Tremor Entertainment shareholders approved merger plan making Burbank Xbox videogame developer subsidiary of New Systems. If deal is finalized, Tremor will become public company and New Systems will change its name to Tremor Entertainment. Tremor is under contract with Microsoft to create original action fantasy game under Microsoft label for Xbox. Title is scheduled to ship next fall. Tremor CEO Steven Oshinsky said: “With the approval of the Tremor shareholders now in place, we have entered the final regulatory process to complete the merger which we expect will occur in the next 30 days. Tremor is now tracking its 2nd year of more than 100% growth in revenue with 2002 estimated at [$2.9 million], up from [$1.3 million] in 2001, and $502,205 in 2000. Becoming a public company is now essential to our growth, as game development become more capital intensive in terms of time and personnel required.”
Commercial TV broadcasters no longer will demand that cable must-carry apply to both analog and digital signals during transition to DTV, backing off from position supported by consumer electronics industry as way to spur DTV set sales. That was decision of NAB TV board in conference call Thurs. reached, we're told, after board members realized that after 4 years of demanding dual must-carry from cable “has gotten us nowhere [in Congress or at FCC] and it was time for a change.” New position was approved by NAB Exec. Committee last week and was adopted after several months’ work by Digital Task Force headed by Michael McCarthy of Belo.
FCC Chmn. Michael Powell named interagency team to review EchoStar-DirecTV merger Thurs. as companies began regulatory process with SEC filing outlining parameters of deal and laying groundwork for what’s expected to be rigorous antitrust review. Cable Bureau Chief and future head of Media Bureau Kenneth Ferree will head FCC group that also includes Senior Counsel James Bird; FCC Chief Economist David Sappington; Cable Bureau Assoc. Chief Barbara Espin; Chief; Office of Engineering & Technology Deputy Chief Julius Knapp; International Bureau Satellite Div.’s JoAnn Lucanik; Cable Bureau Deputy Chief Royce Sherlock; Office of Plans & Policy economist Donald Stockdale; International Bureau economist Douglas Webbink. Powell said he tried to include experts on issues involved and he was “confident” review would be “thorough, fair and timely.” He said that he expected transaction to be “rigorously scrutinized” by FCC and that team would “expedite” review process.
Infogrames is shipping 3 new titles in Backyard Sports series for kids from its Humongous Entertainment Studio: Backyard Baseball and Backyard Football 2002 for PC and Macintosh and Backyard Soccer for PlayStation. Each game is rated E and is $19.99.
New joint venture Xsido was formed by Sega, Japanese Web investor Softbank and Taiwan PC manufacturer Acer to distribute games via high-speed Internet networks, Tokyo report said Thurs. New company will offer Sega Dreamcast games and other entertainment content by companies including Namco and Avex to Internet service providers (ISPs), along with device that makes software available to users regardless of specifications of their PC or videogame console. ISPs then will sell games and entertainment content to consumers. Business has been capitalized at ?534 million ($4.4 million) and is targeting ISPs in Japan, S. Korea, Taiwan. Investors SK Global and Winstron each holds 14.6% stake in company. Latter is Acer subsidiary that will be making software device. Sega also has 14.6% stake in company, while Softbank invested 30%.
Enix America began shipping Dragon Warrior VII for PlayStation at $39.99.
RadioShack will implement new strategy in early 2002 that tailors merchandise mix of stores to individual markets, marking major break with cookie-cutter approach that has been chain’s hallmark.
Codemasters secured global publishing rights to game IGI 2, sequel to Project IGI: I'm Going In. New game is to ship in 2nd quarter next year for PC and is being developed by Oslo-based team Innerloop Studios As -- same group that made first title.
Acclaim Entertainment is backing release of PS2 videogame Burnout with marketing campaign including dedicated Web site at www.acclaim.com, national print and TV ads, online contests. Game, developed by Criterion Games, is one of few titles Sony International will support this holiday season with co-marketing money in European markets, Glen Cove, N.Y.-based Acclaim said. Game is shipping now at $49.99.
Peter Weedfald, ex-Bigfoot Interactive, joins Samsung Electronics America as vp-mktg. communications & new media, new post… Yuichiro (Woody) Deguchi, founder-CEO of Sony’s eMarker venture in San Francisco, joins Mediabolic as vp-sales, Asia- Pacific.