Trilogy Studios’ Michael Pole builds virtual worlds

The gig: Chief executive of Trilogy Studios, which moved to Sherman Oaks from a Santa Monica warehouse this week. The company has 32 domestic employees and 300 workers in Shanghai who develop multi-player online games and virtual worlds. In one, the "Pimp My Ride" world for MTV, more than 3 million subscribers personalize avatars that upgrade virtual cars. Other clients include Coca-Cola Co., Toyota Scion and Viacom Inc. Pole co-founded the private company, whose gross revenue is expected to grow 200% this year, with Rick Giolito in 2005.

Disney: When You Wish Upon a Startup

Its media-oriented VC fund, Steamboat Ventures, is quietly nurturing entrepreneurs
Walt Disney Co. (DIS) can fire up one of Hollywood's best-oiled marketing machines to promote Hannah Montana or High School Musical. But when it comes to one of its latest profit centers, Steamboat Ventures, the media giant dials down the publicity. Located in a nondescript building two miles from Disney's Burbank headquarters, the $575million venture capital firm has quietly nurtured 25 startups in an aggressive effort to seed new ideas.

Kung Fu Panda beats projections

"Kung Fu Panda" kicked Adam Sandler's butt at the boxoffice this weekend, as the DreamWorks Animation comedy opened even bigger than expected with an estimated $60 million domestically.

Sony's comedy "You Don't Mess With the Zohan" -- starring Sandler as an Israeli commando turned New York hairdresser -- bowed about as anticipated, with $40 million, in second place.

Industrywide, the weekend marked a welcome 29% uptick from the same frame a year ago with $175 million in collective boxoffice, according to Nielsen EDI.

Trilogy Studios Marks Expansion with Lease on New Space

SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. – Leading casual MMO and virtual world developer/publisher Trilogy Studios has signed a lease for an 8,180 square foot office space in the TriCenter Plaza in Sherman Oaks, Calif. Three times the size of Trilogy’s current workspace, the new office space will accommodate their rapidly growing team. Total consideration for the five-year lease was $1.25 million.

Scion Allows Consumers to Redefine its Brand in Virtual World There.com

SAN MATEO, Calif. – Makena Technologies, creator of the popular social virtual world There.com, today announced that Scion plans to continue and expand on its successful campaign in There.com, with a unique focus on user-generated content. Scion already runs a popular venue in There.com called Club Scion, a large-scale nightclub setting built inside each of the Scion xD, xB and tC models where members socialize, party and can interact with Scion content and explore the car interiors.