Round-Up: Video Games Live, DC Gets SoE2, Showtime Gives Xbox

Today's round-up includes information on a new video game concert series, a successful bidder for VIS' State Of Emergency 2, and a new Xbox-centric promotion from the Showtime cable network, as well as new product news and job postings. - Following the successful American tour for the Dear Friends orchestra shows, featuring live performances of Nobuo Uematsu's Final Fantasy themes, Clear Channel Entertainment has teamed with two American games composers for their own live game music tour. Composers Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall are putting together a program of music from both modern and classic games alike, to be accompanied by light shows and cosplayers. The first performance will be performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl on July 6, followed by more shows across the country. "I believe Video Games Live will impact entertainment in the same way that Lollapalooza radically changed the landscape of alternative music and the concert event experience," beamed Marc Geiger, an executive for William Morris. - Though news has already surfaced regarding an unknown party bidding on the rights to State of Emergency 2, following the shutdown of creator VIS Interactive, the bid has now been won and the new developer revealed. DC Studios (Rayman DS), a developer with offices in Montreal, Glasgow, and Dublin, has picked up the property and intends to continue development on it. DC Studios has not yet partnered with a publisher to distribute the game, but hopes to get the PlayStation 2 version released in late 2005, and will show in-progress code at E3 2005. - Subscription-only U.S. cable network Showtime has announced a promotion wherein the company will give free Xbox games to new subscribers. The network said that its research showed that households subscribing to pay cable channels were 75 percent more likely to buy video games than the average, hence the promotion. Those who sign up for the premium channel set can opt to receive either two free Xbox choosing or one Xbox game and a 12-month subscription to Xbox Live with starter kit, and the Microsoft-associated deal, which lasts through the summer, will itself be promoted through TV spots and a direct mail campaign. - Also updated today: product news involving the release of the latest RealmForge GDK and Lionhead's adoption of Softimage, as well as newly updated jobs from companies including Irrational Games and Mad Doc Software.