Nintendo set to launch "Wii Fit" exercise game

Reuters: [2008-05-17 00:35:00]

By Scott Hillis

SAN FRANCISCO, May 16 (Reuters) - For years, video games have been blamed for turning kids into idle layabouts who only venture off the couch to fill up on potato chips and soda.

Nintendo Co Ltd <7974.OS> now aims to shatter that image with a game that aims to get players off the couch and lead them to stretch, shake and sweat their way to a healthy life.

"Wii Fit," which arrives on U.S. store shelves on Monday, is expected to draw new customers to Nintendo's wildly popular Wii video game console.

It is forecast to be the industry's latest blockbuster game after last month's "Grand Theft Auto 4," the criminal action title that racked up $500 million in global sales in one week.

"They'll sell everything they can manufacture," said Signal Hill analyst Todd Greenwald. "It extends the life cycle of the Wii a little bit and gets people to go out and buy another game from Nintendo."

The Wii has proven to be the runaway hit of the video game industry, thanks to its easy-to-learn motion-sensing controller, simple games and low price.

U.S. consumers bought 714,000 Wiis in April, nearly double the sales of Microsoft Corp's <MSFT.O> Xbox 360 and Sony Corp's <6758.T> PlayStation 3 combined.

At the other end of the spectrum from "Grand Theft Auto 4," "Wii Fit" coaches players through more than 40 exercises that range from tightrope-walking to yoga stances to push-ups.

The $90 game comes with a shoulder-width "balance board" that senses tiny shifts in a person's posture and is used to control a cartoonish character on the TV screen.

It is shaping up to be the latest in a string of hits for the Osaka, Japan-based company, which has tapped a rich vein of previously undiscovered mass-market interest in gaming with the Wii and titles like "Wii Play."

"Wii Fit" has sold more than two million units in Japan since its launch late last year, and Nintendo says interest is "strong" in Europe, where it went on sale last month.

In its fourth fiscal quarter ended in March, Nintendo saw its profit jump 60 percent from a year earlier. The company is counting on "Wii Fit" to help drive growth this quarter.

Nintendo is banking that the United States, a country whose increasingly overweight population never met an exercise craze it didn't like, will be prime territory for "Wii Fit."

"The preorders were very strong across the market, really showing the breadth of demand for the product," Cammie Dunaway, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Nintendo of America, told Reuters.

"We're finding people ranging from core gamers excited about this as new piece of innovation, to people who have never considered a video game," Dunaway said.

The interactive nature and possibility of new games and features down the road may help "Wii Fit" avoid the fate of the innumerable health fads whose appeal fades after a few months.

"It is a perfect intersection of entertainment with health and fitness and I don't think anyone's been able to pull that off," said Geoff Keighley, host of "GameTrailers TV."

It is the latest idea to spring from the head of Shigeru Miyamoto, the legendary game creator behind Nintendo's most valuable franchises, including its "Mario" and "Zelda" titles.

Often dubbed the Walt Disney of video games, Miyamoto has a knack for crafting mega-hit games out of mundane activities such as gardening (Pikmin) and dog ownership (Nintendogs).

The seeds for "Wii Fit" were planted four years ago, before the Wii had even been developed, when Miyamoto went on a diet and started graphing his daily weight. He began thinking about a game that would let people track their own body mass.

"We couldn't decide on what the next step would be and work came to a virtual standstill," Miyamoto said in an interview on Nintendo's Web site. "Until, that is, a staff member bought two scales, and found that it was pretty good fun to step on both of them at once and try to balance on them evenly."

"I don't think Wii Fit's purpose is to make you fit. What it's actually aiming to do is make you aware of your body." (Reporting by Scott Hillis, editing by Richard Chang)

((scott.hillis@thomsonreuters.com; +1 415 677 2505; Reuters Messaging: scott.hillis.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: NINTENDO/

Keywords: NINTENDO/

Keywords: NINTENDO/

"Disco queen" Donna Summer is back after 17 years

Reuters: [2008-05-16 17:50:00]

By Michelle Nichols

NEW YORK, May 17 (Reuters) - Donna Summer was dubbed "The Queen of Disco" after a series of hit singles in the 1970s: now the singer pokes fun at that title in a new song included in her first studio album in 17 years.

