Sydney, Australia. – Feb. 15, 2011 – Harmonix today announced that songs from Missy Elliott, Rick James, Chic and Amerie will be available Feb. 15 for download on Xbox LIVE® for Dance Central™, the first controller-free, body-tracking, fully immersive dance video game, exclusively for Kinect™ for Xbox 360®.

Free from any controller, Dance Central™, a top selling game for Kinect for Xbox 360, features fun choreography and authentic routines for beginners and experts alike of all ages to master, alongside a killer 32-song on-disc soundtrack that spans a great sampling of pop, funk, hip-hop, Latin and R&B artists, including Cascada, Kool & The Gang, Kylie Minogue, Salt-N-Pepa, Nelly Furtado, Christina Milian and more. To view the full Dance Central set list plus add-on content already available, click here.

Dance Central’s downloadable content delivers fresh music and new choreography and routines on Easy, Medium and Hard difficulties in Break It Down, Perform It! and Dance Battle modes that will keep the dance floor rocking.

Dance Central DLC Additions for Xbox 360

The quintessential 1981 funk hit “Super Freak” from Rick James will hit Dance Central next week as downloadable content. The song is listed in Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

To keep up the freaky feel, 1978’s disco hit “Le Freak” from Chic will also be available next week. The song was ranked No. 19 on Billboard’s Top 100 Songs of the First 50 Years of the Hot 100 Chart and achieved more than $4 million in sales.

Missy Elliott, the only female rapper to have six platinum albums, will make her debut for Dance Central tomorrow with “We Run This”. The song, from Missy’s 2005 album, The Cookbook, was released in 2006 and peaked at No. 48 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Two-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer Amerie will bring her hit, “Heard ‘Em All”, from her fourth album, In Love & War, to Dance Central next week.

Available on Xbox 360 (Feb. 15):

• Chic – “Le Freak”
• Missy Elliott – “We Run This”
• Rick James – “Super Freak”
• Amerie – “Heard ‘Em All”

Already available on Xbox 360:

• The Black Eyed Peas – “I Gotta Feeling”
• Blur – “Boys & Girls”
• Cameo – “Word Up!”
• Janet Jackson – “Control”
• Lady Sovereign – “I Got You Dancing”
• Ne-Yo – “Because of You”
• Rihanna – “Disturbia”
• Sean Paul – “Temperature”
• Tag Team – “Whoomp! (There It Is)”

Price:            240 Microsoft Points per song

** Dates for Dance Central game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Website Links:

For more information, please visit:

Dance Central website

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

Dance Central is rated “PG” for Parental Guardian recommended by the ACB. For more information on Dance Central, as well as new art and video assets, please visit http://www.dancecentral.com/press.

Follow Dance Central on Twitter (http://twitter.com/dance_central) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/dancecentralgame).

Three new multiplayer battlefields arrive for the most critically acclaimed shooter of 2010 

Spartans, ready your assault rifles and prepare to take the fight to new fronts! The Covenant crushed human defenses on Reach, but the fight for humanity’s survival still rages on in three brand new battlefields set on the doomed planet. With maps 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 wrapped in 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.

Created in partnership with Certain Affinity, the Defiant Map Pack will be available this March on Xbox LIVE for 800 Microsoft points, and will include all new Achievements worth a total of 150 Gamerscore. Eager for a first look at the brand new multiplayer maps? Be sure to check out the explosive world premiere trailer of the Defiant Map Pack available today on Halo Waypoint and Halo.Xbox.com.

The prequel to the bestselling Xbox franchise of all time, “Halo: Reach” is the top-rated shooter of 2010 and one of the must-have entertainment experiences of this generation. To date, more than 40 million copies of “Halo” games have been sold worldwide, driving more than 3.3 billion hours of gameplay by people connected to Xbox LIVE.

TONY BLAIR, British Prime Minister 1997-2007, will make his first speaking appearance in Australasia since leaving office in July 2011, sharing his unique insights and experiences in leadership, negotiation and innovation.

In an exclusive speaking tour presented by Anthony Pratt and Visy, Tony Blair will visit 5 cities over 3 days: Sydney, Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.

Tony Blair, the politician who defines our times is one of the most engaging, respected and in demand speakers of his generation. In addition to his experience in office and his influence on world politics, Mr Blair continues to play a leadership role on issues such as faith and globalization, the Middle East peace process, Africa governance and climate change.

In his role as the Quartet Representative for the USA, Russia, UN and EU he helps facilitate the Middle East peace process. Through the work of his Faith Foundation and his Africa Governance Initiative, Tony Blair has a unique insight into the challenges of faith and globalization in the post-financial crisis environment, as the pillars of leadership critical to success today.

According to Anthony Pratt, Chairman and CEO of Visy, Tony Blair’s visit will be a unique opportunity to hear from one of the world’s most admired leaders. “I first met Tony Blair in 2006 and we share a common interest in finding solutions to the challenges of climate change that bring business, Government, and the environmental community together. I also admire the role he is playing as an international statesman. So I’m delighted that Australian audiences will be able to hear from him in person.”

