VIZ announces NARUTO SHIPPUDEN avatar customization for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live users

All images ©2002 MASASHI KISHIMOTO / 2007 SHIPPUDEN  All Rights Reserved.

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES NEW WAY FOR XBOX 360 AND XBOX LIVE

USERS TO CUSTOMIZE THEIR AVATARS WITH A FUN SELECTION OF

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN-INSPIRED VIRTUAL ATTIRE AND IMAGERY

T-Shirts, Costumes, And Other Colorful Icons Are Available

Now And Give An Xbox User’s Avatar A Fun Customized

Look Inspired By The Smash Hit Ninja Action Series

VIZ Media gives Xbox 360 and Xbox Live users across North America a fun new way to show their love for the hit NARUTO SHIPPUDEN anime. Fans can customize their avatars with a selection themed iconography from the hit series, including t-shirts and full costumes. Xbox Live Avatars represent users of the Xbox Live service on the Xbox 360 and Xbox One video game consoles. Users are invited to visit http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/AvatarMarketplace to shop a range of fun NARUTO SHIPPUDEN-inspired items that are available now.

A selection of NARUTO SHIPPUDEN custom virtual attire, including four (4) t-shirts and eleven (11) costumes, are now available for between $1.00 and $3.99 each. NARUTO avatar themes are available to Xbox 360 and Xbox One users of the innovative Xbox Live service. Fans can also purchase real-world versions of the virtual NARUTO t-shirts from leading apparel retailers, including ThinkGeek: http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/11a4/.

Created by Masashi Kishimoto, NARUTO was first introduced in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in Japan in 1999 and quickly became that country’s most popular ninja manga properties. The manga series (rated ‘T’, in print and digital editions) and anime counterpart (NARUTO & NARUTO SHIPPUDEN, rated ‘TV-14’) are some of VIZ Media’s most successful titles and have captivated millions of fans across North America, Europe, and South America. Additional information on NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN is available at www.viz.com/Naruto.

ACF 1808: VIZ Media launches NEON ALLEY on Xbox 360

© Kazue Kato/SHUEISHA, Blue Exorcist Committee, MBS

Innovative 24/7 Anime Channel Expands To Deliver A Wide Range

Of Exclusive Programming for Xbox LIVE Users

VIZ Media generates even more excitement for its new Neon Alley 24/7 anime platform as it announces the expansion of its proprietary content delivery service to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

Neon Alley is VIZ Media’s new 24-hour, subscription-based anime channel featuring the world’s best titles (dubbed in English and uncut) and presented in HD (when available) for a low monthly subscription rate of only $6.99. Starting today, Neon Alley can be downloaded directly from the Xbox LIVE marketplace for Xbox LIVE Gold subscribers.

Voice control and voice search via Kinect for Xbox 360 allows for all new ways to interact with Neon Alley content. For a limited time only, the game console based-service is offering a one-week free trial available to all fans who sign up at NeonAlley.com.

“Neon Alley has forever changed the paradigm for the way anime is delivered to fans, and we are very excited to launch the service to the vast network of Xbox users across North America,” says Brian Ige, Vice President, Animation. “This digital platform will become a must-visit destination for audiences to enjoy a wide range of most-loved anime series and feature films with the ease and format of a traditional 24/7 broadcast channel. This is further augmented with many exclusive feature films and new first-run series premieres that we know will anime fans everywhere will not want to miss!”

Neon Alley’s schedule includes a diverse mix of action, adventure, sci-fi, supernatural, fantasy, and horror anime. Neon Alley carries weekly exclusive episodes of BLUE EXORCIST, INUYASHA: THE FINAL ACT, LAGRANGE: THE FLOWER OF RIN-NE, NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN, and TIGER & BUNNY. Fans can catch their favorite blockbuster anime from the beginning, including DEATH NOTE, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN, ONE PIECE, VAMPIRE KNIGHT and more. Future premieres include ACCEL WORLD and ZETMAN. Viewers can easily find out what’s showing on Neon Alley with an electronic program guide showing the schedule for the week ahead.

Neon Alley is specially designed to be studio agnostic, featuring titles from other anime producers and content distributors, including Aniplex, FUNimation, NTV, Taiseng, and Anime News Network. Members can also share real-time thoughts and status updates using social media technology from Tout (Tout.com), some of which will air on the network. Neon Alley will continue to unveil more of its programming lineup, special offers, new acquisitions and other partnerships throughout the next several months.

For more information on Neon Alley, please visit www.NeonAlley.com.

ACF 182: "BLEACH" & "DEATH NOTE" Download-To-Own on Xbox LIVE

Here's some more anime news from VIZ specifically geared to owners, or future owners, of the Xbox 360 video game system:

VIZ Media has announced the availability of the hit animated action series BLEACH and DEATH NOTE (both Uncut and English dubbed) on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment console from Microsoft. Fans in the U.S. will now have the ability to watch these episodes on a Download-To-Own (DTO) basis through Xbox LIVE for 160 Microsoft Points per episode.



BLEACH features episodes 1-41 dubbed in English with more to be added, and DEATH NOTE features the full 37-episode series dubbed in English. The two series join NARUTO Uncut, which has been offered on Xbox LIVE since November 2007 and currently features episodes 1- 52 dubbed in English as well as episodes 1 – 24 subbed (with English subtitles), with more to be added. Episodes and more information are available at: www.xbox.com/live.

“The anime genre enjoys a huge following among millions of avid Xbox 360 owners and the addition of the BLEACH and DEATH NOTE series to the Xbox LIVE library will be a big attraction,” says Scott Nocas, group product manager for Xbox LIVE.

Xbox LIVE provides viewers with easy access to hundreds of full-length TV shows for Download-To-Own and the latest feature films for Download-To-Rent. Xbox 360 is also the first gaming console to offer Standard and High Definition TV shows and movies via digital distribution. Xbox LIVE currently includes a worldwide social entertainment network reaching more than 14 million members and offering 24/7 online access to gaming, movies, music, TV shows and more.

“We are very excited to team with Xbox LIVE to feature episodes of BLEACH and DEATH NOTE,” says Ken Sasaki, Vice President, Strategy & Business Development, VIZ Media. “The combination of the hottest television and movie programming, video gaming and social networking interaction makes Xbox LIVE a compelling platform to present these smash hit animated dramas. As the convergence of digital technology presents an innovative new way to access and download a wide array of content, we look forward to fans across the United States turning to Xbox LIVE for the latest in online animated programming from VIZ Media.”


DEATH NOTE (Uncut): Rated TV-14
DEATH NOTE is based on the manga series of the same name and is currently one of the hottest animated titles in Japan. The series depicts the adventures of Light Yagami, an ace student with great prospects but who is bored out of his mind. All of that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals mysteriously begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to investigate, and he is soon hot on the trail of Light, who must now reevaluate his one noble goal. Dedicated website at www.deathnote.viz.com.

BLEACH (Uncut): Rated TV-14
BLEACH follows the story of Ichigo Kurosaki, a fifteen-year old student with the ability to see ghosts. His fate takes an extraordinary turn when he meets Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper who shows up at Ichigo's house on the trail of a Hollow, a malevolent lost soul. Drawn to Ichigo's high level of spiritual energy, the Hollow attacks Ichigo and his family, and Rukia steps in to help but is injured and unable to fight. As a last resort, Rukia decides to transfer part of her Soul Reaper powers to Ichigo. Ichigo, now a full-fledged Soul Reaper, and Rukia join together to face the challenges that lie ahead. Dedicated website at www.bleach.viz.com.