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COMIC BOOK HEROES DOCUMENTARY

SCREENING on ABC1 Tuesday 13th August 2013 at 10.00pm

A two-part documentary series that tells the inside story of two ambitious Australian comic book creators and their battle to penetrate the American market.

Best friends Skye Walker Ogden and Wolfgang Bylsma are talented Australians with a crazy dream.

For eight years these Perth men have been producing mature, ground-breaking Australian comic books through their company Gestalt Publishing. They are publishing the likes of Academy-Award® Winner Shaun Tan and Aurealis-Award Winners Justin Randall and Tom Taylor, with other top tier writers and artists from around the world clamouring to work with them.

But the guys are getting older and real life is confronting them with financial, emotional and health realities that they can no longer afford to ignore. With limited readership for graphic novels within Australia and no real profits in sight, they are now forced to grow the business fast. Their best bet is to travel 9,000 miles to the heart of the comic book industry – San Diego Comic-Con International in California. This annual comic convention presents an opportunity for the outsider Australians to showcase their wares to the 120,000 plus people that walk through its doors, as well as meet with reps from Hollywood, keen to snap up the rights for the next big graphic novel adaptation.

Along the way to the U.S. Bylsma and Ogden must navigate the tyranny of distance, logistical mix-ups, health breakdowns and financial stress. When they finally arrive at Comic-Con, they encounter thousands of costumed punters and many famous industry faces including film director Kevin Smith (‘Clerks’), 23-million Bestselling Sci-Fi Author Kevin J Anderson, a producer from ‘The Walking Dead’ TV series and the comic book master himself – Stan Lee.

Will this trip to the States be the gamble that pays off for the struggling comic book publishers? 

Comic Book Heroes tracks the joy and heartache of doing what you truly love. It follows these passionate mavericks and their talented team of artists and writers as they set out to take on the American comic book industry – Australian style. 

Comic Book Heroes is Created, Written and Directed by Nicholas Dunlop. It is produced by Little Star and Wild Fury in association with Screenwest, Lottery West, Screen QLD and ABC TV. 

Gestalt Publishing’s graphic novels are distributed by Madman in Australia and New Zealand: www.madman.com.au/gestalt

Comic Book Heroes official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/comicbookheroesmovie

Gestalt Publishing official website: www.gestaltcomics.com

 
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Spartacus: Legends Now Available On PlayStation Network

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – August 9, 2013 – Ubisoft® has announced that Spartacus: Legends, the free-to-play title based on global hit Starz!® original series is available on the PlayStation Network. Spartacus: Legends delivers a deep and robust fighting game experience with intense visceral combat, ruthless and varied armour and weapons, eight unique and customisable fight styles, and devastating multiplayer action. Ubisoft’s first-ever, free-to-play title on console, Spartacus: Legends is also available on Xbox Live Arcade.

Set during the late Roman Empire, Spartacus: Legends puts players in charge of their own stable of gladiators, with the goal of raising the most powerful house of warriors in all of Capua. Spartacus: Legends allows players to follow in the footsteps of Spartacus as he grows from a mere slave to near mythological status as the Champion of the Capua and Bringer of Rain. Developed by Kung-Fu Factory, Spartacus: Legends will completely immerse players in the glorious world of gladiatorial combat.

 
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Saints Row IV: Prepare to be President with the Inauguration Station

Deep Silver and Volition today released the Inauguration Station for Saints Row IV that will allow players to shape their future Presidents before election day on August 22.

Download the free Inauguration Station ahead of the release of Saints Row IV and create your very own, unique President now!

Enter the election campaign and promote your President in the community on saintsrow.com – the crazier, the better!

Presidents created in the Inauguration Station can be uploaded via the website and can then be transported to virtual Steelport in Saints Row IV to use as playable characters at the game’s launch.

