Twenty Five against the World in Premier PvP Tournament

Foster City, Calif. – August 8, 2011 – Perfect World Entertainment Inc., a wholly owned US subsidiary of Perfect World Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: PWRD), today unveiled their roster for Team Legacy, which will compete against nine other countries in the second annual Jade Dynasty Global PvP Tournament (August 20 – 22, 2011) taking place in Beijing, China. Players from around the world will be flown in to compete, in front of thousands of spectators, for the ultimate title of best Jade Dynasty PvP team as well as a share of thousands of dollars worth of prizes and customized virtual items.

“With a large number of international versions, Jade Dynasty is one of the most popular MMORPGs in the world with the size of its combined, active playerbase,” said Dean Sakurai, Product Manager for Jade Dynasty.  “The competition our team will face is truly the cream of the crop as each 25-person team is selected from applicant pools that number in upwards of hundreds of thousands of players.”

Seen as the underdog in last year’s world PvP tournament, Jade Dynasty’s team managed to pull several upsets to finish third place.  “Because no one expected our team to place, it was truly an honor for our team to stand on the podium and receive the Bronze Medal,” according to Sakurai.  “This year, we hope to best last year’s performance and go for Gold along with the highly coveted title of Best Jade Dynasty PvP Team in the World.” 

For more information about the Jade Dynasty Global PvP Tournament, Team Legacy, and to follow their progress leading up to and at the tournament, please visit the official website: http://jd.perfectworld.com/worldtournament2011 or join the community: http://www.facebook.com/JadeDynasty

About Perfect World Entertainment, Inc.

Perfect World Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Perfect World Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: PWRD), primarily publishes online games and provides online services in North America. Aiming to provide the best game services to North American players with the highest level of commitment in localization, quality assurance, and user-friendly publishing infrastructure, Perfect World Entertainment has achieved great success and published a number of MMORPGs, including “Forsaken World,” “Legend of Martial Arts,” “Heroes of Three Kingdoms,” “Battle of the Immortals,” “Ether Saga Odyssey,” “Jade Dynasty” and “Perfect World International,” a free-to-play MMORPG which is currently played by millions of people worldwide; and a single-player action-RPG “Torchlight.” 

First Pack of Screenshots Available

London, UK, Paris, FR and San Francisco, CA (8^th August, 2011) — Wargaming.net announces the launch of the website for the recently revealed flight combat action MMO World of Warplanes. Set in the Golden Age of military aviation, World of Warplanes continues the armored warfare theme marked in the highly-acclaimed World of Tanks and will throw players into a never-ending tussle for air dominance.

The website available at www.worldofwarplanes.com will feature the first in-game screenshots and will further introduce world of warplanes with renders, videos, and other materials to keep players in touch with the latest development updates. World of Warplanes will feature a wide range of warbirds, each of them unique in their effectiveness and behavior. Virtual pilots will choose from three main warplane classes – single-engine light fighters capable of engaging enemies in close dogfights, heavy fighters with their deadly straight attacks, and strafing aircrafts, the fearsome threat for ground targets.

The World of Warplanes website will be updated with a fully-featured community section once the game enters the first stages of testing.

“We are thrilled with the launch of a website for World of Warplanes,” said Wargaming.net CEO Victor Kislyi. “We’ll be gradually expanding and developing the website along with the growth of the game and its community.”

Find more about World of Warplanes at:
www.worldofwarplanes.com

Join World of Warplanes at Facebook:
www.facebook.com/WorldOfWarplanes

Follow World of Warplanes at Twitter:
twitter.com/wowp_com

About Wargaming.net®

Wargaming.net® is an award-winning online game developer and publisher, incorporated in the UK. Its 270-strong development team is located in Minsk, Belarus. Since 1998, the company has shipped 13 titles, including acclaimed Massive Assault series, Order of War RTS published by Square Enix, and three add-ons for Blitzkrieg II. At the Russian Game Developers Conference (KRI) in 2009 and 2010, Wargaming.net® was named The Best Developer Company from ex-USSR. At KRI 2011 the company was awarded Industry Prize and World of Tanks® won the Best Game Award. The company’s headliner project, World of Tanks®, gained the Guinness World Record for the Most Players on One Server Simultaneously. Currently, Wargaming.net® is developing the next action MMO, World of Warplanes and a new unannounced project.

Official web site: www.wargaming.net

The wait is over! Australia and New Zealand’s premier photographic competition for enthusiasts is back.

2010 Photo5 winner LouDD

Shot on the Canon EOS 1000D

Sydney, 9 August, 2011 – Celebrating its fifth anniversary, Canon’s biggest annual Australian and New Zealand online photographic competition for amateur photographers, EOS Photo5, is back with ‘5’ fresh challenges and a new judging panel. Launched today, EOS Photo5 2011 will inspire entrants to reach new levels of creativity with their Digital SLR photography.

“EOS Photo5 pushes the boundaries of photographic expression, by challenging photographers of all levels to explore their creativity and take their skills to a whole new level,” says Chris Macleod, Brand Manager – EOS, Canon Australia.

“We’re always stunned by the incredibly creative imagery that people from all walks of life produce based on their unique perspectives on the themed briefs contained in the iconic ‘box’. We’ve got five new briefs and we can’t wait to see what creativity this encourages in people. With the right gear, tips and inspiration, everyone has a shot at discovering their untapped creative potential!”

According to Macleod, last year’s winning images were shot on DSLR cameras ranging from entry-level models such as the EOS 1000D through to the iconic EOS 5D Mark II, favoured by serious photographers.

Fuelled by the massive growth of digital SLR photography and the popularity of online photo sharing, the EOS Photo5 competition attracts more and more entrants each year and the quality of submissions has consistently increased.1 Last year there were over 8,000 entries from Australia and New Zealand, an increase of 45.5% since the competition was first launched.

To reward EOS Photo5 enthusiasts for their ongoing dedication to the competition, this year’s entry rules have changed. Those who entered the 2010 competition are automatically eligible to request one of the limited number of boxes, while new entrants are required to submit an image in order to qualify.

The five briefs contained in the EOS Photo5 box are made up of everyday objects and include instructions to incorporate specific creative photography techniques into a shot. The 2011 EOS Photo5 box is set to test even veteran entrants when it arrives on their doorstop. The briefs remain a secret until their release on 19 September 2011.

Those who miss out on one of the EOS Photo5 boxes can still enter the challenge through the ‘Open Brief’ which is now live on the EOS Photo5 site. Last year, the EOS Photo5 objects were an eye dropper, bubble gum, incense, confetti, and ‘Inspired by sound’ was the ‘Open Brief’.

EOS Photo5 2011 will place a greater emphasis on ‘learning’ in order to encourage enthusiasts to take images they never thought possible. Through the EOS Photo5 website and Canon’s Facebook page the judges’ valuable tips and tricks, from the basic to the more advanced, will be shared to spur photographic experimentation.

Finalists of the 2011 EOS Photo5 competition will be selected by a new judging panel comprising some of the biggest names in photography: Yervant, Mercury, Chris Tovo, Mark Horsburgh, Peter Eastway and Nick Rains.

Ultimately the winners will be determined by the World of EOS community with voting commencing on 9 November 2011. Last year more than 27,000 votes were received from World of EOS members across Australia and New Zealand. Everyone who votes has the chance to win a Canon EOS 7D Super Kit (camera body plus EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens).

The winner of each individual brief will receive a Canon EOS 5D Mark II Premium Kit (camera body and EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens) and an incredible three-day creative photography workshop in Queenstown, New Zealand with EOS Masters Jackie Ranken and Mike Langford.

Similar to last year, in addition to the winners for each of the five briefs, there is also the ‘Portfolio Competition’ for the photographer who enters the best set of images in all five briefs. The winner of the ‘Portfolio Competition’ will also receive a Canon EOS 5D Mark II Premium Kit and the creative photography workshop, as well as a Canon PIXMA Pro 9500 Mark II professional photo printer and the new Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye lens.

Winners will be announced on the EOS Photo5 website on 30 November 2011.

Competition entry is free. To enter go to www.worldofeos.com.au/photo5. Also check the World of EOS Blog for updates and key EOS Photo5 dates.

To watch step-by-step video guides on experimental techniques and how to improve your photography skills go to www.worldofeos.com.au/learn.

Learn more about Canon’s EOS range.

