Hasbro and Marvel have entered into a 5-year licensing agreement, "under which Marvel has granted Hasbro toy and game rights to its renowned Super Hero universe that includes franchises such as Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, X-Men and Captain America. Through the agreement, Hasbro has obtained the rights to develop products based on Marvel’s globally-known universe of over 5,000 characters in a wide range of toy and game categories -- including action figures, role play and preschool toys, board games and puzzles. The agreement covers both the “classic” comic book look of the characters as well as product lines inspired by Marvel-themed movies."
Ordinarily such a licensing agreement would, while financially a big deal, not be seen as particularly out of the ordinary, but there are some interesting factors to consider with regard to this event.
First of all, the license guarantees Marvel $205 million in royalty and service fee payments, of which $70 million would be payable on the theatrical release of Spider-Man 3 and $35 million upon the theatrical release of Spider-Man 4. This is of particular importance given tha Marvel has recently decided to fund it's own film studio by creating an independent funding entity worth $525 million last year.
The second important consideration is Marvel's historic connection to Toy Biz Inc. Especially since according to the Toy Biz website Toy Biz is a division of Marvel Enterprises, Inc. ™ & © 2005 Marvel Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved. According to Marvel the new agreement with Hasbro will result in lower royalty payments from Hasbro than came from Toy Biz, which makes sense since Marvel and Toy Biz are the same company. What the shift to Hasbro signifies is a desire by Marvel to continue seeing revenue from its intellectual properties while reducing the overhead costs of production. In the past, Toy Biz was responsible for manufacturing costs and royalty costs to the parent company thus expenditures, and thus risks, as well as profits were internal. Now the risk is external and the payments are internal. This is a significant change in the Marvel model. When Marvel was going bankrupt it was Toy Biz who merged with the financially unstable company and secured Marvel's place in the market. Now that most of Marvel's debt is paid, it appears that the companies are preparing to separate.
Third, what does this mean for Role Players? According to Marvel Chairmand Morton Handel, "Commencing in 2007, a wide range of toy and game categories – including action figures, role play and preschool toys, board games and puzzles – will be produced by our new licensee, Hasbro." Role playing products are a part of the licensing deal. What the new Marvel rpg, if any, produced from this deal will look like can only be guessed at, but it does look like a bright possibility.
In good news for Hasbro, the license can be extended past the five year term, dependent on the number of other entertainment properties released during that timeframe.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Friday, January 06, 2006
Comedy Central Expands Motherload Lineup.
Last November Comedy Central, a division of MTV Networks and part of "New" Viacom, launched its broadband-optimized channel Motherload. The web-based channel featured original programming for online viewing (currently Motherload is incompatible with Firefox 1.5) by technically savvy consumers. In addition to a launch of five "broadband exclusive" shows, Motherload offers a number of services like previews/highlights/extras from existing Comedy Central programming. Motherload was created to both take advantage of a new medium while supporting existing Comedy Central Programming.
January 6, 2006, Comedy Central announced their 2006 development slate for the broadband entertainment site. Lou Wallach, senior vice-president, original programming and development, discussed upcoming developments:
A Comedy Central press release discussed what shows may be featured on Motherload in upcoming months.
Recently Comedy Central has received criticism for pulling the second run of a South Park episode which featured a bleeding Virgin Mary Statue. The follow up showing was pulled after Catholic groups loudly protested the episode's content. I think it is possible that with sufficient pressure from individuals who want to watch the episode, the network would likely re-air the episode or at minimum make it available to view on Motherload. We at Cinerati don't know why some people don't understand that South Park pokes fun at everybody. Number One believes that comedy fans who only want to experience Schadenfruede-esque humor and never be the brunt of a joke ought think about what that means.
January 6, 2006, Comedy Central announced their 2006 development slate for the broadband entertainment site. Lou Wallach, senior vice-president, original programming and development, discussed upcoming developments:
Our 2006 broadband development slate further represents COMEDY CENTRAL's commitment to developing and producing quality programming exclusively for this digital platform," said Wallach. "There is such a wealth of talent and content in the broadband arena. With the launch of 'MotherLoad' we have become the comedic hub for broadband content. Top comedians, actors and writers are looking to COMEDY CENTRAL as the launching pad for their broadband shows.
