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Tighten your seatbelts: Race to Witch Mountain zooms onto Disney DVD & BLU-RAY HI-DEF

Tighten your seatbelts: Race to Witch Mountain zooms onto Disney DVD & BLU-RAY HI-DEF
26 August 2009

Taxi rides will never be the same again after you catch the amazing adventure and alien-action in Disney’s RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN, coming to Disney DVD and 2-Disc Blu-ray™ Hi-Def Combo Pack, which includes a Blu-ray Disc plus a DVD copy of the film in a single package, 26 August 2009!

DWAYNE ‘The Rock’ JOHNSON stars in this family science-fiction thriller as Jack Bruno, a Las Vegas cabbie who finds himself taking passengers to a UFO convention staged out in the Nevada desert. One lucky customer is the failed and kooky scientist Dr Alex Friedman (CARLA GUGINO), who has plans to “reveal all”, at the event about her theories on UFOs and outer space.

Soon afterwards, Bruno ends up with two strange teens, Sara (ANNASOPHIA ROBB) and Seth (ALEXANDA LUDWIG) as his next passengers – volunteering to pay more than $15,000 to take them to a secret destination. Intrigued by the children and enticed by the impressive sum on offer, Bruno embarks on a taxi trip that leads the unlikely trio to a rundown house in the middle of nowhere.

Before Bruno can take his fare and farewell the children, events take a turn towards bizarre with the revelation of a fascinating secret, including an out-of-this-world plan by evil aliens to invade Earth.  Now in mortal danger, Bruno enlists the help of Dr Friedman and the gang battle to escape powers far greater than they ever imagined – in a RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN, to save the world!

With alien forces and secret government agents on their tail, including There Will Be Blood’s CIARAN HINDS as Special Agent Burke, Bruno’s quest to return Seth and Sara back to their home planet and prevent alien domination on Earth will be the greatest test of his life.

A modern take on an adventurous Disney classic, and based on the book by Alexander Key, RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN will take you on a heart-stopping ride of non-stop thrills with the unlikely team of two teens with supernatural powers, a cabbie and a failed scientist set out to save us all. 

Packed with special features including deleted scenes and bloopers, don’t miss RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN, released to Disney DVD and Blu-ray Hi-Def Combo Pack 26 August 2009.

 

 

 

 

RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.  A division of Walt Disney Studios (US), Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Walt Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures and Buena Vista DVD releases.  Buena Vista is the Australian sell-through market leader and has been a recognised world video / DVD industry leader for over a decade

To provide consumers with unprecedented quality, value and portability of their favourite Disney movies, in 2008 WDSHE pioneered the Combo Pack – a Blu-ray DiscTM plus a DVD copy of the film in a single package.  Current Disney branded titles available as Combo Packs include Bedtime Stories, Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio and High School Musical 3 with future plans for additional releases.

 
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WD’s New Dual-Drive My Book® World Edition™ II Network Storage System Adds Extra Level of Protection for a Family’s Valuable Data

Sydney, Australia- July 08, 2009 – WD®, the world’s leader in external storage solutions, introduced its newly redesigned My Book® World Edition™ II dual- drive network storage system in capacities of up to 4 TB. With the double protection of two Mirrored (RAID 1) drives and continuous backup software, the My Book World Edition II network storage system provides an extra-safe place for users to back up and store the data and digital media from all the computers on their network in one central location. Available now at select retailers the new dual-drive systems join the recently introduced (Feb. 2009) My Book World Edition and are compatible with PC and Mac® computers.

According to a July 2008 report by research firm Parks Associates, the number of households worldwide with data networks will grow from around 170 million in 2008 to 240 million by year-end 2012. The firm also reports that the average broadband household will see its digital media storage needs grow to nearly 900 GB by year-end 2012.  In addition, consumers indicate that the most important feature for a network-attached storage (NAS) device is the amount of available storage. With its massive 4 TB capacity, the My Book World Edition II network storage system will serve this rapidly growing need for home data storage.

