A brand new Homefront trailer is now available and is made entirely of footage taken from Homefront’s multiplayer experience.

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In the Vice desk case “The Naked City” (available as a pre-order bonus through EB Games), Cole Phelps investigates the apparent suicide of a stunning fashion model. When the young beauty is tragically found naked in her bathroom amidst a pool of pills, the most likely conclusion is that she’s taken her own life. But what about those bruises? And her taste for luxury beyond her means? It soon becomes apparent that this young lady wasn’t quite the ingénue some believed her to be.

www.rockstargames.com/lanoire

Developed by Team Bondi in conjunction with Rockstar Games, L.A. Noire arrives on shelves May 20th in Australia and New Zealand.

CO-PROGRAMMED BY PEDRO ALMODÓVAR, GUEST CURATORS ANG LEE, ANTONIO BANDERAS, KEN LOACH AND GUILLERMO DEL TORO

THURSDAY 14 APRIL to TUESDAY 26 April 2011

acmi (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) Federation Square, Melbourne

Bookings: www.lamirada.org.au or www.acmi.net.au/ticketing.htm, by phone 03 8663 2583 and at the ACMI Ticket Desk

The fabulous La Mirada Film Festival returns to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in April 2011, presenting the best and most exciting new Spanish and Latin American films of the last twelve months plus a breathtaking selection of Spanish film classics selected by some of the world’s finest filmmakers.

La Mirada is delighted to announce that the infamous Antonio Banderas will be joining Oscar Winner Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain), Mexico’s Guillermo Del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, Hell Boy) and England’s Ken Loach (The Wind That Shakes The Barley, Looking For Eric) as guest curators for La Mirada 2011. The dynamic program includes new releases, classics and documentaries and features Mexico Bizarro, a retrospective of offbeat Mexican cult films from the 1950’s through to the 1990’s compiled by Guillermo Del Toro for this year’s special program.

The Opening Night Gala event always sells out so be sure to book your tickets soon! Festival director Rocío García is very excited to announce that Gustavo Taretto’s Medianeras will be the opening night film for La Mirada 2011. Runner up in the Panorama at the Berlin Film Festival, Medianeras stars the stunning Pilar López De Ayala (In The City Of Sylvia). La Mirada is also delighted to announce that Unax Ugalde and Nicholas Goldbart will be attending the festival as guests. New Spanish heartthrob and star of Lovestorming and Bon Appétit, Ugalde will be introducing both films at their La Mirada screenings. Nicholas Goldbart, director of this year’s closing night selection the science fiction comedy Fase 7 (Phase 7), will be present to introduce his film. Watch this space for more guests to be announced soon.

Now entering its fifth year, La Mirada is a unique film festival. Celebrated Spanish filmmaker and patron of La Mirada, Pedro Almodóvar, co-programs the festival, selecting five masterpieces for the ‘Almodóvar Presents’, classics section. Each year different international cinema luminaries act as guest curators. Independent of one another Antonio Banderas and Pedro Almodóvar both selected Luis Garcia Berlanga’s 1953 classic Bienvenido Mr. Marshall (Welcome Mr. Marshall) for this year’s festival. La Mirada’s vibrant curators will share one of their favourite films from Spanish and Latin American filmmakers, offering a variety of stimulating perspectives on the intriguing world of Spanish language cinema. The films selected by Ang Lee and Ken Loach will be surprise screenings for the audience, not revealed until the night.

As in previous years, La Mirada will screen the Australian premieres of films lauded in both their Spanish speaking homes as well as film festivals abroad. Premiering at this year’s festival will be También La Lluvia (Even The Rain), Spain’s official entry for the Oscars and winner of the Panorama at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival starring Gael García Bernal; the gripping Pa Negre (Black Bread) fresh from impressive sweeps at the Goya (Spanish Academy Awards) and Gaudi awards; Maria Y Yo (Maria and I); No Controles (Lovestorming) and Remando al Viento (Rowing in the Wind) starring Elizabeth Hurley and Hugh Grant.

Mexican Fiesta and Film, a hedonistic evening of Mexican cinema, delicacies, and entertainment, is a new addition to the deliciously indulgent Spanish Cuisine and Film nights, returning with a feast of authentic Spanish dishes and premium Spanish wines. With all this as well as the famous opening and closing night galas, La Mirada 2011 will once again set Melbourne swinging with its sassy melange of film, food and culture.

La Mirada is in a unique position to present the finest new Spanish language films thanks to official support from the Spanish, Argentinean, Mexican and Australian governments and their respective consulates and embassies, as well as the Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts in Spain and Argentina (ICAA and INCAA), Mexican Cinema Institute (IMCINE), Film Victoria, Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), Victorian Multicultural Commission, World Movies, Art Series Hotels, FILMOTECH, the Audiovisual Producers’ Rights Management Association (EGEDA) and the Agency for External International Cooperation for Development (AECID).

