Go back in time to Ancient Egypt and explore one of history’s most extraordinary civilisations at Melbourne Museum these autumn school holidays.

Autumn School Holiday Activities Saturday 9 April to Tuesday 26 April

Mysteries of the Nile room

Immerse yourself in the wonders of Ancient Egypt and discover the mysteries of the Nile with dress-ups and activities for all ages in Melbourne Museum’s special family activity room.

Time: 11am-3pm daily

Greetings from Egypt

What do you think about when you imagine Ancient Egypt? Create your own Egyptian scene on a postcard which you can either take home or post to a friend or family member.

Time: 11am-3pm daily 

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs

Revel in the splendour of Ancient Egypt as you view a dazzling array of possessions unearthed from the boy king’s tomb. See Tutankhamun’s golden canopic coffinette and the crown found on his head when the tomb was discovered. Learn about the extraordinary discovery of the tomb and the belief and burial processes of ancient Egypt. View results from the latest scientific testing conducted on Tutankhamun’s mummy and what it tells researchers about his life and death. The exhibition has drawn over seven million visitors in the United States and London in the past five years.

Tickets now on sale. To guarantee a ticket, you must pre-book. Visit kingtutmelbourne.com.au to buy your tickets.

Date: Opens 8 April

Cost: Adult $29.50–$35.00, Concession $26.50–$32.00, Child $17.50–$19.50. Additional transaction fees apply.

Also on show at Melbourne Museum these autumn school holidays 

Top Designs 2011

The Creepy Spooksville pinball machine, a conversation seat, a coat inspired by a babushka doll, and the graphic design for the flagship vehicle of Oatomobile porridge are just some of the outstanding works featured in Top Designs 2011. In its 11^th year at Melbourne Museum, Top Designs showcases the works of some of Victoria’s most exceptional emerging designers. Featuring 122 works by 108 students from government, Catholic and independent schools across Victoria, the exhibition includes everything from furniture and fashion to graphic design and photography.

Free entry for students

Date: 26 March to 26 July

Activities are FREE for children 

Melbourne Museum, Nicholson Street, Carlton. Open daily 10.00am – 5.00pm (except Christmas Day) Admission: Adult $8, children and concession FREE.

More info 13 11 02 or visit museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum

Our families play an important role in forming who we are. Visit Immigration Museum and explore your family’s cultural heritage these autumn school holidays. 

Autumn School Holiday Activities Saturday 9 April to Tuesday 26 April 

Family Tree

Everyone has a family history.  What is yours? Construct your own unique family tree using our specially created three-dimensional template and learn more about yourself, your siblings, your parents and grandparents.   

Time: 10am to 5pm 

Babushka Figures

Make your own set of Russian nesting figures with cardboard dolls and special collage paper. Show yourself at different ages or make a group portrait of your family. Add your creation to our display to create a crowd of Babushka doll visitors to the museum.
Time: 10am to 5pm

My Favourite Things

Share some of your favourite things with us!  Pop out a cardboard suitcase, fold it up and create a picture of all the things you would like to take away with you if you had to leave Australia today.

Time: 10am to 5pm 

Story Time

Listen to stories from around the world in our storytelling area.

Time: 11.30am & 1.30pm (Monday 11 to Friday 15 April & Monday 18 to Thursday 21 April)

Also on show at Immigration Museum this summer school holidays 

West Africa: Rhythm and Spirit
This exhibition explores the long-held traditional beliefs and cultural practices of contemporary West African society. Featuring over 200 objects, including colourful masks, intricately carved figures, musical instruments, beautifully decorative cloth and jewellery as well as photographs and film, this exhibition provides a window into the life of today’s West African cultures. West Africa: Rhythm and Spirit encompasses six major themes – kingship and authority, fertility, pattern and adornment, divination, masks and masquerades, and trade – which reflect the diversity and dynamism of this unique and fascinating region.

