Sony will oversee a big-screen adaptation of Angry Birds, Microsoft is ending their Microsoft points system, and EA has released the first info on their MOBA Dawngate.
Following a competitive bidding process for the distribution rights, developers Rovio Entertainment made a deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment to bring the “animated 3D comedy” Angry Birds to theatres.
Sony also announced two producers who are working on the Angry Birds film: John Cohen (Despicable Me) and David Maisel (Iron Man, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger).
CEO of Rovio, Mikael Hed, commented on the partnership with Sony, “[they] impressed us with their great attitude, determination, and professionalism. They convinced us that we have found the right partners and team to help us market and distribute our first motion picture.”
The film is targeted for release on July 1, 2016.
Microsoft will no longer run its Microsoft points system, and will replace it with a gift card currency.
Microsoft points are currently used primarily on the Xbox 360 to purchase digital items such as games, movies, and television shows. It was confirmed that the new digital purchasing trend will allow users to buy things via credit and debit cards. Overall, it seems to be very similar to Apple’s iTunes system.
The new monetary system will begin later this year, in time for Microsoft’s next generation Xbox.
An EA-published MOBA game, Dawngate has been announced. Dawngate, developed by Waystone Games, will join League of Legends, Dota 2 and Heroes of Newerth in an already competitive MOBA market.
New to MOBAs? The acronym stands for multiplayer online battle arena – games where players choose a character, hero, or, in the case of Smite, a god, and level them up across the course of a match. MOBAs are renowned for their steep learning curves and highly competitive nature, with top tournaments having multi-million dollar prize pools.
Dawngate’s unique selling point appears to be “community-driven content,” according to its website. Interested? You can sign up for the beta now.
‘Angry Birds’ the movie?
Would you see a film version of the mobile physics cartoon game? Are you happy that Microsoft is trending toward a more simple digital purchasing system?
Written by: Anna Roberts, Mitchel Clow
Image source: Rovio