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TomTom for iPhone app to support Apple iOS 4

Seamless navigation features will leverage iOS 4 multitasking demonstrated yesterday at Apple WWDC

Sydney – 10 June, 2010
The next version of the app, which will be compatible with iOS 4, will be submitted to Apple for review after the 21 June release of iOS 4.

Among the new features on the latest TomTom app for iPhone will be support for multitasking functionality*, allowing users to get turn-by-turn guidance at the same time as operating other applications. Moreover, the new TomTom app version will also include the latest available Whereis

The current version of the TomTom app for iPhone (version 1.3) is available for purchase via the App Store, and both current and new owners of the app will be able to update to the new version for no additional charge upon its immediate availability.

As an additional incentive to new potential users of the TomTom app, TomTom is currently offering the Australian app at a discounted price of AUD $79.99.

“As TomTom continues to innovate and to take advantage of new capabilities of the iOS 4, users of the TomTom app will benefit from the combination of TomTom’s most advanced and acclaimed features and the iPhone’s unique functionality,” said Chris Kearney, Marketing Manager, TomTom Australia & New Zealand.

“We are pleased to integrate multitasking capabilities to the newest version of our TomTom app, and to be able to ensure that users can now enjoy other iPhone features while continuing to receive the best routing directions from their TomTom application.”

*Available on iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch 3rd Generation devices, running iOS 4.

– TomTom announced today that it will introduce multitasking to the latest version of the TomTom app for iPhone. ® map of Australia.

 
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What’s On at the Immigration Museum – July to November 2010

Borderland Experiences: free talk by Najat El Hachmi

In this talk, Spanish author Najat El Hachmi explores what it means to grow up on the border between two cultures and the role that literature played in shaping her identity. Najat was born in Morocco and moved with her family to Catalonia, Spain as a child. Her first book, I am Catalan too, deals with issues of identity and sense of belonging and her second book, The Last Patriarch, looks at the conflict between traditional and new values.
This event is presented by the Consulate General of Spain in Melbourne.

Date: 6-7pm, 26 July 2010

Bookings: 03 9347 1966

 

Australia’s Muslim Cameleers: Pioneers of the Inland 1860s – 1930s

This exhibition reveals the remarkable contribution that Australia’s first Muslim community, from Afghanistan and British India, made to the exploration and settlement of Australia’s arid interior. Cameleers assisted all major expeditions into Australia’s uncharted interior starting with the Burke and Wills expedition in 1860 and have contributed significantly to Australia’s economic and cultural development. Exhibits include fascinating photographs, camel saddles, historic clothing, textiles and original documents.

Date: Until 19 September 2010

 

Survival of a Culture: Kurds in Australia

This exhibition explores how the Kurdish culture has survived through adversity, invasion, and division of the Kurds’ traditional lands. Survival of a Culture: Kurds in Australia examines the traditions at the core of the Kurdish culture that have enabled it to survive, and which Kurds proudly maintain in Australia today. A variety of objects on display include traditional costumes, instruments, hand-made carpets, hand-woven crafts and pewter ware.

Date: Until 12 September 2010

Honouring our Ancestors: Remembering East Timor

This exhibition explores a ritual called Se Matebian, which takes place each year on All Souls Day and honours East Timorese ancestors. It looks at how the East Timorese community in Australia continue to practise this ritual today. Personal stories and reflections of people from the East Timorese community are shared and featured objects include a silver breast plate and head piece worn by elders during ceremonial peace, a silver jewellery box with an ancestral worship home on top, jewellery associated with ancestors, timber statues representing ancestors, hand woven baskets and East Timorese fabrics.

