– Have Fun and Learn to Play the Piano on the Go Using a Real Keyboard for the First Time Exclusively on Nintendo DS – 

LYON, FRANCE – August 4, 2009 – NAMCO BANDAI Partners today announced that it will distribute the new game from publisher Game Life, ‘Easy Piano’.  The fun and educational new game lets players enjoy the most realistic piano experience ever on DS thanks to its unique 8-note full-octave keyboard peripheral. The various game modes will guide players’ first steps in the piano world and offer the chance for more practiced players to play all-time classics. The game is scheduled for release in November 2009 in Europe and PAL regions. 

Whether you are playing along with different tracks from the game or learning the piano, for the first time on DS players will be able to practice on a real keyboard and be tutored in the correct finger movements and skills required to become a mobile virtuoso. The 8-note piano keyboard peripheral represents a complete musical octave, but players will have access to a full three octave range while playing.  Players can also choose from piano, guitar or a number of other instruments included with the game depending on how the mood takes them or what their chosen musical opus demands.

The game’s tracklisting contains 40 of some of the world’s most famous songs, spanning time and genres to offer something for everyone. Discover how to play Mozart, or Beethoven then switch styles to hammer out Bohemian Rhapsody, Bittersweet Symphony, Every Breath You Take or even The Jingle Bells theme tune. With 2 different difficulty modes, everyone can have fun testing and improving their keyboard skills.

The creation mode allows players to record up to four 3-minute-long masterpieces, with tools giving everyone the chance to enhance their creativity. Beginners can use simplified staves to assist and practice, while those with more honed skills can get straight into recording their live performances. After listening and correcting the work of one hand, players will then be able to add a second hand to the recording.

The lesson mode is specifically designed for people discovering the wonders of piano playing for the first time, with a series of 10 involving lessons and a host of mini-games to teach the basics of playing and music in a way that never fails to entertain.

About NAMCO BANDAI Partners

NAMCO BANDAI Partners, one of the industry’s leading video game distribution companies, is wholly owned by NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe. The company operates in 50 countries excluding North America (USA and Canada) and Japan, and distributes titles from NAMCO BANDAI Games, Atari and other major publishers on an international and local basis.

About Game Life

Created in January 2007 , Game Life is an original actor on the hand-held and next gen consoles. Our status as a “production company” is new in the video games industry.

This approach is based on quality and long term investment, hence our titles are developped on production periods long enough to ensure their quality, originality and potential.

All our games are created in collaboration with external development studios, amongst the most talented of the planet. Our will is to deliver accessible, user-friendly and of course, exciting games, that can be shared with family and friends.

Horse Life 1 et 2 on Nintendo DS is already a worldwide success with 500 000 units shipped to date.

The music video for The Prodigy’s ‘Take Me To The Hospital’ single will be available exclusively as a world premiere only on VidZone™ for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) from Wednesday 5th of August at 3AM AEST, ahead of the single release on August 31. Directed by Paul Dugdale and filmed at the legendary Pinewood Studios, the video features an energetic and crazed performance from all three band members (Liam, Keith and Maxim). This is the third commercial single from The Prodigy’s chart topping album “Invaders Must Die”.

About VidZone™ on PLAYSTATION 3
Launched in June of this year, VidZone™ is a free service  exclusive to PLAYSTATION®3 that gives you the freedom to view thousands of music videos on demand by streaming them directly to your PS3 and onto your TV screen.

VidZone is completely free to download from PlayStation® Store and extremely easy to use. It allows PS3 owners to take complete control of their music videos, allowing them to watch single videos or create their own library of streaming music, fast forward, rewind, play and pause, and make custom playlists for every occasion. With major music labels on board as well as thousands of independents, VidZone already has over 13,000 videos available.

For more information, please visit www.vidzoneps3.com or contact me.

Sydney, Australia – 04 August, 2009 – WD today announced two new mobile hard drives that reach new capacity extremes. The highlight is a one terabyte model – the industry’s highest-capacity 2.5-inch drive available. Industry-leading 333 GB-per-platter technology enables the new WD Scorpio® Blue™ SATA 2.5-inch hard drives to offer mobile storage device and notebook users an enormous 1 TB capacity. A 750 GB WD Scorpio Blue model also will be available.

The WD Scorpio Blue 750 GB and 1 TB hard drives have a 12.5 mm form factor  and are ideally suited for use in portable storage solutions, such as the newly released My Passport™ Essential™ SE Portable USB Drives. Other applications include select notebooks and small form factor desktop PCs, where quiet and cool operation are important. Both WD Scorpio Blue drives deliver high-performance with a 3 gigabits per second (Gb/s) transfer rate.

