Sooprise, sooprise, "households with kids ages 6-12 represent the 'sweet spot' for these products," writes Nielsen on its blog. Also, these households tend to be wealthier, with incomes above $70,000. But lest you think this is strictly a suburban whitebread consumer template, Hispanics and Asians were most likely, among ethnicities, to pick up this type of game, too.

What is interesting to me is the console breakdown of video game movie buyers. The PlayStation 3 is the clear leader, followed by the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360. The Wii? A distant fourth.

This is probably attributable to the first three consoles outnumbering the Wii for development of video game adaptations. But as Nielsen started this by painting the picture of a comfortable, dual-income family with kids younger than 12 in the house, and with most major film adaptations going to all consoles, the Wii turning up so low is kind of a surprise.

Movie-based Video Games and the Households that Buy Them [Nielsen Blog]

All you have to do is purchase one game that GameStop considers a movie game between now and June 30th in order to receive a free ticket to a movie of your choice. Luckily for us, GameStop's definition of a movie game is rather loose, so titles like Resident Evil 5 and Ghostbusters qualify for the free movie ticket deal as well as the games that actually have movies currently in theaters. The choice of movie thing is also a plus, as it means those of us who have to suffer through purchasing Hannah Montana: The Movie for the young, misguided females in our lives can use the free pass to see something violent enough to wash the lilac out of our wallets.

Other eligible titles include X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Destiny of Zorro, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Terminator Salvation, UP, Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Check out GameStop's official promotional page for full details.

Kavanagh joins Paramount from developer Kuju after spearheading their expansion into North America with Kuju America. Before that he served as the VP of product development at Eidos, where he worked on titles such as Hitman, Timesplitters, Deus Ex, and Thief. John will be directly responsible for development and licensing of video games based off of Paramount properties.

“We are very excited to have someone as experienced as John come aboard to lead our video game group,” states Thomas Lesinski. “John brings a diverse array of global gaming experience that will help accelerate our efforts in the development and licensing of video games.”

With such an impressive list of credits, can better movie adaptations be far behind? Probably, yes.

Sure, it's a movie tie-in, but lately Activision's movie tie-ins have managed to be somewhat enjoyable. Kung-Fu Panda in particular was a game I could actually play all the way through, which is saying quite a lot. With some truly memorable characters and amazing voice talent, the movie is sure to be a hit, and who knows? The game could wind up pretty decent.

Or not. We can dream.

“Building on the incredibly strong franchise, Terminator Salvation – The Videogame will be a cinematic gaming experience that complements the upcoming film,” said John Quinn, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Operations, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “Working with Halcyon and Equity Games, we will expand on the Terminator universe on next generation consoles with action packed gameplay and detailed environments.”

Of course this is the same sort of spiel we hear every time a movie-based video game is announced, and we've all seen how that usually works out. Note the press release doesn't mention what consoles it is being developed for, which probably indicates all of them.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Equity Games Production and Halcyon Games Announce Terminator Salvation – The Videogame, an Intense, Action Game Based on the Highly Anticipated 2009 Film

BURBANK, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Equity Games Production and Halcyon Games announce Terminator Salvation – The Videogame, an action-packed, third-person shooter, to be released in conjunction with the highly anticipated Warner Bros. Pictures and Sony Pictures film, which opens nationwide on May 22, 2009.

Based on the upcoming “Terminator Salvation” film, the game offers players the chance to assume the role of John Connor, a soldier in the resistance, battling for survival against the far superior forces of Skynet. Terminator Salvation – The Videogame is a third-person action game with concentrated armed combat against all of the Skynet enemies from the film while encountering new enemies specifically designed for the game. The game was developed by GRIN Studios, published by Equity Games, co-published by Evolved Games and distributed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

“Terminator Salvation – The Videogame allows players to battle for survival against Skynet enemies utilizing an incredibly fluid and realistic control set,” said Cos Lazouras, President of Halcyon Games. “The player will be led through a visceral story with extremely polished production values to create a fully interactive Terminator experience.”

“Building on the incredibly strong franchise, Terminator Salvation – The Videogame will be a cinematic gaming experience that complements the upcoming film,” said John Quinn, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Operations, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “Working with Halcyon and Equity Games, we will expand on the Terminator universe on next generation consoles with action packed gameplay and detailed environments.”

"The special filmed content that is exclusive to the video game provides insight into Narnia and the events around the 'Prince Caspian' story like nothing else," said Andrew Adamson. "With movie fans' enthusiasm for unique experiences in video games as well, these scenes are ideal to complement the 'Prince Caspian' game's action."

