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ArchivesInternet Metrics Firm ComScore Launches Search Engine Measurement ServiceAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on April 29, 2003 - 10:25am.
San Bruno, Calif. -- In another step in the constant bid to improve Internet metrics, comScore Networks, a provider of Internet audience measurement services, has launched a new system designed to measure consumer search queries across 25 major search engines and portals. The information will help search providers, marketers and financial analysts gain a deeper understanding of the sector. Previously, marketers gauged search activity using counts of "unique visitors" to search engines sites, or data reported by search providers themselves. omScore's system, however, will rely on information from a cross section of more than 1.5 million Internet users on its network.
Record Industry Sends Individual Warnings to Online Song-SwappersAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on April 29, 2003 - 9:47am.
Los Angeles -- The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), a trade group representing major record labels that has served as the industry's voice against online music piracy, has stepped up its campaign against file-sharing services by sending individual instant messages to users of Kazaa and Grokster, warning them of the penalties of criminal copyright infringement. "When you offer music on these systems, you are not anonymous and you can easily be identified," reads part of the message sent to around 200,000 file-sharing service users on Tuesday. The RIAA told Reuters that at least one million users will receive the message by the end of the week. "We're going to be sending messages to the very people who are offering music, in real time, as they do it," RIAA president Cary Sherman told CNET News.com. "The hope is that this way we'll be reaching the people who need to know that they are not anonymous, that there are risks of legal consequences if they continue, and also that there are risks to privacy and security."
Vivendi Universal to Invite Bids for U.S. Entertainment AssetsAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on April 29, 2003 - 9:46am.
Paris -- As part of its 16-billion-euro ($17.6 billion) asset disposal program, beleaguered French media giant Vivendi Universal has announced that it will invite bids for its U.S. assets, including Universal Studios. The company has asked U.S.-based executives to prepare detailed financial information for bidders who may be interested in Vivendi's studios, theme parks or cable channels. Potential buyers are expected to receive the "information packs" within the next 10 business days. The company is currently straddled with more than 12 billion euro ($13.2 billion) in debt.
Dow Jones: Game Publisher Take-Two Mulling Bid for Vivendi Games UnitAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on April 29, 2003 - 9:43am.
Paris -- According to a Dow Jones report, New York-based video game publisher Take-Two Interactive, whose Rockstar Games division created the popular "Grand Theft Auto" game franchise, is currently "mulling a bid" for Vivendi Universal Games, the video game unit of the debt-laden media conglomerate. A source familiar with the situation told Dow Jones that Take-Two would have financial partners to aid its bid, and that the company has valued VU Games at $1 billion, below Vivendi's reported asking price of $1.6 billion. The report also stated that other suitors for VU Games include Thomas Lee Partners, General Atlantic and Francisco Partners, as well as Bain Capital with TA Associates. http://biz.yahoo.com/djus/030428/1143001118_2.html
CinemaNow Licenses MGM Films for Internet Video-on-Demand ServiceAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on April 29, 2003 - 9:41am.
Marina del Rey, Calif. -- CinemaNow, a provider of video-on-demand programming and delivery technologies, announced on Tuesday that it has signed an agreement with MGM Home Video, a unit major motion picture studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, to offer MGM films for streaming and download from its CinemaNow service. Under the deal, Marina del Rey, Calif.-based CinemaNow will offer MGM's new release films -- such as "Barbershop" and "Bulletproof Monk" -- the same day they become available in their traditional pay-per-view window, along with previously released movies from MGM's vast film library. CinemaNow is majority-owned by film studio Lion's Gate Entertainment. http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030429/295214_1.html
Wireless Entertainment Publisher PlayPhone Announces LaunchAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on April 29, 2003 - 8:46am.