A Comedy Central press release discussed what shows may be featured on Motherload in upcoming months.
Projects in consideration to premiere on "MotherLoad" include (all titles listed are working titles): "All Access: Middle Ages" This hilarious VH1 clip-show parody is from Littleman, the gang behind MotherLoad's hit series "I Love the Thirties." The new show includes such episodes as "Most Awesomely Bad Plagues," "Worst Breakups: Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn" and "Best Crusade Ever." "How To Live" From writer Steve Kerper, "How To Live" is a show about a modern dysfunctional family, but produced in the style of 50's-era educational reels. "Fanboy" "Fanboy" is a live-action scripted series about an obnoxious comic-book geek. The series was developed by Hungryman, the commercial production company that works with Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry. "Good God" "Good God" is a live action comedy, a la "The Office," about God's workplace environment. This show is another Hungryman production. "Golden Age" This animated show comes from Augenblick Studios, whose animation has appeared in COMEDY CENTRAL's "Shorties Watching Shorties" and MTV2's "Wonder Showzen." Each episode of "Golden Age" features a profile of what happened to long-since-retired cartoon characters. For example, "Jerome" the gumdrop from the "Let's Go Out to the Lobby" film strips that played before movies in the 70s, was afflicted with numerous abuse problems. "Daisy Garden Story Time" A dark & twisted "Reading Rainbow" parody from Nick Gurewitch, the artist behind cult comic strip "The Perry Bible Fellowship". "My Wife, The Ghost" This series is a dark parody of the 50's-era supernatural sitcoms such as "My Mother the Car" and "Bewitched." "MotherLoad Presents" Taped in front of a live audience at New York's own Ars Nova Theater, this series features some of the funniest, strangest and most unique bits from NYC's alternative comedy scene.
Recently Comedy Central has received criticism for pulling the second run of a South Park episode which featured a bleeding Virgin Mary Statue. The follow up showing was pulled after Catholic groups loudly protested the episode's content. I think it is possible that with sufficient pressure from individuals who want to watch the episode, the network would likely re-air the episode or at minimum make it available to view on Motherload. We at Cinerati don't know why some people don't understand that South Park pokes fun at everybody. Number One believes that comedy fans who only want to experience Schadenfruede-esque humor and never be the brunt of a joke ought think about what that means.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Everything You Need to Know About Roleplaying Games
8 bit D&D attempts to show what a "typical" roleplaying session is like, while simultaneously addressing rpg critics.
Now that I have made the cartoon sound sophisticated...the group it focuses on is more like your typical High School aged gaming group, though some of their behaviors are universal. In fact, anyone who has played an rpg has had a session similar to the one portrayed.
The opening prologue is a parody of the "rpgs = satan" crowd, best represented by Jack Chick, who have attacked the fantasy elements of rpgs.
Now that I have made the cartoon sound sophisticated...the group it focuses on is more like your typical High School aged gaming group, though some of their behaviors are universal. In fact, anyone who has played an rpg has had a session similar to the one portrayed.
The opening prologue is a parody of the "rpgs = satan" crowd, best represented by Jack Chick, who have attacked the fantasy elements of rpgs.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
CBS and Viacom Once More Separate Publically Traded Entities
In 1999, the merger of CBS and Viacom was the largest media merger in history. At the time, it combined CBS (aka the old folks network) with Viacom's long list of youth oriented cable networks. The deal was described by CNN as move to get the "network of Dan Rather in touch with the MTV generation."
In December 2005, Paramount Pictures (a unit of Viacom Inc.) purchased Dreamworks SKG, increasing the catalogue of the media giant. Also in December of 2005 MTV announced , in what can only be called a flexing of synergistic media giant muscles, that it would be venturing into the digital download musical arena. But it appears that the recent activity partially helps to shore up Viacom after it decided to separate its businesses into two publically traded entities.
January 1, 2006 marked the first day that CBS and Viacom will become CBS Corporation and New Viacom Inc. While CBS will hold many of the former television properties of Viacom, it appears that MTV Networks will move on to the "New" Viacom.