Full program details will be announced in mid March 2011. Visit www.lamirada.org.au

Sydney, Australia – March 4, 2011 – Call of Duty: Black Ops First Strike, the first map pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops, the #1 best-selling PlayStation 3 title ever (according to NPD, ChartTrack and GfK), is now available worldwide for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system via the Playstation®Network. Released today by Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), Treyarch’s Call of Duty: Black Ops First Strike adds five all new intense maps spanning the globe.

“Berlin Wall” enlists players across both sides of Cold War Berlin; “Stadium” delivers fast-paced, close-quarters combat within the backdrop of a sports complex; “Discovery” features an abandoned German outpost set along the coast of Antarctica; “Kowloon” pits players onto the tiered levels of high-rises and rooftops of Kowloon City, Hong Kong. And for Zombie fans the world over, Call of Duty: Black Ops First Strike also features an all new Zombie experience. The new level, “Ascension,” pits players against hoards of vicious, perk-stealing zombie monkeys, flesh-eating Soviet Zombies and more in a trap-filled, Cold War era cosmodrome.

“The First Strike map pack significantly expands the intense experience for the millions of fans enjoying Call of Duty: Black Ops on the PlayStation®3 every day,” said Mark Lamia, Studio Head, Treyarch. “Across each of First Strike’s multiplayer maps and the newest Zombie level, we have created unique experiences that will appeal to everyone playing online in the PSN Call of Duty® community around the world.”

Call of Duty: Black Ops is rated “MA15+” by the Classification Board for Violence and Coarse Language. Additional information and updates are available through www.callofduty.com/blackops  and also via Twitter @Treyarch.

Friday 4th March 2011 – SEGA® Europe Ltd. and SEGA® of America, Inc. are pleased to confirm that Virtua Tennis™ 4 for PlayStation®3, Xbox 360® and Wii™ will hit stores across Australia on May 5th 2011.
As spring hits and tennis fever takes over the world, top tennis stars warm up and head for the courts to battle it out and be crowned No 1. Relive the tension and excitement with Virtua Tennis 4 by taking on the likes of tennis heroes; Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Juan Martin Del Porto and Caroline Wozniacki. Experience the same intense drama as you build up your Match Momentum gauge, and revel in your form as your player grows in confidence.

Virtua Tennis 4 takes the series to a higher level of realism with the PlayStation®Move, MotionPlus and Kinect™ compatibility, pushing the tennis genre forward yet again. Exciting new features such as a refreshing World Tour experience means every decision you make both on and off the court, will affect your path. You’ll never experience the same career twice!

For more information about the game, please visit www.sega.com/virtuatennis4

Melbourne Museum will host three exciting events as part of Australia’s internationally acclaimed Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. 

A Career in the Kitchen with Richard Hooper
Hear sustainable chef Richard Hooper, whose career has taken him all over the world from Sous Chef at Mezzo in London to Head Chef at the Sunnybrae Restaurant and Cooking School, offer invaluable tips on how to succeed in this profession and discuss the main issues faced by the food industry today, including sustainability, suppliers and evaluation.

When: 8 March, 6:00PM – 7:30PM
Where: Mind and Body Gallery, Melbourne Museum, 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton
Cost: Free with museum entry
Bookings: 131 102

Tasting Treasure by Roundangle
Explore the treasure of food on an interactive sensory adventure through Melbourne Museum’s Garden. Roundangle invites under five’s and their parents/carers to open their noses, prick their ears and sometimes close their eyes to discover food and where it comes from in a totally unique way. The bees may buzz a treat too, if we find them.

When: 10 – 11 March, 10:00AM – 10:30AM, 10 – 11 March, 10:45AM – 11:15AM, 10 – 11 March, 11:15AM – 11:45AM, 10 – 11 March, 11:30AM – 12:00PM, 10 – 11 March, 12:00PM – 12:30PM, 13 – 14 March, 10:00AM – 10:30AM, 13 – 14 March, 10:45AM – 11:15AM, 13 – 14 March, 11:15AM – 11:45AM and 13 – 14 March, 12:00PM – 12:30PM
Where: Milarri Garden, Melbourne Museum, 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton
Cost: $10.00 Adult includes Museum entry, $2.00 concession and children includes Museum entry
Bookings: 131 102

The Melbourne Story
This exclusive culinary experience will take you back in time where you will find out why and how Melbourne became Australia’s premier food destination. Celebrate ‘The Melbourne Story’ at Melbourne Museum and discover the history and personalities that have shaped this city through iconic objects, immersive experiences and multimedia exhibits. Naturally, all beverages and cocktail food will be Victorian.

