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Is The GungHo Fever About To Break-
<html>Over the past months, a mobile appmania has gripped Japan’s stock exchanges. No company has benefited more than GungHo,In Toronto, bingeing on books, with market cap briefly in May and still topping $14 B in early July. There are valid reasons to get excited by GungHo – its lead game, “Puzzle and Dragons”,hitin April. GungHo is riding the wave of ‘s explosive applicationrevenue growth in Japan; Google Play appsales eclipsed ‘s iOS app sales in that market during 1Q 2013.
But the spring revenue bonanza of “Puzzle and Dragons”was achieved mainly on monetizing therabidaffectionthe Japanese fans have for the game. GungHo’s market cap now equals ‘s – but does it have the same global appeal? Many app expertssuspect that thein-app purchase magicof “Puzzle and Dragons” is specific to Japan. And the past week has given some ammunition to skeptics.
InJune, GungHo and European app titan SuperCell launched that improved the performances of their flagship games dramatically. Characters from GungHo’s “Puzzle and Dragons” were featured in Supercell’s “Clash of Clans” and vice versa. The short term results from the cross-promotion were solid. Supercell’s “Clash of Clans” soared in Japan – it moved from outside of Top 500 of theiPhone download chart to briefly become the #1 mobile app in late June. In revenue rankings, “Clash of Clans” moved fromaround#100in the beginning of Juneto. An effective campaign that demonstrated that “Clash of Clans” has at least some cross-over appeal in Japan, where Western apps tend to struggle.
However, the cross-promotion helped “Puzzle and Dragons”much lessin the US market, which it has tried to conquer sincelate 2012. It did hit the Top 20 iPhone download chart in June – but only for three days. By July 3, it had tumbled right back to #146 – a puzzlingly weak performance considering the recent hype over the game in the US media. But it’s the revenue chart that reveals the true weakness of the franchise in America. Despitethe downloadbump in late June, ”Puzzle and Dragons” collapsed from #10 position in the US iPhone revenue chart on June 30 to .It’s abig tumble in just three days. It looks like a symptomof an ineffectivein-app purchase mechanism.
It seems to support what GungHo critics have been saying for months: the game hasonly modestcross-over appeal in the West. GungHo has been pushing this game to US audiences since late 2012 and the in-app monetization strategy simply does not seem to work in America. “Puzzle and Dragons” peaked in the US iPhone revenue chart at #23 in late February; at #16 in March; at # 20 in April,2013 New NFL T Shirts, etc. After each peak,San Francisco Giants t shirts, the game has rapidly dropped out of Top 50. GungHo can generate one or two day sales spikes via various marketing campaigns. But the American consumers simply aren’t warming up to the convoluted game mechanic that frames the simple puzzle elements.
A comparison to another simple puzzle game embedded in a larger narrative is illustrative. “Candy Crush Saga” by King.com debuted in mid-November in America. It hit the Top 10 in the iPhone revenue chart in less than three weeks. It hit Top 5 in early January – and has not dropped out of Top 5 since then. It hasn’t placed worse than #2 on the revenue chart for longer than two days since the last week of January.
That is what a well-constructed in-app purchase strategy looks like. A game that connects witha paying audience within a month andthen has thestickiness to deliver daily Top 5 sales performance for half a year. This is pretty much what “Puzzle and Dragons” has been able to demonstratein its home market in Japan. But can GungHo’s $14 B market cap really be justified only on the Japanese smash success of “Puzzle and Dragons”? I don’t think so – I believe the valuation hinges onglobal successs. And the Supercell cross-promotion has actuallyexposed just how weak the monetization muscle of GungHo’s flagship property is in America.
