yowasuphomeboy

One-Third Of Game Sales Are Used

2009-07-04T08:25:00.000-07:00

According to Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Morgan, used game sales account for one-third of the total game sales in a year, coming in at over 100 million units as a $2 billion industry. He claims that game publishers shouldn't worry, though, as these sales occur outside of a new game's launch window and the practice actually drives new game sales by providing additional funds to a potential buyer.

While the numbers are very interesting, I disagree with Pachter's analysis. Publishers should look at used game sales as two billion dollars of unrealized profits. The behavior shows that consumers are willing to buy games outside of the initial launch window as long as it is at a reduced price. If publishers decreased prices on games on a sliding scale as time went on, pricing the product competitively with used versions, they could capitalize on massive untapped profits.

This makes the most sense for digital distribution, where product "inventory" just scales as needed for demand. Of course, Pachter believes serious digital distribution of full games on consoles won't happen until 2019. Luckily Microsoft disagrees, and will have classic 360 titles available for download through LIVE by year's end. The biggest challenge to digital distribution for core games isn't really hard drive space (I'd expect to see bigger hard drives with Natal packages come 2010), but retail chains that look unfavorably on day and date digital releases.

With test cases for digital distribution of older (but still current-gen) games happening this year, and companies like EA approaching game creation less as products than services, I do think the publishers can shift a good deal of that $2 billion used game market into revenue. Which is an important project to focus on, as Pacher's argument about used sales fueling new game sales doesn't really hold up to closer examination.

The assumption likely rings true for person-to-person sales of used game titles. A used game buyer is saving substantially over a new version of the title, and as a result has more cash on hand to buy a new release. The seller of the used game sees significant revenue from the exchange, which can amount to near half the price of a new title.

But in a model where GameStop or Best Buy is acting as a third party on the exchange, the margins are so severely in favor of the middleman that publishers should be sweating. A used game seller walks out of the exchange with pocket change, and the new buyer of the title is getting a minimal discount over a new copy. If publishers provided a digital alternative a few months from release at the price of the used title minus the price of a "sale" of the game to a store, the total consumer savings would be the same, and the publishers would be raking in large and otherwise unrealized profits.

For marketers, game publishers moving to better engage used game buyers will be a very good thing, as digital distribution and games as services both open up new opportunities for brand involvement. Measurement will benefit as well, increasing the tracking of actual title reach from what appears to be the current 66% estimation (based on new game sales) to a more reliable number. The used game market will still exist for a while yet, but I believe it will shrink down along with piracy as publishers and platforms roll out competitive measures.

via mediapost

Steam can cause spikes in retail game sales too

2009-07-04T08:15:00.000-07:00

When people talk about the inevitable downfall of retail videogames from digital distribution, the one topic that always gets mentioned is undoubtedly Steam. However, Valve is here to set the record straight, and clear up what the company views to be a common misconception.

Talking to GamesIndustry.biz, Valve’s Doug Lombardi states that “A lot of the ‘Steam is there to compete with retail’ stuff is sort of sensationalized.” Not only do Steam’s free weekends lead to more players, and more digital downloads, but in the case of Left 4 Dead, the promotion also gave the retail Computer and Xbox 360 versions of the popular game an increase in sales.

“[Steam is] about making the games better,” states Lombardi. “It’s currently a great marketing and promotions channel, and yeah we sell games over it and that’s great, but whether people purchase games at GameStop, or GAME UK, or on Steam, we get paid.”

“So for us, whichever cash register you want to pay at, that’s fine.” Love the honesty, and you know what, it’s all about consumer choice in the end.

Via Destructoid & Techchill

Nokia Smartphones Get Nuance Voice Recognition

2009-06-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

Nuance has launched their TALKS&ZOOMS 4.0 assistive software for Series 60 smartphones. The app converts any displayed text on a handset into intelligible speech and magnified content for blind or visually impaired mobile consumers.

The new version features a revamped text-to-speech (TTS) audio system that works with adding or searching for contacts, finding notes, calendar appointment updates, managing multiple calls, and muting and holding calls. It supports caller ID, text messaging, help files, Web browsing, and even Microsoft Office document editing in Quickword (which is bundled with many of Nokia's newest models).

The app can be licensed to a specific GSM SIM card, so users can take it from one phone to another. A companion app called DAISY2Go Audio Book Player lets users "read" content like audio books, but also offers embedded navigation, enhanced content, and additional sync options. TALKS&ZOOMS 4.0 works in over 20 languages on Series 60 second and third edition phones; for more information, visit www.nuance.com/talks.

Back in March, Nuance unveiled TALKS for Verizon Wireless, a simpler version of the service that worked on the Motorola Q9c.

This post originally appeared on AppScout. via pcmag

"7 tips for success" at the Shop.org Annual Summit Online Retail Boot Camp

2009-06-23T22:04:00.000-07:00

On Day One of the Annual Summit, Shop.org will host the Online Retail Boot Camp. This daylong event, held in conjunction with the summit, will feature industry experts, each providing seven important steps in the most important e-commerce topics, such as search, e-mail, social networking, analytics and merchandising for conversion. Boot Camp is great for those new to e-commerce, teams supporting the efforts of e-commerce and those wanting a refresher course in these practices. Learn more.

Top 50 U.S. Web Properties for May 2009

2009-06-23T20:12:00.000-07:00

--Mother's Day and Graduation Provide Boosts to Flowers, Gifts and Greetings Sites in May --Coupon Sites Surge as Americans Continue to Shop for Bargains Online

RESTON, Va., June 23, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- comScore, Inc. /quotes/comstock/15*!scor/quotes/nls/scor (SCOR 12.16, +0.05, +0.41%) , a leader in measuring the digital world, today released its monthly analysis of U.S. consumer activity at the top online properties for May 2009 based on data from the comScore Media Metrix service. May saw online visitation surge at gift- related sites as Mother's Day and other seasonal events prompted many to search for gifts online. Coupon sites also witnessed strong growth as bargain-hunting remained a top priority for many Americans.

"Mother's Day, along with high school and university graduations and the beginning of wedding season, make May a traditionally strong time of year for flowers, gifts and greetings sites," commented Jack Flanagan, executive vice president of comScore Media Metrix. "Coinciding with gains to these sites in May we also saw a sharp increase in the number of visitors to online coupon sites this year. As rising summer gas prices put the squeeze on Americans' overall purchasing power, online coupon sites have become an attractive resource for reducing retail costs during this gift-giving season."

Mother's Day Boosts Gift Sites in May

With May 10 marking Mother's Day in 2009, the Flowers/Gifts/Greetings category climbed 16 percent to nearly 36 million visitors as Americans searched for gifts for mom. American Greetings Property led the category with 12.4 million visitors, followed by ProFlowers.com with 5.6 million visitors (up 255 percent versus the previous month) and FTD.com with 4.1 million visitors (up 123 percent).

The Jewelry/Luxury Goods/Accessories category also experienced double-digit growth, increasing 13 percent to nearly 18 million visitors during the month. Swarovski Crystal's site, Swarovski.com, led the category with 2.4 million visitors, an increase of 125 percent versus April. Other sites in the category experiencing gains included Kay Jewelers (up 47 percent to 973,000 visitors) and Tiffany & Co. (up 15 percent to 812,000 visitors).

Coupon Category Grabs Top-Gaining Spot

With gas prices climbing and consumer discretionary income declining, millions of Americans turned to online coupon sites in May for better deals on their retail purchases. The Coupon category posted a particularly strong month, surging 19 percent to 34.7 million visitors to lead as the top-gaining category in May. Coupons Inc., which includes Coupons.com, captured the #1 position with more than 15 million visitors, a gain of 85 percent from the previous month. Eversave.com ranked second with 3.8 million visitors, followed by RetailMeNot.com with 3.5 million visitors.

