. Stand behind the left pillar so you avoid Tie Fighter attacks

2. Double jump when the Tie Fighters are near and use force electrical attacks to defeat your opponents. A blue sqaure target will appear on the Tie Fighters when they are in range (repeat until all Tie Fighters are destroyed)

3 Go to the center of the screen and IGNORE ALL the control prompts from the game. Rather, use the analog sticks to center the Star Destroyer in the middle of the screen. If the Star Destroyer is not moving in the direction you want, try the other direction than retry.

You need to line the Star Destoryer up in the center of the screen so that the front is pointing towards you. Once this happens, the control prompts will turn green and you can then follow the prompts again by pulling both analog sticks down.

4. The Tie Fighters will return, keep pulling the Star Destroyer down until you only have a quarter of your health left. Once this happens, return to the left pillar. Destorying Tie Fighters will restore your health.

5. Repeat Steps 1 – 4 until the cutscene appears. You know you are making progress as the Star Destroyer comes closer to the planet.

Good Luck!
Impulse Gamer Editor
Andrew Bistak

Cisco to Help Photojournalist Produce Australia and New Zealand’s First
Online Collaborative Artwork

SYDNEY, Australia, 2 October 2008 – Cisco announced today that it is
working with a leading artist to create the first online collaborative
artwork based in Australasia. The project will showcase a range of Cisco
collaboration technologies, which are also available to businesses to
help them increase their productivity and innovation.

The project facilitator is Moshe Rosenzveig, an award-winning
photojournalist in Sydney. Rosenzveig will work with a number of
contributors for a minimum of three hours each weekday during the month
of October. Every day he will ask participants (anyone with access to
broadband and the ability to visit www.imagine-if.info
<http://www.imagine-if.info/> ) to upload photographs related to a
chosen theme; these will inspire Rosenzveig’s daily artwork. At the end
of the month, the individual works will form a single piece, which Cisco
plans to auction.

Rosenzveig said: “I am very excited about being involved in such a
unique project. The potential of this artwork is huge.  Having the
ability to collaborate with people from all around the world is a very
powerful thing. I believe the creation will reflect the diversity of the
different types of people with varying tastes and backgrounds that will
be able to participate. The technology that is enabling the
collaboration to happen in real time is quite extraordinary, eliminating
the barrier of distance that would usually make this an impossible
task.”

The collaborative art project comes less than a week after Cisco
announced details of its collaboration portfolio. The portfolio is
designed to integrate with business applications, existing network
infrastructures and Web services, and it allows developers to create
customized applications and network-based services. The new portfolio
products include the following:

* Unified communications. Cisco(r) Unified Communications
<http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns151/networking_solutions_unified_co
mmunications_home.html>  System Release 7.0 offers significant
improvements in total cost of ownership, ease of use, and
interoperability with business applications.
* Video. Cisco TelePresence Expert on Demand
<http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns669/networking_solutions_solution_s
egment_home.html>  integrates the immersive Cisco TelePresence
experience into the contact center for high-value, in-branch customer
service and the ability to summon expertise directly during a Cisco
TelePresence meeting.
* Web 2.0 applications platform. Cisco WebEx(r) Connect
<http://www.webex.com/enterprise/cisco-webex-connect.html> , a new
software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, integrates presence, instant
messaging, Web meetings and team spaces with traditional and Web 2.0
business applications.

Taking advantage of the network as the platform, Rosenzveig will use a
mix of these technologies to help people to connect to and contribute to
the project.

Peter Hughes, Cisco manager for Unified Communications in Australia and
New Zealand, said: “There is no doubt that whether it’s in art or the
community, or in business, health or education, the power of
collaboration is real. Collaboration technologies are now capable,
through a combination of real-time video and unified communications, to
transform business processes to help enable better decisions involving
the right people more productively. It is important that companies
embrace collaboration and adapt to these changes in the way we work.
This one-of-a-kind project we are embarking on illustrates what can be
achieved when people work together and highlights how technology can
power innovation.”

About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking that
transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information
about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news,
visit http://newsroom.cisco.com.

