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DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE -- January 27, 2003
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To Subscribe For Free: http://www.digitalmediawire.com
o Report: Video Game Sales Up 10% in 2002 to Record-Breaking $10.3 Billion
o Music Retailers Form Alliance to Sell Digital Music to Consumers
o European Consortium Developing Satellite Modem Service for Interactive TV
o Report: Venture Reporter Parent Rising Tide Studios Up for Sale
o AtomFilms' Video-on-Demand Content to Air on Cablevision Systems
o Wireless Game Developer Chasma Raises First Round Funding
o Tickets.com Shares to be Delisted From Nasdaq
o Digital Media Software Firm Sonic Foundry Gets Notice from Nasdaq
> DMW Publications: Special Rates for DMW Subscribers
> DMW Events: Early Bird Discount - Digital Music Forum | March 3 | NYC
> Featured: Storage Services Summit
o Briefly Noted: Acclaim - ABC's "Alias," "EverQuest Online Adventures,"
Muze - Red Distribution - Hall & Oates, Atari Interactive - "Ikaruga,"
Superscape - THQ Wireless, MSNBC.com - editor-in-chief, 3DO - CFO,
Industry Standard - "Starving to Death on $200 Million"
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> Events: Games & Mobile Forum: April 28 | NYC
> Marketplace: UCLA Extension, 2000 Honda Accord, Entertainment &
Corporate Legal Services, Game Industry Report, iTV Chronicle,
Homeland Security Directory, Interest-Based Navigation
Full Classifieds located beneath "Briefly Noted" section below.
To post a Classified Ad:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/mainpostingpage.html
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o Report: U.S. Video Game Sales Up 10% in 2002 to Record-Breaking $10.3 Billion
Port Washington, N.Y. -- Nationwide sales of video game consoles, game
software and accessories shot up 10 percent in 2002 to reach $10.3
billion, breaking the previous year's record of $9.4 billion, according to
a report released on Monday by market research firm The NPD Group. The
report shows a slight decline of four percent in revenue from video game
console sales, which earned $3.5 billion versus $3.7 billion in 2001.
However, this number is tempered by price cuts for all consoles and a 10
percent increase in unit volume. The category of video game software,
consisting of both console and portable software, saw sales gains of 21
percent in dollar volume and sold 15 percent more units in 2002 than in
2001. The report also notes that between August and December 2002, online
playable games represented 15 percent of total game sales. For the
full-year 2002, NPD reports the five top-selling games were, in order:
Rockstar Games' "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" and "Grand Theft Auto 3" for
PlayStation 2; Electronic Arts' "Madden NFL 2003" for PlayStation 2;
Nintendo's "Super Mario Advance 2" for Game Boy Advance; and Sony's "Gran
Turismo 3: A-Spec" for PlayStation 2.
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?day0/230272533&ticker=
http://www.npd.com
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o Music Retailers Form Alliance to Sell Digital Music to Consumers
Los Angeles -- A group of leading music retailers on Monday announced the
formation of a consortium that will sell digital music directly to
consumers, bypassing label-backed services such as MusicNet and Pressplay.
Retailers Best Buy, Hastings Entertainment, Tower Records, Trans World
Entertainment (which operates FYE stores), Virgin Entertainment and
Wherehouse Music have all provided undisclosed investments to the
consortium, called Echo. Strauss Zelnick, former CEO of BMG Entertainment
and an investor in Echo through ZelnickMedia, will serve on Echo's board.
Echo will seek competitive licenses from record labels, and each retailer
participant will independently market and price the digital entertainment
products it offers. "With competitive licenses, music retailers can
utilize their long history and expertise in building customer
relationships, marketing music and breaking new artists to provide a
digital music experience that truly serves the consumer," said Echo CEO
Dan Hart.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030127/270138_1.html
http://www.echo.com
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o European Consortium Developing Satellite Modem Service for Interactive TV
Betzdorf, Luxembourg -- SES ASTRA, operator of a European satellite
cluster for delivering digital television, announced that it has partnered
with Canal Satellite, Canal Plus Technologies, NEWTEC, STMicroelectronics
and Thomson to develop a low cost satellite-based response channel for
direct-to-home set-top-boxes. The end product, a satellite modem or
SATMODE, will enable consumers to provide real-time responses back to
satellite TV providers for services like interactive TV, video-on-demand,
messaging and gaming. The $53 million project will be funded both by the
consortium and the European Space Agency. Canal Plus Technologies and
NEWTEC will design, test and integrate a test of the satellite modem
system prior to the end of 2003, with technical field trials expected in
early 2004 and commercial roll-out in late 2004. "The television industry
is embracing all forms of interactivity and ASTRA's ability to provide
satellite-based interactivity on a large scale, and at a low cost, will
further encourage the development of additional interactive services,"
said SES ASTRA president and CEO Ferdinand Kayser.
