16-bit original game showcases the franchise’s key elements in ‘1989 style’ 

Sydney, Australia 24^th August, 2012 – Gamers will experience a blast from the past as 2K Games and Gearbox Software today have launched a demake of their hugely popular first-person shooter, Borderlands®.

‘The Border Lands’ is a 16-bit lo-fi game which offers a tantalizing glimpse into the origins of many elements still present in today’s hit franchise. It may not have 87 bazillion guns, or dynamic online co-op but it does fit on five floppy disks!

For those who perhaps unsurprisingly no longer have a working floppy disk drive, the game can also be played online for free at www.wubwub.eu/demake.php.

Gearbox Software and 2K Games teamed up with the BAFTA-winning creative agency, Ralph, to produce the game. The Border Lands is designed with a late 1980’s gaming theme in mind and to coincide with the launch, a retro style ‘video review’ has been posted online at http://youtu.be/ueQx-z4tfr0.

Available internationally on September 20th 2012, Borderlands 2 is the sequel to the critically acclaimed four-player cooperative shooter-looter that combined intense first-person mayhem with role-playing gameplay. Borderlands 2 features all-new characters; skills; imaginative, diverse new environments with unique missions and enemies; and more exciting and fun weapons, equipment and loot than ever before. All of these features come together in a story that takes players to the world of Pandora to take down the notorious Handsome Jack and his corrupt Hyperion Corporation as a solo campaign or with up to four cooperative players.

Gamers who pre-order Borderlands 2 from participating retailers will gain access to the Borderlands 2 Premiere Club, allowing them to download the Gearbox Gun Pack, a Golden Key and the Vault Hunter’s Relic. To pre-order Borderlands 2 please visit http://www.borderlands2.com/preorder/oz.html 

Borderlands 2 is rated MA15+ in Australia and R16 in New Zealand. For more information please visit http://www.borderlands2.com/oz/.

2K Games is a division of 2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.

Explore the Rich and Intricate World of Japan in SimCity Social

Come explore the rich world of Japanese culture in SimCity Social. Decorate and furnish your city with all new items like the peaceful Tea Garden, or fine-tune your business skills with the new Ramen Shop and Sushi Factory. You can embark on new and exciting quests with Brad the fireman, who has just returned from an exchange trip with the Tokyo Fire Service.  Brad has been learning the mystical firefighting techniques of Aiko, but they do not seem to be entirely effective. Help Brad fight fires and save innocent people in your city.

After visiting your city, Japanese CEO Hiro Hatorri thinks that your Toy Factory might be the perfect place to make the latest craze – Mushy Monsters. Make him feel at home and earn his business by building the all new Imperial Palace attraction. You will be rewarded with good business and good fortune. Put your Zen skills to the test with the newest update to SimCity Social.

Official retail pack shot made available as well

Haarlem, The Netherlands – 24 August 2012  – Videogames publisher Iceberg Interactive and French developer Amplitude Studios announce that the highly praised 4x space strategy game Endless Space has been released in retail stores today throughout Western Europe (Germany releases August 31st). The digital version of Endless Space had already been available since 4 July 2012 on Steam and on a multitude of other digital platforms.

The retail version features the Emperor Special Edition of the game and comes with a 48 page manual and a 28 page artbook in a luxurious slipcase packaging.

What the press is saying:

IGN (80%): A smart, polished and intelligent game of countless permutations. Its strength lies in how carefully and how cleverly it’s balanced, as well as how it rewards all kinds of playing styles. We haven’t seen a strategy game quite like this in a while.

Destructoid (75%): It’s a must for anyone looking to experience the genre for the first time; it’s very newcomer friendly, but old hats might find it a bit wanting.

The Escapist (80%): Endless Space smooths over a lot of the issues typical to 4x space, but it also bulldozes perhaps a bit much in the combat.

Game Revolution (90%): Visually, it’s detailed and opulent where it needs to be, yet simple and clean everywhere else. It makes its voluminous level of complexity accessible with a terrific interface which affords a pace and ease of management that few other games in the genre can match

About Endless Space

This galaxy is ancient, and its first intelligent life was the civilization we call the Endless. Long before our eyes gazed upon the stars they flew between them, though all that remains of this people is what we call Dust. A substance found scattered or in forgotten temples, it once gave powers to admirals and galactic governors. The galaxy will belong to the faction that can take control of the Dust and uncover its secrets…

Offenburg, August 24th, 2012 – Black Forest Games announces the release of the public demo of their new game Project Giana (working title).

