Spring school holiday program
Go around the world to the Middle East and participate in a craft workshop where you can discover ancient and beautiful craft traditions of different countries in the Middle East. Be captivated by amazing stories of journeys to Australia from around the world (11am and 1pm). Don’t forget to pick up an Immigration Adventures booklet and explore the Museum in a fun and engaging way.
Date: 19 September to 4 October 2009

Handing on the Key: Palestinians in Australia
For the majority of Palestinians in Australia, there is no lived experience of Palestine. Handing on the Key explores how the link to homeland is passed from one generation to the next through acts of memory. The changing identity of the Palestinian community through generations reveals the different and often emotional connections that Australians of Palestinian heritage have to Palestine.
Date: Until 22 November 2009

Victorian Seniors Festival at Immigration Museum
Join the celebrations at the Immigration Museum for the Victorian Seniors Festival with free tours running for seniors and a series of free Family History internet workshops. The free tours will run each day of the Festival at 10am. Internet workshops will be on 7 & 8 October from 1.30pm to 3.30pm.
Date: 4 October to 11 October

Peter Plowman book launch
The Immigration museum will host the launch of Peter Plowman’s new book, Migrant Ships to Australia and New Zealand 1900-1939, as part of the Victorian Seniors Festival. Peter is the author of a number of books about shipping, which are based on a lifetime of research and a fascination with maritime history that spans the globe. Visitors can explore a key aspect of the history of immigration to Australia with an expert in the field.
Date: 2pm to 4pm, Sunday 4 October

The Joys and Sorrows of Poetic Translation
Melbourne Poets Union presents a discussion about poetic translations at the Immigration Museum. Much of the poetry we read comes to us through translation. But if we don’t know the original language, how can we be sure that the translation does justice to the original? What is more important, to be ‘faithful’ or to be ‘beautiful’? Join the discussion with Chris Wallace-Crabbe, Marietta Elliott-Kleerkoper, Matt Hetherington, Lia Hills, Jeltje and Robyn Peck, all experienced poets and translators of poetry, who will share the secrets of their craft. Bring along your own favourite translated poem to read in the open section.
Date: 2pm to 4pm, Sunday 25 October

Ancient Hampi: The Hindu Kingdom Brought to Life
This international exhibition offers visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in the stunning World Heritage site of Hampi in southern India. Using state of the art digital technologies, this new experience presents stereographic panoramas of an extraordinary site, with all its mythological, archaeological, artistic and historic significance. Ancient Hampi includes animations of Hindu myths and stories, aerial and projected photography, an immersive digital interactive space showing 360-degree panoramic images of the site and is landscape, as well as stunning night photographs of the temples taken by John Gollings.
Dates: Until 26 January 2010

Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders Street, Melbourne. Open daily 10.00am to 5.00pm.
Admission: Adult $8, child/concession FREE. More info 13 11 02 or museumvictoria.com.au/immigration museum

A new single-player level for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is available now for Xbox 360 owners through Xbox LIVE Marketplace and for PlayStation 3 owners through the PlayStation Network. The level features The “Secret Apprentice” in an entirely new mission that continues the story of The Force Unleashed in a new “Infinities” storyline that takes the Star Wars Saga in an entirely new and unexpected direction.

The mission begins at the end of the story of The Force Unleashed and re-imagines the Star Wars Saga as if the Secret Apprentice had killed Darth Vader and taken his place at the Emperor’s side, becoming the most powerful Sith Lord in the universe. The story picks up as the Emperor sends his new apprentice to the planet Tatooine to dispatch Obi-Wan Kenobi — who has been hiding on the planet ever since the events of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. During their hunt for the reclusive Jedi, players will also explore the depths of Jabba the Hutt’s palace and encounter notorious bounty hunter Boba Fett.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed completely re-imagines the scope and scale of the Force and casts players as Darth Vader’s “Secret Apprentice,” unveiling new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy seen through the eyes of a mysterious new character armed with unprecedented powers. Originally released in September 2008, the game quickly became the fastest-selling Star Wars game ever, and has since sold six million units worldwide.

