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Bane Games is proud to announce the upcoming release of Flick Buddies; an exciting physics based action title featuring finger-flicking fun for one to four players. Flick Buddies will be available for download on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.

Bane Games is proud to announce the upcoming release of Flick Buddies; an exciting physics based action title featuring finger-flicking fun for one to four players. Flick Buddies will be available for download on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.

Are you ready for an action packed game of…er…action?! Flick your crew of crazy characters past obstacles and into the goal to achieve the highest score. Use amazing abilities to outmanoeuvre and outwit your opponents. Select from four crazy themes of characters and game field styles, with twelve unique levels to unlock and compete on. Amazingly, this fun filled mayhem all takes place on a single device! Simple flicking gameplay and short duration matches allows friends to easily settle bets or to finally prove who is the all time, greatest person in the world!

Flick Buddies and Flick Buddies HD will arrive on the Apple App Store on the 15th December 2010. Free updates include new levels, teams and other additional content.

About Bane Games

Bane Games is an independent Brisbane based games studio accidentally created after a secret military experiment went bad. We bring over 20 years of combined game development experience. Our ultimate goal is to take over the world using a combination of computer entertainment and some other method we haven’t yet decided on.

 
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EA GIVES GAMERS AN EARLY GIFT THIS CHRISTMAS WITH DEAD SPACE 2 DEMO

Experience the First Big Blockbuster of 2011 Five Weeks Before Release

9 December 2010, Australia – Dive into engineer Isaac Clarke’s blood-curdling adventure five weeks before release as Visceral Games™, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced a demo for the critically-acclaimed action horror game, Dead Space™2. The demo, available worldwide from 22 December, will allow players to discover the Church of Unitology and help Isaac defeat the Necromorph outbreak in a gruesome, unforgiving battle on The Sprawl. Winner of GameSpot’s highly-coveted ‘Best Xbox 360 Game’ of E3 award, Dead Space 2 will deliver the first big blockbuster title of 2011 when the title ships this January.

In the Dead Space 2 demo, players will take engineer Isaac Clarke on a terrifying adventure through the Church of Unitology, an expectedly “safe” place that quickly becomes dangerous and deadly, during the Necromorph outbreak on the Sprawl. Players will also have access to a variety of new tools that Isaac can use to fight Necromorphs, including the new Javelin gun, updated stasis recharge mechanic and enhanced telekinesis ability. Players will also experience the advanced suit, equipped with jets that will allow Isaac full 3600 control in Zero-G space.

“The holidays are a great time to enjoy all forms of entertainment, and we can’t wait to give horror and action adventure gamers a taste of what awaits them in Dead Space 2,” said Steve Papoutsis, Executive Producer of the Dead Space franchise. “Releasing the demo five weeks before launch will not only re-connect players with our hero Isaac Clarke, but will also give them the opportunity to experience firsthand various jaw-dropping scenarios. It’s gonna be awesome.”

Dead Space 2 pushes the limits of action, horror and terror. After mysteriously awaking in a sprawling, massive city anchored to one of Saturn’s moons, hero Isaac Clarke again finds himself thrust into the middle of a relentless Necromorph outbreak. Surrounded by the screeching cries of undead monsters and the haunting drum of echoing noises, Isaac plots a course through The Sprawl. Dead Space 2 is set to deliver a truly epic terror experience that will bring the psychological thrills of deep space to a terrifyingly new level.

The Dead Space 2 demo will be available for download from 22 December on Xbox LIVE™ Marketplace Worldwide and the PlayStation®Network in Australia. Dead Space 2 will be available on Jan. 27, 2011 for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and the PC. For additional information and news, visit www.deadspacegame.com, follow us on twitter www.twitter.com/deadspace or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/deadspace.

 
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Runes of Magic – Best Online Game of 2010!

Runes of Magic – Best Online Game of 2010!

– Gamers vote Frogster’s MMO blockbuster as their favorite online game for the second year in a row. –

AUSTRALIA – December 2, 2010: Runes of Magic has won the German Game Developer Award in the category of Best Online Game 2010 for the second year in a row. Gamers from all corners of Germany were asked to vote for their favourite titles of 2010 in the public competition. The award was presented last night at a gala in the Lichtburg Theater in Essen, Germany.

