Neon Genesis Evangelion: 2007 release [you are (not) alone]

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版:序) , Evangerion Shin Gekijōban: Jo?, lit. "Evangelion New Theatrical Version: Prephase") is a 2007 Japanese animated film written and chief directed by Hideaki Anno. It is the first of four films released in the Rebuild of Evangelion tetralogy based on the original anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. It was produced and co-distributed by Anno's Studio Khara.

Now, this is the Latest Release of the 1996 Classic Awarded Anime That Marks the legend of Classic Anime, from the Original Title Neon Genesis Evangelion. At first you will noticed that it's the same as the older Gainax release Movie that has its similarities to older releases. but as you moved on to this new released movie, you will say "Man, this is cooler than the old releases", because this one is more Enhanced, and Re-made from its original script. Many scenes revised and re-modelled.

*The plot is for largely a point-for-point adaptation of episodes 1 through 6 of the original Evangelion series. While some events are portrayed in exactly the same way, often using the same storyboards from the television show, albeit newly redrawn; other events unfold differently, using new storyboards and/or 3D computer animation. Most notably, the fifth angel Ramiel, and the fight against him, has gone through a complete redesign.

Shinji Ikari arrives in Tokyo-3, sent for by his father Gendo. As he wanders about town, he is caught in the crossfire between the U.N. army and the fourth Angel (third in the original version), Sachiel. Rescued by Lieutenant Colonel Misato Katsuragi, Shinji is brought to NERV Headquarters and is guilted by Gendo, who turns out to be Supreme Commander of NERV, into piloting Evangelion Unit-01 against Sachiel when its primary pilot, the mysterious Rei Ayanami, is too injured to pilot. After the initial fight, Shinji is taken in by Misato as her new housemate and enrolled in middle school. The film portrays Shinji's attempts to "settle in" with his newfound life alongside Misato, Rei and the other characters while continuing to defend Tokyo-3 and the world from the coming Angels as the new pilot of Unit-01.
In the final scene, a naked Kaworu Nagisa is awakened by SEELE on the surface of the Moon, which is visibly stained with a streak of blood, cryptically saying that "the third one" hasn't changed at all and that he looks forward to meeting Shinji.

"Evangelion: 1.01 You Are (Not) Alone: Limited Design Edition" was released in Japan on April 25, 2008 (with the film's pictures, editing, and sound fine-tuned for DVD by Anno) and will be released in a "Normal Edition" on May 21. A Blu-ray Disc release has not been announced at this time.

At the film's theatrical premiere on September 1, 2007, the film's official Bandai Channel news feed reported full houses and full applause from fans[3]. It took first place at the Japanese box office on its opening weekend, with some 236,158 spending 280 million yen (about US $2.4 million) to watch it. This income can be considered unusual, considering the film was played at only 84 theaters in the country. [4]
The film was later released in South Korea (January 24, 2008), Singapore (March 13, 2008), Hong Kong (April 3, 2008), and Taiwan (April 18, 2008). Australian-based Red Ant Enterprises has announced Evangelion 1.0 as one of 35 titles they will bring to Australia throughout 2008 and into 2009. [5] French distributor Dybex has announced it will release Evangelion 1.0 in France, starting with an out of competition projection at the 2008 Annecy International Animated Film Festival.[6][7]
It received the 2008 Tokyo International Anime Fair award for anime of the year; Anno received best director[8]. It was nominated for Animation of the year at the 2008 Japan Academy Prize.[9]

Utada Hikaru provided the ending theme song "Beautiful World" from her single Beautiful World / Kiss & Cry. She also provided a reprised remix of the series original ending theme "Fly Me to the Moon", known as "Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words) -2007 MIX-", from the version she released in 2000 on her Wait & See ~Risk~ single. It served as the soundtrack to the first full theatrical trailer.
The score for the film, composed and arranged by Shiro Sagisu, was recorded at Abbey Road Studios with performances by the London Studio Orchestra. The album featuring the film's score was released on September 26, with the catalog number KICA-887.[10] Many of the 26 songs on the soundtrack are rearranged versions of songs from the original series.

Directed by
Hideaki Anno (chief)MasayukiKazuya Tsurumaki
Produced by
Toshimichi Otsuki
Written by
Hideaki Anno
Starring
Megumi OgataMegumi HayashibaraKotono Mitsuishi
Music by
Shiro Sagisu
Cinematography
Susumu Fukushi
Editing by
Hirofumi Okuda
Distributed by
KlockWorx and Khara Taewon Entertainment Red Ant Enterprises [1] Dybex[2]
Release date(s)
September 1, 2007 January 24, 2008 March 13, 2008 April 3, 2008 April 18, 2008
Running time
98 minutes
Country
Japan
Language
Japanese
Gross revenue
¥2.0 bil. ($18.7 mil.)

