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SHOOTMANIA STORM AVAILABLE ON JANUARY 23rd 2013

Beta 2 to be launched in December 2012

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – November 5th, 2012 – Ubisoft and Nadeo have revealed that ShootMania Storm (SMS), the Nadeo online multiplayer first-person shooter, will be released on January 23rd 2013 for Windows PC, available for download only via ManiaPlanet. On top of that, SMS will enter its second Beta phase in December 2012.

The Beta 2 will introduce new game features as well as new tools brought by the updated ManiaPlanet hub:

  • ManiaPlanet 2.0
    • 3D Objects imports in the map editor
    • ManiaCup: This “eSports 2.0” tool allows all players to easily create tournaments inside ManiaPlanet, including player registration, prize pool management, etc…
    • ManiaTeams: Players will be able to register their team inside ManiaPlanet, track the team statistics, register teams to tournaments, etc.
  • ShootMania Updates
    • New moves (Laser Jump, Wall Jump, Grappling Hook and more)
    • New Game modes: Victory and Fortress
    • Opening of the “Welcome Build”: The “Welcome Build” is a specific game build especially designed to offer  an easy introduction to SMS for newcomers, giving free permanent access to the Royal and Elite game modes.

At the launch of SMS, it will be free and available to all, but from October on, it will allow all ManiaPlanet existing players to send invitations to their friends who will then be able to download that client. This experience will remain on invitation until SMS launches.

Developed by Ubisoft’s Nadeo studio, SMS follows the footsteps of TrackMania, Nadeo’s successful arcade racing game, to present a new dimension in first-person shooter.  As part of the ManiaPlanet platform, SMS puts players at the centre of their gaming experience. To date, players have created more than 15 game modes and already designed more than 20,000 maps using ManiaPlanet’s proprietary map editor.

SMS is already very active on the e-sports scene, the last major event being its presence on the IGN Pro League (IPL) at PAX Prime 2012 last month. The title was playable on 7 different booths at the Paris Games Week 2012, and was also one of the games featured in the Electronic Sports World Cup (ESWC) events that took take place during the Paris Games Week show. 

TO WATCH THE BETA TRAILER, PLEASE CLICK HERE

For more information on ShootMania Storm, please visit the official website: http://www.shootmania.com

 
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Quartet trailer now available – starring Maggie Smith and Billy Connolly

Trailer

Release Date
AUSTRALIAN RELEASE DATE – December 26 2012.

Synopsis

QUARTET:
DIRECTED BY DUSTIN HOFFMAN
WRITTEN BY RONALD HARWOOD
PRODUCED BY FINOLA DWYER & STEWART MACKINNON

STARRING:
MAGGIE SMITH
TOM COURTENAY
BILLY CONNOLLY
PAULINE COLLINS
MICHAEL GAMBON

Dustin Hoffman directs Academy Award winner Maggie Smith, two-time Academy nominee Tom Courtenay and award-winning actor and comedian Billy Connolly in a mischievous comedy about life and love.

Dirty little secrets stir up the reunion of a world-famous quartet when they get together for a one-off concert. An eccentric diva, her ex-husband, a lustful baritone, and the scatter-brained object of his desire make up a cast of vivid characters.

Funny and touching, this is the story of four friends reconciled and revived by their love of applause.

 
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EA Mobile News: Madden NFL 13 Social tackles iPhone, iPad and Facebook

Sydney, Australia, 5 November 2012 – Electronic Arts Inc. announced today that Madden NFL 13 Social is now available on iPhone, iPad and Facebook®. The all-new game delivers an exciting free-to-play mobile experience for NFL fans on the go, allowing players to get their football fix in minutes as they compete with friends in the ultimate offensive shootout from their iPhone or iPad, plus Facebook online. Madden NFL 13 Social marks the first time EA SPORTS has offered a full game experience across mobile and Facebook, connecting gamers like never before. Easy to pick up and play, players can create and manage their ideal NFL team and face-off with friends on the virtual gridiron anytime, anywhere.

