Among the console makers, Sony and Microsoft have Nintendo beat when it comes to graphic and performance capabilities but Nintendo’s Wii is winning with playability. Month after month, the sales gap between the companies is clear in the retail data. But now, Sony may be nearing release on a new controller aimed at narrowing that gap; a product aimed at mixing playability (ease of use) with performance.
Into spring and summer of 2007, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 gaming platform was plagued with an occasional problem: some consoles were freezing up. Alternatively, heat sinks, design and chips were blamed in the media. At the source, nobody at Microsoft would give an official diagnosis. The issue, named after the tell-tale LED light pattern that indicated your console had gone to pasture, became known as the “Red Ring of Death.” Now, nearly a year later, the mystery of what caused it may finally be solved. .. and it wasn’t Colonel Mustard in the living room with the screw driver.
Last month the debut of Grand Theft Auto IV was virtually guaranteed to influence gaming sales results and despite its late in the month release, with just a few days of sales, that’s exactly what it did. Now another month has passed and a more detailed GTA IV sales picture is starting to appear along with the rest of the NPD North American retail numbers that were released this week.
For the month of May, GTA IV remained at the top of the gaming charts. The Xbox 360 Version moved 871k units to finish in the top slot. The PS3 installment finished fourth. Cumulatively, across platforms, GTA IV moved 1.314million units. That’s a sizable drop from April’s 2.85m total units but still an extremely high volume of sales; a number appropriate to its blockbuster status.
The questions are: how will these numbers match up to projections? Is GTA IV going to be the all time best seller? If so, by how much? And perhaps even more importantly, were pre-sales forecasts that used Halo data spread from one to two platforms accurate?
Not that there was any doubt, but just in case anyone was thinking a relationship could be rekindled, Yahoo announced today that any discussions with Microsoft over merger, or other relationship, are done. Now both sides have said it… more than once.
Yahoo said in a press release that following numerous meetings, talks were “concluded.” Microsoft was not interested in pursuing an acquisition for all of Yahoo and Yahoo’s board has determined that the sale of just their search business would not be in their best interests.
Microsoft affirmed the statement in a press release of their owning stating, “As stated on May 3rd and reiterated on May 18th Microsoft was not interested in rebidding for all of Yahoo!. Our alternative transaction remains available for discussion.”
Moving forward, Yahoo will instead supplement income and try to boost their search business by working with Google. In a separate announcement, it was confirmed that the two have reached a non-exclusive search deal that could be worth an extra $250 to $400m in cash flow.
Over the past couple of years it has been a recurring headline, a come and go promise that’s never been fulfilled. Now, the news may finally match the rumor. Multiple reports are suggesting Bertelsmann, the German media giant, is close to selling its 50% stake in the world’s second largest music label (Sony BMG) back to co-owner Sony.
Together with AOL, HBO tried to build a website around comedy video in February of 2007. Like an awkward TV pilot that couldn’t find its groove, “This Just In” was shuttered by August. Now, in a second go round, the Time Warner cable channel will play the part of investor. HBO is committing an undisclosed amount of capital to buy a stake guessed to be about 10 percent of internet comedy shop FunnyorDie.
Traditionally, end-user video and film distribution services (movie theaters, TV channels) competed with each other by geography or a unique programming schedule. As a viewer you watched what was on local channels, or you tuned in to one place that was showing the programs you were itching to see. The internet video world is a different animal but, still in its early stages, it remains something of an experimental lab; especially with regard to professional Hollywood content.