Americans "Say Cheese" in May

Photo sites witnessed strong growth in May as visitors flocked to sites to post, view and order photos from such seasonal events as graduations and weddings. More than 90 million Americans, slightly less than half of the total U.S. online population, visited a photo site in May, marking a 10-percent gain versus the prior month. Facebook.com Photos led the category with 34.6 million visitors (up 5 percent), followed by Photobucket.com LLC with 28.1 million visitors (up 13 percent) and Flickr.com with 24.4 million visitors (up 11 percent).

Top 50 Properties

Google Sites continued to lead as the most visited property in May with 157 million visitors, followed by Yahoo! Sites with 151.3 million visitors and Microsoft Sites with 125.9 million visitors. Wal-Mart moved up 3 spots to #20 with 33.7 million visitors, while JPMorgan Chase Property jumped 7 spots to #38 with 21.4 million visitors.

Top 50 Ad Focus Ranking

Platform-A led the May Ad Focus ranking, reaching 91 percent of the 193.8 million Americans online. Yahoo! Network ranked second, reaching 87 percent, while Google Ad Network ranked third with an 85 percent reach. Yahoo! Sites and Google both climbed one spot grabbing the #6 and #7 positions, respectively.


   Table 1

   comScore Top 10 Gaining Properties by Percentage Change in Unique
    Visitors* (U.S.)
   May 2009 vs. April 2009
   Total U.S. - Home, Work and University Locations
   Source: comScore Media Metrix

                                         Total Unique Visitors (000)

                                                                    Rank by
                                                                    Unique
                                    Apr-09     May-09     % Change  Visitors

   Total Internet : Total Audience 192,875    193,825          0       N/A
   PROFLOWERS.COM                    1,575      5,590        255       221
   OPRAH.COM                         4,420     12,118        174        88
   Yum! Brands Inc.                  5,458     14,741        170        68
   BuddyTV                           3,108      6,539        110       183
   Coupons, Inc.                     8,167     15,084         85        64
   Jango Music Network               6,922     11,359         64        96
   Sony Online                      12,998     19,121         47        50
   GiantRealm                        3,916      5,618         43       219
   Kraft Foods                       5,441      6,959         28       165
   Meredith Women's Network          8,438     10,698         27       101

   *Ranking based on the top 250 properties in May 2009.


   Table 2

   comScore Top 10 Gaining Site Categories by Percentage Change in Unique
    Visitors (U.S.)
   May 2009 vs. April 2009
   Total U.S. - Home, Work and University Locations
   Source: comScore Media Metrix

                                           Total Unique Visitors (000)

                                                                  %
                                           Apr-09    May-09     Change

   Total Internet : Total Audience        192,875   193,825        0
   Services - Coupons                      29,179    34,723       19
   Community - Gay/Lesbian                  2,902     3,427       18
   Retail - Flowers/Gifts/Greetings        31,019    35,903       16
   Retail - Jewelry/Luxury
    Goods/Accessories                      15,766    17,858       13
   Services - Photos                       83,041    90,972       10
   News/Information - Politics             10,630    11,642       10
   Retail - Food                           16,568    18,046        9
   Community - Teens                       24,142    26,236        9
   Entertainment - Humor                   24,115    26,000        8
   Community - Home                        29,857    31,893        7

    Table 3

   comScore Top 50 Properties (U.S.)
   May 2009
   Total U.S. - Home, Work and University Locations
   Unique Visitors (000)
   Source: comScore Media Metrix

                                       Unique
                                       Visitors
   Rank  Property                       (000)

    Total Internet : Total Audience   193,825
    1  Google Sites                   157,011
    2  Yahoo! Sites                   151,262
    3  Microsoft Sites                125,884
    4  AOL LLC                        106,968
    5  Fox Interactive Media           87,114
    6  Ask Network                     74,142
    7  eBay                            72,487
    8  FACEBOOK.COM                    70,278
    9  Wikimedia Foundation
        Sites                          64,739
   10  Amazon Sites                    63,725
   11  Glam Media                      55,821
   12  Apple Inc.                      54,658
   13  CBS Interactive                 51,164
   14  Turner Network                  49,178
   15  Viacom Digital                  47,694
   16  New York Times Digital          47,279
   17  craigslist, inc.                46,089
   18  Weather Channel, The            40,634
   19  Adobe Sites                     34,801
   20  Wal-Mart                        33,667
   21  Verizon Communications
        Corporation                    32,340
   22  Comcast Corporation             32,314
   23  AT&T Interactive
        Network                        31,836
   24  Demand Media                    30,034
   25  Answers.com Sites               29,871
   26  Photobucket.com LLC             28,067
   27  Superpages.com Network          27,914
   28  WordPress                       27,893
   29  Target Corporation              27,431
   30  Bank of America                 26,382
   31  Disney Online                   25,966
   32  Gorilla Nation                  24,717
   33  Expedia Inc                     24,199
   34  Everyday Health                 23,524
   35  AT&T, Inc.                      22,556
   36  United Online, Inc              22,528
   37  iVillage.com: The
        Womens Network                 22,305
   38  JPMorgan Chase Property         21,392
   39  NetShelter Technology Media     20,850
   40  Weatherbug Property             20,635
   41  The Mozilla Organization        20,610
   42  Break Media                     20,536
   43  Gannett Sites                   20,520
   44  ESPN                            20,513
   45  CareerBuilder LLC               20,455
   46  WebMD Health                    20,422
   47  Wells Fargo                     19,431
   48  Real.com Network                19,381
   49  Time Warner -
        Excluding AOL                  19,329
   50  Sony Online                     19,121


   Table 4

   comScore Ad Focus Ranking (U.S.)
   May 2009
   Total U.S. - Home, Work and University Locations
   Unique Visitors (000)
   Source: comScore Media Metrix

                                      Unique
                                     Visitors     %
   Rank    Property                   (000)     Reach

    Total Internet : Total Audience  193,825   100.0
    1  Platform-A**                  176,886      91%
    2  Yahoo! Network**              169,243      87%
    3  Google Ad Network**           163,962      85%
    4  ValueClick Networks**         163,529      84%
    5  Specific Media**              159,216      82%
    6  Yahoo! Sites                  151,262      78%
    7  Google                        150,355      78%
    8  FOX Audience Network**        148,475      77%
    9  24/7 Real Media**             146,713      76%
   10  Microsoft Media Network US**  144,765      75%
   11  Tremor Media - Potential
        Reach                        143,414      74%
   12  Traffic Marketplace**         139,854      72%
   13  Tribal Fusion**               138,108      71%
   14  Casale Media - MediaNet**     135,716      70%
   15  Turn, Inc**                   134,888      70%
   16  interCLICK**                  134,378      69%
   17  YuMe Video Network -
        Potential Reach              134,241      69%
   18  Adconion Media
        Group**                      130,777      67%
   19  Collective Network by
        Collective Media**           128,765      66%
   20  CPX Interactive**             126,032      65%
   21  Platform-A Video
        Network - Potential
        Reach                        125,055      65%
   22  AudienceScience (formerly
        Revenue Science)**           122,566      63%
   23  ADSDAQ by ContextWeb**        122,467      63%
   24  Burst Media**                 117,033      60%
   25  Digital Broadcasting
        Group (DBG) - Potential
        Reach                        112,436      58%
   26  MSN-Windows Live              110,291      57%
   27  AOL Media Network             106,965      55%
   28  BrightRoll Video Network -
        Potential Reach              100,579      52%
   29  AdBrite**                      94,719      49%
   30  YOUTUBE.COM                    88,880      46%
   31  Undertone Networks**           87,648      45%
   32  Pulse 360**                    82,452      43%
   33  Vibrant Media**                80,144      41%
   34  Adify**                        79,288      41%
   35  Centro - Potential Reach       74,479      38%
   36  Ask Network                    74,142      38%
   37  Kontera**                      73,814      38%
   38  NNN Total Newspapers: U.S.     73,395      38%
   39  Monster Career Ad
        Network (CAN)**               72,092      37%
   40  FACEBOOK.COM                   70,278      36%
   41  MYSPACE.COM*                   70,237      36%
   42  ITN Digital - Potential Reach  67,709      35%
   43  MSN.COM Home Page              60,207      31%
   44  IAC Ad Solutions               59,303      31%
   45  TattoMedia**                   58,521      30%
   46  Glam Media                     55,821      29%
   47  EBAY.COM                       55,606      29%
   48  AMAZON.COM                     52,991      27%
   49  NNN Top 25                     50,284      26%
   50  Business.com Network           49,435      26%

