Toshiba will shift production of all hard drives overseas by March to reduce costs. Production of hard drives will be phased out at Toshiba plant in Gifu prefecture and shifted to factory in Philippines. About 100 workers will be transferred from Gifu plant to Toshiba technology development center near Tokyo.
Vivendi Universal (VU) Games named Kovel/Fuller ad agency of record for its console, handheld, PC game franchises. Kovel/Fuller already had been agency of record for Vivendi’s Universal Interactive (UI) videogame division since April. Vivendi said agency would work on several titles VU Games Partner Publishing Group co-publishes and distributes for strategic partners including Empire Interactive, Fox Interactive, Interplay. Key campaigns agency has worked on for UI include Crash Bandicoot, The Mummy, Spyro the Dragon. VU Games Senior Mktg. Vp Nicholas Longano said company planned to use Kovel/Fuller’s “creative power and strategic resources on a greatly expanded set of products.” VU Games said it planned “well over 2 dozen videogame and software launches” in 2002. Separately, UI said it would publish games based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. As part of long-term deal company signed with Tolkien Enterprises, UI said it acquired exclusive rights to develop interactive games for multiple next- generation and PC platforms.
Hollywood might be next stop in World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) efforts to convince public that cyberpiracy is wrongful. Entertainment industry could do “much, much more” to build public awareness of need to respect creators’ rights, said Geoffrey Yu, WIPO’s asst. dir. gen.-copyright and related rights sector. Yu, who previously headed WIPO’s global communications program, has been nudging film and recording industries to start public service blitz along lines of antismoking and antidrunk driving campaigns.
N.Y.C. retailer J&R Music World is offering free standard shipping on all JBL products through year-end.
Hitachi opened CE development center in Beijing in bid to help reduce R&D costs, Japanese news reports said. R&D center, Hitachi’s first in China, has starting work force of 8 employees, but will add at least 10 per year, reports said.
Amazon.com spokeswoman said Frank Sadowski, recently appointed e-tailer’s CE vp (CED Dec 11 p9), “is going to be working to help further direct relationships with vendors.” Sadowski previously was mdsg. vp at 800.com, which -- unlike Amazon -- has carried only products it has been authorized by manufacturers to sell. 800.com -- also unlike Amazon -- has been able to forge direct relationship with Sony for core CE line.
Electronic Arts (EA) and Lego signed global agreement under which EA would co-publish and provide marketing support for more than 30 Lego software titles on minimum of 4 platforms over 3 years, terms not disclosed. Companies said they would create software for young gamers while building current franchises and establishing new ones. Lego said it would benefit from EA’s “significant global distribution and organization.” EA Distribution Vp Tom Frisina said agreement also would allow Lego to reach “slightly older and more entertainment-driven demographic that is already familiar with EA’s software.” He said deal also provided EA with “an opportunity to reach out to younger gamers after the success of the Harry Potter games.”
Promotion for RCA eBook 1100 model slashes price by half to $150 at Office Max, N.Y.C. retailer The Wiz and elsewhere. Promotion also includes $300 worth of publications free from Thomson partner Gemstar. AOL Time Warner, early booster of electronic publishing, last week curtailed its venture in e- books.
Macrovision’s SafeDisc HD copy protection for CD-ROMs will be used on math, science and engineering software by publisher MathSoft Engineering & Education, companies said. MathSoft will use “periodic checking” feature of SafeDisc that doesn’t require user to keep disc in drive each time application is launched. Instead, publisher and user can set up convenient schedule for periodic in-drive re-authentication of CD-ROM.
Edison, N.J., game maker Majesco signed exclusive publishing and distribution agreement with U.K.’s Rage Software. As part of deal -- financial terms not announced -- Majesco won N. and S. American publishing rights to 7 new Rage titles for console, handheld, PC platforms. Titles in deal -- all to ship in 2002 -- are Crash, David Beckham Soccer, Denki Blocks!, GTC: Africa, Gun Metal, Mobile Forces, Pocket Music. Majesco Pres. Jesse Sutton said: “We continue to experience tremendous growth in our publishing business and teaming up with… Rage Software is sure to further accelerate that trend.” Rage Managing Dir. Paul Finnegan said Majesco deal would “increase Rage’s profile in the North American market” and “provide maximum exposure” for its 2002 games.