Ubisoft Continues Partnership with Sony Pictures Consumer Products 

Sydney, Australia – April 3, 2009 – Today Ubisoft announced that it will develop and publish a video game based on Columbia Pictures’ and Sony Pictures Animation’s CG film, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Designed for handheld and home gaming consoles, Cloudy with a Chance of MeatballsTM is scheduled for release later this year in conjunction with the November 26th, 2009 release of the feature film.

The development of Cloudy with a Chance of MeatballsTM video game is the third such collaboration in a successful partnership, with Ubisoft having produced top-selling video games based on Sony Pictures Animation’s $190 worldwide box office hit, Open Season, and Academy AwardÒ nominee for Best Animated Feature, Surf’s Up.

“Our past projects together have shown that Ubisoft understands how to translate the artistry and storytelling of Sony Pictures Animation’s films to the world of video games,” said Mark Caplan, Vice President, Licensing-Hardlines and Interactive at Sony Pictures Consumer Products. “Our teams are already working together to create a fun and engaging interactive game that will extend the film experience.”

Sony Pictures Animation’s second animated film to be created in stereoscopic 3D, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs will be the most delicious event since macaroni met cheese.  Inspired by the beloved children’s book, the film focuses on a town where food falls from the sky like rain.  The film features the voices of Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Andy Samberg, Bruce Campbell, Mr. T, and Tracy Morgan. The film is written and directed by Chris Miller and Phil Lord, based on the bestselling children’s book written by Judi Barrett and illustrated by Ron Barrett.  Pam Marsden is the producer.

“We’re pleased to continue our successful partnership with Sony Pictures Consumer Products,” said Christian Salomon, vice president of worldwide licensing at Ubisoft. “Our teams are looking forward to creating a game that will offer parents and children an entertaining experience that they can share together while reliving their favourite moments from the film.”

Visit the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs videogame website at: www.cloudyvideogame.com

BitDefender GameSafe delivers a gamer-focused security suite without the lag 

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – April 2nd, 2009 – BitDefender®, an award-winning provider of antivirus software and data security solutions, today announced the Australian availability of BitDefender GameSafe, an anti-malware suite designed specifically for online gamers and the PC gaming market.  

BitDefender’s GameSafe takes the fight to viruses, worms, spyware, rootkits and phishing – without the annoying in-game lag. GameSafe keeps the impact on processing power, memory and virtual memory to a minimum, allowing gamers to maintain “in game” responsiveness and eliminating interruptions whilst doing battle on the field, on the court or on the track.

When frame rates are critical for peak in-game performance, GameSafe is the agile solution to protect gamers from the gamut of harmful threats that a gaming system is susceptible to. Online gamers often sacrifice security for gaming performance due to the high amount of system resources that traditional security suites require from their system. GameSafe allows the user to maintain in-game responsiveness by minimising processor time, RAM and virtual memory consumption, postponing automatic updates and scans, and eliminating all alerts and pop-ups – ensuring that gamers are never interrupted.

For gamers who prefer to play on a notebook or laptop, GameSafe’s firewall automatically protects the WiFi connection from unauthorised access. Unlike traditional security suites, there is no need to tweak or disable firewalls, which can put a system at risk of intrusions. GameSafe automatically detects and accepts required connections for online games, while hiding the gamer’s system from hackers.

“While there is a wide range of comprehensive antivirus and online security suites already on the market, there is a clear lack of dedicated solutions that are designed, first and foremost, with gamers in mind,” said Bogdan Dumitru, BitDefender’s chief technical officer. “Speed is a matter of life or (virtual) death for these guys, and since most conventional virus protection software can slow down processing performance, many players turn it off and play ‘naked’. Players who do this are exposing their systems to significant risks,” said Dumitru.

GameSafe provides you with the peace-of-mind protection you need, without compromising system performance. Key features include:

‘Gamer Mode’: In one click, ‘Gamer Mode’ automatically minimises processor time and memory consumption, postpones automatic updates and scans, eliminates all alerts and pop-ups, and sets the scanning level to “permissive” so only the most important files are scanned.
 

Antivirus and Antispyware: Featuring BitDefender’s B-HAVE advanced heuristic detection technology, GameSafe identifies and blocks new and zero-day threats before they have a chance of entering your system.
 

