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First Look: Bloomberg
I'm the first to admit that I am no financial whiz. I know very little about stocks, bonds, and money in general (I'm a blogger after all), however, I do know a thing or two about iPhone apps. Imagine my surprise that one of my favorite iPhone apps is the Bloomberg app (shocking, I know!).Bloomberg, in case you aren't aware, is one of the leading sources of financial news. The company's reputation was built upon the Bloomberg Terminal, which is leased to traders, libraries, and the like for a high monthly fee. The thinking is that by having a wealth of knowledge about the market at your fingertips the terminal will pay for itself.The Bloomberg app, in stark contrast, is free but does still offer you a deep look into your stocks. You can keep track of your portfolio, see news related to the companies you invest in, and get lots of performance data at a glance.Take a look at our gallery to see what this app has to offer (keep in mind that I took these screenshots last week, so the stock info is out of date).%Gallery-27917%
Apple's retail chief on iPhone activations
Worried that you might be spending a lot of time waiting for that shiny new iPhone 3G to be activated? Well, never fear because the nice people at the Apple Store are there to help you. Bloomberg.com interviewed Apple's retail chief, Ron Johnson, about the iPhone retail activation process. "Apple stores will handle about 30 customers at a time. While the company will make sure the activation process is quick," said Johnson about the activation time. Johnson then went on to say that Apple will spend as much time as needed to make sure that the customer is happy with their purchase. You can read the full interview on the Bloomberg website. [via MacRumors]
Hudson expects explosive growth from Wii
Konami-owned (54% actually) Hudson Soft Co. plans to quadruple profits over the next three years by focusing on titles for the Wii. Bloomberg reports that incoming president, Michihiro Ishizuka, expects to hit an operating profit of $97 million by March of 2011. Hudson will release eight titles for Wii in 2008 and already has 10 others on the market.Hudson has seen significant growth from its Wii and DS titles, seeing an operating profit* growth of 53% due to the two systems. Ishizuka believes that in two years from now, software developer profits will see the most growth when a "winner and loser for consoles becomes clear." He states Hudson will focus on promoting licensing of its games and marketing, so plan on about 15 more versions of Bomberman in the next two years.*"Operating profit is revenue minus the cost of goods sold and administrative expenses."
Bloomberg: Persona 4 dev sticks with PS2
Already finding critical and commercial success with Persona 3 on a noticeably last-gen console, it looks like developer Atlus doesn't see any reason to jump ship for the sequel. An article at Bloomberg Japan (via Siliconera) listing upcoming Atlus titles has Persona 4 coming next fiscal year for the PlayStation 2. (Note: image above from Persona 3.) The word doesn't come directly from Atlus, so there could be a typo or miscommunication (major news outlets are prone to mistakes every now and then). The platform, however, would not be surprising given the company's comfort with developing for the PS2 and Sony's continued success with the now value-priced system. As Siliconera notes, the timing of Persona 4's release could make it a tie-in with Persona -trinity soul-, an anime series due out next year.
Ex-Nintendo chairman now Japan's third wealthiest
Hiroshi Yamauchi, former chairman of Nintendo's board of directors and the company's president prior to Satoru Iwata, is now the third wealthiest person in Japan, according to Forbes. Yamauchi reportedly has a net worth of $4.8 billion.On Forbes' list of the 40 richest Japanese, Yamauchi is noted for jumping up 11 spots, making him the list's biggest gainer. The reason cited for Yamauchi's increased worth is his shares in Nintendo; the company's stock has reportedly tripled in value since January 2006, thanks to the success of Nintendo DS and Wii.We know, you're expecting us to throw up a picture of Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto holding a DS that prints money. But we've got self control ... we'll just link to an article that already has the image instead.
