Tag Archives: Sony Corp

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Video Game Industry Continues to Face Headwinds

Leave a comment

By 24/7 Wall St.

Wii U Nintendo OK

Filed under:

Research firm NPD has released its monthly data for video game sales. The industry continues to face consumer preferences for using tablets and smartphones instead of consoles as platforms. And the number of inexpensive games that can be download from app stores has risen. Some of the most popular sources of these games are free.

This movement has pressured both console makers Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Sony Corp. (NYSE: SNE) and has eroded revenue at game creators and marketers, particularly Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA).

According to Edge Online:

The software charts saw an overall year-on-year decline in unit sales of 30% compared to February 2012, though there were a similar number of new releases. Total video game software sales at retail amounted to $352 million in February 2013, compared to $484 million the previous year.

Shares of Electronic Arts closed yesterday at $19.34, in a 52-week range of $10.77 to $19.51.

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Video Games Tagged: EA, MSFT, SNE

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

What's Important in the Financial World (3/15/2013)

Leave a comment

By 24/7 Wall St.

nat-gas-truck

Filed under:

Boeing 787 Ready to Fly?

Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) has said, once again, that its deeply trouble 787 will take to the air again soon. Battery problems with the plane have kept it grounded for two months. Regulators in Japan, and particularly the United States, have combed through the mechanics of the plane but have not found root causes. Boeing recently was cleared to make test flights. While Boeing expects a quick resolution, the FAA has said more than once that there may be no quick resolution. According to Reuters:

Boeing, which has Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to test its new battery for certification, said Friday it will encase the redesigned power pack in a steel box, pack it with added insulation, heat-resistant material and spacers, drill drain holes to remove moisture, and vent any gases from overheating directly to the atmosphere outside the aircraft.

“If we look at the normal process and the way in which we work with the FAA, and we look at the testing that’s ahead of us, it is reasonable to expect we could be back up and going in weeks, not months,” the 787′s chief engineer, Mike Sinnett, said at a briefing in Tokyo.

Refurbished iPads

In what could be another bad sign for the demand for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) products, the company has begun to sell some refurbished iPads and iPad minis. Several of these products have only been in the market for few months. Either Apple has found that people have dropped the products because they do not like themo or perhaps these customers anticipate another iPad launch soon and just want to clear their desks, homes and offices of old inventory. According to Apple Insider:

The refurbished mini and fourth-gen iPad are now available in Apple’s online store. Customers can pick up a black 16GB iPad mini with Wi-Fi + Cellular for $429 or a White 32GB Wi-Fi only model for $389.

Customers looking for a full-size iPad can pick up the fourth-generation iPad, which features an improved processor and compatibility with Apple’s new Lightning connector standard. Refurbished fourth-generation models run from $449 for a white 16GB Wi-Fi only model to $679 for a black 32GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model.

More Video Game Headwinds

Research firm NPD has released its monthly data for video game sales. The industry continues to face consumer preferences for using tablets and smartphones instead of consoles as platforms. And the number of inexpensive games that can be download from app stores has risen. Some of the most popular sources of these games are free. This movement has pressured both console makers Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Sony Corp. (NYSE: SNE) and has eroded revenue at game creators and marketers, particularly Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA). According to Edge Online:

The software charts saw an overall year-on-year decline in unit sales of 30% compared to February 2012, though there were a similar number of new releases. Total video game software sales at retail amounted to $352 million in February 2013, compared to $484 million …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Chip and Infratructure Winners Steal Thunder at 2013 Mobile World Congress (SNE, INTC, BRCM, AMD, MRVL, FBRC)

Leave a comment

By 24/7 Wall St.

global network concept

Filed under: , ,

Typically the Mobile World Congress exposition focuses on the smartphone and handset part of the industry, and at this years recently completed show in Barcelona that was once again the case. While there were not a tremendous number of new device launches, new smartphones from LG, HTC and Sony Corp. (NYSE: SNE) made a splash. But in a note today from FBR & Co. (NASDAQ: FBRC), it was less about handsets, and more about infrastructure.

The research team at FBR Capital Markets notes that, surprisingly, the most meaningful announcements at Mobile World Congress 2013 were not handset-driven but rather emphasized the changes in data centers, delivery and infrastructure needed to enable next-generation handset service. The most significant takeaways from the meeting reinforce the idea that they are on the brink of a large-scale shift in data center architecture, and while not yet fully defined, this holds significant implications for chip companies.

The mobile ecosystem is expanding at lightning speed, with endless innovation and new applications of mobile technology. From contactless payments and augmented reality to embedded devices and connected cities, mobile technology is changing the landscape. The impact mobile will have on the world is limitless. The explosive growth of at-your-fingertips data has driven the need for data centers to change some of their basic infrastructure. According to the FBR team, this can have big implications for semiconductor companies.

Their report lists four semiconductor companies that may benefit from the change in data center architecture as companies strive to have the processing power to accommodate huge advances in technology.

Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC), the leader in personal computing and laptop processors, is working to add new products that target the smartphone and tablet industry. The Thomson/First Call consensus price target for Intel is $23.