   Reach % denotes the percentage of the total Internet population that
   viewed a particular entity at least once in May. For instance, Yahoo!
   Sites was seen by 78 percent of the nearly 194 million Internet users in
   May.

   * Entity has assigned some portion of traffic to other syndicated
     entities.
   ** Denotes an advertising network.

About comScore Media Metrix

comScore Media Metrix provides industry-leading Internet audience measurement services that report details of online media usage, visitor demographics and online buying power for the home, work and university audiences across local U.S. markets and across the globe. comScore Media Metrix reports are used by financial analysts, advertising agencies, publishers and marketers. comScore Media Metrix syndicated ratings are based on industry-sanctioned sampling methodologies.

About comScore

comScore, Inc. /quotes/comstock/15*!scor/quotes/nls/scor (SCOR 12.16, +0.05, +0.41%) is a global leader in measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital marketing intelligence. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com/companyinfo.

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SOURCE comScore, Inc.

http://www.comscore.com
via marketwatch

Commission Junction Gains Market Share among Third-Party Affiliate Marketing Providers in Internet Retailer Top 500

2009-06-18T22:37:00.000-07:00

SANTA BARBARA, CA, June 15, 2009 -- Commission Junction, a division of ValueClick, Inc. (Nasdaq: VCLK) and the leading global provider of affiliate marketing solutions, announced today that for the fourth consecutive year it is the affiliate marketing provider of choice for America's largest retail Web sites

. Among the retailers listed in The 2009 Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, 62 percent of those who work with third-party affiliate marketing partners choose Commission Junction – more than all other affiliate marketing providers combined. Commission Junction's 62 percent market share reflects a steady growth trend since last year, when it claimed 53 percent of the Internet Retailer Top 500 market share.

"We provide so many of the top brands in the Internet Retailer Top 500 with best-in-class affiliate marketing solutions that deliver cost-effective incremental revenue because of our mix of technology and expertise," said Kerri Pollard, General Manager of Commission Junction. "The cost-per-acquisition model of affiliate marketing in which retailers pay only for confirmed sales is particularly attractive for merchants looking for guaranteed return on investment."

Commission Junction has had proven success in driving affiliate channel revenue for many of the vertical industries represented in the Internet Retailer Top 500, including office supplies, one of the top three growth categories last year and an industry that saw 114 percent year-over-year growth in online sales. In contrast, the 47 percent of the Top 500 retailers in the office supplies category who chose Commission Junction as their affiliate marketing provider achieved 136 percent year-over-year growth in online sales last year while the rest of the category experienced a decline in sales.

Of the ten largest online retailers with third-party affiliate marketing programs, Staples, Dell, Apple, Sears, Newegg and Best Buy partner with Commission Junction.

Source: Commission Junction

Stolenspace Summer party

2009-06-18T22:25:00.001-07:00

Stolenspace Summer party
Originally uploaded by s.butterfly

D*face at Work

Flickr

2009-06-18T22:24:00.001-07:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Affiliate Convention 2009 WebmasterRadio.FM Announces Live Programming and Exclusive Coverage

2009-06-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

Download this press release as an Adobe PDF document.

With a team of roving reporters, keynote and panel podcast coverage and live shows airing directly from the tradeshow floor, WebmasterRadio.FM's exclusive coverage of Affiliate Convention will offer a bird's eye view of this inaugural conference.

Fort Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) June 20, 2009 -- WebmasterRadio.FM, the premier free, 24/7 Internet business radio network focused on the B2B marketplace and the official radio network of the Affiliate Convention conference series, announces exclusive coverage from the Affiliate Convention 2009 in Denver, Colorado.

"One of the goals of this conference series is to provide attendees information from our speakers through multiple interactive platforms, "said WebmasterRadio.FM and Affiliate Convention co-founder Daron Babin said. "This results in attendees getting the information they want in real-time."
WebmasterRadio.FM is the official radio network of the Affiliate Convention conference series, one of the largest trade shows and conferences for the affiliate marketing industry.

All WebmasterRadio.FM programs are available in podcast format through all major podcast portals, and in archived format on-demand inside our Affiliate Convention Channel.

WebmasterRadio.FM's exclusive coverage will feature Live streaming of the following events:

Keynote addresses featuring Kris Jones on Thursday June 18th at 9am Mountain Time, and Peter Bordes on Friday June 19th at 9am Mountain Time. Live streaming is presented by Clickbooth.com.
Live roving reporter interviews with speakers, attendees and exhibitors from the convention floor presented by RevenueWire.com.

WebmasterRadio.FM's presence will also be present at one of the premier networking events of the conference. WebmasterRadio.FM is proud to announce that they will be hosting their annual "AffiliateBash" for Affiliate Convention attendees at the Lure Lounge in Denver, Colorado on Thursday June 18th at 9pm Mountain Time. Themed "Rocky Mountain High ROI", AffiliateBash will feature great food, live music in a upscale nightclub setting in Denver's bustling nighttime district. WebmasterRadio.FM's AffiliateBash is presented by Indigo, Yahoo!, Unique Leads, Healthy Payout and DM Confidential.

About WebmasterRadio.FM WebmasterRadio.FM lifts the "veiled curtain" of the Internet, bringing the business community together through an interactive radio network. Its listeners are a global group, comprised of everyone from corporate executives and decision makers to small and mid-sized businesses and individual entrepreneurs. WebmasterRadio.FM's stellar line-up of radio programming includes "CoverStory" with Jiyan Wei of PRWeb, WebmasterRadio.FM's official newswire; Fired Up! with Gordon Rudow of Bonfire Communications; "SEM Synergy" with Search Engine Marketing Industry Leader Bruce Clay and more. To tune into WebmasterRadio.FM's live content or check out the show lineup, please visit www.WebmasterRadio.FM.

Media Contact:
Brandy Shapiro-Babin
954...

About Affiliate Convention:
The Affiliate Convention is one of the largest trade shows and conferences for the affiliate marketing industry. It is an advanced event that covers some of the most up to date forms of marketing and technologies for successful website promotion.

For more information, please visit the website Affiliate Convention or contact:
Ticonderoga Ventures, Inc.
Tel: USA +1 (212) 722-1744 ext 79
Fax: USA +1 (208) 728-6456

###

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via: emediawire

No. 4 in NW100 | Amazon.com reveals its technology prowess

2009-06-15T22:22:00.000-07:00

Amazon.com started off 15 years ago (has it been that long?) with the goal of being "Earth's biggest bookstore." Now that it sells way more than books -- HDTVs, patio furniture, cereal and more -- Amazon looks more like the Wal-Mart of cyberspace.

