ITV

Category: MAM

  • Global Image Re-Positioning 2007

    Suddenly, there is a new global tidal wave of change all over the Asian region, the obvious signs are people on the move, new developments and properties popping up all over the region and a nouvo-consumerism is appearing at every corner, customers are buying shiny and wonderful things with beautiful packaging and companies are addressing their hunger with massive blitzes. Unseen by the masses but clearly visible to global circumnavigators, a new storm is building, wiser and well seasoned, like homing pigeons, immigrants are returning to their homelands…soon it will cut a clear path.

    Global Re-Immigration

    Currently, there are far more opportunities mushrooming for Asians, plus the quality of life can be far greater and more economical than what’s being offered in most foreign lands. During and following WWII, in search of paradise, these immigrants originally came to the West seeking freedom, opportunities and a higher quality of life. These western societies certainly did offer all that and more. Not any longer.

     

    The West is tangled up in problems. In the US alone, tension between Republicans and Democrats demonstrate that they are not simply opposing parties, rather they are arch enemies whose ideological divide has created a deadlocked and stagnant society which would be hard to imagine a decade ago. The war issues are almost like an internal US civil war of ideologies. There is also this new issue of constant daily harassment and unjustified racial profiling all over the West, targeting each and every individual with a slight difference in skin tone, accent or culture. This has fueled the mega-movement further.

    The so-called ‘clash of civilization’ as some would like to see happen, has contributed largely to this now unstoppable movement. Almost every Muslim and most Asians are being targeted. Today in America, children are worried about their old parents being embarrassed and humiliated for being Muslim, non-white or slightly different, while the same parents worried about the future of their young children and wonder how they will ever find a promising future in such a suspicious environment. West is no longer tolerant or accommodating anything that is Muslim in origin or tradition, period.

    The trillion dollar Iraq war and the outcome of 9-11 have created a mega shift in attitudes. All this is adding nothing but fire to the re-location movements. The grassroots level ethnicity, which provided innovative colors, different languages and foreign accents, are leaving the backroom engines slowly and steadily. There is already a shortage of a highly qualified force at very economical rate all over the western economies. Immigrants knew then very well when to move in and they know now when to get out.

    Currently there are all kinds of research and studies showing steady decline in population in the west and for the first time, there are clear indicators that American youth will be looking towards Asia for greater opportunities and potentials, unlike their parents who were on the path of glory from the start.

    Global Image Re-positioning

    In order to shift perceptions en masse, it requires mega shifts of options at the ground level. The world’s latest and most advanced grand and luxurious shopping malls are erupting by the thousands in the East. India alone has a middle class larger than the entire population of USA. The land of the ‘fakirs and the snake charmers’ have an uncontrollable nouvo-consumerism, ready to devour anything that shines.

    The powerhouse image maker of the past, Hollywood is simply now old and exhausted, while Bollywood is in a $4 billion dollar-per-year frenzy. Paris the heart and soul of fashion is for the passé, as there are some 100 new fashion centers that have arisen mostly in Asia. The East is not only replacing formerly western dominated industries, they are adjusting for the latest innovation and technology resulting in far superior and dazzling ideas.

    The sunshine days for Eastern iconization are here, corporate image and brand name identities that were only using Western standards are now shifting in a big way to the East. Studies have clearly shown Asia to be the driving force behind branded goods; way over Europe and USA, obviously the wealthy population is far bigger than the west.

    The movement for creating local Asian brands is picking up heat, using latest tools of the trade and the software that is capable of spinning colors and dazzling graphics that would dwarf any top agency in New York or London . The issues of cyber-branding and corporate images are becoming very real – demanding cutting edge knowledge and very superior sets of skills.

    Amidst all this activity – is the Dubai phenomena. A fine example of what a single city can do in less than 10 years. Inspired by this great experiment there are now some 100 cities in the Middle East, India and China all poised to embrace the Dubai model of rapid growth and re-deployment of government services to attract business and opportunities. There are clear indicators that such attempts will be equally successful in most such anxious cities. Just like the earlier rapid urbanization of the US following World War II, where hundreds of cities simultaneously sprouted throughout the landscape.

    A few years ago, India adopted and proved the outsourcing model, making the biggest IThole in the US and becoming the global centre of software to the world. China became the world’s largest factory, and the Middle East is on its way to becoming the region full of luxury buyers via hundreds of world-class luxury centers of providing new standards and new benchmarks in modern living. All this combined creates a new, Eastern-oriented, mental shift to image and branding.

