Also announced at the Streaming Media East 2001 conference was the news that Microsoft is to release the "Media Bonus Pack for Windows XP", later this month.
Streaming Media East 2001 attendees can pick it up on CD-ROM this week at the show (Come on, there has got to be some Neowinian's who know someone who is attending this confrence so we can get first dibs on this juicy new addition to XP! Ed.).
The Windows Media Bonus Pack for Windows XP includes :-
Plus! MP3 Audio Converter LE: A light version of the MP3 Audio Converter application found in Plus! for Windows XP. This tool effectively doubles the amount of music you can store on your PC by converting your existing MP3 files to Windows Media Audio (WMA) format.
Windows Media Player for Windows XP (MPXP) PowerToys: A set of new and updated MPXP PowerToys, including the Windows Media Player Tray Control, which offers quick access to MPXP features from the XP taskbar; the Media Library Metadata Update Wizard, which organizes and updates the Media Library and My Music folders; a Playlist Importer for Excel; and more.
New MPXP Visualizations: More than a dozen new visualizations for MPXP, including the MSN Photos picture viewer, a holiday fireplace, Trilogy, and visuals from the forthcoming Microsoft Games title Dungeon Siege.
New MPXP Skins: A set of new custom MPXP skins, including Stars and Stripes, The Sentinel, and the TDK Mixmaster.
Windows Movie Maker (WMM) Creativity Kit: A large collection of professional sound effects, music loops, clips, and title images. Microsoft notes that major motion picture sound studio SoundDogs.com provided the sounds and music.
"I am delighted that Universal Interactive will be bringing the enchanting and timeless world of Middle-Earth to life in its upcoming games," said Laurie Battle, director of licensing of Tolkien Enterprises. "Universal Interactive's expertise in creating and developing well-known, best-selling products rich with character and story make them a welcome addition to our family of licensees. These games will draw on the depth and complexity of Tolkien lore to create a world compelling to long-time fans of the books and enticing to those just being introduced to this magical realm."
"Universal Interactive has assembled a talented team of Middle-Earth enthusiasts to develop and market these games," said Jim Wilson, president of Universal Interactive. "The people who know and love the legendary epic best have a mandate to create games that completely immerse players in a rich mythological world populated by Tolkien's myriad original characters."
"It's a good day for Tolkien fans," said Cliff Broadway aka "Quickbeam" from TheOneRing.netTM, Universal Interactive's Internet consultant on the Tolkien project. "What matters most to us is fidelity to the source. The game designers at Universal Interactive have the ability to reach deep into that source for inspiration. Developing games built upon Professor Tolkien's original books promises very big things."
About Tolkien Enterprises
Since 1978, Tolkien Enterprises, a division of the Saul Zaentz Company, has licensed the names and likenesses of the fanciful characters, places, things and events associated with J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-Earth for use as trademarks and service marks in connection with various lines of merchandise.
About Universal Interactive
Universal Interactive develops and publishes innovative interactive entertainment for next generation game consoles and PC platforms based on original content and Universal Studios character, movie, and television franchises.
About Vivendi Universal Publishing
Vivendi Universal Publishing (VU Publishing), the publishing division of the world's second largest communications group (Vivendi Universal), is an international leader in multi-platform publishing and content distribution. As one of the top three players in the global publishing market and the only publisher with an international reach, the Company's key content areas include literature, reference, education, games and consumer press. VU Publishing publishes content in four major languages, including English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, and has strong local publishing brands, including Anaya, Atica, Houghton Mifflin, Knowledge Adventure, Larousse, Nathan and Scipione. In the games category, VU Publishing is a leading publisher of online, PC and console-based games. Its studios include Blizzard Entertainment, Sierra On-Line and Universal Interactive.
Streaming Media East 2001 attendees can pick it up on CD-ROM this week at the show (Come on, there has got to be some Neowinian's who know someone who is attending this confrence so we can get first dibs on this juicy new addition to XP! Ed.).
The Windows Media Bonus Pack for Windows XP includes :-
"I am delighted that Universal Interactive will be bringing the enchanting and timeless world of Middle-Earth to life in its upcoming games," said Laurie Battle, director of licensing of Tolkien Enterprises. "Universal Interactive's expertise in creating and developing well-known, best-selling products rich with character and story make them a welcome addition to our family of licensees. These games will draw on the depth and complexity of Tolkien lore to create a world compelling to long-time fans of the books and enticing to those just being introduced to this magical realm."
"Universal Interactive has assembled a talented team of Middle-Earth enthusiasts to develop and market these games," said Jim Wilson, president of Universal Interactive. "The people who know and love the legendary epic best have a mandate to create games that completely immerse players in a rich mythological world populated by Tolkien's myriad original characters."
"It's a good day for Tolkien fans," said Cliff Broadway aka "Quickbeam" from TheOneRing.netTM, Universal Interactive's Internet consultant on the Tolkien project. "What matters most to us is fidelity to the source. The game designers at Universal Interactive have the ability to reach deep into that source for inspiration. Developing games built upon Professor Tolkien's original books promises very big things."
About Tolkien Enterprises
Since 1978, Tolkien Enterprises, a division of the Saul Zaentz Company, has licensed the names and likenesses of the fanciful characters, places, things and events associated with J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-Earth for use as trademarks and service marks in connection with various lines of merchandise.
About Universal Interactive
Universal Interactive develops and publishes innovative interactive entertainment for next generation game consoles and PC platforms based on original content and Universal Studios character, movie, and television franchises.
About Vivendi Universal Publishing
Vivendi Universal Publishing (VU Publishing), the publishing division of the world's second largest communications group (Vivendi Universal), is an international leader in multi-platform publishing and content distribution. As one of the top three players in the global publishing market and the only publisher with an international reach, the Company's key content areas include literature, reference, education, games and consumer press. VU Publishing publishes content in four major languages, including English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, and has strong local publishing brands, including Anaya, Atica, Houghton Mifflin, Knowledge Adventure, Larousse, Nathan and Scipione. In the games category, VU Publishing is a leading publisher of online, PC and console-based games. Its studios include Blizzard Entertainment, Sierra On-Line and Universal Interactive.