The BBFC has announced that it will be launching a new online rating scheme which will let them rate more media content such as downloadable games, films, and programs. Want to find out more about this? Head on over to the full article for more information.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment president Bob Chapek had some harsh words for HD-DVD backers, saying that those in the HD-DVD camp are prolonging the format war even though it is clear that Blu-ray will win. During a two-day Blu-ray festival in Hollywood, Chapek said the following:

Blu-ray's competition's attempts to sell less than the best will inevitably be trumped by what we stated from the very beginning: That the Blu-ray technology is not a half-step format that will sell consumers short, but rather it is a revolutionary technology that will change the way we view movies for the long term.

And we firmly believe that revolutionary technology, my friends, is indisputably, undeniably and inevitably Blu-ray.

Chapek wasn't alone in chastising HD-DVD backers. Fox's home entertainment president Mike Dunn earlier this week blasted Paramount for switching to HD-DVD. Dunn referred to the rumored US$ 50 million payout that Paramount supposedly received, accusing the studio of "taking the bait".

 

Our last update (and the first) on Disney Interactive's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian was back in mid-July, after the publishers released a pair of videos and a few screenshots to admire. The video game adaptation of the second feature of C.S. Lewis' fantasy series would be served to gamers on almost every platform available.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian will see the return of the Pevensie siblings, in an effort to restore the throne of Narnia to young Prince Caspian. Features of the game will include the ability to play 20 characters in total, including all four Pevensies, Prince Caspian, and a minotaur.

Online and offline multiplayer was also mentioned, with an instant join, instant leave two-player gameplay experience. It was reported that Disney Interactive will include two exclusive scenes recorded by Walt Disney Pictures to the game. Expect all these to come to light when The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian hits your Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PSP, DS, PS2, and Windows PC next year. For the time being, give the few stills provided here a glance or two.

   

 

Looks like the HD-DVD format is being left out in the cold this holiday season. Following Blockbuster's announcement of a Blu-ray exclusivity deal, this new announcement from Target is looking like the format wars' final nail on the coffin.

The Associated Press has just released a statement that Target, second-largest retail outlet in the US, will be bringing the Blu-ray under the spotlight this holiday season. They're going to be pushing up Blu-ray players and discs all the way to the front displays, specifically, the endcaps of the store aisles.

Sony's BDP-S300 Blu-ray player will be sold come October for US$ 499, and flanking it on the shelves would be Blu-ray movies from Sony Pictures and Walt Disney.

It might be worth of note that Target would still continue selling HD-DVD items, like the Xbox 360's HD-DVD add-on. But it seems as if, on the disc player side of things, the retail chain will only carry Blu-ray players from Sony and not HD-DVD players (with an exception to Toshiba's HD-DVD player which is available on the Target website). So, like the deal with Blockbuster, Sony's hand on Target looks like a pretty secure lock-out.

Target is to make its official announcement of the deal with Sony come Thursday.

There's a steady trickle of information regarding the movie adaptation of Jordan Mechner's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Just the other day, we reported that the movie port's script was reviewed. Today, we found out the exact release date for the movie.

The previous reports indicating a "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" release date of "summer of 2009" proved quite accurate. The movie will be made under the watchful eye of producer Jerry Bruckheimer and will be made under Walt Disney Pictures. According to ComingSoon.net, the movie will be heading to box offices on June 10, 2009.

That's right, fans. It seems they're making the movie with the sweet luxury of time - which is pretty ironic since the movie is about manipulating the very stuff. Anyway, we'll keep you posted on this so stay glued.

Them scurvy pirates are drawing ever closer to your ports. That's right, the company of Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, and Elizabeth Swann will be docking atop your retailer's store shelves come May 22. And that's only a few winks away.

So before we get the party started, we've got some new smuggled images of Walt Disney's blockbuster movie-turned-video game, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. These images are for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, and they're looking like valuable treasures, indeed.

The movie will be following shortly after the video game's release, so we expect the franchise to bloom like gold. In the meantime, why don't you dig through our latest stash of PoTC: At World's End screenshots? Enjoy!

More screenshots await at the Full Article!

