NAMCO BANDAI GAMES TO PUBLISH SAINT SEIYA: THE HADES FOR PS2

Stunning new fighter based on greatest saga from revered Japanese anime

Wednesday 28th June 2006 – Atari, one of Australia’s leading sources of interactive entertainment, announces the forthcoming release of Saint Seiya: The Hades from NAMCO BANDAI Games for PlayStation2. Following the release of Saint Seiya: The Sanctuary in 2005, Saint Seiya: The Hades takes the Saint Seiya video game experience to the next level boasting a story from the most widely acclaimed chapter of the saga plus an overdose of innovative features and stunning enhancements designed to bring players closer than ever to the universe of mind-blowing 3D Cosmo battles. Published by NAMCO BANDAI Games and distributed in Australia by Atari, Saint Seiya: The Hades is scheduled for release in spring 2006.

The story of Saint Seiya: The Hades is taken directly from the highly respected manga of the same name that have only recently been made into an anime television series and which are hailed by many fans as the greatest in the Saint Seiya saga. For maximum authenticity, the story of the game is based mainly on the original manga with cut scenes taken from the anime. The story takes places as the Specters, thanks to the awakening of Hades, begin to claim back their powers after being restrained for 243 years by Athena's might. It is your destiny to do battle with the supreme commander of Hell and his armies to overcome the impending devastation.

Saint Seiya: The Hades offers something extra special for all fans of anime and fighting games. The development team have put their hearts and souls into developing a fighting system worthy of this seminal manga and anime with spectacular results.

Developer DIMPS has brought a wealth of new elements and enhancements to the fighting systems of Saint Seiya: The Hades, with technically dazzling rapid-fire battles on a massive battle stage which accommodates a greater breadth of range attacks, counter-attacks and blistering combos. The fighting has been tuned throughout to give the player fiercely dynamic battles where one right or wrong move can have catastrophic effects. The enhanced Cosmo system lets players make the most of the all-new special attacks to inflict grave damage on their opponent.

Saint Seiya: The Hades is scheduled for release on PlayStation2 across Europe in autumn 2006.

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ATARI HITS THE TARGET WITH POINT BLANK FOR NINTENDO DS

Classic arcade shooting frenzy brings trigger-happiness to Australia

Wednesday 28th June 2006 – Atari, one of Australia’s leading sources of interactive entertainment, today announces the forthcoming Australian release of Point Blank DS for Nintendo DS from NAMCO BANDAI Games. Finding a fitting new home on Nintendo DS, the old-school Japanese coin-op shooter will continue to tempt the itchy trigger fingers of thousands of gamers across the world with its addictive gameplay and witty visual style. Point Blank DS for Nintendo DS is scheduled for release in Q4 2006.

With its signature cheeky style, Point Blank DS features games taken from all three versions of the series to date, plus some additional brand new sharp-shooting treats. Players will test their hand eye coordination in a furiously frantic collection of mini-games using the stylus and touch-screen in place of the arcade light gun. Four different difficulty levels, 40 different stages, high-score free play, arcade, and classic coin-op challenges give players of all ages and skill levels the chance to test their nerve and become a crack shot on the Point Blank DS digitised shooting gallery.

“Nintendo DS has continually proven to be a perfect home for quick, accessible and lively games that use the brilliant touch screen in an original, fun yet straightforward way,” said Cyril Voiron, European Marketing Director, Atari Europe. “Point Blank DS fits this mould perfectly and after successfully entertaining arcade fans for years the franchise now comes to the steady hands of a whole new group of gamers.”

In addition to the characteristic Point Blank style of arcade gameplay, Point Blank DS gives players an opportunity to take the Brain Massage challenge in which players’ abilities are analysed with a frantic screen tapping shoot out. Should players want to go head-to-head “OK Corral” style, the wireless multiplayer option lets two players link up with only a single cartridge and duel it out across a selection of frenzied mini games.

Point Blank DS on Nintendo DS is scheduled for release across Australia in Q4 2006.

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SEGA'S VIDEO GAME ICON SONIC THE HEDGEHOG CELEBRATES HIS 15TH BIRTHDAY

World’s Fastest Video Game Character Shows No Sign of Slowing down As He Rockets Onto Next Generation Consoles

LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO – June 23, 2006 – He’s fast, he’s blue, he’s sold over 44 million games, and he just turned 15… Today, SEGA joins millions of fans around the world in celebrating video game icon Sonic The Hedgehog’s fifteenth birthday—and ensuring his continuing success with three bold new upcoming games. Sonic, who was born June 23, 1991 as the fastest, most technologically advanced character for the SEGA Genesis console, continues to innovate as he prepares to blast onto next generation consoles and the Sony PlayStation® Portable system with groundbreaking new adventures. With his three stellar new games, Sonic The Hedgehog is ready to blaze his way to the top of the video game world once again.

In addition to his video game fame, Sonic has starred in two animated TV series, comic books, and an animated movie—he’s even got his own theme park, Joypolis, in Tokyo and scooped the ‘Gaming icon’ award from a leading national newspaper1 in the UK. But it’s his video games that matter most to his legions of fans. Sonic has starred in more than 30 video game adventures on virtually every well-known game platform, a distinction that earned him his star on the ‘Walk of Game’ landmark honouring pioneering gaming icons.

“Sonic has been hugely successful throughout Europe, he epitomises youthful, high speed fun coupled with addictive gameplay, and that’s why people love him!”” commented Mike Hayes, President and COO SEGA Europe Ltd. “Older gamers remember playing Sonic on their Sega Mega Drives and now 15 years on and moving on to the next generation of hardware, Sonic is still as popular as ever.”

About Sonic The Hedgehog
Currently celebrating his fifteenth anniversary, Sonic The Hedgehog is one of the most popular video game icons of all time with over 44 million games sold worldwide.
• Over 8,000 Sonic games are sold worldwide every day
• Gamers have collected over 66 billion rings while playing Sonic
• Gamers have spent over 500 million hours playing Sonic games

Fans will be treated throughout the year to special fifteenth anniversary events, culminating with the release of three original Sonic adventures shipping beginning later this year.

