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March 29, 2004 -- About Us | Advertise | Events | Publications | Subscribe

Main Stories
o Microsoft Cuts Price of Xbox Game Console by $30 to $149
o German Court Rules Against Unauthorized Pop-Up Ads
o AOL to Offer Episode of WB's "Everwood" Morning After TV Airing
o NPD Launches Monthly Comparative CD Pricing Information Service
o Apple Looks to Patent iPod's Graphical User Interface
o Nintendo to Ship Classic NES Titles for Retro Game Boy Advance SP


 > DMW Announcements
 --DMW Events
  
Games & Mobile Forum - Confirmed Speakers & Pre-Registration
 --Digital Media Law Report - Available Now - Volume 2 - February/March

 > Featured Advertisement:
 --The Venture Forum Thursday, April 1, 2004 in Beverly Hills, California
 --NARIP Panel: "Digitizing the Record Industry" - March 30, 2004
 

o Briefly Noted: Air America Radio - XM Satellite Radio, Netflix, RCN Corporation - on-demand gaming, Faith West - AT&T Wireless, WireJack, Conspiracy Entertainment Europe, SNK NeoGeo USA, Boxer Alexis Arguello - "Knockout Kings" game lawsuit

 
> Job/Event/Marketplace Classifieds:
--National Account Executive
--Account Executive
--Business Development Manager/Inside Sales Representative - Angel.com
--Business Development Directors
--Sales Executives 
--Senior Marketing Writer 
--Technical Project Manager with Vision
--Contracting with the Department of Homeland Security Forum - May 11-12 
--Reach Federal Contractors Selling Technologies for Homeland Security
--
Part Time CFO, Controller, and/or Accounting Assistance
--PricewaterhouseCoopers' Entertainment and Media Outlook
 


o Microsoft Cuts Price of Xbox Game Console by $30 to $149

Redmond, Wash. -- Confirming reports from last week, Microsoft on Monday announced a $30 price cut for its Xbox video game console in the U.S. -- from $179 to $149 -- that will take effect on Tuesday. Similar Xbox price cuts will also go into effect for Canada and Mexico, however the company did not disclose plans for other regions. Microsoft also announced discounts for its "Xbox Music Mixer" karaoke game, which will now sell for $19.99, as well as a new $29.99 price point for game titles including "Project Gotham Racing 2" and "Counter Strike." The company also noted that there are now 75,000 subscribers for its Xbox Live online gaming service for the console.
http://www.xbox.com
_____________________________________________

o German Court Rules Against Unauthorized Pop-Up Ads

Cologne, Germany -- The German unit of car rental firm Hertz announced that it has won an injunction against Claira (formerly known as Gator) that will prevent the company from launching its pop-up ads for Hertz competitors on top of Hertz's own website, CNET News.com reported. Claria's software is installed alongside other programs as a way to provide those programs for free -- such as its bundling with Kazaa's file-sharing software. Hertz complained that those who have downloaded the software see unauthorized pop-up ads for Hertz competitors when users visit its German site. The Court of First Instance in Cologne ruled that Claria violated German unfair competition laws, and will face penalties of up to $302,325, or six months in jail, for each future violation of the injunction.
http://news.com.com/2100-1024-5180240.html 
http://www.claria.com 
_____________________________________________

o AOL to Offer Episode of WB's "Everwood" Morning After TV Airing

Dulles, Va. -- America Online said on Monday that for the first time, it will offer a full episode of a primetime TV show online the morning after it airs on television. The promotion, for fellow Time Warner subsidiary WB Network's program "Everwood," is aimed at enabling viewers to familiarize themselves with the show's storyline and characters in anticipation of the debutof new episodes on April 5. AOL will offer an episode of the WB's "Everwood" that originally aired on Feb. 23 and will be re-broadcast tonight, exclusively on AOL for Broadband for one week beginning tomorrow. "Through this unprecedented marketing initiative, we are providing AOL for Broadband members with an exclusive and unique way to sample a full length television episode, as well as providing The WB with an exciting new way to attract viewers," said AOL Television vice president and general manager Patricia Karpas.
http://media.aoltimewarner.com/media/press_view.cfm?release_num=55253876
http://www.thewb.com/Shows/Show/0,7353,%7C%7C1005,00.html
____________________________________________

