Starbreeze AB : IMAX UNVEILS COMPREHENSIVE VIRTUAL REALITY STRATEGY; LAUNCHES LOCATION-BASED INITIATIVE THROUGH PARTNERSHIP WITH STARBREEZE
(Thomson Reuters ONE) -
IMAX to Create Fully Integrated Premium Out-of-Home VR Offering
Encompassing Camera Capture, Content Distribution and Delivery
NEW YORK - May 20, 2016 - IMAX Corporation (NYSE:IMAX) today announced its
strategy to develop a premium location-based virtual reality offering that will
deliver immersive, multi-dimensional experiences, including entertainment
content and games, to multiplexes, malls and other commercial destinations.
Following yesterday's IMAX Google VR camera announcement, IMAX has expanded its
initiative to include a joint venture agreement with Starbreeze AB, a Swedish-
based independent creator, publisher and distributor of high-quality VR
entertainment content and hardware.
Under the agreement, IMAX will create a premium VR experience that will leverage
Starbreeze's unique StarVR(®) headset technology, which provides a 210-degree
full peripheral field of view - double that of any other VR headset currently
available - to offer a truly immersive VR experience that is worthy of the
IMAX(®) brand. As part of the partnership, Starbreeze's existing library of VR
entertainment content and games will be made available to consumers as well as
the premium content resulting from the IMAX Google VR camera. IMAX will also
look to establish new VR content partnerships through its existing Hollywood
filmmaker and studio relationships. Meanwhile, Starbreeze will bring new
interactive content through its publishing and partnerships in the gaming
industry, which includes its relationship with leading Hollywood studio
Lionsgate, with whom Starbreeze is developing its John Wick VR game as well as
others.
IMAX sees a unique opportunity to combine premium equipment, more robust
computing power, and expansive spaces to create a highly differentiated,
destination-based VR experience that will draw audiences out of their homes,
similar to the strategy IMAX has successfully employed in the cinema space.
"As technology and entertainment options evolve, we continue to innovate and
find new platforms to extend The IMAX Experience," said IMAX Corp. CEO Richard
L. Gelfond. "We believe VR is an area that holds tremendous promise and is a
natural progression for IMAX given our established worldwide brand presence, our
immersive entertainment technology know-how, and strong industry relationships
with filmmakers, studios and exhibitors. Just as IMAX provides the best
cinematic experience, Starbreeze is a pioneer in the burgeoning VR market and
its headsets will deliver a wider, "IMAX-like" field of view to allow consumers
to see, feel, move and play in new worlds in a powerfully immersive and
realistic way. While our partnership with Google puts IMAX in the VR capture
business, Starbreeze brings the capabilities in content distribution and
delivery that, when combined, help us to establish a complete offering across
the VR ecosystem."
The new VR experience will be made available within select multiplexes as well
as commercial locations such as shopping centers and tourist destinations. The
parties will launch up to six sites this year in both domestic and international
markets. A test site for the first IMAX VR location has been selected. If
successful, the intent is to roll out the concept globally.
"We believe one of the best ways to experience VR is communally and in the
highest possible quality," said Starbreeze CEO Bo Andersson Klint. "We want
everyone to have an accessible and exciting premium VR experience in cinema
complexes and commercial locations all around the world. This open content
platform will entertain and excite millions of people globally. The StarVR HMD -
manufactured by our partner, leading Taiwanese electronics company Acer -
together with the IMAX brand and its global reach through its many venues, is a
great combination for our audiences."
The joint venture will carry the IMAX brand, with IMAX providing product design,
management and installation services as well as sales, marketing and
communications support and Starbreeze delivering the software platform,
hardware, technical and product support. IMAX also plans to tap into its vast
network of filmmakers and exhibitor relationships while Starbreeze will also
leverage its relationships in developing and publishing interactive
entertainment experiences.
"I've always been a big believer in IMAX, which has been a great longtime
partner," said leading Hollywood director Michael Bay. "As a filmmaker, IMAX's
location-based VR offering presents an exciting opportunity to transport
audiences even further into the worlds we create. We are in advanced discussions
with IMAX now on some fun VR concepts and I look forward to test-driving their
new technology."
Rob Moore, Vice Chairman of Paramount Pictures commented, "Audiences worldwide
are looking to engage with their favorite films and franchises more than ever
before. IMAX's VR strategy provides the ability to immerse consumers in a whole
new world that expands on the movie itself and opens up a lot of exciting
creative possibilities for our properties."
