San Diego, U.S.A. — At the San Diego Comic-Con International, the world’s largest pop culture convention, 343 Industries and Microsoft unveiled the official trailer for ‘Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn,’ the landmark live-action digital series based on the best-selling Xbox franchise. The series will be initially distributed worldwide by Machinima, debuting on its new channel, Machinima Prime, as well as on Halo Waypoint, on Oct. 5, 2012.

‘Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn’ will unfold through a series of five episodes, setting the stage for the worldwide launch of ‘Halo 4′ on Nov. 6. The official ‘Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn’ trailer is now available on Machinima Prime and on Halo Waypoint. Machinima will also be releasing exclusive content, backstory and character pieces leading up to the launch of this highly anticipated series.

‘Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn’ tells an exciting story of heroism and sacrifice on a scale never before seen in the Halo universe, taking fans back to the beginning of the human and Covenant war and leading into the events of ‘Halo 4.’ Set against the backdrop of a United Nations Space Command (UNSC) military academy, a group of highborn cadets are training to be the next generation of soldiers in the UNSC’s ongoing war with insurrectionists in the outer colonial planets.

Among these cadets, Thomas Laskystruggles with his doubts about this war, and with the burden of expectations he may not be able to carry. As Lasky comes to terms with his potential as a military leader, the terrifying alien alliance known as the Covenant arrives and turns his world upside down. Inspired by the Master Chief, he must decide what it means to be a hero. ‘Halo’ fans who experience Lasky’s thrilling origin story in ‘Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” will be rewarded with special insights into the story of ‘Halo 4′ and the “Halo Infinity Multiplayer” experience.

Directed by Stewart Hendler (‘H+,’ ‘Sorority Row’) and written by Todd Helbing and Aaron Helbing(“Smallville,” “Spartacus”), ‘Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn’ features a diverse cast of established and up-and-coming Hollywood talent, including Tom Green (‘Dance Academy’) as Thomas Lasky, Anna Popplewell (‘The Chronicles of Narnia’) as Chyler Silva, Daniel Cudmore (‘X2,’ ‘X-Men: The Last Stand,’ ‘The Twilight Saga’) as the Master Chief, Ayelet Zurer (‘Angels & Demons,’ ‘Munich’) as Mehaffey, Mike Dopud (‘Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol’) as General Black, Enisha Brewster (‘Footloose’) as April Orenski, Masam Holden (“Grey’s Anatomy,” ‘Elizabethtown’) as Michael ‘Sully’ Sullivan, Osric Chau (’2012′) as JJ Chen, Iain Belcher (“Supernatural”) as Vickers, and Kat De Lieva as Dimah.

“Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” is backed by a top-tier production team led by executive producers Lydia Antonini and Josh Feldman, former Warner Bros. and Playtone executives, respectively. Continuing its involvement with the ‘Halo’ franchise, Legacy Effects (‘The Hunger Games,’ ‘The Avengers,’ ‘Avatar’) is creating specialized costumes and armor, and visual effects are being designed by an award-winning team led by John Sullivan (‘The Pacific’). Production services are provided by Herzog & Co.

An extended, 90-minute Special Edition featuring additional footage and bonus content will be availableNov. 6 in the “Halo 4″ Limited Edition and on on-demand video services.

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New York, U.S.A. — HGTV has collaborated with Disney to create a garden inspired by Tim Burton’s “Frankenweenie,” a stop-motion animated feature film that was filmed in black and white. The event will take place at Comic-Con International, the largest comic book and popular arts convention, where the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter lawn will be transformed into a 3,500 square-foot HGTV Electrifying Garden from July 12-14. Open to visitors between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. PT, the exhibit will showcase the beauty of black and white with more than 20 dark plants growing amid low-lying fog, pet tombstones and other striking oddities in the pet cemetery-themed garden.

Guests entering the garden will be enveloped in the ultimate Tim Burton fan experience as they wander the rolling hills and pathways of the New Holland Pet Cemetery – a key location in the film. Visitors to the exhibit can learn more about the plants featured in the garden; enjoy unique photo opportunities and other interactive elements.

