IT’S CALLIE VS. MARIE IN THE LAST EVER SPLATFEST EVENT IN SPLATOON FOR Wii U ON JULY 22

Squid Sisters amiibo also coming July 9

30^th June, 2016 – July is set to be a banner month for fans of Splatoon for Wii U with events celebrating Nintendo’s unique shooter, including the final Splatfest and the launch of five new amiibo including the Squid Sisters themselves, Callie and Marie.

Splatfests are regular events where players vote on important debates, like whether they prefer cats or dogs, or whether pineapple on pizza is delicious or disgusting. Once players pick a side, they then form a team with like-minded players and battle the opposing side for supremacy. For the final face-off, Splatoon devotees have to make the ultimate decision and pick their favourite Squid Sister – Callie or Marie – then compete against other players from Australia, New Zealand, Europe and North America. The battle runs from 7pm AEST on Friday July 22 until 7pm AEST on Sunday July 24, after which the global results will be tallied and the ultimate winner crowned soon after. It’s time to put it all on the line for Callie or Marie!

As players look back on previous Splatfests, the Miiverse community for Art Academy is now inviting fans to submit drawings on the theme “Splatfest memories” until Wednesday July 13, using software from the Art Academy series.

Saturday July 9 is certainly a lucky day for Splatoon aficionados, with new amiibo also launching on that day in Australia and New Zealand. Callie and Marie will get their very own amiibo figures, available in a special double pack (SRP AU$34.95), alongside new colours for the Inkling Girl, Inkling Boy, and Inkling Squid amiibo figures, available in a special triple pack in limited quantities (SRP AU$49.95). Tapping the Callie or Marie amiibo to the Wii U GamePad grants the player a personal concert in the Inkopolis Plaza, with a range of songs to choose from, including one exclusive solo song per amiibo.

Anyone yet to jump into the unique world of Splatoon can take advantage of an upcoming 25% discount on the software price in Nintendo eShop (sale price: AU$59.95/NZ$74.95) between July 8 and July 21 in Australia and New Zealand.

The final Splatfest and new Callie and Marie amiibo make July a bumper month for Splatoon, the unique shooter exclusively available on Wii U.

Additional Links:

Nintendo Australia website: http://www.nintendo.com.au 
Nintendo Australia Twitter: https://twitter.com/NintendoAUNZ
Nintendo Australia Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NintendoAUNZ
Nintendo AU on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/nintendoau

VIDEO FOR RIHANNA’S NEW SINGLE, “SLEDGEHAMMER,” TO PLAY EXCLUSIVELY IN IMAX® THEATRES FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER THE SONG WAS WRITTEN FOR PARAMOUNT PICTURES, SKYDANCE AND BAD ROBOT’S UPCOMING FILM “STAR TREK BEYOND”

FIRST MUSIC VIDEO SHOT ENTIRELY WITH IMAX® CAMERAS, DIRECTED BY FLORIA SIGISMONDI THE SONG IS AVAILABLE NOW TO PURCHASE

HOLLYWOOD, CA (June 29, 2016) – Paramount Pictures and IMAX® Corporation today announced that the video for Rihanna’s new single “Sledgehammer,” written for director Justin Lin’s highly anticipated film “STAR TREK BEYOND,” from Paramount, Skydance and Bad Robot, will debut online and on IMAX® screens Friday July 1.

The single of “Sledgehammer” is available now for purchase, download and streaming on all DSP platforms.

“Sledgehammer” marks the first music video shot entirely with IMAX® cameras. Director Floria Sigismondi used the new ALEXA IMAX® camera, the same camera that was used to film the key battle sequence in “CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR.” The ALEXA IMAX 65mm camera is a next-generation revolutionary 2D digital camera developed through a partnership between ARRI and IMAX for use by today’s leading filmmakers working in the IMAX® format. The camera, when combined with IMAX’s digital re-mastering process, delivers the highest level of digital image capture and playback resulting in stunning lifelike images with pristine clarity, incredibly fine detail, vivid colors and a higher dynamic range for superior contrast. The “Sledgehammer” video is produced by Maavven.

