studios

iPad game 'Infinity Blade: Dungeons' delayed again

It's turning out to be a bumpier road than expected for high-profile iPad game Infinity Blade: Dungeons.

The game, which was previewed onstage by Epic Games as part of Apple's debut of the third-generation iPad last year, now faces further delay following the closure of Impossible Studios, the team put in charge of the project.

Epic today said that it's closing the 6-month-old studio and laying off its team, a move that means another delay for the unreleased game.

"When former members of Big Huge Games approached Epic last year, we saw the opportunity to help … Read more

DreamWorks CEO Katzenberg sees big profit in small screens

Consumers will eventually pay less for entertainment streamed to smaller devices, with studios and distributors basing prices on the size of the destination device, movie mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg predicted today.

A tiered pricing market, in which people paid less to see a movie on a cell phone than a theater, would result in greater consumption in developing markets where people depend more on their mobile devices for entertainment, the DreamWorks Animation SKG chief executive said today at the Founders Forum conference on digital media in Los Angeles.

"People will pay by the square inch," Katzenberg said, according to … Read more

Elder Scrolls Online trailer, beta electrify the imagination

Developer Zenimax Online Studios wowed the gaming community today with a six-minute explosive cinematic trailer showing some heart-racing action in the grandiose world of Tamriel, the primary location of the upcoming The Elder Scrolls Online. Be sure to play the CGI trailer in high-definition and at full screen for maximum pleasure.

To add further excitement to the reveal, Zenimax also opened the doors to Elder Scrolls Online beta registrations today, giving anyone the chance to get in on the action. Of course, to get in, you'll need to submit answers to an array of personal questions (name, birthday, and so on) and submit full system diagnostic information. Zenimax also requires that you answer questions about any other relevant MMORPGs you've played; your play style (solo, group, etc.); preferred activities in MMORPGs; and previous stints as a beta tester.… Read more

Free Sound Recorder improves on the Windows recorder

The Sound Recorder that comes with Windows will capture the audio stream and save it as a WAV you can edit or convert later on. But there's room for improvement, and there are more than a few choices, when it comes to recording digital audio with your PC. It's possible to spend staggering amounts of money on pro audio suites that really don't handle most users' needs any better than Free Sound Recorder by CoolRecordEdit. Like the Windows tool, it records whatever your sound card is processing, but Free Sound Recorder adds scheduling, more output formats, hot … Read more

Microsoft: Yep, we bought R2 Studios

It's official. Microsoft has purchased ID8 Group R2 Studios, the home automation startup, for an undisclosed amount.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Microsoft had beat Google and Apple to the punch in the quest to buy R2 Studios. But it wasn't until Microsoft issued the confirmation today that the 'Softies confirmed the deal was done.

R2 Studios founder Blake Krikorian will be corporate vice president of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business (IEB), which is the home of the Xbox. Krikorian will report to Marc Whitten, chief product officer for IEB, Microsoft said. Krikorian was the … Read more

Microsoft buys R2 Studios startup to boost Xbox

Word has it that Microsoft was able to get ahead of Apple and Google and buy the home entertainment technology startup R2 Studios, according to the Wall Street Journal. This acquisition will most likely help amplify Microsoft's Xbox platform.

R2 Studios was created by Sling Media founder Blake Krikorian in May 2011. Sling Media developed Slingbox, which let users watch television on their computers. According to the Wall Street Journal, R2 Studios has been working on ways to display content on televisions, which could coordinate with Xbox's focus of adding TV entertainment to its gaming console.

Before R2 … Read more

Amazon's new original comedy programs might not suck

As a guy blogging for a site owned by a television network (CBS Interactive is the parent company of CNET), count me as both excited and worried about Amazon's lineup of pilots for original comedy series.

So far, the forays into original programming by the likes of Netflix and Hulu and Amazon have been a mixed bag -- Netflix's "Lillyhammer"? Blech. Hulu's "Battleground"? More please.

But the six comedy pilots that will be posted to Amazon Instant Video for free viewing look to be upping the game significantly. Some of the names behind … Read more

Magic-forest LED walls calm kids on way to surgery

Anyone who's had surgery would probably agree that being wheeled into the operating room can prove quite the anxiety-producing ride.

A London design studio has come up with a wonderfully creative way to calm young patients en route to surgery -- interactive wallpaper that turns clinical corridor walls into a magical forest to engage and distract the kids as they journey toward their procedure.

The installation, called Nature Trail, fills about 165 feet of corridor walls in part of the Mittal Children's Medical Centre at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital. … Read more

YouTube programmer Maker Studios raises $40M -- report

Maker Studios, a company that delivers professional programming to YouTube, is getting a big cash infusion from Time Warner, according to a new report.

Time Warner Investments, the venture-capital division at the media conglomerate, is leading a $40 million round of financing for Maker, All Things Digital reported yesterday, citing people with knowledge of the deal. The round is expected to close by the end of the year.

Maker Studios stands with Machinima, a company that produces gaming videos, at the leading edge of what has become a more professional push on YouTube. Maker Studios offers what's called "… Read more