Bandai Networks has announced a new mobile phone service that allows cameraphone users to take a photo of a CD cover or poster and search for the information about that artist or band. Users can then click the link in the returned content to easily access a mobile site containing detailed product info. and (hopefully) purchase related products directly from their phone. Those sneaky capitalists!
Viacom Japan will re-launch their mobile music channel as a social networking service, myMTV, which will offer members their own profile pages along video uploading and sharing functions. The service is ad-supported and free to consumers and will be available on all three of Japan’s mobile operators when it rolls-out in September. According to comments from executives on-hand at the Tokyo press conference, this effort will serve as a model for future deployment in other markets.
According to the organisers of TGS, as of today the projected participation for their upcoming annual event is 168 exhibitors occupying 1,708 booths which would make it even larger in scale than the largest past show (148 exhibitors, 1,701 booths, in 2006). This may be due to the fact that this year marks the introduction of software titles for the new game platforms released over the past 1-2 years.
Yamaha has just completed a major reorganization, moving its entire content division out of the parent company and into a subsidiary called Yamaha Music Media (YMM). Until now, YMM has focused mainly on publishing instructional books and magazines for pianists, guitarists and other musicians. Under the new structure, this print media will be combined with Yamaha’s considerable mobile content assets, as well as its music software catalog.
CESA posted an update yesterday regarding the Tokyo Game Show 2007 agenda with more details on their popular event scheduled for 20 – 23 September out at Makuhari Messe. They have secured 162 exhibitors, up from 148 last year, with companies coming from the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, Israel, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China. Our video coverage from TGS 2006 has been one of the most popular programs on WWJ and there’s little doubt it will be another fantastic show this year as well. [video from the 2007 event now available Here -- eds]
The latest Music Media Watch newsletter from Steve Myers came out yesterday with an op-ed feature on the-phone which we covered to great extent – for our paid subscribers – back in January. That being said it’s well worth the read (for free) as it even popped-up on the O’Reilly Radar this morning 😎 Meanwhile, there’s a few other “Noteworthy News” tips clipped from his blast after the jump.