Said Sigismondi: “I have been a fan of ‘STAR TREK’ since I was a little girl. I loved the idea that it explored new territory and the unknown. So being able to be the first director to shoot a music video entirely with IMAX cameras and use this revolutionary technology to explore a different type of new territory was a dream come true.”

Rihanna has taken the music, entertainment and fashion industry by storm. As an accomplished performer, she has sold 60 million albums and 215 million digital tracks worldwide, making her the top-selling digital artist of all time. She has released eight albums, achieved 14 number-one singles and won eight Grammy Awards. With more than 8.5 billion views and 21 Vevo certified videos, she is the most viewed female artist on Vevo/YouTube and is one of the biggest artists on Facebook with more than 81 million Likes.

Rihanna is PUMA’s global ambassador for Women’s Training and serves as the Creative Director of the brand, bringing her styling sensibilities and innovation to PUMA’s collections. The first drop of the PUMA creeper collection sold out in three hours and continues to fly off the shelves with every release. In addition, she has successfully launched six fragrances, her limited capsule collection with Manolo Blahnik is in-stores now, and she has served as Contributing Creative Director and Punk & Poet brand ambassador for Stance since July 2015.

Floria Sigismondi is a world-renowned creator of film, music video, branded content, photographs, art and experience. With notable work in nearly every field of visual ephemera, Sigismondi’s directing ranges from iconic music videos for Justin Timberlake, David Bowie, Katy Perry, Pink and The White Stripes, to her feature film debut with “THE RUNAWAYS,” starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning. When coupled with global brands, she has helmed lauded campaigns for the likes of Samsung, Thierry Mugler and Motorola, among others. When left to her singularly creative devices, Sigismondi’s photography, sculpture installations and paintings have left impressions all over the globe, from Germany to Italy to Sweden to the UK.

Sigismondi’s work is defined by enigmatic visual narratives, whether it be a short film for Sigur Ros or published monographs of her photography (“Redemption,” “Immune”). This approach has been praised with top honors at the MTV VMAs, World Luxury Awards, International Cristal Festival, and beyond.

“STAR TREK BEYOND,” the highly anticipated next installment in the globally popular Star Trek franchise, created by Gene Roddenberry and reintroduced by J.J. Abrams in 2009, returns with director Justin Lin (“The Fast and the Furious” franchise) at the helm of this epic voyage of the U.S.S. Enterprise and her intrepid crew. In “Beyond,” the Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a mysterious new enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.

From Paramount Pictures and Skydance, “STAR TREK BEYOND” is a Bad Robot, Sneaky Shark, Perfect Storm Entertainment production. The film stars John Cho, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoë Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin and Idris Elba. Directed by Justin Lin, the third film in the franchise series is produced by J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci, Lindsey Weber, and Justin Lin; and executive produced by Jeffrey Chernov, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Tommy Harper. Based upon “Star Trek” created by Gene Roddenberry, the screenplay is written by Simon Pegg & Doug Jung.

“STAR TREK BEYOND” opens in theatres beginning July 21, 2016.

Get “Sledgehammer” now:

Download: http://smarturl.it/dSledgehammer

TIDAL: http://smarturl.it/tSledgehammer

iTunes: http://smarturl.it/iSledgehammer

Spotify: http://smarturl.it/sSledgehammer

Google Play: http://smarturl.it/gSledgehammer

Amazon: http://smarturl.it/aSledgehammer

“Sledgehammer” is written by Jesse Shatkin and Robyn Rihanna Fenty. Produced by Jesse Shatkin. Performed by Rihanna. Courtesy of Westbury Road Entertainment, LLC/Roc Nation.

About Paramount Pictures Corporation

Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Television, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

About IMAX Corporation

IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you’ve never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as such, IMAX’s network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.

IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. As of Mar. 31, 2016, there were 1,066 IMAX theatres (952 commercial multiplexes, 17 commercial destinations and 97 institutions) in 68 countries. On Oct. 8, 2015, shares of IMAX China, a subsidiary of IMAX Corp., began trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code “HK.1970.”

IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, The IMAX Experience®, IMAX Is Believing® and IMAX nXos® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).

MORE COMFORT IN MORE PLACES  HOYTS LAUNCHES MORE RECLINER SEAT CINEMAS 

30 June 2016 – HOYTS continue to put the customer experience and value proposition at the heart of their additional recliner cinema rollout. With refurbishments now completed at a further two cinemas which have been fitted out with full reclining cinema seats, at Chatswood Westfield and Wetherill Park in Sydney. Every seat in every cinema has been given an upgrade – at no extra cost* for customers. So now even more Sydneysiders can experience the ultimate comfort and value of recliner seating, at a regular ticket price.

“We’re seeing great results and high customer satisfaction from our six previously launched recliner locations; Chatswood Westfield and Wetherill Park now bring the Sydney market to three fully reclining cinema locations, and eight locations Australia-wide. It is part of our challenge to continue delivering great value and experiences for guests” said Damian Keogh, HOYTS Group CEO.

The recliner seats make for an exceptional experience and value, both designed and made in Australia, the recliners are a huge leap forward in cinema seating. They’re comfier, more spacious and each features a table and large cup holder. Customers already love them, too, jumping on social media to share their excitement and approval – “The comfiest seats I’ve ever been in at a cinema, thanks HOYTS.”

The recliner seats have also been installed in two Xtremescreen auditoriums (which boast the biggest screens and sound) at each of the recliner locations. To top it off, the ultimate luxury experience, HOYTS LUX, features at both Chatswood Westfield and Wetherill Park locations. HOYTS LUX in Chatswood Westfield boasts one dedicated auditorium and also a rear of cinema concept with bigger recliner seats, so guests can enjoy a movie whilst still enjoying the BIG screen experience. It also features a re-design of the bar and lounge area to sit and relax before or after the movie.

HOYTS LUX at Wetherill Park has two dedicated cinemas – this will be the first concept of its kind for the HOYTS LUX brand, where all dining and ordering will be done from inside the cinema, being synonymous as dining in a restaurant rather than just visiting a bar. Guests will be whisked to their seat where the cinema staff will take their orders during the pre-movie experience, then deliver, whilst they enjoy the movie. HOYTS guests can sink into bigger luxury recliner chairs, and the best seats in the house, as well as indulging with the in-house gourmet food and beverage served right to their seats.

The refurbishments have been completed just in time to see the latest blockbusters; Independence Day Resurgence on June 23, Central Intelligence with comedic duo Kevin Hart and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Disney’s The BFG on June 30, followed by Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates on July 7 and the hotly anticipated Ghostbusters on July 14. Stay tuned on hoyts.com.au for more information on tickets.

With such a great response already, HOYTS have big plans for 2016 and beyond. Along with these two launches, more cinemas will be refurbished over the course of this year, adding to the other existing locations at Eastgardens NSW, Sunnybank QLD, Belconnen and Woden ACT, and Eastland and Frankston VIC.

THIS WEEKEND WATCH ARK: SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST SUMMER CUP SEMI-FINALS AND JUNE ‘SURVIVOR LEAGUE’ CHAMPIONSHIP ON TWITCH

Winners Take Home Part of the $65K Prize Pool, Plus the Chance to Travel to ChinaJoy for International Tournament

Studio Wildcard, the developer that brought gamers the definitive online dinosaur survival experience ARK: Survival Evolved, announced today its broadcast schedule for the ARK: Survival of the Fittest competitive tournaments. Starting at 11 am EST, Saturday, July 2, the June Survivor League Championship pits the top ranking teams in each of three game modes against each other for a high-stakes bounty of more than $65,000 in prizes. Come watch all the epic battles hosted by shoutcaster typeForced at www.twitch.tv/survivetheark.

Tune in again at 11 am EST, Sunday, July 3, to watch the June ‘Survivor League’ players join the May winning teams in the ARK: Survival of the Fittest Season One: Summer Cup Semi-Final match, lasting two hours. The top eight teams from the Semi-Final game will be invited to be flown out to the ‘ARK: Survival of the Fittest Season One: Summer Cup’ in Shanghai, China, at ChinaJoy 2016, Saturday and Sunday, July 30-31, and get the chance to compete for more than $40,000 and jurassic bragging rights!

