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NEW STUDY CONFIRMS ROCKSMITH IS THE FASTEST WAY TO LEARN GUITAR

Popular Guitar Learning Method Surpassed One Million Units Sold Worldwide

A new study by Research Strategy Group has found that Rocksmith is the fastest way to learn how to play the guitar. The study was conducted with hundreds of participants across the United States of America.

The new research supports earlier findings from a consumer survey by Toluna Group that reported 95% of Rocksmith players say it improved their guitar skills.

“We’re thrilled with the results,” said Geoffroy Sardin, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer at Ubisoft EMEA.  “These studies confirm our view that Rocksmith is a huge success at teaching players real guitar skills that are highly effective, enjoyable and will last them a lifetime.”

Ubisoft also revealed that Rocksmith has sold 1.4 million copies worldwide since its initial release in October 2011. An additional 3 million songs have been downloaded from the title’s library of 143 DLC tracks. Altogether, players have played an estimated 112 billion notes and developed an estimated 1.6 million blisters on their fingers.

Stay tuned for exciting Rocksmith news to be revealed at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2013.

For more information on Rocksmith, please follow the game on Facebook a www.facebook.com/rocksmithgame

 
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Universal Sony Press Release: Last Resort: The Complete Series – DVD – July 4, 2013

Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is releasing Last Resort: The Complete Series on DVD from July 4, 2013.

Featuring hot Australian talent, Daisy Betts (Shutter, Persons Unknown), Daniel Lissing (Packed to the Rafters, John Doe) and Dichen Lachman (Neighbours, Aquamarine), Last Resort is a sharp, suspenseful and gripping TV series set aboard a US submarine.

The U.S. ballistic submarine, Colorado, sits 500 feet below the Indian Ocean when orders come in to fire nuclear missiles at Pakistan. Captain Marcus Chaplin and XO Sam Kendal both question the legitimacy of the order and ask for confirmation of their task.  Shockingly, the response they receive is a missile, fired from another U.S submarine.

 
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AMD Pioneers a World of Possibilities at COMPUTEX TAIPEI

– Spotlight shines on 2013 APUs for mobile and desktop, new GPUs with stunning graphics, more performance and better entertainment experiences –

COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2013 – TAIPEI, Taiwan – June 5, 2013 – Today at COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2013, AMD exhibited a diverse range of sleek OEM designs and new generations of software and applications that harness the unmatched computational performance and power efficiency of the 2013 AMD APU and GPU product portfolio. In addition, AMD announced its top-performing 2013 Elite A-Series Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) for desktop PCs, and publicly demonstrated for the first time the upcoming “Kaveri” APU that will introduce Heterogeneous System Architecture to the world.

“As the computing market transforms into new and innovative form factors, AMD is proud to launch our third generation of APU technology with end-to-end coverage across the server, embedded, desktop, notebook and tablet market segments,” said Lisa Su, senior vice president and general manager, AMD Global Business Units. “AMD APUs have achieved exceptional adoption, most recently being selected as the heart of the living room in the next generation of game consoles as well as delivering powerful new user experiences in desktops, notebook and tablets. We welcome our customers, technology partners and most importantly the end users of our technology to come experience what AMD innovation delivers at COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2013.”

2013 Elite A-Series APUs for Desktops Deliver What Customers Want
AMD is delivering a new, top-to-bottom product stack for  mainstream PCs and do-it-yourself (DIY) PC builders looking for leading performance, discrete-level graphics and an easy upgrade infrastructure that leverages existing platforms with the 2013 AMD Elite A-Series APUs. An announcement detailing the specifications and performance details of the latest desktop performance leaders from AMD was made today.

Also demonstrated at COMPUTEX was technology from leading cloud-gaming ISV Splashtop® that gives users access to enhanced ‘personal-cloud’ software. Users now have the ability to stream some of the most popular, best-selling game titles such as “SimCity” on other nearby mobile devices and, with AMD Elite A-Series APUs for desktops, experience ultra-responsive performance.