But the Seattle company has always been as much technology developer as retailer, even though it's worked hard to keep the gears and flywheels of its Web sites invisible to consumers. As books, music and other media increasingly shift from the physical to the virtual world, Amazon's tech DNA has been expressed more and more.

The most obvious way, of course, has been the Kindle e-reader. No one knows precisely how many Kindles Amazon has sold or how much it has made on them -- the company isn't saying, and Wall Street estimates are all over the map. But the gizmos, and the 275,000 titles available for them, have made it clear that Amazon will fight to hold onto its dominance of the online book world.

"They certainly wouldn't let someone come in and take that market from them the way Apple did with music," said Colin Sebastian, an analyst with Lazard Capital Markets in San Francisco.

The same determination -- to be a big player in the media marketplace whether or not the media in question are actual physical objects -- shows up in other recent Amazon moves:

• The introduction of the Kindle DX, a larger e-reader intended for newspapers, magazines and textbooks.

• The purchase last year of online used-book site Abebooks.com; audiobook company Audible, video-game maker Reflexive Entertainment; Shelfari, a book-oriented social-networking site; and even Fabric.com, which sells sewing supplies online.

• The testing of an on-demand video service.

So far Amazon has proved to be remarkably recession-resistant. Sales in the quarter ended March 31 were up 18 percent, to $4.89 billion, and Amazon booked a $177 million profit.

"People tend to flock to the brands they trust, and Amazon definitely has one of the best brands on the Internet," Sebastian said.

But challenges, actual and potential, abound: eBay's efforts to regain its place as the Internet's premier retail destination; established retailers' continued expansion online; and the determination of several states to collect sales taxes on Amazon purchases.

Ultimate retail guide available now

2009-06-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

Published every Monday, MCV’s guide includes charts, data and the weekly release schedule

MCV has today released the latest edition of Retail Biz, our weekly guide specifically for retailers and publishers.

Published every Monday, the six-page supplement will be available both as a PDF to download or online at Issuu.com.

Click here to download a PDF of MCV's Retail Biz.

Alternatively, click here see it in your browser at Issuu.com.

Retail Biz includes today's charts, including the All Formats Top 40, plus individual format charts for Wii, DS, 360, PC, PC budget, PS3, PS2 and PSP.

It also features a digest of retail news, the indie charts, price check data and retail deals – all the great data that can be found in this Friday’s MCV.

We've also included the release schedule for this week, next week and beyond - just in case you need to get any last minute orders in for the hottest releases.

More exclusive data will be added to Retail Biz over the coming weeks and months - if there's something you'd like to see in there, contact the Editor-in-Chief. via mcv

FitBase, eCommerce market online knowledge base

2009-06-15T20:37:00.000-07:00

FitForCommerce unveils FitBase, the first eCommerce market online knowledge base, powered in part by the e-tailing group's extensive research findings, helping multichannel retailers leverage best practices and find best-fit solution providers.

Short Hills, NJ (PRWEB) June 15, 2009 -- FitForCommerce today announced the availability of FitBaseTM, the go-to resource for the eCommerce market. FitForCommerce also announced its partnership with the e-tailing group, inc., the leading shopper-centric multichannel retail consulting firm. Leveraging the e-tailing group's extensive research findings and its 15-year track record, FitForCommerce has developed FitBase, the most comprehensive knowledge base created for and by the eCommerce community. With access to thousands of best practices, feature evaluations, expert know-how, and solution provider insights, online and multichannel retailers now have the online tool they need to make informed decisions and stay competitive. FitBase content is specific, actionable, and organized to help retailers get the in-depth info they need - saving time and effort.

"Doing your homework has never been more important," said Lauren Freedman, president of the e-tailing group. "We've partnered with FitForCommerce sharing industry best practices, category-centric benchmarks, and propietary survey data to ensure merchants have the know-how they need to compete across channels."

Doing your homework has never been more important

FitBase is the most comprehensive knowledge base on eCommerce best practices, feature assessments, and providers - plus access to a community of experts! Why go anywhere else? It's a no-brainer!

Modules included in the first release of FitBase include:

Featurepedia: information and advice about eCommerce features

300+ features , functions, and topics
1000s of best practices, visual examples, benchmarking data, and actionable advice
Expert and peer opinions and articles
e-tailing group raw survey results by feature

Provider Directory: browse the universe of eCommerce providers

Comprehensive listing of eCommerce provider companies and their solutions
Detailed provider and solution capabilities, proof points, and pricing
Browse by 50 categories

Solution Finder: a time-saving tool to create a "short list" of providers

Use key filters to narrow the field
Over 100 data points for each solution
Comparative data including capabilities and pricing

Community: learn from and contribute to a community of your eCommerce peers

Interactive forums and blogs
Ask an expert and ask a peer
Surveys and stats

"FitBase is the most comprehensive knowledge base on eCommerce best practices, feature assessments, and providers - plus access to a community of experts! Why go anywhere else? It's a no-brainer!" said Brian Salau Beck, Chief Operating Officer of OvernightPrints.com.

Today's economic climate has changed the way retailers look at technology. Maintaining webstores and multichannel capabilities that keep up with continually rising consumer expectations is essential to business survival. eCommerce solution providers offering retailers options to stay competitive have answered the call in droves, but sorting through the clutter of offerings, looking for a solution that is right for each retailer's individual needs and challenges is daunting.

"An eCommerce manager needs to master hundreds of components from eMerchandising to eMarketing to webstore technology and multichannel features and functions. With overwhelming amounts of information on the Internet but little specific, actionable how-to advice, eCommerce practitioners don't have the time or resources to spend sifting through Google searches that result in hundreds of articles and blogs," said Bernardine Wu, founder and CEO of FitForCommerce. "FitBase offers an easy and reliable source to quickly get practical, detailed information and advice on best practices, benchmarking and solution providers. And everyone knows that Lauren Freedman and her team have spent years researching and gathering some of the best online retail market data, so we are thrilled to leverage their expertise and work in a way that gives both practical and actionable information to retail executives."

Available immediately, FitBase is offered to both retailers and solutions providers on an annual subscription basis. Visit www.fitforcommerce.com/fitbase.

About FitForCommerce
FitForCommerceTM provides on-demand tools and expertise to help eCommerce businesses analyze business and technical requirements, leverage best practices, gain visibility to market offerings and select "best fit" technology solutions. FitForCommerce's unique eCommerce DiligenceTM process and toolkit ensures rigorous evaluation and knowledge-based decision-making. FitBaseTM, by FitForCommerce, is the ecommerce market's first and only online knowledge base for best practices, trends, benchmarking, solution provider information and community advice. For additional information, please visit www.FitForCommerce.com or email info@fitforcommerce.com.

