IGN Entertainment Continues To Be The No.1 Gaming Information Property With …
Tops the Competition by Almost 9 Million Unique Visitors
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) April 09, 2012
IGN Entertainment is the No. 1 gaming information property for the month of March 2012. According to comScore, IGN Entertainment outranked the competition with 20.745 million unique visitors. Intergi Entertainment and Games placed second with 11.939 million unique visitors; Game Spot came in third with 11.222 million unique visitors; and Wikia Gaming was fourth with 8.681 million unique visitors. In addition, IGN.com is the largest single site for gaming information with 8.6 million unique visitors.
ABOUT IGN ENTERTAINMENT
IGN Entertainment is the leading Internet media and services provider focused on the video game and entertainment enthusiast markets. Collectively, IGNs properties reach 54 million unique users worldwide, according to Internet audience measurement firm comScore. IGNs network of video game-related properties (IGN.com, 1UP.com, GameSpy, FilePlanet, TeamXbox and others) is the Webs #1 video game information destination. IGN also owns the worlds largest mens lifestyle website, AskMen.com, and mens entertainment site UGO.com. It also provides technology for online game play in video games. IGN is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices across North America, Europe and Australia.
For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prwebIGN/Entertainment/prweb9384374.htm
DHS Holding Company Announces Online Gaming
NASHVILLE, TN, Apr 09, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) --
DHS Holding Company (pinksheets:DHSM) CEO Mike Rohling announces
that DHS Holding Company is submitting documentation to secure an
online gaming license in Belize.
In his letter to DHS Holding Company, dated March 2, 2012, Honorable
Erwin Contreras, Minister of Economic Development, Belize, stated,
"It is my feeling that Belize will look very favorably toward an
approval of this license, subject to a final review of your business
plan and supporting documentation."
Mr. Rohling stated, "Despite the online gaming ban in the U.S.,
online gaming is still a $144 billion a year business worldwide, and
is expected to grow 7% annually. DHS Holding Company intends on
capturing a portion of the market share as we expand on our interest
in the gaming market."
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E
of the Securities Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements are
based largely on the expectations or forecasts of future events, can
be affected by inaccurate assumptions, and are subject to various
business risks and known and unknown uncertainties, a number of which
are beyond the control of management. Therefore, actual results could
differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in
this press release. A wide variety of factors that may cause actual
results to differ from the forward-looking statements include, but
are not limited to, the following: the Company's ability to increase
revenue and profits in the current economic climate; the effect of
changing economic conditions; inability to manage growth; and changes
in government regulations, controls and similar matters. These
cautionary statements should not be construed as exhaustive or as any
admission as to the adequacy of the Company's disclosures. The
Company cannot predict or determine after the fact what factors would
cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the
forward-looking statements or other statements. The reader should
consider statements that include the words "believes," "expects,"
"anticipates," "intends," "estimates," "plans," "projects," "should,"
or other expressions that are predictions of or indicate future
events or trends, to be uncertain and forward-looking. The Company
does not undertake to publicly update or revise forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.
Contact
DHS Holding Company
infor@dhsholding.com
(615-200-7402)
SOURCE: DHS Holding Company
mailto:infor@dhsholding.com
Copyright 2012 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.
Financial Glossary
Words used in this article:
Which state is No. 2 in gaming revenue?
The answer may surprise you.
Most everyone knows Nevada is No. 1, fueled by the Las Vegas area and Reno. But Atlantic City and New Jersey are not No. 2, as many would think.
Pennsylvanias 11 casinos raked in about $233.1 million in gross slot machine revenue last month, the Associated Press reports, which was a record monthly high since the states first casino opened in November 2006. The AP says that cements the states status as the nations second-largest gambling market.
Slots totals released last week by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board include revenue from the states newest casino, the Valley Forge Casino Resort. It opened March 31. The states slot take broke the previous monthly record of $218.3 million in July and is an 8.5% increase over March 2011, the AP says.
Virtually every jurisdiction in the country would kill for that kind of growth, especially in a sluggish economy, Joe Weinert, senior vice president of Spectrum Gaming Group, a New Jersey casino consulting firm, told the AP. He called Pennsylvania envy of the casino industry. Certainly, Atlantic City -- for years a killer casino market -- is worried.
