Animation Magazine

Author: Chris Grove

  • Acclaim Signs on with Avalon

    Acclaim Entertainment Ltd. has signed a distribution agreement with Avalon Interactive for the upcoming release of Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance II in the U.K., France, Benelux and Germany.

    The game, which was developed by Black Isle Studios under license from Hasbro Properties Group, will be available for PlayStation2 and Xbox on February 6, 2004.

    “Because of the success of the Baldur’s Gate franchise and the significant demand for this sequel among hardcore gamers and fans, we’re extremely excited to have the opportunity to distribute it in four of the largest European territories,” says Rod Cousens, Acclaim CEO. “This agreement further enhances and diversifies our portfolio as we continue to bolster our reputation as one of Europe’s leading distributors.”

    Released in 2002 for the PS2, Xbox and Nintendo GameCube platforms, the original Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance and sold in excess of one million units worldwide.

    “In Acclaim we’ve found the ideal distribution partner for these vital European territories,” says Thierry Ortolan, senior VP of Avalon Interactive. “We’re confident that the strength of their sales and marketing teams in all these territories will ensure that Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance II will continue the great success the franchise has achieved to date.”

    Developed by Black Isle Studios, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance II is set in the Wizards of the Coast’s Forgotten Realms world, the most popular Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting, using the 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons rules set. The game features 100 levels, more monsters, five new customizable player characters, single- or two-weapon fighting styles, graphically stunning environments, hidden areas to explore, and an item-creation system that will allow players to create their own ultimate magical artifacts.

  • In Acquiring Mood, IDT Nabs Archie and Friends

    A month after buying a controlling share of Canadian-based ani house Mainframe Entertainment, IDT Entertainment has announced that it has added a stake in Archie Comics to its portfolio.

    With a reported 5% stake in the franchise, IDT is set to develop animated TV fare and direct-to-DVD/VHS projects based on the lives and loves of Archie and his friends.

    "The last year has proven to be a time of tremendous growth for both Archie Comics Entertainment, LLC and IDT Entertainment, which has gained industry-wide recognition for its distinctive and innovative approach to worldwide animation," says Allan I. Grafman, president of Archie Comics Entertainment. "IDT’s commitment to wholesome, fun, animated programming is our ‘sweet spot.’ IDT’s strategy, family orientation, management and staff are in perfect sync with Archie Comics Entertainment.”

    “This is a brand that has stood the test of time,” adds IDT CEO Morris Berger. “We’re excited to be working with Archie Comics to produce animated programming for their loyal audience.”

    DVD/VHS product produced under the agreement will be distributed by Anchor Bay, IDT’s distrib division. An eventual Archie feature-film is also possible.

  • Alice, Python, Critic, Trek and Others Feed DVD Week’s Fix

    Classic sci-fi, children’s tales and comedy are among the riches filling DVD racks this week.

    First up, Disney’s 1951 ani classic Alice in Wonderland. The two-disc release features a newly-restored audio track and crisp video from a high-definition master. Among the extras: I’m Odd, a newly discovered Cheshire Cat song; Virtual Wonderland Party with games, sing-alongs and dances; an Adventures in Wonderland set-top game; a Thru the Mirror Mickey Mouse cartoon; and a Walt Disney introduction (Disney).

    While the very young set will be glad to see four new episodes of Blues Clues: Classic Clues on DVD (Paramount), their dads will be probably equally thrilled with another Paramount release this week: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Special Collector’s Edition (1991). The two-disc set ($19.99) has many Trekkie extras. Commentary by director Nicholas Meyer and screenwriter Danny Martin Flinn; text commentary by Michael Okuda and Denise Okuda, co-authors of The Star Trek Encyclopedia; six featurettes on the making of the film; and a tribute to the late, great DeForest Kelley (Paramount).