After raising three daughters, Grammy-winning Summer, who will turn 60 on New Year's Eve, returned to the studio to record "Crayons," which has a song titled "The Queen is Back."

"It's just kind of poking fun at the fact that this queen image has prevailed for so long," Summer, whose hits include "Hot Stuff" and "She Works Hard for the Money," said ahead of the album's release on Tuesday.

"It's having fun with it and saying I was out of the picture for a while but she's back," said Summer, who says on an Internet page she has sold more than 130 million albums.

Summer's career was crowned with five Grammy awards including best rock female vocal performance and best dance recording. She co-wrote all 12 songs on her new album. "It's a box of crayons. Each crayon has a different stroke of color and each layer brings with it its own identity," she said. "Every song is designed to be a single."

But while Summer's album is hitting a market dominated by singers who "could be my daughters," she says she doesn't feel any competitive pressure.

"I don't compete with my own daughters, I encourage them," Summer said. "I don't think I need to restake my claim as such ... Whatever I get at this point in the game is all icing on the cake." (Editing by Alan Elsner) ((michelle.nichols@reuters.com; +1 646 223 6117; Reuters Messaging: michelle.nichols.reuters.com@reuters.net))

Keywords: MUSIC SUMMER/

PRESS DIGEST - Ireland - May 16

Reuters: [2008-05-16 09:10:00]

    DUBLIN, May 16 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading 
stories in Ireland's newspapers on Friday. Reuters has not 
verified these stories and cannot vouch for their accuracy: 
     
    THE IRISH TIMES 
    - Fianna Fail has received a significant boost in popular 
support, following the departure of Bertie Ahern as taoiseach 
and his replacement by Brian Cowen, according to the findings of 
the latest Irish Times/TNS mrbi poll. 
    - Waterford Crystal is closing its plant for up to three 
weeks over the next two months as the government mulls a request 
from its parent company for a state guarantee for a 39 million 
euro bank loan for the plant's survival. 
     
    IRISH INDEPENDENT 
    - Aer Lingus and SIPTU averted a summer of flights chaos 
yesterday after finally brokering a deal. Both sides had been 
squaring up for a showdown after the union twice rejected a 10 
million euro cost-cutting plan and management vowed to push it 
through regardless. 
    - A chief negotiator at the national pay talks has said a 
deal is "do-able" but it must address the "fall-out" after the 
last benchmarking report. 
     
    IRISH EXAMINER 
    - Every day an average of 58 motorists have been issued with 
penalty points for using a mobile phone while driving since the 
law was introduced in 2006. 
    - There has been a sharp rise in the number of hoax bomb 
incidents this year. Army explosive experts have been called out 
to 20 hoax bomb attacks so far in 2008, as well as eight viable 
bomb incidents. 
     
    Looking for more information from local sources? Reuters 
Business Briefing has five Irish sources including Irish Times. 
For details of the product please call your local help desk 
<PHONE/HELP>. 
 ((Dublin newsroom + 353 1 500 1550, fax + 353 1 500 1551, 
dublin.newsroom@reuters.com)) 
  

KOSPI at new 2008 peak, but techs limit gains

Reuters: [2008-05-16 08:52:00]

By Park Jung-youn

SEOUL, May 16 (Reuters) - Seoul shares rose on Friday, extending their gains to hit a new 2008 peak led by shipbuilders, but the index shed some of its earlier advances on losses by tech shares such as LG Display <034220.KS>.

LG Display plunged 8.3 percent to 46,400 won after Lehman Brothers downgraded its ratings on the world No.2 LCD panel maker on Thursday, warning it would contend with thinning operating margins for the rest of the year.[ID:nSEO244087]

The Korea Composite Stock Price Index <.KS11> closed 0.17 percent higher at 1,888.8 points, but gave up much of the 0.7 percent gain that helped the index briefly turn positive on the year in early trade, fully recouping the 19 percent drop that brought it to its mid-March low.