Disney Interactive Studios Introduces Original Scenes Exclusive to Disney/Walden Media's the Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Video Game Ben Barnes Reprises Role as Prince Caspian in Two Live Action Filmed Segments

BURBANK, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Fans of The Chronicles of Narnia will get to experience two unique film scenes only one way - on their home consoles or Windows-based PC. Disney Interactive Studios announced today that two original scenes for Disney/Walden Media's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian video game were filmed exclusively for the product and appear separately from the film. The unique scenes link The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and Prince Caspian stories with Dr. Cornelius (Vincent Grass) telling Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) the story of how Narnia fell to the Telmarines hundreds of years ago.

The scenes were shot on the film set in Prague, Czech Republic, during principal shooting and feature dialogue revealing plot based on the events of the book, game and film. The creation of the live action content was directed by Andrew Adamson, the film's director. The two original scenes are part of 18 live action moments in the game, which include 16 excerpts from the feature film.

"The special filmed content that is exclusive to the video game provides insight into Narnia and the events around the 'Prince Caspian' story like nothing else," said Andrew Adamson. "With movie fans' enthusiasm for unique experiences in video games as well, these scenes are ideal to complement the 'Prince Caspian' game's action."

The England-based game production and development teams worked in cooperation with the London-based film crew and Andrew Adamson to assure the game's overall accuracy to the film. Capturing two original scenes was only possible through the collaborative partnership between Disney Interactive Studios; and Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media.

"The close partnerships we maintain with our film division and Walden Media allowed us to utilize the cast, crew and set to create two unique scenes exclusively for the video game," said Ed Bainbridge, vice president of European production, Disney Interactive Studios. "These entertaining and memorable scenes enable us to portray a part of the Narnia history that is drawn from the fiction and played out in the game."

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian video game will be available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the Wii™ home video game system, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Windows-based PC. A separate Nintendo DS™ version will also be available.

Developed by Traveller's Tales, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian for home consoles and Windows-based PC takes players throughout Narnia and includes a gameplay level, which is unique from both the novel and the film. The level, which is set between the events of "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" and "Prince Caspian," takes place at the castle of Cair Paravel and tells the story of how Narnia fell to the Telmarine hordes. In "Prince Caspian," Cair Paravel is seen only as abandoned ruins the Pevensies discover hundreds of years later.

The action/adventure game offers gameplay for one or two players on the same system and drop-in/drop-out features, allowing either player to join the game and leave. With combat, exploration and puzzle solving that extends beyond the film, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is the ideal complement to the movie-going experience. The game features more than 20 playable characters including the ability to play as Prince Caspian. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian console game is the sequel to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe for consoles, which received the prestigious IGN.com Editor's Choice Award.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian for Nintendo DS, which is an action/role playing game, will include the debut of DGamer, Disney Interactive Studios' innovative new technology that provides a fun, connected game community for Disney video game fans. With DGamer, players earn content, interact and chat with others on Nintendo DS through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection or on a computer through the Disney.com website. DGamer will be offered in North America in future Nintendo DS games from Disney Interactive Studios with a future launch scheduled in other global regions. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian for Nintendo DS and DGamer are being developed by Fall Line Studio, the Nintendo platform-dedicated development studio of Disney Interactive Studios.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian for consoles and Windows PC is rated T for Teen by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and will be available for Xbox 360, the PLAYSTATION 3 system and Wii for $49.99; and the PLAYSTATION 2 system and Windows-based PC for $29.99. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian for the Nintendo DS has an ESRB rating of E10+ for Everyone 10 years and older and will be available for $29.99.

For more information about The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian video game, log on to www.princecaspiangame.com.

We're already working on a title that is more than two years out, and because the filmmaker is a game fan who is really excited about how we want to expand on the story of the film, we've been given a lot of latitude. It's been really fun to dig deep into this universe.

Brash Entertainment Signs Multi-Game Development Deal With Factor 5

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., March 13 /PRNewswire/ — Brash Entertainment today announced a game development deal with California-based game development studio, Factor 5. Under the terms of the worldwide agreement, the partners will collaborate on an unnamed title releasing in 2010 to be announced around the E3 Expo in July.

In addition to creating the multi-million selling STAR WARS: ROGUE SQUADRON franchise, INDIANA JONES, CONTRA: THE ALIEN WARS, LAIR and the classic TURRICAN franchise, Factor 5 is well respected for driving the technology of games. Factor 5 was a technology partner in the development of Nintendo's Wii and GameCube consoles, provider of the MusyX sound tools, partner in the Sony PlayStation 3 Edge toolset group, and has pioneered many technological advancements in the areas of audio and visuals in video games in collaboration with Dolby Labs, THX, and AMD/ATI.