San Jose, Calif. -- PlayPhone, a publisher of wireless entertainment content, on Tuesday announced its launch. The company announced strategic alliances with Japanese game manufacturer Sammy and Latin American wireless entertainment distributor Atrativa, and said its ringtones are already available in pre-paid packs at 4,000 retail locations including Rite Aid and Fred Meyers. San Jose, Calif.-based PlayPhone expects to have at least fifteen branded packs in more than 10,000 stores by the end of the third quarter of 2003, with retail packs featuring mobile Java games launching in the second quarter of this year. The packs are universally accessible and will work with most phones from all of the major North American carriers.
Korean Independent Game Developer NCSoft Announces E3 TitlesAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on April 29, 2003 - 8:29am.
Seoul -- Korean independent online game developer NCSoft on Tuesday announced the slate of new games it plans to feature at next month's Electronic Entertainment Exposition (E3) video game convention in Los Angeles. The company plans to unveil "Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicle," a sequel to its popular massively multiplayer online game, as well as "City of Heroes," developed by Cryptic Studios; "Guild Wars," developed by ArenaNet; "Exarch," developed by Realm Interactive; and two titles developed by Phantagram: "Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders" for the Xbox, and the massively multiplayer online title "Shining Lore" for the PC.
Apple Launches Digital Music Subscription Service, Unveils New iPodsAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on April 28, 2003 - 9:52am.
Cupertino, Calif. -- Apple Computer on Monday launched its iTunes Music Store, the company's anticipated digital music subscription service. The service is available to Mac users as a free download, after which all 200,000 tracks from major labels BMG, EMI, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal and Warner may be purchased a la carte for $0.99 each. Thirty-second previews are available for the songs, which are encoded in Dolby's AAC audio format at 128 kbps and may be burned to an unlimited number of CDs and transferred unlimited times to the iPod, as well as used freely in other Apple applications like iMovie. Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple on Monday also introduced a new line of its iPod digital music players. The new designs are slimmer than previous models at .62 inches and weigh 5.6 ounces. A 10GB model costs $299, while a 15GB model sells for $399 and a new 3,500-song capacity, 30GB model is priced at $499.
Chipmaker Nvidia In Tentative Deal With SEC Over Accounting ProbeAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on April 28, 2003 - 9:52am.
Santa Clara, Calif. -- Graphics chipmaker Nvidia announced on Friday that it has reached a tentative deal with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding an investigation launched into the company's accounting practices. The SEC had been planning to take enforcement action related to the investigation, but Nvidia said in an SEC filing that the tentative deal's terms would not call for any fines or penalties to be paid -- only calling for the company to cease and desist any future violations of the securities laws in question. Santa Clara, Calif.-based Nvidia, which makes graphics chips including the chip used in Microsoft's Xbox game console, restated its earnings in April 2002 going back two years, a result of accounting errors uncovered in an internal investigation. The company said it may take months for the SEC to approve the tentative deal, if the deal is approved at all.
Citing Travel Concerns, Webby Awards Show Cancels Live EventAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on April 28, 2003 - 9:50am.
San Francisco -- Organizers of The Webby Awards, an annual awards show event recognizing the best websites in a variety of categories, has announced that due to "concerns about travel heightened by global events," its seventh annual live awards show planned for June 5 has been cancelled. The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences said the Webbys instead will be awarded over the Internet, in a ceremony whose details have yet to be announced. The Academy said in a statement that a "significant amount" of nominees expressed concerns about travel, and that 90 percent of this year's nominees hail from outside the Bay Area. "Presenting the awards in San Francisco without all of the nominees present is not true to the spirit of the Webbys, so we decided to bring the Webby Awards to them instead," said Maya Draisin, executive director of The Academy.
Samsung Licenses Gracenote Song ID Technology for MP3 Player LineAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on April 28, 2003 - 9:49am.
Berkeley, Calif. -- Gracenote, a provider of CD and MP3 audio file recognition services, announced on Monday that consumer electronics firm Samsung has signed an agreement to provide Gracenote CDDB music recognition in over a million mp3 digital music players. The deal covers Samsung's new YEPP line of mp3 portable players, as well as upcoming mp3 models.
Sega Announces Video Games to be Featured at E3 ExpoAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on April 28, 2003 - 9:48am.
San Francisco -- Sega of America on Monday announced the slate of games it will feature at next month's Electronic Entertainment Exposition (E3) video game industry convention in Los Angeles. A new Sonic the Hedgehog title, "Sonic Heroes," will debut for all consoles, as well as "Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg" for GameCube, developed by Sonic the Hedgehog creator Yuji Naka. Sega Sports titles for PlayStation 2 and Xbox will include "NFL 2K4," NBA 2K4," "NHL 2K4" and "NCAA College Basketball 2K4." Other titles showcased will include "Vectorman," "Headhunter: Redemption," "Altered Beast," "Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution Greatest Hits," "Virtual On Marz," "Dororo" and "Kunoichi" for PlayStation 2; "Otogi - Myth of Demons" and "Sega GT Online" for Xbox; "Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution" and "Sonic Adventure DX Director's Cut" for Nintendo GameCube; and "Sonic Pinball Party" and "Sonic Battle" for Nintendo Game Boy Advance.
RIAA Dealt Blow: Judge Rules Song-Swap Programs Don't Infringe CopyrightsAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on April 25, 2003 - 10:02am.
Los Angeles -- In a stunning turn of events in the legal battle between the recording industry and software companies distributing peer-to-peer file-sharing software, a federal judge in Los Angeles on Friday ruled that the file-sharing programs Grokster and Morpheus are not liable for copyright infringement. Judge Stephen Wilson said in his ruling that Grokster and Streamcast Networks' Morpheus are less like Napster, which was ruled to be infringing copyrights, and more similar to a VCR, which can be used for both legal and illegal purposes. Wilson's decision mirrors the landmark 1984 Betamax decision that gave the VCR the legal footing needed to propel it to its current ubiquitous status in homes worldwide. "Defendants distribute and support software, the users of which can and do choose to employ it for both lawful and unlawful ends," Wilson wrote in his opinion. "Grokster and StreamCast are not significantly different from companies that sell home video recorders or copy machines, both of which can be and are used to infringe copyrights." The ruling does not immediately impact the more popular Kazaa software, which has also been sued by the recording and motion picture industries. The Recording Industry Association of America told CNET News.com it intends to appeal the ruling.
Verizon, Given 14 Days to ID Song-Swappers, Files Another Legal AppealAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on April 25, 2003 - 10:01am.
Washington -- A federal judge on Friday gave Internet access provider Verizon two weeks to turn over to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) the identity of two of its subscribers who allegedly were trading songs on file-sharing systems using the company's network. U.S. District Judge John Bates denied two Verizon motions to rule the RIAA's subpoenas invalid; a new Verizon motion filed on Friday will seek an immediate U.S. Appeals Court stay of Judge Bates' ruling. "Today's ruling goes far beyond the interests of large copyright monopolists -- such as RIAA -- in enforcing its copyrights," said Verizon senior vice president and deputy general counsel John Thorne. "This decision exposes anyone who uses the Internet to potential predators, scam artists and crooks, including identity thieves and stalkers." The RIAA applauded Friday's ruling. "Today's decision makes clear that these individuals cannot rely on their (Internet service providers) to shield them from accountability," said RIAA president Cary Sherman. "If users of pirate peer-to-peer sites don't want to be identified, they should not break the law by illegally distributing music."
Cell Phone Song ID Technology Firm Shazam Raises $6.6 MillionAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on April 25, 2003 - 10:01am.
London -- Shazam Entertainment, a developer of technology that lets users identify songs by playing them through a cell phone, announced that it has raised $6.6 million in its second round of venture capital financing. IDG Ventures Europe led the investment round, which also included participation from IDG Ventures China and Lynx New Media. London-based Shazam already has relationships with a number of major and independent record labels for the service, as well as with mobile carriers and retailers including Vodafone (UK & Germany), Orange, T-Mobile, O2, Virgin Mobile and Amazon.com.
"Def Jam Vendetta" Hip-Hop Video Game Spawns National Concert TourAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on April 25, 2003 - 9:59am.
