SmartBar goes back to the future
Past and future technologies collide at Melbourne Museum’s next popular adults-only evening event SmartBar on Thursday 2 May.
Visitors to the latest SmartBar will be able to indulge in retro technologies, vintage machines, the future of 3D printing and the origins of electronic music. Based on retro futurism – depictions of the future from decades ago characterised by retro styles and futuristic technology – SmartBar will present Museum Victoria’s history and technology experts exploring the machines and technologies in the collection.
“SmartBar is the perfect evening event to recharge your batteries after a busy day,” said Georgie Meyer, Public Programs Manager, Melbourne Museum. “There is a huge amount of technology available to everyone today, and our visitors will get an insight into the origins of some technologies and how much they have developed to the present day.”
The spotlight will be on one of Museum Victoria’s most significant collection items – the first modern computer in Australia and the fourth in the world. Designed and built in Australia, CSIRAC (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Automatic Computer) made its first successful test run in November 1949, just 18 months after the world’s first modern computer (the Manchester ‘Baby’).
“CSIRAC is an icon of the digital age and the only intact first-generation computer surviving anywhere in the world,” said David Demant, Senior Curator of Information and Communication at Museum Victoria. “Like all the first generation computers, CSIRAC contained in embryonic form all the possibilities that we have seen realised in subsequent computer technologies right up to today.”
Equally important to these technologies were the people behind them. One of CSIRAC’s two principal designers, Trevor Pearcey, had the foresight to predict what we now call the Internet in 1948, before any modern computer had been test run: “It is not inconceivable that an automatic encyclopaedic service operated through the national teleprinter or telephone system, will one day exist.”
Other spot-talks and activities will explore:
– The music of CSIRAC – it was the first computer in the world to have programmed music.
– The future as seen from the past – revealing insights into politics, society and technology of yesteryear.
– The first calculator and a glimpse into Museum Victoria’s machine collection.
– The latest in 3D printing technology.
Now in its second year, SmartBar is an exciting new addition to Melbourne nightlife and forms part of a growing range of adult programs presented at Melbourne Museum.
Food and drinks will be available for purchase on the night.
SmartBar at Melbourne Museum
Date: Thursday 2 May 2013
Time: 6pm –9.30pm
Cost: Adults $18, concession $16 (adults 18+ only)
To purchase tickets visit http://museumvictoria.com.au/smartbar or phone 13 11 02.
To avoid the queue, buy online, print and bring your ticket with you.
For further information follow Melbourne Museum on Facebook | Twitter @melbournemuseum #smartbar
COMEDY PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF AUSTRALIA’S PREMIER SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
16.04.13 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Some of Australia’s most talented short filmmakers have collaborated together to create a hilarious tongue-in-cheek film that pays homage to the St Kilda Film Festival, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this May.
A three-minute teaser titled “The Magnificent Max Amberson”, directed by four time St Kilda Film Festival award winners and Festival regulars Colin and Cameron Cairnes, will be released today before the full six-minute director’s cut of the film premieres on the opening night of the Festival, held in the grand surrounds of the Palais Theatre on Thursday May 23 2013.
Starring Jason Marion, Alan Marion, Rohan Dwyer and Terry Cairnes, “The Magnificent Max Amberson” is the tale of a budding filmmaker that enters the Festivals annual Top 100 short film program each year but just misses out, consistently coming in at 101. But the ever hopeful Amberson, played by 2011 Comedy Festival Barry Award winner Jason Marion, believes that the 30th anniversary has to be his year.
For full details on the film please view the media release attached. Visit the St Kilda Film Festival’s YouTube channel to view the 3-minute cut of “The Magnificent Max Amberson” now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Vmeq06a-kg
Australia’s Biggest and Best Gaming Event; EB Expo, Announces Massive First Wave of Content. Tickets on Sale Next Tuesday 10am AEST.
Australia’s Biggest and Best Gaming Event; EB Expo, Announces Massive First Wave of Content. Tickets on Sale Next Tuesday 10am AEST.
The organisers of last year’s massive EB GAMES EXPO are thrilled to announce that Australia’s Biggest and Best Video Games Event is coming back to Sydney over 3 action packed days- October 4th-6th 2013.
