Making real maps of our fantasy worlds is an Elder Scrolls tradition.

As Todd Howard said all the way back in a Morrowind blog post, “There’s something about having a physical object in your hands that feels like it’s part of this other world, that you are that person in the game, finding your way among the hills.”

With that in mind, today we are announcing that anyone who preorders Skyrim will automatically receive a premium quality world map with their copy as a no-extra-cost-to-you bonus.

To guarantee your copy of your premium quality world map, please preorder today.

For more information please visit the Bethblog.

New Game to Feature an Original Storyline Inspired by Real Events Surrounding the Famous Muslim Explorer Ibn Battuta, Online Multiplayer Component is Available Now

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – June 24, 2011 – Semaphore, the games and media subsidiary of leading e-learning and training developer Semanoor International today announces the development of its flagship project (Unearthed: Trail of Ibn Battuta) and debuts its Online Multiplayer component (Unearthed Online) on social media networks starting with Facebook.

Unearthed: Trail of Ibn Battuta is a third person action adventure video game set in modern day Middle East that is presented in a TV-Style episodic format and it will be available in both Arabic and English. The game will mark the first time that a Saudi Arabian development house targets the Sony Playstation 3 platform along with nine other major platforms including: PC, Mac OSX, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android Devices.

Get ready for the spine-chiller of the year! When Arab fortune hunter Faris Jawad and his archeologist sister Dania receive a call to visit Morocco they embark on an exotic adventure throughout the Middle East on the trail of the famous Muslim explorer Ibn Battuta (1304-1369 A.D.). The trail won’t be clear however as Faris will have to overcome an unholy alliance of a militia army leader, a weapons dealer and a wealthy antiquities smuggler who are after the same goal.

“We are thrilled to be introducing Saudi Arabia’s first multiplatform video game to the world, we are determined to deliver a next-generation experience that will do justice to the amazing story of Ibn Battuta” Said Emad Fahad Aldoghaither, the president of Semanoor International.

The game is utilizing the Unity platform as its core technology solution and is going to be among the first Unity-based titles to be launched on the PlayStation 3 platform.

“We are story-tellers at heart and we feel that we have a lot of great stories that are based on actual Middle Eastern history in this region and we strive to tell them using the very best in modern technologies, a key component to enable that is the Unity Game Engine and the flexibility it offers to allows us to iterate quickly and be constantly productive” said Ahmad Jadallah, the Director of Development at Semaphore and the game’s Writer and Director.

“We are incredibly excited to see that commercial PlayStation 3 content is being created through the Unity platform from new sources that we don’t normally connect to high-end game development” said Steffen Toksvig, VP on Engineering of Unity Technologies.

Key Features:

– Travel across the Middle East from the wild life of Moroccan Atlas mountains to the alleys of old Damascus through the port of Alexandria and the metropolitan city of Dubai.

– Unique mix of platforming, melee fighting, shooting and stealth gameplay.

– Presented in a TV style episodic format along with recaps of previous episodes and teaser cliff hangers of what lies ahead.

– Unearthed Online is an additional free-to-play browser based multiplayer component that is available now on Facebook (http://www.unearthedonline.com).

For more information and to receive exclusive updates about the Unearthed: Trail of Ibn Battuta video game, visit: http://www.unearthedgame.com

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

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/UnearthedGame

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/UnearthedGame

About Semaphore

Established in 2002, Semaphore is Saudi Arabia’s first development studio that is dedicated to the development of ground breaking multimedia, games and simulation applications in both Arabic and English. In addition to Unearthed: Trail of Ibn Battuta, Semaphore is currently developing RSooom which is a web based system that allows the creation of 2D and 3D Animations that can be played on a variety of media outputs as well as to be shared through social media networks. For more information, visit: http://www.sema-phore.com

About Unity Technologies

Unity Technologies is revolutionizing the game industry with Unity, its award-winning breakthrough development platform. Unity Technologies has more than 500,000 registered users worldwide — including Bigpoint, Cartoon Network, Coca-Cola, Disney, Electronic Arts, LEGO, Microsoft, NASA, Nickelodeon, Ubisoft, Warner Bros., large and small studios, indies, students and hobbyists — all using Unity to create games and interactive 3D, like training simulations and medical and architectural visualizations, on the web, mobile, consoles and beyond. Unity Technologies is aggressively innovating to expand usability, power and platform reach along with its Asset Store digital content marketplace and Union game syndication so that it can deliver on its vision of democratizing interactive 3D technology. Unity Technologies is headquartered in San Francisco and has development offices worldwide. For more information, visit: http://unity3d.com.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/unity3d

Twitter: http://twitter.com/unity3d

Only the Most Experienced Silkroad Online Players Should Apply to Exclusively Play new Game Content Early on Public Test Server

Seoul, KOREA – June 23rd, 2011 – Joymax, a developer and publisher of interactive entertainment for the global market, announced today that the public test server for Silkroad Online will officially open to selected players on July 5th.

