Atari Sells Humongous
Friday, August 26, 2005
More restructuring
Atari Sells Humongous to Infogrames for $10.3 Million
Dealing with its own financial struggles, Atari has further streamlined its business and sold off its Humongous Entertainment studio to parent company Infogrames. The deal should give Atari a bit of a lift by increasing resources as it looks to ways to produce higher quality titles and strengthen its bottom line.
In an effort to streamline U.S. operations and reduce costs, Atari, Inc. today announced the sale of Humongous Entertainment to Atari parent company/majority stockholder, France-based Infogrames Entertainment SA, which is the largest video games publisher in Europe.
Humongous deal
About $2 million of the sale (worth approximately $10.3 million) "represents pre-payment of certain future costs Atari will incur related to platform royalty advances, manufacturing costs and milestone payments." In addition, Atari will continue to be the exclusive distributor of Humongous products in the U.S., Canada and Mexico through March 31, 2006 and possibly beyond. Humongous Entertainment is primarily known for its kid-friendly line of "Backyard" sports titles, such as Backyard Baseball, Backyard Basketball, and others.
[ "This transaction substantially contributes to our resources... and further enhances our capacity to develop new titles, ultimately enhancing shareholder value," Bruno Bonnell, Atari CEO ]
The deal is hardly surprising, as the financially beleaguered Atari said during its last fiscal conference call that it was looking to divest itself of the Humongous studio because "certain operations do not sufficiently complement its strategic vision or creative direction." The sale of Humongous is actually the third studio that Atari has rid itself of this year. Several months ago, the publisher shuttered its studios in Santa Monica, California and Beverly, Massachusetts.
Shedding Humongous should be seen as a largely positive move for Atari, as the studio was one of the loss leaders for the company, posting a $4.2 operating loss on $12.6 million in revenues during Atari's last fiscal year. When you consider that Atari only netted $5.7 million on $395.2 million in sales last fiscal year, the Humongous loss is, well... humongous.
Cost control and better games
Atari certainly needs to start turning things around, especially as publishers start moving resources to the next generation of consoles. The company's last Q4 was a nightmare that included the sudden resignation of chief executive James Caparro, a drop in revenues, and a loss of $9.1 million. Atari's been faced with poor critical reviews for mostly lackluster titles and the company's cash balance has been weakening—it stood at $5.8 million at the end of the last quarter.
"We continue to execute our previously articulated strategic initiatives and strengthen Atari's financial position moving forward," stated Bruno Bonnell, Chairman, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Atari. "As we streamline the operations of the Company and focus on cost controls, we remain committed to developing unique high-quality titles that appeal to both mass-consumers as well as hard-core gamers. This transaction substantially contributes to our resources for the launch of our largest titles in the holiday season and further enhances our capacity to develop new titles, ultimately enhancing shareholder value."
Looking ahead, Atari's plans to improve its product line seem to be of the "less is more" variety. The publisher intends to focus more on quality and will release fewer SKUs.
"By improving our business processes in order to release higher quality products on time and on budget and creating comprehensive global market initiatives to support them, we will be taking better advantage of our assets," said Bonnell.
As of press time Atari shares (ATAR) were largely unaffected by the news, increasing only 1 cent to $1.37 on NASDAQ.
Gaming takes over
Friday, August 26, 2005
Gaming takes over
Study: Most Kids Play Video Games Daily; Web Ads Gaining Importance
A new study by marketing agency JuniorSeniorResearch found that the vast majority of children play video games everyday. They also found that while advertising to the younger crowd is still dominated by television, Internet marketing is becoming more important as more and more kids use the PC not only to play games but to get new information on upcoming or newly released titles.
Remember when you were a kid? Life was pretty simple, wasn't it? You went to school, came home, maybe had a quick snack and then rushed outside to play with your buddies. Some of you probably owned early video game systems such as Atari or Intellivision, but in most cases you didn't play video games everyday. Times certainly have changed since then.
Playing lots of games, PC games
According to a recent study from Netherlands-based marketing agency JuniorSeniorResearch, video games have become a central part of the lives of today's children. The study polled 4,000 kids up to the age of 15-years-old (both boys and girls) and discovered that 61 percent play video games on a daily basis.
[ "It is wise for marketeers - who specialize in kids marketing - to keep considering Internet as a viable and positive medium," JuniorSeniorResearch ]
Interestingly, with all the focus on consoles and handhelds in this industry, the study found that a large majority (65 percent) of children prefer playing games on the PC. Also, only a small percentage (12 percent) admitted to copying their games from friends, despite the fact that PC titles are much easier to duplicate than console games.
Rather than copying games, more kids (39 percent) said that they were willing to save their money in order to purchase new titles for themselves. Most of these were older children (ages 13 to 15) but surprisingly, even some 9-year-olds (or younger) said they save money to buy their own games.
Marketing to kids
Although much of the industry concentrates its marketing on the coveted 18 to 35 male demographic, this study also shed some light on some advertising trends for the younger crowd. Among children, advertising doesn't appear to be as important as word of mouth. The study found that 32 percent of children learned about new games through their friends. Younger children tended to get more information from friends and family members than from advertising.
