Nintendo unveiled a highly-sensitive motion controller add-on for its Wii system as it seeks to capitalise on its position as the global console leader.

At the E3 games conference in Los Angeles, the firm showed off its Wii MotionPlus, which it promised would add more realism and depth to games.

The company has sold more than 10 million Wii consoles and 70 million DS handheld machines worldwide.

Rival Sony has announced a larger capacity version of its PlayStation 3.

At a later press conference, Sony unveiled a film download service and an 80-gigabyte hard drive version of PS3 for gamers in North America.

Factfile: The Wii

Surprise success

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said innovation was key for the company.
“Even if it is revolutionary sooner or later, people become tired of a new form of entertainment,” he said.

Addressing the rapid turnaround in Nintendo’s fortunes over the last two years, Mr Iwata admitted that the success of the company had taken even staff at Nintendo by surprise.

Referring to the success of the Wii, and peripherals like the balance board, he said: “Everyone had a pessimistic view of Nintendo in 2003.

“Even Nintendo employees could not have imagined that five years later the market respond so quickly that we could sell millions of bathroom scales around the world.”

Mr Iwata, who was speaking to media at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, said the firm’s success had resulted in a paradigm shift in the industry, with hardware sales growing in periods outside the traditional high spots, and software titles like Brain Training and Nintendogs having two-year life spans on retail shelves.

Nintendo said recently European sales of the Wii numbered more than 200,000 each week.

But Mr Iwata did not touch upon supply issues that have continued to affect Wii sales almost two years after its launch.

Screen Digest analyst Piers Harding-Rolls said Nintendo were proving to be very determined and targeted in their approach.

“They are very good at designing hardware and the production line of content; they have got a knack of producing great content and if they keep doing that, they keep innovating.”

New titles to come

Launching the Wii MotionPlus, which plugs into the existing Wiimote controller, Nintendo America boss Reggie Fils-Aime said: “It renders every light shift of the wrist or arm into the gameplay.”

The firm also unveiled WiiSports Resort, the first title to takes advantage of the new add-on.
Nintendo fans hoping to learn new details on established franchises like Mario and Zelda were left disappointed. Mr Iwata said only that the teams behind the games were “hard at work” and new titles were under development.

The company did unveil a Grand Theft Auto game in development for the DS console and a new Wii title, called Music, which sees gamers play more than 50 musical instruments by using the Wiimote motion-sensitive controller.

Mr Iwata said the success of the Wii and the DS was proof of a new form of social interaction developing.

He said: “I believe we must find more ways for players to feel engaged, different ways for them to be enriched. The overall experience from our products must be increased enthusiasm.”

Online revolution

Across Los Angeles, at the Shrine Auditorium, Sony America boss Jack Tretton delivered his vision for the firm in the coming months.

He told the audience that Sony had succeeded in the business by taking a long-term view of a console’s lifespan, pointing out that some of the biggest games for the previous generation PlayStation 2 were not delivered until a number of years into its cycle.

“We’re well on the way to selling more than 10 million PlayStation 3s,” he said.

The emphasis of the briefing was on the firm’s online service, PlayStation network, which offers games, films and TV content.

Unveiling the new film download system, he said: “Just as our (online) game store serves all game publishers, the PlayStation Network video delivery service is open for business for all studios and networks.”

Users will be able to download titles to their PlayStation 3 or PC, and transfer them to a PlayStation portable console.

“It’s a huge step towards advancing the PSP and PlayStation 3 value. The PSP is part of our overall strategy to bring movies and games to the living room.”

A number of new games were unveiled at the press conference, including MAG, a massively multiplayer online first person shooter. Up to 256 gamers will be able to do battle in teams of eight across the PlayStation Network.

Mr Tretton said it would “revolutionise online gaming”.

God of War 3, a sequel to the popular Sony franchise, was announced for the PS3 and the audience was shown new footage of titles like first-person shooter Resistance 2 and action-platform game LittleBigPlanet, which has an October release date.

Mr Harding-Rolls said Sony’s briefing delivered the most excitement in terms of announcements for gamers.

“The video store has been coming for a long time. But the download-to-own aspect of content is a coup in comparison to the rental model on Xbox Live.

“They are also more varied in their strategies for digital distribution of premium gaming content than their rivals.”

Fashion house Louis Vuitton proved on Thursday that it is willing to forgive and forget unauthorized use of its famous logo—for a price.

The company settled a charge against Sony BMG, which had allowed several of its artists to use unapproved versions of the Louis Vuitton logo in music videos and on CD marketing materials. Pop singer Britney Spears, for instance, appeared in a video with a car that featured a dashboard covered in the LV print.

