DUBLIN, IRELAND – June 11th, 2010 – Icon Games Entertainment is very pleased to unveil Family Games – Pen & Paper Edition for Nintendo® WiiWare, players can enjoy a unique blend of classic pen and paper games that we’ve all had our fair share at when we were kids. This time around, Family Games – Pen & Paper Edition gives the whole family some fun right in your living room. Enjoy timeless favorites for all the family!

Not to mention, it saves the trees!

Family Games – Pen & Paper Edition will become available soon and the price point is still to be determined. Stay tuned!

Can’t get enough of Family Games – Pen & Paper Edition? Check out other classic arcade games from Icon Games Entertainment.

Family Games – Pen & Paper Edition games include:

• Squares (Dots)
• Nine Men’s Morris (Mill)
• Safe Cracker
• Matchsticks
• Noughts & Crosses (Tic-Tac-Toe)
• 4 In-A-Row
• BattleFleet
• Hangman

Family Games – Pen & Paper Edition features include:

• Include 8 super addictive classic games
• Numerous rule sets & game variations – so many ways to play!
• Fun for all the family – up to 4 players can compete in Tournament mode 
• 20 special secret achievements to unlock

For more information, please visit www.icongames.com or follow us on Twitter.

Family Games – Pen & Paper Edition has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI.

Nintendo® is a registered trademark of Nintendo of America Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. 

About Icon Games Entertainment

We are an independent game development & digital publishing studio committed to creating games with a focus on compelling gameplay & fun! To date we have developed and released over 20 games for a variety of platforms – including Wii, PS2, PSP and PC. The team has over ten years of successful development experience, working with various publishing partners – including Playlogic, Zoo Games, IN2Games, Ghostlight, Lego Media, THQ, TDK, Majesco, PlayIt, Midway, Midas Interactive, Mforma, Datel and Acclaim. For more info on Icon and our forthcoming releases check out www.icongames.com

Crash. Bang. Wallop. 3D casual-helicopter-adventure game, Landit Bandit to touch-down on the PlayStation 3 this June.

Hull, UK / Swedish-based bohemian independent games developer, The Bearded Ladies, are set to land their casual-helicopter-adventure-game, Landit Bandit on the PlayStation 3 Network on June 23rd.

Stand back. Stand well back, as much in admiration as out of fear, as the rotating blades of casual-helicopter-adventure game, Landit Bandit are coming to the PlayStation 3 Network. Just don’t expect a smooth landing.

Play the role of Marley, a laid-back islander that’s had a peaceful life turned upside down with the explosive arrival of Lander, an unscrupulous art dealer. Help Lander fly his way back to The Big City by navigating a wooden helicopter, constructed out of the complete collection of Da-vinci paintings, across 6 gorgeous, 3D in-game worlds. Each game world is unique and comes with a new skillset to learn, which will ensure refreshing gameplay and keep players gripped to their PlayStation 3 controllers.

With Landit Bandit, gamers can expect a retro-chic looking 3D experience smothered in humour. Whilst borrowing mechanics from classic titles of a bygone gaming era, Landit Bandit is a stratosphere above its competition with an intuitive “moonlander” control mechanism and gentle learning curve that will appeal to a wide audience.

Players will not only be challenged by the physics of the natural environment: gravity, wind, water and trees, but also by curious non-playing characters. But with risk comes reward. So expect upgrades to your helicopter based on masterful performance.

Landit Bandit is packed with a cargo bay full of game modes, such as: a rich single player campaign; a split screen co-op campaign with a twist – Lander is an art thief after all; and a split screen duel mode – players will slug it out in a ferocious taxi service race complete with special island-themed weapons. It’s even possible to compete with your friends and foes online by posting scores to a Global leaderboard.

