This also confirms that pretty much no one knows about Microvision yet. (if they have to describe a pico projector this way, the word isn't out yet.)
Thanks Dave. STM Stealthy Giant On the consumer side, you have companies like Nintendo Co., Ltd (ADR) (OTCMKTS: NTDOY ) that are using its motion sensors and touch screen integrated circuits in its new Switch console/handheld hybrid. On the industry side, you have cutting edge firms like Microvision, Inc. (NASDAQ: MVIS ) partnering with STM to develop laser beam scanning technology to enhance products for augmented and virtual reality, as well as pico projectors (tiny digital projectors that can fit in your hand). These are just a couple typical deals that STM has been in engaged in for decades. But the compelling thing about STM now is, the tech it has been building and perfecting, it's time has come.
The other significant advantage STM has in this sector is its size. Now that companies are investing in this kind of transformative tech, they need a proven supplier that can deliver large quantities of high quality products.
Pokemon Go was worth paying attention to, because it's a disruptor. Much like PicoP will be. While the game was under development, it got no attention from anyone. It was almost completely under the radar of the general (and investing) public until the game was released. It then went from being unknown, to the most popular mobile device game almost instantly.
The following will likely be true of PicoP as well.
The real take-away from Pokémon Go is that it shows market transitions can come from anywhere—even a game meant for kids of all ages. There’s no better time for innovators to take an augmented reality check on market disruptions.
1. Market transitions often expose new ways to do business
They shift our perspective, present different ways of looking at things, transform experiences, change behaviors and create new business models.
Pokémon Go, which instantly became the most popular mobile device game of all time, did all of the above. In record time, it has disrupted its market and adjacent ones.
2. Market transitions can come from anywhere
Market transitions challenge our beliefs and biases. They force us to open our minds, cock our heads at an angle, and think, “Aha! Maybe we can do it a different way.” In addition, here comes an “Aha! Moment” from Pokémon Go. How does this social phenomenon influence your business?
Today, however, a disruptive solution can blindside anyone from around corners they didn’t know existed. It’s critical to keep your finger on the pulse of innovation everywhere–and understand how it might apply to you.
No single company can keep pace by itself with the speed and complexity of today’s customer-driven, digital economy. Large companies focused on incremental or leapfrog game-changers must collaborate and co-innovate with an expanding ecosystem of startups, entrepreneurs and programmers.
4. Embrace transitions before it’s too late
One thing is certain: Once-mighty brands that failed to anticipate or react fast enough to market transitions will continue to fill up graveyards. Kodak didn’t understand the impact of smart phones . . . Borders didn’t respond fast enough to Amazon . . . Blockbuster never recovered from Netflix . . . will Yellow Cab adjust to Uber?
Today, market transitions and their disruptive innovations will keep coming in never-ending waves all around us. They can mean the difference between life and death for any company. Learn how to spot them early, appreciate their power, adjust quickly, and you can ride their crest to new shores of opportunity.
That sounds interesting. How do you do a portable console with its own display and detachable controllers? It won't be too long until we find out.
BGR According to a report from Eurogamer, several sources have now confirmed that Nintendo’s next-gen NX will be a portable console with its own display and detachable controllers. NX owners will also be able to connect the system to their televisions if they prefer to play their games on the big screen. *** As for when we’ll see the device, the report points to a September reveal. Nintendo was “unable to comment on the various rumours and speculations circulating,” but it appears that the cat is finally out of the bag.
Nice article in BENZINGA about investing in Virtual Reality. (Of course, that's not all Microvision has going on, but this is the right kind of attention.) Benzinga More at the source
Virtual reality and augmented reality are two of the fastest growing industries in the areas of electronic gaming, entertainment, medical services and military applications. Just look at the success of Nintendo Co., Ltd NTDOY's Pokémon Go.
Despite this, there are a few smaller companies where VR can bring a substantial amount of money to the bottom line.
Immersion Corporation IMMR is working on force feedback, the creation of the sense of touch to the user through the use of vibrations or motions. Immersion is one of the leaders in this technology, also known as kinesthetic communication and haptic technology. The stock has a nosebleed high trailing P/E earnings ratio of 901, but a more reasonable forward P/E of 26. The company is debt free and has $2.11 in cash per share.
Kopin Corporation KOPN develops, makes and markets virtual and augmented reality gaming, training, and simulation products. The company is currently generating negative earnings but is debt free with $1.42 in cash per share.
