BioWare’s Award-winning Franchise Introduces Play4Free Game to all 600 Million Facebook Users

17 March 2011, Australia & New Zealand – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that Dragon Age™ Legends, the ground-breaking Play4Free online RPG is now available to all Facebook® users worldwide at http://apps.facebook.com/dragonagelegends.

Dragon Age Legends, a collaboration between BioWare™ and EA’s Play4Free studio EA2D, expands on the award-winning action RPG franchise and introduces deep, high-quality gaming to Facebook. Dragon Age Legends also ties directly into Dragon Age II, currently available in stores. Players who complete specific quests in Dragon Age Legends can earn up to five exclusive items for use in Dragon Age II*.

“We built Dragon Age Legends with one goal in mind: to bring the AAA quality gameplay BioWare is famous for to the social space,” said Mark Spenner, General Manager of EA2D. “Dragon Age Legends brings true RPG combat and style to this massive social platform and delivers it at BioWare blockbuster quality, raising the bar for social games.”

Set in the Free Marches, the primary setting of Dragon Age II, Dragon Age Legends combines accessible and engaging turn-based tactical combat with gripping co-operative gameplay. By simply logging in Facebook, players can jump in to the online RPG – http://www.dragonagelegends.com – to recruit their friends and embark on a battle-rich journey filled with challenging quests. Like all classic RPGs, players will earn loot and share rewards with their friends to grow their hero’s might and their kingdom’s power. The game includes a gratifying character-customisation and upgrade system that allows players to tackle demons and darkspawn to become a legendary hero within the Dragon Age universe.

For more information on Dragon Age Legends, play the game at http://apps.facebook.com/dragonagelegends, visit the game’s web site at www.dragonagelegends.com, or follow along on Twitter at www.twitter.com/da_legends. Dragon Age II is now available on PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, the PC and Mac®.  For more information on Dragon Age II, please visit http://dragonage.com. For more information on EA2D, please visit http://ea2d.com.

* Offer expires March 31, 2012. Requires Internet connection, EA account, access to Dragon Age Legends on Facebook, ownership of or access to Dragon Age II game for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or PC.  EA online Privacy Policy and Terms of Service are available at www.ea.com.   Must be 13+.  Valid everywhere Dragon Age II is sold.  Code may not be substituted, exchanged, sold or redeemed for cash or other goods or services.  To access items in Dragon Age II, you must register on Dragon Age Legends using the same EA Account that you used to register your Dragon Age II game.  Items are nontransferable.  May not be combined with any other offer, gift card, rebate or discount coupon. Void where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law.

The Shorts Film Festival has hit new heights with the release of this year’s program, which includes a record number of films from Australia and overseas.

The festival, which has found a new home at the Norwood Concert Hall, will run for a week (April 9 – 16) and screen 70 short films from Australia and overseas. Shorts received over 200 entries for the festival.

This year, the festival will also launch new filmmaker awards for films from other Asia Pacific countries and a Black Shorts Award for indigenous filmmakers.

Shorts offers one of the largest prize pools of any film festival in Australia, with prizes valued at over $50,000. The awards are presented on the last night of the festival and include an all expenses paid trip to the Cannes Film Festival for the winner.

Film and festival director, Eddie White said Shorts continues to grow to attract bigger audiences and provide more filmmakers with the opportunity to show their work.

“Our initial aim when we established the festival in 2003 was to give Adelaide its own only national dedicated short film festival. Its reach now extends throughout Asia Pacific and into Europe through our partnership with the UK’s prestigious Rushes SOHO Shorts Festival.

“We continue to get strong support from South Australian filmmakers and this year a record 14 local films will be screened.

“If successful, these films will go from being shown in Norwood to being showcased to an audience of leading European directors and producers in London’s West End.”

Films shown at this year’s festival include dramas, comedies, animations, documentaries, horrors and thrillers.

The films to be screened at the festival have been chosen from over 200 entries and decided upon by judges from the Australian film, entertainment and media industries.

Judging sessions were held in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne.

In contrast to other film festivals, the films at Shorts are shown in a ‘club-like’ social environment where audiences can also enjoy good food, have a drink and discuss the films with their friends, family and the filmmakers themselves.

“Norwood’s strong arts and community culture makes it the perfect place for the Shorts Film Festival, said Eddie.

“Our new home will enable us to continue to grow audiences and show films in a relaxed, social and ‘non-cinematic’ environment.”

