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In addition to Bill Gates keynote, Microsoft launched the Consumer Electronics Show Sunday evening with four Television related press releases and product announcements. 

• MGM & Disney/ABC on Xbox Live
Headlining the list was Microsoft’s announcement that, Xbox Live, their internet platform for delivering video on demand through the game console, will soon offer an on-demand library of content double that available through cable and satellite services.   

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A good story is timeless, crossing between different medium, living and breathing it runs in an often unending circle.  Books and comic books become TV shows and movies.  Movies and TV programs spin off and beget novels and video games. Games too, sometimes start their own traditions or evolve from other tales already known.   It’s a natural co-existence; a cycle that’s evolving with each change in communication mediums.

Among the different medium, video games and movies in particular share a common ground.  They are often similar in storyline and visual style.  That makes for a natural companionship where, on one level, they co-exist by sharing franchises as appropriate to the different technologies and methods of storytelling; watch Star Wars, the movie; play Star Wars, the video game.  On another level, however, the mediums themselves almost converge. There, games become a dynamic, interactive, choose-your-own-adventure equivalent to the static, but rich, three act Hollywood movie experience.

From Spiderman, to the Matrix, from Lord of the Rings to Star Wars, from James Bond, to The Simpsons and CSI: games built around existing TV and movie franchises increasingly dot the lists of popular games for current generation consoles.  And in reverse, Click to Read More

When NPD’s November retail stats came out the second week of December, records were shattered for domestic U.S. gaming sales.  From the Wii to the PS3 to the Xbox 360, consumer’s were snapping up consoles and games at record pace. Global data is showing similarly strong sales are occurring around the world.

Today, Media Create released their weekly report on Japanese sales.  All but the Microsoft Xbox 360 saw sizable week over week sales gains.  Sony’s PSP more than doubled the prior week sales. The Wii saw an increase of more than 55k units.  The PS3 increased by about 25k.

In England, Chart Track similarly reports strong sales.  Click to Read More

Employees at San Francisco based PlayFirst and Palo Alto based Vuze  should all enter the holiday period smiling and reassured.  Wednesday, both the Casual Gamer and IPTV startups closed substantial Series C Financings.

•PlayFirst
For PlayFirst, the deal brought $16.5m of holiday cheer.  DCM led the round and existing investors including Mayfield Fund, Trinity Ventures and Rustic Canyon Partners also participated.   Including prior rounds, the new investment brings the cumulative investment in PlayFirst to $26.5m

PlayFirst was founded in 2004.   They were one of the first gaming companies Click to Read More

It can takes hours or days or even weeks of dedicated play to reach milestones in the virtual worlds of online gaming.  A player addicted to World of Warcraft might search aimlessly to find a tool or special weapon.  To help, there are online forums: tips and suggestions, even auctions within the game itself.   There’s also a less savory choice. A black-market of sorts has arisen where players and fans can sell and trade already established accounts, or in some games, the in-game components that move a character. It’s real money paying for virtual, cash in exchange for time saved.

Live Gamer, a New York based startup is aiming to add legitimacy and security to these kinds of trades.  They estimate the market represents $1.8b in real money exchanged.  Their solution, which was announced today, is to offer a publisher supported platform for “real money trading of virtual property.” 

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Check the buzz-meters and the Nintendo Wii remains one of the most popular topics online.   Yesterday, net tracking firm Hitwise said searches online for the console increased 274% over just the prior week (week ending Dec 8.)  For November 1 to December 11, comScore, similarly put a high tab on ecommerce spending. Their estimate: $20b.  Video games, both consoles and software have been a big part of that.  NPD’s monthly report is out and the numbers are staggering.

Nintendo, as has been the case, reigns mightily from the throne of best seller.  The playability and fun factor of the Wii continue to outpace the high powered computing and awesome graphics of the Xbox 360 and PS3.  For November, Nintendo had their best month yet with sales nearly hitting one million consoles (981k); and demand continues to outpace supply. Click to Read More

Last week at the Reuters Media Summit someone asked EA’s CEO John Riccitiello his thoughts about M&A prospects for the gaming industry moving forward.  It was a fair question, as head of EA he’s a qualified expert on the gaming industry, as a former partner at private equity firm Elevation Partners, he’s well educated and informed about M&A mechanics.  Part of John’s  measured answer was “Is it ripe (for mergers), or has it already been picked? I would argue that it’s been largely picked."

Those remarks underscore just how surprising Sunday’s announcement that Activision and Vivendi Games intend to merge was.  When the two companies said they’d merge to form an $18.9b company, a gaming company with a market cap even bigger than EA (approx. $17.4b) some jaws were definitely hanging slack.

This morning, Vivendi and Activision provided more details which opened a window on the structure and presumed opportunity.

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