Nickelodeon USA Unveils First Teaser Trailer For "House Of Anubis" Season 3!

Below is a streaming video and transcript of Nickelodeon USA's brand new official "Coming In 2013" "House of Anubis" Season 3 trailer/promo which Nick USA unveiled on-air on Saturday 27th October 2012 to celebrate and promote that Nickelodeon USA, along with Nickelodeon channels around the world (Nickelodeon International / Planet Nickelodeon), including Nickelodeon UK, will start to premiere and show season three of Nickelodeon's hit mystery drama series "House Of Anubis" in 2013!

Nickelodeon USA's brand new official "House of Anubis" Season 3 promo gives SIBUNA fans and Nickelodeon USA viewers a first-look sneak peek look at the all-new third season of "House of Anubis", and includes interviews with some of the cast of "House of Anubis", who give fans and viewers a exclusive insight into season three of "House of Anubis", including what one of the storylines will be and who will be this years villein, and also gives a first look at one of the new "House of Anubis" characters who will be introduced in "House of Anubis" season 3!:

Coming in 2013, the mystery that kept you on the edge your seat will return, and something inside this house will reawaken!

[Screams]

In the brand new season of House of Anubis!

[Burkely Duffield 'Eddie': This year, on House of Anubis, there's a lot more of, I'd say everything!

Jade Ramsey 'Patricia': So season three kind of picks up where season two ended.

Brad Kavanagh 'Fabian': We found out that Eddie turned out to be the Osirian, so, all the [...] in the house, everything, are all now on Eddie.

Ana Mulvoy Ten 'Amber': SIBUNA is having [...] a bit of a makeover.]

[Patricia Williamson, Fabian Rutter and Amber Millington: SIBUNA]

[Brad Kavanagh: And the bad guy, you guys would not believe. It's a bad guy we've always known about, but never assumed was still around.]

[Amber Millington screams]

So where will this season lead?

[Burkely Duffield: As it always is with House of Anubis, who can you trust? When can you trust them? And, you never really know who and how people are gonna turn out in the end.]

In a brand new season of House of Anubis, coming in 2013, only on Nick!

One of the main plots in the third season of "House of Anubis" will be about the teens battling against the teachers as they race to defeat an ancient curse and prevent a great evil from reawakening forever. Season Three of "House of Anubis" will also introduce brand new characters to "House of Anubis" fans and Nickelodeon viewers, including a brand new character called 'KT Rush' (portrayed by new Nickelodeon Star and actress Alexandra Shipp), who will be "an adventurous, sunny and tenacious American girl who becomes a vital part of the Sibuna gang and partners with Eddie to unlock the new Anubis House mystery", and 'Willow Jenks' (played by new Nickelodeon Star and actress Louisa Connolly-Burnham), who will be "a student from another boarding house who yearns to join Anubis House". Unfortunately, Nickelodeon Star and "House of Anubis" actress Nathalia Ramos, who plays the primary protagonist SIBUNA character 'Nina Martin' in the first two seasons of Nickelodeon's popular mystery series "House Of Anubis" has announced and confirmed that she won't be returning to be in the cast of season three of "House of Anubis" due to school related issues. Roger Barclay, who plays "House of Anubis" villain Rufus Zeno/The Collector, has also confirmed that he also won't be returning to be in the cast of season three of "House of Anubis". Nickelodeon Star and "House of Anubis" actor Bobby Lockwood, who played the HoA character 'Mick Campbell' in the first two seasons of Nickelodeon's popular mystery series "House Of Anubis", has also announced and confirmed that he won't be returning to be in the cast of season three of "House of Anubis".

Nick Jr. UK Announces Plans To Show Brand New "Peppa Pig" Episodes In November 2012

Nickelodeon UK has announced the Nickelodeon UK News that Nickelodeon UK and Ireland's preschool channel, Nick Jr. Channel UK and Ireland, is planning to premiere and show brand new episodes of Nick Junior's popular animated British preschool series "Peppa Pig", including the brand new "Peppa Pig" episodes "Madame Gazelle's Leaving Party", "Desert Island" and "Perfume", from Monday 5th November 2012 at 8.00am, 12.00pm and 6.00pm, as part of Nick Jr. UK's Autumn/Winter 2012 highlights and "November on Nick Jr. UK 2012"!