Troubled industry laggard Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE: AMD) has promising new low-power, low-cost semiconductors that may prove competitive. The stock has taken a beating over the years and trades at just $2.41 today. The Wall St. consensus estimate is $3.

Broadcom Corp. (NASDAQ: BRCM), which specializes in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, may have the most potential upside. The company operates in three segments: Broadband Communications, Mobile and Wireless, and Infrastructure and Networking. Its ability to offer solution for multiple segments of the industry may help sustain its heady growth prospects. The consensus price target is $40.

Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: MRVL) is a big favorite of hedge fund manager David Einhorn, who has almost 6% of his total portfolio in the name. The company also may benefit from data center growth. The consensus price target is $15, which would represent almost a 50% move from today’s price of $10.12.

The inevitable growth of the wireless industry means that semiconductor companies will have to keep up their research and development expenditures to compete in a challenging and changing environment. The companies with the deepest pockets for R&D may prove to be the biggest winners.

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Analyst Calls, Technology, Technology Companies, …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Video Gaming

Report: PlayStation 4 Will Stream Games

Leave a comment

Not surprisingly, the PlayStation 4 rumors have been flowing as of late. With the expected reveal of the console coming this Wednesday, February 20 in New York City, it only makes sense that little bits of information would begin to emerge about what we’ll be seeing.

The newest rumor is in regard to the next PlayStation’s ability to stream games. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that “Sony Corp. is planning to offer technology to stream games to its next videogame console,” according to its own sources.

Continue reading…

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at IGN Video Games

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Intel Goes After Set-top Box Market

Leave a comment

By 24/7 Wall St.

Intel logo

Filed under:

One of the worst-kept secrets in the technology world was finally confirmed today. Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) is building an Internet TV set-top box that it says will launch by the end of this year. Intel has big plans for its Internet TV — but then which company doesn’t.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) both have Internet TV boxes out there already, as do smaller makers like Roku, Boxee, as well as Sony Corp. (NYSE: SNE) and Vizio, both of which use Google’s technology. Hardware and software are not the problem.

The problem is content. Intel and all the others face reluctant entertainment and pay TV industries that either do not want to license new streaming content except at very high fees (studios) or do not want to offer a la carte programming to subscribers (pay TV). The vice-president of Intel’s new Intel Media group told conference audience today, ” We’re working with the entire industry to figure out how we get live TV to consumers over the Internet.”

The TV and movie studios do not want to give away the farm the way the music business did to Apple iTunes. Whether or not Intel and its deep pockets can make a substantial difference here remains to be seen. Rather than keep their movies and programming locked in a vault, the production companies should be trying to forge partnerships with the techie crowd and make their content available at reasonable prices to consumers.

And the pay TV cable and satellite providers are not going to hide behind their bundling practices forever either. But Intel is going to have to break through to these guys as well

If any of this were easy, someone would already be doing it. And one has to wonder about Intel’s vice-president who wants to get “live TV to consumers over the Internet.” The reason to make programming available on the Internet is not so people get to choose their transmission scheme. Who cares?

People want to watch their favorite shows and movies when it’s convenient for them, not the pay TV channels or the broadcast networks. About the only things people want to watch live are sports and award shows. The next episode of “Downton Abbey” or “CSI” can be watched anytime.

Intel probably has no better chance at getting all the various players to agree on an Internet TV scheme than does Apple or Google or anyone else. Still, it’s nice to think they might be able to do it.

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Entertainment, Internet, Technology Companies, TV Tagged: AAPL, GOOG, INTC, SNE

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Sony Sticks with Starz Through 2021 (SNE, STRZB, NFLX, DIS, LMCA)

Leave a comment

By 24/7 Wall St.

Sony Store

Filed under: ,

A division of Sony Corp. (NYSE: SNE) and Starz (NASDAQ: STRZB) have extended a multi-year agreement under which Starz will remain the exclusive first-run TV outlet for new movies from Sony. The deal will runs through 2012, replacing a prior agreement that would have expired in 2016.

In December, Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) signed a deal with The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS), outbidding Starz and its sister Encore channels which were still owned at the time by Liberty Media Corp. (NASDAQ: LMCA). There’s no indication that Netflix was in the running for a deal with Sony, but it would be surprising if the streaming video purveyor hadn’t at least made some initial inquiries.

The Netflix deal with Disney starts in 2016, after Disney’s current contract with Starz expires. Netflix is thought to be paying about $300 million annually for the exclusive streaming rights to films from Lucasfilm’s Star Wars franchise, Pixar Animation Studios, and Marvel Studios among others. Starz had to counter and the deal with Sony is the response.

Maybe Netflix was never in contention or maybe the company just didn’t want to add another hundred million or so to its future financial commitments. The company needs to add about 3.7 million subscribers between now and 2016 to pay for the Disney deal without raising its monthly subscription rate.

Netflix shares are getting a shave today, down about 2.4% at $176.70 after a two-and-a-half week run of nearly daily 52-week highs.

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Cable Companies, Entertainment, Internet, Media, TV Tagged: DIS, LMCA, NFLX, SNE, STRZB

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance