exchange-rate
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Nintendo consumes mushroom, stock grows over 7%
Nintendo has enjoyed a healthy bump in its stock price. Thanks to a weakening yen and an upswing in the US job market, the company's stock was up 7.38 percent as of the market closing on March 8, up to ¥10,330 ($110). Other Japanese companies, as GamesIndustry.biz notes, have also benefitted from the improving US economy and weakening yen, including Sony, Konami, Capcom and Namco Bandai.A weak exchange rate is good for Nintendo, as it improves the number of yen earned per US dollar spent on its products. The downward trend in yen value recently boosted Nintendo's financial outlook for its fiscal 2012, ending March 31, despite the company dramatically reducing its hardware sales target for the Wii U and 3DS.
Olympus hangs $57 million loss on austerity, strong yen and declining compact camera market
Olympus is reporting a $56.7 million loss for its first quarter of 2012. While its coveted medical imaging arm remains profitable, its life-science and industrial unit suffered thanks to corporate belt-tightening. Unsurprisingly, its low-end compact camera market is shrinking, but sales of its OM-D E-M5 ILC increased by 50 percent, offsetting some of the losses and reducing operating losses from $89 million last quarter to $19 million in this one. Like many of its Japanese rivals, it's also found a strong yen has stifled its return to productivity, a trend that isn't likely to change soon.
Nikon makes $201 million quarterly profit, nearly 50 percent drop from last year, blames strong yen
Nikon's odd financial calendar means that the camera maker is announcing its first quarter results for 2013. The confusingly-dated documents show that it isn't having the best Spring / Summer, since while it pulled in a net profit of $201 million, that figure is down nearly 50 percent on the $392 million it made in the same period last year. It sold a record number of interchangeable-lens cameras, lenses and a good number of compact cameras, but that was offset against the high cost of the yen. Its other businesses, Precision Equipment and Instruments both suffered thanks to Government spending cuts, a "harsh business climate" and the now age-old problem of the high exchange rate. It's expecting the situation to remain the same in the next three months, with booming camera sales weight against losses in its other businesses -- with a projected profit of $143 million anticipated in Q3.
Taiwanese Apple suppliers may be forced to raise prices
While the modern global economy has allowed companies in far-flung parts of the world to get into manufacturing, one of the many issues they face is exchange rate fluctuations. Electronics manufacturers in Taiwan are currently feeling the pinch as the Taiwan dollar has climbed more than other currencies in the region, jumping 2.5 percent in the past month and 7.2 percent in the past year. Each percentage point of exchange rate increase translates to 0.5 percent of profit margin according to Wintek, which produces touch panels for many Apple devices. Suppliers like Wintek rarely manage to achieve the sort of enormous profit margins that Apple does when selling to the consumer, and losing 3 percent off the top is tough to swallow. As a result, Taiwan-based companies may have to look at increasing the prices charged to Apple and other customers. Apple's premium pricing to end customers means that it has some flexibility to absorb price increases from suppliers in the short term. That will, of course, hurt its profits, which it won't tolerate for very long. Given the competitive marketplace, Apple will be reluctant to increase prices, but if the exchange rate situation doesn't improve soon, we'll probably see some decontenting or a slow-down in the spec increases. Instead of seeing next-gen MacBooks and iPhones getting more memory or better cameras, they will probably hold steady. [Via Electronista]
LotRO Veteran's Day sale slashes expansion costs in half
Tomorrow is Veteran's Day, and you know what that means: Incredible savings on MMO expansions! Well, that and honoring the brave soldiers that fought in wars. But also the expansion thing. For 11/11, Turbine is offering a few great deals for Lord of the Rings Online players. First up is a new exchange rate of $11.11 for a 1111 Turbine Point bundle (locking in a decent 1:1 TP-to-penny ratio) for the LotRO store. For any players lacking one of the expansions, both Mines of Moria and Siege of Mirkwood are half-off at 1248 TP and 998 TP, respectively. Shrewd shoppers can also pick up a Moria-capable goat mount, the Valour virtue, two fun emotes and XP boosts for 50% off the normal price. Mines of Moria unlocks all of the quests and deeds for this level 50-60 zone, as well as the Rune-keeper and Warden classes, while Siege of Mirkwood opens up the titular area and increases the level cap to 65. This sale ends at midnight EST on November 11th, so move quickly if you want to take advantage of this offer!