The KOSPI session high of 1,899.57 points took the index above 2007's closing of 1,897.13 for the first time this year.

"Shares have shot up quite sharply lately and some institutions were locking in profits," said Bae Sung-young, a market analyst at Hyundai Securities.

The KOSPI is facing resistance near 1,900 and needs positive macroeconomic signals from the U.S. or on the commodities front to break through that level, analysts said.

"If we see signs that the US economy is turning around or if inflation stabilises, the index could break 2,000 this year," Bae added.

TECHS RUN BEHIND

Korean technology bellwethers such as LG Display tumbled as investors cashed in recent gains and questioned their investment plans.

"Investors were concerned (about LG Display) after the CEO didn't give satisfactory answers to analysts' questions about overhang issues during a meeting on Thursday," said Lim Seung-bum, an analyst at Hanwha Securities.

Lim was referring to residual LG Display shares held by joint venture partner Philips <PHG.AS>, which are subject to a lockup until mid-June. Philips has sold down its joint venture stake over a number of years.

"The company's plans to invest in more production lines added to existing concerns about oversupply," Lim added.

LG Display was quoted as saying by Lehman Brothers that it would spend 1 trillion won ($959.2 million) on a sixth generation production line.[ID:nHKG296428]

Samsung Electronics <005930.KS> and LG Electronics <066570.KS> also fell after they hit historical highs in the previous session, with Samsung down 0.52 percent to 760,000 won and LG Elec down 3.35 percent to 158,500 won.

LG Elec still has gained 59 percent on the year, prompting some profit-taking, analysts said.

Hynix Semiconductor <000660.KS> was an exception, advancing 0.66 percent to 30,600 won after the U.S. index of semiconductor shares <.SOXX> rose 2.1 percent on Thursday.

Shipbuilders rose across the board after their latest earnings reassured investors about their profitability despite the rising prices of steel plates.

"Worries about rising steel prices still exist, but ship order volumes remain solid," said Cho In-kap, an analyst at Goodmorning Shinhan Securities.

"When steel prices stabilise in a couple of years or so, shipbuilders will be able to post higher operating profit margins," Cho added.

Hyundai Heavy Industries <009540.KS> rose 3.67 percent to 367,000 won and Daewoo Heavy Industries <042660.KS> went up 1.06 percent to 43,050 won.

($1=1042.5 Won) Keywords: MARKETS KOREA STOCKS/

Italian Stocks - Factors to watch on May 16

Reuters: [2008-05-16 08:06:00]

    MILAN, May 16 (Reuters) - The following factors could affect 
Italian markets on Friday. 
    Reuters has not verified the newspaper reports, and cannot 
vouch for their accuracy. New items are marked with (*). 
     
  * FIAT <FIA.MI> 
    April new car sales in western Europe gained 9.5 percent, 
thanks to a statistical quirk, while those for the Fiat brand 
went up 7.9 percent, according to the latest figures from ACEA, 
an industry body. 
    For a full story, double click on [nWEB5509]. 
     
    BULGARI <BULG.MI> 
    Bulgari said net profit fell 4.6 percent in the first 
quarter due to higher costs and a sales slowdown, but the 
jeweller confirmed its outlook for the year as long as a tough 
economic climate does not worsen. 
    For a full story, double click on [nL15833385]. 
     
    PARMALAT <PLT.MI> 
    The U.S. trial began in the dairy company's case against 
Citigroup <C.N>. 
    For a full story, double click on [nN15291317]. 
     
    The company's shares fell sharply on Thursday on 
disappointment over its first-quarter results. 
     
    UNICREDIT <CRDI.MI> 
    Turkish bank Yapi Kredi, which UniCredit controls with Koc 
Holding <KCHOL.IS>, said it would launch a 920 million Turkish 
lira ($736 million) capital increase. 
    For more, double click on [YKBNK.IS-LEN-RTRS] 
     
    INTESA SANPAOLO <ISP.MI> 
    The bank said on Thursday it had launched a 1 billion euros 
subordinated Lower tier 2 eurobond targeted to international 
markets. 
    For a story, double click on [nMAT008210]. 
     
