Pull Pranks, Plan Bachelor Parties, Play With Imaginary Friends, And More With The Sims 3 Generations

SYDNEY, Australia May 31, 2011 – Let your inner prankster out! The EA Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced that The Sims™ 3 Generations Expansion Pack* will be available for purchase this week worldwide. The newest expansion to The Sims 3, the best-selling PC game of 2009**, The Sims 3 Generations allows players to tell the most fulfilling stories yet, from exploring the imagination-fueled world of childhood, into the rebellious teenage years, and on to an adulthood full of weddings, parties and life’s uncertainties. Whether the player prefers to design houses as a builder, create moments as a storyteller, be mischievous as an experimenter, or fulfill lifetime wishes as an achiever, they’ll be able to explore every phase of life with new gameplay features, moodlets, objects and more that are specific to each age.

The new screens show a variety of situations from within PES 2012 that have been bolstered by new animations, visual enhancements and control elements. The Tokyo-based team has worked hard to ensure PES 2012 is a more fluid and playable experience, with the jostling system used in last year’s game now enhanced to offer proper bodily contact and physical reactions, while close control and the team AI has been reworked to provide a more realistic recreation of real football.

As such, PES 2012 gives the player total control, with dribbling now refined, while passing and build-up play are enhanced by AI that ensures teammates will make dummy runs and support the player with the ball.

PES 2012 will be released later in the year for PlayStation®3, Xbox 360®, PSP®, PlayStation®2, Wii™ and Windows PC.

Launching Pad Games, the team behind celebrated iPhone games Zoo Lasso and Scarlett and the Spark of Life, have a new game coming to the App Store this week! Mighty Fin is an addictive side-scrolling arcade game with tons of character. Priced at $0.99, it will hit the App Store worldwide on June 2.

Fin — the game’s buoyant protagonist — is in desperate need of a holiday, so he’s signed up for Shady Sal’s suspiciously cheap Round the World Tour. (Hey, money’s tight when you’re a working fish!) Now it’s up to you to guide him through eight scenic levels — grabbing bonus bubbles and souvenir costumes, competing for medals and high scores, and avoiding hungry sharks, razor-sharp reefs, and other perilous obstacles that stand between Fin and vacation nirvana.

Designed specifically for iPhone / iPod Touch, Mighty Fin has intuitive single-touch controls, creative levels that change with each replay, retina display artwork, and Game Center integration. Assets are available here for your viewing/posting pleasure:

Screenshots and game icon: http://files.launchingpadgames.com/press/MightyFin/screenshots

Trailer (YouTube embedded version): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HozGJVijOjE

Trailer (QuickTime version): http://files.launchingpadgames.com/press/MightyFin/media

We hope you’ll share the news about Mighty Fin with your readers. We have vouchers available for press now, so please let me know if you’d like to review the game. (Review coverage will be embargoed until the game’s June 2 launch.)

Connected and Protected – Keeping what’s yours, yours.

By Michele Thompson, Norton online safety advocate ANZ

The digital world is now very much engrained in our lives – in the office, the home – really anywhere we go. We use the internet for a variety of reasons, shopping and banking, downloading music and movies, gaming or just keeping in touch with friends on social networks.

The way we work, play, shop, and communicate has undergone a transformation unprecedented in its scope and speed. The advancements we’ve seen recently have profoundly changed life for the individual consumer – and for the enterprises serving them. In a relatively short amount of time, the entire online world is touching our lives in very different ways than we expected just a few short years ago. Today we’re more influenced by connectivity and more dependent on digital content than we ever thought possible!

All this collaboration and shared interaction is truly a great opportunity. However the nature of doing so opens us all up to a variety of potential security risks that we may not be aware of.

In fact, increased connectivity across devices means new ways for cybercriminals to target you online. In the last year, Symantec has seen an increase of 42 percent in mobile vulnerabilities alone. According to the recent Norton Mobile Survey 42 percent of Aussies have fallen victim to mobile phone loss or theft and only 41 percent of Australians are using passwords to protect their mobiles. As we make more financial transactions through mobile devices cybercriminals are likely to develop even more threats targeting smartphones in the future. We need to be protected wherever we are connected and simple things like password protection, is the first line of defence when it comes to protecting ourselves.

