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Let loose your competitive streak this coming holiday season

Let loose your competitive streak this coming holiday season

Xbox 360 Wireless Controller Arcade Game Pack available today 

SYDNEY AUSTRALIA –DECEMBER 3rd, 2009 – Hot off the shelves, the limited edition Xbox 360 Wireless Controller Arcade Game Pack is available today from participating stores, just in time for Christmas. The extra wireless controller, with four Xbox LIVE Arcade games, is a great way to add a bit of competition to your holiday family fun, creating the ideal atmosphere for gaming with both your friends and loved ones. 

Score, manoeuvre, race and play with your mates – the Xbox 360 wireless controller gives you a brilliant interactive social gaming experience. The black-coloured controller is the perfect accessory for the Xbox 360 console and includes four Xbox LIVE Arcade titles for easy-playing over the holidays. 

Along with the wireless controller is access to four complete Arcade games – Geometry Wars 2, Lumines LIVE, BOMBERMAN LIVE are available on disc, while Ms. Pac-Man is offered as a complimentary download*. With over 400,000 Australians connected to Xbox LIVE, the online service, which features Facebook, Twitter** and Movies on Demand***, is proving to be a hit with Xbox 360 users and these four games are a great way to get introduced to the online service. 

With over $35 worth of extras, the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller Arcade Game Pack makes Christmas shopping simple. At a recommended retail price of $89.95, it’s a fantastic stocking filler so be quick to get your hands on the limited edition Xbox 360 accessory and game pack.

*Xbox LIVE membership required

** Xbox LIVE Gold adult account required to access Facebook and Twitter. Xbox LIVE Gold memberships are just $79.95 per year

*** Subject to additional costs

 
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DVD is the new black – THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE, AVAILABLE 20th Jan, 2010

DVD is the new black – THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE, AVAILABLE 20th Jan, 2010

Madman proudly presents the highly anticipated DVD release of THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE, the revealing and intimate documentary that explores the high and lows, the teamwork and the tantrums that go into the creation of Vogue Magazine’s iconic, annual September issue. 

Anna Wintour, the legendary editor-in-chief of American Vogue magazine, is the most powerful and polarising figure in fashion. Hidden behind her trademark bob and sunglasses, she has never allowed anyone to scrutinise the inner workings of her magazine. Until now. With unprecedented access, THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE takes viewers beyond the gloss and glamour and delves deep into the sacrosanct world of the globe’s most influential taste-makers. It’s the real-life DEVIL WEARS PRADA. 

Earning rave reviews and over $1.5 million at the Australian Box-Office, along with COCO AVANT CHANEL and VALENTINO, THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE is one of the major pillars in a year where fashion on film is this season’s must have, must see, must do! 

THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE comes to DVD with over 90 minutes of deleted and extended footage.

 
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Shattered HorizonT – Dedicated Server Released to Community

Shattered HorizonT – Dedicated Server Released to Community

HELSINKI, FINLAND – December 3, 2009 – Futuremark® Games Studio today released the dedicated server for Shattered HorizonT, their multiplayer first-person shooter played in zero gravity. With dedicated servers PC gamers can choose how they want to play Shattered Horizon and who they want to play with, giving them greater protection from cheats, hackers and griefers and more control over the game’s settings. http://www.shatteredhorizon.com/

The release of the dedicated server was accompanied by a minor game update and a new bundle offer from the Futuremark Store that includes Shattered Horizon and 3DMark Vantage Advanced Edition (Futuremark’s DirectX 10 gaming benchmark) together for only $29.95 / ?24.95. http://www.shatteredhorizon.com/buynow/

“PC gamers expect dedicated servers in a multiplayer game,” said Jaakko Haapasalo, producer. “We have been working closely with selected hosting partners to ensure that the Shattered Horizon dedicated server includes the features that are most important to our community.”

Dedicated server features
– GUI for creating custom level rotations, game settings and player limits.
– Custom server name, graphic and information URL.
– Optional password protection for private matches.
– Remote admin console accessible within Shattered Horizon game client.
– Configurable auto-team balancing.
– Configurable auto-kick / ban for team-killers and high-ping connections.
– Built-in anti-cheat detection with configurable auto-kick / ban.
– Admin manual kick / ban.
– Support for VAC.
– Registered servers can submit player stats and achievements to the official leaderboards (registration is optional and free).
– LAN game support.
– Supported operating systems: Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008. Note, DirectX 10 is not required for running a Shattered Horizon server.

