IGL organised Quarantine International Gaming Tournament to raise funds for COVID relief

Indian Gaming League (IGL),  e-sports platform tied up with Round Table Asia Pacific, a  non-profit organisation to host a Quarantine International Gaming Tournament from 15 May to 17 May 2020. The tournament was attended by international participants along with the regular users of IGL. IGL conducted one game a day and managed to raise close to 75K that will be donated towards COVID-19 relief with the help of Round Table. There were a total of 150 participants from all across the world with gamers from India securing the winning positions.

IGL live streamed the tournament on their YouTube channel which witnessed 80K Views. The tournament started at 18:00 hrs and required a registration fee of Rs. 500/- which was made on iglnetwork official post. With a total pool of 90K for three games, 30K was allotted per game from which 15K was awarded to the winner; 10K to the first runner up and second runner up awarded 5K.

Indian Gaming League (IGL) founder and director Yash Pariani, says “We wanted to curate a concept revolving around gaming with a cause and an initiative aiding healthcare workers and Covid-19 relief. It shows the power of the esports community and how we were able to organise this tournament in less than a week and raise these funds in just under three days.We look forward to hosting an even bigger tournament in the coming weeks to aid the true heroes, the health workers who are actively combating Covid-19 on the front lines.”

The post IGL organised Quarantine International Gaming Tournament to raise funds for COVID relief appeared first on AnimationXpress.

Animated series, ‘Guddu’ launches on Disney and Hungama today, 18 May

Animated series, Guddu has launched on Disney and Hungama channels, today, 18 May.

Disney’s kids network has never failed to entertain audiences across all age groups and has always given resonating and adorable characters. This summer as the country battles COVID-19 by extending lockdown, Disney India has curated fresh content of more than 100 hours to make quarantine fun and entertaining for kids. The broadcaster had earlier announced to have taken up three Cosmos-Maya shows – Guddu, Bapu and Gadget Guru Ganesha

Guddu tells the story of the titular lion and his friends that run a circus in an all animal world. It is a high on drama show, and stands true to his catch phrase – “Guddu hain mera naam…Entertainment hain mera kaam.” With dramatic and hilarious dialogues and songs and dance, Guddu has a bollywood essence in it. 

This show also introduces a bunch of quirky and fun characters. Besides the lion, there’s Veeru the rhino, Ballu the elephant, Bunty and Babli the flamingo couple and the three monkeys Chugli, Gugli and Ugli. All these characters have a distinct style and language of speaking, thus giving the show a local and regional flavour to it. and . For instance Chugli speaks as a Bengali, Babli as a Gujarati and Veeru as a Punjabi.

Guddu is a total entertainer with the lion doing a summersault, beating goons and defeating enemies. Other characters, Billauri and Kallu, just add to the fun and adventure.

The animated musical is also a visual treat for the viewers with a nice depiction of the animal world, colorful costumes, character antics and good writing. Kids are sure to get entertained with their new friend in town.

The post Animated series, ‘Guddu’ launches on Disney and Hungama today, 18 May appeared first on AnimationXpress.

Pixar artists to discuss ‘Onward’ on Foundry Webinar; Elves, Centaurs and More

Having set a high standard in the world of animation, Pixar movies have regaled the audiences for years! Animators and artists have always aspired to imbibe and emulate the craft that Pixar is known for. In this global lockdown induced by the pandemic, many educators and software companies have launched a flurry of sessions featuring the absolute Gurus of the field of animation and visual effects.

Foundry recently announced a webinar featuring Katana and Pixar’s Renderman and how their tools helped Pixar arrive at the images in the movie ‘Onward’.

Pixar’s latest feature film, Onward, combines the mythic with the mundane, as two brothers try to find magic in the suburbs. 

Foundry shared, “During this presentation, Tim Best will show how magic was created for the big screen, literally, as he describes the challenges of lighting a fantasy world full of elves, centaurs, and spellcasting with the Foundry’s Katana.”

Onward

They further shared, “Sarah Hutchinson will dive into Pixar’s core rendering technology, RenderMan, talking about the state-of-the-art features used in Onward and then look ahead, showing how new advancements in rendering technology are already impacting VFX pipelines for the better. It’s a great opportunity to see the latest technology coming from Pixar.”

