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In case you missed it: Sony Pictures is going DivX
It's been hard enough to keep up with the CES onslaught of news over here on Engadget, so it's understandable if you missed the news over on Engadget HD that Sony Pictures Television is going to start releasing download-to-own but entirely DRM'd DivX content to DivX-certified products like the PS3 and DSM-330. Sadly, 360 owners will be left out in the cold thanks to that unit's lack of proper DivX certification. Otherwise Sony is short on details of actual distribution, so hopefully we'll be learning more soon.[Via Engadget HD]
Sony Pictures talks format war numbers at IFA
250,000. nearly 1 million. 69%. Those are Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's Blu-ray sales in Europe, the U.S. and Blu-ray's share of the total HD market in Europe. Apparently someone knows the PlayStation 3 plays Blu-ray discs, as the company touted weekly Blu-ray sales of two to five times that of its competitor, HD DVD since the console made its European debut in March. Sony Pictures was first to carry the Blu-ray banner in Europe and plans on bringing Spider Man 3 and Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind this fall to join the #1 best selling HD title in Europe, Casino Royale (no word on if that includes all those PS3 pack-ins). With or without StudioCanal, Sony's moving forward in Europe and around the world, hardware, software and all.[Thanks, Tom]
Surfing penguins on their way
Penguins are as popular as sugar substitutes lately and so it's no surprise that Sony Pictures is making a penguin movie called Surf's Up. It's also no surprise that a game based on the movie is being created. Especially since screens and info on the game were part of the leaked Ubisoft files from last year. Ubisoft seems to be doing a lot of licensed games lately, we'll have to see how this week's TMNT turns out to garner an opinion on whether they're interested in making them more than just cash-ins. [ Via Kotaku ]
Euro PlayStation 3 buyers get a James Bond bonus
After the somewhat disappointing Talladega Nights pack-in with the U.S. release of the PlayStation 3, Sony has announced that the first 500,000 people to buy a European PS3 and register it on the PlayStation Network will get a free copy of the James Bond flick Casino Royale. Sony's been pimping Blu-ray synergy with the movie from the start, as it prominently features a Blu-ray player in one scene, and is headlining Sony Pictures 2007 lineup of releases. Casino Royale is slated for U.S. release on March 13th while the PS3 hits Europe on March 23rd.[Via Joystiq]
Columbia Pictures acquiring Metal Gear movie rights, Ghost Rider producer onboard
Columbia Pictures, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, is reportedly in negotiations with Konami for the rights to adapt Metal Gear Solid for the cinema; as breifly noted by Sony exec Yair Landau earlier this week at D.I.C.E. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Columbia has assigned Ghost Rider producer Michael De Luca to the project, while MGS creator Hideo Kojima and JEA's Rick Privman will serve as executive producers. Privman is also the executive producer of the upcoming film version of survival horror game Siren.Sony producers Doug Belgrad (The Grudge 2) and Sam Dickerson will also be involved with the live-action adaptation; and Josh Bratman, who works for De Luca and introduced the project to Sony, will continue to act as a consultant. Plot details and casting prospects remain unknown.[Thanks, Nitroid]
Disney, Fox and Sony continue to announce dates for Blu-ray titles
The studios in the Blu-ray camp aren't letting up just because Universal refuses to let everyone know when they can expect more movies on HD DVD, well other than it will be during 2007. Disney, Fox and Sony have all announced release dates for Blu-ray titles previously announced at CES including; Turistas (April 17), Chicken Little (March 20), Finding Neverland (March 20), King Arthur (April 3), G.I. Jane (April 3), and The Pursuit of Happyness (March 27). High-Def Digest has already updated their release page which is shows that Blu-ray has more titles with dates for February than HD DVD has for all of 2007.Read: Fox to Skewer 'Turistas' on Blu-ray This AprilRead: Disney Officially Announces Winter Wave of Blu-ray CatalogRead: 'Pursuit of Happyness' To Make Blu-ray Debut in March
Sony Pictures producing Metal Gear Solid movie
Shortly after delivering his convergence keynote at this year's D.I.C.E. summit, the vice chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment confirmed to Gamespot that Sony's film studio would be responsible for dragging Metal Gear Solid into the cinema. "We're working with the Metal Gear guys," says Yair Landau. "It's a very cinematic game, it really lends itself to movie telling. But the question is, 'How do you translate Snake's experience into a full arc that conforms to what audiences expect on the large screen?'" Lead Metal Gear guy, Hideo Kojima, announced the film at last year's E3, though barely any details have surfaced since then. Apart from crushing the hopes of Dr. Boll, Kojima and co. have said nothing with respect to casting, directing or script. A safe assumption sees Solid Snake strangling inept soldiers and battling at least one psychopath with a penchant for babbling about the philosophical hangups of dropping nuclear bombs ... on the rainforest. The real trick will be to provide a film more entertaining than the infamous Metal Gear Awesome (embedded after the break for old time's sake). Landau also hinted at an Everquest movie from Sony Pictures, but declined to name the supposedly esteemed producer attached to it. If it winds up being an epic tale of elven mana dealers and over-the-top dragon chases, we'll know it was Jerry Bruckheimer.
