reuters
Latest
New Wii-like phone unveiled, everyone ducks
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/New_non_Nintendo_Wii_phone_unveiled'; Are we missing something here? Mitsubishi's new DoCoMo D904i model phone has a motion sensor inside it, allowing, according to Reuters, gaming like on the "popular Nintendo Wii console." We wish we could play Wii outdoors too, but never really hoped that the thing we were flailing around wildly could also be what we were watching the game on. Actually, the actions look less pronounced than Wiimote movement on the DoCoMo site, though we're still not super crazy about waving our expensive phone around like it was on fire. This isn't the first time Mitsubishi is trying something like this though (see their DS-esque phone), so maybe they've thought of the possibility of their phone becoming an extremely dull shuriken. (If so, can you share a little of that non-slip love with Nintendo?)There's no mention of whether the gadget will come to the U.S., but the Wii has garnered a few fans here, so maybe there's hope we could someday see DoCoMo injury lawsuits on our shores.
Reuters calling the console fight early?
Reuters has an interesting piece up where they analyze the current state of the console war, taking a look at all three major console's offerings. Most important, however, is the dominance the Wii is enjoying right now, as they take a look at the February NPD sales data, along with other factors including price and extra features of each console. Michael Gartenberg of Jupiter Research, who was interviewed for this piece we imagine, thinks that Nintendo has everything to lose."Their challenge going forward is to make sure this is not a passing fad by getting a stream of content into the market," he says. Continuing on that same thought, Gartenberg states "The game console purchase driver is still going to be first and foremost games. The secondary stuff is the icing on the cake." We couldn't agree more and, really, this is the reason we think Nintendo will continue to dominate in the long run. What do you guys think?
Stop the press: Gaming grows up with demographic
Reuters informs that gamers born before the first Bush administration aren't all suffering from Peter Pan syndrome -- game systems are growing up with them. 37 percent of adults own a gaming console and 16 percent own a portable gaming device according to Nielson/NetRatings. Of those, 71 percent are married and 66 percent have at least one child.According to Reuters, analysts predicted the Wii did well because adult gamers wanted to introduce their children to gaming. These "Nintendads" helped sell a lot of units. Oh please, "Nintendads" wanted the Wii for themselves. The kid was just the add-on peripheral excuse that allowed the wife to let them purchase the console.Beyond Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft are clearly fighting it out for an adult focused media hub. Although neither is succeeding in making that all-in-one unit, we don't really care, as long as they focus on the games. All we know is as this "Nintendad" generation takes control, we'll see a significant decline in silly game legislation.
Reuters and the misleading PS3 chip-drop headline
Reuters caused Sony a little bit of unnecessary bother yesterday with a headline which read "Sony dropping PlayStation 3 chip." The implication being that Sony was dropping the Cell chip, which next to Blu-ray, is one of the key components of the product. What Reuters' Tokyo bureau was actually reporting as news was the three-week-old story of the European PS3 being not so backwards compatible.This caused an appropriate eye-roll by Sony's corporate communications director, Dave Karraker, in a conversation with Joystiq yesterday. Saying that one of the last things he wanted to deal with after the GDC marathon was a three-week-old story getting a second wind. He said he even got a call from a reporter at Reuters in New York saying, "I'm so sorry."
Obese gamer collapses, dies after "marathon" gaming session
Well here we go again. Reuters is reporting that a Chinese gamer has died after a "marathon," weeklong gaming session. The 26-year-old apparently collapsed on Saturday after he spent the entire week before (he'd been on break because of the Lunar New Year's celebration) playing an unidentified online game. A local teacher says the reason he played games for a full week was that because of the holiday, "there are only two options. TV or computer. What else can I do in the holiday as all markets, KTV and cafeterias are shut down?"Be prepared, I guess, to hear about this in all future media examinations of whether or not WoW is addictive. I won't argue that this isn't a sad thing to hear-- no matter what the real cause of this poor guy's death, there were serious problems there that should have been fixed a long time ago.But I will note that the article mentions the 26-year-old weighed 330 lbs. Why doesn't the headline say "Food addict dies"? Also of note, the last line of the article says that China considers 13% of its Internet users under 18 addicted. WoW, according to "experts," is supposed to be 40% addicts, but neither figure, as far as I can see, actually says what they define as "addicts"-- are they setting the bar for "addiction" low or high?
