TEMPLAR STUDIOS

®
TEMPLAR STUDIOS
INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT
WWW .TEMPLAR.COM
®
TEMPLAR STUDIOS LLC
2 00 C E NTR E ST RE E T 3R D F L OOR NY C. 10013
TE L 2 12 .94 1 .05 57 · F A X 2 12 .94 1.1 1 03
INF O@T E M PL A R .CO M · WWW.TEMPLAR.COM
Dr. Naranja
© 2003 Templar Studios, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Templar is a registered trademark.
Other Company names, products, graphics, logos and depictions herein are trademarks and copyrights of their respective owners (see footnotes).
Templar Studios - Interactive Entert a i n m e n t
The Most Powerful Form of Online Advert i s i n g .
Templar Studios is a d esign an d techn ology stud io sp ecializing in games and in teractive entertainment. As one of the most in novative stud ios aroun d, our games an d interactive con ten t are u sed
for marketin g, promotions, prod uct s imulation and on lin e commu nities that have p roven to
generate hu ge amounts of traffic. With a focu s on s trong narratives, inn ovative tech nology and
exciting animation, we h ave b een produ cing award -win ning gam es an d Web sites since 1998.
Why Gaming?
Web sites th at in clude interactive components gen erate more repeat traffic, better define and bu ild
a b rand , while bringing in gamers who migh t otherwise ign ore the site. A visit to th e top sites from
this year's Web Awards reveals that everyone from Skittles to Bomb ay Sapp hire have in tegrated
gaming (adver-gaming) components to en rich their on lin e presence. Temp lar's achievements in
on lin e gaming have not been ign ored: in the past two years we h ave taken hom e fifteen top
industry award s for gam es, design, product promotion and program ming. Ou r goal is to create a
game that can stand on its own bu t is actually p art of th e entire brand experience.
Simulation as Stimulation.
The last few years h ave revolu tioniz ed com panies' abilities to in teract with, ed ucate and market
to th e consu mer. Online marketing, p articu larly gaming, d raws consu mers in on th eir own terms
an d exposes th em to a prod uct or b ran d through en tertain ment, fun an d in form ation. Con sum ers
don’t just want to s ee a car, th ey want to experience the interior; not jus t hear abou t a toy, bu t
get a chance to p lay with it. Wh en con sum ers feel th ey are in control of their free time and are
viewing something in terestin g or entertaining, th ey will stay lon ger, they will com e b ack and th ey
are m ore likely to sp read th e word abou t th e s ite.
The LEGO® MINDSTORMS ™ site enables b ran d prom otion an d virtual produ ct d emonstrations ,
wh ile add ing valu e for those who alread y own th e p roduct. The site is well kn own as an informational source and as a com mu nity for robotics enth usiasts. Our work for Nation al Geograp hic
en ables the visitor to en ter a three-dim en sional simu lation of the Congo, while experiencin g th e
environm ent through th e eyes of National Geograph ic's own exp lorers.
We ’ re in good company.
Templar's dedication to incorporatin g in teractive and online components into learning an d toys has
led us to work with such am azing companies as:
* Th e LEGO Group
* HBO
* Noggin /MTV Networks
* Comic Relief (UK)
* Nation al Geograph ic
* BMG/RCA Records
Our longstand ing association with th e Intel® Developer Allian ce an d th e Macromedia 3D
Partnersh ip Program allows Tem plar to b e part of the latest hardware and software advances.
Recently, Templar participated in marketing lau nch es for the Pentiu m ® 4 and Shockwave 8.5,
developin g in novative content to showcase these new techn ologies.
3
Case Study: LEGO
Makers of plastic blocks and some of the most innovative toys and games in the world.
Templar has produced several acclaimed Web-based video games, winnin g b oth d esign an d
programming award s for its work with MINDSTORMS, th e robotic toy division of LEGO. STORMRUNNER has been recogn ized as on e of the largest Java gam es ever made for the Web , whereas
both ROBOHUNTER 1 an d 2 were d eveloped u sing the latest Shockwave 3D techn ology. These
games allow kid s (and ad ults) to p lay with realistic, virtual rob ots – on the Web .
Templar curren tly provides con cept developm en t, design and p rod uction for LEGO’s BIONICLE
Matanu i Site, an ongoing an imated series and ad ven ture game that explores the mystery of LEGO’s
excitin g n ew lin e of action figures. The award -win ning site is packed with animation , games, and
puzzles, with more comin g each m onth. Fan s of the site have n ow made their own sites to share
exp eriences, n ews and clues with others.
Stats:
Bionicle. com receives u p to 600, 000 visitors p er m on th an d is driving approximately25% of
LEGO.com traffic. a Bionicle toys have topp ed 20% of LEGO’s retail sales. b The Bion icle toys were
th e b est-selling action figures for the second h alf of 2001; the product lin e is on e of th e b est
selling toys of the year in th e US. c Bionicle. com has won four ind ustry award s for a consu mer
targeted site.
Specialties of the House.
As a fu ll service art an d technology stu dio, Temp lar offers its clients all asp ects of con tent develop ment. Temp lar is also a skilled tech nology con sultan cy, working in a wid e variety of platforms
an d develop ment environments.
P roduct Pro m o t i o n :
Ou r work can range from basic sh owcasin g to in novative teaser campaign s and m ulti-player
games th at p rom ote you r comp any, brand an d p rod uct. Online advertising has changed greatly in
th e past two years. Com panies m ust constantly strive to offer something different to attract
attention in a sea of Web sites and b an ner ads. Good qu ality adver-gam ing works b ecause it is
appreciated as en tertainment.
