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Report: Portable Music, Games Markets to Each Eclipse $2 Billion by 2009

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 24, 2005 - 7:36am.
Boston - The markets for portable, handheld video games and portable music services will both eclipse $2 billion by 2009, according to a report released on Monday by market research firm Yankee Group. The firm projects that half of all portable music players will be mobile phone hybrids by 2009, although music phones will account for just a third of portable music service revenue. Likewise, by 2009 cell phones that play games are expected to garner a near equal share of portable game revenue with handheld game devices, like the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS. "This convergence of wireless handsets and CE devices will force wireless handset manufacturers to both compete and partner with consumer electronics manufacturers," Yankee Group said in its report.
tags: Reports | Portable Music | Games Markets | Eclipse |

iPod Chipmaker PortalPlayer to Sell 4.5 Million Additional Shares

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 24, 2005 - 7:35am.
San Jose, Calif. - PortalPlayer, a maker of system-on-chips, firmware and software for manufacturers of hard disk drive and flash memory-based personal media players, said on Monday that it plans to sell 4.5 million shares in an upcoming public offering. The company's stock closed up more than 8% to $27.86 on Monday. San Jose, Calif.-based PortalPlayer provides chips used in both Apple's iPod Nano and new video iPod.
tags: PortalPlayer | Sell | Shares | iPod Chipmaker |

German Publishers Plan National Digital Book Repository

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 24, 2005 - 7:33am.
Frankfurt - German book publishers plan to build an online repository of all of the country's literary works, in a bid to control its national interests in light of a similar, worldwide book-scanning project hatched by Google, Reuters reported. The association of some 100 German book publishers would allow Google and others to search the full texts of all German works, but would not provide the full texts to them for use in their own services. Google was recently sued by two large groups representing authors and publishers in the U.S., over its similar Google Library Project; both groups want Google only to include books where the publisher and author have opted to include the work in its index. "We don't want Google to hold the texts in its servers; we want the publishers to keep them," Matthias Ulmer, leader of the German project, told Reuters at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Under the German project, publishers would upload their books to their own servers, which would then be connected through a national network. The initial stage of the German digital book archive is slated to begin operating by April 2006.
tags: German Publishers | National Digital Book Repository |

U.K. Game Developer SCi Confirms Takeover Rumors

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 24, 2005 - 7:31am.
London - Shares in SCi Entertainment, the U.K.-based game developer behind the popular "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" series, soared by as much as 28% in late afternoon trading in London after the company confirmed that it has received takeover approaches from several companies. "The board of SCi notes today's press comment and confirms that it has received approaches from various parties which may or may not lead to an offer for the company," SCi said, adding that it would comment further on the matter "as and when appropriate". A number of news reports have linked U.S.-based game makers Midway and Electronic Arts with the bids, while Apax Partners, a U.K.-based venture capital firm, is also rumored to have thrown its hat into the ring.
tags: SCI | U.K | Game Developer | Confirms | Takeover Rumors |

Yahoo to Launch Adventure Travel Web Series Featuring Richard Bangs

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 24, 2005 - 7:29am.
Sunnyvale, Calif. - Yahoo on Monday announced the launch of a Web video series that will follow the adventures of world traveler Richard Bangs, the founder of adventure travel firm Mountain Travel-Sobek. The monthly "Richard Bangs Adventures" series will chronicle travels including the ascent of the Eiger by John Harlin III, whose father died during his climb of the same Swiss mountain peak, and an exploration of how the Asian tsunami affected the sea gypsies of the Andaman Islands. "I am delighted to be able to tell the poignant stories of people doing extraordinary things," said Bangs. "Yahoo allows us to bring consumers into these stories through a variety of capabilities and we hope that will inspire a new generation of adventure travelers."
tags: Launches | Yahoo | Adventure Travel Web Series | Richard Bangs | Featuring |

Web Video Distributor Roo Group Adds $2.25 Million to Financing Round

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 24, 2005 - 7:28am.
New York - Roo Group, a provider of Web video content to over 100 websites, announced on Monday that it has raised $2.25 million in a second tranche of its recent round of venture capital, bringing total proceeds for the round to $8 million. The new financing came from Burnham Hill Partners and Brimberg and Co. New York-based Roo, whose ad-supported videos are featured on Verizon's Broadband Beat and Music.com, said recent advertisers have included Pfizer, Microsoft and Sprint.
tags: ROO Group | Web Video Distributor | Financing Round |

Real D to Provide Digital 3D Projectors for "Chicken Little" Screenings

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 24, 2005 - 7:26am.
Knoxville, Tenn. - Movie theater owner Regal Entertainment Group announced on Monday that it has partnered with Real D to provide the digital 3D cinema projection systems in its theaters that will screen Disney's "Chicken Little" in digital 3D format. Los Angeles-based Real D will install its systems on 17 screens owned by Regal's Edwards Theatres, Regal Cinemas and United Artists Theaters. In addition to Disney, Real D said that Columbia Pictures has also committed to a digital 3D theatrical release in 2006.
tags: Real D | Digital 3D Projectors | Chicken Little |

