US$7.95 in the U.S. CA$8.95 in Canada US$9.95 outside of CanadaJuly/August & the U.S. 2007 1 ® Q&A WITH THQ’S GARY ROSENFELD CCARSARS GGAINSAINS TTRACTIONRACTION IINN LLICENSEDICENSED GGAMEAME BBIZIZ NUMBER 40050265 40050265 NUMBER ANADA USPS Approved Polywrap ANADA AFSM 100 CANADA POST AGREEMENT POST CANADA C IN PRINTED 001editcover_July_Aug07.indd1editcover_July_Aug07.indd 1 77/19/07/19/07 77:00:43:00:43 PMPM KKS.4562.Cartoon.inddS.4562.Cartoon.indd 2 77/20/07/20/07 55:06:05:06:05 PMPM KKS.4562.Cartoon.inddS.4562.Cartoon.indd 3 77/20/07/20/07 55:06:54:06:54 PMPM #8#+.#$.'019 9 9 Animation © Domo Production Committee. Domo © NHK-TYO 1998. [ZVijg^c\I]ZHiVg<^gah Star Girls and Planet Groove © Dianne Regan Sean Regan. XXXCJHUFOUUW K<C<M@J@FEJ8C<J19`^K\ek<ek\ikX`ed\ek%K\c%1)()$-'+$''-+\ok%)'(2\dX`c1iZfcc`ej7Y`^k\ek%km C@:<EJ@E>GIFDFK@FEJ19`^K\ek<ek\ikX`ed\ek%K\c%1)()$-'+$''-+\ok%)'-2\dX`c1idXippXe\b7Y`^k\ek%km KKS4548.BIGS4548.BIG TTENT.inddENT.indd 2 77/19/07/19/07 66:54:45:54:45 PMPM 1111 F3 to mine MMOG space for TV concepts 114Parthenon4 Kids: Geared up and ready to invest 1177 Will Backseat TV boost Nick’s in-car profile? 225Storm Hawks5 goes jjuly/augustuly/august viral with Guerilla 0077 HHighlightsighlights ffromrom tthishis iissuessue 10 up front 24 marketing France TV to invest in Chrysler and Nick hope more content and global to get more mileage out Special Reports web presence of the minivan set with 29 RADARSCREEN backseat TV feature Fred Seibert’s Frederator Films 13 ppd tries a fresh approach to Parthenon Kids offers 26 digital bytes 2-D animated features by catering to fans top-up financing and TLC THQ’s Gary Rosenfeld of specific content rights service dishes about kid property genres • Our bi- evaluation and how the annual RadarScreen 17 licensing vidgame biz is changing roundup delivers the latest news on Ty’s Toy Box doubles up kids movies in the on distribution with 54 coolwatch Hollywood pipeline CommerceHub Spider-Man dominates the comic and film scene 21 retail with kids Catalogues proliferate retail landscape as toy marketing tools Cover Our cover this month features an image from Disney/Pixar Cars, a hot license for back of the book THQ that’s going to get even hotter in the fall with the release of Cars MaterNational. Domestic copies sport an ad from Cartoon Ventures for Action Dad. 51 People Page 52 Contact File 53 Calendar JULY/AUGUST 2007 5 005-july07_contents.indd5-july07_contents.indd 5 77/19/07/19/07 77:03:01:03:01 PMPM editorial ® July/August 2007 • Volume 12, Issue 6 GGamingaming fforor EDITORIAL Jocelyn Christie Editor ([email protected]) tthehe ggreaterreater Lana Castleman Managing Editor/Online Editor ([email protected]) Kate Calder Senior Writer ([email protected]) Emily Claire Afan Staff Writer ([email protected]) kkidid ggoodood Gary Rusak Online Writer ([email protected]) Writers and Contributors Jim Benton (Bloomfield), Gary Caplan (Studio City) had a very weird experience en route to E3 in Los Angeles, and I wanted to share it with you. I was going through the motions at the airport, and BUSINESS AND DEVELOPEMENT ADVERTISING SALES I I ended up dealing with a US customs agent who must have been having (416) 408-2300, 1-800-KID-4512 a bad day. He ignored my pleasant “Good morning,” stared at me for a very Diane Rankin Publishing Consultant ([email protected]) uncomfortable 20 seconds, and then asked me why I was going to L.A. When Myles Hobbs Associate Publisher ([email protected]) I told him I was attending a video game industry media event called E3, he Mike Croft Senior Account Manager and Business Development Team Leader ([email protected]) proceeded to rake me over the coals for aiding and abetting what he felt was Ian Lambur Account Manager ([email protected]) the sole culprit behind the childhood obesity epidemic. Without pushing back too hard (I didn’t want to miss my flight…and I’ve Dave Terpstra Publisher’s Assistant ([email protected]) heard the same rumors you have about retaliatory anal cavity searches), I tried my Meredith Jordan Conference Producer ([email protected]) best to argue that there are other factors contributing to this health issue besides video games, citing diet, lack of exercise and poor parenting as just a few. CORPORATE I got out of there eventually, but I was shaken by the experience, and kept Russell Goldstein President & CEO ([email protected]) coming back to it in my mind that day. Did he have a point? Was I playing a James Shenkman Chairman ([email protected]) ([email protected]) role (albeit a small one) by writing about the video game industry? And is that Mary Maddever VP & Editorial Director Linda Lovegrove Controller ([email protected]) industry, as the customs guy suggested, completely ignoring its responsibility to Omri Tintpulver VP & Chief Information Officer ([email protected]) promote a healthier lifestyle to its kid