February 22 2011, Australia & New Zealand – EA SPORTS™ has launched two major new features for FIFA 11 Ultimate Team — Play A Friend Challenge and Friends Leaderboards — plus over 50 other improvements. FIFA 11 Ultimate Team is a massive online community of fans building, managing and competing with their ultimate football team in FIFA 11 on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system. The features and improvements will be live in Australia and New Zealand on 24 February.

FIFA 11 Ultimate Team is free-to-play* with a massive online community of more than two million fans. It is the most popular and successful DLC ever developed by EA SPORTS**. FIFA 11 Ultimate Team challenges community members to build a squad of the world’s best footballers by earning coins from competing in weekly tournaments and then spending them on packs in the in-game store or as currency to bid for players in the very popular auction market both on console and the web app at www.easportsfootball.com/ultimateteam/play.

The FIFA 11 Ultimate Team title update just released features:

Play A Friend Challenge

Play A Friend Challenge enables you to test your skills against your friend’s Ultimate Team, even when your friend isn’t online. Take on your friend’s squad whenever you like with the CPU controlling their squad. Results are recorded and presented to your friend the next time they log on to their console. Now you can prove who has the best Ultimate Team whenever you are ready to play. Plus, when you return to your console, you can see who played your squad, left you a message, and challenge them to a rematch when you want to play.

Friends Leaderboards

Compare your progress in FIFA 11 Ultimate Team against friends automatically with personalised leaderboards. Catering to how you choose to play, you can now compete and compare your progress as a trader, expert team builder, top entrepreneur in the auctions, or owner of the most valuable club.

The update also includes over 50 additional refinements that are based on the feedback from the FIFA community. Some of the additional changes include updates to the auctions to make it easier to track auctions or repost expired items, Power Passing assistance is switched off by default in online matches, and a number of general stability improvements. For a full list, please visit the News & Media section on www.easportsfootball.com.

Visit www.easportsfootball.com/ultimateteam for more information about the game and join other fans in the EA SPORTS FIFA community at http://www.facebook.com/easportsfifa.

*Restrictions and conditions apply. Requires FIFA 11 to play. Please see back of FIFA 11 pack for details.
** According to internal data.

The Free-To-Play Social Gaming Version of the World’s Favourite Family Game Brand Enables Players Around the World to “Pass Go” and Play with Hundreds to Thousands of their Friends

21 February 2011, Australia & New Zealand – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) has announced that MONOPOLY Millionaires, the first free-to-play social gaming version of the world’s favourite family game brand, is now available for play on Facebook.

Fans of MONOPOLY can connect with all their Facebook friends and family around the world to experience the never-ending fun of building the biggest and best boards and gathering millions in MONOPOLY money. Under license from Hasbro, MONOPOLY Millionaires can be played on Facebook at: http://apps.facebook.com/monopolymillionaires/.

The release of MONOPOLY Millionaires represents an entirely new and innovative approach to the digital MONOPOLY franchise. Electronic Arts’ considerable MONOPOLY development expertise has resulted in the integration of unique social gameplay features that take gaming on Facebook in a new direction.

“EA has enjoyed a very successful relationship with Hasbro over the last three years and we’re excited to introduce the beloved MONOPOLY brand to the Facebook community,” says Chip Lange, senior vice president and general manager of the Hasbro Division at Electronic Arts. “We strive to continually re-imagine Hasbro brands digitally in creative ways and MONOPOLY Millionaires is no exception. We’re bringing the world’s favourite game brand into the new era of social gaming, offering an accessible and enjoyable experience for Facebook users worldwide.”

“MONOPOLY has always been a social game that’s made better by the friends you play with,” said Katie Mitic, director of platform and mobile marketing at Facebook. “With MONOPOLY Millionaires, EA and Hasbro are bringing this global game brand to a growing online audience of people who play games with their friends on Facebook. MONOPOLY is a great example of the legacy that can be created when games are built to be social from day one.”