RELATED: Could new Revel be an Atlantic City game-changer?
ALSO SEE: Atlantic City takes a sexy page from Vegas
Even when you add in revenue from table games, Pennsylvania now has passed New Jersey and is bested only by Las Vegas (and Nevada). New Jersey fell to third in July, Weinert told the AP.
For the first two months of this year, Pennsylvania casinos reported $515.7 million in gross revenue (combining slots and table games), vs. $479.6 million for New Jersey. Atlantic City, meanwhile, is betting on the just-opened $2.4 billion Revel casino resort to raise the stakes -- and New Jerseys fortunes.
Atlantic City has been relying on a drive-in crowd, which is thinned by casinos in Pennsylvania, a key feeder market for AC.
The new Valley Forge is aimed at drawing a more upscale crowd than the typical Pennsylvania gaming emporium. Casino guests can stay in a hotel tower or at a Radisson, both adjacent to the areas convention center. On Thursday night, a room at the Radisson started at $205; $139 at the hotel casino tower.
Readers, heres a question:
Inside Gaming: Privacy must be a factor in creating online gaming policy
Gov. Brian Sandoval had departed the Nevada Gaming Commission chairmanship to run for attorney general when state regulators approved private gaming salons in 2002.
The regulation, which allowed casinos to set aside secluded gambling areas for big-spending high rollers, was the first time the state diverted from its long-standing policy that gaming take place in public view.
Sandoval brought up privacy last month during the initial meeting of the Gaming Policy Committee.
Nevada is about to embark on Internet gaming. State regulators in January approved regulations governing the operation of online poker sites. More than two dozen casino operators and gaming equipment manufacturers have applied for Interactive gaming licenses.
The first websites catering to in-state poker players could go live by fall once the technology is approved.
The policy committee, which Sandoval convened for the first time since the 1980s, will meet four times by August to look at ways the state can capitalize on the growing Internet gaming opportunities.
Sandoval, who is leading the panel, pointed out that Internet gaming is not as simple as approving regulations, licensing operators and throwing a switch to flip on the servers.
There is possible competition from rival states, looming potential of Congress legalizing Internet poker, and opponents who worry that online gaming will destroy Nevadas land-based casino industry.
Theres also privacy.
In opening remarks on March 28 Sandoval said Nevada law requires gaming be conducted in public.
The comment was somewhat ironic based on todays gaming standards. Private gaming salons, which were supported by major casino companies 10 years ago, are now common in the biggest Strip resorts catering to high-end baccarat business.
Also, Sandoval signed Assembly Bill 294 into law in June, which removed a prohibition on the use of mobile gaming devices by casino customers inside hotel rooms. Coincidentally, Sandoval signed AB 258 into law, which directed the gaming commission to adopt Internet poker regulations, on the same day he signed AB 294.
Maybe he was onto something.
Online gaming, played on computers and mobile devices, is clearly conducted in private.
Gaming has evolved since 1961 when the policy committee was put into place by Gov. Grant Sawyer to deal with entertainment issues, discrimination and equal rights.
In 51 years, the issues have changed.
Gaming has always been out in the open. Thats why I brought it up, Sandoval said. Its a provocative issue. We also have to be mindful of what is going on around us. Were not an island anymore. There are some 40-plus states with gaming.
The policy committee, which includes lawmakers, gaming executives, business leaders, and state gaming regulators, is seeking input from all viewpoints on Internet gambling, both positive and negative.
As with the private gaming salon debate, big gaming is all-in on Internet poker. Many of the major casino operators have deals in place with established online gaming providers should Congress legalize Internet poker. The companies have also applied for Nevada Interactive gaming licenses.
Two of the policy committees members are MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren and Boyd Gaming CEO Keith Smith, whose companies have separate agreements with European online gaming giant Bwin.party, operators of PartyPoker and the World Poker Tour.
Murren has become one of Internet poker legalizations most vocal proponents, calling it the future of our state and the future of our industry.