    Global Hyper-Acceleration

    While it took a century to brand the Eiffel tower, Coke, Disney or Benz, recreating similar icons in Asia would now take a fraction of that time. One of the main reasons being, the speed at which all interaction and information now flows in this hyper-technologically driven society.

    Here, it’s micro-miniaturization yielding premium prices. A corporate society with compulsive innovations that continuously creates smallest things for large and deep pockets. This acceleration will further mount to frenzy and will become its own revolution when a billion plus cyber-entrepreneurial-warriors hit the e-commerce highways.

     

    Mega Re-Housing Shifts

    There is an extraordinary real estate boom, all over Asia, from major cities to unheard of villages. Prices have been continuously doubling and continue to double, with no conceivable end. The re-immigration of highly experienced and qualified people returning home with liquid cash and business ideas led to explosive development in real estate.

    The approximately one million apartments being developed in Dubai and UAE alone, is a solid indication of the global desire to explore these regions as long term promises of a newer, modern and higher standard of living. The wheels have started to grind and the machine is on. This region already has billions of their own to manage plus millions coming in with cash and ideas to relocate to the East. With over 100 monumental structures under way, it is only a matter of time before Westerners become well versed with the names and locations of these massive new developments.

    Winner and Losers

    The business communities in the west will have to adjust to the HR gaps, lack of knowledge base and cost effective work force with international reach, while the business in Asia is already marching to a very dynamic tune. When the dust finally settles on this anti-Muslim and anti-ethnic chase in the west, a decade would have passed, and the global adjustment would have taken a stronghold.

    The West is very comfortable with this current outbound movement as it supposedly makes them safer. Depending on one’s location and destination, the final winners are the youth of Asia for possessing and controlling such extraordinary growth options in an endless variety, that is unmatched by any other region in the world.

  • Ofcom launches PSP consultation

    Ofcom launches PSP consultation

    MUMBAI: UK media watchdog Ofcom has launched its planned consultation to consider the option of an online public service publisher (PSP).

    If given the go ahead, the service would compete with the online operations of Channel 4 and the BBC. The idea was muted by the regulator back in 2004.

    Ofcom notes that although public service content will be provided by the market, it may well not be enough either in terms of quantity or diversity – a market shortfall is likely to arise. This may have adverse implications for the level of UK-originated production, and for plurality in the public service system – the BBC is likely to play a material role in the digital media world of the future, but for a public service culture to flourish, effective competition for quality is needed.

    Ofcom states, ” We are open-minded about the best solution for the future of public service content – we will not report again on the how to maintain and strengthen the quality of Public Sservice Broadcasting (PSB) until the next PSB Review, which must be completed no later than 2009/10.

    “The primary purpose of this paper is to take the debate forward within the UK’s creative industries and policy environment. We continue to believe that there is a real opportunity for a new PSP to make a significant contribution to the public service system, and to create a lasting legacy for the future.

    ” We welcome the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee’s interest in the PSP concept in its inquiry into public service media content.”

    Ofcom has given 23 March 2007 as the last date for obtaining feedback. It is actively seeking responses on:

    – The appropriate nature of intervention in the digital media age, and the balance between TV and non-TV forms of public service content distribution

    – The potential role of the PSP and its creative remit

    – The operating model – in particular, the approach to rights management

    – The scale of funding required. Ofcom notes that the future of PSB in UK television is central to its remit. Its first statutory review of PSB was completed in 2005 and set out recommendations for maintaining and strengthening the quality of PSB against a backdrop of rapid change in broadcasting. The television market has continued to evolve at speed since the review, as a result of which it published Digital PSB in July 2006.

    Digital PSB highlighted a number of market developments affecting the future of public service broadcasting. One of these is that the rapid take-up of digital television is reducing the viewing share of the traditional public service broadcasters, and hence the value of the analogue spectrum

    Viewers – especially younger audiences – are increasingly watching content on internet and mobile platforms, and are starting to move away from traditional TV. Changes in spectrum policy will affect the way in which public service aims need to be financed in the future.

    In Ofcom’s view, these changes mean that the delivery of PSB in a fully digital television world needs to be rethought. While the core public purposes endure, the means of delivery and institutional framework may have to change. As a result, the challenge is to define the appropriate model for PSB for the future, not for the world as it is today – or as it has been in the past. The challenge is as much an opportunity for public service broadcasting as it is a threat to it.