Date: Until 29 May 2011 

Exhibitions and activities are FREE for children

Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders Street, Melbourne.  Open daily 10.00am to 5.00pm (except Christmas Day) Admission: Adult $8, child/concession FREE. More info 13 11 02 or museumvictoria.com.au/immigration museum

Unwrap the secrets of the pharaohs! Watch Egypt 3D: Secrets of the Mummies at IMAX Melbourne Museum these school holidays

Egypt 3D: Secrets of the Mummies
To compliment the opening of Melbourne Museum’s blockbuster exhibition Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs this April, IMAX Melbourne Museum is screening Egypt 3D: Secrets of the Mummies these school holidays. Egypt 3D: Secrets of the Mummies takes us back thousands of years to explore the wonders of ancient Egypt in a modern day forensic adventure complete with tomb-raiders and hidden treasures. Step back in time and experience the wonders of Ancient Egypt in 3D on the world’s 3^rd largest screen! 

Now showing at IMAX Melbourne Museum                

Where:                         IMAX Melbourne Museum, Carlton Gardens

Tickets:                       $18.00 Adult, $14.50 Concession, $13.50 Child, $55.00 Family (2 adults & 2

children)

Enquires:                     03 9663 5454   

Bookings:                    www.imaxmelbourne.com.au or at the box office

Also showing at IMAX Melbourne Museum these school holidays is Born to be Wild 3D 

Born to be Wild 3D

Be one of the first to experience in stunning IMAX 3D, Born to be Wild 3D, a tale of two amazing people who have dedicated their lives to rescue and raise orphaned orang-utans and elephants – saving endangered species one life at a time. To celebrate the release of this film, IMAX Melbourne Museum will run free activities for children every day during these school holidays, between 11am and 3pm.

Release Date:              8 April, 2011

Where:                         IMAX Melbourne Museum, Carlton Gardens

Tickets:                       $18.00 Adult, $14.50 Concession, $13.50 Child, $55.00 Family (2 adults & 2

children)

Enquires:                     03 9663 5454   

Bookings:                    www.imaxmelbourne.com.au or at the box office

For regular updates follow IMAX Melbourne Museum on Facebook | Twitter | Youtube

Sydney, Australia – Spartans, steel yourselves for a new test of valor and prepare to defy the Covenant! The battle for Reach reignites today with the worldwide launch of three spectacular new multiplayer maps for the top-rated blockbuster shooter of 2010, “Halo: Reach.”

Available exclusively on Xbox LIVE for 800 Microsoft Points, the “Halo: Reach” Defiant Map Pack features three majestic battlefields set on the besieged planet – including the first ever downloadable Firefight map! With battlefronts set on a giant orbital station high above the burning surface of the planet, hidden inside the forest of a military wilderness training facility, and dug into the remnants of a civilian mining site, the Defiant Map Pack brings awesome new environments for Firefight matches and all competitive multiplayer modes.

· Condemned: Condemned takes place aboard Orbital Station Gamma, a massive space station high in orbit above the planet Reach. Prior to the Covenant’s overwhelming invasion, Orbital Station Gamma provided long range communications for UNSC fleets and a vital lifeline between Reach and Earth. During the Battle of Reach, the station suffered terrible punishment at the hands of the Covenant but a few fortified sections remain intact, fully pressurized, and ready for combat. Condemned supports 6 – 12 players in a variety of action-packed game types, including Team Slayer, Team Objective and Free for All.

· Highlands: Highlands takes place on the top-secret Military Wilderness Training Preserve on Reach. The Preserve is a large, wooded area where Spartan super-soldiers trained long before the war with the Covenant began. During the Battle of Reach, the Preserve was the site of key battles between the alien invaders and a group of Spartans who used their familiarity with these UNSC training grounds to significant tactical advantage…but not everyone who enters these woods makes it out alive. Highlands expands the fight with massive-scale engagements for 8 – 16 players in Big Team Battle, Team Slayer and Team Objective.