"Peppa Pig" is a British animated preschool television series that follows Peppa Pig, Britain's most loved little piggy, who lives at home with her little brother George Pig, Mummy Pig, and Daddy Pig. Peppa Pig adores playing games, dressing up, days out and most of all jumping in muddy puddles!

In the brand new episode of "Peppa Pig" called "Madame Gazelle's Leaving Party", the children are sad when their favourite teacher, Madame Gazelle, announces that she is leaving the Playgroup, and decide to throw her a leaving party that will give her a good send-off.

In the all-new episode of "Peppa Pig" titled "Desert Island", when a fishing trip goes wrong, leaving Grandpa Pig and Grampy Rabbit stranded on a desert island, Captain Daddy Dog is the only one able to save them, and he soon realises he misses the sea after all.

In the brand new episode of "Peppa Pig" called "Perfume", after smelling Granny Pig's perfume de lavender, Peppa experiments with the flowers in the garden to create her very own special smell.

Enjoy A Final Fling At Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Including Nickelodeon Land, With A Special Two-For-One Wristband Offer!

Below is a Blackpool Pleasure Beach Press Release from PRWeb:

Enjoy a Final Fling at Blackpool Pleasure Beach

The UK's favourite amusement park is offering thrill-seekers a final chance to ride its collection of white-knuckle rides in 2012 with a special 2-4-1 wristband offer!

(PRWEB UK) 29 October 2012

Get ready for a Final Fling at Blackpool Pleasure Beach with a fantastic 2-4-1-wristband offer!

The Big One roller coaster at Blackpool Pleasure BeachTo celebrate the weekend of November 10th and 11th Unlimited Ride Wristbands when purchased online at http://www.blackpoolpleasurebeach.com are 2 for the price of 1, that’s a saving of up to £35.

This weekend is the last chance to ride a great selection of white-knuckle rides, fantastic heritage roller coasters and our best dark rides. Experience the Big One roller coaster, with its sheer drop and speeds of up to 85mph; test your nerve on Infusion, the world’s first fully-suspended coaster over water and brave Valhalla, the world’s biggest dark ride and recently voted one of Europe’s best water rides.

Race friends on Pleasure Beach's twin-track racing coaster, the Grand National and go for a dip on the Big Dipper before trying out the twists and turns of the frenetic Wild Mouse ride.

If guests prefer things more sedate then take a trip on the River Caves, let off some steam on the Pleasure Beach Express which tours the 42-acre attraction or enjoy the Spectacular Dancing Water Show with a glass of champagne or refreshing drink from our selection of catering outlets.

And don’t forget the UK's only Nickelodeon Land, packed with 12 rides and attractions. Soak your friends and family on SpongeBob’s Splash Bash and take a trip on Dora’s World Voyage or reach for the skies on Avatar Airbender.

The 2 for 1 offer applies to gate priced wristbands; 12 years and over wristbands at £35, 11 years and under wristbands at £30 and Nickelodeon Land wristbands at £20. Visit http://www.blackpoolpleasurebeach.com for more information.

Ratings Watch Global - Saban Brands' "Power Rangers Super Samurai" Delivers Great TV Ratings For The French Children's TV Channel Gulli

From Kidscreen:

Ratings Watch Global

This week, Eurodata TV has provided us with the ratings for the top-five program broadcasts with kids four to 14 in France between September 17 and October 14, 2012.

The top-five programs are:

1. Garfield and Company, France 3 (October 6, 5.1% rating, 25.3% share)

2. Power Rangers Super Samurai, Gulli (October 7, 4.9% rating, 26.8% share)

3. Monk La Cata Sur Pattes, Gulli (October 7, 4.8% rating, 28.2% share)

4. The Simpsons, W9 (September 21, 4.8% rating, 16.1% share)

5. The Jungle Book, TF1 (October 12, 4.7% rating, 29.1% share)

** Ratings supplied by Eurodata TV Worldwide/ Mediamétrie

Tags: France, Garfield and Company, Ratings Watch Global

Analysis Of Children's Virtual Worlds

From TBI Vision:

Kids Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds have been around in the kids industry for a few years now. Andy Fry investigates which are the most popular sites and how television producers and distributors are working with the likes of Moshi Monsters and Club Penguin to expand their brands.

