FIFA STREET TO LAUNCH IN-GAME SOCIAL NETWORK
WHEN GAME GOES ON SALE MARCH 15TH IN AUSTRALIA AND MARCH 16TH IN NEW ZEALAND
January 25, 2012 – EA SPORTSTM announced today a new feature in FIFA Street called the Street Network* that will encourage social competition among players when the game launches at retail in Australia March 15th and in New Zealand on March 16th, 2012 for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system. Through the Street Network, players will be able to capture video of their best tricks and share them in-game with friends, showing off their personal favorites and embarrassing their opponents. In addition, friends will be able to track and compare each other’s progress throughout the game, including World Tour story mode and Head-to-Head Online Seasons, and follow each other’s status in EA SPORTS Football Club.
“Street football is all about the one-on-one battle, when you pull off a trick to roast your opponent,” said producer Sid Misra. “The Street Network brings that real-world swagger into the game by enabling players to capture video of those moments and share them with everyone in their street network to see, and providing friends with a way to compare each other throughout the game.”
The Street Network will enrich the World Tour story mode, where gamers create a team of friends and compete in a connected world against other FIFA Street gamers’ teams. Players will be able to follow each other’s status as they build their squads, unlock new tricks, and progress through the story of their journey to street football glory. Players will be able to share and compare progress with friends directly in the Street Network and it will also broadcast in-game videos like “Goals of the Week”, and alert friends to each other’s accomplishments throughout the game.
Praised by critics like IGN.com as “spectacular to watch and play,” FIFA Street is the most authentic street football game ever made. From the creators of the award-winning EA SPORTS FIFA franchise, and powered by the revolutionary FIFA gameplay engine, FIFA Street delivers an arsenal of authentic street dribbling styles and trick moves that ignite the one-on-one battles. Utilize the groundbreaking new Street Ball Control to experience the highest fidelity of touch on the ball and responsiveness ever developed by the FIFA franchise. Compete everywhere from parking lots to prestigious 5v5 futsal-style tournaments on the streets of the world’s most renowned cities. Play with and against the stars of the most popular clubs in the world—or real-life street players—and compete at more than 35 locations in the world.
Featuring Barcelona and Argentina superstar Lionel Messi on the cover, fans who pre-order FIFA Street from leading retailers around the world will receive exclusive in-game access to an adidasTM all-star team featuring Messi and 12 of the greatest footballers in the world. The pre-order offer also includes exclusive access to the Lionel Messi Barcelona venue, an environment inspired by street footballers playing in and around the Plaça de Catalunya in the historic center of Barcelona, that Messi helped design. Fans with EA SPORTS Season Ticket will get full-game digital access to FIFA Street three days in advance of launch.* *
For the latest news on FIFA Street join almost seven million fans in the EA SPORTS FIFA community at http://www.facebook.com/easportsfifa or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/easportsfifa. For more information visit: http://www.ea.com/uk/football/fifa-street. FIFA Street is not yet rated.
* Internet connection, Origin Account (EA) required. Must be 13+ to create an account.
**CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS APPLY. SEE WWW.EASPORTS.COM/SEASONTICKET FOR DETAILS.
Heads up! Sony “Personal 3D Viewer” coming to Australia
Sydney, 25 January 2012 – Sony Australia today announced pre-orders of its Personal 3D Viewer (HMZT1) will begin on Friday, 27 January 2012**. It offers a spectacular new style of viewing for both 2D and 3D content in the luxury of your living room complete with the visual and audio experiences of being in a movie theatre.
The HMZT1 is equipped with the newly developed 0.7-inch (diagonal 18.0mm) high definition (HD) OLED (1280 x 720) panel which has been developed through Sony’s unique expertise in both OLED display and semiconductor silicon drive technologies. This technology provides high contrast, colour reproduction and fast response capabilities, videos are given added depth, allowing for smoother and higher-quality videos. Unlike other 3D image display methods, the HMZT1 adopts the ‘dual panel 3D method’ which consists of separate panels for the left and right eye. With its own dedicated 3D video for the left and right eyes, viewers are now able to enjoy high resolution 3D video that is natural, bright and extremely pure with no crosstalk.
A harmonious culmination of Sony’s technologies ensures that true ultra-deep black tones and colours are reproduced faithfully, resulting in beautiful and stunningly crisp contrasted images.
