Comic-Con Avatar Panel Announced!!!

Michael here. Here we go!!!

Thursday, July 23:

3:00-4:15 20th Century Fox and James Cameron present Avatar— In this first public screening of footage in 3D from his much-anticipated action/adventure/fantasy, James Cameron, producer Jon Landau, and cast members take you to a spectacular new world beyond imagination. Conceived 14 years ago and over four years in the making, Avatar breaks new ground in delivering a fully immersive, emotional story and reinvents the movie-going experience. Hall H

Click here for the full Wednesday night and Thursday Comic-Con programming schedules

Another E3 Vid: John Landau and Ubisoft Producer Talk "Avatar"

Hi, Michael here with another video from E3, this one from the Associated Press:

Highlights:

-John Landau explains the level of divergence between the game and movie, saying that the plot of the game takes place a full two years before we ever arrive at Pandora in the movie.

-Landau calls the game "a great tease to the movie." He mentions how they want to educate people about the world of Pandora before the movie opens, as there "is so much there." Letting audiences step in the theater with some ground knowledge will help the movie "take them on a transportive story."

-Executive Producer of the Avatar Game Patrick Naud describes the insane levels of security within Ubisoft's Montreal offices, including what he calls "the bunker."

-Landau: "My Star Wars comparison is simply that they created a whole universe. I don't have the hubris to suggest that we will have the same success. But why do people turn to entertainment? They turn to it to escape the world we live in today. I think what Jim has done is created a world that people will want to escape to. Both in the video game, in the movie, in the toys, and elsewhere. And that's the similarity between Star Wars and Avatar."

Avatar Game Demo Impressions + John Landau Interview

Michael here.  The Avatar game demo at Ubisoft's booth is the hottest ticket at E3 this year.  It's behind closed doors, invitation-only, and the security, as per everything Avatar related, is super tight.  According to Entertainment Weekly, "Purses, satchels and picture-taking cell phones had to be checked."

This high level of precaution might also have something to do with the fact that, as reported by IGN, "concept art was hanging from the wall, showing off a few alien plants and animals. More art was scrolling on the massive 103 inch television being used to demo the game."  Damn, I wish I could have been there.

Another surprise has been that John Landau has been personally on hand at each demo session to talk about the game.  And he even brought along his Titanic oscar!

Check out a video interview that Midnight Update did with Landau below.  The Landau portion of the video starts at the 10 minute mark:

The game seems to be great.  The third person perspective was a great choice, and I love how the story is separate from the film's storyline while at the same time introducing new ideas that impressed Cameron so much he is considering them for sequels. Ubisoft has invested a huge amount of time, money, and R&D into creating the best possible gaming experience.  And it seems that the impressions so far are filled with excitement for what Cameron and Ubisoft have created.

Read below for multiple in-depth impressions of the game:

Entertainment Weekly impressions

IGN impressions

Gamespot impressions

1Up impressions

NowGamer impressions

G4TV impressions

The Times Online impressions

BBC impressions

Finally, here is a peek at the some of the gameplay and features from the game, as posted to the game's recently launched official Facebook page.  Become a fan here!

• Immerse yourself in James Cameron’s world.
Peer deep into the heart of Pandora and see James Cameron’s universe, from your own perspective.

• Engage in a massive conflict between two worlds.
Fight for you cause; RDA or Na’vi. Customize more than 60 RDA and Na’vi weapons, combined. Choose your skills: 20 for each clan. Drive all of the vehicles and ride the animals. Expand the battleground in online multiplayer.

• Develop your character and acquire new skills
Create your very own character and acquire skills as you progress through the game.

Read the impressions articles for much more detail on the game.  There's some great stuff there!