THQ’s Remaining IP Fetch Between $6 – $7 Million

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The remaining assets for THQ have been bid on and the auction for the remaining IP of the publisher has been closed, with a total of 17 bids bringing in between $6 to $7 million. Now the bids that have been put in before April 15 are pending court approval, with no word yet on what properties were sold to whom.

The auction included the rights to the IPs Homeworld, Darksiders, Red Faction, the MX series and a long list of other owned IP and licensed software. It is expected that all of the sales will be finalized by the end of May.

Source: kccllc.net/thq

Marvel/Audi Working On Crowd-Sourced Comic

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Audi is partnering with Marvel Entertainment for its new campaign. The auto maker is sponsoring a crowd-sourced digital comic book featuring Iron Man.

The key part of this campaign is that fans can decided how they want the story to end. To that end, fans can submit their sketches for the final panel of the comic book and the winning entry will be published.

The “Steer the Story” e-comic book focuses on Tony Stark taking a ride in an Audi R8 sportscar prototype. It’s worth noting that while users will vote on their favorites, the final decision will be made by the panel of judges that include Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso and editors Jeanine Shaefer and Bill Rosemann.

“Audi is once again excited to create an opportunity to engage consumers with both the Audi brand and Marvel’s Iron Man franchise,” said Loren Angelo, Director of Marketing for Audi in America. “The ‘Steer The Story’ contest is a perfect chance for us to provide consumers, fans and enthusiasts with the ultimate experience to showcase their creativity and unique designs that not only reflect Tony Stark’s character but also the brand’s latest innovations.”

Finalists and the grand prize winner will be announced May 10. All participants will be given a complimentary digital copy of the finished comic book on 24 May.

Source: PSFK.com

PS Vita Sees House Of Cards Product Placement

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House of Cards is a show that’s exclusive to Netflix for at least its first season, thus meaning it has no commercial breaks in it. No worries, though, because there are plenty of product placement opportunities, like this brief part where Kevin Spacey’s character Frank J. Underwood remarks on a PS Vita.

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That brief clip might seem out of sorts, though Underwood is established to be a gamer in previous episodes and is known to make fourth-wall breaking remarks. Other product placement for the show includes a whole range of Apple products, Blackberry phones, and Canon cameras.

Minecraft Toys Coming From Jazwares

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Mojang has announced that it has signed a licensing deal with Jazwares. The toy company will produce action figures, plush, and papercraft items based on Minecraft, with the first products coming to retail by the end of 2013.

“We are excited by our new partnership with Jazwares,” said Mojang CEO Carl Manneh. “This partnership will help give our community a new way to interact with the game they love.”

“Minecraft is one of the hottest brands on the planet right now,” added Jazwares’ Laura Zebersky. “The world is playing the game and engaging in its remarkably compelling modes. The marketplace is primed for a line of toys, electronics and paper craft items that reflect the fun and creativity of the game.”

Google Announces Specs For Glass

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Specs for Google Glass have been revealed, with a display equivalent to a 25-inch HD screen viewed from eight feet away, while it’s camera does 5MP stills and 720p video. Along with 16GB of internet storage, it will have 12GB available for use.

Audio is transferred via a bone conduction transducer, with a micro-USB for charging a battery expected to last one day. Glass’ wireless capabilities include Bluetooth and WiFi 802.11 b/g.

Source: Support.Google.com {link no longer active}

Papo & Yo Creator Talks Marketing Incentives Of Console Exclusivity

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Papo & Yo released on PS3 last year to critical acclaim, telling a fantasy story of a boy living in a Brazilian favela dealing with a monstrous creature, metaphorical for an abusive relationship with an alcoholic father. While the game is releasing now on PC, Minority Media co-founder Vander Caballero said that Sony helped both in developing and marketing the game.

“The PS3 release was one of the top sellers on PSN and we’re happy with the numbers,” said Caballero. “Papo cost $1.5 million to make and we’ve already made a part of our investment back. Hopefully, we are going to get the other part on Steam and make some profit. It’s a great opportunity for us because Sony really helped us to push the game out and make people know about it, and then they really helped us in the development, too. It was an amazing relationship.”

“If you are an independent you have zero marketing money,” Caballero explained. “You have nothing. Then you need someone to support your project. So, if someone asks you for exclusivity and it’s going to help you to bring out your product into the market, I think that can be good. Sometime, I think it’s the only way to get something out.”

Right now Minority Media is working on Silent Enemy, a game about bullying that originally started as a concept about survival hunting that turned into a story about dealing with bullying. The team started out on iOS but currently is making the title for the Ouya.

“At the end of the day… it’s all worth it when we receive letters about Papo and hear people thanking us for doing the game. We want our games to touch people and it’s really good to hear that it’s working,” Caballero concluded.

Source: Kotaku.com

Saints Row Like ‘The Hangover’ Of Games, Says Volition Producer

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The Saints Row franchise has developed something of an infamous reputation for over-the-top sophomoric humor. Despite some occasional criticism over the tone, Volition senior producer Jim Boon thinks that the game’s loopy nature benefits it far more than it may hurt.

“Ultimately I don’t think that Saint Row‘s tone gets in the way of bigger sales,” said Boon. “If anything, I think our tone is an element of our success. Saints Row is quite unlike anything else out there, and I think gamers crave unique experiences – I know I do. We have a lot of passionate fans that love Saints Row, so I think we are striking the right chord.”

“Based on the overall reception and sales of SR3, I strongly suspect many people enjoy this aspect of SR, even if some may not want to admit feeling that way. Thinking of a movie series like The Hangover – people love the humor but you might not want to discuss some of the finer moments of those movies with your mom, for example.”

Source: OXM

Project X Zone Limited Edition Announcement

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Namco Bandai has announced that Project X Zone has a release date for the U.S. in June. The tactical RPG brawler for 3DS combines over 50 characters from Capcom, Sega and Namco.

Additionally, the company announced that those who purchase the game at launch for $39.99 will receive the Limited Edition at no extra cost. The Limited Edition comes with a mini art book, poster and CD.