Sony Celebrates 10th Anniversary of SingStar™ with Announcement of Next Generation PlayStation®4 Edition 

SYDNEY, 22^nd May, 2014 – Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCE Aust.) is today celebrating the 10 year anniversary of one of the biggest selling music properties of all time, SingStar™, by announcing an innovative redesign including a companion app for the next generation of social singers as well as a new compilation disc for PlayStation®3 and PlayStation®4. Engineered to get the party started, the new version, which goes live later this year, includes a free companion app which turns your iOS/Android phone into a microphone and will mean there is no limit to the number of friends who can join the fun. The exciting new 30 track compilation disc of the much-loved singing brand is titled SingStar™: Ultimate Party and will be available later this year for the first time ever on PlayStation®4.

Dave Ranyard, Studio Director of SCEE WWS comments on the legacy of SingStar™, “I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since we first launched SingStar™ – it’s great to see how popularity of the brand has grown over the decade with 26 million discs now sold worldwide and 25 million tracks downloaded. Back in 2004 we were really breaking new ground, there weren’t really any party or social games around at that stage and the idea of singing into a console was very new! But we’ve always said, people love singing together – and SingStar™ has always delivered and continues to deliver on the promise of enabling social singing. What’s really exciting about today is that we’re announcing a reinvention of SingStar™, this time for the digital generation!”

The impressive social features of PS4 are at the heart of SingStar™. Players can share their favourite game play moments with the SingStar™ community and out to Twitter and Facebook® instantly from the game. Score challenges allow players to connect online with friends from the PSN community.

We know SingStar™ fans love to dress up and share irreverent social moments and the PS4 camera enables new augmented reality features whereby players can turn their lounge rooms into music sets and adopt their favourite music personas from a range of AR masks.

Players can now earn experience and receive rewards for in game activity, and an improved scoring system gives the new version of the classic game a refreshing edge.

Plus, the free app gives players the chance to manage their playlists and queue up the best tracks to ensure the fun never stops.

Chris Bruce, Game Director of SingStar™ adds, “I’m really excited about the new SingStar™ as we’ve really worked hard to bring the game right up to date for PS4 with a brand new look and feature set. The new microphone app means SingStar™ is now for everyone, and we’re looking forward to introducing a new generation of singers to the brand. Personally I can’t wait to see some of the new videos the community will be sharing. They never fail to surprise us with their inventiveness, so who knows what they’re going to do with the new PS4 camera and augmented reality effects…. it’s sure to be entertaining!”

Fans can personalise their music experience by downloading songs from the SingStore®, from pop to rock to hip-hop, with music from the likes of P!NK, REM and Bruno Mars among many more. Players can refresh their existing collection of tracks with the latest new music or start a brand new collection. A consistently low price point for songs and song packs can be expected across the board with the single song price as AUD$2.05 and the song pack price for 5 songs as AUD$9.55.

The SingStar™ Ultimate Party discs which will be released on PS3 and PS4 will be offered at an impressively low price point, with a recommended retail price of AUD$39.95. The discs afford even more value with an impressive selection of epic top tracks all in the one place so players can start the party straight away.

With more than 26 million copies sold worldwide in the past 10 years, SingStar™ is one of the biggest selling music properties of all time eclipsing Adele’s 21 album and Coldplay’s Parachutes. Some of the hottest selling tracks over the years have included Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe, Adele’s Rolling in the Deep and Tenacious D’s Tribute.

Sony Computer Entertainment will be celebrating the 10^th anniversary of SingStar™ throughout the year with loads of new tracks and opportunities for fans to get involved, so watch this space! Keep up with the latest news at SingStar.com, on Twitter @SingStarHQ and on Facebook.com/SingStar

Sidekicks storm Oz Comic-Con Melbourne: Daniel ‘Podrick Payne’ Portman and Arthur ‘Rory Williams’ Darvill join the guest list 

Game of Thrones and Doctor Who are two of the most beloved shows in the pop-culture realm and fans of both can rejoice, with the announcement that Daniel Portman and Arthur Darvill are heading to Oz Comic-Con Melbourne on July 5-6.

Better known for his role as Podrick Payne, loyal squire to both Tyrion Lannister and Brienne of Tarth, the Scottish-born Portman has been a recognisable face on the series since its second season. His appearance at the convention is welcome news that follows quickly after confirmation that Game of Thrones’ other fan-favourite sidekick, Kristian Nairn (Hodor) will also be at the event.

For three years on Doctor Who Darvill brought to life the loveable Rory Williams, a companion to Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor. One of the most well known stars of the long-lived show, Darvill is also a talented musician and stage actor, currently staring in Once on the West End.

