February 2016 | Page 10 of 11

‘Marvel Avengers Academy’ Reimagines Iconic Cast As College-Aged Students

February 4, 2016, 10:57PM

If you’ve ever watched an Avengers movie or read one of their comic books in your lifetime, get ready for an adventure-filled treat featuring hundreds of characters from the famous franchise. Marvel and TinyCo have reimagined the iconic cast of Avengers characters as college-aged students enrolled in superhero school for the mobile game Marvel Avengers Academy.

Available on iOS and Android devices, the free-to-download game allows players to build their dream school and guide the paths of characters such as Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk and Thor as complex young adults grappling with emerging superpowers, social lives, all while training to one day save the world. It marks the first time the Avengers are re-envisioned as student versions of themselves.

“The launch of this game is a big deal for us,” Jeremy Horn, general manager at TinyCo, the developer and publisher of the game, told [a]listdaily. “We really wanted to make a fun, light-hearted game that was for all audience quadrants. We saw that there was a space in the mobile market for Marvel fans that was not filled. People wanted to see characters in a new setup while adding an emphasis on their relationships. We’re here to validate a story that would please all generations of Marvel fans.”

Players will be able to unlock characters through exploration, go on dates, confront rival cliques and upgrade and develop superpowers. Each crewmember is also suited with unique abilities and exclusive outfits in a campus replete with training facilities, combat arenas, dorms, laboratories, classrooms and sports stadiums.

Bill Rosemann, the creative director at Marvel Entertainment, says he was immediately intrigued as soon as TinyCo delivered an out-of-the-box idea for the game. “I think we all know, at some point in our lives, it’s not easy growing up when you feel different. Maybe you act, talk or dress differently. But the thinking differently brought us here,” he says. “The team at TinyCo rolled the dice. They had this crazy idea, and they made the game.”

One of Rosemann’s goals was to deliver a product that was going to reach people who perhaps were not playing Marvel’s games. “When I heard (TinyCo’s) idea, I said, ‘Yes! This is the kind of game we want to make – games that are different and haven’t been done before. So it’s that ‘thinking differently’ that created this game. We think we’ve created not just a game, but a place where everyone who feels different can come together and be celebrated to become the hero they know they could be.”

David Nakayama, a former Marvel cover artist and current art lead at TinyCo, drew and reimagined all the characters. It was his first time working on a video game, and he says the hardest part was figuring how to use art to portray the youth of each superhero. “We tried hundreds of different ideas for each character until we found the perfect mix that showed youth, cool and fun,” Nakayama says. “It was fun taking everything I know about these characters and putting them together into a game. My favorite character to work on was Iron Man. He’s a badass.”

Characters in Marvel Avengers Academy’s narrative-driven stories, spearheaded by Allen Warner, TinyCo’s senior narrative designer, include Loki, Black Widow, Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye, Nick Fury, Ant-Man, Ultron, Pepper Potts, Wasp, Enchantress, Tigra, Baron Zemo, Falcon and many more.

“Finally … I get to go to homecoming with a hot date,” Rosemann joked to his wife at the game’s officical launch party at the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles last month.

In addition to models clad in character costumes, actresses Kiernan Shipka (Spider-Woman) and Alexandra Daddario (Wasp) as well as actors Colton Haynes (Thor) and Dave Franco (Iron Man) – all of whom served as voiceovers for the game – were in attendance.

A$AP Rocky (Falcon), John Cena (Hulk) and Bella Thorne (Tigra) round out the all star cast who lend their voice to help bring the characters to life.

Andrew Green, head of business development and operations at TinyCo, the seven-year old company responsible for such game titles as Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff and Tiny Monsters, also considers incorporating YouTube stars and online personalities as a very valid marketing tactic for the game to reach a wider audience. The Bay Area-based game developer tapped Internet influencers like Michelle Phan, Toby Turner and Swoozie to help market Marvel Avengers Academy.

“When someone loves the game, it resonates and makes us incredibly proud,” says Horn. “It’s an amazing franchise with near-endless possibilities. I can’t wait to read the reviews.”

Follow Manouk Akopyan on Twitter @Manouk_Akopyan.

Cartoon Network Studios Exec Explains New Game Plan

BY John Gaudiosi

February 4, 2016, 10:55PM

Cartoon Network’s audience of 6 to 11 year olds has grown up playing all types of video games. And the Turner Studio has launched several new initiatives aimed at creating original games targeting this viewership.

Cartoon Network Studios has expanded its Artists First approach to content development to include video games with the launch of the OK K.O.! Lakewood Plaza Turbo mobile game, which was conceived by acclaimed animator Ian Jones Quartey of Steven Universe and coproduced with animator Toby Jones of Regular Show fame. It’s the first creative franchise created at Cartoon Network Studios to launch as a game.

