Black Bean Games together with AFA Interactive are proud to announce the release of Nat Geo Quiz! Wild Life on Xbox 360®, Playstation®3 and Nintendo Wii™.

Mix together a Multi-player quiz based on engaging questions paired with incredible National Geographic content and you have the perfect recipe for some serious fun.

Nat Geo Quiz! is the ideal game for families and party-gamers alike. You don’t need to be a nature expert as you work your way through images videos and many different question types while discover our amazing planet made up of predators, deadly creatures and beautiful aquatic life. A Narrator will guide and entertain you through the game by keeping scores, praising the leader and encouraging the stragglers. The multiple-choice questions are just the tip of the iceberg as you can play other game modes such as quests and stat attacks.

Thanks to National Geographic and its incredible image and video library, this amazing game features approximately 90 mins of High-Definition videos, 5000 different questions and 2000 High-Resolution images that allow you to discover the world as you have never seen it before.

Nat Geo Quiz! Wild Life will be released July 1 2010 across selected game retailers and department stores nationally.

For any more information on this product, High-Resolution screenshots or media enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact me. For more information on AFA Interactive or Black Bean Games please view their websites:

http://www.afainteractive.com.au

http://www.blackbeangames.com

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse- The IMAX Experience

Twilight fans will have the opportunity to sink their teeth into The Twilight Saga- Eclipse on the world’s third largest screen, at IMAX Melbourne Museum for a limited three week season from 1 July, 2010. IMAX Melbourne Museum is one of two film based IMAX theatres outside of the US to release the highly anticipated third instalment of The Twilight Saga. Bella (Kristen Stewart) once again finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge.  In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward (Robert Pattinson) and her friendship with Jacob (Taylor Lautner) — knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella is confronted with the most important decision of her life. Be the first to see The Twilight Saga- Eclipse: The IMAX Experience at the IMAX Melbourne Museum midnight screening on 30 June, 2010. It’s vampire versus werewolf through history themed night, so dress to impress!

Release Date: 1 July, 2010

Tickets: $22.50 adults, $18.50 concession, $16.50 child, $68.00 family (2 adults & 2 children)

Inception: The IMAX Experience

Christopher Nolan fans will get the chance to see his latest sci-fi thriller, Inception, in a spectacular, fully immersive IMAX experience when it hits the world’s third largest screen at IMAX Melbourne Museum on 22 July, 2010. Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb’s rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible – inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move – an enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming. Be the first to see Inception at the IMAX Melbourne Museum midnight screening on 21 July. Tickets are on sale now.

 Release Date: 22 July, 2010

Tickets: $22.50 adults, $18.50 concession, $16.50 child, $68.00 family (2 adults & 2 children)

Hubble 3D

For nearly 20 years, the Hubble Space Telescope has dazzled us with unprecedented views of the cosmos—from the splendour of our celestial neighbourhood to galaxies billions of light years away. When Hubble 3D launches at IMAX Melbourne Museum on 12 August, 2010, moviegoers will join the crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-125 and experience virtual star travel via breathtaking, never-before-seen IMAX 3D imagery. In Hubble 3D, moviegoers will be immersed by the great wonders and astounding beauty of our universe on the world’s third largest screen in stunning IMAX 3D. They will also witness up-close some of the most challenging spacewalks ever performed as the Atlantis astronauts attempt some of the most difficult and important tasks in NASA’s history.

Release Date: 12 August, 2010

Tickets: $17.50 Adult, $14.00 Concession, $12.50 Child, $50.00 Family (2 adults & 2 children)

For regular updates join IMAX Melbourne Museum on Facebook | Twitter | Youtube

IMAX Melbourne Museum, Rathdowne Street, Carlton.  Films screen daily from 10.00am. For session times visit www.imaxmelbourne.com.au or call 03 9663 5454

Christopher Nolan fans will get the chance to see his latest sci-fi thriller, Inception, in a spectacular, fully immersive IMAX experience when it hits the world’s third largest screen at IMAX Melbourne Museum on 22 July, 2010.

“We’re incredibly excited about Chris Nolan’s first feature film since The Dark Knight which grossed over $1 million at IMAX Melbourne Museum in 2008,” said Richard Morrison, IMAX Melbourne Museum General Manager. “Nolan is a master storyteller; fans are in for a real treat.”

Nolan directs an international cast in an original sci-fi action film that takes audiences on a thrill-ride around the globe and into the intimate and infinite world of dreams.

Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb’s rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved.

Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible – inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move – an enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming.

The all star cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Dileep Rao and Michael Caine.

Be the first to see Inception at the IMAX Melbourne Museum midnight screening on 21 July. Tickets are on sale now.

IMAX offers the most immersive movie experiences in the world. Home to the world’s third largest screen, IMAX Melbourne Museum has become one of the world’s leading IMAX theatres, attracting over 4 million visitors and providing moviegoers with the ultimate movie experience through its revolutionary projection system, 15,000 watt digital audio system and customised theatre geometry.

For more Inception updates join IMAX Melbourne Museum on Facebook | Twitter | Youtube

Release Date:              22 July, 2010

Where:                         IMAX Melbourne Museum, Carlton Gardens

Tickets:                       $22.50 adults, $18.50 concession, $16.50 child, $68.00 family (2 adults & 2 children)       

Enquires:                     03 9663 5454

Bookings:                    www.imaxmelbourne.com.au or at the box office

Peddlers of misleading applications, such as rogue antivirus software, are taking their efforts to a whole new level. Symantec recently discovered a company called Online PC Doctors, which is calling computer users with a live telephone agent in an attempt to persuade them that their computer is ‘infected.’ 

Once the agent has convinced a user that their computer is infected, the agent offers to remotely connect to the user’s machine to take a closer look. The agent will then report that they have found a severe malware infection and explain that Online PC Doctors can ‘fix’ the problem, for a fee. All the user has to do is send an e-mail to Online PC Doctors with all the pertinent payment information, including full credit card details. 

Symantec has put together a blog post and video to describe this new scam in greater depth. Both can be viewed here: http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/technical-support-phone-scams.

EA SPORTS Reinvents the Basketball Category with New Hands-On Control

24 June 2010, Australia – Electronic Arts Inc. has announced that Oklahoma City Thunder small forward, Kevin Durant, will be the cover athlete for NBA ELITE 11.

A 2010 NBA All-Star, Durant became the youngest player in NBA history to lead the league in scoring this past season, and he helped lead the Thunder to an impressive 50 win season and an NBA Playoffs berth.

NBA ELITE 11 is currently in development under the EA SPORTS™ brand by EA Canada in Vancouver, B.C. and will be available worldwide this October.

NBA ELITE 11 introduces significant gameplay changes that promise to revolutionise the basketball videogame experience. Hands-On Control is an innovative new control scheme that allows for one-to-one responsiveness of a player’s movement and actions on the court, as opposed to predetermined animations from the past that require users to wait while a scenario played out before making the next move. Hands-On Control is unique to NBA ELITE 11 and it is used to manage everything within a player’s offensive and defensive arsenal, including: dribble moves, dunks, drives to the basket, fadeaways, mid-air adjustments, blocks, steals and more.

“I’ve always been a fan of EA SPORTS,” said Durant. “This has been an exciting year for me and the team, and capping it off with being on the cover of NBA ELITE 11 is cool.”

“Durant is a game changer,” said Jordan Edelstein, VP Marketing, EA SPORTS. “There has never been a player his size with his skill set, and there has never before been a basketball videogame like NBA ELITE. Just like we see Durant as the future of the NBA, NBA ELITE 11 represents the future of basketball videogames by providing a gameplay experience you simply won’t find anywhere else on the market.”

Picked second overall in the 2007 NBA Entry Draft, Durant has accumulated an impressive list of accomplishments in his short professional career, including being named the 2008 T-Mobile NBA Rookie of the Year. Additionally, he will be representing the USA in the 2010 FIBA World Championships in Turkey.

Durant is only the third player in EA SPORTS history to be featured both on the pack of an NCAA and an NBA licensed product. Durant was featured on the cover of NCAA March Madness 08.

NBA ELITE 11 will be available for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The game has not yet been rated by the OFLC. For more information, log onto http://nbaelite.easports.com

June 24, 2010 – Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) today announced it has been selected as a strategic supplier for the rollout of Australia’s National Broadband Network (NBN) – the largest single infrastructure investment in Australian history and a platform to drive and enable Australia’s digital economy.

The NBN Co has committed an initial Aus$70M fixed price purchase and has also committed to spend up to $1.5bn on this highly specialised network equipment during the lifetime of this project.