Sonic will make his first appearance on next generation consoles with the dynamic new adventure Sonic The Hedgehog for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 this fall. Sonic The Hedgehog melds top-tier production values with next generation art, physics, and game design to create the most intense, fastest Sonic experience yet. Featuring interactive 3D environments, a large cast of new and returning characters, and a blistering sense of speed, the game takes Sonic’s blazing gameplay to the next level. Also this fall, Sonic will debut on the PSP™ with Sonic Rivals, a one-on-one racing platformer that combines classic 2D gameplay with 3D worlds. Sonic Wild Fire (working title, release date to be announced) is in development for the Nintendo Wii console, combining Sonic’s high velocity with the unique Wii controller, using the classic tale Arabian Nights as the backdrop.

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Home entertainment re-defined: Toshiba launches HD-DVD in Australia

Sydney, 22 June 2006: The next step in high-definition viewing - high definition DVD (HD-DVD) technology – was launched by Toshiba Information Systems Division (ISD) in Australia overnight and is available in stores today. Toshiba’s high-end Qosmio AV-notebook is the first product to incorporate the new standard in storage and viewing, now upgraded with an integrated HD-DVD drive.

With greater storage capacity on the one disk, HD-DVD is an advancement upon the standard DVD technology. It thereby allows people to experience more intense, clear and crisp imagery and audio than possible on today’s DVDs, for a more cinema-quality experience of movies at home.

Beyond the ‘viewing’ element of high definition television (HD-TV), HD-DVD also enables people to download, record, store and playback the latest movies in high definition format. For those with a home network, HD-DVD will also make it easy to copy movies to the computer hard drive and send it to other rooms in the house to be viewed.

To ensure that users can continue to use the standard DVD format, HD-DVD has a hybrid disk technology that provides users with the option of burning HD versions to one side of the disc and standard DVD versions on the other. With a storage capacity of 30GB, HD-DVD discs can also store more movies and content than any other format available including 25GB more than standard DVDs.

HD-DVD is backed by major content and hardware providers including Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Paramount Home Cinema and Warner Home Video, Hitachi and Canon.

More than 200 HD-DVD movie titles are expected to be released in the United States over the course of the year, which will filter into Australia, enabling enthusiasts to build their HD-DVD library.

Toshiba Qosmio G30

Toshiba’s first HD-DVD offering is the Qosmio G30, a four-in-one mobile entertainment unit with integrated HD-DVD drive.

The Qosmio G30 can play and record movies and television shows in both high definition and standard format – in addition to being a television, virtual surround system and portable Microsoft XP Media Center PC.

The G30 comes with a 17-inch widescreen display screen with a brightness and colour saturation that can be compared to that of LCD television. The display also has anti-glare technology to deflect outside light for better daytime and outdoor viewing. It also has an integrated analogue and digital TV Tuner, which supports worldwide TV broadcasting formats.

Availability

The Qosmio G30 with integrated HD-DVD drive is available from Dick Smith Powerhouse, selected Harvey Norman, David Jones, MYER, Domayne & Clive Peeters stores.

Product specifications
Model

Qosmio G30

Processor
Intel Core Duo Processor T2600 with Enhanced Intel Speedstep Technology

Display
17.1-inch TruBrite Widescreen UXGA

Memory
1024MB (512+512MB)

Hard disk drive
200GB (100GB+100GB)

Optical Drive
HD DVD ROM SuperMulti Double/Dual Layer Drive (HD DVD ROM DVD±R±RW, DVD±R DL, DVD-RAM)

Video Card
nVidia GeForce 7600 with 256MB GDDR3

Audio
Intel High Definition (HD) Audio with Dolby Home Theatre Technology

Modem / LAN
International V.92 data modem and fax
Intel 10/100/1000 Base TX Ethernet

Connectivity
Toshiba Bluetooth V2.0 with EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)

Integrated Intel Pro 3945 802.11abg wireless LAN

Operating System
Win XP Media Center 2005 (OEM)

RRP Inc GST

$5,499

Capacity

DVD ROM

Single-sided : 8.5GB (dual-layer); 4.7GB(single-layer)

HD DVD ROM

Single-sided : 30GB (dual-layer); 15GB(single-layer)
Single-sided : 45GB (triple-layer,under development)
Double-sided : 60GB (dual-layer); 30GB(single-layer)

HD DVD –R (recordable)

Single-sided:15GB (single-layer)
Double-sided :30GB (single-layer)

HD DVD –R/RW (rewritable)

Single-sided : 20GB (single-layer)

Single-sided : 32GB (dual-layer,under development)
Double-sided :40GB (single-layer)

Blu-Ray ROM
Single-sided : 25GB (single-layer)
Single-sided : 50GB (single-layer)

Blu-Ray –RW
Single-sided : 25GB (single-layer)
Single-sided : 50GB (double-layer)

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Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter PC - *Multiplayer Pack 1 Now Available!*

Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest videogame publishers, today announces the release of an all new content package for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter™ for the PC. The massive content update delivered by Multiplayer Pack 1 builds upon the original game by offering new multiplayer modes, expanded coop campaign through newly added missions and the addition of an all new map editor. Along with the delivery of this fresh new content comes a list of fixes and updates, further optimizing players’ experience with GRAW PC. More information and further support for GRAW PC will be announced in the near future. Until then, take a look below for an outline of content and optimisations this huge update consists of and for access to new assets:

Multiplayer gets down and dirty as the Deathmatch (DM) game type has been added to the game, along with 3 brand new DM maps!
* Industrial
The Industrial level is an army camp situated in an industrial area, close to a passing highway.
* Suburbs
This is a night map, in a typical "suburb" area. It is riddled with larger houses in the area and some shanty houses in the middle of the zone.
* Hollow
This is a valley based map with a central army base/fort like structure. It's got a custom terrain, so it's in a mountainous area.

Additional Co-op LEVELS:

* The amazing multiplayer co-op mode grows with newly added campaign missions. Missions 1, 5 and 9 from the single player campaign are now fully available and playable in multiplayer co-op. You and friends can now enjoy the FULL campaign in multiplayer.

