Discreet has signed a licensing agreement with Microsoft Corp. to create, publish and distribute gmax game packs for multiple Microsoft game titles. The first confirmed title is MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR 2002: PROFESSIONAL EDITION, which is set for delivery in the third quarter of this year. With gmax and the FLIGHT SIMULATOR game pack loaded, users can import game content — aircraft, buildings, trees and other 3D objects — and customize those objects.

CartoonNetwork.com has announced that the second quarter 2001 was its busiest quarter ever. Time spent on the site increased by almost ten minutes, peaking at a record 44 minutes 42 seconds in June. Cartoon Network attributed this rise to Cartoon Orbit, the Website's online trading community for kids; its Web Premiere Toons; and Toonami: Reactor, a 12-week broadband test, which featured on-demand anime content. The Website set a monthly record in June, attracting 3,102,000 unique users, a 100% increase from the previous year.

Treat, the commercial production arm of Dogmatic, Inc., has created a thirteen Webisodes series for Pepsi, spoofing the cola company's successful Britney Spears commercial campaign. The 60 to 90-second long Webisodes, directed by the comedy directing team of Larry Shanet and David Rosenthal, combine Flash animation with live-action. The first eight installments follow an inept camera crew - ordered by Mr. Butch R.

Mondo Media announced that four of its popular Web shows, including the award-winning ELMO AARDVARK OUTER SPACE DETECTIVE!, will now air on Microsoft Corp.’s WindowsMedia.com. The Flash-created series will be available using the Windows Media player. The Mondo Mini series to air on WindowsMedia.com will include ELMO, THUGS ON FILM, HAPPY TREE FRIENDS and THIS MODERN WORLD.

Warner Bros. has launched a highly immersive Website to promote their upcoming live-action/animated feature OSMOSIS JONES at www.osmosisjones.com. Opening in the U.S. on August 10, the feature film teams a white blood cell and pill in a race to destroy a lethal virus that has infiltrated the body of Frank Detorri. Visitors to the film's site who select game mode will sign on as cops on the same immunity police force that employs Officer Osmosis, chasing down a lethal virus through the City of Frank, investigating suspects and tackling games of skill in a special arcade.

Nick.com has announced the launch of its first online comic book, THE CRIMSON CHIN, an interactive spin-off of Nickelodeon's animated comedy series, THE FAIRLY ODDPARENTS. The TV series follows the adventures of 10-year-old Timmy Turner and his troublesome fairy godparents Cosmo and Wanda. In August, in a move for TV and online convergence, THE CRIMSON CHIN Webisodes will debut as one-minute interstitials on Nickelodeon.

Children's software publisher Knowledge Adventure has announced the release of two new 3D action/adventure games on CD-Rom -JURASSIC PARK III: DANGER ZONE! and JURASSIC PARK III: DINO DEFENDER. DANGER ZONE! has players racing against time to collect dinosaur DNA before the ancient reptiles become extinct again. DINO DEFENDER has gamers trapping or tranquilizing renegade dinosaurs. "Kids love dinosaurs and Jurassic Park is the premier dinosaur brand the world over," said Leslie House, vice president, Knowledge Adventure.

Empire Interactive, one of the U.K.'s leading computer game developers and publishers, and Vivendi Universal Publishing has announced a distribution deal, which will bring six new franchises to North America. The deal includes fifteen titles scheduled to premiere in fall 2001. As part of the deal, VU Publishing has acquired the rights to distribute six of Empire's upcoming titles, VICTORIOUS BOXERS, END GAME, ANTZ RACING, STARSKY & HUTCH, GHOSTMASTER and WORLD SPORTS CARS in the U.S. and Canada. Empire plans to publish the titles for multiple next-generation platforms and PC-CD Rom.

TDK Mediactive Inc., a global publisher of entertainment software, has announced they’ve begun development on a new title for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance system based on the mega-hit DreamWorks film, SHREK. The title, scheduled for a spring 2002 release, will feature characters from the movie in a kart race. "The response to SHREK both as a feature film and video game has been tremendous," said Vincent Bitetti, chief executive officer of TDK Mediactive.

Warner Bros. Online has ordered an additional 30 Webisodes of the 3D animated THE MULTIPATH ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN from producer Brilliant Digital Entertainment. The new installments will debut this fall, lifting the total number of Webisodes in the series to 75. In addition to SUPERMAN, WB.com airs Brilliant Digital's XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS, CHOOSE YOUR OWN NIGHTMARE and starting this fall, selected animated music videos from such musical artists as Ja Rule, Ludacris, Redman and Lady Luck. Brilliant Digital president Kevin Bermeister said, "Warner Bros.