Crystarium:

In depth details on how the evolved levelling up system functions for Noel, Serah and the monsters that have been captured and added to the player’s party.

New Environment:

Augusta Tower – This information processing facility was built as part of a major Academy project. A timespace anomaly has thrown the Tower into chaos and turned the interior into a maze. 

Historia Crux: Serah and Noel’s time-hopping adventure will eventually alter the course of history itself. But in the new future, will the world be made safe–or will it be destroyed? Many locations within the Historia Crux have multiple Time Gates, and each gate opens to a different location on the time line. As long as you have the right artefacts to unlock the gates, you are free to explore the different paths. The hunt for artefacts will be a major part of your adventure. It is possible to close gates that were previously opened. This rewinds times and resets history, so you can replay the same area and perhaps correct mistakes you made the first time through.

Melbourne Australia – November 19th, 2011 – Impulse Gamer checks out some of Hollywood’s latest trailers that are making some buzz in tinseltown! From the “other” Snow White movie to movies that are filled with drama (The Iron Lady) to some good old fashioned animation (The Brave), there’s definitely something for everyone.

Mirror Mirror Official Trailer

Brave Trailer

The Iron Lady

Being Flynn Trailer

Shame Official Trailer

The Sitter Red Band Trailer

The Vow Trailer

Gone Trailer

The Pirates! Band of Mischiefs 3D

Want some tips for Lord of the Rings: War in the North? Than here they are! 

1. Sick of that troll knocking you to the ground? Try using your rolling dodge to avoid unblockable attacks by pressing B (Xbox 360), Circle (PlayStation 3), or Spacebar (PC). [Alternate without using buttons: Sick of that troll knocking you to the ground? Try using the rolling dodge to avoid unblockable attacks.]
2. Did you know that skill attacks aren’t just limited to melee combat? Enter Ranged Mode to view your ranged skill attacks. Note: some ranged skill attacks can charge up to do extra damage.
3. War in the North is all about loot. The colour of the item’s name will tell you if it’s Common (white), Uncommon (green), Rare (blue), or Epic (purple) – each with better qualities than the last.
4. Did you know Beleram can attack certain structures, like crossbow turrets or towers? Use Ranged Mode to target a structure and then call in Beleram by using a Great Feather.
5. Whichever weapon you use, landing a critical strike on an enemy initiates Hero Mode so you can gain more XP and do extra damage.
6. Missed an on-screen tutorial message? Visit the Log, and select Tutorial Messages to scroll through a list of helpful hints and tricks.
7. One of the best ways to perfect your combat skills is a Challenge Map, unlocked after Sarn Ford. Beat these challenges for extra XP.
8. There are many potions that give your character bonuses. Use Andriel’s racial ability to craft them, and then put them to use in a tight spot.
9. Want to tell your allies to defend their position, or attack a wave of enemies? Press up on the D-pad (or C on the keyboard) to tell your allies to go on the offensive, and down on the D-pad (or Z on the keyboard) to have them hold their ground.
10. Want Andriel to throw a sanctuary around you while playing solo?  Move away from the fray and press down on the d-pad (so that your AI companions go into defensive mode).  If there’s room from enemies, and she can break away, she’ll come to your aid.
11. Want to move an item around in your inventory? For console players, select the item in the Inventory screen, then hold the Ranged Attack button to move the item. For PC, simply left click, hold, and then drag and drop to a new inventory slot.
12. Keep an eye out for armour sets! If you equip multiple pieces of the same set, your bonuses will increase with each piece you wear.
13. Need to break the block of a tough enemy? Hold your block button then use your normal melee attack to push the enemy back forcefully, allowing you a chance to hit them.

Creators of Award-Winning Titles Puzzle Pirates and Spiral KnightsJoin the SEGA Family

Friday 18^th November 2011 – SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA® Europe, Ltd. today announced the acquisition of San Francisco-based independent developer Three Rings Design, Inc. Founded in 2001, the talented team at Three Rings has over ten years of experience creating accessible and engaging online worlds, including the incredibly popular puzzle-MMORPG Puzzle Pirates™ and recent Game Developers Choice Online Award-winner Spiral Knights™. 

The acquisition of Three Rings is a key part of SEGA’s aggressive expansion into the digital space; the addition of vision, talent, content and technology further secures SEGA’s foothold in the fastest growing sector of the video game industry. Three Rings joins an elite family of SEGA subsidiaries which include Football Manager™ developer Sports Interactive and Total War™ creators The Creative Assembly. Three Rings’ fiercely imaginative spirit is a perfect match with SEGA’s longstanding dedication to providing players worldwide with the best possible gaming experiences. 

“We knew from the first time we saw Spiral Knights that the team at Three Rings was not simply talented but truly unique, and the close bond we have formed with them over the past year has only solidified that impression,” said Haruki Satomi, Senior Vice President of Digital Business for SEGA of America. “We are proud to welcome them as the newest member of the SEGA family, and look forward to seeing what great things we can create together over the coming years.” 