o NPD Launches Monthly Comparative CD Pricing Information Service

Port Washington, N.Y. -- Market research firm NPD Group on Monday announced the launch of a new CD pricing information service, PriceLab, which will collect monthly pricing information by album from all major music retailers. PriceLab will monitor the average selling price of particular albums, as well as provide information by artist, top-selling titles, retailer, channel, distributor, label and genre. The service's first findings show that the average CD sold for $13.47 at the end of 2003, a 2% reduction from the same period in 2002 and a 4% reduction in price from 2001. "Next to peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, CD pricing has been the most talked about issue in the music industry," said NPD Music president Russ Crupnick. "PriceLab gives subscribers the edge in the highly competitive, and price sensitive, music market. It allows the industry to monitor changes in pricing across the industry, and helps companies understand the impact of pricing on consumer perceptions."
http://www.npd.com/press/releases/press_040329.htm
____________________________________________

o Apple Looks to Patent iPod's Graphical User Interface

London -- Apple is attempting to patent the graphical user interface utilized on its iPod digital music player, ZDNet UK reported on Monday. A patent application on the multimedia player software was published on Thursday of last week, listing its three inventors as Apple CEO Steve Jobs and Apple engineers Jeffrey L. Robbin and Timothy Wasko. The company's U.K. office declined to comment on the patent application.
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/business/0,39020645,39149980,00.htm
http://makeashorterlink.com/?G3A8620E7
____________________________________________

o Nintendo to Ship Classic NES Titles for Retro Game Boy Advance SP

Redmond, Wash. -- Nintendo of America announced on Monday plans to release a special edition of its Game Boy Advance SP handheld video game that resembles its original NES console, as well as classic NES games for the handheld, as part of a new "Classic NES Series." The mini-NES Game Boy Advance SP will sell for $99 beginning June 7. Nintendo said it will release Game Boy Advance versions of classic NES titles including "Donkey Kong," "Pac-Man," "The Legend of Zelda," "Super Mario Bros.," "Excitebike," "Ice Climber," "Xevious" and "Bomberman."
http://www.nintendo.com

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 > DMW Events:



2nd
Annual
GAMES & MOBILE FORUM

April 15
, 2004  |  New York City
www.gamesandmobile.com

OVERVIEW

Games & Mobile Forum is 1-day executive forum focused on business and technology developments impacting games and mobile entertainment.  In 2003, leading executives from entertainment and technology companies including, Yahoo! Games, AOL Games, Atari,  Acclaim, Warner Bros. Online, AtomShockwave, CNET, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), The Endeavor Agency, Mythic Entertainment and Digital Bridges participated in a series of panels on topics, including "Mobile Games: The Coming Wireless Revolution", "Developing Games Based on Film, Television & Music Properties and Visa-Versa"", and "Advergames: Recent Developments & Opportunities".

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Greg Ballard - CEO, Sorrent
John Welch - Chair, IGDA Online Games SIG, VP, AtomShockwave

 

CONFIRMED SPEAKERS
Jeff Anderson - President & CEO, Turbine Entertainment
Matthew Bellows - VP, Mobile Entertainment, GameSpot
Matt Bromberg - GM, AOL Games
Gordon Bellamy - former Exec. Dir., Academy of Interactive Arts & Science
Mike Cartabiano - President, Sennari Mobile
Greg Costikyan -
Chief Creative Officer, Unplugged Inc.
Lee Crawford - Editor, IGDA Mobile Games whitepaper
Ron DiNicola - Pa
rtner, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP
Michael Dowling - VP, Business Development, Nielsen Entertainment
Andrew Elliott - Head of Bus. Dev. & Strategies,
Ent. & Media, Nokia Americas  
Keith Ferrazzi - CEO, YaYa Media
Mark Friedler - CEO,
Gigex, Inc./GameDAILY LLC
Stewart Halpern - Managing Director, Digital Ent. Research, RBC Capital Markets
Todd Herman - Streaming Evangelist, MSNBC.com
Mark Jacobstein - President & COO, Digital Chocolate
Daniel James - Founder & CEO, Three Rings 