Madden NFL 13 Social is a game for all skill levels, providing straightforward play calling for the master strategist and on-field action for those who want direct control of their team. The game combines elements of the fan-favourite Madden Ultimate Team with unique mobile gameplay to create a brand-new experience. Fans can open card packs, set their lineups and buy and sell cards in the auction house to assemble an unbeatable roster. Every offensive drive earns coins, allowing fans to jump into the shop and buy new card packs, further improving their squad.

Madden NFL 13 Social features explosive offensive action with true cross-platform play, a first for the franchise. The asynchronous gameplay allows football devotees the opportunity to challenge friends to a game on their iPad, play a few drives on Facebook, then continue the action on the iPhone. Playing the game on Facebook is as simple as selecting an offensive play and then watching the results produced by the authentic Madden NFL sim engine. iPhone and iPad users can take matters into their own hands by swiping the touchscreen for spins and jukes, as well as tapping open receivers downfield to deliver the perfect strike over the defense.

Madden NFL 13 Social is developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon and is now available for free on iPhone, iPad and Facebook. To learn more about Madden NFL 13 Social, visit http://www.easports.com/madden-nfl/feature/mobile.

All player participation has been facilitated by NFL PLAYERS INC., the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association.
EA SPORTS is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through industry-leading sports videogames, including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, SSX™ and Fight Night boxing.

For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.ea.com/au/ sports to connect, share and compete.

 
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‘DRAGON BALL Z BUDOKAI HD COLLECTION’ ‘DRAGON BALL Z BUDOKAI HD COLLECTION’ AVAILABLE NOW

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – 5 November 2012 – NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe announced that Dragon Ball Z Budokai HD Collection for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game is now available.

PlayStation®2 titles Dragon Ball Z Budokai and Dragon Ball Z Budokai 3 are being enhanced and re-mastered in HD, both games deliver highly charged, unforgettable gameplay experiences, making Dragon Ball Z Budokai HD Collection an essential purchase for new Dragon Ball Z fans as well as those who want to relive the furious battles from the original games.  With its intense gameplay and thrilling fight action, Dragon Ball Z Budokai 3 went on to become the highest rated Dragon Ball Z title on Metacritic, a position it retains to this day.

With enhanced and re-mastered HD visuals, alongside full Trophy and Achievements support, Dragon Ball Z Budokai HD Collection brings two legendary anime fighting titles to the PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360® for the first time in one great package.  No fan of the series can afford to miss it. 

Dragon Ball Z Budokai HD Collection is available for purchase throughout Europe and Australasia today.

For more information on Dragon Ball video games from NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe please visit www.namcobandaigames.eu and www.facebook.com/DBZ.videogames.

 
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New AMD Opteron 6300 Series Processors Deliver the Winning Solution for Virtualised Datacenters


Sydney, Australia. – Nov. 5, 2012 — AMD today unveiled its new AMD Opteron™ 6300 series server processors based on its next-generation  “Piledriver” core architecture. The new AMD Opteron processors deliver superior performance and scalability for virtualised server platforms that are central to private and public cloud deployments, big data systems and high-performance computing (HPC) clusters.  The AMD Opteron 6300 Series processors strike the ultimate balance between performance, scalability and cost effectiveness to help IT organisations lower total cost of ownership (TCO).

The AMD Opteron 6300 Series processors offer industry-leading performance in Specjbb2005, a server benchmark used to evaluate Java performance, with up to 24 percent higher performance versus the prior generation AMD Opteron 6200 Series processors1. Java is a critical element of the software ecosystem for next-generation datacenters. Performance per-watt is up to 40 percent higher than the prior generation solutions2, which means businesses running robust large-scale software systems will be able to enjoy high performance as well as low TCO.

AMD continues to drive HPC performance with the AMD Opteron 6300 Series processors by leveraging optimisations in compilers and libraries and combining it with the next-generation core architecture.  AMD has delivered impressive results in key HPC applications such as the molecular dynamics workloads LAMMPs and NAMD3.