Saints Row IV: Inauguration Station is available today on the Xbox Live® online entertainment network for the Xbox 360® games and entertainment system from Microsoft, as well as through Steam as a digital download for Windows® PC and from tomorrow on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system through PlayStation® Network.

Tip: You can download your characters from Saints Row: The Third to update them for Saints Row IV.  Head over to www.saintsrow.com
to browse an online gallery with thousands of shared community characters.

Saints Row IV launches August 22nd, 2013 in Australia and New Zealand for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Windows PC.

 
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Command & Conquer™ Beyond the Battle: Part 2

In Part 2 of Beyond the Battle, we take a look at the development of an iconic GLA unit for the new Command & Conquer – from concept to art production to implementation. Join us behind the scenes for new reveals, never before seen footage, and exclusive interviews from the lead developers of Victory Games.

 
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Neverwinter: Fury of the Feywild Teaser Trailer

 
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Goth fairytale adventure Heaven’s Hope resumes development; releases trailer

Hanover, Germany – August 8, 2013 – After almost two long years of silence, Hanover-based independent developer Mosaic Mask Studio today confirmed that they have resumed development of their Goth comedy adventure game Heaven’s Hope for PC and Mac. A new trailer was released as well.

Mosaic Mask Studio first began production of Heaven’s Hope in late 2011, after having received a special funding for the development of video games from the Lower Saxony government in Germany. After a rather encouraging first reception by the media however, the independent studio had to put their dream on hold for almost 2 years due to all-too-familiar resource restrictions. Now the Hanover-based indie studio have announced they are finally back, encouraged by the success of fellow adventure game studios.

“We’ve closely followed alternative funding endeavours of fellow adventure game developers over the past year and a half, and their hard-won successes in the crowd funding arena have finally given us the confidence to resume development of Heaven’s Hope,” says Seçkin Ölmez, founder and lead designer at Mosaic Mask Studio. “We’re very open about the fact that Kickstarter is definitely something we will be looking at in the near future, but we’re also open to alternative funding routes at this point. Running a long-term crowd funding campaign on our own website independently might be an option too, for example, as other studios have shown before us.”

Heaven’s Hope is an extraordinary fairytale adventure, inspired by some of the greatest Goth comedy artists of our time. Mosaic Mask puts you in the shoes of apprentice-angel Talorel, a young student of Heaven’s stunt-flying academy who is close to passing the final exam that will finally turn him into a full-fledged angel – but when you suddenly collide with an unknown flying object, you crash onto 19th century Earth near the town of Heaven’s Hope. Accident or not, should the archangels find out that you passed the Heavenly Barriers without permission they will cast you out forever. Accompanied by your best friends Myriel and Azael, it is up to you to raise Heaven and Earth to find your way back up in time for the final exam. But beware of the dangers ahead – Heaven’s Hope is in the firm grip of the Spanish Inquisition, and they will give you hell before they let you return to the skies.

The new trailer gives you a bit of the flavour of the stylized dark, cartoon art style and the magical, but quirky journey that Heaven’s Hope has in store for you. View the trailer and have a look around the new website while you’re at it: http://www.heavenshope-game.com/en/cinema

Mosaic Mask Studio plans to release Heaven’s Hope on PC and Mac platforms as a digital download in Q4 2014, and will offer fully localized versions of the eerie fairytale adventure for both English- and German-speaking audiences.

 
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¬¬Etrian Untold, Unseen, Unheard – Pre-order Bonus Details for Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl

Irvine, Calif. – Aug. 8, 2013Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millenium Girl, the latest edition of the map-making, labyrinth-crawling Etrian Odyssey RPG series is getting a collection of pre-order bonus items called “Etrian Untold, Unseen, Unheard.” The collection will include a 7-track music CD which features an exclusive live version of the game’s opening theme, an exclusive rough sketch version of the same, and other songs, arranged by series composer Yuzo Koshiro. It also includes a design book containing character art, comics and notes. Exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS system, Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl will be released in stores and the Nintendo eShop simultaneously on Oct. 1 for $39.99. More details can be found on the game’s official website.

Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl (EOU) offers two full length experiences: The expanded story mode takes players on a journey to unravel the mystery of the Yggdrasil Tree’s origins, and the classic mode updates the original Etrian Odyssey with new dungeon layouts and challenges. Both versions feature the same gameplay conveniences, updated 3D graphics, and StreetPass abilities as in Etrian Odyssey IV.

The story mode, a first for the series, gives players five pre-made characters, each with their own personalities and dialogue to explore a side of Etria not seen in the first game. Gameplay is interspersed with animated cutscenes by MADHOUSE animation, and with more than 3,000 lines of dialogue, voice acting, and more.

The chart-making mechanic Etrian Odyssey games are renowned for returns, along with first-person dungeon exploring and intense, turn-based combat in new dungeon layouts. EOU also brings new difficulty modes, which can be changed at any time: “Picnic” and “Standard” mode are for players new to RPGs or the Etrian Odyssey series, while “Expert” adds new challenges for veteran adventurers.

Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl releases exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS system for $39.99 and will be available simultaneously in retail stores and in the Nintendo eShop beginning Oct. 1. The box set will be available for pre-orders and the first printing of the game after launch. The game is rated T for Teen by the ESRB.

For more information, including updates on the game, please visit the official website at: http://www.atlus.com/untold.

 
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King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson by Fashion Designer Michael Bush Wins Another Gold Medal at the 2013 PubWest Book Design Awards

Award Marks Second Gold Medal for Best-Selling Book Which Takes Home the Award for Best Gift-Holiday-Specialty Book

Los Angeles, California….August 8, 2013 …..The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson, authored by fashion designer Michael Bush who served as Michael Jackson’s longtime personal designer for 25 years has won the Gold Medal at this year’s PubWest Book Design Awards for Best Gift-Holiday-Specialty book. The PubWest Design Awards were developed to recognize superior design and outstanding production quality of books throughout North America. The PubWest Design Awards is now in its 29th year and will recognize the winners at PubWest 2013 in Santa Fe, New Mexico on November 7-9, 2013. The PubWest Design Awards is judged annually in the spring by a diverse panel of the industry’s top professionals, concentrating on cover and interior design, materials, typography, content and format. The prestigious award recognizes winners in 23 different categories.

The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson by Michael Bush is the first art-driven book about the costumes, apparel, shoes and accessories created and worn by Michael Jackson. It is published by Insight Editions. The book includes hundreds of lavish photographs and a behind-the-scenes look into the process of collaborating with the world’s most legendary and powerful entertainer of our time. The book also includes personal stories from the author who also was a true friend of Michael Jackson. It is a fascinating look into the world of music and fashion that only Jackson could have created. Fans from around the world have made it a must-have book.

“I am beyond thrilled that the book has won the Gold Medal at the PubWest Design Awards this year,” said author Michael Bush. “Working with Michael Jackson for as long as I did was inspiring, fascinating and remarkable. Having now received two Gold Medal Awards in the last few months from two different award programs only reiterates what a tribute this book is to Michael’s enduring legacy.”

The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson also won the Gold Medal (top honor) in the Pop Culture/Leisure category of the awards at the Independent Publishers Book Awards earlier this year. This award from the PubWest Design Awards marks the second Gold Medal the book has received. For more information on the PubWest Design Awards go to www.pubwest.org.

The book is currently available at www.dressingmichaeljackson.com or wherever popular books are sold across the country. A German edition was launched earlier in the year and in 2014 a Chinese version of the award-winning book will become available across China. For more information go to www.dressingmichaeljackson.com

 
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Dragon Nest Europe: Big Summer Update – Many changes and brand new features –

Eschborn, 8th August 2013: Fans of Dragon Nest Europe can enjoy a huge variety of game improvements and new features which also eliminate the community’s most important points of criticism.

