Nov 29

Rapoo launches ‘VH300’ professional gaming headset

Posted in: Animation

Rapoo, announces its newest 7.1 channel, professional gaming headset – VH300. Rich sound to get into the game, and an integrated microphone to trash talk your opponents, VH300 bring an eternal gaming experience.

The headphone is supremely comfortable, with noise-isolating over-ear design with soft and large breathable ear pads for unrivalled comfort during long hours of gaming. Its long battery promises a day of non-stop gaming without any interruptions. The metallic ear cup with cool blue LED backlight, makes it look chic when in use.

Engineered with 50 mm driver unit along with 20 – 20000 Hz frequency response of non-stop gaming effects, the headphone has exceptionally 7.1 surround sound, that delivers crisp highs and rich bass thanks to the dual chamber technology. Its adjustable sound modes further enrich the gaming experience. The customised driver configuration interface further allows you to customise voice modes freely. With multi-functional detachable microphone, the headset comes with a controller, that allows gamers to multifunction effortlessly.

Rapoo VH300 the gaming headset is available in black colour and has multi-platform compatibility; out-of-the-box with PC, Xbox One, PS4, Wii U and mobile devices2.

Backed by one-year warranty, Rapoo VH510 gaming headset is now available in India, across leading retail and e-commerce stores in India.

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Nov 29

‘Dead or Alive 2’ slot game review

Posted in: Animation

Since the release of Dead or Alive in 2009, the Netent slot has been the most discussed slot among players. Although it is a very simple game with only one feature, it is action packed, particularly when the wilds become sticky in the free spins, activating the great wild lines. The internet is practically filled with stories and screenshots of players who won 2000 times their bet and more. This slot has gained legendary status etching its name into the history of online gaming. There have been several clamors from players demanding a sequel of the original game from Netent. Netent has put in their best to produce a sequel that keeps all the thrills of the original, adding some modern twist to the slot, more features and a massive win possibility of over 100,000 times your bet.

The heist begins

The setting of the Dead or Alive 2 slot game showcases a classic desert town at sundown, with several wooden buildings and old time knickknacks placed on the game screen. The pay symbols remain unchanged and this has made it much easier for players of the first Dead or Alive to what wins to expect.

At the beginning of the game, you’ll notice the all-time classic playing card suites, a booze bottle, a cowpoke hat, weathered cowboy boots, a sheriff’s badge, a pistol and a holster. The wild symbols present you with the old gang who are always up to no good. The usual suspect in the wilds round up includes Belle Starr, Delia Rose, the Apache Kid, Billy the Kid and Jesse James. Each wild is coolly animated, giving each spin an extra kick. When three scatters (a pair of pistols) or more are hit, the bonus feature will be activated.

Knowing the symbols and paylines

Dead or Alive 2 is a five reel slot having three rows and nine fixed paylines. It has the same RTP as the original and accessing the handy Autoplay and Quick spin features are easy on this version too. The gameplay of this slot is smooth on both desktop and mobile.

Special features waiting for you

Old Saloon: Sticky wilds, including five free spins when at least one wild is landed on every reel.

High Noon Saloon: Out of all the free spins features, the High Noon Saloon has the highest volatility. This is because of the inclusion of sticky multiplier wilds, meaning that the win multipliers could reach up to 15 times when anything above one multiplier on the same reel is hit. You will also get five free spins when at least one wild is landed on every reel.

Train Heist: This is a newly added feature. It boasts a progressive win multiplier, and five extra spins up to 16 times maximum number of multipliers. The win potential of Dead or Alive 2 has been upped from about 12,000 to 100,000 times your bet line, making it a high volatility slot. The bonus feature selector can be triggered by hitting three scatters and more. You can pick one of the types and claim 12 one-time free spins, plus the usual five free spins when multiple reels turn up a wild and when you have enough high-win multipliers.

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Nov 29

Marvel’s ‘Black Widow’ to release in India a day prior to the US

Posted in: Animation

After the emotional juggernaut of Avengers Endgame, Marvel fans are gearing up in excitement as the studio has already unveiled plans for a massive lineup in the years to follow! This new phase of Marvel has been said to be the biggest of all in history, beginning with the standalone superhero flick Black Widow due for release in 2020.

