Just a note to let you know that the Call of Duty®: Black Ops Escalation content pack is now available for download from Steam for Windows PC.

Escalation features four new multiplayer maps and an unprecedented Zombie experience, including famed director George A. Romero, Robert Englund, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Michael Rooker and Danny Trejo.

The Escalation content pack’s new multiplayer maps include:

· “Hotel,” where players battle it out on the roof of a Cuban luxury hotel and casino against the vivid backdrop of old Havana

· “Convoy,” which delivers intense, close-quarters combat at the scene of an ambushed U.S. military convoy

· “Zoo,” which sets gamers on an eerie ride through an abandoned Soviet Russian Zoo with danger at every turn

· “Stockpile,” which pits players in a remote Russian farm town, housing secret WMD facilities

· “Call of the Dead,” Escalation’s Zombie experience that assembles a zombie-carnage dream team to fight against a new and undefeatable zombie horde menace, all set in the dark, ice-covered isles of Siberia

To celebrate the release of Escalation on Windows PC, Treyarch is hosting a Double XP weekend starting Friday, June 3.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is rated MA15+ by the Classification Board. For additional Call of Duty updates and information, visit us on the web at www.callofduty.com/blackops, www.facebook.com/codblackops, and also via Twitter @Treyarch.

In anticipation of E3, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment are excited to announce that Catwoman is a fully playable character in Batman: Arkham City on all platforms for which the game will be available: Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Games for Windows PC and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.

As Catwoman, players will have a chance to indulge in their darker side and explore Arkham City as the infamous feline femme fatale. Complete with her own storyline in the main game, Catwoman’s adventure complements Batman’s central role and is seamlessly interwoven with his main story arc. She will also be playable in the challenge maps with her own unique combat moves, gadgetry and signature ‘takedowns’.

New GALAGA Titles Arrive to Commemorate 30th Anniversary

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – 03 June 2011 – NAMCO BANDAI Games is proud to announce that 2011 marks the 30th anniversary of their celebrated space arcade shooter, GALAGA™. Released for the first time in 1981, GALAGA left an indelible mark across arcades throughout the 80’s and has been loved by gamers ever since. To commemorate this historic milestone, a number of exciting new GALAGA games are planned to be released throughout the year for Xbox™ 360 video game entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Nintendo 3DS™ system.

NAMCO BANDAI Games’ exciting GALAGA product lineup for 2011 includes:

GALAGA™ Legions DX (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) – Get ready for the anticipated follow-up title from the team behind PAC-MAN Championship Edition DX. The Namco Generations team will make you rethink everything you know about GALAGA with GALAGA Legions DX. Fast-paced gameplay along with fantastic new features, modes, and graphics await those ready to embark on the most destructive and chaotic space war ever encountered.

PAC-MAN™ & GALAGA™ DIMENSIONS (Nintendo 3DS) – Featuring GALAGA 3D IMPACT, experience the invading Galaga alien armada like never before. Players will use the gyroscopic sensor in the Nintendo 3DS system to take the role of a space ship gunner. Maneuver the Nintendo 3DS system in real-time to blast away the Galaga threat. PAC-MAN & GALAGA DIMENSIONS also features PAC-MAN Tilt, a brand new side-scrolling PAC-MAN adventure. Players use the 3DS system’s accelerometer to tilt PAC-MAN’s world and use the surrounding environment to help him escape puzzles and defeat enemies.

Check back often for the most up-to-date information or visit http://www.twitter.com/galaga30th,or http://www.facebook.com/Galaga.

For more information on our lineup, please visit: http://www.namcobandaigames.eu

Watch all videos from Namco Bandai Games Europe on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/NamcoBandaiGamesEU

Melbourne, Australia, 3 June 2011 – Kogan today released the world’s first laptop powered by Google’s Chromium OS, available for sale and ready to be dispatched.

The Kogan Agora Laptop powered by Chromium OS goes on sale today for £269 in the United Kingdom and $349 in Australia and ships direct to customers next week.

Kogan’s Chromium OS Laptop is based on the popular Agora hardware, adds a Solid State Drive, lets users operate entirely in the cloud, and boots in 4.5 seconds.

Ruslan Kogan said the world-first product was testament to Kogan’s efficiency and agility.

“We’ve been able to beat the rest of the world to bring the first commercially available laptop running Google’s Chromium OS.

“Google’s Chromium OS is an open source project, making it a constant work in progress. This means the system will improve over time and new features and improvements will keep getting introduced by the open source community.

“While Chromium is still in its early stages, we know the operating system is innovative technology which represents the future of computing. It may take some getting used to for some to operate entirely in the cloud, but the massive benefits for the end user are driving acceptance of entirely web-based services.

“What we’ve found from talking to our customers is that many of them are already using cloud services without even realising it. They’re uploading photos to services like Flickr, storing all their contacts in Gmail, and even hosting files on DropBox.

“Loading up a laptop with Google’s open source software can be strange at first. However it’s clear that everyone from casual users to pros are embracing cloud services with all their personal computing needs.

“The real beauty is that no matter which Chromium powered computer you’re on anywhere in the world, it will appear exactly as you expect, tailored to your needs. Google is also working hard to ensure that Chrome integrates seamlessly with all Android based devices.

“Samsung and Acer announced Chromebooks based on Chromium OS last month, but we’ve beaten them to market. Kogan is the most agile consumer electronics manufacturer in the world. We react faster to market trends than anyone else.