    Also on tap for release this week: Comic Book: The Movie (2004), directed and starring Mark Hamill, Bruce Campbell, Matt Groening, Ray Harryhausen, Hugh Hefner, Stan Lee and Kevin Smith on a two-disc set. Extras: Commentary by Hamill and the cast; Four Color Frenzy: The Making of Comic Book: The Movie; Stan Lee on comic book movies; Hugh Hefner on comics and women (Miramax).

    For comedy fans there are two big titles. First, The Critic–The Complete Series, a three-disc set with 23 episodes of the adult animated series in stores at the SRP of $49.95. Second, the Pythonesque Time Bandits: Special Edition with John Cleese, Sean Connery and Shelly Duvall, which is being released on a two-disc set with a new wide-screen transfer and Dolby 5.1 sound. Extras include: The Directors: The Films of Terry Gilliam, a career retrospective, the original screenplay on DVD-ROM and a fold-out map of the universe of the film (Anchor Bay).

  • Game-Maker Gets Real With Web Streamer

    RealNetworks Inc. is entering into a definitive agreement to acquire Seattle-based GameHouse, Inc. a top developer, publisher and distributor of downloadable PC games, it was announced late yesterday. The $35.6 million deal strengthens RealNetworks’ leadership position in the downloadable PC games market by bringing together RealArcade, a downloadable games distribution platform and developer GameHouse. Moreover, this acquisition contributes to RealNetworks’ overall strategy to be the leading provider of digital media consumer services.

    "When we launched RealArcade two-and-a-half-years ago, we pioneered (an) approach to downloadable PC games that appealed to a broader market than traditional CD-ROM or console games," says RealNetworks’ CEO Rob Glaser. "We believe that the merger with GameHouse will strengthen our lead in this vibrant business." To date, RN has sold over 2 million games through the RealArcade platform. For its part, GameHouse has sold one million copies of their tiles through a combination of RealNetworks’ distribution channels and other Internet outlets.

    "We created GameHouse with the goal of establishing a successful business that would bring entertainment to millions of people," adds Garr Godfrey, GameHouse CEO. "RealNetworks essentially created the industry for downloadable casual games and we are excited to be joining the industry leader."

    Based in Seattle and founded in 1998, GameHouse has consistently published many of the top casual games on the Internet, including: Super Collapse II, Puzzle Inlay, and TextTwist. GameHouse distributes these games through its own direct-to-consumer web site (www.gamehouse.com), through third party affiliates, and through distributors that include Comcast, Earthlink, Pogo.com, MSN, RealArcade, Shockwave, Sony, and Yahoo! In 2003, GameHouse generated over $10 million in revenue and $5.5 million of net income. RealNetworks and GameHouse expect the transaction to close in the next two weeks.

    GameHouse will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of RealNetworks, GameHouse Studios. GameHouse Studios will continue to distribute games through its network of distributors, and RealNetworks will continue to provide access to a wide variety of games from other publishers through RealArcade. All GameHouse employees are expected to join RealNetworks and they will remain in their historic Seattle Pioneer Square location. Garr Godfrey, will become general manager, GameHouse Studios, reporting to Andrew Wright, vice president games.

  • Infinium Gains News Head Honcho

    A leading on-demand game company, Infinium Labs, has hired a new president/CEO to gin up its efforts to grab a bigger piece of the action in the burgeoning $30 billion vid game industry.

    According to a report in today’s Hollywood Reporter, former XBox executive Kevin Bachus has been hired to lead the company as it re-tools its executive roster.

    At the recently ended CES 2004, Infinium debuted a prototype of a next generation of game system that will be as much an entertainment system as it is a game platform. Users will be able to rent games, play games online and on-demand, get upgrades and eventually download movies and music. The customizable unit will bypass a CD or DVD-ROM drive in favor of a hard drive and broadband connection.

    According to the report, the new Phantom Console will launch before the end of 2004. The unit will reportedly ship with 30 games already loaded and ready to play. In addition to the hardware cost, consumers will pay a monthly subscription fee, in the $10 per month range, to access games online.

