Gaucho420

Is Nintendo the Apple of Steve Jobs' Eye?

What's NTDOY"s cash position? In the past, that has been a huge hurdle in any merger rumours.

Also, Nintendo in Japan is considered to be a national gem, similar to Ford, GE or whoever else you want in the US

While I do think it makes sense on many levels and certainly both companies have similar customer service orientations geared at high sastifaction of its customers, I beleive NTODY's large cash position (especially with an appreciating YEN) combined with NTDOY's treasured position in Japan, that it would be very, very hard for someone of Apple's size to pull it off.

The Japanese would see it as a foreign take-over of a very treasured company and I'm not so sure they would let it happen.

Protectionism sucks, but, Japan certainly wouldn't be the first one's to do it.

Utilities: Get Dividends Paid in Euros

I agree with the logic, but you missed one key thing, unless I skipped over it in the article... you didn't mention the fact that most of these countries will deduct their dividend tax prior to getting your dividend, so the true return dividend wise is lower than you state in the artcle, as France, for example, takes out up to 30% from GDF stock the moment its issued. Most of the time, the foreign governments tax is higher than what you would've paid in the US.

I still beleive in the philosophy and have been investing in it for a while, but your readers should know about the taxes taken out up front as well. I do beleive, however, that you are not double taxed from the US government either, but the foreign tax will probaby be a higher % than what the US government would've taken out on its own.

MarketingVox: Are Gamers Dropping Consoles for Online Gaming?

Terribly shallow article worthy of the local news. If there is any analysis of substance or anything at all worth publishing in that article, that hasn't been said before with more deeper analysis over the last 3 years...let me know.

Utilities: Get Dividends Paid in Euros

And to answer David, yes, the only reason these companies aren't on the NYSE are the set of rules and fees required to pay to be officially listed. Most of these companies have fairly light volume on the NYSE and it is cost prohibitive for them to pay fees to be fully listed (as well as meet the disclusore requirements), so they go with the OTC.

GDFZY is the world's 2nd largest utility company behind Russia's behemoth Gazprom, and they were listed fully with the NYSE prior to Sarbanes–Oxley Act becoming law, which required more time & money to stay listed with the NYSE. Once that law became 100% enforeceable, for foreign companies with low volumes in the US, Banes-Oxley proved too cost prohibitive given the low volume, so they went with the OTC.

GameStop Director Leonard Riggio Shows Us the Future of Gaming

Dedicated gamers will get their games faster by downloading. I have XBL and if a game came out at midnight online, I'd have XBL downloaded overnight and have it ready for use in the morning. That's much faster than waiting for a retail store to open the next day.

I go to store now, such as this week to pick up NBA2k10, because I wanted the anniversay edition. But had it been a normal non-anniversary year and had the option been there to download it straight to the hard-drive from XBL, I probably would've opted for that.

I think a bigger argument agaisnt downloads is 1) the added cost of a hard drive to store them (especially when you get to the full sized games), 2) the lack of a manual and 3) no trade in value on downloads.

I know quite a few dedicated gamers who don't download that many games, because they dont' feel like wasting money on a hard-drive. And that's the over-riding reason, plus the trade-in value of discs.

For the 360, retailers should thank MSFT for making the hard drives propriatery and super expensive, as it keeps a large number of gamers hooked to retailers, as nobody wants to pay MSFT ridiculous price on its 60 gig or 120 gig drives.

I have paid for the 120 gig drive, because I can afford it, but most can and most simply don't even trie demos, movies or anything else, as the hard-drive on the 360 is cost-prohibitive.

I know the PS3 can use any drive you choose, but even at bottom barrell prices, it still cost money.

So in my humble opinion, online gaming will be restricted (for a tiny while) by the cost of extra storage. I have seen this to be true across my gaming friends and I know a boatload of all ages, sex and income types. Gamers want to play...paying for a hard-drive is simply an unwanted hassle at the current prices.

Nintendo DS: Getting Killed Off by Game Theft

I copy games all the time and I have a boatload of copied DS games. HOwever, Nintendo and the publisher aren't missing a dime, as I wouldn't have bought them at any price.

I however, do not copy 360 or Wii games, although I easily could...but I like them, so I pay for them outright. The DS? Nope, I rarely play it and therefore, no money is lost on me getting it for free as I would've never spent a dime on most games.

So there's a point to be made about this...if anything, copying DS games has had me recommend certain games to my father and little brother, who do have a DSi and went out and bougth the games I recommended as they don't have time to mess with those downloads or getting the chip required to play tem. So without me getting them for free (and again, I would never had laid out a dime to buy them, so no loss of sales on my account), my dad would never have bought certain DS games.

And I loved GTA: Chinatown so much, I went out and bought the real thing.

Same with music...I have copied MP3s of a billion tunes that I never would've bought normally, at any price. But after having free MP3s of certain artists that I really liked, I went out and bought actual albums and that's happened quite a bit on the music side.