The My Book World Edition II network storage system uses RAID 1 (Mirrored ) technology to automatically and continuously maintain a second copy of user’s data. If one drive in the two-drive system ever fails, the system continues to run and the data is safe. In addition, the new
My Book World Edition II network hard drive includes software that simplifies the task of setting up automatic and continuous data backup for all the PCs in the home. The My Book World Edition II storage systems ship in Mirrored mode and use half the capacity for file redundancy.

With its media server capabilities and fast transfer speeds, this high-capacity system makes it simple to build a centralized digital media library that everyone can easily share. Music, photos and videos can be streamed directly from the My Book World Edition II storage system to any PC, Mac or connected DLNA® media player (such as TVs, Microsoft® Xbox 360 and Sony® PlayStation®3 game consoles or wireless digital pictures frames) using the integrated UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) media server and iTunes® Music server software. Users can also securely access their files from anywhere in the world through the Internet using the free MioNet® remote access service included with every My Book World Edition II storage system.

“Families have more and more digital media like movies, photos and music to store, share and protect. Having two drives inside the My Book World Edition II network storage system, instantaneously and automatically duplicating data, offers consumers the peace of mind of double safe, real-time protection of their valuable content,” said Dale Pistilli, vice president of marketing for WD’s branded products group. “Families can relax knowing their valuable media is backed up while enjoying the ability to stream their content to a plethora of different devices from PCs and Macs to PS3s, Xbox 360s and the latest connected TVs.”

Features
The new My Book World Edition II network drive features:
– Automatic, continuous backup for all the computers on your network;
– Dual-drive system that mirrors valuable data for extra safe data protection;
– Centralized storage and sharing for all of your family’s digital content;
– Streaming to any connected PC, Mac or DLNA certified game console or media player;
– Easy remote access to all your data from anywhere, anytime;
– Works seamlessly on networks with both Windows and Mac computers;
– Ability to centralize and stream music collection to a Mac or Windows PC using iTunes software;
– USB 2.0 port to turn any USB drive into an instant network drive or extra capacity for the My Book World Edition II;
– Cooler, quieter, eco-friendly design with drives using WD GreenPower Technology™ which run cooler, quieter and consume up to 33 percent less power ;
– User serviceable;
– Capacity gauge to see at a glance how much space is available on your drive;
– High-speed data transfer with Gigabit Ethernet; and,
 
Product and Pricing Summary
Manufacturer: Western Digital
Product Name: My Book® World Edition™ II
RRP for 4TB: AU$999,99 , NZ$1499,99
Website: http://www.westerndigital.com
Product link and Photos: http://www.westerndigital.com/en/products/products.asp?driveid=589
Australian Distributors:Synnex AU
New Zealand Distributors: Ingram Micro, Synnex NZ
Availability: Now
Warranty:  3-year limited warranty.

Download High Resolution Images
http://www.gapmarketing.com.au/press_images/WD/WDWorldII.zip

About WD
WD, one of the storage industry’s pioneers and long-time leaders, provides products and services for people and organizations that collect, manage and use digital information. The company designs and produces reliable, high-performance hard drives and solid state drives that keep users’ data accessible and secure from loss. Its advanced technologies are configured into applications for client and enterprise computing, embedded systems and consumer electronics, as well as its own consumer storage and media products.

WD was founded in 1970. The company’s storage products are marketed to leading OEMs, systems manufacturers, selected resellers and retailers under the Western Digital® and WD brand names. Visit the Investor section of the company’s Web site (www.westerndigital.com) to access a variety of financial and investor information.

 
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Is your games console taking your electricity bill through the roof?

Research finds that standby power drain caused by games consoles and other entertainment appliances has a significant impact on household electricity bills. By using TrickleStar’s new TV TrickleSaver, gamers can now win more than the game –they can save energy and the planet!

NEW YORK– Wednesday 1 July, 2009 – In today’s society, where the focus on being environmentally aware, friendly and sustainable is key and governments are considering ways in which to reduce carbon emissions – both nationally and globally – standby power also ‘stands up’ as an issue of significance. However, many keen gamers and ‘entertainment gizmo’ junkies may not be aware of the impact that standby power is having on their electricity bills… and the planet!