*1 Canon Consumer Digital Lifestyle Index available for download: http://www.canon.com.au/en-au/About-Canon/News-Events/Canon-Digital-Lifestyle-Index

About Canon:
Canon is the world’s leading imaging brand that actively inspires with imaginative ideas that enable people to connect, communicate and achieve more than they thought possible through imaging solutions for business and consumers. Canon’s Australian R&D company, CiSRA, develops and exports digital imaging technologies for use in Canon products worldwide. Canon has ranked among the top-four US patent recipients* for the past 19 years, and had global revenues of around $US45 billion in 2010. Canon Australia also operates Canon Finance Australia, which offers one-stop shopping for customers wanting leasing or finance services. For more information, visit www.canon.com.au, www.facebook.com/canonaustralia, www.twitter.com/canonaustralia, www.youtube.com/canonaustralia

Last week, we introduced you to The Sims Social with our Producer Video which gave an overview of the features and innovations the team has been implementing in the game. Today, we take a closer look at one of the best ways to create mischief with your friends…or shall we say Frenemies? Make your friends laugh and cry with things like rearranging the keys on their keyboards, putting a fish in their bed or implying that their mom is a llama.

Ahead of the confirmed Australian and New Zealand release of 8th September 2011, we have some exciting news for Resistance 3 fans: Insomniac Games has today revealed the fourth of their major 16-player maps for Resistance 3, which brings the fight to the sun-baked, dusty desert town of Alice Springs situated in the Australian Outback.

Tuesday 9^th August – The world of Bodycount^TM is one where players can pull the trigger with “no moral ambiguity about killing absolutely everybody” say the development talent behind the forthcoming shooter that invites gamers to go ballistic. In the second ‘Bodycount: Behind the Bullets’ video series, the team from Codemasters® Studios Guildford showcase the latest turbo-charged gameplay and discuss the design principles that define this unique game-world. The video is now playing at http://www.youtube.com/bodycountgame.

The ‘Behind The Bullets Part 2: The World’ video explores how Bodycount’s art direction, class-based enemies and setting come together to deliver the perfect platform for chaotic firefights. As the developers discuss their determination to step into “different territory”, gameplay footage shows some of Bodycount’s gameplay highlights, including shredding tech, its cover-lean mechanic and AI that work together to deliver aggressive, distinct and exaggerated arcade gunplay.

“You feel like you’re really kicking the ass out of the world,” said Max Cant, Art Director. “There’s so much environmental destruction, you’re never going to get the same playthrough twice, each building will be different.”

Game Director Andy Wilson added “Bodycount’s AI is completely class-based. On top of that we’ve got three factions, the army, the militia and the Target. Whenever these factions meet, they’ll fight in a completely dynamic way and that class-based behaviour on both sides will dictate how that battle plays out. It’s different every time, and it’s going to be a different experience for you each time you go in and attack.”

Bodycount is set to fire into retail on September 1^st for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft® and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.  Sign up for the latest news, screens and videos www.facebook.com/bodycountgame and www.twitter.com/bodycountgame.

Sydney, Australia – August 8, 2011 – Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax® Media company, has announced that it will release a collector’s edition for the highly-anticipated The Elder Scrolls® V: Skyrim™. The limited collector’s edition will be available for Xbox 360^® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and Games for Windows® and can be pre-ordered now through participating retailers in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. 

In addition to including the eagerly awaited game, this premium version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim also includes:

• Alduin Statue. Created in conjunction with the IP Factory, this collector’s only statue stands 30.5cm tall and is made of high quality PVC. Modelled from actual in-game 3D digital files, it showcases Alduin, the World Eater. He stands perched atop one the game’s many dragon walls that teach the player the lethal language of dragons.
• ‘The Art of Skyrim’ Official Art Book. Featuring over 200 pages of striking, full-colour illustrations, sketches and models, this stunning 23.8cm x 30.8cm coffee table book showcases the characters, creatures, environments and weaponry of Skyrim. With a foreword by game director Todd Howard and commentary from Bethesda Game Studios artists, readers will be guided through the game’s iconic visual style.  
• ‘The Making of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’ DVD. This documentary DVD contains exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage, including interviews with the Bethesda Game Studios team as they take you from concept to creation and provide insights into the story, gameplay, setting, legacy of the Elder Scrolls franchise, and much more. 

“We always say that we make the games we want to play. We can also say we create the collector’s editions we’d want to own,” said Pete Hines, VP of PR and Marketing for Bethesda Softworks.  “We all want one of these!”

The extremely limited Collector’s Edition will be available through pre-order from EB GAMES, JB HIFI and GAME.

