Assassin’s Creed II: Discovery for iPhone and iPod Touch lets players discover an exciting chapter of the Assassin’s Creed® II storyline. Follow Ezio as he travels to 15th-century Spain to rescue fellow assassins being held under the guise of the Inquisition, only to uncover a Templar plot to sail west and discover the New World.
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: From 26 February 2010
Caribbean Callaloo: Mixing it up in Victoria
Like the traditional Caribbean Callaloo soup, a unique mix of spices, vegetables, meat and herbs, the Caribbean community is a wonderfully diverse mix of races and cultures. Caribbean Callaloo: Mixing it up in Victoria explores the cultures and experiences within Victoria’s small but vibrant Caribbean community. Visitors can discover the cultural significance of a range of Caribbean themes, including food, cricket, music and carnival.
Date: Until 6 March 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 will be on display, including traditional costumes, instruments, hand-woven crafts and pewter wear.
Date: 16 March to 25 September 2010
Talking Faiths
This exhibition documents a project involving young people exploring interfaith issues through a multicultural perspective. Encompassing students from a range of faith-based and secular Government schools, Talking Faiths features multimedia representations and photographs of the student project and artworks developed by the students as part of their conversations. This exhibition is a part of the Parliament of the World’s Religions 2009 cultural program.
Date: Until 28 May 2010
Ancient Hampi: The Hindu Kingdom Brought to Life – FINAL DAYS
This international exhibition offers visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in the stunning World Heritage site of Hampi in southern India. Using state of the art digital technologies, this new experience presents stereographic panoramas of an extraordinary site, with all its mythological, archaeological, artistic and historic significance. Ancient Hampi includes animations of Hindu myths and stories, aerial and projected photography, an immersive digital interactive space showing 360-degree panoramic images of the site and is landscape, as well as stunning night photographs of the temples taken by John Gollings.
Dates: Until 26 January 2010
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
SYDNEY, Australia – 21 January 2010 –Belkin is pleased to announce the launch of two new products in its advanced range of networking solutions. The Double N+ Wireless Router and the Home Base Network USB Hub are ideal for households with multiple PCs, providing cutting edge solutions to streamline the home computing experience.
Double N+ Wireless Router
This advanced Dual-Band router is perfect for households with multiple internet users. It connects your home network to the internet over two separate frequencies, 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz frequency, essentially providing the functionality of two routers.
The lower frequency is ideal for people who want to surf the net and check email. However, the higher frequency offers a separate connection for higher volume users who need more bandwidth to download content, stream music or engage in online gaming. Both frequencies can be used together, enabling the whole household to enjoy fast, uninterrupted online access.
The Double N+ Wireless Router also features a ground breaking, in-built BitTorrent client. Computer users can elect to download content directly to an external hard drive via the router itself. They now have the freedom to shutdown their machines and even remove laptops from the home without disturbing the download process.
The Double N+ Wireless Router is Windows 7 compatible and is available Australia wide, RRP $279.95.
Home Base Network USB Hub
The Home Base Network USB Hub enables multi computer households to share wireless access to printers, external memory devices and other computing peripherals. Home Base works with your router to create a home server, allowing computer users to simultaneously access these devices.
Sharing is made simple – just connect your peripherals to the Home Base Network USB Hub and you will enable instant access via your existing wireless connection. Now you can print wirelessly from any computer, access media files via your gaming console or internet-connected TV and even listen to music files from any connected device in the home.
The Home Base Network USB Hub is available Australia wide, RRP $199.95.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – January 21, 2010: Lenovo today announced four new ThinkPad PCs, the T410s, T410 and T510 laptops and W510 mobile workstation, to bring higher levels of performance and productivity to business users. The new laptops feature the new Intel® Core™ dual-core processors, and equip users with faster multi tasking performance, more energy efficient performance and greater manageability for IT departments. Beyond powerful processing performance improvements, the new laptops extend individual productivity with selected ThinkPads offering battery life up to 21 hours, more multitouch screen options and a single global wireless broadband solution with the Qualcomm Gobi 2000 module.