In an effort to further expand this new gaming universe, Cartoon Network Studios is hosting its first major media industry Game Jam, an innovation festival for developers, animators, graphic artists, designers, musicians, and other creative professionals who want to “hack” into the world of OK K.O.! Lakewood Plaza Turbo to create more extensive gaming experiences. Over 200 artists are expected to participate in the 48-hour event. Rob Sorcher, Chief Content Officer at Cartoon Network Studios, delves into this new game plan in this exclusive interview.

How big an audience is there for Cartoon Network fans who are also gamers?

Our core audience is boys 6-11 years old. You’d be hard pressed to find one who is not a gamer. So nearly every Cartoon Network fan is a current or potential game fan.

How important is actual gameplay today when there’s such a flood of Hollywood licensed products across mobile and digital?
We’re in the IP creation business for a generation who expects to engage interactively with every property they love. And they expect that interaction to be authentic, which means bringing game developers closer to the talent. Game dynamics are so important to us that we are shifting our basic content creation model to include game and non-linear dynamics at the core of key original properties.

How have you cultivated this audience of late through Cartoon Network Studios?
Our audience lives and behaves in a multi-platform world and so we must develop our content in that same way. OK K.O.! is the latest property to launch with a digital collaboration. Lego MIXELS featured jointly-developed games, shorts, TV content, toys. Mighty MagiSwords was developed as a micro-series inside our innovative CN Anything app, and continues to expand the definition of content.

What have you learned from recent games that you can apply to these new releases?
The best games come from an exciting collaboration between passionate artists and passionate game developers. We have found that putting people from different viewpoints together at the creative inception phase has resulted in the best end product. Plus, gamers love our brand of cartoons.

Where did the Artists First idea come from?
OK KO! began life as a 7-minute animated short film incubated in Cartoon Network Studios Artists Program. Ian Jones-Quartey is one of the visionary animators behind our hit TV series Steven Universe.

How does it apply to the video game space?
OK K.O! is a property about video game heroes. So it was easy to see how it could make a natural move into the gaming arena. We started by collaborating with an independent game studio, and now we will open up property development even further by going out to the game development community at large, by hosting a Game Jam (48 hour game-making marathon) for 200 participating independent game developers in Portland, Oregon February 12-14.

Why did you decide to launch OK K.O.! Lakewood Plaza Turbo as a video game first?
OK K.O.! is part of a concerted effort to reinvent our process of content creation. Cartoon Network Studios has a culture of putting visionary artists at the core of properties. Now that notion is expanded to bring creative collaborations to the core of the development process. Sometimes the resulting ideas are so powerful that we determine the IP works best with longform storytelling not starting first.

What opportunities do you see for this IP outside of games?
OK KO! naturally leans to digital products both narrative and game-like. Since we are still underway with an iterative development process, it will be interesting to see where else this property goes, and we expect talent across many disciplines (including consumer products design) will ultimately lead us to the best approach to expansion and smart execution.

Where did the idea for this Game Jam come from?
Once we saw the potency of collaboration with an outside game studio, we wanted to open up development even further to the game development community in general. The idea for this really comes from the behavior of our target audience. There is a generational expectation of “contribution” to the property.

How will Cartoon Network work with the winners and what’s the timetable for consumers to be able to play something?
OK K.O.! Lakewood Plaza Turbo launches February 4, 2016. The winning Game Jam team will get their project fully funded for a deeper interactive experience for release in 2017. Additional teams will have their work exhibited on CartoonNetwork.com all this year.

How important do you feel indie developers are for Cartoon Network Studios moving forward?
What’s important is bringing together top creative talent across every discipline. For example, we also went out to three different animation studios to produce shorts about O.K. K.O! to get their perspective on the property. Those shorts will now be featured in the mobile game.

Do you see this Game Jam as the beginning of something more regular to tap into the talent pool of game developers?
We will continue to encourage creative talent from every media discipline to work with Cartoon Network and our various creators, as we embark upon this new development strategy.

Virtual Reality’s Impact on Movie Watching

BY Steven Wong

February 4, 2016, 09:49PM

Hollywood is embracing virtual reality technology as a new and exciting means of expression, but don’t expect theaters start passing out VR headsets the same way they do 3D glasses anytime soon.

Although Starbreeze, makers of The Walking Dead Experience and the upcoming John Wick VR game, is opening a virtual reality arcade called Project StarCade later this year in Los Angeles to help promote the technology and its own StarVR headset — and a mixed reality theme park called The Void is looking to open its doors in Salt Lake City in the fall — it’s safe to say that VR theaters are still a long way off from being popularized.

Until then, movie goers are saved from having to decide between regular, 3D IMAX, or VR formats when getting tickets for the next Star Wars film. Fortunately, there’s still a way to virtually visit a galaxy far, far away using the Star Wars mobile app, which was updated with a story-driven VR experience last fall to help promote the launch of The Force Awakens movie.

