Sydney, Australia: February 1, 2011 — Today, at an exclusive Sydney event, AMD launched a new class of accelerated processor in Australia that combines more compute capabilities than any processor in the history of computing. The AMD Fusion Family of Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) incorporate – in a single die design – multi-core CPU (x86) technology, a powerful DirectX®11-capable discrete-level graphics and parallel processing engine, a dedicated high-definition video acceleration block, and a high-speed bus that speeds data across the differing types of processor cores within the design.

The new range of product features include stutter-free HD video playback, breakthroughs in computational horsepower to handle the most demanding applications,[ii] DirectX 11-capable graphics and all-day battery life.ⁱ

AMD also confirmed that over 35 AMD Fusion-based systems will launch in the Asia Pacific vi region in the first half of 2011. AMD expects leading manufacturers Acer, Asus, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Lenovo, MSI, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba to announce plans to deliver AMD Fusion APU-based systems at very compelling value and mainstream price points.

“AMD Fusion is changing the industry by enabling more vivid digital experiences for consumers on a PC,” said Brian Slattery, Country Manager, Australia and New Zealand, AMD. “AMD Fusion will provide our technology partners with the ability to create new and exciting form factors as well as leading-edge applications designed to cater to consumer needs,” Slattery added.

“Spurred by consumer trends such as HDTV and gaming, high-performance graphics and video are finally expected to become mainstream in PCs this year,” said Bryan Ma, Associate Vice President, Asia/Pacific Client Devices Research, IDC. “Processor companies are increasingly integrating more capabilities into their platforms to meet the growing user demand for increased computing performance.”

HD 2.0 Everywhere

High definition (HD) content is ubiquitous today. From YouTube videos to DirectX 11 games to Blu-ray, the world is tapping into various ways to enjoy this content with the computer serving as the hub. And thanks to the VISION Engine from AMD, a set of capabilities unique to all AMD Fusion APU-powered PCs, the visual side of computing never looked more vivid and realistic. The VISION Engine is an unmatched combination of:

· DirectX 11-capable graphics
· Massive parallel processing to speed application performance[iii]
· The UVD3 video acceleration block found in the new AMD Radeon™ HD 6800 Series GPUs
· Unique graphics driver capabilities updated on a monthly basis to continuously improve visual performance

Selecting a PC equipped with the VISION Engine and software from AMD partners means Internet browsing is a faster, application-like experience; 1080p HD video playback is gorgeous, smooth and quiet; standard definition video looks high-definition; 2D content can be converted into stereoscopic 3D; even the most graphics-intensive websites load quickly; manipulating HD content is fast and easy; and 3D gaming at HD resolutions is fast and life-like.[iv]

Personal Supercomputing

Much of a computing experience is linked to software and, until now, software developers have been held back by the independent nature in which CPUs and GPUs process information. However, AMD Fusion APUs remove this obstacle and allow developers to take full advantage of the parallel processing power of a GPU – more than 500 GFLOPs for the upcoming A-Series “Llano” APU[v] – thus bringing supercomputer-like performance to every day computing tasks. More applications can run simultaneously and they can do so faster than previous designs in the same class.ⁱⁱ

AMD AllDay™ Power
Additionally, AMD Fusion technology enables all-day battery life – 10 hours or more.ⁱ The new power-saving features present in the single-chip design greatly extend the time between plug-ins, even when enjoying HD content.

Out power and Outperform: E-Series, C-Series and A-Series APUs
The 2011 low power platform (formerly codenamed “Brazos”) enhances the everyday computing experience and is available beginning today in two APU variations: E-Series and C-Series. These APUs feature the new x86 CPU core codenamed “Bobcat”. “Bobcat” is AMD’s first new x86 core since 2003 and was designed from the ground up to deliver stellar mobile performance.

The 2011 mainstream platform is primarily intended for performance and mainstream notebooks and mainstream desktops. It will feature the 32nm die A-Series “Llano” APU, which includes up to four x86 cores and a DirectX 11-capable discrete-level GPU, and is scheduled to ship in the first half of 2011 and appear in products mid-year.