There’s no standard definition or description for kids virtual worlds. But most of the major brands in the market are based around a mix of social interaction and casual game-play.

The classic example is Club Penguin, launched by Canadian entrepreneur Lane Merrifield and acquired by Disney in 2007.

In this case, children sign up as registered users and take on the form of penguin avatars. They then go to a fantasy world called Penguin Island where they can play games, customise their characters and talk to other kids disguised as penguins. Chat is moderated to ensure there is no kind of anti-social behaviour.

Registered users of Club Penguin, typically aged 6-12 with a slight skew towards girls, can get a basic entertainment experience for free. But if they want the complete experience they have to pay a subscription fee of $6-8 per month.

The difference says Club Penguin spokesperson Nicola Miller, is that members can customise their world much more comprehensively: “They can use virtual coins they earn by playing games to change their penguin’s look or decorate their igloos more than non-members. There are also special events that only members are entitled to go to. An example is the Halloween Party, when the look of the site changes totally.”

Club Penguin’s headline stats suggest that the site has 175 million registered users in 190 countries, up from around 12 million at the time of the purchase. This is good growth, but more important is the number who choose to pay. Disney is coy, but analysts estimate it is around 5-10% of users.

This is about the same as when Disney bought the site and there is evidence that the company was hoping to increase the conversion rate by now. Back in 2007, Disney agreed to pay US$700 million for Club Penguin if it hit certain profit targets by 2010. But it failed to do so, meaning the deal value dropped to US$350 million, a saving for Disney, but an indicator of how hard it is to get punters to cough up cash.

Disney has responded by trying to leverage the other assets within the parent group. Marvel Super Hero Takeover, for example, was a special event which allowed Club Penguin players to dress as their favourite Marvel Super Heroes or Super Villains and the event was the most trafficked in Club Penguin’s history, logging 20 million play sessions across 200 countries. Players spent over one billion virtual coins on Marvel gear.

When Disney bought Club Penguin, it triggered a rush of virtual world launches, with an estimated 200 up and running by 2009. But within two years, the difficulty of converting kids and parents into purchasers, combined with the cost of moderation and refreshing content, led to numerous closures and mergers.

One site that survived and is thriving is Mind Candy’s Moshi Monsters, which launched in 2007 and now has 65 million registered users in 150 countries. Like Club Penguin, Moshi makes money from subscribers, most of who are in a similar age bracket to its Disney rival. Like Disney, it doesn’t reveal what proportion of the user base pays, but Mind Candy founder and CEO Michael Acton Smith says the company is “very profitable”. Last year, analysts tagged the value of the company at US$200 million, since when it has grown considerably.

While Club Penguin sees kids become Penguins, Moshi involves kids (65% girls) choosing monster pets then nurturing them, customising them and personalising their world. As with Club Penguin, there’s interaction and games, the latter providing the currency for kids to pay for personalisation. Acton Smith calls it as “a cross between Tamagotchi and Facebook for kids”.

Of the two, Mind Candy has pushed more aggressively into merchandising, with around 100 Moshi licences ranging from plush toys to birthday cakes available via major retailers. This activity, which also includes a best-selling monthly magazine, is estimated to be worth around US$100 million at retail.

One reason that Moshi seems to have done better than others in L&M is that it has created a stronger set of star characters. While Club Penguin also has a central cast of returning characters, the fact that Moshi activity revolves around six main monsters, and a supporting cast known as The Moshlings, has created the centre of gravity to build a consumer products programme.

It has also acted as the foundation for expansion into other platforms. Last year saw the launch of Moshi TV, an online channel designed to be the home of short animations based on the Moshi Monsters world (see box). There are also IOS platform games.

