Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has released the first trailer for its new Nintendo 3DS title, Doctor Lautrec and the Forgotten Knights.

Due for release in winter, Doctor Lautrec and the Forgotten Knights is a stunning puzzle-based adventure, taking place within a beautifully-realised 19th Century Parisian setting. The trailer has been designed to introduce Lautrec and key characters from the new game, and offers a tantalising glimpse into the game’s exploratory elements.

The game sees Nintendo 3DS users guiding Lautrec and his assistant, Sophie, as they search for relics belonging to Louis the XIV. Using maps, instinct, and his razor-sharp mind, the trailer showcases the game’s unique visual style, full 3D exploration elements, and the many rounded characters that inhabit the world of Doctor Lautrec.

Leading Japanese digital media equipment manufacturer launches in Australia

Sydney, Australia, April 15, 2011 – Philips & Lite-On Digital Solutions Corporation (PLDS), a worldwide leader in optical storage solutions, today announced its plan to launch Plextor high-performance digital media equipment to the Australian market.

Plextor, a leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance digital media equipment and optical solutions, is looking forward to releasing an exciting range of products such as optical disc drives including Blu-ray, solid state drives, as well as digital video converters, multimedia products and disc duplicators for professionals, consumers, and enterprises.

Matthew Tsai, PLDS regional manager for Australia, said, “PLDS is excited to introduce Plextor products including optical disc drives and solid state drives to the Australian market. Australian consumers will find Plextor optical disc drives a practical addition to their PC devices, particularly smaller notebooks, netbooks and tablets that do not have an optical drive. Furthermore, with the increase in Blu-ray content and demand, technology enthusiasts will now be able to add Blu-ray drive support to desktops and notebooks that lack it.”

“Solid state drives may not be replacing hard disk drives anytime soon however the use of flash is growing to be more essential due to performance and reliability. With the increase in PC mobility, storage for portable devices need to be speedy and stable to access applications and data without delay. Plextor solid state drives undergo rigorous testing and stringent quality checks before being released to the market and feature Unique Instant Restore Function which ensures high performance even after prolonged usage”, said Tsai.

Optical disc drives (ODD)

Practical and petite, Plextor ODDs deliver lightning fast writing speeds and with a unique drive design that regulates air flow, noise is reduced significantly and writing quality is enhanced. Plextor ODDs also incorporate a host of features such as PlexERASE, PlexUTILITIES and LightScribe technology. PlexERASE allows users to remove confidential content permanently from discs and PlexUTILITIES is an advanced application and diagnostic tool that provides extra support for the disc drive – ideal for industries such as financial and securities, aviation, technology research, government and publishing to name a few.

Plextor Blu-ray disc writers provide one of the fastest Blu-ray writing solutions available in the market today. A convenient solution for Blu-ray playback, it simultaneously offers increased storage capacity with Blu-ray writing capabilities. Bundled with CyberLink’s TrueTheater™ HD technology, easily boost DVD video and audio quality to achieve high definition results and smoother playback. Enjoy high definition movies on a PC-based home theatre – the software converts standard content into quality high definition images by up-scaling video resolution from 480p to 1080p.

Solid state drives (SSD)

Sleek and sexy, Plextor is taking SSD storage to new heights with fast, durable and stable functionality. One of the first to support the super speedy SATA 6Gb/s interface, Plextor SDDs are engineered for top performance, ideal for technology enthusiasts on the lookout for new gear and extreme gamers who crave high speed gaming power users, as well as system integrators and anyone with high demand for efficiency when multiple system resources are in use.

Plextor’s range of products including optical disc drives, solid state drives, as well as digital video converters, multimedia products and disc duplicators will be available in Australia in the coming weeks and months.

About PLDS

PLDS (Philips & Lite-On Digital Solutions) is a joint venture between Royal Philips Electronics and Lite-On IT Corporation and manages the sales, marketing and global channel for Plextor products. The combination of a strong R&D focus and access to enormous production capacity makes PLDS an industry leading company. PLDS is dedicated to excellence and devotes its efforts to further expand innovative, quality product offerings for the personal computing industry and strengthen its top global position in the optical disc drive industry. For more information, visit www.pldsnet.com.

About Plextor

Plextor LLC is a leading developer and manufacturer of high performance digital media equipment for professionals, consumers and enterprises. In 1990, Plextor established US operations in Silicon Valley with dedicated sales teams serving North and South America. Since then, the Plextor brand has been continually recognised for its high quality products and has received numerous awards for its optical drives. Plextor will continue to deliver generations of award-winning products, including CD-R/RW, DVD±R/RW, and Blu-ray optical disk drives, digital video converters and multimedia products. The Plextor brand of optical disc drives and multimedia products are owned by Shinano Kenshi in Japan. For more information, visit www.plextor.com.

15 April 2011

For the first time on a Nintendo console, get ready for one of the most intense, visually stunning fighting games franchises ever, as DEAD OR ALIVE Dimensions, launches on Nintendo 3DS on 26 May 2011.

Enjoy the 3D effect without the need for special glasses, battle through rich and varied environments whilst smashing through walls or stomping through floors, wirelessly set-up matches and compete as one of 25 playable characters.