RealNetworks to Offer Exclusive Preview of New Santana Album

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 24, 2005 - 7:25am.
New York - RealNetworks announced on Monday that it will offer an exclusive preview of Arista Records artist Santana's new album on its Rhapsody digital music service. "All That I Am," Carlos Santana's 38th album, is now available for streaming on Rhapsody in advance of its Nov. 1 availability in stores. Rhapsody users will also have access to an exclusive live recording from the band, which will be offered on a Rhapsody-exclusive edition of the new album.
tags: RealNetworks | Exclusive Preview | New Santana Album |

Broadband Enterprises to Syndicate Warner Bros. Cartoon Clips Online

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 24, 2005 - 7:22am.
New York - Broadband Enterprises, a distributor of syndicated video content to a network of 400 websites, announced on Monday that it has signed an agreement with Warner Bros. Online to syndicate Warner animated video shorts on its network. Clips from "Looney Tunes," "Gotham Girls," "Timberwolf" and "Cartoon Monsoon" will now be available on Broadband Enterprises sites lie Kaboose.com, Bonus.com and Zeeks.com.
tags: Online | Broadband Enterprises | Syndicate Warner Bros | Cartoon Clips |

2GeeksinaLab Develop Global Garde CD, DVD Copy-Protection

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 24, 2005 - 7:21am.
Palmdale, Calif. - Software developer 2GeeksinaLab on Monday introduced its Global Garde CD and DVD copy-protection technology, which the company says prevents users from being able to "rip" music, video, games and software contained on CDs and DVDs onto the Internet. Palmdale, Calif.-based 2GeeksinaLab said its technology is platform independent, player independent and does not rely on specially installed chipsets and hardware devices embedded in current playback and digital recording devices, or require additional software to be downloaded to the PC or other playback device. The company said Global Garde will be released in early 2006.
tags: DVD | Copy-Protection | 2GeeksinaLab | Global Garde CD |

Electronic Arts Ships "The Sims 2" for Consoles, Handhelds

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 24, 2005 - 7:18am.
Redwood City, Calif. - Electronic Arts on Monday announced the release of "The Sims 2" for PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS. The console and handheld titles are based on the PC version of "The Sims 2," the top-selling PC game of 2004; all versions have been developed by EA's Maxis studio. EA said additional versions of the game for Sony PSP and mobile phones will be released in coming weeks.
tags: Consoles | Handhelds | Electronic Arts | The Sims 2 | Relases |

Namco to Release "Pac-Man World Rally" in Summer 2006

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 24, 2005 - 7:17am.
Santa Clara, Calif. - Japanese video game developer Namco announced on Monday that it plans to publish "Pac-Man World Rally" for PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, PSP and the PC in the summer of 2006. Developed by Smart Bomb Interactive, the racing game features Pac-Man and 14 other classic characters from Namco game franchises.
tags: Namco | Releases | Pac-Man World Rally |

2K Games Releases "Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth" for Xbox

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 24, 2005 - 7:15am.
New York - 2K Games, a unit of video game publisher Take-Two Interactive, on Monday shipped "Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth" for Xbox to retailers. Based on the writing of H.P. Lovecraft, the game was developed by U.K.-based Headfirst Productions in conjunction with Chaosium, which publishes the "Call of Cthulhu" pen-and-paper roleplaying game. Bethesda Softworks will co-publish the title with 2K Games.
tags: Xbox | 2K Games | Releases | Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth |

N.Y. Times: "'King Kong' Blurs Line Between Films and Games"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 24, 2005 - 7:12am.
Los Angeles - The New York Times recently reported on the hands-on role director Peter Jackson has taken in the creation of the video game based on his upcoming remake of "King Kong." In development at France's Ubisoft, with a budget of over $20 million, "Peter Jackson's King Kong" will feature elements created by Jackson specifically for the game, in addition to the voice talent of actors from the movie including Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody and Jack Black.
tags: Games | Films | N.Y. Times | King Kong |

Disney to Use Cinea Anti-piracy Technology to Protect DVD Screeners

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 24, 2005 - 6:36am.
Burbank, Calif. - Disney announced on Monday that it will use anti-piracy technology from Cinea, a unit of Dolby Laboratories, to protect the DVD "screener" copies of films it distributes to voters for various 2005 film awards. The past two years have seen the sources of online leaks of movies traced back to such DVD screener discs, typically distributed to those who vote on the Academy Awards and other film awards. In 2004, one actor was kicked out of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, while an associate involved in posting the actor's screener DVDs online was convicted on federal copyright infringement charges. "Last year, pretty much every awards screener found its way to the Internet," Jeff Miller, an executive vice president at Disney who oversees post-production, told the L.A. Times. Disney said Cinea will distribute specially-designed secure DVD players to nearly 12,000 awards voters. The players will be the only devices capable of playing Disney's DVD screeners, which will also be encrypted with a code unique to each awards voter. "It is our hope that others will join us in this aggressive stand against piracy, and we believe that Cinea enables an important step in that direction," said Walt Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook. Reuters reported that representatives for Sony Pictures and Universal Pictures both said they have opted not to use the Cinea technology.
tags: Disney | DVD | Cinea | Anti-piracy Technology |