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ArchivesThe 9 Pays $13 Million to License Webzen Online Game in ChinaAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 13, 2005 - 11:02am.
Seoul, Korea - Korean online game publisher Webzen announced on Tuesday that it has sold the rights to publish its "Soul of the Ultimate Nation" online game in China to The 9 for $13 million. The 9 will pay a 22% royalty based on revenues to Webzen for three years; the game is slated to begin beta testing in China by the end of 2006. The 9 also publishes online games including Webzen's "MU" and Blizzard's "World of Warcraft" in China.
Japanese Developer Konami Launches Own Game Retail SiteAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 13, 2005 - 10:59am.
Redwood City, Calif. - Japanese video game developer Konami has announced the launch of its own online store, KonamiStyle.com. The site will initially offer 75 Konami console, PC and handheld titles, including both new releases and back catalog games.
Sony Signs David Ortiz to Grace Cover of "MLB 06: The Show"Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 13, 2005 - 10:57am.
Foster City, Calif. - Sony Computer Entertainment America announced on Tuesday that it signed Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz to be the cover athlete for its "MLB 06: The Show" game. The title is slated for release on PlayStation 2 and PSP platforms in the spring of 2006.
Midway Games to Release "NBA Ballers: Phenom" in Spring 2006Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 13, 2005 - 10:56am.
Chicago - Midway Games said on Tuesday that it plans to release "NBA Ballers: Phenom" for PlayStation 2 and Xbox in the spring of 2006. Chicago-based Midway also plans to release "NBA Ballers: Rebound" for Sony PSP, a title based on its original 2004 title "NBA Ballers."
THQ Ships "WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2006" for PSPAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 13, 2005 - 10:52am.
Agoura Hills, Calif. - WWE video game licensees THQ and Jakks Pacific announced on Tuesday that their "WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2006" title for Sony PSP has begun shipping to retailers. The mobile version of the PS2 game was developed by Yuke's Co. of Japan.
Majesco Ships "Bust-A-Move" for Nintendo DSAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 13, 2005 - 10:50am.
Edison, N.J. - Video game publisher Majesco on Tuesday announced the release of its "Bust-A-Move" title for Nintendo DS. The puzzle game was developed by Happy Happening, and licensed from Japanese developer Taito.
Atari Ships "Dragon Ball Z: Legacy of Goku I & II" PackAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 13, 2005 - 10:46am.
New York - Atari said on Tuesday that it has shipped its "Dragon Ball Z: Legacy of Goku I & Legacy of Goku II" two-in-one pack for Game Boy Advance to retailers. Atari's Dragon Ball Z video games have sold a combined nine million units since debuting in May 2002.
tags: Atari | Dragon Ball Z: Legacy of Goku I & II |
Verizon Using SeaChange VOD Equipment for FiOS TV ServiceAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 13, 2005 - 5:08am.
New York - SeaChange, a provider of video-on-demand delivery systems, announced on Tuesday that Verizon is using its equipment to power the on-demand elements of the Verizon FiOS TV Internet television service. The service is currently offering thousands of hours of on-demand movies and other programming in limited FiOS TV rollouts in Texas, Virginia and Florida.
Japanese Xbox 360 Sales Sluggish; Only 39% of Initial Shipments SoldAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 13, 2005 - 2:53am.
Tokyo - While U.S. demand is outpacing supply and retailers await future shipments, Microsoft's Xbox 360 has only sold about 62,000, or 39% of the estimated 159,000 consoles shipped for the device's launch in Japan over the weekend, according to data from market research firm Enterbrain. By comparison, the original Xbox -- which now makes up just 5% of the console market in Japan -- sold 123,000 units in its first three days on sale in Japan. Some analysts have cited the delayed release of "Dead or Alive 4" for the console, a popular game franchise in Japan, for the sluggish sales. Microsoft Japan president Darren Huston told The Associated Press on Saturday that his company aims to sell 1 million Xbox 360 consoles in Japan by mid-2006; the original Xbox has sold just 1.8 million units in all of Asia in its first three years.
Toshiba Delays Japanese HD DVD Launch While Copy-Protection FinalizedAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 13, 2005 - 2:52am.
Tokyo - Japanese electronics firm Toshiba announced on Tuesday that it will delay the launch of its next-generation HD DVD players in Japan, scheduled before year's end, as it finalizes the copy-protection technology on the devices. The company still expects to launch the devices in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2006. Toshiba is waiting on the Advanced Access Content System (AACS) copy-protection technology to launch its HD DVD players and notebook PCs with HD DVD drives in Japan. "I cannot say when the AACS issues will be resolved," a Toshiba spokeswoman told Reuters, adding, "but it's hard to think the launch in Japan will come after the U.S. launch." Sony plans to include its rival next-generation Blu-ray DVD technology inside the PlayStation 3, and is expected to launch the format some time in the spring of 2006.
MTV, Microsoft to Launch "Urge" Joint Digital Music Service in 2006Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 13, 2005 - 2:50am.
New York - Viacom's MTV Networks announced on Tuesday that it partnered with Microsoft on a new digital music service called Urge. Set to launch next year in the U.S., the service will be integrated into a forthcoming version of the Windows Media Player, which assures that the 2 million songs from all major labels and thousands of independents available on Urge will not be playable on Apple's iPod. Urge also promises a range of exclusive MTV programming and original content. "Beyond providing a simple transactional service, URGE will provide a musical playground where fans can explore, customize, discover and download new music," said Jason Hirschhorn, MTV Networks' chief digital officer. MTV, which will promote Urge to the 165 million U.S. viewers of its MTV, VH1 and CMT channels, said it will provide further details about the Urge service at next month's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Sirius Becomes Official Satellite Radio Partner of the NBAAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 13, 2005 - 2:48am.
