Electronic Arts Celebrates Competitive Gaming Series With Madden Championship

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The top 32 Madden NFL 17 video game players have converged at ESL’s Burbank Studios to crown a Madden Champion for 2017. There’s $500,000 up for grabs, as well as bragging rights and the chance to be a virtual star on the NFL Network on May 14, 9pm ET. For Electronic Arts and the NFL, the event helps feed the insatiable appetite of football fans year-round.

Madden Championship Series Commissioner Matt Marcou told AListDaily that this event is the culmination of a year-long circuit of 22 sanctioned events, which included three EA Majors (Madden Classic in December, Madden Bowl in February and Madden Challenge in April), nine premier events in the NFL Club Series and the upcoming Madden Championship.

“We’ve graduated from last year’s two independent events with a championship at the very end to this comprehensive structure, which is the most fair format to discover top competitors in the most competitive game mode,” Marcou said.

EA saw more than 2.4 million gamers compete in Madden‘s online ranked mode. Out of that pool, 1,432 players advanced from a ranked mode to an online tournament or traveled to a Pro Am Challenger event.

madden-eamajors-fourchances-md-2x“The ability to compete and earn in-game rewards makes up the bottom of the competitive pyramid and fits into the goal of making a star out of everyone,” Marcou explained. “The 1,432 folks represent the top one percent of our community. These are the equivalent of the college-level football players hoping to go pro. The 32 players competing for the big prize represent the core of the core.”

Overall, about 60 competitors won prize money at an EA Major or Challenger event this year. The 32 players left at the end of the series have each made $10,000 to $15,000 during the course of the year.

Marcou said the EA Majors have attracted millions of fans through the NFL Network, although he couldn’t release online viewership numbers. That partnership also incorporates some of the network’s on-air broadcast talent, including Maurice Jones Drew, who will be part of the Madden Championship crew.

EA partnered with ESL as its broadcast and production partner for the Madden Championship, but the competitive program throughout the year from the Challenger to Premiere events are operated internally by an EA operations team.

Three players competing in the Madden Championship tournament come from the new NFL Club Series tournament. Marcou compared this event, which was run by the NFL and eight of its clubs, to a March Madness style tournament. Gamers competed online to earn the chance to become a top four Xbox One and top four PlayStation 4 Madden player in eight regions that aligned with an NFL team like the Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars. The eight club champions competed at ESL Burbank to award the 32nd slot in the tournament. Two other players who competed in the NFL Club Series are also in the Madden Championship.

Marcou believes that all 32 teams could get involved in the NFL Club Series next year. “We think the program was successful and we want to refine and build off that,” Marcou said. “There’s nothing official to announce on how that will evolve next year, but there’s great long-term potential for that tournament.”

EA has used three game modes throughout the year: Patriots vs. Falcons for the Challenger Series, Draft Champions for the Madden Classic and the Madden Challenge and salary-capped Madden Ultimate Team for the NFL Club Series, the Madden Bowl and the Madden Championship.

“It’s about how do we capture the spirit of all the unique EA game modes and make each competition as distinct as possible,” Marcou said. “The time of year and game modes distinguish the events. We want to make each event unique and special, while ensuring the competition is run fairly.”

Players can use PlayStation 4 or Xbox One for online and Challenger events, but for NFL Club Series and EA Majors, Xbox One is the platform. Microsoft is a sponsor of the Madden Challenge and Madden Championship. Competitors can play with PS4 controllers connected to an Xbox One at any event.

While traditional esports powerhouse Luminosity signed top Madden player Eric “Problem” Wright to its roster, Marcou said the Madden Championship Series has given rise to a new wave of gaming organizations like Set to Destroy and In Control Gaming.

“These is a reflection of a different type of gamer and a more console-oriented audience,” Marcou explained. “It’s an interesting dynamic, and we welcome any support for Madden competition.”

Those who tune in for the Madden Championship will see the Xbox brand throughout the custom-built stadium’s billboards and digital signage, but unlike the recent Madden Bowl with the McDonald’s logo on the virtual field, only the red Madden Championship logo will be painted there.

“The competitive gaming division has a strong relationship with brands,” Marcou said. “As we evolve traditions will evolve and future Madden Championship fields could get placements on the field itself.”

Zero Latency Establishes Platform For VR Arcade Network

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Melbourne, Australia-based Zero Latency is making a name for itself in the burgeoning virtual reality (VR) arcade industry. The company has expanded its operations to four continents after creating and fine-tuning its multiplayer free-roam, warehouse-scale arcade concept. Zero Latency currently has VR arcades in Orlando (Florida), Wisconsin and the Poconos (Pennsylvania) with plans to open multiple spaces across the country, including a pair in the Greater Boston area. By June 2017, the company will have 10 global locations, and 24 by the end of this year. There are already plans to expand to cities like Philadelphia in 2018.

“We’ll continue to open and operate our own sites, but we’ll also continue to partner with some really strong partners,” Tim Ruse, CEO of Zero Latency, told AListDaily. “It’s a licensed approach and an on-site approach. We have licensed partners like Sega of Japan in Tokyo all the way down to people in the cinema space, or larger real estate developers that we work together with.”

Zero Latency’s patent-pending motion tracking system enables teams of up to six players wearing portable virtual reality gear to participate simultaneously in cooperative video game experiences in warehouse-sized spaces that range from 2,000 to over 4,000 square feet. Scott Vandonkelaar, CTO of Zero Latency, told AListDaily that up to eight players will be able to shoot killer robots, defend a fort against zombies and explore alien landscapes across its growing library of multiplayer games later this year.

