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JapaneseMicrosoft Names New Head of Japanese Xbox DivisionAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on February 16, 2006 - 8:29am.
Tokyo - Microsoft announced on Thursday that it has appointed Takashi Sensui to general manager of its Xbox division in Japan. Sensui replaces Yoshihiro Maruyama, who was appointed to a position within Microsoft's entertainment and devices division. Microsoft has sold just 115,000 Xbox 360 consoles in Japan in two months of availability -- fewer than the original Xbox in the same period -- compared with 900,000 sold in North America by the end of December. "Sales have not necessarily lived up to everyone's expectations since launch," Sensui told Reuters. "But considering the (software) titles due to be released and the features and functions of the Xbox 360, we believe we will see very strong growth from here on out." The company expects sales to increase once Japanese-developed games for the Xbox 360 are released in the near future. "There just hasn't been enough software available," Hiroshi Kamide, an analyst at KBC Securities Japan, told Reuters. "It's all about the games, and if they aren't there, there is just absolutely no point."
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.
Japanese Video Game Publisher Square Enix Bids $610 Million for TaitoAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on August 23, 2005 - 7:36am.
Tokyo -- Japanese video game publisher Square Enix has announced an offer to acquire fellow game publisher Taito, for about $610 million, in a deal that would create the region's third-largest game publisher, behind Nintendo and Namco Bandai. The offer still needs approval from shareholders, but Kyocera -- which holds 37% of Taito -- has said it will sell its shares to Square Enix. While Square Enix is best known for its "Final Fantasy" and "Dragon Quest" franchises for the PC and game consoles, Taito developed titles like "Space Invaders," "Arkanoid" and "Elevator Action" for older consoles, and also creates arcade game titles for the Japanese market. Taito shares were up 14% on news of the buyout offer.
Japanese Sony Artists Seek iTunes Listings Despite Licensing IssuesAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on August 10, 2005 - 10:34am.
Tokyo -- Despite the lack of deal between Sony Music's Japanese division to license songs for Apple's recently launched iTunes Store in Japan, a number of Sony's Japanese artists are seeking to place their music for sale on iTunes, the Associated Press reported. While Sony recording artist Motoharu Sano has already made some of his songs available on iTunes Japan, Amuse Inc., a large Japanese music management firm with a number of Sony acts, says it is also interested in placing its artists' songs on iTunes against labels' wishes. Apple said that it sold over one million songs in the Japanese iTunes Store's first week of operation.
Japanese Video Game Maker Tecmo Sues Alleged U.S. Game HackersAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on February 9, 2005 - 2:59am.
Torarnce, Calif. -- Japanese video game publisher Tecmo announced on Wednesday that it has filed suit in a Chicago federal court against a number of alleged hackers, who the company says violated Tecmo copyrights by breaking the security to change the code in games like "Ninja Gaiden" and "Dead or Alive." In the past, Tecmo has sued several programmers for creating hacks of its "Xtreme Beach Volleyball" game that removed the bikinis worn by the game's female athletes. Defendants named in the current suit include Mike Greiling, of Eden Prairie, Minn. and Will Glynn, of Davie, Fla. -- along with a number of unidentified individuals -- who are accused of "hosting and contributing content to a forum created to foster and facilitate the knowing infringement of Tecmo's proprietary software." Tecmo said the defendants committed copyright infringement and violated a provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that prohibits circumventing copyright protection systems. "Hacking of this kind will not be tolerated and we intend to take all necessary measures to protect our intellectual property," said Tecmo general manager Hohn Inada. "Ignoring the situation will ultimately hurt future gaming experiences for both casual and hardcore gamers." Tecmo is seeking an injunction against the alleged hackers, as well as damages for willful copyright infringement.
Nintendo Ships 500,000 Units of DS Handheld for Japanese LaunchAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 2, 2004 - 4:59am.
Tokyo -- Nintendo announced on Thursday that it has shipped 500,000 of its new DS handheld video game systems in Japan for the device's launch there today, up from a previous allotment of 300,000 units for the country. The company cited pre-orders that far exceeded its expectations, adding that it received two million pre-orders for the DS across the U.S. and Japan. Nintendo plans to launch the DS in Europe in the first quarter of 2005, and still expects to ship a total of 5 million units of the device worldwide by April.
