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Guardians of Middle-earth Announces New DLC Character – Frodo

As one of the bravest and most famous Hobbits in Middle-earth history, Frodo Baggins joins the battle and is the newest playable Guardian in Guardians of Middle-earth. Frodo Baggins DLC will be available on PlayStation Network and on Xbox LIVE Arcade.

As an instrumental member of the Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo was best known as the ring-bearer during the Quest for the Rings. Before his infamous journey to Mordor, Frodo’s  interests trailed beyond the Shire which could be attributed to his Took bloodlines.

View the trailer here.

In Guardians of Middle-earth, gamers team up as the most powerful heroes from the greatest fantasy epic of all time, bringing up to 10 players together in a competitive multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game.  Featuring select characters from the film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the game allows players to develop and master more than 20 iconic characters. Play as Gandalf, Gollum, Legolas, Sauron and more, forming memorable and unlikely alliances with and against friends. Gamers can connect with other players via an in-game voice communication system, as well as access to a comprehensive online stat and leader board system where they can track friends’ victories and defeats, and more. Now available at select retail stores and via download for Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 and PlayStation Network. For more information, check out guardiansofmiddleearth.com, “like” us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Guardiansofmiddleearth and follow us on Twitter @GuardiansME

 
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Aggressive Advertisers Pose Privacy Risks

Covert User Profiling Through Popular Apps

SYDNEY, Australia, April 1st, 2013 – Ranking Android apps were found to be extremely curious while collecting and uploading location, email address, and user phone numbers to third-party servers, Bitdefender research has found.

A recent study on some 130,000 popular free Android apps revealed that aggressive advertisers breach user privacy by uploading phone numbers to third-party entities. Some 12.87 percent of analysed apps were found to collect and broadcast users’ phone numbers without explicit notification.

Location data and personal email addresses were also accessed and distributed to third parties by 12.03 percent and 7.72 percent, respectively, of analysed apps.

“The thin line between aggressive advertisers and malware is getting blurrier,” said Bitdefender Chief Security Strategist Catalin Cosoi. “While malware may steal passwords and other credentials, aggressive advertisers may collect everything else. Although violating user privacy raises serious concerns, the risk of having collected data used for malicious purposes is greater than most people imagine.”

While some apps may legitimately require access to such data, others access it without the app explicitly needing it to perform adequately. Apps that access browsing history sum up to 6.07 percent, while some apps even require access to photos.

Although some analysed apps have been updated to meet proper user privacy guidelines, previous versions of Texas Poker, by KamaGames, and Paradise Island, by Game Insight International, uploaded user phone number to third parties.

Android users are advised to exercise extreme caution when installing apps and to always check for what permissions they require. Installing a mobile security solution that can detect virulent adware is also recommended, as data privacy should be a top priority.

 
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AWARD-WINNING FILMMAKER MAMORU HOSODA COMING TO AUSTRALIA.

Madman Entertainment, in conjunction with NTV Films are pleased to announce multiple award-winning filmmaker, Mamoru Hosoda (Wolf Children, Summer Wars, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time) will tour Australia this month.

Joined by his long-time collaborator, Yuchiro Saito, animation producer and co-founder of Studio Chizu with Mamoru Hosoda – the studio responsible for Wolf Children – Hosoda-san will be coming to Australia in mid-April, appearing at very special event screening and Q&A sessions for Wolf Children in Sydney (Dendy Newtown, April 15) and Melbourne (Cinema Nova, April 17). Tickets are on sale now and strictly limited. 

Hosoda-san will also be appearing at Supanova Pop Culture Expo on the Gold Coast on April 20, a one-off screening of Wolf Children will follow in the evening at BCC Pacific Fair as a part of the Gold Coast Film Festival program. 

Mamoru Hosoda will be available for a limited round of media interviews in Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast. Please contact Madman Publicity via reply to register your interest.

Often revered as a talent to rival the output of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, Mamoru Hosoda is one of the most exciting animation directors working today. His 2006 debut, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time won praise from the anime community, and picked up the prestigious ‘Animation of the Year’ award at the Japan Academy Prize, amongst numerous other international awards.

With both 2009’s Summer Wars and 2012’s Wolf Children Mamoru Hosoda has cemented his reputation amongst both cinephiles and anime fans alike as a creator of unique, authentic and beautiful works. Both films have also further earned a slew of ‘Animation of the Year/Best Animated Feature’ awards, including dual Japanese Academy Prize awards and Sitges – Catalonion International Film Festival prizes.

