Target Audience: Well off, 18+, male and female
Tagline: Travel the world with lastminute.com, find exclusive deals on hotels, flights, holidays, restaurants, theatre, spa breaks and more.
Hardware and Software
Outcome 1 – Written and/or Oral Evidence
The evidence for Outcome 1 will be in the form of written and/or recorded oral evidence which demonstrates that the candidate has identified the main hardware and software needed for the given project and has explained the purpose of each piece of hardware and software identified.
Outcome 2 – Written and/or Oral Evidence
The evidence for Outcome 2 will consist of a folio containing ten items of digital media content across three different types of digital media content drawn from audio, video, graphics, photographs, animations, text. For each item the candidate will evaluate whether it meets the requirements of the project and will identify two possible sources.
Outcome 3 – Written and/or Oral Evidence
The evidence for Outcome 3 will consist of a plan devised by you. The plan must be based on the given project. The plan will include details of:
• the appropriate expected quality of the digital media content
• two items of digital media content to be created by the candidate
• three items of digital media content to be captured from existing sources
• hardware and software required to create and capture the digital media content
• timescales for the creation and capture of the digital media content
• the steps to be taken before using copyright protected digital media content
The digital media content to be created and captured must be across two different types of digital media content drawn from audio, video, graphics, photographs, animations, text.
Outcome 4 – Performance and Product Evidence
The evidence for Outcome 4 will consist of performance and product evidence, which demonstrates that you can:
• select, set up and adjust hardware and software to allow suitable capture and creation of digital media content for the project
• capture existing digital media content for the project and store it appropriately
• create new digital media content for the given project and store it appropriately
• edit the digital media content to meet the needs of the project and store the edited content appropriately
Friday 13 November 2009
Wednesday 11 November 2009
phootoshop poster
today we hand to make a poster in photoshop about digital media.
the poster i make was to me just right byt gillwan keep on telling me to change things "the flow is not right"
and that it was hard to see sume of the text,if i can see it, any one can.
sorry for some reason blooger wont let me post pics and such
the poster i make was to me just right byt gillwan keep on telling me to change things "the flow is not right"
and that it was hard to see sume of the text,if i can see it, any one can.
sorry for some reason blooger wont let me post pics and such
Skills learned in Photoshop and Flash
PHOTOSHOP
Picture to Drawing
Cleaning up a drawing
Saving authoring file
Saving compressed format file
FLASH
Importing bitmap
Free Transforming
Frame by frame animation
Using the eraser tool
Making layers for actionscript, each component of animation
Making a symbol
Animating a symbol
FILE TYPES
AUTHORING: Photoshop: .psd; Flash .fla
COMPRESSED: Photoshop: .jpg or .gif Flash: .swf or .mov or .gif
Posted by
Picture to Drawing
Cleaning up a drawing
Saving authoring file
Saving compressed format file
FLASH
Importing bitmap
Free Transforming
Frame by frame animation
Using the eraser tool
Making layers for actionscript, each component of animation
Making a symbol
Animating a symbol
FILE TYPES
AUTHORING: Photoshop: .psd; Flash .fla
COMPRESSED: Photoshop: .jpg or .gif Flash: .swf or .mov or .gif
Posted by
Monday 9 November 2009
Friday 6 November 2009
Monday 2 November 2009
Wednesday 7 October 2009
last firday
last firday we used adoble premear for the first time just to see how it works and then we hand to get 6 pic from around the world to make a new video
Im old greg
Im old greg
Monday 28 September 2009
project proposal
storyboads brif
time resourse
conten.images
.animations
meetings budget
portfolio
scripe
testing
eraluation
time resourse
conten.images
.animations
meetings budget
portfolio
scripe
testing
eraluation
Friday 25 September 2009
job i want to do
i whant to do is animation as im into the japnesse otaku cultul as in anime, manga and video games
Most jobs in animation require a bachelor's degree in fine arts, media or a related field. This can be obtained through a traditional college or a specialized animation school.
Educational programs for animation include classes in studio art, art history and composition techniques, as well as core subjects like English and math, if the program is part of a more traditional university.
Along with a degree, an animator seeking a job will need a strong portfolio of work.
which i NO WERE NEER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ok i do have sume expreances in flash but thay were just stik men done very badly
so i got a long way to go.
Most jobs in animation require a bachelor's degree in fine arts, media or a related field. This can be obtained through a traditional college or a specialized animation school.
Educational programs for animation include classes in studio art, art history and composition techniques, as well as core subjects like English and math, if the program is part of a more traditional university.
Along with a degree, an animator seeking a job will need a strong portfolio of work.
which i NO WERE NEER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ok i do have sume expreances in flash but thay were just stik men done very badly
so i got a long way to go.
Wednesday 23 September 2009
Monday 21 September 2009
Monday 14 September 2009
audio engineer
JOB TITLE.........................audio engineer ......................
SECTOR ...........radio .......................................
1. Description of what someone with this tob title is generally involved in (where appropriate you should collect a typical job description
Audio engineering is a part of audio science dealing with the recording and reproduction of sound through mechanical and electronic means. The field draws on many disciplines, including electrical engineering, acoustics, psychoacoustics, and music. Unlike acoustical engineering, audio engineering does not deal with noise control or acoustical design. An audio engineer is closer to the creative and technical aspects of audio rather than formal engineering. An audio engineer must be proficient with different types of recording media, such as analog tape, digital multitrack recorders and workstations, and computer knowledge. With the advent of the digital age, it is becoming more and more important for the audio engineer to be versed in the understanding of software and hardware integration from synchronization to analog to digital transfers.
Description of where in the development and production process a person with each of these job tiles is usally most involved
Sound engineering technicians use many types of recording equipment, although computers are now the primary tool. They set up microphones to capture sounds. They use mixing boards to control the amount of input from different performers. For example, while recording a band, they may increase or decrease the volume of the drums, depending on the song. Mixing boards are electronic or computer consoles. They often have hundreds of dials, switches, meters, and lights. Sound engineers watch the lights and meters to "read" the music. The meters and lights indicate which sounds are being recorded and how strong they are. As the music is performed, technicians adjust dials and move switches to change the input. They may adjust the recording level, volume, and tone quality to achieve the desired sound. Technicians are responsible for maintaining all their sound equipment
Description how someone with this job title may have begun working in the industry and what qualifications he/she needed
As Broadcast / Audio / Sound Engineering jobseekers face keen opposition, you can get ahead of the competition by achieving certification for your skills. The Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE) offers a certification program that is recognized industry wide as a mark of competence and experience. The SBE certification achieved national status in 2003 when it was recognized by the National Skill Standards Board (NSSB). The NSSB accreditation means that along with guaranteeing quality the SBE certification must also keep current with changes in the industry. SBE offers the following certification options.
Description of how someone with this job title can progress within the industry and what qualications may be required
To be successful as a sound engineer, a candidate must be a good listener, paying full attention to what her client is trying to achieve. She must also have excellent hearing. She must be able to precisely adjust the controls of her equipment for desired effect. She should also possess exceptional auditory attention, able to focus on one source of sound, ignoring all others.
Provided your sources of information
www.learn4good.com
http://www.wikipedia.org/
www.ehow.com
SECTOR ...........radio .......................................
1. Description of what someone with this tob title is generally involved in (where appropriate you should collect a typical job description
Audio engineering is a part of audio science dealing with the recording and reproduction of sound through mechanical and electronic means. The field draws on many disciplines, including electrical engineering, acoustics, psychoacoustics, and music. Unlike acoustical engineering, audio engineering does not deal with noise control or acoustical design. An audio engineer is closer to the creative and technical aspects of audio rather than formal engineering. An audio engineer must be proficient with different types of recording media, such as analog tape, digital multitrack recorders and workstations, and computer knowledge. With the advent of the digital age, it is becoming more and more important for the audio engineer to be versed in the understanding of software and hardware integration from synchronization to analog to digital transfers.
Description of where in the development and production process a person with each of these job tiles is usally most involved
Sound engineering technicians use many types of recording equipment, although computers are now the primary tool. They set up microphones to capture sounds. They use mixing boards to control the amount of input from different performers. For example, while recording a band, they may increase or decrease the volume of the drums, depending on the song. Mixing boards are electronic or computer consoles. They often have hundreds of dials, switches, meters, and lights. Sound engineers watch the lights and meters to "read" the music. The meters and lights indicate which sounds are being recorded and how strong they are. As the music is performed, technicians adjust dials and move switches to change the input. They may adjust the recording level, volume, and tone quality to achieve the desired sound. Technicians are responsible for maintaining all their sound equipment
Description how someone with this job title may have begun working in the industry and what qualifications he/she needed
As Broadcast / Audio / Sound Engineering jobseekers face keen opposition, you can get ahead of the competition by achieving certification for your skills. The Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE) offers a certification program that is recognized industry wide as a mark of competence and experience. The SBE certification achieved national status in 2003 when it was recognized by the National Skill Standards Board (NSSB). The NSSB accreditation means that along with guaranteeing quality the SBE certification must also keep current with changes in the industry. SBE offers the following certification options.
Description of how someone with this job title can progress within the industry and what qualications may be required
To be successful as a sound engineer, a candidate must be a good listener, paying full attention to what her client is trying to achieve. She must also have excellent hearing. She must be able to precisely adjust the controls of her equipment for desired effect. She should also possess exceptional auditory attention, able to focus on one source of sound, ignoring all others.
Provided your sources of information
www.learn4good.com
http://www.wikipedia.org/
www.ehow.com
game designer
JOB TITLE game designer
SECTOR video game
1. Description of what someone with this tob title is generally involved in (where appropriate you should collect a typical job description
A game designer is a person who designs gameplay, conceiving and designing the rules and structures of a game.[1] The term applies to the designer of any game, whether a video game or tabletop games such as board games or card games.[1] The alternative term "games inventor" is sometimes used, especially in the context of traditional games.