  • Cause my bags are packed …

    The notice period – commonly identified as that periodic reference from the time an employee expresses his desire to move onto bigger designations, better remuneration schemes, faster computers, enhanced prospects of attractive coworkers or quite simply a better window seat, to the actual moment that he exits the office edifice. But there is a lot more that transpires during this transition that is usually glossed over. For this is probably the only period that employees actually enjoy the rare freedom of expressing their ‘brutally frank’ opinions without fear of their ramifications.

    “One who hands in his slip, will henceforth act as captain of the ship,” the hushed oriental accent, the express delivery of the tea cup and Chai-La (the mystical Chinese tea boy) had disintegrated into the door knob of Vikas’s cabin, leaving Ram baffled as usual about the early morning sermon.

    Vikas, stormed out of his cabin, and headed off to smoke, clearly sporting (if that’s the right word) the kind of look someone would have if they had run into something very unexpected, very unpleasant and rather sharp.

    Karan strolled out with the air of a man who had just won the lottery. There was a song on his lips that he was humming rather tunelessly, almost on purpose. Karan was also an Account Executive like Ram. Extremely shy and reserved at most times, terrified of Vikas at others, and unanimously the butt of all jokes emanating from the creative department all through the day.But today, almost mysteriously, there was an air of supreme confidence about him.

    “I have quit man!’ he said thumping Ram of the back with unwarranted enthusiasm, “going to another agency at a much better salary and getting a promotion as well.”

    “Hey, that’s really nice. How long is your notice period?”

    “Just about long enough to make the losers here rue their existence.” He chuckled with sinister intent and strode off to flirt with some girls from the creative department, in whose direction he would scarcely have dared to breathe earlier.

    Vikas returned, ashen faced, “we need to get a handover from Karan, he is going and things should continue to be in control even on his accounts,” then like a bad memory leaping to catch up with the mood of things he digressed, “he called me a pompous ass, do you think I am a pompous ass?” Ram choked on his tea, expertly disguising the triumphant chuckle.

    “No certainly not.” He replied keeping his straightest face possible, an exercise that was proving to be immensely painful.

    “Ok call the others in the conference room, get both the creative and media as well, lets take stock of the business.”

    An hour later PP (the creative director of the exaggerated moustache fame), Tanya (the ‘south Mumbai’ copywriter), Mumbles (the reticent art director) and Planimus (the gladiatorial media planning head) joined Vikas and Ram in the conference room.

    “Ok why are we here? And who are we waiting for?” boomed PP in his customary ‘louder than life’ style.

    “We are waiting for Karan to discuss the status on his account,” began a strangely subdued Vikas, “and here he is.”

    Karan had entered the room with a saunter that would have done a hormonically challenged male puma proud.

    “That’s what you have always been good at Vikas. Stating the blinding obvious,” he began with the urgency of a pinch hitter going for it.PP exploded into peals of laughter, and kept ferociously drumming the table with his excessively large palms, generally causing the concerned carpenter stress wherever he would have been.

    “And for that matter, PP, all your work is pretentious and largely passé. I yawned all through the last TV commercial you created, only the last bit woke me up and that was the logo,” remarked Karan, enticing a lightning quick culmination of all mirth on the PP front. PP sat silent and stunned, almost like someone had jabbed him in the solar plexus.

    Vikas, historically it must be said, for the one and only time in his career almost felt a pang of sympathy for his old foe.

    Ram had begun to imagine the whole meeting as a video game in which Karan was the Terminator.

    “What’s wrong with you Karan, you silly boy?” cooed Tanya in an almost suicidal manner (in Ram’s gaming theory) and the Terminator struck.

    “Lets start with what’s right with you Tanya, and my guess is that you would struggle to fill up the back of a bus ticket in bold on that front. Or have you ever even traveled in public transport to know the enormity of the insult that you have just endured?” Karan almost was basking in his own eloquence at this point.

    Planimus rose from his table to begin to speak, ‘fatal error’ thought Ram. He was composing in his mind the choicest insults that he could gather at such short notice, and was about to unleash them when the Terminator beat him to the draw.

    “And you, Planimus have perfected a unique art,” began Karan and paused.Planimus was so taken aback that some kind words might actually flow his way; that he completely lost the momentum of the thing.

    “The art of taking something utterly simple and making it mind bogglingly complicated,” completed Karan with a sardonic smile. ‘Hell, he is playing with his kill,’ thought Ram to himself.

    An uneasy silence followed, as the various participants were busy tending to their battered egos. At that moment the President chose to pop his head in, in his normal cherubic manner. ‘Jackpot?’ thought Ram.