Sony has Ghostbusters vids and info pulled
It was nice while it lasted. Zootfly has confirmed that Sony Pictures has asked them to remove all references to Ghostbusters from their website, and the videos of the game have been pulled from YouTube. We reported recently that Ghostbusters had been put on the back burner until Zootfly could acquire the rights to the franchise. Apparently, negotiations between Zootfly and Sony Pictures are still going on behind the scenes. Hopefully, Sony won't decide to can the project entirely, especially considering how much interest the game has generated in such a short time.In the meantime, we look forward to hearing more about TimeO, Zootfly's other paranormally charged experience, and we mustn't forget their first XBLA outing, Toy Wars.[Via Joystiq]
Sony makes Xbox 360 Ghostbusters game disappear
That didn't take long. Zootfly has confirmed that Sony Pictures has had all references to Zootfly's Ghostbusters game removed from the Slovenian developer's website. The prototype game was being developed for Xbox 360. In addition, the video of the work-in-progress has been pulled from YouTube.Columbia Pictures, which owns the Ghostbusters IP, was acquired by Sony in 1989. Zootfly is supposedly in negotiations with Sony for the rights to use the license. Interestingly, the studio has a very similar game in simultaneous development, TimeO. Perhaps this Ghostbusters fiasco -- dead in the water from the get-go -- is being used to draw attention to Zootfly's new IP, which may have had trouble generating press otherwise. Now that's hustlin'!
Zootfly scares up Ghostbusters details
Yesterday we caught a glimpse of some seriously impressive footage of what looked to be a modern day revival of the Ghostbusters franchise. Peeling back a layer of the mystery found European developer Zootfly at the helm, as well as more questions to be asked. The most prominent of which being, "Just what the heck did we see?"In-game footage of an early version of the game, running on an Xbox 360 apparently. Updating their website this morning, Zootfly not only expressed their excitement over the response from their new found fan base, but also dropped a few lines concerning Ghostbusters. The bad news? The game is currently on hold as they negotiate with the owners of the Ghostbusters IP, Columbia Pictures, who just so happens to be sister company of Sony Pictures. The good news is that regardless of how that battle turns out, we may be seeing the game anyways in the form of TimeO -- a homage to Ghostbusters as opposed to the real deal itself. Less appealing to the mainstream, but quite interesting nonetheless. Should Zootfly be granted use of the Ghostbusters license, what say we eBay some Ecto Cooler to celebrate?
Blu-ray movies to include portable files
In a strange, un-Sony like move, Sony's David Bishop announced that future Blu-Ray movies from Sony Pictures Entertainment will include portable files that can be transferred to laptops and other portables (such as the PSP?). This feature may launch this year, which would be a fantastic deal for current PLAYSTATION 3 and PSP owners. Imagine copying a movie from your PS3's Blu-Ray reader directly onto the PSP via USB connection. That would be an incredible bonus. Let's see it happen, Sony.[Thanks, Nav! Via Kotaku]
Sony Pictures reveals first quarter Blu-ray release schedule
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has revealed its first quarter Blu-ray lineup, and the studio is putting the new Bond front and center right away. A Blu-ray player was featured in the movie as a result of the close ties so we're not very surprised, but new Bond Daniel Craig is actually hitting Blu-ray twice in one day. The studio is releasing another film of his, the previously delayed Layer Cake, the same day. Both are on dual-layer 50GB discs and feature uncompressed soundtracks, which make up a large part of SPHE's early 2007 lineup, while Casino Royale is encoded in MPEG-4 AVC. Also of note is Resident Evil: Apocalypse, the second Blu-ray movie featuring Blu-Wizard technology to custom select special features that can then play during the movie. Hopefully this combination of high profile movie and 50GB disc works out better than on the universally panned transfer of Talladega Nights. Check the press release for complete special features details or after the break for a list of movies and release dates.
Sony Pictures' first 50GB Blu-ray releases coming soon
Blu-ray supporters will be getting a shot in the arm next week when Click becomes the first Sony Pictures Home Entertainment movie released on 50GB dual-layer Blu-ray discs. We got tipped by an inside source at Sony to expect announcements tomorrow regarding Click's release on October 10th -- with all the features of the standard DVD plus bonus HD features -- followed by Black Hawk Down November 14th and Talladega Nights on December 12th. Black Hawk Down is said to include "Blu-wizard" technology that will allow viewers to customize how they see special scenes. The high-def DVD war really begins in November, between the Xbox 360 HD DVD player, Black Hawk Down & Fox's Blu-ray Java releases plus a little something called the Playstation 3, that magnetic strip on your credit card may be the first casualty.
