Ex-Chairman of Marvel Studios David Maisel has confirmed the Angry Birds movie is actually happening.
He said, “There has been so much chatter about an Angry Birds movie, but it’s now real, the process is starting now.”
The Iron Man producer has teamed up with games company Rovio in order to bring this slightly odd project to life.
CEO Mikael Hed seems very pleased with their partnership, even going as far as to compare Maisel to another slightly more famous movie mogul.
“[They are] two people I know have gone outside the studio system and built a very significant entertainment business that managed to break through on the movie side.
"Since that’s our aspiration as well – and George Lucas was unavailable – David was really the best person we could have hoped to work with.”
Despite being compared to the man behind Attack Of The Clones, Maisel is clearly very excited about the project.
“People are interacting with these characters six inches from them each time they play, and that creates an emotional connection…It’s a global thing that’s something I’ve never seen before. It will be exciting to expand [Angry Birds] within Hollywood.”
Thứ Năm, 8 tháng 9, 2011
Chinese Theme Park Installs Angry Birds Game
Tim Whitby/Getty Images(CHANGSHA, China) -- Angry Birds is maddeningly addictive. People play the game for hours on end, hate themselves for doing it -- and keep playing. It is one of the most popular mobile apps in the history of mobile apps, and it has made millionaires of its makers at the Finnish company Rovio.Now there’s a spin-off -- a game at the Window of the World theme park in Changsha, China, though it was apparently started without Rovio’s approval. Stories have been popping up all over the Web, showing people using slingshots to shoot plush-toy birds at their targets.
Angry Birds is a video game, best played on a mobile device (an iPhone, iPad, Android, etc.) with a touch screen, in which you shoot flightless birds at evil green pigs -- who happen to be protected in weird structures of wood, ice or stone. There’s a devilish pleasure that comes from hitting them at just the right angle and watching them come crashing down as your point total goes up.
Rovio had already been trying to expand into China, when the theme park capitalized on the idea. The company, which has not (so far) replied to messages from ABC News, has already been selling Angry Bird plush toys; now stuffed birds are turning up on China Daily.
“This serves as a method for people to purge themselves and to gain happiness,” said an unnamed park official on a Chinese gaming website.
Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio
Eat some Angry Birds
Hong Kong - Now not only are Angry Birds available on your mobile phone, they can also be found on your dining plate - in the form of the Angry Birds mooncake, unveiled in Hong Kong on Sunday.
The popular mobile game, which was first launched for Apple's mobile operating system in 2009, features cartoonish, wingless birds that the player must slingshot into enemy pig territory to reclaim stolen eggs.
Its huge popularity has prompted a restaurant chain in Hong Kong to strike a deal with its creator and turn the bird into mooncakes - a pastry eaten to mark the Chinese mid-autumn festival, which falls on September 12 this year.
"The Angry Birds game is a world phenomenon now, it is well-liked by people from three-year-olds to 80-year-olds," said Stephanie Chan, marketing manager of Maxim's Group, which released the bird-shaped mooncakes.
The mooncakes come in two flavours, chocolate, and mango and pomelo, and sell at HK$38 ($4.90) per pair, making their debut at the Hong Kong Food Expo on Sunday where they were immediately snapped up by fans.
"I come here to buy the mooncakes because I like playing the game," said an excited Kiki Au, a seven-year-old primary school student.
Angry Birds' popularity has led to versions of the game being released for all major smartphone brands, personal computers, and game consoles. It currently has at least 120 million active users on mobile devices.
Its creator, Finland-based software developer Rovio Mobile, launched merchandise sales of its own last year, including Angry Birds soft toys, and said in January that it is developing a cartoon series based on the game.
China's mooncake tradition is said to have started after the people were rallied to revolt against the country's Mongolian Yuan dynasty rulers by pieces of paper calling for an uprising on the mid-autumn festival inserted in each cake.
The popular mobile game, which was first launched for Apple's mobile operating system in 2009, features cartoonish, wingless birds that the player must slingshot into enemy pig territory to reclaim stolen eggs.
Its huge popularity has prompted a restaurant chain in Hong Kong to strike a deal with its creator and turn the bird into mooncakes - a pastry eaten to mark the Chinese mid-autumn festival, which falls on September 12 this year.
"The Angry Birds game is a world phenomenon now, it is well-liked by people from three-year-olds to 80-year-olds," said Stephanie Chan, marketing manager of Maxim's Group, which released the bird-shaped mooncakes.
