SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – 7 October 2010 – Leading video game publisher NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe S.A.S., today announced that ENSLAVED™: Odyssey to the West™ is now available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. Developed by Ninja Theory Ltd., the post-apocalyptic action-adventure features influences and contributions from top music and film industry talent. ENSLAVED combines beautifully rendered graphics and captivating music with seamless animation and engrossing gameplay to deliver a premier entertainment experience.

Set 150 years in the future, ENSLAVED takes place in an unrecognizable America, where war and destruction have ravaged the population leaving few human survivors and a world reclaimed by nature. Mysterious slave ships roam the land, capturing the dwindling population for unknown purposes and taking them out west, never to return. Technologically savvy young Trip and strong brutish Monkey are two survivors who have both been imprisoned by one of these slave ships. Trip manages to escape by using her mental prowess while Monkey, uses his raw physical power to tear through his confines. Trip knows that she can not make it safely back home on her own, but believes that Monkey is her only chance to survive. She hacks into a slave headband and fits it on Monkey to link them together – if she dies, he dies… Her journey has now become his.

Together Monkey and Trip form an unlikely, but complementary team whose respective strengths will be critical in their journey. In ENSLAVED, players take direct control of Monkey, with gameplay revolving around combat, strategy and environmental traversal. Monkey attacks and defends using his trusty staff weapon to deliver punishing melee attacks and combos, ranged stun and plasma blasts, blocks, and intense finishing takedowns. Players must survey each environment and work closely with AI partner Trip to ensure both make it through each area’s dangers and progress safely onwards. Trip provides vital support with her cerebral talents, offering Monkey invaluable Intel on enemies, identifying optimal routes, upgrading Monkey’s abilities and more.

A selection of exclusive incentive items is available to customers who purchase the game from several participating retailers, ranging from downloadable content (DLC) to limited quantity retail packs that come bundled with the game and bonus item. Additional paid post-launch DLC will be available in the coming months, featuring a side story for Pigsy, the comical porcine character who helps Trip and Monkey in the main storyline. Players must have the retail game in order to access the DLC content. More details on this premium DLC will be shared in the near future.

For more information about ENSLAVED, please visit www.enslaved-thegame.com or www.namcobandaipartners.com.au

Melbourne and Amsterdam, 7 October 2010. Uploading ante-natal scans, giving children an online album from birth, and in some cases even creating email addresses for babies – today’s parents are increasingly building a digital footprint for their children from the moment they are born. 

This is according to research released by Internet security company AVG Technologies conducted among mothers who access the Internet with children aged under two in North America (USA and Canada), the EU5 (UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain), Australia/New Zealand and Japan.

AVG’s research shows that:

81 percent of children under two currently have some kind of digital dossier or footprint, with images of them posted online. In Australia the figure is 84 percent, in New Zealand it is 91 percent, while in the US that rises to 92 percent and in the EU5 (UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain) the figure is 73 percent.

Though the average digital birth of children happens at around six months, a third (33 percent) of children have information and photos online within weeks of being born. In the UK, 37 percent of newborns have an online life from birth, whereas in Australia and New Zealand the figure is 41 percent.

Overall, a quarter (23 percent) of children have had their pre-birth scans uploaded to the Internet. This figure is higher in the US, where 34 percent have had antenatal scans posted online, while in Canada the figure is even higher at 37 percent. In Australia it is 26 percent and in New Zealand it is 30 percent. Fewer parents share scans of their children in France (13 percent), Italy (14 percent) and Germany (15 percent). Likewise only 14 percent of parents share baby scans online in Japan.

Seven percent of babies and toddlers have an email address created for them by their parents and 5 percent have a social network profile. In Australia it is 7 percent and 4 percent in New Zealand.

When asked what motivates them to post images of their babies on the Internet, more than 70 percent of all mothers surveyed said it was to share with friends and family.

However, more than a fifth (22 percent) of mothers in the US said they wanted to add more content to their social network profiles, while 18 percent of US mothers said they were simply following their peers.