That being said, ads still play an important role with children. Practically every child (92 percent) has seen an ad for a game, with television being the predominant format at 63 percent. The Internet, however, is seen as a growing medium for advertising to children. More than 15 percent of children said they view video game ads on the Internet, while only 11 percent said they see them in print media. Furthermore, children tend to look for more information on the games they become interested in, and the Internet is obviously a great source for further information on games.
"Although children prove a difficult to reach target group through their fragmented media use, game developers can count on 'digikids' actively searching out their information and products," stated JuniorSeniorResearch.
"It is wise however for marketeers - who specialize in kids marketing - to keep considering Internet as a viable and positive medium... Internet reaches both a very young audience and 'hardcore' gamers or digikids alike," the marketing firm continued.
Mike Tyson Punch out on your celly
Mike Tyson Boxing for your mobile phone. No ear bitting...just all the fun action from the classic game that made everyone a boxing fan.
Player One Limited have secured the rights from Codemasters to create a java boxing game endorsed by the ‘Iron Man’ himself. According to the press release the game ”will offer boxing fans the chance to put on the devastating boxing gloves of the boxing legend himself”.
Read More at Joystiq
MARIO, LUIGI, PRINCESS PEACH HIT THE SLOPES WITH EA’S SSX ON TOUR
Nintendo All Stars to join forces with the critically acclaimed SSX Franchise
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – August 25, 2005 – Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) and Nintendo announced today a partnership that brings the Nintendo All-Stars – Mario™, Luigi and Princess Peach – to the Nintendo GameCube™ version of SSX™ On Tour, scheduled to launch this fall under the EA SPORTS BIG™ brand. The game is being produced by Electronic Arts Canada in Vancouver, BC.
This marks the second collaboration between EA and Nintendo to bring Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach to the EA SPORTS BIG lineup of titles, with NBA Street V3 being the first iteration of the partnership.
Building on the critically acclaimed gameplay of the SSX™ franchise, SSX On Tour features all-new player customization that gives you the chance to join The Tour. SSX On Tour is packed with all-new highly detailed tracks, new stylish player customization options, new monster tricks, and enhanced multiplayer options.
“I am extremely proud of our innovative partnership with Nintendo with our EA SPORTS BIG titles,” said John Schappert, Senior Vice President and General Manager of EA Canada. “Mario, Peach and Luigi are among the greatest videogame characters of all time and we are thrilled to include them in SSX On Tour.”
“When Electronic Arts put a basketball in Mario’s hand, he did quite well,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, executive vice president, sales and marketing, for Nintendo of America Inc. “Now Mario and crew are hitting the slopes thanks to a successful and creative partnership between Nintendo and EA. Mario has traveled in snow before, but never this fast. Let’s hope his mustache doesn’t freeze."
Reach breakneck speeds, catch huge air, and become an icon with SSX On Tour. Create a rider or skier and build a career as you progress from a slope-side wannabe to a black-diamond-dominating rockstar. Compete for medals or just tear up the massive new mountain, but make sure you look good doing it because your reputation is always on the line. Pull off jaw-dropping monster tricks to out-style your competitors while hurtling down the slopes at supersonic speeds. You create the hype-the hype creates a legend in SSX On Tour.
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Marc Ecko Mobile Game Preview
Click here to watch a preview of the mobile version of Marc Ecko's
Getting Up
Black Video Game Characters: Ludacris
Name: Ludacris
First Apperance: Def Jam Vendetta
Publisher: EA Games
The bad boy from the south kick ass in this urban themed figihting game.
Black Video Game Characters: Lil Kim
Name: Lil' Kim
First Apperance: Def Jam Fight For NY
Publisher: EA Games
The queen bee makes her video game debut in the popular Def Jam Fight for NY game. She really packed a mean stinging punch when she got fired up. You wanna rumble with the B huh? Put a hex on your whole family.
Sony May Expand PSP Functionality
From GameDaily:
Sony's new 2.0 PSP firmware has just been released in the U.S. enabling web browsing and more, but Sony is not likely to stop there. Sony Computer Entertainment platform development chief Izumi Kawanishi has indicated that they are considering adding Flash support and better Javascript functionality, as well as support for USB peripherals like a mouse and keyboard. More inside...
Although Sony's PlayStation Portable is already a pretty versatile device, it seems that Sony is planning on slowly expanding its capabilities to add even more functionality. According to an interview with Sony Computer Entertainment platform development chief Izumi Kawanishi on Japanese technology website ITmedia (and partially translated by GameSpot), Sony is strongly considering adding to its PSP web browser, as well as releasing several USB peripherals in the future.
Going beyond HTML
Some of the new features for the PSP web browser—which is currently nothing more than a basic HTML browser—that are being considered include Web-based game content, downloadable movies, support for e-mail and Macromedia Flash, and also increased Javascript capability. Kawanishi also indicated that they are thinking about supporting downloadable games for the PSP and that he'd be curious to see what simple games users could create on their own and then distribute online.
[ "... a mouse and keyboard would not only make surfing the web much easier but also open the door for other possibilities like word processing" ]
Flash has become an integral part of many websites, so enabling Flash on the PSP would certainly better the portable web browsing experience. Kawanishi explained that his development team is actually very open to basically any Internet-related functions as long as the PSP's memory could handle it and the unit's performance doesn't suffer. As such, the development team has to experiment with Flash on the PSP before deciding to implement it.