MS defends Crackdown/Halo 3 beta decision
Ever since it was first announced that Crackdown would contain an invite to the coveted Halo 3 multiplayer beta, comments have been flying around the intertubes. Some have said that the beta was added in order to push an otherwise lackluster product. That theory, more or less, has been quashed now that the Crackdown demo has won the hearts and minds of the people. Others have expressed outrage at being "forced" to buy Crackdown in order to get into the beta. Frankly, this argument doesn't really hold water, as a beta test is just that, a beta test. In a recent Reuters article, Microsoft's Craig Evans defends the choice. In response to the claim that Crackdown was virtually off the radar before the Halo 3 beta was announced, Evans says, "I can understand why people might think that, but the bottom line is that Crackdown is a game that stands on its own." Referring to the common joke that people are buying the Halo 3 beta and not Crackdown (see image), Evans notes, "People are definitely saying 'I'm getting a free beta with Crackdown', not the other way around," adding, "The Halo 3 beta isn't going to push the game's sales into the millions. Crackdown is going to push its sales into the millions."We certainly won't argue that Crackdown is a good game on its own merits, but it would be foolish to assume that the inclusion of the Halo 3 beta had nothing to do with its quick rise into the spotlight. In the end, it was a slick way for Microsoft to promote a good original game with no franchise history to exploit. Grand Theft Auto, for example, practically markets itself. Crackdown didn't have an obvious marketing hook. The beta put Crackdown in the public eye, and now that we've had a taste, we want more. Halo 3 beta or not, we're picking Crackdown up next week. Anyone want to take bets on how long it takes to become a million seller?[Via HBO]
Reuters debuts machine-readable news for automatic stock trading -- hilarity ensues
See, the great thing about a robot uprising is that it doesn't have to be "hostile" in the usual sense. All it takes is enough robots doing peoples laundry, and then one day our whole civilization stops because nobody can find any clean socks -- total chaos. In that vein, it looks like Reuters has just sealed humanity's doom. They've just launched their new Reuters NewsScope service, which tags news in machine-readable ways, allowing for the automatic trading of stocks based on the actual content of news stories, not just the numbers that current automatic trading systems glom onto. An additional Reuters app can even comb through Reuters archives to see what effect similar news had on a certain stock historically, handing even in-depth analysis over to the bots. As Techdirt points out, if you combine this system with that Thomson Financial bot for the automatic generation of news stories based on financial data, you can create a rather entertaining loop of robot-driven financials. Soon these machines will recognise their subservience and rise to challenge us. If we're lucky, they'll use us to test out risky moon missions and the like before we're completely obsolete. But we'll probably all just die during the first invasion.[Via Techdirt]
KLM and Air France deny iPod integration plans
Yeah sure, they may get around to it eventually, but according to Reuters today, both KLM and Air France deny any firm plans to provide iPod integration into their air fleet. A KLM spokesman stated that 'there have been "informal contacts" between Apple and the airline..."We have no idea if this is technically feasible, if it's financially viable, or it customers want it," he said. "At this moment, we have absolutely no intention of introducing it on board"'.
The MSM responds to Microsoft's HD announcement
The mainstream media (or MSM for those of you down with the Web 2.0 lingo) doesn't cover every video game story out there, so when they dom, we always perk up and take notice. Following Microsoft's big HDTV announcement Monday night, several major mainstream outlets covered the news. Let's see what they had to say: Time Magazine considers the downloadable space as a whole, where "many companies including Microsoft competitors Apple, Amazon.com and Google are getting into the video distribution business. Microsoft's ace is that the Xbox 360 is already connected to the TV, a hurdle others try to overcome by marketing multimedia set-top boxes or creating unwieldy hardware partnerships." The New York Times compares Apple and Microsoft's similar, but oh so different, strategies, writing, "Microsoft will go into the video business with a different business model. Apple, most analysts believe, does not make much money selling iTunes content, but makes up for it by selling more iPods, which are extremely profitable. Microsoft, which analysts say loses money on each Xbox 360 it sells, expects to make up for that shortfall by selling games -- and now video. Reuters looks to the more obvious competitor. "Sony Corp., which ships its PlayStation 3 on November 17 with its own digital-distribution network, PlayStation Network, also will look to movies, TV content and music down the line but has not yet announced specific deals. Games will be the first focal point, as they have been for Microsoft during the past year with its Xbox Arcade service." So, Microsoft got there first (or, rather, they will when the service launches on November 22nd): A high-definition video download service connected to a set-top box already installed in millions of living rooms (and counting). But there's still more questions than answers in this shady, poorly-lit basement cockfight for living room supremacy. Like: what about the borderline impossibility of future cooperation with Sony Pictures? That would make it hard to be a comprehensive service. What about iTV?