The mooncakes come in two flavours, chocolate, and mango and pomelo, and sell at HK$38 ($4.90) per pair, making their debut at the Hong Kong Food Expo on Sunday where they were immediately snapped up by fans.
"I come here to buy the mooncakes because I like playing the game," said an excited Kiki Au, a seven-year-old primary school student.
Angry Birds' popularity has led to versions of the game being released for all major smartphone brands, personal computers, and game consoles. It currently has at least 120 million active users on mobile devices.
Its creator, Finland-based software developer Rovio Mobile, launched merchandise sales of its own last year, including Angry Birds soft toys, and said in January that it is developing a cartoon series based on the game.
China's mooncake tradition is said to have started after the people were rallied to revolt against the country's Mongolian Yuan dynasty rulers by pieces of paper calling for an uprising on the mid-autumn festival inserted in each cake.
'Angry Birds' to provide in-flight entertainment
Angry Birds is, by many standards, the world's most successful iPhone game, selling over 350 million copies since its launch in November 2009.
Thanks to the success of its creator Rovio, it's also a proudly Finnish export, something Finland's flag-carrier Finnair intends to capitalize on with the launch of a branded Angry Birds flight.
Though it's something of a surprise that travel brands haven't jumped on the bandwagon already, Finnair is set to be the first company to take Angry Birds to 35,000 feet, inviting top fans to join a flight it's calling the 'Angry Birds Asian Challenge'.
The flight, which takes off September 20 from Helsinki to Singapore, will allow travelers to play Angry Birds on board using games consoles distributed to passengers and programmed especially for the event.
Finnair says that service and entertainment aboard the flight will also be with 'Angry Birds style', adding -- rather alarmingly -- that a 'real angry bird' will also be on board.To be selected for the trip, fans have to fill out an application form on the website and collect as many Facebook 'likes' as they can, with a jury screening the final eight winners.
Finnair's partnership with Rovio is a unique one, but it's by no means the only airline working hard to offer passengers in-flight entertainment to while away the time.
Both Virgin America and Qantas unveiled upgrades to their in-flight entertainment systems last month, packing in more entertainment such as live television or destination information.
Angry Birds, Moshi Monsters Make Their Mark at Licensing International Expo
Once again brands, manufacturers, retailers and agents from around the world are congregating at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas for the 2011 Licensing International Expo.
According to the information provided by the organizers, Advanstar Global Licensing Group, the numbers for this year's show -- now in its 31st year -- are down from last year. In 2010, there were more than 500 exhibitors representing some 7,000 brands, while this year there are approximately 400 exhibitors representing 5,000 brands.
But the culled-down number of exhibitors and brands is not necessarily a sign of an industry slowdown as evidenced by the large number of pre-show deal announcements made by brands such as and among many others. Additionally there are a number of new exhibitors and brands here for the first time, representing some very interesting categories.
For example, while walking the show today, I was struck by how many digital brands are present this year in a big way.
Licensing digital properties is certainly not new and goes back at least as far as Pac-Man, but there is clearly a renewed emphasis at this year's show. For the first time, there is a specific Gaming Zone section, featuring Sony PlayStation, EA, Ubisoft and THQ among others.
Even more intriguing is the number of online-only and mobile application brands present. The biggest online and app brands of the year are all here, positioning themselves as the next big entertainment franchises. Move aside, Transformers, Superman and SpongeBob SquarePants, because Angry Birds, Farmville by Zynga, Moshi Monsters and Talking Friends (full disclosure: a Beanstalk client) are now in the house.
While offline brand licensors have long been intrigued by the digital world -- and, more recently, apps -- finding a viable revenue model has often proven elusive. After all, apps are either free or very inexpensive, so adding licensing royalties into the mix often makes them too expensive for consumers. Even when the royalties are not a gating factor for the app manufacturer (the licensee), the actual revenue a licensor will see from the sale of apps is still fairly insignificant. This is why most brands with apps develop them on their own primarily as a marketing and branding vehicle.
But the exact opposite is true for an online-only brand or app that has distinguished itself and become a brand in its own right. For those properties born online that have amassed widespread brand awareness and established critical mass, the time is perfect for them to increase their consumer touch points, revenue, and brand awareness through brand licensing. The number of consumers already using entertainment apps is equal to a blockbuster motion picture franchise. For example, more than 135 million users have downloaded the Talking Friends apps in less than 11 months. I don't think it is an overstatement to say that these properties represent the new frontier in entertainment licensing.
