Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has released a brand new trailer featuring the twisted, paranormal Paxton Fettel.

Set to release on the Xbox 360, PS3, and Windows PC, F.E.A.R. 3 is a heart-pounding paranormal horror first person shooter unleashing intense combat, compelling narrative and co-op play that evolves the franchise. Alma returns in F.E.A.R. 3 but this time her sons Point Man and Paxton Fettel are characters available to play in divergent co-op, giving players distinctly different abilities affecting their own play as well as the experience of their co-op partner. Gamers participate in single player or co-op modes as Point Man, and they can play cooperatively as his conniving brother Paxton Fettel whose incredible telekinetic power has given him life beyond the grave. The game is developed by Day 1 Studios, developer of the original F.E.A.R. console games in collaboration with Monolith Studios.

You can view the trailer here.

Grab your tickets and your Mousketools because it’s time to climb aboard the magical Choo Choo Express with the Mickey Mouse team when the all new feature length movie, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Choo Choo Express departs for destination Disney DVD on 30 June, 2010! With special features including a bonus episode of Mickey’s Big Job, and a bonus episode of Handy Manny: Twisty Turn Twist, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Choo Choo Express will inspire all youngsters with messages of teamwork, problem solving and adventure.

You can also catch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Choo Choo Express on the big screen for the very first time when the Choo Choo Express arrives in cinemas on 6 May!  Be the first to join Mickey, Pluto and all your clubhouse pals as you get set to take on an all new adventure that’s off the rails. With the ‘Easy Freezy Snow Party’ just hours away, the crew needs your help to get everyone to the festivities on time!  Like any good captain, Mickey guides his team through the tricky obstacles and encourages everyone to help out, including special friends Santa and Ms. Claus who lend a hand along the way. You’ll be on the journey too as they ride the magical railway through the icy mountains to greet Professor Von Drake, and his surprising reward, at the other end.

Get ready to do the ‘Choo Choo Boogie’ on the magical railroad as you glide through special snow that never melts, pick up new and familiar passengers, solve problems and sing songs; it’s the adventure of a lifetime! With a special train that can go anywhere, buckle up for a winter wonderland adventure and a ride that you’ll never want to get off!

Also new to Playhouse DVD in June is your chance to hop up and jump into fun with Handy Manny and his team of mismatched, talking tools in Handy Manny: Fixing it Right. Building a day of fun, Manny, Pat, Turner and the gang are back for more hilarious and surprising good deeds in their home town of Sheetrock Hills. With a bonus interactive game, Fix it with Manny and a bonus episode Little Einsteins: Hungarian Hiccups, this is one DVD you’ll want to take home before you can say “Gracias, mi amigo!” Making new friends and finding a solution for every problem, including a fear of heights and a sock mystery, Manny helps to discover how teamwork,  creative thinking and a “can do” attitude all help to fix things right!

Next, it’s time for some fun in the sun with My Friends Tigger and Pooh: Outdoor Fun. Our favourite Super-Sleuths are back in a fun-filled journey through Hundred Acre Wood as Pooh and the gang work together to help their friends and have some fun! Featuring a special bonus episode Handy Manny: Skateboard Park and filled with lots of problem-solving fun with all your favourite characters, this is one adventure not to be missed.

Then, it’s time to countdown and blast-off on an inter-galactic journey filled with music and adventure in Little Einstein’s: Music Robot From Outer Space! Join the team as you explore the wonders of the galaxies, visit the moon, ring around the planets and enjoy the special bonus episode Handy Manny: Wonder Tool. Put on your space suits and dancing boots because this is one adventure that’s sure to be out of this world!

You can re-live all the musical moments from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse with the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse – Meeska, Mouska, Mickey Mouse CD in-stores now!

WHAT YOUR CHILD CAN ENJOY WITH PLAYHOUSE DISNEY

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and My Friends Tigger and Pooh enables children to solve age-appropriate puzzles and tasks, work with numbers and identify shapes and gadgets. Little Einsteins helps to inspire creativity and music, and you’ll find messages of teamwork, friendship and community with the Handy Manny DVD’s, all while having fun with your favourite Playhouse Disney characters!