(sr: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelion:_1.0_You_Are_%28Not%29_Alone)

'Speed Racer' leads Hollywood's latest charge: Anime adaptations

LOS ANGELES — Having snatched up virtually every comic book title to ever hit shelves, Hollywood studios are plumbing new depths in search of a blockbuster genre.

And they think they've found it in anime.

Leading the charge are the nerd kings who grew up on the Asian cartoons, Andy and Larry Wachowski, whose Speed Racer arrives in theaters May 9.

Racer marks not only a return to the brothers' filmmaking roots; it's the first of several big-budget gambles the industry is taking on a genre that remains unknown to many American moviegoers.

Still, big names are gobbling up titles:

•Leonardo DiCaprio will produce two films based on the popular anime story Akira, set in a rebuilt Tokyo after a mysterious explosion decimated the city. The first of the Warner Bros. films, to be set in "New Manhattan," is scheduled for summer 2009.

•Director M. Night Shyamalan will direct The Last Airbender, an adaptation of the popular Asian-influenced Nickelodeon series about a young hero with the power to manipulate the elements. It's due July 2, 2010.

•Steven Spielberg will adapt Ghost in the Shell, a futuristic crime thriller based on the 1989 Japanese comic, or manga, that spawned a half-dozen films and video games. No release date has been set.

But for now, all eyes are on Racer, seen by many as a barometer of audiences' appetites for big-screen anime adaptations.

Domestic box office for Japanese anime features has been mixed. While the Pokémon franchise has proved appealing to kids, little anime has caught on with broader audiences. According to Box Office Mojo, the highest-grossing anime film geared to older moviegoers is 2002's Spirited Away, which took in $10.1 million.

That won't cut it when your budget is $120 million, the reported cost of Racer.

Filmmakers and fans are quick to point out that most of the anime adaptations will be live action — a much easier sell at theaters. And unlike the dark and violent tone of many anime stories, Racer is a family-friendly PG.

But they also acknowledge that the genre appeals to a select group. "Generation X is very familiar with anime," says Zac Bertschy, executive editor of the Anime News Network, a website dedicated to the genre. "But if you're not in that age group, there may be a learning curve."

Racer won't suffer from a lack of fan familiarity. The question, says Michael Pinto of anime.com, is whether the Wachowskis have the craftsmanship they demonstrated in 1999's The Matrix, which was partly inspired by Akira and Shell.

"They won over a lot of anime fans with the first one, and disappointed a lot of them with the sequels," Pinto says. "They're obviously fanboys. People want them to regain that touch, because it could open the door for more anime."

Reloading for 'Racer'

The brothers have opened doors before. Despite tough reviews for 2003's Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolutions, the films made more than $1.6 billion worldwide and redefined the standard of Hollywood special effects.

"There are two scenes in Reloaded that people kept talking," says Joel Silver, producer of Racer and the Matrix trilogy and the Wachowskis' unofficial spokesman.

"One is when the camera seems to fly through this impossibly small space beneath a truck," he says. "The other is when Trinity (played by Carrie-Anne Moss) is speeding the wrong way down the highway and missing cars by inches. Nobody had seen computer effects like that before, and the brothers wanted to do an entire movie that way."

And they did, essentially dropping actors into a computer-generated world. The Wachowskis packed up their cast, which includes Emile Hirsch as Speed, Matthew Fox as Racer X and Christina Ricci as Trixie, and sequestered them on a Berlin sound stage, where nearly the entire film was shot.

"It's a racing movie, and there's not a real car in the whole thing," Hirsch says. "It was a little like living in the Matrix."

The filmmakers shot still pictures in Morocco, Greece, Italy, France, Germany and California to create backdrops for the movie's elaborate races. For those scenes, actors sat in a rotating gimbal that the brothers worked with a remote control while animators created a landscape whipping by.

The brothers rigged a special monitor that let actors see themselves in the artificial backgrounds so they'd know if they were racing through the desert or speeding through the Alps.

"You're sitting there in this little cage, thinking there's no way it's going to look real," Fox says. "Then they'd bring us behind the camera to look at the shot, and we're racing through a mountain pass. That's the reason I wanted to do this movie, to work with them. They try things few directors would."