Date: From 19 September 2010

West Africa: Rhythm and Spirit
From spiritual beliefs to daily life, masks to music, cloth to carving, West Africa: Rhythm and Spirit explores the array of vibrant and dynamic cultures of West Africa. Bordered by the Sahara Desert to the north, and by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south, West Africa is an area of tradition and change. This exhibition features over 200 objects from 28 different West African cultures, exploring kingship and authority, carved figures, pattern and adornment, divination, masks and masquerades and trade. West Africa: Rhythm and Spirit is based on a collection of Joel A. and Patricia H. Vanderburg from Otago, New Zealand. The objects were collected from 1964-1975 while living in Nigeria and Ghana (all items legitimately exported).

Date: 12 November 2010 to 29 May 2011

Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders Street, Melbourne.  Open daily 10.00am to 5.00pm.

Admission: Adult $8, child/concession FREE. More info 13 11 02 or museumvictoria.com.au/immigration museum

– ENDS –

 
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KANE & LYNCH 2 – DOG DAYS: HITTING RETAIL ONE WEEK EARLY

HITTING RETAIL ONE WEEK EARLY

Sydney (July 14, 2010) — IO Interactive, a part of Square Enix® Europe, is pleased to confirm that Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days™ has gone gold and will now release one week earlier than previously scheduled on August 19, 2010 in Australia & New Zealand on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC.

“The team has worked hard to deliver a game that’s different from the current trend of third-person shooters and we’re so pleased to be able to share it with the world ahead of schedule,” said Niels Jørgensen, general manager of IO Interactive. “With development now complete, why keep people waiting any longer? We want to let gamers experience the game we’ve created and get them online betraying their friends in Fragile Alliance, so we have decided to bring the release date forward by one week.”

Experience 48 hours of hell with two of gaming’s most notorious criminals in Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days. Kane and Lynch face the consequences when a simple job gone wrong sets off a desperate and frantic struggle to escape the entire Shanghai underworld. Ground-breaking art direction, relentless action game-play and innovative multiplayer redefine the action shooter experience and positions Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days as the standout shooter of 2010.

Pre-order your copy of the game now to receive an exclusive in-game DLC bonus.
Pre-orders available at GAME, JB Hi-Fi, EB Games, & Mighty Ape (NZ).

 
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EA AND HOTHEAD GAMES DEMAND YOU DOWNLOAD DEATHSPANK TODAY… IF YOU FEEL LIKE IT

Conquer a Massive World, Defeat Flocks of Evil Chickens and Dispense Justice as the Summer’s Funniest Hero is Available Today

Australia – July 14, 2010 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and Hothead Games today announced that DeathSpank™, an action-RPG blending epic storytelling, addictive gameplay, humor and evil chickens, is available for download today on PlayStation®Network for $19.95 AUD and tomorrow on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for 1200 Microsoft points. Developed under the direction of The Secret of Monkey Island creator Ron Gilbert, DeathSpank takes players through a heroic adventure in the boots of the titular hero DeathSpank as he hacks and slashes his way through epic quests in a vast world filled with vibrant, eccentric and terrifying characters.

“While DeathSpank is definitely one of the funnier games out there, it’s more than a one trick pony,” said Vlad Ceraldi, Director of Game Development for Hothead Games. “We’ve built a game with fast-paced, addictive combat set in a world that has a tremendous amount of depth that is filled with dynamic characters, colorful environments and tons of cool weapons and loot. And yes, we still have ponies too — trick ponies!”

“The team at Hothead has really made the perfect experience for the summer,” said Jamil Moledina, Outreach Director, Business Development for EA Partners. “DeathSpank is a high-end and fun game, yet incredibly accessible. It’s very easy to pick up and play, both in terms of its classic arcade controls, as well as the convenience of downloading it straight to your console.”

Players who download the game will be placed in the boots of the mighty DeathSpank, “Dispenser of Justice”, “Vanquisher of Evil” and “Hero to the Downtrodden”, embarking on his life long journey is to search for and find a mysterious artifact known only as, “The Artifact”. Along his journey, DeathSpank will rescue orphans, defeat a local tyrant, help an aging adventurer, and dive headfirst into an even deeper mystery. The game’s accessibility makes for a fun, addictive experience where players will find themselves solving crazy puzzles, collecting massive amounts of loot and hearing witty dialogue. For those with friends, DeathSpank also features local co-operative gameplay, allowing friends to jump in and out of fighting through this adventure on the same console as both DeathSpank and his trusty, magical sidekick, Sparkles the Wizard.