Players and server hosting companies can download the Shattered Horizon server files now from the “Tools” tab within Steam.

Shattered Horizon Update 1.0.3.6
The release of the server is accompanied by a minor game update.
– HUD: Ammo count is no longer shown in scoped mode when running silent.
– HUD: When a player tries to capture a control point that is blocked by an enemy player the word “Blocked” will appear on the HUD.
– HUD: Chat is now enabled during silent running or while EMPed.
– Network protocol updated to support new server features.
– Added console for remote server control.
– Added “rules” section to in-game server browser, so players can choose servers with or without friendly fire or team auto-balancing for example.
– Server disconnect messages now include more information about the reason for disconnection for example, kicked for cheating, team-killing or high ping.
– Bug fix: Improved error handling during start-up logo videos.

About Shattered Horizon
Shattered Horizon is the innovative first game from Futuremark Games Studio that immerses you in the cold reality of zero gravity combat in space.
– Multiplayer first-person shooter set in near-Earth space 40 years from now.
– Experience intense zero gravity combat and complete freedom of movement. Use your rocket pack to fly freely through space then land on any surface.
– Join your friends in action-packed 32 player battles fighting to control hollowed-out asteroids, huge fragments of Moon rock and the ruined remains of the International Space Station.
– Four more levels coming soon in the free Moonrise content pack.

Shattered Horizon requires DirectX 10, a DirectX 10 compatible video card, and Windows Vista or Windows 7. There is no support for Windows XP or DirectX 9. Suggested retail price: ?19.95 / $19.95 / £14.95 Available now from Steam and the official website: http://www.shatteredhorizon.com/buynow

New offer from the Futuremark Store: Shattered Horizon + 3DMark Vantage Advanced Edition value pack only $29.95 / ?24.95 http://www.shatteredhorizon.com/buynow/

 
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PlayStation® announce GT Academy – the ultimate racing prize

PlayStation® announce GT Academy – the ultimate racing prize

  • Following successful “virtual-to-real” racer experience, GT Academy 2010 is bigger and better
  • Online time trial version of Gran Turismo®5 available from 17 December
  • Australia and New Zealand announce inaugural involvement 

SYDNEY, 4th December 2009 – Nissan Europe and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) have joined forces again to bring gaming and motor sport fans the ultimate racing competition. GT Academy 2010 will go live on 17 December, 2009 and will use the virtual world of the new PlayStation® Gran Turismo®5 game to find a real-world racing driver. The stakes are high, with an intensive race training programme and a season-long drive in a full race-spec Nissan 370Z in the European GT4 Cup as the ultimate prize.  Also announced today is the first time involvement of Australia and New Zealand. 

GT Academy 2010 is the second instalment of this incredible competition. In 2008/09, Lucas Ordoñez, a 23-year-old Spanish student, graduated from his PlayStation®3 (PS3TM) console to become a full-on racing driver via the GT Academy. Lucas is living proof that the answer to the question posed by PlayStation and Nissan – “can the world of virtual racing unearth a real racing talent?” – was a resounding “yes”. 

After a debut in the Dubai International 24 Hour race alongside former F1 driver Johnny Herbert, Lucas teamed-up with British driver Alex Buncombe to campaign a Nissan 350Z. Driving for the RJN Motorsport GT Academy team, the pair took part in the full European GT4 Cup season, mostly run alongside the prestigious FIA GT series. Their stunning performances included two race wins and two second-place finishes that left them an agonisingly close second in the drivers’ classification, but winners of the Teams’ Championship.

 
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NETGEAR Australia and Telstra partner for Velocity

NETGEAR Australia and Telstra partner for Velocity

SYDNEY, Australia, 4 December, 2009 – NETGEAR Australia today announced its partnership with Telstra to provide all new Telstra Velocity estate customers across Australia with a NETGEAR wireless gateway product. With the EVG2000, NETGEAR’s latest Gigabit Ethernet, high speed router offering, Telstra Velocity customers will be able to take advantage of increased network capacity to stream high-definition video, download large files, distribute and play HD digital movies, photos and MP3s.