The HMZT1 boasts a wide horizontal viewing angle of 45 degrees by incorporating an optical lens that suppresses unwanted aberration and distortion. This puts a cinema style virtual screen in front of the viewer’s eyes, creating the equivalent of a 750-inch screen (virtual viewing distance 20m). The design of this device is such that it results in a feeling of deep immersion with any information unrelated to viewing being isolated. Light from below the HMZT1 can also be intercepted by using the accompanying light shield (shade plate), thereby further enhancing the feeling of being in a movie theatre for the viewer.
Viewers are also spoilt for choice when it comes to their audio needs with the HMZT1. Incorporating Sony’s proprietary 5.1ch Virtual Surround Technology that was developed especially for headphones, the equivalent of a maximum 5.1ch multi-channel audio can be experienced adding to the effect of the viewer being virtually present in the cinema. With a choice of four different surround sound modes (standard, cinema, game and music) to suit any kind of content, there is a perfect surround mode available for any situation.
Compatible with a wide range of 3D products and 3D content production systems such as Sony’s PlayStation 3 Gaming Console, Blu-ray Disc™ Players and VAIO notebooks, the new 3D viewing style provided by the HMZT1 will enable users to enjoy the realistic feeling of being in a theatre whilst relaxing on their living room sofa, further expanding Sony’s 3D world.
Pre-orders of the HMZT1 are available in Australia from 27 January 2012. It will be available for $899 at Sony Centre stores nationally or online at www.sony.com.au.
Malick’s THE TREE OF LIFE nominated for three ACADEMY AWARDS
25 January 2012
ICON FILM DISTRIBUTION is happy to announce that Terrence Malick’s stunning and thought-provoking drama THE TREE OF LIFE has been nominated for three ACADEMY AWARDS.
THE TREE OF LIFE is in contention for Cinematography, Directing and Best Picture.
Terrence Malick has created an extraordinary piece of film about the pathways we choose through life. Following the journey of a father (Brad Pitt) and son (Sean Penn), we see them negotiate memories, joys and inner demons along the path to maturity. Spanning the vivid warmth of 1950s Texas to the infinite depths of space, THE TREE OF LIFE is a strikingly beautiful contemplation on life itself that resonates with all ages.
ICON’s THE IRON LADY also joins THE TREE OF LIFE in the ACADEMY AWARDS race with two nominations. Meryl Streep has been nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her spectacular performance as Margaret Thatcher. IRON LADY has also been nominated in the Makeup category.
THE TREE OF LIFE is available to rent or buy on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital now.
THE IRON LADY is in cinemas now.
MOVIE EXTRA TO EXCLUSIVELY BROADCAST MAD MEN SEASON 5 & CATCH UP ON MAD MEN SEASON 4
MOVIE EXTRA are pleased to confirm that the long-awaited and highly anticipated MAD MEN Season 5 will premiere to Australian Subscription TV audiences on Thursday 12 April, 2012 at 8.30pm (AEDT), exclusive to MOVIE EXTRA. The encore episode will air every Saturday afternoon and Monday late evenings. MOVIE EXTRA will screen all thirteen episodes of MAD MEN Season 5 with the final episode going to air, early July.
To refresh where we left Don Draper in the last series, MOVIE EXTRA will replay MAD MEN Season 4 every night from Tuesday 20 February after the 8.30pm movie. During this period Movie Network Channels will be available to all Subscription* television audiences, providing an opportunity to tune-in to the critically acclaimed series and a huge line-up of award-winning films and live special events.
MAD MEN is a multi award winning television series set in 1960s New York and follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue
advertising. Since its debut in 2007, the series has wowed audiences and critics alike earning multiple awards including Best Television Series (Drama) at The Golden
Globes® an unprecedented three times in as many seasons and four Emmy® Awards for Outstanding Drama series.
The series boasts an award-winning ensemble cast including Golden Globe®-winner Jon Hamm, January Jones, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, Christina Hendricks
and John Slattery. MAD MEN Season 5 is sure to deliver the climactic drama that Mad Men lovers have come to crave.
Assassin’s Creed Revelations “Mediterranean Traveller” Map Pack Downloadable Content Now Available
ASSASSIN’S CREED® REVELATIONS“MEDITERRANEAN TRAVELLER” MAP PACK DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT NOW AVAILABLE
Sydney, Australia – January 25, 2012 – Ubisoft® has debuted the “Mediterranean Traveller” Map Pack, all-new downloadable content for Assassin’s Creed® Revelations for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The “Mediterranean Traveller” Map Pack will be available for PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system starting tomorrow, on the PlayStation®Network and for Windows PC on Steam.