Multiplayer map Editor has been added:
* Grin’s own editor has been updated and is now released for public use. The built-in help functions can be accessed by pressing "F1". Also included is a basic tutorial document, which can be found in the "Support" directory where GRAW is installed. After you've made your map, press "Escape" and then "Export" to prepare the map for the game. This will allow you to set some options like light maps and level quality. Please note that for large maps rendering these can take a very long time. Once the process has been completed, a file with your maps name and extension .bundle can be found in the custom_levels directory of GRAW. This .bundle file can then be distributed, and is the only result file you need to share. All players wanting to play your map must have a local copy of it.

Fully dedicated servers now available for GRAW PC:

* A fully dedicated server structure is now in place and running GRAW PC on a global level. These dedicated servers with offer a smooth multiplayer experience as well as a full support staff with contacts in the US and Europe.

Multiple upgrades and optimisations:

For a complete list of upgrades, fixes and optimizations please find the document enclosed with the asset package linked below, or check out the official website.

For more information on Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter™, please visit www.ghostrecon.com.

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ACTIVISION OPENS PUBLISHING OFFICE IN SEOUL, KOREA

Move Underscores Company's Commitment to Asia Pacific Region

Sydney, Australia, June 22, 2006 -- Further expanding its presence in the Asia Pacific region Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced that the company has opened a publishing office in Seoul Korea, one of the fastest growing gaming markets in Asia, through the acquisition of CSR Entertainment's software distribution operations. A leading Korean software distributor, CSR Entertainment previously distributed Activision's products. The new office will enable Activision to fully leverage its product portfolio in the territory, particularly the upcoming online multiplayer action game Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, the prequel to id Software's legendary QUAKE II(R).

"The establishment of a Korean publishing office represents an important and integral part of our Asian expansion strategy," said John Watts, Senior Vice President and Managing Director for the Asia Pacific Region. "We are committed to growing and strengthening our business operations in the region over the long-term to ensure that we have the expertise in place to leverage future opportunities. Additionally, Activision has had tremendous success in its direct publishing models in Spain and Italy over the past few years and this experience we are now applying within Asia."

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Traxion for PSP Facts

DESCRIPTION

Gaming and music combine like never before on your PSP in Traxion – where your music drives the action. For the first time ever, play dozens of games on your PSP where you can use your own music to actually change each one. Using your own MP3 files or the hot music loaded within the game itself, Traxion analyses your favourite tunes and creates personalized game experiences based on the music you choose. Be it rock, rap, classical or jazz (yes, even polka!), every song presents unique gameplay accompanied by a dazzling visual and sensory experience. Play the same game to different music and enjoy it in a different, personalized way every time you play!

PRODUCT INFORMATION

• Play along as Traxion analyses your choice of tunes to generate unique gameplay, new challenges and custom levels.
• A variety of arcade-style games, light show effects, and interactive displays bring your music to life.
• You can experiment with your music library to get high scores, play along to your favourite album, or just dip into a quick song while waiting for the bus.
• When using your own MP3 files, change games at any time with no break in the music, or change songs in the middle of a game you’ve already begun. You can also play a single game continuously over multiple MP3 files or automatically switch games with each new track. You’re always in control!
• Each of the 20-plus games features its own specific goals and challenges. A few of them include the following:
o Vortex: Switch left and right between lanes as you guide a bouncing ball down a twisting, swooping, diving musical staff. Avoid obstacles and collect notes that arrive in time with the music.
o Beatdrop: Destroy collared blocks at the top of the screen by adding more from the bottom. Plan ahead and create longer chains of blocks, or cause combo-boosting cascades of well-placed blocks. Watch out! The wall is continually rebuilt from above as more beats arrive.
o Karate-oke: Fight your music in this collage-based parody of classic martial arts films. Use a combination of three different attacks and defensive stances to fight a series of musically generated opponents.

In addition to more than 20 games, Traxion also serves as a music organizer for your PSP. Customize your playlists and categorize your tracks by band, album name and genre.

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SEGA REWARDS TOTAL WAR SUBSCRIBERS WITH EARLY PURCHASE OPPORTUNITY FOR ROME: TOTAL WAR - ALEXANDER

LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO (June 14th, 2006) – SEGA® Europe Ltd. and SEGA® of America, Inc, today are pleased to confirm Rome: Total War™ - Alexander, the latest expansion pack for Creative Assembly’s award-winning PC strategy title, Rome: Total War will be available exclusively for digital download to registered Total War™ fans on June 16th from www.sega.com, www.totalwar.com, and www.sega-europe.com, and on general sale from June 19th.

The expansion offers another epic addition to the Total War series boasting more than 30 hours of gameplay and will feature a brand new campaign game map, spanning Alexander’s unification of Greece and his subsequent conquest of the Persian Empire.

Alexander will utilise the unique gameplay of Rome to bring to life the meteoric rise of one of history’s most brilliant generals: Alexander the Great, The expansion pack will also include six new historical battles portraying Alexander’s triumphs against the Greek, Persian, and Indian forces. These will also be available for multiplayer play online and over LAN in a brand new Tournament mode that enables players to take on opponents over a series of historical battles.

For exclusive downloads and information, register at www.totalwar.com .

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FOOTBALL MANAGERä ARRIVING ON PC AND CONSOLE FOR CHRISTMAS 2007!

Skill, luck and the tactics you employ will ultimately decide your fate in this year’s un-missable Football Managerä 2007.

LONDON (8th June, 2006) – SEGA Europe Limited. is today proud to announce the next step in Sports Interactive's genre-defining Football Managerä series. Packed full with more than 100 new features, Football Managerä 2007 is set for release on PC, Mac and Intel Mac, as well as the Xbox 360ä video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Football Manager Handheld on Sony’s PlayStation Portable handheld entertainment system (PSP) completes the format line-up, with all platforms set for a Christmas 2006 release.

The Football Managerä team has taken the fans comments on board and have introduced a host of new features across all formats. Feedback specifically on the Xbox 360ä version resulted in the Sports Interactive team compiling a new user interface to allow players to have a joypad friendly experience whilst still retaining all the depth of the game. Football Manager Handheld also sees an upgrade with more playable leagues, more features and, for the very first time, network play allowing you to compete against your friends on your PSP.

