Best Buy seems to be the go-to place for many companies to feature their products, which isn’t too surprising since Best Buy is one of the most popular electronics retailers in the US. Both Apple and Samsung have set up shop in a number of Best Buy stores, and now Microsoft is moving in to
While Microsoft has long had its own retail chain, the success of those string of retail outlets has been occasionally debated — just like the dancing moves of its employees. Still, the company has continually pledged to continue their roll-out and, today, that effort got a major boost. Microsoft and Best Buy are partnering to launch over 600 instances of a “store-within-a-store,” 1,500 to 2,200 square-foot installations within BBY’s big boxes that will host Microsoft specialists to “create a superior customer experience at scale.” The first stores open today in some markets, with the rest opening by September. This includes 500 through the US and a further 105 in Canada (some in Best Buy, some in Future Shop). Can the Geek Squad cadets buck up and handle these new responsibilities? Stay tuned to find out.
Source: Windows Experience Blog
The Ouya journey, according to founder Julie Uhrman, will never have a firm conclusion. But, we’d say having retail units enter production and shipping to mega stores like Game Stop and Best Buy represents at least the culmination of this particular story arc. With only a few weeks to go before the retail launch, the company brought the final console, controller and packaging to E3 for a press tour. The console itself is unchanged from the version that shipped to Kickstarter backers, except that it wont have contributor names etched on the side. The final tweaks heading into production have focused on the controller and the software. Visually the gamepad is exactly the same, but a number of small changes have be made to the various components to address feedback from early adopters and reviewers. The holes around the four face buttons have been widened to prevent them from sticking and, no matter how hard we tried, we could not get the O, U, Y or A to get wedged under the face plate. The right thumb stick also had a tendency to get caught on early versions of the controller, thanks to a small amount of glue that leaked into the area. That issue has supposedly been resolved, and in our time with the production model we had no problems with the analog stick.
Gallery: OUYA retail version hands-on
Filed under: Gaming
It’s officially Apple day starting right now. Kicking off the WWDC keynote this morning Tim Cook is already off to a good start by talking numbers, and surely more will be coming. While we’re expecting tons of exciting news and updates on iPhone 5 sales, lets talk retail stores. Tim confirmed they now have over
Since Crypton Future Media first released their vocal synthesiser application and its associated anime character way back in 2006, Hatsune Miku has become an iconic figure in both otaku and mainstream pop culture. If collaborations with Family Mart, Google Chrome, Dominos, and Louis Vuitton, numerous live concerts and even an “opera” performance are anything to go by, it seems as if interest in Hatsune Miku is still going strong.
Tokyo City View in Roppongi is featuring a pop up Hatsune Miku Cafe that celebrates both the character and the fan-created songs and videos that made her famous.
Operating under the theme ‘Hatsune Miku with LOVE’, the space features a mini exhibition of famous illustrations, screenings of Vocaloid Cinema Party, as well as a life-sized model of the Vocaloid star herself. One corner of the cafe also has an video and audio archive of Hatsune Miku-related media for both customers and passer-bys to access.
The cafe also features a huge wall full of teal and white heart-shaped sticky notes that previous customers have written messages and drawn pictures on.
Next door, there is a special gift shop stocked with Hatsune Miku merchandise.
Of course the cafe also offers a thoroughly themed menu, complete with Hatsune Miku-shaped rice and curry, leek soba, and an assortment of vividly coloured drinks named after songs that were composed with Vocaloid software by fans.
While Vocaloid started out as a production tool that pieced together sounds to create a realistic “singing” voice, having Hatsune Miku associated with the software created a character that viewers could associate with and use to create a variety of complementary media, from 3D animated music videos to illustrations.
Cross-promotion and marketing of products and animated characters across a different range of services and media platforms in Japan is nothing new, but the cultural impact that Hatsune Miku has had because of the involvement of fan-created content is an interesting development. Without the creative input of fans and their creation of songs, videos and illustrations, Hatsune Miku would arguably not have been as big an icon as she is now, nor would the character have generated the same amount of economic value for the Vocaloid franchise.
