Feel every movement as you soar, glide and roll in breathtaking 3D when Pilotwings Resort launches on Nintendo 3DS

11 March 2011

Soar over the tropical Wuhu Island and enjoy the fantastic sensation of 3D depth that puts you in the pilot seat, when Pilotwings Resort launches in Australia and New Zealand on 14 April 2011, exclusively for Nintendo 3DS.

This time, you can take control of the amazing 3D flying experience with your personal Mii character, using any of the Miis you create in Mii Maker to pilot the aircrafts. Jump into a plane, hang glider or rocket belt to explore the island at a leisurely pace or race against the clock to complete daring aerial manoeuvres in challenging missions.

Sign up to the Wuhu Sky Club and earn your pilot licence! Learn to pilot a plane, jet around with a rocket belt or hit thermals with a hang glider. Each aircraft has its own unique set of controls to master and in mission mode, you’ll undertake various missions that will push all of your flying skills to the limit. As you complete more missions, your Mii character will progress from novice class to higher classes, unlocking new missions and features along the way.

If you fancy something a little more leisurely, scour Wuhu Island for hundreds of different collectibles in free flight mode to unlock different times of day, dioramas, new aircrafts, and much more! As you take in a view of the spectacular Wuhu Island sights, you can now share your experiences with friends and family members. In certain missions and in free flight mode you can pilot the hang glider to take snapshots in 3D and save them in an SD Card and view them on the photo album in Nintendo 3DS Camera.

So buckle up and get ready to take to the skies like never before, when Pilotwings Resort launches on 14 April 2011, exclusively on Nintendo 3DS.

Pilotwings SRP AU $69.95 and SRP NZ $99.00*

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs

The Tutankhamun exhibition comes to Australia for the first time. 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 is telling 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.

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

Date: Opens 8 April  

Autumn School Holiday – Mysteries of the Nile

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

Date: Saturday 9 April to Tuesday 26 April (11am-3pm)

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  

Leadbeater’s Possum

Rarely seen and once thought to be extinct, Victorian State faunal emblem the Leadbeater’s Possum is now on display at Melbourne Museum. Named after Museum Victoria’s first taxidermist, John Leadbeater – who prepared the first specimen in 1867 – the tiny, Leadbeater’s Possum (Gymnobelideus leadbeateri) is a nocturnal marsupial that was thought to be extinct for the first half of the 20^th Century. 2011 is the 50^th anniversary of the Leadbeater’s rediscovery near Marysville in 1961.

Date: Until 13 April 2011

Mulana: Spirit

Meaning ‘spirit’ in Yorta-Yorta language, Mulana is an exhibition featuring a series of works by Victorian Aboriginal artist Megan Cadd that revolve around key events in her life over the last few years. The impact of losing her only Aboriginal grandmother, coming into contact with an emu feather skirt from the 1800’s, her studies as a spiritual based counsellor, trips back to Yorta-Yorta land and experiences with her family and the Melbourne Aboriginal community are reflected in works that explore the notion of Megan claiming back her spirit while living a colonised life. Featuring installations, paintings and prints, Megan’s work in this exhibition is contemporary while paying respect to her ancestors, family, community and culture.

Date: Until 10 April 2011 

Melbourne Museum, Nicholson Street, Carlton. Open daily 10.00am – 5.00pm. Admission: Adult $8, children and concession FREE. For further details phone 13 11 02 or visit museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum

Trion Worlds today announced that the “Founder’s Pricing” plan for the studio’s recently released MMORPG Rift™ has been extended until March 31st. Exclusively available to early adopters of the online fantasy game, the Founder’s Pricing plan features a $9.99 USD/month price for a multi-month subscription. For more information on Founder’s Pricing, along with details on additional subscription plans, please visit www.RIFTgame.com/subscriptions.

About Rift

Adventure in the world of Telara as either a noble Guardian or technomagical Defiant and enter a dynamic fantasy where 8 primal forces battle for control in an ever-changing landscape. Build your own class using the Ascended Soul system, embark on epic conflicts that bring you into the story, battle others in exhilarating Player vs. Player combat, achieve new heights of power by tackling epic raids, and so much more. See www.RIFTgame.com for more information.

Boston, MA and Elmsford, NY, March 9, 2011– Turtle Beach, the leader in gaming headsets, has announced new chapters in the ongoing story of the incredible PX5 programmable wireless surround sound headset.  The PX5’s online user portal, PX5 Preset Manager software, the culmination of multiple PX5 elements that Turtle Beach has been working on since early this year is now available. 