About the e-tailing group, inc.
Founded in 1994, with the belief that new technologies enable promotion of products/services for the ultimate customer reach, the e-tailing group, inc. is a shopper-centric eCommerce consulting firm. The firm's expertise and point of differentiation is their merchant mentality that fosters development of eCommerce as a distribution channel. Their mission is to leverage the art of merchandising to improve customers' multichannel shopping experiences. Customized merchandising programs, innovative eCommerce solutions and go-to-market strategies for online merchants and related technologies/services, optimize implementation of multichannel merchandising and customer service tools. In addition to consulting, the e-tailing group's proprietary surveys help to set cross-channel standards for industry performance. via PRweb

How E-Retailers Can Maximize Campaign ROI Across Email, Social and Mobile Marketing Channels

2009-06-15T20:36:00.000-07:00

Internet Retailer 2009 Conference and Exhibition

EMERYVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lyris, Inc. today announced the company is sponsoring the Internet Retailer 2009 Conference and Exhibition. In booth #730, Lyris will be exhibiting its Lyris HQ integrated marketing suite and demonstrating the benefits of aligning marketing tools to maximize customer interaction, retention and ROI across email, social and mobile marketing channels, also known as Tri-Messaging. A recent Forrester report, “The State Of Retailing Online 2009: Marketing,” notes that “email in general is regarded as the best marketing tactic because of its cost-effectiveness. Not surprisingly, as retailers focus more on retention marketing, retailers indicate that email therefore represents the most increased marketing priority for 2009 (88%).” Forrester projects that “Web sales will be more than $156 billion in 2009, representing approximately 6% of the total US retail pie and 11% growth over 2008 Web sales.”

WHAT:		Internet Retailer 2009 Conference & Exhibition

THEME:		Rising Above—Not Just Surviving—the Economic Storm

WHEN:		June 15-18, 2009

WHERE:		Boston Convention & Exhibition Center

Internet Retailer, the world’s largest e-retailing conference, is devoted to the strategies and tools that online retailers can use to thrive and rise above in a recession. For more information about Internet Retailer please visit: http://www.internetretailer.com/irce2009/overview.asp. Conference attendees and those unable to attend can connect and join in on conversations with Lyris via Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and can find a vast repository of marketing commentary and best practices on LyrisHQ.com.

Related Resources

About Lyris, Inc.

Lyris, Inc. (OTCBB:LYRI) is the integrated online marketing expert delivering the industry’s first on-demand integrated marketing suite, Lyris HQ, to help marketers simplify their marketing efforts and optimize campaign ROI. Lyris HQ’s sophisticated, easy-to-use suite of tools provides marketers with best-of-breed applications for managing email marketing campaigns, tracking Web analytics, publishing and managing Web site content, creating landing pages, optimizing Web sites, paid search and search engine marketing and integrating social media and mobile marketing campaigns. Clients include ACCESS Systems Americas, Adobe, American Apparel, Body Glove, Johns Hopkins University and JupiterMedia. For more information, please visit www.lyris.com. The company is based in Emeryville, Calif.via businesswire

Newegg Cracks 1st Place In Customer Satisfaction Study

2009-06-15T20:33:00.000-07:00

Newegg.com bested 10 other leading consumer electronics e-tailers in a recent study of customer satisfaction and future purchase intentions.

According to the spring 2009 edition of the Top 100 Online Retail Satisfaction Index, produced by ForeSee Results in partnership with FGI Research, Newegg rose 1 point from last year on the 100-point American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), to a score of 81.

“A score of 80 is considered excellent,” said ForeSee president/CEO Larry Freed, “so Newegg.com should be proud of their accomplishment, especially during a recession.”

TigerDirect.com, a division of Systemax, also improved its score 1 point, to 79. The only other site improvement was PCMall.com, which also rose 1 point, albeit to 68, a fairly low score.

By comparison, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Web site has a satisfaction score of 73. Five of the 11 CE e-tailers in the study — all chosen for their category-leading sales volumes — scored lower than the IRS, “which doesn't seem sustainable in a competitive retail environment,” Freed observed.

Among the five was SonyStyle.com, which decreased by 4.1 percent, and Etronics.com, which suffered an 11.3 percent plunge.

Edging out the IRS was BestBuy.com, which remained flat at 74, and Apple.com, which fell 6.3 percent to a satisfaction score of 75, putting it behind Dell and Hewlett-Packard. The study indicated that site functionality is the largest driver of Web site satisfaction for Apple, Freed said.

Not surprisingly, satisfaction leaders Newegg and TigerDirect also had the highest purchase intent, which measures the likelihood of site visitors to buy there or through a company's other distribution channels in the future.

As a whole, the CE sites had a middling satisfaction score compared to other online retail categories. To boost results, Freed suggested lowering prices and/or improving their price perception; providing a better merchandise selection; and offering product reviews, mobile applications and free shipping.

“Companies that do improve [their satisfaction level] could increase revenue, loyalty and consumer recommendations, even during a recession,” Freed said.

CE Web Site Satisfaction

E-tailer	Score*	% Change Y-O-Y
Newegg.com	81	1.3%
TigerDirect.com	79	1.3%
HPShopping.com	78	-1.3%
Dell.com	76	-1.3%
Apple.com	75	-6.3%
BestBuy.com	74	0.0%
SonyStyle.com	71	-4.1%
CDW.com	70	-2.8%
PCMall.com	68	1.5%
PCConnection.com	67	0.0%
Etronics.com	63	-11.3%
*Based on a 100-point scale Source: ForeSee Results/FGI Research © TWICE 2009 via twice

Shooting to Software Stardom on the iPhone

2009-05-31T19:40:00.000-07:00

MITCHELL WAITE could think of only one reason that Apple’s legal department would leave a voice message last February asking him to call back: he was about to be sued. Mr. Waite has a tiny software company bearing his name — it has no full-time employees — whose principal product is a field guide to birds called iBird Explorer, which runs on the iPhone and the iPod Touch.

He called back and discovered that his life was about to change no less than if the lottery authority had told him he’d won the big prize: Apple had decided to feature iBird in a television commercial.

IBird was one of three applications that appeared in the spot, and while it got only about seven seconds, that was all it needed to become the No. 1 “reference” app in the iPhone App Store, a software star among the 35,000-plus applications now crowding the store’s shelf. The iBird Explorer is offered in different versions, priced from $4.99 to $29.99.

“I look at it like Apple paid me $10 million to show my application on every single major network, every major television show — no, I can’t even put a figure on it,” Mr. Waite said.

It’s a delightful story, not only because it does not involve a lawsuit, but also because it does not involve promotion fees. Apple does not accept money from companies whose products are placed in its commercials or in the other prime real estate, the “Featured” section of the App Store.

This has earned Apple applause from software developers and backers. “Apple doesn’t want the money. It’s a level playing field,” said Matt Murphy, a venture capitalist at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. If Apple likes the app, he added, “it doesn’t matter if you’re a one-person or a 10,000-person company; they’ll put it in ‘New’ or ‘What’s Hot.’ ”

A developer easily gains entrance to that level playing field, by paying a nominal $99-a-year fee for the iPhone Developer Program. A completed app must secure Apple’s approval before it is put on sale in the App Store. It’s often a slow process and has drawn the ire of many developers. But the worst that Apple has been accused of is maddening opacity, not discrimination.

Apple takes a 30 percent cut of App Store sales, a paltry slice compared with that exacted by other online stores in the past. Those that distributed software for the Palm Pilot, for example, took 50 to 70 percent of sales as their cut, according to Jeff Scott, founder of 148Apps.com, a Web site offering in-depth reviews of iPhone apps.

Apple also makes buying and downloading a snap; the app is dispatched wirelessly from the store to the iPhone and is ready to run in a few seconds.

The App Store’s very appeal, bringing in so many developers, has intensified a perennially vexing problem: How can a new software title come to the attention of prospective customers?

“For 99 bucks a year, Apple gives you the ability to sell software to millions,” Mr. Scott said. “They solved the distribution problem, but they did not solve the marketing problem for developers.”

Mr. Scott’s site, 148Apps.com, offers a partial solution, but it reviews only hundreds of apps, not tens of thousands.