Developed by Bethesda Game Studios, the makers of the 2006 and 2008 Games of the Year, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim re-imagines and revolutionizes the open-world fantasy epic, bringing to life a complete virtual world open for you to explore any way you choose. Skyrim, which will be available worldwide on November 11, 2011, has already won numerous awards including Best Console Game and Best RPG from the official Game Critics Awards at E3 2011. Wired.com believes it will be “one of the most sprawling, almost impossibly detailed game worlds ever created.” 

For more information on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, visit www.elderscrolls.com.

No Bad Seats offers world first – a front row seat to live concerts and events from across the globe, via pay-per-view web streaming

No Bad Seats (www.nobadseats.com) is the world’s first website to offer a choice of pay-per-view concerts and events from around the world streamed live – in high definition video and audio – via the web straight to your PC, laptop, smart TV, tablet or smart phone.

While live web broadcasting has been gaining in popularity with individual artists, No Bad Seats is the first site to offer a broad range of live (and on-demand), pay-per-view entertainment options all in the one place.

Potentially revolutionising the way we consume live entertainment, No Bad Seats will offer broadcasts of concerts, music festivals, theatre, opera, special events, educational programs and conferences.

Co-founder Kirsty Stewart says that No Bad Seats will not only ensure you never again miss out on tickets to see your favourite artists, but it will also open up access to live entertainment for those living in remote and regional areas, those who find travelling to events difficult, and parents with young children.

“Live web casting closes the geographical gap, allowing people to access live performances no matter where they live,” said Ms Stewart. “And for those who find it physically or economically prohibitive to attend live entertainment, No Bad Seats provides an in-home, cost effective alternative.”

Prices for viewing an event on No Bad Seats are set by the artist or promoter, but are generally only a fraction of the cost of the normal ticket price.

While web casting will never completely replace the experience of being at a live performance in person, Ms Stewart says that No Bad Seats has done everything possible to retain the excitement and social exchange that happens at a live event.

“We stream in up to high definition video and audio, and social media feeds will be a feature of every live broadcast so you can participate in the discussion as it happens and be part of a group all experiencing it at the same time,” said Ms Stewart.

For concert promoters and entertainers, No Bad Seats offers a lucrative additional revenue stream, allowing thousands – and potentially millions – of extra patrons across the globe to pay to see their event online. Online sales can be geographically limited in order to protect actual ticket sales.

The first event to be streamed live on No Bad Seats is ‘Dueting it for the Kids’, a fundraising performance for the Australian Children’s Music Foundation. Featuring the crème de la crème of Australian music talent, the concert will be streamed live from Sydney’s State Theatre at 8pm on Monday 22nd August.

More events soon follow, and No Bad Seats are currently in negotiation with some of Australia’s biggest promoters and artists to add to their offerings.

To purchase your live broadcast of ‘Dueting it for the Kids’ or for more information visit www.nobadseats.com. No Bad Seats are an Australian based and Australian owned company.

Experience racing evolved with Shift 2 Unleashed and register for Origin to unlock exclusive cups and leaderboards 

At E3, EAi introduced Origin mobile, a new mobile-specific version of EA’s Origin cross-platform digital gaming service with social features to find, connect and play with friends through EA games.  Origin mobile launched with SCRABBLE, and the next evolution of the service goes live today with Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed available now on the App Store.

With new social features, enticing multiplayer experiences and Origin’s cross-platform and social engagement capabilities, EAi continues to push the social games industry upwards while changing the way people consume and interact with digital entertainment. EAi is tearing down the barriers between players making it easier than ever before to play your favourite games with your friends. Origin is the bridge that allows us to connect platforms and will be a part of EA’s mobile games with one simple goal – to make our games better by being more fun, more engaging and more connected.

 With Origin, players have one identity that spans mobile and pc, and is present wherever and whenever they choose to play EA games.  From this single identity comes the ability to connect to friends taking them across platforms: add friends on mobile, chat to the same friends on pc and more.

Origin allows players to see what your friends are downloading, what they are playing, who they are playing, where they are winning and where they could use some help.

RACE TO THE TOP SPOT WITH ORIGIN’S NEW FEATURES

EA’s Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch is the first mobile game to ship with expanded Origin features.

Great game modes like Career Mode and the all-new Quick Race Trials bring the exhilaration of racing to the game, but the new Leaderboard Challenges highlight Origin’s social connection within the game. Through the leaderboards in Origin, players can launch right into a race with their friends. Players will compete against their friends and boast about their results via newsfeed posts to Origin. As they take over the top spot, their friends will receive push notifications letting them know that they have been beaten.  Players will have access to more racing events and receive free in-game currency just for signing up for Origin.