TrickleStar’s range of products address the issue of standby power that is consumed by PC appliances and TV accessories such as printers, modems, speakers, scanners, games consoles, DVD players, amplifiers etc by stopping the flow of standby power when they are in ‘standby’ mode.

“It’s jaw dropping to see exactly how much of a drain simple things like leaving your games console on, or having amplifiers, satellite receivers and other entertainment devices on permanent standby can have and moreover, the cost they can add to household electricity bills,” noted Bernard Emby, Founder of TrickleStar.
A recently published article that looked at Computer Energy Costs , including the running costs, or ‘power drain’ of games consoles noted that , “the device that consumed the most power in our test when in use was the PlayStation 3, closely followed by the Xbox 360 and Plasma TV. Even when idle (on, but [not] in use), these systems consumed the most power of the devices tested. Incredibly, the Playstation 3 consumed over 10 times as much power as the Nintendo Wii.

Our tests also found that leaving a PlayStation 3 on while not in use would cost almost $250 a year in electricity bills (charged at 15c per kWh). This alone is around five times more than it would take to run a refrigerator for the same yearly period.

The Xbox 360 was not far behind the PlayStation 3 in energy usage costs per year, serving as an important reminder to turn off videogame systems after use.”

“We have developed a range of products that effectively stop the flow, or leakage of electricity caused by standby modes on all sorts of gizmos and gadgets used in the home and office,” Mr Emby added.

“When you consider that standby power has been estimated as contributing to as much as 12% of consumers electricity bills – in the home or office environment – you realise just how much standby power costs, not just for the impact it has on our hip pockets, but on the electrical grid and the planet.”

As a parent, I know what it’s like to have to check whether the kids have turned off the lights, or left the TV and their games consoles in standby mode. By using our products, parents can rest assured that even if their kids have left their games console on or in standby mode, they won’t be draining power and adding to the electricity bill.”

Each of the products in the TrickleStar range is reliable, cost-effective, easy to use, environmentally friendly and offers superior technology to anything else on the market today.

The TV TrickleSaverTM is the simplest and most effective way to reduce the standby power that is consumed by TV accessory devices. The product has inbuilt current sensing circuitry that senses when a TV is on or off.

The ‘sister product’, the PC TrickleSaverTM , has been designed to offer the simplest and most effective way to reduce the standby power that is consumed by PC  peripherals. The product connects to a PC via a standard USB cable and detects the power status of a PC via the USB port.

Both the PC TrickleSaverTM and TV TrickleSaverTM are typically connected to a standard electrical power-strip in order to manage a number of connected devices, so there is no need to replace existing power-strips in the home in order to utilise the TrickleSaver units and save power.

TrickleStar has also developed an online power standby calculator which is on the TrickleStar website (www.tricklestar.com). The calculator enables users to configure their own PC or entertainment system, the hours they use the equipment and the cost of their electricity. The calculator can then provide data specifying the amount of electricity saved, CO2 saved and the ‘environmental payback’ period. The calculator uses independent data sourced from AMEE and DEFRA.

Mr Emby noted, “A report issued in 2001 by the IEA (International Energy Agency) stated that ‘we can reduce standby power consumption by about 74 per cent using cost-effective technologies and design changes’. We see that our range of clever, efficient products offer the way forward when it comes to minimising waste and environmental impact.”

“While every little bit of wasted standby power makes a big impact, every little bit of power that we save makes an even bigger impact and helps us leave a planet for our children’s children. So, in short, every home and business across the globe can benefit from becoming a ‘TrickleStar’ and the environment will thank us all,” he concluded.

TrickleStar’s range of products is now available in the United States, Canada and Mexico as well as a number of other international markets. TrickleStar’s range of TrickleSaver products for North America can also be purchased online at the TrickleStar Store, visit www.tricklestar.com

-ends-

 

For media information, contact:
Kerryn Nelson
Managing Director
Big Mouth Marketing Communications P/L
Ph: + 61 3 9558 3122
E: kerryn.nelson@bigmouth.net.au

About TrickleStar
TrickleStar Pty Ltd was founded in 2007 by Thomas Joergensen and Bernard Emby. A privately held company, TrickleStar is based in Hong Kong and has offices in Singapore, China, UK, USA, Denmark and Malaysia.