As a result, we are only seeing the very beginnings of a major migration of mobile apps from the digital world into the physical world. Angry Birds was the first with a whole host of products at major retailers, including Walmart and JC Penney, among others, followed closely by , which just announced an exclusive line of plush toys and figurines with Toys 'R' Us.
With more tablets and app-friendly smartphones entering the market, I don't think it is inconceivable that next summer's biggest entertainment blockbuster is already on your phone.
More developing trends from the show floor tomorrow…
According to the information provided by the organizers, Advanstar Global Licensing Group, the numbers for this year's show -- now in its 31st year -- are down from last year. In 2010, there were more than 500 exhibitors representing some 7,000 brands, while this year there are approximately 400 exhibitors representing 5,000 brands.
But the culled-down number of exhibitors and brands is not necessarily a sign of an industry slowdown as evidenced by the large number of pre-show deal announcements made by brands such as and among many others. Additionally there are a number of new exhibitors and brands here for the first time, representing some very interesting categories.
For example, while walking the show today, I was struck by how many digital brands are present this year in a big way.
Licensing digital properties is certainly not new and goes back at least as far as Pac-Man, but there is clearly a renewed emphasis at this year's show. For the first time, there is a specific Gaming Zone section, featuring Sony PlayStation, EA, Ubisoft and THQ among others.
Even more intriguing is the number of online-only and mobile application brands present. The biggest online and app brands of the year are all here, positioning themselves as the next big entertainment franchises. Move aside, Transformers, Superman and SpongeBob SquarePants, because Angry Birds, Farmville by Zynga, Moshi Monsters and Talking Friends (full disclosure: a Beanstalk client) are now in the house.
While offline brand licensors have long been intrigued by the digital world -- and, more recently, apps -- finding a viable revenue model has often proven elusive. After all, apps are either free or very inexpensive, so adding licensing royalties into the mix often makes them too expensive for consumers. Even when the royalties are not a gating factor for the app manufacturer (the licensee), the actual revenue a licensor will see from the sale of apps is still fairly insignificant. This is why most brands with apps develop them on their own primarily as a marketing and branding vehicle.
As a result, we are only seeing the very beginnings of a major migration of mobile apps from the digital world into the physical world. Angry Birds was the first with a whole host of products at major retailers, including Walmart and JC Penney, among others, followed closely by , which just announced an exclusive line of plush toys and figurines with Toys 'R' Us.
With more tablets and app-friendly smartphones entering the market, I don't think it is inconceivable that next summer's biggest entertainment blockbuster is already on your phone.
More developing trends from the show floor tomorrow…
THE GIST
- Crows remember the faces of "dangerous humans," with the memories likely lasting for a bird's lifetime.
- Crows may scold people who threaten them, bringing in relatives and even strangers to mob the person.
- The crows within mobs then indirectly learn about the person, so they too associate that individual's face with danger and react accordingly.
Crows remember the faces of threatening humans and often react by scolding and bringing in others to mob the perceived miscreant, according to a new study published in the latest Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Since the mob members also then indirectly learn about the threatening person, the findings demonstrate how just a single crow's bad experience with a particular human can spread information about this individual throughout entire crow communities.
Given that crows have impressive memories, people who ruffle the feathers of these birds could experience years of retribution.
Bothered crows may at first "give harsh calls, which we call 'scolds' that attract other crows who are nearby to join in the mob," according to study co-author John Marzluff. "The mob of two to 15 birds hounds us, sometimes diving from the sky to within a few meters or less -- This pursuit lasts about 100 meters (328 feet) as we walk away."
Marzluff is a professor at the University of Washington's School of Forest Resources. For the study, he and colleagues Heather Cornell and Shannon Pecoraro exposed wild crows to a novel "dangerous face" by wearing a unique mask as they trapped, banded and released seven to 15 birds at five study sites near Seattle.
The released birds immediately scolded the mask wearer. Hearing the racket, other crows joined, forming an angry mob.
When the researchers later put on other masks while traveling to different areas, crows that were never captured immediately recognized the "dangerous face," illustrating how these birds learned through social means and not as a result of direct experience. Both relatives and strangers joined in the scolding and mobbing, which could occur over a mile away from the original incident.
Once such a face is locked into a crow's memory, it's likely there for good.
