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Past Editions

===================================================
DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE -- May 13, 2002
===================================================
Subscribe for free: http://www.digitalmediawire.com

o Nintendo Announces Online Gaming Plans for GameCube Console
o Report: Number of Unique Online Ads On the Rise
o Reuters: Microsoft Planning to Cut Price of Xbox in U.S.
o Blockbuster to Increase Video Game Space, Begin Selling Game Consoles
o Bertelsmann, AOL Time Warner Invest in Wireless Games Firm Codeonline
o Macromedia Wins $4.9 Million Patent Counterclaim Against Adobe
> Featured Event/Company: Jupiter Plug.IN, ContentWorld 2002
o Briefly Noted: Senate Judiciary Committee -- webcasting royalty hearing,
Lion's Gate Entertainment - Pocket PC Films, Mediabolic - Audible, Call-it
Entertainment - Capcom, Jakks Pacific - Nickelodeon, Buzztime
Entertainment, Troma Entertainment - digital production, "Star Wars
Episode II" - file-sharing services
_____________________________________________

> Jobs: Sales Director, Account Executive, Dir. of Product Management,
Online Marketing Coordinator, Business Development Manager, District Sales
Manager, VP Marketing, Online Research Analyst, Bus. Development and Sales

> Marketplace: Free Wine Tastings, Bender/Helper Impact, Digital PCS Phone
System, Digital Copying Machine

Full text of ads located beneath "Briefly Noted" section below.
To post a Classified Ad, contact David Peebler at
david@digitalmediawire.com
_____________________________________________

o Nintendo Announces Online Gaming Plans for GameCube Console

Redmond, Wash. -- Nintendo of America announced on Monday plans to enable
gamers to connect their GameCube consoles to the Internet and challenge
one another online. The company will begin selling both dialup and
broadband network adapters for the GameCube this fall for $34.95 each. The
first games to take advantage of the Internet connection will be Sega's
"Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II." Nintendo has made software
development kits available to game developers, and as an incentive to spur
game creation, will not require royalty fees from revenue generated by a
publisher's game played online. It is also developing several titles
in-house. "The profitable part of the online business is very likely
several years away," said Nintendo director of corporate planning Satoru
Iwata. "Entering the business because it's the hot topic of the day
doesn't make a profitable business nor satisfied customers. That's why it
will be a part of Nintendo's strategy, not the mainstay, as other
companies are attempting to do. There still are too many barriers for any
company to greatly depend on it."
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?day0/221330408&ticker=
http://www.nintendo.com
_____________________________________________

o Report: Number of Unique Online Ads On the Rise

New York -- The number of unique online ads rose during the beginning of
2002, showing evidence of recovery in the online ad industry, according to
a report released on Monday by Nielsen//NetRatings AdRelevance. The number
of unique ads increased 33 percent from January to April of this year,
reaching a new high of nearly 70,000 unique ads online during last month.
The report also notes that large, blue chip advertisers were leaders in
putting new ads online. "The burst of online ads over the last three
months indicates that the online ad market is finding some new traction,"
said Charles Buchwalter, vice president of media research, NetRatings.
"From the previous peak in March of 2001, the number of unique ads on the
Web declined through the rest of 2001 to reach a low in January of this
year. The downward trend during the past year has been reversed in just
three short months." NetRatings recently purchased AdRelevance from its
former owner, Jupiter Media Metrix, for $8.5 million.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020513/sfm073_1.html
http://www.adrelevance.com
_____________________________________________

o Reuters: Microsoft Planning to Cut Price of Xbox in U.S.