In a similar camp to Club Penguin and Moshi Monsters is Habbo, launched by Finland’s Sulake Corporation in 2000. It has about 230 million registered users across 11 language sites in 150 countries.

Habbo CEO Paul LaFontaine says Habbo differs from the other sites in a number of ways, starting with the fact that it is targeted at an older age-group: “We mainly cater for 13-16 year-olds who want socialise in a safe space. Because of the age group, our emphasis is more towards social interaction than gaming,” he says.

With its older age group, Habbo is also able to run a different business model. Instead of subscription, “95% of our income is from the sale of virtual items which users buy to customise their avatar or their rooms,” LaFontaine says. “The remainder mainly comes from areas like in-game advertising. We’ve worked with brands that will create virtual versions of their products for the site.”

It has been a challenging year for Habbo, which was the subject of scrutiny by Channel 4 News in the UK over significant lapses in moderation. As a result, the site closed down its chat functionality while it tightened up its security procedures. Now, though, chat is back and there are signs that the site has ridden out the storm. These include the launch of a Turkish version and “explosive growth in Latin America,” says LaFontaine.

But it isn’t easy, he continues. “It takes a unique set of skills to manage such an open ended proposition,” he explains. “Running Habbo is like governing a virtual online nation.”

Arguably, Habbo is dealing with the toughest of all age-groups, since it is dealing with kids that are looking to challenge parental authority and test the outer edges of legally-permitted behaviour. At the same time, it is beginning to crossover with more mainstream social media. In developed markets most kids are already on Facebook and Xbox by this age, giving them alternative means of peer interaction.

Nevertheless, LaFontaine is optimistic about the future for the model, saying that Habbo’s focus on ID anonymity for teens makes it unique among virtual worlds in the West.

Asia has also seen a virtual world boom in the last decade. One of the leading players is China’s Taomee Holdings, which has 43 million kids playing in its virtual worlds, according to chief financial officer Paul Keung. “Our most popular worlds are Mole’s World and Seer. The first is based around moles, the second is about robots exploring distant galaxies.”

According to Keung, kids don't have to spend anything to play games but around 9% pay a small monthly subscription. Unlike Western sites, Taomee's are closely monitored in terms of playing time. “Sites switch off at midnight. There are also limits on how long kids can play for.”

Significantly, Taomee's sites have spawned spin-offs, with Mole's World and Seer both being turned into books, movies, magazines, events, mobile Apps and two seasons of animation. There has also been expansion into Taiwan. Deals for Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia are also in place: “We've been genuinely surprised by the success of the sites,” says Keung.

Players outside the core demo of 7-12 are getting involved. “We really think the world of Seer is something that people might play their whole lives. There’s great spin-off potential because it is about so many galaxies,” Keung adds.

The sites mentioned above were all independent start-ups with no previous brand history. But the fact that Disney acquired Club Penguin shows that the big studios are keen to be involved in this space. The strategic question for these big IP-owning companies, however, is whether to launch brand new concepts or utilise their existing content assets.

Back at Disney, for example, Miller points to Superbia as an alternative way of approaching the space: “With Superbia, you can create and personalise an avatar, but it isn’t based around interaction with other kids. Instead, it’s about connecting with Disney shows like ANT Farm, Wizards of Waverly Place and Hannah Montana. Kids can play games decorate their rooms in the style of characters and find out information about shows.”

Turner Broadcasting’s Cartoon Network, meanwhile, has FusionFall, a concept that allows users to take on the form of an avatar and then play a sci-fi-style adventure game alongside popular Cartoon Network characters like Dexter and Ben 10.

Viacom-owned Nickelodeon has tried all kinds of variants over the last decade. In 2000 [2005], it acquired Neopets for US$160 million. Now available in ten language versions, the site allows kids to own virtual pets and buy them items with virtual money. This money can be earned by playing games or it can be bought with real-world currency. Much more recently (2011), the company launched Monkey Quest, a virtual world set in the land of Ook. Using the familiar formula, users can play a basic set of games for free or pay a subscription which will allow them to interact with other users and go on quests.