Western companies are now rushing to forge links to Japan; the announcement aboutahas effectively tripled the share price of KLab in the past month. But there are clearly major questions about just how well the mobile apps from Japan click with the West – and vice cersa.</html>
William H. Gray III, former congressman for Pa., dies at 71
<html>(D-N.Y.), told Newsweek in 1985. Bill Gray has the confidence in himself to reach out across political ideological lines to build coalitions. Former representative(R-N.Y.) hailed Rep. Gray in 1985 as one of the brightest stars of the Democratic Party and added, He s got integrity. As Rep. Gray rose in the House leadership, he was said to be under consideration for the 1988 vice presidential nomination or as a potential Treasury secretary. But he grew increasingly discouraged by rollbacks of social advances made in the 1960s and 1970s. He was especially critical of the two versions of the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act,Death Valley temps tie record in extreme heat wave (+video),New York Jets t shirts, passed by Congress in 1985 and 1987. Gramm-Rudman, as it was often known,Denver Broncos t shirts, was the first congressional bill to call for sequestrations or automatic budget cuts if Congress could not reach agreement on spending limits.
It is horrendous public policy, violating the most fundamental principles of congressional responsibility and accountability, the precepts of economic policy and plain common sense, Rep. Gray wrote in a New York Times op-ed in 1985. It is likely to produce not a balanced budget but institutional disorder and budget stalemate.</html>
Phil Rogers- International intrigue spices Chicago Cubs' tra
<html>Those are the top two players on the international signing market,Mark Sanchez t shirts, which opened Tuesday. The Cubs had the second largest pool available when the day began, thanks to finishing 2012 with the second-worst record, and by late afternoon had increased it by almost another $1 million, to about $5.5 million.They acquired some signing flexibility from Baltimore in the Feldman/Steve Clevenger trade and even more by dealing Double-A second baseman Ronald Torreyes to the Astros. Torres, a Venezuelan shortstop, has agreed to a deal for $1.7 million and the Cubs are believed to be closing in on a deal for Jimenez, a power-hitting Dominican outfielder. Both Jimenez and Torres are 16, which means that even if they do sign them it will be years before we know what kind of return they got from Feldman (plus we ll have to bring in Nate Silver to do the math on all the moves going on Tuesday).This we can say: Feldman was a great signing. He picked the Cubs over some other suitors last winter because Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer guaranteed him he would be a starting pitcher, and he responded well to the job security. Feldman was 7-6 with a 3.46 earned run average in his 15 starts with the Cubs. The Orioles hit a home run by getting him while giving up the 27-year-old Arrieta and 28-year-old Strop rather than any of their under-25 prospects in the minors. This means they still have a full inventory if they decide to pursue Matt Garza or another starter closer to the July 31 deadline for non-waiver trades.Strop, who was a force for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, and Arrieta have upside. But it will be up to Chris Bosio and Dale Sveum to figure how to get them straightened out.In Strop s case, a relatively easy, pressure-free finish to the 2013 season might set him up for a big 14. He has seemed on fumes since Tony Pena pitched him six times in the WBC, when Strop was a big part of the bullpen that carried the Dominican Republic to the title. Arrieta (20-25 with a 5.46 ERA in 358 career innings) could benefit from a move to the National League as well as a chance to slide into the rotation and get another long look, without having to look over his shoulder.As it looks now,Professional NFL T-shirts Supplier, the Orioles are getting the edge in this trade. But it could look a lot different if Jimenez and Torres are playing together at Wrigley Field in 2018 or 19. As for Carlos Marmol and some signing space to the Dodgers for Matt Guerrier, at least the Cubs got something for Marmol, who was dropped from the roster a week ago on the addition-by-subtraction theory. Guerrier could bounce back to pitch well for the Cubs. If he does, maybe he ll be on the move again in a few weeks. If he doesn t, he won t be around long either. The Cubs were so happy not to eat all of Marmol s contract that they tipped the Dodgers for taking Marmol,People eat less after harder workouts- small study, giving them about $210,000 of their newly gained signing flexibility. That s how you know Epstein and Hoyer are happy.Twitter@ChiTribRogers</html>
Media Coverage Of Egypt, George Zimmerman Trial
<html>Twitter/@HuffPostMedia
CNN's Wolf Blitzer had two rather defiant moments early this afternoon.
First, he made a brief appearance on air to talk about , in a cut away from the network's ongoing, sometimes tireless coverage of the George Zimmerman trial.