Tickets for the EB GAMES EXPO 2013 will be on sale at 10am next Tuesday 23rd April at all EB Games stores, www.ebgames.com.au or www.ticketek.com.au. General admission prices are the same as 2012, however the organisers have also introduced a new discounted 4 person multiplayer pass for both the Friday and Saturday twilight sessions.
Making a return to its home at the Sydney Showgrounds, EB Expo will feature exhibitions of the hottest games from the biggest brands in gaming. Showcased in an exhibition hall bigger than the size of two football fields, the Expo truly has to be seen to be believed.
“We could not have been happier with the success of the EB Expo in 2012, and initially looked to simply improve upon last year’s efforts based on our customer feedback, rather than make the event any bigger. However, due to the support of the Australian gaming industry, we believe we have been able to achieve both a bigger AND better event. We guarantee the EB Expo 2013 will once again take gaming to a new level and is a must for gamers of all ages” said Debra McGrath, EB Games National Brand, Events and Engagement Manager.
The EB Expo 2013 will feature:
- Premiere Gaming Exhibition: the size of two football fields, the main feature of the EB Expo, is the Exhibition floor. The only place in Australia you can get hands on and experience all the hottest upcoming and new release games showcased in specular custom built displays.
- New and improved EB Arena: purpose built to blow your mind and senses, the EB Arena has been fitted with a brand new 5 storey high super screen, sound system and stage. The EB Arena will house a string of international developer guests as well as local stars presenting the best upcoming products.
- Supersized EB Community Hub: connect with other gamers and chill in an area now three times the size of 2012. Featuring a free to play retro & modern arcade, a 500 seat Community Theatre with cosplay competitions for all ages, industry panels, live developer Q &As, plus celebrity signings. Attendees can also get up close and personal with the stars of Good Game as they host a live Q & A and signing.
- World’s biggest EB Games Store: buy the latest release video games, take home some memorabilia, grab a bargain or a unique collectible in a massive store that has to be seen to be believed.
- Home Grown Gaming on the Show floor: After the success of last year’s Home Grown gaming pavilion, all things Home Grown will be moved into the main exhibition space, with a huge dedicated area showcasing the best local content.
- Value packed Family Day: Following last year’s sell out, Family Day Sunday is back. Families can grab a discount family ticket and come along for a day of great family fun included a dedicated Buck and Friends stage show for the kids and loads of free activities and giveaways.
In the first of many announcements, EB Games is proud to announce that PlayStation, XBOX 360, Activision, Ubisoft, and Warner Bros. have confirmed they will be back again to showcase upcoming and new release products.
Attendees should expect further announcements surrounding big names, big games and world class content in the coming weeks and months.
As well as the returning favourites, the EB Expo will take gaming to a whole new level with the introduction of new shows and content in 2013.
According to Debra “EB Games is excited to announce that Australia’s #1 video game TV show, Good Game will be bringing their hilarious live quiz show Good Game Live to the Expo. We will also be holding Australia’s (and possibly the World’s) first Video Game Hero Parade; a video game themed fireworks and pyrotechnics show housed in the all new EB Action Arena; as well as a host of other shows and events.”
Confirmed for the Expo are the following ALL NEW features:
- Good Game Live: Join Good Game hosts Bajo and Hex as they take to the EB Arena stage for a live quiz show for gamers by gamers; a multiplayer showdown of gaming goodness and trivia with some very special guests!
Catch Good Game Live Friday and Saturday night at 9pm, with a family friendly show on Sunday at 1pm. Early bird tickets are just $10 each (normal price is $20) and can be purchased with your EB EXPO entry ticket.
- Australia’s first video game parade: on the Sunday, all of your favourite video game heroes larger than life in a record setting parade!
- New ticketing types: grab your gaming mates or your family and purchase your all-new MULTIPLAYER pass on Friday or Saturday for four people at a discounted price of $129. That’s only $32.25 per person.
- Australia’s only interactive video game comedy show: Comedic genius John Robertson is back as Expo host again, and this time he is bringing his hilarious sensation The Dark Room. Sit back and take front seat in his hilarious video game comedy show where the audience chooses their own adventure – and fate!
