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"Gears of War" - 1 Million copies sold says Microsoft

(24 Nov 2006 14:46)

Microsoft Corp. said on Wednesday it had sold 1 million copies of its game "Gears of War" in two weeks, making it the fastest-selling title for its Xbox 360 video game console.

Microsoft has been counting on "Gears of War", which went on sale on November 7, to steal some thunder from the recent launches of rival gaming machines from Sony Corp. (6758.T: Quote, NEWS, Research) (SNE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Nintendo Co. Ltd. (7974.OS: Quote, NEWS, Research).

Game sales also are important because Microsoft loses money on each Xbox 360 machine it sells, so it relies on game sales to make the business profitable.

Microsoft said earlier this month that "Gears of War", which puts players in the role of a futuristic soldier battling invading aliens, had booked the biggest number of pre-orders of any of its games since 2004's "Halo 2", the second installment of the flagship franchise for the original Xbox.

Pre-ordering is the retail practice in which consumers pay money in advance to ensure a copy of a game on launch date.

Still, "Gears of War " did not come close to matching the draw of "Halo 2", which sold $125 million -- roughly 2.5 million copies -- in its first 24 hours of availability.

"Halo 2", however, had the benefit of building on the successful formula of its predecessor, and it also came three years into the life of the original Xbox, meaning there was a bigger pool of potential buyers.

By contrast, "Gears of War" is an all-new game and arrived just a year after the Xbox 360 hit the market. Its price tag is 20 percent higher than that of "Halo 2" when it was launched.

Microsoft also said subscriptions to its Xbox Live online gaming service have increased because of "Gears of War". Paid registrations per day for the online gaming service have climbed 50 percent since the game's debut.

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Disney opens Nintendo-focused video game studio

(07 Nov 2006 11:51)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Walt Disney Co.'s (DIS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Buena Vista Game unit on Tuesday announced a new video game studio that will focus on creating new and Disney-inspired titles for Nintendo Co. Ltd's (7974.OS: Quote, NEWS, Research) hand-held DS player and upcoming Wii console.

Scott Novis, who headed the Rainbow Studios team that developed the popular video game based on the Disney Pixar film "Cars," was tapped to be vice president and general manager for Disney's new Fall Line Studio, based in Salt Lake City.

Nintendo's Wii console, which features a novel motion-sensitive controller, has captivated gaming enthusiasts and is set to make its U.S. debut on November 19.

The Japanese game company has also made a splash with its DS players, which has two screens, opens like a book and allows players to control play with a stylus.

Innovative titles like "Nintendogs" and "Brain Age," which respectively let players pet and train dogs and exercise their mental skills, have helped propel sales of the DS. Nintendo in late October forecast that it will sell 20 million DS units during the fiscal year ending march.

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Film, TV downloads newly available via Xbox 360

(07 Nov 2006 11:48)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Microsoft Corp. will unlock the digital-distribution capabilities of its next-generation console, Xbox 360, to Hollywood studios beginning November 22.

Xbox 360 gamers in the U.S., totaling at least 3 million, will be able to purchase TV shows and download them to their gaming hard drive as well as rent and watch movies on their consoles.

The first wave of content will include dozens of high-definition and standard-definition offerings from such partners as Warner Bros. ("Batman Forever," "V for Vendetta," "The Nine"), Paramount Pictures ("Nacho Libre," "Jackass: The Movie"), MTV Networks ("South Park," "SpongeBob SquarePants"), CBS ("CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Survivor") and Turner Broadcasting ("Aqua Teen Hunger Force," "Robot Chicken").

Xbox 360 represents the first video game console to secure programming from major content providers as well the opening of a new front in digital-media distribution alongside the likes of Apple's iTunes and Verizon's VCast.

Microsoft director of platform strategy Scott Henson said there will be thousands of hours of television and movie content available on the console's virtual storefront, Xbox Live Marketplace, by year's end.

"The reason the Hollywood studios are excited to partner with us is because we have this 18- to 34-year-old demographic that's extremely valuable and attractive to the networks and content providers," Henson said. "This is a great opportunity to reach them in a different way. I think you're going to see because of that a lot of other studios jumping on board over time with additional TV shows and movies."