So its not truly lost sales on every account, as again, I wouldn't have bougth any of the DS games or those MP3s at any price...for free, I'll give them a shot and if I like them, I'll recommend them or buy them next time myself.

I'm not sure how often this happens, but for sure...free things lead to money made at least for some customers.

Just because we take something for free, doesn't mean we would've spent any money on it if we couldn't get it for free.

Are Microsoft and Sony Closing in on Nintendo?

I follow both analysts comments on this and then regular people's...the reactions are quite different. I have yet to find a single Xbox player who has any significant interest in the camera...however, Wall Street loves it.

I beleive it is because Wall Street analysts make a ton of dough and simply fail to understand that for the average person or household, a $200 attachment to an already pricey console simply isn't excitting.

If I were you, I'd look back to see what these so called experts thought of the Wii out the gate vs. the PS3, as the over-riding sentiment on Wall Street was the PS3 was going to run all over the 360 & the Wii. I beleive the key factor in their terrible analysis is the fact that either they don't play games or they get them for free or they make so much money, it might as well be free.

So I disagree...I can tell you my survey of young & old gamers has shown no great interest in this due to the cost, the bad reputation MSFT has in putting out a weak product in the 1st gen and the simply fact that many already own a Wii and even with a camera, it didn't look that impressive.

So until I hear its $199 with two free games and one year free of Xbox Live...this product is dead in the water. It'll have a few users ready to grab it out the gate, but unless things change radically as to its price and offering, it won't have many users due to the pink elephant in the room all videogame analysts seem to forget about (until weak sales show up)...THE PRICE, on top of the price for an Xbox, Xbox Live subscription, WIFI antenna and of course, the dreaded RRoD.

Nintendo's in Poor Position Amongst Competitors

I agree, the Big N is in poor position, tech wise and game wise, except for price. But that is a big, big issue or if it wasn't, how do you explain the PS2 routinely outselling the PS3? Why is it that consumers go to the store to pick up a 10-year old console over its super duper brethen? P-R-I-C-E.

Perhaps in another language, you will understand...Cest le prix!!!!

So until we all grow money trees, price will always be the top decision maker at this price level...the TurboGraphx16, NeoGeo, and now PS3 are all superb points of videogame history that show that price trumps over top tech, nearly all the time.

So while the motion conrol camera is cool, its price certainly isn't and while the PS3 has Blue-Ray, its price is absolutly ridiculous.

Let's no forget the sting of the 360 failing 2-3 years into its life as another sting that current 360 owners may avoid and probably feel a bit gipped about.

So while I agree that if was a brand new launch, Nintendo would be in trouble (if MSFT and SNE priced it right)...but with the Wii already sold in 50 million homes, with the 360 being way too expensive when you add in Xbox Live, the WIFI antenna, extra controllers, etc...and with the PS3 already an utter failure...I beleive Nintendo will still be ahead, as I don't see mom & pops who already own a Wii going out and spending nearly $500 on a 360, only to then hear little timmy's contact use the N word, call Jews terrible names, and be as racist as racist can be...for $500. Hearing ethic disparities over Xbox Live gets pretty old, folks...I'm going on over 3 years of it now and I simply hate getting on there and having to put up with that crap after putting in a hard days work...I certainly wouldn't want my kids exposed to it.

Tech isn't the only thing that goes into a consumer's decision! You'd all be much wiser remembering this, we don't live in a tech vacuum where price, culture of the entertainment and perceived value suddenly disappear due to a fancy camera.

Microsoft Xbox Natal: A Leap Forward in Gaming

What about pricing? Is everyone off their kilter still, that no one is remembering that oh so distant failure called the PS3???

So a 360 is $299...this add on is $600 at retail right now and most beleive it will be $200 when it comes out. Xbox Live is $50/year. So combined, that's $550. What about a game for this peripheral?

I beleive this is too little, too late...given how many PS2 units still sell, suggesting many households are not that impressed with the Wii/360/PS3 and the fact that so many mom & pop households have a Wii already, meaning they'll need to invest in a new system all together to enjoy this new type of gaming??? I don't see the typical Wii crowd re-investing yet again on a new system...I see this launch by MSFT to be very cool indeed, but to be limited in success by its price and the fact that most Wii households already own a Wii and will not dish out yet more money for another console and its game...there's no way this will happen.

So I disagree completly with your analysis...its easy to say this is going to be a big hit when your a techy & where price simply has no weight on your tech decisions, as tech is your life, but 90% of the country considers price first and foremost, the success of the PS2/Wii/DS over the PS3/360/PSP shows that technology just doesn't matter as much at this particular price range.

