Nintendos new device goes on sale around the world but can it convince gamers to switch . Plus the gadgets google wants every home to have. We hear from the companys new hardware boss. Welcome to World Business report. Im ben bland. In a minute well talk about the currency thats become more valuable than gold. We start injapan on a huge day for Computer Games giant nintendo. It starts selling its latest device the switch. Its kind of hybrid machine combining a home console and a Mobile Device in one. And its safe it say it is a massive gamble for nintendo, which is trying to recapture its glory days as a Games Company in a fast changing industry. Some are even calling it make or break. Lets show you why gaming is very big business and growing fast. According to consultants newzoo sales will top 100 billion for the first time this year. But theres another first. Gaming on Mobile Devices mostly smartphones will take the biggest share this year, with estimated sales of 42. 5 billion. That will put it ahead of Home Consoles and pcs for the first time. Its something nintendo knows only too well. Ten years ago its wii console took the world by storm. We bought 100 million of them nintendo tried to repeat the success with the wii u in 2012 but it has been a complete flop. To date its sold around 13 million. Now compare that to big craze of last year, the Mobile Phone Game Pokemon go. Half a billion people downloaded it and sales hit almost a 1 billion to add insult to injury, most of the profits went to the games developers, who licensed the characters from nintendo. So is the switch the answer to nintendos problems . The machines a bit complicated heres how the company explains it. The switch is a Videogame System for the home. You can attach it to the tv to play games. When you want to play away from the tv, you remove the switch from the dock. When you attach the left and right controllers, you can continue playing anywhere. Nintendo switch has been designed to be a Home Console System which gives you the freedom to change your play style. Jon porter is the Home Technology writer for the website tech radar. You have brought one in, i gather you have a play with it. What did you have a play with it. What did you make of it . I think it would be a mistake to say this is another wii. It was a very good mainstream consumer device. This is a very competent gaming machine. If you are already in the games, this is a very solid launch but i do not think it will reach the same appeal as the wii. Are they trying to do too much by combining the mobile and home console . Historically, nintendo has a lwa ys console . Historically, nintendo has always had its Home Consoles, its gamecube is, and then its hand held devices. What this does is bring those two does barrett sides of its business into one so hopefully you imagine the Company Wants to focus its energy on one piece of hardware and it is a much easier sell to people because you are not selling them to pieces of electronics. There isa them to pieces of electronics. There is a lot riding on this because after the success of wii, the wii u sold only 13 million which was a big drop off. It suffered from an unusual form factor. Nintendo always try something new and it is true here as well. The Second Screen was very difficult for developers to get their heads around. You needed another consul. With the nintendo switch, it has a much more traditional Controller Method and thatis traditional Controller Method and that is going to encourage more developers to bring their titles to this machine because there is not a lot of work to do to fit it. Will it work . I think it is a solid start. 0ver work . I think it is a solid start. Over the next couple of years it will come down to the games and that support they get from the community. If games arent your thing, how about a gadget that can play your music, answer your questions, or even tell you a joke . Googles home is a voice activated digital assistant that the Company Hopes will become a central hub for all the technology in your home. Its currently only available in the us but it will be available here and in other countries in the coming months. Googles head of hardware has been speaking to the bbcs Rory Cellanjones about the importance of the gadget for the company. We have been Building Consumer electronics for many years but over the past year we decided to focus oui the past year we decided to focus our efforts we could build Cutting Edge Technology for home use. Our efforts we could build Cutting Edge Technology for home usem our efforts we could build Cutting Edge Technology for home use. It is somewhat behind amazon with its echo, wind will google home be a hit . We have a huge hit the lead in the knowledge it, google home brings these Great Technology to users. The strength of google has been getting a nswe is strength of google has been getting a nswers for strength of google has been getting answers for our consumers. That all comes together with google home you could get really good answers. He got into smart phones as well. What is the strategy there . It is a mature business but it was time for us mature business but it was time for us to enter and push the edge on innovation. They are all about collecting data. How worried should users be about their privacy . We make sure we protect users and data and some of this information is used to make products are better