The June ‘Survivor League’ Championship matches are invite-only — based on the top-ranked players for each game mode in June 2016. Check Survivetheark.com to see where you stand: If you rank there by 11:59 pm EST on Thursday, June 30, you will receive an invite via Steam to the Championship. May fortune smile upon you, brave Survivors!

Reminder! During the Steam summer sale, ARK: Survival Evolved is 45% off its retail price, making it the best deal ever on this dinosaur experience. Go buy it now on Steam to start taming, training, riding and breeding dinosaurs!

ARK: Survival of the Fittest is a multiplayer online survival arena (M.O.S.A.) game that pits as many as 72 combatants against one another in spontaneous Hunger Games-style competitions within a closed battlefield, where a continually shrinking “ring of death” will push survivors into an epic final showdown with only one “Tribe” making it out alive.

Survivors can form one- to six-person tribes with the option to choose Unofficial (PC-hosted) and Official (Ranked) servers, and a variety of game-lengths and sizes in which to play. Players will start in the base forest environment introduced in the original ARK: Survival Evolved, with new environments and creatures introduced regularly as the game evolves. Dedicated eSport ranking, matchmaking, and tournament features make ARK: Survival of the Fittest readily accessible to all players.

To join in the battle, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube, visit the Website at www.playark.com and watch us tame and train leviathan dinosaurs on Twitch.TV.

ABOUT STUDIO WILDCARD

Studio Wildcard was co-founded in 2014 by Jesse Rapczak, former Technical Art Director at Microsoft Game Studios, and industry veteran Jeremy Stieglitz with the mission of bringing AAA quality to ambitious indie productions that are designed for core gamers. With combined 25 years of industry experience across multiple independent and studio-backed titles, Jeremy and Jesse have teamed up with other veteran developers for Seattle, WA-based and Gainesville, FL-based development studios that also include distributed team members across multiple continents. Wherever talented, driven developers may reside, Studio Wildcard intends to seek out and work with them!

ABOUT INSTINCT GAMES

Instinct Games is Egypt’s leading game development studio. Started in 2011 by former Timeline Interactive co-founders, the Instinct Games team develops and produces video games on all major platforms utilizing its competent technical team. Its mission is to collaborate with world class partners to foster Egypt’s video game development ecosystem and set a precedent of high quality, low cost, entertaining indie games with worldwide appeal.

Nighthawk Interactive to Co-publish The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild’s Action-Puzzle Game Tumblestone™ on Playstation®4 and Wii U at Retail, Coming Aug. 30

EDISON, New Jersey – June 29, 2016 – Nighthawk Interactive and independent developer The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild (QAG) have partnered to co-publish QAG’s original action-puzzle game Tumblestone™ at retail later this summer on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Nintendo’s Wii U™ system. Delivering a deep and cerebral take on the matching puzzle genre, Tumblestone has already won several accolades leading up to its release, including selection in The PAX 10 at 2015’s PAX Prime, Destructoid’s top 10 games from PAX East, and the 2015 Intel® Level Up award for Best Puzzle Game.

Brought to life with beautiful hand-painted artwork, Tumblestone offers several deep and exciting game modes for single-player and competitive multiplayer with a dozen unique characters and environments from which to choose. A story campaign delivers over 40 hours of puzzling action, featuring more than 10 gameplay modifiers, challenging puzzles and boss battles. Go up against friends in local and online multiplayer for up to four players, or take on the world with ranked matchmaking and online leaderboards. There are also multiple arcade modes, including the fast-paced Heartbeat mode, clever Infinipuzzle mode and more relaxing Marathon mode.

Tumblestone is expected to launch at retail stores in North America and Europe on Aug. 30 for $24.99 on the PlayStation®4 system and Wii U. This title is rated E (Everyone) by the ESRB.