Neither Sony BMG nor Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey would disclose the amount Sony agreed to pay to settle the case, but an industry insider said the price was well above $300,000. Sony BMG did not return calls seeking comment.

“We are very pleased to have successfully resolved these matters in a manner that protects our brand and our customers,” said Nathalie Moulle-Berteaux, Louis Vuitton’s intellectual property director. “We believe the terms of this agreement will provide strong protection to our brand worldwide.”

Louis Vuitton has been on the forefront of protecting its intellectual property. The French firm recently won a case in Parisian court against online auction company eBay Inc., which had been selling counterfeit LVMH goods. Luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co. lost a similar case in the U.S. just days later.

Sony’s case against Louis Vuitton was likely damaged by the fact that the artists did not use genuine LVMH products in the infractions, said Peter Sloane, an attorney at Ostrolenk Faber LLP who specializes in trademarks and copyrights. In the case of Ms. Spears, Louis Vuitton does not make dashboard covers or even sell reams of logo fabric that could be fashioned as such.

“Entertainment companies such as Sony need to carefully vet their images to make sure they protect the intellectual property rights of other brands,” Mr. Sloane said.

Although the case between the two firms will likely resonate within the entertainment industry, one music scenester said most music video producers are already careful about which logos appear on film.

When Sony opted to print a likeness of Vuitton’s logo on singer Ruben Studdard’s CD, The Return, it went too far, said Rasheem Barker, an executive assistant at Violator Management & Records, which oversees a number of entertainment artists. “That’s a major problem because it looks like Louis Vuitton sponsored it,” he said.

Even for songs that name-drop luxury brands, from Cristal champagne to Ferraris, entertainment managers typically try to get permission from each firm to use their images on a shoot, Mr. Barker said.

Leading the way is Kishore Biyani-led Future Group that is opening unisex salons, gaming centres  and family entertainment centres at its nine Big Bazaar Supercentres. Similarly, Vishal Retail is  planning to start salons within the premises of its 120-odd outlets.

Shoppers Stop has introduced its brand of cafes, bookstores and spas within its stores to make  consumers spend more time and entice them to buy more.

Shoppers Stop vice-president (marketing) Vinay Bhatia feels such options are important to retain  customers. “A customer now looks for more than just shopping. We realise that convergence of retail  and entertainment is the way to enhance a shopper’s experience. We are constantly trying to get  things that are ‘shopping plus’. So we have Crossword, our bookstore, Cafe Brio & DesiCafe and  other such specialty stores within Shoppers Stop stores to enrich consumer experience.”

The Raheja Group-promoted Shoppers Stop is putting its best foot forward to attract shoppers. The  company has added small spa centres, allowing consumers a quick foot massage. Then there are  bookstores and cafes along with several other initiatives to attract customers and make them spend  more time inside the store. It has also introduced a ‘Monsoon Makeover’ offering that promises free  makeover for people who walk in.

Following suit is Vishal Retail that will begin by opening salons within the premises of its stores. Says  Vishal Retail chairman RC Agarwal, “The initiative is in the planning stage. There is a definite market  for these services.”

Spencer’s Retail is also going the extra mile to ensure visitors stay longer and are entertained well.  Across the stores, there are live kitchens on weekends that have Japanese, Thai and Italian chefs.

Then there is Books & Beyond, Spencer’s brand of bookstores that has periodic book reading  sessions and launches. Stores are also lined with interactive LCD screens that have both original  and borrowed content entertaining people.

“We do a business of Rs 100 crore every month. This is 5% of our revenues. Today, consumers  expect to feel relaxed and entertained. This is important for a chain like ours that wants to be  differentiated. This concept, however, may not have much potential with discount chains,” says  Spencer’s Retail marketing V-P Samar Singh Sheikhawat.

There are still others like Subhiksha Retail MD R Subramaniam who think it wise to continue retailing  what they currently do. “We are staying focused on what we sell, groceries, mobile phones and  medicines. There will be a foray into consumer durables and IT products soon.”

Gaining Share

▪ Future Group is opening unisex salons, gaming centres and family entertainment centres at its nine  Big Bazaar Supercentres.

▪ Vishal Retail is planning to start salons within premises of its 120-odd outlets.

▪ Shoppers Stop has introduced its own brand of cafes, bookstores and spas within its stores to  make consumers spend more time at the store and entice them to buy more.

▪ Spencer’s Retail has set up live kitchens and book stores to ensure customers spend more time.

▪ Smaller players like Subhiksha Retail think it wise to continue retailing what they presently do.

