Pojo's Friday News Page
February 4th - 2005
For Immediate Release
MAINFRAME ENTERTAINMENT AND WIZKIDS TEAM UP TO BRING
MECHWARRIOR TO DVD IN 3D ANIMATION
Mainframe Entertainment (TSX: MFE), a leading creator of
computer generated (CG) animation, and WizKids Inc., makers
of the popular Mage Knight™, HeroClix®, and MechWarrior®
collectable miniatures games (CMGs), have teamed up to
create a feature-length direct-to-DVD 3D animated feature
based on the tremendously popular MechWarrior series of
adventure games, books and toys. Producer Gregory Little
brought the project to Mainframe and will produce under his
Machine Age banner. MechWarrior creator Jordan Weisman will
produce for WizKids, along with Marc Sachnoff. The feature
is slated for release in 2006. The film will introduce new
characters and storylines, and will introduce innovative
techniques in CG animation that will give a unique look and
feel to the story.
"MechWarrior continues our move towards developing
proprietary properties in animation that have already
established themselves in the toy and gaming worlds as
long-term brands," said Rick Mischel, CEO Mainframe
Entertainment. "With this new action-packed DVD adventure,
fans will be able to see MechWarrior come to life in a whole
new way."
Little said, "The growing DVD-direct market is a great
alternative to a theatrical feature when you have a brand
like MechWarrior to drive sales. We got a deal done quickly
and have a lot more creative freedom than we would have had
if this was a $100 million studio feature." After working as
Vice-President, Development for Mark Gordon, Little formed
his company, Machine Age, in 2004 to focus on the DVD-direct
feature market.
The story for the DVD feature picks up the MechWarrior
far-future universe at a time when the old glory of the
BattleMechs has passed. But now, with his home planet
threatened by invasion, the story's young hero goes on a
quest for a cache of lost Battlemechs that will turn the
tide against the invaders. "The story will satisfy longtime
Mech fans," said creator Weisman, "but also gives new fans a
great point of entry by showing what the property is all
about: big, powerful Battlemechs and the heroes who pilot
them."
MechWarrior has a 20 year history as an interactive property
and is still growing. It has proven successful in every
platform in which it's been released including sales of over
13 million video games on PC and X-Box; the ongoing
publication of 79 novels; and tens of millions of
collectible game figures for WizKids MechWarrior: Age of
Destruction tabletop game. Microsoft continues to release
X-Box games under the MechAssault name, with the latest
hitting shelves in early 2005.
About Mainframe Entertainment
Mainframe Entertainment Inc. (TSX: MFE), is one of the
world's most prolific producers of computer animation for
television and direct-to-videos, and is expanding into
long-form CGI for feature films, commercials and interactive
entertainment. In addition to its production of the
award-winning "Barbie Swan Lake" direct-to-video feature, a
new "Popeye" CGI primetime television special, and the new
"Spider-Man" animated series, the company created the
animation, logo, and branding for the 2003 MTV Movie Awards.
The company is best known as the pioneer of computer
animated television series for the groundbreaking "ReBoot".
Mainframe has produced over 240 half hours of computer
animation since its inception in 1993. The company employs
approximately 240 artists, animators, technicians and
production personnel, and has won many prestigious awards
for its creative technical innovations, including a Laureate
of the 1998 Computerworld Smithsonian Awards. Mainframe is
currently in production of a new CGI animated "Inspector
Gadget" DVD feature, as well as a slate of new proprietary
television specials and DVD features. Mainframe's majority
shareholder is IDT Entertainment. IDT Entertainment is the
IDT subsidiary focused on developing, acquiring, producing
and distributing computer-generated and traditionally
animated productions and other productions for the film,
broadcast and direct-to-consumer markets.
About WizKids
Founded by 20-year game-industry veteran Jordan Weisman,
WizKids is a Seattle-based game developer and publisher
dedicated to creating tabletop games driven by imagination.
Its Mage Knight, MechWarrior and HeroClix CMGs are among the
most successful games on the market today, and the company
has sold hundreds of millions of figures worldwide. For
additional information, visit
www.wizkidsgames.com.
# # #
'Realistic' comics pose threat to Spider-Man
The Incredible Hulk and Spider-Man are confronting new
rivals in the US comic book world, as young Americans are
devouring Japan's manga comics depicting wandering samurais
and cheeky Tokyo schoolchildren.