“Over the last few years, Marvel movies have brought about an entertainment revolution in the country. Every Super Hero from Marvel – be it Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk and even the newer members like Black Panther, Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel – have become household names. Black Widow is one such character who has been integral to the Marvel journey and has been a fan favourite; especially in India. We have seen Natasha Romanoff as a spy, assassin and an Avenger; but she remains a mystery and fans now want to know her origin story more than ever. And as a special treat for these fans; we are releasing Black Widow a day prior to the US,” said Disney India head studio entertainment Bikram Duggal.

Portraying a spectacular arc in the Avengers franchise, Scarlett Johansson is all set to present a raw, powerful origin story of Black Widow, continuing to add more to an emotional story that millions of fans have come to know and love since a decade. Black Widow will relive the Endgame feeling of excitement going into the cinema with fellow fanatics, which brings us to a fantastic piece of news for Indian fans!

Get set to be the first to see the superhero spectacle as Black Widow releases in India on 30 April, a day before the US release date! The studio is all set to present the movie in six languages – English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.

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Nov 29

’44 Cats’ scores best animated series at Cyber Sousa Xiamen International Animation Festival

Posted in: Animation

Rainbow’s latest success 44 Cats, produced in collaboration with Antoniano Bologna and Rai Ragazzi, has been awarded the Golden Dolphin for best animated series in the overseas category at the Cyber Sousa Competition as part of the 12th edition of Xiamen International Animation Festival, China’s most influential festival for animation and comics.

The XIAF is supported by ASIFA (Association Internationale du Film d’Animation) and ASIFA-China, and promotes the development of the animation industry, comics and video games boosting information technology’s application and international exchange. The award is a further recognition for the whole team at Rainbow, already working on a second 52 x 13’ season and delivering a top quality show that is quickly growing into a preschool classic.

After its first landing on screens across the world with season one, 44 Cats has been growing at a steady pace, emerging as new kids phenomenon for its compelling features. The show stars a band of four musician kittens – the Buffycats – and their lovely Granny Pina, and promotes can-do attitudes for a young target. 44 Cats presents the audience with an explosive mix of original songs and comedy, major partners offering top broadcast coverage and a vast consumer product range which allows the brand to spread its cuteness and universal attributes worldwide. Ratings have been driving up along with kids and families’ love for 44 Cats, and Rainbow is riding this first wave of success both on free and pay TV worldwide. Global SVOD partner Netflix scooped up the show after the TV debut in Europe and overseas, where the share results are pushing the show toward season two.

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Nov 29

MAAC hosted an enriching Animation and VFX seminar

Posted in: Animation

With participation of 2500+ students and 100+ industry stalwarts together, MAAC (Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics) recently organised one of its largest Media and Entertainment seminar at the prestigious Shanmukhananda Hall, Mumbai.

The event witnessed an overwhelming response from who came together under one roof to witness ‘MAAC Manifest’ – one of the largest 3D Animation and VFX seminar series to be conducted across the country. Noted industry professionals from two of India’s leading studios volunteered to conduct fantastic sessions on the use of Visual Effects in films and cinemas.

The audience was spellbound after DNeg CG Supervisor Dalbir Singh showcased the making of Academy Award winning film, First Man and also further went on to narrate his rich experience of working on other Hollywood VFX blockbuster films like Avengers Endgame, Men in Black, Venom, Deadpool 2 to name a few. 

Another leading studio yFX (a division of Yashraj Film Studios), represented by VFX Supervisor Deepal Dass mesmerized the students with an interesting session on Visual effects breakdown on Bollywood’s recent National award winning film Uri, while also showcasing the work behind the making of Tiger Zinda Hai, Thugs of Hindostan and many more. 

Talking about MAAC Manifest, Aptech Chief Marketing Officer Pravir Arora said, “The Media and Entertainment Industry which today is growing at a rapid rate, is no longer looked at as an unconventional career. Especially over the last three years, a career in Media and Entertainment is fast becoming mainstream with significant youth opting for the same. This event, MAAC Manifest testify creating a glorious mark for themselves in this industry. We are truly honoured to have their body of work presented to our current students, the young pursuers in this field. MAAC Manifest is aimed at giving our students, a much needed industry exposure, help them pick up the right skills and present a networking opportunity.”