“Across global IT organisations, cost-effective, scalable performance is a core requirement to support cloud computing, server consolidation, and highly threaded workloads common in HPC, big data and other areas,” said Suresh Gopalakrishnan, general manager, Server business unit, AMD. “The key to a winning solution for customers is working with OEMs and other solution providers to minimize TCO with a combination of cost-effectiveness and superior performance per-watt. AMD Opteron 6300 Series processors are uniquely positioned to be the difference-maker customers are seeking.”

Customer and Partner Traction
Servers based on the AMD Opteron 6300 Series from Dell and HP are expected to be available before the end of the year.  Systems and platforms are available today from Cray, SGI, Supermicro as well as AMAX, Appro, Asus, ClusterVision, Colfax International, Megware Computer, Microway, Penguin Computing, Silicon Mechanics and ZT Systems.  AMD’s own “Roadrunner” platform, developed for the Open Compute Project, will be available in Q1 2013. Moreover, AMD has already seen early traction with the AMD Opteron 6300 processor with a supercomputing deployment at Indiana University leveraging the new chip.

Key Facts, Performance and Technical Detail
•    Frequency: Up to 3.5 GHz base frequency and up to 3.8 GHz using AMD Turbo CORE technology for performance boost when applications demand it
•    Up to 16 cores per socket for scaling on thread-intensive environments
•    AMD-P power management features maximises performance-per-watt across workloads while giving IT managers more control over their data center power profiles
•    AMD Virtualization™ (AMD-V™) technology for near-native performance in virtualised environments and lowest cost per virtual machine (VM)
•    Up to 4 memory channels with up to 1866 MHz memory
•    The only x86 processor to support ultra-low voltage 1.25v memory
•    Supports up to 12 DIMMs per CPU for up to 384GB memory per processor
•    Up to Four x16 HyperTransport™ technology (HT3) Links at up to 6.4GT/s per link

Pricing and Availability
Manufacturer: AMD
Product Name: AMD Opteron 6300 Series
Website: http://www.amd.com
Distributors: Avnet and Ingram Micro
Availability: Now
RRP:

 CPU Model

 CPU Cores

 Base Frequency

 Boost Frequency

 TDP

 Pricing

 6386 SE

 16

 2.8 GHz

 3.5 GHz

 140W

 $1,392

 6380

 16

 2.5 GHz

 3.4 GHz

 115W

 $1,088

 6378

 16

 2.4 GHz

 3.3 GHz

 115W

 $867

 6376

 16

 2.3 GHz

 3.3 GHz

 115W

 $703

 6348

 12

 2.8 GHz

 3.4 GHz

 115W

 $575

 6344

 12

 2.6 GHz

 3.2 GHz

 115W

 $415

 6328

 8

 3.2 GHz

 3.8 GHz

 115W

 $575

 6320

 8

 2.8 GHz

 3.3 GHz

 115W

 $293

 6308

 4

 3.5 GHz

 N/A

 115W

 $501

 6366 HE

 16

 1.8 GHz

 3.1 GHz

 85W

 $575

Full performance details can be found at www.amd.com/opteronperformance; current pricing is available at http://www.amd.com/us/products/pricing/Pages/server-opteron.aspx. AMD will be formally launching its Piledriver-based AMD Opteron™ 4300 and 3300 Series processors (code-named “Seoul” and “Delhi”) in December. Details on those systems will be made available at that time.

 
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Two New Environments Coming To TrackMania Franchise

Nadeo has announced the coming of two new environments for its famous TrackMania franchise.

TrackMania² Stadium marks the comeback of the Stadium environment from TrackMania Nations Forever, still enjoyed by millions around the world. Stadium will soon be integrated into the ManiaPlanet system, enjoying the benefits of its many services as well as an improved graphics engine.

And for those who prefer a more bucolic environment, TrackMania² Valley will allow drivers to race through highways as well as muddy roads, bringing a brand new game-play style to the TrackMania series.

