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Tag: Nintendo

  • Asia’s investment in US Sports makes it an ‘Emerging Giant’: Repucom

    Asia’s investment in US Sports makes it an ‘Emerging Giant’: Repucom

    MUMBAI: Over the past three years, investment from Asia into US sports franchises has been growing consistently. This comes in wake of a report released by sports management company Repucom titled ‘Emerging Giants’, which states that in the past two years, close to $1.1 billion has been invested by Asian businessmen in US Sports franchises.

    All of the US big leagues now have at least one team fully or partially owned by an Asian-born investor. Asian ownership first came to American sport when Japanese company Nintendo bought the Major League Baseball (MLB) Seattle Mariners back in 1992. Ever since the team imported Ichiro Suzuki, who emerged as one of the great players in MLB history, there has been a steady stream of Japanese talent into the US league, drawing the world’s two biggest baseball markets closer to one another. Nintendo remains one of the few corporate owners of US teams.

    According to the report, one of the most well-known Asian investors in US sport is Chinese-born software mogul Charles Wang of Computer Associates became the majority owner of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL) in 2004. After failing in his efforts to get a new arena approved for the team in its original suburban New York location, he has decided to move the Islanders to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center for the 2015-16 season as the new arena’s anchor ice hockey tenant. India’s Vivek Ranadive’s investment in National Basketball Association (NBA)’s Sacramento Kings’s is pegged at $ 348 million.

    Major investment in US sports sponsorship has been dominated by three big exporters from the region i.e South Korea, Japan and China and the key industry sectors are  automotive, consumer electronics and sports apparel.

    Recent deals such as India’s Tata Consultancy Services’ decision to sponsor the New York Marathon has been pegged at $ 3.8 million. South Korean automotive brand Kia and their deal with LeBron James has been reported to be around $ five million and Kumho Tires’ deal with the NBA has been pegged at $ 2.6 million.

    South Korean investment has come mainly in the shape of Hyundai, Samsung and Kia. Hyundai invested $8 million into the naming rights of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions on the PGA Tour in 2011 and Samsung’s $33.3 million per year deal with the NBA in 2013 has made the electronics company the league’s supplier of mobile device and televisions. As part of the agreement, referees of games in the NBA as well as the WNBA and NBA Development League will use Samsung tablets alongside the basketball court to review plays. Kia chose another route into US sports by targeting one of the most iconic venues in the country. Their $ seven million sponsorship deal with Madison Square Garden (MSG) in New York gives the company prominent signage in this famous arena, a custom-built display space at the entrance for its cars, tie-ins with the MSG owned New York Knicks (NBA) and Rangers (NHL) and an expanded presence on the MSG regional sports networks. Japan’s Sony Electronics sponsorship and technology agreement with the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, home of the Nets NBA franchise, is another example of big name property rights purchasing. As part of the deal, 600 Sony professional and consumer HD screens are positioned throughout the arena.

    Besides economic growth, the report mentions the various reasons for the driving trend for investment in sport which are as follows:

    1) Health-The rise in interest and participation in sport is a reflection of efforts to promote health, and companies in the Middle East and Asia are using sponsorships of global sports as a means to engage local consumers with a healthy and active lifestyle message.

    2)  Entertainment- With the growth of television and internet, the appetite for entertainment has surged across the Middle East and Asia. Given the lack of local sports attractions and the time required to build new clubs and franchises, investment in global sports properties is a short-cut to delivering programming that engages audiences.

    3) Growing young population- Brands from the Middle East and Asia are using sponsorships of key global sports to target and engage this youth population.

    4) National Unity- Governments from the Middle East and Asia see investment in sport as a key means by which to promote national unity in what are often markets which have very fragmented sociocultural sub-pockets, domestically speaking.

    5) Social mobility- Encouraging people from all levels of society to follow and engage with sport, offers them a level playing field for social interaction.