Alcatel-Lucent will provide state-of-the-art GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Network) equipment, aggregation and engineering assistance to the National Broadband Network Company (NBNCo). The organisation will roll out a 100 Mbit/s Fibre to The Premise (FTTP) broadband network to 90 percent of Australian premises over an eight year period. The NBN will support a vibrant and innovative Retail Service Provider eco-system, delivering life changing new services to Australian homes, businesses and communities.

Alcatel-Lucent’s CEO, Ben Verwaayen said, “The Australian NBN is one of the most important initiatives in our industry. The world is watching.”

He added, “Infrastructure projects of this scale demand and command leading edge technology and smart solutions. We are committed to delivering both.”

Today’s announcement is an important milestone in the deployment of the National Broadband Network, Alcatel-Lucent Australia’s Managing Director Andrew Butterworth says.

“The NBN offers innovation opportunities for all industries in Australia. Now we need to take advantage of it and explore how broadband networks can deliver life changing services.”

Alcatel-Lucent has deployed 100 fibre to the home networks globally, of which more than 85 of these have used GPON technology, including Verizon in the United States, France Telecom and Hong Kong Broadband. The company has a proud history in Australia, with more than 100 years of local experience, including deploying the first Sydney-Melbourne Trunk line in 1907, connecting Australia to the world with many submarine projects and voice infrastructure, and the leading supplier of fixed broadband technology in Australia.

Swedish-based independent games developer, The Bearded Ladies, are proud to announce the launch of their retro-inspired helicopter-adventure game Landit Bandit on the PlayStation®3 Network

The feel-good digital game of the summer has finally landed. Literally. Join eccentric characters Marley and Lander, as well as hot island babes and Tommy Gun-wielding penguins in Landit Bandit: a retro-looking, 3D casual-physics-based-helicopter game now available on the PlayStation®3 Network priced at a mouth-watering 12.99 Euros.

Landit Bandit has the depth of a cool-blue ocean and offers gameplay to suit a universal audience. Players can compete for the high-score on the global leaderboard – as well as battle head-to-head in 6 unique duels – or work co-operatively across a 20-level campaign against the backdrop of gorgeous 3D levels ranging from the picturesque desert islands to the cool, ice-filled tundra, each packed with enough humour to keep you laughing out loud from one level to the next.

David Skarin, CTO of The Bearded Ladies is elated at the release,

“To have our game on the PlayStation®3 Network is great. Its a testimony to the hard work and raw talent of our small independent studio. We’ve defeated a string of self-imposed, gruelling milestones and overcome technical challenges akin to the cerebral workout being offered in the game that would leave any bearded lady weeping. The release brings joy to our hearts, although the real excitement is going to come in monitoring the reaction of the players”.

CEO/Producer, Haraldur Thormundsson added,

“We have fulfilled our dreams with the release of Landit Bandit on the Sony PlayStation store. Its been one of the most rewarding expeditions I’ve been part of to date. To have shared the milestone with such a talented – not to mention eccentric group of creatives – is also very special. We’re all confident that players will enjoy the retro-goodness and LOL just as much as we did during the development”.

The North American PlayStation®3 community can expect to get their hands on the controls of Landit Bandit from July 13th.

You can learn about the creation of Landit Bandit and the colourful team behind it from their developer diaries:

Developer Diary #1 – http://bit.ly/landitbanditdevdiary1
Developer Diary #2 – http://bit.ly/landitbanditdevdiary2
Developer Diary #3 – http://bit.ly/landitbanditdevdiary3

You can also interact with Landit Bandit on social networks:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/landitbandit
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LanditBandit

Gameplay features:

Easy and addictive controls
20 level single player campaign
6 unique, gorgeous 3D worlds
Drop-in-drop-out splitscreen co-op mode
Side-splitting bump and grind ‘Duel’mode
Online highscore tables as well as trophies

http://www.landitbandit.com

BATTLE OF THE IMMORTALS HITS 1.5 MILLION CUMULATIVE UNIQUE LOGINS – LAUNCHES FIFTH SERVER, GEMINI
Battle of the Immortals becomes Perfect World Entertainment’s Fastest Growing Game

June 23, 2010 – Redwood City, Calif. – Perfect World Entertainment Inc., a wholly owned US subsidiary of Perfect World Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: PWRD), today announced that Battle of the Immortals has hit 1.5 million cumulative unique logins and has launched its fifth server, Gemini, making it Perfect World Entertainment’s fastest growing game. Gemini, a European server, will be joined by its counterpart server, Aquarius, which will be physically migrated to Europe, meeting the region’s growing demand for the hit action-MMORPG.