The film, Hirsch says, was initially a jarring adjustment from the months he spent in the Alaskan wilderness for last year's Into the Wild. "But it's worth it to see the brothers work," he says. "You've got all these monitors, computers, monkeys. You feel like you're getting to listen in on geniuses — who went a little mad."

Ricci prefers to think of their films as the product of geekiness than madness.

"You know they still play Dungeons and Dragons?" Ricci asks. "You'll be sitting around on set, listening to them go on and on about why they hate the concept of time travel. I love that. There's all this mystery around them because they don't talk to press. But they're really very sweet, kind of sensitive guys who happen to have a nerdy side."

Kinder, gentler anime

It's that combination, Silver says, that's key to the success of Racer — and anime overall.

"If it's all just effects and style, it isn't going to work," he says. "Audiences see right through that. But the brothers really loved Speed Racer. And they wanted to make a family movie, something they've never done."

Indeed, those looking for the body count and dark themes of the Wachowskis' earlier films such as The Matrix and V for Vendetta won't find it in Racer, an homage to the show they watched religiously as children.

The original 1967 series, Mahha GoGoGo, became the first Japanese anime to succeed on U.S. television, running for two years and spawning toys and clothes. And like that show, the film doesn't have an ironic bone in its body.

"They aren't smirking when they made this," Silver says. "It meant a lot to them. It showed them that animation wasn't just The Flintstones. You could push the envelope."

Of course, envelope-pushing isn't typically Hollywood's style, and anime fans may be wondering whether big studios will retain the themes and tone of their favorite stories.

"There was no pathos in the original Speed Racer, so I don't think that's a concern for fans," Bertschy says. "But a lot of anime is dark. It deals with existential philosophy. It doesn't always end happily. Fans are glad anime is getting its day, but people are holding their breaths to see what the movies are like."

By Scott Bowles, USA TODAY

2008 A.D.

2008. Hello! I'm back again... after so many months of beeing OFFLINE. Now I'm Online again.

A little memory digg...

yes, I just posted a small description of my beloved prestigiuos game ever made... Its been now 3 years since i first play the unique mmorpg from Hanbitsoft's Granado Espada, it was still then the original Korean Version of the game, but the language barrier didnt stop me from playing it, i strive deeply just to play on its alpha to first close beta phases during the year 2005, yes and that only means i am now old playing this ever made game until they lunch the game on korea on mid of the same year and recognized after its close beta stage... then it came internationally and introduced to china and japan until the IAH games signed the contract for the first lunch-breaking International version that followed the "another" english version of North America's K2 network's "not so good title: Sword of the new world".

Hanbitsoft initiated close-beta service of Granado Espada in July, 2005. Granado Espada has been in the spot light due to outstanding developing capacity of producer, Hak-kyu Kim, who is called as “Father of Ragranok”. Motive of Granado Espada were derived from Ultima Online and Diablo, which provide archi-type for current MMORPG. At one side Granado Espada is based on general assumptions ascended from originality of RPG games, it extended interesting points on the other hand. It modified and broke-up an important hypothesis that online game users usually identify themselves with game avatar. Granado Espada took initiatives by showing a whole new game system. 3D graphic technology was applied to Granado Espada in order to show highly refined graphics describing the 17th century’s European environmental grandeur and to maximize reality. Game users and media pay a lot of complements on its excellent graphic quality. The most distinguished point of Granado Espada is Multi Character Control (MCC). Players can select one to 3 characters at the maximum for the end to make a “Team”. Depending on users’ strategic choice, they can select each different class or same class. Through diversified selection, users can make utmost combination of a team. Another distinguished point is “Barrack Mode”, the brand-new system in online games. Players can raise 9 characters under their own family crest. Players can recruit NPC (Non-Playing Character) as a team member and also can recruit a new member by achieving game quests. Stance mode enhanced quality of Granado Espada as well. Stance means diversified posture or motion holding and using weapon. With a single type of weapon, users can enjoy various types of attack by utilizing it in many different ways of swing or tapping or cutting downward. Granado Espada gets strong highlights under market expectation for 2005 best promising online game, not only in domestic market but also in Japan, Thailand, Singapore, China and Taiwan, follows also the IAH's buisines partner IP-Interactives Philippines.

source:

(http://www.hanbitsoft.co.kr)

*just to clear some ideas about the version, there's no Granado Espada Ph. version. just to remind something that the version that Ph. is using is the very own version of IAH games or in short the SG(singapore) version. IP-Interactive is only the business partner of IAH games company so that Granado Espada (title) would be introduced to that said country, Philippines.

