For ESPN NHL HOCKEY, Motion Analysis Studios took realism to the next level by teaming with developer Kush Games and setting up motion capture cameras literally on an ice rink. "To get a motion capture shoot set-up and running in just one day, especially at a location outside of our studio, was a major accomplishment," said Jeff Swenty, head of production for Motion Analysis.
Acclaim Entertainment Inc. has announced the formation of Acclaim Connected, which will be dedicated to developing and licensing interactive entertainment content for global mobile gaming platforms. In July of 2003, Acclaim entered the mobile gaming market with an exclusive agreement with Vodafone Live!, offering content based on Acclaim's forthcoming console release, FREESTYLE STREET SOCCER, in Vodafone countries.
Ubisoft, one of the world's largest videogame publishers, has announced it has sold its 100 millionth game in September 2003. In addition, the company unveiled its new logo and visual identity. The corporate re-branding takes effect immediately throughout Ubisoft's worldwide offices.
Square Enix U.S.A. Inc. has announced that FINAL FANTASY X-2 will ship in early December 2003. The company also announced that FINAL FANTASY X has been added to Sony Computer Entertainment America's "Greatest Hits" series.
"We are very pleased with success that FINAL FANTASY X has achieved, both in sales and industry recognition, and excited to continue the journey in FINAL FANTASY X-2," said Jun Iwasaki, ceo and president of Square Enix USA. "While FINAL FANTASY X-2 is a sequel, it is in many ways a new game and the first in the series led by an all-female cast."
In conjunction with its upcoming DVD/home video release of Goro Taniguchis epic space drama, INFINITE RYVIUS, Bandai Ent. has launched www.infiniteryvius.net. The Website will showcase the world of RYVIUS, story settings, background, character profiles, image gallery, DVD information and the INFINITE RYVIUS trailer.
Midway Games Inc. has shipped MORTAL KOMBAT: TOURNAMENT EDITION, the Game Boy Advance sequel to MORTAL KOMBAT: DEADLY ALLIANCE. The exclusive videogame for the Game Boy Advance from Midways best-selling MORTAL KOMBAT franchise delivers multi-link play and karnage, allowing up to four players to battle in tournaments and tag-team play.
Game Boy Advance owners will be able to experience the trademark MORTAL KOMBAT brutality in an entirely new way with multi-linked tournament play, said Helene Sheeler, vp of marketing, Midway.
Buena Vista Interactive's TRON 2.0 PC game, which debuted Aug. 26, 2003 across North America ($49.99 and Windows® 98/Me/2000/XP compatible), reunites the legendary film's writer-director Steven Lisberger with famed conceptual artist Syd Mead and celebrated visual and computer effects supervisor Richard Taylor. TRON 2.0 is a first-person PC game inspired by the Disney film that delivers immersive gameplay, virtual viral villains and a unique visual style. Mead (BLADE RUNNER, ALIENS) updated the iconic light cycles seen in the title, while Lisberger and Taylor consulted on game.
A new production company based in South Beach, Florida is launching three new animation series on the Internet, in hopes of catching a wave of interest to develop them into long-form programming for pick-up by cable companies. Shallow Beach Entertainment has worked for 18 months to assemble the creative and technical team to develop three very distinct animated series appealing to vastly different target audiences.
AnimWatch.com is a new Website dedicated to independent short animation. The site was created by animator Steve Ogden, who is working on his short film DOWN IN FRONT. The AniWatch Showcase consists of a selection of 10 short films in various stages of production, including comments from the directors and graphics. In addition, the site contains a monthly feature interview. For August, the site speaks with Brian Taylor (RUSTBOY) with next month being Chris Mullins (BLUE).
Bandai Entertainment has launched www.witchhunteronline.com to help promote the upcoming DVD release of Shukou Murases anime series, WITCH HUNTER ROBIN. The site will feature information about the characters, setting, production as well as news reports, background information, DVD release dates and trailers. An interactive Witch Hunting Experience is planned to go live at the end of August. 2003
To further immerse gamers into its gritty, first-person war-torn thriller CALL OF DUTY, Activision Inc. has enlisted Jason Statham and Giovanni Ribisi to provide their trademark voice talent in key roles. Additionally, writer/producer Michael Schiffer (CRIMSON TIDE, COLORS, LEAN OF ME, THE FOUR FEATHERS and THE PEACEMAKER) has added his touch to the game's action-filled script. CALL OF DUTY will be available in fall 2003 for the PC and is rated "RP" (Rating Pending) by the ESRB.
Hong Kong toon house STVDIO Media Animation will develop original animated content and images for the burgeoning market of cellular telephones via an agreement with Crown Greetings. The animated content for MMS networks across the will be beamed to 3G mobile handsets in the Asia-Pacific region in fall 2003.
Buena Vista Pay Television has signed a pact with Movielink to allow viewers to download Walt Disney Co new releases and selected library titles. This landmark distribution deal encompasses films from Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone, Miramax and Dimension. The first titles to be available at Movielink include the Academy Award Best Picture winner CHICAGO, GANGS OF NEW YORK, THE RECRUIT, 25TH HOUR, FRIDA and THE JUNGLE BOOK 2, MONSTERS, INC., THE ROOKIE and IN THE BEDROOM, among others.
Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts-based Pileated Pictures announced the release of GUS AND INKYS UNDERWATER ADVENTURES, a set of Flash games based on a character in PBS hit show, BETWEEN THE LIONS. The series of online educational tools was developed for the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) Get Ready to Read! program, promoting literacy and assessing skills among preschool children.
The association representing U.S. computer and video game software publishers, formerly the Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA), announced it has changed its name to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), effective immediately. The organizations Website has been changed from www.idsa.com to www.theesa.com.
ARC THE LAD: TWILIGHT OF THE SPIRITS expands onto PlayStation 2 in this Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. release with a new storyline, captivating motion capture cut scenes, an innovative battle system and more than 14 playable characters each with their own unique abilities and special combination attacks. With 60+ hours of role-playing gameplay, gamers can join brothers Darc and Kharg on their quest to capture the Spirit Stones and restore tranquility to an unstable world, that takes place thousands of years after the last installment in the series.
Infinium Labs will unveil new gaming console, Phantom, for the first time publicly at the first annual Ultimate Gamers Expo in August 15-17, 2003 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
"This show is the perfect venue and gives us the unique opportunity to show the system firsthand to over 100,000 gamers and industry insiders, said Tim Roberts, ceo of Infinium Labs.
The new official Daws Butler Website is online at www.Dawsbutler.com. Dedicated to the career of the late voice actor/teacher/writer, the site was completely redesigned by graphic artist Lorie Kellogg. Daws Butler was the voice behind some of the most beloved cartoon characters ever as well as a teacher and friend to a few generations of voice actors. He was the voice of Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Snagglepuss, Quick Draw McGraw and many more. Butler and Don Messick were the primary voice actors at Hanna-Barbera Studios from 1957 until Butler's death in 1988.
The BBC has announced that British thespian Richard E Grant (WITHNAIL & I, BRAM STOKERS DRACULA) has signed on to voice the role of Dr. Who in a new BBCi animated Web short. The DR. WHO Webisode is scheduled to be released in November in connection with the 40th anniversary of the 1960s cult TV series. Paul Cornell, a television writer on the British hospital drama CASUALTY, has penned the script.
The world's greatest secret agent returns in his fifth interactive adventure, JAMES BOND 007: EVERYTHING OR NOTHING, with Pierce Brosnan providing the voice of 007 under the EA GAMES brand. Joining Brosnan are Bond regulars John Cleese as "Q," Dame Judi Dench as "M" and Richard Kiel as the henchman Jaws. Willem Dafoe will voice Bond's new nemesis Nikolai Diavolo. Shannon Elizabeth joins the cast as new cyber Bond girl Serena St. Germaine and Heidi Klum is the malevolent Katya Nadanova.
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), the trade group that rates videogames, has added four new content descriptions to the existing 26,with new bolder labels, to provide parents and other consumers with a new and unprecedented level of detail about game content. The rating system changes were developed in consultation with experts from both inside and outside the interactive entertainment software industry, including child development experts and family advocates.
Veteran feature animators Don Bluth and Gary Goldman (THE SECRET OF NIMH, TITAN, A.E.) have teamed up to create and direct the in-game cinematics for Namco's upcoming videogame, I-NINJA, a comic adventure starring a hero fully loaded with the most up to date weaponry. The game will be released by the end of 2003 on Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube consoles.
Digital artist/freelance writer Marian Rudnyk has completed a Website for the L.A. Conservancy (www.hannabarbera.org) to help save the old original 1963 Hanna-Barbera Studio buildings located at 3400 Cahuenga Blvd. in Los Angeles. The site features a history of the studio, photos of the buildings, art gallery, chat room, links to preservation and animation Websites and an online petition, encouraging interested fans and supporters to sign up as well as distribute petitions for more signatures.
The new Internet has gotten a lot of press in Europe and Asia, but is still relatively unknown in the United States. It was therefore a real stunner when John Osterholz, the director of architecture and interoperability for the Department of Defense (DoD), announced last week that the Pentagon would only buy networked products that conform to the new specification, starting in October of this year, and DoD hopes to be totally transitioned by 2008 that more than $30 billion of product and services per year.
The New TNN, Americas first network for men, is offering a sneak-peak of its new adult-oriented animation block online with a trio of tailor-made online games in anticipation of the June 26, 2003 premiere of "The Strip," which features six new episodes of THE REN AND STIMPY ADULT PARTY CARTOON (10:00 pm) from original creator John Kricfalusi; GARY THE RAT (10:30 pm) starring the voice of Kelsey Grammer and STRIPPERELLA (11:00 pm) featuring the voice and animated persona of Pamela Anderson. These viral games will allow online visitors to experience the adventures of the crude, rude and erotic in THE REN AND STIMPY ADULT PARTY CARTOON: DUTCH OVEN, GARY THE RAT: THE GOLF GAME and STRIPPERELLA: POLE SHIMMY. TNN's virtual strip debuted online June 24, 2003 at www.thenewtnn.com/shows/animation and were produced by Warner Bros. Online.