2.Description of where in the development and production process a person with each of these job tiles is usally most involved
Gameplay Mechanics
1. Gameplay mechanics are the main ingredients of game design. Mechanics classify the types of interactions between the game and the player. Examples of common gameplay mechanics are timing, precision and strategy.
The Gameplay Loop
2. Game mechanics are often presented in gameplay loops. A loop consists of an objective, a challenge standing in the way of the objective and a reward for the player once she surmounts the challenge.
Prototyping
3. Game design involves creating rough versions of gameplay, or "prototypes." Designers employ different prototyping methods to test which gameplay mechanics best create the intended experience.
Fundamental Game Design Skills
4. Video-game design requires a broad range of related skills, including analytical and conceptual abilities, technical aptitude to operate development hardware and software, and superior communication skills.
Inspiration
5. Game-design concepts are often inspired by real-life experiences. Renowned Nintendo game creator Shigeru Miyamoto has created so many games based on his hobbies, he's forbidden to speak publicly about his interests.
3. Description how someone with this job title may have begun working in the industry and what qualifications he/she needed
There are some qualities that game companies will be looking for when hiring someone into their fold.
First off, you really should like video games. You should be the kind of person that hears the theme song to a game in your sleep. These companies want to hire someone who knows what makes a game good, and what makes a game bad. They want someone who knows good level design vs poor level design. The only way to do this is by playing, and playing AND playing video games over and over again. There are a load of people who spend all their time playing these games. Why should they hire someone then that hasn't put their time into gaming, and doesn't have the same passion for games as others?
Secondly, they are looking for someone with good problem solving skills. There are so many bugs and potential problems when designing a game. This ranges from collision detection to making things look convincing. You need to be the type who is willing to solve a problem even if it kills you. Hopefully this will not happen. ; )
Finally, they are looking for someone who can do things in a crunch. The gaming industry works at a torrid pace. Yes, you need to be patient, but you need to be awfully efficient in what you do.
4.Description of how someone with this job title can progress within the industry and what qualications may be required
In terms of education, the qualifications required are quite flexible, but to work on the graphical side, you will need to have a technical background such as a good degree in computer science or similar.
Those wishing to work in the creative side do not necessarily need knowledge of any coding, but tend to come from the areas of media or degrees in English literature and other similar areas.
5. Provided your sources of information
http://www.howtoall.com
www.ehow.com
http://www.wikipedia.org/
http://www.adigitaldreamer.com
SECTOR video game
1. Description of what someone with this tob title is generally involved in (where appropriate you should collect a typical job description
A game designer is a person who designs gameplay, conceiving and designing the rules and structures of a game.[1] The term applies to the designer of any game, whether a video game or tabletop games such as board games or card games.[1] The alternative term "games inventor" is sometimes used, especially in the context of traditional games.
2.Description of where in the development and production process a person with each of these job tiles is usally most involved
Gameplay Mechanics
1. Gameplay mechanics are the main ingredients of game design. Mechanics classify the types of interactions between the game and the player. Examples of common gameplay mechanics are timing, precision and strategy.
The Gameplay Loop
2. Game mechanics are often presented in gameplay loops. A loop consists of an objective, a challenge standing in the way of the objective and a reward for the player once she surmounts the challenge.
Prototyping
3. Game design involves creating rough versions of gameplay, or "prototypes." Designers employ different prototyping methods to test which gameplay mechanics best create the intended experience.
Fundamental Game Design Skills
4. Video-game design requires a broad range of related skills, including analytical and conceptual abilities, technical aptitude to operate development hardware and software, and superior communication skills.
Inspiration
5. Game-design concepts are often inspired by real-life experiences. Renowned Nintendo game creator Shigeru Miyamoto has created so many games based on his hobbies, he's forbidden to speak publicly about his interests.
3. Description how someone with this job title may have begun working in the industry and what qualifications he/she needed
There are some qualities that game companies will be looking for when hiring someone into their fold.
First off, you really should like video games. You should be the kind of person that hears the theme song to a game in your sleep. These companies want to hire someone who knows what makes a game good, and what makes a game bad. They want someone who knows good level design vs poor level design. The only way to do this is by playing, and playing AND playing video games over and over again. There are a load of people who spend all their time playing these games. Why should they hire someone then that hasn't put their time into gaming, and doesn't have the same passion for games as others?
Secondly, they are looking for someone with good problem solving skills. There are so many bugs and potential problems when designing a game. This ranges from collision detection to making things look convincing. You need to be the type who is willing to solve a problem even if it kills you. Hopefully this will not happen. ; )
Finally, they are looking for someone who can do things in a crunch. The gaming industry works at a torrid pace. Yes, you need to be patient, but you need to be awfully efficient in what you do.
4.Description of how someone with this job title can progress within the industry and what qualications may be required
In terms of education, the qualifications required are quite flexible, but to work on the graphical side, you will need to have a technical background such as a good degree in computer science or similar.
Those wishing to work in the creative side do not necessarily need knowledge of any coding, but tend to come from the areas of media or degrees in English literature and other similar areas.
5. Provided your sources of information
http://www.howtoall.com
www.ehow.com
http://www.wikipedia.org/
http://www.adigitaldreamer.com
animator
JOB TITLE animator
SECTOR film
1. Description of what someone with this job title is generally involved in (where appropriate you should collect a typical job description
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images called frames and Key frames that form an illusion of movement called animation when rapidly displayed. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an animation piece requires the collaboration of several animators. The methods of creating the images or frames for an animation piece depend on the animators' artistic styles and their field.
2. Description of where in the development and production process a person with each of these job tiles is usually most involved
In a typical day, animators may draw storyboards and create models of their characters, backgrounds (sets) and objects that belong in the set. Animators create each frame of an ad, show or movie in which their animation appears, and they may even help write the story copy. They double check that their animation meets the script and soundtrack requirements. Animators also polish and prepare their animations for camera if the animations are for television or movies, or for the press if the animations are for print media.
3. Description how someone with this job title may have begun working in the industry and what qualifications he/she needed
Animators must have artistic ability. This includes both excellent drawing skills and a thorough understanding of composition. Animators must also have a flare for storytelling. They need a great sense of timing and pacing in order to make the characters they create believable and life-like.
Animators need extensive, up-to-date knowledge of animation software such as Flash, Maya and Lightware.
Animators, for the most part, do not work alone. They must be good at working with a team as well as with their clients. Because they work with people, animators must also have good listening, time management and reading comprehension skills.
4. Description of how someone with this job title can progress within the industry and what qualications may be required
Most jobs in animation require a bachelor's degree in fine arts, media or a related field. This can be obtained through a traditional college or a specialized animation school.
Educational programs for animation include classes in studio art, art history and composition techniques, as well as core subjects like English and math, if the program is part of a more traditional university.
Along with a degree, an animator seeking a job will need a strong portfolio of work.
5. Provided your sources of information
www.ehow.com
http://www.wikipedia.org/
SECTOR film
1. Description of what someone with this job title is generally involved in (where appropriate you should collect a typical job description
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images called frames and Key frames that form an illusion of movement called animation when rapidly displayed. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an animation piece requires the collaboration of several animators. The methods of creating the images or frames for an animation piece depend on the animators' artistic styles and their field.
2. Description of where in the development and production process a person with each of these job tiles is usually most involved
In a typical day, animators may draw storyboards and create models of their characters, backgrounds (sets) and objects that belong in the set. Animators create each frame of an ad, show or movie in which their animation appears, and they may even help write the story copy. They double check that their animation meets the script and soundtrack requirements. Animators also polish and prepare their animations for camera if the animations are for television or movies, or for the press if the animations are for print media.
3. Description how someone with this job title may have begun working in the industry and what qualifications he/she needed
Animators must have artistic ability. This includes both excellent drawing skills and a thorough understanding of composition. Animators must also have a flare for storytelling. They need a great sense of timing and pacing in order to make the characters they create believable and life-like.
Animators need extensive, up-to-date knowledge of animation software such as Flash, Maya and Lightware.
Animators, for the most part, do not work alone. They must be good at working with a team as well as with their clients. Because they work with people, animators must also have good listening, time management and reading comprehension skills.
4. Description of how someone with this job title can progress within the industry and what qualications may be required
Most jobs in animation require a bachelor's degree in fine arts, media or a related field. This can be obtained through a traditional college or a specialized animation school.
Educational programs for animation include classes in studio art, art history and composition techniques, as well as core subjects like English and math, if the program is part of a more traditional university.
Along with a degree, an animator seeking a job will need a strong portfolio of work.
5. Provided your sources of information
www.ehow.com
http://www.wikipedia.org/
Friday 11 September 2009
pixar
Introduction
Pixar Animation Studios is an Academy Award ®-winning computer animation studio with the technical, creative and production capabilities to create a new generation of animated feature films, merchandise and other related products. Pixar's objective is to combine proprietary technology and world-class creative talent to develop computer-animated feature films with memorable characters and heartwarming stories that appeal to audiences of all ages.
Feature Films
In partnership with Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar created and produced Toy Story (1995), A Bug's Life (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004) and Cars (releasing June 9, 2006).
Toy Story, released November 22, 1995, reflects more than nine years of creative and technical achievements. The film received tremendous critical acclaim and became the highest grossing film of 1995, generating $362 million in worldwide box office receipts. Toy Story's director and Disney • Pixar's chief creative officer, John Lasseter, received a Special Achievement Academy Award® for his "inspired leadership of the Pixar Toy Story team resulting in the first feature-length computer animated film."
Pixar has since released A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles. The six films combined have grossed more than $3.2 billion at the worldwide box office, and Pixar now has six of the top grossing animated films of all time. Toy Story 2, at the time of release, broke numerous opening weekend records all over the world and won a Golden Globe award for Best Picture, Musical or Comedy in 1999.