Simulation:
We can create a fun an d in form ative gam e to attract in terest while m arketin g a p rod uct that may
be lim ited by a TV or prin t ad . A good SIM can be as pop ular as the produ ct an d create an
exten sive fan-base. There is n o b etter “free” advertising than word of m outh, and th e latest
ad vances in 3D delivery on the Web make this m ore realistic. As consu mers com e to p lay gam es,
th ey are exposed to other produ ct lines and valuab le marketing information.
Online Enviro n m e n t :
Templar creates world s wh ere produ ct owners, target con sum ers an d fans feel com fortab le gettin g
an swers, sharin g ideas and information. Our goal is to m ake the p rod uct site the premier d estination for n ews and in form ation on the wh ole gen re. An online comm unity ad ds value to th e
cons umers’ purchase and increas es overall s atisfaction with the brand .
Retention & L o y a l t y :
Sites can be am azingly cool, creatin g an initial bu zz when lau nched, bu t with ou t regu lar conten t
developmen t an d sp ecial offerin gs, vis itors lose interest and q uickly m ove on to th e n ext n ew site.
Templar b uilds s ites that offer the extraordinary – in novative grap hical styles , the latest tech nical
developmen ts, su rpris es an d, most im portantly, a reason to keep them comin g back for more.
4
Welcome to the island of Mata
Nui - a world full of mystery
and danger, wonder and
legend.
www.bionicle.com/matanui
Mata Nui is an immersive online adventure
in the Myst genre of gaming. Often called a
“story site,” the game is an ongoing interactive narrative designed to unfold over the
course of time. Each level of the adventure
is launched as a serial installment, supporting product releases in LEGO’s exciting new
line of toys - BIONICLE.
Templar provides all design, animation and
technical production for the LEGO-produced
series. The Flash™ site featur es extensive
storyline with mysteries to unravel, enticing
animation and an original score. Mata Nui
receives and up to 600,000 visitors per
month. Many fans have even posted their
own Bionicle sites, sharing stories and
offering hints to the puzzles.
BIONICLE is a totally new concept wher e
story-telling is in focus. Since its release in
the Summer of 2001, BIONICLE quickly
became one of the top selling toys of the
year and has received two “Toy of the Year”
awards from the American Toy Industr y
Association.1
Awards:
2002 AXIEM Awards (Gold - Web Animation)
2002 Summit Award (Silver - Consumer Site)
2001 Web Award (Best of Industry - Toy & Hobby)
2001 Omni Intermedia Award (Gold - Product Site)
5
www.lego.com/studios/backlot
So you want to be in show biz?
Welcome to LEGO® Studios Backlot!
This 3D adventure game lets you
explore the world of filmmaking online. Backlot starts visitors on their
own career in the movie business. You
must navigate your way through the
studio system; from a PA all the way up
to Director. But you will have to make it
past the wardrobe depar tment, lighting,
the commissary and a demanding
movie star!
The game supports LEGO’s new product
line - Studios, which includes The LEGO
& Steven Spielberg MovieMaker Set.
With LEGO Studios, children ages 8-16
can bring the imaginative adventures in
their LEGO worlds to life. The set
includes a PC movie camera, editing
software, and an assortment of LEGO
props and unique elements.
Tempar uses the latest technology for
the web, Shockwave 8.5, to deliver a
true 3D environment and exciting
gameplay, previously not available for a
web-based game.1
Awards:
2002 Web Awards (Outstanding Website)
2002 AXIEM Awards (Silver - Web Game)
www.lego.com/galidor
6
What's a Glinch? That is exactly the
question that LEGO wanted to answer
for the tens of thousands of kids who
want to know more about the GALIDOR
TV Series and the accompanying
product line from LEGO. Templar
designed the “Glincher” to showcase
the unique abilities of the series of
LEGO action figures. The Glincher is an
online play environment using the
latest 3D technology from Macromedia
Shockwave. Users can take apart their
favorite characters and switch out
heads, arms, legs - everything - for
virtually endless combinations. That's
Glinching. New combinations
(Glinches) can be printed out or
emailed to a friend. The Glincher is
part of LEGO's overall
marketing campaign to
suppor t the toy line in
conjunction with the television series, GALIDOR™:
Defenders of the Outer
Dimension (ABC). 1, 10
TM
www.lego.com/jackstone
Meet JACK STONE: a new kind of
action hero who shows kids that
solving problems is about figuring it
out, not fighting it out. A brave,
skillful hero who always builds a way
to save the day. Jack Stone is is a
recent toy creation from LEGO.
Templar’s production of “Jack Stone
to the Rescue” uses rich graphics
and easy functionality to reach a
young audience. The web-based game
was developed entirely in Flash and
features two levels, with approxi mately two hours of play time.1
http://mindstorms.lego.com/community/games/
Launched on legomindstorms.com
in April of 2000, S T O R M R U N N E R ™
is one of the largest Java games ever
made for the web. STORMRUNNER
was cre ated to promote LEGO’s
innovative M INDS TORM S pro d u c t s .
This gro u n d - b reaking pro d u c t
allow s users to build ac tual, functional robots, using LEGO pieces
and a PC. Designe d and pro d u c e d
by Te m p l a r,the game a llows visitors
to build and program a virtual ro b o t
for an exc iting adventure. 1
Wi n n e r :
2000 Om ni Inte rmedia Aw a rd
( Web Game)
7
http://www.lego.com/racers/dr omeduel.asp
Templar designed and produced a
series of racing games for LEGO show casing their Racers toys. Each game in
the Dr ome Duel series brings the racer
to a dif ferent part of the “Drome” with
tracks like Jungle, Canyon and High
Speed. The 2D, Shockwave™ games fea ture fast-paced competition, r ealistic
steering, accelerating, braking, obstacles and hazar ds to fend off opponents.
