TIANJIN, China, Apr 13, 2012 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) –
Shengkai Innovations, Inc.

/quotes/zigman/9090185/quotes/nls/valv VALV
-15.84%

(“Shengkai” or the “Company”), a leading ceramic valve manufacturer in the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”), today announced that while it ordinarily does not comment on market activity or market rumors, in view of the recent unusual market activity in its common stock, the Company states that it is not aware of any material corporate developments that could account for the unusual trading activity.

About Shengkai Innovations, Inc.

Shengkai Innovations, Inc. is primarily engaged in the design, manufacture and sale of ceramic valves, high-tech ceramic materials and the provision of technical consultation and related services. The Company’s industrial valve products are used by companies in the electric power, petrochemical and chemical, metallurgy and other industries as high-performance, more durable alternatives to traditional metal valves. The Company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Tianjin, the PRC.

The Company is one of the few ceramic valve manufacturers in the world with research and development, engineering, and production capacity for structural ceramics and is able to produce large-sized ceramic valves with calibers of 6″ (150mm) or more. The Company’s product portfolio includes a broad range of valves that are sold throughout the PRC, to Europe, North America, United Arab Emirates, and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The Company has over 200 customers, and is the only ceramic valve supplier qualified to supply SINOPEC. The Company joined the supply network of China National Petroleum Corporation (“CNPC”) in 2006 and subsequently received a CNPC Certificate of Material Supplier for valve products in 2011.

Safe Harbor Statements

Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Any statements set forth above that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the effect of political, economic, and market conditions and geopolitical events, legislative and regulatory changes, the Company’s ability to expand and upgrade its production capacity, the actions and initiatives of current and potential competitors, and other factors detailed from time to time in the Company’s filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulatory authorities. All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or to persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors other than as required under the securities laws. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire,
www.globenewswire.com

SOURCE: Shengkai Innovations, Inc.

CONTACT: Shengkai Innovations, Inc.
David Ming He, CFO
+86-22-5883-8509
ir@shengkai.com

http://www.shengkaiinnovations.com

(C) Copyright 2010 GlobeNewswire, Inc. All rights reserved.

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VALV

Shengkai Innovations Inc.

US

: U.S.: Nasdaq

$
0.85

-0.16
-15.84%

Volume: 467,109
May 18, 2012 3:52p

P/E Ratio0.57
Dividend YieldN/A

Market Cap$21.32 million
Rev. per Employee$403,014

Financial Glossary

Words used in this article:

The process, described this week in the journal Nature Methods, involves a robotic arm guided by a cell-detecting algorithm that can identify and record data from neurons faster and more accurately than we mortal humans.

In all [the abovementioned disorders], a molecular description of a cell that is integrated with [its] electrical and circuit properties … has remained elusive, Ed Boyden, associate professor of biological engineering and brain and cognitive sciences at MIT, said in a school news release. If we could really describe how diseases change molecules in specific cells within the living brain, it might enable better drug targets to be found.

The team says that the tech its automating, called whole-cell patch clamping, is actually 30 years old and tends to involve months of training. It took Suhasa Kodandaramaiah, a grad student at Georgia Tech, four months to learn to bring a tiny and hollow glass pipette in contact with a neurons cell membrane and then open a small pore in it to record the cells electrical activity.

LAS VEGAS, NV, May 07, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –
Aristocrat creates the world’s greatest gaming experience every
day, and now Aristocrat is remixing gaming, bringing the industry’s
best game, best system and ready-now online solution to Southern
Gaming Summit.

Aristocrat will be in booth #808 showing the video slot game
Buffalo(TM), voted the Best Slot Game in the 2012 Goldman Sachs Slot
Manager Survey. Additionally, Aristocrat will show a wide range of
the industry’s most in-demand games and new slot products.

Able to leap giant jackpots in a single bound is Superman(TM) The
Movie! This fun new slot brings the original super hit film to life
with incredible action that plays out in Aristocrat’s amazing
VIRIDIAN HYBRID(TM) with Active Reel Technology(TM). Action-packed
bonus features and lots of movie footage engage and entertain
players.