“We are pleased to announce the opening of the public test server for Silkroad Online”, said Joymax CEO, Nam-chul Kim, “We look forward to welcoming some of our most experienced players into select play tests so they become the first to experience new content and expansions for Silkroad Online”.

Open to selected players whose characters are at level 110 or above, the public test server will give experienced players an opportunity to test new exclusive content from the historical fantasy multiplayer online role-playing game. A total of 1008 players will be randomly selected to take part in the public server tests. Interested applicants can apply to be part of this group at www.joymax.com/silkroad until June 28th and the successful applicants will be announced the official Silkroad site.

About Silkroad Online
Silkroad Online is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game that puts the player deep into historical fantasy, joining the Chinese and European civilizations along the Silk Road trade route. Traveling across Jangan, from China to Constantinople, players can make their fortunes as merchants, prey on the rich as thieves, or be protection-for-hire as hunters. The most recent expansion, Legend V Plus: Battle Arena provides players with a new PvP arena battle system where they can duel adversaries for Arena coins and Experience as they compete for ultimate domination!

SYDNEY, 23 June 2011: Continuing to drive creative imaging in Australia, digital camera market leader*¹ Canon Australia has just launched a website dedicated to professional photography – the Canon EOS Professional Website.

“The Canon EOS Professional site will be a revelation to amateur and enthusiast photographers as well as a great resource for working professionals,” said Cathy Hattersley, Brand Manager – EOS Professional, Canon Australia. “The content features the work, tips and gear used by the best in the business, so it’s both inspiring and informative – a window directly into the world of the working professional.”

A highlight is the ‘Seconds/with’ web series shot exclusively for the Canon EOS Professional Website. Season One – now showing – feature interviews with four critically acclaimed professional photographers: Darren Jew, a master of nature photography; Stephen Dupont, a world renowned photojournalist; Craig Golding, acclaimed sports photographer; and Simon Harsent, a preeminent commercial photographer.

“Consumers can get closer to professional photographers in an entertaining and informative way, while our Canon Professional Services members get a new online platform from which to introduce their work to new audiences including the very active World of EOS community, which recently passed its 50,000-member milestone.”

Providing a peek inside the camera bags of the pros is the new Gear-in-Action series, where Canon EOS professionals discuss their equipment, share tips from recent projects and reveal what it takes to capture the images that rank them at the top of their profession . The current episode takes you behind the scenes of the making of ‘Powderfinger – Sunsets’, produced using the EOS 5D Mark II and EOS 7D digital SLR cameras.

This new dedicated professional site follows enhancements to the Canon Professional Services program, which has been supporting professional photographers in Australia for more than a decade. The enhancements include a range of enhanced member benefits for working professionals who use Canon EOS 1-series and 5-series cameras as well as opportunities to grow their businesses.

Other features of the new Canon EOS Professional Website:

– Professional photographer locator – search for a professional by location and/or specialty (wedding, travel, food, fashion etc)

– Sample portfolios – allowing professionals to showcase their talents to prospective clients

– Product reviews by professionals – get the lowdown on the latest Canon gear from those who rely on it every day

– Events Calendar – makes finding workshops and exhibitions run by CPS members, or other significant industry events, easy

– Canon’s Pro Dealer Locator

– Canon News – keep up to date with the latest from the industry leader

Related links:

• Canon Professional Services
  • Gear in Action; the making of ‘Powderfinger – Sunsets’ using EOS 5D Mark II and EOS 7D digital SLR cameras.

*1 GfK Retail and Technology Australia, Digital Still Cameras, retail sales units and value Jan to Dec 2010 (excludes internet and online channels)

Guns are easy, real brawlers get up close and personal!