Kawanishi also said that his team will probably release a manual to give website designers guidelines on how to make web pages specifically for the PSP. He explained that memory constraints are sometimes problematic because the PSP relies on the unit's internal main memory to handle the data streams; it currently does not use the memory stick pro duo because just as with any memory card, if it should pop out a number of errors could be triggered suddenly. That being said, Sony may allow for displaying saved web pages via the memory stick pro duo in the future.
USB peripherals forthcoming?
In addition to fleshing out the web browser, Kawanishi told ITmedia that Sony is looking at releasing USB peripherals such as a mouse and keyboard, which would not only make surfing the web much easier but also open the door for other possibilities like word processing if such software is made available. Another potential peripheral mentioned was the Global Positioning System (GPS), which actually had already been shown at last year's E3. A GPS peripheral could have some interesting implications for both web-based applications and PSP gameplay.
In related news, PSP firmware 2.0, which was made available in Japan weeks ago, has finally been released for the U.S. The update patches a few security holes, gives PSP owners the ability to use the much talked about web browser, adds support for wallpapers and also some new media formats, such as the higher-quality AVC video.
From this editor's experience, the newly released official PSP web browser is a nice improvement over the hacked browser enabled through Wipeout Pure. The pages load faster, you can bookmark your favorites, and inputting text has been made slightly easier. With better Flash and Javascript support and email, the PSP could offer a fantastic portable web browsing experience. As it stands right now, it's more than acceptable if you're in a pinch.
Marc Ecko Block PARTY TODAY!
Marc Ecko, designer and "Navigator of Youth Culture," is set to recruit the legends of Hip-Hop culture for the upcoming Marc Ecko's Getting Up Block Party. The first-of-it-kind street festival, free to the public and held August 24th on 22nd Street between 10th and 11th Avenues from 12:00PM – 8:00PM, will feature graffiti demonstrations, live DJs and surprise musical performances in celebration of the golden age of Hip-Hop. The event coincides with the anticipated release of Atari's graffiti-based videogame, Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure.
As a throwback to graffiti's glory days, "Marc Ecko's Getting Up Block Party" will feature ten 48-foot-long by 8-foot-high replicas of the legendary NYC transit blue-bird subway cars Ed Walker, Jr., which will be transformed into contemporary urban works of art by renowned graffiti writers.
A lineup of legendary artists, from the notorious 'Bronx bomber and destroyer' COPE2 to T-KID (Terrible Kid), who first started writing on trains as early as 1974, will spend the day doing full color murals on the vintage trains.
Other participating graf writers include DASH, WEST, CES, SONIC, IZ THE WIZ, MIN, DURO, WANE, WEN, DERO, CYCLE, SMITH, PINK, DOC, KEL 1st, MARE139, CRASH, DAZE, SUB, GHOST, and the famous TATS CREW.
Blue-birds, a high point of nostalgia for historians and artists alike, were often used as an urban canvas by graffiti writers throughout the 1980s before blasting machines and buffers were used to strip them clean, effectively putting an end to the era of graffiti artwork on the sides of trains.
"Graffiti is without question the most powerful art movement in recent history and has been a driving inspiration throughout my career," said Marc Ecko, Executive Creative Director for Getting Up. "I'm honored to be bringing its pioneering creative forces together to look back on its tradition and to celebrate its future."
In addition to reviving an old school graffiti tradition, the block party will offer guests the opportunity to participate in live demos of Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure and experience the first truly authentic video game based on urban culture and graffiti. The videogame, which is being published by Atari and developed by The Collective for a Fall 2005 release, brings together over 65 legendary graffiti writers, six of whom will serve as in-game mentors to its protagonist, Trane.
Event sponsors include GameStop Corp., Truth (www.thetruth.com), Toy Tokyo (www.toytokyo.com), Montana paint and Mass Appeal magazine.
Black Video Game Characters: Trane
Name: Trane
First Apperance: Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure
Publisher: Atari
Trane, voiced by rapper Talib Kweli, a young graf artist who goes from Toy (the equivalent of a "noob" in the graffiti world) to All-City (a legend). As the game progresses, Trane uses his growing underground notoriety to expose and uncover corruption in New Radius' tyrannical government.
Black Video Game Characters: Afrodite
Name: Afrodite
First Apperance: Outlaw Tennis
Publisher: Global Star Software/MTV
The badass sister on rollerskates. She packs a mean swing....just don't let her dance near the turntable cause her big bootay will make the record skip
Black Video Game Characters: D'arci Stern
Name: D'arci Stern
First Apperance: Urban Chaos
Publisher: Eidos
B A C K G R O U N D
A troublesome child, D'arci was always trying to be prove herself as an equal to her peers. Getting into scrapes with the older kids never backing down she was renowned to fighting with the passion of a wildcat. This continued through her teens and her knack of finding trouble led her to associate with the wrong crowd. To counter this troublesome streak her parents enrolled young D'arci into a gymnasium and hoped that the focus would deter her from getting into trouble. She excelled and became county champion.