Microvision Inc. MVIS makes PicoP scanning technology for three-dimensional sensing and image capture. This company, like Kopin, also generates negative earnings, but is also debt free. It has 22 cents in cash per share. On the positive side, Microvision's quarterly revenues jumped 311% year over year.
These three stocks are all small caps, so they should be viewed relatively speculatively. But they could provide under the radar opportunities for investors interested looking to make VR and AR gains a reality.
Another thing to watch more closely. This is good noise. ( But keep it basic! ) Been watching Pokemon Go since last year around here, because of Microvision's interest and position in augmented reality. Pokemon Go is also connected to Nintendo. The Nintendo NX has been interesting for a long time (following this thing for a few years now.) It is interesting because since the conversation about it began, there was talk of blurring the lines between "console" and "mobile." -- The way I see it, that involves primarily the screen you play on -- and the ONLY way to blur that line is with projection. It's now clear, that people outside Nintendo are starting to see the Nintendo NX. It's interesting timing, coinciding with the release of Pokemon Go. SoftBank's Masayoshi Son could have gotten more from a ten-billion investment here than a 32 Billion investment in ARMH. When it gets to the internet of things, everything tiny that needs a screen is going to need MVIS.
From TechCrunch (more at the source) The Nintendo NX is one of the most long-teased console releases I can ever remember, especially as an officially acknowledged thing. Speaking on his company’s quarterly earnings conference call yesterday (via IGN), Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot shared some tantalizing impressions about the NX: It’s “really great,” and it should “help the industry continue to grow,” particularly by bringing “more casual players back” into the console gaming fold. * * *
Guillemot’s comments don’t reveal what the console will look like, but do give us clues about who it’s intended to impress: casual players. Nintendo’s biggest console success, the original Wii, did well primarily because it struck a chord with a non-traditional console gaming audience, thanks to accessible gameplay and unique use of motion controls for participatory play.
The Wii U had the potential to repeat, but since the heydays of the original Wii, the attention of the casual game player has shifted — to mobile. I wouldn’t read too much into Guillemot’s vague statement, but the rumors suggesting Nintendo’s device combines portability with living room chops make a lot of sense if indeed the idea is to recapture the company’s casual appeal.
If you had ANY doubts about whether or not people will be attracted to augmented reality, augmented reality games, you can put them to rest now. This game has drawn crowds at malls, and parks all over the place. No doubt about whether people will seek AR devices, solutions or games. The coolest thing about this in my opinion is that it is bringing people together in a big way. Virtual reality completely isolates you from other people -- this augmented reality game is bringing people together.
Watching some media on your phone isolates you --- using PicoP will make it possible to share it. I've been watching this for at least since September of 2015. (before it's official announcement.) Niantic Labs (maker of Pokemon Go) is connected to Nintendo. Nintendo has a "mystery" with their upcoming Nintendo NX console that is supposed to have some kind of portable game play.
TOKYO: Sharp's two main banks are set to lower interest rates on billions of dollars in loans and offer other financial support as part of a planned takeover by Taiwan's Foxconn, a source with direct knowledge of the plan said.
The move is partly a response to a last-minute hitch to the signing of the deal over potential liabilities at the ailing Japanese display maker, although some of the discussions have been going on for a while, the source said. He added that the deal is now likely to be announced next week.
The core banking units of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and Mizuho Financial Group have extended the vast majority of Sharp's 510 billion yen ($4.5 billion) in syndicated loans which are due at the end of the month.
Major customers of Foxconn include or have included: (From Wikipedia)
Apple, Microsoft, Sony, Acer, Nokia, Toshiba, Xiaomi, Huawei, Lenovo, are just a few of Foxconn’s largest clients. Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., trading as Foxconn Technology Group, is a Taiwanese company that also happens to be the world’s largest electronics contractor manufacturer. At a recent company shareholder meeting, the company’s chairman, Terry Guo, made some reassuring statements.
According to Guo, this year, in 2015, Foxconn will become the world’s largest desktop, tablet, and smartphone OEM (original equipment manufacturer) / ODM (original design manufacturer). Foxconn is also the largest OEM for iPhones, and Guo reassured the shareholders — worried about Apple contracting other OEMs — that the company has been collaborating with Apple since the first generation of its products, and will continue to be Apple’s major OEM. Thank you William!
