Take-Two Interactive’s game Grand Theft Auto 3 for PS2 was top-rented videogame in week ended Nov. 4, Video Software Dealers Assn. (VSDA) said Thurs. Title generated $870,000 in week for cumulative total of $1.48 million, VSDA said. Meanwhile, entering top 5 at #2 was Activision’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 for PS2, which took in $620,000 in its first week. Only top 5 title in week not for PS2 was Activision’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 for Nintendo 64 at #4 with weekly earnings of $250,000 for $2.97 million total to date. Rounding out top 5 were Capcom’s Devil May Cry at #3 ($350,000 for week, $1.09 million total) and Midway’s Spy Hunter at #5 ($220,000, $1.38 million). Only game to drop out of top 5 from week ago was Madden NFL 2002 for PS2 from Electronic Arts.
Oct. videogame comparable-store sales were “on target, decreasing as expected 19.7%” from same month year ago when PlayStation 2 (PS2) started shipping in N. America, Barnes & Noble said Thurs. It said comparable-store sales of its GameStop videogame division in quarter “were also on target, increasing 3.6%.” Barnes & Noble said videogame earnings “will be on target with previous guidance at 1? per share for the 3rd quarter.” Company said comparable-store sales in its “super” store book division dipped 0.4% in year but inched up 0.2% in quarter. At company’s B. Dalton book division, comparable-store sales fell 5.1% in year. It called “super” store and B. Dalton Oct. results “below plan and guidance.” Barnes & Noble CEO Leonard Riggio said: “Given the conditions of the economy, we are encouraged by our ability to outperform the retail sector.” But company admitted that “events connected to the war on terrorism are affecting sales,” adding: “As an example, on Halloween day, which is normally one of the strongest days of the 3rd quarter, sales for company bookstores were down between 2 and 20% depending on their proximity to malls, owing to renewed warnings about terrorist threats.” Company reduced guidance for consolidated earnings per share for full year to $1.08-$1.12, compared with $1.06 year ago. It said results in its online book division, Barnes & Noble.com, “continue to improve as planned, and GameStop is expected to meet previous guidance” for year. Barnes & Noble is to report 3rd quarter results Nov. 29. Separately, company said it would open 25,000-sq.-ft. store in Bowie, Md., Nov. 14. In addition to books, like other “super” stores, new location will offer more than 25,000 music, DVD and VHS titles, it said.
Ubi Soft Entertainment said it would ship Disney’s Tarzan Untamed and Batman: Vengeance for GameCube in time for rollout of Nintendo’s new console system Nov. 18.
Ronald Unkefer relinquishes Good Guys CEO post to Pres. Kenneth Weller but will remain chmn… Ron Richie, Pixtech board member, named interim CEO, replacing Dieter Metzger, who died earlier this year of heart attack… Appointed at Palm’s new Solutions Group: Glenn Cross, ex-Sun Microsystems, joins as vp- sales and enterprise business development; Steve Manser, ex- Propel Software, joins as vp-worldwide product engineering.
Sales and mktg. business development company Sales in Action (SiA) has been started by former Codemasters N. American Sales Vp Howard Horowitz. SiA said its goal was “to assist consumer electronic and game publishing companies in the North American market” sell and market their products to retailers. Horowitz said: “Given the predicted and past growth of the North American interactive entertainment market -- probably somewhere around $18 billion by 2004 for combined console and PC software sales -- foreign publishers, developers and distributors could add 40% to their gross revenue by getting in this market.” SiA said it could “reduce costs by outsourcing and shortening the time it takes to put together an effective sales, marketing and logistics plan and team,” adding that “outsourcing these functions allows companies to focus on their core competencies -- product development.” New company said it was composed of “entertainment industry veterans with over 15 years’ experience.”
Additional mmWire/Videogame news in this issue: (1) Sony rules out PlayStation 2 price cuts before spring. (P. 2). (2) Execution is key to success of new platforms, says Gerard Klauer Mattison report on videogame industry. (P. 4)
Integration of newly acquired MB Quart and Audio Innovations is proceeding on plan, Rockford Corp. executives told financial analysts in conference call Wed. to discuss 3rd quarter financial results.
EA Sports started shipping Madden NFL 2002 for GameCube and NASCAR Thunder 2002 for Xbox. NFL title now is available on 7 game platforms, game maker said, and Game Boy Advance (GBA) version will follow Nov. 19.
Consumer Electronics Daily will observe Veterans Day holiday Mon., Nov. 12. Next issue will be Tues., Nov. 13.
Sony “plug-and-play” XM receiver has been rolled out to stores nationally, coinciding with nationwide commercial availability of XM Satellite Radio service, Sony said Thurs. Sony model, introduced at last Las Vegas CES, is only satellite radio receiver thus far designed to be shuttled between home and car.