John Gaeta, Executive Creative Director at Lucasfilm’s ILMxLAB, is also working with a team to bring that galaxy a little closer. Lucasfilm showcased the Holo-Cinema augmented reality experience at this year’s Sundance Film Festival (alongside a variety of other wild projects), and attendees were able to explore the planet Jakku and see 3D representations of C3PO and BB-8.

Eventually, fans will be able to use the technology to experience different aspects of the Star Wars universe from the comfort of their own homes. Gaeta went on to state that he expected augmented-reality to become mainstream for all sizes of movies in five to ten years, and that the company was not beholden to stick exclusively to the Star Wars franchise.

Both Oculus VR and Samsung have individually announced their own studios, dedicated to the goal of creating quality VR content. More consumers may be persuaded to try the technology out as more content becomes available. As of right now, viewers can use apps like Vrse, NYT VR, and a number of others on their smartphones and Google Cardboard to watch short 360-degree films and documentaries. Additionally, some Hollywood studios have used VR apps to promote big movie premieres like The Hunger Games: The Mockingjay Part 2.

Mobile VR may even open new ways to watch movies and engage with movies, as content creators experiment with interactivity that’s similar to some video games. Eventually, viewers may be able to influence how the story turns out, like in a Choose Own Adventure book. To this end, Samsung has invested in the company Interlude, which is researching ways to bridge interactive VR video with the more traditional, linear, format. Either way, viewers will be able to engage with films at a whole new level.

A Closer Look At Programmatic Advertising and Performance Marketing

BY Robert Workman

February 4, 2016, 08:32PM

Programmatic advertising has grown immensely over the past few years, and AdRoll has the numbers that show where it’s headed in a new report titled State of the Industry 2016.

Surveying over 1,000 US marketers across various industries, the report illustrates the changes have come with the retargeting, programmatic advertising and performance marketing divisions. Highlights from the report include:

32 percent of marketers spend over 50 percent of online advertising budgets on programmatic.
Marketers think mobile first, despite persistent challenges. The percent of marketers retargeting on mobile jumped from 54 percent to 82 percent during last year.
Attribution continues to be concentrated on, as the number of marketers who adopted an attribution model tracking multiple customer touch points (instead of the usual single-click model) has nearly doubled, going up from 24 percent in 2014 to 40 percent last year.
Programmatic advertising investment has changed significantly, with a bigger increase in budget last year alone. Those numbers will likely change again this year.

Retargeting also has a big focus in the report, with a lot of marketers agreeing that eBay is the most likely source for that strategy. Pinterest, Instagram and Snapchat were also mentioned, with messaging apps finding a fifth place slot.

Mobile retargeting was also touched upon, with 87 percent of those polled indicating that they would increase their investment in mobile for this year.

82 percent of those marketers are taking part in retargeting on mobile, up from 54 percent the year before. Meanwhile, those that aren’t partaking in mobile stated some reasons why, with the most popular being that they don’t have a dedicated app.

When it comes to email marketing, engagement seems to be the biggest factor, with 58 percent of those polled believing it’s the most vital ingredient. Meanwhile, loyalty, customer retention and cross-sell/upsell are also considerable factors.

Lastly, marketers were asked about what would determine the success of a digital campaign. 50 percent felt that high ROI/ROAS was a heavy factor, although total conversions and low CPA were also considered. The report also noted that about a third of a marketing budget is allocated to digging in for new consumer leads, while another third goes to turning them into consistently spending customers.

The Growing List of Brands Tackling Super Bowl 50 Through TV Ads

BY Robert Workman

February 4, 2016, 07:27PM

Last year’s Super Bowl ad game was on fleek. Between unique promotions like Bud Light’s life-sized Pac-Man game and a number of mobile companies advertising their wares – including Supercell’s Clash of Clans – brands proved to be clutch just like Peyton Manning. While the Broncos and Panthers prepare to go head-to-head for the coveted Trophy, we’ll be tracking the advertisers chasing elusive eyeballs and dollars all the way to kick-off time.

For Super Bowl 50 in February, companies will again bring their A-game. With ads both broadcasting on TV and streaming online simultaneously, CBS expects major exposure from its audience, and they’re charging accordingly for commercials. A 30-second ad spot for the big game is going for $5 million a pop – and, according to CBS president Les Moonves, spots have almost sold out, indicating that companies aren’t shying away from reaching a record breaking audience. Last year, the game was the most watched show in U.S. TV history.