– PX5 User Portal Goes Live 

The Turtle Beach website is now the home of the PX5 User Portal, where registered PX5 owners can access an ever-growing database of downloadable presets for the PX5. In addition, the portal will offer helpful hints, FAQs and host the PX5 Preset Manager software. This proprietary software allows users to connect their headset to their PC and upload/download custom presets directly. In addition, users will be able to create their own presets which they can then upload to the PX5 User Portal to share with the community. Feel free to visit the portal here:www.TurtleBeach.com/Customize 

– Key features and user benefits of the PX5 Presets Manager:

·         Allows for easy display, organization and management of downloaded and user created presets

·         Microphone frequencies can be adjusted for high/low pitched voice modulation for in-game chat

·         Dynamically control incoming chat, microphone monitor, and game volume.

·         noise gates on the mic, filter out undesired noise to allow for true silence

·         Download new firmware and voice prompts.

·         Restore the headset to factory defaults should one go a bit to far in trying to extend the headsets capabilities

·         The PX5 Preset Manager is a standalone, Windows XP/Vista/7 compatible software product that has no impact upon game software code. 

·         All preset files are stored either in the headset or locally on the users’ PC.

Video Game Based on Highly Anticipated Cars 2 Film Features New International Spy-Themed Adventures with Favorite Cars Characters  

MELBOURNE, Australia — (February 15, 2011) – Disney Interactive Studios today announced that Disney•Pixar’s Cars 2: The Video Game is coming to major platforms this Winter. Unveiled at the American International Toy Fair in New York City, Cars 2: The Video Game will allow players to jump into the Cars universe with a brand new international spy theme.  The game will feature an array of beloved Cars characters competing in action-packed spy adventures, as well as world-class racing. Inspired by the upcoming Disney•Pixar animated film, Cars 2: The Video Game is slated for release this Winter.

Cars 2: The Video Game brings players inside the international training center CHROME (Command Headquarters for Recon Operations and Motorized Espionage), where they choose from more than 20 different characters and train to become world class spies.  As part of their international training, they will participate in simulated hazardous missions using high-tech gadgets to evade and slow down adversaries.

Avalanche Software, video game developers of the critically acclaimed Toy Story 3: The Video Game, are back in the driver’s seat for Cars 2: The Video Game, working in close collaboration with Pixar artists to bring the humor and personality of the feature film to life.

“Cars is one of Pixar’s most successful and treasured franchises, so we are thrilled to be working with Avalanche Software again to extend our creative vision of the Cars 2 universe into the interactive medium,” said Jay Ward, Cars franchise guardian at Pixar Animation Studios. “Avalanche Software has the technology, experience, and history in working with us to create the best-looking Cars video game to date.” 

“The team at Avalanche Software is working on exciting ways to combine the power of the franchise with new storylines and characters in Cars 2: The Video Game to create something unlike any other racing game,” said John Blackburn, vice president and general manager of Avalanche Software. “The combination of racing, international locations and spy themes, and the beloved Cars characters makes Cars 2: The Video Game a truly unique game for players of all ages and skill levels to enjoy.”

Cars 2: The Video Game will feature connectivity with the World of Cars Online – a free-to-play browser-based, virtual world based on the hit Disney•Pixar animated Cars universe.  Players will be able to discover an exciting new world beyond Radiator Springs with Mater, Fillmore, Sarge, and others as they gain rewards in the video game and then use them to unlock new items in the World of Cars Online.

Cars 2: The Video Game will be available on major video game platforms this Winter including PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii™, Nintendo DS™, and PC/MAC.

Please visit http://Disney.com/CarsVideogame and www.facebook.com/carsgames for more information.  Art assets for Cars 2: The Video Game are available at www.disneyconsumerproducts.com/press/us/cars.  

About the Cars Franchise

Released in 2006, Disney•Pixar’s feature film Cars has become a leading boys’ franchise generating an impressive US$2 billion in annual global retail sales for a total of US$8 billion to date. Winner of the Golden Globe® for Best Animated Feature, Cars went on to gross US$462 million in global box office sales.  It’s supported across The Walt Disney Company through films including the highly anticipated release of Cars 2 in Disney Digital 3D, consumer products, live theater productions, park attractions including Cars Land planned for launch in 2012, music, a web site  www.Disney.com/Cars, TV including the popular series of short form content: Cars Toons, home entertainment, video games – including Cars and the upcoming June release of Cars 2: The Video Game supporting all major platforms, a virtual world www.WorldofCars.com, and books – with more than 75 new titles releasing throughout 2011 domestically, in addition to more titles on digital books and mobile applications.   