The massive crowd thoroughly enjoyed when both these speakers, in the course of their sessions, revealed that they are alumni of MAAC. The high point of the event was the felicitation of about 100 alumni of MAAC, who are today working in India’s leading studios and production houses. These ex-students were extremely thrilled to come back to their alma mater, and share their wonderful journey from being a student at MAAC to now being an industry professional.

MAAC Business Head Ram Warrier

MAAC Business Head Ram Warrier commented, “MAAC has always been at the forefront of providing industry based training for VFX, Animation and Multimedia with opportunities for students’ as the core objective. Such initiatives have helped students build a strong understanding about the industry trends. Listening to the different views of the leading industry stalwarts offers our students an edgy advantage of understanding the subtle nuances of the work; also a holistic picture aids them to plan their careers better.” 

While regularly training students in various aspects of Media and Entertainment Industry viz 3D Animation, VFX, Gaming, Multimedia & Broadcast, MAAC believes that initiatives and platforms such as MAAC Manifest plays a crucial role in not just making the youth skillful, but also preparing them for a successful career in the Media & Entertainment Industry.

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Nov 29

Disney is soaring high due to new subscriber numbers for its OTT platforms

Posted in: Animation

 

Walt Disney is having a great time lately after the phenomenal start for its streaming service Disney+, which received record streaming viewers than expected. This follows on the growing success of the company’s other two OTT platforms – Hulu and ESPN+. 

In a recent regulatory filing, the House of Mouse has revealed updates on its subscriber numbers, which shows that Disney is on track to achieve its long-term direct-to-consumer goals. 

Image Credit : Disney

ESPN+, which was Disney’s first foray into streaming, continues its speedy growth. Launched in April 2018, it grew to more than one million subscribers in just the six following months. By February, 2019, ESPN+ had eclipsed more than two million paying customers. In the filing, Disney said ESPN+ closed out FY19 (which ended on 28 September) with about three million subscribers and currently enjoys over 3.5 million paid subscribers.

Hulu, on the other hand, added eight million new subscribers in 2018, an increase of 48 per cent year over year, bringing the total to 25 million. At Hulu ’19 presentation in May, the number had jumped to 26.8 million. Recently, Disney revealed that Hulu’s paid subscribers had grown to 29 million to close out September. In fact, Hulu’s subscriber growth will probably get a boost from Disney’s decision to bundle ESPN+, Hulu and Disney+ for a generous monthly discount. Disney previously announced that its goal for Hulu was to hit 40 million to 60 million subscribers by 2024, which seems to be within striking distance.

Disney+ has already topped 10 million sign-ups (including free trials) on its first day of operations and is said to be not providing updates except during its quarterly earnings releases.

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Nov 29

Netflix’s 2D animated ‘Klaus’ is a perfect holiday classic

Posted in: Animation

The latest animated feature from Netflix, Klaus is made in the traditional hand-drawn 2D animation. Taking into consideration the film’s title, Klaus involves the legendary figure of Santa Claus. This is supposed to be an origin story. It sheds a light upon why the presents go through the chimney, how reindeer came to pull the sleigh, how Santa got his red and white attire and how were the toys made.

The plot is set in motion when Jesper (Jason Schwartzman), the spoiled and lazy son of an unnamed nation’s powerful postmaster general, is whisked away from the stately, militaristic Royal Postal Academy, where he wastes his days napping and sipping espressos while his fellow cadets learn to ride, sort mail, breed carrier pigeons, and transport fragile materials. Jesper’s domineering father assigns him to be the postmaster of the remote northern island-town of Smeerensburg, and gives him an ultimatum: He’ll be disowned unless he processes 6,000 pieces of mail within a year.

As he’s about to give up, Jesper befriends a reclusive toyman Klaus (J.K. Simmons). Klaus is a simple carpenter who makes toys. He is used to living his life alone and in silence. Their unexpected friendship inadvertently helps transform a broken village ravaged by years of internal fighting while starting to thaw Jesper’s own selfish outlook on life.

Klaus is something special and a testament to director Sergio Pablos’ storytelling ability. Pablo’s  introduction to the horrid town of Smeerensburg feels like it’s been lifted off a horror or Western movie, with the monochrome visage of its cityscape, the seeming emptiness feels real.  Pablos, along with Netflix’s director of character animation James Baxter, bring their years of experience of working together.