Other titles recently released to the Playhouse Disney DVD range include Handy Manny: Tooling Around, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Colour Adventure, My Friends Tigger and Pooh: Everyone is Special and Little Einsteins: Go To America. 

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Choo Choo Express hits Disney DVD 30 June, 2010!

Grab your tickets and your Mousketools because it’s time to climb aboard the magical Choo Choo Express with the Mickey Mouse team when the all new feature length movie, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Choo Choo Express departs for destination Disney DVD on 30 June, 2010! With special features including a bonus episode of Mickey’s Big Job, and a bonus episode of Handy Manny: Twisty Turn Twist, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Choo Choo Express will inspire all youngsters with messages of teamwork, problem solving and adventure.

You can also catch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Choo Choo Express on the big screen for the very first time when the Choo Choo Express arrives in cinemas on 6 May!  Be the first to join Mickey, Pluto and all your clubhouse pals as you get set to take on an all new adventure that’s off the rails. With the ‘Easy Freezy Snow Party’ just hours away, the crew needs your help to get everyone to the festivities on time!  Like any good captain, Mickey guides his team through the tricky obstacles and encourages everyone to help out, including special friends Santa and Ms. Claus who lend a hand along the way. You’ll be on the journey too as they ride the magical railway through the icy mountains to greet Professor Von Drake, and his surprising reward, at the other end.

Get ready to do the ‘Choo Choo Boogie’ on the magical railroad as you glide through special snow that never melts, pick up new and familiar passengers, solve problems and sing songs; it’s the adventure of a lifetime! With a special train that can go anywhere, buckle up for a winter wonderland adventure and a ride that you’ll never want to get off!

Also new to Playhouse DVD in June is your chance to hop up and jump into fun with Handy Manny and his team of mismatched, talking tools in Handy Manny: Fixing it Right. Building a day of fun, Manny, Pat, Turner and the gang are back for more hilarious and surprising good deeds in their home town of Sheetrock Hills. With a bonus interactive game, Fix it with Manny and a bonus episode Little Einsteins: Hungarian Hiccups, this is one DVD you’ll want to take home before you can say “Gracias, mi amigo!” Making new friends and finding a solution for every problem, including a fear of heights and a sock mystery, Manny helps to discover how teamwork,  creative thinking and a “can do” attitude all help to fix things right!

Next, it’s time for some fun in the sun with My Friends Tigger and Pooh: Outdoor Fun. Our favourite Super-Sleuths are back in a fun-filled journey through Hundred Acre Wood as Pooh and the gang work together to help their friends and have some fun! Featuring a special bonus episode Handy Manny: Skateboard Park and filled with lots of problem-solving fun with all your favourite characters, this is one adventure not to be missed.

Then, it’s time to countdown and blast-off on an inter-galactic journey filled with music and adventure in Little Einstein’s: Music Robot From Outer Space! Join the team as you explore the wonders of the galaxies, visit the moon, ring around the planets and enjoy the special bonus episode Handy Manny: Wonder Tool. Put on your space suits and dancing boots because this is one adventure that’s sure to be out of this world!

You can re-live all the musical moments from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse with the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse – Meeska, Mouska, Mickey Mouse CD in-stores now!

WHAT YOUR CHILD CAN ENJOY WITH PLAYHOUSE DISNEY

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and My Friends Tigger and Pooh enables children to solve age-appropriate puzzles and tasks, work with numbers and identify shapes and gadgets. Little Einsteins helps to inspire creativity and music, and you’ll find messages of teamwork, friendship and community with the Handy Manny DVD’s, all while having fun with your favourite Playhouse Disney characters!

Other titles recently released to the Playhouse Disney DVD range include Handy Manny: Tooling Around, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Colour Adventure, My Friends Tigger and Pooh: Everyone is Special and Little Einsteins: Go To America.