“We’re moving out to eight players with our local testing group in Melbourne and we’re going through the operational requirements of equipment charging and other technology before rolling it out to all of the sites,” said Vandonkelaar.

The team in Australia built out everything from the guns to the vests. The company also partnered with Razer OSVR to utilize its headsets and worked with Alienware to pack a powerful laptop into a vest that players can wear without being bogged down. Additionally, players wear Razer headsets to communicate with teammates and the Game Master during the experience.

Zero Latency-powered arenas have no physical walls or obstacles, which means players walk, explore and fight their way through different video game worlds developed by a team in Melbourne. Right now, there’s a zombie apocalypse game, Survival, which combines fortifying your construction yard in-between waves of assorted undead. There’s the gravity-defying multiplayer puzzle-solving adventure, Engineerium, which isn’t for those with vertigo issues. Then there’s Singularity, a sci-fi game where players take on an army of killer robots inside a gigantic spacecraft.

New games are in development and will be added to the library along with new maps and modes for existing games. “We’re developing a new zombie game and we’re channeling what we’ve learned from feedback from the first three games,” Vandonkelaar said. “The onus will be on the operator to decide which games to run, similar to a multiplex theater with multiple movie options. You can run more family-focused games during the day and more adult content at night.” An upcoming software development kit will allow third-party development studios to create their own games for the Zero Latency VR arcade platform. In fact, Zero Latency is already collaborating with external studios on some unannounced VR games.

“We travel the world speaking to different companies about film and IP,” Ruse said. “As the system scales, it’s about finding the right IP and bringing that together with VR. This is a fantastic opportunity to allow people to explore the worlds they love from the movies like Aliens, Harry Potter or The Walking Dead.”

“We’re working with some great larger content partners with popular IP,” Vandonkelaar added. “From a game design perspective, and how the players can interact with each other, you’ve got to completely switch your thinking to create compelling content that doesn’t feel silly or make players feel nauseated or cramped.”

The system allows operators to configure these games differently. The upcoming Woburn and Marlborough locations in the Boston suburbs will each be configured with dual 2,000 square foot arenas under one roof, enabling licensee MindTrek the flexibility to offer two different games at the same time, or utilize the space as a single 4,000 square foot arena for larger free-roam experiences. These will be the only dual-arena facilities in the world and the largest free-roam VR gaming facilities in America by far.

Zero Latency has also built a true platform across these VR arcades, which has laid the foundation for esports. “We’re doing a lot of experimentation around esports,” Vandonkelaar explained. “We’re taking it very seriously, doing prototype work and bringing all the knowledge we have from 100,000 players going through these locations to develop esports for free-roam VR.”

Vandonkelaar said each site has the ability to link together and the system is built architecturally from the ground up, creating an interconnected web for future VR experiences.

“We can drop in whatever works in this VR canvas and link them together,” Ruse explained. “A core part of our five-year plan is to look at what’s the next thing and how do we leverage multiple players and multiple sites.”

“Esports in VR is going to be great,” said Vandonkelaar. “Our system makes for a great spectator sport because it’s fun to watch people run around in the real world and see how that translates to the virtual world through TV screens.”

Ruse believes there’s a lot Zero Latency can do when they have a lot of sites that can be easily connected in regions. The other thing Zero Latency has seen with its current client base, which should translate to esports perfectly, is the viral element. He observed how players don’t come in with the same group over and over again. Instead, they become champions of the product and bring other people with them. Then those friends come back with other friends, and so on.

‘Fruit Ninja: Frenzy Force’ Slices Into YouTube Red’s Programming Slate

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YouTube Red has expanded its original family line-up with Fruit Ninja: Frenzy Force, a title based on the popular fruit-slicing video game. Premiering Friday on YouTube and the YouTube Kids App, Frenzy Force is a 13-episode series produced by the game’s developer, Halfbrick Studios.

This animated series follows the humble beginnings of Seb, Niya, Peng and Ralph, four fruit ninjas who run a juice stand as a front for their secret ninja dojo. These youngsters have been training to unlock the ancient secrets of Juice-Jitsu but will put their skills to the test when a time portal opens, transporting a 10,000-year-old ninja bent on destruction into the modern world.

Fans of the show will be able to hone their Juice-Jitsu skills against these new heroes when they debut in the original mobile game. Likewise, the show will feature several familiar characters from the game as well.

Fruit Ninja Characters gathering around scroll

Ahead the show’s launch, YouTube released several bonus trailers to introduce characters, tease the main story and take fans behind-the-scenes. Fruit Ninja: Frenzy Force is Halfbrick Studios’ first foray into TV and—if successful—will help solidify the company’s vision of cross-over entertainment.

Last March, fans learned of a live-action Fruit Ninja movie in the works with NewLine Cinema to be written by J.P. Lavin and Chad Damiani. The two writers recently adapted How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack for the big screen, which is currently in development.

Fruit Ninja, a game downloaded over a billion times, joins a growing trend of adapting popular video games for TV and film (although we’re still not sure how a “big science fiction” trilogy based on Tetris is going to work).

Clash-A-Rama!, also created for YouTube, is a series of shorts and full-length episodes from Supercell featuring characters from both Clash of Clans and Clash Royale. Last year, The Angry Birds Movie became the second-highest grossing video game film of all time and the most successful international Finnish film to boot.

Although not exactly based on a video game, another YouTube Red Original series includes Kings of Atlantis—inspired by Minecraft gameplay videos by popular YouTube creators, TheAtlanticCraft. The computer animated show features original characters and scenarios, while paying homage to Minecraft by retaining a square-headed character design.

