Exclusive DLC Featuring Iconic Videogame Character Now Available

Sydney, Australia – December 14, 2011 – Ubisoft^® has announced a new downloadable track for its best-seller Just Dance^® 3, featuring Mario™, the famous Nintendo^® videogame hero! For the first time ever, the world’s number one dance game brand will welcome all gamers’ beloved plumber showing off his best dance moves. The track will be downloadable through the in-game Just Dance store on December 14^th for 250 Wii Points^TM, exclusively on Wii^TM. 

After distinguishing himself in kart and football, Mario will set the Just Dance floor on fire with a fun dance routine showing off some of the most iconic environments and music of the Mario games. Now fans will be able to dance along with one of their favourite characters and experience his moves firsthand. 

This new track joins seven other recent DLC additions: Anja’s Baby Don’t Stop Now, Studio Allstars’ Jump, Olé Orquesta’s JamboMambo, The Girly Team’s TwistShakeIt, U Can’t Touch This and Soul Searchin by Groove Century and In the Style of Irene Cara’s Fame, all priced at 250 Wii Points each. 

For more information about Just Dance 3, please visit www.justdancegame.com.

All-action trailer now showing at www.dirtgame.comreveals a brand new and explosive extension of the DiRT series coming May 2012.

Tuesday Dec 14^th – Set to deliver a brand new dive-in-and-drive rush of speed, style and destruction, today Codemasters® announced that DiRT Showdown, an action packed extension of the award-winning DiRT series, will debut May 2012 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and PC. 

In DiRT Showdown, players will jump into a new world of competitive and combative racing, boosting, tricking and smashing their way to ‘Showdown’ finals on a chaotic tour of motorised mayhem. The first trailer capturing the unique atmosphere and high-octane thrills of DiRT Showdown is now playing at www.dirtgame.com. 

“DiRT Showdown is not the sequel to the authentic rally-centric DiRT 3, but a brand new experience from the DiRT team,” said Julian Widdows, VP, development. “We’re building on Codemasters Racing Studio’s world-class strengths in track design, graphics, AI, damage and online to create a new theatre of racing with the emphasis on accessibility and fun from race one.”          

“DiRT Showdown charges into the arcade racing space with a uniquely Codemasters feel,” said Mike Chapman, senior games designer.  “Whether players are using nitrous to boost, smashing into their opponents or pulling off stunts, DiRT Showdown’s fresh handling system and super-charged damage engine embed excitement into every event.” 

There are three broad categories to DiRT Showdown’s action-sport racing. Players will use nitrous to blast past rivals and negotiate courses filled with ramps, multiple routes and obstacles in full-contact Racing events. Gaming’s most advanced damage engine is unleashed in Demolition Derby themed events where players smash and crash their way to victory in bone-jarring style. Finally, in Hoonigan events, gamers will send fans wild in huge stunt parks where accessible new controls offer every player the chance to become a freestyle driving hero. 

From San Francisco to Miami and London to Tokyo, players will dominate their rivals and wow the crowds. Pyrotechnics, lasers and thousands of fans give each venue a sports entertainment atmosphere, becoming the perfect stage for players to perform. Over 50 different events across four championships will challenge gamers in a variety of conditions – sun, snow and rain – through the day and under the floodlights at night. 

DiRT Showdown will feature an exciting new line up of off-road machines. Ken Block’s all new Gymkhana FOUR H.F.H.V. Ford Fiesta debuts alongside an eclectic mix of vehicles across a range of classes. From saloons and muscle cars to pick-up-trucks, hearses and vans, players have a wide selection of custom cars to trick, race and destroy. 

DiRT Showdown will be Codemasters’ most connected game ever – split-screen multiplayer, eight-player online racing, on and off-line quick-fire party games and YouTube integration all come as standard. Players will also be able to issue ‘Showdown Challenges’ to compete with friends whether they are online or not. 

Powered by the award-winning EGO Game Technology Platform, DiRT Showdown will be uncaged May 2012 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and PC. 