Paul Jensen - VP, Strategic Alliances, Sony Pictures Digital Networks
Scott Jensen - VP, Bus. Development, Media & Entertainment, Mforma Group
Scott Johnson - President, MENT (Mobility Entertainment)
John Kilcullen - President & Publisher, Billboard Information Group
Garry Kitchen - President/CEO, Skyworks Technologies, Inc.
Joseph Laszlo - Senior Analyst, Broadband & Wireless, Jupiter Research
Matt Railo - Partner, IP & Technology, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP

Brian Robbins - Editor, IGDA Downloadable Games whitepaper

Jason Rubinstein - GM, Ubi.com, Ubisoft
Don Ryan - Studio Manager, Microsoft's Zone.com
Mika Salmi, CEO, AtomShockwave  
Dan Scherlis - CEO, Etherplay
Mike Skagerlind - SVP & GM, Nickelodeon Online
Ned Sherman - CEO & Co-Founder, Digital Media Wire
Alex St. John - CEO & Co-Founder, Wild Tangent
Joseph Varet - Vice President, Groove Alliance

more to come..

REGISTRATION
Pre-Registration: $ 295 (until April 9)
Registration: $ 395 (after April 9)

Online :  http://kb.digitalmediawire.com/register.php?eventid=1060 
Phone: 323-822-0936

To submit speakers for the 2004 conferences, please send a bio and photo (optional) to Tinzar Than, VP, Marketing & Events, Digital Media Wire, Inc. at tinzar@digitalmediawire.com.


Digital Media Law Report
New Featured Section - Volume 2 - 2004

We are pleased to announce that we have added a "Featured Section" to Digital Media Law & Policy Report. We will use this section to provide in depth coverage of certain cases, events and policy developments each month.

This month's featured coverage includes reports on
the transcript of Ned Sherman's interview of RIAA General Counsel Steven Marks at Digital Music Forum in New York City on March 1.  

Subscriptions
-
Order
Volume 2 - February/March 2004 Report - 43 pages - Order

Past Events | Sponsorship Materials | Partners & Clients
 

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> Featured Advertisement: 

> The Venture Forum Thursday, April 1, 2004 in Beverly Hills, California

Don't miss the largest showcase of cutting-edge companies in Southern California! See the 50 most innovative companies, in all sectors from wireless to digital media. See companies in all stages, from startup to pre-IPO. Network with hundreds of leading investors, from angels to investment banks.  http://www.theventureforum.com
(Digital Media Wire readers can use code DMW2984 for a 25% discount)
___________________

> NARIP Panel: "Digitizing the Record Industry" - March 30, 2004

The National Association of Record Industry Professionals presents "Digitizing the Record Industry: Retail Realities & The Road to Profits", a panel discussion on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 in Los Angeles. Digital Media Wire has arranged for a limited number of free passes for its subscribers, available on a first-come, first-served basis. When: Tues., March 30, 2004 - 6:30 PM Cocktails/ 7:30 PM Panel Discussion Where: Beverly Garland's Holiday Inn - Studio City, CA More info: www.narip.com. To claim your free pass, email tinzar@digitalmediawire.com  with "DIGITIZING THE RECORD INDUSTRY" in the subject line.
 