“Demand for Battle of the Immortals has been tremendous, not only in North America, but from around the world and the opening of our second European server, Gemini, is a testament to that. With over 1.5 million cumulative unique logins, Battle of the Immortals proves itself not only as our fastest growing game, but also one that keeps players coming back,” said Jonathan Belliss, Product Manager for Battle of the Immortals. “By being steadfast in our commitment to provide the highest level of polish and game localization, our players have made Battle of the Immortals an international success, which many of our industry competitors have taken notice of.”

For more information on Battle of the Immortals, please visit the official website at http://BOI.PerfectWorld.com/

About Perfect World Entertainment
Perfect World Entertainment, a subsidiary of Perfect World Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ:PWRD), publishes free-to-play online games and provides online services in North America. The Company primarily publishes online games based on the Perfect World proprietary game engines and game development platforms. The Company’s releases include “Battle of the Immortals,” “Ether Saga Online,” “Jade Dynasty” and “Perfect World International,” a free-to-play MMORPG which is currently played by millions of people worldwide; and a single-player action-RPG “Torchlight.”

A FILM BY KEVIN SMITH – COP OUT 

Rock out with your Glock out
Available to rent and own on BLU-RAY for $49.95RRP and on DVD for $39.95RRP from 11 August 2010. Also available ON DEMAND and TO DOWNLOAD. 

Join the side-splitting chase when Cop Out arrives on Blu-ray and DVD this 11 August 2010 from Warner Home Video. From beloved Director Kevin Smith, Cop Out, follows a comical duo of NYPD partners on the hunt for a gangster in possession of a very special item.

The Blu-ray version of the film features “Maximum Comedy Mode,” a hilarious interactive viewing experience that allows Kevin Smith and Seann William Scott to show fans the comical stunts, improv and hijinks that went into creating the next great buddy cop comedy.

Cop Out tells the story of two long time NYPD partners on the hunt for a stolen, rare, mint-condition baseball card who find themselves up against a merciless, memorabilia-obsessed gangster. Jimmy (Bruce Willis) is the veteran detective who desperately needs his missing collectible in order pay for his daughter’s upcoming wedding.  He enlists his partner Paul (Tracy Morgan) who is consumed with his wife’s alleged infidelity.

 From Director, Kevin Smith (Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Clerks, Clerks II), Cop Out stars Golden Globe™ nominee Bruce Willis (Surrogates, Die Hard 4.0: Live Free or Die Hard), Tracy Morgan (TV’s “30 Rock” and “Saturday Night Live”), and Sean William Scott (Role Models, Mr. Woodcock). 

SYNOPSIS

Action star Bruce Willis and ace comic Tracy Morgan play bickering-but-got-your-back Brooklyn buddy cops. Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy) directs the gritty, goofball goings-on as the guys hunt for a stolen 1952 mint-condition baseball card, a hunt plunging them into a gun slinging war with a deadly drug ring. Batter up, fans. The boys are ready to take you out to the ol’ brawl game!

DVD 

Special Features:

o       Deleted Scenes 

Approx Runtime:

103 Mins

Rating:

TBC – Theatrical Rating: MA15+ – Strong Sexual References and Course Language 

BLU-RAY

Special Features:

• Over an Hour of Never-Before-Seen Extended Scenes and Outtakes
• • Picture-in-Picture Moments with Kevin Smith and Seann William Scott (S*** Bandit)
• • Walk-Ons by Kevin Smith • Wisdom from the S*** Bandit
• • Factoids About the Movie and Other Information You May Find Helpful…or Totally Useless  

Approx Runtime:

107 Mins 

Rating:

TBC – Theatrical Rating: MA15+ – Strong Sexual References and Course Language

HBO, Sony Pictures, Turner, USA Network, Viacom, Warner Brothers and Others Ready Flash Content for Mobile

SYDNEY, Australia, — June 22, 2010 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the release of Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1 to mobile platform partners. Redesigned from the ground up with new performance and mobile specific features, Flash Player 10.1 is the first release that brings the full Web across desktops and devices. Mobile users will now be able to experience millions of sites with rich applications and content inside the browser including games, animations, rich Internet applications (RIAs), data presentations and visualisations, ecommerce, music, video, audio and more.