Haraldur Thormundsson, one of the well-groomed Bearded Ladies, is punching the skies with joy at the prospect of the June 23rd release in Europe, “We’re so excited at the prospect of touching our baby down on the PlayStation 3. Its been a hair-raising journey, but one that we’ve used to fine-tune the principles of making a fun game. I look forward to Landit Bandit making a spectacular entrance. But shhhhh, don’t mention that I haven’t got a pilots licence”.

David Skarin, another beautiful member of The Bearded Ladies, added, “Not many independent developers can claim to have created their own genre like we have with our retro-advanced-casual-physics-based-chopper-game. We’re confident gamers will have fun taking risks in the skies and chuckle at the near misses and explosive collisions promised in the likes of the duel mode”.

You can learn about the creation of Landit Bandit and the colourful team behind it from their first developer diary: http://bit.ly/landitbanditdevdiary1

Or, you can download the first developer diary here: http://landitbandit.com/DevDiaries01.mp4

Landit Bandit will arrive on the European PlayStation 3 Network on June 23rd priced at 12.99 Euros. Much Less than a budget airline flight, but the skies the limit in terms of seat-of-the-pants exhilaration and genuine fun.

The North American gaming community should expect a July release for the PlayStation 3 Network.

The Magazines of Dead Rising 2 Get Saucy as Capcom Partners Up With The Legendary Publication to Bring The Bunnies to Dead Rising 2

11 June, 2010 – Capcom, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today confirmed that it has partnered with Playboy magazine to have content from the iconic publication featured in its forthcoming title Dead Rising 2, scheduled for release later this year for the Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 and PC platforms.

Players that discover the Playboy magazine in the game will receive a unique and special upgrade for Chuck Greene, the main character in Dead Rising 2. Furthermore, players will come across Playboy ads and billboards that will feature specially selected issues from the magazine’s 57-year history. The new magazine system for Dead Rising 2, which will feature Playboy along with various other publications, is an evolution of the popular book system from the original Dead Rising game. Along with the special Playboy issue, there will be a variety of different themed magazines that Chuck will be able to pick up for bonuses to use to help fend off the zombie hordes along the way.

Strengthens Ability to Deliver Popular Franchises Online  

THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) announce the promotion of Martin Good to Executive Vice President, Kids, Family, Casual Games, and Global Online Services.   He will report directly to THQ President and CEO Brian Farrell.  The company also announced the integration of the Online Business Unit within the company’s Core Games and Kids, Family and Casual Games Business Units.  In his new role, Good will also oversee Online Services, which will provide the delivery of online games across both business units. 

Brian Farrell, President and CEO, said, “Martin’s leadership and experience uniquely qualify him to lead our Kids, Family, Casual Games Business Unit, while continuing his role in driving our online operations.”

Farrell continued, “Online and digital represents our industry’s largest growth opportunity and it is imperative that we integrate digital and online game strategies into all of our key franchise plans.  Now that we have momentum in our online pipeline, this is a natural evolution of our organizational structure, putting the leaders of our two product-focused business units in charge of development across all platforms.  The company will now be organized in two clear business units and we are aggressively creating content to be delivered to gamers in all possible formats.”

Good has significant experience in the video game industry, including a ten-year tenure at THQ, most recently as Senior Vice President of THQ Asia Pacific and Global Online Publishing, during which he led the creation of THQ’s direct publishing operations in Korea, China, Japan and Australia.  He also brings extensive market expertise in online game development and publishing as he was responsible for overseeing THQ’s entry into the MMOG space in key regions in Asia. 

Good said, “I am very excited to lead the THQ Kids, Family, Casual Games Business Unit. This is a vibrant product category and I am excited about our robust pipeline and partnerships. In addition, I look forward to leveraging my Asia online gaming experience to run the operations for online games across the company.”

Steve Dauterman has moved to the role of Senior Vice President, Core Games Product Development, reporting to Danny Bilson, Executive Vice President, Core Games.  A key part of his role will be integrating online strategies and overseeing online game development within THQ’s Core Games Business Unit.