As numerous reports have shown recently, there are a growing number of individuals using applications as tools to extort money, spread viruses and generally cause mayhem for the regular internet user. In fact, over the years we have seen the motivation for cybercriminals move away from notoriety to financial gain, as the potential to steal money from internet users increases. Fame vs fortune the motivation has changed. Cybercrime has come a long way from individual hackers with a “Look what I can do” attitude to a multi-million dollar industry that cost more than $550 million in 2009. It’s big money, last year’s Zeus bust police arrested cybercriminals who netted $70 million over an 18-month period with a botnet that instigated malicious code attacks on online banking and trading accounts.

Cybercrime can happen to anyone and it’s already happened to more than 2/3 of Australians online. Cybercriminals don’t care who you are, where you live or what you do. If you have private information online, such as a credit card, bank account, e-mail address or date of birth, cybercriminals consider you a target. So how much are you worth to a cybercriminal? Believe it or not, credit card data can be bought from as little as $0.07 to as much as $100 per piece on the underground black market.

To put it all in perspective, cybercrime costs Australians $4.5 billion ($US3.9 billion) which is enough to rebuild the Sydney Opera House 10 times over (according to the Norton Cybercrime Report). Breaking this down into what it would cost you – it would take a victim 29 days to resolve a cybercrime and cost them an average of $608 in out-of-pocket expenses – in addition to any amount of money that was stolen, added to the inconvenience.

The notion of privacy and security online is changing and it is no longer just about protecting the PC, but it is all about protecting the interactions of internet users. Protecting identities today requires consumers to make smart choices and safeguard their personal information it comes down to education and the right security software.

Cybercrime is a global epidemic that can’t be solved by one company or law enforcement agency alone; keeping the Internet safe is a shared responsibility. Part of that is consumer education on how to stay safe online (with Government initiatives like Law Week and upcoming National Cybersecurity Awareness Week) and part is training law enforcement personnel who are on the front lines of the fight against cybercrime.

To protect and inform the billions of people online, Norton introduced a free tool earlier this year the Norton Cybercrime Index (www.nortoncybercrimeindex.com), a daily update which tracks and warns computer users about daily cybercrime risks around the world, providing information that is timely and actionable.

So how can you increase your awareness of online security and help deny cybercriminals access to your personal information? By following a few common sense tips, you can make the most out of your Internet experience, while protecting you and your family from online threats.

Here are some guidelines for how you can contribute to a safe online experience:

• Invest in comprehensive, up-to-date and paid security software that not only offers basic protection, but also helps detect attacks before they happen. It’s no longer sufficient to have anti-virus alone, but two way firewall, password encryption, anti-phishing toolbars and regular updates.
• When you are asked to “allow” or “deny” an application access to the Internet, always deny unless you’re confident the site it is accessing is authentic.
• Limit personal posts to people you know and trust. Don’t add people to your trusted list unless you know exactly who they are. Configure privacy settings on your social networking profile to limit the access of personal information to people you know & trust.
• What you say online may become public – even if you post it in a private area. Don’t disclose personal information about other people either.
• Secure your wireless network with a password and don’t allow unknown computers to access your home network.
• Always use strong passwords with a combination of letters and numbers, upper & lower case, special characters and change it regularly.
• Look for https:// at the top of your browser and the padlock symbol on the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.

To coincide with National Cybersecurity Awareness Week, click here for a chance to win a COPY OF NORTON 360 VERSION 5

Sydney, AUSTRALIA – May 30th 2011 – Today, Ubisoft® announced the Collector Edition of Driver® San Francisco. The Collector’s Edition will be available on September 1st for the Xbox 360TM, the PlayStation®3 and the Windows® PC games.

Monday May 30^th, Sydney AUSTRALIA – This past weekend, Square Enix revealed that the European PS3, Xbox 360 and PC demos for Dungeon Siege III will release next month. The PC demo will be available to download from Steam on June 7th, followed by the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 demos on June 22^nd.

In DUNGEON SIEGE III, players assume the role of one of four heroes, fighting for the sake of their fallen comrades to restore the land of Ehb. Conflict is constant in this action-RPG and decisions have lasting consequences, allowing players to alter the storyline. Choose to battle along with a companion or fight for honour with up to three friends via online co-op play. DUNGEON SIEGE III allows for two players to experience the story from start to finish in local co-op mode. Thanks to the robust AI, DUNGEON SIEGE III’s co-op multiplayer mode allows players to seamlessly drop in and out of battle without interrupting the action or impacting the campaign.

Players will experience the much-awaited next chapter in the DUNGEON SIEGE lore from 16th June, 2011, on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC. For more information about DUNGEON SIEGE III, please visit the official website at: www.dungeonsiege.com.