“We are constantly striving for perfection and are on track to deliver our most authentic football experience yet”, commented Miles Jacobson, Studio Director of Sports Interactive. “There will be a new, easy to use default skin, as well as improved hints and tips throughout the game. More in-depth feedback from your assistant manager and coaches, plus interaction with any player worldwide makes this an un-missable and very user friendly experience, and our best football game by a country mile.”

With all-new features, improved gameplay and a depth only seen from Sports Interactive, Football Managerä 2007 and Football Manager Handheld offers a management simulation that is second to none. To whet the appetite of every Football fan, SEGA and Sports Interactive have unveiled just some of the new features available with more features for all platforms to be announced in the coming months.

Features for Football Managerä 2007 PC/Mac/Intel Mac/Xbox 360ä:

Feeder Clubs - Brand new to Football Managerä 2007, and one of the most requested features on Sports Interactive’s forums has been the addition of feeder clubs to the game. This new addition works in all the ways you would expect it to in real life. You can establish your club as the small team who receives loan players from a larger club or a large club looking for support getting your youngsters match experience by loaning them out. Have the first option on players from clubs, and schedule pre-arranged friendlies each season by simply asking your board for a feeder relationship and choose from the list they compile.

Youth Revamp - A complete revamp of youth teams sees full youth squads for each team that has a youth set-up, thus giving a much better system for the regeneration of players in the long term game.

User Friendly – Football Managerä 2007 gives players a new easier to use default skin, along with hints and tips throughout the game, and an improved tutorial. In addition to better feedback from your assistant manager and scouts as well as lots more media, customisation and multiple row selection, all this adds up to the most user friendly Sports Interactive game ever.

Scouting Revamp - A complete revamp of the scouting system inside the game leads to more information about players and teams being made available to managers, as well as a more realistic methodology for player scouting. This system allows scouts to grow and improve their knowledge-base of the world’s football players.

Player Interaction - You can now talk to any player in the world via the media. Player interaction allows you to tap up other teams stars or see if players will buckle under the pressure. An effective manager must use the media as a motivational tool - why not praise your own players in many different ways or shout at them for loss of form?

Team Talks - For more varied ways to talk to your team, SI have worked hard to deliver vastly improved team talks at half and full time. Not only this, but pre-match team talks will now be making their first appearance in Football Manager - so you can send your team out onto the pitch with a specific briefing.

Football Managerä 2007 for PC, Mac, Intel Mac and Xbox 360ä are set for release Christmas 2006. Football Managerä Handheld for PSP will also make the Christmas 2006 launch. For further information go to www.sigames.com or the completely re-vamped www.footballmanager.net website.

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impulsegamer featured on official elder scrolls website!

Is it news when we give a good score to a great game and they publish it? We think it is! impulsegamer was featured on the official Elder Scrolls site and you have to love that!

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STAR WARS GALAXIES PRESENTS CHAPTER 1: THE CORELLIAN CAPTIVES

LucasArts, Sony Online Entertainment and Activision Australia/New Zealand announced today that Chapter 1: The Corellian Captives will be released to Star Wars Galaxies subscribers Friday, June 9.

Chapter 1: The Corellian Captives is the latest in a series of ongoing updates for Star Wars Galaxies that will be released every six weeks as part of players’ regular subscription to the game. In Chapter 1, players will find a host of new storylines, features and gameplay advancements including:

New Adventures:

· Four all-new quest series will lead players on an adventure to discover the whereabouts of a missing Corellian man…and right into the heart of a slaving ring hidden in plain sight. Players level 37 to 41 will find that a simple missing person assignment turns into much more as they work to infiltrate a massive operation and help those affected by unspeakable crimes.

More information on this unusual string of activities and the criminal elements behind them can be found in the most recent Galaxies “Friday Feature” at: http://starwarsgalaxies.station.sony.com/en_US/players/content.vm?id=66901&resource=features.

New Features:

· New Profession Differentiation System: Moving forward, players will be able to earn and allocate talent points to unlock new skills and attributes for their characters, giving them a way to completely differentiate them among the other characters. While this change will be transparent to the players for now, beginning with Chapter 2 in late July, this system will be implemented for two professions per Chapter, starting with the bounty hunter and the Jedi.

Keep an eye on the Galaxies test centre for the latest news on the new profession skills and attributes for each profession, and how to test them out. http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board?board.id=DevDiscussion.

· New Targeting System for Complete Control: New features ensure more accurate targeting in the heat of battle. A new combat-specific mouse cursor allows players to visually spot a target, and a new Weapon Safety Mode ensures players will engage only their intended target. Also useful in home decoration, the new system features revamped Targeting Brackets that make it easier to place items in an in-game house.

· Happy Third Anniversary to Star Wars Galaxies! In late June, all players’ characters will receive a Privateer ship in game. This personal travel vehicle works most anywhere in the galaxy and can be called upon to instantly transport the character to any shuttleport on that planet. No more needing to drive to the nearest shuttleport – the Privateer ship will transport players right there…even if their characters are in the middle of the wilderness.

· Veteran Bonus: As part of our anniversary celebration, all Star Wars Galaxies three-year veteran players will be able to choose one of any of our dozens of available veteran rewards, including a new one we are introducing in Chapter 1: 200 additional storage unit slots for their in-game house. For a full listing of the available veteran rewards, visit: http://starwarsgalaxies.station.sony.com/en_US/players/content.vm?page=Veteran%20Rewards.

· Even More In-Game Rewards: When players log in to download Chapter 1, they will automatically receive a beautiful new painting to decorate their in-game house. The painting will be one of a series of three, each one a humorous depiction of a popular Star Wars Galaxies creature.

New Improvements:

· Further enhancements to the New Player Experience. The first 10 levels of the game have received additional polishing to ensure that advancement through the early stages of the games is as easy as it is fun.
· Repeatable quests have been improved to deliver scalable rewards when they are completed more than once.
· The character interface screen now has advanced tool tips that provide more accurate and detailed information on the character’s individual attributes.
· All weapons in-game are undergoing a retrofit to ensure that their damage will be based primarily on the weapon’s stats, rather than the character’s level.

