New York: Nickelodeon's Monkey Quest, an adventure-packed massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) and virtual world for kids, has become one of the most visited kids' virtual world sites just in its first month live. Since its April 2 launch, Monkey Quest has amassed 2 million registered users and 3.6 million unique visitors, according to comScore Media Metrix. To mark this milestone, Nickelodeon will add an exciting adventure to this ever-evolving game called The Return of the Guardian Knights.  This extended storyline follows the mystery of the Guardian Knights, a lost patrol of ancient warriors who emerge from the Forgotten Temple after centuries of imprisonment.

Monkey Quest's new adventure introduces players to an expansive territory that features epic quests, ferocious monsters, weapons, abilities, and unique crafting recipes. The Return of the Guardian Knights will engage players in daily quests that will unlock trails, exclusive gear and uncover the secrets hidden beneath the Forgotten Temple. In addition, there will be community events where players can receive free gifts to assist them during their quests. 

Members who opt for an enhanced gaming experience will have access to more challenging areas of the Forgotten Temple and can train to become a Guardian Knight.  Players will also be able to journey with the Mysterious Warrior, learn the secret of his ties to the lost Guardian Knights, and battle the menacing Shadow Vespid – a wasp-like monster that protects the source of its power, the evil shadow shards. 

Rated E for everyone, Monkey Quest is an ever-evolving world set in the World of Ook, a mysterious realm where monkeys rule. Free to play with a hybrid payment option; players who want an enhanced gaming experience can gain access to trails, quests, abilities and other exclusive items via membership. The hybrid payment model provides maximum flexibility for parents who can choose a subscription plan or a "pay as you go" option through NickCash, Nickelodeon's virtual currency. Subscriptions are available at $9.95 a month; $24.95 for 3 months and $79.95 for 1 year.

Monkey Quest is the newest addition to Nickelodeon's portfolio of virtual worlds and persistent online multi-user game experiences for kids, teens and families.  These worlds include the pioneer youth-oriented online community, Neopets, and Petpet Park, a virtual life fantasy world spinoff from Neopian lore. Together, Petpet Park and Neopets attract more than 3 million monthly uniques in the U.S.  In its eleventh year, Neopets continues to be one of the stickiest youth entertainment sites with more than 2 hours of time spent per visitor each month.

Santa Monica : Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and Cartoon Network Enterprises announced today that Generator Rex: Agent of Providence will be available for Nintendo DS, the Nintendo 3DS system, Wii from Nintendo, PlayStation3 computer entertainment system, and the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft this October.

"Generator Rex embodies the best of boys' action: a conflict-driven storyline, aspirational characters and an arsenal of cool weapons and vehicles," said Pete Yoder, Vice President, U.S. Consumer Products, Cartoon Network Enterprises. "Activision's Generator Rex: Agent of Providence captures this non-stop excitement and is the perfect title to extend the brand to the vital interactive market."

"This is a property tailor made for video games," said David Oxford, Activision Publishing. "We look forward to unleashing Rex's powers in a way that fans of the show will love."

Based on Cartoon Network's top-rated animated series, the Generator Rex: Agent of Providence video game lets players take control of Rex, a teenager who has harnessed nanites within his body to become the ultimate weapon.  In the game, Rex is in a race against time to prevent Van Kleiss and his minions from gaining unprecedented powers that could destroy the earth!

Villains, known as E.V.O.s (Exponentially Variegated Organisms), are infected with "nanites" which mutate their hosts into malicious beasts. An organization named Providence was created to combat these villains with Rex's help. Players will fight through the depths of the jungle, the scorching deserts, and the heart of metropolitan cities, while on the lookout for blueprints to create bigger and better weapons to use in combat against the increasing power of the E.V.O.s.

New York : MTV Networks Entertainment Group (MTVNE), a division of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is launching 345 Games, a new video gaming arm of Comedy Central and Spike TV, it was announced today by Dan Yang, senior vice president, strategy and business development,  MTVNE and general manager, 345 Games. The new gaming unit will develop products based on the Entertainment Group's franchises and brands and be fully supported on-air, off-air and online. 