"We do our due diligence on potential partners; we want to understand their in-house tech, and get to know their team and its capabilities. Factor 5 has a solid track record in creating licensed games that, in combination with their technology expertise, makes them an ideal partner," said Mitch Davis. "But what really cemented the collaboration was their passion for the IP and the world in which the game will live. Because that's when you are going to get really good games — when the people who are making it are really enjoying the process."

"Typically, there are two issues developers have with making a licensed game. First, they tend to have shorter development cycles. Second, there are often very tight constraints on how you can portray the world of the
IP, its characters and story. The resulting lack of creative freedom can be very frustrating — especially when it's a world you are excited to explore," said Julian Eggebrecht, President and Co-founder of Factor 5. "But collaborating with Brash is much different, we're already working on a title that is more than two years out, and because the filmmaker is a game fan who is really excited about how we want to expand on the story of the film, we've been given a lot of latitude. It's been really fun to dig deep into this universe."

"In collaborating with Brash, we were introduced to a very compelling fictional world and given the freedom to expand it through the game. We are working directly with the creative talent from the film, and feel that the close collaboration will result in an amazing game play experience that immerses the player in an incredible fantasy world."

Brash Entertainment Partners with Game Republic, Inc.

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., March 12 /PRNewswire/ — Today Brash Entertainment announced a game development deal with Game Republic, Inc., the Japan-based studio led by famed game producer Yoshiki Okamoto. Under the terms of the worldwide agreement, the partners will collaborate on an unannounced game based on a popular Hollywood film. The game will release in 2010.

Game Republic, Inc. was founded in 2003 under the leadership of industry visionary, Yoshiki Okamoto. A 20-year veteran of the game industry, Game Republic, Inc. CEO Okamoto has had a dramatic impact on the styles of gameplay prevalent in modern titles and is credited with pioneering new genres including "one-on-one fighting" with Street Fighter II and "survival horror" with Resident Evil. In addition, his teams have delivered such popular franchises as Lost Planet, Devil May Cry, Onimusha, Darkstalkers and many more.

"As a gamer, I am extremely excited to work with Okamoto-san, who has produced some of my favorite games," said Brash co-founder and CEO Mitch Davis. "The Brash business gives us the luxury to match the best Hollywood IP with the skills of the most talented independent game developers; our partnership with a strong studio such as Game Republic, Inc. is an excellent example of that."

"One of my goals with games is to do something revolutionary with something that has been never been seen before. The opportunity to re-imagine a fictional world provided by a compelling Hollywood IP using the interactive medium of games is very exciting to me," said Okamoto. "In collaborating with Brash, we were introduced to a very compelling fictional world and given the freedom to expand it through the game. We are working directly with the creative talent from the film, and feel that the close collaboration will result in an amazing game play experience that immerses the player in an incredible fantasy world."

Leigh and I are very excited about this new venture. We are big gaming fans and we think it would a great opportunity to continue the SAW legacy into a different platform/medium. Keeps things fresh for us anyway. A lot of people have asked us if we would be interested in writing another SAW movie...well, we are writing another SAW story...but it's for the game. We're treating this story like the SAW movies with lots of twists and turns. We have no idea how that is going to apply to a computer game format, considering that most games are generally pretty simple in it's plotting. Maybe its a good thing that Leigh and I are naive to the video game world and that we're writing it like its a movie!

Ah yes, ignorance is bliss, and could make for a relatively blissful video game version of Saw, at least until the game developers get a hold of the script and pull a more horrifying hack job on it than anything Jigsaw could have come up with.

Still, it's good to see such an important person to the franchise working on the game. It's not every day you get the creator of a movie working on a video game adaptation, much less the creator who is also the executive producer of the most popular horror franchise of the last few years.

The New Year - 2008 [James Wan's MySpace Blog - Via WhatUpThug]

And then they started licensing the awesome concept for video games!! Due out on Halloween October 2009 for Xbox 360 and PS3, we CAN'T WAIT! Developed by Brash Entertainment with the Unreal Engine 3, supposedly the game will be the result of close movie to game studio collaboration.

Oh, and to all the Saw fans. I'm sorry. (Not about this post, but that you've been sucked into liking crappy movies.) Oh, I kid. I love you all and have already judged you as perfect for reading my ramblings.