Foundry is a software company that believes in advancing the art and technology of visual experience in partnership with creative leaders around the globe. Clients and partners include major feature film studios and post-production houses such as Pixar, ILM, MPC, Walt Disney Animation, Weta Digital, DNEG, and Framestore as well as automotive, footwear, apparel and technology companies such as Mercedes, New Balance, Adidas and Google. Foundry partners with these companies to solve complex visualization challenges to turn incredible ideas into reality.

Don’t miss the webinar on 19 May 2020! Pixar artists and developers will join us and will discuss their work on Onward and Beyond! We’ll also get to see the latest technology coming from Pixar.

The post Pixar artists to discuss ‘Onward’ on Foundry Webinar; Elves, Centaurs and More appeared first on AnimationXpress.

Kross Komics organises contest for Indian comic writers and artists to make the local content global

Siddharth Raikar

With printing of comics shut down for indefinite time, digital media is all one can rely on. And of course, digital comics may not have the touch and feel of an old comic book, but they sure have some amazing content to share with comic lovers all across the globe. Kross Komics, a one of its kind app in India is the newest way of storytelling which diversifies your imagination, giving you an all-new experience of the comic world. 

Kross Komics has come up with an interesting contest for writers and artists. “In India, there are many talented individuals who have a flair to write and draw. But they never really take up the pen or the brush because there is no ecosystem in India that truly recognises their talent, nurtures it and rewards the same by the means of a sustainable source of income to the creators. Our contest is a step in the direction of creating such an ecosystem,”  said Kross Komics Indian representative Siddharth Raikar.

The contest, which is aimed at nudging talented creators to make something original by providing exciting rewards, creating an Indian community of like-minded creators that can learn and grow with each other and providing a fast-track platform for digital comic creators to get their works published with the intention of generating a steady source of income, will fulfill Kross Komics’ motive of empowering Indian creators to showcase their talent to everybody.

Winners of the contest can win upto one lakh cash prizes and the opportunity to get published on the Kross Komics platform. To participate in the contest, one simply has to head over to Kross Komics official website and follow the simple instructions there. The comics are accepted in Hindi and English.

With the lockdown due to the pandemic, and various policies implied by the Indian government, localisation is the future. PM Narendra Modi emphasised on being ‘atmanirbhar’ and what right time to make the most of the hidden talent in India. Currently the comics belong to the webtoon or the manga family. But Kross Komics wanted to localise the flavour of storytelling by onboarding various Indian comics to their platform. “Afterall, a story that truly captures local nuances would be the one that strikes a chord with local audiences. In that regard, Kross Komics wants to be extremely vocal about local!” mentioned Raikar.

The lockdown constraints have caused severe issues in the physical comic supply chain and retail stores everywhere in the world. The adoption of digital comics will only be accelerated as comic fans seek to satisfy their hunger for visual stories. “This change in the reading pattern was perhaps going to take effect in 10-15 year time. But this unprecedented crisis has just accelerated the process of change,” Raikar concluded.

You got that budding comic artist in you? Have ideas in mind and on paper, but searching for a platform to publish? Give this contest a shot, may be all will be reading your comics in the app next!

The post Kross Komics organises contest for Indian comic writers and artists to make the local content global appeared first on AnimationXpress.

A walk-through on ‘Call of Duty: Mobile’s’ new offerings

We are already half month into the launch of the new battle pass ‘Once Upon a Time in Rust’ for Call of Duty: Mobile and it seems Tencent and Activision still have a lot more in their arsenal to serve the players. Last Thursday, the third installment of their in-game comics Wild West was released, which made the new draw The Void available, (also the Justice draw and Dust to Dust Draw simultaneously)

Adding to the buzz that the game has garnered, today a new crate has been launched named The Distraction. Here are the quick details on the updates:-

Wild West Comics

The comic book has been divided into four parts three of which are already published recently the third installment was dropped and the last one is lined up for 21 May respectively. The Pilot chapter tells how Cow Boy Zombie reached the deserted lonely enemy camp on horseback which was unexpected as there was no vehicle available to reach the vicinity and on foot, no one can reach there.

The second chapter narrates the story of how Cow Boy Zombie started taking over the enemy despite out of cover with his specialised gun. The third installment tells how the enemy chief came out in vision to  Cow Boy Zombie asking for sorting out ‘old fashioned way’ as the enemy lost all other members of his team. And sooner both prepare for one vs one fight which will be further revealed in the fourth installment. The in-game comics is the weekly installment for the month of May and its gripping storyline has glued audiences’ interest towards the season.