Fruit Ninja: Frenzy Force is the latest program to debut as part of YouTube Red’s slate of original programs for families alongside DanTDM Creates A Big Scene and Kings of Atlantis. YouTube Red is a paid membership currently available in the United States, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico and Korea that gives viewers ad-free access to YouTube, YouTube Music, YouTube Gaming and YouTube Kids. Shows created exclusively for YouTube Red are included in this membership. As the world’s second-most visited website, YouTube plans to expand its line-up throughout the year and create value as an OTT video service.

Facebook Fights Fake News By Tapping Former New York Times VP

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Facebook is trying to curb the proliferation of fake news by promoting Alex Hardiman, formerly of The New York Times, to lead its head of news products role. Hardiman previously was leading the social network’s pages team since leaving NYT last summer.

Hardiman announced her promotion on Facebook.

“As a part of the Facebook Journalism Project, my colleagues and I will work collaboratively with news organizations across the spectrum to build new storytelling formats, local news communities, monetization options, and more,” Hardiman wrote. “We will spend time building better products and tools for journalists, working hand-in-hand with Campbell Brown and her team to strengthen the relationships and value exchange between Facebook and news providers. We will also partner with teams in Facebook to continue curbing the spread of false news.

Former Disney executive Paul Brown has been appointed as general manager for HTC Vive Europe. Brown, who will be based in London, will oversee the company’s VR content business across the continent.

Comedy Central has named Josh Line as their new executive vice president of marketing and creative. Line will oversee consumer marketing and brand development for the Viacom-owned cable network.

Jeffrey L. Harmening will take over as chief executive for General Mills next month, replacing the retiring Ken Powell. Harmening is a 23-year veteran of the packaged food giant.

Chris Hewish has been named executive vice president of interactive for Skydance. In the newly created position, Hewish will be responsible for executing the overall strategy for Skydance Interactive, as well as oversee development, partnerships and new business opportunities.

Nancy Pearson, a former senior IBM executive, has been named as the new chief marketing officer for software solutions company OpenLink.

James Levitt has been promoted to senior vice president of national ad sales in the US for Discovery Communications.

Fox News Channel co-president Bill Shine has resigned and will leave the company, Rupert Murdoch announced.

2K Games president Christoph Hartmann announced that he is leaving the post after working at Take-Two Interactive for 20 years. Hartmann was instrumental in creating the 2K Games label in 2005, and no reason has been given for the departure, but the company has provided the following statement:

“We can confirm that there has been a management change at the leadership level of 2K. For more than a decade, Christoph Hartmann has helped 2K to become an industry leader and we are grateful for his contributions and wish him well on his future endeavors. This change in leadership will have no impact on 2K’s current pipeline of titles in development, and we look forward to this new chapter in the history of our label.”

Craig Sullivan is joining Amazon as a creative director for their games division. Sullivan previously was a creative director at Ghost Games, which worked on the Need for Speed series at Electronic Arts.

(Editor’s Note: This post will be updated daily until Friday, May 5. Have a new hire tip? Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.)

Job Vacancies 

Senior Director, Marketing Route ware, Inc Portland, OR
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CMO, Mixed Reality GE Waukesha, WI
Vice President, Marketing Esurance San Francisco, CA
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VP, Marketing (Global Underwear) Calvin Klein New York, NY

 

Make sure to check back for updates on our Jobs Page.

‘Get Even’ Composer Olivier Derivière Explains Immersion Through Audio

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From the title, Get Even sounds like an action-packed revenge game in which players burst onto the scene, guns a-blazing. Instead, this psychological thriller by The Farm 21 and Bandai Namco leaves players questioning reality—set against a 3D audio soundtrack that is generated in real-time. Pioneering this technology is award-winning composer Olivier Derivière (Remember Me, Assassin’s Creed VI: Freedom Cry), who joined AListDaily to explain how Get Even draws players into a world within a world . . . but never the same way twice.

“It is an experience that will always surprise players,” said Derivière, who MTV dubbed Game Music’s Eclectic Daredevil. “This is one of the unique aspects of the game—you can’t expect what is next. The second unique aspect is the pacing. It never stops. If you are eager to play something that will never let you wonder what to do next, this game is for you!”

Derivière’s first video game score was for Obscure, a survival horror game by Hydravision Entertainment. While both Obscure and Get Even are frightening in their own ways, the composer sees them as very different experiences.

“You have different types of horror,” he explained. “In Obscure, [the horror element] was mainly suspense and scare jumps. In Get Even, it is much more visceral. Let’s just say that in Obscure, the horror was descriptive [but] in Get Even it’s an inner feeling—something that makes you feel wrong, oppressed [and] insecure. You can’t write music the same way—when you are descriptive, you compose musical scores but when you want to become visceral, it is much more about textures [and] drones.”

Derivière has incorporated a number of environmental sounds into the Get Even score, including a ticking clock. He went on to explain how sounds within the environment will tie into what’s happening on-screen.

“Get Even is a thriller [and] by that I mean it is a game with lots of questions, clues and twists that all have to make sense. The ticking clock is the most iconic part of the audio. A clock represents time, and time is irrevocable, indifferent . . . it could be fate. But in the game, you also have a ticking bomb attached to a girl in the opening scene that will explode [no matter what] happens. And finally, you have time travel—not in a sense that you’re physically going back in time, but you are using a device, ‘the Pandora,’ which allows you to go back in your memories—back in time. [The ticking clock] is not the only sound you will hear but I won’t spoil [it for] you—this game will play with you as much as you will play with it.