“The family home now connects multiple computers and devices to the internet and the upgrade to the Telstra Velocity network means Velocity customers now have an increased bandwidth into the home. Coupled with the new NETGEAR gateway, families can take advantage of the increased capacity so members of the family can receive a better internet experience in the home when they are all online at the same time,” Craig Turner, Executive Director, Telstra Product Management said.

From December 1, new eligible Telstra Velocity customers will receive a NETGEAR EVG2000 as part of the installation kit supplied by Telstra. Existing customers will also be able to purchase a NETGEAR EVG2000 for AU$249 by calling 1800 008 994.

“We are excited to be part of the solution which delivers access to higher broadband speeds to Australian consumers. NETGEAR’s EVG2000 is a purpose built speed machine, enabling high performance media streaming and gaming. It combines 802.11n Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet, enabling both wireless and wired access for notebooks, PCs, gaming consoles, smartphones, network attached storage devices and media streamers alike.

“Plus it is incredibly secure, providing the latest wireless and firewall security. This is the perfect product to complement such a superior broadband service,” said Ryan Parker, managing director, NETGEAR ANZ.

>ends<

About NETGEAR, Inc.
NETGEAR (NASDAQGM: NTGR) designs innovative, branded technology solutions that address the specific networking, storage, and security needs of Small- to Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs) and home users. The company offers an end-to-end networking product portfolio to enable users to share Internet access, peripherals, files, multimedia content, and applications among multiple computers and other Internet-enabled devices. Products are built on a variety of proven technologies such as wireless, Ethernet and powerline, with a focus on reliability and ease-of-use. NETGEAR products are sold in over 27,000 retail locations around the globe, and via more than 37,000 value-added resellers. The company’s headquarters are in San Jose, Calif., with additional offices in 25 countries. NETGEAR is an ENERGY STAR® partner. More information is available at http://www.netgear.com.au or by calling (408) 907-8000. Connect with NETGEAR at http://twitter.com/NETGEAR and http://www.facebook.com/netgear.

©2009 NETGEAR, Inc.  NETGEAR, the NETGEAR logo, ProSafe and Plus Switch are trademarks or registered trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.  Information is subject to change without notice. All rights reserved.

Note: Actual data throughput will vary from maximum signal rates stipulated. Network conditions and environmental factors, including volume of network traffic, building materials and construction, and network overhead, lower actual data throughput rate.

 
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EMPIRE: TOTAL WAR – CAMPAIGN MULTIPLAYER OPEN BETA REVEALED

EMPIRE: TOTAL WAR – CAMPAIGN MULTIPLAYER OPEN BETA REVEALED

Elite Units of America DLC announced.

Friday 4th December 2009 – SEGA Europe Ltd. today announced that the 1 VS 1 Campaign Multiplayer Open Beta of the critically acclaimed Empire: Total War™ will be available to all Empire: Total War consumers globally on December 7th via STEAM. This Multiplayer Beta will allow 2 players to go head to head or cooperative against the AI on the full campaign map of Empire: Total War, including all 3 theatres of war. The free Campaign Multiplayer Beta is only available for owners of Empire: Total War, to get access sign up for the Beta Program on www.totalwar.com.  

“After over 6 months of internal testing, we’re happy to finally give all players of Empire: Total War a taste of the future of Total War,” says Mike Simpson, Creative Director at the Creative Assembly, “Information and user feedback gathered from this Open Beta should help us getting the Campaign Multiplayer mode ready to be a regular feature in upcoming titles
in the Total War series”

Also on December 7th, the Elite Units of the America Downloadable Content for Empire: Total War  will be released, adding 15 new elite units to the American, British and French factions of Empire: Total War. In the last half of the 18th century, the political upheaval from thirteen of the British Colonies in North America ultimately led to the 1776 Declaration of Independence and changed history for ever. The 15 units from the Elite Units of America Downloadable Content have all played a major part in the American Revolution. Though their background owes a lot to European military traditions , their identity is tied to the destiny of the United States, and gave these men courage and audacity like no other soldier on the battlefields.
The Elite Units of America are only available via STEAM for the price of £1.99/ €2.99/ US$3.25/ AU$3.95.

Empire: Total War is set in the 18th century, a turbulent era that is the most requested by Total War’s loyal fan base and a period alive with global conflict, revolutionary fervour and technological advances. Empire: Total War was released on the 6th of March 2009 and has expanded this October with The Warpath Campaign.