“Three Rings has always been a studio that prides itself on the depth and creativity of our games, we are very fortunate to have found a company like SEGA that both respects our identity and shares our passion for developing engaging and quality games,” said Daniel James, CEO of Three Rings Design, Inc. “We are honored to be joining such a legendary team and look forward to collaborating on amazing ideas together.” 

The studio’s proven ability to create compelling virtual worlds will be an integral part of SEGA’s continued growth into the online gaming space. In the short term, the companies will focus on continuing to grow and support the current hit, Spiral Knights, and launching with BBC Worldwide the much-anticipated MMO based on the world-famous BBC Sci Fi series Doctor Who.

Spiral Knights received the award for Best Online Game Design at the 2011 Game Developers Choice Online Awards and was a finalist in a total of four award categories. For more information about the game, visit http://www.spiralknights.com/. 

For more information about Three Rings, visit http://www.threerings.net/. 

For more news, follow SEGA on Twitter @SEGA or “like” us on Facebook www.facebook.com/sega.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Becomes Best-Selling Video Game Launch of All Time 

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3Establishes New Xbox®LIVE™ Record with 3.3 Million Unique Online Players in One Day 

Sydney, Australia – November 18, 2011 – Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI),  announced today that  Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3 has shattered theatrical box office, book and video game sales records for five-day worldwide sell-through in dollars.  The game established an all-new five-day worldwide sell-through record of more than $775 million, exceeding the record of $650 million set a year ago by Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops and $550 million two years ago for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare® 2, according to Charttrack and retail customer sell-through information.  

“With $775 million of sales of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 in its first five days, Call of Duty has become the first entertainment property in history to set five-day launch records for three consecutive years across all forms of entertainment,” said Robert Kotick, CEO, Activision Blizzard.  “Life-to-date retail sales for the Call of Duty franchise have exceeded $6 billion worldwide, which makes Call of Duty one of the most valuable entertainment properties in the world.  We expect continued sales momentum, as reviews and audience enthusiasm suggest that this is the best Call of Duty game that we have ever made.  Online play for Modern Warfare 3 is at record levels and we continue to see high online play for both Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which ranked as the #2 and #4 top-played Xbox LIVE games for the week of November 7, according to Major Nelson.” 

“As I have said all year, we have been singluarly focused on making a spectacular game for our fans, and nothing else. Our incredible teams at Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games have done just that,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO, Activision Publishing.  “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 continues to thrill core gaming enthusiasts as well as draw new people into the medium, which is not an easy balancing act. But it takes more than a great game. I would also like to thank our incredible team for the pulling off the launch of the year, as well as our retail partners around the world. But most of all, I want to thank our fans. They are our toughest critics, and our biggest supporters, and none of this would be possible without them.” 

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has also proven to be an exceptional hit with consumers in Australia. “The popularity of Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3 with our customers has seen it break all our sales records in its first week.  We are thrilled with the results and the brand’s contribution to the growth of our business this year,” said GAME Managing Director, Paul Yardley. 

In addition to beating all previous first-and five-day theatrical box office, book and video game sell-through records, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 set two new records on Xbox® LIVE™.  

According to Microsoft:

• More than 7.0 million multiplayer hours were logged playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 by the end of launch day, November 8, a 19% increase over last year’s 5.9 million multiplayer hours logged playing Call of Duty: Black Ops last year’s launch day.
• More than 3.3 million unique gamers played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 in one day on November 8 up from 2.6 million unique gamers for Call of Duty: Black Ops.
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 set a new record for concurrent players on Xbox LIVE with 3.3 million simultaneous users on November 8. 

“The Call of Duty franchise returned to Xbox 360 this year with another record-breaking launch.  More than 7 million multiplayer hours were played on Modern Warfare 3 on day-one of launch on Xbox 360,” said Don Mattrick, president of the interactive entertainment business at Microsoft.  “And with the exclusive first access to new multiplayer content, we’re proud Xbox 360 is home to the largest and most engaged Call of Dutycommunity.” 

The game also set a new franchise mark for the number of simultaneous online gamers playing Call of Duty  on PlayStation®  Network on its first day.. 

“In just over a week, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has been hugely successful on PlayStation 3, and continues to drive millions of gamers globally to PlayStation Network with its unprecedented and engaging online multiplayer experience,” said Jack Tretton, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America (SCEA).  “The Call of Duty franchise is one of the biggest entertainment brands on the planet, delivering gameplay experiences like no other which is why we’re also excited to bring the Call of Duty franchise to our highly-anticipated next generation portable, PlayStation Vita, where we expect fans will continue their dedication to the most amazing Call of Duty experiences whether in the home or on the go.” 

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is rated “MA15+” (Strong Violence) by the Australian Classification Board and is available now for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and Windows® PC.   For more information visit www.callofduty.com/mw3 and www.callofduty.com/elite.

18 November 2011, Australia and New Zealand

Find the perfect Nintendo gift for family and friends with the Nintendo Christmas Gift Guide. You can also create and share your own wishlist of the Nintendo products you would most like to receive these Christmas holidays.

Nintendo brings you an incredible line-up of interactive entertainment, with new games and hardware unlike anything else out there.

Visit http://gamesites.nintendo.com.au/nintendo-christmas-gift-guide/ to create your own wishlist today.