“The convergence of the growing mobile computing and digital media trends produces demand for desktop-like capacities in portable devices,” said Jim Morris, senior vice president and general manager of client systems at WD. “Our new WD Scorpio Blue drives enable people to take even more of their digital collections with them wherever they go and, realizing the value of their data, back up their notebooks on their My Passport drives.”
WD Scorpio Blue hard drives offer high-performance, low power consumption and cool operation in portable applications.  They are designed with WD features to be reliable and shock resistant while also delivering industry-leading capacity and performance. 

WD Scorpio Blue Features
WhisperDrive™ – WD’s exclusive WhisperDrive technology combines state-of-the-art seeking algorithms to produce one of the quietest 2.5-inch drives available.
ShockGuard™ – Leading-edge ShockGuard technology combines firmware and hardware advancements to meet the highest combined shock tolerance specifications required for mobile and notebook applications.
SecurePark™ – Parks the recording heads off the disk surface during spin up, spin down and when the drive is off. This ensures the recording head never touches the disk surface, resulting in improved long-term reliability due to less head wear and improved shock tolerance.

Product and Pricing Summary
Manufacturer: Western Digital
Product Name: WD Scorpio Blue 750 GB (model WD7500KEVT) and 1 TB (model WD10TEVT)
RRP for 750 GB: AU$229 , NZ$299
RRP for 1 TB: AU$339 , NZ$429
Website: http://www.westerndigital.com
Product link and Photos: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/Products.asp?DriveID=685.
Australian Distributors: Synnex Australia, Achieva Australia
New Zealand Distributors: Ingram Micro NZ, Synnex NZ, VST
Availability: Now
Warranty:  3-year limited warranty.

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.

Western Digital, WD, the WD logo and WD Scorpio are registered trademarks in the U.S. and other countries; Blue, My Passport, Essential, SecurePark, ShockGuard and WhisperDrive are trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks herein are property of their respective owner. As used for storage capacity, one megabyte (MB) = one million bytes, one gigabyte (GB) = one billion bytes, and one terabyte (TB) = one trillion bytes. Total accessible capacity varies depending on operating environment.  As used for transfer rate or interface, megabyte per second (MB/s) = one million bytes per second, and gigabit per second (Gb/s) = one billion bits per second.  

EDITOR’S NOTES:
WD product photos: http://www.westerndigital.com/en/company/branding/digitalphotos.asp#
Product Spec Sheets: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/index.asp?cat=685
Editorial review samples may be requested via WD’s Web site: http://www.westerndigital.com/en/company/pr/eval_request.asp

The latest trailer for Activision’s upcoming racing game Blur has been released. Get ready to trade paint and collect intense power-ups this spring as you are dropped into heart-pumping, electrified racing action. 

Watch how you can blow someone into the side of a building and mash them into bits here!

For more information visit www.blurgame.com

Sydney, Australia – August 4, 2009 – Suit up and get ready to deploy for more high-speed action this November 10, as Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) revealed plans today to deploy Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized for Nintendo DS™.  Developed exclusively for the Nintendo DS by n-Space, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized will deliver an arsenal of cutting-edge weaponry, vehicles and tactics, arming players with precision controls for battle across the world’s most dangerous hotspots.  Gamers will fight on the ground in intense building-to-building tactical combat, hack into enemy computer terminals, take the controls of military vehicles like Battle Tanks and UAV spy drones, or man the guns of an AC-130 gunship. 

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized will bring the epic Call of Duty intensity of Modern Warfare to Nintendo DS fans through a unique storyline and companion narrative.  The title will also serve up a bevy of features, including a six-player online multiplayer mode that allows friends to host their own server, as well as the brand new Survival Mode, giving players a variety of weapons to hold off waves of oncoming enemy forces and an expanded six-player online multiplayer mode.  Also, Arcade Mode will allow gamers to replay the game’s single-player with a time limit and running score, with extra points awarded for specific achievements.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized will release worldwide on November 10, in conjunction with Infinity Ward’s highly-anticipated Modern Warfare 2, the next instalment to the record-breaking Call of Duty series.  The title is yet to be rated by the Classification Board.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. 