Though some companies still have yet to be revealed – and others like GoDaddy have already bowed out – we do have a rough idea of some that will be taking part in the yearly proceedings. Of course, there are some obvious ones that will make a return, like Bud Light and CBS, hawking its own programming. But here are some that might surprise you:

Outdoor Apparel

The makers of outdoor gear want to bring things back to nature for the Super Bowl, and have introduced a new teaser with a different kind of mascot to advertise its apparel – a marmot.

The video below, with more to follow before the Super Bowl, highlights how this “marshmallow-eating, fetchingly clad” animal will become the focus for a new campaign for Outdoor Apparel.

CBS

Since the channel is airing the Super Bowl, it’s expected that CBS will have plenty of ads that point to its own programming, including hit shows like Big Bang Theory and others. However, for the first time ever, people will be able to view it online, ads and all.

That means there could be a good chance we’ll see some sort of push for the company’s CBS All Access app as well, although the channel has yet to confirm its plans. It did note, however, that a special episode of The Late Show Starring Stephen Colbert would air immediately following the game.

Snapchat

Even though it won’t necessarily air an advertisement during the Super Bowl, Snapchat will still take part in the Big Game with a campaign featuring a number of advertisers, promoting their goods through the company’s app. These sponsors include Marriott, Budweiser, Pepsi and Amazon, with video ads that are more than likely set to coincide with its previously announced Super Bowl ads.

Wal-Mart

The popular retailer will make a different sort of impact with its Super Bowl advertising, catering more to female fans of the NFL with a two-ad set-up that will focus on mothers. It will also launch a social campaign that ties in with the hashtag #GameDayTraditions, with “football mom” Mama McCourty front and center, as demonstrated in the video clip below.

Apartments.com

Actor Jeff Goldblum, who will star in the upcoming Independence Day sequel, has made a hit out of his Apartments.com character, hawking the popular website as a specialist of sorts. He’ll return in a new Super Bowl ad for the company, in a 60-second ad that’s meant to bump up awareness for the site.

Buick

The new Cascada convertible will be the key focus for Buick’s elaborate Super Bowl advertising, which features a 30-second spot starring New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and actress/model Emily Ratajkowski. More ads will follow later in the year, focusing on the company’s forthcoming models, the LaCrosse sedan and the Envision compact crossover. For now, though, everything’s coming up Cascada.

Amazon

Amazon has recently announced its Super Bowl plans, and they surround actor Alec Baldwin. In a campaign being dubbed “#BaldwinBowl,” the ads will focus on Baldwin (alongside former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino) as they attempt to figure out plans for a sporting event…with the help of Amazon’s own Alexa speaker.

The first teaser for the campaign is here:

Mini USA

The makers of the Mini line will have a star-studded ad ready to go for the Super Bowl, featuring no less than six celebrities showing off their favorite mini vehicles. These include tennis superstar Serena Williams, rapper T-Pain, former major league pitcher Randy Johnson, skateboarder Tony Hawk, actor Harvey Keitel and retired soccer player Abby Wambach.

“Either they’ve driven in the car in the past, own the cars currently or have some sort of relationship,” said Tom Noble, department head of Mini brand communications, about the stars’ connection with their vehicles.

To tie in with the ad, Mini will roll out a number of online videos, featuring the stars talking about how they prefer to define themselves, doing away with labels. Those videos have started posting online this morning, and can be found here.

Fiat

Chrysler’s Fiat line will once again produce an ad for the Super Bowl, though it hasn’t been determined just yet how long it will be, or what the company has in mind. Judging by previous commercials, however, fans of the automaker should be in for a treat.

Anheuser Busch

As expected, the beer titan will return with a number of new ads during the Super Bowl, including ones specifically for Bud Light, Budweiser, Shock Top and Michelob Ultra. It appears that the company has already signed on comedians Amy Schumer and Seth Rogen for an incoming set of ads for its Bud brands that will begin during the big game.

In addition, the company has a “serious” new ad that continues to rebel against craft beer manufacturers, similar in nature to an ad it ran last year.

Buick

The car manufacturer sat last year’s game out, but will return with a new 30-second spot that will focus on its new Cascada convertible.

“Super Bowl 50 represents a perfect opportunity for us to showcase our newest vehicles to a global audience of millions of consumers,” Buick said in a statement.

Toyota

The car manufacturer will return to Super Bowl advertising for the fourth year in a row, with a new 90-second spot that will focus primarily on the Prius. The company’s ads last year fared well, including a commercial featuring Paralympic snowboarder Amy Purdy.

Pokemon

With the Pokemon franchise celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, The Pokemon Company has opted to set up a Super Bowl 50 ad to celebrate it.

It is meant to encourage fans to “Train On,” referring to the consistent battles that thePokemon games are known for. it recently made its online debut, and can be found below.

It’s going to be a big year for the franchise, between special Nintendo 3DS systems being released in February, three classic Pokemon games coming to digital download for 3DS handhelds, and Pokken Tournament, a new fighting game, launching for the Wii U this spring.