For all the latest updates straight from the studio, crash over to www.dirtgame.com, www.facebook.com/dirtgame or follow the team at www.twitter.com/dirtgame.

Sydney, Australia – December 14, 2011 – Today, Ubisoft^® debuts “The Ancestors Character Pack”, all-new downloadable content for Assassin’s Creed Revelations for the Xbox 360^® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and for PCs. This pack will be available on the PlayStation^® Network for the PlayStation^®3 computer entertainment system from tomorrow, December 15. 

Ancestors Character pack extends the Assassin’s Creed Revelations experience with features that include:

• New multiplayer characters: the swashbuckling Privateer, the devious siren Corsair, the battle-tested Brigand and the bloodthirsty Gladiator;
• Personalised taunts, weapons and stylised assassination moves;
• New achievements and trophies to earn;
• Multiplayer customisation items. 

In Assassin’s Creed Revelations, master assassin Ezio Auditore walks in the footsteps of his legendary mentor, Altaïr, on a journey of discovery and revelation. It is a perilous path – one that will take Ezio to Constantinople, the heart of the Ottoman Empire, where a growing army of Templars threatens to destabilise the region.

In addition to Ezio’s award-winning story, the acclaimed online multiplayer experience returns, refined and expanded, with more modes, more maps and more characters that allow players to test their assassin skills against others from around the world. The latest chapter in the Assassin’s Creed saga also includes revolutionary game play, allowing players to manipulate the construct of Desmond’s memories and the Animus to decipher the mysteries of his past and gain insight into the future.

SEGA Fan Favourite to Include both US and Japanese Soundtracks 

Wednesday 14^th December 2011 —SEGA® Europe Ltd. and SEGA® of America, Inc. today announced that fan favourite Sonic CD™ will be released on multiple platforms from today. Relive the story of the 1993 original, which sees Dr. Eggman again, attempting to take control of time by stealing the Time Stones from Little Planet. Sonic must speed through levels and travel through time whilst fending off Eggman’s robots to recover the Time Stones and save the smitten young hedgehog, Amy Rose.

One of GamesRadar’s top 100 games of all time, the revamped version of this popular title will include the original Japanese and US soundtracks as requested by the fans, and, for the first time, the ability to play the game as Sonic’s best friend Tails, unlockable by clearing the game for the first time. Sonic CD also features the first appearance of Metal Sonic, one of Sonic’s most enduring nemesis. 

“Sonic’s 20^th Anniversary has been a banner year for him – as well as for everyone at SEGA,” said Haruki Satomi, Senior Vice President of Digital Business at SEGA of America. “Gamers around the world are rediscovering their love of Sonic through his adventures, new and old. Whether you’re a long-time hedgehog aficionado looking to enjoy a favorite moment from Sonic’s past, or a brand-new player who wants to join in on the fun, there’s no better place to start than with one of Sonic’s most celebrated games, Sonic CD.” 

Sonic CD will be available tomorrow for the following platforms: Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft (400 MSP), the PlayStation®Network in Europe for $5.00 / £3.59/ €4.49 / AUD$6.25 and iPhone®, iPod® touch, iPad® for $4.99/ AUD$5.49/Euro $3.99/UK £2.99. Sonic CD will be released on the PlayStation®Network in America on 20^th December and the Android and Windows Phone in the New Year.

For more information on Sonic CD, please visit www.sega.com/soniccd

MELBOURNE, Wednesday, 14 December 2011: Madman proudly presents POM WONDERFUL: THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD (RRP $34.95) and PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES (RRP $29.95), available now on DVD.

Whilst POM WONDERFUL and PAGE ONE are very different offerings in terms of tone and subject matter, each documentary excels in peeling back the layers of the intrinsically linked worlds of media and advertising.

From Oscar®-nominated filmmaker, Morgan Spurlock (SUPERSIZE ME), comes POM WONDERFUL: THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD – a feature length documentary that was fully financed through product placement, marketing and advertising.