Introduction of in-game comics is definitely a unique way to engage the audience with a whole new dimension, this way players not only get the interest to play the game but also able to find a resemblance to the storyline in the game. Here is a quick walkthrough  of Call of Duty: Mobile in-game comics Wild West:

The Void draw

The void crate has arms and ammunitions with G-stroke camo, new character along with supplies necessary for battle royale game. The specialty of the crate is a special Cordite G-stroke gun, character Nikto, Zero-G knife, Zero-G parachute, black hole picture, Zero-G backpack, Zero-G trip mine, Zero-G Wingsuit, J358 Zero-G pistol and RPD orbit. The special Cordite gun with G-stroke camo comprises special ability where the enemy sucked away by a black hole (level 1) apart from that double kills instantly add bullets into clip level one and kills broadcast with effects (level 12).

The methodical, calculative new character Nikto is a deadly Spetsnaz operator of the Allegiance faction and suited up in army green with a black ninja mask. Here is a quick walkthrough of Call of Duty: Mobile new draw The Void. The draw starts from 10 CP points and it increases as we proceed to buy components and ended at 1800 CP. If you are lucky enough you might get the Cordite G-stroke special gun at the beginning of the draw or else you might have to spend 1800 CP to get it at the end of draw which happened with me. But the experience to play with gun is worthwhile.

The Distraction Crate

The Distraction crate launched with the new character Nomad The Distractions , Western Sunset camo for Battle Royale, Brushed Steel camo, Saloon map frame, Shoe in picture avatar and some extras. The new character nomad is Tavo Rojas in the distraction uniform has the rowdy, cowboy attitude who enters while whistling and seeks retribution for his fallen friends, using his prowess to turn the environment against his enemies.

The crate is again a lucky draw type where you can buy a single crate at 30 CP  or bundle of 10  crates at 270CP. It is not necessary that you will get your desired components if you buy the bundle only if you are lucky enough you might get the hands-on it.

The post A walk-through on ‘Call of Duty: Mobile’s’ new offerings appeared first on AnimationXpress.

Marvel themed online slot games

Are you a fan of Marvel comics and movies? Most of us have at least seen Marvel movies such as The Avengers, Iron Man and Thor or more recent ones such as Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame. Inspired by this, a game developer called Playtech made an exclusive licensing deal with Marvel Entertainment Inc., and the rest is history. 

During the following years, Playtech produced Marvel-themed slots at a fast pace and these slot games were always waited, bringing excitement and joy for casino players. It was the deal that made Playtech one of the most well-known game developers in the online gambling industry. Although all of their Marvel slots gained popularity, RoyalCasino considers following three slot games worth for a proper introduction: 

The Incredible Hulk. The game was a huge hit for Playtech and it is still the first game to come up to Marvel slot enthusiasts´ minds. The slot came with 50 paylines and 5 reels. With extensive features such as Smash Bonus, Hulk Rage and Free Spins, The Incredible Hulk slot entertained players without a doubt. What is more, the game included a progressive jackpot, which intrigued many to try out the game. 

Avengers. This exciting slot came with 20 paylines and 5 reels which was the standard for Playtech games for a long time before moving all the way to 50 paylines like in previously introduced The Incredible Hulk slot. The highlight of the game was the Bonus Round which was triggered by getting 3 Avengers symbols on the reels. Then, free spins were activated based on the Avengers character that player chose. 

Iron Man 3. Playtech produced great slot games based on Iron Man and Iron Man 2, but the third one hit the jackpot – or four jackpots to be exact, as the game featured four jackpots in varying amounts. In addition to the exciting random jackpots, the game featured two bonus games called `Hall of Armor´ and `All Systems Go Respin´, giving the player more chances for some sweet winnings. Iron Man 3 gave lots of excitement for Marvel enthusiasts with its 5 reels and 25 paylines. 

Unfortunately, sad news hit Marvel slot enthusiasts in 2017 when all beloved slot games were removed from online casinos due to an expiring contract that was never going to be renewed. When Marvel Entertainment Inc was sold to Disney, it was already expected that Disney would not continue with anything regarding gambling. After the expiration date Playtech lost a substantial part of its most important slot games in its game portfolio, and many fans were saddened by the news. 

Marvel slot games are in history and we all secretly hope for them to return. Unless something major is going to happen, it is unlikely that we will have the chance to play those slots again. However, we can still marvel them online – just search for Marvel slots online and you will find hundreds of gaming videos!

The post Marvel themed online slot games appeared first on AnimationXpress.

