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Category: Interactive

Special Headline News

EA & Digital Illusions Ship Battlefield 2: Special Forces Expansion Pack

Electronic Arts and Digital Illusions announced that the expansion pack for the award-winning BATTLEFIELD 2 PC game are now shipping to retail outlets and available via download at www.downloader.ea.com. Powered by the BATTLEFIELD 2 game engine, BATTLEFIELD 2: SPECIAL FORCES brings players into the realm of covert ops with the latest, most technologically advanced vehicles and weapons systems.

Interactive Headline News

Atari & Marathon Release Totally Spies! for the Game Boy Advance

Atari Inc. and Marathon Animation have released the TOTALLY SPIES! videogame to U.S. stores for the Game Boy Advance. This is the first game based on the TOTALLY SPIES! hit animated TV series that stars three teen super-spies from Beverly Hills, who fight international crime. Airing since 2001, Totally Spies! is seen in more than 100 markets worldwide, including the Cartoon Network in the USA.

Star Headline News

Star Trek Net Spoof Finland's Most Viewed Movie

A spoof of science-fiction classic STAR TREK distributed free over Internet has become Finland's most viewed movie, REUTERS reports and has reached more than three million viewers in less than two months.

STAR WRECK: IN THE PIRKINNING is a full-length feature (with English subtitles) made by a group of students and other amateur filmmakers on a few home computers to create elaborate special effects on a minimalist budget.

Game Headline News

King Kong Invades Game World

With the release of Peter Jacksons KING KONG in theaters Dec. 14, 2005, the giant ape has begun making his presence felt in the videogame world as well. On the same day the official game based on the movie picked up an award at the Spike TV Video Game Awards, Ubisoft and Universal Studios Consumer Products Group announced that Academy Award-nominee Naomi Watts and Jack Black appear via likeness and provide voice talent for the videogame PETER JACKSON'S KING KONG: THE OFFICIAL GAME OF THE MOVIE.

Dreamworks Headline News

Activision & DreamWorks Animation Sign Multi-Year, Multi-Property Deal

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, November 16, 2005 at 12:00am

Activision Inc. and DreamWorks Animation SKG jointly announced that the companies have agreed to a new long-term, broad-based strategic alliance. The companies signed a multi-year agreement, which grants Activision the exclusive videogame rights to upcoming feature films from DreamWorks Animation.

Game Headline News

Quantic Dream Uses Vicon MoCap on INDIGO PROPHECY Game

The Vicon motion capture system has been utilized by French studio Quantic Dream on the new console/computer game INDIGO PROPHECY (known as FAHRENHEIT overseas).

The breakthrough third-person action-adventure game, published by Atari and lauded for its blending of cinema and interactivity, has quickly become an international bestseller.

Series Headline News

AOL and Warner Bros. to Launch New Broadband Network In2TV On AOL.com

AOL and Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution are collaborating to form a new broadband network in early 2006. The network, called In2TV (on AOL.com), will give consumers access to thousands of episodes from popular TV series to stream on demand for free on the Web, including full-length episodes from favorite series such as WELCOME BACK KOTTER, SISTERS, BEETLEJUICE, LOIS & CLARK, LA FEMME NIKITA and GROWING PAINS. Along with full-length episodes, In2TV will also include interactive features such as games, quizzes, polls, trivia contests and more.

Animation Headline News

China Gets Game

A ceremony was held earlier this week in Shanghai to launch a state-level base for the development of the fledging online game animation industry in China, reports ASIA PULSE.

Located in the Zhangjiang High-tech Zone in east Chinas Shanghai municipality, this is the third such kind of 3D industrial base for online game animation in the country following those set up in Sichuan and Guangdong provinces.

Headline News

Lord of the Rings: Tactics PSP Out, Weaving Joins Battle for Middle-earth II

By Rick DeMott | Thursday, November 10, 2005 at 12:00am

Electronic Arts Inc. announced that THE LORD OF THE RINGS: TACTICS, exclusively for the PSP, has shipped and that Hugo Weaving will lend his voice to THE LORD OF THE RINGS, THE BATTLE FOR MIDDLE-EARTH II.

Interactive Headline News

Atari's The Matrix: Path Of Neo in Stores Now

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, November 9, 2005 at 12:00am

Atari Inc. and Warner Bros. Interactive Ent. announced that the highly-anticipated videogame THE MATRIX: PATH OF NEO is now available in stores nationwide for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Windows. The follow-up to the multi-million-unit selling ENTER THE MATRIX, THE MATRIX: PATH OF NEO marks the second collaboration between Atari and its Shiny Ent. development studio; the Wachowski brothers, creators of THE MATRIX trilogy; Joel Silver, producer of the trilogy; and Warner Bros. Interactive Ent.

Games Headline News

Atari Licenses Unreal Engine 3

Atari Inc. and Epic Games announced that Atari has obtained the rights to use the Unreal Engine 3 and tools for games on next-gen platforms in a multiple-licensing agreement.

Were excited to continue building our relationship with Epic Games and we look forward to tapping the potential of Unreal Engine 3 technology, said Jean-Marcel Nicolai, svp of Worldwide Product Content, Atari Inc. By utilizing the Unreal Engine 3, Atari will gain rapid prototyping capabilities.

Headline News

Animation Art Auctioned Online to Help Katrina Survivors

Native New Orleanian Mo Willems is hosting The Pigeons Auction For Children Affected By Katrina. The online auction begins Nov. 15 and runs through Nov. 25, 2005. Willems asked a group of friends who happen to be renowned childrens authors, illustrators and television creators to join him in auctioning off original art, signed books and signed memorabilia to benefit the Foundations for Recovery, a Louisiana-based group that has organized funds for children and education affected by Hurricane Katrina and Rita.