Jet Li on Philippines commertial (SMB)

Martial arts expert Jet Li visits the Philippines for a commercial shoot!

Naging mailap ang Chinese and Hollywood superstar na si Jet Li nang humarap sa ilang piling miyembro ng media sa Manila Diamond Hotel sa Roxas Boulevard kahapon, June 28.

Mahigpit ang security ng martial arts expert. Walang puwedeng mag-interview, makipagkamay, o magpa-autograph sa kanya noong una.

Bago siya dumating sa venue, siniguro ng mga security personnel ang kanyang daraanan.

Ayon sa kanyang tagapagsalita, hindi raw gaanong marunong magsalita ng English ang Chinese actor kaya't nahihiya itong magpa-interview.

Pero naging magiliw sa pakikipag-usap ni Jet sa mga naroon. Nagpaunlak pa ito ng pagkakataon na makapagpa-picture ang lahat kasama siya. Dito nagkaroon ng tsansa ang GMA News at PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) na makatabi at makausap ang martial arts expert.

Very charming si Jet sa malapitan. Ibang-iba ang Jet Li na nakaharap namin sa action star na aming napanood. Sa kanyang mga pelikula, mahaba ang kanyang buhok. Pero ngayon ay skinhead na ang kanyang look at may mga pileges na siya sa gilid ng mata kapag ngumingiti.

Maliit lang pala siya, mga 5'5" ang taas, pero matipuno ang pangagatawan. Sinsero ang kanyang mga ngiti at pakikipag-usap. Sa putol-putol niyang Ingles ay nasabi nito ang ganda ng ating bansa.

"Very beautiful, very, very beautiful," nang itanong namin kung ano ang masasabi niya sa Pilipinas.

Ikalawang beses na raw niya itong bumisita sa Pilipinas. Mamamalagi raw siya dito ng ilang araw para sa shooting at pictorial.

Narito si Jet Li upang gumawa ng TV at print ads para sa San Miguel Beer. First time ito para sa beer company na kumuha ng isang Hollywood star para mag-endorse ng kanilang produkto. Ire-release naman ang nasabing mga ads sa kabuuan ng Asya.

Ayon sa aming source, isu-shoot ang nasabing ad sa Boracay at mapapanood daw ito sa darating na Agosto.

Siniguro ni Jet na babalik siyang muli sa ating bansa kahit hindi para sa trabaho.

"Jet Li is the perfect fit for San Miguel Pale Pilsen. The skill and dedication he brings to his craft is indisputable; his off-camera, behind the scenes commitment to global issues and global community is much admired," sinabi ng President at COO ng San Miguel Corporation na si Ramon Ang.

Bago umalis si Jet, nakatanggap ito ng tsekeng nagkakahalagang RMB 1 million para sa kanyang Red Cross of China at Jet Li One Foundation Project.

Nag-iwan pa si Jet ng isang mensahe: "Very happy, I am here. We are all one big family."

Sumikat si Jet sa mga Chinese films na Shaolin Temple, Once Upon a Time in China noong dekada 80. Noong 1998 naman ay na-penetrate niya ang Hollywood nang gumanap siya bilang main villain sa pelikula ni Mel Gibson na Lethal Weapon 4. His other Hollywood films are Romeo Must Die, Kiss of the Dragon, The One, Cradle 2 the Grave, at Danny the Dog. He is now filming The Mummy 3 kung saan siya gaganap ng mahalagang papel.

source: http://pep.ph/articles/12990/Martial-arts-expert-Jet-Li-visits-the-Philippines-for-a-commercial-shoot

IAH is on the Business after all...

ok, guys... here's the moment of truth and moment we've waiting for to believe and to frustrate about and to be happy about too (T_T) after reading the whole thing... i dont know what to think about it since they've did it for real! you may now judge, but there's a point too of all of this... and they have the right.

The time is now. It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Finally, after long speculation and deliberation, IAHGames is announcing the Granado Espada business model, the guidelines of continuation for the English version of the 2006 Korean Game of the Year.

Before lifting the curtains and firing the cannons, we want to thank all of you for playing Granado Espada, and voicing your opinions on the business.

IAHGames has taken into account all of the concerns and opinions voiced, and mixed them with our own professional experience to finalize a model that we feel will provide the best service standard for you.

Several points stand out in our final decision. While the biggest advantage of a free to play model is unlimited accessibility, there are several possible pitfalls to such a system.