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?day0/230272194&ticker=sesg|sdsl
http://www.ses-astra.com
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o Report: Venture Reporter Parent Rising Tide Studios Up for Sale
New York -- Crain's New York Business reports that Rising Tide Studios,
publisher of Venture Reporter, Silicon Alley Reporter and Digital Coast
Reporter magazines, has put itself up for sale. The company is carrying $2
million in debt, and may file for Chapter 11. New York-based Rising Tide
founder Jason McCabe Calcanis told Crain's that a group of New York-based
angel investors is considering investing in the company, or a large
corporation may buy the company.
http://www.crainsny.com/news.cms?newsId=5005
http://www.venturereporter.net
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o AtomFilms' Video-on-Demand Content to Air on Cablevision Systems
New York -- AtomTelevision, a joint venture between online short films
site AtomFilms and Global Media Holdings, announced on Monday that its
Atom on Demand programming will be added to cable TV operator
Cablevision's digital cable offering. Over the next year, AtomTelevision
will provide users of Cablevision's iO: Interactive Optimum digital cable
service with access to approximately 20 hours of original programming,
available in packages costing $2.95 for a 24-hour period. Long-running
short films site AtomFilms merged with Macromedia's Shockwave.com
entertainment site in January 2001 to become AtomShockwave.
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?day0/230270110&ticker=
http://www.io.tv
http://www.atomtelevision.com
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o Wireless Game Developer Chasma Raises First Round Funding
Nashua, N.H. -- Chasma, a developer and publisher of games for wireless
devices, announced that it has raised an undisclosed amount in its first
round of funding from Orchid Venture Partners. Founded in 2000 by "a group
of teenagers," New Hampshire-based Chasma develops games for J2ME and BREW
platforms. The company said the funds will help accelerate its product
development and roll-out plan; Chasma plans to release seven mobile games
within the next quarter on Verizon Wireless, Alltel, US Cellular, Telstra
and China Unicom networks.
http://www.chasma.net/chasma_corp/january222003.htm
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o Tickets.com Shares to be Delisted From Nasdaq
Costa Mesa, Calif. -- Tickets.com, a provider of online ticketing
services, announced that it has received notification from the Nasdaq that
its shares will be delisted from the Nasdaq National Market on Feb. 4.
After this date, Costa Mesa, Calif.-based Tickets.com expects its shares
to trade on the OTC Bulletin Board.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030124/laf072_1.html
http://www.tickets.com
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o Digital Media Software Firm Sonic Foundry Gets Notice from Nasdaq
Madison, Wisc. -- Sonic Foundry, developer of digital media creation and
editing software including the ACID audio application, announced that the
Nasdaq informed the company its shares do not meet its minimum
requirements for continued listing, and are in danger of being delisted
from the exchange. The Madison, Wisc.-based company filed an appeal with
the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Panel, but said it will likely file for
its shares to be transferred to the SmallCap Market, as well as seek
shareholder approval for a reverse stock split in a bid to raise its share
price above the Nasdaq's $1 minimum.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030122/220134_1.html
http://www.sonicfoundry.com
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==========================================
DMW Publications: Available for DMW Subscribers NOW!
December Law & Policy Report
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Contact tinzar@digitalmediawire.com or call 323-464-0793 to order your
copies.
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Digital Media Law & Policy Report (December)
A new report every month - must-read publication on legal and policy
matters related to digital media. 38 pages of case summaries, news and
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legal counsel and business leaders.
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DMW Events: Digital Music Forum, March 3 | NYC
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Digital Media Wire Presents...
DIGITAL MUSIC FORUM
March 3, 2003 | New York City | 9:00AM - 7:00 PM
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/events/MusicForum_030303.htm
A full-day forum focusing on business & legal issues impacting the music
industry today. The agenda includes 2 keynote addresses, 4 moderated
panels and breakout sessions.
