17 February 2003
Reported, written and edited by David Duberman
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Macromedia
last week announced Macromedia Studio MX Plus, a special edition of the suite
of integrated tools that now includes FreeHand MX, Contribute, and DevNet
Resource Kit Special Edition at no extra cost. Macromedia Studio The $899
product, which replaces Macromedia Studio MX for Windows, is available for
download from http://www.macromedia.com/go/buystudiomxplus/.
Since its
introduction last June, more than 350,000 customers have purchased Macromedia
Studio MX, which includes Dreamweaver, Flash, Fireworks, FreeHand, and
ColdFusion MX Developer Edition.
FreeHand
MX, the new version, includes the streamlined MX interface, new productivity
tools and panels, improved Mac OS X performance, and increased integration with
Flash MX. The new Object panel automatically shows all properties that can be
inspected and changed for a selected object. Multiple Attributes lets users apply
and order an unlimited number of strokes, fills, and effects to a single vector
or text object, which can also be used across multiple copies of an object.
Users can also apply live vector and raster effects like bevel, blur, and
transparency to objects, as well as reshape graphic primitives while still
maintaining their editability. Drag-and-drop ActionScript navigation commands
with the Action tool simplify the creation of hot-linked graphics.
Studio MX
Plus is a special commercial edition for Windows customers that also includes
Macromedia Contribute for updating content for HTML Websites, and Macromedia
DevNet Resource Kit Special Edition, which includes content from the
previously-released Macromedia MX Developer Resource Kits Volume 1 and 2, containing
extensions, components, and resources for building Web applications. For more
information on Macromedia Studio MX Plus, visit http://www.macromedia.com/go/studiomxplus/.
DMOD, Inc.
has shipped Version 2.5 of its DMOD WorkSpace, software designed to streamline
the media-production process and give content owners and creators tighter
control over digital assets. By securely leveraging the public Internet, DMOD
WorkSpace reportedly improves efficiency, saves time and lowers the cost of
digital production. Version 2.5 provides expanded media format compatibility,
including support for QuickTime 6.0, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4, as well as several
enhancements that make it easier for production teams to share, track, and
review digital media.
Version
2.5 extends the power of the DMOD WorkSpace with increased flexibility and
accessibility as well as enhanced media playback capabilities. Enhancements
include:
Pricing
starts at $17,500 per year for one server and five client seats. Maintenance
and support are additional. DMOD products support Microsoft Windows 2000/XP,
Apple's Mac OSX, Linux and Sun platforms.
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Mok3
Incorporated, a new graphics technology company, previewed its 3D graphics software
last week at the DEMO 2003 conference. The company's graphics software is said
to let users rapidly create and edit photorealistic 3D scenes from 2D images in
a fraction of the time and effort normally required using current 3D graphics
modeling tools and techniques. The company claims its technology will let
architects, interior designers, animators, moviemakers, and game designers
build prototype- or production-quality 3D content, saving over $500M/year
across those industries alone.
Mok3 plans
to release its first end-user software package for both the PC and Mac
platforms in Q3 of 2003, at a base price point under $1,000 US. The company
also offers graphic-design services on a contract basis to develop
photorealistic 3D scenes and virtual touts for clients such as hotels seeking
to improve the Web presentation of their conference and function facilities or
architectural design firms seeking better visual presentation of their
concepts.
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Donovan
Moxey, co-founder of LIPSinc, recently founded a new company, Interactive
Multimedia Solutions, Inc. The company has licensed LIPSinc's proprietary
voice-to-animation technology and will focus on providing automated
voice-to-animation products and solutions for the multimedia market.
LIPSinc
officially ceased operations August 2002, and subsequent to its closing Dr.
Moxey reached an agreement with LIPSinc's investors that allowed for the
formation of the new company. Under the terms of the agreement, Interactive
Multimedia Solutions, Inc. (IMS) has access to LIPSinc's core technology and
intellectual property, and is able to develop applications and solutions to
address opportunities in the growing multimedia market.