THQ’s growing online game pipeline includes free-to-play, micro-transaction based online PC games such as Company of Heroes® Online™ and WWE® SmackDown® vs. Raw® Online, as well as the Warhammer® 40,000™ Dark Millennium™ Online MMO.  The company’s online portfolio also includes digital games for Facebook, iPhone/iPad, Xbox LIVE® Arcade and PlayStation® Network.

Rodney Block has been named Managing Director, Asia Pacific and will be responsible for overseeing THQ’s publishing operations in the Asia Pacific region.

The company also announced that Doug Clemmer has resigned but will remain with THQ during a transition period through the end of August 2010.

“I want to thank Doug for the tremendous contributions he’s made to THQ over the past eight years and for helping to build our Kids, Family, Casual Games Business Unit,” said Farrell.  “We all wish him well in his next endeavors.”

About THQ

THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) is a leading worldwide developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software.  The company develops its products for all popular game systems, personal computers and wireless devices.   Headquartered in Los Angeles County, California, THQ sells product through its global network of offices located throughout North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.  More information about THQ and its products can be found at www.thq.com and www.thqwireless.com. THQ, Company of Heroes Online, and their respective logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ Inc.  All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

We are proud to announce the release of the new expansion pack for King Arthur, due to arrive very soon. King Arthur: The Saxons is a sandbox expansion where you lead the devoted warriors of Christianity, the Saxons against the tides of pagans and the gathering darkness.

King Arthur: The Saxons offers

–        a brand new campaign with 30+ hours of gameplay where you take the role of the Saxon king. The campaign is set during the events of King Arthur: The Role-playing Wargame, but it follows a stand-alone story with a different ruler.

–        a totally new gaming experience with the free sandbox gaming mode – the objectives are only strategic goals and not the compulsory elements that lead you through the background story.

–        a complex diplomatic management:  you can establish diplomatic relations with your fellow kings and also with the guild of the outlaws, the Christian Church, the Sidhe, famous knights and brides-to-be.

–        customizable Victory Conditions: you can set your own goals for the endgame (the number of Provinces conquered, the number heroes gathered, Gold accumulated and many more)

–         customizable characteristics for the gaming environment: you can change the importance of magic in the world or the aggression level of the AI.

–        5 new unique heroes:  gather the knights who follow the traditions of Beowulf, the legendary monster-slaying champion.

–        3 new and unique unit types: the Guardians have many aspects, but they are all mighty and otherworldly warriors.

–        5 new units

–        10 new Hero Skills

–        5 new Unit Skills

–        more than 30 unique artifacts (among them 5 sets of items that work more efficiently if collected)

more than 30 unique diplomatic and battle quests. 

King Arthur: The Saxons

We are proud to announce the release of the new expansion pack for King Arthur, due to arrive very soon. King Arthur: The Saxons is a sandbox expansion where you lead the devoted warriors of Christianity, the Saxons against the tides of pagans and the gathering darkness.

King Arthur: The Saxons offers

–        a brand new campaign with 30+ hours of gameplay where you take the role of the Saxon king. The campaign is set during the events of King Arthur: The Role-playing Wargame, but it follows a stand-alone story with a different ruler.

–        a totally new gaming experience with the free sandbox gaming mode – the objectives are only strategic goals and not the compulsory elements that lead you through the background story.

–        a complex diplomatic management:  you can establish diplomatic relations with your fellow kings and also with the guild of the outlaws, the Christian Church, the Sidhe, famous knights and brides-to-be.

–        customizable Victory Conditions: you can set your own goals for the endgame (the number of Provinces conquered, the number heroes gathered, Gold accumulated and many more)

–         customizable characteristics for the gaming environment: you can change the importance of magic in the world or the aggression level of the AI.

–        5 new unique heroes:  gather the knights who follow the traditions of Beowulf, the legendary monster-slaying champion.

–        3 new and unique unit types: the Guardians have many aspects, but they are all mighty and otherworldly warriors.