OVER A QUARTER OF A MILLION CHARACTERS CREATED IN BATTLE OF THE IMMORTALS

May 26, 2010 – Redwood City, Calif. – Perfect World Entertainment Inc., a wholly owned US subsidiary of Perfect World Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: PWRD), today announced players have created over a quarter of a million characters in its action-MMORPG, Battle of the Immortals, which launched into open beta on May 4th, 2010. In addition, the numbers of dedicated servers have doubled since closed beta launch due to the rapid player demand for the game.

“Surpassing the quarter of a million milestone for Battle of the Immortals is not only a sign of progress, but a strong indicator of our exponential growth. We’re extremely dedicated to making Battle of the Immortals the best game possible, which means incorporating feedback from our players and releasing new features and content constantly,” said Jonathan Belliss, Product Manager for Battle of the Immortals. “We’re continually improving our games and by hitting these player milestones, players are telling us that we’re on the right track.”

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 “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.”

Mount up and jump back into “Gears of War 2” with new multiplayer matchmaking features in Title Update 6

Social matchmaking update accompanies price drop of “All Fronts Collection” content pack along with Triple Experience Weekend kicking off on Xbox LIVE

Sydney, Australia – 27^th May, 2010 – Starting today, Title Update 6 gives a new reason for “Gears of War” fans to load up their Lancers and rev their chainsaws.  The title update, available now on Xbox LIVE, introduces a new public multiplayer match feature called Social Matches that allows you to jump in and out of games without disruptions, including Horde mode matches.  Social matchmaking also lets your party join a match already in progress or start a new match if there are no suitable matches to be found.

Social matching is open to anyone who owns all four downloadable map packs, available as a single download by purchasing the “All Fronts Collection”, now at the new discounted price of 800 Microsoft Points or bundled free with the “Gears of War 2: Game of the Year Edition” for $59.95RRP*.  Those looking for specific map packs to round out their collection will also find individual map packs on Xbox LIVE Marketplace at a new lower price as well.

To celebrate the new title update, Epic and Microsoft have also announced a Triple Experience Weekend on Xbox LIVE. Starting tonight, Thursday, May 27, at 11:00 PM AEST, fans can earn triple experience in any “Gears of War 2” multiplayer mode on Xbox LIVE. The Triple XP weekend will run until Tuesday, June 1 at 11:00 PM AEST.

In addition, the title update includes a host of general fixes, improvements, and balancing changes which are available to all players.  Visit http://gearsofwar.xbox.com/tu6.htm for a complete list of Title Update 6 changes.

With the improvements in Title Update 6 and the wide availability of the “All Fronts Collection”, players have plenty of time to hone their skills before the launch of “Gears of War 3” in April 2011.  Published by Microsoft Game Studios and developed by Epic Games, the “Gears of War” franchise has won over 30 “Game of the Year” awards, sold more than 12 million copies worldwide and redefined the third-person shooter genre for this console generation. 

The “Gears of War” series is exclusive to Xbox 360 and its riveting multiplayer action makes it one of the most popular titles on Xbox LIVE.  More information can be found at www.gearsofwar.com.

“Gears of War 2: Game of the Year Edition” is rated MA15+.

An adrenaline-pumping super fast ride through an amazing interstellar amusement park! 

Thursday 27^th May 2010 – SEGA® Europe Ltd. & SEGA® America, Inc., today announced Sonic Colours™, a brand new high speed action adventure in which Sonic the Hedgehog races through incredible theme park inspired worlds to rescue a colourful alien race from the clutches of Dr Eggman.  Sonic Colours will be available on the home video game system Wii™ and the Nintendo DS™ system late in 2010.

An extraordinary amusement park has been seen orbiting around the home planet of Sonic the Hedgehog, and rumours are spreading that an alien race of Wisps, who have a unique colourful energy, are being held captive there by the evil Dr Eggman.  Soon after arriving at the amusement park Sonic discovers he is able to use these mysterious alien forces to help the Wisps escape!  Sonic Colours for the Wii seamlessly combines both 3D and classic 2D game play perspectives, whilst the Nintendo DS version takes full advantage of the console’s dual screen. 

