Media, Entertainment and Gaming
ò Nintendo revealed its plans to offer support services in the form of Internet link to its popular Wii game console. According to Nintendo president, a network connection will allow clients to download games and information and also play with others online. The provision of support is expected to up the popularity if Wii and increase sales of both consoles and software. Nintendo said it will work with NTT Corp. to arrange support for helping people connect their Wiis to the Internet and set up a telephone service for technical support.
ò Sony Corp. announced that it has formed a U.S. advertising division that will place ads within PlayStation games. The new unit is expected to boost revenue at SonyÆs console division.
Mobile/Wireless
ò NTT DoCoMo Inc. and broadband service provider Acca Networks Co. announced their move to join 14 other firms to launch next-generation high-speed mobile communications services. Together with the move, Acca Wireless Co., an Acca Networks subsidiary, submitted a license application to the communications ministry for the planned next-generation services under the WiMAX format. Acca Wireless, fully owned by Acca Networks, disclosed its plans to up its capital to 30 billion yen ($255 million) from the current 300 million yen (US$2.5 million) through new share issuance for allotment to the parent, NTT DoCoMo and the 14 new partners. Eleven of the 14 partners will hold a combined 12 percent of Acca Wireless. They are Tokyo Broadcasting System Inc., Mitsui & Co., Itec Hankyu Hanshin Co., Keihin Electric Express Railway Co., KT Corp. of South Korea, Asahi Net Inc., NEC Biglobe Ltd., So-net Entertainment Corp., Nifty Corp., FreeBit Co., and YRP Business Development Institute Inc. The remaining 15 percent will be owned by JPMorgan Securities Japan Co. and investment funds Ignite Group Inc. and DCM. Acca Wireless plans to raise its capital eventually to 72 billion yen ($612.1 million).
ò According to the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA), mobile phone shipments in Japan has climbed 39.1 percent to hit a total of 4.2 million units in August. The industry group attributed greatly the rise in the shipments to a surge in the number of handsets able to receive digital terrestrial television broadcasts. The report said that shipments of 3G handsets climbed 50.7 percent on year to 4 million units, compared to shipments of 2G handsets went down 93 pct to 17,000 units. Shipments of handsets for personal handy phone system (PHS) services posted a 44.7 percent growth to 217,000 units, posting the fourth straight year-on-year growth.
ò Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. and Kyocera Corp. announced that their reaching an agreement on the transfer of Sanyo's mobile phone business to Kyocera. With Kyocera given priority negotiation rights, Sanyo said it will continue further negotiations with the company toward a final agreement. The report said the transfer will cover Sanyo's wireless communication system business including mobile phone handset, PHS handset, PHS base station and WiMAX base station businesses, which reported aggregated consolidated sales of about 277 billion yen (US$2.3 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 2007. Sanyo developed mobile phones in Japan and mass-produced them primarily at its plants dispersed in countries such as China and Malaysia, with sales subsidiaries in Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia, and the US.
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