Round-Up: Halo Movie, Jamdat Director, Sega Dragon

Today's round-up includes news on a studio and possible release date for the Halo movie, a new Sony-related appointment on Jamdat's board of directors, and information on a likely new flagship title from Sega, as well as the latest product news and job postings. - Movie industry publication Variety is reporting that studios Fox and Universal have closed their deal to make a movie based on Bungie/Microsoft's FPS Halo. According to the article, the studios will pay the tech giant $5 million against 10% of the gross, and the movie is scheduled to open later in 2007, with no director attached, and Microsoft-commissioned Halo movie scribe Alex Garland signed to do a rewrite. Although Bungie staff will be attached as creative consultants, Microsoft does not have approval rights on production elements of the movie, according to Variety. - Mobile game publisher and developer Jamdat has announced that Michael Lynton, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sony Pictures Entertainment, has joined Jamdat's Board of Directors. Lynton manages global operations, including motion picture, television and digital content production and distribution, and "development of new entertainment services, technologies and products" at Sony, and his appointment will likely spark rumors of closer ties between Sony Pictures and Jamdat, considering the recent Time Warner investment and board appointment in fellow mobile publisher Glu. - Sega of Japan has announced the development of a new PlayStation 2 action game, apparently in development from Sega subsidiary Amusement Vision, and named Ryuu ga Gotoku (Like a Dragon). Its initially released screenshots indicate a relatively high-budget game title set in a gang-laden Japanese industrial district. The likely mature-rated title involves combat as the basis for in-game advancement, and plenty of subquests and mini-games, but further details or confirmation of a Western release are yet to be revealed, beyond an official Japanese website and a release date in Japan of this winter. - Also updated today: product news including the release of OTEE's Unity 1.1 game engine, Capcom Japan's licensing of CodeWarrior for PSP, and the latest Gamasutra job postings, including positions from Activision/Shaba, Activision/Toys for Bob, CMP Media, Datascope Recruitment, Edge Of Reality, Hi-Rez Studios, Midway Games, Mythic Entertainment, Pandemic Studios Australia, Stormfront Studios, The Art Institute of California - San Francisco, and Turbo Squid.