Hello everyone. I’m François Giuntini, Executive Producer on Top Spin 4.

These past couple years have been quite interesting for the Top Spin development team. Development moved from Paris to lovely Prague while strengthening the team with dedicated and talented people. We have also taken the time to analyze Top Spin 3, gathering great feedback from our dedicated fan base, to define what tweaks, updates, and complete reworks we needed to do.

And here we are now. The brand new Top Spin 4 is releasing March, 15th 2011 in the US and March, 18th 2011 internationally, packed with revolutionary, exciting tennis goodness! Today I will talk about some of the cool content that makes Top Spin 4 THE Real Tennis Experience.

We focused a lot of effort and energy to ensure that every aspect of TS4 delivers the best of what makes tennis so thrilling and exciting. Let me present some of these elements to you:

All-Star Cast of Modern and Legend Players
TS4 features the who’s who of current and legendary tennis players: Andre Agassi, Bjorn Borg, Roger Federer, Jim Courier, Rafael Nadal, Boris Becker, Serena Williams, Patrick Rafter, Michael Chang, Dinara Safina, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Ana Ivanovic, Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Caroline Wozniacki, Nikolay Davydenko, Gilles Simon, Bernard Tomic, Eugenie Bouchard, Stanislas Wawrinka, Vera Zvonareva, and Jelena Jankovic are available in TS4. At the end of the day, 2K has secured five of the top 10 on the ATP rankings, as well as four of the top 10 on the WTA rankings. All these great Pros have been faithfully implemented in the game with even more Signature Style; every detail from their look, attitude, attributes, strengths & weaknesses and play style. Each player has signature animations for their own swings and attitude, making every person more unique and exciting to play with.

This extensive list will allow you to re-enact some of the most exciting matchups in tennis history. Play as Nadal with his “lasso-whip” forehands or watch Djokovic pump his chest when celebrating a great point. Replay epic historic moments, such as Sampras’ last grand slam final against Agassi at the US Open or the 2010 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals between Nadal and Federer at the O2 Arena in London. Speaking of arenas…

The Best Venues Just Got Better
In TS4 you can play on the courts of no less than 42 different venues, ranging from playgrounds to the most prestigious arenas including:
– Rod Laver Arena (Australian Open)
– Court Philippe Chatrier (Roland Garros)
– The Arthur Ashe Stadium (US Open)
– Indian Wells Tennis Garden (BNP Paribas Open)
– Sony Ericsson Open in Miami
– BNP Paribas Masters of Paris
– The O2 Arena in London (Barclays ATP World Tour Finals)

The same extreme attention to detail that we put into creating the Pro players is put in the venues. We made sure to accurately reproduce those mythical tennis temples.

The Real Tennis Atmosphere
To bring the most realistic tennis simulation to the market, it is important to provide the most accurate tennis atmosphere we can. In order to do so, we put a lot of attention into faithfully reproducing the ‘sound’ of tennis.

More than ever before, the crowd will react to what happens on court during and after each point, giving instant feedback to what players do and adding to the thrill of the most spectacular rallies. From the playground to the Grand Slam tournament, you will hear the crowd cheer for their favorite player, explode on the most impressive points, or even hold their breath during the tense moments that set tennis apart.

Racket swings, ball impacts, slides on clay and all player efforts and grunt sounds have been implemented to further immerse users into a realistic professional tennis match.

Tennis Authenticity
Of course, the most important aspect may be in the in-game animations. All the movements and swings in TS4 have been motion captured (more than 8000 animations in all), after watching and analyzing hundreds of matches, to gather the best animations behind what makes tennis such an exciting and spectacular sport. All the situations occurring during a tennis rally have been implemented. This mass of data insures every shot, move, and reaction is perfectly suited for what is happening on the court.