    Bachus has over 20 years experience in the vid game biz, as he takes on his new job. Sarasota, Florida will remain the headquarters for the company’s finance department. Engineering will be centered in Seattle, where Bachus lives. Marketing and publisher relations functions will remain in Los Angeles.

  • Barbarian Makes Solid Invasion in Debut

    The latest offering from the Disney Channel, a toon about an effete but tough caveman has had a solid debut in its first outings, winning its time period versus all basic cable programming for kids in a number of key demos.

    The Friday early access airing of Dave the Barbarian (5:30 to 6:00 p.m.) delivered a 2.4 rating/2.0 million households. Which was enough to win the time period with kids 6-11 (7.2), girls 6-11 (8.4), boys 6-11 (6.1), tweens 9-14 (3.8), female tweens (4.6) and total viewers/persons 2+(1.4).

    Premiering with five consecutive episodes (5:30-8:00 p.m.), the 6:30 p.m. telecast was Friday’s number one rated basic cable program with kids 6-11 (7.4) versus all basic cable competition.  The 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. telecasts, meanwhile, tied as the day’s top program on basic cable with girls 6-11 (8.4).

    Compared to the prior four-week time period average, the premiere of Dave (Friday, 5:30-6:00 p.m.) was up 26% in households (2.4 vs. 1.9), up 50% with kids 6-11 (7.2 vs. 4.8), up 42% with girls 6-11 (8.4 vs. 5.9) and up 61% with boys 6-11 (6.1 vs. 3.8). Dave was also up by 54% in total viewers/person 2+ delivery (3,058,000 vs. 1,986,000).

    Produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, Dave the Barbarian airs Friday, Saturday and Sunday (5:30 p.m.) on Disney Channel.

  • King Golden, Oscars to Follow?

    If past is prologue, particularly in Hollywood’s award-season 2004, then Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is headed for a golden February.

    Whether it’s a real co-relation or self-fulfilling prophecy, the Golden Globe’s best pic pick and best director award usually "predict" the same result from Oscar voters. And since this year’s Oscars are now only three weeks away (a month earlier than last year) this year’s Golden Globes’ influence on Academy members may be even greater.

    At last night’s 61st edition of the Golden Globe Lord of the Rings was the big-news winner, especially in light of the fact that the film’s presumed main competition, Cold Mountain, did not fare that well. Lord won best drama picture and best director for Kiwi Peter Jackson. AKA, the helmer-most-in-need-of-a-comb Jackson said of the award: “I never realized that seven years on this movie would end up turning me into a Hobbit. To all of the actors, our magical cast, you just gave so much to the movies and equally importantly you made it so much fun to work on.” Lord also won for best score and best original song.

    For its part, Cold Mountain managed one award, for Renee Zellweger as best supporting actress. The year’s top-grossing film Finding Nemo got no awards, once again proving that Golden Globe voters–the 90-plus members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Assoc.–aren’t partial to animated fare.

    The Globes telecast aired two days before Tuesday morning’s announcement of the Oscar nominations. The Oscar ceremony is set for Feb. 29.

  • Critics? What Critics, Dude?

    The ubiquitous Ashton Kutcher proved this weekend that he is, for the meantime, critic-proof. While his first "serious" film, The Butterfly Effect, got some horrible reviews it went on to dominate the weekend box office anyway. Butterfly grossed $17.1 million to take the number-one position.

    January 2004 may turn out to be the month of derided films defying expectations. In the number two position was the Ben Stiller/Jennifer Aniston vehicle Along Came Polly which topped a three-week box-office total of $54 million after taking in another $16.6 million. Polly was also plastered by the critics. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King was still in the top five, grossing $6.9 million. That brings the record-breaking films tally to over $500 million worldwide, the first animated film to achieve that high-water mark. Rounding out the top ten: 3rd, Win a Date With Tad Hamilton ($7.5 million); 4th, Big Fish ($7.3 million); 6th, Cheaper by the Dozen ($6.6 million); 7th, Cold Mountain (5.3 million); 9th, Something’s Gotta Give ($4.1 million);10th, Mystic River ($3.1 million).