SunTrust Bank

Atlanta’s based bank chain will soon be ready to tackle the Super Bowl, as it has announced its intention to air a 30 second ad during the big game.

Instead of going with a fancy approach, the ad will stick with the basics, focusing on consumer encouragement and financial confidence. “We believe that financial stress is a significant social concern, one that merits national attention,” bank Chairman/CEO William H. Rogers Jr. said in a written statement. “We’re investing in this ad because the Super Bowl is a unique and proven forum to launch a national conversation. We want to be the spark that motivates people to take action, and give them tools and access to information to move closer to financial confidence.”

Taco Bell

The popular restaurant chain will return to the Super Bowl with another 30-second spot, although it withheld details on what viewers can expect from it. However, it’s been promising its “biggest launch to date” with a number of recent events, so it could easily tie in with it.

“We aren’t revealing details of our spot until the big game, but we will have ways for our fans to engage with us in the weeks leading up to Super Bowl 50,” said Chris Brandt, chief concept and brand officer for Taco Bell. “This build up will pay off with one of the most exciting announcements from the Taco Bell brand to date.”

BMW

It’s been a few years since we’ve seen BMW’s Mini brand make an appearance in the Super Bowl, but it’ll come roaring back this year with a new 30-second ad during the third quarter.

The ad will feature various models from the Mini line-up, including the new Clubman wagon, and while no other details have been revealed, it should be just as innovative as the piece featuring Katie Couric and Bryant Gumble.

Doritos

Once again, the chip brand from Frito-Lay looks to “Crash the Super Bowl” with a trio of consumer-generated ads that have made the finals, and the winner will air during the game.

These ads have been a hit in the past, ranging from a man trying to save a seat on an airline with all kinds of excuses (only to settle for a beautiful woman – and her child) to a kid that actually turns his pet pig into a flying rocket.

The three finalists were selected from a pool of over 4,500 submissions across over 25 different countries, and fans will be able to flock to Doritos.com to vote for their favorite before the Super Bowl. The three finalists are below:

TurboTax

TurboTax is no stranger to Super Bowl advertising, and it’s going all out with this year’s game, with seven new 30-second spots airing during the big game.

The focus on the campaign will be “It doesn’t take a genius to do your taxes,” reminding consumers that using TurboTax software is less of a burden when it comes to adding up numbers and submitting forms.

“This year’s campaign is the next step in our multi-year journey to reposition the TurboTax brand and to build meaningful, emotional connections with consumers,” Greg Johnson, senior VP-marketing for Intuit’s Consumer Tax Group, said in a statement.

An example of what TurboTax has in mind with the campaign, featuring professor of theoretical physics Michio Kaku, can be found below.

Colgate

Instead of relying on a savvy campaign or a superstar to promote its product, will instead have a simple message: “save water.”

The 30 second spot will discuss how millions of gallons of water are wasted every year from people leaving water running while they brush their teeth. It’s a remake of a 60-second ad that originally aired in Latin America last year (see below), one that points out how four gallons of water are wasted daily amongst Americans. It’ll tie in with an #EveryDropCounts social campaign that’s set to kick off during the popular event.

Adidas

Even though Adidas’ specific Super Bowl plans haven’t been revealed yet, it’s picked up a major star to headline a football-related series that ties in with the big event. Turf’d Up – featuring rapper Snoop Dogg – discusses the sport with many guests, including ex-NFL players, celebrities and other sports personalities. The episodes will be available on Snoop’s WestFestTV YouTube channel.

“We have a long-standing relationship with Coach Snoop, which includes everything from working with him to design signature footwear, apparel and uniforms, to the sponsoring the SYFL – his grassroots football program,” said Mark Daniels, vice president of team sports for Adidas. “Turf’d Up is the natural extension of our partnership and provides the perfect platform to showcase Coach Snoop’s talent, his knowledge of the game and how Adidas Football is the only brand that fuses sports and culture.”

Honda

The vehicle company confirmed that it will have a Super Bowl spot to highlight its new Ridgeline pickup, a car that made its debut at the North American International Auto Show this year. The 60-second spot will highlight the performance of the vehicle, as part of a multiplatform campaign leading up to its availability. “Super Bowl 50 is the right time and the right venue to communicate Honda’s continued leadership in light trucks,” said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president and general manager for Honda’s motor division. “The multiplatform approach will enable Ridgeline to come out of the gate strong in 2016.”

LG

LG has just unveiled what its Super Bowl ad will focus on — a Man From the Future.

Liam Neeson, who appeared in last year’s well-received ad for Clash of Clans during the big game, will return as part of the company’s new #ManFromtheFuture campaign, which will tie in with its new television models. The teaser ad for this campaign is below.

