MUMBAI: Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. has appointed NDS Group plc as exclusive interactive TV (iTV) games and enhanced television applications developer for the Asia Pacific region.
NDS and TBS will deploy Cartoon Network interactive content on selected Asian Pacific digital platforms.
As part of the agreement, NDS will provide TBS a variety of iTV games on a pay-per-play basis, the Powerpuff Girls Crystal Crisis being the first pay-per-play game offered for Cartoon Network in Australia. The pay-per-play games will provide new iTV entertainment for Cartoon Network’s Australian viewers, and will be updated every month.
“TBS is extremely delighted about collaborating with NDS to provide new entertainment content for our viewers. Utilising the most up to date technology available to us, we can now offer viewers a more interactive experience in conjunction with our award winning programming. Australia is a natural fit in terms of rolling out iTV in the region because of its highly developed digital platform infrastructure and technologically savvy population,” said Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc senior vice president and general manager Ian Carroll.
NDS Asia Pacific vice president and general manager Sue Taylor said, “The partnership between NDS and Turner Broadcasting System in Asia Pacific has created new interactive TV entertainment for Cartoon Network viewers in the region, and there will be more exciting new iTV games and promotions coming up as the partnership grows. This innovative service is another example of Cartoon Networks’ commitment to excellence.”
In addition to iTV gaming, NDS will provide enhanced television applications to various campaigns. Eyeballs 3: Triple Play watch-and-win promotion in Australia was the first Cartoon Network promotion to include an interactive TV component, RedEye.
On-air during the latter part of last year, Eyeballs 3:Triple Play incorporated the Red Button feature on the TV remote control allowing viewers to access and play iTV content through the channel. Eyeballs 3: Triple Play built on the success of previous Eyeballs viewer promotions in Australia and the new interactive component heightened the excitement of the campaign.
Tag: iTV games
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Cartoon Network goes interactive; TBS and NDS deploy iTV games in Asia Pacific
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Disney Internet acquires interactive TV games developer Minds Eye
MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG) has acquired Minds Eye Productions, an interactive TV game developers in Europe. The agreement demonstrates WDIG’s commitment to the iTV games market and to developing new growth businesses for The Walt Disney Company.
Disney entered the interactive TV games market in the U.K. in August 2004, with the launch of ‘Disney Channel Play’ on Sky. This service provides games featuring some of Disney’s most popular TV programmes, movies and characters, including those from The Lion King and Kim Possible.
Walt Disney Internet Group EVP & MD Mark Handler said, “Interactive TV gaming is a growing and exciting market, and Minds Eye is the leading U.K. developer. This acquisition allows us to build on our successful Disney branded iTV game service and shows our commitment to this market. We already have a great portfolio of interactive assets in Europe, and Minds Eye is a natural fit with our activities.”
“It is a great move for Minds Eye to become a part of Disney, the greatest family entertainment company in the world,” Minds Eye Productions MD Martin Batten. “Our employees are delighted to join the Disney family, and look forward to helping Disney expand its interactive TV gaming activities.”
Founded in 1995, Minds Eye Productions employs more than 20 artists, programmers and game designers who specialise in creating high quality games for the growing interactive TV game market. The company will maintain its offices in Milton Keynes, UK.
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Nickelodeon get Visionik to make toons interactive
MUMBAI: Nickelodeon launches second offering of Visionik on board to bring interactive TV games to their audience within the UK over the Sky digital platform.
Encouraging the interactivity, the games will run behind the Nickelodeon, Nicktoons and Nick Jr channels and will be accessible by pressing the red button on the remote control, says a company release. A leading developer of interactive TV services, Visionik has designed eight games, which can be viewed either as an overlay to a broadcast or with a quarter screen video.
The ‘play for free’ games are designed so that viewers can play the game and see the show at the same time. While first game, Bug Blaster launched on Nickelodeon on 29 September, second game aimed at pre-school children, Blues Clues was launched on 1 December by the NDS arm.
The Nickelodeon games are designed, developed and integrated on NDS’s Value@TVTm head-end technology base. According to the release, iTV games are one of the best ways to attract and retain viewing audiences.
Based on characters in popular TV shows, the Nick Jr games challenges the youngsters to match colors, shapes and sounds to existing images in puzzle type games. Besides, the Nickelodeon and Nicktoons channels offer arcade type games for older children. All of the games can be paused at any time to return to full screen broadcast and easily resumed at the push of a button.
“It’s exciting to be working with Nickelodeon and to be introducing a new viewing concept to the games marketplace. The new concept gives viewers the opportunity to keep watching their favorite channel and play a game at the same time. For the broadcaster this solution means that viewers remain with the channel which enhances broadcaster ratings and in turn contributes to increased advertising sales.” says Visionik commercial director games Peter Schroder.
According to Nickelodeon head of business development David Jenkins, “The Bugblaster game is a great piece of technology. Firstly, it’s free and so gives real added value to Nickelodeon’s offering. It will also encourage kids to stick with the channel through programmes and adverts so giving our commercial offering a ‘stickier’ proposition than that of our competitors.”