TrickleStar has developed a unique suite of products which address the issue of standby power used by both general appliances and PC peripherals and stop the flow of standby power when appliances are in ‘standby’ mode.

TrickleStar has launched its world’s latest ‘truly green’ power saving devices in the USA, Canada, Denmark and Australia – countries where there is greater awareness of the need to reduce carbon emissions.

TrickleStar will launch its products into Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden, Italy and Switzerland in late 2009.

Standby Power
Measurements in many countries have estimated that standby power may be as high as 12% of residential electricity consumption in some economies. 

Many electronic draw standby power 24 hours per day, seven days a week, every month of the year in order that the appliances can act more quickly when the user turns the appliance ‘on’.

As such, standby power is both a constant drain on people’s hip pockets, the electrical grid and has a negative impact on the environment… and our planet.

TrickleStar’s products – designed for PCs, PC peripherals and other electrically powered products – will help to reduce individual and family ‘environmental footprints’ AND electricity bills!

 
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New competitive multiplayer maps for “Halo 3: ODST” revealed

Microsoft and Bungie today revealed the remaining three multiplayer maps for Halo 3: ODST, which are sure to get fans around the world excited.  

The three new “Halo 3: ODST” maps are Heretic, Citadel and Longshore:

Heretic returns players to familiar ground as the “Halo 2” arena Midship makes its long-rumoured debut in “Halo 3.” The stark interior of the Pious Inquisitor might appear austere on first glance, but Heretic’s symmetrical spaces require players to execute complex strategies in order to outplay their opponents. 

Citadel may be a long abandoned Forerunner stronghold, but its small, symmetrical confines are far from secure. Two opposing bases offer little safety for players looking for solace. Instead, Citadel forces small squads to stay in constant communication, keep their heads on a swivel, and be prepared to adjust combat tactics in close quarters.

Longshore lacks the commercial ships that once made it a lucrative port for Old Mombasa, but it still bustles with activity. Designed for large scale combat and well suited for smaller affairs, Longshore’s multitude of industrial buildings, elevated walks, and open inlets conspire to create a complex battleground tailored for multiple combat scenarios.

When “Halo 3: ODST” drops on the 22nd of September, it will deliver a completely new campaign, a new cooperative multiplayer experience called Firefight, the complete “Halo 3” multiplayer experience on a standalone disc, and new competitive multiplayer maps for “Halo 3” you won’t find anywhere else. 

Developed exclusively for Xbox 360 by acclaimed developer Bungie, “Halo 3: ODST” is a new game in the “Halo” saga that lets people experience events leading up to the epic story told in “Halo 3” through the eyes of an ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper), as they search for clues leading to the whereabouts of their scattered squad and the motivations behind the Covenant’s invasion of New Mombasa. 

In addition to a brand new campaign, “Halo 3: ODST” introduces a new cooperative multiplayer mode called Firefight which allows “Halo” fans to experience co-operative gaming in a whole new way: they will be fighting as members of an ODST squad against waves of increasingly challenging enemies across a variety of battlefields. This experience is made even more intense with the integration of “Halo 3’s” “skulls,” which progressively activate as time goes on to alter the gameplay and up the challenge. Players will battle through wave after wave in search of high scores, Achievements and bragging rights.   

“Halo 3: ODST” also includes a second standalone disc with three new “Halo 3” multiplayer maps, all original “Halo 3” maps, as well as the “Legendary,” “Heroic,” and “Mythic” Map packs for a total of 24 maps. 

Purchasing “Halo 3: ODST” will allow “Halo” fans get access to the “Halo: Reach” multiplayer beta when the beta goes live in the future. Announced at E3 2009, “Halo: Reach” is the prequel to the blockbuster “Halo” trilogy and is scheduled for release in the second half of 2010. 

“Halo 3: ODST” is available for pre-order in both a standard package and a “Halo 3: ODST Collector’s Pack” which includes the game and an exclusive, laser etched Wireless Controller.