More information about the game can be found at the official website, www.theforceunleashed.com

In-Game Model of Former Lead Singer and Guitarist of Nirvana to Perform Two Hit Singles from the Ten-Times Platinum Album Nevermind in Guitar Hero 5

Sydney, Australia – August 31, 2009 – Remembered as one of the most iconic artists in the history of alternative rock, Kurt Cobain’s enduring legacy continues with his video game debut as one of five exclusive in-game artists in Guitar Hero® 5. The former lead singer and guitarist of Nirvana will be featured as a playable character, performing two of the band’s hit singles from their 1991 genre-defining album Nevermind: “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and a special, previously unreleased live recording of “Lithium.” The band’s breakthrough hit and one of the greatest rock songs of all time, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” helped define the 1990s and will speak to a whole new generation in Guitar Hero 5.

“Kurt Cobain is one of the most recognisable frontmen in rock ‘n’ roll history and it’s an honour to have two of Nirvana’s masterpieces included in Guitar Hero 5,” said Tim Riley, Vice President of Music Affairs for Activision. “This is the first time the original recording of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ has ever been licensed in an entertainment property and we’re thrilled to offer Guitar Hero® fans exclusive access to the unreleased live version of ‘Lithium.’”

Guitar Hero 5 features the strongest, most varied set list to date comprised of master tracks from more than 80 of the hottest bands of today and the biggest classic acts; including Kings of Leon, The Rolling Stones, The White Stripes, Santana, Vampire Weekend, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, plus more than 25 artists from a variety of music genres that will be making their music video game debut. Among the first-time-ever features of Guitar Hero 5 are: Party Play, where players can jump in or drop out of gameplay seamlessly; RockFest, a comprehensive competitive experience available featuring five new head-to-head modes playable online or in your living room; and the ability to play the entire set-list from the first time the game is turned on.

Guitar Hero 5 refines the player experience, enhances the art style and redesigns core features such as GH™Music Studio, making it the most accessible, fun-to-play and authentic experience for seasoned music gamers as well as first-time players. New innovations such as Band Moments, where bands are rewarded for hitting special note streams together and song challenges where gamers are tasked to play through a song a specific way, add a new competitive layer of excitement and accomplishment to the music rhythm genre.

Published by Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), Guitar Hero 5 is being developed by Neversoft Entertainment for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and by Vicarious Visions for the Wii™ system from Nintendo. Budcat is developing Guitar Hero 5 for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. The game is rated “PG” (Mild Coarse language) . For more information about Guitar Hero 5, please visit GH5.GuitarHero.com.

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, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Russia, Japan, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.

Check out the Kurt Cobain Vignette here (121MB) or let me know if you would like a copy sent to you.

For any assets please contact bridget.mckeon@activision.com, for all other inquiries contact:

James Levy

PR Manager

Activision Blizzard

+61 2 8876 5738

James.Levy@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 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 levels of Activision Publishing’s titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, 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, licensees, licensors and third-party developers, counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors and manufacturers, 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 Blizzard’s success in completing the integration of 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, and the other factors identified in the risk factors section of 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.

AVG (AU/NZ) Partners with Star-Tech to Offer Students a 90-day Free Trial of AVG Internet Security 

Melbourne, 31 August 2009 — Effective today, students in university accommodation across Australia are being offered a 90-day free trial of the award-winning AVG Internet Security software under a new partnership between AVG (AU/NZ) Pty Ltd, the Australian, New Zealand and South Pacific distributor of AVG Anti-Virus and Internet Security products, and Australian Internet Service Provider (ISP) Star-Tech Communications.

Star-Tech is Australia’s largest private provider of managed broadband Internet services in the university residential accommodation sector. It currently has 17 live university residential sites across all mainland states with many more in the pipeline.

Jean Morel, Division General Manager of Star-Tech, said, “We use AVG Internet Security ourselves and we know from our research that AVG’s well-trusted anti-virus and Internet security products are already very popular within the university sector. Students are very careful with their money and look for good, reliable products. We’re very confident in offering AVG with its multiple layers of protection to them.”

AVG Internet Security delivers real-time protection against traditional malware threats, including the nearly fifty thousand virus, spyware, adware, worm, rootkit and Trojan threats created each day. This protection is then expanded with a two-way firewall and anti-spam to keep the bad guys out and junk mail spam out of the inbox.

The AVG LinkScanner protection layer allows students to search and surf the web – safe from online threats. LinkScanner checks each web page students try to view in real-time, it blocks the exploits hosted on the hundreds of thousands of poisoned web sites created each day.