ONE WEEK. NO RULES. HALL PASS

Available to own on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack for $44.95RRP & DVD for $39.95RRP

Also available On Demand and To Download from 13 JULY 2011.

Blu-ray Disc includes an extended version of the film featuring footage not seen in theatres.

Hall Pass: One week. No Rules. From the directors of There’s Something About Mary, Hall Pass arrives onto Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, DVD, On Demand and Digital Copy on 13 July from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group. Find out what happens when two men are granted one week of freedom to indulge in their wildest fantasies in this heartfelt and raucously funny film.

When Rick and Fred begin to show signs of restlessness at home, their wives take a bold approach to revitalize their marriages: they grant the guys a “hall pass.” It’s suddenly Christmas, their birthdays and the Super Bowl all wrapped up into one – they have been given seven days off to see what they might actually be missing out on… or forever hold their peace. At first it seems like a dream come true, but they soon realize that their delusional idea of “the single life” is very different from their reality.

A hilarious comedy from the Farrelly brothers (There’s Something About Mary), Hall Pass stars Owen Wilson (Wedding Crashers, Marley & Me), Jason Sudeikis (What Happens in Vegas, Going the Distance), Jenna Fischer (TV’s “The Office”), and Christina Applegate (Going the Distance, TV’s “Samantha Who?”).

Hall Pass: Extended Cut will be available on a 2-Disc Combo Pack, featuring a Blu-ray™ copy of the extended cut and theatrical versions of the film, a DVD and a digital copy of the film, for $44.95 and on single disc DVD for $39.95.

Hall Pass will also be available On Demand through FOXTEL On Demand, BigPond Movies and Fetch TV. It can be downloaded for rental or purchase on iTunes, Xbox Live and PlayStation Store.

SYNOPSIS
Best buddies Rick and Fred (Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis) have both been married for a long time. They love their wives, but, like some guys, just can’t help checking out every other woman who crosses their paths.

Fed up with this habitual rubber-necking, their wives (Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate) take a bold approach to revitalise their marriages by granting their husbands a “hall pass”: one week of freedom to do whatever they want, no questions asked. Seven days to see exactly what it is out there they think they’re missing… or stop looking once and for all.

At first, it sounds like a dream come true for Rick and Fred. But they quickly discover that their expectations of the single life—and themselves—are completely and hilariously out of sync with reality.

2-Disc Combo Pack – Enlarged Edition
Disc 1 – Blu-ray™
* Feature Film on High Definition Extended cut of the film with footage not seen in theatres Deleted Scene Gag Reel
Disc 2 -DVD
* Feature Film on Standard Definition Deleted Scene
Single Disc DVD
* Feature Film on Standard Definition
* Deleted Scene
Rating:
TBC
Approx Runtime:
105 mins on Blu-ray
101 mins on DVD

AVG provides the help you need to protect yourself online

Melbourne, 30 May 2011 — AVG (AU/NZ) Pty Ltd, the distributor of the award-winning AVG anti-virus and Internet security software in Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific, today announced its support of the Federal Government’s fifth annual National Cyber Security Awareness Week 2011. The week aims to help Australians understand cyber security risks and educate home and small business users on the simple steps they can take to protect their personal and financial information online.

Cyber security and education has become a critical issue. AVG (AU/NZ) will support National Cyber Security Awareness Week 2011 by participating in various events in Melbourne and Canberra. This includes collaborating with government and industry experts at a workshop on emerging cyber security safety challenges and how to address them.

AVG’s sales and support staff will also be giving a series of short presentations on Stand O25 at CeBIT 2011, Sydney Exhibition Centre, hourly from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm on Tuesday 31 May to Thursday 2 June 2011.

Lloyd Borrett, Security Evangelist at AVG (AU/NZ) said: “AVG’s award-winning anti-virus and Internet security software products help to protect the active Internet users of millions Windows, Mac and Linux PCs, plus Android mobile devices, across Australia and New Zealand, from global cyber criminals.

“Cyber crime is increasingly sophisticated and organised, but complex and poorly understood. It’s under-reported because victims are often embarrassed and confused.”

AVG (AU/NZ) sees that ignorance of the risks and nature of cyber crime is posing the greatest threat to Internet users. 80 percent of cyber crime attacks are easily preventable, if users understand what to do.

