Japan Computer Industry Scan articles from January 2008

Japan Computer Industry Scan archives from January 2008

Warner Bros. to back Blu-ray DVD format over HD DVD technology.
January 5, 2008... NEW YORK, Jan. 4 Kyodo Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. said Friday it will release high-definition DVD movie titles only in the Blu-ray format, developed by a group of companies led by Sony Corp., dealing a blow to the rival HD DVD...

Toshiba America chief voices disappointment about HD DVD setback.
January 14, 2008... LAS VEGAS, Nevada, Jan. 6 Kyodo Akio Ozaka, president of Toshiba America Consumer Products L.L.C., on Sunday expressed disappointment about Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.'s latest decision to release high-definition DVD movie titles...

Video game machine, software sales break record in 2007.
January 14, 2008... TOKYO, Jan. 7 Kyodo Combined domestic sales of video game machines and software set a record high for the second straight year in 2007, rising 9.9 percent to 687.7 billion yen, Enterbrain Inc., a publisher of video game magazines, said...

CES 2008 opens in Las Vegas.
January 14, 2008... LAS VEGAS, Nevada, Jan. 7 Kyodo The annual Consumer Electronics Show commenced in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Monday, with more than 2,700 companies from some 140 countries displaying cutting-edge products, including the largest ever plasma TV...

LEAD: Matsushita to launch TV with access to YouTube in U.S. this spring.
January 14, 2008... LAS VEGAS, Nevada, Jan. 7 Kyodo (EDS: ADDING INFO) Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. of Japan said Monday it will launch a television in the United States this spring that will enable viewers to access Internet video content via...

Softbank plans free calls between mobile and IP phone customers.
January 21, 2008... TOKYO, Jan. 15 Kyodo Softbank Corp. plans to waive phone charges for calls made between subscribers to its cellphone and Internet protocol fixed-line phone services, company officials said Tuesday. The rate waiver applying to calls...

Blu-ray DVD recorders overwhelm HD DVD machines in Dec. sales.
January 21, 2008... TOKYO, Jan. 17 Kyodo The Blu-ray DVD format almost drove the rival HD DVD format out of the domestic market for next-generation DVD recorders in year-end sales, according to a survey report released by a private market research institute...

Nintendo overwhelms rivals in U.S. game console market in 2007.
January 21, 2008... NEW YORK, Jan. 18 Kyodo Nintendo Co.'s Wii game console outsold its rivals -- Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.'s PlayStation 3 -- by a large margin in the United States, the world's largest game console...

Namco Bandai buys 33.4% stake in Ultraman's production firm.(Namco Bandai Holdings Co.)(TYO Inc.)(Brief article)
January 28, 2008... TOKYO, Jan. 21 Kyodo Namco Bandai Holdings Co. said Monday it bought a 33.4 percent stake in Tsuburaya Productions Co. known for its special-effects TV series featuring the ''Ultraman'' character, from Tsuburaya's parent, TYO Inc., a TV...

Nintendo's Wii game console sales top 5 mil. units since launch.
January 28, 2008... TOKYO, Jan. 22 Kyodo Sales of Nintendo Co.'s Wii home video game console have topped five million units since it was launched in December 2006, a Japanese game magazine publishing company said Tuesday. Cumulative sales totaled...