"Our study shows the memory lasts at least five years and counting," Marzluff said. "Individual crows that are adults can live 15-40 years in the wild (most die when young, but those that make it to adulthood can live a long time) and they probably remember important associations they have formed for much of their lives."
Prior research demonstrates that crows are particularly intelligent birds.
"Others have shown that some crows make and use tools, forecast future events, understand what other animals know, and -- in our case -- learn from individual experience as well as by observing parents and peers," Marzluff explained. "These are all advanced cognitive tasks shown by only a few animals."
He suspects other social, long-lived species that live closely with humans might also share information in a similar manner. Possibilities include animals such as coyotes, raccoons, gulls, pigeons and rats. All could practice a combination of social and trial and error learning. The latter provides the most accurate information, but it is clearly riskier than indirect social learning.
In the animal kingdom, humans have a language advantage because we can just verbally warn others about dangers. Vocalizations do not appear to be enough for crows, which appear to require visual observation for the information to sink in.
Anne Clark, an associate professor in the department of Biological Sciences at Binghamton University, told Discovery News that this new study "suggests importantly how much long-term studies of individuals have to contribute to our understanding of adaptive social learning."
She added, "I doubt that anyone working with crows will be surprised by the results suggesting several routes of social transmission, but this kind of formal, empirical testing is much needed."
Kevin McGowan, an instructor at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, echoed Clark's comments, but said the findings might surprise "anyone who thinks animals only learn by direct experience."
"Social animals are social for lots of very good reasons," McGowan continued. "This study demonstrates one of the more subtle ways that animals benefit from interactions with other members of their own species."
Since the mob members also then indirectly learn about the threatening person, the findings demonstrate how just a single crow's bad experience with a particular human can spread information about this individual throughout entire crow communities.
Given that crows have impressive memories, people who ruffle the feathers of these birds could experience years of retribution.
Bothered crows may at first "give harsh calls, which we call 'scolds' that attract other crows who are nearby to join in the mob," according to study co-author John Marzluff. "The mob of two to 15 birds hounds us, sometimes diving from the sky to within a few meters or less -- This pursuit lasts about 100 meters (328 feet) as we walk away."
Marzluff is a professor at the University of Washington's School of Forest Resources. For the study, he and colleagues Heather Cornell and Shannon Pecoraro exposed wild crows to a novel "dangerous face" by wearing a unique mask as they trapped, banded and released seven to 15 birds at five study sites near Seattle.
The released birds immediately scolded the mask wearer. Hearing the racket, other crows joined, forming an angry mob.
When the researchers later put on other masks while traveling to different areas, crows that were never captured immediately recognized the "dangerous face," illustrating how these birds learned through social means and not as a result of direct experience. Both relatives and strangers joined in the scolding and mobbing, which could occur over a mile away from the original incident.
Once such a face is locked into a crow's memory, it's likely there for good.
"Our study shows the memory lasts at least five years and counting," Marzluff said. "Individual crows that are adults can live 15-40 years in the wild (most die when young, but those that make it to adulthood can live a long time) and they probably remember important associations they have formed for much of their lives."
Prior research demonstrates that crows are particularly intelligent birds.
"Others have shown that some crows make and use tools, forecast future events, understand what other animals know, and -- in our case -- learn from individual experience as well as by observing parents and peers," Marzluff explained. "These are all advanced cognitive tasks shown by only a few animals."
He suspects other social, long-lived species that live closely with humans might also share information in a similar manner. Possibilities include animals such as coyotes, raccoons, gulls, pigeons and rats. All could practice a combination of social and trial and error learning. The latter provides the most accurate information, but it is clearly riskier than indirect social learning.
In the animal kingdom, humans have a language advantage because we can just verbally warn others about dangers. Vocalizations do not appear to be enough for crows, which appear to require visual observation for the information to sink in.
Anne Clark, an associate professor in the department of Biological Sciences at Binghamton University, told Discovery News that this new study "suggests importantly how much long-term studies of individuals have to contribute to our understanding of adaptive social learning."
She added, "I doubt that anyone working with crows will be surprised by the results suggesting several routes of social transmission, but this kind of formal, empirical testing is much needed."
Kevin McGowan, an instructor at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, echoed Clark's comments, but said the findings might surprise "anyone who thinks animals only learn by direct experience."
"Social animals are social for lots of very good reasons," McGowan continued. "This study demonstrates one of the more subtle ways that animals benefit from interactions with other members of their own species."