  • Discovery takes an in-depth look at the video gaming industry

    Discovery takes an in-depth look at the video gaming industry

    MUMBAI: The video game revolution, underway for decades, has progressed from simple amusements created in the 1950s to an all-pervasive force in today’s popular culture that rivals films and television. What began as a sub-culture pastime has evolved and transcended genres to become a e form of expression impacting everything from modern warfare to interpersonal relationships. Discovery will give viewers an insight at this successful multi-billion dollar behemoth in the show I, Videogame.

    The show will air eevry Thursday at 10 pm from 1 March 2007.

    The show will explore the past, present and future of video games and video gamers. Featuring interviews with giants in the gaming industry of yesterday and today, this five-part series examines the evolution of the videogame and its cultural impact on the world of entertainment today.

    From the early days of Pong to today’s ever-popular Halo 2 and from Atari 2600 to Nintendo and PlayStation, the show narrates the story of the people, their ideologies, the technology behind video games and how it exploded into a cultural phenomenon.

    The first episode shows how the concept of the video game came into being. In the 1950s, the Cold War quickly evolved between the world super powers of the United States and the Soviet Union. Mutually assured destruction enforced an uneasy stalemate, yet also drove computer technology to create missile simulations in order to predict the results of a nuclear war.

    This same computer technology was used to develop the first computer game in 1958 – Tennis for Two. The space race and Vietnam coincided with Steve Russell’s game Space War and the emergence of the first true giants in the video game business – Nolan Bushnell and Atari. Space Invaders and Pac-Man soon followed, and the Golden Age of videogames was born. Video games emerged as a form of entertainment where the player was in control, as opposed to the more passive diversion of watching television.

    The second episode looks at the scene in the late 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Instead of controlling things like spaceships and tennis rackets, video game technology let players command recognisable characters with real faces and back stories. Game developers were liberated to create more complex videogames with heroic journeys – and Japanese creators like Shigeru Miyamoto rose to prominence with star characters Mario, Donkey Kong and Zelda.

    But in the 1990s, Generation X emerged and the games of their childhood couldn’t satisfy the new teen angst that now permeated pop culture. With Sega’s Genesis and Sony’s PlayStation, gamers dismissed cute cartoon characters in favour of grittier heroes like Sonic the Hedgehog and anti-heroes in games like Grand Theft Auto III. This episode features interviews with Trip Hawkins (Silicon Valley entrepreneur and co-founder of Electronic Arts), Al Lowe (creator of Leisure Suit Larry), Tim Schafer (creator of Full Throttle) and other figures in the gaming industry.

  • Disney US signs deal with Nintendo for games

    Disney US signs deal with Nintendo for games

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster Disney and games firm Nintendo have announced a deal.

    Characters from shows The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Hannah Montana, American Dragon: Jake Long and That’s So Raven are available on Nintendo handheld video game systems.

    Buena Vista Games VP marketing Craig Relyea says, “This fall, kids of all ages can experience the fun of following characters from their favorite Disney Channel shows through a series of great new video games. Whether at home or traveling during the holidays, kids can enjoy these all-new adventures on the Nintendo handheld system of their choice.”

    Based on the TV show American Dragon: Jake Long and developed by WayForward, American Dragon: Attack of the Dark Dragon for the Nintendo DS lets players take control of Jake, who must punch and kick his way through an onslaught of villains to save girlfriend Rose from the Dark Dragon. American Dragon: Attack of the Dark Dragon boasts five distinct worlds with more than 20 levels. When Jake transforms into the America Dragon, players can release dragon fire, perform jump attacks, whip with a tail swipe and take flight in 3D with up to four friends in wireless mode.

    In the game based on the show Disney’s Hannah Montana 13 year-old Miley Stewart lives a double life as girl-next-door and pop sensation in the Disney Channel original show, Hannah Montana. In Disney’s Hannah Montana for the Nintendo DS, developed by DC Studios, someone is threatening to reveal Miley’s secret and it’s up to the player to determine who it is.