“Get Even is not a VR game, although it happens mostly inside a [simulated] VR environment thanks to an [in-game] device named the Pandora. It’s like a helmet. Nowadays lots of gamers are using headphones while playing and we wanted to take advantage of that. So, when you plug in your headphones, you will be completely absorbed by your surroundings. Every light bulb, every room tone, every window . . . anything in the game that emits a sound is dynamically transcribed to your ears by using Auro-3D, a technology that makes your sonic perception much more natural than before.

“Instead of creating an illustrative music that would be totally disconnected from the scenery, I wanted to play with the [environment] sounds. Imagine that anything you hear can be part of my musical score—a steam pipe, a light bulb, a train. Now music is happening in real-time around you. Not in a fashion that [allows you to] pinpoint the musicality of it, but much more in a way that you start feeling the world around you as a living, breathing creature . . . but is it a world? Is it real?”

Bandai Namco has used the game’s soundtrack as a powerful marketing message, putting Derivière front and center alongside Get Even‘s producers. The score will be performed live at the game’s European pre-launch event in London this month. In addition, those who pre-order the game on PSN or Steam will receive the soundtrack as a bonus.

“When I first heard about Get Even, I thought that it would be amazing to have such an experience,” Derivière said. “It was so unique, so fresh and so mesmerizing. It is very difficult to describe this game as it takes a lot from many other games to build its singularity. I really thought it would never come out the way it was originally designed, but look at us today! It is done! Musically speaking, I must say I put a lot of my own life into it. I can’t speak much about it, but this game is not about saving the world or killing zombies. It is about our mistakes and the regrets that come from them. It was a privilege to be part of this production and I hope players will enjoy the ride!”

Get Even releases May 26 for PSN, Xbox One and PC.

Tribeca Games Festival Highlights Connection Between Films And Video Games

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Video game fans were given the chance to celebrate interactive storytelling this past weekend with the inaugural Tribeca Games Festival, which took place at the tail end of the Tribeca Film Festival. The event kicked off on Friday evening with a crowd play event for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, the newest adventure game to come from Telltale Games. Things went into full swing on Saturday, where prominent developers talked about making their games and how Lawnmower Man helped influence the public perception of what virtual reality should be.

Keynote speakers included Sam Lake, creator of the Max Payne, Alan Wake, and Quantum Break games, which all have a cinematic feel to them. He was joined by Neil Berger, who directed Limitless and the Divergent movies. Similarly, Ken Levine, creator of BioShock (which was remastered last September), was joined onstage by Doug Liman, who directed the Bourne movies in addition to action hits such as Edge of Tomorrow. Liman confessed that parts of The Bourne Identity were heavily influenced by video games, to the point where he was almost tempted to include on-screen icons to help audiences keep track of Jason Bourne’s acquisitions, such as weapons, passports or money. Edge of Tomorrow also has a video game feel, as its main character (played by Tom Cruise) must relive the same day, learning a little more each time, until he can figure out a way to survive and defeat an alien threat.

But perhaps the biggest appearance of the evening was Hideo Kojima, whose self-description on Twitter reads, “70 percent of my body is made of movies.” He was the only keynote guest to appear by himself, flanked by a translator and moderator Geoff Keighley, creator of The Game Awards. The famed Metal Gear franchise creator, who is currently developing Death Stranding (featuring actor Norman Reedus), also happens to be a huge fan of actor and co-founder of Tribeca Enterprises Robert De Niro, stating that he went through a week of watching Taxi Driver every day.

Hideo Kojima, Tribeca Games Festival

The event is also marked by the second year the Tribeca Film Festival hosted a virtual reality showcase called Tribeca Immersive. Jane Rosenthal, producer and co-founder of Tribeca Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Institute, hosted a conversation with film and VR creator Chris Milk (who also founded the Within VR app) to discuss the storytelling potential of the technology. When Milk was asked by AListDaily whether he saw himself more as a filmmaker or game designer with interactive VR experiences such as Life of Us (which proclaims in large block letters that it is neither a movie nor a game at its start), he said that his approach was that of a human.

“I’m trying not to make a film or a video game, but I’ve learned a lot from both of them,” said Milk. “You’re trying to craft a moment for another human being to experience firsthand, so it’s more about what a human being would find exciting spending seven-and-a-half minutes doing.” Rosenthal added that Milk’s curiosity and creativity contributed greatly to his VR experiences and that it was a privilege to share them.

AListDaily sat down with Rosenthal at Tribeca Games to talk about the growing connection between film and video games and where technologies such as virtual reality fit in.

Jane Rosenthal, producer. Co-founder of Tribeca Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Institute.
Jane Rosenthal, producer. Co-founder of Tribeca Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Institute.

What is the Tribeca Games Festival about and what inspired it?

What inspired it has been my personal curiosity for years as a filmmaker and storyteller in non-linear storytelling. That goes back to early stuff such as the dataglove. In the mid-’90s, we ended up producing a CD-ROM (9: The Last Resort) that featured Aerosmith, Cher and Ellen DeGeneres. So, I’ve always had an interest in how you can keep pushing the boundaries of storytelling years.

In the early years, I liked any sort of gameplay with novelistic storytelling, and I kept looking at that. A lot of the films that I have been involved with have had a sort of novelistic feeling—in film terms, that meant they were too long—and for well over five years, we’ve been doing work that has been transmedia, which launched into our VR Arcade.

We were also the first festival to screen a game—LA Noire with Ellen Paige from Rockstar Games. We also brought League of Legends here two years ago and did a behind-the-scenes look at the creativity behind it. For me, it’s another form of expression, and there’s such amazing talent in story-based games.

What I’m trying to say is that it wasn’t just an overnight decision. There was a lot of thought that went into it.