This is interesting for a couple of reasons: First, imagine playing this game live -- with a pico-projector projecting the game into your surroundings. (Yes, this is possible and likely with PicoP) I don't find it difficult to imagine a lot of kids meeting at twilight to play a game like this with laser-made images shining on all the walls of the neighborhood. And as augmented reality becomes commonplace, with improved head-mounted displays-- that's a place that MicroVision is a leader in IP. This shows some of the possibilities. (I'll admit, the Pokemon game never really made much sense to me, but it has millions of fans. -- and I wouldn't mind a bit being able to join the game they're showing.)
If you're curious to see how MicroVision will participate in games like these, check out the concept video from a few years ago.
Cinema Blend The game is basically similar to the previous Nintendo outings on the Gameboy, Gameboy Advance, Nintendo DS, 3DS and 2DS, only this time mobile owners who use iPhones and Android devices will be able to get in on the action. This opens up Nintendo's property to a torrential revenue opportunity.
A lot of people have said that Nintendo could clean up on the mobile market with their properties if they're handled properly, and this seems like a first step that doesn't encroach too much on their design philosophy, opening the door to tap the mobile market while still having opportunities to stick with making higher-quality titles on their own dedicated platforms. Droid Life Announced this morning, possibly the largest mobile gaming announcement in Android and iOS history, Niantic Labs (now independent from Google) is teaming up with the Pokémon Company and Nintendo to create Pokémon GO. Think Ingress, but instead of capturing portals and being super nerdy, you are going outside and catching Pokémon, then battling them against fellow players.
Nintendo’s attempts to diversify its revenue streams are about to get a little more unusual, with the company proposing a device that projects images above your bed.
A recently filed patent application reveals that Nintendo is working on a bedside dock with a built-in projector. The dock will hold an as yet unknown device, probably a smartphone, and will detect the user’s emotions using a microphone and camera.
It is believed that the projector patent relates to the healthcare platform that Nintendo announced late last year. At the time, Nintendo explained that the aim of the project was to improve quality of sleep and it is possible that the projector is a way of gamifying the process of falling asleep. Other sleep data like body temperature and pulse rate is also recorded, sent to the cloud and then analysed so appropriate feedback can be given.
Should the device see a commercial release, it would mark a significant departure away from Nintendo’s usual offering in the video game market. That being said, sleep tracking technology is being offered by a number of other businesses, either through specialist hardware or a smartphone app.
International Business Times Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has commented on the company's next piece of games-dedicated hardware, codenamed 'NX', hinting that it may be replace both their Wii U home console and Nintendo 3DS handheld.
Iwata also spoke about why Nintendo is holding off on detailing the NX until 2016. "We can't talk about the NX," he said. "If we do, competitors may take our ideas and customers won't be surprised."
Nintendo's NX was announced as being in the works in March, in tandem with the company's declaration that it is to develop mobile games for the very first time. Shortly after the news broke we speculated as to what the NX might be, suggesting it could be both a handheld and home device.
This is included here, because this is one of the better articles so far hinting at the new Nintendo game platform (A cross between mobile and console). Being something that is a "completely new concept" is interesting for MicroVision watchers.
I have no idea if there actually is any connection, but concepts like this are those that I'm paying attention too.... eventually we will pop up in a portable gaming system that will be wildly popular with the gaming crowd.
At the rate this story seems to be evolving, I expect that future leaks will eventually describe accurately what this is going to be.
Several articles today talk about the system being Android Based (Think portable with smartphones and tablets.
"The "dedicated game platform with a brand-new concept” platform was revealed in March during an announcement of Nintendo's plans to create official Nintendo smartphone games. NX’s unveiling during the briefing served to prove that the move into smartphone games wasn’t a sign of lost passion or vision for dedicated game systems.
While details on NX are currently scarce, Iwata previously stated that Nintendo may take a wildly different direction with the new system than with its past platforms."
This is why a new rumor has been spreading across the Internet. According to a report from Hardcore Gamer, it is possible that Nintendo is delaying the title's release in order to coincide with the launch of the Nintendo NX, the company's next console.
Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda Wii-U gameplay demo
However, Nintendo has not yet confirmed if the NX is a home console, a new portable device, or a hybrid of the two. The company also recently signed a partnership with DeNA to work on mobile games, fueling speculations that the NX might be a mobile device like a Nintendo-patented tablet or smartphone.