Frogster Europe – “We are really happy that Runes of Magic has now been awarded the German Game Developer Award for the second time.” comments Daniel Ullrich, Chief Marketing Officer and Director of Frogster Online Gaming GmbH. “It’s a particularly special honour because the Best Online Game category is decided by players. The community is at the heart of any game, which is why we continue to work closely with the development studio, Runewaker, to incorporate the wishes of our five million players into Runes of Magic.” You can find more information on the German Game Developer Award at www.deutscher-entwicklerpreis.de (German only).

Runes of Magic has also been nominated for further awards, including the “MMO Site Reader’s Choice Awards” and the “Massive Online Gamer MMO of 2010” in a selection of categories. Voting for these awards is open until December 15th and December 11th respectively and can be found under the following links:
http://www.massiveonlinegamer.com/announcements/947-vote-for-your-favorite-mmos-of-2010
and
http://contest.mmosite.com/gameprize/webapps/?action=index

For more information on the new zone and Runes of Magic, visit the official website: www.runesofmagic.com.au

———————————————————————————————————————————————-

Runes of Magic – A world full of magic and adventure and The First MMO game with dedicated servers in Australia!

Runes of Magic has redefined the standard for free-to-play MMORPGs with its wide range of features. The online role-play game is based on an exciting, multi-layered story, driven by more than 2,800 quests set in the atmospheric fantasy world of Taborea which spreads over two continents. Players choose one of eight classes which they can combine with a secondary class. Each class combination has individually assigned elite skills. Runes of Magic offers two races to choose between, the elves and the humans, which can be customized using the wide selection of available physical characteristics. A large range of furniture and other functional items lets players furnish and customise their own virtual homes. In guilds, groups of players can construct their own guild castles which may then be expanded with additional buildings and powerful siege engines allowing them to go head-to-head in absorbing guild wars. Thanks to comprehensive crafting and ranking sy! stems, gripping player vs. player features such as arenas and open battlefields, flexible and extensive customization of the user interface, a selection of demanding dungeons and many other features ‘Runes of Magic’ has something for everyone. So far Runes of Magic has attracted over 4 million registered users making it one of the most popular and successful free-to-play MMORPGs on the market.

The Only MMO Game With Dedicated Australian Servers!

What does this mean for our players?
Lower latency and a better gameplay experience.
More of your friends and other players online at peak playing times.
Australian based customer support.
Gold Coast based N3V Games is the Australian publisher of Runes of Magic.

Runes of Magic Features
Dual class system with eight classes and unique elite skills
Individual furnishing of player housing and guild castles
Gripping player-versus-player duels in arenas and on the battlefield
Guilds can set themselves against each other in formidable guild wars
In-depth story experienced through above 2,800 quests laced with epic quest-lines
Easy travel using portals and a wide range of mounts
Challenging boss-combat in dangerous and extensive dungeons with up to 36 players
Dual difficulty levels in the most challenging dungeons
Entertaining mini-games for single players and guilds alike
Dynamic crafting and customization of items
Versatile role play elements including a marriage system
Regular comprehensive free updates with new game content

About N3V Games PTY LTD

Australia’s Biggest Independent Game Publisher!

The golden sandy beaches and rolling surf of Australia’s Gold Coast houses Australia’s biggest independent video game publisher, N3V Games!

N3V Games has built Rock Solid partnerships with industry heavyweights like Nintendo and Sony as well as a myriad of top notch game developers and publishers including 1C Company, Akella, CDV, DTP, EA, Endgame Studios, Focus, Frogster, Frozenbyte, GFI, Half Brick, Hot Head, Idea, JoWooD, Just-A-Game, Koch, Kylotonn, Lexis Numerique, Lighthouse, Merscom, Monte Cristo, Nobilis, Noviy Disk, Paradox, Playlogic, PQube, Real, Stardock, Techland and Timetrip just to name a few.

For Indie Developers, working with publishers can sometimes leave you banging your head against a brick wall. You’re too busy making games to be dealing with IP ownership, marketing, contracts and dealing with 10 different producers, marketing, QA, biz dev and accounting people. N3V Games guarantees you speedy feedback when evaluating your product and will handle all publishing aspects when signing your title so you can focus on doing what you do best, making knockout games! Website: www.n3vgames.com

About Runewaker Entertainment Ltd.

