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Posted on 03.13.07 by Nikhil @ 12:20 pm
A number of wireless Chinese stocks recently got hit with a triple whammy. Chinese companies with shares traded in the U.S. were hammered by the recent plunge in the Chinese market, the fall in the U.S. market and then, once again, by the recent actions of the Chinese government, which has been regulating the ways wireless content providers can market and sell their content. The situation has been so difficult that Tom Online (nasdaq: TOMO - news - people ), one of the biggest wireless portals in China, will soon be taken private by its parent company, Tom Group, so that its business can be restructured and its business strategy can be optimized without the pressures that face public companies. But while Tom goes private, there could now be some good opportunities for investors. One company that I think will reward investors this year is Beijing-based Hurray! Holdings (nasdaq: HRAY - news - people ). The company’s American Depository Shares, which now trade around $4.93, are down nearly 50% from the company’s 52-week high in April. Yet Hurray! is taking aggressive steps to revamp its business. Filed under: Stock Watch and Wireless Gaming and Applications and Cutting Edge Comments: Comments Off |
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Posted on 10.01.06 by Nikhil @ 2:16 pm
I went to an Electronic Arts showing of its newest products for 2007. They games were fascinating – they seem to keep getting better. There were also a number of games available on mobile phones. I played Bejeweled with one of the EA’s representatives (he was on one phone, I was on another) and it was a lot of fun – and worked well. Now, of course, EA is pinning its hopes on a successful holiday season. A big part of its success will depend on how well Nintendo’s Wii does when it is launched in November. At the showing/cocktail party I went to with EA reps, most of the attendees were gathered around the Wii from Nintendo. If the buzz around Wii is any indication, it oculd mean good things for both Nintendo and EA. Big News from EA this month. Electronic Arts reached an agreement with Nokia where EA will provide games that will be available to owners of Nokia devices. This is great news for distribution of EA’s games – however financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Filed under: Stock Watch and Wireless Gaming and Applications and Cutting Edge Comments: None |
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Posted on 08.17.06 by Nikhil @ 4:32 pm
Recently, I met with Glu Mobile’s chief executive, Greg Ballard, at a wireless gaming event in New York City. Sitting in a cafeteria with a stunning view of the Statue of Liberty, Ballard explained his company’s objective. While Glu Mobile sells ring tones, wallpaper and other applications, 95% of its business is generated from building games for mobile devices. Now, the company wants to quickly expand the number of games it provides. Filed under: Stock Watch and Wireless Gaming and Cutting Edge Comments: Comments Off |
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Posted on 12.10.05 by Nikhil @ 12:02 am
I’ve covered Jamdat extensively in Forbes Wireless Stock Watch. In August, the stock price fell 30% on concerns about third-quarter earnings. I urged investors not to be shortsighted and said that the company’s strategic plans were right on target and that Jamdat could become a takeover target. Well, that’s exactly what happened. As you may know, Los Angeles-based Jamdat Mobile is the premier developer of games for wireless devices. The announcement isn’t a great surprise, given that Electronic Arts, based in Redwood City, Calif., has been trying to increase its presence in this booming market that now has some 5 billion wireless subscribers worldwide. Interesting to note as well is that about 40% of mobile phones are currently game-enabled, a statistic that Warren Jensen, chief financial officer at Electronic Arts, offered at a news conference announcing the deal. While EA had tried to go it alone, making games for mobile devices requires very different skills than developing games for PCs and videogame consoles. Obviously, the company decided it would do better by turning to an established pro. Filed under: Stock Watch and Wireless Gaming and News and Mergers/Acquisitions Comments: None |
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Posted on 10.19.05 by Nikhil @ 10:43 pm
Ever feel the need to hook up your Nintendo game player while in a McDonald’s? Didn’t think so. But pretty soon, you’ll be able to anyway. Here’s why. Today, Nintendo said it was working with Wayport, a wireless Internet service provider, to provide free Wi-Fi access in almost 6,000 McDonald’s. So if you have a Nintendo DS, you’ll be able to walk into any McDonald’s and play mobile games, such as Mario Kart DS and Tony Hawk’s American SK8land, over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection network. Doesn’t matter if your opponents are sitting next to you or on the other side of the planet. The idea, I guess, is that you will become so involved with your game that you will spend more time eating french fries and drinking sodas. That may not be good for you, but it would be very good for McDonald’s. Read more about this at Gamespot.com. Filed under: Wireless Gaming and Applications and Infrastructure and Cutting Edge Comments: 1 Comment |
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Posted on 10.14.05 by Nikhil @ 6:17 pm
The stock market remains as volatile as ever and nowhere is this more apparent than at the Money Show. I’m here in San Francisco speaking about investing in wireless stocks. The turnout here is impressive. Lots of investors looking for great opportunities while also trying to figure out which way the market will go. I just held a presentation on wireless stocks which was well-attended. The audience was made up of people who realize that wireless has great prospects ahead. The problem was trying to figure out which stocks to buy. I spoke mostly about stocks in the wireless sector that will benefit by the soaring demand for wireless applications. Stocks such as Jamdat Mobile (JMDT) and Tom Online (TOMO). Both companies have rising revenues and earnings and great long term prospects. But Jamdat’s stock is down, basically because Electronic Arts has entered the gaming business and will distribute its mobile games through Vodafone in Europe. Don’t worry Jamdat, there are lots of other carriers in Europe, Asia and the rest of the world. If you are in the area, come by! We’re at the San Francisco Marriott on Fourth Street near Market until Sunday. I’ll be speaking tomorrow morning at 8:00 am, and then moderating the Forbes panel at 10:40 am. Filed under: Wireless Gaming and Applications Comments: None |