The first two titles to be released under this new label will be from Comedy Central's hit animated show "Ugly Americans" and Spike TV's successful multi-platform series "Deadliest Warrior," which has already spawned the video game "Deadliest Warrior: The Game" and has sold nearly 400,000 downloads to date since its launch on both Xbox 360 and PlayStation.

"Comedy Central and Spike TV squarely target the video game audience.  Our 'Deadliest Warrior' gaming franchise exploded out of the gate last season," said Yang.  "With the launch of 345 Games, we are tapping into the passionate fan base of both Comedy Central and Spike and creating an enhanced interactive experience based on our hit shows and brands."

345 Games will work in close collaboration with the networks' creative talent and will be supported by the networks' marketing, digital and publicity departments.  The gaming division also plans to partner with independent developers who are passionate about the product and the Comedy Central and Spike brands.

This summer, 345 Games will be releasing two new titles – the mid-July launch of Spike TV's "Deadliest Warrior: Legends" and the August launch of Comedy Central's "Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon."

Building on the wildly successful Spike TV show and warrior-based fighting video game franchise, "Deadliest Warrior: Legends" will reach beyond weapons and armor and put gamers back on the battlefield with the most legendary warriors in history.  This version will feature new heroic warriors, new fighting options, a more precise projectile system, more arenas and a new campaign mode.  Players are armed with signature weaponry and combat skills unique to each warrior.  As players complete challenges and destroy rivals, they will unlock new weapons, enhance their fighting skills and encounter the brutal realities of gritty, true-to-life combat.  "Deadliest Warrior: Legends" will be available for Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation Network for a retail price of $10.

In conjunction with Comedy Central's season two launch of its hit animated series "Ugly Americans," 345 Games will release "Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon."  Uniting the spirit and humor of the animated horror-comedy series with addictive game play, the four player co-op side scroller shooter game will feature an exclusive script written by the show writers and creators – including a new character unique to the game and custom voiceovers from the show's actors.  Players will hit the streets to clean up the chaos and prevent the impending apocalypse by resolving case files and fighting otherworldly citizens.  "Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon" will be available for Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation Network for a retail price of $10.
 

New York : Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids, has announced the launch of Monkey Quest, an adventure-packed, virtual world and massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) featuring console-quality game play.  Designed for kids and families, Monkey Quest allows players to customize their own monkey avatar and set off on exciting adventures to explore mysterious lands, battle monsters, and discover the secrets of the lost Monkey King – all simply controlled by using a computer keyboard.

"We have spent more than two years developing Monkey Quest, asking kids for their input every step of the way," said Steve Youngwood, EVP and General Manager, Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group. "The result is an immersive and detailed online game with the look and feel of a state of the art console game, but with the accessibility of an internet browser that is fun to play."

Monkey Quest is an ever-evolving world that puts kids in charge and empowers them to chart their own adventures.  Based on an original property, the online game is set in the World of Ook, a mysterious realm where monkeys rule and five tribes must band together against one dark force that threatens them all. Players can team up in groups up to four, to work together to defeat monsters and solve puzzles. As players advance, their monkey avatars grow more powerful, unlocking each new tribe by completing quests and impressing the powerful tribal Monkey leaders. If players are successful, they level up in the tribe and earn weapons and abilities.  In true Nickelodeon fashion, Monkey Quest also offers relatable kid humor that will add to players' entertainment experience.

Nickelodeon will support Monkey Quest with a comprehensive marketing campaign that utilizes a broad media mix, including on-air advertising across Nickelodeon channels and sites, like Nickelodeon, TeenNick, Nicktoons, Nick.com, AddictingGames.com, and TeenNick.com.  The Monkey Quest campaign will also include promotions; off-channel sampling; and a movie-style trailer. 