Sandoval said he would welcome all opinions, including those of Las Vegas Sands Chairman Sheldon Adelson, who has come out against the US legalizing Internet poker. Adelson is concerned that underage gambling cant be properly policed. M Resort President Anthony Marnell III expressed a similar viewpoint.
The purpose of this committee is to hear everything, Sandoval said. Were not taking a narrow view.
The panel is advisory in nature and a report that will be drafted following the last meeting in August could end up offering state lawmakers some direction for the 2013 session.
The governor, however, isnt committing to any specific ideas.
Its important that whatever comes out of this committee be brought to the attention of the Legislature, Sandoval said. If that means a bill draft to make sure that competitively, or from a regulatory standpoint, Nevada continues to lead, then thats what I would like to see.
Is This Really the Best Gaming Stock Around?
Marina Bay Sands
Sources: Yahoo! Finance, Morningstar, Google Finance, and corporate 10-K filing.
* Net income available to common shareholders.
Solid growth
Right off the bat, there doesnt appear to be anything unusual about Sands brisk growth rate -- profit margins shot up over the past year, with revenue and EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) also seeing solid gains in 2011. However, growth slowed over the final quarter, but not enough to slow the stocks rise, as its the best-performing gaming stock (tied with Melco Crown (NAS: MPEL) ) since that earnings release.
Sands Venetian casino in Macau only barely avoided losing the MVP crown to the Sands in Marina Bay, the companys Singapore casino thats more than doubled its revenue over the past year. Meanwhile, revenue in Las Vegas was lower than in 2010, bucking the trends of increased Vegas travel volumes and more gaming wins.
Asian expansion
Las Vegas, however, has never been Sands big moneymaker. The companys three properties in Macau drove much of its gaming revenue, as did its flagship Singapore property; that looks set to continue in 2012 with the opening of Sands Cotai Central. The novelty factor ought to give the company a boost over aggressive rivals Wynn Resorts (NAS: WYNN) and MGM Resorts (NYS: MGM) , which have both pushed Macau toward critical mass by opening resorts to compete with Sands and Melco Crown.
The city has seen amazing growth in gaming revenues over the past three years, but resident Fool gaming analyst Travis Hoium expects that to slow down as casinos saturate the area. That makes 2012 an important year for Sands, as its stock is already bumping up against a much higher P/E than any of its Macau competitors. The only company without another potential Macau site is MGM, so Sands is hardly alone in the race for more space.
Another potential opportunity is a yet-to-be-finalized EuroVegas in Spain, which could be a $20 billion development with an incredible amount of casino capacity. This expansion makes no sense to me now, and I doubt that view will change much in the coming years. Spain has one of the worst unemployment levels in Europe and its economy has fallen on hard times under the boot heel of austerity. Much of Europe is in a similar boat.
There are emerging economies where such a massive development might work, but Europe has long-term headwinds aplenty, from anemic birth rates to pension problems to the potential splintering of the Eurozone. Dont expect this to be the rocket that sends Las Vegas Sands to the stratosphere.
Foolish final thoughts
A forward P/E of 18.95 seems much more reasonable, and the company might make even more than expected if Cotai Central is a big hit. But its also worth keeping in mind the competition, to say nothing of an ill-conceived move into a region in economic tailspin. I wouldnt count Las Vegas Sands out before the new casino opens, but that may already be baked into the stocks price, which has already far outpaced its peers since the recession ended:
LVS Total Return Price Chart by YCharts.
You should definitely keep your eye on Las Vegas Sands by adding it to your watchlist. Im not fully sold on the company at its current price, but I cant see any reason why it would suddenly tank, either. There is one stock that hasnt been mentioned here with a lot of room to grow -- The Motley Fools top stock of 2012. You can find out everything you need to know in our brand-new free report. Click here to claim your copy now.
At the time this
article was published Fool contributor Alex Planes holds no financial position in any company mentioned here. Add him on Google+ or follow him on Twitter @TMFBiggles for more news and insights. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days.
Copyright  1995 - 2012 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Star casino inquiry hears more bullying claims
An inquiry into Sydneys Star casino has heard fresh allegations of workplace bullying.
The Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority is holding the public hearings to investigate the sacking of Star general manager Sid Vaikunta, as well as claims of sexual harassment and a culture of bullying at the casino.
Gail Furness SC is presiding over the inquiry.
Today a former duty manager at the Star, Elizabeth Ward, has told the inquiry she was once berated by a high roller gambler in the company of her supervisor.
Ms Ward cried as she told the hearing she had been sworn at and humiliated in a public place as part of the meeting arranged by her manager.
He berated me for approximately 40 minutes. At point he was telling such an outright lie that I felt that I had to try to speak, Ms Ward said.
I tried to interject, at which point Heather put her hand to me and said, This is not about you being defensive. This is about you apologising.
She also told the inquiry she believes there was a conspiracy to cover up the discovery of cocaine in a casino bathroom.
Ms Ward said it is possible Mr Vaikunta had a hand in the alleged cover up in an attempt to conceal his own drug use.
Meanwhile the Opposition is continuing to apply pressure on Premier Barry OFarrell over the casino.
Mr OFarrells communications director, Peter Grimshaw, resigned last week after giving evidence to the inquiry.
But the inquiry has ruled out calling the Premier himself to give evidence.
Opposition Leader John Robertson says there is a risk the inquiry could become a whitewash.
There are still a whole range of questions that Barry OFarrell needs to answer, and its very disappointing that Ms Furness didnt see fit to call him, Mr Robertson said.
Because until we can get to the bottom of this there are questions about the Premier and his office and what his role has been in the pursuit of Peter Grimshaws personal vendetta.
Topics:
courts-and-trials,
states-and-territories,
gambling,
work,
pyrmont-2009,
sydney-2000
First posted
April 10, 2012 13:17:45
Valve’s Newell takes video gaming to next level
Forbes magazine recently added Newell, co-founder and managing director of the video-game superpower Valve Software, to its list of the worlds billionaires, estimating his net worth at $1.5 billion. That figure will likely only grow thanks to his latest gamble, called Steam, which is rapidly becoming for gaming what iTunes is to music. As video games increasingly compete with the movies for Americas entertainment dollars, gaming kingpins like Newell have become equivalent to the Samuel Goldwyns and Irving Thalbergs of last century. Xbox chief Don Mattrick has a Vancouver home that was valued at more than $20 million in 2009, and developer Richard Garriott paid a reported $30 million to visit the International Space Station. Forbes estimate probably puts Newell near or at the top of the money list. More impressively, hes managed to earn the respect of gamers, whose ethos runs more to the renegade than the One Percent. Newell made his bet on digital delivery of video games a decade ago. At that time, Valves production team was working on a long-awaited sequel to Half-Life, the companys 1998 breakthrough hit about the alien takeover of Earth. Deeply steeped in nearly every aspect of the new game, Newell felt he needed some distance on the process to remain objective on its progress. He began working on Steam, a digital delivery platform that Valve hoped would revolutionize how games are sold by shifting distribution online. It was a risky move that demanded significant investment and forced Newell to be an industry evangelist about the potential of online sales. By 2005 though, the service was profitable, and today, Steam sells over 1,800 games and boasts 40 million active user accounts. Major game publishers, including Activision, Take-Two Interactive Software and Bethesda Softworks are among its partners. Electronic Arts has become such a believer in the concept that it has launched a competing service, while keeping many of its games on Steam. Gabe is an incredibly long-term thinker, says Tim Sweeney, founder of Epic Games. Gabe had the audacity to invest in a technology that purported to put Valve, as a little game developer, in the position of digitally distributing huge publishers games and taking a cut. â?