All 22 Players on the Pitch Can Be Human Controlled in Online Team Play

18 August 2010, Australia – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that EA SPORTSTM has developed a new feature called Be A Goalkeeper for FIFA 11. This will enable fans to experience the thrill of playing as the keeper, and for the first time in a football videogame, will place control of all 22 players on the pitch in human hands.

The new feature will be available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system when FIFA 11 is available in stores 30 September in Australia.

Chelsea FC and Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr ?ech has been signed as the spokesperson for Be A Goalkeeper and will be featured in advertising, marketing and promotional campaigns.

Be A Goalkeeper is a completely new way to play—instead of thinking as a player out in the middle of the pitch, you have to think and react as the goalkeeper. Experience the thrill of the one on one battle, making the great save from a free kick, punching balls safely out of danger, the pressure of the corner, and most importantly, keeping a clean sheet.

Be A Goalkeeper features three levels of accessibility with varying degrees of AI assistance — assisted, semi-assisted and fully manual. Fans will be able to compete as the goalie in Career Mode and enjoy a 15-year career or create themselves as the goalie in Virtual Pro 2.0 to learn the position, track stats, complete achievements and test themselves against the best players in the virtual world.

With control of the keeper now in human hands, FIFA 11 will deliver an authentic replication of football online with 11 vs. 11 Online Team Play that locks people into the role of a single, fixed player the entire game. Now up to 11 friends on different consoles will be able to select and take control of their own individual players on the same team to compete against up to 11 rivals of another team.

“The phenomenal growth of online gaming and the desire of our fans to be able to play as the goalie was the driving force behind this innovation for FIFA 11,” said Kaz Makita, Executive Producer, EA SPORTS FIFA. “Friends can play alongside each other in their pro clubs with all 11 virtual players on the pitch human controlled. We have finally replicated football in the virtual world.”

Over 750 million online connected games have been played since FIFA 10 launched last October and over 350,000 pro clubs have been created that enable friends to compete alongside each other against rival clubs. Pro Clubs is one of the most popular online game modes in FIFA.

FIFA 11 reinvents player authenticity – on and off the ball – for every position on the pitch with Personality+, and introduces new Pro Passing where pass accuracy is determined by a gamer’s ability on the control pad, and player skill, situation and urgency on the pitch. Plus, experience true freedom in man-to-man interactions with 360° Fight for Possession that transforms physical play from just lateral jostling to full 360° collisions.

Visit http://www.facebook.com/ easportsfifa to join the EA SPORTS FIFA Facebook group or visit http://fifa.easports.com/enAU /home.action for more information about the game. New game modes and innovations will be revealed later this month. Screenshots are available at http://info.ea.com .

FIFA 11 will be available in Australia from 30 September for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, Wii™, PC, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo DS™, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and mobile. FIFA 11 is developed under the EA SPORTS brand by EA Canada in Burnaby, B.C. The game has been rated G by the OFLC.

Watch the First Dragon Age 2 Trailer “Destiny” and Pre-Order the Highly Anticipated Action RPG Today

18 August 2010, Australia – Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), announced today that Dragon Age™2 will be available from 10 March 2011 in Australia.

Dragon Age 2 is the sequel to the 2009’s “RPG of the Year”, featuring faster-paced action, striking new art direction and an updated method of storytelling that will allow gamers to experience the rise to power of one of the most important characters in the Dragon Age universe. The game’s first trailer, “Destiny”, is available for viewing now at www.DragonAge.com.

“The Dragon Age franchise got off to a tremendous start. With Dragon Age 2, we are building on the outstanding RPG fundamentals the original delivered while taking the franchise in a new direction with faster, more responsive combat that will allow players to think like a general, but fight like a Spartan,” said Mark Darrah, Executive Producer at BioWare. “We are giving the franchise’s gameplay a shot of adrenaline. We can’t wait to get the game in people’s hands so they can feel the difference.”

Dragon Age 2 thrusts players into the role of Hawke, a refugee who survives the destruction of his homeland and becomes the Champion of Kirkwall. The lore around Hawke’s rise to power is shrouded in myth and rumour and is the driving force behind this all-new story spanning 10 years in the Dragon Age universe timeline.  Players will uniquely experience how this legend unfolds by gathering the deadliest of allies, making tough moral choices, amassing fame and fortune, and sealing their place in history.

For more information on Dragon Age 2, please visit www.DragonAge.com, follow the game at twitter.com/dragonage and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DragonAgeOrigins.