Jump, dash and twirl your way through Giana’s dream in this demo and utilize the twist to your advantage to get past obstacles, beat enemies and find secret passages. What may look like yet another platformer at first glance quickly shows off its main gameplay feature: the entire game world smoothly transforms from spooky dream to fluffy nightmare at the push of a button. The change isn’t merely visual – you have to time your twists in order to succeed.

The first of the released levels is an introduction to shifting between the worlds and to Giana’s abilities in each of those dreams. The second level demonstrates one of the final stages of the game and offers an advanced challenge for players who want to test their mettle in a fast-paced, world-changing platformer.

Both levels are available directly from the Project Giana website as well as from selected media partners and via BitTorrent download.

Project Giana’s campaign on Kickstarter is about to enter its final week. At this time of writing, 3,500 backers have supported us with over $100,000 in funding. $150.000 are necessary to be able to release the game in foreseeable time. $250.000 will ensure finalizing the game how Black Forest Games has envisioned it. If the campaign hits $300,000, the game will be released not only on PC, XBLA and PSN, but also on OUYA, a new open game console that just recently has been funded on Kickstarter.

– The Critically Acclaimed Action-RPG Coming to PC gamers today – 

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – 27 August 2012 – NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe today announced that Dark Souls^TM: Prepare to Die™ Edition on PC is now available at retailers across Australia and New Zealand. This special, content-enhanced edition of the critically acclaimed Action-RPG developed by FromSoftware will be finely-tuned to cater to the PC gaming audience while retaining all of the deep challenge, rich atmosphere, and compelling gameplay that made the game a worldwide phenomenon. Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition on the PC platform will also include an enhanced PVP mode allowing players to more closely assemble battles against one another online in an all-out fight to the death that fans have demanded. The day one edition will include a stunning art book featuring art from the new Artorias of the Abyss game content, the original soundtrack CD, a DVD containing the complete behind the scenes video series, poster and postcards.

Dark Souls^TM: Prepare to Die™ Edition will include sprawling new maps and environments; new boss characters, enemies and non-playable characters; an arsenal of new weapons and armour; and additional challenging content for stalwart heroes to face as they return to the deadly world of Lordran. Players will also experience an as yet untold chapter in Dark Souls lore set in the dying kingdom of magic known as Oolacile. Unwillingly taken by the abyss and sent back in time, the player becomes the only one who can save Oolacile from the spreading darkness that threatens to engulf the kingdom and all of its people. A separate retail edition of the Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition including Dark Souls™ original game and the new in game content will be coming to Xbox 360® and PlayStation®3 on October 26^th.

With tense dungeon crawling and fearsome enemy encounters, the seamlessly intertwined world of Dark Souls^TM is full of extreme battles, rewarding challenges, nuanced weaponry and magic, and the flexibility to customize each character to suit any desired play style.  The innovative online component allows gamers to draw from the collective experience of the Dark Souls community as they either help or sabotage each other on the journey through the world of Lordran to save the land from darkness. With a massive, seamless open world design, Dark souls encourages deep exploration and an adaptable gameplay experience.

Dark Souls^TM: Prepare to Die™ Edition on PC is available today. Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition will be available for Xbox 360® and PlayStation®3 in Australia and New Zealand on October 25th. For more information on the game please visit www.facebook.com/DarkSouls, www.PrepareToDie.com. 

Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition on PC is the first game published by Namco Bandai Games Europe that will include game registration. This brand new feature will enable users to collect loyalty points when they register their game on www.namcobandaigames.eu/register, these collected points will be redeemable against downloadable contents or rare and exclusive items in the VIP Corner (www.uk.namcobandaigames.eu/vipcorner) for free.

