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| Dreamcast
Dilemna |
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NCS will take delivery of a new shipment of Dreamcast consoles this week. We will start
confirming pre-orders and recent orders today. While the bulk of our shipment will
probably test fine, we ask our customers to allow us a day or two to check each console to
verify proper functionality. A recent spate of reported problems from customers has made
us risk-averse to the DC where we must take steps to ensure that every console shipped out
from our company will arrive fully tested and working 100%. Our testing methods are
meticulous and will not affect the cosmetic appearance of the DC console or carton. |
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| Dreamcast
Video Clarity |
| The default audio/video RCA cable is fine for the masses - the picture
pumping out of a Dreamcast is certainly pretty enough with the included Sega cable. Over
the years, NCS has come to recognize a core of gamers that want a little more. These elite
want the best and a/v is anathema. In this age of 32-bit console gaming, they flock to the
XRGB-1 and XRGB-2 upscan convertors. In the brave new era of Dreamcast, S-Video is one
step up from the RCA cable. The DC S-Video Cable will be available on
January 15 at US$38. Push the envelope a bit further with the Dreamcast
VGA Box, expected near the end of January at US$78. This device
will output the DC video directly into a VGA, SVGA, or Multi-sync monitor for razor sharp
definition, accurate colors, no fuzzies and a crystal clear picture. DC video nirvana... |
| Pre-order
by simply e-mailing NCS
with your name, address, telephone number and a brief message. We'll confirm pre-orders a
few days before the item arrives. |
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| Dreamcast
Puru Puru Pack |
| Playstation owners have the Dual Shock pad and Nintendo 64 fans get
their shocks and giggles from the Rumble Pack. On March 04, Dreamcast players will join
the vibration crowd with Sega's Puru Puru Pack which slides snugly into the DC joypad.
Games with PPP support include Godzilla Generations, Sonic Adventure, Monaco GP2, Psychic
Force 2012, Buggy Heat, and House of the Dead 2. The listed yen retail is Y2200 or roughly
NCS $28. |
| Pre-order
by simply e-mailing NCS
with your name, address, telephone number and a brief message. We'll confirm pre-orders a
few days before the item arrives. |
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| Yen
Strength Continues |
| We watched the overnight Forex session as the yen trended around
110 to the dollar. In most cases, we would have shorted the dollar against the yen but the
move was too quick and the reward too ephemeral. Market intervention (read: manipulation)
is common and we expect buying to strengthen the dollar against further weakness - our
short term target is 115~120 yen to the dollar. Japanese vendors have hiked wholesale
prices by roughly 5% in rhythm with the currency markets and NCS' prices will reflect this
adjustment in our next import shipments. In the past, we would have taken steps to hedge
our currency risks to soften any shocks but nowadays, we let the market check the
equilibrium for us. |
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| Silent
Hill USA |
| Konami's upcoming 3-D horror adventure is now expected in the USA
at the same time as the Japanese release. The domestic date for Silent Hill
is listed as February 24 while the Japanese date is February 25. Please re-confirm
pre-orders if you have previously reserved the Japanese version of SH. Import
cancellations from retail customers are fully expected so feel free to submit those to NCS
as well. E-mail notification is welcome. |
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| Web
Woes |
| NCS uploaded yesterday's update in the morning but our server would
not allow us to post it until the late afternoon. Something about no hard drive
space available. Such is life in the woolly world of internet servers. |
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| Capital
Markets |
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The market action in Monday's session was tumultuous. At it's highs, the Dow was up
by 160+ points and at it's lows, -60 points. The swing of ~220 points reminded us of the
turmoil in August when the market convulsed in the tentacles of the LTCM debacle. We're
watching with extreme interest and will take positions as we see fit, both long and short,
with tight trailing stops. For the time being, our bias is to go long S&P futures and
short the NDX . |
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Send e-mail to ncs@escape.com
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