The rollout of Monkey Quest has been spearheaded by Nickelodeon senior VP Kyra Reppen who, at launch, said that the site was intended to offer younger audiences the kind of sophisticated gameplay and collaborative approach usually found in adult virtual worlds such as World of Warcraft.

At the same time, the goal was to provide more of a console-style gaming experience, reflecting the growing influence of platforms like XBox and Playstation.

It’s still early days for Monkey Quest, but by utilising its other channels for promotional purposes the company has managed to attract more then 10 million registered users. It has also started building the brand out across other channels, with a mobile app called Monkey Quest: Thunderbow. There are also rumours that sister company Paramount Pictures is making a Monkey Quest movie, though speculation about a TV spin-off has so far attracted a negative response from Reppen.

Strictly speaking, you could argue that the absence of peer-to-peer social interaction disqualifies sites like Superbia and FusionFall from being “virtual worlds”. But there’s no question that the combination of avatar customisation plus game-play (without moderated social interaction) is an important area.

One reason for this, says Kindle Entertainment’s Anne Brogan, is that sites based around established TV or film characters have a different narrative dynamic. “We are working with Plug-In Media on a 3D online game for our children’s animated series Leonardo (based on the life of Da Vinci). In this environment, the goal is to upgrade Leonardo’s vehicle designs in order to finish games faster. This focus on the relationship with Leonardo is different from a site where the emphasis is more on the narrative that is developed between the children.”

There’s also a commercial angle, adds Zinkia’s MD of brands and business Maria Doolan: “We launched a virtual world for our preschool title Pocoyo when the market was buoyant. It has been a great brand-building platform for us but they are expensive and time-consuming to run. In the current climate, I can’t see companies outside the big studios going this route, particularly now there are established brands.”

It’s not just the fact that virtual worlds are expensive to run, adds Doolan, but there’s also the fact that content owners now have the option of going down the mobile app route instead.

While there’s also a cost consideration with apps, properties like Capcom’s Smurf Village have generated huge revenues from virtual product sales without needing to go social. Other big brands are moving this way too. Interactive entertainment company Ludia and Universal Partnerships & Licensing have just launched the Jurassic Park Builder game app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Based on the film franchise, players build their own Jurassic Park from the ground up, covering everything from building roads to breeding species. In addition to the basic mechanic, there’s multi-player gameplay and built-in social features, the ability to visit, help and gift friends.

As this market expands, properties associated with the internet like Zynga’s Farmville have struggled to keep up their momentum. According to research firm AppData, the number of people who play FarmVille each month peaked in January with 34 million people. At last count it was down to 18 million although it hopes to reverse that trend with Farmville 2.

High-profile casualties that show how tough the online virtual world market has become include Lego Universe, which was shut down earlier this year. Explaining its rationale, Lego says: “We didn’t do this lightly – it was a big decision and one we simply had to take eventually as after one year the game has nowhere near as many subscribers as we needed to be able to keep it running. We thought about (keeping the game running without adding new stuff), but pretty soon (users) would have been bored playing in the same areas again and again.”

Saban Brands president Elie Dekel has one of the great kids brands in the shape of Power Rangers, but he too believes the classic virtual world play is now a tough one. “Kids want to dive deeper into brands they love, but a virtual world is not always the right approach. They’re content hungry operations that involve a lot of time and effort to build and sustain.”

Dekel says the Power Rangers brand over-indexes in digital and has enough content assets to work well in that space. But instead of a virtual world, Saban’s approach has been to partner with Nick, the broadcaster of its series. “Kids who want more of Power Rangers go into the Nick Clubhouse where there are dedicated portals, which provide interactive content based around the network’s leading shows. I think the message in the market right now is that you don’t need a virtual world infrastructure to build out a brand, established or otherwise. You can do it as efficiently but more cheaply in other ways.”

Australian Commercial Television Network "Network Ten" Acquires Broadcast Rights For The Popular CGI-Animated Series "Matt Hatter Chronicles" For Their Free-To-Air Channel "ELEVEN"

From Kidscreen:

Network Ten picks up Matt Hatter Chronicles

Australia's Network Ten has snapped up boy-skewing, 3D/CG-animated series Matt Hatter Chronicles for its free-to-air channel ELEVEN.