“Comic-Con offers a perfect setting for us to recreate the plant life and outdoor spaces in the same tone as the distinctive and visually stunning ‘Frankenweenie,’” said Denise Conroy-Galley, senior vice president, marketing and creative services, HGTV. “We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with Disney to develop this extraordinary experience for fans of HGTV and Tim Burton. Our presence at Comic-Con is part of our larger experiential marketing strategy aimed at targeting occasional and new HGTV fans in unexpected places, in organic ways.”

Throughout the HGTV Electrifying Garden, guests also will have the opportunity to view custom content from “Frankenweenie” and collect pins, seed packets and other premium gifts from HGTV and Disney.

About Disney’s “Frankenweenie”

From creative genius Tim Burton (“Alice in Wonderland,” The Nightmare Before Christmas”) comes “Frankenweenie,” a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous.

A stop-motion animated film, “Frankenweenie” was filmed in black and white and rendered in 3D. The talented voice cast includes: Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron, Conchata Ferrell and Winona Ryder.

Presented by Disney, “Frankenweenie” is directed by Tim Burton, produced by Tim Burton and Allison Abbate. The screenplay was written by John August, based on an original idea by Tim Burton. “Frankenweenie” releases in U.S. theaters on October 5, 2012.

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San Diego, U.S.A. — Stern Pinball, Incoporated, the world’s only maker of real pinball games, announced today their second annual International Comic-Con pinball tournament where players and fans will have the opportunity to play Stern’s latest X-Men machine, inspired by one of the most popular comic book series to date.

Hundreds of thousands of San Diego Comic-Con attendees will be able to compete in an X-Men game play tournament for the chance to win a cash prize by signing up to play at booth 114. The tournament starts July 11, on Preview Night at Comic-Con. Contestants will be called to return if they advance in the tournament. The finals will be held on Saturday, July 14 at 3PM. Stern claims to be thrilled to give pinball players and comic lovers at International Comic-Con 2012 a chance to experience the X-Men adventure with their own two hands.

The International Comic-Con in San Diego begins July 12 and lasts until July 15.

“San Diego Comic-Con couldn’t be a more fitting place for fans to get their hands on the new X-Men machine,” said John Borg, game designer for Stern Pinball. “We live and breath pinball design, but there is something about seeing players enjoy the game that really brings the design to life.”

Attendees can find Stern Pinball at the Century Media Nuclear Blast booth #114.

About Stern Pinball, Inc.

Stern Pinball, Inc., headquartered just outside Chicago, Illinois, is the leading producer of pinball games in the world. Stern’s talented creative and technical teams design, engineer and manufacture popular, arcade-quality pinball games. Recent popular Stern titles include Tron, Transformers, Avatar, Iron Man, Batman, Spiderman, Big Buck Hunter and many more. All of Stern’s pinball games are crafted by hand and assembled by Stern’s expert team. Both pinball enthusiasts and casual players around the globe enjoy Stern’s games. For more information visit www.sternpinball.com.

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New York, U.S.A - Viacom unveiled the results of its new “Social TV: Viewers C’s The Moment” study exploring the social TV phenomenon through the lens of the viewer. While fairly nascent, social TV and co-viewing trends are growing rapidly, representing a shift in TV viewing from a lean-back to a lean-forward experience.

Viewers engage in an average of seven different types of social TV activities – online or offline – on at least a weekly basis. The most common activities include watching TV with others (85%), searching for supplemental content (61%) and viewing TV show clips on social networks (58%). The new research reveals that consumers engaging in social TV activities “C’s the moment” primarily by communicating, consuming content and checking comments.

The two-phase study involved 24 ethnographies in Boston and San Diego with VMN viewers aged 13-52 that engage in social TV activities on at least a weekly basis. National online surveys were conducted with over 1,500 VMN viewers aged 13-54. When asked what social TV means to them, the most commonly reported words were “interactive,” “friends” and “Facebook “or “Twitter.” The leading source of discovery of social TV services is through search (38%), followed by social networks (26%) and ads run on shows (22%).

“One of the main goals of this research was to understand how to inspire social TV activity among our audiences,” said Colleen Fahey Rush, Executive Vice President and Chief Research Officer, Viacom Media Networks.  “At VMN, we’re focused on leveraging our fans’ attachment to their favorite shows by developing compelling social TV services and apps that deepen those connections and unlock the value of social chatter.”

