Rejoice Doctor Who fans.

By Chris Tyler.

As Professor Farnsworth would say “Good news everyone!”

Two previously lost episodes of Doctor Who have been found.

As you may or may not know, well over 100 episodes of the classic series are missing from the BBC archives, the product of a purge that happened in the mid 70’s because the BBC were running out of space in their archive, this combined with the fact that Tape was expensive meant that many programs were either junked of taped over. Yes the BBC is just like that flat mate you had during Uni who would  throw any old tape into the VCR to record X-files. (I’m old, ok?)

The missing episodes constitute a large proportion of William Hartnell’s episodes (The First Doctor) and Most of Patrick Troughton’s run (The Second Doctor).  Whilst episodes have trickled in since 1978 when the BBC started calling out for them no full episodes have been recovered since 2004 when an episode from The Daleks Master Plan (1965) was recovered. Since then it’s been judged increasingly unlikely that more full episodes will be recovered but this discovery proves that there could easily still be some out there, hidden in boxes in attics, probably on film with people not even realizing what they have got.

The two episodes that have turned up are:

1. The third episode of 1965 tale Galaxy 4 a William Hartnell story that was thought to be completely missing. 
2. The second installment of 1967’s The Underwater Menace this is now the earliest surviving episode to star Patrick Troughton.

Both episodes were purchased by film collector Terry Burnett at a village fete near Southampton with the copies believed to have originated from the ABC in Australia since the Underwater Menace has edits consistent with the Edits that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation did at the time. The good news is that the ABC returned these cuts to the BBC in the late 90’s and they can now be restored.

There is no news yet as to what the BBC or 2Entertain plan to do with the episodes but if they follow past form they will probably turn up on some random DVD release as an extra and then get a proper release as other episodes turn up down the line like 2004’s Lost in Time box set that was a repository for orphan episodes. I think the best we can hope for is some kind of concerted restoration program that animates lost episodes like 2009’s The Invasion.

Leading 3D animation and visual effects company, cybertime, releases unique 3D platform jump and run game ‘Crazy Hedgy’, exclusive to iOS devices – taking casual mobile gaming to a whole new level in aesthetics, action, and adventure!

With over a decade’s experience in creating 3D animations and visual effects for TV, film and media, cybertime is perfectly positioned to develop a game as exciting, sophisticated and aesthetically pleasing as Crazy Hedgy.

Founder and CEO of cybertime, Raffael Leb, described the development of the game. “For over a decade we have developed sophisticated 3D animations for the TV, film, web and media sectors. Some while ago we decided it was time we applied our skills to developing a whole new class of 3D mobile game; some 6,000 hours of design, development and testing later, we are very proud to release Crazy Hedgy. We’re sure gamers of all ages will love its aesthetics and gameplay. Ultimately, it’s all about the player engaging with the characters and having fun, and that’s exactly what Crazy Hedgy delivers – in abundance.”

The Crazy Hedgy character lives in a beautiful and challenging 3D world, which has 35+ levels and offers many hours of play, with a mixture of challenges, opponents, rewards, humour – and surprises!

Use your guile to cross yawning abysses, solve riddles, find hidden treasures, conquer your opponents, collect diamonds and earn fantastic new skills and character upgrades.

With real physics, true retina display, HDMI output and iCloud support, Crazy Hedgy is one of the most sophisticated games available on the market.

Because of the comprehensive use of the iOS device sensors, the game is immediately intuitive to the most casual of gamers – tilt, turn, tap, and swipe!

Available immediately on iOS via the App Store^?, Crazy Hedgy is also optimized for the iPad^®.

An Android release will follow in early 2012.

About cybertime:

Established in Vienna, in 2001, cybertime has worked in a variety of sophisticated graphics and technology sectors. Privately held, cybertime_games’ release of Crazy Hedgy marks the most advanced 3D action jump and run platform game available for iOS devices.

Press contact: press@cybertime.at

Company website: www.cybertime.at

Promotional trailers and App Store link: www.crazyhedgy.com

The Hottest First Person Shooter Refuses To Chill Out For The Season!

December 19, 2011 – Joymax, a leading online game developer and publisher, announced today a slew of holiday events for their popular World War II game with a zombie twist, Karma Online: Prisoners of the Dead.  Developed by Dragonfly, the creators behind Quake Wars Online and Soldier of Fortune Online, players will be given the chance to sign up for the brand new Clan Champions League, while enjoying a variety of special Christmas time bonuses!  To jump straight into the bullet-heavy action, or learn more about the game, players can visit http://www.joymax.com/karma/.

The first KARMA event pits countrymen against each other: the KP Drive rewards the top user from each country who spends the most KP now until January 3^rd.  Are you the savviest spender in the US?  The best equipped soldier from the UK?  Now is the time to prove it!  One winner from each country will receive a 7-day Weight +100 boost, allowing them to carry a huge amount of armor and weapons into battle during that time.

