A DVD TV game is a standalone game that can be played on set-top DVD players. The game takes advantage of technology built into the DVD format to create an interactive gaming environment. To function correctly the DVD TV Games require no additional hardware and are compatible with most DVD players, including DVD-ROM. This technology has already been implemented for use in gaming, advertising, music, education, and corporate training.
History
DVD TV Games first went into development in the late 1990's and reached the end consumer around the millennium but were poorly received and understood as an entertainment medium. In 2002, Screenlife pioneered and introduced the first ever DVD Board Game with the Scene It? Movie Edition. Since then, Screenlife has sold over 10 million games, and has more than 20 titles in its collection.
Companies producing DVD TV games
Screenlife
Screenlife produces the Scene It? brand, with games that include TV, Sports, Music, James Bond, Harry Potter, Disney and more. Additional Screenlife DVD games include American Idol-All Star Challenge, DVD Blast!, Banzai, based on Banzai (game show), and Quip It!. Screenlife has secured thousands of partnerships with major Hollywood studios, sports leagues and recording labels. Scene It? and Screenlife branded games are available in five languages and in 14 countries.
A key compoment of the the Scene It? games is randomization. Screenlife wanted to find a way to ensure that the clips and questions would not repeat over hours of play. The result was Optreve®, new technology that allows a DVD to randomly access and track large numbers of digital packets of information.
Forest Interactive
In 2004, Forest Interactive released Atmosfear. Atmosfear was a spin-off of the older VCR-based game and, accordingly, followed the older closely using the DVD element to provide interactivity. The game was success through most retailers worldwide. In Australia alone 60,000 copies were purchased in six months, however, short supply meant that demand could not be met over the Christmas 2004 period and the game’s full potential could not be realised.
ZOOtech
British company ZOO Digital Group's software arm ZOOtech has focused its research into the production of its DVD-EXTRA technology, enabling interactive content to be created without needing to use the typically labor intensive conventional DVD authoring software.
Companies that have licensed the use of DVD-EXTRA technology are;
- Snap TV
- Compedia
- Universal Pictures
- Ascent Media
- Comchoice
- OUAT Entertainment
- Freestyle New Media Group
- Element Interactive
- Cheerful Scout
- personalized Tic-Tac-Toe game on DVD by BrickLoop, Inc.
ZOO Digital Publishing, ZDG's publishing arm, has developed several DVD TV games based on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Guinness Book of Records and several European football trivia games.
Digital Leisure
Digital Leisure is a Canadian compnay that specializes in producing DVD versions of laser disc games, such as Dragon's Lair and Mad Dog McCree.
Hirameki International
Hirameki International have released five anime games on DVD under their AnimePlay label, and have licenses for several more.
Other Companies
Companies Hasbro, Mattel and Imagination have began to explore their own technology to produce interactive DVD content.
Hasbro has already developed and released several DVD TV Games based on Trivial Pursuit including two themed around the Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings movie series’. They have also released a movie trivia game called Shout about movies.
Lean Forward Media has produced the direct-to-video DVD Choose Your Own Adventure: The Abominable Snowman, and plans to produce othe DVDs in this series.
Snap TV has been producing DVD TV Games since 2002, with titles ranging from college sports (NCAA Football Trivia Challenge) to general trivia and children's learning (Trivideo: 20th Century, Eco-Rangers: Animal Kingdom).
Compedia released two children educational titles to teach English in 2006 (English for Kids 1 and 2).
Smashfusion have released three arcade style games 2006 and are working on other innovative titles.
- aMAZEd - A simple children's maze game
- aMAZED 2 - More maze games with fully animated backgrounds and themed sound effects
- Spot the Difference - The classic puzzle game now on DVD
DVD Game University is a new site containing detailed tutorials for anyone wishing to learn how to author DVD games.