Lastly, AVG asked mothers how concerned they are (on a scale of one to five with five being very concerned) about the amount of online information available for their children in future years.

Mothers were moderately concerned (average 3.5), with Spanish mothers being the most (3.9) and Canadian mothers the least (3.1) worried.

Peter Cameron, Managing Director of AVG (AU/NZ), said, “It’s a sobering thought that while a 30 year old has an online footprint stretching back at most 10-15 years, the vast majority of children today have online presence by the time they are two years old – a presence that will be built on throughout their whole lives.

“AVG’s research shows that the trend is increasingly for a child’s digital birth to coincide – and in many cases pre-date – their real ones. A quarter of babies have scans posted online before they have even physically come into the world.

“It’s completely understandable why proud parents would want to upload and share images of very young children with friends and families. At the same time we would urge parents to think about two things.

“First of all, you are creating a digital history for a human being that will follow him or her around for the rest of their life. What kind of footprint do you actually want to start for your child, and what will they think about the information you’ve uploaded in future?

“Secondly, it reinforces the need for parents to be aware of the privacy settings they have set on their social network profiles. Otherwise, you may be sharing your baby’s picture not only with your friends and family but with the whole online world.”

AVG (AU/NZ) has a comprehensive range of security tips on its web site at http://www.avg.com.au/resources/security-tips/.

Fine dine with the BlackBerry Good Food Guide 2011 app!

The BlackBerry Good Food Guide 2011 app combines the highly respected restaurant guides from The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age into a handy mobile resource for those seeking the ultimate dining experience.

With the click of a button users can access reviews of fine dining restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne with the app also containing honourable mentions of key restaurants in other states. All of the reviews and awards from the published Good Food Guides are available on the app for reading without connection to a mobile network.

Features
Salivate your way through the array of restaurants by scrolling through an A-Z list or by searching specific names, suburbs or cuisines.

Make an educated choice about your restaurant visit by reading up on all of the reviews from both guides. Details include price, rating, facilities and opening hours whilst also directing you to the restaurants’ websites.

Satisfy your cravings with scrumptious meals using this app’s detailed maps to get you to the nearest restaurant featured in the app.

Become a published food critic and advise other app users of your personal experience by providing your own rating for restaurants featured in the app.

Download
Recommended retail price for both The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age Good Food Guides is $59.98 but you can download this app today for a mere $14.45.

Current investment supplements $300 Million Capital Raise in 2007

Rockville, MD, October 6, 2010 – ZeniMax Media Inc. today announced the closing of a $150 million investment by Providence Equity Partners, a leading private equity firm, in convertible preferred stock of the Company. The proceeds will be used to fund additional growth through increased game development, expanded publishing operations, and strategic acquisitions. The new investment by Providence supplements an earlier investment of $300 Million made by the firm in October 2007.

ZeniMax Media was founded in 1999 by Robert A. Altman, its Chairman and CEO, and through its wholly owned subsidiary, Bethesda Softworks, publishes original interactive entertainment content for gaming consoles (including the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the PC, handheld/wireless devices, and online gaming).

Among the studios that develop games for ZeniMax are its subsidiaries Bethesda Game Studios (which developed the 2008 Game of the Year, Fallout® 3, and the 2006 Game of the Year, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion®), id Software (which invented the first person shooter genre and created such classic games as DOOM®, the 2004 Game of the Year, Return to Castle Wolfenstein®, and Quake®, as well as its upcoming, highly anticipated release, RAGE™), and Arkane Studios (which created Arx Fatalis® and helped develop Bioshock 2).

“Though a number of prominent private equity firms offered to invest with us on attractive terms, we chose Providence as they have proved to be an ideal partner for us over the past 3 years as we built our business. We believed that furthering that relationship was the right course for us. Providence shares our strategic vision for the Company and is excited by the opportunity to help us strengthen a position of leadership in this industry,” said Mr. Altman.

