Games

Take Two Takes More Time on Grand Theft IV

Take Two announced that the release of GRAND THEFT AUTO IV has been moved from Oct. 2007 to March or April of 2008, VARIETY reports. Take Two chairman Strauss Zelnick stated technical issues were to blame for the delay.

The move caused the company to revise its fiscal year estimate from $1.25 billion to $950 million-$1 billion. Previously, the company believed it would break even for the year, but now anticipates a loss of up to $1.35 per share. The disappointing news lead investors to drop Take Two stock, creating a 19% fall in its pricetag.

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Headline News

REALVIZ to Showcase HDR Imaging Studio & Movimento at SIGGRAPH 2007

REALVIZ will be showcasing its latest technological advancements at SIGGRAPH 2007 in San Diego (booth 1629) from Aug. 7-9.

The REALVIZ team will demonstrate the REALVIZ HDR Imaging Studio, unveiled in June, and REALVIZ Movimento, a state-of-the-art video-based motion-capture solution, which debuted at SIGGRAPH 2006.

In Event, Games, Visual Effects, Event, Games, Visual Effects | Headline News | Special Events: SIGGRAPH | Geographic Region: All, Europe

Headline News

Rainmaker's Jones & Breakspear to Present at //ADAPT 2007 Conference

Artists and visual effects supervisors Ed Jones and Mark Breakspear of Rainmaker Ent. Inc. have joined the //ADAPT Conference lineup at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Montreal from Sept. 24-28, 2007. An estimated 2,500 people from around the world are expected to attend the industry's second annual creative event focused on inspiring and teaching advanced digital art production techniques for film, visual effects and videogame development. The program includes more than 40 digital art masters, an Art Expo, a Theatre, a Job Fair and much more.

In Event, Games, Visual Effects, Event, Games, Visual Effects | Headline News | Special Events: SIGGRAPH | Geographic Region: All, North America

Million Headline News

TV, Parks, Consumer Products Perform Profit Gains for Disney's Third Quarter

The Walt Disney Co. reports an improved profits of $1.2 billion, a 4.7% gain, on revenues of $9 billion, for the third quarter and nine months ended June 30, 2007, a 6.7% rise on the same period last year. The company credited strong TV program sales and higher theme park attendance for the gain.

Operating income in its Media Networks group jumped 23% to $1.358 billion.

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Kids Headline News

Kabillion Launches New Preschool-Focused VOD & Broadband Platform Kabillion Jr.

Kabillion, the new multi-platform kids' program service, will launch a new preschool-focused block of programming, Kabillion Jr., on Aug. 1, 2007. Kabillion Jr. will offer animated programming for kids 2-5 on both Kabillion On-Demand (on Comcast Cable systems nationwide) and Kabillion's broadband site, www.Kabillion.com.

Debut programming offered on Kabillion Jr. includes the 3D CGI-animated DIVE OLLY DIVE! and the animated series based on everyone's favorite dolphin and his young human friend, FLIPPER & LOPAKA. Shows will be added to the schedule in the coming months.

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Headline News

JoeCartoon Launches One-Stop Humor Portal

JoeCartoon, who was recently acquired by Endemol USA, announced the re-launch of its new 'humor portal' JoeCartoon.com. The revamped website offers an enhanced user-friendly interface.

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Mobile Headline News

Aardman Expands Mobile Offerings With Ad-Supported Video

Aardman Animations is expanding its content lineup on mobile. The content will be added to operator 3's ad-supported video service, which is operated by Rhythm NewMedia. Aardman has been successful in this arena with ANGRY KID, which, at its peak, sold more than 10,000 video clips a day over mobile networks. Aardman will be adding onto the ad-supported video service clips from CREATURE COMFORTS, A TOWN CALLED PANIC, PURPLE and BROWN AND MORPH.

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Interactive Headline News

Aardman Animations & Enable Interactive Create New Interactive Kids Portal

WebbliWorld Ltd. commissioned Aardman Animations and Enable Interactive to design and develop www.webbliworld.com, a fun, interactive and engaging virtual world for children. The website features animated films starring new characters, as well as interactive games and adventures, and a fun, whimsical world for children to explore.

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Headline News

Xbox Price Drop Coming in Aug.

In an effort to pick up some ground on next-gen leader Nintendo, Microsoft will reduce the price of its Xbox 360 by $50 on Aug. 8, 2007, sources told THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. At this time it is unclear if the price cut will effect all three versions of the system. The core model currently sells for $299, while the pro model is $399 and the elite model is $479.

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VFXWorld

//ADAPT 2007 Preview: Digitally Enhanced

Janet Hetherington chats with //ADAPT co-founder Jean-Eric Hault as Montreal gears up for its second //ADAPT conference from Sept. 24 to 28.

In Games | VFXWorld

Avatar Headline News

Ubisoft Lands James Cameron's Avatar

Ubisoft announced that it will develop and publish the videogame based on 20th Century Fox's AVATAR, the upcoming feature film written and directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker James Cameron.

AVATAR is the story of an ex-Marine who finds himself thrust into hostilities on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms. As an Avatar, a human mind in an alien body, he finds himself torn between two worlds, in a desperate fight for his own survival and that of the indigenous people.

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Game Headline News

Disney Signs Wizkids to Create Pirates Of The Caribbean Pocketmodel Game

WizKids Inc. will produce the DISNEY'S PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN POCKETMODEL game, to be released in October 2007.

WizKids will be able to use content from all three PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN movies. The PocketModel game platform allows players to construct 3D pirate ships from pieces punched out of a styrene card. Players then use movie characters and action scenes on cards to help control the strategy of the game.

