• Join the discussion

That question looms large for 20th Century Fox and its 3-D science-fiction film "Avatar," among the most expensive movies ever. Despite many skeptics, the studio thinks it can turn a profit, in part because the film's creator, James Cameron, was the driving force behind the studio’s immense hit "Titanic." But just in case box-office receipts for "Avatar" fall short, Fox has worked hard to hedge its large bet on the movie. Fox's efforts underscore how studios generally have been able to minimize

Share article: 

top

• Join the discussion

For decades, video game makers have suffered in the inevitable comparison with their Hollywood counterparts. For all the creative and technical wizardry associated with gaming, movies have had the interactive world just plain beat when it comes to sophistication of scope, characterization and visual storytelling. Not anymore. "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves" is a major step forward for gaming. It's perhaps the best-looking game on any system, and no game yet has provided a more genuinely cinematic e

Share article: 

top

• Join the discussion

But another part of his job is ambassador to the marketing, advertising and media communities, reassuring them that if Google is a "frenemy," in the parlance of Martin Sorrell, the chief executive of WPP, it is more "friend" than "enemy." Mr. Schmidt made his case Friday afternoon at the conclusion of the opening session of the 99th annual conference of the Association of National Advertisers. The ballroom in which he spoke was packed with attendees, rare for the part of the session that takes p

Share article: 

top

• Join the discussion

Recently, Zimmer took time to talk about the experience. "I thoroughly enjoyed it," he said. "It makes it very exciting for me to work with people who tell stories in an entirely different way." The game is all about modern warfare. Not to be confused with modern asymmetrical warfare where stability equals security plus development. Oh, no. We're talking exploding pixels and blowing shit up. Flaming helicopters tumbling out of the sky. Outrageous carnage in outer space. Raw emotion as best

Share article: 

top

• Join the discussion

It's hard to put a good face on this kind of news. In the US, the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) reports that newspaper circulation for the six months ending September 30 dropped 10.6 percent from the same period in 2008 (7.5 percent on Sundays - so there must be a god). The decline was the worst ever reported by ABC. You think that's bad news? Wait until the Newspaper Association of America's third-quarter advertising revenue report comes out. It's likely to continue the trend of the previ

Share article: 

top

• Join the discussion

For some the money's on gaming, but new research from Flurry is surprisingly different: eBook apps are overtaking games in the App Store. Between launch and August of this year, games outnumbered book apps and dedicated books in the catalog, comprising some 16-17% of all apps in July and August of 2009. But in late August of this year, book apps, which had been growing all along, overtook games, and by October games were just 13% of apps while books were 20% of the total. Probably the most surp

Share article: 

top

• Join the discussion

The founder of Legendary Pictures has financed a string of runaway hits, from the "Batman" franchise to "300" to "The Hangover" (no, see it - and if you've seen it see it gain). His knack for spinning nerdy dude fare into box office gold, coupled with a plum coproduction deal with Warner Bros., has made him a major Hollywood player. That's especially impressive for a 39-year-old who entered the biz less than five years ago. The cinema and videogame buff came to film from the world of venture cap

Share article: 

top

• Join the discussion

Tillinghast was included in Huffington Post's writeup of the top 100 game changers in new media. Also on the list of innovators, visionaries and leaders are Jason Kilar from Hulu, NetFlix founder Reed Hastings and Andrew Donohue from Voice of San Diego. But don't take the the Huff's words on it. Click through the slideshow, get the lowdown on why they chose them, then vote for yourself.

Share article: 

top