  • Roger Rabbit Suit Back in Play

    Here’s a movie you probably thought wouldn’t be making headlines in 2004.

    But litigation surrounding the 1988 mega-hit Who Framed Roger Rabbit has been given new life. A California state appeals court reinstated a lawsuit last week that claims that the Walt Disney Co. potentially owes the author of the novel the film was based on, millions of dollars in merchandising royalties.

    Gary K. Wolf, whose novel was published in 1981, claims Disney owes him a five-percent royalty from non-cash licensing agreements it made with McDonald’s and other companies to use characters from the film.

    Disney contends the royalty agreement with Wolf only covered cash transactions. The action by the 2nd District Court of Appeal reverses a lower court ruling that had thrown Wolf’s 2001 lawsuit out.

    Disney attorney Martin Katz says the ruling throws the matter back to the lower court, where he expects the company will win again. No hearing date was set. Who Framed Roger Rabbit grossed nearly $250 million. It also won four Academy Awards for technical achievements. Though they’re hardly the hottest items in toy stores, products based on the film’s character (chiefly Roger Rabbit and his sultry wife Jessica), continues to be marketed by Disney.

  • Game Creator to Become Latest Trilogy King

    A new vid game version of The Wizard of Oz from noted artist and twisted toy maker American McGee should be coming to the big screen soon. McGee tells Animation Magazine Online that Jerry Bruckheimer Films has optioned the movie rights to the game and toyline American McGee’s Oz. The deal calls for a trilogy. Though there’s no schedule for producing the first film, screenwriters Kevin and Dan Hageman are already attached to the project.

    According to McGee, in a prequel of sorts, the first film will tell an original story of what happened in Oz before Dorothy landed. It will explain where the various characters came from. By the end of the film, Oz will be at the point where L. Frank Baum’s original novels begin. Baum wrote 13 original Wizard of Oz books, beginning in 1900. Several titles are in the public domain. Those familiar with the video game American McGee’s Alice should know that this version of Oz

    “I’d like to see it done ala Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, etc.’live action with heavy CG,” says McGee. “From what I understand, that is the film company’s intention.” Games, books and other projects based on the property are also in the works. Carbon6, the interactive entertainment franchise properties company co-founded by McGee and Anthony Jacobson, owns the intellectual property rights.

    The new film will be accompanied by a book-version to be published by Warner Books co-written by McGee and Camden Joy. Video game rights are still being negotiated.

    McGee previously put his unique twist on Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland with the video game and toyline American McGee’s Alice. Those familiar with that project should know that this new vision of Oz will go to a stranger place than somewhere over the rainbow.

  • Johnny Bravo Goes Hollywood

    Talk about checking your ego at the door. Alec Baldwin, Jessica Biehl and Don Knotts, an unlikely combo if ever there was one, are about to play second-fiddle to a TV cartoon star. All three are voicing characters to be seen on Cartoon Network’s Feb. 20 airing of a new Johnny Bravo episode. “In my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some really great actors (such as) Al Pacino, Anthony Hopkins and Jack Lemmon,” says Baldwin, playing along with the gag. “They each brought a certain amount of class and professionalism to the set. Working with Johnny Bravo was not like that at all.”

    In the seg, entitled Johnny Bravo Goes Hollywood, the series hero has just been dumped by yet another date when a big Hollywood producer taps him to star in his new movie, Lunchlady S’Uprise! Arriving at Big Time Studios, Johnny meets his co-stars Jessica Biel (Johnny’s very serious leading lady) and Alec Baldwin (Johnny’s film nemesis). Among his other co-stars, is a threatening Don Knotts, playing against type as a hairy-footed hobbit and a non-descript dinosaur.

    Cartoon Network, currently seen in over 85 million U.S. homes and in 145 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s 24-hour, ad-supported all-animated cable service.

