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by
Daniel Huebner and Jennifer Olsen
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 News
Week
of June 19-June 25, 2000
[Wednesday,
June 21, 2000]
THQ
Rights Plan
THQ is following Activision and Acclaim in adopting a shareholder protection
plan. Like the other plans, THQ's shareholder rights initiative is designed
to ward off any unsolicited takeover attempts by triggering a shareholder
stock payout if any outsider purchases 15 percent or more of the company's
outstanding shares. The plan, which the company says is not in response
to any specific buyout effort, goes into effect on July 3.
Savage
Announced
Activision veterans Tim Morten, Chacko Sonny, and John Lafleur have announced
the formation of Savage Entertainment. The former Mech Warrior 2 team
members launched the independent studio on the sly two years, but have
waited until now to announce their existence. The company has spent the
last two years developing a next-generation game engine that they intend
to use as the basis for original X-Box and Playstation 2 titles.
[Wednesday,
June 21, 2000]
Sega
Net Hires CTO
Lynn MacConnell is joining the Sega Net management team. MacConnell, who
worked on the Sega.com website project as a consultant, will take on the
role of chief technology officer and oversee Sega Net's technical staff
and will be responsible for the technology behind the high-speed gaming
network. "It is an exciting time to be joining the video game industry,"
said MacConnell, "I want to be part of enabling the next wave of consumers
to get online and take their games to the next level."
ICTV Investments
Big players in the cable industry are gearing up to compete with AOL and
Microsoft TV initiatives. Interactive
TV start-up ICTV has lined up investments totaling $87 million from leading
cable TV companies including Liberty Digital, TV Guide, Shaw Communications,
Adelphia, Open TV and Motorola. Whereas the interactive television systems
announced by AOL and Microsoft rely on high-powered set-top boxes, ICTV's
technology runs on the equipment where the television signal originates
while providing similar features like TV based internet access, email,
and interactive gaming.
[Tuesday,
June 20, 2000]
Eidos
on the Block
Eidos shares on the London market are soaring on takeover rumors. The
company has announced that it is in the very early stages of negotiations
that may result in the sale of the company. Likely Eidos suitors include
French rivals Inforgrames and Havas, with many considering acquisitive
Infogrames to be the most likely buyer. Another possibility is Microsoft,
which recently purchased Bungie Software but has been spurned in its attempts
to purchase a large publisher in Japan.
[Monday,
June 19, 2000]
Bill
Buys Bungie
Microsoft is acquiring Bungie Software. Bungie will become an independent
studio within the Microsoft Games Division, though the company's Chicago
offices will be relocated to Redmond, WA. Microsoft will get Bungie's
in-development Halo, but the all rights and technologies for Oni
and the Myth series will go to former Bungie distributor Take-Two
as part of a deal enabling Microsoft to obtain Take-Two's 19.9 percent
stake in Bungie. Though Bungie will continue to make it own decisions
in regard to development platforms, including whether or not to continue
the company's long-time Mac support, the company is expected to play a
key role in the development of Microsoft's X-Box. "Microsoft will provide
us with the resources and infrastructure we need to continue to build
great games and make them available on a worldwide scale," said Bungie
CEO Alexander Seropian, "We are also looking forward to helping define
the Xbox platform."
Disney
Broadband
Disney is entering the broadband fray. Disney Interactive and Into Networks
are teaming to create the Disney Interactive Channel on Into's Play Now
network. The channel will deliver entertainment products from Disney Interactive
over Into's broadband content platform, enabling users to try titles before
buying, rent titles, or pay for monthly channel subscriptions. Disney
Interactive will launch its broadband channel with a selection of titles
including its A Bug's Life Action Game. "The Disney Interactive
software channel extends the reach of our content to consumers who have
already seen the value of broadband Internet access and are now looking
for branded, mainstream rich content," said Disney Interactive President
Jan Smith.
More
Broadband
The Bungie buy isn't Microsoft's only deal with Take-Two. Microsoft is
choosing Broadband Studios to provide online distribution of selected
Microsoft game titles. The deal will see Microsoft titles broadcast over
Broadband Studio's Power Play network, and the two companies are also
looking into the creation of online game channel built around Microsoft
properties. "Adding content partners of Microsoft's caliber is our paramount
objective," said Broadband's Ramy Wietz.
Past
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