For further information on Empire: Total War please visit www.totalwar.com. For assets on Empire: Total War or other SEGA games please visit www.sega-press.com.

 
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Aliens vs Predator has just been Refused Classification

Vispi Bhopti (PR MANAGER) from SEGA was quoted “SEGA Australia can today confirm that the initial submission of Aliens vs Predator has been Refused Classification by the Classification Operations Board of Australia. We will continue to investigate all options available to us, including the possibility of appeal”.

Once again Australia are out of line with the rest of world.

 
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SEGA Announces the Sequel to an iPhone and iPod Touch Favourite

SEGA Announces the Sequel to an iPhone and iPod Touch Favourite  

Friday 4th December 2009 – SEGA Europe Ltd and SEGA® of America, Inc. today announced that the Super Monkey Ball 2 App is now available on the App Store. Built from the ground up, this sequel for iPhone and iPod touch takes full advantage of the breakthrough technology in the devices, including the innovative Multi-Touch user interface and accelerometer, to offer fans an irresistible on-the-go gaming experience. The original, highly-addictive Super Monkey Ball set a benchmark with its unique control mechanism, exceptional graphics and phenomenal sales success.  

“Super Monkey Ball was a huge success for us in the App Store,” said Mike Hayes, CEO of SEGA of America and SEGA of Europe. “When presented with the opportunity to do a second one, we knew we had to jump on it and strive to make it bigger and better than the first one. Addressing fan requests and making sure iPhone and iPod touch gamers had the ultimate Super Monkey Ball experience they were looking for was the driving force behind this latest iteration of the beloved franchise and we know we have delivered.” 

Developed by Other Ocean, Super Monkey Ball 2 allows players to more easily pick-up-and-play stunning 3D stages in both single and multiplayer thanks to the refined control system. Playing as some of their favorite characters, including AIAI  players can take advantage of the accelerometer to steer their monkey towards delicious bananas and a satisfying finish. Adding to the fun, the Super Monkey Ball 2 App also makes all 115 stages of the game available to be played in multiplayer mode using the local Wi-Fi with up to four players. 

The Super Monkey Ball 2 App is now available for £5.99/€7.99/$9.99 (USD) from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/

For screenshots and art, please visit the SEGA FTP site at http://segapr.segaamerica.com. 

About SEGA® Europe Ltd.

SEGA® Europe Ltd. is the European Publishing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA® Corporation, and 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 Europe. SEGA’s global website site is located at www.sega.com

About SEGA® of America, Inc.
SEGA® of America, Inc. is the American Publishing 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’s global website site is located at www.sega.com.

 
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EA GOES TO WAR WITH ALL-New ‘Medal of Honor’

EA GOES TO WAR WITH ALL-New ‘Medal of Honor’  

EA Reinvents Franchise with New Development Teams, New Soldier, New Setting  

Sydney, Australia – December 3, 2009 – Medal of Honor™ returns to the front lines, this time in today’s war. For the first time in the franchise’s 10-year history, Medal of Honor is leaving the WWII theatre and putting players in war-torn Afghanistan. Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today revealed that in 2010, Medal of Honor, an all-new first-person shooter game, will introduce the Tier 1 Operator: a relatively unknown entity directly under the National Command Authority who takes on missions no one else can handle. The development team has been working closely with Tier 1 Operators from the U.S. Special Operations Community since the earliest stages of development to create the most authentic modern war experience. Inspired by real events, Medal of Honor reveals the mission of today’s most elite American soldier – his will, his mindset and his uncompromising professionalism.

 
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Autodesk tools help destroy the universe in Roland Emmerich’s movie 2012

Autodesk tools help destroy the universe in Roland Emmerich’s movie 2012
Hundreds of visual effects artists use Autodesk software to help create disaster movie of spectacular proportions

Sydney, Dec. 3, 2009 — Roland Emmerich films are synonymous with superlative visual effects — The Day After Tomorrow, Independence Day and now 2012. Hundreds of artists created close to 1,500 visual effects shots using digital entertainment creation software from Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) to help create the majority of spectacular effects in 2012.