For more information on DeathSpank, please visit, www.deathspank.com.

 
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CITIES XL 2011

Cities XL 2011, an immensely enriched version which will meet all the expectations of City Builder’s fans with so many new features and a whole new amazingly realistic looking world to build and populate!

About Cities XL 2011 :
With Cities XL 2011, build and develop gigantic cities on realistic 3D maps, thanks to an incredible collection counting more than 700 buildings and unique structures. You are the virtual mayor and as such, you will need to find the right balance between economic development for your city, public transportation, housing, social services, leisure activities and even special events in town. Realism has been pushed a little bit deeper with larger cities, more realistic and more sophisticated than ever before!

Widen your horizon!
Cities XL 2011 pushes its limits further: hundreds of new buildings and structures appear for a total of more than 700 constructions, leading the way for new building and combinations options never seen before in a City Builder. Many new maps are also available, for a total of 45 buildable maps. City management will offer the full experience thanks to the addition of public transportation (subway, bus) which will decongest downtown traffic while lowering pollution levels and increasing the population’s satisfaction.

A more elaborated tax system will let all apprentice mayors adjust personal and local business taxes. A new commercial user interface will permit trade between cities in single player mode if a player decides to develop several cities.

Thanks to these big novelties and to a lot of inspired improvements, Cities XL 2011 truly reaches a whole new dimension to please all City Builders’ fans…

 
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EA ANNOUNCES medal of honor limited edition

Australia – July 14, 2010 – In today’s war, there is a new enemy, new weaponry and a new warrior built to tackle the toughest missions and harshest terrain. He is the Tier 1 Operator, and on October 14, 2010 Medal of Honor players will have a chance to step into the boots of this elite soldier. Today Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced a Limited Edition version of Medal of Honor that will grant players exclusive access to the MP7, a unique weapon utilized by Tier 1 Operators in the field. Limited Edition owners will also benefit from day-one access to the TOZ-194 and 870MC2 shotguns, while others must rank up to secure these weapon unlocks. Gamers can pre-order the Limited Edition now at www.medalofhonor.com at no additional cost.

“Access to a weapon like the MP7 will allow players to experience a tool developed with the Special Operations Community in mind, “said Greg Goodrich, Executive Producer of Medal of Honor. “With its light weight, high rate of fire and its ability to penetrate body armor, the MP7 handles like a pistol yet allows targets to be engaged like a rifle.”

For the first time in its 11-year history, Medal of Honor leaves the WWII theatre and enters the modern day setting of war-torn Afghanistan told through the lens of a small band of fictional characters. Medal of Honor introduces players to the Tier 1 Operator, an elite warrior and relatively unknown instrument of the U.S. Military that operates under the National Command Authority, taking on missions no one else can handle.

The Limited Edition of Medal of Honor launches on October 14, 2010 in Australia for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and PC. Follow the game on twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/medalofhonor or become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/medalofhonor.

 
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TELEVISION’S MOST IRREVERENT M.D. RETURNS – HOUSE SEASON SIX

Get ready for a full dose of medical trial and error when House Season Six comes to DVD, August 25, 2010. 

Hugh Laurie is joined by James Earl Jones (Star Wars), Laura Prepon (That 70’s Show) and David Strathairn (The Bourne Ultimatum) in guest appearances as he returns to his Golden Globe® winning and Primetime Emmy®  Award-nominated role as Dr. Gregory House. 

This brilliant sixth season starts off as House finds himself in an uncomfortable position, being away from the hospital. As he works to regain his license and his life, his co-workers deal with staff shakeups, moral dilemmas and their own tricky relationships within the walls of the hospital.  