¦ But now Steam is leading the PC game industry forward in the western world. Valve has never released specific revenue numbers for Steam, but in January, Newell announced sales had doubled in 2011 and the number of simultaneous users had topped 5 million. Newell didnt look like a gambler when he started out. He started designing games at Microsoft in 1983 and stayed for 13 years. He was instrumental in convincing developers to embrace Windows as a gaming platform, rather than the familiar DOS operating system. Encouraged by id Software co-founder John Carmack, Newell and fellow Microsoft employee Mike Harrington cashed in their options to start Valve. Their hopes werent high. Newell has said he expected to make a single mediocre game then be forced to return to Microsoft. Instead, their first game â?? Half-Life â?? launched a franchise that has sold well over 20 million copies. (Harrington left Valve in 2000.) Now 49, Newell is one of the most widely admired figures in gaming. In 2011, hackers accessed the Steam database. Valve immediately alerted users, but months later â?? in February 2012 â?? Newell sent a follow-up note to users saying the company had determined those intruders had obtained a copy of a backup file containing user names, email addresses â?? and more importantly, encrypted billing addresses and encrypted credit card information. Rather than crying foul as they did when Sony suffered a similar intrusion, most gamers shrugged it off. Part of Newells goodwill comes from his openness to the gaming community. He regularly responds to gamer emails, discussing everything from game theory to his fondness for Singha beer to his knife collection, and has playful interactions with Valves player base. In 2009, he flew to Australia to play a fan-made map for Valves Left 4 Dead game. In return, he expects gamers to be on his team. In 2003, when a hacker stole the source code for Half-Life 2 and posted it online long before the games release, Newell took the companys fan forums to ask for the communitys help in tracking down the thief. This relationship allowed Newell to weather difficulties like his recent database breach. A lot of our love and attention ends up getting directed towards Gabe because he has not only has led such an amazing company, but he not infrequently puts himself out there via various means of public commentary and he tends to do so very candidly â?? it helps us feel as if we can get to know him, says Randy Pitchford, CEO and co-founder of Gearbox Software, which has worked with Valve on several games in the Half-Life franchise. While he might be a kindly uncle figure to fans, Newell is hardly afraid to go toe-to-toe with industry giants like Sony and Microsoft. In a 2007 interview with Game Informer magazine, he called the PlayStation 3 a total disaster on so many levels. Three years later, though, he was on stage at Sonys E3 press conference noting the companys improvements â?? though not without a little humor. Id really like to thank everyone at Sony for their gracious hospitality, and for not repeatedly punching me in the face, he said onstage. Gabe is one of the rare industry luminaries who speaks his mind openly, and out of a genuine desire to improve the industrys state of the art, says Sweeney. He has no qualms about sparring with Sony, Microsoft, and other industry leaders. Thus, when Gabe speaks, people listen. We know hes talking sense to us, which is a rare occurrence in the increasingly PR-driven world of large publishers. A gambler who doesnt bluff? That a rarity in any field. Â 2012 CNBC.com
PAX 2012: The State Of Gaming Is Strong
PAX 2012: The State Of Gaming Is Strong
Over the weekend, we joined approximately 70000 other people in Boston for one of the largest gaming enthusiast events in the world. PAX is less than a decade old, but had steadily grown into an enormous convention, only this one aimed directly at the public. We attend a lot of shows and events- CES, E3, SXSW and many others- but the PAX experience is unique. Though you may not have made it to this years Massachusetts event, the PAX Prime is still yet to come, held in Seattle over Labor Day Weekend.
It was our first trip to the Penny Arcade Expo, or PAX East, and we had a great time. We met folks like Felicia Day and Jonathan Coulton, who was there to perform as part of two nights of concerts (that also featured bands like MC Frontalot, Supercommuter, Protomen, Minibosses, and the Video Game Orchestra). We spoke with dozens of fans, who braved lines to check out upcoming titles like Civilization V: Gods and Kings and XCOM: Enemy Unknown (from 2K Games and Firaxis), both of which have us looking anxiously forward to some PC gaming sessions later this year. Microsoft showed off some convincing Kinect experiences, like Crimson Dragon and Steel Battalion. Hundreds of consoles were setup to freeplay, allowing everyone to check out old favorites while lounging- and a classic arcade was setup with some amazing games as well, courtesy of the American Classic Arcade Museum.
The show floor offered plenty of booths beyond the big studios and AAA titles- we especially appreciated a set of amazing XBLA Indie games and some iOS and Android games that offered plenty of creativity and intriguing art design. Even among the big players like Sega, some of the most interesting things we saw were not on our radar- for instance, the upcoming iPad title Total War Battles: Shogun. People watching is always fun at events such as these, and PAX was no different- we caught folks in costumes ranging from Mega Man to a team of Ghostbusters, and hundreds more.