Are you new to the game?  Join in KARMA’s new Rookie Challenge.  All players who register between December 20^th and January 3^rd 2012 will receive four special guns including the highly coveted GOLD SVT-40 Bayonet, alongside a PIAT, the CAMO PPSh41, a LUGER, and one silver and bronze bullet.

To test your new skills, jump into the many GM-sponsored contests True Marksman matches held several times a day during the week.  Jump into any GM-created room and be the winner of a sniper match.  Prizes are awarded to the winning team as well as outstanding individuals including the soldier with the most kills.  All who participate will receive a 3-day EXP +50%, and the top sniper, win or lose, will be granted a precious AWP.  Feel like your expertise is closer than a scope?  Head over to any Western Shootout room and as a team armed with pistols rise triumphant over your opponents.  Did you lose your gun?  No problem – random rounds will be unarmed instead, so be sure to bring your knife to a gun fight…just in case. 

Last but not least, players can prove who is better – the clans, or the GM team!  Every Thursday, dive into the Prison Break, where hot 4v4 action will steam up all three Prisoner maps.  If you’ve got what it takes to edge out the GM team 2 of 3 rounds, your comrades will receive the rare silver bullet, as well as five bronze bullets.    This is one of the rare opportunities to win this coveted ammo, so be prepared for a tough battle ahead. 

Once your clan has defeated the game’s caretakers, they can compete against each other in the new Clan Champions League.  For full details players can check the official KARMA Online Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/KarmaPOD

Developed in conjunction with Dragonfly, and published by Joymax, KARMA Online: Prisoners of the Dead is the newest installment in the KARMA Online series, the top online first-person shooter series in Korea. Players go back in time to World War II, where they must choose to side with the Axis or Allied powers and join the fight for global victory – with a zombie twist.  In this virtual and historical simulation, players will be up against enemy troops as well as hundreds of the walking dead from the remains of the catastrophic battle. KARMA Online: Prisoners of the Dead will be available in English, German, Spanish and Turkish.

To become a fan of Karma Online: Prisoners of the Dead, players can visit http://www.facebook.com/KarmaPOD    or http://twitter.com/karmapod   and http://www.youtube.com/user/KarmaPOD

Super Sixes – a revolutionary new game format from the creators of the international best selling sports App, Stick Cricket, launches today. A faster moving, arcade style game that sees players do battle with the Bowlomatic 3000, a state-of-the-art bowling machine with sadistic tendencies. 

Cricket s traditional rules have been dispensed with: starting with three lives, players bat with the objective of beating their own personal best score. No fielders or LBWs means it is all about hitting out and, as the name implies, belting sixes. Clearing the boundary from a  Super Ball  unlocks an extra life or a risk-free 60 seconds of point-scoring mayhem. 

The Bowlomatic 3000 has an arsenal of ammunition, ensuring a harrowing time at the crease. Levels include baseball (a deadly fast ball), evil eye, invisi-ball and giant stumps. 

View a demo here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHrVcWj5R0I 

Super Sixes is available for download at 99c from the iOS App Store as a universal app http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/stick-cricket-super-sixes/id483135193?ls=1&mt=8 

The simple, high-speed format will appeal to arcade and sports gamers alike, as well as Stick Sports die hards. 

Super Sixes is published by Stick Sports Ltd, an Anglo-Australian company creating sports games. Along with Stick Football, Stick Baseball, Stick Tennis, Stick Aussie Rules and Stick Racing Games, they have also created custom games for clients including UEFA, KFC, Pepsi, Toyota, Slazenger and The ECB.

2011 was a bridge year for cinema that had to be crossed. If we were to exclude a number of award winners, many of which were already released overseas in 2010, the selection of quality films was slim at best. There were fewer independent American films than last year. The major releases included a multitude of sci-fi films that varied sharply in quality, as well as numerous unappealing gross-out comedies. It is fortunate that the year has been bookended on both sides by films in awards contention.

Next year’s theme is the ‘blockbuster’ as we await the release of crowd-pleasers like The Dark Knight Rises, Spider-Man, The Hobbit, the next Bond film Skyfall and the rerelease of Titanic in 3D. Expect more sequels, more unnecessary reboots and more than you would like next year. Is this indicative of Hollywood’s overhyping and complete lack of imagination? The answer is obvious but it is impossible not to be excited about some of the more popular projects, which in spite of oversaturation of comic-book films, should provide some glossy satisfaction.