With his trademark wit and insight, Spurlock jumps head first into the covert world of movie marketing, allowing audiences to look into the pitch meetings and product placement presentations which ultimately inform our everyday entertainment decisions. He has an irresistible offer for the brands involved – for the right price, he will make the entire movie about them. No questions. No catches… But before he can make good on his pitch, he will have to face the everyday trials and legal ramifications of juggling so many brands in one basket.

On the other side of the media fence sits PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES, a timely story of the struggle to maintain the relevance and integrity of newspaper journalism within a world that is increasingly pulling away from the printed word.

PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES gains unprecedented access to The New York Times newsroom and the inner workings of the media desk as the paper’s writers, editors and publishers grapple with existential challenges from players like WikiLeaks, new platforms in Twitter and tablet computers, and readers’ expectations that online news sources should be free.

PAGE ONE skillfully paints a nuanced portrait of journalists continuing to produce extraordinary work—under increasingly difficult circumstances. At the heart of the film is the burning question on the minds of everyone who cares about a rigorous press: what will happen if the fast-moving future of media leaves behind the fact-based, original reporting that helps to define our society?

POM WONDERFUL: THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD (RRP $34.95) and PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES (RRP $29.95) are available on DVD now.

AstroComet is a new mobile game by LudoCraft that tasks Twinkle the Comet with lighting up the darkness of space. There are seven galaxies to work through, with 15 unique fields in each. AstroComet combines fun and challenge: the game is easy to learn but difficult to master, making it suitable for players of all ages. Senior Bounce Physics Programmer Jarkko Palokangas thought up the concept and the game was finished quickly.

— This game and the way it was made is a good representation of our working culture. Each of us contributes with ideas and development plans. Production is quick to start and the quality of the work is high, because the team members each bring in their own skill set to challenge and inspire each other. This atmosphere of productivity is also highlighted in our client projects, which shows in the results, notes CEO Tony Manninen.

AstroComet is a new development that includes material from Spawns of Deflebub, an earlier game that mixed elements of dodgeball, billiards and pinpall. The game won its category at the 2007 Independent Game Festival.

–When I first got the idea, I was thinking of the legendary PONG and twirling the phone around. Moving the phone turned into spinning the touch screen, but the original game mechanics are still there. It was technically challenging to combine the fast-moving comet with the screen-spinning action, explains Game Programmer Jarkko Palokangas.

LudoCraft’s previous production is RoboFonics, a game based on rhythm and music, released a little over a month ago. A MMO called AirBuccaneers is in production, based on the winning production in the 2004 Make Something Unreal contest. All in all, it looks like LudoCraft is finally realising all its award-winning game ideas.

Play AstroComet for free:
http://www.facebook.com/AstroCometGame

Batman: Arkham City, Mortal Kombat and Bastion Win Big 

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment won eight awards at Spike TV’s 2011 Video Game Awards (VGAs) which premiered live in the US on Saturday, December 10 (Local time).

Batman: Arkham City, the critically acclaimed videogame developed by Rocksteady Studios, was honoured with four awards: Best Action Adventure Game, Best Xbox 360 Game, Character of the Year, and Best Adapted Video Game.  The game builds upon the intense, atmospheric foundation of Batman: Arkham Asylum, sending players flying through the expansive Arkham City – five times larger than the game world in Batman: Arkham Asylum.  Batman: Arkham City currently stands as one of the highest reviewed games of 2011 on Metacritic.com where it is ranked #1 and #3 for PlayStation3 and Xbox 360, with average review scores of 96 and 94, respectively.

Bastion, the downloadable action role-playing game developed by Supergiant Games, won three awards:  Best Downloadable Game, Best Original Score and Best Song in a Game.  The game features lush and imaginative artwork, as well as an innovative reactive narration system that responds to players’ actions in real time.