consumers? I didn’t think so, but there was Laas Turnbull EVP (Canadian Entertainment & Marketing a kernel of doubt that wouldn’t go away…until I attended the Nintendo press ([email protected]) conference and listened to the company’s plans to support the Wii console this year and further enhance the physical gameplay the system is built around. BRUNICO CREATIVE What a breath of fresh air! Here’s a company that has managed to revolu- Kerry Aitcheson Director, Creative Services ([email protected]) tionize the gaming experience and neutralize its toughest public criticism in Stephen Stanley Creative Director ([email protected]) one fell swoop—and it’s paying off big-time. According to NPD data from Jubert Gutierrez Art Director ([email protected]) Daisy Chueng Print Production Coordinator ([email protected]) May 2007, 2.8 million units of the Wii had sold through in the US since its BRUNICO CIRCULATION November 2006 launch, compared to 1.4 million of Sony’s PS3 (which rolled Jennifer Colvin Manager, Circulation ([email protected]) out the same month). And JupiterResearch thinks the Wii might have a shot at Sidoney Roberts Senior Circulation Administrator ([email protected]) beating out Xbox 360 for top console by 2012, if Nintendo can deliver more high-quality first-party titles, shore up third-party publisher support for hot Published 9 times a year by Brunico Communications Ltd. games, and maintain a price advantage. 366 Adelaide Street West, Suite 500 Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5V 1R9 In terms of galvanizing players to get off the couch, Nintendo is launching Tel: (416) 408-2300 Fax: (416) 408-0870 three peripherals to give families new ways to control the game action with Opinion columns appearing in KidScreen do not necessarily reflect the views of the their movements. The one with the greatest kid appeal is Wii Fit, a wireless magazine or its parent company Brunico Communications Ltd. All letters sent to KidScreen or its editors are assumed intended for publication. KidScreen invites editorial comment, but foot board—picture a low Reebok Step, but with the styling of an iPod—that accepts no responsibility for its loss, damage or destruction, howsoever arising, while in its offices, in transit or elsewhere. All material to be returned must be accompanied by a self- measures a user’s balance and control while they do things like leg thrusts and addressed, stamped envelope. Nothing may be reproduced in whole or in part without the hip circles. It also takes a BMI measurement before each session so kids can track written permission of the publisher. their fitness improvements. When it hits the US market in early 2008, Wii Fit Subscribe at www.kidscreen.com/subscribe will come with games based around activities like heading soccer balls, hula- For single issues call (416) 408-2448 or 1-800-543-4512 ext.711 hooping and ski-jumping. But it’s easy to imagine the tech being applied to well- © Brunico Communications Ltd. 2007 known licenses such as Tony Hawk’s skateboarding franchise, for example. ® KidScreen is a registered trademark of Brunico Communications Ltd. What I like most about Nintendo’s success story is that it clearly illustrates how it’s completely possible to make money and healthy, beneficial entertain- Watch for the next issue of ment options for kids at the same time. All it takes is corporate commitment KidScreen: and a good idea to get there. —joce September 2007 Street Date: September 12 6 JULY/AUGUST 2007 112_july07-editor.indd2_july07-editor.indd 6 77/23/07/23/07 66:25:05:25:05 PMPM 9th Annual February 13-15, 2008 Hilton New York, The kids industry New York City experience of the year For three energizing days, you’ll make new connections, share business-building ideas, be inspired by creative vision, discover the latest trends, and have fun doing it. “It is a must-attend Uniting executives from all sectors of the kids entertainment industry, access to senior-level decision- event for anyone who is makers is unparalleled. If you make your living in kids serious about keeping entertainment, you can’t afford to miss it! current with kids entertainment.” – Frank Saperstein, Why? Surprise Bag Inc. Truly international: 1300+ delegates from 38 countries* Effective: 57% of delegates closed business deals* Register Early Amazing networking: 161 buyers, 142 licensing execs, and Save $400!** plus top-tier animation and production talent* $995 Preview Rate expires Location Location Location: Terrifi c conference and September 28th, 2007 hotel facilities at our new venue – Hilton New York Contact Sharlene Wilder at 416-408-2300 x313 … and so much more! Get noticed by top decision-makers! Contact Myles Hobbs today at 416-408-2300 x492 to fi nd out how you can build your business with a KidScreen Summit sponsorship! www.kidscreensummit.com * Based on 2007 delegate evaluations.