Runewaker Entertainment was founded in August of 2004, with headquarters located in Taichung, Taiwan. The founding members were all very experienced in the field and decided to come together to pursue their dream. Currently Runewaker employs over 100 highly skilled programmers, designers and artists and is constantly expanding. Runewaker specializes in making massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPG). The company has built their own engine from scratch which rivals some of the best available on the market. Runewaker is constantly producing more content for Runes of Magic. Website: www.runewaker.com

Frogster – We take you to a new world!

The Berlin based Frogster Interactive Pictures AG, listed on the stock exchange, has focused on the growth sector of massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) at an early stage already. The company licenses, markets and operates its virtual worlds for millions of players in Europe, Asia and North America. In Europe its subsidiary Frogster Online Gaming GmbH is taking care of the operating business of the Frogster group. Founded in 2006 and based in Seoul, the Korean joint venture Frogster Asia Co. Ltd. markets and operates virtual worlds in Asia. Frogster America Inc., based in San Francisco, was founded in January of 2009 and markets and operates MMO games in North America. At their offices in Berlin, Seoul and San Francisco, the Frogster group employs more than 200 staff members in the fields of game development, licensing, IT, web design and web development, product management, marketing, PR, web publishing, community management, customer support,! hosting, sales, billing and finance/administration. In the year 2008, Frogster won the “Landmark in the Land of Ideas”, a competition under the patronage of the German President. Additional information is available at: www.frogster.de

 
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Massive Runes of Magic Update – All New Limo Desert Zone and Level Caps Raised!

Massive Runes of Magic Update – All New Limo Desert Zone and Level Caps Raised!

– Level Cap Raised to 62 as Treasures of the Desert Content Update is Released –

AUSTRALIA – December 2, 2010 – Frogster today released a new content update for its popular free-to-play Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG), Runes of Magic.

The update, ‘Treasures of the Desert’, raises the level cap to 62, and adds a new region, the Limo Desert, and a new instance, Kawak’s Tomb, to the popular online game.

A new public battle, the ‘Yasheedee Catastrophe’, is now available across all Runes of Magic servers. To prevail in this legendary battle, players have to conquer aggressive foes. In the first phase of the multifaceted encounter, players must use special ropes to capture a horde of nasty worm-like creatures. The second phase challenges players to put as many Resonance Stones as possible in the right place. The more stones they place, the easier it is in the third and fourth phases, where the wicked ‘Hardskin Yasheedees’ and the formidable ‘Crimson Devourer’, an exceptionally tough boss, await.

The region’s breathtaking landscapes reveal magnificent buildings and desert oases. But caution is strongly advised – conflict has been brewing among the local tribes for centuries, and powerful creatures and wild beasts are preparing for battle.

The Treasures of the Desert Update Includes

    • New Zone: Limo Desert
    • New Instance: Kawak’s Tomb
    • Level Cap Raised to 62
    • Autumn Banquet
    • New Public Encounter


Limo Desert (Level 60 – 62)

After trekking through the Marshes of Angren and climbing across the Garnier mountains a seemingly endless, arid grassy plain stretches out as far as the eye can see – the Limo Desert. This is the birthplace of Kawak Angerfang, a hero from the times of the Great Banishment and leader of the Iron Teeth tribe. The landscape is peppered with verdant oases where most of the inhabitants of this land are to be found. Many new NPCs await players as well as a dangerous new instance, Kawak’s Tomb.

A trailer showing the action-packed Limo Desert together with the dangerous Kawak’s Tomb is also now available at: http://www.runesofmagic.com.au/au/videos,id218,patch_306_treasures_desert.html

Kawak’s Tomb

Kawak’s tomb is buried deep beneath an enormous pyramid in the southwestern region of the Limo Desert. Players will uncover long-forgotten relics in the burial chamber that once belonged to the great war hero, Kawak Angerfang, which are theirs for the taking. But beware: the treasures are jealously watched over by hundreds of guardians and a ferocious Anubis. Players at level 60 can set off in search of the treasure and the legacy of Kawak Angerfang.


Autumn Banquet

With the harvest being brought in across Taborea the time has come for the Autumn Banquet which means lots of events with a thanksgiving theme to take part in. You can tuck into delicious roast turkey, for example, which will award you a one-hour bonus affecting things like drop rates and mount speed.

Public Encounter: Yasheedee Catastrophe

The newest patch also brings you a brand new public encounter: The Yasheedee Catastrophe. In contrast to the previous public encounters, the Yasheedee Catastrophe is part of a daily quest and is suitable for both stronger and weaker players. While the stronger players do the fighting, the weaker players can form a protective ring of resonant rock to weaken the Yasheedees.