–        5 new units

–        10 new Hero Skills

–        5 new Unit Skills

–        more than 30 unique artifacts (among them 5 sets of items that work more efficiently if collected)

more than 30 unique diplomatic and battle quests.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to Distribute LEGO® Universe in Retail Outlets Worldwide 

BILLUND, DENMARK – JUNE 10, 2010 – The LEGO Group and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced a distribution partnership for LEGO® Universe.  LEGO Universe will be the first MMOG – massively-multiplayer online game – based on the LEGO play experience for gamers of all ages. Under the deal, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment will be the exclusive retail distributor of LEGO Universe outside of LEGO channels.  LEGO Universe is releasing the second half of 2010 in North America and Europe, and will be rolled out to other countries including Australia and New Zealand as business, technology and customer service details are finalized.

“WBIE has tremendous reach as one of the industry’s largest full-scale games publishers, which will enable LEGO Universe to access a broader audience of kids and families interested in online gaming,” said Henrik Taudorf Lorensen, Vice President, LEGO Digital, the LEGO Group. “We believe this partnership will be mutually beneficial for both companies, as well as end users, and are pleased to work with experts in the space on retail distribution for LEGO Universe.”

Developed by the LEGO Group and NetDevil, LEGO Universe will enable players of all ages to build, create, interact with friends, battle, and explore LEGO worlds – past, present and future. The MMOG is currently in a closed beta, with the game scheduled to release later this year.

LEGO Universe is a family-friendly online game, appropriate for players aged eight and above, centred around an epic battle between creativity and chaos. The LEGO brick lies at the centre of the experience, and several levels of building are available, from simple gameplay-oriented challenges all the way up to sophisticated brick-by-brick design. With a focus on creativity and building, LEGO Universe invites players to flex their imaginations with the iconic brick in a vibrant online world.

“The LEGO Group has long been a leader in family entertainment, and we are excited to help extend the brand into the online arena through an MMOG platform with LEGO Universe,” said Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “We look forward to expanding our relationship with the LEGO Group beyond what we’ve already established with the successful TT Games’ titles. LEGO Universe builds upon the LEGO video games business in an exciting new way.”

To learn more about LEGO Universe, please visit www.LEGOuniverse.com.

Assets can be found here.

About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all current and future platforms, including console, handheld and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.

About The LEGO Group

The LEGO Group is a privately held, family-owned company, based in Billund, Denmark. It was founded in 1932, and today the group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of play materials for children.  The company is committed to the development of children’s creative and imaginative abilities through its products, which can be purchased in more than 130 countries. Visit www.LEGO.com

LEGO and the LEGO logo are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2010 The LEGO Group.

Malware writers dupe LiveAndroid download page with new Trojan

SYDNEY & AUCKLAND – June 10, 2010 – BitDefender^® today warned of a new Trojan hosted on a fake webpage that closely imitates the Android LiveCD download page.

Identified by BitDefender as Trojan.Generic.KD.13718, its goal is to exploit the growing popularity of the Android operating system for netbooks and other x86 platforms. The Trojan contains malicious and unwanted software, which it drops and installs onto the infected system.

Frequently, the Trojan installs a backdoor that allows remote, clandestine access to the infected system. This backdoor can then be used by cybercriminals to upload and install additional malicious or potentially unwanted software on the host system.

At the moment the Trojan targets Windows platforms only, whilst a closer look at the fake site and the downloaded files reveals several differences: the most important difference to take note of is that the authentic download should have an .iso image, not a .exe extension. A few other minor visual details can also be seen below:

 In order to stay safe, BitDefender recommends the use of a complete antimalware software solution to protect against current and new threats.

Malware writers dupe LiveAndroid download page with new Trojan

SYDNEY & AUCKLAND – June 10, 2010 – BitDefender^® today warned of a new Trojan hosted on a fake webpage that closely imitates the Android LiveCD download page.

Identified by BitDefender as Trojan.Generic.KD.13718, its goal is to exploit the growing popularity of the Android operating system for netbooks and other x86 platforms. The Trojan contains malicious and unwanted software, which it drops and installs onto the infected system.