About Wolf Children: When Hana falls in love, it feels like a fairy tale. She starts a family and produces two beautiful children – Yuki (Snow), a girl, and Ame (Rain), a boy. But the family harbours a secret – their father is a ‘Wolf-Man’, half human and half wolf, and has passed his affliction on to his children. The family try to reside discreetly in a quiet corner of the city, but their joyful life is shattered when their father passes away. To live peacefully, Hana must make the difficult decision to move Yuki and Ame to a small town and surround them with nature.

 
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RaiderZ: Broken Silence Expansion is Now Live

Monster-hunting MMORPG’s First Expansion Now Available 

(Redwood City, CA) April 3, 2013 — Perfect World Entertainment Inc. today announced the launch of RaiderZ: Broken Silence, the first expansion in the monster-hunting MMORPG. The Broken Silence expansion increases the level cap to 40 and introduces the new region of Cowen Marsh.

“We are excited to bring our first RaiderZ expansion to our devoted players,” said Mark Hill, RaiderZ Senior Producer. “In addition to the new level cap and new region of Cowen Marsh, Broken Silence brings new epic bosses, new gear, new PvP Battle Arena, and an improved party matching system. We hope players will enjoy the new content and we are looking forward to adding even more in the future.”

In RaiderZ, players must “Hunt Together or Die Alone” if they hope to succeed in battles against Rendel’s most deadly creatures. RaiderZ features action-oriented combat system, flexible class system, unique and engaging boss encounters, and stunning environments.

The RaiderZ: Broken Silence expansion includes the following new features:

  • New      Level Cap: with a new level cap of 40,      warriors can gather the necessary strength to fight and protect themselves      from dangers ahead.
  • New      Region: Cowen Marsh was once a      beautiful, lush, and vibrant region full of life. Recent contamination has      turned this area into a toxic wasteland seeping throughout and into the      sacred Temple of Renas.
  • New      Epic Bosses: Cowen Marsh’s toxins have      mutated and defiled the once beautiful creatures of the region. As a      result, some beasts have gained elemental powers while others hideously      mutated their bodies to gain new abilities.
  • New      Gear: Cowen Marsh yields new and      undiscovered treasures from fallen warriors and enemies.
  • Wave      System: With the new Wave System, you      can protect Riode and Rietz from harm by fending off waves of enemies.
  • PvP      Battle Arena: Prove your strength against      other combatants in the new Battle Arena. Test your skills against the      strongest warriors to earn Battle Arena points and new costumes.
  • Improved      Party Matching System: With the      Party Matching System, players can team up with adventurers of similar      combat experience and go on the hunt together in the Kingdom of Rendel.
 
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THIEF Out of the Shadows Trailer

Sydney 3rd March – Garrett, THE Master Thief is back with this announcement trailer for Eidos-Montreal’s next title: THIEF, in development for PC, PlayStation 4 and other next-generation consoles.

There is a rising tide of fear in The City. Hatred saturates every stone and whilst the rich prosper, the less fortunate face misery and repression. Ravaged with sickness and famine, they wait for something to change.

Into this shadowy world steps Garrett the Master Thief in a first-person adventure featuring intelligent design that allows players to take full control, with freedom to choose how they approach and overcome each challenge and forge their own path through the game.

To hear more about Thief, follow us here:

Official Site: http://thiefgame.com/

Facebook:    http://www.facebook.com/Thief

Twitter:        http://twitter.com/thief

Tumblr:        http://thiefgame.tumblr.com/

 
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Cygnett ICON Art Series: Officially-licensed Ronnie Tjampitjinpa case for Samsung Galaxy S4

Launched with this year’s most anticipated Android smartphone, Cygnett is very excited to announce the continued collaboration with grand master Indigenous Artist, Ronnie Tjampitjinpa, for the Samsung Galaxy S4; based on his work called ‘Perentie Dreaming At Walungurru.’

Ronnie Tjampitjinpa is a world-renowned Australian Aboriginal artist and Chairman of Papunya Tula Artists; considered an innovator, a grand master of the Central and Western Desert Art movement and one of our country’s most important artists.

You can find more detail in the attachment and I have some images of the case, artwork and Ronnie painting at his studio in the Northern Territory available for press. And, more information at www.cygnett.com/icon_ronnie_tjampitjinpa

 
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Grand Theft Auto V Official Cover Art

Presenting the official cover art for Grand Theft Auto V featuring Franklin, Michael and Trevor.

You can grab the cover art as a wallpaper or background at www.rockstargames.com/downloads now.