The Maya civilisation left humanity its calendar, with an end date of 2012. This date is significant to many cultures, religions, scientists and governments. The Mayan prophecy has been well-chronicled, discussed and examined. 2012 is an epic adventure film about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors. 2012 is directed by Roland Emmerich, written by Harald Kloser and Roland Emmerich and produced by Harald Kloser, Mark Gordon and Larry Franco.

Stig Gruman, vice president of digital entertainment, Autodesk Media & Entertainment, said, “The scale of visual effects in 2012 is astounding. This film is a perfect case study for the breadth of our portfolio of filmmaking products, including our 2007 Technical Achievement Academy Award-winning Maya visual effects software.

“Autodesk tools are designed for creativity, flexibility and interoperability, freeing creative visionaries, artists and production teams to focus on the work as opposed to the technology.”

Roland Emmerich, 2012 director, co-writer and executive producer, said in an interview with MSN, “Basically, it’s the digital technology which is so amazing. It gives you a new freedom and I really use that to the max.”

Uncharted Territory, the lead visual effects (VFX) house and co-producers of 2012, created over 400 shots mainly using Autodesk 3ds Max software for modelling, UV mapping, rigging and animation; Autodesk Maya and Autodesk Softimage software products for modelling; and Autodesk MotionBuilder software for pre-visualisation, motion capture and final animation.

Marc Weigert, co-producer and VFX supervisor, 2012, said, “We’ve been using 3ds Max since our company’s inception, so it’s almost tradition. There are also countless plug-ins for this amazing software, making it even more essential to the success of our shots.

“Autodesk FBX format was another real time saver. It eased file exchange between the various Autodesk software packages and helped us deliver on budget and on schedule.”

Uncharted Territory created the total destruction of fully computer generated (CG) photoreal Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Ari Sachter-Zeltzer, CG effects supervisor, said, “3ds Max software’s OpenEXR format allowed us to push through an amazing volume of work in a relatively short time.”

Double Negative used Maya to help create over 200 shots, including the destruction of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. The destruction involved smoke and dust simulation, digital crowds and a fully CG environment. Double Negative also built a massive volcanic rock and ash cloud, lava eruptions and cracking fault lines in Yellowstone Park.

Gavin Graham, CG supervisor, said, “Maya is at the core of our pipeline and was an essential hub for our workflow. From the start of the process in our layouts, animations and asset creation, through to completion, its scripting capabilities allowed us to manage scenes of enormous complexity. We found Maya particularly beneficial for our dynamics and lighting pipelines. It helped us generate elaborate yet believable effects in an artist-friendly way.”

Sony Pictures Imageworks (SPI) completed 154 shots, including a colossal, CG environment of a massive shipyard constructed inside the Himalayas. SPI seamlessly integrated these digital set extensions with live-action plate photography.

John Haley, CG supervisor, SPI, said, “Maya allowed our modellers to build nine one-kilometre-long ships complete with thousands of passengers, hundreds of ship workers and dozens of vehicles. Our modelling team also created several square kilometres of rugged terrain high in the mountains and relied on the layout and animation capabilities of Maya to bring these enormous CG scenes to life.”

Scanline VFX artists created over 100 complex water simulation shots, including an aircraft carrier on a tidal wave crashing into the White House. Scanline VFX’s toolbox included 3ds Max, the VRay plug-in and a proprietary simulation system, Flowline.

Stephan Trojansky, senior visual effects supervisor, Scanline VFX, said, “Over 95 percent of our shots were fully CG, and creating them required 1,200 terabytes of disk space. The advantage of 3ds Max is that it can handle enormous data sets and you can just do a lot of the work right out of the box.”

Evil Eye Pictures delivered 45 green screen and environment shots for 2012.

John L. Jack, co-founder of Evil Eye, said, “We used Maya software’s particle and fluid effects to create CG snow and CG breath for a key sequence, and to do our environment and matte painting integration work.”

About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc., is a world leader in 2D and 3D design, engineering and entertainment software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art software to help customers experience their ideas digitally before they are built. Fortune 100 companies – as well as the last 14 Academy Award winners for Best Visual Effects – use Autodesk software tools to design, visualise and simulate their ideas to save time and money, enhance quality, and foster innovation for competitive advantage. For additional information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.au.

Autodesk, AutoCAD, FBX, Maya, MotionBuilder, Softimage and 3ds Max are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. Academy Award is a registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.
© 2009 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.