1) A free to play system creates a significantly larger base of players who do not invest anything in the game other than time. Some of these players will not care about following rules of conduct or fair play. If they receive a warning or ban, they can instantly create another account for free and re-enter the game.

2) An extremely large player base can also lead to server crowding, without providing adequate revenue for IAHGames to install and run new servers. It is our goal to maintain an optimal volume of players on all worlds, and to open new worlds as necessary. A free to play system would hamper our ability to do so.

3) Along with server crowding, Customer Service and support lines would be stretched to accommodate the large player base, once again without providing the necessary revenue that allows IAHGames to expand the CS staff to meet the number of needs and requests of our gamers. We do not think it is fair if customer service experiences a queue of some 99 requests, and a paying customer, one who supports the service, is stuck 99 slots behind players who is not paying for the service.

4) The accessibility of a free to play system also opens the doors for gold farmers, scammers, and others who wish to manipulate Granado Espada’s in-game world to meet self-serving desires other than entertaining game play.

5) We feel that players who invest both their time and money in Granado Espada will be more likely to show love for the game, their fellow gamers and the Granado Espada community as a whole. These are the kind of gamers we cherish at IAHGames, and the type of customer we consider first when providing our services.

In the end, it boils down to an ability to realistically provide a quality service based on perceived gamer populations and anticipated revenue. This is a community, your community, and we want everyone to be treated equally. IAHGames made the decision based on these principles.

Granado Espada will run on a hybrid pay to play model.

Gamers will be required to invest at least SGD$9.90/P300/RM$20/USD$5.60 into the game per month via various payment methods. Minus a nominal fee, this amount will transfer into G-Points which can then be used at the cash shop for premium items. Players have the option to invest more than the minimum per month for large cash shop purchases:[/b]

i) G-Points With Game Time

click for image for whole view!

Players will get locally priced game value cards from their local distributors. Watch your local distributor's official GE websites for more information.

This model ensures that everyone in Granado Espada will be supporting the service with a real investment, but that investment will also offer a real return in the form of premium items.

There are no moochers or paying players. Everyone will invest in the game, but that investment still belongs to you, the gamer, for use at the cash shop. We feel it is the best way to maintain a quality service and game environment.

As a gesture of goodwill to celebrate our flagship online game, IAHGames have decided to reward all gamers who have been with us since the start of Pre-Open beta phase. 90 days of Free Game Play time will be allocated to all gamers who have at least 1 character above Level 20 during the transition to commercial phase. For more information on this, check out the FAQ here.

Thanks for your support of Granado Espada so far, and we look forward to seeing your continued adventures in this beautiful online world.

Jonathon Sze
Regional Product Manager
Granado Espada S.E Asia

What is Baron Mode? (Granado Espada)

Here you go, its about Baron feature on Granado Espada 2.1.18

Baron Mode, a feature only available on PK (player kill) enabled servers, allows chaos loving players to roam the plains killing other players at their leisure.

In order to enter Baron Mode, a player must execute a successful forced attack on another player. If this attack results in a kill, the kill is counted as a Baron Kill, and enters the murdering player’s family into Baron Mode.

Players adventuring in Baron mode will receive a special Baron buff that increases their attack and lowers their defense. While in Baron mode they cannot join a squad, are susceptible to attack from any non-Baron player, and stand a chance to permanently lose an equipped item if they are slain.

In order to execute a forced attack, the player attack and the player being attacked must have a family level of at least 6. Family level is calculated based on your family’s total number of characters and the level of those characters. A family of only 3 characters will achieve Family Level 6 if all three characters are approximately level 64.

When you successfully execute a Baron Kill, you will earn Baron Points which stack to increase your Baron Level. As your Baron Level increases, the effect of your Baron buff will also increase, as will the likelihood to lose some of your items if you die.

A successful Baron kill awards points based on the level of the character killed. The formula is (Level of Character killed - 1). For example, if you execute a Baron Kill on a level 100 character, you will be awarded 99 Baron points. If you Baron Kill an entire MCC party of level 100 characters, you will be awarded 297 Baron points.

If you have a change of heart and wish to return to the ways of the good pioneer, don’t worry. Baron points will decrease when you kill normal monsters.

Because Barons are considered criminals of Granado Espada, you won’t be able to interact with most NPCs as a Baron. If you want to shop, use a waypoint, or take respite from battle as a Baron, you’ll have to do it in Los Toldos, the secret Baron enclave in Porto Bello.

Now when you choose to follow the dark path, hopefully you’ll do so a little more informed.

source: http://ge.iahgames.com/en/news/?aid=220&sec=1&ssec=4