Supercell pivots from live-action to frame-by-animation to make 10th birthday film during lockdown

Finnish gaming company, Supercell has partnered with animation and design studio, This Thing of Ours, part of the Waste family, to turn what was originally supposed to be a live action film celebrating its 10th birthday into a frame-by-frame animation, in just six weeks.

The brief for the film was originally conceived before the COVID-19 outbreak, with the team behind Clash of Clans urging This Thing of Ours to create a live action piece to celebrate the birthday, but as lockdown commenced, the studio planned to use traditional animation techniques  instead to bring its idea to life.

This Thing of Ours director Alex Robinson said, “When I heard about this idea in its original live action shoot form, I thought it was such a fun concept! The TTOO team and I were super excited when it was decided that we should bring it to life with animation. Frame-by-frame isn’t a technique which is usually associated with speed, but we managed to turn this project around in six weeks, from concept, through to character development, through to final delivery.”

The film references the iconic Supercell logo sting and pokes fun at the way in which its famous jingle can often pop up at the most awkward times. Based on the experiences of players, it shows people opening the game app in quiet environments, only to shock themselves and sometimes others when the game’s logo and loading screen sound full blast. The video also calls out a unique 10th birthday in-game decoration which is available for players to claim. The piece has a minimalist, black and white look and feel, to mirror the colours of the Supercell logo, and a film noir-meets-comic book style.

“We’re very happy with the film’s illustration style, which was designed by This Thing of Ours animator Tom Salo. We wanted to use the black and white of the Supercell logo, as each awkward moment featured was based on the sting that you hear when the logo appears in game,” stated Waste art director Tasmin Lobley.

In order to create the film in time for its May launch, the This Thing of Ours team overcame the challenges of remote working by using group Slack channels and regular Zoom calls, making feedback sessions as fun and productive as they are in the studio.

Clash of Clans community manager Ana Martins noted, “Supercell’s 10th birthday is a huge occasion for us, so it was important to recognise our wonderful community of players in this film. Waste’s execution of a video that was originally intended to be a live action shoot really helped bring these relatable player moments to life in a fun, visually appealing way.” 

Waste creative partner Mike Petricevic further added: “Having planned to shoot a live action film, it was an interesting challenge for the team to pivot to animation, instead. We’re very proud of the end result, which was created using trusty old frame-by-frame techniques.”

The animated film/video will be shared across Clash of Clans and Supercell social media channels.

The post Supercell pivots from live-action to frame-by-animation to make 10th birthday film during lockdown appeared first on AnimationXpress.

#WhenAtHome: Entertaining animated shows for kids this summer on TV and OTT

Quarantine doesn’t seem to end soon. With the further extension of lockdown till 31 May, people will now have to stay home bound most of the time with some relaxations allowed by the Government.

Though some aspects of outdoor access have been granted, the COVID numbers seem no stopping. There have been more than 10,000 cases in the past 48 hours! And since children and elders are more prone to the outbreak, it’s advised that they remain indoors. 

Keeping kids entertained indoors is not an easy job especially in these challenging times. Hence, last time we brought a list of few shows that would tickle the funny bones of the young minds and keep them entertained and engaged. Now, we are back with another few to help kids drive the lockdown blues away:

1. Sofia the First

Sofia the First tells the story of Sofia, an average girl whose life changes completely when her mother marries the king. 

Throughout her journey she discovers that looking like a princess isn’t difficult at all, but making others feel special is what makes one truly loyal. Sofia is kind and adorable. This little princess with a golden heart goes on to teach values and morals in her own special way. 

Where to Watch : Disney+Hotstar

2. Bheem Ka Daily Dose

Chhota Bheem and his different avatars have always wowed kids since this strong hero’s first appearance. Now, kids favourite Bheem, is coming with an array of new series and movies as he embarks on new adventures everyday.

Kids can now enjoy fresh episodes and telemovies of Chhota Bheem every day with Bheem ka Daily Dose at 11.30 amIn addition to this, they can also catch new episodes of Super Bheem every afternoon that started from 11 May, Monday to Friday, at 12.30 pm.

Where to Watch : POGO

3. ViR: The Robot Boy

Premiered on 9 November 2013, ViR: The Robot Boy is an animated kids television series first aired on Hungama TV. It is produced by Cosmos-Maya Studios.

The story revolves around Vir, a humanoid robot child with human-like qualities, emotions and superhuman abilities. He is a creation of Dr. Prem Sahay and he lives with him. Dr. Sahay is a kind elderly man who he created Vir for helping others. 