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o Briefly Noted:

(Washington) XM Satellite Radio, a provider of satellite-delivered digital radio programming, plans to launch the Air America Radio network on Wednesday, giving the newly-formed liberal talk radio network its first national audience. Air America on-air talent will include Al Franken, Janeane Garofalo, Chuck D. and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040329/dcm028_1.html 
http://www.xmradio.com 
http://www.centralairmedia.com

(Los Gatos, Calif.) Online DVD rental service Netflix on Monday announced the opening of an additional regional shipping center in Kansas City, which will serve three million residents across Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and the Oklahoma panhandle. The company says it now provides over 80% of its customers with generally one-day delivery of DVDs by regular mail.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040329/sfm024_1.html 
http://www.netflix.com

(Princeton, N.J.) RCN Corporation, a provider of bundled phone, cable TV and high-speed Internet services in top U.S. markets, on Monday announced the launch of interACTION Games, a streaming PC game subscription service. Bethesda, Md.-based Exent Technologies will provide the gaming service, which will offer 40 PC titles including "Unreal Tournament" and "Civilization III Conquest," with monthly usage fees added to subscribers' monthly cable bills.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040329/phm003_1.html 
http://www.exent.com 
http://www.rcninteraction.com

(San Francisco) Faith West, the U.S. arm of the Japanese wireless entertainment publisher, announced on Monday the launch of its Modtones ringtone service for AT&T Wireless' mMode service subscribers.
http://www.faithwestinc.com 
http://www.modtones.com

(Manhattan Beach, Calif.) Mobile entertainment publisher WireJack said on Monday that it has launched its "Mystic Garden" horoscope and psychic application for U.S. Verizon and Alltel subscribers. The company plans to launch a companion Spanish-language "Fortuna Mistica" service in coming months.
http://www.wirejack.com

(Santa Monica, Calif.) Video game developer Conspiracy Entertainment announced on Monday that it has named Michael Hayward as the CEO of its Cambridge-based European subsidiary, Conspiracy Entertainment Europe. Previously, Hayward served two years as director of the European Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA). Founded in January, Conspiracy Entertainment Europe plans to begin releasing titles in the fourth quarter of 2004.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040329/295626_1.html 
http://www.conspiracygames.com

(Wall, N.J.) SNK NeoGeo USA, the U.S. arm of the Japanese arcade and console video game developer, announced on Monday the upcoming release of the first title for its "The King of Fighters" franchise developed exclusively for Sony PlayStation 2. New Jersey-based SNK NeoGeo USA said that "KOF: Maximum Impact" will be released in the fall of 2004.
http://www.snkneogeousaconsumer.com

(Los Angeles) The Los Angeles Times reports that Hall of Fame professional boxer Alexis Arguello ("El Flaco Explosivo") has sued video game makers Electronic Arts, Nintendo and Sony over the unapproved use of his name and likeness in the popular "Knockout Kings" boxing video game franchise. Arguello, now retired and living in Nicaragua, only recently found out about his appearance in the game, which was originally released in 1998. "I was at a friend's here, to see a fight," Arguello told The Times, "and a little kid with a Nintendo asked me to sign the game." The attorney representing Arguello, Gregory W. Smith, told The Times he intends to file suit on behalf of another boxer later this week.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-boxer29mar29.story
http://knockoutkings2001.ea.com/phase2/main.html

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> Classifieds:

> National Account Executive

We are seeking quality sales professionals to join our winning team. This aggressive self-starter will possess: min 7 years sales experience, successful track record of quota achievement, prospecting skills, strong presentation, writing and proposal development skills, experience selling to C-level decision makers, solid understanding of strategic selling concepts. Don't tie up our sales lines with incoming calls - if you are the right person - email your resume and salary history to linda@boxwoodtech.com
_________________

> Account Executive

Communique Conferencing, Inc., a rapidly growing Audio and Web conferencing services provider, is seeking experienced sales executives to sell our award winning conferencing services to commercial businesses. Candidates should have 2-5 years B2B sales experience and able to effectively prospect, qualify and & close new sales opportunities. Visit http://www.communiqueconferencing.com  Send resumes to careers@ccimeet.com
_________________

> Business Development Manager/Inside Sales Representative - Angel.com

Responsible for setting up appointments for Angel.com executives within both existing and prospective accounts. Cold calling, maintain daily activities in Salesforce.com, interact regularly with Angel.com executives to discuss current pipeline, production positioning and messaging, and revenue generation opportunities, work closely with the Marketing team in developing new ways to approach new target markets. Require: Bachelor's degree. 1-3 years sales experience, Strong communication skills over the phone. Desire to work in a fast-paced startup environment. If you are interested in this position please submit a cover letter and resume via email to recruiting@microstrategy.com
___________________