For more information on the new zone and Runes of Magic, visit the official website: www.runesofmagic.com.au

———————————————————————————————————————————————-
Runes of Magic – A world full of magic and adventure and The First MMO game with dedicated servers in Australia!

Runes of Magic has redefined the standard for free-to-play MMORPGs with its wide range of features. The online role-play game is based on an exciting, multi-layered story, driven by more than 2,800 quests set in the atmospheric fantasy world of Taborea which spreads over two continents. Players choose one of eight classes which they can combine with a secondary class. Each class combination has individually assigned elite skills. Runes of Magic offers two races to choose between, the elves and the humans, which can be customized using the wide selection of available physical characteristics. A large range of furniture and other functional items lets players furnish and customise their own virtual homes. In guilds, groups of players can construct their own guild castles which may then be expanded with additional buildings and powerful siege engines allowing them to go head-to-head in absorbing guild wars. Thanks to comprehensive crafting and rankin! g systems, gripping player vs. player features such as arenas and open battlefields, flexible and extensive customization of the user interface, a selection of demanding dungeons and many other features ‘Runes of Magic’ has something for everyone. So far Runes of Magic has attracted over 4 million registered users making it one of the most popular and successful free-to-play MMORPGs on the market.

The Only MMO Game With Dedicated Australian Servers!

What does this mean for our players?

  • Lower latency and a better gameplay experience.
  • More of your friends and other players online at peak playing times.
  • Australian based customer support.

Gold Coast based N3V Games is the Australian publisher of Runes of Magic.

Runes of Magic Features

  • Dual class system with eight classes and unique elite skills
  • Individual furnishing of player housing and guild castles
  • Gripping player-versus-player duels in arenas and on the battlefield
  • Guilds can set themselves against each other in formidable guild wars
  • In-depth story experienced through above 2,800 quests laced with epic quest-lines
  • Easy travel using portals and a wide range of mounts
  • Challenging boss-combat in dangerous and extensive dungeons with up to 36 players
  • Dual difficulty levels in the most challenging dungeons
  • Entertaining mini-games for single players and guilds alike
  • Dynamic crafting and customization of items
  • Versatile role play elements including a marriage system
  • Regular comprehensive free updates with new game content

About N3V Games PTY LTD

Australia’s Biggest Independent Game Publisher!

The golden sandy beaches and rolling surf of Australia’s Gold Coast houses Australia’s biggest independent video game publisher, N3V Games!

N3V Games has built Rock Solid partnerships with industry heavyweights like Nintendo and Sony as well as a myriad of top notch game developers and publishers including 1C Company, Akella, CDV, DTP, EA, Endgame Studios, Focus, Frogster, Frozenbyte, GFI, Half Brick, Hot Head, Idea, JoWooD, Just-A-Game, Koch, Kylotonn, Lexis Numerique, Lighthouse, Merscom, Monte Cristo, Nobilis, Noviy Disk, Paradox, Playlogic, PQube, Real, Stardock, Techland and Timetrip just to name a few.

For Indie Developers, working with publishers can sometimes leave you banging your head against a brick wall. You’re too busy making games to be dealing with IP ownership, marketing, contracts and dealing with 10 different producers, marketing, QA, biz dev and accounting people. N3V Games guarantees you speedy feedback when evaluating your product and will handle all publishing aspects when signing your title so you can focus on doing what you do best, making knockout games! Website: www.n3vgames.com

About Runewaker Entertainment Ltd.

Runewaker Entertainment was founded in August of 2004, with headquarters located in Taichung, Taiwan. The founding members were all very experienced in the field and decided to come together to pursue their dream. Currently Runewaker employs over 100 highly skilled programmers, designers and artists and is constantly expanding. Runewaker specializes in making massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPG). The company has built their own engine from scratch which rivals some of the best available on the market. Runewaker is constantly producing more content for Runes of Magic. Website: www.runewaker.com

Frogster – We take you to a new world!

