In response to growing demand from industry, Game Art and Design and Visual Effects have been added to broaden the mix of accredited diploma programs offered at Vancouver Institute of Media Arts. The addition of Game Art & Design in 2003 and now Visual FX allows our students the ability to focus their training in more specific areas of the industry says Alan Phillips, President of VanArts.
Can't you wait to see DreamWorks' SHREK 2 movie, you can play the videogame now from Activision, available on PlayStation2, Xbox or GameCube for a suggested retail price of $49.99. The Game Boy Advance and PC versions are available for a suggested retail price of $29.99.
Discreet and Mobile Game partners announced the 14 finalists in the first international 3D Mobile Game Gaming Contest.
Mary Ann Skweres talks with the developers of the role-playing game Sudeki about their creative and technical processes.
The new videogame, PLAYBOY: THE MANSION, from Groove Games and ARUSH Entertainment, published under license from Playboy Enterprises, will be available on the PlayStation2 for the 2004 holiday season.
Under development at Cyberlore Studios, PLAYBOY: THE MANSION combines intriguing social interaction, party-throwing simulation and empire- building challenges in the gaming experience. This marks the marks Playboy's entry into videogame.
The Pixel Priestess looks at how the world of VFX fits into its sister (brother?) universe of games.
The U.S. Army has struck a deal with French gaming firm Ubisoft to bring its combat training game to Xbox and PlayStation 2, reports the AP. This new development pact will be an offshoot of the Army's popular multiplayer online PC game, AMERICA'S ARMY, which was launched in 2002. The videogame is scheduled to hit shelves in late 2005 or early 2006.
Henry Turner investigates the advancing and detailed production of gaming cinematics.
Blur Studio brings the tiny robot hero of Vivendi Universal's new game METAL ARMS: GLITCH IN THE SYSTEM to life in a new TV spot. The commerical was conceived by L.A. agency Kovel/Fuller. Titled COLONEL ALLOY, the spot is a mix of original computer animation produced by Blur and stock game play. The CG portion introduces Glitch, the gun-toting hero of the game, who arms himself in a subterranean fortress, then sets off to send his nemesis, the aptly-named General Corrosive, "back to the scrap heap."
Entertainment becomes more accessible at a lower price as consumers can leave their portable DVD players at home to enjoy episodes of POKÉMON on Nintendos portable Game Boy. No additional hardware purchase is required to view POKÉMON shows on standard game cartridges.
If youre in the business of games, you want to be at the center of the games business E3Expo 2004.
New York University is hosting the first Camp/Game: Intensive Video Game Creation this summer, from July 6 to August 6, 2004. The summer camp is geared toward high school seniors and undergraduate students (17-25) interested in learning the finer points of the videogame industry. Camp/Game is created and run by the Division of Entertainment, Technology, Digital Arts and Design (ETDAD), part of NYU's School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS).
Acclaim Ent. Inc. and Buena Vista Interactive they have shipped ALIAS for PlayStation2 and Xbox for a suggested retail price of $49.99. Based on ABC's hit television series, ALIAS is a third-person action adventure that allows players to step into the role of the series' lead character, Sydney Bristow (played by Jennifer Garner), an agent for the CIA.
Now entering the world of gaming, Perky Pickle Studios has wrapped up creative consultant work on the concept and design of Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games), new CRASH TWINSANITY game, which will be available for PlayStation2 and X Box in the third quarter of 2004. Perky Pickle Studios was hired to integrate comedic story and situations into the game-play.
Tokyo-based Robot Communications relied on Discreets 3ds max to create the introductory cinematic opening sequence for ONIMUSHA 3: DEMON SIEGE, the final installment in the critically acclaimed game series from Capcom. The game, running on Sony Computer Ent.s PlayStation 2 platform, has been available in Japan since February 2004, and is expected to be available April 2004 in North America.
The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) has announced the winners of the Game Developers Choice Awards at the 4th annual ceremony during the 2004 Game Developers Conference (GDC). Considered the Pulitzers of interactive entertainment, the Choice Awards are the premier accolades for peer-recognition in game development, celebrating creativity, artistry and technological genius.
Kaydara Inc. has announced its first middleware solution for game developers, HumanIK | Middleware, a character animation and rigging technology. With HumanIK | Middleware, game developers will now be able to easily embed the character animation technology found in MOTIONBUILDER directly into their game engine. The new product will be available in the second quarter 2004.
The Game Developers Choice Awards recognize games and developers that are truly worthy. The recipients are chosen by creators, who know what it takes to make great games. To submit your nominations, go to: www.igda.org/awards/nominations.htm. All game developers are eligible to submit nominations. In order to nominate, a developer must be registered with the igda. only those game developers who submit nominations will be eligible to participate in the voting process for the finalists. The Game Developers Choice Awards ceremony will be held at the Game Developers Conference.
MTV Networks Europe has announced that Motorola will be the exclusive provider of further MTV-created wireless content, including MTV GIMPS -- a freakish family of downloadable characters. In addition, MTV MIDNIGHT MASH is the new viral e-mail game, which was launched in support of the current MTV Motomash events, taking place across Europe until May 2004.
The 18th annual Game Developers Conference (GDC) is the official trade event "by game developers for developers" of computer, console, mobile, arcade, online games, and location based entertainment. It's the forum where programmers, artists, producers, game designers, audio professionals and others involved in the development of interactive games gather to exchange ideas, network, and shape the future of the industry.
Norfolk, Virginia-based Decipher has announced that Weta Workshop will create unique photographic images of characters not depicted in New Line's THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy for use in the trading card game based on the epic tale.
Microsoft Game Studios has announced that musician Danny Elfman has composed the theme for the upcoming Xbox role-playing adventure game, FABLE. Elfman, three-time Academy Award-nominee and Grammy Award winner, is best known for his soundtrack work which includes CHICAGO, BATMAN, SPIDER-MAN, MEN IN BLACK, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS and BEETLEJUICE. For his work on FABLE, Elfman worked with a hand-picked orchestra and recording team.
At the Bear Stearns entertainment and media conference in Palm Beach, Florida, Electronic Arts announced it was creating a videogame based on the classic tale, THE GODFATHER, reported VARIETY. The company said the titled would most likely be their first M (mature)-rated game. EA has not released whether the game film be directly based on Francis Ford Coppola's film trilogy or Mario Puzo's original novels.
Game Over, UPNs new sitcom, is TVs first CG-animated primetime series. DKP Effects is meeting delivery challenges with artful technology that flows through theGRID.
UPN's new comedy, GAME OVER, network primetime's first-ever CGI-animated series, will debut tonight March 10, 2004 at 8:00 pm, which follows the far-from-ordinary suburban Smashenburn family living in an alternate videogame universe comprised of off-beat characters, action heroes, monsters and cartoon characters inspired by popular videogames.