Los Angeles -- Microsoft has told U.S. retailers that it plans to soon
announce a price cut for its Xbox video game console, Reuters reported.
The company recently slashed the price of the Xbox by as much as 38
percent in Europe and Australia, where it saw disappointing sales after
launch. Microsoft has a press conference scheduled for May 20, the day
before the industry trade conference Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3)
opens in Los Angeles, and is expected to make the announcement then. The
Xbox currently sells for $299 in the U.S., the same price Sony is charging
for its PlayStation 2 console; Nintendo's GameCube costs currently costs
$199.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/750593.asp?0dm=C1BLT
_____________________________________________

o Blockbuster to Increase Video Game Space, Begin Selling Game Consoles

Dallas -- Blockbuster, the largest movie rental chain in the U.S.,
announced on Monday that it will expand the video game sections in its
stores, adding space to its rental section and for the first time offering
sales of new games, consoles and gaming accessories including controllers,
memory cards, extension cables and publications. The stores will also
create dedicated spaces for different gaming platforms, including Sony's
PlayStation, Microsoft's Xbox, and Nintendo's GameCube and Game Boy
Advance. "Blockbuster's goal is to become the leading one-stop location
for gamers who want to buy or rent their games," said Nick Shepherd,
executive vice president and chief concept officer for Blockbuster. "We
have a brand that is already highly associated with games, the marketing
ability, a large network of stores and an extensive database of millions
of active gamers."
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020513/dam028_1.html
http://www.blockbuster.com
_____________________________________________

o Bertelsmann, AOL Time Warner Invest in Wireless Games Firm Codeonline

Helsinki, Finland -- Codeonline, a developer of wireless entertainment
services, announced on Monday that it has received new investments from
Bertelsmann Capital Ventures, AOL Time Warner Ventures and previous
investor Motorola, which has increased its stake in the company.
Finland-based Codeonline develops and distributes wireless games such as
"Who Wants to be a Millionaire," "Trivial Pursuit" and "Subbuteo" to 40
wireless network operators in 30 countries.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/020513/132019_1.html
http://www.codeonline.com
_____________________________________________

o Macromedia Wins $4.9 Million Patent Counterclaim Against Adobe

San Francisco -- Macromedia, a developer of Web publishing software,
announced that it has been awarded a $4.9 million settlement in its patent
infringement counterclaim against rival Adobe Systems. San Francisco-based
Macromedia was ordered to pay a $2.8 million judgment to Adobe for patent
infringement in a separate case last week. Macromedia intends to appeal
this verdict, as well as go forward with other patent infringement claims
against Adobe, which are due to go to trial in June 2003.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020510/sff036_1.html 
http://www.macromedia.com
http://www.adobe.com
_____________________________________________

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=================
FEATURED SECTION
=================

30 Reasons to Attend Plug.IN -- July 8-9 - NYC

Reason #30: In its 7th year, Plug.IN thrives longer than most music
careers. Since 1996, executives from music labels, retailers, media
companies, radio, digital distribution services and the agencies and
vendors who support them have come together every July in New York for
Plug.IN, the Jupiter Music Forum. Why? Because digital distribution
changes every link in the value chain.
**To register or for more info: http://www.jmm.com/plugin
**For all the 30 reasons so far, email PluginReasons@jmm.com

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ContentWorld 2002 Conference & Exhibition - May 14-16, 2002 - San Jose, CA

ContentWorld 2002 is a universe of information to help Global 2000
Companies meet increasing demands for content management and technology
surrounding all aspects of the electronic content industry. For more
information view the on-line brochure at:
http://www.contentworld.com/conference/2002conference/index.html
Save $200 off your full Conference pass - Type "DMW" as the Priority Code
at the bottom of the Registration Form.
To register: https://www715.vwh1.net/cont94/2002_reg_form.html

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______________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Washington) The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a
hearing on Wednesday titled, "Copyright Royalties: Where is the Right Spot
On The Dial For Webcasting." The hearing will discuss the proposed royalty
rates for streaming music online that were determined by a U.S. Copyright
Office Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel (CARP), which are scheduled to
be approved on May 21. Many webcasters have come forth to lobby in
Washington in recent weeks, telling lawmakers that the proposed rates are
too high and would force them off the air. The Copyright Office held a
public roundtable discussion last Friday, giving webcasters and
representatives from the recording industry a chance to present their
points of view in a public forum.
http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearing.cfm?id=258