 
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2K and Gearbox Celebrate Smashing Success of Borderlands® 2 by Increasing Level Cap

Borderlands 2 Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack raises level cap to 61
at no cost to Season Pass Holders 

Join the conversation on Twitter using #mayhemawaits

Sydney, Australia – 3rd April, 2013 – 2K and Gearbox Software today announced that the Borderlands® 2 Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack is now available via digital download across all available platforms. The new downloadable content pack will increase players’ level cap from 50 to 61, as well as unlock a third play through of the game via the Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode, and a new pearlescent-colored weapons tier – the rarest on Pandora.

With over 55 editorial awards and nearly six-million units sold-in to date, 2K and Gearbox are celebrating the critical and commercial success of Borderlands 2 and thanking their most passionate fans by including the Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack as part of the Borderlands 2 Season Pass. The pack can also be purchased individually for $8.99 (400 Microsoft Points).

“Millions of vault hunters have spent countless hours adventuring their way through the Borderlands 2 universe,” said Randy Pitchford, president of Gearbox Software. “Raising the level cap takes a significant amount of man hours, but we know fans are eager to continue looting Pandora, and so we’re rewarding our Season Pass holders by offering the Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack for free as a part of the celebration.”

There’s never been a better time to buy the Borderlands 2 Season Pass, which now contains over $60.00 of content for $39.95 (2400 Microsoft Points), a saving of $15 (1200 Microsoft Points). The pass now includes: the increased level cap; Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode; access to a rare pearlescent-colored weapons tier; three previously released add-on content campaigns – Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate’s Booty, Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage, and Sir Hammerlock’s Big Game Hunt – as well as a fourth add-on campaign that is scheduled to be available by June.

“Borderlands 2 continues to captivate audiences well beyond the game’s end, with some of our fans spending hundreds of hours with the game,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “We’re raising the level cap at no cost to our dedicated fans as our way of thanking them for helping to make Borderlands 2 one of 2012’s biggest hits.”

Borderlands 2 is rated MA15+ in Australia and R16 in New Zealand and is available now on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC. For the latest Borderlands 2 news and information, please visit the official Borderlands 2 web site, and follow on Twitter and Facebook.

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

 
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WORLD-FIRST CONVERGENCE OF TV AND GAMING

Defiance, the world-first convergence of a television series and online game, will premiere in Australia on Thursday April 18 at 9:30pm EST on SF, first on FOXTEL.

Hitting Australian televisions within 55 hours of airing in America, Defiance marks a new era in entertainment by being the first-ever series to unite television and online gaming, with the two platforms featuring an interconnected world that influences and impacts the other as the series develops.

Defiance stars Australian lead Grant Bowler (Nolan), Julie Benz (Amanda Rosewater), Stephanie Leonidas (Irisa), Tony Curran (Datak Tarr), Jaime Murray (Stahma Tarr), Graham Greene (Rafe McCawley) and Mia Kirshner (Kenya) and is set in a future Earth scenario where aliens and humans must co-exist on the same planet.

“For the first time on SF, Australian audiences will be transformed from passive viewers to active participants, as they join tens of thousands of other fans exploring an advanced online world that is directly connected to the action on-screen”, says Peter Hudson, CEO of SF.

Defiance the TV program comes from the minds behind Battlestar Galactica and Caprica.

Defiance is a 13-episode series and begins with a two-hour episode on Thursday April 18 at 9.30pm EST on SF, first on FOXTEL. 

The game has been developed by Trion Worlds, a leader in the premium games market. It will be distributed by Namco Bandai in Australia and will be available on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC from April 11.

 
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2013 World Championship Series Unifies Global StarCraft® II eSports

Global partnership with the biggest names in eSports to make StarCraft II professional gaming more exciting and easier to follow than ever before

SEOUL, South Korea—April 3—Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced a new StarCraft® II World Championship Series for 2013 that establishes the first-ever official global ranking system for StarCraft II eSports. Operated in partnership with the world’s premier eSports organizations—the Korea eSports Association (KeSPA), Ongamenet (OGN), GomTV, Major League Gaming (MLG), Turtle Entertainment (ESL), and Twitch—the WCS features elite StarCraft II competition in three leagues (Korean, American, European) and provides a unified, cohesive global structure for players, fans, and major tournament organizers.

In the WCS, players in each league will compete in three seasons and clash in three global season finals, earning points within the WCS’s global ranking system for their performance along the way. The fierce competition will then culminate in a global grand final at BlizzCon® in Anaheim, Calif. this November, where the top-ranked players for the year will compete for the title of StarCraft II World Champion.

 
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