Fans of MONOPOLY will find several familiar features in MONOPOLY Millionaires, such as the classic MONOPOLY board, earning money by building houses and hotels, and rolling dice to move tokens around the board. However, MONOPOLY Millionaires has been designed specifically for the world of social gaming to encourage players to engage and play with their friends. The more friends a player has, and the more often they visit their friends’ boards, the more success they’re likely to have in the game. Additionally, players may roll the dice consecutively and don’t have to wait for their friends to finish their turns. Customisation is another highlight of MONOPOLY Millionaires, allowing players to creatively decorate their boards for a more personalised and expressive experience.

“MONOPOLY has entertained millions of families around the globe for decades,” said Mark Blecher, senior vice president and general manager of digital gaming and media at Hasbro. “With this first time addition of a social gaming version for Facebook, it’s great to know there will always be a friend or family member who’ll be ready to roll the dice any time of the day or night to experience the fun of MONOPOLY Millionaires.”

MONOPOLY for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS

The world of MONOPOLY has already come to life digitally with great success through the strategic licensing alliance between EA and Hasbro. To date, the franchise—which kicked off in 2008 with the launch of the original MONOPOLY—has sold through more than two million units worldwide across Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, PlayStation ® 2 and PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, Nintendo DS, and the Wii. The 2010 launch of MONOPOLY Streets brought even more fun to the digital translation of the popular board game with newly added online play features and an immersive MONOPOLY city which transforms and expands as aspiring real estate moguls buy and develop their properties.

MONOPOLY for iOS, Amazon Kindle, Windows Phone 7 and Android

It’s “GO” time! With MONOPOLY for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Amazon Kindle, Android and Windows Phone 7, players can take a ride on the Reading Railroad, buy Boardwalk or go directly to jail. The game jumps to life with animated features and intuitive gameplay as players buy, sell and trade Atlantic City’s famous properties. Adding to the fun is the ability to challenge friends with Pass ‘n Play and customize the difficulty, number of players and house rules. For those who aspire to go global, there is MONOPOLY Here & Now: The World Edition for iPhone and iPod touch. This popular app features all new properties and adds an international flair to the world’s favourite game brand digital experience. Players can own international cities, trade in a Race Car for a Sumo Wrestler and discover fun facts about exotic destinations with Chance, Community Chest and “Did You Know?” cards.

MONOPOLY for Pogo.com

At EA’s online gaming destination Pogo.com™, players can also become global real estate tycoons in MONOPOLY Here and Now: The World Edition by visiting www.pogo.com/games/monopoly to compete against three other opponents. Additionally, Pogo™ now offers the downloadable MONOPOLY City for the PC, the first true digital iteration of the hit board game in which players can build and watch their city fortune grow. MONOPOLY City is now available at www.pogo.com/downloads.

The Season that had everyone talking!

Universal Pictures Australia and The Seven Network are excited to announce that Logie Award winning
TV show, Packed to the Rafters the complete season 3 will be available to take home on DVD from 20th April 2011. Relive all the drama of Season 3 on DVD – including the highest rating Rafters episode of all time*.

Picking up from the end of Season 2, join the Rafters as they adjust to life with a new baby and face their toughest test yet, the tragic loss of a loved one.

For Julie and Dave Rafter (Rebecca Gibney and Erik Thomson) there’s the financial stress, the sense of
being pulled in a hundred directions by the needs of their adult children, and the strain placed on their
marriage as the stress and exhaustion of caring for a baby take hold.

The Rafter children also face their own challenges. From trying to find work/life balance to divorce and a
sudden death in the family. Add to the mix new family members and life for the Rafters has never been
more packed.

As Season 4 (currently airing on Seven Tuesday’s at 8.30pm) continues to be a huge rating success, Season 3 on DVD will certainly be a hot favourite for Mother’s Day!

Season 3 is emotionally charged, hilarious and at times heart-breaking. Reconnect with the family this
April with Packed to the Rafters the complete season 3 on DVD.

SRP: Season 3 DVD – $79.95
Season 1 – 3 DVD boxset – $149.95

We are happy to announce that Darth Sidious will be available in the upcoming LEGO Star Wars III game! For years he’s been the puppet master behind some of the most dastardly events in the galaxy and he’s now eager to lend his talents to players both good and bad! Darth Sidious is also available as an unlockable character on our official website for the game. If you haven’t visited it yet, you’re missing out on one a great online experience where you can play as your favorite LEGO Star Wars characters, interact with other players, solve puzzles together and learn more about the game and its new features.

