Warner Bro's announces T-Works

[Raph's Girl]

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=128265

In spring 2008, Warner Bros. Entertainment will launch T-Works, a brand-new broad-appeal immersive animation experience which, for the first time ever, brings together all of the key characters from the Studio’s core animated properties in an expansive, rich online environment. The project was unveiled today by Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO, and Alan Horn, President & COO, Warner Bros.

T-Works is a cross-divisional and companywide initiative designed to take the Studio’s wealth of animated characters beyond the media where they have an extremely rich history (television, film, home video, consumer products) and make them accessible to fans in a fully immersive and customizable online world. T-Works, which will be ad supported, also marks the first time that all the key characters from Warner Bros. Entertainment’s unmatched family of animated icons, including Warner Bros. Animation, Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera and DC Comics are brought together in a single site and tied to a user rewards system.

The site offers unparalleled levels of interaction for the broadest appeal, from watching originally produced and classic library episodes online and playing games to customizing characters and exploring virtual worlds. T-Works also embraces an open philosophy, giving fans tools for self-expression and personalization in order to “brand” their digital lives anywhere on the Web. The grab-and-go capability enables fans to incorporate a custom avatar into their lives, whether it’s on T-Works or utilized in the participant’s digital world (MySpace, Facebook, etc.). Fans will be able to forge a deeper relationship with the characters than they have ever been able to in the past.

Warner Bros. Animation is in development with Studio 2.0, the original programming digital production arm of the Warner Bros. Television Group, on two projects: an untitled “Batman” shortform series and an untitled project based on “The Wizard of Oz,” both of which will debut exclusively on T-Works. More details on these projects will be announced in the near future.

“Warner Bros.’ iconic animated characters represent a very key part of the company’s film and television histories—so it’s fitting that they serve as the initial entry point into this online universe,” said Meyer. “In addition to being a great entertainment destination for fans, T-Works will also serve as a great marketing platform for all the Studio’s businesses, helping us to reach audiences in a space and in a manner that’s all about Warner Bros.”

“While the focus of T-Works is our amazing collection of animated superstars, this online destination represents much more than that,” said Horn. “T-Works presents us with a great environment and thus a great platform to highlight many of our current projects, from feature films to made-for-videos, consumer products, comic books and more.”

“T-Works fits perfectly with our overall digital strategy of creating original content online, as well as developing compelling consumer destinations,” said Bruce Rosenblum, President, Warner Bros. Television Group. “T-Works will not only provide a great collaborative opportunity for projects that bridge a number of divisions at the company, but it will also be an invaluable resource in developing and incubating properties that may transcend their online roots and live in other media.”

“T-Works will offer original entertainment content, social interaction and an intimacy with our beloved and iconic characters like never before in an environment that’s safe and appropriate for all ages,” said Lisa Judson, President, Warner Bros. Animation. “People have literally grown up with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, the Flintstones and Scooby-Doo, and we’re building an innovative, creative, cutting-edge home where people of all ages can interact and play with our characters in a compelling entertainment environment.”

“The animated versions of the DC heroes have been viewer favorites for years,” said Paul Levitz, President and Publisher, DC Comics. “T-Works will give our fans new ways to connect with our characters. The DCHeroZone should be a great new destination for our fans.”

The T-Works experience features:

• Immersive virtual worlds where users interact with each other and assume a cartoon identity based on existing characters--they can play, chat and create a personal cartoon home complete with furniture, art, pets and more from Warner Bros. Entertainment’s animation asset library
• Video channel featuring hundreds of hours of classic Warner Bros. Animation product as well as contemporary programs including “Looney Tunes,” “The Flintstones” and “Batman Beyond” and original made-for-broadband animated short-form series
• A personalization channel to serve all aspects of fans’ digital lives from customizing social networking profiles, portable widgets, desktop applications and more
• A games channel with over 125 games featuring never-before-seen character match-ups
• Video Mash-Up Maker where users can create and share their own cartoon remixes
• Sitewide reward system that gives points for all activity that the user does both within the virtual worlds and throughout the site--points can be redeemed for online assets as well as offline rewards
• Destination for younger users and their parents to spend time together with age-appropriate activities based on family-friendly favorites such as “Baby Looney Tunes,” “Krypto the Super Dog” and many more

This sounds like fun!! But it also sounds like they took a look at what Gaia Online and Toontown does and decide to get on that bandwagon. I love Gaia Online. You can do what T-Works does already...except your avatar is whatever you want it. Toontown tho is Disney's MMORPG and your avatar resembles the characters. Both are award winning games.

[Drtooth]

Video channel featuring hundreds of hours of classic Warner Bros. Animation product as well as contemporary programs including “Looney Tunes,” “The Flintstones” and “Batman Beyond” and original made-for-broadband animated short-form series

Now THAT's what I've been talking about all along. This is finally getting the message. This is what we want to happen. To be able to watch these shows online (bet they're gonna charge a fee, though) legally.

Hopefully the set up won't be as jerky as Toonami Jetstream is. It takes forever to load, and it freezes halfway through.

I just hope we see more of stuff like Taz-Mania, Duck Dodgers, and Tiny Toons and less of Loonatics Unleashed and crap like that.

[Raph's Girl]

Originally Posted by Drtooth

bet they're gonna charge a fee, though.

No it's free. It's add based. Gaia Online is like that...altho they also sell merchendise. Most of Gaia Online's advertising tho is movies. They have all these old movies and cartoons for free but they also show previews and have contests based on em.

That's probably what T-Works will be doing.

[The Terror of Death]

Originally Posted by Drtooth

Hopefully the set up won't be as jerky as Toonami Jetstream is. It takes forever to load, and it freezes halfway through.

Happens to me too dude.

Anyway, does this mean most of the Cartoonnetwork originals will not be in it? Fusion Fall is coming out too.

[Drtooth]

I have a freaking DSL and it took 20 minutes to get half the opening theme to Dragon ball to work.

But yeah... if they have better technology visa vis videostreaming this could be exactly what we need as WB fans who just can't rush out and buy every box set. And for them to try other cartoons to test their popularity (Freakazoid, Tiny Toons, Tazmania to name a few).

[Spike Spiegel]

This is a great idea.

What took them so long??

[Drtooth]

Originally Posted by Marty McFly

What took them so long??

Because if the whole Napster thing taught us is that entertainment companies have trouble keeping up with current technology. Unless you mean the whole game thing, then I dunno.