Communication

Communicating is a top priority for social TV users. Many respondents described cobbling together unique communication systems to interact with different social circles while watching a show. “When I’m watching Jersey Shore, I have Facebook chats with 10 friends and I’m texting a dozen people, and I can be on the phone to my best friend,” said one participant.

There is no one-size-fits-all in terms of chat options. Of those interested in chat features, 56% prefer communicating through the social TV app/service, 53% through Facebook, 50% through individual or group texts and 38% through Skype or Apple FaceTime.  For those that use check-in services, 71% check in to a show to let their friends know and 64% check in to let other fans of the show know. Check-in services are a unique way of communicating viewing activities while simultaneously encouraging others to tune-in and join a shared experience.

Smartphones dominate the use of social TV apps at 82%, trailed by tablets at 18%. For services that are delivered via HTML websites and associated apps, 52% of usage occurs on smartphones or tablets, followed closely by desktop or laptops at 48%.

Content

Content is king for social TV users. Viewers want something special from their social TV services rather than commoditized content that can be found through online searches. The number one request for content is full-length episodes (88%), followed by sneak peeks of new episodes (75%), and behind-the-scenes extras (71%) and highlight clips (71%).

The majority of TV socializers is interested in rewards with real value, like free merchandise or signed cast photos. When putting aside the material aspect, virtual rewards offer an emotional pay-off, described as being similar to the feeling when ‘liked’ on Facebook. Trivia and casual games related to a show are of greater interest if they offer some kind of reward. Real fans want to have their knowledge and skills tested, and expect the game to be challenging.

Comments

Social TV users check comments about their favorite shows for a variety of reasons. Comments provide a different point of view, can pick up on something a viewer may have missed on their own and most importantly, create a direct connection between fan and show. “I love reading Daniel Tosh’s tweets while watching Tosh.0. It gives the show a whole other dimension,” said one survey respondent.

Not all sources of comments are equally valued. The number one source viewers want to hear from is a show’s cast and crew, followed by the people they know. Audiences are sensitive to the quality of comments from a show’s cast and crew – they look for authenticity and prefer the star(s) to be in character.

Social TV Users “C’s the Moment” During Live Viewing

“Viewers C’s the Moment” reveals that live TV show viewing unlocks the real value of social TV services and co-viewing activities. Features relating to communication, content and comments are twice as likely to be used during live than time-shifted viewing. Social TV enthusiasts reported feeling “left out” of the conversation if they missed a live airing.

One respondent said, “I’m most likely to engage with Social TV networking when it’s live. So when a new show comes on, I’m very likely to check-in just before the show, see comments from other people, [and] make my own comments during the show as well.”

Social TV activities also increase directly after a live show, when viewers can access exclusive content like sneak peeks without interrupting the live viewing experience. “I go to the website and watch the director’s cut…after it airs as I like the extra scenes. I like to feel that I am getting something extra and it extends the show,” said a participant.

Social TV can also help foster show discovery. Features like check-ins, viewer comments and shared video clips help viewers discover shows incentivize them to watch and encourage them to join the live conversations.

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The New York Jets had a bye week that came at the worst time. They had gained some momentum and were riding a two-game winning streak going into the bye. And given their recent history under coach Rex Ryan coming off of byes (they’re 0-2), they’re hoping to change things and are confident that they won’t have a drop off due to time off.

Ryan was at a loss when asked about the trend of his team coming out flat after time off, but said this year that can’t happen. “We have to do something about that trend,” he said. “We need to win this week.” Every game has become a must win for the Jets, especially since the Jets are one game behind the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots for first place, and they face these two teams in the next two games.

Even CB Darrelle Revis called the game against the Bills this Sunday a must win. “You can’t focus on the past coming off byes and losing,” Revis said. “It’s a new year and we’re in control of our destiny and where we want to go.” The Jets do in fact control their own destiny even after a three game skid as if they can take both of the next two games they could potentially be sitting atop the AFC East.

Lose both games, and the Jets’ season could be close to being over. The Jets have owned the Bills in the past few years, winning five of the last six meetings between the two, and that includes three wins in Buffalo. Ryan believes the practices have been good, and the Jets look very alert and aware of the situation which he hopes will translate into a good showing out of the bye.