2013 Mobility APUs for PC Users on the Go
Following the recent launch of three new mobility APUs  – including the world’s first 28nm, quad-core x86 SoC APU (formerly codenamed “Temash”) and the first and only quad-core SoC APU for entry-level and small-form factor touch notebooks (formerly codenamed “Kabini”) — AMD also showcased new OEM design wins. The new APUs are designed to effectively balance the needs of a wide range of new and traditional mobile PC users and are available beginning today from the world’s top computer manufacturers, including attractive new systems from Acer and HP, with many others expected throughout the year. In recognition of its ability to deliver a superior experience for mobile PCs, the new Elite Mobility APU was awarded “Best Choice of COMPUTEX TAIPEI.”

AMD Industry-Leading Graphics Enhances Gaming Experiences
AMD also showcased the latest updates to its Unified Gaming Strategy, which is how AMD plans to drive leadership in the global gaming market across consoles, cloud platforms, tablets and PCs. AMD is effectively positioned to drive the next era of gaming as a leading provider of the most innovative graphics technologies and a key collaborator with the world’s top hardware and game developers.

The success of AMD’s Unified Gaming Strategy is immediately and clearly evident in consoles. All major next generation consoles – Sony PlayStation 4, Nintendo Wii U and Microsoft Xbox One – are powered by AMD technology.

AMD also demonstrated its two recently announced leadership graphics products: AMD Radeon™ HD 7990, the world’s fastest desktop GPU, and AMD Radeon™ HD 8970M, the world’s fastest notebook GPU. To showcase the outstanding features, performance and power of AMD Radeon™ GPUs, AMD revealed a new “Ruby™” technology demo at COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2013, designed from the ground up to demonstrate award-winning Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture. Ten years after the release of the first “Ruby” demo, the new version illustrates the magic game developers can create today with GCN, allowing users to experience new levels of detail and features such as AMD TressFX hair and AMD Eyefinity technology. The new “Ruby” technology demo was developed in collaboration with IIIFonic, using the Crytek CryEngine3.

In cloud gaming, AMD showed how it is leading the way by working with industry leaders like CiiNow, G-Cluster, OTOY and Ubitus to deploy gaming technology across the cloud. AMD Radeon™ Sky Series graphics cards enable game developers and service providers to deliver a world-class content experience by allowing flexible streaming of visually stunning games, without restricting users to a single device.

AMD works closely with game developers to optimise PC games for AMD technology and to offer today’s most acclaimed and popular titles via the “Never Settle: Reloaded” game bundle. One of AMD’s key gaming partners is Nixxes, the developer behind “Deus Ex: Human Revolution™,” “Hitman: Absolution™” and “Tomb Raider™.” Jurjen Katsman, CEO of Nixxes, joined AMD at COMPUTEX to discuss the future direction of the long-standing gaming partnership between AMD and Nixxes.

Supporting Resources

 
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DISCOVER THE MAGIC OF MUSIC WITH DISNEY INTERACTIVE’S “FANTASIA: MUSIC EVOLVED” VIDEO GAME ON XBOX ONE® AND KINECT™ FOR XBOX 360®

Perform and Transform Your Favorite Music with Tracks from AVICII,

Bruno Mars, Fun., Kimbra, Queen, and Other World-Renowned Artists 

BURBANK, Calif. — (June 4, 2013) – Disney Interactive today announced that “Fantasia: Music Evolved,” a breakthrough musical motion video game inspired by Disney’s classic animated film “Fantasia,” will be available for Xbox One®, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft and Kinect™ for Xbox 360® in 2014.  Developed by Harmonix Music Systems, the world’s leading music and motion game developer, “Fantasia: Music Evolved” transports players to a breathtaking world where music and magic combine to transform extraordinary interactive landscapes in entirely new and creative ways!

In this game, players enter the magical realms of Fantasia, selected by the legendary sorcerer Yen Sid to hone their musical and magical prowess as his new apprentice. “Fantasia: Music Evolved” takes players on an interactive and immersive motion-controlled journey through worlds of music and magic, unleashing their creativity along the way.