CUSTOMIZED RIDES

We’ve included 40 awesome cars in Shift 2, including the exclusive Pagani Huayra, several cars from the actual Team Need for Speed racing team, and favourites such as Lamborghinis, Porsches and more.
Players earn credits to upgrade their car’s acceleration, tires and suspension.  Power up with nitrous boosts and personalise the cars with spoilers, rims, specialised paint jobs and body kits.

TRICKED OUT TRACKS AND NEW LOCATIONS

Run the Circuit allows players to test their skills in multiple game modes and over 40 events. Now whip through the trees of The Black Forest, the deserts of Abu Dhabi and the waterfronts of Rio while fighting to the finish line. Feel every scrape, bump, and burn out with vividly rendered visuals.

SEATBELT REQUIRED

The game’s new helmet cam puts players in the cockpit pushing it to the limit with realistic racing controls that simulate the visceral velocity of being behind the wheel at 200mph.  We’ve also improved a number of visual details inside the car making them more authentic. Graphical enhancements and sharpened controls intensify the speed of the action.

AGGRESSIVE GRAPHICS

Feel every scrape, bump and burn out with vividly rendered visuals. Whip through forest, desert, waterfront and city locations in an all-out fight to the finish line.

Shift 2 Unleashed will launch with an introductory price of $5.49 for iPad and $2.99 for iPhone and iPod touch in the App Store. More information about Shift 2 Unleashed for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad can be found at www.eamobile.com. Press assets can be found on http://info.ea.com.

High performance multi-card reader with SuperSpeed USB 3.0 

Sydney, Australia, August 8, 2011 – Transcend Information, Inc. (Transcend®), a worldwide leader in storage and multimedia products today launched the RDF8 – USB 3.0 multi-card reader. Utilising SuperSpeed USB 3.0, the Transcend RDF8 supports the latest ultra high speed card formats including SDHC UHS-1, SDXC UHS-1, UDMA6/UDMA7 CF and MSXC cards. Photography and film fanatics can now effortlessly copy high-resolution uncompressed images or 1080p full HD video files from memory card to computer.

Equipped with the next-generation SuperSpeed USB 3.0 connection interface, the RDF8 delivers transfer speeds up to 10x faster than standard USB 2.0 card readers. When paired with an Ultra High Speed (UHS-1) SD card, files as large as 1GB can be transferred in less than 12 seconds due to the increased bandwidth of USB 3.0 – data can be carried to the computer as fast as the user’s memory card permits.

Designed to unleash the full potential of next-generation memory cards, the RDF8 USB 3.0 card reader comprises a total of four slots: 1) CompactFlash (CF) slot compatible with UDMA CF cards, 2) SDHC/SDXC slot that supports the new UHS-1 standard, 3) smaller slot for M2/microSD cards and, 4) slot for MS PRO/MSXC/MS DUO cards. The RDF8 is also backwards compatible with USB 2.0 and accepts older versions of CF, SD, and SDHC cards, making the RDF8 practical for today’s digital requirements.

The prospect of losing precious photos to camera or memory card malfunction is always an impending fear for photographers and filmmakers. For further peace of mind, the RDF8, like all other Transcend card readers, comes with a complimentary download of Transcend RecoveRx software – a powerful and user-friendly data recovery tool. RecoveRx effectively restores lost, deleted or damaged images and other digital files from multiple types of memory cards ensuring erased files are rescued.

The Transend RDF8 USB 3.0 multi-card reader is backed by Transcend’s two-year limited warranty, and is now available in Australia and New Zealand. RRP AU$44.95 inc GST / NZ$54.95.

Transcend products are distributed in Australia by Cellnet, Synnex Australia, WestGroup and in New Zealand by Cellnet, Datawell(NZ), Ingram Micro New Zealand, Synnex New Zealand.

About Transcend Information, Inc.

Transcend Information, Inc. (Transcend®) is a worldwide leader in storage and multimedia products. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, Transcend is a global company with offices around the world with an extensive product portfolio that has grown to include over 2,000 memory modules of every type, flash memory cards, USB flash drives, MP3 players, digital photo frames, portable hard drives, multimedia products and accessories. Transcend products are available for proprietary equipment, as well as for mass marketed PCs. For more information, visit http://au.transcend-info.com.