F A M I L Y
The youngest of 4-Darci was the only girl. Her 3 brothers along with their father before them had all ventured into the career path of law enforcement. Never wanting to join the Police herself but would rather go against her father's wishes and travel the world and "see what's going on out there". Her path in life change when a call came through to he mother informing them that on a routine patrol her father was gunned downed and died on the way to the Hospital, the next day she applied to the Police Academy and would soon be patrolling the streets. Her second year in the force would prove to be a year she would like to forget. After hearing the about the death of her brother. Again in the line of duty, she went crazy with rage and hunted down the perpetrator. She spent the next 3 months hunting down her brothers killer, on finding him she unleashed all her anger and pain. She left him inches from death. She was also looking at a demotion that would haunt her to this day.
C A R E E R H I S T O R Y
Her first year on the force was one of learning the ways of the city from her partner. On the beat, she showed incredible talent in stalking and apprehending criminals. Her physical abilities enabled her to explore hard to reach locations, her martial art skills kept her safe. Unfortunately she was prone to fits of temper which clouded her judgment and lead to several 'incidents' while apprehending criminals. Her second year found her maturing into an excellent cop, that it until her demotion for excessive violence and misconduct. (in apprehending her brother's killer)
Black Video Game Characters: TJ Combo
T.J. Combo comes from a rather large family. When he was very young, his father died of cancer, leaving his mother to take care of him, his three sisters and two brothers. All of the kids were forced to take jobs around the neighborhood (ie lawnmowing, raking leaves, etc), and when they were of legal age, they were employed at minimum wage. Combo worked perhaps harder than any of his other family members. Therefore, he didn't do as well in school, especially compared against his younger sister, Karen, who was turning out to be quite a genius. Combo always dreamed of making a lot of money, and helping his poor, overworked mother out. He decided to pursue a career in professional boxing, since from what he could tell, sports superstars made more money than any other profession. Combo loved to fight, and he loved boxing - every evening, after working, he used to train in a gym in the neighborhood with an old, retired circuit fighter. After finishing high school, Combo decided to skip college in order to train. Combo was good enough to earn his way into a minor circuit of the ABA (American Boxing Association). However, a superstar he was not. He lost many fights, and it was hard enough for him to break even with his wins/losses. Combo started to get desperate, and fight beyond his own limits. In what would be his last minor circuit fight (for now), Combo received devastating injuries to both his arms, including shattered bones, torn ligaments, and the muscles in his right arm had been almost completely ripped apart. The medical assessments were very grim. Some doctors believed that he would never regain full use of either arm. Others believed that, over time, they might heal to basic mobility. Some thought he'd never be able to use his arms again. All agreed that he could never box again. Thoroughly dissatisfied, Combo turned to his younger sister, Karen. By this time, she had gone through college fairly quickly, and was now working in the field of engineering for a rising technological corporation, Ultratech. Using radical techniques and cybernetics, Combo could regain 100% use of his arms. Unfortunately, Combo realized that, if cybernetics were to be used to restore his arm strength, then it could be used to enhance his arms, and make him into the boxing superstar he dreamed of becoming. When he proposed it to Karen, she flatly refused. Combo pleaded with her, saying he wouldn't undergo the surgery to restore his arms unless she included the enhancements as well. He also brought up their mother; how hard she had worked, how much she deserved a break, and how much he wanted to give it to her. Karen finally buckled, and agreed, as long as Combo retired from boxing one year after making his fame. By then, he should have enough money to take care of the family, and anything longer than that might risk putting a strain on the cybernetics. The operation went flawlessly. T.J. Combo now had arms that were 75% cybernetic, which gave him arm speed and strength up to 200% of a normal man. Returning to boxing after a reasonable hiatus, Combo all but demolished the minor circuit, and quickly made his way to up the world circuit. Of course, there were rumors abound as to how a low ranking fighter who had suffered a crippling injury was suddenly the world's number one contender. But nothing could be confirmed, so the rumors remained rumors. Needless to say, Combo quickly became world champion. Before he knew it, he had more wealth and fame than he had ever imagined. As promised, he pampered his family, especially his mother. She was able to spend the last years of her life happy, and finally living comfortably. But, Combo's excessive wealth went to his head, and going against his sister's wishes, he decided to stay in boxing past the one year. His relationship with Karen became strained, to the point that they stopped talking altogether. Aside from that, things continued to go extremely well for Combo for several years, but during a particulary tough championship fight, his cybernetic arms suffered severe damage and shorted out during the fight, exposing the truth to all. Combo was stripped of his title, he lost his wealth, and he was disgraced in the entertainment world. No sponsors would touch him, he was now banned from the ABA, he couldn't even earn a spot as an announcer. This was truly the lowest of all lows. As a final salvation, Combo discovered the Killer Instinct tournament. Held every year by the Ultratech Corporation, the winner of the tournament was granted any one wish he so desired, as long as it was within Ultratech's power (and given the Corporation's might, that was a lot). Combo figured that if he could win KI, he could get back into the ABA at least, or just wish for unfathomable riches, and let his fame build again from his participation in the tournament. Having no other options, Combo tried out for, and made it into, Killer Instinct 7. Originally, Combo entered the tournament for nothing more than his personal fame. However, midway during the tournament, one of the other fighters, Orchid, held a conference with him and several other fighters. She said that she was an agent of a top secret organization, and Ultratech was hiding sinister intentions behind the Killer Instinct tournament. She asked the non-Ultratech fighters to help her combat the evil corporation. At first, Combo felt pressured to agree, and would only help this "secret agent" for as long as purposes suited him. During the battles, Combo saw that much, much more was at stake than his fame. Combo now lends his skills towards the greater good - preventing Ultratech's plans from becoming a reality.