But the Jets have lost all three of their away games this season and hope to end the streak at three with a win on Sunday. “Would we like to have had a better record? Absolutely, we would’ve, but we don’t,” Ryan said. “We’re 4-3, but we have it right in front of us. The teams you have to beat are right in front of us, so we’ll know. These next few weeks are going to be critical for us.”

Buffalo on the other side sits at 5-2 atop the AFC East and is coming off their best performance of the year dominating Washington 23-0 up in Toronto. They only gave up 178 yards had two picks to add to their league lead 14, and recorded 9 sacks. This was way better than their five previous games in which they gave up 414+ yards in each game.

“You hope that your team gains confidence from that, and that your defense sees how well they can play,” coach Chan Gailey said. “It should create more confidence.” The Bills are 26^th in the league giving up 385.9 yards per contest, but the Jets’ offense isn’t much better ranked 29^th and averaging 300.1 yards per game.

The problem for Buffalo is that the Jets have recently been playing better, including their season high 162 yards on the ground in their last game against San Diego in which Shonn Greene had 112 yards. This isn’t good for a Buffalo defense that struggles stopping the run. The Jets average 279.0 yards on the ground in the past four meetings with Buffalo.

Buffalo does benefit from having Fred Jackson on their side and they are ranked fifthin rushing averaging 140.6 yards per game. Jackson is ranked second in the NFL averaging 103.0 yards and is sixth rushing touchdowns. His 353 yards receiving out of the backfield is good for fourth among running backs. This matchup looks good compared to the Jets who are 25^th against the rush giving up 126.9 yards per game.

They will have to rely on their backfield because Ryan Fitzpatrick has a 62.0 rating in four games against the Jets and, with CBs Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie, look for TE Scott Chandler to have a big game as the Bills will try to take advantage of the safeties down the seams the one weakness of the seventh ranked pass defense.

The Bills defense is 20^th against the rush and 24^th against the pass. The Jets’ offense, which saw a boost against the Chargers as WR Plaxico Burress and RB Shonn Greene had breakout  games, is looking to keep the momentum going. Mark Sanchez needs to out-manage Ryan Fitzpatrick if the Jets want to win this game.

This will be a good game that will come down to a key play or drive. Each team is riding momentum and playing well as of late and I believe that the Jets with a few more playmakers on their team will be able to pull the game out late. Final Prediction: Jets 27 Bills 21.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.facebook.com/Jets

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It’s the team that nobody saw coming. For the past few years, the Bills have been the laughing stock of the AFC East. They were the one team bringing down a division with the power house Patriots and the better than average Jets and Dolphins.

Not anymore. The Bills have quietly been putting together a good team and this year, we are finally seeing just how good this team and Harvard graduate QB Ryan Fitzpatrick can be. The Bills realize this and recently gave him a big contract extension of 6 years $59 million, locking up their franchise man for years to come. That extension is bad news for the rest of the AFC East.

He’s been worth every penny of that, having a career year, and has the Bills sitting in a 1^st place tie atop the AFC East with the New England Patriots at 5-2. He’s ranked 6^th in the league in quarter back, rating at 97.8 for the season. The Bills are third in the league, scoring 30.1 points per game this year.

While only being ranked 13^th overall in passing at 239.6 yards a game, the running game has received a boost from their QB play ranking 5^th overall at 140.6 a game. Running back Fred Jackson, who is having an MVP type season, is fourth in the league in yards with 721 and is ranked fourth among running backs in receiving with just over 350 yards.

He’s tied for first with Matt Forte of runs over 20 yards ranks second in yards per game with 103.0 and is fourth in yards per carry at 5.5, but is second in running backs to LeSean McCoy. DeMarco Murray and Michael Vick are one and two, but have half the carries of McCoy and Jackson. Jackson also has zero fumbles this season so far.

While the Bills defense isn’t one of the better in the league, they still put fear into a team as they lead the league in interceptions with 18 and three touchdowns off interceptions. This defense has potential the potential to be real solid in the coming years if they can keep everyone healthy. They showed this last week shutting out the Washington Redskins 23-0 and racking up 9 sacks in the process.

To the Bills credit, they’ve also been doing this against quality opponents. They’ve beaten Kansas City and Oakland, both who are tied for first with San Diego for the AFC West all sitting at 4-3. They’ve beaten the Patriots once already and beat a good Philadelphia Eagles team who has recently been turning things around after a horrible start.