Does the timing of the event, the end of the Tribeca Film Festival, signal a connection between film and video games?

It’s a good dissolve from one to the other. It’s (movies) the influence that so many game creators have had, and so many filmmakers have been influenced by game culture. So, we’re having conversations with Doug Liman and Neil Burger with Ken Levine and Sam Lake (respectively), and it’s a nice way to dissolve that. Also, this morning we kicked off with [a panel featuring] the 25th anniversary of Lawnmower Man. Brett [Leonard] talked a lot about the change in storytelling from just talking out to your audience to more of a story world, and Jaron [Lanier] Skyped in for that.

You also moderated the conversation with Chris Milk about VR. What are your thoughts about how VR fits into the entertainment space and how it relates to film and video games?

We’re still in such a nascent stage with that. Broken Night from Eko Studios is influenced a lot by Sam Barlow’s Her Story, and it’s not so much a film as it is an episode—part of something more that we should see. So, I think we’re still figuring that out. I think that until some of the technology is at a point where you have these massive goggles on your head, it’s going to take a while. I think the work that Chris is doing, where you can share an experience together (Life of Us) is interesting. But in terms of entertainment, I think we’re still seeing it as more of marketing and not yet as full VR movies. Narrative VR (as opposed to documentary) is still experimenting—I think some of them are amazing, and we have them here.

Attendees could purchase combined tickets for both Tribeca Games and Tribeca Immersive in the future?

I haven’t thought about that, per se. I think that gaming is immersive, so having both go on at the same time is something that we’re connecting here for this specific event. I think, as we look to the future of Tribeca Games, we will probably include Immersive, but it’s a work in progress. In the inaugural year of anything, you’re going to learn something about what your audience wants. The fact is, there’s a vibrant community in the gaming world, and as our audiences change with the generational and technological shift that’s happening, it becomes an exciting time to tell stories and meet creators of all types as they work on all different platforms. This is the first event that we’ve done this, and we’ll see where it goes from there.

[Left] Doug Liman, movie director (Edge of Tomorrow,. [Right] Ken Levine, game developer (BioShock)
[Left] Doug Liman, movie director (Edge of Tomorrow). [Right] Ken Levine, game developer (BioShock)

How did you decide to include Sam Lake, Hideo Kojima and Ken Levine as keynote speakers?

It was obvious. If you follow Kojima on social media, he says he’s 30 percent water 70 percent movies. Ken’s work on BioShock is beautiful, and it tells a story. Ken has also been interested in writing screenplays. So, those were obvious choices. There are other creators I want to come next year.

Have you taken inspiration from consumer events such as PAX when developing Tribeca Games?

No. I’ve taken inspiration from our own festival and what it means to be a creative center—focusing on the creator and the voice—allowing an audience behind the curtain of what a creator has tried to do. Whether that is doing something with Scorsese and Coppola [with The Godfather marathon]; doing something with Ken Burns, who is doing an 18-hour piece for PBS on Vietnam; or when talking about non-linear storytelling, we want it to be about the creator’s point of view.

What do you hope will be some of the big takeaways audiences will get from today’s event?

That there’s more interaction between both (movie and gaming) communities, there’s more experimentation, and that people who have never tried gameplay will like that, as with social impact gaming. We’ve worked with Games for Change for a number of years, hosting events here for the past four years.

Mostly, I hope that people will have a good time and enjoy it.

NBA 2K Esports League Hires Managing Director; Jaunt Adds To VR Team

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The NBA and Take-Two Interactive Software will launch the NBA 2K eLeague next year, a professional competitive gaming league that will unite the best hoops gamers in the world. They now have hired a managing director to steer the ship in Brendan Donohue, who’ll oversee the league strategy and operations.

“[I’m] just taking what 2K has already built up in terms of popularity around the game and really building an audience around this,” Donohue told ESPN. “It is the most popular sports title in North America and, most importantly, the most highly regarded in terms of the actual game.”

Cinematic virtual reality company Jaunt has hired Jean-Christophe Curelop as their head of sales for VR camera systems. Curelop formerly worked as head of business development and digital media at Nokia where he was responsible for the development and execution of strategies centered on Nokia’s OZO VR camera.

“JC’s extensive expertise at the intersection of entertainment and technology are the perfect compliment to the growing sales team here at Jaunt,” said Jaunt chief revenue officer Jean-Paul Colaco. “As we look towards 2018 and the rapidly evolving VR camera market, there’s no one better suited to lead strategy and sales for the Jaunt One camera and Jaunt Cloud Services. We’re excited about the continued success of Jaunt One and future products.”

Apple has hired one of NASA’s brightest stars to lead it efforts in augmented reality. Jeff Norris, who led AR and VR projects at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, will now take his talents to the iPhone maker.

Jennifer Breithaupt has been appointed global consumer chief marketing officer at Citi, where she’ll be responsible for crafting distinctive, impactful campaigns that differentiate Citi’s card products and partnering closely with global branding and sponsorships to enhance Citi’s brand positioning.

Kia Motors America has hired former Chrysler advertising executive Saad Chehab as its new vice president of marketing communications. The former global CMO of Maserati will oversee strategy and execution for all Kia Motors America marketing, advertising and communications activities.

Jonathan Helfgot has been named executive vice president of theatrical marketing for 20th Century Fox. Helfgot previously worked for Open Road.

Tony Vinciquerra, a former Fox television chief, is headed to Sony to lead their film and television studio, the WSJ reported.

Demos Parneros has been named the new chief executive for bookseller Barnes & Noble.

Michael Fanuele, the chief creative officer at General Mills, is leaving the company.

