Content Providers
Content Providers

Content Providers

Pac-Man Fever Hits U.S.

In the second of a series of Q&As with Japanese-headquartered game publishers making the plunge into the U.S. mobile game biz, Gamasutra had a chance to talk to Scott Rubin, VP of Sales and Marketing for Namco Networks, regarding the company’s history and plans. Rubin discussed both the formation of Namco Networks in North America and the popularity of Namco’s classic titles, such as Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga and Dig Dug, on cellphone, answering the same questions as Capcom’s Midori Yuasa, the first in this mobile Q&A series.

Dentsu, Mitsubishi Establish Anime JV

Dentsu Inc. and Mitsubishi Corporation announced today that they will form a business alliance encompassing the production, sale and rights management of Japanese animated works in Japan and globally. Dentsu brings to this partnership significant capabilities in content and creative production in Japan, while Mitsubishi Corporation has built a strong track record in the export of Japanese animated works, particularly focusing on children’s animation. The partners have agreed to actively cooperate in developing businesses that utilize such new media as the Internet and mobile devices.

Warner Music Buys into FrontMedia

Warner Music has bought a minority stake in a Japanese firm that produces radio programming delivered over mobile phones. The international arm of New York-based Warner Music announced that it is making a capital investment in FrontMedia and supplying it music in exchange for the chance to expand the firm’s mobile broadcasting and video services on the country’s three major mobile carriers. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

Disney Branded Mobile Comics and Games

A pair of press releases just came through from Vodafone K.K. with news that WDIG will be rolling out comics and games on Vodafone live! starting June 1, 2006. Disney Mobile Comics will be Disney’s first-ever digital comic content for mobile phones, and will consist of three types of mobile comics for customers to enjoy. Also announced, Disney’s first Bluetooth multiplayer 3D racing game. The Cars 3D V-appli will feature characters from Disney/Pixar’s latest movie Cars, which is scheduled for release in Japan on July 1. Cars 3D is said to be the first game based on a Disney/Pixar movie to appear ahead of film release.

DoCoMo to Offer Napster Flat-Rate

NTT DoCoMo Inc. plans to make available the flat-rate pricing service of U.S. online music distributor Napster LLC for its new cellphone handsets to be marketed from this summer, informed sources said Saturday. Music distribution has been available for mobile phones at about 300 yen per track in Japan. In the U.S. market, Napster offers more than 2 million pieces of music for users at fixed-rate charges equivalent to about 1,100-1,600 yen a month, they added.

Qualcomm's Universal Mobile TV Chip

QUALCOMM announced its single-chip Universal Broadcast Modem (UBM) solution supporting three of the world’s leading mobile broadcast standards. The UBM solution unifies the world’s leading mobile TV standards into a single, cost-effective chip with support for FLO technology, as well as for Digital Video Broadcasting — Handheld (DVB-H) and one-segment Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting — Terrestrial (ISDB-T), creating a common platform that handset manufacturers can leverage to address multiple standards. Designed to be compatible with both CDMA2000 and WCDMA/UMTS devices, the UBM solution is expected to sample in the first quarter of 2007.

[This represents a huge opportunity for the 1Seg platform in Japan — Eds]