Black Video Game Characters: Jonathan Blade
Real Name: Jonathan Blade
First Appearance: Eternal Champions (1997)
Publisher:Sega Interactive
Occupation: Bounty Hunter
TIME ZONE: 2030 A.D.Fighting
Style: Kenpo
Born in Syria and raised in Africa, Officer Jonathan Blade was dedicated "to the extreme", working some of the meanest streets in New Chicago. His only real problem was his temper. Once he beat a suspect within an inch of his life. The suspect sued the police, and Blade was fired to hush the scandal. Blade moved back to Syria and became a bounty hunter, making better use of his quick temper. He was sent by the Syrian government to deal with a rogue scientist who had a virus that could kill 95% of the world's population. Blade convinced the scientist to surrender peacefully, unfortunately, the Syrian government disregarded their non interference agreement with Blade. Laser rifles open fire on Blade's alley location, and the vial smashed to pavement. it was the last thing Blade saw, dying because he was infected with the virus.
Black Video Game Characters: D-Mob
Real Name: Darrell Lewis
First Appearance: Def Jam Vendetta
Publisher:EA Sports Big
Here’s the big man himself. The man you will avoid if you know what’s good for you, understand? D-Mob runs all the fight club action in New York City. He also has his hands in just about everything else you can think of that involves money. Illicit enterprise is his thing, and he does it better than anyone. With run-ins with you and Snoop Dogg, he still sits on top of NY as the king. We'll see if he returns in Def Jam 3 for the 360 and if he still runnin thangs.
Black Video Game Characters: Carl Johnson
Real Name: Carl Johnson
First Appearance: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Publisher:Rockstar
In his youth Carl Johnson ran with his neighborhood street gang The Grove Street Familes. After a tragic turn of events in which one of his blood brothers is murdered, Carl moves to Liberty City, turning his back on the rest of the gang. 5 years later while living the fast life in Liberty, he receives a phone call from his brother "Sweet" Johnson, telling him that his mother has been killed. Carl quickly hops on a plane back to San Andreas to pay last respects. Once there, at the cemetary his brother lays into him about not protecting his other (dead) brother and then running away to Liberty City years ago. Carls' sister forgives him, but he now has bigger problems. He wants to patch things up and reunite with his family, but the only way to do it is to return to the gang he ran away from, which is currently involved in fierce turf wars from every front.
(taken from blacksuperhero.com)
Black Video Game Characters: Black Orchid
Who can forget the super sexy Black Orchid from the Killer Instinct series from Nintendo. Pulling off 101 Hit Combo's with this sister was always a pleasure. We also loved when she turned into the eletric yellow cat during her combo's.
Full name: Black OrchidAge: 23
Height: 5'6''
Weight: 125 lbs.==
ARCADE HISTORY ==B. Orchid is a secret agent, sent by an unknown group toinvestigate the mysterious disappearances that surroundthe Killer Instinct tournament. Her true identity andabilitie are shrouded in secrecy.
ANOTHER HISTORY ==For many years Black Orchid has been amongst the codenamedelite of a professional spy organisation working for thegreater good of society. Her past remains hidden, includingsome things of which even she is unaware: she won't find outfor some time yet that Jago is actually her brother. Realisingthat clear evidence of Ultratech's crimes and dark ambitionis proving impossible to come by, she eventually decides thatthe only way into the company is also the most dangerous - straightthrough the open front door. Once her superiors are persuaded ofthe necessity, she goes ahead and enters the tournament.
Black Video Game Characters: Eddie Gordo/Tiger
Real Name: Eddie Gordo
First Appearance: Tekken 3
Publisher:Namco
Now you can't tell us that Eddie wasn't a Bad Ass. I remember kicking many peoples asses with with Eddie and his twin Tiger. Now Tiger was a Stright up 70's disco dancer/PIMP
Eddy's master was about to be freed from prison after a long incarceration. Eddy went to the prison to meet him but instead found a frail old man that was only a shadow of his former self. Eddy was told his he had a incurable illness and less than six months to live. Eddy discovered there was a remote possibility that he could discover a cure if they had access to the technology and resources of the giant financial group Mishima Zaibatsu.
Several days later, Eddy decided to enter The King of Iron Fist Tournament with the intention of taking over the Mishima Financial Empire. His student "Christie" also joins him in the tournament.
Sexy Ladies of Hip-Hop and R&B 2
Sexy Ladies of Hip-Hop and R&B 2
It's here! Thanks to all you guys over at
PSP Drive.com that downloaded the first edition. So hit us up and let us know who you want to see in #3.
Mobile Gaming Gains in Popularity
Mobile gaming is far more than just a fad, according to a new report published by The NPD Group. The report, which provides an in-depth look at consumer demand for mobile games, is based on a recent survey of more than 8,500 teens and adults conducted by The NPD Group and explores the key growth drivers in this flourishing market, including purchasing habits, who's buying vs. who's freeloading and just how much they'll pay to play.
"The world of mobile gaming is like the Wild West," says Clint Wheelock, vice president of wireless research for The NPD Group, who oversaw the study. "In this time of rapid growth, and with the industry in such a formative stage, it's especially important for wireless operators and game publishers to understand the mindsets of mobile gamers, in order to best position themselves for long-term success."