Mortal Kombat, the most brutal installment of the landmark fighting game from NetherRealm Studios, won the award for Best Fighting Game.  Mortal Kombat is a triumphant return to the classic arcade series that offers over-the-top fatalities and cringe-worthy X-ray moves. The title has gone on to sell more than three million units worldwide, making it the most successful console game for the iconic franchise to date.

To watch the Batman: Arkham City Spike VGAs 2011 Trailer please click here

– Heir to the TEKKEN Tag Tournament Legacy Enters the Ring for the Holidays 2012 –

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – 13 December 2011 – NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe S.A.S. today KO’d TEKKEN fans with the news that TEKKEN TAG TOURNAMENT ™ 2 will be coming to home consoles worldwide for the holiday season in 2012.

The highly-anticipated sequel to 2000’s legendary TEKKEN Tag Tournament, TEKKEN Tag Tournament 2 is being brought to home consoles with all of the action seen in the arcades along with unique content and features that won’t be seen anywhere else, making for the most feature-rich title in the history of the TEKKEN franchise. The game will come loaded with a slate of new features not available in the existing arcade version found in Japan, including online functionality that has been comprehensively reworked in direct response to fan feedback as well as a host of all-new features that have yet to be revealed.

“We have heard the voice of fans directly at various tournaments and through social media.” said Katsuhiro Harada, TEKKEN Project Director at NAMCO BANDAI GAMES Inc. “As TEKKEN is the top-selling fighting game franchise worldwide we know expectations for the widely anticipated sequel to TEKKEN Tag Tournament are high, but we are confident we can deliver what you’ve been asking for and even more.”

“This is an incredibly important game for NAMCO BANDAI Games, for the TEKKEN franchise, and for the fans,” said Olivier Comte, Senior Vice President at NAMCO BANDAI Partners. “With the vast legacy of the original game, it’s hard to imagine a game that could energise the fight game community more than this, and I know Harada-san and his team are going to deliver something spectacular.”

To keep up to date with everything going on in the TEKKEN universe, join the global TEKKEN family today at http://www.facebook.com/tekken and follow Harada-san on Twitter: @Harada_TEKKEN.

Sydney, Australia, December 13, 2011 – Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), announced today that Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare™ 3 crossed the $1 billion mark in sales since its launch on November 8, 2011, according to Charttrack and retail customer sell-through information.  Highlighting the trend of interactive entertainment gaining a greater hold of audiences worldwide, the game achieved this milestone in just 16 days, eclipsing the record set in 2009 by the feature film “Avatar,” which reached the $1 billion milestone in 17 days.

While 2011 box office revenue is on the decline — down 4 percent this year at $9.4 billion, compared with $9.8 billion in 2010 — the number of people purchasing and participating in gaming is on the rise, with no sign of slowing_.(1)  With more than 30 million gamers, the Call of Duty community now exceeds the combined populations of the cities of New York, London, Tokyo, Paris and Madrid.

“Engagement of our Call of Duty audience continues to rise around the world” said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard.  “Call of Duty® as an entertainment franchise has made an indelible mark on popular culture and its broad and continued success is further validation that audiences increasingly value interactive experiences over passive experiences.   

Call of Duty is now amongst that rarified group of sustained franchises like “Star Wars”, “Harry Potter” and “Lord of the Rings” that attract or engage tens of millions of people every year or every new release.

Our Call of Duty Elite is one of the fastest growing online services ever with more than six million players registered since its launch on November 8, 2011 and over one million premium subscriptions sold to date.   By comparison, the premium subscription services of Netflix, Hulu Plus, Sirius XM and Xbox® LIVE®, did not reach one million paid subscribers until almost one year after launch.

“Call of Duty has become that rare entertainment franchise that transcends its own genre. Core gamers love it, as our stellar reviews show. But every year, new people are drawn into Call of Duty,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing.  “And while the franchise continues to set records, our fans still seem to want more, demonstrated by our record setting start on Call of Duty Elite. We are committed to helping everyone connect, compete and improve their game, Call of Duty style.”