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'Disney Infinity' finally feels like a complete game
Nothing relies on the power of Disney's brand quite like Disney Infinity. It's the licensed game to end all licensed games, a toys-to-life platformer with all the star power of Spider-Man, Frozen, Tron, Star Wars and a dozen other Disney franchises. It's the game's selling point, but also its greatest weakness: The last two versions of the game relied on its brand-power to make up for how mediocre they were as actual video games. That's not the case anymore. With Disney Infinity 3.0, the company finally got it right. That's not to say that the first games in the series were bad, but compared to Disney Infinity 3.0, they felt a little incomplete. All the same elements are here -- the disparate Playsets that offer franchise-exclusive story-based adventures, the open-world sandbox mode that lets you create your own adventures and the adorable, collectible figures -- but they all seem to have evolved in ways that add up to a more cohesive whole.
Pixar will open-source the code for a key movie-making tool
Fancy that you could create the next Inside Out if you only had the right tools? Pixar just made that dream a little more realistic. Mere months after giving away Renderman, the studio has announced plans to open the source code for its Universal Scene Description software, which gives multiple computer animation apps a common "scene graph" to work from. It should help movie makers streamline the production process (particularly if there's more than one company involved), but it'll also be a boon to animation app designers who want their various programs to play together.
'The Good Dinosaur' trailer: Pixar makes CGI look real
It's a good year for Pixar fans: Inside Out was one of the studio's best films in years, and we also have another to look forward to on November 25, The Good Dinosaur. Now we've got our best look at the film yet with its first official trailer, which features some of Pixar's most photorealistic CGI work yet. The basic premise: What if the asteroid that wiped out dinosaurs 65 million years ago missed Earth? And what if humans and dinos evolved alongside each other? The film centers on an Apatosaurus named Arlo who's separated from his family and befriends a young human named Spot. It's a typical Pixar subversion of the "boy and his pet dinosaur" idea -- this time, the human appears to be the pet. Pixar based the environments in the film on real locations to achieve that photorealistic look, complete with terrain data from around the world, Wired reports. The movie is reportedly low on dialog, but who needs it with imagery like this?
ICYMI: A haunting 3D heart, dino robot bellhop and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-1601{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-1601, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-1601{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-1601").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Today on In Case You Missed It: Japan's come up with some cool tech in the past, but this week it reached a whole new boss level. A new hotel opened in Nagasaki, manned by talking robots-- including a dinosaur robot. GE Healthcare showed off its new full-color 3D ultrasound machine. And Google's new video series takes us for a walk with the Street View Trekker. Presumably the same kind of gear climbers commandeered to bring Street View to El Capitan.
Oculus Story Studio is the Pixar of virtual reality
Moments before Oculus Story Studio's new virtual reality short Lost reached its satisfying climax, I found myself in a compromised position. Sequestered in a private demo booth, I was involuntarily crouched down, covering my head in a defensive position and, I should add, squealing with delight. Lost, the first computer-animated work to come from Oculus VR's new film-innovation lab, is unlike any form of interactive entertainment I've ever experienced. And it succeeds in one very crucial respect: It's endearing. "I want to create emotions that are very appealing," says Story Studio's Supervising Technical Director Max Planck. "I want you to come out of virtual reality and have a smile. Or [experience] something very touching emotionally, just like Pixar films do."
With Story Studio, Oculus VR embarks on its Hollywood takeover
Around the time Oculus VR began experimenting internally with the creation of tech demos, investor Marc Andreessen, impressed with what he'd seen, urged Brendan Iribe, Oculus VR's CEO, to show them off to Hollywood. Andreessen believed the medium was a perfect fit for that industry. Iribe, in turn, showed his company's prototype Rift technology to an unnamed, major Hollywood director. That director, responding the way most do when they first encounter modern-day virtual reality, enthusiastically implored Iribe to join forces and create a feature film with it. Iribe immediately balked and shot down the offer. "I don't know the first thing about movies," he says of that initial conversation. That was then. Today, Oculus VR plans to figure out the entertainment industry in a big way. With Story Studio, an in-house innovation lab focused on exploring and sharing tools and techniques to craft entertainment experiences within VR, the Facebook-owned company is embarking on a different path. Outside "guest directors" will be brought in to work with the studio and lead Creative Director Saschka Unseld, a former Pixar director, in what is essentially a VR workshop. And along the way, Oculus hopes to refine what it means to inhabit VR on a cinematic level, beginning with its first animated short, Lost, which will debut at Sundance.