In addition to the content included in Chapter 1: The Corellian Captives, Star Wars Galaxies players have access to dozens of in-game events, both developer- and player-created, including:

· An Escalating Galactic Civil War: Beginning in late June, players will start to see (and be the instruments of) many changes to the galaxy. Soon, the Rebel Alliance and the Empire will begin to converge around the city of Restuss, building up their bases and armies to prepare for a final showdown. More information about the Battle of Restuss, this multi-stage, server-wide event, will be released in the very near future.

· Player-Created Events: While players are waiting for the Battle of Restuss, they can participate in any of the many player-created events held throughout the Galaxy every week. For example, they can join a Cantina Crawl on Mos Eisley or even attend a Grand Place Ball on Naboo. A full calendar of events per server can be found at: http://starwarsgalaxies.station.sony.com/en_US/players/events.vm.

As always, the latest news and information on Star Wars Galaxies can be found on our community page at: http://starwarsgalaxies.station.sony.com/en_US/players/

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GET LARA IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND TODAY!

Atari, one of Australia’s leading sources of interactive entertainment, and Eidos Interactive today confirm that Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend will be released on Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) on Friday June 9th across Australia and New Zealand.

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend revives the athletic, intelligent and entertaining adventurer who won the hearts and minds of gamers worldwide. Lara comes alive with intricately animated expressions, moves and abilities, allowing gamers to experience tomb raiding as never before.

The PSP version of Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend, features all of the adventure, puzzles and excitement gamers expect from a Tomb Raider title, plus a number of exclusive game modes such as a wi-fi head-to-head mode and two player treasure hunt, plus a host of Bonus Reward Content.

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend is the seventh title to be released in the Tomb Raider™ series, which originally launched in 1996 and is still one of the best selling videogame franchises of all time, with over 28 million copies sold.

For further information visit: www.tombraider.com

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Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter Xbox 360 - *Chapter 2 Content - Full List Revealed!*

Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest videogame publishers, announce the full list for the upcoming release of Chapter 2, an all new downloadable content (DLC) package coming up for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter™.
Scheduled to be available via the Xbox LIVE!™ Marketplace at the end of June, this quality premium content will enrich and extend the original game by allowing players to continue the coop campaign through Nicaragua with four all new missions and extend their Live experience with 12 more playable maps.
More information regarding the upcoming Chapter 2 content for GRAW will be announced in the near future. Until then, take a look below for an outline of content this massive update consists of:

Continuation of Co-op Campaign with 4 All New Missions in Chapter 2:

* Coffee Plantation (Day) – This takes place on a coffee plantation embedded deep in Nicaragua. The map is littered with good cover options that appear in the form of a centrally located plantation house, coffee processing equipment, growing coffee plants, and stacked bags of coffee beans ready for transport. The Ghosts’ overall goal of this mission is to eliminate the arms dealer and shut down his operations.

* Shipping Port (Evening) – The next mission takes place at a shipping port and the Ghosts’ objective is to stop the enemy from smuggling weapons into the country. The player will interact with rebel troops through warehouses, decks of ships, and on massive shipping cranes. This night mission provides an eerie backdrop for Ghosts to move in take out the weapon shipments and ensure that the illegal smuggling of arms will stop.

* River Depot (Dawn) – This map puts the Ghosts in a jungle area that the Rebel forces have infiltrated and are using for storing and shipping out illegal weapons. The goal of the Ghosts is to secure the warehouse facility that holds crucial information concerning the placement and shipment of weapons. As the player weaves through the jungle and eliminates the patrols of enemies, they must also destroy all the weapon shipments and keep the Rebels from extracting from the area. Massive trees, loads of weapon shipments, and enemy transports are unique characteristics of this mission.

* Jungle Mine (Day) – The last mission in this co-op campaign chapter takes place in a mine that is vital to the Rebel force’s regime and the Ghosts are tasked with securing the area, destroying the weapons, and eliminating the Rebel leader. The central location on this map is the mine itself and it provides a place for multi-tiered gameplay surrounded by good cover. This mission provides a new gameplay experience for Ghost Recon fans and it will surely be one of the more memorable missions in GR history.

8 Revisited; Relit MP Adversarial Maps: 8 of GRAW’s favorite MP maps are revisited and relit for a new gameplay experience.

* Fishing Village (Dusk)
* Wharf (Late day)
* Old Town (Morning)
* Nowhere (Evening)
* Coffee Plantation (Evening)
* Shipping Port (Sunset)
* River Depot (Day)
* Jungle Mines (Evening)

2 New Game Types with 1 Game Mode - Team Battle: 2 all new game types add upon GRAW’s long list of available game types.

* Team Blind Siege
* Team Battle

2 New Camouflage Patterns: 2 all new camo patterns give new selections to further customize your character.

* Canadian CADPAT
* British DPM

4 New Character Customization Faces: 4 all new character faces with new camo patterns give new selections to further customize your character.

* 4 new faces with new camo

5 New Weapons: 5 new weapons give you even further selection on how to take out your foes.

* SR-25 SD (Marksman)
o Description - "7.62x51mmSS - Combining the power of the SR-25 rifle with a suppressor, the SR-25 SD Sniper rifle is lethal, accurate, and quiet."
o Game Info - Silenced, 20 rounds per mag, 10 mags (increased for marksmen), Single Shot, 8x and 16x Zoom

* M468 (Rifleman)
o Description - "6.8x43mm - This updated version of the standard US carbine uses a larger round to provide greater lethality against both armored and unarmored targets."
o Game Info - 28 rounds per mag, 10 mags (increased for grenadiers), Single Shot and Full Auto, 3x Zoom

* M468/M320 (Grenadier)
o Description - "6.8x43mm/40mm - The standard M468 with attached M320 grenade launcher provides a versatile dual-purpose firing platform."
o Game Info - 28 rounds per mag, 10 mags (increased for grenadiers), Single Shot and Full Auto, 3x Zoom

* AK-47 LMG (Gunner)
o Description - "7.62x39mm - Modified from the classic AK-47 the AK-47 LMG includes a 75 round drum magazine, and shares most of the characteristics of the AK-47."
o Game Info - 75 rounds per magazine, 6 mags (increased for gunners). Fully Auto Only, no zoom

* SCAR-H SV (Rifleman)
o Description - "7.62x51mm - This version of the SCAR-H rifle comes with a standard barrel and improved optics, making it better for long-range shooting."
o Game Info - 20 rounds per mag, 10 mags (increased for riflemen), Single Shot, 2x and 4x Zoom

For more information on Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter™, please visit www.ghostrecon.com.