Antiphishing: Scans and filters all accessed webpages to reduce the risk of identity-theft by preventing personal information leaks via email or the Web.
 

·         Intelligent firewall: Automatically detects and accepts required connections for online games while hiding your system from hackers. Comprehensive protection for wired and wireless connections.

BitDefender is currently giving gamers the opportunity to win one of three games each week until April 17th 2009. For details of the GameSafe promotion, please visit: www.bitdefender.com.au/gspromo

Availability

BitDefender GameSafe is now available to try or buy via the BitDefender website with an RRP of AUD 44.92.

MELBOURNE, Thursday 2 April, 2009 – Madman is proud to announce the acquisition of the highly-anticipated new anime series, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: BROTHERHOOD, based on the best-selling manga by Hiromu Arakawa.

FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: BROTHERHOOD is a brand-new production from Japan which closely follows the original FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST manga series storyline. The series chronicles brothers Edward and Alhponse Elric and their epic quest for the Philosopher’s Stone, the only thing that can help them undo a terrible alchemic error, which tore their bodies apart.

FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: BROTHERHOOD debuts in Japan on Sunday April 5th at 5pm JST. Madman will be holding a simultaneous premiere screening at Supanova Pop Culture Expo, Brisbane at 6pm AEST.

Following soon after the premiere event, the first episode of FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: BROTHERHOOD will also debut Madman’s online offering of streaming episodes, officially launching Screening Room Plus – a brand-new section of the Madman website, developed exclusively for high-quality, optimised streaming of episodic content.

More anime series are also in the schedule for Screening Room Plus. Launching the site along with FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: BROTHERHOOD are episodes of SCHOOL RUMBLE, DEVIL MAY CRY, BLACK BLOOD BROTHERS, DARKER THAN BLACK, BACCANO!, SHIGURI and D. GRAY-MAN.

All six classes of vehicles revealed in new vehicles gameplay video

– Thursday April 1st 2009 – Showcasing FUEL’s wide ranging on and off-road vehicle line up, including its Cars, Bikes, SUVs, Trucks, Quads and ‘Specials’ classes, Codemasters® and Atari Australia, one of Australia’s leading sources of interactive entertainment, today launched the new ‘Vehicles’ FUEL gameplay video, now available to view and download from www.fuel-game.com.

FUEL’s 70 strong, garage tuned vehicles, each designed to perform differently according to the terrain, are perfect to race and explore the unique and diverse 12,000 square kilometre gameworld. The full range of vehicle classes is showcased in the video, demonstrating how the broad line-up gives players the freedom and scope to choose how they navigate the challenging environment to take the chequered flag.

Supercharged road bikes tear up the asphalt, dirt bikes and scramblers career off-road and roadsters burn rubber on twisty mountain roads. Meanwhile, customised quad bikes perform stunts at breakneck speeds, buggies and SUVs charge across beautifully rugged terrain and, from the ‘Special’ class of vehicles, a dragster speeds across the iconic Utah salt-plains and a hovercraft breaks free of the constraints of terra firma.

Coming this May, FUEL is the ultimate racing sandbox and the bulging roster of vehicles with their accessible, arcade handling delivers a compelling experience for racing fans everywhere. The 70+ strong career mode races and hundreds of extra challenges offer countless hours of high-octane thrills and route editor, which ships with the game, provides almost limitless opportunities for players to create their own fuel-filled races. The FUEL experience is extended yet further online as up to 16 players are able to go head-to-head or explore the entire map in free roam.

With a full day/night cycle and dynamic weather effects including snowstorms, thunderstorms, blizzards, rainstorms and tornados, FUEL is set to revolutionise open world multi-terrain racing when it launches this May for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft® and Games For Windows® LIVE. Get tanked up on FUEL by downloading the trailer video at www.fuel-game.com.

For more information on Atari’s entire product line up visit www.atari.com.au and log on to the Atari Trade Site for all box shots, demos, trailers and online screenshots.

SYDNEY, Aust., April 2, 2009 – Iomega, an EMC company and a global leader in data protection, today announced exciting new features for the Iomega® StorCenter™ ix2 Network Drive, including remote access and peer-to-peer file sharing, as well as ease-of-use enhancements that make the ix2 NAS appliance one of the most versatile home and small business network storage drives available today.