“ThinkPad laptops are built for business with the performance, portability and wireless capabilities users need and the manageability, reliability and durability IT departments require,” said, Chris Kelly, Product and Marketing Director, Lenovo, Australia and New Zealand. “These latest enhancements in processing speed, battery life and wireless technologies help users work faster, longer and smarter.”
The T410s provides a thin and light design with full performance for extremely mobile users, while the T410 and T510 are designed for full performance for mainstream business users. The high performance W510 mobile workstation fits the needs of professionals in data and graphics demanding fields like oil and gas, computer aided design and photography.
Productivity through Performance
The new PCs offer maximum processing performance utilising the new Intel® Core™ processors. Combined with Intel® Core™ vPro technology and Lenovo’s ThinkVantage Technologies’ manageability features, IT departments can remotely manage their PC fleet and deploy power settings, Internet connection profiles and more. Additionally, Intel® Turbo Boost Technology1 on the W510 and T Series laptops automatically and intelligently accelerates performance, dynamically adjusting to the workload to give business users an immediate performance boost when needed.
The new W510 brings mobile workstation performance to a higher level. More powerful than before, the W510 has four memory slots for up to 16GB of high performance 1333 MHz DDR3 memory and supports the latest Intel® Core™ i7 quad core processors. It also offers the Nvidia Quadro FX 880M GPU with 1GB VRAMAs the first ThinkPad to offer USB 3.0, users can transfer data quickly reaching speeds up to 10x the performance over USB 2.0.
The T410s is now available with Nvidia switchable graphics with 512 MB of VRAM so users can balance a visually intense graphics experience with energy efficiency and battery life. The laptops are also certified under Lenovo’s Enhanced Experience program for Windows 7. This means they start up significantly faster than identical configuration, non optimised PCs. For example, on select Think PCs, Windows 7 starts up to 56 percent faster compared to running Windows XP or Vista and shuts down in as little as five seconds2.
For added convenience, a powered USB port comes on all the new PCs and can be used to charge MP3 players, phones and other devices when the PC is on, on standby or off (if plugged in).
Productivity by Design
The W510 gives users a new kind of power, the power of touch, for a new way to work with an optional multi finger touch screen. Lenovo includes the SimpleTap application to help make navigating the touchscreen simple. The W510 also has added an optional colour calibrator, first debuted in the ThinkPad W700 mobile workstation, to help ensure the most accurate colours on its high gamut full high definition screen.
The new laptops also improve the typing experience with larger Escape and Delete keys. Since Lenovo found users hit the Delete and Escape keys up to 700 times a week on average, the sizes of these keys have been increased starting with the T400s laptop.
Productivity by Mobility
To extend the workday even longer without plugging in, Lenovo offers a new nine cell slice battery on the T410, T510 and W510 laptops for up to 21 hours of battery life3. The laptops also offer optional 3G connectivity leveraging EV-DO and HSPA wireless networks with Qualcomm Gobi 2000™ technology. This module allows businesses to standardise on a single hardware platform that can be deployed globally and accommodate multiple carriers to simplify international deployments.
Pricing and Availability4
The ThinkPad T410s, T410, T510 and W510 laptops are available now through business partners and www.lenovo.com.au. Pricing for models starts approximately at AU$2,399 for the T410s, AU$2,499 for the T410, AU$2,349 for the T510 and AU$3,999 for the W510. All prices quoted include GST.
For the latest Lenovo news, subscribe to Lenovo RSS feeds or follow Lenovo on Twitter and Facebook.
About Lenovo
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is dedicated to building exceptionally engineered personal computers. Lenovo’s business model is built on innovation, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction as well as a focus on investment in emerging markets. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high quality, secure and easy to use technology products and services worldwide. Lenovo has major research centres in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information see www.lenovo.com.au.