Lionsgate has named Monica Bloom as their senior vice president and general manager for Tribeca Shortlist.

Dana Anderson, the chief marketing officer for Mondelez International since 2014, is departing the consumer goods giant for the same position at media and ad consulting firm MediaLink. The move was made official on Monday.

“Dana has been a creative and change catalyst for our company, and we’re deeply appreciative of her many contributions,” Tim Cofer, chief growth officer at Mondelez International, said in a statement. “Our search for a successor will focus on finding a digital-first, disruptive and innovative leader who can build on Dana’s legacy and mobilize breakthrough marketing in a rapidly changing global consumer landscape.”

The move continues the string of key departures within the company’s marketing department over the last month. The makers of Oreo cookies and Ritz crackers are currently in the process of laying the groundwork to replace Irene Rosenfeld, their chief executive. Roberto Marques, president of Mondelez International’s North America business, left the company last week. Last month, Bob Rupczynski, vice president and global head of media, data and digital, announced that he’s departing the company, too.

Leanne Cutts, a former senior Mondelez International executive, has been appointed as HSBC’s group head of marketing.

Online lender Quicken Loans announced the hiring of Casey Hurbis as their new chief marketing officer. Hurbis will lead Quicken Loans’ consumer-facing marketing team and will be responsible for all online and traditional marketing initiatives, as well as managing the nation’s most trusted and recognized home lending brand.

“Casey is someone who is not afraid to push the envelope. We are confident he will take Quicken Loans’ leading national brand to the next level and beyond,” said Quicken Loans CEO Jay Farner. Casey brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from both the agency and corporate perspectives. “Our millions of clients and future clients will see Quicken Loans in creative and unexpected ways as Casey leads our tremendously talented marketing team to leverage our brand, technology, culture and award winning client service record.”

Sundance Feniger has been hired to run Boomerang’s recently launched cartoon subscription-video service as their new vice president and general manager. Feniger is a former Nickelodeon executive.

(Editor’s Note: This post will be updated daily until Friday, April 28. Have a new hire tip? Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.)

Job Vacancies 

CMO, Mixed Reality GE Waukesha, WI
Vice President, Marketing Esurance San Francisco, CA
Vice President Marketing American Eagle Financial Credit Union East Hartford, CT
VP, Marketing (Global Underwear) Calvin Klein New York, NY
VP, Marketing & Digital Channels City of Hope Irwindale, CA
Director, Marketing  Fox Deportes Los Angeles, CA
Director of Brand Content & Partnerships  Time Warner Burbank, CA
Senior Marketing Manager Apple Santa Clara Valley, CA
Sr. Manager, Creative Services NBC Universal Universal City, CA

Make sure to check back for updates on our Jobs Page.

Newfronts 2017: What To Expect From Digital’s Ad Buying Hype-Fest

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Digital Content Newfronts—digital entertainment’s answers to TV Upfront season—kicks off May 1 and the schedule is packed with presentations on what’s new and hot for this year’s entertainment season.

Last year, we saw emerging trends in technology and creation that will set the stage for what’s to come. A major part of Newfronts is celebrating what each brand is doing—and therefore why companies should advertise with them. That being said, Hulu may benefit from the timing of their presentation with the critically-acclaimed debut of A Handmaid’s Tale.

Last-Minute Changes

A number of brands have opted to forego large, public presentations at the event and focus their money on private pitches. Among these brands are Yahoo, BuzzFeed and Fullscreen Media.

Warner Bros. Digital Networks, which includes Machinima, has canceled its session at the NewFronts in New York, which had been scheduled for May 5.

“We have decided to postpone our NewFronts presentation so we can focus on presenting an even more immersive and comprehensive unveiling of the Warner Bros. Digital Networks to our Warner Bros. family, our partners and our loyal fans, early this summer,” the company said in a statement.

Twitter was more than happy to take an opening day slot. They detailed plans to live stream content 24/7. Other new additions to the schedule include BBC.com, MediaLink, Astronauts Wanted and Uproxx Media.

Embracing New Technology

Virtual reality played a large role last year, with The New York Times offering VR journalism. Refinery29 announced VR29, a reality studio devoted to creating VR and 360-degree video programming.

Hulu partnered with Live Nation for a VR concert series, while NatGeo announced a number of original media created specifically for the medium.

The momentum is expected to keep rolling ahead full steam through entertainment and VR journalism. Although Facebook isn’t a presenter this year, we wouldn’t be surprised to see presentations revolving around brand partnerships for content, streaming and/or VR applications.

Reaching Gamer Audiences

Presenters YouTube and Major League Gaming will no doubt educate audiences on the marketing power of esports and gaming video content (GVC). This type of content (esports, gameplay, tutorials, humor, etc.) is on track to generate $4.6 billion in revenue in 2017 through advertising and direct spending, a level that would outpace revenue generated by sports. Females now make up 46 percent of the GVC audience and viewers have a higher average income than traditional gamers, SuperData recently reported.

International Hip Hop Dance Competition Steps Into Virtual Reality

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On August 4-12, dance teams from over 50 countries will be in Phoenix, Arizona to participate in the World Hip Hop Dance Championship finals. The massive dance competition, produced by Hip Hop International, will have an extra twist this year because it will be livestreamed in virtual reality by Mandt VR, the production company that also created several The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration 360-degree video experiences.

Hip Hop International has televised multiple street dance competitions, including Randy Jackson Presents America’s Best Dance Crew, and it is always looking for new ways to present the popular art form. This year, not only will viewers will be able to enjoy every move the performers have to offer, but they’ll be able to (virtually) jump on stage to see things from the dancer’s perspective.