Aristocrat’s innovative LCD technology incorporating shutters on the
reel windows brings an incredible level of interactivity to the
stepper world. For example, during the Lex Luthor Lair Feature, the
reels are positioned behind five cases displayed on the LCD screen.
Players choose cases and, with the power of the reel window shutters,
players use Superman’s x-ray vision to reveal the reel strips behind
each case.

Also in the VIRIDIAN HYBRID with Active Reel Technology is Zorro(TM):
The Mask and the Rose.

Having recently been certified for all GLI jurisdictions,
Aristocrat’s Wonder 4(TM) is the latest addition to Aristocrat’s
family of multi-play, multi-game products. Wonder 4 takes full
advantage of the VIRIDIAN WS(TM) widescreen monitor, with four of
Aristocrat’s best titles combined in one game. The unique
configuration lets players choose to play a combination of all four
games or one game on four spots. Wonder 4 is launching with four of
Aristocrat’s most popular games: the award-winning Buffalo(TM), Fire
Light(TM), Pompeii(TM) and Wild Splash(TM).

Aristocrat’s popular Tarzan(R) Lord of the Jungle(TM) game is a
coast-to-coast sensation, and now the next game in the Tarzan
franchise is here! Tarzan & Jane(TM) Forbidden Temple(TM) is a
completely new game and story line with several new and unique
features. The game is a four-level multi site progressive with a
$100,000 top award and eight high-hit frequency bonus features
including two wheel features.

Players everywhere love Aristocrat’s Outback Jack(TM), and now the
adventurous Aussie is back for an all-new journey that’s bigger and
better than ever before in Outback Jack(TM) Adventures Down Under!
New adventures, new bonuses and even more fun await players in this
exciting VERVEhd(TM) game.

JAWS(TM) has been swimming his way into players’ hearts from sea to
shining sea, and now the great monster of the deep is back in
Aristocrat’s new JAWS(TM) Bounty Hunter video slot. Based on the
Academy Award(R) winning Universal Studios film, JAWS(TM) Bounty
Hunter takes action adventure to an entirely new level with new bonus
features, new mini features, a big standalone jackpot and a surround
sound chair.

The best games deserve the best system, and Aristocrat’s Oasis
360(TM) was named Best Player Tracking System in the 2012 Goldman
Sachs Slot Manager Survey. Oasis 360 is the most widely installed
system in North America and is now monitoring devices at more than
280 casinos in North America.

Oasis 360′s nVision(TM) module is the industry’s most advanced
business intelligence solution and has been proven to help casinos
across North America gain market advantage. Aristocrat’s nVision is
nothing short of a breakthrough in business intelligence because only
nVision gathers meaningful performance information and provides
analytical resources and customizable toolsets.

Aristocrat will also show the converge of games and systems with its
exclusive Aristocrat On Demand(TM), the most advanced solution that
enables operators to develop the casino floor mix they want, when
they want it. The sophisticated Aristocrat On Demand system is built
on GSA standards for seamless interoperability and is powered by
Aristocrat Game Manager, which allows operators to manage all the
games on their floor. The Game Library gives operators access to
Aristocrat’s extensive library of available game titles, for more
choices, more games and the best slot mix available anywhere,
instantly.

Aristocrat recently launched a play-for-fun site for Maryland Live!
Casino, a new $500M gaming and entertainment destination, currently
in development in Hanover, MD. The site, myliveonlinecasino.com, is
being used as a vehicle for the brick-and-mortar casino to promote
its brand and attract players well in advance of its scheduled
opening on June 6, 2012.

The site is the first of its kind in the gaming industry, where a
play-for-fun solution is integrated with a casino management system.
The online casino is linked to the land-based casino through an
exclusive tool of Aristocrat’s Oasis 360(TM) casino management
system, giving Maryland Live! Casino an incredible competitive
advantage.

The best games, the best system, and the only ready-now online
solution. Visit Aristocrat in booth #808 and see for yourself how
Aristocrat is remixing gaming.