“The first Kogan Agora Laptops powered by Google’s Chromium OS will be in customer’s hands next week and we’re very excited. Our business has already been operating entirely in the cloud for years!” Kogan said.

For more information on Google’s open source Chromium OS project, which powers the Kogan Agora Chromium OS Laptop: http://www.chromium.org/chromium-os

The full specifications of the Kogan Agora Laptop – Powered by Chromium OS are available here:

Kogan Agora Chromium Laptop – Australia

Kogan Agora Chromium Laptop – United Kingdom

Legendary Franchises Stand beside Revolution and Absolution as Company Unveils Its All-Star E3 Lineup

LOS ANGELES (June 3, 2011) – Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of SQUARE ENIX® interactive entertainment products in the Americas, announced today its videogame lineup for the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, June 7–9, 2011.

This year, Square Enix brings some of gaming’s hottest and most beloved franchises to the forefront. Some of gaming’s biggest names spearhead the company’s show offering.

TOMB RAIDER®, from Redwood City-based studio Crystal Dynamics®, ratchets up the intensity and takes gamers into the world of Lara Croft as they have never seen before.
A new tale continues the story of FINAL FANTASY® XIII. With new characters come new destinies in FINAL FANTASY XIII-2, which will be playable for the first time at E3.
Gaming in 2011 gets augmented with DEUS EX®: HUMAN REVOLUTION™ from Eidos- Montréal, marking the series’ triumphant return.
Agent 47™ takes on his most dangerous contract to date in HITMAN® ABSOLUTION™ from IO Interactive A/S.
Obsidian Entertainment’s DUNGEON SIEGE® III offers intuitive action gameplay, a robust RPG system with an extensive selection of abilities, an endless variety of loot and an engaging storyline.
HEROES OF RUIN™ is a brand new adventure for the Nintendo 3DS™ featuring a lineup of unlikely heroes and deep social functionality.

“We’re thrilled to present a roster of games based on some of the industry’s most acclaimed franchises as well as introduce exciting new titles,” said Mike Fischer, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix, Inc. “We are incredibly fortunate to work with a global network of world-renowned studio and development partners committed to creating outstanding interactive experiences. Our goal is to entertain and engage a wide range of consumers with the best experience possible, whether they are gamers who grew up playing our games or people just learning about our vast portfolio of titles.”

To experience the latest offerings from Square Enix firsthand, visit booth 1647 in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

For the latest information on Square Enix at E3, please visit http://na.square-enix.com/events.

Nintendo Offers Free Re-mastered 3D Version of NES Classic Excitebike for Limited Time

Australia and New Zealand, 3 June, 2011 –

Nintendo of Australia has announced that the first major system update for the hand-held Nintendo 3DS™ system will be available in Australia and New Zealand on 7 June.

By performing the free update via a wireless broadband Internet connection, Nintendo 3DS users will have access to an Internet browser and the Nintendo eShop, which will give them access to a variety of new content, including Pokédex™ 3D, an application that lets fans see Pokémon™ characters in 3D.

To celebrate the grand opening of the Nintendo eShop, Nintendo is offering the NES™ game Excitebike™ re-mastered in 3D as a free download until 7 July for anyone who performs the system update. Additional new Virtual Console™ content available with the Nintendo eShop includes Game Boy™ games Super Mario Land™, Alleyway™ and Tennis™. New content is added to the Nintendo eShop every Thursday.

The Nintendo eShop is a digital store for Nintendo 3DS owners that provides access to a wide variety of downloadable content, such as original 3D software, classic games that have been re-mastered in 3D called 3D Classics, Game Boy and Game Boy™ Color “Virtual Console” games in their original 2D glory, and an extensive library of Nintendo DSiWare™ games. Visitors can also view video game trailers, screen shots and product information for games, including those available at retail locations.

Within the Nintendo eShop, Nintendo 3DS users will also be able to download the free Pokédex 3D application and start collecting data for more than 150 Pokémon™ from the Pokémon Black and Pokémon White Version games. This new application lets users see each Pokémon in 3D with animated motion and sound. The Pokémon image can be rotated 360 degrees, allowing users to zoom in and view it from any angle. The detailed Pokédex also allows users to search, sort and filter all of the data they receive in a variety of ways, making it the essential guide for Pokémon fans. Players can complete their Pokédex by sharing data with friends and using the SpotPass™ feature, or by scanning special Pokémon AR Markers (augmented reality markers). Once users have received data for a Pokémon, the AR Viewer allows them to view that Pokémon image in a real-world setting in real time, and create photos to share with friends.

Other capabilities that go live with the system update include a free Internet browser which has the capability to show 3D images on sites specifically designed to show 3D images. The browser can also be used during gameplay. Users can stop their Nintendo 3DS game and go to the browser by pressing the Home button and then resume their game when they are finished browsing. People can also use the browser to download 3D pictures from the Internet or upload ones they have taken with the Nintendo 3DS cameras.
The system update also gives Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi™ XL owners the ability to easily transfer most of their previously purchased Nintendo DSiWare™ games to their new Nintendo 3DS systems.

The system update also gives users the ability to receive SpotPass content from supported public WiFi hotspots across Australia and New Zealand and in the near future, users will be able to download a free application for a short-form video service that will enable them to view specially selected video content, including 3D movie trailers, comedy clips and music videos automatically received using the SpotPass feature.

To perform the recommended system update, Nintendo 3DS users can simply start the “System Settings” from the Home Menu, select “Other Settings” and scroll the page right to select “System Update.”

For more information about Nintendo 3DS, visit www.nintendo3ds.com.au