“With the simplest set-up process in the industry, the ix2 not only provides home and small business network storage users with such important features as media serving, Bluetooth and video surveillance capabilities, now we’ve added remote access so users can connect to their files from anywhere in the world, as well as the new standard in peer-to-peer file sharing and much more,” said Jonathan Huberman, President of Iomega and the Consumer and Small Business Products Division of EMC.  “That’s the power of network computing with Iomega and EMC.”

The “New and Improved” StorCenter ix2 NAS Appliance

Here is rundown of some of the new features incorporated into the 1TB* and 2TB StorCenter ix2 NAS:

Remote Access: ix2 users can now connect to their pictures, videos and other files from anywhere in the world – as though they were sitting at their workstation or home computer.  The process is simple: enter a personalised web address into any browser and the user will be easily and securely downloading and uploading their files.  Users can change the settings on the ix2, such as adding users and folders from any web-enabled device.  The first year of remote access is free; with a nominal cost for every year thereafter.  Custom domain names, such as www.yourfamilyname.com, are also available for an additional charge. 
Torrent Download: Considered by many as the new standard in peer-to-peer file sharing, this technology facilitates download management directly to the StorCenter ix2, making it easier and faster to download large media files.  With direct file transfer to the ix2, users can say “Goodbye!” to frustrating unfinished downloads and having to leave your PC on all the time.
Folder Quotas: With all the digital content available today, storage space can disappear a lot faster than you think. Quotas allow users to set a maximum capacity for shared storage folders on the StorCenter ix2 to prevent any of the folders from consuming too much space.  If a folder exceeds 90% of its capacity, the ix2 sends a message so the folder size can be adjusted, if desired.
Jumbo Frame Support: This new feature increases data flow for larger files when network traffic increases, allowing more efficient computing.
Apple® File Protocol (AFP): To simplify file-sharing for Mac users, the ix2 now includes native support of the Apple File Protocol (AFP) file system to facilitate copying files and networking from a Macintosh computer.
 

StorCenter ix2 – General Capabilities

With just four mouse clicks, users of the StorCenter ix2 can configure up to two terabytes of storage and advanced information management, protection and sharing capabilities that can be connected to multiple devices – including wirelessly with Bluetooth – to manage all their digital files.

For home users, built-in support for Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) and Digital Living Network Alliance™ (DLNA) certified devices means the recently DLNA certified StorCenter ix2 can save, store, and play back all kinds of multimedia files – music, photos, videos and other digital content – using not only laptops and desktop computers but any compatible device on a home network, including the popular Sony PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles.

For business users, the StorCenter ix2 offers unique applications to boost office productivity.  In addition to speed, centralised storage capacity and the onboard security to protect all the files on a network, the ix2 delivers optional Bluetooth connectivity, which allows users to send pictures, files and address book contacts directly from cell phones to the StorCenter ix2 for network sharing and data protection.  The StorCenter ix2 also has a unique digital video surveillance capability using a compatible Axis™ video surveillance camera for inexpensive real-time viewing and recording of activity inside or outside the office. 

Fast network performance at the office or in the home is delivered through a Gigabit Ethernet connection, and data is stored on two high-performance SATA-II drives.  Up to two USB devices can be connected to the ix2, including USB printers for network print sharing, a USB Bluetooth dongle for direct uploads, or external USB drives to add incremental storage capacity.

The ix2 includes encryption technology from RSA, the security division of EMC that protects digital data at many of the world’s largest banks and now shields the StorCenter ix2 from viruses or malware.  This is another example of EMC technology integrated into the StorCenter ix2 to help protect users’ data.

The StorCenter ix2 provides data backup and protection with integrated EMC Retrospect® Express backup product.  During the set-up process, users choose files and folders for scheduled automatic backups from all the PCs and Macs on their network.  After that, any changes or additions are updated and saved automatically.  The ix2 also includes MozyHome® online backup, which provides 2GB of free online storage for connected PC and Mac computers with the option to upgrade to unlimited online backup storage for a nominal fee per month per computer.

EMC® LifeLine™ technology integrated into the StorCenter ix2 manages all of the appliance’s potent network-based storage functionality, along with out-of-the-box data protection, file management and media-serving capabilities. 