· Unearthed: Unearthed takes the battle for Reach to a large Titanium mine and refinery located in the Viery civilian sector of the planet. This particular mine was built to take advantage of the exposed titanium inside a massive meteor crater. The titanium produced here is used in much of the UNSC hardware, from the chassis of the Warthog to the meters-thick armor plating of capital ships like the UNSC Pillar of Autumn. While this facility was quickly abandoned when the Covenant arrived on Reach, it still has significant tactical (and economic) value and it won’t be long before both humans and Covenant return to battle for control. Unearthed allows up to 4 players to launch a counterassault against the Covenant in Firefight and Firefight modes such as Generator Defense.

Developed in partnership with Certain Affinity, the Defiant Map Pack includes all new Achievements worth a total of 150 Gamerscore.

Alongside the launch of the new map pack, “Halo: Reach” is available on Games on Demand today, offering anyone who’s yet to experience the blockbuster prequel to the “Halo” trilogy an easy way to enlist in Noble Team and jump into the multiplayer fray!

Before you sink your boots in the trenches, be sure to check out the new Red vs. Blue walkthrough video available today on Halo Waypoint on Xbox LIVE, HaloWaypoint.com, Waypoint on Windows Phone 7 and www.redversusblue.com, which features tips and strategies from the famed machinima creators on how to triumph over your online opponents on the brand new maps.

25 January, 2011
New Legendary Pokémon™, new heroes, a surprising new region, plus new ways for players to have fun and communicate locally are just a few of the innovative and exciting gameplay features offered by Pokémon™ Black Version and Pokémon™ White Version, which launches in Australia and New Zealand 10 March 2011, on Nintendo DS®.

Redefining the Pokémon series, Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version offers fans and newcomers alike a completely new adventure to discover and enjoy. For the first time ever in the series, the two games feature their own individual areas to explore. Set in the Unova region, which is located far away from the Kanto and Johto regions that Pokémon fans will be familiar with, both games also feature all new action-packed locations, such as the bustling urban environment of Castelia City.

Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version also marks the first time in the Pokémon series that the seasons will change in the game world. The result sees specific Pokémon appearing more frequently during particular seasons and also changing in colour or form. Furthermore, players can only access some areas during a specific season.

As if that wasn’t enough, players will also encounter more than 150 never-seen-before Pokémon, some of which can only be caught in each version of the game – two of these Legendary Pokémon are Reshiram and Zekrom.

Reshiram can engulf its surroundings in flames and it is rumoured the heat from the flames can cause the very atmosphere to move, while Zekrom can produce electricity from within its own body, fly and disappear inside thunderclouds! Reshiram can only be caught in Pokémon Black Version whilst Zekrom can only be caught in Pokémon White Version. At the start of the game, players can choose between new, older boy and girl Trainers, as well as from three new starter Pokémon – a Grass-type Pokémon, Snivy, a Fire-type Pokémon, Tepig or, a Water-type Pokémon, Oshawott – before departing on their adventure with two childhood friends.

In Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version the player is tasked with completing two quests. One is to complete the Unova Pokédex by finding and catching every Pokémon in the region – however, in order to fully complete the Unova Pokédex, players will need to trade Pokémon between both versions. The other is to become the Pokémon League Champion by battling with wild Pokémon and other Trainers in the region. Players will train their Pokémon with the ultimate goal of taking on the Elite Four and the Unova Champion! Thanks to some all new connectivity features you will be able to hone your fighting skills via the Random Matchup mode, using the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection.

For more information, visit www.PokemonBlackWhite.com

March 16, 2011 SHERMAN OAKS, CA

Much Anticipated Multiplayer Game Available for Pre-Order at a 10% Discount

Your battle to halt the Nazi dinosaur army is about to begin! Enlist now in the crusade against Hitler’s reptilian warriors and save!