but first it is all was an important balance that uses trust us. We are here at the World Congress with manufacturers from around the world exhibiting. Is that the future for google . We will dissipate in focus waze in the schumer electronics. We are not out to have a very large hardware Product Portfolio but places where there is a need for an important innovation, we will definitely develop products and that is the case in the Smartphone Business and in Google Home Product where we felt it was important to build both our System Capability and hardware at the same time. Lets stay with the world of technology because theres something of a milestone today for the Virtual Currency bitcoin. The price of one bitcoin has overtaken the price of an ounce of gold for the first time. So whats behind the rise . The answer lies in asia. What is going on . He would have thought that a crypto currency, one that is regulated by any government in the world would exceed the price of an ounce of gold. Thats right, gold has was being seen as a safe haven of choice, it is now got company and it is bitcoin which is trading at 1270 while an ounce of gold is going for 1230. The price of bitcoin has been rising of the last couple of weeks. Investors are looking to edge against potential global uncertainties related to a certain policies by donald trump and brexit. The Trump Administration might potentially relax regulations governing the digital currency. That is what a lot of analysts are saying. Currently does not regulated by any government. It is being used by any government. It is being used by consumers worldwide to try to shield assets from inflation all political upheaval. This is a 360 degrees turn around when the value of bitcoins slumped so badly three yea rs of bitcoins slumped so badly three years ago and it was written off as a failed experiment. Asian Equity Markets fell on friday after a broad global rally, but the dollar strengthened against most other currencies as traders become increasingly confident the Federal Reserve will hike Interest Rates this month. Worth mentioning, snapped shares on their debut shed 44 but it wasnt enough to keep the main indices on wall street in positive territory. Csn. Wall street in positive territory. Csn. See you soon. Counting the ballots of Northern Irelands Snap Election gets underway later this morning. Polls closed last night with final results not expected to be confirmed until saturday afternoon. Its the second time that Northern Ireland has had to choose a government in the space of 10 months. Chris buckler reports from belfast. This generation might not remember the troubles but elections in Northern Ireland and to expose all divisions and once the results are known, the challenge could be Holding Power sharing. The dup Arlene Foster led her party into this election following a bitter fallout with irish republicans. 0ver the last few weeks, harsh words have been exchanged between mrs foster and michele 0neil. That has led some to question whether they will be heading back into government together any time soon. In the last Assembly Election less than a year ago the dup returned as the biggest party, winning 38th of the seats. Sinn fein ran in second place. The opposition parties, will all hope to increase their share of the vote this time and that is true for the smaller parties as well but initially gaining seats could be difficult because a number of Assembly Numbers have been diminished tojust 90. The Assembly Numbers have been diminished to just 90. The strength of each of the parties is likely to be important in the inevitable negotiations. The try to get a deal that would allow Power Sharing the return. Coming up at six six oclock breakfast charlie and steph will have all the days news, business and sport. Plus a warning for people to be careful when buying medication on the internet. The Health Watchdog says some sites put patients at risk by selling medications too quickly without enough checks and failing to provide follow up care. More details in 15 minutes. This is bbc world news. The top stories this hour the us attorney general, jeff sessions, has removed himself from any investigation into alleged russian meddling in the 2016 president ial election. But he denies hes done anything wrong. The russian government says the syrian army, backed by russian air strikes, has completely retaken the city of palmyra from the Islamic State group. The Centrist French president ial candidate, emmanuel macron, has promised to boost the economy and fight corruption if he wins the forthcoming election. Marine le pen of the National Front is forecast to clinch the first round in april but mr macron is considered the favourite to win a run off vote. Scientists in britain have created artificial embryos using two types of stem cells from mice, in what they say is a world first. The researchers at Cambridge University say their artificial embryo could lead to better fertility treatments. Now it is time for our news review. Whats Making Headlines Around The World . First we have the New York Times online reporting on us attorney Generaljeff Sessions stepping aside from investigations into alleged russian interference in the us election. The paper says he faces a Storm Of Criticism over undisclosed meetings with the Russian Ambassador last year. Shares in snap, the Parent Company of snapchat,
comparemela.com © 2020. All Rights Reserved.