"Starbreeze has played an integral role in the growth of our interactive
storytelling and virtual reality business and we are happy to broaden that
relationship to include our longtime friends at IMAX," said Peter Levin,
President of Interactive Ventures and Games for Lionsgate. "We are big believers
in location-based entertainment VR and this is a great opportunity to expand the
reach of our VR portfolio, including our John Wick episodic VR game and the
other forthcoming titles we are working on with Starbreeze."
Paul Donovan, CEO of Odeon UCI Cinemas Group, added: "We are committed to
providing moviegoers with the best possible experiences to get them off their
couches and into the multiplex. Our longstanding partnership with IMAX has been
instrumental to this effort and we believe their relationships with studios,
filmmakers and exhibitors as well as their leading brand and technology put them
in an ideal position to capitalize on the growing VR movement. We think VR has a
big future in cinemas and we are very interested in partnering with IMAX on this
front as their efforts continue to develop."
About Starbreeze AB
Starbreeze is an independent creator, publisher and distributor of high quality
entertainment products. With studios in Stockholm, Paris and Los Angeles, the
company creates games and other virtual reality entertainment products, based on
proprietary design and licensed content. Starbreeze's most recent games include
PAYDAY 2, the adrenaline fueled bank robbing co-op game and the upcoming John
Wick VR shooter and survival co-op FPS OVERKILL's The Walking Dead.
Starbreeze has set out to develop truly immersive virtual reality experiences,
by integrating software and hardware in its StarVR head mounted display, to be
produced together with leading electronics company Acer, displaying a unique
field of vision and a mission to bring top-end VR to large audiences. Starbreeze
launched StarVR with a VR-experience at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3)
in June 2015, gained by teaming up with French Infinite Eye. In January 2016,
Starbreeze unveiled the StarCade initiative; centers that invites people to
immerse themselves into premium VR experiences. The first cinematic VR
experience "Cockatoo Spritz" directed by Stephane Barbato, premiered at the
69(th) Cannes Film Festival 2016.
Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Starbreeze's shares are listed on Nasdaq
Stockholm First North Premier under the tickers STAR A and STAR B with the ISIN-
codes SE0007158928 (A-share) and SE0005992831 (B-share). Remium Nordic is the
company's Certified Adviser. For more information, please visit
http://www.starbreeze.com, http://www.starvr.com,
http://www.overkillsoftware.com
About IMAX Corporation
IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software,
architecture and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge
of your seat to a world you've never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are
utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as
such, IMAX's network is among the most important and successful theatrical
distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.
IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in
London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. As of Mar. 31, 2016, there were 1,066 IMAX
theatres (952 commercial multiplexes, 17 commercial destinations and 97
institutions) in 68 countries. On Oct. 8, 2015, shares of IMAX China, a
subsidiary of IMAX Corp., began trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under
the stock code "HK.1970."
IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, The
IMAX Experience®, IMAX Is Believing® and IMAX nXos® are trademarks of IMAX
Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com.
You may also connect with IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter
(www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).
###
This press release contains forward looking statements that are based on IMAX
management's assumptions and existing information and involve certain risks and
uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from future
results expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. These risks and
uncertainties are discussed in IMAX's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and
most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.
For additional information please contact:
+---------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
|Business Media: |Investors: |
| |IMAX Corporation - New York |
|IMAX Corporation - New York|Jessica Kourakos |
| |212-821-0110 |
|Ann Sommerlath |jkourakos(at)imax.com |
| | |
|212-821-0155 | |
| |Entertainment Media: |
|asommerlath(at)imax.com | |
| |Principal Communications Group - Los Angeles|
| | |
| |Melissa Zuckerman/Paul Pflug |
|Sloane & Company - New York| |
| |323-658-1555 |
|Whit Clay | |
| |melissa(at)pcommgroup.com |
|212-446-1864 | |
| |paul(at)pcommgroup.com |
|wclay(at)sloanepr.com | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
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+---------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
IMAX Starbreeze VR Partnership 5-20-16.pdf:
http://hugin.info/133226/R/2014221/746679.pdf
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(ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and
originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Starbreeze AB via GlobeNewswire
[HUG#2014221]
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Datum: 20.05.2016 - 13:30 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
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