Mumbai’s multiplexes are growing bigger and better and working towards transforming themselves into complete entertainment zones. A couple are working towards having 14 or 15 screens, to give you a much wider choice than ever before, and some others are trying to get liquor licences so that you can wash down your movie experience with the choicest of liquor.

And, if your kids are bored with the movie, you can also leave them out in the children’s play area or, better still, book a ticket for them in the theatre where the screen is dedicated to kids’ films.

Reliance Adlabs is one of the firms that is planning a double-digit number of screens in one of its megaplexes; its Kurla plex will have 15 screens. Besides, it plans to have the Ebony Lounge where there will be an attendant waiting only on you as you wine and dine while watching the movie of your choice.

The firm is investing Rs 30 crore on what will be India’s largest megaplex. Spokesperson Tushar Dhingra said, “It will have 15-16 screens, including an IMAX 3D digital screen, food and beverage lounges, special screens for kids and sports screens.” Adlabs is also opening a nine-screen multiplex at Ghatkopar.

D B Realty Orchid Zone Mall will match Reliance Adlabs with a 14-screen multiplex at Dahisar. Nabil Patel, one of the directors of the company said, “The multiplex will accommodate 2,786 people and be ready by early 2010. A visit here will be a global experience. It will have laser lights and water fountains similar to the ones you see in Sydney and Las Vegas. We, in fact, have the same companies doing it for us.”

D B Realty is now talking to three major multiplex owners for a possible tie-up. Patel added, “We have shortlisted three of them and will finalise the deal with one of them early next week.” D B Realty will have a 300,000-sq-ft food court.

PVR Cinemas, one of the pioneers in multiplex culture, is planning a PVR Premiere at Lower Parel. This will have a “stadium-type” seating arrangement. PVR Goregaon has just been launched with six screens and a seating capacity of 1,700.

It has a kids’ play area with leather-cushioned seats furnished with toys and has tied up with kids’ channel Pogo. PVR has also installed 2K digital cinema that allows you to see films on a bigger screen.

PVR vice-president (marketing) Ranjan Singh said: “We already have an 11-screen multiplex in Bangalore which is doing wonderfully well. We are planning a seven-screen multiplex in Mumbai.”

Fun Cinemas, too, will soon get a facelift but vice-president (marketing) Vishal Anand is not ready to disclose details. It has one of the best gaming zones and food courts in Mumbai.

Cinemax already has the Red Lounge with reclining and massage chairs and introduces karaoke sound and television monitors during cricket and football matches. Marketing head Dewang Sampat said, “We are planning to add more gaming zones and food courts at our existing properties in Mumbai.”

Discovery!, which launched earlier this summer as an exclusive with Big Fish Games, challenges players to hunt for more than 1,000 hidden objects through the U.S. and six international hot spots. Players can choose from 20 contestants to play and earn achievement stamps in five different game modes.

Also launching for retail is an all-new compilation of four games from WildTangent Studios, published by MumboJumbo, Polar Sports, Volume 1. The collection includes Polar Bowler, Polar Golfer, Penguins! and Polar Tubing, and it will retail for $19.99. Later this fall, MumboJumbo also will release the popular Polar Bowler for the Nintendo DS(TM). Since launching the original Polar Games for digital download, there have been more than 13 million players worldwide.

“We’re very excited about the titles we’re bringing to Wal-Mart and other national retailers this quarter,” said Mark Cottam, CEO of MumboJumbo. “Discovery! and Polar Sports are both fun titles that casual gamers really enjoy, and we’re confident that they will perform well at retail.”

With a growing casual game market, estimated at 200 million players by the Casual Game Association, casual games are becoming more readily available. Discovery! and Polar Sports will both retail for $19.99. Discovery is rated ‘E’ for Everyone, and Polar Sports is rated ‘E’ for Everyone with a descriptor for comic mischief.

A source familiar with the deal told Reuters the phone would go on sale next month.
The free music package is a cornerstone of the cellphone maker’s push into the services business, but also sets a trend for other gadget makers, like Apple, to follow.

Nokia says its “Comes with Music” package will differ from other market offerings because it will allow users to keep all the music they have downloaded during the 12 months.

Universal, Sony BMG and Warner Music Group have signed deals with Nokia to offer their tracks on the service, bringing the world’s three largest labels on board.

Meanwhile Carphone will get exclusive rights for unsubsidised Nokia 5310 XpressMusic “Comes with Music” edition sales in Britain, the Finnish company said in a statement.