  • Power Rangers Go Back to Jurassic Age

    The ever-morphing Power Rangers are going to spend their 12th season fighting the forces of evil back in the time of dinosaurs. For every one of its season, Rangers has changed locale and villains but not the essential dynamics of the Power Rangers versus over-the-top bad guys. The series became the property of the Walt Disney Co. two years ago when the Mouse House bought the former Fox Family Worldwide.

    Staring February 14, Power Rangers DinoThunder, will join the cable schedule on Jetix, a new action block running on ABC Family and Toon Disney. The series will also be seen on ABC’s Saturday morning line-up a week after the cable play.

    This being an evergreen kid’s franchise, the latest Rangers iteration will also be accompanied by a whole new range of merchandise targeted at the series’ young male fan-base. Village Roadshow KP Productions Ltd. will produce 38 episodes of DinoThunder. Executive producers are Douglas J. Sloan and Ann Austen.

  • Comic Book Nerd Nirvana Comes to Long Beach, Calif.

    Emerging from their winter hibernation, comic book fans from around the world will be homing in on Los Angeles County’s south beach city of Long Beach in late March for a three-day confab.

    Wizard World Los Angeles, produced by Wizard Conventions Inc., bills itself as a pop culture extravaganza that explores the worlds of comic books, toys, anime, movies, manga and video games. Organizers are promising that some of the biggest stars in comics, film and television will be there. Other versions of the event have already happened in Chicago, Philadelphia and Texas.

    This year’s guest of honor is writer/director/producer Kevin Smith (Jersey Girl, Dogma and Chasing Amy). Other special guests currently scheduled to appear include Selma Blair and Ron Perlman, who star in the highly anticipated spring 2004 release of Hellboy, actor James Marsden (Cyclops in the X-Men films), actor Jason Mewes (Clerks, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back), Stan Lee (writer of Spiderman, co-creator of X-Men), John Romita Jr. (Men Without Fear: The Creating of Daredevil) and legendary comic-book artist Alex Ross (Marvel, Kingdom Come).

    The confab takes place at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center March 19-21. A one-day pass is $20. A weekend pass costs $35. For more info go to wizarduniverse.com.

  • Shrek Hungry for Trilogy Status

    Move over Lord of The Rings, a green ogre’s coming through. A few months before the much-anticipated Shrek 2 is due to hit theaters and have a crack at Finding Nemo’s box office record, DreamWorks is putting Shrek 3 on the fast-track to its production date, according to a report in today’s Daily Variety.

    In a business where franchises are all the rage these days, Shrek 3 is looking for a few good writers to aid Shrek 2 screenwriters David Stem, Joe Stillman and David N. Weiss.

    The original Shrek took in a whooping $267 million in North American box office ($478 million worldwide, according to Boxofficeguru.com) and did huge business with its DVD/VHS release.

    DreamWorks, like all big studios seems to have developed a major case of sequel-fever. The company is also working on Shark Tale 2 (the first Shark Tale doesn’t open until October 2004) and The Ring 2.

    Both Shrek 2 and 3 are expected to cost more than the estimated $60 million the studio spent on Shrek 1, because the voice-talent cost of Cameron Diaz, Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy is expected to take a big jump.

  • Nemo Sets Yet Another High-Water Mark

    Soon the bad newspaper and TV news puns about swimming, water and fishes will abate when Disney/Pixar’s mega-hit Finding Nemo finally ends its theatrical run and award season 2004 closes out in February at the Oscars. But not today. For the film has achieved yet another record.

    Nemo, the little fish that could, is set to top $500 million in overseas box office this weekend, making it the all-time champ for an animated film. It opens today in its final foreign territory, Turkey. When it crosses the half-billion dollar line, Nemo will become just the ninth film of any kind in Hollywood history to do that. In doing so it will knock another Disney film from its championship animated perch–The Lion King (which grossed $455 million overseas).