The “Mediterranean Traveller” Map Pack enriches the Assassin’s Creed Revelations multiplayer experience with features that include:
- All-new multiplayer maps to maneuver through: Jerusalem, Constantinople and Dyers
- Fan-favourite Italian Renaissance maps from Assassin’s Creed® Brotherhood to revisit: Firenze (Florence), San Donato and Siena
- All-new Trophies and Achievements to earn
The addition of six multiplayer maps introduces new game play opportunities through each map’s varied terrain, perches and hideouts. The new collection of Trophies and Achievements will allow players to try their hand at kills and escapes that are as impressive as they are effective.
The “Mediterranean Traveller” Map Pack is available for download at a price of 800 Microsoft Points on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for Xbox 360 and $11.99 on PlayStation®Network and Windows PC.
To preview the “Mediterranean Traveller” Map Pack, players can download a free trial from Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 and PlayStation®Store. The trial will expire three days after playing the new DLC for the first time.
In Assassin’s Creed Revelations, master assassin Ezio Auditore walks in the footsteps of his legendary mentor, Altair, 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.
Sydney, Australia, 25 January 2012 – Get into the Aussie spirit this week and celebrate all the latest and greatest EA Mobile games, home grown in our own backyard.
Sydney, Australia, 25 January 2012 – Get into the Aussie spirit this week and celebrate all the latest and greatest EA Mobile games, home grown in our own backyard.
Local Australian developer, Firemint, has established itself in mobile gaming history with award-winning titles like Real Racing 2 and Flight Control entering the App Hall of Fame.
Melbourne talent, IronMonkey recently launched the highly anticipated Sims FreePlay, the first free game in the franchise earning over 300,000 downloads in Australia in the first two weeks alone. Last month, they took home Apple’s award for iPad Game of the Year for 2011 in the U.S and Canada for Dead Space, showing the Americans how it’s done down under.
This Australia Day, kick back with a beer, get the snags on the BBQ and show your support for our local Aussie talent!
Real Racing 2 (iPhone)
Real Racing 2 HD(iPad)
Get ready for the most exhilarating handheld racing experience! Take control of 30 officially licensed cars, each with unique performance characteristics. Feel the thrill of authentic pack racing action in an incredible 16-car grid – the first on iOS!
Recently named iPad Game of the Year in the Apple App Store Rewind 2011 in Australia and New Zealand!
Flight Control (iPhone)
Flight Control HD(iPad)
You’re an air traffic controller at an increasingly busy airport: just touch and drag aircraft to their landing zones. Sounds easy? You’ll need nerves of steel and smart strategy to keep the chaos under control! It’s insanely addictive – easy to start, but impossible to stop, so get it now and find out what everyone is raving about!
With both Flight Control HD for iPad and Real Racing for iPhone named as winner of the 2010 Apple Design Awards, this was the first time in the awards’ history that two different applications from one company were honoured in the same year.
Sims FreePlay (iOS)
LIVE FREE! From the creators of The Sims™ 3 series of best-selling iPhone games, comes an ALL-NEW Sims experience that you can play for FREE on iPhone and iPad! ®. In The Sims FreePlay, players can build, customise and orchestrate a town of Sims for free on their mobile devices, including a version optimised for the iPad for the first time.
Dead Space (iPhone)
Dead Space (iPad)
AN ORIGINAL DEAD SPACE STORY DESIGNED FOR iOS
Featuring hardcore gameplay and a rich audio experience, immerse yourself in events that unleash the Necromorph horde again – and set the stage for the horrifying action of Dead Space 2. Hailed by fans and critics, this stunning vision of the Dead Space franchise is truly a landmark “must-play.”
Dead Space was recently named iPad Game of the Year in the Apple App Store Rewind 2011 in the United States and Canada and Best Mobile Game of the Year in the 2011 Meffy Awards.
FIRST OFFENSIVE OF THE CALL OF DUTY®: MODERN WARFARE® 3 SEASON OF CONTENT LAUNCHES NOW
All-New Multiplayer Levels Liberation and Piazza Available Today for Call of Duty® Elite Premium Members on Xbox LIVE
Sydney, Australia – January 24, 2012 – Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), has lit the fuse on the highly-anticipated Modern Warfare® 3 Content Season for Call of Duty® Elite, with the release of two all-new multiplayer maps, the opening salvo of nine consecutive months of downloadable content for Call of Duty® Elite’s premium members on the Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.