The first step towards the Academic and level 50, 60, 70

All of these improvements are merely a small part of all the planned changes that are in store for the players and only are the first step towards the next class update; the Academic, and raising the maximum level cap up to 50, 60 and eventually 70.

Improvements and new features

The number of daily and weekly dungeons runs is not limited anymore and changes in the skill balance provide fairer fights between all the classes in PvP.

To provide players a more convenient user interface, there has been an additional UI modification. This is especially beneficial for the PvP in Dragon Nest which also was updated with new match modes like the Combo Practice mode.

The hardest challenge up to this date has become even harder now. From this day on, players can try to defeat the Mare Oblivion in a hardcore mode. Those who succeed will be rewarded with legendary equipment.

Just in time for the recent heat wave, the brand new swimwear collection is now available in Dragon Nest.

Hot Summer Events

All of those who are just starting their journey through Dragon Nest Europe will benefit from generous starter features like special equipment. Of course, veterans of Dragon Nest will also benefit from special events during the summer time.
More  information  about  all  upcoming  features  and  the  game  itself  can  be  found  on  the official Dragon Nest Europe website http://dragonnest.eu/ and on the official facebook page https://www.facebook.com/DragonNestEu

About eFusion MMOG GmbH

eFusion MMOG GmbH, headquartered in Eschborn, Germany, is the official publisher of Dragon Nest, BlackShot and NavyField in Europe. Founded in 2007 and initially specialised in military games, eFusion MMOG is now extending its game portfolio and focusing on the publication of high quality massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) developed especially in Korea for European markets.

 
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Alternative Soviet Medium Line to be Added to World of Tanks

New Soviet, German, and Chinese machines will enter the fray in Update 8.8

8th August, 2013 – Wargaming, the leading free-to-play MMO developer and publisher, today revealed the first details of Update 8.8 for its MMO action game, World of Tanks.

“Update 8.8 will introduce some very cool new machines into the Soviet and German lines,” said World of Tanks Producer Mike Zhivets. “Strengthened with the addition of even more medium and heavy vehicles, the game’s roster will offer players extra variety, while the rebalance within the German line will provide for a more well-rounded experience”.

The upcoming update will bring an alternative branch of Soviet medium tanks, starting at Tier 6. This new line will include the A-43 (Tier 6), the A-44 (Tier 7), the Object 416 (Tier 8), and the Object 140 that will take its place as the nation’s top medium tier option.

Fans of the German tech tree will see the debut of two new vehicles-the Tier 4 DW heavy chariot and the Tier 6 VK3002 (M) medium tank. The VK3001H heavy tank will be moved to Tier 5, undergo rebalancing, and become a heavy tank, just as the VK3601H.

Update 8.8 will also introduce two new Chinese premium machines-the Tier 8 T-34-3 medium tank and the 112 Tier 8 heavy tank, as well as a new battle arena with autumn setting-Tundra.

About World of Tanks

World of Tanks is the first and only team-based, massively multiplayer online action game dedicated to armored warfare. Throw yourself into the epic tank battles of World War II with other steel cowboys all over the world. Your arsenal includes close to 300 armored vehicles from United States, Germany, the Soviet Union, France, Great Britain and China, carefully detailed with historical accuracy.

A flexible system of authentic vehicle upgrades and development allows you to try any of the vehicles and weapons in the game. Whether you prefer to exhaust your foes with fast and maneuverable light tanks, make deep breaches in enemy lines with all-purpose medium tanks, use the force of giant tanks to eliminate opposing armored forces, or become a heavy sniper with long-range howitzers, each unit type has its own advantages and can be extremely effective when operated by a true tank ace.

But being a great tank commander alone isn’t enough to win! In World of Tanks, it’s all about teamwork. Victory is achieved by combining your combat skills with those of the other members of your team, each playing their own role on the battlefield. Just add your favorite strategy to build your own steel empire and manifest the indisputable authority of the tank power!