If this is the case, then the company might release the new game simultaneously on the Wii-U and the NX, in the same way that "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess" was launched for the Gamecube and Wii back in 2006, which was the year of the franchise's 20th anniversary. It is possible that Nintendo is repeating the process for the 30th anniversary.
5/22/2015 From CrossMap Each explanation reveals a few more slight details. "Nintendo is making a transfer to smart devices because it is pessimistic about the future for dedicated video game systems.' I intentionally chose to announce the development of NX so early because I wanted to confirm the fact that we are developing a new dedicated video game platform, that we have never lost passion regarding the future for dedicated video game systems and that we have bright prospects for them..."
'Nintendo NX' will not be a replacement for Wii U or the 3DS according to Nintendo CEO, Satoru Iwata.
AMD also announced that they are currently working on a design for a "next-generation console scheduled to be released in 2016". If we'll put two-and-two together it seems like AMD is working on the upcoming Nintendo NX.
Iwata further added that the upcoming 'Nintendo NX' will have a "new membership service that encompasses smart devices and dedicated videogame systems".
This will mean that it will be developed for smartphones and tablets as well as DeNa, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and PC.
What the above is telling me, is that the NX is going to be portable, work with mobile devices, and NOT replace their consoles. That sounds more and more like a potential home for PicoP. At this rate of detail leakage, I'm expecting that we may know just what this is by the end of the summer.
"Nintendo clarifies that the new console is not made to be a simple replacement for the two consoles. He also added that the new console will be a video game platform that will introduce their fans to a new concept.
They keep emphasizing on the fact that the NX console will introduce us to a brand new concept that was developed after analyzing the different play style of games nowadays."
Nintendo's next dedicated game platform, codenamed NX, is not meant to be a simple "replacement" for the Wii U or 3DS, according to chief executive Satoru Iwata. The English translation of Iwata's remarks from Nintendo's latest earnings report were published today, featuring the new information about NX.
"Though I cannot confirm when it will be launched or any other details of the system, since I have confirmed that it will be 'a dedicated video game platform with a brand new concept,' it should mean that we do not intend it to become a simple 'replacement' for Nintendo 3DS or Wii U," Iwata explained.
Iwata also pointed out that the manner and situations in which people play home consoles and handheld devices have recently become "rather different, especially between Japan and overseas." The executive teased that the NX, in a bid to appeal to the widest possible audience, will offer a "brand new concept."
"Since we are always thinking about how to create a new platform that will be accepted by as many people around the world as possible, we would like to offer to them 'a dedicated video game platform with a brand new concept' by taking into consideration various factors, including the playing environments that differ by country," he explained. "This is all that I can confirm today." Another article at NintendoEnthusiast
Not sure what's here, but this is interesting. Hearing that they would be going completely mobile with gaming was very intriguing (but not post-worthy) That they would come up with a whole new console (and that they hint at merging console & mobile) that's really interesting.
If they are planning an arrival on the market in 2016 -- we could get more hints and an announcement/reveal soon. (Apple Watch took six months.)
Yesterday at a Game Stop, I spoke to one of the employees and mentioned being able to play games from a portable console projecting on the wall. He instantly said "I'd pay a thousand bucks for that!"
Portable gaming is going to be bit. We'll watch this.
That piece of hardware is codenamed the "NX" according Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata, who underlined the fact that Nintendo is still in the dedicated console market, despite it branching out into mobile.
"Because now we have decided on how we will make use of smart device, we have come to hold an even stronger passion and vision for the dedicated video game system business than before."
Iwata added: "Let me confirm that Nintendo is currently developing a dedicated game platform with a brand new concept under the development codename 'NX'"
Since then, Nintendo refuses to say even a little bit more about NX, other than the fact that it is built around “a brand-new concept.” From the company that brought us the Virtual Boy, this tells us absolutely nothing. So of course, in the absence of information, there’s been tons of speculation as to what it might be.
We actually do have more information, though, that can guide us in the right direction.
Historically, Nintendo’s handheld and home console development teams were always separate, creating totally different types of game machine. The fact that the home and portable machines were such different pieces of technology had recently begun to prove very frustrating to Nintendo. Iwata said in a presentation to investors in March 2014 that while Nintendo wanted to port Wii games to the Nintendo 3DS, or bring Nintendo 3DS titles to the Wii U, it found that because the architectures were so different, it required “a huge amount of effort.”