As far as the arsenal of shots and actions, well you basically get it all! All the shots and spins are faithfully reproduced, whether you choose a devastating power shot down the line or a cross-court top-spin shot. More cool actions have been implemented or revamped: let shots, drop shots, smashes, returning a lob, diving for a difficult passing shot, sliding on clay, performing inside-out shots, slowly preparing a powerful winner when receiving a weak shot, and many more. We will go into more details on the gameplay in a future Diary.

The match presentation has also been updated: players wait in the tunnel and enter the court while the speaker announces the matchup, cameras are placed around the courts as they would be for a television broadcast, on screen statistics appear at key moments… everything is there to make the user feel like they’re playing a live tennis match.

Lots more to talk about but that’s it for today guys; stay tuned for more info in the upcoming Diaries.

– François Giuntini
Top Spin 4 Producer

IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER STARTING TODAY  

Sydney, Australia (Jan 28, 2011) – The most anticipated Blu-ray release ever – the Star Wars™ Saga – emerges from light speed this September 2011. For the first time, all six of George Lucas’ epic films (Episodes I-VI) are united in one complete set.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will release Star Wars in three distinct sets to meet the needs of every Star Wars fan:

–        Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray (9-disc Set includes all six films)

–        Star Wars: Prequel Blu-ray Trilogy (3-disc set includes Episodes I-III)

–        Star Wars: Original Blu-ray Trilogy (3-disc set includes Episodes IV-VI)

STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA ON BLU-RAY will feature all six live-action Star Wars feature films utilizing the highest possible picture and audio presentation, along with three additional discs and more than 30 hours of extensive special features including never-before-seen deleted and alternate scenes, an exploration of the exclusive Star Wars archives, and much more.

Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray will be available for $139.95 (RRP) and the Star Wars: Trilogy Sets for $69.95 (RRP).

Flanked by a  legion of his finest  Imperial Stormtroopers, Darth Vader himself joined Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment President Mike Dunn at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to announce the release, vowing  “The forces of the Empire will be at your disposal to assure the success of this endeavor.’’

“The Star Wars Saga is the most anticipated Blu-ray collection since the launch of the high-def format,” Dunn said. “The epic franchise pioneered sound and visual presentation in theaters and is perfectly suited to do it again in the home, with a viewing experience only possible with Blu-ray.”

“With all six episodes available for the first time in one collection, this is a great way for families and home audiences to experience the complete Saga from start to finish,” said Doug Yates, Vice President of Marketing, Online, Distribution, Lucasfilm Ltd. “And with the quality of high-definition, Blu-ray provides the most immersive home experience possible.”

“The Star Wars franchise has been one of the most anticipated Blu-ray releases by Amazon’s customers,” said Bill Carr, Vice President of Music and Video at Amazon. “We think that Star Wars will be incredibly popular with our customers, and we expect pre-orders to be very strong.” 

ABOUT TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTANMENT

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC (TCFHE) is a recognized global industry leader and a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company. Representing 75 years of innovative and award-winning filmmaking from Twentieth Century Fox, TCFHE is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming, acquisitions and original productions on DVD, Blu-ray Disc Digital Copy, Video On Demand and Digital Download. The company also releases all products globally for MGM Home Entertainment. Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce throughout the world.

Lucasfilm, STAR WARS™ and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd.  All rights reserved.  All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

Sydney, Australia – January 31st 2011

• During the month of February, Australian consumers can get all of their cash back when purchasing certain products from the Logitech range.
• A budget of $300,000 is available for returning the cost of purchase to Australian consumers, available until the end of February 2011.
• When customers purchase a participating product they will be directed online to lodge a claim and will be reimbursed for the full amount of the product. Up to five separate claims allowed per household are allowed. Full details are available at www.logitechcashback.com.au

Logitech Australia Director, George Saad says:

• “With so much discussion these days about where in the world it’s best to shop, we thought we’d add a little spice to the Australian shopping experience.”
• “This Logitech offer is to thank Australian consumers for supporting us here in Australia, so we’re giving them their money back in February.”
• “Logitech aims to help Australian’s have a better experience in this increasingly digital world – richer, more comfortable, more fun, more productive, more convenient, more delightful. So we’re hoping Australians take advantage of the offer and treat themselves to some new computer gear, on us.”
• “We hope to serve Australia best by making the essential computing peripherals available through this offer – a mouse, keyboard, webcam, headset & laptop cooling pad”
• “Those who question Logitech’s sanity shouldn’t worry, we’re innovating, knowing our customers deserve a treat. Those who aren’t too sure, don’t fear, this is a real deall!”

