Newsbriefs: Casual Dirty Dancing, Red Stone, Halo Movie

[UPDATED: 3:45pm PST] Today's regularly updated newsbriefs include news of Codemasters bringing 80s movie Dirty Dancing to PC casual gamers, details surrounding K2 Networks' upcoming MMO Red Stone, and Peter Jackson's continuing interest in the Halo movie. - Codemasters Online Gaming, a division of developer and publisher Codemasters, has announced the development of a new casual game based on the 1987 feature film Dirty Dancing, which starred Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. In development by Say Design and set for release on PC in late 2007, Dirty Dancing the Video Game is described as a “premium, action puzzler” for the casual game market. The title is designed to celebrate the film's 20th anniversary, and will cast players in the role of Grey's character “Baby” as they “learn to dance with the resident dancing couple, Johnny and Penny, and work alongside the team at the renowned Kellerman’s Mountain House Resort.” - While the ultimate fate of the hotly anticipated Halo feature film remains at this time anyone's guess, a new online report citing the latest issue of OnFilm magazine seems to describe at least some continued interest in the project on the part of noted director Peter Jackson. Jackson was set to direct the big screen adaptation of Microsoft's FPS darling, however thing began to unravel following financial setbacks and the eventual backing out by Universal Studios and 20th Century Fox from the project in late 2006. The report notes that Jackson continues to hope that the studios will express “renewed interest” in the project considering the expected blockbuster release of Halo 3 for the Xbox 360 later this year. He adds, though that it will only be with the blessing of previously projected director Neill Blomkamp. "We wouldn't want to do it with anybody else," said Jackson. "It'll be Neill's call." - Officials from free-to-play MMO game company K2 Network (War Rock) have released the first details surrounding the upcoming episodic MMORPG Red Stone. The game, which will be published in five countries, including North America, this summer as part of a recently announced partnership between K2, Samsung, and developer L & K Logic Korea Co., is a 2D fantasy MMORPG wherein players will quest to “recover the lost shards of a powerful jewel in order to restore peace to the destroyed world.” K2 Network has also announced today a new promotion within the game where various prizes, including complete PC gaming packages and in-game items, will be awarded to gamers who reach a key milestone in the game. In addition, Red Stone will offer players the Fortune Box where gamers can get the opportunity to win, by chance, unique and rare items. Red Stone is currently available in Japan, where K2 representatives have noted that the game is played by more than one million users and earns over $4 million monthly. Said Joshua Hong, CEO and co-founder of K2 Network Inc, “Red Stone has a look and feel that will appeal to a wide-variety of MMORPG players. With its deep storyline, intricate quest system, colorful and unique graphics and the potential for an exciting real-world pay-off, Red Stone is sure to be a hit among gamers of all ages.”