MvG/Rhino Entertainment deal
Former's musical games to include tracks from Warner Music.
Los Angeles, CA – July 23, 2008 – Music Video Games, LLC (MvG), an online, casual music video game company today announced an agreement with Rhino Entertainment, a Warner Music Group Corp. (NYSE: WMG) company, under which Rhino will license original recordings from WMG’s extensive library and will advise MvG on the selection of music and artists for use in MvG games.
“We are excited to be working with Rhino on the selection of music for our games,” said Vincent Bitetti, CEO of MvG. “This strategic agreement ensures that we will have the high–quality, well known music we need to achieve our goals. Our business model, game mechanics, and immersive, console-like graphics are unique to the market.”
In making the announcement, Mark Pinkus, Senior Vice President of Strategic Marketing, Custom Product and Synch Licensing for Rhino Entertainment said, “Rhino has had excellent success finding new and interesting opportunities for its artists and its catalog across a number of innovative delivery platforms, especially in the rapidly growing video game market. We look forward to working with David and Vincent and the entire MvG team in developing a first-rate music experience as part of MVG’s high quality video games.”
MvG was founded by David Warhol, president of El Segundo-based video game studio Realtime Associates, Inc., and Vincent Bitetti, a video game publishing executive and former CEO of TDK Mediactive, which was sold to Take Two Interactive (NASDAQ: TTWO) in 2004.
# # # # #
About Music Video Games, LLC
Music Video Games, LLC was created in early 2008 by video game veterans David Warhol and Vincent Bitetti to develop, publish and exploit technology and proprietary music beat matching game designs developed by Realtime Associates, Inc., and powered by major music artists of the past, present and future. Because the mechanics are so different from conventional beat-matching games, MvG is pursuing patents for its novel approach and process. The company’s business model is a combination of U.S. revenue streams for the growing casual game market and Asian market characteristics – including virtual goods and item-based micro transactions. Visit www.musicvideogames.net for more information.
About Realtime Associates, Inc.
Realtime Associates, Inc. is one of the longest-established independent video and computer game studios in operation today, and is the owner of the intellectual property and underlying technology for Music Video Games, LLC. Founded in 1988 by David Warhol, Realtime Associates has released over 85 consumer products on game platforms ranging from the Nintendo Entertainment System to the PS2, Xbox, GameCube, and PC. Realtime specializes in the development of ESRB EC, E, E10+, and T rated entertainment software, and has developed original titles as well as titles based on popular cartoon and children’s’ licenses. Past clients include Sega of America, Electronic Arts, Midway, Acclaim, Mattel, and THQ, among others. For more information, visit www.rtassoc.com.
About Rhino Entertainment
Based in Burbank, California, Warner Music Group’s Rhino Entertainment was formed 29 years ago in the back of a Santa Monica record store, Rhino is the world's leading pop culture label. Emphasizing flawless sound quality, bonus tracks, informative liner notes, award-winning creative packaging, an offbeat sense of humor and a strong social conscience, Rhino continues to set the standard for excellence in the reissue business it pioneered in both the physical and digital worlds. Rhino is also expanding the definition of what a catalog music company is as evidenced by the label’s recent name and likeness representation deal with legendary band Grateful Dead. The vast Rhino catalog of more than 5,000 CDs, videos, and digital exclusive albums features material by Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, The Doors, Chicago, Black Sabbath, John Coltrane, Yes, Alice Cooper, Linda Ronstadt, The Ramones, The Monkees, Carly Simon, Curtis Mayfield, among many others.
Media Contact:
Tracie Snitker
Reverb Communications
209-586-1495 x104
tracie@reverbinc.com
Lellie Capwell
Rhino Entertainment
818-238-6246
Lellie.Capwell@rhino.com