WhoIsJigsaw [Official Site via GameLife]

BRASH Entertainment ANNOUNCES JUMPER VIDEO GAME IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX, BRASH BRINGS THE NEXT science fiction-ACTION-thriller TO A CONSOLE NEAR YOU

Hollywood, Calif. - November 13, 2007 - Brash Entertainment announced today the development of a Jumper video game, to release alongside the film of the same name from Twentieth Century Fox and Regency Enterprises. Jumper is the eagerly anticipated science fiction-action-thriller directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity), and starring Hayden Christensen, Rachel Bilson, Jamie Bell, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Jumpers, people with a genetic anomaly that enables them to teleport themselves instantaneously to anywhere on the globe, have existed for centuries. An age-old battle rages between the Jumpers and the Paladins, a clandestine organization set on eliminating them from the planet. The Jumper game extends the film's storyline, following Griffin, a battle-hardened Jumper determined to avenge the death of his parents at the hands of the Paladins. Griffin's quest to find the killer spans exotic locales around the world.

"Jumper is shaping up to be the action adventure film of 2008, and Brash is excited to be there, at the beginning, with a game that further explores the Jumper universe," said Mitch Davis, co-founder and CEO of Brash Entertainment. "We've been working closely with our partners at Twentieth Century Fox to create a game that delves into the world of the Jumpers and the Paladins."

"When you combine all of the talent associated with this film and infuse it with one of the best action film minds today in Doug Liman you know that you're in store for one thrilling experience," said Elie Dekel, Executive Vice President, Licensing & Merchandising of Twentieth Century Fox. "Brash will take all of these elements to create a top-notch video game experience that will keep gamers on the edge of their seats."

The Jumper video game will be available for the PLAYSTATION®2 computer entertainment system, the Wii™ videogame system from Nintendo, and XBOX™ 360. The game is scheduled to ship February 12, 2008 followed by the theatrical release on February 15, 2008 and has not yet been rated by the ESRB. For more information about the movie please visit http://www.jumperthemovie.com/.

"We are very excited about this natural extension from the Speed Racer film to the videogame. Larry and Andy are videogame fans themselves, so they believe that an interactive game is a key component to the entire Speed Racer experience," said film producer Joel Silver.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment presents Speed Racer - the videogame

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment will launch the Speed Racer videogame based on the upcoming film written and directed by the Wachowski brothers. Speed Racer is a Warner Bros. Pictures presentation in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, of a Silver Pictures production. The game will be available in 2008 on the Wii and Nintendo DS systems as the Speed Racer film hits cinemas. It will be released on the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system with the DVD launch.

In the Wii and PlayStation2 system games, developed by Sidhe Interactive and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, players will be able to take on the role of the characters from the film, getting behind the wheels of each character's signature vehicles to experience firsthand the film's high adrenaline, combative racing style. The car-fu style of action within the game will closely represent the action style being designed by the Wachowski brothers for the film itself as they lend direction and assets to the development team directly from their Berlin set. John Gaeta, a long time Wachowski collaborator and Co-VFX Supervisor on the Speed Racer film, is working with Sidhe and WBIE to assist in maintaining a close film-to-game aesthetic connection.

"Speed Racer is an exceptionally creative property and teamed with the Wachowski brothers' vision it makes for action-packed racing gameplay," said Samantha Ryan, senior vice president, development and production, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. "The game will capture the intensity of the racing in the film to give gamers and movie fans a chance to take the wheel after the experience the film."

"We are very excited about this natural extension from the Speed Racer film to the videogame. Larry and Andy are videogame fans themselves, so they believe that an interactive game is a key component to the entire Speed Racer experience," said film producer Joel Silver.

The game's development for the Wii and PlayStation2 system platforms is led by the New Zealand-based Sidhe, a game development studio recognised for producing high-quality entertainment titles with world-class creative and software development skills. Developing across console, handheld, and PC, Sidhe has created a range of innovative products including a variety of racing titles.

Written and directed by the Wachowski brothers (The Matrix trilogy, V for Vendetta) and produced by Joel Silver, Speed Racer is based on the classic series created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida. A live-action family adventure, Speed Racer follows the young race-car driver Speed in his quest for glory on and off the track in his thundering Mach 5.

The film will feature other characters that fans of the show will remember, including Speed's family and his mysterious arch-rival, Racer X. The new high-octane actioner will combine the kind of revolutionary visual effects and cutting-edge storytelling that have become the benchmarks of the Wachowski brothers' films, bringing Speed Racer into the 21st century. The film stars Emile Hirsch ("Alpha Dog") as Speed, Christina Ricci ("Black Snake Moan") as Trixie and Matthew Fox (TV's "Lost") as Racer X as well as Oscar winner Susan Sarandon ("Dead Man Walking") and John Goodman ("Evan Almighty") as Mom and Pops Racer.