ViR: The Robot Boy follows his humorous escapades as he manages to save the day with his quick thinking and a wide array of robotic abilities, along with his closest friends – Chulbul, the pet donkey, 8-year-old Imli and Gintu.

Where to Watch : Netflix and SonyLIV

4. Guddu 

Guddu tells the story of the titular lion and his friends that run a circus in an all animal world. It is a high on drama show, and stands true to his catch phrase – “Guddu hain naam…Entertainment hain mera kaam.” With dramatic and hilarious dialogues and songs and dance, Guddu has a bollywood essence in it. 

This show also introduces a bunch of quirky and fun characters. Besides the lion, there’s Veeru the rhino, Ballu the elephant, Bunty and Babli the flamingo couple and the three monkeys Chugli, Gugli and Ugli. All these characters have a distinct style and language of speaking, thus giving the show a local and regional flavour to it. and . For instance Chugli speaks as a Bengali, Babli as a Gujarati and Veeru as a Punjabi.

Created by Cosmos-Maya again, this animated musical is a visual treat for the viewers colorful costumes, portrayal of animal world, character antics and good writing.

Where to Watch : Disney channel, Hungama channel and ZEE5

5. Pakadam Pakadai

A refreshing take on the cat-and-mouse chase, Pakadam Pakadai is all about a war between Doggy Don and the mice of the house, Motu. Also known internationally as Rat-A-Tat, is an Indian animated chase comedy series, inspired by Oggy and the Cockroaches, which in turn was inspired by Tom and Jerry. The show now telecasts 351 episodes over five seasons.

Doggy Don is inspired by Oggy, Chhotu is inspired by Joey, Motu is inspired by Dee Dee, Lambu is inspired by Marky, Colonel is inspired by Jack and Ballu is inspired by Bob the Bulldog. 

It’s a truly exciting viewing experience for kids, ensuring that they stay engaged, entertained and happy at home!

Where to Watch : Nickelodeon Sonic and VOOT Kids.

The post #WhenAtHome: Entertaining animated shows for kids this summer on TV and OTT appeared first on AnimationXpress.

‘The Blacklist’ season 7 finale gets animated

With TV live-action productions affected by the covid-19 pamdemic, NBC’s The Blacklist producers decided to wrap up the seventh season with a twist, giving the incomplete live-action a graphic novel-style animation. The creativity has resulted in a unique hybrid episode, with the cast recording voiceover dialogue from home and editors and animators combining the two formats remotely to create the finished episode.

According to executive producer John Eisendrath, the comic book feel matches the series’ themes and tone: “Brutal antihero. Outsized villains. And the animated scenes take full advantage of that.”

Here’s NBC’s official logline for the episode: “The Task Force investigates an accountant who works for lucrative criminals in order to find the violent and thuggish brothers hired for his protection. Liz must make a momentous decision.”

Other shows also are trying creative approaches to produce new episodes in the stay-at-home. CBS legal drama All Rise filmed its first-season finale remotely, with actors doing their own makeup, set design and lighting from home, while NBC’s Parks and Recreation returned for a fundraising reunion special that featured its characters coping with the pandemic via Zoom.

The Blacklist season seven finale airs on 15 May. The show has already been renewed for season eight.

 

The post ‘The Blacklist’ season 7 finale gets animated appeared first on AnimationXpress.

Dystopian sci-fi series ‘Snowpiercer’ to land on Netflix soon

Snowpiercer, the new TV series produced by Parasite director Bong Joon-ho, is all set to land on Netflix in May.

Starring Chris Evans and Tilda Swinton, the post-apocalyptic thriller takes place on a constantly moving train – the titular “Snowpiercer” – that houses the Earth’s remaining humans after the planet becomes a frozen wasteland.

“Seven years ago, the world ended,” says main character Andre Layton (Daveed Diggs), as we see shots of a huge train rushing through a desolate wasteland. “Now the train is all that’s left.

“First, the weather changed. In the final days of the freeze, the rich retreated to an ark. This is Snowpiercer. This how we survive. There are those who have, and those who suffer.”

Snowpiercer, adapted for Netflix by Graeme Manson (Orphan Black), will debut on 25 May 2020. However, rather than it airing as a complete boxset, only the first two episodes will initially be released, with a new episode dropping every Monday from 1 June 2020

The post Dystopian sci-fi series ‘Snowpiercer’ to land on Netflix soon appeared first on AnimationXpress.