The Highest Rated Game of 2010 Comes to PS3 in January 2011

18 August 2010, Australia – Today at GamesCom, BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc., announced that Mass Effect™ 2, the highest rated game of 2010 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and PC*, is coming to the Sony PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system in January 2011. The PlayStation 3 edition will include the full Mass Effect 2 game and hours of bonus content, making this the perfect introduction to BioWare’s award-winning action RPG franchise.

Mass Effect 2 has already received over 70 perfect scores from media outlets such as the Associated Press, Eurogamer, MSNBC.com, G4TV and the Los Angeles Times, and is the highest rated game in the 15-year history of Bioware and the 28-year history of EA.

The Mass Effect franchise is an epic science fiction adventure set in a vast universe filled with dangerous aliens and mysterious, uncharted planets. In Mass Effect 2, PlayStation 3 players will step into the role of Commander Shepard for the very first time, leading a crew of the most dangerous special operatives from across the galaxy on a mission to save mankind. Featuring intense shooter action, a rich storyline, space exploration and emotionally engaging character interaction, Mass Effect 2 delivers an unparalleled gameplay experience.

Mass Effect 2 will be available for the PlayStation 3 in January 2011. For more information, please visit http://masseffect.bioware.com/ and follow the development team at twitter.com/masseffect2 or at http://www.facebook.com/masseffect

* According to Metacritic.com.

EMMY®-WINNING HBO DRAMA SERIES DEBUTS ON DVD for $79.95RRP THIS 29 SEPTEMBER 2010 

RETURNING CAST MEMBERS INCLUDE GABRIEL BYRNE AND DIANNE WIEST; NEW CAST MEMBERS INCLUDE HOPE DAVIS AND JOHN MAHONEY 

HBO’s Emmy®-winning half-hour drama series IN TREATMENT debuts its second season on DVD this 29 September 2010. Returning cast regulars include Gabriel Byrne (Emmy® nominee and Golden Globe winner for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama) as Dr. Paul Weston and Dianne Wiest (Golden Globe nominee and Emmy® winner for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series) as Dr. Gina Toll, Paul’s therapist. New cast members include Hope Davis (Golden Globe nominee for “American Splendor”), Russell Hornsby (“Lincoln Heights”), John Mahoney (Emmy® nominee for “Frasier”), Alison Pill (“Milk”; Tony nominee for “The Lieutenant of Inishmore”), Sherri Saum (“Rescue Me”) and Aaron Shaw (“Dirty Laundry”). Glynn Turman, who received an Emmy® for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for the first season, will return as a guest star this season.

In the second season of IN TREATMENT, the newly divorced Dr. Paul Weston (Gabriel Byrne) has relocated from Maryland to Brooklyn, and now runs his therapy practice out of the living room of his brownstone. Among his new patients are: Mia (Hope Davis), an attorney and former patient who becomes Paul’s patient again after he asks her firm to defend him in a lawsuit; Oliver (Aaron Shaw), an 11-year-old who manifests the stress of his parents’ (Russell Hornsby, Sherri Saum) divorce by overeating; Walter (John Mahoney), a CEO who, when confronted by professional scandal and personal loss, finds his lifelong defenses are no longer holding; and April (Alison Pill), a 23-year-old architecture student who has been diagnosed with cancer, but is refusing to seek treatment or tell her parents. Each Friday, Paul takes the train to Maryland to resume his own therapy sessions with Dr. Gina Toll (Dianne Wiest).

The first season of IN TREATMENT inspired resounding critical praise, with the Wall Street Journal describing the show as “astonishing,” and hailing Gabriel Byrne for “the role of his life,” while praising Dianne Wiest’s “masterly performance.” The New York Times called IN TREATMENT “hypnotic,” “addictive” and “irresistible,” and TV Guide raved, “The acting is impeccable.”

IN TREATMENT is produced by HBO Entertainment; executive producers, Stephen Levinson, Warren Leight, Paris Barclay, Hagai Levi, Rodrigo Garcia and Mark Wahlberg; co-executive producer, Noa Tishby; producers, Sarah Lum, Leonard Torgan, Alysse Bezahler and Sarah Treem. 

Episodes:

Episode #44: “Mia – Week One”

A surprise subpoena brings Paul back into the life of Mia, a former patient who works as a malpractice lawyer.

Episode #45: “April – Week One”

Paul is alarmed to learn that his new patient April, an architecture student, harbours a life-threatening secret she refuses to share with her parents.