Charmaine O’Brien, author of Flavours of Melbourne: A Culinary Biography will be speaking at the event and entertainment will be provided by Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

When: 11 March, 6:30PM – 8:30PM
Where: Melbourne Museum, 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton
Cost: $85.00 adult, cocktail food and beverages. $75.00 MV Members
Bookings: 131 102

SAN FRANCISCO, CA AND SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – March 4, 2011– Turtle Beach (www.turtlebeach.com), the leader in premium gaming headsets, continues to revolutionize the category with the announcement of the PX5 Advanced Sound Editor software tool for the soon to launch PX5 Programmable Wireless Dolby Surround Sound headset(http://www.turtlebeach.com/PX5). With the introduction of the PX5 Advanced Sound Editor tool, developers can now create custom presets for the PX5. Visceral Games™ have been among the first to adopt the PX5 Advanced Sound Editor and will create several custom audio presets supporting their recently released hit title, Dead Space™ 2, for gamers to easily upload to their PX5 headsets.

The PX5 Advanced Sound Editor software was created with game developers in mind and allows game sound designers to create original, custom settings for the PX5 headset that can directly impact players’ in-game audio experience. It provides access to every parameter in the PX5’s internal Digital Signal Processor, allowing detailed control over the microphone, chat and game sound. These settings are saved as Presets which can be uploaded into the PX5 headset via the USB connection. The presets for mic, chat and game channels can be saved independently and combined into a master preset, allowing for different combinations. For example, each channel offers an adjustable multi-band EQ that allows developers to change the frequency response of the mic, chat or game sound depending on the game situation, while Sonic Lens™ technology brings the ability to focus on very specific audio cues, such as the quietest footsteps of an opponent amid chaos, or the roar of a racecar coming up fast from behind you.

The Dead Space 2 presets from Visceral Games, along with a variety of other custom presets, will soon be available through the Turtle Beach website as part of a PX5 headset owners’ area. This portal will include the software to enable easy downloading and installation of new presets to the PX5 headset. PX5 users will be able to access, share and discuss these custom-made presets to enhance their overall enjoyment of their favorite games and PX5 headset. In addition, the custom PX5 presets can also be made available via the games’ official and community sites.

“The PX5 Advanced Sound Editor is a unique tool that further enhances the already formidable PX5 headset, by offering a dynamic platform for game developers to further connect with fans and give them unique customized audio experiences far beyond what has previously been possible.” said Michael Arzt, VP of Marketing and Business Development at Turtle Beach. “The response from the development community has been incredible and we’re thrilled that Visceral Games is excited, and among the first shops to create for the PX5 community with their amazing custom presets for Dead Space 2.”

“Audio is a core component to the Dead Space experience and the PX5 really strengthens that,” said Steve Papoutsis, Executive Producer Dead Space 2. “After creating the custom presets, it helped amplify every subtle sound in the game so when I put on the headsets while playing Dead Space 2, I felt even more immersed in the horrific game world we created. After all, hearing is believing.”

Key features and user benefits of the PX5 Advanced Sound Editor include:

· – Sonic Lens™ technology allows the developer to emphasize or magnify specific audio cues or effects in game by frequency

· – Independent multi-band EQ on the mic, chat and game channels allows developers to change the frequency response of the game sound

· – Sound Field Expander processing creates a wider audio soundscape

· – Blast Limiter™ allows developers to turn up the game volume to focus in on subtle sound without simultaneously increasing loud level sounds

· – Independent noise gates on the mic, game and chat channels filter out undesired noise to allow for true silence

· – The PX5 Advanced Sound Editor 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.

The PX5 Advanced Sound Editor is available now to qualified developers and will be distributed at no charge by Turtle Beach.

About Turtle Beach

Turtle Beach (www.turtlebeach.com) designs and markets premium audio peripherals for personal computer and video game platforms, including its acclaimed line of Ear Force gaming headphones and headsets crafted for XBOX 360® and PlayStation®3 video game consoles and PC games. Turtle Beach’s Ear Force X41 wireless headset is Official XBOX Magazine’s “2009 Peripheral of the Year.” Turtle Beach, headquartered in Elmsford, New York, is a brand of Voyetra Turtle Beach, Inc., which has been at the forefront of music and audio technology for more than three decades and is recognized as a pioneer of today’s PC audio industry.