    Nemo is the top grosser in a number of key markets–Japan ($89.2 million), the United Kingdom ($63 million) and France ($62 million). Other top animated films in the overseas market–all Disney product–are Aladdin ($287 million), Tarzan ($278 million) and Monsters, Inc. ($268 million). Finding Nemo is also one of top contenders in the Golden Globe race this Sunday. The film is one of the five films nominated in the Best Picture, Comedy or Musical category.

  • Butterfly FX Join Animated Fare at Box Office

    Mid-January 2004 continues in the tradition of most Januarys in the film biz. (Not much going on, waiting for the Oscars to happen). While Disney’s Teacher’s Pet and Satoshi Kon’s Tokyo Godfathers continue their run in most theaters, this weekend has one new opening that should be of interest to fans of f/x-driven thrillers and another for those who consider themselves connoisseurs of the design-world.

    For starters, the unfortunately ubiquitous Ashton Kutcher stars in the time-traveling, psychological thriller The Butterfly Effect. Opening wide in 2,605 locations the film is about a guy (Kutcher) who discovers that he can go back in time and fix the past to change the present. Only, as with all films with this premise, it’s not quite that simple. The film’s stunning visual effects are by Schminken Studio and Toybox.

    On a completely different astral plane this weekend is the doc My Architect, about Nathaniel Kahn’s relationship with his father, leading architect Louis Kahn. The film has been reviewed favorably by most critics and lauded for its sensitive and personal approach to its subject matter.

    If you happen to live in Los Angeles, you can catch a big-screen presentation of Disney’s underrated 1959 classic Sleeping Beauty, which will be shown as part of the American Cinematheque’s Great Big 70 Milllimeter Festival, this Sunday at 1 p.m.

    Directed by Clyde Geronimi, this grand adaptation of Charles Perrault’s fairy tale features one of Disney’s scariest villains (the evil fairy Maleficent), and George Bruns’ Oscar-nominated score based on the waltzes by Tchaikovsky. The film screens at the Lloyd E. Rigler Theatre at the Egyptian, 6712 Hollywood Blvd. The festival also includes the French comedy classic Jacques Tati’s Playtime (1967), the Barbra Sreisand musical Hello, Dolly! (1969) and Stanley Kramer’s comedy It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. For more information, visit www.egyptiantheatre.com.

  • Mad Mag Illustrator Woodbridge Dies at 73

    One of Mad Magazine’s leading illustrators has died. George Woodbridge–whose detailed drawings helped introduce million of teens to satire beginning in the mid-1950s–was 73.

    Woodbridge was known for using his signature delicate cross-hatched, pen-and-ink style of drawing to hit a wide range of targets–the advertising world, wicked suburban caricatures and detailed historical evocations.

    “He had a tremendous eye for detail that showed up in his drawings," Mad editor John Ficarra said in a New York Times obit this morning. “We especially played to his history knowledge. When we gave him a piece on World War I, he would draw the exact gun and belt buckle they were using then.”

    Woodbridge was born in Flushing, Queens, in 1930, and attended the School of Visual Arts, where he met the group of young artists who would go on to found Mad Magazine. He sold his first piece to Mad, an illustration of lyrics by Tom Lehrer, in 1957.

    Among the works of Woodbridge longtime fans remember the most was the 1965 sports satire Man Squamish, written by Tom Koch. It featured a nonsensical field game played with shepherds’ crooks, diving flippers, polo helmets and impossibly complicated rules.

    “It’s arguably our most requested piece to reprint,” Ficarra said. “It struck a chord. Colleges all over [the country] formed teams and played this crazy game, with these ridiculous-looking helmets. George captured that lunacy.”

    Woodbridge is survived by his wife Deborah and three sons from his first marriage, George, Curtis and Chris.

  • Disney’s Dave the Barbarian out of the Cave Tonight

    When it’s not dominating the worldwide box office with its animated films, the Walt Disney Co.’s TV animation divisions continue to produce a steady stream of strong product. Case in point: Tonight’s debut of Dave the Barbarian on the Disney Channel.