MS knows console price sweet spot, they aren't going there
Last week, Bloomberg.com had an article which dropped a bunch of quote bombs from top Xbox executives. One of the quotes was David Hufford, Xbox's director of product management, saying, "We are well aware that the sweet spot of the market is really 199 bucks.'' At the time, we said knowing and doing it are completely different -- we were right. Apparently, Hufford's quote was misinterpreted by some to mean a price drop was coming and he put a stop to that.Hufford wrote to Gamerscoreblog that people are getting all worked up over an interview, which although published now, was done two months ago while discussing NPD data with Bloomberg. He says the Xbox 360 is selling well (even the Elite) and with their "great portfolio" of games they have no plans to announce any kind of price drop "anytime soon." We don't know if "soon" means this quarter or this year, "soon" is such a relative term. Looks like those waiting for an Xbox 360 price drop are just going to have to keep putting change in the coin jar. Once again, it all depends on the definition of "soon."
All New York taxis to be hybrids by 2012
It wasn't too long ago that next-generation taxis were being demoed at the NY International Automobile Show, but unless those roadsters sport gas sipping hybrid engines, they won't survive past 2012 in the Big Apple. Reportedly, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has ordered that every last one of NY's taxis operate on hybrid engines by 2012 as a part of an obvious plan to reduce emissions in the state. Once the transition is complete, Bloomberg noted that it would be the "largest, cleanest fleet of taxis anywhere on the planet," but considering that only 375 of the approximate 13,000 licensed taxis are currently in compliance, we'd say they've got a long ways to go. Currently, NYC has approved nine gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles for use as taxis, and while it has yet to be set in stone, officials are purportedly looking into extending the hybrid initiative to encompass garbage trucks and buses.[Via CNET, photo courtesy of MashedPeas]
Record loss for Sony predicted -- PS3 to blame?
The question in the subject line isn't really a question. The PS3, according to Bloomberg, is directly to blame for what's to be known as the biggest quarterly loss for Sony in four years. Pat yourself on the back, PlayStation 3. You're like that college student who keeps asking your parents for book money, then spends it on beer. You take and take, but you've got nothing to show for it. Yet. The lower than expected demand of the PS3 has been figured to blame for the expected loss of ¥75.8 billion ($629.3 million). This is a fairly significant increase from the previous loss in 2006 of ¥66.5 billion ($552.1 million).Sir Howard Stringer recently said he planned to have a 5% raise in operating revenue by March of 2008, but that doesn't seem likely, says Bloomberg. "The 5 percent margin target is reachable if there is no price cut in the PS3 ... But I'm expecting a 20 percent price cut this fiscal year, and if that happens, the margin will not reach 5 percent." So, will there or won't there be a price cut? If there is, will more people buy the PS3 and surprisingly reach the margin, or will enough people pay full price for the system to attain it?[via Gamasutra]
Record loss for Sony predicted by Bloomberg
Sony could be posting a net loss of ¥75.8 billion (US $630 million), its biggest in four years, in the fiscal quarter that ended March 31, according to Bloomberg. The financial publication took a median estimate culled from 11 surveyed analysts.Five of the analysts expect the games division, home to the PlayStation, to post a 121 billion yen (US $1 billion) loss and a record deficit of ¥245 billion (US $2.04 billion) -- figures that may not be offset by Spider-Man 3's record-setting box office returns. Production delays are cited as one of the reasons Sony is currently in third place in worldwide hardware sales, though Sony is still the world's largest console maker due to its PS2 sales. All other divisions are expected to have generated profit.CEO Howard Stringer, pictured, has promised to raise the company's annual operating profit to 5% of revenue by March 2008; analysts expect Sony to have a 4.1% operating margin. Merrill Lynch analyst Hitoshi Kuriyama believes that Stringer can still reach that target if there is no price cut with the PS3. "But I'm expecting a 20 percent price cut," he said. That's a steep figure that, if true, would put the 60GB version at ¥48,000 (US $390) in Japan and $480 in the United States.See Also:Xbox 360 still bumming cash from MicrosoftNintendo announces record year, thanks DS and Wii
Mayor Bloomberg defends NYC in wake of GTA trailer
Mamma Mia! Here we go again, GTA, does it show how much politicians can't resist ya? GamePolitics points to a New York Daily News piece this morning where politicians are incensed by Liberty City's striking resemblence to New York City. The Daily News had city councilmen, Police Commisssioner Ray Kelly and even Mayor Bloomberg's office commenting that the game has nothing to do with reality. Bloomberg's office even whipped out statistics showing auto thefts have dropped 58 percent since Bloomberg took office, and so far this year New York City's murder rate is down 28 percent. Apparently that will all change once GTA IV hits the streets. Following yesterday's takeover at Take-Two, it doesn't look like protocol on GTA issues is changing, Take-Two refused comment on the story.Real life mayors getting upset about games taking place in their cities is a pretty recent phenomenon. Las Vegas was upset with Ubisoft over Rainbow Six taking place in the city of sin and Mexican government officials confiscated GRAW 2. For the record, this wouldn't be the first time Liberty City was the setting for GTA. In the latest incarnations Grand Theft Auto III and GTA: Liberty City Stories were also set in pseudo-New York. We don't fault politicians though, sometimes the activists who get these balls rolling are bit late. The groups that helped get GTA ads banned in Boston with GTA: Vice City Stories weren't on the ball or enraged enough when GTA: Liberty City Stories' ads ran a year earlier.