House’s gifted young team of surgeons are back in scrubs including the outstanding Aussie actor Jesse Spencer (Uptown Girls) as well as Omar Epps (ER), Olivia Wilde (Tron), Lisa Edelstein (The West Wing), Peter Jacobson (Transformers), Jennifer Morrison (Star Trek) and Robert Sean Leonard 

Get the Limited Edition Collector’s Pack that includes a t-shirt with a typically sarcastic ‘house-ism’ slogan, along with hours of ‘surgically enhanced’ bonus footage in addition to all 21 episodes.  

HOUSE: SEASON SIX DVD BONUS CONTENT INCLUDES: 

Featurettes: 

  • Before Broken: The Concept Reel:  Featuring Hugh Laurie and shot on location with no script and no plan, experience House’s emotional journey at Mayfield Psychiatric Hospital from an all-new up close and intimate perspective as originally envisioned by director/executive producer Katie Jacobs in a never-before-seen original short.
  • A Different POV: Hugh Laurie Directs: Hugh Laurie does double duty as Dr. House and director of the episode “Lockdown.”
  • New Faces For A New House: A discussion about the challenges and opportunities that are presented when a show must hire more than 30 new actors to perform pivotal roles in an extremely important episode.
  • A New House For House:  An in-depth feature highlighting the amazing Mayfield hospital set from the two-hour season premiere episode, “Broken.”  
  • Crazy Cool Episode: Epic Fail: Features amazing visual effects from the episode “Epic Fail.” 

Feature Commentaries 

  • Broken Commentary with director/executive producer Katie Jacobs, writer/executive producer Russel Friend & writer/executive producer Garrett Lerner.
  • Wilson Commentary with series star Robert Sean Leonard and writer/supervising producer David Foster, M.D 

HOUSE: SEASON 6:

 

Cast:                Hugh Laurie

                        Jesse Spencer

Lisa Edelstein

Omar Epps

Robert Sean Leonard

Jennifer Morrison

Price:                Season 6 DVD – $79.95

                        Season 1 – 6 DVD box set – SRP $239.95

Genre:               TV Drama

 
formats

PSP GAMERS TO GET ‘GOD EATER BURST’ IN 2011

– NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe Announce Enhanced Version of Acclaimed Survival Action Hit for 2011 Australian New Zealand Launch –

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – 12th July 2010 – NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe S.A.S. today unveiled more details about its forthcoming launch of God Eater in 2011. The title will debut on PSPTM (PlayStation®Portable) in Europe as an enhanced edition of the game, entitled God Eater Burst, loaded with modifications, gameplay improvements and additional features.  

The hard-hitting survival action title scored 34/40 in revered Japanese gaming publication Famitsu and went on to sell over half a million copies in under three weeks. In direct response to feedback from gamers, development team Project G.E. decided to go a step further and create an enhanced version of the game, God Eater Burst, and it is this ultimate version of an already incredible experience that gamers will get their hands on in 2011.

God Eater Burst re-imagines the post-apocalyptic world with an original and dramatic story of human survival against overwhelming odds. The earth has been trashed by unpleasant mutant beasts known as Aragami and man’s only hope against them is the God Arc weapons and the God Eaters who wield them.  Players will create their own hero and battle against many different types of these enemies, picking up items along the way to customize their weapons, guns, bullets and shields, boosting their strength and stamina in the massive scale fights.  

The furious pace of the gameplay will send players hurtling through more than twice the number of missions in the original God Eater, demanding quick thinking for tactical shifts between weapons to slash, shoot and devour some seriously imposing enemies. Bullets can be customised to alter their strength, patterns and elemental type for wildly effective super attacks.

The original Prey Attack adds a new strategic level as players transform to Burst Mode, boosting their stats and special bullets to launch potent attacks. Players can hunt with AI controlled party members or join hunting parties with up to four players via Ad Hoc connection, or connect the PSP to a PlayStation®3 and play online using adhocParty in cooperative mode.

If you’ve ever wondered what a god tastes like, you won’t have to wait long to find out. More information about the enhanced content of God Eater Burst will be revealed in the coming months.

