Mad Catz Interactive opened redesigned and improved corporate Web site, www.madcatz.com. Revamped site includes detailed product information, current and historical financial information, investor information and password-protected secure section for retailers, designers and developers. Consumers also can buy Mad Catz products direct from San Diego-based game accessory maker.
Although digital still camera (DSC) category was among strongest in U.S. at start of this year, economic woes, exacerbated by Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, have started to affect category’s growth. NPD Intelect Analyst Thomas Edwards told us Mon. that while category had been growing “exponentially,” same economic troubles that had hit overall CE industry in last few months had started to have effect on DSCs as well. Because there’s concern over economy, he said, “people are buying what they need. They're not buying what they want” -- and DSCs are “still a want” for most consumers.
Future Shop founder Hassan Khosrowshahi departs as chmn.-CEO following its acquisition by Best Buy; Kevin Layden remains Future Shop pres.-COO, reporting to Best Buy Pres.-COO Brad Anderson.
Senate action on energy bill passed by House that would set strict standby mode power limit on consumer electronics devices was less likely after Sept. 11 attacks. Still, bill sponsors were “still optimistic the Senate will act before the end of the year,” they said. Bill, proposed Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) Act of 2001 (HR-4) by House Commerce Committee Chmn. Tauzin (R-La.), was passed by House Aug. 2 and placed on Senate calendar Sept. 4, days before terrorist attacks that upended agenda of Congress. “If we remain in session until Thanksgiving, as many people predict and expect us to be, I think there is a good chance the Senate will deliver an energy bill,” Tauzin spokesman Ken Johnson said. If Congress adjourns sooner due to “a new threat, then chances are problematic,” he said.
Microsoft kicked off broadcast ad campaign for Xbox with series of stylized teaser spots centered on glowing green “jewel” of console. Teasers are 15 and 30 sec. ads running on networks including Comedy Central, ESPN, Fox, MTV, UPN. Campaign was produced by McCann-Erickson Worldwide. Teaser ads will be followed Nov. 11 by ads spotlighting games available when system starts shipping Nov. 15 in N. America. Campaign is running throughout holiday season. Broadcast campaign is being backed by print ads in game magazines and lifestyle publications including Rolling Stone. Microsoft called broadcast ads “cornerstone” of its larger marketing effort to increase awareness of game system that includes national promotions with companies including SoBe, Taco Bell, Vans.
Sony will increase CE production in China in effort to trim costs, Chmn. Nobuyuki Idei said, without revealing specific plans. Comment came at recent East Asia Summit sponsored by World Economic Forum. Sony already manufactures at 6 plants in China, including 4 joint ventures, making products such as TVs and components, with DVD players announced to come on line soon.
Chunghwa Picture Tubes laid off 300 employees at Yangmei, Taiwan, plant as it halted CRT production on 2 lines. It will formally close lines, which produced 17-19” CRTs for PC monitors and 20” for TVs, by year-end and transfer some workers to TFT LCD and plasma display panel factories in Padeh, Taiwan, company said. Yangmei plant will retain two 17” color CRT lines and 1,500 employees, it said.
Downloads of new DivX video compression format have exceeded one million in last 2 weeks, developer DivXNetworks said. It said new MPEG-4 based codec, DivX 4.02 and DivX Playa had 20% faster encoding speed and improved visual quality compared with original DivX 4.0. More than 5 million downloads have been recorded since release of 4.0 version in June, DivXNetworks said. Company estimated that more than 25 million downloads had occurred since DivX codec emerged in 1999. Technology’s high compression ratio enables easier sending of digital video over Internet.
Technology licensing and marketing agreement was announced by ESS Technology and NEC under which former will develop enhanced versions of NEC system controller chips for digital set- top boxes and other devices. ESS and NEC also agreed to jointly promote ESS system controller devices for NEC’s VR-series of microprocessors.