    “I say Karan what makes you leave?” asked the President, as there was an inward groan in the entire room.

    “Many things, but mostly you. I am almost tempted to tell the client in what poor hands their account is. Be it your directionless leadership, your confused values, your limited understanding of a subject called advertising, Your sycophantic culture that is now festering within the confines of these walls, your fixation with skirts, I could go on but I think more important things like lunch beckon,” concluded Karan with smug satisfaction and strolled out of the room with purposeful poise.

    The President flopped into a chair, and looked at the ashen faces around him.”What…what was that?” he asked, still unable to string thoughts coherently.”The Notice Period Syndrome,” answered Planimus with an all-knowing sign, the others were still missing any sensation in their extremities.

    “Lunch anyone?” asked the President, and all the others trailed out of the room, leaving Ram to clear the aftermath as usual.

    “Get him out as fast as is humanly possible, settle his dues, and give him what he wants, just get him out. I don’t want the others following his example,” Ram heard the President tell Vikas as they walked towards life, sustenance and people who would say more pleasant things about them.

    Ram just closed his eyes for a moment to shut his mental video game, when he felt the tea cup in his fingers again and the oriental drawl whisper in his ears, “The only one in an office who is brave, is one who is leaving for another job or the grave,” for once it made sense.

    Ram opened his eyes just in time to see Chai-La vanish with an air of resignation.

  • HTMT to prefer strategic investor in demerged media firm

    HTMT to prefer strategic investor in demerged media firm

    MUMBAI: Hinduja TMT has initiated talks and would prefer inducting a strategic rather than a private equity investor into its demerged media company.

    The possibility of roping in an investor would be only after the listing of the two entities. The demerger process is underway and a listing is expected by February-end after the restructuring process gets the necessary regulatory approvals.

    “We would prefer to go with a strategic rather than a private equity investor. We feel inputs from a strategic partner would give us a competitive edge,” said IndusInd Media and Communications Ltd (IMCL) director-in-charge Ravi Mansukhani.

    On being queried as to whether global major Liberty was in talks, Mansukhani said “there were a bunch of them” who were interested in India’s cable story. “All investors are waiting for conditional access system (Cas) to roll out before they come with definite valuations,” he added.

    Unlike Zee’s Wire & Wireless Ltd (WWIL) which is keen to acquire 51 per cent in cable networks, IndusInd Media and Communications Ltd (IMCL) is adopting a different business plan where it wants to partner rather than buy out operators.

    The Hinduja Group, which operates its cable TV business under Incablenet brand, is planning to offer cable TV operators a share in the demerged media company based on the subscribers they declare. No decision has been taken as to the exact ratio that would be on offer.

    “Our expansion plan includes offering shares in HTMT (after demerger) to operators as they form an integral part of our distribution chain. Our idea is to partner with the local cable operators rather than buy them out,” said Mansukhani.

    HTMT is unifying its media subsidiaries under one umbrella while spinning off its IT/ITES business into a separate entity. As part of the restructuring, In2Cable (subsidiary which is into broadband business) and InNetwork Entertainment (content) are being merged into IMCL (cable TV distribution under Incablenet brand). The parent company for the consolidated media business will be HTMT (an existing listed entity). The demerged IT/ITES entity will be listed under HTMT Technologies.

  • Mobile services better, Airtel continues to lead: TNS Celltrack report

    Mobile services better, Airtel continues to lead: TNS Celltrack report

    MUMBAI: The mobile telephony sector in India is not just growing but service providers seem to be getting better at meeting customer expectations.

    According to the latest annual TNS CellTrack 2006 study, the already high TRI*M index for the industry – the metric that measures the strength of the ‘subscriber-service provider relationship’ – got even better, and is today at 82, up from 79 in 2005.

    The performance of the Indian mobile industry measured by their ability to anticipate and meet customer expectations has been increasing consistently over time. From an industry average TRI*M Index of 55 in 2000, the Indian mobile industry has surely come a long way.

    Airtel not only retained its number one position among the national players (see Figure 2), but also scored better, with the TRI*M Index up from 82 in 2005 to 90 this year. Hutch has also managed to improve their performance significantly and stays at second place, while Reliance with a TRI*M Index of 83 (80 in 2005) is third. Idea, BSNL and Tata Teleservices, have maintained performance but are significantly below the industry average of 82.

    Among the regional players, the big surprise is MTNL – dislodging Spice to become the best regional player with a TRI*M Index of 100.