The Dr ome Duel is so popular, LEGO will
add mor e games to the series and will
soon be distributing a CD-ROM version
inter nationally, also designed and produced by Templar. The first web game
launched in Febr uary of 2002. The CDROM is expected in the summer of 2002.1
www.lego.com/racers/rally
Templar’s online racing games, which
were developed for LEGO’s exciting new
line of racing cars, have become some of
the most popular games on the vast LEGO
website. Racers Rally 1 (launched in April
of 2001) features a multi-track, multi-car
racing environment. Gamers can build
their own cars, which can be saved to
race again and again. 1
8
Spy City is the latest online adventure game from LEGO
MINDSTORMS™. The game uses
Shockwave™ 3-D technology and
was developed and produced by
Templar in cooperation with LEGO,
Intel® and Macromedia® .
®
You take control of the
Shadow, a sleek LEGO MINDSTORMS robot equipped with a Vision
Command camera. Your mission:
catch a notorious cat burglar as he
(or she) tries one last heist in the
spy-infested city of Telgrad.
http://mindstorms.lego.com/community/games/
Guide your robotic spy through the
maze of the city streets to follow,
track, observe and even record a
variety of spies and other underworld figures to uncover the elusive
thief. Get all the clues you can and,
if you are careful, victory can be
yours. However, you must be discreet in your mission; if you are
spotted by the other spies —
you will be destroyed! 1
P roduce d by Templar S tudios for
LEGO® M I N D S T O R M S ™ in cooperation with Intel® , R O B O H U N T ER:
Path of the Serpent, is a 3D adventure game whic h simulates the
experie nce of programming a nd
activating robotic inventions fr o m
the LEGO M INDSTORM S series.
Available only over the We b ,
ROBOHUNTE R boasts a fully interactive 3D world, be autiful a rt and
a n i m a t i o n , gripping sound effects
and an original score. A unique and
g ro u n d b re aking ende avor for the
I n t e rnet, it showcases the
advance s of the Pentium® III
p ro c e s s o r using the latest
Shockwave™ technology, including
Shells 3D Dreams® . Launched in
N o v e m b e r, 1999, the game ha s
been featured in PC Gamer’s
D a i l y R a d a r.com and
Ga mespot.com . 1
9
THE STROKES
www.thestr okes.com
The S tr okes w ere per f o rming at a
bar dow n the str eet when Te m p l a r
first met the m in January 2000.
Afte r signing with RCA , they called
us to build an online pre se nce for
their album Is This It (voted be st
of the year by New York M agazine,
E n t e rtainment We e k l y , C M J , and
N M E, and Time M agazine in 2001).
Tem plar wor ked close ly with the
band to develop the Site’s unique
look and feel, a nd it has re c e i v e d
g rea t pra ise from The Stro k e s ’
many fa ns. 2
www.nationalgeographic.com/congotrek
Templar produced Congo Trek 360˚ for
National Geographic in the Spring of 2001. The
site features extensive digital photography
from famed photographer Michael Fay, who
spent 15 months in the Congo. The photos are
incorporated into a 3D environment using the
latest Shockwave 8.5 technology from
Macromedia™. The animals come alive as you
pan through 360˚ of living jungle. Visitors can
interact with the animals in their environment
and see videos of the animals in action. This
site was produced in cooperation with the
Intel® Developer Alliance. 3
10
Templar provided six
animated shorts for
HBO.com to pr omote
the new season of the
Sopranos. The “Summer
Feature” was produced
in Flash and featured
scenes and audio clips
of Tony and his crew
from the first three
seasons, as well as
original music.4
www.hbo.com/sopranos
www.noggin.com
NOGGIN is a commercial-fr ee,
educational TV channel and online
site from Nickelodeon and Sesame
Workshop. Templar has produced
two projects for Noggin.com,
including the Freeform Summer.
Freeform allows kids to make and
submit their own poetry to a
gallery where all the kids can
share their works. 5
11
http://mindstorms.lego.com
Templar first began design a nd pro d u c t i o n
of The LEGO® M INDSTORMS ™ Online
Community in 1997, before LEGO launched
its incre dible Robotics Invention System.
These toys allow users to build actual
robotic toys out of LEGO pieces and a PC.
Templar went on to develop the site with
LEGO for more than three years. Origina lly
la unched in early 1998, the site wa s
de signed to prom ote the M INDSTORM S
p roduct line, and to offer owners of the
g ro u n d - b rea king toys a comm unity to
s h a re ideas and learn about ro b o t i c s .
During the time that Templar provided
design and production, LEGO MINDSTORMS
received as many as half a million visitors
a day. The site features instructional information and ideas for kids to build their own
robots, contests for cool inventions, and
infor mation about the world of robotics.
As browser technology advanced, Templar
began to include more interactive features
such as 3D models, video games and exten sive Flash™ animations. MINDSTORMS
quickly became a top destination for online
gaming enthusiasts, with games such as
STORMRUNNER and ROBOHUNTER 1 and 2
attracting fans fr om around the world.
®
As the MINDSTORM S product line – and
the a ccompanying site – gre w, Te m p l a r
p roduced additional features to showca se
the a dvances in pr ogramming, audio and
video capture, a nd the expansion into
licensed products such as the Da rk Side
Developer Kit™ that lets users build
wa lking S tar Wa r s® robots. The continued
success of the site haile d it as a pioneer
of online m arketing, community, and
br and building for childre n . 1, 8
Aw a r d s :
2000 Web Aw a rd
2001 Summ it Crea tive Aw a r d
12
JINX was designed by
Templar’s founders and
produced by the Buoyant
Company. Launched in
September, 1995, JINX pioneered online magazines
for children. The popular
site went on to be nominated for Best Design by
Cool Site of the Day.
