Tag Archives: variety

Nintendo’s Wii U has second screen

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Nintendo has more than just videogames in mind with the Wii U, its next-generation console, which goes on sale Nov. 18 in North America. The company unveiled Thursday a new initiative dubbed Nintendo TVii aimed at improving discoverability for both over-the-air and online programming.

“It has always been our goal to maximize consumer value with what we include in the hardware purchase,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America. “It’s not just a high-definition console that will change the way people play. Wii U is the only game console with a seamlessly connected, fully integrated second screen.”

Read more at Daily Variety

Spike founder teams on vidgames

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Albie Hecht, founder of Spike TV and former president of Nickelodeon, is dipping his toes in the videogame waters.

Hecht, through his Worldwide Biggies entertainment studio, has partnered with Miniclip.com to help bring the gaming portal’s properties to TV and webisodic formats. And the duo expects to have deals in place within the next six months.

Read more at Daily Variety

E3 confab to stay in downtown L.A.

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The Electronic Entertainment Expo is staying put in Los Angeles. The annual videogame trade show ended more than a month of speculation about a possible move Monday, announcing it will remain in downtown L.A. for another three years.

The Entertainment Software Association (which owns E3) and the city have been butting heads about the show for months over pending construction of the new Farmers Field stadium, which will require the demolition of the West Hall of the LACC — eliminating 210,000 square feet of show floor space — roughly one-third of the Center’s capacity.

Read more at Daily Variety

Construction of Farmers Field could bump E3

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After 46,000 industry insiders, retailers and journalists swarmed the Los Angeles Convention Center last week for E3, the videogame industry’s annual tradeshow, none of those people know where they’re going to be next year.

While E3 is one of the city’s biggest tradeshows, generating an estimated $40 million in revenue each year from hotel bookings, restaurant and other travel spending, the construction of the new Farmers Field football stadium could drive the show out of town in 2013.

Read more at Daily Variety

Apple updates laptops, iOS

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There was no new iPhone, no new iPad and certainly no news about the long-rumored TV set, but Apple still had plenty to say at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference Monday.

CEO Tim Cook announced a refresh of the company’s laptop series, a forthcoming series of advances to the iOS operating system and the long-awaited arrival of Siri on the iPad.

Read more at Daily Variety

Syfy teams on series, game

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There’s a lot of chatter about transmedia in the videogame industry, but few companies have truly pulled off a successful collaboration of games and traditional media. Trion Worlds is hoping to buck that trend — with a lot of help from cabler Syfy.

The publisher and cabler are teaming for “Defiance,” a massively multiplayer online action game and a weekly series on the network, which has committed to a full season order.

Read more at Daily Variety

Crytek develops animation production tool

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Crytek is a leader when it comes to graphics engines for videogames, but now it’s hoping to expand into film and TV.

The developer, responsible for such tentpole games as “Far Cry” and “Crysis,” is nearing completion on a production tool called Cinebox, which will streamline the creation of animation for any form of media.

Read more at Daily Variety

Nintendo unveils Wii U at E3

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Nintendo fortified its position in the family videogame market Tuesday, showing off the launch version of the Wii U, out this holiday.

Oddly, the Japanese gamemaker was light on details of what’s inside its next-generation console or how it will let users access apps from Netflix, YouTube, Hulu and Amazon Instant Video; instead its hourlong presser at the Nokia Theater was laser focused on the games that will appear on the new console.

Read more at Daily Variety

J.K. Rowling, Sony pact for ‘Wonderbook’

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J.K. Rowling is about to cast a spell on PlayStation owners.

The author of the “Harry Potter” series and Sony on Monday announced a collaboration that includes new stories from the wizarding world she created that will be brought to live on the PlayStation 3.

Read more at Daily Variety

Ubisoft doubles down on dude aud

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In the first 15 minutes of its annual pre-E3 press conference, Ubisoft had a surprise performance by Flo Rida, dancing girls and in-game footage of a topless woman being fondled.

The message was clear: Ubisoft is not fooling around with its latest crop of titles — clearly targeted at men.

Read more at Daily Variety