Apple can feature only a few apps, of course; “featuring” all would mean featuring none. The unfeatured are stuck in crowded quarters, placed into one of 20 categories. Only five apps can be displayed on the phone’s small screen at a time; unless an app clambers up the equivalent of a best-seller list to appear among the five visible on the first screen, the casual browser will probably not see it. As the number of apps grows, it becomes ever harder to break into even the top 100 in a category.

Neil Young, C.E.O. of Ngmoco, a publisher of iPhone games, said his company watched closely what happened to the 5,000 titles added after the App Store passed the 25,000-title milestone.

“Only 40 of 5,000 made it into the top 100,” Mr. Young said. “It’s very difficult for an app to rise above the noise.”

He credited recommendations among gaming enthusiasts, from one friend to the next, as important to the success of his company’s titles.

In April, Apple celebrated the one billionth download from the App Store in only nine months. For all of its success with the store, however, Apple remains most interested in using third-party software to sell its hardware. Mr. Waite said an Apple liaison told him, “We pick apps not for how well they’re selling — we pick apps that will sell more iPhones and iPod Touches because they show off the best features or are something you can’t getelsewhere.”

Fitting that bill is Mr. Waite’s iBird application, which turns the iPhone into an always-in-hand field guide replete with bird calls that a printed field guide cannot provide.

Tens of thousands of iPhone App developers will never get that life-changing call from Apple and will never get within sight of a top-five list.

“In many ways, developing a program is like writing a book,” said Jeffrey Tarter, the founding editor of a developers’ newsletter, Softletter. “You say, ‘I’m going to make something first of all that I like. Then I’ll worry about how to make money.’ ”

Randall Stross is an author based in Silicon Valley and a professor of business at San Jose State University. E-mail: stross@nytimes.com.
via NY Times

Office supply superstore BuyOnlineNow.com climbing the ranks in Internet Retailer’s 2009 Top 500 guide.

2009-05-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

The Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide® annual list of the largest online retail stores has been released and, for the third year in a row, office supply superstore BuyOnlineNow.com has been included, ranking at 288.

Rochester, MN (PRWEB) May 22, 2009 – BuyOnlineNow.com - The Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide® of the largest online retail stores has been released and, for the third year in a row, office supply superstore BuyOnlineNow.com has made the list. Continuing their upward trend, BuyOnlineNow ranked at 288 of 500. This is up 40 spots from 2008, where they were ranked 328, and 86 spots from 2007, which saw them ranked at 374.

Now in their 9th year of business, BuyOnlineNow continues to prove they are a lasting player in the online office product market by not just growing in sales but in all other areas as well. Currently employing over 35 people in their Rochester, MN headquarters, BuyOnlineNow.com also named their first Vice-President within the last year, promoting Mark Melius to the Vice-President of Sales position. BuyOnlineNow.com recorded total sales of $28,600,000 for the year 2008. This is up from $19,700,000 in 2007 which is a 45.18% growth. Other statistics for BuyOnlineNow in 2008 include: 300,000 monthly visits from 261,500 unique monthly visitors, a 4.4% conversion rate and an average of $189 total price per order. “Our goal is to get better, not just bigger.” said BuyOnlineNow CEO Bob Herman. “We believe that our commitment to getting better; to maximizing the value we can offer our customers, is the reason we have been rewarded with another year of record sales growth.”

The Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide® has been ranking the largest e-tailers in the U.S. and Canada every year since 2004. Rankings are determined by annual online sales. The Internet Retailer staff gathers data year-round and checks on extensive sources to verify the accuracy of the information. The Top 500 Guide® includes thorough statistics on all companies included on the list including the number of unique visitors to the site, total visits, conversion rates, how many products are stocked, website usability and performance, internet marketing programs and many other categories. All relevant company information is also included for each business, such as location, executives and which URLs are used. Companies listed in the Top 500 Guide® can also be compared against each other by type of retailer and merchandise category.

About BuyOnlineNow: Starting in 2000, BuyOnlineNow.com has become a major player in the online office supply business. They currently stock over 100,000 office products in multiple warehouses throughout the country. A Canadian branch, BuyOnlineNow.ca was opened in 2007.
via webwire

Amazon to Launch Brick-and-Mortar Retail Stores?

2009-05-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

Ready to shop Amazon.com … at your local strip mall?

The online retail giant has been awarded a patent for a small-store building design, according to Web site Tech Flash, setting off speculation that Amazon is looking to launch a brick-and-mortar presence.

“What’s Amazon’s strategy here?”

wrote Eric Engleman of Tech Flash May 26

. “Amazon briefly experimented with pickup locations for its Amazon Fresh grocery delivery service in the Seattle area, and the black and white images submitted with the patent application look a like those pickup stations.”

The pictures accompanying the patent application show a single-story structure with one door and an overhead awning. via homemediamagazine

The CBS-CNet Integration, One Year Later

2009-05-26T10:59:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- It was the marriage of the oldest of old media with the oldest of new media. CBS was roundly criticized last summer for dropping $1.8 billion on CNet, an early web publisher with strong tech and gaming cred that over time had become a big, slow-moving, unprofitable bureaucracy.

But nearly a year later, integration is complete, and so far the marriage seems to be working, at least strategically. The message boards don't ring with internecine grumbling, and the cultures, while different, have grabbed hold of one another -- in part for dear life. As CBS Interactive CEO Quincy Smith said with a little hyperbole, "It has to work, for the internet."

CBSi units at a glance

For CBS, the acquisition was a galvanizing event. Long a nonplayer and underinvested on the web, it's now a No. 8 global web property. As a unit of CBS, long-struggling CNet now has entrée to the brand-advertising dollars that eluded it despite its significant online audience. CNet is now benchmarked against other media conglomerates -- Disney and News Corp., not Yahoo and AOL.

"It's good culture, good chemistry, and I think it really works," said Curt Hecht, president of VivaKi Nerve Center, a unit of Publicis. CBS Interactive has moved to San Francisco, where former CNet CEO and CBS Interactive President Neil Ashe and many of his top deputies are based.

Mr. Smith is based in New York, and pretty much lives on a plane. The question is whether the architect of the deal and of CBS's digital strategy will stick around when his contract expires this summer. While Mr. Smith has defined digital for CBS, he is a dealmaker and strategist, not an operator. He has not yet discussed his future with CEO Leslie Moonves, but execs close to the situation said Mr. Smith could move into a consulting role later this year. Mr. Smith is noncommittal. "This is not the Quincy show," he said. "I'll do what I can for the company."

In 'good hands'
Mr. Smith took over CBS's then-tiny digital business in 2006, bought a few companies such as Last.fm and DotSpotter, and started making cuts in places such as CBSNews.com. Now, in effect, management and whole divisions such as the web presence of CBS News are under complete control of former CNet execs, which you'd expect to annoy the heavyweights at CBS broadcast center. Instead, it's the opposite.

"We are in such good hands working with these guys, because they know the internet better than anyone I knew of at CBS News," said Jeff Fager, executive producer of "60 Minutes." "There is leaps-and-bounds improvement. They are full of new and interesting ideas. There is a real buzz there."

One of the original hypotheses for the deal -- that CBS and CNet shared very little audience overlap and, therefore, wouldn't cannibalize each other -- turned out to be true. Nine months after the deal, unduplicated U.S. unique visitors notched 54.4 million, slightly higher than before the deal, per ComScore, even as two of the biggest properties, TV.com and CBS.com, shed unique viewers while they repositioned as video-streaming sites.