1 Intel® Turbo Boost Technology requires a PC with a processor with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology capability. Intel® Turbo Boost Technology performance varies depending on hardware, software and overall system configuration. Check with your PC manufacturer on whether your system delivers Intel® Turbo Boost Technology. For more information, see www.intel.com/technology/turboboost
2Without Enhanced Experience -Think systems integrated with Window-7 Professional beta, hardware device drivers, utilities, Lenovo and 3rd-party software as of January 2009 with no optimisation performed by Lenovo With Enhanced Experience – Think systems integrated with Window-7 Professional RTM, hardware device driver, utilities, Lenovo and 3rd-party software as of September 2009 after optimisation by Lenovo engineers to integrated software components.
3With 9 cell slice and 9 cell battery on ThinkPad T410.
4Prices do not include shipping and are subject to change without notice and is tied to specific terms and conditions. Reseller prices may vary. Price does not include all advertised features. All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice.
THE BIG BANG THEORY: The Complete Second Season
Available to own on DVD for $39.95RRP from 3 March 2010.
23 Original Episodes From Executive Producer Chuck Lorre;
Includes Two All-New Featurettes
Get ready to laugh your way to the lab as two brilliant roommates conquer the scientific world, but fail miserably in the romantic one as Warner Home Video releases the hit comedy The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Second Season on DVD this 3 March, 2010 for $39.95RRP.
The science of funny is back! At work, physicists Leonard and Sheldon and their geek pals conquer the cosmos. At home, real life – from dating to driving – conquers them.
This season, Leonard gets a girl. So does Sheldon, yes Sheldon! Howard drives the Mars Rover into a ditch. Raj woos a terminator. Gorgeous girl-next-door Penny falls under the spell of Age of Conan. And super-smart, über confident Leslie Winkler
reduces mere men to spineless jellyfish.
Twenty-three laugh-filled episodes from series creators Chuck Lorre (Two and a Half Men) and Bill Prady (Gilmore Girls) and a talented cast with astronomical comedy IQs shows why Big Bang is such a big hit.
“TV’s funniest traditional sitcom.”
– Michael Ausiello, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Episodes:
1. The Bad Fish Paradigm
Can you keep a secret? Sheldon can’t, as Penny discovers when she confides in him about her date with Leonard.
2. The Codpiece Topology
After his romance with Penny goes toes up, Leonard rebounds into the arms of Sheldon’s nemesis, Leslie Winkler.
3. The Barbarian Sublimation
Sheldon gets Penny playing Age of Conan online. Before you can say quest to the black castle, she’s hooked.
4. The Griffin Equivalency
When People names Raj one of “30 Under 30 to Watch,” watch out. The honour goes straight to his head.
5. The Euclid Alternative
The guys talk Sheldon into finally learning how to drive. What could possibly go wrong?
6. The Cooper-Nowitzki Theorem
Tall, dark and handsome. One out of three is enough for a pretty grad student with designs on Sheldon.
7. The Panty Piñata Polarization
This means war. Hostilities escalate after Penny violates some of Sheldon’s weird house rules.
8. The Lizard-Spock Expansion
To impress a girl, Howard takes her to the Mars Rover control room — and promptly drives
the Rover into a Martian ditch.
9. The White Asparagus Triangulation
“Now we’ve got McCoy!” Star Trek enthusiast Sheldon is thrilled that Leonard is dating a doctor.
10. The Vartabedian Conundrum
When Stephanie puts her relationship with Leonard into romantic overdrive, Leonard turns to Penny for advice.
11. The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis
Penny gives Sheldon the most exciting, wonderful, amazing Christmas present ever. Sheldon gives Penny soap.
12. The Killer Robot Instability
Penny’s cutting remark crushes Howard’s spirit just before the guys’ big fighting-robot competition.
13. The Friendship Algorithm
Let others use charm, kindness or congeniality to make friends. Sheldon would rather employ science.