Episode #46: “Oliver – Week One”

Oliver, a conflicted sixth grader, is brought to Paul by his parents Bess and Luke, who are getting a divorce.

Episode #47: “Walter – Week One”

A high-powered CEO with anxiety issues turns to Paul for therapy at the encouragement of his wife.

Episode #48: “Gina – Week One”

Paul resumes his Friday sessions with Gina, who agrees to give a deposition in the lawsuit against him while also helping him through the new changes in his life.

Episode #49: “Mia – Week Two”

In her first session, Mia admits wanting to impress Paul by flaunting her job and relationship with a married co-worker.

Episode #50: “April – Week Two”

April details her detachment from a former boyfriend and his current partner, both of whom are concerned about her current illness.

Episode #51: “Oliver – Week Two”

Fearing his behavior has led to his parents’ estrangement, Oliver outlines the difficulty he’s having living between two homes.

Episode #52: “Walter – Week Two”

Paul links Walter’s panic attacks to a childhood tragedy.

Episode #53: “Gina – Week Two”

Paul looks to fill in memory gaps about his mother’s attempted suicide by reconnecting with a childhood crush.

Episode #54: “Mia – Week Three”

Laura’s deposition in the Alex Prince case spills into Paul’s session with Mia.

Episode #55: “April – Week Three”

April’s memories of a childhood near-tragedy underscore her lifelong independence issues.

Episode #56: “Oliver – Week Three”

Bess and Luke disagree over whether Oliver’s weeklong stay at his father’s was a success.

Episode #57: “Walter – Week Three”

In the midst of a corporate crisis, Walter recounts an emotional attempt to rescue and protect his daughter.

Episode #58: “Gina – Week Three”

Gina explores Paul’s resentment over having to take care of his ailing father.

Episode #59: “Mia – Week Four”

Paul exposes the emotional insecurity that may have led to Mia’s recent unruly weekend.

Episode #60: “April – Week Four”

Paul crosses a professional boundary after analyzing April’s anxieties involving her brother and mother.

Episode #61: “Oliver – Week Four”

Despite Bess’ assurances, Paul worries that Oliver’s recent exemplary behavior is an illusion.

Episode #62: “Walter – Week Four”

Walter confronts his feelings of duty and loss in the wake of a professional “perfect storm.”

Episode #63: “Gina – Week Four”

Gina encourages Paul to reconnect with his father before it’s too late.

Special Features:

• none

Rating:

MA15+ (expected)

Approx Runtime:

1082 mins

Bethesda Softworks are pleased to announce the new release date of October 21st 2010 for Fallout: New Vegas in Australia and New Zealand! Furthermore, Bethesda Softworks have announced that the highly anticipated game has been awarded an MA15+ rating from the Australian Classification Board.

Time is also running out to secure your copy of the Fallout: New Vegas Collector’s Edition which is currently available for pre-order! This premium version of Fallout: New Vegas includes the following game-inspired items: “Lucky 7” poker chips. A fully customised Fallout: New Vegas deck of cards. A recreation of the game’s highly coveted “Lucky 38” platinum chip. A hardcover graphic novel “All Roads”, that tells the story of some of the characters and events that lead up to Fallout: New Vegas and ‘The Making of Fallout: New Vegas’ DVD.

Should you pre-order the Collector’s Edition – or the stand-alone version of the game – from the retailers listed below you’ll also receive the digital pre-sell pack associated with that particular retailer.

In Australia and New Zealand you can pre-order the game and receive a special digital pre-sell pack from the following retailers:

? Collector’s Edition – EB Games, JB Hi-Fi, GAME, Mighty Ape and a selection of independent retailers

? Classic Pack – EB Games

? Caravan Pack – GAME

? Mercenary Pack – JB Hi-Fi

? Tribal Pack – Independent retailers and online stores

Below is a description of what’s included in each pre-sell pack:

Fallout: New Vegas Classic Pack

An armoured Vault 13 Suit – Extensively patched up and dotted with piecemeal armour, this outfit is an homage to the classic ending of the original Fallout. A Vault 13 Canteen – This handy device is useful for staving off dehydration and providing a small amount of healing in the Mojave Wasteland. A weathered 10mm Pistol – A well-worn 10mm pistol that packs an extra punch despite its modest size. 5 Stimpaks – Food and water are good for long-term healing, but when the fighting is fierce, Stimpaks help keep Wastelanders upright.

