Free content update and all new Knothole Island Premium Theme also available from Xbox LIVE Marketplace 

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — January 14, 2009 — Since the local launch of “Fable II” on October 24, more than two million gamers worldwide have embarked on a quest to reshape the world of Albion in the image of their hero, whilst the creators of Albion have been hard at work to bring Knothole Island to heroes worldwide. This new world is available today over the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 800 Microsoft points and includes new quests, weapons, and specialty shops available on this mysterious isle off the coast of Albion, as well as new quirky characters that inhabit it.

In addition to the Knothole Island premium download,  players everywhere are able to enhance their “Fable II” experience with a separate free content update* exclusively available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. The update will grant players access to some gifts from the fine people of Knothole Island and will enable them to continue the co-op action with their friends. Gifts include Knight’s Boots, Assassins Gloves, a special Weight Loss Potion, a collectable silver book and more.  

As an additional post-holiday treat for “Fable II” fans, Lionhead Studios and Microsoft Game Studios have created an all-new Knothole Island Premium Theme for the New Xbox Experience, available for 250 Microsoft points. Voyage over to Xbox LIVE Marketplace or Marketplace on the Web at http://www.xbox.com.au  to download the theme.

And, if all of that isn’t enough you can check out the latest instalment of the Lionhead Studio’s Video Diary Series, Video Diary Episode 8 on Xbox LIVE Marketplace, where the developers offer a sneak preview of Knothole Island and reveal some of the challenges faced in the final days of making “Fable II”. You can also check out Episode 8 at www.lionhead.com.

* The free content update must be manually downloaded from Xbox LIVE. This update is included in the Knothole Island premium downloadable content pack, so players that purchase the Knothole Island do not need to separately download the content update. Internet charges apply.

Sydney, Australia, 14th January 2009: FIFA, the world’s governing body of football, Electronic Arts Inc (NASDAQ: ERTS) and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) today announced that Alfonso Ramos, the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2008 Champion, has received his official winner’s trophy at the FIFA World Player Gala in Zurich. Ramos was joined by some of the world’s greatest footballers, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Fernando Torres at the star-studded event which also saw Cristiano Ronaldo crowned the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year. 

The FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC) 2009 has received a record number of entrants with around 320,000 competitors already signed up to compete in this year’s competition. The FIWC has become one of the largest and fastest growing sports gaming competitions in the world with players from around the globe battling it out on EA SPORTS™ FIFA 09 for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) in a bid to be crowned the best virtual footballer in the world and receive the $20,000 1st place prize.  For anyone who thinks they’ve got what it takes, there is still time ahead of 31st March to enter and show the world what you’re made of, so get registered and start laying your claim to the crown.

FIFA, EA and SCEE have also announced that the FIWC 09 grand final in May will take place in Barcelona, one of the world’s greatest football cities. The glamorous grand final marks the culmination of months of qualifying rounds currently taking place both online via the PlayStation®Network and at FIWC 09 Live Qualifier Events around the globe, in countries including Australia, Brazil, UK, Germany, France, Italy, South Africa and the US.

“We got involved in the FIFA Interactive World Cup with the intention of creating an iconic gaming competition, but to achieve the huge increase in competitors that we have seen this year is something that exceeds even our most optimistic predictions”, said Darren Carter, Vice President for Brand and Consumer Marketing, SCEE.  “Everything about the FIWC this year is bigger and better and to see so many competing online on PlayStation Network really highlights how PlayStation® has grown along with the tournament.  We can’t wait to welcome the best virtual footballers to Barcelona, Spain.”

“We are extremely proud to once again be supporting the FIWC alongside FIFA and Sony Computer Entertainment”, said Matt Bilbey, Vice President International Marketing, EA SPORTS. “We believe that FIFA 09 is our best ever football title and we are delighted to see so many gamers battling it out in the game both online and at physical qualifying events around the world. The FIWC has grown over the years to become a truly global gaming competition which captures the heart and spirit of football and gaming and we look forward to crowning this year’s victor at the grand final in May.”

Details about the live qualifier events near you will be made available over the coming weeks at www.FIFA.com/FIWC, so check in regularly to keep your fingers on the pulse of the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2009.  