About Aristocrat
Aristocrat Technologies Inc. is a subsidiary of
Aristocrat Leisure Limited (asx:ALL), a leading global provider of
gaming solutions. The Company is licensed by more than 200 regulators
and its products and services are available in more than 90 countries
around the world. Aristocrat offers a diverse range of products and
services including electronic gaming machines and casino management
systems. For further information visit the company’s website at

www.aristocratgaming.com .

Academy Award(R) is a registered trademark and registered service
mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

JAWS is a trademark and copyright of Universal Studios. Licensed by
Universal Studios Licensing LLC. All Rights Reserved.

SUPERMAN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of
and Copyright DC Comics.
(s12)

TARZAN(R), TARZAN YELL(R), LORD OF THE JUNGLE and TARZAN & JANE are
trademarks or registered trademarks of EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS, INC. and
Used by Permission. Copyright 2012 Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., All
Rights Reserved.

Contact:
Paul Speirs
Steinbeck Communications
P (702) 413-4278
E Email Contact
T @steinbeckcomm

SOURCE: Aristocrat

http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=AD129D3196A2F9FC

Copyright 2012 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.

Financial Glossary

Words used in this article:

Storm8, which is totally bootstrapped and was founded by Facebook alums, is one of them. The Redwood Shores-based company is saying that it has passed 300 million downloads and that its network of games reaches 100 million devices. CEO Perry Tam believes this means they reach 1 out of every 5 iOS and Android users (assuming 500 million devices sold or activated to date, which is pretty consistent with the numbers Google and Apple have shared so far). Storm8 declined to share anything about its daily active usage numbers.

The company is profitable and we can stand on our own feet and sustain growth, said chief executive Perry Tam in an interview. He plans to double Storm8s headcount to 240 people by year-end.

Storm8 was one of the very earliest movers in mobile gaming. Chief executive Perry Tam used to work at Facebook on the Credits team and saw the rise of social gaming giants like Zynga. He bet that there might be a similar opportunity on mobile phones and left Facebook to start Storm8. They first became known for menu-based, role-playing games like iMobsters and World War, but they also built out a casual label called TeamLava that launched Bakery Story, Restaurant Story and Fashion Story.

Being first to market meant the Storm8 was able to take advantage of cheap distribution when the iOS platform was less competitive (not unlike what Zynga did in the land grab era of the Facebook platform). The company had 10 of the top-100 grossing apps on iOS last year, according to Apples iTunes Rewind. Storm8 then moved onto Android and repeated the formula. Earlier this year, they were one of the first gaming companies to test Amazons in-app purchasing system and made $700,000 in the first month.

Last fall, Jason Kincaid said that the company might be raising $300 million at a $1 billion valuation, which I reported was unlikely. It didnt end up happening.

The reality at least so far is that mobile platforms have turned out to be very different from Facebook. There is no single company that has Zynga-like market share on iOS and Android. Thats a blessing and a curse. One the one hand, it means that there can be several successful and profitable mobile gaming companies. But on the other hand, it means that its hard for any single company to justify a valuation with a generous revenue multiple (since their fortunes are that much more dependent on whether they can sustain hits or not).

So the valuations in recent acquisitions, like $180 million for Zyngas deal to buy OMGPOP and $210 million for GREEs deal to buy Funzio, are much more moderate than the numbers that were talked about last summer. As a side note, Funzios founding team actually came from Storm8. They split over control of the company and then left to found a competing mobile gaming company.

Tam declined to share his thoughts on the recent deals. Were definitely aware of those transactions, he said Its very interesting and we certainly dont know the details or internal numbers so we cannot really comment on specifics.

Even with these deals, there are plenty of companies that seem to be doing just fine without any buyers. Rovio this morning said it had $106 million in revenue for last year and Glu Mobile posted 73 percent quarter-over-quarter revenue growth last week, with smartphone revenues reaching $17.4 million up from $10.1 million in the holiday quarter. Outfit7, another totally bootstrapped mobile gaming company, also recently passed 360 million downloads and signed a deal with Disney to have its characters appear in an animated web series.