Sponsors:
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Gateway (http://www.gateway.com)
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Audible.com (http://www.audible.com)
Digital Media Law Report (http://www.digitalmedialawreport.com)
Global Entertainment and Media Summit
(http://www.globalentertainmentnetwork.org)
Early bird registrations: $150 until January 31
February registrations: $200 until February 28
At the door: $250.
Pre-Register at: http://kb.digitalmediawire.com/register.php?eventid=1024
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==================
FEATURED SECTION
==================
Featured Section posting at:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/featuredpostingpage.htm
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Briefly Noted:
(Glen Cove, N.Y.) Game developer Acclaim Entertainment announced on Monday
that it has signed an agreement with Disney Interactive for the rights to
publish video games based on ABC Television's drama series, "Alias." New
York-based Acclaim's Cheltenham studio is currently developing versions
for release in the fall of 2003 across all next-generation gaming
platforms.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030127/270063_1.html
http://www.acclaim.com
http://abc.abcnews.go.com/primetime/alias
(San Diego) Sony Online Entertainment announced that "EverQuest Online
Adventures," the online PlayStation 2 version of its popular PC-based
massively multiplayer online roleplaying game, has gone gold and will be
available in stores on Feb. 12. PlayStation 2 owners with a network
adapter who purchase the game will pay an additional $9.99 monthly fee to
play the game in an online setting.
http://sonyonline.com/corp/press_releases/012403_EQOA_goes_gold.html
http://everquest.station.sony.com
(New York) Muze, a provider of streaming song samples and informational
media databases to retail stores and their websites, announced on Monday
that it partnered with independent record distributor Red Distribution to
offer a full-album stream of Daryl Hall and John Oates' new album "Do It
For Love," in advance of the release date on Feb. 11. The stream will be
available on the websites of New York-based Muze partners, including Best
Buy, MTV, VH1 JCPenny.com Presents Music and Movies, Kmart.com and Tower
Records.
http://www.muze.com
http://www.redmusic.com
(Beverly, Mass.) Video game developer Atari Interactive, a subsidiary of
French game publisher Infogrames, announced on Monday that it will publish
a version of the popular Japanese arcade title "Ikaruga" for Nintendo
GameCube in April 2003. The title was originally developed by Japanese
studio Treasure for Sega's DreamCast console.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030127/272034_1.html
http://www.ikaruga-atari.net
(San Clemente, Calif.) Superscape, a developer of interactive 3D
technology, said that it is currently developing a wireless 3D chess game
for ARM 9 and Java-enabled mobile phones. Calabasas Hills, Calif.-based
THQ Wireless will publish "Chesscapade" early this year.
http://www.superscape.com
http://www.thqwireless.com
(Redmond, Wash.) News site MSNBC.com has announced the appointment of Dean
Wright as editor-in-chief. Wright, who helped launch MSNBC.com in 1996 as
managing editor, replaces acting editor-in-chief Michael Silberman, who
took over after the departure of founding editor Merrill Brown last year.
http://www.msnbc.com
(Redwood City, Calif.) Video game developer 3DO announced that chief
financial officer Bill Dully will leave the company for personal reasons,
to be replaced by new hire David Wittenkamp. Redwood City, Calif.-based
3DO also said it expects to return to profitability this year; the company
recently announced an additional $10 million in funding from 3DO founder
and CEO Trip Hawkins.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030124/sff027_1.html
http://www.3do.com
(San Francisco) A new book by James Ledbetter chronicles the rise and fall
of the Industry Standard, the former San Francisco-based magazine that
chronicled the Internet and technology boom of the late 1990s. In
"Starving to Death on $200 Million," Ledbetter, the magazine's European
bureau chief, gives the inside details of the publication that took in
$300 million in its first 20 months of operation, before being cut off
from financing.
http://shorterlink.com/?FDYE5Y
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CLASSIFIEDS - JOBS
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====================
CLASSIFIEDS - EVENTS
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Digital Media Wire Presents...Games & Mobile Forum
April 2003, New York City
Focusing on games and mobile entertainment opportunities and business
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Door Tickets Price: $250. For Early Bird Specials, pre-register at:
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CLASSIFIEDS - MARKETPLACE
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UCLA Extension Course: Digital Entertainment
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