Yet again Australian films this year made little financial impact on audiences. Most weren’t profitable but there was one significant spark in Red Dog, which sent audiences in droves, outdoing a number of the major Hollywood studio films at the local box-office. It has also been selling particularly well on DVD too, which is pleasing. Does this mean we’ll be seeing more lighthearted imitations and less challenging material? Part of the joy of this industry, whether you watch films or review them, is the anticipation of particular releases as we look to answer all of these questions. For now, consider the highs and the unmentionables of 2011…

CHECK OUT THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

– 10 December 2011, Gold Coast, Australia 

N3V Games’ survival horror sees the undead arrival on mobile devices everywhere just in time for Christmas! 

Download your FREE copy of DOA now to see if you can survive the zombie apocalypse! 

iOS (iPhone / iPod / iPad): Download FREE Now! 

Android: Download FREE Now!

CAPTAIN MORGANE AND THE GOLDEN TURTLE ON SONY PS3, PC, NINTENDO Wii & DS – WILL YOU BE ABLE TO HELP SOLVE THE SECRET OF TURTLE ISLAND?

Ahoy there land-lubbers! Captain Morgane and the Golden Turtle, the new adventure game from Wizarbox and Reef Entertainment on Playstation 3, PC, Wii and DS, is about to set sail and is seeking new shipmates to help find the mysterious treasure of the Golden Turtle! 

Will you be able to guide Morgane Castillo, the feisty and confident female pirate captain as she navigates the through dangerous waters of the 17^th century Caribbean?! 

Can you help solve the clues left by Buckleberry Tanner, the famous adventurer and find the hidden clues and puzzles he left to locate the mysterious Turtle Island and tackle the delirious, fast-paced mini-games? How about meeting over 40 unique characters on your voyage and having to work out if they are friend or foe?  With over 50 environments on 5 islands in beautiful 1080p HD quality and over 20 hours of gameplay, can you even handle the pressure of using the Sony Move^TM to guide Morgane on her way?! 

Captain Morgane doesn’t take just anyone on as a crew member! Not only will you need to be brave to tackle this adventure, you’ll have to use strategy and your own ‘savvy’ to push forward in this epic pirate story from BAFTA nominated adventure writer Steve Ince, in this spin off game from the hit-game ‘So Blonde’! 

But beware, there are obstacles a-plenty and dangers in your path, so to prepare for the launch of Captain Morgane and the Golden Turtle in February 2012, visit www.captainmorgane.com to familiarise yourself with the story and potential crew, and join Morgane’s Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Captain-Morgane-And-The-Golden-Turtle/191022037610365 for the latest updates to ensure you’re ship-shape and Bristol fashion when she goes to sea! 

Captain Morgane and the Golden Turtle is launched Friday 24^th February 2012.

It’s a game that needs no introduction and is considered a pioneering title in open-world, sandbox style gaming. Grand Theft Auto 3 let’s gamers take on the role of Claude, a criminal left to die by his girlfriend and partner in crime during a bank heist gone wrong. He must make his way across Liberty City, climbing the criminal ranks to track her down and make her pay.

It’s the latest title to launch on XperiaTM PLAY, continuing a successful year that has seen more than 200 games optimised for the smartphone.

Xbox® gamers no longer need to turn around or look over their shoulder to know what’s going on in the game. Sound engineers from world-leading audio specialist Sennheiser have developed the perfect headsets, to assist gamers in hearing what’s happening around them even before they can see it.

The two models, the X 320 and X 2, are Sennheiser’s first ever Xbox® headsets and have been developed for use with Xbox LIVE®. In this online community, more than 35 million players from around the world come together to compete in games, while being able to talk and interact with each other.

The headsets’ technology is based on expertise gained from Sennheiser’s PC gaming series, one of the best selling gaming headset series in the world, whilst also including new features, specifically developed for Xbox® gaming. The top-of-the-line X 320 features Sennheiser amplified stereo sound, which boosts the Xbox 360®’s audio experience; pro noise canceling microphone, which ensures that only the gamer’s voice is heard; dual volume control, which lets gamers independently adjust the game’s audio and voice of fellow players; bass boost; and an innovative automatic microphone mute, which allows gamers to mute the microphone simply by raising the boom, thus eliminating the need for buttons.

The single-sided X 2 headset has been designed as a durable and robust alternative for cost-conscious gamers who do not want to compromise on quality. As with the X 320, it also features a noise canceling microphone.

“Xbox LIVE® is one of the fastest growing gaming communications platforms worldwide. That coupled with the need for gamers to be able to communicate with team mates in game, while being able to hear top quality sound, makes the Xbox® platform a natural progression for Sennheiser to develop solutions for,” said Christian Ern

The two headsets weigh just 280 and 54 grams, respectively, and are designed to be worn for hours of continuous play – without sacrificing comfort and quality. Sennheiser knows that headsets must be durable to last in the heat of the game, and therefore offers a two-year international warranty for both models.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox Live are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.