Footage and photography of the FIWC 08 is accessible on the FIFA Media Channel** now:  http://mediachannel.extranets.fifa.com/regproc.aspx 

* Feature not active in FIWC tournament settings

** Requires registration at http://mediachannel.extranets.fifa.com/RegProc.aspx

Award-Winning Action Adventure Game that Redefined First Person Games Makes its Way to the PC

Sydney, Australia – January 14, 2009 – DICE, an Electronic Arts Inc. studio (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced that the critically acclaimed first-person action adventure title, Mirror’s Edge™ has shipped for the PC to retailers in Australia and will be available at retailers on January 15th. 

DICE also confirmed today that downloadable content (DLC) for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and the PC will be available January 29th. This special DLC pack will challenge players to achieve the fastest times possible on nine races across seven all-new and totally redesigned Time Trial maps. 

Mirror’s Edge is a unique first-person action adventure where players are introduced to Faith, a ‘runner’ in a world where communication channels are highly monitored and the movement of information is closely watched. When Faith’s sister gets framed for murder, Faith finds herself on the edge of the city, on the wrong side of the law. The PC version of the game uses the NVIDIA® PhysX™ physics engine to bring the world of Mirror’s Edge to life with real-world visual effects of wind, weapons impact, and free-motion movements. 

Gamers can download the free demo available now at the PlayStation®Store and Xbox LIVE™ Marketplace. The demo features a tutorial of the game, a segment of the single-player story mode and sections of the addictive Time Trial mode. 

Featured on the front cover of over 40 gaming magazines in 2008, Mirror’s Edge also won numerous critic awards including the Game Critics Award for “Best Original Game” and the IGN award for “Best Action Game” at E3. Mirror’s Edge was developed at EA Digital Illusions CE AB (DICE) in Stockholm, Sweden. The game is rated ”M” by the OFLC. For more information on EA DICE or Mirror’s Edge, please visit www.ea.com, www.dice.se or www.mirrorsedge.com.

MySims Party and MySims Racing for the Wii and Nintendo DS Set to Release in 2009 

Sydney, Australia — January 14, 2009 —Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced the next two titles to be released within the MySims™ Franchise. MySims™ Party and MySims™ Racing, available for the Wii™ and Nintendo DS™, will release in 2009.   

“When we created the MySims world, we believed that the MySims characters could be part of a variety of different gaming experiences.  We are thrilled to bring MySims Party and MySims Racing to fans and new players alike.” said Tim LeTourneau, Executive in Charge of Production for MySims. “We’ve had great success with MySims, with both the original game and this fall’s MySims Kingdom.  Players have really connected with the characters and now we are giving them two completely new and exciting experiences. We believe that MySims Party and MySims Racing, are great ways to couple the creativity and humor players love about the franchise with great multi-player arcade gameplay.” 

MySims Party for the Wii

MySims Party turns any gathering into an instant party with 50 mini games to choose from, each hosted by a different MySim. You and your friends have the chance to Stick the Trick in the extreme snowboarding mini game, outrun a robot in Robo Assault or shake your groove thing with DJ Candy during the Go Go Dancing challenge. Each MySim character brings a unique combination of skill to the mission, with differing levels of endurance, speed and luck giving you the option to choose the best MySim for the task. You can play mini games one right after the other, or you and your friends can compete in a themed festival such as food, music or sports that offers multiple mini games.  

MySims Party for the Nintendo DS

Take the mini games with you! MySims Party for the Nintendo DS offers 40 mini games to choose from. These games, specific for the DS, offer hours of entertainment. You can dig up dinosaur fossils during Excavate-a-Saurus, join Goth Boy on a first person shooter mission during Haunted Hunted or rock out with Air-Guitar-Star! 

MySims Racing for the Wii

Race to the finish line in MySims Racing! Face a variety of tricky MySim opponents on a huge variety of exotic tracks! Take on up to three friends in intense multiplayer racing. During your race, find awesome power-ups such as the heat-seeking jack-o-lantern pumpkin or a bubble dropper that can help you wreck the competition. There are nearly endless customization options so that your car reflects your high-gear personality. You can swap bodies, change paint jobs and add tons of accessories. Not only can you change the look of your car, you can also improve power, acceleration and handling by mixing and matching engines, suspension and tires.  