Report: UK retailers increasing price of Xbox 360 Arcade, accessories
UK-based gaming site Eurogamer is reporting that retailers will be jacking up the price of the Xbox 360 Arcade unit, from its current price of £129.99 to the thanks-it's-more-expensive price of £159.99. In fact, even more value is lost when you remove the five free XBLA games that came bundled in the Arcade package; these retailers are stating they will no longer be included. Before you start lighting your torches and taking to the (quaint, cobblestone) streets, keep in mind that this isn't being done because Microsoft just wants more of your colorful money (which we're sure it does). It's due to the poor exchange rate of the pound compared to the Euro, which will also drive Microsoft to raise the price of Xbox accessories £1 to £2 a piece. See how we softened the blow of that last bit of news there? We're finally getting some mileage out of that How to Break Bad News the Good Way training course!
Dealing with old currencies
Gaviedrummer has exactly the problem that I have, only mine is probably worse: he has about 50 Badges of Justice left over from the last expansion. True, I've only got about 30, but I've also got stacks of Apexis Shards, Spirit Shards, Halaa Tokens, Obsidian Warbeads, and pretty much every other old reputation and currency item from the Burning Crusade sitting around clogging up my bank. And while some of it is just me being lazy (I could turn the Warbeads in, and I think I could probably grind out a few more Halaa tokens to pick up something there), as gaviedrummer finds out, most of it is completely useless. Yes, we can still trade for level 70 items, but who needs those any more?It would be nice, especially with the soulbound stuff (I presume I will someday have an alt coming up through Outland that might need some help), for Blizzard to give us an out. Even if it requires level 80 to do, and even if the exchange rate is terrible (something like one level 80 badge for five or ten level 70 badges), at least we'll be able to get rid of the old stuff. Obviously, they're worried that if they offer exchanges for new items, people will go back and grind the old instances for the old currency. But there has to be some middle ground or a level requirement or something, some rate that allows us to get something for the old junk, while keeping current level 80s from exploiting the system. Heck, even cloth has a reputation turn-in value, at the very minimum.The Stone Keeper's Shards at least have a turn-in for honor, and at the bare minimum, that's what you'd want for any currency -- something cheap that you can just cash out of the system with all of your leftovers. Blizzard may say what's past is past (and like I said, I may just need to spend a weekend cleaning out the bank), but it would be nice to have an NPC in Shattrath that can say "Oh, you're level 80? Let me just take those old tokens off your hands at a discounted price!" And it would be an Ethereal, of course.
From gaming teen to virtual entrepreneur: how to cover college tuition [update 1]
Despite devoting much of the past three years to hunting and mining, Ogulak Da Basher, or Mike, a 17 year-old from Durango, Colorado, rarely breaks a sweat. Ogulak is Mike's Project Entropia avatar who has earned more than $35,000 through hard work in the Entropia Universe, becoming captain of the "ck Coat Killers" hunting society, and creating a potentially lucrative new business model based on Ogulak's mastery of crafting weapon and mining attachments.The next step in this young virtual entrepreneur's budding career is to donate $12,000 to pay for parts of his siblings' college tuitions. Lovely story, right? But wait, before you go and sign up your future collegiate kin for Entropia accounts, know that MindArk's inspiring tales have a history of being manufactured. Think of Entropia like Poker, you might have fun playing, but chances are, you're spending dough, not making it.Update: added "Ogulak Da Basher" image.[Via Terpin Communications press release]