The “Halo 3: ODST Collector’s Pack” is available at participating retailers. “Halo 3: ODST” will have a recommended retail price of $99.95 and the Collector’s Pack will have a recommended retail price of $149.95. “Halo 3: ODST” is rated “M” for Mature audiences.

Be sure to check out www.halo.xbox.com, http://www.xbox.com/en-AU/games/h/halo3odst/ and www.bungie.net for all the latest information and screenshots of the new maps.

 
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Gus antes up with N-Gage’s first online multiplayer poker title, Million Dollar Poker

Mobile players can now bring their skills to the online table and play against N-Gage users world-wide. Featuring the world-famous poker superstar, Gus Hansen, Million Dollar Poker is now on N-Gage. 

Million Dollar Poker ups the ante for poker on handheld gaming, with sophisticated AI opponents ‘trained’ by poker master Gus Hansen. Hansen worked with Gameloft to create real plays that will challenge every skill level. Players can also compete against their real poker buddies by challenging up to five players to a tournament via their mobile device, using the multiplayer platform on N-Gage.  

There are four main play modes: Online Multiplayer, Exhibition, Career (mixing cash games and tournaments) or Heads-Up Duels.  Just like real world poker, players need to prove themselves in tournaments before they get to sit at the big money tables.  

Million Dollar Poker is now available at http://www.n-gage.com.au

Gus Hansen poker tips, videos and other downloadable content can be found http://gushansen.n-gage.com

 
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What’s On at Melbourne Museum July to October 2009

A Day in Pompeii: Melbourne Winter Masterpieces Exhibition
The drama and tragedy of ancient Pompeii will be showcased in the Melbourne Winter Masterpiece exhibition A Day in Pompeii, on display at Melbourne Museum from 26 June to 25 October 2009.  Exclusive to Melbourne, A Day in Pompeii is developed by Museum Victoria in partnership with the Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei (SAP), and will feature over 250 objects from daily life in Pompeii and surrounds, as well as a number of body casts.
Melbourne Winter Masterpieces is a Victorian Government initiative and is exclusive to Melbourne, Australia. A Day in Pompeii is presented in association with the Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei (SANP).
Date: Until 11 October 2009
Cost: $20 adult, $14 concession, $12 child, $54 family (includes Museum entry)

Ngarjun and Nakun: Our eyes, our footprints
This exhibition explores the powerful collective story of the Mullet family, a Victorian Aboriginal family. Featuring paintings, textiles and objects from four generations of family members, the exhibition demonstrates the knowledge of culture and family connections that have been instilled through the generations by grandparents Albert and Rachel Mullett.
Date: 10 July to 10 October 2009

NAIDOC WEEK 2009 program
NAIDOC Week is an important calendar event celebrating the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In 2009 the week’s theme is ‘Honouring Our Elders, Nurturing Our Youth’. Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre will be hosting a range of activities to celebrate NAIDOC Week. Films from the 2008 Message Sticks Film Festival will be showing, experts will be available to identify and explain objects from your own Indigenous collection and there will be Milarri Garden cultural tours.
Date: 5 to 12 July 2009

Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award Exhibition
This is an annual award-based exhibition showcasing the 10 best Australian contemporary functional designs in lighting, furniture, accessories and homewares. Victorian finalists featured in the exhibition include Bridget Bodenham, Stuart McFarlane and John Hoogendoorn.
The Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award Exhibition is an Object Gallery touring exhibition with the support from Major Sponsor Bombay Sapphire.
Date: 14 August to 25 October 2009

Design Now
Do you ever wonder what the next big thing in design will be? What are the best emerging ideas and trends? See the designs of Australia’s young design graduates who have competed with fellow students to exhibit their work in Design Now The group of finalists represent the best and freshest upcoming designers in Australia.
Design Now is an Object Gallery touring exhibition.
Date: 14 August to 25 October 2009

Dinosaur Walk
Get ready to walk among, around and even above the Museum’s collection of dinosaur skeletons in Dinosaur Walk. Come face-to-face with Amargasaurus and Protoceratop, as well as Quetzalcoatlus, the largest flying animal of all time. Dinosaur fans can touch displays of dinosaur teeth, bones and fossilised poo and discover how dinosaurs moved, what they ate and how they survived in their changing environments. Dinosaur Walk is the first permanent exhibition to be opened as part of Museum Victoria’s Science and Life Gallery redevelopment.
Date: Now showing