MySims Racing for the Nintendo DS

Take the race with you! MySims Racing for the Nintendo DS allows you and up to three of your friends to race each other using local wireless or Nintendo Wi-Fi.  

For more information please visit www.mysims.com .   For assets, please visit www.info.ea.com.

AUSTRALIA – January 14th, 2009 – Today Ubisoft announced that it will publish Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC in 2009. Ubisoft is again teaming with Techland to develop Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood, a prequel to the action shooter Call of Juarez™.

“Call of Juarez was well received by gamers and critics,” said John Parkes, Marketing Director at Ubisoft EMEA. “We’re confident this new collaboration with Techland will bring an even bigger and better adventure to fans of shooters and the lawless Wild West.”

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood transports players from a ravaged Civil War-era Georgia to the Aztec ruins of Mexico. In the wildest West ever depicted, players can embody both McCall brothers in an intense storyline full of greed, lust and lawlessness.

A new video for Tenchu Shadow Assassins is now available to either view or download:

To view:  http://uplay.uk.ubi.com/videos/1sexjxrh-tenchu-shadow-assassins-story-line-trailer.htm

To Download:  http://static2.cdn.ubi.com/emea/videos/download/all/Tenchu4_StoryTrailer_pegi_Download_720p.zip

Fall in love all over again with the big-hearted, 185-pound St. Bernard, Beethoven in the latest instalment of the successful Beethoven franchise Beethoven’s Big Break. Available on DVD from March 4, this is a howl-arious must-watch flick for the whole family! With an all-star cast including Jonathan Silverman, Rhea Perlman and Moises Arias Beethoven’s Big Break is a fresh and fun reimagination of the story of Beethoven.Although animal handler Eddie (Silverman) works with lots of creatures, he had a strict NO PETS ALLOWED policy and won’t let his son Billy keep adorable stray dog Beethoven and his family of puppies.

However, when dog-nappers steal the canine star of a movie Eddie is working on, the studio big shots must quickly find a new star. In a bizarre and hilarious series of events, the beloved Beethoven is cast as the lead dog!

Enjoy the action and comedy as larger-than-life Beethoven crashes into Hollywood and into Eddie’s heart in Beethoven’s Big Break, a much-loved addition to everybody’s Beethoven collection.

Cast: Jonathan Silverman – Weekend at Bernies
Rhea Perlman – Cheers
Moises Arias – Hannah Montana
Stephen Tobolowsky – Heroes
Oscar Nunez – The Office
Price: $19.95
Duration: 96 minutes
Classification: G
Genre: Family/Comedy

For more information & images please visit www.universalpictures.com.au

Sydney, Australia – 12 January 2009 – Creative Labs Pty Ltd, a local subsidiary of Creative Technology Ltd and worldwide leader in digital entertainment products, today announced a change in business model.

Creative Labs Pty Ltd will be changing their business model in Australia with all the local operations being consolidated from the Singapore Regional Head Office while maintaining its presence in stores through a number of distribution partners like Altech Computers, Multimedia Technology and its online retail partners.

Bernard Koh, Country Manager, ANZ, Creative Labs said: “Like most businesses today, we have been monitoring and analysing the market situation closely and have taken steps in advance to streamline our sales distribution model to better compete in the market. We believe that by changing our business model flexibly, we will better serve our customers and partners.”

For more information, please visit www.au.creative.com

 – January 12, 2008 – Atari, one of the world’s most recognized video game publishers, announced today that the highly anticipated Ghostbusters: The Video Game is set to release across North America on 16th June 2009 followed by worldwide release on 19th June.  Working closely with Sony Pictures Consumer Products and acclaimed development studios Terminal Reality and RedFly, Atari will bring this completely all-new chapter of the blockbuster Ghostbusters saga to advanced gaming platforms coinciding with the 25th anniversary celebration of the film’s original theatrical release.  Ghostbusters: The Video Game, based on the smash hit motion picture franchise, is penned by original Ghostbusters writers and stars Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd and reunites many of the original cast members to recapture the unique blend of humour and fright that established Ghostbusters as a pop culture sensation.  The game’s launch on 18th June 2009 coincides with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s worldwide debut of the original motion picture on Blu-ray Disc™.