“We are pleased to increase our investment and support the continuing growth of what we consider to be the best managed company in the videogame industry,” said Michael Dominguez, a Managing Director of Providence. “Since our original investment in 2007, ZeniMax Media has tripled the size of its development portfolio and assembled an extraordinary library of major game franchises, along with some of the best development talent in the world. Its valuable proprietary technology and focus on high quality development are driving growth. We look forward to working with Robert to continue building ZeniMax Media over the long-term as an innovator and leader in the global video game market.”

Mr. Dominguez will remain on the Company’s Board of Directors, which is currently led by Mr. Altman and includes ZeniMax Media President Ernest Del, Leslie Moonves (President and CEO of CBS), Harry E. Sloan (Chairman Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.), Robert S. Trump (President of Trump Management), noted film and television producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr.

azer Naga™ Maelstrom and Molten™ Special Edition MMO Gaming Mice Available Worldwide from November 2010

Sydney, Australia – October 6, 2010 – Razer, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-end precision gaming and lifestyle peripherals, today announced the launch of a new suite of Razer Naga™ Special Edition gaming mice – the Razer Naga Maelstrom Special Edition and the Razer Naga Molten Special Edition. 

“After the phenomenal response we received for the Razer Naga, we’ve decided to create two collectible versions to offer our fans even more ways to dominate their game,” said Robert “RazerGuy” Krakoff, president, Razer USA. “We took the same functionality of full button remapping and macro capabilities of the original Razer Naga and rejuvenated the aesthetic design for a more immersive MMO gaming experience.”

Upon its release, the original Razer Naga generated overwhelmingly positive reviews at Amazon.com and NewEgg.com like, “Finally, the mouse I’ve been waiting for! 5/5” and “If you play WoW, get this mouse. 5/5.”  With almost all the users of the Razer Naga (based on online end user feedback at major online retailers) providing a positive review, the Razer Naga is the defining product that created the category of MMO gaming peripherals. 

Razer is going one step further with the announcement of the Maelstrom Special Edition, inviting MMO gamers to submerge into the heart of the vortex. Featuring the same 17 MMO-optimized buttons with unprecedented macro functionality, this mouse has a whirlpool of entrancing blue light emanating from its swirling core.

In addition to the Maelstrom version, Razer also introduces the Molten Special Edition which glows a wicked and fiery red hue. Along with the lava-red fissures cutting a jagged path across the mouse, the MMO-optimized buttons glow a blazing crimson color. No matter what version you choose, with a Razer Naga SE you will Get Imba!

About The Razer Naga Special Editions:

The Razer Naga Maelstrom Special Edition and Razer Naga Molten Special Edition feature an exciting new look to the original award-winning and massively popular Razer Naga™ that shifted the balance between keyboard and mouse by putting an unprecedented number of in-game commands in one place. A multi-button thumb grid and Razer’s MMO game interface add-on combine to place every command the MMO gamer needs in the palm of their hands. An ergonomic form shaped to maximize ease of use lets gamers play in comfort for hours on end.

Razer Naga Maelstrom Special Edition

Price: AU$149.95

Availability:

Razerzone.com – November 2010

Worldwide – November 2010

Product Features:

• Glowing vortex design and blue backlighting
• 17 Fully-programmable MMO-optimized buttons (including 12 button thumb grid)

• 5600dpi Razer Precision 3.5G Laser Sensor
• 1000Hz Ultrapolling™ / 1ms response time
• Zero-acoustic Ultraslick™ feet
• Optional MMO-specific software AddOns
• Unlimited character profiles with AddOns
• Approximate size:  116L x 69W x 41.6H (in mm)

Razer Naga Maelstrom Special Edition Images

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Razer Naga Molten Special Edition

Price: AU$149.95

Availability:

Razerzone.com – November 2010

Worldwide – November 2010

Product Features:

• Glowing cracked surface design and blazing red backlighting

• 17 Fully-programmable MMO-optimized buttons (including 12 button thumb grid)

