Microsoft declined to say how many Xbox consoles would actually ship on first day of videogame system’s European rollout in spring. Company said Xbox would ship March 14 at 479 euros (1 euro = 90 cents) in 16 major European markets. Details were announced by company at X01 show in Cannes, France, Wed. after our deadline. Microsoft did say, however, that through end of June, it planned to ship 1.5 million Xbox hardware units in Europe. Shipments there will include weekly replenishment from Xbox manufacturing facility in Hungary, it said. Majority of Xbox games would be priced at 69 euros but company didn’t say how many titles would ship at European rollout. Microsoft spotlighted 40 playable games at X01 while other games were announced for first time or shown on video. New games announced included Xbox exclusive BC from Lionhead Studios division Intrepid Games. Lionhead also demonstrated role-playing game Project Ego for first time. Both games are being published by Microsoft Games. Microsoft also announced more new first party titles, including Brute Force and Rallisport Challenge. Games were announced and/or demonstrated by Activision, Eidos, Electronic Arts, Infogrames, Sega, Tecmo, THQ, Ubi Soft. X01 was held at Maison Bulles mansion designed almost 30 years ago by Pierre Cardin. Xbox is scheduled to ship in N. America Nov. 15 and in Japan Feb. 22. As in Europe, it remained unclear at our deadline how many consoles would ship in N. America on Day One. Nintendo said its GameCube, to be available in N. America Nov. 18, would ship in Europe early next year but has yet to provide ship date.
Kimball International said first quarter net income plunged to $4.8 million from $10.8 million year ago as sales slid to $285.7 million from $320.8 million. Lower profit came as sales of Kimball’s furniture and cabinets business, including rear- projection TVs, and electronic contract assemblies dropped. Furniture revenue fell to $193.5 million from $223.7 million as sales shifted to lower margin products, company said. Operating profit improved at Kimball’s projection-TV cabinet plant in Juarez despite downturn in sales. Kimball purchased Juarez factory from Zenith in late 1990s as CE company disposed of manufacturing businesses. Electronic contract assemblies segment sales declined to $92.2 million from $97.1 million in year.
As first DVD+RW recorders ship to stores from Philips, DVD Format/Logo Licensing Corp. (DVD FLLC)has posted advisory distancing itself and DVD Forum’s DVD-RAM and DVD-RW standards from proprietary DVD+RW recording system.
XM Satellite Radio Thurs. carried through with earlier announced plans to expand commercial service across southern half of U.S. and announced agreement on $66 million financial package that company said would be sufficient to fund operations “deep into” 2nd quarter of 2002.
Promoted at Kenwood USA: Sally House to mktg. communications mgr., Brian Towne to national product mgr., home and mobile electronics, (James Yamasaki to product mgr., navigation… Gary Wesley advanced to dir.-planning & business development for eBridge direct mktg. project, Sony Digital Authoring Services.
Samsung signed $56 million PDP supply contract with Italy’s Sambers. Samsung will ship 14,000 50W PDPs to Sambers over life of 3-year contract -- 2,000, 4,000 and 8,000 in 2002, 2003 and 2004, respectively. Samsung, which began production in July, has month capacity at Chonan, S. Korea, plant of 30,000 units. Other OEM customers include Acer and Sampo. Samsung also signed on Electrograph to distribute its PDPs in U.S.
Promotional and educational campaign for DVD Forum- sanctioned DVD-RAM and DVD-RW video recording formats will be outlined at briefing by Recordable DVD Council during Comdex PC show. Event is scheduled for Mon., Nov. 12, 2-4:30 p.m., Las Vegas Hilton’s Ballroom G.
NovaLogic is expanding its Comanche game franchise) to Xbox console. Calabasas, Cal., game maker said Xbox helicopter title would ship in late 2002. Comanche will be NovaLogic’s first title for Xbox, it said.
Mad Catz Interactive became latest licensee of Immersion’s TouchSense technology for videogame console peripherals, companies said Wed. Deal expands partnership established by companies in 1998. Mad Catz Pres.-COO Darren Richardson said technology was “valuable asset to console and peripheral manufacturers” because it added “increased sense of realism” to gameplay.