Beginning today, March 16th – and through to its release date of April 8thth – Dino D-Day will be offered at a 10% savings off the normal retail price of $19.99. Log onto Steam before April 8th to take advantage of this discount on this unprecedented game experience. Dino D-Day – Multiplayer Game Pits Nazi Dinosaurs Against Allied Forces.

Dino D-Day is a frantic, action-packed multiplayer adventure that transports you to a World War II battlefront unlike any other game. You and your fellow warriors will battle online choosing to fight for either the Allies or the Axis team. The Allied side includes six playable characters each with unique weapons and combat abilities. You’ll have a chance to gun down a Dilophosaur with your trusty M1 Garand; blast a kamikaze Pterosaur out of the sky with your Thompson sub-machine gun; or perforate a charging Tyrannosaurus Rex with hand grenades.

As an Axis player you have your choice of three human classes and three dinosaur classes. You can ambush the Allied enemy using speed and stealth as the Raptor; mercilessly pound them  with a heavy 20mm gun fixed to the back of the Desmatosuchus; rampage through tight groups of enemy soldiers as the Dilophosaur; and pick up a dead foe and throw it at an enemy for a double kill! The German soldier classes are the perfect complement to their maniacal dinosaur comrades.

Dino D-Day will be available for download from Steam on Friday April 8th, 2011. It will ship with five maps and three game modes. Developers, 800 North and Digital Ranch, intend to give the Dino D-Day community excellent value for their money by continuing to enhance the game and offer players new maps, new playable characters, and new game modes FOR FREE.

Dino D-Day – Hollywood Joins the Battle
Developers 800 North and Digital Ranch have tapped into their varied television resources and experiences to bring high quality Hollywood production values to Dino D-Day. Actors Pat Kilbane (MadTV, Semi-Pro with Will Farrell) and Omar Doom (Inglourious Basterds) bring to life key game characters. Their portrayals as two allied soldiers enhance the players’ experience with exciting and entertaining voice-over performances.

About The Developers
Dino D-Day has been created and published through a joint venture between 800 North and Digital Ranch. Digital Ranch was founded in 1994 by Robert Kirk and Rob Lihani and has produced multiple award-winning series for a variety of networks including Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Tru TV, A&E, History, and Investigation Discovery.

800 North was founded in 2009 by Abe and Parker Scheuermann. Abe produced many hours of television for Digital Ranch including the smash-hit air combat series “Dogfights” for The History Channel before focusing his skills and story-telling talents on Dino D-Day. Dino D-Day’s March release makes it one of the gaming worlds’ first independent multiplayer video game created and published by a television production company.

The Future of Dino D-Day
The developers have committed to continually bringing new elements to Dino D-Day and the Dino D-Day community after the game’s initial release. Included are plans to develop an entire singleplayer/co-op campaign. This will feature more story-driven gameplay and will further develop the fascinating world of Dino D-Day. Watch for regular updates of the multiplayer game along with a few other surprises as well!

Mark your calenders: March 16, 2011 the Dino D-Day Pre-Orders Start!

April 8, 2011 the dinosaur invasion of Steam will begin!

(Left: An original Jeanne French case article clipping as it appeared in the Los Angeles Times, February 13th 1947 [Copyright 1947 Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with Permission]; Right: An element of our “Red Lipstick Murder” directly inspired by this case – the eponymous red lipstick scrawled on the corpse.)

In L.A. Noire, virtually all of the cases you’ll play are inspired in some part by real life incidents that happened in and around Los Angeles circa that crime-plagued era of 1947. Team Bondi meticulously researched stacks of original articles reported in the newspapers of the day to cull authentic elements of real life crimes that would inspire the in-game cases.

One of those is a case attendees of this weekend’s PAX East show are seeing in action, “The Red Lipstick Murder” from the Homicide desk. Like all such cases in the game, our version is an original story inspired by some element of the 1947 crime. It could be an intriguing aspect of the crime scene, or a particularly fascinating twist of a case, or a surprising lead. The game’s writers embellished and fictionalized these real cases to create a thrilling playable story – including in some instances, re-imagined outcomes to real world cases that remain unsolved to this day.