About Disney·Pixar’s Cars 2:
Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) take their friendship to exciting new places in Cars 2 when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car.  But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage.  Mater finds himself torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret mission orchestrated by master British super spy Finn McMissile (voice of Michael Caine) and the stunning spy-in-training Holley Shiftwell (voice of Emily Mortimer).  Mater’s action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world.  The fast-paced fun includes a colorful new all-car cast, complete with menacing villains and international racing competitors.

John Lasseter returns to the driver’s seat to direct this follow-up to his 2006 Golden Globe®-winning Cars. Cars 2 is co-directed by Brad Lewis, producer of the Oscar®-winning film Ratatouille, and produced by visual effects industry veteran Denise Ream (associate producer, Up; visual effects executive producer, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith).  The film hits the track on June 24, 2011, and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D in select theaters. About Disney Interactive Studios

Disney Interactive Studios, part of Disney Interactive Media Group, is the interactive entertainment affiliate of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS). Disney Interactive Studios self publishes and distributes a broad portfolio of multi-platform video games and interactive entertainment worldwide. The company also licenses properties and works directly with other interactive game publishers to bring products for all ages to market. Disney Interactive Studios is based in Glendale, California, and has internal development studios around the world. For more information, log on to http://www.disneyinteractivestudios.com.

About Pixar Animation Studios

Pixar Animation Studios, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is an Academy Award®-winning film studio with world-renowned technical, creative and production capabilities in the art of computer animation.  Creator of some of the most successful and beloved animated films of all time, including Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, WALL•E, Up and most recently, Toy Story 3. The Northern California studio has won 24 Academy Awards® and its ten films have grossed more than US$6.5 billion at the worldwide box office to date. The next film release from Disney•Pixar is Cars 2 (June 24, 2011).

This morning the free iOS 4.3 Software Update was made available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch bringing a number of new enhancements to your world.

iTunes Home Sharing
Most people have more content on their iTunes library than they can fit on their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. With Home Sharing you can now play your entire iTunes library from anywhere in house over Wi-Fi from your Mac or PC to your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, without having to download or sync. All you need to do is turn Home Sharing on.

AirPlay Enhancements
AirPlay now streams video from your Photos app so you can shoot a home video and instantly share it with everyone in the room on your HDTV or play a slideshow with all the themes available on Apple TV. AirPlay is also available to developers, so AirPlay-enabled apps and websites can get the big-screen treatment too.

Safari Performance
You can now get the responsiveness of the desktop solution in iOS 4.2 with the new Nitro JavaScript engine powering Safari. With up to twice the performance, pages load quick and interactive features appear faster.

Personal Hotspot for iPhone 4
Create your own personal Wi-Fi with you. Enable Personal Hotspot on your iPhone 4 and share your connection with up to 3 devices on Wi-Fi, 1 on USB and 1 on Bluetooth. Every connection is password protected and secure. And it’s power friendly too, as iPhone detects when your Personal Hotspot is no longer in use and turns it off to save battery.

Here we get to sit down again with Pawel Wojs and Kevin McDowell (Art team), Ross Manton (Producer), Guy Davidson (Lead Programmer), Kieran Brigden (Communications Manager), Mike Brunton (Writer) and Mike Simpson (Creative Director) – only this time the team focuses exclusively on the production of SHOGUN 2, covering different topics such as art, music, animation and game design.

A museum-first field guide app from Museum Victoria lets users explore south eastern Australia’s unique and diverse wildlife.

Museum Victoria’s Field Guide to Victorian Fauna is an innovative new app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch that lets nature-lovers discover more about Victoria’s rich biodiversity, whether in the comfort of their homes or in the great Australian outdoors.

“We’re really delighted with this project and the way it provides users with a new and incredibly rich, engaging way to learn about our wildlife,” said Timothy Hart, Museum Victoria’s Director of Information, Multimedia and Technology.

The field guide app, which was developed by Museum Victoria, is a valuable reference tool that can be used in urban, bush and coastal environments. Along with stunning images, the app includes recordings of animal calls – hundreds of croaks, chirps, grunts and squawks – and detailed descriptions that will enable users to identify more than 700 different species of Victorian animals. Both native and non-native species are included in the guide – from insects and spiders to mammals, birds, lizards and snakes.