Mr Blair’s memoir, “A Journey: My Political Life” was released in September 2010 and made the New York Times Best-seller List within a week of its release.

RIM Announces Two Additional BlackBerry 4G PlayBook Models For LTE and HSPA+ Networks

February 14, 2011 – Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, Spain – Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced plans to launch two additional BlackBerry® 4G PlayBook™ tablets during the second half of 2011, featuring support for LTE and HSPA+ high speed wide area wireless networks.

“The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet is already being widely recognised for its superior performance, rich web experience, enterprise readiness and deep support for web standards and open development tools. We are now building on the BlackBerry PlayBook’s many advantages with support for additional 4G networks that will allow enhanced business opportunities for carriers and developers and unparalleled mobile experiences for users,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion.

RIM’s family of upcoming BlackBerry 4G PlayBook tablets will deliver professional-grade, consumer-friendly experiences that redefine the possibilities of mobile computing. These innovative tablets will each provide users with an ultra-portable design featuring industry leading performance with real-time multitasking and symmetrical multiprocessing, uncompromised high-fidelity web browsing including support for Adobe® Flash and stunning HD multimedia, as well as advanced security features and out-of-the-box enterprise support.

The combination of premium hardware features and design powered by the new and highly acclaimed BlackBerry® Tablet OS and open development tools, along with support for carriers’ high speed 4G networks, will provide a high performance platform that enables a mobile services revolution.

Note to Editors:

RIM has now announced plans to offer four BlackBerry PlayBook tablets:

1) BlackBerry PlayBook with Wi-Fi
2) BlackBerry 4G PlayBook with Wi-Fi + WiMax
3) BlackBerry 4G PlayBook with Wi-Fi + LTE
4) BlackBerry 4G PlayBook with Wi-Fi + HSPA+

In addition to the Wi-Fi and 4G connectivity referenced above, each tablet can also support:

1) Bluetooth tethering
2) Mobile hotspots (ie. a MiFi™, smartphone or other portable device equipped to act as a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot)
3) BlackBerry Bridge

Last night, Microsoft kicked off Mobile World Congress by giving people a glimpse of what the rest of the year will bring for Windows Phone 7. Among the updates are several new features, a booming app marketplace, and the integration of even more Microsoft products with the phone.

We’ve summed up the key highlights and stats below for your quick reference.  For more information on Microsoft at MWC, please visit Microsoft’s News Center to view the press release or visit the Windows Phone blog. You can also follow the action at MWC via Microsoft’s Facebook and Twitter pages. 

Microsoft announced several new Windows Phone 7 features coming in 2011, including a “dramatically enhanced” browser experience based on Internet Explorer 9; additional multitasking capabilities; support for Microsoft Office documents in the cloud; and the addition of Twitter to the People Hub. The expanded capabilities announced today include:

• Copy and paste functionality via first major update, coming in the first two weeks of March
• Twitter integration directly into the People Hub in 2011
• Support for Office documents in the cloud in 2011
• Dramatically enhanced Web browser experience based on IE9 in 2011
• A new wave of multitasking applications in 2011
• Targeting significant volume of Nokia Windows Phones in 2012

Microsoft sold 2 million phone licenses in Windows Phone 7’s first two months, and the phone is now available from 60 mobile operators in 30 countries around the world. As phone availability and sales grow, so too does the app marketplace – with now more than 8,000 apps in the marketplace and 28,000 registered developers.

A technology preview from Microsoft Games Studios is also available here showing the connection of Windows Phone 7 and Kinect for XBox 360.

F.E.A.R. 3’s Paxton Fettel has ditched his brother, Point Man, and is single and ready to mingle in F.E.A.R. 3’s single player mode. In honour of Valentine’s Day, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announces that Paxton Fettel is available as a playable character in the single player campaign and will be unlocked at the end of each level after first playing through a level as Point Man.

Paxton Fettel offers a unique single player experience focused on his supernatural abilities giving players a new way to play through the level in a way that’s different from Point Man’s enhanced super soldier abilities. In the single player campaign, Fettel will wield his telekinetic abilities to suspend, possess, stun or crush enemies. Giving players a choice in who they play as in single player offers additional gameplay value and enables players to re-play a level using different powers and tactics.  

The Immigration Museum will come alive with the beat of West Africa during March 2011, with a West African Festival and an evening of West African delights as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.  

West African Festival
Music, dance and food are at the heart of the West African community. Meet this passionate community and immerse yourself in music and dance performances, traditional and contemporary West African fashion, food, film, art and sculpture as well as family fun activities.
Activities on the day include:

• Lively West African dance and music performances, including drumming and percussion, reggae, a Ghanaian fisherman’s dance and a West African kora (harp) player.
• Fashion parade featuring traditional and contemporary Nigerian fashion and a people’s parade with fashion from many West African nations.
• West African films, talks and storytelling.
• A djembe drum making demonstration and hair braiding demonstrations.
• Wooden carvings and bronze sculptures from different West African nations.
• Traditional food, sweets and drinks from different West African countries.

