Sydney, Australia-based Digital animation studio Plastic Wax, who specialize in videogame production, are implementing global expansion plans that include extensive talent acquisition, investments in new technology and the opening of an office in San Francisco focused on business development.

Following detailed discussions with various interested parties over the last five months, Take-Two Software's board of directors has determined that it is in the best interests of stockholders to conclude its review of strategic alternatives and to continue operating and building Take-Two as an independent company.

Co-Founder/EP Saffron Case and Co-Founder/Director Mikon van Gastel of New York-based production house A Very Small Office (AVSO) have opened design and animation company Offspring. Case and van Gastel, who have spent many years with both the Los Angeles and New York offices of Imaginary Forces are taking their vision and years of design-based production experience into a new realm.

Cartoon Network will feature exclusive content during commercial breaks from the premiere of STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS, the first weekly television series from Lucasfilm Animation. Walden Media and EA will both utilize the high profile night of programming to promote their upcoming properties through two custom promotions.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS premieres on Cartoon Network Friday, October 3 at 9 p.m. (ET, PT) with a limited commercial, one-hour presentation that anchors the network’s all-new night of fantasy, action and adventure.

RESIDENT EVIL DEGENERATION will be released on N-Gage later this year from Capcom and Nokia. With gameplay optimized for N-Gage, including two separate play modes, plus multiple mission types and 3D quality graphics, RESIDENT EVIL DEGENERATION illustrates the unique capabilities of the N-Gage platform.

Six months later, Electronic Arts has ended its drive to buy Take-Two Interactive, per VARIETY. EA had been in private talks with Take-Two, but declined to make a new offer. It previously had made a $2 billion offer, which was repeatedly turned down by Take-Two execs and later their shareholders.

When asked Sunday why a deal wasn't reached, Take-Two exec chairman Strauss Zelnick said, "They made their tender offer numerous times while we have continued to beat our guidance and put out hit games, so you can draw your own conclusions."

New filmmaking studio Framelight Productions is looking to add to the volume of comic book and graphic novel film adaptations, per THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.

Launched by producer Jeffrey Erb and entrepreneur Robert Robinson Jr., they have options on properties including Marvel Comics' DR. DETH WITH KIP AND MUFFY from G.I. JOE author Larry Hama. Framelight has plans to make six to eight films in the next five years, all within the $20 to $80 million range.

Sales of videogame software and hardware in the U.S. rose 9 percent in August to $994.8 million, according to data from market researcher NPD Group, per the ASSOCIATED PRESS.

Sales of the portable Nintendo DS topped 514,000 in August, bringing the total sold in the U.S. to almost 22 million. Nintendo Wii was the second-highest seller with 448,000 sold, for a lifetime total of almost 22 million. Microsoft's Xbox 360 came in third with 192,000 units sold and Sony's PlayStation 3 coming in fourth with 185,400 units.

Paramount Pictures has signed Gore Verbinski to direct his first animated feature film, RANGO, starring Johnny Depp, who will voice the title character, a pet who goes on a self-discovery adventure. Release is set for March 2011.

The screenplay was written by Oscar-nominated screenwriter John Logan (GLADIATOR, THE AVIATOR, SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET). RANGO will be produced by Verbinski's Blind Wink Productions, Graham King and John Carls (OPEN SEASON). The animation for RANGO will be provided by the San Francisco-based Industrial Light and Magic.

Warner Bros. Interactive Ent. announced the new name -- F.E.A.R. 2: PROJECT ORIGIN for the sequel to the hit videogame F.E.A.R. The game is being developed for Xbox 360, Windows PC and PlayStation 3 by Monolith Productions and will be published by Warner Bros. Interactive on February 10, 2009 in North America and February 13, 2009 in Europe.