In 2001, Pixar released the Academy Award®-winning Monsters, Inc., which reached over $100 million at the domestic box office in just 9 days, faster than any animated film in history at the time of its release. Monsters, Inc.'s opening-weekend gross of $62.6 million marked the largest 3-day opening ever for an animated film, the largest 3-day opening in the history of The Walt Disney Studios, the largest 3-day opening in the history of Pixar Animation Studios, and the sixth-largest opening in industry history - records that Monsters, Inc. held until the release of Finding Nemo.
On May 30, 2003, Pixar released Finding Nemo which broke every one of Monsters, Inc.'s opening weekend box office records that had been set only 18-months earlier. Finding Nemo generated $865 million at the global box office and received the Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature Film.
The Incredibles, released in 2004, continued Pixar's success both critically and at the box-office. The film grossed $70.2 million in its first weekend of release in the United States and performed similarly throughout the rest of the world. The film earned more than $620 million worldwide, elevating it to the second highest grossing Pixar film and amongst the 25 highest grossing film of all time. In addition to a multitude of prestigious accolades, praise for The Incredibles has culiminated in a Pixar-record: four Academy Award® nominations.
Short Films
For more than fifteen years, Pixar's creative and technical teams have worked closely to produce short films and television commercials using three-dimensional computer animation while continually developing their creative expertise and proprietary technology. In 1986, Pixar's first short film, Luxo Jr., received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Animated Short Film. In 1988, Pixar's short film Tin Toy received an Academy Award® for Best Animated Short Film, and in 1997, Geri's Game received the Academy Award® for Best Animated Short Film. Geri's Game was the first film to incorporate the studio's technology for creating more realistic-looking skin and cloth. In 2002, Pixar's For the Birds received the Academy Award® for Best Animated Short Film; in 2003 Mike's New Car was nominated for the same distinction; and, most recently in 2006, One Man Band became the latest Pixar Short to be nominated for the award.
Technology
Since its incorporation, Pixar has been responsible for many important breakthroughs in the application of computer graphics (CG) for filmmaking. Consequently, the company has attracted some of the world's finest talent in this area. Pixar's technical and creative teams have collaborated since 1986 to develop a wealth of production software used in-house to create its movies and further the state of the art in CG movie making. This proprietary technology allows the production of animated images of a quality, richness and vibrancy that are unique in the industry, and above all, allows the director to precisely control the end results in a way that is exactly right for the story. Pixar continues to invest heavily in its software systems and believes that further advancements will lead to additional productivity and quality improvements in the making of its computer animated films.
Pixar also has a long standing tradition of sharing its advances within the broader CG community, through technical papers, technology partnerships, and most notably through its publicly available RenderMan product for the highest-quality, photo-realistic images currently available. RenderMan remains the standard in CG film visual effects and feature animation and has been honored with an Academy Award for technical achievement.
In 2001, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences' Board of Governors® honored Ed Catmull, president of Pixar and Disney Animation Studios, Loren Carpenter, senior scientist, and Rob Cook, vice president of software engineering, with an Academy Award of Merit (Oscar®) "for significant advancements to the field of motion picture rendering as exemplified in Pixar's RenderMan." In 2002, the Producer's Guild of America honored Pixar with the Guild's inaugural Vanguard Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in new media and technology.
Creative Team
Pixar's creative department is led by John Lasseter, an Academy Award®-winning director and animator and the director of Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, and Cars (releasing June 9, 2006), as well as executive producer of Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003) and The Incredibles (2004). Under the guidance of Mr. Lasseter, Pixar has built a creative team that includes a department of highly skilled animators, a story department and an art department. This team was responsible for creating, writing and animating all of Pixar's films. Pixar strives to hire animators who have superior acting ability-those able to bring characters and inanimate objects to life, as though they have their own thought processes. In order to attract and retain quality animators, the company founded Pixar University, which conducts three-month long courses for new and existing animators. Pixar also has a complete production team that gives the company the capability to control all elements of production of its films. Pixar has successfully expanded the production team so projects may be worked on simultaneously.
Disney Relationship
Since the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by Disney in 1937, animated films have become one of the most universally enjoyed forms of entertainment. Disney has a long history of developing, producing, and distributing films such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King. The stories and characters of these popular animated feature films have become part of our modern mythology, enjoyed generation after generation. Traditionally, these popular animated feature films have been created using the time-consuming and labor-intensive process of two-dimensional, hand-drawn cel animation.
In May 1991, Pixar entered into the Feature Film Agreement with Walt Disney Pictures for the development and production of up to three computer animated feature films to be marketed and distributed by Disney. It was pursuant to the Feature Film Agreement that Toy Story was developed, produced, and distributed. In February 1997, Pixar entered into the Co-Production Agreement (which superseded the Feature Film Agreement) with Disney pursuant to which Pixar, on an exclusive basis, agreed to produce five original computer-animated feature-length theatrical motion pictures for distribution by Disney. The five original Pictures under the Co-Production Agreement were A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Cars. Toy Story 2, the theatrical sequel to Toy Story, was released in November 1999, and is also governed by the Co-Production Agreement. We are currently in various stages of production on our next feature, Ratatouille, which was subsequently added to the terms of the Co-Production Agreement, subject to certain exceptions, in January 2006.
On January 24, 2006, Pixar entered into an agreement with The Walt Disney Company to merge the two companies. The deal was approved by shareholders of both companies and the merger became effective on May 5, 2006. Pixar is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company.
Pixar Animation Studios is an Academy Award ®-winning computer animation studio with the technical, creative and production capabilities to create a new generation of animated feature films, merchandise and other related products. Pixar's objective is to combine proprietary technology and world-class creative talent to develop computer-animated feature films with memorable characters and heartwarming stories that appeal to audiences of all ages.
Feature Films
In partnership with Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar created and produced Toy Story (1995), A Bug's Life (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004) and Cars (releasing June 9, 2006).
Toy Story, released November 22, 1995, reflects more than nine years of creative and technical achievements. The film received tremendous critical acclaim and became the highest grossing film of 1995, generating $362 million in worldwide box office receipts. Toy Story's director and Disney • Pixar's chief creative officer, John Lasseter, received a Special Achievement Academy Award® for his "inspired leadership of the Pixar Toy Story team resulting in the first feature-length computer animated film."
Pixar has since released A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles. The six films combined have grossed more than $3.2 billion at the worldwide box office, and Pixar now has six of the top grossing animated films of all time. Toy Story 2, at the time of release, broke numerous opening weekend records all over the world and won a Golden Globe award for Best Picture, Musical or Comedy in 1999.
In 2001, Pixar released the Academy Award®-winning Monsters, Inc., which reached over $100 million at the domestic box office in just 9 days, faster than any animated film in history at the time of its release. Monsters, Inc.'s opening-weekend gross of $62.6 million marked the largest 3-day opening ever for an animated film, the largest 3-day opening in the history of The Walt Disney Studios, the largest 3-day opening in the history of Pixar Animation Studios, and the sixth-largest opening in industry history - records that Monsters, Inc. held until the release of Finding Nemo.
On May 30, 2003, Pixar released Finding Nemo which broke every one of Monsters, Inc.'s opening weekend box office records that had been set only 18-months earlier. Finding Nemo generated $865 million at the global box office and received the Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature Film.
The Incredibles, released in 2004, continued Pixar's success both critically and at the box-office. The film grossed $70.2 million in its first weekend of release in the United States and performed similarly throughout the rest of the world. The film earned more than $620 million worldwide, elevating it to the second highest grossing Pixar film and amongst the 25 highest grossing film of all time. In addition to a multitude of prestigious accolades, praise for The Incredibles has culiminated in a Pixar-record: four Academy Award® nominations.
Short Films
For more than fifteen years, Pixar's creative and technical teams have worked closely to produce short films and television commercials using three-dimensional computer animation while continually developing their creative expertise and proprietary technology. In 1986, Pixar's first short film, Luxo Jr., received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Animated Short Film. In 1988, Pixar's short film Tin Toy received an Academy Award® for Best Animated Short Film, and in 1997, Geri's Game received the Academy Award® for Best Animated Short Film. Geri's Game was the first film to incorporate the studio's technology for creating more realistic-looking skin and cloth. In 2002, Pixar's For the Birds received the Academy Award® for Best Animated Short Film; in 2003 Mike's New Car was nominated for the same distinction; and, most recently in 2006, One Man Band became the latest Pixar Short to be nominated for the award.
Technology
Since its incorporation, Pixar has been responsible for many important breakthroughs in the application of computer graphics (CG) for filmmaking. Consequently, the company has attracted some of the world's finest talent in this area. Pixar's technical and creative teams have collaborated since 1986 to develop a wealth of production software used in-house to create its movies and further the state of the art in CG movie making. This proprietary technology allows the production of animated images of a quality, richness and vibrancy that are unique in the industry, and above all, allows the director to precisely control the end results in a way that is exactly right for the story. Pixar continues to invest heavily in its software systems and believes that further advancements will lead to additional productivity and quality improvements in the making of its computer animated films.
Pixar also has a long standing tradition of sharing its advances within the broader CG community, through technical papers, technology partnerships, and most notably through its publicly available RenderMan product for the highest-quality, photo-realistic images currently available. RenderMan remains the standard in CG film visual effects and feature animation and has been honored with an Academy Award for technical achievement.
In 2001, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences' Board of Governors® honored Ed Catmull, president of Pixar and Disney Animation Studios, Loren Carpenter, senior scientist, and Rob Cook, vice president of software engineering, with an Academy Award of Merit (Oscar®) "for significant advancements to the field of motion picture rendering as exemplified in Pixar's RenderMan." In 2002, the Producer's Guild of America honored Pixar with the Guild's inaugural Vanguard Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in new media and technology.