The West African Festival is presented by the Nigerian Society of Victoria, Ghana Association of Victoria, Ballarat African Association and members from the Beninese, Burkinabé, Cameroonian, Gambian, Malian, Liberian, Senegalese and Togolese communities in Victoria and the Melbourne International Food and Wine Festival.
Date: 11am – 4pm, Sunday 6 March 2011
Cost: Adults $8, children and concession card holders free

West African Evening
Come on a tasteful journey to West Africa at this Melbourne Food and Wine Festival evening. On arrival you will be welcomed with cocktails and for the following two hours indulge in traditional flavours of West Africa that will tantalise your tastebuds and leave you wanting more. Let the rhythmic drumming and flame throwing spectacular make your soul dance with joy. 
Date: 6.30pm – 8.30pm, Thursday 10 March 2011

Cost: $85 adults, $75 MV Members

Bookings: 13 11 02

West Africa: Rhythm and Spirit exhibition

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
Cost: Adults $8, children and concession card holders free

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

15 February 2011, Australia & New Zealand – The Sims™ Medieval takes The Sims into the Middle Ages with all new features, new graphics and new ways to play. For the first time, players can create heroes, venture on quests, and build up a kingdom. In an ancient land of adventure, drama and romance, players will be able to get Medieval like never before. The Sims Medieval Collector’s Edition comprises of a Medieval looking book cover encasing a Sims Medieval sketch and art booklet, kingdom map and other bonus collectible items. Owners of the Collector’s Edition will also get amazing downloadable content for use in game.

The Sims™ Medieval Collector’s Edition will be available to buy on Windows PC and Mac on 24 March in Australia and 25 March in New Zealand.

For more information about The Sims Medieval please visit www.info.ea.com or the official website at http://www.ea.com/au/thesimsmedieval and http://www.ea.com/nz/sims-medieval.

Sydney, Australia (15 February 2011) – Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of SQUARE ENIX® interactive entertainment products in PAL territories, today announces DISSIDIA® 012[duodecim]™ FINAL FANTASY® will be released as a special Legacy Edition, launching in Australia 24th March 2011 and 25th in New Zealand, exclusively for the PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) system. The game will also be available as a standard retail release.

DISSIDIA 012[duodecim] FINAL FANTASY is the blockbuster follow-up to the smash hit DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY, offering a winning mix of fighting game action and RPG depth, starring the most memorable heroes and villains from the worlds of the FINAL FANTASY series.

<img src=”http://www.impulsegamer.com/news/diss01.jpg”>

In addition to a copy of DISSIDIA 012[duodecim] FINAL FANTASY, the Legacy Edition will include a number of special in-pack items comprising exclusive downloadable costumes for Tifa and Squall, and six Deluxe Character Lithograph Art Prints, all presented in special white packaging with exclusive Legacy Edition sleeve artwork. The pack will also include a voucher for the user to claim a 50% discount off the purchase of the original FINAL FANTASY game from PlayStation®Store.

Character Tournament

Players who can’t wait to experience the forthcoming action can participate in an online character tournament by voting for who out of eight previously shortlisted DISSIDIA warriors they want to see battle against each other.

<img src=”http://www.impulsegamer.com/news/diss02.jpg”>

Commencing today and running for eight weeks, anyone can vote on which of the characters they want to see win each of the knock-out rounds, with SQUARE ENIX releasing a video of the chosen battle and result via the official site and DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY facebook page. The eight characters taking part in the tournament – four from the side of Cosmos and four from the Chaos side – have been preselected by fans via a poll on the SQUARE ENIX MEMBERS website and the official DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY facebook page.

For more information, visit the SQUARE ENIX MEMBERS website at https://member.eu.square-enix.com/en or the DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY facebook page at www.facebook.com/DISSIDIAFINALFANTASY

About DISSIDIA 012[duodecim] FINAL FANTASY

DISSIDIA 012[duodecim] FINAL FANTASY also adds new game modes, story missions, items, alternate costumes and combat features, expanding upon the action and excitement of DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY in every way. Get ready for the return of the ultimate portable fighting experience.

The title refers to the ‘12th battle’ (duodecim means 12 in Latin) in a war between Cosmos and Chaos, that forms the basis of the story. This battle will require new allies both good and evil to join the war.

Features

· Combining all-out brawling alongside RPG-style character development and customisation, the creators of the FINAL FANTASY and KINGDOM HEARTS series take fighting gameplay to another level.

· New Assist Mode – Choose your own ‘Assist’ character to give you back-up in battle

· Battle with exciting new characters including:

o Kain (FINAL FANTASY IV)

o Tifa (FINAL FANTASY VII)

o Laguna Loire (FINAL FANTASY VIII)

o Yuna (FINAL FANTASY X)

o Prishe (FINAL FANTASY XI)

o Vaan (FINAL FANTASY XII)

o Lightning (FINAL FANTASY XIII)

· Discover a new DISSIDIA adventure – Experience a world alive with never-seen-before storylines and characters

· Look out for more surprise new features and characters to be revealed in the coming months