About Nighthawk Interactive

Built by a team of industry veterans, Nighthawk Interactive aims to combine their proven experience with the ever-changing needs of modern game development. With a strong focus on publishing, co-publishing, retail distribution and business development support, Nighthawk is about helping developers make the great games we love to play. For more information about Nighthawk, visit www.NighthawkInteractive.com, and follow us on Twitter at (@NH_Interactive).

About The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild

The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild was created in 2011 by Ty Taylor. Ty, along with artist Mario Castaneda, released QAG’s first game, The Bridge, in 2013. The Bridge, a black-and-white M. C. Escher inspired puzzler, has been featured in numerous game competitions and festivals around the world. During The Bridge‘s development, it was one of the PAX 10 selected games, in addition to receiving the Best Gameplay and Best Art awards at the Indie Game Challenge and being featured in the Independent Games Festival, IndieCade, Dream.Build.Play, A MAZE., and various other international game competitions. After QAG released The Bridge on Steam and Xbox Live Arcade, the game received tremendous critical reception, and it has sold over 500,000 copies to date. Now Ty and Mario, with the new additions of Alex Schearer and Justin Nafziger, are working on a new project: Tumblestone, a fast-paced multiplayer game with maddeningly addictive gameplay coming in 2016.

Hewson Consultants present Hyper Sentinel – a retro inspired arcade shoot ‘em up

Signup now on www.hypersentinel.com for early-bird Kickstarter alerts

Andrew Hewson, founder of Hewson Consultants Ltd, one of the pioneering names of the UK games industry, is delighted to present Hyper Sentinel – a retro inspired shoot ‘em up delivering classic arcade action for iOS devices and PC.

Created by indie developer Jonathan Port, Hyper Sentinel will launch with a playable demo on Kickstarter this Friday 1^st July, with the initial goal to bring the game to PC and iOS. Stretch goals include additional platforms, such as Android and console release, and exciting new features including ship & level editors and retro platform specific colour palettes. Available to play now on iOS (iPhone, iPad and AppleTV), the demo includes an innovative developer feedback system called 2Cents, which allows players to communicate with the developer directly from the game.

Featuring 12 action-packed levels, exciting power ups and epic boss battles, Hyper Sentinel is a super-slick, ultra-fast arcade shooter running at 60fps with explosive pixel-art visuals.

Andrew Hewson, Founder and Chairman of Hewson Consultants Ltd said, “When we met Jonathan Port for the first time, we thought – hugely talented coder, fantastic game, it’s just like the old days! It was immediately clear that Hyper Sentinel was a perfect fit for Hewson Consultants to publish for the world to enjoy”

Rob Hewson, CEO & Creative Director of Hewson Consultants Ltd continued, “Our ambition is to become ‘the’ retro games label, and Hyper Sentinel is the perfect launch pad. The partnership with Four5Six Pixel allows Jonathan to focus on creating the best game possible while we amplify its opportunity in the marketplace with the support of our fantastic retro gaming community.”

Jonathan Port, Founder of Four5Six Pixel commented, “I spent my childhood playing games published by Andrew Hewson and it’s fantastic to think that Hyper Sentinel will now stand alongside fondly remembered classics. I’m very proud of my game, and I can’t wait for people to get their hands on it”.

Other features of Hyper Sentinel include:
·         60 medals to complete
·         Online leaderboards
·         3 difficulty modes
·         Combo-chain score system
·         Heart-pumping SID-style chiptune soundtrack by FRACTURES

Press packs and demo requests: www.hewsonconsultants.com/hyper

About Hewson Consultants Ltd
In the 80s and 90s Hewson Consultants Ltd and, its successor, 21^st Century Entertainment Ltd forged reputations for releasing some of the most innovative and highly polished titles of their era by discovering and fostering development legends like Andrew Braybrook (Uridium, Paradroid), Steve Turner (Avalon, Quazatron), Raffaele Cecco (Exolon, Cybernoid), John Phillips (Nebulus), Dominic Robinson (Zynaps) and the founders of EA DICE who created Pinball Dreams, Pinball Fantasies and Pinball Illusions.