14. The Financial Permeability
Penny’s financial problems stem from a loan that Kurt, her loser ex-boyfriend, never repaid.
15. The Maternal Capacitance
Leonard’s analytical, self-absorbed, socially tone-deaf mother visits. Sheldon immediately bonds with her.
16. The Cushion Saturation
Howard Wolowitz, boy toy. Leslie treats Howard like a sex object when the unlikely duo hits the sheets.
17. The Terminator Decoupling
Traveling to San Francisco on the Coast Starlight, the guys meet a star: Summer Glau of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
18. The Work Song Nanocluster
Capitalism is an eye-opening experience when Sheldon combines web commerce with his very first cup of coffee.
19. The Dead Hooker Juxtaposition
Penny is no longer the belle of the building when another hot blonde moves in — and moves in on the guys.
20. The Hofstadter Isotope
Heartbroken that Penny’s dating the ultimate nerd — a comic salesman — Leonard tries the
bar scene with Howard and Raj.
21. The Vegas Renormalization
Vegas, baby! In Sin City, the guys hire a Jewish hooker to snap Howard out of his dumped-by-Leslie funk.
22. The Classified Materials Turbulence
That flushing sound you hear is Howard’s career. His International Space Station toilet design is a washout.
23. The Monopolar Expedition
When the guys arrive in the Arctic for a summer-long scientific expedition, they discover the place to be strangely familiar.Melissa’s back and Alan’s back in the hospital where
Special Features:
Approx Runtime:
463 mins
Rating:
M
TV’S #1 HIT COMEDY RETURNS TO DVD AS WARNER HOME VIDEO RELEASES
TWO AND A HALF MEN: The Complete Sixth Season
Available to own on DVD for $39.95RRP from 3 March 2010.
Laughs. Family. Margaritas.
Men at Work!
The Malibu bachelor, the chiropractor and the all-grown-up kid continue their lives under one roof when Warner Home Video (WHV) gets set to release TV’s #1 comedy hit, Two and a Half Men: The Complete Sixth Season, on DVD on 3 March, 2010 for $39.95RRP. This four-disc set includes all 24 episodes from the sixth season along with two all-new featurettes and a hilarious gag reel.
The Two and a Half Men franchise continues to be one of Warner Bros. Television’s most successful and award-winning shows. In its first five seasons, it was nominated for 30 Emmys®, two Golden Globes and has won the People’s Choice Award for Favourite TV Comedy for three of those seasons.
Is Charlie too old to grow up? In Season 6, a smart, independent brunette named Chelsea may finally have turned party-boy Charlie into a man. The kind of man who brings you tea when you’re sick. Sleeps over at your place, even if he can’t watch ESPN in bed. Or makes the ultimate sacrifice: nukes the nudie pix off his cell phone. And there’s lots more funny that keeps Two and a Half Men the #1 comedy on TV:
Jake locks lips with the cute girl next door, the one whose football-star dad is named Mad Dog. Judith prepares for a midlife baby, who may end up looking a lot like Alan. And Alan dates his receptionist, then ends up in bed with her frisky mum. Life’s a beach in Season 6!
Episodes:
1: Taterhead Is Our Love Child
Charlie’s old flame has an eight year old who looks just like Charlie. Let’s see, they dated about nine years ago…
2: PIE HOLE, HERB
An unpaid $38 loan leads to Alan snuggling with Judith and Charlie chugging margaritas with Herb.
3: DAMN YOU, EGGS BENEDICT
Charlie tries cooking, Jake tries beer and Alan tries seeing two women at the same time.
4: THE FLAVIN’ AND THE MAVIN’
Charlie starts dating Alan’s sweet, pretty, trusting receptionist. Yeah, this is going to work.
5: A JOCK STRAP IN HELL
After Charlie dumped her, Jake’s 5th-grade teacher went from schoolmarm to stripper. Now Charlie tries to make amends.
6: IT’S ALWAYS NAZI WEEK
The man that got away. When her marriage to Herb goes phhhft, Judith wants hubby #1 back.