“We work to protect the public using advanced technologies,” Borrett continued. “But by participating in National Cyber Security Awareness Week we can also continue our efforts to help people understand how the bad guys have bought age-old fraudulent human and social engineering exploits into the online world.”

Borrett looks at the Stay Smart Online top tips and offers the following further advice to secure yourself online at home, work or on your mobile phone.

• Install Internet security software to protect against identity theft, social networks, spyware, viruses and other malicious software. It can only be fully effective if it’s always on, up to date, scans all of your files regularly and you renew your subscription before it expires. AVG has both free and paid Anti-Virus and Internet Security solutions for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android users.
• Select automatic updates for your complete environment including its operating system, security software, utilities and other applications.
• Think carefully before you click on links and attachments particularly in emails and on social networking sites. Don’t expose yourself to viruses, malicious software or scam web sites designed to steal your personal information. To check if a web site is safe, go to www.avgthreatlabs.com and enter the web site’s URL for its safety rating. AVG LinkScanner for Windows and Mac PCs provides web protection wherever you go online by actively checking web pages in real time before they open. If it sees trouble ahead, it warns you.
• Regularly adjust your privacy settings on social networking sites. You’re not the customer of the social networking web sites, you’re the contributor of often sensitive information. So make sure you properly manage what is shared and with whom it’s shared.

• Report or talk to someone about anything online that makes you uncomfortable. You can install the Government’s Cybersafety Help Button onto your desktop or task bar and have help just a click away. The Cybersafety Help Button is a free application and you can download it from dbcde.gov.au/helpbutton.

• Stop and think before you share any photos, personal or financial information. If you are asked to provide such sensitive information, the request is probably from a thief, or an idiot! So play it safe: simply don’t provide the information.
• Use a strong password and change it at least twice a year. Invent illogical word, number and symbol combinations to create the strongest passwords and change them regularly. Always change from default passwords, such as ‘password’ or ‘admin’ and never tick the ‘remember this password’ box.
• Know what your children and/or staff are doing online. Make sure they know how to stay safe and encourage them to report anything suspicious.

You can find excellent information about how to use the Internet safely on the government Stay Smart Online web site at www.staysmartonline.gov.au. You can also sign up for the plain language, free Cyber Security Alert Service that keeps you informed of new threats as they happen.

If your focus is on keeping your business safe online, then visit www.avgatwork.com.au and take the AVG online Security Audit to receive a personalised IT security action plan. You can also download a Small Business Security Guide to help you secure your start-up or small business.

AVG will continue its well received series of informative security tips, how-to’s and factsheets (www.avg.com.au/resources/security-tips/) which are a rich resource of material to help families and business stay safe online. For video tips from AVG (AU/NZ), see http://www.youtube.com/user/avgaunz.

Keep in touch with AVG (AU/NZ)

• For breaking news, follow AVG (AU/NZ) on Twitter at www.twitter.com/avgau
• Join our Facebook community at www.facebook.com/avgaunz

Murderous Mutant Mayhem with Move and 3D support exclusive to Playstation 3®!

Monday 30th May 2011 – SEGA® Europe Ltd. and SEGA® of America, Inc. today announce that mutant massacring B-Movie Blood Fest, The House of the Dead: OVERKILL Extended Cut is presented for the first time in spectacular High Definition with 3D support and Playstation® Move compatibility on the Playstation®3 computer entertainment system. This gruesome shooter puts you in the middle of a mutant outbreak in Bayou County. With all seven stages of the original re-mastered and two brand new scenarios added, the baddest just got bigger!

Using a host of weapons, watch your back as Mutants go mad for blood! Blast bloody pieces out of their wretched bodies to save you and a friend’s life as you work to uncover the mystery behind the outbreak. New goodies like Playstation® trophies, new game modes and new content are outnumbered by only one thing: Bullets. Will you defeat everything this freakish nightmare town throws at you or will you become Mutant chowder?

“The House of the Dead: OVERKILL – Extended Cut on Playstation® 3 will send players to the shrieking mad heart of mutant mayhem. This time we went further, faster and bloodier than before. We extended everything, even the title.” – Said Gary Knight of SEGA.

Experience 3D so real, you’ll still be crying late into the night and Move support so moving you’ll place every shot right between the eyes! The House of the Dead: OVERKILL Extended Cut is due for release 28 October 2011 in Europe, 27th October in Australia and 25th October in the United States for Playstation®Move for the Playstation®3 computer entertainment system. Prepare to see more at E3, if you dare!

For more information please visit www.sega.com/overkill/