Highly Anticipated Game Re-Imagines the MMO, Ships with No Subscription  

SYDNEY – August 27, 2012: NCsoft®, the world’s premier publisher and developer of massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) and ArenaNet, developer of the renowned Guild Wars franchise, are ready to unleash Guild Wars 2 to millions of eagerly awaiting fans around the world on August 28. Eager fans who pre-purchased the game could log-in on August 25 as part of the Headstart Program, which allows them to experience the game’s groundbreaking dynamic event system, action-oriented combat and meaningful personal story lines three-days early.

“Five years ago we set out to develop a game that finally fulfilled the promise of online worlds,” said Mike O’Brien, president and co-founder of ArenaNet. “We questioned everything that had previously been taken for granted and we never settled for ‘good enough.’ Now, we’re finally ready to introduce Guild Wars 2 to gamers who are looking for the next evolution in online gaming.”

Guild Wars 2 offers players

• Dynamic Events: Guild Wars 2 is a living, breathing world where events occur naturally and in response to players’ actions. This system fosters cooperation between players—everyone who participates is rewarded, and players begin to naturally cooperate instead of compete.
• Personal Stories: Your deeply customized personal story begins when you first create your character, then twists and turns with each fateful decision you make.
• Action-Oriented Combat: Guild Wars 2 is an action game at heart. Survival in combat is based on timing, skill, and movement. Well-timed dodges or combo attacks are integral to any battle. Guild Wars 2 rethinks the outdated class restrictions of other games, giving players the tools and skills they need to play with friends regardless of their class.
• Player vs. Player and World vs. World: Competitive multiplayer in Guild Wars 2 consists of two exciting modes. PvP serves up intense small-unit combat that focuses on skill and strategy, not gear. WvW pits entire servers of players against each other in a two-week-long war on a series of huge maps.

“Guild Wars 2 is launching at a time when players are looking for something different in an MMO: a game that offers them an innovative and unique experience without a monthly subscription,” said O’Brien. “Guild Wars 2 is that game, and we believe it will fundamentally change the way people think about online RPGs.”

For more information on the game and to purchase Guild Wars 2, visit www.myguild.com.au

Sydney, Australia –27 August 2012 – Cooler Master, an industry leading chassis, thermal solution, peripheral, and accessory manufacturer, today adds a formidable new tool of war to its arsenal, the Recon Ambidextrous Gaming Mouse by CM Storm.

Built for All
Sporting an ergonomic design with a Super Grip coated mouse body; Recon delivers a comfortable grip no matter if you are right or left-handed. It features a masterfully crafted body and ultra smooth Teflon mouse feet that provide a natural grip and motion, delivering a truly immersive gaming experience.

Built for Speed
Recon incorporates the latest Avago 3090 optical sensor that provides a range of movement speed that spans both precise and swift movements – 800 to 4000 DPI. Expanding on the ever rising popularity of on-the-fly adjustments, Recon takes it to a whole new level by supporting not only DPI, but also liftoff distance and USB polling rate changes through a quick button press. USB data rate boundaries have been pushed to reduce response times and long-life switches ensure that the Recon will keep up with even the most extreme actions per minute.

Built for Flexibility
In addition, a multi-color mouse wheel light makes identifying the currently active profile a simple task – storing up 5 profiles and 36 macros within the mouse. These features are all accentuated by an imposing design that channels the heart of a gamer.

Take on all opponents with the flexibility and capability of the CM Storm Recon Ambidextrous Gaming Mouse.

Pricing and Availability
Manufacturer: Cooler Master
Product Name: CM Storm Recon ambidextrous gaming mouse
RRP AU$ 79.90
Website: http://www.coolermaster.com.au
Australian Distributors: Rectron / DMA
Availability: Now

About Cooler Master
Cooler Master was founded to provide the best thermal solutions to our customers worldwide. Since its establishment two decades ago, we continue to invest in product development in order to provide leading-edge innovations to people and businesses. Cooler Master’s enclosure technology line-up includes heat sinks and fans, chassis, power supplies, function panels and accessories. Cooler Master has its headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan, with global branch offices located in Europe, America and APAC, so that we can offer to our customers the best service in time. For more information on Cooler Master, please visit www.coolermaster.com.