COMIC RELIEF (UK) was
built for Christmas of 1997
in cooperation with Traffic
Interactive, UK. The site
raised more than £40,000
for charity during its two
months online.6
FORTUNE CITY: Templar
provided a complete
redesign and planning of
the site in April of 1999.
By June of 1999, the site
was ranked as the 25th
most trafficked website in
the US, with more than
one million visits per day.7
13
www.templar.com
Templar.com is a glimpse
into the cr eative world of
Templar Studios. Our unique
fusion of art and technology
have produced award-winning video games, toys, and
other interactive entertain ment. Click ar ound to discover who we are, visit our
gallery of work, view our
corporate info, and of course
play our on-line games. Be
sure to click on any bugs
and watch our for those Big
Media types trying to get in!9
Awards:
2002 AXIEM Award
2001 Summit Cr eative Award
2000 Omni Intermedia Award
2000 Web Award
www.learntodraw.com
Lear n to Draw™ is Templar’s proprietary online drawing game. Based on
the Exquisite Corpse (a Dadaist
game), learntodraw.com is a real
time drawing tool. Users are asked
to draw a portion of a figure, using
all kinds of tools, colors, and backgrounds. These drawings are stored
in the database that can be viewed
intantly and compiled with other
artists’ submissions into neverending combinations.
Since its launch in July of 2000, the
site has received thousands of
submissions creating an outrageous
database of heads, torsos and legs,
which are recompiled over and over
for never ending laughs...9
Winner, 2000 Web Award – Arts Site
Gunwagon™ is an amazing new
online racing and adventure game
currently in development by
Templar. Gunwagon takes
advantage of Macr omedia's
latest Shockwave which contains
a 3D engine for a realistic
environment and real-time action.
Templar will launch a prototype of
the game later in 2003.9
14
Aw a rds and Honors.
WEB AW ARDS (www.webaward.org)
2002
Outstand ing Website, LEGO BACKLOT (www.lego.com/studios/backlot)
2001
Bes t of Ind ustry Award , Toy/Hobb y Website LEGO Bion icle (www.bionicle.com)
2000
Outstand ing Website, Toy/Hob by Web site - LEGO MINDSTORMS (www.lego.com/mindstorms)
Outstand ing Website, Website Design - Tem plar Stud ios (www.templar.com)
Standard of Excellen ce, Arts Web site- Learn To Draw (www.learntodraw.com)
AXIEM AWARDS (www.axiemawards.com)
2002
Gold Award, Animation - Interactive/Website - LEGO BIONICLE (www.bionicle.com)
Gold Award, Self Promotion - Interactive/Website - TEMPLAR STUDIOS (www.templar.com)
Silver Award, Games - Interactive/Website - LEGO BACKLOT (www.lego.com/studios/backlot)
SUMMIT CREATIVE AWARDS (www.summitawards.com)
2002
Silver Award, Website/Consumer Informational - LEGO BIONICLE (www.bionicle.com)
2001
Silver Award. Con sum er In form ation al Site - LEGO MINDSTORMS (www.legomindstorms.com)
Br on ze Award. Self Prom otion Site - Temp lar Studios (www.templar. com )
OMNI INTERMEDIA AWARDS (www.omniawards.com)
2001
Gold Award , Produ ct Site - LEGO Bion icle (www.bionicle.com)
Silver Award, Programm ing - Web Gam e - LEGO STORMRUNNER (www.legomindstorms.com)
Br on ze Award, Experim en tal Site - Temp lar Stu dios (www.templar.com)
MACROMEDIA SITE OF THE DAY (www.macromedia.com/showcase/)
November 27, 2002
LEGO STUDIOS BACKLOT GAME (www.lego.com/studios/backlot)
COOL SITE OF THE DAY (www.coolsiteoftheday.com)
March 7, 2002
Cool Site of th e Day, Temp lar Studios (www.templar.com)
CLIO AWARDS (www.clioawards.com)
2001
Nominated, Best Self Promotion Site - Tem plar Stud ios (www.templar.com)
Pursecilla
15
16
17
MAY 2002
18
http://www.computer user.com/articles/1909,4,12,1,0901,00.html
Templar’s Stormrunner game
for LEGO MINDSTORMS was
featured by Computer User for
its accomplishments in Java
game development.
http://www.fgnetwork.com/news/july/0728_2.html
Future Game Network
discusses Templar’s
upcoming Multiball Game,
which uses new 3D
technology from
Macromedia and Intel.
KidScreen Magazine examines
the success of LEGO's Bionicle
toys. Templar's online game for
Bionicle helped to create a fanbase even before the product
launched in 2001. The establishment of the back-story and the
characters was critical to LEGO's
cross-media efforts and the toy
line went on to be one of the best
selling toys for the year.
19
France’s BLaST Magazine featured this
article about Templar.com in its
November 2000 edition.
“At Templar studio, you work at ever y
level and you are invited to play with
all the characters: make the engineer
pump up the volume and the boss go
lazy. Here, you are the master. But
besides satisfying your instincts to be
the chief, this site will please you with
its funny and original graphics, with
which many should inspire themselves.
Last advice, don ’t hesitate to click
ever ywhere: some clicks bring you to
secret places, held by weird hosts who
you shouldn’t miss.”
www.pitchtv.com/interactive/index.html
The Interactive Playground was produced by PitchTV and the American
Museum of the Moving Image. Templar
is featured in the index of cutting edge
designs.
Templar was asked to contribute to
Pictoplasma - the world's first exhibition of
contemporary character design.
Pictoplasma.com features over 2000 designs
from mor e then 190 artists from ar ound the
world. The exhibition covers a wide range of
mediums including video game characters,
branding mascots, cartoons, pixel style vector, collage, 3D and more.