Yeah, we bet that you didn't have have too much fun with that Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End French trailer. So now, we have 10 new PS3 and Xbox 360 screens of the game and this time you need not be bilingual as they are just pure images, no French dialogues or captions here.

The game is inspired by both the upcoming film of the same title and last year's blockbuster hit Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Live and die by the sword is the name of the game and you have the choice of playing as Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann.

The game is scheduled for release on May 22 and would also be available on the Wii, PSP, PC, and Nintendo DS. Here be the PS3 and Xbox 360 screens of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.

More screens after the jump.

Meet the Robinsons, developed by Avalanche Software and Disney, was released for the Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, GameBoy Advanced, Nintendo DS and the Game Cube. It has been announced that each version of the game will have a new story which expands on the film. The new storyline revolves around Wilbur Robinson, the hero of the game, who must prevent Bowler Hat Guy and his robotic hat Doris from changing the future by messing with the past.

Jon Warner, Avalanche Software's senior producer for the console versions, spoke about their development of the game. He said that it was "critical to create an authentic Robinsons experience by working closely with Walt Disney Animation Studios to explore new possibilities for the franchise while designing a creative and compelling experience for players".

The Xbox 360 and Wii versions of the game take advantage of the specific features of each console. For example,  the Xbox 360 players can show off their scores and achievements online via Xbox Live, while Wii players can use the Wiimote to use their character's gadgets while the Nunchuk is used for targeting. The Nintendo DS release also follows suit, with the touch screen being used for various in-game tasks as well as participate in single/multiplayer matches of the Charge Ball mini-game.

The two handheld releases each have their own storyline. The plot of the DS version if the game has Wilbur trying to retrieve a time-machine stolen from Cornelius Robinson, while the GameBoy Advanced version will have players trying to free the Robinson family from Little Doris and her evil minions.

Craig Relyea, the vice president of marketing of Disney Interactive Studios has commented on the game, saying that "players can completely explore the eccentric and mystifying Robinson house to uncover all of its secrets. Players of all ages will find the experience engaging and most of all, fun."

Meet the Robinsons has already been released in the US and will be released in Europe this October.Fans of the movie should not miss this exciting new offering from Disney Interactive Studios.

At first it may seem that Climax Studio is on a downhill track following the sale of its Brighton, England racing studio to Walt Disney's Buena Vista Games. The recent reports about the downsizing of its Santa Monica studio also fits well in this line of thinking. The CEO of the company however, Karl Jeffrey, denies these speculations and says they are just restructuring operations.

"New-gen game development requires incredible focus and the removal of all barriers to your teams creating and communicating effectively," states Jeffrey. Accordingly, Santa Monica studio will be reduced by 14 while the remaining ones in U.K. (in Hampshire and London) will be expanding. All studios will now be placed under the direct management of Simon Gardner, Climax Head of Development.

Jeffrey adds, "Integrating our management structure in this way and doing more of our development in the U.K. will allow us to control the production process better. I am also looking forward to recruiting new talent into the company." The company, in the past, has been responsible for quality titles such as MotoGP, ATV Offroad Fury and Xbox RPG Sudeki.

Today, known upcoming projects of Climax Studio include Oblivion for PSP, next-gen project Codename: Avalon and a Ghost Rider game for 2K Games.

Bill Gates was tapped to deliver one of three keynote addresses in the slated January 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. From the looks of it, this will be the last time he'll be speaking as MS' chairman as he is resigning from the iconic company come 2008.

This would be the ninth keynote for Mr. Gates and most likely, the company's gaming wing will hog much of his speech time as they are facing major challenges in several fields - with the impending releases of the PS3 and Wii. Other keynote speakers are Motorola chairman and CEO Ed Zander, and Roger Iger, president and CEO of The Walt Disney Company.

Another topic that will most certainly get some air time in that keynote address is the Windows Vista Operating System which is carrying the heavy burden of energizing its software base. Some of Seattle's technology press is also speculating that Microsoft's Zune nee Argo media device, its connected software and services, would also be tackled.

To give you a bit of a refresher, the world's richest man's keynote last January in the same show focused on MS' support to the next-generation HD-DVD format with the announcement of an external Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive - due out before the end of 2006. Alongside that assurance are some software announcements - the availability of more games on Xbox Live Arcade. The 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show takes place between January 8th and 11th.