“The Red Lipstick Murder” is based on the real life homicide investigation into the murder of Jeanne French. French was a 45 year old veteran Army nurse who was discovered stripped and stomped to death in an isolated lover’s lane type area of LA known as “The Moors” early one morning in February ’47.
Occurring just weeks after the notorious ‘Black Dahlia’ murder of Elizabeth Short, the killer in this case infamously created a stir when it was discovered that the letters “B.D.” (along with some obscenities) were scrawled in red lipstick on Mrs. French’s nude body. Was this the work of a serial killer, responsible for both killings, and possibly others? Or was it a sick copycat inspired by the Black Dahlia crime? As one would imagine, a sensational media frenzy ensued and the case of Jeanne French spurred a wide LAPD dragnet.

The investigation yielded an intriguing list of possible suspects who were investigated by the police.
French’s husband, who proclaimed his innocence as the tabloids reported he was abusive to Mrs. French and even had an argument with her the very evening of her murder.
The mysterious “other man” who shared a private post office box with her?
The unidentified ‘dark-haired’ male companion who reportedly shared a last meal with her at a Chinese restaurant hours before her death?

In the end, the case remained unsolved. French’s husband famously passed a lie detector test in effort to prove his innocence. The other men were proven to be false leads or never identified. Jeanne French was just another cold case from the year of 1947.

Our “Red Lipstick Murder” in L.A. Noire takes some very specific kernels of inspiration from this tragic story, including the eponymous red-lipstick scrawled on the corpse, other similarities to the crime scene, and the suspected husband who protests his innocence. But in the game’s original story, the player does close the case. The outcome is one we won’t be spoiling for you of course, leaving it to you to solve the mystery this May.

Look for more real crime case stories to come…

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – March 15^th 2011 Today Codemasters® in Partnership with NAMCO BANDAI Partners released a new biography video for Operation Flashpoint Red River™, the all-new chapter in the multi-million selling tactical shooter series set to launch on 21^st April across Australia & New Zealand. The ‘Kirby’ biography video focuses on Sergeant William Kirby in his role as Fireteam Leader in a conflict “where things are going to get a lot worse before they get better.” The video is now showing at www.facebook.com/flashpointredriver.

The video introduces Sergeant William Kirby and is cut with gameplay footage showing the Marines in action in Tajikistan. Kirby assesses the reality of war on the ground, as the insurgents become “desperate for blood” and the Chinese enter the conflict with all the makings of a “wild west showdown.” The video shows Marines assaulting dug-in Chinese positions at close-quarters and the threat of PLA armour and air-support – a contrasting tactical challenge from insurgent guerrilla warfare.

The war causes Kirby to reflect on why he does what he does: “It wasn’t a choice, as much as a calling. I could have had a comfortable life. I could have closed my eyes to the world around me. But that’s not who I am. Because I followed my heart the sons and daughters of the Marines I help save still have a father. Their wives still have a husband. If they want to give me a medal for doing my job, then so be it. But I’m no hero. More than anything else in my life, I am a Marine.”

Sergeant Kirby is both squad leader and Rifleman in the Fireteam. His leadership and combat skills are complimented by the specialities of his teammates – Grenadier, Auto-Rifleman and Scout. Up to four players can come together in a Fireteam with Operation Flashpoint: Red River’s drop-in, drop-out co-op play across a substantial campaign mode and standalone Fireteam Engagements. 

Operation Flashpoint: Red River will set a new standard for authentic and intense tactical combat when it arrives on 21^st April in Australia & New Zealand for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Games For Windows® LIVE. Sign up to ‘get some’ USMC style with the latest briefings direct from the Operation Flashpoint studio at www.facebook.com/flashpointredriver and www.twitter.com/flashpointgame. 