Availability of New Features

The new features are now shipping with new StorCenter ix2 units.  

Compatibility

The StorCenter ix2 Network Storage appliance is compatible with Windows®, Mac OS®, and Linux® PCs and supports up to two printers or external hard drives. The interface is localised in 11 languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Traditional and Simple Chinese, German, and Russian). Other supported devices include uPnP AV devices, digital media adapters, iTunes™, and PTP (e.g., digital cameras and frames). BlueTooth compatibility requires an optional adapter.

Price and Availability

The 1TB StorCenter ix2 Network Storage appliance is available in Australia for $609 and the 2TB model is available for $979.

About EMC

EMC Corporation is the world’s leading developer and provider of information infrastructure technology and solutions that enable organisations of all sizes to transform the way they compete and create value from their information. Information about EMC’s products and services can be found at www.EMC.com.

About Iomega
Iomega Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of EMC Corporation headquartered in San Diego, is a worldwide leader in innovative storage and network security solutions for small businesses, home offices, consumers and others. The Company has sold more than 410 million digital storage drives and disks since its inception in 1980. Today, Iomega’s product portfolio includes industry leading network attached storage products, external hard drives, multimedia drives including the ScreenPlay™ Drive product line, and the award-winning removable storage technology, the REV® Backup Drive. To learn about all of Iomega’s digital storage products and managed services solutions, please go to the Web at www.iomega.com.au  Resellers can visit Iomega at http://www.ioclub.net/.

SYDNEY, 2 April 2009 – The critically-acclaimed LittleBigPlanet™ for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) has marked the coming of age of gaming as it moves into a new realm defined by creativity and community. This bestselling title from Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCE Aust.) allows players to build their own levels and share them via PlayStation®Network. Nearly two million players worldwide have joined the LittleBigPlanet community since its launch in November 2008, where they, rather than developers, drive the experience by creating game content to share with others.

Each of LittleBigPlanet’s 725,000 user-generated levels is unique. Many are inspired by films, TV shows and games titles, including levels “LittleBigPlanet Takeshi’s Castle”, “LBP Jurassic Park” and “LBP-MotorStorm”, while others use in-game tools to show-off impressive engineering such as the “LittleBigCalculator”, circus-themed “Uncle Fritz’s Funhouse Frenzy” or LittleBigPlanet community favorite “Huge Pinball Machine”. Some players create music levels, requiring the player to push buttons to create a song, while Japanese rock-pop group the Beat Crusaders recently developed their music video for Phantom Planet with LittleBigPlanet. Others play tribute to family and friends, hobbies and passions, while levels like “Illumina Garden” come only from the most active imaginations.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
The Ice Age™: Dawn of the Dinosaurs video game reunites fans with Scrat, Sid, Manny and Diego in an all-new quest based on the upcoming film from Twentieth Century Fox.  As the unlikely herd travels across the tundra and beyond, they stumble upon another world – a lush Dinosaur World teeming with jungles, mysterious plants, fierce dinosaurs, wild new adventures and several new friends.  Taking on the role of more than six playable characters, including everyone’s favourite Ice Age friends and newly introduced characters, players master their unique skills and abilities across more than 15 action-packed levels.  In addition to the expanded features of the single-player gameplay, for the first time in an Ice Age game, players can team up with friends and family in eight competitive multiplayer mini-games.

KEY FEATURES:

Revisit the humour, characters and prehistoric environments from the movie – Players relive adventures from the film and beyond with all their favourite characters – earnest but goofy Sid the Sloth, big-hearted Manny the Mammoth, courageous Diego the Sabre-toothed Tiger and inadvertent troublemaker Scrat – as they all return and join new friends on a wild quest across the frozen Ice Age to the lush Dinosaur World.

For the first time in an Ice Age game, play as multiple characters – Offering more than six playable characters, the game allows players to master the unique abilities and combat skills of each through a wide variety of gameplay including action-platforming challenges, side-scrolling missions and puzzle solving.

Introducing competitive multiplayer mini-games – Another first for the Ice Age game franchise, players will go head-to-head with up to four friends or family members in the all-new competitive multiplayer mini-games. 

Experience continuously changing gameplay through more than 15 levels – Every level presents new and exciting challenges as players learn and master each character’s abilities in order to defeat enemies, traverse dangerous landscapes, avoid obstacles and escape from perilous situations. 