Creative Team
Pixar's creative department is led by John Lasseter, an Academy Award®-winning director and animator and the director of Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, and Cars (releasing June 9, 2006), as well as executive producer of Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003) and The Incredibles (2004). Under the guidance of Mr. Lasseter, Pixar has built a creative team that includes a department of highly skilled animators, a story department and an art department. This team was responsible for creating, writing and animating all of Pixar's films. Pixar strives to hire animators who have superior acting ability-those able to bring characters and inanimate objects to life, as though they have their own thought processes. In order to attract and retain quality animators, the company founded Pixar University, which conducts three-month long courses for new and existing animators. Pixar also has a complete production team that gives the company the capability to control all elements of production of its films. Pixar has successfully expanded the production team so projects may be worked on simultaneously.
Disney Relationship
Since the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by Disney in 1937, animated films have become one of the most universally enjoyed forms of entertainment. Disney has a long history of developing, producing, and distributing films such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King. The stories and characters of these popular animated feature films have become part of our modern mythology, enjoyed generation after generation. Traditionally, these popular animated feature films have been created using the time-consuming and labor-intensive process of two-dimensional, hand-drawn cel animation.
In May 1991, Pixar entered into the Feature Film Agreement with Walt Disney Pictures for the development and production of up to three computer animated feature films to be marketed and distributed by Disney. It was pursuant to the Feature Film Agreement that Toy Story was developed, produced, and distributed. In February 1997, Pixar entered into the Co-Production Agreement (which superseded the Feature Film Agreement) with Disney pursuant to which Pixar, on an exclusive basis, agreed to produce five original computer-animated feature-length theatrical motion pictures for distribution by Disney. The five original Pictures under the Co-Production Agreement were A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Cars. Toy Story 2, the theatrical sequel to Toy Story, was released in November 1999, and is also governed by the Co-Production Agreement. We are currently in various stages of production on our next feature, Ratatouille, which was subsequently added to the terms of the Co-Production Agreement, subject to certain exceptions, in January 2006.
On January 24, 2006, Pixar entered into an agreement with The Walt Disney Company to merge the two companies. The deal was approved by shareholders of both companies and the merger became effective on May 5, 2006. Pixar is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company.
you tube
YouTube is a video sharing website on which users can upload and share videos. Three former PayPal employees created YouTube in February 2005.[2] In November 2006, YouTube, LLC was bought by Google Inc. for $1.65 billion, and is now operated as a subsidiary of Google.
The company is based in San Bruno, California, and uses Adobe Flash Video technology to display a wide variety of user-generated video content, including movie clips, TV clips, and music videos, as well as amateur content such as video blogging and short original videos. Most of the content on YouTube has been uploaded by individuals, although media corporations including CBS, the BBC, UMG and other organizations offer some of their material via the site, as part of the YouTube partnership program.[3]
Unregistered users can watch the videos, while registered users are permitted to upload an unlimited number of videos. Videos that are considered to contain potentially offensive content are available only to registered users over the age of 18. The uploading of videos containing defamation, pornography, copyright violations, and material encouraging criminal conduct is prohibited by YouTube's terms of service. Accounts of registered users are called "channels".
Company history
YouTube was founded by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim, who were all early employees of PayPal. Hurley studied design at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, while Chen and Karim studied computer science together at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. According to a story that has often been repeated in the media, Chad Hurley and Steve Chen developed the idea for YouTube during the early months of 2005, after they had experienced difficulty sharing videos that had been shot at a dinner party at Chen's apartment in San Francisco. Jawed Karim did not attend the party and denied that it had occurred, and Chad Hurley commented that the idea that YouTube was founded after a dinner party "was probably very strengthened by marketing ideas around creating a story that was very digestible." YouTube began as a venture-funded technology startup, primarily from a US$11.5 million investment by Sequoia Capital between November 2005 and April 2006.[8] YouTube's early headquarters were situated above a pizzeria and Japanese restaurant in San Mateo, California.[9] The domain name www.youtube.com was activated on February 15, 2005, and the website was developed over the subsequent months.[10] The first YouTube video was entitled Me at the zoo, and shows founder Jawed Karim at San Diego Zoo.[11] The video was uploaded on April 23, 2005, and can still be viewed on the site.[12]
YouTube offered the public a beta test of the site in May 2005, six months before the official launch in November 2005. The site grew rapidly, and in July 2006 the company announced that more than 65,000 new videos were being uploaded every day, and that the site was receiving 100 million video views per day.[13] According to data published by market research company comScore, YouTube is the dominant provider of online video in the United States, with a market share of around 43 percent and more than six billion videos viewed in January 2009.[14] It is estimated that 20 hours of new videos are uploaded to the site every minute, and that around three quarters of the material comes from outside the United States.[15][16] It is also estimated that in 2007 YouTube consumed as much bandwidth as the entire Internet in 2000.[17] In March 2008, YouTube's bandwidth costs were estimated at approximately US$1 million a day.[18] Alexa ranks YouTube as the fourth most visited website on the Internet, behind Google, Yahoo! and Facebook.[19]
The choice of the name www.youtube.com led to problems for a similarly named website, www.utube.com. The owner of the site, Universal Tube & Rollform Equipment, filed a lawsuit against YouTube in November 2006 after being overloaded on a regular basis by people looking for YouTube. Universal Tube has since changed the name of its website to www.utubeonline.com.[20][21]
In October 2006, Google Inc. announced that it had acquired YouTube for US$1.65 billion in Google stock, and the deal was finalized on November 13, 2006.[22] Google does not provide detailed figures for YouTube's running costs, and YouTube's revenues in 2007 were noted as "not material" in a regulatory filing.[18] In June 2008 a Forbes magazine article projected the 2008 revenue at US$200 million, noting progress in advertising sales.[23]
In November 2008, YouTube reached an agreement with MGM, Lions Gate Entertainment and CBS which will allow the companies to post full-length films and television shows on the site, accompanied by advertisements. The move is intended to create competition with websites such as Hulu, which features material from NBC, Fox, and Disney.[24][25]
Social impact
Main article: Social impact of YouTube
Jeong-Hyun Lim performs Pachelbel's Canon in one of YouTube's most viewed videos.
Before the launch of YouTube in 2005, there were few simple methods available for ordinary computer users who wanted to post videos online. With its easy to use interface, YouTube made it possible for anyone with an Internet connection to post a video that millions of people could watch within a few minutes. The wide range of topics covered by YouTube has turned video sharing into one of the most important parts of Internet culture.
An early example of the social impact of YouTube was the success of the Bus Uncle video in 2006. It shows a heated conversation between a youth and an older man on a bus in Hong Kong, and was discussed widely in the mainstream media.[26] Another YouTube video to receive extensive coverage is guitar,[27] which features a performance of Pachelbel's Canon on an electric guitar. The name of the performer is not given in the video, and after it received millions of views The New York Times revealed the identity of the guitarist as Jeong-Hyun Lim, a 23-year-old from South Korea who had recorded the track in his bedroom.[28]
YouTube was awarded a 2008 George Foster Peabody Award and cited for being "a 'Speakers' Corner' that both embodies and promotes democracy."[29][30]
Criticism
Main article: Criticism of YouTube
Copyrighted material
YouTube has been criticized for failing to ensure that its videos respect the law of copyright. At the time of uploading a video, YouTube users are always shown a screen with the following message:
Do not upload any TV shows, music videos, music concerts or commercials without permission unless they consist entirely of content you created yourself. The Copyright Tips page and the Community Guidelines can help you determine whether your video infringes someone else's copyright.[31]
Despite this advice, there are still many unauthorized clips from television shows, films and music videos on YouTube. YouTube does not view videos before they are posted online, and it is left to copyright holders to issue a takedown notice under the terms of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Organizations including Viacom, Mediaset and the English Premier League have filed lawsuits against YouTube, claiming that it has done too little to prevent the uploading of copyrighted material.[32][33][34] Viacom, demanding US$1 billion in damages, said that it had found more than 150,000 unauthorized clips of its material on YouTube that had been viewed "an astounding 1.5 billion times". YouTube responded by stating that it "goes far beyond its legal obligations in assisting content owners to protect their works". Since Viacom filed its lawsuit, YouTube has introduced a system called Video ID, which checks uploaded videos against a database of copyrighted content with the aim of reducing violations.[35][36]
In August 2008, a U.S. court ruled that copyright holders cannot order the removal of an online file without first determining whether the posting reflected fair use of the material. The case involved Stephanie Lenz from Gallitzin, Pennsylvania, who had made a home video of her 13-month-old son dancing to Prince's song "Let's Go Crazy" and posted the 29-second video on YouTube.[37]
Privacy
In July 2008, Viacom won a court ruling requiring YouTube to hand over data detailing the viewing habits of every user who has watched videos on the site. The move led to concerns that the viewing habits of individual users could be identified through a combination of their IP addresses and login names. The decision was criticized by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which called the court ruling "a set-back to privacy rights".[38] U.S. District Court Judge Louis Stanton dismissed the privacy concerns as "speculative", and ordered YouTube to hand over documents totalling around 12 terabytes of data. Judge Stanton rejected Viacom's request for YouTube to hand over the source code of its search engine system, saying that there was no evidence that YouTube treated videos infringing copyright differently.[39][40]
Inappropriate content
YouTube has also faced criticism over the offensive content in some of its videos. Although YouTube's terms of service forbid the uploading of material likely to be considered inappropriate, YouTube does not check every video before it goes online. Controversial areas for videos have included Holocaust denial and the Hillsborough Disaster, in which 96 football fans from Liverpool were crushed to death in 1989, conspiracy theories and religion.[41][42]
YouTube relies on its users to flag the content of videos as inappropriate, and a YouTube employee will view a flagged video to determine whether it violates the site's terms of service.[4] In July 2008 the Culture and Media Committee of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom stated that it was "unimpressed" with YouTube's system for policing its videos, and argued that "Proactive review of content should be standard practice for sites hosting user generated content." YouTube responded by stating: "We have strict rules on what's allowed, and a system that enables anyone who sees inappropriate content to report it to our 24/7 review team and have it dealt with promptly. We educate our community on the rules and include a direct link from every YouTube page to make this process as easy as possible for our users. Given the volume of content uploaded on our site, we think this is by far the most effective way to make sure that the tiny minority of videos that break the rules come down quickly."[43]
Blocking
Main article: Blocking of YouTube
Several countries have blocked access to YouTube since its inception, including China,[44][45] Morocco,[46] and Thailand.[47] YouTube is currently blocked in Turkey after controversy over videos deemed insulting to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.[48] Despite the block, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan admitted to journalists that he could access YouTube, since the site is still available in Turkey by using an open proxy.[49]
On December 3, 2006, Iran temporarily blocked access to YouTube, along with several other sites, after declaring them as violating social and moral codes of conduct. The YouTube block came after a video was posted online that appeared to show an Iranian soap opera star having sex.[50] The block was later lifted and then reinstated after Iran's 2009 presidential election.[51]
On February 23, 2008, Pakistan blocked YouTube due to "offensive material" towards the Islamic faith, including display of the Danish cartoons of the prophet Muhammad.[52] This led to a near global blackout of the YouTube site for around two hours, as the Pakistani block was inadvertently transferred to other countries. Pakistan lifted its block on February 26, 2008.[53] Many Pakistanis circumvented the three-day block by using virtual private network software.[54]
Schools in some countries have blocked access to YouTube due to students uploading videos of bullying behavior, school fights, racist behavior, and other inappropriate content.[55]
Technology
Comparison of normal, high, and HD quality YouTube videos played in YouTube and their native resolution.