Atlus Invests $5.6 Million in Japanese Mobile Games Firm BBMFAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 28, 2004 - 9:03am.
Tokyo -- Atlus, a Japanese developer of games for PlayStation 2 and cell phones, announced on Tuesday that it has made an equity investment of $5.6 million in Japanese mobile game developer BBMF Corporation, increasing its stake to 9.4% of the company. Under the agreement, BBMF will also purchase Atlus' Japanese mobile game distribution business for about $2.7 million, and acquired a 10-year license to use Atlus' mobile games and trademark.
Report: 2003 Japanese Video Game Market Fell 10% to $10.3 BillionAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on July 27, 2004 - 4:25am.
Tokyo -- Total video game shipments from Japan in 2003 totaled $10.3 billion, down 10% from 2002's $11.5 billion, according to the 2004 Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association white paper on the Japanese gaming market. Of this total, $3.2 billion in video game products were distributed in Japan and $7.1 billion exported overseas; $6.4 billion was in the form of hardware such as Sony PlayStation 2 or Nintendo Game Boy Advance consoles, while $3.9 billion came from video game software. The report also found that Japan's gaming audience leapt from 23.6 million in 2002 to 34.4 million gamers last year.
Japanese Video Game Firms Sega, Sammy Agree to $1.4 Billion MergerAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on May 18, 2004 - 8:17am.
Tokyo -- Following the rejection of a similar buyout offer last year, Japanese video game developer Sega announced on Tuesday that it has agreed to merge with fellow Japanese game and pinball machine maker Sammy Corp. Sammy plans to acquire the remaining outstanding 78% stake in Sega it does not already own, in a deal valued at $1.4 billion. Sammy expects the merger to close in October, when Sammy Corp. president Hajime Satomi will take over leadership for the combined company.
Sammy CEO Named Chairman of Japanese Video Games Firm SegaAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on February 18, 2004 - 8:21am.
Tokyo -- Japanese video game maker Sega announced that current company chairman Hideki Sato will step down, to be replaced by Hajime Satomi, CEO of Sammy, the Japanese maker of Pachinko and video games that purchased a controlling stake in Sega last year. Sega said that Sato will become vice chairman of the company, while Hisao Oguchi will retain his current role as president.
Mobliss Acquired by Japanese Mobile Entertainment Firm for $15 MillionAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on January 27, 2004 - 2:26am.
Seattle -- Mobliss, a provider of mobile entertainment and messaging applications, announced that it was acquired by Japanese mobile phone content provider Index Corp. in a transaction valued at $15 million. The deal, which closed on Jan. 13, will maintain the current staff and management of Seattle-based Mobliss. The company said on Tuesday that it will once again power AT&T Wireless' cell phone text-message voting feature for viewers of Fox's "American Idol" series.
Japanese Games Firm Sammy Buys Majority Interest in SegaAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 8, 2003 - 6:22am.
Carlsbad, Calif. -- Sammy Studios, the U.S. arm of the Japanese video and pinball game manufacturer, announced on Monday that it has purchased additional shares of fellow game developer Sega, and now holds a 22.4% majority interest in the company. Earlier this year, Sammy was one of several companies to enter into negotiations to acquire Sega, but that deal fell through. "Sammy is a strong company financially and is looking to pursue strategic investment opportunities," said Sammy Holding Company president John Rowe. "Now that we have taken yet another step toward becoming a global force in entertainment, we look forward to finding mutually beneficial ways to work with Sega."
Japanese Firm Taito to Resurrect Classic "Space Invaders" Arcade GameAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on December 5, 2003 - 6:25am.
Tokyo -- Japanese video game maker Taito has announced that it will once again sell its classic "Space Invaders" arcade game in the U.S., in part to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the game's release. The company signed an agreement with fellow Japanese games firm Namco -- which has operations in the U.S. -- to manufacture and sell around 10,000 new "Space Invaders" machines, at about $2,800 each. "There has been a rebirth of classic video games in America," Taito spokesman Kengo Naka told Reuters. "We thought it would coincide nicely with the 25th anniversary of its debut in the U.S."
Japanese Electronics Firms Unveil Home Stereos Than Can Download MusicAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on October 21, 2003 - 3:46am.