ABOUT OPERATION FLASHPOINT: RED RIVER

Set to deliver an authentic and intensely personal infantry experience, Operation Flashpoint: Red River invites players to enlist as one of the four members of a US Marine Corps fireteam and fight through a substantial campaign mode and standalone. Fireteam Engagements.  Up to four players can enjoy the unique Operation Flashpoint experience across all game modes with seamless drop-in drop-out co-operative play. Whether playing solo or co-operatively, players can build up XP across all modes to unlock weapons, skills and modifications for their class, customising their loadouts to suit their preferred style of play.

Critically acclaimed iOS game available on 25 March 2011 with enhanced graphics for iPad 2

15 March 2011, Australia & New Zealand – In conjunction with the iPad 2 release, Electronic Arts is offering an update to its critically acclaimed action-horror Dead Space™ game, created specifically for the iPad 2. Immersive action and intense drama in deep space ascends to exhilarating intensity as EA Mobile™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. and the world’s leading mobile games publisher, published updates for the award-winning Dead Space game that exemplifies the iPad 2’s capabilities as a gaming platform.

“Dead Space showcases the power of the iPad 2 bringing the psychological thrill of this award-winning game to players in new ways,” said Travis Boatman, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Studios for EA Mobile. “The faster core and graphics capabilities of the iPad 2 open up possibilities to reach new levels of quality in EA’s games never before seen in a portable device like this.”

Dead Space for iOS features hardcore gameplay and a rich audio experience immersing players in the events that set the stage for the action-horror storyline of Dead Space 2. Working closely with Visceral Games™, EA Mobile development studio IronMonkey Studios – located in Melbourne – created a unique story and gameplay experience for iOS gamers. Visual quality improvements exclusive to the iPad 2 bring a heightened sense of realism to the game’s environments, combat and enemies. Look sensitivity and Y-axis inversion deliver greater player control taking strategic dismemberment to a whole new level. A fully voice-acted stereo soundtrack, along with an orchestrated score and sound effects, allow players to hear every footstep in the dark empty passages and feel the tension build as they are pulled deeper into danger. Coupled with cutting-edge visuals that are rich in effects and atmospheric lighting, Dead Space reproduces the cinematic horror of the console experience and sets a new benchmark for graphical fidelity on the iOS platform.

Dead Space for iOS is a top rated mobile game with a Metacritic rating of 94 percent. The App Store SM designated Dead Space as an iPad Game of the Week calling it a “…must play…a wholly original and terrifying experience splattered in deep gameplay, outstanding graphics and chilling audio.”

In giving the game an Editor’s Choice award, IGN called Dead Space “…a real-deal chapter in the Dead Space franchise…” GamePro’s five-star and Editor’s Choice review labeled Dead Space “a game changer.”

Dead Space for iPad, iPhone® and iPod touch® are available today from the App Store at www.itunes.com/appstore/. Dead Space will be available for iPad 2 in Australia and New Zealand when the device launches on March 25, 2011.

EA Mobile has a solid reputation for its pioneering and market leadership in mobile gaming, and has been a definitive player with the rise of Apple devices as gaming platforms. Popular games include SCRABBLE, Tetris®, MONOPOLY and Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, which have consistently ranked among top sellers and, in 2009, The Sims™ 3 was the #1 best-selling game on the App Store. For more information about EA Mobile, please visit www.EAMobile.com, join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/EAMobile or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/EAMobile.

About the Game

When the Empire begins its reign of destruction in a thirst for natural resources, it’s up to Max Brawley, a retired Gatling Gear pilot, to stop them. Together with his niece and his trusty Gatling Gear unit he must fight his way to the heart of the Empire and eliminate the source of the destruction.

Set in the same Mistbound universe introduced in Greed Corp., Gatling Gears takes you deeper into the world and its inhabitants with an all-new action-focused style of gameplay.

Gatling Gears is available this Autumn in Australia and New Zealand for the Playstation Network and Xbox Live Arcade.