Finally, the AVG Identity Protection layer blocks new and unknown threats, including botnets. When the bulk of online threats are trying to steal personal information, it’s vital to have protection against identity theft.

AVG (AU/NZ) Marketing Manager, Lloyd Borrett, said: “Students can then safely surf the Internet, send and receive emails, download music, movies and do their shopping and banking online without fear of being infected or having their identity compromised. This is of prime importance to the many international students who use the internet to manage finances and as a lifeline between home and Australia. The trial includes automatic updates and real-time scans to deliver maximum protection.”

Students can take advantage of the AVG offer simply by clicking through from the Star-Tech on-line log-in page to the software download. At the completion of the 90-day free trial students can then purchase a 12 or 24 month licence for AVG Internet Security.

Peter Cameron, Managing Director of AVG (AU/NZ) said: “Our relationship with Star-Tech is the first of our partnerships with education-based organisations.
We are really delighted to be able to work with a partner who is so focussed on this market. The AVG offering for education is attractive to students as well as schools and educational focussed organisations.”

ENDS

About Star-Tech Communications — www.startech.com.au
Registered as an Internet Service Provider (ISP) with the TIO and ACMA, and established in 1989, Star-Tech Communications is a leading provider of instant, paperless broadband distribution solutions and triple-play services for universities and colleges, as well as the government, hospitality, and corporate sectors, specialising in Ethernet, VDSL, and wireless technologies.

About AVG (AU/NZ) Pty Ltd — www.avg.com.au

Based in Melbourne, AVG (AU/NZ) Pty Ltd distributes the AVG range of Anti-Virus and Internet Security products in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. AVG software solutions provides comprehensive real-time protection against everything from viruses, spam, spyware, adware, worms, Trojans, phishing and exploits to cyber-criminals, hackers, scammers and identity thieves. AVG provides outstanding technical solutions and exceptional value for home, small to medium business and enterprise clients. AVG delivers always-on, always up-to-date protection across desktops, servers and e-mail in the home plus corporations, government agencies, utilities and educational institutions.

AVG products actively protect more than 80 million users worldwide, including more than three million users in Australia and New Zealand.

AVG (AU/NZ) has more than 2400 resellers across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

– Increased performance in same 40-watt ACP power band as previous generations; meets unique requirements of hyperscale datacenters –

· AMD today announced the immediate availability of the new Six-Core AMD Opteron™ EE processor at 40W ACP 

Sydney, Australia – August 31, 2009 – AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced the immediate availability of the new Six-Core AMD Opteron™ EE processor at 40W ACP.  Delivering up to 31 percent higher performance-per-watt over standard Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors¹, the Six-Core AMD Opteron EE processor is tailored to meet the demands of customers who need strong performance, but must trim out every watt possible in a server system and reduce the datacenter’s power draw.

• Many customers requiring this very low power processor deploy dense, large-scale IT projects where system power trumps raw performance and every watt of power savings can have significant positive impact on the bottom line.
• AMD offers a wide range of energy-efficient processors; customers now have 15 low and very low power server processor choices available.
• All of AMD’s low power processors are fully-featured and available with the same AMD Virtualization (AMD-V™) technology and AMD-P features for advanced virtualization and power savings capability as standard power versions. 
• This 40W ACP processor is currently being integrated in custom solutions programs and will be available from system builders for cloud and Web 2.0 customers where density and low power are key considerations.

“It’s important for our industry to look at how technology is being used and where customers have emerging needs,” said Patrick Patla, vice president and general manager, Server and Workstation Division. “The AMD Opteron EE processor enables OEMs to deliver energy-sipping servers that don’t compromise on power management, virtualization or performance features.  It is specifically designed to help address the challenges that are generating a great deal of discussion these days – building and running very dense data centers for Web services, while doing more with less.”

Supporting Resources
AMD Work blog – Energy Efficiency
AMD Work blog – Virtualization Performance
AMD Unprocessed blog
Press Kit
AMD Opteron YouTube Channel
Processor Image

About AMD
Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is an innovative technology company dedicated to collaborating with customers and technology partners to ignite the next generation of computing and graphics solutions at work, home and play. For more information, visit http://www.amd.com.

AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, AMD Opteron, AMD Virtualization, AMD-V, and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

SPEC and SPECpower are registered trademarks of the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation.