Turtle Beach and Ear Force are registered trademarks of Voyetra Turtle Beach, Inc. Visceral Games and Dead Space are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. XBOX 360 is a trademark of the Microsoft group of companies. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Mac is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc. Dolby is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories. Netflix is a registered trademark of Netflix, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective holders and are hereby acknowledged.

About QVS

QVS is a leading interactive entertainment specialist across Australia and New Zealand, QVS is a privately owned independent software and accessories distributor that has operated in Australia for over ten years providing quality, innovative interactive software titles and accessories. The company’s main objective is to provide its clients and customers with software products and accessories that deliver a highly satisfying entertainment experience. QVS distributes products from a wide range of publishers for a variety of demographics including lifestyle, office, productivity, education and games. QVS feature titles and products from the following well-known brands: Avanquest, Easy Interactive, Focus Home Interactive, Focus Multimedia, Focus Multimedia, Koch Media, NCsoft, Nero, Nordcurrent, PDP, Trion Worlds, Turtle Beach, White Room Games, Winning Moves UK plus many more. www.qvsoftware.com.au

Players will have an opportunity to play the new build during its first public showing at PAX East

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – 4 March, 2011 — NCsoft®, the world’s premier publisher and developer of Massively Multiplayer Online games (MMOs), and ArenaNet, the developer of the wildly acclaimed Guild Wars franchise, are thrilled to reveal details of the thief, the sixth profession to be revealed for Guild Wars 2, the highly anticipated title that challenges the norms of today’s MMOs. Gamers will have an opportunity to play the thief in ArenaNet’s brand-new Guild Wars 2 demo build at PAX East beginning March 11 in the Alienware, NVIDIA and Logitech booths. And for non-PAX East attendees, fans can experience the build at our NCsoft Boston Meet and Greet at the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel the evening of Friday, 11 March.

As a master of stealth and surprise, the thief is deadly in single combat – particularly when catching enemies off guard. Thieves compensate for their relatively low armour and health by being quick and evasive. They can travel through the shadows, vanish into thin air, or steal items from their opponents and use them as weapons.

While other professions rely on a recharge rate for their weapon skills, in combat thieves rely on Initiative. Weapon skills cost Initiative points, but they have no recharge time, so thieves can use them back-to-back-to-back.

Featured thief skills include Stealth, Shadow Stepping, Traps, and Dual Skills to name a few. As for weapons, thieves have a mixture of melee and ranged weapons:

· Main Hand: Sword, Dagger, and Pistol

· Offhand: Dagger and Pistol

· Two-Handed: Shortbow

Thieves are not for everyone, but their skills and mechanics should be studied, as they are welcome allies in group play and worthy adversaries in PvP combat. For additional information on Guild Wars 2 and the thief profession, tune into the ArenaNet blog and GuildWars2.com next week for a post on the thief’s attributes and a special preview of the PAX East build.

For additional information on Guild Wars 2, please visit www.GuildWars2.com and for our NCsoft eventshttp://www.ncsoft.com/en/events/pax-east-2011.html.

About NCsoft

NCsoft, headquartered in Seoul, Korea, is the world’s premier publisher and developer of massively multiplayer online games, including the critically acclaimed Aion®, Lineage®, Guild Wars, and City of Heroes® franchises. NCsoft West is a division of NCsoft that holds operating responsibilities for North America, Europe, South America, and Australia/New Zealand. More information can be found at www.ncsoft.com.

About QVS

QVS is a leading interactive entertainment specialist across Australia and New Zealand, QVS is a privately owned independent software and accessories distributor that has operated in Australia for over ten years providing quality, innovative interactive software titles and accessories. The company’s main objective is to provide its clients and customers with software products and accessories that deliver a highly satisfying entertainment experience. QVS distributes products from a wide range of publishers for a variety of demographics including lifestyle, office, productivity, education and games. QVS feature titles and products from the following well-known brands: Avanquest, Easy Interactive, Focus Home Interactive, Focus Multimedia, Focus Multimedia, Koch Media, NCsoft, Nero, Nordcurrent, PDP, Trion Worlds, Turtle Beach, White Room Games, Winning Moves UK plus many more. www.qvsoftware.com.au

New screens have been released today for LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game. The new images are from Pelegosto and Dutchman Key, two levels that players will be able to interact with which re-create key moments from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game contains all the action, adventure and memorable moments of the Pirates of the Caribbean mythology (including the fourth film, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”) in LEGO form, incorporating the humour of LEGO minifigures and fantastic worlds built from LEGO bricks and elements for players to explore.

Players can take on the roles of more than 70 characters and experience the action-adventure gameplay and hilariously quirky LEGO cut scenes. Throughout the game, players will also have the freedom to explore environments from the highly acclaimed movie series in more than 20 levels.

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game will be out from 12th May 2011.