Dr. Naranja
Pictoplasma- The Book
Release April 2001
Editor, Peter Thaler
http://www.die-gestalten.de/verlag
Pursecilla
20
Te m p l a r’s Managing Part n e r s .
Peter Mack, President and General Manager
Mr. Mack h as b een involved in New York’s d esign comm unity s ince 1988, working firs t in prin t,
in cludin g m agazines and p ublishers such as Disney, Mademoiselle, Details, SmartMoney, Prentice
Hall and Macmillan. Du ring his career, he has directed and p rod uced two short films, d esigned
CD-ROMs an d written a Web-based game for Microsoft’s Windows 95 lau nch site. As an art d irector for the Buoyant Com pany in th e early 90’s, Mr. Mack oversaw design on Websites such as
AT&T’s World Net, Reu ters, Dow Jones, and direct m arketing sites for Rodale Pres s an d Prentice
Hall. Mr. Mack formed the Templar Stud ios collective in 1998.
K e rri Mahoney, Creative Dire c t o r
After grad uating from th e School of Visual Arts in New York in 1993, Ms. Mahoney und ertook cartoon ing an d anim ation for MTV’s Oddities an d several short ind ep en dent films . Ms. Mahoney’s
interest in developin g innovative m ed ia content for children and youn g adu lts took h er to New
Orleans, wh ere she held art class es for local youth. Upon returnin g to New York in 1994, s he
join ed The Bu oyant Company and soon b egan developin g the kids’ e-zin e JINX, which wen t on to
be nominated for Cool Site Design of the Year (b y Cool Site of the Day), in 1996. Sin ce then, Ms.
Mahoney has worked on a variety of p roperties for children , in cluding th e flagship design of
Nick.com, as well as games for Cartoon Network an d AOL/Time War ner. Her work has been featured in m an y magazines an d articles about Web design, includ ing Mother Jones, Silicon Alley
Reporter, and Print. Most recently, Ms. Mahoney was a volunteer with Geekcorps
(www.geekcorps.org) in Accra, Ghana, West Africa, where she taught Web design and software
skills to a local pre-press ad vertising firm.
G o rdon Klimes, Creative Dire c t o r
Mr. Klimes stud ied film, vid eo and an im ation at th e Sch ool of Vis ual Arts in New York. Sin ce
then, he h as worked on a variety of digital projects in cluding Wanderlu st Interactive’s “Passp ort
to Pink” CD-ROM game, which won th e Eu ropean EMMA award for best Family CD-ROM in
1996. In Lond on , h e was senior graph ic designer for Traffic Interactive, workin g on s ites ran ging
from UCI Cin emas, Excite, Comic Relief and British Telecom. Previously, Mr. Klim es was a lead
storyboard artist for the acclaim ed network cartoon s how “Th e Tick” (FOX) wh ich can now be
seen on Comedy Cen tral. Mr. Klimes was based at Templar’s London office un til relocating to
New York in 2000.
Brian Fisher, Director of Finance & O p e r a t i o n s
In 1997, Mr. Fisher found ed FishCom , a s uccessfu l consu lting service that sp ecialized in corp orate
and financial services for sm all bu sinesses. Previously, h e was the Director of Finance &
Admin istration for Wanderlust Interactive, a multimedia publisher. During his tenure there,
Wanderlust completed its IPO and released its first CD-ROM game “Pass port to Pink,” starring The
Pin k Panther. The gam e received intern ation al acclaim, win nin g the Milia D’Or award an d was
pu blis hed in m ore than 20 coun tries. Mr. Fis her’s previous experience includ es film production
work with MIRAMAX Films and Fine Lin e Features. He has also worked in op erations for Ch iat/Day
Advertisin g and Arista Records.
21
Pinedoughty
TEMPLAR® STUDIOS AND LEGO® TO CONTINUE BIONICLE WEB GAME
Studio Will Develop Sequel to Aw a rd - Winning Online Story of Mata Nui
F OR IMMEDIATE RELEA S E
F e b ru a ry 20, 2003
New York, NY, – Temp lar Stu dios, LLC and Th e LEGO Com pany announced today that they have
signed a n ew agreement to begin p rodu ction of a seq uel to the Mata Nui Online Game for
BIONICLE™ (www. BIONICLE. com). The addition al series of ad ven tures is exp ected to lau nch in
th e Sp ring of 2003 an d con tinue throughout the year. Peter Mack, Templar’s president and
general manager, made the an nouncement.
The first series was d eveloped and released in 2000 and 2001. The innovative game was design ed
to in trodu ce visitors to th e exciting BIONICLE produ ct lin e from the LEGO Company. Th e Flash
site h as generated a loyal following and regularly receives more th an 500, 000 visitors per m on th,
returning an average of 5 tim es a month. After its release in th e su mmer of 2001, BIONICLE
quickly becam e one of th e top-selling toys and was named Toy of the Year by the Toy Association
of America. Temp lar h as b een h on ored with four indu stry award s for its work on the consu mer
information al game.
Accord ing to Mack, “Th is gam e in trod uces a variety of new characters an d story lines to su pport
th e BIONICLE p rodu ct line for the year as well as prepare for the u pcom ing release of th e directto-vid eo movie called BIONICLE ‘Th e Mask of Light.’”
“We simp ly listen ed to the BIONICLE fan s who cou ldn ’t get en ou gh of the first series, ” said Leah
Weston, Sen ior Producer at LEGO. “They loved the cin em atic style and h umor that Tem plar brin gs
to the project. The new game tells the s tory from a u niqu e p oint of view an d will give even m ore
depth to th e BIONICLE property.”