Paypal

Each year, “rookie” advertisers try their luck on a Super Bowl ad, like uCool with its mobile game Heroes Charge. For this go-around, Paypal, the online currency handling company, will try its hand with a Super Bowl ad, though it hasn’t divulged details on what fans can expect from its commercial. Other first-timers are likely to join the advertising game as well for the game, but Paypal is easily the most noteworthy thus far.

Butterfinger

The popular candy bar is no stranger to great advertising, and for this year’s Super Bowl, it’s already begun hyping its #BolderThanBold campaign. With it, the company will host a special event that will be broadcast on Periscope live during the game, featuring professional sky-diver Carson Schram. It should no doubt have great reception, just like 2014’s Butterfinger Cups ad did.

Wix and Dreamworks

Last year, Wix.com scored a big win with its Super Bowl ad, featuring Brett Favre and other former NFL superstars trying their hand at new business ventures. For this year’s Super Bowl, however, the site-building company has teamed up with Dreamworks to help promote the forthcoming animated film Kung Fu Panda 3. The ad will feature characters Po and Mei Mei attempting to use Wix’s software platform to create websites. This promotion looks like a win-win for both companies, as Wix gains more superstar exposure, and Dreamworks hypes Kung Fu for its release right before the game, on January 29th. The trailer is below.

In addition, Wix has just released a teaser trailer for the potential Super Bowl ad, which can be seen below.

Weathertech

The car floor mat marketer has had two Super Bowl commercials with a “made in America” theme. It’ll be returning for a third go-around, with a 30-second spot that’s likely to follow a similar set-up.

Squarespace

Squarespace made an impactful debut on the Super Bowl advertising front in 2014, before continuing on with a much more subtle ad for 2015 featuring Jeff Bridges and his custom-made DreamingwithJeff.com website. We’re unsure what the company has planned for next year, but here’s hoping for a return of Jeff, man.

Snickers

Yes, the popular candy bar will be back for another go-around in the Super Bowl, but it’s going to take a lot to top last year’s, in which Danny “Machete” Trejo and Steve Buscemi appeared in a classic episode of The Brady Bunch.

Skittles

Considering that Mars is an official NFL sponsor, we should see another Skittles ad come around in time for the Super Bowl. Last year, the company scored big with its “Settle It” ad, featuring a number of strong-armed folks battling for supremacy via arm wrestling. This year, the company will turn to Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler, who posed the teaser image below from the forthcoming “Taste the Rainbow” campaign.

via GIPHY

Mountain Dew Kickstart (PepsiCo)

Considering that Pepsi is the sponsor of the Super Bowl halftime show featuring the band Coldplay this year, it shouldn’t be surprising to see at least a couple of superstar ads. The soda company announced its first Super Bowl Spot since 2000 will be for its line of Mountain Dew Kickstart beverages, which combine Mountain Dew with fruit juice a “kick” of caffeine. Not much else is revealed about the ad, other than it will be “a hilarious TV ad that combines fan-favorite ad elements and is guaranteed to have fans talking.”

If it’s anything like last year’s 90-second TV ad, it’s sure to people psyched thirsty for a Kickstart.

Kia

Kia has updated its Super Bowl plans – and smack dab in the middle of them is actor Christopher Walken, doing his thing in a new “Walken Closet” ad, which can be seen below. This follows his previous work with the company, where he narrates a pair of ads focusing on the company’s vehicles. The teaser for the ad can be found below.

Intuit

This company hosted a competition for small businesses, one that would offer ad time for a specific one during the Super Bowl. The winner should be featured in its latest 30-second ad.

Hyundai

Look for not one but two commercial from Hyundia this year, making this the seventh straight year it’s participated with the big game.

Coca-Cola

The soft drink manufacturer’s plans for advertising aren’t yet known, but with its string of popular ads from the previous years, it’s got something big up its sleeve for Super Bowl 50.

Avocados from Mexico

Yes, avocados have become more of a popular snack, thanks to a variety of ads featuring a number of stars hawking them. A new 30-second ad is in the works for Super Bowl 50, and is likely to feature a similar, humorous approach.

Acura

Acura hasn’t been in Super Bowl advertising since 2012, but it’s opting to come back full steam with a new spot that highlights one of its upcoming car models for 2016. No word yet on whether Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno, who appeared in the company’s ad a few years ago, will make a return.

More partners are likely to be announced in the weeks ahead, so be sure to check back to see who’s ready to tackle the big game.

Heinz

Kraft Heinz’s last big Super Bowl spot was in 2014, and now it’s back with the whole family in a new 30-second television commercial. The #MeettheKetchups campaign, teased with a blurry image, will introduce the “great tasting family” to the whole ketchup loving world.