Already one of the top free apps on Android™ Market today, Flash Player 10.1 will be available as a final production release for smart phones and tablets once users are able to upgrade to Android 2.2 “Froyo.” Devices supporting “Froyo” and Flash Player 10.1 are expected to include the Dell Streak, Google Nexus One, HTC Evo, HTC Desire, HTC Incredible, DROID by Motorola, Motorola Milestone, Samsung Galaxy S and others. Flash Player 10.1 was also released to mobile platform partners to be supported on devices based on Android, BlackBerry, webOS, future versions of Windows® Phone, LiMo, MeeGo and Symbian OS, and is expected to be made available via over-the-air downloads and to be pre-installed on smart phones, tablets and other devices in the coming months.

“We are thrilled that more than three million Flash designers and developers are now able to unleash their creativity on the world of smart phones, tablets, netbooks, televisions and other consumer electronics,” said David Wadhwani, general manager and vice president, Platform Business at Adobe. “The combined power of the leading rich media technology platform with millions of passionate creatives is sure to impact the world in ways we haven’t even imagined yet.”

Broad Partner Support
Device and technology partners including ARM, Brightcove, Dell, Google, HTC, Intel, Microsoft, Motorola, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, RIM, Samsung, Texas Instruments and others announced more specifics around their support for Flash Player 10.1 today.

Content publishers including AgencyNet, AKQA, Armor Games, Atlantic Records, Blitz, CNET.com, HBO, JustinTV, Kongregate, Mattel, Mochi Media, Msnbc Digital Network, Turner, Nickelodeon, Odopod, Photobucket, RAIN, Roundarch, Sony Pictures, South Park Studios, USA Network, Viacom, Warner Brothers and many others have also started to optimise Flash content to deliver the best possible experience within the context of smaller screens, which includes larger buttons for interactions, layout adjustments for mobile screens and more.

For details visit www.adobe.com/go/flashquote_sheet_101 or m.flash.com, Adobe’s showcase site for optimised Flash content. For more information on how to optimise Flash content for mobile, visit www.adobe.com/go/fpmobile.

New High Performance Features
Completely redesigned and optimised for mobile, Flash Player 10.1 delivers new interaction methods with support for mobile-specific input models. Support for accelerometer allows users to view Flash content in landscape and portrait mode. With Smart Zooming, users can scale content to full screen mode delivering immersive application-like experiences from a Web page. Performance optimisation work with virtually all major mobile silicon and platform vendors makes efficient use of CPU and battery performance.

The new Smart Rendering feature ensures that Flash content is running only when it becomes visible on the screen, further reducing CPU and battery consumption. With Sleep Mode, Flash Player automatically slows down when the device transitions into screen saver mode. Advanced Out-of-Memory Management allows the player to effectively handle non-optimised content that consumes excessive resources, while automatic memory reduction decreases content usage of RAM by up to 50 percent. Flash Player pauses automatically when events occur such as incoming phone calls or switching from the browser to other device functions. Once users switch back to the browser, Flash Player resumes where it paused.

Industry Analyst Feedback
“Although it is labeled a dot release, Flash Player 10.1 is a significant update that includes a number of new performance and mobile specific features,” said Al Hilwa, program director of the Application Development Program at IDC. “This allows consumers to see a much bigger part of the Web and allows developers to bring their Flash Platform skills to a much bigger swath of devices.”

“For the past few weeks I have had the opportunity to test an Android Froyo device loaded with a beta of Flash Player 10.1,” said Ben Bajarin, principal analyst at Creative Strategies. “The overall experience and performance of Flash has been impressive. Mobile users now have access to full Web pages with rich Flash content on millions of sites. With the new mobile specific features, developers also have an important opportunity to help shape the way Web content, games, touch capabilities and more are presented across platforms and devices as Froyo and other platforms deliver full Flash support.”

Additional Resources
To watch demo videos of Flash Player 10.1 running across devices, including smart phones and tablets, visit www.adobe.com/devnet/devices/demos.

Availability
Flash Player 10.1 is expected to be available as a final production release for devices once users are able to upgrade to Android 2.2 “Froyo.” Once upgraded, smart phones, tablets and other devices can be updated with Flash Player 10.1 over-the-air via numerous ways including content triggered downloads, system software updates and on-device app catalogs such as Android Market, Adobe Labs and other venues. The upgrade mechanism will vary by device and device manufacturer. The desktop version of Flash Player 10.1 for Windows, Mac OS and Linux is available on http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer today.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe revolutionises how the world engages with ideas and information – anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit www.adobe.com.