To visit the site, head on over to http://www.legostarwars.com!

21 February 2011, Australia & New Zealand – For centuries, the wind has been viewed as nature’s paradox with its ability to be both gentle and powerful. The newly-unveiled Pagani Huayra, named after the Andean God of Wind, reflects this dichotomy and will be available exclusively in SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED™ and Need for Speed™ in 2011, the latest entry to the critically acclaimed Need for Speed simulation series.

The team at Slightly Mad Studios has perfectly recreated the form and function of this year’s most notable new supercar. From its elegant body shape to its commanding 700 HP engine, SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED is the first videogame where players will feel the white knuckle intensity of racing the Pagani Huayra at speeds of over 230 mph. SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED is this year’s most authentic racing game which races onto retail shelves in Australia on March 31 and New Zealand on April 1.

“For the past seven years, the designing of the Huayra has been a labor of love and I’m ecstatic to be working with the entire Need for Speed team to help share our creation with the world,” said Horacio Pagani, founder of Pagani Automobili S.p.A. “I’m amazed by how accurately they have been able to capture the look and, most importantly, the feel of the Huayra. SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED will give enthusiasts all over the world the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the Huayra.”

SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED takes the innovative rivalry-generating Autolog technology pioneered by Need for Speed Hot Pursuit and connects friends, and competitors, together in head-to-head races and player statistic match-ups to add new layers of depth and detail to the intricate customisation and tuning of the simulation series. Players can take the revolutionary true driver’s experience to the next gear with an all-new rendering engine and graphics overhaul, innovative helmet camera, night racing, and authentic degradation of cars and environments.

Developed by the award-winning Slightly Mad Studios, SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED will be available on the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC.

Included is a photo and in-game shot of the Pagani Huayra. For more SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED and Pagani Huayra assets, http://www.needforspeed.com/shift2unleashed.

23 February 2011, Melbourne Australia

With only a few days before the launch of the new Bulletstorm, get a feel for what’s to come with this new “Whip Kick Boom!” Trailer!

The game hits shelves this Thursday in Australia and Friday in New Zealand.

New gameplay video takers gamers inside the mind of Fireteam Bravo’s Auto Rifleman, now showing at www.facebook.com/flashpointredriver

SYDNEY, Australia – 21st February 2011– Operation Flashpoint®: Red River™, the all-new chapter in the multi-million selling tactical shooter series, is set to launch on 21st April across the EMEA region with North America shipping on 26th April, Codemasters® announced today.

Codemasters has also revealed a new gameplay video, which introduces the game’s conflict in Tajikistan from the perspective of Corporal Ryan Balletto and focuses on his hope that the dangerous and strange world of Tajikistan can be his personal proving ground. The video is now showing at www.facebook.com/flashpointredriver.

With footage showing the epic landscapes players will experience and battle through in Operation Flashpoint: Red River, Marines are shown protecting convoys, attacking dug-in insurgents and setting up ambushes against the backdrop of Tajikistan’s beautiful countryside and spectacular mountain ranges.

As an Auto Rifleman in Fireteam Bravo, Balletto is equipped with a M249 Squad Automatic Weapon(SAW), perfect for suppressing enemy positions. Combined with the other specialist members – Scout, Rifleman and Grenadier – Balletto forms part of the USMC fireteam unit, a lethal fighting force. As a man and as part of the Corps, Balletto embraces this hostile new theatre of war, “come on down to sunny old Tajikistan. I mean, the food sucks, the people look at you funny and at least once a day somebody’s shooting at you. But you can’t beat the entertainment, buddy.”

But plain talking Balletto is intrigued why the insurgents would choose to face off against the much better equipped USMC. “Just yesterday” he says, “I shot five of them to pieces with my damn two-forty-nine. What do they do? Man, they send out five more. Those crazy sons of bitches.” If Tajikistan can be a confusing place though, Balletto is certain of his determination to make his mark, “I can prove myself in a place like this… Both sides are gonna respect me. The people I’m shooting with and the people I’m shooting at.”

