Sydney, Australia – March 16, 2012 – Ubisoft^® has announced that Rocksmith™, an innovative, efficient and fun way to learn how to play the guitar, will be released on September 13, 2012 in Europe, the Middle-East and Asia (EMEA) for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation^®3 and later on Windows PC/MAC. Highly acclaimed in North America, Rocksmith is a revolution in the music game genre: for the first time ever, players can plug any real electric guitar into their Xbox 360 console, PlayStation^®3 or PC/MAC. No more plastic, no more button bashing: Rocksmith is the real thing for those who are serious about guitar learning and playing. The EMEA version of Rocksmith will include the original game already released in North America plus exclusive additional content. 

“Rocksmith has already seduced hundreds of thousands in North America and we are very proud to bring this game into our territories”, said Geoffroy Sardin, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer at Ubisoft EMEA. “The main reason for this success is that Rocksmith offers so much more than previous guitar games: the possibility to actually master a real instrument. “ 

An authentic guitar learning experience

Rocksmith’s magic is thanks to the exclusive Real Tone Cable™ provided with the game. It’s as simple as plugging the quarter-inch jack into any electric guitar and the USB plug to any USB port of the Xbox 360 console, PlayStation^®3 or PC/MAC. The cable and software transform the analog signal of the guitar into a digital one that can be heard through TV speakers or any other stereo amplifier.

Anyone from beginners to seasoned guitar players will find in Rocksmith what they’ve always been looking for: an enjoyable learning experience that automatically adjusts to their skill level so they can progress at their own speed. Moreover, the innovative game design makes reading music visually fun and intuitive: no more need for wannabe guitarists to go through music theory or tabs before having a blast playing their favourite tunes for real.

Even the most challenging of Rocksmith’s 50+ outstanding tracks can be mastered with the help of the “Guitarcade” mini-games that develop techniques such as shifting between frets, learning chords and harmonics. Last but not least, the riff repeater will give them the possibility to replay a riff as many times as they need to master it perfectly.

Ubisoft teams up with the world’s leading guitar company Gibson™

Rocksmith is all about authenticity: authentic guitar, authentic learning and authentic enjoyment. It is this authenticity that has motivated Epiphone, part of the Gibson family of brands and one of the most respected and influential guitar companies in the world, to partner with Rocksmith.

The first step of this collaboration is an exclusive bundle including an Epiphone Les Paul Junior guitar available when the game releases. The Epiphone Les Paul Junior is an iconic solid body electric guitar first introduced back in 1954 and has remained a standard bearer of rock guitar ever since. The Les Paul Junior has been used extensively over the decades by music legends John Lennon, Peter Frampton, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong and The Clash’s Mick Jones and bands such as The Gaslight Anthem and New York Dolls.

It will also include the Rocksmith Real Tone Cable™ and be the ideal package for those who have always wanted to play but don’t own a guitar yet. 

“Gibson is proud to have the Epiphone brand as the guitar of choice for the revolutionary Rocksmith game,” says Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson. “Rocksmith provides a new and exciting opportunity for fans of all musical abilities to pursue their dreams—and actually learn how to play. We look forward to supporting Rocksmith as it is unleashed around the world.” 

The ultimate guitar track list with the latest hits and classic rock songs!

Thanks to Rocksmith, players will not only learn how to play the guitar: they will master an amazing array of the most iconic rock and indie songs. The game includes over 50 tracks from classic rock bands to current international artists, such as:

• Blur – Song 2
• David Bowie – Rebel Rebel
• Eric Clapton – Run Back To Your Side
• Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out
• Incubus – I Miss You      
• Interpol – Slow Hands
• Lenny Kravitz – Are You Gonna Go My Way
• Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama
• Muse – Unnatural Selection
• Nirvana – In Bloom
• Pixies – Where Is My Mind?
• Queens Of The Stone Age – Go With The Flow
• Radiohead – High And Dry
• The Rolling Stones – (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
• The White Stripes – Icky Thump
• Velvet Revolver – Slither

For more information on Rocksmith, visit www.rocksmith.com

Rocksmith can be pre-ordered at UBIShop^® by visiting: www.ubishop.com/rocksmith   

For further info/images head to: Australian Press Extranet: http://aussiepress.ubi.com/

Join the team at United Front Games for a behind-the-scenes look at Hong Kong, one of the most vibrant and incredible world cities and the setting for Sleeping Dogs.

A fusion of cultures, a bridge between East and West, Hong Kong offers players the perfect playground for one of the most exciting and incredible openworld games.

Developed by United Front Games in collaboration with Square Enix London Studios, Sleeping Dogs is a gritty and visceral openworld cop drama set in the vibrant city of Hong Kong. Taking the role of undercover cop Wei Shen, players are tasked with taking down one of the world’s most fearsome criminal organisations from the inside. Offering players an island packed with action, every street corner, market stall, harbour dock or city skyscraper can become an opportunity for intense shoot-outs, adrenaline-fuelled street races and intense, brutal martial arts combat. Featuring one of the most intuitive and imaginative combat systems, Sleeping Dogs empowers players to perform an extensive set of martial arts moves, singlehandedly taking on numerous opponents. Players perform bone-crunching kicks and combos, vicious counters and a cinematic set of environmental takedowns making use of countless real-world items from circular saws to phone booths, incinerators to refrigerator doors.

Sleeping Dogs will be available in the second half of 2012 for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PCs. For more information about the game, visit http://www.sleepingdogs.net and join our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SleepingDogsGame for regular updates.

Discover more screenshots from Yesterday, the new adventure game from Pendulo, creators of the million-selling series Runaway! After leaving its mark in adventure gaming with its million-selling trilogy, Runaway and, more recently, The Next BIG Thing, Pendulo has given up comedy for once and is offering an original and dark thriller.