    TNS India head of telecom practice Abraham Karimpanal says, “While it could be argued, and rightly so that MTNL is attracting a different profile of subscribers with different set of expectations, this war is all about each operator understanding and /or crafting, and then managing their subscribers’ expectations. Whether by design or otherwise, MNTL has surpassed all others at it.”

    TNS CellTrack 2006 also tracks the evolving brand choice and purchase behaviour for handsets among the Indian mobile users.

    Nokia continues to dominate the GSM market, with a 79 per cent market share. Motorola is the brand that has been able to significantly improve its share by almost doubling from three per cent in 2005 to seven per cent in 2006. Motorola’s gain is possibly Samsung’s loss as their market share has dropped from six per cent in 2005 to four per cent in 2006.

    LG has consolidated its position as the market leader in the CDMA handset market. The current 49 per cent market share is an improvement of over 43 per cent market share LG had in 2005. While Nokia managed to retain its share of the CDMA handsets, Samsung and Motorola have lost market share from 17 per cent to eight per cent and 12 per cent to four per cent respectively.

  • Liberty Media to acquire News Corp’s DirecTV stake

    Liberty Media to acquire News Corp’s DirecTV stake

    MUMBAI: US media conglomerate News Corporation today announced that it had signed a share exchange agreement with Liberty Media.

    Under the terms of the agreement, Liberty will exchange its entire 16.3 per cent economic position (324.6 million Class A and 188 million Class B shares) in News Corporation for a 38.4 percent stake (470.4 million shares) in DirecTV, three Regional Sports Networks (FSN Northwest, FSN Pittsburgh and FSN Rocky Mountain) and $550 million of cash, subject to a working capital adjustment.

    News Corp believes the transaction will unlock tremendous value for the following reasons:The transaction will be immediately accretive to News Corporation’s earnings per share;

    News Corp will divest its stake in DirecTV at an attractive valuation on a tax-free basis, and;

    News Corporation will accomplish an approximately $11 billion stock buyback representing approximately 16 per cent of the outstanding stock.

    The share exchange agreement is subject to various regulatory approvals and an affirmative vote by a majority of holders of News Corporation’s Class B common stock, other than the Murdoch family and Liberty. If approved, the transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of calendar 2007.

    Following completion of the transaction with Liberty, News Corporation intends to redeem its stockholder rights plan and will consider eliminating its staggered board.

    With negotiations over the share exchange agreement now completed, News Corporation expects to continue its previously announced stock repurchase programme.

  • Idea Cellular launches Easy Mail

    Idea Cellular launches Easy Mail

    UMBAI: IDEA Cellular Ltd an Aditya Birla Group cellular company, has announced the launch of simple to use push based e-mail service called Easy Mail.

    This personalised email solution targets all customers who have GPRS enabled handsets. Its a clientless service with which any individual or enterprise subscriber can access emails as an MMS on their handset anytime anywhere, asserts an official release.

    With Easy Mail, any IDEA GPRS subscriber can access his personal emails with all features like reply, forward with free POP3 access and no hassles on infringement of security. The service can be customised to receive emails from select recipients only.

    Commenting on innovation Idea Cellular Ltd chief marketing officer Pradeep Shrivastava said, “Easy mail is an exciting product for those of us who wish to remain accessible on the move. The product does indeed redefine email access and provides an easy to use interface for every IDEA GPRS user. I am certain that Easy Mail will prove beneficial especially to our small and medium enterprise customers.”

    Easy Mail has been priced at Rs 3 for all outgoing emails and Rs 1 for incoming emails. To get started, all a customer needs to do is to type an MMS ‘GET’ and send it to 2222. All MMS’s sent and received from 2222 will be toll free.

    Easy Mail’s helpful features include several simple to use commands:

    – HELP: Provides help on commands and their use.

    – STOP: Temporarily stops all e-mail from being pushed to the mobile phone

    – START: Resumes e-mail push

    – ALIAS: Creates a personalised e-mail address for your mobile number

    – FROM: Sets the name and address that appear on your outgoing mails.

    – SET: Generates a WAP push to view and configure your settings

    Idea also offers other push based e-mail services like Idea Mail, targeting business users using any range of the Symbian and Windows enabled mobile devices with GPRS connectivity. This service offers true push technology with real-time synchronisation of mail on mobile devices with the corporate email server, adds the release.