Melbourne Museum, Nicholson Street, Carlton. Open daily 10.00am – 5.00pm. Admission: Adult $8, children and concession FREE. For further details phone 13 11 02 or visit museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum

 
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TYSON, ALI, MUNDINE & DIB ENTER THE RING TODAY WITH FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 4

Award Winning Game Now In Stores Worldwide    

Sydney, Australia – Thursday, July 2nd – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that the highly anticipated Fight Night Round 4 is now available in retail stores worldwide. Recently named the Game Critic Awards “Best Sports Game of E3 2009”, Fight Night Round 4 is developed by EA Canada under the EA SPORTS™ brand. Fight Night Round 4 is the latest entry from the critically acclaimed Fight Night franchise, and is the first title ever that will allow players to pit “Iron” Mike Tyson against “The Greatest” Muhammad Ali. 

Designed with a revolutionary physics-based gameplay engine, Fight Night Round 4 replicates the sweet science to an unprecedented degree of realism. Witness gloves grazing off an opponent as he dodges at the last second, or watch as a vicious uppercut rips through the block of a boxer who turtles for too long. With realistic physics, height and reach become major factors in how each boxer approaches a fight. Shorter fighters, like Tyson, will look to weave inside and deliver punishing hooks to the head and body, while taller fighters, like Ali, will use their reach advantage to pump their jab while staying out of range of their opponent’s punches.

An all new career mode, titled Legacy mode, challenges you to move up the ranks from an upstart amateur to become the greatest of all time. Create a boxer from the incredibly robust create-boxer feature, or import your own face into the game using the Photo Game Face tool and bring your virtual self into the ring. Make rivals, challenge for and defend belts as you journey to cement your name among the greatest names in boxing.

With 48 boxers, Fight Night Round 4 will feature the largest roster to ever appear in a Fight Night videogame. In addition to Tyson and Ali, the roster will feature legends and current champions, including Lennox Lewis, George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Anthony Mundine, Billy Dib and Ricky Hatton.  Each boxer’s likeness has been meticulously created with an unparallel level of realism, and their boxing styles re-created to reflect their real-life counterparts strengths and weaknesses in the ring.  

Fight Night Round 4 will be available for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game system from Microsoft. This game has been rated M by the OFLC.  For more information, log onto http://fightnight.easports.com. Media can find images of the cover, screenshots and video at http://info.ea.com.

EA SPORTS™ is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world, with top-selling titles and franchises including Madden NFL Football, FIFA, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR®.

 
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IGNITION ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES AUSTRALIAN RELEASE OF THE FIRST-EVER NEXT GENERATION KING OF FIGHTERS GAME: THE KING OF FIGHTERS XII

Newly Hand-Drawn in High Resolution, The Fight is on in August 2009 on PLAYSTATION®3 and Xbox 360®

Essex, UK – July 2, 2009 – Ignition Entertainment Ltd., a worldwide publisher and developer of video games has announced that All Interactive Entertainment (AIE) will be the exclusive distributor for the widely anticipated The King of Fighters XII in Australia and New Zealand.

With a release date scheduled for 28 August 2009, Australian and New Zealand fans will enjoy the excitement of the next instalment of the hugely successful King of Fighters franchise at the same time as their European counterparts. More importantly, avid fans will embrace a limited edition collector’s box set which features a 15cm figurine of one of the main characters and a copy of The King of Fighters XII game.

The legendary 3-on-3 fighting game series that united rival brawlers from SNK Playmore’s classic arcade franchises celebrates its 15th Anniversary in style with the release of The King of Fighters XII. For the first time in its history, this epic martial arts showdown has undergone a complete graphical overhaul. The antiquated character sprites used over the past 14 years have been dropped in favour of all-new, high-resolution fighters fluidly animating across painstakingly detailed, 100% hand-drawn backgrounds.