For more information about NAMCO BANDAI Games and its line up, please visit www.namcobandaigames.eu.

 
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Fruit Ninja HD debut trailer

July 12th, 2010 – The worldwide smash hit iPhone game Fruit Ninja is on the way for the iPad, featuring glorious HD graphics and incredible unique content not to be found on any other platform. Today marks the release of the official trailer showing off high definition action, multiple blades and backgrounds as well as multiplayer battles!

Swipe up to EIGHT fingers across the screen to deliciously slash fruit like a true ninja warrior, taking in all of the crisp detailed effects which have been radically improved from the iPhone version. With two games modes in single player and worldwide leaderboards using Openfeint, the addictive gameplay will keep you coming back for even higher scores.

Multiplayer has now arrived on Fruit Ninja HD! Two players can play head-to-head in unique gameplay modes Classic Attack and Zen Duel. It’s always fast, frantic and hilarious action with two players battling to achieve sweet victory!

Finally, Fruit Ninja HD will enjoy the same level of continuous support with free content updates as the iPhone game. New gameplay modes, new items to unlock in the Dojo and even more secret surprises will be added in future!

Experience everything that Fruit Ninja players have been raving about for months in its finest form. Fruit Ninja HD is the juiciest, most intuitive action game on iPad!

Fruit Ninja HD will be released July 14th on the iPad App Store for US$4.99.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V0ovII6bgo

www.fruitninja.com

About Halfbrick

Halfbrick is a professional game development studio based in Brisbane, Australia. Founded in 2001, it has developed popular titles for the Game Boy Advance, PSP, PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS, with expansion into XBLA, PS3 and iPhone development. For further information, please visit www.halfbrick.com and follow on Twitter, Youtube and Facebook!

 
formats

2K Games Set to Conquer Retail with Sid Meier’s Civilization® V Special Edition

Sydney, Australia– July 12, 2010 – 2K Games announced today the Sid Meier’s Civilization® V Special Edition, a robust retail package that contains collectable items and exclusive access to behind-the scenes content, will be available starting September 24, 2010 alongside the standard retail edition in Australia and New Zealand for $129.95. In development at 2K’s world-renowned Firaxis Games studio, Sid Meier’s Civilization V is the next entry to the original turn-based strategy franchise that reinvents the addictive “just one more turn” formula with a plethora of exciting new additions and enhancements.

In addition to a copy of the highly anticipated game, the following elements are included in the Civilization V Special Edition:

5 metal figurines based on units from Civilization V and manufactured by Reaper Miniatures
2 disc CD soundtrack of game score selections
DVD “Behind the Scenes at Firaxis on Civilization V”
176 page hardcover art book

Civilization V takes this definitive strategy game series in new directions with the introduction of hexagon tiles allowing for deeper strategy, more realistic gameplay and stunning organic landscapes for players to explore as they expand their empire. The brand new engine orchestrates a spectacular visual experience that brings players closer to the Civ experience than ever, featuring fully animated leaders interacting with players from a screen-filling diplomatic scene and speaking in their native language for the first time. Wars between empires feel massive as armies dominate the landscape, and combat is more exciting and intense than ever before. The addition of ranged bombardment allows players to fire weapons from behind the front lines, challenging players to develop clever new strategies to guarantee victory on the battlefield. In addition to the new gameplay features debuting in Civilization V, an extensive suite of community, modding and multiplayer elements will also make an appearance.

Civilization V took the world by storm during E3 2010, earning numerous awards from the industry’s top writers including: Best Strategy Game (E3 Critics Awards), Best Strategy Game (IGN.com), Best Strategy Game (Machinima), Best PC Game (Game Informer.com), Best Strategy Game (Game Informer.com), Best Strategy Game (1UP.com) and more.

Sid Meier’s Civilization V is rated PG by the Australian Classification Board. For more information, please visit www.civilization5.com

2K Games is a division of 2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).