IMS plans
to develop five products for the multimedia market. These include three
products that are companion products to Macromedia's line of products,
including its Shockwave 3D rendering engine, and two multimedia developer kits
targeted at application developers. The company's two multimedia developer
kits, the IMS V2A MDK, and the IMS V2A Real-Time MDK are available for
licensing, and it plans to release its software tool, IMS CharacterGenerator
Studio, for Macromedia Director MX in a few weeks. A demonstration version of
this product is available for evaluation on the IMS Web site.
The IMS
product line is based on a core voice-to-animation technology that can analyze
sound files from a live or recorded voice, as well as from a text-to-speech
engine, and produce the corresponding facial animation for a 2D or 3D animated
character. Characters can be either photo-realistic, or created by hand
animation. The IMS core voice-to-animation engine analyzes sound files in any
language and reportedly produces accurate results. This engine detects
inflections in the voice signal, and generates speech gesture data that is used
to automatically drive the eye blinks, eyebrows, and head movements of the
animated character in synch with its speech. Voice files can be from either
live or recorded human speech, or synthetic speech created using a
text-to-speech engine.
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Alias|Wavefront,
an SGI company, announced last week a Maya Productivity Pack which, for
US$2,179, includes Maya Complete 4.5 for Mac OS X or Windows; phone access to
A|W support staff for resolution of _one_ incident; and a Learning Maya Book
and DVD series; Learning Maya |Beginner's Guide; Learning Maya | Foundation;
Learning Maya | Character Rigging; Learning Maya | Rendering; Learning Maya |
Modeling in Animation; The Art of Maya.
http://www.store.aliaswavefront.com
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Market
research firm DFC Intelligence announced the release of a new 600-page research
report on the 19 leading companies in the video game and PC game industry. The
report, Market Leaders in the Video Game and Interactive Entertainment
Industry, analyzes each publisher's history, financial performance, strengths/weaknesses
of their corporate strategy, product lineup, development teams, marketing and
distribution skills, and future potential.
The good
news for the video game industry was 35 percent aggregate revenue growth for
the past fiscal year. Furthermore, aggregate operating income in fiscal 2002
was 11.5 percent of revenue compared with an aggregate loss in fiscal 2001.
However, the report notes that these gains have not translated into stock price
increases. According to DFC Intelligence, the average video game company's
stock was down 51 percent from January 2000 to January 2003.
DFC
Intelligence claims that there is a significant difference in the prospects of
each of the companies in the interactive entertainment industry. The report
divides the companies into four categories. The first category consists of the
four market leaders: Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony. These are
the dominant companies in the industry.
The report
notes that in the past five years, Sony has emerged as the leading force in the
video game industry. From fiscal 1995 to fiscal 2002, Sony has reported $36
billion in revenue from video games, compared with $32 billion for Nintendo. On
the other hand, Nintendo has reported significantly higher operating income.
Nevertheless, the momentum is clearly on Sony's side. Nintendo has been
consistently profitable, but its revenue has not significantly grown in the
past 10 years.
According
to DFC president David Cole, "Sony has had a very strategic focus, and
their willingness to take a short-term loss has given them a long-term
leadership position."
The second
category of companies include the Japanese-based companies that have their
roots in the arcade business: Capcom, Konami, Namco and Sega. These companies
are faced with the problems of a declining arcade business and a slow Japanese
economy. Their biggest challenge will be expanding on an international basis.
According
to Cole, "The Japanese arcade companies have some of the best developers
and game assets in the world, but they have a poor track record of expanding
into the U.S. and Europe. These companies could be much larger if they put a
major focus on international expansion."
The third
category of companies includes Activision, Take-Two Interactive and THQ. These
are companies that have experienced strong growth on the strength of one or two
very successful product lines. The challenge for these companies is taking the
earnings from their hit product line(s) and building a consistent, dependable
revenue stream.
The final
group consists of the European companies that have grown rapidly through
expansion: Eidos Interactive, Infogrames, Ubi Soft and Vivendi Universal Games.
These companies have large product lines but face the challenging tasks of
absorbing acquisitions, managing debt and building up a solid marketing
infrastructure outside Europe.
DFC
Intelligence is a research firm focused on interactive and digital
entertainment. For more information contact DFC at 858/780-9680 or go to the
DFC Web site at http://www.dfcint.com.