Using Kinect motion control technology and natural, controller-free gameplay, players will control the music flow from some of the industry’s biggest acts, including electronic DJ and producer AVICII, chart-topper Bruno Mars, and rock royalty Queen. “Fantasia: Music Evolved” gives players creative power to change the mix of their favorite songs in real-time, choosing between the original recording and new remixed versions, or adding new layers of music via magical manipulators that allow them to change music in exciting and surprising new ways!

“Fantasia: Music Evolved” will feature tracks from over 25 leading artists, each featuring two unique remixes in addition to the original recording. The current announced artists and songs that will appear in the “Fantasia: Music Evolved” video game include:

  • AVICII – “Levels”
  • Bruno Mars – “Locked Out Of Heaven”
  • Fun. – “Some Nights”
  • Kimbra – “Settle Down”
  • Queen – “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Attendees of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) will have an opportunity to experience hands-on with “Fantasia: Music Evolved” at Disney Interactive’s booth located at #1001 in South Hall.

“Fantasia: Music Evolved” is currently not rated yet.

 
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WD® Designs First Enterprise-Class Hard Drives For Exploding Scale-Out Datacenter Market

SYDNEY, Australia – 5 June 2013 – WD®, a Western Digital company and world leader for storage deployed in datacenters, today announced availability of its innovative WD Se™ line of hard drives, the first designed for scale-out datacenter deployments. Built on an enterprise-grade platform for reliable 24x7x365 datacenter operation, WD Se is tailored to deliver the right combination of performance, reliability and robustness for large-scale replicated environments, mid-sized network attached storage (NAS) deployment, and backup/archiving applications.

WD Se is a true enterprise-class drive with the right blend of affordability and capabilities to address the massive growth of semi-structured data, which is accelerating the scale-out of datacenters of all sizes. Now shipping in capacities up to 4 TB, the new WD Se hard drives enables customers to balance their data growth challenges in multi-drive enclosures without compromising enterprise-class features.

“Today’s cloud datacenter installations require a cost-effective way to build large-scale storage systems, while maintaining the 24×7 reliability necessary to minimise total cost of ownership,” said Richard E. Rutledge, senior vice president of WD’s datacenter storage business unit. “WD’s utilisation of vast amounts of manufacturing and engineering data has forced us – like many other companies – to use map-reduce methodologies to effectively analyse our data. The WD Se hard drives are used in our own big datacenter, where we have gained real-world experience with Apache™ Hadoop®.”

WD Se drives also address the fast-growing SMB to mid-range network-attached storage (NAS) market. The robust enterprise-class design and higher workload capabilities for SMB-focused 6-bay-plus table-top NAS units and rack-mount multi-tenant NAS solutions with up to 24 bays, provide NAS integrators a complement to WD Red™ hard drives, which are for small NAS systems. WD’s other datacenter hard drives – WD Xe™ and WD Re™ – round out the high-end of the NAS market, offering higher durability and performance for large-scale rack-based NAS systems. Together, WD Se, WD Xe, WD Re and WD Red™ provide a total portfolio of robust storage devices to match every size and scale of NAS deployment.

In addition to undergoing at least 5,000,000 hours of functional and thermal testing and over 20,000,000 hours of additional testing under actual workloads in server and storage systems, WD’s Se hard drives feature:

• A dual processor for twice the processing power to maximise performance;
• Enhanced Rotary Acceleration Feed Forward (RAFF™) technology that includes sophisticated electronics to monitor the drive and correct both linear and rotational vibration in real time;
• Dual actuator technology improves head positional accuracy over the data track(s);
• StableTrac™ whereby the motor shaft is secured at both ends to reduce system-induced vibration and stabilise platters for accurate tracking during read and write operations delivering a consistent level of performance for applications;
• Multi-axis shock sensor automatically detects the subtlest shock events and compensates to protect the data;
• RAID-specific, time-limited error recovery (TLER) prevents drive fallout caused by the extended hard drive error-recovery processes common to desktop drives, and;
• Dynamic fly height technology where each read-write head’s fly height is adjusted in real time for optimum reliability.

