Broadband Web site and game developer MindComet released online 3D hockey game Power Puck, custom-designed for NHL team Tampa Bay Lightning. Game, available at http://www.tampabaylightning.com, is co-branded with Thompson’s Computer Warehouse (TCWO.com) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). Game is 2nd 3D hockey title from Orlando, Fla.-based MindComet. CEO Ted Murphy said: “Web sites are hungry for this type of rich media [and] we have seen an explosion in development requests from Web publishers and advertising agencies.” MindComet said Lightning joins Edge Gel, Sunshine Network and Yupo Corp. America, who “have all chosen to develop online games to promote their Web site and brand.”
Chrysler and Activision signed marketing deal aligning car manufacturer’s Jeep brand with game maker’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 PlayStation 2 title, shipping now. DaimlerChrysler Mktg. Communications Vp Jeff Bell said strategic placement of Jeep brand would now reach console gamers, which he called “a most elusive audience target,” adding: “It’s an audience that has great spending potential, though they don’t buy into traditional marketing messages.” Companies said deal represented “first marketing partnership between the Jeep brand and Activision.” As part of deal, Activision Global Publishing-Brand Management Exec. Vp Kathy Vrabeck said: “Jeep will not only have branding within the gaming landscape such as virtual ad billboards and signs, but we have also worked closely with the company to put images of Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Liberty vehicles into the virtual street skate environment” of game.
Amazon.com, as expected, opened Magazine Subscriptions store at its Web site. Store offers wide range of enthusiast, national and regional publications at savings off newsstand prices. Separately, it said lawsuit it filed to prevent former international CFO Christopher Zyda from taking job at eBay was thrown out of U.S. Dist. Court, Seattle, because Judge Barbara Rothstein ruled federal courts had no jurisdiction in matter. Amazon expressed disappointment with ruling, saying Zyda’s noncompetition and confidentiality agreements with Amazon should prevent him from taking job at competitor eBay.
XM Satellite Radio had more than 500 subscriber activations as of Sept. 30, 5 days after commercial service was introduced in Dallas-Ft. Worth and San Diego, company said in reporting 3rd quarter financial results. It said it since had seen “ramp-up” of subscriber activations as new markets were added and additional retail outlets began carrying XM receivers, but it didn’t specify figure. Terrorist attacks delayed Sept. 12 rollout activities in Dallas and San Diego and “slowed the delivery of XM radios into the distribution chain,” but problems there have been resolved, company said. Completion of national rollout is on schedule for mid-Nov., when XM receivers will be available in 6,000 storefronts, company said. XM consolidated losses narrowed to $70.8 million (-$1.14 per share) in quarter vs. year-earlier $160.1-million loss (-$3.26).
Boston Acoustics and Visteon will develop and deliver Boston Acoustics-branded OEM autosound systems to automakers under joint development agreement announced Tues. Agreement could provide boost to Boston Acoustics OEM business, which has slumped because of its reliance on Gateway Computer as dominant customer of multimedia PC speakers.
NCUBE Corp. and Widevine Technologies announced agreement to offer streaming media security to broadband service operators. “Encryption on the fly” integrates nCUBE’s n4 Streaming Media Appliance with Widevine Cypher, Widevine video-on-demand (VoD) technologies. Idea is to provide broadband service operators, media and entertainment companies secure means for deploying digital content on-demand to consumer devices such as personal computer and TV set-top box. Partnership will work to secure “valuable and proprietary digital content from being stolen, hacked or otherwise compromised,” nCube Pres. Michael Pohl said.
Sears opened 2nd store that melds CE and appliances in freestanding location in Bolingbrook, Ill., and will add 3rd in Mount Prospect, Ill., by early Nov., Home Electronics Vp-Gen. Mgr. Ray Brown said. Sears opened first test store in Ind. earlier this year and thus far has posted sales incremental to existing department store locations, Brown said. “If you look at the trading area and the stores that used to service it incrementally we are growing that business,” he said. Brown declined to release sales figures. While first 3 stores have same format, “I can’t say we won’t looking at tweaking it next year and 2002, to a certain degree, will vary [in format] at least slightly.”
BMC Industries, hampered by slowdown in sales of TV and PC monitor masks, reported $4.1 million 3rd quarter loss, vs. $2.7 million profit year ago as revenue plunged to $73.3 million from $90.2 million.
Infogrames started shipping Sid Meier’s Civilization III E- (Everyone) rated PC game at $49.99. Special edition is also available at $59.99. Title was developed by Firaxis Games and runs on PCs with Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP operating systems. Macinstosh version is slated to ship in March, Infogrames said.
Bestway Rentals received waiver from lender after violating requirement of $10 million credit agreement governing interest coverage ratio, it said in SEC filing. Rental chain, which operates 83 stores, received series waivers earlier this year before credit agreement was formally amended Oct. 26 and extended to Feb. 28. Bestway sold stores in Lafayette, Tenn., and Hickory, N.C. this fall to Value Rentals and Rent-a-Center for $216,841 and $113,541, respectively. At same time, it purchased outlets in Tenn. from Instant Rentals ($148,000) and Ala. from Zajac’s Electronics Service Center ($296,000). Bestway said net income for year ended July 31 fell to $97,488 from $397,413 year earlier as revenue rose to $35.9 million from $34.9 million. CE accounted for 32% of revenue, followed by home furniture (27%), appliances (16%).