The 6 screenshots released today immerse the player a bit more at the heart of the mystery surrounding John Yesterday and the strange mark that scars his hand. Still working for Henry White on the track of a dangerous and murderous sect, John Yesterday has already attracted the unwanted attention of disreputable individuals…

Discover more of Yesterday through these beautiful images, before you enter its incredible story!

Intel Tantalises Consumers with ‘Ultrabook™ Temptations’

Six Experiments Filmed in Four Cities, Three Countries

SYDNEY, Australia, March 16, 2012 – What would you do for an Ultrabook™ computer? That’s the question Intel Corporation asks in Ultrabook™ Temptations, a series of six light-hearted experiments filmed in six cities across three countries and posted to YouTube today.

Sleek and stylish, Ultrabooks are a new category of computers inspired by Intel. They are the next generation of mobile computing — thinner, lighter and more responsive than traditional laptops, yet just as powerful and secure.

“People are drawn to Ultrabooks. When you see one, you just want one,” said Claudine Pache, digital marketing manager for Intel Australia and New Zealand. “We created the ‘Ultrabook Temptations’ to see just how far people would go to get their hands on an Ultrabook.”

The six experiments, filmed in Australia, Indonesia and Thailand, set out to explore the depth of human emotions that surround these objects of desire. The experiments were “temptations” for consumers, encouraging them to go a little beyond their everyday comfort zone to earn the chance to become the proud owner of a sleek Ultrabook. The experiments were filmed spontaneously in an effort to introduce Ultrabooks and are available for viewing by an online audience.

According to Jayant Murty, Intel’s Asia Pacific director of brand strategy and integrated marketing, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Sometimes product stories are best told through the eyes of our prospective consumers. We hope that seeing the videos will stir up enough interest to go look for Ultrabooks at your nearest computer store.”

The first Ultrabooks — from brands* such as Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, LG, Samsung and Toshiba — are in stores now. By the end of the year, Intel expects more than 75 designs in market and that Ultrabooks will become mainstream devices.

The Ultrabook Temptations series can be seen at www.intel.com/ultrabooktemptations

About Intel
Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world’s computing devices. Additional information about Intel is available at newsroom.intel.com and blogs.intel.com.

Register Now to Join the Open Beta — Forge Alliances, Fight and Conquer Territory in a Quest for World Domination

SYDNEY, Australia – March 16, 2012 — Phenomic™, the Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) studio dedicated to developing best-in-class free-to-play games, today announced that Command & Conquer™ Tiberium Alliances is now in open beta. The latest entry in EA’s Play4Free portfolio of games, Command & Conquer Tiberium Alliances is a massively multiplayer online (MMO), browser-based, free-to-play strategy game that delivers a whole new way for players to experience the Command & Conquer Tiberium universe. Players harvest valuable resources, foster strategic alliances and engage in relentless battles as they strive for world domination. With in-game news and status feeds, players get frequent updates, creating a completely interactive and dynamic gameplay experience that has gamers strategizing, reacting, and adapting on the spot. The Open Beta goes live today globally at www.tiberiumalliances.com.

Command & Conquer Tiberium Alliances breaks new ground by being the first free-to-play cross-platform, MMO strategy game. In the next few months, the game will offer cloud-saved data, accessible across web browsers and mobile devices, allowing gamers to play from home at their desktop or on the go from their smartphones or tablets.

Command & Conquer Tiberium Alliances is one of two highly-anticipated releases in the Command & Conquer franchise. In December 2011, it was announced that internationally acclaimed developer, BioWare are developing Command & Conquer Generals 2 utilising the advanced Frostbite™ 2 game engine.

For more information on Command & Conquer Generals 2, please visit www.commandandconquer.com, and for information on Command & Conquer Tiberium Alliances and to join the Open Beta*, please visit www.tiberiumalliances.com.
*Access to Open Beta requires an Origin account and acceptance of Digital Services Agreement.

Today Game of Thrones RPG opened its official website, showing off the combat system with an exclusive narrated video trailer that details the gameplay mechanics. This role playing game for PlayStation® 3, Xbox 360® and PC, based on the famous universe from George R.R. Martin’s saga and the HBO television series, should please all RPG players who seek perilous quests, compelling stories and epic battles! Discover today the very first look at its combat system, promising tactical and spectacular battles!

Today’s new video will immerse players into the combat system of Game of Thrones and its bloody battles. All along your adventure, numerous enemies will challenge you. To defeat them, you will have the ability to slow down time during combat to analyze, anticipate and adopt the best strategy to attack or defend yourself. You can plan multiple special attacks for each of your playable characters and activate them at the right moment to amplify their effect. A large selection of armor, weapons and skills will be at your disposal, based on the choice you made for each of your character’s classes and abilities.
Visit the official European website to discover more details on the combat system, the different classes, and the hundred available skills.

The official website is also the place for information about the game: gameplay elements, story, characters, locations… everything you need to know! You will also find a rich gallery with many screenshots, videos, as well as information about the novel series from George R.R. Martin and the TV series from the same universe. Follow all the news about the game, join our forum, follow our Facebook and YouTube and share your passion for Game of Thrones with the rest of the community!

CRITICALY ACCLAIMED REDLYNX GAME RACES ONTO THE IOS PLATFORM

SYDNEY – March 16, 2012 – Ubisoft announced  that MotoHeroz®, a side-scrolling, platform racing game, is now available on the App Store for iPad®, iPhone®, and iPod touch®.

MotoHeroz is available for $0.99 for iPhone and iPod touch and $2.99 for iPad.

iPhone: http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/motoheroz/id496216983?mt=8&uo=4

iPad: http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/motoheroz/id502462192?mt=8&uo=4