In addition to the support provided by the City of Norwood, Payneham and St Peters, the festival also welcomes the NAB, Redbank Wines, Finlaysons and Beach Energy as major sponsors of this year’s festival.

The 2011 Shorts Film Festival will be held at the Norwood Concert Hall, Norwood from April 9 to 16. Tickets are priced from $12 through to $25.

For more information, visit the Shorts Film Festival website at www.shortsfilmfestival.com

SYDNEY…March 17 2011,

Distracted Media, writers and producers of The Tunnel, today announced a DVD distribution deal with Transmission Films and Paramount Home Entertainment Australia for the film that captured the imaginations of internet users globally.

The Tunnel will be released as a two disc ‘hardcopy edition’ on May 19 2011 and will offer over two hours of exclusive to DVD special features including alternate ending, behind the scenes documentary and featurettes.

“We are thrilled to have these two forward-thinking distributors supporting The Tunnel in Australia. From the outset our intention was to make The Tunnel available to as many people as possible – their willingness to find a way to work alongside our online release will be a massive boost to that” said writer and producer, Enzo Tedeschi.

Directed by Philippines born, Carlo Ledesma, The Tunnel first came to the attention of worldwide media based on its unique crowd-funding and distribution models – the movie’s producers launched the movie’s website, www.thetunnelmovie.net, with an innovative plan to raise the movie’s cash budget of $135,000 by selling a frame of the movie for $1 to the internet audience (the concept is based on a 90-minute film consisting of 135,000 individual frames) and releasing the film for free, online.

The Tunnel is set in and amongst Sydney’s tunnels and follows a news film crew’s journey underground hunting for a story, until the story starts hunting them. The Tunnel stars an all local cast including Andy Rodoreda, Bel Delia, Steve Davis and Luke Arnold.

The Tunnel will be available on DVD and online in Australia and around the world on May 19 2011.

World of Tanks Sign-up for Clan Wars Begins 

Wargaming.net is glad to announce today that the registration for Clan Wars has been officially opened for both servers. From now on, World of Tanks players can form and register their clans at:

* http://game.worldoftanks.com/clans/  (for North American server)

* http://game.worldoftanks.eu/clans/  (for European server)    

Clan Wars concept revolves around the Global Map divided into a number of provinces each providing a particular revenue stream, with hundreds of clans fighting for gaining control over them. Comprehensive diplomatic and economic systems will provide a wide array of options to wage war for global domination not only on tank battlefields but at bargaining tables as well.   

“Clan Wars is not just a new game mode, but rather a separate gameplay layer or meta-game designed to provide years of fun and action for those fond of strategy thinking, politics, alliances and intrigues,” said Victor Kislyi, CEO of Wargaming.net. “We’re very excited to start enrolling people now thus making the launch of the Clan Wars closer.”

For more information on World of Tanks, visit http://www.worldoftanks.com/. 

About World of Tanks

World of Tanks is the first and only team-based massively multiplayer online action game dedicated to armored warfare. Throw yourself into the epic tank battles of World War II with other steel cowboys all over the world. Your arsenal includes more than 150 armored vehicles from America, Germany, and the Soviet Union, carefully detailed with historical accuracy.

A flexible system of authentic vehicle upgrade and development allows you to try any of the vehicles and weapons in the game. Whether you prefer to exhaust your foes with fast and maneuverable light tanks, make deep breaches in enemy lines with all-purpose medium tanks, use the force of giant tanks to eliminate opposing armored forces, or become a heavy sniper with long-range howitzers, each unit type has its own advantages and can be extremely effective when operated by a true tank ace.

But being a great tank commander alone isn’t enough to win! In World of Tanks, it’s all about teamwork. Victory is achieved by combining your combat skills with those of the other members of your team, each playing their own role on the battlefield. Just add your favorite strategy to build your own iron empire and manifest the indisputable authority of the tank! Feel the TANK POWER!

 Key Features:

* Action-packed 15-vs-15 PvP Tank battles

* Mixture of Action, Strategy, Simulation and MMORPG genres

* 150 Vehicles, thousands of upgrades

* Unprecedented global Clan Wars      

About Wargaming.net

Wargaming.net is an award-winning strategy game specialist, incorporated in the UK. Its 140-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. Wargaming.net’s Operation Bagration RTS was awarded the Best Strategy Game of 2008 at Russian Game Developers Conference (KRI). At KRI 2009 and 2010 Wargaming.net was named The Best Developer Company from ex-USSR. At KRI 2010 World of Tanks won “Best MMO” prize. Official web site: www.wargaming.net

Veteran gaming reviewer, Rick Thorpe reviews Ridge Racer 3D for the amazing new Nintendo 3DS Console.