AListDaily sat down with Bradley Scott, head of production at Mandt VR, who was joined by Howard and Karen Schwartz, co-founders of Hip Hop International, to talk about how the partnership got started and why hip hop moves and VR blend so well together.

[Left] Howard Schwartz, president and co-founder, Hip Hop International. [Right] Karen Schwartz, co-founder, Hip Hop International
[Left] Howard Schwartz, president and co-founder, Hip Hop International. [Right] Karen Schwartz, co-founder, Hip Hop International

How did the partnership between Mandt VR and Hip Hop International come together?

[H. Schwartz]: We were actively involved in producing the United States and World Hip Hop Championship last summer, and during that time, we contacted by Bradley. He called at a time when things were really happening and we’ve been talking ever since. This is what came from those discussions.

[Scott]: I knew from the get-go, when I got hired at Mandt VR, that I wanted to find things that were poised to enhance the medium of VR. But I was also looking at some of the oldest forms of expression and art—some of the simplest stories that we all want to hear because VR is an experience—something that people could relate to. Right off the bat, dancing came to mind. Choreography is something that can be an immersive experience for people watching, but we also wanted to give people the thrill of being on stage with thousands of people cheering you on. Virtual reality is all about taking you places, and being on stage at one of these shows with Hip Hop International is an experience that people won’t soon forget.

What can viewers expect from the VR experience?

[Scott]: Access is always key to a good VR experience. We’ll have the perspective of what it’s like to be in the middle of five to nine dancers doing their routine on stage. They’ll also get to look out to an audience of thousands of people and see their reactions. Then we’ll also have cameras backstage to see what the hustle and bustle is like as the dancers prepare to go on stage—seeing that emotion going on. Also, we all want the best seat in the house, so we’ll have a camera up front and center at the event. People sitting on their living room couches can still feel like they’re there.

[H. Schwartz]: Often, when you’re at a world-class competition show like this, you wonder what it’s like from the dancer’s perspective, looking out into the audience. Putting yourself in that perspective and seeing how everyone is looking at you—that experience is something most people will never get to feel.

What does VR bring that a 2D experience can’t capture?

[Scott]: VR is what’s happening right then and there. There’s no editing and no scripts. We’re not trying to hide anything behind the camera. It’s like going to a restaurant that has an open kitchen for everyone to see—it makes people feel like they’re part of the event. I think that’s what people enjoy about 360 video right now. Also, it’s going to be livestreamed, and VR technology is advancing every day. So, we’re hoping that by the time the live events arrive in August, we’ll be able let the audience direct their own scene. They can sit in the audience, then switch angles and go to the stage or backstage.

Bradley Scott, Mandt VR
Bradley Scott, head of production, Mandt VR

How will you be directing the viewer’s attention toward key moments during the livestream?

[Scott]: The key to keeping people’s attention drawn to where we want is camera placement. You always think that the best place to be is front and center, but that’s not always the case. The closer you are, the more out-of-focus people will be when they move. You want to be far enough back to catch their movements. So, we’re working closely with Howard, Karen and the choreographers so that we know the gist of where the action is going to be. We’re going to make sure our cameras are perfectly placed so we won’t miss any of it. The past eight or nine months has been a learning experience for us, covering different events, and we’re ready to handle the challenge of live dance.

What convinced Hip Hop International to incorporate VR into the show this year?

[K. Schwartz]: It allows us to be on the cutting edge. We have millions of viewers around the world who watch the championships, and they follow the dance crews and battles even after the completion of the event. By allowing them to also watch in virtual reality or 360, they’ll have a better and more immersive experience. We feel that it is the future, and we’re very impressed with what Mandt VR has been doing.

Our expertise is in producing top dance championships around the world. We have 91 qualifying events that will lead up to the World Championship. Although we have a huge audience that comes to see it live, our internet and social media world is also huge, and we want to give them something more.

[H. Schwartz]: We also know that our dancers and consumers are much more technologically advanced than we are, and they’re always looking for something new and unique. We’ve been livestreaming this event for several years now, and this will give viewers the opportunity to see it in a new way that we think will be very well received.

The hip hop community seems to be very enthusiastic about VR. What is it about the two that go together so well?

[Scott]: I think hip hop has always been on the cutting edge of technology and adding twists on existing art forms. We’re seeing that now with some of the current artists. Lil Wayne is a huge VR proponent, and he did a live 360 show for Hulu in addition to doing some Samsung Gear VR ads. Chance the Rapper just did an upfront VR experience and Run the Jewels did a 360 music video for “Crown.” I think it’s just part of what the hip hop culture is all about—they’re going to keep changing and doing things differently.

[K. Schwartz]: I think it’s also our audience. It’s that market and it’s the age—they’re always driving and looking for the next thing—and virtual reality is that.

[H. Schwartz]: Our dancers thrive on innovation as well. They’re creating moves and routines people have never seen before. Anything that’s new, raw, real and alive—that’s what they’re looking for.

Do you think the competitors will try to tailor their routines to look better in VR?

[H. Schwartz]: I think it already does [look good]. When you watch these routines, they’re so electric and creative that it’s up to VR to capture everything.

[K. Schwartz]: Beyond the championship, we’re going to brainstorm and develop some experiences for the dancers. Perhaps they’ll be able to upload and share them with all their friends and followers. Maybe in that way, people can develop moves that could be shot in virtual reality. It could be a whole new way to share their talents with other people.

How are you letting fans know about the VR livestream?

[Scott]: We shot a little teaser for Hip Hop International. The big event is the finals in August, but there are lots of countries doing their quarter and semifinals. So, we’re going to go out there and capture some of those moments to lead up to the big event.