Price and Availability
WD’s Se hard drives, shipping in capacities from 2 TB to 4 TB, (models: WD2000F9YZ, WD3000F9YZ, and WD4000F9YZ) are available through select distributors and resellers. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the WD Se hard drives is TBC. WD’s Se drives are covered by a five-year limited warranty. More information about WD’s Se enterprise hard drives may be found on the company’s website at http://www.wd.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=1050.

About WD
WD, a Western Digital company, is a long-time innovator and storage industry leader. As a storage technology pacesetter, the company produces reliable, high-performance hard disk drives and solid state drives. These drives are deployed by OEMs and integrators in desktop and mobile computers, enterprise computing systems, embedded systems and consumer electronics applications, as well as by the company in providing its own storage products. WD’s leading storage devices and systems, networking products, media players and software solutions empower people around the world to easily save, store, protect, share and experience their content on multiple devices. WD was established in 1970 and is headquartered in Irvine, California. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.wd.com.

Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC), Irvine, Calif., is a global provider of products and services that empower people to create, manage, experience and preserve digital content. Its companies design and manufacture storage devices, networking equipment and home entertainment products under the WD, HGST and G-Technology brands. Visit the Investor section of the company’s website (www.westerndigital.com) to access a variety of financial and investor information.

 
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Real Racing 3 Goes to the Middle East

New Content Update Features New Cars and Gives Players The Chance to Race at Twilight on the All-New Dubai Autodrome Track

Real Racing 3, the biggest racing game for mobile devices, has launched a content update that features one of the world’s most challenging tracks, brand new cars from Lexus and Dodge, and 50+ new events.

Players can now race on the all-new Dubai Autodrome with six different track layouts, challenging players to navigate technically tight corners and heart-pumping straights. Race during the day or experience twilight, while mastering one of the world’s most difficult tracks.

Four new cars join the extensive lineup, including the prestigious Lexus IS-F and Lexus LFA, along with the powerful Dodge Charger SRT8 and Dodge Charger RT. With more than 800 million races completed to date and 16 million races completed each day, players are sure to enjoy 50+ new events added across two series. Including this update, there are now more than 50 cars and 1000+ events available for players in Real Racing 3.

The second content update for Real Racing 3 is available now on the App Store, Google Play and Amazon Appstore.

To download Real Racing 3 for free*, please visit:  http://www.firemonkeys.com.au/downloadR3/

 
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Man of Steel 13-Minute Featurette

From Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures comes Man of Steel, starring Henry Cavill (Immortals, TV’s The Tudors) in the role of Clark Kent/Superman, under the direction of Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen).

A young boy learns that he has extraordinary powers and is not of this earth. As a young man, he journeys to discover where he came from and what he was sent here to do. But the hero in him must emerge if he is to save the world from annihilation and become the symbol of hope for all mankind.

 
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Medicine for the non-charging iPad – introducing the iStyle PowerPill

Innovative Solution Provider, Mint Technology, has found an antidote to the common problem of charging the iPad and iPad Mini from a standard USB port incorporated into PCs, laptops and older model Macs, and it costs less than $30.

Since the introduction of the iPad, online social networks have been a buzz with iPad users blogging their frustration at charging difficulties.  When connected to a PC, the iPad will not charge in most circumstances.[i]

The reason the device doesn’t charge when connected via USB to a computer or laptop is that the iPad and iPad mini requires a high power USB port to charge.  It’s a problem affecting Microsoft users however older Mac models have also been reported to be experiencing the same issue.

The iPad is designed to charge from the 10W wall adaptor it comes bundled with, but many USB ports supply only 2.5W.

The solution is the iStyle PowerPill – an adaptor which when plugged into the standard USB port generates enough current to enable the PC to charge the iPad device, allowing for direct charge from your computer or in-car.

As you’d expect, due to the additional power, the PowerPill also offers rapid charge – charging the device up to four times faster than conventional USB charging.  And it’s not just iPad users that stand to benefit – the iStyle PowerPill is designed for use with iPhones, Samsung Galaxy Smart Phones and Samsung Galaxy Tablets.