Check out his review below for Impulse Gamer!

http://www.impulsegamer.com/3dsridgeracer3d.html

	Gameplay			8.0
	Graphics			7.5
	Sound			9.0
	Value			8.0
	Distributor: Namco-Bandai Classification: G Reviewer: Rick Thorpe		8.0
Ridge Racer 3D

It is a unique physics-based puzzle-platformer, in which the player controls all the action with just the touch of the stylus.

Leo the lion crashes his plane deep within the dark jungle. He escapes in his parachute, but soon after landing he is hunted by a tribe of vicious Tubas, the native warrior tribe. Their dreaded leader Makatu wants to capture Leo – and only you can prevent this!

In Zoonies, Leo runs from Makatu and the Tubas as fast as he can. However, instead of controlling Leo (as in traditional platformers), you control the action around him. You have to keep Leo safe and clear the path in front of him.

The player beats enemies, solves intricate puzzles and avoids dangerous traps on his way through the jungle. Zoonies is a thrilling game for all audiences with plenty of innovative gameplay challenges. The game features creative physics, 3D realtime graphics, 4 different worlds, 20 levels, multiple paths and lots of replay value.

Zoonies is heading for an early 2011 release.

Welcome one and all to the forth volume of our web series ‘Once upon a Time in The Sims Medieval!’

This chapter reveals how the Sims studio have created a medieval world that will take you on twists and turns, letting you decide the destiny of your characters.

In this episode, we discover how each of the characters is charged with various quests from concocting love potions to hunting down witches or slaying dragons!

We will also look at how each individual quest has been crafted to fit into the overall arc of the game and how completion of them will move you ever closer to fulfilling the ambition of your kingdom.

So hesitate not, dear fellow, and plunge into the world of ‘Once upon a time in the Sims Medieval!’

Mana Bar celebrates 1 year of consoles and cocktails

Tuesday, 15th March 2011 – Videogame cocktail bar, the Mana Bar, will celebrate its first birthday this Sunday, 20th of March.

The Mana Bar in Brisbane, Australia first opened its doors to the public on Saturday, 20th of March in 2010 and was universally praised as a unique and different venue. Combining the latest in console videogames with a quality selection of cocktails and drinks, the concept has proven to be a success.

“I’m exceptionally proud of what we’ve achieved” says Mana Bar creator Guy ‘Yug’ Blomberg. “The Mana Bar proves that gaming transcends the usual geek stereotype, and allows people from all walks of life to socialise in a new and unique way.”

A public event to celebrate the milestone will be held at the Mana Bar this Sunday, 20th of March featuring gaming competitions, special guests and prizes given away every 20 minutes! More details can be found here: http://brisbane.manabar.com.au/events/1-year-anniversary

Due to the success of the Mana Bar in Brisbane a second Mana Bar will be opening in Melbourne soon with more locations, both domestic and international, to follow soon after.

Clairvoyant & Author Paul Fenton-Smith launches “INTUITION” in Sydney on Thursday 17th March & Melbourne on Friday 18th March 2011.

“We’re all born psychic, from prophetic dreams to deeper instincts, intuitive information comes in many forms. Effective intuition relies on knowing how to tune in to your abilities when you need them” says Paul Fenton-Smith.

“What’s all the current Hype about Intuition?” With Matt Damon in two films about clairvoyance (Hereafter) and seeing the future (The Adjustment Bureau) is Intuition the ‘New Black”?

INTUITION, Fenton-Smith’s 10th book, offers a range of interesting games and exercises to help you to identify your innate psychic strengths. It also helps you to develop powerful insight as an effective tool in shaping your life.

Based on his 33 years studying and practising as a clairvoyant, Intuition unlocks ancient psychic secrets. It also includes compelling real life examples to illustrate each point.

Take the psychic quiz on page two and discover whether you are a natural clairvoyant or if you’d be better suited to practising psychometry – the sensing of energies from objects or environments.

Leading Australian designer Cristina Re has designed the stunning colour photography and easy to follow charts, making this unique book more appealing to everyone curious about intuitive development.

Release Date: Thursday March 17th, 2011

RRP: $34.95

Publisher: Academy Publishing

Distributor: Brumby Books

Web: www.paulfentonsmith.com