The participating Logitech products are:

1. Logitech Wired Mouse M100 – Black, RRP $19.95

This mouse simply plugs into a computer or laptop, providing reliable and comfortable control.

2. Logitech Wireless Mouse M215 – Black, RRP $29.95

This compact wireless mouse has a tiny receiver that simply plugs into a USB port, without the hassle of a cord.

3. Logitech Webcam C200 / Webcam C210, RRP $39.95

With free, easy video calling included and a microphone built in, this webcam provides convenient and high quality video calls.

4. Logitech ClearChat Style Headset, RRP $39.95

This PC headset is stylish and comfortable with interchangeable coloured ear pads and a behind-the-head design.

5. Logitech Media Keyboard K200, RRP $29.95

A slim, sleek keyboard with spill resistant keys, making the use of laptops more comfortable and the keyboard more robust to those occasional spills.

6. Logitech Wireless Desktop® MK250 / Wireless Desktop® MK260, RRP $49.95

A compact wireless keyboard and mouse combo with extended battery life that provides the freedom to work away from your desk.

7. Logitech Cooling Pad N100 / Cooling Pad N120, RRP $59.95

This provides a comfortable working surface to rest the laptop on, ensuring the heat generated by the laptop doesn’t burn the lap, nor retard the computer’s performance.

The promotion will run from February 1st until February 28th or until the $300,000 allocated is exhausted whichever comes first.

Australia and New Zealand, 31 January, 2011 –

Nintendo announces that Kirby’s Epic Yarn™ will be available on Wii™ from 24 February 2011. Play as the lovable Kirby™ in a world where everything is made of yarn and fabric in this delightful platform game that is suitable for all ages. Join Kirby on his biggest, woolliest adventure yet!

Everything in Kirby’s Epic Yarn is styled to reflect the game’s inventive textile theme, from its charming environments and devious enemies to Kirby himself. Players can tug on zippers, swing on buttons and pull on stray threads to reveal hidden areas. A new yarn whip allows Kirby to disarm and unravel his foes or roll them up into balls of yarn that can be lobbed at obstacles.

Kirby can transform into amazing new forms of all shapes and sizes. As you dodge obstacles and clear levels, you’ll be able to transform Kirby into new forms such as Car Kirby, 2-Ton Kirby and Parachute Kirby. Special level-specific transformations include Tank Kirby, Surfboard Kirby and Spaceship Kirby! All of this makes Kirby’s Epic Yarn a unique action platform game – and one that can be enjoyed by everyone in the family, too!
In Kirby’s Epic Yarn, a powerful sorcerer named Yin-Yarn transports Kirby to a realm called Patch Land. Along with the fearless Prince Fluff, Kirby must recover strands of magic yarn that will help keep this wondrous cloth-based kingdom from coming completely unravelled.

Kirby’s Epic Yarn contains a two player mode as well! Choose to play as Kirby or Prince Fluff when you play with a friend or family member on your quest to weave Kirby’s patchwork land back together.

Unravel the fun with Kirby’s Epic Yarn on Wii.

Kirby’s Epic Yarn SRP AU $99.95 / SRP NZ $129.00*

MELBOURNE, Friday, 28 January 2011: The nominations for the 83^rd Academy Awards were officially announced on Tuesday, 25^th January, revealing a host of prestigious nods for Madman  distributed films.  

After months of nail-biting suspense, multiple prestigious high-profile award nominations, worldwide critical acclaim and an AFI Award for ‘Best Actress’- Jacki Weaver has finally received a ‘Best Supporting Actress’ nomination for her stellar performance in ANIMAL KINGDOM.