Not everything was perfect- lines were lengthy to get passes, some events and panels were completely packed, and it seemed like two particular changes would have been nice: an RSVP system or ticketing method to get a clear idea of how much demand there is for each panel or event, as well as a moderated question and answer system to fix the regular issue of people rushing the mic and talking instead of asking a question (or asking a poorly phrased question).
That said, the panels were interesting- we watched a Hungarian documentary on the demoscene and listened to Gamers With Jobs talk about how to balance the demands of adulthood (with Ken Levine, from Irrational Games on hand). Gamer and geek icons like Rooster Teeth and CollegeHumor were on hand, and for those wanting a more competitive experience, tournaments for everything from Magic: The Gathering to Tetris Attack and Mario Kart were held. And there was even a magnetic climbing wall, where you strapped on magnets to your hands and feet and made like Spiderman.
Our favorite area, though, was also the largest and most chaotic: the free-for-all tabletop area, focused on board games of all types. This section was open until 2AM, when you could still find hundreds of folks trying out the latest titles, throwing dice, laughing over Cards Against Humanity, or arguing over Risk: Legacy. We met the designers behind the upcoming title Gladiators, who taught us their game over the course of an hour. And we tried several of the latest Steve Jackson games, including the upcoming Castellan, which is being released this summer. We cant wait until next year! Also, dont forget to check out the rest of our images on Facebook!
Mozilla is Building a 3D Gaming Engine
Mozillas new game engine is part of Paladin, a project by the Mozilla Labs community established to create the best gaming technology available for the open web.
Mozilla is reportedly working on a 3D gaming engine called Gladius as part of its new Paladin project to push 3D gaming into the browser. The team is currently building a game based on the new engine called RescueFox which supposedly works in recent releases of Firefox -- it wouldnt work in version 8 as of this writing. Cursory testing also suggests that it works in Chrome for the Mac, although performance is slower and there is no sound, Mozilla said.
Paladin sits at the intersection of 3D gaming, JavaScript framework and library development, and the browser, Mozilla explains. Were tied into the bits of the web that are up-and-coming, and are working to weaponize them for gaming. Where the web is missing critical gaming support, we aim to fill those gaps by adding new browser APIs, enhancing existing ones, and building technologies on top of the web.
According to Mozilla, RescueFox was developed to make sure that the Gladius gaming engine was really going to be suitable for third-party development. Initially CJ Cliffe started by doing a ton of work directly against CubicVR.js, a 3D engine used to build the No Comply and Flight of the Navigator demos. Alan Kligman and Bobby Richter started porting chunks of it to the higher-level Gladius APIs. Dan Mosedale started working with some of the input APIs, the timer, and finding visual assets to use.
Eventually they discovered that the higher-level Gladius APIs were actually making the game more complex to build rather than easier, so the team temporarily went with lower-level APIs and did just enough work to make it basically playable. The higher-level Gladius APIs needed some refactoring, the team concluded.
We think we've learned most of what we can from RescueFox and don't intend to drive it forward any further at this point (though that shouldn't stop anyone who feels inclined to fork it), Mosedale said. But we'll be prototyping another microgame soon once the Gladius refactoring is a bit further along, and we'll be very interested in having folks help out there.
To read more about the Gladius engine and the RescueFox prototype, head here. More about the entire Paladin project can be accessed here.
IP Casino now a Boyd Gaming property
BILOXI -- IP Casino Resort closed late Monday with a plan to reopen a short time later under the same name, with the same employees and new ownership.
Officials from the Mississippi Gaming Commission oversaw the change in command from Imperial Palace of Mississippi and Key Largo Holdings to Boyd Gaming, a public company headquartered in Las Vegas. Signs posted at the resort said the casino is expected to be open by midday today.
Customers won#x2019;t notice any immediate changes and for Boyd Gaming, the IP Casino is practically move-in ready, said Paul Chakmak, Boyd Gaming chief operating officer.