Video format
YouTube's video playback technology for web users is based on the Adobe Flash Player. This allows the site to display videos with quality comparable to more established video playback technologies (such as Windows Media Player, QuickTime, and RealPlayer) that generally require the user to download and install a web browser plug-in to view video content.[56] Viewing Flash video also requires a plug-in, but market research from Adobe Systems has found that its Flash plug-in is installed on over 95% of personal computers.[57]
Videos uploaded to YouTube by standard account holders are limited to ten minutes in length and a file size of 2 GB.[58][59] When YouTube was launched in 2005 it was possible to upload longer videos, but a ten minute limit was introduced in March 2006 after YouTube found that the majority of videos exceeding this length were unauthorized uploads of television shows and films.[60][61] Partner accounts are permitted to upload videos longer than ten minutes, subject to acceptance by YouTube.[62]
YouTube accepts videos uploaded in most formats, including .WMV, .AVI, .MKV, .MOV, MPEG, .MP4, DivX, .FLV, and .OGG. It also supports 3GP, allowing videos to be uploaded directly from a mobile phone.[63]
Video quality
YouTube originally offered videos in only one format, but it now has three main formats, as well as a "mobile" format, for viewing on mobile phones. The original format, now labeled "standard quality", displays videos at a resolution of 320x240 pixels using the Sorenson Spark codec, with mono MP3 audio.[64] This was, at the time, the standard for streaming online videos.
"High quality" videos, introduced in March 2008, are shown at up to 864x480 pixels with stereo AAC sound.[65] This format offers a significant improvement over standard quality. In November 2008 720p HD support was added.[66] At the same time, the YouTube player was changed from a 4:3 aspect ratio to a widescreen 16:9. 720p videos are shown at 1280x720 pixels resolution and encoded with the H.264 video codec. They also feature stereo audio encoded with AAC.
3D videos and viewing
In a video posted on July 21, 2009,[67] YouTube software engineer Peter Bradshaw announced that YouTube users can now upload 3D videos.[68][69][70] After each 3D video is uploaded and processed, users have several choices on how to view the video. For users without 3D glasses they have the option to watch the video Cross-Eyed, Parallel, Mirror-Split and Left and Right Image Only. Users who have 3D glasses simply have to chose what color pairing they have on their glasses in order to view the video in 3D. Neither GeForce 3D Vision nor polarized 3D viewing are currently supported.
Content accessibility
One of the key features of YouTube is the ability of users to view its videos on web pages outside the site. Each YouTube video is accompanied by a piece of HTML, which can be used to embed it on a page outside the YouTube website. This functionality is often used to embed YouTube videos in social networking pages and blogs.[71] Some mobile phones are capable of accessing YouTube videos, dependent on the provider and the data plan. YouTube Mobile was launched in June 2007, and uses RTSP streaming for the video.[72] Not all of YouTube's videos are available on the mobile version of the site.[73]
Since June 2007, YouTube's videos have been available for viewing on a range of Apple products. This required YouTube's content to be transcoded into Apple's preferred video standard, H.264, a process that took several months. YouTube videos can be viewed on devices including Apple TV and the iPhone.[74] A TiVo service update in July 2008 allowed the system to search and play YouTube videos.[75] In January 2009, YouTube launched "YouTube for TV", a version of the website tailored for set-top boxes and other TV-based media devices with web browsers, initially allowing its videos to be viewed on the PlayStation 3 and Wii video game consoles.[76][77] In June 2009, YouTube XL was introduced, which has a simplified interface designed for viewing on a standard television screen.[78]
YouTube does not usually offer a download link for its videos, and intends that they are viewed through its website interface.[79] A small number of videos, such as the weekly addresses by President Barack Obama, can be downloaded as MP4 files.[80] Numerous third-party web sites, applications and browser plug-ins allow users to download YouTube videos.[81] In February 2009, YouTube announced a test service, allowing some partners to offer video downloads for free or for a fee paid through Google Checkout.[82]
Localization
On June 19, 2007, Google CEO Eric E. Schmidt was in Paris to launch the new localization system.[83] The entire interface of the website is now available with localized versions in 22 countries:
Country URL Language Launch date
Australia
au.youtube.com English (Australia)
October 22, 2007[84]
Brazil
br.youtube.com Portuguese (Brazil)
June 19, 2007[83]
Canada
ca.youtube.com English (Canada) and French (Canada)
November 6, 2007[85]
Czech Republic
cz.youtube.com Czech
October 9, 2008[86]
France
fr.youtube.com French
June 19, 2007[83]
Germany
de.youtube.com German
November 8, 2007[87]
Hong Kong
hk.youtube.com Chinese (Traditional)
October 17, 2007[88]
Israel
il.youtube.com English
September 16, 2008
India
in.youtube.com English (India)
May 7, 2008[89]
Ireland
ie.youtube.com English (Ireland)
June 19, 2007[83]
Italy
it.youtube.com Italian
June 19, 2007[83]
Japan
jp.youtube.com Japanese
June 19, 2007[83]
South Korea
kr.youtube.com Korean
January 23, 2008
Mexico
mx.youtube.com Spanish (Mexico)
October 10, 2007
Netherlands
nl.youtube.com Dutch
June 19, 2007[83]
New Zealand
nz.youtube.com English (New Zealand)
October 22, 2007[84]
Poland
pl.youtube.com Polish
June 19, 2007[83]
Russia
ru.youtube.com Russian
November 13, 2007
Spain
es.youtube.com Spanish
June 19, 2007[83]
Sweden
se.youtube.com Swedish
October 22, 2008
Republic of China (Taiwan)
tw.youtube.com Chinese (Traditional)
October 18, 2007[88]
United Kingdom
uk.youtube.com English (United Kingdom)
June 19, 2007[83]
The YouTube interface suggests which local version should be chosen based on the IP address of the user. In some cases, the message "This video is not available in your country" may appear due to copyright restrictions or inappropriate content.[90]
Plans for YouTube to create a local version in Turkey have run into problems, since the Turkish authorities asked YouTube to set up an office in Turkey, which would be subject to Turkish law. YouTube says that it has no intention of doing this, and that its videos are not subject to Turkish law. Turkish authorities have expressed concerns that YouTube has been used to post videos insulting to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and some material offensive to Muslims.[91][92]
In March 2009, a dispute between YouTube and the Performing Rights Society led to premium music videos being blocked for YouTube users in the United Kingdom. The removal of videos posted by the major record companies occurred after failure to reach agreement on a licensing deal. The dispute was resolved in September 2009.[93] In April 2009, a similar dispute led to the removal of premium music videos for users in Germany.[94]
The company is based in San Bruno, California, and uses Adobe Flash Video technology to display a wide variety of user-generated video content, including movie clips, TV clips, and music videos, as well as amateur content such as video blogging and short original videos. Most of the content on YouTube has been uploaded by individuals, although media corporations including CBS, the BBC, UMG and other organizations offer some of their material via the site, as part of the YouTube partnership program.[3]
Unregistered users can watch the videos, while registered users are permitted to upload an unlimited number of videos. Videos that are considered to contain potentially offensive content are available only to registered users over the age of 18. The uploading of videos containing defamation, pornography, copyright violations, and material encouraging criminal conduct is prohibited by YouTube's terms of service. Accounts of registered users are called "channels".