“Our development slogan for The King of Fighters XII is “King of Fighters Re-Birth” and we’ve aimed to create an entirely new King of Fighters game. To make this a truly unique fighting game, we’ve revolutionized the graphics by creating state of the art visuals – and made no compromises in that process whatsoever,” said Masaaki Kukino, SNK Playmore.

“I couldn’t think of a more appropriate way to commemorate The King of Fighter’s 15-Year Anniversary than with a gorgeously animated, high-definition installment that updates the King of Fighters legacy for a new generation.” said Shane Bettenhausen, New Business Development Director of Ignition Entertainment. “While other fighting games have abandoned the time-consuming process of creating beautiful 2D art, The King of Fighters XII fully embraces the refined aesthetic beauty that only human hands can produce.”

And it seems that all this effort and attention to detail is certainly starting to pay off with The King of Fighters XII receiving glowing endorsements after this year’s E3.

IGN – Best of E3 2009 – Best Fighting Game – Winner
GameFocus – Best of E3 Fighting Game – Winner
GameSpy – Best of E3 2009 – Best Fighting Game – Runner Up
1UP.com – Best of E3 2009 – Best Fighting Game – Runner Up
GameSpot – Best of E3 2009 – Best Fighting Game – Finalist

— MORE —
The King of Fighters XII has been rated PG – Mild Violence by the OFLC and has a RRP of $89.95 in Australia, with the limited collector’s edition having a RRP of $119.95 in Australia.

 
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HERE COMES GRANDMASTER FLASH IN DJ HERO

DJ ready?  Dance floor ready? Everybody ready?  Let’s go!  Musical legend Grandmaster Flash, the first DJ to make the turntable an instrument, is coming to DJ Hero,  joining the epic list of DJs who will appear as in-game characters and who have created mixes exclusively for the award-winning game.  Along with contributing two never-before-released mixes, Grandmaster Flash lends his unique, recognizable voice and DJ know-how to the game’s tutorial level, schooling players on the game mechanics and the turntable controller.  To top it off, FreeStyle Games created an exclusive mix using two of Grandmaster Flash’s original creations – “Boom” and “Tap.”

Check out and get ready to play as one of the founding fathers of hip-hop and experience his amazing turntable talents in Grandmaster Flash’s Herbie Hancock “Rockit” vs. N.E.R.D. “Lapdance” and Grandmaster Flash “Here Comes My DJ” vs. Gary Numan “Cars” mixes. 

For more information about DJ Hero, please visit djhero.com.  For more information on Grandmaster Flash, please visit grandmasterflash.com.

 
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So what? Are you a rockstar? Get the party started with P!nk in your living room with “Lips”

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – JULY 3, 2009 – As P!nk continues her ‘Funhouse’ tour of Australia, fans all over the country can sing-a-long to three of her most popular tracks on the Xbox 360 game “Lips”. From July 10 “Get the party started”, “Don’t let me get me” and “So what” will be available for download on Xbox LIVE as game add-ons for the popular singing title. 

During the month of July, “Lips” fans can also conquer a wide variety of music genres. Dance to the rhythm of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back” and the Black Eyed Peas’ “Hey Mama” ; create a romantic mood with Jesse McCartney’s ballad “Just So You Know”; or rock out with the three P!nk tracks, along with other popular tunes for 160 Microsoft Points each. 

With a wide selection of songs available and the Xbox 360 wireless light-up microphones, “Lips” has something for everyone as it brings friends together this winter. 

Available July 3:

Baby Got Back – Sir Mix-a-Lot

The Next Movement – The Roots

Shut Up – The Black Eyed Peas

 

Available July 10:

Get The Party Started – P!nk

Don’t Let Me Get Me – P!nk

So What – P!nk

P!nk Song Pack featuring all three songs

 

Available July 17:

Just So You know –Jesse McCartney

Hey Mama – The Black Eyed Peas

Can I Get Get Get – Junior Senior* 

“Lips,” the singing party game from Xbox 360 and iNiS, includes 40 songs on-disc and two Xbox 360 wireless, motion-sensitive microphones.  The microphones are also compatible with other hit music games, making Xbox 360 the destination for music game fans everywhere. More information on “Lips” is available at www.xbox.com/lips.