CBS and CNet booked slightly less revenue as combined companies than they did apart, $133.6 million in first quarter 2009 compared with $142 million the year earlier, pre-acquisition. But, of course, there's the recession -- and they are profitable, earning $8.1 million last quarter, compared with CNet's $18 million loss in the same period a year ago. That's hardly a growth story, and digital is still a rounding error in CBS's $3.2 billion in quarterly revenue, but it's not bad compared with competitors AOL, whose revenue dropped 23%, and Fox Interactive Media, which lost $89 million.

Some CBS and former CNet properties have clearly benefited from the combination. CBS's strength reaching big-spending package-goods marketers has helped CNet's lifestyle and entertainment sites, such as TV.com and Chow, for example. CBSSports.com has doubled its audience in the past year, and advertisers such as AT&T Wireless, which sponsors the NCAA Tournament and March Madness On Demand, have extended their online buys to CNet's tech and gaming audiences.

Culture mesh
Before the acquisition, the only thing to say about CBSNews.com was that it didn't lose money, unlike the rest of CBS's storied TV-news operation. Now the unit is headed on both the editorial and business sides by former CNet execs Editor in Chief Dan Farber and Exec VP Joe Gillespie.

The CNet and CBS News the cultures have meshed, in part, because most CNet journalists have old-media print backgrounds, and because the CBS old guard gets that CBS News' storied brands must be given some relevance on the web to have a 24-hour presence in the news. No one has asked CNet staffers -- even New York-based ones -- to stop wearing sneakers, denim or performance outerwear. One CNet reporter said the bigger culture clash for CNet came in 2006, when the news staff was asked to start blogging.

Source: ComScore

Katie Couric has embraced the medium and is pushing to do exclusive web coverage of events such as President Barack Obama's first 100 days. She has 24,739 Twitter followers, which is about 24,739 more than NBC's Brian Williams, who blogs enthusiastically but refuses to Twitter. A coming redesign of CBSNews.com will stress visuals and video, CBS's strengths, and CBS has launched a number of web shows, including Bob Schieffer's "Washington Unplugged."

Has it helped? Not yet: CBSNews.com's traffic is still flat compared with a year ago, and it has a long way to go before it's even in the same league as MSNBC, Yahoo News or NYTimes.com. Mr. Ashe said CBS Interactive will make money on online news, and it has won at least one new advertiser in Microsoft, a longtime CNet advertiser that sponsors CBS News' online video.

The biggest concern facing Mr. Smith is what happens to CBS's online-video-distribution strategy now that it is the only Big Four network without a relationship with Hulu. "So far our business model is working, so there is no intent to change it," Mr. Smith said.

TV.com dispute
He has approached Hulu CEO Jason Kilar about a deal that would allow CBS to continue to distribute elsewhere, such as YouTube, and control the sale of ad inventory. Mr. Kilar and News Corp. President Peter Chernin have publicly said they're amenable to such a deal. The stumbling block is the continuing dispute between CBS's TV.com and Hulu, which began after TV.com, which had a deal to distribute Hulu content, fashioned itself as a direct competitor, under Mr. Smith's leadership.

Another question: Can CBS get Madison Avenue to spend online commensurate with its scale? "We are one of the largest internet companies in the world, and I think it surprises a lot of people when we say it," said Chief Client Officer David Morris.

Michael Hayes, managing director-digital for Initiative, a unit of Interpublic, said despite its reach, CBS can't really compete with portals, with their advanced targeting and reams of data. "In the digital space, you are buying audiences and eyeballs. You're not buying the full circulation." But "the first step," Mr. Smith said, "is being a part of the conversation."

via AdAge

Club VAIO releases exclusive digital distribution content in Europe

2009-05-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

Free Access to a Favorite Magazine Offered to Sony's VAIO PC Users, Preserving Long-form Format, Layout and E-commerce Without Leaving Desktop

NEW YORK, May 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Zinio, the global leader in digital and interactive publishing products and services, today announced its activation of an online newsstand -- including more than 200 top consumer titles -- for users of Sony's VAIO PC in Europe. The offer is a value-add for members of Club VAIO, an internet forum for VAIO users which also provides automatic driver updates, technical support, exclusive desktop wallpapers and promotional offers. The co-branded online site, which can be accessed via sonyvaio.goreadgreen.com, is a digital newsstand organized and powered by Zinio, and will offer Club VAIO members free annual subscriptions to a magazine of their selection.

"As the global leader for digital-publishing products and services, we are proud to collaborate with VAIO from Sony, which also is a pioneering leader in its industry," said Rich Maggiotto, President & CEO, Zinio.

Starting today, customers who register for VAIO products will be introduced to Zinio's service via a click-through prompt to sonyvaio.goreadgreen.com, as well as read about the program in the next Club VAIO newsletter, which reaches more than two million monthly unique visitors. From the more than 200 magazine selections, the initial landing page will feature titles including: BlackBook, Car and Driver, ELLE, FitnessRx for Men, iPhone Life, Layers Magazine, Parenting Early Years, Popular Photography, Reader's Digest, Saveur, Vegetarian Times and VIVmag.

Although the program is launching with only English-language publications, the website will be translated into French, German, Italian and Spanish, appealing to the European audience of both global consumer brands. Banners from Zinio and VAIO will link to the www.vaio.eu landing page, where customers will be able to localize their experience from a list of 27 countries.

About Zinio, LLC

Zinio is the global leader for digital-publishing products and services. Zinio provides publishers with new circulation and revenue-growth opportunities through its comprehensive offerings from marketing programs that include customer acquisition, retention and cross-promotion to seamless production services, a robust e-commerce engine and extensive digital delivery, circulation and fulfillment services. Major publishing partners include Alpha Media Group, Bonnier Group, Gruner + Jahr, Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., Hearst, IDG, IPC Media, Mariah Media, Inc., Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, McGraw-Hill, Playboy Enterprises, Inc., Rogers Publishing Limited, Source Interlink Media, The Economist, Transcontinental and Ziff Davis. Zinio has offices in San Francisco and New York with several franchisees worldwide. For more information, or to purchase any of the digital titles offered by Zinio, please visit www.zinio.com.

Website: http://www.zinio.com
via PR Newswire

Ubisoft chooses Ztorm for digital distribution

2009-05-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

Ztorm today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Ubisoft, one of the world's leading interactive entertainment software companies. The agreement will allow the major retailers in Scandinavia to sell Ubisoft games through the digital distribution service provided by Ztorm, the Nordic market leader of digital distribution services to retailers.

“Digital distribution is on the rise and already an important sales channel for the game industry. Adding Ztorm as a partner for digital distribution in the Nordic countries is a natural step forward, as they have a strong customer base and an extremely reliable platform. We are looking forward to a long and fruitful cooperation.”

-Peter Weile Managing Director Ubisoft Nordic

“Ubisoft has an outstanding portfolio that will be available to retailers connected to our system. The cooperation between Ubisoft and Ztorm is not just important to us, it is important for the whole industry. Digital distribution is the future and the future is now.”

- André Skogberg Marketing Director Ztorm

Ubisoft plans to release all their future titles and the majority of their back catalogue on the Ztorm platform.

About Ubisoft

Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified line-up of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has teams in 28 countries and distributes games in more than 55 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. For the 2007-08 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of 928 million euros. To learn more, please visit ubisoftgroup.com

About Ztorm

Ztorm is a full service provider of digital distribution. Ztorm's services handle all digital formats, payment systems, hosting, DRM, maintenance, support, and development of customized solutions. Ztorm is partly owned by the Sixth AP Fund. The customers are companies wanting to deliver digital goods in a secure and cost effective way by digital distribution over the internet. The head office is located in Stockholm.