When he handed it back to Ashleigh Banfield for more Zimmerman analysis, he snidely remarked that while there was "historic news in Egypt right now,What we’re reading- Wednesday, July 3, 2013 — MSNBC,Los Angeles Lakers t shirts," there was "other news going on, too."
Then, as he was set to go live on air for the 1 p.m. ET hour of "CNN Newsroom," he a message specifically noting that he would be covering the Egypt developments.
CNN has taken of today for its focus on the Zimmerman trial, which it has only interrupted for brief updates on a situation one of their star anchors calls "historic."
There's a simple reason why,Wholesale New Football T-shirts, however, as the New York Times' Nate Silver .The public is much more interested in the play-by-play of a domestic trial that has attracted enormous media interest because of its implications for the debate on race in America.
As you can see in the Google Trends chart below, searches for Zimmerman-related searches far outpace those related to Egypt:</html>
FairfaxTimes.com- -Supreme Court marriage ruling has limited
<html>The U.S. Supreme Court s landmark decisions last week in two cases involving the rights of gays and lesbians to marry were celebrated by local advocates. However, it certainly did not affect the lives of Virginians, said Brian Reach, president of the nonprofit Fairfax Pride. It s leaving three-quarters of the country without full marriage equality. The Supreme Court effectively overturned a ban on same-sex marriage in California by dismissing the case based on standing, and repealed a portion of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, often referred to by the acronym DOMA. The DOMA ruling states that the federal government must recognize legal same-sex marriages for those who live in places that have made same-sex marriage legal, said Deborah Hellman, a law professor at the University of Virginia. There are a host of federal tax laws and legal rights that apply only to married couples. Virginia is not one of the states affected by the ruling,Wholesale New Football T-shirts, as it enacted a voter-approved constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in 2006. The ruling on DOMA does raise a slate of questions that will be pertinent to gay and lesbian Virginians, who do have the option of legally tying the knot next door in Maryland and Washington, D.C. Will the federal government still recognize those marriages? Will people have to change their tax status if they move to Virginia from a state where they were legally married? Those are unresolved questions, Hellman said. Virginia will still not be required to recognize same-sex marriages from other states, Hellman noted,New York Jets t shirts, because the Supreme Court did not strike down the portion of DOMA that leaves those decisions up to the states.
It was obvious that the Supreme Court was erring on the side of states rights, Reach said.
For politically active members of the LGBT community like himself, Reach said the ruling will provide additional motivation to make changes at the state level, starting with this fall s election for governor and other state offices.
It s just a matter of time before the political landscape reflects our opinion, he said, noting that some recent surveys suggest that a majority of Virginians now support same-sex marriage.
Hellman also said she believes the Supreme Court s decision means more than its limited tangible effects.
I think Supreme Court cases have an expressive value, as well as a concrete effect, Hellman said. Repeating words like dignity, status and recognition in the opinion,Depps Tonto- an upgrade on a stereotype or just an up, Justice Anthony Kennedy was saying that in order to treat LGBT people with dignity, they must receive equal treatment under the law. That s not what the case decided, but that is its values, Hellman said.
kschumitz@fairfaxtimes.com</html>
Lady Liberty reopens to the public — MSNBC
<html>(Nov. 30, 2012 Liberty Island, New York,Denver Broncos t shirts, U.S. The National Park Service and The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation conduct a media tour of Statue of Liberty National Monument to discuss the damage created at the site by Hurricane Sandy, the restoration work completed since the storm and a discussion of next steps going forward. (Credit Image: ? Bryan Smith/ZUMAPRESS.com)) The Statue of Liberty and its surroundings on Liberty Island greeted guests once again on America s birthday after damages from forced the area to close last October.
Liberty Island and Ellis Island—where millions of immigrants once arrived—sustained water damage and power outages from the storm. Lady Liberty was unharmed.
Ellis Island requires more repairs and will remain closed until further notice, according to the .
The iconic statue, which had previously been closed for a year of renovations,Professional NFL T-shirts Supplier, had just reopened a day before the storm hit. It also closed for security reasons following the Sept. 11,'The Lone Ranger' Reviews- It's Pretty Awful, 2001 terrorist attacks. It reopened then on July 4, 2009.</html>