Call of Duty Elite Drop 1: Liberation, a militarized Central Park in the heart of NYC, featuring a vast landscape ripe for long-range sniper and LMG kills. Mounted turrets on opposing ends of the map offer overwhelming firepower to anyone brave enough to man them. Elite Drop 2: Piazza, set in an idyllic seaside village, Italian getaway gone rogue, where blind corners and a complex network of branching pathways pose danger at every turn. Visceral close-quarters combat dominates in Piazza, and attacks from above and below are an ever-constant threat.
To celebrate the launch of the new content drops on Xbox LIVE, Call of Duty Elite will run specialized community screen shot events highlighting the new maps through the end of the month, with real-world prizes on tap for winners.
Published by Activision and co-developed by three powerhouse studios – Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games and Raven Software – the Modern Warfare 3 Content Season will include an unprecedented breadth and variety of new content. Liberation and Piazza are the first two of twenty new Content Drops for Call of Duty Elite premium members, rolling out once a month throughout the nine-month DLC season. The Content Drops will be available for purchase by the entire Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 player community on Xbox LIVE in March, as part of the first Modern Warfare 3 Content Collection. The Content Drops will be available on additional platforms at a later time.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is rated “MA15+” (Strong Violence) by the Australian Classification Board. For more information on the Call of Duty® : MW3 content drops, season of content, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Call of Duty Elite visit www.callofduty.com/mw3 and www.callofduty.com/elite.
To become a Call of Duty Elite premium member and receive Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 content early, go to http://www.callofduty.com/elite/go-premium. For additional Call of Duty Elite updates and information, visit www.facebook.com/callofdutyelite, and also via Twitter @CallofDutyElite.
Published by Activision and developed by Beachhead Studio, Call of Duty Elite is a comprehensive social gaming network offering a deep and innovative service for all registered Call of Duty players. Call of Duty Elite provides “always-on,” universal communication between the platform and the game. Players can access Call of Duty Elite via web, console, and mobile devices — Call of Duty Elite allows players to connect with friends, plan multiplayer matches with their Clan or social Group, configure load-outs, access comprehensive stats and interactive heat maps, and much more.
About Activision Publishing, Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.
Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Blizzard’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements under the heading “Company Outlook,” are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Activision Blizzard generally uses words such as “outlook,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “might,” “to be,” “plans,” “believes,” “may,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “estimate,” “future,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “project,” “remain,” “scheduled,” “set to,” “subject to,” “upcoming” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Activision Blizzard’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Activision Blizzard’s titles, increasing concentration of titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment and market conditions within the video game industry, Activision Blizzard’s ability to predict consumer preferences, including interest in specific genres such as first-person action and massively multiplayer online games and preferences among competing hardware platforms, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, changing business models including digital and used games, competition, including from used games and other forms of entertainment, possible declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, adoption rate and availability of new hardware (including peripherals) and related software, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, litigation risks and associated costs, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, licensees, licensors, vendors, and third-party developers, including the ability to attract, retain and develop key personnel and developers that can create high quality “hit” titles, counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors and manufacturers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates and tax rates, and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities and potential challenges associated with geographic expansion, and the other factors identified in the risk factors section of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and Activision Blizzard assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Although these forward-looking statements are believed to be true when made, they may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
DYNASTY WARRIORS NEXT on the PlayStation(r) Vita System – New Screen
New screenshots showcase the 1v1 Duels and Edit Character modes of
DYNASTY WARRIORS NEXT on the PlayStation® Vita System
Melbourne, VIC – 24th January: TECMO KOEI unveils today new screenshots for the upcoming DYNASTY WARRIORS NEXT on the PlayStation® Vita handheld system launching February 23rd.
These new screenshots showcase 1v1 Duels and the Edit Character screen:
Duels – When battling certain officers in DYNASTY WARRIORS NEXT, a special kind of Duel takes place. Duels switch to an almost first person viewpoint and make use of the PS Vita’s touch controls for fighting controls and interaction. Use touch controls to repel enemy attacks, win weapon lockups and quickly strike at gaps in the enemy’s defenses.
Edit Characters – In Conquest mode, you can personalize your character and fight against others. There are a number of adjustable character attributes that allow you to create and customize your own character.
DYNASTY WARRIORS NEXT will be available on the PlayStation®Vita across Europe on February 23rd.
For more news on DYNASTY WARRIORS NEXT visit the official page at http://www.dynastywarriorsnext.eu/