The Berlin based Frogster Interactive Pictures AG, listed on the stock exchange, has focused on the growth sector of massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) at an early stage already. The company licenses, markets and operates its virtual worlds for millions of players in Europe, Asia and North America. In Europe its subsidiary Frogster Online Gaming GmbH is taking care of the operating business of the Frogster group. Founded in 2006 and based in Seoul, the Korean joint venture Frogster Asia Co. Ltd. markets and operates virtual worlds in Asia. Frogster America Inc., based in San Francisco, was founded in January of 2009 and markets and operates MMO games in North America. At their offices in Berlin, Seoul and San Francisco, the Frogster group employs more than 200 staff members in the fields of game development, licensing, IT, web design and web development, product management, marketing, PR, web publishing, community management, customer supp! ort, hosting, sales, billing and finance/administration. In the year 2008, Frogster won the “Landmark in the Land of Ideas”, a competition under the patronage of the German President. Additional information is available at: www.frogster.de

 
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MADMAN PRESENTS JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK.

MELBOURNE, Wednesday, 8 December 2010: Madman proudly presents the riotous and revealing documentary, JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK – coming to DVD on 16 February, 2011.

Fiercely determined and utterly tenacious, Joan Rivers remains one of the hardest working comedy performers in the world. In this intimate ‘fly on the wall’ experience, we spend a year with the iconic comedienne, witnessing the layers of Rivers’ larger than life persona as they are peeled away to reveal an unflinching, uncommonly reflective first-hand account of life on and off the road for the ‘Queen of Comedy’.

JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK features Rivers’ trademark crude humour, acerbic wit and tyrannical tantrums in full force – and she shows no sign of becoming pacified, despite this being her 75th year. Yet this film remains as emotionally surprising as it is utterly entertaining, featuring Joan speaking candidly about her obsession with plastic surgery and revealing that she is terrified of becoming irrelevant.

Joan is perhaps working harder than ever these days – not only as a contestant on Donald Trump’s CELEBRITY APPRENTICE (which she subsequently won), she also hosts E! Entertainment’s HOW’D YOU GET SO RICH? and FASHION POLICE, plus she also has her own reality show, JOAN & MELISSA: JOAN KNOWS BEST.

JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK is available on DVD – 16 February, 2011 ($34.95rrp).

 
formats

BlackBerry App World Now Accepting Apps for BlackBerry PlayBook

Developers can now submit apps and become eligible for a free BlackBerry PlayBook

Waterloo, ON –Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today opened the BlackBerry App World™ vendor portal to begin accepting BlackBerry® PlayBook™ apps from developers. In addition, RIM outlined how developers can become eligible to get a free BlackBerry PlayBook if their app is submitted and approved for distribution on BlackBerry App World prior to the launch of BlackBerry PlayBook in North America*.

“Interest and momentum behind the BlackBerry PlayBook continues to build and we are thrilled with the positive response from both the developer community and our customers. With its groundbreaking performance and robust support for industry standard development tools, the BlackBerry PlayBook provides an exceptional platform that appeals to a wide range of mobile app developers, including Adobe® AIR® and Flash® developers, HTML web developers, corporate developers and application hobbyists,” said Tyler Lessard, VP Global Alliances & Developer Relations at Research In Motion. “We are very pleased to be working with developers in advance of the product launch and the opening of BlackBerry App World to accept BlackBerry PlayBook apps is an important next step.”

BlackBerry PlayBook App Development
RIM also recently released an update to the Beta version of the BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR. The update now supports Flash Builder 4.5 (Burrito/Flex Mobile) with plug-ins that work with either Flash Builder 4.0 or the pre-release version of Flash Builder Burrito. Support for Flash Builder Burrito adds drag and drop capabilities, making it even easier and faster for developers to build applications for the BlackBerry PlayBook. The latest Beta of the SDK also supports Windows in 64-bit and includes a simulator for Linux.

What Developers Are Saying
“Developing for the PlayBook has been a pleasurable experience. The APIs are straightforward and optimised for the device and the environment is cross-platform,” said Jerome Carty, President, JCX Systems, Inc. “The thing that impresses me the most is the potential for the hardware. The gestures for the PlayBook make the device feel as though you have unlimited surface area since they extend beyond the screen to the bezel. This will make for a fun and unique experience for developers and end-users.”

“The BlackBerry PlayBook has some stellar hardware specs which will support Adobe AIR quite well,” said Randy Troppman, Founder, RunningMap. “I recompiled several of my AIR apps with the BlackBerry Tablet OS AIR SDK and they worked the first time. Unmodified. Piece of cake. Now I just need to take advantage of the BlackBerry PlayBook’s touch screen to take these apps to the next level.”