With a simple press of a button, the iStyle PowerPill switches between 3 Modes:

Blue LED: Charging iPad, iPhone and most USB Charging Devices

Red LED: Charging Samsung Galaxy Tablets including most USB Charging Devices

LED OFF: Data Sync & Transfer Mode Only (without Battery Charging)

“The PowerPill is a unique product which solves a very real problem,” said Kuni Ishii, Managing Director of Mint Technology Group.  “We are the only supplier of a rapid charge adaptor designed to increase output power from 500mA to 700-2,100mA, meaning you can charge directly from any PC or in-car for the ultimate in convenience,” he said.

Available:            Harvey Norman & GoodGuys stores as well as smaller independent retailers.

RRP:                       $29.95


 

[i] According to Apple the iPad will charge, albeit at a very slow rate when connected to a standard PC, if the PC is in sleep mode.

 
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Mortal Kombat’s Scorpion Confirmed as Next DLC Character in Injustice: Gods Among Us

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today released an all-new video revealing legendary Mortal Kombat character Scorpion as the next DLC character that will be available for the DC Comics fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us. The version of Scorpion seen in the game is designed by Jim Lee, Co-Publisher at DC Entertainment, and pays homage to NetherRealm Studios’ original blockbuster franchise.

Scorpion will be available on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for 400 Microsoft Points and PlayStation®Network at a price of AUD$7.35.

 
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UBISOFT® REVEALS NEW TRANSMEDIA PRODUCTS FOR ASSASSIN’S CREED® IV BLACK FLAG™

Ubisoft has revealed new publishing products based on the universe of Assassin’s Creed® IV Black Flag™, a novel published by Penguin Group, an art book published by Titan Books, and a strategy guide published by Piggyback and Prima Games.

Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, the new novel 

The new Assassin’s Creed novel, Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag will be published by Penguin Books in the UK on November 7th, and by Ace Books in the US on November 26th with localized versions to follow.

Story summary

The Golden Age of Piracy – a time when greed, ambition and corruption overcomes all loyalties – and a brash young captain, Edward Kenway, is making his name known for being one of the greatest pirates of his time. In the brilliant new novel, Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, discover the story of how Edward, a young privateer, became one of the world most deadly pirates and was drawn into the centuries-old battle between the Templars and the Assassins.

The Art of Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, the official art book

The new Assassin’s Creed art book, The Art of Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, is published by Titan Books and will be available in English on October 28th. 

The recently announced Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag sees a sea change for the franchise with a harsh new setting in the Golden Age of pirates. With intricately detailed environments and finely honed and evocative historical re-imaginings, this is a world into which you can immerse yourself and feel the echoes of the past come to life. Continuing in the footsteps of this already world-renowned franchise, Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag brings to life a time of enormous diversity and passion, ensuring it will be the biggest and best release yet. Highlights in the game, and in the art book, include one of the largest never-before-experienced nautical gameplay ever offered, with an amazing range of locations and action.

A special slipcase edition will also be available, limited to 500 copies and including two exclusive Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag concept art prints, signed by the artists.

The official Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag Strategy Guide 

The Assassin’s Creed IV official strategy guide, on sale from the launch day of the game, will be available in English, French, Spanish, German and Italian.

This guide is published by Piggyback across EMEA, and Prima Games in the US.

Created by the team working on the highly acclaimed guides to Assassin’s Creed® III, Assassin’s Creed® Revelations, Assassin’s Creed® Brotherhood and Assassin’s Creed® II, this book will provide all information players could need to finish fully the game, or to enjoy a more in-depth gameplay experience:

  • 100% Complete achievement guide
  • All the game’s secrets
  • A revolutionary walkthrough
  • A story analysis
  • A multiplayer strategies dedicated section
  • Tables and statistics for an in-depth understanding of game mechanics

As a bonus, the strategy guide also includes a map poster covering all in-game locations.

For more information on Assassin’s Creed, please visit: assassinscreed.com and facebook.com/assassinscreed.