Nokia has not unveiled sales numbers for the almost year-old 5310 model, one of its first mid-tier music phones, but it said that in the January-March quarter it sold more than 4 million units of its 5310 and 5610 models combined.

Nokia, which plans to roll out further details about its music service on October 2, said Carphone would start taking British pre-orders on Tuesday, but declined to say when sales would start or offer any pricing information.

The ailing music industry is struggling to find ways to make up for falling CD sales and the digital music market totalled just $2.9 billion (1.6 billion pounds) in 2007.

Nokia sold 146 million music phones last year, and if all of those had included the “Comes with Music” bundle, just an extra $20 per phone would make Nokia’s service bigger than the total market.

With its iconic touch-screen model, Apple’s iPhone shocked the handset industry last year, but due to high prices it has not captured a mass following in Europe.

Now, Nokia has stolen the spotlight from Apple in the digital music world, analysts say.
Record labels are looking to Nokia and others to challenge the dominance of Apple’s iTunes as they have struggled to negotiate with the American group on a level footing when it comes to issues such as pricing.

Eventually it would also create enormous opportunity for retail sector. It will entice big companies to do investments and become part of Dubai’s growth & development process through various formats like Leisure & Vacation World, Retail & Entertainment World, Restaurants, Shopping malls, Sports facilities, Health spas, Cinemas, EcoTourism, Luxury hotels, Water theme parks, as these are the main attraction of Modernization

The Palm, Jebel Ali & Jumeirah
The twin palmshaped islands off the coast of Dubai are the luxurious and unique seaside communities of The Palm, Jebel Ali and The Palm, Jumeirah. These manmade islands are considered the eighth wonder of the world and can be seen from space. Each development
will contain 50 luxury hotels, 2,500 exclusive residential beachside villas, 2,400 shoreline apartments, two marinas, water theme parks, restaurants, shopping malls, sports facilities, health spas and cinemas.

The Palm, Deira
This is the third and last development in The Palm series by Nakheel. The Palm, Deira will merge Dubai’s oldest district with the new iconic image of the palm. Located close to historic landmarks and trading ports of Deira Corniche, the Palm, Deira will be a revolutionary addition to the Dubai’s booming freehold property development market.

InternationalCity
The International City encompasses businesses, residences and tourist attractions and is made up of six key areas, including The Central Districts, Dubai Gates, The Dragon Mart, The Residential District, Lake District and the Forbidden City. International City is a melting pot of the diverse cultures and lifestyles that lend Dubai its cosmopolitan air.

Dubailand
Dubailand has been designed to appeal to the widest tourist segments across genders, age groups, world regions and activity preferences. Dubailand has been planned and designed using leadingedge expertise across a spectrum of disciplines. A unique multifaceted development of pure family entertainment and education, with universal appeal, Dubailand will incorporate a critical mass of attractions, an endless mix of day and night activities and a variety of accommodations to encourage longer visits and overnight stays. Dubailand features six theme worlds: Attractions & Experience World, Sports & Outdoor World, EcoTourism World, Leisure & Vacation World, Retail & Entertainment World and Downtown.

Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC)
The Residences in DIFC are located on Park Boulevard and consist of two stunningly beautiful towers comprising of a unique combination of commercial, residential, leisure and retail space in an ultra modern environment. The aesthetically designed 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments offer panoramic views of the financial hub, its parks, cafes and entertainment facilities.

“They spent a ton of money on this thing and it is natural they want to make a return,” analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group in Silicon Valley said.

Google has bided its time working on ways to “monetize” YouTube without alienating notoriously transient Internet users that could easily switch to Hulu, Daily Motion or other rivals in the online video-sharing arena.

“Click-to-buy” links are being discretely placed in control panels below YouTube videos to invite people to visit online shops iTunes or Amazon.com to buy music, books, films or other material related to snippets watched.

“This is just the beginning of building a broad, viable e-commerce platform for users and partners on YouTube,” said a message on the website.

“Our vision is to help partners across all industries offer useful and relevant products to a large, yet targeted audience, and generate additional revenue from their content on YouTube beyond the advertising we serve against their videos.”

Links to online stores are making a U.S. debut on videos of EMI Music artists and of the Spore computer game recently released by Electronic Arts.

All tracks are now available in MP3 DRM-Free format, which allows the music to be downloaded from any device. The change comes ahead of UK rivals Amazon, HMV and Tesco, which are also poised to offer DRM-Free downloads.

PlayDigital was launched by the pure-play entertainment e-tailer for the first time in February with the support of EMI. Sony BMG, Warner Music and Universal Music have now come on board and there are more than 3 million tracks available for download.