- EB Action Stadium: sit back and watch the spectacular fireworks show both Friday and Saturday night at 7pm. Sit back, have an ice cream and take in a showcase of Expo highlights in a choreographed pyrotechnical display, exclusive to the EB Expo!
- All new family friendly content: Following last year’s sell out, the EB Family Day is back with even more fun to be had! With a Sunday Family discounted ticket offer of only $119, you can bring along the whole clan to experience a full day of family friendly entertainment.
To help attendees keep track of everything, EB Expo 2013 will also have its own app. Launching next Tuesday along with tickets, this app will contain the most up-to-date information both in the lead up to and at the event.
It doesn’t get any bigger than this! Press START on your Expo Adventure NOW at www.ebexpo.com.au, Tickets for the EB GAMES EXPO 2013 will be on sale at 10am next Tuesday 23rd April at all EB Games stores, www.ebgames.com.au or www.ticketek.com.au. See you there, Australia!
New Screenshots for The Last Crown Released & Development Update!
Haarlem, The Netherlands – 15-04-2013 – Creator Jonathan Boakes offers a small glimpse in the eerie world that is The Last Crown in this new screenshot pack, released to the public courtesy of his publisher Iceberg Interactive.
The Last Crown – Haunting of Hallowed Isle (PC) is the second instalment in the ghost-hunting adventure game series, the ‘Crown’-trilogy, and is the sequel to the acclaimed scary first part, released back in 2008: The Lost Crown. Development on The Last Crown is very much ongoing and Boakes aims to have the game ready for a Halloween 2013 release.
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MOSHI MONSTERS™ ‘DESIGN A MOSHLING’ COMPETITION
Get your paint brushes and pencils at the ready, as global kids’ phenomenon Moshi Monsters™ is asking fans everywhere to get creative and design a brand new Moshling character to feature in the game.
For the second year running, one lucky winner will have their design turned into a real-in-game Moshling on moshimonsters.com, alongside last year’s winner, Micro Dave.
The contest is open to all Moshi Monsters™ fans until May 31st. The winner will also receive art supplies for their school (valued at $730), a hand-drawn framed illustration of their Moshling signed by Mr Moshi and a big bag of Moshi goodies!
Five runners up will each win art supplies for their school (valued at $730), as well as Moshi Monsters™ goodies. To enter, Moshi fans need to send their drawings, paintings or a photo of their home-made monster creations to contests@moshimonsters.com with their Moshling’s name and some fun facts about their character. What are their likes and dislikes? Where do they live? The sky’s the limit! The winner and runners up will be notified as soon as possible after they are selected on 19th June 2013.
Last year the ‘Design a Moshling’ competition was a huge success with over 13,000 roarsome robots and fangtastic creature designs sent in to the monster makers.
For more information visit: www.designamoshling.com. All terms and conditions for the competition are outlined below.
WARGAME AIRLAND BATTLE, THE GERMAN UNITS ROLL OUT IN SCREENSHOTS!
Our recon teams are informing us about a huge troop movement in Germany! Wargame AirLand Battle, the sequel to the spectacular real-time strategy game Wargame European Escalation, today presents its German combat units, through 6 new screenshots.
After unveiling its British units, today’s spotlight is now the vehicles and the combat units from West-Germany, but also those from East Germany. Wargame takes place in the middle of the Cold War, while Germany is still torn in two : on one side, the FRG (Federal Republic of Germany) siding with NATO. On the other side, the GDR (German Democratic Republic), siding with the Warsaw Pact.
Today’s screenshots show us units from the two Germanies. Connoisseurs will easily recognize some of the new units of the FRG, especially its aircraft composing its air force, the Luftwaffe, such as the F-104G “Starfighter” and the Panavia Tornado; we can see them flying over the immense urban areas of Wargame’s new maps. On the GDR side, we can observe that most of the vehicles are of Soviet origin. This allows the GDR to access tried and tested equipment, known for its efficency and reliability, such as its own variants of the T-72 main battle tank. The GDR has also access to a large number of combat aircraft, such as the Mig-17 we can see in the screenshots, and among other aircraft, including variants of the Mig-21 that, even though they are not the most advanced planes in the conflict, can be useful in a broad range of situations when used wisely.