Fallout: New Vegas Caravan Pack

Lightweight Leather Armour – This hand-modified suit of leather armor reduces its overall weight without impacting its ability to protect. Sturdy Caravan Shotgun – Despite its rough appearance, this Caravan Shotgun will reliably fire 20 gauge shells until the Brahmin come home. 4 Repair Kits – Useful for repairing any outfit or weapon, Repair Kits are a valuable tool for any caravaner. Binoculars — The Mojave Wasteland is a dangerous place, but with these trusty Binoculars you’ll be able to spot trouble coming.

Fallout: New Vegas Mercenary Pack

Lightweight Metal Armour – Modified for long-range travel, this Metal Armour sacrifices some protection for mobility and overall weight. Mercenary’s Grenade Rifle – Though similar to other 40mm Grenade Rifles in the Mojave Wasteland, this model has a faster reload cycle. 3 Super Stimpaks – When you absolutely, positively, need to keep your blood inside your body, Super Stimpaks fix you up in no time. 3 Doctors Bags – Mercenaries and broken limbs go together like Iguana-on-a-Stick and Nuka Cola. Thankfully, these Doctors Bags take a bit of sting out of the inevitable crushed skull.

Fallout: New Vegas Tribal Pack

Tribal Raiding Armour – Pieced together from scraps of armour, this outfit provides protection without impacting mobility. Broad Machete – This heavy-bladed melee weapon does high damage against limbs and can quickly deal out a flurry of attacks. 5 Bleak Venom doses – Useful on any Melee Weapon, Bleak Venom makes short of work of most living targets. 10 Throwing Spears – If you would like to silently pin an enemy’s head to a wall, Throwing Spears are the way to do it.

For more information about Fallout: New Vegas please visit http://fallout.bethsoft.com.

Apple’s New iMac & Mac Pro Powered by Award-Winning ATI Radeon Graphics Solutions from AMD
Leading ATI Radeon™ cards Power New Apple® iMac® Computers

(Please click on the image above to download high resolution images)

Sydney, Australia: August 18, 2010 — AMD announced that Apple has selected the world renowned ATI Radeon™ graphics solutions for the new line of Apple® iMac® and Mac Pro® tower. Now featured in Apple Stores as well as online retail, ATI Radeon graphics offer outstanding power and performance as the standard configuration for the new iMac and Mac Pro tower which will hit store shelves soon.

“Apple buyers demand the best, and AMD’s award-winning ATI Radeon graphics enable exceptional visual experiences for iMac users,” said Matt Skynner, corporate vice- president and general manager, GPU division, AMD. “AMD has conducted extensive testing and research to create superior graphics products for the iMac. This research is designed to dramatically enhance the Mac-user experience so that Apple users can enjoy responsive performance and play the newest games.”

The high-performance ATI Radeon™ HD 5770 graphics card features 1GB of GDDR5 memory from AMD and enables blistering fast Mac Pro graphics technology. Ideal for motion graphics, 3D modeling, rendering, or animation, the card comes standard; for more demanding tasks purchasers can upgrade to ATI Radeon™ HD 5870 graphics.

iMac Games on ATI Radeon HD graphics

• ATI Radeon™ graphics solutions offer feature rich graphics performance enabling an immersive, life-like gaming experience while playing HD content with incredible visual fidelity
• ATI Radeon™ HD 5750 graphics are available in the new 27” iMac.
• ATI Radeon™ HD 5650 graphics are available in the new 22” and 27” iMac.
• ATI Radeon™ HD 4670 graphics are available in the new 22” iMac

Resources

• ATI Radeon graphics processors for Mac

About AMD
Advanced Micro Devices is an innovative technology company dedicated to collaborating with customers and technology partners to ignite the next generation of computing and graphics solutions at work, home and play. For more information, visit www.amd.com.

THE ALL NEW ORIGINAL ANIMATED MOVIE WILL TAKE VIEWERS ON  A HAUNTED SUMMER CAMP ADVENTURE 

Available to own on DVD for $24.95RRP  from 29 September 2010.  

The creepiest campfire ghost stories come to life on the all-new, must-have, animated Scooby-Doo original movie Scooby-Doo! Summer Camp Scare, available from       29 September 2010 from Warner Bros. Entertainment Australia (WBEA). Viewers will want to join in the high-jinks with that lovable Great Dane and the rest of the Mystery Inc. gang as they explore some mysterious goings-on at a haunted summer camp.   

