This One's for Who?
Ryan Davis, GameSpot
Aside from the momentous release of Rockstar's latest criminal action masterpiece, one of the more interesting pieces of video game news that's come up recently concerns the strategic partnership between Microsoft and Anheuser-Busch. For our younger readers, Anheuser-Busch is the largest brewer on the planet, producing such mind-numbing beverages as Budweiser, Michelob, King Cobra, and Red Hook Ale, to name a few. Not only is this a partnership between two colossal leaders in two gigantic industries, but it's also an important turning point in the growth of the video game industry.
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Study says amusement park rides don't cause brain injuries, critics disagree
Yahoo!,AP
Researchers who looked at the impact of G-force on the head and neck say in a new study that roller coasters aren't as dangerous as previous studies suggest. Other researchers disputed the findings in Wednesday's Journal of Neurotrauma and said more work needs to be done. The University of Pennsylvania researchers who conducted the latest study looked at data from rides at three parks and developed a mathematical model calculating the effect of gravitational force. They found that roller coasters don't produce enough "head rotational acceleration" to cause either bleeding or swelling of the brain.
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Sony Plans Spring Launch for European Online Gaming
Yahoo!,Reuters
Sony Corp. said on Thursday it would launch an online gaming network in Europe next spring for its top-selling PlayStation 2 video game console, triggering a new turf war in the ultra-competitive industry.
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PS2 Rules
PC Pro, ATE-Online
PlayStation 2 is in an unassailable position as market leader in the videogames market, a new report by hi-tech market research firm In-Stat/MDR has concluded.
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Nokia Unveils Seven New Handsets
Yahoo!,Wireless.NewsFactor.com
Global mobile phone leader Nokia has unveiled seven new handsets, including a gaming model and a messaging device, as the Finnish company continues to target specific markets in an effort to maintain its front-runner status.
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Nintendo commits to GameCube successor
GameSpot
At the recent GKM PlayTime conference in New York, Nintendo of America's Peter MacDougall countered rumors that Nintendo may not produce a console after the GameCube. MacDougall, who is Nintendo's executive VP of sales and marketing, also talked about how the audience for console games has extended in recent years to include an older demographic and how Nintendo is focusing more attention on GameCube games with more mature content.
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New Disney Park Fails to Meet Hopes on Visitors
Reuters
Visitor numbers at Euro Disney's new theme park outside Paris have failed to pick up as the company had hoped, say analysts who are revising down attendance and profit forecasts for next year. Built at a cost of 610 million euros, the Walt Disney Studios that opened in March was originally flagged as a crowd-puller that would lift total visitors to the two neighboring parks 16-17 million by 2002/03.
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INTERALIA no longer organizer of FER-INTERAZAR
Interalia
Facomare and Interalia and have agreed that the latter steps out of the FER-INTERAZAR exhibition organizing. The Spanish company Interalia has been active in the amusement trade sector since 1980, starting with EXPOJUEGO 80, followed by SADA and more recently FER-INTERAZAR.
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Europe’s Mobile Gaming Industry Gets Boost
ATE-Online
The mobile phone gaming industry received a major boost when one of its major suppliers of specialist services, Babelmedia, announced it had completed the first round of testing for Vodafone live
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Camelot seeks expansion
ATE-Online
Camelot, the UK’s national lottery operator, is seeking to expand into new areas of betting in a bid to increase the amount of money it raises for good causes.
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Xbox goes to the bar
GameSpot
Microsoft has announced a marketing partnership with Budweiser to promote the Xbox video game console. Under the deal, Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch will help the software giant rotate 300 Xbox demo units through thousands of bars in the United States between now and the end of the year. Patrons will be invited to play Xbox games and to register to win promotional items from both companies.
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It’s a mod, mod world
GameSpot
Why just play games when you can make them? That's the idea behind creating game modifications (or "mods," for short), an increasingly popular activity among savvy computer gamers looking to build an all-new experience using their favorite games. And we're not just talking about new maps or skins here, either. Mods often go above and beyond new levels or graphics by changing the gameplay itself (referred to as "total conversions"), and they can also add new characters, weapons, and storylines into the mix. You always need the original game to create (and, of course, play) a mod, and afterwards, the finished product is frequently distributed using the Internet.
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Banning online gaming leaves industry vulnerable
ATE-Online
Failure by the US congress to legislate on or regulate internet gambling is sidelining the industry and making it vulnerable to corruption, according to experts. Las Vegas Lawyer and internet casino analyst Tony Cabot believes the online gaming industry would be better off regulated than being banned.
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Afghans Enjoy Return of Snooker
Yahoo, AP
The felt has seen greener days, and the cushions have lost some of their zing. But the state of the tables is of little concern to the patrons of Ariana Snooker Club in Kandahar, who are just happy to play a frame or two of their favorite sport. In the last five months, four snooker halls have opened up in this southern Afghan city, which, as the birthplace and headquarters of the Taliban movement, suffered a crackdown on fun more than anywhere else in the country.