I guess Dan Rather and the MTV generation didn't get along too well after all. Or maybe they did. After all, CBS brought in the New Year with a Dan Rather interview of Bill Clinton the sax playing star seen on MTV in 1992. Maybe CNN forgot that the MTV generation was voting in 1992 when they wrote their story in 1999.
In December 2005, Paramount Pictures (a unit of Viacom Inc.) purchased Dreamworks SKG, increasing the catalogue of the media giant. Also in December of 2005 MTV announced , in what can only be called a flexing of synergistic media giant muscles, that it would be venturing into the digital download musical arena. But it appears that the recent activity partially helps to shore up Viacom after it decided to separate its businesses into two publically traded entities.
January 1, 2006 marked the first day that CBS and Viacom will become CBS Corporation and New Viacom Inc. While CBS will hold many of the former television properties of Viacom, it appears that MTV Networks will move on to the "New" Viacom.
I guess Dan Rather and the MTV generation didn't get along too well after all. Or maybe they did. After all, CBS brought in the New Year with a Dan Rather interview of Bill Clinton the sax playing star seen on MTV in 1992. Maybe CNN forgot that the MTV generation was voting in 1992 when they wrote their story in 1999.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
My Choice for the Rose Bowl!
It appears that some Marvel Golden Age Superheroes share my love of the USC Trojans.
Image copyright Hasbro, Characters Trademark Marvel Comics Group.
Monday, January 02, 2006
A Brief Comment
I have been researching for some time comments regarding the "fragmentation of the media" that the blogosphere will cause. Supposedly there will be a universe where we only read self-affirming political information, or putter around our own limited interests (RPGs, Comics, PC, Movies) without encountering any kind of larger shared community. I disagree with the thesis, primarily because the radio, television, cable, internet, explosion of newspapers, (insert other medium here), was supposed to do this in the past. None of them ever did.
Anyway, before I hint at what my longer post will discuss, let me just say that while they are "outside my interests" I visit Summer in Paris (a blog about fashion and handbags) relatively frequently now. Though I have to admit, it is not something I would expect I would read, I visited it because it linked to me and once I visited it I kept going back. My only criticism is that I wish the posts were longer. I also am a frequent reader of Tabloid Whore, who singlehandedly has made me a fan. Why? Because, though in colorful language, the blog makes me laugh.
I also use some "big name" portals, you know like Yahoo! and AOL. The "fearmongers" are too caught up to realize that people can become interested in new subjects, or that the market has already created "cultural centers."
Anyway, before I hint at what my longer post will discuss, let me just say that while they are "outside my interests" I visit Summer in Paris (a blog about fashion and handbags) relatively frequently now. Though I have to admit, it is not something I would expect I would read, I visited it because it linked to me and once I visited it I kept going back. My only criticism is that I wish the posts were longer. I also am a frequent reader of Tabloid Whore, who singlehandedly has made me a fan. Why? Because, though in colorful language, the blog makes me laugh.
I also use some "big name" portals, you know like Yahoo! and AOL. The "fearmongers" are too caught up to realize that people can become interested in new subjects, or that the market has already created "cultural centers."
Vote for Number One's Best of 2005
Happy New Year!
This year I am beginning a new tradition at Cinerati. I will post links to some, actually too many, of my favorite posts from this past year and you can tell me which ones you liked the best. This year there will be four categories: General, Comic Books, Movies, Games.
Without further ado, the nominees are:
There they are, the nominees for 2005. There are too many, even though I think I left out some interesting posts (like my Supernatural Spec post), but that's what happens when one nominates ones own work. I hope that other members of the Cinerati community will do similar posts.
Let me know what you think.
This year I am beginning a new tradition at Cinerati. I will post links to some, actually too many, of my favorite posts from this past year and you can tell me which ones you liked the best. This year there will be four categories: General, Comic Books, Movies, Games.
Without further ado, the nominees are:
General:
Comic Books:
Movies:
Games:
There they are, the nominees for 2005. There are too many, even though I think I left out some interesting posts (like my Supernatural Spec post), but that's what happens when one nominates ones own work. I hope that other members of the Cinerati community will do similar posts.
Let me know what you think.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)