Portman, Darvill and Nairn are just three of the guests who will be wowing crowds at Oz Comic-Con Melbourne, with other celebrities attending including television icon Richard Dean Anderson (MacGyver, Stargate SG-1), acclaimed actorTom Skerritt (Alien, Top Gun, Picket Fences) and awarded actress Veronica Cartwright (Alien, Resurrection). 

The event will feature celebrity Q&A panels and professional photograph and autographs will be available with all guests, with Portman and Nairn teaming up for a photo option for Game of Thrones die-hards. For those looking for something a little bit special, limited seats are currently available for an exclusive dinner with both Portman and Nairn on July 5.

Oz Comic-Con Melbourne is set to boast an amazing range of celebrities from the realms of film, television, animation and comic books. Guests already confirmed for the event are:

TV and Film:

Richard Dean Anderson – MacGyver, Stargate SG-1

Tom Skerritt – Top Gun, Alien, Picket Fences

Veronica Cartwright – Alien, Resurrection, The X-Files

Kristian Nairn – Game of Thrones

Daniel Portman – Game of Thrones

Arthur Darvill – Doctor Who, Broadchurch

Shawn Ashmore – X-Men franchise, The Following

Aaron Ashmore – Warehouse 13

Aron Eisenberg – Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Max Grodenchik – Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Wilson Bethel – Hart of Dixie, Generation Kill

Gary Jones – Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, SGU Stargate Universe

Voice Acting:

Dante Basco – American Dragon: Jake Long, Avatar: The Last Airbender

Olivia Hack – Hey Arnold!, Avatar: The Last Airbender

Games:

Adam Nichols – Art Director at The Binary Mill (Mini Motor Racing for mobile and Mini Motor Racing EVO for PC/Mac, Gun Club). Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Hellboy: The Science of Evil, Clonewars: The Republic Heroes, BladeKitten, TY The Tasmanian Tiger.

Comic Book and Publishing:

Fil Barlow – Zooniverse

Wayne Nichols – F.V.Z.A., Ryder on the Storm (Radical Publishing); Church of Hell (Berserker Comics); Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Dark Horse Comics); Afterburn, Giant Size Hulk, Exiles (Marvel Comics)

Jason Franks – Bloody Waters, Sixsmiths, McBlack, Lady McBlack, Ungenred

Paul Bedford – The List

Paul Abstruse – The Cyst, Witch King, The Big Burlesque Variety Show, Zombie Cities

Justin Randall – 30 Days of Night (IDW), Eben & Stella (IDW), Silent Hill (IDW), Changing Ways (Gestalt)

Wolfgang Bylsma – Gestalt Publishing Editor-in-Chief

Andrew Constant – Torn, Broken Line

Tristan Jones – Ghostbusters (IDW), Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mirage Studios), Infestation: Teenage Mutant Turtles (IDW)

Paul Mason – The Soldier Legacy

David Yardin –Marvel titles Thunderbolts, X-Factor, Astonishing X-Men, Storm, District X; DC titles Injustice: God’s Among Us, Joker’s Asylum: Killer Croc, Wonder Woman Secret Files; Image Comics’ Aria and Wicked

Jon Sommariva – Go Boy 7 (Dark Horse), Gemini (Image Comics), Free Realms (Wildstorm/DC)

Doug Holgate  – Planet Tad (Harper Collins), Case Files 13: Zombie Kid (Harper Collins), The Amazing Joy Buzzards (Image Comics), Zack Proton (Simon and Schuster), the Zinc Alloy series (Stonearch Books), Super Chicken Nugget Boy (Hyperion)

Jason Palmer – Illustrator best known for his work on Firefly and Serenity

Nicola Scott – DC titles Birds of Prey, Secret Six, Teen Titans, Earth 2

Stewart McKenny – Super Friends (DC), Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures (Dark Horse), Captain America (Marvel), Star Wars Tales (Dark Horse)

Oz Comic-Con Melbourne will be held on July 5-6 at the Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton, with doors open from 9am to 6pm both days. Tickets to Oz Comic-Con Melbourne are on sale now through Showclix (http://www.showclix.com/events/18185). For more information please visit www.ozcomiccon.com.

About Oz Comic-Con

Oz Comic-Con produces pop culture expos across Australia that celebrate TV shows, movies, comic books, graphic novels, anime and gaming. The events feature multi-genre content from across the spectrum – – appearances by film and television stars, comic book artists and voice actors; gaming demonstrations and cosplay competitions; creative workshops and master classes; and hard-to-find merchandise. Oz Comic-Con proudly supports local Australian talent and businesses in many areas, providing a platform to showcase Australian creativity and endeavours. Oz Comic-Con was created by Sydney-based company DCA Enterprises, who now work in partnership with international event organisers ReedPOP to produce the Oz Comic-Con shows. The ReedPOP portfolio includes New York Comic Con, C2E2, PAX (Prime, East and Australia), Star Wars Celebration and the UFC Fan Expo.