• 5600dpi Razer Precision 3.5G Laser Sensor
• 1000Hz Ultrapolling™ / 1ms response time
• Zero-acoustic Ultraslick™ feet
• Optional MMO-specific software AddOns
• Unlimited character profiles with AddOns
• Approximate size:  116L x 69W x 41.6H (in mm)

Razer Naga Molten Special Edition Images

Black Background

White Background

About the Razer Group:

Razer™ is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-end precision gaming products and peripherals that are designed “For Gamers. By Gamers™”. Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, Razer’s award-winning line-up of products includes desktop speakers, headsets, keyboards, mice, software, and gaming surfaces. Since 1998, Razer has collaborated with leading professional gamers to develop, manufacture and market cutting-edge gaming peripherals using proprietary technologies that give gamers the competitive edge. Razer products offer the best in precision, sensitivity, usability and distinctive product design and have a reputation for being leaders in gaming peripheral technology.

For more information, please visit www.razerzone.com.

Not only can Australians have extremely low pings while playing ROM due to locally hosted servers, they now can get in and experience ROM faster by downloading the new slim client which is only 3.5 GB – cutting the download size in half while retaining 100% of the content!

Runes of Magic is a free to play MMORPG. All you need to do is register an account and download the game to be ready for the Runes of Magic launch!

Register here: http://www.runesofmagic.com.au/au/user,register.html

Your registration information can also log you into the forums so go ahead and introduce yourself to your fellow adventurers now!

As a token of our appreciation to all the Red Dead Redemption fans out there, we will be releasing the eagerly anticipated Hunting and Trading Outfits Pack downloadable content free-of-charge next Tuesday, October 12th simultaneously on Xbox LIVE and PlayStation Network.

The Hunting and Trading Outfits Pack features two new outfits and their associated challenges. 

The Savvy Merchant
This shrewd negotiator is able to get his hands on valuable firepower.  Equip this outfit and buy guns and ammunition from any gunsmith for half the cost. 

The Expert Hunter
Fears no beast, and emerges from the wilderness with valuable pelts and hides.  Equip this outfit and receive double the amount of skins and hides from hunting.

In addition, the Hunting and Trading Outfits Pack also features a new animal that’s been added to the frontier – the elusive Jackalope.  

The Hunting and Trading Outfits Pack will also include a compatibility update that allows players who do not have the Liars and Cheats Pack and/or the Legends & Killers Pack the ability to see other players that do who are playing as characters from Red Dead Revolver or the Red Dead Redemption single player story.  Of course, you still have to purchase, download and install the Liars and Cheats or Legends and Killers Packs if you want to play as those characters yourself.

Lenovo Reaches Major Milestone – 60 Million ThinkPad Laptops Sold

Introduces Industry’s First Business-Focused Laptops with NVIDIA Optimus Technology

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – October 6, 2010: Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) today announced that sales of ThinkPad laptops will surpass 60 million this month. More than 14 ThinkPad laptops are now sold every 60 seconds, contributing to Lenovo’s position as the fastest growing major PC company¹. Throughout its evolution, begun 18 years ago, ThinkPad has recorded many ground-breaking innovation firsts like the first spill resistant keyboard and protective roll cage. Also today, Lenovo is elevating graphics performance by adding NVIDIA Optimus technology on ThinkPad T410, T410s and T510 laptops.

“Long recognised as a hallmark for innovation and excellence, ThinkPad has been the trusted laptop brand for business users around the world for nearly two decades,” said Chris Kelly, Director, SMB and Consumer Lenovo Australian and New Zealand. “With Lenovo, ThinkPad has grown even stronger for quality, reliability and performance, and we’ll continue to drive our commitment to innovation further as we design future ThinkPad laptops.”