7: BEST H.O. MONEY CAN BUY
Six weeks after her tumultuous flings with both Alan and Herb, Judith has big, big news.
8: PINOCCHIO’S MOUTH
Primitive man. Charlie spends a night at Chelsea’s sans a goose-down pillow, quilted toilet paper and other comforts of his own home.
9: THE MOOCH AT THE BOO
Jake disappears with a cute girl whose very worried dad is a very large ex-NFL star nicknamed Mad Dog.
10: HE SMELLED THE HAM, HE GOT EXCITED
Evelyn offers to pay for Jake’s college (yay, says Alan) and a car to take him there (yay, says Jake).
11: THE DEVIL’S LUBE
The death of a friend sends Charlie into a gift-giving, Rose-proposing frenzy before his own time is up.
12: THANK GOD FOR SCOLIOSIS
“I crossed that line in the ’70s when I was cleaning house for Mr. Telly Savalas.” Berta empathises with Alan’s workplace romance.
13: I THINK YOU OFFENDED DON
Sure that Judith’s upcoming blessed event is half his doing, Alan “helps” Herb prepare the nursery.
14: DAVID COPPERFIELD SLIPPED ME A ROOFIE
Happy Birthday, Alan – and goodbye. Alan has a surprise for everyone on his 40th. He moves out.
15: I’D LIKE TO START WITH THE CAT
Sugar blues. When Chelsea dumps him, a morose Charlie finds comfort in high-glucose comfort food.
16: SHE’LL STILL BE DEAD AT HALFTIME
Good news: Chelsea’s back early from a trip. Bad news: Charlie has a drunken blonde in his bed.
17: THE “OCU” OR THE “PADO”?
Charlie finally says “I love you” to Chelsea. She says “That’s so sweet. Thank you.” Uh-oh.
18: MY SON’S ENORMOUS HEAD
Red nose, ratty hair, no makeup. Charlie plays nurse when Chelsea comes down with the flu.
19: THE TWO FINGER RULE
After Charlie, Alan, Herb and Jerome share an evening steeped in booze and self-pity,
Charlie vows to win Chelsea back.
20: HELLO, I AM ALAN COUSTEAU
Guess who Chelsea’s new bff is. Evelyn. Evelyn? But it turns out Charlie isn’t the only one with mother issues.
21: ABOVE EXALTED CYCLOPS
Chelsea has a great idea: she and Charlie should double date with Alan and Chelsea’s friend.
Who just happens to be Rose.
22: SIR LANCELOT’S LITTER BOX
I love you, go away. When Chelsea suggests it’s time for her to move in,
Charlie wonders if it’s time for him to move on.
23: GOOD MORNING MRS. BUTTERWORTH
Art museums, farmers markets, French films. To share all the girl stuff Charlie hates,
Chelsea gets a new pal: Alan.
24: BASEBALL WAS BETTER WITH STEROIDS
Mia’s back, Melissa’s back and Alan’s back in the hospital where Jake was born, coaching Judith through childbirth. , Melissa’s back and Alan’s back in the hospital where
Special Features:
Approx Runtime:
493 mins
Rating:
M
THE CLOSER: The Complete Fourth Season
Available to own on DVD for $59.95RRP from 3 March 2010.
Kyra Sedgwick earns fourth consecutive Golden Globe nomination for her talented performance as
Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson
Four-disc set features all 15 Episodes from the fourth season and all-new bonus features,
including a gag reel and unaired scenes
Warner Home Video (WHV) brings the fourth season of the critically acclaimed series The Closer to DVD 3 March, 2010. Titled The Closer: The Complete Fourth Season, the release stars the multiple award–winning and gifted actress Kyra Sedgwick as one of television’s feistiest and most provocative police women. This DVD will showcase all 15 episodes from the series’ fourth year, as well as bonus material in a four-disc collection.