According to the report, the addressable market for mobile games continues to expand quickly, with half of all U.S. wireless subscribers now owning phones capable of downloading games. A full 27 percent play games on those devices, including purchased downloads as well as free demos and pre-loaded games, compared to 20 percent last year. Even better for the industry, the market hasn't come close to tapping its potential-another six percent of current non-gamers confessed an interest in playing on their phone over the next year. The reason most often cited for the burgeoning interest: "to kill time or alleviate boredom." In fact, the average gaming session is a mere 11 minutes.
The Players and What They're Playing
Mobile games are a "digital snack" for video gamers while they're away from their game consoles, PCs, and handhelds - consumers who play games on other devices are twice as likely to play on their cell phones, as well. But limited screen size and navigation options do have an impact, which is a key reason why casual games like puzzles and cards are the most popular. Not surprisingly, kids between the ages of 13 and 17 (60 percent) are nearly three times as likely as adults (23 percent) to be mobile gamers. More surprising, however, is the increasing ethnic diversity of the mobile gaming community-compared to typical wireless subscribers, mobile gamers are twice as likely to be African-American, Hispanic or Asian.
The Price Conundrum
According to the report, mobile gamers tend to spend more on handsets-an average of 57 percent more. They also tend to be heavier users of their mobile phones for regular calls, using 48 percent more wireless minutes than non-gamers, and their monthly wireless bills are 22 percent higher than the average subscriber.
But not all of the news is positive for the mobile gaming industry. According to the report, there's a significant price sensitivity issue, which is inhibiting the industry from really taking off. That helps explain why only about one-third of mobile gamers actually buy the games themselves. The remaining two-thirds are satisfied playing free or pre-loaded games. And just like digital music, the dominant purchase model is single downloads, while monthly subscriptions barely show up on consumer's radars.
Invisible Gamers
According to the miserably scant research that has been done on gaming and ethnic minorities in the U.S., African Americans are among the most avid players of video games. Hip hop music saturates many game soundtracks, and the ethnically diverse inner city has become the fashionable setting for the Grand Theft Auto series and its many progeny. What you won't see, however, are game ads on the BET cable channel, on African-American radio stations, or even on the most popular online hub for African American players, AAGamer.com. "We are visible as people who are buying the product, but there is nobody who is marketing to us," says Joseph Saulter, CEO, Entertainment Arts Research (www.earesearch.com), an Atlanta-based "urban games developer" that is working on game titles targeting African American gamers. "There is an entire market that is being underserved," says Saulter. "They can't wait for someone to market to them."
Of course, licensed sports titles have always included African American athletes. Recent franchises like EA's "Street" sports series and Def Jam Vendetta and Midway's NBA Ballers clearly focus on this community. But many game companies rely on their general marketing plan to capture ethnic audiences and fail to see the benefits of targeted marketing into these communities, a tactic that the film industry and even packaged goods manufacturers realized many years ago. "There are opportunities for achieving in this market additions to your bottom line," says Roderick Woodruff, an advertising veteran who co-founded AAGamer.com last October with his wife, bestselling author Connie Woodruff. Even with 2 million hits in April, the site has not attracted direct advertising from game publishers.
Even when it doesn't result in immediate new sales, advertising specifically to the African American community helps companies build franchises and loyalty in a community that can be tapped in future launches. "It shows audiences that you understand, that you care about people of color. It lets me know that you are concerned about me as a black consumer and that you've tried to represent me in the storyline somehow."
Towards Inclusion
The dearth of marketing and game design that include African Americans is only beginning to be addressed. Vivendi brand manager, Nicole Bradford will offer a keynote address on the topic at the upcoming Digital Arts Symposium (October 6-9, Silver Spring, MD). Saulter's company, EAR, is about to start shopping around a game demo by his coalition of designers. Kaotic Foolz, an urban action adventure for consoles, is the first of about six titles he has in development. And mainstream games marketers who want to try to understand this market can start with the well-attended and opinionated forums at AAGamer, which the Woodruffs started as a place where African American gamers could have a voice.
More than marketing to African Americans, Saulter and the Woodruffs want to see game companies move beyond the rough stereotypes of NBA Ballers or Def Jam Vendetta, let alone the thuggish depictions in GTA and its offspring. "To have me always represented as the fool or the prostitute is not going to pay well, and we have seen it done in games," says Woodruff. He and his family have become avid players of NCSoft's City of Heroes in part because the game lets users play African Americans. "The designers must have given that storyline some thought about how to represent people," he says.
Saulter has no objection to violence and criminality in games or to have African American characters engage in this typical sort of action gaming behavior. But he wants to see more depth. "If the world can look at the Italian Mafia crime syndicates and almost idealize them in entertainment, then why can't we bring in gangs and make their characters understandable? "I've been watching 'The Sopranos' for three years, and inside of everything Tony is a person." Saulter also wants to see the range of African American experience represented in games. "There are good people in the ghetto, not just chain-wearing criminals." One EAR game in development, Seventh Day, is a Christian-oriented title being written by novelist Charles Campbell, and another, Billy Zane, is in the horror genre.