BIONICLE.com is a meld of storytelling an d gaming, where visitors explore the universe and follow
an ongoing story. The s tory begins on the islan d of Mata Nui, wh ere six h eroes , called Toa, are the
main characters . Th e game is told from th e p oint of view of the inh ab itants of Mata Nui who the
Toa are sent to protect. Temp lar p rovides concept design, an imation and p rogram min g for th e
LEGO-produced series . Th e epis od ic Flash site features extens ive game-play; th ere are pu zzles to
solve, mysteries to un ravel, and an original score. The new series will interweave incred ible new
ch aracters and storylin es su pporting the variou s BIONICLE prod ucts to be released this year.
LEGO Com pany, a p rivately h eld firm based in Billun d, Denmark, is committed to th e d evelopm ent
of children 's creative and imaginative abilities, an d its employees are guided b y the m otto ad opted
in the 1930s b y fou nder Ole Kirk Ch ristiansen: "Only th e best is good en ou gh ." For more in formation , vis it www.LEGO.com.
Based in New York’s historic Lower East Side, Tem plar is a m ultim edia develop ment studio, specializing in h igh qu ality video games and other interactive en tertainm en t. Th e collective of artists,
an imators, writers, comp osers and tech nology sp ecialists has worked with clients su ch as LEGO,
Nation al Geographic, BMG/RCA, Noggin and HBO. Formed in 1998, Templar is currently developing its own video games an d on-lin e properties. In th e past two years, Temp lar h as taken h om e fifteen in dustry awards for d es ign , gamin g, arts and p rod uct p rom otion and is part of the In tel®
Developer Alliance. Visit www.templar. com for more fu n an d in formation.
###
22
TEMPLAR® STUDIOS WINS WEB AWARD F O R LEGO® “BACKLOT”
Second Aw a rd for Studio’s Innovative Web Game
FOR IMMEDIATE R ELEAS E
November 21, 2002
New York, NY, November 21, 2002 – Templar Studios, LLC has been honored with an Outstanding
Website Award at the annual WebAwards. The award was given for the 3D web game entitled
“Backlot” (www.lego.com/studios/backlot), which Templar designed and produced for LEGO. Peter
Mack, Templar’s president and general manager, made the announcement.
This is the second award Templar has received for the Backlot game, a 3D interactive game designed to
introduce the LEGO Studios product line to kids and parents. With LEGO Studios, children ages 8-16
can bring the imaginative adventures in their LEGO worlds to life. The set includes a PC movie camera,
editing software, and an assortment of LEGO props and unique elements. Players explore a simulated
movie studio where they can get a job, learn about filmmaking, and find clues to help solve a mystery.
The 3D game is delivered via the Web using Sh ockwave 8.5, which includes a groundbreaking 3D
engine. The game play has console q uality game-play and has become a popular part of LEGO.com.
“Who has not dreamed of visiting a Hollywood movie set? Or how about getting a job right on the lot?”
said Mack. “The Backlot game is a chance to play out that fantasy, and is a great introduction to the
Studios product line. Recent advances in web technology have allowed us to deliver a true 3D play
environment, via the Internet, that is fun and challenging, and we are extremely pleased with the
positive response from users.”
“Our goal was to create a LEGO version of a Hollywood movie studio, that extended the play concept of
the LEGO Studios product into a make-believe world of movie production,” said Raymond Doherty,
Producer for LEGO Studios. “Templar delivered a web-based game that was well beyond our expectations,
with a wonderfully immersive LEGO environment. Backlot has been a great success with kids on our site. ”
The Web Marketing Association is the producer of the WebAwards (www.webaward.org), an annual
award competition that is designed to judge corporate Web sites against and Internet standard and
against peer sites within their industry. Entries are judged by a panel of independent Internet experts
in such areas as design, navigation, innovation, and usefulness to target audience.
The LEGO Company, a privately held firm based in Billund, Denmark, is committed to the development of children’s creative and imaginative abilities, and its employees are guided by the motto
adopted in the 1930s by founder Ole Kirk Christiansen: “Only the best is good enough.” For more
information, visit www.LEGO.com.
Based in New York’s historic Lower East Side, Templar is a multimedia development studio, specializing in high quality video games and other interactive entertainment. The collective of artists,
animators, writers, composers and technology specialists has worked with on a variety of interactive
projects for clients such as LEGO, National Geographic, BMG/RCA, Noggin, and HBO. Formed in
1998, Templar is currently developing its own line of video games and online properties. In the past
two years, Templar has taken home fifteen industry awards for gaming, design, arts and product
promotion and is part of the Intel® Developer Alliance. Templar’s own website, www.templar.com, was
named “Cool Site of the Day” by coolsiteoftheday.com, earlier this year.
###
23
TEMPLAR ® STUDIOS TAKES HOME THREE AXIEM AWARDS
Studio Recognized for Web Games and Innovative Design
-F OR IMMEDIATE RELEAS E
July 15, 2002
New York, NY, July 15, 2002 -- Templar Studios, LLC has been honored with three awards from the
prestigious AXIEM Awards competition. Templar received two awards for its work with LEGO®:
www.bionicle.com/matanui received a Copper Award for Web Animation and
www.lego.com/studios/backlot was honored with a Silver Award for Games Website. Templar’s own site,
www.templar.com received a Copper Award for Self Promotion Website. Peter Mack, Templar’s presi dent and general manager, made the announcement.
The AXIEM AWARDS is an international competition that recognizes “Absolute eXcellence In Electronic
Media.” A complete list of the 2002 winners is available at www.axiemaward s. com .
The COPPER AXIEM is the top honor and was given to only 7% of the 1400 entrants this year.