Frequently, the Trojan installs a backdoor that allows remote, clandestine access to the infected system. This backdoor can then be used by cybercriminals to upload and install additional malicious or potentially unwanted software on the host system.

At the moment the Trojan targets Windows platforms only, whilst a closer look at the fake site and the downloaded files reveals several differences: the most important difference to take note of is that the authentic download should have an .iso image, not a .exe extension. A few other minor visual details can also be seen below: 

In order to stay safe, BitDefender recommends the use of a complete antimalware software solution to protect against current and new threats.

Xbox 360 at E3 2010 set to air LIVE in Australia on FOX8

Sydney, Australia – June 10th, 2010 – Xbox Australia today announced the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2010, the world’s largest video game industry trade show, will be delivered LIVE to Australian audiences for the first time on FOXTEL’s FOX8 channel.

Be a part of entertainment history as FOX8 and Microsoft bring you the world premiere of Xbox 360’s future in a special programming event – Xbox 360: The Future Revealed. The program will be delivered live from the Xbox 360 Media Briefing at E3 2010 and includes key game announcements and breaking news from the industry event.

FOX8 will also exclusively take viewers inside the World Premiere of Project Natal for Xbox 360 featuring a customised performance by Cirque du Soleil to discover gaming without the need for a controller. Singer Kelly Rowland will host this special event.

“FOX8 is the perfect partner to exclusively break Xbox 360’s latest news and share Cirque du Soleil’s amazing Project Natal performance,” said David McLean, Head of Entertainment, Entertainment & Devices Division, Microsoft Australia. “We’re really excited about our announcements at E3 2010 and extremely pleased we can share them directly with Australian audiences.”

Xbox 360: The Future Revealed

The Xbox 360 Media Briefing will air live and commercial-free on FOX8 Tuesday, June 15 at 3:30am EST with encore programming on Tuesday, June 15 at 3:30pm EST. Xbox 360: The Future Revealed will bring all the latest news on Project Natal, Xbox LIVE and new game announcements to Australian fans in real time. This will include world premiere demos of upcoming Xbox 360 exclusive games, such as “Halo®: Reach”, “Gears of War® 3” and “Fable® III” revealed to eagerly awaiting fans worldwide.

World Premiere of Project Natal featuring Cirque du Soleil’s exclusive performance hosted by Kelly Rowland

Project Natal is set to change the way entertainment is experienced and to celebrate, Cirque du Soleil has created a tailored production that brings the idea of controller-free gaming to life. The special performance will be available exclusively to FOX8 viewers on Saturday, June 26, at 7:30pm EST.

Sydney, Australia: June 10 2010 – Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced it is shipping a 64GB SDXC UHS-1 Class 10 memory card (Kingston part #: SD10A/64GB). SDXC (Secure Digital eXtended Capacity) is the next standard from the Secure Digital Association (SDA) for SD cards with storage ranging from more than 32GB up to 2TB.

SDXC cards, in addition to larger capacities allow for exponentially faster data transfer rates while maintaining the popular SD form factor. The Kingston SDXC card is compliant with the SDA Memory Card Standard Version 3.01, UHS-1. UHS-1 stands for Ultra-High Speed Bus 1 which is the new architecture of SDXC cards designed to reach speeds up to a maximum transfer rate of 104MB/sec., and 300MB/sec. in the future. SDXC cards utilize the exFAT file system and are not backwards compatible with SDHC or SD cards. Kingston’s offering has read speeds up to 60MB/sec. and write speeds of up to 35MB/sec., placing it among the fastest available on the market today.

“Kingston is proud to bring an SDXC card to market that helps users of compatible high-end digital cameras and camcorders realize the full potential of their equipment. The SDXC card allows continuous high-speed burst shooting in RAW format and hours of hi-def recording,” said Nathan Su, Flash Memory Sales Director, APAC Region, Kingston . “Adding the new SDXC card to our portfolio of Flash products paves the way for our network of resellers to meet market demand for photo and video applications as well as future generations of consumer products.”