Artists participating include:

Headline News

EA Ships Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire Videogame

Electronic Arts and Warner Bros. Interactive Ent. have release the HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE videogame for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance and Windows PC. Launching in conjunction with the Warner Bros. Pictures film based on J.K. Rowlings fourth book, the game allows players to experience moments from the movie and master magic in cooperative play with up to two of their friends.

Cartoon Headline News

Cartoon Producers Vie For Chinese Cell Phone Animation Market

International animation producers are tying to gain a foothold in the world's largest cell phone market reports CHINAVIEW.COM.

"One exciting venue which holds great potential for animation in China and around the world is the cell phone," said Sander K. Johnson, president of International Television for Asia (ITA), during the Fourth China Cartoon Industry Forum, being held in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province.

Animation Headline News

Politicians Turning to Web Animation

Though its not new for politicians to us animation in their campaigns, more and more politicians are turning to Web animation to get their message out, according to an AP report.

The often-satirical ads are cheap to produce and have the potential to be spread to many voters quickly over the Net.

Game Headline News

THQ Ships The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer Game

THQ Inc. has shipped globally THE INCREDIBLES: RISE OF THE UNDERMINER videogame for play on PlayStation2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS and Windows PC/Mac. This is the followup to the hit videogame, THE INCREDIBLES, inspired by a Walt Disney Pictures presentation of a Pixar Animations Studios film, THE INCREDIBLES.

Headline News

EA Says Cowabunga to Simpsons Gaming Rights

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, November 2, 2005 at 12:00am

Electronic Arts, Twentieth Century Fox Television and Gracie Films announced a long-term deal that grants EA development rights to multiple videogame titles based on the FOX hit series THE SIMPSONS. Working closely with the television studios Licensing and Merchandising division, show producers Gracie Films and THE SIMPSONS writers, EA will create original SIMPSONS game content for next generation videogame systems. This deal between Fox and EA is the first development deal between these two entities. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Game Headline News

Call of Duty 2: Big Red One Launches Epic Invasion on the Retail Front

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, November 2, 2005 at 12:00am

Activision Inc. has shipped CALL OF DUTY 2: BIG RED ONE to stores nationwide. Developed by Treyarch, the game allows players to put on the boots of the highly decorated WWII heroes of the U.S. Army's famed Fighting 1st Infantry Division, known as The Big Red One. In a departure for the CALL OF DUTY franchise, players will get to know their squadmates more than ever before as they fight alongside a single squad to accomplish a variety of missions spanning from Northern Africa to Nazi-occupied Western Europe.

Games Headline News

2K Games Tackles Da Vinci Code Game

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, November 2, 2005 at 12:00am

2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., announced an exclusive worldwide agreement with Sony Pictures Consumer Products to publish and distribute current generation console videogames based on the THE DA VINCI CODE film by Oscar-winning director Ron Howard, which is based on Dan Brown's bestselling novel.

The games are being developed by The Collective, a division of Foundation 9 Ent. Timed to coincide with the film release date, THE DA VINCI CODE games are expected to be available in May 2006.

Nickelodeon Headline News

Nicktoons Characters Unite for THQ Videogame

THQ Inc. and Nickelodeon announced NICKTOONS UNITE! for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance has shipped to retail outlets throughout North America. NICKTOONS UNITE! allows players to interact with the stars from some of the most popular Nickelodeon TV shows, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Timmy Turner (from THE FAIRLY ODDPARENTS), Jimmy Neutron and Danny Phantom.

Frederator Headline News

Frederator Studios Launches Channel Frederator for Cartoon Podcasts

Frederator Studios founder Fred Seibert has launched Channel Frederator, the world's first cartoon video podcast created expressly for distribution of world-class content on portable video devices, such as the Apple iPod and the Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP).

Episodes released weekly will contain several shorts from original and vintage cartoons submitted by producers from around the world, packaged into 10- to 15-minute episodes by the Channel Frederator programming team.

Global Headline News

Climate Mash Makes Global Warning a Halloween Event

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, October 26, 2005 at 12:00am

In celebration of Halloween, a new Flash movie CLIMATE MASH (www.climatemash.org/) has hit the Net, exposing the zombies and vampires of global warming denial. This take on the song "Monster Mash" was recorded by original "Monster Mash" artist Bobby "Boris" Pickett. Clear the Air, the sponsors of the CLIMATE MASH, said a much higher than expected 99,704 unique visitors viewed the Flash movie 117,866 times since it first went online on Oct. 18.

Headline News

IBM Delivers Power-based Chip for Microsoft Xbox 360 Launch

At Fall Processor Forum in San Jose, California, IBM announced that the custom designed microprocessor built for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console is in production at the company's East Fishkill, New York, fab and at Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing in Singapore. Together, IBM and Chartered's common platform offers Microsoft a unique dual-source capability that provides the highest level of manufacturing redundancy and flexibility.

Cartoons Headline News

Become a Republican Now Tooning on the Web

Perhaps giving JibJab a run for its website political humor money is BECOME A REPUBLICAN (www.thefrown.com/frowners/becomerepublican.swf) on The Frown.com. Written and drawn by Brian Frisk, the animated comic satirically points out the benefits of going from being a blue state voter to a red state voter in the U.S.

With music by Shok, the style and character design seems to be inspired by UPA and THE SIMPSONS.

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