Second PES 2013 demo rolls out next week

KONAMI shows the constant evolution of eagerly-awaited football title with second, more exhaustive demo

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH today revealed the second playable demo for its stunning PES 2013 title will be released for, Xbox 360® on August 28th and on PlayStation®3 on August 29th, with a Windows PC to follow later in September. The new demo showcases the continued evolution of the game, and offers a truly immersive on-pitch experience.

The demo will be available via Xbox®LIVE Marketplace and PlayStation®Network. The free demo will offer 11 fully-licensed teams, and benefits from a raft of subtle but important gameplay improvements since the first demo was released in July.

“We wanted to show our hand early with PES 2013 as, frankly, there is a lot to enjoy,” commented Jon Murphy, European PES Team Leader for Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH. “However, we are constantly refining the game and this second demo will show fans that we are always striving for perfection, and they will notice many additions and enhancements that bring PES 2013 even closer to matching the grace, unpredictability and skill that top-level football displays.”

The new demo offers six difficulty settings, and allows the user to play ten-minute matches. Since the first demo, the Tokyo-based PES Productions team has been constantly working to analyse how to improve PES 2013, and the new demo is a perfect example of their quest for football perfection. The game’s balance between offense and defence has been equalised, and the targeting of passes using the game’s feted manual control system has been improved. Similarly, the trajectory of passes has been refined, as has the blocking by defenders, shot speed, and the ways referees officiate – including the overseeing of offside situations.

Critically, the AI when a team is passing out of a defensive situation into a potential attacking one has been fine-tuned – an essential part of a game like PES 2013, where passing and movement are central to build up play. Lobs and looping shots have also been made harder to effect, following feedback from the initial demo. Anthems for the starting line-ups have also been implemented.

With the focus of PES 2013 firmly on the field, the new demo also invites players to tackle a selected number of training trials. The full version of the game offers an exhaustive training roster wherein users can familiarise themselves with quick one-twos, tackling manual shooting and passing and dynamic first-touch moves to gain space on a closing defender. The demo will feature a number of these tests so users can experience the sheer level of control PES 2013 offers.

Product Information:
Formats: PlayStation®3, Xbox 360®, Windows PC, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), Nintendo 3DS™, Wii™, PlayStation®2.
Release Date: End September (PlayStation®3, Xbox 360®, Windows PC); October-November (PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), Nintendo 3DS™, Wii™, PlayStation®2)

It’s now easier than ever to stay in touch with your guildmates and access the World of Warcraft® auction house… wherever you go.

Starting today, all of the features that were previously part of the optional World of Warcraft Remote subscription service are now available for free to all World of Warcraft subscribers. These features include:

· Remote Guild Chat – Stay in touch with your guildmates on the go using your mobile phone.
· Remote Auction House – Bid on items, create auctions, and collect gold via your mobile device or through the official World of Warcraft website.

We hope this change will make it easier for players to stay connected to each other and to the game, and we encourage everyone to try out these powerful tools for themselves.

As a reminder, to take full advantage of these features, you’ll need the World of Warcraft Mobile Armory app, available for free for your Android™ device, iPhone®, or iPod® touch.

Features:

Full Character Profiles
· 3D Viewer
· Activity Feed
· Achievements
· Character Stats

Remote Auction House
· Browse Auctions
· Create Auctions
· Bid on Items
· Claim Your Gold

Remote Guild Chat
· Guild & Officers Channels
· Saved Whisper Conversations
· Guildmate Presence
· Chat Push Notifications

Other Features
· Guild Profiles
· Realm Status
· Talent Calculator
· Item Browser

Download the app free here:

Google Play
App Store? for iPhone® and iPod touch®

To access the web-based Auction House, simply visit www.worldofwarcraft.com, log in with your Battle.net® account, view your character profile, and click the Auctions link on the left-hand menu of the profile page.

If you’re a current World of Warcraft Remote subscriber, you’ll receive an email from Blizzard soon with more information about the end of your subscription. In the meantime, you do not need to take any action.

World of Warcraft and Blizzard Entertainment are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., in the U.S., and/or other countries.

iPhone, iPod touch, and iTunes are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Android and Google Play are trademarks of Google Inc. Use of this trademark is subject to Google Permissions. Portions of this page are reproduced from work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.