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Computer
book publisher Sybex has released Maya 4.5 Savvy, , first Alias|Wavefront
Approved title. Maya is software for creating 3D animation and special effects.
Co-author
John Kundert-Gibbs is director of digital production arts at Clemson
University. Author of a number of publications on Maya, computer graphics, and
dramatic literature, he directs students in producing animated shorts, creates
effects for live action projects, and designs electronic media for theatrical
productions.
Co-author
Peter Lee is a professional animator and director at Storydale Inc. in South
Korea, where he supervises TV series, commercials, movies and games. His work
has appeared in The Nuttiest Nutcracker, Jason X, and The Super Snoopers, and
was shown at Siggraph '99.
The new
book begins with Maya Complete essentials and continues into advanced topics
with Maya Unlimited, guiding readers through tools, techniques, and functions.
Key subjects include: modeling with NURBs and polygons; creating realistic
textures and shading; and working with particles, dynamics, and MEL. The book
includes:
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Caligari
Corporation, a provider of 3D software, is sponsoring an animation contest for
users of its trueSpace 6.5 3D modeling and animation software. The contest will
conclude June 15, 2003.
The
contest includes two categories:
Judges
include Ralph Guggenheim, producer of Toy Story and Toy Story 2; John Evershed,
president and cofounder of Mondo Media, a supplier of in-game and marketing art
and animation for computer games; Eli Noyes, Academy Award-nominee for his
animated film "Clay" and producer of animation for Sesame Street,
HBO, Scholastic, Nickelodeon etc; Don Davidson, animation and art history
teacher in San Francisco; Andrew Britt, author, media spokesperson and digital
media director at the Xpression Center for New Media; and Roman Ormandy,
president and founder of Caligari.
Top
prizewinners in each category will receive a Wildcat animation card by 3D Labs,
Poser 5 software by Curious Labs, video editing software by Ulead, and a
collection of 3D objects specially created for the Big Break contest by
Cacheforce. Prize-winning animations will also be featured on the Caligari
Website.
http://www.caligari.com/store/special/anim_contest/submit.html
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From now until this Friday, February 21, individuals can log on at http://www.battle.net/register/war3xbeta and register for a chance to be one of 10,000 players chosen to play-test Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. These players will be the first to experience the new expansion to Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos.
Applicants must be at least thirteen (13) years of age, have the bandwidth capability to download 100 MB of data, have a valid email address, and possess a valid Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos CD-Key to be eligible to enter the beta test.
Following the registration period, Blizzard will randomly select 10,000 testers to participate in the initial phase of the expansion beta test. Multiple submissions will result in disqualification.
The beta, which will be playable only over Battle.net, will give selected testers a chance to play-test many of the new features that are available to each of the races in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos--Humans, Orcs, Night Elves, and Undead. For more information on the new features in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, visit http://www.blizzard.com/war3x.
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Coming this
May from Electronic Arts is The Sims Superstar, a new expansion pack to the hit
PC game. Players can indulge their fantasies of fame and fortune as they try to
become a rock star, movie star or a supermodel and live the lifestyle of a
celebrity.
For the
first time, players can follow their Sims to work and witness their pursuit of
fame and fortune firsthand. Fledgling Sims start by signing with an agent and
shuttling to Studio Town, a new and fully customizable destination that offers
television and movie lots, spa locations, recording studios and fabulous
fashion facilities. Once there, Sims can schmooze, network and name-drop their
way to stardom in the movies, music or fashion.
A new cast
of comical characters is available to assist the Sims in their quest for
celebrity. A fashion designer, record producer, and maniacal movie director are
available for career critique. A butler, sushi chef, and masseuse will be on
call to administer to the every whim of a celebrity Sim. Life in the spotlight
would not be complete without the glare of the paparazzi, the adoration of
groupies, and the annoyance of an obsessed fan or two. This is all part of life
in the spotlight in The Sims Superstar.