Markham, Canada June 23rd 2011 – Rock Hippo Productions has announced a series of educational Brawl Busters Lessons to familiarize players with the game before its upcoming Closed Beta. If you want to be one of the first brawlers to try out the game, drop us your email address at www.BrawlBusters.com. Brawl Busters, a Free2Play online multiplayer action combat game, has already received tons of positive feedback after its initial announcement. These lessons just might keep impatient players in check while they wait to get into the game.

The first Brawl Busters Lessons, showcasing four of the five character classes, the Firefighter, the Rocker, the Boxer, and the Blitzer, have already been released. Check out the fifth character class, the Slugger on Friday June 24th at www.BrawlBusters.com. As Brawl Busters nears its Closed Beta stage, more and more lessons will be published. Check back every Tuesday and Friday for a new lesson revealing various gameplay features.

Currently, the Free2Play PC title is still in its pre-Closed Beta stage. But rest assured, Rock Hippo is working extra hard to bring the game out as soon as possible. Want to try the game before everyone else? Drop us your email address at www.BrawlBusters.com for a chance to receive a Closed Beta Key and become an Original Buster!

About Rock Hippo Productions Ltd.

Rock Hippo Productions Ltd. is a digital media provider and publisher of online, community based video games for distribution to the mass market on a global scale. Founded in 2009, Rock Hippo seeks to provide premier “free-to-play” interactive entertainment, which offers a community and social networking experience to gamers all over the world, resulting in a gaming experience that is second to none. For more information about Rock Hippo and its current product offerings, please visit www.rockhippo.com

About SkeinGlobe

SkeinGlobe is an online game developer which aims to satisfy a global userbase by creating the highest quality games and extraordinary online experiences. Making a great game which can be enjoyed by everyone is always the first priority, and every decision made is based on this principle. SkeinGlobe strives to maintain a close relationship with customers at every level of service and development. For more information about SkeinGlobe, please visit www.skeinglobe.com.

SCARRED MAN BY BEVAN McGUINESS

Following on from the thrilling Slave of Sondelle, Bevan McGuiness returns with Scarred Man, the second book in McGuiness’s gripping trilogy.

‘If it wants her dead, we should keep her alive …’

With Myrrhini taken, Slave heads off in pursuit through the wilderness. Keshik meanwhile, has problems of his own to deal with, problems that could see him executed.

The Revenants, now free, are moving through the world, following their own plans, seeking their own goals – goals that involve the Scarred Man and the woman with him. But which Scarred Man? Who is the woman they seek? And what do they want with her?

Far away in her hidden city, the Blindfolded Queen is manipulating things to her own ends. Will she aid the Scarred Man, or will her actions put all the Eleven Kingdoms at risk?

Bevan McGuiness is available for interviews (ex-Perth)

About the author

Bevan McGuiness lives near Perth with his wife and daughter. He has been writing for years and has published short stories, book reviews, a novel and pieces for texts on science education.

Praise for Bevan McGuiness

‘[Slave of Sondelle is] a fast-paced book with plenty of action, some great fight scenes and a nasty edge that makes it ideal for fans of David Gemmell and Joe Abercrombie’
– Bookseller+Publisher

‘The Awakening reads beautifully. It is sweeping and grand in its vision’
– Good Reading

Triumph Leisure Solutions Ushers In A New Era Of Competitive PC Gaming In Australia

Sydney, Australia – June 23, 2011 – Triumph Leisure Solutions (tls) is thrilled to announce its Red Carpet Gaming initiative.

Addressing the huge demand for hardcore, competitive PC gaming down under, tls will hold a series of premiere events for Australian gaming enthusiasts and pros, the first of which will kick off Saturday, June 25 across 3 premiere Sydney locations.

The events will bring together the best teams and individual PC gamers across the country, while introducing new levels of production, prizing and polish. In addition to the great cash and prizes on offer, competitors on selected games will have the chance to win a place in the World Cyber Games National Finals held at the EB Expo 2011 in October. This is high-end competitive gaming played in the high-calibre environment it deserves, and tls plan to roll out the Red Carpet Gaming initiative through 2012 and beyond.

The first Red Carpet Gaming Series will unfold as per below.

Sydney Event: June 25, 2011
Adelaide Event: AV Con – July 22 to 24, 2011
Brisbane Event: August 6, 2011

Melbourne Event: August 27, 2011

Sydney Red Bull Event: September 2011

Secret Last Chance Event: October 2011

The WCG National Final will be held at the Gold Coast Exhibition Centre on October 15, 2011.