Following numerous short animation awards in 2010, and most recently, the prestigious AFI Award for the same category, THE LOST THING, co-directed by world-renowned Australian author and illustrator Shaun Tan, has appeared amongst the nomination list for ‘Best Short Film (Animation)’.

Meanwhile, in the ‘Best Actor’ category, Javier Bardem has received a nomination for his powerful role in the March 24 Madman Theatrical release BIUTIFUL, which has also been recognised in the ‘Best Foreign Language Film’ category. In addition, DOGTOOTH and OUTSIDE THE LAW [HORS-LA-LOI] have both received nominations in the ‘Best Foreign Language Film’ category.

In the ‘Best Documentary Feature’ category, EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP, the incendiary debut by Banksy – the notorious British street artist – is in the running for a gong alongside two other 2011 Madman distributed releases in GASLAND, Josh Fox’s eye-opening revelation of the environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’) and National Geographic’s RESTREPO, the harrowing true story of Second Platoon’s operations in Afghanistan, which plays out like a real-life version of 2010 Oscar® winner, THE HURT LOCKER.

Also coming in 2011 from Madman, nominated in the ‘Best Animated Feature’ category, is THE ILLUSIONIST, the new feature from director Sylvain Chomet (THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE) based on an unproduced script by Jacques Tati.

This year’s list of nominations represents the largest ever potential slate of Oscars® for films distributed by Madman. The 2011 Academy Awards® ceremony will take place at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles on February 27.

The complete list of award nominations for Madman distributed films is as follows:

–          Best Actor in a Leading Role – Javier Bardem, BIUTIFUL

–          Best Actress in a Leading Role – Michelle Williams, BLUE VALENTINE

–          Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Jacki Weaver, ANIMAL KINGDOM

–          Best Animated Feature Film – THE ILLUSIONIST

–          Best Short Film (Animation) – THE LOST THING, Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann

–          Best Documentary Feature:

• EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP, Banksy  
• GASLAND, Josh Fox
• RESTREPO, Tim Hetherington

–          Best Foreign Language Film:

• BIUTIFUL (Mexico)
• DOGTOOTH (Greece)
• OUTSIDE THE LAW [HORS-LA-LOI] (Algeria)

–          Best Costume Design – I AM LOVE, Antonella Cannarozzi

SEGA AND PLATINUMGAMES REVEAL ANARCHY REIGNS 

PlatinumGames Presents a Multiplayer Brawler Set in a World Where Anarchy is King.  

Friday 28^th January 2011 – SEGA® Europe Ltd. and SEGA® of America, Inc. today reveal details on upcoming third-person multiplayer brawler, ANARCHY REIGNS™, the much anticipated next title from critically acclaimed developer PlatinumGames. ANARCHY REIGNS will be available in Spring 2011 on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.

With ANARCHY REIGNS, PlatinumGames will be using their hallmark creativity and technical excellence to challenge the boundaries of the conventional brawler genre by allowing multiple players to get involved in heavy-hitting action simultaneously. ANARCHY REIGNS incorporates a diverse range of multiplayer modes to provide players with different challenges, including Tag Team battles and Battle Royal, where players can challenge others in a full-on fight for victory.

“SEGA are delighted to continue our collaboration with PlatinumGames, one of the most creative and critically acclaimed developers in the world,” said Gary Knight, Senior Vice President of Marketing of SEGA West. “ANARCHY REIGNS is set to offer gamers a fresh multiplayer experience with the quality and innovation PlatinumGames are renowned for.”

ANARCHY REIGNS will be available in Spring 2011 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.

For more information please visit www.anarchyreignsgame.com.

Meticulously designed by an indie team with every gamer in mind.

Orange County, CA — January 27, 2011 — Liv Games announces their highly anticipated hybrid fantasy game, Legendary Wars for iPhone and iPod touch. After more than a year in the making, the project is a true labor of love for the independent development team. Legendary Wars offers an immaculate blend of traditional RTS, RPG and castle defense game-play set in a beautifully crafted, lighthearted fantasy world. The game offers hours of progression, while each battle is playable in just a few minutes. With individually controlled units, unique special abilities, exciting boss encounters, and hordes of varied enemies, the strategic game-play grows as quickly as the cast of fantastic characters.