So very cool, but unless the 360 and the peripheral combined sells for $250 or less, it'll be dead in the water, as the existing hardcores on the 360 don't exactly get up off the couch much and will not go out and buy this in droves. Analysis has shown that barely any households have both a 360/PS3 & Wii and I expect this to continue. I own both and enjoy them both, but I am a rare hard-core gamer and most of my 360 friends don't like the Wii much outside of get-together parties...so no, I don't see this having much success, at all. In fact, no one 360 gamer I know and I know quite a few, females, males all ages...is very much interested in this at all. In fact, I'd say its turn them off more than anything.

Its the wrong product, at the wrong price, on the wrong system and its late 2010 date really does shoot it in the foot even more, as that's more Wii households who'll never upgrade to this product.

Additionaly, my small survey of gamers also suggest all 360 gamers are very apprehensive about this add-on, given that most have had their 360s die once, including one person I know who's had his die three times and is now weighing going to the Wii, due solely to the poor reliability of the 360 and its high costs. And finallly, I will state most are very weary of anything MSFT puts out as 1st gen, as let's face it...its always a work in progress.

So outside of the gaming techies who make this their life...in the real world, in Los Angeles, with hard-cores...the reception is chilly and apprehensive, as we're all waiting to see just how MSFT will F'd it up and $200 additional to spend on the 360, when most of us already spent $90 on a WIFI antenna...is a bit much to swallow.

So no...cool tech, wrong console, wrong audience, wrong timing and wrong price.

Why I'm Betting on USEC

I hope you're right, but I'm on the more pessismistic side of things. Areva is a huge competitor that has its act well together, as Nuclear Power fuels over 75% of France's total electrical output. When I invested in this stock originally, I did not realize that such competitors were existed for USU, specifically in regards to the American Centrifuge Project. I knew Areva well, but I didn't know they were viying for the same funds.

With the debt we're piling on, with other types of energy available and with someone as large as Areva competing agaisnt it...USU will need to pull a rabbit out of its financial, technical & political hat, to get the loan approved.

Microsoft's Xbox Beats Out All Other Game Consoles

and very good point...everyone I know has had a 360 breakdown...I'm on my 2nd one.

It happens again and hello PS3. I'm not a damn idiot who's going to keep feeding MSFT money, when clearly they don't give a damn about their customers.

$120 120 gig hard drive? $99 WIFI Antenna? Poor customer service?

Check, check and check with MSFT.

Microsoft's Xbox Beats Out All Other Game Consoles

Its a great console, but wasn't the point of the 360 to be in the living room, guarrrenteeing constanT access to the family?

Your own columns have said in the past that the Wii is in the living room, while the 360 is in the bedroom...which clearly shows that it isn't a family friendly device and therefore, cannot hope to surpass the Wii.

I also know many non-gamers who are waiting to get into gaming for one reason or another (as Nintendo always touts within their stats) and most have zero interest in the 360 or the PS3...too many button, too complicated and too expensive ($60 games turns people off).

So I don't know Bruce....I own a 360 & a Wii, and while I like the extra 360 stuff on XBL, I would choose the Wii over the 360 if I had to pick one console at this point. Its interactive, easier to play with all my non-gaming friends, Wii Fit is a great program that really isn't a game AND...NO RED RING OF DEATH!

If the 360 is going to outsell the Wii, it will be because it copies the Wii. The great myth of the all encompassing machine that the family revolves around isn't true along the PS3 & 360 machines...that machine is the Wii as its simple, fun and easy to get into.

Take Two Trades Wager on Upside

The reason this is going on is 1) Borderlands, a new TTWO release, was the best selling non-Wii game in the US last week, with media report of shortages, 2) TTWO released a new GTA for the PSP, the previoulsy released Chinatown Wars for the DS...it has received rave reviews and is expected to sell well, 3) the new downloadable expansion pack for GTAIV comes out tomorrow for the 360, and 4) NBA2k10 was just released...it is usually the best reviewed and best selling basketball game on the market.

So that's one new franchise selling well, two GTA games expected to sell well and the usually NBA2k, which typically does well.

But the big news is point #1.

Tiger Woods 10 for Wii: An Electronic Arts Epiphany

Ins't Nintendo the biggest game publisher in the world and by a long shot?

I love Tiger Woods Wii, it is brilliant...but let's not forget who came out with the Wii and with Wii Motion Plus...as good as Tiger is, Wii Sports Resorts BLOWS IT AWAY...and I love Tiger on the Wii.

Just sayin'...EA simply finally figured out how to use the Wii correctly, with this and with the Wii Fit competitor they have...but all they're doing is riding a much bigger company's coatails, so let's not spluge in our pants just yet for EA...good progress following someone else's lead, but how about some profitability?

Sony's PS3 Slim: What Has the Company Achieved?

I'm sure the linked video is real, but why is it filmed like a fake bigfoot video? Can't they stand back a bit so we can get a real look at the console and not swing wildly from side to side, up & down? It looks like a PS2 to me.

I'm just saying, its as grainy & fumbly as all internet videos for sasquatch.