DEAD OR ALIVE Dimensions offers fast-paced combat, devastating counter attack combinations and interactive environments which can be used to inflict heavy damage on opponents. There is also a special arena inspired by Metroid: Other M where RIDLEY will wreak havoc on both contestants, DEAD OR ALIVE Dimensions is a full-throttle smackdown experience.

In another unique addition to the gameplay, the Nintendo 3DS Touch Screen will show players the combination moves each fighter can carry out during the game. Learn the controls to perform these powerful moves or use the Touch Screen to perform them on an opponent for maximum damage.

Knuckle up for some heavy hitting action when DEAD OR ALIVE Dimensions arrives in Australia, exclusively for Nintendo 3DS, on 26 May 2011.

DEAD OR ALIVE Dimensions SRP AU $69.95 and SRP NZ $99.00*

For high resolution images, visit: images.nintendo.com.au

*Based on currency conversion rates as at 14 March 2011

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announces that award-winning composer, Inon Zur, has penned the musical score for The Lord of the Rings: War in the North video game. Zur recently conducted a full 70+ piece orchestra and the Pinewood Singers choir at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London to record the game soundtrack session.

To date, Zur has composed the music to more than 40 video games, 15 television shows, and 10 movies, as well as many movie trailers. Recipient of numerous accolades for his work within the video game space, including a Hollywood Music in Media Award for Dragon Age: Origins, Zur’s score sets the stage for this upcoming Action/RPG set in the brutal, war-torn unexplored lands of northern Middle-earth.

Developed by Snowblind Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North provides new story parallel to the Tolkien canon, exploring the only previously hinted at region to the North. Enriching the emotional storytelling, brutal combat, and epic exploration of the game, Zur’s composition provides the compelling soundtrack as new territory is forged for one of the most significant entertainment properties of all time.

Attached are the photos from the recording session at Abbey Road Studios.

Register for The Council of the North at www.WarInTheNorth.com, and don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/lotrwitn and follow us on Twitter @WarInTheNorth.

Sharpen your Lancer blade and get ready to take the fight to the Locust Horde! In just two weeks, the biggest gaming event of this spring kicks off with the worldwide launch of the “Gears of War 3” public multiplayer beta on April 25, exclusively on Xbox LIVE.

To give players an early glimpse of the explosive multiplayer action that awaits, Epic Games and Microsoft today released a new ViDoc, entitled “Making ‘Gears 3’: Dedicated Execution,” featuring spectacular new gameplay footage and key insights from the development team tasked with creating the most polished, balanced and action-packed “Gears of War” multiplayer experience to date.

Tune in to hear Epic’s creative director Cliff Bleszinski, executive producer Rod Fergusson, senior gameplay designer Lee Perry, and other lead developers discuss how they’ve designed dynamic new modes like Team Deathmatch to deliver a bombastic, explosively fun multiplayer experience aimed to please the Gears faithful, as well as newcomers to the franchise.

Powered by dedicated servers, “Gears of War 3” offers the series’ most feature-packed versus multiplayer experience yet, and raises the bar with new game types, weapons, visceral executions, playable characters, squad communication tools, a deep player rewards system, and more. New players will enjoy the finely balanced gameplay and streamlined game types, which make “Gears of War 3” deeper and more accessible than ever before, allowing anyone to instantly jump into the action.

The “Gears of War 3” multiplayer beta opens on April 25 (11:00PM AEST) and runs through May 15 for everyone who preorders the game from EB Games. “Bulletstorm: Epic Edition” owners will get early access starting April 18 through the “Bulletstorm” disc. For full details on the “Gears of War 3” public multiplayer beta, including the new maps and game modes, please refer to the official Epic Games FAQ: http://forums.epicgames.com/showthread.php?t=767359

Developed by award-winning studio Epic Games, “Gears of War 3”[CTC] launches worldwide on Sep. 20, 2011, and is available for preorder in three distinct editions – Standard (AUD$99.95 RRP**), Limited (AUD$129.95 RRP**) and Epic (AUD$199.95 RRP**). For additional details on the game and the beta, please visit www.xbox.com.au/GOW.

SYDNEY, APRIL 14 2011 – WWE (NYSE:WWE) has formed a partnership with Hoyts Corporation, Australia’s leading cinema operator, to bring WWE Pay-Per-Views to the big screens at Hoyts Cinemas across Australia.

Captured live via satellite out of the USA, Hoyts Cinemas will screen 4 WWE Pay-Per-Views throughout 2011.  The partnership will launch with ‘WWE OVER THE LIMIT™’ on Monday May 23^rd.

Announcing the partnership, Andrew Whitaker, Executive Vice President of International for WWE, said “This marks a new era for WWE and will allow our Australian fans to come together to experience all the excitement of a WWE Pay-Per-View on the big screen.  Working with Hoyts will complement our long-standing Foxtel partnership by continuing to drive brand awareness.”  