“The vibrant alien world of Sonic Colours enables players to race at top speed through incredible looking planets, each with their own unique visual style.” commented Gary Knight, Senior Vice President of Marketing, SEGA. “In addition to the classic Sonic game play style, the colourful new Wisp power ups offer a fresh new way of exploring these worlds and helps make Sonic faster than ever before!”

Sonic Colours sees Sonic accelerating to adrenaline-pumping super speeds and blasting through obstacles in ways never before seen in a Sonic game.  The alien Wisps in Sonic Colours each have a unique “Colour Power” that, once freed, Sonic is able to absorb whilst speeding through the various theme park inspired planets.  The Wisp energy enables Sonic to create new paths through the stages by drilling through the ground (Yellow Drill) for example, or speeding through the stage as a laser (Cyan Laser).  Stringing the Wisp power ups together creates a combo that increases Sonic’s boost gauge even more quickly and exclusive Wisp power ups will be available for both Wii and the Nintendo DS versions, ensuring a unique and super speedy gameplay experience for Sonic fans everywhere.

Sonic Colours will be available on the home video game system Wii™ and the Nintendo DS™ system late in 2010.

For more information please visit www.sega.com/soniccolours

For press assets please visit www.sega-press.com

About SEGA® Europe Ltd.:

SEGA® Europe Ltd. is the European Distribution arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA® Corporation, and a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. SEGA Europe’s web site is located at www.sega.com

About SEGA® of America, Inc.:

SEGA® of America, Inc. is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA® Corporation, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home.  The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.  SEGA of America’s Web site is located at www.sega.com

Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Wii and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo.

2K Games Invites Players to Get Made with the Mafia® II Collector’s Edition

Sydney, Australia – May 27, 2010 2K Games is pleased to present the Mafia® II Collector’s Edition for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC. Available in limited quantities across select Australian and New Zealand retailers, all three versions of the Mafia II Collector’s Edition will contain both physical and digital elements that further enhance the epic mobster crime drama experience. Gamers can now pre-order Mafia II and the Mafia II Collector’s Edition at select retailers.

“The first Mafia title was a critical success, and we are excited to deliver an epic sequel to fans of the game and of Mafia entertainment,” said Christoph Hartmann, president, 2K. “By offering a Collector’s Edition, special pre-order incentives and downloadable content for Mafia II, we are able to show our appreciation for those guys wise enough to reserve their copies early.”

In addition to a copy of the highly anticipated Mafia II game, the Mafia II Collector’s Edition will contain the following content:

• Collectible SteelBook™ Casing: Brushed metallic SteelBook hard case with debossed logo containing two pieces of art featuring Vito and Joe, the stars of Mafia II.

• Made Man Pack: Free access to in-game downloadable pack that lets players get behind the wheel of two different luxury automobiles modeled after cars from the period. In addition, Vito will look the part with two new “made man” suits, including a vintage tux.

• Hardcover Art Book: Get to know the families of Empire Bay with a 100-page photo album-style art book that takes fans through the artistic design process of the game.

• Mafia II Orchestral Soundtrack: Immerse yourself in Empire Bay’s symphonic masterpiece with the Mafia II score recorded by the Prague FILMHarmonic Orchestra on CD.

• Map of Empire Bay: Get familiar with the neighborhoods and own the streets with a high quality, tear-resistant map depicting the 10 square miles of Empire Bay and all the hangout spots.

Through a compelling narrative, Mafia II transports gamers into the dark and unforgiving world of the Mafia. The fiction is embellished by a sophisticated, era-evoking atmosphere that meticulously replicates the clothing, cars, music and advertising of 1940’s and 1950’s Americana. Players will easily become immersed in the game’s cinematic Hollywood-style experience with strong, believable characters in a living, breathing metropolis. By fusing high-octane gunplay with white-knuckle driving and an engaging narrative, Mafia II looks to be the industry’s most compelling Mafia title to date.

Mafia II is currently in development by 2K Czech, the same creative team behind the award-winning, genre-defining Mafia®, which captivated millions of gamers around the world. Mafia II is rated MA 15+ by the Australian Classification Board and will be available in Australia and New Zealand on August 27, 2010.