Sims can
become a celeb or just live like one. New objects like a skydiving simulator,
satellite dish, and a new art and furniture collection can turn an ordinary
Sims abode into a mansion. Sims in need of indulgence and pampering can also
enjoy the new day spa, complete with mud treatments, steam baths, Sim massages and
an oxygen bar. Domestic staff is also available for hire so manicured Sims
won't chap their hands with the drudgeries of household maintenance.
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Sony
Computer Entertainment America Inc. says that five additional major recording
artists have agreed to provide music and video content for the upcoming
PlayStation2 rhythm-action game, Amplitude. The newly signed bands include
blink 182, P.O.D., Mekon, Freezepop and Dieselboy. These will join other
recording artists including David Bowie, Garbage, Weezer, Quarashi and Logan 7.
Developed by Harmonix Music Systems, Amplitude allows players to become a rhythmical
DJ and jam with more than 20 diverse songs in interactive musical environments
while mixing and remixing hit songs in both offline and online gameplay.
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Activision
is letting gamers go behind the scenes for its upcoming stealth-based, ninja
action game at the official Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven Web site. The site will
kick off with a cinematic trailer showcasing the game's storyline and stealth
action featuring all three playable characters - Rikimaru, Ayame and Tesshu.
Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven will be available at retail early next month.
The
stealth-based, ninja action/adventure game features new stealth attacks, an
enhanced fighting engine, new weapons and tools, plus larger levels, improved
character animations, new multiplayer options and a soundtrack from composer
Noriyuki Asakura. It includes 25 missions, detailed lighting and weather
effects, and improved character animations.
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Square
Electronic Arts L.L.C. says Final Fantasy Origins for PlayStation will begin
shipping to North American retailers on April 8, 2003. The title combines
Square's Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II role-playing game titles into one
disc and will carry a suggested retail price of U.S. $30. Remakes of the two titles
feature new cinematic movies, opening theme songs, event scenes including
updates of the original event sequences, enhanced graphics, improved sound
quality as well as new gameplay modes. Together, these two titles laid the
foundation for the series and spawned many hit sequels that have sold over 42
million units worldwide.
Final
Fantasy was originally released in North America in 1990 for the Nintendo
Entertainment System. The game follows the story of four young warriors, each
possessing a special crystal, who are summoned to bring harmony back to a world
threatened by an evil entity intent on conquering it. Following their unknown
destinies, the warriors battle heinous monsters and travel to places they never
imagined possible in their quest to restore order to their world.
Final
Fantasy II, being offered for the first time in North America, was released in
Japan in 1988. Utilizing complex story development and deeper
characterizations, the game tells the story of a malevolent emperor that has
called upon demonic monsters to take over the world. In the chaos that follows,
thousands succumb to their evil attacks until four young, orphaned survivors
take it upon themselves to stop the merciless rule and avenge the deaths of
their parents.
Final
Fantasy Origins also includes a new bestiary with detailed descriptions of all
monsters, access to art galleries with illustrations from artist Yoshitaka
Amano and a "memo file" function for quick saves.
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South
Korea's NCsoft Corporation, an online computer gaming company, reported
record-breaking revenues of KRW (Korean Won) 154.8 billion (US$123.3 million)
for fiscal year 2002, the highest ever recorded in the Korean game industry.
The results continue to demonstrate a steady growth path since the company's
establishment in 1997. Net profits stood at KRW 53.1 billion, with recurring
profit and operating profit at KRW 56.8 billion and KRW 77.1 billion
respectively. Overseas royalty earnings were posted at KRW 21.8 billion,
marking an increase of over 135% on the previous year's KRW 9.3 billion.
NCsoft's
CFO Hong Heo commented, "Our company was able to maintain favorable growth
last year amid the systematic slump of the local industry thanks to the
breakthrough expansion of the online game market. This year we will strengthen
our internal capabilities and give added momentum to our current ongoing projects
to set the stage for a second growth spurt. We have set our projected revenue
at a conservative KRW 180 billion."
By the
second half of March NCsoft will launch in South Korea, Lineage Tournament, an
MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing game)-based combat game on
regular servers. That will be followed by a new series of Lineage episodes this
summer, as part of plans to continue Lineage's growth. Also this year NCsoft
will make a serious advance into the Chinese online gaming market and the company
plans to launch commercial services for its Lineage II game.