“We are delighted to be forming this partnership with WWE that will provide Australian WWE fans the opportunity to engage with this leading sports entertainment brand within our family-friendly venues together,” commented Anthony Thiessen, Director of Marketing for Hoyts. “These Monday night events will be a lot of fun for our customers. I can’t wait to see it on our big screens”.

Tickets on sale at www.hoyts.com.au on Monday May 2.

Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com.

Sales of PlayStation®Move motion controller for PlayStation®3 (PS3™) surpass 8 million units worldwide, accelerating the expansion of the PS3 platform 

Tokyo, April 15, 2011 – Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) today announced that the cumulative sales of the PlayStation®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system reached a milestone of 50 million units^*1 worldwide, as of March 29, 2011. SCE also announced that PlayStation®Move sales surpassed 8 million units^*1 worldwide as of April 3, demonstrating continued growth and momentum of the PS3 platform.

The PS3 system, equipped with future proof cutting–edge technologies including the powerful Cell Broadband Engine™ and RSX® processors as well as the Blu-ray disc™ (BD) player and HDMI, has delivered users with high-definition and high quality entertainment experience since its launch in November 2006.  The PS3 system continues to evolve and enhance the user experience through new features and services delivered via software updates.

Concurrently with the introduction of PS3, SCE launched PlayStation®Network service which now has more than 75 million registered accounts and operates in 59 countries and regions^*2 around the world.  PlayStation Network supports free community-centric online gameplay and communication tools such as PlayStation®Home^*3, and offers vast downloadable digital content through PlayStation®Store, from games to movies  of more than 32,840 content totaling to 105,988 digital content  worldwide.  In September 2009, SCE launched the new slimmer and lighter PS3 system with new form factor and less power consumption that has been well received by users around the world.

To further expand entertainment experience only possible on PS3, stereoscopic 3D game and Blu-ray 3D™ features were introduced to the system via a free system software update^*4 in April and September 2010 respectively.  The feature enables users to enjoy stunningly realistic stereoscopic 3D in their living room on their PS3 system by simply connecting it to a 3D-compatible TV such as 3D “BRAVIA” TV using an HDMI cable.  The number of stereoscopic 3D software titles has reached to 89 as of April 1 in 2011.

SCE launched PlayStation Move in September 2010 for North America, Europe/PAL territories and in Asia, and in October 2010 for Japan to deliver a new entertainment experience across all categories of games, from casual to immersive.  The PlayStation Move motion controller is used in combination with the PlayStation®Eye camera to detect the precise movement, angle, and absolute position in 3D space of the user, thereby allowing users to intuitively play as if they are within the game.  The number of PlayStation Move supported/dedicated software titles has reached to 155 as of March 24 in 2011, including  titles such as Sports Champions, SingStar Dance and Killzone3^*5  PlayStation Move continues to further expand the new gameplay along with variety of upcoming new PlayStation Move titles for 2011including SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs^*6,7 

The Apple Mac version of The Bitmap Brothers classic futuristic sports game is now available on the Mac App Store following its recent, phenomenal, international chart topping success on iOS. The game boasts updated gameplay, tons of game modes, super-slick visuals and brutal competition. 

Download Here from the Mac App Store: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/speedball-2-evolution/id430547949?mt=12&ls=1

Friday, 15^th April 2011: The Bitmap Brothers have joined forces with Jon Hare’s Tower Studios and quality development house Vivid Games to create a stunning Mac version of the classic fusion of Ice Hockey, American Football and Pinball, better known as the futuristic sport of Speedball and  first released by The Bitmap Brothers in 1990.

This brilliantly updated version of Speedball has proved an instant hit classic across Europe on iPad and iPhone, topping the charts in Germany, France, Italy and a host of other countries Worldwide Speedball 2 Evolution was the #1 top rated new game on the App Store in February of this year and averages 4.5 stars out of 5 on the UK AppStore from over 1,300 User Reviews.

With quick-play, league and cup tournaments, players can enjoy a quick game or a more structured competition – but it is the comprehensive 10 season career mode, including the new Speedball Champions League and a full player transfer market with 360 fully upgradable and transferable players which really grab the headlines.

Of course, the original game’s combination of fast-based cartoon violence, tongue-in-cheek humour, and perfect playability remain – making this the ideal handheld sports title for veteran Speedball players or newcomers to this most competitive of sports.

“This and the iOS versions of the game have now proven themselves beyond doubt to be the best versions of Speedball 2 available on the market since the original and the best remake of any classic title available from Apple on any format” says Jon Hare, the games creative director and CEO of publisher, Tower Studios. “To existing fans this is a classic remake, to the new generation of players this is a fantastic new game.”

Speedball 2 Evolution launched on the Mac App Store on 14^th of April at $4.99 / €3.99 / £2.99

Speedball 2 Evolution Mac features:

– 336 Individual Players

– 22 Achievements

– 20 Power-ups and Pick-ups

– 16 Classic Speedball Teams

– 12 New Intergalactic Teams

– 10 Season Career Mode

– 10 Game Modes

– 6 Arenas on 4 different planets

– Player Transfer Market and Upgrades

– Extensive Tutorial

– Game Pads support

– Game Center support

– HD Graphics