In addition, YouTube has just launched its AdBlitz campaign, one that enables advertisers to stream its Super Bowl ads days before the big game. The site has been a big draw over the past seven years, and should see big attention from a number of advertisers once more, just in time for the “big game”.

Nintendo Solidifies Plans For ‘Miitomo’ on Mobile

BY Robert Workman

February 3, 2016, 02:44AM

A lot of speculation surrounds Nintendo right now, particularly about its upcoming NX console. However, the company has cleared up at least one mystery, and that’s regarding its plans for Miitomo, the company’s debut game on mobile devices.

Nintendo confirmed today that the social experience will launch in North America for both iOS and Android this March. With it, users will be able to utilize Mii characters (similar to ones found on its Wii and Wii U consoles) in engaging with others through a comfortable environment. This includes starting up unique conversations and asking questions, such as “Do you believe in aliens?” or “If you saw a nose hair sticking out of your friend’s nose, what would you do?”

“Miitomo is a uniquely entertaining mobile experience that only Nintendo can deliver,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “Featuring Mii characters, users will be able to interact with their friends in an entirely new way that transforms communication into a form of play.”

This is a big social step for the team at Nintendo, whose previous online endeavors were limited to multiplayer sessions in games like Super Smash Bros. and Splatoon, but with very few communication features. Yet, that didn’t stop either of those games from becoming best-sellers for the Wii U.

Those interested in the program will be able to pre-register for it beginning on February 17th, using their email, social media accounts or current Nintendo Network ID’s. Those that do will be offered a special Miitomo bonus, though the company didn’t clarify what that will be. Word has it that it could be a special Mii character, but nothing has been confirmed.

That’s not the only way Nintendo hopes to reach out to its fanbase in March. Following the closure of its popular Club Nintendo last year, the company also announced that it would open a new program called My Nintendo, which “aims to become much more than a traditional rewards program,” according to the press release.

“It is a more comprehensive service that rewards users for interacting with Nintendo products and services in a variety of ways,” the release stated. It also noted thatMiitomo users with a Nintendo account would be able to take advantage of My Nintendo in a number of ways, in an effort to “enhance their experience.”

Aside from Miitomo, Nintendo reiterated that it still intends to release four more smart device applications by March 2017, and the second release is likely to feature a very familiar face.

For now, though, it’s all eyes on Miitomo.

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Glu Mobile CEO On How a Gordon Ramsay Game Can Attract Male Gamers

BY John Gaudiosi

February 3, 2016, 02:33AM

Glu Mobile continues to expand its successful business model of creating original mobile games in tandem with established celebrities with huge social media followings. Award-winning chef and reality TV star Gordon Ramsay is the latest “brand” the mobile game company is collaborating with.

While the Scottish-born chef has opened restaurants around the globe, he’s had a string of successful TV shows in the U.S. (Hell’s Kitchen, MasterChef, MasterChef Jr., Kitchen Nightmares, and Hotel Hell) and in the United Kingdom (Gordon Behind Bars,Ultimate Cookery Course, Gordon’s Great Escapes, and Gordon Ramsay: Shark Bait). He also has amassed a social media audience of over 10.5 million followers (5 million on Facebook, 2.87 million on Twitter, 1.2 million on Instagram, and 1.47 million on YouTube).

Niccolo de Masi, Glu Mobile Chairman and CEO

Niccolo de Masi, Glu Mobile Chairman and CEO, explains why the cooking genre remains hot and how Ramsay’s game could attract new male gamers in this exclusive interview.

How popular is the cooking video game genre?

We’ve been in the cooking business for a long time, ever since our PlayFirst acquisition in August 2014. Over 10 years, the Diner Dash and Cooking Dashfranchise has had over 750 million installs across PC, mobile, and other platforms. We’ve seen substantial growth since making Diner Dash free-to-play in late 2014 and then Cooking Dash in mid-2015. Cooking Dash is one of our top three games at the moment.

What impact do you see Gordon Ramsay having on this genre?

The cooking game demographic is very broad across both male and female players. We’re looking at this Gordon Ramsay partnership not only growing the male base, but also attracting chefs and foodies and restaurant fans. Gordon has over 10 million social followers and has had 10 TV shows, so he brings a huge audience.

One in five adults is watching a cooking program almost daily in the U.S. and we expect this phenomenon to go from strength to strength for our game. We see this audience engaging with Gordon’s game and it becoming a long-term persistent annuity game for us.

How are you investing in this game?

We’re investing in a new team and new studio to grow our capacity in cooking games.Gordon Ramsay Dash will feature a new engine in the simulation category. The exact timing is not nailed down yet, but it will probably launch this summer in Q2 or Q3.

How is Gordon involved in this game?

Gordon is the alpha male of the culinary world. No chef has as many social followers. He has the biggest name recognition. His personality will come through in the game – both the good and the scarier Gordon will be part of the product.