For more information on Mafia II, please visit www.mafia2game.com. For more information about Australian and New Zealand retailers please visit the Mafia II website www.mafia2game.com/preorder.

AVG (AU/NZ) Explains Why Mac Owners Should Not be Complacent Online 

Melbourne, 28 May 2010.  AVG (AU/NZ) Pty Ltd warns that Apple Macs running the OS X operating system, or some flavour of Linux distribution, are not immune to viruses, malware and other forms of Internet-carried spambots, Trojans, hacking and phishing.

Free Image Copyright: Wikimedia Commons

That’s right, Apple Macs running the OS X operating system, or some flavour of Linux distribution, are open to attack from cyber criminals.

Now of course hackers and spammers are not stupid and they know that Windows users represent the ‘low hanging fruit’ in terms of potential targets. The sheer weight of numbers that the Windows’ user base carries with it makes it the primary target for malware attacks – and it’s going to stay that way for the foreseeable future.

“But,” Lloyd Borrett, Marketing Manager, AVG (AU/NZ), says: “The web changes everything. More specifically, web services, social media and online applications change everything.

“Suddenly you are operating one step further away from your Mac’s desktop and you are at the mercy of live real-time contact from third parties and the World Wide Web in general. This levels the playing field in some senses, so that suddenly your Mac is not a Mac for a moment – instead it’s just a computer.”

With the growing popularity of web services from Twitter and Facebook and so on, the opportunity to spread malware hidden in a simple link has, arguably, never been greater. Because of this, AVG has been working on porting its Anti-Virus products to the Apple Mac OS X format for the last two to three years. AVG’s security software solutions for Linux have already helped it in that regard.

So Mac’s do have vulnerabilities and people should be increasingly aware of browser security concerns. Without identifying specific security holes in Safari or Opera (or Firefox for that matter), AVG contends the operating system is no longer the primary target for Internet-driven user attacks by cyber criminals. The target is the application itself and the user’s behaviour within it.

Apple’s popularity is growing all the time even if its market share is still somewhere around less than 10 percent globally. Just this year security researchers found eight fresh zero-day vulnerabilities in Apple’s Safari browser.

“What matters most is that viral attacks are constantly evolving and looking for fresh blood,” Borrett continued. “So, everyone needs to think about Internet security protection. It’s as simple as that.”
Technical Facts

Looking objectively at the Mac operating system and tools, there is arguably a larger total surface area of code open to potential attack.

Combining rich use of Flash and Java with support for multiple file formats does not exactly put up extra barriers. Digging deeper, Address Space Layout Randomisation (ASLR) has been around since Windows Vista as an anti-exploitation technology, yet it is only present in Mac OS X 10.5 in some library offsets and therefore does not offer complete protection in the way that the technology was designed.

Borrett concludes: “So Apple Mac, Windows or Linux, the fact is that regardless of the operating system each of us is using, we’re all in this together. Everyone needs to be aware of what they are clicking on and use their commonsense – if something doesn’t look quite right, it probably isn’t!”

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

The Australian Government web site Stay Smart Online also contains some useful advice for protecting yourself from Internet threats at http://www.staysmartonline.gov.au. You can also sign up for its free Cyber Security Alert Service.

About AVG (AU/NZ) Pty Ltd — www.avg.com.au

Based in Melbourne, AVG (AU/NZ) Pty Ltd distributes the AVG range of Anti-Virus and Internet Security products in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. AVG software solutions provide complete real-time protection against the malware, viruses, spam, spyware, adware, worms, Trojans, phishing and exploits used by cyber-criminals, hackers, scammers and identity thieves. AVG protects everything important and personal inside computers — documents, account details and passwords, music, photos and more — all while allowing users to work, bank, shop and play games online in safety. AVG provides outstanding technical solutions and exceptional value for consumers, small to medium business and enterprise clients. AVG delivers always-on, always up-to-date protection across desktop, and notebook PCs, plus file and e-mail servers in the home and at work in SMBs, corporations, government agencies and educational institutions.