They took care of business against an obviously weaker Washington team, shutting them out last week. The Bills only losses come at the hands of the Bengals and the Giants. Both these teams are atop of their divisions and have a 5-2 record. The Bills should have more respect than they do.

Consider that the Patriots have a worse defense in football, giving up 424.1 yards a game compared to the Bills who are 385.9, the Patriots are considered playoff contenders and potential Super Bowl threats. The same could be said for the Packers who rank below the Bills in yards per game giving up 391.0 and currently hold the 31^st spot in opponents passing yards per game, yet they’re widely regarded as being the best team in football.

These teams are led by their quarterbacks and Fitzpatrick has proven he can do that. Add to that a more potent running attack than either Brady or Rodgers has and this is a team that can go deep into the playoffs.

If that’s not enough for you, think about the New Orleans Saints team that won the Super Bowl a few years ago. They are very much like this Bills team in that they have a strong quarterback, a high scoring offense, and a defense that isn’t that great, but forces turnovers and scores points.

This Bills team is as good as they’re record and play this season has been. In a quarterback driven league they’ve found their man in Ryan Fitzpatrick. They are proving they can score points with anyone in the league and if teams with good quarterbacks and bad defenses can be in the hunt for the Super Bowl the same should be said for the Bills.

The fan base has been waiting patiently for this time to come and it has come quicker than expected, but not as a shock at all. So the next time you go to dismiss the Bills as a top team in this league, think about what they’re doing and show them some respect.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.facebook.com/BuffaloBills

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Want to make the hipsters fall inlove? Come watch Kesha: The Get $leazy Tour. The new star of dance music will be performing throughout the United States with all of her fun and edgy hits, including “Tik Tok,” “We R Who We R,” Blah Blah Blah,” “Blow,” and “Sleazy!”
This rambunctious star made some awesome appearances with rhinestoned leotards and light-up glasses. She’s worn some other crazy outfits, including an American flag and fake blood. Plus she really knows how to entertain. She’s shot glitter out to the audience with everyone on their feet, having the time of their lives. Some of her shows will have opening acts, including Beardo, LMFAO, and Spank Rock.

Kesha’s VIP Package includes a premium or general admission ticket located close to the stage as well as some merchandise!

July 28- Columbus, OH- Celeste Center

July 30- Duluth, GA- The Arena at Gwinnet Center

July 31- Nashville, TN- Nashville Municipal Auditorium

August 2- Woodlands, TX- Woodlands Pavillion

August 3- Cedar Park, TX- Cedar Park Center

August 4- Dallas, TX- Gexa Energy Pavillion

August 7- Miami, FL- Klipsch Amphitheater at Bayfront Park

August 9- Raleigh, NC- Raleigh Amphitheater and Festival Site

August 10- Charlotte, NC- Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheater Charlotte

August 12- Uncasville, CT- Mohegan Sun Arena

August 14- Toronto, ON- Molson Canadian Amphitheater

August 16- Boston, MA- Bank of America Pavillion

August 17- Philadelphia, PA- Festival Pier

August 19- Holmdel, NJ- PNC Bank Arts Center

August 20- Wantagh, NY- Nikon at Jones Beach Theater

August 21- Fairfax, VA- Patriot Center

August 23- Indianapolis, IN- The Lawn at White River State Park

August 24- Chicago, IL- Charter One Pavillion at Northerly Island

August 26- Clarkston, MI- DTE Energy Music Theatre

August 30- St. Paul, MN- Roy Wilkins Auditorium at St.Paul River Centre

August 31- Council Bluffs, IA- Mid-America Center

September 2- Kansas City, MO- Starlight Theatre

September 6- Calgary, AB- Scotiabank Saddledome

September 7- Edmonton, AB- Rexall Place

September 9- Vancouver, BC- Rogers Arena

September 10- Seattle, WA- WaMu Theater

September 11- Portland, OR- Rose Garden

September 14- San Francisco, CA- Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

September 16- Las Vegas, NV- Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino

September 17- Universal City, CA- Gibson Amphitheater at Universal Citywalk

September 18- San Diego, CA- Open Air Theatre- San Diego State University

September 20- Phoenix, AZ- Comerica Theatre

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