  * TELECOM ITALIA <TLIT.MI> 
    Bolivia said Telecom Italia had transferred some $90 million 
to foreign accounts from its subsidiary Entel, recently 
nationalized by the government. 
    Describing the transfer as a "reproachable" act, it said it  
would affect negotiations over compensation with the Italian 
telecommunications operator. 
    For a full story, double click on [nN15346368]. 
     
    TERNA <TRN.MI> 
    Moody's downgraded Terna to "A1" and cut its long-term 
unsecured issue and debt ratings to "AA3" from "A1" 
    For more details, double click on [nWNA0963]. 
     
    ITALCEMENTI <ITAI.MI> 
    Moody's changed the outlook on Italcement's "BAA1" rating to 
"negative". 
    For more details, double click on [nWNA0959]. 
     
    CREDITO EMILIANO <EMBI.MI> 
    The bank said it wanted to raise up to 500 million euros in 
a maximum five years through offering options and would seek 
shareholders' approval. 
     
    BANCO POPOLARE <BAPO.MI> 
    The bank turned in a 9.1 percent fall in net profit to 260 
million euros for the first quarter. 
    For a full story, double click on [nMAT008208]. 
     
    GAS PLUS <GSP.MI> 
    Italy's fourth-biggest gas company said it had suspended gas 
supply talks with Russia's Gazprom <GAZP.MM> but is still 
evaluating a deal. 
    For a full story, double click on [nL1584093]. 
     
    SORIN <SORN.MI> 
    The medical devices maker said in a statement late on 
Thursday it had obtained approval to market the CRT model of its 
OVATIO^OM family from U.S. regulators. The device helps 
physicians treat patients of heart failure. 
     
 ((Milan newsroom, +39 02 6612 9507, fax +39 02 801149, 
milan.newsroom@news.reuters.com)) 
     
    For Italian market data and news, click on codes in 
brackets: 
    20 biggest gainers (in percentage)............<.PG.MI> 
    20 biggest losers (in percentage).............<.PL.MI> 
    Mibtel index.......... <.MIBTEL> 
    S&P/Mib index......... <.SPMIB> 
    Indice Mib-30......... <.MIB30> 
    Midex index........... <.MIDEX> 
    Allstars index........ <.ALLST> 
    Block trades.......... <.BLK.MI> 
    Stories on Italy...... <IT-LEN> 
     
    For pan-European market data and news, click on codes in 
 brackets: 
    European Equities speed guide...................<EUR/EQUITY> 
    FTSEurofirst 300 index..............................<.FTEU3> 
    DJ STOXX index......................................<.STOXX> 
    Top 10 STOXX sectors...........................<.PGL.STOXXS> 
    Top 10 EUROSTOXX sectors......................<.PGL.STOXXES> 
    Top 10 Eurofirst 300 sectors...................<.PGL.FTEU3S> 
    Top 25 European pct gainers.......................<.PG.PEUR> 
    Top 25 European pct losers........................<.PL.PEUR> 
     
    Main stock markets: 
    Dow Jones...............<.DJI>  Wall Street report .....[.N] 
    Nikkei 225.............<.N225>  Tokyo report............[.T] 
    FTSE 100...............<.FTSE>  London report...........[.L] 
    Xetra DAX.............<.GDAXI>  Frankfurt market stories[.F] 
    CAC-40.................<.FCHI>  Paris market stories...[.PA] 
    World Indices.....................................<0#.INDEX> 
    Reuters survey of world bourse outlook.........<EQUITYPOLL1> 
    Western European IPO diary..........................<WEUIPO> 
    European Asset Allocation........................[EUR/ASSET] 
    Reuters News at a Glance: Equities...............[TOP/EQE] 
    Main currency report:...............................[FRX/] 
 ($1=1.250 Turkish Lira) 
  Keywords: ITALY MARKETS/FACTORS