Greater Reno-Tahoe continues to battle its historic image as a gaming town even as it develops a new reputation as a key logistics hub, says a consultant who works closely with companies as they search for new sites.

“Outside of distribution, pretty much Reno is not thought about,” says Dennis Donovan, a partner with Wadley Donovan Gutshaw Consulting of Bridgewater, NJ “It just doesn’t automatically appear on the radar screen. But the reality is that Reno is a very good location, particularly for manufacturing and serving the western region with shared services and customer service.”

Donovan, who has worked in site selection since 1974 and is familiar with the needs of Fortune 500 companies as well as smaller middle-market firms, will bring an outsider’s perspective about the region’s prospects to a meeting hosted by the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada and Governor’s Office of Economic Development next week.

Despite the downturn in gaming revenues — and extensive marketing efforts to reposition Reno-Tahoe the past few years — Reno still is perceived by outsiders as a gaming town, Donovan says. But it’s also known by business leaders as an excellent distribution center for western region operations.

Northern Nevada’s primary drawing card, Donovan says to site selection executives, is that its location and logistics infrastructure allow market penetration to most of the western United States with second-day ground delivery and most of California with first-day delivery.

“Its transportation resources are second to none, and its transportation costs are a huge advantage for manufacturing and distribution,” Donovan says. “Serving California from a Reno location adds low cost and high quality because of the logistics, and the labor market is excellent. The educational attainment of the workforce is well above the national average, it is non-union, and there is a decent pool (of labor) there. There are some shortages, but there is a good pool for branch manufacturing and distribution.”

Other positive factors that Donovan promotes to site selectors include northern Nevada’s low cost of land and availability of building sites, strong educational institutions, low tax structure, and a small but growing cluster of research-based organizations.

It also has an economic development engine that focuses on three legs of a “crucial triangle” of business startup, retention and expansion and recruitment, he says.

“Taken all together, Reno is a real value proposition for business, bottom line,” he says.

But several factors can deter possible expansions or relocations to the region, he notes.

First, in strong economic times northern Nevada simply does not have a large enough base of skilled manufacturing workers, such as fabricators, CNC machinists and tool and die makers.

“The manufacturing trades could curtail the ability of Reno to grow,” Donovan says. “Reno has less than 7 percent of its workforce in manufacturing. Many California companies have largely glanced over Reno if they are looking to move or place new capacity. Reno needs to increase its skilled worker base. It has a good core available now, but it needs to add more to it.”

Compared to other regions, northern Nevada also lacks a large cluster of information technology professionals. And despite the growing cluster of research-oriented organizations, anchored by the Desert Research Institute, northern Nevada still has a relatively small pool of scientists and engineers to staff large high-tech enterprises. Many companies looking to northern Nevada by needs must be small- to mid-size organizations.

Important infrastructure needs include the extension of the USA Parkway extension to Dayton and the Southeast Connector in Reno to stay ahead of traffic bottlenecks, Donovan says.

He praised the efficiency and services of Reno-Tahoe International Airport, but says a black mark against the airport is its lack of direct non-stop service to the East Coast.

“That limits the ability to recruit East Coast companies to Reno,” Donovan says.

There is a serious lack of venture capital throughout the state, and though power costs are lower than in California, they are high than many other states, he adds. Despite its drawbacks, Donovan says Reno still pencils out for many site selectors.

“Reno is a viable location. It is a lot more than gaming. When you combine transportation with the labor market, education and business costs, it makes a pretty compelling case.”

The EDAWN/GOED breakfast runs from 7 to 9 am May 15 at the Tuscany Ballroom at the Peppermill. Cost is $25 for investors and $30 for non investors.

Register for the event at edawn.org/aboutedawn/events or contact Shiela Imsdahl at 829-3704 (imsdahl@edawn.org).

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By Kristin Jones

TravelCenters of America LLC’s

/quotes/zigman/450870/quotes/nls/ta TA
-3.46%

first-quarter loss narrowed as the operator of roadside service centers saw a jump in revenue as more U.S. truckers took to the roads, driving fuel sales.

