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Digital
Media FX News Archives
Saturday
- August 25, 2001
- Inside: Disney Won't Commit
to Anime
- Details of Xbox
Canadian Release Made Available
- Planet of the Apes only FX
Movie in Top 10
- News Link of the Day
- Review: Madden NFL 2002
Inside:
Disney Won't Commit to Anime
(by digitalmediafx.com) Inside Magazine is reporting that Disney
is not showing any interest in bringing Japan's record-breaking
anime blockbuster, Spirited Away, to U.S. shores. According to
an article titled, "Burnt Once by Anime, Disney Is Shy About
Releasing New Japanese Blockbuster in the U.S." the following
is stated:
"The
film, Hayao Miyazaki's animated feature Spirited Away, is
already on track to unseat Titanic as Japan's highest-grossing
film ever. And Disney, which has a lucrative worldwide distribution
deal with the director, is uniquely positioned to jump in. Yet
the best explanation for Disney's caution can be summed up with
two words: Princess Mononoke. Mononoke, Miyazaki's last
film, also was a smash hit in Japan -- taking in a second-best-ever
$150 million at the Japanese box office in 1997 -- but was a mammoth
dud in the States."
The article
fails to challenge Disney marketing for the so-called Princess
Mononoke disaster. In stating that the movie grossed only
just above $2 million, the article fails to point out that the
movie was only put into limited release in a few select cities,
playing in fewer theaters than many IMAX movies that take over
a year to gross $10 million (i.e. CyberWorld 3D). Buena
Vista (Disney) marketing failed to create a buzz for the movie
using grass-root efforts that could have started with hundreds
of anime clubs throughout the United States. Not giving Princess
Mononoke a wide release then lambasting it as a failure for
making only over $2 million is near doublespeak.
With Spirited
Away, which is blowing away all Japanese records, Disney executives
who viewed the film are said to have "not liked it,"
according to the Inside article.
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Details
of Xbox Canadian Release Made Available
(by digitalmediafx.com) Microsoft Canada Co. has announced updates
to the Canadian launch plans for the Microsoft Xbox video game
system. Starting Nov. 8, 2001, Xbox will be available for purchase
at retail outlets across Canada at an estimated retail price of
$459.99(*) Cdn. Microsoft Canada anticipates its launch library
of 15 to 20 games will contribute significantly to driving sales
of 1 to 1.5 million units across North America by the end of the
holiday season.
Regarding
games available, Microsoft says, "Halo introduces gamers
to an exciting new world where humans battle aliens on a mysterious
ring-world with the objective of uncovering Halo's horrible secrets
and destroying mankind's sworn enemy. In Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee,
players embark on an adventure using the special powers of two
characters, Abe and Munch, to cooperatively make their way through
the trials of Oddworld. Project Gotham Racing is a circuit based
racing game where players can compete against up to three friends
in photo-realistic downtown environments. In Amped, players experience
freestyle riding down real mountain slopes with the goal of becoming
one of the world's snowboarding superstars."
Microsoft
says that's only a few of the 15-20 games that will be available
at the Xbox launch. Xbox moved into a strategic position when
Nintendo announced last week that it is delaying
the GameCube launch.
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Planet
of the Apes Only FX Movie in Top 10
(by digitalmediafx.com) Results for Friday's Box Office are
in and Planet of the Apes is the only visual effects movie
remaining in the top 10. On Friday, Planet of the Apes
brought in close to $1 million to place 10th and to bring its
box office total to date to a hefty $165.2 million.
The top three
movies on Friday were Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, American
Pie 2, and Rush Hour 2. Disney's live action G-rated
The Princess Diaries continued to perform strong, placing
7th on Friday to bring its total to more than $77 million. With
animated films going PG and PG-13, many saw The Princess Diaries
as a sign of whether parents still wanted G-rated family movies.
The outcome could send a warning message to animation studios
not to turn its back against the large audiences that still populate
G-rated movies. This summer, the box office seemed oversaturated
with PG and PG-13 animated fares, most performing very poorly,
like Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.
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News Link
of the Day - Review: Madden NFL 2002
According
to CNN/IDG/GamePro:
"When
you're at the top of your game, you can afford to concentrate
on the details. Madden NFL 2002 maintains its All-Pro rep as it
heads into its second season on the PlayStation 2...
The graphics
and animation look sharp and silky smooth. The gameplay character
images actually look cleaner, and at times the animation looks
so real it's eerie. This 2002 edition also ups the in-game eye
candy. Post-play cinematic replays are more frequent, which is
either going to turn you on or off depending on your mood...."
Click
here for the full story.
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