Roast your marshmallows and hide under your sleeping bag covers, because this campfire experience is going to get spooky! In this brand-new adventure, Scooby-Doo and the gang head out in the Mystery Machine to visit Fred’s favourite childhood summer camp. They soon learn that creepy creatures from their all-time favourite campfire stories have come to life and now haunt the nearby woods and lake, threatening the camp to shut down.  Will our heroes, Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne and Velma manage to end all the kooky occurrences and stop the creatures before the camp is forced to close its doors forever?

“Parents and kids love to see Scooby-Doo and the gang star in fun, new adventures and that’s why we’re excited to introduce consumers to Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare,” said Caroline Skillen, Marketing Director. She added, “It’s an entertaining new adventure with an engaging storyline, top-notch animation and lots of funny moments that families can watch together. This is the latest in a series of original films that are hugely popular with Scooby fans and we think it will be a hit with a wide variety of audiences.”

Scooby-Doo, the hit franchise follows the adventures of Daphne, Fred, Shaggy, Velma and Scooby-Doo as they travel in their van “The Mystery Machine” and solve cases typically involving ghosts, monsters or other supernatural forces. High-jinks always ensue, with their investigations resulting in entertaining chase scenes mixed with catchy musical numbers and comedic antics. The original television program went on to become one of the most successful animated television programs in history and spawned several spin-off series, specials, consumer products and live action films.

Scooby, Shaggy, Daphne, Velma and Fred are on all new cases in Scooby-Doo! and the Spooky Swamp a new action adventure video game that lets players explore and uncover the mystery behind a strange swamp girl and her peculiar cauldron of brew.  Kids and their friends can play as their favourite Mystery, Inc. characters as they travel beyond the swamp and into other haunted locales such as the snow covered Alpine village and the South-western ghost town to discover more clues and solve the mystery of the strange brew. The game will be available in Spring 2010 on Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and PlayStation^®2 computer entertainment system.

DVD

Special Features:

• Scooby-Doo Camp Stories – Solve Spooky Mysteries
• Bonus Episode – Beware of the Beast Below

Approx Runtime:

70 mins 

Rating:

PG

EMI Music videos arrive on VidZone™ on PlayStation®3 

• Thousands of new videos join VidZone’s PlayStation®3 service
• VidZone and EMI to work together to create dedicated artist and label TV channels
• Almost 500 million videos delivered by VidZone since launch

SYDNEY, 18^th August 2010: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) is pleased to announce that from today, EMI Music artist videos including back catalogue and new releases will be available to view free from VidZone™ exclusively on PlayStation®3 (PS3™).  The agreement brings one of the world’s leading rosters, with artists such as Coldplay, Katy Perry, Iron Maiden, David Guetta, David Bowie, Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk, Empire of the Sun, Jet and many more to one of the world’s biggest music video applications.

EMI Music is the latest record label to join VidZone the free music streaming service on PS3 which already hosts some 25,000 music videos. VidZone gives the user the choice of on-demand video view, playlist view, exclusive artist and genre TV channels – from Bollywood to Hip Hop, as well as exclusive interviews, event coverage, prizes and promotions.   

Ian Whitfield, EMI Music’s Vice President Digital Business Development said:

“VidZone have developed a great service for fans to enjoy their favourite music videos and engage with the artists behind them.  We are very pleased to bring our artists to VidZone and look forward to developing new artist TV channels with them.”

Louisa Jackson, Director of Content and Marketing at VidZone added: 

“VidZone on PS3 is now one of the biggest music video applications in the world having streamed more than 450 million videos since our 2009 launch. EMI’s launch on VidZone is great news for our fans who have been building an unofficial chart of their most wanted EMI acts – led by Coldplay. Fans can now access thousands more music videos including new releases and exciting content such as interviews, concerts and behind the scenes footage – so watch this space.” 

VidZone is free and easy to use. Just download the VidZone application from PlayStation®Store via PlayStation®Network, find it under the ‘music’ icon on your PS3 XrossMediaBar (XMB) menu and you’re away. As well as watching one of the new pre-programmed music channels with VidZone TV, you can also select individual videos to watch on their own via VidZone On-Demand. Here you have the option of pausing, skipping, fast-forwarding and rewinding – or you can create your own library of streaming music and make custom playlists for every occasion.

Upgrade your music experience and put yourself in control with VidZone on PS3. For more information visit www.VidZoneps3.com  or blog.eu.playstation.com.