Unlike US comics, "mangas don't always have a happy ending,"
Pfeiffer added as she scoured a Washington area comic book
store.
FullStory
GHOST RECON 2 SPIRITS ONTO CUBE - CONFIRMED
Messing your fatigues with worry that Ubisoft's tactical
squad shooter won't be storming the Cube? Stand at ease,
soldier...
There's been a fair bit of suppressing fire dumped onto the
GameCube version of Ghost Recon 2 lately - at first it was
confirmed, then it seemed a Cube port had gone AWOL as the
PS2 and Xbox versions stormed their November release dates.
Well GameCube owners, as a member of the Ghost Recon team
would probably yell at you as bullets whizzed by your head
and urine dribbled down your thigh, "DON'T PANIC!"
FullStory
TAKE COVER! NEW RAINBOW SIX: LOCKDOWN SCREENS, INFO
Innovative new modes that will 'revolutionise the world of
online gaming' promised, but this lot will have to do for
now. Screens too
Fresh from our skirmish with details on the GameCube version
of Ghost Recon 2, Ubisoft has also hit us up with a stack of
new information and screens for Rainbow Six: Lockdown.
Following the sneak-and-shoot exploits of the multinational
Team Rainbow (which sounds a little, um, 'fruity', doesn't
it?), Rainbow Six: Lockdown builds on the gameplay of the
series and adds a bunch of new features.
FullStory
Gran Turismo 4 gets a North American release date
(PS2)
After years of delays, the latest in the Gran Turismo series
reaches the American shores.
Sony Computer Entertainment America announced today that
Gran Turismo 4 will be heading to the North America on
February 22.
FullStory
Capcom have unveiled six new titles, spread across
numerous formats.
The announcement came at Capcom's first press conference of
2005, which was held in gambling and debauchery capital, Las
Vegas. We have brief descriptions and screen shots.
FullStory
“POKÉMON THE MOVIE: DESTINY DEOXYS” GIVES KIDS’ WB!
BEST RATINGS SINCE 2003
Kids' WB!’s exclusive U.S. premiere of the much-anticipated
“Pokémon The Movie: Destiny Deoxys” gave the network its
best delivery in key demographics since 2003. On Saturday,
January 22, the network dominated as #1 among all Saturday
morning competition in Boys 6-11 ( 5.8/23 ) and Male Tweens
9-14 ( 5.4/26 ), and ranked as the #1 broadcaster in Kids
2-11 ( 3.1/12 ), Kids 6-11 ( 3.9/16 ), Boys 2-11 ( 4.4/17 )
and Tweens 9-14 ( 3.5/18 ).
FullStory
Nintendo Confirms Pokémon Emerald Release Date
Last November, Nintendo divulged their release date agenda
pertaining to a plethora of RPGs. Among the announcements of
prospective release dates for new entries into the Fire
Emblem and Legend of Zelda, series, lay an announcement that
the newest title in the Pokémon series on the Game Boy
Advance, Pokémon Emerald, would be released in April of
2005. Today, Nintendo has given RPGamer a concrete, albeit a
delayed, North American release date. It has been confirmed
that Pokémon Emerald will be released on May 1, a month
following their previous estimate of sometime in April.
FullStory
Linux on the Nintendo DS
Using a passthrough and some homebrew demos, someone has
Linux running on Nintendo’s new dual-screen portable gaming
unit. It appears to use some external hardware, which makes
the whole thing currently not-so-portable, but the idea is
that all the hardware could be put on a single cartridge.
Once in there, a portable dual-screen Linux system with
touch-screen input and WiFi could be pretty darn useful. And
fun.
FullStory
Nintendo Revolution patent?
IGN has posted a piece about an updated Nintendo patent. The
patent could point toward a new kind of display for their
next console. In a nutshell, the filing is meant to secure
tech that “prevents a fixation point from frequently
moving.” A fixation point is the point on the screen where
your eye focuses during play. How, exactly, they’re going to
alter this age-old gaming rule remains to be seen.
FullStory
Xbox 2 could be unveiled in May
Details of the next generation of Microsoft's Xbox games
console - codenamed Xenon - will most likely be unveiled in
May, according to reports. It was widely expected that
gamers would get a sneak preview of Xbox's successor at the
Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March. But a Microsoft
spokeswoman confirmed that it would not be at GDC. Sony,
Microsoft and Nintendo are all expected to release their
more powerful machines in the next 18 months.
FullStory