Reuters: Wii novelty will cause console death without software
Reuters recently published an article where they took a look at the Wii's position going into the holiday shopping season. They assume that Nintendo is banking on the novelty of the Wii's control scheme as being its primary point of appeal, however they state that they believe without the proper software line-up constantly raising the bar in utilizing the console's unique attributes, it is doomed to failure.Isn't that the whole lesson learned from the GameCube, though? We look at Nintendo's launch window line-up, third party support and technological advancements of the new console and see plenty of selling points beyond the fact that movement in reality can be mimicked in-game and feel that if developers didn't have plenty of ideas, they wouldn't be pledging so much support to the console. Regardless of how you think Reuters comes off, it's an excellent piece comparing the three companies and provides an unbiased look at Nintendo's goals.
Wal-Mart bullying Hollywood over iTS movie downloads?
Today's edition of 'yes they did/no they didn't' is brought to you by Wal-Mart, the New York Post and Reuters. As we knew, Wal-Mart is the largest DVD retailer (at least in America), with 40% of the market. Obviously, a player with that large of a stake in the game might not be too happy when a music download service with as much momentum as the iTunes Store announces movie downloads, and the New York Post printed a piece confirming just as much. According to the Post, Wal-Mart returned "cases and cases" of DVDs to Disney after suffering a panic attack over word of the iTS. Never one to stop at throwing product back in just one client's face, Wal-Mart then went on to throw a temper tantrum at the Hollywood studios, "overtly threatened to retaliate" by ordering fewer movies if they shook hands with the iTS. One has to wonder what happens when Wal-Mart doesn't get ice cream for desert.On the other side of this coin, however, Reuters printed comments from a Wal-Mart spokeswoman, saying "we are not dissuading studios from conducting business with other providers." Setting aside the discussion of who competition truly benefits, a Disney spokeswoman also stated she was not familiar with the NYP claims, though Reuters failed to mention whether this spokeswoman has anything to do with the shipping department.It's a twisted web these players are weaving, and we'll (do our best to) stay on top of who's saying what.[via Engadget]
Wii: it's all about the bling, son
A report over at Reuters is quoting Reggie Fils-ass kicker, name takerAime as saying that the Wii "will make a profit on the entire Wii proposition out of the box -- hardware and software." This is good news for Nintendo, who are not adapting the business models of their competition. With Sony and Microsoft, initial units sold are at a loss, so in this manner Nintendo has already managed to win in the next-gen console wars.Now that we have the pricing on the hardware, is this the reason the Wiimote and nunchuk attachment cost a ridiculous amount of money, to ensure profit immediately?[Via Joystiq]
IFA 2006: Flat panel prices dropping in 2007
No surprise there, but the question is how much? LG was quoted a few days ago as saying they expect LCD prices to plunge as by 30% or more next year, mimicking their behavior in 2006, while today Hitachi says they expect plasmas to drop around 20%. Both have big plans for next year, with LG rolling out their first 47-inch 1080p LCD this year, along with 1080p 65- and 70-inch PDPs, followed by smaller versions of both the LCDs and plasmas next year. Hitachi has a few tricks up their sleeve as well, with their own 50-inch 1080p plasma slated for next year and a high-powered advertising campaign. Still, with so many competitors, both know that increasing production and cutting prices will be the key to keeping/increasing their marketshare. Now the hard part for consumers is knowing when to jump in, that prices have and will continue to drop is nothing new, but even when what is now a brand-new TV is 20% off, you'll have to choose between old technology, a shiny new LED-based set, SED or even something else.Read - LG Elec sees LCD TV prices down 30% plus in 2007Read - Hitachi sees smaller fall in plasma TV prices
Widget Watch: Reuters Widget
Attention news junkies: Reuters, that wire service of wire services, has released a free widget for Dashboard. What does it do? It displays up to 10 headlines from your Reuters news channel of choice.Simple, blue, and useful. That's just how I like my widgets.Update: I also like my widgets to work, which this one doesn't. I thought it was just an extension issue, but it looks like the widget itself is a no go. Here's hoping they update it sooner rather than later. But hey, it is free afterall.Update to the update: This widget is for the Yahoo! Widget engine, so that would explain the trouble.