Disney Movies Anywhere service comes to Android with a link to Google Play
After years of development Disney unveiled its digital movie service on iOS earlier this year and today it's coming to Android too. When it launched, Disney Movies Anywhere had an unprecedented deep link to iTunes, and now on Android it's sharing a similar tie with Google Play. For users it's apparently as seamless as can be -- as long as they have a Disney account, any movies they unlock will be viewable on either family of devices (or the DMA website). The agreement covers access to around 400 Disney, Pixar and Marvel movies, and to make the sign-up worth your while, Disney is throwing in a free copy of Wreck-it Ralph for anyone that signs up and links an account. Going cross-platform makes Disney's KeyChest-based system much more appealing -- and conveniently timed for the launch of Nexus Player / Android TV -- but we're still waiting to see if a tie-up with the likes of Amazon or Ultraviolet can fulfill the promise of unlocking a single copy in one store or with a Blu-ray / DVD purchase, and then being able to watch it anywhere, on any device. The Android app isn't live yet(update: here it is), but you can check out a demo video for now (embedded after the break).
Barely Related: Science's Bob Dylan, Twin Peaks tease
May your weekends be filled with liveliness and joy. Welcome to Barely Related, a conversational Friday column that presents the non-gaming news stories that we, the Joystiq staff, have been talking about over the past week. And no, we're not stopping our focus on industry and gaming news. Think of this as your casual weekly recap of interesting (and mostly geeky) news, presented just in time to fill your brain with things to discuss at all of those weekend shindigs. Grab a fresh drink, lean back in your armchair, and get ready to talk nerdy with us.
Netflix will be Canada's only subscription TV service with first-run Disney movies
Canada frequently gets stiffed when it comes to premium streaming video, but it's about to catch a big break. Just like in the US (after 2016 when the deal kicks in), Netflix has landed a multi-year Canadian deal that will make it the only subscription TV service offering first-run Walt Disney Studios movies in the country. Disney-backed titles released from 2015 onward will hit Netflix Canada eight months after they've left theaters, faster than they've typically reached conventional pay TV. While the agreement still won't give Canucks all the Netflix content that their American neighbors enjoy, it will let them stream the latest Marvel or Pixar blockbuster without springing for a rental or The Movie Network.
Create your own 'Toy Story' sequel with free tools from Pixar
Renderman is the in-house software that Pixar uses to produce its amazing animated films, oh, and Cars. The studio charges a pretty penny to license it out to its rivals, but doesn't feel that hobbyists and students should cough up those same fees. That's why it's going to give the full version of Renderman v.19 away for free when it launches at SIGGRAPH in August. Unlike other trial versions of high-end software, the company isn't hobbling the tool, instead, it's just trusting you to use it for non-commercial purposes only. Who knows, maybe you'll spend the next year building up a showreel that'll swing you a job over at Emeryville -- wouldn't that be the dream, eh?
Silicon Valley giants settle class action suit over anti-poaching pacts (updated)
Silicon Valley's tech giants aren't going to face that class action lawsuit over no-hiring deals, after all. Adobe, Apple, Google and Intel have all reached a settlement in the case, which would have otherwise headed to trial in late May. The terms of the deal haven't been revealed, but we wouldn't be shocked if a significant amount of cash traded hands. About 64,000 employees had wanted $3 billion in damages after their bosses reached under-the-table deals to avoid poaching each other's staff; while Intuit, Lucasfilm and Pixar settled last year for just $20 million in total, they're small by comparison.
Video: Full presentation of John Lasseter accepting the Disney Legends Award on Steve Jobs' behalf
While Apple will always be remembered by the general public as Steve Jobs' greatest accomplishment, his contribution to film history by helping build Pixar may end up being his unsung legacy. Pixar's cutting edge technology and commitment to exceptional storytelling changed children's films from something parents could enjoy to something adults should seek out. At this year's D23 Expo, a Comic Con of sorts held by Disney for Disney fans, Jobs was posthumously awarded the Disney Legends award for his work in building Pixar into the inspirational source of storytelling magic we know and love today. Jobs' longtime friend and Pixar co-founder John Lasseter (at right above) accepted the award, giving an emotional speech that tells the history of Pixar while providing a thoughtful look at his friend's legendary work ethic. Lasseter is often moved to tears throughout the speech, recalling a thoughtful conversation the two had during a difficult portion of the development of Toy Story. "We were having dinner one day, in the middle of the hardest part of making 'Toy Story', and he started looking off again in the distance and he said: You know John, when we make the computers at Apple. He said the lifespan of that computer is what, three years? He said in five years it's a door stop. Ya know, that's how technology goes. But he said 'if you do your job right what you create and what Pixar creates can last forever." Clips from the speech were published online following the event but now the full presentation has been uploaded, including Lasseter's introduction which highlights Pixar's accomplishments over the years. You can view the full presentation below.