This is the fourth award Templar has received for BIONICLE™ Mata Nui, an online adventure game
produced for LEGO. The innovative site was designed to introduce visitors to the exciting product line
from the LEGO Company. The Flash site has generated a loyal following and regularly receives more
than 600,000 visitors per month. After its release in the summer of 2001, BIONICLE quickly became
one of the top-selling toys of the year.
With LEGO Studios, children ages 8-16 can bring the imaginative adventures in their LEGO worlds to life.
The set includes a PC movie camera, editing software, and an assortment of LEGO props and unique elements. Templar designed and produced the Backlot game to showcase this exciting new toy to kids and
parents. Players explore a simulated movie studio where they can get a job, learn about filmmaking, and
find clues to help solve a mystery. The 3D game is delivered via the Web using Shockwave 8.5, which
includes a groundbreaking 3D engine. The game play has achieved near-console quality and has become
and extremely popular part of LEGO.com.
According to Mack, “Both the Bionicle and Backlot games have proved extremely popular for LEGO
and have undoubtedly helped to expose consumers to these incredible product lines. We are very
pleased with the additional recognition of these awards and we are already working on additional
games for LEGO.com.”
LEGO Company, a privately held firm based in Billund, Denmark, is committed to the development of
children's creative and imaginative abilities, and its employees are guided by the motto adopted in the
1930s by founder Ole Kirk Christiansen: “Only the best is good enough.” For more information, visit
www.LEGO.com.
Based in New York’s historic Lower East Side, Templar is a multimedia development studio, specializing in high quality video games and other interactive entertainment. The collective of artists, animators, writers, composers and technology specialists has worked with clients such as LEGO, National
Geographic, BMG/RCA, Noggin, and HBO. Formed in 1998, Templar is currently developing its own
video games and on-line properties. In the past two years, Templar has taken home fourteen industry
awards for design, gaming, arts and product promotion and is part of the Intel® Developer Alliance.
Templar’s own website, www.templar.com, was recently named “Cool Site of the Day” by coolsiteoftheday.com.
###
24
TEMPLAR ® STUDIOS WINS HONORS F O R LEGO ® GAMING SITE
T h i rd Industry Aw a rd for BIONICLE.com
F OR IMMEDIATE RELEAS E
A pril 25, 2002
New York City, NY – Templar Stud ios, LLC has received a Silver Award in th e Consu mer
Inform ation al category of the 2002 Su mmit Creative Awards for the BIONICLE™ storysite,
www.BIONICLE.com/m atanu i. The Flash site features an exten sive storylin e with m ysteries to
u nravel, en ticing anim ation an d gam e-p lay, an d an original score. Peter Mack, Templar’s
Presid ent an d Gen eral Man ager, made the announ cem en t.
The Mata Nui site is an on lin e adven tu re game and was released in nin e chap ters throughout
2001. Th e in novative site was design ed to in trod uce visitors to th e excitin g n ew produ ct line from
th e LEGO Com pany. After its release in th e su mm er of 2001, BIONICLE q uickly became on e of
th e top-selling toys of th e year an d received two “Toy of the Year” awards by th e Am erican Toy
Industry Ass ociation. Temp lar provided concept design, anim ation , and techn ical production for
th e LEGO-produced series.
Accordin g to Mack, “The Site has created an exten sive following; m an y fan s have posted their
own BIONICLE sites , sh arin g s tories and offering hints to p uzzles . Mata Nui h as received an
average of more th an 500, 000 visitors each month. Temp lar is very pleased to be continuing th e
s eries for LEGO throughou t 2002. ”
“The ch allenge was to u se th e web as the focal poin t in commu nicating the com plex Bionicle
story line,” said Leah Weston, Senior Prod ucer of BIONICLE. com at LEGO Direct. “Th e Mata Nu i
s ite accom plished that beautifu lly and really brought the story an d the ch aracters to life. ”
This marks th e third award Tem plar has taken h om e for their work on the BIONICLE Mata Nui
Site, havin g p reviously received a Gold Award (Produ ct Site) in the 2001 OMNI Intermedia
Award s and the Bes t of Ind ustry Award (Toy/Hob by) at th e 2001 Web Awards.
LEGO Company, a privately h eld firm b ased in Billund , Den mark, is comm itted to the developm ent of children’s creative and imaginative abilities, an d its emp loyees are gu ided b y the motto
ad op ted in the 1930s by foun der Ole Kirk Ch ristiansen : “On ly the best is good enough. ” For m ore
information, visit www.LEGO.com.
Based in New York’s his toric Lower East Side, Templar is a collective of artists, anim ators,
writers, comp osers and techn ology sp ecialists. Tem plar develops th e h ighest quality video gam es
an d oth er interactive entertainment and has worked with clients such as LEGO, National
Geograph ic, BMG/RCA, Noggin, an d Comic Relief (UK). Form ed in 1998, Temp lar is cu rrently
prod ucin g its own vid eo games and on-line properties. In th e p as t two years, Templar h as taken
h ome eleven ind ustry awards for design, gam ing, arts and p rod uct promotion and is part of the
Intel ® Develop er Alliance. Templar’s own website, www.templar. com, was recen tly named “Cool
Site of the Day” by coolsiteofth ed ay.com
###
25
TEMPLAR ® STUDIOS IS ‘COOL SITE OF THE DAY’
Te m p l a r.com Recognized for Innovative Design
F OR IMMEDIATE RELEA S E
M a rch 7, 2002
New York City, NY – Templar Studios, LLC announced today that its website www.templar.com has
been named Cool Site of the Day. The prestigious honor was given by Internet veterans
coolsiteoftheday.com. Brian Fisher, one of Templar’s Managing Partners, made the announcement.
