Metue.com

Everyday seems to have at least a few headlines about Google.  Much of yesterday’s Google-related news centered on the announced release of Google’s redesigned web analytics platform, Google Analytics.  The improved user-interface and tools made with the added assistance of the folks brought on in the acquisition of Measure Map will no doubt be a help to web marketers and web masters from beginner to pro. 

The torrent of news drowned out a small, whisper of information: Google has ported its RSS reader/Feed Aggregator, Google Reader, to work with the Nintendo Wii and the Opera browser embedded in it.  The Google engineers even went so far as to insure that it works with the buttons and interface of the Wii’s innovative controller.   News of the effort was mentioned on the Google Reader’s official blog

The original Google Reader is technically still a Google Labs development project and not a fully functional, supported service/feature.  The Wii, for all its strengths and popularity, is for now (for most users) a gaming device and not a home-media PC/Device or a platform for web surfing.   Combined, those facts mean the unannounced side-project to join the two is well below the radar – probably less notable than hackers modding Apple TV to run non supported video formats as reported in March.  Still, the effort at Google might prove meaningful, or at least a glimpse of the future.

For one thing, Nintendo has been active in adding functionality to the Wii beyond its highly demanded gaming abilities and user interface.  Back in January, Nintendo partnered with the Associated Press and other news agencies to provide news through the Wii’s integrated Opera web browser.  (See the Metue article here  for more info on that announcement).

It’s also no secret that Google, like many companies, sees’s a convergence of technologies leading to some form of set-top appliance integrating the Internet, the Entertainment Computer and our Television.  (Note: I use the term appliance and set-top very loosely, it’s far to soon to know whether streaming technologies, hardware, set-top boxes, gaming platforms, DVR’s or the other potential competitors will bring the best-in breed solution for making all this happen).

Google’s first major recognition of the value of gaming, and PC-TV convergence came a few months back when they followed Microsoft’s lead and bough an In-game advertising company.  In Google’s case – Adscape Media (see here for more information)

Google’s application of its RSS Reader/Personal news aggregator to the Wii may be nothing more than a group of engineer’s “amusement-project.”  There’s no reason to insinuate it’s part of a master plan being implemented at Google.  I’m not reading much into it.  I definitely wouldn’t speculate on an upcoming Nintendo and Google partnership, but the development is fascinating.

I’d love to check it out, if only the Wii wasn’t so hard to get.

Today was a relatively busy day for earnings announcements.  Networking giant Cisco announced their numbers after the markets close.  In addition, in the Entertainment Industry, both Disney and leading game publisher Electronic Arts announced their quarterly results.

Electronic Arts:
For EA, it was a rough day.  EA Reported revenue down 4% to 4613m.  Even excluding a one time accounting charge, net income was off a whopping 56% to $19m.  For EA’s full fiscal year, which ended March 31, revenue was slightly up to $3.1b (up 5% over last year). 

The drop was partly attributed to increased costs associated with R&D and marketing associated with the fall/winter release of next generation platforms (Wii, PS3), and the transition of titles which effected the entire industry.

In guidance for the next quarter EA also was cautious. EA forecast revenue for the quarter ending June 30 will fall the range of $300 million to $360 million. Analysts were expecting $460.6 million.  The downward adjustment was attributed, in part, to changes in accounting for the way the company books some gaming revenue.

More detailed press coverage on EA’s finances can be found at:

Yahoo Finance
Google Finance
Marketwatch

Disney:
Disney’s reported numbers that analysts were characterizing as decent to good but not impressive.  Revenue was in at $8.1b, up 1% over the same period last year.  Operating income was reported up to $1.8b from $1.4b.

For the quarter, the film studio revenue (which owns about 1/5 of Disney’s gross income) was down 13% relative to last year to $1.55b on the quarter. But lower costs and fewer high profile titles to market during the quarter helped increase operating income by 60% to $235m.  The coming months, with the high profile release of several major titles will be a big test for the quality of the Studio Division’s year. (Pirates of the Caribbean 3 has been a huge earner (info on the earning history of many of this summers sequals can be found here)) is in theaters May 25th, and Pixar’s Ratatouille, comes out June 29th.)

The TV division reported solid returns.  Cable channels (ESPN, Disney etc) saw a 19% increase in operating income to $963m.  ABC showed solid returns with increased ad-rates in prime time and positive notes on syndication sales of its hits Lost, Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy.