Head of PlayDigital Wendy Snowdon said: “It was only a matter of time before the other three major labels came on board and we now have an offer to rival that of iTunes, yet in a format that gives the customer choice and at a more appealing price.

“PlayDigital has been a phenomenal success since its launch and now, armed with a full back catalogue and current releases from all the majors, we are fantastically placed to take a bigger bite of the apple.”

As Play has offered for a while, the top 100 songs on the store will be offered for 65p per track, with some albums as low as £4.99, including the brand new Oasis album, Katy Perry’s debut, and albums that aren’t rumoured to cause cancer because they’re so bad.

But Play.com isn’t the first to achieve this admirable milestone. 7digital was the first European store to offer MP3s from all major labels as of a few weeks ago. Also, in the US, Amazon’s MP3 store has had all the majors on board, sans-copy protection, for months.

Obviously, MP3s are the format of choice for the majority of consumers when it comes to downloading, as they’ll play on any MP3 player, any  iPod, any phone, and can be freely burnt to CD for use in other music systems, just like a normal CD.

“If you’re a family who fights over the DVR or just wants the flexibilityto watch your recorded shows on any TV in the house, AT&T U-verse Total HomeDVR is the perfect solution for you,” said Jeff Weber, AT&T vice president ofvideo products. “With our 100 percent Internet Protocol (IP) network, we areable to constantly evolve features and services to match the needs of viewers.Total Home DVR is the latest addition to our portfolio of unmatched featuresthat give U-verse customers more control, on any TV, at a great price.”

AT&T U-verse Total Home DVR customers can:

– Watch HD and SD DVR recordings on other connected TVs in the home. Inaddition to your DVR, you can access, play, pause, rewind and fast forward anyrecorded SD or HD program on up to seven additional U-verse-connected TVs. AllU-verse DVRs and receivers are HD-capable.

– Pause a recorded show and pick up where you left off in another room.

– Play back multiple, independent viewings of the same recorded show ondifferent TVs.

– Play back up to four recorded shows at once. Up to three can be HDrecorded programs.

– Watch up to five HD programs simultaneously throughout the home,including two live HD programs and three recorded HD programs.

– Record more of the show you want to see with soft padding, whichautomatically adds 1 minute to the beginning and 2 minutes to the end of eachpre-scheduled recording.

– Organize recorded content by series. Series recordings will be groupedas a single heading in the recorded TV menu, making it easier for customers tomanage and select their recorded programs.

– Store up to 37 hours of HD content or up to 133 hours of SD content,which is more storage than most cable providers’ DVRs.

– Record up to four programs at once on a single DVR — another featurethat is exclusive to AT&T U-verse TV.

– Set the DVR while on the go from your PC or wireless phone. With AT&TYahoo!(R) Web and Mobile Remote Access to DVR, you can schedule recordingsfrom any Web-connected PC or compatible mobile phone (wireless service chargesapply) by using your AT&T High Speed Internet account.

Using IP technology, Total Home DVR capabilities have been seamlesslyprovided to existing customers’ DVRs without the need to swap their currentequipment. The U-verse network architecture and IPTV service allow Total HomeDVR functionality to be enabled by a software update, without any action orhassle for existing customers.

Total Home DVR is the latest addition to the constantly evolving suite offeatures that has been introduced to all U-verse TV customers at no extracharge since the AT&T U-verse launch in June 2006. These features include:

– Mobile Remote Access to DVR, which lets you schedule and manage DVRrecordings from any compatible mobile phone.

– AT&T U-bar, which brings customizable weather, stock, sports andtraffic information to the U-verse TV screen, without interrupting the currentprogram.

– AT&T Online Photos from Flickr, which allows you to simply andconveniently browse the photos you’ve uploaded to flickr.com and watch slideshows on your U-verse TV screen from the comfort of your couch.

– Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football, which allows you to track the progressof your fantasy team — including current team matchups and league standings– directly from your TV screen through the AT&T U-bar.

– YELLOWPAGES.COM TV, for fast and easy searches to find local businessesand other information via your TV screen.

– AT&T Yahoo! Games, so you can play your favorite online games –including Sudoku, Solitaire, JT’s Blocks, Mah-jongg Tiles and Chess — on theTV screen.

In the future, AT&T plans to add to its Total Home DVR service with theability to schedule recordings and pause or control live TV from non-DVRreceivers.

AT&T is deploying next-generation AT&T U-verse services as part of itsmission to connect people with their world, everywhere they live and work, anddo it better than anyone else. Customers benefit from integrated AT&T servicesacross the three screens they value most: the TV, the PC and the wirelessphone.