Disney to honor Steve Jobs with Disney Legends Award at D23 Expo
Every year Disney holds its D23 Expo for Disney fans, who flock to Anaheim to experience the magic that is Disney. Besides exhibits and live performances, the Expo also hosts an annual Disney Legends Ceremony that honors people who have made integral contributions to The Walt Disney Company. Steve Jobs, along with Dick Clark, are being remembered posthumously as part of this memorial event. Jobs is being recognized for his role in the early success of Pixar, which was acquired by Disney in 2006. This acquisition made Jobs the largest shareholder in Disney. He also joined Disney's Board of Directors at the time and remained an integral adviser to the company until he passed away in 2011.
How Steve Jobs influenced Pixar's main campus building
Buzzfeed has put together an interesting article detailing the oversight and input Steve Jobs had over the construction of Pixar's main building on its 22-acre campus in Emeryville, Calif. The building, which was recently renamed The Steve Jobs Building, now stands in honor and memory of Jobs, who purchased Pixar from LucasArts in 1986 and was CEO until the company was sold to Disney in 2007 for US$7.4 billion. In particular, the article shares some fascinating insights into the campus' main building and Jobs' obsessive attention to detail in its construction. Senior Design Project Manager Craig Payne, who knew Jobs from his time at NeXT, tells of Jobs' very specific expectations for the building. From the shading of brick colors to the bolting, not welding, of the steel for the structure, Jobs' stipulations were to the nth degree. The article is a fascinating read into the culture at Pixar, and how Jobs' attention to details impacted and shaped that culture. [Via 9to5Mac]
Netflix starts streaming Disney movies in Ireland and the UK
Netflix scored a big coup with its semi-exclusive Disney deal late last year, but the newly expanded content didn't reach everybody in one shot -- just ask the British and Irish, who've been left high and dry so far. To viewers' relief, the companies have mended that gap with immediate availability of Disney and Disney-Pixar movies in Ireland and the UK. The initial mix includes not-quite-recent movies like Wall-E as well as back-catalog classics like The Aristocats; the months ahead will see Netflix' selection catch up slightly by introducing the most recent Pirates of the Caribbean movie, among other titles. Combined with the upcoming additions of some DreamWorks and Marvel movies, the Disney pact should hopefully keep the kids (and, we'll admit, ourselves) entertained just as the summer is about to start.
Anti-poaching lawsuit against Google, Apple and others denied class action status
In 2010, several high-profile tech companies -- including Apple, Google, Adobe, Intuit, Lucasfilm, Intel and Pixar -- settled a suit with the US Justice Department regarding anti-poaching agreements. The suit alleged that the aformentioned companies, from 2005 to 2009, agreed not to recruit employees from one another. One year later, five software engineers filed a class action lawsuit against those same companies alleging that the anti-poaching agreements lessened their employment opportunities and ultimately affected their negotiation power, resulting in lower salaries. Originally covered by Reuters, US District Judge Lucy Koh this past Friday ruled that the case can't proceed as a class action. At least not yet. While Koh decided against class action certification for the time being, that may change once the plaintiffs address Koh's concern that the proposed class group as defined by the plaintiffs is too broad. "Plaintiffs' examples, though compelling," Koh writes in her ruling, "may not be sufficient to show that all or nearly all class members were affected by the anti-solicitation agreements without additional documentary support or empirical analysis." Bloomberg later specified that the proposed class group put forth by the plaintiffs encompasses more than 160,000 employees. The chronology of the anti-poaching agreements, along with who partnered up with whom, can be gleaned from the graphic below. Regardless of whether or not the case proceeds as a class action, the plaintiffs appear to have a strong case as Koh has found the evidence introduced thus far to be both persuasive and damning. Koh's ruling reads in part: Indeed, the sustained personal efforts by the corporations' own chief executives, including but not limited to Apple CEO Steve Jobs, Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Pixar President Ed Catmull, Intuit Chairman Bill Campbell and Intel CEO Paul Otellini, to monitor and enforce these agreements indicate that the agreements may have had broad effects on defendants' employees. Koh specifically cited a 2007 email sent from former Pixar president Ed Catmull to the head of Disney Studios wherein Catmull alludes to practices geared towards keeping salaries down. "We have avoided wars up in Norther[n] California because all of the companies up here -- Pixar, Dreamworks and couple of smaller places -- have conscientiously avoided raiding each other," the email reads. One example involving Apple was first brought to light during the initial 2010 investigation. There, it was was revealed that Google in 2007 was recruiting an Apple engineer. Upon getting wind of this, Steve Jobs fired off an email to then Google CEO Eric Schmidt which read, "I would be very pleased if your recruiting department would stop doing this." Schmidt reportedly forwarded the message along and implored employees to "get this stopped." Another example involving Jobs transpired when the Apple co-founder emailed former Palm CEO Ed Colligan and threatened legal action if Palm continued to recruit and hire Apple employees. Colligan indicated that Palm wasn't intimidated by Apple's threats and fired off the following email response to Jobs: Your proposal that we agree that neither company will hire the other's employees, regardless of the individual's desires, is not only wrong, it is likely illegal. [...] Palm doesn't target other companies -- we look for the best people we can find. l'd hope the same could be said about Apple's practices. However, during the last year or so, as Apple geared up to compete with Palm in the phone space, Apple hired at least 2 percent of Palm's workforce. To put it in perspective, had Palm done the same, we'd have hired 300 folks from Apple. Instead, to my knowledge, we've hired just three. It'll certainly be interesting to see what other types of evidence, if any, come to the surface as the case proceeds. In the meantime, Apple expectedly had no comment on the matter while a spokesperson for Google stated that the company has "always and aggressively recruited top talent."