TravelCenters operates 237 gas station and roadside restaurant sites under its namesake, as well as the TA and Petro brands. The trucking industry is its primary market, and the company said a slow but continual improvement in the U.S. economy underpinned an increase in trucking activity in the latest period.

TravelCenters has seen its bottom line improve in recent quarters, driven by stronger fuel sales, but it hasn’t stayed out of the red.

The company reported a loss of $14.2 million, or 49 cents a share, compared with a year-ago loss of $16.6 million, or 92 cents a share. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters recently predicted a per-share loss of 49 cents.

Revenue rose 12% to $1.99 billion.

Gross margin narrowed to 12.2% from 12.9%.

Total fuel revenue was up 13%, as volume increased 2.4%. Nonfuel sales rose 8%.

Same-site fuel volume was down 0.5%, as some diesel dispensers were out of service during a project to install diesel exhaust fluid dispensers.

Shares closed Friday at $6.10 and were inactive premarket. The stock is up 44% so far this year.

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TA

TravelCenters of America LLC

US

: U.S.: NYSE Amex

$
4.46

-0.16
-3.46%

Volume: 183,922
May 17, 2012 4:00p

P/E Ratio4.91
Dividend YieldN/A

Market Cap$132.94 million
Rev. per Employee$506,351

Financial Glossary

Words used in this article:

According to Deadline, the answer to that question is The Monkey Wrench Gang. The site reports that Joost and Schulman have been hired to write and directed an adaptation of Edward Abbeys 1975 novel. The project has been in-development hell for about 15 years now, but may finally come to light thanks to the Catfish duo. The comedy follows a gang of four in the 1970s American West who live their lives to sabotage construction sites, trains and the like. While three of the members dont believe in hurting people or animals. the fourth member, Hayduke, who is a Vietnam veteran, wants to see some carnage.

Said Joost and Schulman in an official statement, We?re excited and honored to turn this book into a movie. People often ask us why we work together and as Edward Abbey used to say, ?One man alone can be pretty dumb sometimes, but for real bona fide stupidity, there ain?t nothin? can beat teamwork.?

How do you feel about Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman jumping from the horror/thriller genres to comedy? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

HONG KONG, May 07, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Entertainment Gaming Asia Inc.

/quotes/zigman/604473/quotes/nls/egt EGT
-19.05%

(“Entertainment Gaming
Asia” or “the Company”), a leading gaming company focused on emerging
gaming markets in Pan-Asia, today announced it will hold the
groundbreaking ceremony for its slot hall project in Poipet, Cambodia
(the “Poipet Project”) on May 10, 2012 at 4:00 p.m. local time. The
Poipet Project, strategically located at Cambodia’s most significant
border crossing with Thailand, will be constructed as an extension of an
existing popular casino and will be operated by the Company under its
Dreamworld brand name.

The $7.5 million internally funded Poipet Project is expected to open by
the end of this year. It is intended to measure approximately 12,000
square feet (1,100 square meters) and house a comprehensive suite of 300
high-quality electronic gaming machine seats from top-tier manufacturers.

Clarence Chung, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Entertainment
Gaming Asia, commented, “We are pleased to begin the development phase
of our exciting new Dreamworld Poipet Project and plan to commence full
construction efforts shortly. We believe our Dreamworld Poipet Project
will elevate the gaming experience in this market to a higher level. Our
entrance into the established and growing gaming market of Poipet is a
positive step in our strategy to become a leading developer and operator
of regional casinos and gaming venues in Indo-China. We invite investors
to visit our corporate website at
www.EGT-Group.com
to follow the development of our gaming projects.”

About Entertainment Gaming Asia Inc.

Entertainment Gaming Asia Inc.