“Model Metrics is thrilled to be working to deliver scalable enterprise applications on the BlackBerry PlayBook,” said John Barnes, CTO, Model Metrics, Inc. “The ease of development and deployment sets a new bar for the tablet market and Model Metrics is looking forward to offering the 2GO platform for the BlackBerry PlayBook.”
See more examples and comments at http://devblog.blackberry.com/2010/10/blackberry-playbook-apps/.

Free BlackBerry PlayBook Offer
Registered developers who submit a qualifying BlackBerry PlayBook app that is accepted into BlackBerry App World prior to the initial product launch in North America will receive a free BlackBerry PlayBook, subject to certain terms and conditions. Although developers are encouraged to submit multiple apps, there is a limit of one free BlackBerry PlayBook per registered developer in BlackBerry App World. For additional information on the offer, including the Terms and Conditions, visit www.blackberry.com/developers/blackberryplaybookoffer.

Useful Links

BlackBerry Tablet OS Development (http://www.blackberry.com/developers/tabletos)
o Getting Started Guide for Windows and Maco
o Development Guide
o Developer Tools for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux
BlackBerry Tablet OS Webcast Series
o Get Building for the BlackBerry PlayBook (http://webcast.streamlogics.com/audience/index.asp?eventid=23141115?IID=DEVWEB1101)
o My First App for the BlackBerry PlayBook (http://webcast.streamlogics.com/audience/index.asp?eventid=35207765?IID=DEVCAST21109 )
o Device Integration for apps on the BlackBerry PlayBook ( http://webcast.streamlogics.com/audience/index.asp?eventid=13758486?IID=DEVWEBC31117 )
o User Interface Guidelines (http://webcast.streamlogics.com/audience/index.asp?eventid=15766542 )
o Coming Soon! BlackBerry App World submissions (check http://devblog.blackberry.com for details in the next few days)
Adobe Tablet OS Development Page (http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/flash/blackberrytabos/ )
BlackBerry Developer Blog (http://devblog.blackberry.com )
Twitter (www.twitter.com/blackberrydev @BlackBerryDev)
BlackBerry Support Forums (http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/Tablet-OS-SDK-for-Adobe-AIR/bd-p/tablet )

 
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AVG (AU/NZ) warns online shoppers to protect themselves from nasty Christmas surprises

on’t become a statistic of online superstore fraud – shop safely this Christmas with AVG.

Melbourne, 9 December 2010 – AVG (AU/NZ) , the Australian and New Zealand distributor of AVG anti-virus and Internet security products, is cautioning online shoppers to protect themselves from identity theft this Christmas and not become a statistic of Australia’s fastest growing crime.

According to a Frost & Sullivan report issued in July, Australians will spend $12 billion dollars online this year, with 40 percent of that spent on overseas sites. And, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ most recent figures, 800,000 Australians were victims of at least one incident of personal fraud during 2007 – that’s five percent of the population – which equated to nearly a billion dollars lost!

Lloyd Borrett, Security Evangelist at AVG (AU/NZ) said: “Don’t become a statistic of the online superstore this Christmas – shop safely online and avoid the Internet security pitfalls that allow cyber criminals to steal or compromise personal data.”

The signs are that Christmas 2010 is already shaping up as a boom time for online merchants. The season kicked off in the USA on Cyber Monday with sales up 20% on the previous year to just over $1 billion for the day. However, all of this activity also attracts the bad guys with their dodgy online stores, merchandise and rip-off tactics. “It’s festive season for the bad guys too,” warns Borrett.

As Christmas fast approaches and shoppers begin to let go of their wallets, AVG urges consumers to practice heightened vigilance and take necessary security steps while shopping online. Borrett recommends the following five steps to help people protect their identity while shopping online this holiday season:

1. ‘Tis the season for giving, but don’t give away your personal data:

There is no reason to disclose your address, phone number and credit card information if you are trying to get something free via the Internet. Never respond to emails that request you to provide your credit card info via email, and do not respond to emails that ask you to go to a website to verify personal (and credit card) information—also known as phishing scams. Set up a dedicated shopping e-mail account that is in no way affiliated with your personal, everyday e-mail account.

2. Don’t let your anti-virus security software expire:

A first step for all consumers is to ensure their PCs or Macs are protected and updated with the latest anti-malware technology, specifically making sure browser security enhancements are configured and enabled in anti-virus software. Consumers can download the Free version of AVG 2011, which has all the core advancements of security protection, from /a> www.avgfree.com.au.

