Ken Gold, ex-eYada Media Group, joins Majesco as mktg. vp… Ta-Wei Chien shifts to TiVo senior vp in charge of new Technology Business Unit from senior vp-engineering & service operations… Peter Fannon, Matsushita America vp-technology policy & regulatory affairs, named chmn. of new CEA DTV Subdivision through 2002… Retiring from Polaroid: Samuel Liggero, vp-media R&D; Paul Lambert, senior vp; Thomas Hennigan, vp-information technology… Robert Gargus, ex-TelCom Semiconductor, joins Silicon Image as CFO and vp-finance & administration… CVS Exec. Vp-CFO David Rickard elected a dir., Harris Corp.

Electronic Arts started shipping NBA Live 2002 for PlayStation at $39.95 and PlayStation 2 at $49.95 under its EA Sports brand. Xbox version of game will follow in Dec., Redwood City, Cal., game maker said. Separately, EA said it is looking for beta testers for its Global Operations first-person action PC game. “Public test of the game… will be occurring shortly” at www.globalopsgame.com, EA said. Final version of game is slated to ship in early 2002.

Iris Knobloch, London-based Warner Home Video vp-business & legal affairs since 1999, promoted to AOL Time Warner senior vp- international relations and strategic policy, Europe, effective Nov. 1… John Ryan relinquishes Macrovision CEO post to Pres.- COO William Krepick, but will remain chmn… Ken Krasner, onetime RCA Records, joins N.Y.-based Mktg. Services Group as managing dir.-media & entertainment.

Consumer intentions on buying TV sets fell in Oct. from Sept., according to preliminary data in Conference Board monthly survey. Of 5,000 households polled, 6.7% said they planned to buy TV set in next 6 months, down from 7.5% in Sept., 7.3% in Aug., 6.9% in Oct. 2000. Consumer Confidence Index fell in Oct. for 4th consecutive month, and at 85.5 stood at lowest point since Feb. 1994. Conference Board said: “Widespread layoffs and rising unemployment do not signal a rebound in confidence any time soon. With the holiday season quickly approaching, there is little positive stimuli on the horizon.”

“Travel concerns” prompted by govt. warning of possible new terrorist attacks caused Boys II Men to cancel trip to Washington Tues. for RIAA news briefing to launch “Songs of the Century” education program with National Endowment for the Arts and Scholastic Inc.

Microsoft selected Activision as distribution partner for Xbox videogame system in Germany. As part of agreement, Santa Monica, Cal., game maker Activision will distribute Xbox hardware and software to German independent retail channels -- excluding toy channel -- via its established NBG EDV Handles & Verlags subsidiary. Activision said deal “further strengthens” its “distribution and marketing operations in Germany where it currently provides videogames from Activision and other leading independent software publishers.” Xbox Gen. Mgr. J Allard said his company had “invested considerable time and resources into potential distribution partnerships” and believes Activision deal “will result in greater overall efficiencies for Microsoft.” Latter said NBG was named Xbox partner “after a thorough selection process led by” Microsoft Home and Retail Div. Dir. Risto Rautakorpi and “was chosen based on meeting a number of criteria including skills, experience, efficiencies in customer management, leading edge approach, account management, logistical execution, system’s flexibility, adequacy of storage facilities and financial strength.” Xbox is slated to ship in Europe on March 14 at 479 euros ($434), following Nov. 15 N. America rollout at $299.

Lycos global Web network said “Xbox” was 29th most popular online search by its users in week ended Oct. 27. Xbox beat out PlayStation 2 (#39) for first time during week and was considerably ahead of GameCube, which Lycos said missed top 50.

As CompUSA continues to promote its new “game fixx” initiative, Sam Goody started promoting its venture into game business. One of Goody’s first steps has been to start e-mailing customers of its online music/video business to inform them of retail chain’s full selection of product in category across all platforms. Videogame segment, however, isn’t new for Best Buy, which acquired Goody stores when it bought Musicland earlier this year.

MusicMatch reported record unit sales of its Jukebox personalized music software for Oct. San Diego company said Tues. software sales in month had “grown more than 60% since the same month last year.” Company also said its “installed base and the number of MusicMatch Jukebox active users has more than tripled,” saying “more than 24 million music fans are registered users of MusicMatch Jukebox… compared to 8 million just one year ago.” Spokeswoman told us: “We don’t share income/loss figures publically, but revenue growth was 63% over last year.” Privately held company was started in 1997 and its principal investors are Thomson Multimedia, Redpoint Ventures, Intel Capital.

Gemini Industries signed agreement to license Scottsdale Technologies’ Digital-IR technology that allows remote control to be upgraded with product codes downloaded from Internet. Gemini will ship Philips brand 6-function remote containing technology in Feb. at $69 and is likely expand it to 4- and 8-function devices as well, Business Development Vp Robert Heiblim said. Remote is updated by pointing it at PC screen displaying promoteremote.com Web site. Codes then are uploaded from screen via IR light signals and stored in remote. Rather than ROM chip typically found in standard remote with preloaded product codes, Digital-IR-based remote contains EPROM to accommodate those downloaded from Web site. In focus group tests, first-time users were able to complete process in 10 min., Heiblim said. Gemini will maintain Web site and update database and has rights under agreement to license technology to 3rd parties, he said. Philips will manufacture remote in Spain and market it in Europe, while Gemini handles sales in U.S. Scottsdale said it would receive royalty payments of $5 million in next 2 years. It receives minimum monthly royalty payment of $15,000 and minimum royalty of 25? per unit manufactured. Scottsdale, founded in 1996, originally was purveyor of Light Link IR technology that it included in Program Master remote device that controlled TV, VCR and cable box and could be updated via software. It also marketed Electronic TV Host service that promised to deliver weekly TV listings to PC via modem.