    Playing as Miley, gamers must use spy skills and gadgetry to investigate their school, the boardwalk, stadium and beach to uncover hidden clues and solve the mystery. Players can interact with their favorite characters from the show using a branching dialogue system while exploring familiar Hannah Montana environments, and meet hilarious new characters along the way. Mini-games include a wireless two-player skateboard, rollerblade and scooter challenge and a mode that enables players to share clothes in Miley’s secret wardrobe with others via wireless connection.

    The Suite Life of Zack & Cody: Tipton Caper for the Game Boy Advance takes players on a daring adventure with the 12-year-old twins at the Tipton Hotel. The boys are on a mission…crawling, climbing, jumping, racing and wearing disguises to conquer enemy forces, when they discover a plot to steal the crown from a Teen Beauty Pageant being held at the hotel. Players control the twins independently or team up in fun-filled missions to ensure the thief is stopped and the night is a success, all while trying not to get caught.

    Developed by Handheld Games, That’s So Raven: Psychic on the Scene challenges players to solve a hare-brained mystery brought on by one of Raven’s psychic visions. Taking the role of Raven or one of her friends, Chelsea or Eddie, players must gather clues to solve the mystery, fix fashion mishaps, save friends and progress through an array of fun puzzle challenges – all in 3D and for the first time ever on the Nintendo DS.

    Players can mix and match more than 40 different outfits, hairstyles and disguises, create custom clothing styles that can be shared over the wireless connection, sew new garments, and take the driver’s seat in several mini-games.

  • Nintendo president challenges developers to create bold new games

    Nintendo president challenges developers to create bold new games

    MUMBAI: Interactive entertainment firm Nintendo president Satoru Iwata spoke to more than 3,500 video game developers gathered at the annual Game Developers Conference in San Jose, California a few days ago.

    He dwelt on the need for the industry to take a fresh approach to the creation of video games and to expand the market beyond traditional video gamers. He provided further background, anecdotes and strategy behind the company’s innovative and unique controller for their next home console (code-named Revolution).

    He said Nintendo will provide developers with the tools they need to disrupt the traditional methods of game creation, much as the company already has.

    These tools include the controller for Nintendo’s next home console. This lets users control the action on their television screens through the motion of the controller itself. The controller lets game developers create new kinds of gaming experiences, ones that enhance the experience for hard-core gamers while making video games more accessible and less intimidating to novices. The new forms of innovative software that can be created by any size developer will be made available for download via Revolution’s Virtual Console service.

    He said, “This new approach is like stepping onto an unexplored continent for the first time, with all the potential for discovery that suggests. No one else can match the environment we’re creating for expanding the game experience to everyone. Our path is not linear, but dynamic.”

    Iwata also announced partnerships with Sega and Hudson to offer downloadable access to their classic games via Revolution’s Virtual Console. Revolution owners will be able to relive their past gaming glories from the Sega Genesis console by playing a best of selection from more than 1,000 Genesis titles, as well as games sold for the TurboGrafx console (a system jointly developed by NEC and Hudson). These games join Revolution’s access to 20 years of fan-favorite Nintendo games from the NES(R), Super NES and Nintendo 64 eras.

    Iwata also revealed for the first time that a new game called The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass would be released for Nintendo DS later this year. Iwata, a game developer himself, revealed behind-the-scenes stories about the development of three key initiatives.

    For the industry leading Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, internal engineers and developers overcame a series of hurdles to make the system seamless and flexible enough to allow players to choose to play wirelessly either with friends or against unknown opponents.

    The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection reached one million unique users in just 18 weeks, nearly five times the adoption rate
    of the leading online game console network. He described a pivotal meeting in coming to agreement on development of the incredibly popular “brain games” in Japan. A leading Japanese scientist attached a sci-fi-looking wired helmet to a Nintendo staffer and then visually demonstrated stimulation of brain activity as the staffer played prototype software.

    Finally, he described the hundreds of sketches, dozens of prototypes and company-wide collaboration that led to the final form of the unique Revolution controller system, which resembles a traditional TV remote control. He called the related research and manufacturing costs of the new control system “our method to disrupt the market…realizing a new way to connect a player to his game.”