Hobbit Pre-Production Set Catches On Fire

BY

Recently a fire engulfed Peter Jackson’s New Zealand workshop warehouse. The production set that had done work on The Lord of the Rings trilogy, King Kong and had done pre-production work on The Hobbit has been rendered a burned out hulk.

This incident is the latest in the snake-bitten pre-production of The Hobbit, which has endured the financial difficulties of MGM, the departure of director Guillermo Del Toro and even a boycott by local actors’ unions. Amazingly, filming may still begin early in 2011 if certain financing and rights issues are worked out, and the movie (which may reach $500 million in production cost) might release in 2012.

Source: Deadline

Call Of Duty: Black Ops Now In 3D

BY

Activision and Treyarch’s Call of Duty: Black Ops will be playable in stereoscopic 3D when the game launches on November 9. The game will be compatible with 3D-ready HDTVs and 3D PCs utilizing active shutter 3D glasses, delivering true depth of field and an unprecedented level of immersion that is perfectly suited for the Call of Duty action experience.

“Development of stereoscopic 3D began as an R&D project, but once we saw what the technology brought to the Call of Duty experience, what a great fit and how immersive it was, we knew that we had to develop it for Black Ops,” says Mark Lamia, Studio Head of Treyarch. “Aiming down the sights of your weapons, flying in helicopters, rappelling down mountains, and moving through highly detailed environments are just some of the awesome experiences you will have in 3D with Black Ops.”

“Call of Duty: Black Ops is already the most anticipated entertainment launch of the year, and the addition of a fully playable 3D version will truly take gaming to the next level,” said Chris Homeister, senior vice president and general manager of the home entertainment group at Best Buy. “Through our footprint of nearly 1100 retail locations across the country and online, as well as our wide selection of 3D-enabled products, Best Buy is uniquely positioned to bring this exciting experience to life for consumers. We’re thrilled to partner with Activision to support this great new chapter in home entertainment.”

“We made sure the experience is seamless for gamers to use with a simple menu option to enable stereoscopic 3D or disable it at any time whether playing in the single player campaign, multiplayer or Zombies,” added Lamia.

This feature will be available for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC versions of Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Zack Snyder Takes On Superman

BY

Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures have chosen Zack Snyder to be the director of the next Superman movie. The director of 300 and Watchmen was chosen over other directors that include Tony Scott, Matt Reeves, Jonathan Liebesman, and Duncan Jones.

“I’ve been a big fan of the character for a long time, he’s definitely the king of all superheroes, he’s the one,” said Snyder. “It’s early yet, but I can tell you that what David and Chris have done with the story so far definitely has given me a great insight into a way to make him feel modern. I’ve always felt he was kind of awesome. I’ll finish Sucker Punch and get right at it.”

Emma Thomas and Chris Nolan are producing. In fact, DC made a new Superman movie a greater priority after Nolan agreed to look over the project. Nolan and David S. Goyer worked on the concept for the new Superman, with Goyer then writing the script. Charles Roven and Deborah Snyder will also produce while co-financer Thomas Tull of Legendary Pictures will serve as executive producer.

All Snyder projects have had a very distinct and frenetic energy about them, so it seems Warner Bros. is looking for the antithesis of the generally well received but slow Superman Returns from Bryan Singer. We can’t wait to see how it turns out.

Source: Deadline

DC Universe Online Pushed Back To 2011

BY

Sony Online Entertainment has announced that it will be delaying DC Universe Online until early 2011, perhaps looking to avoid a direct confrontation with World of Warcraft Cataclysm in early December. As a thank you to its fans, SOE is giving everyone who has pre-ordered the game now or by November 15, 2010 assured access to the game’s beta by November 30 in North America.

“SOE is dedicated to delivering the highest quality game experiences possible,” says John Smedley, President of Sony Online Entertainment. “DC Universe Online is the first game of its kind, and a truly massive undertaking — the first action MMO set in the DC Universe, the first MMO on the PlayStation 3, and the first time the entire DC Universe will be accessible to the millions of fans who are eagerly anticipating its release. As the game heads into external beta testing, this extra time will allow us to address community feedback in a meaningful way. When we get deeper into external beta, we’ll be able to share more information regarding the new launch date.”

Also, SOE announced that the PS3 will also be getting a Collector’s Edition of the game. It will contain everything the PC version has, including a DCUO Batman statue, the limited edition Art of DC Universe Online art book, the DCUO Legends Issue #0 comic book with a Jim Lee variant cover, the DCUO Prestige comic presentation of the DCUO back-story and the limited edition Jim Lee-drawn poster Version of the Issue #0 comic book variant cover.

Just Cause Optioned For Film

BY

L+E Pictures has optioned the rights to the Just Cause game series from Avalanche Studios. Eric Eisner’s production studio will develop it with producer Adrian Askarieh of Prime Universe Productions until they have a concept ready for studios.

Askarieh has a working relationship with Eidos, helping to adapt Hitman for the theaters (a sequel is on the way) and producing the upcoming Kane and Lynch for Millennium Films and Lionsgate, with Bruce Willis and Jamie Foxx attached to star. Michael Ross (Turistas) is set to write the Just Cause script.

Source: Variety

Wii Penetrates Nearly 33% Of British Households

BY

According to Chart Track, Nintendo has sold about 8.3 million Wii units in the U.K. since the system launched in December 2006. The company estimates this means the Wii is present in one out of three U.K. households.

There are approximately 25 million households in the U.K. meaning that the Nintendo DS is even more widespread. Roughly 11 million households in the U.K. have at least one DS owner.

Modern Warfare 2 Cleans Up At GamePlan Summit Awards

BY

The Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) recently concluded their GamePlan Summit with an award ceremony recognizing retailers and publishers. The winners were voted on by EMA s Game Retailing Council and EMA member retailers, vendors, publishers.

“We are delighted to celebrate and honor those who contribute to the success of the video game industry through outstanding marketing, promotions, and retailing,” stated Bo Andersen, EMA President and CEO. “Even the most compelling games need the support of great packaging, advertising, marketing, and execution at retail.”

GameStop won both Best Game Department and Best Retail Promotion and Marketing. Activision was recognized for their work on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 with Best Use of Social Networks, Best Packaging, Best Publisher’s Marketing Campaign. Best Use of Social Media went to GameFly, Best Online Execution was given to Amazon.com, Best Retail Advertising was Best Buy and Video Game Revitalization at Retail was given to Target. Best Display at Retail was given to Nintendo for Wii Sports Resort while Best Representation of Titles at Retail was given to Electronic Arts.

Source: GamePlanSummit.com {link no longer active}