New York - Sirius Satellite Radio, a subscription radio service with nearly 3 million subscribers, announced on Tuesday that it has signed a multi-year agreement to become the official satellite radio partner of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Sirius first partnered with the NBA in 2003 to broadcast games on its service, and now offers more than 1,000 regular season games, plus every game of the playoffs and finals. The new agreement will create a 24-hour NBA channel on Sirius. It also makes Sirius an NBA marketing partner, garnering promotional considerations on NBA TV, NBA.com and in the NBA Store in New York City, while Sirius will run a range of NBA-themed ads on its service.
MusicGiants Offers High-Definition Song Downloads from Major LabelsAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 13, 2005 - 2:46am.
Irvine, Calif. - VitalStream, a provider of digital media audio and video streaming services, announced on Tuesday that its infrastructure will power a new digital music service that offers high-definition song downloads at bitrates that match CD quality. The MusicGiants service, which has licensed tracks from all four major labels, will offer downloads in Microsoft's Windows Media Audio lossless format at up to 1,100 kpbs. By comparison, Apple's iTunes store offers songs at 128 kpbs in AAC format. MusicGiants claims to be the only digital music store to offer major label song downloads of such high audio quality. "If sound quality matters to you -- and it should if you are going to listen to your music on anything other than ear buds -- we are the only source for high definition downloads from the majors," said MusicGiants founder and CEO Scott Bahneman.
HP to Acquire European Online Photo Service PixacoAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 13, 2005 - 2:44am.
Palo Alto, Calif. - Looking to extend the reach of its online photo services throughout Europe, Hewlett-Packard said on Tuesday that it has agreed to acquire bilderservice.de, which operates European online photo site Pixaco. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The move follows HP's purchase of online photo site Snapfishearlier this year. The company said that it plans to extend many of Snapfish's capabilities to the Pixaco service, including several printing, sharing and photo storage functions. HP also plans to create more partnerships with European retailers, in much the same way that Snapfish works with more than two dozen retailers in the U.S. Snapfish currently has 20 million registered users in the U.S. and U.K., while two-year-old Pixaco has customers in 11 countries.
Mobile Content Retailer Thumbplay Raises $7.5 MillionAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 13, 2005 - 2:42am.
New York - Thumbplay, a publisher and distributor of mobile entertainment content, announced on Tuesday that it has raised $7.5 million in its second round of venture capital financing. Softbank Capital led the investment round, in which i-Hatch Ventures also participated. Founded in 2004, New York-based Thumbplay sells ringtones, images, games and applications directly to consumers through its Thumbplay.com portal; the company's products are currently available for Cingular, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Nextel and Boost Mobile subscribers. The funds will be used to expand the company's direct-to-consumer mobile content sales.
Report: China Overtakes U.S. as World's Largest IT SupplierAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 13, 2005 - 2:41am.
Brussels - According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), China has overtaken the U.S. as the world's largest exporter of IT products like computers, laptops, mobile phones and digital cameras. China's IT-export market grew by 46% to more than $180 billion last year -- about $26 billion more than the U.S. (China's figures would have been even larger had the report included data on goods shipped through Hong Kong). The OECD also found that IT imports into Asia from Europe and the U.S. were on the decline. "To manufacture laptops and advanced mobile phones, China previously relied on electronic components such as computer chips imported from the EU and U.S.," the OECD said. "These are now also being increasingly sourced from other Asian countries."
Video Compression Developer W&W Raises FundsAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 13, 2005 - 2:38am.
Santa Clara, Calif. - W&W Communications, a developer of video codec technology, said that it has secured an undisclosed amount in its first outside round of financing, led by Neuva Ventures. Other participants included Hi-Tech Venture Capital and angel investor Don Hutchison. The company, founded in 2001, said that the funds will help it to more rapidly expand its product and intellectual property portfolios. W&W develops software and hardware that enable video communications applications used in video surveillance, streaming video, video conferencing and distance learning.
XM Signs Bob Dylan to Host Weekly Satellite Radio ShowAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 13, 2005 - 2:36am.
Washington - XM Satellite Radio, a subscription radio service with over 5 million subscribers, announced on Tuesday that it has signed Bob Dylan to host an hour-long weekly radio show on its service. Set to launch in March, the musician's first-ever radio show will feature songs selected by Dylan, in addition to interviews with special guests and commentary on music and other topics.
Wireless Firm Hurray Buys 51% Stake in China's Huayi Brothers MusicAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 13, 2005 - 2:32am.
Beijing - Hurray, a Chinese provider of wireless services and music production and distribution, announced on Tuesday that it has made a $4.3 million equity investment in Huayi Brothers Music, a Chinese movie and music production company. The deal will give Hurray a 51% stake in Huayi, and grant it the rights to distribute music from Huayi artists such as Yu/Quan and Huang Zheng on wireless and Internet platforms.
Amp'd Mobile to Offer Video Clips from CBS, UPN TV ShowsAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 13, 2005 - 2:30am.
New York - Amp'd Mobile, a youth-targeted mobile phone service slated to launch later this month, announced on Tuesday that it has signed agreements with Viacom's CBS and UPN networks to offer multimedia entertainment content from TV shows on its service. Amp'd will offer show clips, previews and behind-the-scenes footage from CBS programs including "CSY: NY," "The King of Queens" and "Late Show with David Letterman," as well as from UPN's "America's Next Top Model" and "Everybody Hates Chris." Los Angeles-based Amp'd Mobile plans to embed branded channels on its handsets from which subscribers can download video, wallpapers, ringtones and other content.
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