In fact, one of the blind spots in gaming is the presumption that sports is the genre of greatest interest to African American players. According to a Forrester survey last year that asked gamers what types of games they played at least once a week, 25% of African Americans said fighting titles, slightly more than traditional sport games (24%). This segment is well ahead of white audiences in frequency of playing wrestling games (20%), survival horror (15%), and action/adventure (23%).
And like the Latino gamer, African Americans are much more social players (see chart), a critical aspect of minority segments that could prove very lucrative for the game companies that attend to it. Forrester analysts say "This tendency to game socially will lead Hispanics and Blacks to be early adopters of commercial game consoles - which will boost their adoption of broadband." Publishers should also be considering how games with head to head play can work well in this segment. But most of all, the power of social play and social networking within American ethnic minorities should tell games marketers a great deal about the potential for marketing virally and through key community influentials. "When one person does something, it goes throughout this community very fast," says Saulter.
Getting in the Game
In fact, African Americans are much more likely (12%) to play educational titles than whites (5%), and Woodruff thinks that this is a much-overlooked opportunity for game companies. Initiatives throughout the African American community to improve local schools dove-tails perfectly with one of this community's favorite pursuits, gaming. "These kids can play games but they can't read," he says. "We think the future of gaming is huge and we see more in education. Urban schools need it." He already sees Microsoft and others starting to spend a lot of time and money exploring the school and educational market and starting to see how classic game design skills apply here. "Simulation will be the wave of the future. It will be how children are taught," he says.
As with Hollywood film, music and TV before it, games will better reflect and include the audiences who use this medium when African Americans and Latinos themselves are designing the games, not just buying them. Neither Saulter nor Woodruff contend that the gaming industry in any way excludes African Americans from the design workforce, but it is important to have minority voices contribute to the fundamental designs.
"It's the puppeteer's point of view," says Saulter. "If I want an African American character to be in my game, then who is the puppeteer? When I take all the clothes off a 3D character and put on the baggy pants, the character moves differently, the clothes move around differently. It's a different kind of jump."
If the game industry really wants to speak to ethnic minorities and the considerable markets of ultra-loyal consumers they represent, then it needs to cultivate designers, writers and executives of color who sit at the table when the scripting decisions are made, when the media are bought, and when the green lights are given. "If Black folks and Latino folks are waiting on white folks to write these stories, it ain't going to happen," says Woodruff.
Contact: Rod and Connie Woodruff, 443/367-0023; Joseph Saulter, 404/965-5937
Do You Spend Half or More of Your Playing Time... ?
: Playing with someone else in the room?
White: 26.10%
Afr.-Am.: 36.40%
Latino: 34.60%
: Playing with someone else online?
White: 1.30%
Afr.-Am.: 3.90%
Latino: 6.90%
: Playing with others In the room against others online?
White: 0.80%
Afr.-Am.: 4.40%
Latino: 3.50%
Source: Forrester Research
Blacks and Latinos, the untapped market
Apr 2005 Video Gamers Benchmark Release
Industry’s First Benchmark Study From Nielsen Entertainment Provides Directional Findings on Emerging Markets, Spending, and Cross-Media Ownership for Interactive Entertainment First Quarter Video Gaming Industry Benchmark Report Highlights Consumer-level Data on Gaming Behavior and Purchasing
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA –April 7, 2005 – How are the demographics of gamers evolving, how much do they spend each month on games and competitive entertainment media, what platforms and genres do they prefer, what motivates a purchase of new platforms such as the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP or next generation hardware such as Xbox2 and PS3, and what sources of information drive awareness are among the questions answered in an industry-first benchmark report, the first installment of this bi-annual study being released today by Nielsen Entertainment’s Interactive Group.
Among the key findings, evidence that:
• Gamers are growing beyond the traditional 8-34 year-old male target;
• Women, Hispanics and African-Americans are an underserved and emerging market for interactive entertainment;
• For males, spending on games has become the 2nd ranked purchased category behind DVDs and in front of CDs, MP3 and music purchases;
• Women and older adults are playing games in increasing numbers;
• Graphics dominate as a significant motivation for purchase of specific titles and next generation hardware;
• There is a strong connection between DVD and game consumption to be exploited in marketing and cross-promotion;
• While Caucasians report spending the most money per month on DVDs, African-Americans and Hispanics report spending more money per month on games and mobile services.
Andy Wing, CEO of Nielsen Entertainment said, “As interactive entertainment aims to take a more central place in the ecology of the living room, we will continue to monitor consumer awareness and purchase interest of next-generation consoles, and more broadly, the ways in which all consumers are responding to competing forums for their leisure time.”
The report is a first for the interactive entertainment space, a medium which has flourished among the young male demographic and has until today, been guided more by instinct and technology than empirical data. The results of this first study and the forthcoming second installment in Q3’05 will assist developers, marketers and interactive entertainment sales executives in strategy and planning decisions, in addition to providing the entertainment industry more broadly with a clear picture of video games today and their potential as a thriving entertainment medium in the not so distant future.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY BENCHMARK REPORT
The Benchmark report found that nearly 40% of U.S. households own at least one of the following game systems for game play - PC, home console or handheld device. In terms of cross ownership, the study found that 23% of gamers own all three types of gaming devices – PC, console and handheld; among those who own a gaming device, 89% own a console, 65% own a PC, 36% own a handheld, Among the respondents who own Playstation 2 (PS2), Xbox or Nintendo GameCube - 8% own all three popular consoles. The report found that among those who own one of these three consoles, 57% own a PS2, 39% own an Xbox and 27% own a GameCube.