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea.  More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements:  Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties.  Activision Publishing generally uses words such as “outlook”, “will,” “could,” “would,” “might,” “remains,” “to be,” “plans,” “believes”, “may”, “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “estimate,” future,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “project,” “remain,” “scheduled,” “set to,” “subject to,” “upcoming” and similar expressions to help identify forward-looking statements.   Factors that could cause Activision Publishing’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales of Activision Publishing’s titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Activision Publishing’s ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms (including next-generation hardware), declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Activision Publishing’s products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware and related software, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, litigation against Activision Publishing, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, vendors and third-party developers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates, integration of recent acquisitions and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities, Activision Publishing’s success in integrating the operations of Activision Publishing and Vivendi Games in a timely manner, or at all, and the combined company’s ability to realize the anticipated benefits and synergies of the transaction to the extent, or in the timeframe, anticipated.  Other such factors include additional risk factors identified in Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.  The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing  and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect.  These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

Bellevue, Washington–Tozai Games announced today the Deal of the Week promotion on Xbox LIVE for its highly-praised Xbox LIVE Arcade title, R-Type Dimensions. The Deal of the Week promotion for Gold members highlights one exceptional title in the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and is given a reduced price point for one entire week. Xbox LIVE members will be able to find Deal of the Week notices for R-Type Dimensions on the Xbox 360’s dashboard, in the Xbox.com newsletter and in the Xbox LIVE Marketplace at Xbox.com.

“We’re very excited about the value message this sends to the Xbox community,” said Sheila Boughten, President of Tozai Games. “For only 800 Microsoft Points, Xbox LIVE Gold members will get both R-Type and R-Type II, which together make up the R-Type Dimensions title for Xbox LIVE Arcade.”

Tozai Games and developer SouthEnd Interactive updated the two classic space shooter titles with two sets of graphics–both the original graphic set and a new, Hi-Res 3-D set with dynamic lighting–which can be switched back and forth on the fly.

“We also addressed the original game’s incredible level of challenge,” noted the game’s designer, Brett Ballow of Tozai Games. “We decided to create Infinite mode, which gives players an infinite number of lives so that they can experience the entire game from beginning to end.”

R-Type Dimensions was released in February of this year and garnered praise from most reviewers. Ryan Geddes of IGN.com wrote: “R-Type Dimensions is a collaboration among publisher Tozai Inc., … and Swedish developer SouthEnd [Interactive] for XBLA. And the team put a ton of effort into delivering the definitive downloadable R-Type collection.” And IGN named R-Type Dimensions to its Top 10 list of Xbox LIVE Arcade games from the past 12 months.

R-Type Dimensions supports both single-player and two-player co-op missions, making it perfect for Xbox LIVE Gold members looking for an exceptional online co-op challenge.

Further information and a collection of review links can be found online at http://www.tozaigames.com/ under the R-Type Dimensions tab. Members of the media wanting to inquire about interview opportunities or other materials from Tozai Games may do so by e-mailing their requests to:

media@tozaigames.com or scott@scottpelland.com

or by Phone(425) 748-5164 or Fax (425) 644-2185

You can keep up-to-date on all Tozai Games announcements by following them on Twitter @TozaiGames.

R-Type Dimensions © 2009 Tozai, Inc. and Irem Software Engineering, Inc. R-Type and R-Type II are trademarks of Irem Software Engineering, Inc. registered or protected in the US and other countries. All rights reserved. Tozai Games is a trademark of Tozai, Inc. registered or protected in the US and other countries. All rights reserved.

Guitar Hero® fans will soon be able to take center stage and become the rockstar of the show by playing in-game as their own Xbox 360 Avatars in Guitar Hero 5.  When fans take home Guitar Hero 5 on September 16, they’ll be able to import their Avatars, choose their instrument and play along with their personalised characters rocking out to any track on the epic 85-song set list. Taking full advantage of the latest technology available from Xbox LIVE, gamers can choose their band mates and mix and match their Xbox 360 Avatars with Guitar Hero favorites like Judy Nails, Axel Steel and Lars Ümlaüt, or even rip it up alongside in-game talent. Xbox 360 Avatars will also get a Guitar Hero makeover in the game’s Create-A-Rocker mode, where players can further customise their creations with exclusive Guitar Hero clothing and accessories to ensure they look performance-ready.

Guitar Hero 5 features a wide variety of the hottest rock ‘n’ roll bands and will be the most rocking Guitar Hero game yet with new social and interactive features. The entire Guitar Hero 5 set list is at players’ finger tips from the start, featuring genre-defining hits from more than 80 of the biggest rock artists and bands of all time, including The Rolling Stones, The White Stripes, Kings of Leon, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Vampire Weekend, plus more than 25 artists from a variety of rock music genres that will be making their music video game debut. Players take complete control as Guitar Hero 5 allows gamers to personalise and customise how they experience music by being able to play with any in-game instrument combination — multiple vocalists, guitarists, bassists and drummers, in any game mode. With the game’s all-new Party Play Mode, getting the band back together has never been easier. Players can now jump in or drop out of gameplay seamlessly, without interrupting their jam session. Elevating the Guitar Hero series to new heights with unmatched social gameplay, an enhanced style, and new in-game artists, Guitar Hero 5 features new surprises and challenges that will fire-up long-time fret board fanatics and create a new generation of addicts.