As a fan of traditional animation, one may marvel over the look of the film from the start. Netflix has managed to play with both sharp, bold shapes and soft, smooth colours. The characters are designed distinctively. Simmons’ deep, comforting voice is a perfect match for the character, who appears, at first glance, intimidating.

Sweet, funny, intense and beautifully made, Klaus has all the condiments required to stir up a holiday classic. It is a story of finding your worth, while reminding us to embrace our differences and be good to all around us. Netflix is trying to give a simple message through this short and sweet feature-  “A true act of goodwill always sparks another.”

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Nov 29

‘Ghost Stories’ to stream on 1 January, 2020 on Netflix

Posted in: Animation

This New Year is going to be scary, as the streaming giant, Netflix has announced to be releasing Ghost Stories on 1 January, 2020. 

After the huge success of Lust Stories (2018), Netflix is bringing the next anthology movie from the same directors – Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar, Karan Johar, and Dibakar Banerjee. 

An announcement video released recently finds all the four noted filmmakers talking about what’s going to be in line for Ghost Stories alongside a first look of the same. 

Ghost Stories stars the likes of Sobhita Dhulipala, Janhvi Kapoor, Gulshan Devaiah , Vijay Varma, Mrunal Thakur, Raghubir Yadav, Avinash Tiwary, Surekha Sikri , Sukant Goel, and Internet star Kusha Kapila.

Produced by Ronnie Screwvala’s production banner RSVP and Ashi Dua Sara of Flying Unicorn Entertainment, Ghost Stories was announced as one of 10 new Netflix original movies from India in April. In an official statement, Screwvala said (as reported by Gadgets 360) : “The overwhelming success of Lust Stories — which still has people talking about it a year after it launched — made us want to repeat the magic with our second anthology called Ghost Stories. With Netflix, we have a partner who complements the strain in RSVP’s DNA — to lean into risk when it comes to bold content narratives and creative freedom.”

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Nov 29

Bigetron RA dominates Day 1 PMCO Fall Split Global Finals 2019 leaderboard

Posted in: Animation

PUBG Mobile Club Open Fall Split Global Finals 2019 is finally over and the day one result are here, Entity Gaming and SouL are representing South Asia at PMCO Fall Split Global Finals 2019 and the teams were placed third and 11th respectively after Day 1 on the leaderboard Bigetron RA acquired the first positon on the leader board with one chicken dinner and 68 points and Team Queso followed them with 60 points.

Overall 16 teams are taking part in the tournament for the title and a prize pool of 500,000 USD. A total of four games were played on day one. All the teams played put up a gripping gameplay throughtout the day. The finals will go on for two more days and a total of 16 games will be played. PUBG Mobile Fans can catch the live action at PUBG Mobile Esports YouTube channel.

PMCO Fall Split 2019 Global Finals Day 1 Overall Standings
#1 Bigetron RA- 68 points

#2 Team Queso- 60 points

#3 Entity Gaming- 56 points

#4 Illuminate The Murder- 53 points

#5 Team Unique- 41 points

#6 All Rejection Gaming- 34 points

#7 TOP ESPORTS- 34 points

#8 Cloud9- 34 points

#9 EGC KR Black- 32 points

#10 MEGA Esports- 32 points

#11 SouL- 32 points

#12 RRQ ATHENA- 31 points

#13 UNicornGaming- 28 points

#14 YOOO GANK- 17 points

#15 Kurd Squad- 12 points

#16 ORANGE ESPORTS CG- 8 points

 

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Nov 28

Cartoon Network president Christina Miller steps down from her position

Posted in: Animation

Warner Media’s Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Boomerang and TCM president Christina Miller, announced that she would be leaving at the end of the year after nearly 15 years with the company in various leadership roles.

During her time with the company, she oversaw Adult Swim and built brands including Rick and Morty, Adventure Time, Steven Universe and global franchises including The Power Puff Girls and Ben 10, among others.

Before being promoted to president of the four brands, she was GM of NBA Digital and president of Turner Sports marketing/strategy and programming. She first joined Turner (the former name of the company before it changed to WarnerMedia) in 2005 as vp Cartoon Network Enterprises, where she built the division’s first global consumer products business.

Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Boomerang executive vice president/chief marketing officer Michael Ouweleen will serve as the interim president, and Miller will help with the transition.

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