Rated E for everyone, Monkey Quest is free to play and offers a hybrid payment option for players who want an enhanced gaming experience, including additional access to trails, quests, abilities and other exclusive items. The hybrid payment model provides maximum flexibility for parents who can choose a subscription plan or a "pay as you go" option through NickCash, Nickelodeon's virtual currency. Subscriptions are available at $9.95 a month; $24.95 for 3 months and $79.95 for 1 year.

Monkey Quest was created in partnership with Behaviour Interactive, a developer known for its experience and expertise in making interactive games for kids and families, and their ability to execute on a wide array of platforms.  Nickelodeon also partnered with Unity Technologies whose award-winning 3D game engine enabled the browser based game development.

Monkey Quest joins Nickelodeon's portfolio of successful virtual worlds including, Neopets and Petpet Park.  Together, Petpet Park and Neopets attract more than 3 million monthly uniques in the U.S.  In its eleventh year, Neopets continues to be one of the stickiest youth entertainment sites with more than 2 hours of time spent per visitor each month.

Buenos Aires : Argentina has banned a Japanese video game that rewards players for raping three women, the justice ministry has said.

“Rapelay”, which can be downloaded from the internet, is a “clear apology for the crimes of sexual abuse, rape, torture, discrimination against women and paedophilia,” the ministry said Monday.

“Necessary measures are being taken to prevent the release of the software, in which a man released from prison seeks revenge against a teenager, who reported him for trying to rape a friend, and decides to abuse her, her mother and her 12-year-old sister,” Justice Minister Julio Alak said.

The game features a man who molests women in subway trains. A young woman named Aoi has the player arrested for molesting her. After his release from prison, the player takes revenge by raping her entire family.

His first victim is Manaka, Aoi’s younger sister, whom he rapes in a public bathroom. His next target is Yuko, the mother of the two girls, whom he rapes in a park.

The player’s third victim is Aoi, the woman who had led to his arrest. He rapes her in a hotel room after tying her up. The player thus wins the game and gets to makes all three women his sex slaves.

With his win, the player gets to have sex with them whenever and wherever he wishes.

The Argentinian criminal code calls for prison terms of six months to four years for those convicted of reproducing, releasing or distributing “all representations of a minor engaged in explicit sexual activities and all representations of their genitals for predominantly sexual ends.”

Los Angeles :Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) and Mass Animation has announced the DC Universe Online (DCUO) Animation Contest. The DCUO Animation Contest is version 2.0 of the acclaimed Mass Animation Facebook application and will give DC Comics fans, gamers and animators a chance to animate heroes and villains from the DC Universe Online game currently in development by Sony Online Entertainment, and to collaborate in creating a CGI trailer and in-game character animations. The DCUO/Mass Animation contest is scheduled to launch on December 7, 2009.

“The DCUO/Mass Animation contest takes a part of the game out of the development studio and puts it in the hands of fans, an empowering opportunity for our community,” said John Smedley, president of SOE. “Players will have a chance through qualified contest submissions to be involved with the game’s development at a deeper level than ever before by animating actions for in-game heroes and villains.”

All the tools that animators will need to collaborate on this project, including a special edition of Autodesk Maya 3D Animation software, storyboards, designs and fully-rigged 3-D models will be provided to contest entrants and accessed through the Mass Animation application on the DCUO Facebook fan page. Participating animators will upload their contest submissions back to the application for viewing, voting and sharing with their friends. New to the contest this year will be the Mass Animation iPhone app, which gives people a new way to view and vote on submissions. Qualified contest winners will receive cash or other prizes. Each week, voters and a panel of judges will help determine what shots qualify as the “best” and will be eligible for voter prizes.

“This new project really gives us the opportunity to expand Mass Animation into the online game sector, where gamers have already been creating in-game customized assets for some time,” said Yair Landau, founder of Mass Animation. “In 2.0, we are opening the animation process to traditional animators as well as gamers and inviting artists to animate some of the coolest most classic characters on the planet such as Superman, Batman, The Joker and Wonder Woman. By opening up the contest to gamers and involving them in asset creation, there will be a real sense of connection to the game before it even launches.”

Mass Animation’s first collaborative animation project, Live Music, is scheduled for theatrical release on November 20th with “Planet 51.” Inspired by Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” and early CGI films, the story follows Riff, a rock ‘n’ roll guitar, who falls in love to the wrong song but ends up with Vanessa, the classical violin of his dreams. A global story told through the universal language of music, the instruments are brought to life through original compositions and familiar rock tunes played principally by legendary guitarist Steve Vai as Riff and acclaimed violinist Ann Marie Calhoun as Vanessa. 51 animators from 17 different countries collaborated in the making of this unique and wonderful film which introduced Mass Animation to the world.

For the fifth year in a row, Discovery Channel is the #1 Media and TV Brand in Overall Equity, the primary measure in the Spring 2009 EquiTrend Brand Equity Study by Harris Interactive.  Discovery Channel also ranked #1 for Overall Relevance, Purchase Consideration and Brand Expectations among Media and TV Brands.  In addition, among the Top 100 Well-Known Brands, Discovery Channel ranked higher than any other media brand for Equity, Quality, Consideration and Value. 

“It’s inspiring to have consumers consistently recognize Discovery Channel as a leading brand in the marketplace,” said John Ford, President and General Manager, Discovery Channel.  “We are dedicated to providing a destination for high-quality content that informs and entertains consumers about the incredible world around them, and these study results further affirm that our brand continues to resonate with audiences.”

In addition to Discovery Channel’s #1 Equity ranking among TV Brands, TLC (#4), Animal Planet (#14) and Science Channel (#24) also ranked in the top 25 for the television category.  Among all Online Brands, four of Discovery’s websites ranked in the top 25 for Equity: TLC.com (#5), DiscoveryChannel.com (#9), AnimalPlanet.com (#18) and DiscoveryHealth.com (#21).

A sample of 24,446 U.S. consumers ages 15 and over were surveyed online by Harris Interactive between March 26 and April 13, 2009, and the survey took an average of 35 minutes to complete.  The sample was from the Harris Interactive online panel of respondents, a multimillion-member database consisting of cooperative respondents who have double-opted in to be randomly invited by Harris Interactive to take part in online surveys.  The total number of brands rated was 1,203.  Each respondent was asked to rate a total of 60 randomly selected brands.  Each brand received approximately 1,000 ratings.  Data were weighted to be representative of the entire U.S. population of consumers ages 15 and over on the basis of age by sex, education, race/ethnicity, region, income, and data from respondents ages 18 and over were also weighted for their propensity to be online.

The Financial Times has seen a 15.2% increase in UK readership according to the latest National Readership Survey figures in the 12 months to March 2009.

Lionel Barber, editor of the Financial Times, said: “This result demonstrates a greater demand than ever for the Financial Times as a trusted guide during extremely challenging times, and it highlights the importance of our continued investment in quality journalism”.

FT Weekend continues to see the benefit of its refresh in 2008 and has enjoyed a 27.4% increase in readership in the last year, with FT Money rising 32% to 281,000. The weekday edition saw a 13.5% rise.

One Equity Partners (OEP), the global private equity investment arm of JPMorgan Chase, will become a 49% equity partner in Lionsgate’s TV Guide Network and TVGuide.com. One Equity Partners will pay approximately $123 million in cash for a 49% stake in the network and the TVGuide.com online business. OEP retains the option of buying another 1% of TV Guide Network and TVGuide.com under certain circumstances. Allen Shapiro, a leading media investor, has also joined the partnership and will play an important role in the channel’s growth as Chairman of the joint venture, partnering with Lionsgate Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jon Feltheimer to lead the channel’s Executive Committee, supported by Lionsgate’s television management team.

Lionsgate acquired TV Guide Network, which reaches approximately 83 million homes and is one of the 30 most widely-distributed cable networks, and leading online navigation site TVGuide.com on February 28, 2009 for approximately $250 million.