Company history
YouTube was founded by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim, who were all early employees of PayPal. Hurley studied design at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, while Chen and Karim studied computer science together at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. According to a story that has often been repeated in the media, Chad Hurley and Steve Chen developed the idea for YouTube during the early months of 2005, after they had experienced difficulty sharing videos that had been shot at a dinner party at Chen's apartment in San Francisco. Jawed Karim did not attend the party and denied that it had occurred, and Chad Hurley commented that the idea that YouTube was founded after a dinner party "was probably very strengthened by marketing ideas around creating a story that was very digestible." YouTube began as a venture-funded technology startup, primarily from a US$11.5 million investment by Sequoia Capital between November 2005 and April 2006.[8] YouTube's early headquarters were situated above a pizzeria and Japanese restaurant in San Mateo, California.[9] The domain name www.youtube.com was activated on February 15, 2005, and the website was developed over the subsequent months.[10] The first YouTube video was entitled Me at the zoo, and shows founder Jawed Karim at San Diego Zoo.[11] The video was uploaded on April 23, 2005, and can still be viewed on the site.[12]
YouTube offered the public a beta test of the site in May 2005, six months before the official launch in November 2005. The site grew rapidly, and in July 2006 the company announced that more than 65,000 new videos were being uploaded every day, and that the site was receiving 100 million video views per day.[13] According to data published by market research company comScore, YouTube is the dominant provider of online video in the United States, with a market share of around 43 percent and more than six billion videos viewed in January 2009.[14] It is estimated that 20 hours of new videos are uploaded to the site every minute, and that around three quarters of the material comes from outside the United States.[15][16] It is also estimated that in 2007 YouTube consumed as much bandwidth as the entire Internet in 2000.[17] In March 2008, YouTube's bandwidth costs were estimated at approximately US$1 million a day.[18] Alexa ranks YouTube as the fourth most visited website on the Internet, behind Google, Yahoo! and Facebook.[19]
The choice of the name www.youtube.com led to problems for a similarly named website, www.utube.com. The owner of the site, Universal Tube & Rollform Equipment, filed a lawsuit against YouTube in November 2006 after being overloaded on a regular basis by people looking for YouTube. Universal Tube has since changed the name of its website to www.utubeonline.com.[20][21]
In October 2006, Google Inc. announced that it had acquired YouTube for US$1.65 billion in Google stock, and the deal was finalized on November 13, 2006.[22] Google does not provide detailed figures for YouTube's running costs, and YouTube's revenues in 2007 were noted as "not material" in a regulatory filing.[18] In June 2008 a Forbes magazine article projected the 2008 revenue at US$200 million, noting progress in advertising sales.[23]
In November 2008, YouTube reached an agreement with MGM, Lions Gate Entertainment and CBS which will allow the companies to post full-length films and television shows on the site, accompanied by advertisements. The move is intended to create competition with websites such as Hulu, which features material from NBC, Fox, and Disney.[24][25]
Social impact
Main article: Social impact of YouTube
Jeong-Hyun Lim performs Pachelbel's Canon in one of YouTube's most viewed videos.
Before the launch of YouTube in 2005, there were few simple methods available for ordinary computer users who wanted to post videos online. With its easy to use interface, YouTube made it possible for anyone with an Internet connection to post a video that millions of people could watch within a few minutes. The wide range of topics covered by YouTube has turned video sharing into one of the most important parts of Internet culture.
An early example of the social impact of YouTube was the success of the Bus Uncle video in 2006. It shows a heated conversation between a youth and an older man on a bus in Hong Kong, and was discussed widely in the mainstream media.[26] Another YouTube video to receive extensive coverage is guitar,[27] which features a performance of Pachelbel's Canon on an electric guitar. The name of the performer is not given in the video, and after it received millions of views The New York Times revealed the identity of the guitarist as Jeong-Hyun Lim, a 23-year-old from South Korea who had recorded the track in his bedroom.[28]
YouTube was awarded a 2008 George Foster Peabody Award and cited for being "a 'Speakers' Corner' that both embodies and promotes democracy."[29][30]
Criticism
Main article: Criticism of YouTube
Copyrighted material
YouTube has been criticized for failing to ensure that its videos respect the law of copyright. At the time of uploading a video, YouTube users are always shown a screen with the following message:
Do not upload any TV shows, music videos, music concerts or commercials without permission unless they consist entirely of content you created yourself. The Copyright Tips page and the Community Guidelines can help you determine whether your video infringes someone else's copyright.[31]
Despite this advice, there are still many unauthorized clips from television shows, films and music videos on YouTube. YouTube does not view videos before they are posted online, and it is left to copyright holders to issue a takedown notice under the terms of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Organizations including Viacom, Mediaset and the English Premier League have filed lawsuits against YouTube, claiming that it has done too little to prevent the uploading of copyrighted material.[32][33][34] Viacom, demanding US$1 billion in damages, said that it had found more than 150,000 unauthorized clips of its material on YouTube that had been viewed "an astounding 1.5 billion times". YouTube responded by stating that it "goes far beyond its legal obligations in assisting content owners to protect their works". Since Viacom filed its lawsuit, YouTube has introduced a system called Video ID, which checks uploaded videos against a database of copyrighted content with the aim of reducing violations.[35][36]
In August 2008, a U.S. court ruled that copyright holders cannot order the removal of an online file without first determining whether the posting reflected fair use of the material. The case involved Stephanie Lenz from Gallitzin, Pennsylvania, who had made a home video of her 13-month-old son dancing to Prince's song "Let's Go Crazy" and posted the 29-second video on YouTube.[37]
Privacy
In July 2008, Viacom won a court ruling requiring YouTube to hand over data detailing the viewing habits of every user who has watched videos on the site. The move led to concerns that the viewing habits of individual users could be identified through a combination of their IP addresses and login names. The decision was criticized by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which called the court ruling "a set-back to privacy rights".[38] U.S. District Court Judge Louis Stanton dismissed the privacy concerns as "speculative", and ordered YouTube to hand over documents totalling around 12 terabytes of data. Judge Stanton rejected Viacom's request for YouTube to hand over the source code of its search engine system, saying that there was no evidence that YouTube treated videos infringing copyright differently.[39][40]
Inappropriate content
YouTube has also faced criticism over the offensive content in some of its videos. Although YouTube's terms of service forbid the uploading of material likely to be considered inappropriate, YouTube does not check every video before it goes online. Controversial areas for videos have included Holocaust denial and the Hillsborough Disaster, in which 96 football fans from Liverpool were crushed to death in 1989, conspiracy theories and religion.[41][42]
YouTube relies on its users to flag the content of videos as inappropriate, and a YouTube employee will view a flagged video to determine whether it violates the site's terms of service.[4] In July 2008 the Culture and Media Committee of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom stated that it was "unimpressed" with YouTube's system for policing its videos, and argued that "Proactive review of content should be standard practice for sites hosting user generated content." YouTube responded by stating: "We have strict rules on what's allowed, and a system that enables anyone who sees inappropriate content to report it to our 24/7 review team and have it dealt with promptly. We educate our community on the rules and include a direct link from every YouTube page to make this process as easy as possible for our users. Given the volume of content uploaded on our site, we think this is by far the most effective way to make sure that the tiny minority of videos that break the rules come down quickly."[43]
Blocking
Main article: Blocking of YouTube
Several countries have blocked access to YouTube since its inception, including China,[44][45] Morocco,[46] and Thailand.[47] YouTube is currently blocked in Turkey after controversy over videos deemed insulting to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.[48] Despite the block, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan admitted to journalists that he could access YouTube, since the site is still available in Turkey by using an open proxy.[49]
On December 3, 2006, Iran temporarily blocked access to YouTube, along with several other sites, after declaring them as violating social and moral codes of conduct. The YouTube block came after a video was posted online that appeared to show an Iranian soap opera star having sex.[50] The block was later lifted and then reinstated after Iran's 2009 presidential election.[51]
On February 23, 2008, Pakistan blocked YouTube due to "offensive material" towards the Islamic faith, including display of the Danish cartoons of the prophet Muhammad.[52] This led to a near global blackout of the YouTube site for around two hours, as the Pakistani block was inadvertently transferred to other countries. Pakistan lifted its block on February 26, 2008.[53] Many Pakistanis circumvented the three-day block by using virtual private network software.[54]
Schools in some countries have blocked access to YouTube due to students uploading videos of bullying behavior, school fights, racist behavior, and other inappropriate content.[55]
Technology
Comparison of normal, high, and HD quality YouTube videos played in YouTube and their native resolution.
Video format
YouTube's video playback technology for web users is based on the Adobe Flash Player. This allows the site to display videos with quality comparable to more established video playback technologies (such as Windows Media Player, QuickTime, and RealPlayer) that generally require the user to download and install a web browser plug-in to view video content.[56] Viewing Flash video also requires a plug-in, but market research from Adobe Systems has found that its Flash plug-in is installed on over 95% of personal computers.[57]
Videos uploaded to YouTube by standard account holders are limited to ten minutes in length and a file size of 2 GB.[58][59] When YouTube was launched in 2005 it was possible to upload longer videos, but a ten minute limit was introduced in March 2006 after YouTube found that the majority of videos exceeding this length were unauthorized uploads of television shows and films.[60][61] Partner accounts are permitted to upload videos longer than ten minutes, subject to acceptance by YouTube.[62]
YouTube accepts videos uploaded in most formats, including .WMV, .AVI, .MKV, .MOV, MPEG, .MP4, DivX, .FLV, and .OGG. It also supports 3GP, allowing videos to be uploaded directly from a mobile phone.[63]
Video quality
YouTube originally offered videos in only one format, but it now has three main formats, as well as a "mobile" format, for viewing on mobile phones. The original format, now labeled "standard quality", displays videos at a resolution of 320x240 pixels using the Sorenson Spark codec, with mono MP3 audio.[64] This was, at the time, the standard for streaming online videos.
"High quality" videos, introduced in March 2008, are shown at up to 864x480 pixels with stereo AAC sound.[65] This format offers a significant improvement over standard quality. In November 2008 720p HD support was added.[66] At the same time, the YouTube player was changed from a 4:3 aspect ratio to a widescreen 16:9. 720p videos are shown at 1280x720 pixels resolution and encoded with the H.264 video codec. They also feature stereo audio encoded with AAC.
3D videos and viewing
In a video posted on July 21, 2009,[67] YouTube software engineer Peter Bradshaw announced that YouTube users can now upload 3D videos.[68][69][70] After each 3D video is uploaded and processed, users have several choices on how to view the video. For users without 3D glasses they have the option to watch the video Cross-Eyed, Parallel, Mirror-Split and Left and Right Image Only. Users who have 3D glasses simply have to chose what color pairing they have on their glasses in order to view the video in 3D. Neither GeForce 3D Vision nor polarized 3D viewing are currently supported.