How corporations and marketing expertise is adapting to a changing media environment where audiences have the ability to both create their own content as well as share it with others almost as easily as major content producers is something that will be interesting to consider in the future. One thing is for sure, there will probably be many more collaborations to come – we definitely aren’t the only ones who can’t get enough of Hatsune Miku!
If you hate having to make awkward small talk when you meet new people in a bar or party, Logbar might just be your next destination. Logbar is a new concept that attempts to make the bar experience more social and open by allowing customers to interact with each other through creating, promoting and selling their own original cocktails. Open on Monday evenings in their Shibuya location, Logbar is an experiment that re-imagines how we meet and interact with strangers on a night out.
Upon entering, customers are each presented with an iPad mini that they keep for the duration of the night. First-time customers create their own profiles, which store personalised information like their favourite foods, current mood and hobbies, as well as their drink preferences. Then of course, there is the obligatory profile photo. The staff will even supply a desk light to ensure a well lit photo.
A number of different bases, modifiers and flavourings including whisky, green tea liquor and even flower petals among others are available to create custom drinks. For that extra something, collagen powder, vitamin C, and dietary fibre are also on offer.
Once a drink has been created, customers can choose their own catchy name, description and photo to accompany the mix. The drink is then posted to a public timeline where other patrons can order your special concoction. On the particular night we went, creations such as ‘The Eiffel Tower’, ‘Caffeine Explosion’ and ‘Anti-Aging MalibuOR’ were on offer. If a custom drink looks and sounds appealing enough, other customers might buy the drink, and the creator receives a 50 yen commission.
Perhaps the most interesting feature of this system is that it is all supported by a platform that utilises features of social networking services to encourage interaction in a uniquely “digital” way. Custom drinks can be ordered by, commented on, and even “liked” by other people in the bar.
Customers can also suggests topics to talk about with everyone on the main timeline, and send chocolates as virtual gifts to each other. Each customer starts off with 5 complimentary chocolates, which can then be traded or converted into the real deal.
Although we were initially a little skeptical of how interesting using the Logbar system would be, it was quite surprising how much fun we had just playing around with our own creations, and being constantly updated on what the people around us were doing.
While the system does make social interaction smoother initially, having an iPad in front of you the whole time does mean that you are going to be engrossed in using it. There were a few times where it seemed like the entire bar fell into silence because everyone was engrossed in fiddling with their iPads. There is definitely a question concerning the kind of interaction systems like Longbar enhance, and this mirrors broader discussions on the types of relationships fostered by social networking services (SNS).
Logbar seems well suited to situations where there is a lot of casual interaction, as it simplifies the task of approaching someone you don’t know. Although it is a good way to meet new people, for a small group of friends on a night out, for example, it might not be the best way to catch up.
It would be interesting to see how this kind of system could be applied to a different range of contexts. For example, it is easy to imagine how Logbar could be used to enhance dating services like speed dating, where the system’s easy communication style and gift-giving features could really add a fun element that enlivens the atmosphere.
The Xbox One was unveiled earlier this week to much fanfare, but the whole used game activation scheme is a bit confusing at this point. It appears that in order to play second-hand games, an activation fee will be levied. Those wanting to play a game on another Xbox account other than the original will have to pay a fee, but it’s been said that retailers who will sell used Xbox One games will pay these fees.
We discussed how retail stores might possibly treat used games earlier today, but new information that has come in says that retailers will also pay the fees associated with used games as well. According to Eurogamer, sources say that gamers won’t have to pay these fees, and the price you pay for a used game will be the price it takes to be able to play the game.
However, Microsoft has not decided what the activation fee will be yet. It’s been said that it could be £35, but that seems extremely high and we don’t think Microsoft would charge half of the game’s original price in order for someone else to play it. Then again, this is merely just rumor, so take it with a grain of salt.
