SEE Virtual Worlds, a new division of themed touring exhibitions company SEE Touring Attractions Inc, known for Star Trek The Tour and Titanic Official Movie Tour, announced a partnership with Entropia Universe Mindark PE AB to expand popular Hollywood properties into full, stand-alone virtual planets utilizing the Entropia Universe Virtual World Platform.
"I believe that this is the first, fully realistic business capitalization of what has been up to now a fledgling but exciting new entertainment platform,” said Martin Biallas, CEO, SEE Virtual Worlds, LLC. “Special Entertainment Events has been creating and presenting Hollywood's best themed entertainment projects for the last decade. Our unique relationship with the entertainment industry has provided us rare access and insight into what’s required to bring high profile properties to the public. And, we know how to present those titles to their best advantage and protect them which is of great concern to our studio partners. There is no question as to the clear synergy that this venture embodies.”
In the first merger of its kind, Mindark will provide SEE Virtual Worlds the Entropia Universe Virtual World Platform. SEE Virtual Worlds will launch Hollywood-inspired virtual worlds to coincide with Entropia's debut of the state-of-the-art and award-winning Cryengine2 upgrade in early 2009. SEE Virtual Worlds will handle studio licensing of major Hollywood film and television properties and marketing for the themed worlds. NEVERDIE Studios, led by virtual world icon Jon “NEVERDIE” Jacobs, will design and develop the individual planets which will include input from the creative teams behind the original film or television property. Mindark will integrate the newly designed planets into the Entropia Universe.
"Mindark has enjoyed great success in the emerging fields of virtual worlds," said David Simmonds, business development director, Mindark. "We believe that this long-awaited enhancement to the industry will bring interactive entertainment to a new level. As a company, we've been careful to only make such a move when the right combination of proven partners were realized and it's clear that there's no better triumvirate then this. Together, Mindark, SEE Virtual Worlds and NeverDie Studios represent all of the elements needed to expand this marketplace."
"Movies give us the ability to watch our favorite stories, video games enable us to interact with our favorite stories and virtual worlds will enable us to play, work and grow inside our favorite stories,” said Jon “NeverDie” Jacobs, president, NeverDie Studios. “Entropia Universe is the viable economic platform for this partnership given that virtual reality is a medium that has come of age.”