/quotes/zigman/604473/quotes/nls/egt EGT
-19.05%

is a leading provider of
electronic gaming machines on a participation basis to the Pan-Asian
gaming industry. The Company secures long-term contracts to provide
electronic gaming machines and related systems to premier hotels and
other well-located gaming venues in Asia. The Company retains ownership
of the gaming machines and systems and receives recurring daily or
monthly fees based on an agreed upon percentage of the net gaming win
per machine and provides on-site maintenance. Entertainment Gaming Asia
Inc. is also engaged in the development and operation of casino resorts
and gaming venues under the “Dreamworld” brand in the Indo-China region.
For more information please visit
www.EGT-Group.com

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning
Entertainment Gaming Asia within the meaning of Section 27A of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Those forward-looking statements
include statements regarding expectations for the expansion of the
Company’s participation business model, the timeline and working capital
requirements for its casino and gaming projects, growth of the gaming
industry in the Indo-China region and the Company’s ability to secure
new casino and gaming projects and fund those projects as well. Such
statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, and actual
circumstances, events or results may differ materially from those
projected in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause
or contribute to differences include, but are not limited to, risks
related to Entertainment Gaming Asia’s ability to place gaming machines
at significant levels and generate the expected amount of net win from
the gaming machines placed, obtain the gaming license and building
permits and complete the development for the casino projects on a timely
basis or at all, identify, procure successfully develop additional
casino projects in the Indo-China region, acquire additional capital as
and when needed and those other risks set forth in Entertainment Gaming
Asia’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011
filed with the SEC on March 30, 2012 and subsequently filed quarterly
reports on Form 10-Q. Entertainment Gaming Asia cautions readers not to
place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Entertainment
Gaming Asia does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any
obligation to update or revise such statements to reflect new
circumstances or unanticipated events as they occur.

SOURCE: Entertainment Gaming Asia Inc.

Entertainment Gaming Asia Inc.
Traci Mangini, 312/867-0848
TraciMangini@EGT-Group.com

Copyright Business Wire 2012

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EGT

Entertainment Gaming Asia Inc.

US

: U.S.: NYSE Amex

$
0.68

-0.16
-19.05%

Volume: 825,163
May 16, 2012 4:00p

P/E Ratio89.47
Dividend YieldN/A

Market Cap$100.54 million
Rev. per Employee$191,616

/quotes/zigman/604473/quotes/nls/egt

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EGT

Entertainment Gaming Asia Inc.

US

: U.S.: NYSE Amex

$
0.68

-0.16
-19.05%

Volume: 825,163
May 16, 2012 4:00p

P/E Ratio89.47
Dividend YieldN/A

Market Cap$100.54 million
Rev. per Employee$191,616

Financial Glossary

Words used in this article:

Boy oh boy, it’s been quite the week. Lots of new announcements, rumours flying and a suspicious, lingering scent of turnips are of note this week (although that has little to do with the world of gaming) and here I am again for another fun-filled edition of The Week in Gaming, where I tell you all you need to know about this week’s hot topics.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Is Announced (and Gets a Trailer!)

It came as no surprise to us here at ManaTank to see Black Ops 2 being formally announced.  Rumours have been flying around for months now about Black Ops 2, with everything from leaked box arts to details about multiplayer being conveniently leaked to get the game on our radar ahead of time.

But yeah, this week actually saw Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 being formally announced by Activision, with a release date for November this year. It seems that they’re trying to make Black Ops into what Modern Warfare is; namely a franchise that’s beloved by millions, and universally condemned to the fires of Hades by others who are sick of the same old stuff every year.

That said, the new, futuristic setting of Black Ops 2 has leant me some hope of a franchise revival. The new setting looks intriguing to say the least, but if this ends up just being another carbon copy of a previous COD game this could really be the year when people start to get angry.

Many of you ManaTank regulars have already expressed distinct levels of ‘meh’ or all-out distaste in the comments on our article about the game (at the title, not at us, obviously) and it seems like we’re all judging this before it comes out. Let’s just wait and see what they do with it, then we’ll all throw stones at them together and attack the Activision offices with pitchforks and rabid bloodlust coursing through our veins. Deal?

The Elder Scrolls Online Is Very Real Indeed!

