There’s little doubt 
that today’s launch of “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” will set new entertainment industry records for first week revenues. But to put things in perspective, here are a few numbers – some hard, some estimated by analysts –showing how big of a monster this franchise has turned into.
Tag Archives: technotainment
Call of Duty rolls out celebrities for Modern Warfare 3 launch
Activision turned 
heads last year with its eye-popping “There’s a Soldier in All of Us” campaign for “Call of Duty: Black Ops”. Now it’s upping the ante.
Jonah Hill (“Superbad”) and Sam Worthington (“Avatar”) headline the campaign’s new installment – with a quick cameo from Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard. And it’s just as heart pounding as the original.
CBS chief talks Apple TV
With Steve Jobs
first dropping hints about Apple’s plans for a branded TV set in his conversations with biographer Walter Isaacson, others are a bit more comfortable discussing it now.
The latest to reveal details was CBS CEO Les Moonves in an earnings conference call this week.
Read more at Variety’s Technotainment blog
Spike revs up the VGAs
Today’s revelation 
that Spike TV has tapped Survivor creator Mark Burnett to exec produce this year’s Video Game Awards was just the tip of the iceberg.
The show, which is the highest profile celebration of the industry each year, has also teased a few of the world premieres it plans to unveil and announced its contenders for Game of the Year.
Here’s the trailer for Grand Theft Auto V
Eight days after 
letting the world know “Grand Theft Auto V” was on the way, Rockstar Games has given us our first look at the title – and it looks like fans of the series will be pretty happy with what the studio has been working on.
The game, set in a Los Angeles clone (Santa Monica is dubbed Pleasure Pier and Hollywood becomes Vinewood), seems set in a modern era, with homelessness and foreclosures highlighted.
2011’s most cinematic game hits stores today
One of the reasons 
video games and Hollywood have stayed so far apart in the public eye is the gaming world’s casual regard for plot. Games, traditionally, are a series of event moments strung together by a rather threadbare plot (though you could say the same thing about some tentpole summer theatrical releases).
The “Uncharted” series is different – and the release of the game’s third installment today is a good example to non-gamers of what that part of the entertainment industry is capable of when it brings together multiple elements.
Read more at Variety’s Technotainment blog
First-time gamers are getting younger
As television and 
other entertainment industries battle video games for people’s free time in today’s environment, they might want to keep their eyes on future generations as well.
A study by Common Sense Media finds that 17 percent of five to eight year olds are already gaming on a daily basis – while 81 percent have played games through their lifetime.
Google TV tries again
The first iteration of Google TV fell flat. It was, at its core, a good idea that was marred by poor execution and mismanagement. Now the search giant is ready to give it another go.
Starting Sunday, Google will roll out a software update to existing owners that’s meant to serve as a reboot of the service. The update will bring a new interface as well as selected apps from the Android Marketplace – but it will also bring a lot of baggage and hurdles from the existing service (most notably the lack of any support from the major networks).
The latest iTV whispers
The rumor mill is, somewhat predictably, in overdrive about an Apple-built television set these days, following mention of it in Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs. And some of what’s being talked about is pretty fascinating – assuming it’s not just an elaborate game of telephone.
The latest suggestion is that the set, collectively dubbed iTV, will feature extensive voice control that’s run by Siri, the intelligent assistant that’s the star of the iPhone 4S.
PBS to air Jobs retrospective
As Walter Isaacson’s 
fascinating biography of late Apple CEO Steve Jobs continues to dominate best seller lists, PBS is offering its own take on the tech and new media mogul.
“Steve Jobs – One Last Thing” will premiere on the network Nov. 2 (10pm ET), featuring interviews with a number of people who knew him well.
Chris Morris: Journalist 