Scheduled to premiere in 2013 on ELEVEN's Toasted TV block, the 26 x 30-minute Arc Productions-animated TV series from UK-based Platinum Films and Toronto-based Dream Mill will also be supported by an online and social media digital interactive component at matthatter.com.

The series, which has been a ratings success on Nicktoons and ITV in the UK, debuted on Canada’s Teletoon (English and French speaking) on September 8 and additional broadcasters on-board include Nickelodeon (Australia and New Zealand), RTE (Eire), SABC (South Africa) and JCC (Middle East).

The brand’s L&M program is also set to expand with consumer products launching in 2013 and a recent deal by Platinum will see ITVS GE represent rights for merchandising, publishing, promotional and home entertainment in the UK, Eire, Australia and New Zealand.

Tags: Australia, ELEVEN, Matt Hatter Chronicles, Network Ten

Also, from Broadcast:

Matt Hatter Chronicles sells to Australia's Network Ten

Australia's Network Ten has acquired kids' adventure series Matt Hatter Chronicles for broadcast in 2013.

The HD CGI animation, produced by indie Platinum Films and Toronto-based Dream Mill Inc, tells the story of a boy that has to defend the “multiverse”. The 26 x 30 minute series will air as part of Eleven's Toasted TV.

Cherrie Bottger, head of children’s television at Network Ten, said: “We’re delighted to be adding Matt Hatter Chronicles to our children’s line-up on Eleven and we hope to mirror the success that the series has enjoyed in other territories around the world. The 360-degree approach of this exciting series reflects our belief in offering interactive and immersive content for our young audience, both on-air and online.”

Last month, Platinum launched a digital hub for the series – matthatter.com – which features 200 pages of content that allows fans to find out more about the hero. It received 50,000 hits in its first weekend. Online activity, including social media, will be rolled out to support its launch on Eleven.

Matt Hatter Chronicles is show on Nicktoons and ITV in the UK, Teletoon in Canada and has already sold to Nickelodeon in Australia and New Zealand, RTE in the Republic of Ireland, SABC in South Africa and JCC in the Middle East. Further deals are expected to follow for Western Europe and the rest of the world.

Nigel Stone, chief executive at Platinum Films added: “Matt Hatter’s appeal is universal and we are confident that the show will become a firm favourite for all those budding schoolboy heroes across the territory.”

Also, from Animation Magazine:

Network Ten Dons 'Matt Hatter' for Spring 2013

Australia’s Network Ten has nabbed boys’ animated adventure-comedy Matt Hatter Chronicles for its digital free-to-air channel, ELEVEN, series producer Platinum Films has announced. The 26 x 30 HD CGI show will premiere in 2013 as part of ELEVEN’s Toasted TV line-up.

Produced by leading U.K. indie Platinum Films and Toronto-based Dream Mill Inc. and animated by Arc Productions (the Canadian studio behind Gnomeo & Juliet), Matt Hatter Chronicles charts the adventures of Matt Hatter, a 13-year-old schoolboy whose life is changed forever when he discovers his family defends a gateway to another dimension called the Multiverse—in order to protect the Multiverse and save his grandpa, Matt and best friends Roxie and Gomez must defeat and capture an assortment of powerful villains from movies, myths and legends.

Last month, Platinum launched the first phase of www.matthatter.com, getting 50,000 hits in its debut weekend. Over 200 pages of content allows fans to take a walk in Matt Hatter’s shoes, and will lead to Platinum’s digital strategy to support the broadcast by collaborating with ELEVEN to develop online activity, interactive digital content and social media engagement.

The series premiered on Canada’s Teletoon (English and French) in September and is already a favorite on Nicktoons and ITV in the U.K. where it has risen to a top rated position on both channels. Matt Hatter has sold to Nickelodeon in Australia and New Zealand, RTE in Ireland, SABC South Africa and JCC Middle East. Following MIPCOM, new deals across major Western Europe territories and the ROW are forthcoming.

Matt Hatter Chronicles