PARIS MOTOR SHOW, 02 October 2008 –  Virtual and real-life motoring came together today with the unveiling of GTbyCITROËN.  Developed to appear in the multi-million best selling driving title Gran Turismo 5 Prologue™ on PLAYSTATION®3, and then engineered into a driveable concept car, GTbyCITROËN is the first vehicle to make the transition from digital to real world.  And, in a launch first, motoring fans around the world will be able to do more than just see the car at launch; they will be able to take it for a test drive as it simultaneously downloads onto Gran Turismo 5 Prologue ready to race. 

The partnership behind GTbyCITROËN was the result of the meeting of two creative minds, Takumi Yamamoto, from Citroen and Kazunori Yamauchi from Polyphony Digital Inc, the creator of Gran Turismo.  Inspired by each others industries they set about to create the ultimate concept car.  GTbyCITROËN’s aerodynamic design and flowing lines create an immediate impression of speed – long before pedal hits metal – with both virtual and concept car powered by fuel cells.  True to the Gran Turismo driving experience the car’s in-game performance mirrors that of the real-life vehicle.   

Speaking at the Paris Motor Show, Kazanori Yamauchi said: 

“GTbyCITROËN shows how the worlds of virtual and real-life motoring can join together to create a truly innovative partnership. We were delighted that Citroen approached us and gave us the opportunity to combine our creative strengths to build this very special concept car.  To see the car take shape in game and then for real has been a truly unique experience as our work normally stays in the digital world. I just hope I can get behind the wheel of GT by Citroen and drive it on a real race track!”

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is the latest instalment of one of the most successful global gaming franchises of the last ten years. Renowned for its realism, quality of design and in-car physics technology, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue now has its own dedicated online sports channel – Gran Turismo™ TV –  and up to 16 players from across the word can race together online via PLAYSTATION®Network.  For more visit www.granturismoworld.com.

SYDNEY, Aust., October 3, 2008 – Iomega, an EMC company and a global leader in data protection and security, today announced the exciting new Iomega® eGo Helium™ portable hard drive USB 2.0 320GB*, a perfect match for the style and incremental storage needs of Apple’s revolutionary MacBook Air™ notebook.

The new eGo Helium portable drive brings the MacBook Air™ notebook’s aesthetic to Iomega’s wildly popular eGo portable hard drive. In addition to the drive’s portable storage, the eGo Helium also harnesses the benefits of cloud computing with Mozy™ online backup service, giving users incredible value and security for securely storing, protecting and accessing important files. 

Cool Hardware

The tapered 320GB eGo Helium portable hard drive echoes the stylish lines of the streamlined MacBook Air™ computer, enclosing a state-of-the-art 2.5-inch portable hard drive in an anodised aluminum shell to create a package that is a mere 16 mm thick (0.63 inches) and weighs only 200 grams (7 ounces). Formatted with Apple’s HFS+ file system, the 320GB hard drive sports Iomega’s Drop Guard™ design feature that protects the drive from drops of up to 1.3 meters (51 inches) on to industrial carpeting—40 percent above the industry average for portable hard drives. The eGo Helium receives power from the USB port so there’s no power supply to carry around. And with space for up to 1,280,000 photos, over 5,920 hours of music or 480 hours of video**, the 320GB eGo Helium drive gives new meaning to stylish portable storage.  

“Iomega’s eGo portable hard drives have garnered tremendous attention in the beige world of external storage by offering consumers a choice of several different vibrant colors as well as a camouflage print and genuine leather,” said Peter Wharton, vice president of marketing, Iomega Corporation. “The eGo Helium extends that strong commitment to delivering style with substance. What makes eGo Helium such an effective piece of industrial design is the way it dresses up a highly functional 320GB hard drive device into a durable and sleek package with plenty of storage capability, making it an easy-to-use ‘eye-catcher’ that’s small enough to go anywhere.” 

Key Software

Iomega offers two Mac OS® X backup software applications with the eGo Helium portable hard drive as free downloads for added data safety: EMC® Retrospect® Express for Macintosh 6.1 software, and MozyHome™ online backup software. Retrospect Express protects a single Macintosh desktop or notebook computer by backing up to internal and external hard drives, NAS devices, CD/DVDs and removable drives such as Iomega’s REV Backup Drive. MozyHome online backup service provides online storage for backing up selected folders or files to world-class EMC data centres. 