“We are delighted to welcome both One Equity Partners and Allen Shapiro as partners in TV Guide Network and TVGuide.com,” said Feltheimer. “Given their longstanding interest in the channel and the alignment of our interests, they are the ideal partners. OEP is a distinguished and well-capitalized firm that shares our vision of building a dynamic entertainment channel driven by Lionsgate-branded content that will prove to be a major force within our industry.”

“I believe that TV Guide Network and TVGuide.com are unique assets which are difficult to replicate and create enormous opportunities for sustained future growth,” said Shapiro.

“We are pleased to partner with Lionsgate and Allen Shapiro on these two unique properties within the media landscape,” said One Equity Partners Managing Director Greg O’Hara. “The marriage of Lionsgate’s tremendous content creation and marketing prowess, our financial resources and expertise and Allen Shapiro’s media investment track record form the kind of winning combination that we have sought from day one.”

“We’re pleased to add the tremendous resources of OEP and Allen Shapiro to our channel,” said Ryan O’Hara, President of TV Guide Network and TVGuide.com. “They will bring great value to our TV Guide Network and TVGuide.com brands.”

The acquisition of TV Guide Network continues Lionsgate’s strategy of leveraging its content leadership into new channel distribution platforms that include the branded horror channel FEARnet, operated with partners Sony and Comcast, and the new premium entertainment channel EPIX, which is scheduled to launch in October with partners Viacom and MGM. The acquisition of TVGuide.com, a leading online navigation site which has grown from five to 19 million monthly unique visitors in the past three years, continues to expand Lionsgate’s online businesses, which include a 42 percent investment in leading young men’s site Break Media and an innovative partnership with YouTube for a dedicated Lionsgate channel of filmed entertainment content.

The Walt Disney Company has announced that it will re-brand its Jetix channels in five Central and Eastern European countries to become Disney Channel, the world’s leading kids TV brand. Kid-driven, family inclusive Disney Channel is set to launch later this year in Hungary, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Bulgaria, increasing the channel’s distribution to 12 million households in the CEE region. Disney Channel will be localised for the market with programming dubbed in local languages.

Disney Channel series joined the Jetix CEE schedule last year and have helped strengthen the channel’s position. In just two months following the series debut in Hungary, Disney’s Hannah Montana and Phineas and Ferb attracted an additional 391,000 viewers*, and propelled Jetix from #3 to #1 kids’ channel. The first Disney Channel launch in CEE also proved successful, the channel began broadcasting in Poland in December 2007 and has since doubled its reach to become the country’s #1 kids’ channel.

Giorgio Stock, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Disney Channels EMEA, comments: “CEE is a key market for The Walt Disney Company and launching Disney Channel is central to the company’s strategic growth plan in the region. The performance of Disney Channel in Poland and the huge impact of the channel’s content on Jetix have proven the demand for its kid-driven, family inclusive programming. We look forward to leveraging this demand, the power of the Disney brand and synergies with other Disney businesses to become the undisputed leader in the kids’ TV market.”

Targeted at two distinct age groups, kids aged 2 to 5 and kids aged 6 to 14 and their families, Disney Channel will offer CEE viewers a compelling mix of programming including live action favourites Hannah Montana, the hit animated series Phineas and Ferb and Disney Channel Original Movies High School Musical and Camp Rock. The channel will also feature a daily Playhouse Disney programming block with a range of entertaining, learning-focused programming for preschoolers, including global hits Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Handy Manny.

Disney Channel Worldwide represents the most successful portfolio of kids’ channels in the world with 98 channels and/or channel feeds available in 167 countries and in 32 languages. In 2008, Disney Channel ranked as the # 1 kids’ channel in 17 countries/territories including Poland in Central and Eastern Europe. Disney Channel properties continue to rapidly expand into new markets across the world, playing a key role in introducing the Disney brand to new consumers.