Sources also say that a percentage of the activation fee will go to the publisher, while the rest goes to Microsoft, which seems rather generous of them. It’s said that brick-and-mortar stores who buy used games will be required to register these game as being “traded in” by using a proprietary database system provided by Microsoft. Once the game is registered at the store, it’ll be wiped from the original user’s account.
Overall, the takeaway here is that gamers will luckily not have to pay the activation fee in order to play a used game, but that doesn’t mean used Xbox One games will be cheap. While you can grab some pretty cheap used games now for current-generation consoles, we’re not sure if the Xbox One will be the same experience. We may never see cheap used Xbox games again, sadly.
SOURCE: Eurogamer
Xbox One used games fee to be paid by retailers is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
If you had any doubts that Apple‘s retail business might be slowing down, it seems the latest numbers may correct any pessimism you had built up. The company raked in record revenues for its retail stores, averaging out to $57.60 spent per person on average, which is up from $51.75 per person during the same time last year.
According to Asymco mobile analyst Horace Dediu, Apple retail numbers went up across the board for this past quarter, with a 7% rise in the number of visitors compared to last year, as well as the average revenue per Apple store reaching $13 million for the quarter, which is Apple’s highest non-holiday quarter ever for its retail business.
As for the number of visitors on average, Apple ended up attracting 250,000 people per store per quarter over the last year, which is a fairly generous rise from 170,000 visitors three years ago. Dediu thinks that the rise in visitors is mostly due to the addition of larger stores, as well as renovations in older locations.
Overall, when compared to other top retail chains, Apple is doing twice as well as Tiffany & Company, who comes in second place as far as average sales per square feet, with Lululemon coming in third. Apple is currently doing three times as well as Lululemon. It’s not sure how long Apple will keep its first place retail spot, but their lead is good enough that they could keep it for quite some time.
In total, Apple Stores brought in a whopping $6.4 billion in revenue during the company’s fiscal Q1 2013, with average of over $16 million per store. Total number of visitors for the quarter was 121 million, which was up from 110 million during the same quarter a year ago. That’s certainly a lot to write home about, and we’ll see if Apple can keep this up and for how long.
VIA: CNET
SOURCE: Asymco
Apple Store revenue hits record high, still outpaces competition is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
While 3D printers having been for sale for quite a while now, it seems they’re gaining enough popularity to begin selling in major retail stores. Office supplies retail chain Staples has announced that they will begin selling the Cube 3D Printer at its stores, becoming the first major US retail store to sell 3D printers.
The Cube is available now on Staples.com, and will eventually be available in a select number of Staples store by the end of June. The Cube costs $1,300, which is quite a bit less than MakerBot’s offerings, which usually start at around $2,000. The printer is able to print objects that are up to 5.5-inches wide and tall.
The Cube features WiFi and is compatible with both Mac and Windows. Plus, the printer comes with 25 free 3D templates to get you off to a quick start, with more templates available online. Staples is also selling ABS and PLA plastic cartridge refills, CubeSticks, and replacement Cube Print Pads. We heard late last year that Staples would be starting its own 3D-printing service, so perhaps this is the first baby step into that realm.
The 3D-printing community hasn’t gone quite mainstream yet, as it’s still very much a niche hobby at this point, but with the beginning of selling 3D printers in major retail chains, the awareness for 3D printing may go up, encouraging more people to get into the hobby and create an even larger community around it.
Staples becomes first US retailer to sell 3D printers is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
The notion of a physical store dedicated to 3D printing is still new to us, and Solidoodle’s Asia-focused plans didn’t give much reassurance that we’d see more shops in English-speaking countries all that soon. iMakr may have just come to our rescue by opening what it claims is the world’s largest 3D printing store in London’s Farringdon area, occupying 2,500 square feet across two floors. The showroom has both workshops as well as printers to buy on the spot, including the Solidoodle 3; we’ve reached out to get the full selection, although iMakr’s online channel already sells MakerBot’s Replicator 2 and a few less immediately recognizable brands. We’re still far from having a 3D printing store on every corner, but the London store gives the retail concept some legitimacy.
Filed under: Peripherals
Source: iMakr
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