Golden Globe® winner and Emmy® nominee Kyra Sedgwick portrays Deputy Police Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, a CIA-trained detective who has been brought from Atlanta to Los Angeles to head up the Priority Homicide Division, a special unit of the LAPD that handles sensitive, high-profile murder cases. Despite her offbeat personality and tendency to step on people’s toes, Brenda’s tough-as-nails approach and track record prove her to be one of the country’s leading investigators. Brenda is tapped to lead the team because she is a world-class interrogator and when it comes to obtaining confessions, she is an expert “closer.” However, her quirky attitude and hard-nosed approach to her job sometimes rub her colleagues the wrong way, as does the fact that she is a tough-minded Southern woman in a department dominated by men.
On the fourth season of The Closer, murderers are not the only ones giving Brenda a hard time. An ambitious newspaper reporter interferes as he tries to get a story on the Priority Homicide Division, resulting in disaster for the squad. Although Brenda and her team chalk up a string of successes (including catching a child’s killer, a drive-by shooter and an arsonist who sets L.A.’s Griffith Park ablaze), the reporter’s unflattering tell-all marks the end of the PHD. But viewers shouldn’t ever count Brenda out. She brings her staff to the newly formed Major Crimes Division for assignments with expanded jurisdiction that extends to con artists, kidnappers, predators and, of course, killers. All of L.A.’s worst are going to meet L.A’s best.
The series also stars J.K. Simmons (Juno), Corey Reynolds (The Guardian), Robert Gossett (Passions), G.W. Bailey (The Jeff Foxworthy Show), Tony Denison (Prison Break), Michael Paul Chan (Arrested Development), Raymond Cruz (Training Day), Gina Ravera (ER), Phillip P. Keene (Home) and Jon Tenney (The Division).
“When a series earns major award nominations and wins for each season since its inception, you know you’ve got a rare and exceptional television program on your hands. That is consistently the case with The Closer. We feel privileged to be associated with this remarkable show,” said Caroline Skillen, WHV Non-Theatrical Marketing Manager. She added, “Kyra Sedgwick is dazzling in her role as Deputy Police Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson. Her outstanding performance combined with the show’s powerful story lines and brilliant production is what makes this a real stand-out police drama, and we are pleased to offer it to consumers.”
Episodes:
1: Controlled Burn
Griffith Park in flames. Five people dead. A terrifying fire pits Brenda against her old nemesis, pyromaniac Bill Croelick.
2: Speed Bump
A recently paroled murderer finds life on the outside short and violent when he’s the victim of a hit-and-run.
3: Cherry Bomb
Traumatized by rape, a teenager hangs herself. A sad story, but maybe not a true one. Brenda
suspects murder.
4: Live Wire
A shooting victim is wearing an AV surveillance wire – which means the whole incident may have been recorded.
5: Dial “M” for Provenza
A wife eager to be a widow hires a cold-eyed, steel-jawed hit man: Lt. Provenza, working undercover.
6: Problem Child
A 13-year-old with a short fuse and a long rap sheet vanishes. Who’s more in danger, the boy or whomever he meets?
7: Sudden Death
When Det. Sanchez’s brother is shot down, the team scrambles to find the killer and keep their grief-stricken colleague off the case.
8: Split Ends
Brenda has two problems on her hands: her wedding-obsessed parents and a hairdresser murdered at a Hollywood studio.
9: Tijuana Brass
A critical story in the Los Angeles Times spells trouble for the PHD. So do two dead Tijuana cops and a priest with inside info.
10: Time Bomb
The Major Crimes Division tackles its first major crime, a bomb plot that threatens countless innocent people.
11: Good Faith
The medical examiner wants Brenda to investigate a suicide he thinks is murder. Clay and Willie Rae want Brenda to get married.
12: Junk in the Trunk
Big man, small space. The decomposed body of a 300-lb. suspected diamond thief is found wedged in a car trunk.
13: Power of Attorney
Battle of the Titans: Brenda matches wits with a lawyer just as smart, manipulative and determined as she is.