Game News: The Angry Birds are Flying to Rio Read more: Game News: The Angry Birds are Flying to Rio - ComingSoon.net http://www.comingsoon.net/news/gamenews.php?id=73585#ixzz1XTXFnK5L
ANGRY BIRDS, Rovio’s blockbuster smart phone and tablet game that has become a global cultural sensation, and RIO, one of the year’s most anticipated motion picture events, are joining forces to create a new game, ANGRY BIRDS RIO – representing a first-of-its-kind game development partnership between Rovio and Twentieth Century Fox. The announcement was made today by Mikael Hed, CEO at Rovio Mobile, which created ANGRY BIRDS, and Peter Levinsohn, president of new media and digital distribution for Twentieth Century Fox, which releases RIO in theaters worldwide on April 15.
This unique spin-off of ANGRY BIRDS will take flight around the world in March, coinciding with RIO’s gala world premiere event. To celebrate the partnership and give fans a sneak preview of the story surrounding ANGRY BIRDS RIO, Rovio and Fox have posted a video (view below!)
"ANGRY BIRDS RIO is a match made in heaven for a mobile application and a major motion picture, and this collaboration with Fox is definitely one the most exciting partnerships we have entered into with the ANGRY BIRDS brand to date," said Mr. Hed. "In addition to expanding the horizons of two fantastic entertainment brands and creating a great new gaming experience, we have also taken the concept of combining a mobile application and motion picture promotion to an entirely new level."
“In partnering with Rovio, we are combining the world’s hottest application developer with one of the motion picture industry’s premier creative forces to introduce the millions of fans of ANGRY BIRDS to the exciting world of RIO,” said Mr. Levinsohn. “Our relationship with Rovio is another great example of Fox Digital Entertainment’s continuing work to extend our content to a variety of digital platforms.”
In ANGRY BIRDS RIO, the original Angry Birds are kidnapped and taken to the magical city of Rio, where they eventually escape their captors and set out to save their friends, Blu and Jewel – two rare macaws and the stars of the upcoming Fox motion picture, RIO. Like the incredibly-popular original edition, ANGRY BIRDS RIO will feature hours of gameplay, physics-based demolition challenges and loads of replay value – all with unique twists based on the highly-anticipated film.
ANGRY BIRDS RIO will launch with 45 dedicated levels and will regularly add new levels via app updates. The game will be available for download on smart phones and tablets worldwide.
Read more: Game News: The Angry Birds are Flying to Rio - ComingSoon.net http://www.comingsoon.net/news/gamenews.php?id=73585#ixzz1XTXMjl4P
This unique spin-off of ANGRY BIRDS will take flight around the world in March, coinciding with RIO’s gala world premiere event. To celebrate the partnership and give fans a sneak preview of the story surrounding ANGRY BIRDS RIO, Rovio and Fox have posted a video (view below!)
"ANGRY BIRDS RIO is a match made in heaven for a mobile application and a major motion picture, and this collaboration with Fox is definitely one the most exciting partnerships we have entered into with the ANGRY BIRDS brand to date," said Mr. Hed. "In addition to expanding the horizons of two fantastic entertainment brands and creating a great new gaming experience, we have also taken the concept of combining a mobile application and motion picture promotion to an entirely new level."
“In partnering with Rovio, we are combining the world’s hottest application developer with one of the motion picture industry’s premier creative forces to introduce the millions of fans of ANGRY BIRDS to the exciting world of RIO,” said Mr. Levinsohn. “Our relationship with Rovio is another great example of Fox Digital Entertainment’s continuing work to extend our content to a variety of digital platforms.”
In ANGRY BIRDS RIO, the original Angry Birds are kidnapped and taken to the magical city of Rio, where they eventually escape their captors and set out to save their friends, Blu and Jewel – two rare macaws and the stars of the upcoming Fox motion picture, RIO. Like the incredibly-popular original edition, ANGRY BIRDS RIO will feature hours of gameplay, physics-based demolition challenges and loads of replay value – all with unique twists based on the highly-anticipated film.
ANGRY BIRDS RIO will launch with 45 dedicated levels and will regularly add new levels via app updates. The game will be available for download on smart phones and tablets worldwide.
Read more: Game News: The Angry Birds are Flying to Rio - ComingSoon.net http://www.comingsoon.net/news/gamenews.php?id=73585#ixzz1XTXMjl4P
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