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The Secret World of Triangle Rendering Technology
NewsFactor
In a techno-economy in which the next "killer app" may be a sophisticated game called Doom 3, makers of graphics chips and video cards must stay several steps ahead of mouse-wielding, saber-bearing gamers bent on nothing less than total domination of perfectly rendered virtual worlds. In this special report, NewsFactor takes a look at the mind-bending technology of triangle rendering, vertex manipulation and pixel shading that turns PCs into dream machines. Intrigued?
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Taking Your Banquet Catering Further
Huhtamaki
Huhtamaki, supplier of top quality paper and plastic single use products for the European Foodservice market, now offers a comprehensive product range for Banquet Catering. The range contains a variety of matching trays, bowls, plates, champagne and wine glasses, as well as cutlery.
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Steve Wynn Gets His IPO, at a Price
Reuters
With his latest mega-project on the line, casino mogul Steve Wynn pulled out all the stops on Friday to complete the $450 million IPO of casino company Wynn Resorts Ltd. Wynn and his business partner, Kazuo Okada, made an eleventh-hour reduction to the offer price before the market opened Friday, selling shares at a 40 percent discount to what was originally planned. More remarkably, the two partners personally ponied up $176 million, acquiring more than a third of the deal themselves.
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Nintendo faces EU antitrust fine
GameSpot
European antitrust regulators will fine Japanese video game maker Nintendo and a number of its distributors for sales practices it employed in the mid-1990s. Nintendo, maker of the popular Game Boy handheld video game console, as well as the Donkey Kong and Pokémon video games, was accused in 2000 of collaborating with distributors to limit cross-border flow of its products in an effort to raise wholesale prices. The EU is expected to take up the matter this week, slapping the world's number-two video game maker with a fine. The Nintendo settlement is on the commission agenda for Wednesday, EU sources said.
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ISFE plans new voluntary age ratings and symbols for games across Europe
GameSpot
The Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE) has announced plans for a new pan-European system of age ratings and warning symbols for games in Europe. The voluntary system will include five age categories: aged three and over, seven and over, 12 and over, 16 and over, and 18 and over. The age ratings will not relate to the complexity of the games in any way, but are designed to ensure that children aren't exposed to content that might be unsuitable.
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Malta Formulating New Licensing Regime For Online Gambling
Tax-News.com
The Malta Lotteries and Gaming Authority is currently putting together the legislative framework for a new licensing regime encompassing online casinos, sports betting, betting exchanges and lotteries, according to a report from the Malta Business Weekly.
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MGM Mirage Goes Global…and Global
OnlineCasinoNews
MGM Mirage, who have recently launched an online Casino at the URL www.playmgmmirage.com are not content making that there global Legacy. The group is recently announced that it seeking to open a casino resort in Thailand, is currently seeking a Thai partner.
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IGC In Europe
OnlineCasinoNews
The Interactive Gaming Council is inviting online gaming executives and experts to a special meeting at the Le Meridien Russell Square Hotel in London England on the evening of November 12th, one day before the European Online Gaming 2002 conference.
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Bankrupt gambler sues casino
CNBC and The Wall Street Journal
At what point should casinos bar compulsive gamblers? David N. Williams burned through his life savings at the Casino Aztar, a glitzy new riverboat docked on the banks of the Ohio River here. Now, he’s betting on the courts to win his money back.
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THQ Falls 35 Percent, Dour View Dents Game Makers
Reuters
A dour outlook from video game publisher THQ Inc. slammed its stock down 35 percent on Tuesday, weighing on the entire electronic gaming sector and casting a pall over the holiday shopping season. Further fueling declines in the sector, which has resisted the economic woes that have hurt other industries, was Japanese game maker Sega Corp.'s admission that sales of a key football game -- "Sega Sports NFL 2K3" -- have fallen far short of its target after two months in stores.
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Sin Stocks Touted
OnlineCasinoNews
There is another way of making money out of gambling - you can invest in the companies that provide the casinos. UK-based Global Betting and Gaming Consultants has compiled an index of the world's top 50 gambling companies and tracked it for the past 12 months. It found that, in the year to the end of September, the 50 companies outperformed the FTSE 100 by 57% and the Dow by 48%.
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Microsoft will be showing a trailer for Age of Mythology in movie theaters
GameSpot
Microsoft has announced that it will be showing a cinematic-style trailer for Ensemble Studios' Age of Mythology in Loews Cineplex movie theaters between October 18 and January 10. The trailer, which was created for Microsoft and Ensemble by Hollywood production company The Ant Farm, will appear on 1,500 screens across the country, before such big-budget movies as Die Another Day, Red Dragon, and Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
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Sniper pulled from Wal-Mart stores near DC
GameSpot
Wal-Mart has decided to remove Xicat's Sniper: Path of Vengeance from stores in the Washington DC area, according to a report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The decision was made in response to the ongoing series of attacks by an unidentified sniper that has resulted in the death of nine people since October 2. A Wal-Mart representative said that the game was pulled out of local sensitivity to the subject matter, and that the move doesn't reflect any link between the recent shootings and the game, which was released at the end of September.