As players journey through the five mystical, though tumultuous, zones of Legendaria, they set out to unravel the secrets that surround the mysterious Sunstones. Along with detailed landscapes that span snow covered mountains and deadly desert oases, Legendary Wars presents a rich, varied set of arcade mini-games and three unlockable game modes. The story is quickly immersive, and the vibrant art style provides even the most casual gamers with a compelling world to explore.

Throughout over 50 stages, the game introduces an assortment of playable characters, from noble Elven Archers to brash Magical Unicorns. Each unit has upgradable stats, legendary armor to obtain, and unique combat abilities. Players pit these champions against hordes of Netherworld creatures and assorted bosses that range from massive frost-breathing dragons, to rabies-infected werewolves.

Players mine resources and recruit units to send into the fray along 3 lanes of battle. Units can be independently directed to change lanes, advance, retreat, stand guard, or use combat abilities to overwhelm the enemy. Gems collected in battle can then be used to fortify defenses, bolster resource production, and upgrade units.

“Legendary Wars was born after hearing one epic music track in our friend’s garage. That was over a year ago, and since then we’ve been committed to building a big, highly polished adventure that incorporates a hybrid of our favorite game-play styles on iOS,” says Orian Livnat, Creator of Legendary Wars. “This game was only possible because such talented people were able to take a risk and invest so much time and effort in designing a game that we love. We think of it as the upside of the recession, as more than half the team was between jobs at some point this year. Talent and dedication is all you need.”

Legendary Wars for iPhone and iPod touch is available for $2.99 on the iTunes App Store or at:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/legendary-wars/id413423472?mt=8

Screenshots:

Darkspore, a new breed of online action-RPG, is coming to PCs in Australia on 31 March 2011, and New Zealand on 1 April 2011 – and a new Producer Diary unleashing the much anticipated Hero Editor is sure to get you amped and ready for the game’s release. Utilising technology from the critically-acclaimed Creature Creator in Spore, Darkspore’s Hero Editor brings a unprecedented level of upgrade customisation to the Action-RPG genre.

Use the Hero Editor to make each of your Heroes unique with loot you’ve collected throughout the game. See statistical advantages and disadvantages of equipped gear in real time to create squads of three tailored to your play style. In addition to upgrading your hero’s stats and abilities, take advantage of the intuitive placement, paint and detail features to get the exact look you want. With a nearly limitless array of combinations at your fingertips, you will have a truly individualised gameplay experience.

Check out the video, and look forward to seeing even more action-packed Producer Diaries and gaining more insight in our Hero Spotlight series as we move forward to the launch of Darkspore! Be sure to also check out the Zrin Hero Spotlight and Producer Diaries 1, 2 and 3 on the Darkspore YouTube Channel at the link below to learn more about the game. Let us know if you have any questions or if we can assist with your coverage.

Watch the video – http://www.youtube.com/user/DarksporeGame

The Next Big Thing Unveils New Trailer as Release Date Approaches

The first video teaser of The Next BIG Thing is now available to view, hot on the heels of recent screen shots. The wacky adventure game is the latest from Pendulo Studios, creators of the million-selling Runaway series. This short video introduces the lead characters as they hunt for clues in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Players will discover some of the kooky monsters, classic movie references and get acquainted with protagonists Dan and Liz.

The Next Big Thing is the biggest production of Pendulo Studios: the game offers a great adventure packed with a fantastic story, filled with humour, references as well as crazy characters and monsters… your adventure will lead you through the cinema universe where you will have to solve an unbelievable case! The game benefits from a HD resolution, offering graphics in 1920×1080 for a gorgeous image quality. These are some of the ingredients you will find in The Next Big Thing, available in April 2011 for PC.

– Watch the video – http://www.youtube.com/user/focusinteractive#p/u/0/1LgUiRdlrv4