¹The result for Six-Core AMD Opteron™ processor Model 2419 EE (SPECpower_ssj™2008  overall 1614 ssj_ops/watt) is based upon data published to Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation as of August 27, 2009. The result for Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ processor Model 2384 (SPECpower_ssj™2008  overall 1166 ssj_ops/watt) is based upon AMD internal testing as of August 12, 2009. The other results stated above reflect results published on http://www.spec.org/ as of August 12, 2009. The comparison presented above is based on the best performing two-socket servers using AMD Opteron™ processor Models 2419 EE and 2384. For the latest results, visit www.spec.org.

EXPLORE THE UNKNOWN, UNEXPECTED AND UNBELIEVABLE AS WARNER HOME VIDEO RELEASES
FRINGE: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON AVAILABLE TO OWN ON DVD FOR $59.95RRP AND BLU-RAY™ HI DEF FOR $79.95RRP FROM 30 SEPTEMBER, 2009

LOADED WITH OVER SIX HOURS OF EXCLUSIVE BONUS FEATURES AND AN EXTRA HOUR OF BLU-RAY CONTENT

Teleportation. Mind control. Invisibility. Astral projection. Mutation. Reanimation. Phenomena that exist on the Fringe of science unleash their strange powers in this thrilling, critically-acclaimed series, as Warner Home Video releases Fringe: The Complete First Season on DVD and Blu-ray™ Hi Def on 30 September, 2009 for $59.95RRP / $79.95RRP.

Packed with nearly 6 hours of special features, including featurettes, production diaries, producer and writer commentaries, deleted scenes, gag reel, Blu-Ray exclusive content and much more, this is one release that fans definitely won’t want to miss!

From J.J. Abrams (Lost), Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (the team behind Star Trek, Mission: Impossible III and Alias) and executive producers Jeff Pinkner and Bryan Burk (both of Lost and Alias), Fringe revolves around three unlikely colleagues – a beautiful, young and determined FBI agent (Anna Torv), a brilliant but off-the-wall scientist (John Noble), and his sardonic, roguish son (Joshua Jackson) – who team up to investigate a series of peculiar deaths and disasters known as “The Pattern.” The trio suspects that someone is using the world as a laboratory. And many of the clues lead them to Massive Dynamic, a shadowy global corporation that may be more powerful than any nation. Season 1 also starred Lance Reddick, Kirk Acevedo, Blair Brown, Jasika Nicole and Mark Valley. Fringe is from Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Fringe has been showered with critical accolades, named as one of USA’s 10 Best TV Shows of 2008 by Entertainment Weekly, and was nominated for a 2009 Writers Guild Award for Best New Series. In addition, the show has achieved ratings success, averaging more than 10 million US viewers a week and ranking as the top new show among Adults 18–49 in its first season.*

“Fringe: The Complete First Season features 20 episodes of the most exciting new show on television and includes over six hours of never-before-seen bonus features.” said Caroline Skillen, WHV Non-Theatrical Marketing Manager. “Warner Home Video is ecstatic to release this much-anticipated science-fiction hit on DVD and Blu-Ray.”

Episodes:

1. Pilot
2. The Same Old Story
3. The Ghost Network
4. The Arrival
5. Power Hungry
6. The Cure
7. In Which We Meet Mr. Jones
8. The Equation
9. The Dream Scape
10. Safe
11. Bound
12. The No-Brainer
13. The Transformation
14. Ability
15. Inner Child
16. Unleashed
17. Bad Dreams
18. Midnight
19. The Road Not Taken
20. There’s More Than One Of Everything

Special Features:
• Evolution: The Genesis of Fringe featurette – The creators of the show discuss how the series unfolded and the qualities that make it so unique
• Behind the Real Science of Fringe featurette – From teleportation to re-animation, Fringe incorporates recent discoveries in science. Consulting experts and scientists who are the authorities in their field address the areas of science which are the inspiration for the show.
• A Massive Undertaking: The Making of Fringe (on select episodes) – An in-depth exploration of how select episodes came to be made: from the frozen far reaches of shooting the pilot in Toronto, to the weekly challenges of bringing episodes to air
• The Casting of Fringe- The story, as told by producers and cast, of how Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble and others came to be cast in the series.
• Fringe Visual Effects featurette – Goes deep into the creation of the shared dream state with some of the biggest VFX shots of the show.
• Dissected Files: Unaired Scenes
• Unusual Side Effects: Gag Reel
• Deciphering the Scene
• Roberto Orci Production Diary
• Gene the Cow montage
• Three Full-Length Commentaries from writers/producers, including J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtman, J.R. Orci, David Goodman, Bryan Burk, Akiva Goldsman and Jeff Pinkner

Additional Blu-Ray Bonus Features:
• Fringe Pattern Analysis – Take a closer look at 6 select scenes from Season 1 with experts who dissect each scene with notes, photos, and diagrams.
• BD-Live enabled features include Media Centre, My Commentary, and commentary on Season 1 finale episode.