On both sides of the Iron Curtain, German troops are now departing to Scandinavia, in order to be the first at the frontline when the conflict starts with Wargame AirLand Battle’s release in May.
MORE DEPTH, MORE PROGRESSION, MORE REWARDING – GRID 2™ MULTIPLAYER DETAILS UNVEILED
GRID 2’s NEW RIVALS SYSTEM, GLOBAL CHALLENGES AND MULTIPLAYER MODES POWERED BY RACENET
Sydney, 15th April – Codemasters® have revealed how GRID 2™ will immerse players in a new world of multiplayer competition powered by RaceNet (www.racenet.com), the online extension for Codemasters Racing games which tracks players’ races, rivals and rewards. GRID 2’s multiplayer game mode will offer an entirely distinct progression system, separate from career mode, offering depth and flexibility as the best of modern online gaming comes to the racing genre.
GRID 2 Multiplayer Modes
Whether players want to dive into a quick race online or in two-player split-screen, specialise in their favourite event or become one of the best cross-discipline racers in the world, GRID 2 offers a multiplayer experience that revolves around the gamer’s play style and choices.
GRID 2’s wide-range of game modes can be played online with up to 12 players, including custom races based on player preferences and choosing from pre-defined playlists to jump straight into the action. Players can modify their cars with upgrades and make their mark on the grid by customising their car with a simple yet powerful livery editor which offers up to 6 billion different combinations.
New anti-griefing technology includes player grouping, so gamers who like to trade paint will be brought together online whilst clean racers are more likely to find similar drivers in their online sessions.
Game modes: Race (Including LiveRoutes™), Endurance, Drift, Touge, Checkpoint, Face Off, Time Attack. Global Challenge events also includes Overtake and Power Lap.
RaceNet
RaceNet, Codemasters’ free online browser-based extension which tracks players’ races, rivals and rewards, launches fully with GRID 2 and is the beating heart of the game’s multiplayer mode. RaceNet will go far beyond visualising progress in-game and will provide players with new objectives, rivals and rewards for progress. Players can also track community stats, leaderboards and participate in weekly Global Challenge events. RaceNet can be accessed on player’s desktop, tablet or mobile device and will have dedicated apps set to release around launch. Players can sign up today and get ready for GRID 2’s launch by visiting www.racenet.com.
GRID 2 Rivals
Gamers will always have someone to play and always have a new challenge with GRID 2’s Rivals system, powered by RaceNet. GRID 2 features three types of Rivals:
- Weekly Rival: RaceNet automatically selects a weekly Rival to compete against based on ability and activity in game to ensure a well-matched challenger.
- Social Rival: Players can choose Social Rivals from friends or players previously raced.
- Custom Rival: Players can select a Custom Rival based on parameters including event type or geographical location.
Global Challenge
Global Challenge is where player’s rivalries come to life in this brand new asynchronous game mode. Players can compete against Rivals even when those Rivals are offline and earn XP, in-game Cash and RaceNet Followers(see below) as they compete in up to nine weekly Global Challenges selected from across GRID 2’s wide range of game modes and locations. Players can track progress in Global Challenge in-game and online through RaceNet.
RaceNet Followers
As players perform on track they can gain online fame and bragging rights by increasing their RaceNet Follower base. The better they perform, and the more objectives completed, the larger the increase in Followers players will get. Followers can be stolen from Rivals by beating them in weekly Global Challenges and gained on RaceNet by taking part in online events, participating in Community Challenges and completing RaceNet objectives. Gamers can also unlock RaceNet Rivals cards on the site to show off Follower Achievements and RaceNet will showcase players with the most amount of Followers.
Get Social
Players can show off great overtaking moves or spectacular crashes online as GRID 2 allows gamers to quickly upload highlights to YouTube and RaceNet from in-game and easily share their favourite videos through Facebook and Twitter.
GRID 2, the long-awaited sequel to the BAFTA-award winning, critically acclaimed Race Driver: GRID™, will race into ANZ retail on May 30 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Windows® PC and is available for pre-order now.