Disney announces Blu-ray launch titles & exclusive "Blu-scape" content
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney's Buena Vista Home Entertainment is going to announce nine Blu-ray releases today. Four of them are slated for release September 19, with five more to follow October 17th. Several of the movies will feature short films exclusive to the Blu-ray releases called Blu-scape, filmed by cinematographer Louie Schwartzberg. They also indicate all the movies will feature advanced menu and navigational features accessible while the movie is playing, and that most will carry an MSRP of $34.99. This could be kind of cool, or it could be a cheap gimmick to garner attention for the Blu-ray editions of the movies, we may have to wait until they are released to find out.September 19: Dinosaur* Eight Below* Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back The Great Raid October 17: Glory Road* Haunted Mansion* Gone in 60 Seconds* Dark Water The Brothers Grimm * indicates movie featuring Blu-scape short
Media coverage of the Wii looking good
We've seen nothing but positive coverage of the Wii from media, and for good reason. As evidenced above, a local NBC news affiliate had a short feature on the console, showing gamers enjoying the Wii Sports' Tennis title. Another video report on the Wii may be found here courtesy of Reuters. While a bit longer than the local news feature, the Reuters video intersperses sections of the video that was presented at E3 2005.[Thanks Nushio!]
Movie downloading kiosks may be coming soon
In what could turn into a preemptive strike against the further decline of DVD sales in the face of competition from digital downloads as well as Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs, major retailers may soon be installing kiosks in their stores that give customers access to on-demand, feature-length films on DVD or their portable devices. According to Reuters, the major movie studios are reportedly in talks with retail heavyweights like Wal-mart to theoretically offer their complete archives for downloading to in-store terminals with high-speed connections, where they would either be burned onto DVD or transferred to unspecified devices, a la that proposed DVD Station service we saw awhile back (which seemingly never materialized). While the prospect of having immediate access to almost every movie ever made is admittedly appealing, we're not really sure that we want to drive all the way over to Best Buy just to stand around waiting uncomfortably with our fellow patrons as we all clutch our iPods, nervously tap our feet, and wish we'd all just stayed at home and settled for whatever was on Moviebeam.[Via Slashdot]
Games sales figures show online is key
The NPD Group has released sales figures for 2005, estimating that the US spent $1.4 billion on games last year. An interesting and growing proportion of that income was from online games -- $344 million, about one quarter of the total spending, came from recurring subscription fees.Breaking that down, NPD estimates about 85% of that recurring income is from specific games like World of Warcraft, whereas the rest -- a non-trivial $52 million -- comes from casual games portals. It's clear from the tremendous amount of money being generated by both games and gaming portals, as well as the popularity of MMOs and casual games, that online is a key area to watch in future. While digital downloads are only a small part of the picture -- 3% of total market sales -- the area should grow, partly driven by the convenience of buying and delivering online. Of course, paying for a game through monthly subscriptions rather than a one-off box fee is appealing, though players of games like World of Warcraft don't seem to mind doing both.
All DoCoMo handsets to be GSM-capable within 2 years, sez paper
Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun is reporting that NTT DoCoMo is working to make all of its handsets GSM-compatible in the next two years, which would allow them to work in over 130 countries. Furthermore, DoCoMo's customers would have access to the popular i-mode Internet service in over 70 countries under the new plan, according to company sources quoted by the paper. Reuters reminds us that this move comes at a time when Japan's wireless industry is preparing for increased competition this fall, and may also be a response to the attractive packages Softbank can now offer thanks to their recent purchase of Vodafone Japan.
Solid state TDEL flat panel HDTVs -- still -- coming soon
Cheaper than LCDs and plasmas plus better picture quality in a 1-inch thick flat panel HDTV? That's what iFire has been promising for a while now and it may be one step closer to reality. Their parent company Westaim hopes to bring the thick-film dielectric electroluminescent technology (TDEL) screens to market in 2007 at a price point of less than $1000 for a 34-inch model. It involves no gases, liquids or vacuums and requires no backlighting. Instead the materials are layered directly onto the glass which they say provides better PQ and a wider viewing angle, with half the production cost of LCDs. Much like the fabled SEDs which we still haven't seen, we've been looking out for these since Engadget first mentioned them in 2004. If/when either technology debuts, it will be very interesting to see how it affects the existing high definition flat screen market.
