Activision Blizzard, which was formed on July 9 as a result of the closing of Activision's transaction with Vivendi, announced record stand-alone June quarter financial results for Activision, Inc.
Kickstand, the animation research and development studio, launched their Brooklyn, New York office this week. Kickstand provides consulting services in custom plug-in development, pipeline design, 3D content and asset creation including character modeling and rigging, and pitch development.
Having already worked with a number of studios in New York and Los Angeles, Kickstand is eager to expand its client list and bring advanced custom technology to animation and video game studios throughout the industry.
For the quarter ended June 30, 2008, DreamWorks Animation reported total revenue of $140.8 million and net income of $27.5 million, a 37 percent drop from the same time period last year.
This equals a $0.30 per share on a fully diluted basis, compared to revenue of $222.5 million and net income of $61.8 million, or $0.60 per share on a fully diluted basis, for the same period in 2007.
The American Federation of Musicians, Local 802 and Little Airplane Productions have reached an agreement on all issues concerning the children's television show, THE WONDER PETS! The agreement also extends to Hootenanny, the company that engages the musicians for THE WONDER PETS!
The Emmy award-winning show is at the forefront of quality children's programming. Its musicians will now enjoy the benefits and protections of a union contract.
Ludlum Ent. has reacquired exclusive rights to develop, publish and distribute multi-platform games based on the literary works of late-author Robert Ludlum, the world-renown novelist whose works including the BOURNE and COVERT ONE series have sold more than 290 million copies worldwide and spawned the theatrical box office hits THE BOURNE IDENTITY and THE BOURNE SUPREMACY.
The Walt Disney Company today reported earnings for the third fiscal quarter and nine months ended June 28, 2008. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) for the third quarter increased to $0.66, compared to $0.57 in the prior-year quarter.
EPS for the current quarter included an accounting gain related to the acquisition of the Disney Stores in North America, a gain on the sale of movies.com, and the favorable resolution of certain prior-year income tax matters. Collectively, these items totaled $0.04 per share.
On June 30, 2008, Local 802 AFM filed unfair labor charges under the National Labor Relations Act against Little Airplane Productions, Inc., alleging coercion and negotiating in bad faith.
While engaged in contract negotiations with the Associated Musicians of Greater New York, Local 802 AFM, Little Airplane Productions, Inc. illegally and unilaterally replaced, without notice, its musicians for its children's program THE WONDER PETS!
VICON House of Moves, a motion capture service bureau and a division of VICON, the developer of Academy Award-winning motion capture systems, announced the company's most significant expansion to date.
Israel-based Revolver animation and game technologies, has secured more than $2 million from Maayan Ventures and from private investors. Revolver will use the investment to expand its research and development activities as well as its global marketing initiatives. Arie Scope, former CEO of Microsoft Israel currently serves as Revolver's Chairman of the Board.
Global manga giants TOKYOPOP and Gentosha Comics have entered into a worldwide partnership to advance the cause of the manga revolution. Under the terms of the alliance, TOKYOPOP will provide sublicensing agency services (outside of Asia, France, and Italy) for Gentosha Comics's world-class library of manga hits, including titles like GRAVITATION, LAMENT OF THE LAMB, and ARM OF KANNON.
The companies will also pursue a wealth of co-development opportunities in the digital, film, and merchandising spaces.
Entertainment One has acquired three television content suppliers: Blueprint Ent., Barna-Alper Productions, Maximum Films and Oasis International.
As a result, Blueprint is now part of a public company trading on the AIM exchange in the U.K. and operating as a fully integrated film and television production and distribution company with offices in Toronto, Los Angeles, Montreal, New York, London, Holland and Belgium.
Cookie Jar Ent. has closed its previously-announced merger transaction with DIC Ent. Effective immediately, DIC will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cookie Jar.
Stockholders on Monday voted to approve the $87.6 million deal.
Cookie Jar and American Greetings also announced that all litigation involving DIC, the licensing agreement between American Greetings and DIC for STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE, and Cookie Jar's acquisition of DIC has been dismissed.
Toronto-based animation and commercial house Red Rover Studios has been acquired by House of Cool Studios, combining the two company's creative talent.
"We are very excited about the melding of the two creative teams," says House of Cool Co-owner Ricardo Curtis. "The majority of the artists who made Red Rover one of the leading CG commercial houses in the country, have joined forces with the designers, story artists, and directors from House of Cool, to make a Canadian animation studio, capable of everything from high end 3D commercials, to full length feature film."