Blake Harris, Managing Director at tls believes there has never been a better time to deliver a series of world-class competitive PC gaming events. “Through the course of our various projects in the Australian gaming space, tls became keenly aware that there was a real opportunity for someone to give competitive PC gaming a leg up in this country. As a result of this resounding hunger within the local gaming community, we have created a new property, tls Red Carpet Gaming, which will be delivering a series of high class PC gaming events on a scale rarely seen in this country. These events will allow a much greater level of participation from the PC gaming world. We have secured support from a number of high profile sponsorship partners to provide both financial support and significant prizes.”

To register and for more information on Red Carpet Gaming, please go to http://www.redcarpetgaming.com.au

Web security added to BitDefender Mobile Security BETA

Cloud scanning alerts Android smartphone users to potential web threats

SYDNEY & AUCKLAND – 23 June, 2011 – BitDefender^®, an award winning provider of innovative internet security solutions, has announced the addition of web security to its popular BitDefender Mobile Security BETA. The new feature uses BitDefender’s cloud services to alert users to webpages that contain malware or are fraud-related.

Web links are quickly and invisibly checked against BitDefender’s live database before they are accessed, and sites that may present a threat are then blocked. From here, the user has a choice of whether to continue or to exit. If the site is reported as being ‘clean’, the user’s browsing experience will not be interfered with.

Alexandru Balan, Senior Product Manager at BitDefender, commented: “The importance of securing mobile devices is growing all the time, with users now faced by a range of threats. In combining BitDefender security technology with a great interface and low system demand, BitDefender Mobile Security offers Android users a fantastic solution to make sure they’re secure when on the move.”

BitDefender Mobile Security BETA provides smart antivirus and web security for devices running Android. Using in-the-cloud scanning technology, it detects even the latest threats with minimal battery use. The product also provides information about billable services and applications’ requirements for access to the Internet or to private user data, helping users make informed choices about their privacy and data security.

 BitDefender Mobile Security BETA is available free to download from the Android Market.

For more information on Android malware, read Catalin Cosoi’s blog post: (Almost) everything you wanted to know about Android malware but were (too) afraid to ask

A video installation featuring migrants and refugees who share their experiences of migration and travel opens at Immigration Museum on 10 July, 2011.

Belonging: Reflections on Place was conceived and directed by video artist Wendy Woodson with designer Kathy Couch (sound design by Myles Mumford) and includes interviews of diverse migrants, refugees and members of their families who reflect on their experiences of place, migration and belonging.

A series of monitors features extreme close ups of 30 people who speak about their experiences in migrating from place to place, revealing insightful details about their different emotions and senses of home and belonging.

“The video monitors emphasise a sense of intimacy and immediacy between the viewer and the speaker,” said Emily Kocaj, Community Exhibition Manager, Immigration Museum. “The close up shots focus on the speaker’s facial details and expressions to encourage a strong connection between speaker and visitor.

The video monitors are in a dark, open space that also includes large-scale projections on the gallery walls. These moving images of travel and migration across Australian landscapes and in urban environments, such as train stations and city streets are included in the installation so that visitors can experience a sense of movement, displacement and journey that is part of any migration experience.

“The installation provides viewers with more than just learning about how people experience a new place. It doesn’t give a definite view of what migration is like but rather, it seeks to reflect on the connections between people and different communities and continents,” said Wendy Woodson, Director of Belonging: Reflections on Place. “It is our hope that visitors who pass through the space will travel from screen to screen and engage with the fragments of stories that they hear, and with their own memories and reflections on place, transition and belonging “

The speakers also speak of their childhood, education, faith and politics, allowing viewers to reflect on their own perspective and discover what place they feel they belong to, whether that place is a country, state, suburb, or a place of imagination and memory.

Wendy Woodson developed Belonging: Reflections on Place as part of a series of works in video, theatre and dance that explore concepts of reconciliation, migration, and transition. These works were made as a personal response to the changing global situation after the events of September 2011. She was inspired by the multicultural nature of Melbourne and took an interest in cross-cultural interactions around the city.

Belonging: Reflections on Place
10 July 2011 to 22 January 2012
Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders Street, Melbourne
Adults $8, children and concession FREE