Computer users running the Windows XP or Vista operating systems can reformat the eGo Helium drive to NTFS for use with Windows only, or it can be formatted as Fat 32 for use with both Macs and Windows PCs.  Customers running Windows XP or Vista can also download Retrospect Express HD 2.5 for Windows with MozyHome integration, which gives users the convenience of shared setup information and the ability to send backups to either nearline storage (an external hard drive or network drive) or online storage (the Internet), or both. 

Compatibility

The Iomega® eGo™ Helium™ Portable Hard Drive USB 2.0 320GB is compatible with Mac OS X 10.1.5 or above and with Microsoft® Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP, and Windows Vista™. MozyHome software is available for Mac OS X 10.4 and above, along with Windows XP and Windows Vista. EMC Retrospect software is available for both Windows and Mac OS X operating systems.

Price and Availability

The Iomega® eGo™ Helium Portable Hard Drive USB 2.0 320GB is now available in Australia for AUD$199 through Ingram Micro and Lan1.

About EMC

EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC) is the world’s leading developer and provider of information infrastructure technology and solutions that enable organisations of all sizes to transform the way they compete and create value from their information. Information about EMC’s products and services can be found at www.EMC.com.

About Mozy

Mozy is the leader in online data backup for consumers and businesses. With more than 750,000 users and 20,000 business customers, Mozy offers a simple, automatic and secure service for backing up data over the Internet. Mozy was acquired by EMC Corporation in 2007 and operates as part of the EMC Cloud Infrastructure and Services Division. Information can be found at www.mozy.com.

About Iomega

Iomega Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of EMC Corporation and headquartered in San Diego, is a worldwide leader in innovative storage and network security solutions for small and mid-sized businesses, consumers and others. The Company has sold more than 400 million digital storage drives and disks since its inception in 1980. Today, Iomega’s product portfolio includes industry leading network storage products, external hard drives, and our award-winning removable storage technology, the REV® Backup Drive. To learn about all of Iomega’s digital storage products and managed services solutions, please go to the Web at www.iomega.com.au Resellers can visit Iomega at www.iomega.com/ipartner.

[IG] LEGO Batman the Videogame… dare we say the most anticipated game of the year? DC Comics has one of the richest universes available, what inspired you to create a game based on one of the world’s most popular superhero characters?

[LD] It was a fairly easy decision. LEGO had made some fantastic Batman sets and were in a sense, already bringing a LEGO Gotham to life. The rich, colourful, comic environment also lent itself very well to a LEGO adventure. All of the mini-figures in these bright, primary colours, look fantastic when bought to life. You’ve also made a good point when you describe him as ‘one of the world’s most popular superhero characters’ – Batman has over 70 years of heritage and is known by all ages the world over. It was too good an opportunity to turn down![IG] For comic and non-comic fans, the story sounds like it is dripping with Batman, how did you come up with the great idea of Batman cleaning up the streets of Gotham after a deadly breakout from Arkham Asylum?

[LD] We worked with DC to come up with this very classic Batman story. We’d always wanted to break all of the criminals out as they are so cool to have in the game! One of the great strengths of the Batman universe is the array of colourful villains and we’re now able to bring them to life in mini-figure format. As we weren’t working from any film we have been able to have a lot of fun bringing it all to life, both in the levels and especially in the cutscenes.

[IG] From the screenshots, it seems that LEGO Batman the Video may be based on the animated series with a strong homage to the comics. After over a century of Batman stories, how did you pick just one era? For many, this task may have been too much, how did you handle this rich history?

[LD] There’s no perfect formula, we just tried to create a LEGO Batman taking inspiration from the wide array of source material. You’ll see there are situations and settings where we’ve paid homage to some of the spectacular stories that have gone before, but we’re still creating a LEGO Gotham.

[IG] You’ve already wetted out appetite by informing us that the characters in the game can control a variety of different Bat vehicles, does this mean we can fly the Batwing through the LEGO streets of Gotham?

[LD] Of course! It wouldn’t be a Batman game if you didn’t get a chance to jump into his vehicles and go and kick some bad guy ass.

