LucasArts and TT Games have released the highly anticipated game LEGO STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA. Building on the success of two prior LEGO STAR WARS videogames, each complete with LEGO action and minifigure humor, THE COMPLETE SAGA enables families to play through the events of all six STAR WARS movies in one videogame for the first time ever. Developer Traveller's Tales takes full advantage of the unique capabilities of all three next-generation consoles, while also adding new characters, new levels and new features. Players can build and battle on the Wii, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

With Michael Bay busy with TRANSFORMERS 2, Disney is in talks with HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE helmer Mike Newell to direct the screen adaptation of videogame PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME, reports VARIETY. Jerry Bruckheimer is producing. Jeffrey Nachmanoff (THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW) and PERSIA creator Jordan Mechner wrote the screenplay.

Universal Studios Sound (www.filmmakersdestination.com) announces the addition of supervising sound editor Michael Geisler, expanding the department's services in animation and gaming. The facility offers sound editorial and design, mixing, Foley, ADR and transfer for features, television, commercials and trailers, along with animation and gaming.

We begin our gaming coverage this month with a "Digital Eye" column by A2M CTO Martin Walker, who explains how this Montreal-based videogame developer has upped its 3D artistry with a new workflow and pipeline, particularly for its upcoming WET next year. Meanwhile, Alain Bielik goes behind-the-scenes of FRED CLAUS to uncover the fantastical secrets behind this latest Christmas movie opening Friday from Warner Bros. Pictures.

Bill Desowitz
Editor

Vivendi Games Mobile, a division of Vivendi Games, announced the launch of the CRASH OF THE TITANS mobile game, the newest installment of the billion-dollar-selling CRASH BANDICOOT videogame franchise.

Sierra Ent., a division of Vivendi Games, announced that the realtime strategy Windows PC EMPIRE EARTH III videogame has shipped to retailers nationwide. Developed by Mad Doc Software, EMPIRE EARTH III builds upon the success of the award-winning EMPIRE EARTH II and redefines realtime strategy games with a global approach to world domination.

Ubisoft announced that its IMAGINE series of videogames for girls 6-14 is now available at major retailers. IMAGINE ANIMAL DOCTOR, IMAGINE BABYZ, IMAGINE FASHION DESIGNER and IMAGINE MASTER CHEF are immediately available for the Nintendo DS for $29.99.

Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group has announced the promotion of Stacey Kaufman to VP, Digital Marketing and Tony Zito to VP, The N Online. The announcement was made by Steve Youngwood, Exec VP, Digital Media, Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group, to whom they report. Ms. Kaufman will simultaneously report to Pam Kaufman, CMO for Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) today condemned the controversial videogame MANHUNT2, calling its portrayal of mental illness irresponsible and stereotyped. "NAMI asks Rockstar Games to recall or further modify the videogame MANHUNT2 due to its irresponsible, stereotyped portrayal of mental illness," NAMI executive director Mike Fitzpatrick said in a statement. "We also ask retailers to be responsible in responding to public health concerns."

D3Publisher of America, Inc. (D3PA) announced that new videogame BEN 10: PROTECTOR OF EARTH, the first-ever interactive title based on Cartoon Network's Emmy-winning animated series, has shipped to retail outlets across North America. BEN 10: PROTECTOR OF EARTH is available for the Wii, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS and PSP.

Electronic Arts Inc. announced that THE SIMPSONS GAME has shipped in North America and will ship in Europe on Nov. 2. Created in partnership with 20th Century Fox Licensing and Merchandising, 20th Century Fox Television and Gracie Films, THE SIMPSONS GAME features an original script created by the TV show's Emmy Award-winning writers and voiced by the original cast from the TV show.

With the latest videogame title THE LEGEND OF SPYRO: THE ETERNAL NIGHT with voice work from Elijah Wood and Gary Oldman hitting stores this week, The Animation Picture Co. has announced that it has acquired the screen rights from Sierra Ent. and Vivendi Games to SPYRO THE DRAGON, VARIETY reports.

APC will base the CG feature on the recent LEGEND OF SPYRO trilogy of games. Steve and Dan Altiere (DR. DOOLITTLE 4) will write the script.

APC's Dan Chuba, John Davis, Mark Dippe, Brian Manis and Ash Shah are the producers. APC is looking for a director.

Sony Pictures Imageworks will be demonstrating its work on the upcoming BEOWULF at the 2007 Australian Effects & Animation Festival (AEAF), taking place at the Sydney Convention Centre Nov. 13-15.

CG Supervisor Theodore Bialek will reveal how Imageworks created BEOWULF’s stunning imagery. Using the performance capture technique pioneered with THE POLAR EXPRESS, Imageworks created director Robert Zemeckis' version of the eighth-century epic poem.

At Nintendo's request, the Hong Kong High Court has intervened to help stop a global distribution operation involving game-copying devices and modification chips that violate its copyrights and trademarks in the Nintendo DS and Wii systems.

Jerry O'Flaherty, a veteran of the videogame industry, has been tapped to direct Warner Bros.' bigscreen CG adaptation of THUNDERCATS, says VARIETY. O'Flaherty was an art director on Epic Games' GEARS OF WAR and UNREAL TOURNAMENT 3 and Westwood Studios' COMMAND AND CONQUER series.

The story will be a coming-of-age tale for Lion-O as he becomes the leader of the Thundercats. The original series followed a band of humanoid cats as they fled their dying planet, Thundera, to arrive on Third Earth, where they faced the evil sorcerer Mumm-Ra.

Spanish animation company Zinkia has inked a deal with videogame publisher and distributor Virgin PLAY to launch HELLO POCOYO!, the first console game based on the award-winning animation series POCOYO.

The deal, signed on the first day of MIPCOM, sees Virgin PLAY's v.2 PLAY label handling worldwide distribution rights for HELLO POCOYO! for Nintendo DS. The console game, which is currently in production at Zinkia's studio in Madrid, is set to debut in Spain in the first quarter of 2008.

With single-day sales of $170 million, Microsoft is pretty much hailing HALO 3 as the biggest thing since sliced bread, declaring it "the biggest entertainment launch in history." In comparison, SPIDER-MAN 3's opening day record was only $59.8 million. The blockbuster film's three-day total of $151 million doesn't even meet HALO 3's mark. Moreover, the 8.3 million units sold even beat the summer release of J.K. Rowling's HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS.

RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION helmer Russell Mulcahy is set to direct ZEN IN THE ART OF SLAYING VAMPIRES, says VARIETY. CP Prods. partners Michael Cerenzie and Christine Peters will produce. Capitol Films' David Bergstein is funding the production and will handle the distribution rights.

35th Annual Annie Awards
Glendale, California, USA
Feb. 8, 2008
Deadline: Oct. 5, 2007

Honoring outstanding achievements and excellence in the field of animation, awards will be presented in twenty-three categories, including best animated feature, home entertainment, short subject, television production, television commercial and videogame, as well as individual excellence in areas ranging from production design, character animation, character design, and effects animation to storyboarding, writing, directing, music, and voice acting.

On the back of Buena Vista's investment in an all new TUROK videogame, Turok Prods. has completed an all-new TUROK animated feature titled TUROK: SON OF STONE. The Weinstein Company presentation will be released domestically by the company's subsidiary Genius Products. Gold Key, the games division of Classic Media, and home of properties such as MAGNUS ROBOT FIGHTER, DOCTOR SOLAR and M.A.R.S, will be selling the film at this year's American Film Market (AFM).