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ACTIVISION AND LIONHEAD STUDIOS ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET AT RETAIL STORES FOR THE MOVIES: STUNTS & EFFECTS EXPANSION PACK

ACTIVISION AND LIONHEAD STUDIOS ROLL OUT
THE RED CARPET AT RETAIL STORES FOR
THE MOVIES™: STUNTS & EFFECTS EXPANSION PACK

Sydney, Australia – June 8, 2006 – PC gamers can make movie magic with Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and Lionhead® Studios’ The Movies™: Stunts & Effects Expansion Pack, which ships to retail stores nationwide today. Building on The Movies’ critically acclaimed gameplay, The Movies: Stunts & Effects Expansion Pack gives players the tools to turn ordinary scripts into blockbuster films with the addition of stuntmen, astounding visual effects, a variety of dangerous stunts, a movie-making toolset, impressive new sets and an innovative “Freecam Mode” that allows players to adjust the camera location, angle, field of view and path.

“The Movies: Stunts & Effects Expansion Pack allows players to create scenes that will have audiences on the edge their seats,” said Dusty Welch, vice president of global brand management, Activision, Inc. “From car scenes that end in epic explosions to sci-fi thrillers that feature alien spaceships destroying an entire city, The Movies: Stunts & Effects gives fans what they need to make runaway smash hits.”

The Movies: Stunts & Effects Expansion Pack allows players to enhance each scene with a variety of options, including death-defying stunts and various particle and visual effects such as fireball explosions, shattering glass, smoke and lasers. Miniature sets, blue screens and green screens add to the spectacular action with dramatic sweeping angles, larger-than-life scale and the illusion of flying across diverse landscapes. Gamers are further immersed into the Hollywood lifestyle as they train and manage stuntmen, as well as compete for industry awards and achievements by uploading their movies to www.themoviesgame.com for the entire world to see.

The Movies: Stunts & Effects Expansion Pack is available for Windows® PC for a suggested retail price of $49.99 and is rated “M” (Moderate Violence, Sexual References) by the OFLC.

More information on The Movies: Stunts & Effects Expansion Pack can be found at www.themoviesgame.com.

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Atari unveils Thrillville!

Roll up! Roll up! Discover all the fun of the fair with Thrillville,
a new kind of theme park experience coming this Christmas

Thursday 8th June 2006 – Atari, one of Australia’s leading sources of interactive entertainment, today announces that it is to distribute Thrillville throughout Australia and New Zealand. Published by Frontier Developments Ltd, the leading independent games developer headed by games industry pioneer David Braben, Thrillville is a new game scheduled for release for Christmas 2006 on PlayStation2, PlayStation Portable and Xbox.

Thrillville queue-jumps previous theme-park games with its access-all-areas pass to adventure and enjoyment, placing a fully interactive and customisable amusement park at the player’s fingertips. Throwing players of all ages immediately into the action, it allows them to experience the joys of creating and playing within their very own theme park. In addition to this, Thrillville adds social interaction, dozens of exciting party games for up to four players, and thrilling simulation unlike anything before. Thrillville also offers depth and rewards for those players who wish to customise and tweak to their heart’s content.

Created specifically for the console audience, Thrillville is the first theme-park based game that lets players experience at ground level what they’ve created, and as a playable character they can actively chat, joke and even flirt with every single park guest. The game has over 100 different interactive attractions and five different parks, each with three uniquely themed areas, where the fun ranges from racing on go-kart tracks and playing mini-golf on self-designed courses to joining friends for multiplayer first-person shooter competitions and many other party games.

Thrillville allows players to build and ride some of the most amazing roller coasters imaginable, as well as select where to place thrill rides, stalls and other playable attractions, such as videogame arcades, hover-car soccer, trampolines or bumper cars. As players tune their parks to perfection, even otherwise mundane tasks such as training staff are made light hearted as players improve their staff dancing and maintenance skills. Based around a mission-based framework, Thrillville provides a uniquely broad, deep and progressive gameplay experience. Meanwhile, a simple lobby system allows for instant access to players’ favourite attractions.

At the recent E3 2006 event in Los Angeles, Thrillville received much critical acclaim and was chosen by IGN as a Runner Up for Biggest PS2 Surprise, a Runner Up for Best PSP Strategy Game and was nominated for Most Innovative PS2 Game, Best PSP Multiplayer Game and Most Innovative PSP Game.

Further information on Frontier including details of current vacancies and how to apply directly can be found on Frontier's web-site, www.frontier.co.uk.

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ID SOFTWARE'S ENEMY TERRITORY: QUAKE WARS HONORED AS BEST ONLINE MULTIPLAYER TITLE AT E3 2006

Sydney, Australia – June 7, 2006 – Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that id Software’s Enemy Territory™: QUAKE Wars was named Best Online Multiplayer Game by the Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2006 committee – an independent group of journalists from 37 leading North American media outlets that cover the videogame industry. Furthermore, as one of the most celebrated games of the show, Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars was a finalist for the overall Game of the Show award, and also earned “Best of E3” honours from 15 leading online sites, including GameSpot, GameSpy, IGN and NYTimes.com.

In addition, Activision’s highly anticipated Call of Duty® 3, Marvel™: Ultimate Alliance™, Tony Hawk’s Project 8™, and Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam™ were honoured with over 10 additional “Best of E3” awards from such top online media outlets as 1UP, Games Radar and Game Chronicles.