3. Don’t settle for the top results of your search:

Advertisers and marketers work diligently to place their enticing deals to the very top of search results, hoping you will assume the results on top are the best. If you decide to scope out whatever pops up first, be extra careful and use commonsense – because cyber-criminals use the same tactics to highly position their tricky deals.

4. Don’t become password complacent:

Keep updating your passwords, created with a mix of letters, capitals, symbols and numbers, for credit card and bank accounts. Refresh e-mail accounts with an updated, unique password. Write them down and keep the information in a secure location.

5. Don’t use multiple credit cards for online shopping:

It is much easier to track transactions and detect suspicious activity if you limit the number of credit cards you use for online shopping. Make sure each card offers identity theft protection. Also, keep records of your online shopping – save confirmation pages as pdf records and keep e-mail confirmations.

“I know these reminders are just commonsense but they need to be kept front of mind. Just as you will ‘Stop. Revive. Survive’ on the road these holidays, so too should you ‘Stop. Check. Lock’ protection around your Internet travels,” Borrett advised.

AVG (AU/NZ) has a comprehensive range of security tips on its web site at http://www.avg.com.au/resources/security-tips/. For more tips from Lloyd, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPpAM1qmDag.

 
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New Screenshots from L.A. Noire: Crime Scenes, Lineups & More

New Screenshots from L.A. Noire: Crime Scenes, Lineups & More

Today, we present a brand new selection of exclusive screenshots from L.A. Noire – showing a glimpse of investigating crime scenes, examining lineups of suspects and other gritty detective work you’ll experience in next spring’s crime thriller. Stay tuned for a special look behind the scenes of the advanced motion scan technology used in the game, coming soon.

1947 was one of the most violent years in the history of Los Angeles, with an unprecedented number of assaults, robberies and murders. Phelps inspects the body of a victim for clues.

Onlookers gather at a family’s tragedy. You’ll need to analyze crime scenes like this one in detail and interview witnesses in order to figure out what happened.

Sizing up the suspects. Each successfully solved case propels Phelps higher up the ladder of the LAPD.

As a detective, Phelps’ gun is a weapon of last resort. But Los Angeles is a dangerous place, and a successful detective makes enemies quickly.

 
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NEW TEASER VIDEO FOR ASSASSIN’S CREED BROTHERHOOD AVAILABLE NOW!

 
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GUITAR HERO®’S VIBRANT FACEBOOK COMMUNITY REACHES TWO MILLION FANS

Unique Intersection of Entertainment, Music and Gaming Enables Consumers to Engage with the Brand via a Wide Variety of News, Updates and Contests

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – December 8, 2010 – Activision Publishing Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that Guitar Hero® has surpassed two million Facebook fans. Guitar Hero’s popularity on Facebook is growing faster than ever before having expanded its Facebook fanbase by more than 600,000 since the announcement of Guitar Hero® Warriors of Rock in June 2010 alone, demonstrating the brand’s leading position, global appeal and continued fan enthusiasm.

Guitar Hero is the #1 best-selling music videogame franchise of all time and has, life to date, sold in excess of 40 million units and generated more than three billion dollars in retail sales worldwide, according to The NPD Group, Charttrack and GfK.

“By consistently engaging consumers in daily, real-time dialog about not only videogames, but entertainment, music and pop culture, we have built a destination that is both interesting and, like the Guitar Hero franchise, appealing to a broad audience,” said David Haddad, Chief Operating Officer, Guitar Hero. “Reaching the two million fan mark is an exciting milestone that demonstrates just how active and diverse the Guitar Hero community is.”

Guitar Hero’s Facebook community receives the latest information and content about Guitar Hero, the artists featured in the games and other pop culture updates. Facebook fans can also interact with the brand by sharing their favorite artists, songs, and Guitar Hero experiences or by posting their own photos and videos.

Hailed as a “must-have videogame” by CNN and the “best guitar game” by USA Weekend Magazine, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, the latest game in the franchise, was released on Sept. 28 and lets players join together on an epic journey to save rock. Featuring an impressive 90+ track set list and a host of all-new gameplay features, living room legends and all of their friends can strum, drum and wail in the most immersive music videogame experience to date. For more information about Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, downloadable content and disc imports, please visit GuitarHero.com, facebook.com/guitarhero and twitter.com/guitarhero.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.