New camera and camcorder introductions (such as Canon and Panasonic) are evolving their designs to include SDXC slots but only a handful of devices are on the market today. Other consumer electronic product roadmaps will also start to include support for SDXC. Among the more popular devices that will benefit from additional fast storage are HDTVs, Blu-ray Disc players, navigation devices, mobile phones and computers. Kingston’s 19-in-1 Media Reader (Kingston part#: FCR-HS219/1) is compatible with SDXC cards when connected to a PC with an operating system supports exFAT.

The Kingston SDXC UHS-1 Class 10 will be available worldwide at the end of June. It is covered by a lifetime warranty, free tech support and legendary Kingston reliability. For more product information, please visit www.kingston.com/anz. For information on SDXC card compatibility, visit www.sdcard.org/consumers/using_sdxc/.

Kingston SDXC UHS-1 Class 10 Features/Specifications:

• Capacity*: 64GB**†
• Dimensions : 0.94″ x 1.26″ x 0.08″ (24mm X 32mm X 2.1mm)
• Weight: 0.09 ozs (2.5 g)
• Speed: 10 MB/sec minimum data transfer rate (Class 10); up to 60MB/sec. read and 35MB/sec. write rate
• Bus Mode:  Version 1, UHS104, up to 104MB/sec
• Operating Temperature: -13º F to 185º F (-25º C to 85º C)
• Storage Temperature: -40º F to 185º F (-40º C to 85º C)
• Voltage: 3.3v
• Compliant: with the SD Card Association card 3.01 specification
• Copy Protection:  Support for CPRM (Content Protection for Recordable Media)
• Secure: built-in write-protect switch prevents accidental data loss
• Compatible: with SDXC host devices; not compatible with SDHC and standard SD-enabled devices/readers
• File System: exFAT
• Reliable: lifetime warranty
• Operating System Support: Windows 7, Windows Vista (SP1 or later), Windows XP (SP2 or later) with exFAT update

Contact your PC manufacturer to confirm the SD slot on your PC is compatible with SDXC cards and for availability of the SDXC driver. SDXC compatible driver for the SD slot can be downloaded from the Microsoft Download Center website.
** 64GB cards may require updated device drivers. Consult the device documentation for requirements.
† Some of the listed capacity is used for formatting and other functions and thus is not available for data storage.  For more information, please consult Kingston’s Flash Memory Guide at Kingston.com/Flash_Memory_Guide.

Product and Pricing Summary
Manufacturer: Kingston
Product Name: 64GB SDXC UHS-1 Class 10 Memory Card
RRP: AUD 595 (inc.); NZD 745 (inc.)
Website: www.kingston.com.anz
Australian Distributors: Avnet Australia Pty Ltd, Ingram Micro, Simms International Pty Ltd., Synnex Australia PTY Ltd.
New Zealand Distributors: Ingram Micro NZ, Synnex NZ
Warranty: Kingston memory is backed by a lifetime warranty and free technical support.
Availability: End of June

To discuss this product on Kingston Blog, please go to www.kingston-blog.com. To try the game “Challenge Your Memory”, please go to
www.kingston-blog.com/challenge_your_memory/en/. To get the freshest information on Kingston, please go to http://twitter.com/KingstonFEPR.

To find out if your Kingston product is genuine, Kingston also provides an online verification site: www.kingston.com/asia/verify. To try the game “Search for Genuine Kingston”, please go to anti-counterfeit.kingston-blog.com. For the interesting animation: The Adventures of Rex, please visit: www.theadventuresofrex.com.

About Kingston Digital, Inc.
Kingston Digital, Inc. (“KDI”) is the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the world’s largest independent manufacturer of memory products. Established in 2008, KDI is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, USA. For more information, please visit www.kingston.com/asia