News Stories

E3 2011: Sega Has Raging Robots, Beefy Brawlers and 3D Ninjas

6.5.2011

[by Colin Tan, GamingUnion.net]

[Excerpt]

E3’s just around the corner — I know we keep saying that, but it is creeping around with every passing day. Every year, it seems like Sega has at least one Sonic game on show. Last year was a treasure trove with the developer-publisher showcasing Sonic 4 and Sonic Colors. But what of this year? Sega definitely has some interesting things lined up, but can they campare to the fanfare of Sonic and Vanquish of E3 2010? I imagine so, especially since Platinum Games is back with yet another game for next week’s show and it looks just as crazy and absurd as Vanquish and Bayonetta.

….

Lined up for the 3DS is Shinobi, a reboot and a prequel to the classic Sega series. Not much is known other than it’s a 2.5D side-scrolling adventure featuring the father of Joe Musashi! We expect to see plenty of combos, ninjutsu and 3D ninja action. While the trailer doesn’t look all too amazing, it doesn’t look terrible either. Not to mention we have yet to see the game in action in 3D on Nintendo’s handheld. It ought to be a blast, we’ve got our fingers crossed.

…

See the full post here: http://www.gamingunion.net/news/e3-2011-sega-has-raging-robots-beefy-brawlers-and-3d-ninjas–5331.html

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment develops Happy Feet Two videogame

6.3.2011

[by the Indian Film Industry Official BUSINESS OF CINEMA.COM TEAM]

MUMBAI: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment will be launching Happy Feet Two – The Videogame, a 3D musical adventure game, inspired by the whimsical Antarctic world of the upcoming animated film Happy Feet Two.

The game will be available for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation3 computer entertainment system, the Wii system, the Nintendo 3DS hand-held system and the Nintendo DS system in fall 2011.

“In Happy Feet Two – The Videogame, kids will not only love playing on their own, they will have even more fun playing side-by-side cooperatively with friends and family members, or compete in penguin dance showdowns and belly sliding races. The game’s all new, controller-based dance system uses the player’s rhythm to enhance the dancing competitions, and the gameplay lets kids interact with their favorite characters from the film,” said Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment senior vice president, production and development Samantha Ryan.

In the game, new dangers are threatening the penguin nation, and it’s going to take everyone working – and dancing – together to save them from extinction. Players use dance moves to recruit penguins with unique abilities that help advance the adventure, stun opponents and enemies, as well as manipulate the environment around them to solve co-operative puzzles. 

For the ultimate experience, players can dance their Antarctic adventure in 3D. The game will be available in full 3D for the Nintendo 3DS. In the Xbox 360 and Playstation versions, the game is made specifically for stereoscopic 3D TV sets with the ability to disable 3D functionality at any time. The Wii and Nintendo DS versions feature traditional 2D.

All of the music in the game is composed and performed by Ozomatli, the popular, Los Angeles-based band whose music is a combination of hip-hop, salsa, dancehall, cumbia, samba, funk, merengue, Jamaican ragga, and Indian raga influences. They were joined by Robert Carranza, a Grammy nominated mixer/engineer. The upbeat score, including a song with Lil’ P-Nut, an eight year-old rapper also featured in the movie, will appeal to kids and parents alike. Happy Feet Two – The Videogame is being developed for Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii by KMM Games and for Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS by WayForward Technologies.

 

See the original post here; http://www.businessofcinema.com/news.php?newsid=18443

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Specification for Naming VFX Image Sequences Released

ETC’s VFX Working Group has published a specification for best practices naming image sequences such as plates and comps. File naming is an essential tool for organizing the multitude of frames that are inputs and outputs from the VFX process. Prior to the publication of this specification, each organization had its own naming scheme, requiring custom processes for each partner, which often resulted in confusion and miscommunication.

The new ETC@USC specification focuses primarily on sequences of individual images. The initial use case was VFX plates, typically delivered as OpenEXR or DPX files. However, the team soon realized that the same naming conventions can apply to virtually any image sequence. Consequently, the specification was written to handle a wide array of assets and use cases.

To ensure all requirements are represented, the working group included over 2 dozen participants representing studios, VFX houses, tool creators, creatives and others.  The ETC@USC also worked closely with MovieLabs to ensure that the specification could be integrated as part of their 2030 Vision.

A key design criteria for this specification is compatibility with existing practices.  Chair of the VFX working group, Horst Sarubin of Universal Pictures, said: “Our studio is committed to being at the forefront of designing best industry practices to modernize and simplify workflows, and we believe this white paper succeeded in building a new foundation for tools to transfer files in the most efficient manner.”

This specification is compatible with other initiatives such as the Visual Effects Society (VES) Transfer Specifications. “We wanted to make it as seamless as possible for everyone to adopt this specification,” said working group co-chair and ETC@USC’s Erik Weaver. “To ensure all perspectives were represented we created a team of industry experts familiar with the handling of these materials and collaborated with a number of industry groups.”

“Collaboration between MovieLabs and important industry groups like the ETC is critical to implementing the 2030 Vision,” said Craig Seidel, SVP of MovieLabs. “This specification is a key step in defining the foundations for better software-defined workflows. We look forward to continued partnership with the ETC on implementing other critical elements of the 2030 Vision.”

The specification is available online for anyone to use.

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