Tokyo -- Four Japanese electronics firms -- Sony, Pioneer, Sharp and Kenwood -- on Tuesday introduced separate products developed as part of a joint venture to create home stereos that can download music without the need of a PC, the Associated Press reported. The joint venture, called Any Music Planning, developed the Linux-based software the devices share in common. The stereos, which will initially go on sale in Japan in 2004, will be able to download music over a broadband connection through LabelGate, an online service that has licenses from Japanese major labels and rights to limited Western music. "Ultimately, our dream is to make the service a worldwide standard," Any Music CEO Fujio Noguchi told AP.
Japanese Firm to Release Game Boy Advance Videophone AccessoryAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 12, 2003 - 7:00am.
Tokyo -- An accessory set to go on sale in December in Japan will turn Nintendo's Game Boy Advance handheld video game into a videophone, the Associated Press reported on Friday. Kyoto-based Digital Act Co. is planning to release the $110 Campho Advance, which includes a digital camera, earphone and microphone. The device works over an analog telephone line and can display live video of callers who also own a Campho Advance. The company told AP it currently has no plans to release the device in the U.S. http://makeashorterlink.com/?O25A552E5
Japanese Firm Buys Sonicblue's ReplayTV, Rio Units for $36 MillionAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on April 22, 2003 - 1:37am.
Tokyo -- D&M Holdings, parent company of Japanese consumer electronics firms Denon and Marantz, announced that it has emerged as the successful bidder for the ReplayTV personal video recorder business and Rio MP3 player business of bankrupt consumer electronics firm Sonicblue. Tokyo-based D&M paid only $36.2 million for the units, compared to the $40 million it initially offered Sonicblue in a deal that fell through as its deadline expired. The company will acquire Sonicblue's inventory, receivables, intellectual property and capital equipment, as well as selected contractual relationships and liabilities. D&M also intends to keep all ReplayTV customers and will design, manufacture and distribute a line of ReplayTV and Rio products, under a newly created division called Digital Networks North America. D&M reported that in the last 12 months, ReplayTV had revenue of approximately $22 million and Rio had revenue of approximately $62 million http://www.dm-holdings.com/en/20030417.html
Microsoft Laying Off 34 of 200 Staff At Japanese Xbox DivisionAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on March 24, 2003 - 4:22am.
London -- Microsoft is laying off 34 of the 200 staff at the Japanese division of its Xbox video game unit, according to a report on GameIndustry.biz picked up by U.K. news site TheRegister. The layoffs -- which the company said will improve profitability -- will affect both marketing and production divisions at the unit. Figures printed in a Japanese newspaper Monday indicated the Xbox has not yet sold 400,000 units in Japan. Additionally, the main game title created by Microsoft's Japanese division, "Kakuto Chojin," will not be released outside of Japan, due to what Microsoft reportedly termed "potentially offensive religious content."
Sega to Merge Operations with Japanese Amusement Game Maker Sammy Corp.Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 13, 2003 - 3:19am.
Tokyo -- Japanese video games firm Sega announced on Thursday that it plans to integrate its operations with those of pachinko game machine manufacturer Sammy Corp., as a means of cutting down on costly game development expenses. The companies have not yet decided how they will merge or what form the transaction will take, but expect the merger to be completed by Oct. 1. Sammy president Hajime Satomi will become president of the merged company, which will be worth a combined $2.4 billion.
Japanese Labels Win Copyright Judgment Against FileRogue P2P ServiceAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on January 30, 2003 - 4:28am.
Geneva -- The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), an international recording industry trade group, announced on Thursday that The Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) secured a judgment against Japanese peer-to-peer service FileRogue. A Japanese court ruled that FileRogue, operated by Japan MMO, violated RIAJ member label copyrights and must pay damages, which will be determined at a later hearing. The RIAJ and Japanese authors' society JASRAC initially sued FileRogue in November 2001. "Today's ruling will significantly help in preventing Japan from degenerating into a 'pirate paradise' in the borderless world of the Internet," the RIAJ said in a statement. "Online music piracy causes substantial damage to record companies, artists and others in the music business," added IFPI general counsel Allen Dixon. "The Japan MMO decision helps to get this point across, and is fully consistent with the growing international consensus that putting other people's music on the Internet is illegal."
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