Pixar artists form Steel Wool Games, Flyhunter due out in 2013
So five people from Pixar start a game studio, and no, that's not the beginning of an off-color joke. Steel Wool Games was founded by Sequoia Blankenship, Andrew Dayton, Jonathan Hoffman, Joshua Qualtieri and Jason Topolski, all of whom work at Pixar by day and now develop games by night. Steel Wool's first game, Flyhunter, is due out in 2013 from PC and PlayStation publisher Ripstone."We have an internal phrase that we use to describe our style: 'Grimsical,'" says Dayton, Steel Wool's executive producer. "It's our fundamental principle as a company. We create worlds that are funny and whimsical but dipped in gritty tones." That certainly sounds like Pixar.Steel Wool has an additional team of 12 working on Flyhunter and all things grimsical, so while it's an after-hours studio for the founders, this is a full-time operation.
Disney Infinity's Cars set on display in these screens and trailer
Disney Infinity's Cars-themed play set springs to life in these screens and trailer, showing Lightning McQueen, Mater, Holley Shiftwell and Francesco Bernoulli racing through Radiator Springs. The game combines physical figures with virtual play areas, each play set costing $34.99 in addition to the starter pack's $74.99 cost.Previously announced play set themes include The Incredibles, Monsters University and Pirates of the Caribbean. Disney Infinity is set to arrive in June for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, Wii U and 3DS. %Gallery-179654%
Disney Infinity's fourth play set features Pixar's Cars
The latest issue of Game Informer has details on the fourth play set announced for Disney Infinity, the Avalanche Software-developed game combining virtual play areas and characters with physical toys. Pixar's Cars universe will join Pirates of the Carribbean, Monsters Inc, and The Incredibles as announced properties contributing a play set to the Disney Infinity platform.The first three universes are set to be included in a Starter Pack available for $74.99, while play sets like this one will cost $34.99, and add about six to nine hours of gameplay to the proceedings. In addition to the Cars world and the characters (including Lightning McQueen, Mater, Holley Shiftwell and Francesco Bernoulli), the set will also have extra items like track pieces and other goodies from the town of Radiator Springs.Disney Infinity is set to debut on store shelves this June, and the company says we'll see more play sets announced as ready for launch before then.
Disney CEO Bob Iger speaks about his relationship with Steve Jobs
Yesterday at the Hollywood Radio and Television Panel, Producer Brian Grazer lead a Q&A with Disney CEO and current Apple board member Bob Iger. Though the discussion was to center around the television and film industry it quickly turned to Iger's relationship with Steve Jobs. In 2006, Disney purchased Pixar. However, Iger said the deal almost didn't happen because of Steve Jobs' disagreements with previous Disney CEO Michael Eisner. When Iger found out he would become the next CEO of Disney in 2005, the first thing he did was call his family -- and then Steve Jobs. "I don't even remember it being totally premeditated," Iger told Grazer. "I just decided to call my parents and my grown daughters in New York and a couple of good friends and Steve." Iger said he asked Jobs if Apple's and Disney's relationship could be "salvaged" to which Jobs responded that he thought Iger was just "more of the same" as Michael Eisner. According to The Wrap, Iger said Jobs' directness was infectious. That in turn led to Iger himself being candid with Jobs about Disney's desire to improve its animated film division by buying Pixar. The Pixar deal was eventually achieved for $7.4 billion in Disney stock, making Steve Jobs the largest shareholder in the company. As for Jobs and Iger, the current Disney CEO said that he took to calling Jobs on Saturdays to see if a Disney movie he saw the night before had "sucked" -- a phrase Steve Jobs was not afraid to use.