Below is a full listing of Activision’s E3 Awards:
1up.com
• #1 Best Shooting Game – Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars
• #1 Best Xbox Game – Marvel: Ultimate Alliance

About.com
• Top 10 Most Anticipated Xbox 360 Games of E3 – Marvel: Ultimate Alliance

Amazon.com
• Included in Best of the Best – Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars

CV-Games.com
• Best of PC — Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars

Gamechronicles.com
• Best Action-RPG of E3 2006 – Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
• Best PC Multiplayer — Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars

Gamers Temple.com
• Best of E3 — Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars
• Best of E3 — Marvel: Ultimate Alliance

GameSpot.com
• E3 2006 Editors’ Choice: #1 Best Shooter – Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars
• E3 2006 Editors’ Choice: #1 Best PC Game – Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars
• E3 2006 People’s Choice Award Winner – Marvel: Ultimate Alliance

GameSpy.com
• Best of E3: Top 10 PC Games (#4) – Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars
• Best PC Multiplayer Game – Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars
• Best Extreme-Sports Game – Tony Hawk’s Project 8

Gamesradar.com
• Best of E3 06: Xbox (#5) – Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
• Best of E3 06: Xbox Trailer – Call of Duty 3

Gametap.com
• E3 2006 GameTap Picks Best RPG – Marvel: Ultimate Alliance

GameZone.com
• Best Sideshow Attractions — Activision Booth


Gamingexcellence.com
• PC Game of the Show – Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars
• Best First Person Shooter – Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars

IGN.com
• Best PC Multiplayer – Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars
• Best DS Racing Game of E3 2006 – Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam

MTV Overdrive
• Included in Hottest Videogames – Marvel: Ultimate Alliance

NYTimes.com
• Included in Top 10 Games that Most Stood Out – Marvel: Ultimate Alliance

Punchjump.com
• “Pimpest of E3” Award – Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars (#8)

Voodoo Extreme
• Best Multiplayer Game — Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars

Yahoo.com
• Best Online Multiplayer Gamer – Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars

For more information on Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars, please visit the official website at www.enemyterritory.com.

For more information on Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, please visit the official website at www.marvelultimatealliance.com.

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Heroes of Might and Magic V Patch 1.1 Available Now

Sydney, AUSTRALIA - June 7th, 2006 – Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest video game publishers, today announces the first patch for Heroes of Might and Magic V®, its critically acclaimed turned based strategy game, is available for download at www.mightandmagic.com, the game’s official Web site.

The patch includes:

* An EASY mode addition to the game and an auto-patch system for future upgrades
* Rebalanced Duel mode presets
* Ghost mode, game lobbies functionality, and other multiplayer updates
* Single-player campaign walkthrough fixes
* Extended support for most laptop, onboard, and older-generation video cards

Developed by a seasoned team at Nival Interactive (Blitzkrieg, Silent Storm, Etherlords), Heroes of Might and Magic V® is available now in both standard and limited editions.

For more information on Heroes of Might and Magic V®, please visit www.mightandmagic.com.

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Trailer for Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis

Want to check out some action from the highly anticipated Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis? Then move your clicker over HERE and be impressed! If the link doesn't work, don't come crying to me, just go to the site at:

http://www.rockstargames.com/tabletennis/

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Ubisoft titles honoured with E3 awards

Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest video game publishers, announce that its new franchise Assassin’s Creed™ won Best Action/adventure Game as part of the Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2006. The Game Critics Awards are decided by representatives from 37 leading media outlets covering the video games industry.

“Few games at this year’s E3 screamed “next generation” more than Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed. From the first glimpse of its big gorgeous graphics (the screen shots are true in-game, not “target”) through its Prince of Persia-meets-Thief gameplay, Assassin’s Creed provides an excellent taste of what the PS3 can and will deliver. Ubisoft’s A-team – the Montreal Studio – is creating Assassin’s Creed like the blockbuster it wants to be: an epic Crusades setting with a super-acrobatic hero in an intriguing storyline that has some surprising twists yet to be revealed,” said Tom Byron, Editor in Chief, Official PlayStation Magazine.

In addition to the Game Critics Award, Assassin’s Creed™ received numerous other honors, including Best PLAYSTATION®3 Game from 1up.com; Best Action Game for PLAYSTATION®3, Best Graphics for PLAYSTATION®3 and PLAYSTATION®3 Game of the Show as well as Overall Best Action Title from IGN; Best PLAYSTATION®3 Game from Gamespot and Best of Show from Gametrailers.com.

Ubisoft’s World War II title Brothers in Arms Hell’s Highway™ was also recognized with best First Person Shooter for Xbox® 360 and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Vegas was honored as Overall Best First Person Shooter from IGN.

Assassin’s Creed™ is being developed by Ubisoft’s world-class Montreal studio which is renowned for developing best-selling franchises such as Prince of Persia® and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell®. The Assassin’s Creed™ franchise will combine original gameplay, top-notch graphics, and an immersive and sophisticated storyline which will deliver a new and captivating action gaming experience.

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Survey reveals party animals are all creatures great and small

Sydney, 2 June 2006 – Australians may be a bunch of party animals, but we know where to draw the line. This is one of many key findings from a survey of 1,503 people commissioned by Xbox that delves into the night-time social habits of the nation.

The national online survey was conducted on ninemsn, polling Australia’s party habits and lifestyles, found that while Aussies love to celebrate – over 59% said they party at least twice a week – it’s usually done responsibly. Not only did 82% indicate they spend at least an hour engaged in physical activity on a night out – in actions such as dancing and playing pool - but only a scant 13% wake up the following morning with regret.

The survey also asked people to rate their party persona into one of four types. When it comes to socialising, 44% would describe themselves as “hummingbirds” (hovers around and goes with the flow), 27% as “facilitator” (people who organise everyone), 15% “transformers” (changing completely at party time), while 13% would term themselves as “Old Regret”, wishing they’d exercised more restraint the night before.

More than 40% of respondents said that they only spend between $20 and $50 on a night out, proving a good time can be had without breaking the bank. Fifty seven percent of those interviewed said they tended to go out in groups of three to five, indicating we love sharing the fun with many.