  • NT Media to distribute its music on eMusic

    NT Media to distribute its music on eMusic

    MUMBAI: NT Media Corp, a media and entertainment company, has announced that it has signed an agreement to distribute its music on eMusic, the retailer of independent music and numerous other digital music stores, including mobile platforms and subscription services.

    NT Media Corp. announced the launch of its Music Division in September 2006 and recently announced the signing of Mikey Mo the MC. He is scheduled to be the first of NT Media’s music artists to be distributed on eMusic, asserts an official release.

    NT Media Corp. CEO Ali Moussavi said, “When we launched our music division, we made the decision to focus on digital distribution. We are very excited to have our first artist to be distributed on eMusic.”

    The distribution deal with eMusic is through a collaborative distribution agreement with shelter from the storm records and includes numerous internet destinations and mobile download platforms, adds the release.

  • Rediff.com acquires minority stake in Tachyon Technologies

    Rediff.com acquires minority stake in Tachyon Technologies

    MUMBAI: Rediff.com India Ltd. has acquired a minority stake in Tachyon Technologies, a Bangalore-based software company for an undisclosed sum.

    This is part of Rediff’s strategy to invest in start-up companies with innovative technologies.

    Says Rediff.com chief executive officer and founder Ajit Balakrishnan, “we aspire to encourage promising start-ups to develop innovative world class products that support our business. As a part of such efforts, we are delighted to have an opportunity to invest in a promising start-up company, such as Tachyon Technologies.”

    Adds Rediff.com chief technology officer Venki Nishtala added “The predictive text input technology developed by Tachyon is based on sophisticated machine learning techniques and is an improvement on simple phonetic maps and specialized language keyboards, thus enabling millions of Indians to benefit from the internet.”

    Tachyon Technologies has built a product named Quillpad, which enables users to type in English alphabets to input words in other languages (in the respective scripts) with ease on the basis of phonetics, allowing them to communicate in their language of choice. Rediff.com has adopted this technology in its Rediffmail email and Rediff Bol messenger service.

    Commenting on the Rediff’s investment in Tachyon, Tachyon Technologies CEO Ram Prakash has this to say:”Rediff.com’s investment in Tachyon Technologies should provide us with the capital we need to enhance our development infrastructure. Hopefully, this will help us to realise our ultimate goal of developing great products.”

  • Microsoft’s Xbox adds ‘Gears of Wars’ and ‘Viva Pinata’ to its gaming titles

    Microsoft’s Xbox adds ‘Gears of Wars’ and ‘Viva Pinata’ to its gaming titles

    MUMBAI: Microsoft Entertainment & Devices Division has announced the launch of Gears of Wars (GoW) and Viva Pinata for their next generation gaming console Xbox 360.

    The launch was complimented by the announcement of some of the forthcoming gaming titles Dead or Alive Xtreme 2, Lost Planet, Superman Returns, Call of Duty 3 on Xbox 360.

    Microsoft Entertainment and Devices Division country manager Mohit Anand said, “We are delighted to bring to our Indian gaming enthusiast’s the two biggest and most anticipated games Gears of War and an unusual game about habitat, Viva Pinata from Xbox 360. GoW is one of the best games visually available on Xbox 360 and one of the finest games available on any platform today. Viva Pinata, on the other hand is more of a family game where gamers have to turn a misused plot of land into a beautiful garden overcoming various challenges. Xbox 360 today has over 35 titles of different genres available and will additionally be releasing more innovative and enthralling games for the gaming enthusiasts in times to come.”

    The titles will be priced at Rs. 2,510 each and will be available to gamers through Microsoft’s network of resellers across major cities in the country.

    An official release issued by the company stated that Gears of War sold about 1 million copies worldwide within two weeks of its launch and has been the fastest selling game on Xbox 360 in 2006 and ever on Xbox 360 platform. It is a third-person tactical action/horror game and is the first game developed by Epic Games exclusively for Microsoft Game Studios and the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system.

    GOW thrusts gamers into a deep and harrowing story of humankind’s epic battle for survival against the Locust Horde, a nightmarish race of creatures that surface from the bowels of the planet and utilizes the breathtaking new Unreal Engine 3 to create cinematic, beautifully rendered interactive environments with high-definition visuals for a gaming experience that truly ushers in the next-generation.

    Viva Piñata is created by video game developer Rare Ltd. and Microsoft Game Studios exclusively for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system.Viva Piñata invites game-players to escape to Piñata Island, where wild-roaming, living piñata animals are looking for a home. Viva Piñata from Rare and Microsoft Game Studios is rated “E” for Everyone and is available exclusively on Xbox 360.