If there was ever something that had a lot of hype behind it and arrived with less of a fanfare and more of a pitiful squeak, it’s the Elder Scrolls Online.

Officially announced this week, the Elder Scrolls Online is naturally an MMO set in the Elder Scrolls universe we’ve all come to know and love.  If you haven’t come to know and love it, do it now. Seriously.  Done? Good. Anyway, fans of the Elder Scrolls series have been clamouring for absolutely, totally ages for Bethesda and Zenimax to make us an Elder Scrolls title we can play with friends, and it was kind of exciting to see those machinations finally come to fruition.

But then everyone saw the first teaser trailer, and the screenshots. Since then, the internet has been pretty much afire with people moaning about how the game looks like just another World of Warcraft clone, and many long-time fans of the series have expressed their dissatisfaction with what they’ve seen so far.

Personally I’m holding my judgement. I’m kind of meant to, being a game journalist and all that. Over the past few days we’ve reported a load of stuff on the game, including the announcement, first details, screenshots and an announcement trailer.

Be sure to check them all out. ManaTank editor Eric Pederson even compared it to having a golden toilet, and you can’t ask for more than that, can you?

More Insanity To Come From Saints Row: The Third

It’s not really as earth shattering news as the announcement of Black Ops 2 or the Elder Scrolls Online, but THQ revealing the latest batch of DLC for Saints Row: The Third nearly made me crap my pants in excitement.

Originally only a cruel April Fool’s joke, the new DLC is entitled Enter the Dominatrix and brings the one thing Saints Row 3 was lacking to the table. Superpowers!

I honestly can’t wait. I loved Saints Row: The Third with it’s totally mad-cap sense of humour, and myself and Eric of MT have spent many an hour wandering around the streets of Steelport as two toilets wielding giants fists, explosives, ridiculously overpowered jets and dildo baseball bats. Superpowers would just make that even more awesome.

Less Boobs, More Action in the New Tomb Raider

Occasional MT writer Jess Clarkson took some time out of her busy schedule this week to bring us yet another great article. In this one she relives the details about the upcoming reboot of Tomb Raider, which we haven’t seen much of at all since last year’s E3 demo.

You can learn all about it by visiting the article here.

Let Us Not Forget the Skyrim

While most of this week’s attention was directed at spewing forth venom at the Elder Scrolls online, there were a few lovely announcements also about the fate of Skyrim this week.

First of all I took the time to write a huge, lengthy description of all the voice commands for the now live Kinect version of Skyrim, so be sure to check that out, grab the update and shout FUS RO DA at mountain goats using your real voice rather than the RB button.

That very same day also saw the official announcement of Skyrim’s first DLC, Dawnguard. An announcement of DLC for anything else is only mildly exciting, but when it’s for an Elder Scrolls game (which are already massive) the prospect of even more content is certainly a very exciting one.

Full details about Dawnguard can be found here.

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. & WYOMISSING, Pa., May 07, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
— Penn National to Fund Acquisition Through Add-on to Existing Senior Secured Credit Facility -

Penn National Gaming, Inc. (penn:Nasdaq) announced today that it has
entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the stock of the Harrah’s
St. Louis gaming and lodging facility from Caesars Entertainment (czr:Nasdaq) for total consideration of approximately $610 million. The
transaction price represents a multiple of approximately 7.75 times the
property’s trailing twelve month EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes
and depreciation) and will be funded through an add-on to Penn
National’s existing Senior Secured Credit Facility. While the
acquisition is a stock transaction, for tax purposes, it will be treated
as an asset transaction which Penn National expects will provide tax
benefits that will effectively reduce the purchase multiple to 6.75
times the property’s trailing twelve month EBITDA. Pro forma for the
completion of the transaction, Penn National Gaming’s total debt to
EBITDA leverage ratio will increase to 3.25 times from 2.75 times (at
March 31, 2012).

The transaction, expected to close in the second half of 2012, is
subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals and
upon closing, Penn National will re-brand Harrah’s St. Louis with the
Company’s Hollywood-themed brand.