DS shipments triple PSP in Japan
News site Bloomberg has published a story focusing on shipment numbers for both the DS and PSP in Japan and, unsurprisingly, when compared side-by-side, the DS is winning. Shipping at about 3-to-1 when compared to the PSP in the region, the DS is still showing its dominance in the market. Sony spokesperson Satoshi Fukuoka confirmed the number of PSPs shipped to the region during a phone interview today. So while the PSP enjoyed a nice sales week in Japan due to the release of Monster Hunter, the war is very much being won by the DS.
Nintendo to launch 200 million dollar ad campaign
Nintendo has this nasty tendency to make money with their consoles, despite often being seen as the "loser" in the reputed console wars. Their stock holders are generally quite happy, especially in recent times, and believe it or not, Nintendo has a war chest of something like ten bazillion yen. Certainly a large R&D budget went into developing Wii technology, but everyone knows that the system is essentially a calculated risk. Nintendo needs to push its new brainchild, and it needs to push it hard; thus the chest springs open yet again.A recent Bloomberg article states that Nintendo will launch a year-long, $200 million ad campaign for the Wii. Further, 80% of that money will be solely devoted to marketing toward non-gamers, attempting to expand their market into the coveted (and excuse the generalization) "old people and women" demographic. That's a whole heck of a lot of money to get the word out ... be sure to do your part and invite your baby boomer neighbors for a quick session of Wii Sports. [via Joystiq]
DS Lite = 72% profit rise in second quarter earnings
With the tag team duo of New Super Mario Bros. and the DS Lite, Nintendo posted a 72% profit gain during fiscal second quarter. Given the news, Nintendo's net income reached 38.8 billion yen (or $327 million US) and increased their shipping forecast for the DS Lite yet again to 20 million units (from the 17 million previously established). Shipments of games will increase to 82 million from the previously-established 75 million.[Note: We understand it isn't a DS Lite in the graphic, but we just couldn't help ourselves. That image never gets old ... ]
PS3 may not make year-end 2 million production mark [update 2]
Bloomberg is reporting that the PS3 year-end shipment projection of 2 million units (with 1mil to 1.2mil tagged for North America) may not be possible. Sony says there is a parts shortage for the Blu-ray disc drive, so production is running behind previous forecasts.Our favorite Sony exec, Jack Tretton, chimes in saying, "Sony Playstation 3 is in full production and our target quantities for North America remain unchanged. Sony Playstation 3 will launch on November 17, 2006, in the U.S. with 400,000 units on store shelves. We plan to have more than one million systems in North America by December 31, 2006 and six million units shipped worldwide by March of 2007." "The honest answer is it's more of a target ... clearly we've had production issues."This news comes on the heels of Sony's statement of financial issues resulting from battery recalls and price cuts of the PS3 console in Japan. Those who made pre-orders shouldn't be impacted, but gamers trying to get the console for the holidays may have an even tougher time than anticipated.[Update: 1) Sony's Kaz Hirai told Gamespot yesterday, "All the [production] issues have been ironed out, now it's just a matter of being able to replicate the process to as many lines as possible -- which is going to help you, obviously, get as many units as possible [emphasis ours]." So what Jack meant was that earlier production issues, which have since been ironed out, may have impeded their abilities to make the initial launch "target." Thanks, Miniboss! 2) Looks like Bloomberg screwed up the "production issues" quote. According to Sony, "The reference to production issues is to the previously announced delay of shipments in Europe from November 2006 to March 2007."3) We will restate that this has no impact on the 400,000 launch day number.]