More detailed press coverage on Disney’s finances can be found at:

Yahoo Finance
Google Finance
Marketwatch

As part of an ongoing effort to get lean and streamline its business ventures, Blockbuster Inc., the leading movie rental chain, sold its UK game retail unit, Game Station, to the British-based Game Group plc for $150m in cash. In a statement, Blockbuster CEO John Antioco said the sale "underscores our intent to focus on our Blockbuster-branded assets in North America in support of our goal to grow our overall share of the video rental market, both in-store and online."  This announcement follows several other similar divestitures.  In 2006, Blockbuster sold its Movie Trading Co. locations and Movie Brands Inc. subsidiary, and sold its Taiwan subsidiary. Blockbuster has also sold its U.S.-based Rhino Video Games.  While much of the sale’s proceeds are earmarked to pay down debt, there is little doubt the company wants more free cash flow available for the heavy toll of marketing expenses it’s been taking in its all-out war with Netflix.

In yesterdays post, I mentioned NPD’s newly released sales statistics for the gaming industry. The Nintendo’s Wii again led the race on next-generation consoles. Nintendo also led in the portables category. For those looking for just the numbers, here is the tops of the NPD report:

North American Hardware Sales:

1. Nintendo DS: 508K
2. Sony PlayStation 2: 280K
3. Nintendo Wii: 259K (2.1 million total)
4. Microsoft Xbox 360: 199K (5.3 million total)
5. Sony PSP: 180k
6. Nintendo Game Boy Advance: 148K
7. Sony PlayStation 3: 130K (1.2 million total)
8. Nintendo Gamecube: 22K

North American Software Sales:

1. God of War II (PS2): 833K
2. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 (Xbox 360): 394K
3. Guitar Hero II w/guitar (Xbox 360):291K
4. Wii Play w/remote (Wii): 273K
5. Motorstorm (PS3): 199K
6. Diddy Kong Racing (DS): 189K
7. Spectrobes (DS): 165K
8. Major League Baseball 2K7 (Xbox 360): 165K
9. MLB ‘07: The Show (PS2): 164K
10. Def Jam Icon (Xbox 360): 148K

A couple weeks ago, I went looking to purchase a Nintendo Wii for my two nieces.  I was sold on the concept of the Wii’s interface.  Its relative ease of use (as compared to the increasingly complex controllers on many consoles) meant even my three year old niece could play. There were also games that could span generations; games that could be played by video game phobic grandparents, parents and children.  It was something, it seemed, all could enjoy.

On principle I refuse to pay the premiums sellers ask for a Wii on eBay.  Instead, I went store to store.  Over the course of ten days, I made fifty phone calls to different stores.  A few times I was laughed at when I asked if a store had, or was getting more, Wii’s in stock. Once I was hung up on.  Mostly, I was politely brushed off for my seeming ignorance. 

According to staff I questioned on the floor at both Toys R Us and Best Buy, stores have little control of their inventory.  The highly demanded Wii’s are dropped shipped to them directly, and the allocation of units per store is not specified – though typically it’s less than 12 units per store per shipment.   Those shipments are rarely publicized.  There’s no need for promotion.   If there is any promotion or advertising, it is usually limited – an ad in a Sunday paper for Wii’s that were on sale that day were likely gone by the time the ad was read with your morning coffee.

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Since its release in November 2006, one of the questions that’s followed the Sony Playstation 3 (PS3) platform has been whether the choice to offer  two versions of the console (varying primarily by the size of the hard drive and the inclusion of built in wireless support) was a wise product marketing move.

At the time of its initial release, a parts shortage attributed to laser parts for  the BluRay DVD player was slowing delivery on the boxes.    There was also heavy competition from the newly released Nintendo Wii and from Microsoft’s Xbox 360.

With a price difference between the two Playstation models of about $100  there was a question of whether consumers would find the value propositions distinct enough to influence their buying decision.  

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What happens when a successful professional athlete nears the twilight of career?  Most seem to follow one of three trajectories:

• The Quiet Departure: characterized by choice to  retire from the limelight to live quietly with family where the great wealth accumulated can be enjoyed or redeployed towards new challenges.
• The Clinger–On: characterized by the desperate effort to hold just a little longer rather than acceptance of the end of one period and the opportunity to begin another
• The Transitional Talker: characterized by a shift to either sports broadcasting or the front office whereby the athlete accepts the end of one career, but can remain close to the sport he/she loves and begin something new.

Curt Schilling, the outspoken, bloody-sock hero of the Boston Red Sox 2004 World Series campaign, and todays pitcher for the opening game of the Red Sox 2007 season, has a few years left pitching at an elite level but in seeming anticipation of the next phase of his life, has begun charting a new, and less common, trajectory.

Last fall, Schilling together with partners Todd McFarlane (the famed comic book creator/writer, toy manufacturer, baseball fan and co-owner of the Edmonton Oilers hockey team) and   Robert “R.A.” Salvatore (a best selling author of fantasy fiction and creator of video game storylines)  launched a gaming company originally called Green Monster Games.

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