Harrah’s St. Louis is located in Maryland Heights, Missouri, directly
off I-70 and adjacent to the Missouri River and approximately 22 miles
northwest of downtown St. Louis, approximately eight miles west of
Lambert St. Louis International Airport, and approximately 25 miles
southwest of the Penn National’s Argosy Casino Alton. The facility is
situated on over 294 acres along the Missouri river and features
approximately 109,000 square feet of gaming space with approximately
2,600 gaming machines and 85 table games (including poker positions), a
500 guestroom hotel, nine dining and entertainment venues and structured
and surface parking for 4,644 vehicles.

Peter M. Carlino, Chief Executive Officer of Penn National, commented,
“The planned addition of Harrah’s St. Louis will further expand Penn
National’s regional operating platform with a facility that is extremely
well-positioned in a large metropolitan market. Under the terms of the
agreement with Caesars, we are required to re-brand the facility. The
re-branding with Penn National’s Hollywood brand — which has been
successfully introduced at eleven other properties across the country —
will invoke the glamour of 1930s’ art deco Hollywood. We look forward to
working with Caesars over the upcoming months to ensure a seamless
transition for all of our constituents including customers, employees,
vendors and Missouri regulators.

“This accretive transaction represents yet another way for Penn National
to sensibly leverage its industry-leading balance sheet to further
expand our property portfolio. We believe the addition of Harrah’s St.
Louis highlights our commitment to build shareholder value through
return-focused capital deployment and complements our existing
development pipeline which includes the scheduled opening of Hollywood
Casino Toledo later this month and Hollywood Casino Columbus later this
year along with the recent opening of Hollywood Casino at Kansas
Speedway. We continue to evaluate other domestic regional gaming
opportunities where we can leverage our balance sheet and proven
operating disciplines.”

About Penn National Gaming

Penn National Gaming owns, operates or has ownership interests in gaming
and racing facilities with a focus on slot machine entertainment. The
company presently operates twenty-six facilities in nineteen
jurisdictions, including Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New
Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia, and
Ontario. In aggregate, Penn National’s operated facilities currently
feature approximately 29,700 gaming machines, approximately 665 table
games, 2,400 hotel rooms and 1.2 million square feet of gaming floor
space. Penn National is also developing casinos in Toledo and Columbus,
Ohio, with openings targeted for 2012.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual
results may vary materially from expectations. Penn describes certain of
these risks and uncertainties in its filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2011. Meaningful factors that could cause actual
results to differ from expectations include, but are not limited to,
risks related to the following: our ability to receive timely regulatory
approval for and to otherwise complete the planned acquisition,
including satisfaction of all conditions precedent set forth in the
definitive purchase agreement; the costs and risks of litigation and/or
exercise of remedies, including the loss of any deposits, as set forth
in the purchase agreement or otherwise in the event that the
transactions contemplated in the purchase agreement are not consummated;
our ability to obtain the financing on acceptable terms and rates
necessary to complete the planned acquisition; our ability to
successfully integrate such acquisition into our existing business and
to achieve the expected returns; our ability to receive, or delays in
obtaining, the regulatory approvals required to own, develop and/or
operate our facilities (which can result in lost revenue and forfeiture
of deposits), or other delays or impediments to completing our planned
projects, including favorable resolution of any related litigation; our
ability to secure state and local permits and approvals necessary for
construction; construction factors, including delays, unexpected
remediation costs, local opposition and increased cost of labor and
materials; the effects of local and national economic, credit, capital
market, housing, and energy conditions on the economy in general and on
the gaming and lodging industries in particular; and other factors as
discussed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2011, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current
Reports on Form 8-K as filed with the SEC. The Company does not intend
to update publicly any forward-looking statements except as required by
law.

SOURCE: Penn National Gaming, Inc.

Penn National Gaming, Inc.
William J. Clifford, 610-373-2400
Chief Financial Officer
or
J C I R
Joseph N. Jaffoni, Richard Land
212-835-8500 or penn@jcir.com

Copyright Business Wire 2012

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