Publisher:    Activision, Inc.

Developer: Eurocom (Console and Games for Windows/PC)
     Artificial Mind & Movement (NDS)

Release Date:   TBA 

Platforms: PlayStation?2 computer entertainment system/PlayStation?3 computer entertainment system/Xbox 360™ video game system from Microsoft/Wii?/Nintendo DS?/Games for Windows ™

Classification Board
Rating: “RP” (Rating Pending)

Sydney, Australia – April 1, 2009 – When aliens attack, monsters fight back in Activision Publishing, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ATVI) Monsters vs. Aliens™, the video game based on the highly anticipated 3D feature film from DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (Nasdaq: DWA), which will debut on April 2nd.  Starting today, gamers can experience heart pounding action and silly antics as they lead a dynamic team of misfit monsters on a mission to protect earth from destruction.   

“Monsters vs. Aliens allows players to control the characters from the film and use their unique abilities to battle alien enemies throughout the game,” said Rob Kostich, head of marketing for licensed properties, Activision Publishing, Inc.  “Players invite a friend to grab a Wii Remote™ or controller and join forces at any time to help clear enemies, collect monster DNA and overcome obstacles as their favourite monster heroes.”

The Monsters vs. Aliens video game calls players into action to battle against Gallaxhar and his alien robot army.  Taking on the roles of The Missing Link, the macho half-ape, half-fish; the gelatinous, indestructible and always hungry B.O.B.; and Ginormica, the 49-foot-11-inch tall woman, gamers team up with the helpful genius Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D. and Insectosaurus, the 350-foot tall grub to defeat the alien invaders.  Players master the unique and diverse abilities of each character as they ooze, brawl, skate, puzzle solve, climb, crawl, jump and race through more than 20 levels on Earth and through outer space. 

Monsters vs. Aliens was developed for the console and PC platforms by Beenox, Inc. and for Nintendo DS by Amaze Entertainment. 

The game is available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the Nintendo Wii and DS, PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStationÒ2 computer entertainment systems, and Games for Windows®.  The console and Game for Windows versions have been rated “PG” (Mild Violence); the handheld game has been rated “G” (General) by the Classification Board.

For more information on the Monsters vs. Aliens video game, please visit www.MonstersvsAliensGame.com.

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: 3 April 2009

Melbourne Museum Comedy Tour
This Comedy Festival, Ben McKenzie, the Man in the Lab Coat, returns to host the Melbourne Museum Comedy Tour. Joining him will be Melbourne comedy legend Janet A. McLeod and The Collectors host and comedian Andy Muirhead for a spooky and exciting trip through Melbourne Museum after hours. Prepare to learn something new and have your funny bone tickled in this evening of science, history and laughter.
Date: 16 to 18 April and 23 to 25 April 2009
Cost: $15 adult, $10 concession

agIdeas 2009 NewStar
The agIdeas NewStar Award is an opportunity for emerging Australian designers to enhance their design career by winning International travelling scholarships. The finalists, ranging from multimedia, 2D or 3D works, are exhibited at Melbourne Museum with winners announced at the agIdeas 2009 International Design Forum.
Date: 24 April to 24 May 2009

H.O.P.E. Project Exhibition
The H.O.P.E. (Hope, Opportunity, Purpose and Education) Project Exhibition features paintings by Indigenous students from Mildura Primary School that reflect their beliefs about who is important to them, where they feel connected and safe and the difference that being part of the project has made in their lives. Each artwork has a unique personal story attached that represents strong cultural identify and hope for the future.
Date: Until 26 June 2009

Top Designs 2009
Be inspired and motivated by the creativity and skills of the best design works from Victoria’s final year VCE secondary school design students. Students’ works range from film, furniture, fashion, graphic design, mechanics, photography, publishing and food. Top Designs also features the development of the final product. View folios, work briefs, production stages, product evaluations and design plans.
Presented in partnership with the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority as part of the VCE Season of Excellence.
Date: Until 12 July 2009

A Day in Pompeii: Melbourne Winter Masterpieces
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 (SAP).
Date: 26 June to 11 October 2009
Cost: $20 adult, $14 concession, $12 child, $54 family (includes Museum entry)

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