The game will feature voiceovers and video clips of Gordon, who we have creative meetings with frequently. He’s defining elements like the visuals of the actual foods, the restaurants, the sound effects, and of course his image and likeness. We’re off to a good start with him. He’s very enthusiastic. He gets the game genre. He understands this is another channel for his personality and brand to reach fans who want to engage with his unique persona on demand whenever they want it. He’s also going to help with the promotion of the product.

How will Gordon be involved within the gameplay experience?

We’re developing a new engine. It’s not going to be recognizable compared to anything else out there. Gordon has a wide range of support in this game as your hospitality and business manager. His support will range from friend and mentor to more aggressive and antagonistic. I think his brand is going to pull in a male audience in. He naturally appeals to a broader demographic — not only men, but women as well.

What’s the global appeal of Ramsay?

Ramsay has been syndicated globally. He’s done especially well in the U.S. and the UK. His demo will make the most money in English, but his restaurants are everywhere from Tokyo to Dubai. Food-based games can be global, but we’re expecting most revenue to come from English-speaking countries.

We’ve seen Arnold Schwarzenegger and Liam Neeson promoting mobile games in TV commercials of late. Does partnering with a Gordon Ramsay bypass the need to go that route?

We’ve done TV commercials in the past and we’ve found the results to be neutral. Gordon will use his full range of promotional powers, which creates less of a need to do TV commercials. We’ll tap into his ability to be on talk TV shows and perhaps integrate the game into his own TV shows. We’ll see how it goes. He’s a TV show food superstar, so there’s already brand recognition out there.

Arnold hasn’t had a TV show and he hasn’t had a big successful movie recently. I think a TV show personality will go further and better than movie stars when it comes to games. People like the concept of tuning in. It’s part of your behavior, and that’s what we want for a game. We want people to come back and play.

Is the business deal with Gordon Ramsay similar to the Katy Perry and Kim Kardashian mobile game deals?

All of these deals have a revenue share. The celebrities don’t own equity in the game, so they’re technically licensing deals. But Ramsay has a meaningful full partnership in the game.

Why do you think cooking games remain so popular?

Everything that’s popular in popular media can work in gaming. Farming, hunting – our Deer Hunter franchise has over 150 million installs – and cooking. When you reach low-concept ideas like that with mobile games you gain traction with a broad popular interest. We’re all hard-wired to find these things interesting, particularly where the food comes from and how it’s prepared.

We’ve seen growth in TV and media across the food industry. The mechanic we’re using in this new game is time-based and it’s a restaurant simulation, and that broadens out its appeal to people interested in what it’s like to run a restaurant, which is the aspiration of anyone who watches Ramsey’s TV programs around the world.

What does adding Gordon Ramsay to this already popular cooking genre do?

We knew Cooking Dash and Diner Dash were successful in getting users in the front door and retaining them. So we have a successful game and we’re turbo-charging that with a brand, which we hope leads to upside. You can’t have a successful game if the underlying game doesn’t perform strongly.

We have the best engine in Cooking Dash, we’re improving that engine, and we’re adding a broader demographic. Based on our survey data, there is expansive audience to be had on the male side and across the Gordon Ramsay TV show audience.

2K Ready To Slam Into the World of ESports

BY Robert Workman

February 2, 2016, 03:24AM

Activision has its Call of Duty World League; EA Sports announced a completely separate division that concentrates on competitive gaming; and both ESPN and TBS have expressed interest in more eSports-related coverage, with the second season of Heroes of the Dorm (aHeroes of the Storm collegiate competition) set to broadcast on ESPN 2. Now, Take Two is primed to slam-dunk its way into the action.

The publisher announced in a statement that it will launch a tournament featuring its massive basketball hit NBA 2K16. The top prize will be $250,000, and the event begins in mid-February, eventually leading to the finals in June, to coincide with the NBA Finals happening at the same time.

The competition will be broken into a sixteen-winner bracket, with events that run throughout the months, leading up to a single-elimination tournament starting May 21st.

“Our series has long inspired rivalry among gamers, and we’re looking forward to encouraging our fans to enjoy the thrill of competition on a larger scale,” said Alfie Brody, vice president of marketing for NBA 2K, regarding the tournament.

Although it’s just a small dip into the eSports world, this could eventually lead to bigger things for the company. 2K Sports also has a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment that will last several more years, making it the publisher of forthcoming WWE 2K games. As such, it could easily host similar tournaments during the company’s bigger events, such as Wrestlemania and Summerslam.

For that matter, eSports wouldn’t just have to be relegated to the sports titles. Other 2K IPs, like forthcoming fantasy-shooter Battleborn, could easily be brought into competitive gaming.

As it stands, NBA 2K will take focus, and Take Two should have no trouble driving this competition to the basket for an easy score.