Compatible with PS3 and Wii, MEGA Series may be delivered via the broadband connection of each console and is accessible through the device's Internet browser, which both use custom Flash players from Adobe. MEGA Series programming will be based on Cartoon Network and Adult Swim shows. MEGA Series content is designed to be played simultaneously with streaming video and delivered episodically over time, providing a real-time immersive experience for fans.
"Developing applications like MEGA Series is an important complement to our existing online and mobile businesses and a part of Cartoon Network's digital growth strategy," said Paul Condolora, senior vice president and general manager of Cartoon Network New Media. "Not only does MEGA Series extend our reach, but more importantly provides an opportunity to offer a unique content and user experience for our audience."
"AFI's Digital Lab provided a fantastic collaborative environment to explore cutting-edge technologies that further our businesses and reach new audiences," said Ross Cox, senior director of entertainment products, Cartoon Network New Media. "We'd like to think our efforts effectively demonstrate how the console browser can be utilized as a new distribution platform."
"The MEGA Series breakthrough is exactly the type of innovation that the AFI Digital Content Lab has fostered for the last nine years," said Lisa Osborne, supervising producer of the AFI Digital Content Lab. "When we recruited Sony, Georgia Tech, Dreamsocket, Beyond Z, The Barbarian Group and others to be on the same R&D team, we were hoping they'd develop a cutting-edge entertainment concept, and they certainly surpassed our expectations. Creating a product that runs on both a PS3 and a PC truly fulfilled the 'build once, broadcast everywhere' goal that the team set out to accomplish. It's gratifying to see Cartoon Network use their Lab project as a springboard to launch a new product."
"The AFI Digital Content Lab encourages the type of creative thinking and collaboration that is imperative to help propel Flash development in the future," said Bill Perry, manager of developer relations for mobile and devices at Adobe. "The development of the MEGA Series application is a great example of pushing technology to create even more robust entertainment experiences that reach consumers across a wide range of supported devices, including the Sony PS3 and Nintendo's Wii console."
The MEGA Series is a custom application accessible through a console browser and a PC browser. Once the application is built, the interface will be customized for the Flash capabilities of each distribution platform--including PC, PS3 or mobile phone--creating a unique, video-on-demand and gaming experience.