Rating:
TBC

Approximate DVD Feature Runtime:
982 mins

Approximate Blu-ray Feature Runtime:
1026 mins

Like “Fringe”? You’ll also LOVE “The Mentalist”

Available on DVD from 23 September 2009.

SYDNEY AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 28, 2009 – Xbox 360 today invites you to experience more fun, more entertainment and more ways to connect with friends and family at even better value. Beginning 22nd September, the recommended retail price (RRP) of an Xbox 360 Elite will drop by $100, retailing for just $449 in Australia. On top of that customers buying an Xbox 360 Elite from the day of the price drop through to October 20th 2009 will receive a bonus copy of the highly anticipated blockbuster title Halo 3: ODST.

With the Xbox 360 Arcade starting at a recommended retail price of just $299, Xbox 360 puts all your entertainment in one place. In time for Christmas, you can play games, watch movies and keep up with your Twitter and Facebook social circles, all from your living room.  The Xbox 360 Pro console will remain available at $399 (RRP) while supplies last and, as announced earlier this year, the Xbox 360 you buy today will work with code-named “Project Natal” and controller-free gaming in the future. 

“With Christmas right around the corner, it’s already time to start looking for entertainment and gifts that everyone will enjoy,” said David McLean, Head of Microsoft Entertainment, ANZ. “If you’re looking for a fantastic social entertainment experience that won’t break the bank, then now is the time to purchase an Xbox 360. I believe we’ve got the best games, more ways to connect with friends and family and so much more on the horizon.”

Having an Xbox 360 at the centre of your living room provides entertainment for any occasion. Whether you’re a casual or hardcore gamer, playing single player or with friends, you can enjoy hundreds of titles that fit your gaming style. Before the end of the year, you will be able to watch some of your favourite movies in the comfort of your home, while you share the fun with friends and family around the world through Xbox LIVE:

 •        Games for Everyone: Enjoy Xbox 360 game favourites such as recently released EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 4 and continue the fun through the holidays with a lineup that is sure to entertain every type of gamer. Hold auditions or sing your heart out with “Lips: Number One Hits” and “Guitar Hero 5”. For those who crave action, players can tear-up the tracks of “Forza Motorsport 3,” jump back into the Halo universe as an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper in “Halo 3: ODST,” or deploy for combat with this year’s highly anticipated title from Infinity Ward, “Modern Warfare® 2,” the sequel to the best selling first person action game in history “Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare®”.

•        More Ways to Connect: Xbox LIVE, the industry-leading online gaming and entertainment network, will soon offer its 20 million community members even more blockbuster partnerships and features, introducing a whole new era of social entertainment in the living room. Starting this spring, you can connect with friends on Facebook and share photos and real-time status updates right from your television, or stay connected to Twitter by reading, posting and replying to Tweets.

•        Movies on Demand: Launching later this year, with Xbox Movies on Demand you will be able to watch a selection of the greatest movies when you want them in 1080p HD quality with no discs, no downloads, no delays2.

•        Your Xbox, Your Way: In the meantime, visit the Xbox LIVE Avatar Marketplace for the latest fashions and download full Xbox 360 titles through Games on Demand.

What’s Cities XL? Virtual cities, Real People

Checkout the virtual world in the latest trailer below

Meet the cheeky monkey who will help you Step & Roll!

Friday 28th August 2009 – SEGA is pleased to announce that Jam, a brand new character, will be making his debut in Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll.

Jam isn’t like any other monkey – he’s your personal athletics trainer! He’ll help you get AiAi and all his friends through the zany puzzles and fun mini games and will keep you laughing all the while with his cheeky antics. If you follow his tips and tricks, you’ll have what it takes to complete each puzzle and mini game with ease.

To take a look at Jam and find out more about the game, please visit www.sega-press.com.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Timbaland himself demonstrates the capability of Beaterator.