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Game Headline News

Iranian Students Engage Cyberwar Videogame to Counter U.S. Assault on Iran

An Iranian student group recently unveiled a new videogame that simulates an attempt to rescue two Iranian nuclear experts kidnapped by the U.S. military and then held in Iraq and Israel, reports various news agencies.

The RESCUE THE NUKE SCIENTIST videogame, designed by the Union of Students Islamic Assoc., is a response to a U.S.-based company's ASSAULT ON IRAN game (Kuma Reality Games), which depicts an American attack on an Iranian nuclear facility, says its creators.

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Headline News

Ghostlight to Release Decathletes in Time for 2008 Olympics

Ghostlight has announced the release of DECATHLETES for the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP in spring 2008. Ghostlight has confirmed that development duties will be handled by The Code Monkeys, the studio behind games, such as SHREK TREASURE HUNT and CHARLOTTE'S WEB.

Adrian Hirst, development director at Code Monkeys, said, "Our goal is to create a highly realistic athletics simulator whilst maintaining a compelling pick up and play game style akin to titles, such as TRACK AND FIELD and DALEY THOMPSON'S DECATHLON."

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Mobile Headline News

Simpsons Have a Meltdown in New EA Mobile Game

Electronic Arts Inc. announced THE SIMPSONS: MINUTES TO MELTDOWN, an original game developed exclusively for mobile phones starring the world's favorite animated family. Created in conjunction with Fox Mobile Ent. and Gracie Films, MINUTES TO MELTDOWN takes mobile gamers on a fast-paced, action-packed adventure through Springfield. The game, which features Homer and a colorful cast of Springfieldians, can now be downloaded directly from major wireless carriers in North America and Europe and on the web via Jamster (www.jamster.com).

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Games VFXWorld

E3 2007: Wow, What A Difference a Year Makes

Rick DeMott travels to the revamped E3 and discovers a maturing gaming industry that has put playtime aside and focused on the business of playing games.

In Games | VFXWorld

Avatar Headline News

THQ's Avatar Game Scores Sony's Greatest Hits Status

THQ's first videogame title based on the popular Nickelodeon TV series, AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER, has reached a major retail milestone as Sony Computer Ent. America's "Greatest Hits" status for the PlayStation 2 and is now available at retailers throughout North America for the suggested retail price of $19.99. AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER made its videogame debut in October 2006 and finished the year as THQ's top-selling Nick property.

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Effects Headline News

Open Voting Begins for Boxx's Road to Nirvana VFX Contest With Gnomon

BOXX Technologies announced that open voting has now begun on in its Road to Nirvana Visual Effects Student Contest . In an effort to reinforce its commitment to the community visual effects artists, BOXX teamed with the Gnomon School of Visual Effects to highlight the work of student artists who are pushing the limits of visual effects.

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Animation Headline News

Anistock Launches Library of Stock Animations

Anistock has launched its animation library, a web destination (www.anistock.com) for stock royalty free 2D and 3D animation. From graphic artists to web designers, art directors to corporate marketing, all can obtain and instantly download, fully customizable stock animations for use in web, broadcast and other new media productions.

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Headline News

Ubisoft Sells Stake In Gameloft

Ubisoft, one of the world's largest videogame publishers, announced that on July 12, 2007 it sold the 13,367,923 shares it owned in Gameloft (representing 18.89% of the company's capital) to Calyon, Credit Agricole Group's Corporate and Investment Bank. The sale price was 6.08 euros, based on Gameloft's closing share price on July 12, 2007.

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Anime Headline News

FUNimation Anime Coming to Net Via TotalVid

TotalVid.com, the Internet video-on-demand service from Landmark Communications, has announced the availability of five new anime series from FUNimation Ent. downloadable through its subscription platform. TotalVid.com offers consumers unlimited access to thousands of enthusiast, special interest and instructional videos, movies and TV episodes in categories such as anime, action sports, martial arts and travel on a subscription basis for $9.95 per month. Individual anime episodes will also be available on a download-to-own basis for $1.99 each.

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Film Headline News

Disney's Gourd Turns Movie Magic Into Game

Walt Disney Studios Asia Pacific's animated feature THE MAGIC GOURD scored $2 million in its second weekend in China and will now be turned into a videogame, reports VARIETY. Walt Disney Internet Group plans to release 15 Java-based mobile games based on the film later in the year.

The CG film's week two receipts were down only 16% over its June 29, 2007, opening weekend.

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Animation Headline News

AnimationMentor.com Co-Founders Added to //ADAPT Masters Program

Digital 04 Studios is pleased to announce additional speakers to the //ADAPT 2007 Conference schedule. Presenting in the 3D Masters Program are Shawn Kelly and Carlos Baena, renowned artists and two of the three founders of AnimationMentor.com, the leading online animation school.

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Wars Headline News

Sony Redesigns PSP with Star Wars, Daxter & Family Guy Packs

Sony Computer Ent. Inc. & Sony Computer Ent. America Inc. (SCEA) recently unveiled a new PSP that has a more streamlined for a video-out port and two new PSP Entertainment Packs based on the DAXTER, FAMILY GUY and STAR WARS properties. The new units will be available in North America this fall for $199.99.

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Series Headline News

AtomFilms & Aardman Animations Team Up For Pib and Pog

AtomFilms (www.atomfilms.com) and Aardman Animations announced the debut of PIB AND POG, an original broadband animated series. The series plays exclusively on AtomFilms.com at pibandpog.atomfilms.com and through the AtomFilms Channel on Verizon Wireless' V CAST service. Later this month, PIB AND POG will also be available for download on the AtomFilms Channel on xBox Live.

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