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MGM Mirage, IGT Sign $85 Million Deal
RollingGoodTimes
MGM Mirage and slot powerhouse International Game Technology have reached an $85 million deal that would see the nation's most profitable casino operator convert almost all of its existing slots to IGT's EZ Pay ticket-in, ticket-out system.
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Disney Parks Chief Says Focus on Familiar Formula
Reuters
Facing skittish tourists, a weak economy and investors calling for deep changes at Walt Disney Co., the new head of the company's hard-hit theme parks division is placing his faith in the tried and trusted Disney magic.
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Two new on board at funworld
funworld a.g.
funworld ag is introducing two new members: networking specialist Christian Hrubesch and a new Java programmer in Photo Play’s mobile games section Claus Klammer.
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Leach Bill fails to pass in Senate
Online Casino News
As was widely predicted, H.R.556 - the “Leach Bill”, which would have effectively outlawed Internet gambling within the US - has failed to pass in the US Senate. The Senate recessed last Thursday, and will reconvene briefly in November to work on specific issues like the Homeland Security bill. At the moment, there is no plan to consider the Leach bill.
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Harrah's investing $75 million in St. Louis project
Las Vegas Sun
Harrah's Entertainment Inc. of Las Vegas, the No. 3 U.S. casino company, said today it's adding a $75 million hotel tower to its Harrah's casino in St. Louis to boost the property's revenue.
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Zoo Tycoon sells a million
GameSpot
As its Marine Mania expansion nears release, Microsoft announces that its original Zoo Tycoon strategy game, in which players are challenged to build and maintain a successful zoo, has sold more than a million copies since it was released in October last year.
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Seaga Unveiled New Vending Machine
Seaga Manufacturing
Seaga Manufacturing, a full service global supplier of vending machines and visi-coolers, has introduced the highly anticipated VC3700 combination snack/soda vending machine. With the introduction of the VC3700 Seaga Manufacturing firmly establishes their lead in combination vending.
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UK gambling reforms outdated before enactment
Online Casino News
The gambling industry has warned the UK Government that its long-awaited laws to revolutionise gambling could be out of date by the time they come into effect in 2004.
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Stephanie Norbury new Editor of InterGame
InterGame
Stephanie Norbury has been appointed Editor of InterGame, the world’s leading magazine for the coin operated games and gaming business. Stephanie has been a journalist in the coin machine industry for four years, working firstly for Centaur on its AB Europe title before joining InterGame in 1999. She was promoted to deputy Editor of InterGame in 2000 and became Editor of AB Europe in 2001 when InterGame bought the title from Centaur.
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New STELLA AWP machine for the Czech Republic: ALWAYS JOKER
Stella International
Stella International proudly presents the release of its latest AWP machine for the Czech Republic, ALWAYS JOKER - a quick 3 reel game that is easy to understand: In the basic game you play with 5 winlines and 2 different stakes (2 or 5 credits). The breathtaking club game offers 12 different stakes, from 5+5 up to a maximum stake of 5+95!
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London targets former Soviet bloc
ATEI
More visitors than ever before from eastern Europe and the former Soviet bloc can be expected in London for January's ATEI and ICE shows, following a joint marketing agreement with the organisers of the Moscow-based Eelex event which is being held December 14th to 16th at the city's Expocentr.
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IPO VIEW-Casino magnate Wynn sells opulence in bear market
iWon Money&Investing
As Wall Street suffers the worst bear market since the 1930s, only Steve Wynn could draw a crowd to sell an over-the-top luxury casino. Loaded into Manhattan's St. Regis Hotel last Thursday, the casino legend awed Wall Street money managers and stock researchers with talk of the first Ferrari and Maserati dealership in Nevada and the Matisse on his yacht. But as strong as Wynn's record is for making money, at least some stock pickers couldn't help but be turned off as the notion of investing in a $2.4 billion Las Vegas resort that will not open its doors until 2005 seems out of a different era.
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FX Simulation Install Third U2 in as many weeks
FX Simulation
FX Simulation have just completed their trickiest install yet in the brand new Megabowl in Kingston Upon Thames at the Rotunda development. The development in the heart of the city sits opposite the train station and adjacent to the bus station. The site is home to a brand new Odeon, David Lyods Fitness Centre, Old Orleans Restaurant and a Megabowl.
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Happ Controls Measured Delivery
Happ Controls
Happ Controls Europe have been very successful in introducing new products to the replacement parts market over the past year including the Alberici V0 Electronic Coin Mechs and, more recently, the GT Touchscreens from China.
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Entertainment Companies Target Wireless As Revenue Source
TechWeb, InformationWeek
As high-speed cellular and wireless networks finally go live across the United States, major entertainment companies are scrambling to provide content and make money off the new medium. Executives laid out some of the ways that they expect to profit off the wireless world during Thursday's keynote address at the CTIA Wireless IT and Internet Expo in Las Vegas.
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