(Marina del Rey, Calif.) Film studio Lion's Gate Entertainment said on
Monday that it has signed a long-term agreement with Pocket PC Films to
domestically distribute its entertainment properties in the handheld
device format, compatible with Palm and Pocket PC devices. Under the
agreement, Sherman Oaks, Calif.-based Pocket PC Films will have access to
certain Lions Gate Entertainment programming, including theatrical
releases such as "Eve's Bayou," "Songcatcher" and "Leprechaun," as well as
television series and specials. Pocket PC Films is a unit of TuneIn
Entertainment, a distributor of entertainment programming.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020513/lam022_1.html
http://www.pocketpcfilms.com
http://www.lionsgatefilms.com

(San Francisco) Mediabolic, a provider of operating system software and
other applications for home entertainment devices, announced on Monday
that it has partnered with San Francisco-based Audible, and will offer the
company's spoken word audio content through its service. The two companies
will also jointly market Mediabolic's software and Audible content, which
is being deployed on home entertainment gateways developed by Pioneer and
Compaq.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/020513/130167_1.html
http://www.mediabolic.com
http://www.audible.com

(Beverly, Mass.) Wireless game developer Call-it Entertainment announced
on Monday that Capcom, a developer and publisher of video games, has hired
the company to create wireless versions of its popular "Street Fighter"
line of games. Massachusetts-based Call-it will develop titles for SMS,
WAP, J2ME and BREW platforms, which will be distributed to North American
wireless network operators. "We're very happy about the chance to work
with Street Fighter and we see it as an exciting property on which to
launch Call-it Entertainment," said Tom Dusenberry, CEO of Call-it and
former CEO of Hasbro Interactive.
http://callitentertainment.net
http://www.capcom.com

(Malibu, Calif.) Toymaker Jakks Pacific said on Monday that it has
partnered with children's cable TV network Nickelodeon to develop an 8-bit
gaming system for televisions that will feature games based on Nickelodeon
programs. Malibu, Calif.-based Jakks' Toymax subsidiary will create a TV
Games system for Nickelodeon programs like "Blues Clues," "Rugrats" and
"Spongebob Squarepants." The system is a portable handheld controller that
can plug into any television and contains all the technology necessary to
play games on a TV.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/020513/130040_1.html
http://www.jakkspacific.com
http://www.toymax.com
http://www.nick.com

(Carlsbad, Calif.) Buzztime Entertainment, a subsidiary of NTN
Communications that develops wireless entertainment, announced on Monday
that it has named Michael K. Fleming, founder and former president of Game
Show Network, as chairman of the board of directors. Carlsbad,
Calif.-based Buzztime develops wireless interactive trivia games offered
in bars and restaurants, and also developed an interactive games channel
for digital television providers.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/020513/130131_1.html
http://www.buzztime.com

(San Francisco) Wired News on Monday ran a feature on Troma
Entertainment's transition from film to digital production methods. Troma
is popular for having produced such cult classics as "The Toxic Avenger"
and "Surf Nazis Must Die" on tiny budgets, and said the move to digital is
based more on efforts to reduce the cost of making movies than anything
else.
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,52297,00.html
http://www.troma.com

(Los Angeles) Pirated copies of "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the
Clones" had already begun to pop up on file-sharing services as of last
Thursday, the Los Angeles Times reported. One copy appears to have been
created when someone snuck a digital camera into a promotional
pre-screening of the film, the article said. The film was available first
on Internet Relay Chat (IRC), one of the earliest forms of file-sharing on
the Internet that is still used today. "I don't think this will have any
significant financial impact on the box-office revenues," Gartner G2
analyst P.J. McNealy told The Times. "It is a big-screen movie. The people
who are going to download it will think it's neat and talk about it around
the water cooler [but still buy tickets]. It just adds to the hype of the
movie because it's that much in demand."
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-000033053may10.story
______________________