For more information visit www.ztorm.com

For more information, please contact:

Anders Emblad

Ztorm AB

anders.emblad@ztorm.com

Phone: +46 704-53 54 00

via developmag

41% of all PC software is pirated

2009-05-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

Business Software Alliance claims market lost $53bn to illegal installations in 2008

A new study has claimed that a remarkable 41 per cent of all software installations on PC last year were based on illegally pirated copies – a figure which amounts to a market value of $53bn.

The global piracy rate in 2007 was pegged at 38 per cent, but successes in territories such as China and Russia don’t seem to have eased the problem, Reuters reports.

The US is named as the best-behaved nation, with piracy rates of just 20 per cent whilst prime offender China saw a welcomed reduction, with illegal installations falling to 80 per cent – a reduction of ten per cent. There was also a five per cent drop in Russia.

Countries with piracy rates above 90 per cent include Georgia, Bangladesh, Armenia, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan and Moldova.

Despite the growing problem, the global PC software market still grew in 2008, reaching $88bn. via MCV

Innovative Game Publisher Namco Networks Implement Next-Gen Protection and Activation technology from Plimus

2009-05-19T14:13:00.000-07:00

Uniloc SoftAnchor Deployed In Namco and Merscom Games

IRVINE, Calif., May 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Uniloc USA Inc., the leader in device-based authentication solutions for managing activation and security for software and games, and Plimus, a global e-commerce solutions provider, today announced that Plimloc(TM), an e-commerce integrated version of Uniloc's SoftAnchor licensing and copy protection solution, has been deployed in a variety of popular Namco Networks and Merscom casual PC games.

Plimloc's flexibility allows software and game publishers to reach broader markets more rapidly, leading to increased revenue. Plimloc also simplifies product activation, enabling end-users to get up and running quickly and without impact on product use. Plimloc has been integrated into many popular game titles including NAMCO ALL-STARS: PAC-MAN and DIG DUG, Star Trigon, Everything Nice, as well as Party Down and Hospital Hustle from Merscom, and many more.

"The integration of Plimloc into these and other popular games help publishers increase sales, reduce support costs and minimize piracy and charge backs," said Craig Etchegoyen, founder of Uniloc. "We are pleased to work with Plimus to deploy our innovative solutions to support these leading game developers, while providing the best game-play experience for their customers."

In addition to providing e-commerce integrated protection and activation, Plimloc also provides Namco Networks and Merscom with advanced reporting and analysis that help them understand activation trends and licensing patterns. Key reports help them gain valuable insight into their products and markets.

"It is very satisfying to help publishers gain visibility into the usage of their products while increasing revenue and optimizing the end user experience," said Simon Jones, vice president of marketing at Plimus. "Plimloc provides an unprecedented solution to help game publishers secure their products, and our customers appreciate that we are able to provide this protection in an integrated manner with our turnkey e-commerce delivery platform."

About Plimus

Plimus, Inc., a global e-commerce solutions provider, builds and manages online businesses for thousands of software publishers, web hosting companies and online retailers. Plimus helps companies and publishers of all sizes maximize online revenues and reduce the costs and risks of running an e-commerce operation. The company's award-winning platform offers order management, fraud prevention, export controls, tax management, physical and digital product fulfillment, multi-currency and multi-language support, advanced reporting services, marketing tools, licensing management, an affiliate network, and much more. For more information, visit www.Plimloc.com.

About Uniloc

Uniloc is the leader in device-based authentication solutions. The Uniloc Physical Device Recognition (PDR) platform authenticates the true identity of devices that attempt to access high-value technology assets. SoftAnchor leverages PDR to manage activation and authentication for software and games. Its flexible real-time licensing model provides support for on-line, stand-alone and multi-user licensing. The Uniloc reporting and analysis capabilities enable software vendors and game publishers to improve their offerings and better serve customers. For more information, please visit www.uniloc.com/softanchor/.

Uniloc, and SoftAnchor are trademarks of Uniloc Inc.

Star Trigon(TM) (C) 2002-2009 NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. Namco All-Stars(TM) (C) 2008 NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc., PAC-MAN(TM) (C)1980-2008 NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc., Dig Dug(TM) (C)1982-2008 NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. Everything Nice (C) 2009, Mean Hamster Software, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
via earthtimes

Search Plus Display Still Hottest Online Ad Combo in Q1 2009

2009-05-15T20:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, comScore held its State of the U.S. Online Retail Economy for the first quarter of 2009. Their data showed that search is still a potent way to reach customers online, but driving consumers to search via display advertising is even more powerful.

While most categories are taking a hit due to the recession, some are still experiencing growth:

comScore said that many people are choosing to save instead of spend. Consumers with household incomes of $100k or higher and those in older demographics were more likely to save and cut back on spending (since more of their income is disposable and many have lost savings via the stock market).

Still, when consumers do make purchases, the internet remains a valuable resource:

via searchenginewatch

Crystal Method distributing digitally to iPhone users via app

2009-05-12T12:13:00.000-07:00

Content publishing tool being used by band to promote its new album.

The Crystal Method has released an iPhone application that offers content from the band and its new album Divided By Night.

The free app, built using Fluidesign's Mobile Roadie platform, enables fans to purchase the album's first single, Drown in the Now, album graphics, buy upcoming show tickets, and interact with both other fans and the band.

Physical and digital distribution, as well as digital marketing of the album, will be handled by INgrooves.

Robb McDaniels at INgrooves said: "The iPhone app is a great way for Crystal Method fans to connect directly with the band and gain fast, easy access to their exclusive content. This is an example of how to reduce the friction between fan and artist and facilitate a more intimate relationship."

via mobile-ent.biz

Sony CEO Talks Evolving Media, Expanding PSN Beyond PS3

2009-05-12T11:43:00.000-07:00

It's a dynamic world out there for technology companies, and Howard Stringer wants to bring Sony into the 21st century.

by David Radd on Monday, May 11, 2009

Speaking to Nikkei Electronics Asia, Sony CEO Howard Stringer talked about his company's focus during this tough economy. He noted that it's difficult to come up with new product concepts, and added that TV might have to evolve to keep its customer base.

"It's clear that customer preferences are changing, and I think this fact indicates what the next steps in TV evolution are likely to be. We'll never recapture our customer's hearts by merely offering better color or higher resolution," said Stringer. "We developed brand new, absolutely incredible technology for the PlayStation 3 (PS3), but the cost was high. We've adopted a slightly different approach now, and are evolving the PS3 into a platform for Web services. TV development is also in a period of transition; the fact that sales volume is growing for the Apple TV, a kind of set-top box, might be evidence of an emerging trend. "

While talking about understanding the consumer, Stringer was very complimentary of the Wii. "Understanding customers will also help us uncover hidden customers. The Wii from Nintendo Co of Japan is an excellent example," asserted Stringer. "They didn't develop any unique technology; they just realized that there was potential demand out there for something different from conventional games, and thought about how to satisfy different demands from different age groups. They attained results that the PS3 hasn't; namely, generating profit from hardware sales."

Turning to content distribution, he mentioned how the PlayStation Network in particular would need to evolve. "A lot of people thought Sony's content download service was doomed, but it's in a pretty good place right now in the form of the PlayStation Network, available to PS3 users for network gaming, video, etc. The DRM is based on Marlin, an open scheme developed by consumer electronics companies and other companies," commented Stringer. "What does all this mean? Very simply, it means that Sony has begun the transition from a closed system to an open one."

"Next we will be expanding the PlayStation Network to hardware other than the PS3, because the number of PS3 units sold puts a limit on the scale of the network possible," he added. "Sony has a vertical structure for each product line, an organizational structure that resists change, so it will take time to achieve this network growth. However, a large number of employees share my opinion on this." via gamedaily