New York -- Def Jam Records announced on Friday that it will launch the "Def Jam Vendetta Tour," featuring live performances from the hip-hop artists featured in the new "Def Jam Vendetta" video game for PlayStation 2 and GameCube. Concerts on the 21-city tour will include performances from Keith Murray, CNN, Joe Budden and Caddillac Tah, and will be hosted by platinum-selling artist Method Man. The tour will also include local video game tournaments, with the top scorer winning a chance to challenge Method Man in the game. http://www.defjamvendetta.com
E3 Video Game Expo to Showcase Over 1,300 New Games, AccessoriesAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on April 25, 2003 - 9:58am.
Los Angeles -- Over 1,300 new computer and video games and related products will be introduced at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the industry's largest annual video game convention scheduled to take place May 14-16 in Los Angeles. Of the new video games to be unveiled, exhibitors at the event told its organizers that 57.3 percent will be for video game consoles; 26.7 percent will be for PC; 8.6 percent will be for handheld game devices; 4.7 percent will be for PDAs, wireless phones and other; and 2.6 percent will be online/Internet games. E3 organizers report that 83 percent of exhibitors said their new products would be available for sale in time for the holiday shopping season. http://www.e3expo.com
Report: 13% of U.S. Consumers Own HD-Capable TV SetsAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on April 25, 2003 - 9:57am.
Boston -- A new survey indicates that 81 percent of consumers are generally familiar with the technology of high-definition television (HDTV), with 13 percent saying they already own an HDTV-capable set and 7.6 percent saying they plan to purchase one within the next six months. Conducted by Boston-based Dove Consulting, the survey also found that 32 percent of all HDTV owners surveyed indicated that they would consider switching providers for HD programming, and more than three-fourths of HDTV owners are willing to pay a fee for an HD programming package. "HDTV owners have the potential to become very valuable customers through fee-based and subscription services," said Dove Consulting managing director Bob Davis.
Phone Operating System Firm Symbian in Partnership With America OnlineAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on April 25, 2003 - 9:55am.
London -- Symbian, a developer of operating system software for smartphones and other portable devices, announced a partnership with America Online where AOL will develop its wireless instant messaging services -- AOL Instant Messenger and ICQ -- as well as its predictive text input software, T9 Text Input, for Symbian OS mobile phones. AOL will also develop content-based services and applications for Symbian OS. "By becoming a Symbian Platinum Partner, we can more easily and effectively deploy a broad range of media and entertainment content to Symbian licensees who manufacture over 75 per cent of the world's mobile phones sold today," said AOL Mobile vice president and general manager Bill Schwebel. Symbian's operating system is used in phones made by Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Siemens and Sony Ericsson. http://www.symbian.com/news/2003/pr030424.html
Vivendi Universal Games Announces Slate of Upcoming TitlesAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on April 25, 2003 - 9:55am.
Los Angeles -- Vivendi Universal Games, the video game publishing arm of the Franco-American media conglomerate, on Friday announced details of the launches of a number of upcoming video game titles. The company said its title "The Hobbit," based on J.R.R. Tolkein's novel of the same name, will come out in the fall for all three major consoles and Game Boy Advance. A game based on the classic sci-fi TV series "Battlestar Galactica," currently in development at U.K.-based Warthog Games, will be released in the fall for PlayStation 2 and Xbox to coincide with a new original Sci-Fi Channel "Battlestar Galactica" miniseries. Japan-based video game developer Genki is working on "The Fast and the Furious," based on the motion picture, for PlayStation 2 and Xbox, while Magenta Software and Digital Eclipse Software are creating versions of "The Cat in the Hat," based on the Dr. Seuss book and upcoming DreamWorks film, for console and the PC, respectively. Vivendi also reports that Albany, NY-based studio Vicarious Visions is developing "Crash Nitro Kart," a sequel in the Crash Bandicoot franchise, and Digital Eclipse Software will release "Spyro: Attack of the Rhynocs," a new addition to the Spyro the Dragon franchise, for Game Boy Advance in the fourth quarter.
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