[IG] As gamers can play either as Batman or Robin, they also have access to his rogues gallery which include the Joker and Catwoman to name a few, what other characters do players have access to that may not be the norm?

[LD] There’s a huge array of heroes and villains in the game, some are very well known, others I hadn’t heard of until we started making the game. I think two of my favourite characters, who aren’t the most famous in the Batman universe, are Clayface and Killer Moth. Neither are the sharpest tools in the box and add a lot of comedy to the proceedings in the game.

[IG] Batman versus Joker? Who would win and why?

[LD] One of the great things about this game is that as you can play as the heroes and villains you can try this out for yourself. I’d have to back the bat in this one – he’s a bit too tough and smart for the Joker, although you can guarantee the Joker would try to have the last laugh.[IG] We’ve seen romance in the game between Batman and the Catwoman, any other “Bat” relationships that you have added to the game?

[LD] We’ve been able to bring some of Harley’s infatuation with the Joker in to the game, as you’ll see in some of the cutscenes. I’m not sure if that counts as a romance, as it is a bit one sided. Poison Ivy is also able to use her charms to manipulate those more weak minded characters in the game.

[IG] With regards to characters, who is your favourite character in the video game and what can they do in this LEGO inspired gaming world?[LD] Clayface and Killer moth are great fun, but I think Man-Bat is my favourite. Once again he isn’t the most legendary of Batman’s foes but he looks great in mini-figure form. He was also one of the characters that our artists were able to create from scratch. They have done a great job!

[IG] Are there any homage’s to other Batmen? For instance, the Adam West Batman or Christian Bale as Batman?

[LD] We managed the resist the temptation to put Adam West in the game! As the films have gone down a very dark path, we’re able to create a more fun, tongue in cheek Batman universe, not one where you’d find Christian Bale’s Batman. That’s not to say that fans of the bat won’t recognise scenes and settings where we have been able to pay homage to some of the classic Batman stories.

[IG] The LEGO series of games generally has a healthy dose of humour in their titles, what were some of the classic moments when transferred this humour into the game?

[LD] It’s been good fun with this game as the content of the story and therefore the cutscenes have not been dictated by any films. We’ve therefore had license to create our own comic moments in the cutscenes and the game. For me, Killer Moth is a cutscene legend – just watch him struggle with those lamps!

[IG] Are there any other DC Comic Super Hero guest stars in the game such as Superman or the Flash?

[LD] There were more than enough characters in the immediate Batman universe to populate the game. There are so many awesome heroes and villains that I think everyone will have their own favourite character, there is no one stand out character in LEGO Batman.

[IG] Do you have any hints as to some of the “Easter Eggs” that gamers might find in the video game?

[LD] Well, as with all eater eggs you’ll need to keep your eyes peeled! You should definitely check out the artwork in the gallery level though.

[IG] Featuring the inspirational music by Danny Elfman which could almost be considered the definitive theme of Batman, how did you come to choose this great composer for the music of the title and how does it interact with the gameplay?

[LD] It was great to be able to drop that score into the game. As soon as we first played it with that classic them it really made the atmosphere just right.

[IG] What were some of the challenges that you faced while creating this game?

[LD] We always work really hard to keep the LEGO games fresh and make sure that each really captures the feel of the story that we’re working on. With Batman that meant we had to work on the combat in the game. The Dynamic Dup are highly trained martial artists and skilled athletes, so we worked to add depth to the combat so that you can now grapple with the goons and dispatch them in a variety of ways. You’ll also find that the gameplay is faster than previous titles as a result.

[IG] What are you favourite moments in the game?

[LD] Probably the scenes from inside the asylum when you see all the villains in their cells. You should check out Killer Moth and Clayface.[IG] Creating a game for various console sounds like a challenge, how do create such a diverse game for such diverse consoles? Does each console version support its unique control system or graphical capabilities?

[LD] The 360 is the lead console and the game is essentially the same experience across all platforms apart from the DS. We’ve had a dedicated team working on recreating the LEGO Batman console experience on the DS and they’ve done a great job.

[IG] Lastly, the game won’t be released in Australia till the 15th of October 2008, what advice can you give gamers to help during this wait?

[LD] There’s always plenty of things to build with LEGO in those few days!

[IG] Thanks for your time and all the best for the release!