    A tweaked mediaeval take on the standard live-action family sitcom from Walt Disney television Animation, Dave follows the title character’s dark escapades with his offbeat family, which includes his primping older sister Candy and his fierce-yet-tiny younger sister Fang–as they protect themselves and their kingdom from a world of uproariously odd foes. Despite his Niles-like demeanor (he likes origami and gourmet cooking), Dave’s brute strength and feisty family means Visigoths and other assorted foes don’t stand a chance.

    The series springs from the off-kilter imagination of creator/exec producer Doug Langdale (Disney’s The Weekenders) and is directed by Howy Parkins (Disney’s Lloyd in Space). For Langdale, the idea for Dave sprang from a single word. “The genesis of the series was that I tried to think of the worst possible name you would have to scream out for help if you needed a barbarian hero to come to your rescue,” says Langdale. “It was simple: ‘Dave.’ The show pretty much fell into place from there.”

    Disney’s Dave the Barbarian premieres tonight with a five-episode mini-marathon beginning at 5:30 p.m. on The Disney Channel. The series airs regularly on weekends with episodic premieres on Fridays.

  • Yantis to Meld into IEG

    Internet Gaming Entertainment, a worldwide leader in the market for buying and selling virtual property used in multiplayer online games, announced today that it has agreed to acquire substantially all of the assets of Yantis Enterprises, Inc. The deal involves both cash and equity in IGE’s parent company, the Boca Raton, Florida-based IGE U.S. LLC.

    “Jonathan Yantis is an entrepreneur who blazed the trail in creating a market for the exchange of virtual currency and property,” says Brock Pierce, CEO of IGE U.S. “This acquisition is a big step for both us and the virtual currency exchange market as a whole, and solidifies our position as the largest player in this market by far.”

    Yantis will be joining IGE U.S. as COO and a member of the company’s board of managers. Other members include Pierce, Randy Maslow, senior veep and general counsel of IGE U.S. and Alan Debonneville, President of the IGE subsidiary in Hong Kong. “This is a marriage of the two pioneers in this industry,” says Yantis. “I’m excited to be joining IGE and look forward to our future successes together.”

    Massively multiplayer online role-playing games like EverQuest and Ultima Online are filled with virtual property such as magic weapons, in-game currency, houses and characters that are bought and sold on auction exchanges, with thousands of dollars trading hands every day. With more than 80 employees and thousands of suppliers, IGE claims to be the largest provider in the world of virtual currency exchange and game-enhancement services to players of MMORPGs. The company provides 24/7/365 customer service and tech support from its state of the art operations center in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong.

  • Coming Soon: More Pics Based on Vid Games

    Film producers are constantly searching for films that will appeal to teenage boys who are more than happy to pay to see the same film over-and-over again. So it’s not a big surprise that more movies based on video games are greenlit every week.

    German film producer/director Uwe Boll has optioned the film rights to two popular games, Fear Effect (Eidos) and White Wolf’s pen-and-paper role-playing game Hunter: The Reckoning, which has to date yielded three best-selling titles from Vivendi Universal Games. Quoted in today’s Hollywood Reporter, Boll says the films will have budgets in the $15 million-$25 million range.

    In the Hunter: The Reckoning franchise a band of humans hunts down supernatural monsters with a level of violence typical for many of the top-selling vid games. The pic should start shooting in Vancouver this summer. To date, the three Hunter titles have sold more than 300,000 copies in the United States. The films will be produced with Shawn Williamson (Alone in the Dark, White Noise) of Brightlight Pictures.

    For its part, Eidos is currently working on a third installment of its Fear Effect franchise. Set in a post-apocalyptic future a la Blade Runner, the series focuses on a pair of sexy female heroines who also happen to be lesbians–a wicked demo magnet for the 18-35 set. The first two Fear Effect Sony PlayStation games have sold more than 370,000 units in the United States since the series February 2000 debut. In addition to the two new films, Boll is also producing the vid game based features BloodRayne and Dungeon Siege.