Operation Flashpoint: Red River will set a new standard for authentic and intense tactical combat when it arrives on 21st 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.n

A tight little killer thriller.” Jim Schembri, Sydney Morning Herald

From the twisted mind of M Night Shyamalan, director of Sixth Sense and Signs, comes Devil a chilling, supernatural thriller that will leave you breathless!

In Philadelphia, five strangers begin their day as normal. They walk into an office tower and enter an elevator. But what appears to be a random occurrence is anything but coincidental when the elevator breaks down. Fate has come calling and each one has a secret and today their secrets will be revealed, not without devastating consequences.

As the police and security scramble to rescue them, terrible things begin to happen, slowly and methodically, one by one. With no way to escape, the horrific truth dawns that things happen for a reason. Devil is the first installment of The Night Chronicles; a series of terrifying stories conceived by M. Night Shyamalan produced into movies in collaboration with up-and-coming filmmakers.

Guaranteed to scare, Devil is a fast-moving horror that will keep you on the edge of your seat all the way to
a heart stopping end with a truly wicked twist.

ON FEBRUARY 25, 1942 THEY ARRIVED…

On February 25, 1942 a total blackout was ordered across Los Angeles after information centres were inundated with sightings of unknown objects flying off the coast of Santa Monica Bay. US Naval radars tracked the unidentified aircraft as they approached Los Angeles and their anti-aircraft batteries opened fire as they crossed the coastline in the early hours of the morning. Thousands of witnesses observed swarms of aircraft over the L.A. skyline, while the anti-aircraft fire continued until dawn. Although 1,440 rounds of ammunition were fired by U.S. forces, no enemy aircraft losses were reported and no damage was inflicted by the enemy. Frank Knox, secretary of the Navy, claimed in a press conference the next day that the whole event was “a false alarm”. However, War Department officials disagreed and conceded that between one to five unidentified aircraft had been spotted over L.A.

The conflicting reports and censorship of information by officials lead local press to begin suspecting the event was subject to a government cover-up. The incident came three months after the attack on Pearl Harbour, but when questioned after WWII, the Japanese stated they did not send aircraft over the area at the time of this alert. Although several theories have been put forward over the years, including stray weather balloons, no official explanation of the objects has been proven.

The incident is now known as ‘The Battle of Los Angeles’ and 2011 marks the 69th anniversary of the mysterious event.

In Australia, unknown flying objects have been reported on for decades, most notably ‘The Westall Incident’ on April 6 1966, where 200 students and teachers witnessed a UFO during recess; and the disappearance of a 20 yr-old pilot over the Bass Strait on October 21, 1978 following a radio transmission reporting a “strange aircraft”, known as ‘The Valentich Disappearance’.

THE QUESTION IS, WHAT IF ALL THESE INCIDENTS ARE LEADING TO A WORLDWIDE INVASION?

BATTLE: LOS ANGELES ONLY AT THE MOVIES! MARCH 17

Synopsis:

For years, there have been documented cases of UFO sightings around the world – Buenos Aires, Seoul, France, Germany, China. But in 2011, what were once just sightings will become a terrifying reality when Earth is attacked by unknown forces. As people everywhere watch the world’s great cities fall, Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind in a battle no one expected. It’s up to a Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and his new platoon to draw a line in the sand as they take on an enemy unlike any they’ve ever encountered before.

Release date: March 17, 2011
Rating: TBC
Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Ramon Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan, Ne-Yo, and Michael Peña
Directed by: Jonathan Liebesman

Witness Earthrealm’s greatest hope for humanity’s survival. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and NetherRealm Studios introduces Liu Kang’s HD Gameplay video. Showcasing a storm of kicks and shooting flames, Liu Kang takes on a bevy of formidable opponents and shows why the Earthrealm is in capable hands.

Mortal Kombat is the most brutal instalment of the landmark fighting game to date for release on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft in 2011.  The game is being developed by the newly re-named NetherRealm Studios, led by Mortal Kombat creator and creative director Ed Boon.