14: Fate Line
Brenda’s wedding plans are complicated by a text-messaging killer. And by Fritz’s ditzy, psychic sister, who “helps” with the case.
15: Double Blind
Marriage or murder? The day before the Big Day, major cases threaten to derail the Brenda-
Fritz nuptials.
Special Features:
Approx Runtime:
620 mins
Rating:
M
Step into Rhythm Island!
Shed calories as you explore Konami’s musical paradise in Step to the Beat on Wii
Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has revealed it will release an all-new fitness game concept for the Wii this March, in the toe-tapping form of Step to the Beat.
Step to the Beat charges users with continually moving to explore a vivid island while listening to a host of well-known licensed tracks. The game can be played by holding a Nunchuck and Wii Remote while walking on the spot, or by walking on a DanceDanceRevolution controller mat or Wii Balance Board. Using these motions, keeping the rhythm is key, and the combination of walking, music and exploration results in a varied and fun way to exercise. This simple concept makes Step to the Beat accessible to absolutely anyone, but has been designed to constantly surprise and enchant as players spend longer on the game.
At the centre of Step to the Beat is the colourful locale of Rhythm Island, and players explore the play area via their continued movement and by accepting specific challenges. Users begin by creating an avatar, and the game begins with the player simply keeping moving at all times. By doing so, users will then earn musical notes which allow them to add building, access new items, gain extra music tracks, or open up previously inaccessible parts of the island. Rhythm Island is a place of constant surprises, however, and returning at different points during the day, will reveal additional, unique elements.
Step to the Beat features 120 well-known tracks, with The Black Eye Peas’ ‘Boom, Boom, Pow’ and Demi Lovato’s ‘La La Land’ just two of the tunes that provide the soundtrack to Rhythm Island. Gentle aerobic exercise is a great way for all the family to stay fit, and walking around Step to the Beat’s Rhythm Island is a brilliant way to burn off calories while exploring a whole new world! And, furthermore, players can keep track of their physical activity as the game constantly monitors and displays the distance travelled, the steps taken, and the items that have been found!
Step to the Beat will be available for Wii in March 2010.
Penny Drake, the 5’11 Wonder Woman hails from San Antonio Texas USA and is not just a pretty face with a killer body but is smart, funny and easily the most coolest babe that we had the pleasure of interviewing. Of course it helps that she knows her gaming, although we would probably be a little scared to challenge her in Rock Band.
From model to actress, drop dead gorgeous to vicious Zombie, she is truly a diverse and talented person. Thankfully she agreed to be interviewed by Impulse Gamer, rather than squashing us under her heels. Of course, Penny Drake became known to us through her exploits as the sexy wicked witch called Bayonetta and if SEGA are reading this, we demand a live action Bayonetta series starring Penny Drake.
With that in mind, it’s easy to see why Penny has so many fans! Oh… apparently she’s psychic or so the rumours go but then if that was the case, she wouldn’t have agreed to this interview or would she?
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
CLICK HERE TO READ THE INTERVIEW
PlayStation®3 experiences industry’s biggest hardware sales growth in 2009
PS3 enjoys a 27% unit sales growth in 2009;
770,000[1] PS3 consoles in Australian homes at year end;
30% of total installed base achieved since the new, slim PS3 launched in September
Sydney, 20 January 2010 – Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCE Aust.) today released details of its own 2009 sales performance, on the back of strong industry results announced by the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (iGEA). Official 2009 calendar year GfK Retail and Technology Australia data shows that PlayStation®3 (PS3™) experienced the highest percentage of growth in console hardware units in the industry. PS3 enjoyed a 27% hardware unit sales growth for the calendar year, outstripping the industry hardware growth and that of competitors[2]. PS3, combining all hardware, software[3] and peripherals, represented a 19% total value share of the industry by platform, accounting for AUD$394 million of industry revenue. During 2009, SCE Aust. installed an additional 318,000 PS3 devices into Australian homes, taking the lifetime installed base to 770,000 units. Almost 30% of all PS3 units were installed since the successful launch of the new, slimmer PS3 model on 3rd September 2009.