MyToons.com has completed its second round of funding led by Syncom Venture Partners and Barshop Ventures. The capital will be used to support MyToons' continued technology infrastructure development and revenue growth, as well as expanded global partnerships. Launched in spring of 2007, MyToons.com provides global content creators with a platform to promote and share their original animations, artwork, and games with animators, enthusiasts and fans world-wide.
Imagi International Holdings, Limited has entered into an agreement with Merriman Curhan Ford & Co. whereby the bank will serve as Imagi's Principal American Liaison (PAL) on the International OTCQX, a U.S. listing service representing some of the best companies listed outside the United States.
Imagi's listing on the International OTCQX will enable the Hong Kong CG animation company to gain access to a currently untapped pool of U.S. investors.
Imagi's secondary listing on the International OTCQX is scheduled to become active in September.
C21MEDIA reports that DIC Ent.'s stockholders met today to vote on the proposed merger with Canadian Cookie Jar Ent., which is worth $87.6 million.
The stockholder meeting was scheduled for 10 a.m. to discuss the proposed merger, which was first announced June 20.
DIC has suspended trading on London's Alternative Investment Market (AIM) pending the outcome of the meeting. If the shareholders approve the merger, it will be submitted to the Delaware secretary of state on or around July 21, with a withdrawal from AIM on July 23.
Foundation 9 Ent. is clarifying the branding for its three Amaze Ent. studios. The move comes as a result of the company's studio-focused strategy to foster individuality and studio autonomy within the company.
The Austin, Texas, USA studio is reinstating its original name, Fizz Factor, and the handheld studio in Kirkland, Washington, USA is also reinstating its original name, Griptonite Games. The console studio in Kirkland will be keeping the Amaze Ent. name.
The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) is establishing a task force to define the parameters of a stereoscopic 3-D mastering standard for content viewed in the home. Called 3-D Home Display Formats Task Force, the project promises to propel the 3-D home entertainment industry forward by setting the stage for a standard that will enable 3-D feature films and other programming to be played on all fixed devices in the home, no matter the delivery channel.
The sale of the entertainment unit of EM.Sport Media AG to Studio 100, a Belgian media company, was completed today.
The sale was approved by the antitrust authorities in charge, as well as the Bavarian Regulatory Authority for Commercial Broadcasting and the Commission on Concentration in the Media.
Japanese manga and graphic novel publisher VIZ Media is starting a production company to create films from their catalogue, including NARUTO, BLEACH and DEATH NOTE.
Jason Hoffs, former production exec at Amblin and DreamWorks, will head up the company, based in Hollywood.
Japanese publishing houses Shogakukan, Shueisha and Hakusensha are the parent companies. Those three publish almost half of all manga that comes to the U.S.
OGPlanet, a provider of multiplayer online games, has received funding from a leading venture capital firm DFJ Athena. This funding supports its continued growth and the company is expected to reach profitability shortly.
IMAX Corporation and Tokyu Recreation, the owner of 109 Cinemas, one of Japan's largest exhibition chains, have entered into a joint venture agreement to install up to four IMAX theatres in Japan. The agreement marks IMAX's second international joint venture deal, as the Company aligns itself with top exhibitors worldwide with its new IMAX Digital theatre system. To date, IMAX has signed contracts for more than 180 IMAX Digital theatre systems, with approximately 50 expected to be installed by the end of 2008.
Perspective Studios, a leading creator of animation and motion capture for feature film, television, commercials and video games, announced Tuesday the opening of a West Coast studio in Santa Monica, California.
In a significant expansion for the company, which also has state-of-the-art motion capture and production facilities in New York, the new facility will provide top-quality 3-D animation and motion capture on the ground in Los Angeles and support Perspective Studios' rapidly expanding portfolio of clients, production attachments and original IP.
The Visual Effects Society (VES), the entertainment industry's only official organization representing the extended community of visual effects professionals, has published its first ever white paper, entitled "The State of Visual Effects in the Entertainment Industry."
Vivendi and Activision have completed their transformation to create Activision Blizzard, which was first announced in December 2007.
Activision Blizzard was formed by combining Activision, one of the world's leading independent publishers of interactive entertainment, and Vivendi Games, Vivendi's interactive entertainment business, which includes Blizzard Ent.'s WORLD OF WARCRAFT, the world's #1 subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Activision Blizzard will continue to operate as a public company traded on Nasdaq under the ticker ATVI.