Nintendo raises profits forecast based on DS sales and weak Yen
An interesting article over at Bloomberg discusses Nintendo's profit forecast and how, because of strong DS sales and a weak Yen, the company has raised it's yearly-profit outlook by 20 percent. Net income is to be as high as 100 billion yen ($851 million) for the year ending March 31st, blowing away July estimates of 83 billion yen. Sales of DS game titles is said to reach around 75 million units this fiscal year, from the earlier projections of 70 million. With sell-outs being quite the constant in Japan, did anyone really not see this coming?
Consumers are/aren't hot for mobile TV, Part V
It appears that despite a strong push by carriers and content providers, consumers' cold, uneasy reception of mobile video continues. This time around, LA Times and Bloomberg have the numbers, showing that a mere 9% of folks in the influential 18-24 age bracket have any desire to watch television on their handset, compared to 40% who wouldn't mind doing so on their computer. The numbers get even worse for movies -- and understandably so -- with just 6% wanting to squint their way through a film. The numbers get a little better among 12-17 year olds with 14% willing to give mobile television a shot, but still, it looks like major investments in mobile TV infrastructure could prove to be money pits if stakeholders don't figure out how to hook 'em while they're young.[Via PVR Wire]
Sony slow on delivering dev-kits to some, not all
From a news article released at Bloomberg.com the PS3 is being met with conflicting views in the eyes of developers yet again. Last time, the issue was about game pricing and this time it's about the PS3 itself. Basically, all the developers are agreeing that the launch titles for the PS3 will NOT be using the full power of Sony's new machine because Sony hasn't given them all the detailed technical aspects of it. Robert Kotick (pictured right), CEO of Activision, said that the first batch of titles to be released "won't use more than 20 percent of the Cell chip's capabilities." If that's true and people are saying these first games look just as good as the 360, multiply that times five. That should make a gap.Not every developer is making such statements of veiled compliments, however. Many smaller developers haven't received a dev-kit at all and the larger ones who have gotten one often complain about limited design details and specs for the system. They say it's too much of a risk to make a game for a system that all the details aren't available for.Both Activision and Electronic Arts (huge American-based developers) have sided against the companies complaining. They say while they don't have the final version of the PS3, they "know what the processor's capacity is" and that overall they are "happy with the development kits." Kotick even said that the PS3 was "the most sophisticated piece of consumer hardware ever."Launch titles only using 20% of the PS3's ability? The two largest US-based developers backing Sony, at least, their dev-kits? Sounds pretty good for the future, if slightly cloudy in November.
Kaz: 15 titles for launch
Sony's Kaz Hirai commented to news site Bloomberg that he expects the company's Playstation 3 to launch with 15 titles this November. This is in contrast to what some third-party higher-ups have been saying, including Sega's Simon Jeffrey and THQ's Brian Farrell. Jeffrey's argument stems from third parties apparently not receiving finalized dev kits yet, which is reportedly supposed to occur this month, where Farrell's recent comments towards choosing to not release a version of the upcoming Sopranos game on the system as it is "too risky" to attempt without final hardware specs form the basis for his disagreement.
PlayStation 3 spring launch is "impossible"
Namco Bandai president Takeo Takasu has gone public with his knowledge, or lack thereof, of the PS3's launch date. Takasu told Bloomberg, "Without any announcements so far, the spring release is impossible." In response, Sony issued a vague rebuttal, stating, "Nothing has changed with our plans."But if Namco Bandai, a company that helped boost the PlayStation brand in the past, is still in the dark, then it's safe to assume (as recent certification setbacks have implied) that the PS3 will not launch in Japan within the next few months. But Takasu isn't necessarily concerned, just as long as Sony's next-gen console hits retail by the winter shopping holiday season.[Thanks, The1 & gaminghobo]