Michael Ephraim, Managing Director SCE Australia & New Zealand, commented on the figures, “2009 was really the year that PlayStation 3 hit its stride. These results clearly show a positive response from Australian consumers to the new PS3 model, available at a more affordable price, resulting in a massive uptake as the ultimate game and interactive entertainment system for the home.”
“2009 was also the year when more families began to enjoy the value entertainment offering of PS3, where gaming is just the start of the PlayStation experience. From the successful launch of PlayTV™ and catch up TV services, to driving the continued growth of the Blu-ray format, consumers were drawn to PS3 for a whole variety of reasons this year and we expect this to continue in 2010 as we diversify and evolve as the entertainment hub of the living room.”
A compelling line-up of software titles, peripherals and expansion of home entertainment content and services via PlayStation®Network all supported the leading PS3 hardware offer.
In Australia, new television on-demand services were added to the PS3 offering, with the arrival of PlayTV and catch up TV service, ABC iView. The desire for the ability to watch, pause and record live TV resulted in PlayTV enjoying a highly successful launch. Unit sales of PlayTV reached 36,000 since launch on 26 November 2009, resulting in consumer demand outstripping retail supply in the lead up to Christmas. While in an industry first, catch up TV service, ABC iView, was also introduced in 2009, with PS3 delivering a 28% share of all visits to the service in the first week alone, and it continues to perform well.
Exclusive software titles, such as UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves™, inFAMOUS, Killzone®2 and augmented reality genre defining, EyePet™, hit the shelves alongside third party stand outs such as Assassin’s Creed® II from Ubisoft® and Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 2 from Activision®, ensuring PS3 continued to deliver the ultimate gaming experience.
Free to join and play, PlayStation Network registrations increased year on year to a connect rate of 55% of all consoles. One of its biggest success stories of the year, VidZone™, is now the most popular dedicated video music streaming application globally, with over two million users and 200 million videos watched in just six months.
GfK data shows the increase in Blu-ray household penetration in Australia doubled year on year in 2009, from 6% to 12% of all households. With film studios ramping up their offering of both new release and catalogue content, PS3 still holds the number one place as Australia’s preferred BD device in the home. PS3 accounts for over 75% of all Blu-ray players in Australian homes.
PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) also enjoyed a consistent year, with a strong software line-up, including LittleBigPlanet™, MotorStorm® Arctic Edge and Gran Turismo®, all arriving on the platform. New hardware also joined the PSP family, with PSP™go helping to increase the portable’s installed base to 604,000 units. PlayStation®2 also continued its successful run, with the installed base reaching 2.5 million units by the end of 2009, driven by highly competitive pricing at retail. PlayStation 2 still enjoys the highest rate of software attachment of any platform in Australia.
Looking ahead to 2010, PS3 is equipped to deliver some of the biggest innovations in home entertainment consumers will have ever experienced. From 3D stereoscopic games and movies (to be made available to all existing PS3 users through system software upgrades), to the launch of new motion controller innovation and the Australian arrival of an on-demand movie delivery service via PlayStation Network.
Ephraim added, “We will continue to work closely with our Sony sister companies in Australia to offer the best entertainment and technology to the consumer, while enhancing our network content and services globally. The next phase of the make.believe campaign in Australia will further capture this united spirit.”
More blockbuster game titles are also scheduled to launch in the coming months including God of War® III, Heavy Rain™, ModNation™ Racers and 256 player online game, MAG™. Eagerly anticipated Gran Turismo® 5 also promises to deliver the world’s ultimate driving experience in 2010.
Beyond games, more on-demand catch up TV services are set to arrive on PS3, while with the continuing Australian digital TV switchover and trends toward time shift viewing, the highly affordable PlayTV is expected to continue to appeal to new audiences.