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The
International Game Developers Association (IGDA) has announced the nominees for
the Third Annual Game Developers Choice Awards. The recipients will be
announced at the ceremony on March 6, during the Game Developers Conference
(GDC), March 4-8 in San Jose, Calif.
Nominations
were free of charge and open to all professional game developers, regardless of
membership or affiliation, ensuring that the nominees reflect the international
development community's opinions.
The
nominees are:
Game of
the Year
Original
Game Character of the Year
Rookie
Studio of the Year
Excellence
in Audio
Excellence
in Game Design
Excellence
in Level Design
Excellence
in Programming
Excellence
in Visual Arts (Editor's note: It's a crime that Metroid Prime wasn't nominated
in this category)
Excellence
in Writing
An
advisory committee from the IGDA will select the recipients of the Lifetime
Achievement Award, First Penguin Award and the IGDA Award for Community
Contribution.
All
registered GDC attendees are invited to attend the ceremony. Produced by the
Gama Network, the GDC is the largest annual event exclusively for the game
development professionals driving the $10 billion video game industry.
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The
Adventure Company, Microïds, and Discreet, a division of Autodesk, Inc. have
been honored by game-industry's editor for visual presentation and storyline in
the PC game, Syberia.
Computer
Gaming World calls Syberia "One of the Best PC Games of 2002" while
PC Gamer gave it the title of 'Adventure Game of the Year'. Computer Games
Magazine also included the game in its 'Top 10 PC Games of the Year'. Syberia
also received 'Adventure Game of the Year' awards from both GameSpy and
GameSpot, as well as GameSpot's 'Best Graphics' award.
Syberia
was created using Discreet's 3ds max technology, software for animation,
modeling, and rendering, used in many games.
http://www.AdventureCompanyGames.com
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Approximately
2,400 professionals from over 45 countries will examine the future of
human-computer interaction from April 5-10 in Fort Lauderdale, FL at the
Broward County Convention Center. The Conference on Human Factors in Computing
Systems will feature a six-day program of presentations, tutorials, vendor
exhibits and networking opportunities. Researchers, practitioners, educators,
and students from around the world join in exploring and creating the future of
computer-human interaction.
Thirty-six
short courses (tutorials) on designing user interfaces to computers and to the
World Wide Web will be offered. Among the highlights of the tutorials are
courses on user interface design for the Web, ubiquitous computing and
designing for everyday life.
Usability
guru Jared Spool will present "Web Sites that Work: Designing with your
Eyes Open" and "Web-Site Usability: The Big Picture 2003." These
tutorials will explore significant design factors that affect a user's success
in interacting with Web sites. Web expert Steven Pemberton of CWI, The
Netherlands, will present "Styling the New Web: Web Usability With Style
Sheets." Pemberton has been involved with the Web since the beginning,
including chairing the first Style Sheets Workshop.
Vision-based
interfaces allow pervasive and ubiquitous human-computer interaction systems to
respond directly to the visual image of a human user. Trevor Darrell will
present "Vision-Based User Interfaces for Pervasive Computing." This
tutorial will survey the algorithms and techniques involved in vision-based
perception of people, describe what performance is attainable in state-of-the
art systems, and also discuss the privacy, freedom and safety implications of
this new technology. Darrell leads the Vision Interface Group at the MIT
Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.
William
Gaver, Senior Research Fellow in Interaction Design at the Royal College of
Art, UK, will present techniques for developing designs that reflect the idiosyncrasies
of everyday life in "Subjective Approaches to Design for Everyday
Life." Gaver will show how to conceptualize new products and services that
capture a broader range of human values including aesthetic, emotional and
everyday cultural values.
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Spectrum is an independent news service published every Monday for the interactive media professional community by Motion Blur Media. Spectrum covers the tools and technologies used to create interactive multimedia applications and infrastructure for business, education, and entertainment; and the interactive media industry scene. We love to receive interactive media/online-development tools and end product for review.
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- David Duberman
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©Copyright 2003 Motion Blur Media. All rights reserved. No reproduction in any for-profit or revenue-generating venue in any form without written permission from the publisher.