“Whether you are in a forest, in the middle of a desert or on a rocky shore, you’ll be able to find information about the animals you see around you at the touch of your fingertips,” said Hart.

Museum Victoria’s Field Guide to Victorian Fauna also includes information about each species’ biology, distribution, diet, scientific classification and endangered status.

“This field guide app further develops content created for Biodiversity Snapshots, a web-enabled mobile tool created for school students by Museum Victoria to help them identify and record their sightings of animals in their local environments,” said Ely Wallis, Online Collections Manager, Museum Victoria. “This new app is an excellent resource for anyone with an iDevice, be they students, amateur naturalists or a visitor to the State.”

Museum Victoria will be making the source code for the app available under an open licence, allowing museums around the world to develop their own field guide apps.

“We’ve defined a species description format that allows any other museum to compile their own data and produce their own local field guide app,” said Simon Sherrin, Project Developer, Museum Victoria.

Museum Victoria’s Field Guide to Victorian Fauna is free for download from the iTunes App Store. Developed by Simon Sherrin and designed by Simon O’Shea, the field guide is the second app produced by Museum Victoria. Please touch the exhibit, Museum Victoria’s first iPad app on Melbourne Museum was launched in October 2010.   

For more information on Museum Victoria’s Field Guide to Victorian Fauna, please visit

http://museumvictoria.com.au/apps/fieldguide

publisher Unveils Details of  ‘Yoostar Playground’ for Facebook

Gold Coast, Australia, 10 March 2011 – Landing a starring role in Hollywood’s biggest hits just became a reality as Yoostar Entertainment Group (www.yoostar.com) today announced that Yoostar 2 In the Movies is now available at retail outlets throughout Australia and New Zealand.  Removing the barrier between popular online social networking sites and console gaming, Yoostar also announced the unveiling of Yoostar Playground™, a new Facebook game that blends seamlessly with Yoostar^®2 for the Kinect™ for Xbox 360^® and PlayStation^® 3 computer entertainment system.  Yoostar Playground takes the console experience online and expands the functionality of Yoostar 2 by adding new game features including the ability to earn Badges and create Movie Mashups that then award players “Yoobucks”, which can be redeemed through the video game.

Yoostar Playground is a free, social game that anyone can play, allowing Facebook fans to rate, share and comment on videos of player performances.  It also empowers the entire community to create Movie Mashups that can then be uploaded and rated.  All activities earn players Fame points, taking their in-game persona from a struggling actor or actress, to an A-list celebrity, and reward them with Badges for increased ranking, and “Yoobucks” which can be used for power-ups or boosts in both Yoostar Playground and the Yoostar 2 video game.

“Yoostar 2 and Yoostar Playground can be enjoyed as two separate games with each designed to take advantage of its own unique platform.  But the true break-through and total enjoyment comes when playing both games as one; it brings the party experience of the console game to your social network,” said Stephanie Morgan, Vice President of Social Gaming for Yoostar Entertainment Group.  “It’s really the first time the consoles have stepped beyond their own communities and connected directly to the open world of social gaming on Facebook.  We are extremely excited by this milestone and believe the potential for new console products with greater social integration is enormous.”

-more-

A new breed of social gaming for consoles and an ideal party game, Yoostar 2, brings the magic and fun of Hollywood to living rooms everywhere.  Using the magic of Kinect for Xbox 360 or the PlayStation^®Eye, players insert themselves into famous movie and TV scenes, starring alongside or in place of their favorite actors.  Perform the lines as written, or “flip the script” and deliver a personalized improvisation.  Yoostar 2 then scores the performance and lets players share their scene to Facebook, Twitter, Yoostar 2’s in-game social portal on Xbox LIVE^® online entertainment network and PlayStation Network, or Yoostar.com.

Fans can also experience the game from a whole new perspective on Facebook’s Yoostar Playground, a completely new kind of social game where players can earn Badges and “Yoobucks” by participating in the community and completing challenges.  View, rate, comment and award other videos and share your own.  Create Movie Mashups by combining multiple scenes together to create mini movies, and enter contests to win cash and prizes by creating and uploading new scenes.  Then watch as your Fame points rise on both the video game and Facebook as you rise from a struggling actor to an A-list celebrity.

Yoostar 2 is now available at retail outlets throughout Australia for an SRP of $89.95 and throughout New Zealand for an SRP of $109.95. Yoostar Playground is live on Facebook now, and can be played for free at http://apps.facebook.com/yoostarplayground/. For more information on Yoostar 2, please visit www.Yoostar2.com.au or www.yoostar.com