|
Digital
Media FX News Archives
Tuesday
- March 13, 2001
- The Muppets May be Acquired
- Sony Begins Work on Playstation
3 Console
- Big Idea to Release Animated
Feature in 2002
- News Link of the Day
- Robotic Dinosaur Draws Monster Crowds
The Muppets
May Be Acquired
(by digitalmediafx.com) Walt Disney is one of several companies
looking at spending hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire
the rights to Jim Henson Productions, famous for The Muppets.
The current owner, German based EM.TV, is facing financial problems
and as a result is shopping its prized subsidiary around. Just
over a year ago EM.TV acquired 100% of Jim Henson Productions
in a $680 million stock and cash deal.
Disney, AOL
Time Warner, Viacom, and even the management of Jim Henson Productions
are all looking at a possible deal to acquire The Muppet empire.
EM.TV has
faced numerous difficulties over the past several months. Its
stock has plummeted and it is being investigated for insider trading.
> Return
to the top of page
Sony Begins
Work on Playstation 3 Console
(by digitalmediafx.com) Sony has started work on Playstation 3
(PS3) units, even while Playstation 2 (PS2) consoles are still
hot off the press and in great demand. Sony just reached an agreement
IBM which awards IBM the microprocessor contract for the PS3.
The microprocessors for the current PS2 consoles are managed by
Toshiba. Toshiba isn't completely out of the picture with the
PS3s, however, as it will provide assistance to IBM with the PS3
microprocessors and continues to be strongly involved with PS2
and PS2 expansion projects.
PS3 won't
be ready for distribution in the U.S. for at least another three
years. In the meantime, Sony continues to strongly market the
PS2 and prepare expansions for the PS2, including the ability
for PS2 to access the Internet.
> Return
to the top of page
Big Idea
To Release Animated Feature in 2002
 (by
digitalmediafx.com) Big Idea, famous for its direct-to-video Veggie
Tales series, is about to hit the big screen with their first
computer animated feature. Next year, Big Idea will release Jonah:
A VeggieTales Movie in theaters nationwide. Jonah: A VeggieTales
Movie will showcase Big Idea Productions' distinctive blend
of animation, creative songs and storytelling on the big screen.
Big Idea has
no second thoughts about making the move to the big screen. After
all, its videos have sold over 20 million copies throughout the
US, being amongst the best selling direct to videos in the industry.
Jonah:
A VeggieTales Movie will retell, in VeggieTales comedy form,
the classic Bible story of Jonah.
> Return
to the top of page
News Link
of the Day - Robotic Dinosaur Draws Monster Crowds
According to BBC News:
"School
children in London, UK, are getting one step closer to the dinosaur
era by flocking to see a lifelike robot of a Tyrannosaurus Rex
More than
13,000 people a day are visiting the Natural History Museum to
see the four-metre- (13ft-) tall model, which looks, moves and
even smells like a T-Rex...."
Click
here for the full story.
> Return
to the top of page
> click here for
a printable version of this page
> return
to March News Archives
> return to
today's news
> return
to Front Page
|