[H. Schwartz]: The way we promote the most is through our affiliates in all the countries. Presently, we have 48 affiliates around the world. We have newsletters, and we’re always online with them, sharing the information, starting with the initial press release and the press conference in Phoenix. We’ll also be sharing through all our social media networks.

[K. Schwartz]: The press release was picked up by many of our affiliates, and there’s a lot of excitement there. In the upcoming months, we’ll be developing a lot of social media announcements and getting the word out. We have a big social media reach.

Hip Hop International Sizzle from Mandt VR on Vimeo.

What are your goals with the VR broadcast?

[H. Schwartz]: Our motto is, “Uniting the world of hip hop through dance.” Now I see it as, “Uniting the world of hip hop through dance and VR.” We have the opportunity to do it, hopefully do it first, and do it better than anybody who comes along in the future.

[K. Schwartz]: We’re just excited to expose the championship in a different format and reach even more people using virtual reality. We’ll have a [live] audience of ten thousand, but we have millions at home. Now we’re giving them a better firsthand, front row experience that immerses them in the event and anything else we’re developing. We also produce a program called Urban Moves Dance Workshops. We can imagine that people at home can feel like they’re in the front row of a class. There’s a lot that we’re still working on between now and the championships to enhance the experience.

[Scott]: At Mandt VR, we’re excited for the challenge of doing our biggest live event to date. We can’t wait for people to watch it.

‘Alien: Covenant In Utero’ Director On VR As A New Storytelling Platform

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Twentieth Century Fox is celebrating Alien Day (April 26, a nod to planet LV-426 from the original film) with a free Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR 360-degree experience called Alien: Covenant In Utero. Fox also has a trailer for the short, which allows fans to experience the birth of an alien Neomorph (a new alien type featured in Covenant) through its human host.

The free experience was created by Fox, FoxNext VR Studio, RSA VR, MPC VR, Mach1 and technology partners AMD and Dell. Fox is using the experience to promote the upcoming Alien: Covenant film from Ridley Scott, which opens in the US May 19. The experience has been regionalized to support 12 languages, which will allow Fox to market the movie globally beginning May 10.

Scott, who also produced The Martian VR Experience for Fox, enlisted director David Karlak to create Alien: Covenant In Utero.

“Ultimately, we treated this project as starting from square one,” Karlak told AListDaily. “The Martian VR Experience was successful in marketing the film by allowing fans to step into the shoes of Mark Watney. We wanted this to feel more cinematic and have it feel like the movie, rather than run it inside a game engine. We used the same assets and artists from the movie for the VR experience.”

As the teams worked on set, the virtual reality unit of MPC (MPC VR) simultaneously developed the immersive experience. Assets for the film were immediately applied to the production of the Alien: Covenant In Utero project. Additionally, the motion capture work for the piece was done at the Technicolor Experience Center (TEC).  Through the development process, MPC utilized both AMD Ryzen and Radeon technologies using Dell Inspiron systems.

Karlak said the idea for this baked 360 experience couldn’t be done practically because the confined space was too small for a stereo camera rig, so he decided to go the computer-generated route.

“As we go through the four stages of growth of the Neomorph inside the womb the creature has created inside the host in 60 seconds, we asked ourselves how to make this as cinematic and as realistic as possible,” Karlak explained. “We used the digital creature and digital environments from the film and laser scanned photography from the sets. We even used the same digital doubles from the film, repurposing these assets we already had and then just adding more details and changing some things around.”

The alien chest-bursting sequence from the original film remains a key piece of cinematic history. Scott tasked Karlak with taking that moment and reconceptualizing it to make it exciting for a new audience.

“I was asked to take it to a different place—that of VR,” Karlak said. “I was fortunate to work with the assets that were created for the film and have Scott as a resource throughout the process as we went into this uncharted realm.”

Karlak had to discover how this creature perceives the world from its perspective. “Up until this time, we’ve always been on the receiving end of the Xenomorph,” Karlak said. “What’s it like to be that creature? Entering the mind of the creature was the first step in making a lot of the aesthetic choices we ultimately went with in this experience.”

Alien has remained a key brand for Fox, even when Scott wasn’t working on the prequels. The creatures have starred in theatrical spin-offs like the Alien vs. Predator franchise, which itself has spanned comics, movies and video games. Alien comics and video games have been released over the years, and now Fox has a brand new Alien: Covenant mixed reality experience (which debuted at CES) and a separate interactive VR experience (directed by Karlak) in the works.

“I’m not involved in the mixed reality Alien, but I’m working on the immersive standalone VR story, although I can’t tell you the title,” Karlak said.

The official press release for The Alien: Covenant VR Experience explains that, like The Martian VR Experience, it will be released across all platforms and be a paid experience. The release also promises “a dread-inducing journey into the depths of the Alien universe. Viewers will discover the true meaning of terror as they navigate through horrifying alien environments and a story where every decision could mean the difference between life and death.”

When it comes to the Alien brand, Karlak said Scott inspired him to become a filmmaker.

“The first time I saw Alien, not only did it terrorize me, but it pulverized me visually,” Karlak said. “It set me on my journey to become a filmmaker. I still go back and watch that film because it’s able to find beauty in violence. That’s what makes the Alien franchise so unique. It checks the boxes of being an amazing horror and an amazing sci-fi film. But it’s also able to find this elegance and beauty in the otherworldly—and that’s to Ridley’s credit. His reverence to high art seeps out of every pore. Early on, I told everyone we need to make this experience as beautiful as it is immersive.”

Karlak also said that everything from the visuals to the sound of the experience takes cues from the original Alien film.