Content accessibility
One of the key features of YouTube is the ability of users to view its videos on web pages outside the site. Each YouTube video is accompanied by a piece of HTML, which can be used to embed it on a page outside the YouTube website. This functionality is often used to embed YouTube videos in social networking pages and blogs.[71] Some mobile phones are capable of accessing YouTube videos, dependent on the provider and the data plan. YouTube Mobile was launched in June 2007, and uses RTSP streaming for the video.[72] Not all of YouTube's videos are available on the mobile version of the site.[73]
Since June 2007, YouTube's videos have been available for viewing on a range of Apple products. This required YouTube's content to be transcoded into Apple's preferred video standard, H.264, a process that took several months. YouTube videos can be viewed on devices including Apple TV and the iPhone.[74] A TiVo service update in July 2008 allowed the system to search and play YouTube videos.[75] In January 2009, YouTube launched "YouTube for TV", a version of the website tailored for set-top boxes and other TV-based media devices with web browsers, initially allowing its videos to be viewed on the PlayStation 3 and Wii video game consoles.[76][77] In June 2009, YouTube XL was introduced, which has a simplified interface designed for viewing on a standard television screen.[78]
YouTube does not usually offer a download link for its videos, and intends that they are viewed through its website interface.[79] A small number of videos, such as the weekly addresses by President Barack Obama, can be downloaded as MP4 files.[80] Numerous third-party web sites, applications and browser plug-ins allow users to download YouTube videos.[81] In February 2009, YouTube announced a test service, allowing some partners to offer video downloads for free or for a fee paid through Google Checkout.[82]
Localization
On June 19, 2007, Google CEO Eric E. Schmidt was in Paris to launch the new localization system.[83] The entire interface of the website is now available with localized versions in 22 countries:
Country URL Language Launch date
Australia
au.youtube.com English (Australia)
October 22, 2007[84]
Brazil
br.youtube.com Portuguese (Brazil)
June 19, 2007[83]
Canada
ca.youtube.com English (Canada) and French (Canada)
November 6, 2007[85]
Czech Republic
cz.youtube.com Czech
October 9, 2008[86]
France
fr.youtube.com French
June 19, 2007[83]
Germany
de.youtube.com German
November 8, 2007[87]
Hong Kong
hk.youtube.com Chinese (Traditional)
October 17, 2007[88]
Israel
il.youtube.com English
September 16, 2008
India
in.youtube.com English (India)
May 7, 2008[89]
Ireland
ie.youtube.com English (Ireland)
June 19, 2007[83]
Italy
it.youtube.com Italian
June 19, 2007[83]
Japan
jp.youtube.com Japanese
June 19, 2007[83]
South Korea
kr.youtube.com Korean
January 23, 2008
Mexico
mx.youtube.com Spanish (Mexico)
October 10, 2007
Netherlands
nl.youtube.com Dutch
June 19, 2007[83]
New Zealand
nz.youtube.com English (New Zealand)
October 22, 2007[84]
Poland
pl.youtube.com Polish
June 19, 2007[83]
Russia
ru.youtube.com Russian
November 13, 2007
Spain
es.youtube.com Spanish
June 19, 2007[83]
Sweden
se.youtube.com Swedish
October 22, 2008
Republic of China (Taiwan)
tw.youtube.com Chinese (Traditional)
October 18, 2007[88]
United Kingdom
uk.youtube.com English (United Kingdom)
June 19, 2007[83]
The YouTube interface suggests which local version should be chosen based on the IP address of the user. In some cases, the message "This video is not available in your country" may appear due to copyright restrictions or inappropriate content.[90]
Plans for YouTube to create a local version in Turkey have run into problems, since the Turkish authorities asked YouTube to set up an office in Turkey, which would be subject to Turkish law. YouTube says that it has no intention of doing this, and that its videos are not subject to Turkish law. Turkish authorities have expressed concerns that YouTube has been used to post videos insulting to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and some material offensive to Muslims.[91][92]
In March 2009, a dispute between YouTube and the Performing Rights Society led to premium music videos being blocked for YouTube users in the United Kingdom. The removal of videos posted by the major record companies occurred after failure to reach agreement on a licensing deal. The dispute was resolved in September 2009.[93] In April 2009, a similar dispute led to the removal of premium music videos for users in Germany.[94]
rock star north
Rockstar North Ltd. (formerly DMA Design Ltd.) are developers of computer and video games based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The company is a part of Rockstar Games which is owned by Take-Two Interactive. It is the primary developer of the Grand Theft Auto series, including Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which are three of the best-selling games on sixth-generation consoles, in addition to the best-selling Grand Theft Auto IV in the current generation of consoles. In its earlier guise as DMA, it was responsible for originating the Lemmings franchise.
History
Late 1980s
DMA Design was founded in 1988 by David Jones, Russell Kay, Steve Hammond and Mike Dailly in Dundee, Scotland.[1] The name DMA was taken from the Amiga programming manuals (where it stood for Direct Memory Access) and the initials were later 'retrofitted' so that they briefly stood for Direct Mind Access (DMA was also jokingly referred to as "Doesn't Mean Anything" by a company founder). In 1988 DMA signed with UK label Psygnosis and developed Menace and Blood Money – side-scrolling space shooters which gained attention from gamers and critics for both their high-quality presentation and difficulty. As with all the company's early games, Menace and Blood Money debuted on the Amiga, one of the leading platforms for videogames in Europe between the late 1980s and the early 1990s. A Commodore 64 port was published immediately after, later followed by DOS and Atari ST versions.
Early 1990s
DMA's major breakthrough came with 1990's Lemmings, a dynamic puzzle game that sold over 20 million copies on 21 different systems. It debuted on the Amiga and it was available on other major platforms like the NES and Macintosh, and obscure formats as the FM Towns and the CD-i. Much of DMA's time over the next few years was devoted to Lemmings follow-ups (Oh No! More Lemmings, Lemmings 2: The Tribes, All New World of Lemmings, and two Christmas-themed Holiday Lemmings special editions). They also released two original titles: 1993's Walker (a side-scrolling mech shooter) and 1994's Hired Guns (a first-person tactical shooter game with a four-way split screen). Other Lemmings sequels and spinoffs, such as Lemmings Paintball and Lemmings 3D, have appeared over the years, but these were produced without DMA.
1994
1994's Uniracers, a 2D platform racer featuring riderless unicycles was the company's first game to debut on a console (the Super Nintendo). Published by Nintendo, it also marked DMA's first game without Psygnosis, which was bought out by Sony in 1993. This was the beginning of what would be a long and often bumpy relationship with the Japanese console giant. After spending some time experimenting with various next-generation consoles (particularly the 3DO), DMA was asked by Nintendo to join their "Dream Team" of developers for the upcoming Ultra 64 system (later renamed Nintendo 64), alongside such other developers as Rare, Paradigm, Acclaim, Midway Games, and LucasArts.
DMA Arrangement
Under this arrangement, DMA would produce an N64-exclusive title that Nintendo would publish. The result of this collaboration was Body Harvest, a third-person 3D vehicular action game with a storyline about aliens arriving on Earth to harvest humans for food. Nintendo requested a number of major overhauls, such as the addition of puzzle and role-playing elements, to make the game more appealing to the Japanese market. The game underwent numerous delays, and Nintendo finally decided to drop their publishing plans. Midway picked up the rights and finally released it in 1998, almost three years after the game was first shown. Reaction was mostly favourable, in particular for the game's innovation and free-roaming gameplay, although a few gamers criticized the graphics.
Grand Theft Auto
In the interim, the company released (through the short-lived BMG Interactive label) Grand Theft Auto for the PC whilst neighbouring developer Visual Science converted the PlayStation version, which applied the Body Harvest play mechanism of allowing control of any vehicle in the environment to a top-down 2D game of cops-and-robbers. The game put the player in the role of a petty hood who works his way up through the criminal ranks in three fictional US cities: Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas. GTA (as it was soon known) attracted controversy for its violence, with the Daily Mail calling for an outright ban. The uproar no doubt contributed in some part to making GTA a success.
DMA's second N64 title, Space Station Silicon Valley, was yet another take on the multiple vehicles concept, this time in a 3D platforming environment and with robotic animals such as hovering sheep and turret-equipped turtles – instead of cars and trucks.
Late 1990s
In 1997, DMA was bought by British publisher Gremlin Interactive, with Jones becoming Creative Director of both companies. Gremlin published two DMA titles – the UK release of Body Harvest and the PC version of Wild Metal Country, a tank combat game with a complex control scheme and realistic physics. In 1999 Gremlin was acquired by French publisher Infogrames for £24 million. Complicating this sale was the pre-existing deal between DMA and BMG Interactive, which had published the first version of Grand Theft Auto, and by 1999 itself had gone through some complex financial moves, becoming Rockstar Games, an internal label of publisher Take-Two Interactive.
Infogrames sold DMA Design to Take-Two. Rockstar published the Dreamcast version of Wild Metal Country (retitled simply Wild Metal) and Grand Theft Auto 2 for the PC, PlayStation and Dreamcast. Prior to DMA becoming part of Rockstar, Jones left, setting up a new development studio in Dundee as a subsidiary of Rage Software. Through a management buy-out, this later became Real Time Worlds.
DMA had several announced projects that were subsequently cancelled in mid-development: Nintendo 64 ports of Wild Metal Country and the original GTA; Clan Wars (a real-time 3D castle building and siege game set in medieval Scotland); Attack! (a caveman-themed platformer for the N64); and a port of Epic Games' PC hit Unreal for the Nintendo 64 disk drive.
2000s
Whereas GTA2 had been an incremental improvement on the original, keeping the top-down 2D perspective and adding a few new features, 2001's Grand Theft Auto III brought the series into 3D. It became the PlayStation 2's biggest system seller in both the U.S. and Europe; Sony, realising that the game was a sure-fire success, paid Rockstar to keep it a PS2 exclusive for some time. Rockstar bought DMA outright, renaming the company "Rockstar North" in early 2002.
That same year a PC version of GTA III was released, as well as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for the PS2, which retained the engine and core gameplay of GTA3 while adding a number of refinements and a roster of top Hollywood voice talent. In 2003, the company released a PC port of Vice City, as well as a two-pack of both GTA III and Vice City for Microsoft's Xbox console (ported by Rockstar Vienna).