===================
CLASSIFIEDS - JOBS
===================

Sales Director, Walt Disney Consumer Products, Los Angeles, CA

Support VP to attain fiscal year revenue and profitability goals. Develop
account and channel differentiated distribution plans, seasonal business
plans and budget. Grow softlines (apparel and accessories) revenue and
profitability. A minimum of 10 years specific apparel/accessories/footwear
brand management experience. Please email cp.careers@Disney.com, including
your resume, contact details, and Job Code 02-0001680-02 in the body of
your email. Do not send your resume as an attachment.
_____________________________________________

Account Executive, Interactive -- Avenue-e - New York, NY

Avenue-e is seeking an Account Executive to work with the managing
director, assisting with the development of interactive programs and
online initiatives. Candidates should have 2 or more years experience in
the interactive field, along with some ad agency experience. Please send
resume as Word attachment to roger_gilmore@nyc.sudler.com OR by FAX to
212-598-5477 OR by mail to: Sudler & Hennessey, 230 Park Avenue South, New
York 10003
_____________________________________________

Director of Product Management -- Sony Music Entertainment - New York, NY

Responsible For Development and Implementation of Marketing Campaigns for
Selected Artists; All Marketing Expenditures; Supervision of Package
Development and Management of the Production Process. Also Responsible For
Long-Term Artist Development & Marketing Strategies and For Development of
Artist And Product Promotion Campaigns. Must Have 3-5 Years of Hands-On
Record Business Experience, Including Pop Marketing and Sales & Promotion.
Writing Skills Very Important. Please submit cover letter, resume and
salary requirement to: elena_avila@sonymusic.com
_____________________________________________

Online Marketing Coordinator -- 20th Century Fox Domestic Home
Entertainment - Los Angeles, CA

Twentieth Century Fox's Domestic Home Entertainment has an opportunity for
a highly organized, detail-oriented, and proactive individual to provide
administrative support as the Coordinator, Online Marketing. This position
offers the opportunity to develop and use your marketing ability to
advance home video Internet marketing initiatives. In this position you
will be responsible for providing general clerical and administrative
support the Business Development department, including making travel
arrangements & scheduling. Forward resume & cover letter to:
HJC946RP@foxresumes.com
_____________________________________________

Business Development Manager -- AtmosphereBBDO - New York, NY

AtmosphereBBDO is looking to add to our growing and dynamic team. We are
seeking a motivated and proven Business Development Manager to support our
Managing Director of Business Development in pursuing key New Business
initiatives. Job entails managing/coordinating internal resources in
preparation for new business pitches, contributing to the
writing/development of new business presentations, and participating in
new business pitches/presentations. Send qualified responses (resume with
cover letter) to Ken Seligman, Operations Manager, via e-mail to
ken@atmosphere.net
_____________________________________________

District Sales Manager -- 101communications - Los Angeles

Award-winning IT publisher seeks a high-energy advertising sales
professional. We are looking for an ambitious, self-motivated individual
to sell advertising pages for one of our print publications, Federal
Computer Week. The person in this position will strive to achieve sales
goals through prospecting, cold-calling, calling on and making
presentations to clients and advertising agencies, preparing proposals,
and closing sales. Based in the Los Angeles/OrangeCounty area, this
position will maintain current accounts and develop new business in the
south-west territory. Submit resume and a cover letter via fax to (703)
876-5089.
_____________________________________________

Vice President, Marketing -- Genealogy.com - Fremont, CA

Manage the Direct Marketing and Product Management activities of A&E
Television Network's Genealogy.com division, including software
applications, online subscriptions, and data CDs. We are looking for
someone who can deliver revenue and profit goals of the business, drive
the promotional marketing activities for the business, and perform
competitive intelligence, customer research and trend analysis. Manage
staff of 5. BA/BS, MBA strongly preferred with a minimum of 12 years
marketing experience, with previous experience at the VP level. Please
send resumes to: jobs@genealogy.com or by
Fax: 510-494-2822.
_____________________________________________