Record of Innovation

With more than 2,000 design awards under its belt, ThinkPad has helped transform laptop computing and changed the way people use their PCs. Famous firsts include:

• First modern laptop to fly in space
• First with a spill-resistant keyboard
• First with built-in CD-ROM
• First with built-in DVD-ROM
• First with built-in wireless
• First with embedded security subsystem
• First with built-in fingerprint reader
• First thinnest, lightest full-function 13-inch laptop²
• First dual screen mobile workstation

Killer Graphics Performance Plus Extreme Battery Life

NVIDIA Optimus technology makes graphics automatic, instantaneous and seamless. Users no longer have to manually force switching to reduce performance and save battery life. Now they can have extended battery life and electrifying multimedia performance. ThinkPad laptops with Optimus achieve up to 33 percent longer battery life over discrete only or switchable models³. That adds up to one extra hour of battery life per charge³. ThinkPad is the only laptop supporting this kind of graphics performance on four displays via select ThinkPlus docks.

“New technologies like NVIDIA Optimus are making ThinkPads even smarter,” said Rene Haas, general manager, Notebook Products, NVIDIA. “Never before has there been a solution that so effectively eliminates the tradeoffs between riveting graphics performance and long battery life. Visual content is the most popular and important form of data today, and we’ve built the NVIDIA NVS 3100M graphics processor to be the perfect processor for the task.”

Pricing and Availability⁴

The ThinkPad T410, T410s and T510 laptops with Nvidia Optimus technology are available immediately through business partners and www.lenovo.com.au. Pricing begins at approximately AU$3,149 for the T410, AU$3,099 for the T510 and AU$3,549 for the T410s. All prices quoted include GST.

For the latest Lenovo news, subscribe to Lenovo RSS feeds or follow Lenovo on Twitter and Facebook.

About Lenovo

Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is dedicated to building exceptionally engineered personal computers. Lenovo’s business model is built on innovation, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction as well as a focus on investment in emerging markets. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services worldwide. Lenovo has major research centres in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information see www.lenovo.com.au.

¹Based on IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker for 2Q 2010 compared to Dell, HP, Acer, Apple and Toshiba.

²Compared to major vendors offering 13-inch widescreen notebook PCs: Sony, Dell, Apple, Asus and Fujitsu Siemens. Full featured defined as including technologies such as built-in DVD burner, selection of USB ports, Ethernet connection, replaceable battery and more (as of product introduction in Feb.2008).

³ThinkPad T410s with Nvidia Optimus versus T410s with current Nvidia switchable graphics using MobileMark 2007.

⁴Prices do not include t shipping and are subject to change without notice and is tied to specific terms and conditions. Reseller prices may vary. Price does not include all advertised features. All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice.

Sydney, Australia – October 6, 2010 – Today Ubisoft and Aardman announced a partnership to create together a pilot and several shorts based on Ubisoft’s popular video game characters, the Rabbids.

Created by Ubisoft, one of the world’s leading video game creators in 2006, the Rabbids have transcended video games, inspiring a series of viral videos on the Internet, plush toys and even award-winning ads for world-renowned brands like Renault and Coca-Cola. For Aardman, ground-breaking creators of television and film properties such as Shaun the Sheep and Wallace and Gromit, the project represents a rare foray into applying their creative talents to a licensed property. The animated pilot will be produced jointly by Ubisoft and Aardman (http://www.aardman.com/).

Miles Bullough, Head of Broadcast at Aardman, says, “When the opportunity arose to work with Ubisoft on the Rabbids we leapt at it, we absolutely love the characters and can’t wait to help bring them to a television audience.”

“The not-so-subtle humour of the Rabbids has made them into icons in and beyond video games,” states Xavier Poix, managing director of Ubisoft’s French studios. “Aardman perfectly understands that humour and we are extremely excited to be working with them to bring the Rabbids to a new medium and a new audience.”

Ubisoft and Aardman’s in-house digital agency, Aardman Digital, already worked together on the Raving Rabbids brand by creating the website dedicated to the upcoming video game Raving Rabbids Travel in Time, which launches in November.

Visit the Raving Rabbids Travel in Time website at: www.rabbids.com