The developer's next release, Manhunt, was released for the PS2 in November 2003 amidst a media frenzy surrounding the game's extremely violent nature. Rockstar North released Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for the PS2 in October 2004, and ports to Xbox and PC followed in 2005. The studio has completed its latest title, Grand Theft Auto IV, which was released on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on 29 April 2008, and marked the debut of the developer's wildly popular GTA franchise on the seventh-generation of video game consoles. GTA IV is Rockstar North's biggest success yet, receiving universally rave reviews and becoming one of the most critically acclaimed video games of all time. GTA IV also broke sales records amongst all types of entertainment media and is hailed as the developer's finest work to date.
Rockstar North is continuing work on Grand Theft Auto IV in the form of two pieces of episodic downloadable content, one of which is titled The Lost and Damned and was released 17 February 2009 and a second one has been announced titled The Ballad of Gay Tony.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, a new installment for PlayStation Portable, was released in October 2005. It was developed by Rockstar Leeds, under Rockstar North's supervision. It has been ported to the PlayStation 2 and features a slightly better framerate and draw distance than its PSP counterpart. A second PSP Grand Theft Auto title, Vice City Stories, was also developed by Rockstar Leeds, under Rockstar North's supervision for PSP, and released in October 2006. It was also ported to the PlayStation 2.
On 2 June 2009 at Sony's E3 conference, it was announced that Agent was being developed by Rockstar North exclusively for the PlayStation 3.[2] This was later confirmed in an interview with Ben Feder, President of Take-Two Interactive.[3] The game will be set in the world of the late 1970s. According to Rockstar North, it will "take players on a paranoid journey into the world of counter-intelligence, espionage, and political assassinations".[4]
History
Late 1980s
DMA Design was founded in 1988 by David Jones, Russell Kay, Steve Hammond and Mike Dailly in Dundee, Scotland.[1] The name DMA was taken from the Amiga programming manuals (where it stood for Direct Memory Access) and the initials were later 'retrofitted' so that they briefly stood for Direct Mind Access (DMA was also jokingly referred to as "Doesn't Mean Anything" by a company founder). In 1988 DMA signed with UK label Psygnosis and developed Menace and Blood Money – side-scrolling space shooters which gained attention from gamers and critics for both their high-quality presentation and difficulty. As with all the company's early games, Menace and Blood Money debuted on the Amiga, one of the leading platforms for videogames in Europe between the late 1980s and the early 1990s. A Commodore 64 port was published immediately after, later followed by DOS and Atari ST versions.
Early 1990s
DMA's major breakthrough came with 1990's Lemmings, a dynamic puzzle game that sold over 20 million copies on 21 different systems. It debuted on the Amiga and it was available on other major platforms like the NES and Macintosh, and obscure formats as the FM Towns and the CD-i. Much of DMA's time over the next few years was devoted to Lemmings follow-ups (Oh No! More Lemmings, Lemmings 2: The Tribes, All New World of Lemmings, and two Christmas-themed Holiday Lemmings special editions). They also released two original titles: 1993's Walker (a side-scrolling mech shooter) and 1994's Hired Guns (a first-person tactical shooter game with a four-way split screen). Other Lemmings sequels and spinoffs, such as Lemmings Paintball and Lemmings 3D, have appeared over the years, but these were produced without DMA.
1994
1994's Uniracers, a 2D platform racer featuring riderless unicycles was the company's first game to debut on a console (the Super Nintendo). Published by Nintendo, it also marked DMA's first game without Psygnosis, which was bought out by Sony in 1993. This was the beginning of what would be a long and often bumpy relationship with the Japanese console giant. After spending some time experimenting with various next-generation consoles (particularly the 3DO), DMA was asked by Nintendo to join their "Dream Team" of developers for the upcoming Ultra 64 system (later renamed Nintendo 64), alongside such other developers as Rare, Paradigm, Acclaim, Midway Games, and LucasArts.
DMA Arrangement
Under this arrangement, DMA would produce an N64-exclusive title that Nintendo would publish. The result of this collaboration was Body Harvest, a third-person 3D vehicular action game with a storyline about aliens arriving on Earth to harvest humans for food. Nintendo requested a number of major overhauls, such as the addition of puzzle and role-playing elements, to make the game more appealing to the Japanese market. The game underwent numerous delays, and Nintendo finally decided to drop their publishing plans. Midway picked up the rights and finally released it in 1998, almost three years after the game was first shown. Reaction was mostly favourable, in particular for the game's innovation and free-roaming gameplay, although a few gamers criticized the graphics.
Grand Theft Auto
In the interim, the company released (through the short-lived BMG Interactive label) Grand Theft Auto for the PC whilst neighbouring developer Visual Science converted the PlayStation version, which applied the Body Harvest play mechanism of allowing control of any vehicle in the environment to a top-down 2D game of cops-and-robbers. The game put the player in the role of a petty hood who works his way up through the criminal ranks in three fictional US cities: Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas. GTA (as it was soon known) attracted controversy for its violence, with the Daily Mail calling for an outright ban. The uproar no doubt contributed in some part to making GTA a success.
DMA's second N64 title, Space Station Silicon Valley, was yet another take on the multiple vehicles concept, this time in a 3D platforming environment and with robotic animals such as hovering sheep and turret-equipped turtles – instead of cars and trucks.
Late 1990s
In 1997, DMA was bought by British publisher Gremlin Interactive, with Jones becoming Creative Director of both companies. Gremlin published two DMA titles – the UK release of Body Harvest and the PC version of Wild Metal Country, a tank combat game with a complex control scheme and realistic physics. In 1999 Gremlin was acquired by French publisher Infogrames for £24 million. Complicating this sale was the pre-existing deal between DMA and BMG Interactive, which had published the first version of Grand Theft Auto, and by 1999 itself had gone through some complex financial moves, becoming Rockstar Games, an internal label of publisher Take-Two Interactive.
Infogrames sold DMA Design to Take-Two. Rockstar published the Dreamcast version of Wild Metal Country (retitled simply Wild Metal) and Grand Theft Auto 2 for the PC, PlayStation and Dreamcast. Prior to DMA becoming part of Rockstar, Jones left, setting up a new development studio in Dundee as a subsidiary of Rage Software. Through a management buy-out, this later became Real Time Worlds.
DMA had several announced projects that were subsequently cancelled in mid-development: Nintendo 64 ports of Wild Metal Country and the original GTA; Clan Wars (a real-time 3D castle building and siege game set in medieval Scotland); Attack! (a caveman-themed platformer for the N64); and a port of Epic Games' PC hit Unreal for the Nintendo 64 disk drive.
2000s
Whereas GTA2 had been an incremental improvement on the original, keeping the top-down 2D perspective and adding a few new features, 2001's Grand Theft Auto III brought the series into 3D. It became the PlayStation 2's biggest system seller in both the U.S. and Europe; Sony, realising that the game was a sure-fire success, paid Rockstar to keep it a PS2 exclusive for some time. Rockstar bought DMA outright, renaming the company "Rockstar North" in early 2002.
That same year a PC version of GTA III was released, as well as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for the PS2, which retained the engine and core gameplay of GTA3 while adding a number of refinements and a roster of top Hollywood voice talent. In 2003, the company released a PC port of Vice City, as well as a two-pack of both GTA III and Vice City for Microsoft's Xbox console (ported by Rockstar Vienna).
The developer's next release, Manhunt, was released for the PS2 in November 2003 amidst a media frenzy surrounding the game's extremely violent nature. Rockstar North released Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for the PS2 in October 2004, and ports to Xbox and PC followed in 2005. The studio has completed its latest title, Grand Theft Auto IV, which was released on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on 29 April 2008, and marked the debut of the developer's wildly popular GTA franchise on the seventh-generation of video game consoles. GTA IV is Rockstar North's biggest success yet, receiving universally rave reviews and becoming one of the most critically acclaimed video games of all time. GTA IV also broke sales records amongst all types of entertainment media and is hailed as the developer's finest work to date.
Rockstar North is continuing work on Grand Theft Auto IV in the form of two pieces of episodic downloadable content, one of which is titled The Lost and Damned and was released 17 February 2009 and a second one has been announced titled The Ballad of Gay Tony.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, a new installment for PlayStation Portable, was released in October 2005. It was developed by Rockstar Leeds, under Rockstar North's supervision. It has been ported to the PlayStation 2 and features a slightly better framerate and draw distance than its PSP counterpart. A second PSP Grand Theft Auto title, Vice City Stories, was also developed by Rockstar Leeds, under Rockstar North's supervision for PSP, and released in October 2006. It was also ported to the PlayStation 2.
On 2 June 2009 at Sony's E3 conference, it was announced that Agent was being developed by Rockstar North exclusively for the PlayStation 3.[2] This was later confirmed in an interview with Ben Feder, President of Take-Two Interactive.[3] The game will be set in the world of the late 1970s. According to Rockstar North, it will "take players on a paranoid journey into the world of counter-intelligence, espionage, and political assassinations".[4]
Wednesday 9 September 2009
day 7 (just about)
to day we were making siled shows on PARTS OF THE DIGITAL MEDIA SECTORS AND SUCH, I M BORED
Friday 4 September 2009
day 4.........i think?
to day we did a movie in flash and befor that a we watched a move about some disener guy and i made a flash of a zombis shark
Monday 31 August 2009
Friday 28 August 2009
day 3
today we whent out and taken lots of photos for photobucket and we then had to make a srapbook using photobucke it was lots of fun
Wednesday 26 August 2009
day 2
today we talked about what jobs there are in digital madia and then we had to site up a photo shop, bubbl and blogger accounts, yesterday we had to set up google mail you tube and viocethread accounts, then we had to look at a site called 99 desinces or somthing and at break had taking one of the flip video things and i made a video and upload it to youtube and then we had to make a frount cover
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