Sharing the fun with many has been a constant theme of Xbox and ninemsn’s Party Fever competition. Entrants have been submitting their most entertaining and hilarious party photos in the hope of winning a trip to Europe. Finalists have been now announced, and voting has commenced. In addition to rewarding the creative efforts of intrepid partygoers, voters are vying for an awesome $40,000 party stash, including a party for up to 100 people worth $20,000, a Xbox Quad bike, and $2,000 worth of Adidas clothing and apparel.

Competition voting closes on 14 July 2006, at 5.00 pm (Sydney time). Further details - including terms and conditions - of the Party Fever promotion can be found at www.ninemsn.com.au/partyfever.

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Sensible Soccer 2006 - one week until kick off!

Start training right now with the PC playable demo!

Friday 2nd June 2006 – Lightning fast speed, spectacular goals hammered past the keeper with tons of after-touch, truly addictive gameplay and the famous top down view can mean only one thing: Sensible Soccer is on its way back!

Sensible Soccer 2006 returns next Friday, June 9th (the same day as some football tournament starts in Germany) for PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC. The first half starts right now with the playable PC demo; banana-kick your browser to http://www.atari.com.au/games/overview.do?id=450 and hit the Downloads section.

Sensible Soccer 2006 PC playable demo is now available to download from http://www.atari.com.au/games/downloads.do?id=450

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TITAN QUEST GOES GOLD

THQ’s Highly Anticipated Action Role-Playing Game
Scheduled to Hack and Slash Its Way to Stores on June 26th

AGOURA HILLS, CA, June 1, 2006 – THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) and Iron Lore Entertainment today announced that Titan Quest™ has reached the gold master stage of development and is entering manufacturing. This highly anticipated action Role-Playing Game (RPG) will take Windows PC gamers on a transcontinental journey through the treacherous and exotic lands of Greece, Egypt and Asia, blending an immersive storyline with fast-moving combat and lush, cinematic gameplay for the ultimate RPG experience. Developed by Brian Sullivan’s (co-creator of Age of Empires) Iron Lore Entertainment, Titan Quest is scheduled to begin shipping to retailers worldwide on June 26, 2006.

“Working with strong studios like Iron Lore Entertainment is key to THQ’s strategy of bringing new, innovative properties to core gamers,” said Kelly Flock, executive vice president of worldwide publishing, THQ. “The Titan Quest team has done a great job of creating a visually stunning game with the potential to reinvigorate the action RPG genre. We can’t wait to hear the consumer response.”

In Titan Quest, gamers will quest through fabled locations such as the Parthenon, the Great Pyramids, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the Great Wall of China, to save humanity from terrifying monsters, mythical beasts and the evil Titans who have escaped their eternal prisons. The game features a deep single player and co-operative multiplayer game experience with an epic story written by award-winning screenwriter Randall Wallace (Braveheart, The Man in the Iron Mask).

A single-player demo for Titan Quest is now available online at FilePlanet.com, and additional Australian sites. For more information about Titan Quest, please visit www.titanquestgame.com.

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SUPREME COMMANDER WINS BEST E3 STRATEGY GAME AWARD FROM INDUSTRY'S TOP GAME CRITICS

Agoura Hills, Calif. - June 1, 2006 – THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) today announced that its upcoming Windows PC title, Supreme Commander™, has been awarded Best Strategy Game of E3 2006 by The Game Critics Awards Committee, an independent group of 37 journalists from leading North American media outlets. Developed by game industry visionary Chris Taylor’s Gas Powered Games, Supreme Commander was part of THQ’s award winning line-up at the industry’s biggest annual tradeshow, with Company of Heroes™, MotoGP™ 06 and other key titles also recognized by leading media outlets.

“E3 2006 featured one of THQ’s most impressive line-ups to date and it’s reflected in the numerous awards and nominations we’ve received over the last few weeks,” said Brian Farrell, president and CEO, THQ. “Our portfolio of next-generation titles for console and Windows PC continues to grow, and further establish THQ as one of the most innovative companies in the industry.”

In addition to the Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2006 award, Supreme Commander (www.supremecommander.com) was also recognized as the Best Strategy Game of E3 by leading industry media outlets GameSpot, GameSpy, 1Up and GameTrailers. Other honors for Supreme Commander included:
o Finalist – Best Game of E3 (GameSpot)
o Nominee, PC Game of Show (IGN)
o 1st Runner Up – Best Strategy Game of E3 (IGN)
o Runner Up – Most Innovative Design (IGN PC)
o Runner Up – Technical Excellence (IGN PC)
o Top 10 PC Games of E3 (GameSpy)
o Top 5 PC Games of E3 (GamesRadar)

Additional E3 2006 accolades were awarded to THQ’s:

Company of Heroes (www.companyofheroesgame.com)
o Nominee, Best Strategy Game (Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2006)
o Winner, Best Strategy Game of E3 (IGN PC)
o 1st Runner Up, Best PC Game of Show (IGN)
o Runner Up, Best Multiplayer (IGN)
o Finalist, Best Strategy Game (GameSpot)
o Top 10 PC Games of E3 (GameSpy)
o Runner Up, Best Strategy Game (1Up)
MotoGP 06 (www.motogpthegame.com/motogp06)
o Nominee, Best Racing Game (Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2006)
o Winner, Best Racing Game of E3 (IGN, IGN Xbox 360)
o Nominee, Best Multiplayer (IGN Xbox 360)
o Finalist, Best Racing Game of E3 (GameSpot)

Titan Quest™ (www.titanquestgame.com)
o Runner Up, Best RPG of E3 (1Up)
o Runner Up, Best Artistic Design (IGN PC)

For more information on THQ’s E3 lineup, please visit www.thqate3.com.

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GAME WEBSITE FOR OVER THE HEDGE IS UP

The game website for Over the Hedge is now up…

Over the Hedge

the website comes with cool music and contains the following:

* Game info with character Icons, Screens and Wallpaper
* Trailer
* Link to the movie site and
* Parental Information

The BIG QUESTION however is… can you find the secret hidden Demo???

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