In addition to Aykroyd and Ramis, original Ghostbusters Bill Murray, and Ernie Hudson lend their voices and in-game likenesses to the original story set two years after Ghostbusters II, with Manhattan once again overrun by ghosts and supernatural forces.  The player joins up as a new recruit with the original team, testing a variety of unique equipment and gadgets, to track, wrangle and trap this wide range of awe-inspiring phantasms in an all new funny and frightening battle to save New York City from its latest paranormal plague.
Atari will release Ghostbusters: The Video Game for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®2 system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Games For Windows®, Wii™ and Nintendo DS™. The launch will also leverage Atari’s worldwide distribution network to maximize the presence of Ghostbusters: The Video Game around the globe as Sony marks the film’s upcoming 25th anniversary. For more information on Atari Australia’s entire line up visit www.atari.com.au .

Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II combined to gross over $500 million world-wide at the box office. The film spawned some of the most memorable comedic catch-phrases and scenes in motion picture history. To further celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary milestone this year, Sony Pictures Consumer Products has licensed the property for several new commemorative products including: toys, t-shirts, comic books, prop replicas, and a theme park attraction.  In addition, the original Ghostbusters car (Ecto-1) has been fully restored with plans for special promotional appearances throughout the US and additional replicas touring across Europe.  The Blu-ray Disc release of Ghostbusters will see unsurpassed picture and audio quality and advanced new bonus features including Slimer Mode, a picture-in-picture graphical viewing experience, a featurette on the refurbishing of Ecto-1, and more.

An All-New Phantasy Star Adventure Begins on The Nintendo DS

January 12th 2009 – SEGA® Europe Ltd. And SEGA® of America, Inc. today announced that Phantasy Star™ Ø (pronounced “zero”), the brand new Phantasy Star RPG adventure, will be coming to Australia.  Phantasy Star Ø is one of the most highly anticipated DS titles coming out in 2009, and will feature an innovative touch screen based Visual Chat interface, addictive action-RPG gameplay, impressive visual quality and thrilling multiplayer modes.

“The Phantasy Star series has enjoyed great success because of its intuitive gameplay, unique style and engaging online multiplayer modes, we are therefore very excited to premiere the first Phantasy Star game on the Nintendo DS™,” commented Gary Knight, European Marketing Director for SEGA Europe. “With the advanced features of the Nintendo DS, Phantasy Star Ø will thrill fans of the series but will also appeal to a new generation of gamers.”

Phantasy Star Ø takes place on an alternate Earth 200 years after the “Great Blank,” a massive war that has reduced the once-prosperous civilization to almost nothing.  The surviving Humans have worked hard to exist peacefully and have rebuilt thriving cities.  Those that adventure past the outskirts of these cities, Hunters, explore the vast wilderness and hunt dangerous monsters in an effort to keep their cities safe.  Players will take up the role of the Hunters and select from three types of races, classes and gender for a total of 14 customisable character types.  Each character type will provide a unique experience and give players access to a great range of items, armour and weapons. 

Featuring over 350 unique weapons, gamers will need to venture out to combat dangerous monsters, gain experience and meet new major characters.  As players explore, they will unravel the mystery of the “Great Blank” and discover a dangerous new force that must be stopped.

Featuring both wireless and full Wi-Fi multiplayer options, Phantasy Star Ø takes advantage of the touch screen capabilities of the Nintendo DS and the new Visual Chat feature.  Gamers can now design their own Visual Chat commands that can be used in multiplayer modes.  These Visual Chat commands will be displayed as “text bubbles” above the user’s character, enabling easy and fun communication when adventuring with friends. 

Phantasy Star™ Ø will be released in Summer 2009 exclusively for the Nintendo DS, more details will be revealed in the coming months.  For all press assets, please visit www.sega-press.com.

About SEGA of America Inc.:
SEGA® of America, Inc. is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA® Corporation, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home.  The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.  SEGA of America’s Web site is located at www.sega.com.

About SEGA Europe Ltd.:
SEGA® Europe Ltd. is the European Distribution arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA® Corporation, and a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. SEGA Europe’s web site is located at www.sega-europe.com.