TrackMania² Stadium and Valley will be released in ManiaPlanet in early 2013, and more information can be found on www.trackmania.com.

 
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Start living ‘The Good Life’ today!

The Good Life (PC/Mac is Out Now plus developers interview!

Haarlem, The Netherlands – 2 November 2012  – Videogames publisher Iceberg Interactive and ImmersionFX announce that the tropical paradise simulation game “The Good Life” has been released today in retail stores throughout North-West Europe and on worldwide digital download portals. The retail version comes with a 32 page manual and a poster size map of the JoJo Islands.

The Good Life ‘retail’ can be purchased in the Iceberg Web shop (www.iceberg-shop.com) from any location in the world at €19,99. For more information about the game, please visit the Iceberg website (www.iceberg-interactive.com).

This Out Now pressrelease is accompanied by an in-depth interview with ‘The Good Life’ developer immersionFX from Greece.  Find out more about how the game was created, the hard work that went into it, what the developers favourite parts are and some gameplay tips! The full interview can be downloaded on the Iceberg website.

 
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4x RTS game Gemini Wars launches on Steam today!

Haarlem, The Netherlands – 2 November 2012 –

Videogames publisher Iceberg Interactive is proud to announce  that the 4x Real Time Strategy game Gemini Wars releases today on Steam. After its initial boxed release this summer, developer Camel101 worked hard on updating their game with a free Skirmish and Multiplayer update that is included in the Steam version. Gemini Wars can now be purchased on Steam with a 20% launch discount for $15.99.

“Created by a team of science fiction and strategy fans, Gemini Wars is the product of hard work and a lot of passion. As a small indie developer, it’s with great excitement that we see Gemini Wars coming to Steam, which has now extended gameplay, thanks to the skirmish and multiplayer modes.“ says CEO Bruno Cesteiro from Camel101.

For more information about the game please visit http://geminiwars.camel101.com/ or visit www.iceberg-interactive.com for more news.

 
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Nazis, watch out—Wolfenstein movie finally in the works

Nazis, watch out—Wolfenstein movie finally in the works
Source: SyFy Channel

Panorama Media and Samuel Hadida released news announcing the production of Castle Wolfenstein, a big screen action-adventure film inspired by the vintage paranormal game franchise, to be written and directed by Academy Award winner Roger Avary (Pulp Fiction, Silent Hill).

Wolfenstein is described as being in the vein of Captain America and Inglorious Basterds, although it sounds more like Iron Sky meets Hellboy.  The story follows a young U.S. Army Captain and a British Special Agent on a top secret mission to Castle Wolfenstein, where Hitler will be for the historic unveiling of a new secret weapon. After reaching the castle, our heroes are confronted with Himmler’s SS Paranormal Division and must fight, not only for their survival, but for a mission that could alter the course of the War.

That’s some insane retro-world fun with lots of tight leather and Hitlerian lunacy!

First developed in 1981 for the Apple II computer by Muse Software’s Silas Warner, the supernatural Nazi-fest, first-person shooter has enjoyed a healthy renaissance over the last twenty years. Hardcore gamers will recall Wolfenstein 3D and its prequel, Spear Of Destiny from the early 90s and Activision’s Return To Castle Wolfenstein in 2001 and Wolfenstein in 2009.

Here’s Avary’s comment on the gig:

“I’ve been playing the Wolfenstein games since I was a kid, and feel that their outlandish sensibility has deeply influenced my own writing and directing throughout my career.  I have always thought Wolfenstein, transformed and opened for the screen to wider audiences not familiar with the games, would be a major cinematic experience, which is why I introduced it to Samuel.  He bought the rights, and I could not be happier that we are now embarking on this adventure.”

Sound like a winning combination or just more pilfering of weak old gaming titles?

(via Collider)

 
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iPad mini DROP TEST + WorkMate

In a world-first, Cygnett’s Industrial Designer, Shannon Brown, has drop-tested the iPad mini with and without the WorkMate shock-absorbing case.

For more info, visit http://www.cygnett.com/project_workmate

 
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