Online Research Analyst -- Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment - Culver
City, CA

This position will be required to analyze weekly website activity for
Screenblast.com, online marketing campaigns and effectively present
results. Assist in providing recommendations for future actions for
"Screenblast" the company's online product. Bachelor's and at least 1 year
of experience preferred. SPDE is an operating unit of Sony Pictures
Entertainment that oversees online assets including Sony Pictures
Imageworks, Sony Online Entertainment, the Digital Networks Division, and
Sony Pictures Integrated Network. Please forward your resume via our
career website: www.sonypicturesjobs.com under Sony Pictures Digital
Entertainment - Research Analyst.
_____________________________________________

Business Development and Sales -- RampRate - Santa Monica, CA

Imagine selling trust and over 100 vendors in an objective, integrity
driven environment. RampRate an upbeat, profitable, technology brokerseeks
a smart, strategic person to oversee Bus. Dev. and Sales. Your talents:
extensive Rolodex and direct client/var/vc relationships; managed a top
post in sales; strong ability to handle deals throughout the negotiating
process with Fortune 2500 companies; skilled consultative selling
emphasizing value proposition; Experience in managing large
channel/reseller programs. For immediate consideration, email your cover
letter ("VP Bus. Dev. & Sales" in the subject line), resume and salary
history to hr@ramprate.com
_____________________________________________

==========================
CLASSIFIEDS - MARKETPLACE
==========================

Free Beaulieu Vinyard Wine Tasting & Educational Seminars - LA & Orange
County

BV offers groups of 35 or more an easy and enjoyable way to enhance your
meeting and entertain your group. The seminar is available at No Cost to
your organization or anyone who attends. It provides a unique opportunity
to learn about the history, heritage and character of a true American
classic. For more information, please contact Suzanne Bultmeyer, BV Event
Coordinator, at sebult@onebox.com
_____________________________________________

Bender/Helper Impact - Public Relations Agency

Bender/Helper Impact is a full-service, mid-sized public relations agency
with offices in Los Angeles and New York. The agency, which was founded in
1986, offers strong expertise in the areas of digital entertainment and
convergence, new media, electronic gaming, technology and consumer
electronics. Current clients include: Dolby, 20th Century Fox, Konami,
DreamWorks, Marvel Enterprises, MGM and Warner Bros., among many others.
To find out how Bender/Helper can impact your business, contact Steve
Honig at: 310-473-4147 or steve_honig@bhimpact.com
_____________________________________________

Samsung DCS Digital Phone System - $5250

No office telephone system offers more for less. This system was
originally purchased new for $16,358.00 at the beginning of 2000. The
system comes complete with everything required to get your office
communications up and running immediately. The DCS is a modular,
future-proof telephone system, which gives unrivalled flexibility and
functionality and can be configured as a PABX, key system or any
combination of these, according to your specific requirements. For further
details go to
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1729532922&r=0&
t=0&showTutorial=0&ed=1021650149&indexURL=0&rd=1
or contact djpeebs@aol.com
_____________________________________________

Sharp AR-5132 Digital Copier -- Excellent working condition - $999.95

Used for a year, this copier is in great shape and priced to sell. Its
parts work fine - including all internal mechanisms, paper feeders,
trays, and the optional 20-bin sorter - and it produces clean,
professional copies. It is only in need of a new drum, which requires
periodic replacement, to be fully operational. Instructions Manuals are
included. This workhorse of a copying machine was originally purchased for
$4800 and is offered for far less than you are likely to find it anywhere
else, especially when compared to used models selling for over $2200 on
the web. Must pick-up or arrange delivery (in LA). Contact djpeebs@aol.com
______________________

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Copyright 2002 Digital Media Wire