Templar.com is a unique destination on the Web: one half corporate site and one half video game. Visitors to
Templar.com get a glimpse into the world of a working interactive design studio. Users are able to meet the staff,
wander through the gallery, play songs on the jukebox and learn about Templar’s award-winning video game
development. Visitors are encouraged to click on anything and everything, play a game or two - and watch out for
any unwanted intruders. The site has been recognized as an innovative design achievement, winning three prestigious awards and has been featured on numerous elite design Web ‘zines.
Since 1994, Cool Site of the Day has been setting online standards for Internet content. Their Cool Site of the
Day award is the first step in entering Cool Site of the Month and Cool Site of the Year. Yahoo Internet Life refers
to them as “required daily reading for anyone interested in keeping up with what is happening on the Web.”
Based in New York’s historic Lower East Side, Templar is a collective of artists, animators, composers and
Internet technology experts, specializing in developing high quality video games and other interactive
entertainment. In the past two years, Templar has taken home ten industry awards for design, gaming, arts
and product promotion and has worked with clients such as The LEGO® Group, National Geographic,
Noggin, BMG/RCA Records, and Comic Relief (UK). Formed in 1998, Templar is currently producing its
own line of PC-based video games. Templar is associated with the Intel® Developer Alliance and has been
named a Macromedia® 3D Development Partner.
###
26
TEMPLAR ® STUDIOS WINS WEB AWARD FOR LEGO® GAMING SITE
Second Industry Aw a rd for Bionicle.com
F OR IM MEDIA TE RELEA SE
N o v e m b e r, 2001
New York City, NY – Templar Studios, LLC took home Best of Industry in the Toy/Hobby category of the
2001 Web Awards for LEGO BIONICLE™ (Stor y site), www.bionicle.com. Peter Mack, Templar’s
Pr esident and General Manager, made the announcement.
The Web Awards (www.webaward.org) is sponsored by the Web Marketing Association and is a head-tohead competition against sites entered in the same industry category. Bionicle.com also won the Gold
in the OMNI Intermedia Awards earlier this year for Best Product Site. In the past two years, Templar
has taken home nine industry awards for design, gaming, arts and product promotion.
LEGO BIONICLE is a meld of storytelling and gaming, where visitors explore the universe and follow
an ongoing story. The site introduces visitors to the exciting product line, which is being released
thr oughout 2001. To date, there are eight chapters with 10-20 hours of playtime. Nine chapters are
planned for 2001. The story begins on the island of Mata Nui, where six Toa heroes with one destiny
and six Turaga priests are the main characters. Templar provides all concept design, animation, and
technical production for the LEGO-produced series. The Flash site features extensive game-play; there
are puzzles to solve, mysteries to unravel, and an original score.
According to Mack, “The site has created an extensive following; many fans have posted their own
Bionicle sites, sharing stories and offering hints to puzzles. The site receives an average of more than
500,000 visitors each month. Templar will be continuing the series for LEGO in 2002.”
The Web Marketing Association was founded in 1997 to help set a high standard for Internet marketing and corporate web development on the World Wide Web. Sites are judged by industry experts on
design, innovation, content, interactivity, navigation and use of technology.
The LEGO Company, based in Billund, Denmark, and family-owned and privately held since 1932, is a
world leader in providing quality products and experiences that stimulate children’s creativity, imagination
and learning. The Company does so through playful activities that encourage hands-on, minds-on creation,
fun, togetherness and sharing of ideas. Company employees are guided by the motto adopted in the 1930s
by founder Ole Kirk Christiansen: “Only the best is good enough.” For more information, visit
www.lego.com.
Based in New York’s historic Lower East Side, Templar is a collective of artists, animators, designers, writers, composers and Internet technology specialists. Templar specializes in developing the highest quality
interactive entertainment and has designed and produced compelling on-line content and video games for
clients such as LEGO, National Geographic, Noggin, and Comic Relief (UK). Formed in 1998, Templar is
currently producing its own video games and on-line properties. Their longstanding relationship with the
Intel® Developer Alliance provides Templar access to pre-release hardware and software for cutting edge
gaming and content development. Templar’s own website can be reached at www.templar.com.
###
27
28
CONTACT US
Company Contact:
Brian Fisher
Templar Studios
212.941.0557 x207
b f i s h e r @ t e m p l a r. c o m
Public Relations:
Heidi Minx
Live!At 2wo One 2wo
212.343.1733
[email protected]
Icescream
This presentation is © 2003 Templar Studios, LLC. All rights reserved. Other Company names, products, graphics, logos and depictions
herein are trademarks and/or copyrights of their respective owners. No portion of these materials may be reproduced, copied, transmitted or
distributed without the prior written permission of Templar Studios or the copyright holder.
Templar is a registered trademark of Templar Studios, LLC.
Design and layout by Eliza Jane Curtis.
1
© and TM The LEGO Company.
2
© The Strokes, LLC. Courtesy of RCA Records.
3
© National Geographic Society.
4
© HBO a division of AOL/Time Warner. HBO and the Sopranos are trademarks of HBO.
5
© Noggin, LLC a division of MTV Networks.
6
© Comic Relief UK.
7
© FortuneCity , Inc.
8
© 2000 Lucasfilm, Ltd. All rights reser ved.
9
© Templar Studios, LLC. Templar, Learn To Draw and Gunwagon are trademarks of Templar Studios, LLC.
10
© 2002 CinéGroupe. GALIDOR is a trademark.
a
Source : LEGO Direct
b
Sourc e: Britis h A ssoci at ion of Toy Ret ail ers
c
Source : Toy Ind ustry Ass oc ia tion
29
®
TEMPLAR STUDIOS
INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT
W W W. T E M P L A R . C O M