Microsoft isn't divulging pricing yet on TV shows or movies, but Henson said it will be competitive with other digital offerings, with HD content slightly more expensive than standard definition.

TV episodes will be updated on a regular basis and available for purchase as early as the day after they air.

"TV shows will follow a purchase-to-own model," Henson said. "Consumers can download a show as many times as he or she wants and from anywhere in the U.S., including on other Xbox 360 consoles."

Movies will follow the rental-download model. Once a movie is purchased and downloaded to the Xbox 360's 20GB hard drive, it remains there until played. Once played, the consumer has 24 hours to watch it.

In addition to TV shows and movies, there will be sports content, including NASCAR races from TBS and more than 80 Ultimate Fighting Championship matchups.

The new Marketplace programming will only play on Xbox 360 and not be transferable to a PC or other device -- at least for now.

"Certainly as we think about this stuff longer term, that's certainly an interesting scenario," Henson said.

Microsoft has 4 million Xbox Live members worldwide that have downloaded more than 70 million pieces of gaming and such short form entertainment content as music videos and movie trailers during the 11 months Marketplace has been available.

The addition of full movies and TV episodes will enable Hollywood studios to target gamers first with theatrical releases and then with direct-to-game console rentals.

Microsoft has sold 6 million Xbox 360 units globally to date and expects to reach a worldwide installed base of 10 million units by year's end.

Although the target Xbox 360 gamer skews older than the 18-34 demo, Henson sees TV and film content as another way to attract younger household members to the console as well as a female audience. He said such shows as "SpongeBob" and "Survivor" appeal to these audiences and that this service could help attract other members of a household with Xbox.

Henson said the U.S. market will be the first to receive film and TV content but that additional international markets will come online in the future.

"No matter what you do in entertainment -- movies, music or games -- you have to make sure the content is relevant to the region," Henson said. "We're going to start with the U.S., learn from the U.S. and then grow and continue to extend that. (We'll be) in 25 countries with Xbox Live by the end of this year, so there's a great opportunity to extend this service."

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.

"Sony has natural in-house advantages with Sony Pictures film and television units and music divisions, which they haven't taken advantage of with PlayStation 2," said PJ McNealy, video game analyst for American Technology Research.

"Microsoft has their work cut out for them," McNealy added. "They've taken the highlights from what has worked with the iTunes model and are incorporating them into Xbox Live Marketplace. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery."

Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are viewed as Trojan horses that will enter homes around the world as gaming machines but will unlock additional capabilities through digital distribution and next-generation technology. PS3 ships with Blu-ray Disc technology, and consumers can buy a $200 add-on HD-DVD drive to play next-generation DVDs on Xbox 360.

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Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy

(07 Nov 2006 11:42)

Jada Yuan of New York magazine reports that Axl Rose started out screeching about being "just an urchin livin' under the street," but in the thirteen years he's been working on the oft-delayed Guns N' Roses album "Chinese Democracy" (at a price that's exceeded $13 million), he's had time to reflect on heavy-metal posturing.

"We thought we were so badass," he said in the greenroom at the VMAs. "Then N.W.A. came out rapping about this world where you walk out of your house and you get shot. It was just so clear what stupid little white-boy poseurs we were. It was like, 'All right, we can give up the act.' If you're talking about which lifestyle is more hard-core, the one where you get shot always wins."

So what's the holdup with "Chinese Democracy"? "It's not about being a control freak. It's about being maybe smart enough to go, 'No, that's a bad idea.' That's all it's about ? keeping the ability to at least have a shot as opposed to something that's just an obvious disaster. I want to make a good record. I don't want to throw a brick. This cannot be Shaq at the free-throw line."

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Blog Entries

(07 Nov 2006 11:38)

My webspace has gone bankrupt! All my articles lost! Noo!

My webspace decided to close without saving anything from the servers, so it looks like all my articles are going to be written here now, thanks to Afterdawn's profile pages :)

Look forward to hearing from you all.

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November 2006

"Gears of War" - 1 Million copies sold says Microsoft

Disney opens Nintendo-focused video game studio

Film, TV downloads newly available via Xbox 360

Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy

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