Results from the report suggest that the use of video games as an entertainment option is directly correlated to overall leisure time availability: younger gamers reporting the most leisure time and are the most likely to play games. The Benchmark report also found that 39% of gamers are female and that nearly 24% of all gamers are over the age of 40.
“While this reinforces the industry’s traditional targeting towards these groups, women between the ages of 18 to 24 show relatively high entertainment expenditure and time availability, suggesting there are opportunities for publishers to target this consumer,” said Emily Della Maggiora, Vice President of Nielsen Interactive Entertainment. “African American and Hispanic gamers appear to be a potentially lucrative (and currently under-served) consumer target for publishers as these gamers are spending more money to purchase games and more time to play them compared to total gamers, in general.”
Overall, active gamers typically spend approximately 5.2 hours playing by themselves with a large proportion also being spent playing socially (3.07 hours per week with friends and family or online). Among females, the split between solo and social game play is even more equitable with younger females 13-17 tending to play more with friends or family (54% of the time) and women 25-34 playing almost as much socially as alone. Males and females 45 and older are markedly different, spending almost all their time (79%) playing alone. Interestingly, platform-based analysis shows significant variation which is reflective of Xbox’ emphasis on online game play and multiplayer games. Those from the study that prefer playing on an Xbox spend as much time playing with friends and family/online as they do alone (5.49 hours vs. 5.36 hours, respectively).
The Benchmark report explored consumer sentiment towards future next generation devices such as ‘Xbox 2/Xenon’ and the ‘PS3’ home consoles. The report found that at this point in time consumer response to next generation consoles is lukewarm and only minimally heightened by decreasing price. Active gamers who do express some interest in purchasing one of the next generations consoles indicate that they are more likely to wait some time after release before purchasing the system. Also important to note is that among the current consoles, Xbox holds up slightly better than PS2 in retaining consumer loyalty.
NIE plans to field its next study in August with results available in September 2005.
METHODOLOGY Through a random digital dial frame (RDD) of over 1500 respondents – collected in January and February 2005 – the 80-page report delivers key information on:
• Gamer demographics
• Penetration figures for PC, console and handheld games
• Cross ownership
• Purchase behavior along with rental and usage behavior
• Purchase motivators
• Attitudes towards next generation hardware
The report also includes special analyses on mobile phone related entertainment, 2004 holiday purchase insights, and high potential consumer targets as mentioned above, particularly Female, African-American and Hispanic gamers.
About Nielsen Entertainment
Through custom research, consulting and the world's most comprehensive network of entertainment measurement systems and analysis, Nielsen Entertainment delivers Actionable Entertainment Intelligence to clients engaged in the business of selling entertainment and trading in the marketplace of our popular culture.
Nielsen Entertainment’s AEI products give clients unrivaled perspective from which to steer business decisions, providing the measure and the motivation in one package; comparing what the consumer says they do and what they actually do, in any given environment including film, television, music, books, and interactive media.
Nielsen Entertainment is comprised of the following businesses: National Research Group (NRG), EDI and EDI International, Television Services, SoundScan, Broadcast Data Systems, Aircheck, Music Control, VideoScan, Market Navigator, BookScan, BookData, and Interactive Entertainment, and utilizes the full portfolio of sister companies including Nielsen Media Research (television ratings) and Nielsen Net Ratings (internet usage) to deliver a whole media point of view. Nielsen Entertainment is part of VNU, www.vnu.com, and a global leader in information services for the media and entertainment industries.
Blacks More Likely To Be Hardcore Video Gamers
Blacks playing on their video game consoles are definitely getting their money’s worth. They buy all kinds of games–from action-adventure to sports and even educational games. And they spend a lot of time playing–in fact, they’re more likely than whites to be hardcore video gamers. Blacks are also social gamers: they like hanging out with someone else in the room when they play.
Did you know that in the U.S….?
When it comes to video console gamers–
Blacks are more likely than whites to be hardcore gamers.
Blacks are just as likely as whites to be casual gamers.
Hispanics are more likely than blacks, whites or Asians to be hardcore gamers.
Asians are the most likely to be casual gamers.
And among PC gamers–
Blacks are more likely than whites to be casual gamers.
Hispanics are more likely than blacks, whites or Asians to be casual gamers.
Asians are the most likely to be hardcore gamers.
And there’s more–
Among blacks and whites who own a video game console, blacks are more likely than whites to play almost all types of games including fighting, racing, action-adventure, and sports. The exception is role-playing games, where blacks and whites are about equally like to play. But don’t think that blacks are just goofing off on their consoles: they’re also far more likely than whites or Hispanics to play educational games on their consoles.
When blacks play on their consoles they’re much more likely than whites to play with someone else in the room and to play with others in the room against others online. Hispanics are the most likely to play with someone else online.
Hmmm. So it seems that blacks playing on their video consoles are definitely getting their money’s worth–they buy all kinds of games and they spend a lot of time playing. And blacks are social gamers: they like hanging out with someone else in the room cheering them on.
Data Source: Forrester Research