Black Hawk Down finally coming out on Blu-ray
Black Hawk Down has been delayed more times than the Sony Blu-ray player itself but it might finally see the light of day later this year as Sony Picture's first dual layer 50GB Blu-ray disc. The details haven't been made public just yet but Sony Pictures has confirmed a November 14 release date that is going to be shared with another action thriller: Layer Cake. This crime drama stars that new chap playing James Bond in the up-coming Casino Royale and but what we really care about is that the release date for Black Hawk Down doesn't get delayed yet again - it's a great flick and all but frankly, we are getting tired of reporting about it.
IFA 2006: Sony Pictures takes Blu-ray international in October
More Blu-ray news from IFA 2006 in Germany, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced plans to release movies outside of North America. The titles released, including Hitch, S.W.A.T., Hostel, Ultraviolet and others will be available this October in Australia, Japan, Korea, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Holland, the Nordic countries, Spain and the United Kingdom. They did not specify pricing other than to say it would be similar to the price of DVDs when they launched in each country. Just a hint to our international readers, if you want to see the best side of the format you may want to skip The Fifth Element unless Sony has gone back and remastered it.
Grouper purchased by Sony Pictures, gives tons of videos to PSP owners
You know YouTube, right? And GameVideos? How about Grouper? I've honestly never head of them until now. The service is pretty much like every other video uploading service, except Grouper is now owned by Sony Pictures. Sony paid $65 million to own these obvious Sony fanboys (watch the video after the cut). Like Google Video, all the videos available on the site can be downloaded in PSP format, but even cooler than that, there are PSP-compatible RSS feeds, so you can have crazy viral videos, or some "sexy" videos delivered to your PSP on a daily basis. In fact, checking out the RSS feed, you'll have access to hundreds of videos on 2.80+ PSPs. It's sorta insane.[Via DownloadSquad]
Hitch Blu-ray review...sans Blu-ray player
In a review that is probably relevant to most of us who haven't yet committed $1000 to buying the Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-ray player, Big Picture Big Sound has taken the somewhat unusual approach of reviewing Sony Pictures Blu-ray release of Hitch without actually watching it. We're sure that many HD DVD supporters find the pictured use of the disc as the best way to take advantage of MPEG-2 25GB SL Blu-ray movies, and even some Blu-ray backers may decide that it's better to wait for all the PQ glitches to be worked out before giving a final review. This is best served as a reminder that not only is the format war not over yet, it has barely begun...and that we can always use the loser for coasters.
Sony Pictures releases first Blu-ray Discs
Get 'em while they're hot! After delaying their release for hardware, Sony Pictures just dropped their first batch of hot-n-juicy Blu-ray flicks just in time for Samsung's BD-P1000 launch on June 25th. Titles rightly include action and SciFi faves such as The Fifth Element, House of Flying Daggers, XXX, and The Terminator among others, as well as 50 First Dates for your softer, Sandler side. A quick check on Amazon shows these titles shipping now for about $20 bills. So if you were lucky enough to grab one of those Sammy's early then make us proud -- put your order in, kick back, and let that slow suit of sallow take hold.
Official Sony Pictures Blu-ray launch list updated
With five days to go until the release of the first Blu-ray movies from Sony, things are proving to remain fluid. The Samsung BD-P1000 will definitely make an appearance June 25 (unless of course you already have one), however the movies you can buy have changed, according to the latest press release. Our earlier source appears to have been correct, several movies have come off the list completely, while others are slightly delayed. The good news is that the launch titles are definitely set, as none of those have changed however the successive releases seem prone to slippage.Legends of the Fall, Kung Fu Hustle, Black Hawk Down, Sense and Sensibility, The Big Hit and Resident Evil: Apocalypse are all still MIA, we will keep you updated as launch approaches. The updated list follows.
Sony Pictures announces 4 new titles for Blu-ray, Benchwarmers deets
Sony Pictures has revealed 4 additional Blu-ray titles, scheduled for release on August 15. Black Hawk Down, Sense & Sensibility, Memento and The Big Hit. No word on special features, however the listed price is $28.95. They also updated information on The Benchwarmers, scheduled for day-and-date Blu-ray/DVD release on June 25. It will include the same bonus features as the DVD (commentaries, trailer, featurettes) and retail for $38.95. For comparison, the Blu-ray edition of Underworld Evolution is listed for pre-order on Amazon.com with a list price of $38.95, but selling for $27.29. We'll see how the retail pricing for Blu-ray and HD DVD average out once the titles are actually on the shelves.Blu-ray is almost here, get your preorders set and your Netflix queue filled.