> Business Development Directors

Multimax, a rapidly growing Federal IT services and solutions company, seeks multiple experienced, aggressive and ambitious business developers. Bring your successful track record and market savvy to our team in return for generous compensation, outstanding benefits, and a significant role in the company's continued growth. Work out of your home or our Maryland headquarters. Visit http://www.multimax.com  Send resumes in confidence to HRmd@multimax.com
___________________

> Sales Executives

Allied Telecom Group, a rapidly growing regional broadband and metro Ethernet provider, is seeking experienced sales executives to sell our Internet and transport solutions to organizations in the DC metropolitan area. Allied is a customer-focused company that values integrity and excellence in all that we do. We provide an aggressive compensation and benefits package. Please send resumes to excellence@alliedtelecom.net
___________________

> Senior Marketing Writer

Client looking for a Senior Marketing Writer. Applicant must have Enterprise Application Integration (EAI),write technical marketing collateral, work well in team environments, 3-5 years of technical writing experience, Deliver presentations at trade conferences. Compensation: 80K. Send resumes to aceemp7@aol.com
___________________

> Technical Project Manager with Vision

Sr. project mgr w/technical skills, acctg knowledge and long-term vision to oversee reorganization of automated processes into fully integrated systems. Min 5 years experience including extensive work with IT project mgmt, client-server and Web-based systems architecture data modeling tools and acctg information systems. Must be proficient in Web applications/e-commerce, Oracle and CRM. Strong programming, analysis and RFP development/writing skills required. Please email your resume and salary requirements dpromise@liscr.com
___________________

> Contracting with the Department of Homeland Security Forum - May 11-12

BNA's 2nd Annual Contracting with the Department of Homeland Security forum will feature the CIO from the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security, and at least five other top officials at the Department on Homeland Security and more!
Last year's sold-out forum had an overwhelming response, so register today at: http://www.homeland-conference.com/
___________________ 

> Reach Federal Contractors Selling Technologies for Homeland Security

The 2003-2004 Directory of Homeland Security has complete listings for 532 companies selling technologies and services devoted to homeland defense. Nearly all major federal contractors are included in the section, which includes company names, key personnel, addresses, phone and fax numbers, urls, annual revenues, number of employees, business sector, general descriptions and homeland security relevance. To order the 2003-2004 edition, click here.
___________________

> Part Time CFO, Controller, and/or Accounting Assistance

Have a business and need part time accounting and financial assistance
from an experienced CPA with quality references? Need financial statements
prepared for a bank or venture capitalist? Need quality bookkeeping
assistance at competitive rates? Need help with tax planning? Need advice
on cost cutting? Call 301-437-3990 or send inquiries to
doug@palmerfinancial.net
___________________ 
 
> PricewaterhouseCoopers' Entertainment and Media Outlook

Purchase the book every entertainment and media executive must have. The PricewaterhouseCoopers' Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2003-2007 analyzes key trends and forecasts spending in the U.S. and Canada across 14 industry segments, including a Global Overview that forecasts spending and analyzes trends worldwide (also sold separately). More Information

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About Us
Digital Media Wire, Inc. is a news organization, publisher and events company serving the digital media industry since May 2000. Our daily newsletter delivers original briefings on business, legal and financial developments shaping digital media and read by over 30,000 executives and professionals. To subscribe for free, please click here.

Digital Media Wire, Inc. is part of the Tech Wire Media Group, an international network of publications that includes Digital Media Law Report, Potomac Tech Wire, New England Tech Wire, Southeast Tech Wire, Bay Area Tech Wire, Tri-state Tech Wire and European Tech Wire. The network reaches more than 70,000 individuals from over 70 countries each business day.

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Executive & Editorial Team
Chief Executive Officer: Ned Sherman
VP, Marketing & Events: Tinzar Than
Editor: Mark Hefflinger

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