Guitar Hero 5 is rated PG (Mild Coarse language).  For more information about Guitar Hero 5, please visit gh5.guitarhero.com.

Accompanying Title Update Offers New FREE Multiplayer Mode;  Download the F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn Demo on August 28 

Beginning September 4, F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin fans will be able to download four all-new single-player levels in the exclusive F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn DLC campaign from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Monolith Studios, for a brand new gameplay experience on the PlayStation®Network for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and Windows™ PC. F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn lets players experience four new single-player missions that coincide with the events in F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, and a simultaneous automatic title-update provides a free Slow-Mo Deathmatch multiplayer mode for use with F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin multiplayer content. A robust game demo of F.E.A.R. 2 Reborn will be released on August 28.

·         Four All New Levels: Face the chaos of Alma’s aftermath from an entirely new point of view: that of Replica Soldier Foxtrot813. As gamers begin the mission as part of an orbital Powered Armor drop to reinforce their squad, the ruined city of Auburn emanates supernatural events and familiar voices, beckoning Foxtrot813 to go against orders from Replica command. Be careful, not everything is as it seems…

·         Slow-Mo Deathmatch:  Through a free title update, gamers obtain a slow-mo powerup to slow down enemies in multiplayer deathmatch, thus gaining a distinct short-term advantage. The longer players hold onto the slow-mo powerup, the more objective points are accumulated, contributing to the overall score. Watch out though, whoever has slow-mo ability becomes a bigger target to everyone else!

Additionally, launching on August 13 is a brand new F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin premium theme for 240 Microsoft Points and picture pack for 80 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360®, as well as a new theme for PLAYSTATION®3. F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn is the third robust DLC pack available for F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, and will become available for Windows ™ PC at a later date. The “Toy Soldiers” map pack launched April 16, with the “Armored Front” map pack following soon after on May 21.

The changing identity of the Palestinian community and the link to their homeland is explored in Handing on the key: Palestinians in Australia at the Immigration Museum from 21 August to 22 November 2009.

The majority of Palestinians living in Australia have no lived experience of Palestine. Handing on the key explores how a sense of cultural identity is passed from one generation to the next through tradition, stories, activism and commemoration and how this continuing journey shapes and changes Palestinian identity through generations.

“The older and younger generations of the Palestinian community have different ideas about what defines their identity”, says Maria Tence, Manager of Community Exhibitions for the Immigration Museum. “This new exhibition explores how Palestinians preserve their culture and hand it on to a new generation”.

Many Palestinians living in Australia expected that they would one day return to their homeland. They left everything in their homes, locking the door behind them and taking the key. Many were unable to return and most homes have since been demolished or are now inaccessible. Today the keys – all they have left of their homes – are a reminder of what they have lost and what they hope someday to reclaim.

“The plan was to stay for a couple of years until I received Australian citizenship and then return to the Arab world, but 16 years later and blessed with two daughters I am still here. Working and living in Australia has had a big impact on my thinking – things are easier, there isn’t that bureaucracy you have to fight all the time – but the dream of a free Palestine will always stay in my mind”, says Imad Sukkar, Palestinian Community Association.

The first wave of Palestinians migrating to Australia was in the late 1960s following the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The beginning of the Lebanese war in 1975 and the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 caused further migrations. The most recent wave came in the aftermath of the Gulf War in 1991. In 2006 there were as many as 7,500 Palestinians living in Australia, with over 1,500 living in Victoria.

Handing on the key celebrates the contribution that Palestinians have made to Australian society and is filled with migration stories. The exhibition also features traditional costumes, travel documents and other mementos that keep the Palestinian connection alive, as well as a video featuring a Palestinian dance group performing a traditional dance called dabkeh, 

The Immigration Museum, through its Community Exhibitions, provides a forum for a community’s shared voices to tell their migration story. Community exhibitions are created by communities themselves with support from the Museum. The Community Gallery has been open for over 10 years, and has hosted more than 50 Community Exhibitions.

Handing on the key: Palestinians in Australia is on show at the Immigration Museum from 21 August until 22 November 2009.

Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders Street, Melbourne. Admission $8 adults, free for children/concessions.
Open daily 10.00am to 5.00pm. Phone 13 11 02 or visit museumvictoria.com.au/immigration museum